This document provides 10 games teachers can use to engage and motivate English language learners in the classroom. It discusses how learning physically changes the brain by growing new dendrite branches and synaptic connections. Repeated learning fires synapses and strengthens these connections. The games are meant to review vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and other topics in a fun, low-stress way to boost arousal and attention. Examples include board games, card games using pictures to match vocabulary, dice games to check answers, and other interactive games using materials like flyswatters, playdoh or a game involving sitting in the "hot seat". The document emphasizes that effective games for language learning are not stressful, involve movement, review past material and encourage all students

1. “Arousal” in the ESL
Classroom
Tamara Jones
jonestamara@hotmail.com
SHAPE Language Center

2. “arousal”
=
the easiest way to learn

3. Learning can now be seen with a
microscope!

4. Learning and the Brain
• Neurons hold information
• Dendrite branches project
from the neuron
• As we learn, we grow more
dendrite branches
• Synapses are located at
various places in the dendrite branches

5. Thinking and Learning
• Synapses fire electrical
impulses joining dendrite
branches = THINKING
• Repeated firing leading to
stronger connections
between dendrite
branches = LEARNING

6. Practice = Learning
(Shocking, isn’t it?)

7. motivation attention arousal

8. How to “arouse” your
ESL students …

9. 10 GREAT
GAMES!

10. The Board
Game
• review almost anything!
• practice any grammar structure
• go over individual sounds, word stress, or intonation
• provide conversation topics
• review vocabulary words
• practice reading skills

11. The Card Match Game
• quickly warm up or get
students into pairs or
partners
• review vocabulary or
idioms
• practice minimal pairs &
other pronunciation
• practice grammar items

12. The Dice Game
• review anything
• practice grammar
• check answers from book work or hand outs
• summarize of what was covered in class that day

13. The Dot Game
• review anything
• practice grammar, pronunciation, reading, listening, or
writing skills
• check answers from book work or hand outs
• summarize of what was covered in class that day

14. The Flyswatter Game
• reinforce vocabulary
• practice
pronunciation of
minimal pairs
• quickly review
• warm up

15. Joanne’s Line Up Game
• reinforce vocabulary
• review target pronunciation (word stress, consonant
and vowel sounds, linking)
• grammar corrections or gap fills

16. The M&M Game
• break the ice
• review vocabulary
• promote conversation
• practice different reading
skills
• review parts of a sentence
or different grammar
structures
• brainstorm about different
topics

17. The Playdoh Game
• review vocabulary
• to practice idioms
• to practice verb forms
• for fun!!

18. The Correction Game
• complete hand outs or book work
• work on error location activities
• practice spelling

19. The Hot Seat
• reinforce vocabulary
• practice word stress
• practice grammar forms
• practice idioms

20. What makes a Good Game?
• Not stressful
• Involves movement
• Reviews previous material
• Encourages ALL students to participate
FUN!

21. “When we teach, we are
changing the form of the brain.”
Janet Zadina

22. Thank you for you interest!
Tamara Jones
SHAPE Language Center
jonestamara@hotmail.com