I love to create activities and games to get my ESL students speaking and learning tons of vocabulary while they're at it. Some of my favorite activities are themed vocabulary task cards and taboo games.
I love to create activities and games to get my ESL students speaking and learning tons of vocabulary while they're at it. Some of my favorite activities are themed vocabulary task cards and taboo games.
ESL - ELL Valentine's Day Scattergories Game
Valentine’s Day Scattergories is a fun game that will help students with vocabulary and word work practice. Instructions are included. Students will enjoy working in groups and learning together. This activity works well as a literacy center once students know how to play.
This is a really fun activity to play with your students as they practice and build their Valentine's Day themed vocabulary. Students of all ages can play this vocabulary game.
Players attempt to create answers for each of the four categories on their game card. This should be a fast moving game and there are only spaces for six words per category. The MAXIMUM they can write is six words so they have to choose them wisely. Students can be creative and flexible with their answers, but other players can challenge them!
12 games are included with 48 different categories! Just print out the game sheets and you're ready to go. For younger students you can allow more time for thinking and writing, while older students will love the challenge of the timer.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
ESL - ELL Valentine's Day Vocabulary Taboo Game
Valentine's Day Vocabulary Taboo Game
Playing TABOO is a great way to get students to speak to each other and learn a lot of new vocabulary. This game is simple to modify and use with students of all ages. In this Valentine's Day version of the game there are 20 playing cards. I've included 2 fun ways to play this vocabulary game and both are explained in the instructions.
This is a great game for students to practice word choice and to use synonyms to describe a topic. It encourages students to describe words in different ways.
There are many ways to use this game. You can use it as a literacy center or whole class activity, have students act out words rather than using language, play reverse Taboo by giving the Taboo words and having students guess the word at the top.
This Taboo game includes the following:
How to play classic Taboo
20 Taboo game cards to print, laminate and cut out
Black and white and grayscale copies are included
PDF for projecting one card at a time for a whole class activity
How to play 15 MINUTES MAX - an alternative version of the game
15 MINUTES MAX game board
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
This is a really fun game to practice with your students who are learning vocabulary about HOUSE AND HOME, and it involves NO PREP. I've included both a beginner and intermediate version of the game. The beginner version has the words written out and the intermediate version only shows pictures. Have a look at the thumbnails to see what they look like.
Each version includes 32 cards. Depending on class size you could either give each student more than one card or have them play with a partner. I recommend printing out and laminating these cards if possible so that you can use them over and over again.
Here's how this activity works. Once each student has a card (or cards), the one who has the card that says "I'll begin" starts the game. He says, for example, "I'll begin. I have the fireplace. Who has the window?" The person who has the card with a window on it says, "I have the window. Who has the curtains?" And so the activity goes on until the last card is called and that student's card will say, "That's the end!"
Another idea is to prepare two sets of cards, divide your class into two groups and let each group have a go to see which team can get through the entire deck of cards the fastest. If the vocabulary is completely new you could start out with the beginner deck and as the words become more familiar you could move on to the intermediate level. It's really a lot of fun, and though you can play with younger students the older ones love this game just as much.
Play this ESL SPRING Vocabulary Taboo game and have some fun!
Playing games and having fun is when learning really happens in ESL class. I love to play the game Taboo with my students. ESL taboo is a game that is easy to modify and use with beginners and advanced students alike.
Your students will learn a lot of new and useful vocabulary while playing this fun speaking game.
This ESL SPRING Vocabulary Taboo game includes:
40 different Taboo game cards to create a deck that you will print and cut out for as many teams as you need (black and white + color versions provided). I like to laminate them, punch holes and hook the cards together with a keyring. Talk about years to come of no prep activities!
Game instructions for both beginner and advanced students.
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are those written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed, and the team with the most points wins.
Play this ESL EASTER theme Taboo game and have some fun!
Playing games and having fun is when learning really happens in ESL class. I love to play the game Taboo with my students. ESL taboo is a game that is easy to modify and use with beginners and advanced students alike.
