„DIMITRIE CANTEMIR” CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BACHELOR THESIS

METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH

EDUCATIONAL GAMES

COORDINATING TEACHER:
Conf. Dr. Doina IVANOV

ABSOLVENT:
Simona Arata

BUCUREȘTI
2018
Methods of teaching English through educational games

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

INTRODUCTION

Teaching today has changed a lot over the past years. Once it was all about learners
being passive and listening in the classroom, but today learners are usually much more active
in the classroom, and what better way to be active than by playing games (Steve Sugar.1998.p.
3).

The national curriculum in foreign languages in Iceland talks about the importance of
keeping teaching methods diverse in order to light and sustain interest amongst students.
Teachers can help sustain diversity in a variety of ways, for example by using activities that
require students to be creative in thinking and by emphasizing individual learning and
cooperative learning equally.

A more specific way that teachers can use in order to keep diversity within the
classroom is to not be afraid of using games as a teaching method along with other methods.
According to the national curriculum, games can be a good teaching method and games, such
as role playing games, imitation games, theatrical expression and problem solving activities
are especially fitting for all stages of language learning (Aðalnámskrá grunnskóla. Erlend
mál.2007.p. 12).

Howard Gardner, who theories that humans have eight intelligences, claims that when
exploring a certain topic in school it can, and should, 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 interactions (Gardner.2006.p 142). In addition,
Armstrong (2000) suggests board games as a teaching strategy that might suit students with
interpersonal intelligence because they provide an excellent setting for interaction between
students.

There are a number of reasons that games deserve a place in the language classroom.
First of all, they are fun, which is extremely important, because they can help activate students
who may have been inactive before, due to lack of interest. Keeping students active is vital

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

because teachers will never be able to actually teach students anything unless they can get them
to participate in their own learning process.

Second, games also play a big part in helping participants build relationships, and to
feel equal. Playing games in the classroom can also help create a friendly and positive
atmosphere where seat arrangement can differ from game to game, and thus cause diversity
from the norm which can be extremely helpful in keeping an exciting learning environment.

Third, the reason most people want to learn a language is to be able to use it in real
situations, for example when travelling. Games can be a very good way to practice this skill
because they can easily be used to reenact various situations from real life and provide students
with practice in their fluency. Also, by using games in the classroom the teacher is giving his
students a bigger role, and he himself is stepping out of the frontline which is a positive thing
because it allows students to take on more responsibility. Also that allows students to do more
on their own, and that can very well result in an increase in their confidence level. (Langran &
Purcell.1994. p.12-14).

Fourth, language students need to be exposed to the language in a variety of situations,

which is a need games can fulfill. Language students also need to be ready to take on the
experience, keeping their minds open and being willing participants Again, games make this
possible

. Fifth, language students need to be emotionally involved, meaning they need to feel
something while they are exposed to the language. Strong emotions, such as happiness,
excitement, amusement and suspense allow students to feel positively about their learning
situation and are therefore likely to have a positive effect on language learning.

Sixth, games are good for shy students and students with low confidence, and that
applies specifically when playing takes place in smaller groups because then they get a chance
to speak in front of fewer audience instead of having to express themselves in front of the whole
class. Also it is sometimes easier to open up and forget the shyness when playing a game
because the atmosphere is not as serious and more emphasis is put on fluency rather than
grammatical correctness. (Langran & Purcell.1994. p.12-14).

Seventh, games can be a good strategy when teaching various subjects because they
are very likely to spark interest amongst students. They can be used with students of all ages,
and when they are used with other teaching methods they create diversity which is ideal for

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

school work (Ingvar Sigurgeirsson.1999.p. 80). A study that was undertaken in Iceland in 2006
shows clearly the need for diversity in schools. Many participants in that study complained
about the lack of diversity, and that they wanted more of it in order for their learning to become
more fun and progressive in their school (Lovísa, Laufey & Samúel. 2006.p. 34).

Finally, 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 play outside. Also passive activities such as
watching television, or the computer screen are seen as being more exciting than actually
physically playing, so today the sight of children playing various games in groups outside is
becoming much more rare than it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago. This is not a good development,
and it can have several bad consequences for our society. 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 consequence this change might have is
decreased social skills because, according to Piaget, children‟s games reflect society and that
by playing games children learn many of society‟s rules and regulations (Cole, Cole &
Lightfoot. 2005.p. 536).

