Reluctant EFL students often struggle with confidence, motivation, and fear of making mistakes. Traditional conversation activities can feel intimidating or artificial. However, using a familiar, low-pressure game like Checkers transforms the classroom dynamic. Students focus on the game first, and English naturally follows.
Using Checkers allows teachers to:
• Increase time-on-task in English
• Encourage peer-to-peer interaction
• Integrate grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading, and writing
• Promote critical thinking and decision-making
Each activity below can be adapted for 60–90 minute lessons or broken into shorter segments.
GENERAL CLASSROOM SETUP
• Students work in pairs
• Each pair has a checkerboard and tokens
• English-only rule during play (use visual reminders)
• Teacher circulates as facilitator, not referee
• Mistakes are accepted and encouraged
ACTIVITY 1: QUESTION CHECKERS (CONVERSATION FOCUS)
Before moving a piece, the player must answer a question asked by their partner.
Examples:
• Personal: “What is something that makes you nervous at school?”
• Opinion: “Is homework necessary? Why or why not?”
• Imaginative: “If you could live in another country, where would you go?”
Variation:
If the answer is too short, the partner may say: “Can you explain more?”
Why it works:
Students speak with a purpose. The game creates a natural reason to talk without teacher pressure.
ACTIVITY 2: GRAMMAR MOVE CHALLENGE
Each square color represents a grammar structure.
Examples:
• Black square → Past simple sentence
• Red square → Future (will / going to)
• King move → Conditional sentence
Student must create a correct sentence before moving.
Why it works:
Grammar becomes functional and contextual, not worksheet-based.
ACTIVITY 3: LISTEN AND MOVE (LISTENING COMPREHENSION)
Partner reads a short sentence or paragraph aloud.
Examples:
• A short story (3–4 sentences)
After listening, the player answers a comprehension question to earn the move.
Why it works:
Listening becomes interactive and meaningful, not passive.
ACTIVITY 4: VOCABULARY CAPTURE
To capture an opponent’s piece, the student must:
• Define a word
• Use it in a sentence
Vocabulary themes:
• Emotions
• Travel
ACTIVITY 5: WRITING CHECKERS
After every 5 moves, students must write:
• One sentence
• One opinion
• One question
At the end of the game, they combine their sentences into a short paragraph.
Why it works:
Writing feels natural and connected to communication.
ACTIVITY 6: CRITICAL THINKING CHECKERS
Before moving, student answers a reasoning question.
Examples:
• “Which school rule would you change and why?”
• “Is it better to work alone or in a team?”
• “What makes a good friend?”
Encourage follow-up questions.
ACTIVITY 7: STORY-BUILDING CHECKERS
Each move adds one sentence to a shared story.
Rules:
• Must connect logically to previous sentence
• No repeating ideas
• Use at least one target structure
ACTIVITY 8: ROLE-PLAY CHECKERS
Students are given roles:
Before moving, they speak in character.
ACTIVITY 9: ERROR DETECTIVE CHECKERS
Partner reads a sentence with a mistake.
Student must:
• Identify the error
• Correct it aloud
• Explain why.
ACTIVITY 10: REFLECTION & DEBRIEF
After the game:
• Students discuss what was easy or difficult
• Reflect on new vocabulary learned
• Write one sentence about how they felt speaking English.
In conclusion, checkers transforms English class into a low-stress, high-engagement environment. Students speak more because they want to, not because they are forced to.
When students are focused on play, competition, and collaboration, English becomes a tool rather than a test.
This approach is especially effective for:
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