ESOL Games in the Classroom

Last week we did a post on different games that can be played in the adult ed classroom. This week we’ll go over a few games that will be beneficial to the ESOL classroom. These are variations on popular games that you can continue to modify for your students.

Enjoy!

Taboo (thanks to ESLInsider)
This is a great game that works well with almost all levels of learners. To play this game first divide your class into two or more groups (more for larger classes) and place one chair (one for each group) in front of the room facing the class. So if you have two groups then you’ll have two chairs in front facing the class.

Have a student from each group come forward and sit in those chairs. The teacher then writes a word on the board (which is behind the two students), so that the rest of the class can see. The groups have to give the students sitting in the chairs a clue to the word that is written on the board without actually saying it. They can say synonyms, antonyms or other words associated with it. The students sitting in front have to guess the word. If you like you can give the team who guesses first a plus one and then have another set of students come forward to sit and do it again.

20 Questions (Thanks to TEFLGames.com)
This game is a variation on the traditional ‘Twenty Questions’. Unlike the traditional game, which starts with the question ‘Is it animal, vegetable or mineral?’, this version starts with the question-master stating the general topic of whatever he or she is thinking of (animals, countries, foods, sports, actors, actresses, singers, bands, movies, T.V. shows) or another topic related to whatever your students have recently studied.

Put the topic cards face down in a pile on a table at the front of the classroom. Ask for a student to volunteer to be the first question-master. This student then comes forward and takes the top card and thinks of something relevant to the card’s topic. After writing this on the piece of paper, he or she then states the topic. Players begin asking ‘Yes or No’ questions. If the question is grammatically correct, the  player earns a point and the question-master answers it. If the question is not grammatically correct, another player may try to ask the same question correctly for the chance of earning a point. If any player thinks he or she knows what the question-master is thinking of, he or she should say so. If it is not correct, the question-master earns one point and play continues as before. If it is correct, the player guessing earns three points and becomes the next question-master.

Games in the Classroom

“Games greatest potential is that they’re worlds in a box. They allow you to create a world that somebody can be in and take on an identity. People learn most deeply when they take on a new identity that they really want.”

James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin- Madison

The word is “plaid”

When I was growing up, I loved playing all kinds of games. I’m pretty sure Red Rover and Hi Ho Cherry-O were tied for my favorite, but my enthusiasm for different games only grew throughout time. Games were a way to bring a group of people together on an even playing field. I led a service trip to a homeless shelter in DC a few years ago and this was the first real experience working and interacting with the homeless for most participants. Many were scared, nervous, unsure how to act or what their place was. So what did we do to remedy the anxiety? We played charades. Teams were divided at random so each team had students on the trip and adults who were in the shelter. The socio-economic divides that people were nervous about seemed to disappear when someone was trying to act out rainbows or toe jam.

Besides bringing people together and creating memorable experiences, games are also beneficial to the learning process. Your students will be putting what they learn to practice. Students increase math skills by rolling a dice and counting spaces. Word games encourage building vocabulary and other literacy skills. Overall, students enhance their problem solving and critical thinking skills by playing games.

Here are some ideas for games. Remember, games are meant to be played together, so join in the fun!

Scrabble
Scrabble is a tremendously educational game that fosters literacy and language skills. I get anxious and only can remember small words when I play, which might be the case for some of your learners. If this is the case, try scrabble junior first. Scrabble junior has large yellow letter tiles and players match letters to words already written on one side of the board. The other side has an open grid where your learner can create his or her own words. Feel out what is best for your student. Once your student gains confidence, encourage them to bring it home to their family for practice and fun!

Boggle
Boggle is a great tool for teaching letters, words, spelling and matching skills.  is played with a tray of 16 letter dice, which is shaken to get 16 random letters. Players have three minutes to find as many words as they can in the grid, according to the rules listed in the game. In Boggle Junior, the game comes with six-sided letter cubes and numerous picture cards that have the name of the object spelled below. Players place a card on a blue tray and use 3-4 letter cubes to copy the items spelling or they can hide the written words and spell the word just using the picture.

Zingo
This is a new game that is a combination of Bingo and a matching game, great for enhancing quick thinking skills. It relies on a player’s ability to spot pictures and match them quickly to the words and pictures on his or her play card. The first player to complete a line wins. This would work well if you are working with an ESL student. Feel free to create your own game with words/pictures you are learning!