Gaming British English Teacher

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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH FOR TEENS (13-15) · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
GAMING
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1 Warm up
Answer the questions.
1. Do you play video games?

2. What are your favourite games? Where do you play?
3. Who do you play with?
4. Can you get addicted to video games?
Now, look at these images and, with a classmate, invent a story that connects all four images.
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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
GAMING
2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct definition.
1. games console (n) a. an electric device used to play video games
2. mental health (n) b. do or use something less
3. anxiety (n) c. how often something happens
4. multiple (adj.) d. many in number
5. multiplayer (adj.) e. put something in its correct place
6. put away (phr. v) f. the condition of a person’s mind
7. cut down (on) (phr. v) g. the possibility that something can happen or be developed
8. frequency (n) h. the state of feeling nervous that something bad will happen
9. potential (n) i. used for computer games where many people can play against
each other
Language tip
The prefix multi- means many and can be followed by a noun or an adjective.
What do you think these words mean? Multimillionaire, multilingual and multicoloured.
Part B: Write the correct word or phrase from Part A in each sentence. The first one has been done
for you.
1. There is huge potential for video games to be used more in education.

2. Which is best? The PlayStation or the Xbox?
3. There is too much around taking exams. I get really stressed before all of them.
4. Driving too fast can result in vehicle accidents on motorways.
5. It would be better for the environment if we the amount of red meat we eat.
6. My room is so messy; I should probably my things after I’ve used them.
7. The of trains where I live could be better. There’s only one every hour.
8. Playing football games in mode is so much better than playing against the computer.
9. Teenagers should be allowed to talk openly about and any emotional problems
they might have.
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GAMING
Now, discuss these questions about gaming with a classmate and use the word in bold in your answers.
• What games console do you have?

• Do you prefer single-player or multiplayer games? Which ones?
• Do you think you should cut down on the amount of time you play video games?
3 Reading: predictions
You are going to read an article called "Can playing video games get you better marks at school?"
What do you think the article will tell you?
1. Playing lots of video games will improve your grades in some subjects.
2. Playing more video games will improve your grades in certain situations.
3. Playing certain types of video games is better for girls than boys.
Now, read the article and check your prediction.
4 Reading comprehension
Look at the statements below. Read the article again and decide if the statements are true (T), false
(F) or the information is not given (NG). Find and discuss the answers with a classmate.
1. Doing more maths and science at school can improve gaming performance.
2. Playing video games increases stress levels.
3. Young people need to play for at least an hour a day to benefit.
4. Not gaming every day is important.
5. It’s better to play by yourself than with friends.
6. Girls tend to play video games less than boys.

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GAMING
Can playing video games get you better marks at school?

New study says there are educational benefits to being a gamer.
1. Is your dad always telling you to "turn your instead. Another interesting thing that was noticed
PlayStation off and do your homework"? Does your was that students only benefit from playing single-
mum often tell you to "get off that game"? Well, now player games rather than multiplayer online games.
you can tell them that gaming is good for you! Recent 5. So, if you want to get top marks at school and
research has discovered that playing video games has continue gaming, you need to cut down on quantity
the potential to help students improve their grades, and frequency, and you need to play on your own.
especially in subjects such as maths and science. While those who play between once a month and
2. Whether you’re playing on your games console, nearly every day do better at school subjects than
tablet or smartphone, computer games can benefit those who hardly ever play video games, they also
your schoolwork rather than slowing down your do better than those who play on a daily basis and
academic progress. This is according to the those that play for more than an hour each day.
"Programme for International Student Assessment 6. The reason for this is that those who game too
(PISA)" which advises education systems around the often and for longer don’t have time for other
world. activities (including homework!) and therefore lose
3. And the good news doesn’t stop there. Gaming any potential advantages that gaming brings.
isn’t only good for your education but also for your 7. This is bad news in general for boys, who tend to
mental health. A study from the University of play games online with others, play more frequently
Luxembourg and Geneva University concluded that and whose average playing time lasts longer, but it’s
more time playing video games resulted in lower good news for girl gamers who are more likely to play
levels of anxiety compared to when teenagers do single-player games and limit the time they spend
multiple things online at the same time, such as playing video games.
listening to music and surfing the web. In addition
8. So, you can tell your parents that gaming is good for
to this, the analysis also found that those that play
you, as long as it’s not every day, not in a big group
action games had faster response times to tasks given
and not for more than an hour. You could even invite
by researchers than those who didn’t play these types
them to join you!
of games.
4. But now for the bad news, especially if you are
someone that turns on a game whenever you get
the chance. PISA said that gamers only get these
advantages if teenagers play for no more than an hour
a day and have at least one day a week when they
put their consoles away and do different activities
Sources: The Independent, Forbes, Science Daily
Glossary
gaming (n): playing video games
gamer (n): a person who plays video games
game (v): to play video games

