7 Warm-Up Activities That Instantly Engage ESL Students

🔥 Introduction:

First impressions matter — and so do the first 5 minutes of your ESL lesson. A good warm-up can energize your students, review previous material, and create a smooth entry into new content.

🎉 7 Easy and Effective TEFL Warm-Ups

1. 2 Truths and a Lie

Each student shares two true facts and one lie. The class guesses which is false. Great for speaking practice and getting to know each other.

2. Quick Draw Vocabulary

Give students a word from last class — they must draw it, and others guess. Works especially well for young learners and visual learners.

3. Would You Rather…?

Pose fun “Would you rather” questions (“Would you rather live in space or underwater?”). Ideal for pair work and sparking conversation.

4. Word Chain

Start with a word (e.g., "apple"). The next student says a word that starts with the last letter (e.g., "elephant"). Quick and fun vocabulary review.

5. Emoji Sentence Challenge

Write a few emojis on the board (e.g., 🐱📚😴) and have students create a sentence or story based on them. Encourages creative language use.

6. Speed Questions

In pairs, give students 60 seconds to ask and answer as many questions as possible (e.g., "What’s your favorite food?"). Then switch partners.

7. What’s the Question?

Write an answer on the board (“In 2001”) — students guess what the question might be (“When were you born?”). Great for grammar review.

🧠 Pro Tip:

Keep warm-ups short (3–5 minutes), varied, and low-pressure. The goal is to build a positive classroom atmosphere and encourage students to speak without fear.