12 games and puzzles to level up language learning

Charlotte Guest
A group of friends sat around a table playing games

Enhancing your English skills doesn't have to be limited to studying textbooks and doing grammar exercises. One of the most enjoyable and effective ways to improve your proficiency in the language is by playing games and solving puzzles.

These interactive activities not only stimulate your mind but also provide a fun way to challenge your cognitive abilities and immerse yourself in the English language.

In this language learning blog post, we've put together a list of puzzles and games that can help you boost your vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and communication skills while having a great time.

Games and puzzles to help your language learning
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1. Boggle

Shake up the letters and find as many words as you can within a set time limit. Boggle sharpens your vocabulary, speed, and pattern recognition skills. If you don't have the physical game, you can .

2. Hangman

This classic game involves guessing a word letter by letter. It's a fun way to learn new vocabulary and practice spelling while uncovering the hidden word. You can play it just with a pen and paper, or .

3. Taboo

In Taboo, you describe a word without using certain words or phrases. This game hones your ability to explain concepts and reinforces your vocabulary. If you don't have the game you .?

4. 20 Questions

Play the 20 Questions game where one person thinks of an object, and others ask yes-or-no questions to guess what it is. It's an excellent exercise in constructing questions and practicing conversational English. This is super easy to play with friends and family; you can also play it .?

5. Pictionary

In this drawing and guessing game, you have to illustrate words and phrases without using letters. Pictionary improves your descriptive skills and helps you understand context. This is easy to play with friends with little equipment needed; you can also play .

6. Story cubes

Roll dice with images on them and use the pictures to create a story in English. This game enhances your storytelling abilities and encourages you to think on your feet. You can buy or make your own story cubes with card and pens. There are also various .

7. Language learning apps

Perhaps an obvious one but, many language-learning applications use gamification, such as Mondly. These kinds of apps provide a range of interactive exercises, quizzes, and challenges to assist you in learning English in an engaging and interactive way.

8. Text-based Role-Playing games (RPGs)

Engage in text-based RPGs where you interact with characters and make decisions in English. This immersive experience enhances your reading, comprehension, and decision-making skills. There are online ones like and BBC's ''. If you're feeling creative, you can also write your own.??

9. Tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs)

As well as text-based ones online, if you have a group of friends interested, you can also look at getting into tabletop RPGs. You can find ones for every world or scenario you can think of. Ones like , and . There's lots of online tools to help you play like . You can host games online or in person, so it's very flexible. TTRPGs are great for learning new vocabulary and improving your story writing and world building.?

10. Trivia quizzes

Participate in English language trivia quizzes to test your general knowledge and language proficiency. Trivia quizzes expose you to diverse topics and help you learn new words and concepts. For example, Sporcle, hosts a range of fun quizzes that can test your English skills, where you have to translate Shakespeare quotes into plain English.

11. Wordle

Wordle is a popular daily word puzzle game that challenges players to guess a five-letter word within six attempts. Each guess is met with feedback, indicating which letters are correct and in the right position, helping players deduce the hidden word. It helps with engaging with diverse word combinations and deciphering clues that helps develop language comprehension. .?

12. Waffle

Waffle is somewhat similar to Wordle, but you have to shuffle around letters (within 15 moves) on the grid to complete the whole 'waffle'. Which can help with your spelling and word knowledge. It

Learning English doesn't have to be boring. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, using puzzles and games can help you improve your English language skills while having a good time. Remember to bookmark these sites for when you fancy mixing up your English studies.?

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    By Joanna Wiseman
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    Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an approach where students learn a subject and a second language at the same time. A science course, for example, can be taught to students in English and they will not only learn about science, but they will also gain relevant vocabulary and language skills.

    It¡¯s important to note that CLIL is not a means of simplifying content or reteaching something students already know in a new language. CLIL courses should truly integrate the language and content in order to be successful ¨C and success is determined when both the subject matter and language is learned.

    Who is CLIL for?

    CLIL can work for students of any age, all the way from primary level to university and beyond. So long as the course content and language aims are designed with the students¡¯ needs in mind, there is no limit as to who can benefit from this teaching approach. However, it is most commonly found in primary and secondary school contexts.

    What are the main benefits of CLIL?

    Many teachers see CLIL as a more natural way to learn a language; when a subject is taught in that language there is a concrete reason to learn both at the same time. And as students have a real context to learn the language in, they are often more motivated to do so, as they can only get the most of the content if they understand the language around it.

    Moreover, being content focused, CLIL classes add an extra dimension to the class and engage students, which is especially advantageous in situations where students are unenthusiastic about learning a language.

    CLIL also promotes a deeper level of assimilation, as students are repeatedly exposed to similar language and language functions, and they need to produce and recall information in their second language.

