WARM – UP ACTIVITIES

When students arrive to class the majority will be thinking about everything but their

English course – what happened in the previous class, why was mum upset this morning, etc.

Therefore, you can be sure that they will not be 1! focused on their English class.

That"s why a warm#up activity is so $%&'(T)*T. $t enables students to switch into English

mode, rela+ and pull together as a group.

$deally the warm#up activity should be related to the class topic of that day, but there are

many available activities which can be adapted to suit the class" particular needs.

ere are some activity suggestions for early on in your courses-

etting#to#know#each#other warm up activities

1. %$/E(

Tell students they are to sit in alphabetical order of their first names. 0how them where

)2 and 32 should sit. 0tudents should go around asking each other their first names

and arranging themselves accordingly. When they"re all in place, go around asking each

student to say their name thus confirming the order.

4ariations- last names, birth dates, time they get up, pets, street name where they live,

etc. 'bviously, the 5uestion they will need to ask varies according to the information

re5uired.

2. W'(6 7)$* 7'*7E*T()T$'* – can be used with vocabulary, verbs, themes

8eg. names, animals, clothes, colors...9

$deally students need to be seated in a circle so there"s no confusion as to who is the

ne+t to speak.

This can be a good tool for learning the students" names within the first few classes.

This activity is done effectively by having students create a four beat rhythm by-

beat 1- slap both hands on their thighs

beat :- clap their hands together

beat ;- click their left fingers

beat <- click their right fingers

=eats 1 and : are silent and students speak on beats ; and <. This creates a time frame

in which to make their contribution. $f they don"t, they"re out>

0tart activity by saying to the rhythm,7on#cen#tra#tion, concen#tration#now# begin2.

8=eat9 1 : ; < 1 : ; <

a9 ?irst class have all students go round stating their own names.

E/- &ablo, %aria &a@, Eugenio, etc.

 

b9 0econd class have them say their own name followed by any other name. This doesn"t need to

be in order of how they"re seated – it"s best done at random.

That named person repeats his name and adds another name and so on. This helps both

 you and the students to learn each other"s names.

E/- &ablo#%aria &a@, %aria &a@#Eugenio, Eugenio#0ergio, etc.

*=. $f it"s too hard to get both names out on beats ; and <, either slow down the beat or

use beats 1 and : for the first name, and beats ; and < for the second name.

c9 0ay a word, a student has to say a word beginning with the last letter of that word-

E/- 7ats A tigers A rhinoceros A snake A elephant, etc.

?irst student to hesitate drops out.

d9 )nother variation could be a list of word beginning with the same letter-

E/- cat A cotton A cold A comfort A chair, etc.

e9 'r word association-

E/- hot A cold A winter Asummer A beach A swimming A sport A tennis A ball, etc.

3. )7T$* $T 'BT 

%iming and acting are fun warm up activities as they get students moving. owever, some

may be reluctant at first so a gentle introduction to acting in the classroom may be

needed.

a9 ive students a short description of a situation and have them mime them until they

are guessed. These can be simple eg. brushing your teeth, or more comple+

eg. washing an elephant – depending on the level of the class.

aving students work in two or three teams will lower the embarrassment factor.

b9 ave students form a line. 0tanding in front of the students so they can all see you,

start by miming any action, for e+ample painting a wall. =ut you say $"m walking my dog2.

The ne+t student takes your place, mimes the action of walking a dog and says another

action The ;rd student takes over and continues the process.

This activity is great fun as the students" imagination takes over, the actions get more

obscure and they enjoy seeing the following student acting out their suggestion.

4. (EET$*0 )*6 $*T('6B7T$'*

0tudents move around the room meeting each other. )s st. ) meets st. = he introduces

himself- ello, $"mCCCCCC2 0t. = replies- $t"s nice to meet you,CCCCCCCC, my name

isCCCCCCCCCC .2 Then st. 7 approaches and st. ) introduces himself and vice versa, then

st. ) introduces 7 to = and so on.

Dou can make it competitive by setting a time limit and giving points to the student who

meets and introduces himself to the most students.

 

5. ?'(=$66E* W'(60

Write sets of ; forbidden words on the board eg. blue, night, car, etc. Either split the

class into smaller groups or do this as a whole group activity 8depends on shyness of class

in general9.

ave sts. Think for a few minutes of possible 5uestions for these answers.

ave one student volunteer and the rest of the group asks 5uestions to get the student

to use the forbidden words. $t"s important to keep the 5uestions coming 5uickly so, be

prepared to fill the silences if necessary.

E/- 0:- What colour are my jeans 8blue9

01- They"re the color of the sea.

0;- When do you sleep 8at night9

01- When it"s dark.

0<- What is a %ercedes 8a car9

01- 0omething you drive.

'nce a forbidden word is said, the student who got him out takes a turn.