Teaching English to young children can prove to be challenging and sometimes daunting [622905]

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ARGUMENT

Teaching English to young children can prove to be challenging and sometimes daunting
especially for teachers new at this age group. Alth ough children have immense ability to learn
a language, the methods and techniques of teaching children are not the same as they are for
teenagers or adults and a wrong method of teaching could bring a totally opposite result. Young
children have shorter attention spans than teenager s and adults and they are less able to keep
themselves motivated on tasks they find difficult. Jeremy Harmer says that with their limited
attention span, “unless activities are extremely en gaging, they can get easily bored, losing
interest after ten minutes or so” (“The Practice of English Language Teaching” 82). In this way,
developing appropriate conditions for teaching is b ased on implementing the elements of the
second language acquisition into a number of games and entertainment-oriented activities which
children participate in with enthusiasm.
The main focus of this paper is to examin e the effectiveness and enjoyment of games for
teaching foreign language to children. Why games? B ecause games, as we shall see further
developed, provide wonderful atmosphere in the chil dren’s language class and it is widely
documented that English language games improve lear ning, and with children, they are one of
the most effective classroom tools. Through games, teachers can enhance motivation and
stimulate further interest. Also, using appropriate games, teachers can help students build self-
esteem and self-confidence, such important elements when dealing with second language
learning.
Games can focus on various skills, grammar , listening, speaking, writing, reading,
pronunciation, so they can be extremely complex. Th ey also help the teacher to create contexts
in which the language is useful and meaningful. Dur ing games, children do not worry much
about grammar mistakes, they are focused on what th ey are trying to convey. Apart from having
fun, they will learn a grammatical rule just by pla ying an appropriate game.
Games with flashcards, competiti ons, races, and so on, are among the most exciting
ways in which children learn. As well as encouragin g active learning, they help develop social
skills.

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The emotions aroused when playing games add v ariety to the sometimes dry, serious process
of language instruction (Bransford, Brown, & Coking , 2000). This is especially useful for
teaching young learners in the sense that they cann ot tolerate the strict and less enjoyable tasks
and may not learn the target subject as is expected . Using concrete tasks is in line with the
capacities and abilities of young learners. The use of game-based activities and tasks presents
an effective way of teaching vocabularies concretel y to the young language learners who do not
have the advantage of thinking abstractly.
Furthermore, games can provide intense and m eaningful practice of language and they must
be regarded as central to a language teacher’s repe rtoire and not merely a way of passing the
time. Play is a very significant part of what life means to children at this stage of their
development. Teachers should therefore promote lear ning through play as much as possible.
The opening chapter of this paper will focus on young learners. It aims to provide their
characteristics and describe their learning potenti al. It will also deal with basic developmental
theories that are important to understand in order to teach this age group effectively.
Furthermore, the chapter will provide methodologica l recommendations about how to teach and
approach young learners so as to reach the best lea rning results.
Chapter two will provide the definition and classification of games. Games have been
divided in terms of their structure, function, the use and the required L1 proficiency of the
students. The Chapter will present the way teachers introduce games during their lessons, and
will highlight the factors that contribute to choos ing games by the teachers. Detailed analysis of
research literature will confirm previous hypothesi s that games constitute a crucial element of
teaching English in young children.
The third Chapter will provide the descript ion of three games used for teaching English,
and will compare their effectiveness. The games wil l be tested on different age groups. The
thesis will end with the conclusions on the theoret ical and empirical chapters.

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1.1 Who are young learners ?
This chapter focuses on young learners. It ai ms to provide their characteristics and describe
their learning potential. It also deals with basic developmental theories that are important to
understand in order to teach this age group effecti vely. Furthermore, the chapter provides
methodological recommendations about how to teach a nd approach young learners so as to
reach the best learning results, as well as pointin g out why is better to start learning English
language from an early age.
1.1.1 Definition and characteristics of young learners
The concept of ‘young learner’ covers a large ch ronological age span, being difficult to give
a precise age range of this learner group. However, young learners have been defined by a
variety of scholars and researchers, focusing mainl y on children of pre-school and primary
school ages. Anamaria Pinter (2011) distinguish bet ween three groups of young learners. The
first is children who start pre-school at about the age of three, the second is the group of
children who start primary school at around the age of 5-7 and finish primary school 11 or 12,
although in some countries this takes place at arou nd the age of 13 or 14. On the other hand
Lynne Cameron defines young learners as ‘ those bet ween five and twelve years of age’
(Cameron 2011:xi). Scot and Ytreberg understand yo ung learners as ‘ pupils (…) between five
and ten or eleven years old’ (Scott-Ytreberg 1990 : 1). Nevertheless, trying a strict segmentation
of learners seems rather pointless as children do e xhibit different mental and social
characteristics at different ages . As Pinter (2006 :2) points out, all children are unique , and
two children at the same chronological age can exhi bit markedly different characteristics.
In order to maximize the learning process, it is important for the teacher to have clear view
of the learner. It is crucial to have information a bout the physical, emotional, conceptual and
educational characteristics of the young learner an d take in consideration certain issues on how
children usually think and learn. When learning a l anguage young learners have a variety of
skills and features that help them learn a foreign language. Susan Halliwell mentions some of
the qualities of young learners that she considers really useful for language learning. She claims
that children :

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• are already very good at interpreting meaning witho ut understanding the individual
words
• can use limited language in a creative way
• learn indirectly rather than directly
• tend to find and create fun in what they do
• have a wonderful imagination
• have a great delight in talking (Halliwell 1992: 3) .
Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth H. Ytreberg summarizes f urther characteristics of young
learners. They assume the following features:
• they understand situations more quickly than they u nderstand the language used
• their understanding is based on the physical world- it is always connected with direct
experience
• they have a short attention and concentration span
• young children are enthusiastic and positive about learning. Therefore, it is especially
important to praise them to keep them motivated and enthusiastic,
• they will rarely admit they do not know something. ( Scott-Ytreberg 1990:2-4).
All these characteristics can make teaching youn g learners exciting and inspiring and provide
the teacher with wonderful opportunities to build o n them. Indirect learning, creativity,
imagination and fun are the key words not only in t he description of the young learner, but
should also be the integral part of the teacher’s a pproach to young language learners.
1.2 The development of children’s thinking and understa nding
It is generally agreed that the way of teachi ng young learners largely depends on their
developmental stage. Therefore, good primary practi ce should be based on the knowledge and
understanding of theories of child development, the ways in which they learn languages and
studies of classroom conditions which promote forei gn language learning (Brewster1994: 1-2).
This subchapter provides brief overview of theor ies that deal with the way children
develop. In spite of the fact that some theories ar e significantly different, I think that they set a
right background for the recommendations about how to teach young learners in general.

