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  #1 (permalink)  
Unread Feb 12th, 2007, 10:00 pm
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Join Date: Jan 13th, 2007
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crimsect is on a distinguished road
Arrow ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

For a couple of weeks now, I've been leeching this site for good games to play with my little ones, so I thought maybe it's time to give something back...

The following games have been tested in different chinese classes with students ranging between about 8 and 13 years old and class sizes ranging from 4 students to 60 (private and public schools). (I do not take credit for these games, most of them are games I learned from the teacher community or adapted from games I found through the years)


1. The two finger point:
lesson: teaching new words, reading+pronunciation
preparation: nothing
how to play:
Write the vocab. you want to teach them on the blackboard.
Let them stand up. When you point to a word with one finger, they have to say the word. If you point to a word with two fingers, they have to keep quiet. If they get it wrong, they have to sit down. Try to trick them by using alterning fingers, repeating two words and then switching to a third using two fingers, or alternating the finger that you use as the second pointing finger. They love this game and you get them to read all at the same time.
variation: read out the word for them before they have to repeat it, point to a word and say another one, if they just repeat what you say in stead of reading the correct word, they lose... This is to reinforce reading

2. The one armed pirate
lesson: teaching new words, reading+pronunciation
preparation: nothing
for smaller classes, or divide the bigger classes in groups
how to play:
Give them a list of new words or sentences (about ten should do) and put the students in a circle. Give them a ball they should pass around. When they get the ball they should read the next word in the list and then pass it on.
Sounds dull? Use the following three rules:
- don't pass the ball to a student standing next to you
- only use one arm
- if someone drops the ball you start from the beginning of the list again.
Objective of the game is to reach the end of a list as fast as you can. (It's great fun if you play with them...)
It will take them forever to get to the last word, 'cause they keep dropping the ball. Halfway through I switch and tell them to start with the last word and work there way to the first word, so they learn all words (put the easy ones in the middle )
HarHarHar

3. Backward hoop
Can be used for anything you want, only one student at the time speaks though, but still... a good timefiller.
Get a basket and a ball, when they do an english assignment correctly, let them try to put the ball in the basket, earning them a point for their team. One thing though, they have to shoot, standing with their back to the basket.
This puts an extra twist to the basketball game.

4. Back Talk
Lesson:Timefiller/Writing
Put the students in one line and give the last kid in the line a word. He then has to write that word with his finger on the back of the kid standing in front of him. That student then does the same to the next in line and so on. If you divide the class in two or more lines you can have yourself a competition.
Strictly no talking allowed.

5. The substitute
lesson: reading
preparation: nothing
how to play:
When reading a text, give them reading rules to spice things up. The sillier the better. E.g. Everytime you read a word with the letter a in, you have to read it twice. Everytime you have a word with an e, you have to stand up and sit down. If you have a word with an a and an e, you have to read it twice and of course stand up twice .
You can make your own rules and combine multiple rules to increase the difficulty level for them, depending on age and skill level. Most of my 13 year olds start freaking out after 4 rules, but they know this game, most novices will start going wrong after 3.

You can of course turn this in a competition

5. The line game
lesson: reading, pronunciation
preparation: nothing
how to play:
I found this little beauty somewhere on the net (maybe even here) and I love it for Chinese students, 'cause the same technique is used by chinese teachers, just not in such a relaxing atmosphere... so they know the drill and have fun 'cause they learn how good at it they can be if they just relax.
Write some words/sentences on the blackboard and divide the students into two rows, in front of the class.
Ask a student from each row to read one of the items on the blackboard, if they read it right they can go to their seat, if they read it wrong they have to go to the back of the line.
The first line with no students left wins.
My students often ask to play this game and I love it because they actually learn something (by thelmselves or with the help from their friends) Sometimes I can't hear the student in the front 'cause all the ones in the back are practising so hard.

some tips to make it more interesting:
- give them a timelimit in which they should read the item correctly (and make it a sharp time , preferably just a little quicker then they are able to do ). this will make it into a performance competition and helps you keep up the pace so the ones in the back don't get bored.
- s-m-i-l-e and cheat , some kids are just slower, when nobody else is listening, tell them they read well and let them sit down (not always), builds their confidence.

remember now; Teaching is a performance art.

thanks for all the good games
Ralph

Last edited by crimsect : Mar 3rd, 2007 at 06:18 pm.
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  #2 (permalink)  
Unread Feb 15th, 2007, 12:33 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thanks for the great ideas, I tried the One Armed Pirate game and the Line game with 10 6-8 year olds and 10 10-12 year olds and they all loved them!
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  #3 (permalink)  
Unread Mar 3rd, 2007, 05:06 pm
Suzanne
 
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Dear Ralph,

You misspelled preparation and always.

