TEACHING ENGLISH TO PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 3 CONTENTS Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………5… [611102]

UNIVERSITATEA “ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA”
FACULTATEA DE LITERE, MASTERAT DE LINGVISTIC ĂAPLICAT Ă:
DIDACTICA LIMBII ENGLEZE

LUCRARE DE DIZERTA ȚIE

Coordonator: Conf. univ.dr. Ileana OanaMacari
Absolvent: [anonimizat]-Georgiana Chelaru

IA ȘI
Iulie 2014

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UNIVERSITATEA “ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA”
FACULTATEA DE LITERE, MASTERAT DE LINGVISTIC ĂAPLICAT Ă:
DIDACTICA LIMBII ENGLEZE

GAMES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN
TEACHING ENGLISH TO PRIMARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS

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CONTENTS
Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………5
1. Teaching young learners ………………………………………………………………………7
2. Games in the English language teaching lessons- Classification and description of games
used in teaching the four skills …………………………………………………………………10
2.1. Competitive games…………………………………………………………………………..11
2.2. Cooperative games…………………………………………………………………………..11
2.3 . Mental engagement games vs. actual occupational g ames……………….…………………13
2.3.1. Mental engagement game…………………………………………………………………14
2.3.2. Actual occupational game…………………………………………………………………1 4
3. The functions of didactic games ……………………………………………………………..16
4. Classroom management with games ………………………………………………………..19
4.1. Individual work………………………………………………………………………………20
4.2. Pair work…………………………………………………………………………………….21
4.3. Group work………………………………………………………………………………….22
4.4. Time limit……………………………………………………………………………………24
5. Case study ……………………………………………………………………………………26
Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………47
Bibliography …………………………………………….. …………………………………………… ……………………52

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Foreword

The aim of this research paper is to study the func tion and the benefits of language games in
teaching English in primary classrooms and the resu lts in improving student’s learning and
motivation and teacher’s teaching competence.
It is generally accepted that language games are en joyable activities that are often used in
primary and secondary classrooms and teachers have to come up with pleasant and engaging
activities in order to involve their students in a successful learning routine and that is the reason
for choosing the topic of my thesis concerning game -based activities. I consider that the use of
games is the most effective way in which I can attr act pupils to learn the English language.
In the following research paper I deal with the mat ter of using games in primary classrooms and
I assess how they can be incorporated in the learni ng routine in order to be useful and motivating
for both students and teachers. In my opinion the u se of activities such as songs, and games
represents one of the best ways to get pupils invol ved in an English class and create a pleasant
environment in the classroom. The paper will deal w ith the question of how teaching and
learning materials based on language games can succ essfully improve students’ motivation for
studying EFL.
In addition to this, the following research paper r enders data from a case study in which I have
emphasized the role of game-based activities in tea ching English in the primary classroom.
Invaluable tools for a teacher if well-chosen and p roperly used in appropriate contexts, games
help students engage in the lesson, give them a cha nce to relax and at the same time allow
students to practice language skills. Games are ext remely motivating for students of all ages
because they are demanding and at the same time enj oyable.
Additionally, they promote meaningful and functiona l language in real contexts; therefore, they
can be used to give practice in all language skills and to practice different types of
communication. The use of games in the EFL classro om provides the competitive element that
increases effective learning and provides a coopera tive learning context therefore increasing
cooperation among students and helping students’ im prove their social skills.
My hypothesis is that the use of language games giv es learners the opportunity to improve their
oral communication skills and feel less anxious whe n expressing their thoughts in the target
language.

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Introduction

Nowadays, English has become the most wide spread l anguage in the world, therefore, teaching
EFL has attained a good deal of importance, being t aught in most schools all over the world.
Learning a second language is a complex, long and s ometimes disturbing task. In order to
understand, produce and manipulate the target langu age one must master not only the language
itself, but adhere to a new culture, a new way of f eeling and acting as well. Language learning
requires effort, commitment and total involvement o ver a long period of time and using games in
teaching a second language provides students with a n authentic, meaningful and enjoyable
context for learning.
There are a few elements which influence the acquis ition of knowledge. First of all, the
motivational context is extremely important because the learning process should be relevant to
the student, he or she should feel some ownership o f course and subject and in order for this to
happen, the tasks must involve discovery, interest, negotiation and to give the students the
chance to monitor their own learning. When it comes to learner’s activity, the main point is to
learn by doing, not to learn by passively receiving information, i.e. students should be active,
interact with others. Also, the starting point for new learning should be the student’s already
existing knowledge and experience; new learning sho uld be related to previous knowledge, not
presented in isolation. Ausubel’s theory of learnin g contends that learning takes place through a
meaningful process of relating new events or items to already existing cognitive concepts i.e. to
relate the new learning task to what one already kn ows (Brown, 2000: 91). This is why language
games are viewed as invaluable for the teaching-lea rning process, because they employ useful
language in real, meaningful contexts, encourage co operation between students, increase
student’s motivation and create a pleasant environm ent in which students can practice their
language skills. It is important for teachers to be mindful – the more English they use, the more
exposure the children will have to language, and ga mes are an important part of a teacher’s
repertoire although they are recreational activitie s by nature whose main purpose is enjoyment,
in the language learning process their purpose is t o reinforce what has already been taught.
During a game, learners are engaged in a challengin g activity with a clear goal. Often, students
are so involved in playing the games that they do n ot realize they are practicing language, thus
learning becomes natural and unconscious. Although games are considered structured playing,

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they can be used as educational instruments due to their enjoyable nature which helps pupils
from primary classrooms to relax, creating a low-an xiety environment in which learning is fun
and children pay more attention to class because wh en they enjoy themselves, they perform
better and feel better about them. The use of games and short activities during classes are benefic
for developing pupils’ skills and interaction. One of the main aims for using language games in
teaching EFL is to make pupils ready to receive the language and to take part in the classroom
activities. Language games are of real help for chi ldren in primary classrooms, because their
attention span is reduced and the teacher should in troduce the notions from the curriculum in a
pleasant way. Through playing games, students can l earn English the way children learn their
mother tongue without being aware they are studying ; thus without anxiety, they can learn a lot.
Learning becomes natural and unconscious, children do not feel any pressure, and they retain
information unconsciously. Otherwise, the children from primary classrooms will lose interest in
the foreign language and will not cooperate with th e teacher. Language games can be used to
introduce the new material, to practice recently le arnt language items, to introduce or practice
certain themes, or simply to entertain the class. T he children will be gradually introduced to the
English language and their activity will be designe d in groups or in teams. Children should be
made aware at the end of the lesson that through la nguage games, they have acquired a lot of
input. The teacher should keep in mind that variati on of the games is an important issue. The
teacher should vary the games, children enjoy it wh en the teacher introduces games they are
familiar with, and for instance, some of the games from the Romanian language can be adapted
and introduced into the English language class. Tea ching vocabulary through games is strictly
connected with the idea of building structures for communication. Vocabulary is essential when
it comes to communication. Huyen & Nga conclude tha t “games contribute to vocabulary
learning if they give students a chance to learn, p ractice and to review the English language in a
pleasant atmosphere”.

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1. Teaching young learners
The teacher, the setting and the curriculum are ext ernal factors that have to do with the teaching-
learning process, and these external factors should be intermingled with internal factors of each
child. Teachers need to take into account certain l earner variables, such as the background of the
learners, the context in which they are found, the resources that they have access to, material
capabilities, and above all, the motivation young l earners have when they start learning a foreign
language. As far as motivation is concerned, ”it wa s found that learners’ motivation could be
maintained by intrinsically interesting and cogniti vely challenging tasks, and that their attitudes
were shaped by what happened in the classroom” (Pet er Edelenbos et al ., 2006: 69). Each learner
correlates learning to personal motivation, to the status one wants to achieve. Gardner, quoted by
Douglas Brown (2001), was one of the initiators of the research on motivation and a distinction
has been made between integrative and instrumental orientation . “Orientation means a context
or purpose for learning; motivation refers to the i ntensity of one’s impetus to learn” (Brown,
2001: 75). Motivation, either intrinsic or extrins ic is always related to the learners’ needs.
Teaching starts from the learners’ needs and it mak es sense only in connection with the learners’
needs. It refers to a particular ”method of teachin g allowing students to learn by discovering
things by themselves and learning from their own ex perience rather by telling them things”
(Cambridge International Dictionary of English , 1995: 666). When writing a lesson plan, the
teacher has in mind the learners with their persona l needs for learning. Developing the lesson by
taking into account the learners’ needs helps learn ers not to become dependent on what the
teacher transmits, but independent of what the teac her says, the teacher adds new items to
already existing ones because learning is the const ruction of new elements on the already
existing notions or linking the old notions with th e new ones.
Learners’ age is an important issue to consider whe n teaching EFL. Teachers must take into
consideration their learners’ age and accordingly t heir needs when they make decisions regarding
what and how they want to teach, mostly because the re is a clear distinction between the
necessities, competences and cognitive skills of pe ople of different ages. Learners of young ages
“exercise a good deal of both cognitive and affecti ve effort in order to internalize both native and
second languages” (Brown, 2000: 87). Because of thi s, learners in primary school classrooms
enjoy studying a foreign language; they take learni ng as a game and are extremely receptive to

