| ESL ("English as a Second Language"), also known as | | | | have found to be an effective learning tool is playing |
| ESOL ("English for Speakers of Other Languages") or | | | | the game of bingo. While bingo is of course a relatively |
| EFL ("English as a Foreign Language"), is the study | | | | simple game that can be quickly learned, the |
| English by people who natively speak another | | | | mechanics of explaining the rules, setting up the game, |
| language. It is often taught to people who are | | | | and then actually playing the game (entirely in English |
| immigrating to an English-speaking country such as | | | | of course), can be an interesting learning experience |
| Britain or the United States, as well as to people in | | | | for ESL students. Furthermore, the game of bingo itself |
| non-English speaking countries who wish to learn | | | | can be varied and adapted - for example, instead of |
| English for business or personal reasons. | | | | playing bingo using the usual numbered bingo cards, it |
| There are many different approaches to teaching | | | | can be played using bingo cards printed with English |
| English as second language, and different teachers | | | | words, phrases, items relating to a holiday or season |
| and courses go about it in different ways. However, | | | | such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, or even with place |
| as in other types of education, students tend to learn | | | | names. There is real no limit to the ideas that ESL |
| most effectively when actively engaged with this | | | | teachers can come up with, and you needn't worry |
| material. It is perhaps for this reason that many ESL | | | | about obtaining custom bingo cards - they can easily |
| teachers like to incorporate group activities and even | | | | be bingo using a computer and some bingo card |
| games into lesson plans. | | | | creator software. |
| One particular idea that a number of ESL teachers | | | | |