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  • Collaborative writing activities

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Collaborative writing

Some teachers tend to avoid writing in class, perhaps feeling that as it is something which learners do individually and in silence, it is better done for homework.

However, when writing is done as a collaborative activity, it can have many of the same benefits of a group speaking activity:

Discussing the writing process obviously provides more opportunities for learners to interact in English, a benefit in itself.

It can also help learners to develop their communicative competence by forcing the negotiation of meaning. As learners try to express their ideas to each other, they will have to clarify, rephrase and so on. The process should also help them to actually develop their ideas.

According to Vygostsky’s theory of ZPD (zone of proximal development),  working with others  can provide the opportunity for learners to work at a level slightly above their usual capacity, as co-operating with others who know a little more can boost achievement.

Collaborative writing has been shown to lower anxiety and foster self-confidence, compared with completing tasks individually ( Johnson and Johnson 1998 )

Research by Storch , found that texts produced by pairs were shorter than those produced individually, but that they were better  ‘in terms of task fulfilment, grammatical accuracy and complexity.’ It appeared that the process of working together meant that learners were giving each other useful feedback as they went along, and thereby producing more accurate and complex texts. [Incidentally, I plan to look at feedback on writing in a future post]

Collaborative writing can also be a lot of fun, and, with the growth of webtools for collaboration (not my personal expertise!), it is becoming increasingly popular.

Planning collaboratively

Planning is usually an important part of a successful writing process (though ‘free’ writing has its place). Even if students are to go on to write individually, planning together can be very motivating. It tends to work best if the process is given some kind of structure, so that the group is not simply staring at a blank sheet.

In terms of getting ideas, I love this activity from Learner based Teaching . Students are preparing to write about a topic they know a lot about, such as a hobby or their job. They write the topic at the top of a piece of paper, then, sitting in a circle, the pieces of paper are passed round clockwise. Students have to read each topic and add a question about it, making sure that they don’t duplicate any questions. When the paper comes back to its original author, they then have to write a text which answers ALL the questions, organised in a logical way. The texts are then displayed with the questions and see how they question was answered, asking for clarification if necessary.

One of my favourite activities for collaboratively planning academic type essays is to start by brainstorming the topic onto a mind-map on the board, or use a mind-mapping tool . For example, in describing a festival in your country, you might have sections for dress, food, music and so on.

Then stick a Cuisenaire rod of a different colour onto each section of the mind-map. Of course, you could use coloured strips of paper, but I like Cuisenaire rods… Next, put the students into smallish groups and give each group a set of rods in the same colours. They can then use the rods to decide or to order and arrange the topics within the essay. It’s a simple idea, but there is something about the tactile nature of the rods that seems to help with planning. It’s also concrete, rather than abstract.

Writing collaboratively

The first activity that came to my mind when thinking about collaborative writing was the time-honoured circle writing activity. One student writes a line, then passes it on to another who writes the next line and so on. I have to admit that I am not actually very keen on this activity. It can have some amusing outcomes, but I wonder what exactly the students are learning, as the process rarely produces a coherent or cohesive outcome.

One activity of this sort that I do like, however, is Genre Circle Writing, which I originally found in The Minimax Teacher . This works beautifully with more advanced learners who have been learning about the features of different genres. Start by brainstorming different types of narrative genres, such as news article, romance, conversation, fairytale, sci-fi. Ask each student to choose a genre they would like to write in and ask them to think about the features of their genre, e.g. typical vocabulary and fixed expressions, register, word and sentence length. Put the students into groups of 5-6, then ask each of the to write the first paragraph of a narrative in their genre. After an agreed time limit they pass the papers clockwise, read the new story and write the next paragraph, but in their own genre, rather than following the original genre. Continue until the story reaches its originator, who writes the concluding paragraph. Some of the stories can then be read aloud and the students listening have to say what genre they think each paragraph is. These texts won’t be any more coherent than the usual circle writing texts, but they are really good for raising awareness of genre.

Jigsaw writing is another way of structuring collaborative writing, so that the process is clearly defined. This works well with picture stories or cartoon strips. Put students into small groups and give each group one or two pictures from the sequence. They have to write a paragraph describing what is happening or happened in their picture(s), and should have a copy each. [Incidentally, make sure everyone is using the same tense. ]Then regroup the students into larger groups so that there is someone in each group who has written about each of the pictures, and ask them to decide on the correct order of the pictures and make any changes necessary to turn their paragraphs into a coherent whole. Students can then read and compare the different versions.

If students are quite used to working together, and don’t need quite so much structure, adding an element of competition can provide some fun and motivation. This activity also comes from Learner-based Teaching. Ask the class to choose a current event or issue. Then put them into small groups (3-4) and ask them to write a short article about it together. They should try to make the article as informative as possible. Once the groups have finished the articles are passed around. Each group should look for pieces of information or facts which their group did not remember. Students can then vote for the most informative (and best written) text

What other collaborative writing activities have you used successfully?

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55 Comments

Filed under Teaching methodology , Working with groups , Writing

Tagged as DELTA , education , efl , elt , eltchat , ESL , esol , literacy , mixed ability , text organisation , Vygotsky , writing , ZPD

55 responses to “ Collaborative writing activities ”

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I’m a big fan of collaborative writing! I think the circle writing activity can work with a follow-up (I’ll write this up for my blog sometime). I also have a nice collaborative idea writing a newspaper story using pictures from newspapers that I should write up so thanks for giving me some ideas! Some great new ideas for me here too. I think collaborative writing can be a really good way of getting students to write ‘by stealth’ but you do have to be careful that it doesn’t just end up with the stronger writers doing all the work…

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Hi Jo, Thanks for the comment, and looking forward to hearing about your circle writing activity. I agree that there is sometimes an issue with stronger writers taking over, which is why I think it usually works best when everyone has a fairly defined role.

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Right confession time coming up. I often say that writing is important and that it should be given class time because of that… I usually use class time only when I need to kill time (which I’m sure the students take as some alternative message to writing is an important skill that you must practice and takes effort)

Having got that off my chest there are occasions when I love group work on writing collaboratively. I did a really fun extension on the classic game consequences where I encouraged pairs to use their game as an outline for a story. I was amazed (and scared by the results)

I also really love my mixed up stories activity where you get every students activity from the weekend/holiday, jumble them up on the board and then students have to guess (and write up) what other people did that weekend/holiday great fun.

In my experience it has only worked when I have given it significant class time.

Thanks for commenting and adding your ideas- I especially like the sound of the mixed up stories. I agree that writing often needs a decent amount of time and, in my experience, having it as a final activity nearly always leads to it being abandoned and ‘finished for homework.’

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Hi Rachael, I’ve been blogging recently on writing activities over at http://dogmediaries.wordpress.com/ , in particular, circular writing, which you don’t like 🙂 I guess much depends on the level of the writing level of the students. What are the students learning, you ask. Well, for one thing, they enjoy the activity, so motivation is high, which leads to greater learning possibilities. Second, I monitor and correct constantly, so I hope they are learning to write better. Bear in mind that, at this stage, I’m more worried about their writing in structurally correct sentences than their writing style.

Really, sorry, Chiew, don’t know how I missed this comment. Yes, motivation is a key factor, and, actually, I don;’t think there’s anything wrong with ‘writing for fluency’ sometimes. It’s just the way that circle texts are necessarily disjointed and incoherent that I’m not that keen on. Though, of course, they can be used as the basis for further work.

Haha, and there I was thinking you were ignoring me on purpose 😉 I actually disagree with your “necessarily” – why should it be disjointed and incoherent? It’s a challenge for the students to maintain some kind of flow; they have to read what was written before they start writing. It becomes not only a writing activity, but a reading one, too. Thanks for somehow finding my “lost” comment and replying! 🙂

Fair enough, I guess it shouldn’t be disjointed, but,in my experience, stds generally don’t bother worrying too much about coherence and cohesion. I would never ignore you! 😉

Haha, that’s very sweet of you 🙂 I suppose it depends on many factors – level, aims, number of students, etc. Just as in so many other circumstances, it’s the teacher who has to know if a certain activity is apt for the class or not, I think.

Yes, absolutely.

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i have not really used collab writing so your post is v useful and just been reading chris wilson’s post on wiki writing so lots of things to think about. the first individual writing activity you describe involving getting others in the class to write questions on student-chosen topic i find appealing.

i guess a benefit of group writing is a way to get students to think of a reading audience beyond their teacher? does the fact that they need to co-construct a text lead to such audience questions more than individual writing?

the paper you cite, Storch, showed that most time was spent on generating ideas, which i find the problematic stage in individual writing. as seen by how relatively poor the outcome is terms of content.

I think audience is very important (see post on Real Life Writing) and getting the audience involved like this works well. This is reminding me now of something else I’ve read recently…will think what it was. I also agree that getting ideas is often problematic- especially, perhaps, for IELTS students who are asked to write about issues they often have never thought about before. Thanks for more thought provocation!

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m particularly fond of collaborative planning. I often use a “post-it” chat activity to prepare for writing. It’s a silent conversation that produces a thread of sticky notes that can be re-arranged afterwards to be used as a writing plan. I blogged about it here for the first time: http://mrschenk.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/silent-post-it-chats/ and elaborated on it here: http://mrschenk.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/multiple-post-it-chats/

That’s really nice- I love the chain of post-its- also very tactile. Thanks for adding it.

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Dear sir, U touched the integration of writing and reading or actually how writing could help in developing the skill reading. I want to ask about the importance of following up of the four skills as well as the sequence of the syllabus and the teacher”s marking as an instructional procedure in the process of ELT.

Thanks for commenting. I think in most situations it’s important to have a balance between the skills, and ideally, they should be integrated. Marking or feedback is an important area, and I plan to blog on this soon- there are some interesting comments on this after my post on genre writing too.

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Hello Rachael, and thanks for this post! I liked the various activities you listed and described, and I must say I have tried most of them in my classes. However, even though at first I am extremely enthusiastic about the exercises, sometimes the reality bites and I have to eliminate an activity from the list. Why? Well, I teach extremely mixed-level classes. I work in an art school getting students from different walks of life with vary different levels of English yet the final objective is fixed by the programme, so some students have to accomplish an incredible lot, whereas others are almost there immediately. So, in a nutshell, I have for example 15 students with levels from A2 to B2. Now, in a situation like that some activities simply won’t work, no matter how much I would like them to. However, some collaborative writing I do use regularly. For the very reason you pointed out quoting Vygotsky. I like having a group of three different level students composing a story together. It can be so useful, efficient and rewarding. Useful for everyone: weaker students have their peers helping them in a non threatening environment. They have time, they dare to ask for more explanation, they won’t shy away when something’s not clear. The stronger students can only solidify their knowledge! It’s efficient because instead of one teacher dragging along 15 students, then correcting 15 different stories, what we get is a cluster of groups working on their own and producing one hopefully well-polished writing in the end! And it’s rewarding – classroom time has been used efficiently and there is an end product everyone has contributed to. So to answer your question – the writing activities that work really well in a mixed-level class like mine is writing together as a group.

Thanks for the comment, that’s a great example. It’s also not unusual in UK ESOL classes to have a great spread of levels, so this kind of approach can work there too. You might also be interested in the Language Experience Approach if you don’t already know about it, as another way of dealing with mixed level groups productively.

Thanx Rachael for the tip. No, I didn’t know about this approach. Really glad to hear about methods suitable for mixed level classes. Really in need of that!!!!!

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Great resource for teachers.

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Hey Rachael, I really enjoyed this piece. I write a blog on Dogme ELT ( http://geraldvonbourdeau.wordpress.com/ ) in the writing classroom and will certainly give some of these ideas a shot in my classes. Cheers!

That’d be great. I’ve just popped over and it looks good. I’ll take a longer look soon.

Reblogged this on Teaching Unplugged in the Triggering Town and commented: Excellent collaborative writing ideas from Rachael Roberts.

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Hi, great post. I really like your comments and ideas. I’m looking forward to using some of them soon.

I do a lot of collaborative writing projects using a Wiki with my classes. Wikis are great as a tool for writing and sharing. If you are interested, check out a post I did about it.

http://1brainsandwich.blogspot.com/2013/02/classroom-make-over.html

Thanks again and keep the posts coming!!

Thanks for commenting, and for the link. Great to have a good example of how students can use a wiki for collaborative writing!

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Lots of thanks Rachael Roberts, I bombed your technique of collaborative writing, so fantastic and implementable. I used the technique in my real class and my students enjoyed a lot.Hope some more from you in the days to come. Chetlal Chaudhary Nepal [email protected]

Thank you very much, Chetlal 🙂

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hi thanks for this post. it was very helpful. by the way,i need to find a collaborative writing topic for my class. actually, it is for a research on collaborative writing in wikisapces. can you help me in this regard?

Thanks for stopping by. It’s a bit hard to suggest a topic because it depends on the age and interests of your students.

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Fab blog post, very much enjoyed. Am just about to embark on a project where a group of under-16s and I are writing and producing our own film – want them to tell their own story, what affects them and their peers, and present it in a new and unique way. Hoping that some of these collaborative writing exercises will get them going at our first session this evening!

Thanks very much, Charlie. Hope it went well.

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Reblogged this on Talking About Writing and commented: I’ve been doing my collaborative writing exclusively with advanced students, preparing for IELTS. Here are some ideas for other student groups.

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Hi, Rachael… I am a student, actually, I have been doing my research about Story Circle Activity (I found it on Harmer’s book (2007)). I just wonder that It seems as same as Genre Circle Writing. I really need the theory of Story Circle Activity (or Genre Circle Writing) to support my research. Do you have some references about it? and if you don’t mind, could you share it to me, please? Thank you 🙂

I think it goes back a lot further than 2007, but I don’t have an actual reference for the first time it was used. I’ll ask around for you.

PS I imagine it originally came from the game of Consequences, which is at least Victorian and probably earlier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequences_(game)

It’s in Writing Games (1990) and Jill Hadfield says she thought she might have seen it before that in something by Alan Maley. I’ve also just found it in Keep Talking, Frederike Klippel (1983) .

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Hi professor I am a English Language teacher in junior school and also ELT MA students I am writting proposals please guide me my topics: 1- Turn taking problems. 2- Group working. 3- pretask activity for teaching reading.

Sorry, I’m not sure what you’re asking..which I think is most interesting? I would say that task 2 is probably a much bigger topic than either of the other two.

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Collaborative Writing can sure increase the students’ communicative competence and writing performance too.

However I disagree that Theory of JPD is of use in Collaborative Writing. For JPD-Theory, we need two standards of ability : one who they don’t know more and next who do know more. And in a class, learners tend to be of nearly the same ability!

Thanks for commenting. In my experience, no two students know exactly the same things, so there is always room for students to help each other and provide scaffolding, as Vygotsky suggests.

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Very useful activities. I got great ideas to teach all age groups. I am too much thankful for all suggestions.

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6 Creative Writing Activities for the ESL Classroom

03 June 2021 • Guest posts , Tips

group writing esl

The ESL classroom is a place where students learn, develop their language skills, and use their creativity and imagination. Learning a language is a process that requires different types of activities to be involved, for the student to truly progress. That’s why ESL students deal with speaking, reading, listening, and writing activities interchangeably. And, it’s the teacher’s job to make these activities as engaging and useful as possible.

When it comes to creative writing, teachers should look for creative activities that will keep the students interested and present. To help you give your students the best possible learning experience, we've put together a list of 6 creative writing activities for the ESL classroom. Check them out below.

1. Group Story Writing

If you have a classroom of reluctant writers, you might want to kick things off with a group exercise. Divide students into groups so that they can work together and help each other out.

Group story writing is a fun exercise that your students will love. All you need is an interesting picture showing something amusing and inspiring for each group. Once you give them the picture, ask them to:

  • - name the characters from the picture
  • - decide on their relationship
  • - come up with a story about the things happening in the picture e.g. why are they there, what are they talking about, how are they feeling…

Ask the students to take turns pitching ideas, and have one student in the group take notes. Once they define all the details, ask them to write a story based on the ideas they've previously shared.

Group work can be a challenge, but if you instruct it properly, your students will enjoy working together.

2. Five-Sentence Stories

To have your students engage in a writing task, you don't need to have them write a two-page essay. Exercises that seem simple can actually help them work harder and truly activate their language skills.

A five-sentence story is an exercise that requires the following:

  • - the students work individually
  • - they have 10 minutes to come up with a story
  • - the story needs to have an introduction, a climax, and an ending
  • - the story needs to be exactly five sentences long

The teacher can either provide a topic or let it be completely up to the students.

The students will struggle to summarize their entire idea into five sentences and will have to use all the language skills and knowledge they have. Plus, they'll enjoy listening to each other's fun short stories and seeing how everyone did.

3. Finish The Story

The following exercise is great for pair work since it can engage language-speaking separately from written assignments. Finish the story is quite simple:

  • - provide each pair of students with a beginning of a story
  • - it can be a newspaper article, a fairy tale, a letter, an email, or anything the students find interesting
  • - ask them to read it
  • - ask them to write the rest of the story and finish it the way they think it should finish

The students will be provided with a writing style sample that they'll need to follow and respect. They'll need to be imaginative and creative to finish the story with a bang and amuse the rest of the classroom.

4. Simplify the Text

This idea comes from HubSpot’s article “How to Train Your Brain to Write More Concisely” and their exercise Rewrite Wikipedia Paragraphs. While you don’t have to use Wikipedia as the source of exercise materials, you can use the same principles since it’s engaging and fun for the students.

Here's what you need to do:

  • - give your students a piece of content
  • - try choosing something they’re interested in and will enjoy reading
  • - ask them to read the whole text
  • - ask them to reduce it by 50%

So, if you gave them a 1200-word article about sustainability, ask them to reduce it to a 600-word article, without losing any important information.

This will teach them to write concisely and avoid redundancy, which is a key skill they'll need for business writing, college papers, case studies, or motivational letters. You can order case study writing online and use it as another writing resource for your EFL students, teaching them about research, investigation, and organizing information.

5. Chain Writing

Another great way to engage students in a group writing activity is to have them write a chain story together. Chain stories will have students enjoy their time spent in the ESL classroom, collaborating with their peers and working on a fun project together.

The principle is simple:

  • - the teacher takes a blank piece of paper and writes a writing prompt on it
  • - it can be anything that will get the story going, e.g. “It was dark and Jack was scared.” or “The sun was setting behind the hills.”
  • - The teacher passes the paper to the next student in line and asks them to add a sentence.
  • - Once they finish, they pass the paper on.

This can go on in circles until the story is finished and ready to be presented. Ask one of the students from the group to read the story and show the rest of the class the result of their group work.

6. Monologue Writing

Your EFL classroom must use diverse writing activities that allow students to constantly grow. Writing a monologue is a unique chance for them to exercise first-person writing and use their wittiness and creativity.

The teacher should first provide monologue examples for students to explore. Then, they’ll assign a character to each student. It could be:

  • - a famous person
  • - a former president
  • - a made-up person
  • - a member of the student’s family

The student needs to write a brief monologue and give this person a chance to speak up. They'll need to take care of the perspective and think of the exact words this person would use.

Final Thoughts

Creative writing is important for your students’ overall ESL skills, and you find the activities that will help them improve. The 6 creative exercises listed above will help you focus on the area of creative writing your students need help with the most.

Use this list as guidance or inspiration to make every ESL lesson successful.

Author’s bio. Jessica Fender is a professional writer and educational blogger. Jessica enjoys sharing her ideas to make writing and learning fun.

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Teaching Writing to ESL/EFL Students: Tips and Activities for Any Level

  • Linda D'Argenio
  • August 19, 2022

teaching writing to ESL students

Teaching writing to non-native speakers of a language presents a plethora of unique challenges and can feel overwhelming for new and seasoned teachers alike. However, teaching writing to ESL students can be dynamic and meaningful when approached with a bit of ingenuity.

If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate . You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!

Why is it important to teach writing to ESL students?

In order to effectively participate as contributing members of society, individuals need to be able to communicate their thoughts in written form, whether they are using the English language as their vehicle or not.

Writing is an essential component of productive language, and ELs will need to demonstrate their ability to write in English if they hope to be competitive in a globalized world . Building competency in English-language writing supports reading comprehension, vocabulary expansion, and oral fluency , so there’s so much to be gained. And even if your students don’t plan to use the lingua franca on a regular basis, the skills gleaned from learning to write in another language transfer to all facets of life, making students more aware and more effective communicators in their native language(s) .

