Warm-up Activities for Teaching Children in ESL Class

1. ATI TESOL

2. TESOL TEACHING SCHEDULE
Day 3:
Part 1:
• TESOL Classroom Warm ups Activities
Part 2:
• Philosophy of Teaching (read at home)
• Teaching children, Teaching Adults
• Students learning levels. (read at home)
• Retaining language – The association method
• Classroom management

3. Revision
How would you demonstrate these words to
your students?
1. credit card (n)
2. rich (adj)
3. swim (v)
4. similar (adj)
5. itinerary (n)
6. sister in law (n)
7. sour (adj)
8. next to (prep)
9. hungry (adj)
10. anxious (adj)

4. • credit card (n) - show students a real credit card
• rich (adj) # poor - use an antonym
• swim (v) - use TPR
• similar (adj) = the same - use a synonym
• itinerary (n) = a plan of a journey - use explanation
• sister in law (n) use a spoken gap-fill sentence
Ex: Mary is my brother’s wife. She’s my
__________.
• sour (adj) Ex: Candies are sweet, but lemons
are____________.- use a spoken gap-fill sentence
• next to (prep) - use TPR. Ex: the chair is next to the
table.
• hungry (adj) - use miming and example. Ex: I’m
hungry, I want something to eat.
• anxious (adj) = worried - use a synonym and an
example. Ex: John’s father is really sick. He’s very
anxious about that.

5. TESOL Classroom Warm - up Activities
• When learning a second language many students feel
uncomfortable attempting or producing speech (Speaking Skill).
This is due to a number of variables, most notably the fear of
making mistakes in pronunciation, and limitations of vocabulary.
• Within the TESOL classroom there must be an open, fun and
comfortable atmosphere where students do not fear making
mistakes and can freely communicate. Warm-ups are an effective
way to help students relax and to prepare them for high levels of
participation in the activities to be held later in the class.
• Warm-up activities can be a game, a song, a competition, or a quiz
in which the language that the students have learned is
used(focusing on listening and speaking). We can use warm-up
activities to review the old lessons and lead the students in the
new lesson.
• Warm-up activities should be related to the lessons.

6. Sample Warm-ups for the TESOL classroom
A warm-up for Beginner and Upper Beginner students
 My name Is ...
1. Ask your students to form a circle or circles)
2. Throw a ball to one of the students in the circle try and choose
one of the better English speakers) saying, "My name is ….”
3. Indicate to the student that you would like them to throw the
ball back to you saying "My name is ...."
4. Once this has been modeled successfully ask the students to
throw the ball at random around the circle saying, "My name is ...“
Why is this a good ice-breaker for Beginners?

7. Sample Warm-ups for the TESOL
classroom
A warm-up for Intermediate to Upper Intermediate students
 Guess the gift
Description: Ask students to jot down a brief description of a gift they would
like to receive. Descriptions must be detailed enough so that the object can
be guessed but not so detailed that it is too obvious.
Procedure: Explain to students that they have 2-3 minutes in which to jot down
a brief description of a gift they would like to receive. Descriptions should
cover:
• Physical description i.e. size, shape. and colour
• Purpose i.e. functions, capabilities, and usage
Each student should stand in turn and read their descriptions to the class for
the class to guess.
Why is this a good ice-breaker for Intermediate students?

8. Sample Warm-ups for the TESOL
classroom
A warm-up for Advanced students
 Tell me about yourself
1. Ask your students to form pairs and give them a list of questions to ask
each other.
2. Alternatively you could ask your students to write their own questions.
3. Tell your students that once they have interviewed each other one pair
will be selected at random to report their findings to the whole class.
Tell me about yourself questionnaire
1. What is your name?
2. Where do you live?
3. What do you do?
4. What are your interests?
5. Why are you here?
6. Do you ever hope to live overseas? If so, where?
Now make up two questions of your own.
7. ………………………………………………………………….
8. ………………………………………………………………….

