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18 Fun English and ESL Games to Level Up Learning In Your Classroom

Teacher works with small group of students during english games activities.

Written by Ashley Crowe

Make building ELA skills fun with Prodigy English, a game-based learning adventure for 1st to 6th grade.

  • Teaching Activities

Online English games

Games for english language learners, spelling and vocabulary games, interactive games, grammar games.

English is a tricky language to learn. Whether your students are working on basic grammar rules, or you’re helping non-native speakers, English learning games can help.

It’s easy to get discouraged while working on English language concepts. A lot of words don’t follow the “rules”. But activities — like learning apps , classroom games , or board games — can help this complicated language make more sense with plenty of repetition and fun.

Here are our favorite English learning games for students!

1. Prodigy English

Great for: Grades 1 to 6

Prodigy English illustration

Your students can build their own fantasy world while answering standards-aligned English questions with Prodigy’s newest free app. Students practice rhyming, phonetics, reading, and spelling to earn the energy their game character needs to build and craft game items.

This fun reward system keeps them learning while you track their progress with free teacher tools. Gather your reports and tweak the curriculum to ensure your students are staying on track.

You can even build an assessment into their game play! It’s a new way to keep your kids engaged while they practice their English language skills, both in the classroom and at home.  

Great for: Kindergarten to grade 12

Create your own online or classroom games with Kahoot!. It only takes a few minutes to create a game. Then you can host it live in your classroom or via video conferencing. And since you’re building the game, it can cover any topics you like — from grammar to reading comprehension .

Send home your games as self-paced practice, or keep your classroom exciting with a live, timed competition. Students can play alone or in groups, and you can collect all the data you need to make sure the lessons stick. Kahoot! is a simple way to bring customizable games to your classroom. 

3. PBS Kids

Great for: PreK to grade 3

If your students are a fan of PBS Kids programming, be sure to check out the PBS Kids gaming app. PBS offers a huge variety of reading and English learning games based around their most popular shows.

Build words with Super Why, practice reading with Molly of Denali, or create a story with Pinkalicious. From Sesame Street to Wild Kratts, your students can find a game they love to keep them learning.

4. Scholastic Home Base

Great for: Kindergarten to grade 7

If you’re looking for online games based on your students’ favorite stories, try Scholastic’s free app. Students can listen to book excerpts or play games while also chatting with other young readers in a 24/7 moderated space.

There are more than 20 single-player mini-games and 8 multi-player games full of action, puzzles, and strategy. Students can jump into the Wings of Fire world, or complete a mission as a member of the Babysitter’s Club. Home Base is an exciting way to bring their favorite titles to life.

Two boys go through a reading assignment as part of an English games activity.

New English language learners often struggle with the language’s tricky rules. There are so many exceptions, and a lot simply doesn’t make sense. Take the stress out of learning with these educational games for English language learners. 

5. Odd One Out

Great for: Kindergarten to grade 3

This is a simple online or classroom activity to improve your ELL students’ vocabulary and comprehension. Use pictures or speak aloud a list of five objects. Four belong to a similar category, and one does not. Ask your students to choose the odd one out. 

For example, you could give students this list:

All are pets except the lion, so that is the odd one out. If you’re playing with young students, this game is bound to spark some silly conversations.

6. Jeopardy

Great for: Grades 4 and up

Everyone loves Jeopardy! Before playing, create your categories, choosing four or six that are a mix of grammar, English learning, and fun entertainment-style options. 

Set up each category with points that increase with difficulty. You can write this all on a real or digital whiteboard, then have your students choose their path. Ask the corresponding question and award points as you go.

7. Crossword puzzles

Check out the above link for a huge collection of crossword puzzle games, from easy to difficult. Some you can print out, others can be completed on your students’ devices. It’s a challenging way to practice English words and grammatical concepts in a playful way.

8. Simon says

This classic game is a silly way to test comprehension while having fun. Action words, body parts, or everyday object words can all be included in one game of Simon says. 

Students can touch their toes, grab a pencil, or jump on one foot, getting active while practicing their new English skills.

Young students play English games in the classroom.

Practicing spelling and vocabulary doesn’t have to be a drag. Your students can get the repetition they need to help new words stick with fun word games you’ll all enjoy!

9. Balderdash

Great for: Grades 2 and up

This creative board game makes for an exciting classroom game with a few simple modifications . First off, choose some of your trickier upcoming vocabulary words. Divide your classroom into small groups, and then present a word to the class.

Each group comes up with a realistic definition for the word. Once each group has turned in a word, read aloud all of the definitions provided, including the real one. Then everyone guesses which definition is correct. 

This can result in a lot of silliness, but also a lot of learning. 

10. Scrabble

Scrabble matches make for awesome spelling practice! Break out a few boards or try an online version to help your kids see the fun in spelling. And as the competition heats up, it’s a great way to introduce how to use a dictionary. 

11. Hangman

Great for: Grades 1 and up

If you’re a fan of Wordle, bring some word guessing games to your classroom with the classic Hangman game. Your whole class can play, taking turns choosing letters to guess the word. 

Not a fan of the hanging man? You’re not alone — but you can still play the game with some creative modifications. Some classrooms enjoy “melting” a snowman. Or you can create a spider as they choose the wrong letters. Either way, it’s a memorable word game your students will love. 

12. Pictionary

Help your students learn new vocabulary words with a classroom game of Pictionary. You can divide the classroom into groups, giving more students a chance to draw or play as a class. Provide the word, then watch as your students draw and guess. Laugh and learn together while mastering new words and concepts.

A teacher and student high five during an English game.

One of the best parts of playing games — they get your students involved in their learning. Keep your lessons fun and interactive with these favorites. 

13. Magnetic poetry

Great for: Kindergarten and up

Help your students create magnetic works of art with a magnetic poetry kit. There are several sets available, including the original, a kid version, and a nature poetry box. Pass them around, play online or set them up in your classroom for daily poetry practice.

14. FreeRice

Your students can practice their vocabulary while helping the United Nations World Food Programme. Just visit the website above, set the difficulty level, and begin answering questions. The more questions they answer correctly, the more rice is donated to people in need. It’s a simple way to give back while motivating students to practice and learn.

15. Scattergories

This interactive word game is a blast. And all you need is a whiteboard, paper, and a pencil! Choose categories and a letter, then put your students to work thinking up words that fit each category while starting with your chosen letter. 

The more creative your word, the more points you score! Since this is being played classroom style, rank words by how many in the class wrote the same answer. A fruit that starts with ‘C’? If five students chose cantaloupe, those students receive 2 points while everyone else who picked cherry gets 1. Then the highest score wins!

Student and teacher stand at the whiteboard while doing English games.

Grammar — students either love it or hate it. Keep them all happy with these creative grammar games.

16. Grammar Ninja  

Great for: Grades 3 and up

This app is an exciting way for your students to practice parts of speech. Though the app gives little instruction, it keeps an otherwise dry topic fun and engaging.

17. Education.com

Great for: Kindergarten to grade 8

If you’re looking for online grammar games, Education.com is a valuable resource. Look through their collection and help your students choose games they’ll love. Or send a game suggestion home with your students for a stress-free homework assignment.

18. Madlibs

Madlibs has provided laugh out loud fun for years! It’s a silly way to get your students thinking creatively about parts of speech. Check out the website above to download one of their apps, buy a book, or even discover a free printable.

How fun games can help students build confidence in their English skills

There’s little in the world more frustrating than the rules of the English language. But with the right games, your students can push past their frustrations and master all the nuances of English. 

Before things get tense (pun intended), check out Prodigy English to show your students the fun side of English with a game-based learning platform . They’ll enjoy learning, and you’ll enjoy all the teacher perks — including free tools for assessments, grading and test prep. 

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30 Games to Learn English While Having a Ball

One of the best ways for you to learn English is to play games, which will make studying fun and exciting.

You won’t even notice all the learning you’re doing in the meantime!

In this post, we’ll get you started with 30 excellent games for learning English that you can play online, in person and with your friends. 

Online Word Games for Practicing English 

1. wordshake, 3. 4 pics 1 word, 4. visual thesaurus spelling bee, 5. word whomp, 6. freerice, 7. human brain cloud, 8. scrabble online, 9. word games by learn english today, 10. 7 words, 11. esl crossword puzzles, 12. influent, 13. drops english, 15. word connect, 16. alphabear, online grammar and trivia games for practicing english, 17. lovatts free online trivia, 18. adaptive spelling quiz by spellquiz, 19. 20 questions, 20. proof it, 21. duolingo, 22. bubbles, 23. magnetic poetry, 24. fun english by studycat, board games to learn english, 26. bananagrams, 27. rewordable, esl interactive games for group learning, 28. 20 questions (classic version), 29. fishbowl, 30. telephone, why learn english from games, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Online English games can be hit or miss (either great or terrible). No worries—we’ve found the best word games for practicing your English vocabulary. You can even practice with video games online or download games !

Level: All levels

Key features: Word scramble game to improve your English vocabulary

If you like action-packed ESL games that have you working against the clock, Wordshake is right for you.

This game gives you 16 random letters of the alphabet and three minutes. During that time, you have to come up with (think of) as many English words as you can using the letters you have. Every time you make a new word, you get points.

Since there aren’t any complicated rules with Wordshake, it’s a good vocabulary-building game for beginners and advanced students alike.

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Key features: High-speed English vocabulary practice

Knoword has to be one of the most entertaining, enjoyable and fun games the whole internet has to offer. 

The rules are very simple: you have one minute to read as many definitions as you can and write the correct answer.

Each time you give a correct answer, you get one or two extra seconds, and every four correct answers give you a hint. You can skip as many words as you want, so make sure you press “Esc” or click on “Skip” whenever you don’t know a word.

Key features: Pictorial game app for practicing English vocabulary on your phone

This game gives you  four pictures that have something in common, and you have to guess what it is.

Sometimes the answer is obvious, but other times you’ll have to think hard and use hints to get some help. Whether you’re a beginner learner of English or a fluent speaker, 4 Pics 1 Word will surely activate your brain and make you think in English.

Plus you can always create your own flashcards for the words you don’t know. Who said fun and learning can’t go together?

Level: Advanced

Key features: Spelling game for advanced English learners

Listen to a word and try to spell it correctly. No surprises here.

However, some of the words you’ll hear are so hard to spell that you’ll start to feel the bee is laughing at you and your misspellings.

The game comes with statistics , a free look at the visual thesaurus for the words you spell correctly, and all the definitions of the words divided by part of speech.

Even though the Visual Thesaurus isn’t free, the game is, and it’s full of great features to help you learn English.

Key features: Cute game that tests your spelling skills and memorization

Another word scramble game like Wordshake but cuter, Word Whomp lets you practice your English writing and spelling skills .

In this game, you’re given six letters and need to determine how many words can be spelled with those letters. You have two and a half minutes to come up with every word. If you guess too many incorrect words, the game will end.

You’ll practice quickly thinking of English vocabulary words—a skill that’ll be very useful in real-life English conversations.

Key features: Lets you practice English and help those in need at the same time

Freerice is another quiz-style game that helps you improve your vocabulary skills .

Instead of answering word problems, you’re given a vocabulary word and then have to find its closest synonym out of four different words. The game starts out easy, but with 60 levels in total, it gets much harder as you go along.

What really makes Freerice different from other games is that the company will donate 10 grains of rice to hungry families for every question that you answer right.

So the more you play, the more you’re helping those in need.

Key features: Word association game that offers free English practice

Described as “a massively multiplayer word association game,” the Human Brain Cloud is as simple as it is complex.

You’re given random words, and your goal is to type in words, expressions or even sentences you associate with the words you get. There are no right or wrong answers. The program simply takes your answers and adds them to the association bank.

If you click on a word, you’ll see a “cloud” with your word in the middle connected to other words people associate it with. This is when the fun starts, because you can use this feature to learn vocabulary.

Key features: Board game for improving your English vocabulary that you can also play online

Originally designed as a board game, you can now play Scrabble online with a friend, against another virtual player or against the computer. 

You choose seven letters in the form of tiles and use them to make words. Every square has a letter and number written on it that represents the points that you get for using that letter.

All tiles touching one another have to make a real English word, and you have to build words using the letters from other words that have already been laid down .

Key features: Huge collection of word games in one place

You came here looking for a word game. How about 135?

Learn English Today offers 135 free word games to help you improve your English vocabulary while having fun.

Divided into four levels  and five categories (crossword puzzles, jumbled sentences, quizzes, missing words and matching exercises), each one of these games will help you get better at English no matter your level.

It’d be impossible to mention all the topics included in the games, but I can tell you my three favorite one ones to play: Phrasal Verbs , Sightseeing , Preposition Quiz 1 .

Key features: The most challenging word game for English students

This simple name hides one of the most difficult but also entertaining and addictive games I’ve ever played in my life.

You get seven definitions and 18 tiles with letters, and your goal is to click on the tiles to create words that match the definitions.

Each definition is followed by a number of gray squares that correspond (match) to the number of tiles you need to use to form that word. Along with three hints, that’s all you’ll have to complete the 777 puzzles included in the game.

When you guess one word, its definition gets crossed out and the corresponding tiles disappear.

