A selection of English ESL vocabulary card games printables

This ´Taboo Vocabulary Game´ is great for revising vocabulary and developing fluency. Students can work in groups and play as individual players or they can play in teams against other groups in the class.


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Vocabulary Taboo Game for A1-A2 Level

Popular game where students try to find words in different categories starting with the same letter. Several different game cards as well as blank templates can be found in this file. Just copy the lot on A4 (resize and copy 2 cards per A4 to save paper). Enjoy. 

Categories Game - The Category Game - Stop the Bus

How to play:



First all students should have studied the fruits. (These are the same fruits as in the "Fun for Starters" book. 





-Students get in groups of 3. 



-They each take a shopping list and (without looking) take 3 of the picture cards.



-if one of the cards is on their list they put it down on the table so that everyone can see. 



-one student begins, they ask another for something on their own list , "Martina...Have you got an apple?"



-Martina would then give the student the apple if she's got it, saying "Yes, I do." and the student puts it down on the table. 



-If she doesn't she says, "No, sorry. Go shop!" and the student who asked her can draw a card from the center. If it's a card on their list they put it down on the table. If it's not then they keep it in their hand.



-Then the next student continues and so on. 



-the first student to get all the cards on their list (6 cards) is the winner



Starters Vocabulary - Fruits and Vegetables Shopping Game 

Class game



Everybody has a card with two pictures. Without showing you have to find the student with the same two pictures. They have to ask each other questions to find out.



Goals:

1. memorizing vocabulary

2. exercise for asking questions and giving answers.



content: 40 cards, game procedure, 2 posters

Animal game - make a pair

This is a set of 15 flashcards which you can use as a warm up activity at your lesson. There is a picture and the task on each card. For example, name 5 irregular verbs. My students like them very much. These cards are useful for revising vocabulary. Hope you like them.

Flashcards - Name Me 5 in Each Category - Vocabulary Game

A set of cards for playing "taboo". Ss pick the card and must describe the word on the top without using the words on the bottom. To make it more challenging set a time limit. Award points to the team if they guess. Good for reviewing some confusing words on this topic.

SPORTS TABOO

Play a conversation game to practice giving medical advice. Also included: page 2 Medications & Advice cards, page 3 Medical Problems Vocabulary)

Give Medical Advice Vocabulary & Game

Taboo type cards for guessing words. Before playing the game review all the words and make sure the students know their meaning. Explain the rules of taboo - that you are unable to say the word that needs to be guessed.

Taboo Cards with Relevant Vocabulary

This is a fun way to review classroom vocabulary. Distribute one card at random to each student. Choose a student to start. The first student reads out loud the question at the bottom of his/her card. The student who has the card that answers the question goes next. This continues until a student reads the question that can only be answered by the first student who started the game. How long does it take your students to go through the deck? Compare their best time with other groups.

Classroom Vocabulary Dominos

In small groups, one of the students takes a card and has to say words related to the category (For example, if the card says "Things that are white", the student can say words like ghost, milk, snow, etc). The other students will have to find out the category. It is a good and funny way to revise vocabulary.

Pyramid games

It's a very easy vocabulary game which is perfect for teenagers and young adults. Each student gets 3 cards: show the word, define the word and draw the word. The 3 cards should be placed face up.Then they take one of the words (which you need to prepare in advance, e.g. words  you need to revise). Each student must chose the way to explain the word they've taken. As an option (e.g. "Define the word") is used it should be  placed face down. When a student has used the 3 cards, they must be placed face up again and everything goes as in the beginning. 

Hope you'll like it! Good luck!

Vocabulary game 

Learn the names of ordinary pets. What do you know about them? Can you describe them? Why do we have pets? Lots of material for conversation. Print out 2 copies on thick paper and cut out. Who has the best memory?

Pets Memory Game Cards for Beginners

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

60 Vocabulary card games English ESL worksheets pdf & doc