Teaching ESL writing aids in self-expression , which might be particularly meaningful for individuals who are hesitant to express themselves verbally. You might have the next Henry David Thoreau or Gabriel García Márquez in your class!

Why do ESL students struggle with writing?

Writing in another language is no easy feat, so it’s only natural that your ESL/ EFL students encounter difficulties when asked to do so.

First, it’s essential to recognize that writing conventions differ from one language group to another . Students from various linguistic backgrounds might declare that writing in English (particularly in an academic setting) is “boring,” something they perceive as formulaic. Often, these students come from backgrounds that value writing in a way that might seem “tangential” to native English readers.

In “Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education,” Robert B. Kaplan (1966) put forth a model for examining written discourse patterns, which illustrates how different thought patterns influence how speakers of other languages express themselves in written form.

group writing esl

You can observe that English is illustrated as being very straightforward, which aligns with the directness of spoken English. Kaplan poses here that other language groups tend to branch off in different directions in written form, pulling in supporting elements that might not be directly correlated to the main idea and that present as “off-topic” for native English speakers.

Secondly, it’s crucial to keep in mind that writing requires a vocabulary lexicon that can adequately support sharing . Often, even the most proficient English learners struggle to select the language they need to convey their point. When tackling writing instruction, make sure to consider how you’re supporting vocabulary development to support the conventions you’re teaching.

Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), writing is a form of self-expression, and self-expression through writing isn’t valued the same way in all cultures . There is a great deal of value placed on sharing one’s opinions in the U.S., for example, but this is not the reality all over the world. Some of your students might have been taught that they receive and process information, but that they are not in the position to make statements of their own or have the authority to teach others. Therefore, putting their thoughts down on paper might feel formal, high-stakes even, for your students.

What are some tips for teaching ESL writing?

Regardless of the age and proficiency level of your students, or whether you’re teaching writing in an ESL or EFL classroom, there is a myriad of strategies that you have at your disposal.

Don’t underestimate the value of conducting needs assessments

When it comes down to how to teach writing skills, even if you are teaching a group that is considered a certain proficiency level, recognize that there is always going to be a range of experience and ability present. Spend time getting to know what your students have been exposed to and in what ways before deciding on your approach. Teach to the middle to ensure no one is left behind.

Check out the following sample needs assessment to get started:

Think about how you can lower learners’ affective filters

A large portion of all successful teaching comes from relationship-building. In addition to getting a true sense of your learners’ experience and abilities, try to understand their attitudes towards writing as a process and any challenges that might be borne from those attitudes. How can you increase your students’ comfort level? How can you engage the individuals sitting in front of you?

Check out these 5 ways to build rapport with your students when teaching English.

Think about how the writing task can act as a building block for other assignments

Learning how to write in another language can be intimidating, and even more so if your students don’t enjoy writing in the first place. When wondering how to teach writing to ESL/EFL students, think about how you can integrate writing more often and more seamlessly into your lesson plans. Instead of approaching writing in isolation, teach writing skills alongside other “more engaging” activities that students tend to enjoy more. Have your students participate in role-playing and storytelling activities that require writing but don’t make writing the focus of the activity. This is your chance to be sneaky and get your students to build their writing skills without even knowing!

Present opportunities to examine authentic, written language

Providing students with examples of the target language is non-negotiable, but challenge yourself to move beyond the sample texts in your curriculum where possible. Students might feel bored by the selected works in their textbooks – they need to recognize that written language is all around them. Pull from authentic texts that cover an array of topics that you know matter to your students to keep them enticed.

Try incorporating pop culture into your ESL classroom to spice up writing activities!

Lead with function over form in instruction, and then alter your focus

Students can be discouraged to find their paper covered with red ink, highlighting their fallacies. While it is important to provide corrective feedback, consider the purpose of the assignment before marking up the composition. Was the output comprehensible? Did it touch upon everything that you asked for? Focusing on both function (the purpose of the assignment) and the accuracy in form simultaneously can feel overwhelming. Choose your objectives carefully, make them known to the learners, and provide corrective feedback accordingly .

Choose writing activities that pertain to your students’ learning goals. For example, the following clip, from a BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar , covers how to teach Business English students to write an email in English:

Consider formative assessment and reflective strategies

Whenever possible, assess student work periodically, examining the process with various checkpoints and iterations throughout, instead of just evaluating the final product. Writing is an iterative process, and students benefit greatly when offered opportunities to reflect on their process. Create opportunities for students to participate in self- and peer-revision processes, which in turn will result in more conscientious and focused writers.

What are some ESL writing activities and lesson plans for beginners?

It can feel challenging to come up with writing activities for learners with beginner proficiency, but with proper scaffolding , writing can be inclusive and participatory.

Try group writing processes in class to get students comfortable

Writers with beginner proficiency might default to a deficit mindset, believing that writing is inaccessible for them due to a dearth of vocabulary or experience, so when you start to look at how to teach writing in the ESL/EFL classroom, your first job is to inspire confidence and get students into a growth mindset. To get them comfortable with the writing process, engage them in group writing activities.

  • Choose a familiar topic (or have your students choose a topic together), and explain that you are going to “group-author” a paragraph.
  • Have the students share what they know about the topic, and you, as the teacher, act as the scribe, jotting down their thoughts in a central location.
  • Continue gathering their ideas until everyone has shared, remembering to emphasize that this is a process and that there is no wrong contribution.
  • Examine the individual contributions and note overlap: How can a few thoughts be grouped together? In the process, ask students to elaborate on what they meant and provide examples.
  • Organize these preliminary thoughts to the best of your ability, involving the students and getting them to notice organizational structures and decipher between the main idea and details.
  • After celebrating what you can refer to as the “first draft,” provide specific and limited ways to improve the piece. Did they include everything they thought was relevant to the topic? Could the paragraph benefit from additional cohesive devices? Do the subjects and verbs agree? Provide ample support in the form of examples, formulas, and sentence frames alongside the piece. Invite students to examine the paragraph and seek out these common mistakes (in partners or individually).
  • Create your “final draft” together, and ensure that it’s displayed prominently in the space.

By engaging them in the writing process in this way, you are instilling habits that will aid them in writing autonomously when the time comes.

ESL students

Make the most of brainstorming – both individually and with others

Have you ever had students tell you that they don’t know what to write? Students, particularly those at the beginner level, need ample time to think about the content before diving into the actual writing process . Emphasize the importance of brainstorming as a way to collect their thoughts and aid them in their writing. Engage students in different kinds of brainstorming activities, going beyond “write down what comes to mind.”

Consider Think-Pair-Share as a framework for brainstorming, where students take time to think independently about the topic, share their ideas with their peers, and then share aloud to a larger group. Typically, the sharing is done orally, but you could also consider the independent writing portion of the activity as “sharing” with a larger audience, just in written form.

What are some ESL writing activities and lesson plans for intermediate and advanced students?

Facilitate a two-way journal experience with your students.

Create a way for individual students to exchange their ideas with you in an informal way with a two-way journal . Have the students maintain a writing journal that you periodically collect to write comments and ask questions. The objective of this exchange is not to formally evaluate your students’ writing, but to gather intel about your students’ progress and connect with them as individuals. Within these exchanges, not only are you building and sustaining rapport, but you are also augmenting critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills with strategies like noticing and annotation.

Cultivate peer revision routines

Learning to write in a non-native language is as much a social process as it is a cognitive process. Involving students in peer revision activities can be incredibly beneficial in that students can learn from their peers (potentially those who are stronger writers than themselves) and develop the ability to think more critically about their own writing. While getting students to effectively participate in peer revision activities requires a lot of frontloading and the establishing of routine, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you’re interested in facilitating peer revision with your students, consider the following as general guidelines:

  • Start by determining your focus for the activity. What are you asking the students to do? Make it clear to the students what you’re looking for, and provide supports that they can use in the process (e.g., a checklist or rubric).
  • Demonstrate how students would use the rubric, and go through the revision process as a group.
  • Provide sample pieces to examine, and engage the students in discussion around the samples.
  • Make sure that students are aware of what is considered appropriate and useful feedback through modeling. Have them practice, and give them feedback on their feedback.
  • Monitor the peer review sessions and jump in as needed, ensuring the quality of feedback for all involved parties.
  • Reflect on the peer feedback activity in whole-group format, asking students to share what they got from reading their peers’ work, defining areas that they excelled in and areas for improvement.

Timed writing

Once your students feel comfortable with the writing process and the structure at hand, consider different contexts that they’ll be writing in. Perhaps they are planning to take the TOEFL or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) and hope to study abroad, or maybe they’re about to enter the workforce and work collaboratively with others.

In either case, your students will need to demonstrate their ability to communicate their ideas in written form while adhering to time constraints . Plan timed writing activities for your students on a variety of topics and with different parameters. In a standardized test prep context, have students write under the same conditions as the test that they’re preparing to sit for.

Take a Micro-credential course in Teaching TOEFL Test Prep or Teaching PTE Test Prep to help students ace these high-stakes exams.

In a workforce development setting, illustrate a scenario in which an email from management warrants an urgent (and polished) response. In either context, examine the output and discuss strategies that the students used. Student output from timed activities provides fertile ground for examining accuracy in form. Walk students through noticing activities, and challenge them to remember their tendencies in subsequent timed writing tasks.

Teaching writing to ESL/EFL students requires commitment and perhaps a bit of innovation on the part of the teacher, but if done well, it can prove immensely useful in a globalized world, aiding individuals in self-expression and beyond.

In addition to writing, there’s another subject that can sometimes fill teachers with dread: grammar! Here are 7 simple strategies for teaching grammar to English language learners , so you can tackle this topic with confidence .

group writing esl

Linda D'Argenio

Linda D'Argenio is a native of Naples, Italy. She is a world language teacher (English, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese,) translator, and writer. She has studied and worked in Italy, Germany, China, and the U.S. In 2003, Linda earned her doctoral degree in Classical Chinese Literature from Columbia University. She has taught students at both the school and college levels. Linda lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Making English Fun

Making English Fun

  • The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

ESL teacher are always looking for innovative ways to enhance your students’ writing skills?

Our comprehensive guide introduces 17 dynamic writing games, each designed to spark creativity, improve language proficiency, and make writing an enjoyable experience for ESL learners. From crafting Acrostic Poems to participating in a Collaborative Writing Blog, these activities cater to a range of interests and skill levels.

Whether you’re teaching young beginners or advanced adult learners, these writing games are perfect for adding a fun twist to your ESL curriculum.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

Just before we jump into these 17 ESL Writing Games and Activities we have the four skills covered on the site. Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening.

You can access the pages from the links below or click on the image to download them all in one PDF file for $2.99 or the price of a coffee ( a good one we admit! )

The Best ESL Games and Activities – 4 Booklets in 1
  • The Best ESL Listening Games and Activities.
  • The Best ESL Speaking Games and Activities.
  • The Best ESL Reading Games and Activities.

Get ready to explore these engaging games that promise to transform your writing lessons into captivating educational adventures!

17 of the Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

We have given full breakdown for these writing games and activities in each section including resources, numbers and time to play to help you speed up and make sure if these games suit your class and students.

1. Story Starters

Overview : Story Starters spark creativity by providing students with the first sentence of a story, which they then continue to develop into a complete narrative.

  • Setup : Prepare a list of engaging opening sentences for stories.
  • Time to Play : 20-30 minutes.
  • Number of Players : Individual activity.
  • Resources Needed : List of story starters, paper, and pens.

Description of Story Starters ESL Writing Game :

Distribute different story starters to each student.

Students use the given sentence to start their story and continue writing, developing their own plot and characters.

This game helps students practice narrative writing and encourages them to use their imagination.

2. Group Story Writing

Overview : Group Story Writing fosters collaboration and creativity. Each student contributes a sentence to a communal story, passing it around the classroom.

  • Setup : Start with a blank sheet of paper for each group or pair.
  • Time to Play : 15-25 minutes.
  • Number of Players : Works best in small groups or pairs.
  • Resources Needed : Paper and pens.

Description of Group Story Writing ESL Writing Game :

Begin with one student writing a sentence to start the story.

The paper is then passed to the next student, who adds their own sentence.

The process continues, with each student adding to the story.

This game enhances creative thinking and helps students learn how to write cohesively in a group context.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

3. Writing Prompts Jar

Overview : The Writing Prompts Jar is an engaging way to inspire writing. Students pick a prompt from a jar and write a short piece based on it.

  • Setup : Prepare a jar filled with a variety of writing prompts on small pieces of paper.
  • Number of Players : Individual activity, but can be shared in groups after writing.
  • Resources Needed : A jar, writing prompts on paper strips, paper, and pens.

Description of Writing Prompts Jar ESL Writing Game :

Each student picks a prompt from the jar.

They then write a short story , poem, or descriptive piece based on the prompt.

After writing, students can share their pieces with the class or in small groups.

This game encourages individual creativity and can cater to a wide range of writing styles and interests.

4. Picture-Inspired Writing

Overview : Picture-Inspired Writing uses visual stimuli to spark creativity. Students write a story or description based on an image.

  • Setup : Select a variety of interesting and thought-provoking images.
  • Number of Players : Individual activity, but can involve group discussion afterward.
  • Resources Needed : Images (photographs, paintings, illustrations), paper, and pens.

Description of Picture-Inspired Writing ESL Writing Game :

Distribute different images to students or display them in the classroom.

Students write a narrative, poem, or descriptive piece inspired by their image.

This activity helps students practice descriptive writing and storytelling, encouraging them to interpret visual information creatively.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

5. Dialogue Development

Overview : Dialogue Development challenges students to write a dialogue for a given scenario, focusing on conversational language and character interaction.

  • Setup : Prepare a list of scenarios or situations for dialogues.
  • Time to Play : 15-20 minutes.
  • Number of Players : Can be done individually or in pairs.
  • Resources Needed : Scenarios for dialogues, paper, and pens.

Description of Dialogue Development ESL Writing Game :

Provide each student or pair with a scenario.

Students write a dialogue that could take place in that scenario, paying attention to how people might speak in that context.

This game enhances understanding of conversational language and the nuances of spoken communication.

6. Postcard Writing

Overview : Postcard Writing is a creative and personal writing activity. Students write a postcard to a friend or family member describing a recent experience or a fictional trip.

  • Setup : Have postcard templates or blank cards available.
  • Resources Needed : Postcard templates or blank cards, pens.

Description of Postcard Writing ESL Writing Game :

Students choose a real or imaginary destination they’ve ‘visited.’

They write a postcard to someone describing their experiences, sights, and feelings.

This exercise is excellent for practicing descriptive language, informal writing, and past tense narratives.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

7. Word Limit Stories

Overview : Word Limit Stories challenge students to create a story using exactly a set number of words, such as 50 or 100. This game enhances precision in language use and creativity within constraints.

  • Setup : Decide on a word limit for the stories.

Description of Word Limit Stories ESL Writing Game :

Inform students of the word limit for their stories.

Students write a short story that precisely meets the word count requirement.

This activity encourages students to think carefully about word choice and sentence structure , fostering conciseness and clarity in writing.

8. Haiku and Poetry Creation

Overview : Haiku and Poetry Creation encourages students to express themselves through poetry, focusing on simplicity and imagery. Haikus, with their specific structure, are an excellent way to introduce poetry writing.

  • Setup : Explain the structure of a haiku (three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern) or other simple poetry forms.
  • Number of Players : Individual or small groups.

Description of Haiku and Poetry Creation ESL Writing Game :

Students write their own haikus or simple poems on given themes or topics.

Encourage them to focus on imagery, emotion, and brevity.

This game is great for practicing syllable counting and creative expression in a structured format.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

9. Two Perspectives Writing

Overview : Two Perspectives Writing involves writing about the same event from two different viewpoints. It helps students explore perspective in narrative and develop empathy and understanding for different characters.

  • Setup : Provide a basic scenario or event for students to write about.
  • Time to Play : 25-35 minutes.
  • Number of Players : Individual activity, but can involve group sharing afterward.
  • Resources Needed : Scenarios for writing, paper, and pens.

Description of Two Perspectives Writing ESL Writing Game :

Students write about a given event from the perspective of two different characters or observers.

This encourages them to consider how different characters might perceive the same situation differently.

It’s an excellent exercise for exploring narrative voice, character development, and the subjectivity of experience.

10. Email Exchange

Overview : Email Exchange is a practical writing activity where students write emails to each other, practicing formal or informal language based on different scenarios.

  • Setup : Prepare a list of scenarios for which students might write an email (e.g., writing to a friend, a teacher, or for a job application).
  • Number of Players : Pairs or individual activity with teacher feedback.
  • Resources Needed : Scenarios for email writing, paper, or computers if available.

Description of Email Exchange ESL Writing Game :

Assign each student or pair a specific scenario for their email.

Students write an email appropriate for the scenario, focusing on tone, structure, and relevant language.

This activity is great for teaching the nuances of written communication and the differences between formal and informal language.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

11. Diary Entry

Overview : Diary Entry encourages students to write a diary entry from the perspective of a character from a book or a historical figure, enhancing creativity and empathy.

  • Setup : Choose characters or historical figures that the students are familiar with or have studied.
  • Time to Play : 20-25 minutes.

Description of Diary Entry ESL Writing Game :

Students select or are assigned a character or historical figure.

They write a diary entry from that person’s perspective, reflecting on a day or a significant event in their life.

This exercise helps students explore different perspectives and practice writing in the first person.

12. Descriptive Writing Challenge

Overview : Descriptive Writing Challenge tasks students with describing an object, place, or person in detail without naming it, focusing on sensory details and adjectives.

  • Setup : Select a range of objects, places, or people for students to describe, or let them choose their own.

Description of Descriptive Writing Challenge ESL Writing Game :

Students write a detailed description of their chosen subject, using sensory details and vivid language.

The challenge is to convey the essence of the subject without directly naming it.

Other students can guess what is being described, adding an interactive element to the exercise.

This game enhances descriptive writing skills and encourages careful observation and creative expression.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

13. Instructional Writing

Overview : Instructional Writing is a practical exercise where students write clear and concise instructions on how to do something, such as making a sandwich or tying shoelaces.

  • Setup : Choose simple, everyday tasks that students can write instructions for.

Description of Instructional Writing ESL Writing Game :

Students select or are assigned a task.

They write step-by-step instructions on how to complete this task.

Emphasis is on clarity, sequence, and the use of imperative sentences.

This exercise helps students practice a practical aspect of writing and understand the importance of clear communication.

14. Sequencing Writing Game

Overview : In the Sequencing Writing Game, students put pictures or sentence strips in order and then write a story or description based on the sequence. This game enhances narrative skills and logical thinking.

  • Setup : Prepare a series of pictures or sentence strips that can be arranged to tell a story or describe a process.
  • Number of Players : Can be done individually or in small groups.
  • Resources Needed : Pictures or sentence strips, paper, and pens.

Description of Sequencing Writing Game ESL Writing Game :

Distribute the pictures or sentence strips to students.

They arrange them in a logical order and then write a story or description that follows this sequence.

This game encourages students to think about story structure, cause and effect, and chronological order in writing.

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

15. Role Play Writing

Overview : Role Play Writing assigns different roles to students, who then write from their assigned character’s perspective. This game fosters creativity and empathy, allowing students to explore diverse viewpoints.

  • Setup : Create a list of characters or roles for students to write from, which can be related to a theme, book, or historical event.
  • Number of Players : Individual or pair activity.
  • Resources Needed : Character descriptions or role profiles, paper, and pens.

Description of Role Play Writing ESL Writing Game :

Assign each student or pair a character or role.

Students write a narrative, letter, diary entry, or dialogue from the perspective of their assigned character.

Emphasis is on understanding and conveying the character’s viewpoint, emotions, and experiences.

This game enhances creative writing skills and the ability to write from different perspectives.

16. Acrostic Poems

Overview : Acrostic Poems are a fun and creative writing activity where the first letter of each line spells out a word related to a topic. This game encourages creativity and helps students focus on vocabulary related to specific themes.

  • Setup : Choose words or topics for the acrostic poems.
  • Number of Players : Individual activity, but can be shared in groups afterward.

Description of Acrostic Poems ESL Writing Game :

Assign each student a word or let them choose one related to a current theme or topic.

Students write an acrostic poem where each line starts with a letter from the word.

This game is excellent for exploring vocabulary and encouraging creative expression through poetry.

