Some reasons to use games in class:
*Students use language while enjoying
*Games create a sense of closeness within a class. It is a great opportunity to foster cooperative values, for class participation and healthy competition
*Another aspect: Young children learn to accept rules, how to behave, to work with others, to identify their peers/group.
*And Motivation, the star in learning process. Motivation is the Great door in the learning process.
*Games introduce variation to a lesson and encourage creative use of the language, promoting imagination.
The use of games promotes motivation by promoting meaningful situations to use the language.
Why do games work well?
- Communication: playing a game has a purpose to it, and in order to play, learners have to say things- they have a reason to communicate rather than just repeat things back mindlessly.Children have a short attention span, so intriducing lively games into your clases to practice the language you are teaching will keep your children alert and enjoying themselves
- Repetition: games involve a lot of repetition and the repetition is the key of the skills( spaced repetition).
- Movement: Children naturally have a lot of energy and are not good at sitting for long periods. Physical movement helps everyone focused and stimulated.
Studying is a tool of learning
Criteria for choosing the games:
The game should be:
- Simple to explain
- Easy to carry out
- The game should have a purpose
- Everyone should be able to participate in it.
- And FUN
Giving Instructions
Teachers should use gestures and mime to communicate meaning
Instructions must be simple and short: “form groups of…”, “shuffle the cards”, “Time´s up”
How do I set the game?
Ways of showing children what to do in a game:
- A quick demostration
- A trial run
Important:
Avoid highly competitive games: let 2/3 be the winners instead of just one
Different inmersion strategies should be included to create a foreign language atmosphere such as:
- Using concrete referents: realia,visual aids.
- Using contextual clues: facial expressions,body language,gestures
- Using “functional chunks of language”: Password phrases for everyday classroom life: “Can you help me?”
- Using “hands-on experiences”: oral and written language use.
- Using «on going-assessment»: monitoring learners´comprehension
| Learning for children(and for adults )is still a question of experiencing….so we need to provide our students with the possibility of experiencing to ensure successful learning |