Key features: The best ESL crossword puzzles online for English learners

Crossword puzzles are a good way to test your reading comprehension and vocabulary skills .

However, the crossword puzzles that you find in the Sunday newspaper are often too hard for English learners to complete. 

Fortunately, with ESL Crossword Puzzles, you can challenge yourself with word problems that were created especially for English language learners .

The website is comprehensive and has a variety of crossword puzzles, difficulties and themes to choose from, making it great for students of all skill levels. Just choose your level from the menu at the top of the homepage linked above.

Level: Beginner

Key features: Game for learning the vocabulary of everyday objects

In this game, you explore a modern apartment where everything is clickable. You use a device to scan objects and it tells you the name of that object in English.

It features native audio pronunciations and tests your memory using time-based quizzes. There’s also a mini-game where you fly an airplane and shoot down various things.

The game helps you learn the names of objects used in daily life . Beginners can quickly pick up the essential words they’ll use in most contexts in a fun and effortless way.

Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Key features: Learn vocabulary by connecting words with pictures.

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This is a great way to learn new words because of the repetition, plus the app has an easy interface and is relaxing and fun to use.

You can download Drops on an iOS or Android device and play without Wi-Fi.

Level: Beginner/Advanced

Taboo logo

In this game, you are trying to define a specific English word without using several keywords from a list (the keywords are usually obvious synonyms or descriptors). It really tests your understanding of the word and encourages creativity as you try to explain it without using the forbidden words.

This downloadable Android game (which can be played offline) is  great for practicing English with your friends , since it is all about trying to help people guess the word.

Key features: Helps learn how to spell correctly

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Also, because you have unlimited guesses, this game might teach you new words as you discover the right answers.

Key features: Fun design and great for spelling practice

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You get more points for longer words, and as you play through the game you can collect the “Alphabears” which will give you different point combinations. The bears are cute and add an extra reward for doing well at this game.

There are different styles of play, including a timed version which will help you think quickly and build words as fast as you can think of them.

You can play on your phone or download an enhanced version of the game to your computer  via Steam .

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Word games aren’t the only ones that let you practice your English! There’s a wide variety of trivia, grammar, and other types of games to choose from:

Key features: Trivia game for advanced English students

If you’re the type of person who’s overflowing with unrelated facts, you’re going to love Lovatts Trivia. Let me tell you, some of the questions are only for trivia pros  (professionals)!

This game is perfect for practicing your English reading skills under pressure . You’re playing against the clock, and the more time you take to answer a question, the fewer points you get.

If you ever need some help, you can always ask the system to help you out. Click on the word “Hint” in the upper-right side of the gray line, and one of the incorrect answers will be discarded.

Key features: Fun and cute English dictations

Imagine being able to do dictations online, but the site is absolutely cute and well-designed . The audio is crystal clear (very clear, easy to understand).

Each sentence gets checked and corrected immediately. You can click on any word to know more about it. The program takes your mistakes into account and gives you more and more difficult sentences as you advance and get better.

There’s also the possibility to check your word and mistake statistics. Register and have access to all this and many other tests, quizzes and much more for free.

Key features: Digital version of the classic question-and-answer game

This is a digital spin on the classic 20 Questions game . First, think of an animal, vegetable, mineral, concept or unknown word.

Once you have chosen your word, the system will start asking questions that you’ll have to answer with words such as “yes,” “no,” “unknown,” “sometimes,” “maybe” and more.

Each question together with your answer will appear on the screen while you play. By the end of question number 20, the system will tell you what it believes you’re thinking about.

If it’s not able to guess your word, you win!

Key features: The best game for practicing English proofreading

Do you think you have what it takes to be a proofreader? You’re given 10 sentences with one mistake each. Your mission is to find and correct all 10 mistakes.

I recommend this game for advanced students of English who are taking the final steps toward fluency or are getting ready for an exam.

The mistakes you can find in these sentences range from grammar (for example, do instead of does) and spelling errors (break instead of brake) to punctuation (a comma may be missing) and capitalization mistakes (alice instead of Alice).

Key features: Gamified learning experience makes learning fun

english-game-download

Though I have found that Duolingo is best for memorizing new words, it also can be a great way to get better at grammar. Duolingo often puts vocabulary words into common sentences and phrases so that you can begin to get a feel for English grammar.

You can download the Duolingo app on your phone, and you can download individual lessons to  play offline with a Duolingo Plus account .

Read our full review of Duolingo here.

Key features: Great for improving your sentence construction skills

This is a simple online puzzle game where you need to make a sentence that describes a picture correctly within a time limit. 

You’re shown a bunch of word-bubbles and you have to link them to create a sentence. As you keep making the right sentences in each level, the number of word-bubbles keeps on decreasing.

The game offers different speed options and lets you decide the vocabulary category. For instance, you can play the game with personal objects, food, animals, sports, jobs, nature, colors, letters or body parts.

Key features: Game for practicing English writing without having to write

Originally an actual magnet set, Magnetic Poetry offers five complete kits for free online. Use the words you’re given to create poems, stories, jokes or anything that comes to your mind.

Challenge your friends to a race to see who’s the first to use 50 or 100 tiles and create a coherent (logical) story. Or try to journal your day by only using the set of words you get. Or write a geeky poem for your online crush.

You can actually create anything and everything with Magnetic Poetry, and since the free kits are in English, you’ll also practice your vocabulary and writing skills .

Key features: Theme-focused games of many varieties

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Fun English uses a lot of pictures to explain what the word is and to help you remember it as you play. Once you download you can play the full game without internet access.

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Board games give you the chance to play with other English learners. This can make learning more motivating and lets you practice your English conversation skills . Here are the best board games for ESL learners!

Key features: Old school word scramble game

Boggle is a fun game to play alone or with a group of friends. The goal is to create words by connecting letters on the Boggle board .

First, shake the board and display the mixed up letters. Set the timer and then start writing down all of the English words you can create from the letters on the board.

In the traditional game, words can only be formed by connecting letters that are next to one another. But, to practice even further, you can bend the rules and use any letters on the board to make your English words.

Key features: Group game that’s similar to a crossword puzzle

Bananagrams is another game that lets you practice spelling English words, but this time, you’re racing against multiple people.

Each player takes a certain number of letter tiles. Start using these letters to build connecting words. Once you use all of your letters, shout “peel!” Every player must now take another tile from the pile.

To learn a specific type of vocabulary, you could also  consider setting a theme , such as food or animals, and only building words that fit in that theme.

Key features: Card game that helps improve your spelling

Rewordable is a card game that helps you  learn to recognize and spell English words .

There are 120 cards in the deck that each contain a letter or letter combination. You use the cards in your hand to spell words. During the game, you can steal or build off of other players’ words.

This game might seem challenging, but after playing a few rounds you’ll start to understand how to play. This can be a  fast-paced way to improve your fluency and expand your English vocabulary. 

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In-person group games, like party games in English, are another opportunity to play with other people. These give you yet another chance to improve your English conversation skills !

Key features: Group game for practicing asking questions in English

This is a classic game for any skill level and the original in-person version of the digital game 20 Questions . 

To play this game, one player thinks of a word. Then, the other players take turns asking “yes” or “no” questions to determine what word they’re thinking about.

To make this simpler, you can limit the words to specific categories, such as colors or countries. This is a fun party game that helps you practice English vocabulary as well as  forming questions in English .

Key features: Entertaining group game that combines several games into one

This game lets you practice your writing, reading and spoken English skills . You need a large group to play this game. To start, everyone writes down three simple English words. Next, throw each word in a bowl.

The game consists of three rounds. During the first round, players take turns pulling a word out of the bowl and describing the word to their teammates who must guess the word. After one minute, the round ends. 

For the next round, use charades (silent gestures) to get your teammates to guess the words. For the final round, you can use just one word to help your teammates guess.

Key features: Fun group game for practicing listening comprehension

To play telephone, gather a group of eager language learners. Everyone sits quietly in a line. The first person thinks of an English word or phrase and whispers it to the person sitting next to them.

Then, that person whispers the word to the next person. This continues until the word reaches the last person. The last person repeats the word and everyone determines how much it changed from the front of the line.

This game lets you practice listening and speaking in English . It’s another fun game to play at a language-learning party.

Having fun while learning English is a tried and true method that actually works. Here’s why:

  • Games aren’t just for kids . Research shows that adults are actually more likely to remember information that they learned through an entertaining process.
  • Games teach you a range of language skills . As you’ve seen through our list, you can use games to practice writing, speaking and listening to English.
  • Games let you learn outside of a traditional classroom setting . Learning isn’t restricted to the classroom. If you can’t sign up for a formal English class, try using games to improve your fluency at home.
  • Group games encourage conversations and boost confidence. If you can, try playing games in a group. This will give you the chance to practice your English conversation skills in a fun and low-stress environment.
  • You can play English games anywhere.  Language-learning games can be played online, at home, at coffee shops or at a party. The opportunities for English learning are endless.

In addition to games, another fun way to learn English is by watching videos. It can be very effective to learn vocabulary or grammar from the games above, and to implement a listening and watching element into your language learning routine through video.

FluentU has a large library of authentic content, such as movie clips, commercials, vlog posts and more. Each video comes with a set of interactive captions,which means that you can look up any word with just one click.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Even if you’re already taking an English class, games are a fun, effective supplement to your lessons.

Next time you want to sit down and play a game, try turning it into an English-speaking activity. That way, you’ll be practicing English without it even feeling like work.

Stay curious, my friends, and as always, happy learning (and playing)!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

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If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

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FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

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FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

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FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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learning activities in english

Making English Fun

Making English Fun

15 Of The Best ESL Speaking Games And Activities.

For English language learners speaking is probably one of the most important and most feared language skills they have to learn . They may be shy, in both languages, or they may be afraid of making a mistake in front of their friends or classmates.

One of the best ways to overcome this is to use English games and activities , introduce some fun into the lessons and these fears suddenly become less important.

We have been teaching English for a lot of years and here are 15 of the best English Speaking games and activities we have researched and trialed in our classrooms. They have been massively useful to us over the years, so we hope they are for you as well.

We have researched English Speaking Games for all levels, backgrounds and ages of students. Activities like the ”Yes/No game. Call My Bluff, On Call” can all be scaled to address student needs. Utilizing speaking games for students is a proven way of maximizing participation and retention of language.

It is important to try to over come students initial fears of speaking, No one likes to make mistakes or look foolish so creating a risk free and non judgmental environment in your classroom is vitally important.

I often try to speak in the students first language to show them that of course people make mistakes, and that is perfectly acceptable , of course some times funny, and nothing NOTHING to worry about!

This is a more difficult task with adult learners, but still achievable highlighting their motivations for learning the language and how it can benefit them at the beginning of sessions helps with this, especially if you go on to highlight how speaking is going to be the most important skill in the vas majority of these situations. In careers, social occasions and travel.

Speaking is the most important skill they will learn. One thing both younger and older students have in common? We all like to have fun. These speaking games below can all be adapted to suit either a Kindergarten classroom, ESL or otherwise, or a boardroom training session. There is something for every classroom situation.

Also where we have them on our site we will link to the files for you to download to make it more convenient for you. If you want to jump to a specific game just click on the list below .

Just before we jump into these 17 ESL Reading Games and Activities we have the four skills covered on the site. Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening.

You can access the pages from the links below or click on the image to download them all in one PDF file for $2.99 or the price of a coffee ( a good one we admit! )

The Best ESL Games and Activities – 4 Booklets in 1
  • The Best ESL Listening Games and Activities.
  • The Best ESL Speaking Games and Activities.
  • The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.
  • The Best ESL Reading Games and Activities.

English Speaking Games and Activities

  • 30 Second Speech
  • Logic Game – Downing Street
  • ESL Directions Game
  • Speaking Activities – Expressions
  • Speaking Activities – Responses
  • Mallets Mallet – Word Association Speaking Game
  • Make a Wish – Speaking Game
  • YES / NO Speaking Game.
  • Pictionary – English Speaking Game
  • Call My Bluff / Would I lie to you
  • Show and Tell

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults (Teaching ESL Conversation and Speaking)

1. 30 Second Speech

This English speaking activity is both fun and useful. The aim is to get students to speak for 30 seconds about topics that may or may not be out of their comfort zone. We have a list of topics here for you to choose from, and of course you can think of your own.

There are two ways to approach this, you can introduce the task by asking them to work individually first, or move straight onto the game below.

  • Introduce the idea to the group and say that we will be focusing more and more on their speaking and presenting skills and that this lesson will be a bit of fun and good practice.
  • Ask how long 30 seconds is…. Is it a long time? (Relative of course!)
  • Say that they are going to be talking for 30 seconds about something they know about and that they have only 1 minute to prepare.
  • You can work your way around the class, or split your class into teams to do this depending on
  • Work your way round they class giving people a go at trying to speak for 30 seconds.

The 30 Second Speech game

As they practice the task above write the rules on the board and split class in half

  • 1) Pick a subject
  • 2) Talk for 30 seconds
  • 3) No hesitation or repetition ( although of course they are learning so be lenient with this!)
  • 4) If you can’t talk for 30 seconds the other team will get a chance to finish your time.
  • 5) If they can finish the time they will get the points instead.

