Stewart's Good Games

I know a billion games , but these are the best of them.

Games For teaching English

I find that when I get my students to play games they have fun and learn without really trying. As well as interacting with each other.

The Rizla Game
This is called the Rizla game because everyone has a rizla or sticky piece of paper they then secretly write the name of a famous person on it and attach it to some one elses forehead. Each student takes it in turns to ask the other students 3 questions about themselves and then tries to guess who they are. (sometimes instead of a famous person I get them to write the name of job).
Acting situations
This is good because the students like to use their imaginations. All you do is give them a situation to act out in english ;such asa policeman giving a motorist a ticket, or a waiter giving someone the wrong food.
Sentence story
Give the students a brief beginning to a story then get the first student to add a sentence and th 2nd to add another to that and so on .
write desription words on a cards then you have to pin it to the students backs they treat each other according to the cards ..then they write down what they think it is

Who am I ? - using someone in the room

What`s that in English ?

you read a phrase in Spanish,
one team of three receive a card each , one card has the correct translation on. the others have a space for the student to write what he think is the translation.
After a couple of minutes Team 1 read their answers to a member of Team 2, he has to guess which is the true one
If he is correct Team 2 get a point, otherwise Team1 win the point

If the students are good enough the game can write any phrase which they think is a plausible answer not necessarily the correct one.

Or instead of picking one member of team 2 you get them to vote on the correct answer.

Beat That : The students take it turns to change a sentence until it can`t be beaten

student 1 "I`ve seen David Bowie"
student 2 "I`ve met - David Bowie"
student 3 "I`ve met - David Bowie and Mick Jagger"
student 4 "I`ve had lunch with David Bowie"
student 50 "I`ve had lunch with David Bowie and Mick Jagger"

Find someone who : good introduction exercise the students have a questionaire and have to ask questions to each other in order to complete it.

you can use different types of sentences to practice different tenses. ..

Simple present : Find some who likes the Spice Girls

Future : Find someone who will go to Spain

Past : Find someone who drank tea , yesterday

Used To : Find someone used to live another city

etc..negatives

Direct the blind man : One student is blindolded his partner has to direct him mto the chocolate.

What am I talking about ? : To practice describing . The students picks a word card , and descibes the thing on it to his partner, without using the word. She has to guess

Where am I ?: To practice listening . The students listen to the description of a famous place . the first to guess the place gets the point.

Photogame : To practice describing . Each student has a photo to look at for a few minutes then you put all the photos on the table. Each student talks about their photo and the others have to guess which one it is.

Hotspot : To practice talking about yourself . A student is interviewed Lettermen style. the others have to guess which one it is.

Jobgame : The students interview another student for a job he has to guess what the job is

Bottle game: To practice answering . Spin the bottle whoever it points at picks a question and answers it

Just A Minute : To practice talking . The student speaks on the given subject for one minute without speaking.. give preparation time.

I usually : To practice simple . Write 10 things you normally do on Sunday.

I normally : To practice ..ing . Use a clock or game board to ask the students what they are normally doing at the time.

I wish : To practice ..ing . Each student writes 5 regrets. e.g. "I wish I hadn`t met her"

I`d like : To practice comparitives as, er than , more than, less than, the same as , different from , we both . Put the chairs in a circle with one empty. You don`t want the chair on your right next to you empty so make a statement. e.g. "Pat I'd like you to sit next me , because you are younger than me" , Pat moves so the person next to the new empty seat has to speak.

Acting Situations :

the students act out these situations , but they don't know each others secret motives

A woman really like the man, but he doesn't like her
At the airport - a tourist coming into the country for a birthday party, an immigration officer trying to catch him out.
Ask your boss for a raise you know they made a good profit. Boss you want to buy a big house.
A divorce. Husband wants the child. Wife doesn`t he`s a problem.
Youa re the departmental manager ask the Director for more capital for new machines. Director you are closing the plant in 6 months.
You bought a parrot it doesn`t move ..the salesman said it was sleeping , when you get home you find it was dead. Salesman ..you don't want to give the money back.

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