Using games in the ESL classroom is a fantastic way to improve lessons and make language learning effective for adults and children. Interactive activities encourage student participation, promote team collaboration, and make lessons more fun. Whether teaching business English or general language skills, you may be surprised how effective games can be with adult learners.
Let's explore why they're so effective and some of the games you and your adult learners could play.
Why Use Games in ESL Lessons?
Games in ESL lessons are more than just a way to make your lessons more fun. Games offer a positive learning environment, and students can feel more comfortable practicing their English without fear of making mistakes.
Games can help students develop essential language skills like speaking, vocabulary building, and grammar.
Adults can use games to break down barriers, making the classroom more engaging and interactive. With so many different types of games, you can tailor them to your lesson objectives and proficiency levels, making them one of many useful resources for lesson planning.
How to Incorporate Games Effectively in ESL Lessons
To ensure games in your ESL lessons have an impact, you must carefully integrate them into your lesson planning.
The games you choose must work on the right language skills while ensuring they don't disrupt the broader lesson plan.
You need to always explain the rules clearly and ensure students understand. Nothing's worse than planning a great game as an activity to find the students who have wasted their time because they didn't clearly understand what they were supposed to be doing.
Be sure to mix individual challenges with team-based games so that students are engaged whether they prefer competitive or collaborative activities.
Top 10 ESL Games and Activities for Adults and Other Learners
Every ESL teacher is different, but we've chosen ten engaging ESL games that teachers could use to create dynamic, interactive lessons. These games can reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills and can be adapted to different levels or ages.
1. Vocabulary Bingo
Vocabulary bingo is a simple and effective game for working on vocabulary and word recognition. It's a great way to introduce new vocabulary lists or review words at the end of a lesson.
How to Play
Step 1
Prepare bingo cards with target vocabulary words.
Step 2
Call out definitions or use the words in a sentence instead of reading the words directly.
Step 3
Students mark words on their cards and aim for a line or full card to win.
Why It Works
This game encourages listening skills, word recall, and comprehension while keeping the classroom lively. It's especially useful for vocabulary lessons and can be adapted for all levels.
2. 20 Questions
20 questions is a speaking activity where students can practice forming questions. Typically, this is a relaxing and fun way to work on questions in English.
How to Play
Step 1
Select a secret word or object related to the current lesson.
Step 2
Students take turns asking yes/no questions to guess the word within 20 attempts.
Step 3
For a twist, divide the class into teams and offer points for correct guesses.
Why It Works
This game develops question formation, logical thinking, and team collaboration. It's perfect for adult learners as it encourages thoughtful language use and speaking practice.
3. Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a game that serves as both a speaking activity and an icebreaker. Students can learn more about one another while also practicing listening and speaking.
How to Play
Step 1
Ask each student to write three statements about themselves: true and false.
Step 2
The class guesses which statement is false.
Step 3
Teachers can join in or rotate turns between pairs or small groups.
Why It Works
It helps students practice sentence construction, present tense usage, and descriptive language. This activity works well in beginner and intermediate classes and is ideal for team-building.
4. Taboo
Taboo is a vocabulary-building game in which students describe words without using the word itself. It also teaches students how to paraphrase and use synonyms.
How to Play
Step 1
Create word cards with a target vocabulary word and a list of forbidden words.
Step 2
One student describes the word while others guess.
Step 3
If a forbidden word is mentioned, the turn ends.
Why It Works
This game enhances descriptive language, encourages creative thinking, and reinforces vocabulary retention. It's ideal for adults and can be adapted to any topic you teach.
5. Word Association Relay
In Word Association Relay, you have to build word connections. Students will improve fluency in this fast-based vocabulary game.
How to Play
Step 1
Divide the class into two teams.
Step 2
Say a starting word and have each student take turns saying a related word.
Step 3
Their team loses a point if someone pauses too long or repeats a word.
Why It Works
This activity is great for vocabulary recall and quick thinking. It works especially well for reviewing topic-based words like food, travel, or emotions.
6. Sentence Building Challenge
You can use Sentence Building Challenge to focus on grammar structure. Students collaborate to practice sentence construction.
How to Play
Step 1
Prepare word cards with verbs, nouns, adjectives, and connectors.
Step 2
Divide the class into teams and give them a set of mixed cards.
Step 3
Students work together to create complete sentences using the cards.
Why It Works
This game reinforces grammar concepts such as subject-verb agreement and sentence structure. It’s especially effective for beginner and intermediate learners.
7. Charades for Verbs and Actions
Like the classic parlor game, you can use this to test both a student's understanding of words and other students' vocabulary. It's best for practicing action verbs and the present continuous tense.
How to Play
Step 1
Write a list of action verbs on slips of paper (e.g., running, cooking, dancing).
Step 2
One student picks a word and acts it out without speaking, while others guess.
Why It Works
It’s a fun way to reinforce vocabulary and speaking skills while making grammar practice enjoyable. Great for kinesthetic learners!
8. Board Race
Board Race is a high-energy game for reviewing vocabulary. It's particularly useful for classes with competitive students.
How to Play
Step 1
Divide the class into two teams and write a category (like food, animals, or verbs) on the board.
Step 2
One by one, students race to the board and write a word related to the category.
Step 3
The team with the most unique words wins.
Why It Works
It encourages team collaboration and vocabulary recall and helps break the classroom routine with physical activity.
9. Role-Playing Scenarios
Role-playing is an excellent way for students to imagine scenarios in which they may need to use English in their real lives. Thanks to the safety net of being in the classroom, this is great for building their confidence and even better for business English or functional language lessons.
How to Play
Step 1
Assign scenarios like ordering food at a restaurant or attending a job interview.
Step 2
Divide students into pairs, with one playing the role of customer and the other as server.
Step 3
Encourage students to switch roles after each round.
Why It Works
It develops speaking skills, builds confidence, and helps adult learners practice real-life conversations.
10. Online Quiz Tools
Remember that digital quiz tools like Kahoot and Quizlet can also make language learning more interactive. Gamified quizzes are popular with students of all ages.
How to Play
Step 1
Create a quiz with multiple-choice questions based on your lesson.
Step 2
Students join using their devices and compete for points.
Why It Works
These tools combine technology and education, making them ideal for hybrid learning or revision activities. Perfect for vocabulary practice and grammar reviews!
Any of these ESL games would be a great way to make your lessons more engaging and reinforce language concepts effectively.
So, which ones will you be using?
Tips for Choosing the Right ESL Game for Your Class
Any teacher with experience will know that choosing the wrong game for a class is a quick way to ruin a lesson or waste a lot of students' time. These are our tips for effectively choosing games and activities:
- Match the game to the lesson goal: Ensure the game focuses on your lesson objective as per your lesson plan.
- Consider your students' proficiency level: Have a contingency plan for making a game easier or more difficult as required.
- Balance fun with learning objectives: Games should be fun, but always keep the learning objective at the core of your chosen games.
- Mix team and individual games: Some students prefer individual challenges and competition, whereas others may want collaborative experiences.
- Strategically incorporate games at the right time: Manage the pace of your lessons with games. Don't forget that games can also give you some respite, especially if you've been explaining concepts or presenting for a while.
Rotate different games regularly to keep lessons fresh and engaging. Incorporate both digital tools like Quizlet and traditional games to maintain variety.
If you'd like to improve your teaching skills, learn more about ESL, or learn any other skill, why not look for private tutoring on teacher support or teaching skills from one of the skilled and experienced tutors on the Superprof website?
There are thousands of tutors all over the United States and worldwide, and with many offering the first session for free, you can try potential tutors before choosing the one that's right for you and your goals!
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