The aim of this thesis is to overlook the impact of active and game-based
approaches on the educational process. The use of games-based learning influences emotional
and personal spheres of students and pushes the studying process of learning a language (1). In
the following pages will be presented the use of games inside the seminars and it argues that
games can be a good teaching method for learning foreign languages.

The need for communication during games, and the informal setting games provide
encourages students to be unafraid to talk, which practices their fluency, a valuable
communication skill. Because of this fact it is vitally important for teachers to create a positive
learning environment, and to try to spark interest amongst their students both in the foreign
language and culture because that is important to a successful language learning process.
Games help achieve these goals as they help satisfy the requirement of the national curriculum
that language learning should be enjoyable for students (2).

Almost everybody loves playing whether they are young or old. From early childhood
playing is an enormous part of most children‟s lives and it plays a big part of their development
as well. Children start playing as early as infancy but as they develop throughout their

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

childhood they keep playing, and as they grow up and mature the nature of their play changes.
When children enter middle childhood (6-12) their play starts to change into games which are
different from play in the sense that they are more organized and planned, and they usually
include a variation of rules and a specific objective (3). When playing most games participants
are almost forced into communicating with each other in order for the game to work.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

Chapter I
The importance of learning English
There are many reasons why learning a new language is always a good idea. First, it
allows you to communicate with new people, secondly it helps you to see things from a
different perspective, or get a deeper understanding of another culture. It helps you to become
a better listener. It even has health benefits, as studies have shown that people who speak two
or more languages have more active minds later in life.

Nowadays, English has become one of the most spoken languages in the world. More
and more people, with different competences, skills and needs, learn English. Therefore,
always it will be a good idea to combine the pleasure with the need to know a mandatory
language. English is the language of science, computers, diplomacy, tourism and more others.
Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company
within your home country or of finding work abroad.

Also, is the official language of 53 countries and is spoken as a first language by around
400 million people.

All of us are conscient about the importance of the Internet, therefore, a person who
understands English, will be able to search differents subjects or take part in forums and
discussions.

There are a lot of studies that say the fact that learning a new language, helps your brain
in a lot of ways, for example, increases your brain structure, impacts the parts of your brain
that are responsible for memory, thoughts and more, finally your brain gets stronger and more
versatile, improving the way you think.

Knowing such a complete way of communication, it will give you a lot of satisfation,
help you learn new things and make you feel smarter and happy on your own. Because of this,
there are a lot of schools around the world, that offer programmes in English, for all your needs.

The above reasons are just a few of the many you can think of to understand the
importance of learning English, but the most important from all is the fact that the
communication is the key of everything.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

The above reasons are just a few of the many you can think of to understand the
importance of learning English, but the most important from all is the fact that the
communication is the key of everything [4]

There are different tehniques which are used in particular methods, and this essay will
try to reveal a part of them.

The definition of Game, its Classification and Benefits

There exists an array of definitions of the term game (cf. Celce-Murcia & McIntosh,
1979; Hadfiled, 1998; Khan, 1991; Wright, Betteridge, & Buckby, 2005). Hadfield (1998: 4),
for example, defines the game as ‘an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun.’ In this
paper the game is perceived as a meaningful fun activity governed by rules (author’s
definition). Games have many advantages for both language teachers and its learners.

Games play an important role in the language learning classrooms despite the fact that
most of the teachers are not aware of it as a learning strategy. However; it has lots of benefits
to the learning process of the learners. Firstly; games prevent the lesson to be ordinary and
boring. Conversely, they create a successful and positive classroom environment where
students and their learning are central. They support learning the target language when learners
are involved in the games and have fun without noticing that they are learning the target
language, and furthermore it is a pleasure for the teacher that he presents the language in an
enjoyable atmosphere which makes the job powerful. McCallum (1980, p. ix) emphasizes this
point by saying that “games automatically stimulate student interest, a properly introduced
game can be one of the highest motivating techniques.”

In EFL classrooms, games provide many advantages for promoting learning the target
language. One of the advantages associated with games is that students’ anxiety towards
language learning decreases as games are employed. In language classes, learners assume that
they have to be successful in the target language that they do not know. In addition to this
learners fell much anxiety because of being criticized and punished by their teacher when they
make a mistake. At this point games come to the stage since they reduce anxiety, increase
positive feelings and improve selfconfidence because there is no fear of punishment and
criticism for learners when they are practicing the target language freely (Crookal, 1990).

