Grab the bell

Purpose: oral practice, accuracy.


1. Divide students into groups of about 4.

2. Place a bell (or some other easy-to grab object) in the center of the room. The reason I like the bell is that it makes noise, so it's clear who is holding it.

3. Have a set of sentences or exercises ready. Give each student, or each group, a copy.

4. Call out a random sentence (for example, "exercise 2, sentence 3"). (Alternative: this can also be done with brief listening tracks, which students listen to and try to remember)

5. Someone from each group must memorize it and grab the bell before he/she can say it to you. It he/she says it correctly, the team earns points.

Note: Let students know that, in each team, the same person cannot participate twice in a row. This will give others in the team the chance to participate.

Pronunciation Competition (vowels)

This was written up by my colleague, Doris. We joined both our classes for this game, and the students really enjoyed it. It takes a bit of preparation though.

Vowel Sound Pronunciation Bee/Games

Divide class into 4 groups. Each group has to choose as its name one of the vowel phonemes (e.g “We are the /I/ group”).

On OHP, put a Snakes & Ladders game board. Project on wall. Each group has a different colored post-it note that they move around the board (projected on the wall) as a playing piece. The first group to reach the finish point will win.

Having two teachers present (or else a teacher and an assistant) makes this flow better.
Have a dice on hand. Each number corresponds to a type of activity. Roll the dice to select the activity.

All teams play all the time for all the activities. The dice is also rolled by the two teams winning each activity to determine how many spaces on the game board they get to move.

Games/Activities

1. Many Words: The teacher assigns a vowel sound to each group (or uses the team name for the first round). The teams have 1 minute to write on the whiteboard as many words with that sound as they can think of. The 2 teams with the most correct words get to throw the dice and move on the board.

2. Sound Chain: Two teams line up facing each other. The teacher says a vowel sound. The first person on the A team has to say a word that contains that phoneme. Next, the first person on the B team also says a word with the same phoneme. The same word cannot be repeated. This continues, back and forth between the two teams, until one team makes a mistake, repeats a word that has already been said or can’t think of a word fast enough (5 second rule) and loses. The winning team gets to roll the dice to advance on the board. (With two teachers present, all four teams are playing at the same time, A against B, C against D).

3. Fake Words: (prepare a list of nonexistent words that follow the spelling rules/phonemes the class has been studying-ahead of time). The teacher writes a “fake” word on the board for each team (or a representative from each team) to pronounce following the patterns they have studied before. If they are correct, they get to roll the dice and advance.

4. Find it-Bring it: (prepare cards with minimal pairs before hand. Mix them up and put them in bags to be handed out to each team). The teacher calls out two or three words (ex. Cat , chicks). Students must rummage through their cards, select the ones the teacher said, and run to the teacher with the cards in hand. The first two teams to bring the correct cards get to roll the dice and advance. (In their sets, they would have had to make the decision between the “cat “or the “cut” card, or the “chick” or “cheek” card).

5. Rhyme it: Two teams line up facing each other. The first person on the A team has to say a word. Next, the opposing person on the B team has to say a word with the same vowel sound. The second person on the A team can choose to change the vowel sound and say a different word for which the second person on the B team must find a rhyming vowel sound word. The same word cannot be repeated. This continues, back and forth between the two teams, until one team makes a mistake, repeats a word that has already been said or can’t think of a word fast enough (5 second rule) and loses. The winning team gets to roll the dice to advance on the board. (With two teachers present, all four teams are playing at the same time, A against B, C against D).

6. Sound Sentence: The teacher assigns a vowel sound to each group (or uses the team name for the first round). The teams have 1 minute to write on the whiteboard a sentence which contains as many words with that sound as they can think of. The 2 teams with the most correct words get to throw the dice and move on the board.

ESL Football

Instructions here:

http://www.esljunction.com/esl_games/football-print.html

I have used this in small groups (with one or two players per team, plus a referee): Each group gets a board and ball; the referee gets a list of questions, plus answer key, and monitors whether the teams are answering the questions correctly. This way, you can have three or four small groups playing independently, and you can walk around helping them.

Wheel Drill

Do your students never study outside of class? This helps them drill each other and be drilled, working with different partners every time.

1. On the board, write down the items you're working on with your class (it could be verbs that take gerunds and/or infinitives, or vocab items). Make sure all the answers (classifications, definitions, whatever it is you want them to know) are visible on the board.

2. Make Ss form two rows: one row with its back to the board, another row facing the board. At the same time, both rows should be facing each other. You need an even number of Ss for this, so if the number is uneven, the teacher can join in!

3. Once Ss are seated and facing each other, the one who can see the board starts drilling his/her partner who cannot see the board. Every minute or so, the T can blow a whistle or ring a bell, and Ss move on to the next seat, and start working with a new partner (or, instead of the next seat, they could move two seats up, or the T could vary it every time).

Find someone who (gerunds and infinitives)

1. SS first complete the blank spaces with either a gerund or infinitive form of the verb in brackets (as appropriate)
2. SS walk around asking questions based on the paper, to find a person who fits each item. When they find that person, they write the person's name next to the item. The first person to finish the whole questionnaire (or 9 items- up to the teacher) wins.

