Using Games in Teaching Foreign Languages. Leila Ketterlinus

Transcription

1 Using Games in Teaching Foreign Languages Leila Ketterlinus This paper was completed and submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master Teacher Program, a 2-year professional development program conducted by the Center for Faculty Excellence, United States Military Academy, West point, NY, ABSTRACT: This paper examines the literature on utilizing games in a teaching foreign languages and their potential impact on language skills improvement and engagement. Search terms identified over 225,000 papers and books. The findings revealed numerous advantages of using games in foreign language classrooms. The paper outlines the key planning, preparation and execution steps required to create a successful language learning experience utilizing games. Games make all learning tasks fun and make students feel relaxed. The rules and roles the students adopt and experience while playing games, helps them relate with their peers both cooperatively and competitively. Content, relevance to the material, and learners specific requirements determine the type of game that can facilitate the teaching and learning process. Key words: games, language games, foreign language learning, foreign language teaching, classroom, language play.

2 1. Introduction Life is a game. Children start exploring the world around them by playing games and interacting with other children. During the formal education process, before and after school, students still learn by playing. In order to communicate with the world around, children need to develop speech and social skills. Children benefit from simple games to build social-cognitive skills and language production. Playing games has a positive influence in first language acquisition process. Thus, games should also be beneficial in second language acquisition among adults. Games are an important part of learning experience in a foreign language classroom. Games provide the opportunity for the language learners to explore and apply newly acquired language skills in a fun and relaxed way. Improvisational play and spontaneous experimentation, operating with flexible rules set the condition for self-discovery, and present a paradigm for creative activity. The sense of linguistic discovery in a play resembles the Greek concept of Kairos, the opportune moment. Creative achievement generally requires both learned skills and happy play of chance. Games are communicative activities that improve the learners overall communicative competence i.e. the learner s ability to use the target language in diverse settings during every day communication. This means a communicatively competent language learner is able to produce accurate linguistic forms to get his/her message across in the target language. Traditional language teaching methods focus on linguistic forms and offer inadequate exposure to the authentic language use. However, in communicative approach to language teaching, the focus is on the meaningful use of real language in various contexts to promote communicative competence. Games are useful tools to provide the learners with more practice while having fun. Communicative activities in form of games provide a context for the learners to use the target language to negotiate meanings, interact with fellow classmates, and share information. There are numerous advantages of using communicative language games in language teaching. Although many linguists such as David Crystal describe game and play as an essential function of language and central to our lives, language teachers have not widely welcomed the concept of using games in teaching foreign languages. Games such as word play seem to go beyond mere fun and promote something more than simple play. Word play presents a serious task for learning. It sets up new connections between words and thoughts. As a result, spurs imagination and creativity. Due to being fun in nature, games such as word play can be an effective way of acquiring knowledge, and language learners often experience a fascination with manipulating words. The use of games in the teaching process is not applicable restrictively to teaching languages. However, it serves as the focal point for this literature review.

3 2. Games and their application in the foreign language classroom First off, it is essential to define what a game is. A game is an fun activity involving a task that is accomplished by following certain rules, usually in competition with one or more individuals. Although the competition element is what characterizes a game most often, for the purpose of this work, I consider both competitive and non-competitive games used in language teaching. There are several advantages of using communicative language games in teaching languages. 2.1 Communicative games motive language learners and stimulate their interest and curiosity to learn and find out answers. Such activities promote a positive learning attitude towards language learning and encourage the learners to use their acquired linguistic knowledge to communicate. 2.2 Games can provide the opportunity to apply the language in a meaningful context. Games such as role-play expose the learners to the target language environment and motivate them to share opinions and learn about the culture while utilizing the resources available to them. 2.3 Games provide a great opportunity to practice and use the language. Conventional drill exercises are monotonous and mechanical. Games can provide the same density of communicative language practice in a meaningful and less mechanical way to demonstrate actual language use to achieve communication goals. 2.4 Games provide a positive environment in which the learners feel emotionally secure and do not fear public correction. As a result, they can practice their problem- solving abilities in different situations while using the target language as the medium of communication. 2.5 Games encourage interpersonal communications because the learners often need to work in pairs or groups. Learners often feel more comfortable to interact with their peers than with the teacher. Therefore, games can ease the process of learning and teaching and encourages social and emotional development. The use of games in teaching languages is not always appropriate. Using various games can expedite the learning process when it comes to vocabulary or grammar. Additionally, it can eliminate the anxiety surrounding communicating in a foreign language or uncertainty about the correctness of the linguistic output. Learning language while playing a game can be fun and

