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ESL warm up activities are short, low pressure speaking tasks of five to ten minutes that get students using English before the main lesson starts. The best ones need no preparation, take under a minute to explain and match the level of the class. Here are twelve, sorted by CEFR level.
Key takeaways
- A good warmer is short, simple to explain and focused on speaking.
- Every activity below needs no materials beyond a board, a pen or a few slips of paper.
- Choose the warmer by level first, then by how well it prepares the language of your lesson.
- The same activity can usually be made easier or harder, so you do not need a new game for every class.
- Warmers work for adults and teens, as long as you match the tone of the task to the group.
What are ESL warm up activities?
ESL warm up activities, usually called warmers, are quick tasks at the start of a lesson that get students thinking and speaking in English. The British Council describes them as short activities, ideally five to ten minutes, that are fun, easy to explain and need little preparation (British Council TeachingEnglish webinar slides).
The same source separates three related ideas. Warmers open a lesson. Fillers plug a gap or change the pace in the middle. Coolers close a lesson on a positive note. Many activities can do all three jobs, which is useful when you are short of time.
Warmers are also close cousins of icebreakers, which help students who do not know each other yet. If your class is new, our guide to ESL icebreakers is a better starting point. For longer energisers, see ESL games for adults and essential ESL classroom games.
What makes a good ESL warmer?
A good warmer gets every student speaking within a minute, needs no preparation and ends before energy drops. If a warmer needs a long explanation, it is the wrong warmer.
- Short: five to ten minutes, then move on.
- Simple to explain: one sentence of instruction and one example.
- Speaking first: students talk to each other, not just to you.
- Low pressure: no marks, no public correction, room to be wrong.
- Linked to the lesson: it quietly recycles the vocabulary or structure you are about to teach.
Which ESL warmers suit A1 beginners?
For A1 learners, choose warmers built on single words and simple actions, such as Hot Seat, Word Chain and Mime the Verb. Keep instructions to a few short words and demonstrate every rule.
1. Hot Seat
Level A1 to A2. Five to seven minutes. No preparation. Split the class into two teams. One student from each team sits facing the team, with their back to the board. Write a word from last lesson on the board. Their team describes it without saying the word, and the student in the hot seat guesses. Swap the guesser each round. It reviews vocabulary and forces students to explain in simple English.
2. Word Chain
Level A1. Five minutes. No preparation. Students sit or stand in a circle. Give a topic such as food. The first student says a word, and the next must say a related word and repeat the earlier ones if you want a memory challenge. Stop after a few rounds. It is gentle, noisy in a good way and works with large groups.
3. Mime the Verb
Level A1 to A2. Five to eight minutes. No preparation. One student mimes an action, such as swimming or cooking, and the class guesses with a full sentence: “You are cooking.” It recycles the present continuous and verbs, and gets shy students moving without needing much language.
Which ESL warmers suit A2 elementary learners?
At A2, add short question forms and simple past sentences. Find Someone Who, Two Truths and a Lie and Last Letter Chain all work well because students can reuse the same language several times.
4. Find Someone Who
Level A2. Eight to ten minutes. Five lines on the board. Write five statements, such as “likes cooking” or “has a brother.” Students stand, mingle and ask full questions to find a classmate for each statement: “Do you like cooking?” The first to finish wins. It builds question forms and gets students talking to many partners, which suits shy adult learners in particular.
5. Two Truths and a Lie
Level A2 to B1. Eight minutes. Slips of paper optional. Students write two true sentences and one false one about themselves, then read them to a partner or small group, who guess the lie. Model your own examples first. It recycles the past simple and present perfect naturally, and it is a standard choice in the British Council’s warmers, fillers and coolers materials.
6. Last Letter Chain
Level A2. Five minutes. No preparation. Choose a category, such as countries or jobs. Each student says a word starting with the last letter of the previous word. In teams, you can race on the board. It reviews spelling and topic vocabulary and keeps the pace brisk.
Which ESL warmers suit B1 intermediate learners?
At B1, move from single words to opinions and reasons. Would You Rather and Odd One Out give students something to say and something to defend.
7. Would You Rather
Level B1. Five to eight minutes. No preparation. Ask a question such as “Would you rather live by the sea or in the mountains?” Students move to one side of the room or raise a hand, then explain their choice to a partner using “because”. Move the dilemmas from light to more interesting as the class warms up. Online, use a poll and the chat.
8. Odd One Out
Level B1. Five minutes. Four words on the board. Write four words, such as “train, bus, bicycle, kitchen”. Students decide which is the odd one out and why. Several answers can be defended, which is the point. It reviews vocabulary and practises explaining a reason.
Which ESL warmers suit B2 upper intermediate learners?
At B2, use tasks that need negotiation and prediction. Rank It and Headline Prediction give students a reason to agree, disagree and speculate.
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9. Rank It
Level B2. Eight to ten minutes. Five items on the board. Write five items, for example qualities in a good flatmate. Pairs agree a ranking, then compare it with another pair and defend their choices. It practises opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, and is a natural lead in to a speaking lesson.
