Language learning activities for the solo learner

[Christi]

Most of my language learning experiences are class-based and I remember that we alway used to do several language learning activities to consolidate new material. For example, we'd play bingo, do poster projects, play alibi/charades, think-pair-share etc.

At the moment I'm studying on my own and got to wondering if there are any fun activities meant for solo learners.

What I thought of so far:

-Synonym/antonym scramble:
write down synonyms/antonyms on post-its, mix them up and then look for the correct matches.

-Solving or making a crossword puzzle

-Describe the picture:
This website will generate a picture which you'll then need to describe. You can make it more difficult by setting requirements on what kind of words or grammar structures to use. http://eslgames.com/webapps/pics/

-What happens next?
You look at a short video fragment and need to guess what happens next. You could do this by watching home-videos on Youtube and then pressing pause.

-Answer the question
This site generates questions on various topics which you can then write about or give a oral answer to. http://eslgames.com/webapps/conversation/

-Write a new scene for a story you are reading or movie you just watched


That's all I managed to come up with for now. Maybe someone else has some other activities they'd like to share?

[Iversen]

One thing that strikes me in your list is that it mostly contains different kinds of games and puzzles. For me it is more satisfying to go directly to native materials, supplemented with pure information sources like grammars and dictionaries. Well, a standard textbook is also supposed to contain both texts and some grammar and vocabulary, but my experience with for instance Teach Yourself is that the newer editions are becoming more and more like repositories of texts in the form of puzzles. In the 'good old days' the only kind of test would be translation exercises, and that was in my opinion more than enough. I have sometimes had to buy 'grammars' that were half grammars, half exercises - and I don't like them. WHen I want information, my source should give me information, not cross-examine me.

So for a homestudy setup I would definitely do some hardcore study of grammar and vocabulary from sources that don't try to be sources of exercises too. As for exercises there are many kinds, and some come with a key - like the translation exercises in textbooks. The key is essential, because if you do want to test yourself you must be able to know whether you are on the right track or not - and if you don't have a teacher then that information must come from the source itself. My own dictionary based wordlists belong here because I get immediate feedback, and the same applies to SRS programs like Anki. I would even put the use of bilingual texts here, because you can try first to read the original version and then check the translation (with the proviso that the translation may be full of errors and/or too free to be relevant). I have alsao read about cloze software that removes selected words from a text and then expects you to guess them. If there is a key, then I do think they work - although I have not tried them out.

So my first consideration would be to spend time both on hardcore sources (grammars, dictionaries, well... also textbooks, leaving out the puzzles and games) AND on intensive study of sources, preferably with a key, else with dictionaries etc. within reach.

Everything else belongs to the category of extensive study - meaning that if I can't get solutions to problems, then I don't intend to worry about those problems. Then the point is to train your ability to hammer through muddy waters while still getting some goodies from the travel - and there the amount of text or speech is of pramount impoertance.. and frankly I don't see that in the puzzles department.

And then I haven't even mentioned the kinds of contact a home learner can get with native speakers or other learners the help of the internet, travels and personal meetings in your bood - but apart from the travels there are other members here who can speak with more confidence about their methods in this context.

[Cavesa]

Yes, I agree a lot with Iversen. However, if we talk about games and playful activities, I love these:

Watching tv series or a movie and getting so immersed you become part of the story and talk to the characters. "He's right behind you!" "Don't go there, you fool!" "He loves you, don't leave" "of course your theory sound good but you have forgotten your hyperspeed engines are broken"

Talk to yourself (or think quietly, if you are not alone). Complaining is the best, that makes me the most fluent

Computer games.

Study something in the language.

Take online quizzes meant for the natives.

Browsing online stores even without the intention to really buy something? Why not in the new language. This is a game called "If I won a lottery..."

[Christi]

One thing that strikes me in your list is that it mostly contains different kinds of games and puzzles.

Yes, because that's one of the methods I want to use while learning a language. I want to have different types of activities to create input and output besides using textbooks, intensive reading etc.

[Decidida]

Right now, I am really liking the Dino Lingo children’s picture story books with audio.

http://books.dinolingo.com/en/creole-books-for-kids

[reineke]

Trekkie.jpeg

[smallwhite]

-Synonym/antonym scramble:
write down synonyms/antonyms on post-its, mix them up and then look for the correct matches.

Quizlet offers matching game as well as typing, spelling and multiple-choice games in differnt directions like
see L1 type L2
hear L2 type L2
see L2 pick L1
match L1 L2
...

Synonym/antonym typing/picking/matching is also possible.

Link to Quizlet on google play store
Link to thread Do You Like Quizlet?

[Adrianslont]

Criminal Case is a pretty good addictive freemium game on iPhone and I think elsewhere. It’s good for reading and vocabulary. Comes in numerous languages.

[Xenops]

For learning scripts, I try to find games related to identifying them. This is my current favorite for learning hiragana and katakana: http://www.valiantls.com/games-for-learning-japanese.html

I assume you can Google for games for vocab specific to a language.