How often board game
How often board game
Adverbs of Frequency ESL Activities, Games, Worksheets, Lesson Plans
If you’re looking for some ideas for teaching adverbs of frequency, then you’re certainly in the right place. Keep reading for the top games and activities, along with worksheets, lesson plans and more to work on, “How often” questions and answers.
ESL adverbs of frequency games and activities
Adverbs of Frequency Activities and Games for ESL/EFL
Let’s get to the best frequency games and activities for ESL, a key part of speech for English learners!
#1: Flashcard Sentences and Frequency Expressions
If you’re teaching frequency adverbs to beginners, you may want to consider bringing in some flashcards of people doing things to your class. Then, you can randomly show a card to a student, or the students can choose two or three cards from the pile.
Then, students can make sentences related to their cards. For example:
Flashcards are a simple, fun way to get your students practicing using this grammar and vocabulary. Learn more here: ESL Flashcard Activities.
#2: Frequency Board Games
In real life, I’m ALL about playing board games! And I also love to bring them into my classroom too. You can often find them in the teacher’s resource book that may accompany your textbook, but if you can’t, you can make your own in just a few minutes. It’s super easy to do!
In this case, you’ll want to use frequency questions related to whatever topic you’re teaching. Then, students have to answer them using a frequency expression. Or, you can mix in a few answers and students have to come up with the question.
Do you want to try your hand at making your own ESL board games? Find out how to do that right here: Board Games for ESL.
#3: Hot Potato Frequency Game
If you want to have some serious fun in your English class, then you’ll certainly want to try out Hot Potato. The way it works is that students pass around a potato (or any object) and then when the timer goes off or the music stops, the person holding it has to do something.
In this case, they may have to answer a frequency question from the teacher. Or, you could require the person holding it to think of a question to ask another student in the class. It’s certainly possible to combine this with a certain vocabulary set. For example, fruits and vegetables.
Do you want to try it out? Check out all the details right here: Hot Potato ESL Game.
#4: Dialogue Substitution
Frequency words are often introduced in ESL textbooks by using a dialogue. But, have you ever noticed that most students just kind of mindlessly read it and don’t really pay attention to what they’re reading? It’s not their fault though! It’s just that they haven’t been given a reason to read it.
One technique we like to use to turn this from a mindless reading activity into one that deals with meaning is to remove some of the key words. In this case, you’ll probably want to remove some of the frequency expressions, or the activities that they’re referring to. Then, students have to work in pairs to fill in the blanks while reading the dialogue at the same time.
#5: Frequency ESL Videos
I’m ALL about using videos in my English classes. Students love them and the good news is that it’s super easy to find one on just about any topic, grammar point or vocabulary set. However, there’s certainly more to it than hitting play and then sitting back and relaxing.
Instead, you’ll want to do some pre and post-watching activities so that students can the most educational value out of them. Here are some of the best ideas: Using Videos for Language Learning.
#6: Frequency Conversation Starters
If you tell your students to use frequency words in a conversation with each other, you’ll most certainly be met with blank silence. And of course, it’s not the students’ fault but the teachers for not giving any sort of structure or help with this.
If you want your students to use frequency verbs, then you’ll want to give them a few conversation starters using how frequently and how often. As far as what questions, think about the topic of your lesson and go from there. Or, you can often find some great questions in many textbooks.
#7: Just One Question
This is an excellent 4-skills activity that lends itself very well to the unit on frequency. The way it works is that students, in pairs think of a few “how often” questions related to the topic of the day. The teacher can help to ensure that there are no questions that are too similar.
Then, they choose one from among them and have to survey at least 10 of their classmates, taking some notes on the answers. Finally, they analyze the results and report back to the class in a short presentation.
#8: ESL Health Activities and Frequency Expressions
Do you want to see some of the best health-related games and activities? Then you’ll want to check this out: ESL Health Games & Activities.
#9: Just a Minute Speaking Activity
Just a minute is a challenging, but engaging speaking activity. The way it works is that students have to talk for an entire minute about a certain topic without stopping. Then, the other three groups members have to listen and ask 1-2 follow-up questions.
