Board games for children to learn English. Review of board games in English. Interview with Margarita Bulanova. Board game for learning English Bingo

BOARD GAMES FOR CHILDREN IN THE LESSONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Play is the leading activity for children. In the game and through game communication, a growing person manifests and forms a worldview, the need to influence the world, to adequately perceive what is happening. Therefore, in the first place in early teaching of foreign languages ​​aregaming technology .

Different kinds games can be used in English classes with older preschool and younger children school age in system additional education... In this article, I want to focus on board games.

It is within the framework of games that a conditional language environment can be created. The rules of the game, changes in the game situation "force" the child to use the studied lexical material and language models at will. To achieve this goal, you can use such familiar board games for children as bingo (bingo), dominoes, "walkers". As a result of the non-tiring repeated repetition of the studied material, the child acquires a certain speech skill.

If you have difficulty acquiring such games, you can print them using books from the series “TIMESAVER”, Or create it yourself. Shown below are some of the board games I made.

LEXIC DOMINOS (NUNS).

* The game is rather "outdoor".

Thematic vocabulary and speech models of the following types are being worked out:
What’ sthis? – It’ sa …
What can you see? - I can see a ...
What have you got? - I have got a ...andNS.

Similar dialogues are used when playing lotto:

LEXICDOMINO ( VERBS)

The semantic verbs and speech models of the following types are being worked out:
Whatdoyoudo? – I …
What can you do? - I can ...
What are you doing? - I am ...etc.

What do you associate learning with? Many people often look at English lessons in this vein: books, writing assignments, grades, classroom ... But who said that you can't conduct classes effectively and fun at the same time, adding an element of play?

Sometimes it is enough to look at the learning process from a different angle, and it turns out that there are a lot of ways to learn a language without getting bored.

In future articles, we'll discuss which games can help language learning, make learning easier, and keep you motivated.

And today, lovers of board games, the article is for you!

Why play board games in English?

1. Context. Simple cramming does not remember the material. And it is not always possible to find practice. But when playing board games, you will immediately use new words in the context of the game. Of course, if you do not just memorize random words or do grammar exercises, but actively perform the proposed tasks. For example, answer questions for a minute or describe something on a specific topic.
2. Inspiration. Motivation to learn a language requires constant support and reminders. It is easy to lose it if the goals are not set correctly, or after a period of strenuous activity, fatigue sets in. These are popular reasons for stopping classes. With games, this will not be a problem - they ideally fill the pause in the lessons. It turns out that this is the perfect tool to take a break from the usual activities and not lose the skills that have been gained.
3. Time management. Knowing what awaits you interesting game, you will start practicing more often. And even look forward to them. Hence: the language will be practiced more often. In addition, there is no need to build games into the schedule, so you will come back to them on a regular basis. After all, we will not forget to do what we like.
4. Communication. Having the right attitude and a positive attitude is one of the keys to successful language learning. Since the games are mostly played with friends or family, you will at least have fun and funny in the process. The language is learned unobtrusively, and learning in a team of like-minded people is always effective.

Where can I find board games in English?

Taboo

Another one worthy of attention game for the development of spoken language and overcoming the language barrier. Suitable for everyone from 13 years old and from the Pre-Intermediate level. You can play together or split into two teams of several participants.

The essence of the game: you get a card where a random word or concept is written. Your task is to explain its meaning to other players on your team in a minute. The difficulty is that each card comes with a list of taboo words. Among them are those that first of all come to mind when describing these words, but the trick is that you cannot use them!
You can change the rules of the game, and vice versa, allow participants to use words from the list to train memorization in different ways.

If the players manage to guess the word in a minute, they take more cards, and so on until the time runs out. You need to be a presenter once and collect the most cards. Play is a great alternative to speaking in class or with a tutor.

Grammar games

Mix of English Tenses

A game that an English teacher can easily use in class, and students can continue to play on their own at home. You can take part from 8 years, being at least at the Elementary level, and in a company of 2 or more people.
During the game, 5 basic grammatical tenses in English are practiced: Future Simple, Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect and Past Simple. In the process of moving along the playing field, participants are given tasks to draw up competent sentences in the listed times: affirmation, denial or question.

It also offers options for verbs that need to be put in the correct tense, and subjects. There are timing words as clues. The more the participant makes mistakes, the slower he moves across the field and vice versa.

Man bites dog

You will forget that you are practicing grammar while playing this game. Your level is not important here, and the age of participants starts from 10 years old.

During the game, you receive cards with words different parts speech. Your task, using the suggested words, is to create a funny and interesting headline for the newspaper. Moreover, the cards indicate how many points you will receive for this.

