LC SYTL Primary Activities Document V2 FA March 2026 - Flipbook - Page 3
Activity 2 Borrowed Words Bingo
You will need
• A whiteboard marker
What to do
20–25
mins
• A sheet of plain paper for
every child in the class
• Pupils will need a pencil
1. Begin by explaining that English has borrowed many
words from a wide variety of languages over time –
including not just European languages like French,
Spanish, Italian, and German, but also languages from
further afield, such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and
others. This means pupils already know more words
from different languages around the world than
they might expect, giving them a real head start
when they begin to learn a new language.
Useful words
2. Share a few familiar examples, such as café, pizza,
chocolate, or sushi, to illustrate this point.
French: Café, croissant, menu, ballet, chauffeur, chef,
cuisine, gateau, brioche, brie, eau de toilette, boutique,
déjà vu, collage, champagne, façade, souvenir, garage,
brochure, cinema, matinée, omelette, éclair, mousse,
rouge, limousine, genre, décor, espionage, camouflage,
cul de sac, route, police
Spanish: Olé, chocolate, churro, chihuahua, patio, vainilla,
mosquito, guitarra (guitar), siesta, fiesta, salsa, tango,
poncho, sombrero, cargo, tornado, cafetería, armada,
rodeo, adobe, plaza, tapas, flamenco, aficionados
one language during the activity, sample words are
provided below to guide you.
4. Give each pupil a sheet of paper and ask them to draw
a 3×3 grid (similar to the grid for X’s and O’s). Together,
compile a list of familiar ‘borrowed’ words. Pupils then
choose nine of these words to write or draw in their
grid. You call out the words in the target language,
and pupils mark them off if they appear on their grid.
The first to complete a line calls out “Bingo!”
Extension Activity
3. Tell the class that today they will be learning some
words in just one of these languages (the one you
have chosen). Ask pupils if they can think of any
other English words that may have come from that
language. Write their suggestions on the board so
everyone can see them. While you will focus on
If you have more time, you can extend the activity
by playing the game again. This time, for an extra
challenge, the children can draw a 4 x 4 grid on
the back of their page and add a different selection
of words to their Bingo Card.
Italian: Pizza, pasta, spaghetti, opera, cappuccino,
espresso, mozzarella, scenario, violin, vendetta, piano,
graffiti, tiramisu, broccoli, zucchine, ravioli, confetti,
soprano, mezzo, trio, maestro, fiasco, studio, novella,
casino, influenza, gondola
Chinese: Ketchup (from Cantonese ‘keh jap’ meaning
tomato sauce), Gung-ho (from Mandarin ‘gōng hé’, meaning
‘work together’), Typhoon (from Cantonese ‘tai fung’ or
Mandarin ‘táifēng’, meaning ‘great wind’), Tofu (from
Mandarin ‘dòufu’), Dim sum (from Cantonese ‘dím sām’)
German: Kindergarten, Rucksack, Angst, Hamburger,
Noodle, Quartz, Blitz, Dachshund, Dobermann, Rotweiller,
Pretzel, Strudel, Delicatessen, Poltergeist, Wunderkind,
Fest, Glockenspiel, Spritz, Diesel, Kaputt, Doppelgänger,
Sauerkraut, Frankfurter
Japanese: Tsunami (harbor wave), Karaoke (empty
orchestra), Anime (animation), Emoji, Sushi , Tycoon (from
‘taikun’, meaning ‘great lord’) Samurai, Ninja, Kimono, Haiku
Arabic: Alcohol (from ‘al-kuhl’), Sugar (from ‘sukkar’),
Coffee (from ‘qahwa’), Cotton (from ‘qutn’), Sofa (from
‘juffa’), Jar (from ‘jarra’), Safari (from ‘safar’ meaning
journey), Zero (from ‘sifr’)
