10 Easy ESL Icebreakers

first day of English class is crucial for setting the tone for the whole term, so it’s
important to start with a bang. ESL icebreakers are a great way to accomplish this, as
they get students moving, build confidence, and set the tone for class. However,
icebreakers aren’t just for day one! Throughout the term, English students might be
coming to class tired after a long day or groggy and sleepy-eyed, so you want to get
them engaged and energetic, and it might take a little creative ice-breaking to do that!
There are tons of ESL icebreakers out there, and we’ll share details on how to
effectively use the following 10 in your class.

What makes a good ESL icebreaker?

A good ESL icebreaker is, first and foremost, fun, meaning that it should appeal to your
students. One of the main ideas behind icebreakers is to get students out of their
shells and make them more comfortable with speaking in class, so you’ll need to use
an icebreaker that interests them.
Make sure that the icebreaker you choose is level-appropriate and that while pushing
students to share more, you don’t go overboard and make them uncomfortable by
asking them to share too much or things that are too personal.
Additionally, ESL icebreakers that only have a few rules are typically easier to explain
to English learners and ensure that you spend less time going over instructions and
more time actually conducting the activity.
What are the best ESL icebreakers?
Each of the following ice breakers requires little to no preparation, is easy to explain,
and can be adapted to all levels and ages. These activities promote student talk time
and encourage students to become more comfortable with speaking up in class.
1. Would You Rather…?
In this game, students think about two scenarios and choose the one they would
rather do. The “Would you rather…?” questions (a variety of which can be found
online), can range from goofy to serious, such as:
Would you rather be poor and happy or rich and unhappy?
Would you rather have a missing finger or an extra toe?
Would you rather find your soulmate or find a billion dollars (and never find your soulmate)?
Would you rather eat your favorite meal for every meal for the rest of your life or never be able to
eat your favorite meal again?
Would you rather speak all languages fluently or be able to speak to animals?
Would you rather lose your wallet or lose your keys?

You can play this as a whole class or put students in groups and give them a stack of
cards with questions and they take turns asking each other the questions. Either way,
following up by asking “Why or why not?” can lead to some fun discussions.
2. Two Truths and a Lie
3. Positive, Negative, Crazy
Write a discussion topic on the board (for example, food, pets, social media, or dating)
and then start passing a ball or “hot potato” from student to student. As students pass
the hot potato around, they must stop when they hear you say the words positive,
negative or crazy.
When you say, “positive,” the student holding the potato must stop and make a
positive statement about the topic. For example, If the topic is food, their statement
might be “My favorite restaurant is Ichiban Sushi.”
If you say, “negative,” they must make a negative statement about the topic, e.g. “I’ve
never eaten Chinese food!”
And, if you say, “crazy,” the sentence they create can be anything they like, such as
“One time I ate a whole pizza myself!”
5. The Hot Seat
This ESL icebreaker is a fun vocabulary guessing game.
Put a chair at the front of the room with its back facing the board; this is the Hot Seat
and a student volunteer must sit here. Then, write a word on the board (for beginners,
tell them the category or theme of words, such as jobs or food – ideally vocabulary
they are already studying). Then, the other students try to prompt the hot-seater into
guessing what the word is by describing it without saying the actual word (fun with
famous people too!).
For example, if you’ve told your beginner class the category is fruit and the word on
the board is pineapple, the students can say things like:
It’s a big fruit.
It grows in tropical places.
It’s yellow inside.
It has spines.

