ESL (“English as a Second Language”) classes are intended to teach English speaking, reading, and writing to people (primarily adults) who do not speak English as their primary or native language. These classes are attended by people who want to learn English for business or professional reasons, some as a leisure or self-improvement activity, and also, quite often, by people who are migrating to a mainly English-speaking country like Great Britain. or the United States.

It’s hard to say if there is a typical ESL class – classes can vary greatly depending on how advanced the students are and the teacher’s preferred focus – but most ESL classes involve a variety of different activities including speaking, reading and group activities such as games in the classroom. There are many different activities that can be done in ESL classes. In general, speaking, listening and reading, of course, form an important part of learning in the classroom, but in addition, games and group activities can also be useful for many ESL students.

There are many different games and group activities that can be introduced in ESL classes, but one in particular that is very popular with many teachers is the game of bingo. You might assume that bingo is a relatively simple game, but for a non-native speaker, understanding the rules, setting up the game, and then playing it, entirely in English, can be quite a challenge.

If you’re not familiar with the educational versions of bingo, here are the basics:

1. Each student is given a bingo card (also known to some as a “bingo worksheet” or “bingo board”).
2. Bingo cards are printed with a grid of squares. Inside each square is a number.
3. The teacher says the numbers in random order. As he does so, the teachers mark the corresponding squares on their cards.
4. The winner is the first student to achieve a winning pattern of marked squares and shout “Bingo!” Exactly what counts as a winning pattern, but it can be varied, but usually the requirement is something like a line of five items or two overlapping lines of five items.

While the above explains the basic game, the bingo rules can easily be adapted by the master to different situations and occasions. For example, at Christmas or Thanksgiving, you can play bingo using bingo cards printed with words and phrases chosen for that holiday (such as “Christmas Tree” and “Sleigh”), instead of the usual numbered bingo cards. . In fact, there is no reason why you can’t play bingo using cards printed with English words or phrases at any time of the year. You may assume that getting such specialized custom bingo cards might be difficult but actually it is very easy and quick for a master to print bingo cards on any subject using a PC and some bingo card creation software.