Learners involve in the games actively, so games are called learner-centered activities
According to Crookall (1990). Through games learners’ and teachers’ roles are changed and
teacher encourages learners to participate actively in their learning. As a result, games give a

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

chance to learners to take responsibility for their own learning. From an instructional view
point, creating a meaningful context for language use is another advantage that games present.
By using games, different contexts can be created by teachers that allow learning unconsciously
because the attentions of the learners are not on the language, on the message. As a result, when
their focus is on a game as an activity, learners acquire the target language as they acquire their
mother tongue, that is, without being aware of it (Cross, D. (2000). A practical handbook of
language teaching. Longman.

Constantinescu, R. S. (2012). Learning by playing: Using computer games in teaching

English grammar to high school students. Education Source. 110-115.) states some advantages
of games as in the following:

· “Games build up learners’ English repertoire in a familiar and comfortable

environment (even for students who may have special needs), where they feel confident. More
than this, English is widespread used with computers.

· Games increase motivation and desire for self-improvement.

· Challenge and competition are key factors for any game and students pay more
attention to completing the task.

· Interdisciplinary approach. Students use knowledge from other classes, too.

· Games develop students’ ability to observe.

· Games have clear rules and objectives.

· Games develop critical thinking, problem solving, and imagination.

· Games offer new and dynamic forms of teaching/ practicing which replace the
traditional worksheets.

· Games are adaptable for different levels of knowledge.

· Educational games are easy to understand and use.

· Educational games do not take long time to be played in the class.

· There are many online educational games which are free of charge.

· Immediate feedback both for the students and the teacher.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

· The results are more visible (sometimes both visual and acoustic) and have a stronger
impact.

· The working time is usually known from the beginning and it is respected

· Games facilitate collaborative learning but, in the same time, students may learn at
their own speed and cognitive level.

· Games may be used in the classroom as rewards for students.”

Another advantage of using games in a foreign language setting is to make stressful

moments clear. In a language learning atmosphere, stress-free environment should be provided.
At this point games are very advantageous since learners do not feel any anxiety and their
positive feelings increase and their self-confidence improve because they are not afraid of being
punished or criticized while they are practicing the language freely (Crookal, D. (1990).
Simulation, gaming, and language learning. Newbury House). The language games can be
divided according to different principles. Hadfiled (1998) offers two classifications of language
games. She divides them into linguistic (these focus mainly on accuracy) and communicative
games (these are based on successful exchange of information). Hadfiled’s second
classification has more categories and usually includes both linguistic and communicative
aspects. These games are as follows (Hadfiled, 1998, as cited in Jacobs, n.d. b):

- 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 information that other
people need to complete a task. For instance, one person might have a drawing and their
partner needs to create a similar drawing by listening to the information given by the
person with the drawing
- Guessing games. These are a variation on information gap games. One of the best
known examples of a guessing game is 20 questions, in which 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 information gap games,
with everyone giving and seeking information. Find Someone Who is a well-known
example. Students are given a grid. The task is to fill in all the cells in the grid with the
name of a classmate who fits that cell, e.g. someone who is a vegetarian. Students

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circulate, asking and answering questions to complete their own grid and help
classmates 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, by using their memory.
- Labelling games. These are a form of matching, in that participants match labels and
pictures.
- Exchanging games. In these games, students barter cards, other objects, or ideas.
- Board games. Scrabble is one of the most popular board games that specifically
highlights language.
- Role play games/dramas. Role play can involve students playing roles that they do not
play in real life, such 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 scripted performances, whereas in role plays and
simulations, students come up with their own words, although preparation is often
useful.

A similar classification is provided by Lewis & Bedson (1999). In their classification

some of the games listed above can be included in their classification under a broader umbrella
term, such as movement games (the type of game when learners are physically active, e.g. Find
your partner) or task-based games (usually pairs or groups work on meaningful task in the way
they enjoy; learners obey clear rules and they have got a chance to practise all language skills;
teacher is an organizer and facilitator). In addition to Hadfiled (1998), they add a very popular
type of games nowadays, i.e. computer games (they can be played either at school or at home,
individually or in pair; students predominantly practice their reading and writing skills).
Finally, Jacobs (n.d. a) makes another distinction between the languages games. He divides
them into competitive (learner tries to be first to reach the goal) and cooperative games
(learners try to reach the same goal together; they help each other). And he suggests that
competitive games can be modified to lessen the competitive element and to add a cooperative
element. In his paper he also gives a few specific examples based on the available literature.

