|
There are a number of reasons that games deserve a place in the language classroom. FBog'liq 12827 1 08483D29A1B1ECFE14652BC1F8AE0AB7548A1DDFThere are a number of reasons that games deserve a place in the language classroom. First of
all, they are fun, which is extremely important, because they can help activate students who may have been
inactive before, due to lack of interest. Keeping students active is vital because teachers will never be able
to actually teach students anything unless they can get them to participate in their own learning process.
Second, games also play a big part in helping participants build relationships, and to feel equal.
Playing games in the classroom can also help create a friendly and positive atmosphere where seat
arrangement can differ from game to game, and thus cause diversity from the norm which can be extremely
helpful in keeping an exciting learning environment.
Third, the reason most people want to learn a language is to be able to use it in real situations, for
example when travelling. Games can be a very good way to practice this skill because they can easily be
used to reenact various situations from real life and provide students with practice in their fluency. Also,
by using games in the classroom the teacher is giving his students a bigger role, and he himself is stepping
out of the frontline which is a positive thing because it allows students to take on more responsibility. Also
that allows students to do more on their own, and that can very well result in an increase in their
confidence
level
.
Fourth, language students need to be exposed to the language in a variety of situations, which is a
need games can fulfill. Language students also need to be ready to take on the experience, keeping their
minds open and being willing participants Again, games make this possible.
Fifth, language students need to be emotionally involved, meaning they need to feel something while
they are exposed to the language. Strong emotions, such as happiness, excitement, amusement and suspense
allow students to feel positively about their learning situation and are therefore likely to have a positive
effect on language learning.
Sixth, games are good for shy students and students with low confidence, and that applies specifically
when playing takes place in smaller groups because then they get a chance to speak in front of fewer
audience instead of having to express themselves in front of the whole class. Also it is sometimes easier to
open up and forget the shyness when playing a game because the atmosphere is not as serious and more
emphasis is put on fluency rather
than grammatical correctness
.
Seventh, games can be a good strategy when teaching various subjects because they are very likely
to spark interest amongst students. They can be used with students of all ages, and when they are used with
other teaching methods they create diversity which is ideal for school work. A study that was undertaken
in different primary schools in Karaganda shows clearly the need for diversity in schools. Many participants
in that study complained about the lack of diversity, and that they wanted more of it in order for their
learning to become more fun and progressive in their school.
|
| |