8 of the 32 cards are religious in nature. If you don't want to or can't include cards of a religious nature in your curriculum you can easily leave them out.
Your students will learn a lot of new and useful vocabulary while preparing for and playing this fun game.
This ESL Easter theme Taboo game includes:
32 different Taboo game cards to create a deck that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes in and attach with a key ring for as many sets as you need (black and white + color versions provided).
Game instructions for both beginner and advanced students.
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are those written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed, and the team with the most points wins.
Want your ESL students to use their restaurant and eating out vocabulary? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your intermediate to advanced students to speak more.
You can use it after learning specific vocabulary for restaurants or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
There are 30 questions in all. All of the questions are asked in the YOU form and require the answering student to respond using I. Most of the questions begin with an interrogative word encouraging more than YES and NO responses. Some questions are in the near future while others are in the past tense.
Topics used in these cards:
* Different kinds of restaurants
* Food
* Servers
* Descriptions
* Preferences
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a keyring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities.
Want your ESL students to use their HOUSE AND HOME vocabulary? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your low intermediate to advanced students to speak more.
You can use it after learning specific vocabulary for the home or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
There are 30 questions in all. All of the questions are asked in the YOU form and require the answering student to respond using I. Most of the questions begin with an interrogative word encouraging more than YES and NO responses. Most questions are in the present tense.
Topics used in these cards:
* Types of homes
* Rooms
* Furniture
* Household chores
* Preferences
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a keyring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities.
Want your ESL students to use their CLOTHES vocabulary? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your low intermediate to advanced students to speak more.
You can use it after learning specific vocabulary for clothes or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
There are 30 questions in all. Most of the questions begin with an interrogative word encouraging more than YES and NO responses.
Topics used in these cards:
* Different kinds of clothing
* Shopping
* Describing clothes & accessories
* Dressing for special occasions
* Preferences
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a keyring. Have a look at the thumbnail to see how cute they turn out. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities.
Professions vocabulary - 30 ESL speaking prompt question cards
Want your students to use their PROFESSIONS vocabulary in meaningful conversations? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your students to speak more to each other about professions in general as well as personal opinions and thoughts about professions. This resource is suitable for any curriculum in which English is the language spoken, and will work best for students in 9th to 12th grade.
You can use these cards after learning specific vocabulary for professions or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a ring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities. A pdf with only one card per page is included for easy projection when you don't want to print.
Included:
30 color speaking prompt cards
30 grayscale speaking prompt cards
9 ways to use these cards
Easy to project file for whole class activity
Scoot activity instructions
Scoot student recording sheet
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Find someone who... This ESL group speaking activity is great for getting students to speak and practice their vocabulary when learning about RESTAURANTS. Your students will enjoy getting up and moving around the classroom as they ask their classmates questions that are listed on the worksheet which includes sixteen questions. This activity can also be used in any English speaking classroom as an ice-breaker or getting to know you activity.
This resource includes:
One worksheet to print out and make one copy for each student in your class. There are sixteen squares on the grid. Each square contains one question and a space to write a classmate’s name.
Instructions:
Have your students move around the room asking classmates the questions that are written in the squares on the grid that you provide. If a classmate responds with YES he or she writes his name on the line provided. Complete sentences are encouraged even when the answer is NO. Activity continues until all boxes are filled. Once all of the boxes have been signed your students can turn in their papers.
This is a fun, interactive way to review vocabulary about RESTAURANTS and to practice speaking. Your students will enjoy learning fun facts about their classmates, and you will certainly like hearing them speak English!
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Weather vocabulary - 30 ESL speaking prompt question cards
Want your students to use their WEATHER vocabulary in meaningful conversations? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your students to speak more to each other about weather in general as well as personal opinions and thoughts about the weather. This resource is suitable for any curriculum in which English is the language spoken, and will work best for students in 6th to 12th grade.
You can use these cards after learning specific vocabulary for weather or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a ring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities. A pdf with only one card per page is included for easy projection when you don't want to print.
