Mr Mister

Some really good stuff in this thread, but whilst not teaching anyone how to suck eggs, the delivery of whatever you do is the key so success. Give a introverted teacher a good idea and he will waste it, give an extrovert a bad idea and he will find something that will click.
Like all ideas don't just think if it's good it will work, think about how it will work for you. Make sure you give it your personal stamp.
Some new stuff and variations to already mentioned. The stand up sit down I use as and elimination game, and the last one standing/sitting is the winner. This will lead to kids at the front of the class, and they are likely to still be unruly, but get them to channel that by supporting whoever is still in.
I love the relay games, as the team run from the back of the class to the board and back. Most of the games mentioned can be adjusted for this. I often use football teams as the teams, as most boys relate to Man U, Arsenal and most importantly current PL champions CHELSEA. The best one, for fun, I can remember was I can/I can't...you put around 5 words on the board, hop, dance, sing, run, walk backwards. Team of 5, first one, if they can hop, must hop to the board and write, I can hop...so forth and so on.
I have laminated words that are fairly durable, and I use blu tac to allow them to be stuck to the board. You can use this for any level, if they are good, they need to make full sentences, if beginners, you can put most of the sentence together, leaving the verbs or nouns to be put in place. The above relay works well with this. Also when they get things wrong, you can have a good laugh with it.
But the main message is.......it's not what you do it's the way that you do it.

Johncat

I have a collection of 57 games/activities given to my by a New Zealand lecturer who visited my school last summer. They are for all ages and levels.
They are in " Word " format I can send them to you if you wish.

russellsimpson

These folks have a pretty decent collection of games. have a look.

Of course Stretch is right about the delivery issue. Huge point.

http://www.genkienglish.net/

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thomas ryan

Great thread, thank you for the ideas. I didn't see this thread before I put up a new thread about the same topic, oops. Thanks again.

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jeda

.....

I suggest you to do like this..if your student dont attention attention and listen to you .you should have a new rule..pay 5 baht if who dont attention and listen to you.. the money for your class ..when collect much money you can have small party order pizza or chicken enjoy with your student ..i belive they will love you and be good student for sure..sorry for my english but i just want to help you..

thomas ryan

Basil,
Hello, we are in the same boat, except I teach M2,3. My smallest class is 53 students. I also need good games, to help eliminate dead air. My kids are bit old for many games but I have relied on what Tomm suggested, making students form words out of a single word I write on the board. Have you checked out discoveryschool.com? It has helped me through a day or two. Peace

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Jimmy Page and Robert Plant

remember me

Here's another variation on bingo. I got on-line somewhere.

Listening Bingo. Student make a 6x6 bingo board on a peice of paper. They fill in the squares with content words of their choice. You then read them a short essay, story for your level of students. The students mark off the words as they hear them. The first person to mark of all their squares or the students who have the most words marked off are the winners.

I have played it with all level of students from 6 yo. to college.

eflclassroom

If your classes have audio/visual equipment, try out my batcave for loads of games. From jeopardy, fling the teacher, price is right - to the most popular Top 5 (like Family feud).

DD

http:eflclassroom.ning.com
www.ddd.batcave.net

peelieorion

Kids for me should earn games. If you play them just to control them when it comes to teaching them anything they'll rebel till they get their games back. Hard nose discipline is what you need until they have been moulded into how you want them to behave. Then a little fun at the end is fine. I'm not being a miserable bastard but games are for parties. Kids love bingo because they don't have to think.

eflclassroom

Peelieorion,

It isn't either or / or even a case of the kids "earning " them. Games are useful from a variety of standpoints, from fun to assessment. Like Mr.Mister said, it is all about the delivery and also thinking carefully about learning outcomes/objectives.

Yeah, you are right to believe a game just for the sake of a game, usually isn't the best course of action unless there are mitigating circumstances (now time to plan, change of plans, fun day.....).

I like using games that are built into the objectives of the week and reinforce the prior learning. Great for review and warm up......also, I think when it comes to multi media, if you can ever get the students making the games,you've got the war won.... On that note, check out www.classtools.net Andrew Field, the Fling the Teacher originator just launched his new additions. Super.

DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com
www.ddd.batcave.net

peelieorion

O.K doing a bit of trolling but I don't ever remeber my french teacher playing games nor did I regularly play games with my students in the U.K. I just think the old EFL warmer thing is a bit of a cop out. Wake your students up by speaking to them and having high expectations. Thais love to have fun but in my experience they love to achieve for real more. Of course games are good if they add to the lesson and are part of it but too often teachers use them to appease spoiled lazy babies. I made board games with mine which they love and use to learn at lunchtime. I'm not poo pooing games at all nor am I a killjoy but kids here haven't got the time to be singing songs, playing games and generally learning in the way they want and are used too. There way of learning does not cut it. We should not bow to what the students want. I play games, do drama when they reach a level of ability from hard work and not before.

eflclassroom

One of my fav. games is called zip-zap. My grade 4 students in Canada (esl) would play that all day if I let them. Best is they control everything and the teacher just monitors.

They form a circle, best played in a circle of 8-12. One student in the middle is the zapper. That student is the boss and decides everything. They twirl around and say zip zip zip zip and then stop and point at one student. That student ducks and the two students on either side must draw and zap. The one zapped is out and sits down (just until the end of the game, usually takes 2-3 min. / game.). Play until the last two students are standing and then they draw back to back to decide the winner. The winner then gets to be in the middle. Start again. The rub/language comes when the student zapper points. they must either say a letter or a word. The other students who draw and shoot, must say a word that starts with that or better yet a phrase using it.

Example...zip zip zip zip "B" "I love bananas!" Zap.

Endless variations depending on how advanced the students are. Last letter of a word. Noun/verb associations. Categories (ie. Fruit - banana. Weather - sunny. ) Countries / cities , letters names etc.....

works great and the teacher just sits and monitors. Really fun and you can play it with a big class. Just break them up into a few circles...

Get zapping!

DD

8ball

I got a game 4 u




Dodge the bullet ,,,,it's 4 X tremely unruly classes

it helps keep the numbers down,,,,,,


many variations of calibers etc.

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MikeS

1.Pre-teach about the imperative (giving instructions).
2.Divide your students into groups of up to 10.
3. From each group, choose 3 students to stand back to back in a triangle at the front of the class.
4. Give the other students some string or light rope.
5. They tie up the other students any way they like (within the law).
Then they stand back.
6. They have to shout instructions (using the imperative) to the tied up students to free themselves.
7. The tied up students can ONLY do what they are instructed to do.

This game usually results in chaos, but it should keep them interested for a while.

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