Internationalisms

Objectives

The learner can consolidate new vocabulary.

Material

• Paper and pens for all
• Newspapers, magazines.

Preparation

• Collect newspapers and magazines to use in the activity.

Instructions

• Divide the group into pairs.
• Explain the term ‘internationalisms’: an internationalism or international word is a loanword that occurs in several languages, with the same or at least similar meaning and etymology. The advantage of internationalisms is that they are words already known by the learners.
• Give and ask for examples: OK, ball, coach, tennis, halal, yoga, transport, tsunami, hotel, radio, police, smartphone…
• Ask each pair to find internationalisms in a newspaper, magazine, on signs or posters in the room, on packages, bottles…
• Discuss the found internationalisms together.

Variant

Make the exercise competitive: the pair who comes up with the most internationalisms wins.