It is important that the title is not only captivating, but also grammatically correct. Participants must connect their attention: it is important not to miss a moment if the proposal is written incorrectly. The winner is the one with the most points.

Vocabulary development games

Pass The Bomb Junior

Highly fun game to develop vocabulary, which can be played at any stage of learning and at any age: from young to old! The game offers cards with pictures, and the task of the players is to come up with words-associations. In parallel, a special "toy bomb" is transmitted from player to player. The one whose turn to take the card starts the bomb, which starts ticking.

Further, the participants, in turn, take a card and a bomb, calling the association to the picture, then pass them on to the next player in turn. And so on in a circle until "on someone" the bomb says "boom". The most interesting thing is that in each round it "explodes" in different time and nobody knows when. The one from whom this happens takes the card. Whoever has the least number of cards wins.
The value of the game is that you learn to translate words from a passive stock to an active one. After all, this is often a stumbling block when we communicate in the language. To teach - we teach, but at the right moment we do not remember. The presence of a toy "bomb" activates vocabulary, you start to think faster in order to have time to pass it on to a new player. Well, laughter and good mood come as a bonus.

Memory games

A set of games on themes to develop concentration and improve memory. But these things are necessary in order to master the language efficiently.
The games in the list are dedicated to topics such as: city, nature, home, supermarket, clothing, animals. During the game, the participants gain points, look for pictures, at the same time easily and imperceptibly replenishing the vocabulary.

Games for children

I can do that

The game is great for kids from 3 years old with an initial level of English.

The essence of the game is to collect the task on cards (each has only a part of it written on it), and then complete it. If the player realizes that he can perform the action conceived in the game, he must say "I can do that!" and do it.
You need to collect the most of the stars indicated on the cards. The game is active, so you don't have to sit. Adults may well help toddlers during the game.

Alphabet acorns set

A game for kids in which they can learn the English alphabet in an unobtrusive way and simple words(such as colors, items).
The game contains many variations: you can study the letters, they are indicated on acorns, or find a surprise inside, which also begins with a certain letter.

Discover the town

In the game, participants must create their own city. For this, special figures are used that move around the playing field.

After the city is built, we move on to a new stage of the game - we are looking for places hidden around the city and we carry out interesting tasks.

Why you need to purchase sets of educational games in Sun English:

• the game can be chosen for a specific stage of learning: both beginners and advanced students will find what will be relevant for their level of knowledge
• in the assortment of games for different ages, from 3 years old to the very adults
• the games are not just translated into English - all tasks are thought out and directly teach the language (of course, if you are at an advanced level, you can just buy the same monopoly in English and play with friends)
• affordable price, as well as free shipping when buying from 4000 rubles
• training of all language aspects: most games develop several skills at once: speaking and understanding, reading and grammar, and most importantly, they teach to apply knowledge in practice

To purchase games from the list in this article, click on the button after the selected game. If you want to see the rest play sets, click here . Be sure to mention when buying ELENARUVEL promo code to get a nice surprise gift!

Like the article? Support our project and share with your friends!

Board games in English is an ideal way to improve your language skills and maintain regularity, making your learning experience interactive, engaging and more fun.

Do you like board games? Played in other languages?

In this section you can find board games for learning English presented in our online store.

Learning English with Board Games

As proven by many scientists, game form learning English, is perhaps the most effective method... This technique is interesting for children of different ages, both preschool and older. The use of board games in foreign language lessons allows students to express themselves, and helps to easily and deeply assimilate the taught material.
Play - transfers the student to the conditions of a situation aimed at studying social experience, in which independent management of behavior develops and improves.
Board games are games that are played, as the name suggests, at a table. Such games contain a relatively small set of items. All items from the set are laid out on the table in front of the players or handed out directly to their hands.
Generally, board games are designed for multiple players, although there are exceptions where there is only one player.
In modern educational process games are given great importance. The use of board games in English lessons pursues such tasks as the development and formation of individual skills and the improvement of existing skills, gaining communication experience, and consolidating linguistic knowledge.
Game-related tasks are different in nature, purpose, ways of conducting, the number of players. Thanks to games, it is possible to solve both one issue and whole line tasks such as developing speaking skills, increasing the attentiveness and observation of children, improving creative abilities, and so on.

Functions of board games in learning English

1) developmental, which is aimed at the formation of intelligence, verbal and logical thinking, memory and reaction speed, as well as the independence of the child;
2) socializing, contributing to the rapid unification of the team and mutual assistance;
3) educational, expressed in the fact that board games can be used as an additional aid in the study of various disciplines.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that board games are not only an entertaining and fun form of teaching lessons, but their use pursues specific educational goals, such as gaining knowledge, consolidating and developing the experience of communicating in a foreign language.

