Practicing EFL Games Who Goes First 1 Sentence Bricks Puzzle 2 Tic-Tac-Toe 3 Battleship 4 Bingo 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Who Goes First In many traditional games, there are various ways in which players can determine who goes first. Rock, Paper, Scissors is one of them. When playing rock-paper-scissors, here are some common phrases that natives might use: 1. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" 2. "Best two out of three?" 3. "Winner takes all!" 4. "Rock beats scissors!" 5. "Paper covers rock!" 6. "Scissors cuts paper!" 7. "Tiebreaker round!" 8. "Ready? Go!" 9. "One, two, three, go!" 10. "No peeking!“ 11. “I choose rock!” 12. “You pick paper!” 13. “She throws scissors!” 14. “We play again!” 15. “He wins this round!” 16. “I win!” 17. “You lose!” 18. “We tie!” 19. “On three!” 20. “Ready? One, two, three!” 21. “”"On three!“ 22 “Best two out of three” 23. “Rock, paper, scissors, go!” 24. “Let’s see who wins!” 25. “I swear I picked rock!” 26. “You’re just lucky!”
EFL teachers mottos are written on the wall. But they build up the wall in the wrong order. Your job is to put the bricks in the right order. Good luck! Sentence Bricks Puzzle
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EFL teachers mottos Play, Learn, Teach! From Games to Gains! Game On : Elevating EFL Education! Connect Through Play : Building Language Skills! Playful Paths to Proficiency! 2
How about a game of tic-tac-toe? Tic-Tac-Toe
I’m undefeated at tic-tac-toe
Tic-Tac-Toe Games Gains Gains Games Gains Games The goal of the game is to get 3 of your word / number / sentence in a row- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. 1."Your move!“ 2. "I'll go first." 3. "It's a draw.“ 4. "Three in a row!" 5. "Nice try!“ 6. "You're getting good at this." 7. "Oops, missed that one!" 8. "I win!" 9. "Let's play again." 10. "Good game!“ 11."It's a tie!" 2. "No one won this time." 3. "We both played well!" 4. "Great job! It looks like we have a draw." 5. "That was a fun game, but no winner today!" 6. "Let's play again!" 2
Natural phrases that native speakers might use while playing Tic Tac Toe: Your turn! I’ll go here. X / My word/O goes in the middle. X/O/My word for the win! Nice move! I see what you did there. Let’s see if I can block you. This is getting intense! I think I’ve got this. Good game! It’s a tie. No one won this time. We both played well. Great job! It looks like we have a draw. That was a fun game, but no winner today. We chose the word that won. It’s “Game”/”Gains”. Congratulations to those who played for this game! 2 Positions It goes to the left corner. I write/place it on the left side. In the center At the middle In the central area In the lower left/right corner At the bottom left/right In the bottom section on the left/right In the top center At the upper middle In the topmost central area In the bottom center At the lower middle In the bottommost central area On the right/left side To the left/right Along the left/right edge 2 Well, that was a blunder! I really need to work on my opening. You played really well! I didn't see that coming! Looks like I underestimated you. I guess I’ll have to study harder! Checkmate! You got me! It’s all part of the learning process. 2
Battleship Use a Battleship grid, which consists of a vertical axis (labeled with letters) and a horizontal axis (labeled with numbers). Select the first/rhyming letters you want to use: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H / B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V / A, H, J, K / F, L, M, N, S, X, Z / I, Y, O, R / Q, U, W or any other variant. Choose eight numbers to correspond with your letters. For each letter, come up with a word that starts with that letter – it’s the name of the ship. /Choose a ship name that starts with the letter in the column. Write down or draw a chosen word in a row of its letter. Double-check the spelling of each name and ensure they fit within the grid boundaries. 2