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1.2.1 How children learn
Numerous theories have described the way that ch ildren develop and proves new
information. Vygotsky stressed the role of social i nteraction in development. He found that
children construct knowledge through other people, more specifically through interaction with
adulds or more competent peers. Adults work activel y with children in the Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD), which by definition is the diffe rence between the child’s capacity t solve
problems on her/his own and her/his capacity to sol ve them with assistance or scaffolding. The
adults role is very important in a child’s learning process (Bruner, 1983; Vygotsky,1962). In
the classroom, the younger the learner, the more im portant the teacher’s role is in the
scaffolding process. Like Vygotsky, Bruner focused on the importance of language in a child’s
cognitive development. Bruner carefully studied how parents provided effective scaffolding.
Cameron (2001:8) outlines in a concise manner what Bruner’s studies found as effective
scaffolding techniques use by parents to support a child’s learning:
• They made the child interested in the task
• They simplified the task, often breaking it down in to smaller steps
• They kept the child on track toward completing the task by reminding the child what
the goal was
• They pointed out was important to do or showed the child other ways of doing parts of
the tasks
• They demonstrated an idealized version of the task
• They controlled the child’s frustration during the task
According to both Erikson and Maslow, children’s de velopment is closely bound up in
their confidence and self-esteem. In other theory, Feuerstein suggested that child’s cognitive
structures are infinitely modifiable with the help of a modifier, which is similar to Vygotsky’s
theory (Harmer, 2007: 82).
However, Jean Piaget’s study of children’s intellec tual development is probably the most
influential in educational theory. Piaget (1970) em phasizes the fact that children are active
learners and thinkers. Children construct knowledge from interacting with the physical
environment in development stages. Students in prim ary school can be found in Piaget’s
Preoperational and Concrete Operational Stages. Ver y young learners at 5 years old who are in
the Preoperational Stage are extremely egocentric a nd highly imaginative, although the are

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starting to distinguish between fantasy and reality compared to younger children in this stage.
As young learners reach the Concrete Operational St age (7-11 years old), they are able to think
more logically but are still grounded in concrete o bjects and what is happening here and now. It
is not until adolescents are over 12 years old that children start to exhibit intelligence through
their understanding of abstract concepts.
As reported by Piaget (1970), children learn throug h their own actions and exploration.
Creating opportunities for children to learn by doi ng and to learn by interacting with the
environment is very important in the young learner classroom. Teachers can bring in realia for
students to interact with.
Another idea of Piaget’s theory is that of adaptati on. He defines intelligence as adapting
to the world. “According to Piaget, two kinds of pr ocess are at work to bring this adaptation
about” (Shorrocks 1994:262). He talks about the pro cess of assimilation, where previous
experience provides a framework into which the new one can be integrated. Then, there is the
process of accommodation, which includes the extend ed knowledge of concepts that allow
children to recognize and interpret new information next time. “Assimilation and
accommodation processes work in a complementary way with each other to give organisation
to our ever-growing knowledge and understanding” (S horrocks 1994: 263).
Piaget’s view also strongly advocates a child-centr ed approach to teaching. A child-
centred curriculum and methodology is widely recogn ized and applied in modern practice where
the children’s needs and interests are paramount. N owadays, there is a concern for the education
of the whole child, including their moral, physical , emotional and intellectual growth (Brewster
1994:3-4). Phillips summarizes that, “As a general rule, it can be assumed that the younger the
children are, the more holistic learners they will be” (Philips 1993: 7).
1.2.2 How children learn a language
When talking about young learners and thei r possibilities of learning especially a second
language teachers should take into account the most important aspects of how they learn the
first language L1.
Usually children need a learning environ ment similar to first language acquisition. The
success in second or foreign language learning does not necessarily depends on the early age
stage to begin the language acquisition but also on the characteristics of the classroom
environment. Children may use identical processes t o acquire a first or native language (L1)

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and a second or foreign language (L2); however, the environment for L1 and L2 acquisition
can be quite different (Brewster, Ellis, & Girard, 2004).The environment for the L1 acquisition
is situated in the real world, the language used be ing always authentic and contextualized.
Children are motivated to learn and use the languag e because it serves their needs and respond
to their surroundings. If the foreign language used in the classroom is not in context and not
meaningful to young learners, then they will not be as motivated as they should be to use the
language. They will be motivated if there is a real purpose to use the language, engaging them
in different activities like storytelling, singing, chanting, talking to each other, letter writing,
e-mailing, reading recipes, and watching plays, TV shows, and movies.
Children learn language through a lot of meanin gful exposure and practice. When learning
the L1 they are exposed to language in authentic co ntexts helping them acquire language
naturally and quickly, but when it comes to learnin g English, usually the only place they hear
and use it is the classroom. Therefore, teachers sh ould use English as much as possible in the
classroom creating an English speaking environment. To create an optimal environment for
learning English, the input in the classroom needs to be comprehensible and just above the
students’ current level of English (Krashen 1981). Teachers can support comprehension input
by using a lot of visual materials, realia, gesture s, miming, and caregiver speech, which for
first language acquisition is the parent or grandpa rent. Teachers can also use caregiver speech
to help make language input in the classroom more c omprehensible, such as slower rate of
speech, using shorter and simpler sentences, and re peating or rephrasing utterances.
Besides giving students meaningful, comprehe nsible input, it is important to create
opportunities for them to use English in class so t hat they have the chance to see how English
works. Furthermore, language learners need to have the opportunity to interact with each other
and negotiate meaning (Long 1987). In addition to u sing lots of purposeful, authentic activities
to expose young learners to real English, teachers have to prepare students for the language
needed to negotiate meaning (Curtain & Dahlberg 201 0). Young learners may use their L1 in
class, especially when they are engaged in differen t activities and don’t have the language to
express themselves. When this happens teachers shou ld always recast those utterances in
English and encourage them to reformulate their tho ughts in English.
Another aspect that teachers should take in con siderations when teaching L2 to young
learners is the fact that children do not learn lan guage through explicit grammatical

