ICEBREAKER CURRICULUM
INTER-ACTIVITIES FOR THE ADULT ESOL
CLASSROOM
The Florida State curriculum frameworks for the basic adult English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program is topical and spiral. There
are six levels. Every level provides instruction within three strands:
employability skills, life skills, and academic skills.
The employability skills topics are:
1. obtain employment
2. maintain employment
3. career advancement
4. applied technology
The life skills topics are:
1. interpersonal communication
2. telephone communication
3. health and nutrition
4. time and money
5. transportation and travel
6. safety and security
7. consumer education
8. government and community
9. environment and the world
10. family and parenting
Competencies or benchmarks increase in difficulty and language
sophistication throughout the six levels. It is recommended for schools to
adopt a cyclical topical design: the whole ESOL program provides instruction
on a different topic each week until all topics are covered. Only twelve of
the above topics need to be scheduled: applied technology and telephone
communication, as well as the academic skills, are to be taught in the context
of the other topics.
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These activities were designed to introduce the daily topic of the classroom
session. The icebreaker activities are multi-level. The implementation is
intended to be done during the first half an hour of the scheduled classroom
sessions as students arrive to class. All activities are intended to be done in
pairs or in small groups; therefore, the term INTER-ACTIVITIES.
The type
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b.
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d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
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p.
q.
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of interactivities include:
Bingo
Classifying
Crossword Puzzles
Word Searches
Matching Strips
Role Play Scenarios
Cloze Activities
Games
Writing
Completing forms
Problem solving
Note taking
Discussions
Multiple choice
True/False
Searching
Dictation
Analyzing
Sequencing
Locating Information
Reading
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SUGGESTIONS FOR USING AND EXPANDING THE
INTER-ACTIVITIES
Bingo
Bingo can be played as a “class” activity or in a group of three to four
students. The common form of playing bingo can also be used.
Bingo # 1
2. Place the “word bank” words on the board.
3. Distribute blank bingo cards. (25 boxes)
4. Students place one word or “number and word” in each blank box. They
should have 25 in total.
5. The teacher or a student is the caller.
6. The students circle “the box” when called.
7. Bingo is won when one row horizontally, vertically or diagonally is circled.
(You can play three games)
2. In the first game, circle the word.
3. In the second game, put an “x” on the word.
4. In the third game, cross out the word.
Bingo # 2
1. The “caller” dictates a question sentence and the student circles the box
if the “answer” is on the bingo card.
Bingo #3
Various “Bingo” themes can be used.
2. Write words, phrases or a sentence in each of 25 blank boxes.
3. Each student receives the same “bingo card”.
4. Students walk around the room asking other students if he/she has a
“characteristic” that is a match. The “matching student” initials the box.
5. The student who has the most signatures is the winner.
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Classifying
Students classify items within theme-based curriculum.
Crossword Puzzles
Students need to learn the meanings of the words before completing the
crossword puzzle. Have students work in pairs or small groups to guess and
write the words from each numbered definition or synonym.
Word Searches
Students need to learn the meanings of the words before finding the words
in the puzzle. Have students work in pairs to find and circle the words in
the word searches.
Variations
Variations or additional activities for crossword puzzles and word searches
are using the words in a sentence or having the students in a group to create
their own crossword puzzles or word searches and have the entire class play
these games.
Matching
1. Use 3”x5” index cards or laminated sentence strips.
2. Have the two columns of the matching lists copies in two different
colors.
3. As students come in, they randomly pick one statement.
4. Students try to find their match among the other students.
5. They practice their sentences and can expand by continuing a dialogue.
6. They can role play their dialogues.
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Sequential Order
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2.
3.
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6.
Place sentences relating to a curriculum topic on sentence strips.
Laminate the strips.
Cut the sentences into separate words.
Scramble the words.
Students unscramble the words to form sentences.
Students can copy the sentences in their notebooks.
Role Playing Scenarios
Students role-play a scenario or a conversation. They can improvise to
expand the conversation.
Additional Role Playing
Students create a situation for each of the twelve topics.
Example:
1. Using a transportation unit, a pair of students can prepare a short role
play that takes place at one of the transportation sites (bus, airport,
etc.)
2. The students present their role-play to the class and other students
“guess” the transportation site.
Cloze Activities
Working in pairs, the students take turns “filling in the blanks.”
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Games
Hide and Seek
1.
2.
3.
4.
This game can be a small group or entire class activity.
A student hides an item in the classroom. He/she uses directional
phrases such as “turn right”, “go straight”, etc.
The rest of the class tries to find the item. Whoever finds it first
hides another item.
The search continues.
Chain Stories
1.
2.
3.
Place students in small groups or leave the entire class sitting in a
circle.
The teacher begins a story with a prompt. For example, “You won’t
believe what happened to me yesterday when I…”
Each student adds to the “story” until all members have spoken, and
the last sentence of the story is completed.
Charades
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2.
3.
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This game can be a paired activity, class activity or a whole small
group.
The teacher puts a word on an index card (3”x5” size).
Each student selects a card.
The student begins to “draw” the picture depicting the word on the
card.
This can be drawn on the board or on a sheet of paper if the activity is
done in a small group.
The other student (s) guess the word.
Variation
1. Each student is given a shape.
2. The student starts with the “shape” and continues to draw an animal.
3. The other student (s) “guess” what animal is being drawn.
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Expanding Vocabulary
For all curriculum themes, have the students “brainstorm” additional
vocabulary. Have students use the “new vocabulary” in sentences.
Completing Application Forms
1. The teacher can gather several different kinds of application forms.
(Job applications, rental agreement, medical forms, etc.)
2. Working in pairs, the students complete the applications together.
Topical Activities
1. Employment
Find a job- employment section. Read job opportunity ads, and role-play
applicants and interviewers.
2. Telephone Communication
Read and discuss the best value plan for cellular phone use.
3. Time and Money
Read and discuss business articles or ads about bank interest rates or
other financial issues.
4. Transportation and Travel
Bring in the Sunday travel section, and maps. Have students plan a
vacation.
5. Safety and Security
Read and discuss articles about what the US government is doing after
9/11.
6. Consumer Education
Bring store advertisements. Role-play customers and salesclerks. Discuss
coupons. Have students write scenarios
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7. Government and Community
Read and discuss articles related to local, state, national and
international events.
8. Health and Nutrition
Every Thursday, the Miami Herald and the Sun-Sentinel carry a food
section. Students can plan healthy meals, read food labels; discuss
reasons for looking at, for example, the sodium content in food.
9. Environment and the World
Save articles about protecting our environment. Distribute the articles
to a group of students to discuss together and present to the class.
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