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Ss can practice the simple past by saying what time they got up, what they ate for breakfast, and how they got to school or
work. On the board, write down what time you got up, what you ate for breakfast, and how you got to school. Make sentences
with each and ask the Ss to repeat. Then do a chain activity by having the next S repeat the your answers, then supply his or
her own, and so on.
For example: This morning, I got up at 7:00. I ate cereal. I drove to school.
Next S: The teacher got up at 7:00, s/he ate cereal, and s/he drove to school. I got up at 6:30, I ate scrambled eggs, and I
took the bus to school.
2. COLOR ME RED
Write the color of a Ss shirt, jeans, backpack, shoes, or purse on board and ask the class to guess who is wearing the color.
Whoever gets the correct answer can write the next color on the board and Ss guess again. They should try to pick a different
color than one already on the board.
4. I SPY
This update to the classic is a great way to work on descriptions. Start by saying, I see something ... and describe the color,
shape, and location of an object in the room. The S who guesses then chooses another object and the class guesses again.
5. LISTEN CAREFULLY
Practice contractions through dictation: Youll say the following sentences out loud with contractions, and the Ss will write
them down in a notebook. Then ask individual Ss to come up and write the full sentences on the board without contractions.
Id like to go to the mall.
Hes hungry.
Shes upset.
6. HOW MUCH?
Asking how much something costsand understanding the answercan be a challenge for second language learners. In
pairs, have Ss decide on a business, such as a restaurant, shoe store, hotdog stand, coat store, etc. They should each make
a list of what they sell and how much each item costs. (Aim for five to six items each.) Then the Ss form new pairs and practice asking and answering what each other sells and how much the items cost.
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7. TELEPHONE
Everyone knows grammar charts are dull. But you can liven them up with the old game of telephone. To introduce a new
grammatical structure, whisper a sample sentence in a Ss ear. Have the S repeat what s/he heard to the next S, and then s/
he repeats what s/he heard to the next S, and so on. The last S writes what s/he heard on the board, and then you write the
correct sentence below it. Have fun comparing the telephone version to the correct one, and then introduce the key grammatical structures.
8. CORRECTIONS
Spotting and correcting writing errors is always a challenge for Ss. Heres an engaging game for practicing this important skill.
Divide the class into three groups, and then writing a sentence on the board, but misspell words, leave out or put in incorrect
punctuation, use incorrect tenses and capitalization. Have group A make fixes on the board for 30 seconds. Give them one
point for each correct fix. Now let groups B and C raise their hand to point out any missed or incorrect fixes. They get two
points for each correct answer. Repeat with the next group, and so on.
Sample sentence: did the Quik brown fox jump over Lasy red dog.
9. ACHOO
Giving advice is always fun. Pretend to sneeze and sniffle and ask Ss to diagnose youyou have a cold. Then elicit advice
on getting better.
10. DIRECTIONS
Write your street address on the board (you can leave out the house or apartment number). Then give directions from the
school to your street, writing key phrases (turn left, go two blocks, take Exit 7) on the board. Let Ss take turns giving directions to their house or work. (If possible, project a simplified map of your city on the wall and trace with their directions with
your finger.)
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Im allways studing.
13. INTRODUCTIONS
Have half the class stand and form a circle facing outwards. Now have the other half form a circle facing the first half. Write a
simple introduction conversation on the board, such as:
Hello, my name is _______.
Hello, ________, my name is _______.
Where are you from?
Im from ___________. Where are you from?
Im from __________. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
As the Ss finish, have the outer circle rotate one S to the left until theyve completed the circle.
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Similar Mexican idiom: The sleepy shrimp is carried away on the current
Suite: $150
Write the following conversation on the board and have the Ss practice in pairs, trading roles.
A: Can I help you?
B: Yes, I need a room for ____ nights.
A: How many people?
B: (number of people)
A: Do you want (type of room)
B: Yes.
A: That will be (cost of room X how many nights).
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24. FLAGGED
In groups of three or four, have Ss collaborate in drawing your countrys flag. Hang the results on the board and give them
praise for the aspects that are correct. Then quiz the Ss on the symbolism in the flag. (Good for citizenship classes.) The
American flag, for example, has 13 stripes which represent the first 13 colonies and 50 stars, one for each state. The color
red represents bravery, white for purity, and blue for justice.
25. DISSATISFIED
Can your Ss explain problems and request a fix politely? Have them think about a problem in their apartment or at their job,
then craft an email explaining the problem and requesting a fix. On the board, indicate how to organize the email: Self-introduction, what the problem is, and a polite request (using could, would, and please) for a repair or solution. Have the Ss
share their email with a partner to help make corrections, and then with the class.