17. Collaborative Writing Blog

Overview : Starting a class blog where students contribute posts on various topics is an excellent way for them to practice writing in a real-world context. It enhances their ability to express ideas clearly and coherently.

  • Setup : Set up a blog platform that all students can access and contribute to.
  • Time to Play : Ongoing, with specific time allocated for writing and posting.
  • Number of Players : Whole class.
  • Resources Needed : Computer and internet access, a blog platform.

Description of Collaborative Writing Blog ESL Writing Game :

Each student or group of students contributes a blog post on a designated topic.

Topics can range from personal experiences to opinions on current events.

Students practice writing in various styles, from informal to persuasive, depending on the post.

This activity also allows for peer feedback and collaborative editing.

Don’t Forget you can access the pages for all our ESL games and activities from the links below or click on the image to download them all in one PDF file for $2.99 or the price of a coffee ( a good coffee we admit! )

The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

These 17 ESL writing games provide an range of creative and effective methods to enhance writing skills in the ESL classroom.

By incorporating activities like Letter Writing Exchange and Collaborative Writing Blogs, teachers can offer students diverse and practical writing experiences.

These games not only promote language development but also encourage students to express themselves with confidence and creativity.

Further Writing Games and Activities

  • https://www.eflsensei.com/?category=28
  • https://eslauthority.com/blog/esl-writing-activities/
  • https://blog.vipkid.com/10-creative-esl-writing-activities/
  • https://enchantedesl.com/9-exciting-efl-esl-activities-for-writing-spelling/

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Making English Fun!

group writing esl

I have been a teacher of English for over 15 years, in that time i made hundreds and thousands of resources and learnt so much i think its worth sharing. Hopefully to help teachers and parents around the world.

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group writing esl

  • Teaching Tips

14 ESL Writing Activities to Spice Up Your Next Class

Ben Bartee

  • October 27, 2020
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Writing is one of the four basic English proficiencies next to reading, speaking, and listening. Developing a well-honed ability to write fluidly, naturally, and confidently — while using well-crafted grammatical structure and a wide array of vocabulary — carries several benefits for English learners.  

A developed writing ability is essential for scoring well on standardized tests that include essay sections and a well-chosen ESL writing activity can increase the ability to express increasingly complex ideas succinctly and fully, thus improving communication skills across all four proficiencies.

How to Use ESL Writing Activities

As an ESL teacher, part of your teaching scope likely includes improving the writing skills of your students. Fun, engaging activities can be effective tools for achieving the gains in their writing abilities that you hope to see in the classroom. 

When to Use ESL Writing Activities

Depending on the type of activity, writing activities can be used:

  • At the beginning of a lesson to pique students’ interest and generate excitement about the upcoming lesson.
  • Mid-lesson to assess students’ absorption and retention.
  • At the conclusion of a lesson to review previously learned vocabulary/grammar.

Setup for ESL Writing Activities

Some ESL writing activities featured here require virtually no setup. Others require a whiteboard and/or projector with computer access. A handful require some preparation before class and pre-printed materials for handout.

Here are a few of the premier ESL writing activities for students divided by age and skill level.

ESL Writing Activities For Young Learners

Flash card writing.

Young learners are often best engaged with visual cues, so ESL flashcards are great tools for the classroom at the primary level.

To conduct the flash card activity, do a warm-up session by going through each card and, together as a class, writing the correct spelling on the board letter by letter.

Then, heat things up by dividing students into teams and having one member of each team write the vocabulary term on the board as quickly as possible when you prompt them with the corresponding flashcard.

The first student to finish earns a point for his or her team. Incentivize the students, if necessary, with a prize for the team with the most points at the end.

What’s Happening?

Building on the theme of combining imagery with writing for younger ESL learners, consider showing students a picture (the more vibrant, colorful, and detailed, the better) and asking them to write what they see. Consider using images with recently learned phrases as a review method.

Write a Letter to Santa (or Spiderman, Harry Potter, or Whomever)

Letter writing is an essential aspect of a young student’s English. Make it fun by having them write to their favorite superhero, celebrity, or best friend.

If your students need extra guidance, prompt them by suggesting what to write about; if writing to Santa, for example, encourage them to discuss what they would like for Christmas.

Help them frame their letter logically by providing a structure guide and helpful suggestions as necessary.

Postcards to Pen Pals

Capture young learners’ imagination by introducing them to a fictitious young boy or girl (or one inspired by real life) who is their same age and who lives in an exotic far-off land.

If your students are interested in a particular region or city, such as San Francisco, adjust your character’s geographic location accordingly.

Have them write a short composition to their new faraway friend that will fit on a postcard about who they are, what they like doing, etc. You can even make your own DIY postcards in the office using colored cardboard or other material.

This is a great opportunity to teach basic introductions and conclusions in English writing, a foundational component of almost any form of writing.

ESL Writing Activities For Adults

Write a business email.

Many adult learners are businesspeople, office workers, or other teachers themselves, so chances are all or most of your students have to send emails at some point in a work-related capacity.

Learning how to use professional, natural-sounding business language is a practical, valuable skill that adult ESL learners will appreciate —  in fact, you may find that sounding “native” in both written and spoken word is a major goal of many English students, particularly adults.

Using a projector, create a relatable and entertaining work-related scenario and write an email to a boss or co-worker together about the situation.

Then, have your students craft their own email either in response to the example you provided or in a fresh scenario.

Illustrative Descriptions

Fluent English writers and speakers have the ability to translate visual experiences into the written word, an advanced skill set that can serve your students well in a variety of real-world English-speaking contexts.

Consider using a well-known piece of local imagery with important cultural meaning (such as a portrait of a well-known historical figure or leader) and help your students to write verbal descriptions of the visual cue.

Paraphrasing Activity

Paraphrasing is the ability to quickly recreate sentences with different grammatical structure and vocabulary while retaining the meaning and content of the original sentence.

The ability to paraphrase off the cuff is an important skill that can come in handy for adult learners who interact with other English speakers. Practicing paraphrasing encourages a greater understanding of the nuances of the language and developing alternative ways to construct sentences.

Offer your students a sentence, then ask them to capture the essence of what is communicated and reconstitute the critical elements into a new sentence structure.

Personal Ads for Dating Sites

Due to human nature, social conditioning, or a combination thereof, adult ESL learners’ ears tend to perk up when the topic of conversation moves to the birds and the bees.

If your adult students don’t use personal dating apps like Tinder, chances are they did at some point or their sons and daughters do.

Have your students write a personal ad – either about themselves or about one another in pairs – to be placed on a fictional dating app. Depending on the context of the learning environment, you can spice the activity up by encouraging uncouth language if/when you feel it is appropriate.

ESL Writing Activities for Beginners

Acrostic poem.

This simple writing activity encourages creativity in use of the English terminology as well as recall of vocabulary. To create an acrostic poem activity for your students, write a short series of letters such as BIRD on the board, one on top of the other. Each of the four letters is its own line of poetry like this:

Create an example first for your students, such as:

  • Barbara and
  • I went to the garden where
  • Red flowers grow
  • Down by the creek

Then encourage students to think of their own poems to create.

Fill in the Letters

Mastering the letters and their phonetic sounds is a foundational element of ESL writing for beginners.

Present your students with words containing missing letters. You can either use pre-constructed worksheets from other teachers, create your own, or write the words with missing letters on the whiteboard.

After your students complete the words, take the time to sound out the terms again to strengthen students’ phonetic grasp on common English sounds and their corresponding letters. This will build their capacity to conceptualize letters when constructing words and sentences.

Letter/Word Chains

Print a series of words with one giant letter on each page. For example, if the word is HOUSE, then print an H, O, U, S, and E, each on its own respective page.

Scramble the papers up, then call an equal number of students to pages to the front – in this example, five. Say the word they should spell (house) and then watch them scramble to organize themselves in the correct order – helping them when necessary.  

Although beginning ESL students don’t put pen to paper in this activity, it is nonetheless a writing activity in that it instills proper spelling and a basic grasp on phonetics that are critical at this stage of language development.

Students also enjoy and may benefit from the social, team-building aspect of this writing activity.

If single words are too easy, you can up the difficulty level by printing entire words on separate pages that form complete sentences.

ESL Writing Activities for Intermediate Students

Western ESL teachers might remember Mad Libs from their youth, a game in which a handful of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are extracted from a prewritten story and left up to the participants to fill in.

Mad Libs and its variants like Mad Takes can be wildly entertaining for ESL learners.

Fantasy Dialogue Using Pop Culture

Most of your students, especially in the mid-secondary school age range with a typical skill level for that group, will find this writing activity engaging.

Create a fantasy meeting between two well-known pop culture figures – for example, in Thailand, this would be something like Lady Gaga meeting Harry Potter if selecting from Western celebrities.

You can make the activity more exciting by setting the dialogue against an unusual background – for example, backstage at a concert in Bangkok.  

Writing Descriptions of Visual Stimuli

Flash an image of a busy street corner in a major city in your student’s country, or of a well-known piece of historic architecture or famous landform – anything that your students are likely to know well.

Write the question words on the board:

Then ask your students to craft their own descriptions of the images you show for the question words. Some might not fit well – for example, the answer to who? may not appear obvious in an image of an island with no inhabitants. Encourage creative, “out of the box” answers in this regard and reward them with positive feedback.

The Directions Game

Giving and receiving directions is an intermediate English skill that ESL learners who want to travel will need to have. Additionally, this activity is useful to include at the outset of a lesson because the competitive nature captures students’ interest.

Draw a handmade map or grab one off of the internet. Divide the students into two teams. Then, have one student from each team come to the whiteboard with marker in hand.

Ask how to go from point A to point B on the map. Each student, with the help of his or her team, must quickly write coherent directions (turn left, turn right, go east, go west, etc.) from start to finish.

The first team to complete intelligible directions wins.

ESL Writing Activities for Advanced Students

What happens next.

This writing activity has the potential for several modifications to spice it up, but the essential idea is that the class, as a group, creates a story line by line.

The simplest version of Collective Story Time is to begin, as the teacher, with the introductory sentence on the whiteboard or projector: “Billy went to the skatepark.” The next sentence is completed by a student chosen at random, who then passes the baton to another student of his or her choice.

Depending on the age, maturity level, and preferences of students, you might put content limitations in place or interject with your own sentences from time to time to keep the story on a productive track.

Social Media Posts

Nearly everyone uses social media; they identify with it; they engage with it. Instead of fighting students to stay off of their phones in class, why not consider crafting your own Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram posts together as a class?

Use projection technology to supersize the browser or app and brainstorm a Tweet or post about a popular topic or the latest news in your learners’ home country.

Getting to the Point/Cutting Out the Fat

In English writing, more is not always better. The stage at which ESL students begin to develop advanced writing skills and become more confident is the right time to begin to introduce the concept of brevity and its benefits.

Start by offering your own writing sample that is chock full of redundancies, extraneous details, and non-sequiturs. Point some of them out yourself so that they know what to look for. Ask your students to shorten the story by half while keeping the original meaning and the critical details.

Transcription Practice (Dicto-Comp)

For some advanced ESL students who are either working already or will soon join the workforce, the ability to translate spoken English into written form quickly and accurately is an important skill.

Help them develop this skill set by selecting a text that is commensurate with their comprehension level. If you can’t find a suitable sample on the web, consider writing one yourself. The text should be about 500 words.

Students will listen and transcribe what they are hearing as quickly as possible. Emphasize the equal importance of accuracy and speed.

Read a few sentences at a time, pausing when you think appropriate.

Where to Start as an ESL Teacher

Devising effective ESL writing activities — and, equally importantly, adapting them to match the needs, interests, and social context of your students – requires a good bit of trial and error. Inspiration from other teachers’ examples and outside resources can help.To get started developing high-quality writing activities for your students, take a look at our list of free lesson plans . They are full of effective teaching strategies that are backed by years of practical success in ESL classrooms around the globe.

Ben Bartee

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ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Icebreakers + Warm-Ups · Listening · Reading · Speaking

ESL Activities for Big Classes | Fun ESL Games for Large Groups

Do you have a big class filled with lots of students who want to learn English? It can be a bit terrifying, right? That’s where these ESL activities for big classes come in. These ESL Group activities are designed for large English classes and will get everyone participating in style.

ESL-activities-big-classes

ESL activities and games for big classes

But, not to worry! Keep on reading for the best ESL games and activities that you’ll want to consider for a big English class with 20+ students. Let’s get to some of my favourite ESL group activities!

Have a Big TEFL Class?

I love large classes of 20+ students! They used to terrify me when I first started teaching in Korean universities. However, as the years went by and I figured out how to manage them, I liked them more and more. These days, I actually prefer a class of 20 to a class of 1 or 2.

Large ESL classes of 20 students or more can be a bit difficult to teach English to if you don’t have a lot of practice with them. Another problem is that it can be hard to come up with games and activities that will work with a big crowd. However, help is here! Read on for my top ESL activities for big classes. Most of them will work for children as well as adults so adapt away and enjoy.

Of course, monitoring learning is slightly more difficult in a bigger class, but these activities make it possible to do it at least to some degree.

esl-activities-big-groups

ESL Activities for Big Groups

ESL Activities for Big Classes

Let’s get into the best activities for larger ESL classes.

#1: Is that Sentence Correct?

Is that Sentence Correct? is a sneaky way to get your students focusing on English grammar. The best part about it is that you can use this activity with 1 student or 100! It’s also very easy to adjust the activity from beginner to advanced. The sky is really the limit for this one, although one thing I like to use it for is a reported speech activity .

I find this ESL activity works best at a warm-up activity, or as a review at the end of class. When used as a warm-up, use it to review material from the previous class(es). When used as a review, focus on what you’ve studied that class. It’s a nice way to round off a unit as well. The best thing about this one is there is a few minutes of silent calm that descends upon your class!

#2: Videos in the ESL Classroom

Videos can be a great tool to use with large ESL classes. They are interesting, motivating, and engaging for most students. There is also a wide variety of activities you can do along with them. The sky is really the limit! Whatever you do, don’t just watch the video and be done with it. There really are a million and one pre and post watching ESL activities that you can do which are really useful for your students.

Check out this post for some ideas about how to use videos in the ESL Classroom.   There are lots of ideas for pre and post video-watching.

ESL Activity for Big Classes #3: Presentations for ESL Students

Presentations for ESL students is another excellent activity to get your big ESL classes doing. Task-based learnin g, especially if students are able to choose their own topic is a great way to make learning more memorable. In large classes, simply put students into groups of 4-6 instead of by themselves or in pairs.

39 Task-Based Language Teaching and Learning Activities: A Very Practical Guide to Using TBL in the...

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I find that presentations work best when students are given a very specific set of guidelines, mostly related to avoiding death by PowerPoint. Here are some things I tell my students:

  • Only 1 slide/person plus an introduction slide.
  • No more than 10 words on that slide. Focus on an interesting picture, etc.
  • You must memorize your section of the speech. You can have a piece of paper in your pocket for emergency use only. I won’t penalize you if you quickly look at it once.
  • Each student in the group must talk for an equal amount of time.
  • Think of 2-3 discussion questions you could ask the class.

#4: Easy English Vocabulary Quiz for Kids

#5: Concentration

Concentration memory game

Concentration is a fun game to help your students review vocabulary. There are different ways to play and you can match words-definitions or words-pictures. It doesn’t matter how big, or small the class is because you students can play in pairs or in groups of up to five.

This is an excellent activity for beginners or intermediate students and children especially love to play it. You really can adapt it to just about any age or level, and it lends itself well to vocabulary, as well as certain grammatical points. For example, problem and advice, or conditional clauses.

Try out this ESL group activity and I think your students will love it as much as mine do! Or, I’ll refund your money!!!

#6: Just a Minute

Just a Minute is a great warm-up activity for higher-level teenagers or adults. The idea is that students have to speak about a certain topic for an entire minute without stopping. You can also make it interactive by having a partner or group members ask follow-up questions based on what that first student said.

It’s challenging, but you can make it a bit easier by reducing the time for beginners to 30 seconds.

#7: Reading Activities for Big Classes

Reading is a great activity for bigger classes because it can be done individually without a lot of guidance from the teacher. Check out this ESL Reading Lesson Plan Template for how to conduct one of these lessons the CELTA way. You’ll find the usefulness of your reading lessons increases substantially by using a lesson plan template such as this one.

#8: ESL Surveys for Big Classes

ESL Surveys are one of my favorite activities for big ESL classes and they actually don’t work that well with fewer than 10 students. Surveys are great because they’re entirely student-centered and they also cover all 4-skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Students usually really enjoy talking to lots of their classmates too!

Be sure to set up some guidelines before you start. Here’s what I usually say:

  • 1-1 speaking only. I don’t want to see any groups of 3 or more.
  • The goal is not to finish first. The goal is to have lots of mini-conversations in English with a partner.
  • Speak English! Sure, it’s easy to speak in your first language, but you’re actually wasting your time. The goal is to practice English so go for it.
  • Don’t write full sentences, but just take notes for your partner’s answers.

Remember that the challenge is in the information gap nature of it, not having to complete it quickly.

79 ESL Activities, Games & Teaching Tips for Big Classes (20+ Students): Practical Ideas for English...

  • 122 Pages - 06/19/2020 (Publication Date)

#9: Board Games

Board games are a natural choice for large classes of ESL students because you can break up any number of students up into groups of 3-5. It’s student-centered teaching all the way! The other reason that I love using board games in the ESL classroom is that you can make one for just about any topic. Students love them too!

Don’t forget to bring a little prize for one student in each group to make it more interesting. They are ESL group games made easy.

ESL Activity for Big Classes #10: Running Dictation

Running Dictation is a fun activity that children, as well as adults, love. It gets your students up and out of their seats and can really energize a lethargic class. Running dictation also makes a great warm-up activity for that Monday morning at 9 class!

It’s one of my favorite 4-skills ESL activities.

#11: ESL Speaking Activity for Large Classes

#12: Odd One Out

Odd One Out is an excellent ESL warm-up game to review vocabulary for small or big ESL classes. You put students into pairs and they compete against each other to add an element of fun to it.

#13: 3 Things

If you want to focus on writing with your students, then you may want to consider trying out 3 things. It’s a very simple, but fun ESL writing activity that requires in the way of materials or preparation. An English teacher’s dream, right?

You can find out more details about it right here:

3 Things ESL Writing Activity .

103 Low-Prep ESL Speaking Games & Activities for Kids, Teenagers, and Adults: The Ultimate Book for...

  • 249 Pages - 09/11/2023 (Publication Date)

#14: Postcard ESL Writing Activity

If you can get your hands on a stack of blank postcards for cheap, then consider this simple but fun English writing activity. It’s a nice way to have students work on writing some simple sentences related to travel and vacations. Learn more about it here:

ESL Postcard Writing Activity .

#15: Don’t Forget about ESL Warmers

#16: Me Too! ESL Group Activity

This is a simple but fun ESL speaking and listening activity that can be done with larger classes. It also requires nothing in the way of preparation or materials and what English teacher doesn’t need this kind of thing, right?

The way it works is that students say a fact about themselves to find out which of their classmates also has it in common. Check out all the details here:

Me Too! ESL Classroom Activity .

#17: Dictation Writing and Listening Activity

Another idea for big ESL classes is to do some dictation. This activity is heavy on listening and writing but also focuses on things like spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and grammar. In short, it’s a versatile ESL activity that can be done with one student or a hundred!

Want to find out more about it? All the information you need is right here:

ESL Dictation Practice .

fun-esl-games-big-classes

Fun ESL games for bigger classes

#18: TV English Conversation Lesson Plan

One of the best things to do with large classes of students is to divide them into pairs, give them an easy-to-follow lesson plan that’s engaging and interesting and let them get to work. Then the role of the teacher is to monitor for errors and offer assistance if needed.

One of the best topics is TV. Almost everyone watches at least a couple of shows and most students really enjoy talking about it. Here’s the complete lesson plan:

TV ESL Lesson Plan .

Did you like this lesson? It’s from this book:

67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...

  • 279 Pages - 07/12/2020 (Publication Date)

#19: Brainstorming Game Ideas

For larger classes, a nice activity is something related to brainstorming. In this case, instead of doing it on the whiteboard with the entire class, divide students up into smaller groups of 3-5 students to complete these activities together. They are ideal for a warmer or review activity.

If you want to help generate some new ideas and get some creative juices flowing in your classes, have a look at some of the top picks here:

Brainstorm Game Ideas.

