Teach English in BAdagongshAn Zhen - Zhangjiajie Shi

Using games to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) can be very effective if done properly. A teacher needs to use the games at the appropriate time in the lesson plan to stimulate interest and allow students to use the game as a way to practice what they are learning. The games must be clearly defined with the students understanding the rules and goals of the games they are participating in. Knowing which skill you are training (listening, writing, speaking, reading) is important to have your students get the most out of the games they are playing. Games are an effective way to help students learn as long as they are used correctly. In the Engage, Study, Activate (ESA) lesson plan, games are use in a specific way to maximize student learning. During the Engage stage, games should be short, simple and rarely used. Use knowledge and materials from past lessons in the games to help students gain interest in class activities and get them to start thinking in English. During the Study phase, games should not be used as this stage is used to present new information to students to learn. Games are used to practice knowledge and skills already learned. The Activate stage is the stage where games should be used the most often. Using games in the Activate stage allows the students to use the knowledge and skills learned during the Study phase to complete a new activity as well as stimulate interest and participation at the end of the lesson when the student’s attention is waning. Using games during the correct stage of the lesson plan will stimulate interest and maximize knowledge retention. When utilizing games in the classroom, it is essential that students clearly understand the game and how to play it, otherwise the students will spend all their time trying to understand the game and not practicing the knowledge and skills taught. The game must first be clearly named and described. The game’s rules, procedures and objectives need to be clear and well understood. To ensure the class understands, conduct a quick demonstration of how the game is played with your stronger students to show the class what the right way is supposed to look like. If time is available, separate the game into two stages: and easier stage first and a harder stage second. The easy stage allows students to become familiar with the game while using the knowledge and skills learned earlier while the harder stage will fully challenge students. By following these steps, games can be used by students to learn the knowledge and skills taught. The skills taught to students (reading, writing, speaking, listening) must be considered when choosing what games to play and how to play them. For example, if students are learning reading skills, it is a bad idea to play a game focusing on speaking. A good example of the correct way is to teach students listening skills is using the game bingo where the student’s bingo cards have pictures of the words being spoken by the teacher. Also, using a crossword puzzle is a good method for students to use reading and writing skills. A single game can be used in different ways to teach different skills. Use words on a bingo card to teach listening and reading. The teacher must always consider not just the subject the game will exercise, but the skills as well. Games are an excellent tool for teaching EFL when used correctly. The games need to be used at the right time in the ESA lesson structure. Instructions and goals must be clear and well defined so students spend the time using English to play the game and not trying to figure out how to play the game. Each game must be designed to not only teach the grammar or vocabulary but the skills desired. When used correctly, games will enhance a student’s learning experience through practice and fun.