Vocabulary Games: How to teach make and let

Hello there,

This morning Vincki in China asked me how to teach make and let using vocabulary games, so here are a couple:

 

 

Introduce the verbs with flashcards that show these two verbs in use. For example:

A picture of a house could go with the sentence "This house is to let"

For make you might show a picture of a cake for make a cake.

A picture of a car could go with the question "Will you let me drive your car?"

Continue with different flashcards showing other meanings or examples of these words being used.

 

 

After showing these cards and explaining the meanings play some listening games where you repeat the sentences over and over and students respond.

An easy example would be for students to make an appropriate action to go with each sentence.  When you say "Let's make a cake" students start acting out making and cake and keep doing it until you say the next sentence.  Move fairly rapidly through the sentences, especially keep it moving fast with older students.

 

 

This is just one listening game, there are many in my teen/adult games book that are more mature in style.  However that seemingly silly listening and miming game gives students drilling to get the meanings into their brains, with the visual stimulaton of the picture combined with moving the body.  That stimulates three senses, hearing, seeing and movement so the student is FAR more likely to remember and use these words and sentences than if you just stand up at the front and talk about it.

 

 

Next you do a speaking game and you could adapt the rhyming challenge game that I sent by email if you have more advanced students. If you have beginners see further down for a different idea:

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults/rhymingchallenge.htm

 

 

I want to let your house, it's nice.

You can't it's full of mice !

Let me make you a cake.

And put it in the oven to bake.

Or give them some simple nouns such as car, pen, job, house, cake to make rhymes with using make or let in the sentence.

Car: Let me drive your car. No it's too far.

Pen: Let me borrow your pen. No way Ben!

House: Will you let me live in your house? Not if you make me live with a mouse.

Cake: Will you make a cake? Yes if you buy me a rake.

Speaking Game idea for beginners:

Use Relay Race but pass down the flashcards you worked on earlier using the listening games and this time in the game the students say those sentences as they pass the cards down the line.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/games/relayrace.htm

There are hundreds of games in my book but those two will get you started - try them out and let me know how it goes !

Here's where you can get my book and it's going to be on Amazon as a real book in a week from now too.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults.htm

All the best

Shelley

Songs in teaching English

Using songs in teaching English, is it possible to use modern pop music in lessons?  This is a question I received today from a teacher in Russia.

Songs (in English) are excellent in teaching and I always use them.

With older students they should pick the songs themselves.
Get them to do different things like make up three questions about the lyrics, collect in all the questions, then play the songs (you have to limit it to three songs) and have a general knowledge quiz in teams to see which team understands what the songs are about best.

Or you could discuss issues that come up in the songs, also write a different ending, or change something that happens in the song, see what your English students come up with if anything.

Of course the usual thing with songs is to fill in gaps in the words or cut the words up, distribute them and students search for the other people in class who have lines of the same verse.

With kids you do actions to the music and use the English songs as background to various language games.

There's plenty more on it in my games books.  The preschool games book has a songs activity book with game ideas and lesson plans on how to teach each easy English song.  The primary and teen games books have ideas on how to use any English songs in class, with ideas like the ones above and many more.

All the best
Shelley
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com

ESL game challenges while teaching English to noisy kids at break

Hello there fellow English teachers!

Here is a question I received today from a teacher who wants to use ESL games in his class, and he takes his English class at lunchtime.

"My childrens very active kids...

However..i have difficult to make them hear what i want to say...

They also can't to understand the rules...

I have teach this class after lunch hour..."

So, here are my suggestions on how using ESL games can solve this problem:

Firstly it's very difficult taking children at lunch hour. It is totally normal that they will be noisy - let's face it this time is supposed to be play time for them, not more lessons. Thus it is doubly important to teach with ESL games rather than give any kind of traditional lesson. It's supposed to be a break right?!

I have taught at lunch hour so I know what it is like - at least in England!

I would start calmly while I introduced the key vocabulary or target language using a quiet ESL flashcard game that can be played on the floor with everyone sitting in a circle. After that I would practise that vocabulary or language using more active ESL games that involved movement, including running.

For example try this ESL game: Put the children in teams with piles of flashcards at the end of the room and call out a vocabulary item, either the word alone, or that word used in a sentence that contains the target grammar or language structure you are wanting to practise. One member of each team runs down to their pile of cards, fishes out the relevant one and runs back to the team.

This way you keep their lunch hour lesson like a play time, but with learning through ESL games. Personally I think kids should be allowed to play and run around. So YES they won't learn quite as much as if you had them in a classroom at 9 o'clock in the morning, but they will still learn something and they won't be robbed of their play time totally either.


Now regarding explaining the ESL games; well if you can't explain them, that's no problem, you DEMONSTRATE them so you actually show the children what they are to do.

After you have shown them yourself you show them again with a couple of students who demonstrate the ESL game again. Then you should be ready to play the game with the class.

Getting the most language out of an ESL game:

Whenever you are demonstrating an ESL game use simple commands in English such as "listen" - you name the flashcard, "run to the pictures" - then you run down to the pictures, "pick up the picture" - you demonstrate this, and so on.