#20: Conversation Questions ESL for Big Classes

1005 ESL Conversation Questions: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want to Have...

  • 86 Pages - 07/02/2020 (Publication Date)

If students in your class are interested in doing some “free-talking,” then consider this solution. Put students into pairs or groups of three, give them a print-out of conversation questions around a certain topic and let them get to talking. Of course, don’t even consider having a class discussion with a large class because it’ll be far too teacher-centred and there won’t be enough student-talking-time.

Here’s my top recommendation:

Conversation Questions for ESL .

#21: 120-90-60 Speaking Fluency Activity

#22: Current Events Lesson Plan

One of my favourite things to do with bigger English classes is to divide students up into pairs or small groups of 3-4, give them an easy to follow lesson plan that’s heavy on the conversation and then let them get to it. This one on current events is one such example. It contains the following:

  • Warmer question
  • Vocabulary, idioms, and phrases
  • Conversation questions
  • Writing prompts that are ideal for homework or extra credit

Take a look here:

Current Events English Conversation Lesson.

#23: Man/Woman on the Street Interview Activity

If you have a big TEFL class, try out this speaking and listening interview activity which can easily be done in as many small groups of 4-5 students as necessary. It’s fun, interactive, and extremely student-centered. It’s ideal for eliciting opinions from students on current events or controversial topics.

Sounds like exactly what you need to try out with your large class? Check out this article for all the information you need to get started:

ESL Interview Activity (Current Events) .

#24: English Phrases and Expressions

1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...

  • 142 Pages - 11/22/2020 (Publication Date)

All students can benefit from knowing more common English expressions. This helps conversations go much more smoothly if students have a variety of useful phrases at their fingertips.

I find that the best way is to teach them in related sets. Here’s one example of that:

Common English Phares for Offering Help .

#25: Word Categories ESL Games and Activities

When teaching vocabulary, I like to focus on categories of words like jobs, food, around the city, etc. This is also how most ESL textbooks are organized. It’s helpful because students can learn related words at the same time, instead of random ones that aren’t really connected which makes them more memorable. Check out my recommendations here:

Words Categories Games.

#26: Hot Potato

#27: Freeze Group ESL Writing Activity

A fun way to practice writing with larger classes is to have students do freeze. Instead of writing stories together as a class, put students into groups of 4-6 and have them make that same number of stories. Then, in the end, each group can choose their favourite story and read it out loud to the class.  More information about it:

Freeze ESL Group Writing .

#28: Closest in Meaning

This is a simple reading activity that works very well for larger TEFL classes. Students have to read the original sentence and then choose another sentence that fits most closely with the original one. It’s possible to make it as easy or as difficult as you want. Try it out:

Closest in Meaning .

#29: ESL Vocab Auction

#30: Debating

If you teach a very large class, consider setting up some debates about interesting, silly, or controversial issues. It’s the ideal activity to do in groups of four, with two students arguing the pro side and two the con side.

For some of the best ideas for topics, be sure to check this out:

Debate Topics .

#31: English Phrases, Expressions, and Idioms

A great class, whether with one student or lots of them starts off with a solid lesson plan. This one is for higher-level students and covers English phrases and idioms. Try it out, in class or to give as a self-study or homework assignment. Have a look:

English Expressions Lesson Plan .

#32: Things to With Large Classes on the First Day

#33: Directions ESL Activities

One of my favourite units to do with large TEFL classes is directions. There are a number of fun activities, including information gap ones that are a natural fit. Have a look at some of my favourites here:

Giving Directions ESL Activities and Games .

#34: Find Something in Common 

This is a simple ESL icebreaker activity that works well for any class size, from 6 to 50. Students have to mingle with their classmates, to try and find out what they have in common with each person, using questions.

The best part is that it requires absolutely no preparation and no materials except for a pen and paper. Learn more about it here:

ESL Find Something in Common.

#35: St. Patrick’s Day

I love to celebrate the holidays with my students. It can be a nice change of pace from the usual textbook activities. For this holiday, there is certainly lots to talk about as there is both an interesting history and some fun traditions happening these days. Here are some of my favourites:

ESL Saint Patrick Day Activities .

#36: Dialogue Substitution 

#37: Small Talk Activities

Small talk is one of those important speaking and conversation skills that all English learners need to master. Small talk serves an important social function and even though it might seem easy, there are lots of subtle rules surrounding it.

That’s why I like to spend time working on it with my students. Here are some of my top ideas:

Ideas for Small Talk ESL.

#38: ESL Short Stories for Reading Comprehension

One of the best things to do with large classes is a reading-focused lesson. It’s far better than the teacher trying to lead a discussion with the entire class because all of the students are active, instead of just a few.

The main issue is finding appropriate materials. If your students are at an intermediate level, you’ll want to check out these short stories about life in Canada. Have a look here:

ESL Reading Comprehension Short Stories .

#39: Five Senses

#40: TEFL Vocabulary Sheets

If you want an easy solution for teaching big classes, then look no further than these vocab sheets. They’re an all-in-one solution that you can just print off and take to class. Yes, it really is that easy. Find out more about them here:

TEFL Vocab Sheets .

#41: Jigsaw Activities

#42: After Reading Strategies and Ideas

It can be a little bit tricky to come up with things to do in large English classes. Reading is a natural fit though! It’s easy for students to do this on their own and you don’t have to worry about things like student talking time.

The key is to make sure that you’re getting the most mileage from each story or other kind of reading passage that you choose. That’s where these ideas come in! Check them out:

After Reading Strategies .

#43: Show and Tell

Show and tell is a nice warm-up activity for all ages. If you have a large English class, then consider doing 2-3 students at the beginning of each class, instead of everyone in a single day. Find out more about it:

#44: Round Robin Story

Try out this simple listening/speaking, or writing activity with your big classes of English learners. For lots of students, it’s best to put them into small groups and do it as a writing activity. Learn more:

Round Robin Story Writing Activity.

#45: Twenty Questions

#46: There Is and There Are Games and Activities

A key concept that all students need to master is when to use “there is” and “there are.” Have a look at some of my favourite activities for teaching this:

There Is There Are Games and Activities .

#47: Guessing Games to Play

Who doesn’t love a fun guessing game, right? They add an element of mystery and can ideal for a really big class. Have a look here at some of my top ideas:

Guessing Games to Play .

What are some Tips for Teaching Large ESL Classes?

Teaching large ESL classes can present unique challenges, but with proper planning and strategies, you can effectively manage and engage your students. Here are some tips to consider:

Classroom Management

  • Establish clear expectations and rules from the beginning and ensure they are consistently enforced.
  • Use seating arrangements that facilitate interaction and minimize distractions.
  • Use a variety of techniques to gain and maintain students’ attention, such as signaling systems, gestures, or choral responses.
  • Break down instructions into smaller steps to ensure understanding and manage transitions smoothly.

Group Work and Pairing

  • Divide students into smaller groups or pairs for activities and discussions. This promotes active participation and allows for more individualized attention.
  • Assign specific roles within groups to ensure everyone contributes and stays engaged.
  • Provide clear instructions and time limits for group tasks to maintain focus and productivity.

Visual Aids and Technology

  • Utilize visual aids, such as posters, charts, or multimedia presentations, to enhance comprehension and engage students visually.
  • Incorporate technology, when available, to deliver interactive lessons, provide online resources, or use educational apps that cater to larger class sizes.

Active Learning Strategies

  • Implement a variety of active learning strategies, such as think-pair-share, jigsaw activities, role-plays, or hands-on tasks, to encourage participation and foster a dynamic learning environment.
  • Incorporate games and competitions to make learning enjoyable and to motivate students.

Clear and Concise Instructions

  • Use simple and clear language when giving instructions, and ensure students understand before beginning an activity.
  • Use visual cues, gestures, or demonstration to support verbal instructions and facilitate comprehension.

Monitor and Provide Feedback

  • Regularly circulate around the classroom to monitor student progress and offer assistance or clarification when needed.
  • Provide constructive feedback to individuals or groups, emphasizing both strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Encourage peer feedback and collaboration to foster a supportive learning community.

Differentiated Instruction

  • Recognize and accommodate the diverse needs and abilities of students in the class.
  • Offer differentiated tasks or assignments that cater to different proficiency levels or learning styles.
  • Provide extra support or extension activities for students who may require additional challenges or assistance.

Engage with Multimodal Activities

Incorporate a variety of language skills and modalities (reading, writing, listening, speaking) into your lessons to cater to different learning preferences and reinforce comprehension.

Time Management

  • Plan lessons carefully and allocate sufficient time for different activities, allowing for smooth transitions between tasks.
  • Prioritize essential learning objectives and adjust lesson plans accordingly to ensure meaningful learning experiences within the available time frame.

Build a Positive Classroom Culture

  • Foster a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where all students feel valued and respected.
  • Encourage peer collaboration, cultural sharing, and mutual support among students.
  • Celebrate achievements and recognize the progress of individuals and the class as a whole.

Need Even More ESL Activities?

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If you found these ESL activities for big classes useful, then you’ll want to check out this book over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults . They’ll help make your classes interesting and fun, guaranteed.

Plus you’ll save a ton of time when lesson planning by not having to wade through all the junk on the Internet to find that one ESL game or activity that you can actually use in your classes. These ones are tried and tested and they’re awesome.

You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Or, consider downloading the digital version to your phone or tablet with the free Kindle reading app.

Yes, it really is that easy to level up your teaching game. Head over to Amazon to pick yourself up a copy today, but only if you want to get yourself a serious dose of ESL teaching awesome in your life:

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Teaching Large English Classes FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching bigger TEFL classes. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

How do you Teach Large Classes?

Teaching large classes is difficult but it can be made more manageable by using some of the following strategies:

  • Break students up into groups.
  • Change groups frequently.
  • Use technology in the English classroom .
  • Consider a “flipped-classroom” model.
  • Use a variety of games and activities.

What are the Challenges of Teaching Large Classes?

There are a number of challenges when teaching large classes. These include the following:

  • Lack of flexibility
  • Various levels (particularly in language classes)
  • Classroom management issues including crowd control
  • Only a small amount of time for individual attention for each student
  • Difficulty in monitoring student progress

How do you Manage an Overcrowded Classroom?

There are a number of strategies to employ to manage an overcrowded classroom. Some of them include the following:

  • Using groups.
  • Making sure students are always busy
  • Keeping things interesting with a variety of activities
  • Making liberal use of early-finisher tasks

Why are Bigger Classes Better?

Sometimes, bigger classes can be better for students. This is because they can encourage students to use their problem-solving skills and critical thinking instead of just relying on the teacher. Also, students must work together and rely on each other as resources for learning.

Have your say about these ESL Activities for Bigger Classes

What are your thoughts about these games and activities for big English classes? Did you try out one of them from this list or do you have another that you’d like to recommend? Leave a  comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself, find this useful resource.

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook Pinterest TikTok LinkedIn Instagram

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ESL Interactive Games and Activities | Interactive ESL Lesson Ideas

Okay, so who doesn’t want more interaction in their ESL or EFL classes, right? That’s where these ESL interactive games and activities come in. They’re fun, engaging, and best of all, will get students interacting with you, and most importantly, each other. Keep on reading for some of my favourite interactive ESL Games.

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ESL interactive game

Stay tuned for the best interactive ESL lesson plan ideas, tips, games and activities.

ESL Interactive Games, Activities, Worksheets and Lesson Plans

Are you ready for some ESL teaching awesome? Then let’s get to the best interactive ESL games and activities you’ll need to plan your lesson in style!

#1: ESL Board Games

Board games, by their very nature, are an interactive activity. Did you know that it’s extremely easy to design your own for your TEFL classes? You can easily make them for just about any topic or level of students in just a few minutes. I use them for review at the end of a unit, or as a review before the midterm or final exam.

A quick tip: You can often find board games in the teacher’s activity book that may come with your ESL textbook. Check there first before spending time making your own. Check them out here: Board Games for ESL Students.

#2 ESL Interactive Vocabulary Game: Draw a Picture

If you’re teaching your students about ways to describe people, animals , objects, etc., then you may want to try out this fun and interactive ESL activity. The way it works is that you put students into pairs, and then show one of the people a secret picture. They have to describe the picture to their partner who can’t see it, and then they draw it. The results? Usually hilarious, so be sure to compare them with each other.

Find out more details here: Drawing a Secret Picture. 

#3: Taboo Interactive ESL Party Game

You’ve probably played taboo with friends or family somewhere along the line. You can also play it with your ESL/EFL students! Just be sure to use vocabulary words that they know, and/or that you’ve recently used in class. If you don’t remember what taboo is, basically you have to get your team to say a certain word by describing it. The catch is that you can’t use words from a certain list.

It’s a fun party game so try it out today: Taboo for English Learners .

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ESL interactive games and activities

#4 ESL Interactive Game: Rock-Scissor-Paper

This is a fun ESL game that requires a ton of interaction between students. They NEED to talk with other people in order to complete the activity. It’s ideal for a quick review game before a test, or at the end of a unit. The way it works is that you make a set of questions/answers.

Then, separate them into strips of paper (questions and answers separately too). Give each student 4-5 papers and they have to find their match. Once they do, they do rock-scissor-paper and the winner takes both papers and gets a point.

Here’s everything you need to know about this interactive review game: Rocks-Scissor-Paper ESL Review Activity .

#5: Flip-Chart, an Interactive Vocabulary Review Game

If you teach beginners and are looking for a fun game to help students with new vocabulary, consider “flip-chart.” It’s an ideal way to round out a unit or to do some review before a vocabulary test.

Learn more here: Interactive ESL Vocabulary Game .

esl-interactive-games

#6 Interactive ESL Game: Just a Minute

This is a fun ESL activity that focuses on speaking fluency. It works for just about any topic, is an ideal warm-up and it best for intermediate to advanced level students. The way it works is that students have to speak about a certain topic for one entire minute without stopping. The way you can make it interactive is to put students into groups of 4 or 5. The “listeners” have to ask 1-2 related follow-up questions after the person is finished talking.

Check it out here: Just a Minute ESL Warmer .

#7 ESL Interactive Game for Kindergarten: Flashcard Sentences

If you teach English to kindergarten students , but don’t have a set of flashcards, then you’ll need to get one ASAP! They are extremely versatile and lend themselves to a ton of different activities. My secret? You can often buy a matching set to go along with the textbook you are teaching from.

One of the simplest, interactive games you can do is to hold up a flashcard to each student. Then, they have to make a sentence with the picture. If correct, they keep the card. If incorrect, it goes back into the pile. Continue until the flashcards are gone.

More information here: Flashcard Sentences .

#8: Interactive Vocabulary Quiz (Name 5 Things)

#9 Interactive Activity for ESL Students: The Hobby Unit

Let’s be real. Most teachers are pretty tired of teaching about “hobbies” and I’m sure most students feel the same way. It seems like every single English textbook out there has a unit on this. If you find one that doesn’t, please let me know!

In order to spice things up a bit, I like to do this interactive activity. Basically, each student has to teach their group how to do something. It could be how to make fried rice if their hobby is cooking. Or, how to kick a ball if they like soccer. Just something simple that they can teach someone in a couple of minutes.

Then, to make it more interactive, each student in the group has to ask 1-2 follow-up questions.

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Need more ideas for hobbies? Have a look here: ESL Hobbies Games .

#10 ESL Grammar Interactive Game: Can/Can’t

This is a fun, interactive game that you can use with your beginner level students when teaching about can/can’t. Students have to choose some secret nouns, and then give hints about it, using can/can’t. I prefer to have students write down the hints because it goes more smoothly than just having them think on their feet, especially if they are true beginners.

Check it out here: Can/Can’t ESL Game .

#11: ESL Christmas Interactive Games

Okay, so Christmas is just around the corner and you’re looking for some fun and engaging ESL games or activities to use with your students? Then you’re certainly in the right place.

Here are some of my favorites to try out today: Interactive ESL Christmas Activities

#12: Hot Potato Game for ELL Students

If you’re looking for an interactive ESL game that’s some pure fun and excitement, then you’ll want to consider Hot Potato. The way it works is that students pass around a “potato” and when the timer goes off, the person holding it has to do something. In my classes, it’s usually answering a question of some kind.

If you want to make it a little bit more interactive, you could consider requiring the person previously holding the potato to think of the question themselves instead of the teacher. More information here:

ESL Hot Potato Game .

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#13 ESL Interactive Games: Charades

I’m ALL about having some fun party-type classes with my students to celebrate the end of a unit, an upcoming holiday like Halloween , or the end of the semester. One of my favourite interactive games that I like to play with them is charades. I’m sure you’ve played this with family or friends before.

The way it works is that you have to act out a secret word or phrase and your team has to guess what is it. Find out more about it right here:

Charades for ESL Students .

#14: Do you Like to?

This ESL interactive activity requires that students write down five facts about themselves on 5 strips of paper. The more unique, the better.

Then, you distribute the strips of paper to other students in the class who have to ask questions to find their matches. It’s a fun game that’s ideal for getting students to work on yes/no questions. Find out more about it right here:

Do you Like to ESL Speaking Activity ?

#15: Social Problems ESL Lesson Plan

One of the ways to foster interaction among English learners is to bring an interesting conversational topic into class and then let students get to talking! In particular, I like to use this social issues lesson plan because it’s engaging and almost all students have an opinion about things that are happening in the world around them.

Want to check it out for yourself? Have a look here:

Social Problems ESL Lesson Plan .

#16 Interactive ESL Activity: Discussion Starters for Children or Adults

One of the best ESL interactive activities is a straight-up discussion! I find that it’s best to offer students some discussion starters so that you’re not met with utter silence when you tell your students to start talking to each other!

Here are some of my top picks for interesting things your students could talk about:

Discussion Starters for Children

Discussion Starters for Adults

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#17: WH Questions Activities

Who, what, when, why, where, and how are by their very nature, interactive words. They are the start of a question in English, and you’ll probably want to have a partner to answer them, right?

There are a ton of interactive ESL games to practice W + H questions. You can see some of our top picks right here:

W/H Questions Games and Activities .

#18 ESL Interactive Activities for Giving Directions

Another topic that lends itself extremely well to interactive activities is giving directions. After all, you can’t give directions to yourself, right? Well, I guess you could in theory but it’d be a little bit weird!

The best directions activities are those with an information gap of some kind. By that, I mean where one student has the information another student needs. And, they have to interact with each other to find out what it is.

Do you want to know more? Then check this out: ESL Giving Directions Activities .

#19: Tips for Interactive Small Group Discussions

When students think of a conversation class, it’s often free-flowing discussions that they want. Or, if you like to have interactive discussions in your English classes, then you’ll want to check out these top tips for making them even better.

Maybe you’ve been met with blank stares and silence when everyone should be talking? Seriously, we’ve all been there and the good news is that it can be easily avoided These are the tips for you, so neglect them at your peril!

ESL Small Group Discussion Tips.

Get your interaction on!

#20: ESL Warmer Activities

#21: Telephone ESL Speaking + Listening Game

A fun game that you can play with kids or teens is telephone. The way it works is that you give the first student in the line a sentence or phrase. They pass that to the next person and so on until the end. At that point, their sentence is compared to the original.

The results? Usually really funny! Find out more about one of my favourite interactive games for ESL students:

Telephone ESL Listening/Speaking Game.

#22: Easy ESL Animals Quiz

#23: Choose your Own Adventure Group Writing Activity

Interactive group writing activities are few and far between as writing is generally more of a solitary kind of activity. However, this is one of the best group writing activities that I’ve come across and I think your students will like it as much as mine.

This writing activity is engaging and very student-centred, so give it a try today! Find out more about it:

Choose your Own Adventure Group Writing Activity for English Learners .

67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For English Teachers...

  • 279 Pages - 07/12/2020 (Publication Date)

#24: Technology ESL Lesson Plan

One of my favourite interactive ESL activities is to put students into pairs or small groups and then give them an engaging lesson plan. This one about technology includes the following:

  • Warm-up question
  • Vocabulary, idioms, and phrases
  • Conversation questions
  • Writing prompts that are ideal for homework

Have a look right here:

Technology English Conversation Lesson Plan

Or, if you’re a teacher who is looking to level up their use of tech in the classroom, be sure to check this out:

Technology for Teaching English.

#25: Tell your Story: An Interactive Activity for Reported Speech

It’s not that easy to come up with interactive, fun reported speech activities, even though this grammar point comes up quite often in real life. So, it makes sense to practice it in class with our students and not just skip over that section in the book.

