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By: Danny NicholsonInteractive whiteboard resources are a great way for teachers to engage classrooms in learning. While many teachers are spending hours a day creating their own activities for their interactive whiteboards, there are tons of free sources to help teachers learn about and use IWBs with students to further their use of technology in the classroom.
Here is a list of some great interactive whiteboard resources and activities guaranteed to stimulate learning:
General Interactive Whiteboard Resources for Teachers
LOTS OF GOOD LINKS: Spelling City – Spelling City is a free online learning platform with 10 learning games and more than 40,000 spelling words. The site also offers how-to videos to help teachers integrate Spelling City into the curriculum, TeacherLED, SMART Exchange, Interactive Whiteboard Games & Activities, BBC History Game, Memorial Hall Museum, and many more
Here is a list of some great interactive whiteboard resources and activities guaranteed to stimulate learning:
General Interactive Whiteboard Resources for Teachers
LOTS OF GOOD LINKS: Spelling City – Spelling City is a free online learning platform with 10 learning games and more than 40,000 spelling words. The site also offers how-to videos to help teachers integrate Spelling City into the curriculum, TeacherLED, SMART Exchange, Interactive Whiteboard Games & Activities, BBC History Game, Memorial Hall Museum, and many more
Games & Activities for the ESL/EFL Classroom
A Project of The Internet TESL Journal
This is a place were English teachers can share games and activities that they have found useful in the classroom. If you know a game or an activity that works well with ESL/EFL students and it is not yet listed here, please submit it.
A Project of The Internet TESL Journal
This is a place were English teachers can share games and activities that they have found useful in the classroom. If you know a game or an activity that works well with ESL/EFL students and it is not yet listed here, please submit it.
You may view the games in two different ways.
Each Game on Its Own Page (This Section) | Many Games Per Page Number of Submissions: 132
Each Game on Its Own Page (This Section) | Many Games Per Page Number of Submissions: 132
The most recent submission is on top.
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The following games can be played throughout the school year but are also very useful as a round up at the end of term. You can play them a few times.
Author:
Clare LaveryFirst play with the whole class and then try in groups (good for mixed ability groups).
Guess the word (can be used for abstract nouns)
Author:
Clare LaveryFirst play with the whole class and then try in groups (good for mixed ability groups).
Guess the word (can be used for abstract nouns)
- Choose five words relating to recent conversational themes.
- Write sets of clues to help students guess the words.
- Play with whole class or teams.
- Use one word per lesson over five lessons or use all words in one session as a longer game.
- Example clues (word = freedom):
- I am a noun but I am very important.
- I begin with the letter ‘f’.
- People in prison have lost it and want it back.
- People demand it when it is taken away by dictators.
- It is related to speech.
- This game is good for practising and reviewing action verbs and adverbs.
- Ask one student to leave the room then the rest of the class choose a verb e.g. type, ski, fly.
- The student returns to the room and asks questions to guess the verb.
- The missing verb can be substituted with 'coffee pot'.
- Example questions:
- Why do you coffee pot / KETTLE -my change?
- Where do you coffee pot?
- Do you coffee pot by yourself?
- Do you need any special equipment for coffee potting?
- Why do you coffee pot / KETTLE -my change?
USE WITH:
BODY ACTIONS - FEELINGS
BODY ACTIONS - FEELINGS
- burp,-belch
- snore
- yawn
- fart
- stretch
- sweat ---perspire
- sneeze
- cough vi
- scratch, itch
- to tickle vtr—be ticklish
- shrug your shoulders
- double up with pain v expr-(bend forward in sudden pain
- picar vi-(sentir picor)-itch vi- -tickle vtr
-Cuando siento ganas de estornudar me pica la nariz. - escocervi-(producir ardor)-sting, burn vi, get a rash, get sore v expr
- feel stiff – be sore –have stiff/sore muscles -tener agujetas
Teens classroom rules posters -
Funky pink Download our Funky pink classroom rules poster for your secondary classroom. Our posters are available in four colourful themes, all...
Funky pink Download our Funky pink classroom rules poster for your secondary classroom. Our posters are available in four colourful themes, all...
Task-based Language Teaching Activities
You’re ready for language learning like you’ve never seen before.You know FluentU’s authentic, entertaining video content will completely captivate your students.
Plus, its unique “learn mode” will greatly advance their language abilities.
