Flyswatters and the Affective Filter
Using Games in the ESL classroom
Second Language Acquisition Specialist Stephen Krashen says:
´´... our pedagogical goals should not only include supplying comprehensible input, but also creating a situation
that encourages a low filter ... The input hypothesis and the concept of the Affective Filter define the language
teacher in a new way. The effective language teacher is someone who can provide input and help make
it comprehensible in a low anxiety situation.´´
Here are a few games to use in your classroom...
Hotseat --- vocabulary based, all levels, 20-40 minutes, 6-30 students
1) Place 2 chairs at the front of the classroom, 2-3 meters apart, facing away from the white board.
2) Divide students into two groups and direct each group to a one chair at the front of the class.
3) Choose one student from each group to be in the hotseat first and remind them they are NOT allowed to look at the
whiteboard (or their team will lose points!)
4) With the other students gathered around their team member in the hotseat, write a vocabulary word on the board.
5) The students gathered around must get their team member in the hotseat to say the word on the board by describing
the word. They may be verbally creative in describing the word, however gestures, the L1 and parts of the vocabulary
word are not allowed.
6) The first team member in the hotseat to guess the word wins that round and 1 point. (The teacher or a chosen judge
must be listening carefully to hear which team says it first.)
7) Students choose a new team member to be in the hotseat and the game continues.
8) Team with the most points wins.
Flyswatters! --- vocabulary based, for all levels, 10-25 minutes, 4-15 students
special equipment: flyswatters
1) Write 10-30 vocabulary words on the whiteboard.
2) Divide students into 2 or more teams, depending on how many students and flyswatters you have.
3) Send teams behind the imaginary (or real) line about 5 meters from the whiteboard.
4) Give one member from each team a flyswatter. These team members will go first.
5) Standing aside, read the definition of one of the vocabulary words on the board. Read it twice if needed.
6) Students run forward and swat the correct vocabulary word on the whiteboard. First student to slap the correct word
wins 1 point for their team.
7) Students who slap the wrong word lose one point.
8) Students give the flyswatter to another team member and teacher continues reading until all words have been
covered.
9) Team with the most points wins.
Blind Artist --- information gap, communication focused, intermediate and
advanced, 30-60 minutes, 4-20 students
1) Begin by asking students what an ``artist´´ is. Discuss different types of art. Then ask if they know what the word
``blind´´ means. Explain if needed and ask students to imagine why the game is called Blind Artist.
2) Depending on student level, you may need to teach a short vocabulary lesson on geometric figures, directions and a
few verbs. Geometric figures I teach are: square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, circle, semi-circle, oval, horizontal line,
vertical line, diagonal line, wavy line and zig-zag line. Important verbs: pick up your pencil, put down your pencil,
draw, move to the left/right. Directions: up, down, left right, top, bottom.
3) Partner off students. Each pair needs a piece of (scrap) paper and a pen/pencil. If there is an odd number of students,
teacher must participate.
4) Have students decide which one will be the Blind Artist first and which will be the guide. Instruct Blind Artist to close
their eyes and keep them closed until further notice (very important!).
5) Write a word on the board. The guides will have to communicate with their partner, the Blind Artist, to draw this word
on the piece of paper using only verbal communication. This word should be a secret to the blind artist and all the
guides must understand what this word means. Example words: house, car, cat, boat, dog, snowman, their partner.
6) Communication for a house should sound something like this...``Put down your pencil and draw a rectangle. Move
your pencil up, more, more. Now put your pencil down and draw a diagonal line going up and right. Go, go, go, stop!
Now another diagonal line going down and right. Good, more, a little more. Stop! Now pick up your pencil, move
right...etc.’’
7) Circulate to make sure students are understanding and not opening their eyes or helping their partner by guiding their
hand. Instruct students to open their eyes after 5 minutes or when you feel they are ready.
8) Partners switch roles and go again. Continue until both have been Blind Artist once or twice.
More game ideas:

Pictionary --- using classroom vocabulary words

Verb tense ball toss --- Students are standing in a circle with a ball (or other object). Teacher calls out V1 and
passes ball to a student who says V2. This student passes ball to another student who says V3. Teacher calls out a
different V1 and game continues. Students who don´t know sit down until last student is standing.

Categories --- Similar to above but with different vocabulary categories instead of verbs. Teacher calls out category
such as ``vegetables`` and passes the ball to a student. The student says ‘’carrot’’ and throws the ball to another
student. Students who don´t know or repeat a word sit down until the last student is standing. Category examples:
vegetables, fruit, food, colors, months, sports, clothes, things in a classroom...etc.

Sticky foreheads famous people --- Students write a very famous person on a small scrap of paper. Every student
should know who this person is. Teacher collects all the pieces of paper and using scotch tape, sticks one piece of
paper, name out, to each students forehead. Student should not see what name is written on their paper, but will be
able to see who their classmates are. Going around in a circle, students ask yes/no questions to try to guess their
identity (the person on their head). Ask questions (give hints if necessary) until all students know their identity.
Example questions: Am I male? Am I female? Am I an athlete? A moviestar? Am I young? Am I from Mexico?

Sticky foreheads jobs --- Similar to above but students write different jobs instead of famous people. Students must
ask questions to discover what job is written on their forehead. Example questions: Do I work inside? Do I wear a
uniform? Do I make a lot of money? Do I talk with a lot of people? Do I need a college degree?
Additional game resources:
eslcafe.com (a huge collection of games and instructions)
eslhq.com (great for making personalized bingo worksheets, free membership required)
bogglesworldesl.com (good word searches and clipart flashcards)
Bibliography
Krashen, S.D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Aquisition