Kicking Off Your ESL Lesson: Engaging Students with Tennis-Related English
Idea 1: Mystery Word Challenge
Preparation:
- Choose 5-7 Tennis-Related Vocabulary Words: Words like "serve," "rally," "baseline," "ace," and "forehand" work well.
- Create Clue Cards: Write hints or definitions for each word on individual cards while avoiding using the word itself.
Execution:
- Set the Scene: “Today, we’re going to warm up our brains with a fun tennis vocabulary challenge!”
- Activity Instructions:
- Divide the class into small groups.
- Distribute the clue cards without revealing the vocabulary words.
- One student reads the clue aloud, and their group must guess the word it corresponds to.
- The first group to guess correctly wins points!
Objective:
This method prompts students to interact with new vocabulary, enhances their critical thinking, and reduces teacher talking time. The excitement of competition keeps them engaged and guessing!
Idea 2: Question Ball Toss
Preparation:
- Prepare a Soft Ball: Use a small beach ball or a soft classroom ball.
- Draft Tennis Questions: Write questions related to tennis, such as “What do you think makes a great tennis player?” or “Can you name a famous tennis tournament?”
Execution:
- Set Up the Activity: “Let’s get our bodies moving and thinking with a fun tennis-themed question toss!”
- Activity Instructions:
- Arrange students in a circle.
- When a student catches the ball, they must answer the question underneath their thumb or create a new question about tennis before tossing the ball to someone else.
Objective:
This approach encourages students to formulate and ask questions while physically engaging with the content. It creates a dynamic and spontaneous classroom atmosphere, keeping everyone on their toes—literally!
By utilizing these interactive strategies, your ESL lesson focused on tennis-related English will encourage students to think critically, collaborate with peers, and enjoy learning!