Here is a useful article written by Stacy Zeiger from BusyTeacher.
Stacy says, “It’s no surprise to learn that countries like America put a much stronger emphasis on free time and having fun than some of their Eastern counterparts. Some students come from countries where education and studying take up the bulk of their time, particularly because how they perform can determine their future occupation or social class. Other students come from countries where learning English is their ticket out of poverty, a chance at a better life, so their drive motivates them to study and learn as much as possible. While there’s nothing wrong with be studious, there’s only so much about English that can be learned from a book or even in a traditional classroom setting. A lot of the language can be learned best in more informal scenarios where students are doing the one thing they put off the most – having fun.
Hearing and Using Language in Context
Casual conversations and fun activities give learners the chance to hear and use English in context. You can talk all you want about expressions to use while dining out or slang to use with friends, but it takes a trip to McDonald’s, a dinner in someone’s home, or a picnic in the park and a game of pickup basketball for much of those expressions to truly set in”.
Getting English Language Learners to Put Down the Books and Have Some Fun