39 ESL Vocabulary Activities: For Teenagers and Adults - Jackie Bolen, Jennifer Booker Smith 2015

Vocabulary quest
Games and activities for all levels

Skills: Reading

Time: 30-60 minutes

Materials: Vocabulary quest sheet and cameras/phones (one of each per team)

An excellent way for students to get to know each other is to have some fun together in small groups. This quest is one of my favorite activities to help students get to know each other on a more personal level through working together as a team. The way it works is that you give each group a list of things that they must take pictures of, in no certain order. You should require that each group use only one camera/phone so that they don't split the list. Then, the first team to come back with everything correct is the winner. If there are some errors, you can add some total time to the score and determine the winner that way. I usually give out some prizes such as a candy bar or notebook to each person on the winning team. It's possible to extend this activity by sharing the pictures with other teams through a class website or

similar idea.

You should make your vocabulary quest based on whatever your target language is. Some things that work particularly well are “around the city” and “feeling” units. Below is an example of a vocabulary quest that combines those.

Vocabulary quest rules

Only 1 camera

The pictures must be taken today

You can’t draw something on the board and take a picture

Only 1 picture 1 time (total of 10 different pictures required)

If you make a mistake, +6 minutes to your time.

Any order is okay

Take a picture of...

1. Something modern

2. Something massive

3. Something unusual to find in a city

4. Something natural

5. A peaceful and relaxing place

6. Something stressful

7. A place to hang out with friends

8. A place to get a quick meal or snack

9. A green space

10. Something that reflects your feeling about this city

Procedure:

1. Give each group one vocabulary quest paper.

2. Go over the rules together as a class.

3. Give the students five minutes to talk together and formulate their plan (no pictures yet though!).

4. Send students out to complete the quest.

5. Check the pictures from each group as they come back. If there are any mistakes, add six minutes to the total time.

6. The team with the lowest time is the winner.