[FionaVB]

After some trial and error, I have fallen in with the system of letting the students write their own bingo cards. I provide a photocopied grid for each student, of 4x4 squares - this can be hand-ruled or printed from Excel. Often there is a vocab list that they can use, eg a page in their course book, or I give them a vocab sheet for revision first, or you can write a list of the target vocab on the board. This way there is a finite number of words for them to choose from. About 30 words will give a good random selection for each person's grid. Also, for any class not absolute beginners, when I call the words to cross off on their grids, I put the target vocab into a sentence (eg, "I don't like strawberries" or "Yesterday I had icecream for dinner".) I prepare the sentences in advance, and tick them off as I go. I really enjoy lessons that involve this game, and the students seem to too.