What are the best board games for ESL students?

Classic board games are great teaching tools. First of all, most teachers and learners are already familiar with these types of games. Second, they have been pre-tested by the game manufacturer for quality and playability. Most importantly, almost any board game can be adapted for the English language classroom. It just takes a little bit of creativity on behalf of the teacher.

Moreover, if you are concerned about budget or costs, it isn’t always necessary to buy the games. You can take the core concepts from the board game and adapt them to your teaching context using the materials that you already have.

What board games are the easiest to adapt?

The best games to adapt for language learning are the ones which most people are familiar with or have already played outside of class. This way, less time is required explaining the aim of the game because students know about the rules already. However, even if they haven’t played the game before, the concepts are still simple enough to understand.

For instance, most of us are familiar with popular board games like Charades, Pictionary, Scrabble, and Apples to Apples. These games are the easiest to adapt and can be used with any level or age group.

Below is a complete summary of the best four board games for ESL students. Read and learn how you can easily adapt each game for practicing English skills in class.

Charades

Charades can be played by using single words, such as any noun, verb, or adjective. If you want to make it more difficult, use phrases, expressions, or full sentences. You could also base it on themes, like movies, famous people, or the students’ names etc.

If some students are unfamiliar with Charades, make sure to model an example for them before playing the game. Remind them that the goal is to elicit the words through silent physical actions, not by speaking.

Charades is one of the best games to use in most classroom contexts because it is interactive and entertaining for all ages. It is an excellent way for kinesthetic learners to review important vocabulary and expressions from a previous lesson. Plus, it helps break up the pace of a lesson and inject some energy into the class.

Pictionary

Pictionary is another fun game that you can use to review vocabulary. Just like Charades, you can make it more difficult by eliciting longer phrases or complete sentences. Only instead of doing it through silent actions, you accomplish the task by drawing pictures on the board.

You can even combine the games together by using a coin. One side of the coin represents Charades, while the other side denotes Pictionary.

When it is someone’s turn to elicit a new word or phrase, flip the coin to determine if they should either perform a silent action or draw a picture.

Scrabble

When you think of the game of Scrabble, you may wonder how it could be used in larger classes. The traditional game of Scrabble is usually played with individual players on a small board. However, the concept of the game can be adapted to suit any classroom context.

On the classroom board, draw a large version of the Scrabble game board. Generally, a grid of 10×10 squares is appropriate for most situations.

Divide the class into teams and base the vocabulary on any words that you want to review. The teams score points by forming words on the board just like in the traditional game. You can assign higher points to uncommon letters or make each letter worth one point to keep it simpler. Certain squares on the board (like on the diagonal axes) can denote a double or triple score.

Unlike the traditional game, it isn’t necessary to give the teams a series of letters to use. This would likely make the game too challenging and impose too many restrictions.

Apples to Apples

The concept of Apples to Apples is ideal for the English language classroom. In the traditional game, there are two types of cards. Red cards consist of nouns: people, places, and things. Green cards consist of adjectives to describe the nouns.

In groups, the “Judge” gives each player 5 red cards (the amount can be adjusted). Next, the Judge reveals one green adjective card to the group. The students then select one red card from their collection and describe why their card is the best match to that particular adjective.

Of course, you can adjust the difficulty level the game for beginners or intermediate students by simplifying the description task.

If you don’t have the actual game, you can create the cards or print out a free PDF version of Apples to Apples. Better yet, you can have your students create the words in class.

Divide the class into teams or smaller groups if you prefer. Assign one student in each group to be the “Judge” who deals out the cards to each student. Alternatively, you can play the game as a whole class and the teacher can act as the judge for all of the students.

Other Activities and Board Games for ESL Students

These are just four examples of how you can adapt traditional board games for ESL students in class. But those are just a few of the classics. There are more games you can try, such as Balderdash, Monopoly, Battleships, and many others that your students will enjoy.

For more fun ESL games and additional details about how to use board games for language learning, visit ESLexpat.com.

The good news is that people who are just starting to learn English are not alone in this kind of battle. A lot of students who took one-on-one Skype sessions with the English tutors at Preply started out confused but are now fluent in English.

