{"id":13527,"date":"2024-01-02T06:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T13:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/?p=13527"},"modified":"2024-10-27T11:52:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-27T17:52:39","slug":"esl-pronunciation-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/","title":{"rendered":"ESL Pronunciation Games for Teaching Kids, Teens, and Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>\n<p>Helping your students <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-and-phonics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">master clear and correct pronunciation<\/a> will aid them in becoming better, more confident communicators when speaking English both in and out of class. These ESL pronunciation games offer ways to integrate plenty of phonics practice into your online or in-person classrooms with young learners, teens, and adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you\u2019re new to teaching, you\u2019ll want to get initial training and qualification with a <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TEFL certificate<\/a>. You can explore our <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/online-tefl-certification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online TEFL courses<\/a> to get started!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ub-table-of-contents-block ub_table-of-contents\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-19e7ff94-30c2-47ef-92ce-7b6cbb48c92d\" data-linktodivider=\"false\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" data-enablesmoothscroll=\"false\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\" data-initiallyshow=\"true\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\" style=\"text-align: left; \">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\">Table of Contents<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column \">\n\t\t\t\t<ul style=\"\"><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#0-esl-pronunciation-activities-for-young-learners\" style=\"\">ESL pronunciation activities for young learners<\/a><ul><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#1-esl-song-sing-along\" style=\"\">ESL song sing-along<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#2-pronunciation-bingo\" style=\"\">Pronunciation bingo<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#3-rhyming-activities\" style=\"\">Rhyming activities<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#4-esl-pronunciation-activities-for-teenagers-and-young-adults\" style=\"\">ESL pronunciation activities for teenagers and young adults<\/a><ul><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#5-rhyming-pair-memory-game\" style=\"\">Rhyming pair memory game<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#6-correct-the-teacher\" style=\"\">Correct the teacher<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#7-minimal-pairs-games\" style=\"\">Minimal pairs games<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#8-esl-pronunciation-games-for-adult-students-and-professionals\" style=\"\">ESL pronunciation games for adult students and professionals<\/a><ul><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#9-rhyming-poetry\" style=\"\">Rhyming poetry<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#10-language-apps\" style=\"\">Language apps<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#11-sound-chain\" style=\"\">Sound chain<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-pronunciation-games\/#12-tongue-twisters\" style=\"\">Tongue twisters<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-esl-pronunciation-activities-for-young-learners\">ESL pronunciation activities for young learners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids tend to be enthusiastic learners who aren&#8217;t afraid to try out new sounds or mimic language. They also love opportunities to get up and move around during class activities. Let&#8217;s explore some ESL pronunciation activities that are great for young learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Looking to expand your training to specialize in teaching young learners? <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/courses\/specialized\/teaching-english-to-young-learners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Learn more about the Specialized Certification in Teaching English to Young Learners.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-esl-song-sing-along\">ESL song sing-along<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-songs-kids-teens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESL songs<\/a> work well to practice pronunciation with young learners. Students can move and dance with phonics songs, which helps them better retain what they&#8217;re learning. A sing-along is a simple activity for young learners and can be adapted for use with older students as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By<b> <\/b>learning a song in English, and practicing it over and over, students become familiar with the sounds of English and imitate the singer, practicing correct pronunciation in a fun and interactive way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Interested in learning more about the ties between physical movement and language retention? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/what-is-tpr-for-teaching-english-and-how-can-i-use-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Total Physical Response (TPR) technique.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hello Song for Kids | Greeting Song for Kids | The Singing Walrus\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gghDRJVxFxU?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-pronunciation-bingo\">Pronunciation bingo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One effective game for teaching ESL phonics is \u201cPronunciation Bingo.\u201d To play, prepare Bingo sheets with sample words for each of the phonemes (individual sounds) you want to review. Take a sound flashcard from a bag and say the sound, such as \/e\/,<strong> <\/strong>while showing students the card. Students must find the word on their Bingo sheet that matches that sound (such as &#8220;bet&#8221;)<strong> <\/strong>to cross it out. This game can be played individually or in pairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this is too advanced for your student&#8217;s level, you can modify the activity by saying the sound and then giving them a sample word: \/e\/ <em>&#8211; l<strong>e<\/strong>t<\/em>. Students must then find a word with the same sound: <em>st<strong>e<\/strong>p.