ESL Introductory Classroom Activities

Fun Icebreaker Ideas for the First Day of English Class

Ice breakers, name games, and other get-to-know each other activities are all part of the first
day of an English class. Here are a few ideas to fill that first lesson.

When working with ESL students, be they energetic kindergarteners or too-cool-for-school

teenagers, there are a few tried-and-true introductory lesson activities that will start any
course off on the right foot.

Ice Breakers

Some sort of energy boost activity always works, especially if the class meets early in the
morning. Get the students moving and out of their seats with an activity along the lines of
Simon Says, where they must focus and follow what you are doing. That way, once they sit
back down, they have your attention, and you can begin your introductory lesson.

Learning Your Students' Names: The English Name Game

Some sort of name game works best with smaller groups of students. If possible, sit in a
circle. Each student must come up with an adjective starting with the same letter as his or her
first name, i.e. "Super Suzanne." The trick with this game, though, is that a student must first
say all of the names that came before him or her. So the second person would say, "She is
Super Suzanne, and I am..." and so on.

Alternatively, you could have each student choose an animal beginning with the same letter as
his or her first name (e.g., "Suzanne the Salamander"), or any other category you find
appropriate.

The name game is, believe it or not, a hit with older students. Teenagers can get very clever
with the words they come up with, and the result is usually lots of laughs around the circle.

Getting to Know Each Other

There are a few simple options for get-to-know each other activities:

• The Questions Game: This is a way to get each pupil talking. What the student must
do is say something about himself, then turn that around as a question to you or to
another student. For example, "My favorite color is blue. What's your favorite color?"
This can be another circle activity, and it works with large groups of students, too.
• The Partner Interview: Come up with a set of fun questions (and encourage students
to think of their own!) that students must ask each other. Then each of your students
must present his or her partner to the rest of the group. This is a fantastic exercise for
several reasons: it encourages students to feel comfortable speaking the language in
front of a group, plus it allows them to practice speaking with third person verb
 conjugations (which are often difficult for ESL students), and, of course, everyone
learns more about each other.

Other Filler Activities

If you're left with some extra time in the lesson after completing all of your introductory
activities, consider some of these options:

• Who Am I?: This game never fails to amuse. Have some Post-It notes handy, and have
each pupil write down the name of a well-known person. Each student sticks the Post-
It on a fellow student's forehead, and a guessing game follows. Then each person asks
the group yes-or-no questions about the name on his or her forehead. A "yes" answer
means the student is allowed to ask another question. A "no" answer means that the
next person asks a question.
• Twenty Questions: Divide the class into two teams, choose a category, and have each
team pick something that fits that category. Teams ask each other yes-or-no questions;
whichever team figures out the opponents' word or name in fewer questions wins.
• Other Classic Games: If you only have a couple of minutes to kill, favorites like
Hangman or Charades always work.

So regardless of whether you're teaching English abroad or in the United States, these
activities are effective in getting to know your students and making them comfortable
speaking English with you. All are fun and easy, and most require few materials. For more
ideas, check out the British Council's website for teaching English.

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