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1. THIS MORNING, I...Ss can practice the simple past by saying what time they got up, what they ate for breakfast, and how they got to school or work. On the board, write down what time you got up, what you ate for breakfast, and how you got to school. Make sentences with each and ask the Ss to repeat. Then do a chain activity by having the next S repeat the your answers, then supply his or her own, and so on.

For example: This morning, I got up at 7:00. I ate cereal. I drove to school.

Next S: The teacher got up at 7:00, s/he ate cereal, and s/he drove to school. I got up at 6:30, I ate scrambled eggs, and I took the bus to school.

2. COLOR ME REDWrite the color of a S’s shirt, jeans, backpack, shoes, or purse on board and ask the class to guess who is wearing the color. Whoever gets the correct answer can write the next color on the board and Ss guess again. They should try to pick a different color than one already on the board.

3. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?In groups of three or four, Ss ask each other about their food likes and dislikes. Ss should keep asking until they find a food that no one in the group likes. Have a representative from each group write that food or dish on the board. See if there is a food or dish that the entire class dislikes.

4. I SPYThis update to the classic is a great way to work on descriptions. Start by saying, “I see something ...” and describe the color, shape, and location of an object in the room. The S who guesses then chooses another object and the class guesses again.

5. LISTEN CAREFULLYPractice contractions through dictation: You’ll say the following sentences out loud with contractions, and the Ss will write them down in a notebook. Then ask individual Ss to come up and write the full sentences on the board without contractions.

I’d like to go to the mall. They’re doing homework.

He’s hungry. We’re ready for the test.

She’s upset. It’ll stop raining soon.

I’ll get you a napkin. Look, there’s an elephant!

6. HOW MUCH?Asking how much something costs—and understanding the answer—can be a challenge for second language learners. In pairs, have Ss decide on a business, such as a restaurant, shoe store, hotdog stand, coat store, etc. They should each make a list of what they sell and how much each item costs. (Aim for five to six items each.) Then the Ss form new pairs and prac-tice asking and answering what each other sells and how much the items cost.

3VISIT STORE.BUSYTEACHER.ORG FOR MORE AWESOME ESL MATERIALS FOR BUSY TEACHERS! VISIT STORE.BUSYTEACHER.ORG FOR MORE AWESOME ESL MATERIALS FOR BUSY TEACHERS!

7. TELEPHONEEveryone knows grammar charts are dull. But you can liven them up with the old game of telephone. To introduce a new grammatical structure, whisper a sample sentence in a S’s ear. Have the S repeat what s/he heard to the next S, and then s/he repeats what s/he heard to the next S, and so on. The last S writes what s/he heard on the board, and then you write the correct sentence below it. Have fun comparing the telephone version to the correct one, and then introduce the key gram-matical structures.

8. CORRECTIONSSpotting and correcting writing errors is always a challenge for Ss. Here’s an engaging game for practicing this important skill. Divide the class into three groups, and then writing a sentence on the board, but misspell words, leave out or put in incorrect punctuation, use incorrect tenses and capitalization. Have group A make fixes on the board for 30 seconds. Give them one point for each correct fix. Now let groups B and C raise their hand to point out any missed or incorrect fixes. They get two points for each correct answer. Repeat with the next group, and so on.

Sample sentence: did the Quik brown fox jump over Lasy red dog.

9. ACHOOGiving advice is always fun. Pretend to sneeze and sniffle and ask Ss to diagnose you—you have a cold. Then elicit advice on getting better.

10. DIRECTIONSWrite your street address on the board (you can leave out the house or apartment number). Then give directions from the school to your street, writing key phrases (turn left, go two blocks, take Exit 7) on the board. Let Ss take turns giving direc-tions to their house or work. (If possible, project a simplified map of your city on the wall and trace with their directions with your finger.)

11. EVERYONE HAS A HOBBYWorking on introductions? Pick a S at the front of the class to your left. Have him or her say her name and then her hobby. You say the S’s name and hobby, then you say your name and hobby. Direct the first S to your right to say the first S’s name and hobby, then yours, then his or her own. Proceed until all the Ss have had a chance. If someone can’t remember, restart the chain with that S.

12. SMART SPELLINGSpelling rules are tricky. Pick words that your Ss commonly misspell and write them into phrases on the board to see if they can spot the errors. Here are some examples: s:

Fourty year old

Dont forgett you’re homeworks.

Wat are you doing tommorrow?

I sleept in this mourning.

I tri to excercise very morning.


I’m allways studing.

13. INTRODUCTIONSHave half the class stand and form a circle facing outwards. Now have the other half form a circle facing the first half. Write a simple introduction conversation on the board, such as:

Hello, my name is _______.

Hello, ________, my name is _______.

Where are you from?

I’m from ___________. Where are you from?

I’m from __________. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

As the Ss finish, have the outer circle rotate one S to the left until they’ve completed the circle.

14. LET’S MAKE A RULEHow do you spell present continuous verbs? Write “cook and make” on the board. Elicit from Ss how to make present con-tinuous (add –ing). Ask Ss how to spell each word in the present continuous: cooking, making. Now, have Ss guess why the “e” is missing in making. Work toward establishing the rule that verbs ending in an “e,” drop the final “e” and add –ing.

15. WHAT DOESN’T BELONG?On the board, write “lettuce, potato, corn, turkey.” Ask Ss which one doesn’t belong. (Turkey is the only one that isn’t a plant.) In pairs, have Ss come up with their own lists in which one thing does not belong. Have the pairs present their lists and let the class guess the outlier.

16. GET IRREGULARMake flashcards with the simple form of common irregular verbs on the front, and the simple past or past participle on the back. Anytime a S makes a mistake with an irregular verb during a speaking exercise, practice five cards with the class.

17. COUNT OR NON-COUNT?Point to count and non-count nouns in the classroom, and ask the class to say which each one is. (Count: pencil, book, desk, chair. Non-count: chalk, homework, hair.) Now ask them to make sentences, making sure they use articles where necessary.

18. YODA SPEAKWord order, especially in questions, is a challenge for Ss. Try putting some questions up on the board and have the Ss un-scramble the words:

hungry are you?

study will we when?


hand that me will you?

time is what it?

19. WHAT’S YOUR IDIOM?Write an idiom on the board, explain, and then practice it with Ss. Now see if the Ss can come up with a similar one from their own country.

English idiom: The early bird gets the worm.

Similar Mexican idiom: The sleepy shrimp is carried away on the current

20. HAIKU SYLLABLESFor a unit on syllables, try introducing your Ss to haiku poetry. A simple way to explain the 5-7-5 format of haiku, write on the board:

I am first with five

Then seven in the middle

Five again at the end.

Give the Ss a topic like describing an animal, and then have them form groups and try to come up with a haiku. Have each group read their finished version out loud while the rest of the class claps the syllables.

21. MY TOP FIVE: MUSICWrite “musicians” and “bands” on the board. Then ask Ss to name their top five favorite musicians or bands. Have them write what type of music each one plays. The Ss can form groups and discuss they’re favorites, and give reasons why they like each one. “She has a great voice.” “He’s a great guitar player.” “They play great dance music.”

22. WELCOME TO MY HOTELPracticing the proper forms for retail situations is important for Ss. On the board, write down:

Single Room: $75 Double Room: $100

Two Queens: $125 Suite: $150

Write the following conversation on the board and have the Ss practice in pairs, trading roles.

A: Can I help you?

B: Yes, I need a room for ____ nights.

A: How many people?

¬B: (number of people)

A: Do you want (type of room)

B: Yes.

A: That will be (cost of room X how many nights).


23. SPOOKY SPELLINGIn October, write “Halloween” on the board and then have Ss make as many words as they can out of the letters. Award prizes or declare winners for Ss who spell the most words and those who make the longest words.

24. FLAGGEDIn groups of three or four, have Ss collaborate in drawing your country’s flag. Hang the results on the board and give them praise for the aspects that are correct. Then quiz the Ss on the symbolism in the flag. (Good for citizenship classes.) The American flag, for example, has 13 stripes which represent the first 13 colonies and 50 stars, one for each state. The color red represents bravery, white for purity, and blue for justice.

25. DISSATISFIEDCan your Ss explain problems and request a fix politely? Have them think about a problem in their apartment or at their job, then craft an email explaining the problem and requesting a fix. On the board, indicate how to organize the email: Self-intro-duction, what the problem is, and a polite request (using “could,” “would,” and “please”) for a repair or solution. Have the Ss share their email with a partner to help make corrections, and then with the class.

26. IN THE NEWSBring in a news story and have Ss form groups. They should take turns reading the story out loud, one line at a time. (S1 reads the first line, S2 reads the second, and so forth.) Have the groups come up with the main point of the story, and then write their own comprehension questions. They can challenge the other groups to answer the questions.

27. IS IT HEALTHY?Discussing healthy food is a popular pastime. Have the Ss form groups and hand each group a grocery store flier. Have Ss discuss which foods are healthy. Then have them construct a healthy meal with help from the flier. Each group can write their meal on the board, and then the class can vote on the healthiest and most appealing one.

28. SEND IT BACKSs will take turns playing waiter and customer. Elicit reasons for wanting to send food back to the kitchen: It’s cold, it tastes funny, it’s not what you ordered, etc. Next, have the class brainstorm about what the waiter can do: Replace the dish, not charge for the dish, bring a free dessert, etc. Then have Ss play both roles, practicing the language.

29. VERB, ADJECTIVE, NOUNTo help Ss understand the various ways words can be used, write a verb they’re familiar with on the board, such as “to di-gest.” See if they can come up with the noun and the adjective forms (digestion, digestive). Some other examples:

To anger, angry, anger To beautify, beautiful, beauty

To clean, clean, cleanliness To complete, complete, completion

To endanger, dangerous, danger To enrich, rich, richness

To excite, exciting, excitement To heat, hot, heat

To lengthen, long, length To slim, slim, slimness


To surprise, surprising, surprise To widen, wide, width

30. PLAYING DOCTORElicit possible general complaints Ss might have. Does anyone feel tired all the time? Sit too much? Not eat healthy? Eat too much sugar? Once you have several examples on the board, have the Ss brainstorm in pairs about possible solutions. Then have them take turns giving advice.

31. I HAVE A FEVERAct out the signs of a fever (sweating, alternately feeling hot and cold, warm to the touch), and ask Ss what might be wrong. Then have them suggest what you should do.

32. MY FAVORITE MARKETWhere do the Ss shop? This exercise is good vocabulary practice for the grocery store. In pairs, have Ss discuss their favor-ite market and why. Is the produce fresh? Good prices? Is the butcher friendly? Does it have a good deli? Then Ss will tell the class about their partner’s pick. Other Ss can ask questions, including the location.

33. IT’S RAININGIn groups of four, have Ss come up with the right wardrobe and gear for going out on a rainy day. Have a represenative from each group write their suggestions on the board, and then compare the groups.

34. WHAT SOUND DOES IT MAKE?This is a fun comparison activity. Tell your Ss that when you’re really hungry, your stomach grumbles. Ask them what is the word for stomach grumbling in their respective countries. Have the more outgoing Ss demonstrate the sound for the class.

35. OPPOSITES ATTRACTPractice prefixes and build Ss vocabulary by writing these on the board:

dis- ir- im-

Explain that these prefixes can make a word its own opposite (antonym). Now write:

honest organized

patient regular

responsible

Have Ss form groups and guess which prefixes go with which words, then use their dictionaries to find more. Ss can also make sentences with the new vocabulary.


36. SMALL TALKElicit examples of how to start a conversation, introduce oneself, and talk about a topic that is easy to discuss: the weather, sports, etc. Then ask the Ss to stand and go speak to someone in class with whom they’ve never or rarely spoken.

37. FAMILY TREEDraw a basic family tree of your family on the board, beginning with yourself in the center. You can show your grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and any children you may have. Review vocabulary related to relatives, then ask the Ss to draw their own.

