Thunder Bay Multicultural Association Efl Activities

Thunder Bay Multicultural Association’s EFL Activities

Charades – Miming Actions Introduction: This activity can be used to review action verbs and every verb tense. It is good for the Continuous verb tenses. Please note that a Special Sports and Everyday Activities Charades exists in the files. You are drinking beer. You are holding a baby. You are eating an ice cream cone. You are writing on the whiteboard. You are playing a guitar/piano. You are eating steak. You are getting your hair styled/cut. You are taking a bath. You are taking a shower. You are riding the bus. You are trying to catch a taxi. You are looking for food in your refrigerator.

Mime Description: This activity can be used as a fun warm up or closing activity as well as a way to review actions and situations. You hate school. You have a toothache. You are broke, you don’t have any money. You want to get married. You hate your English Teacher. Your arm is broken. You are very, very, very busy. Your heart is broken because your girlfriend/boyfriend left you. You can’t sleep. You’re very drunk. You love your English Teacher.

Command Prepositions Game Introduction: This activity can be used as a review of prepositions. Put the students into two teams and form them into two lines. You then give them the following commands and count the score on the whiteboard.

Put your foot under a table. Say the word “over” 3 times. Put a pencil in a pencil box/bag. Write the teacher’s name on the whiteboard. Put your hand in a classmate’s pocket. Put a pencil in your shoe. Sing the X Song in front of a student. Look under a book. Dance between two classmates. Hold a pencil between your legs. Jump between two classmates. Sit on the floor.

Command Prepositions Game 2 Introduction: This activity can be used as a review of prepositions. Put the students into two teams and form them into two lines. You then give them the following commands and count the score on the whiteboard. Put your hands over your eyes. Stand behind a table/desk. Take a book from a book bag. Stand behind the teacher. Put your foot under a classmate’s foot. Write your name on the whiteboard. Put your hands over your ears and shout. Stand between two desks. Put your shoe on a desk. Put a kiss on the whiteboard.

The Race There are three different flight schedules (A, B, C) Give out one of these to each travel agent or team of travel agents. If there are travel agent teams they only get a copy of one of the flight schedules. This way they have different flights to offer, making the game competitive. Also, give the travel agents lots of plane tickets, a fixed amount of money (change) and an advertising brochure. Explain to the travelers that they: Sell tickets to travelers at a negotiable price. Can't change the times/dates listed on the schedules. Can't make a mistake writing out tickets. CAN'T SPEAK their native language! Travelers/traveler teams are given the route map and money. Tell the travelers to plan their route first by using the map and looking at the posted flight schedules. Explain to the travelers that they: Must travel from Taipei to Taipei as quickly and cheaply as possible. Tickets (travel time/dates) must connect. (This depends upon teacher/level) Must look at all the shops to find the best prices (Bargaining). CAN'T SPEAK their native language! ANYBODY CAUGHT BY ANYBODY SPEAKING CHINESE CAN BE FINED AN AMOUNT DETERMINED BY THE TEACHER! Basically, after this, it's a race to see who can make it around the world first. Winners can be judged by speed and also by who traveled the cheapest. Travel Agents/teams are judged by how much money they make. The teacher's job is to monitor to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible and to make sure rules are enforced. HAVE FUN!

Adverbial Time Clauses Use the following to make new sentences. When you were a child, who was your best friend? When you were a child, what was your favorite food? When you were a child, what was your favorite TV show? When you were a child, what was your favorite candy? When you were in primary school, who was your favorite teacher? When you were in primary school, did you skip class? When you were in primary school, did you study English? When you were in primary school, did you like school? When you were in high school, what was your favorite subject? When you were in high school, did you play on any sports teams? When you were in high school, did you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? When you were in high school, did you study English? When you were in college, did you write a thesis? When you were in college, did you study English? When you were in college, did you exercise a lot? When you were in college, did you have a husband/wife?

