Students get to know each other by presenting information following the prompt "I

am..."
Level: Any
Topic: Icebreakers
Grammar: Simple present
Time: 40 minutes

Preparation
 Index cards (one for each student)
 Prepare 15-20 teacher responses to the prompt “I am…” with pictures

For example:
I am American, from Ohio, a daughter…

Procedure
1
Write “I am…” on the board and ask students to brainstorm 5-10 different ways to
finish the sentence.

2
Give one index card to each student. Ask students to write their name at the top of
the index card and write their responses to “I am…” under their name.

3
Introduce yourself using the prompt “I am…” Show pictures to make the presentation
more interesting. Answer any questions.

4
Tell the students it is their turn to introduce themselves to the class. Ask each
student to take turns standing at the front of the room and delivering their self-
introduction. Collect the index cards after each presentation.

Extended Practice
Tell the students to use the responses on their index card to write an introductory
paragraph about themselves.
-OR-
Redistribute the index cards so each student has a classmates’ card. Tell the
students to use the responses from their classmates' card to write an introductory
paragraph about their classmate.
 Lonely Student

Students review vocabulary by describing a word without using the word itself. The
lonely student must guess the word.
Level: Elementary
Topic: Warmer
Time: 20 minutes

Preparation
 Prepare a list of vocabulary words to review, or make one copy of the Conversation
Cards for the teacher.

Procedure
1
Divide the class into two teams.

2
Ask students to number each person in the team.

3
Ask student #1 from each team to sit in a chair with his or her back to the board.

4
Write the first vocabulary word from the Conversation Cards on the board. All of the
students can see the word except for student #1 sitting in the chair - the lonely
student.

5
The other students in the team describe the word to the lonely student.

6
The first lonely student to guess the word on the board gets a point for his or her
team.

7
Continue with student #2, and so on, until each student has had a chance to be the
lonely student.

8
The team with the most points is the winner.
‘?‘

When I walk into a class for the first time, instead of introducing myself, I like to draw
a big question mark on the board and get the students to do all of the hard work. I
sometimes tell them that I would normally introduce myself, but I’m feeling a little
tired and that they must do the hard work. For more advanced students, the teacher
could walk in the class and have students ask whatever comes into their mind with
little preparation, while lower levels could work in pairs or groups and write down
some questions they could ask. Error correction is very important, the teacher should
write the question on the board, and if a question is asked in a structurally incorrect
way, the teacher can elicit the answer from other students in the class. This is good
way to build the confidence of students and show them that incorrect answers are
still beneficial to the class. This exercise is a great way to start off a class as it puts
the students in a position where they are effectively doing work in your class,
experiencing your role as a teacher in the class, and building their confidence in
using English in a fun and light-hearted manner.

THE TRUTH GAME

This game is flexible with all ages and levels of English.

Begin by drawing four boxes on your whiteboard. In three of the boxes write the word
‘true’ and in the fourth write ‘false’ (pre-teach this vocab for beginners). Hand out a
piece of paper to each student and ask them to fold it into four and write the same
headings in each of their four boxes. Explain to the class that they should write three
true facts about themselves and one false ‘fact’.

They shouldn’t show anyone else and when they are done they will read out their
facts and everyone will vote to guess which one is the false fact. This is a very
simple game but can be a great way to get to know something about your students
and can be very fun depending on how creative the facts are.

THE ALPHABALL GAME

This game is more physical and will require a tennis ball or something similar. Begin
the game by making the class stand in a circle, state an English word beginning with
‘a’ and pass the ball to the next student who will have to state a word beginning with
‘b’. This student will pass the ball on to another student who will state a word
beginning with ‘c’ and so on and so on.

Once the students have grasped this you can mix things around for example;
choosing to pass the ball to random students to create more spontaneity, using
categories such as ‘animals’, ‘food’ ect. There are so many possibilities with this
simple game but make sure to keep it fast-paced and exciting.

TONGUE TWISTERS

Tongue twisters may seem a little drab but you will be surprised how much they can
energise your classroom if utilised in the right way. Begin by writing a simple tongue
twister on the board (i.e. She sells sea shells on the sea shore). Tell your students to
all stand up and make them attempt the tongue twister and only when they have
mastered it can they return to their seat. Infuse a sense of urgency by telling them to
repeat it faster and faster and in different tones of voice. This will get your class all
riled up but in a positive way to bring some life into the classroom.

INTRODUCTIONS

 The teacher writes on the board the words: Name, Age, City, Study, Job,
Favorite Color, Favorite Sport.
 Students have to choose four words and write four questions for them.
 The teacher gives an example of making a question for ‘Name’.
 When students have finished, elicit each question and correct accordingly.
 Pairs ask each other their chosen questions.
 They take it in turn to introduce their classmates to the class.