1. This or That
Instructions: Students choose one of two options and explain their choice. Use as a warm-up or walk-around game.
Template:
- Ice cream or Cake
- Beach or Mountains
- Early bird or Night owl
- Text or Call
- Books or Movies
Extension: Add sentence starters: “I prefer ___ because…”
2. Would You Rather
Instructions: Present two scenarios; students must choose and justify their answer. Great for pair or small group discussion.
Template:
- Would you rather fly or be invisible?
- Would you rather always be too hot or too cold?
- Would you rather only eat sweet or salty foods forever?
- Would you rather live in the past or the future?
- Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
3. Mind Match
Instructions: Students answer questions individually, then try to find classmates with the same answer.
Template:
- Favorite color: __________
- Dream vacation: __________
- Favorite season: __________
- Best school subject: __________
- Favorite animal: __________
Objective: Find 3 classmates with the same answers.
4. Scavenger Hunt (People Search)
Instructions: Students walk around the room and find classmates who match specific prompts.
Template:
Find someone who…
- Has the same birthday month
- Speaks more than one language
- Has a pet
- Has traveled to another country
- Plays a sport
- Likes the same music as you
Extension: Add space for name + follow-up question.
5. What’s on Your Phone? (Tech Edition)
Instructions: Students score points for items they have on their phones (or describe hypothetically).
Template:
- A photo of a pet
- A screenshot
- A playlist
- A language app
- A selfie
- A funny meme
Variation: Turn into a tally or Bingo-style game.
6. Around the World
Instructions: Post flags, country names, or cultural icons around the room. Students choose one and explain why they’d like to visit.
Template Prompts:
- Where would you go and why?
- What would you eat there?
- What language would you hear?
- What souvenir would you bring home?
7. Ever or Never
Instructions: Students stand if they’ve ever done the activity; remain seated if never. Fun for movement and discussion.
Template Prompts:
- Eaten sushi
- Gone camping
- Been on an airplane
- Sung karaoke
- Made a TikTok
- Broken a bone
Follow-up: “Tell us the story behind one of your ‘ever’ experiences!”
8. Song Match
Instructions: Students match songs to emotions, memories, or traits. Use in music-based icebreakers or with target-language music.
Template Prompts:
- A song that makes you dance: __________
- A song that reminds you of summer: __________
- A song you know all the lyrics to: __________
- A song that describes you: __________
- A song from a movie you love: __________
Optional: Play a clip and guess whose song it is!
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Visit the blog for more resources, lessons and ideas:
https://reallifelanguage.com/
