Teaching Activities
ESL students require various hands-on, visual, and interactive activities in order to develop their language skills. These activities are developed to provide a fun and relaxing environment which is conducive to producing language. Students are much more comfortable taking risks and are more likely to be social which in turn creates chances for faster growth.
Writing Activities
Four Square -This activity is meant to provide scaffolding and a visual for students in order to increase their comprehension and writing skills without becoming overwhelming. To begin, students read a short story. They then fold a blank piece of paper into four and respond to the story in the following ways:
Square 1: They draw a picture.
Square 2: They record the key vocabulary words highlighted in the story.
Square 3: They ask a question.
Square 4: They write a 2 or 3 sentence summary.
For students who are at a lower level, teachers may need to provide the sentences for the students to copy. Eventually they should be able to do this on their own.
Journals - Journaling has proven to be a useful tool in the development of writing skills in any language. Students are given a chance to write about personal activities which allows them to practice the language. At the beginning stages, some students may decide to draw pictures and write one or two sentences. Teachers may also provide writing prompts which will give the students direction, sentence structure, and the needed vocabulary to complete the task.
Language Experience Approach - This is a multi-part activity which works best when working with a large group of students. In this activity, teachers take students along to do an "experience" such as a field trip or a cooking class. Afterwards, they return to the classroom to reflect on their activities. Students brainstorm ideas of what they may write about the activity and the teacher records these on a sheet of chart paper. Students then write down two or three sentences about the experience.
Word Walls - One of the key aspects to encouraging language development is by the repetition of key vocabulary words. As students move through the year, have them find words or phrases they feel should be on the word wall. This would work as a spelling reference when they are completing writing activities. In addition, students tend to look around the classroom when their minds begin to wander. Having the visuals of the vocabulary words around the classroom would ensure that they are constantly reading and repeating the words they should know.
Square 1: They draw a picture.
Square 2: They record the key vocabulary words highlighted in the story.
Square 3: They ask a question.
Square 4: They write a 2 or 3 sentence summary.
For students who are at a lower level, teachers may need to provide the sentences for the students to copy. Eventually they should be able to do this on their own.
Journals - Journaling has proven to be a useful tool in the development of writing skills in any language. Students are given a chance to write about personal activities which allows them to practice the language. At the beginning stages, some students may decide to draw pictures and write one or two sentences. Teachers may also provide writing prompts which will give the students direction, sentence structure, and the needed vocabulary to complete the task.
Language Experience Approach - This is a multi-part activity which works best when working with a large group of students. In this activity, teachers take students along to do an "experience" such as a field trip or a cooking class. Afterwards, they return to the classroom to reflect on their activities. Students brainstorm ideas of what they may write about the activity and the teacher records these on a sheet of chart paper. Students then write down two or three sentences about the experience.
Word Walls - One of the key aspects to encouraging language development is by the repetition of key vocabulary words. As students move through the year, have them find words or phrases they feel should be on the word wall. This would work as a spelling reference when they are completing writing activities. In addition, students tend to look around the classroom when their minds begin to wander. Having the visuals of the vocabulary words around the classroom would ensure that they are constantly reading and repeating the words they should know.
Games
Coin Flick Game - For this game, teachers can create a simple 5 by 5 grid (or bigger) containing various pictures which match the words the students have been working with. At the bottom-middle is a circular space where a coin would go. Student's must flick the coin and name the object which the coin landed on. To turn this into a group activity, students could take turns flicking the coin and coloring in the photos they got right, claiming it as their own. If they land on somebody else's space, they lose a turn. Whoever has the most at the end wins.
Go Fish - To prep for this version of Go Fish, teachers need to create cards of images which match the vocabulary being covered (4 cards of each image with a minimum of 40 cards). Students would then pair up to play the game. They would each begin with 5 cards. The rest are spread out between the two players. Students would then take turns asking the other person if he/she has a certain card ("Do you have a pencil?") . If the other person does, he/she gives it up. If not, they say "Go Fish" and the asker must draw a card from the face-down pile. The goal is to get all 4 of one item to create a set. When a set is made, the cards are set on the table and the student draws 4 new cards to replace them. The game keeps going until all cards are up. Whoever has the most sets wins!
Scrabble - Students may play with Scrabble tiles in a variety of different ways. One way would to simply play it the way the game describes. Students may also use the tiles to create their own words and practice spelling or sentences using the vocabulary they know.