This way in addition to the vocabulary you are practising with the flashcards you are also teaching useful verbs and other language, all through the use of an ESL game. As the children understand these commands more and more, it will make your job a lot easier too!

ESL Birthday story

Source: teachingenglishgames.com via Shelley on Pinterest

English story! ESL birthday story - What on earth does max receive for his birthday present???

Easter Story for ESL

Source: teachingenglishgames.com via Shelley on Pinterest

Check this Easter story. Fun ESL Easter story for prepositions and other useful vocabulary starring the Easter Bunny and his chocolate eggs! English story for children.

ESL role plays and skits - Get Inspired

Have you ever wanted to use ESL role plays and skits in your English classes but you don't feel sure of yourself?

Dragica Zdraveska is a talented and inspirational English language teacher who has fun with esl plays and skits at a primary school in Macedonia. She tells her story below from wanting to use role plays with her children but not getting around to it to finally taking the plunge and discovering a world of fun and motivation for her young ESL pupils.

Here are her comments from her experience with the short esl role plays and you'll see from the video that children really do love learning English like this, and that ESL role plays really are a way to make your teaching more fun, more interesting, more motivating and MORE EFFECTIVE!

So what are you waiting for? Read Dragica's article and take the plunge to make short, fun ESL role plays for children a part of your English lessons.

Now let's here from Dragica:

"I was by no means unfamiliar with the benefits of using drama, role-plays and skits for children in the ELT classroom. As an ardent conference and seminar attendee I got acquainted with the basics and was very keen on using ESL role-plays and skits whenI first began teaching English. As time went by I experimented and introduced different activities and took various approaches toward teaching Englishand got somewhat sidetracked from my basic interest in using drama and ESL role plays for children in class.

The main reason I hadn't use ESL plays and skits as often as I would have wanted was the fact that I couldn't find proper material in terms of content and level of English. Apart from that I thought that it would be time consuming and that my very young students wouldn't be able to stay focused and concentrate long enough for me to pull it off.

However, once I came across Shelly Vernon's book “ESL role plays and Skits for Children” I could no longer make excuses since the role plays were all I have ever wanted. Simple, straightforward, catchy and interesting they were perfect forexploration and use. I presented them to my English students certain that they would share my opinion and enthusiasm.

I carefully read them beforehand and chose the ones I found most appropriate and relevant in my context in terms of vocabulary and structures. For example when we learned about places in town we decided to stage the ESL skit “Let's go for a walk” which gave a wonderful touch and wrapped up that particular theme. I wanted to start with vocabulary themes the children were familiar with to make it easier for them but also more meaningful. Moreover I was realistic in my expectations English language andacting-wise.

What I was aiming at was use of the plays and ESL skits in the classroom with virtually no props and as part ofregular classes. We decided to stage at least one short ESL role play “properly” and perform it in front of parents, which helps parents feel included and involved in their child's progress. We are working on making them perfect!

Prior to the short ESL skit we had activities and games to recycle vocabulary and structures. We also made a booklet, drawing sketches of the scenes from the role play, featuring the characters in the skit and their speech in bubbles. We did matching and guessing activities, associations, pantomime etc. What I take to be the biggest success was the children's willingness to participate no matter how uncertain they may havefelt about the language, which meant the first and the most difficult step had been taken.

Some children were very shy and didn't feel at ease when I filmed them which made them react differently and not perform the role play or skit as well as they did when they weren’t recorded. That was what I consider to be the major drawback. Furthermore, I felt that correcting them while they spoke wouldbackfire and they would step back so I tried not to interrupt and instead discussed the error or hesitation with them afterwards. The video I made also revealed that their pronunciation was occasionally unclear and some phrases sounded ambiguous at times. That gave me food for thought and encouraged me to prepare my students better and practice the short ESL skits far more so as to gain better results.

What I am sure about is that using esl role plays and skits helps children learn English, improve their acting and social skills and learn structures, vocabulary, everyday phrases and soon in an authentic manner and while having fun! I recommend these short ESL role plays and skits for children to any teacher wanting to make learning English more enjoyable, while giving English learners a boost in confidence."

Dragica Zdraveska

English language teacher at Cyriland Methodius Primary School, Prilep, Macedonia

PS Teachers and parents reading this - you will find extracts from Dragica's video on the previous post on this blog, just below this.

Watch these fun ESL Skits for Kids

Get inspired by these teachers using fun esl skits for kids. Short easy role plays ideal for children learning English. Have fun while you teach grammar and vocabulary, improve confidence and fluency using skits and role-plays for ESL! Also easy to translate and use for Spanish skits, French skits or any other language.

See how the children are enjoying themselves all the while becoming more fluent in their English, reinforcing vocabulary and grammar without even being aware of it. Certainly beats filling in worksheets or going to sleep over a textbook.

Look out for the amazing props in the Best Restaurant skit in Taiwan, those are made of styrofoam - full marks for creativity! On the other hand if time is short, check the same skit performed in Spain with virtually no props. It's hard to say who is having a better time, the kids or the parents watching. Props add to the fun but you don't need many or you distract the children too much from learning the language in the role play.