Do You Want Free ESL Jeopardy Games?

My ESL students loved playing PowerPoint Jeopardy.

I did it for 5 years, going from simple games to more complex versions. All of these games used an easy Jeopardy PowerPoint Template that you can get online for free. After that you just have to plug your info into 6 different categories.

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Today we’ll run through one of the last ESL Jeopardy games I made when I was teaching ESL in China.

This game was for a class of low-level students aged 11 to 13. For many teachers not in China this would be a level you’d find with younger students.

The game was made for students using EF (English First) training center books. That’s why you’ll see that middle category with a picture of some characters – this is the EF story for teens.

Here are the 6 categories I have for this game:

• Pictures;
  
• Grammar;
  
• TB (EF Trailblazers Story);
  
• Vocabulary;
  
• Spelling;
  
• World Cities.

This is the standard format I follow with most of my games, except that I usually switch out that last category to something a little different each time. I can keep all those categories the same because this is a template – all I need to do is plug in the appropriate words from the students’ book that week.

I also only use one screen, the one you see above. What that means is I don’t go up to the $1,000 questions. I used to make games that long but found these 30 clues were more than enough for one class, especially when we only play for 20 minutes.

Here are what a few slides look like in the ESL Jeopardy categories.

ESL Jeopardy Pictures Category

Pictures are one of the best ways to get younger and lower-level students talking. Nearly every game will have pictures like this.

This parrot is a pretty easy one, and is a $300 clue. It was a word my students had been studying as we did an animal unit earlier.

Here’s the $400 clue, which most students get wrong. They’ll usually say desert, which I guess could be correct, but we mentioned something with Mars a week or so earlier.

I like to throw fun things in there that make the students groan when they see the answer. It makes it fun for everyone, but especially you. And when you do the same game 5 times you have to be entertained.

ESL Jeopardy Grammar Category

Grammar is a great category, one most students can’t pronounce, and therefore stay away from for most of the game. When they do choose it, however, they find these are some of the easiest questions.

This is the $100 clue and you can see it’s quite easy. I always leave the answer slide blank as the answer could really be anything.

Below is what the $500 clue looks like, which for this level is a little more difficult. I would expect an answer like: “I have a book. I have an elephant.”

Sometimes with this, and with most questions, I’ll let the team give the answer or talk about it so that one person can give it. Usually the class will be divided into two halves. Sometimes if one team doesn’t know I’ll give it over to the other. I never take away points for wrong answers.

ESL Jeopardy TB Story Category

I like to put things into the game that students can find in their book.

Most ESL books will have some kind of story throughout the chapters. This could be similar characters or places or even a theme. Use this to make your games more fun and force students to recall old things.

Here are two slides from this category to give you an idea of what you can do with your ESL student book.

That’s a picture I got from the book and most students don’t remember this short passage about a pen-pal. Some of them might remember seeing the picture, however, so they’ll start to flip through.

These clues are fun to put a time limit on, allowing the other team to guess if the current team can’t find the answer. Always put the page number there in case they don’t find it, and they know you’re not lying.

ESL Jeopardy Vocabulary Category

Vocabulary words are a must for your ESL Jeopardy games. Typically you’ll have a large list of words in the back of the student book. Simply go through and find what works and what doesn’t.

This is another question where I’ll leave the answer slide blank. Here I just want the student to give me a few household items they know, preferably in a sentence. In fact, if they give you a sentence without being asked you might want to give them an extra $100.

It’s always a good idea to put a picture onto your answer slide when you’re doing vocabulary. You want these kids to learn this stuff, and an image only cements those English words into their head more.

This last one is really something that might fit better into the grammar category. I like it because it forces students to say a lot. Here’s a typical answer I’ll accept:

“I always brush my teeth. I usually watch TV. I sometimes go to Hong Kong. I hardly ever eat pizza. I never go to the girl’s WC.”

ESL Jeopardy Spelling Category

Honestly, this is probably one of the worst categories in the game, and let me tell you why.

You have to write out these words before class. If you forget to do it you’re screwed.

I’ve tried shutting the large computer monitor off and then scrolling down to see the answers, but it usually doesn’t work – the students see.  I also make so many of these games and have them for set classes that I forget the answers.

If you don’t remember to write down the words you choose, have a book handy or just give out a tough word off the top of your head.

This is also a good category to let the other team have a go at it if one team misses the answer.

ESL Jeopardy World Cities Category

This is another fun picture category that students always love. I start out real easy and always try to have a $500 clue that no one will get.

The London clue is $200 or $300, pretty easy. Students like it a lot and the other team gets angry when it’s something easy. Of course they’re never like that when it’s their turn!

This last one is the $500 clue and hardly anyone in my classes knew it. Act fast because all your students will know Rio come the 2016 Summer Olympics.

I’m Giving These Away for Free…If

Well, you can see that this game is pretty long and pretty fun for students. I’d usually do this at the end of the class, starting when I had about 30 to 40 minutes left. Students liked it, but if I did it too much they got tired of it. Like most ESL activities you need to do keep it fresh, and that requires some planning before.

I can’t sell these games. Well, maybe I could, but I don’t know. First, I’m using this template that I got somewhere else. Second, I can’t sell something with EF pictures in it. Finally, some of those pictures in other categories might be questionable as well.

So that all means that I’ve got to give these PPTs away for free! That’s right, you can have this one for free, and if there’s enough interest I’ll put more on the site.

But that means you have to comment on this post if you’re interested. Just say something like where you’re teaching and how good or bad your classes are.

If enough people do that (10+) I’ll put this game and more out for free – I have about 25 to 30 of them!

Until then, happy teaching!



ESL Jeopardy Game 1 - (Low Level, High)
ESL Jeopardy Game 2 - (Mid Level, Mid)