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Creative Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers

balderdash esl game

Balderdash: ESL Speaking Game

Posted on November 4, 2019October 7, 2021 By albacker

Balderdash is a word bluffing game in which you write definitions for weird words. The definitions may or may not be correct.

The ESL variation of the game is played very similarly. The PDF which you can download below, contains words that are balderdash, or nonsense. At least they seem to be. They are actually real words that sound silly. Each word has a real definition, the students will have to come up with two more definitions and the bluffing will begin.

If you like the game and would like to play the original, there are plenty of the game versions on Amazon. This one is the original Game. Or you can try this One.

How I played the game with my students:

  1. Put the students in groups of three or four.
  2. Give them the words that you cut into cards.
  3. Each student draws a card.
  4. They will read the true definition of the word and make up two more definitions which are not true.
  5. They read three definitions of the word and the other students guess which definition is correct.
  6. The student who guesses the correct definition gets a point.

ESL Game: Balderdash

Argle-bargle — (adj) copious but meaningless talk or writing
Bibble — (v) to drink often; to eat and/or drink noisily
Yarborough — (n) hand of cards containing no card above a nine
Ratoon — (n) a small shoot growing from the root of a plant
Ulotrichous — (adj) having wooly or crispy hair
Bumfuzzle — (adj) confused, perplexed
Cabotage — (n) coastal navigation; the exclusive right of a country to control the air traffic within its borders
Widdershins — (adj) a left-handed or contrary direction; counterclockwise
Poppycock — (n) nonsense
Discombobulate — (v) to disconcert of confuse
Salopettes — (n) high-waisted skiing pants with shoulder straps
Blatherskite — (n) a person who talks at great length without making much sense
Taradiddle — (n) pretentious nonsense
Finifugal — (adj) afraid of finishing anything
ESL-Game-BalderdashDownload
ESL Games fun Games Group Work Resources speaking Teaching Ideas vocabulary balderdashesl group activityesl resourcesesl speakingesl vocabulary gametefltesol

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Some good ideas, especially with older students who are pretty quiet.

- Anthony

Incredible conversation activities. Thank you very much

- Philippa

Superb resource.

- Priya
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