Password - Games and activities for lower-level students

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

Password
Games and activities for lower-level students

Skills: Speaking/Listening

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: List of words, whiteboard

This activity helps students review vocabulary and practice an important skill: describing something they don’t know the word for. Divide students into two groups. The groups will alternate sending a team member to stand at the front of the class with his/her back to the board. Write a word over the person's head, so the team mates can see it but the student cannot. The team must give that person hints until he/she guesses the word or time runs out (20-30 seconds). The team with the most points wins.

Variation:

Have one team's turn last until they run out of time (2-4 minutes) and then switch. This gives an advantage for correctly guessing more quickly. Pause the clock between answers so a new team member can take the hot seat.

Procedure:

1. In advance, prepare a list of words. These can be vocabulary taught in class or just words you expect your students to know.

2. Divide class into two groups.

3. Have groups alternate sending a member to the front of the class, or give each group a time limit of 2-4 minutes and rotate team members as soon as one guesses a word, until time is up.

4. Write a word on the whiteboard over that person’s head, so his/her team can see it, but the student cannot.

5. That student's team must give the person hints until he/she guesses the word or time runs out (20-30 seconds).

6. The team with the most points at the end of all the rounds is the winner.