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the activities proposed by the teacher. Young learn ers “often learn indirectly rather than directly
– that is they take in information from all sides, learning from everything around them rather than
only focusing on the precise topic they are being t aught (…) they generally display an
enthusiasm for learning and a curiosity about the w orld around them. They have a need for
individual attention and approval from the teacher. They are keen to talk about themselves, and
respond well to learning that use themselves and th eir own lives as main topic in the classroom”
(Harmer, 2001: 38). The key words that a teacher de aling with young learners has to have in
mind are flexibility and adaptability, having in mi nd the possibility of a change whenever the
learners seem to get bored. The learners often impo se some sort of change throughout the lesson;
therefore not everything that is planned by the tea cher actually takes place during the class and
the success of an activity relies on the teachers’ ability to negotiate with the young learners.
Children need to act what they are taught, they hav e a strong sense of being involved in physical
activities and they have a strong need to internali ze the concepts. This is why the lessons that are
presented under the form of games are of real succe ss with young learners. Another feature that
guarantees the good development of a lesson has to do with the teacher’s ability to create an
appropriate setting for the activity. The actual pr esentation of the class is important, but also the
way in which the teacher interacts with the student s. An unenthusiastic teacher cannot ask for
enthusiasm from his/her students. Therefore, a teac her has to be “animated, lively and
enthusiastic about the subject manner” (Brown, 2000 : 88). Also, the presence of humor in the
classroom from both the teacher and the students en riches the atmosphere and helps develop a
more close relationship between the parts involved in the teaching-learning process.
Teachers must also take into consideration the issu e of learning styles and strategies and adjust
the teaching techniques accordingly. It has already been noted that there is a clear distinction
between different styles of learning and the way le sson plans should be designed to fulfill
learners’ needs. Learning styles are traits that ma ke people different from one another, but what
counts is that each learner is able to attain succe ss if the strategy chosen fits his/her style of
learning. Learning is a process that develops diffe rently for each individual. And what works
best for a person cannot work at all for a differen t one. The methodologist Tony Wright, quoted
in Jeremy Harmer (2001: 42-43), describes four diff erent learner styles within group. The
‘enthusiast’ looks to the teacher as a point of ref erence and is concerned with the goals of the
learning group. The ‘oracular’ also focuses on the teacher, but is much more orientated towards

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the satisfaction of personal goals. The ‘participat or’ tends to concentrate on group goals and
group solidarity, whereas ‘the rebel’ while referri ng to the learning group for his or her point of
reference, is mainly concerned with the satisfactio n of his or her own goals. The literature on the
students’ styles of learning outlines the importanc e given to learners and the way they process
information they have to learn. ”Learning styles ar e partly innate and partly learnt. We are all
born with abilities and aptitudes and then we are e xposed to education in all its forms, at home,
in society, in formal education and in non-formal e ducation. The biggest influences will probably
be: home and formal education” (Martinelli Silvio, 2000: 15).
There are learners who prefer to see the language w ritten on the notebooks and these learners are
visual learners. Visual learners “take in information through the e yes, they prefer to see language
written down, read it, look at pictures and diagram s; they take notes to refer to again later”
(Nunan, 1989: 21). Such learners enjoy to see pictu res and to learn by means of pictures. Their
retention is of long-term if visual aids are used b oth in teaching and in learning. Handouts,
writing on the board are both means through which t hese learners lower anxiety and make
learning happen. The learners who carefully listen to all the voices in the classroom, all the
sounds can be labeled as auditory learners. This st yle is specific for those learners who like
music, are rapid at grasping information orally pre sented, enjoy delivering oral presentation, and
do not feel frustrated when they have to speak in f ront of the classroom. Kinesthetic learners are
those learners who like to learn through movement a ctivity. Kinesthetic learners like to be
involved in role playing, they are first to announc e that they want to take part in such activities.
Practice, during the lesson, is the channel through which they learn.
One way to realize what kind of learners there are in a classroom would be to present learners
with several questionnaires which focus on learning styles and strategies at the beginning of the
language course, see how the students have answered , decide what kind of learners are in the
classroom and design activities according to their learning styles.

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2. Games in the English language teaching lessons – cl assification and description of
games used in teaching the four skills
A game is an activity that has specific rules, a cl ear goal and an element of fun. Language games
are a healthy challenge to a child’s analytical tho ught. What differentiates language games from
other activities in the EFL classroom is the presen ce of a visible set of rules which guide the
children’s actions while practicing their language skills. The rules of the game set clear limits
within which the children’s natural decision-making processes function. The key to a successful
language game is that these rules are clear and the ultimate goal is well defined (Lewis, 2000:6).
Games are often associated with the idea of relaxat ion, of no specific input passed on and of
course with no learning. But this idea can be consi dered a contradiction because learning is
“game based” (Webb, P., I., 2006: 3). Children from primary classrooms enjoy the materials
presented under the form of a game; they enjoy havi ng fun, being integrated into a space specific
for their age, of game. Sometimes, there may be con fusions between terms, between the word
play and the word game. The word play could be defined as a spontaneous activity, with t he
purpose of relaxing the participants while a game has specific rules established from the
beginning of the activity. Rules, in fact, ensure t he achievement of the aims established by the
teacher. Although it may seem that games have no ou tcomes, there are plenty of situations in
which games can become the central part of the less on. Games can become the only vehicle
through which communication is taking place, especi ally in primary classrooms. Another issue
note mentioning is the distinction that it is made between games and language activities , in that
“all language activities involve using language for a specific communication purpose, but a game
is a type of language activity involving a competit ive element and/or scoring (either of
individuals or of teams)”. “Both games and language activities encourage a more relaxed
atmosphere and provide contextualization of the lan guage elements being learned, but games add
the competitive element, where as non-game language activities tend to be more cooperative.”
(Dalton E.: 4).
There is a wide variety of language games and categ orizing them can be difficult, because
categories often overlap. Hadfield (1999) divides l anguage games into two types: linguistic
games and communicative games. The former focuses o n accuracy, the latter focuses on
successful exchange of information and ideas. A sec ond taxonomy that Hadfield uses to classify

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language games sums up many more categories of game s that range from sorting, ordering,
arranging, guessing, searching, matching, labeling or exchanging.
2.1. Competitive games
Games can be competitive, but this is not a precond ition. Competitive games are those in which
players or teams race to be the first to achieve th e goal. Johnson Cynthia E. (1993: 1) mentions
that “competition can encourage growth and push a c hild to excel (…), develop competence in
an area, develop problem-solving skills, try out di fferent roles, learn rules of the game, learn to
perform before a group, learn to work with others”. Teachers must take into account the fact that
there are children who feel frustrated when they ar e in a competition and they become nervous
when they lose a game or a competition. Rules must be expressed clearly at the beginning of the
activity and the teacher should also play the role of the model of the activity. Also, because
competition implies a reward, the teacher should pr epare some sort of prizes for the winners.
Another important issue refers to the preliminary d iscussion that should exist between teacher
and students on the acceptance of sometimes winning and sometimes losing. A solution for a
successful activity would be to encourage each chil d and also appreciate each student’s progress.
2.2. Cooperative games
Children can also employ their language skills stra tegically in cooperative games, where a group
works together to achieve certain goals. Cooperativ e games are games “which enable children to
work together in a caring and co-operative way, to include all children, to develop both
coordination and problem solving skills and to help children to work together as a social
unit”(retrieved from http://www.ppds.ie/pcsparchive /intouch/PE/Co-
operative%20games%20in%20the%20Primary%20School.pdf , 2007: 1). These types of games
develop fun and entertainment and the key word for this type of games is collaboration. The
result of these types of games is not eliminating t he participants but rather encouraging them to
work in teams and groups for the benefit of the par ticipants. Some of possible cooperative games
are to be mentioned below:
• Movement games
• Card games

