30+ Best Language Learning Games That Are Actually Fun & Effective
30+ Best Language Learning Games That Are Actually Fun & Effective
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Is It Worth Learning A New Language For Fun?
Did you learn a language in school but couldn't seem to remember any of it? Tired of the same old boring language learning methods? Are you feeling discouraged and bored with language learning?
Have you been trying to learn a new language — but making cute flashcards and repeating phrases is nothing more than boring? Are you ready to learn a language and have fun doing it?
Learning a language can be a daunting task. It often feels like you have to spend hours poring over grammar books and vocabulary lists in order to make any progress. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easier way to learn a foreign language? A way that was fun and didn't feel like work? Thankfully, there is!
Learning a foreign language can be so much more fun than most people think! Language learning isn’t limited to traditional methods like memorization or text-based study anymore — now, language learning games can help you learn a new language quickly and easily while having a blast doing it.
RELATED: 30 Insanely Fun Ways To Learn A Language (So You’re Never Bored).
Learning languages doesn’t have to be mundane and tedious. In fact, there are dozens of fun games and activities out there that can make language learning an exciting process - no matter if you’re a beginner or advanced learner.
The best part is, these games don’t take much time or effort so they fit easily into your day! There’s an abundance of creative and engaging language learning games out there that make it easier to remember and recall material.
In this post, we'll uncover 30+ of the best language learning games perfect for any level. From word association to matching words with pictures, these games help stimulate your brain in ways traditional memorization techniques just don’t.
Plus, you get to learn something new while having a blast in the process—it doesn’t get better than that!
Forget about memorizing words from textbooks or reciting speech pieces over and over again until you get it right. With these innovative games for adults—and even kids—you can learn a foreign language quickly without having to slog through hours of monotonous study sessions!
These interactive activities are not just good for helping you learn vocabulary words but they also let you practice pronunciation and conversational phrases in a variety of situations. Whether it's improving your speaking, reading, writing, or listening skills - discover which game works best for you and start mastering a new language today.
From beginner board games to advanced video games – all these activities are guaranteed to keep your motivation high while helping you practice and improve your grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.
So grab a friend or two (or three!), get ready to let loose, and let's dive right into some of the most exciting language-learning adventures available without any tedious monotony dragging you down!
The Problem With Traditional Study Methods
Traditional study methods such as reading textbooks, memorizing vocabulary words and studying grammar rules can be tedious, dull and boring, often leading to a lack of motivation in language learners.
It's no surprise that so many people give up on their language learning journey before they reach fluency.
Memorization is considered the least effective way to learn, as most people are not able to retain information learned by simply memorizing. Furthermore, grammatical rules can be difficult to understand without context, making it difficult to use them in real-life conversations.
Does Playing Games In A Language Help You Learn It?
Yes! According to research, games are a great way to make learning more fun and engaging. Studies have found that playing language games can help improve your speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in any foreign language.
Games provide an interactive way to learn which allows for more opportunity for practice than simply memorizing vocabulary words or grammar rules.
By playing games, you are able to practice the language in a natural way, helping you acquire it more quickly than traditional methods.
Language games can be used to reinforce grammar and vocabulary knowledge in a creative way with engaging activities.
Games also add an element of competition, which can help motivate you to reach your language learning goals. It's much easier to stay motivated when you're having fun!
Why Play Language Learning Games?
Playing games in another language is a great way for learners to practice conversation skills, reinforce grammar knowledge, expand vocabulary and deepen cultural understanding through interesting activities.
Language learning games are also useful for learners who struggle with staying motivated when studying alone, as they can be played with friends or family members who may share similar goals.
With so many different options available, no matter what type of learner you are—visual information processor or auditory listener—there's bound to be a game that works best for you!
Are All Games Useful For Language Learning?
Not all games are ideal for language learning. Some games may be too difficult and advanced for beginners, while others may not provide enough of a challenge for more advanced learners.
It’s important to choose language learning games that are tailored to your level and interests, as this will help you stay engaged and motivated while practicing the language.
Be sure to select a game that offers an interactive experience with opportunities to practice conversation skills, such as role-playing activities or word games.
The Best 30+ Fun Language Learning Games
Board & Card Games
1. Scrabble
Scrabble is a classic board game that has been around for decades and is still popular today. It is a word game where players use letter tiles to create words on a grid-like game board.
