Successful ESL Games

SUCCESSFUL ESL GAMES

My name is Adam Crittenden and I have been teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to secondary school students in a province called Buriram which is located in the Issan region in the North East of Thailand.

Here are a list of some successful games that I have employed in the classroom.

1. Sentence Race.

Rules: Students are split into two teams. Each student on one side receives an individual word printed on cardboard in a similar color. Then each student on the other team receives a word that is identical with the word received by a student on the opposing team. (so if there are 40 students, one team gets 20 different words in one color and the other side receives the same 20 words on cardboard of a different color.) I always take care to match students of similar ability as maintaining the confidence of students regardless of learning levels is paramount in creating a fun and friendly atmosphere in the classroom.
The students are then told that when I call out a word, the two students with the corresponding word from each side will come to the front. Each are given a marker and after a count of "1-2-3 go!" each student simultaneously writes a sentence on the board using the given word. The first to finish a grammatically correct sentence is declared the winner. (Setting a minimum word length for the sentence is essential so that the students feel that the game is fair.)
After the winner is declared a point is awarded to the winning side. I get the winning student to read the sentence to me and then I call the next word to the class. The game continues until all students have had a turn.

Modifications and Comments: The students enjoy the game and build confidence with their writing and ability to form sentences. As the students waiting for their word to be called there is plenty of time for (student-student) interaction as fellow team mates can assist students with creating and remembering sentences. The students who are not writing enjoy cheering and encouraging there classmates as they write. Its a great feeling to see the students co-operating and having fun while they are learning English!
With students who may struggle to write English in full sentences I have used a scaffold where I provide each student with a list of pre-written sentences which they can commit to memory before they write. Scaffolding is crucial in mixed ability classes as I want to generate a very inclusive and positive atmosphere in the class at all times.
Sentence race is a great game but should be used sparingly as it can take quite a bit of time. I have found that one round of students takes about 20 minutes so you need to bear this in mind when lesson planning.

2. Word Bingo

Rules: Word Bingo is an excellent game to play with students as it is fun and encourages the students to read, listen and assist each other. The rules are simple. Each student is given a grid with a number of words and phrases. The teacher (or a student who is selected) draws each word or phrase randomly from a box. If the student has the corresponding word on their grid they cover it with a piece of paper. When a student has covered all the words on their grid, they call out "Bingo!" The winning student comes to the front of the class and reads their words to the teacher who checks that no errors have been made. The student is declared the winner and can be given a small prize like an individually wrapped piece of candy.

Modifications and Comments:  This game is very popular with students and is very useful to revise previously learnt vocabulary and phrases. As the students need to listen and concentrate the level of class noise drops dramatically and the game is very useful when played towards the end of class as it invigorates waning attention spans. Generally during the first game I will call the phrases out and also write them on the whiteboard. This lets the students become familiar with the game and gives them an opportunity to hone their reading skills. The students can play individually or have one grid between two. For students of lesser ability I prefer to single words rather than phrases but I will use phrases with students who have the sufficient reading skills. You can adjust the game to be student-student whereby a student is chosen to draw the words and phrases from the box. This is a great way to play as the teacher can walk about the room and assist students as they check the words, whilst the student in charge builds confidence as they read out the words. Its very easy to prepare the materials as their are many free word bingo generators on-line. If you want to re-use the cards then ask your students to simply cover each word with a piece of paper.

3. Pictionary

Rules: This game is easy to play and is always an absolute winner with my Thai High School students. I like to use it especially with my straight-after-lunch classes as the students become quickly engaged in the game and get into learning mode. To play the game I use a set of flashcards. I have the word written in Thai on the back and its English equivalent on the front. I select a student show them the word in Thai (making sure the English word is not revealed to anyone), I then ask the student if they are comfortable to attempt to draw the word, and if they are happy, I let the student draw the word on the board. The rest of the class have to try to guess the word in English. The first student to correctly call out the English word is declared the winner and then it is their turn to look at the next card and draw the picture. The game can be played for as long as you like, or until every pupil has had a chance to draw.

Modifications and comments: I am a huge fan of Pictionary as all students can take part regardless of their level of English competence. The students really do enjoy the game whether they are drawing or trying to guess the answer. If the students are struggling to guess the answer I will put up a hangman chart and slowly fill the letters in until someone is able to guess the answer. Should the student be struggling with their drawing I will assist by miming the action of the word until the students are on the right track. To get full impact from the game I will write the English word clearly on the whiteboard and have the whole class repeat the word a few times. I will also write the word in a sentence and have the students repeat the sentence a few times in order to consolidate their learning before we move onto the next picture. As a teacher you can prepare as many flashcards as you like in order to keep the game interesting and to have appropriate words to meet the learning capacities and interests of your students. By doing this you will also build up a library of useful flashcards that are always great to use when you are mingling with students during breaks in the playground or if you have some spare time at the end of a lesson.