Characteristics of a Good ESL Practice Activity

English as a Second Language (ESL) activities have different characteristics and purposes. For example, a grammar activity given as a worksheet can be successful when it reinforces information for students, while an activity that involves singing might be used to strengthen pronunciation skills. When developing good ESL practice activities, remember that students have various learning styles, including visual, tactile, auditory and analytical preferences.

Features

Just as a child cannot learn how to ride a bike from watching a video, ESL students must be given opportunities to contribute during class. Most students speak a language other than English at home, so ESL presents valuable time. Students really should be encouraged to speak during class. Develop a method to correct students without hurting their feelings--such as by providing examples of correct answers in a positive tone.

Oral

A good activity should incorporate listening comprehension. For example, when working with elementary school students, find or create a fast-tempo song that includes key vocabulary words. Ask students to write down all of the words that they recognize and then hand them the lyrics so that they can sing the entire song and review the words. Older students often enjoy listening to popular songs, so have students complete a worksheet that contains the lyrics but blocks out most of the key words. Songs also allow students to hear words spoken by a third party, which can help students adapt to different accents.

Written

When designing a grammar activity, concentrate on establishing a basic understanding of regular rules before introducing irregular topics. For example, combine writing and grammar activities by first teaching students about future tense. Then, ask students to write about what they would like to do during the summer. Evaluate the students' submissions and highlight concepts that the majority of students have trouble with, such as punctuation marks, so that appropriate lessons can be developed.

Considerations

Try to assess students' interests and hobbies so that activities can be tailored around well-liked topics. If students enjoy American sports or movies, then create activities using popular athletes and actors as subjects.

Types

There are many ways to present vocabulary through fun, informative activities. For instance, design a Jeopardy review game that displays vocabulary images, which student teams must identify. Depending on the class size and age, spelling bees can provide great practice--especially when coupled with cheap prizes like small toys or candy. You also could have students create a short story or five-minute class presentation using at least 10 words.

References

• ESL for teachers
• ESL lessons and games
• Learning with laughter