Some learners know many words but cannot use them.  Because they have too many words to choose from and also wanting to be perfect' their mind freezes, like a frightened hedgehog.  

We used games that

1. give words to be used
2. limit time
3. leave no time to think about/fear mistakes.  

Selections of simple words (adjectives, verbs, words on a specific subject, etc.) are written on separate cards/papers.  Each player selects a word and has to make a sentence.  Before starting check all the words together.  Make sure that the weakest participant understands all the words - remove the ones s/he doesn't know.

Games we liked:

• Like Taboo: a player must explain the word without using it.  We used words, but sometimes the players mimed and it was fun.
• 1-2-3: 1 card each, make a sentence about an object. 2 cards and describe a person, 3 cards to describe yourself
• 4 Cards: Give 4 cards(or any number, the same to each player)  cards to each person: 'Use all the words in a (few) sentence(s)'
• Long Story: The cards are in the middle and each player takes a card at a time.  The first player starts a story using his/her word. The next player continues the story and uses their word.  
• The teacher starts by saying "Imagine that in front of you there is a table full of a variety food and drinks. What is there on the table?"  Sts came up with words for foods & drinks. The teacher explains new words with the help of the student who said the unknown word. Then, the teacher gives a verb from the list and asked the sts to make up a sentence using the verb and one of the words for food & drinks. After three or four sentences we tried to put the sentences in a kind of rhythm and made up a song. We repeated it several times.
• Sentence chain: The idea for this game came from the sts. I wrote the words we studied together on pieces of paper. Each st. picked up four pieces of paper. Then they suggested that one st. make up a sentence using one of the words s/he picked up and the other one repeate the first sentence and then make up his/her sentence. The third one repeated the previous sentences and went on with his own sentence. And this went on until all the words were reviewed.
• An adjective from the list , e.g. "beautiful" and asked "tell me something / somebody that is 'beautiful". Then, they came up with stg. like "Latin girls are beautiful". We clarified the meaning if there was a problem. We put all the sentences in a rhythm and sang it together, capping our hands or nodding our heads, like "Beautiful, beautiful. Latin girls are beautiful. Handsome, handsome Meditterenaen boys are handsome".

Ask the group what other games they can make: what rules do they develop? Why do they like them?