Miscellaneous ESL Activities

Inflection/Intonation Skits


Ok, I got the idea from a book called Teaching Oral English K-8, but
I've used it with my undergrad and adult learners, all to wonderful effect.
1) Explain that in English you have to give stress to certain words to
deliver certain meanings: review examples like "Oh" and give emphasis
to disappointment, anger, surprise, grasp idea etc...
2) Model a sentence like
You want me to give you money
Throwing emphasis first on MONEY? and then GIVE? and YOU? etc...
3)This moronically simple dialog can be committed to memory:
A: Hi, how are you?
B: Fine, thank you. And you?
A: Just great. What have you been doing lately?
B: Oh, not much. But I've been keeping busy.
A: Well...it's been good to see you.
B: Yes, it has...well, bye!
A: Goodbye.
Do group choral response till they seem to know it, then have them
practice in pairs, still keeping an uninflected normal neutral tone.
THEN: give each pair a situation, emphasizing that it's SECRET and
they musn't show it to anyone else, that they will act it out and others
will have to GUESS who they are by their inflection, gestures and body
language. (I suggest writing the situations on index cards, very simply:
"You are two people who have just met but don't really know each other,
and feel obliged to make small talk on an elevator"....)
Some situations (be creative!):
1) two athletes (boxers?) who will compete in a match tomorrow
2)a sick person in hospital and friend who visits
3) two old people who are all but deaf
4) a robot and his designer
5) a divorced couple
6) a couple who's love is doomed by marriage promised to others
7) a teacher and a student suffering from infatuation
8)two people who are angry at each other
9) a landlady and her overdue tenant
10) a teacher who has given a student a bad grade, they meet years later
11)two people who have met before, but can't remember where
12) two spies who are meeting late at night
13) two old friends who run into each other on a railway platform
14)?? Confucius meets Lao Tze in heaven?
15) a detective and a criminal

The idea is: they don't change the dialogue of A and B, just the
inflection/intonation to suit the situation...
4)After each pair has practiced about 5 min or so, hopefully they'll have
committed the simple dialogue to memory. Call each pair up and have
them perform the dialogue. After each skit, the class tries to guess the
situation.
It's good to ask: "How does Shirley feel towards Joanna" in this skit? If
it's not clear what's happened in the skit. Then you give positive
reinforcement to the actors by at least acknowledging the emotion they
were trying to convey.
I found the students got into it. IT's short enough time on stage that they
get a little more comfortable airing their English in public, without
directing it at just the teacher....