10. Headline Prediction
Level B2. Eight minutes. One headline. Write a short, neutral headline on the board, such as “Town bans cars from city centre on Saturdays”. In pairs, students predict what the story says and who might object. Collect a few ideas. It practises speculating language and primes students for a reading or discussion task.
Which ESL warmers suit C1 advanced learners?
At C1, keep the warmer fast and set a challenge. Timed talking and argument tasks stretch fluency without any materials.
11. One Minute Talk
Level B2 to C1. Eight to ten minutes. Topics on the board. Students pair up. One speaks for sixty seconds on a topic without stopping, while the partner listens for a target structure or counts hesitations. Swap roles with a new topic. It builds fluency and teaches students to keep going when a word will not come.
12. Devil’s Advocate
Level C1. Eight to ten minutes. One opinion. State a mild opinion, such as “Everyone should learn two languages.” Students decide what they really think, then argue the opposite for two minutes with a partner. It practises persuading, conceding and softening language, and keeps debate friendly because nobody is defending their own view.
How do the twelve warmers compare?
Use this table to choose quickly. Timings are typical, so adjust to your class.
| Warmer | Level | Time | Preparation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Seat | A1 to A2 | 5 to 7 min | None | Vocabulary review |
| Word Chain | A1 | 5 min | None | Large groups |
| Mime the Verb | A1 to A2 | 5 to 8 min | None | Present continuous, shy learners |
| Find Someone Who | A2 | 8 to 10 min | Five lines on the board | Question forms |
| Two Truths and a Lie | A2 to B1 | 8 min | None | Past tenses, getting to know a class |
| Last Letter Chain | A2 | 5 min | None | Spelling, topic vocabulary |
| Would You Rather | B1 | 5 to 8 min | None | Opinions and reasons |
| Odd One Out | B1 | 5 min | Four words | Vocabulary and justifying |
| Rank It | B2 | 8 to 10 min | Five items | Agreeing and disagreeing |
| Headline Prediction | B2 | 8 min | One headline | Speculating, reading lead in |
| One Minute Talk | B2 to C1 | 8 to 10 min | Topics | Fluency |
| Devil’s Advocate | C1 | 8 to 10 min | One opinion | Persuasion and debate |
How do you choose the right warmer for your lesson?
Pick the warmer that quietly practises the language you are about to teach, without teaching it. If the lesson is about past experiences, Two Truths and a Lie primes the structure. If it is about opinions, Rank It does the job.
In a PPP lesson, the warmer sits before the presentation stage and should link to the topic. Our guide to the PPP lesson plan shows where it fits, and our examples of ESL lesson plans show it in finished plans. If you want a quick draft, the TEFL.ai lesson plan generator builds a plan from your level, topic and duration, and you can swap in any warmer from this list.
What mistakes spoil an ESL warmer?
The most common mistakes are explaining for too long, letting the warmer run past ten minutes and choosing a game that has nothing to do with the lesson.
- Long instructions: if you need more than two sentences, simplify or demonstrate with a student.
- Running over: stop while students still want more. You can always bring the game back as a cooler.
- Correcting during the game: note errors quietly and deal with them later, so students keep talking.
- Forcing personal disclosure: with adults especially, let students choose what to share.
- Wrong level: a game that is too easy bores learners, and one that is too hard silences them.
Can you use these warmers online?
Yes. Use the chat, a shared whiteboard or breakout rooms in place of the circle and the board. Word Chain, Would You Rather and Odd One Out transfer easily. Keep the instructions on screen and shorter than you would in a classroom.
For the wider toolkit around warmers, including lesson structure, grammar and AI prompts, see our complete guide to ESL teacher resources.
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Jessica Jeffery
Holds a business degree plus TEFL and CELTA, and has taught in Thailand and Italy. Helps students find high quality jobs and internships.
Last reviewed: 14 November 2026
Sources
- British Council TeachingEnglish, Warmers, fillers and coolers (webinar slides). Checked 14 November 2026.
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FAQs
Questions students ask us
There is no single best warmer. Choose one that matches the class level, takes under a minute to explain and gets every student speaking. Hot Seat suits A1 and A2 vocabulary review, Two Truths and a Lie works from A2 upwards, and Would You Rather suits B1 and above.
Aim for five to ten minutes. The British Council describes warmers as short, fun activities that are easy to explain and need little preparation. If the activity runs longer, energy drops and you lose time for the main part of the lesson. Stop while students still want more.
An icebreaker helps students who do not know each other feel comfortable, usually in the first lessons. A warmer opens any lesson, gets students using English and often links to the topic. Many activities, such as Two Truths and a Lie, work as both.
Yes. Use the chat, breakout rooms or a shared whiteboard in place of the circle and the board. Word Chain, Would You Rather and Odd One Out all transfer well. Put the instructions on screen and keep them shorter than you would in a classroom.
Yes, if you match the tone to the group. Adults usually prefer tasks with a clear purpose, such as ranking, debating or information gaps, while teens often respond well to games and movement. Offer choices and avoid anything that forces students to share personal details.
Choose a warmer that recycles the vocabulary or structure you are about to teach, without teaching it. For a lesson on past experiences, use Two Truths and a Lie. For a lesson on opinions, use Rank It. The warmer should prime the language, not explain it.