9. Work in groups
- Take a look at the 2 pages of
American File 1.
- Discuss and design a warm-up activity
about 5-7 minutes. Your students are
young adults, elementary students.
- One representative presents in front of
the class.
Sample Warm-up activity by the teacher. –
Guessing game.

10. PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING
• I feel that my responsibility as a teacher is to educate students and
develop their intelligence. A society cannot survive without educated
citizens and responsible, highly-trained leaders. Good citizens must be
prepared with basic skills and enough information, which will eventually
enable them to think independently and to learn self-discipline.
• As a teacher, I should provide space for individual levels of ability. Each
student should be challenged to reach the highest level of his/her
mental, physical, and emotional capacity. I will try to create an
environment in the classroom where each child is equally valued and
appreciated. Teaching should never humiliate or injure a student's self-
esteem.
• It is essential that standards be dearly defined and that discipline be
firm, fair, and consistent. The methods of measuring achievement should
be understood by students, parents, and school personnel. High
expectations from a teacher will produce maximum results from the
students.
• I hope that as a teacher I can encourage respect for learning and
intellectual achievement by stimulating individual curiosity about the
world and of mankind. I want to help students acquire knowledge of
several foundations that will allow them to think logically, clearly and
independently in order to prepare themselves for the future.

11. INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FOR THE TESOL
TEACHER
 There isn't an answer to give, but one to find.
 There's no teacher and no student, only. learners exchanging and
sharing experiences and life itself.
 All people by nature desire to know.
 If you have knowledge, let others light their candles from it.
 The important thing is not so much that every child should be
taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.
 I am glad to learn, in order that I may teach.
 The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.
 There is no royal road to learning; no short cut to the acquirement of
any'valuable art.

12. INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FOR THE TESOL
TEACHER
 A teacher affects eternity, she can never tell where her influence
stops.
 A true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal
influence.
 To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching.
 What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of
the person who instructs the rising generation?
 The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what
you learned this afternoon.
 A great teacher is a student, a great student is a teacher.
 A teacher is a guide on the side, not a sage on the stage.
 I am always ready to learn, but do not always like being taught.
 If life is a journey, then the greatest tragedy is to not have enjoyed
the ride.

13. Work in groups of three and write down all
the words/ideas relating to:
TEACHING
CHILDREN

14. TEACHING CHILDREN: HELPFUL HINTS
When teaching children, keep these points in
mind.
1) Teach children only if you like children!
2) Set boundaries and keep them.
3) Be firm, but caring.
4) Be sure to vary the classroom activities.
In a 45-60 minute class, you should have 4-5
different activities for the children in your class.
Activities for children should be from 5-10
minutes. In the activities, have your students
doing different things: standing, watching,
sitting, moving, reading, drawing, acting,
listening.

15. TEACHING CHILDREN: HELPFUL HINTS
5) Until students are about 10 years of age, teach
them language in a playful way (this is due to the
way in which the brain develops and operates and
language is acquired and transferred).
6) Behavioural problems ( items 6 – 12 in the
slides) relating to classroom management. (later)

16. Tips for Teaching Children
• Vary activities
• Use plenty of games
• Use flashcards to teach new vocabulary (sight word recognition)
• Use humour
• Be flexible
• Pace the activities
• Be patient
• Understand not all children of the same age will have the same
cognitive abilities
• Keep children active; running, jumping, playing and making things.
• Use art and crafts
• Decorate the classroom
• Give rewards
• Give recognition of achievement and effort
• Praise regularly
• Use team work
• Teach by example

17. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
ADULT LEARNERS
• The adult learner has experience and maturity.
• The adult learner often has time to learn only what she needs.
• The adult learner usually knows what he wants to learn.
• The adult learner is usually self-directing.
• Adult learners have different learning styles.
• The adult learner often has to resume a role she left behind
many years ago.
• The adult learner wants to use what he has learned as soon
as possible.
• The adult learner is a voluntary learner.