In this case, you may want to consider making the topic healthy and unhealthy habits. Before getting started, point out some of the frequency adverbs (once, twice, three times, sometimes, never, etc.) and suggest that students could use a few of them while speaking.
#10: How to Teach Grammar
Do you struggle with how to teach grammar, including something like frequency adverbs? You are most certainly not alone and many English teachers are a bit shaky of the ins and outs of planning this style of lesson.
But, not to worry! Check out this lesson planning template for grammar lessons, along with a ton of tips and tricks right here:
Adverbs of Frequency ESL games and activities
#11: Running Dictation
Try out this classic, 4-skills ESL game with your students today! Seriously. It’s such a great activity that if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out!
To start, you’ll need to find a dialogue that has frequency adverb questions and answers. The textbook you might be using is often a good source, or you can easily write your own conversation.
Then, cut it out into strips of paper that you can tape around the classroom on the walls. Students have to work in pairs or record the whole conversation on their paper and then put it into the correct order.
That’s just the basic explanation. You can find all the information about this fun way to teach frequency adverbs right here: Running Dictation for ESL.
#12: Dictogloss
If you want a challenging listening and writing activity, then you’ll want to try out dictogloss. The way it works is that you can find (or write your own) passage that has a lot of frequency expressions in it. One thing that’ll work well is someone talking about how healthy they are.
Then, put students into pairs and you can read out the passage quite quickly (depending on the level). Students have to work together to recreate what they heard by writing. Read it out again and students can add to what they had from the first round. Finally, students can compare what they have with the original.
Find out more about how to use this in your classes here: ESL Dictogloss Activity.
#13: Frequency Adverbs Songs and Chants
I love to use songs and chants in my classes. Songs especially are a fun way to bring real life into the classroom. Check out this playlist on YouTube for some popular songs that use frequency expressions in them.
#14: The Memory Circle
This is a quick review or warmer activity that’s best for smaller classes of less than 10 students. The way it works is that the first student says a sentence using a frequency adverb. For example, “I play soccer twice a week.”
The second student repeats the first sentence and adds their own. “Tim plays soccer twice a week and I go to the library once a month.”
So on it goes until someone can’t remember something and they’re out. Finally, only one person will be left standing! Find out more about how to use this circle game in your classes: ESL Circle Game.
#15: Surveys
I’m ALL about surveys. Just ask my students and they’ll tell you that we do them at least once a month! They’re engaging, gets students up and out of their seats talking to their classmates and cover a wide range of skills. That’s some serious ESL teaching awesome, right?
The better news is that surveys work especially well with how often questions. If you want to find out how to make your own ESL surveys quickly and easily, check out these examples: ESL Surveys.
ESL Board Games Interactive
ESL board games are a great way to get your students using new language. They are fantastic to allow freer practice of targeted grammar structures but also to allow more realistic use of language through conversation.
We have created a growing number of online interactive board games that can be used in online classes or in class on interactive whiteboards to allow students to play games in groups or as a class while saving on paper and preparation time.
These interactive board games are ideal to play on online zoom classes. To do so, first open the game you would like to play in your browser. Then in Zoom just click the “Share screen” button and select to share your browser or share your desktop. Students can play in pairs or individually. For larger groups share the URL with students and let them play in breakout rooms.
Grammar Board Games
Can and Can’t – Practice speaking about ability with this board game.
Comparatives and Superlatives – Practice forming comparative and superlative sentences.
First Conditional – First conditional board game where students finish the sentences.
First and Second Conditional – Practice first and second conditional with this speaking board game.
Gerunds and Infinitives – Practice gerunds and infinitives with this speaking activity.
How often do you…? – Practice adverbs of frequency and question forming using this interactive board game.
Imperatives / Orders – Practice imperatives with this board game.
Irregular Verbs – Practice common irregular verbs
Present Simple – Practice the present simple with this speaking focused board game.
Past Simple Regular Verbs – Practice spelling of regular verbs with this interactive board game.
Present Perfect – Practice the present perfect with this speaking focused board game.
Relative Clauses – Practice relative clauses with this speaking focused board game.
Ordinal Numbers – Practice ordinal numbers with this board game.
Past Simple – Practice the past simple with this speaking board game.
