The following are some useful resources that can guide you or that you can use to prepare the activities as you transform them into the target language. Some of our instructors have found these resources useful for instruction. Since we do not control these websites, we cannot guarantee their availability or security. Some services require a subscription — check with your institution for details.

  1. Quizlet : Free to create a set of vocabulary sets for the class. In addition to traditional flashcards, Quizlet offers many different options for learning games and study guides. Some features are behind a paywall.
  2. Anki : Good option for students who wish to create their own flashcards. Sharing is difficult and there is no option for teachers to set a course.
  3. Lingco : Allows the teacher to create class sets, give a schedule for each set, and monitor students grades and progress.
  4. Brainscape : Allows teachers to make a class set of flashcards. Can assign sets to students and monitor progress. Upgrade unlocks additional features.
  5. Wordwall : An online platform that allows the teacher to create different interactive activities (e.g., spin the wheel) and class sets of flashcards. These sets can be embedded into other websites as well.
  6. Flashcard Machine : 100% free. Allows teachers to create their own class sets. Unclear whether or not teachers can assign sets or monitor student progress

Each can be used to send interactive polls (e.g., word cloud, ranking) and live quiz questions during presentations or class. Each has limitations based on which level you choose to pay for, although the most basic option is free for each.

  1. Poll Everywhere
  2. Mentimeter
  1. H5P Can be used to create a wide range of interactive activities, videos with embedded questions and presentations. H5P content can be embedded into other websites as well. Activity creation requires paid submission.
  2. Padlet is a multimedia platform that can be used collaboratively to brainstorm ideas, create timelines, and post multimedia resources using discussion boards.
  3. Perusall allows users to collaboratively annotate a text. Videos and audio materials can be integrated and used for annotation as well. 
  4. Kami is an online authoring tool that can be used to create a shared online whiteboard, create shared interactive readings and course materials, or comment on one another’s learning. There is a paid version, but the base software is free.
  5. LearningApps allows teachers to create and browse other online learning modules created by teachers of many different languages on a variety of topics.
  6. The Crossword Solver contains a lot of resources to help teachers create crossword puzzles, anagrams, and find words that have certain letters in them. The website is also helpful for students to search for crossword clues and play word games (e.g., wordle).
  1. Blooket : Can create question sets, games, and vocabulary sets. Option to import flashcards from Quizlet. Interactive games that require students to answer questions to move on. Multiple choice questions very similar to Kahoot.
  2. Kahoot : Students play against each other to answer multiple choice questions. Can be played live or assigned to a class. 
  3. Tophat : Similar to Kahoot, can be used to ask questions remotely.

All of these are used to enhance presentations. Canva is mostly used as a graphic design software and has a large free version, unlike the other software. 

  1. NearPod
  2. PearDeck
  3. Adobe Spark
  4. Canva
  5. ThingLink
  6. Formative

When gathering photos to use in your class, each of these websites can be used to find high-quality free photos. Ensure that each photo is in the Creative Commons before including it in your course.

  1. Pixabay
  2. Unsplash
  3. Flickr
  4. Wikimedia

Other Language Activity Databases

The Pathways Project

The Pathways Project is a collaborative network of Open Educational Resources (OER) developed by the Department of World Languages at Boise State University for use by Idaho’s K-16 language teachers and students. The activities are focused on interpersonal communication, as most language students consider it the most challenging of the four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Each lesson is about 30 minutes in length and includes a warm up, main activity, and cool down with detailed teaching instructions, and classroom slides which can be tailored for the type of students. Material is currently developed for American Sign Language, Arabic, Basque, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.