Games and fun are an integral part of teaching English as a second language to learners of all ages. Adult learners, more specifically, learn the language faster through practice exercises as opposed to memorizing vocabularies. As such, each adult oriented English course such as those offered by Thomann incorporates a range of games and exercises to enhance the learning process.
Adult oriented ESL games not only make learning easy and fun; they raise the energy levels in learners. Additionally, the games help build class cohesion as well as motivate the learners to achieve the set learning goals.
These are activities that can be used as fillers to start up a class. This is the easy part to get the learners to loosen up as they prepare for more challenging tasks. The warm up activities are customized to suit the class’ level of proficiency, as demonstrated on hull.ac.
A few examples of warm up activities include puzzle games, crossword games, speaking games as well as discussion forums. These games can be done in pairs or small groups.
These are designed to get learners to improve their grammar by repeating a set of target grammar structures. The games in this session can be centered on story telling with sub-sections of comparing adjectives.
The tutor can use classic ESL games to come up with customized versions that suit the current group of leaners.
These games are designed to enhance the knowledge of vocabularies and the context of use. As the learners play the games, they come across a range of vocabularies and examples of context in which they are used. These activities enrich the learner’s conversations with well-placed vocabularies.
There is a range of vocabulary focused games that adults can play; from the classic number bingo to the A-Z game. If you would like to keep practicing these games on your own outside the classroom, a simple search online will give you more games than you can ever play.
This is where the fun is, especially for adults learning English as a second language. The pronunciation games are set to help learners pronounce the words correctly to convey the intended meaning.
Most of these games include word mazes and word matching games. These games are best done in pairs, but can also be played in small groups. Group discussions and brief debates can also work well to improve learners’ pronunciation skills.
Conversation games are made to improve the learners’ communication skills. These games allow the leaner to tell a story, discuss a topic or answer open ended question.
Discussion questions, in addition to enhancing the learners’ communication skills allow a deeper knowledge of each other. The discussion questions are designed to initiate a lively debate among the learners, which boosts the learner’s confidence in the mastery of the language.
Adult oriented speaking activities are available for beginners and expert learners alike. Speaking activities are designed to encourage free conversation as the class members learn from each other. These activities include discussions, debates, interviews as well as surveys.
You will note that most classrooms today are equipped with a variety of tech appliances; laptops, smart boards, projectors, etc. Learners today are also equipped with tablets and smartphones.
There are endless English learning app games available today to learners, thanks to technology. You can check out the classic games available on the ESL Apps. With access to internet, you can get games that help improve your grammar, pronunciation as well as debating skills.
If you would like to master the English language as fast as you can, here are a few extra activities you can engage in.
• Get a reading list. Make a list of books to read. Read at least one book every month. You can also include other reading material such as magazines and well written web copy to help with sentence structure and to sharpen communication skills.
• Get quality audio tapes. If you are having trouble learning how to pronounce words, get good audio tapes from a native English speaking tutor. Practice the words on your own until you get them right.
• Hang out with native English speakers. This is an essential part of getting the language right. Holding conversations will native speakers will enhance your vocabulary, communication as well as language application skills. This is one of the most effective ways of learning how to speak English.
Learning takes a combination of methods; tutoring, group activities and games as well as personal activities. As such, participation in tutor-led sessions and class games is as important as having personal practice sessions.
Learning English has never been easier and more fun!