ESL Taboo Game Intermediate B1, ESL Speaking Activity with 75 Cards, Google Slides, PowerPoint and Printables

$4.99

Nothing gets my intermediate learners talking like a word they cannot say. This ESL taboo game is an ESL speaking game and word game for B1 and up, with 75 everyday cards in three categories, ready in Google Slides, PowerPoint or print.

Perfect For

  • ESL, ELL and EFL learners at B1 and up: teens and adults, mixed level classes, conversation groups
  • Speaking practice that makes students paraphrase instead of translating
  • A fun word game at the end of a lesson, or whenever a few minutes open up

How the Game Works

  1. Tables of 6 split into 3 pairs and share one tablet or one pile of printed cards
  2. The describer explains the word on the card without saying it or the 4 banned words. Their partner guesses
  3. A checker from another pair reads the same card and listens for banned words
  4. 60 seconds per turn and one point per word. Then pass the tablet and swap describers

Why Teachers Love This Game

  • Easy mode: in a mixed class only the 2 banned words above the dotted line count
  • Eight sentence starters (It’s a kind of …, You use it to …) so nobody freezes
  • Only the describer and the checker see the card, so the whole table keeps guessing
  • No prep and no logins

Here is a quick look at the game:

Description

What’s Included

  • An 80 slide tablet deck in Google Slides or PowerPoint: a title slide, how to play, a sentence starters slide, a category menu, 75 card slides and an end slide
  • Every card slide shows the word, the 4 banned words with the easy mode dotted line, the category, where you are in the pile, and a Categories button back to the menu
  • ESL teacher notes: the level, how to model a card, easy mode, the sentence starters, guesser phrases, what counts as right, timing and an exit ticket idea
  • Rules page, a table card with the starters for each table, and a table score sheet
  • 9 cut apart card sheets with matching card backs for each category
  • Color and ink-saver black and white, US Letter and A4 (16 printable pages)

The Three Categories

  • Daily Life (25 cards): vacuum, leftovers, neighbor, groceries, headache, appointment, roommate, allergy, dishwasher and more
  • People and Work (25 cards): firefighter, receptionist, colleague, deadline, retirement, homesick, disappointed, stubborn, generous and more
  • Travel and Tech (25 cards): jet lag, reservation, sightseeing, destination, flat tire, vacation, notification, subscription, influencer and more

Every word is everyday B1 to B2 vocabulary that a learner who knows it can describe in simple English. The banned words are the most obvious clues, ordered so the first 2 are the easiest to reach for.

Easy Mode and Sentence Starters

Mixed classes start in easy mode: of the 4 banned words, only the 2 above the dotted line count. When most pairs score 3 or more in a turn, switch to full mode with all 4 banned. Stuck describers can start with It’s a kind of …, It’s a person who …, You use it to … or It’s the opposite of …, and guessers can ask Can you say that another way?

What Counts as Right

Any form of the word scores, and so does a real synonym the checker agrees on (coworker for colleague). Related words do not. The checker decides.

More Taboo Games

This is the ESL edition of my Taboo review game. There are math, science, social studies and ELA vocabulary editions in my store, plus an any subject deck. For beginners, my ESL Password Vocabulary Pack is a good first step.

Works On

Windows, Mac, Chromebooks, iPads and Android tablets. One device per table is enough, and the printable cards need no screen at all.

classroom review game bundle

Help

Email me any time with questions or requests. Thank you for supporting a small teacher-run shop.

Carolin

carolin@classroomreview.games

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.