The Importance of Games

Why games are important for languages learners?

Games are very important to learn and get a language. When a teacher Starts his lesson , he/she needs to expose Ss to the language ,so he/she needs to create a suitable environment in his/her class room. Here games play an important role in this process.

How do games help teachers to create a suitable environment for Ss? When a teacher teaches a conversation he/ she must not teach it as reading skill. Too many ESL teachers do , they let their Ss read  conversations that is why Ss find it difficult to get or learn a language. In addition, Ss do not  get conversations as a speaking skill they get it as a reading skill. Therefore, ESL teachers must teach it as a speaking skill. One of the games that helps Ss speak and not read  conversations is “Look up and Speak.”

“Aim: Encourage Ss to look at their partners while practicing

Conversations.

Levels: All

Preparation: None

• Point out that it’s important to look at your partner when speaking.
• Explain the task. Ss work in pairs. S1 looks briefly at the first line of the

                conversation and tries to remember it. Then S1 looks up at S2 and says

               the line. S2 looks briefly at the next line of conversation, tries to

                remember it, and then looks up and says it.

• Model the task with one or two Ss.
• Ss complete the task in pairs.

Note: This technique works best when Ss stand up and face each other.

           It’s a useful way to help Ss develop eye contact while speaking.”( Interchange Fresh idea, Cambridge University )

Look up and speak is only a drop of rain in an ocean. We can change our traditional methods of teaching , and start to create an exposure environment of learning a language if we followed communicative games and activities . An active teacher makes an active student. Ultimately, games are a way of exposing Ss to a language , as well as it helps ESL teachers to overcome too many teaching problems.

Sadam Al-olfi