Top 6 ESL Grammar Games

Summary

In this video, Mrs. shares six fun and engaging grammar games to help teach English in an interactive and effective way. As a secondary school teacher and CELTA-certified educator, she emphasizes the power of gamification to make grammar lessons enjoyable and memorable. The games, like Coin Toss and Roll the Dice, encourage communication, cooperation, and practice of various grammatical structures. These activities are adaptable to different levels and learning styles, making grammar less daunting for students while promoting active participation and social interaction. Perfect for teachers looking for fresh, creative ways to teach grammar!

Takeaways

• 😀 Gamification can make grammar lessons fun and memorable by encouraging students to actively participate and use grammar structures in context.
• 😀 The Coin Toss game helps students practice conjugating verbs with pronouns in various tenses, making it an interactive way to reinforce grammar.
• 😀 Roll the Dice encourages students to create compound sentences using grammar structures they roll, turning the process of sentence building into a game.
• 😀 Build a Sentence involves students sorting and rearranging sentence parts in different colors to form grammatically correct sentences, enhancing learning through hands-on activities.
• 😀 Find Someone Who is a great way for students to practice specific grammatical structures (like present simple) through interaction with their peers.
• 😀 Complete and Sort focuses on filling gaps in sentences using appropriate modal verbs, providing a chance for students to practice grammar in context.
• 😀 Rewrite the Sentence helps students practice using new grammar structures by rewriting sentences and sharing them with the class, fostering collaboration.
• 😀 Clear, simple instructions are crucial for ensuring students understand what to do in each game, helping to avoid confusion and make the learning process smoother.
• 😀 Setting a time limit for each game ensures that students stay engaged and manage their time effectively during the activity.
• 😀 Grouping students with a balance of fast and slow learners helps ensure that everyone gets a chance to practice and learn from each other, promoting collaborative learning.
• 😀 These grammar games are adaptable for different language levels and can be used to teach a variety of grammar points, making them versatile tools in the classroom.

Q & A

What is the main challenge that the video addresses for English teachers?

The video addresses the challenge of teaching grammar effectively, specifically how to simplify complex grammar structures so that students can master them more easily.

What is the concept of 'gamification' mentioned in the video?

Gamification refers to making learning feel like a game. It helps make grammar lessons more engaging, enjoyable, and easier to remember while encouraging student participation and social interaction.

Why is gamification beneficial in grammar lessons?

Gamification makes learning fun and allows students to practice grammar structures in a context that encourages communication. It also ensures equal participation from all learners, including both fast and slow learners.

What is the 'coin toss' game and how does it work?

The 'coin toss' game involves students tossing a coin twice—once for pronouns and once for verbs. They then conjugate the verb with the selected pronoun. This game helps students practice different tenses, including regular and irregular verbs.

How does the 'roll the dice' game help students practice grammar?

In the 'roll the dice' game, students roll a dice to select a grammatical structure (e.g., frequency adverbs or conjunctions). They then create sentences using the structure they land on. This activity encourages sentence formation and helps practice various grammatical points.

What materials are needed for the 'build a sentence' game?

For the 'build a sentence' game, teachers need colored paper and scissors to cut the sentences into pieces. Each piece represents a part of a sentence, and students must reorganize them into a grammatically correct sentence.

What is the purpose of the 'find someone who' game?

The 'find someone who' game uses flashcards with personal information to help students practice questions and answers in the target language, such as using the present simple tense to ask about likes and dislikes.

How does the 'complete and sort' game work?

In the 'complete and sort' game, students are given sentences with gaps to fill in using the appropriate modal verbs. After filling in the blanks, they stand up and put the sentences in the correct order based on the grammatical function of the modal verb.

What does the 'rewrite the sentence' game involve?

In the 'rewrite the sentence' game, students are given sentences that they need to rewrite using new grammatical structures they have learned. The goal is for students to work together to rewrite sentences correctly and write them on the board.

What advice does the teacher offer for organizing grammar games?

The teacher advises keeping instructions clear and simple, modeling the game to demonstrate how it's played, setting a time limit for the activity, and grouping students strategically to balance fast and slow learners.