5 Classroom Games That Teach Real English Without a Textbook

By Dr Ayobami Gideon Babalola • ESL & Teaching

I have a confession: some of my best lessons never opened a textbook.

Not because textbooks are bad — a well-designed coursebook is a genuinely valuable resource. But because the textbook operates on the assumption that language acquisition is primarily a cognitive process: learn the rule, practise the exercise, produce the language.

The brain does not actually work this way. Language acquisition is also deeply social, emotional, and physical. Games tap into all three dimensions simultaneously — which is why learners who cannot produce a sentence in a structured exercise will often produce three in the middle of a competitive game without thinking about it.

Here are five games I return to regularly, each one tested across multiple levels and cultural contexts.

Game 1: Back to the Board

Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate | Group size: Any | Time: 10–20 minutes

One learner sits with their back to the whiteboard. The teacher writes a word or phrase on the board. The rest of the class must describe, mime, or give examples of the word — without saying the word itself — until the learner in the hot seat guesses correctly.

Why it works: it generates authentic communicative pressure. Learners must find real ways to explain meaning — exactly the circumlocution skill they need when they cannot recall a word in real conversation. The competitive element (timed rounds, team scores) maintains energy throughout.

Adaptation for zero-English beginners: allow learners to mime only in the first rounds. Introduce verbal description gradually.

Game 2: Two Truths and a Lie

Difficulty: Elementary and above | Group size: Any | Time: 15–25 minutes

Each learner prepares three statements about themselves — two true, one false. They share all three with a partner or the group. Others ask questions to try to identify the lie.

Why it works: it generates personal, authentic language in a game context. The question-asking phase produces natural present simple, present perfect, and past simple usage without any grammar instruction. Learners are genuinely motivated to listen because the content is personally relevant.

This game also builds classroom community — learners learn real things about each other. I have had lessons where the conversation that emerged from a ‘truth’ in this game lasted the rest of the class period.

Game 3: Story Dice (No Dice Needed)

Difficulty: Elementary–Intermediate | Group size: 3–6 per group | Time: 15–25 minutes

Write eight to ten random nouns on slips of paper and fold them: teacher, mountain, telephone, rain, surprise, market, journey, mistake. Place them face-down in the centre of each group. One learner picks a word and begins a story that includes it. The next learner picks a word and must continue the story. The constraint is that the story must remain continuous and make sense.

Why it works: narrative pressure is one of the most powerful drivers of fluency development. Learners cannot plan — they must speak. The laughter that invariably follows absurd story turns is one of the most powerful memory anchors available in a classroom.

Game 4: What Am I? (20 Questions)

Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate | Group size: Any | Time: 10–15 minutes

One learner thinks of a person, animal, or object. The class asks yes/no questions to identify it, with a maximum of 20 questions allowed. The learner may only answer ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ or ‘I’m not sure.’

Why it works: it systematically teaches question formation in a communicative context. Every question must be grammatically correct to be useful — learners self-correct because getting the question right actually matters to them. It also teaches the art of strategic questioning, which is a valuable cognitive skill beyond language learning.

Begin with concrete, familiar categories (animals, jobs, food) before expanding to more abstract ones.

Game 5: Alibi

Difficulty: Elementary–Intermediate | Group size: 12 or more | Time: 30–45 minutes

Two learners are told they are ‘suspects’ who must create an alibi for where they were at a specific time. They have two minutes to agree on their story privately. The rest of the class divides into ‘detectives’ who interrogate each suspect separately, looking for inconsistencies.

Why it works: the game generates intense communicative motivation. Suspects are under genuine pressure to speak clearly and consistently. Detectives are motivated to listen carefully and formulate precise questions. Past simple tense, time expressions, and question formation all emerge naturally from the game context.

This is the highest-energy game in my toolkit. Use it as a lesson centrepiece rather than a warm-up.

A Note on Using Games With Adult Learners

Some adult learners — particularly those who associate learning with formal instruction — resist games initially. They feel undignified, childish, or insufficiently serious.

The response to this resistance is not to apologise for the game. It is to be explicit about the learning purpose. Before each game, I tell learners exactly which language skill the game develops and why play is a legitimate vehicle for serious learning.

Once an adult learner has experienced genuine communicative breakthrough in a game context — produced language they did not know they possessed, been understood by a partner they could not communicate with last week — the resistance dissolves. Trust the process.

Which of these games will you try first? And if you have a game that works brilliantly in your classroom — share it in the comments. The best teaching ideas travel through teachers, not textbooks.

FREE RESOURCE

Download the 5-Day English Speaking Challenge Pack — five structured speaking activities designed for adult beginners. Free at drgspeaks.jrzp.org/esl-teaching