ENGLISH WITH FUN

GAMES IN THE CLASSROOM

Introduction
Games and games-based learning have been a part of education for decades. However, with new technological advances, digital games
have recently emerged as a new teaching tool. Neuroscience has proven that "Games are tailor made to fit the very different tasks animals and
humans will face." (Frost, Wortham, and Reifel, p. 66)
There are several definitions of game:

an activity that you do for fun, that has rules, and that you can win or lose.
an activity that children do for fun that may not have rules or a winner
a game of chance, an activity, especially one in which you gamble money, that depends on luck rather than skill
a type of sport
an activity or situation that someone seems to be treating less seriously than it should be treated.

Moreover, some teachers think that language games are a waste of time and prefer not to use them in classroom since games sometimes have
been considered only for its one element, that is fun. In fact, games can provide EFL and ESL students more than that. Among several strategies
used to improve students' proficiency such as visual aids, CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), drama, role-play, and so on, games are
another useful strategy to promote students' language proficiency (Richard - Amato, 1996).
This paper aims to give a clear understanding of what games are and why and how games are used in the classroom.

What Are Games?

Language games are not activities mainly aimed to break the ice between students or to kill time. Byrne (1995) gave the definition to
games as a form of play governed by rules. They should be enjoyed and fun. They are not just a diversion, a break from routine activities, but a

way of getting the learner to use the langauge in the course of the game. Similarly, Jill Hadfield (1990) defined games as "an activity with rules, a
goal and an element of fun."
Therefore, games involve many factors: rules, competition, relaxation, and learning, in particular. The main focus of using game in class is to
help students learn and have fun.
Nevertheless, games are interactive play that teaches us goals, rules, adaptation, problem solving, interaction, all represented as a story. They
give us the fundamental needs of learning by providing - enjoyment, passionate involvement, structure, motivation, ego gratification, adrenaline,
creativity, social interaction and emotion. "Play has a deep biological, evolutionarily important, function, which has to do specifically with
learning." (Prensky, p. 6)

Motivation for Choosing Games in Teaching English

Game-based learning is an educational trend that is gaining more and more in popularity. The widespread use of media in the classroom
has paved the scene for the integration of digital games as a form of learning for students. Of course the selection of the digital games to use
with students is not an easy task. Teachers have to provide a pedagogical grounding for their selections and above all, the games they use should
meet the learning needs and objectives outlined by the curriculum.
There are several reasons for choosing games in teaching English as a foreign language.

Games are highly motivating for students of all ages and levels
Games are immensely amusing for both teacher and student.
Games fit the educational goal and foreign language general objectives: at the end of the school period, students should be able to use the
foreign language in appropriate social context, using a proper register.
Games are integrating. Games help to integrate the foreign language into the network of the learners own communicative competence.
One more important reason for choosing games is achieving the goal of communication. The methodology adopted when using games
involve active methods, techniques and strategies of learning, focusing on the communicative aspect of the language According to

research, educational gaming endorses student-centered learning. It brings together educational content, learning principles, and
computer games1, while meeting the needs of students who constantly interact with electronics by speaking their own language with
their tools.2 Furthermore, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), games promote active learning, learning by doing,
and learner-centered learning, all of which compel the student to become part of the learning processnot just the object of lectures or
reading materials."

Stages When Organising Games

To use games in classrooms, it is equally important that before playing the rules of the games are clearly explained and well understood
by the students. There should be only a few, well-explained rules. Demonstrations also can be very helpful because it can help students
understand the game and help them follow the rules. Otherwise, they will misunderstand the purpose of the game and they may not get the
benefits they should from the game. For example, if students do not understand the rules of the games called "Dictation Game" and just write
without following the instructions, then it is just an exercise in copying, and it doesn't help students with accuracy, pronunciation, or spelling at
all.
Dictation game: students work in pairs. One has to run and read the article posted and tell his partner who has to write down
what his partner tells him.
Stages

in

Games

Determining the objectives

Planning the lesson and the game
Preparing the materials
Grouping the students
Explaining the rules to the students
Identifying problems
Playing the game
Evaluation

In playing games, competition is very important because it can stimulate and encourage students to participate in the activity since naturally they
want to beat the other teams. As it happens, in the dictation game students run as fast as possible, remember as much as they can and speak as
loudly and clearly as they can. They run quickly back and forth, trying to memorize the content as much as possible. While playing, students
have fun, relax, exercise, and tease their friends. Apart from having fun, students learn at the same time. They acquire new vocabulary along with
its spelling and pronunciation. Students begin to realize that they have to speak or pronounce the words clearly if they want others to understand
what they are saying.

