LESSON OVERVIEW

This worksheet consists of five upper-intermediate and advanced ESL games. Each of the games can be used as a stand-alone task at the beginning or the end of the lesson. They can also be fun fillers.

There is an e-lesson plan and a teacher’s version of the pdf available for this lesson. There isn’t a student’s version as it is not needed.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
C1 / Advanced
60 minStandard LessonPremium Plan

GUESS THE WORD, 5-SECOND RULE AND 20 QUESTIONS

The first of the upper-intermediate and advanced ESL games in this worksheet is called Guess the word. Students need to explain each other words as fast as they can. The words are not obvious (e.g. determination, loyalty, conventional). Each student gets the chance to speak.There are 50 words to use in this game. 

In the game called 5-second rule, students get categories (e.g. abstract nouns, sour foods, things you can smell in the forest) and need to think of three things that fall into each of them. To make it fun, students only have five seconds to do that. There are 50 words to use in this game. There are two sets of twenty-five categories in the lesson. 

The third game is called 20 questions. Students ask yes or no questions to guess a partner’s word. The words to guess include concrete and abstract nouns. The game requires some creativity from students so there are some examples provided in the worksheet. There are two sets of twenty-five words for students to guess. 

OTHER UPPER-INTERMEDIATE AND  ADVANCED ESL GAMES

In the game called Coffeepot, students guess a partner’s verb by asking questions. This time, however, they need to substitute the verb they are guessing with the word coffeepot. There are fifty verbs that students can play with. There are two sets of twenty-five words in the game. 

In the last of the five upper-intermediate and advanced ESL games called Password, students give each other one-word clues about certain words. The game can be played in groups of four or in pairs. There are some examples provided in the lesson, and there are two sets of twenty words available.

To read more about the games and see videos where famous actors play the games (and show them to your students, go to this blog post

You will find the pre-intermediate/intermediate version of the games in the lesson Guessing games – A2-B1.

WORKSHEETS

 

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Ann Yantsevich

    Thank you very much! It’s good to have something different for a change. My students loved it!

    1. Ewa

      Thanks! I’m really glad to hear that 🙂

  2. Kathy Jones

    Nothing new here. These are very commonly played games. It is nice to be able to find them on your site easily.

  3. Filipe Nunes

    Great stuff Ewa. Nicely organised and available in one slideshow. Splendid job! Thanks.

    1. Ewa

      Thanks, Filipe 🙂

  4. Sam O Neill

    Thank you very much! Love these for my students, we have such a laugh in class.

    1. Ewa

      Much appreciated!

  5. dienerl

    Thanks Ewa! It would be nice to add games that can be adapted to one-on-one classes, though…

    1. Ewa

      Thanks for the comment. I think most of these games can be done in a one-to-one lesson with the teacher taking on the role of the second student. You can also try this lesson where you will find puzzles which also work in the one-to-one setting.

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
phrases to talk about scams
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

How to spot a scammer

General Technology

With this lesson, students talk about scams and online safety! They practise phrases to discuss scams, share their thoughts and watch a video about a scam tactic. Students also talk about prevention efforts and discuss online security habits.

ESL lesson on superstitions
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

Good or bad luck?

General

Explore the topic of superstitions with this lesson! Students practise useful vocabulary, talk about their personal views and experiences, and watch a video about common superstitions. They also practise phrases to express certainty or doubt!

speaking lesson on Thanksgiving
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Challenging historical narratives

General

In this speaking lesson on Thanksgiving, students think about the history of the celebration and its modern-day customs. They watch a video featuring Native Americans’ feelings about the holiday and have a broader discussion about challenging dominant historical narratives.

collocations to describe appearance
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Does anyone else look like you?

General

With this lesson, students talk about facial features! They practise collocations to describe appearance, watch a video on the concept of doppelgängers and discuss people who look alike.

speaking lesson on guilt
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Should I feel bad about it?

General

In this speaking lesson on guilt, students discuss guilty pleasures and varied opinions on the emotion. They also watch and discuss a video about ‘vacation guilt’. Students have an optional vocabulary activity with expressions related to guilt.

talk about supernatural phenomena
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Do you believe in ghosts?

General

Engage in talking about supernatural phenomena! With this lesson, students practise vocabulary related to mysterious and supernatural events, watch a video on why people claim to see ghosts and discuss their beliefs. They also play a quest game!

ESL lesson about animal abilities
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

How smart are animals?

General

Students discuss animal abilities with this lesson! They talk about differing opinions on animal intelligence, learn about animal skills and hear some fascinating animal stories. They watch a video, think about an animal’s point of view, and discuss lots of questions.

C1 / Advanced
Critical Reading Club 30 min / 45 min
Loading

Gen Z’s penchant for sad music

General Lifestyle

Students read and discuss an article about Gen Z’s preference for sad music and learn vocabulary for describing sad music and listener behaviour. They also talk about changes in music trends, analyse comments, and share opinions on the topic.

talk about uncertain situations
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Uncertain times in business

Business General

In this lesson, students talk about attitudes towards difficult situations. They revise useful vocabulary and watch a video about VUCA, a framework to interpret challenging circumstances. Students also talk about how some difficult situations were handled in real life.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with