Learning English as a second or foreign language can be difficult for some students. There are several different ways to learn, and many people benefit from a broader approach than the traditional methods used in most classrooms. Adding games and activities that appeal to all the different ESL learning styles along with your standard curriculum can transform your lessons and make time more productive for everyone!
Most authorities in the field of learning styles agree that there are four basic ways people receive and process information. These are known as the four learning styles and consist of Auditory ESL Learners (students who respond best to lectures, tapes, and verbal instructions), Visual ESL Learners (students who benefit from more traditional methods such as written material, pictures, and videos ) and Tactile and Kinesthetic ESL Learners (treated together here as their styles involve hands-on or whole-body learning).
Many of the following games can be easily implemented in your classroom and adapted to best suit the ESL learning styles of any or all of your students.
AUDITORY ESL LEARNING STYLE
These ESL students will enjoy verbal games in a group setting; Introducing repetitive chants using previously demonstrated words is a good way to start. Students of English as a foreign language in Japan especially appreciate Karaoke Night as a learning tool and this can be a fun idea to mark milestones as the class progresses.
After a group activity, students can retreat to separate listening stations for a vocabulary scavenger hunt; Multiple tapes with different key vocabulary words can be rotated to increase the number of words each student learns. Cloze Passages can also be used with ribbons to enhance the effect of the lesson.
Quizzes are a fun way to foster a slight spirit of competition in your classroom; You can divide students into teams and let them consult with each other to find the answers. Listen to a recorded television or radio broadcast and ask them to take turns answering questions about the content. You’ll be amazed at how well they pick up the meanings!
VISUAL ESL LEARNING STYLE
These students can absorb information from common classroom tools such as books, flashcards, and video sequences. Many language games work well with this type of learner, and worksheets are a must: they will retain more of the reading material than the verbal instruction.
Board games like ‘Parts of Speech Path Finding’ (based on the Candy Land Board) are easy to laminate in a manila folder, and game accessories can be stored in an attached pouch. You can use colors and images to make your board interesting, but remember that your adult students may be put off by a childish reason!
You can adapt Jeopardy and other popular games to use picture prompts. Current media and entertainment events can often be discussed with humor and provide a real-world aspect that will help students take their English skills outside of the classroom.
Of course, all students are expected to read, and Top Ten Phrases with Watermelon is an excellent game to promote team building, working under pressure, and synthesis. This is a game that also appeals to tactile learners, as teams send representatives to put sentences in order.
TACTILE AND KINAESTHETIC ESL LEARNING STYLE
These students make up the last two types of learning styles. Tactile learning projects focus more on model building and crafts. Games for the kinesthetic learner include group participation and physical use of the whole body. Activities originally developed for these learning styles have been found to help all types of ESL learners, which is encouraging news for those trying to introduce new elements to their classrooms!
A good vocabulary game with a strong tactile element to appeal to this learning style is the old ‘items in a bag’ game. Students can describe the items by touch and the class can guess at their identity. Get ready, this game can cause a degree of hilarity as students fumble for words to clue their classmates!
Spatial games involve rearranging items (a tactile variation) or people (a kinesthetic approach). Population scoring can be played by handing out cards with words and punctuation marks on them to all but one member of the class designated as ‘it’. This student then attempts to complete an appropriate sentence with punctuation by lining up as many people as possible.
Crafts and model-building games are invaluable as they combine auditory or visual elements with the tactile as students read or listen to project instructions. Investing in an extensive set of Legos will pay off! Bright colored pencils are another fun way for students to proclaim their individuality as they follow directions to draw or label maps.
Variety can bring success to your classrooms and help all members of your ESL class broaden their learning styles. Games that make learning fun are a great way to encourage independent thought patterns and create a relaxed, creative atmosphere where every student can find the tools she needs to be successful!