3 Easy and Engaging Icebreakers for World Languages Classes

I’ve always loved icebreaker games as a back-to-school activity. There are a lot of great ways to use icebreakers as a teaching tool and keep everyone speaking the target language, even from day one.

Here are some of my favorite examples to give you a jump start. I hope they spark some ideas!

Icebreaker 1: Same

This activity is a high-impact way to maximize language input and low-affective-filter output while getting to know your students, even in Level 1. 

Directions

1. Model appropriate simple phrases in your target language for the following phrases so that students are prepared to respond.

   “I do too."
   ”I don’t."
   ”Me.”
   ”Not Me.” 

2. Act out different interests while stating them in your target language. Bonus: you’ll learn each other’s interests! Here are some examples:
   
   “I like to read.”
   “I play football.”
   “I listen to hip-hop.”

3. Each time you say a phrase, the “I do too” group stands up and says “I do too,” followed by the “I don’t” group. 
    

Students with more language ability can respond with more sophisticated phrases and take turns leading the activity. This can certainly be adapted to match any target language goals with phrases such as personality traits, food preferences, summer activities, and future plans.

Icebreaker 2: Plain Ole Me
 

This activity asks students to think about boring things about themselves. The pressure to share interesting or personal information is removed, it can easily be accomplished in the target language, and the simplicity of it all can become quite humorous.

Directions

1. Have students make three statements in the target language that are boring facts about themselves, providing a level of detail that would be appropriate for their proficiency level. Examples include:

   “I bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every day.”
   “I put my socks on before my shoes.”
   “I sit on the couch when I watch television.”

2. Students circulate the room sharing their boring statements and survey their classmates on whether or not they share the same boring traits.
    
3. Students record which students share and don’t share the same statement. 
    
4. Students report the facts they shared that had the most number of people who don't share that trait.
    

This can easily be differentiated for different levels. For lower levels, you can provide a list of boring statements about people for them to select from and survey their classmates. 

Icebreaker 3: Switch It, Change It, Rearrange It
 

This activity is fun for writing or speaking and can take many different forms. You could even use it in conjunction with Plain Ole Me. 

Directions

1. Students say or write one statement in reference to the topic of the day.
    
2. Get students in a circle. 
    
3. One student reads their statement or passes their paper to the right. 
    
4. Each subsequent student has to change one aspect of the phrase. To illustrate:

   Student A: I eat lunch every day.
   Student B: I eat breakfast every day.
   Student C: I eat breakfast at 7:30.
   Student D: I prepare breakfast at 7:30.

This fun activity can easily be differentiated. For instance, you could have students work in pairs. Or, have students fold the paper to make four squares and do one statement per square. Students then choose which statement they want to change.

These activities always engaged and appropriately challenged students when I was in the classroom, and I hope you’ll be inspired to try your own versions of them as well! Plus, these don’t have to be relegated to back-to-school activities, so add these activities to your toolbox for when you need something light, interactive, and easy to implement.