18. Teaching Adults
When teaching adults, keep these points in mind.
1) Give the adult learners a lot of choices and control.
2) Adult learners bring a lot of life knowledge and experience with them
to class. Let them share this knowledge and experience in the class.
3) Be careful with criticism with adults. Adults tend to take errors
personally.
4) Adults like low-risk activities at the beginning.
5) Adults want to spend their class-time wisely.
6) Adults learn best in a positive and relaxed classroom climate.
7) Adults like lots of examples to be provided.
8) Adults like to have fun as much as children do.

19. 9) Adults need to be physically active while in the classroom, just as children
do.
10) Adults like to be praised.
11) Adults can store approximately 7 items/units in their short-term memory
at one time. This means teach smaller chunks of information at a time, then
move on to other information; rather than teach a lot of information all at one
time.
12) Adults learn from discussing with others.
13) Adults need time to reflect on new information.
14) Adults like clear instructions and explanations.
15) Adults need time to practice and correct errors.
16) Adults need to be able to ask questions.
17) Adults want to celebrate their success.

21. LANGUAGE RETENTION
To increase language retention in your students, it is important
to associate an action, a word, or a picture to the new
information that you are introducing. For example, when
teaching sports, model an action associated with that sport (eg.
baseball: swinging a bat) to the students and have students do
the action each time they say the sport name. By associating a
physical action to the new vocabulary word, they will remember
the new vocabulary word and it's meaning more effectively.
Also, repetition is very important for retention. When teaching
new vocabulary, always review all the words already taught
during that lesson before introducing the next vocabulary word.
The process of returning to the first word, then each time
building up the list with new words is effective for retention.

22. Retaining Language:
The ‘Association’ Technique
One of the best methods of enabling your students to
retain language in the words of Professor John
Rassias is to introduce “emotion, rhythm and
movement into the classroom”. This is usually
best achieved by getting students out of their seats
and moving around.
A simple to organise activity which gives students the
chance to be active is known as the ‘Association
Method’ (also known as ‘Progressive Stories’). This
is useful in the TESOL classroom as a means of
practising the sequencing of language and also of
retaining language.

23. There is a kite
In the blue sky.
It’s flying high,
When the sun shines. (Robert)

24. STUDENT LEARNING LEVELS
BEGINNER (BASIC)
- May speak a little, but usually not at all. May recognize some
letters, but have trouble pronouncing them.
- Understanding is very limited and may range from no apparent
comprehension to comprehending short phrases or key words.
- May be unable to copy Roman script (a-z alphabet). Can usually
print own name, but cannot manage address or anything else.
- May not handle pen/pencil at all, or only with awkwardness.
- May not read/write in own language.
- Usually has little or no sight word recognition. May have minimal
ability to phonetically decode words. If words can be decoded,
there may be no understanding of their meaning.

25. STUDENT LEARNING LEVELS
UPPER BEGINNER
- Minimal speaking ability, with limited vocabulary, usually
constrained to topics of personal information. Speech is
frequently interrupted by hesitations while searching for
needed words/structures.
- Can understand only a little, usually with the help of
gestures, and only if words are spoken at a slow pace.
May tend to repeat phrases questions just heard, rather
than respond to them.
- Writing is usually quite limited (eg. name, address, and
some high- frequency words).
- Can read alphabet, numbers, and basic
words/sentences.

26. STUDENT LEARNING LEVELS
INTERMEDIATE
- Can speak with simple sentence structures, using present tense, but
attempts at linking or sequencing sentences prove difficult. Pronunciation
problems often make speech hard to understand. Speech is fragmented
(eg. a mixture of sentences and phrases, or single key words strung
together without function words). Will struggle to search for words.
- Vocabulary is limited to personal information, daily life, or similar familiar
topics.
- Listening ability is often better than speech production. Has ability to
understand basic instructions/questions. This is often done by picking up
on key content words, rather than necessarily understanding everything.
- Writing is mainly limited to single words, phrases, and simple sentences,
such as personal information required for filling out a form. There are
frequent errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Can read basic information presented in simple sentences within a
known, usually practical context, such as basic forms, and familiar
classroom material.

