Games for Learning How to Speak English
English is one of the most widely-used languages in the world, but adults and children alike may have difficulty learning it if they were raised in a different culture. One way to help your students understand English terms and pronunciation while entertaining everyone involved is by playing games.
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Online Games
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Many free games are available online that can help students of all ages learn English. These games feature bright, attention-grabbing graphics and entertaining music and sound effects. Students can choose a topic on which to focus, such as the weather, seasons, counting and colors. More advanced games let students analyze a situation, and then choose the correct answer from a list of possible options. Some games may offer a grading rubric, so teachers can see how each student is doing.
Crosswords and Word Search
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Word search puzzles can be used to help students learn to recognize new vocabulary. You can make your own puzzles or purchase workbooks that contain them. Some websites also offer puzzles that can be printed. Crossword puzzles are a helpful tool for students, as these puzzles require students to understand English vocabulary and word meanings. Like word searches, crossword puzzles are available in workbooks, as well as online. You can turn puzzles into a game by seeing which student can finish first.
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Simon Says
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This game can be played with young students, as well as adults. For young students, or those just starting to learn English, play the basic version, where you line students up in a row, and then stand in front of them and announce, "Simon says..." followed by a command, such as "touch your nose" or "turn in a circle." Do the command to illustrate it for students. For more advanced students, do not illustrate the command, or you might perform a different action than the one you tell them to do. This helps you to see which students understand your commands, and which ones are only copying your actions.
Ask for It
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Every week, bring a treat to class with you, such as a snack or small toy. Show the students the object, and teach them how to ask for the object in English. If they ask you correctly, let them have the treat. Bring the same treat to class again next week. After a few weeks of doing this, most students will be able to ask you for the item in English, without your needing to tell them how to do so.
I Spy
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This well-known game can be played with beginning or young students, as well as older ones. For beginning English learners, select an object in the room, such as a plant, and then say, "I spy something that is green." Have students guess what the object is until one of them gets it right. For older students, you may want to make it a little more difficult by saying, "I spy something that starts with the letter P."
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