The simple future is an important verb tense. When teaching, try some of these games to help your students.
Here are the game ideas for the simple future:
I am Going to Go Camping
Here is a variation of the classic "We're Going on a Camping Trip" game. In that game, you sit in circle and each student adds a new item to the list of things to take on a camping trip. Before they add a new item, they must recite all the items already said. It looks like this:
Student 1: I'm going to go on a camping trip, and I'm going to take a flashlight.
Student 2: I'm going to go on a camping trip, and I'm going to take a flashlight and a radio.
Student 3: I'm going to go on a camping trip, and I am going to take a flashlight, radio, and an umbrella.
The games continues, and students are eliminated when they can't remember an item or they make a mistake.
Notice the use of simple future in their sentences: "I'm going to go on a camping trip, and I will bring a.....
For a variation, it doesn't have to be a camping trip. It could be a vacation, a walk in the park, or anything you like.
It may also work better to teach the present continuous for the future. This would be more natural:
- I'm going on a camping trip, and I'm going to take a flashlight.
I Can See Your Future
In this game, students role-play and act like psychics. Half the class are psychics and the other are clients. The psychics tell the fortunes of their clients using the simple future. It would sound something like this:
Psychic: I can see you will be very rich. In about 10 years you are going to take a job that will pay you a lot of money, however, there will be danger.
Client: What will the danger be?
Encourage the students to take on the persona of a psychic. They could read palms, use a soccer ball for a crystal ball, flip cards, or consult with the spirits. They will have a lot more fun if they are acting like mysterious fortune tellers.
On My Vacation (Presentation)
This one isn't a game, but a presentation. It also works well as a research activity.
Have the students research a destination they would like to visit for a vacation. Tell them they are going to go on a vacation to this place, so they need to make plans.
Later, they present their plans to the class. Essentially, the presentation is them telling the class what they will do on their vacation. It can be as detailed as you like. Here are some example quotes from some of these presentations:
On Tuesday I will go to the beach. I will probably stay for most of the day, and then at night I will go out for dinner.
Wednesday, I will visit the Eiffel tower. Later, I will go shopping and maybe even visit a museum.
The simple future is clearly and important verb tense, and students need to perfect it to improve their speaking. These games will help them use the target language while speaking and communicating, and also while having fun.
For lessons and tests on the simple future, try these links:
Simple Future Lesson
Simple Future Test
Simple Future Test