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explanations, so the approach to teaching grammar s hould match the way students learn. The
approach to teaching grammar should be ‘learning-ce ntered’, which Cameron (2003:110)
describes as “…meaningful and interesting, require active participation from learners, and will
work with how children learn and what they are capa ble of learning”. In this way we
understand that they will not learn through grammat ical explanations, as Pinter (2006) and
Cameron (2011) emphasize, this approach to teaching young learners encourages them to
‘notice’ the grammar rather than being taught the s tructures explicitly. Pinter explains that
teachers should give plenty of meaning-focused inpu t that will help young learners notice
grammar.
Cameron also wrote, “children see the foreign la nguage ‘from the inside’ and try to find
meaning in how the language is used in action, in i nteraction, and with intention, rather than
‘from the outside’ as a system and form” (2003:107) . “In action” means learning by doing; “in
interaction” means through social activities; and “ with intention” means the activities have a
real purpose to use language. Therefore, teachers s hould expose children to language in
authentic and meaningful contexts and use repletion and recycling in order to improve young
leaners’ ability to understand the new language str uctures and use them correctly.
Furthermore, research has shown that “children who learn a new language early have a facility
with the pronunciation which is sometimes denied to older learners” (Harmer, 2007: 81).
Usually, young children are able to reproduce accen t very accurately. Therefore, I think that the
implications for teachers of young learners are ext ensive. Teachers should be true professionals
and competent users of the foreign language to prov ide young learners with quality input.
Harmer comments that the teacher’s pronunciation re ally matters here, precisely because young
learners imitate it incredibly well (Harmer 2007: 8 3).
With young learners, demonstration is vital for successful teaching. Ellis advises that
teachers should explain and demonstrate at the boar d the tasks that they want children to do at
the tables. For example, when using a worksheet, it can be stuck on the board. Above all, she
also mentions flashcards as an excellent aid for ex planation and presentation (Ellis).
Young learners respond to language according t o what it does or what they can do with it,
rather than treating it as a sophisticated game or abstract system (Phillips 1993 :7). Generally,
methodology recommended for this age group emphasis es learning by doing, problem solving
and involving frequent use of work in small groups (Brewster 1994: 4).

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Since attention and concentration spans are short in young learners, variety is necessary.
Holden says that, “children cannot concentrate on o ne thing for a long period. Lessons should
be therefore divided into a series of activities la sting no longer than five or ten minutes”
(Brewster 1994: 7-8). Other authors usually suggest that activities for eight to ten year olds
should be changed every ten minutes or more, since their concentration span increases as they
grow older.
However, Scott and Ytreberg point out that vari ety in the classroom should include not only
the variety of activities, but also the variety of pace, organization and voice ( Scott and Ytreberg
1991: 5-6).
Young learners also respond strongly to music an d rhythm. They are more easily able to learn
a chant or a song than a spoken text. Therefore, mu sic and rhythm should be an essential part of
language learning for young learners. Songs, rhymes or chants make it much easier to imitate
and remember the language than words which are only spoken. They are good to teach children
the sounds and rhythm of English, to reinforce stru ctures and vocabulary, or to be used as total
physical response activities. Besides, children abs orb much of the learning content
unconsciously, so music can be also used as a backg round while children are working quietly
on another task (Phillips 1993: 100).
Scott and Ytreberg also emphasise the importanc e of ‘listen and repeat’ exercises that give
the pupils a chance to experience the sounds, stres s, rhythm and intonation. “When done in
combination with movements or with objects or pictu res, this type of activity also helps to
establish the link between words and meaning” (Scot t and Ytreberg 1991: 27).
Moreover, rhymes are repetitive and have an ele ment of fun and playing with the language.
Teachers should allow young learners to play with t he language, let them talk nonsense and
experiment with words and sounds. “Playing with the language this way is very common in first
language development and is a very natural stage in the first stages of foreign language learning
too” (Scott and Ytreberg 1991:5).
1.3 The benefits of early language learning
Although there are various points of view about the best time to begin learning English
language, and minor differences in student age and program categories, the fact is that in most
countries, children are learning English at younger and younger ages. In many countries, English
is a compulsory subject in the ealy primary grades ( Nikolov 2009; Pinter 2006).

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The European Commission identifies “better langu age skills” and “favorable attitudes to other
languages, people and cultures” as benefits of earl y language learning, if conditions such as
trained teachers and small classes are in place (Ni kolov & Mihaljevic Djigunovic, 2011: 98).
As Rixon (1999) points out, what matters more th an the optimal age are the conditions outside
the classroom (for example, the social, cultural, a nd economic value of the language) and inside
the classroom. Having these optimal conditions ther e are several reasons for starting language
learning early.
One reason for starting early is the amount of t ime that children will have to learn the language.
As Curtain and Dahlberg state, “When language learn ing begins earlier, it can goon longer and
provide more practice and experience, leading ultim ately to greater fluency and effectiveness”
Curtain and Dahlberg 2010: 428). However, duration is not enough. Intensity also matters.
Children need chance to learn English for more than two 30- minute periods a week.
On the other hand, researchers have concluded th at young learners are more likely to attain
native-like pronunciation (Scovel 1998), greater co nfidence in speaking the language, and better
oral proficiency (Harley 1998). If children begin l earning another language before 11 or 12, and
they are given appropriate instruction and input, t hey “are more likely to acquire Englih to native
levels without an accent” (Pinter 2006:29). “Approp riate instruction” requires well-trained
teachers with good English proficiency who can fost er the creativity and imagination of young
learners, taking advantage of children’s willingnes s to imitate or mimic what they hear and to
repeat the language, especially if the activity is fun.
Learning another language offers the child the p ossibility of greater global awareness and
intercultural competence. They gain an appreciation for other languages and cultures, an
experience that can also make them more aware and r eflective of their own language and culture.
Nevertheless, being bilingual provides many cogn itive advantages. Even when children are
only using one of their two or more languages, they have access to the other language(s) and to
these neural networks (Bialystok 1999). For young l earners, being able to speak another
language provides a number of advantages such as me ntal flexibility, the ability to see a problem
from different perspectives. It can also increase a child’s self-awareness. As Marsh (2000)
explains, “What we need to realize is that the abil ity to use different languages, even to a modest
extend, can have a positive impact on the youngster ’s thinking process. Being able to see the
same phenomenon from different angles, as though lo oking through different language

