Teach English in YesAnguAn Zhen - Enshi Tujiazu Miaozu Zizhizhou

Introduction: Games are usually a source of fun for many people. It is very difficult to find people who aren’t playing some sort of game regularly. It is even more difficult to and borderline impossible to find someone who hasn’t played and enjoyed a game in their lifetime. There is an allure to games that makes it interesting. And there’s a game for every person. Some people enjoy word games while others enjoy physical games. Other people enjoy games that are more based on luck while others are based on strategy. There’s basically a game for everybody. Because of the reasons mentioned above, there have been many approaches to using games or game-like activities in a teaching environment. There are many types of games and many methods to use. In recent years, there has been a general direction of more game-based/ activity-based classes. There has also been a direction towards the gamification of parts of entire classes. However, just using a game or an activity without paying attention to the class dynamic and learning objectives would end up negatively affecting the class instead of enhancing it. In the following pages, I am discussing the importance of games, reasons to use games in class, things to pay attention to.   Importance of games: As mentioned in the introduction, games in their multiple forms have been an attraction to humankind since the dawn of history. There is a type of game that suits every person’s personality. Dice, for example, have been dated back to as far as 2500 years ago. Herodotus has mentioned in one of his writings, how games saved the kingdom of Lydia from famine. They had a nationwide game of dice where everyone in the kingdom played one day and on the other day, they would eat. They survived like that for 18 years. Afterward, the king designed a competition and the winners would go and explore new land for the kingdom, thus decreasing the population by half. This ended up saving a whole civilization. Games provide us with distraction and motivation to subconsciously tackle problems that we might face difficulty with on a conscious level. They provide us with the satisfaction of achievement. And they also help us blend, socialize and make new friends. The average person would stay focused while playing a game much longer than while doing any other activity. You can see that by looking at how many people can stay over 30 hours playing a video game without stop or complaining. You can see it in the streets of Turkey where people in local coffee shops are playing their card games, backgammon or dominos. You can see it in a classroom when you play a puzzle or even a grammar game of Kahoot and the students don’t want you to stop.   Games can help us stay focused longer, stay motivated longer and produce and generate ideas. They satisfy many and not just one of the human psychological drives such as Social drive, acknowledgment, achievement, rewards…etc. Hence, using it in a learning environment can have a tremendous effect on students. Games can help a teacher grab their attention. They can help deliver a difficult point. They also can help with the application and production of language. Activities that we usually use in class are a form of a game in itself like role-playing, hanging man, guess the word, puzzles…etc. Can you imagine a class without any of such activity?!   Reasons to play a game in class: There can be multiple reasons to play games in class. And in the following paragraphs I’m talking about them in more details:                First reason: Energizing the students                      Some people would call these types of activities “Energizers”. Their main purpose is to energize the students when they low on energy, sleepy, or simple bored. They don’t necessarily have to serve a learning objective, but sometimes you can adapt them to do so. These kinds of Energizers are usually between 2 to 5 minutes while on average 3 minutes.                  Second reason: Practicing knowledge                      Sometimes you need to help students practice the language they acquired in a fun way and they are tired of worksheets and fill the gaps exercises. These types of games usually focus on a certain part of language and put a game or an activity around it. The main objective here is the language while entertainment is the secondary objective. There is a website called Kahoot where you can design a quiz where the questions are shown on boards while the students can choose the answers on the computer, phone or tablets. It shows points and allows for competition.                  Thirds reason: Building rapport and practicing language                       Games are an amazing way of building a connection between students in a class. When playing individually, it gives a sense of healthy rivalry. When done in groups, it build a sense of comradery. It is important to notice not to make it too competitive and to encourage healthy attitudes in these types as well. A little competition is harmless and healthy. Too much is dangerous.   Things to pay attention to: Now that we have seen the importance and the different reasons why we could use games in class. It is important to pay attention to certain issues that might arise: ·        Don’t play a game aimlessly and without a clear goal in mind, even if that goal is to energize the students. An unstructured and aimless game would end up boring or affect the actual learning content ·        Don’t force the game on students if they don’t like it. Try to use variable games that satisfy the tastes of as many students as you can. ·        Always have a clear structure and present it clearly to the students. Make sure they understand it. ·        Always dry run a new game before the class and do a demo before the start of the game to make sure everything run smoothly ·        Always debrief after long games to make sure that the students are on the same page and to resolve any negative feelings. ·        Be impartial and don’t favor certain groups, especially in competitive games   Conclusion: In conclusion, while using games in class can be helpful. It can also be tricky. It is important to be careful and prepare accordingly. Don’t completely forgo games and don’t make them the center of everything. A healthy balance is required. And always keep in mind the learning objectives. They are your guide in everything that you do inside the class. And with experience, games can be a very powerful tool that teachers can use.