English Class: Play With Us
Quick Fun Activities
Irina Borisova
Cover designer Arina Zheleznyh
© Irina Borisova, 2021
© Arina Zheleznyh, cover design, 2021
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Introduction
English Class: Play With Us contains a collection of games and activities for teaching and revising English. It includes vocabulary, pronunciation, speaking, writing and grammar activities ranging from beginner to advanced level. Teachers may find them helpful when doing certain themes of the academic curriculum, as well as use them as a short break before proceeding to the next «serious» exercise in the textbook. Another good idea is to employ some of those activities for warming up. Besides, if you organize such a quick fun at the end of the class, the students will definitely leave the classroom in a great mood which, undoubtedly, will exert positive influence on their English studies.
The games and activities have been grouped into five categories in accordance with the aspect they belong to and the skill they develop:
Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Grammar
Speaking
Writing
Some of the activities described below are meant to be carried out as whole class activities. Others are designed for pair work or group work. Working with classmates makes the lesson more lively and enjoyable. Dealing with cards, a blackboard, crayons and other stuff involves more senses in the learning process making it, therefore, more effective.
All the activities introduced in the book have simple and clear rules and do not require much time to do. Time-limit is suggested for each activity though it depends on the group and may vary. The assumed class size is about 15 students. It is important not to spin out the activity, stop it when the time is over and sum up the results, preferably with the whole class.
Finally, there are games in this book based on popular pastimes, such as playing crocodile. Both adults and children love these games, they inalterably produce a cheerful atmosphere in the class. Alongside with this, you will find some new ideas that might be of interest to your students and help them learn English with fun and pleasure.
For feedback, please, contact: engteachirina@gmail.com
Vocabulary fun
Word Auction
Core language: Any parts of speech, word groups referring to a definite topic etc.
Level: Beginners-advanced
Number of students: Any
Stuff needed: A toy wooden hammer for operating the process. Another good idea is to use a toy rubber hammer producing a funny squeaking noise. But if you do not have a hammer, simply use a pencil or a pen.
Time: 7 minutes
People/characters involved:
An auctioneer the person conducting the auction. The job is usually done by the teacher. It may also be performed by a student if the game has already been played in the class before.
Bidders or participants of the auction all the students.
Procedure: The auctioneer announces the topic of the auction. The participants call out words on the topic given. Every word is followed by a number (one, two, three) and certain «fillers» uttered by the auctioneer in that special rhythmic- repetition- auction -chant manner and a blow of his/her hammer. The bidder who says the last item wins the game.
Example:
The auctioneer: Ladies and gentlemen! The topic of todays auction is «Jobs». You are to call out as many names of jobs, professions and occupations as possible while I am counting from one to three. The auction ends the moment I say «Three!» The participant who says the final word is the winner. So, the subject is «Jobs». Right, here we go!
Student A: Doctor!
The auctioneer: Doctor one!
Student B: Pilot!
The auctioneer: Pilot one!
Student C: Teacher!
The auctioneer: Teacher one! Teacher two!
Student D: Builder!
.
Student N: Conductor!
The auctioneer: Conductor one! Conductor two! Conductor three! Done! The winner of the auction is Student N!
Variations: The range of topics for Word Auction game is immense. Here are just a few suggestions below:
Goods and services: Clothes, Food and drinks, Hotels, Restaurants and cafes, Real estate
Art: Literature, Music, Fine arts
Education: Classroom activities, School subjects
Health and Medicine
Climate and weather
Sports
Leisure activities
Hobbies and interests
The mass media
Language issues: Adjectives beginning with s, Irregular verbs etc.
Some helpful ideas: It seems to be a nice idea to present the winners with little prizes such as sweets, candies or chocolates.
Word Categories
Core language: Word groups referring to definite topics
Level: Beginners-advanced
Number of students: Any
Stuff needed: A white/blackboard
Time: 7 minutes
People/characters involved:
A presenter the teacher or one of the students.
Participants all the students.
Procedure: The presenter writes/types a list of category headings on the board. The participants choose a letter of the English alphabet. Now they should name at least two words for each category beginning with this letter.
Example:
Categories
Animals
Clothes
Food & Drinks
Geography
Weather & Climate
Classroom
Hobbies and Interests
Art
The letter chosen: T
Students:
Animals: tiger, tapir
Clothes: trousers, T-shirt
Variation: The presenter writes/types a list of category headings on the board. The participants should think of five words fitting into each category.