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-games-activities-kids-young-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Discover more ESL games and activities for kids and teens.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-rhyming-activities\">Rhyming activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can include some rhythmic rhyming activities in your lessons, having your students repeat after you. In the rhythm you choose, you can move and say connected rhyming pairs, such as <em>boy\/toy, toy\/joy,<\/em> and <em>joy\/soy<\/em>. You can then switch to a new rhyming pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Need more game ideas for young learners? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/ebooks-teach-online-games-young-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download the free Teaching Online Games and Activities \u2013 Young Learners (TOGAS) Sample eBook.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone wp-image-9654\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"811\" height=\"567\" src=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/juicy-mae-with-glasses.jpg\" alt=\"Filipina ESL teacher Juicy Mae teaching a kid online\" class=\"wp-image-9654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/juicy-mae-with-glasses.jpg 811w, https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/juicy-mae-with-glasses-480x336.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 811px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/filipina-instructor-thriving-as-online-teacher\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Filipina ESL teacher Juicy Mae<\/a> teaches a young student online.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-esl-pronunciation-activities-for-teenagers-and-young-adults\">ESL pronunciation activities for teenagers and young adults<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Teenagers and young adults may be more self-conscious than younger learners, so preparing some fun but appropriate ESL phonics games, as well as some ESL pronunciation worksheets, is a good idea. Here are some great ideas for ESL pronunciation activities for teens and young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-rhyming-pair-memory-game\">Rhyming pair memory game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After some repetition drills on the target words and sounds, you can try a \u201cRhyming Pair Memory Game.\u201d Make cards with words that rhyme, like <em>man\/can, bit\/sit, fame\/came,<\/em> and so on, and place them face down. Students take turns turning over the cards to find the pairs that rhyme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Want to ensure class games are engaging and educational? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/planning-online-esl-games-teens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read the 5-Point Checklist for Planning Online ESL Games for Teens.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"\"><div class=\"content-advertisements template1\"><div class=\"thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/courses\/micro\/teaching-english-pronunciation\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Pronunciation-MC.png\" class=\"\"><\/a><\/div><div class=\"txt\"><h5>Teach your students to speak with confidence with the<\/h5><h3>Micro-credential in Teaching English Pronunciation<\/h3><p><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/courses\/micro\/teaching-english-pronunciation\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"btn-ads\">Get Certified<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-correct-the-teacher\">Correct the teacher<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are teaching your students stress and intonation, you can try \u201cCorrect the Teacher.&#8221; You say a sentence in a natural or unnatural rhythm and your students have to decide if you said it correctly or incorrectly. If they say that you are wrong, they then have to say the sentence with the correct intonation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ready to learn more about teaching this age group? <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/courses\/specialized\/teaching-english-to-young-learners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Earn a Specialized Certification in Teaching English to Teenagers.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-minimal-pairs-games\">Minimal pairs games<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>ESL phonics worksheets on minimal pairs are a good way to fill some minutes at the end of a lesson, or you can provide them as homework, while a \u201cMinimal Pairs Slap Game\u201d can keep your students engaged in a group game for the main part of the lesson. Hand out sets of flashcards to each group and tell your students to spread them out on the table. You say one word of a minimal pair, such as &#8220;cat.&#8221; The students have to find and slap the card that shows the minimal pair partner, for example, &#8220;cap.&#8221; You can extend this game to exercises on stress and intonation, and you can also let your students take turns being the person who says the word or sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Looking for more ESL game ideas for teens? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/ebooks-teach-online-games-teenagers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download the free Teaching Online Games and Activities \u2013 Teenagers (TOGAS) Sample eBook.