25/02/2016
Improve English with Play
English (n.)
1. The language of England, now widely used throughout the world.
2. Spin or side imparted to a ball, especially in billiards: “Put more English on the ball.”
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“The use of games can be a powerful language learning tool. 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.”
(Chen, I-Jung, Tamking College, Taipei, Taiwan)
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There are many things people can do together but it’s difficult to have a conversation while playing basketball. To practice speaking we need a game that permits conversation. Billiards is a fun and effective way to learn to speak and understand English.
"Games are also motivating. Games introduce an element of competition into language-building activities. This provides valuable impetus to a purposeful use of language. (Prasad 2003) In other words, these activities create a meaningful context for language use…which enhances unconscious acquisition of inputs."
Students will speak English with the instructor and with their peers. They will learn new vocabulary and sentence patterns, and use those terms to effective and practical purpose in real time.
Sessions are accompanied by English commentary about what is going on, with dialogues using level-adjusted language representing many of the most common conversational and grammatical forms. These are repeated in conjunction with the game conditions and the student’s own performance, in a relaxed, fun environment.
The nature and pace of the game provides consistent and repeated opportunity for students to use new language in a self-rewarding fashion.
The language, thus connected to objects and actions, enhances both comprehension and retention.
"Games stimulate communicative skills. Students feel less afraid of using their English during game play. The competition gives students a natural opportunity to interact and communicate using English. Furthermore, by integrating playing and learning, students practice the learned linguistic knowledge in a vivid and meaningful context."
The benefits of using games in language-learning can be summed up in nine points:
- They 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 environmrnt and foster participatory attitudes of the students.
- A particular feature of games as a learning method is that students with lower language ability in a team can still contribute if they are good at skills other than languages.