Should / Shouldn’t – Practice giving advice using should/shouldn’t
Superlatives – Practice speaking using superlatives with this game.
Used to – Practice speaking about when students were younger
What are you going to do tomorrow? – Practice going to for future plans.
Board games by themes
All About You – Get to know your students with this fun icebreaker board game.
Alphabet – Practice the alphabet with the young learner with this interactive board game.
Animals – Practice vocabulary related to animals with this game. Ideal for B1+ (lower intermediate+)
Clothes and Fashion – Practice speaking about clothes and fashion. (Intermediate and above)
Family – Practice family members with this board game.
Food – Practice speaking about food and food vocabulary.
My Favourite – Practice speaking using “My favourite ___ is …”
Sports – Talk about sports and sports equipment.
Shopping – Discuss shopping with this board game for B1/B2.
Travel – Discuss questions around the topic of travel. Ideal for students Lower intermediate and above B1+
Weather – Practice saying what the weather is like with this fun board game.
Ludo Board Game
Irregular Verbs Ludo – Practice the most common irregular verbs with this interactive game of Ludo. This can be played with 2 players or more. Students move their pieces around the board while saying and writing the irregular verbs on the board.
Young Learner Board Games
Alphabet – Practice the alphabet with the young learner with this interactive board game.
Animals – Practice animals with this board game.
Clothes – Practice clothes and accessories vocabulary with this board game.
Daily Routines – Practice daily routines with this interactive board game.
Days of the Week – Practice days of the week with this board game.
Family – Practice family members with this board game.
Going to – Practice going to for future plans.
House and Furniture – Practice vocabulary and speaking with this board game.
Sports – Talk about sports and sports equipment.
Irregular Verbs – Practice common irregular verbs
Jobs – Practice common jobs with this board game.
My Favourite – Practice speaking using “My favourite ___ is …”
Ordinal Numbers – Practice ordinal numbers with this board game.
Transport – Practice different types of transport with this game.
Weather – Practice saying what the weather is like with this fun board game.
Holiday Board Games
Easter – Practice speaking about Easter with this board game.. (Young Learners Pre-A1 +)
Valentine’s Day – Use this board game to talk about Valentine’s Day. B1+
Maths Board Games
Division – Practice division with this fun maths board game.
Habit-tual Fun
Would you say you brush your teeth often or seldom?
Do you do your homework frequently or rarely? The frequency with which we do things is important. In fact, it can make all the difference in how others perceive us. So it’s important your students know how to express the frequency of actions, and that is just where adverbs of frequency and time expressions come into play. Here are eleven go to activities for practicing this language skill. Most are little to no prep, and all are effective. If you use them OFTEN you are sure to see language progress in your students.
11 Go-to Activities for Teaching Adverbs of Frequency
Frequency from a Hat
On several small slips of paper, put adverbs of frequency (often, seldom, rarely, etc.) and time expressions (every day, once a week, etc.) and collect them in a hat. Have one student come to the front of the room and draw one. That person should ask a classmate a question to try and elicit the phrase on their slip of paper. For example, if the slip said twice a day, someone might ask, “How often do you brush your teeth?” The speaker has three chances to ask a question of three different classmates. If the person elicits the target response, they sit down. If not, they must draw another expression and try to elicit that one in three tries. If you like, have your students pull phrases one at a time or have the whole class go at once.
Who Often?
Have your students write five to ten statements about themselves, each using an adverb of frequency. Collect the papers and shuffle them. Then choose one list to read to your students. If a classmate is able to guess the author of the statements after you read only one from the sheet, he scores nine points. After two, eight points and so on. Keep playing until you read each person’s statements. Add up the scores and see who knows their classmates best.
Frequency Ladder
This fun activity will get your students moving around the room while they ask their classmates questions. To prepare for the activity, draw a ladder on a piece of paper. It should have nine rungs each labeled with one of the adverbs of frequency in this order starting from the top: always, usually, frequently, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, never. Students start at the bottom of the ladder asking their classmates questions, trying to elicit a response from a classmate using the word never. For example, how often do you eat kimchi? If a person gets an answer with never, he can move up to the next run and try to elicit an answer with rarely from another classmate. Students must go from the bottom of the ladder to the top of the ladder, asking their classmates questions and getting answers with adverbs of frequency, without making a mistake. If they ever receive the wrong answer, they must go back to the start and the bottom rung of the ladder. Students are allowed to ask the same questions of the same people if they are knocked back down, however. See which student can get to the top of the ladder first.
