Playing games is a useful technique when teaching English to children and adults. The activity can help with fluency and with using the language in a conversational way. Games can be used in a lesson, as a review prior to a test, to introduce new grammar terms or vocabulary or can serve as a way to help students remember what they have read.

The Clothes Line Game
This game focuses on grammar and sentence structure. Make a variety of different note cards. On each write a part of speech, word or punctuation. On the back of the cards, place a piece of tape or Velcro so that it can stick on the wall. Ask one student to chose several note cards to form a sentence. Ask a second student to change the sentence by selecting new words. Review each sentence with the class. The student who creates a sentence using the correct grammar and sentence structure wins one point. The game can also be played in teams.

How to Cook
This is a good game to teach English in a hands-on learning environment. Find an easy-to-prepare food item such as macaroni and cheese, soup or pudding, and provide the ingredients. Ask the class to discuss the products, using English. Discuss if students like the food and what kinds of food they like in their home country.

Select two students for the first part of the activity. Ask one of the students to read the ingredients and directions, while the other writes the directions on a sheet of paper or white board. Once this is completed, arrange the students into pairs and assign the different food items. Tell one of the students to read the directions while the other writes them out. Have the students then switch responsibilities. The goal of the exercise is to concentrate on grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.

Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are an easy way to introduce new vocabulary words to those learning English. The Internet is a good resource in generating crossword puzzles. Some sites will also allow the level of difficulty to be chosen. The challenge is to introduce as many new words as possible, increasing the difficulty as the student goes through the puzzle. Hand out the puzzles and give students a set amount of time to complete them. Then go over the answers as a class and ask students to correct or fill in the words they missed. Hand out a complete list of vocabulary words found in the puzzle for the students to study at home.

What Am I Wearing?
This simple vocabulary game can be geared toward younger children, teenagers or adults. Collect a variety of different clothes items such as hats, gloves, raincoats, and pajamas. Draw a circle on the white board with spaces for each of the four seasons. Put on some of the clothing items for each season. Ask the students to name the item and discuss the use for each item. Write these in the designated boxes on the white board. Ask small groups to come up with other items that could be worn in this season. Change seasons after the first one is completed.