Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Loanword Passport: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 7
- ForYear 7
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Loanword Passport is a free printable English worksheet for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. Children match each loanword to the language it came from, then write four sentences that use the words accurately. There is also a bonus stamp, and the sheet says to use a dictionary for it. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the adult notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children match each loanword to the language it came from. The table has three columns: Loanword, What it means and Your sentence. After the matching, children write four sentences, each using a loanword so that its meaning is clear. There is also a bonus stamp, and the sheet says to use a dictionary for it. Page 1 has a table to fill in and lines for writing.
- Loanword
- What it means
- Your sentence
Ways to build on the sheet
Make a class word passport
Give each child a blank page headed with a language name. Over a week, they add loanwords they find in books, menus and signs, with the meaning and a sentence.
Word hunt at home
Look through a cookery book, a map or a shopping list for words that might have come from other languages. Check each one in a dictionary and note what it says.
Sort by language
Write each loanword on a small slip of paper. Sort the slips into piles by language, then add new words to the piles as you meet them.
Say it and spell it
Choose one loanword. Say it aloud, spell it from memory, then check it. Talk about any letters that surprised you.
Why learn about loanwords?
English has borrowed words for a very long time. When people trade, travel, move to new places or share food and ideas, words travel with them. Over time, some of these words become so familiar that people forget they came from somewhere else. These borrowed words are called loanwords. English speakers use them every day without thinking about where they began.
Looking at where a word came from helps children remember it and spell it. It also shows that English is a living language that keeps changing. A dictionary often gives a short note on a word's origin, so it is a good tool for checking. Writing a sentence shows whether a child understands how the word is really used.
Quick facts about loanwords
- A loanword is a word taken from another language and used as part of English.
- English still gains new loanwords today, as people meet new foods, ideas and technology.
- When English borrows a word, the original language keeps it. People there carry on using it.
- A loanword can change its spelling or the way it is said after it arrives in English.
- Many dictionaries include a short note about where a word came from.
Skills and curriculum link
- Word origins
- Vocabulary
- Matching words to languages
- Writing sentences
- Using a dictionary
- Using new words accurately
Helping your child think about word origins
- Talk about borrowingExplain that languages share words when people meet. Ask your child to think of times when people from different places come together, such as trade, travel or food.
- Use the dictionaryShow how to find a word and look for the short note about its origin. Let your child try it for the bonus stamp.
- Keep language and country apartA language and a country are not the same thing. Remind your child that the sheet asks for the language a word came from.
- Test the meaning with a sentenceA good sentence shows what the word means. Ask, "Could someone guess the meaning from your sentence?"
Key words
- LoanwordA word that English has taken from another language and now uses as its own.
- OriginWhere a word comes from.
- LanguageThe words and rules that a group of people use to speak and write.
- BorrowTo take a word from another language. English does not give it back.
- DictionaryA book or website that lists words and their meanings. Many also say where a word came from.
- AccuratelyCorrectly, so that the word means what you want it to mean.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the loanwords and their meanings aloud together. Ask what your child already knows about each one.
- Complete the matching first. Encourage your child to give a reason for each choice, even if it is only a guess.
- Write the four sentences, then use a dictionary for the bonus stamp. Check the work against page 2 and talk about any differences.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Read the meanings aloud together, one at a time. Give a sentence starter such as: The ... was ... Match the words your child feels surest about first, then come back to the rest. Write one sentence together before your child tries alone.
To stretch confident children
Write a short paragraph using all six loanwords, then say which language surprised you most. Check that each word still means what the sheet says. Read the paragraph aloud to a partner and ask whether it makes sense.
Make it a game
Take turns to act out one loanword without speaking. Your partner uses the meanings on the sheet as clues to guess the word, then says which language they think it came from. Check with page 2 afterwards. Swap roles for each word.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the name of a country instead of a language.
Try thisAsk, "What do people there speak?" Remind them that the sheet asks for the language, and say the language name aloud.
Watch forA child writes a sentence that does not show what the word means, such as "I like the word."
Try thisUse the sentence starter from page 2. Ask, "Would a reader know the meaning from your sentence?" Then add a detail.
Watch forA child guesses a language only because the word looks or sounds a certain way.
Try thisSay that guessing is fine, but it needs checking. Look at the sheet clues again, then check the guess in a dictionary.
Talk about it
- Why do you think languages borrow words from each other?
- Which loanword on the sheet did you already know? Where did you first meet it?
- Was there a language you did not expect? What made you think of a different one?
- How can a sentence show what a word means without explaining it?
- What new word would you like to borrow from another language, and why?
- How might a dictionary help you check a word's origin?
Take it off the page
Passport stamps
Draw a small passport page for each loanword. Write the word, the language it came from and one sentence. Add a stamp design of your own.
Kitchen and shelf search
Look at food packets, recipe books or game boxes for words you think came from other languages. Make a list, then check them in a dictionary.
Word charades
Act out words from the sheet or from your own list. Others guess the word, then try to say where it came from.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Read the meanings aloud, praise careful thinking and talk about each choice. Short sessions work better than long ones. Keep page 2 until your child has finished.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity within work on vocabulary. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and an answer key for quick marking.
Home educators
Pair it with reading. Ask your child to hunt for borrowed words in their own books and add them to a list. The sheet can be printed again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this, children in Key Stage 2 learn about prefixes, suffixes and word families, and meet words with unusual spellings. They also build a wide vocabulary through reading and talk.
After this, children can look more closely at how words and meanings change over time. They can also use a wider range of vocabulary in their own writing, choosing words with care for their reader.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Loanword Passport for?
It is written for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. Confident Year 6 children may enjoy it too, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 to make it harder.
- What will children practise?
They practise vocabulary development. They match words to the languages they came from, learn how English borrows words, and then use new words accurately in sentences. They also use a dictionary for the bonus stamp.
- Do children need to know the languages already?
No. Children can use the meanings on the sheet, what they know about the words and a dictionary to help. A guess is a good start, as long as it is then checked against page 2.
- What is a loanword?
A loanword is a word that English has taken from another language and now uses as its own. The original language keeps the word too. English borrows words in this way when people meet and share ideas.
- What if it feels too hard?
Read the meanings aloud together and give a sentence starter such as: The ... was ... Match the easier words first and write one sentence together. Come back to the rest later, once your child feels more confident.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No, you do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Print both pages and keep page 2 for the adult.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or within a wider plan, and print it again for revision.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.