Teaching ESL with Playing Cards

The standard pack of 52 cards is thought to haveyang-ban.First Game:The first real game I play with
been invented in Persia. The back design usually lookskids is SNAP where a kid has to say "snap" and slam
like a Persian carpet.Many English speakers do notdown his hand on the cards as I deal them out on a
realize that a club was a soldier's symbol for war. Actpile.They love the exciting anticipation of this game. To
out the use of the club (bonk! bonk!). The spade orstart just play the game and don't explain rules. When
shovel is a symbol of the farmer, the economicteacher shouts SNAP and slaps down his hand down
foundation of feudal society (Act out the digging. Aon the first pair of cards the kids catch on fast.This
shovel is a sap-jil in Korean). The heart symbolizesgame is best played around a small table with the
romance or love and the diamonds symbolize wealthchildren standing. They will fight for space. If they
or commerce.Some (very few parents or bosses)speak Korean I kick them out for one round of cards.
object to using cards in class but I always defend thisThey find this funny.Sometimes they kick me out for
stance by saying "We do not gamble and we do notspeaking Korean. They find this even funnier!Second
play poker. We use the cards to motivate the childrenGame:We sometimes play the Go Fish game with
and help them learn English." After that I have had noregular playing cards. It involves short dialogue like this:
problems.I introduce the cards by asking:How many"Do you have an Ace? No, go fish." If readers do not
are there? (52 or 13 x 4)How many colors? (2)Howknow the Go Fish game then do a search on internet
many kinds or sets (4)First Class:In the first class I justor ask another teacher. It is very useful.Older Kids:I do
throw down random cards and the kids call out theplay poker or 21s (Blackjack) with older kids/adults but
kind. This is challenge enough for beginners. Koreanwe use my token coins and these are returned to me
kids typically drop the s off the ends of the words andat the end of the class (thus not gambling). Kids learn:
pronounce with their Konglish saying heart-uh,betting, cheating, cheater, bluffing, bluffer, the kitty, close,
spade-uh, di-a-mond, club-uh. So the first game or classfold or out, hit me, bust, I'm out, I'm the winner. All of this
is a lot about re-teaching pronunciation (hard goingis common English, just like many sporting terms, and
voice coaching).Teach them to say diamonds, hearts,kids need it to fully understand the language.Cards are
clubs and spades correctly. I don't introduce the worda wonderful way to motivate students and teach
suit. Kinds or sets is enough for ESL learners.NextEnglish. They don't even think it as class work. The
teach that the cards make a pack or deck. You canfascination with card games is that they involve mental
also tell them a pack is like a backpack or a wolf pack.math, chance, skill, social interaction and sometimes
Tell them about shuffling or mixing (be-bim in Korean)cheating or bluffing. They combine these things and
the cards.Finally have the kids call out the Ace 2 3 4 5have the appeal of interactive computer games.
6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen and King. This is easy. TheYoung kids are amazed and shocked that teacher
Jack is a royal servant. Ace is generally not known.cheats sometimes. Hee hee, :o). You will be surprised
Most kids call it A. Teach them ace driver, ace shooter,at their indignation.
ace golfer etc. Royal in Korean is roughly translated as