Taboo – Practise your English with Games

Do you like learning English while playing games? I certainly do! The good thing is that with mobile apps you can easily play games for enjoyment and they are so entertaining that you won’t even know that you are learning English at the same time. It’s so different to normal studying outside class.

One of my favourite games is Taboo. I love playing this one on my phone with a friend whenever I have a few minutes to kill. Let’s have a look at it.

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What is ‘Taboo for English Learners’?

Taboo is a fun and interesting game for English language learners who want to practise their speaking skills and expand their vocabulary. Players on two teams try to explain guess words to their teammates without using specific taboo words or gestures.

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How does it work?

  1. Divide yourselves into two teams.
  2. Choose the first player to describe the guess word.
  3. The other team will select which person is going to verify…
    • the use of forbidden words.
    • the use of plural or abbreviation forms of the forbidden words.
    • gestures and sound imitations.
  4. When the guess word is guessed correctly, the person with the mobile hits the CORRECT button [+1 point]. If the rules are broken, though, or the team has to pass on that difficult guess word altogether, he or she pushes the TABOO or PASS button [+1 point for opposite team].
  5. When the turn time has ended, the teams reverse roles and the other team starts their go… playing by the same rules.

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What else?

Who is it for?

It’s for all kinds of people and for all levels of English.

Is it an app?

Yes, it is, but only for Android devices at the moment.

Do I need to pay?

Not at all. It is available for free on Google Play.

Do I need to login?

No. You only need to download the app onto your mobile. Give it a go and have plenty of fun!

Are there any disadvantages?

Unfortunately, this app is not compatible with iOS devices. But there is a very similar version that you can find on the App Store called “ESL Taboo – Free App for English Language Learners”, It is basically the same, just with a few minor differences in the vocabulary used.

Give it a go!

To get going, try these tasks. When you enjoy what you do, work becomes play!

Task 1 – Get the Taboo app for free.

Task 2 – Meet up with your friends and make two teams.

Task 3 – Decide who starts first and follow the rules of the game.

Task 4 – Keep a record of all the scores that you’ve got so far. Compete with your classmates and friends!

If you like what you’ve read about our tips for learning irregular verbs and approaches to language learning and you would like to learn more about Atlas, please contact us. Just click the link below:

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