Adaptations:

  • You can change the amount of time depending on the age and abilities of your students.
  • You can choose topics that will appeal to your students, if professional students you can choose topics from their careers for example.
  • To do this with varying abilities it is possible to change all aspects. From length of time speaking to the topics chosen.
  • you can work as teams and make it competitive or run it as a whole class activity.

2. Logic Speaking Lesson – Downing Street

learning activities in english

These type of activities used to be in puzzle magazines all the time. There sis a fair deal of explaining required to them but basically it s a logical fill in the blanks. It is better suited to higher level students, but its a great English Speaking game when adapted properly.

We have a separate page for the full details, and it is in this speaking exercise book ( free download ) but will highlight the basics here to see if it is something that fits your teaching needs.

The aim is to fill in the table with all the information so you know everything about the residents of Downing street. However you have to walk around and ask the rest of the class for that information, only once you have spoken to everyone will you be able to work it out . This is a great English speaking game that gets the whole class taking to each other, and forgetting about the language they are doing that in!

You will need the table worksheet for students to fill in and the list of information and clues both on the links includes here

  • Pass out one clue and a table worksheet to fill in to each Student.
  • If you have fewer than 20 participants, give each person more than one clue until you run out.
  • If you have more than 20 students, cut up more than one copy of each and pass out duplicates to the group
  • Do not let participants read each other’s clues.
  • As they get the information they can start to fill in their table.
  • They must speak and listen to identify, as a group, what they learn from each clue.
  • The teachers role is to make sure they are speaking English and to point in the right direction if it gets a little confusing.

Once your students have the answers then it can be gone through together on the board or white board and it adds another speaking element to the lesson. This is a great speaking game for ESL students and other. It really encourages them to speak to each other. As an added bonus for teachers we get to act as facilitator rather than be stuck at the front of the classroom.

Adaptations: It is possible to add clues (carefully to make sure they fit the answers) doing this makes it much easier. The aim is to get the students speaking to each other not just the logic side of the activity.

learning activities in english

3. Giving Directions Lesson plan

learning activities in english

Ask and respond activities give students the comfort of a script to follow, which means those who are a little self conscious have some scaffolding to work from. It also means these activities are suitable for lower level students who need that extra help

Resources •A copy of a town map, or any town map printable from google for groups of students, a list of place names for students to pick from. We have one designed for younger learners here.

The activity.

  • Chose a student from each team (make three teams if you can.) who will come to the front and pick a place to start from the bag and then will pick a place to finish.
  • The students mentions the start building and then has to give directions to their team.
  • His/her team has to follow as they describe the directions (obviously they cant say the name of the place or the building that they are supposed to go.) If the team has it right they get points.
  • You can pre teach turn left, straight on, turn right as needed of course.
  • Offer points as you see fit for each team
  • Make sure as many get a chance to come to the front and speak as possible.

It is possible to actually have the directions already prewritten for students. This means they can practice reading, speaking and listening in one activity.

Also it is possible to have your class spend a lesson coming up with the directions themselves and then putting them all in a box or bag at the front for the whole class to use. This means you add writing and they are actually using their own work to prepare a lesson.

4. Speaking lessons – Expressions

One of the main problems when teacher oral English speaking lessons is that the class invariably turns into robots. This is not intentional, so much effort goes into speaking in another language that putting emotion and expression into what they are saying comes way , WAY down the list.

learning activities in english

So sometimes a little nudge in the right direction is all they need. We have designed an ESL speaking game and lesson to do just that.

  • We have a worksheet we have prepared for you with some sentences that will require a lot of expression.
  • Write the word expression on the board and ask what is says and what it means
  • Explain that although this word can mean making your voice have feeling or emotion, it is also your facial expressions.
  • Show them what a voice without expression sounds like (you tube most boring voice in the world or something) or demonstrate yourself.. Let them know intonation and expression are SO important in English that they should try to think about them more.
  • Give out the work sheet with examples of sentences on and see let them work out how they should say each sentence to make it more natural.
  • Father TED Video here is a reasonable example of boring and dramatic voice. ( there is a bra in it in the first 5 seconds so set it up first if it is likely to cause problems )
  • Remind them to try to use not only expression in their voice but in their face as well. Demonstrate how difficult it is to sound sad when you look happy and that by using facial expression it actually makes speaking English easier!
  • Have the group work through the sayings and ask them to perform them together.
  • As a fun activity write something random on the board (I like peas, where is my pen, I have won the lottery) and have emotions and feelings written on the board. Choose a student number and have them say a phrase normally and then point at a different emotion and see if they can say it like that. If you want to make it a competition see if the rest of the class can work out what emotion they are trying to act out.
  • E.g.: Sad but won the lottery, happy but lost their pen etc.

Adding expression to their speech is a large step towards sounding natural and developing English fluency.

5. Responses Lesson

In English to sound more natural we have a set of almost automatic set of responses on hearing good, bad or surprising news. It doesn’t take much to teach these in ESL Speaking lessons and for ESL Students in particular it is a definite confidence builder for them.

  • Greet the class and walk around offering compliments to people, you look nice; I like your hair, nice shirt…etc. See what responses you get from this.
  • Write RESPONSES on the board and see if they have seen the word and if they can tell you what it means.  Write up congratulations on the board and ask when they would say this. Illicit ideas from the group.
  • Repeat but with my cute little rabbit died yesterday and see what they think the correct response should be.
  • Give out the worksheet and ask them to work in pairs to see if they can write the correct response to the appropriate sentence. Give them a couple of minutes to do this. Longer if needed. Then choose a student to say one and another student / group to try to give the answer. Work through them all.
  • Give life to the responses and let them know if they say sorry their voice has to mean it otherwise it might sound sarcastic. Same with congratulations etc.  So expression is very important in English to make sure the correct meaning is conveyed!
  • There are two spaces at the bottom for two sentences for them to write a sentence and then the appropriate response.

As a game you can then repeat the same sort or exercise as the activity above. Have a selection of sentences than usually require a response and then ask for the incorrect response. No one expects you to say congratulations when you tell them your little rabbits died yesterday!!!

learning activities in english

6. Word Association Speaking Game

This English Speaking game, together with the YES/NO game below are tied for my favorite game to play with any age student ESL or other wise. They can, and have been, played with second language kindergarten students all the way up to native speaking business people with the same amount of fun. The language from the business people was perhaps a little ruder than the kindergarten children but only a little!

It is a superb English speaking game for ESL students and native speakers. It gets really REALLY competitive. you will need an inflatable hammer they have packs of 12 on amazon for about 12 dollars and that’s it!

This game is based on a old TV show from the UK called Wacaday. In it they had a rather colorful character called Timmy Mallet who, among other things, played a game called mallets mallet. In this game the players, always children, had to think of a word associated with whatever Timmy said. There was no hesitation, repetition, or ummm or errrrrs allowed or they got a bonk on the head. (softly of course) the winner was the one who didn’t get hit!

This is easier to show you than explain so here is a video of it! ( it was the 1980s so excuse the poor quality of the video, and of course the hair styles!)

Two students at a time come to the front and the teacher/helper gives them a word. They have to say a word related to the previous word in 3 seconds or less. They can not repeat, pause or say something unrelated.

If they get it wrong they get a ‘bonk’ on the head and 3 times bonked and a new pair or students comes up or you could even play winner stays on. For fun they can play against the teacher as well.

Here are some ideas.

  • MacDonald’s

Water, drink, tea, coffee, sugar, sweet, sour …..

You can make this much slower than the video if you are working with second language or ESL students, and if you don’t want a hammer you can use a rolled up piece of paper or just play it as a point game without the hammer. (its more fun with one of course!)

7. Wish Speaking and Writing lesson.

This is a take on the TV Show Call my Bluff, where contestants have to guess who is lying. In this version students have to guess who wishes / wants what. They can do this by picking and reading a wish out of the bag and then trying to guess who it belongs to. They hav to give a reason why they think that.

Note: I have done this, or a version of this, many times without issue. However there was one time when a student wrote that they wished their parents would get back together which was pretty heartbreaking. Although it is superb to share, in front of a class of other students may not be the time or place. I did of course talk to her after and sought some help from others in the school. It may be worth while including instructions to keep it light.

  • I do this by telling the class that i am not their teacher now, I am the genie from Aladdin and that I am going to give them three wishes, but one has to be to make the world a better place, one has to be for their family or friends and the last one can be for them. (And it can’t be I will have x more wishes)
  • Give out some scrap paper and let them have a few mins to think about it then they have to write the wishes down but no names.
  • Once completed say that we are going to have an activity. The class will have to guess whose wishes are whose.
  • You will have three people at the front and need to mix up the pieces of paper. then hand them back to the students. Maybe they are mixed maybe they are not.
  • One student at a time will read one of the lists of wishes and the rest of the class have to guess who they think the wishes belong to.
  • You can continue till all the students have had a try.

Adaptations: This is also great as an Icebreaker activity for students and teacher to get to know each other. You can keep the activity as wishes or ask them to write three things about themselves. You can even change it to two things true and one lie to add some fun and creativity. ( and to create another English Speaking game called ”would I lie to you” or Call my Bluff.

8. Yes – No Game – Speaking Lesson 

When I said that The Word Association game above and this game were tied as my favorite English Speaking game I lied. This is my number one game. It is just perfect for all levels of English learner. It can be made easier for younger and ESL students and learners and more difficult for higher levels. No matter what level of learner is in the class you can use this game.

Now watch the video to see someone very VERY good at asking the questions in action. (these are native speakers so of course he tries very hard to catch them out and speaks very quickly)

It is better to teacher this to students with at least a basic abilty, but it doesnt have to be high level as you can level the wuestion you ask.

Write up questions on the board and say that today we are going to look at question that are answered with yes/no. .

  • The yes no game is from a TV show around the world, people have to come out and answer the questions the teacher (at first) asks. These will nearly all be yes or no questions.
  • The student must not answer with yes or no, or nod their head or shake their head, or say uh huh etc etc.
  • It sounds easy, but it isn’t!
  • They will get carried away with this so take time to calm them down between students, and it is excellent practice for adding language to answers.
  • Once they have the hang of it students can also be brought up to ask the questions. The activity then becomes student led and the teacher can observe and advise.

Tips: Ask questions starting with do you, can you , will you etc usually catch students out. Also you can repeat the students answer and add yes, or no to the end and it might catch them out to nod or repeat you.

It is simply awesome to play this and as I said earlier even 5 and 6 year olds quickly grasp this English speaking game. Once i have played it with my students it is the most requested speaking game every lesson following that.

9. Pictionary – English Speaking Game.

Allowing your students to communicate with each other takes off some of the pressure of a whole class environment and allows them to risk take with their English speaking in a less public arena 

In this game, each student in the pair draws a picture, keeping their paper shielded from the eyes of their partner. Ideally, pictures should be fairly simple. Once the picture is complete, they explain to their partner, using words only, how to replicate the image this can be done at a desk or as a whispers type activity across school halls if you want a more physical speaking game.

For example, if a student has drawn the stereotypical square house with a triangle roof, he might say: “draw a house, with a red roof and blue door. He may miss out how many windows, the family in front of it or all manner of details.

This allows the teacher to compare the two drawings with the students and ask what language they could have added to get more details into the picture. This really enables students to start to think about expanding and adding to the phrases they say.

The goal of this game is for each partner to replicate the other’s drawing by listening and understanding these spoken directions. The difference in drawings is often pretty funny as well.

learning activities in english

10. Guess who 

Although you can use the Guess Who board game if you have it, its about 15 USD on Amazon if you have a need! It is probably easier and more adaptable for the culture or location you are teaching in to make a simple version with famous people from your area.

Students simpley draw the name of a famous person and photo if needed out of a hat (you’ll need to prepare these slips in advance!) and their partner or the rest of the class tries to guess who is on the paper by asking a series of yes/no questions.

it is a fun and engaging English speaking game that tests questioning knowledge.

11. Call My Bluff / Two Truths and A Lie

This is a similar game to the Make a Wish game above, but Call My Bluff is a more difficult and fun game which is perfect at the start of term as a ‘getting to know you’ kind of game. It is also a brilliant ice breaker between students if you teach classes who do not know one another — and especially essential if you are teaching a  small class size .

The game is excellent for practicing English speaking skills , though make sure you save some time for after the game to comment on any mistakes students may have made during the game. (I generally like to reserve this for after the game, so you don’t disrupt their fluency by correcting them as they speak).

With older groups you can have some real fun and you might be surprised what you’ll learn about some of your students when playing this particular EFL game.

  • Why use it?  Ice-breaker; Speaking skills
  • Who it’s best for:  Appropriate for all levels and ages but best with older groups

How to play:

  • Write 3 statements about yourself on the board, two of which should be lies and one which should be true.
  • Allow your students to ask you questions about each statement and then guess which one is the truth. You might want to practice your poker face before starting this game!
  • If they guess correctly then they win.
  • Extension:  Give students time to write their own two truths and one lie.
  • Pair them up and have them play again, this time with their list, with their new partner. If you want to really extend the game and give students even more time to practice their speaking/listening skills, rotate partners or run as a whole class activity.
  • Bring the whole class back together and have students announce one new thing they learned about another student as a recap

12. Doctors In

learning activities in english

Actually this stems for a party (or drinking) game at universities and can be adapted to what ever vocabulary or topic you are teaching at the time. In the university version we all stick a post it to our foreheads and have to guess the famous person we are. Similar to the Guess who game above. In ESL or Classroom use we can do this with Jobs , animals, furniture, absolutely anything all you need are some post its or similar to stick to peoples heads or backs – anywhere they can not read it. It is a great ESL speaking game for classrooms with limited resources.

