Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by Editorial Team
Due to the increasing applicability, even non-native speakers started looking at learning ESL (English as a second language). This learning may happen at any age, especially middle schoolers. With effective classroom teaching and worksheets, online games are often effective for not only being recreative but also for their interactive UI.
While there are a number of choices for learners to choose from, only a few may act befitting for ESL learners with special care taken. After going through analyzing tons of games online, we have curated a list for you to aid your ESL expedition.
ESL: How is it significant?
English is the most widely spoken language on the planet. The use of the language has risen with globalization. As a result, ESL teachers are required not just in English-speaking nations but also around the world. One of the most compelling reasons to learn English is the global demand for English language abilities.
With these insights, ESL can be beneficial to pupils on the following crucial grounds:
- Better Cognition: At a schooling level ensuring bilingualism with English is often beneficial. Further, Ditza L. Oren[1] conducted research to determine the advantages of being bilingual. The result showed that this ability ensures better cognition and conceptualization of various symbols and notions. Thereby, learning ESL can ensure bilingualism and implicitly better cognition. This attribute assists in schooling and at the workplace as well.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving abilities: Apart from cognition, knowledge in multiple languages also may ensure better resolving abilities with multiple ideas of thinking. Carolyn Kessler[2] brought out these conclusions in his research on the positive effects of bilingualism and problem-solving abilities. Fascinatingly, it also outlined cognition as well.
- Recognition: An aspirant from another culture or background may be better identified in multiple nations with their communication skills in recognition. In recruitment procedures as well, these may also be a factor of consideration.
- Social Advantages: Making sure to learn English as a second language, communication with new peers and neighbors may turn easy. This way, better bonding and reaching out may be possible.
These edges depict how ESL may be crucial. Looking for better strategies to brush up on these abilities, online games may be a fair take-in to ensure a vocabulary drill. Accordingly, we here look into 10 ESL games online for you.
Online ESL games: Our choices for you
1. Monster phrases
This is a game to help you learn basic English phrases. You examine the image before clicking on the words to form a statement. To earn points, keep an eye on the ball and click the words when it comes to a complete stop.
The game’s goal is to provide kids with practice and exposure to basic English phrases. The relationship between the words and the meaning is created by the meaning provided through visuals and the usage of words to make sentences. When the proper words are clicked, audio is also played to support this. It is believed that through listening to the audio, the listener would be able to associate the sound of the words with their meaning and text.
2. Question Unscramble
Question Unscramble is an entertaining interactive game that allows you to practice forming questions using a variety of grammatical patterns. Choose from 17 alternative grammatical forms and have your children correctly sequence the question before answering it. With over 140 engaging questions to get your kids talking, this exercise is a terrific approach to offer more free practice when learning grammar.
Children will grasp grammar to a certain extent if they play this game on a regular basis. It will also help them improve their speaking skills.
3. Fast English
This is a simple game to help you learn fundamental English words. It is primarily geared toward ESL students, although it may be beneficial to other students as well.
To play, simply listen to the words and click on the photos that match them. As you go, the game becomes quicker, and if you do not click quickly enough, the game will end. By clicking on a set on the content screen, you may pick which vocab to practice. There are around 30 topic sets that cover the majority of the fundamental vocabulary elements.
4. Wordshake
Wordshake is the game for you if you enjoy fast-paced ESL games where you have to work against the clock. This game provides you with 16 letters from the alphabet at random and three minutes to complete them.
During that time, you must come up with as many English words as possible using the letters you have, and you will be awarded points for each new word you create. You can choose letters in any sequence, and the letters don’t have to touch or be in a certain arrangement like they do in crossword puzzles.
This game encourages children to think of words quickly and get more familiar with the language.
5. Magnetic Poetry
Magnetic Poetry provides five complete kits for free (the original kit and four thematic ones). You must use the words you are provided to make poetry, tales, jokes, or anything else that comes to mind in this game. You can try to blog your day using only the words you’ve been given.
Magnetic Poetry allows you to make anything, and because the free kits are in English, you’ll be able to improve your vocabulary and writing abilities. Consistent use of this online game will improve students’ writing skills because they will be generating sentences on a daily basis using new words.
6. Freerice
Another quiz-style game that might help you increase your vocabulary is Freerice. Instead of solving word problems, you are given a vocabulary word and must pick its closest synonym from a list of four terms.
The game starts off easy, but as you go through the 60 levels, it becomes much more difficult. What sets Freerice apart from other online games is that for every question you correctly answer, the firm will contribute 10 grains of rice to a starving family.
7. Quiz your English
Quiz Cambridge University Press is one of the well-known academies for English research and records, Consequently, this game may ensure reliability. You may play against any other user on the planet. You’ll see that the topics are organized into levels. Choose your level and topic, and the app will match you up with an opponent.
Some question packs are only available if you pay for them. If you wish to practice a specific topic or receive access to the Cambridge English Exams Pack, this choice may be useful. When playing against another player, you’ll be asked questions with four alternative responses to fill in the blanks.
The player needs to sign up to become a member of the Cambridge site to access the game. You could move on to the following question if you answered properly. It can also help in case you are planning to take any official English proficiency test exam.
8. Knoword
Knoword is a game-based learning platform that makes online education and vocabulary expansion almost too much fun. The instructions are straightforward: you have one minute to read as many definitions as possible and write the proper response.
You gain one or two more seconds for each correct answer, and every four correct responses give you a clue. You may skip as many words as you like, so every time you don’t know a word hit Esc or click on Skip.
You’ll be able to view the number of right answers, your accuracy, and your points at the end of the game, among other things.
9. Proof it
In this game, you are given ten phrases, each with one error. Your goal is to locate and rectify all ten errors. Grammar and spelling issues, as well as punctuation and capitalization faults, may all be found in these statements. If you make an erroneous choice, the word will become red, and a notification will display informing you of your mistake. The word will become green if your choice is accurate. At the bottom of the game window, a text box with a “Submit” button will appear.
It aids children in becoming more detail-oriented and adept at detecting spelling, grammatical, and punctuation problems. It will help them improve their grammatical abilities.
10. Kangaroo Boomerang Game
The to-be auxiliary verb can be a tough nut to crack for many students out there. Getting confused about which to-be verb should be added to make the sentence grammatically correct is common. However, this game can make this plight as easy as a walk in the park!
The game is about a kangaroo who throws a boomerang and collects points. But, he throws the boomerang only when you answer the questions correctly. The questions are asked with four options from which the player uses the best-suited option to frame the sentence correctly.
For example, the question can be like John and Jacob _________ in the office. The options given are: aren’t / isn’t / is / not – from this, choosing ‘aren’t’ will make the kangaroo throw the boomerang and get you some points as well. This game can be an effective tool to practice the to-be verb auxiliary to become more proficient in the English language.
Wrapping up,
Playing games is a fun and efficient approach to enhancing your language abilities and making studying English more enjoyable. There are a variety of online games to help you improve your English. Try turning your next game into an English-speaking activity the next time you want to sit down and play. You’ll be practicing English without feeling like you’re working.
These online games are among the most effective ways for children to enhance their English skills. It will encourage and stimulate them to practice on a regular basis rather than learning the traditional manner.
References:
- Oren, D. L. (1981). Cognitive advantages of bilingual children related to labeling ability. The Journal of Educational Research, 74(3), 163-169.
- Kessler, C., & Quinn, M. E. (1980). Positive effects of bilingualism on science problem-solving abilities. In Current issues in bilingual education: Proceedings of the Georgetown Roundtable on Languages and Linguistics (pp. 295-308). Georgetown University Press.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,