Deciding Which Game to Use

There are a great number of language games. So teachers have a variety of choices. However, in deciding which game to use in a
particular class and which games will be most appropriate and most successful with their students, teachers must take many factors into account.
According to Carrier (1990) teachers should first consider t he level of the game to fit their students' language level. They should choose the
game that fits the purposes of that class or the content. Moreover, teachers should consider students' chracteristics: whether they are old or young,
serious-minded or light-hearted, and highly motivated to learn or not. They should also consider when the game should be used because there is a
big difference between using the game in the morning or in the afternoon, on Monday or Friday.
In addition to the factors mention ed, teachers should also be able to play and overact sometimes to help students feel comfortable and want to
join the activity. This means teachers should thoroughly understand the game and its nature and be able to lead the game.
It is quite difficult to find a game that meets all of the teachers' requirements. Some games must be adapted in order to fit students' language
level, natures, and characteristics. The most important factor is that games should be used when they can give students both fun and educational
meaning otherwise they will be a waste of time.
According to J. Hadfield, there are two kinds of games:

competitive games
co-operative games

Another known classification is that of:

vocabulary games
grammar (or structure) games

Also, games can vary according to the students level. The levels are: beginners /elementary intermediate, which can
be divided in lower intermediate, intermediate and upper intermediate advanced.
According to:

type of audience we distinguish :

*real world concerns
*simulated real world issues

number of persons involved are:

*individual
*pair games, involving two partners
*group games, involving groups of three or four
*whole class games, involving the whole class

duration, games can be:

*short, for 5-15minutes
*medium, for15-30minutes
*long, for one whole teaching class

[a.]

The main skill they are focusing on, games can be for:
*listening

*speaking
*reading
*writing
According to the stage of the lesson when a game is used, we distinguish three main types:

starters, or ice-breakers
in-betweens
endgames

The games make use of a variety of techniques such as:

information gap
search
matching
matching-up
combining
games problems and puzzles
role-play
simulations

EXAMPLES OF GAMES ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE CLASSIFICATIONS

An example of competitive game is the snakes and ladders type.

Board game 4

An example of co-operative game is an information gap activity.

The Bailey Gold Cup

Example of vocabulary games

Word Chains
Odd Word Out

Example of grammar game

Noughts and Crosses

Example of game for elementary level:

How many?

Example of game for the intermediate level:

The three wishes game

Example of game for advanced level:

The article game

Examples of games played in pairs, groups, with the whole class or individual:

-Bingo Mania
The School Bus
Lost in Space
Whats the Meaning?
Guilty Game

Drama games
Examples of icebreakers:

Cup ball

 My names X, and what about you?

Examples of in-betweens games:

The preposition game

Taxi
Examples of end games:

Quick-fire revision
Any questions?
Simon says
Example of information gap activity:

Time zones
Example of guessing game:

Holiday quiz
Example of search game:

The last game

Example of matching game:

Good intentions or The road to hell

Example of matching-up game:

Socializing

Example of exchanging and collecting game:

Heads, bodies sand legs

Example of combining game:

The seven families game

Example of card games:

Good news, bad news

Example of word puzzle:

How Many Words?

