Activities

Listed below are some activities or strategies you can use with English learners.

Role Play: set up scenarios where learners can use the language and new vocabulary they have learned.  For example, student could role play going to the grocery store, ordering a pizza, meeting new people at a party, ect.

Word Association: Have students sit in a circle. Have one students say a word (in English). The student next to him should say the next word that comes to mind. Be sure to monitor your group and define works that could be confusing or misunderstood.

Word Lottery: Have a bag filled with various words (possibly recently learned vocabulary). Have each student draw two words from the back.  Have the student create a sentence using both words.  Be sure to include appropriate wait time!

Listening for Vocabulary:  After introducing the new vocabulary from a book, have the student listen to a read aloud.  The student should indicate when he hears one of the vocabulary word by raising a hand or holding up a picture.  Start with a small number of words and gradually increase.

SQP2RS: This is a reading comprehension strategy used to help students self monitor.  Before, during, and after reading a texts students should Survey, Question, Predict, Read, Respond, and Summarize.  The link will talk you to a site that describes each step in more detail.

Biligual Book Reading: Let your learner know that you value his culture in the classroom.  Read a bilingual book aloud to the class. Allow the learner to help you with the foreign words and teach the class.  This will help the students feel more comfortable and confident in class. 

Picture Dictionary:  For each vocabulary word, have the student draw a picture that defines the word.  This could be a literal picture and a representative picture.  Have the student put together the different vocabulary words to create a picture dictionary to help him remember the words. 

Pictionary or Charades: Have students act or draw words that are picked.  Have words in certain categories to help students make connections.  For example: Jobs, Animals, Foods, Actions.