Speaking Games

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas 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. 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: 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 guest by having a conversation with everyone. Have your students stand in a circle. Choose a specific...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences 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. 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 certification graduate Terence L. This phenomenon of foreign language speaking anxiety is not limited to just the...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a fun ESL board game to practice your students' speaking skills.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! 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.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here are some great printable speaking cards aimed to practice the usage of the future perfect tense in speaking.   Have your students work in pairs or teams. Have them take a card and interview each other on the given questions. This activity is aimed to practice the usage of the future perfect tense in speaking.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

There are many games that can be used in the TEFL classroom, from simple games that only require a pen and a whiteboard to more elaborate board games. There are some games that have been specifically designed to be used in English language classes, while other, everyday games that we usually play for fun can also be adapted to be used with your students. You can even create your own games! There are many misconceptions about using games in the classroom. Some people believe that studying should be serious and that there is no place for this kind of “entertainment” in the classroom. Others believe that games are only for children and that adults are not interested in playing when they should be studying. Neither of these assertions is true, research and experience has shown that...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas 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. 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. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions...  [Read more]

ICan is a Canada based online ESL company committed to transforming ESL learners into dynamic, confident English speakers. ICan offers Speaking Classes, Writing Classes, and IELTS preparation courses. Ican Speaking: Young students of speaking and conversation are given interactive playful lessons with new vocabulary, phrases, and games. Our teachers are there to help guide their pronunciation, correct their mistakes, and to create as much conversation as they can from what the student has given them. Mid-level and more advanced students use an interactive but less playful program which is more based on the conversational aspect of English. Along with grammar, the students are regularly prompted by the course material to speak on the different subjects introduced. Each lesson begins with a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching language to children is a rather delicate and complex process that requires a careful approach and patience from the teacher. To make this process more vivid and interesting for children, it is necessary to remember the existence of such an important and very useful tool as games. Listen to this blog post: Basis Motivation Approach to games Teaching point Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Aleksei K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In my opinion, games act like some kind of a magic wand which forms the foundation of trust between the teacher and the child, helps to build a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Education and teaching are always changing. Thus, teachers are constantly thinking of new ideas and techniques they can implement in their classroom and teaching plan to more effectively educate their students. Presently, the notion of games within the classroom is widely popular among teachers. One may think that this relationship between games and learning is ironic, as most individuals classify games as a hindrance to education. However, through its engaging attributes, the tendency to boost class morale and motivation, and overall improvement within student's creativity, games in the classroom that inspire education are very effective when teaching. Engagement Power Attention-Grabbing Power Revision Applicability Ice Breaker Do you want to teach...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a fun two-part speaking activity about happiness. First, have a class discussion with the question of part one and then have students discuss the quotes of part two in pairs.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn." O. Fred Donaldson (Pulitzer nominated author, and renowned play researcher). Traditional Approach Two Styles of Teaching Effects of Game Play What Games to Use? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kristel-Ann I. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In a traditional school, students are expected to study the lesson from the book and from what the teacher discussed. It is a straight discussion without activities, and evaluation is through worksheets. They could only play games after school hours. Nowadays, schools...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The use of games in the class can activate the atmosphere of learning, reduce learning pressure, and stimulate learning interest more. Independent and selective learning is good for developing students' multiple intelligenceand promoting the formation of good feelings. There are five benefits of games in the classroom. Listen to this blog post: Creating positive atmosphere Stimulating interest in learning Positive attitude Good feelings Intelligence Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michael F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first is reducing students' learning pressure. Students are...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a great speaking activity to develop fluency at Christmas time. Students take turns choosing a question to ask another student in their group.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences 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. 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. Teaching Business English (BE) to clients/adults must be a fun procedure. There are many reasons why a teacher must use games when teaching English in class regardless of students' age or occupation. To begin with, students can learn with...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! 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).   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a great speaking activity is for developing fluency on the topic of Christmas.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! These speaking cards about animals are ideal for teen ESL students to practice speaking or can be used as class openers or finishers and even as writing prompts.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A lot of activities can be settled and performed in a classroom to teach a non-native language. From tasks until routine exercises, a wide range of dynamics might be applied for a teacher. But games have different and unique features for a lesson, and its matter and characteristics need to be debated for developing consistent teaching of content. What is a Game? What is the Game for? Game Directions Sense of Competence Communication Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Fábio A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, it must keep in mind the concept of a game, which could be described as...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's the classic Chutes & Ladders game with the lowercase ABCs and phonics vocabulary for a super simple, super fun learning game.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's the classic Chutes & Ladders game with the uppercase ABCs and phonics vocabulary for a super simple, super fun learning game.     Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a set of 8 printable cards with questions to practice the passive voice.   Have your students work in parks or groups and interview each other. This activity aims to improve your students' speaking skills and their use of grammar.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a great speaking task to develop fluency for talking about New Year's Eve, the past year, and the year to come. Have your students take turns to choose a card and ask the question to their partner/group.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a fun multi-purpose worksheet to practice writing and speaking skills.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! When practicing speaking English it can be confusing for language learners to find that certain words have a silent letter that shouldn’t be used. Here we look at some of the most common examples.   When teaching English to non-native speakers the presence of silent letters can be a cause of great confusion among students and teachers alike. For the learner it can be frustrating to find that the written form of the word they have just mastered is actually spoken without using all the letters. There are a few basic rules when it comes to silent letters, but as is usually the case with English, there are often exceptions. Silent (B) Rule 1: The letter B is usually not pronounced after M at the end of a word e.g. comb, bomb,...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Let’s talk about LOVE! Here are fun ESL conversation cards for elementary to intermediate level students.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here's a free printable ESL worksheet about apartments and houses to practice with your students.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Traditionally, education in the classroom has largely employed a teacher-centred approach. Focus is on the teacher who talks, rather than on the students, who exclusively listen and are discouraged from collaboration. Student-Centered Approach The ESA Method Peer Feedback Corrections Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Christie T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In recent years, however, more emphasis has been given to student-centred education: instructors share classroom talk time with learners, allowing them to communicate with their teacher and each other. By minimizing teacher domination...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Are you about to take an English speaking exam or simply want to improve your speaking skills? These advanced C1-C2 level English phrases are going to spice up your English conversations and make you sound more professional at the same time.   We've all been there. You're in a conversation and get asked a question but you have no idea what to answer or don't understand the question. Instead of giving a blank stare or blurting out "huh?", there are some more professional things to say when you don't understand a question: Getting asked about things you like and dislike is part of almost every conversation. Instead of answering with a simple "yes" or "no", there are some better ways to spice up the conversation: Getting your...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! This is a fun multi-purpose worksheet to practice writing and speaking skills in the third person.     Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]