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

Word of the day
Games and activities for all levels

Skills: Writing

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: Whiteboard/PowerPoint

I have frequently been required to either give my students a word, quote, or idiom of the day, outside of our usual text, but it's usually related to the text or a monthly theme. You can easily start a Word of the Day activity for your students, by giving them a single word each day from their text (but not a vocabulary word), current events or by having a theme for each month.

Write the word on the whiteboard or PowerPoint along with the definition, part of speech, and several example sentences. Have students copy all of this in their notebooks in a section for their Words of the Day. You can use the word as an exit ticket, have a weekly quiz, or add one or two words to each regular vocabulary quiz.

Variation (more advanced): Idiom of the Day is where you give students an idiom with a definition and a picture (if possible). Have them make 1-3 sentences using it correctly.

Procedure:

1. In advance, prepare a collection of words from your students’ textbook but not part of the definition and a picture (if possible). Have them make 1-3 sentences using it correctly.

Procedure:

1. In advance, prepare a collection of words from your students’ textbook but not part of the vocabulary list.

2. Begin each day (or one day per week) with one new word. Introduce the word just as you would their regular vocabulary: present the word, the definition, part of speech and several example sentences.

3. Have students copy the sentences in the notebooks and add their own sentence.

4. Add all or some Words of the Day to your regular vocabulary quizzes.