7 Activities for Teaching Conditionals in the ESL Classroom | ITTT | TEFL Blog

Summary

This video provides seven engaging activities for teaching conditionals in the ESL classroom, adaptable for various conditional patterns. Activities include games like 'Pass the Pig,' where students complete conditional sentences, and 'Chain Conditionals,' which build on previous sentences. Other activities include 'Pelmonism Concentration' for memorization, 'Mill Drill Questionnaires' for interactive Q&A, group discussions, board games with prompts, and using songs to identify conditional structures. These dynamic, fun lessons aim to enhance student understanding of conditionals, making learning memorable and interactive.

Takeaways

• 😀 Teaching conditionals can be fun and adaptable across different ESL levels.
• 😀 Classroom activities for conditionals can be customized to fit any conditional pattern.
• 😀 'Pass the Pig' is a team game where students complete conditional sentences and pass a ball to each other.
• 😀 'Chain Conditionals' extends 'Pass the Pig' by requiring students to build upon the previous sentence to create a new conditional.
• 😀 'Pelmonism Concentration' is a memory-based game where students match beginning and ending conditional statements on cards.
• 😀 'Mill Drill Questionnaire' involves students asking each other questions using target conditionals and writing down answers.
• 😀 Group discussions with role plays help students use conditionals in real-world contexts like politics or tourism.
• 😀 Board games can be adapted for conditionals by using cards that prompt students to create or correct conditional sentences.
• 😀 Songs can be used in the classroom by asking students to identify conditional patterns in lyrics and creating alternative lyrics.
• 😀 These activities are designed to be engaging and memorable, making learning conditionals fun and interactive for ESL students.

Q & A

What is one of the benefits of teaching conditionals in the ESL classroom?

One of the benefits of teaching conditionals is that once you discover activities that work well, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns you're asked to teach.

What is the purpose of the 'Pass the Pig' game?

'Pass the Pig' is a fun activity where students throw and catch a ball while completing conditional sentences. It helps students practice creating different endings to a sentence, reinforcing their understanding of conditional structures.

How does the 'Chain Conditionals' activity work?

'Chain Conditionals' is a more challenging version of 'Pass the Pig.' It involves creating new sentences by continuing the previous one, using the end of the last sentence as the beginning of the next, thus reinforcing the correct use of conditionals.

What is the key principle behind the 'Pelmonism Concentration' game?

The 'Pelmonism Concentration' game involves memorizing pairs of cards with conditional sentence beginnings and endings. Students must match these cards correctly while practicing the target conditional language structure.

What is a 'Mill Drill' in the context of ESL teaching?

A 'Mill Drill' is a mingling activity where students ask each other questions based on a questionnaire prepared by the teacher. The goal is to use the target language pattern, in this case, conditionals, while interacting with classmates.

How do students participate in group discussions to practice conditionals?

In group discussions, students are given role-play scenarios such as being part of a tour company or political party. They must create conditional sentences in response to the given questions and then report their ideas back to the class.

What is the purpose of the board game activity in teaching conditionals?

The board game activity, such as using snakes and ladders, involves students landing on colored squares that prompt them to create sentences, correct errors, or answer questions related to previous lessons, reinforcing the use of conditionals.

How does using songs in teaching conditionals work?

Students listen to songs to identify conditional sentences within the lyrics. They then create alternative, often humorous lyrics using the same conditional structure, enhancing both their listening and creative language skills.

Can modals like 'might' and 'could' be used in chain conditionals?

Yes, modals such as 'might' and 'could' can be included in chain conditionals, adding more flexibility and complexity to the sentences.

Why is it important for students to practice conditionals in context rather than just through isolated exercises?

Practicing conditionals in context helps students understand how these structures function in real-life situations. This approach increases retention and allows students to use conditionals more naturally in conversations.