Making Decisions ESL Games & Activities
Decisions, Decisions
ESL Spontaneous Decisions Game - Speaking: Forming Sentences - Group Work
In this free spontaneous decisions game, students race to make spontaneous decisions with 'will' and give reasons for decisions. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and reading the situation and question to the group. The first student to...
Decisions Race
ESL Spontaneous Decisions Game - Vocabulary: Matching - Group Work
In this fun will for decisions game, students race to match spontaneous decisions to situations. To begin, the reader picks up a card and reads out the situation on the card to the players. The players then race to find an appropriate decision card...
Decision Dominoes
ESL Making Decisions Game - Vocabulary: Matching - Group Work
In this useful making decisions game, students play dominoes by matching questions to decisions or vice versa. The first player puts a domino down either before or after the domino on the table, making sure the question matches with...
Tough Decisions
ESL Making Decisions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-Fill, Matching, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing - Group and Pair Work
In this productive making decisions game, students complete second conditional questions about moral dilemmas and guess a partner's decisions. In two...
Make Up Your Mind!
ESL Making Decisions Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Forming Sentences, Freer Practice- Group Work
In this engaging making decisions board game, students practice phrases to make and explain decisions. In groups, players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a...
Using Decision-Making Language
Decision-making language is the set of phrases and structures English speakers use to express a choice, explain their reasoning, or respond to a situation that calls for an immediate or considered response. When students lack this language, they fall back on vague or blunt statements like 'I choose this' or 'I want that,' which sound flat and unnatural and fail to convey the thought process behind the decision.
This page covers decision-making across A2, B1, and B2 levels, with five games and activities ranging from a situation-and-decision card race to a second conditional guessing game, including one free download.
The table below maps the key functional moves in decision-making, from spontaneous responses to considered choices, justifications, and group agreements.
| Situation | Function | Example Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| A new situation arises and an immediate response is needed | Spontaneous decision | 'I'll call them back right now.' |
| Choosing between two or more options | Expressing a considered decision | 'I've decided to go with the second option.' |
| Explaining the reasoning behind a choice | Justifying a decision | 'I thought this was the best option because it fits my budget.' |
| Asking someone else to choose | Deferring a decision | 'You decide. I'm happy either way.' |
| Expressing uncertainty before deciding | Hedging before a decision | 'I'm not sure. I need to think about it.' |
| Changing a previously made decision | Reversing a decision | 'I've changed my mind. I'd rather take the train.' |
| Reaching a group agreement | Collaborative decision | 'So we've all agreed on Thursday, then?' |
When to Use Decision-Making Language
Responding to an unexpected situation: When something happens without warning and an immediate response is needed, English speakers reach for 'will' to signal that the decision is being made on the spot, as in 'Don't worry, I'll sort it out.'
Announcing a considered choice: When a speaker has already thought through their options and is ready to commit, they use phrases that signal deliberation rather than impulse, such as 'I've decided to take the job in Singapore.'
Explaining a decision to others: When a speaker needs to justify their choice to a colleague, friend, or group, they pair their decision with a reason to make it sound considered and credible, such as 'I went with the cheaper supplier because the quality was the same.'
3-Step Framework for Teaching Decision-Making Language
1. Start with Recognition Before Production: Before students attempt to produce decision language themselves, give them a fast-paced card game where they race to match situations to ready-made decision responses. The physical race element keeps energy high while students absorb the connection between a situation and an appropriate decision, and the rule that the first player to put their hand on a matching decision card and read out the response wins means every student stays alert throughout.
2. Move to Spontaneous Production: Once students can recognize appropriate decisions, push them to produce their own using 'will.' A competitive group game works well here: the first student to respond to a situation card by making a decision with 'will' and giving a reason scores three points, while every other student can still earn one point by offering their own unique decision. The tiered scoring keeps everyone in the game and rewards both speed and accuracy.
3. Extend to Hypothetical Decisions: Build complexity by moving students into second conditional territory, where decisions become less clear-cut. A guessing game structure adds real communicative purpose: students first predict whether their partner would say yes or no to a series of moral dilemma questions, marking their guesses privately before asking the questions aloud to check. The gap between what students predict and what their partner actually answers drives genuine conversation.
Common Mistakes with Decision-Making Language
Adding 'to' after 'will': Students often insert 'to' after 'will' when making a spontaneous decision, treating it like other modal-style constructions they have encountered. Wrong: 'Don't worry, I will to call them.' Correct: 'Don't worry, I'll call them.'
Using 'will' instead of 'would' in hypothetical decisions: Students often use 'will' in the result clause of a second conditional sentence, forgetting that hypothetical decisions require 'would' rather than 'will.' Wrong: 'If I found a wallet on the street, I will hand it in to the police.' Correct: 'If I found a wallet on the street, I would hand it in to the police.'
Common Questions About Teaching Decision-Making Language
What is a fun board game for practicing decision-making language?
The board game Make Up Your Mind! gives students a genuine reason to produce decision phrases rather than just recognize them. Players land on a square, pick up a scenario card, and must make and explain their decision using two phrases from the board. A player who takes too long or responds incorrectly moves their counter back two squares.
What is a good game for practicing decision-making language?
Players in the game Decision Dominoes take turns placing a domino at either end of a chain, matching a decision question to an appropriate response or vice versa. The low-pressure format gives students repeated exposure to how decision phrases connect to specific situations. The first player to place all their dominoes wins the game.
What is an effective game for practicing difficult decisions?
In the game Tough Decisions, students complete second conditional moral dilemma questions, then privately predict whether their partner would answer yes or no to each one. Students then ask the questions aloud to check their guesses. The gap between what they predicted and what their partner actually says sparks genuine discussion about difficult choices.
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