Embedded Questions! When you make embedded Qs, ask yourself what kind of question it is. Is it Yes/No, or a WH question. Is it used with BE verb or Do/Does/Did? If/Whether is used in Yes/No Qs, while in Do/Does/Did sentences, you drop the Do/Does/Did and maybe change the verb. The word order can also change with BE verbs and helping Verbs moving back in the sentence.

Wh Qs Wh Embedded Qs Who is he? Do you know who he is? Where are they? Do you know where they are? What does she do? Do you know what she does?

Yes/No Qs Y/N Embedded Qs (if/whether) Is the dog here? Do you know where the dog is? Was she drunk? Do you know whether she was drunk? Does the teacher speak French? Do you know if the teacher speaks French? Did she eat my dog? Do you know whether she ate my dog?

Gerunds Practice Introduction: Following are some gerund phrases for you to use in discussion practice. Remember to ask follow up questions. Please tell me something..,? You’ve quit doing. You’re thinking about doing after class. That’s worth doing in Thunder Bay. You want to be doing all your life. You have thought about doing, but never found the time. You’re very good at doing. You’re not very good at doing. You have a hard time doing in English. You really have trouble doing. You don’t do when you travel. You always delay doing. You stopped doing after childhood. You’re thinking of doing this weekend. You like doing. You hate doing.

Gerunds & Infinitives Introduction: Practice making sentences with your partner using the words below. I = Infinitive and G = Gerund. would mind/help (G) would love/take (I) think about/change (G) would like/go (I) talk about/go (G) seem/be (I) stop/eat (G) put off/write (G) refuse/lend (I) plan/go (I) quit/drink (G) offer/lend (I) quit/drink (G) need/learn (I) promise/come (I) forget/do (I) delay/do (G) consider/go (G) expect/stay (I) can’t afford/buy (I)

Making Indirect Questions Introduction: Change the following WH Questions into Indirect Questions. Where is the Pope? When did the teacher arrive at work? Why does the teacher talk so much? Where is my wallet? When did you eat the chicken? How often do you fall asleep in class? What time does the movie begin? Where is the Sleeping Giant? Why does the sun shine every day? When did the pizza arrive? Where is the laundromat? What time does the restaurant open for dinner?

Prepositions and Adjectives Introduction: Fill in the blank with the correct preposition. I got really irritated ______ my boyfriend _______ not calling me up. I hate people who are really cruel ________ others. She felt it was unreasonable _______ her sister to get so bored ________ the movie so quickly. The professor told us he was satisfied ________ with our performance in the mid-term exam. Has he ever done anything that he is really ________ of? My sister told me she was brilliant ________ playing Blackjack; I was furious ________ her when I found out it wasn’t true and we lost 1,000 dollars. It was stupid ________ me to drink so much. She’s not ashamed ________ anything she’s done. Working all day makes her fell really bored ________ life. I don’t know what he’s so upset ________. He was surprised ________ the news on TV. His father was so angry ________ his exam results that they didn’t talk to each other for more than a week.

Prepositions and Adjectives Introduction: First, find the preposition/adjective combinations and then discuss the following sentences using the correct preposition/adjective combinations. Do you get bored with work easily? Do you want to be excellent at anything? Are you always aware of your looks? Are you worried about anything today? Is it rude of people to speak another language in class? Do you think it’s stupid of people to smoke? Are you ever ashamed of your parents? What sports are you excellent at? Are you proud of your English ability? Have you ever been really surprised by somebody? Are you sometimes cruel to your friends? Are you really proud of one thing you’ve done in the past? Do you ever get fed up with school or work? What things are you afraid of? Are you sometimes jealous of other people? What thing do you really get upset about? Have you ever been really annoyed with somebody? Are you sometimes confused by your parents? Are you capable of learning English? Are you content with your life?

Prepositions and Adjectives Here are the correct answers with the preposition/adjective combinations in Italic Font. Do you get bored with work easily? Do you want to be excellent at anything? Are you always aware of your looks? Are you worried about anything today? Is it rude of people to speak Taiwanese in class? Do you think it’s stupid of people to smoke? Are you ever ashamed of your parents? What sports are you excellent at? Are you proud of your English ability? Have you ever been really surprised by somebody? Are you sometimes cruel to your friends? Are you really proud of one thing you’ve done in the past? Do you ever get fed up with school or work? What things are you afraid of? Are you sometimes jealous of other people? What thing do you really get upset about? Have you ever been really annoyed with somebody? Are you sometimes confused by your parents? Are you capable of learning English? Are you content with your life?