38. RENTER’S RAPTest your Ss ability to read apartment and houe rental advertisements: Write the abbreviations on the board and have the Ss form groups and talk about the possible meanings. Then give the groups a chance to guess an abbreviation. They get a point for each correct answer.

A/C air conditioning

AEK all-electric kitchen

BR bedroom

BA bath

Bldg. building

DR dining room

incl. included

Kit kitchen

Lg. large

Lndry laundry

LR living room

Pkg parking

Utils. utilities

39. PRETTY PASSIVE Ask a S to do something that involves an object, such as opeing a textbook. Then ask the Ss to form the passive construc-tion: The textbook was opened.

40. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?Keep a variety of photos of people engaged in different activities. They can be people on vacation, working, or at home. Hang a photo on the board and ask the Ss, in groups, to make up a story about the people and what they’re doing. Then have each group present their story to the class.


41. SYNONYM VOCABULARY BUILDERWrite several words on the board (the first in each pair below) and ask Ss in groups to try and come up with words that have a similar meaning.

Seat/chair ill/sick

Simple /easy tiny/little

Mad/angry large/big

Giggle/laugh hop/jump

Begin/start finish/end

42. MY DREAM HOUSESs imagine their what their perfect house would have: How many bedrooms? Does it have a big kitchen? A gym? What’s the yard like? Have them make a list of all the amenities and then share it with a partner. Have them compare and contrast what their perfect house looks like.

43. SELL YOUR PERFECT HOMESs should try to convince their partner why their house is good. The partner can be skeptical: the seller will need to come up with reasons why the house is worth it.

44. AS TOLD TO Form groups of three. S A tells S B what he had for breakfast. Then C writes down what A said to B: “Jose told Maria that he had cereal for breakfast.” The Ss change roles and continue until everyone has written a sentence. Then ask the Ss to write their sentences on the board, and let the class offer corrections.

45. GUESS THAT TUNEType out lyrics to a song, make several copies, then cut the lines into strips and mix them up. Then have the Ss listen to the song and arrange the lyrics in order. At the end, the Ss can sing along.

46. VOCABULARY CHALLENGE At the beginning of a new chapter, write several sentences containing new vocabulary on the board. Have Ss form small groups and try to come up with definitions for the words from the context of the sentences, and then present them to the class. No dictionaries!

47. WHEEL OF FORTUNEWrite enough blanks on the board for a full statement or question (“Did you go shopping yesterday?” for example.) Then Ss form teams and try guessing letters until they have enough to try and solve the puzzle. Use structures they’re practicing in class.


48. ANTONYM VOCABULARY BUILDERMake two teams and have a S from each come to the board. You’ll say “heavy,” for example, and the first S that correctly spells “light” scores a point for her team. Here are some examples.

Heavy/light hard/soft

Bright/dark big/small

Tall/short fat/thin

Wide/narrow expensive/cheap

49. STITCHING TIMEWrite the idioms below on the board and have the Ss form groups. The challenge is to guess what the idioms mean. The group that gets the most correct (or close) answers wins.

Better late than never On the spur of the moment

Living on borrowed time Big time

The time is ripe Have the time of your life

Time is money All in good time

50. PROPER PLACEFiguring out prepositions of place is tricky. Take your book bag and put it on the table. Now take out a pen. Hold it over the bag and ask the Ss where it is. Elicit “over.” Now put it on the table next to the bag and elicit “next to” or “beside.” Put it back in the bag and elicit “in,” and so forth.

51. IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD…Practice dependent clauses by getting Ss to discuss their weekend plans based on the weather: If the weather is good, I will... If the weather is bad…

52. PAST CONTINUOUS PRACTICEWrite a grid on the board with three columns titled “Name,” “Time,” and “Action.” Give the grid six rows. Ask a S her name and write it in the first row. Then ask her, “What were you doing at 9:00 AM yesterday?” Elicit a past continuous answer such as, “I was eating breakfast.” Fill in the next two boxes with 9:00 AM and “eating breakfast.” Now have the Ss make their own grids and mingle with classmates—asking about different times of day—as they fill in the grid. Then have them share some entries with the class.

53. ENOUGH AND TOO Have you had enough, or too much? Help Ss distinguish these descriptors by stretching your hand toward the ceiling. “Can I touch the ceiling?” Elicit responses like, “You’re not tall enough,” and respond with, “You’re right, the ceiling is too high.” Then ask, “Can I lift this desk?” (or something else heavy in the room), and elicit answers such as, “It’s too heavy,” and reply, “You’re right, I’m not strong enough.” Write the questions and responses on the board, then ask the Ss to come up with more examples based on weather (hot enough or too cold to swim), age (not old enough or too young to drive), and physical ability (not tall enough or too short to change a lightbulb). Have them practice their phrases in pairs: if one S says, “It’s too cold to go


swimming,” his partner should reply, “You’re right, it’s not hot enough.”

54. SAFETY IN NUMBERSDo Ss know the safety and information numbers for your country? In the United States, 911 is for emergencies, 411 is for tele-phone information, and in many cities people can dial 311 to get information about public transportation and local attractions. Write important telephone numbers on the board and quiz your Ss.

55. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?Ask Ss what country they are from, and write the answers on the board. Once you have all the countries represented by the class, ask the Ss to pick a country other than their own and write as much as they know about it. Then have the Ss sit with someone from that country (more than one S can join) and check their information. The person from that country can also reveal more, such as the capital, best places to visit, size, type of government, etc.

56. LOL SPEAKTexting and emailing—the language, spelling, and abbreviations—can be confusing for Ss. Write this list of abbreviations and ask Ss to guess what they mean:

LOL—laughing out loud ROFL—rolling on the floor and laughing

2—to, too, two U—you

4—for, four BTW—by the way

LMK—let me know IDK—I don’t know

JK—just kidding BFF—best friends forever

OMG—oh my goodness CYA—see you (later)

57. I HAVE SKILLSDescribe your skills and list them on the board—good knowledge of English, teaching, computers, whatever. Then ask Ss to volunteer their skills and write them on the board. In groups, have the Ss come up with their dream jobs and what kind of skills they would need.

58. CONTRACTION CONFUSIONWrite “he’s” on the board and ask Ss what that is short for (he is). Then write John’s shoes. Ask Ss what this means. (The shoes belong to John.) Write several contractions and possessives on the board and ask Ss to come up and write out the contraction or a sentence explaining possession next to each one.

59. I’M BIG ON YOU Have fun teaching idioms by focusing on some “big” ones. Write the idioms below on the board and have the Ss form groups and try to guess their meaning.

Big shot Big wig

Too big for his britches Big deal


Big mouth Big fish in a small pond

60. MYSTERY WORDPut blanks up on the board for the number of letters in lesson-oriented vocabulary words. Form two to four teams, and then Ss can guess letters. If they guess a correct letter, they get to guess again. The Ss can only guess the word when it’s their team’s turn. If they guess a word wrong, they’re out of the competition.

61. DOGS AND CATSFor a change of pace, write “meow” and “ruff” or “bow-wow” on the board. Explain that this is what cats and dogs say in English-speaking countries. Now have Ss come up and write what these animals say in their country. Expand to cows, goats, sheep, etc.

62. ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL…Mixing past continuous with simple past is an important story-telling tool. Help Ss practice these forms by writing the following sentences on the board:

I was walking to school when...

I was talking on the phone when...

While I was dreiving to class,...

While I was doing my homework,...

When you called me, ...

In groups, have the Ss finish the sentences with the appropriate form, then share their experiences with the class. Encourage them to embellish their endings.

63. HAIRY HARRYFacial hair comes in many forms: beard, moustache, goatee, lambchops, soul patch, sideburns. After writing these terms on the board, explain that these are all types of facial hair, and have Ss draw simple faces on a piece of paper and then color in what they think the various words might indicate. Have fun sharing the images with the class.

64. RETAIL VOCABULARY REVIEWWrite on the board, “Where do I buy it?” Then make a random list of items and have Ss query each other.

Burger Milk

Wine Apples

Toothpaste Nails

65. RECYCLEThe re- prefix is useful. Explain to Ss that it means to do something again. Take five minutes with the class to come up with as many “re” words as you can, and help the Ss with the definitions when they aren’t obvious.


Rerun recycle

Rebuild Redo

Repaint Refinish

Reinjure Repair

66. ONE OF THESE ISN’T TRUEWrite three sentences about yourself, two of them true, one false. Pick surprising things about yourself for the true ones and something mundane for the false one. (I’ve lived in Japan—true. I have been married 20 years—true. I have a cat—false.) Once the Ss have guessed correctly, have everyone write three sentences about themselves, one of which is false. Let the class guess.

67. GUESS MY JOBElicit some ideas for common jobs from Ss, and then the skills needed to perform them. Ask Ss to form pairs and then pick a job. Their partner must guess their job by asking what their skills are.

68. WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?Write common illnesses on index cards and then tape they to Ss backs. The Ss will each other yes/no questions about com-mon symptoms (“Do I have a fever?” “Do I have a rash?” to figure out what is wrong.

69. SAFE IN CLASSThis exercise isn’t only important English practice, but vital for the safety of your class. Write the following on the board:

Fire extinguisher emergency-exit map

Smoke alarm fire alarm

First-aid kit emergency-exit signs

Have the Ss form pairs and figure out where—or if—the classroom has each of these safety features. If not, have them find the closest examples. Then have the Ss explain the importance of each, with corrections where necessary.

70. DOES THIS NEED AN S? One common mistake is putting an “s” on the end of an irregular plural noun. On index card, put singular versions of regular and irregular nouns. On the back, put the plural form. Then quiz the Ss by flashing the card and asking, “Does this need an S to be plural?” Below are some possible choices:

Irregular Regular

Child Boy

Man Guy

Woman Girl


Person Classmate

Foot Toe

Tooth Mouth

71. IS HE, IS SHE?Native English speakers often run their words together, especially in yes/no questions. To help Ss recognize these forms, try a little dictation. Have Ss take out a piece of paper and write down what they hear. Read:

Is he late? (Ze late?)

Is she late? (i-she late?)

Is there enough? (zere enough?)

Is that okay? (zat okay?)

Check by having Ss write their sentences on the board.

72. MAKE A RULE: S VERSUS IES PLURALSWhich words with “y” endings get an “s” versus “ies?” Write “pay” and “fly” on the board. Ask Ss to tell you how to make them plural. Once they have it correct (pays, flies), ask they what the difference is between the two. They should be able to figure out that a consonant before a “y” ending means the plural will be “-ies,” while a vowel before a “y” means the plural is “s.” Then try out the rule with a few more words.

73. ORDER, ORDERUsing after and before can stump Ss. Put several concurrent events on the event and have the Ss, in pairs, figure out which one comes first. Then have them write sentences using before and after.

Start the car Take out my keys

Take a shower Get undressed

Mow the lawn Start the mower, etc.

74. WHAT’S THE MODAL?Modals like “could” and “should” trip up non-native speakers. Have Ss brainstorm some common problems related to class, work, finances, or relationships. (“I can’t understand my English teacher” is a favorite.) Write several problem statements on the board, and then have Ss practice giving suggestions (could) or advice (should).

75. FIND SOMEONE WHOThis is excellent practice for present perfect: Write several actions or conditions on the board, such as:

has eaten Japanese food has studied English for more than two years

has traveled a lot has been to a professional sporting event


has two children has lived in this country more than five years

has water-skiied has been in a cave

Then write: Have you ...? Have Ss practice asking, then have them stand and mingle as they try to find classmates who fit the bill.

76. BEAR, BARE?Homonyms trip Ss up, but explain that they can often figure out the proper word from context. Try some dication for practice:

The cupboard was bare.

I can’t bear the cold.

Is that a bear?

All the leaves have fallen. The trees are bare

77. WHAT’S MARIA DOING?Need to review present progressive? Hand out index cards to the Ss and have them write down an action. Shuffle, then Ss draw a card. They have to mime the action while another S tries to guess what s/he’s doing. Make sure Ss use the present progressive when they’re answering.