If you’re looking for an interactive, natural way to do it, then you’ll want to check out this activity: Tell your Story ESL Reported Speech Activity .

#26: Information Gap Activities

#27: Vocab Sheets

A nice way to generate some conversation in English classes for intermediate or advanced learners is to use vocab sheets, along with the accompanying discussion questions. Find out more about them here:

TEFL Vocab Sheets .

#28: Whiteboard Games and Activities

Who says that the teacher is the only one that gets to write on the whiteboard? Have some fun with these interaction games that make use of the whiteboard:

ESL Whiteboard Games and Activities .

#29: Speaking Fluency Activity

#30: Typhoon Review Game

If you’re looking for an ESL review game that’s heavy on the fun, then consider playing Typhoon. Students of all ages love it and whenever I use it in class, students talk about it for weeks afterwards. It’s perfect to use in class before a midterm or final exam. Check out this ESL interactive game:

Typhoon ESL Review Game .

#31: Basketball ESL Challenge

If you’re looking for a fun activity for an interactive English lesson, then consider ESL basketball. It’s ideal for children and a nice way to review simple grammatical structures or vocabulary. Find out more about this interactive English activity here:

ESL Basketball Activity .

#32: Things to do on the First Day of Class

#33: Using Movies and TV Shows to Teach English

If you want to have an interactive English lesson, then seriously consider using TV shows or movie clips. Students generally love watching TV, so why not bring them into the TEFL classroom to generate some interest?

Find out more about interactive ESL lessons using movies here:

Movies and TV Shows for Learning English.

#34: TPR (Total Physical Response)

A fun, interactive teaching method is total physical response. The teacher says something and the students have to act it out. For example:

  • Touch your elbow.
  • Pick up your pencil.
  • Turn around.
  • Be quiet, please.

As you can see, it’s useful for a variety of kinds of vocabulary. Find out more:

What is TPR?

#35: Prepositions of Place Memory Quiz

Try out this simple memory game to work on prepositions:

#36: An English Debate

A fun way to get students to interact with each other, in English is to have a debate. The key is choosing a topic that they want to talk about. Here are some of the best ideas:

Good Debate Topics .

Pointless Things to Debate About .

#37: I’m Going on a Picnic

This is a simple, interactive game that focuses on noticing patterns. Find out all the details you need to know here:

ESL I’m Going on a Picnic .

#38: Me Too!

Try out this fun speaking and listening activity for beginners. Students have to say a true statement about themselves. For example:

  • I have a sister.
  • I love fruit.
  • My grandparents live with me.

If the statement is also true for other students in the class, they can stand up and say, “Me too!”

#39: Twenty Questions

What about ESL Interactive Games for Students?

If you’re looking for some interactive ESL games, then this isn’t the place for that! We specialize in games and activities for teachers to do with their students in the class.

However, here are some of our favourite sources of games for ESL students:

Games to Learn English

ESL Games World

A quick tip: Many of the major textbooks these days have web-based practice for students. This will often require a special code to get this up and running and some support from the admin at your institution as well. But, it’s often quite useful as far as teaching tools go, so it may be worth looking into.

Sure, they’re not ELL games so your students may not love them that much, but they do have the added benefit of corresponding to exactly what you teach in class. This fact alone makes it worth its weight in gold.

ESL Interactive Lesson Plans

Do you need some help with planning more interactive, communication-focused ESL lessons for kids or adults? Then you’ll most definitely need to check out some of our go-to sources for ESL lesson planning right here:

Task-Based Learning Lesson Plans

ESL Authority

How to Teach English Conversation?

Surprisingly, it’s possible to teach English conversation in a pretty non-interactive kind of way. Yes, I know. It seems actually difficult to do this, but many teachers do!

The goal of a conversation class is to make it as student-centred as possible. Your students should be doing all the hard work, not you. This means that if you have a class of more than say, four students, you’ll want to get them interacting and talking with each other, instead of with the entire class.

Here are some of my tips and tricks for how to make this happen: How to Teach English Conversation .

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ESL Interactive activities and games.

ESL Interactive Games and Activities FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about making their ESL lessons more interactive. Here are some of the answers to the most popular ones.

What is an interactive lesson?

An interactive lesson is one where students are able to participate in a number of ways. Students are able to engage with the material presented instead of just passively absorbing it, which can make it more memorable. This can happen in a classroom or  during homework activities.

How I encourage ESL students to participate?

If you want to encourage ESL students to participate in class and be more interactive, here are a few tips:

  • Use a wide variety of engaging ESL games and activities.
  • Consider group work and change the groups frequently.
  • Use some kind of reward system for good participation.
  • Use positive reinforcement
  • Have a friendly and upbeat demeanour in the classroom.
  • Try as much as possible to reduce teacher talking time.
  • Offer lots of support and opportunities for practice.

Why is interactive learning Better?

Interactive learning is a better choice for language learning because it emphasizes engagement and participation, which can result in better language gains. This style of teaching allows students to build their own definition and meaning of the presented material instead of just being spoon-fed information. This helps students take an active role in their own learning.

What are some interactive games?

Some interactive games to consider using for language learners are running dictation, dictogloss, speaking bingo, puzzle finders, surveys, board games, telephone, charades, and hot potato.

How can I make my lessons more interactive?

If you want to make your ESL lessons more interactive, consider the following things:

  • Use some mystery in your lessons (predictions, games, etc.).
  • Try to never repeat classroom materials in terms of topics.
  • Use lots of ESL games and activities
  • Allow students some degree or freedom (task-based learning activities for example)
  • Use technology.
  • Don’t take things too seriously!
  • Use context to relate any new material to students’ lives.

Did you like these ESL Interactive Games?

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book over on Amazon: 71 ESL Interactive Games, Activities, and Teaching Tips. The key to better English lessons is a wide variety of interactional games and this book will help you get there in style.

You can find it in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Or, take the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some lesson planning on the go.

Whatever the case, get ready for some ESL teaching awesome in your life. Head over to Amazon to pick up your copy today:

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Tips for Creating More Interaction in ESL Classes

Increasing interaction in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class is crucial for language development. Here are some tips to foster more interaction among students and between students and the teacher:

Create a Welcoming Environment

Build a safe and inclusive classroom where students feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Icebreakers and Warm-Up Activities

Start each class with icebreakers or warm-up activities that encourage students to interact and chat in English.

Pair and Group Work

Use pair and group activities frequently to promote interaction. Students can discuss topics, solve problems, or complete tasks together.

Role-Playing and Simulations

Engage students in role-play scenarios or simulations to practice real-life conversations and situations.

Discussion Prompts

Use thought-provoking questions or discussion prompts related to the lesson topic to spark conversations.

Think-Pair-Share

Ask a question, have students think about their answers individually, pair up to discuss, and then share their thoughts with the class.

Jigsaw Activities

Divide a larger task into smaller parts, assign each part to different groups, and then have groups share their findings with the whole class.

Debates and Discussions

Organize debates or class discussions on controversial or thought-provoking topics, allowing students to express their opinions.

Storytelling and Presentations

Encourage students to share personal stories or give presentations on topics of interest.

Language Games

Incorporate language games like word games, vocabulary bingo, or charades to make learning enjoyable and interactive.

Peer Teaching

Assign students to teach a concept or skill to their peers. This reinforces understanding and encourages interaction.

Collaborative Projects

Have students work on projects that require them to research, plan, and create together.

Utilize Technology

Integrate technology tools like discussion forums, language-learning apps, or video conferencing for virtual group activities.

Use Visual Aids

Incorporate visual aids, such as pictures, diagrams, and multimedia, to stimulate discussion and interaction.

Variety of Communication Modes

Encourage different types of interaction, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing, to develop all language skills.

Feedback and Correction

Provide constructive feedback on language use to guide students in improving their communication skills.

Rotate Seating Arrangements

Change seating arrangements regularly to mix students and encourage them to interact with different classmates.

Set Interaction Goals

Establish specific interaction goals for each lesson and celebrate when students meet these objectives.

Cultural Exchange

Incorporate discussions and activities that encourage students to share their cultural backgrounds and learn about each other’s cultures.

Model Interaction

As the teacher, actively participate in class discussions and model proper language use and communication skills.

Have your say about these ESL Interactive Games and Activities

What are your thoughts about these interactive ESL activities or games? Have you tried any of them out in your classes? Leave a comment below and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy teachers, like yourself, find this useful teaching resource.

Last update on 2024-02-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook TikTok Pinterest Instagram

group writing esl

Thanks a lot for sharing those amazing ideas. I would like you to give me some advice about how to help weaker students. What skill do I have to focus on: speaking, reading, listening or reading? Thanks a lot for your advice and I appreciate any help that you can give me!

group writing esl

If your students can’t read well, then certainly focus on that at the start. It’s kind of the foundation for everything else that you’ll do in your class. However, if they can read well, then start with speaking. Most other things follow from there.

group writing esl

Great teaching tips! I love all of these ideas for interactive English lessons.

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10 Creative ESL Writing Activities For Young Students

By VIPKid  |  February 7, 2018

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ESL Writing Activities

If you are an ESL teacher on VIPKID then you must consider the following things before selecting ESL Writing Activities for your students;

  • You must choose the activities that can easily be done online because communication between you and your students will be done using VIPKID’s online video chatting software. Therefore, games that require outdoor activities may not work that well.
  • You must avoid picking group activities because each of your online classes will consist of one student only. If you pick games that require more than one student, it is quite possible that you may end up confusing your students instead of helping them develop their writing skills.
  • VIPKID provides the teachers with its own teaching material; therefore, the games you pick for your students must be relevant to the material you are given otherwise you may not be able to achieve any progress.
  • The ESL Writing Activities you pick must be age-appropriate, which means you should pick games according to the age of your students. For your younger students, you need to choose easier to understand activities that teach English writing at the most basic level. Older students who understand English a bit may benefit from slightly more complex games.
  • You must include ESL Writing Activities both in-class lessons and your students’ homework. This will allow them to practice more, which will help them develop and improve their writing skills.

The key to using writing activities as a teaching tool for your ESL students is to know which activities will help achieve your lesson’s learning objectives. If you use activities that are all fun and games, then your students may not learn anything useful from them.  

ESL writing activities are important because they teach students to express their thoughts and use arguments so they can support their points of view in English. Therefore, it is important to do ESL writing exercises not only as homework   but also as a classroom activity . In this article, we will outline some interesting ESL writing activities that are suitable for interactive work in a classroom or while teaching ESL online.

These are some of the best 10 ESL writing activities

Writing tweets.

esl writing

Most of your students should be familiar with Twitter and tweets, so it can be a good starting point for an ESL writing exercise. Encourage students to write short tweets on the given ESL writing topic . You can even create a Twitter account for your class where the learners can share their thoughts. By the way, recently Twitter has exceeded the number of characters per post from 140 to 280, but still you can stick to the old 140-character format and maintain the conciseness.

Writing Emails

Emails are the main source of communication between people around the world, and that’s why email writing is a key to effective communication . Explain to your students the difference between formal and informal emails , outline the structure and vocabulary, and encourage the students to write their own emails. They can write emails to each other based on a specified topic, such as organizing a surprise party for a friend’s birthday.

Writing Ads and TV Commercials

Advertisements and commercials are a great example of creative writing , so they can be used as writing activities for ESL students . Give your learners some sample ads as well as typical expressions that are used in advertising, and then ask the learners to create their own ads. You can bring some familiar objects to the classroom and tell the learners to advertise them. The students can work solo, in pairs, or in groups. For even greater creativity, encourage them to support their ads with images . For example, they can cut out those images out of newspapers or magazines, or print them from the web. Bonus points go to teachers who have their students present them as pitches for an extra speaking activity .

Error Correction

esl writing activities

This ESOL writing exercise focuses on the ability to detect and correct mistakes in an already written text. One of example is to give the students a letter from an “imaginary friend” who does not speak English very well and has asked you to correct his or her letter. Each line of the letter should contain at least one mistake, which the students should identify and correct.

Collaborative ESL Writing Activity

Ask your students to write a story together. Each student should write a sentence and pass on the sheet to another student, who should continue the story. In the end, someone can read the story aloud. Such activity can both train the writing skills and spice up your ESL writing lessons, making them more fun and exciting. If you’re Teaching English as a Second Language online, you can go back and forth with the student and drive the story toward the vocabulary you’re focusing on.

Don’t forget to check our article about Teaching English as A Second Language.

Association game

Play an association game with your students: tell them a word and ask them to create an association chain for it, i.e. to name the association with each next word. For example, airport – travel – holidays – fun – party – night – moon – space, and so on. When the association chain is ready, ask the students to write a story by using all of these words.

Structural Writing

During this ESL writing game, you should write an essay together with your students, but in a slow-paced manner, sentence by sentence . When writing, you will teach them the typical essay structure, such as introductory, supporting, and concluding sentences. As a result, your students will not be afraid of long essays, as they can easily break down the essay structure into smaller chunks.

Image-Based Story Writing

group writing esl

For this ESOL writing practice, you should mix up cards with various images in a bag or basket, and then ask each student to take three random images. Then the most interesting part starts: the students should write stories that involve each of the three depicted objects .

How-To Instructions Writing

During this ESL writing exercise, you should ask your students to describe how something works in the form of a step-by-step procedure . Of course, they should describe the functioning of simple objects from daily life, for example, a toaster. Another option is to write a recipe for a simple dish, such as scrambled eggs or cornflakes with milk.

Shortening The Texts

Give your students a bulky text overloaded with long expressions and ask them to shorten the text and remove everything that seems odd, thus making the text clear and concise. You can shorten one of the texts together with the students and then have them work in groups or pairs.

We hope that our examples of writing exercises for ESL students will help you liven up the writing activities and turn them into an exciting adventure. Good luck with the next lesson plan !

ESL Writing

Benefits of ESL Writing

Here are some of the benefits of ESL writing activities:

They help to improve writing skills – Yes, this is an obvious benefit. Writing is an important part of learning English as a Second Language, especially if you are teaching adults who are looking for job opportunities or applying to universities for higher studies in native-English speaking countries. You will have to make sure that they know the basic knowledge of how to compose emails, take notes, prepare assignments and communicate with their peers and colleagues.

They help you build your vocabulary – ESL write up activities are a great way to build your students’ vocabulary. Not only do they learn new words, but they will also know how to use them in different sentences.

They help students understand the English language better – When you write a sentence you learn new words, you learn how to use them and how to build content around them. This can be a great way to improve your students’ comprehension, which can help them with their fluency in the language and play a role in developing their communication skills.

Remember, in order to make sure that your students benefit from writing, you should select exercises that are age-appropriate, related to your lesson, and easy to understand.

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Writing

Here you can find activities to practise your writing skills. You can improve your writing by understanding model texts and how they're structured.

The self-study lessons in this section are written and organised by English level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). There are different types of model texts, with writing tips and interactive exercises that practise the writing skills you need to do well in your studies, to get ahead at work and to communicate in English in your free time.

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36 Famous Authors Co-Wrote a Pandemic Novel. Can You Guess Who Drafted Each Section?

Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine and John Grisham are among the writers who collaborated on “Fourteen Days,” which follows a group of New Yorkers who gather on a Manhattan rooftop to swap stories beginning in March 2020

Catherine Duncan

Catherine Duncan

Staff Contributor

Person applauds from window

Three dozen literary giants have joined forces to craft Fourteen Days , a collaborative novel set in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each author was responsible for one character’s story, though no bylines appear throughout the text. To find out which writer pairs with each character, readers will need to flip to the end.

The project is the brainchild of Douglas Preston , the renowned thriller writer and former president of the Authors Guild , which commissioned the work. All proceeds from the novel, which debuted this month, will go toward the organization’s activities.

Fourteen Days takes place in New York City over a two-week period beginning on March 31, 2020. It is a time capsule of an unsettling era when lockdowns had just started and city-dwellers were clanging pots and pans to support first responders.

The story follows a group of tenants cooped up in their Lower East Side apartment building who gather on the roof every night. They begin to form a connection for the first time—even though they’ve lived on top of each other for years. Preston wrote the novel’s frame narrative, which unifies the patchwork of stories via the apartment building’s superintendent, Yessenia Grigorescu.

“Many years ago, I had this idea of writing a plague novel, sort of like Boccaccio’s Decameron ,” Preston tells the  Los Angeles Times ’ Bethanne Patrick. “And it was a disaster. It was terrible! When you’re a novelist, you often abandon things, and I abandoned it. But when the pandemic hit, I thought it might be an idea worth resurrecting as a group storytelling project. I suggested it to a few colleagues, and they said, ‘Yes, let’s do it,’ but we have to tell the stories of the people who were left behind.”

Preview thumbnail for 'Fourteen Days: A Collaborative Novel

Fourteen Days: A Collaborative Novel

Set in a Lower East Side tenement in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Fourteen Days is an irresistibly propulsive collaborative novel from the Authors Guild, with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of New York neighbors has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice—from Margaret Atwood and Celeste Ng to Tommy Orange and John Grisham.

Preston enlisted Margaret Atwood , the award-winning author known for The Handmaid’s Tale , to co-edit and contribute writing to the novel. The 36 American and Canadian authors—including Celeste Ng , John Grisham , Tommy Orange , Meg Wolitzer , Charlie Jane Anders and R.L. Stine —each submitted a story that was then edited into Preston’s larger work.

“Margaret Atwood is a great friend of the Authors Guild, and she recruited the authors,” Preston tells the  Marin Independent Journal ’s Stuart Miller. “She’s such a towering literary figure that everyone responded.”

One of the authors, Emma Donoghue , jumped to join the project before she even “finished reading the first paragraph” of the pitch, as she tells CNN ’s Zara Khan. The authors were not given any directions other than that they needed to write in the first person. And though the authors’ names lining the book’s cover are familiar, their exact contributions remain unknown until the very end of the novel, where each writer’s bio reveals which story they wrote.

“It’s a rare experience to get to write a bit of a book and then experience it as an unprepared reader,” Donoghue tells CNN.

The individual stories in the novel vary in length, style and genre. For example, one tale depicts a “spiky-haired bedbug exterminator who claims she used to be a spider,” per the New York Times ’ Alexandra Jacobs. Another follows a nun who can predict exactly when a patient is going to die.

“We all have different stories in New York, and we all live on top of one another,” Stine, best known as the author of Goosebumps , tells the L.A. Times. “And we all get along pretty well. That’s what America is supposed to be about.”

While each narrative is unique, Preston thinks they all converge around a common theme: how storytelling can help establish community amid loss and isolation.

“In every human culture on earth, storytelling is a central part,” Preston tells the Marin Independent Journal. “It’s embedded in our very genes. We tell stories to make sense of tragedy, of war, of violence, of pandemics. We tell stories to make sense of a terrifying and senseless world. And that’s what this book is really about.”

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Catherine Duncan

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Catherine Duncan is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.

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Harvard English Professor Stephanie Burt teaches “Taylor Swift and Her World.”

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Eileen O’Grady

Harvard Staff Writer

New English course studies pop star’s lyrics alongside classic literature

It turns out Taylor Swift could keep company with the Romantic-era poets.

On a recent Monday afternoon, Professor Stephanie Burt asked some 200 students — packed into Lowell Lecture Hall for the popular new English course “Taylor Swift and Her World” — to consider their role as listeners to “Fifteen,” the second track off the superstar’s second album, “Fearless.” 

In the song, Swift presents herself as a teenage girl who’s both relatable and aspirational with lyrics that reflect upon high school, friendship, and dating. Burt compared the song’s reflective qualities to William Wordsworth’s 1798  poem  “Tintern Abbey.” 

“She’s establishing herself as a kind of ally for us, what the poet and literary theorist  Allen Grossman  calls a ‘hermeneutic friend,’” said  Burt , the Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor in the Department of English. Or in other words, “the literary or musical text that you’re getting into is going to help you out, it simultaneously knows more than you do, and knows what’s going on with you.”

The course resonates with the many students who have been fans since childhood. Seated in tiered rows on the main floor and in the balcony, they nodded along intently with the lecture, occasionally laughing when Burt threw out an insider Swiftie reference. 

It’s the largest class Burt has ever taught — and the largest taught in the arts and humanities this spring. The professor, who has long wanted to create a course centering the works of a songwriter, knew “all too well” that it was time to examine Swift’s writing through an academic lens.

“She’s one of the great songwriters of our time,” Burt said. “If she weren’t, she wouldn’t be this popular. And I love the idea that we’re going to spend this much time with her music.”