4 relaxing. Due to the fun and interactive nature of language games, learners can practices target language structures without worrying about making mistakes or being watched. Moreover, using games can make teaching more fun for the teachers as well. Teachers are role models and it is essential that they demonstrate enthusiasm for whatever subject they are teaching. Games can be useful tools to make the classroom experience fun for everyone involved. Games are fun and can improve the learning process. However, language teachers need to maintain a balance and carefully consider the amount of time they allocate to using games in the teaching process. Excessive use of games may negatively affect the classroom experience resulting in boredom and students lack of concentration. Additionally, it is inappropriate to use games as marginal activities to pass the time when the teachers does not have anything other material to teach. Games are best utilized before presenting a new subject to elicit what students already know and set the stage, or after teaching the new subject to provide more practice. This requires that the teachers fully prepare the material and organize the game prior to the instructions. The teacher should also make sure the game does not consume more than the allocated time. Many games require the students to either work in groups or pairs. The teacher needs to make sure that he or she monitors the activity while the students are playing the game and provides feedback as necessary. 3. Categories and types of games for language classrooms Hadfield (1999) explains two taxonomy to classify language games. The first one categorizes language games into tow groups: linguistic games and communicative games. Linguistic games focus on accuracy. For instance using the correct synonym or antonym. Whereas communicative games focus on successful communication. For instance working in pairs and trying to spot the differences between two pictures. Some games will contain elements of both categories. The second taxonomy classifies language games into more categories. Some games will contain elements of more than one category. 3.1 Sorting, ordering, or arranging games. For example, students have a set of cards with different nouns for different food categories on them i.e. fruits, vegetables, dairy, poultry and meat. They work in teams to sort the cards under the right category for instance strawberries go under fruits etc. The team that completes the task first, wins the game. 3.2 Information gap games. In such games, students work in pairs ask and answer questions to fill in the chart with missing information on a given character from the course book. For instance, one person might have information on the character s age, profession, and marital status, whereas the other person has information on the same character s hobbies, favorite food, and travelling experience. They ask and answer questions until both partners have a complete information chart.

5 3.3 Guessing games. These games can help language learners practice making yes/no questions. The students can work in pairs or in groups. The teacher provides one student with the name of a character such as a world leader. The other students can ask 20 yes/no questions to figure out who the person is. 3.4 Search games. These games provide the students with the opportunity to practice providing and seeking information in the target language. They help students to get to know their fellow classmates and encourage them to communicate with everyone in the classroom. During search games, each student has a chart and with set of categories. For instance, vegetarian, an athlete, musician, multilingual, etc. They walk around and ask questions until they have a name under each category. 3.5 Matching games. These games are based on a system of memory training also known as the Pelmanism principle, named after Christopher Louis Pelman, a British psychologist. During such games, students select matching cards from memory from a set of cards laid faced down. For instance, the teacher places 40 word cards composed of 20 pairs face down in random order. Each student turns over two cards at a time, with the goal of turning over a matching pair from memory. 3.6 Labeling games. During these games, students work in pairs and match labels and pictures. Labeling games help improve vocabulary learning. 3.7 Board games. Scrabble and Catch Phrase are among the most popular board games that help practice newly acquired vocabulary. 3.8 Role-play games. These games require the students to play roles based on real life situations. For instance, students work in pairs, one plays the role of a waiter and the other one plays the role of the customer at a restaurant. They use their language knowledge to order food and pay the bill. They are also required to calculate the tip based on the tipping etiquette where the target language is spoken. 3.9 Digital learning games. Educational science associates a range of possible benefits to the use of digital learning games also referred to as serious games. Such games are active, focus on problem solving, and provide rapid feedback that can contribute to an increase in interest in learning. Due to increasing popularity of the digital games, it is important to examine the use of technology in teaching languages more closely. 4. Use of technology and language games in classroom environment Digital games offer a new approach to language learning and teaching. According to Sykes and Reinhart (2012), there are parallels between digital game design and the principles of second language acquisition: goals, interaction, feedback, context, and motivation. 4.1 Goal. Games are learner-driven and rely on the learners participation and play. During the process, learners constantly negotiate in order to complete the task. Therefore, in the

6 context of digital games, goals are referred to as goal orientation. Static learning-driven tasks often times fail to achieve the educational goals. Games are learner-driven experiences that provide learners with options without sacrificing the need for classroom instructions. 4.2 Interaction. Digital games can offer a meaningful context for interaction based on the type of game played, the way it is used, and the participants. Digital games provide the participant with the opportunity to interact during, around, and about the game. 4.3 Feedback. Digital games can provide sufficient amount of feedback and resources at the right time and based on the learner s language level. Thus, the learners will be more aware of their language abilities, more willing to learn from their mistakes and achieve success even if that requires them to execute the task several times. Digital games can provide the teachers with an effective tool to give their students immediate feedback instead of waiting for a writing assignment or a test to provide feedback. 4.4 Context. The narratives, characters, and communities used in digital games can serve as powerful tools to encourage discussions among the participants and help develop target language linguistic and cultural literacy both in and around the game. 4.5 Motivation. Digital games can be engaging and motivating if chosen correctly based on the learners educational levels and needs. Language learners tend to have a more positive experience if the content of digital games is based on language elements such as politeness and intellectual competence. Digital games can be commercial or educational also referred to as serious games. Commercial games are usually designed for entertainment purposes and tend to stray from specific language curriculum. However, they tend to be user friendly, authentic, and offer a wide variety of discourses. Thus, they can be beneficial to meet specific teaching objectives. Educational or serious games are designed specifically to meet certain tasks and target specific learning results. The language teachers need to pay specific attention to mechanics and outcomes of such games. Teachers need to choose games based on their designs and specific objectives. Additionally, language teachers need to integrate the application of digital games into other elements of the lesson plan. Only then, they can successfully digital games as a component of overall course learning objectives. For instance, language teachers can use digital game content as a warm up or consideration prior to a classroom debate. Finally, digital games have many benefits for language teachers and learners. However, they cannot meet all learning tasks and content. Too many games, the wrong game, or wrong execution of the game can create problems hindering the effective teaching and learning process. It is important to teach the language learners how to utilize the digital world to improve their learning experience.

