GAMES IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOMKatie Bain

English Language Fellow

ktbain53@gmail.com

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

THANK YOU!

Katie Bainktbain53@gmail.com

www.elfellowkbain.wordpress.com