Rejoinders Introduction: Here is a little practice with rejoinders. Take turns with a partner. I’ve been to Australia. (any country) You look sleepy. The teacher doesn’t like you. I’ve never heard of Madonna. He/she speaks English fluently. I don’t want to marry you. She has seen “Movie X” 14 times! I won’t be here next week. I wasn’t born in Canada. She loves to play the flute. He really loves cereal for breakfast. I really hate almond milk. There’s a fly in your soup. I have never chewed chewing tobacco. She/he likes to sleep naked! He/She never eats beef. She loves to sing at Karaoke contests.

Relative Clauses Introduction: Make relative clauses using these introductory phrases. 1. A movie star is a person … 2. A motorcycle mechanic is a person … 3. A cat is an animal that…. 4. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife is a person… 5. A doctor is a person… 6. A firefighter is a person… 7. The Germans are people… 8. A dentist is a person… 9. A professor is a person… 10. A pilot is a person… 11. A lion is an animal… 12 .A company president is a person… 13. The Japanese are people… 14. A police office is a person… 15. A veterinarian is a person… 16. A vegetarian is a person… 17. A dog is an animal… 18. The Chinese are people...

Relative Clauses Introduction: Make relative clauses by combining the two sentences into one. Make a relative clause using who or that. A: Do you know the man? B: He lives in the blue house. A: The firefighter was friendly. B: He gave me directions. A: The soup was too sour. B: I had it for lunch. A: A tiger is an animal. B: It lives in India. A: The people were playing basketball. B: I saw them at the park. A: The subway is always crowded. B: I take it to work every day. A: The book really helped me a lot. B: I borrowed it from you. A: Did you like the mechanic? B: He fixed your motorcycle. A: Where can I catch the train? B: It goes uptown. A: I talked to the girl. B: She was sitting next to me. A: The woman was sick. B: She had eaten a bad hamburger. A: All of the people can come. B: I asked them to my dinner.

It’s a Superlative World! 1) What is the tallest mountain in Canada? 2) What is the longest river in Canada? 3) What is the tallest building in Canada? 4) What is the largest province in Canada? 5) What is the best movie theater in Thunder Bay? 6) How old is the oldest person in Canada? 7) What is the most popular movie in Canada? 8) What supermarket is the most expensive in Thunder Bay? 9) Who is the healthiest student in this class? What is the tallest mountain in the world? What is the longest river in the world? Who is the richest person in Canada? Who is the richest person in the world? Who is the smartest person in Canada? Who is the smartest person in the world? What was your best subject in high school? What is the largest thing in your wallet or handbag? Which month is the rainiest in Thunder Bay? What is the nicest beach in Canada? Who is the sexiest man/woman in Canada? World?

Superlative Students 1) Who is the sexiest student in the class? 2) Who is the most intelligent student in the class? 3) Who is the kindest student in the class? 4) Who is the loudest student in the class? 5) Who is the most quiet student in the class? 6) Who is the happiest student in the class? 7) Who is the prettiest student in the class? 8) Who is the laziest student in the class? 9) Who is the most interesting student in the class? 10) Who is the most patient student in the class? 11) Who is the stingiest student in the class? 12) Who is the most unusual student in the class? 13) Who is the most boring student in the class? 14) Who is the busiest student in the class? 15) Who is the most handsome teacher in the class?