You’re anxious to introduce it to your classes, so how can you get started?
This quick guide will get you acquainted with FluentU’s user-friendly platform, beginning with setting up your classes.
Plus, its unique “learn mode” will greatly advance their language abilities.
You’re anxious to introduce it to your classes, so how can you get started?
This quick guide will get you acquainted with FluentU’s user-friendly platform, beginning with setting up your classes.
NARRATIVE TENSES
Mr Bean Narrative tenses
(Past Perfect and Past Continuous)
Task 1- Mr Bean in Hospital (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoI57NeMwCc)
Try to combine the pairs or groups of sentences below into one true sentence about the short film you are going to see. To do so you will need to guess which thing happened first or if they happened at the same time, and so maybe change some tenses, change the punctuation and add words such as adverbs. You cannot change the order of the sentences (so that you have to use more complex grammar to make the sentences correct). The sentences are in the same order as the film.
(Past Perfect and Past Continuous)
Task 1- Mr Bean in Hospital (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoI57NeMwCc)
Try to combine the pairs or groups of sentences below into one true sentence about the short film you are going to see. To do so you will need to guess which thing happened first or if they happened at the same time, and so maybe change some tenses, change the punctuation and add words such as adverbs. You cannot change the order of the sentences (so that you have to use more complex grammar to make the sentences correct). The sentences are in the same order as the film.
by Claudia Pesce 492,571 views
Mention the word "grammar" and students will cringe. In fact, most teachers will cringe, too.
Of course, teachers know correct grammar rules, but it's one thing to know them, and another thing to effectively teach them, and transmit them so that students not only understand the rules, but also apply them correctly.
In my experience, grammar shouldn’t be taught “by the book”. At least not in teaching English as a second language. That’s not what students are there for. They don't want to know all of these rules; they’re not interested in them. They want to learn English. They want to speak, read, and write in English. So, how do we as ESL teachers teach them essential grammar and give them what we need, rather than boring them to death with “the rules”. It’s actually quite simple: by teaching grammar in context. And in fun ways.
Let’s move on to some examples, and you'll see what I mean.
How to teach the ever-elusive past perfect tenseYes, it’s hard to find an ESL student who spontaneously uses the past perfect tense. In fact, there are some “native” English speakers who don’t use it either (along with other forms of “correct” English). But it must be taught, never overlooked, or your students will be lacking something that they need to take their English fluency to the next level. So, how can we teach the past perfect tense so that it may be fully grasped by our students? Here are the steps:
Action!Nothing shakes them up better than getting them out of their seats. When you see your students daydreaming, not paying attention, or simply bored, tell them to get up and form a circle. Now, this simple exercise works great to teach numerous grammar points, but here’s an example:
Say you want your students to practice the simple past of regular or irregular verbs. Grab a small ball or bean bag and say a verb out loud; toss the ball to a student who will have to say its past form. He or she tosses the ball back to you and you choose another student. Whenever a student makes a mistake, he or she has to leave the circle. The last student left standing gets a reward sticker or other prize. You can say a sentence in affirmative, and they have to supply a question, or vice versa; this activity can be adapted to any grammar point.
Celebrity ProfilesAn awesome way to teach and practice any verb tense is through biographies. Try this activity to contrast the simple past and present perfect tenses. Find out which celebrities or sports stars your students admire. Then find a short biography or write one yourself summarizing a celebrity's main achievements. Read the bio with your students and make sure they understand the differences. Point out examples that clearly illustrate this: “He starred in his first hit film in 1985. But he has worked in 20 hit films throughout his career.”
Celebrity PhotosAnother way in which you can use your students’ interest in certain celebrities. Cut out celebrity pics from entertainment magazines (in fact, I recommend stocking up on a big pile of photos to use in a variety of activities). Use these pictures to teach comparatives and superlatives: “Katie Holmes is taller than Tom Cruise.”; “Shakira is more talented than Ricky Martin.”; and it works great with comparative adverbs: “Shakira dances better than Ricky, too.”
A or an?This activity works great with beginners, including small children. Cut up a list of several words that either take “a” or “an” and mix them up. For very young learners, you may use pictures instead of words. Then divide students into pairs of groups, and have them put the words in two piles, depending on the article. Once they have their piles ready, ask them if they can figure out the rule by themselves.
