Warm-up exercises to use in your ESL classroom
A good warm-up exercise can really change the entire feel and flow of your classroom. Here are a few good warm-up exercises that may help make a difference.
There are a few keys to a good warm up exercise.
1.) Something simple
2.) Something active
Commands
Tell the students all to stand and start giving them commands like, “touch your face…touch your knee…wave your hand…jump up and down.” Once they get the idea of what you’re doing tell your best student to call out the next command. Then tell a different student to say a command. Then tell another student. After 5-10 students give commands you can start giving commands again, but this time say them faster and faster (you will need to plan these out in advance). The slower students will drop off and the good students will stay on target. Only go so fast as to make the students’ heads spin a little. Then stop and laugh at how silly they look.
Questions
Write 5-10 simple questions on the board with blanks (e.g. Can you name 5 __________? Can you tell me 1 thing about __________? Can you name 1 kind of __________?) The students, in partners, must ask each other these simple questions. Do an example with one student before letting them practice on their own. Let them go for about 5 minutes and watch them closely.
Remember that a warm-up is just used to get students speaking in English, get their blood moving, and get them in an “English” state of mind. Don’t let these activities last too long. Using a good warm-up activity will make students more active and attentive in class.