I have found improv games to be the most fun way to get students talking. I have primarily used them with my upper-level French students, but with a more narrow focus for any activity, it could be used with lower levels, also.
Using improv games require the students to use any and all vocabulary that they know, search for new vocabulary (my students regularly perform improv with their smartphones in-hand to look up words as they perform), and the best part - it's fun. There's a lot of laughte