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Games can be a motivating way of teaching English, but are they always useful? In this workshop, we'll look at reasons for using games and examine how to match objectives with fun so that our students can be engaged, successful learners. We'll also take a look at some example classroom games and analyze which ones would be best to use in your classroom!
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GAMES IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOMKatie Bain
English Language Fellow
elfellowkbain.wordpress.com
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Why should we (or shouldn’t we) use games in the classroom?
How should we select appropriate learning games?
What are some games that could be helpful in the classroom?
What other questions do you have?
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
The classroom should be a serious and quiet place at all times so that students
can learn the most possible.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Games should be used every day.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
If you’re not sure what to do for your lesson,
use a game!
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Children might feel nervous if they are
asked to compete in a game, so you should
not use games.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Competition is not appropriate for the
classroom.
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Competition is fun and can be used
appropriately.
OBJECTIVE
Participants will understand how and why to use games and examine some examples of
games that they might use in their classrooms.
WHY SHOULD WE USE GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM?
1.Games are FUN! They help to lower the affective filter.
WHY SHOULD WE USE GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM?
2. Games are MOTIVATING! They intrinsically pique
interest as students learn through play.
WHY SHOULD WE USE GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM?
3. Games are CHALLENGING! They
can challenge students to be responsible for
their learning and knowledge in a new
way.
WHY SHOULD WE USE GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM?
4. Games are INTERACTIVE! They
inherently create situations in which
students interact with each other.
WHY SHOULD WE USE GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM?
5. Games are REPETITIVE!They help students to repeatedly practice in
fun ways.
DEFINITION OF GAMES
A recent definition views games as a “system in which players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, and resulting in a quantifiable outcome” (Salen, 2008, p. 268).
Games are further often described as transmedial phenomena, implying that the same game can be transmitted through different kinds of media: on paper, via computers, digital networks, consoles, handhelds, mobile phones etc. (Juul, 2005).
RESEARCH FINDINGS. + Enhance students’
understanding of a complex phenomena.
Students gain linguistic and communicative knowledge.
Students engage in rich social negotiations (Barab et al., 2007a, p. 71).
- In some studies, only 50%
of students enjoy playing certain games.
Students get tired over time if when students find out that games do not match their assessment test.
Games can serve as a distracting element instead of keeping students focused on a learning task
(Swingvy & Nilsson. 2011).
RESEARCH SUGGESTION
When designed bearing in mind instructional materials and curriculum content, games do yield good results.
HOW SHOULD WE SELECT APPROPRIATE LEARNING GAMES?
Games should be used as practice of what has already been taught.
1. CHOOSE YOUR LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE.
2. PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT
How will you ask students to show what they have learned in your lesson?
What exactly will students be able to do at the end of the lesson?
3. PLAN TO USE A GAME THAT WILL ALLOW YOUR STUDENTS TO MEET THAT OBJECTIVE.
4. CONSIDER THE MATERIALS AND TIME THAT YOU WILL NEED.
5. PLAY THE GAME WITH YOUR STUDENTS!
6. LEAVE TIME AT THE END FOR REFLECTION ON THE GAME AS A CLASS.
EXAMPLES OF GAMES
GRAMMAR BOARD RACE
Board Race Video
Questions 1. What is the
objective of the lesson? 2. Would you use this
game in your classroom?
3. How could you change this game to make it more appropriate for your context?
BOARD RACE SCREEN SHOT
MEMORY GAME
1. One student says a sentence. 2. Students say the same sentence and then add
something. 3. Once someone forgets what was said or
cannot add something, he or she is out of the game.
Student 1: I went shopping. Student 2: I went shopping and bought a jacket. Student 3: I went shopping and bought a jacket
and a cap.(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
Yesterday, I went to the park.
WORD ASSOCIATION
Example: TOPIC: The Classroom:
Student 1: chalkStudent 2: book bagStudent 3: tape recorderStudent 4: ruler
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
TOPIC: MY NEIGHBORHOOD
MIMING
Students mime an action and other students (perhaps in teams) guess what the action is.
Variation Topics:1. Jobs/Occupations2. Famous people3. Animals4. Sports or Sports Players5. Characters from a book, movie, story,
or article that was recently read in class.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
WHAT IS SHE DOING?
SUGGESTION CHAIN
Students review leisure activities and ways to make suggestions.
Example Student 1: Let’s go to the concert!Student 2: No, not the concert. What about going to the
cinema?Student 3: We could go to the dance club. Student 4: No, not the dance club. Why don’t we eat at a
restaurant?
Students continue the game until they have used all of their leisure activities, or until students cannot think of anything else to do and there is only one person left.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
LET’S WATCH A MOVIE AT HOME!
EXPANDING SENTENCES WITH ADJECTIVES
Teacher: She bought a jacket.Student 1: She bought a black jacket.Student 2: She bought a long-sleeved black
jacket.Student 3: She bought a long-sleeved black
wool jacket.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
I HAVE A BROTHER.
FRUIT BASKET UPSET
GUESS WHO?
SENTENCE SCRAMBLE
CLASS JEOPARDY
SWAT THE WORD
SCAVENGER HUNT
TABOO
PICTIONARY
WHERE DO YOU FIND MORE GAMES?
WWW.AMERICANENGLISH.STATE.GOV
ABOUT ME
NAME 3
NAME YOUR FAVORITE
WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT?
WOULD YOU RATHER?
HTTP://WWW.ESLGAMESWORLD.COM/
HTTP://WWW.ESLCAFE.COM/
HTTP://WWW.TEFLGAMES.COM/GAMES.HTML
RECAP
1. Games can be good if used appropriately. 2. Align your games to learning objectives and
assessment. 3. There are many great games out there –
Adapt them to your context! 4. Be creative and create your own games –
share them with others!
SOURCES
Shaptoshvili, S. (2002). Vocabulary practice games.English Forum, 34/37. Retrieved from http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/02-40-2-h.pdf