78. FOR AND SINCEWork on present perfect with these words. Form team A and team B: S from A makes a sentence using “for” or “since” such as, “We’ve been in class for 20 minutes.” If it’s grammatically correct they get one point. Team B then restates the sentence using “since:” “We’ve been in class since 10 o’clock.” If it’s correct, they get a point. Continue until all the Ss have had a chance.

79. WHAT OBJECT AM I? To practice school-related vocabulary, write down objects in the room on index cards, and then tape them to Ss backs without letting them see. Choose items like a ruler, a pencil, a desk, a chair, a map, etc. Have Ss walk around the room and try to guess the object by asking questions such as: Is it brown? Do I sit on it?

80. MY TOP FIVE: MOVIESOn the board, write: Movies: Action, Drama, Comedy, Horror, Actor. Have Ss write down their favorite in each category. Then put them in groups of four and have them ask and answer to find out each other’s favorites. The groups can share their favor-ites with the class.

81. VOCABULARY BUILDERIf your Ss are keeping vocabulary journals, have them say out loud the last word they looked up in the dictionary. See if any-one else in the class can define it. If less than half the class knows the word, have the S write it on the board with the defini-tion and let the class copy it down.


82. FIND SOMEONE WHO: FUTURETo practice future tense questions and answers, have Ss stand and walk around the class to see if they can find someone who:

Is going to visit their family is going to the beach this summer

Is going skiing this winter is going back to their home country

Is going to the movies is going to a restaurant

Is going shopping is sleeping in

83. FILL IN THE BLANKSType up several songs, but leave out verbs or tenses that you’re practicing in class. For example, you can use a song like the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night and leave blanks for all “I’ve been working” to practice the present perfect progressive. Play the song (stopping as necessary) and let the Ss fill in the missing words. Then have everyone sing along.

84. PET PROJECTWhat are common pets in your Ss’ countries? What are some common names? Have the Ss write several common names down for dogs, cats, and birds. Let the Ss take turns saying a name they’ve written down and let the rest of the class try to guess what kind of animal it is.

85. YOU CAN COUNT COOKIES, BUT NOT MILKList common food items on the board and then have the Ss form groups and decide which ones are countable and which are non-count nouns. Give each group a chance to use the word in a sentence as a count or non-count noun. If they get it right, they get a point.

Beef Cookie

Bread Doughnut

Cake Cupcake

Cereal Egg

Milk Cup of coffee

Pizza Burger

Ice cream Slice of pie

86. HEAL ME: HEADACHEAct out the symptoms of a headache, and then elicit from Ss what might be wrong with you. Then have them suggest pos-sible remedies.

87. WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE?Discuss different types of weather in different seasons, and then in different countries. Write a sample weather conversation


on board:

Hello (S name). Where are you from?

I’m from (country).

How’s the weather in (spring/summer/fall/winter)?

Well, it’s usually_________, but sometimes it’s _________.

Model, then have Ss stand and mingle with classmates, practicing conversation.

88. SUMMER AND WINTERNow have Ss practice writing about the weather. Have them write a paragraph about the weather wherever they were last summer and last winter. “I was in _________ last summer. It was usually _________, but sometimes it was ________.” Etc. Let them check their grammar in pairs, then read their sentences to the class.

89. MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTHave Ss write down their favorite restaurant and the reasons they like it. Have them consider the food, prices, atmosphere, service, etc. Ask the Ss to present their choice to the class, then write down the location on the board.

90. QUESTION INTONATIONOne of the tricky aspects of asking questions is intonation. Demonstrate the intonation difference between yes/no questions (voice goes up at the end) and Wh-word information questions (voice goes down).

91. WHO’S GOT THE ANSWER?Now take the questions from 90 and have the Ss write potential answers. Have them check each other’s answers to make sure they understood which questions were yes/no versus informational.

92. TELLING STORIES WITH JUAN Past tense practice: Write on two separate pieces of paper, Juan got up at 6:30 on Saturday. He looked outside and saw a bear. Then hand one paper to a S on the far right of class, then one on the far left. The Ss write one sentence each to con-tinue Juan’s story until the papers meet in the middle. The last S who gets each page must try to end the story. Then read the two stories to the class.

93. GOT THE NUMBER?Ss may struggle with saying phone numbers, addresses, room numbers, dates, and years. On the board, write several ex-amples of each, and practice saying them out loud. Emphasize that we tend to say addresses and room numbers uniquely (eighteen sixty-three Wheeler St., Room one thirty-seven), that years are said differently depending on the recent decade (two-thousand five, nineteen ninety-nine, twenty-twelve), and that we say phone numbers by individual digits, or run together. (Think of 800 numbers, for example). Then rattle off some numbers and have the Ss write them down and then guess wheth-er they might be a year, address, room number, or date.


94. WE’RE HAVING A PARTYIn small groups, have the Ss plan a party. This is good future tense practice. Have the Ss decide what kind of party they’ll have (cocktail, barbecue, dancing, dinner, costume, etc.), what they’ll need for the party (food, music, decorations), and what each S is responsible for. Then they can tell the class about their plans.

95. SENTENCE FRAGMENTSGive Ss either the beginning or the end of a sentence: “into the woods,” for example, “or across the street.” Ask the Ss to complete the sentence. This is good practice for helping S recognize the components of a complete sentence.

96. MANY MOODSBring in photos of someone demonstrating different moods, or draw simple smiley-type faces with the mouth in a smile, open and laughing, frowning, straight line, sad (with tears), etc. Ask the Ss in pairs to come up with words to describe the moods. Then have them form groups of four and discuss what kind of mood they’re in currently. What makes them happy? What makes them angry? Sad?

97. I’M AN ANIMALGive the Ss 15 or 20 questions to figure out what kind of animal you are.

98. WHERE IS THAT?Bring in an assortment of postcards of local attractions. Have the Ss form groups and try to figure out where their photo is. The groups can then write directions to the attraction on the board.

99. BURY/BERRYSs can practice using context to figure out which word they’re hearing with a little dictation. Read these sentences out loud and then have the Ss compare what they’ve written.

When will they bury him?

Taste this fresh berry.

I’m buried under a lot of work.

My favorite dessert is berries and cream.

100. THE PERFECT NIGHT OUTWhat’s makes for a fun date? Have Ss form pairs and come up with a good evening on the town, from dinner onward. Sug-gest options, such as movies, theater, concert, bar, nightclub, etc. Also, they should decide whom they would go out with (friends or member of the opposite sex?). Have the Ss tell the class what their partner’s perfect evening looks like.

101. I’M LOOKING FOR … Put a list of common items on the board and then ask the Ss where they would need to go to find each. Then split the class


into two groups, half will be storekeepers, half customers. Ss can practice the language used when shopping: “I’m looking for...” “I need...” “Do you have...?” The storekeepers will sell only one of each of the items, and they can practice phrases like, “I’m sorry, we don’t sell that/those,” “What size do you need?” “It/They costs $...”

Items:

Shoelaces A cell phone

Tennis shoes A screwdriver

Shaving cream Wine glasses

A guitar Candy

102. CATCH AND CONVERSEWrite a dialog on the board of four or five lines with structures and vocabulary that you’re working on in class. Practice it with Ss, then take out a tennis ball or bean bag, say the first line, then toss the ball to a S. She says the next line then tosses the ball to the next S, and so forth.

103. WRITE AN AD This is a great exercise for practicing descriptive language, and also for teaching Ss about the nature of advertising. Bring in flyers from local car dealers, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Or use television ads recorded on a DVD. Have Ss pick out the descriptors and write them on the board. Now challenge groups of three or four to write their own advertisement for a product, such as beer, detergent, dog food, coffee, or cereal. The Ss will present the ad to the class. The class can vote on the most persuasive.

104. TIMING IS EVERYTHINGHelp Ss figure out “as soon as” by having them connect to events on the board. For example:

It began to rain. I opened my umbrella.

I opened my umbrella as soon as it began to rain.

The doorbell rang. I opened the door.

As soon as the doorbell rang, I opened the door.

105. THEY’RE/THEIR/THEREHomonyms are the bane of most ESL learners, but these three give even native speakers trouble. Try some dictation to help Ss practice discerning the difference.

They’re over there.

Whey they’re finished studying, they’ll put away their books.

They’re still not ready to ride bikes: Their helmets are over there.


106. WEATHER IDIOMSWhat do they mean? Which ones are really about weather?

When it rains, it pours.

It’s raining cats and dogs.

April showers bring May flowers

It’s always darkest before dawn.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Don’t rain on my parade.

107. TAKE A MESSAGE/PHONE CONVERSATIONPhone conversations can be difficult for second-language learners. Have Ss sit back to back and then pretend to have a phone conversation. The person they’re trying to reach isn’t there, so they’ll need to leave a message with their number. On the board, write down the key parts of information they’ll need to convey: Name, phone number, and reason for the call. The other S must take down the information and ask the caller to repeat the information if necessary.

108. HAIRY SITUATIONHair comes in all styles and colors, though many of your Ss may come from cultures where most of the hair is one style and predominantly one color. Have your Ss brainstorm about the various colors hair can be. If Ss say “yellow”, explain blonde… do the same for brunette. Then discuss different styles of hair (curly, wavy, straight) as well as length (short, shoulder-length, long, crew cut, bald). Have one S describe hair while his partner draws a picture. (You can encourage the Ss to be silly by drawing poorly on the board while a S describes a hairstyle to you.)

109. PROBABLY, DEFINITELYThe shades of certainty between “will be”, “will probably be,” and “may” can stump Ss. Elicit the probability of each form (100, 90, and 50 percent, respectively), then discuss future events with Ss. Will they attend the next class? Will they finish their homework? Will they go to the movies this weekend? Etc.

110. IT ALL STARTED WHEN…To help learn how to tell stories, give them these phrases and have them construct a story about either the best or worst day of their life.

It all started when... The worst/best part was when...

I’ll never forget the time I ... I felt awful/great.

Everything went wrong/right. It was fabulous/terrible.

And to make things worse...

111. KITCHEN TIMEIn small groups or with the class, whisper a kitchen-related activity word to one S and have her act it out without speaking.


The class tries to guess what she’s doing.

112. GOOD JOBWhat does a good job entail? Ask your Ss what they like about their jobs, and write the answers on the board. Then have them make groups and pick the qualities that are most important to them. Then see if they can come up with a profession that meets all or most of their criteria.

113. FIRST, SECOND, THIRDOrganizing writing takes some forethought. Write a series of linked events on the board and have Ss figure out the proper order and then write sentences using ordinals.

The Airport:

Check in Go through security Get on the plane

114. WRITE A RULESimple present tense, third-person singular: When do Ss need to add es instead of just s? Write “work” and “watch, relax, fish, guess” on the board. Ask Ss to write sentences with these verbs using “he” or “she.” Go over the correct spelling (the second group of words all get an “-es”). Guide Ss to come up with the rule that verbs ending in “-ch, -s, -sh, -x” use the “-es” ending.

115. THANKSGIVING SPELL OFFIn late November, write the holiday on the board and give Ss five to ten minutes to come up with as many words as possible using the letters in Thanksgiving. Give prizes or name winners for Ss who have the most words and the longest word.

116. SCRAMBLEPut some vocabulary words up on the board, but with the letters scrambled. Ss take turns unscrambling the letters.

117. GROUP 20 QUESTIONSForm several small groups and have each S take turns thinking of an object or animal that they can be. The other Ss can ask 20 yes/no questions to figure out what the S is.

118. I NEED HELPTalk about things that can go wrong with a house or apartment. Elicit suggestions from the Ss. Possibilities include: clogged sink, broken lock, broken window, ceiling leak, leaky faucet, hole in the wall, etc. Put Ss in groups and have them come with whom they would call to fix the problem.

