[NIFL-ESL:9852] Re: Classroom games for Adults

From: Sandees32605@aol.com
Date: Tue Feb 03 2004 - 17:07:57 EST


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In a message dated 2/3/04 3:32:27 PM, leenhd78@yahoo.com writes:

<< the wealth of knowledge about
games to play with adult literacy learners. >>

Last year, our beginning students gave 'awards' to the teachers: framed 
certificates citing each teacher's forte.  I won the 'Queen of Games' award, so I 
feel 'highly qualified' to provide some suggestions.

Many TV/commercial games can be adapted to ESL classes.  Using a chalk/dry 
erase board, you can play modified Hangman or  Wheel of Fortune, using the 
words/expressions students have already studied.  After the teacher models these 
activities a few times, students can play the 'teacher' role. 

Elizabeth Claire at eceardley@aol.com sells a very inexpensive game modeled 
on the old Password game: Just a Minute.  Whoever is 'it' has a list of 7-8 
related words and tries to the elicit the right words from his/her team.  
Teachers can of course make their own lists, but Elizabeth makes it cheap and easy.

Pictionary Junior is another commercial game easily adapted for ESOL.  And if 
students need work on listening to/pronouncing numbers it's Bingo time.

It seems to me, Colleen, that you have really tuned in to your students' 
needs, realizing that when it's fun, learning English becomes easier.  Good games 
should be fun, competitive and challenging, but never, ever, ever beyond the 
student's reach.  The idea of these games is to leave students with a sense of 
accomplishment, a feeling of success, so that they go home smiling.  

We find that games are useful at the beginning of a class -especially if you 
usually have stragglers.  They'll be so so sorry to have missed the fun. 

And at the end of the class, the last 5-15 minutes of a 3-hour class, games 
are sometimes so successful that we are begging the students to please, please 
go home! 

There are lots and lots of other ideas in this area, but I hope these will 
set you on your way.

Sue Sandeen
ESOL, Gainesville, FL
sandees



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