Top 15 English Pronunciations Errors by Foreigners

If you’re just starting to learn English, don’t let these 15 pronunciation lapses fool you!

Words spelled the same but pronounced differently

Collectively called heteronyms, these dastardly words look the same, but they may be pronounced differently depending on how they are used. Here are some cruel examples:

• Live: Ed Sheeran will perform live near the place where you live.
• Read: I’ve read the entire book, but I’ll probably read it again next month.
• Wind: You need to wind the turbine before the wind arrives.

Words that end in -ough

Did you know that there are 10 different ways to pronounce the suffix -ough? Nowhere in the rich vocabulary of the English language can a word have such complexity in pronunciation!

Here are some of the popular words ending in -ough that sound nothing alike:

• Rough = sounds like puff
• Plough = sounds like cow
• Dough = sounds like row
• Through = sounds like glue

Words using short ‘i’

This particular pronunciation of the letter ‘i’ can be found in the words sit, hit, bid, and twin. Due to the nature of their own native languages, some foreigners pronounce the vowel longer than it should be read. As a result, the four words above may be pronounced erroneously as seat, heat, bead, and tween.

Words with ‘ght’

This odd combination of letters appears in several English words, but what’s stranger is that they may be pronounced differently depending on the word. Here are some examples:

• Eight = sounds like hate
• Height = sounds like bite
• Laughter = sounds like after
• Daughter = sounds like otter

desert vs. dessert

    or          ?

How can a single letter drastically change the way a word is pronounced? Apparently, that happens in English often, such as this case. Desert refers to a dry and sandy place, while dessert is something that you enjoy after a meal.

What’s strange about the two words is that adding the extra ‘s’ switches the stress from the first syllable to the second.

chocolate

/ˈtʃɑklət/

Speaking of desserts, beginners in English tend to pronounce most (if not all) of the letters in the word, probably to play it safe. That’s why when words such as chocolate come by, it’s normal for most foreigners to say it as it’s spelled. The correct pronunciation involves a silent middle ‘o’, and the last syllable spoken as “lət”.

vegetable

/ˈvedʒ(ə)təb(ə)l/

It’s a fairly common English word that can come up in casual conversations, especially when you’re into cooking or buying at a local fresh food market. However, some foreigners tend to pronounce each letter in this word, most especially the middle ‘e’. On top of this, the last two syllables are erroneously pronounced in the same way as the word table.

receipt

/rɪˈsit/

This word is a doozy for some beginner English learners, especially because of the silent ‘p’. Some even go to great lengths and pronounce the last part as ”put”, adding an extra syllable in the word.

Wednesday

/ˈwenzˌdeɪ/

While we’re still in the line of silent letters, here’s another mindbender: the first ‘d’ and the middle ‘e’ are both silent! Don’t be surprised if non-native English speakers consider this word a tongue twister!

leopard

/ˈlepərd/

Proficient and native English speakers know how to pronounce this word pertaining to a large spotted cat, but some basic English learners may read this as the name Leo (“lee-yo”). It may be a fairly common term for people who are into zoology and fashion (hello, leopard print skirts!), but it’s understandable why many foreigners have trouble pronouncing it correctly.

says

/sez/

The root verb say rhymes with the words hey and weigh, but its third-person singular form says is pronounced differently. It morphs into something that sounds like Mendez. Foreigners who have minimal to basic English speaking skills may be caught off guard with this particular word.

aren’t

/ɑrnt/

Here’s another popular word with a silent letter (in this case, the middle ‘e’). It’s probably due to the fact that the root word are also has a silent ‘e’, which is then carried over to its negative variant.

women

/ˈwɪmɪn/

The singular noun woman sounds rounder than its plural form. For a non-native speaker, it’s easy to mistake the letter ‘o’ in women as its regular pronunciation, but it’s pronounced more like the letter ‘i’. This is the only case in a commonly used word where the letter ‘o’ has this kind of pronunciation,

walk

/wɔk/

In the same breadth of silent letters, here’s a more common one: the silent ‘l’ followed by a letter ‘k’. In this case, the sound of the letter ‘l’ is dropped altogether. Other examples include folk and chalk.

foreign

/ˈfɔrən/

While we’re on the subject of foreigners mispronouncing some common English words, our last entry on the list is the word foreign. Yep, that word involves another classic silent letter (‘g’ in this case).

