Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to students of Asian and Latin countries is becoming more and more popular among college graduates. As the de facto world language of business, learning English proficiently can give, say, a kid from Indonesia, a skill he can use for a lifetime.
The problem is that many of the students do not learn to speak the language that well. One problem is that he or she refrains from speaking it as much as possible due to shyness, lack of confidence, or lack of interest. Having taught English as a second language in America and China for six years now, I wish I would have known methods like these from the start. Now that I do, these games are an invaluable part of my teaching repertoire. With experience comes wisdom and good methods. And I’m here to share my ideas with you.
So if you are an English teacher, you may be thinking of how to get your ESL students to speak more. Try these three fun and interactive ESL speaking games.
21 Questions
This is a great way to review vocabulary and is suitable for upper elementary level students to advanced students. Choose one child to select a secret word and write it down on a piece of paper. Make sure the word is reasonable, a noun, and something other classmates should know. Then let the students start asking yes or no questions about the word. They have 21 questions to guess the right answer.
For example, if the student chooses the word “helicopter,” one student may eventually ask, “Is it a machine?” And then another may ask, “Can it fly?” Sooner or later, someone will say “Is it a helicopter?” Be sure to reward those who ask intelligent questions.
Chain Story
This is fun story game and it actually can get quite hilarious. Write down new and old vocabulary on the whiteboard. Write down one word per one student. Number the words and give the students a number. Then, starting with word number one and student number one, the first sentence of the story must be made. This sentence must include the word the student is given. Then student number two follows and so on. Remember to correct grammar along the way.
Be sure to create a peculiar mix of words. It will make the students laugh. Here is an example list: “five zombies, fat cat, supermarket, scared boy, red bus, laughing engineer, angry policeman, and quiet tunnel. Using these eight words, the story may turn into a red bus full of zombies stuck in a quiet tunnel while the laughing engineer won’t let them out. Or something that runs along those lines.
Skits
Suitable for all levels, role play is a great way to make your students speak. If you are teaching young kids, even phrases such as “I am late, sorry,” “wash your hands,” or “may I go to the bathroom” can be taught via hands-on role play. If you are teaching adults, role play about business meetings, encounters with a real estate agent, booking a plane ticket, going to a job interview, or playing lawyer are all possible. Tailor the role play toward what the students are learning and what will interest them. Situations like an angry boss, a man who forgot money at a restaurant, or a lawsuit are all fun plots for a skit. Let the students be creative and make up their own story lines if their level is high enough.
References
Author’s Own Personal Experiences
TEFL Games
Good ESL Communication Games
