What are they doing? An Engaging ESL Board Game to Learn and Practice English Present Continuous – Free Downloadable and printable PDF Included

What are they doing? PDF

Level: elementary
Grammar focus: Present Continuous
Vocabulary focus: Action Verbs

Are you seeking an interactive and enjoyable way to teach your ESL students about the present continuous tense? Look no further than “What Are They Doing?” This exciting board game not only makes learning grammar fun but also provides valuable practice opportunities for students to master the usage of the present continuous tense. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of incorporating “What Are They Doing?” into your ESL lessons and provide you with a free downloadable and printable PDF to get started right away!

Why “What Are They Doing?”

“What Are They Doing?” is a dynamic board game designed to help students learn and practice the present continuous tense. By combining gameplay with grammar practice, this activity makes learning the present continuous tense engaging and memorable. Students not only reinforce their understanding of grammar rules but also develop important communication skills that are essential for real-life conversations.

How to Play

Preparation: Begin by downloading and printing the “What Are They Doing?” board game and action cards provided in the PDF format. Set up the game board and place the action cards face down in a stack.
Distribution: Divide the students into small groups and provide each group with a game board, a set of game pieces, and a stack of action cards.
Gameplay: Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their game pieces along the board. When a player lands on a space, they draw an action card and read it aloud to the group. The player must then form a sentence using the present continuous tense to describe the action depicted on the card.
Response: Encourage students to respond to the actions using the present continuous tense. For example, if the action card depicts someone swimming, the player might say, “They are swimming in the pool.”
Points: Players earn points for providing correct responses using the present continuous tense. The game continues until all action cards have been used, and the player with the most points at the end is declared the winner.

Benefits of “What Are They Doing?”

Grammar Reinforcement: “What Are They Doing?” provides students with a fun and interactive way to reinforce their understanding of the present continuous tense and grammar rules.
Communication Skills: By engaging in conversation and practicing using the present continuous tense in context, students develop essential communication skills that are applicable in real-life situations.
Engagement: The interactive nature of the board game promotes active participation and keeps students engaged and motivated to learn.
Social Interaction: “What Are They Doing?” encourages peer-to-peer interaction and collaboration, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Incorporating “What Are They Doing?” into your ESL lessons is a fantastic way to make learning about the present continuous tense enjoyable and effective for your students. By providing opportunities for hands-on practice and social interaction, this dynamic board game facilitates language acquisition in a fun and interactive way. So why wait?