11/06/2015

Back in 2011, at the IATEFL English Teachers' Conference in Brighton (UK), I had the first opportunity to get acquainted with board games for teaching English by ELI Publishing House. And now we got the opportunity to sell these unique games for learning English in Yaroslavl!

Why use board games to teach English? Isn't it enough to just use a textbook and workbook and read adapted ones? Of course, you can learn English without board games, but they make the learning process more fun. And if you play English board games with your children at home, then this is an excellent occasion to practice English for all family members: games are usually designed for 4-8 participants.

ELI games usually have the following format: bingo, dominoes or a board game-walker. As for the level, these board games can be applied from beginner (A1) to intermediate (B1) language proficiency. The recommended English level for each game is printed on the back of the box.

The problem is that ELI board games are packed in plastic and it's usually difficult to see what's inside before buying. Today I will tell you what is so super useful for children inside the ELI boxes, as well as divide board games for learning English by level.

Board games for children for the beginner level of learning English

Level A1 (very basic)

Game name: Preposition Island

Game format: the most simple quest.

Rules of the game. The players take turns taking a card from the deck with the image of one of the heroes of the game. They need to find the hero from the card on the field and supplement the sentence presented on the card with the necessary preposition with the meaning of place. For each correct answer, the player receives gold coin... The winner is the one who collected the most gold coins. The game is accompanied by a booklet that describes additional possible variations of the rules.

What's in the set:

Language tasks:

• expansion of the lexical stock due to the activation of new words presented on the cards;
• the practice of using prepositions with the meaning of place.

The game is interesting, children like it, but if you just follow the rules, then it will be enough for a couple of evenings: all the prepositions will already be learned. On the other side, additional rules make it possible to expand situations of spoken communication due to a more detailed description of the pictures shown on the game board. This training english game ideal for toddlers (5-8 years old) who have just learned prepositions with the meaning of place.

Name of the game: Picture Bing

Game format: lotto.

Rules of the game: This English lotto can be played in many different ways. 1) correlate the picture with the picture, while naming what is shown; 2) correlate a word and a word, while practicing the recognition of the graphic form of the word, the ability to correlate the sounding and graphic shell of the word; 3) correlate the picture and the word; 4) correlate the word and the picture. General rules as in a regular lotto - simple and intuitive.

What's in the set:

• 100 picture cards, each of which illustrates words from different lexical groups that a child should know at the A1 level;
• 36 large maps lotto;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language task: repeat the basic words of the English language.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Great for REPEATING English words basic level... To learn new words, this board game can be used as follows: first, in a few days, learn and repeat new words on the cards; then, to practice new words, actually play the lotto. Unfortunately, most words are nouns, almost no verbs and adjectives. All words are presented separately, not in context, i.e. the child will remember only individual words, not ready-to-use expressions. However, an experienced English teacher can make the game more communicatively oriented.

Game name: Bis

Game format: card game.

Rules of the game. The cards from the shuffled deck are dealt to the players. All paired cards are discarded. The youngest player starts the game by taking a card from the player on the right. That, in turn, also takes a card from the player to the right, and so on. The first player to discard all cards wins. A bit like fashion game UNO, right? And, accordingly, as in UNO, the rules can become more complicated and supplemented.

What's in the set:

• 120 cards divided into two decks: one with pictures, the other with words;
  booklet with the rules of the game.

Language task- learn and review basic words.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Same as Picture Bingo with one exception - BIS is usually much more fun than Lotto!

Game name: The Number Game

Game format: lotto.

Rules of the game. There are four variants of the rules: 1) correlate the number and the number, naming the numbers that you close, in English; 2) correlate word and word, thus checking the ability of children to correlate sounding and written notation of numbers; 3) correlate the number and the word; 4) correlate word and number.

What's in the set:

• 100 cards with a number on one side and a number written in words on the other side;
• 36 large lotto cards;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language task- learn English numbers from one to one hundred.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. In this case, learning words without context is not a problem. Therefore, I highly recommend this game to children who are not yet confident in calling numbers from one to one hundred in English.

Game name: Time for Dominoes

Game format: dominoes.

Rules of the game. As in an ordinary domino. It is necessary to correlate the picture of the clock with the time written in words.

What's in the set:

• 48 cards with time marks;

Language task- learn to call the time in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. This is a very good example of dominoes for learning English. The fact is that the rules of how to indicate time in English can be learned and worked out remarkably without context, and the domino format is suitable for this purpose. The game has an additional plus: the smallest players at the same time will remember how to talk about time in their native language

Game name: Verb Bingo

Game format: lotto.

