Teacher's games
Kahoot
Most teachers should know by now that Kahoot.com exists, but maybe there are still some beginner English teachers or TEFL/CELTA trainees who have never heard about it.
What is it?
Kahoot.com is an online website which you can use in the classroom to play vocabulary, grammar games or any other topic that isn’t part of the English language, for example: Maths, Chemistry, French,… ideal for STEM. All this totally free! You can get different paid accounts giving you more options, but the free version is more than good enough. In the English classroom you can basically use it for vocabulary or grammar.
Who for?
Basically for any student old enough to have a mobile device. I have played it with all ages.
How does it work?
You can easily look up and find a kahoot some other teacher has created and use this to play with your students, or you can quickly and easily create one of your own. Once you have a kahoot, you need to start it and project it on your IWB (Interactive White Board), plain white board or any other big screen you have in the class. The students go with their mobile device to kahoot.it and Type in the game code and select a nickname. When all students are there you can start the game. The game then projects a question with 4 different answers corresponding to different colours and symbols. The students look at the question and the answers and select the correct corresponding answer on their mobile device. The people who answer correctly get points, the faster you answer the more points you can get. The winner is the person who has the most points.
Why use it?
It’s a fun activity that doesn’t take too much time (5 to 10 minutes) and the students get to use their mobile devices in class.
Watch out for!
- You do need a stable internet connection in the class
- You need a computer and a projector to show the kahoots
- The students need to have a mobile device. Usually 1 per student, but you can also let them play in pairs or teams (but that is less effective I would say)
How have I used it?
- as a warmer to get the students thinking about the topic
- to teach new vocabulary
- to review vocabulary they have already seen
- as filler to keep the students busy when we still have some more time left
- have a look at grammar and do grammar gap fills where they select the possible answers
- as a treat after some hard work in class
So, go to kahoot.com and play some kahoots with your students, end those boring classes and tell us which are your favourite kahoots.
Spread the word
Kristof Abrath
Teacher, Trainer, Course Designer
Teaching in English on 4 different continents since 2006.