Each tile is worth a certain number of points, and players earn points for each word they create. The person who has the most points when the game ends is the winner.
In a foreign language, it can help you practice your vocabulary and enhance your ability to spell words correctly. It challenges players to think critically about the arrangement of letters and to expand their knowledge of words.
It’s also a great way to test your knowledge of grammar rules within the context of forming words. There are Scrabble games available in many different languages, making it a great tool for language learners.
2. Bananagrams
Bananagrams is an anagram-style word game that requires players to create a crossword puzzle from letter tiles. The goal is to be the first player to use all of their tiles and spell out a word or phrase.
This game can help you practice your spelling skills and build words, as well as increase your vocabulary. Players take turns drawing letter tiles from a bag, then add them to their crossword puzzle.
When one player has used all of their tiles, the other players must quickly use their remaining letters. The first player to complete their puzzle wins the game.
3. Pictionary
Pictionary is a classic party game that's easy to adapt for language learning. Players take turns drawing pictures while the other players try to guess the word or phrase associated with the picture.
The game can help you practice your listening skills, as well as improve your understanding of word meanings and reinforce your vocabulary knowledge. The goal of the game is to be the first team to guess correctly.
4. Scattergories
Scattergories is a fast-paced game that combines elements of trivia and word association. Players have to think quickly to come up with words for each letter of the alphabet within a certain time limit.
It’s great for practicing language skills as it encourages players to think creatively and use their imagination, while also helping you increase and build vocabulary, learn new words, practice spelling and reinforce grammar rules within the context of forming words.
It also encourages players to think quickly in order to come up with creative answers.
5. Guess Who?
Guess Who? - This guessing game is a classic that has been around for decades. Players try to guess which character their opponent has chosen by asking yes or no questions.
This can help with language learning as it encourages players to practice their speaking and listening skills while also learning new words. It’s a great way to develop your ability to think logically and extract information from clues.
6. Apples to Apples
Apples to Apples is a popular party game where players use their creativity and imagination to make connections between cards.
Players match up different words or phrases with each other in order to create the funniest or most interesting combination.
The goal of the game is to match nouns with adjectives, providing an opportunity for learners to expand their descriptive language skills in a foreign language.
7. Kloo
Kloo is a card game designed to help language learners increase their speed and accuracy when speaking. Players have to match up words from two different languages in order to form sentences.
Kloo helps to develop your listening and speaking skills through intensive repetition of phrases in both languages. It also helps you to become familiar with sentence structure and the different tenses used.
8. Boggle
Boggle is a classic word game where players have to unscramble words from a grid of letters. In this game, players have to find as many words as they can within a 4x4 letter grid before time runs out.
The goal is to be the first player to form and spell as many words as possible in a certain amount of time. The longer the word and higher its points value, the better.
This game is great for language learners as it helps to increase your vocabulary, practice spelling, and improve the speed of word recognition.
9. AGO card game
The AGO card game is an entertaining and educational way to practice language learning. Players draw cards with images on them that represent certain words in a foreign language.
Players then have to guess the meaning of each word from the image before swapping cards with their opponent.
This game helps learners to connect words to concepts, as well as increase their understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. It’s a great way to practice the four skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading.
10. Lingo Playing Cards
Lingo playing cards are a fun and engaging way to learn and practice a foreign language. Build up your vocabulary and pronunciation using their cards.
Their decks of cards include 54 of the most useful phrases to know in your target language, complete with phonetic pronunciations. Each deck features a conventional deck of 52 playing cards and two jokers.
These flashcards are perfect for language learners who are just starting out and provide an introduction to common lingo in your target language.
Additional Card Games:
Wordical
WordSpiel
Quiddler
Go Fish
Spot It!
Game Apps
11. Babbel Practice Games
Babbel Practice Games is an app that provides users with fun language learning games. It includes a range of activities such as word jumbles, crosswords, and picture quizzes.
The game adapts to the level of the user so that everyone can benefit from it – especially beginners who are still getting used to the basics of the language.
12. Drops
Drops is an app that helps language learners to expand their vocabulary. It features over 35 different languages and offers short, fun mini-games with a variety of topics.
The app includes different words and phrases in each language, along with audio recordings and images to help reinforce your learning.
13. 50 Languages
50 Languages is an app that offers language learning games in over 60 languages from around the world. The app offers three vocabulary games, including 'Find the missing word', 'Catch the word', and 'Memo game'.
