Game in Japanese

Dice Game

Target Grade: 1-5
Target English: Any vocab, try occupations or "What are you doing?"

This is a great game that works best with themes with around 11 pieces of vocab and actions to go with them i.e. a lot of the Genki English themes!

1. Put the students into groups of 4 or 5. The best way to do this is to use the Mingle Game combined with the group game, i.e. you do the Mingle chant and then shout out "4" or "5" and the kids quickly get into groups of this number. This works a treat!



2. Each group sits down in a circle

3. Give each group a die


4. You assign a number from 2-12 for each piece of vocab. It's best to let the students decide which ones are which. Write down the number next to the picture card on the board.

5. The students shout out the appropriate question, e.g. "What do you do?" for occupations. It's important that the kids are not just learning vocab, but are learning the questions and answers together.


6. One person in the group rolls the die. The students remember the number.

7. The same person rolls the die again.

8. The students add up the numbers and then shout out the corresponding answer. i.e. if they roll 2 and then 5, they shout out the answer on the picture card next to number 7. It's also really fun to do the gestures as well.

9. The fastest person to call out the correct answer then becomes the die roler and you repeat from 6.


This game can go on for ages as all the students want to roll the dice. It's great for concentration as you have to look at the die, do the maths, look at the board then shout out the English! It also helps promote the "student centered learning" approach now recommended in Asia, where the teacher becomes the "director" and the students are the movie stars!

I got this idea in Thailand, from Emi, thank you!


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