More Often, Less Often
Have students work with a partner for this speaking activity. One person makes a statement about how often their partner does something. For example, you rarely eat spaghetti. That person must then signal more often or less often (getting hotter, getting colder). The speaker changes the adverb of frequency in their statement until they get the answer correct. Students then switch roles. Continue the activity until each person has had several turns to make statements about his partner.
I Do That All the Time!
The activity starts with one person making a statement about herself using an adverb of frequency but not saying what the activity is. For example, someone might say, “I usually do this in the morning.” The other person must try and guess what the activity is, in this case take a shower. Each person should get three guesses at the activity. If he guesses correctly, he gets one point. Play until each person has had ten opportunities to guess at his partner’s activity. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.
Fill in the Blank Frequency
This is a simple print and go activity that starts with some fill in in the blank sentences. Print a copy of Adverbs of Frequency Guessing Game for each member of your class. Once students have the papers, give them a minute to fill in the blanks with adverbs of frequency. Then have each person work with a partner. Students take turns reading adverbs they used to fill in the blank. His partner must then guess which sentence he used that adverb to complete.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two truths and a lie is a great go-to speaking and listening game for ESL students. In it, students write out three statements, two truths and one lie, about themselves. In this case, require students to use an adverb of frequency in each statement. They then have students take turns reading their statements to the rest of the class, who must then guess which statement is the lie. Your students will have a good time trying to stump their classmates, and everyone will get to know each other a little better.
Two of a Kind
In this activity, partners make statements about how often they do activities and their partner must agree with them. For example, one person might say, “I often watch soccer.” The other person MUST then agree saying something like, “I often watch soccer, too.” Then the second person makes a statement which the first person must agree with. If at any point someone thinks their partner is lying, they must state it. If they are correct that their partner is lying, they score point. If a person lies and their partner does not catch it, they score a point. Play until someone reaches five points.
How Often Bingo
For this fun and lively game, have students fill the spaces of a blank bingo board with adverbs of frequency and time expressions such as rarely, all the time, every week, twice a day, once a month, etc. On your go, students must mingle and talk to their classmates, trying to find an activity that both of them do with the same frequency. For example, if a person always wears underwear and they find another classmate who always wears underwear, they can both cross off the always square on their bingo board. When someone gets five squares in a row crossed of, they yell Bingo and win the game.
Fortune Teller Trials
In this fun activity, students try and make predictions about how often their partners do certain activities. If you like, begin by brainstorming with your class some activities they might or might not do. Then put your students with a partner and have each person write ten sentences using some of the activities you brainstormed along with adverbs of frequency. Each person should write statements they think are true about their partners. After everyone has written their sentences, students compare what they wrote and score a point for every sentence that is true. The person with most correct sentences wins the round.
Anytime Resolutions
Most people would like to better themselves. It doesn’t have to be the first of the year for students to make resolutions to improve themselves and their lives. Have each person write out some plans for self-improvement using adverbs of frequency or time expressions in each statement. Have students list ten things they will do or not do and how often such as I will go to the gym every day. Ask volunteers to share some of their resolutions and discuss with the class how that activity could benefit someone trying to improve himself.
Lesson Plans for ESL Kids Teachers
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What are time expressions?
Time expressions are used to describe how frequently we do certain activities. They are often used in response to the question “How often do you …?”
Here are some commonly used time expressions:
a week: I play piano 3 times a week.
a month: I go to the gym twice a month.
a year: I ski once a year.
Time expressions take the following forms:
Notes:
This lesson will help your students to talk about their lives in terms of frequency.В The lesson will cover time related vocab and action verbs, so make sure your students have already completed the dates (ordinal numbers), days of the week, months of the year and basic actions vocab.
Lesson Procedure:
Warm Up and Maintenance:
New Learning and Practice:
1. Review vocab: «Calendar fun»
Your students will be talking about how often they do things using the words «a week», «a month» and «a year». They will have already covered these words in previous lessons so this is a fun review activity.