With guessing games like this one, students are really enthusiastic about trying to get
their peers to guess correctly and win the game. The desire to guess takes over, and
formerly reserved students forget that they were ever afraid to speak up in English.
7. One Beep
This is a very simple ESL icebreaker that works well for any age and is a great way to
practice English numbers.
Traditionally, students alternate between saying a number and the word “beep” as
they go around the room counting. For example, the first student would say, “one,”
the second would say, “beep,” the third would say, “three,” the fourth would say,
“beep,” and so on.
However, you can make this game as complex as you want, such as choosing to insert
“beep” for odd or even numbers, on numbers divisible by three, etc. You could also
bring it to the next level by creating other sounds or words they have to say for certain
numbers. For example, every number divisible by three must be replaced by “beep,”
and every odd number must be replaced by “boop.” For numbers that fall into both
categories, you must say both (“beep boop”).
8. Interview and Introduce
This is an easy one to incorporate on the first day of class (or later on if you feel
students could get to know one another better). A benefit of this activity is that it
removes the pressure of students introducing themselves at the start of class, which
can sometimes cause stress for new students.
Simply break students into pairs and have them interview one another. To help
students get started, give them a list of things to find out about their partner, such as
where they’re from, how many siblings they have, or what their summer plans are for
the upcoming year. Then, they will introduce their partners to the rest of the class.
9. Balderdash
This ESL activity, based on the game of the same name, works well for older and more
advanced students.
Introduce a strange word that you’re sure they’ve never heard before (ask them to be
sure that no one knows it, and make sure nobody looks it up!). Have each student
write down a definition that they believe fits the word.
Collect all of the definitions and insert your own—the correct one—into the mix. Read
off the definitions and have students vote on which they believe to be the correct one.
Give points for students who guess correctly.
10. Find Someone Who
This activity gets students up and moving around and asking their classmates
questions.
Create a list of traits, such as someone who has a birthday in July, someone who owns
a cat, someone who has traveled abroad, etc. Then, have the students mingle with one
another to find someone who fits each category. They can write down the names of
their classmates next to each one to keep track of who fits which trait.
If you add the rule that they can only use someone’s name for one category/trait, it
will ensure that they get to speak with each of their classmates instead of simply
talking to the one person who meets all the requirements.
ESL Icebreakers: An all-around win for the TEFL
classroom
Icebreakers
First day of class? Students too shy? Students don’t feel comfortable speaking English? We
have you covered! Just choose whichever icebreaker questions or speaking activities you think
will work best!
Icebreaker Speaking Games/Activities
 
