| Learning English as a second or foreign language can | | | | laminate onto a manila folder, and the game |
| be difficult for some students. There are several | | | | accessories can be kept in an attached baggie. You |
| different ways to learn, and many people benefit from | | | | can use color and images to make your board |
| a wider approach than the traditional methods | | | | interesting, but remember your adult students may be |
| employed in most classrooms. Adding games and | | | | turned off by a childish motif! |
| activities that appeal to all the different ESL learning | | | | You can adapt Jeopardy and other popular games to |
| styles along with your standard curriculum can | | | | use picture prompts. Current entertainment and media |
| transform your lessons and make the time more | | | | events can often be humorously discussed, and |
| productive for all! | | | | provide a real world aspect that will help students take |
| Most authorities in the field of learning styles agree | | | | their English skills outside the classroom. |
| there are four basic ways people take in and process | | | | Reading is of course expected from all students, and |
| information. These are known as the four learning | | | | Ten Important Sentences with Watermelon is an |
| styles and consist of Auditory ESL Learners(students | | | | excellent game to promote teambuilding, working under |
| who respond best to lectures, tapes and verbal | | | | pressure, and summarizing. This is a game that |
| instructions), Visual ESL Learners (students who | | | | crosses over to appeal to Tactile learners as well, as |
| benefit from more traditional methods such as written | | | | teams send representatives to put sentences in order. |
| material, pictures and video), and Tactile and | | | | TACTILE and KINESTHETIC ESL LEARNING STYLE |
| Kinesthetic ESL Learners (treated together here as | | | | These students make up the last two types of |
| their styles involve either hands- on or whole body | | | | learning styles. Tactile learner projects focus more on |
| learning). | | | | model building and crafts. Games for the Kinesthetic |
| Many of the following games can easily be | | | | learner include group participation and physical use of |
| implemented in your classroom and adapted to best | | | | the whole body. Activities originally developed for |
| suit the ESL learning styles of any or all of your | | | | these learning styles have been discovered to assist all |
| students. | | | | types of ESL learners, which is encouraging news for |
| AUDITORY ESL LEARNING STYLE | | | | those trying to introduce new elements into their |
| These ESL students will enjoy verbal games in a | | | | classrooms! |
| group setting; introducing repetitive chants using | | | | A good vocabulary game with a strong tactile element |
| previously demonstrated words is a good way to | | | | to appeal to this learning style is the old 'items in a bag' |
| start. EFL learners from Japan particularly appreciate | | | | game. Students can describe the items by feel and the |
| Karaoke Night as a learning tool and this can be a fun | | | | class can venture guesses as to their identity. Be |
| idea for marking milestones as your class advances. | | | | prepared, this game can cause a degree of hilarity as |
| After a group activity, students can retire to separate | | | | students grope for words to clue their classmates in! |
| listening stations for a Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt; | | | | Spatial games involve rearranging items (a tactile |
| multiple tapes with different key vocabulary words can | | | | variation) or people (a kinesthetic approach). Population |
| be rotated to increase the number of words each | | | | Punctuation can be played by handing out cards with |
| student learns. Cloze Passages can be used with | | | | words and punctuation marks to all but one class |
| tapes as well to enhance the lesson's effect. | | | | member who is designated as 'it' This student then |
| Quizzes are a fun way to encourage a mild spirit of | | | | tries to make a proper sentence complete with |
| competition in your classroom; you can divide the | | | | punctuation by lining up as many people as possible. |
| students into teams and allow them to confer with | | | | Crafts and model building sets are invaluable as they |
| each other to find the answers. Listen to a taped TV | | | | combine auditory or visual elements with the tactile as |
| or radio broadcast and have them take turns | | | | students read or hear project instructions. Investing in |
| answering questions about the content - you may be | | | | an extensive Legos set will prove well worth it! Brightly |
| surprised at how well they pick up on the meanings! | | | | colored pencils are another fun way for the students |
| VISUAL ESL LEARNING STYLE | | | | to proclaim their individuality as they follow directions |
| These students can absorb information from common | | | | for drawing or labeling maps. |
| classroom tools such as books, flash cards, and video | | | | Variety can bring success to your classrooms and |
| footage. Many language games work well with this | | | | help all of your ESL class members to broaden their |
| type of student, and worksheets are a must - they will | | | | learning styles. Games that make learning fun are a |
| retain more from reading material than from verbal | | | | great way to foster independent thinking patterns, and |
| instruction. | | | | create a relaxed, creative atmosphere where every |
| Board games such as 'Parts of Speech Path Finding' | | | | student can find the tools they need for success! |
| (based on the Candy Land Board) are easy to | | | | |