[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 11 | April 28, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]
Innovative English Language Teaching Through Games
Tarun Patel
Assistant Professor of English, Shantilal Shah Engineering College, Bhavnagar
Email. tarunjpatel@gmail.com M. 9913558948
Abstract
This paper focuses on developing language proficiency of English language students and proposes the advantages of various language games to enhance the language learning ability; especially speaking ability of the students. Mark Curry an experienced foreign language teacher writes in his article “The Best Way to Learn a Language: Playing Games!”
Learning a new language can be really enjoyable
when your approach to learning is geared towards having fun!
Nowadays, we can learn languages through social media,
movies or even by playing games! (Curry, “The Best Way…”)
Teaching foreign language to students has always been challenging for a language teacher, as it needs to capture the interest of learners continuously. A teacher needs to sustain the focus of the learners and thus, the session has to be very interactive. With some tactful English language games, it would be a good fun to learning language.
1. Introduction
Language is primarily a speech. All the ELT experts believe that speech is important for the practical use of English. Learning through speech is the natural way of learning a language. It is easier to handle for practicing the language learnt. Speech is a good introduction to the other language skills. Through speech the teacher can ensure more economical use of class time. This activity is also another individual or group type activity. The following speaking games would enable the students to understand more words.
Basically language is a mode of expression. Practically, we express our all sorts of emotions with the help of language and perhaps that is the prime objective of learning any language. When we utilize language as a tool of ‘routine expressions’, language learning becomes very smooth. Similarly, when a teacher uses language learning as ‘routine expression’ or ‘day to day expression’ in class rooms, the process of language learning becomes quicker. Young learner are mostly found interests in individual or team games. Optimizing some of the below mentioned game would rejuvenate language learning process of students.
2. Touching Tails
This game is very simple and interesting which based on a popular game of ‘Antakshari’ which means last consonant/vowel of a word. Students would be divided into teams or groups. A trainer would begin this game by giving a word to participants for an example ‘Lion’ and now next team would utter a spelling that would start with ‘N’ …now for an example the team utters ‘Noodles’, next team would will utter word that starts from ‘S’. This process will motivate the students to find new words. This game can be made more interesting by giving score for each correct answer and deducting 1 point for wrong answers in prefixed time. Ultimately students would come across the various words such as ;
—>Lions
—>Noodles
—>Samsung
—> Grace
—> Entertainment
—> Traffic
—> Civilization
3. Holding Hands
Just like the Touching Tails this game is also very funny. But, instead of the last part of the previous word, the focus is on the first consonant/vowel of the word. The captain would speak a word for an example, ‘Result’, now the next team would speak a word from ‘R’ only. This chain goes on until a team fails in finding a word. The monitor would list out all the words spoken and would take care that there is no repetition of any word.
For example
Result
Rapid
Regular
Restrictions
Remedy
Resource
River
4. Match and Mix
Again this game motivate student to think about some relevant words which automatically increases the dictionary of a student. A trainer utters the name of an idea, place or any noun. Now the students would find other nouns which are relevant to noun uttered by the trainer. This game makes a participant brainstorms for find relevant words.
| Trainer ‘s Word | Team 1 | Team2 | Team
3 |
Team
4 |
Team
5 |
Team
6 |
Team
7 |
Team
8 |
Team
9 |
| Hospital | Nurse | Medicine | Ambulance | OPD | Doctors | Operation | Emergency | Prescription | Injection |
| Hotel | Rooms | Parking | Reception | Waiter | Check out | Dormitory | Tariff | Bedwin Café | Recreational Amenities
|
| School | Teachers | Students | Class rooms | Canteen | Recess | Duster | Notice Board | Exam | ??? |
|
Garden |
Trees | Plants | Flowers | Benches | Fountains | ?? | ??? | ?? | ?? |
5. Pick and make
This is a bit different and advance game. Here the participants would speak complete sentence. The teacher show an image of something….e.g : Shopping Mall. the teacher can stimulate the speech. Firstly, the teacher utters the model sentence saying, “He needs to buy one Jeans”. If the teacher points out to the T-Shirt, students will have to say,” he wants to buy T-shirt and this continues …
For example: ( model sentences)
Milan wants to buy a jeans.
Krupa needs to buy some T-Shirt.
Jisha likes to have one shorts…
Paresh buys Hanky.
Kabir is buying Kurta….
Dipak wishes to have one shirt
6. Ever and never
This game is based on short questions and answers which a young learner always enjoys. In fact in this activity a learner directly start dialogue without any hesitation. As the choice of answer is very limited he/she feels confident to recite the same answer with a little modification. The instructor would bind the learner for any specific answer nor he would instruct the learner to memorize any answer. The teacher would ask the following questions, one by one. They can answer without any hesitation in short sentences as indicated below. They can use the two words “often” or “never” in their answer.