119. CHEESE AND CRACKERSWhat foods go together? Form four or five groups in the class, then write “macaroni and...” on the board, and have the first group guess what comes next. If they fail, go to the next. When someone guesses cheese, give that group a point. Continue


with another food pair. The group that gets the most correct wins.

Burger and fries Coffee and cream

Liver and onions Spaghetti and meatballs

Bacon and eggs Ketchup and mustard

Cake and cookies Chips and salsa

Pie and ice cream Beans and rice

Peanut butter and jelly Turkey and gravy

Peaches and cream Franks and beans

120. IT’S AN EMERGENCY!Ask Ss to come up with various types of emergencies, such as tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire, thunderstorm, etc. Form groups and assign a type of emergency to each group, then have them come up with a disaster plan and kit. Have each group write their suggestions on the board, then go over their plan with the rest of the class, adding or deleting items as nec-essary.

121. BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDEVocabulary practice: Tell the Ss it’s snowing outside and ask them to come up with all the appropriate clothing they’ll need.

122. THESE AND THOSEFor a beginner level, this can be a fun challenge. Place some treats in several spots around the room—bite-size candy bars, for example, or pieces of gum. Now move around the room and stop near a treat. Tell a S, “You can have these treats.” If he moves to take the ones near you, they’re his. If he goes toward a pile further away from you, he has to skip his turn. Continue and alternate saying “these” or “those” (but don’t point!) until all Ss have had a chance. Ss can clarify by pointing and asking “These treats?” or “Those treats?”

123. MY FIRST JOBHave Ss practice simple past by writing sentences about their first job and whether it was hard or easy. Then, in groups of four, have them ask other Ss about first jobs while they take notes. The Ss can write sentences about the first jobs of the other members. Have Ss read to the class what they’ve written about one of the other Ss.

124. WORK IDIOMSWrite several work-related idioms on the board. Have the Ss form groups and try to guess what they mean. Ask for each group’s interpretation and give points to those who are closest.

All work and no play

Dirty work

Work fingers to the bone

Work it

Work like a dog


125. WHAT MARIA WAS DOINGMaria is always up to something, but right now she’s practicing past progressive. Start a story on the board with: “Maria was brushing her teeth while she was driving to work.” Have the Ss continue the story, and reward them for being imaginative as well as using the proper grammatical structure.

126. MORE THANWe all have our favorite activities. Ss can practice comparing their favorites by writing several sentences using “more than.” Give an example by writing on the board: “I enjoy teaching more than going to the dentist.” Ask Ss to come up with several examples, then share them with the class.

127. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST WEEKEND Make a 5 by 5 chart on the board. At the top of the columns write in order: “Name, Movies, Exericse, Study, Sleep in.” Have Ss copy the chart onto a piece of paper, then practice the simple past: “Did you see a movie last weekend?” Have Ss mingle and fill in the blanks with answers from their classmates.

128. HOW AGREEABLEWrite some polite positive and negative responses on the board, such as:

Yes, of course. I’d be happy to.

No, not now. Maybe later. Sorry, I can’t right now.

Ask Ss to come up with some requests—normal ones like “Please hand me that pen,” and more outlandish ones. (Sing a song, dance, do jumping jacks, etc.) Ss can practice in small groups politely agreeing to or declining requests.

129. TELL ME A STORYBring in a photo of some activity and have the Ss compose a story about the people in the picture. Where are they from? What are they doing? What will they do afterwards?

130. DREAM VACATIONThis is a fun one: Let Ss work in pairs to come up with their perfect trip. Write on the board: Destination, lodging, activities, and let them go wild. Then have Ss present it to the class.

131. MAKE AN AD FOR YOUR DREAM VACATIONYou can build off 130 or do this separately: Ss create an advertisement for their dream vacation. Encourage them to include prices and details about all the amenities.

132. FAIR/FAREMore fun with homonyms: Dictate several sentences using these words, and see if Ss can guess from the context which one they should use.


I went to the fair.

The bus fare was $2.00

The judge was fair.

Did you pay your train fare?

133. ORDINAL CALENDARBring a calendar to class and quiz Ss on dates. Point to any holidays and ask what day that is, eliciting the proper, ordinal pronunciation. Now, ask Ss to count off throughout the class in ordinal numbers (first, second, third). Continue until they reach 31.

134. CAN YOU SWIM?For a lower level class, this is a good introductory warm up. Write a list of life skills on the board, such as:

Swim Ride a bike

Cook Speak three languages

Drive Iron a shirt

Now ask a S, “Jose, can you swim?” If the answer is yes, write “Jose, swim” on the board. Now have the Ss stand with a piece of paper and circulate around the class.

135. DESCRIBE AND DRAWIn pairs, Ss can practice descriptive language with this warmer. One S takes out a piece of paper and the other describes someone in their family or a friend—even someone in the class. The partner must draw the person—encourage silliness and unprofessional drawing when you model this on the board. Hang the pictures around the class, afterwards.

136. MONEY IDIOMSWrite the list below on the board and let Ss work in groups to guess the meaning. Give points to the group that comes the closest, then practice using the idioms in sentences.

Bring home the bacon That money is burning a hole in my pocket

Cashing in Cheapskate

Chicken feed cost an arm and a leg

Dirt cheap flat broke

For a song Get your money’s worth

137. JEOPARDYUse the gameshow format of giving answers to help Ss practice making questions. Use answers that will elicit target struc-tures that you’re working on. Some examples:

I’m from Mexico. (Where are you from?)


It’s 12:05. (What time is it?)

I jog everyday. (Do you exercise?)

138. CATCH THAT NAMEUse a beanbag or a soft ball like a tennis ball to do introductions. Introduce yourself and offer any other information you want Ss to share, then toss the ball to an advanced S. He or she then gives information and tosses it to another S.

139. LINKED SPELLINGAsk a S to say one of a vocabulary word, and then ask him to spell it (without looking at the book). You take the last letter of the word and come up with something that starts with that word. Spell it, then the next S picks a word that begins with the last letter of yours. Continue until someone misspells a word or can’t think of one. That person is out. You can continue until only one or two Ss are left.

140. CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAHGive the Ss more options for their seasonal spelling competition by providing with two holidays from which they can grab let-ters. Have them spell as many words as they using the two holidays as their source, and give prizes for the most words and the longest ones.

141. ACCESSORY SQUARE OFFThis is an engaging way to practice vocabulary: Divide the class into two teams. Have one person from each team stand up. Point at an accessory in the room, such as a bracelet, tie, hat, watch, necklace, earrings, scarf, gloves, ring, purse, etc. Whichever team gets it right gets a point, and the next two Ss square off.

142. PATTERN BEHAVIORYou can prepare for this one by bringing in fashion photos, wearing some colorful clothing, or seize the opportunity on a day in which your Ss have provided you with some examples. Write the words “plaid, checked, striped,” and point to examples in the class. Now explain that when we describe clothing, we usually say the size, the color, and then the pattern. Have Ss prac-tice writing descriptive sentences and have them read these to the class, checking for proper adjective order.

143. SET A GOALElicit the meaning of a goal from Ss, write a definition on the board. Have Ss choose a goal for themselves. In groups, Ss try to figure out what steps they need to take to achieve their goal, then write sentences using ordinal numbers: “First I need to learn English,” for example. They present them to the class.

144. BOARD/BOREDDictation practice: Have Ss guess the correct word from context.

I joined the school board.

This class is too long: I’m bored.

For an advanced class: A beetle bored a hole in this board.


145. SENTENCEDUnderstanding vocabulary is one thing. Being able to use the words in sentences shows mastery. Split the class into groups and then write a vocabulary word on the board. Each group tries to be the first one to come up with a sentence. Have the first group who is finished come up and write the sentence on the board. If it’s error free, they get a point. If there’s a mistake, ask the other groups what it is. The right correction earns the point instead.

146. WHERE DO YOU BUY CLOTHES?Write on the board: “Women’s clothes, men’s clothes, children’s clothes, work clothes, shoes.” Have the Ss disucss in pairs where they like to shop for these things. Then have them share the information with the class.

147. WRITE A RULE: WHAT’S UP WITH F?Plural count nouns that end in “-fe” and “f” present a spelling challenge for Ss. Write “wife, knife, loaf, and shelf,” on the board and ask Ss for the plural forms. Then elicit the rule: When a noun ends in “-fe,” change the “f” to “v” and add “s” at the end. When the noun ends in “f,” change it to “v” and add “es.”

148. CODE BREAKERFor lower level Ss practicing numbers and letters, try teaching this: Assign a number to each letter, 1 through 26. Now write code words on the board and have the Ss decipher them. Then have the Ss come up with their own code words. They can read the numbers to you as you write them on the board, and the class can decipher them together.

149. AD-LIB GERUNDSWhen studying gerunds, have Ss all right down a gerund on a piece of paper at their desk. Start by making a sentence that would use a gerund, and when you reach that part, point to a S and have them say what they have written. Now they must make a sentence and point to another S who must say a gerund and so forth.

150. PERSONALITY WORKWrite “outgoing, creative, intellectual” on the board, and go over the personality types with Ss. In groups, have them brain-storm a list of jobs, and then decide which jobs are best for each personality. The groups can report their categories to the class and discuss.

151. CLASS RULESTo get “buy-in” from the Ss, ask them what they would consider rude during class. Elicit answers like texting or talking on a cellphone, interrupting others, not listening, talking when other Ss are talking, etc. Make a list on the board and fish for any others you might want to add (no eating, for example). Have the Ss write the list on the back of the course syllabus so they’ll always have it handy!

152. TREASURE HUNTPrint up three or four pages of five or six clues—basically, descriptions of various objects in the classroom. Order the clues differently on each page, though the last should be your desk or bookbag. Form groups, and let the Ss follow the clues to your desk, where you can hand out a reward.


153. YOU’RE A BUS DRIVERSplit the class into two teams, then hand one S from Team 1 a card with a profession on it, such as doctor, bus driver, taxi driver, cook, housecleaner, librarian, etc. That person must act out the profession while his team guesses. They get one min-ute. Then the next team takes a turn with a different profession. Continue until everyone has had a chance.

154. DARING DRAWINGDraw the outline of a generic person on the board. Then call on a S to come up: Say an item of clothing or an accessory, and have them draw it on the outline. Repeat until all the Ss have had a chance and your drawing looks ridiculous.

155. WHO’S THAT?Ss fill out a description of themselves: Hair color, length, and style, eye color, what they’re wearing, and if the class knows each other fairly well, their hobbies and what they like to do on the weekends. Collect the descriptions and shuffle them, then hand them back to different Ss, who take turns reading the description to the class while everyone tries to guess who it is.

156. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEESs gaze out the window (or take them outside if you can’t see the outdoors) and then write for 10 minutes about everything they saw. Tell them they must keep writing, and to include every possible detail.

157. WHAT UN- DOESAs a vocabulary builder, point out the prefix “un-“ to Ss. Present Ss with “known” and “unknown” and ask them to guess the meaning. Then write some more examples from below on the board and have Ss come up with sentences using these words with the “un-” prefix.

acceptable affordable afraid believable breakable certain

comfortable common decided expected finished happiness

kind load lucky occupied pleasant qualified

real reasonable ripe safe skilled sweetened

158. DIALOGUEBring in a picture of someone speaking on the phone with a strong expression on his or her face: alarm, surprise, joy, etc. Or the person could be speaking on a cell next to a broken down car, for example. Have Ss work in pairs to come up with two sides to this conversation, then perform it for the class.

159. WHO’S NEXTHelp Ss master sentence structures with this game: Say a word that could start a sentence, such as “Yesterday.” Then a S say a word that could come next, such as “I.” The next S could say “went,” and so on and so forth. When a S wants to end the sentence, she can say “period,” and then start a new sentence. You can keep track of the sentence on the board to help lower-level speakers.


160. I NEED A FAVORAsk Ss to imagine or remember a time when they needed help. Have them craft a request for a favor, and let a few Ss read them out loud. Correct for proper language (use of “could you, would you mind, can I ask a favor”), and then elicit possible responses. Have the class stand and mingle, asking and granting or declining favors.

