As with most educational subjects or languages, there are a variety of ways to teach English using games or contests to liven things up. It is important to keep in mind that if you are teaching basic or elementary English, complex games or games with a lot of rules may become confusing, so it is often best to keep things simple. Similarly, if you are teaching foreign students, games which come naturally or are familiar to American students may not be as well understood and may require further explanation.

1

Select a game you wish to play with your class. Lists of language oriented games are easy to find online through a simple search engine inquiry. Generally speaking, simpler games involving fewer steps are easier to start with. Good examples of basic language games include charades -- where the actor acts out a term or phrase and the class must guess it in English -- and Jeopardy! -- where each clue is a term in English.

2

Write a list of comprehensive instructions in English and in the native language of the students. Explaining a game to a class of foreign students can be complicated, so you will want to make sure you have a comprehensive list of instructions written down before entering the classroom. Prepare to explain the game in English first -- if the students have difficulty understanding, translate your explanation into their native language.

3

Bring any necessary materials for the game to class with you. If you are having difficulty explaining the game to the students, try asking a student who seems to understand to help his peers -- this strategy often works for teachers in foreign places, since students can occasionally put things in more simple terms their peers will be able to understand faster.