Help! Games for young learners needing no resources?

[hanan]

Hi, does anyone have any ideas for games that need no materials or resources and that teach everyday kitchen items to elementary level, 5-7 year olds
thanks

[Alex Case]

Mime them whilst teaching and practising the vocab, e.g.

Knife- whole arm cutting back and forth
Fork- three fingers stabbing
Spoon- exagerrated scooping motion with cupped hand
Plate- make circle by moving two index fingers, maybe miming throwing it like a frisbee and making a smashing sound after
Glass- mime draining the glass, and also throwing and smashing that

I've used all them and they work fine, but obviously some flashcards and/ or realia (paper or plastic plates etc) make it easier to teach and open up loads more games. There are also songs (e.g on the Saxoncourt tape FAB Yellow) and storybooks with this vocab

[ForumAngel]

Hi there,

I recommend using games with flashcards. If you don't have any pics then ask the children to draw them for you and use those.

With a few pics you can play hundreds of great language games to learn and practise vocab and simple structures - basically anything.

It's a bit like music, with three chords you can play most songs ever written!!

Anyway here's an example of a game using just a few pics:
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/games/relayrace.htm
If you like it there are plenty more on that site - just enter name and email to receive them free.

Then I really recomend that you start using songs in class. Yes I know that means a CD player and CDs but it brings so much to a lesson that I personally would not be without it.

I have songs here that fit your age group - these are v. popular with kids:
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/eslsongs.htm

And you might also want to look at Genki English songs - at least one CD of those is groovy - I like the first one best. The whole set can get a bit "samey" but they do work. Richard Graham has a great time with them at his school in Japan.

Bye for now
Shelley

[melgaut]

Hi!
Hanan, I think you should at least use some flashcards about the vocabulary you want to introduce. If you want the students to remember the words, it is important that they can encounter the vocabulary in various contexts: flashcards, song, mimes. It needs to be both in written and spoken form. Some students prefer visual cues to help them understand. With a group of this age, I would suggest you to use songs and games with flashcards. For example, you can ask a student to come in front of the class, pick one card while nobody is looking, and hide it. The other students have to guess what the card the student chose is. There are also many ideas about various topics (or don’t forget that you can adapt the activity to your target vocabulary) on daveseslcafe.com. If you don’t want to use any resource at all, except mime you can use a memory game that I like. You ask one student ‘’what do you bring for dinner?’’ The first can answer ‘’ For dinner, I bring a fork’’ (and mimes it at the same time, or draws it…) and the second student continues ‘’ For dinner, I bring a fork and a spoon’’… and so forth!