Example of role play:

Promises, promises
Example of simulation game:

Getting there on time

The Advantages of Games

According to Richard-Amato (1996), even though g ames are often associated with fun, we should not lose sight of their pedagogical
values, particularly in second language teaching. Games are effective because they provide motivation, lower students' stress, and give them the
opportunity for real communication.
The main reason why games are considered effective learning aids is that "they spur motivation and students get very absorbed in the competitive
aspects of the games; moreover, they try harder at games than in other courses" (Avedon, 1971). Naturally when playing games, students are

trying to win or to beat other teams for themselves or on the behalf of their team. They are so competitive while playing because they want to
have a turn to play, to score points and to win. In the class, students will definitely participate in the activities. Therefore, it is possible for a
teacher to introduce students to new ideas, grammar, knowledge and so on. As in the dictation game, students are so competitive that they want to
finish first and win. It can be clearly seen th at games can capture students' attention and participation. They can motivate students to want to
learn more. Moreover, they can transform a boring class into a challenging one.
Another reason why games are often used in language classes is that they lower students' stress in the classroom. In conventional classrooms,
there is a lot of stress put on students trying to master the target language. Schultz (1988) said that
"...Stress is a major hindrance in language learning process. This process [Learning language in traditional way ] is by its nature time
consuming and stress provoking... ... raise the stress level to a point at which it interferes with student attention and efficiency and undermines
motivation. ..... one method has been developed to make students forget that they are in class ....relax students by engaging them in stressreducing task (games)."
There is a high level of stress in the classroom because students have to face unfamiliar or unknown grammatical structures, words, texts and so
forth. Therefore, students often feel uncomfortable and insecure in class, which inevitably affects their ability to learn. As a result, games can
help lower their anxiety, make them feel comfortable, and want to learn more. It is believed that when students play games, they relax and have
fun. Since students know that they are playing games and want to communicate efficiently t hey do not worry about making mistakes and do not
try to correct themselves in every single sentence. When students are free from worry and stress, they can improve their fluency and natural
speaking styles.
Next, students learn without realizing that they are learning (Schultz, 1988.) For instance, when playing a game called "What Would You Do If?"
students will have to pick one hypothetical question from those that they have written in a box. They might get a question like "What would you
do if a lion came into this classroom?" Next they have to pick one answer that they have written before. The answer they get may be "I would be
a fly." Usually the question and the answer they get do not match each other, so students have to use their own imaginations to explain their
bizarre answer, and everyone has fun listening to it. The explanation might be "If a lion came into this classroom, I would be a fly because I am a
good person, so an angel would come and rescue me by turning me into a fly." While trying to explain, students do not worry too much about
grammar mistakes because they want to communicate and to explain why it can happen. Apart from having fun, students do not worry about
errors and punishment; moreover, they will learn a grammatical rule and have a chance to use it. Thus, they learn unconsciously-learn without
realizing they are learning. Students stop thinking about language and begin using it in a spontaneous and natural manner within the classroom
(Schutz, 1988.)

Another advantage is increasing students' proficiency. Playing games in the classroom can enormously increase students' ability in using
language because students have a chance to use language with a purpose in the situations provided. Hadfield (1990) confirms that " games
provide as much concentrated practice as a traditional drill and more importantly, they provide an opportunity for real communication, albeit
within artificially defined limits, and thus constitute a bridge between classroom and the real word. " Like in a traditional classroom, students
have an opportunity to drill and practice using grammatical rules and other functions. For example, look at the "Find Someone Who" game in
which students have to ask classmate s the questions implied by the chart such as: "Can you swim?" "Do you have a pet?" etc.
Find Someone Who...
Likes rock music.
Can sew.
Has a big family.
Watches TV
every day.

Loves watching
movies.
Cannot swim.
Likes green.
Is having a good
time.

Likes to cook.

Has a pet.

Is reading a novel.
Hates durians. :
Has visited three
Countries.

Loves chocolate.
Loves English.
Can speak two
languages.

Students have to mingle around the classroom to find whoever these statements apply to and then write their names in the appropriate places.
Whoever can fill their page first will be the winner. While playing, students practice asking and answering questions. They may have to repeat
the same question several times until they get to the right person. This provides the opportunity to drill and repeat as in a conventional classroom,
but with playing games it is more communicative and meaningful. Moreover, it will link students to the real world because they can actually
speak like this outside the classroom. Therefore, playing games in classroom does not only give students a chance to use English, but it can also
connect them to the real usage of language outside the class.