161. GUESS THE WORDExplain to Ss that they will get a vocabulary word the class is working on, and they must get another S to guess it. The hitch is that the S giving clues cannot say the actual word. Form two teams, and have them take turns. The winner is the one who guesses the most words correctly.

162. “INTRODUCING…!”Tell Ss they are going to do a big introduction of a classmate, but first they need to find out about them. Write the five inter-rogatives on the board and elicit questions Ss might want to ask to find out about someone. Make sure they ask at least one question that would reveal something remarkable about the person (“What’s the most amazing thing that’s happened to you?” or “What’s something surprising about you?”). Then have Ss interview in pairs and then do introduce their partner to the class.

163. FUTURE CHANCEKeep a pair of dice in your book bag to set up an easy game: Write future-time expressions on the board, such as: tonight, tomorrow, next week, Saturday night, Sunday morning, next summer. Number them 1 to 6, and then split the class into two teams. One person from each team stands, and the first team rolls a die and calls out a number. The other team has to ask a future question using the corresponding phrase, and the first team must answer the question correctly. The second team may ask a follow up question requesting more details. Points are granted for every correct question and answer.

164. WHERE/WEARDictation and vocabulary practice: Read the sentences below and see if the Ss can guess from the context which word they should be writing.

Where are my tennis shoes? I want to wear them today.

Do you know where the party is? What will you wear?

I don’t know what to wear. Where are we going?

165. I’LL TEST YOUWhen working with past tense irregular verbs, mix things up by having Ss create tests for each other. Have them take out a sheet and number it from 1 to 10. Then have them turn to a list of irregular verbs and write five present tense and five irregu-lar past tense verbs. They’ll close their books, exchange papers with a partner, and complete the quiz. Then they’ll turn in the quiz to their partner who will correct them and see how they did.

166. PAST, PRESENT, FUTUREFor tense review, have Ss form groups and discuss their past, present, and future jobs (or classes, if they’re too young to be working yet). Ss should query each other to practice making questions and giving answers in each of the three tenses. Have them take notes so they can report to the class what their classmates have said.


167. EVERYDAY BEHAVIORMake a set of index cards with the following activities on them:

Get up Make the bed

Take a shower Get dressed

Eat breakfast Do the dishes

Do laundry Make lunch

Do homework

Place the cards face down on your desk and have one S come to the front of the class and pick a card, read it, then hand it to you. The S will pantomime the activity while the class tries to guess what it is.

168. WHO MOVED?Ask a S to step outside of the class for a moment. Have a S change seats, then ask the first S back in. See if he can spot who swapped seats. Repeat with another S, but this time have two Ss swap sweaters, hats, bags, or some other item.

169. I FEEL A “C”Practicing the alphabet? Place one S at the board with a marker, and then line the other Ss up behind him or her. You’ll stand at the back of the line and trace a letter on the back of the S in front of you. He does the letter he felt on the S in front of him, and so on. The S with the marker writes the letter on the board. See if it’s correct, then repeat with the next S in line.

170. IRREGULAR BATTLE ROYALEMake two teams, and place one S from each at the board with a marker. Give them present tense of an irregular past tense verb. Both must write the past tense on the board as fast as they can. The one who finishes first with no errors gets a point.

171. GREAT EXPLORERSMost ESL textbooks have maps in the back of the book. In pairs, Ss must travel across various continents. Tell them they are traveling west from British Columbia to Manitoba. What countries will they travel through? Ss write sentences practice “from,” “to,” and “through.” Continue with Europe, Africa, USA, etc.

172. I’M TALKING ABOUTSecretly assign each S another Ss name in class. The S must write a description of that S using physical and personality traits. Then they take turns reading their description to the class while the rest try to guess whom it is.

173. LOVE TO LOVE YOUOn index cards, write one of the following idioms. Hand them out to Ss pairs, and they’ll try to come up with a meaning and present it to the class. Correct as necessary.

A match made in heaven Puppy love


Love at first site A blind date

Crazy about A crush

Apple of my eye Made for each other

Seeing someone Double date

174. MAKE A SUGGESTIONAsk Ss to come up with something to do after class. Encourage them to come up with both believable and impossible sugges-tions, such as “get coffee” and “go to Bora Bora.” Write “Let’s” and “Why don’t we” on the board and practice some examples of making suggestions. Then practice some polite affirmative and negative responses. (“Sorry, I can’t today,” or “Sure, I’d love to.”) Now have Ss stand and practice with the class.

175. “EN-” GAUGESs are better able to guess words from context when they’re familiar with prefixes. Write “enter” on the board and underline “en.” Ask Ss, based on the word, what the prefix might mean (put into). Then write more “en-” words on the board and have the Ss guess their meaning.

Encase enact

Enclose encourage

Endear enfold

Enslave envision

176. SCAVENGER HUNTHave the Ss form pairs. Write several items on the board that any group of Ss might have on their person, such as blue pen, mechanical pencil, dictionary, cellphone, brush, watch, etc. The pairs must circulate through the classroom asking, “Do your have a _______?” When they find a S who does, they can write his or her name next to the object. Pick a few items that only one or two Ss might have.

178. WRITE A COMICCut out a comic strip and white out the dialog. Make photocopies and hand them out to groups of Ss. The Ss work together to come up with dialog that hopefully will also contain humor that they can read to the class.

179. PICTIONARY VOCABULARY Add a twist to vocabulary practice by forming two teams and having one S come up and draw a picture that expresses the word on the board. If her team guesses the word within a minute, they get a point. Then it’s the second team’s turn.

180. 20-SECOND SHOUT OUTThis is a good mid-semester review game: Split Ss into two or more teams and then give them a topic area in which they’ve learned several vocabulary words. It could be parts of the body, clothing, professions, geography, etc. When it’s a group’s turn, they have twenty seconds to yell out as many words as they can think of in the topic they’re given. Have another S help keep count.


181. STAND YOUR GROUNDAll the Ss stand, and then you say a vocabulary word out loud. The first S says the first letter of the word, the second S the second letter, the third S the third letter, and so forth. If someone says the wrong letter, he or she sits and the spelling starts over. After the last letter is said correctly, the next S must say the word correctly and give a definition. Then start with the next word.

182. FLOUR/FLOWERAsk Ss to come up with sentences using these words. Then form pairs, and have each read S their sentence to the other. The S has to guess which spelling is the correct one.

183. GETTING PERSONALMore and more people are meeting through personal ads. Go through some of the abbreviations with the class (DM—di-vorced male, N/S—non-smoker, SF—single female, SM—single male). Go over the other content in the advertisements, such as physical description, list of hobbies, personal traits. Then have Ss write a personal ad for themselves (tell everyone that they can pretend that they are single, even if they’re married). Collect the descriptions, mix them up, and then pass them back out. Ss read the one they’re given and the class tries to guess whom it is.

184. ACT OUTYou help solidify Ss understanding of adverbs with this exercise. Elicit action verbs from the class and fill up the left side of the board with them. Now ask for adjectives and demonstrate how to turn them into adverbs by adding “ily.” Now form two teams with the class, and have them pick a verb and adverb pair, and a represenative from the other team must act out the command. “Jump happily,” for example, or “dance angrily.” The teams get points for their performance’s accuracy and enthu-siasm.

185. SYNONYM CHALLENGEThis is for more advanced speakers: Form two to four teams and present the game: You’ll say a word, and the first group to come up with a synonym gets a point. Here are some possible pairs:

Rapid/quick depart/leave arrive/come let/allow

Furious/angry slim/thin damp/wet rise/go up

Descend/go down halt/stop purchase/buy repair/fix

Foe/enemy close/near correct/right wealthy/rich

186. IN MY COUNTRY…Write some common sayings about health on the board, such as “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and “Early to bed, early to rise keeps a person healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Ask Ss if they have similar proverbs in their first languages. En-courage them to write it in their first language, and then translate it to English, and then let the class try to figure out what it means.


187. WRITE A RULE: PARALLEL VERBSWrite these two sentences on the board:

I wash my face and I brush my teeth every night.

I wash my face and brush my teeth every night.

Ask Ss what the difference between the two, and if both are correct. Then come up with a rule: When two verbs refer to the same subject, you don’t have to repeat the subject. Have them practice writing examples of this rule.

188. WORD HUNTTake a multi-paragraph reading, blow it up, and then cut the reading into one-paragraph pages, number each, and hang them around the room. Now give Ss comprehension questions and have them walk around in pairs, trying to answer the questions. The first to finish wins. Check the answers with the class.

189. DRAW ME A PICTUREBring several simple pictures or photos to class—they can be landscapes or simple portraits. With the Ss in groups, hand the picture to one S in each group. He or she will describe the picture—encourage the Ss to include a lot of detail—while the others draw the image. Ss can compare their drawings with the original and critique (with humor) the description. Rotate the images to new group and S, and begin again.

190. SPELLING SQUARE OFF Liven up a vocabulary lesson by dividing the class into two teams and running a spelling bee. Put rival Ss at the board with a marker then say a vocabulary word. The S who finishes first with the correct spelling earns a point for his team.

191. WHADDA YA SAY?Give Ss listening practice by dictating these common forms of blended words. See if the Ss can figure out what you’re saying:

Does it work? (zit work?)

Did it break? (dit break)

Has he been sick? (ze bin sick?)

192. PHRASAL VERB CHALLENGEHand out a list of phrasal verbs (run into, blow out, break down, etc.) and have Ss practice in pairs. Now have Ss write 1 to 5 on a piece of paper and put five first words of phrasal verbs on their sheets. They exchange quizzes, complete the verbs, then hand them back for corrections.

193. LATIN LESSONMore advanced Ss are likely to run across Latin abbreviations in their reading. Elicit any examples you can from them, then add more of the common ones to the board. Review them, and then see if Ss can use them correctly in sentences.

A.D. anno Domini “in the year of the lord”


A.M/P.M Ante Meridiem/Post Meridiem “before midday/after midday”

ca. circa “around, about, approximately”

cf. confer “bring together, compare”

C.V. curriculum vitae “course of life” resume

et al. et aliii “and others”

etc. et cetera “and other things”

e.g. exempli gratia “for example, for instance”

ibid. ibidem “in the same place” (used in citations to indicate a prior source)

i.e. id est “that is, in other words”

lb. libra “scales” (indicates pounds)

vs. versus “against

194. IT’S ALL RELATIVESPractice relationship vocabulary by drawing a real or fictitious family tree on the board of at least three generations. Make sure you have plenty of in-laws and grandchildren. After reviewing the vocabulary, Ss form groups and compete for points. Give a group two names from the board, and let the Ss make a sentence, such as: “Mary is Johnny’s aunt,” or “Johnnie is Mary’s nephew.”

195. FIND THE MISTAKESEditing is a tough for everyone. Write a sentence on the board that has no punctuation or capitals (use some proper nouns like city names to increase the challenge). Split the class into two and let the first group make corrections on the board. They get points for every right correction and minus points for incorrect fixes. Now let the second group point out any mistakes the first one missed - they get points for any corrections they make. Now write another sentence and let the second group make its edits.

196. NOUN OR VERB?Stressing the proper syllable is a great way for advanced speakers to hone their conversation skills. Sometimes the only dif-ference between a word that can be both a noun and a verb is where we place the stress: nouns are stressed on the first syl-lable, verbs on the second. Help Ss become aware of this distinction by using the follow words in sentences as both a noun and a verb, and letting Ss indicate which they think it is.

Noun Verb

SUSpect susPECT

CONtract conTRACT

REbel reBEL

PROtest proTEST

REcord reCORD

PERmit perMIT


CONvict conVICT

PREsent preSENT

197. HOW DO YOU USUALLY ROLL?Ss can always use practice with adverbs of frequency. On the board, number the words “always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never.” Split the class into two groups and hand a die to one S in each group. Let them take turns rolling the die, and then making a sentence with the word that corresponds to the number they rolled. And check them for accuracy: If someone says, “I never brush my teeth,” for example, check that he really means it.