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• Dice games
• Drawing games
• Role play games
• Singing and chanting games
• Team games
Cooperative or collaborative learning essentially i nvolves students learning from each other in
groups. But it is not the group configuration that makes cooperative learning distinctive; it is the
way that students and teachers work together that i s important. In cooperative learning, teachers
teach students collaborative or social skills so th at they can work together more effectively
(Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p.166). Cooperative learnin g can be described as active learning in
which tasks are completed collectively, the student s are involved in a social experience with an
academic goal, and the teacher acts as a facilitato r for the students’ learning, and he no longer
gives information to the students. Students capital ize on one another’s resources and skills; they
ask one another for information, support one anothe r, learn from one another, evaluate one
another’s ideas and monitor one another’s work. The “sharing” element is essential for a group to
exist and function successfully. Members of a group may share: perceptions, motivations, tasks.
Structure is another important characteristic of a group. It refers to the roles, norms, values and
power relationships that influence the behavior of the members of the group. Group performance
is also influenced by the number of students that f orm the group. Small groups involve more
talking time for each member, a higher level of int eraction and it requires fewer group
management skills whereas large groups involve incr eased variety, more personalities and
background and a reduced number of groups for the t eacher to monitor, the consequence being
more free time for the teacher to monitor high teac her demand goup/s.
The teachers can choose the types of games suitable for the level of the learners and also for the
learners’ needs. There are language games that enco urage learners to work cooperatively in a
pair or a group activity or competitively. The type s of games chosen by the teacher can be
intermingled with learners’ wish, that is, – the le arners have the opportunity to interfere in the

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game that the teacher proposes. As all language act ivities, “one of the problems about games is
to get everybody to take a full part” (Lee W. R., 1 986: 10). It does not really matter what kind of
game teacher chooses to use in the classroom, but w hat really matters is the way in which all the
participants are involved in the activity. When des igning activities, the teacher should consider
the following idea: “language learning is whole per son learning, the content of the language
lesson should be the student, and teacher should le arn to withdraw creatively to give learning
space to the students” (Melville et al, 1980: 11). The first idea is centered around learning and
this view of language learning – whole person learn ing, comes from the work of Charles Curran,
who through a counseling approach to the learning s ituation, has shown many of us that:
“the proper subject of study in the language classr oom is the person and his
relation to others in the class group (…) the conte nt of the language can be what
the student knows, what he wants to know, and what he cares about, what he wants
to talk about. (…) The teacher must learn to give t he student space in which to
move, both physically and mentally. This means that all the classrooms are opened
to all the people in it – no one’s man land between the teacher’s desk and those of
the students (…). Furthermore, the teacher must re cognize that in a class of thirty
students, there may be thirty different needs for s pace” (idem, 11-12).
2.3. Mental engagement games vs. actual occupationa l games
Games can involve mental engagement and also actual occupation. These two types of games
refer to the way in which the activity is designed. Mental engagement games involve games,
puzzles, problem solving, giving learners the possi bility of using imagination, and personal
creation within the game, thus the process of think ing is present, and learners are expected to link
previous knowledge with new knowledge. On the other hand actual occupational games refer to
those games which involve reproducing, writing para graphs, and completing the task without a
personal interference from the learners. Actual occ upational games can be considered controlled
activities whereas mental engagement games are to b e considered free activities, structured by
the teacher but with an unpredictable end. Mental engagement activity can take the form of an
involvement activity whereas actual occupational ac tivity can be considered as being a settle
down activity. A combination of both types of games , actual occupational or mental engagement

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games, represents the key to the success in learnin g. Both kinds of activities should be used in
the classroom, either in the same lesson or in diff erent lessons. Each teacher will establish his/her
own way of combining the activities, and what reall y matters is the result, that is of learning. I
will unfold two examples of activities for each of the games mentioned above.
2.3.1. Mental engagement game
A sample of a mental engagement activity will be de scribed below. The children are from
primary classrooms, studying the English language s imultaneously. The teacher introduces the
content of the lesson by showing students four pict ures of the seasons and asking them to name
the seasons according to the image presented and de scribe the picture. After the warm-up,
students are asked to think of what items they wear in each season, work in pairs and write down
a list in their notebooks of any words they know fo r clothes. After a few minutes, the teacher
collects the words from the class and writes each w ord on a column on the blackboard and
stresses upon the spelling of each word. When there is a reasonable list written on the
blackboard, the teacher reads the words aloud toget her with the students in order to remind them
the correct pronunciation of each word and also the meaning of the word. Students are asked to
write the list in their notebooks while the teacher sticks the pictures of the four seasons on the
blackboard. The teacher reads one of the items of c lothing from the blackboard and asks students
when they wear it, emphasizing that some items of c lothing may be worn in different seasons.
The teacher asks them to continue the activity indi vidually, on their notebooks and write the
column headings for the seasons and each item of cl othing in the category that they think it is
appropriate.
2.3.2. Actual occupational game
Games are means through which teachers pass on the notions they are supposed to
transmit based on the syllabus. Actual occupational games are games that will settle down the
children and are useful when the teachers want to i ntroduce receptive skills. A sample of an
actual occupational activity will be described belo w. The children are from primary classrooms,
studying the English language simultaneously. The t eacher introduces what they are supposed to
do during the lesson. Starting from a picture of a city, the children will have to guess the content
of the picture and to offer a description of the pi cture. Then, the children are asked to read a text

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and then to copy the text on their notebooks. After they have written the text on their notebooks,
the children are asked correct his/her classmate’s notebook. The next activity will be to write the
known words from the text in a column and then disc uss with their classmate about their
meaning, compare the words and add new words from t he classmate. Then, the learners will have
to draw what they have seen at the beginning of the lesson. The activity ends when the children
have finished drawing the picture they have seen at the beginning of the class.

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3. The functions of didactic games
Nowadays, the educational value of games is widely recognized and their advantages are
multiple. Games “must contribute to language profic iency in some way by getting the learners to
use language in the course of the game” (Donn Byrne , 1991: 100). Accordingly, games are
effective if the learners have the chance to commun icate in the foreign language and if the tasks
are chosen according to their level and meaningful. Lewis states that games are fun and children
like to play them; – through games children experim ent, discover, and interact with their
environment. “Games provide a context for meaningfu l communication and this provides the
basis for comprehensible input which leads to acqui sition and meaningful interaction and
highlights the fact that the speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with
the messages they are conveying and understanding” (Krashen, 1988:24). Games involve all the
basic language skills, i.e., listening, speaking, r eading, and writing, and a number of skills are
often involved in the same game.
Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1994: 1) propose som e benefits of using games in teaching:
1. Games help and encourage learners because they m ay be fun and interesting.
2. Games help the teacher to create contexts in whi ch the language is useful and meaningful.
3. Games provide intense and meaningful practice of the language.
4. Games provide practices in all the skills (readi ng, writing, listening, and speaking), in all the
stages of the teaching/learning sequence (presentat ion, repetition, recombination), and for many
types of communication (encouraging, agreeing, expl aining ).
5. Using games can engage the students and motivate them to interact with the topic.
In addition, Sugar and Sugar (2002: 6-8) also menti on some benefits of using games in teaching
English:
1. Games are experiential;
2. Games allow special tutoring for one or two;
3. Games provide choices for your classroom;
4. Games reinforce learning;

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5. Games provide immediate feedback;
6. Games improve test-taking skills;
7. Game playing shows that classroom energy is good ;
8. Games can introduce new or difficult material;
9. Games complement reading assignments;
10. Games improve teamwork;
11. Games teach playing within the rules;
12. Games foster both individual and team achieveme nt;
13. Games reinforce and improve multitasking;
14. Games can replace drill work.
Games can be used in language teaching for various reasons. Games can be used in order to
stress upon accuracy or upon fluency. Accuracy game s are effective “because the learners are so
involved in playing the game that they do not reali ze that they are practicing language items”
(Donn Bryne, 1991: 100 ). Fluency games normally “involve a task of some kin d: in order to
complete the task, the learners have to use languag e, often as best they can in the circumstances”
(idem, 101). Accuracy games are often played with the whole cla ss. But they can be “played in
pairs or small groups for additional practice on a greater scale” ( idem, 101). The purpose for
these games is to reinforce what the pupils have al ready learnt, or to practice some specific
items, within a clear structure given by the teache r.
Teachers have used games as a means of passing on t he information they wanted learners to
acquire. Language games, especially, in primary cla ssrooms, for children from 7-10 years are a
must. Learners feel at ease when they play and if t hey learn something through the use of games
the benefit is doubled and it is a success for the teacher as well. Children at this age come in the
classroom with a lot of experience as far as games are concerned because kindergarten has often
exposed them to all kinds of games and their lives spin around the world of games. They know
rules and they like to obey and to be coordinated b y rules. The children from primary classrooms
feel the need to be told what the rules of the game are. Therefore, the games should have clearly

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exposed rules, with rewards, if possible. The learn ers should be exposed to games appropriate for
their age, level and learning styles. The appropri ateness of the games is closely connected to the
efficiency of the activities and consequently with the desired result, that is learning through
games. Whatever game a teacher may choose, he/she s hould find the purpose of using it in the
classroom, the outcome behind it- games should be c arefully chosen, although some spontaneity
is allowed which is given by children’s interferenc e in the activity. They like to come up with
solutions and they also feel the need to change the course of the game. More often than not, their
ideas are good and practicable. Language games do n ot represent something to fill the space near
the end of a class, although they are used in this way frequently. Language games imply a
forethought activity on behalf of the teacher and t he success of a language game lies in the
organization of the activity itself.
Games are “fun and children like to play them. That in itself is a strong argument for
incorporating them in the English Foreign Language classroom. Playing games is a vital and
natural part of growing up and learning. Through ga mes, children experiment, discover, and
interact with their environment. Not to include gam es in the classroom would be to withhold
from the children an essential tool for understandi ng their world; a world which the language
teacher seeks to enlarge through the experience of a foreign language” (Gordon Lewis and
Gunther Bedson, 2000: 5).

