Teach English in Jiangji Zhen - Tai'an Shi

The idea of using games to engage students in the process of active learning is not new. Over the past several years, educators have been increasingly incorporating various games into their teaching curriculum in an effort to create a fun and engaging learning environment for students. Although this can be very challenging and time consuming. Interactive, collaborative and competitive games tend to motivate and encourage student participation in the learning process. Over the years, the format for classroom games has changed drastically. There are many more options that incorporate the use of technology and interactivity. Quinn and Iverson argued that students “need to be engaged more and to be put at the Centre of the learning experience to change from ‘passive vessel’ to ‘active participant’” Nevertheless, many teachers find it difficult to explain theoretical concepts to their young students as the lesson becomes boring. Therefore, the teachers should find an appropriate and effective tool to teach different lessons to young learners in a fun way. Using games in teaching is one recommended tool because games provide an enjoyable and relaxed learning environment for young students and help them to be more creative and communicative. The Reasons of Using Games as a Teaching Method for Young Learners 1. Students learn through the process of playing the game. By playing a game, students may be able to understand a new concept or idea, take on a different perspective, or experiment with different options or variables. For example, in an English class, a card game was introduced in the first week of school. The students were in groups of 4-5. Each person read through the directions to the card game; then, the game was played in complete silence. After the first round, one student from each group (typically the “winner”) moved to a different group. This process was repeated several times. What students did not initially know is that each group had received a different set of rules. When a student moved to a new group, he often felt confused and was unsure as to why the other people were playing differently (students usually say “they were playing wrong”). This was used as a starting point to discuss the experience of moving to a new country. The game was played again and students were given a chance to talk. Through discussions, students explained the rules to “newcomers,” and the game became smoother. In this way they learnt through the process of playing the game. 2. Games provide a context for engaging practice. Students need a lot of practice to internalize important vocabulary and structures. However, for the practice to be meaningful, students must be engaged through lively games of charades, $25,000 pyramid, or others, students willingly use the vocabulary and structures, repeatedly gaining much-needed practice. 3. Through games, students can learn a variety of important skills. There are countless skills that students can develop through game playing such as critical thinking skills, creativity, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. For example, Circumlocution is a very important skill. By playing word guessing games, students’ ability to use circumlocution improves dramatically. The students show their creativity by using play-dough and different other materials. 4. While playing games, students develop a variety of connections with the content and can form positive memories of learning. The fun, silly or interesting moments tend to stand out in students’ memories, and they latch on to the context they were studying. A positive emotional connection can facilitate learning. Furthermore, many games feature a variety of different stimuli; some students might remember the vocabulary words from acting them out, others remember reading the clues, and other students remember hearing classmates call out answers. Games can provide a variety of sensory experiences for students. 5. Games grab students’ attention and actively engage them.Students really enjoy playing games, it is a good way to focus their attention and actively immerse them in Lesson. This can be especially useful in a wide variety of ways. For example, after a fire drill student sometimes have trouble settling down and returning to class. A game allows students to quickly engage and transition back to the content we were working on. After hours of state-mandated standardized tests, students are often tired of sitting and full of energy; an energetic game with lots of movement may be just what they need. Different kinds of games that are used in a classroom There are a wide range of educational games for teachers to choose from. They should know the purpose of the game; either it focuses on accuracy, such as use the verb in the correct form or on successful exchange of information and ideas. Teachers may select any of these games in the classification of Hadfield (1999) as follows: Sorting, ordering or arranging games Information gap games Guessing games Search games Matching games Labeling games Exchanging games Board games Role play games Pair work games In addition to all these, are many other factors which should be taken into consideration when teachers select a game to teach young learners such as the size and the physical properties of the classroom, the equipment, materials and the time available for a game. All of these may contribute to the success of the game. Conclusion In a nutshell, it can be concluded that using games in teaching is an effective way to help young learners know more about the lesson in a fun and engaging way. Game-based learning has shifted focus from learning with lectures and written tasks to learning with games and it has become an indispensable part of modern education. To be a well-integrated member of contemporary society requires more than just the mastery of the basic skills of reading and writing. It allows learners to discover new methods of working towards achieving goals and objectives in an interactive manner.