Giving Directions ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets

ESL Giving Directions Game - Speaking: Giving and Following Directions - Pair Work Here is an fun giving directions game to play in class. In competing teams of two, one player is the tank, and the other is the driver. Blindfold the two players who are the tanks and place two soft balls on the floor somewhere in the room. The drivers' task is to guide their tank to a ball by giving directions, e.g. go straight, turn right, etc. When a tank is guided to a ball, the student picks up the ball and has ammunition to fire. Once the tank has the ball, the student takes off their blindfold and fires on the other tank by throwing the ball at them. If the ball hits the tank, the team wins. If the ball misses, the student puts their blindfold back on, and the driver guides the tank to the ball again. When a team wins, the game is repeated with the next four students, and so on. When everyone has played, the winning teams play against each other to find the ultimate champion. show less

ESL Giving Directions Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Unscrambling, Error Correction, Drawing - Speaking Activity: Freer Practice - Pair Work In this productive giving directions worksheet, students learn and practice language for asking and giving directions. Students begin by writing directions from a box under the correct pictures. Students then unscramble words to form questions that ask for directions. Next, students complete a conversation about asking for and giving directions using the words from the previous exercises. After that, students correct mistakes in a giving directions conversation. Students then create a map of a town by writing the names of the streets and drawing a start point and ten places on the map, e.g. a cinema, restaurant, etc. Finally, in pairs, students take turns asking for and giving directions to the places on their map using the language from the worksheet. show less

ESL Directions Game - Listening and Speaking: Giving and Following Directions, Freer Practice - Group Work In this entertaining giving directions game, students practice giving and following basic directions. To start, teams decide which side they want to play for, i.e. the Dark Side or the Jedi. A player from each team then puts on an appropriate mask or blindfold and is given an inflatable lightsaber or similar object. The two players then stand at opposite ends of the classroom. Next, a team member calls out directions for their player to move, e.g. go straight, go back, turn left, turn right, etc. When a player is in reach of their opponent, the caller shouts 'hit'. The player then tries to hit their opponent. The first player to do this successfully wins the round and scores a point for their team. A new player from each team then puts on a mask, and so on. When everyone has had a chance to play and give directions, stop the game. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Speaking: Giving Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this communicative giving directions activity, students practice giving basic directions and using the prepositions of place: next to, opposite, and in between. In pairs, one student begins by giving their partner directions to the places shown using the word 'blank' for each place, e.g. 'To get to 'blank', go straight and turn right, it's opposite...' When their partner correctly names the place, the student directs them to the next place from the start point using a different preposition of place (opposite, next to or in between) each time. When their partner has followed directions to all 12 places, the two students swap roles. The activity continues until both students have been successfully directed to all the places. show less

ESL Directions Activity - Speaking: Asking For and Giving Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this useful giving directions speaking activity, students practice asking for and giving directions to places on a map. In pairs, one student goes first and asks for directions to one of the places in the box to their partner who gives directions. The student follows the directions and marks the location by writing the name of the place on the map. When the student has found all eight places, the two students swap roles. Afterwards, students compare their maps to check they have marked the places correctly. show less

ESL Giving Directions Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Writing Sentences, Comparing Here is a free giving directions worksheet to help students learn and practice phrases and prepositions related to giving directions. Students begin by matching phrases for giving directions to signs. Students then match sentence halves together to make directions that use the phrases. Next, students complete directions with the vocabulary. After that, students complete sentences with prepositions, explaining how each preposition is used. Students then move on to complete directions with prepositions from a box. Lastly, students write directions to the nearest hospital and bank using the phrases and prepositions from the worksheet and then read them to a partner to see if they are the same or different. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Vocabulary: Reading Comprehension, Drawing, Writing Directions - Pair Work In this creative giving directions activity, students draw simple pictures that match a set of directions and then write directions for a partner to draw. First, students read the directions in each box and draw a corresponding picture underneath. Students then write a new set of directions in boxes and then hand them to a partner to draw. Finally, students check the drawings with their partner to make sure they are correct. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Speaking: Giving and Following Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work This enjoyable giving directions speaking activity helps to teach students how to ask for and give directions. Starting from the pinned location, one student asks their partner for directions to the first place on their worksheet. When the student has been directed to each place, they mark the location on their map and ask for directions to the next place from there. When all ten places have been marked on the map, the two students swap roles. Afterwards, students compare their maps to see if they have marked the locations correctly. show less