  • Write the terms, problems or vocabulary you want on to Post It Notes and stick to the students back.
  • The Students must walk about asking questions of their students on the word, yes and no questions work better, but longer ones can be used.
  • Hopefully Students will be able to get enough information to guess what their word is.
  • This game can be adapted for old or young students, or even university students 😉

13. Show and Tell

This classic classroom activity still has a place in modern classrooms. Students simply bring in something they would like to Show and Tell to their classmates. It practices students speaking ability, and their ability to prepare short written scripts that they will have to read. For those not talking it practices their listening ability, especially if you add a could of quiz questions at the end of each show and tell part.

You can change this by having a mystery box and they have to describe the item with out looking to their classmates and have them try to guess ( or the student of course) what it is.

Maybe its because i am writing this just a couple of days after Christmas, but I notice there are a lot of party games in this list. It might be that, but it might also be because they just work. Everyone, young and old, likes to have fun and these games provide that in abundance. Taboo is no exception.

It is simply a deck of cards, you can make your own or pick up a glossy set on Amazon for not much. On the card they have one target word and four words underneath. The player, in one minute or what ever time limit you decide to set has to try to explain what the target word is with out mentioning it, or the four related words underneath.

The beauty of this game is that you can adapt it to whichever topic you have been studying and make it easier or more difficult depending on the age and abilities of your students. It works in ESL and native speaking classrooms.

learning activities in english

15. Think Fast

This is a nice physical game for warm up or for end of class consolidation. You just need a bean bag and some ideas.

It is similar to the Mallets Mallet Word assocation game above but involves the who class rather than pairs at the front.

  • First have your students stand facing each other in a circle, or as much of one as you can make if you are in a classroom.
  • Then explain that you are going to say a topic, maybe animals, or colors anything.
  • When you do you are going to throw the ben bag or ball at a student ( to catch not hurt!) and when they catch they have to then say something in that topic,
  • Then throw the ball on to another student in the circle.
  • That student has to do the same, but it has to be a different word. If they get it wrong, pause or repeat they have to sit down and wait fo the next round.

This is great fun and students of ALL ages get into it very quickly. You can also allow then to pick their own subjects after a few goes.

The simple fact is that students of all ages learn better when they are having fun. If you can try to incorporate some of these English Speaking games and activities into your lessons then you will find that more and more your students are willing to engage and practice the language you are teaching them. There are hundreds more activities, but these are our favorites. We have a booklet of ten of them for free download if you want an idea of some of the resources behind them, but we will also be putting them up on the site as time goes by so you can take them individually as you need.

Hope these helped you as much as they have helped us!

About Making English Funn

Hi I’m Marc. A teacher of over 15 years, English, General Studies and Outdoor Education. Thought it was about time to sharing both what I have learnt during that time and the resources I have put together. On this site we aim to teach the theory and share our thoughts, but also go that one step further and give you access to the hard resources you need for your class or for you children

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ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

ESL Activities and Games: Fun Ideas for the English/TEFL Classroom

Welcome to ESL Activities, your source for everything ELL activities and games that cover reading, writing, listening, speaking, warmers and more. Along with these ESOL activity ideas, you’ll find all the details you need to know about teaching English abroad, including job recommendations and our top pick for an online TEFL course .

ESL Activities is the site for teachers, by teachers. Jackie Bolen has been teaching everything English for 15 years, in South Korea and Canada to every level and age of students. She’s the author of more than 50 books for EFL/ESL teachers and English learners. You can find them on Amazon .

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If you’re looking for some of the best ESOL activities for listening lessons, then you’re certainly in the right place. Have a look here at the best options:

ESL Listening Activities

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Writing is one of those things that’s not always easy to make interesting and fun for the students. Not to worry though. Help is here! Have a look at these engaging and student-centred writing ideas:

ESL Writing Activities and Games .

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Teaching reading can be fun and interesting. Have a look at some of the best ideas right here:

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ESL Warm-Up Activities

I always love to start my classes with an ESL warmer. They help the rest of the class go much more smoothly and they’re a nice way to set the context for the upcoming lesson, or do some review of the previous one. Check them out:

ESL Warmer Activities.

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If you want to find out the best company for online teaching , teaching without a university degree , the highest-paying ESL teaching jobs , or online teaching webcams , then you’ll want to check this out:

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I love to include holiday lessons in my classes. They’re a nice change of pace from the same old slog though the ESL textbook! Here are some of the most popular holiday lessons to check out:

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Play Online Games for ESL, Math & Science, Engage Primary K-12 Education

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  • Diverse Game Types : Choose from a plethora of games - Classroom Games , Memory Games , Pirate Games , Spelling Bee Games , Crossword Puzzles , Word Search Puzzles , Sentence Games , Hangman, Jeopardy, Wheel Games, Concentration Games, Matching Games, Board Games, Car Racing Games, and even the thrilling Crocodile Games . We also offer crossword puzzle printables , word search printables , word scrambler activities.
  • Adaptive Compatibility : Access our platform on both desktop and mobile without the need for any app installation.

Unleash a world of fun and learning with ESL Games Plus Math & Science, where primary education meets entertainment. Whether it's enhancing English skills through word recognition games or diving deep into board games for math and science drills, we have a game for every young learner. Ready, set, learn!

Classroom Games

classroom interactive games

Energize your English lessons with these interactive ESL team Games for classroom practice. With these games, you have fun classroom activities to practice and play.

  • Classroom Games for Beginner & Elementary ESL
  • Classroom Games for Intermediate & Advanced ESL

Memory Games

esl memory games

Sentence Monkey

sentence grammar games

Pirate Board Games

esl board games

Crocodile Board Games

board games for esl interactive

Spelling Games

spelling games

Preschool & Kindergarten ESL Videos

Preschool & Kindergarten ESL Video

There are free ESL videos for teaching kindergarten and preschool levels on this site. These videos will help ESL teachers to teach vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns to kids.

  • English Courses
  • Preschool ESL Video Lessons
  • Kindergarten ESL Video Lessons

1st Grade to 3rd Grade ESL Videos

1st Grade to 3rd Grade ESL Videos

Teach your 1st, 2nd and 3rd grader EFL/ESL learners new vocabulary, grammar and sentence structures using top quality free animated videos. These videos will help your learners focus longer.

  • 1st Grade ESL Video Lessons
  • 2nd Grade ESL Video Lessons
  • 3rd Grade ESL Video Lessons

Word Search Puzzles Online

Word Search Puzzles Online

Crossword Puzzles Online

Crossword Puzzles Online

Connector Matching Games

matching games

Games for Mobile

esl iPad Games , html5

Puzzle Worksheets

esl worksheets

Hidden Pictures Powerpoint

hidden pictures ppt games

Flash Cards - PPT & PDF

flash cards vocabulary for ESL

Printable Board Games & Cards

board games

Phonics Worksheets

Phonics Worksheets

  • Preschool Phonics Worksheets
  • Kindergarten L1 Phonics Worksheets
  • Kindergarden L2 Phonics Worksheets
  • 1st Grade L1 Phonics Worksheets
  • 1st Grade L2 Phonics Worksheets
  • 2nd Grade Phonics Worksheets

Phonics Games & Videos

Phonics Games and Videos

  • Preschool Phonics Exercises
  • Kindergarten L1 Phonics Exercises
  • Kindergarden L2 Phonics Exercises
  • 1st Grade L1 Phonics Exercises
  • 1st Grade L2 Phonics Exercises
  • 2nd Grade Phonics Exercises
  • Math Games for Kids

Math Games for Kids

  • Math Worksheets for Kids
  • Science Games for Kids

Science Games for Kids

  • Science Worksheets

Reading Quizzes

Advanced level reading comprehension exercises. Develop reading skills to conquer English exams such as IELTS, TOEFL and SAT by practising with these reading exercises. The exercises are also perfect for non-native university students looking to improve their reading skills for academic studies.

  • IELTS Reading

Develop vocabulary with idioms A-Z exercises

Advanced level English vocabulary exercises. This vocabulary section is based on over 500 words advanced English learners must know before entering English exams like IELTS, TOEFL and SAT.

  • 500 Exam Words
  • Idioms A-Z exercises

ESL Games Plus offers interactive online games for learning and teaching English as a Second Language. Our learning games are mostly suitable for teaching ESL Kids and Teenagers . There are activities for teaching and practising English grammar, vocabulary, sentences, listening and pronunciation skills.By playing our fun educational games, students learn English vocabulary, sentence structures, grammar, listening, pronunciation and phonics.The site features these ESL Activities Online: ESL Classroom Games , Memory Games , Spelling Games , Sentence Games , Interactive Board Games , Hangman Games , Jeopardy, Wheel Games , Concentration Games , Matching Games, Car Racing Games, Pirate Games, Crocodile Games , Word Recognition Games , Mobile Games for iPad, iPhones and Android devices .

Popular ESL Games

learning activities in english

Sports Vocabulary ESL Memory Game

learning activities in english

Numbers 10 to 100 ESL Vocabulary Interactive Board Game

conditionals-space

Space and Solar System ESL Vocabulary Game – Space Game

learning activities in english

Colors Vocabulary ESL Interactive Board Game

Countries vocabulary game easy – countries space game.

learning activities in english

Some any no none war zone game

learning activities in english

Shapes Vocabulary Crossword

prepositions-high2-kangaroo

Prepositions,to,of, for, since, with, in, by, ESL Grammar Fun Activity

present-perfect-past-tense-kitten

Confusing words quiz1

school-supplies-dragon

School Supplies ESL Vocabulary Game – Dragon Game

Popular math/science games.

learning activities in english

Jupiter – Science Game

learning activities in english

Counting by fives – Math Space Game

Big numbers addition up to 99,999 €“ math space game.

learning activities in english

Solid, Liquid, Gas (States of Matter) – Science Baker Game

Subtraction 10 to 20 – math space game.

learning activities in english

Math Addition 1 to 5 Monkey Game

learning activities in english

Types of Chemical Reactions, Physical Science Game

learning activities in english

Spelling Numbers from 20 to 99 – Math Kangaroo Game

Butterfly life cycle – science kangaroo game, recycling science game activity for kids, leveraging games for enhanced k-12 primary education in esl, math, and science.

In a world where screens have become ubiquitous, leveraging technology for educational purposes has never been more relevant. Enter the realm of online gaming€”not just any gaming, but educational games designed for K-12 primary students. In this expansive guide, we will delve into the multifaceted benefits of using online games to enhance English as a Second Language (ESL), Math, and Science education. Get ready to play ESL games online, dabble in math adventures, and explore the fascinating universe of science games that are cool.

Play ESL Games Online: Transforming Language Learning

Games for esl: more than just fun and games.

When it comes to learning English as a second language, play becomes a powerful tool. Online games offer a unique blend of fun and educational content designed to help ESL learners grasp new concepts, from vocabulary to sentence structure, and even cultural nuances. Playing ESL games online creates a less intimidating environment for learners, allowing them to absorb language elements more naturally.

Building Blocks of Language: Vocabulary and Grammar

The most basic, yet crucial aspects of language learning, are vocabulary and grammar. ESL games often include exercises to match words with pictures, spell words correctly, and form sentences. This playful approach facilitates easier understanding and retention of language fundamentals.

Find Cool Games for Math: Making Numbers Fun

Why play math games online.

The conventional way of learning math€”through rote memorization and repetition€”often leaves students bored and unengaged. When you play math games online, you bring an element of fun into the equation, literally. Math games convert abstract concepts into tangible problems that require critical thinking. This makes it easier for young minds to grasp these concepts while having fun.

Math Gaming Categories

Whether it's solving puzzles, going on treasure hunts, or participating in virtual math competitions, online platforms offer a wide range of math games. You can find cool games for math that range from simple addition and subtraction to complex algebraic equations.

Play Science Games Online: Discover, Learn, Innovate

Science games that are cool.

How can you make science, often seen as a complex and challenging subject, enjoyable for primary students? The answer lies in integrating games into the educational process. When students play science games online, they experience hands-on learning that fosters curiosity and deepens understanding.

A Universe of Topics

The realm of science is broad, encompassing biology, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and more. Online platforms often offer games for science that cover these various subjects, each designed to address specific educational standards and outcomes.

Primary Games for Holistic Learning

What Makes Primary Games Different?

When we talk about primary games, we refer to games explicitly designed for younger learners in the K-12 spectrum. These games are simplified yet engaging, covering the core subjects of ESL, Math, and Science. They are crafted to be age-appropriate, ensuring that students not only learn but also enjoy the process.

Primary the Games: Customization and Curriculum

The beauty of primary games lies in their customization options. Teachers and educators can tailor these games to align with the curriculum, making them an excellent supplemental learning tool.

FAQs: Why Are Games Important in Primary Education?

