For beginner students in ESL classes, lessons can quickly get overwhelming. Learning any new language is a challenge, and English is particularly hard for many people. In your ESL classroom, offer practical lessons and give lots of encouragement. Use ESL games for students especially for beginners to offer students a chance to practice and gain confidence in their new language skills while having a little fun. Colorado State University and the TESL Journal offer several game suggestions for ESL classes.

Vocabulary Games
One key for beginners to learn English quickly is to memorize as many vocabulary words as possible and put them in long-term memory. Vocabulary games, such as Pictionary and charades, will keep the review interesting, and you can adapt these games to beginner ESL vocabulary words and concepts. Pictionary works well with concrete nouns by allowing students a chance to draw and remember them. Charades naturally works with action verbs. Give every student a turn to play, and play as a class until everyone understands the game. Another way to review vocabulary words is to play hangman. At first, use single words so beginner ESL students learn which letters and patterns appear often in English. Later, use phrases and sentences that incorporate vocabulary words in a practical way.

Listening Games
Play Simon Says or Teacher Says as a beginner ESL game to get the whole class involved with the words they are learning. Combine action words with nouns after the students learn how to listen for "Teacher says." Allow other students to come to the front of the class to give out commands. After students learn their colors, numbers and position words, give students blocks to assemble. Assemble a prototype or model that the students cannot see. Give out clear, simple oral directions to your students so they must listen carefully and create a certain arrangement with their blocks. After you finish giving directions, hold up your model so students can see if theirs match yours.

Sentence Games
Students need lots of practice to feel comfortable using new sentence structures so you'll need games that use new sentences. Place the start of nine different sentences on a large tic-tac-toe board. Divide the students into two teams. Each team must use the beginning of a sentence to make a full new sentence in order to place an X or O in the square. After students are comfortable playing this ESL game, break them into pairs during class so they get more individual practice. Another beginner ESL game is 20 Questions. Write a word on a card or hide an object in the room, then let students ask 20 yes or no questions to figure out the object or word. Twist this game around by giving the object or word to a student to describe in 10 sentences or less while the class guesses it from the student's clues.