How to play an ESL game over screen share
- Open the game in your browser before class and close other tabs.
- In Zoom or Google Meet, share that one browser tab, not your whole desktop, so notifications stay private and tab audio is shared.
- Make the window full screen so students on phones can read it.
- Explain the rules once, then let students choose (for example "B3!" or "the red column") while you click.
- Keep each round short and rotate turns so every student speaks.
Which screen-share games work best
Board and tile games reuse one set of questions; Hangman and Word Search need no saved quiz, so they work with zero prep.
| Game | What you need | Good for | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic board | Question set | Review of a whole unit | Long review lessons, small groups |
| Tic Tac Toe | Question set | Quick 1-to-1 or 2-team review | Short warm-ups |
| Connect Four | Question set | Two players or two teams | Competitive review |
| Memory Match | Question set (images work well) | Young learners, picture vocabulary | Kids calling out cards |
| Snakes & Ladders | Question set | Up to four players | Fun end-of-lesson game |
| Hangman | None needed (custom, random or AI-suggested word) | Spelling and vocabulary | Warm-up, no prep |
| Word Search | None needed (your list or AI words from a topic) | Topic vocabulary preview | Filler, no prep |
Tips for kids and adult learners
- Young learners: use pictures and short words; Memory Match and Hangman with familiar vocabulary keep them talking.
- Adults: use the same boards for grammar or business vocabulary; ask for a full sentence before a move counts.
- 1-to-1 lessons: play student vs teacher, or student vs "the board", in Tic Tac Toe or Connect Four.
- Platform rules: some online teaching companies use their own classroom software and limit outside materials, so check your company's rules first.
A free browser tool for screen-share games
Online Teacher Game is Online Teachers Club's browser app for this. You build a question set with AI or by hand, then play it as a Classic board, Tic Tac Toe, Connect Four, Memory Match or Snakes & Ladders; Hangman and Word Search run without a saved quiz. It tracks turns and scores, and students only watch your shared screen. You can create a free account to try it; it is also part of OTC Member and Pro. Run by Online Teachers Club, which publishes this list.
For ready-made lesson materials see ESL Courseware. Teaching students in Asia? Use the Beijing time converter. Looking for work? Compare companies in the Online Teachers Company List and read how to become an online teacher.
Tools for online teachers
Once you have shortlisted a few companies, it helps to have one page that shows who you are as a teacher. You can create a free online teacher profile page on Teacher4.me and share it with students, parents, and schools alongside your company applications.