Revise & Expand Your Students Vocabulary
Teaching and learning a foreign language must be fun both for the teacher and the students!
Sometimes it isn’t!
A lot of grammar, a lot of new and different structures must be learnt by students who are mostly interested in their mobile phones, especially if they are teenagers!
I can’t teach without having FUN!
I play and pretend to be this or that; talk slowly, shout or whisper, depending on the meaning of the words; I also use miming a lot. My hands, my arms, feet and legs are always moving! Pointing, drawing, marking, underlining, etc.
The classroom is my stage.
The students are my audience. They must enjoy so that they buy another ticket!!
The good thing is that you can do lots of things to make English teaching FUN!
If you don’t feel inspired, feel free to read my related posts:
- 15 Quotes To Boost Your English Language Learning,
- How To Learn New English Words Every Day,
- ESL Vocabulary And Ways To Enlarge It and
- Vocabulary Learning And 9 Things A Learner Needs.
They will help you to have more ideas!
Meanwhile, I’ll give you some…
I came up with this vocabulary game idea and figured out 6 different ways of playing it. This game doesn’t involve students sharing resources or getting too close.
They are great for keeping social distancing inside the classroom!
SIX WAYS OF PLAYING THE GAMES IN ESL
1. Find Someone Who…
Play the game by cutting the cards, distribute cards, set a time, make students walk around (a nice way to find matching groups).
2. As Quickly As You Can
Distribute the full worksheet, set a time and make it a challenge, find the winner.
3. Two Heads Think Quicker
Distribute the worksheet, set pairs and time and make it a challenge, find the winning pair.
4. The Big League
Distribute the worksheet, build groups and set a time, make it a challenge, find the winning group.
5. Clash of Champions
Divide the class into two teams, distribute the worksheet, set a time, make it a challenge, find the winning team.
6. Virtual Battle
Divide the class into different teams, share the worksheet in the screen, set a time, make it a challenge, find the winning team.
Sign up to receive a 8-page PDF document (including the template) ready to print and to play during the school year! Your students will love this game!
SUBSCRIBE TO GET THE BUNDLE OF 7 GAMES + THE TEMPLATE!
I have also prepared a PDF template for you to customize according to your needs.
Top 8 Reasons For Using Games In ESL Lessons
Games…
- warm-up the class – they are always helpful before your lesson begins, during (to give students a break) or at the end of it when you have a few minutes left.
2. create a pleasant atmosphere to learn – informal learning environments help develop a better understanding of what is being taught and helps to build a stronger relationship with the teacher.
3. make you have fun with your class and adapt the ideas – nothing better than having fun at work while adjusting your teaching strategy.
4. allow you giving rewards and positive feedback – “You’re doing a great job!” / “You can do it!” – your students need lots of encouragement, too.
5. reduce the stress of learning a foreign language – students usually feel more anxious about being criticized by their peers; so games are essential to improve self-confidence and avoid the fear of making mistakes.
6. involve “friendly” competition – a good “healthy” competition among peers should give students a chance to participate, learn and practise all four skills.
7. engage students in different ways – turning motivation into effective learning while playing games In ESL.
8. students’ vocabulary knowledge will be enhanced – the quality and variety may be improved and increased while playing and competing.
Finally, my advice:
Find something that both you and your students will enjoy.
Enjoy playing games In ESL!
And find games which allow social distancing inside the classroom.
Related articles:
I hope you’ve enjoyed the game. How did you play it with in your classroom?
Tell me about it!
Just what I was looking for to spice up my online classes. Thanks.
So glad you liked! I’m working on more, stay tuned… and thanks for sharing your opinion!