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Using Games in Teaching English to Young Learners
Lin Hong
zhangyllh |at| hotmail.com
Guangdong Foreign Language Normal School (Guangdong, China)
I. How to Choose a Game
Students may wish to play games purely Ior Iun. Teachers, however, need more convincing reasons. 'Teachers need to consider which
games to use, when to use them, how to link them up with the syllabus, textbook or programme and how, more speciIically, diIIerent
games will beneIit students in diIIerent ways (Khan, J.1996).' The key to a successIul language game is that the rules are clear, the
ultimate goal is well deIined and the game must be Iun.
Below are some questions which we might consider as we choose a game:
O hich language does the game target?
O hich skills does it practice? The language skill Iocus could be any one oI the major skills oI listening, speaking, reading or
writing.
O hat type oI game is it?
O hat's the purpose Ior using it?
O oes it Iit the students? How could I simpliIy or make it more complex iI necessary? Many games require modiIication in use
when the students' need are taken into consideration.
O How much interaction and participation is there? Maximum involvement is something we are pursuing.
O o I like the game myselI?
II. Hints and Suggestions
O hen giving instructions to beginners, a Iew words in the mother tongue would be the quickest way to make everything clear.
More English exposure is needed at a later stage.
O Games are best set up by demonstration rather than by lengthy explanation.
O It is very important not to play a game Ior too long. Students will begin to lose interest. It is best to stop a game at its peak.
III. The "Magic Matchbox" Game
This is a guessing game played by teams to practice numbers.
O Exponent: How many? There are.
O dditional benefits: genuine communication; hidden drilling; teamwork
O Language needed: numbers 1 to 11
O Time: 10 to 15 minutes
O Material: 1 matchbox; 11 toothpicks per person
O !reparation
1. The teacher challenges the students to count the 11 toothpicks in his/her hand. To model the game, the teacher then puts
some into the matchbox, shakes it and asks the students to guess how many are inside.
2. The teacher explains how to play the game in the students native language iI necessary.
3. The teacher divides the class into two teams, giving each team an English name, eg. the Roosters and the Monkeys.
Then the teacher write the the team names on the board Ior scoring during the game.
4. II the class has a large number oI students, this is one way to get smaller teams. Choose 10 players Irom each team by
chanting together a 'choosing rhyme' such as the Iollowing:
ne, two, three, Iour,
&T, &T!
(The student chosen is the one you are pointing at on the word &T!)
5. Each player secretly puts no more than 11 toothpicks into his/her matchbox.
O uring the Game
1. The Iirst player Irom the Roosters stands up, shakes the matchbox in his/her hand. His/her team members shout together
'How many?.' The Monkeys then give the answer by replying 'There are.'.
2. II the guess is the correct number, the Monkeys wins a point. II not, the Roosters get the point.
3. Then switch roles. This time the Monkeys ask and the Roosters guess.
4. The game continues until all the players get a turn.
5. The teacher keeps a record oI the points on the board. The team with the most points wins.
#eference
O Khan, J. 1996 '&sing games in teaching English to young learners' in (eds)BrumIit, C, Teaching English to Children. From
Practice to Principle England: Longman