In the doorway looking into the classroom full of students.

Burt’s class is the largest taught in the arts and humanities this spring.

Guest Matthew Jordan standing in front of a piano lecturing.

Teaching fellow Matthew Jordan helps unpack songs on the piano during class.

Two students looking towards the front of the classroom with excitement.

Xinran (Olivia) Ma ’26 and other students engage with the lecture.

The syllabus is organized around the “eras” of Swift’s career, starting with her 2006 debut album and progressing to her most recent. Students examine themes of fan and celebrity culture, whiteness, adolescence, and adulthood alongside songs by Dolly Parton, Carole King, Beyoncé, and Selena, and writing by Willa Cather, Alexander Pope, Sylvia Plath, and James Weldon Johnson. 

“The best way to get someone into something is to connect it to something they already love,” Burt said, in an interview before class. “I do think there’s going to be a lot more Harvard students reading Alexander Pope because he’s in the Taylor Swift course than if he only showed up in courses that were entirely dead people.”

Burt explained that she is teaching Swift as a songwriter rather than a poet because writing for music is its own literary form, one that requires different skills than writing for the page. Burt and teaching fellow Matthew Jordan regularly unpack songs on the piano during class. During a recent class, the whole room broke out into spontaneous song as Jordan performed “Love Story.”

“Usually, poetry means works of art that use nothing but words that are created to be read on a page that do not have to be read aloud by the author,” Burt said. “Songwriters are writing for a melody; they are writing for singing interpreters. You are not getting all that you can out of a song if you are reading it on a page.”

‘Tortured poets’ department?

A painting of William Wordsworth.

What common themes do you see in these excerpts from William Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” and Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen”? Listen to the professor’s take below.

Transcript:

STEPHANIE BURT:  She [Taylor Swift] is far from the first or the only writer who has written looking back at her younger self and addressing someone else — a friend, a specified reader, an audience — as a younger version of themselves. “I’m going to tell you what I wish someone had told me when I was that age, because I look at you — listener, reader, sister named Dorothy — and I see myself when I was that age, and by the way, I’m really close to that age. I’ve only grown up a little. I’m going to show you how that works.” That is a central trope of the literary movement which generates “tortured poets,” which we call Romanticism.”

Cormac Savage ’25, a concentrator in Romance languages and literatures and government, has been a Swift fan since age 6, when he received a platinum edition copy of “Fearless” for Christmas. So when he saw the course listing, he knew immediately that it was the one. 

“I think I’ll come out of this English class with a greater knowledge of music as a byproduct of studying literature, which is a really unique point of this class,” said Savage, who is looking forward to reading Wordsworth and comparing his poetry to Swift’s album “Folklore.”

Jada Pisani Lee ’26, who is studying computer science, has also been a fan since elementary school. The sophomore said she enrolled in the class to learn more about Swift’s impact on culture, from music to style to copyright law.

While some critics may not consider Swift classically worthy of English class analysis, Burt politely disagrees.

“Half the English-language authors we now think of as ‘classic’ and ‘high culture’ and ‘serious’ were disparaged because they were popular and doing the ‘pop thing’ in their time,” Burt said. “Often the ones who were disparaged because they were doing the ‘pop thing’ were authors who were writing for women when serious prestige classics were the domain of expensively educated white men.”

“Half the English-language authors we now think of as ‘classic’ and ‘high culture’ and ‘serious’ were disparaged because they were popular and doing the ‘pop thing’ in their time.” Stephanie Burt

The professor hopes students will gain not only a deeper appreciation for Swift but a new set of tools for literary and cultural analysis and a greater engagement with authors beyond the pop star.

“If I were not able to connect Taylor’s catalog to various other, older works of literature, I wouldn’t be teaching this class,” Burt said. “But I also wouldn’t be teaching this class if I didn’t really love her songs and find her worthy of sustained, critical attention. She really is that good.”

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VLADIMIR NIKOLAEVICH MEGRE

Author of the series The Ringing Cedars of Russia

Little is known about Vladimir Megre's early background, apart from a few experiences he himself describes in the context of his writings. One of these occurred in the 1960s when over the course of a year the teen-aged Megre made periodic visits (as inconspicuously as possible) to a monk named Father Feodorit at the Trinity-Sergiev Monastery in the town of Sergiev Posad (then known as Zagorsk), just east of Moscow. These meetings (described in Chapter 24 of Book 2, The Ringing Cedars of Russia (pp. 119-31) left a lasting impression on the young Vladimir's consciousness, and can perhaps be taken as a prelude to his later spiritual transformation during his meetings, as he describes them, with Anastasia in the Siberian taiga.

We know that by the mid-1980s Megre was married with a daughter and living in Novosibirsk, where, like many other budding Russian capitalists, he took advantage of perestroika and the subsequent collapse of the communist system to launch into an entrepreneurial career. Even before perestroika he had shown his business acumen in finding ways to significantly increase the profits of a photographic collective. He went on to form a number of commercial co-operatives and by the late 1980s had leased a fleet of river steamers which plied the waters of the Ob River north of Novosibirsk. (see Chapter 1 of Book 1, Anastasia).

On one of these trips north in 1994, he encountered two elderly gentlemen who told him of a cedar tree (kedr in Russian, more commonly known as the Siberian pine in English) deep in the taiga forest that was making a 'ringing' or humming sound, which meant it was near the end of its centuries-old life and was ripe for cutting up and giving out pieces to those interested in its remarkable healing properties. He decided to return to the area the following year (1995) on his own to investigate. In place of the two elderly gentlemen he discovered a young woman in her twenties who said they were her grandfather and great-grandfather, and offered to take him to the cedar they had described. She turned out to be a recluse who lived all alone in the taiga, with no other company or facilities (including housing and food supply) than those provided by Nature.

But that was just the beginning. During the three days Megre spent with her in the taiga, she revealed to him not only the secrets of the ringing cedar, but many mysteries of Nature and the Universe - especially their role in the Divine order of things - that had been known to people in so-called ancient times but subsequently lost to mankind. Much of the earlier knowledge had been deliberately consigned to oblivion by so-called 'wise men' who felt their own sophisticated world-view threatened by the simple wisdom of their forebears.

At his new acquaintance's insistence he reluctantly abandoned his business career and set about writing a book about his taiga experiences (but only after he became penniless trying to set up a league of ethical entrepreneurs and only after his marriage failed, although he received help from a number of Moscow university students as well as his grown daughter Polina). The book, entitled Anastasia, was published in 1996 - largely thanks to the generosity of the manager of a print shop Megre had shown it to - and sold by the author himself in Moscow subway stations.

Then an incredible turn of events suddenly took place. A great number of those who purchased the book returned right after they finished reading it (or even before) to buy copies for their friends and neighbors, and the first print-run of 2,000 copies sold out in a very short time. A generous donor financed the next printing, before a recognized publisher caught wind of its success and launched it into mass production. (The Russian editions of the Ringing Cedars Series are now published by Dilya Publishers in Moscow & St-Petersburg.) And one copy of the first printing even ended up in the United States Library of Congress collection.

The success of Book 1 prompted the author to write a second volume, The Ringing Cedars of Russia, which offers, among other things, a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the story of how Anastasia came to be published, as well as a deeper exploration of the concepts revealed in the first book. Subsequent visits to Anastasia in the taiga - including conversations with the son she had conceived together with the author - engendered even more books, which now number eight in the original (the last one running into two volumes). By 1999, only three years after the first book appeared, Vladimir Megre had become modern Russia's most widely read author, with his writings selling in the millions.

At the end of Book 3, The Space of Love, may be found a thumbnail sketch of the "Series at a glance", as well as a brief description of the background to the series and profiles of the author, translator and editor.

It is interesting to note the change in the author's style over the course of the books. According to his own admission, before his taiga adventure this hard-nosed businessman had never written a word of prose or poetry before in his life, but he reluctantly launched into writing a book at the insistence of Anastasia. He admits his initial prose did not sound professional, which only aggravated his difficulty in getting his first book to press. This prose may well be described as 'choppy' and simplistic, but over the first few books - under the influence, he says, of Anastasia - his writing gradually developed into a style more and more polished and professional. By the latter part of Book 3, entitled The Space of Love, and throughout a good part of Book 4, Co-creation, his dialogues with the Siberian recluse take on the quality of poetic prose, including elements of met re and even rhyme. These features have been preserved as much as possible in the English translation.

John Woodsworth, Slavic Research Group, University of Ottawa

For more information on the book and their availability in English and other languages, see Publications section of this web-site.

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39 Fun ESL Games and Activities for an Exciting English Classroom

Getting playful with the English language is a great way to push your students’ creativity and show them how useful their knowledge really is.

And the best way to do that is with fun ESL games for the classroom!

There’s nothing like a room full of friendly competition and laughter to make learning more fun.

Read on below for 39 ESL group activities that will get your students engaged and practicing their English. We’ll also discuss grouping strategies for effective gameplay.

ESL Vocabulary and Spelling Games

1. vocabulary showcase game show, 2. how’s yours, 3. fly swat, 4. shiritori showdown, 6. jeopardy, 7. backdraw, esl listening games, 10. flash art, 11. find someone who…, 12. telephone, 13. song puzzle, esl games for communication and teamwork, 14. question volley, 15. my name is x, and i like x, 16. reporter, 17. secrets, 18. find a partner, 19. what sweet treat am i, esl speaking games, 20. who am i what am i, 21. question master, 22. time trials, 23. balloon truth or dare, 24. word warm ups, 25. mayor (a.k.a. don’t vote for me), 26. reading race, 27. i took a trip to the usa, esl games for creative thinking, 28. storytelling memory game, 29. two truths and a lie, 30. funny papers, 31. dictionary, 32. oral storytelling, 33. written storytelling, esl grammar games, 34. would you rather, 35. conjugation pyramid, 36. tic-tac-toe, 37. shootin’ hoops, 38. hot potato, 39. word chain, 4 ways to group your students, group by varying skill levels, group by same skill level, group by same first language, group by different first languages, why esl games are an essential part of the classroom.

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esl games

Best for: Big groups; communication

In the Vocabulary Showcase Game Show, students will learn new words through firsthand communication. Students must explain the chosen word to their teammate without saying the word.

All you need is a whiteboard, a timer and a list of vocab words that students already have a fairly good grasp on.

How to play:  

  • Review the vocabulary words if needed or desired.
  • Divide the class into two teams. Team A will choose their first contestant to start the game.
  • Student A from Team A will stand with their back to the whiteboard.
  • The teacher writes a vocabulary word on the board and starts the clock. Two minutes per word is best practice in order to get multiple students involved.
  • Once the clock starts, Team A will do their best to describe the vocabulary word. They cannot use the word or spell it out.
  • If Student A guesses the correct word, Team A gets a point.
  • Switch. Now Team B will send up their first member to guess a new vocabulary word. Same rules apply.
  • At the end, the team with the most points wins.

Best for: Small groups; beginners

This ESL game will have students guess the object everyone is talking about by asking the eponymous question: “How’s yours?”

You don’t need anything to play this game, though it may be helpful to have some slightly more challenging words to offer your students if they’re struggling as the game leader.

  • Select a student to go first (or ask for a volunteer).
  • This player is sent into the hall or somewhere out of earshot.
  • The teacher will be game leader first. Pick a body part, type of clothing, common person or common object and inform your students of the secret word. Possibilities might include: shoes, mouth, car, mother, teacher or ring.
  • The first player comes back into the room.
  • The player’s goal now is to figure out what the secret word is by asking each student, “How’s yours?” Each student should respond in just two or three words. Remind them—no pointing!
  • Once the first player has an answer from each student, they must guess what the object is. Use points or rewards as desired.
  • Continue by having the first player become the game leader; a new student will go into the hall and be the guesser.

Tip: Pick the shy students early so they can play more confidently after they’ve been the guesser.

The secret word is “teeth.”

When the player asks their question (“How’s yours?”), students might respond:

Best for: End of the lesson; practicing synonyms/antonyms/homonyms

This fun ESL game is a race to the board! Students will compete to be the first to find the answer and swat it with their fly swatter.

You’ll need two fly swatters, PowerPoint and a projector. You can substitute the PowerPoint/projector combo for a simple whiteboard, but just know you’ll probably have to do some rewriting throughout the game. It also helps to prepare your questions ahead of time.

  • Using PowerPoint, prepare a slide with vocabulary words scattered everywhere.
  • Split the class into two teams.
  • If needed, inform students they can only swat one word on their turn to make sure they really think about their answer.
  • In turns, each team sends up one person to the board. They are each given a fly swatter.
  • Read a question/definition aloud. The first student to swat the answer on the board wins the round!

Feel free to ask the same question more than once (repetition is part of the learning process!).

Best for: Warm ups; quick thinking

The word shiritori is Japanese for “chicken’s behind.” Each student will use the last letter of the previous word to make a new one. If the timer goes off—you’re out!

It can be played in any sized group, and the only thing you need is a timer.

  • Choose a student to start the game.
  • Enter the time on the timer, perhaps 1-2 minutes depending on the class. Begin.
  • The chosen student starts the game by saying any word they’d like.
  • The next student has to say a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word.
  • Play continues until the timer goes off.
  • The student who failed to think of a word may have to write on the board, or elimination can continue each round until there’s one winner.

(Teacher sets the timer to 30 seconds.)

Teacher: I’ll start. Mois t .

Student 1: Umm… T owe l .

Student 2: Hmm… L ik e .

Student 3: Like. Like. Like. Umm…

(Timer beeps. Student 3 is out.)

Best for: All lesson types

Hangman is an oldie but a goodie. Students must guess the letters of the alphabet to figure out a word or phrase before the hangman’s drawing is complete.

All you need is paper and pencils—or just a whiteboard if you want to play as a class. Let students take turns picking the word and drawing the blanks. Encourage using new vocabulary words so they can practice spelling.

(I found the original drawing inappropriate for younger students, so I usually drew my stick figure on the plank of a ship over a sea of monsters. As a bonus, students loved being chosen to draw one of the sea monsters on the board before the game began!)

  • The leader draws the setup and the blanks for the chosen word or phrase.
  • Students take turns guessing letters of the alphabet to fill in the blanks. Correct guesses are written into place in the blanks. For each incorrect guess, the leader adds one body part of the “hangman” to the drawing.
  • If the guessers get the correct word first, they win. If the picture of the person is completed first, the leader wins.
  • Switch out the leader and play again!

For extra fun, watch a video clip first, then play Hangman using only words from the clip. And for extra practice, at the end of each round, ask students to talk about the definition of the uncovered word or try to use it in a sentence.

Best for: Big groups; comprehensive review; critical thinking; speaking skills; teamwork

Jeopardy is another classic English classroom game that helps students build their confidence. You’ll set it up just like the TV show: a big board with answers and points, where students will need to provide the missing question.

For Jeopardy, you’ll need PowerPoint or an internet connection with an online jeopardy board, plus a projector.

  • Prepare a jeopardy board with questions on the chosen subject matter. You can do this on PowerPoint with a premade template , or use Jeopardy Labs  for easy set up.
  • Assign point values that align with the difficulty of each question to ensure a fair distribution of points. Don’t forget to include a “Daily Double” for extra fun!
  • In class, split the students into even groups of four, five or six. Adjust the number according to the number of students in the classroom. For the ideal playing situation, there should be 4-6 groups.
  • After the class has been split into groups, the first group chooses a subject and point value.
  • Read the corresponding question aloud. Anyone in class can raise their hand to answer the question.
  • The first hand up gets to answer. If they’re right, their group receives the points and gets to pick the next question. If they’re wrong, subtract the points from that team; another group gets a chance to answer.
  • The group with the most points at the end of the game wins!  

Note: You may want to select a spokesperson for each group to keep chaos to a minimum. Rotate the spokesperson every few turns so everyone gets the opportunity to speak.

Best for: Big groups; all lesson types; spelling and vocabulary skills

Backdraw is one of the most popular games in classrooms and works for any level. In this game, the students aren’t allowed to talk.

  • Put the students into equal teams and line them up facing the blackboard. All the students must face the blackboard and cannot turn around.
  • Inform the students that they cannot speak during the game, or their team is out.
  • Give a word to the last student in each team (the student furthest from the blackboard). Usually, it’s best to write the word down and have them read it, so nobody can overhear it.
  • When the teacher tells them to begin, the last student must silently write the word on the back of the student in front of them. Once they’re done, the next student then writes the word they “felt” on the student in front of them. This continues until the first student has the word.
  • The first student goes to the blackboard and writes the word, spelled correctly.
  • The first team to complete the task correctly is the winner.

Best for:  Big groups; teambuilding; from beginner to advanced students 

This game focuses heavily on spelling and team skills, and it’s a great way to cement the difficult words on your vocabulary list.

  • Divide the students into teams. The number of teams doesn’t matter.
  • Approach the first team and give them a word to spell. The following steps should be conducted with each team, one at a time. The other students may listen, or practice silently spelling the words, but there shouldn’t be talking from the other teams.
  • The first student on the team may only give the first letter.
  • The next student says the second letter, and so on.
  • Once the word is complete, the next student must repeat the whole word, to signal they’re done spelling.
  • Each correctly spelled word earns the team a point.

This game can also be made more or less challenging by choosing higher or lower level words. Also, for more advanced students, they can be asked to spell the word backward.

Best for: Beginners; big groups; pronunciation practice

This game is an excellent way to use physical activity in the classroom while also engaging the brain in language learning.

  • Line up the students in the front of the classroom. If you have a large classroom, have them line up in groups of six students at one time. While each group of six students plays, the other students are encouraged to watch and be engaged in the game.
  • Assign each student a different word. Encourage them to repeat the word back to you.
  • Now the game begins. The teacher (or a designated higher-level student) must say one word at a time.
  • The student who is assigned that word must repeat it back and do a squat right away. A deep squat means they hold their arms out in front of them and bend their knees until the thigh bones are horizontal.
  • If the student forgets, says the word incorrectly or is extremely late, they’re out and must sit down.

This game can be made more challenging by having the teacher speak faster, or having the students say and spell the word.

esl games

Best for: Creative students; reading comprehension practice

You’ll give your students scenarios in English and let them create quick interpretations through drawing. This ESL game offers a break from tough topics and traditional book learning.

For this game, you need plenty of paper and drawing materials like colored pencils, markers or crayons.

  • Decide whether you want to work on students’ listening comprehension, reading comprehension or both.
  • Say a scenario out loud or write it on the board.
  • Students will transcribe or copy the scenario on a piece of paper.
  • Give students an allotted amount of time to draw out the scenario on their paper.
  • At the end of the session, students may present their drawings. You may also have them vote on their favorite piece for each scenario.

Note: You may only have time to do one or two Flash Art scenarios per session.

Examples:  

  • There is a man running in a park. He is being chased by a dog.
  • A mother and daughter are baking cupcakes.
  • Many cars are stuck in traffic due to rain.

Best for: Big groups

Students must be quick to listen and comprehend the spoken statement, or they’ll end up in the middle where they’ll have to come up with the next statement themselves.

The teacher can have a prepared list of “Finds,” or students can make up their own in this fun ESL game.

  • Have everybody begin in a big circle.
  • The teacher calls out something like: “Find someone who… is wearing glasses.”
  • Everyone runs to grab the hand of a person wearing glasses. Assuming each student has two hands, only two people can be partnered with each glasses wearer.
  • Whoever is left without a hand to hold stands in the middle.
  • Select a student in the middle to call the next statement.

The possibilities are endless! Students can find someone who:

  • is wearing red.
  • has words on their shirt.
  • can curl their tongue.

Best for: Big groups; speaking skills; pronunciation practice

Telephone is another classic. Students will whisper a given phrase down the line. The last person will announce the likely convoluted sentence to the class for everyone’s amusement.

This ESL game is easy to play—no materials needed!

  • Have all of the students sit or stand in a straight line or a circle.
  • Make up a phrase or sentence and whisper it in the first student’s ear.
  • That student then whispers the phrase to the next person, and so on and so forth.
  • If a student would like the phrase repeated to them, they can say “Operator!” This can only be done once per person.
  • The last person to hear the phrase will repeat it out loud. It’s always funny to see how different the phrase turns out!

To make this game competitive, split the class into two teams and see who gets closest to the original phrase.

Best for: Small groups; sentence order review; listening practice; speaking skills

Song Puzzle is a fun ESL classroom game that will get your students jamming along to music. You’ll play a song while they arrange the lyrics in the proper order.

