The Adult Learner and Games
10 Games Adults Actually Enjoy
Describe a word without using obvious associated words. Develops paraphrasing strategies — essential for B1+ learners.
Simple but forces question formation, vocabulary, and deductive reasoning. Works at B1+.
Explain as many words as possible in 60 seconds. Trains fluency under time pressure.
Share three statements, one false. Partners guess which is the lie. Generates genuine conversation and requires detailed questioning.
Students 'bid' on positions on a debate topic. Anyone who bids must defend their position. Creates genuine investment in argument quality.
Beyond the simple version — use as a debate prompt. 'Would you rather work in a creative role with low pay or a boring role with high pay?' Generates authentic opinion exchange.
Bring 5 current news stories, create quiz questions. Generates current-events English in a trivia format adults enjoy.
Cooperative story-building: 'Once upon a time... every day... until one day... because of that... finally...' Forces narrative tenses and creative language.
'Never have I ever given a presentation in English' → anyone who has must share the story. Generates authentic experiences and past-tense narrative.
Give a real and a made-up definition for an unusual word. Partners vote on which is real. Makes vocabulary building feel like a shared detective puzzle.
Why Games Work for Adults
Pressure Simulation
Time-limited games create real-time communication pressure without the stakes of actual situations
Emotional Memory
Vocabulary learned during emotionally engaging activities is retained significantly longer
Peer Motivation
Competition and cooperation activate different motivational drives than teacher-led instruction
Teacher Tip
“Frame games as 'practice activities' rather than 'games.' 'Let's do a communication exercise where you describe this word without using the word itself — it's a common real-world situation when you can't find the right word.' The activity is identical; the adult buy-in is significantly higher.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a student explicitly refuses to do games?
Respect it. Some adults genuinely don't respond to game formats. Ask what activities they do enjoy and build from there. Forcing a reluctant adult into a game produces negative associations with the vocabulary, not positive ones.
Do games work better in group or individual settings?
Many games require a group, but several work beautifully one-to-one: Taboo, Would You Rather, 20 Questions, and Two Truths and a Lie all work between teacher and student. Some competitive games can be adapted to 'beat your own time' individual challenges.
How do I link games to the lesson's language focus?
Use the session's target vocabulary as the game content. Taboo cards with this week's vocabulary. 20 Questions using words from the lesson. News Quiz based on an article you read together. This transforms the game from a distraction into a consolidation activity.