27. STUDENT LEARNING LEVELS
UPPER INTERMEDIATE
- Speech is mostly understandable; although it is still limited to learned
structures and fa niliar contexts. Basic structures are in place, using past,
present, and future tenses, and active, rather than passive, voice.
Vocabulary is not limited just to familiar, high frequency words. Student
will still hesitate and search for the right words. Student can tell a basic
story in sequence. Can respond in conversation, but not elaborate or
speak at great length.
- Listening comprehension is sufficient to follow basic instructions and
answer questions at a normal pace. Student can ask for clarification when
confused.
- Can write down information of a personal, familiar nature, and can take
down short notes, messages. and lists. Written meaning is usually
communicated despite frequent errors, although, some
misunderstandings may remain.
- Able to read and'understand at (east some main ideas/facts from simple
written texts, related to familiar practical topics.
- In general, basic language skills are seen to be developing at this level.
Can function adequately within a known framework.

28. STUDENT LEARNING LEVELS
ADVANCED
- Speech is hesitations. if not entirely fluent yet.Shows confidenceen ability
todifferent ideas.
- Vocabulary range is extended to lower-frequency words. Has ability to describe
in detail, paraphrase, and ask for detailed clarification when necessary.
- Able to understand main ideas and some details from longer segments of
connected speech, and in a wider range of contexts. However, comprehension
may be uneven depending on familiarity with topic, and how simply the
information is presented.
- Writing is produced with some confidence, especially in personal or practical
areas. Elements of organization are evident. Writing is generally understandable.
- Able to read with understanding when text is simply constructed and of familiar
content. Has partial understanding of texts with a wider variety of subjects.
- In general, at this level, the have confidence, especially in personal or practical
areas of language.

29. Classroom Management
Introduction
Contrary to popular belief, it is not true that you have to be an
extrovert to be a good teacher in the classroom. Some good
teachers are very low-key, while other teachers are both lively
and amusing, but are regarded as nothing more than
entertainers. You will find your own style of teaching through
practice in the classroom.
However, for a class to be able to learn effectively the teacher must
be able to inspire confidence in the students. We must know
when to be firm and when to leave the students alone. In other
words the teacher must be flexible and change his/ her role
according to the activity and situation without being dominant
or leaving the students uncertain.
Classroom Management is the skill of organising and managing
the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining
discipline

30. Eye contact
As we all know, it is very difficult to speak to
someone who is always looking elsewhere or
to someone who looks us in the eye all of the
time. Also, we are aware that appropriate eye
contact can convey messages. Good eye
contact in the classroom is essential to
establish a good rapport with the students. A
teacher who never looks students in the eye
will appear to lack confidence and could then
have problems with discipline. On the other
hand, staring at the students is not very
productive either.

31. How can eye contact be used in the classroom?
• To show students that they are all involved in the lesson.
• To ensure that students understand what they are
supposed to do and what is going on.
• To indicate who is to speak (often with a nod of the
head).
• To encourage contributions.
• To hold the attention of students who are not being
addressed.
• To maintain discipline.
• To signal students to start, stop or get a move on.
• To indicate that something is correct or incorrect.
• To check that everybody is participating.