Natural phrases that n ative speakers might use while playing Battleship Game: Celebrating hits Yes, another hit! I’m on a roll! This is so much fun! You're on fire! Ending the game I won! Good games! Let’s play again! That was awesome! What is your ship name? My ships are hidden really well. How many ships do you have left? Did you like that move? What’s your strategy? 2 You sunk my battleship! I’m going down with this ship! Miss! Hit! Is it vertical or horizontal? I think you're getting warmer. I'm going to find your ships soon. I'm on a winning streak! Where haven't you checked yet? You're in trouble now! One more hit and it's game over for you! 2 Calling out coordinates I choose A1! Is there a ship at B3? I’ll try C5 Responses Hit! Miss! You got one! Nope, nothing there! I can’t believe I missed! This is turning into a nail-biter! Reactions Oh no, you hit me! Yea! I got you! That was a lucky shot! I can’t believe you found my ship! Nice shot! I need better luck! Strategy talk Where should I put my ships? I think you’ll never find my ship! I’ll guess the next row! Let’s see if you have more ships in this area. Encouraging each other. Good guess! You’re getting closer! Keep trying! You’re doing great! 2
Battleship cat egg goose parrot tea van 1 2 V T P G E D C B 8 7 6 5 4 3
EFL Bingo Using A4 laminated paper with a grid for Bingo is a great idea for primary EFL students! Each square can contain a number,a word, a sound, a letter or a short sentence, making it an engaging way for students to practice vocabulary and sentence structure. Create or draw Bingo cards with a 3x3/4x4/5x5 (x=by) grid. Write in any grid square the word “Free”, it’s free space. The free space is usually found in the center square. Fill each square with 8/15/24 different words or short sentences related to the lesson topic. For primary students, it is better to create a 3x3 grid for 8 numbers/words/sentences. Total numbers/words/ sentences provided: 10 As you call out numbers, words or sentences, students mark them on their cards. The first student to mark 3/4/5 words /phrases in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) shouts “Bingo!” and wins. You may have students fill in the grid on their own, selecting the best square for the free space. 2
Here are some fun and engaging phrases a Bingo leader can use during a game: Starting the Game: 1. "Welcome, everyone! Are you ready to have some fun?" 2. "Let’s get those Bingo cards ready!" 3. "Who’s feeling lucky today?" Calling Numbers: 1. "Bingo time! Let’s see what we have!" 2. "Here comes your next number/word/sentence: number __/ word/sentence!" 3. "Mark it down, folks/students! That’s number __/ word/sentence!" 4. "Let’s keep the excitement going with number __/ a word/ a sentence/ a sound/a letter!“ 5. "Number /Word [X]!" 6. "Here comes [X]!" 7. "Who has [X]?" 8. "Mark it down!" 9. "Let’s see if you have [X]!" 10. "Check your cards for [X]!" 2 Celebrating Wins: 1. "We have a winner! Let’s give a big round of applause!" 2. "Congratulations! You’ve got Bingo!" 3. "What a fantastic game! Who’s ready for another round?" Wrapping Up: 1. "Thank you all for playing; you made this so much fun!" 2. "Hope to see you all next time for more Bingo excitement!" 3. "Safe travels home, and may your next game be just as thrilling!“ One can use it for fun. 2 Encouraging Players: 1."Keep those cards close; you never know what’s coming next!" 2."Remember, it’s not just about winning; it’s about having fun!" 3."You’re all doing great—let’s see who gets Bingo first!" 1. "Good luck, everyone!" 2. "Hope you get a bingo!" 3. "Let’s see who wins first!" 4. "Keep your fingers crossed!" 5. "I believe in you!“ General Phrases 1. "Let’s shuffle the cards!" 2. "Who’s ready for another round?" 3. "This is a great game!" 4. "Let’s keep playing!" 5. "Bingo is the best! 2
Here’s a list of natural phrases that primary students can use while playing Bingo. Expressing Excitement 1. "Bingo!" 2. "I got it!" 3. "Yes, I got it!" 4. "Woohoo, I’m so close!" 5. "Oh wow, that’s a lucky number!" 6. "I can’t believe it, I need one more!" 7. "This is so much fun!“ 8. "Yay, I got B-5!" 9. "Oh, I’m so close to Bingo!" 2 Celebrating Wins 1. "I won, I won!" 2. "Look at my card!" 3. "Can we play again?" 4. "I’m the bingo champion!" 5. "Let’s celebrate my win!" 6. "Bingo! I won!“ 7."I can’t believe it! I actually won!" 8."Yes! I did it!" Encouragement to Peers 1. "You’re doing great! Keep going!" 2."Don’t give up! You might get it soon!" 3."I believe you’ll get Bingo next time!" 2 Asking Questions 1. "What number did you call?" 2. "Did anyone get that one?" 3. "How many do you have?" 4. "What’s your favorite number?" 5. "Are we close to a bingo?“ Surprise 1. "Wow, I didn’t expect that number!" 2."No way! I can’t believe I got that one!" 3."Really? I thought I had that number!" Frustration 1."Aww, I need just one more!" 2."I keep missing my numbers!" 3 "Why can’t I get B-10?" 2
