Category Archives: Cultural Exploration

Here are some engaging and communicative ways to teach geography in the foreign language classroom. These are a few activities that students to practice the vocabulary for country names, capitals and nationalities.

In this first activity, students work in pairs and ask questions to try to figure out the answers that the other partner has decided on. Since the goal is to record information, the focus is on speaking and listening. Students ask yes/no questions in the target language and also answer in complete sentences. This activity can be used many times because the pairings and answers can change each time. (Spanish Version, French Version)

This next activity will get students moving around the classroom and speaking. Students are given a sheet with a list of countries. They are also given a small slip of paper with the language(s) that they speak. They first must figure out where they live based on the language(s) that they speak. The task is then to figure out where all the other students live by either asking them where they live or asking them which language they speak. (Spanish Version, French Version)

In this last activity students cut up the squares and line them up in order in one long strip placing the country above the nationality. (Spanish Version, French Version)

This activity is a very effective way to get students communicating with each other using a specific set of vocabulary that they are familiar with.  This is also a great activity to practice circumlocution.  I typically provide a list of words that students know well and they have the task sorting the words into categories.  I either give a list of words that students list in categories or they cut them out and physically place them in categories.  The first time through, I have them put the words in two categories, then three categories and sometimes up to seven or eight categories.  The objective is to do this using only the target language as the groups or pairs negotiate the categories.  This is why it is best to provide words that are familiar.  This helps to maintain the focus on speaking and communicating the negotiation in the target language and not focusing so much on the meaning of the words.  The great thing about this activity is that there are no right or wrong categories as long as the groups can explain why the words are grouped together.  Here is a WORD document with words to use to practice to do this activity with your students.  The activity is in English, Spanish and French.I have also done this with pictures of well-kn0wn people that are related to the language and culture that we are studying (artists, actors, politicians, authors, etc.). 

You can download full versions of this project here:

• French restaurant group presentation
• Spanish restaurant group presentation

We have the food unit that comes up in our foreign language classes almost every year and every text book has at least one chapter devoted to it.  I  created this group project that has students incorporate everything that they learn during a food and restaurant unit.  Students work in groups to create a sales pitch. They have 5 minutes to present their concept for a restaurant to a group of judges (I use other teachers in the school who can understand this level of the language).  Sometimes I record the presentations and email the videos to faculty members to vote on.  Presentations include ideas for the style and decor, the place setting, uniforms, a menu, a chef, and one prepared specialty of the house for the judges to test.

To keep it completely proficiency-based, they have visuals to represent decor, menu, restaurant style, uniforms, etc. but they speak in the moment with no notes. The idea is to have them speak completely at their proficiency level without any memorized, prepared language. This is a great way to have them use everything that they learn throughout a food unit, and it’s an effective alternative to skits. I always give students an a a sheet with useful phrases and vocabulary to use during the presentation as well as an in-depth rubric that the judges also use. This is lots of fun and all about proficiency and showing the students what they can do with the language, and the project-based learning aspects are very effective as well.

You can download full versions of this project here:

• French restaurant group presentation
• Spanish restaurant group presentation