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‘spectacles’, can have a very interesting impact on our ability to think and understand” (Marsh
2000: 3).
1.4 Conclusions
After exploring the characteristics of young lea rners and the developmental theories detailed
previously we may say that in order to teach young learners effectively, it is important to know
them in depth and be able to put ourselves in their shoes. Children ages 5-12 years old are
growing and developing rapidly. Teaching young lear ners English requires an approach that is
developmentally appropriate. The right approach is to work with their natural tendencies instead
of against them. In order to find the right approac h for teaching young learners English, it is
important to know their characteristics and how the y learn.
2. Using games with young learners
This chapter is meant to provide the definition and classification of games. Games have been
divided in terms of their structure, function, the use and the required L1 proficiency of the
students. This part presents the way teachers intro duce games during their lessons, and
highlights the factors that contribute to choosing games by the teachers. Detailed analysis of
research literature will confirm previous hypothesi s that games constitute a crucial element of
teaching English in young children.
2.1Defining and describing games
Playing games is a natural part of childhood an d growing up. It is the very natural way
children explore the surrounding world and gain kno wledge. Through games children are given
real opportunities to discover and understand proce dures and phenomena. Lewis and Bedson
(1999) argue that games not only increase motivatio n, they also represent the primary and most
important way of learning in case of young language learners. But what is a game ? According
to Hadfield “a game is an activity with rules, a go al and an element of fun” (Hadfield 1984: 4).
Moreover, game means “ an activity which is enterta ining and engaging, often challenging, and
an activity in which learners play and usually inte ract with others” (Wright et al 2006:1).
Teresa Siek-Piskozub (1997: 11) states that gam e is a play with strictly label rules. There are
competitive players who try to achieve their own go als, adds Gibs. Different games allow
players to act in many kinds of interactions. Moreo ver, learners can be put in various situations.
They can compete as a whole group, in teams or pair s. While playing, students need to
communicate with others, ask questions, come to con clusion according to observations of their

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own and other people language activities. What is m ore, cooperation involves working together
to achieve the goal. Players are forced to exchange information, follow the instructions, guess,
estimate or judge others and their actions. Further more, games should also have a positive
climate, too create pleasure and fun. Also, games s hould be a tool for children to reach a goal
that is connected with improving their language. Te achers should use games to help students
learn and have fun.
In short games are fun activities that promote interaction, thinking, learning, and problem
solving strategies. Often, games have an aspect tha t permits the players to produce information
in a short time period. Some games require the play ers to engage in a physical activity and/or
complete a mental challenge. They are all character ized by fun, positive climate, the existence
of rules and enhances cooperation among children.
2.2 Games as a teaching method
One of the greatest challenges facing teachers t oday is that of engaging a wide and diverse
group of students. Students come to the learning ex perience with varying degrees of motivation,
commitment, ability, and learning styles or approac hes. Games offer a medium for students to
explore and interrogate information in a fun and in teractive way. A passive learning
environment will not stimulate them as they are use d to greater pace and interactivity in life in
general and so it is natural that they will need ex citement and interactivity to support their
learning. Biggs (2003: 79) says: ‘Being active whil e learning is better than being inactive’ .
Howard Gardner, who theories that humans have ei ght intelligences, claims that when
exploring a certain topic in school it can, and sho uld, be approached in 6 different ways in order
to maximize the chances of reaching all students in the classroom. One of these ways is “the
personal way”, where the ultimate goal is to see if it is possible to approach a specific topic by
using, for example, role play, or other interaction s (Gardner 2006: 142). In addition, Armstrong
(2000) suggests board games as a teaching strategy that might suit students with interpersonal
intelligence because they provide an excellent sett ing for interaction between students.
2.2.1 Why games?
Playing games is a natural part of childhood and gr owing up. It is the very natural way children
explore the surrounding world and gain knowledge. T hrough games children are given real
opportunities to discover and understand procedures and phenomena. Lewis and Bedson (1999)
argue that games not only increase motivation, they also represent the primary and most

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important way of learning in case of young language learners. They claim the following: “(…)
for many children between four and twelve years, es pecially the youngest, language learning
will not be the key motivational factor. Games can provide this stimulus. The game context
makes the foreign language immediately useful to th e children. It brings the target language to
life. The game makes the reasons for speaking plaus ible even to reluctant children.” (Lewis –
Bedson 1999: 5).
The above assumption suggests that to be able t o use English properly is not necessarily a
motivational factor for young learners. They will p robably not be enchanted by the fact that they
will be able to use the present simple in English. However, by giving them enjoyment,
playfulness and creativity that games can provide, we can motivate them to practice and produce
language structures.
Carol Read (2007) claims that “Games are the stu ff of life in the primary classroom”( Read
2007: 150). She explains that games provide stimula tion, variety, interest and motivation; they
help to promote positive attitudes to language lear ning. She adds that games encourage active
participation and improve children’s self-esteem an d confidence (Read 2007: 150.) . Games are
enjoyable and funny; however, they also develop a w ide range of social skills. Children have to
play a game according to a certain set of rules tha t they have to respect and follow, they have to
interact with others to reach several goals, and th ey have to cooperate, make compromises and
learn what fair play means. Games help young childr en improve their memory and concentration
skills.
It is very important that a game must be more th an just entertaining. Though it is significant
to make the lesson funny, entertaining and motivati ng, a game should always be purposeful from
the point of view of language learning. It should h ave a clearly recognizable objective, e.g. to
practice a certain language structure, to revise ce rtain areas of vocabulary, to improve speaking
skills, etc.
Nonetheless, using games in the classroom is important because many children do not get
enough opportunity to play during their free time, which can be traced to the rapid changes in
our society. Cities are getting bigger and traffic is getting heavier which means that more and
more parents are hesitant to let their children pla y outside. Also passive activities such as
watching television, or the computer screen are see n as being more exciting than actually
physically playing, so today the sight of children playing various games in groups outside is

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becoming much more rare than it was 10, 15 or 20 ye ars ago. This is not a good development,
and it can have several bad consequences for our so ciety. One possible consequence is that the
lack of movement can cause health problems because even though not all games are physical
some certainly are (Masheder.1989.p. 3). Another co nsequence this change might have is
decreased social skills because, according to Piage t, children’s games reflect society and that by
playing games children learn many of society’s rule s and regulations (Cole, Cole & Lightfoot.
2005: 536).
2.2.2. How to use games?
Even though games are usually started with the a im of having fun, they can sometimes end
badly, for example if someone gets carried away wit h all the fun and says or does something
that hurts someone else or his feelings. When games are used in the classroom the teacher must
keep this in mind and control the game in the right way. Also he or she must make sure that
every participant has a positive experience because the classroom must not become a place
where students feel vulnerable or picked on in. Ano ther thing that is important to acknowledge
is the fact that not all games fit the classroom en vironment, or all groups of students, and that it
can be hard finding the right game. In fact, it is good to keep in mind when selecting a game
that a recipe for a good educational game is one th at balances both fun and challenge (Steve
Sugar.1998:XVI).
Another point teachers need to keep in mind is t o choose wisely when it comes to selecting a
game to use in the classroom because, although one game might be perfect for one teacher or a
particular group of students it can be terrible for another teacher or group of students (Ingvar
Sigurgeirsson.1995.p.3). First of all, the teacher has to look at the group that will be participating
in the game and he or she then has to set out a goa l for the group which the game should aim
towards (Alanna Jones. 1998.p. 14). Selecting an ap propriate game for a 10 specific group of
students who are working towards a specific goal ca n be tricky because, for example, they need
to make sure that the game is relevant to the subje ct, that it fits their students ‟ age and, teachers
must remember not to select a game that is too comp licated because that might result in a loss
of interest amongst the students, or even defeat.
Also teachers must make sure they explain the ru les of the game in detail and that all
instructions are clear before starting the game. Du ring the game it is important for the teachers
to observe and be ready to help, but without unnece ssarily interrupting the flow of the game