Love, Suzanne
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  #4 (permalink)  
Unread Apr 6th, 2007, 08:52 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thanks for these great ideas.
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  #5 (permalink)  
Unread Mar 28th, 2008, 01:06 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

This worked so well with my third year middle school class. They loved it!
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  #6 (permalink)  
Unread Mar 28th, 2008, 01:07 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

The substitute game did!
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  #7 (permalink)  
Unread Apr 21st, 2008, 05:18 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thanks for the tips!
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  #8 (permalink)  
Unread Apr 25th, 2008, 09:45 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thanks for these great games. I'm sure it will be fun with my kids this weekend. I will try these on them and will let you know. Carpe Diem! More Powers!
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  #9 (permalink)  
Unread Apr 25th, 2008, 07:41 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

really helpful games!!! thanks a lot!!
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  #10 (permalink)  
Unread May 18th, 2008, 08:26 pm
Grids
 
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thank you for the line game. Will be trying it in my Spanish classes tomorrow
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  #11 (permalink)  
Unread Jun 4th, 2008, 06:56 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

I read this thread on Tuesday and then yesterday my low level Grade one High School students (age 16) finished an activity early (they have low concentration) so I did the line game. It was great, simple and worked. hehe my co-teacher was impressed. I have told her I get all the good ideas from the net.

thanks heaps!
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  #12 (permalink)  
Unread Jun 5th, 2008, 02:48 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Wow it did work! They just love the two finger point so much that they want to be the teacher. Hahah! Thanks once again. Would try the other games with them this weekend.
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  #13 (permalink)  
Unread Jul 2nd, 2008, 10:09 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Geeez!!! This site is better and better! Those games!! Perfect for children and adults! It's amazing how wonderful it is this sharing of ideas, suggestions, problems, in such a high spirited way! Lucky we all are!
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  #14 (permalink)  
Unread Jul 2nd, 2008, 10:22 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

And now my contribution: Game: What can you do with an apple? It's for beginners but I think if adapted can be used for many levels. aim: to practice verbs and vocab. Preparation: none. (Yoopee!) Teacher or pupil (in turns) asks the group: What can we do with an apple? (or all the nouns they know), In 15 seconds (or+) individually or in group, the students must come up with answers: from the obvious "We can eat it." to more "original" ones: "We can make jam with it." "We can throw it." "We can cook it." etc... Points for each acceptable answer, or point for the acceptable and original (no one else said it before). The teacher can use easy nouns or more tricky ones: one-pound note, or double sense ones: match, etc. Or even change a bit to: "What can't you do without a boat?" "We can't cross the river.", "We can't sleep in the river." We cannot go on a cruiser." "We cannot spend the Sunday cleaning it!
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  #15 (permalink)  
Unread Jul 2nd, 2008, 11:17 am
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Here one more: To practice would do. Pupil A leaves the room. The class decides what is the problematic situation A is in. E.g: A ate in a restaurant and finds she/he has no money.
A comes back and must figure out, with as many questions as she needs, what is the situation she is in. She can asks Mara: Mary, what would you do? Mary answers: I would call my parents. John, what would you do? John: I would borrow some money. etc...
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  #16 (permalink)  
Unread Jul 6th, 2008, 01:06 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

fantastic I did not know that this site will be this cool well done crimsect
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  #17 (permalink)  
Unread Jul 10th, 2008, 10:45 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Wow Where do you come with these??? Thank you so much
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  #18 (permalink)  
Unread Aug 2nd, 2008, 06:20 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

I can't wait to use these games with my kids! Thankss!!!
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  #19 (permalink)  
Unread Oct 14th, 2008, 02:11 pm
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Default Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Thanks for the great ideas.
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  #20 (permalink)  
Unread Oct 15th, 2008, 09:14 am
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Thumbs up Re: ESL Games: 8 -13 year olds; no or little preperation

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing
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