Advanced is used to refer to learner levels for students who can hold extended conversations and write extended texts. It is by no means a strict definition and there can be a great deal of overlap between advanced and intermediate students. Generally speaking,...
Distance Dictation
Distance Dictation (sometimes known as Energy Dictation) is great for a young class who need to work off some energy. It involves all the skills: reading, speaking, listening and writing and with an added element of competition it's a good all round activity for the...
Stenhouse Publishers
Stenhouse Publishers started in 1993 with two employees in a one-room attic walk-up in York, Maine. That fall six titles were published. Today, Stenhouse Publishers has a catalogue of more than 200 books and videos. Stenhouse publishes professional development books...
Letter Hunt
Letter Hunt is a great TEFL game which helps with spelling, vocabulary and - of course - the alphabet. It needs no preparation and can be played in a variety of ways. Running the Game The first time you play this, it's better to demonstrate to the whole class. Later...
Sentence Completion – sentence activity
Sentence Completion is a TEFL activity which can be used to practice different forms of sentences. It works well with different verb forms, conditionals and so on. Preparation Write out a series of sentences which are examples of the kind of sentence/verb...
Pig – Goat – word game
Pig - Goat is a traditional game which is easily adapted for your TEFL classroom. Sometimes it's boringly called the "last letter word game" or "word chains" but whatever the name, it's ideal as a filler activity at the end of the class. Playing the Game If the class...
Double Negatives in English
A lot of people don't like Double Negatives and quite a number of people aren't sure what they are. This article addresses both those concerns. What is a Double Negative? Simply put, a Double Negative is when you use a negative form of the verb along with a negative...
Building Diagrams
Building Diagrams is an activity to help students with reading comprehension and speaking. It can be run in a similar way to jigsaw reading in that groups of students come together to pool their knowledge to build a diagram. Basically the students are given a...
Lyric Swap
Lyric Swap is a fun activity for intensive listening. Depending on the song you choose, you can also use it to practice certain semantic fields or grammatical constructions. Preparation Firstly, select a song you think your class will like; as mentioned above, if you...
Picture Word Match
Picture Word Match is a very simple activity ideal for young learners. It helps reinforce vocabulary and spelling. Preparation Cut out and prepare a load of flashcards. These should be in pairs. On one put a picture of an item and on the other, the written name of the...