The Total Physical Approach - This activity works well in one to one situations or in groups. One person uses the imperative form of various verbs (Run, jump, draw etc.) for the other student to follow. These could be something as simple as action words. Students could also give commands to help their partners draw an unknown image (for example, think of the instructions you would give if you were verbally explaining how to draw a stick man). This could even be turned into a contest between teams. Whichever team draws the image correctly first wins a point.This helps with comprehension as well as verbal production.
Taboo - In this game, students are tested on their comprehension and vocabulary. They get into teams (2 teams play against each other). One person is given a variety of cards which have a vocabulary word along with words that cannot be said. The goal is to get your own team to guess the word without using any of the "taboo" words (the other team buzzes you if you use these). They get a point for each one guessed correctly before the timer runs out. The other team then takes a turn. This happens until one team reaches a set number of points first.
Go Fish - To prep for this version of Go Fish, teachers need to create cards of images which match the vocabulary being covered (4 cards of each image with a minimum of 40 cards). Students would then pair up to play the game. They would each begin with 5 cards. The rest are spread out between the two players. Students would then take turns asking the other person if he/she has a certain card ("Do you have a pencil?") . If the other person does, he/she gives it up. If not, they say "Go Fish" and the asker must draw a card from the face-down pile. The goal is to get all 4 of one item to create a set. When a set is made, the cards are set on the table and the student draws 4 new cards to replace them. The game keeps going until all cards are up. Whoever has the most sets wins!
Scrabble - Students may play with Scrabble tiles in a variety of different ways. One way would to simply play it the way the game describes. Students may also use the tiles to create their own words and practice spelling or sentences using the vocabulary they know.
The Total Physical Approach - This activity works well in one to one situations or in groups. One person uses the imperative form of various verbs (Run, jump, draw etc.) for the other student to follow. These could be something as simple as action words. Students could also give commands to help their partners draw an unknown image (for example, think of the instructions you would give if you were verbally explaining how to draw a stick man). This could even be turned into a contest between teams. Whichever team draws the image correctly first wins a point.This helps with comprehension as well as verbal production.
Taboo - In this game, students are tested on their comprehension and vocabulary. They get into teams (2 teams play against each other). One person is given a variety of cards which have a vocabulary word along with words that cannot be said. The goal is to get your own team to guess the word without using any of the "taboo" words (the other team buzzes you if you use these). They get a point for each one guessed correctly before the timer runs out. The other team then takes a turn. This happens until one team reaches a set number of points first.
Other Activities
Readers Theatre - Students may practice their reading comprehension skills by reading a script or a short story to the class. They may use voices, act out scenes or even put on a puppet show.
Do You Feel What I Feel? - In this activity, students must describe unseen objects. They reach into a bag and try to guess what it is they are holding. They must describe their thinking process verbally to the teacher.
Songs and Nursery Rhymes - Music and rhythm are great aids in language development. Students are generally more relaxed when singing or reading silly phrases with their peers. These tasks are also much less overwhelming as they are presented in short phrases which are repeated or predictable. Actions may also be incorporated in these tasks to encourage comprehension and memory.
Do You Feel What I Feel? - In this activity, students must describe unseen objects. They reach into a bag and try to guess what it is they are holding. They must describe their thinking process verbally to the teacher.
Songs and Nursery Rhymes - Music and rhythm are great aids in language development. Students are generally more relaxed when singing or reading silly phrases with their peers. These tasks are also much less overwhelming as they are presented in short phrases which are repeated or predictable. Actions may also be incorporated in these tasks to encourage comprehension and memory.
Videos
Many ESL students can benefit from the use of various simple videos. These may be simple videos presenting vocabulary and pictures, while others may show songs for students to sing or examples of basic conversations using vocabulary they have learned. These present a visual and audio lesson to students which can then be combined with a simple writing task or a speaking task. A simple search on YouTube can provide a video on almost any topic. The following are just a few examples of videos which may be used in the classroom.
Fruits and Vegetable Vocabulary
School Items Vocabulary
Colour Song
Can and Can't With Action Verbs
Resources
Alberta Education.
(2009). Working with Young Children Who Are Learning English as a New
Language. Edmonton: Alberta Education Early Learning Branch.
Alberta Education. (2010). Making a Difference: Meeting Diverse Learning Needs with Differentiated Instruction. Edmonton: Alberta Education.
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com
Alberta Education. (2010). Making a Difference: Meeting Diverse Learning Needs with Differentiated Instruction. Edmonton: Alberta Education.
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com