Tag Archives: ELT

Tube Crisis – puzzle game for conditionals

Tube Crisis is a short point-and-click puzzle game that is good for stimulating conversation with (upper-intermediate + ) learners if you are lucky enough to teach in a connected classroom (i.e. one equipped with a computer and data projector and/or interactive whiteboard) Language: descriptions of people, relative clauses and the difference between first and second [...]

Spotlight on Digital Play Innovators #2 ‘Lil Poison’

The World’s youngest professional video gamer Manyparents complain that their children waste too much time playing video games and not enough time on their schoolwork.  Maybe it’s because they are worried that their children won’t study hard at school.  If they don’t get good exam results they won’t grow up and get a good job [...]

Dictionary work with online point-and-click game ‘Blue Beanie’

Level: Pre-intermediate Topic: Doing a crossword/ Using a dictionary. Focus: Vocabulary in an online game walkthrough. Time: 1 hour/ 1.5 hours Preparation: Download a copy of the walkthrough for yourself and a copy of the crossword and crossword clues for each pair of learners. Game: Blue Beanie A young ghost has his blue beanie hat [...]

Runescape – An interactive reader

The Game Runescape is a very popular online role playing game where players can interact with each other within a medieval style fantasy world.  It has a short tutorial which serves to walk new players through some of the simple every day in-world activities such as choosing what their character looks like (physical features and [...]

Machinarium – a phrasal verb gap fill activity

Machinarium is an incredible hand drawn online video game with engaging puzzles, a little humour and a walkthrough that is great for a phrasal verbs gap fill activity. The Game You are a robot and you find yourself in a scrap yard and you need to get back to the city.  First of all you [...]

Gateway – a puzzle game for whole class activity

Gateway is a short, absorbing and entertaining puzzle game with ten levels that can be used to generate language in the ESL classroom, especially if you have access to a connected classroom (with an internet enabled computer and a data projector). The Game You have to guide a robot through a number of different rooms, [...]

Narrative Tenses With Grow Cube

Level: Intermediate Topic: Writing stories Writing Focus: Narrative tenses Time: 30 – 40 minutes Game: Grow Cube Key Language: canal    pool    pot    pipe    waterfall    dish    steps    cave    tower    skull    springs    dug    planted   flowed    built    grew    cut down    lit    added    threw [...]

‘Word up’ with fun, free and engaging vocabulary games

Here’s a brief description of ten word games that require very little preparation and some tips on how to use them.  All these games were chosen because they are free, easily accessible, engaging and fun for English Language Learners. 1)                 Fowl words – Seven hens have laid an egg each with a letter on.  Use the letters [...]

Playing video games = Healthy body, healthy mind

In 1961 a psychologist by the name of Albert Bandura ran a series of experiments where groups of children witnessed adults attacking an inflatable bobo doll. The bobo doll experiment was conducted to see whether children learnt violent behaviour by observing and imitating others. This ground setting experiment has led to many studies into the [...]

A Creative Writing Activity Using an Online Game

  Level: Upper-intermediate Topic: Planning stories Writing Focus: Fictional story Time: 1 hour/ 1.5 hours Game: Arcane Season: The Miller Estate part 1    Key Language: cellar, path, lantern, chest, hook, matches, well, rope, bucket, firewood, crate, rug, trapdoor, wine rack, barrel. Preparation: Connected classroom or computer room. One printed copy of the flashcards. One [...]