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because that might affect the fluency, which could result in discouraging students from
participating. After the game, it is a good idea to have some sort of a follow up activity planned
because it gives the student’s time to reflect upon the game and how it turned out ( Langran &
Purcell 1994: 15-19). It is important for teachers to know that augmenting a game is allowed
and can certainly be necessary in some cases. More difficult games can be made easier so they
become a challenge instead of to hard for less skil led or younger students and vice versa
(Hadfield.1990:V). Although games can usually be mo dified to suit students of various ages,
there are certain characteristics in games that app eal to children within specific age groups. For
children age 6- 8 repetition is very common in game s, rules are often few, and the games usually
do not take a very long time. When it comes to chil dren age 9-11 they have patience for longer
games, which often include much more suspense. Also when children reach this age they start
to be able to augment the games themselves, for exa mple to bend the rules to make the game
more suited for their group. For children older tha n 12 games are often much more planned and
they often emphasize teams and teamwork .
After deciding on the game you want to play with your students the teacher has to bare in mind
that his or her role and active engagement does not end but rather changes. This means that the
teacher needs to monitor how learners process and u se English language and how they interact
during the game. The information collected during t he lesson and particular activities can be
highly useful when designing, selecting and impleme nting games on another occasion.
Following Dobson (1997: 108-109), the issues to con sider and follow when implementing
games during foreign language lessons include many factors.
Firstly, the teacher should know the rules of th e game, gather materials, and plan how to direct
conversation during or following the game. Addition ally she/he should make sure that activity
introduced would be entertaining. When it does not happen so, it is better to change a game, or
abandon it for some time. Secondly, teacher should choose a game that allows as many learners
as possible to get involved in it. It is vital to c are if all children are engaged sufficiently as act ive
participant instead of idling their time as observe rs only. It needs to be noticed that game is
within reach of children capacities. Otherwise lear ners can be easily discouraged and the
opposite outcome can be achieved. Thirdly, somewher e between the middle or the end of the
lesson is a more appropriate moment for changing a pace of the lesson and play a game. It is
advisable to play some ‘trials’ to make sure if rul es of a game are intelligible and to stand in

16
front of the class to act as the leader or referee. If all students cling to the rules, there is littl e
space for cheating, tricking, and breaking rules. F ourthly, for prevent disintegration during the
game is needed a pleasant but firm tone and necessa ry minimum of discipline in the classroom.
The role of teacher is to use proper encouragements and no discouragements. The teacher should
‘see’ which students get disheartened or even abash ed and ought to take steps to stop his
withdrawal into him-/herself. During team group tea cher should assure an equal number of
proficient and less proficient learners. Thanks to such a power balance the play or game is fair
and every team feels appreciated. As Dobson emphasi zes “some methodologists recommend
that you set up permanent teams” (1997: 109). Fifth ly, if a game activity does not seem to be
going well, the teacher should try a different game . The teacher should have a wide variety of
games at his/her disposal. Dobson’s recommendation is neither to play a game so long that it
begins to bore participants, nor to play the same g ame too frequently. (Dobson 1997: 108-109).
2.3 Function of games
Researches on effectiveness of didactic games sh ow that the strategy is especially beneficial
to fulfil various teacher's assignments. It allows students for comprehensive development of
their personality. Didactic game can act numerous f unctions in the process of education. The
first function of games is organizing function. It allows planning student's and teacher's time
more effectively. During game all students are acti ve. Their all actions are controlled by the
rules of game. Students work in groups and they col laborate with each other that is meaningful
especially for the shy learners; Another function o f games is motivating function. It is
performing conventional and pedagogical exercises r arely from personal needs of students. It
depends on external motivation, for example, marks. Therefore, approach to set tasks is
significant.
The next function is didactic function. In this context games make all students active and allow
them to develop various skills such as linguistic o r intellectual. Cognitive function is the fourth
function mentioned by this theorist. The learner an d his/her personality, abilities, achievements
are the object of teacher's knowledge.
The last function is educational function. Games can shape standards, allowing the teacher for
effective acting this function. They allow the teac her to control student's behavior and to reject
negative manners. They demand from learners knowled ge and competence in interaction with

17
others. Moreover, they form standards of proper beh avior . During games students follow the
rules that learn them proper manners (T.Siek -Pisko zub, 1997: 20-23; A.Mróz, 2005: 166-167).
Taking these points into consideration, I must s ay that games perform an important role in
educational process. However, we must remember that games should support other techniques
of teaching. The proportion of games to conventiona l ways of teaching depends on age of
learners. In case of young learners, games can be d ominant strategy in teaching. It must be
awareness of correcting, choosing and controlling o f games if they have to fulfil their functions.
2.4 Factors affecting the choice of games
As we saw using games in the teaching learning p rocess comes with a lot of benefits but yet
teachers should take into account some factors when choosing the right game.
According to Markunas (1993: 93-4), a proper ch oice of a game for the lesson needs to begin
with analysing learners’ skills, predispositions an d needs. On the basis of such information the
teacher can explore what various types of games can bring to the foreign language classroom.
In addition to these constant factors there are als o more flexible variables such as the time of the
lesson at which the game is used (as sometimes, the teacher can make a spontaneous decision
that a given element of language could be processed with the use of a game). This determines
the amount of time available to play the game.
What is more, as Koluch (2003: 43-44) notes, gam es can be used either as a background or an
introduction for other, more elaborated activity or they can constitute the main focus of the
lesson providing the context for presentation and p racticing of L2 input by students. Depending
on this basic function the choice of a specific gam e can be limited to a particular category of
games.
Following Hong (2002: 1), appropriate choice of a game for the lesson needs to be based on a
variety of aspects with reference to the purpose, t he language focus, the learners and technical
factors. This can be done by going over a list of q uestions such as:
– Which particular component or a language skill ca n be introduced or practiced on the basis of
a given game?
– Is the game one is about to choose adjusted to le arners in terms of their age, skills, knowledge
or interests. Can they benefit from the use of the game?
– Why is it useful resort to a given game at all?