14. LinGo Play
The LinGo Play app is a vocabulary trainer that uses flashcards and online games to help users learn words and phrases effectively. There is also an online tournaments feature that gives you the chance to apply those new words against players from all around the world.
15. Count to Ten - International Numbers
Count to Ten is an app designed to help you learn how to count from 1-10 in 23 languages. Challenge your friends to count ten in any of the available languages in the two player mode.
Hear the pronunciation of each word in the language of your choice by simply tapping the numbers on your screen.
16. Words Of Wonders: Crossword
Do you like puzzles? More specifically crossword puzzles? Explore the wonders and face challenging levels to test your vocabulary skills in Words of Wonders.
Start your journey at the first wonder and continue climbing until you reach the final wonder.
Thanks to the game's rich word database, each level and wonder will become progressively more difficult and distinctive. To find the hidden words on the board, connect the letters without lifting your finger.
17. Contexto - Word Guess
Do you enjoy playing daily word games and unlimited word puzzles? Play Contexto and find the secret word. You have unlimited guesses.
In Contexto, the words are sorted by an artificial intelligence algorithm according to how similar they are to the secret word. You will see the position of the word you entered after submitting it.
The algorithm analyzes thousands of texts. The system calculates word similarity based on the context of their usage.
18. Word Yard
Do you like playing word games? Well, there’s Word Yard! Your goal in these fun and exciting word games is to discover all the hidden words.
To solve the puzzles, simply drag your finger across the letters to form words. There are hundreds of unique levels with tons of different words!
19. Associations: Word Puzzle Game
Do you enjoy playing word games and solving logic puzzles? Try Associations Word Puzzle Game! To complete the level, you need to solve a riddle. You'll have a list of words from different categories.
You can find words from the same category and even connect words and combine words into groups. To win, generate all possible combinations of words from the list.
The puzzle game gets more challenging as you progress through the levels because there are more word riddles.
20. Guess Word! Forehead Charade
Guess Word is a game similar to charades where you need to help your friend guess the word written on their forehead by providing hints, but you cannot say the word directly.
No need to look at or tap your phone while it's on your forehead - the feature player just needs to flip their heads (and device) down for pass, and heads up for correct. You get 1 minute per round.
21. Influent
Influent is an immersive language learning game that challenges you to become fluent in a foreign language by exploring an interactive virtual world.
In the game, you’ll explore everyday situations such as going to a store and asking for directions. You'll learn new words and phrases in context, with audio recordings of native speakers to help you practice your pronunciation.
22. Words With Friends
Words With Friends is an addictive and popular word game where you can challenge your friends to a battle of wits.
You are given seven letters which you need to arrange in order to form valid words. The more words you create, the higher your score will be.
To make it even more engaging, there are several powerups that help boost scores. Compete with your friends and show them who the true wordsmith is!
Online Games
23. Digital Dialects
You can use Digital Dialects to improve your language skills by playing practice games, using flashcards, and accessing interactive materials with audio in 80 different foreign languages.
You can also learn geography with dozens of interactive maps and quizzes. The games are free to use and can be used by both independent language learners and in classrooms without the need for registration.
24. LanguageGain
LanguageGain is a free language learning platform that provides activities, such as word matching and flashcards in multiple languages. You can play games on topics such as animals, clothing and food.
25. Skribbl.io
Skribbl.io is a free multiplayer drawing and guessing game based on Pictionary. In a standard game, players participate in multiple rounds.
During each round, one player selects a word to draw, while the others attempt to guess the word in order to earn points.
The person who accumulates the highest number of points by the end of the game will be declared the winner.
DIY Games
26. Hangman
Hangman is a classic word guessing game where one player draws blank spaces for each letter of the secret word. The other players use their knowledge to guess the letters in the word and gain points for each correct guess.
If they are unsuccessful, a part of the hangman's body will be drawn until the entire figure is complete and the game is lost. Hangman is an excellent way to practice vocabulary and spelling in a foreign language.
27. I Spy
I Spy is a game that can be played with friends and family. The aim of the game is to find something in your surroundings and guess what it is. For example, “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 't'”.
You take turns guessing what the object might be until someone guesses correctly. This will help you to recognize and name objects in your surroundings.
28. 20 Questions
20 Questions is a verbal game for two players. One player chooses an object, person or place and the other has to guess what it is with limited questions.
