Who says learning a new language can’t be all fun and games? Language learning games are a fun (and effective!) way to strengthen conversational skills, practice new vocabulary, and master grammar and sentence patterns in your new language. And if you already love online word games, board games, and classic group games, you’ll be right at home. Whether you’re looking for games made to teach a new language or games that can be adapted to review language skills, you’re guaranteed to have a good time!
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Apps and games that teach a new language
When you’re trying to learn a new language by yourself, the first steps of your journey can feel a little daunting. Introduce these language acquisition games to your study sessions to become fluent in less time (and with more fun!).
ABCya Spanish
ABCya, the popular learning game platform for elementary students, has a number of games in other languages to help students memorize and practice their skills. With free weekly Spanish games (or juegos gratuitos de la semana) as well as English practice games, ABCya is an accessible and engaging way to master Spanish words and phrases. And if you’re learning Italian, try out Step Right Up!—Italian Vocabulary for an opportunity to pratica delle parole (word practice)!
Rosetta Stone language learning app
The Rosetta Stone app is a good fit for anyone learning one of the languages Rosetta Stone offers. Whether you’re practicing Polish for a trip abroad or honing your Arabic conversational skills, you’ll find entertaining ways to immerse yourself in a language with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method, learn easy-to-understand local phrases and expressions, and train your ear to the natural dialect of your target language.
Kloo
If you’re learning French, Spanish, Italian, or English, Kloo is a favorite language learning game for beginners and advanced students alike. A locale-inspired gameboard with brightly colored squares welcomes players to structure sentences as they move their piece toward the end. They score points for sentence complexity, and the one with the highest points wins!
Lingopoly
The board game Lingopoly is a great game solution for anyone who’s learning with a group or looking for a fun self-study option. Available in English, Slovene, and Czech (with more languages to come), this language acquisition game features beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels for learners to find their own level. Challenges in the board game include matching picture and word cards, creating a story in your new language, and carrying a conversation with more complex sentence patterns and vocabulary.
Traditional games with a language twist
If you’re looking for familiar language learning games that may already be in your closet, try out these tried-and-true games in your new language. Whether it’s O Rei Manda in Portuguese or Watashi wa mimashita in Japanese, you’ll find all kinds of ways to bring the classics to your next language lesson.
Wordle
You may already know that Wordle is a popular game where you have six tries to guess a five-letter word, which changes daily. But did you know that Wordle can also be played in other languages? Use the vocabulary phenomenon to practice spelling and expand your vocabulary in your target language, as the word changes day to day.
Check out Wordle in other languages:
- Play Wordle in Arabic
- Play Wordle in Dutch
- Play Wordle in French
- Play Wordle in German
- Play Wordle in Hebrew
- Play Wordle in Italian
- Play Wordle in Irish
- Play Wordle in Japanese
- Play Wordle in Portuguese
- Play Wordle in Spanish
- Play Wordle in Swedish
Simon Says
Playing this classic group game in another language is a great way to practice simple verbs, phrases, and commands. Players only follow the commands that follow the phrase “Simon Says,” or they’re out!
If the group is just starting to learn a new language, you can always go over a few key phrases beforehand, such as “raise your right hand” or “touch your nose.” Putting these into practice immediately will help solidify them in your memory.
And be sure to learn how to say “Simon says” in your target language:
- Japanese: Senchō-san no meirei (Ship Captain’s Orders)
- French: Jacques a dit (Jacques Said)
- Spanish: Mando, mando (I Command, I Command) or Simón dice (Simon Says)
- Portuguese: O Rei Manda (The King Orders) or O Mestre Mandou (The Master Says)
- Irish: Deir Ó Grádaigh (O’Grady Says)
- Norwegian: Kongen Befaler (The King Commands)
20 Questions
Anyone who’s waited in a long line or traveled on a long car ride probably knows how to play 20 Questions. One typical version of this guessing game is that each player thinks of a well-known person, place, or thing, and other players ask yes-or-no questions to find out what the chosen item is. It’s a great way to practice asking questions, using vocabulary words, and building conversation skills.
Taboo!
How well can you describe a word without using the words most closely related to it? Work on vocabulary in your target language with this popular party game, which gives one word at the top of a card (such as “Apple”) and five words you can’t use to describe it (such as “Tree, Seeds, Pie, Core, and Peel.” When you play in another language, you have to think quickly to find new ways to describe an apple (or manzana, yabloko, or appel!).
Scrabble
The classic board-and-tile game is a go-to for those looking to improve target language spelling and develop new words. While you may need to add special characters to your Scrabble tiles, this game works well with languages that use the Roman writing system. It keeps players on their toes as they use the seven tiles in front of them to build off the last word placed on the board—and with a language learning twist, players can pronounce and define their latest played word.
Charades
How can you play a language learning game without words? With some good acting (and some great guessing), Charades is an excellent way to practice action words or other new vocabulary in your target language. Choose a verb or noun to act out, and let your teammates try to guess what you’re representing. Beginners can focus on basic vocabulary words, while more advanced learners may choose a more complex concept or phrase!
Bingo
Bingo is one of those games that works in any context, especially when it comes to reinforcing new language concepts. Create Bingo cards with squares containing words or sentences from your target language, and then call out random English translations of the chosen. Players mark off the translated words and try to be the first to get five in a row. For an extra challenge, use synonyms in your target language instead of English words!
How do language learning games help with fluency?
Adding language learning games to your routine isn’t just a brain break during a study session. Studies show that gamification can be an effective language learning tool, depending on the game’s format and relevance. Playing language learning games increases motivation, takes the pressure off the learning process, and encourages speaking and listening skills as you work with teammates (or against competitors). No matter who’s victorious, this language learning style is always a win-win.
The best language learning methods are the ones that work for you, whether it’s language learning games, learning a language by watching TV, or joining immersive conversations with native speakers. No matter which ways to learn a language you choose, remember that engagement really is an important part of the language learning journey—and with the right tools, the path to fluency can be a lot of fun!
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