18
– Did the use of a given game (or a type of game) b ring positive results of teaching? If yes, what
were the outcomes in particular?
– Can the game be implemented in its original form or does it need to be altered in any way? If
it does, can the necessary modifications be easily implemented by the teacher?
– Is there enough interaction and participation for learners that naturally stem from the game?
(Hong 2002: 1).
Answering these questions may limit the change o f making an inappropriate choice of a game
which, in such a situation, would be a waste of tim e. Nevertheless, it needs to be remembered
that there is also a variety of other aspects which might be considered which is why each game
also needs to be evaluated after it has been implem ented. The evaluation of games can be useful
when selecting a game next time (Hong 2002: 1-2).
As Siek-Piskozub (1995: 122-137) notes, learners ’ age constitutes one of the basic factors
which determines the choice of a specific game for the lesson. Young learners undergo a rapid
cognitive development but they are still subject to various cognitive limitations. In this way the
teacher should be fully aware of that as even the m ost interesting, dynamic and entertaining
game cannot serve its purpose well if L2 content it includes is beyond the current level of L2
showed by learners. Alternatively, the L2 content c ould also be too easy for students which is
also a problem because if learners can handle it ea sily they do not pay sufficient attention to it.
As a result, their motivation and engagement in the lesson lowers considerably. Other factors
determining the choice of games mentioned by the au thor are based on technical issues such as
availability of necessary tools or equipment or ava ilability of space (for movement games for
example).
According to Halliwell (1992: 13-14), a game chosen for the lesson needs to appeal to learners’
imagination and involve their creativity. Therefore , games used might contain an elements of
fantasy providing a controlled level of imaginary w orld as this can help children understand the
surrounding environment but also generate an intere sting context for interaction in the
classroom. Just as young learners can introduce fun and play into anything they do, they also
create their own view of the reality
2.5 Games categories
Classifying games into categories can be difficu lt, because categories often overlap. Hadfield
(1999) explains two ways of classifying language ga mes. First, she divides language games into

19
two types: linguistic games and communicative games . Linguistic games focus on accuracy,
such as supplying the correct antonym. On the other hand, communicative games focus on
successful exchange of information and ideas, such as two people identifying the differences
between their two pictures which are similar to one another but not exactly alike. Correct
language usage, though still important, is secondar y to achieving the communicative goal.
The second taxonomy that Hadfield uses to classi fy language games has many more
categories. As with the classification of games as linguistic games or communicative games,
some games will contain elements of more than one t ype.
Sorting, ordering, or arranging games . For example, students have a set of cards with
different products on them, and they sort the cards into products found at a grocery store and
products found at a department store.
Information gap games . In such games, one or more people have informatio n that other
people need to complete a task. For instance, one p erson might have a drawing and their partner
needs to create a similar drawing by listening to t he information given by the person with the
drawing. Information gap games can involve a one -way information gap, such as the drawing
game just described, or a two-way information gap, in which each person has unique
information, such as in a Spot-the-Difference task, where each person has a slightly different
picture, and the task is to identify the difference s.
Guessing games . These are a variation on information gap games. O ne of the best known
examples of a guessing game is 20 Questions, in whi ch one person thinks of a famous person,
place, or thing. The other participants can ask 20 Yes/No questions to find clues in order to
guess who or what the person is thinking of.
Search games . These games are yet another variant on two-way in formation gap games, with
everyone giving and seeking information. Find Someo ne Who is a well known example.
Students are given a grid. The task is to fill in a ll the cells in the grid with the name of a classma te
who fits that cell, e.g., someone who is a vegetari an. Students circulate, asking and answering
questions to complete their own grid and help class mates complete theirs.
Matching games . As the name implies, participants need to find a match for a word, picture,
or card. For example, students place 30 word cards, composed of 15 pairs, face down in random
order. Each person turns over two cards at a time, with the goal of turning over a matching pair,

20
by using their memory. This is also known as the Pe lmanism principle, after Christopher Louis
Pelman, a British psychologist of the first half of the 20 th century.
Labeling games . These are a form of matching, in that participant s match labels and pictures.
Exchanging games . In these games, students barter cards, other obje cts, or ideas. Similar are
exchanging and collecting games.
Board games . Scrabble is one of the most popular board games t hat specifically highlights
language.
Role play games . The terms role play , drama , and simulation are sometimes used
interchangeably but can be differentiated (Kodotchi gova 2002). Role play can involve students
playing roles that they do not play in real life, s uch as dentist, while simulations can involve
students performing roles that they already play in real life or might be likely to play, such as
customer at a restaurant. Dramas are normally scrip ted performances, whereas in role plays and
simulations, students come up with their own words, although preparation is often useful.
From the wide variety of games presented by Hadfiel d, every teacher ought to select an adequate
game for his/her students. The choice rests on the interests of learners or on skill teachers would
like to practice. Nevertheless, each child will fin d something attractive for himself or herself.
Other methodologists Wright, Batteridge and Buck by (2006: 4-5) distinguish caring and
sharing games including all games in which the stud ent feels safe while sharing personal
information with others. They relate more to invita tion than to challenge. The next kind of games
is do: move, mime, draw and obey game. In this game we expect from learner that he/she does
something non-verbally in response to a heard or re ad text. Describing game demands from
student depicting something to another person for s peaking, writing or drawing a picture. In the
third kind of games identify: discriminate, guess, speculate game the student must identify or
hypothesize about something which is difficult and after that compare it with the facts. In
connect: compare, match, group the learner must com pare, match or group different items of
information such as pictures or texts, subjectively or objectively. Moreover, the learner's task is
to put various bits of information into an order of importance and quality. In remember game
the student tries to remember all information and t hen communicate with others. The last kind
of game is called create game. The learner must use imagination to create a story or write a
poem.