7 5. Games and teacher s role during the entire process. It is important that the teachers choose the right game for the right topic in order to make it beneficial for the students. For the planning process, there are several steps, which teachers need to take to ensure they have the right game for their language class. Step 1 is identifying the purpose of a game. Is the teacher using the game to prevent boredom or is he or she using the game to practice new vocabulary or a grammar topic i.e. reinforcing the language material? Step 2 is considering the level and complexity when choosing a game. The students might quickly lose interest if the game is too easy and they might not benefit from the game if it is too difficult for their level. Finding the right balance is the key. Step 3 is considering the size of the classroom, the equipment required, and time available when choosing games. Some games require a bigger space. For instance, games that are based on Total Physical Response and keep the students moving. Step 4 is explaining the rules of the game as clearly as possible. This requires that the teacher understands the game himself or herself first. It might be necessary to switch to the first language in order to make sure everyone understands the rules prior to playing the game. Finally, the teacher needs to walk around, monitor the activity, and provide feedback as needed. It is important to keep the interruptions to the minimum to avoid taking the time away from the activity. Sometimes, it is best to take notes and address the class as a whole once the activity is over. To keep the game appealing, it is important to ensure the learners have understood the language content required to play the game as well as the rules required to play the game. Here are some steps to promote successful execution of the games in language classroom: Step 1. Teachers needs to demonstrate how to play the game. The teacher can select a group of students to show the rules of the game. Step 2. Teachers should clarify key vocabulary, useful phrases, and concepts prior to playing the game. Step 3. Teachers need to provide clear guidance. It is beneficial to provide a demonstration instead of explaining all the steps, which can make it difficult for the learners to remember. Step 4. It is beneficial to use games language learners already know. Step 5. Teachers ensure that games are based on revising and recycling previously studied content, rather than introducing a new content. Step 6. Teachers should divide the student into groups that are diverse in terms of language proficiency, so that the more proficient members can help others. Step 7. Teachers need to provide the students resources they need to play the game.

8 6. Conclusion Games are effective in teaching and practicing foreign languages. Games can make vocabulary and grammar learning more enjoyable and provide the language learners with a meaningful context to practice communicatively. Although there is a great pedagogical value of using games in language classrooms, language teachers tend not to use the games frequently. This is to some extent due to the number of the students in the classrooms. It is usually more difficult to benefit from playing games in a crowded classroom with 18 or more students. Moreover, the heavy load of the curriculum can also prevent the teachers from being able to allocate time to plan language games. Using games in the classroom benefits students in a variety of ways. These benefits range from cognitive aspects of language learning to more co-operative group dynamics. Games are affective and fun. They encourage creative and spontaneous use of language, promotes communicative competence. Games can help the learners focus on grammar communicatively and reinforce the material. Games improve the class dynamics due to being student centered in nature. They can help foster whole class participation, and class cohesion while promoting promotes healthy competition. Teachers are can easily adjust games for specific age groups, level, and interests. Developing and planning games can be time consuming. The teachers need to ensure the games meet the learning requirements. Games can serve as a worthwhile language-teaching tool. The planning process can be time consuming. In order to have successful games, the teachers need to spend time planning the game. It is important to allocate sufficient time and make sure the content of the game addresses the classroom material and the learner s requirements. The teachers also need to ensure the games are appropriate for all the entire class. Only then, can learners enjoy playing the game, learn in the process and actively engage with the language. Finally, it is important that teachers share their experience with their colleagues. I recommend creating a depository of games that can be recycled, refined and utilized among members of different language sections.

9 List of references: 1. Crystal David. Language Play. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, Print. 2. Hadfield J. Beginners communication games. Harlow, Essex: Longman Digital. 3. Hadfield, J. Intermediate Vocabulary Games. Harlow, Essex: Longman Digital. 4. Hadfield, J. Intermediate Grammar Games. Harlow, Essex: Longman Digital. 5. Sykes, J. and Reinhardt, J. (2013). Language at Play: Digital Games in Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. Print. Internet sources: 1. Call my bluff. Retrieved on 2 April 2017 from 2. Successful examples showing why learning through experiential games works?, Experiential Learning Instance 6. Retrieved on 2 April 2017 from High Motivation Listening Games, Blockbusters. Retrieved on 2 April 2017 from 4. Speaking games for (false) beginners, Find someone who. Retrieved on 2 April 2017 from 5. Speaking games for (false) beginners, shouting dictations. Retrieved on 2 April 2017 from