Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Activities For English Language Learners

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Hangman Or Mystery Sentence

50 fun project activities for English language teachers | Cambridge English

This classic paper game can also be used in the classroom. It can be enjoyed from a fairly low level. Just note that instead of drawing a hanging man , you can draw a cartoon character and simply erase a part of it when the class guess the wrong letter. If you can’t draw, a simple star, heart, or ice cream will do.

Interactive Language Activities For Preschoolers

Language development is a vital part of communication in the early years.

Children start learning language very early on in their development. Those funny cooing noises parents make to their babies are the first steps along the road of language development.

During the early years, children must develop both their receptive and expressive language.

In this article, I will share some great language activities for preschoolers. Whatever language your child is learning, the same principles apply.

Activities To Help Your Ell Students Learn Over The Summer Recess

by Samantha Anth, educational leader and WGU faculty member, Ph.D.

Theres numerous activities in your community to engage your ELL students in language learning over the summer.

Summer learning loss is a real phenomenon for students, and its even more prevalent with students who are learning English as a second language . While summer camps and summer programs are enriching options for them, they may not be affordable for some ELL students families. Also, some summer programs may require students to navigate complex language systems in order to participate.

Thats why its important to share other free or inexpensive learning opportunities with your ELL students. These strategies and activities will stretch their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills without stretching their families budgets.

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Ell Strategy 14 Model

Providing students with a model when doing activities can give them the reassurance they need to keep going. You might find that you can slowly take the models away or use them less frequently. However, starting with models is important for ELL students to become comfortable with learning the English language. Projecting the activities onto a large whiteboard or Promethean board with a document camera can easily provide students with a viewable model.

Fun Language Learning Games For Kids

Classroom Vocabulary BINGO game. ESL EFL ESL Activities

If your child isnt talking by the age of 2, theyre not alone. Around 10% of children in America experience delayed speech development. You can do many things to help develop your childs communication skills like engaging in language learning games with them. Read on to learn more about fun language learning games for kids.

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What Can Esl Games Do

Incorporating ESL activities and games into your classroom is a great way to help students learn. Here are a few reasons why using games to teach English is a good idea.

  • ELL activities and games engage students. Because theyre having fun, students will pay attention and participate more. They probably wont even realize theyre learning!
  • Learning through games helps students retain information. Associating English words or sentence structures with certain activities can help kids and teens recall them better.
  • English games for kids and teens create a lively environment where students are energetic and dont feel as much pressure as they might during other activities. Focusing on having fun means learners might feel more comfortable speaking in English and making mistakes.
  • Playing ESL games with young learners and teens helps you connect with them. By promoting a fun classroom environment, you will cultivate an authentic relationship with your students and motivate them to learn.

Responses That Are Partially Correct

If a student provides even a partially correct response,the teacher can value the contribution, reinforcethe correct portion, and then attempt torefine the response . Students have priorknowledge of the world that they make use of atschool, as Jorge did in the previous example.However, sometimes their prior knowledge is limitedand they need help to accommodate new learninginto their schemata. Partially correct responsesprovide an excellent opportunity to hone students’ thinking, to clarify their knowledge on a certaintopic, and to lead to new learning .

For example, during a lesson on the water cycle,a second-grade teacher was reading aloudDown Comes the Rain to her class.The students were all Latino, and many wereSpanish dominant and learning English at school.As the teacher was reading the book aloud, she oftenstopped to ask questions and hear students’comments. During the discussion, the teacher mentionedthat weather forecasters often report thechance of precipitation one of the vocabularywords and important concepts in their thematicunit. The students were actively involved in the discussion,but at times their comments evidencedtheir rather naïve perspectives. Here is an excerptof the ensuing conversation:

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Sand Play And Sensory Trays

Sensory vocabulary is developed through sand play and sensory trays. A sensory tray filled with different objects encourages language as your child touches and talks about items in the tray.

Choose things with texture and different sizes. Mix them up for sorting experiences. Look for things like buttons, corks, pebbles, pasta, blocks and lego.

A sandpit under a shady tree is always a talking point and an opportunity for digging, building and playing with sand toys.

Nursery Rhymes And Fingerplays

Kindermusik Activity for English Language Learners – Sunny Day, Rainy Day

Saying rhymes and learning fingerplays helps to develop language through repetition and memorizing the words of the rhyme. Repetition is so important in learning a language.

If you are not familiar with the age-old favourites buy a CD or listen to songs on YouTube. Driving in the car is a perfect time to play nursery rhymes . Singing silly songs together will increase your childs vocabulary in an entertaining way.