Who Am I? 
First off we have “Who Am I?”. It takes a little prep (just some paper and tape) but students
really seem to get into it. They may not get to know each other from this one, but they will
certainly get comfortable talking to each other.
Paper Fight
This get to know you activity is definitely active and can be bit hectic but if you and your
students are keen it can be an activity they will remember for a long time.  Good for building
rapport between you and your students.
Twenty Questions
Twenty questions is also another well worn activity, but one that never gets old. An added
bonus is that it can be used to review target vocabulary. It’s good as a warmer to get them
comfortable with speaking English again.
Personality Quiz 
Ah, personality quizzes. Accurate or not, people really seem to enjoy taking them. You might
want to hide the fact that it is a personality quiz until the very end though. A great activity to
get them talking and also a great activity to review or practice adjectives.
Bingo Icebreaker
Use this bingo board to get your students to ask each other questions. Available as a Word file
download so you can edit it for your needs!
Small Talk 
Completely random questions, so random in fact, that every student can find at least a couple
of questions that will pique their interest.
Have you ever…
Questions about students experiences using the present perfect (i.e. have you ever…).
Everyone likes talking about themselves and the things that have happened to them! (These
questions are also listed under grammar)
Comparatives / Superlatives
Questions based on comparatives (i.e. bigger, smaller, more interesting) and superlatives (i.e.
the biggest, the smallest, the most interesting). Lots of questions to get students talking about
their opinions on many different topics. (These questions are also listed under grammar)
Speak Easy: 7 ESL Icebreakers to Get Your Students
Talking
What Makes a Good ESL Icebreaker?
Not all icebreakers are created equal. And not all icebreakers are good for ESL students.
Here’s what to look for when choosing effective, appropriate icebreakers for your
English class:
They don’t make students take big social risks with people they barely
know. Though some people put every aspect of their life on social media, not everyone
is ready to put their personal details out there for the world to see. So good icebreakers
don’t expect your students to get overly personal with people they don’t know.
But getting to know one another is another aspect of good icebreakers. You have to put
yourself out there a little bit, so the best icebreakers walk that fine line between
helping students get to know one another without getting too personal.
They match your students’ proficiency level. If your icebreaker requires more
English input or comprehension than your students can handle, no one will participate.
If it’s too easy, they’ll get bored quickly. You want your icebreakers to be at your
students’ language level, not above or below it. So choose activities that guarantee
language success.
Even the best icebreaker won’t do any good if your students are unwilling to
participate, so good icebreakers appeal to students. In other words, they aren’t lame.
When choosing an icebreaker for your class, keep in mind what they like. A bunch
of fifteen year olds aren’t going to like the same things that a bunch of business
professionals like.
7 Fresh ESL Icebreakers to Help Students Get to Know
One Another
1. Paper Airplane You
This fun writing icebreaker works well with students that are at least at an upper-
beginning level.
To start, the students write three to five facts about themselves on a piece of paper. Then
they put their creativity to work by folding that paper into a paper airplane. (If you
aren’t sure how to make an airplane that flies, check out this article on creating the best
paper airplanes.)
On your count, everyone flies their planes toward the middle of the room. Then students
pick up a plane that landed near them.
Students take turns reading the facts written on the plane and trying to guess whose it
was. Let the class help if individuals get stuck.
If you like, you can tailor the facts students write to what you’re studying. For
example, if you’re doing a sports unit, have students write three sports they like. If
you’re studying travel, they could write three places they would like to go.
2. Four Corners
This listening-based icebreaker can be a bit of a challenge for beginning students. So
keep it for intermediate to advanced students or tailor your questions to the language
level of your students.
Before playing, label the corners of your room one through four. Then ask get-to-know-
you questions. For this activity, asking about students’ favorites is a good way to go.
For example, ask about their favorite sports, their favorite movie genres, their favorite
animals, etc.
You’ll be giving students four answer choices—one for each corner. For example, if
you’re asking about favorite animals, you might give them these choices: 1. Dog 2. Cat
3. Fish 4. Bird.
Students then move to the corner that represents their answer.
Not only does this help students get to know one another, it also lets them see what
they have in common with other students in your class. And that’s a good starting
point for chit chat and/or developing friendships.
4. Concentric Circles
You may never have wanted to try speed dating, but your students will definitely love
this icebreaker twist on it. For intermediate and advanced students, it’s a fun, active
way to get to know lots of people in class in a short amount of time—and it
provides excellent practice for real-world conversation your students may have when
they meet native English speakers.
To prepare for the activity, have your class divide into two groups and form two circles
in the middle of the room, one inside the other so each person is facing one partner.
Ask an icebreaker question to the class and give students a chance to answer. After one
minute, call out, “rotate!” The inner circle should move one spot clockwise. Students
should now be facing a new partner.
Call out another icebreaker question and give students a minute to answer before
rotating again. Keep going in this manner until you run out of time or until students are
back facing their first partner.
7. Who’s in Your Circles?
Icebreakers that focus on discourse may not be all that common, but your intermediate
and advanced students will have fun with discourse when they learn who’s “in their
circles.”
You don’t have to do any prep before class, but at the start of the activity, have each
student draw three concentric circles on a blank piece of paper.
Pick a topic for the round (such as favorite food, favorite season, etc.) and have students
write it in the center circle. They should label the second circle “Love,” the third circle
“Like” and the space outside the circles “Don’t Like.”
In the innermost circle under the topic, each student writes something (say, a food) they
love. Then students mingle with one another, bringing their papers with them, and ask
how a particular student feels about the food they wrote.
When a classmate answers, the person should write their classmate’s name in the
appropriate area of their paper.
Play for a few minutes and then start again with another topic—sport, type of music,
favorite season, etc.—with a new sheet of paper.
After a few rounds, encourage students to discuss common interests with people who
share their inner circle on different topics.
 
Getting to know new people in English shouldn’t cause anxiety in your students, and it
doesn’t have to. With activities that appeal to your students and don’t put them in too
intimate situations, getting to know one another might become something your students
love and look forward to.

