I came up with a dice game off the cuff that seems to work pretty well, keeps ESL students thinking and engaged..just select five broad categories:(eg. 1=animals, 2=brands, 3=adjectives, 4=countries, 5=province of Thailand, 6=words that start with C).

 

If it is a small class they can play individually, if a larger group it also works as a team game.

 

Each player (or team) rolls twice. The first roll designates the category and the second roll the number of syllables in the word. If they can come up with the correct answer, give them one point for a correct answer and a bonus point if they can spell it correctly. If they can't, the other teams get to try.

 

There are a lot of other games you can do with the same basic theme, but linking it to the number of syllables was the new twist that I found worked quite well.

 

Anyway, give it a try if you want and let me know what you think...

 

 

 

 

Thanks, very clever.... 

 

Have you tried Haikus or Tankas?    575     57575 Syllables  Japanese poetry form?

 

On 6/19/2017 at 7:29 PM, phuketsub said:

keeps ESL students thinking and engaged..

 

No use here then, as this is an EFL environment ;-)

12 hours ago, Rhys said:

Thanks, very clever.... 

 

Have you tried Haikus or Tankas?    575     57575 Syllables  Japanese poetry form?

 

I will look into that...I remember learning about Haikus in elementary school, but that is going back a long way!

 

11 hours ago, phuketsub said:

I will look into that...I remember learning about Haikus in elementary school, but that is going back a long way!

 

 

I tried this with university students, they liked it... and they quite clever....

 

Dice in class...good luck with that.

38 minutes ago, ozmeldo said:

Dice in class...good luck with that.

I don't get it. I reckon a pair of dice should be standard-issue equipment in an ESL class. They are also a great way to teach math and introduce mathematical concepts like probability...Anyway, I have been using them for almost 30 years and can't recall any negative outcomes...:)

Gambling device. Playing cards are taken by Thai teachers on sight.

 

Fun no-prep game, I'll give you that.

As a teacher, I have held back from this topic, hoping it would go away.

It's still here, so let me comment. This is something that I devised 7 years ago and it didn't really work. No disrespect, but you have not come up with some new concept. 

Google your concept and check the date range! It goes back at least 20 years. I understand you are excited about a new position and I, like you, was equally enthralled when I began. Give it 3 more years and you will become the zombie that I am now. Yes, yes, yes to F@@king everything and objection to nothing. Welcome to the nonsense that these retards call.............. Education.

On 30/6/2560 at 11:57 PM, thequietman said:

As a teacher, I have held back from this topic, hoping it would go away.

It's still here, so let me comment. This is something that I devised 7 years ago and it didn't really work. No disrespect, but you have not come up with some new concept. 

Google your concept and check the date range! It goes back at least 20 years. I understand you are excited about a new position and I, like you, was equally enthralled when I began. Give it 3 more years and you will become the zombie that I am now. Yes, yes, yes to F@@king everything and objection to nothing. Welcome to the nonsense that these retards call.............. Education.

Your comment reflects a great deal of presumption. I am not new to teaching in Thailand. Indeed, I have been doing it for 29 years.

 

I am also not claiming to have invented the wheel, just to give a tip to other teachers who might benefit from it in some way.

 

Anyway, I hope you can somehow break out of your self-described zombie state and find a way to bring some enthusiasm to your students.

9 hours ago, phuketsub said:

Your comment reflects a great deal of presumption. I am not new to teaching in Thailand. Indeed, I have been doing it for 29 years.

 

I am also not claiming to have invented the wheel, just to give a tip to other teachers who might benefit from it in some way.

 

Anyway, I hope you can somehow break out of your self-described zombie state and find a way to bring some enthusiasm to your students.

Had a few..................... apologies. 

11 minutes ago, thequietman said:

Had a few..................... apologies. 

No Worries...we've all done it.