April Fool’s Day is here! The language classroom is normally a fun and creative place already, but why not make it even more so? You can take advantage of this day to play pranks that teach something and use the art of telling jokes to get in speaking practice. Read on for ideas on how to inject laughter and playful mischief into the language classroom.
- Find your punch line
For this activity, you will need some simple jokes in the target language that have clear punch lines. You will write the first part of the joke on a strip of paper and the punch line on another strip. Students will either be given the first part or the second part of the joke. Their task is to walk around reading their half of a joke until they find their match. Once students have found the missing part of their joke, then they can sit down. When all students are sitting down, have them take turns sharing their jokes with the class.
- The word search with no answers
This prank is harmless, but fun and maybe just a little frustrating! Create a word search in the target language that goes along with the unit you are working on. For extra comprehension practice, give the students clues for the words they are looking for instead of the word itself. Now, here’s the joke: none of the words are in the word search! See how long it takes for students to figure it out, but don’t let them get too frustrated before letting them in on the April Fool’s prank by giving them the real word search.
- Read comic strips aloud
Anyone who has studied languages knows that humor is cultural. What’s funny in one language doesn’t always come across as humorous in another. A wonderful way to teach this concept, while practicing intonation and pronunciation, is to read comic strips aloud in the target language. After reading one aloud, have students discuss the meaning and whether they find it funny. You can also read a few comics strips that have been translated from English and compare them to the original.
- Insect infestation
We all know the fake spider prank, but what if you took it to the next level and hid fake insects all over the classroom? Proceed with your lesson as usual, but once students begin noticing (hopefully), stop your lesson and tell students they need to go on an extermination scavenger hunt. Give students the list of insects infesting the class with clues about where to find them.
By Kelli Drummer-Avendano
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