Included:
30 color speaking prompt cards
30 black and white speaking prompt cards
9 ways to use these cards
Easy to project file for whole class activity
Scoot activity instructions
Scoot student recording sheet
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Find someone who... This ESL group speaking activity is great for getting students to speak and practice their vocabulary when learning about DOCTORS. Your students will enjoy getting up and moving around the classroom as they ask their classmates questions that are listed on the worksheet which includes sixteen questions. This activity can also be used in any English speaking classroom as an ice-breaker or getting to know you activity.
This resource includes:
One worksheet to print out and make one copy for each student in your class. There are sixteen squares on the grid. Each square contains one question and a space to write a classmate’s name.
Instructions:
Have your students move around the room asking classmates the questions that are written in the squares on the grid that you provide. If a classmate responds with YES he or she writes his name on the line provided. Complete sentences are encouraged even when the answer is NO. Activity continues until all boxes are filled. Once all of the boxes have been signed your students can turn in their papers.
This is a fun, interactive way to review vocabulary about DOCTORS and to practice speaking. Your students will enjoy learning fun facts about their classmates, and you will certainly like hearing them speak English!
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Find someone who... This ESL group speaking activity is great for getting students to speak and practice their vocabulary when learning about CITIES and TOWNS. Your students will enjoy getting up and moving around the classroom as they ask their classmates questions that are listed on the worksheet which includes sixteen questions. This activity can also be used in any English speaking classroom as an ice-breaker or getting to know you activity.
This resource includes:
One worksheet to print out and make one copy for each student in your class. There are sixteen squares on the grid. Each square contains one question and a space to write a classmate’s name.
Instructions:
Have your students move around the room asking classmates the questions that are written in the squares on the grid that you provide. If a classmate responds with YES he or she writes his name on the line provided. Complete sentences are encouraged even when the answer is NO. Activity continues until all boxes are filled. Once all of the boxes have been signed your students can turn in their papers.
This is a fun, interactive way to review vocabulary about CITIES and TOWNS and to practice speaking. Your students will enjoy learning fun facts about their classmates, and you will certainly like hearing them speak English!
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
New Year - ESL Taboo Speaking Game
Playing TABOO is a great way to get ESL students to speak English and learn a lot of new vocabulary. This game is simple to modify and use with beginners and advanced students alike. In this NEW YEAR'S version of the game there are 30 playing cards. I've included 2 fun ways to play this fun vocabulary game and both are explained in the instructions.
This ESL Taboo game includes the following:
How to play classic Taboo (beginner and advanced levels)
30 Taboo game cards to print, laminate, cut out and hook together with a ring
Black and white and grayscale copies are included
PDF for projecting one card at a time for a whole class activity
How to play 15 MINUTES MAX - an alternative version of the game
15 MINUTES MAX game board
*In the upper left corner there's a spot for you to punch holes in the cards so that you can then attach them with a ring for no prep use every time. Be sure to laminate if at all possible.
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Beginner students should be allowed to use the TABOO words printed on the cards. This will encourage them to use new vocabulary and will help them in forming sentences to use as clues.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Thanksgiving vocabulary - 30 ESL Thanksgiving speaking prompt question cards
Want your students to use their THANKSGIVING vocabulary in fun and meaningful conversations? This NO PREP activity is a fun way to encourage your students to speak more to each other about Thanksgiving traditions and holiday fun. This resource is suitable for any curriculum in which English is the language spoken, and will work best for students in 6th to 12th grade. The questions are written without the assumption that students have grown up celebrating Thanksgiving making them suitable for every situation.
You can use these cards after learning specific vocabulary for Thanksgiving during the month of November or as a fun interactive activity on a day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a ring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities. A pdf with only one card per page is included for easy projection when you don't want to print.