Try These Fun ESL Vocabulary Review Games and
Activities
Charades
Charades is a fun and lively game for your ESL class to play when reviewing
vocabulary. Your students will be energized and enthusiastic when their acting skills are
put to the test for their classmates. It is easy to have a charade vocabulary review ready
for your class at almost any time and on a moments notice with minimal advance
preparation. The easiest way to be ready at any time is to keep a collection of
vocabulary cards for the words your class has studied. When you are ready to play,
divide your class into two teams. Individuals will take turns acting out one of the words
from the cards that you have prepared. They will choose this card randomly on their turns
and will have 2 minutes to get their team to guess the word without using books or notes.
The actor cannot use any sounds but must communicate only through actions. The rest of
the team should shout out any answers that come to mind. If the team is able to guess the
word within the designated time, they score a point. If after two minutes the team has not
guessed the word correctly, the other team gets one chance to guess the word. If they are
correct, they score a point and then continue with their turn. Continue playing until you
run out of time or you run out of words. The team with the higher score at the end of the
game wins.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a similar and just as entertaining game to play for vocabulary review. The
rules are similar to those of charades except that instead of acting out the word, the clue
giver is permitted only to draw on the white board in front of the class. He cannot use any
symbols, numbers or letters in his drawing. Again, give each person two minutes to try to
get his team to guess the word. If he is unsuccessful, give the other team a chance to
guess. Score the game the same way that you would score charades and announce the
winning team at the end of the game.
Claymation
How creative are your students? How daring are they? If you think they would have fun
with this activity, modify the same general idea that you used in charades and Pictionary
with clay or play dough. Again, the rules are generally the same but in this version your
students will not be acting or drawing. They will be molding clay to communicate the
target word to their teams. Follow the same general rules, but this time you may want to
give each person three to five minutes before turning it over to the opposite team for their
guess. Scoring is done the same.
All of the Above
If you want to energize your students even further, add a little element of chance to the
festivities. Using a six-sided die, have your students roll to see whether they will give a
charade, draw a picture or form their clues out of clay. For rolls of one or four, the
student will give a charade. For rolls of two or five the student will draw his clues. For
rolls of three or six, your students will use clay to give their clues. In all cases, no letters,
symbols or numbers are allowed when giving clues. The element of surprise will make
the review even more exciting and entertaining for everyone!
Bingo
Bingo can be another good game for vocabulary review though perhaps not as lively.
Give your students a blank bingo boards and ask them to put the review words into the
squares randomly. You should have some strategy for choosing the words to call and then
which your students will mark on the cards. You may want to choose words randomly
from a list. You may, instead, write the words on cards and choose them randomly from
the deck or simply put small slips of paper into a hat to draw randomly. Whatever method
you think will work best for you, once you have chosen the word do not read it. Instead,
give the definition of the word to your class. Each person must then determine if he has
the word that corresponds to the definition on his bingo board. When anyone gets five
squares in a row, he should shout, Bingo! Warn your students not to clear their boards
until you have checked the winners words to make sure they did not have an incorrect
answer. Give the winner of each round a prize or allow him to call the words for the next
round though you may need to supply the definitions.
Memory
A memory style card game can be another effective way for reviewing vocabulary, but
you or your class will need to do some advanced preparation before you play. You will
need a set of cards for the vocabulary you want to review. For each word, one card
should have the target vocabulary word and another card should have the definition of the
word. The players should then shuffle the deck and lay all the cards in a grid pattern face
down on a large playing surface. Each person turns over two cards each turn trying to
find a match. If the cards do not match, he turns them over again and the next person
takes a turn. If they do match, he keeps the cards and gets an additional turn. The player
with the highest number of cards at the end of the game wins.
You can modify this game to practice matching words with their synonyms or their
antonyms, too. For each, instead of using the definition card to match the vocabulary
card, use a card with either a synonym or an antonym printed on it. Play continues the
same as above. Just be sure you keep the sets of cards separated so you are ready to play
at any time.
Ready to Teach Idioms? Check Out These 5 Tips:
Amount: Not Too Many At Once
Planning an idiom filled lesson may not be the best approach to introducing this topic.
Idioms are complex and difficult not only to understand but also to explain so consider
introducing only a small number, maybe three to five, at a time. You can do this by
including them in your usual lessons (see our Idiom Worksheets section for free lesson
materials on this topic). This approach will give you enough time to cover them
thoroughly and allow students sufficient practice time without overwhelming them.
Themes: Related To Your Topic
You can include idioms in your normal lessons by introducing them thematically. If
they are related to the topic you are studying, students will have an easier time
remembering them and will be familiar with the vocabulary you are using. When talking
about pets, for instance, you can introduce idioms such as work like a dog and dog
tired which are related to the topic and will give students something to discuss. What
makes idioms so interesting is that they are a unique combination of words that have
completely different meanings from the individual words themselves.
Level: Intermediate+
Many teachers do not introduce idioms to students who are not at the advanced level. In
some ways this seems like a good approach because idioms are complex and have
different meanings than their words alone suggest. However, idioms do not have to be
just for advanced students, you can introduce them earlier as long as you choose ones
that are appropriate for your students. Obviously beginners may not have the vocabulary
and comprehension skills to learn certain idioms however, intermediate students could
definitely benefit from learning about this aspect of the English language. Using the two
examples above, you can even discuss how these phrases may have been created. Do
your students think that dogs work really hard or get exceptionally tired? Maybe or
maybe not but it is an interesting thought.
Comprehension: Make Sure They Understand the Individual Words First
Students have to know or understand the individual words of an idiom before
understanding the idiom itself. Avoid introducing idioms which use new vocabulary
words and be able to simplify the meaning of idioms. You could say, for instance, that
work like a dog means to work very hard. Students will have to know all the words you
use in your explanation as well so use the simplest language you can. Even with
advanced learners, simplifying idioms to their basic meanings make them easier to
understand and learn.
Practice: Ask and Answer
Students need to practice not just using idioms in sentences but also responding to
their use and understanding their meaning. For instance, students may be able to
create a lot of sentences using the phrase morning, noon, and night by saying I study
morning, noon, and night. and simply changing the verb to make more sentences. To
give students practice hearing the idioms used, ask them questions using idioms. By
asking questions, you can also prompt students to use idioms correctly. For this example
say What is something you do morning, noon, and night? Students should also be asked
to identify situations that best demonstrate the meaning of idioms. For this activity
simply prepare two or three sentences that do not use idioms and ask students to choose
the one that best matches the meaning of the idiom they are learning. Using this example
again, the correct answer might be My father goes to work early in the morning and
does not even get home until nine in the evening. This gives students more time to think
about what the idiom means. It is important to do practice exercises that test the
students ability to use idioms as well as understand them.
Try These 6 Super ESL Games for Grammar Review
Shoot for Points
We often need to review things that are no fun, things like the past simple or past
participle of irregular verbs. Instead of the classic Q & A, try this. Use a large
container or trash can as your basket, give your students a ball and have them shoot for
points. But heres the catch: youll ask them a question in past simple, and theyll have to
remember the past correctly in order to earn the chance to shoot. They can get 10 points
for scoring or five if they miss (because at least they answered the question correctly).
You can try any variety of this type of game, whether you use large balls or small ones,
or even a wadded up piece of paper.
Board Game
Everyone loves a board game, and your ESL students will particularly appreciate
one if its not only loads of fun, but also a helpful way to review essential grammar.
You can design your own to include the tenses and structures your students have learned,
or use any of the ones already available at BusyTeacher.org. This Grammar Revision
Board Game is a perfect example.
Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe is another versatile game, one that can be adapted to suit a wide variety
of needs. What you need to decide first is which grammar your students need to review
for the test. Then, write the topics on nine index cards or large enough pieces of paper.
Arrange the cards face down on a table or stick them on the board, in the classic Tic Tac
Toe 3 x 3 grid.
Next, teams take turns choosing a square (you can add letters across and numbers down
to make it easier to call out the squares). You turn over the card and reveal to your
students the tense/structure/grammar point written on it. Students must then either
provide an example or ask a question that another team member must answer correctly to
get their X or O on that square. Of course, the first team that gets three Xs or Os across,
down or diagonally wins.
Snakes and Ladders
To play this classic game in your grammar review lesson, youll first need to
prepare some cards: they may have verb tenses written on them, questions your
students must answer or prompts from which to say a complete sentence.
The rules are simple, but the game is so much fun! Students must first choose a token to
move around the board (a different colored button for each will do nicely!) Then they
take turns rolling the dice to move across the board. They must take a card and answer
correctly to remain on that spot, or move back two places if they are incorrect. If they
land at the bottom of a ladder, and they answer correctly, they get to move up the ladder,
but if they land on a snakes head they automatically move down to where its tail is.
Heres a blank template you can use or create your own.
Football!
This is a game Ive played with students of different ages and levels with
tremendous success. First, youll need to draw a playing field like this one on the board
or a large piece of paper:

Next, divide your students into two teams. Place a ball token at the center. Then,
students must answer questions correctly to approach the posts and score a goal. For
example, Team A answers correctly and moves right one step closer to their goal. Team
B answers correctly and moves the ball left back to the center. Team A answers
incorrectly and cant move the ball at all. Team B answers correctly and moves left one
step closer to their goal. If Team A were to keep answering incorrectly and Team B
correctly, then Team B will continue moving left to eventually score a goal. When a team
scores, the ball moves back to the center, and the team that did not score last starts. The
team with the most goals wins.
Jeopardy
Ive mentioned this game in several articles, and it happens to be my personal
favorite. There is so much you can do with it - you can review everything theyve
learned in a single fun game. Youll find it explained here. All you have to do is replace
the categories at the top with tenses or structures you want them to review.
How Intonation Changes Meaning

Another important thing, when it comes to learning English is, being aware of intonation.
Intonation in American English is the way the voice rises and falls while you speak. Very often,
it changes the main idea of what is said, going beyond the exact meaning of the words to
indicate how the speaker feels.
The very same sentence and the same word order might result in quite a different idea behind
your words, by only shifting the stress from one word to another.
Try reading this sentence by stressing the word in bold each time.
1. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
In this case, you mean that its not him who is traveling but someone else. As in: He
isn't flying to Paris tomorrow. His brother is.

2. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
Here, the emphasis is on the word isnt to say that, its not true that he is flying. As in:
Do you know that John is flying to Paris tomorrow? He isnt flying to Paris
tomorrow. He was intending to but he changed his mind later.

3. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
By stressing the word flying, we intend to say that this is not what hes going to do but
maybe something else. As in: He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow. He is actually driving.

4. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
If you say the word to louder, youre saying this is not the direction hes flying into. As
in: He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow. He is actually flying back from Paris.

5. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
Stressing the word Paris, in this example, would mean that this is not the actual
destination of Johns flight. As in: He is not flying to Paris. Hes flying to New York.

6. He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow.
Giving emphasis to the word tomorrow would mean that its not tomorrow hes flying
but another day. As in: He isn't flying to Paris tomorrow. He said he would be flying
the day after tomorrow.
As you can see, you are saying the same words every time, just pronouncing a different word at
a higher pitch. In this way, you are actually saying a different thing every time.
Why should you bother to remember this? Well, being aware of the various intonation patterns is
what will make you capable of conveying the intended message. That is to say, even if you
pronounce each word clearly, if your intonation is non-standard, your meaning will not be
clear.
Also, in terms of comprehension, you will lose a great deal of information, if you are only
listening for the actual words used. You get to understand people better, and people
understand YOU better and can then focus on the point you are trying to make, rather than
struggling to "decode" your pronunciation.
Most Common Students Mistakes
I am agree
Peoples
Search about
Will/must/should to
I have 17 years old
I didnt like/want (to refer to the present)
Misplaced pronouns (He/She) and (It) to refer to people
Using More to speak about quantity
Incorrect use of Prefixes. E.g. Unlegal
Mixed usage of Nouns/Verbs/Adjectives
From/Since 10 years ago
I make an accident/interview
The a lot of people
Misplaced Prepositions. E.g. At the morning
Hasnt/Havent
Didnt went
Do a mistake
Focus about
Saying To me when they want to express their opinion. Saying Its hard/easy to me.
The correct way to say, Its hard for me. Let me give you some examples. Its difficult
for me to learn another language. But if youre not going to include the word me,
you, him; then you can just say, Its difficult to learn another language. You dont
need for in that case. So, another example You could say, Its easy for me to drive a
car. Or, Its easy to drive a car. You could say, Its easy to find a job. Or, Its easy
for me to find a job.
Saying Another countries. The correct way to say is Other countries. The word
another goes before singular words and other goes before plural words.
Adding the article A to plurals
Saying Learn instead of Teach
Saying Eat instead of Feed