This is a great starter / activating prior knowledge activity for EAL learners.
Set the questions to the learners of ‘How many things can you think of related to (a particular subject or topic that the learners have been studying)?’
Set a time limit of 1 minute and learners write down as many words or phrases that they can think of related to that topic.
If you have learners that are New to English you could pair them with more proficient users of English. You could also play this game in small groups of no more than 3.
After the alloted time, learners swap lists and count how many words or phrases they have thought of.
The winner is the learner / group with the most words or phrases related to the topic.
Here are some of the ways that I have played this game:
- Maths – How many words can you think of related to operations?
- Science – How many words can you think of related to cells?
- English – How many words can you think of related to figurative language?
- Geography – How many words can you think of related to rivers?
- History – How many words can you think of related to Henry VIII?
- Religious Studies – How many words can you think of related to Buddhism?
EAL in the Daylight 