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פורטל עובדי הוראה | מרחב פדגוגי

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Getting used to going back to school, maybe new classmates and teachers - getting to know each other in the beginning of the new school year - is the first important challenge of every year. Here are ideas to help you get off on the right foot!

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Back to School - פורטל עובדי הוראה | מרחב פדגוגי

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Activities and ideas for going back to school

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For the first lesson / cognates

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COOL English Book tresure hunt orly arye

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Your very first ESL class is likely to be one of the most anticipated experiences of your ESL journey. Having some ideas for ESL classroom activities on your first day up your sleeve will help you to get started. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Find someone who...

In this activity students are given a number of sentences with the subject missing. By asking their classmates questions they must complete their worksheet, and in the process find out something about their classmates. Here are some example sentences:

__________________ likes spaghetti

__________________ has visited Japan

__________________ drank coffee this morning

__________________ ...

The students ask each other 'do you like spaghetti?' until they find someone who says yes, at which point they can write that person's name in space number 1. 10-12 sentences is probably a good number, and a variety of sentences will force students to talk to more of their classmates. This activity is easily adaptable for students of different ages, backgrounds and levels.

2. Two truths and a lie

This activity is a great way for everyone to share something unique. First, the teacher writes 3 sentences about himself or herself on the board, two of which are true and one of which is false. For example:

I hate oranges

I studied chemistry at university

I have 5 brothers

The students then try to guess which sentence is false. After you have revealed which sentence is false, the students then write their own sentences. Finally, students share their sentences with the class or in a group, and their classmates guess which sentence is false.

3. Who am I?

To start this activity put your name in the middle of the board and 5-7 things that are linked to you around your name. For example, I might put 'Jane'. Students then guess what the link is between the teacher and the words. 'Is Jane your girlfriend?' No. 'Is Jane your mother?' Yes.

To incorporate the students, you can use a short or long version of the activity. In the short version, follow up student guesses with relevant questions. 'Is Jane your mother?' Yes. 'What is your mother's name?' In the longer version, students create their own brainstorms, and then let their partner guess the link between the writer and the 5-7 words they have chosen.

4. Find 3 things in common

Put your students into pairs, and tell them to find 3 foods that they both like, 3 movies they have both seen or 3 places they have visited. Their attempts to find 3 things should provoke a wider discussion. To make this activity more difficult, you can put your students into threes. At the end of the activity, ask the students to share their findings with the rest of the class.

5. Four Corners

Label the four corners of you classroom 'love', 'like', 'dislike' and 'hate'. As you say different things or activities students move to the corner that corresponds to their preference. For example, if you say 'chocolate' and a student loves chocolate they move to the 'love' corner. Joining in allows the students to learn something about you too. For higher-level students you can ask them to explain their choices once they have chosen a corner.

These activities will help you and your students to get to know each other in a fun and interactive way, while providing you with the opportunity to assess their level and find out what stimulates them. The first class of any course can be nerve-racking, but having a couple of activities ready to go will make it easier.

Start Your ESL Teaching Adventure!

Written by Robin Garnham

Robin Garnham originally planned to spend a year teaching in Spain to improve his Spanish, but has now been teaching for five years. He currently teaches ESL in Oakland, California and is an Oxford Seminars instructor in San Jose, California.

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5 ESL Activities for Your First Day of Class - Teaching English Abroad Blog

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Your first class is likely to be one of your most anticipated experiences abroad. Having some ESL classroom activities ready will help you to get started.

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ESL First Day of Class Game - Speaking: Forming Sentences, Repeating Information, Memorisation - Group Work - Young Learners - 20 minutes

This engaging first day of class introduction game helps students get to know each other. In the game, students race to give basic personal information about themselves and repeat other students' information. Arrange the students into two teams. Sit each team in a circle. Tell the teams that they are going to race each other to say everyone's name in their team. Give the first student in each team a ball. The first student begins by saying their name, e.g. 'I'm Ryan'. The first student then passes the ball to the second student who repeats the first student's name and then says their own name, e.g. 'He's Ryan, and I'm Kate'. The second student passes the ball to the next student who continues, e.g. 'He's Ryan. She's Kate, and I'm Amiko'. The game continues until all the names have been said. If a student forgets the name of a teammate, the team starts over from the first student. The first team to finish wins the round and scores a point. Then, start with a different student and repeat the game with other personal information, e.g. age, height, etc. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

ESL First Day of Class Game - Speaking: Sentence Completion - Young Learners - 15 minutes

Here is an entertaining way to get students to introduce themselves to the class. This introduction game works best with young learners. Begin the game by saying, "I'm the captain of a spaceship. I'm going on a trip to the moon. Who wants to go with me and what are you going to bring?" Then, write the following sentence on the board for the students to say: Hi, my name is... and I'm going to bring a/an/some... The students who are allowed to go are the ones who bring something that begins with the first letter of their name. However, don't explain this to the students. It's up to them to work it out! The first student then stands up and says the sentences on the board. If the item doesn't match with the first letter of their name, say, "I'm sorry, you can't go." Then, move on to the next student. If a student manages to work it out or accidentally says an item matching with the first letter of their name, you accept them on board and write up their name. Eventually, most of the students will understand the game when they see that some students are allowed to go. You can also have the students give more information about themselves (e.g. their age, hobbies, etc) by adding to the text on the board.

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ESL First Day of Class GamesYoung LearnersPre-intermediate (A2)Any Level The Name GameESL First Day of Class Game - Speaking: Forming Sentences, Repeating Information, Memorisation - Group Work - Young Learners - 20 minutesThis engaging first day of class introduction game helps students get to know each other.

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Find someone who .

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By Avital Reyzin