Games such as "I Spy," "Twenty Questions" or "Vocabulary Bingo" help use and reinforce clothing vocabulary. "I Spy" lets the class figure out what the teacher sees, such as "a scarf." "Twenty Questions" requires the class to ask questions about the article of clothing seen, for example, "Is it made of cotton?" "Vocabulary Bingo" provides a matrix of clothing items on unique bingo cards and paper slips with item names. In the process of competing to win, class members learn vocabulary.
Several clothing topics are popular with adults: what to wear to work; what to wear to parties; and what the young people are wearing these days. Shopping also can be a popular topic, not only in terms of fashion, but in terms of where to get a bargain and what kinds of clothes are popular in the students' new home.
Crosswords, word search puzzles and fill-in-the-blank exercises provide identification and recall exercises for clothing vocabulary. They can be turned into discussion exercises if done in groups or as a class, or if the students are given a short period of time to complete them, followed by class review and discussion. It is also helpful to note any unusual spelling issues that may come up.
Comprehension is an important part of an ESL education. Play a short clip from a TV show that discusses clothing or have the students read a short dialog. Ask a series of fact and opinion questions about what they saw or read to increase their comprehension as well as vocabulary.