Icebreakers that have worked well in English, adapted for you into ESL.

~Susan


MEMORIES GAME

Ask them to share favorite memories. But in a different way: Ask Student A to tell you a favroite memory about a [color] [piece of clothing]. For example, a red dress for a woman or a blue shirt for a man. "Tell me about a red dress you remember." They will suddenly recall something that feels wonderful to tell about, that may drag them over the language barrier. Try it before you dismiss it as a good idea, really! The trick is, you do want to go around the room, but ask each person for a different memory. Ask Student B to tell you a memory about a ball. C, a pet. D, a job. E, a holiday. And so forth. That way, they will not be trying to think bilingually, and owrrying about their English, as they listen to each student speak THEIR story.

And you don't need to ask for the whole story. It can be just, "Tell me five words about X" (whatever you've asked them to tell). Not if they mess up with the harder, stroy version, but as a warmup. Telling thes in series, each student's contribution can be scribed by the student who just took their turn. They give the notes to the teller. The teller can then be asked to develop more on that theme, outside of class.


COLOR FOCUS

Easy: "How many things of this color do you see?" [specify the color for the day and hold up a card with the color] Hands go up. Take the first turn yourself to get it going. "Look around the room. How many things of this color do you see?" Numbers can be given, or fingers held up to start getting comfy with the idea of the game. Next level: "What are the names of the things you see, that are [color]?"

A little harder: "Who saw this color sometime today?" [specify the color for the day and hold up a card with the color] Hands go up. Call on them in turn to say where they saw it, and what it was. As they get more comfortable, mold the sentences. Speak for them, "I saw [color] today at the....." "I saw a [color] [item] today, at ..... [they fill in the place] This can be expanded as an exchange with the more proficient/gutsy students, with you trying to repeat back each detail as you re-ask a succession of questions. "Where were you going when you saw the [color] [item] at the [place] at [time] o'clock when you were wearing a [color] [clothing item]?"


MAD LIBS

They can learn the parts of speech in their own language-- the definitions of the parts of speech, then supply ANY vocab they have that fits and they will laugh, laugh, laugh at the results. Not only will this help them practice the known vocab, they can ask each other what any mystery-words mean, and get the def in their own language from the contributor. More words learned! And the laughing will spread and spread, making a considerable dent in the tension and worries. A good opener for a nervous class. There are no wrong answers!


Report back, please.

~Susan