English as 2nd Language

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Video Games

If there is one thing that young English learners and ESL classes have in common around the world, it's their passion for playing video games. It doesn't matter what platform they use: Playstation 2, XBox, GameBoy or Nitendo - even mobile phones, they love to play and talk about playing. Taking cue from this passion for video games, this lesson is devoted to getting them to talk about video games - but in English!

Aim: Getting students to talk, learning new vocabulary

Activity: Discussing video games - Making video games vocabulary trees

Level: Intermediate to advanced

Outline:

Have students read the short video game advertisement.
Discuss new words and other related vocabulary.
Ask students to get into small groups of three or four and fill in the vocabulary tree for video games.
Ask each student (or group of students) to write a description of one of their favorite video games using the vocabulary in the vocabulary tree. Ask students to NOT use the name of the game. Make sure to point out that directions should be given in the imperative voice (i.e., Open the door, go to the chest, get the gold, etc. NOT You must open the door, you must then go to the chest, you must get the gold from the chest, etc.)
Have students read their game descriptions to the class. Ask the other students to guess which game is being described.

Video Games - Explaining Virtual Worlds
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