To elicit the key vocab, start off by writing on the board:
Put students in pairs/groups to talk about their answers (using their calendars).
After a couple of minutes, hold up a calendar and ask «What’s this?». Elicit «Calendar».
Then say «Let’s use the calendar to find the answers». Then, holding up the calendar show / elicit the answers and complete the blanks on the board.
Next, write the following questions on the board and have your students work in their groups with their calendars to find the answers:
2. Play «Week / Month / Dates Buzz»
This is a fun game to practice saying the days of the week, months of the year and dates (ordinal numbers) in sequence.
Next, introduce the game «Buzz». When students pass the ball, every 5th number the person holding the ball must say «Buzz» instead of the number, for example:
After a few rounds change to days of the week instead of numbers, again, saying the word «Buzz» every 5th day:
After a few fun rounds change to months of the year and finally dates (ordinal numbers):
— 0 = never
— 1 = once
— 2 = twice
— 3 = three time
— 4 = four times
— 5 = five times
— 6 = six times
— 7 days = every day
As you elect the answers, be sure to point out the word order:
4. Practice the structure «How often do you?»
We’ll do this in three steps:
A reads the questions to B and B answers using the sentences on the board. For example:
Student A: How often do you ride a bike, Bart?
Student B: I ride a bike every day.
After all of the questions have been asked and answered students swap roles and practice again.
STEP 2: Roll play practice
Before class prepare more character pictures (cartoon characters, superheroes, film stars, TV stars, pop stars, etc.). Make sure you have enough pictures for each pair. Give our one picture per pair. Pairs then practice the questions on the board and giving their own ideas for answers.
After all of the questions have been asked and answered students swap roles and practice again. When finished, you can have pairs exchange pictures and do again with another character.
STEP 3: Interview practice
Finally, your students are going to give their own answers to the questions. In pairs, Student A asks the questions on the board to Student B, and student B will answer truthfully about themselves.
After all of the questions have been asked and answered students swap roles and practice again.
6. Play «Three Truths and a Lie»
On the board write four sentences about yourself using the time frequency structures but make sure only 3 are true and one is a lie. E.g.
Tell your students one sentence is not true about yourself and ask everyone to guess which is the lie.
When everyone has finished, get everyone to stand up and find a partner. Tell everyone that they have just 1 minute to read their sentences and guess which is their partner’s lie. Use a timer and shout «Go!». After 1 minutes get everyone has to stop and find a new partner, and continue like this for a good few rounds.
At the end, get everyone to sit down and then ask for some students to tell you some truths about other students.
Wrap Up:
How often do you play board games?
We love to play board games as a family. It’s a great time to gather around the table, face-to-face and challenge each other to a mental match.
There are so many benefits of playing games together as a family – especially in today’s world of constant digital distractions.
But even though we enjoy it, it doesn’t mean we play board games as a family every day. And even when we do get time to play games, chances are high that not everyone’s around or in the mood to play a game.
In fact, the older the kids get, the less we’re able to play together as a whole family.
Most of the time when a board game hits the table, it’s only a few members of the family playing together. But that’s just fine. Because most games don’t accommodate 6 players anyway.
Great 6 player family board game – Lemming Mafia.
With so many activities pulling family members in different directions, we’ve set a family priority for spending at least 1 night a week at home together. For us that falls on Monday nights with our “Family Home Evening“.
For our activity on those nights, we often play a board game that we can all play together.
But not always.
When we are able to play games as a whole family, we take turns on who gets to choose the game. Depending on who’s choosing, we can almost guarantee what game they’ll pick.
If we’re not all playing, then it’s harder to guess which games will hit the table because the options are more wide open. But when we’re picking for all 6 to play and enjoy, these are the ones that hit the table the most:
How often does your family play board games together?
Since we understand the constraints of getting everyone in a family together to play games, this question is more about how often you play games with any members of your family. It may be just you and a sibling, you and a child, you and a spouse, you and a grandparent, or you and your whole extended family (we’d recommend Catch Phrase for that occasion).
Regardless of how many are together to play, we’d love to hear how often you play board games with members of your family.
Simply answer the poll below.
How often do you play board games or card games with your family?