Board games add interest for ESL students at any level. Use commercial children's games, or download and print a variety of games for free at Boggle's World. These games practice a variety of grammar and vocabulary topics.
You can adapt many traditional classroom games for ESL. For example, use a spelling bee format to practice new vocabulary, past tense irregular verbs or past participles. Use a tic-tac-toe format to review any grammar point. Use charades by having students act out vocabulary words.
Questionnaires will help your students develop better reading and speaking skills. You can find questionnaires in conversation books or at Boggle's World. You can also write your own. Have your students discuss questions in small groups then ask them to walk around the room to question others. Try variations such as surveys and "find someone" activities. For a "find someone," make a list of "yes-no" questions. Students stand up, ask the questions and write the name of a student who answers "yes" to each.
You can help students burn off excess energy and practice English with whole group action games. Use traditional American games such as "The Hokey Pokey" or "Simon Says." For "Simon Says," the students stand. They follow the teacher's actions only if she prefaces the verbal command with "Simon says." Students who make a mistake sit down. The last one standing wins.
Students can act out situations or role plays. Boggle's World and many textbooks have examples. Divide students into groups and have each group prepare a different situation, such as shopping for a sweater. They then present the role plays to the class. Alternatively, they can write the situation on the board as a dialog for class practice.
Information gaps occur when two students have incomplete information. For example, each student of a pair has a list of countries and information about the country with different blanks in each list. Since the partner has the missing information, students ask and answer questions to fill the blanks. Look for these in texts, or make your own.
ESL students can also write as groups. At the lowest level, ask each group to list vocabulary on a topic, for example "fruit." For higher levels, give groups of four to six the first sentence of a story. Then have each student in turn add a sentence until they have completed the story. Groups of students can also help you at the end of a unit or topic. Ask each group to generate five to ten quiz questions. You can compile the best ones into a quiz.