198. MAKE A TIMELINEWant to work on present perfect? Have Ss make a timeline of the important events in their lives, such as when they came to this country, when they began studying English, when they got married, when they moved into their current home, when they got their current job. While they make the timeline, write on the board, “How long have you _______.” Model interviewing Ss, then have them stand and mingle with the each other, asking questions and providing information.

199. “INTER-” ESTINGWrite “intermission” on the board and underline “inter.” Ask Ss to guess what the prefix means (between). Once they’ve figured it out, write several more words beginning with “inter” and have the Ss in groups come up with possible definitions and present them to the class. Correct where necessary.

200. CRAZY TALKNeed to liven up a class? Split the class into four groups and then have a representative from each come up to the board. Split the board into four areas and give each one a vocabulary heading that the class has studies, such as furniture, sports, weather, medical, etc. Each group is given a different color marker. Set a timer for one minute, and then let the groups start yelling words up to the S at the board. He or she will write as many words as possible. When the timer goes off Ss switch to a new writer and continue for another minute. At the end, tally up the number of words in each color.

201. BEACH TIMEVocabulary practice: Everyone’s headed out for a day in the sun. In pairs, have Ss come up with everything they’ll need for a good day out, including clothing, hats, umbrellas, and sunscreen.

202. HEAL ME: BACK PAINAct out the symptoms of lower back pain, and ask Ss to guess what’s wrong with you. Then have them suggest possible remedies.

203. THIS AND THATStart a phrase chain that gives Ss practice with these words. Hold up an object and say, “This is my pen,” (for example). A S must then say, “That is his pen, this is my____.” The following S must say the previous two items (using “that” and the proper pronoun), and then say “And this is my _______.” If someone makes a mistake, they can start the chain over.


204. A SPORTING CHANCE In groups, one S acts out a sport while his partners try to guess what he’s doing.

205. WHO AM I? On index cards, write down a living or dead famous person—someone everyone in the class should know. Tape the cards to the Ss’ backs, then have them practice yes/no questions, such as: “Am I female? Am I tall? Am I a singer? Am I a politician? Etc.

206. GERUND TIMEDraw a 5 by 5 grid on the board, and starting at the top left, write “Name, like, dislike, love, hate.” Ss can copy the grid onto a piece of paper. Practice “What do you ______ doing?” Ss will use gerunds in their answers (shopping, dancing, cooking, etc.).

207. EASTER/SPRING BREAKSpelling contest: How many words—and what’s the longest word—Ss can make out of this combination? Have them work in groups and write their results on the board.

208. DO THE MATHMath may be a strange choice in an English course, but this exercise is designed to get Ss to realize they must speak more English when they’re not in class if they really want to learn. First, elicit how many hours there are in a day. Then, of those hours, how many are Ss awake? The answers will range from 16 to 18 hours a day. Query how many days there are in a week, and then ask the Ss to multiply the average hours they’re awake by seven. The answer will be around 120 hours a week. Now ask Ss how many hours a week they’re in class. Depending on your class, it could be anywhere from 5 to 15 hours a week. Write 120 next to the class hours—say, 5. The contrast will help Ss realize that there are a lot more hours dur-ing their day that they could spend studying and speaking English.

209. STUDY STRATEGIESThis can be a good warmer to do on the heels of 208. Sometimes Ss need help coming up with ways to study English on their own—outside of class and homework. Create a grid on the board with a column for names and a column with the heading: “How do you practice English outside of class?” Create about five or six rows and have Ss copy it onto a piece of paper. In the first row, have Ss write their name and one way they can practice English when they’re not in class. (Watch English-language television, visit ESL websites, listen to English-language music, etc.) Now have the Ss stand and interview other Ss about their strategies. At the end, have the Ss present the most interesting one they heard, and from whom.

210. EATING IDIOMSAssign one or two of these to groups of Ss and have them try to guess the meaning. Let Ss present their definitions to the class, and then correct or finesse where necessary. Then have them use the idioms in sentences.

Acquire a taste At one sitting

Hungry as a bear Bottoms up!

Come and get it! Cook up a storm


Done to a T Eat and run

My eyes are bigger than my stomach Have a sweet tooth

211. THINGS WE DO WITH…For a quick vocabulary review, write on the board: “Things we do with our mouth.” In groups, Ss come up with as many verbs as they can in a minute. After the timer goes off, have each group read off their list: They get points for each verb, and five points for a verb no one else got. Then write “Things we do with our feet,” and start again.

212. GEOGRAPHY BUILDERHave your Ss look at a map in their textbook or somewhere in the classroom. You can focus on a single continent or use a world map. Put on the board: “beach, desert, jungle, mountain, ocean, forest, lake, sea, and river.” Have Ss work in groups to decide where on the map you can find these features. If you can bring in larger scale maps of smaller areas, you can add “pond, stream, valley, hill, woods,” and any other features you might be studying.

213. JOURNAL PREPWriting is an excellent way for Ss to become more fluent. Have them take out a notebook or piece of paper and think of one moment from their day that stood out: The moment made them feel something, whether it was happy, sad, or frustrated. Tell them to describe the moment, the people and objects around them, and then their emotions. Tell them they just made their first journal entry of many. Emphasize that they shouldn’t worry too much about grammar or spelling, just that they should write daily if possible.

214. WRITE A RULE: DOUBLING UPSome verbs get a double consonant in the past and gerund forms. But why? Write “help, rain, stop, visit, prefer” on the board and ask Ss how to spell the past or gerund forms (helped, rained, stopped, visited, preferred). Now have the Ss form groups and discuss why some get the double consonant and others don’t: What’s distinctive or different about the double consonant verbs? Elicit theories from the class. The rule: If a verb has one syllable and end in one vowel plus one consonant, double the consonant. (At the end of the lesson, note that the exceptions are words that end in “w” and “x.”) For “prefer,” the rule is that if the accent is on the second syllable, double the consonant.

215. IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMESWhen practicing extreme weather events, have Ss relate their own experience. First, in groups, have Ss tell their experience. Then have them write a paragraph, and read it to the class.

216. DESERT ISLAND LISTThis classic is fun for Ss, but give it a spin: Along with listing the five or ten things they couldn’t live without, they have to in-clude one thing that will help them practice their English. What would it be?

217. HEAL/HEELFirst, read the sentences below and check whether the Ss have made the correct choice from context. Then have Ss come up with sentences of their own using these homonyms, and then test each other.

My heel hurts. I wonder if a doctor can heal it?


That guy is such a heel. Maybe the right woman can help him heal.

Being able to help people heal is a valuable skill.

That boat is heeling too much.

218. TO/-TA/-NANative speakers run words together frequently, making it tough for second-language listeners. Try some dictation to give Ss practice:

I want to go the store. (I wanna go ta the store.)

We’re going to go to the movies. (We’re gonna go ta the movies.)

You ought to call your mom, first. (You otta call your mom, first.)

He’s got to get ready. (He’s gotta get ready.)

219. DEFINITION BATTLEDivide the class into two teams and put a S from each at the board with a marker in hand. Read a definition from the vocabu-lary you’re working on. The rest of the class must remain quiet while the Ss at the board figure out what word you want. The first to write it (spelled correctly) earns a point for his or her team.

220. IT’S ALLERGY SEASONYou have a runny nose, itchy eyes, and you’re sneezing. Ask your Ss to guess what’s wrong and then give you advice.

221. HOW DO YOU GET AROUIND?Draw a grid with two columns and seven rows. At the top of the columns write: “Find someone who” and “Name.” In the rows below “Find someone who,” write: “often rides a motorcycle,” “sometimes drives a truck,” “usually takes the bus,” “always rides a bicycle,” “never takes a train,” and “rarely walks.” Have Ss copy the grid onto a piece of paper, then circulate around the class finding people who fit each category and writing down names.

222. MY TOP FIVE: TVOn the board, write “TV shows,” and underneath write: Comedy, Drama, Detective, Reality Show, Actor/Actress. Ss should write down their favorites in each category (they may not have one for every category), and then share their answers in a group. Then have Ss and mingle with the class to see if anyone else has any of the same favorites.

223. WELCOME TO MY STOREHave Ss decide what kind of store they’re running, and then make a list of items and prices. In small groups, Ss take turns being the shopkeeper, answering questions about what’s for sale and how much it costs.

224. WRITE A REVIEWAsk Ss to pick a recent movie they’ve seen. In small groups, Ss name their movie and what they liked or disliked about it. In-


form them that they must also recommend whether others should see it. Once they’ve discussed the positives and negatives and decided whether they would recommend it, have them write a short review and present it to the class.

225. FOOD IDIOMS THAT AREN’T ABOUT EATINGThese idioms are confusing for Ss since they have nothing to do with putting something in your mouth. After Ss take a stab at guessing the meanings, explain, and then see if they have similar idioms in their own language.

As cool as a cucumber Buy a lemon

Easy as apple pie Flat as a pancake

Nutty as a fruitcake Chew the fat

Bad egg Big cheese (or Big enchilada)

Half-baked Bite off more than you can chew

Bring home the bacon Eat your words

Butter someone up Eat your cake, and have it too.

226. DIDYANative English speakers abuse “Did + pronoun” questions by running the words at the beginning of the sentence together. Help Ss practice with this dictation:

Did you remember your books? (didya or didja)

Did I tell you what happened? (dih or dih-di)

Did he forget something? (de or dih-de)

Did she pay for your lunch? (dih-she)

Did we study last night? (dih-we)

Did they smile at us? (dih-they)

227. DON’T “MIS-” OUTWith a better understanding of prefixes, Ss can easily expand their vocabulary. Write “behave” and “misbehave” on the board and have Ss, without a dictionary, take guesses at the meaning of the prefix (“bad”). Write some more examples on the board, and have Ss come up with definitions and sentences using the “mis-” prefix.

inform judge

lead place

fit interpret

228. DID YOU HEAR THAT?Learning to gossip in a new language is always exciting. Using some recent celebrity gossip, teach the phrase: “Did you hear that ________?” Now have Ss form pairs and find out about some recent news from their partner. Teach the response, “Oh really?” as well. Now have the Ss stand and mingle with their classmates. They can report their first news to a new S, who will say “Oh really? Well, did you hear that _______.” Ss can then go to a new S and either report their original gossip or the new


gossip they’ve just heard.

229. AROUND THE WORLDHave one S stand behind another’s chair. Give the two Ss a verb and ask for the past form or the plural. If the standing person gets it right, then move behind the next seated S (the first step in getting “around the world”). If the seated S gets it right first, she stands up and moves behind the next seated S and the standing person takes her seat. The winner is a S that makes it all the way around the class.

230. ANIMAL CRACKERSMake two teams, and tell the Ss they will have to describe an animal to a teammate well enough that they can guess what it is. But they can’t say the name of the animal. Have a S from the first team face away from the board while you write an ani-mal (cow, for example) on the board. Once the group has the animal, erase the word and let the S turn back to his team. They have 30 seconds to get it right, then it’s the next team’s turn.

231. WHO’S WEARING CONTACT LENSES? For a present progressive exercise, create a grid on the board with two columns and six rows. In the rows, write: wearing contact lenses, wearing striped socks, living with parents, working two jobs, feeling sleepy, wearing cologne or perfume. Have Ss mingle with classmates asking the present progressive form of the questions: “Are you _____?” Check by asking “Who’s wearing contact lenses?” Make sure Ss answer with the full present progressive sentence: “________ is wearing contact lenses.”

232. TIME’S UPDraw a clock face on the board and then draw a random small hand and big hand. Ask the class, “What time is it?” The first S who gets it right comes up to the board and draws a new time, then asks the class, “What time is it?” Continue until everyone has had a turn.

