English is the internationally spoken language, so it is the second language for most people. Examples of this can be found in the economics domain. Most international business transactions are done in English, either by knowing it or, if not, with the aid of a translator in English. It is also the international traveling language. Learning it may be tiresome, but it can be also fun.
There are numerous types of fun ESL games and exercises. There are grammar games and exercises, vocabulary games and exercises, pronunciation interactive games, and math games and exercises.
In the classroom, you can easily use fun ESL games and they are usually recommended for beginner levels. There are numerous games for teaching and revision. Spin Off is the most popular and recommended, since it can be used for different vocabulary domains. It usually consists of a spinning wheel with 4 or more colors. Labels are put on the wheel, each about a certain topic, such as animals, clothes, fruits, colors. When the wheel stops on a subject, the player has to pick up a card that has a picture relevant to that topic. For example, if the topic is animals, then the card can show the image of a dog, and the child should say that is a dog. The game can be played in small groups or with individual students. The winner of the game is the student or group of students who gives the most number of correct answers.
For upper-level students, a game like Jeopardy can be played. It can simulate the television game. The students form small groups and answer questions on different topics, and in each topic there should be different point levels, from 100 to 500 or even 1000. The answer can receive full points if it is entirely correct and expressed perfectly in English, or half points if the answer is right but expressed poorly. To make the game even more relevant, the topics might include England and English culture, English music, English films, and English literature. In this manner, you will succeed in covering speaking and vocabulary and general knowledge.
In the same manner, the game Billionaire can be also used. But it is recommended for small classes and that only one domain is used in the actual game, such as “Business terms”. The categories in which these games can be implemented are vast, from language terms, to actual knowledge about certain subjects, to grammar tenses and irregular verbs.
As well as fun games, there are fun books. For example, you could use the popular book Funny English Errors and Insights: Illustrated as the basis of a fun ESL lesson. This book contains 301 examples of real-life funny English mistakes, made by school students, newspapers, and even parents and teachers. You can read out a sample of the funny English errors to the class and, if needed, explain the source of the error and humor.
So, if you want to organize a fun English lesson for ESL, be it beginner or advanced, creativity and a way to surprise are the best ingredients, and you can adapt many of today’s interesting games into a fun ESL lesson.