    Furthermore, it has the advantage that multiple subjects can be taught in English, so that students¡¯ exposure to the language is increased and their language acquisition is faster.

    CLIL also encourages students to develop 21st century skills, including the ability to think critically, be creative, communicate and collaborate.?

    What are the challenges of CLIL?

    As CLIL is subject-focused, language teachers may also have to develop their own knowledge of new subjects in order to teach effectively.

    They must also structure classes carefully so that the students understand the content of the lesson, as well as the language through which the information is being conveyed.

    And when it comes to classroom management, educators need to be very aware of individual student understanding and progress.

    It¡¯s therefore important to consistently concept check and scaffold the materials to be sure both the language and content are being learned.

    How can you apply CLIL to your class?

    It¡¯s important to have a strategy in place when applying CLIL in your courses. One of the key things to remember is that the language and subject content are given equal weight and that it shouldn¡¯t be treated as a language class nor a subject class simply taught in a foreign language.

    According to Coyle¡¯s 4Cs curriculum (1999), a successful CLIL class should include the following four elements:

    • Content ¨C Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum
    • Communication ¨C Using language to learn whilst learning to use language
    • Cognition ¨C Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language
    • Culture ¨C Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of otherness and self

    Using a number of frameworks can help you prepare your lessons and make sure activities are challenging yet achievable for your learners.

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    How do different motivations change how students learn English?

    By Steffanie Zazulak
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    Students all over the globe learn English for many reasons. Some of these motivations may come from the students themselves ¨C perhaps they are learning because they are travelling to an English-speaking area, or they want to be able to converse with English-speaking friends and colleagues. Other reasons for learning could include meeting school requirements, studying abroad, or progressing their careers.

    As well as different reasons to learn English, there are also different goals. Many students are still focused on becoming fluent in English, and we are seeing an increase in people who want to learn the language for specific reasons. For example, immersing themselves in a particular culture or simply being able to order from a menu while travelling abroad.

    Teachers are focusing on these personal needs to help students achieve their actual goals. It¡¯s likely you¡¯ve already spoken to your students about why they want to learn English. Understanding this is important as different motivations can influence a student¡¯s attitude towards learning the language ¨C and it may be necessary for you to adapt your teaching strategies for different groups of learners.

    Teaching English to different groups of learners

    Let¡¯s meet some different groups of students, learn a little more about their motivations and explore whether different motivations alter how students learn English. You may recognise some of these learners in your classes.

    1. Adult learners

    These students are learning English for pleasure or personal reasons. It might be because of travel, social or family reasons or perhaps because a better grasp of English might assist them with their careers. There are also adult learners who could be learning English as an immigration requirement.

    For example, 23-year-old Alice decided to learn English so she could meet people and have more meaningful interactions with her English-speaking neighbours. She says: ¡°I was very shy and not very confident in speaking to people, but learning English helped me connect with others and meet new people. I have changed a lot.¡±

    A motivation like Alice¡¯s requires strong teacher support and peer motivation woven into structured learning. Alice can set her goals and with the GSE Learning Objectives map out what she needs to do to achieve them. Teacher encouragement and personal support ¨C and easy access to digital coursework, a social community of others all learning English, and small classes that emphasise conversation ¨C keep people like Alice engaged and motivated to achieve her language goals. ¡°I cannot do it without them¡±, she says.

    2. Professional learners

    These learners are typically in a more formal type of English programme and are learning the language to achieve specific career milestones, such as a promotion. Their employer might even be paying for their learning or they might be reimbursed for the cost of their lessons.

    Vincenzo is 33 and works as a Product Manager in Milan for an international organization with offices around the world. He says: ¡°I asked to take English classes as part of my professional development. My company chose an English provider and gave me a choice of group or one-to-one classes. I chose one-to-one classes as I¡¯m easily distracted.¡±

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    3. Academic learners

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    Seventeen-year-old Subra is from Malaysia and learns English at school. Some of her family live in Australia and she is considering studying abroad to attend a University that specializes in health care. When she was young, she learned in a traditional classroom backed with tests that helped her see how she was progressing. Now she uses technology, such as her Android Huawei phone to practise her English but still needs the validation of regular testing to know she is on track.

    Subra?says: ¡°I am used to studying for tests as I prepared hard for exams to get into middle school and senior school, which was totally determined by test results.¡±

    Academic learners like Subra need to see demonstrable results to help them stay motivated and guide them to the level of English they need to achieve to get the required score on high-stakes tests. With the clear GSE Learning Objectives and a placement test, academic learners can map out where they are right now and where they need to be in order to reach their academic goals. These learners need encouragement and validation of their progress from their teachers to help keep them on track.

    Understanding student motivations will help you teach to their specific needs, thus helping them to stay focused and motivated in achieving their goals.