Who/That/When Clauses 1. I like it when someone… 2. I love it when someone… 3. I don’t like it when someone… 4. I hate it when someone… 5. I don’t like a person who is… 6. I hate a person who is… 7. I like a person who is… 8. I love a person who is… 9. I can’t stand it when… 10. It bothers me when someone… 11. I hate a teacher who… 12. A teacher is someone who… 13. A doctor is someone who… 14. A dentist is someone who… 15. I can’t stand a friend who… 16. I think a friend should be… 17. I like a friend who is… 18. I like a teacher who is…

Places and Rooms Quiz - Instructions Introduction: This activity can be used as a fun warm up or closing activity as well as a way to review places. First, drill the pronunciation and then: 1. a) Cut places into strips of paper and give one to each student. The then can mingle with their classmates to find the answers. b) Give each student the whole handout and they can answer by mingling and asking. c) Give one handout to a seated pair and let the pairs work out the answers and then review as a class. 2. Use a game show in a later class to review. Put classes into seated teams and them you’re the Quiz master and you ask the questions to students who raise their hands, and assign points for correct answers. Places and Rooms Quiz - Activity Vocab Informatics English Centre, bedroom, restaurant, dance club, cafeteria, MTV, kitchen, hospital, dining room, bathroom, library, park, living room, KTV, movie theatre This is where you: study English eat at home sleep take a shower or bath go out for dinner dance watch movies go if you are sick walk your dog borrow books and study homework watch TV cook dinner eat at school sing songs

HENRY FORD --- AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL Henry Ford was born in Michigan in 1863. He attended a country school until he was fifteen. Henry really loved machines so he got a job making machinery. He repaired watches in his spare time and he also built a sawmill for his father. Henry then took the position of chief engineer for the Edison Electric Co. He left this job in 1899 to begin his own racing-car company. It was here that Henry thought of his most famous idea. He wanted to make the price of cars cheaper so he invented the "assembly line". On an assembly line, each person on the line has only one job and the work moves down the line until the product (car) is finished. Henry also had car parts made at special factories. The parts were then put together into cars at his assembly plants all over the USA. Henry was the founder of Detroit's identity as "Motor City USA" or "Motown", because many car factories were located there. Henry was a tough boss but he paid high wages. He controlled Ford Motor Co. for forty years until just before his death in 1947.

Comprehension Questions 1) What was Henry's Job with Edison Electric? 2) What did Henry repair in his spare time as a teenager? 3) What is considered Henry Ford's most famous idea? 4) How long did Henry control Ford Motor Co.? 5) What did Henry build for his father? 6) What is Detroit's nickname? 7) When was Henry born? Where? 8) What did Henry make in special factories? 9) Was Henry a friendly boss? 10) What kind of school did Henry attend? 11) When did Henry die? 12) What university did Henry go to?

I’m a Most Excellent Biter! I like ________. I have ________. I’m ________. I want to be a ________. I can ________. I live ________. I like to ________. I’m a ________. A: You know, I’m a most excellent biter. B: Oh really? That’s great! How long have you been a most excellent biter? A: I have ________ for/since _______. A: You know, Barrie is a most excellent biter! B: You don’t say! How long has he been a most excellent biter? A: He’s ________ for/since ________.

Past Storytelling Inroduction: This is a creative past tense activity that challenges the creative free speaking abilities of the student. It can be taught in many ways and following are two examples: Put students into groups of 3 or 4, or pairs if you really want to push them. Higher levels can work in pairs whereas groups give lower level students a feeling of security. One student will begin the story with one of the supplied introductory phrases. The other students must create the second sentence, the third student creates the third sentence and it goes around the circle. Remember that the story is about the first student so all following sentences follow this plot line. When the story hits a dead end (gets boring), the next student can create a new story and so on. The teacher can monitor and interject a few lines to slower groups if necessary. In this method, the students are put into groups or pairs and The first student creates the whole story with a 30-45 second time limit. The other students then ask at least 2 or 3 simple past tense and past continuous WH and Yes/No questions to the storyteller and other members in the group. After the Q/A session, the second student creates a new story.

