Vocabulary Games and Activities for Teachers: Book 2 (Penguin English Photocopiables Series)

I first became aware of the existence of this book, paradoxically enough, through its absence. It was the most elusive resource book in the school where I was working. "Who's got the vocab games book?", was the most FAQ in the teachers' room.

It's an excellent book, with materials suitable for all levels and age groups. Younger students love "Word Battleships", while older students find the "Half Crosswords" both challenging and entertaining.

One of the book's most attractive features is the fact that it cuts down significantly on class preparation time. Once, when teaching proverbs, I had this "brainwave" and spent ages painstakingly writing them out on cards and cutting them in half, only to discover that I needn't have bothered. Watcyn-Jones had got there first with "Broken Proverbs". It's just one of many matching pairs games among the 90 activities in the book, each of which is accompanied by clear instructions and an answer key as required. All you need is access to a photocopier and scissors. In fact some activities require neither. "Three-in-a-row", a fun quiz, is an ideal stand-by for that class one has to give at a moment's notice.

What impresses most about "Vocabulary Games and Activities" is the sheer variety of activities it has to offer. Apart from the afore-mentioned, you can find: bingo, dominoes, word-grouping activities, conundrums, "Find someone who", board games and dictations, all with the underlying characteristics of encouraging interaction in the classroom, reinforcing existing vocabulary and teaching new lexis in an almost effortless, and always enjoyable way.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that a wide range of language is covered. Supplementary material is available for teaching homophones, prepositions, adjectives and idioms, as well as several word fields.

Teachers familiar with Peter Watcyn-Jones's other work, such as the immensely useful "Test your Vocabulary" and "Target Vocabulary" series will need no further persuasion. For the uninitiated among you, let me sum up by saying that it's surely his finest resource book to date.