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Fun Activities That Help Develop Language Learning In Children

Children can benefit from playtime. Games offer a fun-filled, relaxed environment where they can practise using new words and are free to express themselves. Participating in recreational activities is an effective way to develop language and communication skills. It also helps your children to be more socially confident and may be a way to forge friendships.

Below are some examples of games and playtime activities that integrate language learning with fun:

Words can be a lot of fun if we know how to maximise their use. Together, they can be made up into stories, songs, and a whole lot of other things that will help your children be more eloquent. Continue to encourage your children to speak well by constructing a healthy and fun learning environment where they can unleash their creativity and broaden their linguistic skills. Guide them on how to express their thoughts, feelings and actions better through the use of words as this will prepare them to face the world with confidence as they grow.

Fluency Activities For The Esl Classroom

Language teachers know that learners should produce language in a written or spoken form however you can approach those activities in two different ways.

A language teacher could focus in either one of those two aspects:

Accuracy is the ability to produce correct language including their use of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Fluency refers to how well a learner communicates meaning rather than how many mistakes they make in grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.

Now that you understand those two basic approaches used in production activities.

  • What s your aim in production tasks?
  • Do you focus on fluency over accuracy?
  • Do you focus more on accuracy?
  • What criteria do you use to choose one or the other in your classes?

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Strategies For Getting Adult Esl Students To Speak

Students need to speak out loud by themselves and not just follow along in their heads while someone else speaks. It isnt good enough for them to only mumble along with the crowd as in a drilling exercise.

Here are some possible speaking opportunities that you can provide your students:

  • Stand up in front of the class and speak.
  • Stand up in front of the class with a partner and present something together.
  • Be part of a group presenting a drama or role-play in front of the class.
  • Take part in a whole-class discussion or debate.
  • Be involved in pair work where every student must talk with a partner.
  • Be involved in small group discussions where individual students are less likely to get left out.

Its also important to lay the groundwork outside of dedicated ESL speaking activities. While young students are often comfortable diving straight into new tasks, adults may want to see it done first and mentally prepare.

Ell Strategy 1 Build Relationships & Create A Welcoming Environment

The 5 Best Apps for ELL Students

Its important that ELL students feel welcome when they come into the classroom. Learning a language can be intimidating. Knowing they are learning in a safe and welcoming space can make a big difference. While they are still learning to speak and read English, relationships can be built through:

Using a daily check-in activity is a great way to start building trusting relationships with your ELL students. I recommend having them draw pictures of how they are feeling that day, or give a thumbs up or down on yes/no questions.

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Pass The Ball: Vocabulary Brainstorming

One of the best parts about Pass the Ball is that you need practically no preparation time at all. Also, you can practice anything from rhyming to vocabulary to types of things.

First, the teacher comes up with a topic or idea. In the worksheet below, there are some ideas but they can be anything. Next, the teacher starts the music, and students have to think of as many words as they can for that topic.

Someone starts with a ball. When they come up with a word, they pass the ball to another student. This process continues but they cant repeat something that has already been said.

When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball loses. And the punishment can be anything. For example, they must speak for one minute about a topic the teacher gives them.

This activity was previously called Talking Timebomb because you used a timer. Whoever was left with the ball at the end of the music lost the game.

Get Free Access To Printable Puzzles Stories Activity Packs And More

Join Empowered Parents + and youll receive a downloadable set of printable puzzles, games and short stories, as well as the Learning Through Play Activity Pack which includes an entire year of activities for 3 to 6-year-olds. Access is free forever.

Signing up for a free Grow account is fast and easy and will allow you to bookmark articles to read later, on this website as well as many websites worldwide that use Grow.

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Why Focusing On Fluency

These are some reasons why you should focus on helping students to develop fluency in writing and speaking:

  • These activities help learners become effective communicators of English.
  • Students will develop the ability to communicate smoothly over time.
  • Focusing on fluency and seeing what they can do with the language can be a powerful move to boost their motivation.

The Classroom Movie: Dialogue Practice

Guess the Idiom Class Challenge | English Language Learning Game | Twinkl ESL

Its amazing what a green screen can do in an English class or club. I brought one into class. All of a sudden, students were making up their own English movie ideas. And the ideas were pretty awesome one took place at the Eiffel Tower!

When students start taking control of their own fate, their own English improves 10 fold. The classroom movie activity has the potential to do that.

