ESL GamesView our other esl games suggestions
Some great ESL materials to help you in the classroom. ESL Games for Children There are numerous games for children which help them to learn English. You can find many of the listings in the posts and in the links section of the 
Kevin`s English Schools forum at Yahoo Groups.
As well, there is a website called
Genki English that
is devoted to producing free esl games and activities
to teach English to children. Be sure to check them
out. You can subscribe to their free Email newsletter
too.
Games for Teaching Junior High to Adults
The Game of Life:
is a fun diversion for jr. high school students who can read well enough. I have even used it as a change of pace in children`s classes in which the kids could read. They love it! It gives them reading practice and a real world challenge. They need to be able to understand the instructions of each space and card they receive. It is necessary to understand the English to play the game.
Other Games
There are many games, that though they were not intended to teach English, they are great games for your teenager to adult
Scratch My Back Card Game Is a card game that was developed in Japan. You can play games of varying skill and difficulty. It is suitable for lower intermediate English students to native speakers.
Visit the Scratch My Back website to learn more about this game.
Speaker Friendly:
Is a boardgame that reinforces basic English conversation skills. There are questions like: "What are your hobbies?" It is a fun way to review or motivate your students. I believe it is out of print but you may be able to find a copy somewhere.
Rock Talk:
Is a more difficult version of Speaker Friendly. It is the same kind of boardgame with more advanced questions. Again good for review or a change of pace. This too is out of print I believe. But there are copies available here and there. Ask around for this game and Speaker Friendly.
The Japan Game:
Has questions about Japan that students ask and answer. I use it in university classes and in some classes at Kevin`s as a change of pace or to enliven the class. It is a popular game with students. It has cards in English and Japanese, so it helps beginning students if they don`t understand the English. Plus there are three levels of questions. Peace Games makes a variety of games that may be suitable for your classes.
Word Up:
This is more of a grammar based game. Students ask each other questions and try to say the correct answer. There are many fill in the blank type cards. Students enjoy it.
Guess Who? & Guess Where?
Milton Bradley makes these two games. Perhaps unknowingly, they produced a game suitable for EFL/ESL classes. It is a good game to reinforce describing people.
Above are just some ready made boardgames that you can use in class. Of course there are many, many free games available on the internet that you can simply print and play. Plus these games are designed with English teaching in mind.
However, the above games are great as ready made reinforcers of previously taught material. As well, we all need a break from the regular English lesson (especially my lessons) and these games will bring a smile to even the most challenging students.
Nellie's Group Is the operator of Nellie's English Books, which is an importer and distributor of various overseas ELT (English Language Teaching) materials. In addition to ELT, Nellie's carries a range of products including picture books and educational toys. They also carry ELT games.
Where can you buy games like these? Try Nellies in Japan!
Apples to Apples & Apples to Apples Junior
These award winning games have often been used in English classes. In this game you compare different cards. For example:
You have five cards and you have to judge which is the most noisy--out of playing soccer, my grandpa, kittens, balloons or a surprise.
Perhaps it is best for advanced students. Or you will have to pick and choose the vocabulary (which you should probably do anyway), no matter what the level of the class is.
Many teachers love using this game as a fun break and vocab reinforcer for their students.
Taiwan English - Your First and Last Stop for ESL Classroom Games:
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