www.elipublishing.com
The Power of Language Games in the Classroom Why Play-Based Learning Works! Pair up: Turning Phrasal Verbs into Play Phrasal verbs are one of the most fascinating – and frustrating – aspects of learning English. They are everywhere in everyday communication, from casual conversation to workplace emails, yet for many learners they remain one of the biggest obstacles to fluency. Why? Because phrasal verbs don’t always follow logical patterns. They can be idiomatic, flexible, and often difficult to memorise in isolation. This is exactly the challenge that inspired the creation of Pair up, a new card game developed by JoEnglish in collaboration with Eli Publishing. Designed for B1–B2 learners, Pair up transforms the process of learning phrasal verbs into a dynamic, engaging and highly flexible classroom or home activity. The result is a game that helps learners build confidence, deepen understanding, and most importantly, use phrasal verbs naturally and in context.
Why phrasal verbs matter If learners want to move from “textbook English” to real-life English, phrasal verbs are essential. Native speakers use them constantly: • Let’s put off the meeting. • I ran into an old friend. • Can you look after the kids? In many situations, phrasal verbs are preferred over more formal equivalents. Saying “postpone the meeting” is correct, but “put off the meeting” sounds more natural in everyday conversation. Learners who avoid phrasal verbs often sound overly formal or less confident, even if their grammar is strong. However, learning phrasal verbs from lists is rarely effective. Students might memorise definitions for a test, but without meaningful use and repetition, the expressions are quickly forgotten. What learners really need is context, repetition, and interaction. This is where Pair up comes in. Learning through play Games provide a powerful learning environment. They encourage repetition without boredom, create emotional engagement, and reduce the fear of making mistakes. When learners are focused on winning a game, they often forget they are studying – yet their brain is actively processing language, making connections, and reinforcing memory. Pair up uses these principles to make phrasal verbs approachable and memorable. Instead of studying a long list of expressions, players interact with them repeatedly, see them in context, and actively search for meaning. This playful approach makes learning feel natural rather than forced.