Go Beyond Monopoly and
Scrabble: Customize Your Board
Games
Wing Yan Wong
English Language Program
Kansas State University
Why Board Games?
›  Fun
and interactive in nature
›  Adaptable to different language skills
›  Elicit spontaneous conversations which
arise naturally (Radice 1973)
Why Customizing Board
Games?
›  Ready-to-buy
ones limit learning because
of the predetermined topics and costs
›  Tailor them to your students’ needs
›  Easy to do so!
How to Customize?
›  Make
use of the layout and instructions of
the traditional ones but with your own
content
›  Make game rules that can involve
everyone who does not have to wait for
his/her turn (Levine 2008)
act as a judge
§  give response to the player
›  Create multiple pathways to win (Levine 2008)
§  answer certain number of questions
§  get the most number of points
§  lose turns
§
Blank Template
Start
Go
back
2
Trade
places
Go
Ahead
2
Go
Back
1
Go
Ahead
2
Trade
Places
END
!
Sample 1
Start
Big
Fast
Long
Old
Small
*Go
back
1*
COMPARE TWO THINGS
Slow
Compare two things/people
using the adjectives in the
boxes.
New
Short
Nice
Strong
Weak
*Trade
Young
places*
Example:
*Fruit is healthier than candy.
*Trade
Places*
*Go back
stupid
Loud
to Start*
*Your book is more interesting
than mine.
bad
Ugly
good
Pretty
expensive
Spicy
Cheap
Hard
Salty
sticky
Smart
*Go
Ahead
2*
delicious
Heavy
Light
Sweet
boring
daring
*Go
Back 1*
*Trade
Places*
exciting
Hot
Cold
Low
High
Crazy
Easy
difficult
interesting
*Go
Ahead
2*
Soft
careful
Adapted from www.bogglesworldesl.com
Safe
*Go
back
1*
flexible
comfortable
dangerous
Happy
crowded
patient
peaceful
END
Sample 2
Start
your
snacks
Ask a Question
favorite
morning
food
Rules: Roll the die and move
school
Go
Back 2
your counter. Ask a question
TV
your
a
money
nightmare
an
below.
summer
games
award
your
your
favorite
Candy
room
teacher
drink
history
hobby
music
your
Anger
weekends
email
FREE
Trade
places
best
your city
tests
friend
Go
Ahead
2
(3) Where
Go
Back
1
(4) When
spring
(1) Who
(2) What
Go
Ahead
2
money
Candy
FREE
your
evening
with the given question word
Trade
Places
grandfather
your
your
hopes
house
fall
favorite
(5) Why
(6) How
homework
clothes
books
mother
holiday
your
action
pet
movies
!"#$%&"' ()*+' ,*--.&/0*)."&/.12*+'
winter
vacation
books
END
Sample 3
What’s your
favorite means
of
transportation?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Why do you
live in Kansas?
QUESTIO
NCARD
When is your
mother going
to take a trip?
QUESTIO
NCARD
How do you
come to
school?
QUESTIO
NCARD
When do you
go to the
movies?
QUESTIO
NCARD
What places
did you visit on
your last
vacation?
QUESTIO
NCARD
How can I get
to Bahamas?
QUESTIO
NCARD
What souvenir
would you like
to get?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Could I send a
message to
your cell
phone?
QUESTIO
NCARD
How often do
you study
English?
QUESTIO
NCARD
How many
magnets do
you have in
your house?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Describe your
house
QUESTIO
NCARD
How often do
you go to a
fitness center?
QUESTIO
NCARD
What are you
going to do on
the next
Saturday
night?
QUESTIO
NCARD
What’s your
favorite room in
the house?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Why do you
study English?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Are you going
to study here
next semester?
QUESTIO
NCARD
Describe your
bedroom
QUESTIO
NCARD
!
Websites
›  http://bogglesworldesl.com/esl_games.htm
›  http://en.islcollective.com/
References
›  iSLCollective.
[Game board word
documents]. Retrived from
http://en.islcollective.com/
›  Lantern Fish. [Game board word
documents]. Retrived from
http://bogglesworldesl.com/esl_games.htm
›  Levine, J. (2008). The Games People Play:
understanding gaming in libraries. American
Libraries, ALA, br. 39, str, 38.
›  Radice, F. (1973). Using Board Games. ELT
Journal, 27(3), 271-276.
Questions?
›  Contact
Me!
u  wingwongusc@gmail.com