Past StoryTelling One day I woke up late for school/work…. One day I forgot to do my English homework… One day I took a walk at Boulevard Lake… One day I took a very difficult English test… One day I saw the Mayor of Thunder Bay walking down the street… One day I met the most beatiful/handsome man/woman… One day I fought with my best friend over…. One day I saw my English teacher with a beautiful/handsome woman/man… One day I saw a building on fire and a woman was… One day I went to a party and drank a lot of wine and then… One day I went to the Casino and I… One day I went to a dance club with my friends and I… One day I ate too much and I… One day I flew to Australia and I… One day I saw Jacky Chan and he… One day I bought a beautiful new…

Past Tense Questions “Did” This activity practices the use of “t”, “d”, and “id” endings.

Regular “ed” ending verbs: Did you learn Chinese or English? Did he count the chickens or the sheep? Did he pick up the girl or the boy? Did they finish the dinner or the dessert? Did she borrow the money or the keys? Did she ask for Coca-Cola or beer? Did they collect stamps or phone cards? Did she close the window or the door? Did he expect a boy or a girl? Did they use the plane or the helicopter? Did he help his mother or father? Did they walk to the store or the park? Did she knit the socks or the mittens? Did you look for the dog or the cat? Did he drop the bowl or the cup? Did he smoke the pipe or the cigar? Did you practice the guitar or the flute? Did she play with the fish or the turtle? Did they wash their hands or their feet?

Past Tense Questions “Did” This activity practices the use of “t”, “d”, and “id” endings.

Irregular ending verbs: Did you sit in a car or a truck? Did you stand beside your uncle or your aunt? Did you get a TV or CD player for your birthday? Did you forget to send him a fax or an email? Did you swim in the lake or the river? Did you speak to your grandfather or your cousin? Did you drive your BMW or your scooter? Did you feel great or did you feel terrible? Did you hurt your leg or your foot? Did you have a good or bad time? Did you think she was a girl or a boy? Did you sleep well or poorly? Did you take WestJet or Air Canada to Vancouver? Did you wear a suit or nothing to school? Did you write a letter or an email? Did you steal her heart or her credit card? Did you shake hands with Victor or Tina? Did you sing a French or German song? Did you send your friend a fax or a postcard? Did you see your girlfriend or your boyfriend at the theater? Did you run to the 7-11 or to the Sears Department store? Did you read the story or the poem? Did you ride a bicycle or scooter to class? Did you teach English or French? Did you leave at 2:00 or 3:00 this morning? Did you fly in a sailplane or a hanglider? Did you hear the old man or the young girl shouting at you? Did you feed your cat or our fish? Did you eat Thai food or English food last night?

Building Sentences Introduction: Practice building past tense sentences like the following examples. I went to work. I woke up and went to work. I woke up, brushed my teeth, and went to work. I woke up, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, and went to work. She flew to Sydney, Australia. She flew to Sydney, Australia and swam in the hotel pool. She flew to Sydney, Australia, swam in the hotel pool, and went to the transvestite Cabaret. She flew to Sydney, Australia, swam in the hotel pool, went to the transvestite Cabaret, and sang a lot of ABBA songs. I played basketball. She cooked dinner. He ate dog meat. She wore a sexy dress. He wore a sexy dress. They took the train. Kirk went to Toronto. Barrie went to the dentist. I went to a Barbershop. He joined the army.

50 Past Participles Chart be been become become begin begun bring brought build built buy bought catch caught come come cost cost cut cut do done drink drunk eat eaten fall fallen feel felt fight fought find found fly flown get gotten give given go gone have had hear heard know known leave left let let lose lost make made meet met put put read read ride ridden run run say said see seen shake shaken sing sung sit sat sleep slept speak spoken stand stood take taken teach taught tell told

think thought throw thrown understand understood wear worn win won write written

50 Past Participles Chart (cont’d) be become begin bring build buy catch come cost cut drink eat fall feel fight find fly get give go have hear know leave let lose make meet put read ride run say see shake sing sit sleep speak stand take teach tell think

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throw understand wear win write

