Looking for a fun French game for back-to-school? How about one that also helps learn students’ names? Check out the French name game idea I have for you!
French Name Game (plays just like “J’ai… Qui a…?”)
Learning someone’s name means that you see that person, recognize their individuality, and respect their origins.
There are many activities to help you and your students learn one another’s name.
Today I’m sharing one idea with you.
It’s a game that plays just like “J’ai… Qui a…?” with a little twist: instead of using the sentences “I have… Who has…?” in French, your students will be using the structure “Je m’appelle… Qui s’appelle…?”
But before we get into the name game, let’s make sure you and I are on the same page, so let’s review what “I have… Who has…?” is.
What’s “J’ai… Qui a…?”
I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with this game. But in case you need a refresher, here it is.
“I have… Who has…?” is a game that encourages speaking.
Each student gets a card that includes two sentences: “J’ai (something)” and “Qui a (something else)?”
For example, one card includes the phrases:
– J’ai un lapin. Qui a un ours?
The student reads their card.
Then, another student who has the card with “J’ai un ours” reads their card and asks the next question.
So, again, students would read their cards until everyone has had a chance to say the sentences in their card.
S1: J’ai un lion. Qui a un éléphant?
S2: J’ai un éléphant. Qui a une girafe?
S3: J’ai une girafe. Qui a un tigre?
and so on…
You can use the structure of this kind of game to practice almost anything, from themed vocabulary words to verbs to sight words and even Math skills.
Read: French Speaking Games
Learning students’ names with a French name game
Okay, now that we both know the structure of “I have… Who has…?”, I can share about this game idea to learn students’ names.
The FREE resource I’m sharing with you in this post is a game that plays just like “J’ai… Qui a…?” with a little twist: instead of using the sentences “I have… Who has…?” in French, your students will be using the structure “Je m’appelle… Qui s’appelle…?”
After printing the cards, you’ll need to fill in your students’ names.
Start by writing your name on the first card at the top. Next, write the first student name on the first card lower half AND on the second card upper half.
Repeat it until all names have been used. Then, write your name again in the last card lower half to complete the “magic circle.”
Practical tip #1: Don’t fill in the names in alphabetical order or any other predictable way.
Practical tip #2: If you have students with the same first name, remember to include their last name initial as well.
Optional: Try using an erasable pen (like Frixion pens) to fill in the names so that you can use the same cards over and over.
Next, cut up the cards if you haven’t yet.
Now you and your students are ready to play the game!
Before playing the game
If you have students with uncommon names or ones that are a bit trickier to pronounce, you might first want to learn how to pronounce them and have everyone learn the correct pronunciation as well.
Be careful not to put students on the spot because we don’t want them to feel uncomfortable in any way.
Don’t single out students whose names are less common. Make it a point to have all students, even the ones with more common names, explain how to pronounce their names.
Remember: the main purpose of this activity is to celebrate everyone’s names!
Playing the French name game
Differently from other “J’ai.. Qui a…?” games, these cards should not be distributed randomly.
You’ll have to give each student the card that includes their name at the top.
In other words, for example, give your student named “Bianca”, the card that says “Je m’appelle Bianca.”
Once all students have a card, explain that when someone says “Qui s’appelle (name)?” and it refers to their name, they have to answer by saying “Je m’appelle (name).” and immediately read the question they have in their card.
Start the game with you, the teacher, reading your card.
For extra fun, you might want to time how long it takes to complete the circle (it starts and ends with you). Then, challenge students to go faster the second time.
When to play the game
I suggest playing this game in the first weeks of the school year. You can create a second set after a couple of weeks, where the names are in a different order, so students can see how well they’ve learned one another’s names.
But, if you’ve never played it before, you can play it any time of the school year to re-energize your classroom!
Click here (or on any of the pictures in this blog post) to download this FREE French Name Game from TpT.
And that’s what this game is all about: facilitating relationships and celebrating students’ names!
Let me know if the comments if you’ll be playing this game.
Thank you for stopping by!
Merci!
Lucy
Read: FREE Vocabulary Sheets: les lexiques
Read: Back-to-school Resources: FREEBIES and more!