While it may take an average learner a few years to become fluent in English, you can compress your learning curve by learning a few strategies along the way. We hope you will be able to avoid these common pronunciation mistakes and be on your way to mastering the English language pretty soon.

Plan before you go

Knowing how much money you will have and how long you will be away for will definitely help you create a budget for your travels. Think about where you’re wanting to travel to and how much you might need on a daily basis in that particular place. Bear in mind that some countries and cities will be significantly more expensive than others, particularly Australia. It can be a good idea to do some research online about each of the places you plan to visit so you can work out what the average cost of living is.

However, remember that you might not need as much as the average, so don’t let that put you off. You might also find that you can work while you travel, which could boost your spending money and let you have more fun in the more expensive places.

Travel off peak

If you want to save money on the cost of travelling then it can be a good idea to avoid travelling in the height of the season, as plane fares and accommodation costs can skyrocket during these times, such as the summer holidays. If you can, choose to fly out during off-peak times. During these times you can also often get cheaper accommodation, and the places you visit (particularly major tourist attractions) can be much quieter.

Avoid expensive destinations

Some destinations can be very expensive, and your money might not go as far as you’d hoped – even if you’re living cheaply, such as Sydney or Paris. But we all know, there are some places that are just must-visit destinations. However, you can always plan to spend less time there, meaning you still get to see the place, but you won’t need to exhaust your funds there. So we’re not saying avoid them completely, just to limit your time there.

If you’re planning to visit a major city, you might find that you’ll save money by staying a little further out. Hostels are generally cheaper the further away they are from the main attractions. Even if you have to take a train or bus for half an hour to reach the main area, it can be worth it. Plus, you’ll get to see parts of that country or city that you might not otherwise get to see.

Use public transport

If you can hop on a bus or a train to get from one destination to the next, than this can often work out much cheaper than taking a flight. However, with the increase in low fares airlines in Europe, you might want to check flight prices too, just in case. But for travelling across Australia, Asia or South America, local transport can often be a cost effective option.

Live like a local

When you’re in big cities or areas with lots of tourists, the price of eating out can be quite high. But if you look around and find where the locals go, you will often find places where you can eat for much less. Even if you venture slightly out of the tourist areas, you’d be amazed at the difference in prices.

Sometimes your budget might not allow for eating out everyday, or maybe you want to save up extra cash for the next destination on your list. Either way, eating in can help you stick to your travelling budget. Most hostels will have kitchens for you to use, where you can also make new friends with fellow travellers.

Don’t party too hard

We have probably all heard stories of people who knew people who partied too hard on their gap year and ended up having to come home early, half way through their trip. Make sure you don’t end up being the star of one of these stories.

Alcohol can be expensive in some places, so it can be good to factor in how much you plan to spend on alcohol and partying before you leave. Another thing that could affect your budget is that if you drink too much, you could risk going way over your daily budget, when silly purchases seem like a fantastic idea – we’ve all been there.

No matter where you travel or how much money you have, make sure you stick to your budget, but enjoy yourself and stay safe.

Here are some things you’ll need to get used to once you make your big move.

Standing out

Everything about you – from your eye color to your height – will stand out from the vast majority of locals in Asian countries. This is especially true in rural areas. That being said, be prepared to get a lot of stares. The Huffington Post shares that it’s common for locals to even say hello, ask for a picture, or shout random things like ‘Obama’ at you.

Language

English is spoken in many parts of Asia, with countries like Singapore, India, and the Philippines having it as an official language. You don’t need to learn the local dialect, but it does help to know some basic words. If you’re travelling to China, be sure to keep the Teaching Nomad basic phrase guide on your phone to help you out. It’s also good to have a translator app to further ease communication.

