| Many of us think of bingo as a game mostly | | | | cards, and then the game of bingo is played, with |
| played as a social activity. However, modified | | | | the teacher acting as the bingo caller. However |
| versions of the game are also being used in many | | | | there is also one important change to the game |
| school and educational environments. Teachers | | | | play: if the bingo cards contain Spanish words, the |
| and educators have found that because bingo is | | | | teacher makes the bingo calls in English, and if the |
| such a simple game, it is also very flexible, and | | | | bingo cards contain English words, the teacher |
| thus can be easily modified to be used as | | | | calls in Spanish. |
| teaching tool for a variety of subjects, including | | | | Of course, a key requirement in order to play this |
| reading, English, math, and learning languages such | | | | game is for teachers to be able to provide every |
| as Spanish. | | | | member of their class with a bingo card containing |
| The principle use of bingo in classes for foreign | | | | that lesson's chosen words. Obviously it would not |
| languages is to help learn and practice vocabulary. | | | | be a good use of class preparation time for |
| Bingo provides an enjoyable method that for | | | | teacher's to spend ages writing out these cards |
| students to rehearse English to Spanish and | | | | by hand before every class, so a better method |
| Spanish to English translations of words chosen by | | | | of making the Spanish bingo cards is needed. The |
| the teacher. This is done using bingo cards, | | | | answer is to use a computer and some bingo |
| specially prepared in advance of class by the | | | | card maker software - the teacher simply enters |
| teacher, containing the teacher's chosen words | | | | the list of their chosen words into this software, |
| (instead of the usual bingo cards containing | | | | and it can generate and print the cards |
| numbers). The words can be in English or in | | | | automatically. |
| Spanish. Each student is given one of these bingo | | | | |