For a fun way to review Give, Said the Little Stream this month, see how many different ways you can say “Give!” This Give Said the Little Stream Foreign Language activity is a great word game to get in some repetition in a fun and simple way!
Although my primary language is English, I love learning to sing songs in new languages! It can be a beautiful way to feel connected to people in the world around us. I’m so excited to incorporate some different languages into singing time!
*See: 21 Give Said the Little Stream Singing Time Ideas*
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Give Said the Little Stream Foreign Languages
While I was thinking about some ways to review this song in singing time, I thought about how many times the songs says the word “Give.” Let me tell you, it comes up a lot! The repetition can quickly become mundane, especially for Senior primary. For a fun twist, teach your primary how to sing the word “Give” in several different languages!
To prep for this activity, I did some research on how people say the word “Give” in different parts of the world. After compiling these translations, I typed them out to display in primary. I have included these translations in a printable later in this post.
Here is the word “Give” in 8 different languages:
- Spanish: dar
- French: donner
- Italian: dare
- Japanese: ataeru
- American Sign Language: hold your thumb to your other fingers and move your hand away from your body (as if giving something to someone)
- Greek: dino
- German: geben
- Arabic: yuetaa
*Please note that these words are taken out of their syntax. I do not fluently speak any of these languages, and recognize that there may be discrepancies in cultural meaning.*
Once you’ve determined which languages you’d like to include, write down the word and be sure to write the language above it so you don’t forget! During primary, write each of the words on the whiteboard, and see if the kids can guess what language each word is in!
I also used some cardstock to help reinforce the cards. To do this, cut out each card first, then tape it a piece of cardstock or paper. You can also laminate the cards if you want them to last a little longer! I personally love this Scotch Thermal Laminator from amazon!
Once you’ve learned a few of the words, try adding them into the song! You might choose to sing an entire verse in one language, or switch languages halfway through!
Activity Instructions:
- Begin by reviewing Give, Said the Little Stream (flip chart here!)
- After singing the song through once, ask the kids if they’d like a challenge!
- Write “Give” in 3-4 different languages on the whiteboard. Write each of the languages on the opposite side of the board in scrambled order.
- Invite the children to guess which language each phrase is in.
- Learn how to say “Give” in each of the languages. Practice saying each phrase a few times.
- Each time you sing through a verse of Give, Said the Little Stream, choose another language! Each time you sing the word, “give,” replace it with the new language.
Extension Ideas:
- If you have missionaries in your ward who speak a different language, invite them to come to primary and teach the whole song in a new language!
- Make it a matching activity! Cut out each word and the corresponding language. Place the words on one side of the board, and the language on the other. Match the correct language to the word!
- Switch the language halfway through the song! Choose one language for the verse and another language for the chorus.
Give, Said the Little Stream
Foreign Language Printable Lesson Plan
To help you prep for this activity, I created this simple handout with “Give” written in 8 different languages! It’s two pages with each version of “give” along with its corresponding language to help you remember. If you want to hide the name of the language for a matching activity, simply cut to separate the two.
You’ll find a printable lesson plan, larger language cards, and a language match game included in the INSTANT Primary Singing membership when Give Said the Little Stream is the featured song of the month!
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
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For another fun way to review this song, check out this Give, Said the Little Stream Up & Down activity!
