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Friday, March 1, 2013

The Hidden German Alphabet Game

Mag loves to play Hotter/Colder. You know, the game where you give clues as to how close a child is to a hidden object by saying "hotter" or "colder" or "on fire," etc? Mag loves it! She could play that all day long... if only I would.

Well, now thanks to inspiration from a blogging teacher, I can easily eek out a few more rounds of Hotter/Colder, just by adding in one element that I love: foreign language learning.


How to Play

Hide something. The child looks for it.
While the child is looking, sing the ABC song... but in German! (or any language)
As the child gets closer to the object, sing louder and faster.
As he/she moves away, sing more slowly and quietly.
Next round, switch up and let the child do the hiding and singing.

Now while Mag is searching, she's absorbing the German alphabet pronunciation. And while I'm searching, she's practicing reciting the German alphabet. WUNDERBAR!

To hear the German alphabet recited, click here below. 
(Public Domain, Courtesy of"Timwi")


Et vous? Any game adaptations for injecting foreign language into play?



Glossary:
Wunderbar! (German) = Wonderful!
Et vous? (French) = And you?

13 comments:

  1. So much good stuff. Neat the way the recitation of the German alphabet can be accessed on your BLOG. Good ideas for hotter/colder game. Keep it coming!!

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    1. Thanks for the props, GP! I always enjoy your visits to my blog!

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  2. What a super idea!! I remember doing something similar when I was in school. I love your blog!
    Owl About Us

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    1. Thanks, Chris, I'm headed to your blog next!

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  3. Great idea! I have always struggled with other languages, but even I can say the alphabet with the Spanish pronunciation!

    My school has a large ESL population. There have been several years where I have had one or more non-English speakers. This would be a fun way to incorporate the American slphabet and get my kinders moving!

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    1. Adding ESL students makes for some fun adventures in teaching, doesn't it? The world sure is getting smaller; I love it!

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  4. What a wonderfully fun way to learn a language. Love it.
    Thank you for the audio of the German alphabet.
    Kathy
    The Fun Factory

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Kathy! Yes, that audio clip was a good find... so fun learning how to add new things to your blog, isn't it?

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  5. WOW!! What a GREAT idea!! I love it!! I'm your newest follower, so I will be back for more great ideas!

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    1. Lisa, I'm so glad you found me, and thank you for the follow! Please leave your blog link next time, so I can be sure I visit you, too!

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  6. I love your spin on such an easy to play game! Although I don't teach a foreign language in my room, I can see practical uses for this idea! Thanks for sharing!

    Leigh
    The Applicious Teacher

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    1. Yes, the same ideas can be re-worked many times over, can't they, to keep the classroom exciting! There's no end to what we can do with a little imagination, and inspiration from each other!

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  7. I really like the idea of this game. It would be great to play in any ESL classroom, or around a holiday a country celebrates.

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