To set up this game, select an appropriate song (if you have young students, check out this resource for some suggestions). Print a copy of the lyrics for each small group in your class. Cut each one into strips to create a complete set of lyrics for each group.

  • Make sure all your materials are prepared before class begins (the song is printed and cut into strips, and you have enough sets for each group).
  • Separate students into small groups of two or three. Give each group a complete set of lyric strips.
  • Play the song. Groups will try to organize the lyrics into the correct order.
  • Continue replaying the song until a team is done. Check the order of their lyrics.
  • The first group to organize the lyrics correctly wins.
  • Continue playing until all groups have figured out the correct order of the lyrics.
  • Use the lyrics to sing the song aloud as a class!

Depending on the song you choose, you can use the lyrics to teach a specific set of vocabulary or a grammar concept. For example, check out this list of songs with passive voice in the lyrics !

esl games

Best for: Big groups; speaking skills

In Question Volley, students will ask and answer questions on the spot to boost their confidence in responding to questions naturally and quickly.

All you need for this fun ESL game is a small ball! For added fun, you can always change up what you’re tossing around: a potato, a soccer ball, a frisbee, etc.

  • Tell students the topic so questions remain relevant.
  • Teacher starts! Have a student toss you the ball and ask you a relevant question.
  • Answer the question.
  • Toss the ball to a different student. Ask them a question.
  • They will answer, and then pass to another student and ask them a question.
  • Continue passing, asking and responding until everyone’s had a turn.

Make sure to encourage quick questions and answers to give this a real-life feel.

If your lesson topic is sports, some questions might be:

  • What sports do you play?
  • What sports do you like to watch?
  • Who is your favorite athlete?

For more example questions, try this resource —and check out our dedicated post on ESL movie activities . 

Best for: Combining with a vocabulary lesson; big groups; speaking skills; memory recall

Students will introduce themselves and something they enjoy. Depending on the level of your class, they may learn introductions, transitive verbs and first- and third-person sentence structures.

You don’t need anything for this game, but note that the more randomly you call on students, the more likely they’ll pay attention to others’ responses instead of counting how many more turns until they have to participate.

For beginners:

  • Sit in a circle with your class.
  • Introduce yourself using this format: “My name is X, and I like X.” For example: “My name is Mr. Smith, and I like to read.”
  • Have the next student introduce themself using the same format.
  • Continue until every student has had a turn.

For more advanced students, include memory recall. Ask students to introduce themselves and the previous student. That is: “His/her name is X, and he/she likes X. My name is X, and I like X.”

The most advanced way to play this game is to include questions, like so:

  • Pick a student, either the next in a circle or at random.
  • Ask them: “What’s your name? What do you like?” and let them respond.
  • Introduce them in the format: “His/her name is X, and he/she likes X.”
  • That student will now choose a classmate and ask them the questions.
  • The student who asked the questions must introduce their classmate using the answers provided.
  • Continue until each student has asked questions and introduced someone.

Best for: Listening comprehension; conversation practice; speaking/writing skills

In Reporter, students will ask their partner questions in the form of an interview. You may ask them to present or submit their partner’s response in writing.

If you choose to focus on writing practice, you’ll need paper and pencils. Otherwise, simply have some sample interview questions prepared to get the class started with this game.

  • Brainstorm questions for 5-10 minutes, either individually or as a class.
  • Have students pair up.
  • During an allotted amount of time, students will ask their partner questions.
  • Students may need to write the responses, take brief notes or simply try to remember the answers.
  • After the time is up, switch the role of reporter and interviewee.
  • At the end, students may present their partners to the rest of the class using the answers provided during game time. Or, students can hand in their interview notes.

You can also turn this into a more elaborate game by assigning the interviews as homework.

In that case, have students present their partners to the class without giving the identity of the partner. The class has to guess who the person is based on the presentation.

Best for: Quiet/lethargic classes

Students will use questioning skills to work out whose secret they know. Get them moving around the room and chatting with this fun ESL classroom game.

You’ll need some slips of paper and something to hold them in—a hat or a small bowl will do nicely.

  • Ask each student to write down a secret on a piece of paper. Check that the secrets are written down correctly, but don’t betray students’ secrets to their classmates!
  • Have each student fold their paper and put it in a hat.
  • Each student will then draw a secret from the hat.
  • Once each student has a secret, they will walk around the classroom asking other students questions to find out whose secret they have. They can’t directly say what’s on the paper!

The secret says, “I have five cats.”

The person holding the secret might ask a classmate:

  • Do you like animals?
  • How many animals live in your house?

Best for: Big groups; speaking skills; combining with a vocabulary lesson

In this ESL game, you’ll give students a category. They’ll write their favorite thing in that category on a piece of paper. Then they’ll search for someone who wrote the same thing—without actually using any of the words they wrote down!

All you need for this one is some small pieces of paper.

  • Decide the topic (books, food, movies, etc.). Make sure it’s something that students can talk about in some detail.
  • Each student writes down their favorite book (or food, movie, etc.) on a piece of paper and hides it in their pocket or textbook.
  • Without using the words they’ve written down, students then go around the room, asking their classmates questions.
  • Students who think they’ve found a classmate with the same answer can sit.
  • Once everyone’s discovered a partner or once the allotted time is up, students reveal their papers to each other.

To make sure this game is working as intended, the teacher must moderate effectively. Walk the room to ensure students are practicing proper English. Correct them as needed based on topics you’ve covered in class.

Best for: Beginner and intermediate students; speaking practice

Students will take turns asking questions to figure out what sweet treat they are in this fun ESL classroom game.

For this one, you’ll need tape and as many kinds of candy as you have students in class (so, 10 students means 10 different types of candy). Make sure it’s candy they’re familiar with.

  • Tape a candy wrapper to each student’s back.
  • Put the students in a circle.
  • Tell students how many questions they can ask before they’ll need to make a guess, and decide what will happen if they get it right/wrong (points, guess again, player is out, etc.).
  • Select someone to go first.
  • The first player stands up and turns around so everyone can see their candy wrapper.
  • The player can ask the group yes or no questions to get clues about their candy.
  • After the set number of questions, the player must guess.
  • Continue until all sweet treats have been guessed and revealed.

The standing player might ask some of the following questions:

  • Does it taste like strawberries?
  • Does it have chocolate?

esl games

Best for: Advanced students; practicing asking questions

This is a slightly more advanced version of the “What Sweet Treat Am I?” activity. It can be modified to include writing if you ask the students to create the cards, rather than doing it yourself.

How to play:

  • Before beginning the activity, you may want to brainstorm the types of questions that will help students figure out their cards. 
  • Using sticky notes or index cards, list common household or school-related objects on each one.
  • Have each student pick a card without looking at what it says.
  • Have them stick it to his or her own forehead.
  • Students then ask their fellow students yes or no questions in order to figure out what their card says. 

For more advanced students, cards can list literary characters, book titles or even idioms. Another option is to keep all of the cards related to one theme, like health words, clothing, colors or even slang.

Best for: Experienced speakers; creative thinking

Question Master helps your students figure out what to ask in a given situation. Set up the scenario and let them ask away!

All you need for this game is a timer. Any amount of people is good, but note that this ESL game works best with more experienced speakers who are comfortable creating sentences on the fly.

  • Choose a scenario for the class, like at a café, at the airport, or even on a date.
  • Set the timer. Begin.
  • Each student must ask a question relevant to the scenario. Encourage creativity with this one!
  • Continue until the timer goes off. The student is out or the game is over.

(Teacher sets the timer to a minute and thirty seconds.)

Teacher: Okay, the scenario is at a shop. Go!

Student 1: How much is this?

Student 2: Do you accept credit cards?

Best for: Individual students

Instead of racing against others, students are trying to get their own personal best time for English speaking. They’re aiming for speed and  precision.

While you could do this with an ESL class, it’s particularly helpful for individual learners. You’ll just need a topic and a timer that starts from zero.

  • Select something for the student to read/say. This could be anything! A passage in a book, a set of statements, etc.
  • Start the clock from zero once the student starts reading/speaking.
  • When the student is done, stop the timer.
  • Tell the student their time.
  • Give them tips on how to improve their speaking speed.
  • Have them practice, either in class or out, until they get to a more natural time.

Teacher: Okay, tell me your name, age, where you’re from, and what you do. Ready? Go! (Starts timer.)

Student: My name is… (continues talking)

(Teacher stops the timer when the student finishes.)

Best for: Outgoing students

This is a slight twist on the classic truth or dare. Inside balloons are truths (personal questions) and dares (silly actions), which students must complete in front of the class.

You’ll need balloons (at least enough for each student in the class) and slips of paper, as well as truths and dares. Feel free to adapt statements using vocabulary and grammar suitable for the level you’re teaching.

  • On slips of paper, write student-friendly dares and questions. Make sure they’re things that most students would be willing to do and answer.
  • Put each slip of paper inside a balloon and blow it up. You may want to color code (red balloons = dares, blue balloons = truths), or let it be random.
  • Scatter the paper-filled balloons around the room.
  • Select a student to go first. They will pick a balloon and pop it, then read their truth or dare aloud before completing it.
  • Continue having students choose a balloon, pop it, read the prompt and complete the task until everyone has gone.

A small tip: You may want to start with your more outgoing students. But don’t let your shy students be last either–try to call them out around the middle to help manage their anxiety.

For some possible dares, you might write:

  • Do a popular dance.
  • Sing a class song by yourself.
  • Pretend like you’re riding a horse.
  • Snore or snort.

And for some possible truths, you might write:

  • What did you look like when you were 10 years old?
  • If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
  • When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Best for: Warm ups; grammar review; creative thinking

In Word Warm Ups, students will attempt to use the given English concept in a sentence before time runs out.

You’ll need a timer. If the timer is your phone and you don’t want it passed around the room, you’ll also need a small ball or another easily passable item.

  • Set the rules for sentence structure. For example, students must make sentences using “should/shouldn’t.”
  • Enter a designated time on the timer. Begin the clock and hand the timer/ball to the first student.
  • The first student makes a sentence using the grammar construct, then passes the timer/ball to another student.
  • Students continue making sentences and passing the timer/ball until the timer goes off.
  • You can make additional consequences as desired for the student holding the timer/ball when it goes off.

Teacher: Okay, so sentences using the phrase, “even though.” Go!

Student 1: Hmm… I like Canada even though it’s very cold.

Student 2: Okay. Even though she’s only 30, she’s too old for me.

Student 3: Hmm, I… umm. Even though, umm…

(Timer goes off. Student 3 is out.)

Best for: Advanced students; speech-giving practice

Mayor requires both higher English ability and an appreciation of irony. If your class has both, this game may get shy students to take risks and even be a bit silly. Students will run to NOT become mayor.

No materials are needed. Note that you may want to lower the intensity for your shy students by having everyone stand at their desk to speak rather than the front of the classroom.

  • Explain that you’re going to have a mock election for mayor in your classroom, but it’s a job nobody wants. Each student must convince the class that they should NOT be mayor and why.
  • You may need to go first to show the possibilities.
  • Select the first student to give their speech. You can set a time limit so no one speaks too much or too little.
  • Continue until each student has given their speech.
  • The winner is the one who comes up with the best reason not to be mayor, which can be decided by vote. It’s an election, after all!

“I would hate to be mayor. Do not vote for me. I do not like to be around smelly, old citizens. Children are noisy. Who cares about education?”

Best for: Reading class; small groups; reading speed; pronunciation practice

This English classroom game will have students race against the clock to finish the reading passage. The key is that they must do so with no mistakes.

You’ll need a timer and reading material to play, so this game is especially great if your class has a reading text they’re working through. 

  • Provide students with the reading passage you want them to practice. Make sure everyone’s on the correct page.
  • Set the time and begin the timer.
  • Each student will attempt to read the next sentence (or the whole passage) perfectly .
  • If they mispronounce a word or rush through a sentence, correct them. They must start again from the beginning.
  • Once they’ve read the given part with no mistakes, it’s the next student’s turn.
  • The student who’s reading when the timer goes off is out!

(Teacher sets the timer to two minutes.)

Teacher: Okay, reading race, page 7. Ready? Go!

Student 1: (Reads passage perfectly)

Student 2: (Reads passage but has an error with pronunciation)

Teacher: (Tells student correct pronunciation) Sorry, reread!

Student 2: (Reads passage perfectly)

Student 3: (Reading but struggling a bit)

(Timer goes off. Student 3 seems to be having some trouble with these games! They’re out.)

Best for: Big groups; listening skills; memory recall 

This speaking game  puts an emphasis on listening , focus and memory-building skills while also encouraging students to recall vocabulary.

  • Teach the students the speech they must learn for every turn in the game: “I took a trip to the USA, and with me I took…”
  • The first student says the sentence, and names an object starting with an “A.” For example, “…and with me I took an apple.”
  • The next student must repeat the first word, then add a word that starts with a “B.” For example, “…and with me I took an apple and a banana.”
  • Every following student must repeat every word previously said, and add a word starting with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, “…and with me I took an apple, a banana, and a cat.”
  • The game continues until a word cannot be named or a word is forgotten.

This is a very flexible game that can be adapted to any classroom. First, be specific on wanting students to use articles and the word “and” before the last word. Also, you can give the classroom a category to follow, such as asking them to name animals or foods.

esl games

Best for: Speaking skills; memory recall; vocabulary building; sentence structure review

Together, the class will tell a story out loud by finishing each others’ sentences in this ESL game.

Smaller groups make this game easier, while larger groups will really test students’ memories. No materials needed!

  • Begin by sitting in a circle.
  • The first person (this can be you, but it doesn’t have to be) starts the story with a fragment, such as: “It was a dark and stormy night…”
  • The next person in the circle must repeat what the first person said and  add a phrase of their own.
  • Continue going around the circle until someone messes up. You can start over, prompt them or something else.
  • In the end, you could have students write down the story. Or write it on a poster board and hang it up in your classroom for students to remember and get a good laugh!

Teacher: It was a dark and stormy night…

Student 1: It was a dark and stormy night and no one was around.

Student 2: It was a dark and stormy night and no one was around. Suddenly, there was the sound of…

Best for: The first class; advanced students; speaking/writing skills; conversation practice

In this game, each student will present three statements about themselves—two are true, and one is false. Their classmates must ask questions in order to determine which statement is the lie.

Two Truths and a Lie only requires a whiteboard (or anything you can write on).

  • Ensure the class understands the meaning of both “truth” and “lie.”
  • You’ll go first as an example. On the board, write two truths and one lie about yourself.
  • Tell the class that one of the statements on the board is not true .
  • Students may ask you non-specific questions about what you wrote. You may want to give a question limit to raise the stakes of the game.
  • Once the questioning is over, students will write down which statement they believe to be the lie.
  • You can ask them to share their guesses and why they came to that conclusion.
  • Reveal the lie!
  • Select a student to take your place. The game repeats until everyone has had a turn.

One statement says: “I enjoy running every morning.”

Students may ask things like:

  • What kind of running shoes do you have?
  • What time do you begin your run?

Best for: Writing practice; collaboration; pair or small group play

Funny Papers is a fun ESL game where students are asked to fill in the blank speech bubbles of a comic strip.

Using the Sunday funny papers or some blank comic strips online , white out the text of each character’s speech bubbles or dialogue boxes. Make enough copies for your class.

  • Give your students an example. Show them the comic strip and ask what they think is happening in the scene. Write some of their responses in the speech or thought bubbles above each character.
  • Now, split the class into groups for the activity.
  • Hand out the comic strips and let each group create their own Funny Paper.
  • Visit each group to offer insight and answer questions they may have.
  • Once the comics are complete, students can present them to the class.

Best for: Any level; speaking skills; writing skills

If you know the game Balderdash , you’ll recognize Dictionary. One team member will lead the way. Players will guess the definition of a difficult word, and a judge will decide their favorite answer. In the end, someone wins a treat!

You’ll need dictionaries or vocabulary lists (with definitions) for this game. You’ll also need sticky notes for each group and some prize candy.

  • Split the class into groups of five or six students.
  • Give each group a packet of sticky notes and a dictionary/vocab list.
  • For each group, select a leader and a judge. (Tip: Try picking the shyest students to steer the groups first.)
  • The leader finds a word in the dictionary/on the list that they do not believe anyone else knows. The leader writes the correct definition of the word on the sticky note.
  • The leader spells the word out loud, and everyone except the judge writes it down on their own sticky note.
  • Everyone except the leader and judge will now make up their own definition of the word and write it on their sticky note as well. The students can come up with a silly definition, try to guess the correct definition or try to fool the judge with something that sounds convincing.
  • The leader collects the definitions and gives them to the judge.
  • The judge reads each definition out loud. (If your judge has a flair for the dramatic, all the better!)
  • After reading all the definitions, the judge decides which one they like best. The player who wrote it gets a piece of candy.
  • The roles switch. The judge becomes the leader and a new judge is selected.
  • Keep playing until every student has had a chance to be both the judge and the leader.

The leader picks the word “sundry.” She spells it out for the players.

The leader writes the correct definition on her note (“miscellaneous”).

One player thinks about the literal meaning and writes: “wet clothes left outside.”

Another player guesses: “popcorn.”

Another player decides to be silly and writes: “lying to your teacher.”

The leader mixes up the definitions and hands them to the judge. The judge reads each definition out loud, and everyone has a good laugh.

The judge decides she likes the “wet clothes left outside” definition. The player who wrote this gets the candy and then the leader explains that the correct definition is “miscellaneous.”

Best for: Listening comprehension; speaking practice

Students have to be able to follow along with the story, listening closely to what the people before them just said, and they have to think critically to build a correct sentence of their own.

For beginning ESL students, consider speaking sentences out loud yourself and asking them to add one word at a time. They could even draw or hold up pictures to add to the story.

  • Have students sit in a circle. Begin telling a story by speaking one sentence aloud.
  • The student on your left should add to the story by speaking a second sentence aloud.
  • The student to his or her left should speak the next sentence aloud, and so on. 
  • Keep the story going around the circle one sentence at a time until it comes to a logical conclusion.

Remind students that each sentence should build on the one before it.

It’s easy for students to add in something offbeat or random to try to be silly, but the goal of this lesson is to create a logical story. One way to keep the story on track might be to record it. 

Best for: Working as a team; writing practice

This is a bit like a word association game, but requires that the students expand on that to create a story.

For more advanced students, consider assigning topics that require students to discuss customs or cultural norms, like privacy, personal space, hygiene or dining.

How to play: 

  • Divide the class into small groups.
  • Each group gets to choose three random words from a bag and must incorporate each word into a short story. 
  • Depending on your students’ level, you can assign specific numbers of characters, amount of dialogue, length, etc. to be included in the story.
  • At the end of the lesson, groups can take turns reading stories aloud.
  • For increased participation and extra practice with speaking, you can ask the students who are listening to the story to comment on their classmates’ work. For beginning students, sentence starters like, “I liked….” or “what did you mean by…?” can be helpful to encourage feedback.

Both the written storytelling and the small group discussion that follows are valuable practice time. Together, they’ll help students practice written and spoken English in one swoop. 

Teacher standing at whiteboard

Best for:  Making learning conditionals fun and and lively

This classic sleepover and bus trip game, ideal for getting participants to know more about each other, can be a perfect giggle-inducing grammar game to reinforce recent lessons. The game is simple enough, driven by straightforward questions and answers.

The main use for this game in the ESL classroom is to practice using conditionals and discussing hypothetical situations ( would  you):

Would you rather  get stung by a bee  or  bit by a spider?

Would you rather  dance in front of ten thousand people  or  in front of the President of the United States?

How to Play:

  • Put students in pairs or play as a class.
  • Provide questions on handouts.
  • Let students answer the questions and make corrections if needed.

Example: “Sara, how many of your classmates would rather  dance in front of the President of the United States?” Then this student must tell you how many people chose this option in her group or in the class.

Best for:  Learning verb conjugations

Similar to blackboard race, the conjugation pyramid is a race-to-win classic that is beloved by language students everywhere. Set this one up for the very end of class when there are a few minutes remaining—this will really get the pressure cooking.

  • Draw a pyramid on either side of the board and break it up into blocks—kind of like a food pyramid, but with as many blocks as there are rounds in the game. So, if you want to go 10 rounds, draw 10 blocks in each pyramid.
  • Then you’ll give your students a verb and a person (first person singular, second person plural) and they will have to run to the board and conjugate the verb into each tense accordingly. 
  • Depending on the skill level of your students and what you’d like to practice, you can also choose a tense and have students conjugate the entire verb chart for that tense. The student who gets the conjugations right wins their team a block in the pyramid!
  • When a student wins a pyramid block, fill in that block with chalk or marker to indicate the progress.
  • The first team with enough blocks to build their whole pyramid wins!

