Quick Tip! : Chatter Scatter
I’ll be honest—incorporating speaking practice into my curriculum has always been a challenge. I feel confident teaching reading and writing, but speaking? That’s the area I’ve been actively working to improve, especially with novice learners. It’s tough to make speaking feel authentic and engaging, and even tougher to do it consistently.
But one activity that’s been a total game-changer for me is something I call:
🎉 Chatter Scatter! 🎉
It’s quick, simple, and gets students speaking in the target language (TL) with tons of repetition—all in just a few minutes.
💡 How It Works
Project a phrase or question (and answer, if needed) on the board. Make sure students understand what it means.
Set a timer for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
During that time, students move quickly around the room, saying the phrase to as many classmates as possible—only in the TL!
They can repeat partners, but only after speaking to someone else first.
When the timer goes off, everyone sits back down.
✅ Why It Works
It’s low-prep and takes just a few minutes.
Students get lots of reps with the target phrase.
It’s kinesthetic, which my 6th and 7th graders especially love.
You can make it competitive by having students count how many times they said the phrase.
🔄 Ways to Build It Up
You can use it as a quick brain break or build on it over several days:
Start with a simple greeting like “Bonjour!”
Add “Je m’appelle…” the next day.
Then introduce the question: “Comment tu t’appelles ?” so students ask and answer.
Use phrases from your current unit or mix in review material.
For more complex sentences, have students write their answer and carry it with them for support.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Chatter Scatter is a simple, effective way to get students out of their seats and speaking in the target language. It’s become one of my go-to activities for building confidence and fluency—especially with beginners.
Give it a try in your classroom!
✨ What phrase did you use for your first Chatter Scatter? I’d love to hear how it went!