Rules of the game. Play like a regular lotto. Like other ELI games, this English board game has picture-to-picture, word-to-word, and picture-to-word ratios.

What's in the set:

• 66 illustrated flashcards with English verbs;
• 36 lotto cards;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language task- learn basic English verbs.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. The game is good not only because it uses English verbs (there are few verbs in comparison with other parts of speech, but we use them very often), but also the ability to work out the formation of various temporal forms. If you wish, you can modify the rules of the game: for example, after closing one strip with cards, you can ask the players to come up with sentences with these verbs at a certain time.

Level A 2 (beginner level of English proficiency, but not as easy as A1)

Game name: My Shopping List

Game format: game with elements of loto and card games.

Rules of the game. Each player has a grocery list and grocery cards. One player asks the others for a specific product. If the other player has required card, he gives it to the first player. The winner is the one who makes all purchases from the list first. The game can also be played according to the traditional lotto rules.

What's in the set:

• 66 cards with photographs of food items;
• 36 lotto cards;
• 36 shopping lists;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• teach children the correct use of words on the topic "Shopping";
• act out real communication situations.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. I have always wondered why shopping lessons with children always go off with a bang. For some reason, children really like to recreate the process of going shopping in class. This game for learning English is no exception: it always arouses great interest among students. It is important that during the game, children not only remember the names of food products, but also recreate real communicative situations of communication in English. Good game, recommend.

Game name: Super Bis

Game format: card game.

Rules of the game: The same as, but the language material is a little more complicated.

What's in the set:

• 120 cards with rich language material;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• study of the temporary forms of the English verb and practice in their use;
• practice of everyday words in English;
• practice of dialogue in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Very addictive, similar to UNO game... Provides the opportunity to practice both grammatical structures (English verb tenses) and speaking in English.

Name of the game: Who’s Who (Who is who?)

Game format: game description.

Rules of the game. The main idea of ​​this board game for learning English is to guess which picture one of the players was thinking. To do this, he is asked questions that require an answer "yes" or "no".

What's in the set:

• 66 cards with images of people;
• instruction booklet.

Language tasks:

• to learn English words to describe a person's appearance;
• learn and practice the grammatical structures used to describe people in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. For an amateur. By and large, you can do the same yourself, using, for example, clippings from old magazines. I think it will be even much funnier

Game name: Just the Job

Game format: dominoes.

Rules of the game. We play as usual dominoes. The difference is that you must first correlate the picture with a person of a particular profession with the name of the profession, and then say in English what the representative of this profession is doing. For example, Postman delivers letters and parcels.

What's in the set:

• 120 cards with pictures and names of professions, as well as descriptions of professions;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• learn the names of professions in English;
• get practice in writing descriptive sentences in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Due to the complication of traditional domino rules with communicative tasks, this board game makes it possible to practice not only lexical material, but also conversational speech in English.

Level A2-B1 (beginner and intermediate levels)

These board games can be used at both beginner and intermediate levels of English by modifying the rules.

Game name: English Championship

Game format: board game-walker.

Rules of the game. The playing board contains numbers of five different colors (the colors of the Olympic rings). Players roll the dice, then move to a specific block of the field. After that, they need to take a card of the same color as the area of ​​the playing field, on which they got, and answer the questions presented on the card. If the player answered correctly, then he receives a piece of the corresponding color. The winner is the player who collected chips of all five colors the fastest.

What's in the set:

• field for the game;
• 136 cards with regional geographic questions of varying complexity;
• 60 chips;
• dice;
• a booklet with instructions and rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• to acquaint children with some facts from the culture of English-speaking countries;
• expand the vocabulary of students;
• review different ways to ask questions in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. The game is fun with a competitive spirit. However, it can seem boring if children are not interested in the culture of English-speaking countries. The game also requires not only purely linguistic, but also regional knowledge. Someone is interested, but someone is not very.

Game name: Question Chain

Game format: card game.

Rules of the game. Before you start this educational board game in English, you need to decide which deck of cards you will play. The orange deck is suitable for children who speak English at entry level and blue is at the middle level. There are a lot of variations of the game. You can play according to the UNO or BIZ rules (described above). The rules booklet also contains several variations of the rules.

What's in the set:

• 132 cards with questions;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• repeat the types of interrogative sentences in English;
• repeat the rules for the formation of different tenses of the English verb;
• develop the skills of dialogical speech in English;
• learn some English idiomatic expressions.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. This board game for learning English helps to develop the skills necessary for real communication in English, namely the ability to ask questions in various communication situations. Highly useful game... It can be successfully applied at levels A2-B1. Highly recommend.

