Simon says
Overview
Purpose
Vocabulary acquisition
Learning outcome
Students will be able to understand and respond appropriately to simple words and phrases.
Skills used
- Listening
Type
Class or group activity
Related units in Oui! kit
- Unité 13 La mode
Instructions
Materials
Diagram of the body with main parts labelled in French. To download this diagram, select form the following Word or PDF formats:
- Le Corps (The Body) diagram for 'Simon says' activity (Word, 30KB)
- Le Corps (The Body) diagram for 'Simon says' activity (PDF, 13KB).
The game is played in the same way as 'Simon says...' but with French instructions. So the students stand facing the leader (probably the teacher), and follow instructions to touch specific parts of their body, mimicking the leader. If a player touches the wrong part of the body, they are 'out'. If the instruction from the leader is given differently to the usual format, the students are not meant to move. If they do, they are 'out'. The game continues until there is only one player left – that player is the winner. The difficulty of the game is increased as the speed of instructions increases.
In the French version of the game, the key instruction that players should listen for and follow is:
- Jacques a dit 'touchez...'. (Jack says 'touch...'.)
- For example: Jacques a dit 'touchez la tête'. (Jack says 'touch the head'.)
The variation on the instruction that players should not respond to is:
- Touchez... (Touch...), that is, without Jacques a dit (Jack says) at the beginning
- For example: Touchez la tête. (Touch the head.)
So all players who respond to this second instruction format and touch the body part mentioned are 'out'.
Tips
- Review French names of parts of the body before commencing game.
- Have a practice round to familiarise students with the two versions of the instruction.
- When first playing this game, give instructions slowly and repeat same body part names often until students are familiar with them. Then the game can be sped up to make it more challenging.
Variations
- Begin by playing with the whole class and then, as students gain confidence, it may be played in smaller group situations with students taking the lead role.
- Use more complicated instructions, such as "Placez votre main sur la tête".
Further learning
Revise songs that include references to parts of the body, such as 'Alouette' and 'Tête, épaules, genoux, et pieds' ('Head, shoulders, knees, and toes'). The music (scores) and words for these songs are provided in the Oui! kit, in the 'Teacher resource file' section (pages 27–50).
Language to use
- Jacques a dit...
Jack said... - Touchez...
Touch... - Levez un bras.
Lift an arm. - Levez une jambe.
Lift a leg.