Your First Lesson

5 Essential Ice-Breakers That Guarantee Success
Starting a class with an entire group of new
students can be a stressful experience for both
teacher and student.
Teachers may feel awkward speaking in front of a group of new
faces who appear to be watching in a quite judgemental manner.
Students also feel the nerves during a first class, as they may not
have spoken English for a very long time. Their last experience with
an English teacher may have been in a strict, grammar-
focused classroom environment many years ago. This often creates
a series of confidence issues with the student, having not used the
language for an extended period and fearing making a mistake. The
first class should be to promote a positive learning environment,
where usage of the target language, whether right or wrong, will be
viewed as being beneficial for the students. This is often the biggest
hurdle faced by ESL teachers when dealing with adult learners of a
basic level.
Additionally, the first lesson is also a prime opportunity to build
a rapport with the students. By developing a strong connection
with students, teachers set a cooperative learning environment that
is easy for you and comfortable for the students. You should also
use the first class as a time to evaluate the level, needs and wants
of the students, and this can be done through a number of activities
that are fun, entertaining and sure to develop on all of the important
qualities that set the mark for what will be a successful course.
Fun First-Lesson Ice-Breakers
1
‘?‘
When I walk into a class for the first time, instead of introducing myself, I like
to draw a big question mark on the board and get the students to do all of the
hard work. I sometimes tell them that I would normally introduce myself, but I’m
feeling a little tired and that they must do the hard work. For more advanced
students, the teacher could walk in the class and have students ask whatever
comes into their mind with little preparation, while lower levels could work in
pairs or groups and write down some questions they could ask. Error
correction is very important, the teacher should write the question on the
board, and if a question is asked in a structurally incorrect way, the teacher
can elicit the answer from other students in the class. This is good way to
build the confidence of students and show them that incorrect answers are still
beneficial to the class. This exercise is a great way to start off a class as it puts
the students in a position where they are effectively doing work in your class,
experiencing your role as a teacher in the class, and building their confidence in
using English in a fun and light-hearted manner.

4
Expectations, wants and needs
When dealing with children, the expectations of the teacher play a significant
role in contributing to a productive flow of the course, especially for dealing with
classroom management. However, when it comes to dealing with adults,
focusing on the expectations of the students is vital when providing
extracurricular activities. All adult students would have an expectation of an
English class, and when you fulfil the expectations of the student, you succeed
as an ESL teacher. By finding out the expectations of the students, you can
tailor the course around their wants and needs, which at the end of the day
gives you positive feedback and provides you with a great reputation that can
lead to more opportunities in the future.

5
End the class on a fun note
After completing a successful first class, leave on a high note and play a
game. A great little quicky vocab game is to come up with a topic, e.g., ‘The
Beach’, and have the students stand up and form a circle in the middle of the
room. The student must say an original word associated with the topic, e.g.,
‘sand’, ‘sea’, etc. If the student gives an answer that is not associated with the
topic, takes too long to answer or repeats a word, they must sit down. The
game continues until one person is left standing, who is the winner.
As the saying goes: ‘first impressions last’, especially
walking into a class full of new faces.
All you need to do is arm them with the confidence to succeed, find
out what they expect from the class, while taking a fun and light-
hearted approach. By following the above steps, your students will
love you, and have the confidence to express themselves and walk
away from the class having learned something new in constructive
and enjoyable atmosphere.
Break the Back-to-School Ice! 10
Fun Icebreakers for the Beginning
of the Year
Everyone loves a good icebreaker—it’s a great way to get to know
other people and help people feel relaxed in stressful situations,
such as the first day of a new school year.
Here are a few icebreakers and some variations to
the icebreakers to try during the first week of school to build a
good sense of community in your classroom that will last
throughout the year!
1
Name Chain Games
By far and away the best way to learn and retain student names is to do a
name chain game to start off the class. You can vary the specifics to fit the
needs of your particular class, but my class usually goes like this: the first
student says 1) his or her name, 2) his or her home country, 3) one interesting
fact about himself or herself, and 4) his or her favorite English word. The next
student must then repeat all of the information about himself or herself and then
say the name and favorite English word of the preceding student. The third
student introduces himself or herself and then says the names and favorite
English words of the preceding two students, and so on until the last student.
For a challenge, tell the last student not to write anything down! As the teacher,
you can also go last instead and impress the class with your knowledge of their
names while simultaneously making the last student feel better. Make sure you
quiz your students throughout the week to see if they can remember everyone’s
names and favorite words. I’ve also made a practice vocabulary quiz using each
of their favorite English words before which is a great way to transition them into
your testing style.
Variation: Instead of having students say their favorite English word, have them
choose a word that starts with the same letter as their name, a favorite city,
favorite food, etc... the options are endless!

