Wanna know my favorite tools for ESL activities online? I have a whole bunch of them! I think using pen and paper in my lessons to practice language is vital, as I want students to actually be able to write things in the target language down. But there are some online tools that I really love to use in combination with this. These tools can be used at various points in the lesson, and they are always fun for students, which helps them engage with the learning!
Now, my school is lucky enough to be able to give students a Chromebook each, and so whenever I need my students to use a device, they are able to. However, if your students own a smartphone, this can work as well. Or if that’s not the case, you can play these activities on a SmartBoard in your room. But engagement is guaranteed, so you should give it a try! Let me tell you my favorite tools for ESL activities online!
Wanna try one of these platforms right now? Grab my free Frequently Confused Words Digital Escape Room by clicking here!
ESL online learning activities
One of the most fun ESL activities online I think is playing BOOM™ cards! BOOM™ cards are online task cards with a question on them that students need to answer. These cards come in decks of varying lengths, with most decks containing about 25-35 cards. The question on the card needs to be answered correctly, or the student can not advance to the next card. The system gives the student immediate feedback on the correctness of their answer.
Questions can be asked in a variety of ways. There are multiple choice, fill-in, choose the right picture, listen to a sound or audio text, and drag and drop options. This makes these decks super versatile and engaging. Give BOOM™ a try by clicking here!
And if you click here you can check out one of my decks for FREE! Do note that BOOM™ needs you to login, and you need an Internet connection.
ESL vocabulary activities online
I love using a tool like Quizlet for vocabulary practice! Quizlet lets you create your own sets of vocabulary words, so you could create these sets, or you could even have students create them themselves. And then, from that list, it lets you do a variety of activities. My favorite one is the matching game where students have to choose the correct word and matching definition, or matching picture. But you can also just have Quizlet generate a test, or you can use the list as digital flashcards. So fun!
ESL games online for students
There are some fun games to play online with ESL students that will help them practice vocabulary or other language skills. The page myfreebingocards.com is an excellent website that lets you create your own bingo cards out of vocab or verb lists you want students to learn and then you can share these cards digitally.
You can also make digital versions of memory and dominoes. If you add draggable pictures in Google Slides™, and have students work on these in edit mode. I have made quite a few games for topics that I use with my students. Check one such out by clicking here.
PowerPoint™ is also really good for making interactive games. These games work by opening in show mode right away, and students will click through it by giving the correct answers much the same as boom cards. I made only two so far, but you’ll get the picture if you take a look at it.
English activities for online classes
Another tool I enjoy using is Padlet! Padlet is basically a digital wall that you can post things on. How it works is that you as a teacher create the wall and you share the link with your students. Next, you can choose: do you want them to upload things to the wall? Then students must click the plus mark and upload anything you want them to, either a written piece of text, or a photo, or an audio file, what have you. For example, ask them to upload photos that match vocabulary words that they have learned.
Or you can customize the wall to your own liking before you give students the link. This means that you can add links to websites, videos, images, etcetera that you want students to access and use to learn from. For example, you could post links to online worksheets, or you could have them write a reaction to a picture you have on the wall.
ESL activities, online lessons
My last favorite tool to use is, funnily enough, Google Sheets™ . Now I’m not talking about the Excel-like tool you use for crunching numbers. No, there is a way to create self-checking worksheets or games with Google sheets™! Hello Algebra creates these really cute templates and I have used them to create the funnest worksheets for grammar topics. Check out one of these for free!
I also love how this tool is a new thing for students. While I also adore Kahoot!, and Quizizz, and Blooket, I do always look for new things to share with my students. And the tools I mentioned today make for wonderful ESL activities online that are fun and engaging! Give them a try!
Related articles:
5 reasons why I love Boom Learning cards for my students
How to engage students effectively with escape rooms for the classroom
