Contractions ESL Activities: Fun Ways to Teach Students About Shortened Word Forms
Teaching contractions to ESL students can be a bit challenging, as it involves teaching them a new concept of shortening words. However, this is an essential skill that is necessary for students to master if they want to be fluent English speakers. Here are some fun and engaging ESL activities that you can use to teach contractions to your students.
1. Paper Cup Contractions
This activity requires paper cups and a marker. Write the contracted form of a word on one side of the paper cup, and the full form of the word on the other side. For instance, you can write “it’s” on one side of the cup, and “it is” on the other. After that, have students mix up the cups and place them on a desk. Students pick up a cup and then say the full form of the contraction.
2. Contractions Match Game
This activity requires contractions cards and full word cards. Distribute the cards to the students and have them match the contraction to the full word. You can make this activity more challenging by timing the game and seeing how quickly students can match all the cards.
3. Contraction Relay Race
In this activity, you can divide the class into teams, and each team member has to run to the board and write one contraction. The next teammate has to write the full form of the contraction on the board. And then, they hand off the marker to the next team member. The team that finishes first wins the game.
4. Contraction Dominoes
This activity requires contraction dominoes pieces that have contractions on one side and full words on the other side. Distribute the dominoes to the students and have them match each contraction to the full word. Students can also create their dominoes by writing a contraction on one side and the full word on the other side.
5. Contraction Scavenger Hunt
In this activity, you can hide the contractions around the classroom or school, and students have to find them. Once they find a contraction, they have to write the full form of the word on a sheet of paper. The student who finds the most contractions wins the game.
These are just a few of the fun and interactive activities that you can use to teach contractions to your ESL students. By making the learning process enjoyable and engaging, students will be more likely to retain the information and apply it to their English language skills.