Demonstrating a game for ESL students can sometimes be as challenging as teaching the lesson. Before you begin to demonstrate the activity, make sure the students have a clear understanding of the concept they are practicing. Make sure that your game is clearly related to a lesson or concept that your ESL students have already learned. Moving too fast into the practicing game may make students reluctant to participate because they do not yet understand how the activity connects to the learning material.

Select simple games. Choosing a simple game will make explaining and demonstrating the game easier for English learners. Spelling games, Pictionary and interactive role-playing games are simple examples to start with. The Internet TESL Journal also suggests games like "What's the Meaning," where you give students an unknown word, have teams come up with definitions and vote on the accurate one.

Dedicate the most time to your ESL games and activities. According to the website Teaching ESL to Adults, this is because the games portion of the lesson plan is "the part where the student practices the topic of the lesson and uses what he or she has learned from the 'study' part of the lesson." Leaving ample time for games will also prevent students from feeling rushed and provide more time for them to absorb the material.

Overact the game during the demonstration. Give grand gestures and ridiculous examples. Stepping it up helps students understand the activity more clearly, and also helps "students feel comfortable and want to join the activity," according to the Internet TESL Journal.

Ask for helpers or volunteers to show the class how to play the game at least once. Repeat until the majority of the class understands the process.

Group students of different levels. Classes with varying levels of English students can be to your benefit. Ask students at higher levels to explain how the game is played. Students often have an easier time understanding others from their language background speak English than native English speakers. The website Teaching English Games explains that allowing students of different levels to interact "encourages meaningful interaction between students."

Move from group to group or student to student during the activity to make sure everyone understands the game. Making yourself available more privately may allow students to approach you about something they do not understand. Private time with groups or individuals may also give you time to re-demonstrate the activity for struggling students.