27. IS IT HEALTHY?
Discussing healthy food is a popular pastime. Have the Ss form groups and hand each group a grocery store flier. Have Ss
discuss which foods are healthy. Then have them construct a healthy meal with help from the flier. Each group can write their
meal on the board, and then the class can vote on the healthiest and most appealing one.
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organized
patient
regular
responsible
Have Ss form groups and guess which prefixes go with which words, then use their dictionaries to find more. Ss can also
make sentences with the new vocabulary.
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air conditioning
dining room
incl.
included
Kit kitchen
Lg. large
Lndry laundry
LR
living room
Pkg
parking
Utils. utilities
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tiny/little
Mad/angry
large/big
Giggle/laugh
hop/jump
Begin/start
finish/end
44. AS TOLD TO
Form groups of three. S A tells S B what he had for breakfast. Then C writes down what A said to B: Jose told Maria that he
had cereal for breakfast. The Ss change roles and continue until everyone has written a sentence. Then ask the Ss to write
their sentences on the board, and let the class offer corrections.
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hard/soft
Bright/dark
big/small
Tall/short fat/thin
Wide/narrow
expensive/cheap
Big time
Time is money
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swimming, his partner should reply, Youre right, its not hot enough.
Uyou
4for, four
LMKlet me know
JKjust kidding
OMGoh my goodness
Big wig
Big deal
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Big mouth
Milk
Wine
Apples
Toothpaste Nails
65. RECYCLE
The re- prefix is useful. Explain to Ss that it means to do something again. Take five minutes with the class to come up with as
many re words as you can, and help the Ss with the definitions when they arent obvious.
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Rerun
recycle
Rebuild
Redo
Repaint
Refinish
Reinjure Repair
emergency-exit map
Smoke alarm
fire alarm
First-aid kit
emergency-exit signs
Have the Ss form pairs and figure out whereor ifthe classroom has each of these safety features. If not, have them find
the closest examples. Then have the Ss explain the importance of each, with corrections where necessary.
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Person Classmate
Foot Toe
Tooth Mouth
Take a shower
Get undressed
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has water-skiied
Then write: Have you ...? Have Ss practice asking, then have them stand and mingle as they try to find classmates who fit the
bill.
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is going to a restaurant
Is going shopping
is sleeping in
Cookie
Bread
Doughnut
Cake
Cupcake
Cereal
Egg
Milk
Cup of coffee
Pizza
Burger
Ice cream
Slice of pie
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on board:
Hello (S name). Where are you from?
Im from (country).
Hows the weather in (spring/summer/fall/winter)?
Well, its usually_________, but sometimes its _________.
Model, then have Ss stand and mingle with classmates, practicing conversation.
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97. IM AN ANIMAL
Give the Ss 15 or 20 questions to figure out what kind of animal you are.
99. BURY/BERRY
Ss can practice using context to figure out which word theyre hearing with a little dictation. Read these sentences out loud
and then have the Ss compare what theyve written.
When will they bury him?
Taste this fresh berry.
Im buried under a lot of work.
My favorite dessert is berries and cream.
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into two groups, half will be storekeepers, half customers. Ss can practice the language used when shopping: Im looking
for... I need... Do you have...? The storekeepers will sell only one of each of the items, and they can practice phrases like,
Im sorry, we dont sell that/those, What size do you need? It/They costs $...
Items:
Shoelaces
A cell phone
Tennis shoes
A screwdriver
Shaving cream
Wine glasses
A guitar Candy
103. WRITE AN AD
This is a great exercise for practicing descriptive language, and also for teaching Ss about the nature of advertising. Bring in
flyers from local car dealers, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Or use television ads recorded on a DVD. Have Ss pick out the
descriptors and write them on the board. Now challenge groups of three or four to write their own advertisement for a product,
such as beer, detergent, dog food, coffee, or cereal. The Ss will present the ad to the class. The class can vote on the most
persuasive.
105. THEYRE/THEIR/THERE
Homonyms are the bane of most ESL learners, but these three give even native speakers trouble. Try some dictation to help
Ss practice discerning the difference.
Theyre over there.
Whey theyre finished studying, theyll put away their books.
Theyre still not ready to ride bikes: Their helmets are over there.
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I felt awful/great.
It was fabulous/terrible.
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Go through security
116. SCRAMBLE
Put some vocabulary words up on the board, but with the letters scrambled. Ss take turns unscrambling the letters.
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with another food pair. The group that gets the most correct wins.
Burger and fries
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Id be happy to.
Ask Ss to come up with some requestsnormal ones like Please hand me that pen, and more outlandish ones. (Sing a
song, dance, do jumping jacks, etc.) Ss can practice in small groups politely agreeing to or declining requests.