2
New Year’s Resolutions
Your students may be familiar with this popular tradition in January, but a
new school year should bring about new resolutions for students and
teachers alike. Have students partner up with each other and discuss what
goals they have for themselves for the school year. Encourage them to be
specific with the things they would like to accomplish and what they want to be
different. Make sure that you as the teacher make some resolutions too!
Variation: While students are talking together, have them create a poster of
their resolutions. Display the posters around the room to help students
remember their goals throughout the term.

3
Name That Person
Another great activity to get to your students to know each other a little
better is a guessing game. Pass out small pieces of paper or notecards to
each student and tell them to write down two facts about themselves on the
card without writing their name on them. Collect the cards in a basket and mix
them up before redistributing them to the students. Students take turn reading
out the facts from the note card and the other students guess which person
wrote the card.
Variation: Instead of writing them down on notecards, have them discuss their
facts with a partner. After groups have had some time to discuss, come back
together as a whole class. The partners will take turns sharing facts and the rest
of the class has to guess which partner the fact is about! Give a point to the
partners who guess the facts correctly and a point to the partners who are able
to fool the class.

5
Find Objects to Describe Me ....
A classic get to know you activity is to have students go through their
backpacks, folders, pockets, etc... and find 3 or 4 things that they feel
describe them very well. Students then need to describe their objects and why
they chose them as their defining objects. Put students into pairs to share their
objects or share as a whole class so that way everyone can hear about their
new classmates!

6
Word Association
A great speaking activity that helps to loosen up nervous students on the
first day is a word association game. One student says a word (choose a
category like travel if you wish to narrow things down) and the next person must
say a word associated with that word; the next student says a word associated
with that word, and so on. If another student challenges the association, the
student must justify how those words are related. Make it a competition to see
who can get the most points if you want to add a little friendly rivalry in the mix.
Variation: To make things more challenging or adapt this activity for a higher
level class, put extra restrictions such as the word you say must begin with the
last letter of the word the previous student said. For example, if Student A says
“Japan,” Student B might say “ninja.”

7
Who Am I?
A great way to mix students up to arrange them into groups or just get
them speaking to one another is to put nametags on the back of the
students of famous people, teachers, movie characters etc... Make sure
that these people will be well known by all of your students. Students must walk
around with their nametag on their back that they cannot see and ask questions
to their classmates about who they are.

8
Picture Story-Telling
To get some of the more creative students included, give each student a
blank piece of paper. Tell them to draw a picture of an event that happened to
them recently, for example, a vacation they took, or a graduation ceremony
etc... There can be no words on the paper. Put the students into pairs and have
the partners guess what went the event was based on just looking at the
picture.
Variation: Before putting students into pairs, collect the students’ pictures and
randomly redistribute them to different students. The students will then have to
describe to the class what is going on in the picture. When they finish, ask the
artist of the picture to say how close that student was and to narrate what
actually happened in their life event.

9
I’m Cool Because...
If students are getting sluggish and you need them to move around the
first day, do this activity. Have all of the students seated in a circle and you as
a teacher stand in the middle. To start off the activity, you will say “I’m cool
because...” and then finish that sentence with something that’s true about you,
for example, you’re wearing blue jeans, you speak 3 languages, etc... Then,
every student who shares that fact in common with you must stand up and find
a new seat. You also will need to find a seat meaning that one student will be
stranded in the middle. This game is great for finding commonalities and getting
in some good laughs!
Variation: Play “I have never....” instead. When students are in the middle,
have them call out things they’ve never done and have the students move who
have done those activities.

Top 20 ESL Icebreakers | ESL Warm-Ups |

Icebreaker Questions
If you’re looking to get your semester started off on the right foot, then
you’ll need to use an ESL icebreaker. They’ll help the students get to
know each other and you as well.
By starting your classes off with some ESOL icebreakers, you’re setting
yourself up for a successful semester. Help your students learn English in
a comfortable environment.
Keep reading for the top 20 ESL ice breakers for adults, as well as
children. You can see the detailed activity description by clicking the links!
It’s time to start your course off the right way when you teach English, and
help your students improve their language skills.
ESL Icebreakers for Adults, Teens and
Children: Top 20
Let’s get into the best ESL icebreakers when teaching English.
#1: Ball Toss
If you’re looking for one of the most versatile EFL activities ever, look
no further than this Ball Toss one.  You can use it for…well…just
about anything (vocabulary and grammar), but it lends itself
especially well to an icebreaker activity.
Little kids love this ball toss activity, but I’ve used it with adults, and
everyone in between with great results. It’s fun for you too because
you get to write on a beach ball with a sharpie!
#2: Toilet Paper Icebreaker
You’ve probably played this toilet paper icebreaker game before at a
party, or at school. The way it works is that you take a certain
number of squares and the leader doesn’t tell you why. Ring a bell?
I’m sure you’ve done it before.
It’s perfect for those last minutes classes that get thrown at you
because it requires no preparation. All you have to do is bring a roll
of TP with you. It’s an ideal activity for teachers to keep in their back
pocket.
#3: Puzzle Finder Activity
In order to complete this Puzzle Finder Activity,  students have to
use teamwork to finish it, making it an excellent TEFL icebreaker.
Your students also have to mingle and talk to each other, which is
exactly what you want on the first day of class!
And of course, the teacher should play as well. Students usually love
talking 1-1 with their teacher a little bit, especially if you have a big
class of 20+ students.
#4: Group Therapy
Group Therapy   is an ESL icebreaker activity that works especially
well for older teenagers or adult classes. It helps your students share
the fears that they might have about the upcoming class, or learning
English in general.
Group therapy ESL icebreaker is a great way for students to form
connections around a common probably they might be having.
Students have to go around the room, sharing something that they
find difficult, or some skills that they’re lacking.
ESL Ice Breakers