19
4. Classroom management with games
The classroom represents the place in which teachin g and learning develop and an organized and
effective environment should be present in order to facilitate the teaching-learning process. The
atmosphere in a classroom has great influence on le arners, this is why the teacher’s responsibility
is to create a relaxed, secure environment, suitabl e for learning, in which learners feel at ease and
engaged at the same time. Classroom management refe rs to teacher’s behaviors that encourage
and facilitate learning. The teacher’s most importa nt job is “to create the conditions in which
learning can take place. The skills of creating and managing a successful class may be the key to
the whole success of the course. An important part of this is to do with your attitude, intentions
and personality and your relationships with the lea rners” (Jim Scrivener, 2009: 79). A broad
variety of skills and techniques can be used to kee p students organized, orderly, focused,
attentive, on task, and academically productive dur ing a class. It is important to keep learners on
task and diminish the behaviors that obstruct learn ing both for individual learners and groups of
learners, while taking advantage of the behaviors t hat facilitate or enhance learning. One of the
strategies used to assure learning takes place is i nteraction, a mutual exchange of information
between teacher and learners and learners among the mselves. Teachers manage interaction in the
language classroom for the sake of giving everyone the best possible opportunities for learning
the language.” (Allwright, Bailey Kathleen, 1991: 2 1)
The teacher’s role in a primary classroom is major, because learners find themselves in a very
close relationship with their teachers. Due to thei r age, learners feel unreserved and they always
feel the need for appreciation from the teacher. Th erefore, through the use of language games,
the teacher gets closer to the learners and by invo lving them directly in the teaching-learning
process, helping them have a positive attitude towa rds learning and teacher implicitly. The
management of each game is in connection with the m anagement of the classroom. The teachers,
according to the curriculum they have to go through , will establish the kinds of games that are
suitable for each class. Organization of the activi ties within a classroom can take different
shapes: individual, pair work or group work. Games imply the idea of working in groups, either
in small groups or in pair work activity. It is hig hly important that the teacher should choose the
appropriate way of organizing the classroom. There are games that strictly require individual
work from the part of the learners, and there are s ituations in which pair work and group work

20
are imposed. Group work and pair work are favored w hen it comes to oral activities and oral
practice is in fact the most important thing in a g ame. In turns, each of the variants of organizing
the activity will be exposed below. Each of the var iants has advantages and also disadvantages.
4.1. Individual work
Sometimes students must be allowed to work on their own at their own pace and individual work
is a good idea because students can work in a relax ed way (only if there is no time limit specified
or some competition taking place) and, in this way, they can rely on themselves rather than other
people. Individual work can lead to the independenc e in learning and therefore to autonomy. A
distinction should be made between internal learners and external learners . Internal learners
“prefer working alone to create a product or soluti on – they enjoy reflecting and then working
out the solutions in their heads before presenting an answer. Games encourage and reward the
type of reflection and thought that is needed to pr ovide the best answers. External learners are
very social and thrive on group collaboration and i nteraction. They work well with others and are
natural leaders. Games give these students a way to socialize, yet still remain on task with their
learning goals. Games provide an opportunity for th ese students to test out their leadership skills
in a safe environment” (Steve Sugar, Kim Kostoroski Sugar, 2002: 5). There are games that
require the individual work of the learners. Genera lly speaking, children feel much more secure
when they have to work by themselves, rather than s haring ideas with others, especially in the
initial phase of studying a foreign language. Intro vert children enjoy working alone because they
do not like to feel the pressure of a team. Another issue is that they feel embarrassed when they
have to speak with their classmates in a foreign la nguage. It is important to identify the learners
that like to work individually in an activity and t o gradually introduce them to a pair activity or
group activity. A sudden involvement of those learn ers in a pair or group activity will isolate
them and more often than not the result will be fru stration and no communication for them. The
teacher should respect their options and gradually design activities and games that will
encourage the use of pair work activity and group w ork. In a game, there should be stages in
which individual work is promoted. Children should have enough time for themselves. In actual
occupational games, children are encouraged, first of all, to work by themselves and then
exchange ideas with the classmate. There are both a dvantages and disadvantages in students
working on their own. Individual learning “allows t eachers to respond to individual student

21
differences in terms of pace of learning, learning styles and preferences; it is likely to be less
stressful for students than performing in a whole c lass setting or talking in pairs or groups. It can
promote learner autonomy and promote skills of self – reliance and investigation over teacher-
dependence. It can be a way of restoring peace and tranquility to a noisy and chaotic situation”
(Jeremy Harmer, 2008: 116). There are also disadvan tages related to individual work. The main
disadvantage is that cooperation is not encouraged, therefore, students are not able to motivate
and help each other, and it “does not help a class develop a sense of belonging. Also, it means a
great deal more thought and materials preparation t han whole class teaching involves, and it
takes much more time than interacting with the whol e class.
4.2. Pair work
Pair work is a way of increasing student participat ion and language use, increase interaction and
it can be used for a different number of activities whether speaking, writing or reading. “Pair
work allows the students to use language and also e ncourages student co-operation, students can
help each other to use and learn language. Some wor ries appear when dealing with pair work,
incorrectness being one of them, but we need to tak e into consideration the importance of
communicative efficiency and pair work encourages s uch efficiency” (Harmer, 1991, p. 244).
Pair work poses a mutual exchange, a dialogue takes place between two interlocutors, and each
of the participants changes the roles in turns.
Pair work is a demanding activity for both learner s and teacher; this is why there are several
factors that need to be taken into consideration wh en constructing such activities. Firstly, a clear
purpose for the activity must be set and the learne rs should be aware of it. Secondly, the teacher
should know exactly how the activity will take plac e, namely if the pairs are to be established
from the classroom seating, or if the learners choo se a partner based on their preferences. Also,
the teacher should establish some rules to be obeye d by the learners. The teacher will monitor the
activity silently and will ask learners to keep on practicing the pair work activity until the teacher
has the possibility to see all the pairs and listen to them. The teacher should also pay attention to
situations in which some changes in the organizatio n of a team are imposed, such as those in
which a member of a pair takes charge in discussion s and controls the whole activity, in which
case, the teacher should simply change the pair.

22
At the beginning of any pair activity, the teacher should offer a model of what they are expected
to accomplish. Learners should have a clear underst anding of what to do. Thus, the teacher
should give the learners clear instructions and ask for a volunteer in order to present an example
of the activity. Finally, there should be a feedbac k stage, in which the teacher should discuss
together with the learners their experience, and gi ve them further information. There are
advantages and also disadvantages for using a pair work activity. The main advantage is the fact
that “it dramatically increases the amount of speak ing time any one student gets in the class. It
allows students to work and interact independently without the necessary guidance of the
teacher, thus promoting learner independence. It al lows teachers time to work one or two pairs
while the other students continue working. If we ge t students to make decisions in pairs (such as
deciding on the correct answers to questions about a reading text), we allow them to share
responsibility rather than having to bear the whole weight themselves. It is relatively quick and
easy to organize” (Jeremy Harmer, 2008: 116). In ot her words, pair work promotes cooperation
and helps the classroom to become a more relaxed an d friendly place.
There are also disadvantages when using pair work, namely the fact that the activity is noisy and
some students or even teachers may find it disturbi ng, also, the chances of students talking about
something else than the task are extremely high and some students may not like this type of
activity if they are paired with a learner who is l inguistically weaker than they are. “The actual
choice of paired partner can be problematic, especi ally if students frequently find themselves
working with someone they are not keen on” (Jeremy Harmer, 2001: 116-117).
4.3. Group work
“Teaching and learning in small groups has a valuab le part to play in the all-
round education of students. It allows them to nego tiate meanings, to
express themselves in the language of the subject, and to establish more
intimate contact with academic staff than more form al methods permit. It
also develops instrumental skills of listening, pre senting ideas and
persuading.” (Jacques, David, Learning in Groups)
Group work tries to meet some very important, struc tural objectives such as developing skills in
applying knowledge (competence vs. performance), pr oblem solving, critical thinking, decision-

