Here is another way you can use WEGs (Wizard English Grids - click there to see the introduction to WEGs and access the main template download): to apply various kinds of bingo games.
Watch my quick tutorial here to get an overview (more detailed notes follow):
As I mention in the quick tutorial, there are hundreds of ways to apply bingo for language learning applications, and this is just one of them!
Some follow-up notes to accompany the tutorial above:
1. Generating your word list
The simplest way is for you (the teacher) to choose the words to be featured in the game, and have the learners copy them into the word list section at the top.
However, I particularly like using bingo to assist with reviewing of vocabulary over multiple reading passages or units. I also like to develop in the learners an awareness of which words are more common or potentially more useful than others.
To this end, I may feature four reading passages, each of which has eight key words highlighted in it. I ask the learners themselves to choose what they think will be the four most common or useful words from the eight words in the passage and to list them in the four top boxes (four words for four reading passages). I too select what I think are the most common or useful words from these passages to create my bingo script.
It's subjective of course, but hey - what are teachers for if they can't express their opinions about which words are likely to be the most common or useful? (By the way, there are ways to find out which are most common, by entering them into Internet search engines or referring to an online dictionary that features bands for different words based on frequency and range - but this can be very time consuming, and I encourage teachers to go with their instincts on this one!)
This is useful because it encourages the learners to think about the words more carefully and make more measured choices. As the teacher reads out his/her selected words, learners can compare their judgments about most common/useful with those of their teacher. If the words they've chosen from the available passages/lists are too rare or specialised, there may be less chance of those words being read out by the teacher.
2. Delivering the selected words as part of the bingo script
As I mention in the quick tutorial there, just reading out the words in random order is fine if "a good game is a quick game" best describes your approach to things, but you are probably missing out on good opportunities to expand and develop vocabulary awareness.
One way to deliver the words in your script is by using definitions to introduce them. Hence, instead of "1. Exciting" you could be saying: "1. Fun and interesting - exciting!" This is a great way to have the learners concentrate and pick up synonyms and other useful definitions/descriptions. It can also be applied to be more challenging, with the teacher reading out "1. Fun and interesting...?" and waiting for students to yell out the correct word. This will encourage even greater concentration and thinking when the definition is used as the main clue rather than just throwing the word out there.
My other favourite way to deliver the words is to use them in meaningful sentences or phrases - either from the original reading passage or ones I make up on the spot to highlight the word in a more natural and meaningful environment. So, instead of just "1. Exciting", in this case I would say "1. A lot of exciting things happen. Exciting." Again, this results in more concentration and attention from the learners, more meaningful exposure to the word, and more language "pay off" through a bingo game application.
I've also taken that second application even further, the encourage closer listening and to highlight syllables (number and stress) within the key words in my bingo script. In this case (for the word "exciting") I would say to the learners "1. A lot of hm-HMM-hm things happen..." and wait for them to guess that the missing word I "hummed" was in fact "exciting." Notice how the "hum" approach allows you to blank out the word within the meaningful sentence, but still allows the teacher to show how many syllables are featured (here it is three syllables) in the missing word, and which syllables are stressed or unstressed (in this case the second syllable was stressed - exciting).
3. Having the learners host the bingo games
I'm a very firm believer in "handing over the reins" to the learners whenever and however possible when it comes to classroom applications. Learners tend to catch on to the way these bingo applications work, so when they're ready, it's a great idea to let them host and run the bingo games on a rotating basis. This could involve one student hosting the bingo game for the entire class, or different students within small groups hosting the games. It's also possible to set the bingo script up collaboratively by asking each student to choose a word, write it on a piece of paper and put it into a box or something - which then becomes the bingo script source. I've found that students very quickly progress through the different options I've demonstrated and explained above, so whenever they can begin to take over the bingo game process and apply it well, why not let them go for it?
I know the examples in the Screenjelly video cast may have been a little hard to make out - so here's the complete PDF version showcased there, showing each stage/example in complete detail!
How about you? Got any other vocabulary bingo game ideas you'd like to add or share here?
:-)
