7 games and activities that strengthen your English language skills

Who said learning English has to be boring? Trying some games can take your comprehension skills to the next level, as well as your dialogue skills.

You may think that you can develop your English skills only through educational games, but that is not true as there are many other fun games that you can try outside the classroom.

In other words, you can learn English at any time of the day if you really want to. In today’s article, we will put in your hands 8 games and activities that will help you strengthen your English language skills.

How do games help in learning English?

If you are asked the following question:

What is the most remembered school subject from your school days?

The answer will most likely be that you don’t remember anything you learned at the time, but if something came to your mind from the lessons at the time, it would most likely be related to the practical application of what you learned, whether it’s through lab experiments, field trips, or perhaps educational games.

According to Cambridge, games motivate you to learn a new language and give you a safe and fun opportunity to communicate in English.

In other words, it’s easier and more acceptable to miss pronunciation or grammar while playing than it would be in a formal situation like a job interview.

Not only that, as games contribute to the consolidation of meanings and vocabulary and facilitate the process of deep learning of new concepts, making them more effective than memorization.

So, let’s learn about some games and activities that will help make your English language journey more enjoyable.

1- Charades game

This game is suitable for all ages and very fun, as it is easy and simple, all you have to do is represent words, movies or characters written on a piece of paper.

the way of playing

Divide yourself and your friends into two teams.

Choose a general theme for the game, such as movies, historical figures, etc.

Each person writes the name of a movie on a piece of paper without showing it to anyone, then put all the scraps in a box or hat.

The first participant chooses a piece of paper and then tries to represent the name of the movie/character written in it.

The rest of the players try to figure out the answer before the allotted time runs out.

A simple game isn’t it?!

How does this game help you learn English?

First of all, this game helps you to choose a suitable topic related to what you are currently studying. Like food, drinks, different cultures, etc. But it also helps you learn vocabulary, and gives you a chance to practice by speaking out loud in a comfortable environment without feeling nervous or afraid of making mistakes.

2- 20 questions game

The goal of this game is to find out the person, place or thing that the other party is thinking of in the game. How is that? By asking 20 questions whose answers are only yes or no!

the way of playing

The first player thinks of a particular thing, person, or place.

The second player tries to find out what the first player is thinking by asking questions whose answers are yes or no.

Once the second player knows what the first player is thinking, the turn moves on to him and he begins to think of something specific that the first player should know.

Since you want to develop your English skills, in this case, you should play this game and ask all the questions in English.

A very simple and fun game that can make your long, tiring journeys pass quickly without the passing of time!

How does the 20-question game help you learn English?

This game is also suitable for all ages and gives you an opportunity to practice writing and building questions in English, something you will definitely need to start conversations and in English conversations.

3- Scrabble game

If you like the game of Scrabble, then what do you think of trying it this time in English and benefiting from it in learning new vocabulary?

the way of playing

Scrabble is very simple, all you have to do is make words using the letter pieces you have. Players draw the beginning of 7 pieces and then start forming and building words.

But your word must be associated with a letter that is already on the board, either horizontally or vertically. You can also keep your words longer by converting them.

For example, you can convert the word “baker” to “baker”. Once your turn is over you have to take extra parts to replace the ones you used.

How does Scrabble help you learn English?

It simply prompts you to think of new words! And if other player(s) play a strange word that you don’t know, you can always ask them about its meaning and add it to your vocabulary. It also trains you to practice the correct pronunciation of words.

4- Taboo game

Taboo is a lot like skits, but it’s more competitive and will definitely get you and your friends more excited.

the way of playing

Taboo comes in the form of cards with five words in each, including the word “taboo”.

The players are divided into two teams. Then one of the team members draws a card and then tries to get his friends to learn the word “taboo” without saying it or any of the other four words on the card.

How does the Taboo game help you learn English?

This game forces you to think of ways to describe something without using the usually predictable words, and it is undoubtedly the best game to expand and enrich your vocabulary.

5- Crossword puzzles

Why not use the time you travel alone or the spare time you spend on your own to refresh your mind and develop your English skills.

A crossword puzzle is actually an ideal option, which prompts you to think and understand the sentences given in the instructions before you start looking for the correct answer.

The next time you think about playing a crossword puzzle, choose the game in English, and you will definitely notice the effect on your English writing and comprehension skills.

6- Digital Quizzes

On the Internet, you can find many quizzes that help you learn English. And if you prefer manual tests, you can write your own.

How? All you have to do is bring a pen and paper and write a list of words or sentences in your native language, then translate them into English within a specified period of time.

This way you will force yourself to learn new meanings and vocabulary by translating them from your native language but in a fun and entertaining way.

7- Video Games

Do you know what is the fastest way to learn English?

Through online video games! And we don’t mean boring educational video games here, but rather fun epic video games like League of Legends or World of Warcarts.

The best thing about these games is that you will be able to practice English in informal contexts and situations. He learned many forms of humor, intonations of irony as well as multiple dialects by communicating with other players.

We will not go into talking about how to play either of these two games, as this needs a special article for each of them, but we will tell you how to help you develop your English skills.

Such games force players to communicate with each other by sound and sometimes image to complete different game stages or to win battles. The fast and dynamic nature of the games will force you to speak quickly and without thinking about what to say or whether your sentence is correct or not.

You’ll also hear words and phrases from other players who may speak quickly and in different accents that require great concentration to understand what they mean.

If you want to take your English level to the next level, then you should play video games, try these interactive games, listen and talk to others and practice the language for as long as possible with them…but….don’t get addicted to video games and forget about the academic aspect of the learning process!

See? Learning a new language is not necessarily a boring and stressful process, as you can always add some fun and entertainment to your learning journey.

The great thing is that you can apply the learning strategy through games to different foreign languages, not just English. If you want to learn French, then you have to do crossword puzzles or scrabble in French!

Want to learn Italian or Spanish, then try quizzes in one of these two languages!

Simply make the process of learning a foreign language a fun and enjoyable journey, not a heavy burden to carry out against your will. This is the best way to memorize everything you learn in his mind and keep it in your memory for as long as possible.