When to Use Games

It is necessary for those who want to use games as a learning aid to be concerned about how to use them. Hadfield (1990) suggested that
"games should be regarded an integral part of the language syllabus, not an amusing activity for Friday afternoon of for the end of the term."
Games can contribute to students' skills if they are incorporated into the classroom, particularly if they are used to reinforce or introduce a
grammatical rule or structure. For example in the games called "What Would You Do If?" and "Find Someone Who..." students do not only have
fun in class but they learn about some grammatical rules; they also have a chance to practice and use it with purpose. In "What Would You Do

If?" students learn about the conditionals. In "Find Someone Who," students learn how to form questions and answers. Therefore, as we have
seen before, it is quite a good idea to incorporate games in daily classes. For example, if teachers are going to introduce present tenses or
conditionals, instead of teaching them in a traditional way, (by simply telling them the rules, have them do some written exercises, drilling and
answering questions), teachers may help students understand these forms of grammar by playing games, which can also meet all the requirements
of the traditional classes involving learning rules, drilling and repeating. Moreover, students can take this opportunity to use them in real
communication.
However, even though games sometimes do not work since student have different learning styles and preferences, and some other factors such as
being used in an inappropriate time, the nature of games themselves, and even the nature of teachers, it is still worth trying to us e them in class
because they offer several good advantages to students. Language games used in the classroom are very effective and supportive activities in
contributing to students' language skills and proficiency. Unfortunately, because of limitations of time and curriculum, teachers normally have to
cover all the content and materials, which students will be tested on, and it is not always easy to incorporate games into the class.
Nevertheless, it can be seen that games are very useful and can be used to develop students' language learning and also provide the students an
opportunity to practice communication. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers try some games that may be useful to their students in order to
enhance students' proficiency and help them meet their goals, and at least to try new things in teaching.

Conclusion
One of the main benefits of integrating games into the curriculum is that it brings a tool into the classroom in which students are familiar
with and enjoy using. Gee (2005) mentions many benefits of GAME PLAY in education, such as students having to follow a set of rules, analyze
their options, make decisions, perform tasks, and evaluate the results on whether their decision produced the desired outcome or not. Games also
encourage pattern identification, exploration, and provide a reinforced scaffolding approach to learning; taking what they know and have learned

and connecting this with new information being introduced. The most interesting insight Gee (2005) spoke about was just-in-time and on
demand learning. Understandably, for any of us, when we have made clear connections, we become open and ready for new information. All
students learn at their own speed, and when they reach an intellectual milestone, only then are they able to truly receive new information, process
it, and apply it to demonstrate learning. This method of learning focuses on the individual student; actively encouraging them to grasp concepts
in a non-threatening manner, then motivating them to move forward as soon as THEY are ready. This creates a more meaningful learning
experience that ensures learning is taking place.
GAME DEVELOPMENT has all of the benefits of game play however, it has additional benefits. Creating games focuses on the student as the
teacher and teacher as the facilitator, guide or resource. As the teacher, students have a better opportunity to master content because they must
first collect, organize, analyze and interpret information; then plan, apply and creatively explain the concept to demonstrate understanding; and
finally create a mini-game based on their own understanding of the content which in turn, teaches that concept to someone else; the game player
(Overbaugh & Schultz, n.d.), (Prensky, 2008). This process can help students build self-efficacy as they are given more control over their
learning, are able to create something that has value to them and their peers, and are recognized and rewarded for their unique ideas and
creativity (Prensky, 2008). Other benefits include soft skill building in peer-to-peer and peer-to-teacher communication, collaboration and
cooperation.

Benefits of Using Games

Involves students in active learning

Enlivens rote memorization

Can encourage students to draw on analysis, synthesis, evaluation

Can increase student motivation

Leverages a common experience among students

Provides intrinsic rewards

Can foster a more positive attitude toward the classroom experience more attention, better attendance, better participation

Can improve retention, decision-making skills, and comprehension of general principles

Can encourage cooperation

Games are a stimulus for both students to learn English and for teachers to teach the curriculum content in an interesting way

Games are a stimulus for both students to learn English and for teachers to teach the Game

Though the main objective of a game may be to acquaint students with new words or phrases and help them consolidate grammar, they
also helped develop the students communicative competence. The desire to solve or win a game sharpened the students skills of
communication.

