Consider games that will help children and adults learn English. You will find recommendations for choosing games for learning ESL (English as a second language), an overview of the most popular games with an emphasis on their benefits for learning purposes, as well as practical tips on how to make learning through games as effective as possible.
British Council Games
There are thirteen small games on the British Council website. Games are simple but not primitive in terms of learning English. Each will help expand your vocabulary by at least 10-20 words. In addition to games, the site has stories for children and many other activities to diversify the study of English.
Poptropica
It is not an English learning game, but an English game. But it is suitable for motivating children to learn the language. Pause, clarify incomprehensible words, and travel to magical islands. The game is partially paid, but there are many free levels. It is designed for children with a preparation group above the average, ready to work with the dictionary. This game for learning English is interactive: the further development of events will depend on your decisions. It immerses in the context and creates intrigue so that the child willingly continues to play and learn the language.
Games to Learn English
There are 29 learning games. Each game has several themes or modifications, so learning English will still be fun. The interface is simple, with excellent graphics and clear voice acting from native speakers. Not only vocabulary is being worked out, but also grammar, tenses, word order in a sentence. There is a kind of vocabulary dictation in the Spelling section.
Sesame StreetÂ
It is not educational, but an educational game in English. The characters are bright and funny, but some don’t have very clear diction. The advantage is that it is designed for young children, so the meaning of all words is evident from the actions taking place. But at the same time, Russian-language comments and hints are not given, which allows you to immerse yourself in the context.
ESL Games
There is a section not only for learning the language but also mathematics and natural sciences. In most games on the site, the graphics are close to primitive, but the content of the tasks is interesting. Friendly resources are listed in the site’s footer, where games and functions for boosting language skills are also available. In addition to the usual tasks, card and board games are available for learning English in an interactive format, quizzes, memories, puzzles, videos for different ages, crossword puzzles, and other printable materials. There is a separate collection of topics.
English Media Lab
You may experience that Adobe Flash Player does not load on this site. The graphics are pretty primitive, and some games transfer to another site, so you will have to permit the player again. There are many tasks on different topics: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation. There are tests, quizzes, and puzzles – enough tasks for the Elementary level of preparation.
Starfall
What do we like and what is proper? It is an English language site with good graphics. It is designed for preschoolers and younger students. If the parents do not know English, they will still navigate, as the navigation is quite simple. You can learn the English alphabet and master the most straightforward vocabulary playfully reading skills on this site. A significant plus is that there are tasks in the language and mathematics, which means they can be mastered in English.
Fallout 3, 4, 76, New Vegas
The theme of the game is a post-apocalyptic world. Fallout is an Action RPG genre. The advantage of action games for learning English is that the dialogues happen quickly, and you have to get used to listening to speech. Therefore, you need English above the average level. Fallout 3 involves interacting with other characters and making decisions that affect the game’s outcome. And this means that you have to think about it and even use a dictionary not to make a mistake. And just like in parts 1 and 2, the complexity of his speech will depend on the protagonist’s intellect, which makes the process engaging.