Teach English in Tumen Zhen - Linfen Shi

The term “game” will usually elicit excitement or interest, and when used in the classroom, the phrase “let’s play a game!” will most likely generate enthusiasm from students before they even know what the activity is. Games absolutely have a place in the classroom – they provide the same (or even greater) engaging opportunity for language students to practice and review their language skills in much the same way that traditional activities like worksheets and course books may have to offer. There are different types of games that can be used in a language classroom, ranging from individual and pair games to whole-class games, as well as games that can be utilized during each of the ESA phases. Games do not always require large groups of students; they can be played by individuals as well. Individual games are useful during the study phase in place of worksheets, especially if students are lacking in enthusiasm. Matching games serve as good games to be played individually. For example, the game Old Maid can be applied to finding and matching new vocabulary words and their corresponding pictures or definitions. To play the game, students lay the cards backwards in a predetermined array and flip over two cards at a time – the goal is to match the correct vocabulary card with its corresponding picture and definition. Students can make their own set of cards (one for the vocabulary word and another for the picture/definition) for homework or during a study phase activity. New vocabulary cards can also be added the deck so that the game cards can be used continuously throughout the term, especially for review purposes before an exam. This game can also work for parts of speech (matching nouns, verbs, etc). Naturally, there are many variations of Old Maid, and teachers may change the game and its rules to suit the students’ needs. All of these individual games can be changed to work as pair games as well. Games involving pairs of students are useful in developing and practicing oral language skills. Students would each have at least one partner to keep them accountable and to ensure the correct pronunciation or particular language skill is being used – however, it is also important to note that students may end up confirming an incorrect way to practice a skill between each other; it is therefore necessary for the teacher to circulate to ensure the correct pronunciation is used. Pair games can typically be used during the study phase, or even during the activate phase. Examples include creating cards for and playing Go Fish and Old Maid, and the word chain game. Games requiring more teacher-prep time include fill-in-the-gap worksheets adapted into a board game, or simply adapting existing board games, such as Snakes and Ladders. Teachers should encourage students to practice speaking orally to their partners during this time. To encourage community between the entire class, whole-class games should also be used throughout the term. Whole-class games are well suited for the engage and activate phase of a lesson, as well as for review sessions before a test. Warmer games used during the engage phase include Hangman, Pictionary, or Charades. Linking the topic or theme of the warmer games to the topic of the day’s lesson would make for a smoother transition into the study phase – for example, if the lesson topic is “Jobs in the Community”, a game of Pictionary could include one for a doctor, police, teacher, and so on. During the activate phase, students can play whole-class games that split them into two or more groups. These games include sentence relay races (students are divided into groups and face off one-on-one against another team), Find a Partner (students must find others that fit a category by using oral language skills), or even a team debate. Jeopardy is another popular game, one that is well-suited to help students review accumulated skills prior to a test. As with previously mentioned games, whole-class games can always be created and adapted to fit the needs of the students. There are many ways that games can be utilized in a language classroom, and many classroom teachers may even argue that games should be included in the curriculum. Games are engaging, encourage students to participate, and help build a positive community and learning environment. There are a number of individually played games or games that involve groups of varying sizes that can be used during the engage, study, and activate phases of a lesson, and the teacher can modify the games to fit the needs and structure of the class.