132. FAIR/FARE
More fun with homonyms: Dictate several sentences using these words, and see if Ss can guess from the context which one
they should use.
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Ride a bike
Cook
Drive
Iron a shirt
Now ask a S, Jose, can you swim? If the answer is yes, write Jose, swim on the board. Now have the Ss stand with a
piece of paper and circulate around the class.
Cashing in Cheapskate
Chicken feed
Dirt cheap
flat broke
For a song
137. JEOPARDY
Use the gameshow format of giving answers to help Ss practice making questions. Use answers that will elicit target structures that youre working on. Some examples:
Im from Mexico. (Where are you from?)
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140. CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH
Give the Ss more options for their seasonal spelling competition by providing with two holidays from which they can grab letters. Have them spell as many words as they using the two holidays as their source, and give prizes for the most words and
the longest ones.
144. BOARD/BORED
Dictation practice: Have Ss guess the correct word from context.
I joined the school board.
This class is too long: Im bored.
For an advanced class: A beetle bored a hole in this board.
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145. SENTENCED
Understanding vocabulary is one thing. Being able to use the words in sentences shows mastery. Split the class into groups
and then write a vocabulary word on the board. Each group tries to be the first one to come up with a sentence. Have the first
group who is finished come up and write the sentence on the board. If its error free, they get a point. If theres a mistake, ask
the other groups what it is. The right correction earns the point instead.
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affordable
afraid
believable
breakable
certain
comfortable
common decided expected finished happiness
kind load lucky occupied pleasant qualified
real reasonable
ripe safe skilled sweetened
158. DIALOGUE
Bring in a picture of someone speaking on the phone with a strong expression on his or her face: alarm, surprise, joy, etc. Or
the person could be speaking on a cell next to a broken down car, for example. Have Ss work in pairs to come up with two
sides to this conversation, then perform it for the class.
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162. INTRODUCING!
Tell Ss they are going to do a big introduction of a classmate, but first they need to find out about them. Write the five interrogatives on the board and elicit questions Ss might want to ask to find out about someone. Make sure they ask at least one
question that would reveal something remarkable about the person (Whats the most amazing thing thats happened to you?
or Whats something surprising about you?). Then have Ss interview in pairs and then do introduce their partner to the
class.
164. WHERE/WEAR
Dictation and vocabulary practice: Read the sentences below and see if the Ss can guess from the context which word they
should be writing.
Where are my tennis shoes? I want to wear them today.
Do you know where the party is? What will you wear?
I dont know what to wear. Where are we going?
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Take a shower
Get dressed
Eat breakfast
Do the dishes
Do laundry
Make lunch
Do homework
Place the cards face down on your desk and have one S come to the front of the class and pick a card, read it, then hand it to
you. The S will pantomime the activity while the class tries to guess what it is.
169. I FEEL A C
Practicing the alphabet? Place one S at the board with a marker, and then line the other Ss up behind him or her. Youll stand
at the back of the line and trace a letter on the back of the S in front of you. He does the letter he felt on the S in front of him,
and so on. The S with the marker writes the letter on the board. See if its correct, then repeat with the next S in line.
Puppy love
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A blind date
Crazy about
A crush
Apple of my eye
Seeing someone
Double date
enact
Enclose
encourage
Endear
enfold
Enslave
envision
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182. FLOUR/FLOWER
Ask Ss to come up with sentences using these words. Then form pairs, and have each read S their sentence to the other. The
S has to guess which spelling is the correct one.
186. IN MY COUNTRY
Write some common sayings about health on the board, such as An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and Early to bed,
early to rise keeps a person healthy, wealthy, and wise. Ask Ss if they have similar proverbs in their first languages. Encourage them to write it in their first language, and then translate it to English, and then let the class try to figure out what it
means.
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CONvict conVICT
PREsent preSENT
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205. WHO AM I?
On index cards, write down a living or dead famous personsomeone everyone in the class should know. Tape the cards to
the Ss backs, then have them practice yes/no questions, such as: Am I female? Am I tall? Am I a singer? Am I a politician?
Etc.
At one sitting
Hungry as a bear
Bottoms up!
Cook up a storm
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Done to a T
217. HEAL/HEEL
First, read the sentences below and check whether the Ss have made the correct choice from context. Then have Ss come
up with sentences of their own using these homonyms, and then test each other.
My heel hurts. I wonder if a doctor can heal it?
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That guy is such a heel. Maybe the right woman can help him heal.
Being able to help people heal is a valuable skill.
That boat is heeling too much.
