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Games are a great tool to encourage creativity and an environment of healthy competition among the students in a classroom. They can also be used to start active communication in students. There are many games that are specifically designed for use by an ESL teacher, or the games can be modified in a way that they can be used in the classroom. The Unit 5 of the ITTT 50-hour Business English course mentions that games can be adapted as a source of learning in the Business English lessons. In the same unit, a game is defined as "any activity with a purpose, rules and an element of fun". In earlier times, the general notion was that games are fun but are not suitable for the classroom. Games and playtime were reserved for after school. But recently more schools and teachers are incorporating games in their lessons to practice vocabulary, grammar and language points. Through this essay, using examples, I aim to discuss the various games that can be used in the classroom to make learning more fun. Below are some examples: 1. Hangman: This is a great game to teach new vocabulary to the students. The teacher can start with an easy word and gradually increase the difficulty of the words. In case the teacher wants to extend the game, they can even draw ears and eyes on the stickman. Once the students identify the word, the teacher picks a student and asks them to give the meaning or the definition of the word. If the students are unable to explain the meaning of the word, the teacher explains it to them. This game is also described in the Unit 5 of the ITTT 50-hour Business English course. 2. Situation Board Game: The students are given a board with squares on it. Each square has a situation written on it, for example - "Ask your colleague for the presentation deadline." Students take turns and roll the die. The number displayed on the die is the number of boxes you have to move forward. The situation mentioned in the box must be enacted by every student playing the game. The student who best enacts the situation can skip the next turn. 3. Taboo: The teacher makes cards with a word written on the top which the student must try to explain to his teammates. Below that word there are three more words that the student is not allowed to use (Taboo words) when explaining the word on the top. For example - the word that needs to be explained is "Human Resources", the words that the student is prohibited to use are "recruiting", "payroll", "interviewing". For this game, the class is divided into teams. The teams take turns in picking cards and explaining the word. If a team member uses the Taboo word, the team loses a point. The team that gets the maximum number of words correct, wins. 4. One Down Role Play: This is a role play game where the teacher pairs the students up. Each of the students are given a role, for example one student plays the receptionist and another student plays someone who is calling to make an inquiry. In this game the conversation must go on until one of the students fails to give an answer. For example - Person A: Hello. I am calling to talk to Mr. Chong. Receptionist: I'm sorry but he is unavailable at the moment. Can I take down your message? Person A: When will he be available? Receptionist: It is difficult for me to say that at the moment since he seems preoccupied with work. And so on, until one of them gives up. The student who keeps the conversation going wins. 5. Crossword: A crossword puzzle is a great way to teach vocabulary to the students. The teacher can divide the class into small groups and hand out a sheet with the crossword puzzle to each group. The puzzle consists of some clues and the students try to figure out the correct word that matches the description and put it in the crossword puzzle. The teacher may also give hints to the students if they find it difficult to solve the puzzle. The students work together to solve the crossword and the group to finish it first wins. These are some of the games that can be used in a classroom to make learning more fun. Business English learners are usually too caught up with work and some fun activities in the classroom can prove very helpful for them to unwind. These games also give them an opportunity to bond well while learning which could in turn even makes them stronger as a team in the company. The Unit 2 of the ITTT 50-hour Business English course mentions that the teacher plays the role of an instructor, facilitator and policeman. These games give the opportunity to the teacher to play all of those roles as the teacher has to instruct them about the game. The teacher also plays the role of a facilitator as they make sure that the students learn through the games and the objective of the lesson is complete. They also play the role of a policeman as they have to make sure of the discipline in the classroom. So, games can be incorporated in the lessons and can prove to be a great tool in English teaching.
