If you have more than 12 students in a class, things can get a little chaotic with this game. The catch is, they can’t say the word under any circumstances. Teams have three minutes (or any amount of time you want to set) to get their hot seat member to say the word on the paper. Each team will choose a person to sit in front of their team, facing them in the “hot seat.” You will stand behind the students and hold up a piece of paper with a word on it. The students in the hot seats will not be able to see these papers. Separate the class in half and have the two teams sit on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. Taboo Words helps students practice with synonyms and descriptions. The team that hits ten points first is the winning team. For each correct word, that team receives a point. The teams must guess the correct word before three minutes run out. Verbs are likely to be the easiest, but you can also use more complicated words, provided you are sure most of the students know them.ĭivide the class into two teams and have one person from each team choose a piece of paper and act out the word. Write down words on slips of paper for students to choose. This is a great game for those days when your class is dragging and people are falling asleep. CharadesĬharades is quite similar to Pictionary, but it uses actions to communicate the secret word in place of photos. Limit the time to three minutes maximum. Each correct word is a point and the first team to get 10 points is the winning team. Students cannot use words, symbols or hand gestures. The student must convey the word to his or her team using only drawings.

Alternatively, you can write words on slips of paper for students to choose. Have the student draw a card (try using Pictionary Junior cards if the adult ones are too advanced for your class). Have one person from Team A come up to the front. This means you’ll be using the chalkboard or whiteboard at the front of the room.ĭivide the class into two teams and create a small column for each team on one side of the board. To play in a classroom with many students, it’s not very practical to use the game board. This is a good, high action game that students really get into.Ĭhalkboard Pictionary. You can use the cards from the actual board game to create a classroom activity that will thrill your students. Most English speakers are familiar with Pictionary, the drawing game. This makes the game much more difficult, since students cannot think of a word until they know what their theme is. For example, you might start off with “something red.” The first student to catch the ball could say “strawberry” and then choose another topic and throw the ball to the next student.

Take things up a notch with a different version of “Last Man Standing.” Instead of naming a theme, each student gives the next student another theme. If they repeat a word that has already been said or can’t think of a new one within a few seconds, they are out and must sit on the sidelines. As each person catches the ball, they need to come up with another word that fits the theme. That student will shout a word related to the theme and throw the ball to another student. Name a category or theme, such as things found in a kitchen, food, professions, and so on.īegin by tossing the ball at a student. It also encourages peer learning, as students will pick up on words they hear others speaking. To play the game, grab a ball and have all the students form a circle.

This game is fast-paced, but allows students some time to think. (Download) 10 ESL Vocabulary Games That Will Get Your Students Engaged 1. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. Spice up the classroom with some of these ESL vocabulary games to enhance the learning experience. Things like building vocabulary are an essential part of learning English, but they can be dull. It’s amazing what a difference a few fun games can make! Tired of seeing only two or three students actually paying attention in your class? Trying to teach a group of intermediate students ain’t easy.Īt this level, rehashing the basics is a bore and introducing more advanced topics can result in frustration. J10 ESL Vocabulary Games to Get Your Students Seriously Engaged

Last word game