What games could I play with 8-9yo and 12-15yo kids in English class?

Question

Hi! I'm an English teacher from Russia. Just started with my new job. Could anyone give me some ideas of useful games to play in an English class which will help the kids to learn English? The 8-9y.olds are ok but the teenagers don't really want to do anything! Thanks!

Answer 1

I love playing review games with my students and they love it too! Take any game that you like or that the kids like. You can turn any regular game into a review game. Some ideas that I have used and have been successful in my classroom:

-Jeopardy (Make cards and categories. Put questions on the backs of the cards and split the class into teams. Let them pick a category and a dollar amount and play just like the game show.)

-Basketball (Split the class into teams and one person from each team answers a question. Make 1 point, 2 point, and 3 point questions. If that person gets it right, they get to pick one person from their team to make a basket. I usually bring in an empty box or empty, clean trash can and a cheap bouncy ball from the store. If the question was a 1 point question, they shoot from the one point line which is closest. If the question was worth 2 points, they get to shoot from the two point line, etc. I also usually give them 1 point for getting the answer right to begin with. So if they got a 3 point question right and make the shot as well, they get 4 points total on that turn.)

-Baseball (Played a lot like basketball, but I use an overhead of a baseball diamond and overhead manipulatives as the players on bases. And of course, use baseball rules instead of basketball rules.)

-Poker (It may sound strange, but let the kids draw cards if they get a question right. Make each of the types of hands worth different amounts of points. For instance, two of a kind may be worth 10 points, but a royal flush could be worth 100.)

-Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Again, write multiple choice questions and let different students be the ones in the hot seat. Play just like the game show.)

-Around the World (Start with one student standing by another students' desk. Ask a question. If the student standing gets it right, they advance to the next person's desk. If the person sitting gets it right first, then the person standing sits and the person who was sitting advances to the next person's desk. The person to get around the classroom and back to their seat first, wins.)

-Picture Puzzle (Glue a poster of something the students will recognize. Like a Harry Potter poster or a poster of their favorite rap artist, or something like that. Cut it into puzzle pieces. On the back of each piece, write a question. Hide the questions all around the room. Let each student take a turn looking for the puzzle pieces all over the room. They may put their piece into the puzzle if they can answer the question on the piece correctly.)

-Golf (Set up a putting green. You can buy little fake ones at Wal-Mart. Ask students questions. If they get one right, they can putt. If they sink the putt, they get points.)


These are just some ideas that I've used that have worked with 6 and 7 year olds all the way up to high schoolers. I hope this helps. Again, just take ANY game and you can turn it into a review game.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Grammar Auction
Put sentences on a piece of paper - about 15. Some are correct and some are wrong. These can revise recent classes or introduce a new topic.
Stdents in groups of 2 or 3, choose the answers they think are correct.
Give students a fictional $500
You auction the sentences - don't tell them whether they are correct or not. Students cannot spend more than $500
Then tally up how many correct sentences each group has, and how much money they have, they can lose $50 or something for every wrong sentence they bought
Best with about 4-8 groups.
The competition aspect often gets them going, and they also realise mistakes that they have been making.
Good luck
Naomi aka wizard bob

Answer 3

Well there is this really great game. You divide the students in 2 halfs. The first half is supposed to write one question each child about whatever comes to their mind. The second half is supposed to write an answer each student about whatever comes to their mind. When all is done and you have for example 10 questions and 10 answers, they hang over the papers to you and you begin reading the papers, asking one question and answering with its completely irrelevant answer. Believe me its great fun as none of these answers will make sense!

Answer 4

Get the 12-15 years old to talk about or debate topics that interest them. Sports, sex, latest news/gossip. Divide the group into two and set a position for each group to argue their points.

Answer 5

scrabble!