Drawing for Language Learning

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 About a year ago I had another teacher ask me why I allowed my 3rd graders to “waste class time drawing pictures when they should be learning English”. I am not alone in believing that many children enhance their language learning through art activities such as drawing. Incorporating drawing in our virtual trip around the world this year, I draw together with my students as we visit each country. According to cambridgeenglish.org, there are quite a few other ways to use drawing and crafts to enhance language studies. These do not need to be reserved for preschool children but are effective in older children as well. The writing here can be done solely by the child or with help by having the teacher write the word first on the board and letting the student copy it.


Here are a few tips to add drawing to your language teaching. 

Students can…


  1. Label some of the things in the drawing with words, like sun and beach. 

  2. Write captions of what people in the drawing might be saying.

  3. Think of adjectives to describe the picture and write those.

  4. Discuss the drawing with the class or other students using open and closed questions.

  5. Use the drawing to describe the place/setting.

  6. Make a class set of vocabulary cards for future games.

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