Speaking Games

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Games in the Classroom - The Antidote to Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety When an English speaker is traveling in the Philippines, it is not uncommon for a friendly conversation with a local to end with the local stating they have a nosebleed and escape from the conversation. In Filipino culture, nosebleeds indicate that the brain is too stressed. Although Filipinos pride themselves in being fluent in English, many are not as confident to speak it when the time requires. Table of Contents BACKGROUND: Too Anxious to Speak INTRODUCTION: Work VS Play MOTIVATION SETTING CONFIDENCE CONCLUSION Are you ready to teach English in an ESL or EFL classroom? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas 7 Great Games for Your ESL Conversation Class Teaching speaking skills is an important part of an ESL class. Sometimes, entire conversation classes are established that focus solely on speaking. Here are 7 great games for your ESL conversation class. Table of Contents 1. Mystery Party Guest 2. Choose Your Victim 3. Ice-breaker Jenga 4. 20 Questions 5. Apples to Apples 6. Get to Know You Bingo 7. Create A Game Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: 1. Mystery Party Guest Write down the names and key points about five celebrities and assign them to the same amount of students in your classroom. One by one, a student enters a "party" with another student playing the host. The host must then find out the identity of each...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Say 4 Things You Do... Worksheet This is a fun ESL board game to practice your students' speaking skills.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TEFL certificate with ITTT. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Past Simple Irregular Board Game This board game is a great speaking practice on some past simple irregular verbs.   Students take turns asking and answering questions about actions which happened in the past. They can practice some prepositions of time as well for more advanced students.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TEFL certificate with ITTT. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 Estefany Garduño TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Creating your Own English Immersion Experience for ESL Students When you hear about English lessons, the first thing that comes into your mind is probably lessons taken from a book, answer lesson sheets, and talking in pairs applying a small group of vocabulary, and that's all. Let's change the game by giving a higher immersion of English to your ESL students without going to an English-speaking country to obtain more vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking practice. Table of Contents What is an English Immersion Experience? How could I start? Select a topic according to your students' English level Include as receptive as productive skills. Build confidence in students Time to expand during the...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Board Game - Xmas Challenge Here's a Christmas board game focusing on sentence building, either spoken or written. To practice speaking, let students say sentences (make sure to correct pronunciation when needed); to practice writing, let them write sentences (adapt the game to your students' level).   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TESOL certification with ITTT. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Sara Stojanovic Sara Stojanovic is an English teacher from Serbia who is passionate about imparting her knowledge to learners of all ages and assisting them in mastering their command of the English language. Sara enjoys reading, journaling, and spending time with her friends in her free time. Read my articles Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom | ITTT | TEFL Blog Sara Stojanovic TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Explore Gardner's 8 intelligences and tailor your teaching methods to tap into students' unique strengths for effective learning. Teaching Language Skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening | ITTT | TEFL Blog Sara Stojanovic TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Unlock the power of language education!...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles Teaching Grammar Through Student-Centered Games | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to the problem of teaching grammar. Our TEFL graduate explains how to use a student-centered approach to explain grammar points. What are an English Teacher’s Responsibilities and Roles? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Our TEFL graduate overviews teacher's work and explains what responsibilities and roles they possess in the classroom. Problems for English Learners in China versus...  [Read more]

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Playing Games in an ESL Classroom "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning" – Diane Ackerman. Table of Contents Game Rules Adaptability to Age Differences Other Groups Types Are you ready to teach English abroad or online? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Danila E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I could not agree more with the quote above as playing games in the classroom has many advantages:The main thing needed for a successful process of learning is, of course, motivation. And playing games certainly increases...  [Read more]

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Embedding Games into Your Classroom Routine The use of Games in lesson plans for younger learners of the English Language is something that I think is very important. This is because they are excellent at providing a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere in the classroom. This helps in encouraging beginning students to participate. They also provide a challenge for more advanced students and are an excellent review tool (Ibrahim, 2017). Many types of games can be used in the classroom including board games, guessing games, matching games, and communication games. These can be used to teach vocabulary, grammar and speaking skills. Table of Contents Vocabulary Building Teaching Grammar Speaking Activities Do you want to...  [Read more]

Agency Accelerated TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Agency Accelerated TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts A.B. & T.W. South Korea said: Games: A Strong Tool for ESL TeachersStudents of all ages enjoy playing games in the classroom. It is easy to assume games are a useful way of filling time, but in actual practice playing games in the classroom is one of the strongest tools teachers have to get students to learn and retain new vocabulary and concepts. Games give students the opportunity to practice all skill areas: receptive (listening and reading) and productive...  [Read more]

