Criss-cross or tate-yoko as it is known to most Japanese junior high students is a simple junior high warm-up game where you can avoid questions or may have to answer depending on if you are in the row or column of the person in the spotlight at that moment.
The Japanese language has fewer sounds (phonics) than the English language. So while some of the sounds are the same, there are a few that are new and a few that are hard for the Japanese ear to pick up. This game challenges students to listen for the difference in words that sound very similar.
The parachute team challenge is a junior high English class warm up game but can also be used in elementary schools. The winner of each round remove a point from another team and the game ends when one team has no points left.
Guilty is a spin-off of the old board game Clue, with elements of the Nintendo Switch game Fakin' It. Students prepare their own cards then play a game based on bluffing your way through an alibi. It's a bit of a long game with student preparation time but it's so much fun.
Last letter first letter, more commonly known here as shiritori, is a game I am sure we have all played at some point and it makes a great warm up game for junior high classes.
Students really get into this game of ordering countries based on their geographic size. "Australia is bigger than Japan." is the grammar used and students really get a good go using it in this game.
The students have a set time, say 30 seconds, to say something and pass the eraser back and forward in pairs. When the timer runs down, the student left holding the eraser loses. No preparation needed for this junior high warm up activity.
Just like the old MB game, this activity is a lot of fun. It takes a while to explain/demonstrate but once the students start, they really get into it.
In the "Do you know....?" Game, you're the game host of a Jeopardy style game and the JTE is the judge and scorekeeper! Your students compete in teams to accumulate the most points for fame and glory, or just stickers - whatever comes first!
Each group tries to complete the English word challenge you give them by writing words that fulfill the requirements you set. For example - Six words ending in "e".
Giving the students the words and letting them arrange the sentence is an oldie but a goodie. This game adds some movement and the element of recall to make it more fun and competitive.
This is a basic walking and talking activity using new English past tense for first graders in junior high. Download the excel spreadsheet and print out cards for the activity.
This warm up has students reviewing recently studied grammar in a very focused way. One student provides the Japanese and the next, the English. Play it out in a quick-fire way and students get caught up and can really enjoy reviewing grammar this way.
In this activity, students decide how they are going to help the ALT. They discuss it and answers are written down. Great for a review warm-up focusing on using "I will ...".
The ABCs is one of the first English lessons for 1st graders in Japanese junior high schools. Because school starts around the beginning of April, it's spring and it's a great time to run around outside while it's not too cold and not too hot.