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Language Games

The document discusses the benefits of using games in language learning. It argues that games engage students in creative language use, promote communicative competence, reduce anxiety, and integrate various language skills. Examples are provided of games like assembling a jigsaw puzzle and describing it, doing math problems from oral instructions, and identifying children's stories from audio excerpts. The document advocates for games as task-based activities that provide a meaningful context for language practice.

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36 views

Language Games

The document discusses the benefits of using games in language learning. It argues that games engage students in creative language use, promote communicative competence, reduce anxiety, and integrate various language skills. Examples are provided of games like assembling a jigsaw puzzle and describing it, doing math problems from oral instructions, and identifying children's stories from audio excerpts. The document advocates for games as task-based activities that provide a meaningful context for language practice.

Uploaded by

Good Chance
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Language Games

In recent years language researchers and practitioners have shifted their focus from
developing individual linguistic skills to the use of language to achieve the speaker's
objectives. This new area of focus, known as communicative competence, leads language
teachers to seek task-oriented activities that engage their students in creative language use.
Games, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech,
serve as excellent communicative activities (Saricoban & Metin 2000). On the surface, the
aim of all language games is for students to "use the language"; however, during game play
learners also use the target language to persuade and negotiate their way to desired results.
This process involves the productive and receptive skills simultaneously.

Games offer students a fun-filled and relaxing learning atmosphere. After learning
and practicing new vocabulary, students have the opportunity to use language in a non-
stressful way (Uberman 1998). While playing games, the learners' attention is on the
message, not on the language. Rather than pay attention to the correctness of linguistic
forms, most participants will do all they can to win. This eases the fear of negative
evaluation, the concern of being negatively judged in public, and which is one of the main
factors inhibiting language learners from using the target language in front of other people
(Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope 1986). In a game-oriented context, anxiety is reduced and
speech fluency is generated--thus communicative competence is achieved.

The benefits of using games

The benefits of using games in language-learning can be summed up in nine points.

 are learner centered.


 promote communicative competence.
 create a meaningful context for language use.
 increase learning motivation.
 reduce learning anxiety.
 integrate various linguistic skills.
 encourage creative and spontaneous use of language.
 construct a cooperative learning environment.
 foster participatory attitudes of the students.

Examples of Language Games

I. Mysterious Landmarks

Competitors assemble a 20-piece jigsaw puzzle of a world famous landmark (such as the
Eiffel Tower, Mt. Fuji the Great Wall, etc).Then they describe puzzle image in five sentences
to complete the task.

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This game encourages students' productive skills and elicits their speech fluency. Cross-
culture concepts are also addressed. The number, the length, and the patterns of sentence
can vary depending on the students' language ability and linguistic points the instructor
would like to reinforce.

II. What's the Number?

Participants use the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, division and
multiplication) to compute a simple mathematical equation provided orally by the instructor.

They call out the correct answer as soon as possible. This game addresses students'
listening skills and tests their understanding of numbers, which is often an important part of
language teaching materials.

III. Story Time

Participants pick and listen to a tape randomly selected from a provided stack of tapes
(the recording contains a spoken excerpt of a well-known children's story, such as the Snow
White, the Ginger Bread Man, etc). After listening to the entire excerpt, competitors
correctly identify the title of the story from a provided list.

The recorded stories are all classical bedtime stories for young children and have been
translated into most of the major languages worldwide. Students should be familiar with
those stories. This game focuses on gist-listening skills. Students only need to catch the key
terms to figure out what the story is.

You can find more details on http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Chen-Games.html

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