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-esl-pronunciation-games-for-adult-students-and-professionals\">ESL pronunciation games for adult students and professionals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ESL pronunciation games for adults are a great way to liven up the classroom and help your older students target specific sounds and common pronunciation errors. It\u2019s always a good idea to use authentic materials and language from your student\u2019s field of expertise or study to create relevant context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you are teaching a class for students in the hospitality industry, great learning contexts may be teaching them how to pronounce flavors or items on a menu or how to explain the day&#8217;s special with the correct stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some ESL pronunciation games for adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"9-rhyming-poetry\">Rhyming poetry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For both live and online lessons, you can have your students write a simple rhyming poem and read it out loud in class. This activity can be used with students of all ages, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. This is a creative task that allows students to express themselves freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Need more ESL game ideas for your adult students? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/ebooks-teach-online-games-adults\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download the free Teaching Online Games and Activities \u2013 Adults (TOGAS) Sample ebook.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"10-language-apps\">Language apps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a variety of language tutoring applications these days that students can download to practice speaking English beyond the classroom and build important pronunciation skills. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flowspeak.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FLOW Speak<\/a> provides over 400 short lessons, including business lessons, so students can practice English conversations on their own time, extending learning beyond the classroom. Teachers can recommend or provide access to the app and track students&#8217; progress on the admin dashboard. The app uses voice recording technology to generate instant, AI-powered feedback so students can keep practicing and improving. Apps like this offer easy, low-stakes speaking practice that can build students&#8217; confidence and practical conversation skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"11-sound-chain\">Sound chain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let your students line up or make a circle, or if you&#8217;re teaching online, let your students decide on an order. Give the key sound and have each student come up with a new word with the same sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can vary this ESL pronunciation game, for example, by letting the next student repeat the previous words in the right order before adding their own, or by having your class tell a story with the words they came up with during the sound chain game, in groups or as a whole class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a great way to increase student talking time. They can then write the story down in their own words as homework or during class time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"\"><div class=\"content-advertisements template4\"><div class=\"thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/ebooks-teach-online-games-teenagers\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ebook-Teaching-Online-Games-and-Activities-Suite-TOGAS-Teeangers.png\" class=\"\"><\/a><\/div><div class=\"txt\"><h5>Motivate your students with this free eBook sample<\/h5><h3>Teaching Online Games and Activities \u2013 Teenagers<\/h3><p><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/ebooks-teach-online-games-teenagers\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"btn-ads\">download<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"12-tongue-twisters\">Tongue twisters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are heaps of tongue twisters out there, for all levels and ages, that you can use in your classes. Tongue twisters for ESL students can create a very lively and fun atmosphere, as everybody tries to do their best but eventually gets twisted up in their own words and speed. This ESL pronunciation activity is good for team building and for students who are comfortable with each other and with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pronunciation is an important aspect of any ESL curriculum. You can make this otherwise challenging skill fun and ensure student progress by incorporating ESL pronunciation games into your classroom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"13-need-easy-ideas-for-esl-games-read-about-12-low-prep-esl-games-for-teaching-online-\"><em>Need easy ideas for ESL games? <a href=\"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/esl-games-teaching-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about 12 low-prep ESL games for teaching online.<\/a> <\/em><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mastering clear and correct pronunciation helps students become confident communicators both in and out of class. Try these ESL pronunciation games to integrate plenty of phonics practice into your online or classroom-based lessons with young learners, teens, and adults.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":30083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[100,102,550,103,549,104,116,352],"post-language":[],"popular_posts":[],"class_list":["post-13527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classroom-games-activities","category-pedagogy","tag-esl-classroom","tag-esl-games","tag-esl-games-for-adults","tag-esl-games-for-kids","tag-esl-games-for-teens","tag-esl-games-for-young-learners","tag-esl-teaching-tips","tag-teaching-tips"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/TEFL-Bulletin-1.3-ESL-Pronunciation-Games-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Bridge","author_link":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/author\/bridgetefl\/"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13527"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35474,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13527\/revisions\/35474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13527"},{"taxonomy":"post-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-language?post=13527"},{"taxonomy":"popular_posts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridge.edu\/tefl\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/popular_posts?post=13527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}