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The Use of Present Continuous Present Continuous is used for something that is happening now; when we are speaking. i.e. I am verb+ing. It is also used when we talk about something that is happening around the time we are speaking. i.e. I’m studying English at IIT. The present continuos is also used when we talk about a period of time around the present. (i.e. today, week, season, etc.) i.e. You’re studying hard today! We also use the present continuous when we talk about situations that change or are unstable. i.e. Your English is getting better. Practice: 1. I (look) __________ for my cat. 2. I am fat. I (not eat) __________ any candy today. 3. Where is Kirk? He (take) __________ a shower. 4. It (not snow) __________ right now. 5. Taiwan (change) __________ very quickly. 6. Why (you wear) __________ that coat? It’s so old! 7. I (learn) __________ to be a bus driver. 8. Why (you look) __________ at her that way? 9. Taipei prices (rise) __________ every month! 10. She’s (work) __________ very hard today?

Have You ever….? Use the following to make present perfect questions! Choose your own verbs! Have you ever…? Have you …. recently? Have you… today? to America the paper your best friend The Old Man and the Sea” Baseball a pizza a haircut a cup of coffee

beer to a Public Library at Burger King a cigarette a pet a shower or bath “Titanic” jazz music

Verb Tense Poker Draw one card and ask a classmate a question. Bet money before you draw the card!

ACE Present Simple Are you a student? 1 Present Continuous Is you sister at home watching TV now? Is your brother studying English? 2-4 Past Did you eat out tonight? Were you born in Taipei? 4-6 Past Continuous Was your sister watching TV at 9:00? Were you studying when I called you? 6-8 Present Perfect Have you seen the movie Titanic? Have you ever been to France? 8-10 Present Perfect Continuous Have you been living in Taipei for more than 10 years? J Future Will you have your dog spayed tomorrow? Are you going to the pub on Friday night? Q-K Free Questions Joker

Introduction Interview 1) What’s your family name? 2) Where are you from? 3) Where do you live? 4) What’s your address? 5) What’s your telephone number? 6) What do you do? 7) What’s your favorite color? Why? 8) What’s your favorite food? Why? 9) What’s your favorite song? Why? 10) What’s your favorite movie? Why? 11) What are you crazy about? Why? 12) What musical instruments can you play? 13) What do you usually do on Sunday? 14) What do you always do in the evenings? 15) What do you really hate to do? Why? 16) What do you really love to do? Why? 17) How much money do you have? 18) What clothes look good on you? 19) Do you live in a house or apartment? 20) Do you like to take vacations? Why? Where?

Tongue Twisters Introduction: Tongue Twisters can be used as a warmer or a a type of punishment in any game or teaching activity. It is also a fun way to improve pronunciation. 1) The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. 2) Madame Minnie made a mound of many melons. 3) Nimble Lily never learns. Little Nina knows now. 4) The red bug bled on the black bug’s bed. 5) Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers. (Say 3 times quickly. This is a good one to board and do with the class to intro this activity) 6) What noise annoys an oyster? A noisy noise annoys an oyster? 7) She sells seashells at the sea-shore. Are the seashells she sells, seashells for sure? 8) Silly Sally is shaking some sugar on her shiny shoes. 9) The rat ran through the river with a lump of raw liver. 10) They think that this Thursday is the 30th. 11) Jolly General Jimmy Jones joked with Japanese John. 12) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. 13) The zoo’s zebras swam through the zebra zone. 14) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where is the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? 15) Don’t dilly dally in Denver or disdain your daily duty. (2 times quickly) 16) Little Luke lost a lot of labeled letters. If Little Luke lost a lot of labeled letters, where are the labeled letters Little Luke lost?

The Actor’s Voice Introduction: This activity can be used as a warmer to inject some life into the class. The teacher can model some of the example first. 1. Say “hello”: i) in a happy way ii) in a sad way iii) in a bored way iv) in a sexy way v) to a friend vi) to a customer 1. Say a person’s name: i) in an angry way ii) like you love that person iii) like you hate that person 1. Say “Come here now”: i) to a dog or cat ii) to a kid who has been naughty iii) to a very shy person 1. Say “So Long or Goodbye”: i) to a person you are happy to see leave ii) to your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife iii) to somebody that you will never see again iv) to somebody you don’t know well, or you just met