23
making, positive attitudes and cooperative, social behavior. Some of the most relevant
advantages of group work are that the activity is s tudent-centered, it ensures active participation
of students raising their motivation level and inte rest towards the lesson, and it creates conditions
for the students to express their feelings, interes ts, and opinions in a non-threatening
environment – thus becoming aware of their emotiona l reactions. Group work facilitates equal
participation of students and emphasizes responsibi lity of each member within the group;
develops cooperative learning strategies and studen ts become more confident in their learning
abilities, they discover new learning techniques an d are encouraged to develop a self-directed,
independent, autonomous type of learning (less depe ndent on teacher). Group work also helps
students learn and understand the importance of soc ial skills, abilities, traits, and attitudes such
as: negotiation, compromise, tolerance, acceptance, support and creates conditions for the
students to develop traits such as: openness to, tr ust in, respect for the other; they develop
awareness of the others’ needs, feel that they play important roles in the problem-solving,
decision-making processes in which they are involve d and they can improve their understanding
of topics by comparing their own ideas with the oth ers’. Less confident students learn to take
responsibility (for themselves and the group/team), interact with others in a non-threatening
environment and find out more about others. The fac t that students receive immediate feedback
on their opinions and beliefs helps students acknow ledge others’ opinions and respect them.
But, even though group work has its recognized adva ntages, the same Jacques David says that
“In reality, the experience of some small group lea rning environments does not always live to
such lofty ideals” and “students seem not so much t o negotiate meanings”. From my own
experience I can say that even though group work cr eates opportunities for cooperation between
the members of the group, it may also create good c onditions for uncooperative behavior (some
students may remain silent from beginning to end). It may also create difficulty in controlling the
class (students may feel tempted to use the mother tongue), students may make mistakes that
cannot be corrected on the spot and learn each othe r’s mistakes. Despite the disadvantages just
mentioned and some other problems, group work can b e immensely rewarding for both teachers
and students. Students can learn to collaborate wit h each other, develop interpersonal awareness,
debate heatedly about a subject and challenge orall y ideas. I have encountered some typical
problems while using group work for my classes. The re are always persistent talkers that
monopolize group discussions or others who always t ry to answer every question, others are

24
simply quiet people, shy and timid they may speak quietly or cannot find the words to say what
they mean- when this happens I always allow time fo r them to respond or ask ‘easy’ questions of
them. Other students are reticent, they often have a valid contribution but are unwilling to
participate and what I try to do is to draw them in to the discussion by name or invite them to
comment about something I know they have experience of, and most important, positively
reinforce any contribution. Some considerations ab out the creation of groups must be made. The
teacher should observe in the first classes the chi ldren or should ask them what their friends are.
Jeremy Harmer offered a solution that can be used i n order to group children. “A more informed
way of grouping students is to use a socio gram. In this procedure students are asked to write
their name on a piece of paper and then write, in o rder of preference, the students they like best
in the class. They know that only the teacher will look at what they have written. On the other
side of the paper they should list the people they do not like” (Jeremy Harmer, 2001: 120).
During my activity, I have tried to group children according to their abilities, to their level. One
way to group students is a combination of the child ren, those talkative with those who are really
shy. It was quite interesting and fun for them and for the others. “Streaming is a complex task,
since it forces teachers to divide the students by level or behavior. It demands constant
monitoring to make sure that students are not in in appropriate groups, especially since they may
change both language and level and the nature of th eir participation as a course develops”
(idem,121).
In conclusion, grouping activity is a form of activ ity that suits well in language games. The
games are means through which learning can be acqui red. All the three kinds of organization,
individual, pair work or group work have a special place in the management of the classroom.
The next subchapter will focus on the importance of establishing a time limit for any activity in
the classroom.
4.4. Time limit
Time is an important component in all children-rel ated activities and in the English
classroom particularly. It is highly important to e stablish a time limit when it comes to games in
order to be productive and efficient. That time lim it should be respected although there are
situations in which the teachers are forced to leng then the activity because of the complexity of

25
the game. Each game has a time limit included. It i s known that time for a primary classroom is
really important because of their reduced attention span. A solution would be to teach the most
difficult thing at the beginning of the lesson. Ano ther important aspect is to have all the materials
prepared in advance because preparing materials tak es time and children lose patience and get
bored. Games that imply the use of additional mater ials such as paper, scissors, pencils, should
be prepared in advance.

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5. Case study

In the practical part I deal with the problem of us ing games in primary classrooms and I analyze
how they can be integrated in the learning process in order to be useful for both students and
teachers. The aims of this practical part are to pr ovide a wide category of games and maximize
creation, play, success for all learners, to use au thentic language and materials, and to adapt
games according to learners’ needs.
I consider that the use of games is the most effect ive way in which I can attract my primary
classroom pupils into learning English. In order to prove my statement I will present a case study
which was in progress from February to June 2014 wi th the students in the 1 st – 4th form at Scoala
cu clasele I-IV Giurgeni, and Scoala cu clasele I-I V Dragesti, where I have been teaching since
September 2013. The target group consists of two cl asses of 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th form, studying
English simultaneously, class A and B from a rural area who are in the first, second and third
year of English study. In class A there are 18 stud ents and in class B there are 20 students. In
class A some students have several speaking impairm ents and their attention span is reduced. In
class A, I have used a traditional grammar-based sy llabus and the textbooks provided by the
school, Firm Steps , Ecaterina Comisel, Ileana Pirvu, Corint Publishi ng, 2005.
Class B was presented with different games that emp hasized the knowledge from the syllabus. In
order to stir the interest of young students studyi ng a foreign language simultaneously I must
provide a great variety of activities. Concerning t his, I will present different games applicable for
the primary classes. Each game presented contains s ome characteristics, that is: game type, aims,
age, group size, time allotted, materials to be use d, procedure, and description of the game in
itself and at the end, some possible activities tha t can be used.
The examples of games were taken from Games for children, the book written by Gordon Lewis
with Gunther Bedson, from Elementary Grammar Games and from Games for Language
Learning.

27

• Learning names

FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Getting to know each other
TYPE OF LESSON: Vocabulary and grammar revision
VOCABULARY: Family, home area, hobbies
GRAMMAR: – question words
– TO BE – Present Simple
– “yes/no” answers and negative statements
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the c orrect usage of the Present Simple
Tense
AIMS:
• to provide controlled speaking practice of Present Simple Tense verbs form
• to contrast “yes/no” answers and negative statement s
OBJECTIVES:
• COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• recognize the difference between the affirmative an d negative form of the Present Simple
Tense
• use the affirmative and negative forms of the Prese nt Simple Tense in correct utterances
• make short dialogues with the affirmative and negat ive forms of the Present Simple Tense in
correct utterances
• AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a pleasant atmosphere in order to offer t he background for smooth, easy conversations
between teacher and students
• to make students confident in themselves when speak ing a foreign language

SKILLS: listening, speaking
INTERACTION: T- Ss, S-S, Ss-Ss, PW, GW, IW

28
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE: I assume that students already know the vocabulary for hobbies, family,
home area and how to use the Present Simple tense i n all forms. They are expected to use various
question words and a large amount of verbs in their statements.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS:
– if believed necessary, the teacher will offer th e students guidance
– some Ss might have problems when working in pair s;
– a few Ss may be given supplementary explanations in Romanian.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: the students will be assessed on class participatio n
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, dialogue, exercises, interview, game s
METHODS OF TEACHING: Communicative Approach
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Secondary Educati on
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK, 1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006
B) HUMAN: the students of the class
TIME: 15-20 minutes
Preparation Set a friendly classroom atmosphere by putting on s ome music, ifyou wish.
Procedure
1 Ask the learners to move around nodding and smiling , in an area in the classroom. It is an
advantage if you can have some cheerful music playi ng and stop it when you want them to stop.
2 Ask them to stop in front of another learner and in troduce themselves.
You can demonstrate this.
Learner 1: Hello, I am Alina.
Learner 2: Hello, I am Diana.
3 Let the learners mill again until you stop them and ask them to introduce themselves again.
4 You can add to the challenge by asking them to poin t at and name the other people they have
already met. They can help each other to do this, i f necessary : I’m Maria.