Q1: What is the significance of using games in primary education? A: Games turn learning into an engaging and interactive experience. They help in improving focus, enhancing retention, and building problem-solving skills, all of which are crucial in primary education.

Q2: How can games be beneficial for ESL learners? A: Games can offer a stress-free environment where ESL learners can practice language skills without the fear of making mistakes. They also facilitate better retention of vocabulary and grammar rules.

Q3: Are online math games effective for learning? A: Absolutely! Online math games transform abstract concepts into interactive challenges, making it easier for students to understand and apply them.

Q4: Do science games offer practical knowledge? A: Yes, many science games simulate real-world scenarios, encouraging students to apply scientific principles and learn through experimentation.

Q5: How do primary games align with traditional education? A: Many primary games are designed to correlate with standard educational curriculums, making them an excellent supplement to traditional classroom teaching.

In conclusion, the digital age offers an abundance of opportunities to make learning a more engaging and enjoyable process. Whether it's ESL, Math, or Science, there's an online game tailored to make mastering each subject a thrilling adventure. So go ahead, enrich your primary educational journey with an array of games that not only educate but also entertain.

learning activities in english

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ESL Activities

Ideas for activities and games in the English language classroom

10 Tips for Games in the ESL Classroom From the creator of the world’s best-selling ESL board game—ten practical ideas on using games when teaching English

On Using Games in the ESL Classroom Matt Errey looks at competitive versus co-operative games, and healthy versus unhealthy competition

PDF Activity Sheets

Free downloadable and printable two-page activity sheets that encourage students to practise their English skills both alone and working with a partner. Each student activity sheet comes with one page of teacher's notes giving clear directions and answers.

  • Grammar Activity Sheets - with teacher's notes
  • Vocabulary Activity Sheets - with teacher's notes

Mixed-level Activities

Ideas for activities that you can adapt and use at different levels:

Various ESL Activities (elementary to advanced)

Activities by Level

These ideas and activities are mainly appropriate for the following levels:

  • Authentic Cooking Experience Imperatives used for instructions; vocabulary for food and cooking; adverbs of sequence
  • Animal Adventures
  • Beat the Teacher Objective: lesson revision
  • Ring-a-Word
  • Typical Day
  • Noun Game Practises: Vocabulary
  • Odd-One-Out Practises: Vocabulary
  • Vocabulary Cards Practises: Vocabulary
  • When You Turn Off the Light Practises: Vocabulary for giving directions
  • Songs for All Practises: Vocabulary
  • Hello Bingo! Practises: Speaking
  • Secret Code Practises: Speaking, Socialising
  • Verbs and Tenses Practises: Sentence building, Syntax
  • What am I Wearing? Practises: Vocabulary

Pre-intermediate

  • Double Jeopardy
  • Secret Word

Intermediate

  • Driverless Cars Coming Soon Practises: Reading, Speaking
  • Consonant Or Vowel
  • Improvisations
  • Delivering a Persuasive Speech Practises: Speaking Skills and Body Language
  • Alternative Assessment Practises: Vocabulary
  • Book Cover Practises: Reading, Expression
  • Categories Practises: Vocabulary
  • Controversial Statements Practises: Speaking
  • Distractors Practises: Questions (and Patience!)
  • Reading Comprehension Practises: Reading Comprehension
  • Saint Valentine's Day Practises: Listening, Speaking, Writing

Upper-intermediate

  • Vacation Fun

Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes - for immediate download

Activities which may be a success in a Californian encounter group are unlikely to work in the majority of ESL/EFL contexts. Nick Gadd

esl games for adults

ESL Games and Activities for Adult English Learners

learning activities in english

Discover a wide range of ESL games and activities designed for teaching English to adults. Explore our resources to find engaging and effective ways to teach grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation skills.

ESL Warm-up Activities

Start your classes with a variety of warm-up activities, including:

  • No preparation warm-up activities
  • The A to Z game
  • A collaborative crossword

ESL Games for Adults

Find engaging and effective games for teaching adult learners:

  • Grammar Games and Activities (e.g., fortune telling ,  comparative adjectives , stand up if you’ve ever… , find someone who , alibi )
  • Vocabulary Games and Activities (e.g., Jeopardy, the A to Z game ,  the recipe game , number bingo , Kim’s game , the categories game , taboo )
  • Pronunciation Games and Activities (e.g., word match for minimal pairs,  pit pat putt for vowel sounds, word mazes  for syllable stress)

Conversation Questions and Speaking Activities

Enhance your students’ speaking skills with conversation questions and speaking activities, such as:

  • printable conversation topic cards based on 50+ ESL topics
  • ESL questionnaires , surveys & interviews
  • Find someone who activities

Teaching Online (LearnHip.com)

Visit our sister site LearnHip.com for online ESL teaching resources, including:

  • Themed conversation questions
  • Random question generator
  • Scrambled sentence maker
  • Online board-game creator
  • Online scatter sheet maker
  • Hidden picture quizzes
  • What’s that sound quiz
  • What happens next?
  • Fortune-telling runes

Main navigation

Activities for children.

Each activity will help children practise at least one of the skills we test in our Cambridge English: Young Learners tests – reading and writing, listening or speaking. They also include words taken from the word lists used to create these exams.

The activities are divided into levels taken from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) . As children move through the levels in this section, the activities will start to get more difficult.

If you’re not sure what level your child is at, it may be a good idea to start with the pre-A1 level activities . If these are too easy they can move up through the levels to A1 level activities and/or A2 level activities .

These activities are designed to be used on a desktop or tablet.

Pre-A1 level

learning activities in english

Start by choosing from our 100+ beginner and intermediate topics

Learn English free online

English Activities is a free website for English learners. It is packed with simple English lessons , exiting English games and challenging English tests to help you learn English for fun (and free). English Activities has been specially designed to help those who want to practice their English away from the EFL ESL classroom in an enjoyable and engaging way. All the lessons, games and tests are free to use with over 100 beginner and lower intermediate topics. Use the options in the box below to learn or revise any topic with any activity.

Learn English with the little frog !

Learn English with the little frog !

English lessons at English Activities

Start your visit to English Activities with the English Lesson for your chosen topic. Each of our 100+ lessons consists of an introduction to the topic language and 3 lesson activities - a yes/no activity, an either/or activity and a multiple choice activity. During the introduction to the topic, it is important that you repeat the audio after you hear it, and write down the texts to help your memory absorb both the sound and look of that language.

englishactivities.net - Either / or lesson activity

The 3 lesson activities are graded from easy to more difficult. As you work your way through them, you will find that your grasp and retention of the target language gradually improves. By the time you have completed the whole lesson, you should be able to recall and repeat the vocabulary for each of the topic items without prompting.

Games to practice English

There are 13 free games you can use to practice the English topic you are learning at English Activities . The games are quick and simple to play and improve language retention by excercising different areas of the brain. Try a variety of games for the best results! The games are free to use and work on both tablets (including iPads) and desktop computers.

English tests at englishactivities.net

Complete your topic learning session by taking our 2 tests - a multiple choice test and a writing test. These will confirm that you have fully grasped and are able to reproduce the English you have learned by doing the lesson and playing the games.

englishactivities.net - Writing test

The writing test is harder than the multiple choice but is important if you wish to be able to write English as well as speaking it! As you can see from the screenshot, there is a Help button if you get stuck...

How to use English Activities

To start using English Activities click here or on the "Start" button at the top of the page.

On the Start page you choose the first topic you want to learn. Once you have chosen a topic you will go straight to the lessons - there is an introduction to the language, a yes/no activity, an either/or activity and a multiple choice activity. Once you have worked through these lesson activities, play a few games to reinforce the English for your selected topic. Then finally try our two tests - multiple choice and writing - to make sure you have learned the language correctly.

If you are a parent, you may want to check out our parents page for more information on how your child should use English Activities to enhance their English language learning. There is also an FAQ page with more information on English Activities .

We also have a YouTube channel for English learners with lots of video tutorials!

Fun Vocabulary Activities: 10 Ways to Boost Word Skills

David De' Ath

Meet  David De’ Ath , founder, editor, and writer at Wonderful World English. With his extensive background as an English teacher, David provides valuable insights and practical tips on ESL for students and teachers alike.

Engaging students in the development of their vocabulary can be a challenging endeavor.

Traditional methods like memorization may not always resonate with every learner.

However, by integrating fun vocabulary activities into the learning process, educators can enhance students’ engagement and help them make meaningful connections with the words they’re learning.

Activities that are both enjoyable and educational can transform vocabulary learning from a tedious task into an exciting adventure that students look forward to.

To effectively expand a student’s lexicon, an array of activities that cater to different learning styles can be employed. 

Vocabulary games, interactive strategies, and creative learning tools introduce new words and reinforce their meanings and usage in various contexts.

The goal of these activities is not just to broaden students’ word banks but also to deepen their understanding and ability to apply vocabulary in real-life situations.

Through the deliberate use of these methods, vocabulary acquisition becomes a dynamic aspect of everyday classroom activities, promoting better communication skills across all subject areas.

Key Takeaways

  • Variety in vocabulary activities boosts engagement and understanding.
  • Games and interactive strategies support diverse learning styles.
  • Continuous application of vocabulary enhances real-world communication skills.

learning activities in english

Foundations of Vocabulary Activities

Students’ success in developing vocabulary skills hinges on systematic instruction and engaging activities.

This section explores the foundations that are integral for learning and boosting student confidence in vocabulary mastery.

Understanding Vocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary instruction goes beyond mere memorization of word meanings. 

Effective vocabulary teaching  involves strategies that encourage deep understanding and usage of words in various contexts.

Such instruction offers students the essential tools to interpret and convey nuanced meanings, leading to more precise and powerful communication.

Activities are designed to expand a student’s lexicon and enhance their ability to apply vocabulary knowledge practically.

Educators must select  activities  that facilitate repeated exposure to new words across different settings.

This reinforces word learning and helps integrate new vocabulary into a student’s active language repertoire.

For example, having students use new words in original short stories or discussions can solidify their understanding and retention.

For some insights into how to teach vocabulary to students, the guide below has you covered!

Related: How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students: Teacher’s Guide

Key Principles of Engaging Vocabulary Activities

When curating vocabulary activities, engagement, and interactivity are key principles.

Activities that encourage active participation will lead to higher levels of student engagement and, ultimately, greater learning outcomes.

  • Involved in collaborative tasks that require communication and peer interaction.
  • Challenged with creative and context-rich exercises like writing prompts or role-playing scenarios.
  • Provide immediate positive feedback to affirm correct usage.
  • Offer varying levels of difficulty to cater to diverse learning abilities.

Educators must thread these principles into the fabric of their vocabulary teaching methodologies to create an environment where students thrive.

Engaging vocabulary activities are potent tools that teach students new words and empower them with the confidence to use their expanding vocabularies effectively.

The goal is to transform passive learners into active users of language, enabling them to articulate their thoughts and ideas with clarity and precision.

learning activities in english

Effective Vocabulary Games and Activities

Educators often integrate games that make the learning process dynamic and engaging to enhance students’ word mastery.

These activities enrich students’ vocabularies and sharpen their recall and application skills in a lively, interactive setting.

Vocabulary Bingo and Jeopardy

Vocabulary Bingo  melds the thrill of competition with learning.

Students mark their bingo cards with the correct vocabulary words as definitions or synonyms are called out.

This game enforces not only word recognition but also comprehension.

Adapted from a traditional format, Vocabulary Bingo can be tailored to suit any grade level vocabulary list.

In a similar vein,  Vocabulary Jeopardy  challenges students to apply their knowledge in a game-show-style format.

Categories can range from word definitions to usage in context, broadening students’ understanding and retention.

Classroom Pictionary and Charades

Transforming vocabulary review into an artful activity,  Classroom Pictionary  has students illustrate vocabulary words, promoting a deeper connection between the word and its meaning.

As they draw, fellow pupils wager on the intended word, intertwining learning with creativity.

This visual approach often suits visual learners and adds an element of fun to the learning process.

Vocabulary Charades  takes a kinetic approach by having students act out words for their classmates to guess.

This activity is especially beneficial for kinesthetic learners and helps anchor word meanings with physicality, making vocabulary recall more instinctive.

Roll-a-Word and Vocabulary Relay

With  Roll-a-Word , students cast dice to engage with vocabulary in various ways—defining it, using it in a sentence, or identifying synonyms or antonyms.

This randomness injects an element of surprise into vocabulary practice, ensuring that students remain attentive and invested in the activity.

Vocabulary Relay  brings movement into the learning process.

Students race to a board to write sentences incorporating a vocabulary word, fostering quick thinking and teamwork.

The competitive element encourages speed and accuracy, and physical activity aids in memory retention.

Check out the guide below for our list of some of the BEST classroom games to play!

Related: Fun Classroom Games: Engage and Educate with These Ideas

Kids playing charades

Creative Vocabulary Learning Tools

In today’s classrooms, educators emphasize the importance of enhancing vocabulary through interactive and visual methods.

These tools enrich the students’ understanding of new words and encourage creativity and critical thinking.

Word Walls and Word Maps

Word Walls  and  Word Maps  transform passive learning into an active exploration of language.

A Word Wall is a visual collection of words displayed on a classroom wall, categorically or alphabetically, to enhance a student’s vocabulary knowledge.

