ESL Activities
Colleen Serencsits
Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth
colleen@tlcliteracy.org
Please take
a handout and a plastic bag.
Purpose
Share activities and techniques to use with
ESL learners.
Purpose
Why?
• Make practice more interesting, relevant, fun.
Why?
• Students are more likely to practice.
• Help students be more open to thinking about
their choices, what they are doing and why they
are making those choices.
• Break up the intensity of learning new
information.
Purpose
Explain to the learner why you are playing
the game or doing the activity.
page 1
Practice with Gestures
• Take turns making common gestures and
facial expressions and saying what they
mean.
page 1
Will you repeat that, please?
• Practice different ways of asking people to
repeat what they have said.
tutor: “I work at blah blah.”
student: “Where do you work?”
page 2
Finger Tap
• Hold learner’s hand above the table. Put
down a finger for each sound in a word.
• Learner taps finger to indicate each sound
heard (or lifts up finger).
– cat
– tea
– shout
page 3
Sound Chain
• Say a word.
• Student listens for final sound.
• Student says a word that starts with that
final sound.
• Continue.
page 3
Where’s the Sound?
• Prepare list of words with three sounds.
• Have three paper cups, labeled 1, 2, 3.
• Say word; say one of sounds from word.
• Student places token into appropriate cup.
Where’s the Sound?
example 2
• Prepare a page of pictures with three
boxes under each picture.
• Student says the word, and indicates
whether the target sound is in the
beginning of the word (box 1), the middle
(box 2), or the end (box 3).
page 6
Sound Grids
• Create a grid.
• Provide a list of letters.
• Learner writes a letter in each box.
• Say a letter sound
(or word that starts with that sound).
• Learner places token on the appropriate
sound.
gray card
page 6
Large Cards
for a class
• Put letters to spell a word on large cards.
• Hand cards to individual students.
• Student in charge of spelling word calls
student with needed letter to front of room,
arranges them to spell the word. d r i n k
• Next word: d and r sit, s come forward.
Say the word sink.
page 7
Phonics Bingo
• Blends on bingo board
• Cards with word that starts with each
blend
• Draw card, say word, learner covers space
on board with token
yellow card
page 7
Sort
• Random words
• Vocabulary words
• Words to illustrate beginning sounds,
particular sounds, letters, parts of speech
small envelope c random sort
Sort
• To illustrate categories
small envelope ESL sort
Sort
• Words from a story written on cards.
• Sort the words
– Known or unknown
– Categories
• Read the story.
small envelope G sort
page 8
Flash Card Concentration
• Pairs of words written on flashcards
• Flashcards face down on table
• Player 1 chooses two cards to turn face
up, trying to make a match.
– If match, player 1 keeps both cards
– If no match, return to face down
• Play continues to Player 2
small envelope sight words
page 8
Memory Game
• Goal is to spell the word with letter tiles.
• Print word on card, identical cards for each
player.
• Provide letter tiles face down.
– only needed letters, or extras
• Player 1 chooses a tile, tries to place it on
a letter on his card.
• Player 2 chooses a tile, tries to place it on
a letter on his card.
page 9
Slides for Word Patterns
• Pattern on card, with opening where
changes may occur
• Separate strip of letters to move
• Say the words formed.
• Write the words formed.
page 11
Track the Word in the Text
• Tell a story or read a passage.
• The learner keeps track of how many
times you say a particular word.
– By moving tokens
– By counting on fingers or marks on paper
– By reading along, and circling the word
page 9
Flyswatter Game
classroom
• Write words on the board or attach cards with
words to the wall.
• Students in two teams.
• One player from each team stands at board.
• Teacher says a word.
• Players compete to find word and slap with
flyswatter.
• Teammates give them directions (right, left, up).
page 9
Nine-Patch
• 3 x 3 grid
• Words from a story on the grid
• Slips of paper with words
• Teacher says word from story.
• Student finds slip of paper with that word
and puts it on the block on the grid
cream card
Nine-Patch variation
• 3 x 3 grid
• Pictures from a story on the grid
• Slips of paper with words
• Teacher says word from story.
• Student finds picture that shows that word
and marks that block on the grid
white card
page 10
Same or Different
• Paper strips with two similar words or two
identical words
• Strips placed upside down on table
• Student turns over paper and quickly turns
it upside down again
• Student says same or different
• Student checks response
small envelope p_t
page 10
Puzzles
• Find or make word searches or cross-word
puzzles with vocabulary words.
• Include pictures.
page 12
Sentence Unscrambling
• Words (that can make a sentence) on
strips of paper
• State three word sentence for student to
find (or lay it out for student).
Bill/father buys apples.
• Ask student questions to lengthen the
sentence.
small envelope sent
page 12
Parts of Speech Practice
• Find an article of interest.
• Read the article to the student.
• Provide the student with a copy of the
article, but with a part of speech whited out
(ex: prepositions)
• Student writes the correct word in the
space.
white half sheet
page 13
Order the Story
• Provide pictures that depict the story.
• Read the story.
• Student puts the pictures in order to
describe the story.
• Student finds the pictures as you read the
story.
small envelope G pix seq
page 13
Order the Story
example 2
• Write a few short sentences that describe
a story.
• Read the story.
• Student puts the cards in order to describe
the story.
long envelope white strips
page 13
Order the Story
example 3
• Separate the paragraphs of the story.
• Print the sections, and cut the sections
into strips.
• Read the story.
• Student puts the strips into order.
same long envelope blue strips
Language Experience Story
page 15
Question Game
• Picture, of one person
• Cards with adjectives (big, small, ugly,
pretty, fat, thin, young, old)
• Student picks a card.
• Student asks “Is she _____?” filling in the
blank with the word on the card.
page 15
One More Question Game
• Cards with wh words
• Student picks card
• Student asks question starting with that
word.
– Set a topic, such as vocabulary words,
classroom words, place words, family words,
or provide a picture.
Mystery Bag
• Put an object for which the student knows
the name into a paper bag.
• The student asks questions to determine
what is in the bag.
page 15
Take a Walk
• Take a walk following a map.
• Give directions to the student.
• Student gives directions.
• Student practices asking how to get
somewhere.
page 16
Using Letters and Sounds to Segment
Words
Word
Beginning Middle
Letter
Letter
Sound
Sound
Final
Letter
Sound
How
How
many
many
letters? sounds?
Prefixes, Words, Suffixes
• Select known words to which prefixes and
suffixes can be added.
• Write the words on cards.
• Provide cards with several prefixes and
suffixes.
• Student selects a word, then a prefix or
suffix, and predicts the meaning of the
word.
small envelope p s word
Other Activities?
• What activities have you found useful that
you will share?
• What websites have you found useful that
you will share?
• For what topics would you like to find
activities or websites?
Resources
• Information Used in Preparing the Training
– ELL-U
– ESL Literacy Network
– Literacy Development Among Adult English Learners
•
•
•
•
Video Clips / You Tube Videos
Reading Resources for Learners
Web Sites for Learners and Instructors
Dictionaries
• Favorite web sites you have used?
Conclusion
• colleen@tlcliteracy.org
• www.tlcliteracy.org
• Please contact me or TLC if you would like
electronic copies of any of the materials
from this session, or more assistance in
general.
Adios
au revoir
Gut tschüs
Arrivederci
Goed tot ziens
Bom tchau
Хороший пока
好再见
さようなら