6 Fun & Effective ESL Games for Teachers in Paris

Teaching English in Paris is a dream for many – but finding engaging ways to get students talking is the real challenge. Whether you’re teaching kids, teens, or adults, incorporating games into your lessons is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary, confidence, and fluency. Games spark creativity, engage minds and make learning feel less like a chore and more like an adventure.

Here are some tried-and-tested games that work brilliantly in ESL classrooms of all levels – perfect for English language teachers working in Paris.

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1. Two truths and a lie

This classic game works with almost every age group and helps students practice speaking in full sentences. Each student says three statements about themselves – two that are true and one that’s a lie. The rest of the class must guess which one is the lie.

This game encourages students to speak about personal experiences while practicing the present simple or past simple, depending on your target grammar.

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2. Would you rather…?

Pose fun or thought-provoking questions like “Would you rather live in a treehouse or a castle?” and have students explain their answers.

This simple ESL games promotes speaking and gets students comfortable expressing opinions. It also helps teach comparatives and conditional forms in a natural, relaxed setting.

Paris classroom twist: Use local references, like “Would you rather visit the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre every weekend?”

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3. Pictionary / Charades

Classroom classics! Divide the class into teams. One student draws (or acts out) a word while their team guesses what it is within a set time limit. This works beautifully for building vocabulary – especially for themed units like food, travel, or emotions.

Both games are active, team-based and great for engaging shy students who need a fun way to come out of their shell.

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4. Taboo

Create or use pre-made cards with a target word at the top and three to five “forbidden” words below. Students must get their team to guess the target word without using the forbidden terms.

For example:

Target word: “Airport”

Forbidden: “plane,” “fly,” “travel,” “ticket,” “luggage”

Taboo forces students to think outside the box while building their greater English vocabulary.

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6. Find someone who…

Give students a grid with prompts like “Find someone who has visited London” or “Find someone who likes orange juice more than apple juice.” They must then walk around the classroom and talk to classmates to complete the sheet.

This game helps build question formation and gets the class moving, interacting and getting to know each other better. It’s especially good for practicing present perfect or simple past.

Paris tip: Include questions like “Find someone who speaks French and English” or “Find someone who has seen the Mona Lisa.”

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What are your favourite ESL games?

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