TEFL Lilongwe

If you had to make a decision, would you rather be taking notes and working hard at a new language or would you rather spend some time playing a few fun games with others? If you are like me then I know you will answer with the ladder, and it’s true! Most of us would rather spend our time playing a game rather than focusing on studying. But what if playing a game was, in its own way, a type of learning experience? The strategy to play a game in the classroom is not only a great option, but it is probably one of the most essential parts in the teaching/learning experience. In this paper I will discuss the importance and reasoning of why the use of games has been integrated into lesson plans and my own thoughts of their importance to the learning experience. When you think of learning, you wouldn't associate a game or fun activity that didn't involve a test or marking scheme as a suitable choice, but in reality it’s maybe your best tool to use. In a basic sense, implementing a game into your lesson plan is almost like a confidence booster for students. Games are usually focused around having fun and in an unconscious way, students are using the basic/skilled methods to participate in most games. It’s the idea of learning without using the state of mind to try and learn. Games can also feel like a release for students, a way to break away from writing down new grammar or sentence formulas and use the ideas and words learned throughout the lesson in a more fun way. Games are associated with fun, that's true, but we should not lose sight of the value to teaching. They can provide both motivation and also be used as a stress reliever for most low-level students. A key reason why games are considered good teaching tools because “they spur motivation and students get very absorbed in the competitive aspects of the games; moreover, they try harder at games than in other courses” (Avedon, 1971). It's a true fact that when students are playing a game, they naturally play to win or score the most point. It’s human nature to want to be the best you can be at something, especially something that the students are enjoying. The result is that teachers connect students to a different form of learning, with many different possibilities, depending on the game. The next suitable reason for games within the classroom is simple stress. There is a massive amount of stress on students who are new to learning the english language, mainly because they are confronted with many concepts words that are unknown to them. When students feel uncomfortable in their learning environment, then this creates a blockage in their learning and understanding. With the involvement of learning games, students stress and anxiety are replaced with a much more relaxed mood. They are not worried about making mistakes or being efficient and just trying to have fun. Through my own trials as a teacher and tutor, I have found that the class dynamics work much better when games are implemented. They can work as a learning tool, motivator, and stress reliever for students, but can also encourage younger learners to push through their learning and get to the final product, knowing that at the end of the lesson their will be something rewarding to play. Students seem to apply the knowledge they have learned from games into their studies and future tasks in the course. At the end of the day, students benefit immensely from the use of learning games, whether they realize it or not. The ability to let the stress of a new language slip away from a simple game is beneficial to both students and teachers alike. Resources: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Deesri-Games.html