233. PRONOUNCING “-S” AND “-ES”Have Ss practice the difference between “-s” and “-es” plurals and 3rd-person singular verbs by having them all stand by their desk. Approach the first S and say “work.” S replies “works” and then spells the word. If they get it right, they remain standing. If they get it wrong, they sit down. Start with simple words, and move to progressively harder ones, and make sure Ss pro-nounce the two-syllable words (box, boxes) properly. Last one standing is the winner.

234. WHO, WHAT, WHERE?To practice forming questions, give Ss statements about common events or well-known people, and they must create a question—using the proper wh-word—to go with the statement. Have Ss collaborate in teams of 3 or 4. Model a few answers beforehand. You say, for example, “It’s an animal that lives on a farm and lays eggs.” Ss confer with their team to come up with the question, “What is a chicken?” The teams who get the correct question win a point.

235. HOT POTATOYou’ll need a timer with a loud buzzer and a beanbag for this one. Have Ss stand in a circle and tell them they must come up with a statement using whatever tense or grammatical structure you’re working on currently. Set the timer for one minute and hand the “hot potato” to the first S. He makes a statement—for a past tense unit, he might say, “I went to bed at 10:00 last night,” and then passes the beanbag to the next S. This continues until the timer goes off. The S holding the beanbag is out


and must sit. Start again, and the last S standing is the winner.

236. WHY WOULD YOU COME HERE?Tell Ss they have to create a poster about their town or community that would make visitors want to travel here. This is a great way to get Ss to learn more about where they live. In groups of four or five, Ss contribute ideas of what makes their city unique. Prompt them by asking about museums, sporting complexes, parks, playgrounds, restaurants, and landmarks. Let the groups create their poster on the board (leaving room for the other groups, of course.)

237. DREAM CARMost Ss won’t have any trouble coming up with their ideal ride. Have them form small groups and describe their favorite car to the Ss and why they like/want it so much. The other Ss listen and take notes. Then quiz the Ss on their classmates’ choices.

238. MAKE AN AD FOR YOUR DREAM CARYou can build off 237 for this or simply form groups and get each one to agree on one car they all like. Elicit selling points for a car: Gas mileage, horsepower, stereo, sunroof, leather seats, etc. Have each group craft an advertisement for the car, then encourage them to try to sell it to the rest of the class.

239. YOU’RE INVITED!Have Ss brainstorm about different kinds of events that require an invitation, from a dinner party to a wedding. In pairs, Ss settle on an event and then create an invitation. Make sure they have all the necessary information, including time, date, rea-son, what to bring and wear, and R.S.V.P. Then they can share the invitation with the class.

240. WE’RE MAKING A PIEAssign different groups of Ss a dish to make—it can be anything from tunafish casserole to three-layer cake, so long as it requires multiple ingredients. The Ss have to make a shopping list of what they’ll need. Have each group come up and write their list on the board. The details of what they’ll need are less important than whether they get the count and non-count food-stuffs correct. Let the other groups critique the lists.

241. WE’LL ALL HAVE FLYING CARSWork on future tense by having Ss predict what the future will be like. Have them begin individually, then in pairs, and finally in groups. Encourage discussion and dissent. Finally have each Ss in each group read at least one prediction to the class.

242. WRITE A RULE: DROP THE HELPING VERB Write the following sentences on the board:

I will stay home and I will study tonight.

I will stay home and study tonight.

Ask Ss to spot the difference between the sentences and whether both are correct. Then come up with a rule to help them re-member the structure: You don’t have to repeat the helping verb when two verbs are the same tense connect by “and.” Have them come up with some more examples.


243. THIRD-PERSON CHALLENGEOn the board, write of verbs that will help Ss practice the gamut of past form changes: rent, save, study, lift, watch, relax, call, etc. You can do this activity as a whole class or break the class up into teams. The S must make a sentence in the present tense using one of the verbs in the first or third person. A classmate must then change the sentence to past tense, focusing on the ending sound of the verb. For example, a S says, “I relax after work.” or “My son relaxes after school.” Another S must now say, “Cho (or Cho’s son) relaxed (“t” ending sound) after work (school) yesterday.”

244. ONE MILLION DOLLARSTell Ss they have won $1,000,000, and ask them to imagine four things they’re “gonna” do. Have them use adverbs of time to organize their plans. “First I’m gonna buy a new four-bedroom house in the country. Then I’m gonna pay off my credit card debt. Next I’m gonna buy my mom a new car. Finally I’m gonna put the rest in my savings account.”

245. MY FAVORITE BOOKHave them pick a favorite book in their first language and in English. Each S needs to come up with some reasons why it was a favorite. Have them write on the board the title and author along with at least one reasons why they enjoyed the book. Then give the rest of the class a chance to copy down the ones that sound appealing.

246. A PHRASE IN TIMEAcross the top of the board, write “at, in, on, ago, last, this” and review with Ss the use of these prepositions with time. Now write the words on index cards and put them face down on a table between two teams. One S from the first team approaches the table and turns over one card. She must make a time phrase with the word on the card. If the sentence is correct, her team scores a point. If it’s wrong, the other team can steal the point by making a correct sentence with the same word. Then shuffle the cards and the second team takes a turn.

247. “PRE-” PAREDThis prefix is a bit trickier for Ss: Write “view” and “preview” and let Ss take guesses at what “pre-” might mean (“before”). Put some more “pre-” words on the board and have Ss suggest definitions, and then use them in sentences.

Predate predict

Prehistoric prefix (!)

Preparation predetermine

preoccupy

248. KNOW/NOHomonym confusion: Help Ss sort out what they’re hearing by listening for the context of the word. Make this more challeng-ing by working salting in sentences using “knows” and “nose.” Try some dictation with these sentences:

I know no one better than you.

No, I don’t know him

Now, you know I said no.


You know what they always say: The nose knows.

I know that milk is bad: my nose is never wrong.

249. WE NEED A VOLUNTEERAsk Ss if they have ever done any charity work. Elicit examples from Ss of place where they can volunteer. Explain that this not only is a wonderful experience, it’s another opportunity to practice speaking and listening skills. If possible provide contact information for volunteer organizations—churches, soup kitchens, libraries, etc—and have Ss copy it.

250. I HAVE THE HICCUPSPretend you have the hiccups and get Ss to guess your problem. Elicit what hiccups are called in the various languages your Ss speak. Now give your favorite remedy and ask for theirs.

251. GIVE A COMMANDThis is a fun and potentially silly way to practice the command form. Go over the structure and elicit possible commands Ss can give. Then put all the Ss names on pieces of paper in a hat or bag. One S comes to the front of the room and draws a name. Whoever is picked gives a command to the S who drew the name, and the S must perform—or mime—it. Then the command-giver comes to the front and the performer sits. Continue until everyone has had a chance.

252. SHOPPING SPREEWork on shopping vocabulary and listening skills with this game: Tell Ss they are going on a shopping spree at the mall. The first S says, “I went to the mall and I bought a pair of shoes.” The next person must remember what the first S said and add one more item: “I went to the mall and I bought a pair of shoes and a jacket.” The next S must remember say two previous items and add one more item. When a S fails to remember an item or gets them out of order, they are out of the game. The winner is the last one who remembers all the items. If more than one S can remember all the items, add new items until only one person remains.

253. FLIP THE SENTENCEHelp Ss gain familiarity with time clauses: Split the class into two teams and bring two Ss to the board and give them mark-ers. Read a time phrase such as, “I got married in 2002.” Ss must flip the phrase to “In 2002, I got married.” First one to finish and punctuate the sentence correctly wins a point for his team.

254. PROVERBSEvery culture has its words of wisdom. Assign one proverb each to groups of three or four Ss and have them puzzle out the meaning. Then have them present their definition to the class.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

The early bird gets the worm.

Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

A penny saved is a penny earned.

It’s no use crying over spilled milk


255. WHAT’S YOUR CLASSROOM STYLE?Elicit from Ss what behaviors in class can assist learning. Some possibilities include, “ask the teacher questions,” “Speak only English in class and on break,” “write new vocabulary on cards,” “be outgoing.” Then have the Ss mingle and find other Ss who practice these behaviors. They can write down the S’s name next to the behavior. At the end, quiz Ss about who does what.

256. WE MUST Bring in magazine ads that show people doing various things. In pairs, have Ss come up with questions for what’s happening in the photo. (For a picture of a woman coughing, Ss could write, “Why is she coughing?”) Then they turn to a new S and ask their question, and the S must respond using “must”: “She must have a cold.”

257. MAKE AN APPOINTMENTTell Ss they need to schedule an appointment for something: It can be a medical appointment, a haircut, a pedicure, or an oil change. Go over the phone language with Ss and write examples on board. Have pairs sit back to back and take turns play-ing the receptionist while they and make the phone call to get their appointment.

258. KEEP THAT APPOINTMENTYou can build off 257, or you can start from scratch for this one: Have Ss decide what, when, and where their appointment is, then have them write a sentence using the proper time phrases: “My (type) appointment is on (date), at (location). It’s in (number of days until appointment.) Have them practice the sentence and make corrections with a partner.

259. THAT’S NONSENSEHand out nonsense words on index cards to each S. (Nonsense words are words that sound like English but are not real words: blugger, jing, parshing, gafly...). The S looks at the word and based on it’s structure decides what part of speech it would probably be (“Gafly would probably be an adverb because it ends in –ly.” “Parshing could be a verb because it has the –ing suffix.” etc... ) Ss share their results in small groups. Ss can agree or disagree, or give an alternate possible: “Parshing might be a present participle, so it could be a verb or an adjective.” This activity not only helps Ss identify patterns in parts of speech, but allows allows them to practice speech associated with probability or possibility (would be, could be, might be)

260. NAME THAT MONTHSs work in groups of four or five. Each S must choose a month of the year and then describe this month, using weather words, clothing worn in this month, and holidays or celebrations that occur in this month. The S must use at least three de-scriptives, the rest of the group tries to guess the month.

261. QUICK SPELLING CHALLENGEWrite the day of the week on the board and have Ss work in pairs to come up with as many words as possible.

262. SAFETY FIRSTBring in some old, empty medicine and prescription bottles with the warning labels intact. Hand them out to pairs of Ss, and then call out warnings or directions that appear on the bottles. The first pair to raise their hand gets a point, and then explain what they think the warning or directions mean.


263. DO YOU NEED ANYTHING?Practice supermarket vocabulary, count and noncount nouns, and making requests with this activity. This is a whole class ac-tivity but if you have a very large class, you can break into two groups. Model the activity by saying, “I’m going to the store. Do you need anything.” “Yes, can you pick me up some milk/a loaf of bread/a bottle of ketchup, etc...” Explains that each S will request an item, and each S after that must also make a request, but must first repeat all of the previous requests in order. The teacher begins the activity by asking the first S, “I’m going to the store. Do you need anything?” S one answers, “Yes, I need _______.” Then S1 turns to S2 and says the prompt, “I’m going to the store. Do you need anything?” S2 says, “Yes, can you pick me up (what S1 requested) and _______.” Then S2 asks S3, who must remember the two previous requests and add one more, and so on. When a S fails to remember an item or says the list of items out of order, they are out of the game. The winner is the last one who remembers all the items.

264. PREP FOR THE DOCTORIntroduce this by talking about a time you injured yourself. Where were you, when was it, how did it happen, what was the injury. As you explain yourself, write the interrogative words on the board. Now have the Ss come up an injury they or a family member experienced. Have them fill in all the details, explaining that they would need to provide this information to a doc-tor or emergency room nurse. Now have the Ss form pairs with one person playing the role of doctor, the other patient. Then switch.

265. MONEY, HONEYBring in a sampling of the local currency, bills and coins. Pass it out to groups of Ss and have them look at the details. They’ll need to describe the money to the class and come up with reasons for the various design choices. Be prepared to fill in miss-ing or incorrect details.