Find someone who...

- refuses _________ (eat) dinner at the cafeteria
- needs __________ (write) an email this afternoon
- forgot __________ (do) their homework last week
- remembered ________ (do) their whomework this week
- enjoys __________ (speak) English
- expects _________ (be) at home this summer
- is planning ________ (study) ESL next semester
- wants ________ (learn) to play a new sport
- intends _________ (work) in their country after finishing college
- has offered ___________ (help) someone this week
- has quit __________ (eat) a certain type of food (for example, meat)

What has he been doing?

This game helps to practice the meaning of present perfect continuous as "an activity which was in progress until very recently - we can still see the results"). You need to have explained this aspect of the present perfect continuous before you do this activity.

1. Divide the class into two groups.
2. A student from one group picks a card (see examples below) and tries to get his/her group to guess what's in the card by speaking and/or acting it out. They need to answer the question "What has he/she been doing?" For example, if the card says "You've been holding a cat", the student can say, "Oh! Look at all these hairs on my shirt!" and pretend to wipe them off. NOTE: The student must make clear what HAS JUST BEEN HAPPENING, not what IS happening, i.e., the CONSEQUENCE/RESULT of the action on the card. So, even if the group guesses what's on the card, don't give points if the student does not represent the result, because the meaning is not being conveyed properly.
3. Give a time limit to each card (no more than one minute). For each card, the team has up to three tries to get it right: if they get it right the first time, they win 10 points. If they get it right with a second try, it's 5 points. A third try is only 1 point.
4. After SS have guessed (or not) their card, a SS from the other team comes up and does the same.
5. Game ends when there are no more cards. The team with the most points wins.

SAMPLE CARDS:

• You've been talking to your boyfriend/girlfriend.
• You've been travelling for many hours.
• You've been watching videos/TV.
• You've been practicing in the language lab.
• You've been working under the hot sun.
• You've been playing video games.
• You've been carrying something heavy.
• You've been holding a cat.
• You've been travelling on a bad road.
• You've been playing with a small child.
• You've been washing dishes.
• You've been having a nightmare.
• You've been laughing.
• You've been swimming.
• You've been reading.
• You've been cooking.
• You've been hearing a dog barking for two hours.
• You've been singing.
• You've been running.
• You've been eating very spicy food.
• You've been crying.
• You've been painting your house.
• You've been doing exercise.
• You've been cleaning your room.
• You've been shopping.
• You've been working on the computer for many hours.
• You've been listening to very funny jokes.
• You've been standing in line for a long time.
• You've been studying grammar for three hours.

Created by Marlise, 2009

Pictionary/ Definitionary/ Mimictionary

1. Make cards of the vocab you're working on with your class.

2. Find a way of timing 30 seconds (kitchen timer? Hourglass? One of the students?)

3. Divide SS into two groups.

4. A SS from one group gets up, and, when time begins, picks a card. He has to define it (or draw, or mimic- up to the teacher) until his classmates guess it. Then he can go on to the next card, and try to get his/her team to guess it.

5. When time's up, a Ss from the next group comes up, and does the same so his/her group can guess the words.

6. Game ends when there are no more cards left. The team with the most cards in the end wins.

Home-made Crossword Puzzle

VERSION 1: By the Teacher

Ss first need to know what a crossword puzzle is, so you could first make one for them. Options:

1. As individual or group worksheets
2. As a big poster on the board, which can be transformed into a competition between groups, with the teacher calling out the definition and each group having only one chance at a time to complete a word.

VERSION 2: By the students

1. SS should have a list of words they're working on in your class.
2. Divide SS into groups of 2 or 3, and give them each some sheets of squared paper so they can experiment with their own crossword puzzles, trying to weave words together.
3. In the end, each group should hand in: 1. The completed crossword puzzle (answers), 2. A blank crossword puzzle, and 3. The clues.
4. Groups can then exchange their (blank) puzzles, and try to complete it. My favourite part is that, if they have any problems completing it, I just say, "I don't know, ask the authors!"

This activity can also be used to practice adjective clauses when giving definitions: "A device which is used for talking long-distance - telephone".

Have you ever

This is one that a colleague taught me. It's great for bringing life back to a sagging class, and brings a lot of laughs. It's also good for making students focus on accurate language, while giving them a chance to be creative.

1. Students (SS) place their chairs in a circle (no desks!). The teacher (T) also joins the circle, but standing- no chair for the teacher.

2. T thinks of a phrase which starts with "have you ever..." (Have you ever lost the keys to your house?" "Have you ever ridden on an elephant?").

3. Anyone who has ever done that has to stand and find a new chair to sit on. Those who haven't done the action can just remain in their seats. Of course, there will always be one person without a chair, so that person has to come up with a "have you ever" phrase.

4. The game can be played until T sees that SS have revived and are ready for the next activity.

VARIATIONS:

1. Instead of "have you ever...", you can opt for "Are you going to...?" to talk about plans.

2. You could also use this game to practice constructions with gerunds and infinitives, although students find it harder to concentrate on getting all the gerunds, infinitives and auxiliaries in place, and this might make the activity drag ("do you like to cook?" "Are you tired of studying grammar?").

