Quick and Easy ESL Games for the Classroom
ESL Activities for Teachers to Use to Practice All Areas of Learning
Oct 15, 2009
Teaching ESL is fun but can be challenging at times. Teachers can run out of ideas, the lesson plans get boring or the students just don’t have the motivation to try.
Here are a few quick and easy ESL games that need no preparation and practice reading, writing, spelling, listening and vocabulary. They’re great to use when there is extra time that needs to be filled in or when the students need some energy injected in them. These work well in elementary and junior high school but can be adapted to fit other age groups.
Spelling and Reading ESL Game
Hangman is a big hit in junior high school classrooms. Choose a secret word and just draw a line for each letter. The students guess different letters that may be in the word. If they guess a letter that is not in the word, the teacher begins to draw a person. Use a circle for the head, then 5 lines, one for torso, one for each arm and leg. Start with one word as the puzzle to solve. As the students’ English level increases, begin using phrases they must decipher.
Vocabulary Games
Crossfire can be played many ways. Either the whole class stands up or it can be played in rows. Either use questions, or flashcards. Flashcards make the game go much quicker, increasing the level of energy.
Choose a vertical row of students to stand up. Flash a card. The first student to raise his hand and say the English word for the picture card can sit down. Keep going until one student is left standing. The students sitting along the horizontal row of that student must now stand up and try their hand at it.
Crash Junken Game is sometimes known as Tiger Junken in other areas of Asia. Junken is the Asian name for Rock, Scissors, Paper.
Set up a line of English cards in a U-shape, in the middle of the room. Split the students in two teams, each standing on the opposite side of the starting cards.
At “Go!” the first student from each team must quickly run down the line, tapping each card and saying the English word for each. At one point, both will meet up. The two students will Junken.
The Junken winner must continue reading the cards, and the loser must run to the back of the line, while the second student from that team starts reading the cards to meet up with the winner and Junken again.
The object of the game is to have one team successfully make it to the other end of the U-line. When that happens, that team wins the point and the game starts over again.
Listening Practice Game
Keyword Game a great vocabulary game and is a favourite among elementary school students, as well as junior high.
Students pair up and should have 1 eraser between the two of them. Have them sit facing each other with their hands on their heads.
Choose a key word. For example, if the vocabulary being reviewed is sports, "baseball" can be the key word. If possible, show a picture of the key word chosen.
Start naming different sports, having the students repeat the word and when they hear the teacher say the keyword, they must try and grab the eraser before their partner does. Whoever succeeds is the winner. Try again with a new key word.
This game can be as short as a 5-minute time filler or as long as up to 15 minutes. It is a big hit among the students.
Quick and Easy Games Improve Classroom Energy
These quick and easy ESL games are all high energy and a great way to get oxygen flowing, the brain thinking and English practice. They can be done on a whim, needing no preparation. They can take five minutes or even longer if the students want to continue having fun.
Be sure to have prizes for winning students and teams. The motivation to win will hit the roof! Enjoy!
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