During games, students talk a lot to clarify ideas, feelings, to organize themselves so games made them think to what they have heard by
relevant comments, questions or actions. For certain pupils who usually find discussions stressful and unpleasant games increased their
confidence and easiness to speak.

Challenges to Bringing Game Play and Development into the Classroom

Most of the time it is said that games dont fit well on a time table. Its hard to determine how long it will take a student to accomplish subgoals and ultimately finish a game, which can pose a problem for teachers wanting to outline how long classroom units should take. While we
could set a deadline for when students must end the game and move onto a new unit, we also run into the problem of students feeling discouraged
from not successfully finishing a game. If we allow students to stay on a game until they finish, we run the risk of some students falling behind
others. It also creates much more for the teacher to keep track of.
Moreover, obtaining buy-in from the administration and parents as the perception society has on games revolves around them either being a
waste of time or a negative influence on our youth; as well as securing resources and support could prove immense drowbacks.

In addition, other teachers may oppose adopting this method, as Prensky explains (2008) because they have been taught to be, and are most
comfortable with being, the authority on information acquisition. Many teachers are afraid to try something out of the realm of their knowledge
and experience because they believe they must have all of the answers for their students. However, with educational strategies today focusing on
student-centered learning, so should professional development training. Teachers need to be trained on how to assist student growth by working
along-side them, guiding them when needed, and learning along with students.
I do believe in using game play and development as learning tools in the classroom. However, the games students play in the classroom need to
be evaluated for content and learning goals to ensure their effectiveness. Game development offers higher pedagogical application, engages and
motivates students to be active participants in their learning (as games are a regular part of todays society), and encourages students to take
responsibility for their learning. Using game development in my classroom proved to be as much of an enlightening experience for me as it was
for my students. My classroom was filled with active and focused energy. Students were excited to find I did not have all of the answers, yet I
would work along side them to research or explore a solution. It became a competition to them to be the first to find the answer. When they did, I
would take a moment to stop the class, have the student share what they had discovered, then let the student demonstrate/teach me (and other
students interested) how to solve the problem presented. I would then have the student create the single-action/event in the game software and
upload it to our library resource with their name next to it. When other students needed to know how to perform that action/event, they would
download and open the file, then review how the action/event was applied to reverse engineer the action/event for their game.

Helpful Teaching Tips

Some Dos

Define your educational objectives

Keep the games challenging, but not frustrating

Provide opportunities for success and positive reinforcement

Maintain a combination of knowledge and luck

Cooperative teams can be beneficial

Be sure to debrief afterwards

Try incorporating some student generated questions

Be firm, fair and friendly

Start learning the students names from the first day.

Give clear instructions

Teach simple instructions that you will use regularly

Encourage students to listen to and read English wherever possible

Use the mother tongue to give instructions if they are very complex

Vary pairs and groups

Check that students are doing what you have set them to do.

Correct students pronunciation

Write neatly

Some Donts

Do not be afraid to let students talk

Do not always expect a spoken response
Use games to ensure the students interest.

Do not forget you are teachers of young people, not just teachers of English

ANEXA 1

My Classmates
How well do you know really know your classmates? Find someone who fits each sentence and let that person sign his or her
name in the space. Ask questions in English.

1. ___________________________ has a telephone number that ends with 5.

2. ___________________________ lives more than two hours from school.
3. ___________________________ plans to go to New York this summer.
4. ___________________________ went skiing during winter vacation.
5. ___________________________ rides a motorcycle to school.
6. ___________________________ will go to a movie on Saturday.
7. ___________________________ has two younger brothers.
8. ___________________________ rides a bicycle to school.
9. ___________________________ `s favorite color is blue.
10. __________________________ likes to play volleyball.

11. __________________________ has a birthday in June.

12. __________________________ eats bread every day.
13. __________________________ has a dog for a pet.
14. __________________________ likes to read books.
15. __________________________ can play the guitar.
16. __________________________ does not like cake.
17. __________________________ plays baseball.
18. __________________________ enjoys swimming.
To the Teacher: Add you own sentences and/or delete the sentences which do not fit your teaching situation.

ANEXA 2.
http://www.edhelper.com/clipart/darkjpg.jpg
http:// Quiz Hub

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