For example
Q- Teacher: Do you enjoy Ice-Cream?
- Student: Yes ! I often enjoy Ice-Cream.
Q- Teacher: Have you ever been in Delhi?
- Student: No, I’ve never been in Delhi.
Q- Teacher: Do you like travelling?
- Student: No, I’ve never like travelling.
The beginning of the game should be simple. Trainer may ask one or two sentences using the words, “ever” “often”. Now the teacher can make the students to come out with their own examples. The teacher should give all ample opportunities to speak.
For example: ( model sentences)
Have you ever seen a Tiger?
Have you ever touched a Snake?
Have you ever danced on a song?
Have you ever donated blood?
7. Q & A Drill
This game is also little advance one. In this game entire class is divided into various teams of two students. Basically, it is team game which requires good preparation of a trainer. This game motivates the participant to think over some different situations hypothetically but it helps the students practice vocabulary and sentence structures. The teacher has to prepare for pair work by establishing what the questions and answers to be if it is a question and answer drill. First of all, a pair needs to be pre- instructed by teacher to demonstrate the act to entire class.
For an example:
- What do you do if you become …?
- What do you need to do to have….?
- What will you do if you see a person meets with an accident…?
- What will you do if your wallet is lost in new place…?
- If you are not enjoying a subject what is your solution?
When the teacher asks these kind of simple questions to the students, from their own day today experiences, they will naturally give one answer or more than answers like.
8. Crossword puzzles
This game does not require any explanation. In fact, this game is also played a lot but not much in the class room. This game requires good imaginative power of a student to fit words across and down words into spaces in a square diagram. This exercise will stimulate the students to have more word power and creative thinking. It will also give them an aesthetic sense to form a diagram of the English letter “E”.
Down words: 1. it is a wild animal with black colored skin…
Cross words: 1. Jammu and Kashmir’s famous fruit…
- It is a small electronic device the removes darkness.
- It is a principle of beliefs.
E L P P A
L
E
P
H C R O T
A
N
T E N E T
9. Dialogue game
Learning language through dialogue has always been a popular way increasing linguistic skill. All the participants recite some dialogue and will practice this continuously. The teacher then encourages the class students to get into pairs and try out similar dialogue. The activity is communicative where a person tries to ask the other for some information, or both need to exchange some dialogue. Thus, a conversation activity improves the speaking skills and confidence of students. There can be variety of dialogue such as:
A dialogue between;
- parent and child
- Teacher and Student.
- Two Sisters.
- Two best friends meeting after long time.
- A dialogue between a boy and love.
- A dialogue between a shopkeeper and customer.
- Two neighbor.
For example: (Grammar class)
Doctor: Next patient please
Jay (Patient): Good evening sir.
Doctor: What is your name?
Jay (Patient): I am Jay Patel sir.
Doctor: What has happened to you Jay?
Jay (Patient): I am feeling fever
Doctor: Since how many days do you feel so ?
Jay (Patient): I am feeling like this for last 4 days.
Doctor: Do feel cold and cough too?
Jay: Yes sir.
Doctor: Jay. Open your mouth and say ‘aaaahhhhh’
Jay there is infection in your throat…have you travelled in last week or have you eaten junk food in last 3-4 days?
Jay: Yes sir…I had been to Mt.Abu with friends and had lots of junk food with soft drinks…
Doctor: Jay…that is so well for your health… the fewer is just due to soft drinks and travelling….
Jay: I am sorry sir…but I will take care of this thing next time…
Doctor: It is ok jay…I am giving you a few medicines…but make sure that you are not taking junk food for next one month and never take soft drink. You will get recovery in 5-6 days.
10. Conclusion
Experts have observed that the prime objective of a language is to get connected with people and society. There are many English words that children speak in English although there is no direct teaching. In fact , there are many experts who believe that the sessions of language learning must contains some acts, games or some modules of active learning through which language learners get indulged sufficiently. Incorporating games such as these would not make the class active but also inspires the learners for further situational imagination. Games bring the spirit ‘comradeship’ which brings ‘Zeal’ to positive interaction and conversations
Reference
Curry,Mark. “The Best Way to Learn a Language: Playing Games!” Fluento. Web. https://www.fluentu.com/blog/best-way-to-learn-a-new-foreign-language-online/
Ellis, R. The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: OUP, 1994.
Harbord, 1992. The use of The Mother Tongue in the classroom. ELT Journal (October) pp.350-355.
Nuan, D. 1989. Designing tasks for the communicative classroom. Cambridg, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R. 1990.Language learning strategies: what every teacher should know. New York: Newbury House.
Thomson and Wyatt, 1935. The essentials of English Grammar: London: Allen and Unwin.