Students absorb words and their meanings subconsciously by frequently interacting with the Word Wall. 

Word Maps , on the other hand, visually depict the relationship between a word and its features like antonyms, synonyms, and sentences, further cementing its usage and context.

Semantic Maps and Graphic Organizers

Semantic Maps  and  Graphic Organizers  are pivotal in organizing thoughts and relationships between words.

Semantic maps graphically represent the meanings and relations of words, allowing students to see connections and hierarchies.

This encourages deeper understanding as students link words to concepts and categories.

Graphic organizers can vary in complexity, from simple Venn diagrams to intricate flowcharts, which serve to visually represent ideas and definitions, guiding students through the process of integrating new vocabulary into their existing knowledge base.

Frayer Model and Crossword Puzzles

The  Frayer Model  is a type of graphic organizer tailored for vocabulary acquisition.

It typically consists of a square divided into four sections, where students note a word’s definition, characteristics, examples, and non-examples.

This structured approach aids in comprehensive understanding and retention of words.

Crossword Puzzles  blend the challenge of problem-solving with vocabulary practice.

As students fill in the blanks with correct words based on clues provided, they engage in critical thinking and apply their knowledge of sentence formation and word meanings.

Crosswords not only reinforce vocabulary but also make the learning process enjoyable.

Crosswords are just one of many excellent games for learning English.

For a complete guide of the BEST games to learn English, check out the link below!

Related: Best Games to Learn English: Ultimate Guide

learning activities in english

Interactive Vocabulary Instruction Strategies

Engaging students effectively in vocabulary learning can be a key factor in language acquisition and comprehension.

These interactive strategies reinforce word knowledge and enhance retention through playful and focused activities.

Tic-Tac-Toe and Concentration Games

Tic-Tac-Toe  can be adapted for vocabulary instruction by requiring students to define or correctly use a vocabulary word in order to place their X or O on the game grid.

This method turns a simple game into a powerful tool for reinforcing word meanings and usage.

A classic game of  Concentration , also known as Memory, can be played using pairs of vocabulary words and their definitions.

Students flip cards over, trying to find matching pairs, which promotes memorization and recall of vocabulary terms.

Vocabulary Hangman and Word Search

Vocabulary Hangman  encourages students to remember the spelling and meaning of words through a process of elimination and strategic guessing.

In a classroom setting, this classic game can be played with a focus on new vocabulary, providing an entertaining way to reinforce word learning.

Similarly,  Word Search  puzzles serve as a fun way for students to become familiar with the appearance and spelling of new vocabulary.

They must sift through a grid of letters, finding terms from their vocabulary list that can improve their ability to recognize these words in other contexts.

learning activities in english

Assessing Vocabulary Progress

Educators implement systematic assessments that measure a student’s command of academic language to ensure effective vocabulary growth.

These assessments not only gauge retention but also help in forming strategies to enhance word comprehension and usage.

Vocabulary Quizzes and Tests

Vocabulary quizzes  and  tests  serve as traditional tools to assess a student’s grasp of  vocabulary words .

They may come in various forms, including:

  • Multiple-choice questions, where students choose the correct definition or usage of a word.
  • Fill in the blanks, encouraging students to select the appropriate  vocabulary word  to complete a sentence.

Such assessments can highlight the direct  relationship  between the student’s  comprehension  of vocabulary and their overall  communication skills .

Performance-Based Assessments

Performance-based assessments  move beyond written tests to evaluate a student’s practical application of  academic vocabulary .

Examples of these might include:

  • Students engage in role-plays or debates using specific vocabulary words, which shows the integration of language into  communication skills .
  • Creating presentations or writing essays that make use of academic and content-specific terms to demonstrate  comprehension  and  success  in language mastery.

These methods emphasize the dynamic use of vocabulary as part of expressive language skills, presenting a more holistic view of student  assessment .

learning activities in english

Integrating fun and interactive activities into vocabulary learning transforms it from a mundane task to an engaging adventure, significantly enhancing student engagement and understanding.

Employing a variety of strategies, such as games, creative exercises, and technology-enhanced tools, caters to different learning styles and helps students make meaningful connections with new words.

This approach enriches students’ vocabularies and boosts their ability to apply language in real-life scenarios, improving communication skills across all subject areas.

The shift towards dynamic vocabulary instruction emphasizes active participation, collaboration, and creative expression, fostering a deeper appreciation for the nuances of language.

As educators adopt these innovative methods, they offer students a more rounded and enjoyable learning experience, preparing them for future success in communication.

Ultimately, the move from traditional memorization to engaging vocabulary activities marks a positive evolution in teaching methodologies, setting the stage for lifelong curiosity and growth in language acquisition.

We hope you find value in this guide; you can contact us if you need any assistance.

Have a wonderful day!

Image Attribution: All images licensed via canva.com

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  • Print and make

Do you like learning about new things in English? We have lots of activity sheets about many different topics. Download and print the worksheets to do puzzles, quizzes and lots of other fun activities in English.

learning activities in english

Acrostic poems

learning activities in english

Chinese zodiac

learning activities in english

Christmas food in the UK

learning activities in english

Digital citizenship

learning activities in english

Doing chores

learning activities in english

Elderly people

learning activities in english

Fairy tales

learning activities in english

Flag design

learning activities in english

Free-time activities

learning activities in english

Helping the environment

learning activities in english

Looking after pets

learning activities in english

Musical instruments

learning activities in english

New Year's Eve

learning activities in english

New Year’s resolutions

learning activities in english

Olympic and Paralympic games

learning activities in english

Pencil case

Presents

T-shirt design

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Typical dish

learning activities in english

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42 Engaging English Activities For High School

December 27, 2023 //  by  Jill Webb

Are you an English teacher looking for learning games and activities to help enliven your English language arts teaching? We know that sometimes teenage students can easily lose interest. So, don’t be a boring teacher—bring a few unique ideas into your lessons to keep them invested! Below is a list of fun and creative activities for high school students. It includes a variety of English language learning experiences—from poetry to writing and more! If you’re ready to engage your students while helping them increase their language skills, read on!

1. Paint Chip Poetry

51U+qGMqr7L._AC_SL1100_.jpg

This is a fun activity that’s easy to understand and set up. This game will challenge your students to use paint names to create beautiful pieces of poetry. A mix of paint chips, poetry prompts, and “variation cards” to keep things interesting makes for a unique way for your kids to experiment with words and poetry. It’s also great to add to your classroom party game stash!

Learn More: Amazon

2. Figurative Language Challenge

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You already know that nothing beats repetition when it comes to helping your high schoolers grasp new concepts—but coming up with new ways to practice concepts can be time-consuming! This bundle includes simple challenges to get your students practicing different types of figurative language; it includes metaphors, similes, alliteration, and more. Editable worksheets and slides review the concepts for your learners—then, they task them with developing their own examples. These activities are great for inclusion classes because they work in stations.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

3. Six-Word Memoirs

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This writing activity sounds simple but is deceptively challenging: writing six-word memoirs. Explain to your students that briefer writing demands greater attention to each word. Then, reinforce this lesson by having them each write their own memoir—in only six words! This activity is an innovative writing challenge, a hands-on introduction to memoirs, and a surefire way to get to know your teens and help them connect with each other. Plus, you can display their final creations along with corresponding images of their choosing. 

Learn More: Six-Word Memoirs

4. The Break-Up Letter

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Need a clever and relatable creative writing exercise ? Try this letter-writing activity with a hilarious twist. Rather than write a typical letter, your students will be asked to write a break-up letter! These printable prompts are a perfect way to get your teens thinking about how well they explain themselves in their writing.

Learn More: Presto Plans

5. Pop Sonnets

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Here’s a fun way to fill some extra time with your teens—while also reinforcing their understanding of Shakespearean language. This clever book is full of familiar pop songs—rewritten the way Shakespeare might have penned them! “Translating” lyrics they already know will help your high schoolers practice and better grasp the language in Shakespeare’s plays.

6. Listening Skills

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We all know it’s important to teach young kids how to listen; it can be easy to forget that your high schoolers still need guidance and practice to be good listeners! Be sure to emphasize this essential school and life skill with your teens—this blog post gives some concrete, tangible ways to teach and encourage active listening skills. Challenge your students to honestly complete a self-assessment of their own listening skills. Then, use these exercises to work together to improve their scores!

Learn More: The Secondary English Coffee Shop

7. Reading Bingo

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A lot of the activities on this list are about class and group work—but there’s no getting around the value of good old-fashioned independent reading. Gamify your teens’ reading by distributing Bingo cards. Then, offer a prize for the first student to read all the books on the card or in a certain pattern! All you need to do is edit the cards to match your readers’ level and let the competition begin!

Learn More: Spark Creativity

8. Poetry Slam

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Poetry can get a bad rap in high school—help your students get more engaged by making sure they know it’s not all love poems and sonnets! A poetry slam is an ideal way to expose your teens to a new medium. Inviting your high schoolers to perform their works for the class helps build their confidence and gives them a voice. You’ll be surprised when you see the smooth-talking skills of your kids!

Learn More: Teacher of Vision

9. Truth or Dare Grammar

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If you need an easy lesson plan to review grammar, look no further. This fun game for your teenage learners will help get them invested in grammatical skills! You—and your kids—already know how to play truth or dare. This editable version is grammar-themed and school-appropriate. It’s a perfect activity to pull out at the end of the day when you still want to reinforce your kids’ learning.

10. Book Spine Poems

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Have you heard of book spine poetry? It’s exactly what it sounds like; your students can arrange the text they find on book spines to craft surprisingly insightful poems! All you really need is a collection of books, but these simple worksheets will help your kids organize their work without having to carry around a stack of books. If you don’t have enough books on hand for everyone, never fear—turn this into an online game and allow them to “hunt” for titles online!

11. Soccer Ball Questions

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You don’t need to be in the hot seat with questioning skills when teaching a lesson! Make one of these Socratic soccer balls—just add question prompts to a regular soccer ball. When it’s time to get your teens to practice their Socratic questioning skills, all you need to do is have them roll the ball and pose a question based on the first prompt they see.

Learn More: Building Bo o k Love

12. Black-Out Poetry

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Here’s another great activity for your lower-intermediate learners—this black-out activity will challenge your students to use a page of a book to create a poem by blacking out specific words. Surprisingly, the rigid constraints are a creative way to help your teens who may struggle to find inspiration or with writer’s block. If you have early finishers, ask them to find fun images to pair with their fresh poem.

Learn More: Arapahoe Libraries

13. Review Game

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A quiz challenge is a great way to review all the material for key lessons. In this fun game your learners will play a “Let’s Make a Deal” game—based on the popular game show. You’ll act as the game show host and make deals with the teams. This downloadable resource includes editable elements so you can customize the game and prizes for your own classroom.

Learn More: The Hungry Teacher Blog

14. Balderdash

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Balderdash is a class board game for a reason. This small-group game will get your high schoolers laughing as they try to trick each other with made-up definitions for uncommon words. It’s a fun, unexpected way to teach new vocabulary while getting your students thinking critically and creatively! You can use a regular version of the game or just create your own using online resources.

Learn More: Boardgame Geek

16. NYT Crossword

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A classic—and much beloved—game in the US is the New York Times daily crossword! Did you know there’s also a student version? Printing off one of the puzzles is a great, no-prep language exercise for your more advanced English classes.

Learn More: The New York Times

17. Inklewriter

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Inklewriter is an innovative tool that can be used to get your students working individually on their creative writing. The free app makes use of interactive writing—sort of like a classic Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story made high-tech. The prompts and questions will guide your teens while still challenging them to flex their creative muscles as they create their own unique stories. 

Learn More: Inkle Writer

18. Book Raffle

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A book raffle tradition will help to get your lower-level class invested in reading—especially if your students don’t have many of their own books. All you’ll be doing is inviting your kids to compete for the chance to read specific books; creating excitement around a fundamental language activity in the process—independent reading! To get started, simply select a few books—they can be new or ones already in your class—and introduce them all to your learners. Then, your readers can enter their names in draws to win reading rights to their favorites. Once you have a few book raffles under your belt, feel free to modify the process to make it work for you and your teens!

Learn More: Brown Bag Teacher

19. Writing Prompts

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Writing prompts are a classic classroom tool to jumpstart creative writing. Provide your students with this list of enticing prompts that are sure to help them produce literary genius. To get them started, you can let them pick their own from the list or assign them at random. Either way, you’ll have a low-prep way to get great results from your high school writers. 

Learn More: Small World

20. Vocab-Zee

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This language-themed twist on the classic game of Yahtzee is a great rainy-day activity or sub plan for your class. Put your students in groups and provide them with copies of the game instructions. Then, they’ll take turns rolling the dice and performing vocabulary-based actions based on their roll. 

Learn More:  Go Sadlier

21. Body Biographies

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Help your pupils become masters of character analysis by assigning these eye-catching body biographies. Prompt your young writers to examine the different characteristics of each character—both tangible and intangible—and use them to create a character analysis. The visual aspect of the posters makes this activity more engaging than a written description and encourages your kids to search for different elements of character roles in the text. Not only will your students love doing this, but you’ll also be able to display their body biographies for reference. 

