Students often experienced a lack of focus during English learning due to boredom, long class hours, or teaching methods that tended to be monotonous. To overcome this problem, ice breaking was considered an effective strategy to increase students' focus and engagement in the classroom. This study aimed to explore the use of ice breaking in English learning at SMA Negeri 1 Takengon, focused on its types, functions, and relevancy in increasing students' focus and concentration. This research employed a qualitative research method. The sample consisted of one Grade XI English teacher at SMA Negeri 1 Takengon. The data were collected through classroom observation and interview. The results showed that the teacher applied various types of ice breaking, including humor type, types of stories, type of songs and audio-visual type, and game type. Each type had distinct functions, such as reducing students' anxiety, creating a positive classroom atmosphere, increasing motivation, encouraging participation, and restoring focus during the lesson. The relevancy of ice breaking was evident in the way it was adjusted to match classroom conditions, students' psychological readiness, and the lesson material. Ice breaking activities were not applied randomly but were contextually aligned with learning needs and classroom dynamics. Overall, the findings indicated that ice breaking was an effective and relevant strategy to increased students' focus and improved the quality of English learning.