By far the best ways to teach any type of grammar is through the use of either realia or real life settings and contexts. Why would a student be motivated to learn the conditional tenses if he has no idea why he’s learning them, in other words, he doesn't understand when and where he'll have use for them? When teachers use real life settings and objects students will know the grammar structures they learn will be useful for them.
So, take the cringing out of grammar lessons, and put some fun into them. You’ll see that your students learn much faster, too.
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.
In my experience, grammar shouldn’t be taught “by the book”. At least not in teaching English as a second language. That’s not what students are there for. They don't want to know all of these rules; they’re not interested in them. They want to learn English. They want to speak, read, and write in English. So, how do we as ESL teachers teach them essential grammar and give them what we need, rather than boring them to death with “the rules”. It’s actually quite simple: by teaching grammar in context. And in fun ways.
Let’s move on to some examples, and you'll see what I mean.
How to teach the ever-elusive past perfect tenseYes, it’s hard to find an ESL student who spontaneously uses the past perfect tense. In fact, there are some “native” English speakers who don’t use it either (along with other forms of “correct” English). But it must be taught, never overlooked, or your students will be lacking something that they need to take their English fluency to the next level. So, how can we teach the past perfect tense so that it may be fully grasped by our students? Here are the steps:
- Go to OurTimeLines.com where you may generate your personalized timeline and see when major historical events took place throughout your life. For example, if you were born in 1971, you’ll see that the Internet was invented when you were 2.
- Show students your timeline (or anyone else’s) and set up the past perfect like this: “Sam, the Vietnam War ended in 1975. I was born in 1971. You were born in 1995. So, when you were born, the Vietnam War had ended 20 years earlier. When I was born it hadn’t ended yet.”
- Give as many examples as you like, go over briefly how the past perfect tense is formed (had plus past participle) and make sure they understand you’re talking about two events that took place in the past, but one before the other; then, have students come up with examples of their own using the timeline.
- Once they are comfortable using the past perfect in affirmative sentences, move on to examples with questions; then have them ask each other questions: “Laura, when you started primary school, had terrorists attacked the World Trade Center?”
Action!Nothing shakes them up better than getting them out of their seats. When you see your students daydreaming, not paying attention, or simply bored, tell them to get up and form a circle. Now, this simple exercise works great to teach numerous grammar points, but here’s an example:
Say you want your students to practice the simple past of regular or irregular verbs. Grab a small ball or bean bag and say a verb out loud; toss the ball to a student who will have to say its past form. He or she tosses the ball back to you and you choose another student. Whenever a student makes a mistake, he or she has to leave the circle. The last student left standing gets a reward sticker or other prize. You can say a sentence in affirmative, and they have to supply a question, or vice versa; this activity can be adapted to any grammar point.
Celebrity ProfilesAn awesome way to teach and practice any verb tense is through biographies. Try this activity to contrast the simple past and present perfect tenses. Find out which celebrities or sports stars your students admire. Then find a short biography or write one yourself summarizing a celebrity's main achievements. Read the bio with your students and make sure they understand the differences. Point out examples that clearly illustrate this: “He starred in his first hit film in 1985. But he has worked in 20 hit films throughout his career.”
Celebrity PhotosAnother way in which you can use your students’ interest in certain celebrities. Cut out celebrity pics from entertainment magazines (in fact, I recommend stocking up on a big pile of photos to use in a variety of activities). Use these pictures to teach comparatives and superlatives: “Katie Holmes is taller than Tom Cruise.”; “Shakira is more talented than Ricky Martin.”; and it works great with comparative adverbs: “Shakira dances better than Ricky, too.”
A or an?This activity works great with beginners, including small children. Cut up a list of several words that either take “a” or “an” and mix them up. For very young learners, you may use pictures instead of words. Then divide students into pairs of groups, and have them put the words in two piles, depending on the article. Once they have their piles ready, ask them if they can figure out the rule by themselves.
By far the best ways to teach any type of grammar is through the use of either realia or real life settings and contexts. Why would a student be motivated to learn the conditional tenses if he has no idea why he’s learning them, in other words, he doesn't understand when and where he'll have use for them? When teachers use real life settings and objects students will know the grammar structures they learn will be useful for them.
So, take the cringing out of grammar lessons, and put some fun into them. You’ll see that your students learn much faster, too.
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.