Included:
30 color speaking prompt cards
30 black and white speaking prompt cards
9 ways to use these cards
Easy to project file for whole class activity
Scoot activity instructions
Scoot student recording sheet
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
ESL - ELL Winter Vocabulary + Exercices + Quizlet Study Set
28 English winter vocabulary words with images and a fill in the blank exercise.
I've included a link to a Quizlet study set that your students can use to practice and master this new winter vocabulary. The study set includes the same images used in the word list and exercise.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Hotels - ESL Taboo Speaking Game
Playing TABOO is a great way to get ESL students to speak English and learn a lot of new vocabulary. This game is simple to modify and use with beginners and advanced students alike. In this HOTEL theme version of the game there are 30 playing cards. I've included 2 fun ways to play this fun vocabulary game and both are explained in the instructions.
This ESL Taboo game includes the following:
How to play classic Taboo (beginner and advanced levels)
30 Taboo game cards to print, laminate, cut out and hook together with a ring
Color and black and white versions provided
How to play 15 MINUTES MAX - an alternative version of the game
15 MINUTES MAX game board
*In the upper left corner there's a spot for you to punch holes in the cards so that you can then attach them with a ring for no prep use every time. Be sure to laminate if at all possible!
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Beginner students should be allowed to use the TABOO words printed on the cards. This will encourage them to use new vocabulary and will help them in forming sentences to use as clues.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
ESL-ELL Winter Vocabulary Word Search
This no prep WINTER VOCABULARY (not Christmas related) word search is a fun way to teach your students seasonal vocabulary and is a perfect resource to use in immersion, core ELA or homeschool curriculums.
Included:
1 word search puzzle
Answer key
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
New Year's vocabulary - 30 ESL - ELL New Year's speaking prompt cards
Want your students to use their NEW YEAR'S vocabulary in fun and meaningful conversations? You can use this NO PREP activity year after year as a fun way to encourage your students to speak more to each other about New Year's traditions and holiday fun. This resource is suitable for any curriculum in which English is the language spoken, and will work best for students in 6th to 12th grade.
You can use these cards after learning specific vocabulary for the New Year during the months of December and January or as a fun interactive activity on any day when you want to just focus on speaking and reviewing vocabulary in a different way.
All cards are visually stimulating and feature a circle to punch out in the upper left corner so that you can print, laminate, cut out, punch holes and hook the cards together with a ring. Using these cards this way makes it easy to pull them out year after year to use as NO PREP speaking activities. A pdf with only one card per page is included for easy projection when you don't want to print.
Included:
30 color speaking prompt cards
30 black and white speaking prompt cards
9 ways to use these cards
Easy to project file for whole class activity
Scoot activity instructions
Scoot student recording sheet
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.
Winter Vocabulary - ESL Taboo Speaking Game
Playing TABOO is a great way to get ESL students to speak English and learn a lot of new vocabulary. This game is simple to modify and use with beginners and advanced students alike. In this WINTER (not Christmas related) version of the game there are 28 playing cards. I've included 2 fun ways to play this fun vocabulary game and both are explained in the instructions.
This ESL Taboo game includes the following:
How to play classic Taboo (beginner and advanced levels)
30 Taboo game cards to print, laminate, cut out and hook together with a ring
Black and white and grayscale copies are included
PDF for projecting one card at a time for a whole class activity
How to play 15 MINUTES MAX - an alternative version of the game
15 MINUTES MAX game board
*In the upper left corner there's a spot for you to punch holes in the cards so that you can then attach them with a ring for no prep use every time. Be sure to laminate if at all possible.
Object of the game:
One player tries to get his teammate to guess the word at the top of a card. The player must give clues, but he can't use any of the Taboo words in his description. The taboo words are written beneath the word at the top of the card. Teams score points for each word successfully guessed. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Beginner students should be allowed to use the TABOO words printed on the cards. This will encourage them to use new vocabulary and will help them in forming sentences to use as clues.
LICENSING TERMS: This purchase includes a license for one teacher only for personal use in their classroom. Licenses are non-transferable, meaning they can not be passed from one teacher to another. No part of this resource is to be shared with colleagues or used by an entire grade level, school, or district without purchasing the proper number of licenses.
COPYRIGHT TERMS: This resource may not be uploaded to the internet in any form, including classroom/personal websites or network drives, unless the site is password protected and can only be accessed by students.