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Learning Social English

5 Fun English
Speaking Games To
Help You Level Up
Your Language Skills
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English learning games can be a great way to develop your

knowledge. They offer a refreshing break from traditional
language learning methods by letting you engage with your
classmates in enjoyable and entertaining ways.

In this article, discover 5 fun games to improve your

English speaking skills and try them out with your friends or
classmates!

Game #1: Picture Description

In this game, you’ll get the chance to improve your

descriptive skills by learning how to paint a picture with
words.

How to play

The players will need to find different pictures, print them

out and fold the paper up to hide the picture. Place the
folded pictures in a hat or the centre of a table and mix
them up.

Then, each person will take a picture and describe it to the

other players without them seeing it. Remember to focus
on important details like colours, shapes, people, and
places.

The other players then have to try and guess the picture
based on your description. They can also ask you questions
to get more clues.

Game #2: Taboo

Taboo is another exciting game that will put your

descriptive skills to the test. It’s similar to the

popular board game Articulate, except this version allows

you to play without spending any money!

How to play

The words for the game come from everyone in the group.
Each person thinks of a noun or a proper noun, writes it
down, and then all the words go into a hat.

To play the game, you will choose a word from the hat and
describe it to the other players. But you also get a list of
forbidden words that you are not allowed to use when
describing your word.

The forbidden words all relate to your main word, so you

have to think outside the box to explore other ways to
describe it to your teammates. They then have to try and
based on your clues.

Game #3: Mind Reader

Mind Reader is a thrilling and fast-paced game that’s

designed to test your thinking and communication skills.

How to play

Write the name of a famous person on a post-it note and

stick it to your teammate’s forehead without them seeing it.

Your job is to describe the famous person to your

classmate without saying the famous person’s name. Your
teammate then has to guess the person before time runs
out – and they only get 30 seconds!

Game #4: The Yes/No game

This game is a fantastic way to improve your question-and-

answer skills and your fluency while having fun. It
encourages you to put on your thinking cap to find
creative ways to give helpful answers.

How to play

Start by thinking of a word – but don’t tell anyone the word!

Then, your teammates must take

turns asking you questions to guess the secret word.

But here’s the twist: when your teammates ask you

questions, you can’t say “yes” or “no” (or use any similar
words) in your answers. You also cannot nod or shake your
head! The idea of the game is that you have to come up
with clever and descriptive words to help your teammates
correctly guess the word.

Game #5: Charades

Charades is a fun-filled game that can help you improve

your English speaking and vocabulary skills. By acting out
different words and phrases, you can improve your
vocabulary and gain a better understanding of nuances
and non-verbal communication.

How to play

Gather your friends and take turns ‘acting out’ various

words or phrases without speaking. You can only use
gestures, actions and body language to explain the word or
phrase, while your teammates try to guess the word within
the time limit.

Films, TV shows, and books are often popular choices to

act out in a game of Charades.

Improve your English speaking

skills with British Council

As well as suggesting games to improve your English

speaking skills, we also offer live online English courses.

Specifically designed for English as a Second Language

(ESL) students, these courses offer personalised learning
experiences through small classes or one-to-one sessions
with an experienced teacher.

Plus, you get the flexibility of 24/7 access to live classes so

you can learn English anytime, anywhere.

Explore our courses today >

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