Native Phrase Lab
Willowbrook
Word Scramble
Students read a clue, build the word from the letters, then hear it in a sentence. 225 everyday words in nine topics (home, food, travel, work, health…).
For teachers · schools · tutors · language centres
Free English games for your class.
I made these games for learners like yours. Five of them are free, with no sign-up and no adverts. Put one on the big screen, or send the link to your students’ phones.
British EnglishIn my voiceA2 to B2Phones and big screens
What your students need
- No account and no email
- Free: five full games
- A browser on a phone, tablet or computer
- About 5 minutes for one round
Scores are saved in the browser on each device. Nothing about your students is sent to me.
The free games · five games · no sign-up
What each game teaches.
The games explain the answers in short, plain English, and students hear me say the words and sentences. One round takes about five minutes.
Matching Pairs
Match each word to its meaning, then use the words in real sentences in a short check round. 128 words in ten sets: four at A2, five at B1 and one set of British idioms at B2.
Sentence Builder
Put the chunks in the right order to make a real sentence, then hear me say it, with a short tip. Five free packs with 86 sentences: conversation, travel, food, opinions and work.
Phrasal Verb Fill-in
Choose the missing little word (up, off, out…) and see why the other answers are wrong. 91 everyday phrasal verbs in nine families (get, put, take…) and three levels.
Guess the Idiom
92 idioms British people really use, in six topics. Students see what the words say, learn what they really mean, and hear an example.
And a free level test
Thirty questions on grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening. Each student gets an estimated level and a plan that sends them to the right games.
In your lessons
Three ways to use them.
On the big screen
Open a game on the projector or smartboard and play together. Students shout answers, or teams take turns. The text is big, and the sound plays through your speakers.
On their phones
Copy the link and send it in your class group chat. Students play alone or in pairs, at their own speed. It works in any browser. Nothing to install.
As homework
Give one game and one level. At the end, every game shows a results screen with the words or sentences they learned. Ask students to send you a screenshot.
Motivation
Stars, trophies and a certificate.
Students get points, streaks and stars for every round, and their best scores are saved on their device. When a student finishes every item in a game, they win a trophy, hear a short message from me, and can make a certificate with their name on it, to download or print.
Teenagers love it, and so do adults (more than they say).
- ⭐Stars and best scores on every set and level
- 🏆A trophy for finishing a whole game
- 📜A certificate with the student’s name, made on their own device
- 🔒Private: names and scores are not sent anywhere
One thing to know: progress is saved in the browser. If students share a classroom computer, they also share the scores on it. In Sentence Builder, the trophy needs the premium packs too.
Lesson ideas · five short ones
Ready for tomorrow’s lesson.
Each one takes 10 to 15 minutes and needs nothing except the screen or students’ phones.
Find your level
Everyone takes the free level test. Students write their level on a sticky note. Make pairs with similar levels, and give each pair the game from their plan.
Beat the clock
Open Word Scramble in “Beat the clock” mode. Two teams take turns. A team gets the point if they build the word and use it in their own sentence.
Build it, then say it
Play Sentence Builder together. When a sentence is right, play my recording and the class repeats it. Then students change one chunk to make a new true sentence about themselves.
Idiom detectives
Pairs play one round of Guess the Idiom. Each pair chooses their favourite idiom and acts it out or draws it. The class guesses the idiom.
Phrasal verb story
Students play one round of Phrasal Verb Fill-in at home and send a screenshot of their results. In the next lesson, they write a short story using five of the phrasal verbs.
Easy English with James
Free English games
No sign-up. Open the link in any browser, on your phone or computer.
- Find your levelFree level test, A1 to C1 (10 minutes)
easyenglishwithjames.com/level-test - Word ScrambleVocabulary and spelling · A2 to B1
easyenglishwithjames.com/games/word-scramble - Matching PairsVocabulary · A2 to B2
easyenglishwithjames.com/games/matching-pairs - Sentence BuilderGrammar and word order · A2 to B1
easyenglishwithjames.com/games/sentence-builder - Phrasal Verb Fill-inPhrasal verbs · A2 to B2
easyenglishwithjames.com/games/phrasal-verbs - Guess the IdiomIdioms · B1 to B2
easyenglishwithjames.com/games/guess-the-idiom
Tip: turn your sound on. You hear James say the words and sentences.
All the games: easyenglishwithjames.com/games
Want more?
The premium games, and schools.
There are five more games: Grammar Quiz Show, Listen Up! (dictation), Pitch Perfect (pronunciation), Context Spy and Idiom Investigator (reading). They are part of Premium All Access: one payment of $49, no subscription, with the premium lessons, Native Phrase Lab and Willowbrook too. It is a personal licence, for one person.
If your school, college or organisation wants access for a group of students, please look at English for organisations, or write to me.
Do students need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no email. Students open the link and play.
Are there adverts?
No. There are no adverts in the games.
What about student data?
Scores, stars and certificate names are saved in the browser on the student’s own device. They are not sent to me. See the privacy page.
Do the games work offline?
No. They need an internet connection, for the games and my recordings.
Is it British or American English?
British English: British spelling, British words, and my British accent in every recording.
Can I use the games in my lessons?
Yes, you’re very welcome to, in class or online. Please send students to this website to play, and don’t copy the games or my recordings somewhere else.