Effective Warm-Up Activities for Adult English Classes

Key takeaways:

• Warm-up activities are a great way to start an ESL lesson.
• These exercises help students switch to thinking in the target language and create a positive learning atmosphere.
• Examples of warm-up activities for students include mini role-plays, “two truths and a lie,” and word association.

Jumping straight into an intense grammar lesson isn’t the best way to start off your class. It may overwhelm your students, and some of them may lose focus before you even get to the important part. But what should you do instead?

In this article, we’re going to explore some of the best warm-up activities for ESL students. By the time you finish reading this, you’ll be ready to make your lessons super fun for your students.

What are warm-up activities?

Warm-up activities are used at the beginning of a lesson. They’re a great way to relax your students and prepare them for what’s to come. 

For language learning, warm-up activities are especially important. Students often have to “switch” their brain to another language, and these low-stress games are a good way to do that.

You can play warm-up games in group classes as well as one-to-one lessons.

Why are warm-up activities important for language learning?

Warm-up activities are a great way to set the mood for your lesson and get your students to start thinking in the target language. But there’s more to it than just getting the students into the learning mode. 

A 2023 study found that ESL students find warm-up activities both helpful and fun. What’s more, these exercises improve the learners’ confidence, make them feel more comfortable, and create a positive classroom environment. 

What makes a good warm-up activity?

The point of ESL warm-up activities is to grab the students’ attention, engage them, and get their creative and language skills flowing. You don’t want to bore your students during the warm-up. This is the time for them to have fun.

That being said, entertainment is only a part of the puzzle. Warm-up activities should also be:

• Age- and level-appropriate: Kids and adults won’t always enjoy the same exercises. Similarly, an A2 student and a C1 student will have different needs.
• Easy to understand: Warm-up activities should be simple and straightforward. You don’t want to spend 15 minutes of your one-hour lesson explaining a complicated game.
• Quick to perform: Similarly, you shouldn’t spend more than 5-10 minutes on a warm-up activity, as it is not the main focus of the lesson.

English warm-up games for adults

If you’re a teacher or a tutor who mostly works with adults, it’s important to keep their age in mind. Many warm-up activities come in the form of children’s games. While some adult learners may enjoy singing a silly alphabet song, many will want to feel challenged instead.

When coming up with warm-up games for adults, try to use exercises that engage their analytical thinking and creative skills. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.

10 ESL warm-up activities for students

We’ve put together a list of our ten favorite ESL warm-up activities for adults. All of these should only take 5-10 minutes and prepare your students for the lesson ahead.

1. Word association

Come up with a word or a topic, and give your students 1 minute to write down as many related words as they can think of. Then you can have them read their words out. The person with the most unique entries wins.

Topics can include:

• Something you discussed in a previous lesson.
• A simple adjective, such as “good,” with the task being to come up with synonyms.
• A broad category, such as “food” or “vacation.”

2. Speed interviews

This warm-up activity is fun, simple, and less stressful for students who are nervous to speak in front of the whole class.

Divide your students into pairs. Give the class a topic (e.g., “books” or “your plans for the weekend”). One person in each pair is the interviewer; the other person is the interviewee. The interviewers have 1-2 minutes to find out as much as they can from their partner.

Once the time is up, a new topic is set, and the students switch roles. The interviewer becomes the interviewee and vice versa.

3. Picture prompt storytelling

For this warm-up activity, pull up a picture or a photo on the screen. This picture can be of anything, including an animal, a house, a flower, or something more complex.

Divide the class into pairs and have each pair come up with their own story based on the picture in 2 minutes. When the time is up, have the pairs share their story with the class in as short a time as possible.

Alternatively, each student can write down their own 50-word story that they can then read to the class.

4. Tongue twister challenge

Tongue twisters are fun for students of all ages. They’re a great way to practice pronunciation and articulation, and they’re bound to make people laugh and relax. 

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To make this exercise more competitive, divide your class into pairs. Each person in the pair has to try their best to say each tongue twister as many times as possible without making a mistake or speaking too slowly. The person with the highest score wins.

Here are some tongue twisters you can use in your lessons:

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep is sick.
• Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

For even more tongue twisters, check out this YouTube video:

5. “Two truths and a lie”

Each student is asked to come up with three facts about themselves in English. For example:

• I hate chocolate.
• I prefer the middle seat on an airplane.
• I once ran a marathon.

The twist is that one of these “facts” is actually a lie. In small groups of 2-3, the other students try to guess which of the three is a lie. Those who successfully confuse their teammates win.

6. Name 10

Students are given a category (such as “colors” or “verbs beginning with G”). In pairs, they have to come up with 10 words that fit the category. The pair that is the fastest stops the clock. If all their entries are correct, they get a point.

You can do several quick rounds of this warm-up activity. The pair with the most points at the end wins.

7. Daily news chat

The teacher picks a short news video report or a news article and prepares some questions for discussion. The students then watch or read the news and try to answer the teacher’s questions.

The teacher can also ask the students to choose their own news articles. Their job is then to summarize it and explain what happened to the other students.

This warm-up activity is a great way for the students to improve their speaking and reading skills.

8. Mini role-plays

In this warm-up activity, the students pair up, and the teacher gives them a scenario, such as ordering dinner at a restaurant. One person is the waiter, and the other is the customer. The learners then have 2 minutes to perform their mini role-plays. 

They can then switch roles and do the same scenario, or the teacher can come up with a different situation for them to role-play.

9. Mystery word guess

The teacher selects a word but doesn’t share it with anyone. The students take turns asking “yes” or “no” questions. The person who guesses the mystery word first wins.

In a bigger classroom, the students can also work in groups, with one person coming up with their own word and the other team members asking the questions.

The mystery word can be anything, but to practice relevant vocabulary, the teacher can choose a word related to their most recent lessons.

10. Organize yourselves

This is one of the most engaging and chaotic warm-up activities for students. 

All students are asked to stand up and work together as one big unit. The teacher then gives them a category, such as age, number of cousins, or usual bedtime. The students then have 20 seconds to organize themselves in a row based on the criteria. 

Learn English with Promova

If you like the sound of any of the above warm-up activities, sign up for Promova’s group lessons today. Our expert teachers are passionate, friendly, and they always make sure that their lessons are fun and lively. What’s more, Promova’s schedule is highly flexible. Whether you have time in the morning, afternoon, or evening, we’ve got you covered.

Not a fan of group classes? No problem! Promova also offers 1-on-1 private English classes. Get personalized lessons, set your own goals and pace, and learn from certified experts.

Try Promova today and turn your dreams of fluency into reality.

Final thoughts

ESL warm-up activities are a great way to start off your lesson. They fill the students with energy, set the mood for learning, and create a positive classroom environment. 

So what are you waiting for? Pick one of the above warm-up games for adults and include it in your next lesson. Your students will love it!