English through Games

Luncau Diana

BEAT THE TIME

Category: Speaking Group size: From 2 players to large classes Level: Any level Materials: None or Flashcards Age: 8 to 14 Pace: Wake up

To keep in mind

This game is better played once students are familiar with the vocabulary

This particular type of game is used when revising a certain vocabulary or practising certain grammar tenses.

How to play
1st Variant

The teacher draws five columns on the board and assigns each column a letter from the alphabet and shouts GO! The 1st student writes in all 5 columns with one word that begins with the respective letter and shots STOP! The teacher can go in the same manner through the whole alphabet

2nd Variant

The teacher may write down in the five columns instead of one letter, two letters:

The game is played in the same manner as in the 1st variant. This variant is perfect for spelling.

3rd Variant

The teacher may use flashcards to keep students alert. Another tip would be to use flashcards not only with pictures but also with words written underneath with some missing letters or only with the last letter.

4th Variant

Another variant would be to assign team leaders to choose their own words for the other team.
In this way the game is more challenging. To keep in mind! : is best recommended to assign a student to set the exact time. This way the game is more interesting.

Language Ideas

Vocabulary: the teacher may use instead of letters general categories such as: food, clothing, jobs, emotion, things in the house, etc.

To make it more interesting: Students have to fill each column with a vocabulary word that begins with that letter and pertaining to the category

Grammar: instead of letters the teacher writes down the tenses

To make more interesting students may also write down a sentence for each tense after he/she wrote down the correct form of the given verb

Listening: the teacher may use a cassette recorder and play bits of the lesson.

Therefore students have to write down: summary, main idea, the name of the characters, the place or the time, etc.

FIND YOUR PARTNER

Category: Speaking Group size: two by two students Level: intermediate-advanced Materials: small sheets of papers or even pictures Age: 10 to 14 Pace: Wake up

To keep in mind

It is a great game for breaking the ice when students do not know each other very well as everyone has an excuse to approach the other and start talking

How to play
1st Variant

The teacher prepares some sheets of paper to stick on the backs of all the students in the class

Each label contains a real persons name or the name of a character from fiction or TV cartoons

Pay attention!

Each named person should have a natural partner, for example if there is written a label with the name ROMEO, there should be also a label with one name JULIET stuck on somebodys back;
If there is an odd number of students in the class, the teacher should stick a label on his/her back as well and let students do the questioning

Now, students start questioning the others to find his/her partner; they have to ask only YES/NO questions

E.g. : Am I a man/ woman? Am I dead or alive? Am I a character from a cartoon or a book?, etc.

Some examples of partners:

2nd Variant

For a controlled game and with less students, the teacher could let just one student a time to ask the questions The student who ask the questions has to face the blackboard and guess his/her partner by voice

3rd Variant To make it more interesting, the teacher pins a picture of ordinary people or objects as well to their back

Therefore, students must describe it so that the other one finds the right partner

Language Ideas

Vocabulary: Instead of names of real persons or cartoons, the teacher pins vocabulary words on students backs:

Grammar: This game is also good for revising grammar; for example, the teacher pins the verb to be at present perfect simple at the back of the student;

Questions: Am I a verb? Am I an action verb? Am I frequently used? Am I to be? Am I at present tense simple/ present tense continuousam I have been?