Teaching English is a long process that requires the cooperation between both teachers and learners. It is difficult to make the students concentrate as well as comprehend the lectures by using the boring theory only. A lecture will be considered as a failed one if it cannot get the learners involve. In order to improve this situation, many techniques or methods are used popularly such as singing, telling stories, doing bodily activities. Especially, using GAMES is also considered as a useful one that bring significant results in teaching English to young learners.
Using games in classroom has increased in recent years but to have an effective lesson, choosing game is not simple. The most important thing we need consider first is the aim of holding a game. Children always think about getting fun from playing game but teachers, however, need more convincing reasons. Games are used for study purposes, not for fun only. Each game will has its own characteristics corresponding with different skills; therefore we need decide which skill it practices, listening or speaking, writing or reading or all of them. For example, when teaching Vocabulary, teachers should select games that can stimulate children’s memory or ability to connect words with pictures such as Hot Seat, Matching, Facing game, A-Z Pictures, Charades….etc. Or when teaching children about Speaking, we need choose the games related to oral activities such as: Secret Words, Facing game, the Mime, Where shall I go?…so on.
Another factor that is very necessary to decide the game that suits the level of children ages. It is the fact that all children enjoy playing games and want to join in a game because in their thought, games are always funny and interesting. But it will be a big mistake if we just choose the games randomly and do not mind about whether it is suitable for our students or not, whether it is simple or complicated. Children at the age of 6 or 7 cannot pay attention and join a difficult game even when we try to explain or instruct them. The best choices are some simple and easy games that do not conclude too many steps or instructions, for instance: Matching pictures and words, “Simon says”, “Family fingers”, “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. Conversely, games for elder children will have more difficult requirements such as: Pictionary, Word Jumble Race, Board Race…
In addition, there is a thing that we need pay attention to is the result of each game. It is obvious that all children like playing games because they want to be a winner or they want to get the gift. If a game does not have competition, children will not join in anymore or they may take part in with a reluctant behavior. Don’t forget to give rewards or simply say some compliment to encourage the most excellent children!
A successful combination between studying and playing will bring lots of benefits for both teachers and children as well. Firstly, holding games can create an active and funny learning atmosphere for children. This stimulates children’s interest and makes them give more attention to the lesson given. Secondly, it is the chance for children to develop themselves. Each game has different advantages that can not only help children to improve their basic learning skills such as speaking, listening, reading or writing only but also develop other abilities such as: group work, park work, logic, reflex and social connection… Thirdly, each child has different intelligences that we often call as MIs (multiple intelligences), when taking part in games, children will try to use their best intelligence to compete with the others. Therefore, using game is also a special way for teachers to recover children’s talents and then design the lessons that are fit with children’s abilities.
In conclusion, games bring a great educational value so using games plays an important role in teaching English in particular and education in general. To know how to choose suitable games to teach English for children, please read at:
By Bui Thi Chi
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