Temperature and humidity

The sun can get very harsh in this continent, so you’ll need lots of sunscreen and/or an umbrella when you go out. In the evenings, you’ll most likely need to stay in a place with air conditioning for comfort. Leesa recommends keeping your bedroom between 66 and 70 degrees for the best chance of sleeping well. This small adjustment, along with breathable clothing and lots of water, can make your evenings more restorative and help you get ready for the humid Asian days.

Food

To a foreigner, Asian cuisine can vary from mildly surprising to downright bizarre. Be open-minded and try different things to see what you like. There’s a good chance you’ll find several dishes in your new home country to your liking. You’ll also find that there’s a level of artistry in Asian cuisine that is fascinating to watch.

Other expenses

You’ll be pleasantly surprised that a lot of your day-to-day expenses are cheap. Food, hotels, and the like are affordable. Although in countries like China, haggling is an important life skill to get commodity prices further down. CNN also recommends being extra careful when it comes to hailing taxis also recommends being extra careful when it comes to hailing taxis by insisting on using the meter or by hailing cabs through new booking apps that help drivers be more accountable.

Cultural nuances

Finally, be wary of actions that may be alright in Western countries, but may be considered taboo in Asia and vise versa. For instance, slurping when eating noodles can be considered rude in the West, but is actually a sign of appreciation in countries like Japan. The thumbs up sign can be considered rude in Thailand, while placing chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice is a sign of bad luck in China. The Conde Nast Traveler shares that a blanket rule is to take your shoes off before entering temples or homes and not to take pictures without permission.

Moving to Asia to teach can be a very rewarding experience, and can itself teach you so many valuable life lessons along the way. Do your research well about the way of life in your new home, and be sure to keep your mind and heart open.

So what are the best ways to make money? Unfortunately, very few things in life come with little effort. But there are some things you can do to boost your cash flow and fund your studies.

Sell your Stuff

Let’s face it, we’ve all got wardrobes and cupboards full of stuff we no longer want or use. So instead of it lying there gathering dust, consider selling it. You’d be amazed what people will buy. Go through your wardrobes for old clothes and shoes. The better the condition, the more money you’re likely to get for them. And if you have any designer or brand named items, you might find that there’s more demand for these.

Before you sell any of your gear, do a quick search online to see how much other people are selling similar items for. This will give you a better idea of how much you could get for yours. Try listing your items on sites like Ebay or even pack up your gear and head to your local car boot sale. Car Boot Junction offers a list of car boot sales across the UK, where you can search by county for sales near you.

Rent Out a Spare Room

This will probably work best if you own your own flat or if your landlord is someone you know. However, even if you don’t you can still explore this option, providing you have permission from your landlord. But if you have a spare bedroom, or even a box room, you can make some pretty serious cash!

Sites like airbnb allow you to list your available accommodation and you choose how much you rent it for. If you’re in a large city or an area where there’s a major event happening, you can rent it for even more. Annual events like the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh can cause hotel and hostel prices to soar dramatically, so do your research and price accordingly. Even if you’ve got a one-off event, such as, you know, a royal wedding, the price people will pay for a room is likely to astound you.

Be a Tutor

Tutoring is a fantastic way of making money. And if you’re looking to study a TEFL course, tutoring can give you added teaching experience that will be looked on favourably by your future employers when you’re finally qualified to teach English to foreign language speakers.

Advertise your services in your local newspaper or library. You can set your own hourly rate based on your qualifications and experience but it can be a good idea to research the going rate for your subject and expertise to make sure you’re charging a fair price.

House or Pet Sitting

Lots of people prefer to leave their house or pet in the hands of someone they trust when they go on holiday, rather than putting their pet in kennels and leaving their house empty. Sites such as Trusted Housesitters pairs up people looking for a house sitter with people looking to house sit. You can make some pretty good money doing this and it can be a fun experience.

On the other hand, and if you love dogs, dog walking can be a fun way to make some extra cash. People who work all day or are unable to get out often need someone to walk their dogs. Check with people you know and advertise your services in your local vets. Some vets will also be interested in getting contact details for house pet sitters as well, as their clients will often ask for recommendations.

