Wanna know what vocabulary games ESL students love to play? I’ve got a whole list for you to choose from! And how to use them in your lessons, you ask? I‘ve got the answer to that too! One of my favorite things to do during any lesson is to play games using the things that we learned that day in action. I believe it helps my students retain knowledge so much better. Let me tell you why.
It’s been scientifically proven that students learn better if they are moving, and if they interact actively with the content. Both of those things happen when you play games! And when you then add visuals to the mix, the experience becomes even better. And what’s not to love about playing games?
Wanna try some of my favorite games for free? Then grab this free PDF of the 7 Best Whiteboard Marker Games to play with your students right away!
Why teaching vocabulary is important
It’s important to teach vocabulary in a clear and good way. You can’t just start off playing games, because students won’t know the meaning of the words they are supposed to use in the game. I have created the perfect structure for a Phenomenal Vocab Lesson that you can grab for free by clicking here! It’s a PDF that works as a checklist for lesson planning!
In it, I describe that students need to
- see the word first – the spelling and pronunciation,
- next, make connections with what they already know about it,
- then see it in context in a spoken or written text,
- then practice using the word in context in a new situation themselves,
- and last, review once more in a playful setting, like a game.
So why use vocabulary review games?
I’m about to tell you exactly why it’s awesome to use games with vocabulary words to reinforce learning. I love games for everything I teach, basically, but I love them for vocabulary the most. Learning new words is and should be a visual experience and games can really help with that.
Why use vocabulary games ESL students enjoy? Because people learn better when they enjoy it, and games are fun! Students will enjoy learning new words when they’re learning or re-enforcing them through a game. Usually there is also some type of movement involved and this enhances learner motivation. Movement has also shown to improve memory and retrieval. And playing games is something different than using the standard worksheet for practice. Games work just as well, and students won’t even realize they are learning!
Use images in matching vocabulary games
The use of images helps retain the meaning of vocabulary. Connecting an image to a word creates a strong connection in the brain, which is very helpful for remembering the new words students learn. Students have to purposefully connect the images to the words they learn and to the words they already knew previously. This helps them recall the words quickly when they need them. Before using games as revision, you should also reinforce the learning of the words with pictures.
Vocabulary games ESL students will love the most
My favorite vocabulary games English learners love are: Taboo, Charades, Pictionary, Scrabble / Bananagrams, Bingo, Memory and Dominoes, and Categories.
- Taboo helps students make connections between the word that is featured and other words or phrases that are connected to it. Describing a word is also a skill that is needed for this game, which helps students think about the meaning of the word too.
- Charades will help students make connections between words and their meaning in real life. Movement and behavior help them understand the meaning of words.
- Pictionary helps students see the visual connection between the word and a picture of what that word looks like.
- Scrabble and Bananagrams are great for practicing spelling of words. Once students have learned them, they must also practice spelling them correctly to win points.
- Bingo is a great game to help students remember what words ‘look’ like in their mind, if you either say the word and they must cross out the correct picture on their bingo card, or the other way around.
- Memory and dominoes both help students to make connections between words and the pictures that match those words and forces them to choose the correct matches to win.
- Categories is a quick game that will help students think of all the words they know in a certain category with the letter that is asked. It will help them dive into their memory of categories of words that they’ve learned.
With vocabulary games learning becomes so much more fun!
So when to use vocabulary games in English?
Use them at any of the following stages in your lessons:
- At the beginning: as an introductory activity.
- At the end: as a revision activity.
- In the middle: as a brain break.
- In between activities: to quickly check understanding before you move on.
I hope you’ll give using vocabulary review games a try in your lessons! I promise you and your students will love it! If you want to check out some of the games I created for various vocabulary topics, be sure to check out this bundle in my store! You can grab the whole thing, or you can check out the individual ones. Whatever suits your needs! Have fun!
Related articles:
How grammar games can help engage students and solidify learning
How to teach vocabulary in a super fun and effective way