21
Similar division is given by G. Levis and G. Bed son (2002: 16-18). They present movement
games in which children are active but must be moni tored by teachers and card games in which
children collect, give away, sort and count cards. All cards have a meaning in game or serve as
symbols for objects or actions. What is more, there are dice games during which players use one
or more dices depending on the age of learners. A d ice can have numbers, colours or letters of
the alphabet. The next kind of games that they pres ent are drawing games. They are creative
and help children who are not talkative. The learne rs must be able to understand instructions
and describe their art. In guessing games children must guess the answer to the question. Role-
play games are free speaking activities. They stimu late child's imagination. What is more,
singing and chanting games play an important role i n early childhood learning and often involve
movement. The last, but not least kind of games, ar e word games that allow to utilize children’s
enjoyment with words; they are better for older chi ldren because they involve writing and
spelling.
In literature we can also find division on 'dida ctic games' and 'language games'. T. Siek-
Piskozub (1997: 11-12) determines didactic games as all games and plays applying to process
of education. They demand some knowledge from playe rs. Didactic games contain elements of
play and learning.
On the other hand, among didactic games, languag e games can be distinguished . Language
games are games which require the use of a foreign language in order to achieve a goal. The
most significant feature of language game is the cl imate of games. This climate is characterized
by the lack of distress.
In short, teaching through games is one of the m ost effective and interesting ways that can be
applied in any classroom. In addition, the role of games in teaching and learning process cannot
be denied. However, in order to achieve the most fr om the game, it is crucial that suitable games
are chosen. The number of students, proficiency lev el, timing, topic of the lesson, learners
interests, and classroom setting are the factors th at ought to be taken into account.
2.6 Games and the four areas of language learning
There are many types of games the teacher may ma ke use of. They are aimed to train different
kinds of skills desired for students to be acquired . Over the time, it is profitable to keep changing
the types of games to ensure the novelty and a surp rise effect for the students. This way it is
ensured that the outcome will have the highest poss ible impact.

22
An experienced teacher is also able to recognize situation when a game is needed to be
introduced to change the classroom atmosphere, ther efore has several games on hand at all
times.
There are many types of games the teacher can ma ke use of. In the following part we will
focus on games that encourage the four language ski lls: listening, reading, writing and speaking
giving examples of these types of games suitable mo stly for young children. However, it needs
to be mentioned that no game uses only one type of activity or practices only one skill. Therefore
the games in this chapter are filed under a type of an activity and skill which benefits most.
2.6.1 Listening games
These types of games concentrate on one of the c rucial and most difficult parts of language
learning. Listening is usually viewed as a passive part of the lesson. In fact, it is quite the
contrary. Listening requires being very attentive a nd active, should it bring the desired result. In
schools, listening is often carried out in a boring and uninteresting way, using only the exercises
offered by the book. To make students enjoy listeni ng, the teacher needs to bring it closer to
them. A good way is choosing a topic they would lik e to listen about or a song they like. We
can use many activities using listening not as an a im of lesson, which makes it always more
stressful, but as a means to accomplish a different task, be it completing the lyrics of a song,
getting correct instructions for playing a computer game or obtaining information about
interesting people or places. In a similar way, lis tening games can be used in order to maintain
the students’ attention and interest. To ensure the effort put into the listening is exploited in full ,
the teacher can partner the listening game with con sequent post-activities. Here are two
examples of listening games that can be used especi ally for young learners.
The first one is the famous game “ Simon says ” where one participant plays the role of Simon
and gives the others directions, for example by say ing: ”Simon says jump”, or “Simon says stop
jumping” and then everybody would have to do that. If Simon only says “everybody jump” and
does not attach the phrase “Simon says” at the fron t then the other participants are not be
supposed to follow the direction. Because of this, students need to listen carefully in order to
know when to follow Simon’s directions and when to ignore them. This game can also be used
to train any vocabulary.
The second listening game that works great with young learners is the game called “ Which
one is it? ” .This game deals with something that is particula rly difficult for ESL students namely

23
the subtle differences between words that have a di fferent, but similar spelling. These are words
like leave These are words like leave/live , fill/feel , tree/three , fit/feet , etc… . The teacher must
have a set of cards printed out with these troubles ome words and then divide the class into two
teams. Students take turns. The teacher places the two cards on the desk in front of
students: live and leave . Then, say one of the words out loud: live . If the student chooses the
right card, the team gets 2 points. Now, if the stu dent is unsure, he/she may choose to request
“an example”, i.e. the word used in a sentence: I live a few blocks from here. If the student
chooses the right card in this case, the team gets 1 point. ( from: https://busyteacher.org/14765-
5-easy-listening-games-esl-beginners.html)
2.6.2 Reading
Reading is an important skill to possess especially when learning the English language.
First of all it is important because of the fact th at to be able to write people need to know how
to read. Secondly it is important for people if the y plan to visit the country where the language
is spoken because then they will have to be able to read, for example, various directions, menus,
and tourist brochures. Thirdly, knowing how to read is important if students are planning on
getting an education beyond elementary school becau se that requires reading (Jeremy Harmer.
2009.p. 77). Because of how important the skill rea ding is it is crucial that teachers seek
appropriate means in order to keep students interes ted. As with the other skills, games can
provide diversity and help keep subjects fun and in teresting. Also, they will help teachers make
the most effective use of their time in helping the ir students to learn essential reading and
spelling skills, improve their use of the English l anguage, and acquire problem-solving skills
and concepts important to student success. Here are some examples of reading games for young
learners:
Rhyming games
Rhyming games can be used to teach about the patt erns in words. Teachers can try the
following, for example, for words in the same famil y as the word black. What they have to do:
• Introduce a poem or rhyming story such as Miss Mary Mack :
Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
all dressed in black, black, black
with silver buttons, buttons, buttons
up and down her back, back, back…

24
• Encourage the child to point out words in books tha t have a similar spelling pattern as in black .
• Help the child think of other words that have this pattern. Teachers may have to write a few
words for him or her:
sack
pack
stack
Then have the child read the whole word and underli ne the repeated part of the word, "ack."
• Using magnetic letters, form a word with the "ack" pattern. Ask the student to change the first
letter of the word (for example: 's' in sack ) to make a new word, such as pack . Teachers should
be sure to provide a limited number of letters (two or three at first) for the child to choose from.
• Remember to choose a word pattern that is useful an d important to the student and that relates
to something that he or she has read or will read. If possible, start with a word he or she already
knows in the word family. After reading a book abou t being sad, for example, start with the
word "cry" and then follow with "fry", "try", and " wry".
• Remember to review the word families you've chosen to work on periodically by playing some
of the other games described above.
• Be sure to give the student a chance to go back to a book, poem, or other texts where he or she
can apply this new reading skill. Poems, nursery rh ymes, and jump rope jingles are a great
resource for early readers. From: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/six-games-rea ding
Another very simple game that kids love is Bang! What we need for it is a small piece of
paper, shoe box or coffee can. Then write words on pieces of paper and fold them in half (sight
words, vocab, blends etc.). Also add a few cards th at say "BANG!". Students take turns picking
cards and if they read the word correctly they get to keep the word. If they draw a BANG! card
they yell BANG! and then return all their cards (ex cept the BANG! card) to the can/box.
2.6.3 Writing
Writing is a skill that, even in the native lang uage, is learnt and not acquired. That fact could
explain in part why writing is often considered to be difficult, or even boring in the target
language. Another explanation could be that it is o ften assigned as homework, and many
students don’t like homework. One possible reason w hy writing can be viewed as being difficult
is because the writer does not get an immediate fee dback similar to what happens during
conversations, and as a result the writer could fee l more insecure about his work. Writing also