Sell Your Old Phone

Most households have a potential gold mine, most likely gathering dust in a cupboard or drawer. Rake through your house for old mobile phones and you could be quids in. Check with the rest of your family to see if they’ve got any phones they don’t use anymore and ask if you can sell them. If you’re lucky, they might even let you keep the money you make! Sites like Music Magpie and Mobile Cash Mate will buy your old phones from you.

With Music Magpie you could get rid of all your old CDs and DVDs in return for cash too. So, you’ll be clearing out clutter as well as making money!

1. It’s different to anywhere I’ve been before and each day I am still astounded by the scenery and its beauty!
2. I am living a life that is culturally different. It can be easy in times of difficulty to resort to habits I may have had when back home, so I make a conscious effort to embrace the culture here.
3. I am able to travel pretty much anywhere!! Transport is easy and cheap to use, so exploring is a must.
4. I appreciate the little things that I never noticed back home, but equally I value the new things here that I actually prefer.
5. I am challenging myself each day. Whether it be trying to use some Chinese phrases I’ve learnt, or finding which exit of the metro I need.
6. Everyone is/was in the same position as you are. I am never afraid of things I don’t know now because everyone has been there and people are always happy to help.
7. I am always learning and growing. For me, being in a different environment every day opens up my knowledge and understanding of life in general which is really nice.
8. I value family and relationships more than ever.
9. I get to meet new people who have come from all different walks of life, and on the odd occasion meet some who may have been just a town away when I lived back home.
10. Finally, traveling is memories made that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

By Jayne

Associate Placement Consultant at Teaching Nomad

About our company: Teaching Nomad is an American owned and operated education recruitment company based in Shanghai, China. Our goal and purpose is to help great teachers find great teaching jobs. Year round, we have hundreds of teaching job vacancies. Whether your goal is to be an ESL teacher or teach in an international school, we have a teaching job for you. You can browse jobs online at www.teachingnomad.com/job-search for the latest job openings. Teaching Nomad is here to make teaching in China easier, so please feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions or inquiries!

1. Kid Germs

It’s no secret that when you’re working with kids, you’re more prone to catching a bug. We all remember our younger selves and the questionable and sticky things we got on our hands and shirts. Keep in mind that this can easily be transferred to you. When you’re teaching kids in a confined classroom, there’s no escape from ‘Kid Germs’. Try your best to limit direct contact with your students and promote healthy hygiene. You’ll be doing yourself a favor and have an additional topic to fill your lesson plan!

2. Hand Sanitizer/Wet Wipes

With any sudden stop on the metro or bus, your hand automatically shoots up to steady yourself. More often than not you will have grabbed onto one of the many poles on the metro car. With more hands touching these poles than the door knob of the busiest bathroom in your office building, you will have been transferred many people’s hand germs. Hand sanitizers and wet wipes fit right into your pocket or bag and get those pesky germs off your hands. These can be a life saver if you commute to work during the week.

3. Stay Clean at Home

Every working adult has their lazy days. Laundry begins to pile up and dishes in the sink are neglected. The longer you haven’t touched your vacuum or washing machine, the more time germs have to build up. Regularly clean your space no matter how tired you are. Walking into a clean space and being able to kick your shoes off is more rewarding than walking into a cockroach infested home (not that we believe you have a cockroach infested home but you get the picture).

4. Healthy Diet

As good as it feels to eat some nachos and wash it down with a beer, there are few benefits to eating junk food. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats have vitamins and antioxidants that help your body attack some of those viruses. Something as simple as a squeeze of lemon in your tea can do wonders.

Lastly, you must be pro-active to prevent getting sick. Don’t wait until you can’t even have a full conversation without coughing every thirty seconds to do something about it. In the long run, it saves time and you’ll feel your best all year round!

By June A

Associate Placement Consultant at Teaching Nomad

About our company: Teaching Nomad is an American owned and operated education recruitment company based in Shanghai, China. Our goal and purpose is to help great teachers find great teaching jobs. Year round, we have hundreds of teaching job vacancies. Whether your goal is to be an ESL teacher or teach in an international school, we have a teaching job for you. You can browse jobs online at www.teachingnomad.com/job-search for the latest job openings. Teaching Nomad is here to make teaching in China easier, so please feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions or inquiries!