Learn More: Study All Knight 

22. Podcast Pairings

learning activities in english

Consider pairing relevant literary podcasts with your classroom texts/discussions. Introducing a different medium into your teaching toolbox is an excellent way to change up your methods and better engage auditory learners. These podcasts are sure to give your students different perspectives on the topics and ideas that are introduced and discussed in your classroom texts. 

Learn More: Building Book Love

23. Keyhole Book Scene

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This is a clever visual way to emphasize the importance of different characters’ points of view. Having your students create a keyhole book scene gives you the opportunity to check your students’ understanding and comprehension of a story. Ask your learners to illustrate a scene from one of the texts they are reading—from the perspective of someone looking into the room through a keyhole. You can base the assignment on a specific character’s point of view or let your kids choose the perspective themselves. They should be encouraged to include different text elements and imagery to show what exactly the specific book scene “looked like” in their minds. 

Learn More: The Room Mom

24. Crime Stories

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Have you ever considered engaging your high school literacy students with creepy crime stories? Your teens can pick a real-life criminal and use their investigative skills to determine motives and other crime components. Then, have them choose a medium—blog, podcast, research paper, etc.—to present their perspective. The real-world aspect makes these narratives particularly compelling—and your learners will be so engaged in the crimes that they won’t realize how much hard work and learning they’re actually doing!   

Learn More: Besp o ke ELA

25. Song Lyrics to Teach Paraphrasing

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What teenager doesn’t love music? Here’s a great way to use this to your advantage! Print off lyrics to popular songs that your students will love. Then, challenge your kids to go through the lyrics and attempt to paraphrase what the song is saying, using their own words. This will help them get a better understanding of what their favorite songs are about as well as give them practice in their rewording skills.

Learn More: Mondays Made Easy

27. Selfie Fingerprint Poem

Great Ideas And Tips For Teaching Poetry. Poetry reveals many aspects of life that they may not get to experience or witness first hand. Poetry may speak some ‘truth’ about how others live and that helps build empathy with our students. Read on for 6 ways you can set your students interest ablaze for poetry! Grades 4-12 | Middle School ELA | High School English

Poetry can be a tricky topic to introduce—and a particularly hard one to get your high schoolers excited about. With this fun fingerprint poem, your students can use colors and stanzas to create a poem that represents themselves and is as unique as their fingerprints. This is a great way to get your students excited about introducing themselves and things that they consider to be important. 

29. Funny Short Story Study

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Looking for something to break up the heavier literary units you have planned this year? This diverse bundle of hilarious short stories is perfect for teaching your students short and sweet literary concepts such as sarcasm, irony, foreshadowing, etc. 

Learn More: Hopefully Home

30. Thought Bubble

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Do your students need help delving into the thoughts of the characters you’re reading about? This simple thought bubble exercise will get your high schoolers engaged in deeper-level thinking. All they have to do is imagine what a character in a book, a short story, or even an image is thinking. Then, they can write it in a thought bubble on a sticky note. Getting into the habit of considering characters’ inner thoughts will encourage your readers to pay more attention to the text and make stronger connections with the stories.

Learn More: The Thinker Builder

31. Escape Rooms

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Make learning fun for your high school English students by incorporating escape room activities in your classroom! You can download an escape room kit online that incorporates concepts from books your students are reading in class—or design your own! An escape room is an interactive way to encourage teamwork among your kids and enhance their understanding and application of the texts you’ve covered. 

Learn More: Teach Nouvelle

33. The What If Game

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The what if game is sure to get your students’ creative juices flowing! This group activity is fun and easy to set up. You’ll start by dividing your learners into groups of four to five, giving every group three cups—one for characters, one for settings, and one for actions. The groups will begin by brainstorming examples for each category and placing them in the cups. Then the real fun begins! Have your kids take turns drawing papers, one from each cup, and combining them in “What if?” questions. The last step is to use their what if question as a story prompt, being sure to fully explore the character, setting, and action they’ve drawn. Your high schoolers will enjoy the mix of group brainstorming and individual writing—and produce their own literary masterpieces in no time!

Learn More: Bespoke Classroom

34. Hexagonal Thinking 

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Hexagonal thinking is another dynamic group brainstorming activity—and a great way to help your students think critically about texts and make broader connections. After reading through a story with your class, separate your students into groups. Then, give each group a series of blank paper hexagons and have them fill in various themes, characters, quotes, and even simple drawings. Once they’re done, task your kids with working together to arrange the hexagons in a web—in a layout based on logical connections between the cards.

Learn More: Now Spark Creativity 

35. Mock Trials 

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Help your students examine a text through mock trials. After reading through a story, pick a student to be the prosecutor (or a group of students to be a team of prosecutors) and a student to be the defendant (or team of defendants). Give your kids time and tips for drafting their arguments, and then select a jury from their classmates. When everyone is ready, it’s time for the trial! You can be the judge, critiquing your students’ logic and powers of persuasion. Your teens will have so much fun playing their roles that they won’t even notice the preparation and research involved!

Learn More: Now Spark Creativity

36. Graphic Essay

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Looking to shake up your students’ essays? Graphic essays are a clever way to introduce visual elements into a traditional writing assignment. Your students will use pictures and symbols to convey certain portions of the story. It’s a helpful way to engage visual learners and encourage all your kids to think and express themselves in new ways. They’ll appreciate the chance to inject their work with their own creativity—and the break from normal essay writing! 

Learn More: Living in the Layers

37. Elements of Fiction Stations

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Get your class up and moving around the room with these informative stations that teach the basic elements of fiction. At each station, your learners will delve deeper into elements of fiction such as setting, conflict, characters, point of view, and plot structure. You can have your kids visit these stations during certain time periods or even different class periods. 

Learn More: Hey Natayle 

38. Figurative Language Tasting

Pinterest Pin for blog post: How to Host a Figurative Language Tasting

Who doesn’t love to eat tasty snacks while learning? Get your students actively involved in your delicious and savory lesson using a few snacks. Explain to your kids that the objective of this lesson is to practice using different figurative language elements to describe both the taste and feelings of snacks. Then, let the fun begin! Distribute the snacks to your young gourmets—along with prompts that challenge them to describe the tastes using various types of figurative language. It’s sure to help your high schoolers develop a taste for descriptive writing!

Learn More: It’s Lit Teaching

39. Explode the Moment 

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Are your kids having trouble expanding their thoughts and ideas during writing time? With this activity, your students will be challenged to expand or “explode” the moment they are writing about. For example, if your learner writes “The park was fun,” they’ll be prompted to explain the entire moment at the park, using sensory imagery. This is a relatable method to encourage your high schoolers to consider the “who, what, where, when” portions of their writing.

Learn More: Raise the Bar Reading

40. Figurative Language Sort

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Even though this activity was created with younger children in mind, that doesn’t mean your high school students won’t be engaged and excited to participate. You’ll need to prepare for this activity by collecting some interesting pictures and writing sentences about them using different types of figurative language that you’ve studied in class. To begin, give your high schoolers (individually or in a small group) one of the pictures, along with the related sentences. Then, task them with categorizing the sentences based on the type of figurative language. Lastly, encourage those who finish quickly to come up with their own examples for each category!

Learn More: Teaching with a Mountain View

41. Movement in the Classroom

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One way to make learning especially memorable for your students—and re-energize them if they need it—is to get them moving and actively participating in the engaging lesson. This doesn’t have to be complicated or require a lot of prep; you can find simple ways to add movement to work you’re already doing. For example, don’t just give your high schoolers a list of discussion questions; print out the questions and place them around your classroom. This will get your kids up and moving as they talk to each other! 

Learn More: Building Book Love 

42. Literary Puzzle Pieces 

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Sometimes a simple visual can give your students a new perspective on their work. Help them understand literary themes by comparing them to jigsaw puzzles—drive the point home by having them create their own paper puzzle pieces as they discuss the themes in your texts. First, put your high schoolers in small groups and give each group large paper puzzle pieces. Explain that each puzzle piece represents an element in your book; as they fill in the pieces they’ll be “solving the puzzle” of understanding your text. You can use this activity in different ways depending on the needs of your class, combining group discussion with independent work. It’s an ideal, hands-on discussion prompt to help your kids better grasp the subject material.

Learn More: Learning in Room 213

JIMMYESL

Free Printable English Worksheets For ESL Teachers

Browse our archive of completely free quality English worksheets and lessons (PDF and Word documents). Download, customize and print the resources, incorporate them in your lessons or assign them as homework to your students.

Our Massive Library of Free ESL Worksheets by Category

If you are looking for ESL worksheets for different learning areas, select the matching category. You’ll find assorted lists of worksheets and other materials there, for all levels from beginner to advanced, for all ages from kids to adults.

Free ESL reading comprehension worksheets

Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Free ESL writing worksheets for your lessons

Writing Worksheets

Free ESL grammar worksheets

Grammar Worksheets

ESL listening free exercises

Listening Comprehension Worksheets

ESL idioms free lists & worksheets for your lessons

Idioms Worksheets

ESL phrasal verbs: lesson plans & resources

Phrasal Verbs Worksheets

Free ESL noun worksheets for all ages and levels

Noun Worksheets

ESL Vocabulary & Conversation Worksheets

Vocabulary & Conversation Worksheets

learning activities in english

Lesson Plans (coming soon)

Below, you’ll find all our worksheets sorted by student level.

ESL Worksheets for Adults and Teens (Intermediate to Advanced Students)

These are our available worksheets on different topics for higher-level students, like adults and teens. You can download, edit and print them all for free. When you open the worksheets, there is an option to download PDF and Word files.

Intermediate Level (B1-B2)

Esl writing worksheet: opinion essay about video games (intermediate), esl lesson plan: nature & environment (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: in the kitchen (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: travel and transportation (intermediate), esl lesson plan: summer activities (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: studies (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: global warming (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: at the workplace (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: job interview (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: holiday (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: school lunch (intermediate), intermediate-advanced level (b2-c1), dialogue/debate worksheet: fast fashion – the true cost of clothes (intermediate-advanced), esl listening comprehension worksheet: technology and relationships (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary & conversation worksheet: job interview (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet, future tenses: traveling (intermediate-advanced), esl writing practice worksheet: newspaper articles (intermediate-advanced), esl writing practice worksheet: creating concise sentences (intermediate-advanced), esl writing exercise: creating complex sentences: las vegas (intermediate-advanced), esl everyday idioms vocabulary exercises (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary worksheet: food idioms (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary worksheet: idioms & slang (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: raising children (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: dreams (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: giving advice (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: office & business (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: dating (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: sports (intermediate-advanced), illustrated esl lesson packages for kids.

Exclusively available from JIMMYESL: The following bundles include illustrated vocabulary worksheets for various exercises, flashcards, and a certificate of achievement. They’re great to help young learners memorize new vocabulary with fun!

School & Classroom Objects – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

School & Classroom Objects – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

Shape Names – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

Shape Names – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

Body Parts – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

Body Parts – ESL Vocabulary Worksheets & Flashcards

Esl worksheets for beginners and elementary.

These are the ESL worksheets for young students, and for beginner and elementary level students. Again, you can download all worksheets in PDF and Word format, edit and print them for your lessons. Have fun teaching!

Beginner and Elementary Level (A1-A2)

Esl reading comprehension worksheet: in the restaurant (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: france (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: zoo animals (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: playing football (beginner-elementary), listening comprehension worksheet: the pet competition (elementary), esl vocabulary worksheet: sports activities, action words (elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: the world of dinosaurs (elementary), list: prepositions of place: at, in & on (elementary), elementary-intermediate level (a2-b1), esl vocabulary worksheet: weather report & forecast (elementary-intermediate), esl vocabulary worksheet: let’s go shopping (elementary-intermediate), esl grammar worksheet: using articles (elementary-intermediate), esl grammar worksheet: -ed & -ing adjectives: describing feelings & situations (elementary-intermediate), esl vocabulary worksheet: describing people (elementary-intermediate), ideas to create your own esl lesson plans.

Check these ideas for engaging and fun ESL lesson activities which you can use to easily create customized worksheets. Or browse our full list of activity ideas to find tons of inspiration and materials.

Community building activities for the classroom

15 Engaging Community Building Activities for the Classroom

Icebreaker Activities for your ESL Lessons

ESL Icebreakers: 8 Games & Activities For Students of All Ages

Warm Up Activities & Games for ESL Lessons

Fun ESL Warm Up Activities & Games for Adults & Kids

Fun ESL Speaking Activities for Teens and Adults

12 Fun ESL Speaking Activities for Teens or Adults

ESL Vocabulary Games for Adults and Kids

17 Fun ESL Vocabulary Games for Adults and Kids

120 would you rather questions: ESL conversation

120 Would You Rather Questions to Start an ESL Conversation

How to Make a Lesson Plan for Teaching English

How to Make a Lesson Plan for Teaching English (The Definitive Guide)

Teaching english pronunciation – ESL guide

The Definitive Guide on Teaching English Pronunciation

12 great esl listening activities & games.

ESL conversation starters - over 150 questions

150 ESL Conversation Starters and Questions (The Essential List)

English grammar: 33 ESL strategies and activities

33 Sure-Fire Strategies & Activities for Teaching English Grammar

18 Tips for Great ESL English Conversation Lessons for Adults

18 Tips on Giving Great English Conversation Lessons for Adults

Listening

Here you can find activities to practise your listening skills. Listening will help you to improve your understanding of the language and your pronunciation.