29
The game is a group activity and the idea of this g ame is to motivate the children to work
cooperatively and competitively. Therefore, it is s uitable for a competition among students; it
involves personalization due to the fact that stude nts have to find out information about their
hobbies while practicing the Present Simple.

• Find someone who…
FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Asking and answering questions to get information about peers;
Finding out and reporting on what you have in commo n with other people;
TYPE OF LESSON: Vocabulary and grammar revision
VOCABULARY: Family, home area, hobbies
GRAMMAR: – question words (where? do you have?)
– TO BE – Present Simple
– “yes/no” answers and negative statements
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the c orrect usage of the Present
Simple Tense
AIMS:
• to provide controlled speaking practice of Present Simple Tense verbs form
• to contrast “yes/no” answers and negative statement s
OBJECTIVES:
• COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:

30
• recognize the difference between the affirmative an d negative form of the Present Simple
Tense
• use the affirmative and negative forms of the Prese nt Simple Tense in correct utterances
• make short dialogues with the affirmative and negat ive forms of the Present Simple Tense in
correct utterances
AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a friendly atmosphere so that students fe el encouraged to fully participate in the
class;
• to make students confident in themselves when speak ing a foreign language.
SKILLS: listening, speaking
INTERACTION: T- Ss, S-S, Ss-Ss, PW, GW, IW
Assumed knowledge: I assume that students already know the vocabulary for hobbies, family,
home area and how to use the Present Simple tense i n all forms. They are expected to use various
question words and a large amount of verbs in their statements.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS:
– if believed necessary, the teacher will offer the students guidance
– some Ss might have problems when working in pairs ;
– a few Ss may be given supplementary explanations in Romanian.
ASESSMENT: the students will be assessed on class participati on
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, dialogue, exercises, interview, game s
METHODS OF TEACHING: Communicative Approach

31
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Secondary Educat ion
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK,
1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006
B) HUMAN: the students of the class
TIME: 15-20 minutes
Preparation Think of topics you would like the learners to expl ore.
Procedure
1. Write three or four instructions on the board. The conventional way of doing this is to use the
phrase Find someone who… e.g. Find someone who lives in the same village as you.
However, you may prefer also to provide the learner s with the actual questions they should
use, for example, “Where do you live? “
Alternatively, let the learners themselves choose t he topics and formulate their own questions.
Examples might be:
Find someone who lives near you.
Find someone who likes the same food as you.
Find someone who likes the same music as you.
Find someone who likes the same hobbies as you.
Find someone who has a pet.
Find someone who has been to another country.
2. Ask the learners to walk about the room talking to each other and finding out the information
you have specified.

32
Variation Things in common
1. Have the learners work in groups to find out wha t they have in common.
You may wish to provide some useful sentence starte rs or topics, for example:
Have you got a …? / Do you have a …?
Is your …?
Do you like …?
Can you …?
Have you ever …?
Learners may take notes.
2. Each learner should tell the class about one of the things the group members have in common,
for example:
All of us have (got) a brother or a sister.
Most of us live in the same district of the city.
Some of us have a pet.
A few of us can drive a car.
None of us likes boring lessons.
Help the learners by showing them sentence starters such as the following:
She/He …, but I …
We both …
Neither of us …
The game is a group activity and the idea of this g ame is to motivate the children to work
cooperatively and competitively. Therefore, it is s uitable for a competition among students; it
involves personalization due to the fact that stude nts have to find out information about their
hobbies while practicing the Present Simple. This g ame can be played in pairs as well, in which
case learners should find out about ways in which t hey are similar to and different from their
partner. Students from my class were extremely rece ptive during this activity; they showed

33
increased interest in finding out information regar ding their classmates’ interests and leisure
activities and completed the task successfully.

• Body building game
FORM: 1st -4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Parts of the body
TYPE OF LESSON: Vocabulary revision
VOCABULARY: Body parts
GRAMMAR: – question words (what? do you like?)
– TO BE – Present Simple
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the p arts of the human body;
AIMS: – to give pupils controlled practice in order to rein force vocabulary related to parts of the
body;
OBJECTIVES:
• COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• identify the parts of the body ( head, face, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth)
• use the vocabulary in language games and in differe nt utterances;
AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a friendly atmosphere so that students fe el encouraged to fully participate in the
class;

34
• to make students confident in themselves when speak ing a foreign language.
SKILLS: listening, speaking
INTERACTION: T- Ss, S-S, Ss-Ss, PW, GW, IW
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE: I assume that students already know the vocabulary related to the
topic.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS:
– if believed necessary, the teacher will offer th e students guidance
– some Ss might have problems when working in team s;
– a few Ss may be given supplementary explanations in Romanian.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: the students will be assessed on class participati on
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, dialogue, exercises, interview, game s
METHODS OF TEACHING: Communicative Approach
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Primary Educatio n
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK,
1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006
B) HUMAN: the students of the class
TIME: 15-20 minutes
Preparation Make sure you have an inflatable dice.

35
Procedure
1. Split the class into six teams. If they are in columns of desks, saying the left hand column is
team 1, the next team 2, etc. is usually the best.
2. On the board draw 6 six limbless, featureless f aces and bodies.
3. Ask the front person in each group to stand up.
4. The teacher asks the kids who are standing up a question. The quickest one to answer is the
winner.
5. The winner rolls the inflatable dice.
6. If they get a “1” they can draw an eye on their team’s face. If they have a “2” they can draw
an ear. Similarly, “3” is a nose, “4” is a mouth, “ 5” is an arm and “6” is a leg.
7. But each team can only have one nose, one mouth , and two each of the ears, eyes, arms and
legs. For example, if your team already has two arm s, and you roll another number “5”, then that
go is a “pass” because you cannot add another arm. This really helps the weaker teams catch up
(and sometimes win).
8. The next person in each group stands up, and re peats from step 4.
9. The winning team is the first team to get two e yes, two ears, one nose, one mouth, two arms
and two legs. If time runs out then the team with t he most features is the winner.
The eyes, ears, etc. are drawn on one at a time. Su itable questions include “What’s this?” and
point to your own body, or “show me a …..” where the kids have to point to their body. This
game can also be adapted for secondary school. Ques tions to be used there can be based around
the current grammar point (e.g. “Which is bigger, C hina or Japan?”).

36
• The group game
FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Numbers
TYPE OF LESSON: Numbers consolidation
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the E nglish numbers from 1-12;
AIMS:
• to give pupils controlled practice in order to rein force the numbers in English;
OBJECTIVES:
• COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• identify the numbers from 1-12;
AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a friendly atmosphere so that students fe el encouraged to fully participate in the
class;
SKILLS: listening
INTERACTION: T- Ss, Ss-Ss, PW, GW,
Assumed knowledge: I assume that students already know the vocabulary related to the topic.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS: – if believed necessary, the teacher will offer th e students
guidance
– a few Ss may be given supplementary explanati ons in Romanian.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: the students will be assessed on class participati on

37
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, dialogue, games
METHODS OF TEACHING: Communicative Approach
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Primary Educatio n
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK,
1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006
B) HUMAN: the students of the class
TIME: 10 minutes
Procedure:
1. The teacher asks pupils to form a circle.
2. Pupils are supposed to run round the class in a cir cle until the teacher shouts out a
number.
3. Pupils have to stop and make groups that contain th is number of people. For example, if
the teacher said “3”, then the pupils get in groups of three.
4. When pupils get all the members of their team they sit down
5. Repeat from 1.

I have used this activity during the first classes of the second semester in order to reinforce
students’ knowledge of numbers from 1-12. Students showed interest in the activity because of
its interactive character focusing less on thinking about the numbers or using their fingers in
order to count as they did before and more on the a ctual grouping of students according to the
number said by the teacher.

38
• Guess the animal
FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Animals
TYPE OF LESSON: Article a/an
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of vocab ulary related to the topic
and the use of the article a/an;
AIMS:
• to give pupils controlled practice regarding the us e of the article a/an;
OBJECTIVES:
• COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• identify the animals;
• use the article a/an in correct utterances.
AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a friendly atmosphere so that students fe el encouraged to fully participate in the
class;
SKILLS: listening
INTERACTION: T- Ss, Ss-Ss, PW
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE: I assume that students already know the vocabulary related to the
topic.

