ESL Activities Colleen Serencsits Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth Please take a handout and a plastic bag.

Purpose Share activities and techniques to use with ESL learners.

Purpose Why? Make practice more interesting, relevant, fun. Why? Students are more likely to practice. Help students be more open to thinking about their choices, what they are doing and why they are making those choices. Break up the intensity of learning new information.

Purpose Explain to the learner why you are playing the game or doing the activity.

page 1 Practice with Gestures Take turns making common gestures and facial expressions and saying what they mean.

page 1 Will you repeat that, please? Practice different ways of asking people to repeat what they have said. tutor: I work at blah blah. student: Where do you work?

page 2 Finger Tap Hold learners hand above the table. Put down a finger for each sound in a word. Learner taps finger to indicate each sound heard (or lifts up finger). –cat –tea –shout

page 3 Sound Chain Say a word. Student listens for final sound. Student says a word that starts with that final sound. Continue.

page 3 Wheres the Sound? Prepare list of words with three sounds. Have three paper cups, labeled 1, 2, 3. Say word; say one of sounds from word. Student places token into appropriate cup.

Wheres the Sound? example 2 Prepare a page of pictures with three boxes under each picture. Student says the word, and indicates whether the target sound is in the beginning of the word (box 1), the middle (box 2), or the end (box 3).

page 6 Sound Grids Create a grid. Provide a list of letters. Learner writes a letter in each box. Say a letter sound (or word that starts with that sound). Learner places token on the appropriate sound. gray card

page 6 Large Cardsfor a class Put letters to spell a word on large cards. Hand cards to individual students. Student in charge of spelling word calls student with needed letter to front of room, arranges them to spell the word. d r i n k Next word: d and r sit, s come forward. Say the word sink.

page 7 Phonics Bingo Blends on bingo board Cards with word that starts with each blend Draw card, say word, learner covers space on board with token yellow card

page 7 Sort Random words Vocabulary words Words to illustrate beginning sounds, particular sounds, letters, parts of speech small envelope c random sort

Sort To illustrate categories small envelope ESL sort

Sort Words from a story written on cards. Sort the words –Known or unknown –Categories Read the story. small envelope G sort

page 8 Flash Card Concentration Pairs of words written on flashcards Flashcards face down on table Player 1 chooses two cards to turn face up, trying to make a match. –If match, player 1 keeps both cards –If no match, return to face down Play continues to Player 2 small envelope sight words

page 8 Memory Game Goal is to spell the word with letter tiles. Print word on card, identical cards for each player. Provide letter tiles face down. –only needed letters, or extras Player 1 chooses a tile, tries to place it on a letter on his card. Player 2 chooses a tile, tries to place it on a letter on his card.

page 9 Slides for Word Patterns Pattern on card, with opening where changes may occur Separate strip of letters to move Say the words formed. Write the words formed.

page 11 Track the Word in the Text Tell a story or read a passage. The learner keeps track of how many times you say a particular word. –By moving tokens –By counting on fingers or marks on paper –By reading along, and circling the word

page 9 Flyswatter Gameclassroom Write words on the board or attach cards with words to the wall. Students in two teams. One player from each team stands at board. Teacher says a word. Players compete to find word and slap with flyswatter. Teammates give them directions (right, left, up).

page 9 Nine-Patch 3 x 3 grid Words from a story on the grid Slips of paper with words Teacher says word from story. Student finds slip of paper with that word and puts it on the block on the grid cream card

Nine-Patch variation 3 x 3 grid Pictures from a story on the grid Slips of paper with words Teacher says word from story. Student finds picture that shows that word and marks that block on the grid white card

page 10 Same or Different Paper strips with two similar words or two identical words Strips placed upside down on table Student turns over paper and quickly turns it upside down again Student says same or different Student checks response small envelope p_t

page 10 Puzzles Find or make word searches or cross-word puzzles with vocabulary words. Include pictures.

page 12 Sentence Unscrambling Words (that can make a sentence) on strips of paper State three word sentence for student to find (or lay it out for student). Bill/father buys apples. Ask student questions to lengthen the sentence. small envelope sent

page 12 Parts of Speech Practice Find an article of interest. Read the article to the student. Provide the student with a copy of the article, but with a part of speech whited out (ex: prepositions) Student writes the correct word in the space. white half sheet

page 13 Order the Story Provide pictures that depict the story. Read the story. Student puts the pictures in order to describe the story. Student finds the pictures as you read the story. small envelope G pix seq

page 13 Order the Storyexample 2 Write a few short sentences that describe a story. Read the story. Student puts the cards in order to describe the story. long envelope white strips

page 13 Order the Storyexample 3 Separate the paragraphs of the story. Print the sections, and cut the sections into strips. Read the story. Student puts the strips into order. same long envelope blue strips

Language Experience Story

page 15 Question Game Picture, of one person Cards with adjectives (big, small, ugly, pretty, fat, thin, young, old) Student picks a card. Student asks Is she _____? filling in the blank with the word on the card.

page 15 One More Question Game Cards with wh words Student picks card Student asks question starting with that word. –Set a topic, such as vocabulary words, classroom words, place words, family words, or provide a picture.

Mystery Bag Put an object for which the student knows the name into a paper bag. The student asks questions to determine what is in the bag.

page 15 Take a Walk Take a walk following a map. Give directions to the student. Student gives directions. Student practices asking how to get somewhere.

page 16 Using Letters and Sounds to Segment Words

Word Beginning Letter Sound Middle Letter Sound Final Letter Sound How many letters? How many sounds?

Prefixes, Words, Suffixes Select known words to which prefixes and suffixes can be added. Write the words on cards. Provide cards with several prefixes and suffixes. Student selects a word, then a prefix or suffix, and predicts the meaning of the word. small envelope p s word

Other Activities? What activities have you found useful that you will share? What websites have you found useful that you will share? For what topics would you like to find activities or websites?

Resources Information Used in Preparing the Training –ELL-U –ESL Literacy Network –Literacy Development Among Adult English Learners Video Clips / You Tube Videos Reading Resources for Learners Web Sites for Learners and Instructors Dictionaries Favorite web sites you have used?

Conclusion Please contact me or TLC if you would like electronic copies of any of the materials from this session, or more assistance in general.

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