Social Distancing Games

Welcome to bel's book of social distancing games! Let's be honest - coronavirus and its consequences have had a huge impact on everybody and all aspects of our lives. It has not been easy, but teachers everywhere have risen to the challenge. Classes have been taking place online, via telephone conferences, and slowly but surely, back in the classroom. bel always tries to meet the needs of both students and teachers. On this occasion - particularly mindful that fun is more important than ever - we have put together a compendium of games that can be played by classes whilst keeping to the social distancing guidelines and rules. Teachers and students alike can have fun, play with the English language, socialise, learn, and not be defeated by something that is 400 times smaller than the thickness of a single human hair. The games generally require little in the way of preparation. Some need a board or flipchart, some need pen and paper, and some need nothing at all. None of the games are reliant on the students interacting closely with each other. Everybody can keep their distance. It only remains for us to say: have fun, be safe, and stay healthy!

Beate Baylie was born in Stuttgart in 1968. After finishing high school, she worked in Cairo for two years in an Egyptian family as a tutor. Cairo was followed by Sheffield where Beate gained a Business degree. After the birth of her first daughter almost 20 years ago she founded the bel language school together with Karin Schweizer. Beate lives in Filderstadt with her English husband and their two grown-up daughters. Karin Schweizer was born in Schramberg in the Black Forest in 1965. After training as a travel agent, she went to the Sorbonne in Paris and to the University of California, Berkeley in San Francisco. Back in Germany - with an American husband (with whom she has two grown-up children) - she founded the bel language school together with Beate Baylie. Today Karin lives with her new partner north of Hamburg. Established and widely used textbooks such as 'Learning English with Chris the Grasshopper', 'Mini Ducks' and for the 55+ generation 'Autumn Years - English for Seniors' emerged from the long and varied practical work that they both did. They offer stress free learning with a focus not just on grammar but on enjoying learning and having fun. Several hundred participants have taken part in the bel start-up seminars for language schools. Bel is also a tour operator offering language trips as 'bel Reisen'. Several times a year, there are trips to English-speaking countries and group travel offers to other dream destinations such as the Indian state of Kerala on the Malabar coast.