39
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS: – if believed necessary, the teacher will offer th e students
guidance
– a few Ss may be given supplementary explanati ons in Romanian.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Small cards with pictures of animals. All the chil dren from the classroom should
have the same cards. The picture is taken from inte rnet or it can be taken from magazines. Each
teacher will decide whether he/she will use picture s from internet or design their cards for this
game. A grid made by the teacher and grids made by children.
Preparation: In a previous lesson, children will have these car ds prepared, and also these
animals will be introduced previously. Children can draw the pictures with animals. But it will
be rather difficult to ask primary children to draw animals. There are plenty of children who are
not able to draw anything, and if they do, you will not be able to recognize a thing. Teacher
should have the personal set of cards and should us e them while repeating the words.
Procedure:
1. The teacher will ask children to work in pairs. Teacher will present the activity with a child
and the rest of the class will pay attention and wi ll practice. The game has some stages:
2. The teacher should stick in a grid the pictures related to the animals. The children are
supposed to fill in their own grids with the animal s that are on the grid from the board.
3. Children will also have to write the names relat ed to the animals from the grid. It is a time
limit activity.
4. The pictures will be mixed and then teacher will stick them on the board. Children will have to
work as fast as possible in order to fill in the gr id.
5. The next stage is when each pair will prepare fo r their colleagues from a different pair a grid
that must be filled in. It is an exchange of activi ty and children will have to prepare some
activities for their colleagues from a different pa ir. It is a cooperative game and nobody loses or

40
wins. The idea is that children should recognize an d use the vocabulary, especially on the second
stage, in short sentences. This is a …., What is th is?
• Describe and draw
FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Describing
TYPE OF LESSON: Grammar teaching
VOCABULARY: shapes
GRAMMAR: – imperatives
– prepositions of location
– adjectives
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the c orrect usage of the Present
Simple Tense
AIMS:
• to assemble the students’ analysis
• to make comparisons and contrasts
• to help students improve their grammar using differ ent types of grammar items
OBJECTIVES:
COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• discriminate between the Romanian “noun+adjective” and English “adjective+noun” pattern
• use the prepositions of locations in correct uttera nces

41
AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
• to create a warm atmosphere in order to offer the b ackground for smooth, easy
conversations between teacher and students
• to make students confident in themselves when speak ing a foreign language
SKILLS: listening, speaking
INTERACTION: T- Ss, S-S, Ss-Ss, GW, IW
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE: I assume that students already know the vocabulary related to
shapes. They are expected to use various prepositio ns of locations for an accurate description of
the picture.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS:
– some Ss may encounter problems with the “adject ive+noun” structure
– a few Ss may consider the game too easy
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: the students will be assessed on class participati on
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, drawing, games
METHODS OF TEACHING: Communicative Approach
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Secondary Educat ion
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK,
1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006 B)
HUMAN: the students of the class
C) MATERIALS: chalk, a large picture

42
TIME: 15 minutes
Preparation You will need a picture or a drawing on paper of a few quite simple and clearly
defined objects (preferably not people).
Procedure
1 Ask a volunteer to stand by the board. Then display a large picture which all the class can see,
except the volunteer by the board. For example, the picture can be displayed on a movable board.
If necessary the picture can be held up by two lear ners.
2 Invite the class to describe the picture and tell t he volunteer how to draw it. Explain that the
aim is to help the artist to make a good copy of th e picture. It is helpful to begin with a general
description. Here is an example.
Teacher: What’s the shape of the picture?
Learner 1: It’s a rectangle .
Teacher: Artist, please draw a rectangle … a long rectangl e. (The artist draws the rectangle. The
class can call out for him or her to make it longer or shorter.)
Teacher: What is in the picture?
Class: A house … a tree … two people … a dog … som e birds.
Teacher: OK. Now, is the line for the garden near the top of the picture, in the middle or near the
bottom of the picture?
Learner 2: Near the bottom of the picture.
Teacher: OK, Artist, draw a line near the bottom of the pict ure … a long, straight line. OK. Now
the house. What shape is it?
Learner 3: It’s a rectangle.
Teacher: Is it a long rectangle or a tall rectangle?
Learner 4: It’s a tall rectangle.

Teacher: And where is the house?
Learner 5: It’s in the middle of the picture.
Teacher: OK. Artist, draw a tall rectangle in the middle of the picture.

In this game the teacher plays
and providing students with a model for a clear and helpful communication, and for the sort of
language which might be required: describing people and items
game is to engage all the students in an
with each other, but rather work together in order to attain the expected result.
should be made aware that this
result of the quality of communicative competence o f the describers.

43 And where is the house?
It’s in the middle of the picture.
OK. Artist, draw a tall rectangle in the middle of the picture.
In this game the teacher plays the most important part, being the director of the learning process
a model for a clear and helpful communication, and for the sort of
language which might be required: describing people and items related to them. The
to engage all the students in an effort for achieving the best results
with each other, but rather work together in order to attain the expected result.
aware that this is not a contest because much of the success of the game is the
result of the quality of communicative competence o f the describers.

of the learning process
a model for a clear and helpful communication, and for the sort of
related to them. The role of this
effort for achieving the best results without competing
with each other, but rather work together in order to attain the expected result. The learners
is not a contest because much of the success of the game is the

44
• Listen and draw
FORM: 1st – 4th
LEVEL: Beginners
NO. OF STUDENTS: 20
LESSON TOPIC: Listening and drawing
TYPE OF LESSON: Grammar revision
VOCABULARY: people and places
GRAMMAR: – prepositions of location
– adjectives
MAIN FOCUS: to reinforce students’ previous knowledge of the c orrect usage of prepositions
of locations and adjectives and comparatives of adj ectives
AIMS:
• to make learners listen for details in the descript ion of a person, object, animal or place
• to provide practice in drawing according to the det ails described
OBJECTIVES:
A) COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES: by the end of the lesson Ss will be able to:
• discriminate between the Romanian “noun+adjective” and English “adjective+noun” pattern
• use the prepositions of locations in correct uttera nces
• use the comparatives of adjectives for comparing
B) AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES:
– to create a warm atmosphere in order to offer the background for smooth, easy conversations
between teacher and students

45
– to make students confident in themselves when spe aking a foreign language
SKILLS: listening, speaking, writing
INTERACTION: T- Ss, S-S, Ss-Ss, GW, IW
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE: I assume that students already know the vocabulary related to
people and places. They are expected to listen for detail in the description of a person, object,
animal or place and to draw according to the detail s described.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS: – some learners may be reluctant to the task and o thers may
really enjoy it
– some Ss may feel embarrassed because they show n o talent when drawing
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: the students will be assessed on class participati on
TEACHING TECHNIQUES: conversation, drawing, games
METHODS OF TEACHING: Task-based Approach
TEACHING AIDS:
A) BIBLIOGRAPHICAL:
1. official: The Curriculum for Secondary Educat ion
2. methodical: Harmer, Jeremy: The Practical of English Language Teaching , Longman, UK,
1991
Wright, Andrew: Games for Language Learning , Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006
B) HUMAN: the students of the class
C) MATERIALS: chalk, 1 piece of descriptive text
TIME: 20 minutes
Preparation Write a description of a person, object, animal or place, keeping in mind that the
learners will be asked to draw it. Make an enlarged copy of the description to display.

46
Procedure
1 Read a description of a person, object, animal or p lace. First of all, ask the learners to listen to
the whole description without drawing. For example:
Teacher: My neighbor is a very tall, thin woman. She wears a T-shirt. She wears narrow
trousers. She has big feet, very big feet. And she wears big black boots. She has a square face
and a long, pointed nose. She has two small eyes ri ght in the middle of her face. She is always
miserable and she has a long, miserable mouth. She has a lot of hair. She never combs her hair.
It is full of birds. She has long thin arms and she always carries her little cat in her arms.
2 Then read the description again, slowly, and ask t he learners to draw what you describe. You
may decide to encourage the learners to ask you que stions for more clarity. Be willing to read the
description several times.
3 Let the class vote for the top five most accurate pictures.
4 Consider asking the learners to do a similar activi ty in pairs or groups. For example, each pair
of learners can be asked to describe, in writing, a subject that they can then describe to another
pair for them to draw. Descriptions and pictures ca n then be displayed on the walls of the
classroom.
This game is an effective tool in practicing two of the main skills: listening and writing. If the
teacher reads the description of the image, the mai n skill practiced is listening, but if one of the
learners is the one describing the image, then it i s a speaking game. The learners have to listen to
the reader in order to be able to draw an accurate image. The drawings are the proof that students
understood the description of the image. I have pre sented my students with this activity after a
lesson in which we have practiced the structure nou n+adjective and most of the students(mainly
3rd and 4 th graders) managed to come up with a drawing that re spected most of the features
described in the text/

47
CONCLUSIONS
The topic chosen for the paper represents a major i nterest for me as an English teacher and the
research offered me the chance to find important in formation about the way teachers should
prepare materials when it comes to English teaching to primary children. After using the games
presented in the practical part with my class of 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th graders from Giurgeni Primary
School during the second semester, students’ test r esults improved significantly, as well as their
level of participation during the English classes. At the beginning of the second semester I
presented students with a test in order to be able to make a comparison between their results
before using games during the lessons, and their re sults after using games during the lesson. The
evaluation of the tests was done in marks (from 10 to 1 in the Romanian system) in close
connection with the teaching/learning objectives of the lessons.

