Word board games are a great way to build your vocabulary. The idea could be to select one or two of the many word board games, invite a bunch of your ESL classmates and friends to test your vocabulary skills playing, and socializing at the same time. Or, just to find a word board game or activity that you can do on your own. We tend to learn best when we are playing, or engaged in an activity which is enjoyable and educational. Watching a movie, or reading a book are examples.  There are all sorts of games that are excellent for building your vocabulary. Here are a few you might like to try.

Some Recommended Word Board Games

Word board games are the old fashioned non-tech way to play games and it remains an effective and fun way to socialize and at the same time, learn new words and build your vocabulary.  We have listed a few of our favorites, but there are many, more that are recommended here

Scrabble

This word board game classic is a popular game with ESL students.  You do not have to keep strictly to the rules, and have a dictionary to use if you want at any point for any player and refrain from keeping score.

Upwords

Upwords is a game very similar to Scrabble, but in Upwords players can place a letter on top of a letter on the board, thus making a new word. Lots of fun. For example you can change a word, tale, by adding a K turning the word in take. English language students will see the relationships between words and recognize patterns in English spelling.

Bananagrams

This word board game can be fast paced but it is great for learning new vocabulary and spelling

Jenga

In Jenga, you have to think of a question which opens up a conversation. Form teams, and then, using any list of icebreaker questions, you write a question on each block. Then when your team plays the game, each person must answer the icebreaker before placing the block on top of the pile, building a tower a block at a time. It not only increases your vocabulary but gets you talking in the second language and getting to know your classmates. And it is always fun to see who makes the tower fall!

Vocabulary building can be fun, so take advantage of the numerous vocabulary building word board games that are out there.