When I first started teaching ESL, English as a Second Language, in elementary schools in Japan, I was told that ESL games are a great way to kill time when you run out of things to do, or havent planned enough stuff and so you have time left at the end of class.
At the time, that kind of made sense to me but over the years, Ive started feeling that thats sort of offensive actually. I mean if our classes should provide something of value to children, what are we doing that we have to kill time? And what kind of poor planning results in too much time at the end of class.
The reality is that ESL classroom games are a very valuable resource in the classroom because in language learning activities, they give the students something very important and thats repetitive practice without the monotony. That practicing English is more like learning the rules to play a game which in turn is really just more practice.
Planning your lessons does require a little bit of fore thought. One, you must plan the games according to the classes grade level otherwise if the game is too complex, the activity won't go well. You also have to consider how many prior English lessons the students have had for that thematic unit. The reason is that some games allow the students a lot of freedom and thus don't work so well until the children are comfortable with the vocabulary.
Ways to use ESL games in the classroom--many elementary schools in Japan, set up classes that explore a thematic unit over the course of a month which averages out to about four lessons per month. Lesson one therefore is an introductory one.
The introductory lesson, everything new, everything is exciting. Because everything is new, the students will need a lot of help with their English and so games which have the students repeating after the teacher, like the "Magic Word Game," work well. Games in which students are reacting to something the teacher has said and thus just listening, like in the "Card Slap Game," are also appropriate.
During the second lesson, the students have been through at least 45 minutes of familiarization with the vocabulary and so the students are ready for a game that allows a little more autonomy. That means a game like the Fruit Basket Game, which has a very small vocabulary set (1-4 words) but at the same time requires students to remember those words.
The third lesson again allows the students to play games with even less interaction with the teacher. Games like the Whisper Game, and the Hot Potato Game, have the student communicating for nearly the whole round with no teacher participation.
By the fourth lessons, the children are ready to play games on their own, one on one with their friends. By this stage, the teacher can spot check the children as they play. This includes games like the "Monster Catcher Game," and "Through the Bombs."
When looked at in this manner, ESL classroom games, rise up out of the stigma of just killing time. They make English learning fun and something that they'll look forward too. And when used with skits and other activities, you'll have a wonderful, fast-paced class, that will have children bursting into the English room everyday.
Given the alternative of complex children's song, and repetitious drill and then toss in teacher unsure of his own English ability, I'd rather, as Ron White would say, be drug naked over a cactus with my mouth on the tailpipe of a greyhound bus. - 30224
At the time, that kind of made sense to me but over the years, Ive started feeling that thats sort of offensive actually. I mean if our classes should provide something of value to children, what are we doing that we have to kill time? And what kind of poor planning results in too much time at the end of class.
The reality is that ESL classroom games are a very valuable resource in the classroom because in language learning activities, they give the students something very important and thats repetitive practice without the monotony. That practicing English is more like learning the rules to play a game which in turn is really just more practice.
Planning your lessons does require a little bit of fore thought. One, you must plan the games according to the classes grade level otherwise if the game is too complex, the activity won't go well. You also have to consider how many prior English lessons the students have had for that thematic unit. The reason is that some games allow the students a lot of freedom and thus don't work so well until the children are comfortable with the vocabulary.
Ways to use ESL games in the classroom--many elementary schools in Japan, set up classes that explore a thematic unit over the course of a month which averages out to about four lessons per month. Lesson one therefore is an introductory one.
The introductory lesson, everything new, everything is exciting. Because everything is new, the students will need a lot of help with their English and so games which have the students repeating after the teacher, like the "Magic Word Game," work well. Games in which students are reacting to something the teacher has said and thus just listening, like in the "Card Slap Game," are also appropriate.
During the second lesson, the students have been through at least 45 minutes of familiarization with the vocabulary and so the students are ready for a game that allows a little more autonomy. That means a game like the Fruit Basket Game, which has a very small vocabulary set (1-4 words) but at the same time requires students to remember those words.
The third lesson again allows the students to play games with even less interaction with the teacher. Games like the Whisper Game, and the Hot Potato Game, have the student communicating for nearly the whole round with no teacher participation.
By the fourth lessons, the children are ready to play games on their own, one on one with their friends. By this stage, the teacher can spot check the children as they play. This includes games like the "Monster Catcher Game," and "Through the Bombs."
When looked at in this manner, ESL classroom games, rise up out of the stigma of just killing time. They make English learning fun and something that they'll look forward too. And when used with skits and other activities, you'll have a wonderful, fast-paced class, that will have children bursting into the English room everyday.
Given the alternative of complex children's song, and repetitious drill and then toss in teacher unsure of his own English ability, I'd rather, as Ron White would say, be drug naked over a cactus with my mouth on the tailpipe of a greyhound bus. - 30224
About the Author:
Bill Ralens is a shogakko ALT (assistant language teacher) in Japan. Having found his time teaching to be extremely reward, he crusades against the idea of ESL games and ESL classroom Games being relegated to the role of "time killers".