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GAMING
5 Focus on language: word building
Look at the words in the table that were used in the article. Can you add more words to the table?
noun adjective adverb
health healthy healthily
anxiety (1) (2)
frequency (3) (4)
potential (5) (6)
Now, complete the following sentences with the correct preposition.
1. People are playing multiplayer games in / at / with increasing frequency.

2. My parents get very anxious about / of / with the amount of time I spend on my games console.
3. The video game industry is one that has the potential to / for / with growth.

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GAMING
6 Listening 1
Listen to three teenagers speaking about when they play computer games.
1. How often do they game?

2. How long do they game for?
3. Should they change their gaming habits if they want to improve their marks?
Write down your answers in the table.

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GAMING
7 Listening 2
Now, read the statements about Jay, Emily and Otto and complete them with a word or phrase that
you hear.
1. You know that Jay doesn’t like computer games because he says he’s not really them.
2. It sounds like Jay prefers other activities to computer games and thinks firing at
things on a screen is a bit strange.
3. However, Jay does think is interesting, so he doesn’t hate computers.
1. Emily thinks the in today’s video games look very real.

2. Emily doesn’t only play games. She likes , too.
3. She thinks it would be interesting to make a game when she’s at university.
1. Otto does other things on as he’s not allowed to play video games.
2. Even if Otto was his mum to play, she’d never let him.
3. Otto isn’t interested in finding an to play against online.

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GAMING
8 Talking point
Roleplay. You are going to take the role of either Jay, Emily or Otto. Discuss your opinions of video
games and tell each other how often you play and why you like or don’t like gaming.
Look at your role card, and don’t forget to use the vocabulary you are given.
CARD 1: Jay
You don’t like computer games very much. You prefer being outdoors. You always
do your homework and don’t think playing games can help you with your grades at
school. You do like the idea, however, of virtual reality and meeting other people
in virtual worlds.
• Vocabulary to use: to be into, mental health, virtual reality, gaming and gamer.
CARD 2: Emily
You love gaming. Your parents are always telling you to turn off your computer!
You think you will get a job in the computer games industry when you are older
because you play games all the time. You don’t think school marks are very
important.
• Vocabulary to use: games console, begging, cut down (on), programming, and
potential.
CARD 3: Otto
You like computer games but don’t play them every day. You think they are there
for when you’re bored and are not out with your friends or have finished your
homework. You only play at the weekend and usually play single-player strategy
games.
• Vocabulary to use: weekdays, multiplayer, strategy, frequently and opponent.

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GAMING
9 Optional task: writing
Write an article (150 words) about a video game that you like and play regularly. Include a title, what
games console it is for, what genre of game it is, what the graphics are like, what you have to do in
the game, how often you play it, for how long, and why you like it.
10 Homework: project
Look at some short clips of video games, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/c/gametrailers. Make a wish
list for the games you would like to have for your games console.
My wish list

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
GAMING
Transcripts
6. Listening 1
Jay : I’m not really into computer games. We don’t even have a TV in our house. My family
loves the outdoors – you’re more likely to find me on a bike halfway up a mountain than
in a dark room shooting random zombies – doing that too often can’t be great for your
mental health! I’m not saying I don’t enjoy playing them sometimes, like when I’m visiting
friends or my cousins. One of my cousins got a virtual reality headset which is pretty cool,
but I just prefer to do other things. And, because I only play them once or twice a year,
I’m terrible at them too, and I always lose or get killed after a few seconds, which isn’t that
much fun.
Emily : To be honest, you can’t get me away from a screen most of the time. Me and my brother
and sister sit down together after school every day and spend a couple of hours playing
lots of different games – maybe we should cut down on the time we spend on them, but
they’re so much fun and the graphics are so good these days that it’s like you’re in the
game. The best thing is playing other people in multiplayer games either online or with
my brother and sister if they are around. I’m really into programming as well and I’d love
to be a game designer when I’m older – I’d like to create some kind of real-time strategy
game – that’d be so cool. I’ve already looked into a few degrees that I could study at
university when I leave school.
Otto : Yeah, I play video games when I get the chance. I’ve got a couple of games consoles,
but I don’t play on them as much as I used to. When I was a bit younger, I remember
I’d be begging my mum for more screen time. I’d be shouting ‘just one more game’ but
she’d always say ‘that’s enough, put it away now’ – it was probably for the best and she’d
never let me play on weekdays. I suppose I’m just so busy with loads of other stuff now
- it’s an important year at school and I’ve always got homework, too. I still like to play
racing games for an hour or so now and again, or maybe a football game, but I just use
the computer as an opponent – I can’t be bothered with playing people online. I usually
keep it for weekends like a rainy Sunday afternoon when I’m bored and alone.
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Key
1. Warm up
5-10 mins.
1. Ask students to look at the top of the page and elicit playing video games or gaming. Write gaming, gamer and
game and explain how they are used to speak about video games. These are used in the article (and are in the
glossary) but would be useful to explain at this point. Ask students if they play video games. Ask them to discuss
their favourite games in pairs and what they play o at home.
2. Ask students to look at the three images in the worksheet and discuss in pairs. Ask what they can see. Ask
pairs or small groups to come up with a short story that uses the three images. Monitor and help with language.
Regroup students and ask them to tell each other their stories and see if their ideas were similar. What differences
were there?
Stories should centre on conflict with parents around playing games and doing homework but accept any story at
this point.
2. Focus on vocabulary
10 mins.
Students work in pairs and match the vocabulary to their definitions. As you monitor, focus on pronunciation as
well as meaning. Check answers with the whole class and drill pronunciation.
Ask students to read the language tip and discuss the three words. Ask them to think of someone who is
a multimillionaire, someone they know who is multilingual, something they own that is multicoloured and a
multiplayer game.
1. a 2. f 3. h 4. d 5. i 6. e 7. b 8. c
9. g
multimillionaire: someone who has money and possessions worth a lot of money
multilingual: speaking or using many different languages
multicoloured: consisting of many colours, especially bright ones
Part B
5 mins.
Ask students to read all of the sentences before they decide which word to choose from Part A. Students should
check answers in pairs. Ask early finishers to discuss each statement and say whether they agree with each one.
1. potential 2. games console 3. anxiety
4. multiple 5. cut down on 6. put away
7. frequency 8. multiplayer 9. mental health
Discussion:
5 mins.
Tell students to focus on saying the words in bold in their answers. Students could talk to a different classmate. Try
to encourage students to develop their answers to talk about game consoles and video games in general. Monitor
and take notes for feedback.
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GAMING
3. Reading: predictions
5 mins.
Write the title on the board. Ask students what they think the article will be about. Ask them to look at the
statements in pairs and briefly discuss how likely each one is to be true. Set a strict time limit (1 min) for them to
skim the article. Check predictions with the whole class.
Answer (2).
4. Reading comprehension
5-10 mins.
This exercise gives students the chance to understand the text in more detail and discuss the answers. Encourage
students to underline parts of the text that gives them answers.
1. NG - Gaming can improve marks in maths and science but nothing is stated about improved gaming
performance.
2. F - "playing video games resulted in lower levels of anxiety"
3. F - "gamers only get these advantages ifteenagersplay for no more than an hour a day"
4. T - "have at least one day a week whenthey put their consoles away and do different activitiesinstead"
5. T - "students only benefitfrom playingsingle-playergames"
6. T - "girl gamers... limit the timethey spendplaying video games"
Full sources
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/teenagers-who-play-video-games-do-better-
at-school-but-not-if-they-re-gaming-every-day-10106781.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2021/11/17/pre-teens-spend-eight-hours-a-day-on-screenbut-gaming-
linked-to-better-mental-health/?sh=1f4bb1fb7f3d
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210524110248.htm
5. Focus on language: word building
5 mins.
Ask students to find health in the article. Ask them what type of word health is (a noun). Explain the adjective
healthy and the adverb healthily. Ask them to find game in the article or research and ask them to find other parts
of speech, e.g. (game, gamer, gaming) or (research - verb/noun, researcher).
Tell students that when they learn one word, it’s a good opportunity to learn others. Ask students to use class
or online dictionaries to find out more about the nouns: anxiety, frequency and potential. Ask them to try to find
example sentences that use the different parts of speech and these noun/preposition patterns.
1. anxious
2. anxiously
3. frequent
4. frequently
5. potential
6. potentially
Prepositions
1. with 2. about 3. for
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GAMING
6. Listening 1
5-10 mins.
1. Tell students to look at the photos. Ask them to imagine what the three teenagers like to do in their free time.
Play the listening once and ask students to complete the first two columns in the table (check understanding of
frequency and quantity by matching them to the questions ‘How often ...’ and ‘How long ...’. Check answers and
the meaning of the phrases now and again and an hour or so.
2. Tell students that they have to think about the text they read earlier when answering this question and refer to
the reasons given in the text. Students complete the third column in pairs. Check answers with the whole class.
Jay: once or twice a year; a few seconds; Yes, Jay should play a bit more if he wants to get better at science and
maths.
Emily: every day; a couple of hours; Yes, Emily should have at least one day off and only play for an hour because
she won’t have time to do her homework.
Otto: some weekends/ now and again; an hour or so (around an hour); No, Otto uses video games occasionally,
which is perfect, and plays for the recommended time (an hour). He also seems to play alone, which is also
recommended.
7. Listening 2
5-10 mins.
3-5. These exercises give students the opportunity to show they have understood the listening in detail and to
focus on some B2 level vocabulary. Before you play each piece again, let students read the sentences and discuss
possible answers in pairs. Explain that the answer is one or two words that they hear, but the text is different to
the audio.
Check the understanding of vocabulary and drill pronunciation. You may want students to use the transcript if
this activity is difficult.
Jay
1. into 2. random 3. virtual reality
Emily
1. graphics 2. programming 3. strategy
Otto
1. weekdays 2. begging 3. opponent
8. Talking point
10-15 mins.
This activity gives students a chance to use much of the language that has been presented in the class in a freer
context. Cut out and give students a role card (Jay can be a girl or a boys’ name) and give them a few minutes to
think about their role and how they can use the vocabulary they have been given in a conversation. Set up the
conversation and give students about five minutes to talk. You could take notes of nice examples of collocation
and language as well as errors in pronunciation and use them to work into a feedback stage.
Extension 1: Ask students to write down the vocabulary they think the other students in the group were given to
use, and they can reveal if they were right at the end of the conversation.
Extension 2: Students can change roles if they are enjoying the activity.
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GAMING
9. Optional task: writing
30 mins + at home or in class.

Students should choose a video game they know and write about it. Ask students to try to include vocabulary
they have learned in this lesson. They should underline the words in their reviews. Show the games section on
metacritic.com to get an idea of the type of text you want them to write: https://www.metacritic.com/game
You could also show https://www.youtube.com/c/gametrailers if students don’t play games, and they could base
their review on one of the trailers.
Extension: Students can read each other’s writing and say if they play and/or like the game.
10. Homework: project
10 mins +.
Show students the following YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/gametrailers
Show how students can watch short videos about games for different games consoles.
Explain what a wish list is and ask them to look at the channel and choose three games they would like to play/buy.
They can report back to the rest of the class the next time you meet.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH FOR TEENS (13-15) · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Answer the questions.

1. Do you play video games?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/9

Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct deﬁnition.

1. games console (n) a. an electric device used to play video games

2. mental health (n) b. do or use something less

3. anxiety (n) c. how often something happens

4. multiple (adj.) d. many in number

5. multiplayer (adj.) e. put something in its correct place

6. put away (phr. v) f. the condition of a person’s mind

1. There is huge potential for video games to be used more in education.

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• What games console do you have?

What do you think the article will tell you?

Now, read the article and check your prediction.

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Can playing video games get you better marks at school?

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5 Focus on language: word building

noun adjective adverb

health healthy healthily

anxiety (1) (2)

frequency (3) (4)

potential (5) (6)

Now, complete the following sentences with the correct preposition.

1. People are playing multiplayer games in / at / with increasing frequency.

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1. How often do they game?

Write down your answers in the table.

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1. Emily thinks the in today’s video games look very real.

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9 Optional task: writing

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5. Focus on language: word building

9. Optional task: writing

30 mins + at home or in class.

10. Homework: project

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