25
demands a completely different language than normal ly used in conversations. For students in
school this must not become their experience of wri ting because that can lead to their loathing
of writing. Games can be a good way to prevent this because not only are games fun but they
can provide writers with a reason to write and it i s obvious that writing will become easier when
there is a clear reason instead of just having to w rite because the teacher said so. Another thing
that games can provide for writers is an audience. In many games other students will play the
reader’s part and therefore provide the writer with the necessary feedback that writing often
lacks (Hadfield & Hadfield 1990 : v-vi). A variety of interactive writing games can be found on
the internet and teachers can, without much effort, create a game that practices writing. Here
there some writing games to be used with young lear ners:
The first one is called : Flashcards
If you have mini whiteboards or even paper, get students to write words from flash card
prompts. Put a flash card on the board and students have to write the word and then flip and
show the word they have written. Great for revision and practicing spelling.
Word Ordering Activities
Get students making full sentences with word ord ering activities. This type of activity is a
great way of practicing sentence structure or pract icing grammar points. All you have to do is
give students sentences with the words jumbled. In pairs, students have to reorder a sentence.
One of the games that I use with my class especi ally to revise vocabulary or just as a warm-
up activity is called 5 Minute Challenge . Students work in teams, they are given a sheet of
paper and a marker. First they have to write the le tters of the alphabet and then for five minutes
they have to write a word for each alphabet letter from a certain category ( for example : clothes,
body, fruit, vegetables, etc.). If all teams write the same words, they get only 5 points, if nobody
else writes the same word they get 10 points, and i f they are the only ones that write a word for
that letter, they get 20 points for it. At the end the team that has the highest score wins.
2.6.4 Speaking
Teaching communication is very important because of the fact that it plays such a big part of
knowing a language. Also communication is unpredict able in real life and students must get the
chance to practice exactly that and not just to rea d premade conversations. In order to achieve
this teachers can use games as a good method.

26
Usually students look up to their teachers and wh en they do not use the target language inside
the language classroom it should not come as a surp rise that many students do not use it either.
Games could be helpful in solving this problem beca use they call for communication, and they
emphasize fluency instead of accuracy, which should encourage students to communicate
because when the emphasis is on fluency students us ually do not receive much criticism
although they might make errors. Fluency is an impo rtant skill to practice because it is what is
needed in the real world, and in that sense it coul d be said that games provide a necessary
connection between the classroom and the real world (Hadfield 1990 :v). Although games in
general might emphasize fluency the category speaki ng games can be divided into two main
categories. Those categories are: linguistic games and communicative games. Even though they
both aim towards teaching speech in the target lang uage they put emphasis on very different
things. While linguistic games emphasize speaking c orrectly the goal when playing
communicative games is fluency (Hadfield 1999: 8).
Taboo (from http://www.tefllogue.com/in-the-classroom/tefl-word -game-courtesy-of-hasbro.html )
Taboo is a word game, in which one player gets t he other(s) guess a
certain word using verbal explanation; there may al so be a list of other
words which the “explainer” must not mention. For e xample, “ladder”
might be the word to describe, but without saying “ climb, rungs, or fire
truck” or any forms of those words. Having such a l ist of words makes
the game more difficult, therefore such a restricti on would be used in more advanced classes.
Much like with crossword puzzles, students get prac tice explaining words in different ways,
and the taboo words make it more challenging and in teresting. It is also easy to incorporate an
element of competition, though it may be wise to do some kind of trial run to see how your
students do; I’ve found that even relatively easy w ords often defy time limits, even with more
advanced students. And it can of course be de-motiv ating for students to keep missing the time
limit. A method of two teams working at once can be used, seeing how many words they can
get through in a set time period, rather than, say, one minute for one person to explain.
Chain work is a game that uses cards or word cards. Teacher m ust put all the cards face
down in a pile. Students 1 picks up a card on which there are some bananas. Turning to student
2 he or she says “ Do you like bananas?”. Students 2 then picks up the next card on which there
are some apples and answers. “ No, I don’t like ban anas, but I like apples”. Student 2 turns to

27
student 3 and says “ Do you like apples?” to which students 3 replies “Ni, I don’t like apples
but I like…” and so on. This game can be used to pr actise whatever vocabulary or structure
students are working on at the time.
Also all games based on role-plays are very usefu l for practicing speaking as they are very
efficient at making the students use the target lan guage actively.
2.7 Conclusion
In classes of beginners, it is often difficult t o maintain the students’ attention for too long,
especially in cases when they are to learn their fi rst foreign language and they are not used to
trying to operate in other than their own mother to ngue. It is very difficult for beginners to
remember all the new words and expressions they nee d to acquire in order to proceed further. It
is therefore most useful to incorporate games and o ther fun activities in the teaching-learning
process. This not only helps the students to relax from the ‘serious’ learning, it also helps them
to reinforce the new vocabulary. Probably the most specific outcome of using games in the class
of beginner learners is building of their good rela tionship with the new language. It is crucial
that the students do not learn to hate the language as is the case frequently in many schools.
Once they learn to feel easy and happy about the fo reign language being around them and being
used, it becomes much easier later to build on this relationship and make further progress
without having to overcome an aversion.
On the other hand for young learners the use o f games and fun activities is a necessary part
of a language lesson. Also an element of competitio n is something young learners enjoy and
makes them stay interested. According to Nolasco an d Arthur (1991, p.76): ‘In addition to the
personal challenge, younger students also enjoy com peting with their peers, and introducing a
game element is a way of livening up any material.’ In order to acquire the language, they need
not only to keep repeating the desired part of a ta rget language; they need the repetition to be
enjoyable every time. For that reason, games are a tool used in a class of young learners on
regular bases. Taking into consideration the short attention span the young learners have, the
games, as other lesson activities, are usually shor t and simple. On the other hand, with young
learners, one game can be used more than once or ca n be slightly amended to serve its purpose.
This is due to a fact that small children like thin gs to be repeated, they like to know what is
coming. It also enables them to participate with gr eater confidence and therefore enjoy the game
more.