218. TO/-TA/-NA
Native speakers run words together frequently, making it tough for second-language listeners. Try some dictation to give Ss
practice:
I want to go the store. (I wanna go ta the store.)
Were going to go to the movies. (Were gonna go ta the movies.)
You ought to call your mom, first. (You otta call your mom, first.)
Hes got to get ready. (Hes gotta get ready.)
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form them that they must also recommend whether others should see it. Once theyve discussed the positives and negatives
and decided whether they would recommend it, have them write a short review and present it to the class.
Buy a lemon
Flat as a pancake
Nutty as a fruitcake
Bad egg
Half-baked
Butter someone up
226. DIDYA
Native English speakers abuse Did + pronoun questions by running the words at the beginning of the sentence together.
Help Ss practice with this dictation:
Did you remember your books? (didya or didja)
Did I tell you what happened? (dih or dih-di)
Did he forget something? (de or dih-de)
Did she pay for your lunch? (dih-she)
Did we study last night? (dih-we)
Did they smile at us? (dih-they)
judge
lead
place
fit interpret
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232. TIMES UP
Draw a clock face on the board and then draw a random small hand and big hand. Ask the class, What time is it? The first S
who gets it right comes up to the board and draws a new time, then asks the class, What time is it? Continue until everyone
has had a turn.
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and must sit. Start again, and the last S standing is the winner.
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prefix (!)
Preparation
predetermine
preoccupy
248. KNOW/NO
Homonym confusion: Help Ss sort out what theyre hearing by listening for the context of the word. Make this more challenging by working salting in sentences using knows and nose. Try some dictation with these sentences:
I know no one better than you.
No, I dont know him
Now, you know I said no.
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254. PROVERBS
Every culture has its words of wisdom. Assign one proverb each to groups of three or four Ss and have them puzzle out the
meaning. Then have them present their definition to the class.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
The early bird gets the worm.
Those who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
Its no use crying over spilled milk
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256. WE MUST
Bring in magazine ads that show people doing various things. In pairs, have Ss come up with questions for whats happening
in the photo. (For a picture of a woman coughing, Ss could write, Why is she coughing?) Then they turn to a new S and ask
their question, and the S must respond using must: She must have a cold.
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overcrowded
Overlook overpass
271. ADD IT UP
For beginning level Ss, practice counting money and learning the vocabulary surrounding cash is always useful. Draw crude
examples of the coins and bills of your currency. Create groups of three or four Ss, then write numbers next to several of the
coins and bills. For U.S. currency, for example, you could write 1 next to nickels, 4 next to dimes, 2 next to dollar bills, and 3
next to five-dollar bills. The group has 20 seconds to come up with $17.45. If they get it right, they get a point. Then erase the
numbers and write a new set.
274. ARE/OUR
Dictation practice: Test your Ss comprehension abilities by reading the sentences below and checking whether they get the
right spelling.
Are our friends coming over?
Our schedule is too busy.
Are you feeling okay?
When are you planning to email our boss?
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the back of the image. Split the class into four or five groups, and hold up one image. Each group decides on a price and
writes it down. Then they each give their answer. Turn over the imagethe closest guess wins a point.
277. PAIRS
Play this association game to drill Ss on household vocabulary. Tell the class you will say a household word and they have to
come up with an associated word. For example, you say Faucet, and someone responds sink. Then that S can make an
association by saying, for example, bathtub and someone else can say bathroom or shower. Continue as you make your
way around the house.
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287. HYPOCHONDRIAC
Write various ailments on pieces of paper and give them to Ssand tell them not to show the paper to anyone else. The S
will act out the problem and the rest of the Ss will guess whats wrong, and then offer solutions.
Possible ailments:
Cold Headache
Sprained ankle
Runny nose
Sore muscle
Back pain
Allergies Hiccups
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292. TIC-TAC-TOE
Put vocabulary words on the board in a tic-tac-toe grid and separate the classes into an X team and and O team. X goes first:
They must use the vocabulary word in the space they want in a sentence correctly. If they get it right, put an X in the spot.
Then its Os turn. Continue until one group wins, then start over.
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superlative, Biggest! Then move to the second group and show the next card to them. Keep the game moving quickly. If
anyone in the group yells the wrong form or the group is slow, they get a mark against them.
299. CONTRACTED
Low level Ss can always use practice with contractions. Have each Ss take out a piece of paper and write five contractions
and five short phrases that arent contracted. Have them exchange the paper with a neighbor, and then they each write the
non-contracted and contracted forms of the phrases. Then let them check each others work.
In time
Spend time
On time
Wasting time
Have Ss form groups and figure out definitions for the phrase youve given them. Then have them use them in sentences.
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