The initial test revealed the following results: si x students were marked with grades between five
and six, four students were marked with grades betw een six and seven, five students were
marked with grades between seven and eight, three s tudents were marked with grades between
eight and nine and two students were marked with gr ades between nine and ten. 01234567
5<6 6<7 7<8 8<9 9<10 Grades before using games in the classroom

48

The test administered after using games with the st udents revealed the following results: 4
students were marked with grades between five and s ix, 2 students were marked with grades
between 6 and 7, 5 students were marked with grades between 7 and 8, 5 students were marked
with grades between 9 and 10 and 4 students were ma rked with grades between 9 and 10. The
sequence of analysis reveals that there is a slight ly improvement in terms of grades.
I have applied the same initial and final test to c lass A and the results reveal minor differences in
students’ acquisition of the knowledge from the syl labus, taught using traditional methods, with
an emphasis on working with the textbooks provided by the school. The initial test revealed the
following results: five students were marked with g rades between five and six, three students
were marked with grades between six and seven, thre e students were marked with grades
between seven and eight, four students were marked with grades between eight and nine and
three students were marked with grades between nine and ten.
0123456
5<6 6<7 7<8 8<9 9<10 Grades after using games in the classroom
0123456
5<6 6<7 7<8 8<9 9<10 Initial test grades

49

The final test revealed the following results: four students were marked with grades between five
and six, three students were marked with grades bet ween six and seven, three students were
marked with grades between seven and eight, four st udents were marked with grades between
eight and nine and four students were marked with g rades between nine and ten.

There is an improvement in terms of grades with cla ss B, due to the relaxed environment in the
classroom and favorable atmosphere for learning cre ated by the use of language games. Games 0123456
5<6 6<7 7<8 8<9 9<10 Initial test grades
00.5 11.5 22.5 33.5 44.5
5<6 6<7 7<8 8<9 9<10 Final test grades

50
can be used in primary for at least two reasons: on e is to practice items taught in the lesson, the
latter is to improve the learners’ command of langu age. Whatever the reasons for using games in
primary classrooms may be, the result should be lea rning the English language effectively and
encouraging students’ communicative attempts. Teach ing English through language games
represents a challenge for any teacher but in the e nd, working with primary children can be fun
and entertaining as well. There are many situations in which children are co- participants in the
act of teaching. Children are really innovative whe n it comes to games. They are open to
whatever games mean. Each game presented by the tea cher should clearly represent what the
children from primary classrooms are interested in. Children are very preoccupied with what
they are doing and they also need to know that the teacher correlates notions with real life. By all
means, language games should be related to real lif e, to children’s age, to childhood. They enjoy
the classes of a teacher who incorporates language games or games of any kind in his/her
teaching. The learners should receive the kind of a ctivities for their level of understanding,
otherwise they will feel frustrated and they will l ose interest. Grading language for children
between 7-10 “is one of the most important skills a teacher needs to develop (…)” (Peter
Watkins, 2005: 20), the teacher always has to focus on the learners’ needs and adapt his/her
teaching accordingly. Teaching English through game s means that variety will have a special
place in the planning of such activities. In other words, variety is a “must- variety of activity,
variety of pace, variety of organization, variety o f voice (…)” (Scott, A., W. and Ythreberg, L.,
H., 2003: 11). In order to assess students’ opinion regarding the use of games in the EFL
classroom, I have applied a questionnaire in which students had to agree or disagree with several
statements related to the use of didactic games, gr oup work, pair work and other materials during
the English class. The results of the questionnaire point out that most of the students ranked
speaking English in the classroom first, followed b y the use of different interaction patterns, such
group work/pair work secondly, games were ranked th ird and variety of methods fourth.

51

In conclusion, games are used in the primary classr oom for many reasons, but one of the
most important reasons is that they offer a lot of fun and enjoyment for the students, creating a
pleasant atmosphere in the EFL classroom. They also help increase learners’ motivation, provide
a context for meaningful communication, improve lea rners’ command of language and
encourage cooperation between students.

0510 15 20 25
Games Group work Variety of methods Speaking English Questionnaire results

52
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allwright, D., Bailey, K., M., (1991), Focus on the language classroom, Cambridge University
Press.
Brown, H.D., (2000, 2004), Teaching by principles, an Interactive Approach to Language
Pedagogy, Longman.
Byrne, D., (1991), Teaching Oral English, Longman.
Dalton, E., Language Learning Games: Why, When, and How, Southern New Hampshire
University.
Freeman-Larsen, D., (2003), Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching , second edition,
Oxford University Press.
Hadfield, J ., (1999), Intermediate vocabulary games ,Harlow,Essex, Longman.

Hadfield, J ., (2009), Elementary grammar games ,Harlow,Essex, Longman.
Harmer, J., (2001, 2007 ), The practice of English Language Teaching ,Pearson Education.
Huyen, N .T .T .& Nga , K . T .T .( 2003) The effectiveness of learning vocabulary through
games
Richardson, D., (2007), Ready or not! At what age are children prepared to deal with
competition, SIRC, retrieved from httpwww.sirc.canewslettersmid-
jan11documentsReadyOrNot.pdf.
Krashen, Stephen, D., Terrell, Tracy, (1988), The Natural Approach: language acquisition in the
classroom , Phoenix ELT.
Lee, W. R. , ( 1979), Language Teaching Games and Contests , Oxford University Press.
Lewis, G., &Bedson, G. (1999). Games for children. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Littlewood, W., (1981), Communicative Language Teaching , Cambridge University Press.
Martinelli, S., (2000), Methodology in Language Learning T-kit, Council of Europe publishing.

53
Melville, M., et al, (1980), Towards the creative teaching of English , Heinemann.
Nunan, D., (1989), Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom , Cambridge University
Press.
Scott, A., W. and Ythreberg, L., H., (2003), Teaching English to children , Longman.
Sugar, S., Sugar, K. K., (2002), Primary game, Experiential Learning activities, Lea rning
activities for teaching children K-8 , Jossey- Bass, A Willy company.
Toth, M. (1995). Children's games. Oxford: Heinemann Publishers.
Watkins, P., (2005), Learning to teach English , Delta Publishing.
Wright, A et al , (1983), Games for Language Learning, Cambridge University Press.

Webliography
Dalton, E., Language Learning Games: Why, When, and How, Southern New Hampshire
University On-line document at URL
http://gaeacoop.org/dalton/publications/LanguageGam es.pdf .
Delage, E., (1989), Playful Activities to Teach English to very young c hildren , On-line document
at URL http://www.tesol-france.orgTheJournalV01N1P079.pdf .
Peace Corps, Classroom management, retrieved from
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/lib rary/M0088_Classroom_Mgmt.pdf.Cl
Epictetus, retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/quo tations/creativity/ t Classroom
Webb, P., I., (2006), Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) in primary and secondary
physical education , University of Wollongong., Australia, retrieved f rom
http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10 75&context=edupapers

54
Appendix 1

Mark your answer by circling one of the given numbe rs. Each number represents the degree to which
you agree or disagree with the following statements .

1. I strongly agree.
2. I agree.
3. I neither agree nor disagree.
4. I disagree.
5. I strongly disagree

1. I felt comfortable in this class. 1 2 3 4 5
2. The atmosphere of the class was relaxed and favo rable to learning. 1 2 3 4 5
3. I liked the fact that the teacher tried to use t he English language most of the time. 1 2 3 4 5
4. The variety of methods used in this class was en joyable. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I did not feel pressure to participate in group activities in this class. 1 2 3 4 5
6. I want to learn English because it is fun. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I enjoyed this class very much. 1 2 3 4 5
8. The activities used in this class were fun and e njoyable. 1 2 3 4 5
9. I enjoyed all group activities in this class. 1 2 3 4 5
10. I think that using games during the English les son is easier than following a traditional grammar-
based syllabus. 1 2 3 4 5

55
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I declare that this degree paper does not contain m aterial which has been accepted for the
award of any other degree or diploma in any univers ity, nor does it contain material previously
published or written by any other person, except wh ere due reference is made in the text of the
degree paper.

Name: Chelaru Alina-Georgiana

Signature: