Learning English can be a very difficult task for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Unlike many other languages, numerous grammatical and pronunciation rules in English are made to be broken. This can be confusing for students, and means they must rely to a great extent on memorization. ESL teachers or tutors can make an English lesson memorable to students of all levels by engaging them in games that utilize their senses, personal backgrounds or favorite stories.

Beginner

The globe game works well for beginners who have very little or a nonexistent English vocabulary. In this game, the teacher uses a globe (or a world map) to point to where she's from, saying the name of the city aloud. The teacher then says the name of her state or province and country as well, using her finger to outline each region she as she mentions them. The student then does the same, using as complete an English sentence each time as possible. The teacher goes on to create conversations inspired by the globe, such as previous travels ("I've been here"), desired travels ("I want to go there"), geography ("these are mountains") and nouns and adjectives ("the ocean is blue")--- while using hand gestures to make the spoken words memorable. Writing out new vocabulary words while pronouncing them gives the ESL student an opportunity to associate the written word with its sound.

Intermediate

Intermediate ESL students are constantly learning new vocabulary which they fit into the context of the English they already know. Pronunciation games are beneficial at this level, especially since many lists consist of words that sound the same but have distinct spellings. Put together in advance by the instructor, lists can be based on whatever the lesson emphasizes. For example, students learning how to make a proper sounding Z may read down a list of words that begin with that letter (zany, zap, zebra, zen) in addition to a list where Z falls in the middle of the word (puzzle, cozy, crazy) and words that have a Z sound without using the letter (was, because). The instructor should define any unknown words for the student, and ask him to use it in a sentence. The student can try to come up with more words on his own. Pronunciation games are especially effective for learning English vowel sounds.

Advanced

Advanced ESL students must continue to widen their vocabulary while gaining a better understanding of high-level grammar. The story reading and translation game might be easier to play for the instructor who speaks the student's native language, as she can easily correct any mistakes; however, correcting translation errors isn't the overriding goal of the game. The student brings a beloved story in his native language to class; the reading shouldn't be simplistic. If the student doesn't have anything specific he'd like to study, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince" works well because it's published in multiple languages. The ESL student begins by reading a paragraph aloud in his language. At the end of the paragraph, he translates it into English. Any unknown words should be guessed through context and then looked up; the main idea is that the student retell the narrative using proper English grammar. The most advanced students should strive to translate the narrative's full meaning into English.