The 10 Most Effective Games for Learning English
Let's now discover the 10 most effective and fun games for learning English!
1. Hangman - The Hangman Game
Who hasn't played Hangman ? At school, at home, or at the park with friends, it was one of the simplest and most fun pastimes of our childhood. And it's also a great way to learn English through play: in this case, we call it Hangman , but it works just like the classic game.
A player thinks of a word, marks as many dashes as there are letters, and waits for the other players, in turn, to say a letter that could potentially be part of it. If there is a letter, it is placed on the corresponding dash.
If not, it is written aside and the base of the hangman begins to be prepared. Next comes the rod, then the rope, and finally the various body parts of the man begin to be assembled. If the drawing is completed before the word is guessed, player one wins.
Otherwise, the one who guesses it wins, and for the next round, it's their turn to think of a secret word.
It's a classic and simple game that helps you learn new words as you try to guess the secret word, letter by letter. It's ideal for expanding your vocabulary in a fun way, and for learning without even realizing it.
2. Two truths and a lie
Another spoken game-and therefore playable anywhere-is Two Truths and a Lie . All you need to play is a pen and a piece of paper to write on.
This is a very engaging game, perfect for groups, especially between people who don't know each other well and don't know everything about the people around them: a great way to break the ice, both socially and linguistically.
The logic of the game is very simple: a player starts by writing down three facts about himself on a piece of paper. Two are true, and one is a lie.
Once he's done, he has the other players read them, and they have to guess which of the three statements is a lie.
They can ask questions and test their lies, so you have to know how to "sell" your lies so you don't get caught! If no one guesses correctly, the first player wins; otherwise, the player who guesses correctly takes their place and goes to the next round.
It's an excellent exercise for practicing the structure of questions in English, but also for those who have to defend their lies, because they will find themselves inventing sentences from scratch and also having to be convincing.
3. Pictionary
A classic board game, Pictionary is a must -have for learning English through play.
If you don't know it, we'll explain it to you super quickly: it's a game in which you have to draw an object or concept on a sheet of paper or a blackboard, while everyone else has to guess what it represents.
Although it's a purely visual game, it's still very useful for associating words with images and improving your ability to explain concepts in English.
It's a great way to consolidate previously learned English vocabulary and expand it with new terms discovered during the game.
4. Word association - Word association
Word association is a simple game where one player says a word and the others must respond with the first word that comes to mind. It's great for long car trips, when boredom begins to set in and dampen your spirits.
On the contrary, this game keeps your mind active and alert, explores your existing vocabulary, and trains your English reaction time, because you don't have much time to sit around thinking of a word.
Games like this help practice English in a fun and interactive way, stimulating both memory and creativity.
5. Twenty Questions - Twenty questions
Learning English through play is possible in many other ways, and one of them is the parlor game Twenty Questions. It's a spoken game, so players don't need any equipment to play, and it originated in the United States.
The traditional game involves a player thinking of an object, a word, or anything else, and then asking the other players to answer questions they take turns asking, with the goal of guessing what the player is thinking of.
The difficulty of the game lies in the fact that the answers can only be "yes" or "no," or in more flexible versions of the game, "maybe."
Lying is not allowed, and if the person asking a question guesses correctly, they win and become the answerer for the next round.
Why "twenty questions"? Because if you ask twenty questions without coming up with the correct guess, then the one who answers all the questions wins.
This game can be very useful for learning how to formulate questions in English, respecting the appropriate structures and using the correct auxiliary verbs.
6. Taboo
Taboo is another classic game for learning English while having fun with friends and challenging yourself at the same time.
In this game, you have to get other players to guess a word without using related words, such as synonyms or terms with the same etymology.
It's a great exercise for practicing English descriptions and quick thinking.
7. Names, things, cities
Even if it's not a classic game in English but is, instead, in Italian, who's to stop us from turning it around and playing one of our timeless childhood pastimes in English too?
The gameplay is always the same: all players, equipped with pen and paper, prepare to write a word beginning with the letter chosen at the beginning, in various categories.
Names, things, and cities are the must-haves, but in more advanced versions, even flowers, professions, animals, household objects, and so on: all categories that can help make the game more challenging, but also more educationally useful.
Indeed, this can be a great exercise for expanding your vocabulary in a fun and dynamic way, as well as improving your ability to access that vocabulary.
How does scoring work? Once all players have completed the row of words, points are awarded if they are correct, but half points are awarded if someone else chooses the same words.
8. Crosswords - Crossword Puzzle
A more solitary and individual game, yet equally effective for the purpose, are crosswords .
They're a great way to expand your vocabulary thematically, solving puzzles that force you to think of specific English words.
9. Simon says - Simone says
A great English classic: who hasn't played it in class during language lessons? Simon says , often given to children, is an effective method for learning phrases and commands: it helps consolidate knowledge of words related to everyday actions, parts of the body, and, in general, basic English vocabulary.
One participant, called "Simon," gives commands, always structuring the sentence the same way: "Simon says… touch your nose!" and everyone must touch their nose.
But be careful. If the sentence is simply "Sit up!" and you stand up, you lose: Simon didn't tell you to do it!
10. Alphabet Story - The Story of the Alphabet
Finally, another very useful game for learning English in a fun way is Alphabet Story. Literally, it's about building a story using the letters of the alphabet.
Each participant must say a sentence that begins with a letter, starting naturally with A. For example: An apple fell from the tree. Continue with B : Bears love to eat apples.
And with C : Cats also enjoy eating fruit. And so on, trying to make sense and connect each sentence to the next, to create a real story.
This is a great way to test your vocabulary knowledge and sentence structure.