ESL Giving Directions Game - Reading and Writing: Following and Writing Instructions, Freer Practice - Group Work In this rewarding giving directions game, students give and follow directions to the locations of hidden gold stars in the building and classroom. First, teams do a dictation activity that gives directions from the classroom to a hidden gold star somewhere else in the building. A member from each team then follows the directions and races to retrieve the star. While the students are out of the room, the remaining students follow simple directions to other gold stars hidden around the classroom. Next, give each team a gold star. Teams then hide their star somewhere in the building and write directions from the classroom to the location of their star. Finally, teams challenge one another to find their gold star by following their directions. The team with the most gold stars at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Speaking: Giving and Following Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this free giving directions speaking activity, students practice giving and following directions to places on a map. In pairs, students take turns asking their partner how they get to the places shown on their worksheet, beginning at the start each time, e.g. 'How do I get to the hotel?' Their partner then gives directions accordingly. When a student has followed the directions to the place, they mark the location on the map. Afterwards, students compare their maps to see if they have marked the locations correctly. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Speaking: Asking For and Giving Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this communicative giving directions activity, students ask for and give directions to different places in a town. In pairs, Student A goes first and asks their partner for directions to the first place on the worksheet. Student B then gives directions to the place. When Student A has been directed to the place, they mark the location on their map and ask for directions from there to the next place. When Student A has been directed to all ten places, the two students swap roles. Afterwards, students compare their maps to check if they have marked the locations correctly. show less

ESL Directions Game - Speaking: Giving and Following Directions - Group Work In this amusing directions game, students give and follow directions through a classroom maze. A player from each team leaves the classroom while a maze is being created. Rearrange the desks to resemble a maze with one entrance and one exit. If a maze of desks isn't possible, create tasks for the players to perform to complete the maze, e.g. sit on a certain chair, open a particular book, touch a specific poster, etc. Once the maze has been created, the game begins with teams taking turns to play. The first team puts a blindfold on their player outside of the classroom and then brings them to the entrance of the maze. The aim of the game is for the teams to direct their player through the maze in the shortest possible time. Teams score penalty points according to certain criteria. When all the teams have played, select new players and rearrange the desks into a new maze or change the tasks the players have to perform. The team with the lowest score at the end of the game wins. show less

ESL Giving Directions Activity - Speaking: Giving and Following Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work Here is an engaging giving directions speaking activity to help students review how to give directions. One student begins by giving their partner directions from place to place on their map using the word 'blank' for each destination, e.g. 'To get to 'blank' from Fai's Fashion, go straight on South Street and take the second left, walk along...' After their partner says the correct destination, the student directs them to the next place, starting from their current location. When their partner has followed directions to all 12 places, the two students swap roles. The activity continues until both students have been successfully directed to all the destinations. show less

ESL Giving Directions Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Binary Choice, Error Correction - Speaking Activities: Giving Directions, Communicative Practice - Pair Work This comprehensive giving directions worksheet helps students practice language for giving complex directions. First, students discuss questions about directions in pairs. Students then match road-related vocabulary from a box to pictures. Next, students underline the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence that gives directions. After that, students find mistakes in sentences that give directions and correct them. Students then use vocabulary from a box to complete a conversation about giving directions. In pairs, students then move on to think of and write down six places in their city or town that they both know how to get to. Finally, students take turns secretly choosing a place from the list and giving directions to their partner, who listens and says where the directions would take them. show less