Simon Says
listeningvocabularyaccuracywarmerwhole-classnone prep5-10 min
The teacher calls an instruction; students perform it only if it is prefixed with "Simon says." The frame is trivial, but the activity is a clean vehicle for imperatives, body-part vocabulary, action verbs, prepositions, and adverbs.
Procedure
- Model: Simon says touch your nose — students touch noses. Touch your ears — students who touch are "out."
- Run 2–3 rounds with a small vocabulary set (5–8 target items).
- Speed up. Mix in grammar traps: Simon says jump / Simon doesn't say jump / Jump.
- Winners lead the next round. Forces them to produce the target language.
What to Target
| Language | Examples |
|---|---|
| Body parts | touch your elbow, shoulders, eyebrows |
| Action verbs | jump, hop, spin, crouch |
| Prepositions | stand behind your chair, put your hand on the desk |
| Adverbs | walk slowly, turn quickly, smile sadly |
| Comparatives | stand taller than your neighbour |
Why It Works
- Pure listening comprehension: zero pressure to produce, maximum processing.
- Minimal supplies: suits young learners, low levels, and dead-time moments.
- Scales: trivial vocabulary at A1, adverb-adjective combinations at B2.
Tips
- Keep the elimination gentle; "out" students become judges, not spectators.
- Student-led rounds are where real production happens — prioritise those after the warm-up.
- Resist the cultural-reference framing ("Simon is a king...") — the frame does not matter; the comprehension does.