[dwalsh87]

Hi all!

I've used so many of the ideas on this site, I thought I would make my own humble contribution.

I teach 6-18 year old "problem kids" in Thailand (24 classes a week, don't get me started) so I like to use activities that can be adapted to all ages and it usually helps if the kids don't realise they are learning something.

One game I've been using recently is Bullseye, it takes absolutely no prep, is simple enough for a low level class to understand and is useful to review what the kids have (or haven't) absorbed.

Start by drawing up a three ring target on the board. Label the outer ring 50, the inner ring 100 and the centre (or bullseye) 250. Outside the ring is -50. Split the class into 2-4 teams depending on class size and have them take it in turns to throw a soft ball (or an angry bird) at the target. If the team hits a 50, they have to answer a question to get the points (What time is it? Where do you live? etc), if they hit a 100, they have to do an activity, I find it highly amusing to have a kid run into the next classroom and sing happy birthday at the top of their voices, or shout "I love you" from the school balcony, use your imagination. If they hit the bullseye, the entire team must come to the front and perform a forfeit, i.e. dance Gangham Style, perform a skit etc. The winning team gets to choose a forfeit for the other teams.

Its completely open ended, so you can be as adventurous or as conservative as you wish. The most important thing is to make sure the 50 ring is much larger than the rest, so that they are using the TL as much as possible.

Hope this helps, if you have any other fun ideas for large classes of unruly youngsters up to apathetic young adults, I'm all ears

[mdan1984]

Quote dwalsh87

Hi all!

I've used so many of the ideas on this site, I thought I would make my own humble contribution.

I teach 6-18 year old "problem kids" in Thailand (24 classes a week, don't get me started) so I like to use activities that can be adapted to all ages and it usually helps if the kids don't realise they are learning something.

One game I've been using recently is Bullseye, it takes absolutely no prep, is simple enough for a low level class to understand and is useful to review what the kids have (or haven't) absorbed.

Start by drawing up a three ring target on the board. Label the outer ring 50, the inner ring 100 and the centre (or bullseye) 250. Outside the ring is -50. Split the class into 2-4 teams depending on class size and have them take it in turns to throw a soft ball (or an angry bird) at the target. If the team hits a 50, they have to answer a question to get the points (What time is it? Where do you live? etc), if they hit a 100, they have to do an activity, I find it highly amusing to have a kid run into the next classroom and sing happy birthday at the top of their voices, or shout "I love you" from the school balcony, use your imagination. If they hit the bullseye, the entire team must come to the front and perform a forfeit, i.e. dance Gangham Style, perform a skit etc. The winning team gets to choose a forfeit for the other teams.

Its completely open ended, so you can be as adventurous or as conservative as you wish. The most important thing is to make sure the 50 ring is much larger than the rest, so that they are using the TL as much as possible.

Hope this helps, if you have any other fun ideas for large classes of unruly youngsters up to apathetic young adults, I'm all ears

That is one really darn good idea because I am a fairly new esl teacher in China. There is a company I ´m working for. The boss is someone my wife knows quite well, so the relationship is quite good. Anyway he has opened an ESL training center here and has scheduled an open class where parents and children that I have never met before will come and listen to me teach. The objective is to make them satisfied enough to register with this training center.
So I have got the task to do this open class. There will be 100 students of varying levels from Grade 1 - 6 and my task is to make them talk. The DURATION is 40-45 minuets. The topic will have to be fairly easy because there are grade 1 esl students there as well.

I am going to use that idea. Do you have any other ideas similar to that one where you can get everyone to contribute?

Thanks a bunch

-Michael

[niceweather]

It is a very nice idea. I'll try this game when I teach for young learner on special days.
Thank you~

[Pix]

I use that game and I like the way the whole team is involved with the forfeits. It's essential with games where kids take a turn to minimise hanging around in between turns, after all one go every 24 is not many!

To save time and keep the game moving fast kids doing a forfeit or dance don't have to come to the front but can stand and do it at the desk or in a space next to the desk.

There are lots of great ideas on this site but for those who want a book to carry around to class here's a really good one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESL-Games-La.../dp/1475255586

You can get it on Amazon France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the US too.