Over the years I have tried many new icebreakers for the French classroom, but out of all of them, 5 really stood out to me. These 5 are guaranteed to be found on my list of activities every year. What I love about them is that they help you get to know your students and build connections while having fun.
I particularly enjoy using them as a back-to-school activity because they are an entertaining way to ease back into speaking French. Remember that some of your students probably didn’t hear or speak a word of French during their break. Because of this, it can be intimidating to go back to French class. So, let’s relax the atmosphere for students with short and sweet icebreakers.
Here are 5 icebreakers FOR THE FRENCH CLASSROOM YOU’LL LOVE
iCEBREAKER #1-Toss-a-name
Students are standing in a big circle. The first person holds the ball and says, “Je m’appelle…” Then throws the ball to student and asks, “Et toi?” The group follows this pattern until everyone has said his/her/their names.
If you want to make it more fun and a little competitive you can have students try to remember everyone’s names. The first student sends the ball to the second student and says, “Tu t’appelles…” If he gets his/her/their names correct, then student 2 sends the ball back to student 1. If student 1 doesn’t get it right, student 2 takes over and tries to guess everyone’s names.
Icebreaker #2-If I were
Ask your students to finish the following sentences on their own sheet of paper (this can be done in French as well): I would be…
If I were an animal, I would be…
If I were a plant, I would be…
If I were a city, I would be…
If I were an object, I would be…
If I were a fruit, I would be…
Then collect the papers and give them randomly to your students. Each student will have to find who the paper belongs to.
icebreaker #3-Mumble Jumble
Cut a few pictures (related to French culture) into puzzle pieces. You need the same number of puzzle pieces and students.
Each student grabs a piece of the puzzle from the bag. When you say GO, students must find which students have the other pieces that belong to their puzzle. The first group to complete their puzzle wins.
Icebreaker #4-2 truths and a lie
To start, everyone sits or stands in a circle. One by one, each student in the circle says three statements about him/herself. Two of these statements must be facts, or "truths," and one must be a lie. The other students then try to guess which statement is the lie.
This game is a ton of fun, and you can learn surprising facts about your kiddos. I once had a student share that he swallowed a bee, which we all thought was his lie! We were wrong!
Icebreaker #5-Move if You…
Students sit in a large circle with one person in the middle. The middle person calls out for a certain group of studentsto move — for example, “Bouge si tu aimes les cacahuètes” or “Bouge si tu as déjà été à l’étranger.” If the students fit the criteria, they must run to a new seat in the circle. The student who remains standing will be in the middle for the next round.
Incorporating icebreakers into the French classroom can have a profound impact on student engagement and language acquisition. These fun and interactive activities serve as a gateway to building connections among students and fostering a positive learning atmosphere. By breaking down barriers and encouraging participation, icebreakers create a sense of community and allow students to feel more comfortable using the French language. I hope you will give these a try.