You know that game where someone shouts out a letter and a category, and you race to think of a word that fits? My family used to play a version of it, and we loved it. Competitive, fast-paced, lots of laughing when someone blanked on an obvious answer. So naturally, I tried it with my […]
Have you heard of the game I Have…Who Has…? It’s everywhere in elementary schools, but most adult ESL teachers have never heard of it, which is wild because it solves so many everyday problems. You know how most speaking activities put students on the spot one at a time while everyone else zones out? Or
Looking for superlative adjective games that actually engage adult ESL students? I’ve got two for you – one that feels like a game show, and one that gets students out of their seats and arguing about who on their team is the most punctual. Both games sneak in grammar practice through competition and conversation. Students
The first time I announced we were playing SWOOSH!, my student Saleh crossed his arms and said, “I didn’t pay for this class to play children’s games.” Fair point. But you and I know games can have educational value. That’s why this happened… Fifteen minutes later, that same Saleh was on his feet, screaming “NO!
I’m standing outside my classroom door, pretending to check my phone while I eavesdrop on my adult ESL students, and I hear Subin telling Ahmed, “This class is so fun! I learn so much, and we talk the whole time.” And then Ahmed agrees! “Better than my last grammar class. We just did exercises out
“GAME.” When I say “game” in my adult ESL vocabulary classroom, the air crackles. Spines extend, eyes brighten, pulses increase. “GAME” they repeat to each other, and smiles break out. I smile, too, knowing that the next words out of my mouth have already grabbed their complete attention before even being spoken. Here’s the thing