The guessing player needs to think of all possible questions in order to narrow down the possibilities until they arrive at the correct answer. It’s also a great way to practice forming meaningful sentences in a foreign language.
29. Consequences
Consequences is a game that involves writing. Players take turns to write down different parts of a short story, with each part building on the one before it.
It’s an entertaining game and can help you practice your grammar and creativity in another language.
30. The Matching Game
The Matching Game is a game for two players or more. Each player needs to prepare 20 cards with words written on one side and the translation of that word on the other.
When all cards are ready, each player will take turns flipping over two cards at a time in an attempt to find matching words and translations. Once you’ve found a match, you can keep the pair of cards and try to find another one.
The person with the most matching pairs wins! This game is great for anyone who wants to practice their vocabulary in a foreign language.
Games For Groups
31. Taboo
Taboo is a game of words and guessing. Players each take turns trying to get their team to guess words without actually saying the word itself.
This can help with language learning as it encourages you to think creatively and come up with alternative terms and expressions for the same concept, while also increasing your speaking skills and familiarity with different vocabulary words.
It can help you practice listening skills as players try to guess the correct word from the clues given.
32. Hedbanz
Hedbanz is a game of guessing where players take turns wearing a headband and asking questions in order to guess the word that’s written on their forehead without being able to see it.
This game encourages players to ask questions using the language they are learning, helping them to practice their speaking and listening skills.
33. Charades
Charades is a classic party game that can be easily adapted to teaching and learning foreign languages.
To play, divide your group into two teams and have each team write down words on paper or in a list. Each team should choose one member who will act out the words for his/her team. The other players will attempt to guess the word. It’s that simple!
34. Say Anything
Say Anything is a game about you. It’s an interactive question and answer game where players take turns to asking and answering questions about themselves or other players using words from a foreign language, giving everyone the opportunity to practice their speaking skills.
Once the answers have been revealed, the judge will select their favorite answer secretly, and the other participants will attempt to guess which answer the judge chose.
35. Telephone
Telephone is a classic game for groups of any size. While the concept is simple, it’s a great way to practice understanding and speaking in another language.
The game begins with one player saying a phrase or sentence in their foreign language that they want everyone to remember.
That player then whispers it to the person next to them and so on, until it reaches the last person. The last person says what they heard out loud and everyone laughs at how much the phrase changed over time. This game helps to practice your language skills in a fun, interactive way.
36. Simon Says
Simon Says is a game involving mimicry. It's a great game for teaching language commands and learning to understand instructions in another language.
Someone leads the game by telling the players “Simon says” and then gives an instruction to do certain actions, which can be movements, sounds, or even acting tasks (act like a dog) and the rest of the players must follow.
The player should only perform an action if the leader precedes their instruction with the phrase "Simon Says". This is great for practicing your listening skills as well as understanding commands in another language.
Conclusion
In the end, it's important to remember that the best language learning game for you is the one that fits your lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
Choose games that are tailored to your level and interests so that you can stay motivated while actively practicing conversation skills, reinforcing grammar and expanding your vocabulary. It should be fun, but with a purpose.
Language learning games are becoming increasingly popular and sophisticated, with options designed for adults as well as children, making the process engaging and accessible for all learners.
Whether you're interested in mobile apps, online gaming platforms, or even traditional board games, there are tons of great options out there that are both educational and entertaining.
Even if you don't become fluent in a language after playing one of these games, they can still give you the motivation to learn more while having fun at the same time.
So no matter what level of proficiency you wish to reach or which genre of game appeals to you most, there’s surely something out there that meets your needs! Challenge yourself with something that is enjoyable then sit back and watch those linguistic boundaries come tumbling down!
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Question:
So, here’s the question: What are your favorite games for learning a language? Is there any game on this list that you’re looking forward to playing or have played before? Let us know in the comments section down below!
P.S. I want to hear from you today. No for real, get out from behind that keyboard and tell us more about yourself! Use the comment section down below and introduce yourself.
Hey, I’m Mara.
I am the founder and blogger of Sololingual helping anyone at any age, from any place, who wants to learn a new language. You can learn how to reach fluency in your chosen language fast, fun and easily studying a short amount each day and spending very little money using different language learning techniques, programs and resources at your disposal. Fluency isn't difficult to achieve. In fact, it’s easy when you find a solid method that walks you through every step of the way, and believing in yourself so that you can achieve your goal at becoming fluent in any language.
