In this video, I walk you through ESL warm up activities for ESL learners that quickly get students ready for the lesson—whether you teach elementary, middle school, or high school. Warm-ups are one of my favorite ways to build momentum because they give students a safe, low-pressure way to speak, listen, and think in English right away. When I choose warm ups, I’m looking for activities that increase fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and speaking skills without feeling like “more work.” I also share why these warm up games work so well for lowering the affective filter: students can participate without the fear of being “wrong,” and that’s when language starts to flow. Many of the ideas can be used in-person or as ESL warm up activities online, and I love using simple routines that don’t require a lot of physical props. If you’re building your daily lesson plan, these warm-ups help you preview or review key concepts in a non-threatening way—so your ELLs feel confident before you move into the main task.