The self-study lessons in this section are written and organised by English level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). There are recordings of different situations and interactive exercises that practise the listening skills you need to do well in your studies, to get ahead at work and to communicate in English in your free time. The speakers you will hear are of different nationalities and the recordings are designed to show how English is being used in the world today.

Take our free online English test to find out which level to choose. Select your level, from A1 English level (elementary) to C1 English level (advanced), and improve your listening skills at your own speed, whenever it's convenient for you.

Choose your level to practise your listening

A1 listening

A1 listening

A2 listening

A2 listening

B1 listening

B1 listening

B2 listening

B2 listening

C1 listening

C1 listening

Learn to listen with confidence.

Our online English classes feature lots of useful learning materials and activities to help you listen and respond with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Practise listening to your classmates in live group classes, get listening support from a personal tutor in one-to-one lessons or practise by yourself at your own speed with a self-study course.

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Online courses

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Group and one-to-one classes with expert teachers.

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Learn English in your own time, at your own pace.

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One-to-one sessions focused on a personal plan.

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Get the score you need with private and group classes.  

Best Valentine’s Day Lessons & Activities

Students will enjoy learning with these top Valentine's Day lessons and activities for all ages

Computer keyboard with heart on large key.

K-8 Valentine’s Day Lessons & Activities

9-12 valentine’s day lessons & activities, all ages valentine’s day lessons & activities.

Valentine’s Day provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate fun and engaging popular culture into your classroom instruction. Graphic arts, design, literacy, social-emotional learning, history, and even STEM topics lend themselves nicely to Valentine's Day themes.  

All of the following digital resources and lessons are free or low cost.

Valentine's Day Escape Roses are red, violets are blue, this escape room puzzle is not so easy to do! Just challenging enough to be fun, this Valentine’s Day escape room asks users to enter the correct keys for word, number, directional, color, and date locks. Good luck!

Safe Kid Valentine’s Day Games No account is needed to play these simple, free Valentine’s-themed games, which include memory/matching, maze, and Cupid’s target practice. Games are shareable to Google classroom. For full site access with no ads, the classroom plan allows up to 30 devices, for $4.99/month. Free seven-day trial. 

ABCYa Valentine’s Day Puzzles Young learners practice click-and-drag mouse manipulation, as well as shape and pattern recognition, in this Valentine’s chocolate box puzzle game. Be sure to check out the Valentine-themed crossword puzzle , which provides helpful hints if needed.  

Reading Rockets Valentines Day Lessons No doubt you’ve heard of haiku, but do you know about other short poetic forms, such as sijo and cinquain? Charming and educational, these varied activities help kids explore Valentine's Day through wordplay, writing, and poetry. Free, no account required. 

A Kid’s Heart: Valentine’s Day Math Games These Valentine’s-themed digital games help kids practice problems involving addition, exponents, and prime numbers. The free site is easy to navigate and requires no account. 

Festisite Valentine Heart A simple, fun way for kids to get visual with Valentine’s Day poetry. Text is transformed into a heart-shaped, downloadable image or document. Have your students write their own, or analyze a published verse.  

Starfall Starfall’s create-your-own digital Valentine’s Day greeting helps the youngest students with spoken language, words, and spelling while they enjoy a variety of kid-friendly characters. Starfall’s Math Journey Valentine edition teaches basic number concepts as users traverse a heart-filled landscape. 

St. Valentine's Day by Stephanie Six cloze stories about St. Valentine and St. Valentine's Day provide grammar/word choice practice for young learners as they explore the history and culture of the holiday.   

Tynker : Valentine’s Day Card , Candy Heart Search and On Cloud Nine In these three great STEAM projects for young learners, kids learn coding and graphic arts while creating interactive Valentine’s Day cards and games.

Valentine STEM Challenges It’s not all hearts and flowers! Use this top-rated, standards-aligned 46-page PDF lesson to incorporate STEM topics such as physics and engineering into your Valentine’s Day instruction. Convertible to interactive digital format, this comprehensive package is currently priced for the season at a modest $8.00.   

Who was Saint Valentine? A history of the figure's origins Who were the martyrs Valentinus? Wait - there was more than one St. Valentine? Yes, as explained in this fascinating investigation of the history of Valentine’s Day. Touching on famous poets, authors and historians, as well as the men themselves, it’s a great read for older kids. Assignment idea: Have your students research and write about Valentine’s Day as seen through the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare or Donne.  

The New York Times Valentine’s Day Across the Curriculum Mine this rich vein of educational Valentine’s Day prompts and activities from The New York Times . Diverse topics include writing/literature, history, psychology, and even economics. Perfect for students grades 9-12. Free, no account required. 

Pocket Heart (iOs) This interactive 3D cardiology app is the real deal, used by medical students, doctors, and nurses. With its high-quality visuals, detailed descriptive content, and quizzes, it’s ideal for advanced biology or other life science studies. After the seven-day free trial, pay $0.99 monthly or $9.49 annually. 

Virtual Valentines 2024: Melting the Miles between Classrooms Designed by educators, the free Virtual Valentine’s Project aims to teach geography and cultural awareness through virtual Valentine’s greetings. Two options for global connections are offered, both ideal for remote or classroom learning.

Watch and Learn Heart Interactives Valentine's Day is filled with heart imagery and love poetry. But it’s the perpetual beating of the physical heart that keeps us alive and feeling emotions. Advanced students can use this free expert interactive from the American Heart Association to learn about multiple key topics in cardiology, from angina to  stents.  

Plays.org Valentine’s Day Games Want more than amusing gameplay? Explore this fine collection of free Valentine’s Day games, which include games featuring spatial logic, real-world physics and brain-teasing puzzles. Fun and educational. No account required, but create one to save your favorite games. 

Love Magnetic Poetry Kit Ever written poetry on your fridge? This simple digital “magnetic” poetry game offers batches of 40 to 50 words to create lines with whimsy, wisdom, and emotion. When done, click “More words'' to get a new set and start again. Challenge your students with a theme or genre, and let the random fun begin.   

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Do both activities (vocabulary & listening)

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learning activities in english

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  1. Printable English Worksheets for Kids

    learning activities in english

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  3. Fun Speaking Activities For Teaching English / LOOP GAME! Fun speaking

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  4. 101 Free Time Activities in English

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  6. Matching game for kids. Learn English words. Education developing

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COMMENTS

  1. Activities for Learners

    Basic Independent Proficient Time 0-5 minutes 5-10 minutes 10+ minutes Close filters You haven't chosen any options. Use the filters to find a skill, level or time to find the right activities for you. Learn English with our free online listening, grammar, vocabulary and reading activities.

  2. 39 Fun ESL Games and Activities for an Exciting English Classroom

    Contents ESL Vocabulary and Spelling Games 1. Vocabulary Showcase Game Show 2. How's Yours? 3. Fly Swat 4. Shiritori Showdown 5. Hangman 6. Jeopardy 7. Backdraw 8. Sparkle 9. Squat ESL Listening Games 10. Flash Art 11. Find Someone Who… 12. Telephone 13. Song Puzzle ESL Games for Communication and Teamwork 14.

  3. How to Learn English by Yourself: Top Activities to Learn English

    Preply Blog English English tips & resources How to learn English by yourself: Top activities to learn English English learning activities should never feel boring. Find out how to learn English by yourself, using these activities (approved by English learners!) Tom Cox Updated October 2, 2023 10 min read

  4. 18 Fun English and ESL Games to Level Up Learning In Your Classroom

    New English language learners often struggle with the language's tricky rules. There are so many exceptions, and a lot simply doesn't make sense. Take the stress out of learning with these educational games for English language learners.. 5. Odd One Out. Great for: Kindergarten to grade 3 This is a simple online or classroom activity to improve your ELL students' vocabulary and ...

  5. 30 Games to Learn English While Having a Ball

    1. Wordshake 2. Knoword 3. 4 Pics 1 Word 4. Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee 5. Word Whomp 6. Freerice 7. Human Brain Cloud 8. Scrabble Online 9. Word Games by Learn English Today 10. 7 Words 11. ESL Crossword Puzzles 12. Influent 13. Drops English 14. Taboo 15. Word Connect 16. Alphabear Online Grammar and Trivia Games for Practicing English

  6. Skills

    Skills | LearnEnglish Skills Practise your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills at your level. Here you can find practice materials and activities to improve your English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

  7. Speaking

    Learn to speak English with confidence. Our online English classes feature lots of useful learning materials and activities to help you develop your speaking skills with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment. Practise speaking with your classmates in live group classes, get speaking support from a personal tutor in one-to-one ...

  8. General English

    These are short activities on a range of different topics to help you improve your English level. Practising every day, even for a short time, will help you to improve. Choose a topic that interests you and get started today! Series: 15- to 30-minute activities. If you have more time to work on your English, try the learning material in our series.

  9. 15 Of The Best ESL Speaking Games And Activities.

    Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening. You can access the pages from the links below or click on the image to download them all in one PDF file for $2.99 or the price of a coffee (a good one we admit!) The Best ESL Listening Games and Activities. The Best ESL Speaking Games and Activities. The Best ESL Writing Games and Activities.

  10. ESL Activities and Games: Fun Ideas for the English/TEFL Classroom

    Welcome to ESL Activities, your source for everything ELL activities and games that cover reading, writing, listening, speaking, warmers and more. Along with these ESOL activity ideas, you'll find all the details you need to know about teaching English abroad, including job recommendations and our top pick for an online TEFL course. ESL ...

  11. Games for Learning English, Vocabulary, Grammar Games, Activities, ESL

    Classroom Games Energize your English lessons with these interactive ESL team Games for classroom practice. With these games, you have fun classroom activities to practice and play. Classroom Games for Beginner & Elementary ESL Classroom Games for Intermediate & Advanced ESL Memory Games

  12. BBC Learning English

    Learn English with these free learning English videos and materials from BBC Learning English. This site will help you learn English and improve your pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary knowledge.

  13. ESL Activities

    Free downloadable and printable two-page activity sheets that encourage students to practise their English skills both alone and working with a partner. Each student activity sheet comes with one page of teacher's notes giving clear directions and answers. Grammar Activity Sheets - with teacher's notes.

  14. ESL games and activities for adults

    Discover a wide range of ESL games and activities designed for teaching English to adults. Explore our resources to find engaging and effective ways to teach grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation skills. ESL Warm-up Activities. Start your classes with a variety of warm-up activities, including: No preparation warm-up activities

  15. Activities for Learners

    Learn English with our free online listening, grammar, vocabulary and reading activities. Practise your English and get ready for your Cambridge English exam.

  16. Activities for children

    A1 level A2 level Start exploring our free learning activities for children. These activities help children practise their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

  17. Learn English Online

    Grammar Revise and practise your grammar to improve your language level and increase your confidence. Clear and simple grammar explanations to help you revise and practise different grammar points. Online exercises to help you check your understanding of the grammar points.

  18. English activities for ESL EFL for kids + adults free online

    1. Topics Choose a topic Start by choosing from our 100+ beginner and intermediate topics 2. Lessons English lessons Learn your topic with our free and easy to use English lessons 3. Games English games Choose from 13 free games to play and learn with any topic Learn English free online English Activities is a free website for English learners.

  19. Fun Vocabulary Activities: 10 Ways to Boost Word Skills

    Variety in vocabulary activities boosts engagement and understanding. Games and interactive strategies support diverse learning styles. Continuous application of vocabulary enhances real-world communication skills. Offering fun activities to students is an excellent way to keep them focused and engaged.

  20. Worksheets

    Do you like learning about new things in English? We have lots of activity sheets about many different topics. Download and print the worksheets to do puzzles, quizzes and lots of other fun activities in English.

  21. 42 Engaging English Activities For High School

    Below is a list of fun and creative activities for high school students. It includes a variety of English language learning experiences—from poetry to writing and more! If you're ready to engage your students while helping them increase their language skills, read on! 1. Paint Chip Poetry. This is a fun activity that's easy to understand ...

  22. Printable ESL Worksheets for Teachers (Word & PDF)

    Check out our completely free English lesson resources for ESL teachers that you can download, customise to your needs and print. ... If you are looking for ESL worksheets for different learning areas, select the matching category. ... Check these ideas for engaging and fun ESL lesson activities which you can use to easily create customized ...

  23. Listening

    Our online English classes feature lots of useful learning materials and activities to help you listen and respond with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment. Practise listening to your classmates in live group classes, get listening support from a personal tutor in one-to-one lessons or practise by yourself at your own speed ...

  24. Best Valentine's Day Lessons & Activities

    Good luck! Safe Kid Valentine's Day Games. No account is needed to play these simple, free Valentine's-themed games, which include memory/matching, maze, and Cupid's target practice. Games are shareable to Google classroom. For full site access with no ads, the classroom plan allows up to 30 devices, for $4.99/month. Free seven-day trial.

  25. LC Learning a Language

    Do both activities (vocabulary & listening) School subject: English as a Second Language (ESL) (1060485) Main content: Listening Comprehension (2194703)