32. Gesture
Good use of gestures (at least commonly understood international
gestures) can be effective and useful in the following ways:
• Convey the meaning of language
• Manage the class, e.g. to reinforce instructions
• To add visual interest
• To increase the pace of the lesson
• To reduce the need for verbal explanation
Which gestures you could use for the following situations:
- listen: Put your hand behind your ear
- repeat in chorus:
- get into pairs:
- Stop:
- Good:
- not right:
- nearly right;

33. Voice
If your voice does not have the correct clarity, range, variety or
projection, you will have a difficult time in making your
instructions and explanations understood to all members of
the class. Your voice should change naturally according to the
circumstances, e.g. Individual tutoring lesson or 16 young
children. Obviously greater projection will be necessary in a
large, noisy classroom than a small quiet room. An effective
teacher will also adapt the complexity of his/her language to
suit the level and ability of the students.
As a class often follows the lead of the teacher, the lesson can
be livened up or quietened down by an alteration in the
volume of the teacher’s voice. The greater the variation in the
tone and range of the voice, the greater the effectiveness. A
dull monotone will only create boredom and lead to students
not paying attention and misbehaving.

34. Using students’ names
Student’s names should be used when you
want to:
• organise an activity
• acknowledge the students
• indicate who is to answer or respond
• get the attention of a student
• build rapport with the students

35. Grouping students
There is no real limit to the way a teacher can group
students, though factors such as class size and
classroom furniture can be problematic. Activities
geared to the whole class, students working alone, in
pairs and larger groups, are all appropriate and each
has its own place in the classroom.
- Whole-class grouping pros and cons
- Students working on their own – pros and cons
- Pair work – pros and cons
- Group work – pros and cons

36. Giving individual attention
• Make sure you know all the students’ names. Don’t just pick on the
students whose names you know. Make the effort to get to know
everyone.
• If necessary, spend longer with students who do not understand or
who cannot do the task.
• Don’t teach exclusively to only the strong or weak students.
• Try to be unpredictable.
• Don’t allow individual students to ‘hog’ your attention.
• Remember to include all students equally in any activity.
• If students do not want to, or cannot contribute, it may be better to
let them remain silent. They should never feel that they are being
picked on. To help build such a student’s confidence, ask simple
questions that you know the student is likely to be able to answer
correctly, giving praise when s/he responds.

37. Establishing rapport
Rapport between the teacher and students (and
between the students themselves) plays an
important part in determining if a class is
successful and enjoyable. Students are more
likely to contribute and take part in the lessons
when the atmosphere is relaxed and they get on
well with the teacher. While the students play a
large part in setting the atmosphere in the
classroom, it can be encouraged and stimulated
by the general attitude and approach of the
teacher.

38. Reasons for problem behaviour
There are many reasons why disciplinary problems can occur in
theclassroom. These can often include:
• Family problems
• Low self-esteem
• Boredom
• Peer pressure
• Lack of respect for the teacher/ other students
• Class size
• Lack of understanding of lesson material or requirements
• Lesson too easy or too difficult
• Poor pacing
• Lack of motivation
Some of these problems are out of your hands but many
disciplinary issues can be prevented by the teacher.

39. Preventing problem behaviour
You can help stop problems arising in the first place if:
• you are punctual
• you are well prepared
• you are consistent and fair
• you do not let personal feelings influence your treatment of
students
• you never make threats that you cannot or are not prepared to
carry out
• you return homework promptly
• you never lose your temper
• you show the same respect for your students as you expect from
them
• you make your lessons interesting and varied
• you are enthusiastic about your teaching
• you establish rapport(relationship) with the students

40. Responding to problem behaviour
If you have done everything possible to prevent problem behaviour, what can
you do if it still arises?
• Act immediately – don’t wait for the problem to worsen. This could simply
involve stopping and looking at the student. However, sometimes stronger
action may be necessary.
• Focus on the behaviour and not the student.
• Change the classroom dynamic – reseat the students if necessary/
appropriate.
• Keep calm – losing your temper never helps.
• Keep the problem student behind after class and reprimand in private.
• Keep to the school’s disciplinary code and don’t make threats that you
cannot enforce.
• Use the knowledge of your colleagues. They have probably been in the
same situation before and should be able to offer suggestions. Don’t be too
proud to ask for advice.
• Bear in mind that it’s possible to go ‘over the top’ with rules.