Many surveys also proved that the games have a positive and effective influence on the
learning of foreign languages (cf. Carrier, 1985; Chen, 2005; Jacobs, n.d. b; or Kupeckova,
2010). The reasons for this statement are as follows:

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

- games get students involved in their learning; they motivate them;

- games encourage creative and spontaneous use of language (cf. Chen, 2005); Blanka
Frydrychova Klimova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 191 ( 2015 ) 1157 –
1160 1159
- games introduce a change in formal learning situations;
- games create a pleasant stress-free and relaxing atmosphere in a language class;
- games unconsciously promote and practise all four basic language skills, such as
listening, reading, speaking and writing;
- games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and
meaningful (cf. Wright, Betteridge, & Buckby, 2005);
- games decrease student’s anxiety to speak in front of the other students; they feel less
intimidated in this, less formal learning situation;
- games are student-centred;
- games can promote collaboration among students;
- games can connect to a variety of intelligences (Gardner, 1999, as cited in Jacobs, n.d.
b).

Techniques
There is a wide range of techniques used in the Direct Method. The following examples of
techniques can definitely be useful for teachers and provide them more details.

1) question answer exercise. To practice new vocabulary and grammar structures students
are given a series of questions and they need to answer them using only the target language.
There is also an opportunity to change roles and students can ask questions instead of answer
them.

2) reading aloud. Students are asked to read the particular sections of a passage or dialogue.
They take turns. To make the meaning of the section clear teacher uses pictures, gestures and
examples to help students understand the point.

3) conversation practice. Series of questions is given to students. To answer these questions

correctly students need to understand them. The teacher asks questions to and about individual
students. The teacher‟s questions have to include a particular grammar structure. Then students
ask each other their own questions. It is important to use the same grammar structure as in the
teacher‟s presentation.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

4) dictation. A particular passage is read three times by the teacher. Firstly, the teacher
reads the text at a normal speed of speaking (students just listen). Then the pace is slow enough
to give students the chance to write down all the words they have heard (teacher makes
appropriate pauses). The last time is read again at a normal speed in order to check the written
words.

5) fill-in-the-blank exercise. The appropriate grammar structure is necessarily needed to

write it in the correct blank. Students have to elicit the grammar rule from the examples or
remember the practice from the previous lessons. All the items have to be in the target language
and there is no presentation of grammar rules. Students insert correct form of the grammar
structure into the blanks.

6) getting students to self-correct. The teacher has to support students if they make mistakes
and also give them choice between what they said and this what he supplied for them. To
correct students‟ mistakes in a different way teacher can repeat what they said and emphasize
the mistake using the appropriate intonation. Changed teacher‟s voice should give students the
signal that something is wrong. Another possibility for the teacher to elicit the mistake is to
repeat student‟s sentence and make a pause just before the mistake. It gives information that
the next word was mistaken.

7) paragraph writing. Chosen topic of the paragraph is given to the students. They need to
write a paragraph using appropriate grammar structures, their own words and skills. They can
use the reading passage of the particular lesson as a model or write it from memory
(LarsenFreeman, 2000: 30-31).

Grammar-translation method is believed to be appropriate for teaching adults.

Its aim is to teach vocabulary the grammar structures of the target language which will be
helpful and useful in reading and understanding English texts. The best way to achieve this is
reading and translating texts from the target language into mother tongue and the other way
round. Detailed analyzing, explaining and commenting particular grammar structures and rules
occur during these exercises. Texts, which are used to practice, are often written by the authors
of course books or they are adapted literary texts (Komorowska, 2005: 26). The following
features of grammar-translation method also deserve to be described. Firstly, the target
language is considered only on the base of the level of the sentence. Secondly, not much, or
even no attention, is paid to the spoken language. Thirdly, the necessary thing in this method
is the high level of accuracy (Harmer, 2007: 63).

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

The following techniques are only the part of the whole range of these associated with the
grammar-translation method. However, these ones are described by Larsen-Freeman (2000:
19) as useful in this method.

1) translation of the literary passage. Students are given a reading passage and they are
asked to translate it from the target language into their native language. The reading passage
can be an extract taken from the target language literature or it can even be a text carefully
written by the teacher; if it is written by the teacher the appropriate grammar structures and
vocabulary have to be included in it. Students‟ translation doesn‟t have to be only written, they
can translate the passage orally. Idioms should be translate in a way that shows that students
understand their meaning; not literally.

2) reading comprehension questions. After reading and understanding of the reading

passage students are asked to answer questions, written in the target language, based on the
given text. There are three groups of questions: in the first group of questions students are asked
to answer them using the information contained in the particular text. In the second group
students have to answer questions which are not directly placed in the text. Finally, the third
group of questions force students to combine their own experience with the reading text.

