Do you need some ideas for fun and engaging first day back to school activities for your adult ESL class?
Here are some great activities that will help you get to know your students and help students get to know each other. If you are looking for pre-made, no-prep first-day activities for ESL, check out this bundle!
Write the Rules
Split students into pairs or groups of three. Tell them to discuss and come up with a set of 6-10 rules that everyone should follow in English class. I like to have my students write these rules on sections of the white boards around my class so that they are displayed. You could also have them write on poster paper.
When they finish, have each group share, and then ask them which rules are the most common and which rules are the best. Add in more rules if necessary. Encourage debate and discussion to decide which rules you should have in the class. This activity could lead to an interesting discussion about what rules are common in classrooms around the world.
Survey
Prepare a survey in a table format with ice-breaker questions in the left-hand column and 3-4 spaces for students’ names in the remaining columns. You can make the questions simple yes/no questions or information questions that require more detailed responses. Students can walk around and ask and answer questions while recording their classmates’ names and what they said. When they are finished, come together as a whole group and discuss answers.
Line-Up
This is kind of like speed-dating! Give each student a notecard with an ice-breaker question on it. Put students in two lines facing each other and have them take turns discussing their card with the person they are facing for 30 seconds. Then they switch cards and one line moves down one person so they have a new partner. The person on the end goes to the other end of the line. Repeat!
Here are some ice-breaker discussion prompt task cards that would work well for this.
English Questionnaire
An English questionnaire will help you understand your students’ history with English, goals for learning English, perceived strengths and weaknesses in each skill, preferences, and interests. Having students fill out a questionnaire at the start of the quarter or semester will give you an idea of what to focus on when you create your lessons.
You can do this more than one time per quarter/semester. Give it to students again midway through the course – their information might change, and you will get the opportunity to tailor lessons accordingly. Your students will appreciate that you are taking the time to ask them these questions! It shows that you care about their wants and needs and that you want them to succeed.
Check out this pre-made English questionnaire from my shop.
Classroom Phrases
Make communication expectations clear from the very start of the quarter or semester. Teach students useful phrases they can use in class if they need help, need something repeated, or if they have a question. By actively practicing these phrases and giving them a list to refer to, they will be able to communicate with you more effectively. If your students are more advanced, let them help you come up with appropriate phrases. Here is a list of possible classroom phrases to teach:
- – Could you repeat that, please?
- – Could you please say that more slowly?
- – I have a question.
- – Could you explain that again, please?
- – Can you help me, please?
- – What does _____ mean?
- – What is the homework?
- – When is this due?
- – How do you spell ____?
- – I don’t understand.
- – I understand.
- – Thank you.
For a no-prep lesson that teaches these phrases, check out this resource.
Try one or several of these first day back to school activities in your adult ESL class this semester! Grab my best-selling back to school bundle for no-prep first day activities, ice breakers, sentence frames, and more. Scroll to the end of this post to get a free find someone who activity that is perfect for the first day!