Guide to Presentations

Asians and Westerners have a very different way of grouping information. My Asian students find it difficult at first to put an English presentation in order, because they're not sure what's expected of them. Their language has a different way of doing it! And hey, this happens to Westerners, too! This step-by-step guide has helped bring out well-organised presentations. I usually give them a copy of this and go over it with them before they are assigned an (academic) presentation.

INTRODUCTION:

• HOOK: Say something to get people interested in your topic. It might be a question ("How many...?" "Have you ever...?" "What's your favourite...?") a statement (a fact, statistics), or a personal anecdote (not too long!).
• MENTION CLEARLY WHAT YOUR TOPIC IS. If you want to, you can also say why you chose this topic.
• You can also mention (briefly!) the PARTS OF YOUR TALK ("First, I'll tell you the history of..., Then I will tell you the kinds of ..., and finally I will mention how...")

BODY:

• Divide your information into PARTS: history, types, advantages, disadvantages, etc.
• With each part, use TRANSITION WORDS (next, and now, firstly, secondly, etc) so the audience will know you are focusing on a new point ("And now I'm going to tell you about the different clothes that people wear for this festival.")
• You can give your opinion about each part ("The food in this festival is delicious, but I think it's good we don't eat it all the time because it's very unhealthy.")

CONCLUSION

• RE-STATE THE MAIN POINTS OF YOUR TALK (Summarise) ("I have told you about..." "I have explained about...")
• GIVE FINAL THOUGHTS: your opinion, advice, or suggest a future course of action

MORE ADVICE:

• Use audiovisuals (at least 3) such as powerpoint, objects, posters, sound, etc, to make your presentation more engaging.
• Don't read from your notes! Use your own words.

Home-made Group Skits

This activity can be used to review vocabulary, grammar, or speaking functions. I've found that most of my groups have enjoyed this activity.

1. Divide students into groups of 4 or 5.
2. Tell them they have to come up with a 5-minute skit (or whatever time slot you want to give them) in which they have to include x amount of words (I usually say around 12) from their vocabulary list, or x instances of the grammar they've been learning.
3. Students work during one period, discussing their ideas and writing up their script.
4. For the next period, they present their skit (they'll usually need more time, so they'll have to meet after class and keep practicing their English!)

Possible grading guide (for high-intermediate level)

(Grade 0-3 points for each item)

1. A wide variety of props for scenery was used (at least 3 types)
2. The presentation included a large amount of the vocabulary/grammar covered in class.
3. The vocabulary was always appropriate
4. The correct forms of words were always used
5. No grammatical errors
6. Pronunciation very clear and understandable
7. Speaking always audible to audience
8. Speaking very fluent
9. Never read from the script
10. Message always clear

Total points: 30

World's heaviest man

1. Ask the students how much the heaviest person in the world might weigh, if it could be a man or woman, or which country he/she might be from. You could even discuss how overweight people are treated in your country (or think of any other lead-in that won't offend any of your students)
2. Get the students, as a class, in groups or individually, to read this story (if you like, you can read it to them, too).
3. Go through unknown vocabulary
4. This article lends itself to practicing conditionals. You could give sentence cues below and ask students to complete them:
5. As a follow-up, you can get students to look on the Internet for more information on this man, since this article is from 2008. Has he been able to reach his goals? Another possible follow-up could be to read/discuss/write about obesity or any other health issue, or even about prejudice.

Sentence Cues:

1. If Manuel hadn't tried to lose weight, ______________________

2. If he loses more weight, _______________________________

3. If Manuel decides to have a wedding cake, __________________

4.If Manuel's girlfriend hadn't encouraged him, _________________

5. If his girlfriend ever breaks up with him, ____________________

6. If Manuel is able to walk again, ___________________________

Source: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0810/081003-weight_loss.html

World’s heaviest man plans to marry

Love conquers all. This is certainly so for the former heaviest man in the world. Mexican Manuel Uribe used to be the world’s most overweight person. He was in the Guinness Book of Records in 2006 after breaking the human weight record. Special weighing scales showed he weighed 560kg. He was so enormous he could not leave his room. He spent his whole life living on his bed, eating huge meals and watching TV. He decided enough was enough and that he wanted to change his life. He also wanted to marry his longtime girlfriend Claudia Solis. Uribe went on a crash diet and lost almost half his body weight. He lost a whopping 250kg and has slimmed down to a lighter 310kg. He still has a long way to go before he can once again lead a normal life.
The secret to 43-year-old Uribe’s success is his love for his fiancée Claudia. The two plan to marry on October 26 in his hometown of Monterrey. Manuel said he owed a lot to the love of his life. He said she encouraged and supported him non-stop to lose weight. After they got engaged two years ago, Uribe promised Claudia he would get into better shape for their wedding day. He went on a diet called the Zone Diet, a special combination of carbohydrates and proteins. His diet was created and supervised by a team of weight loss and obesity specialists. He is still too big to walk on his own and said his dream is to be able to walk again. Manuel told reporters that he will have a big wedding, but the reception would have a “low-calorie banquet”. He added this meant no wedding cake for him.