Example:
Categories
Animals
Clothes
Food & Drinks
Classroom
Hobbies and interests
Geography
Climate and weather
Art
Students:
Animals: cat, dog, elephant, wolf, mouse
Clothes: dress, shirt, jeans, trousers, T-shirt
Some helpful ideas: The list of categories can certainly be extended. You could find the following tips useful: «Sports», «Health and Medicine», «Music», «Literature», «Fine arts», «Film industry», «Transport».
You may also introduce or add your own items to the category list.
An adverb poem contest
Core language: Formation of adverbs with -ly
Level: Pre-intermediate advanced
Number of students: Any
Stuff needed: A white/blackboard
Time: 10 minutes
People/characters involved:
The teacher acts as a presenter and possibly as a participant
All the students are the contestants
Procedure: The teacher writes/types adverbs ending in -ly and a sample poem on the board and explains the rules of the contest to the students. The students have seven minutes to write a poem (one or two verses) using adverbs from the list and any others. Then they read their poems out. Finally, the class decides whose poem is the best.
Example:
Adverbs
Slowly, quietly, tragically, angrily, carefully, carelessly, nervously, urgently, lovingly, suddenly, lazily, peacefully, heavily, really, immediately, nearly, finally, incredibly, loudly, eventually, hysterically, desperately, fortunately, unfortunately, warmly, happily, fondly, luckily etc.
Sample poem
At a lesson (a joke)
She was watching them carefully
They were yawning lazily,
She asked them a question angrily
They looked away nervously
They were talking to each other loudly,
She tried to stop them desperately
They were sitting quietly,
She laughed hysterically
Some of them were sleeping peacefully,
Others were using their phones carelessly
She sighed and gazed at them lovingly,
She started again patiently
In the end, they smiled at her warmly,
So, the lesson ended happily.
Some helpful ideas: It seems to be a nice idea to award a little prize to the best poet of the group.
Definitions
Core language: The class vocabulary
Level: Intermediate advanced
Number of students: Any
Stuff needed: A white/blackboard
Time: 10 minutes
People/characters involved:
The teacher acts as a presenter and possibly as a participant
All the students are participants
Procedure: The teacher writes/types a list of words and phrases that need revising on the board. One of the students thinks of an item from the list and, without saying it, gives a definition of that item. The rest of the group guesses which word/ phrase has been chosen. The participants take it in turns to define the vocabulary items. At the end, the students may vote for the best definition justifying their decision with reasons and comments.
Example: (from a text about roller coasters, intermediate level)
An amusement park
exhilarating
anticipation
a pendulum ride
suspended
weightlessness
motion
a roller coaster
gravity
glimpse
Student A: A railway track at a fairground with lots of steep slopes and sharp bends where people ride in fast trains.
Student B: A roller coaster!
Student A: Thats right. Its a roller coaster.
Student C: It is an adjective which means making someone feel very excited or elated.
Student D: Exhilarating!
Student C: Yes, thats correct. The word I mean is «exhilarating».
Variations: Apart from definitions, the students can also explain the chosen item in some other way. For instance, they may use phrases like «It is something that, «It is a place where» or «It is a person who»
Forfeits
Core language: Depends on the specific task as the game covers a wide range of language material
Level: Beginners advanced
Number of students: Any
Stuff needed: A white/blackboard, the task cards from Appendix 1: Forfeits
Time: 20 minutes
People/characters involved:
The teacher acts as the presenter/game host
All the others are participants
Procedure: The game can be played as kind of «punishment» for mistakes made by the students in a particular exercise or can just be held for fun and pleasure. The teacher lays out the task cards face down on the teachers table. Then he/she walks around the classroom with a bag. Each student puts into the bag one of their personal belongings. Next, the teacher pulls the students things out of the bag one at a time. The owner of the item approaches the teachers desk, picks one of the cards, reads the task aloud and performs the task to get his/her thing back.
Forfeit tasks (see also Appendix 1):
Describe the photo in your passport.
Choose one of your classmates and tell us when and where you met.
Draw a new road sign and explain what it is for.
Read the poem (the story) as if it was an episode from a horror film.
Make an origami from a piece of paper. Explain what it is.
Tell us about one of your classmates without giving his/her name. The other students guess who it is. Start your sentences with the words This person
Tell your desk mate why he/ she should fly to Mars.
Tell us what you would do if you were a talking biscuit