Best for:  Learning parts of speech

  • Draw up the grid for tic-tac-toe on the board.
  • Divide students up into two teams.
  • Fill in each square of the grid with a part of speech you want students to practice. What exactly you choose to include here is totally flexible, and depends on what lessons you’d like to reinforce. If you’re studying verb conjugation in the present tense, for example, fill in the grid with verbs in their infinitive forms.
  • The first team goes by choosing a square from the tic-tac-toe grid. They have to figure out, as a group, how to properly conjugate that verb.
  • If they get the answer right, then they claim that square of the grid. If they get the answer wrong, then they lose their turn.
  • Keep playing until one team scores a tic-tac-toe!

Best for:  Getting students physical as they reinforce grammar lessons

Go down to the school’s gymnasium, playground or set up a makeshift basketball hoop in the classroom. You can manage this without damaging school property by simply setting up a hula hoop or other plastic ring as the “hoop” and by playing with a small inflatable or foam ball.

  • Break the students into two groups or have them play individually against the rest of their classmates.
  • There are two ways to go about playing this one. Before being allowed to take a shot, each student must either:
  • Answer a question with the appropriate featured grammar pattern.
  • Create a basic statement using the featured grammar pattern.
  • If the student gets their answer or statement wrong or doesn’t phrase it properly, they won’t get to take a shot.
  • If the student passes this part of the game, they get to take a shot. If they score, they get 2 points. If they don’t score but got the question right, they get 1 point.

Best for:  Encouraging quick thinking about grammar points

  • Use a foam or inflatable ball, and start up a fast-paced round or two of hot potato.
  • The objective, of course, is to pass the ball around in a circle as fast as possible.
  • Before passing the ball to the next student, the student holding the ball must show off their English grammar skills.
  • When a student catches the ball, they must quickly think up a word that fits your given criteria, spit it out and pass the ball before the allotted time runs out.
  • This is super flexible and can be adjusted to practice virtually any bit of grammar you’ve recently introduced or would like to review.

Example: Tell students learning the present tense that they must each say  one verb conjugated in the present tense, using first person singular or “I form.”  Each student will then have to say something like, “I run,” “I dance” or “I cry.” The ball gets passed around and around, with students being eliminated whenever they draw blanks or conjugate their verbs wrong.

For easier games, give each student 6-8 seconds. For harder, faster paced games, give students 2-3 seconds. You can also start slower and gradually increase the pace of the game as it progresses.

Best for:  Thinking quickly and creatively

  • Start the class off by giving them a word which fits your desired theme.
  • Restrict them to only certain parts of speech, such as nouns or verbs. For an extra challenging session, limit the words to certain moods and tenses. 
  • The student who starts off the game will have to think of a word that begins with the last letter of the word you provided.
  • If you’re practicing nouns and say “food,” then the student could say “dog” or “dish.” If you’re practicing with adjectives and started with “beautiful,” then the next student might say “lazy” or “loud.” 
  • Go around the classroom playing this way and eliminating students who can’t think up words quickly enough.

Students grouped around a table

You’ve got your pockets full of group ideas that work in class. But believe it or not, how you group your students might be more important than the actual activities you do.

But what’s the secret to grouping students the right way?

Here are four ways you can put your students together and why you might choose to group them each particular way.

Did you know that even native speakers change the way they talk based on who they’re talking to and that person’s language use? It’s part of the feedback mechanism of the brain and why you might acquire a bit of a Southern accent when talking to your friend from Alabama or why you might start dropping final g’s if you hang out in New York for any length of time.

Because when you group lower level students with higher level students, they’ll automatically and subconsciously improve their English usage just by hearing and talking to more advanced students . Crazy, isn’t it?

While a more advanced student will likely speak more like their lower level student partner, too, they aren’t losing out on the deal.  We learn more when we teach . And when you group advanced students with lower level students, they’ll learn by teaching the other members of their group even if they don’t realize what’s happening. If you have a mixed level class, don’t despair. Your students can learn as much from each other as they do from you when they’re in these types of groups.

While students can learn a lot by working with classmates at different language skill levels, that isn’t always the way you want to partner up your students. Sometimes mixed level groups can be dominated by advanced speakers and beginning students can get lost in the mix.

Not so when your groups are selected for their similar language proficiency.

In a group of all beginners, someone will have to speak up, and that means your lower level students will be talking more in class. In your group of all advanced students, everyone may want to drive the conversation. That means the members of that group will have to work on their discourse skills like taking turns speaking and using  active listening . If you have students who dominate the conversation in class, this might be the right type of group for you.

Have you ever heard that grouping students with others who speak the same first language is taboo? Forget about it. Your students will actually be able to help each other in very unique ways when they’re grouped with others that speak the same first language.

More advanced students understand the specific language struggles faced by beginning students and can help them through struggles that they themselves have already overcome. Your advanced students can also explain using their native language which is a great advantage when you’ve tried everything to communicate to your students and they still aren’t getting what you’re trying to say.

Grouping by the same first language is also an advantage when you’re discussing some sensitive topics, those that might hit a cultural hot button. While not every speaker of a language comes from the same culture, many do, and if you’re afraid of cultural flare-ups because of a certain topic, try grouping your students this way to minimize the drama that might otherwise come up.

Have I convinced you that grouping by the same native language is a good thing? Well, stop it. At least sometimes. Because mixed L1 groups are useful to students in other ways. When all the members of a group speak different first languages, they’ll all be forced to speak English in order to work together.

This is particularly useful if you have students that just won’t speak in English because they always have the chance to speak their first language. A mixed L1 group also gives your students the chance to experience different accents in English and as a result improve their listening skills. Culture can also come into play in these groups. By talking with people from different areas of the world, your students can develop a better appreciation for each other and their home cultures. It’s a great way to learn about people around the globe along with their traditions.

ESL games are as versatile as they are fun! They’re also a super important part of your lesson plans. Here’s why:

  • They’re invaluable for building on your presentation (the first part of your PPP lesson plan ).
  • They’ll help your students cultivate essential skills, both directly and organically.
  • They’ll often get your students up and moving, which helps get the brain working.
  • They’ll help your students internalize grammar and vocabulary through usage.
  • They’ll aid the development of students’ English listening, reading, speaking, writing and thinking skills.
  • They’ll improve your students’ communication, collaboration skills and confidence.
  • They’re usually active —great for both classes that need somewhere to direct their energy and classes that need to kick it up a notch.
  • They can be used at any time during class: as a beginning warm-up, as an end-of-class time-filler or in the middle as the bulk of your lesson.

Games can be implemented alongside any other teaching tools as well.

They’re useful during difficult or frustrating lessons to supplement traditional book learning time. They can also be used in conjunction with videos to keep your classes engaged from start to finish.

For level-appropriate videos with helpful tools, the FluentU  language learning program uses authentic clips made by native speakers to teach your students English.

The clips are organized by content and level, so you can ensure they’re the right amount of challenging for your class. The videos also have interactive subtitles, so students can hover over a word to see its definition or click on it for more information, including example sentences and contextual notes.

As the teacher, you can assign FluentU videos for homework, track student progress and create vocabulary lists for students to review with the digital flashcard feature. Then in class, you can practice the vocabulary together using one of the games listed above.

Working some fun ESL classroom games into your lesson plans every week creates an atmosphere of enthusiastic learning. Your students will have a blast while working on their English skills!

From artistic creativity to comedic scenarios, your students can experience English in a whole new way through these games. Even grammar can be exciting with games !

So, get started with these fun ESL games and bring learning to life!

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MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal 0

Description of MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

  • Location: Elektrostal, Russia
  • Students age: from 7 to 18 years old
  • School uniform
  • Full-time education
  • Stages of education: primary, basic and secondary.

Gymnasium No. 21 is located in the town of Elektrostal, Moscow Region. The beginning of the history of this educational institution is considered 1971 - then a secondary school was opened in the building of the gymnasium. Since 2014, gymnasium No. 21 has been included in the list of the best schools in the Moscow Region, has the title of "Smart School", and is the winner of many competitions in the field of education.

Programs and prices, tuition fees in MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

Primary general education (7 - 10 years): study of basic subjects, versatile personality education. In free time, the program includes excursions, festivals and project activities.

Basic general education (11 - 16 years old): a program consisting of basic subjects and preparation for passing the OGE. The program includes the study of two foreign languages - English and German.

Secondary general education (16 - 18 years old): a program includes basic subjects (as an additional one - astronomy) and in-depth study of the disciplines selected for passing the exam.

Grades 10 in the gymnasium are divided into profiles of in-depth study of subjects:

  • Socio-economic - learning English, mathematics and economics
  • Social and humanitarian - English and Russian languages, social studies.

Accommodation, meals, prices

The gymnasium organizes paid and reduced-price meals.

Reduced price meals (lunch) are received by:

  • Students with disabilities
  • Students who are under guardianship and not receiving benefits from the guardianship authorities
  • Disabled children
  • Pupils from large families
  • Students with tuberculous intoxication
  • Students receiving survivor's pension
  • Students with diseases of the digestive organs (Hirschsprung's disease, gastric and duodenal ulcers, cholelithiasis, chronic hepatitis, Crohn's disease), chronic kidney diseases (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis), blood diseases and disorders caused by chemical prophylaxis, respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma), diseases of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus)
  • Students from low-income families
  • Students from disadvantaged families
  • Children in difficult life situations
  • Children of participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Reduced meals (breakfast) are received by:

  • Students in grades 1-4
  • Students from large families
  • Students receiving a survivor's pension.

To obtain the right to receive preferential meals from the parents / legal representatives of the child, you will need to provide an application completed in the name of the director and documents confirming belonging to one of the categories.

Activities MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

Circles and sections of gymnasium number 21:.

  • General physical preparation
  • Librarianship.

High school students also participate in:

  • Subject Olympiads, including the All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren
  • Career guidance before leaving school
  • Delivery of TRP standards
  • Sports and creative activities.
  • Qualified teachers (holders of the title "Honored Teacher of the Russian Federation", medals and certificates of honor)
  • Additional education in various fields
  • Participation in olympiads and competitions
  • Career guidance for applicants to universities and colleges.

Facilities and equipment at MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

Studying takes place in a four-story building built in 1970. The school is equipped with:

  • Classrooms equipped with everything you need to learn
  • Assembly, choreographic and sports halls
  • Dining room
  • Medical office
  • Library with reading room
  • Utility and technical rooms
  • Sports ground on site.

The entrance is equipped with equipment for visiting the school by persons with disabilities.

Admission dates and extra charges

The academic year begins on September 1, and is divided into quarters.

Holidays between quarters:

  • October 30-November 8
  • December 28-January 8
  • February 22-28 (only for 1 grade)
  • March 26-April 2
  • May 26/29 - August 31 (depending on the class).

Gymnasium №21 teaches on a five-day basis - from Monday to Friday. Lesson time:

  • For 1, 4, 5, 7, 8a, 11 classes - 8: 30-15: 45 (max. 8 lessons)
  • For grades 2, 3, 6, 8b, 9, 10 - 8: 15-15: 30 (max. 8 lessons).

Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol

To enroll in the gymnasium you will need to provide:

  • Completed application in electronic or written form
  • Parent's / legal representative's passport
  • Child's birth certificate
  • Certificate of registration of the child at the place of residence or at the place of stay in the assigned territory
  • The conclusion and recommendations of the psychological, medical and pedagogical commission and the consent of parents / legal representatives to study according to the adaptive basic general education program (for children with disabilities).

Upon admission to grade 10, additional documents + profile testing may be required.

Institution on the map

Residence permits, citizenship and other services.

  • Guardianship services during the studies
  • Student supervision

Review about MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

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19th Edition of Global Conference on Catalysis, Chemical Engineering & Technology

Victor Mukhin

  • Scientific Program

Victor Mukhin, Speaker at Chemical Engineering Conferences

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

Quick Links

  • Conference Brochure
  • Tentative Program

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IMAGES

  1. Writing Skills Teaching Guide for ESL/EFL Instructors

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  2. Collaborative Writing Activities

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  3. "Let's Write A Story" Collaborative Writing Activity (With Fillable PDF

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  4. Small Group Writing Instruction: Grouping Your Students

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  5. IELTS Group Writing Lesson + Plan ESL

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  6. Collaborative Writing Activities

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COMMENTS

  1. Collaborative writing activities

    Collaborative writing Some teachers tend to avoid writing in class, perhaps feeling that as it is something which learners do individually and in silence, it is better done for homework. However, when writing is done as a collaborative activity, it can have many of the same benefits of a group speaking activity: Discussing the writing…

  2. Creative group writing

    Procedure. Tell the students that they are going to write a story together. They can write in pairs or individually. Give out the worksheet or blank paper. Make sure the students write their names at the top. Tell the students what their story is going to be about and ask them a question. They have to write their answer on the worksheet.

  3. ESL Writing Exercises, Games, Activities & Lesson Plans

    Check out the best ESL writing activities, games, worksheets, lesson plans and more. Level up your English writing classes! ESL Activities. ... #24: Freeze Writing Activity. Group writing activities for TEFL classes are few and far between. However, freeze is one of the best ones to consider. Students have to work collaboratively to make ...

  4. 6 Creative Writing Activities for the ESL Classroom

    When it comes to creative writing, teachers should look for creative activities that will keep the students interested and present. To help you give your students the best possible learning experience, we've put together a list of 6 creative writing activities for the ESL classroom. Check them out below. 1. Group Story Writing.

  5. Teaching Writing to ESL/EFL Students: Tips and Activities for ...

    Try group writing processes in class to get students comfortable . Writers with beginner proficiency might default to a deficit mindset, believing that writing is inaccessible for them due to a dearth of vocabulary or experience, so when you start to look at how to teach writing in the ESL/EFL classroom, your first job is to inspire confidence ...

  6. Freeze Group Writing Activity for English Learners

    Freeze ESL Group Writing Activity. This is a group writing activity that you can have a lot of fun with. The way it works is that you think of a story starter. For example, "Tom decided to _____.". Students have to start the story off, and after 30 seconds or a minute, you can say, "Freeze.".

  7. The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.Making English Fun

    Acrostic Poems are a fun and creative writing activity where the first letter of each line spells out a word related to a topic. This game encourages creativity and helps students focus on vocabulary related to specific themes. Setup: Choose words or topics for the acrostic poems. Time to Play: 15-20 minutes.

  8. 14 ESL Writing Activities to Spice Up Your Next Class

    To create an acrostic poem activity for your students, write a short series of letters such as BIRD on the board, one on top of the other. Each of the four letters is its own line of poetry like this: B. I. R. D. Create an example first for your students, such as: Barbara and. I went to the garden where.

  9. 73 ESL Writing Activities to Spark Your Students ...

    Advertisement-related writing activities work across age groups and can be adapted to most students and their needs. This great ESL writing assignment can help your students put the adjectives they've learned into good use, as well as showcase their creative writing and persuasion skills. You can find advertisements everywhere, including:

  10. ESL Group Story Writing Games & Activities

    Group writing activities can be a great way for ESL (English as a second language) students to share ideas and constructively interact. In this lesson, teachers are provided with group story ...

  11. Collaborative Writing Activities

    Download this activity for FREE by clicking here: Tapestry Poetry. Sketch and scribble writing is meant to be used with descriptive/narrative writing and will particularly appeal to those artistic students in your classroom. How It Works: - Have students form a group of three. Give each of the students a picture as a writing prompt.

  12. ESL Group Activities for Big Classes of More than 20 Students

    Freeze ESL Group Writing. #28: Closest in Meaning. This is a simple reading activity that works very well for larger TEFL classes. Students have to read the original sentence and then choose another sentence that fits most closely with the original one. It's possible to make it as easy or as difficult as you want. Try it out: Closest in Meaning.

  13. Storytelling 101: 6 Engaging Writing Activities for ESL Students

    This exercise is useful in encouraging students to "show" a setting with descriptive language rather than "tell" what it is directly. 2. Character. The next ingredient to consider is that of the people in the story. Show your students how the genre they are writing about may inform the characters they use.

  14. PDF Creative Group Writing

    Creative Group Writing Name: _____ Listen to the questions and write the answers. Then fold over the answer and pass it to the person on your

  15. 11 Brilliant Techniques to Boost Your Students' ESL Writing Skills

    For example, suggest opening a sentence with an introductory phrase or simply varying sentence length, to avoid a monotonous style, as is clear in the example above. 3. Build Coherent Paragraphs. Once your students have a solid understanding of how to create proper sentences, you can move them into paragraphs.

  16. Interactive ESL Games & Activities

    ESL Small Group Discussion Tips. Get your interaction on! #20: ESL Warmer Activities ... #23: Choose your Own Adventure Group Writing Activity. Interactive group writing activities are few and far between as writing is generally more of a solitary kind of activity. However, this is one of the best group writing activities that I've come ...

  17. 10 Creative ESL Writing Activities For Young Students

    During this ESL writing game, you should write an essay together with your students, but in a slow-paced manner, sentence by sentence. When writing, you will teach them the typical essay structure, such as introductory, supporting, and concluding sentences. As a result, your students will not be afraid of long essays, as they can easily break ...

  18. Writing

    Learn to write in English with confidence. Our online English classes feature lots of useful writing materials and activities to help you develop your writing skills with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment. Practise writing with your classmates in live group classes, get writing support from a personal tutor in one-to-one ...

  19. 36 Famous Authors Co-Wrote a Pandemic Novel. Can You Guess Who Drafted

    Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine and John Grisham are among the writers who collaborated on "Fourteen Days," which follows a group of New Yorkers who gather on a Manhattan rooftop to swap stories ...

  20. Alabama embryo ruling: state Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are

    In a first-of-its-kind ruling, Alabama's Supreme Court said frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death - a decision that puts back into ...

  21. Inside Harvard's Taylor Swift class

    The syllabus is organized around the "eras" of Swift's career, starting with her 2006 debut album and progressing to her most recent. Students examine themes of fan and celebrity culture, whiteness, adolescence, and adulthood alongside songs by Dolly Parton, Carole King, Beyoncé, and Selena, and writing by Willa Cather, Alexander Pope, Sylvia Plath, and James Weldon Johnson.

  22. Ringing Cedars of Russia

    These features have been preserved as much as possible in the English translation. John Woodsworth, Slavic Research Group, University of Ottawa . Books to date: Anastasia (book 1) The Ringing Cedars of Russia (book 2) The Space of Love (book 3) Co-creation (book 4) Who are we? (book 5) The Book of Kin (book 6) The Energy of Life (book 7)

  23. U.S. Opens UnitedHealth Antitrust Probe

    The Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth, owner of the biggest U.S. health insurer, a leading manager of drug benefits and a sprawling network of doctor groups.

  24. Warren Buffett Just Revealed a Brilliant Writing Tactic That Will

    After a touching tribute to his long-time business partner, Charlie Munger, who died in November, Buffett jumped into the nuts and bolts of the letter: financial results.

  25. 39 Fun ESL Games and Activities for an Exciting English Classroom

    Best for: Writing practice; collaboration; pair or small group play. Funny Papers is a fun ESL game where students are asked to fill in the blank speech bubbles of a comic strip. Using the Sunday funny papers or some blank comic strips online, white out the text of each character's speech bubbles or dialogue boxes. Make enough copies for your ...

  26. MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal

    Enrolment assistance, application and study at MOU Gymnasium No. 21 Elektrostal. 3 education programs to choose from. Fees, prices, reviews, photos and videos. Full admission support for students

  27. TCAP English Language Arts

    The ELA assessment will assess the Tennessee Academic Standards through literary and informational texts requiring students to demonstrate the ability to read closely, analyze text, answer text-dependent questions, provide a written response to a prompt, and demonstrate command of the English language. Test Items

  28. Spetsnaz hi-res stock photography and images

    RM CN07Y8 - Training of Spetsnaz fighters. RM 2FN469E - Moscow, Russia. 13th Apr, 2018. A spetsnaz soldier prepares to descend along the cable at the exit of the Mi-8 helicopter. Gathering of the issuing instructors for the parachute-free landing of the Rosgvardia special forces at the airfield in the Kaluga region.

  29. Victor Mukhin

    Biography: Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.