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ESL Games For Better Teaching Results Games are seen as time wasted. According to my, it is a pointless prejudice. Because some people suppose playing games in the classroom can only be as computer games; on the contrary, fun in the school is more instructive for students' self-improvement. Meanwhile, the research has shown that the classroom games affect students positively, such as having more motivation, having a controlled competitive environment, strategy simulator, peer positive, less stress, enhanced memory, class cooperation, and new knowledge. We will see how games are essential in our education. Table of Contents Motivation Methodology Benefits Are you ready to teach English abroad or...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How can Game-Based Learning be Helpful to EFL Students? Games are a useful tool for teachers of EFL students because they help with motivation, engagement, and graceful failure (Plass 260-261). I will present a successful example of a teacher using games in an adult grammar class from Indonesia. Second, since I plan to teach online EFL students, I will present free digital games online teachers can use in their virtual classrooms. Table of Contents Advantages of the Theory The First Research Popular Games Access to Materials My Choice Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christopher C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ESL Games as The Best Tool to Stimulate English Learning Process As teachers, one of our biggest goals while teaching English to a class or individual is to keep them engaged and motivated during the lesson while also making them feel comfortable and confident as they learn. There are three critical ways in which playing games in the classroom can help effectively promote speaking English. By playing "warming" games, students can become more comfortable around teachers and students, making them more likely to participate during lessons. They can also keep students motivated and play a significant role during the "Engage" and "Activate" phase of the ESA approach. Table of Contents Engagement Stage...  [Read more]

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The 3 Most Popular ESL Games That Work in Every Classroom Games and fun activities are a vital part of teaching English as a foreign language. Whether you're teaching adults or children, games will liven up your lesson and ensure that your students will leave the classroom wanting more. Table of Contents 1. Board Race How to play: 2. Call My Bluff / Two Truths and A Lie How to play: 3. Simon Says How to Play: Listen to this blog post Now it's your turn to get TEFL certified! Related Articles: Games can be used to warm up the class before your lesson begins, during the lesson to give students a break when you're tackling a tough subject, or at the end of class when you have a few minutes left to kill. There are...  [Read more]

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Essence of Educational Games Educational games are methodical tools for achieving a learning goal. A successful learning game should combine motivating player's life and interesting learning content. Games should not just be practical gaps fillers in the learning process but also serve to impart certain knowledge and to consolidate skills through exercises. Table of Contents Benefits of Games Games Goals How to Use Games Effectively When can we use educational games to take benefit from them in English classes? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Toufik Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why are Games so Important for Young Learners? When I think of my earliest childhood memories, I remember that I used to love to play games in the classroom (charades, 7-up/head down-thumb up, categories, bingo, etc.). Going from a boring 'copy from the board' type of class to a competitive, fun and activity-filled class gave me the ability to open my mind, so I could find the subject being taught more interesting and made it easier for me to absorb the information. Young learners may not have an interest in studying because they don't yet have any motivation from learning, so they are only interested in games, songs, and other fun activities. When playing most of the games in the classroom, young learners are compelled to...  [Read more]

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Importance of Using Online ESL Games in TEYL When it comes to learning ESL, most learners associate it with memorizing spelling rules, doing countless grammar exercises, making abstract speaking topics, and translating sentences from L1 into English. In these, there is little or no listening and speaking practice involved, making English just one of the numerous boring school subjects. However, there is so much more to learning and activating the language if the fun element is involved. This doesn't only include traditional classroom games but also learning both at school and home with the usage of modern technology. Most children born in the 2000s have grown up using iPads and mobile phones, which makes them much more...  [Read more]

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Are Games Important for Students’ Understanding in The Classroom? Playing games is not only for fun, but we can use it to make students more understand about the topic of the lesson. Games also can build rapport between student-student and teacher-class. How a game is important to make students understand the topic of the lesson? Table of Contents Approach 1: Using games as an additional activity in the classroom is common for English class Approach 2: Using games for easing the material Approach 3: Accompanying the material for special groups Do you want to teach English abroad or online? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Use of Games in the Classroom I have been teaching English as an assistant language teacher in Japan for the past 4 years. I have taught all grades from kindergarten through 9th grade, and have worked with many teachers with a variety of teaching styles. In this essay I will look at the use of games in the foreign language classroom, drawing from my experiences to look at several specific games and discuss how they help students learn and use English. Table of Contents 1. Games are a good way to make class fun, increasing student motivation while using English. 2. Creating activities with existing resources 3. A possibility to communicate 4. Examples of games Do you want to teach English abroad or online? Take a TEFL course!...  [Read more]

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Game On – Using Icebreaker Games in the ESL Classroom We must up our game as ESL teachers in the 21st century – both figuratively and literally. I use games to engage students and promote learning in my classroom for a wide range of learning objectives. Below is a short list of icebreaker games that I regularly use in my classroom, and I will discuss the learning target(s) that each game aims to facilitate and deliver as well as the context in which the game is used. Since I work with high school age and adult students, the games are geared for English Language Learners in these age groups. As learning communities become more globalized and data give more information on how people learn, one major challenge I find with...  [Read more]