#5: Cosmo Quiz

Cosmo Quizzes  make an excellent ESL icebreaker for adults,
particularly a class of mostly women. But, they are most certainly
only for adults so don’t even try using a cosmo quiz with kids.
You can use other age appropriate quizzes for kids as well to get a
sense of what your class is like. Search around on the Internet for
these ones; you’ll find that there are a lot of choices and nice ones
out there.
#6 Riddles and Trivia
One of the things that I love to do in my classes is to use trivia and
riddles as a warm-up before each class. They make excellent
icebreakers too, if you put the students into teams and let them get
to work. Nothing like teamwork to break a bit of ice in your classes!
Although I use a variety of warm-ups and icebreakers in my classes,
it’s trivia that I most often go back to again, and again.
Check it out now and get ready to save a ton of time:
Why use trivia and riddles? They expand vocabulary, are a nice dose
of (semi) authentic materials, and are perfect for intermediate or
advanced students. Just be sure to choose ones that your students
have a hope of answering!
#7: The Name Game
The Name Game is perfect for a smaller class of 15 students or
fewer to help your students (and you too!) remember each other’s
names. It works best for kids because it’s so simple. Adults may be a
bit insulted by it, however, so use with caution!
The way it works is that you go around the room, in a circle and have
to say a new thing about yourself, as well as repeat all the other
things from the past students. It’s mostly a memory game.
#8 Get to Know You Games for Adults: Find
Someone Who Bingo
Find Someone Who Bingo makes an excellent ESL icebreaker
because it encourages your students to move around the class,
talking to each other and finding out information about their
classmates. It’s fun too because it’s quite challenging and there is an
element of competition to it.
#9: ESL Icebreaker Surveys
Once you set it up, you can turn the students loose and let them get
to it. All you have to do is monitor and keep an eye things. Student-
centred teaching to the max! Students can work alone, or with a
partner for this one.
Here are 6 ESL surveys  that I use in my own classes, including an
introduction one. You should of course change the ESL introduction
survey to work with your own country, teaching context and age of
students.
One of favourite kinds of surveys is a “life at home” kind of one. Like
how many brothers people have, where they live, what their family
eats for dinner, etc.
#10: Conversation Starters for ESL Students
Try out some of these Top 10 Conversation Starters for Adults  to
help your students get to know each other. You can put your
students in small groups and let them get to it if you have a big class.
I find that groups of 3-4 works well. Two is too few if one of the
students is very shy. Five is too many for the students to really get to
know each other.
If you have a small class of five or fewer, you could discuss some of
them all together. Just be sure to let the students do most of the
talking, not you.
You could also check out these Top 10 Discussion Starters for
Children  for even more ideas.
#11: Classroom Language Review For Beginners
If you teach beginners, one of the best first day activities for them
can be a review of classroom language. If you want to encourage an
English-only environment, then it can be quite useful to go over
things like:
Please open your books
Turn to page 5
May I go to the washroom?
Take out your homework
Can I borrow a pen?
I didn’t bring my book today
You have 5 minutes to finish this
What does this word mean?
I don’t understand
Etc.
And tips for teaching classroom language that you’d like to add?
#13 ESL Icebreakers: Find Something in Common
Then keep on reading to find out more about “Something in
Common,” that works well for both intermediate and advanced level
students. It’s an ideal ESL activity to have in your back pocket in
case of emergency—a last minute class thrown at you with no
advance warning.
Skills: Speaking and listening
Age: Teenagers or adults
Level: Low-intermediate to advanced
Materials Required: Pen and paper
Time: Depends on the class size, but usually 10-15 minutes
The students stand up with a piece of paper and pencil in their hand.
They have to talk to everyone in the class to try to find something in
common (they are both from Seoul, or they both know how to play
the piano).
Once they find this thing in common, they write it down along with
the person’s name. They keep going until most of the students have
talked to everyone.
If you have a very large class, don’t keep going until students have
talked to every single person because it can get boring. 10 minutes
is about the maximum amount of time you’ll want to do this for an
ESL Icebreaker.
Procedure for one of my Favourite ESL Icebreakers: 
Students get a piece of paper and pencil.
The students stand up and find someone to talk 1-1 with.
They have a short conversation and try to find something in common.
For example, they both love pizza, or play soccer.
Each student quickly writes it down (Dong-Hyun: soccer) and then
moves on to find a new partner.
The activity is finished when the student has finished talking to
everyone, or the time is up.
You can follow-up with the class by asking if any students found out
something really interesting.
#14: Just a Minute
Another one of my favourite ESL speaking activities for intermediate
or advanced level students is Just a Minute. It’s challenging, but fun
and makes a quick warmer activity.
#16: Make a Line or a Blob
This is one of my favourite ESL icebreakers because it’s so simple
but the students really enjoy doing it. The way it works is that
students have to line up, in order according to something (age,
birthday, height, etc.) without talking.
Or, students can blog together according to favourite food, how they
got to school, etc. In this case, you can allow talking or this activity
will be impossible!
#17: This/That
I really like this ESL ice breaker because it gets students up and out
of their seats moving around the classroom. The way it works is that
you ask a true/false, yes/no or would you rather question. For
example:
You are in your third year of university (true/false).
Do you have two or more siblings? (yes/no).
Would you rather be rich or famous?
#18: 2 Truths and a Lie
This is a classic ice breaker activity for any group of people. The way
it works is that students have to write two true statements about
themselves and then one lie. The other people have to decide which
one is the lie and then vote on it. The winner is the person who
spotted the most lies.
#19: Sit Down
Everyone stands up and the teacher can ask a series or random, fun
questions. For example:
Sit down if you have are an only child.
Sit down if you don’t like pizza.
Etc.
And so on it goes until only one person is left standing!
#20: Continue the Story
Come up with some fun story starters and students have to work
together to finish it. For example:
I was walking to school when . . .
As soon as I woke up . . .
Then, each student has to write one sentence and pass it along to
the next student. Finally, you’ll have a number of funny stories that
have been my the entire class.
What are some Icebreaker Questions for Adults?
Do you have a new student or group of students and you want to
break the ice with some icebreaker questions and general chit-chat
before getting into your lesson? Here are some of my top
recommendations for icebreaker questions and ESL small talk for
your adult English learners:
Do you have any pets?
How long does it take you to get to school (here)?
What was the last book you read or movie you’ve seen?
Did you take a vacation this winter (or summer) break?
Do you like to cook?
What do you like to do in your free time?
Do you have any restaurant recommendations for this area?
Do you speak other languages besides English and your (first
language)?
Have you heard about any interesting events coming up in our city?
If you had a million dollars to spend, what would you do?
If you could change something about your country, what would it be?
What do you like to do for fun?
Do you have any icebreaker questions or random conversation
questions for adults that you’d like to add to this list? Comment
below with your recommendations and I’ll be sure to add them!