266. CAN YOU PLACE IT?Write prepositions of place on the board and review them with Ss. (Around, down, between, on, near, at, next to, across from, near. Draw a grid on the board that represents the rows between desks and across the front and back of class. Give the rows street names. Bring all of the Ss to the front of the classroom, then place backpacks, books, pencils, and other items on vari-ous desks and have the Ss give each other directions using the made up names.

267. GETTING THROUGH THE WEEKOne S stands behind another S and has a race to see who can name the correct day of the week first. The teacher will say two days of the week that come on either side of another day. (Teacher says, “Wednesday and Friday”). The first S to call out “Thursday” (the day between those two named days) wins. If the standing S loses the race, he/she sits in the winner’s seat, and the winner moves behind the next S. Do this until Ss get several chances to try.

268. HOME REMEDIESThink of a home remedy you have, such as eating chicken soup when you have a cold, or taking Echinacea. Explain to Ss the difference between regular medicine and home remedies. Then have them form groups and discuss their own, and then share them with the class.

269. WHO’S WEARING…?For lower level Ss, practice clothing vocabulary by having Ss each write a question about something someone else is wear-ing. They take turns coming to the front of the class and reading the question and then calling on someone to answer it.


270. WHAT’S THE “OVER-”?This prefix is pretty easy for Ss, but they may not realize how frequently it’s used or recognize how it can help them under-stand new vocabulary. Write “due” and “overdue” on the board and elicit the meaning (“excessive”). Do the same with the following words:

Overboard overburden

Overact overcrowded

Overlook overpass

271. ADD IT UPFor beginning level Ss, practice counting money and learning the vocabulary surrounding cash is always useful. Draw crude examples of the coins and bills of your currency. Create groups of three or four Ss, then write numbers next to several of the coins and bills. For U.S. currency, for example, you could write 1 next to nickels, 4 next to dimes, 2 next to dollar bills, and 3 next to five-dollar bills. The group has 20 seconds to come up with $17.45. If they get it right, they get a point. Then erase the numbers and write a new set.

272. WHO DO YOU BUY FOR?Giving gifts is always fun. Have Ss form pairs and talk about who they buy gifts for and for what reasons (holidays, birthdays, etc.) Then have Ss write a list of family members (mother, brother, niece, etc) and what they want to buy them. They can share their lists in groups.

273. ARE YOU READY FOR CLASS? This is a vocabulary and memory game for beginning level Ss to help them review school supply vocabulary. Ss work in groups of 6-8 Ss declaring school-related items they have brought to class. One S begins: “I’m ready for class. I have my pencil (one school item).” The the next S must repeat what S #1 said and add one more item: “I’m ready for school. I have my pencil and my notebook.” Ss continue around the circle adding new school-related items to the list. When a S forgets an item, they are out. The winner is the S who can add new items and remember all the previously-named items in order. Common items are: pencil, pen, notebook, folder, paper, binder, highlighter, markers, backpack, dictionary, eraser, laptop computer, ipad, textbook, workbook, post-it notes...

274. ARE/OURDictation practice: Test your Ss comprehension abilities by reading the sentences below and checking whether they get the right spelling.

Are our friends coming over?

Our schedule is too busy.

Are you feeling okay?

When are you planning to email our boss?

275. THE PRICE IS WRITEBring in cut out images of clothing, furniture, electronics, and toys from catalogs and fliers. Write a realistic price for each on


the back of the image. Split the class into four or five groups, and hold up one image. Each group decides on a price and writes it down. Then they each give their answer. Turn over the image—the closest guess wins a point.

276. NEED OR WANTHelp Ss understand the distinction by having them write a wish list of things they would like to have. Elicit some examples from the class and write them on the board. Discuss the reasons—do they want new clothes because of a new job, for exam-ple? That’s a need. Or do they want new clothes because they love fashion? Want. Now have them form groups and discuss the reasons for wanting these things. At the end, Ss can share a “need” and a “want.”

277. PAIRSPlay this association game to drill Ss on household vocabulary. Tell the class you will say a household word and they have to come up with an associated word. For example, you say “Faucet,” and someone responds “sink.” Then that S can make an association by saying, for example, “bathtub” and someone else can say “bathroom” or “shower.” Continue as you make your way around the house.

278. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?Ss choose a sport or activity that they enjoy doing. Then they create a list of instructions on how to do this activity. They must use “sequence of events” words (e.g., first, then, next, after that, finally). Then they read the instructions to a partner and the partner does the activity. Ss often find they are missing key parts of the instructions and must go back and add more details. The S following the instructions should ask clarification questions when unsure.

279. BECAUSE, BECAUSE OFKnowing when to use these can be a sticking point for Ss. Tell the class they have to come up with a reason they have to miss class. Then have them write two sentences explaining why, one using “because,” one with “because of.” Demonstrate on the board how “because of” requires a noun phrase, while “because” just needs a subject and a verb. Have the Ss share their reasons with the class.

280. NOUN, VERB, OR ADJECTIVE?Divide the class into several teams and have one member from each come to the board and hand them a marker. Read a word, and the first S to spell and label the word correctly earns a point for his or her team.

281. I THINK IT WILL BE …This is a fun way to work on listening and memory. Draw a 3 x 3 grid on the board and tell Ss to copy it down on a piece of paper. Now tell them to fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from their lesson. You’ll read a selection pertaining to the unit, and Ss can cross off words as you say them. When a S has a complete row crossed off, she raises her hand. Continue read-ing until all the Ss have crossed off a row.

282. WHAT SHE SAIDRephrasing and reporting what someone else said helps Ss become familiar with different tenses and grammatical structures. Form groups of three, and have the Ss make a statement about how they’re feeling, to start. S1 might say, “I feel tired.” S2 ask S3, “What did she say?” S3 replies, “She says she feels tired.” After each Ss has played each role, give them a new topic about which they can make a statement, such as likes or dislikes.


283. YEAR IN, YEAR OUTSplit the class into two groups and have one S from each come to the board and give them markers. Say two months—“February and March,” for example. The first S to write the month that comes between scores a point for his or her team. Then have two more Ss come up.

284. LONG AND OFTENWrite several time phrases on index cards, such as “every hour, once a year, a long time, an hour and a half, 45 minutes, four times a year, for a week, every other month,” etc. Fan the cards to a S and have him choose one. He reads the time phrase and then says whether the question would be “How long” or “How often.” If he gets it right, he then asks a S of his choosing a question using the correct question. (“How often do you brush your teeth?” for example.) The S answers, then selects a card.

285. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN Ss make up a nonsense word that sounds like a possible English word (drife, purlox, grissing...). Check the words to make sure they are not real. Ss decide what they want their word to mean (drife is tool used by a mechanic, for example, purlox is a bakery item, grissing is a way to dance, etc.). Ss don’t reveal their word’s meaning: Instead, they put the word into a sentence so their classmates can decipher the meaning through context. (“The mechanic used a drife to fix the car’s engine.”)

286. GHOST WORDSLower level Ss can sometimes be too reliant on reading dialog as opposed to practicing and internalizing it. Help them by writing a dialog from your unit on the board and having the Ss practice it with a partner. Now have them stand and mingle. Each time they switch partners, erase a word or two from the dialog. Once the entire dialog is gone, ask for volunteers to do it for the class.

287. HYPOCHONDRIACWrite various ailments on pieces of paper and give them to Ss—and tell them not to show the paper to anyone else. The S will act out the problem and the rest of the Ss will guess what’s wrong, and then offer solutions.

Possible ailments:

Cold Headache

Sprained ankle Runny nose

Sore muscle Back pain

Allergies Hiccups

288. WRITE A WORDFor a review at the end of a chapter, have Ss form groups and take out a sheet of paper. The first S says a word from the unit and writes it on the paper. Then the next S does the same. They keep passing the paper until they can’t think of another word. (Ss can help anyone in their group who gets stuck.) At the end, have a group read off their words while the others cross off the same words on their list. The second group reads only the words that weren’t on the first groups list while the other groups cross of the matching words. Continue and then give points only for the unique words on each groups list.


289. “NON-” SENSELearning prefix meanings can help Ss quickly expand their vocabulary. Write “sense” and “nonsense” on the board. Ask Ss what they think “non” might mean. Then do the same with some more words:

Nonverbal nonstop

Nonentity nonabrasive

Nonargument noncompliance

290. WHAT’S YOUR UNHEALTHY HABIT?Tell Ss about a habit you have that you know isn’t the best for you. It could be smoking, not exercising enough, eating donuts, whatever. Then have the Ss form pairs and reveal to each other something they do that isn’t healthy. Their partner can offer advice.

291. RELATIONSHIP IDIOMSAssign one of the idioms below to a group of Ss and have them come up with a definition and share it with the class. Add or correct as necessary.

Through thick and thin We don’t see eye to eye.

Let’s clear the air. Fight like cats and dogs.

The honeymoon is over. Blood is thicker than water.

292. TIC-TAC-TOEPut vocabulary words on the board in a tic-tac-toe grid and separate the classes into an X team and and O team. X goes first: They must use the vocabulary word in the space they want in a sentence correctly. If they get it right, put an X in the spot. Then it’s O’s turn. Continue until one group wins, then start over.

293. YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO…Put some common activities on the board, such as bike riding, people watching, listening to music, dancing, walking. Then have Ss stand and ask each other: “Where is your favorite place to ________?” Have them take notes and share the findings with the class. Tally up the answers, and you’ll have the best places—by consensus—to do each of these activities!

294. WHAT’S IN THE LIVING ROOM?Number rooms in the house from one to six: Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, dining room, office. Make two teams, and hand each a die. The first S roles the die, calls out the number, and then must immediately name something that would be found in that room. Then the second team takes a turn. Tell Ss they may not repeat items.

295. BIG, BIGGER, BIGGESTHelp lower level Ss gain facility with comparatives and superlatives with this fast-paced activity: Write several descriptive adjectives on index cards. Split the class into three teams. Walk up to the first team and show them an index card. If it says “big,” in unison they yell “Big!” The second group must instantly yell the comparative “Bigger!” Then the last group yells the


superlative, “Biggest!” Then move to the second group and show the next card to them. Keep the game moving quickly. If anyone in the group yells the wrong form or the group is slow, they get a mark against them.

296. BEFORE AND AFTER SQUARE OFFTwo Ss come to the front of the class. You say to the first one: “Before” and she must make a sentence using before, such as “Before I go to bed, I set my alarm clock.” The second S must then say, “She sets her alarm clock before she goes to bed.” If either of them makes a mistake, they must sit down while the other S remains at the front of the class, and the next chal-lenger comes up.

297. GETTING POSSESSIVEHere’s a quick exercise in correctly indicating possession: Bring two Ss to the board, hand them markers, then write “S.” They must both write the possessive. The first to finish with the correct version wins a point for his team. Make the challenge pro-gressively harder by using plurals, nouns ending in “s”, and plural nouns (such as “children” and “people”).

298. WHAT’S IN THE BAG? This activity allows Ss to practice using vocabulary and phrases associated with the five senses. The teacher has numerous items in a bag. These items should vary enough to allow Ss the opportunity to use multiple senses: a stone, a bell, a cotton ball, a marble, a hand-warmer packet (you can activate it right before the activity), and an orange. Ss volunteer to come and take something out of the bag with their eyes closed (or the teacher can use a blindfold). The S holds the item up so the class can see it and them uses his/her senses—besides sight—to try and guess the item. If you run out of items and want to con-tinue, the Ss can choose items from their purse or bookbag to put in the bag, secretly of course.

299. CONTRACTEDLow level Ss can always use practice with contractions. Have each Ss take out a piece of paper and write five contractions and five short phrases that aren’t contracted. Have them exchange the paper with a neighbor, and then they each write the non-contracted and contracted forms of the phrases. Then let them check each other’s work.

300. TIME OUTTime as a word gets used in numerous ways. Write the following on the board:

Save time Take your time

In time Spend time

On time Wasting time

Have Ss form groups and figure out definitions for the phrase you’ve given them. Then have them use them in sentences.

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