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences How can an instructor effectively use games with adult EFL students? When I first made the transition from primary school to university, I knew that my lesson plans were clearly going to have to change. As I began to come up with ideas for my new job, I was disappointed that most of the content I previously used had no place in the university. Games, such as Hangman and Pictionary, worked excellently in capturing the interests of my young students, but I didn't think these childish games had any place in a university classroom. I found out weeks later how wrong I was when I used Pictionary at the beginning of one of my courses to 'preview' the vocabulary we would be covering in class that day. I discovered that day that games can...  [Read more]

Wed, 13 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 7 Games to Cheer On Your ESL Students Defining games for kids can open up a broad prospect but in this topic, we are going to specifically talk about the various games that kids can not only enjoy but can incorporate in their learning curriculum. Table of Contents 1. Monopoly 2. Pictionary 3. Taboo 4. Tongue twisters 5. Bingo 6. Charades 7. Hangman Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Playing games in the classroom helps kids to feel more relaxed and friendly with the teachers. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sonal L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Learning becomes more of a fun activity for them rather than the same...  [Read more]

TEFL Lemon TEFL Lemon began in 2014 as an ESL blog on the WeChat platform in China, quickly becoming the biggest ESL blog on WeChat. TEFL Lemon provided English teachers with ELT articles to read and share, as well as free ESL lesson ideas, ESL games and fun speaking activities which TEFL teachers could use in their classes. English teachers in China could also download free ESL flashcards on a variety of themes. Following their success on the WeChat platform, in 2018, TEFL Lemon decided to build their own website to offer their ESL Flashcard Games for Kids, ESL Warmers, ESL games and speaking activities for teens and adults for free to TEFL teachers around the world. You can visit their website here. Not only do TEFL Lemon offer teachers brilliant ESL games and teaching ideas, but they...  [Read more]

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Playing Games During the ESL Class Learning foreign languages is a very exciting and very responsible deal. A significant role in teaching foreign languages, in particular, English, belongs to games in the classroom. Games enhance students' mental activity, helps them consolidate material of the lesson, therefore it's a very important activity. The developing value of the game we can find in itself, because where is a game - there is emotion. Where is emotion, there are attention improvisation and imagination. Table of Contents How to Implement Games? Teacher's Part Examples of Games Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ivan S....  [Read more]

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How Games Can Boost Your Lessons One of the repeating themes of this TEFL course has been the games a classroom may participate in, and the many variants of games appropriate for the learning of English. Examples are hangman, crossword puzzles, word jumbles, 20 questions, and many more to mention. The games can often serve very specific purposes, which were perhaps not the original intentions for the games, however within the classroom they can perfectly fit into their role. Tongue-twisters are an excellent choice when practising pronunciations on students in the fluency stage of the lesson, as it allows them to make mistakes without the fear of embarrassment from failure (as failure is almost certain for everybody, at least once),...  [Read more]

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why You Should Absolutely Play Games in The Classroom "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning" Mr. Rogers Table of Contents So what is a Game? According to Free Play and Structured Play (2014) some benefits for guided play will be: Diane Ackerman said, "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn." O. Fred Donaldson. Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marelie L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. So what is a Game?...  [Read more]

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why Playing Games in Class is Important? All humans are raised with an innate love for games. Since we were all children, playing games was our pastime activity. When comes to teaching either young learners or adults, in-class games are the foundation stone of learning. Table of Contents Business English The Effect of Games Strategy Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pavlina M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Business English Teaching Business English (BE) to clients/adults must be a fun procedure. There are many reasons why a teacher must use games when teaching...  [Read more]

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Games as a Teaching Method for Adult ESL Students When we start to learn new things as children, we tend to do that with the help of games. That is why in many classrooms of young learners, we find games to be a highly popular medium amongst educators. It is a way of absorbing and processing a piece of information in a fun and educational way. But when we grow up, we somehow forget the necessity of games in the classroom. Table of Contents Ice Breaker Ways to Include Games into Your Lesson What Games to Choose? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anna B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom Activities for Various Groups of Students I love the use of games for learning. I have utilized board games, card games, and role-playing games in teaching for the past 3 years. I am currently using them to connect with students at the high school, to talk about some important and serious issues, with the pretense of game mechanics. I use games as a warmer for a Bible study I conduct with other students before school. Using the game as the introduction to the lesson we will learn about that morning, to try to get them to relate the game, in a simplified way, to real-world lessons. I have also, since having children, always been on the lookout for short games, that do require long term strategies or hours of gameplay,...  [Read more]