10 Best Vocabulary-Building Activities for ESL Students
This post was created in an attempt to shed light on some fun vocabulary activities for our secondary ESL students. We all know that children learn by doing and playing games rather than looking up words in the dictionary. There’s a place for that, but if we want our students to internalize the language, fun is the way to go. In this blog post, I'll list ten vocabulary activities designed specifically for ESL students to internalize what they learn. Because building a strong vocabulary foundation is what we’re all striving for, I've gathered exciting and interactive methods to make this task enjoyable. From dynamic word games to context-rich exercises, we’ll explore strategies that engage our students to enhance their language skills. So, let's get started with the ten best vocabulary-building activities for ESL students.
10 Best Vocabulary-Building Activities for ESL Students
Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of vocabulary words and their corresponding clues. Hide the clues around the classroom or school campus. Divide the class into teams and provide each team with a clue. Students must decipher the clue, find the corresponding word card hidden in the classroom or school, and bring it back to their team. The team that collects all the word cards first wins.
Vocabulary Board Game: Design a board game with squares containing vocabulary words. Students take turns rolling the dice, moving their game piece accordingly, and providing a definition, synonym, or example sentence for the word on the square they land on. If they answer correctly, they can stay on the square. The first student to reach the finish line or accumulate the most points wins.
Vocabulary Taboo: Prepare a set of vocabulary word cards. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team selects a word card and must describe the word to their team without using specific "taboo" words listed on the card. The team members try to guess the word based on the description. The team that guesses the most words correctly within a given time wins.
Vocabulary Sentence Relay: Create a list of vocabulary words and write each word on a separate strip of paper. Divide the class into teams and have them form lines. The first student in each line receives a vocabulary word strip and has to create a grammatically correct sentence using that word. They pass the strip to the next student, who adds another sentence using a different word. The relay continues until each student has contributed a sentence. The team with the most accurate and creative sentences wins.
Vocabulary Hot Seat: Select a student from each team to sit in the "hot seat." Write a vocabulary word on the board without showing it to the students in the hot seat. The student's team members provide clues, definitions, or synonyms to help them guess the word. The team that successfully helps their teammate guess the most words within a given time wins.
Vocabulary Pictionary: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words related to school subjects, objects, or routines. One member from each team comes to the front and has to draw a word from the set while their team guesses the word in English. This game promotes visual association and active vocabulary recall.
Word Bingo: Create bingo cards with various vocabulary words. Distribute the cards to the students and call out definitions, synonyms, or example sentences for the words. Students mark the corresponding words on their bingo cards. The first student to get a line or a full bingo calls out "Bingo!"
Vocabulary Relay Race: Prepare flashcards with different vocabulary words. Divide the class into teams and have them form lines. Place the flashcards at one end of the room and an empty container at the other end. The first student in each team runs to the flashcards, picks one, and runs back to their team to explain or define the word. If the team guesses correctly, the next student runs and repeats the process. The team that fills the container with the most correctly guessed words wins.
Vocabulary Memory Game: Create pairs of cards with vocabulary words and their corresponding definitions or pictures. Shuffle the cards and lay them face down on a table. Students take turns flipping two cards to find a match. If they successfully match a word with its definition or picture, they keep the pair and get another turn. The student with the most pairs at the end of the game wins.
Vocabulary Charades: Write down content vocabulary words on slips of paper and put them in a container. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team selects a slip of paper and acts out the word without speaking, while their team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Rotate players between teams, and the team with the most points at the end wins.
In a Nutshell
In conclusion, these ten vocabulary activities are great tools to engage and internalize language for our secondary ESL students. Implementing fun and interactive activities is the key to a strong vocabulary foundation. By using these activities, we'll not only build a strong vocabulary foundation but also keep our students engaged and loving every moment of learning.
