Using film as a language tool offers much to the language teacher. This tool allows you to teach words within the context of a story, which provides an understandable visual framework from which your students can draw. It also provides visual clues that give context to the words being said. When you are choosing movies to use for this purpose, look for films that provide rich, descriptive visuals that tell the story from a visual standpoint. Choose the material by subject, such as news pieces about art or business; the pieces will use many of the same words throughout.
Foreign language video games provide context for learning vocabulary as well as for student interaction. Video games allow students to learn vocabulary in context because they ask students to do an activity, such as drive to the pool or answer a question. With a click of the mouse, the student finds out if the answer she picked is correct. These games also allow students to practice speaking new words in context. Many have an audio component, which will ask the student to repeat words and phrases from the lesson into the microphone and record them on her computer.
Field trips to places like the grocery store or zoo provide students with a real-life backdrop for learning words in context. To prepare for this, students should prepare flashcards with pictures of items such as fruit, clothing or animals on the front of the card and the word meanings on the back. They should study the cards before the field trip. Once they take the field trip, they should be able to identify the objects. However, if they cannot, these environments will offer them an advantage because the items are labeled. This exercise works well for foreign exchange students because the items are labeled. However, you don't need to use it to teach only foreign words. A field trip allows younger children the chance to see the words they are learning in class during their spelling and reading units in context as well.
Reading stories provides a common contextual environment for students to learn vocabulary words. For grammar school students, the teacher can take some words from the reading books the students are reading in class and make them into spelling words. For older kids, the teacher can take passages from the books or magazine articles and underline words. Ask the students to use their dictionary to learn word meanings and then replace them with words that they have taken from the thesaurus. Ask students to read the passage out loud, replacing the underlined words with their newly learned vocabulary.