From your typical everyday students to Hollywood movie stars. And its all because you came prepared with a green screen.

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Important Considerations For Teaching Adult Esl Students

If youre teaching a class overseas , you need to be aware of local sensitivities, especially to appropriateness in mixed gender situations.

  • While your school may have considered it acceptable to have men and women learning in the same room, you should notice if students have a strong tendency to sit separately based on gender. When you indiscriminately ask them to pair off, you may observe signs of discomfort or even distress in some students.
  • Sometimes you may notice that the class is silent and attentive when a male student is talking, but students fidget and become talkative when a female student takes her turn at the front.

What can you do about it?

  • If they have sufficient language skills, you could open up a class discussion about it.
  • Be flexible when arranging the class, without necessarily letting them become lazy and work with their same favorite partners every time.

There are a few other things to consider about teaching ESL to adult students:

  • Just because theyre of a mature age doesnt mean that they necessarily have advanced language skills.
  • If theyre struggling, it may mean that theyve forgotten language lessons from earlier school dayswe refer to students who have studied English before and later forgotten false beginners.

No matter the unique challenges facing each adult ESL student, with the right motivation, encouragement and direction they can still learn to improve their English speaking skills.

How To Develop Language Through Activities

Language is something children acquire as they grow and learn. The best way to develop language is through interaction.

The way to interact with your children is to spend time with them and the best learning opportunities are found during play.

This post contains affiliate links for educational products that I personally recommend. If you purchase through one of them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the terms and conditions for more details.

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Make Learning English Interesting For Esl Students

Teaching English as a second language is something millions of teachers do all over the world. The demand for the world’s most widely-spoken language is as high as ever, and native speakers have the wonderful opportunity of traveling while teaching their native tongue.

To teach English effectively and in ways your students will enjoy, it is essential to use methods beyond simply working from a textbook or drilling. Activities and games are a great way to reinforce recently taught grammar or vocabulary, give your students a break from the books, and have fun.

Here are some ideas for games, warmers, coolers, and activities for your English lessons as well as how to play them. These ideas work best for teenage or adult group lessons, though some can be applied to private classes as well.

Use Positive Gestures And Tone Of Voice

Verb Phrases

Using positive gestures and tone of voice can help ELL learners feel at ease. This can help them feel comfortable and safe in their learning environment. A start for this is to simply smile and keep a calm and relaxed body. Incorporating play-based learning is also an opportunity to model positive gestures. Throughout the day, model acceptance of others to encourage this welcoming atmosphere.

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The Last Man Standing

This is a fun game! All you need is to use a ball as a prop. This is a fast-paced game despite the fact that it allows students to be quick in their responses. The main benefit of playing this game is that it encourages peer learning.

To play the game, you need to arrange students in a large circle. Choose a theme or a category like games, colors, etc. each student will have to name one word within the chosen category and then pass the ball to the next student.

Each student needs to come up with a unique word related to the category. If they are unable to do it or repeat the word, that student will have to sit on the sidelines. The student who remains standing in the game will be the winner.

Get Active 7 Foreign Language Activities That Keep Students On Their Toes

Teaching a foreign language is sometimes like pushing that stone up the hill, just to have it roll back to the bottom, just to have to push it back up again.

And youre never pushing that stone alone, the burden falls on your students toowhich can be a challenge for everyone.

So, your students are with you, trying to get that stone to the top and maybe keep it there for once.

The way to succeed is to make work not seem like work. Make it fun and engaging!

That means youll probably be searching for some engaging activities for your foreign language class.

Youll be wanting something new and different to add a spark to their studies.

Sure, youll have the curriculum, the textbook, the quizzes and tests to give and grade. In the end, though, you want your students engaged in the class. You want them to see the top of the hill and have that stone feel light as a feather. You want them to taste the satisfaction of success, and feel intrinsically motivated to keep on going.

Being prepared with alternative activities is an excellent way to lighten the load and make class a breeze.

This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.

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Timeless Timelines: History Exploration

From the start of human civilization, we remember some of the most famous people and inventions. Using this timeline worksheet, students arrange the timeline according to their birth date and the invention year.

From youngest to oldest, the teacher will go through the correct order in the history timelines for kids. For example, paper was invented more than 1300 years earlier than the printing press.

The teacher then helps everyone by giving the correct answers. Further to this, ask questions about inventors:

  • Who else belongs in the list?
  • What other inventions are important enough they should be added?
  • Or what are future inventions you want to see on this list in the future?

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