Game name: Questions and Answers

Game format: board game-walker.

Rules of the game: Players divide among themselves playing cards... The smallest player starts the game - rolls the dice. An English question word is written on each side of the cube: who, when, why, etc. And the cards given to the players show various subjects and animals. The player needs to ask a question to the other player (who is sitting on the left) in order to guess what is depicted on his card. If the player guesses correctly, he takes the card for himself. The winner is the one with the most cards left at the end of the game.

What's in the set:

• playing field;
• one cube, on the edges of which are written English question words: who, what, how, where, when, which;
• 66 flashcards showing basic English words;
• a booklet with the rules of the game and their variations.

Language tasks:

• the practice of using forms of the English verb in different tenses;
• practice basic English words.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Another example of a good game to practice asking English questions. But it seems to me that, unlike the Question Chain game, this English board game will be boring for children over 12 years old. But in Question Chain, teenagers will not be bored with playing!

Game name: Let’s Party! (Let's have a party!)

Game format: dominoes.

Rules of the game. We play by the rules of an ordinary domino. An additional restriction - when correlating a picture and a sentence, you must pronounce the sentence in the correct grammatical form.

What's in the set:

• 48 domino cards;
• booklet with the rules of the game.

Language tasks:

• practice of writing English sentences at different times;
• expansion of vocabulary.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. This is one of my favorite games. The fact is that it is suitable for the practice of a large number of verb forms. It all depends on the chosen situation. For example, you might ask the situation “We're getting ready for a party.” Then constructions with English future tense verbs like Lucy is going to do shopping; David and Emma is organizing a game; Let David arrange the chairs... Another situation - “Tell me about the party you were at the weekend, gives you new opportunities - the practice of the past tense of the English verb.

In general, a good game for working out the rules for the formation of various tenses of the English verb.

Game name: Round Trip of Britain and Ireland

Game format: walker game.

Rules of the game. As usual board game walker... The players take turns throwing the dice, picking up certain cards and answering the questions written on the cards.

What's in the set:

• one cube with different colored edges;
• one cube with numbers on the edges;
• playing field;
• 132 cards with tasks of a regional character.

Language tasks:

• expand the vocabulary of students;
• provide children with the practice of using the grammar rules of the English language (verb forms, articles, interrogative and negative sentences);
• to work out the skill of using numbers from 1 to 100 in speech;
• learn new place names in English.

There is a version for learning English, as well as versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

What do I think about this board game. Highly addicting game, requiring some regional knowledge.

If you are learning colors or names of body parts in English, or just have a desire to play a board game with a group of children, I suggest the game "Color the little man".

This is best played with a small group of children of 3 to 6 people.

What you need to play:

• Printed playing field (no need to laminate, as children will paint the little man in the middle of this field);
• Dice
• Chips by number of players
• Colour pencils

There are no losers or winners in this game. And the fields " Finish" there is no. You can stop the game when you see fit, or when the person is completely painted.
The game mat is printed on a simple black and white printer, the larger the better, but, in principle, A4 is enough. Optional, but you can prepare a play mat by coloring the fields with the appropriate colors (for example, the field purple fingers paint it purple, etc.).

Game progress:

1. Children sit around the playing field, choose chips, determine who will go first.
2. The first player rolls the die. Tells the number on the cube (in English, of course). Walks.
3. If the child cannot read English himself, the teacher reads what and with what color the player needs to paint over.
4. The child takes the desired pencil, paints over the named part of the face or body.
5. The die is passed to the next player.

If a player enters a field that someone has already visited, and this part of the body is painted, he can either skip a turn or roll the dice again (as you define the rules).

How to complicate the game:

If you want children to speak more English while playing, you can introduce a couple of additional rules:

• After the player has walked around, and the teacher has read what and in what color should be painted over, the player must ask one of the child to give him the pencil he needs (the pencils should lie in the center, next to playing field), in words, for example: "Misha, give me a yellow pencil, please."
  Misha passes the pencil: "Here you are."
  The player thanks: "Thank you."

• After the player has painted over the desired part of the body, he must pass the dice to the next player with the words: "Your turn." "It's your turn." "It's your turn now."

That is, you can come up with phrases that players will have to pronounce at one stage or another of the game.

With the help of such a simple game, children repeat colors, counting, names of parts of the body and face ( fingers, leg, arm, ear, head, hand, chest, foot, eye, nose, mouth, foot) in English and related phrases.

If you find the material interesting, share it with your friends on social networks.