3) synonyms / antonyms. The set of words is given to the students and they are asked to
find antonyms or synonyms, depending on what the set of words contains, in the given text.
Students can be also asked to define the set of words using their understanding of the text, it
means to use context to get to know the meaning of the words.

4) deductive application of rule. Examples of the particular grammar structures and the
grammar rules are presented together. Exception are given to each grammar rule. When the
rule is understood by students, they are asked to use it in other examples.

5) fill-in-the-blanks. Some words in sentences are missed. They can appear in brackets.
Students have to insert correct grammar structure or write some parts of speech like
prepositions, World Scientific News 7 (2015) 112-135 -119- adverbs or adjectives. All the
items in brackets do not have to be in the target language,

6) memorization. Students obligation is to remember all the possible lists they get from
their teacher. Lists can contain vocabulary, which is given in the target language and its
equivalents in the native language of the students, or grammatical paradigms (i.e. verb
conjugations).

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

7) Use words in sentences. Students create completely new sentences using new vocabulary
or grammar structures. They do this in order to present they understand the meaning and use
of those.

8) composition. Writing about a topic using the target language. Students are given
particular topic by the teacher. Topic should be suitable to the lesson. Students can sometimes
be asked to write the précis of the reading passage from the lesson instead of writing a
composition (Larsen-Freeman, 2000: 19-20).

In conclusion, some teaching methods of the English language are appropriate for particular
age groups. Learners differ from each other and have special needs. The needs should always
be provided sensibly in order to encourage students and do not repulse them. Choosing the
suitable method teachers make that the students enjoy learning and do not associate it with
something boring.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

O posibilitate de mentionare rezultate si concluzii:

4. Findings and Discussion

This section covers some of the categories that emerged from the data. Some extracts from the
interviews are also provided as examples for the categories.
4.1. Motivating factors
4.1.1. Feeling of fun and satisfaction
The findings revealed that the features of Twister like color, the word cards, etc. created fun,
relaxation, satisfaction. The mostly given reasons to the question – do you think this game motivated
you to learn vocabulary- is as follows;
“I would like to play this game again and again because, this game is very enjoyable. When I have
fun, I am more motivated, satisfied, and eager to learn.” (Interviewee, Fatma)
The finding of this study is parallel with the related literature. Bartle (2004) claimed that people
play games because they would like to have “fun”. In the same way, Gee (2007) points out that
pleasure cannot be separated from deep learning and working hard.

4.1.2. Feeling lower anxiety and stress

Learners have to encounter unfamiliar words while learning a second language, so they feel a high
level of stress. Therefore, they do not feel comfortable and secure, which certainly influence their
ability to learn. As a conclusion, games assist to decrease anxiety, feel comfortable, and want to
learn
more. It is assured that they are relaxed and have fun. Since, learners know that while they are
playing games to interact effectively not being worried about making mistakes and not to worry
about
correcting themselves in every single sentences. When learners do not feel worry and stress, they
could develop fluency and speaking styles. Moreover, when learners play a game their anxiety
decreases as games are used. Furthermore, the level of anxiety of learners is high since they are
afraid
of being criticized and punished by their teacher when they make a mistake. Games come on the
scene at this stage because they reduce anxiety, increase positive feelings and improve
selfconfidence.
Crookal, (1990) highlights that learners do not feel fear of being punished and criticized
while they are producing the second language freely. One of the participants indicated that “while I
was playing the game, I did not consider if I made a mistake or not, I only used the language to give
the message”. Another participant pointed out “While I was playing the game, I was not under any
stress, since I was enjoying while presenting the words.”
According to Yıltanlılar and Caganaga (2015) using a game for language learners is a kind of
encouragement by supporting them to hinder their negative feelings like fear, hesitations, anxiety by
creating a flexible and warm learning environment for them. This statement is supported by one of
the
participants as in the following sentence ‘I did never recognize that if I had a mistake or not and also
if
my friend would laugh at me or not. It is impossible for us always to use the language appropriately
because we are not EFL learners, so I would like to inform that the game which was very enjoyable
and
interesting should be used for teaching a language’
4.1.3. Preventing from memorization
Traditionally, vocabulary is not seen as a particular subject by learners to learn, but they are taught
in the speaking, listening, reading and writing lessons. Students use the vocabulary that they have
and

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new vocabulary is introduced by the teacher and classmates that will be used in classroom activities
during the lesson. For many English learners, when point at issue is vocabulary, they think that they
learn a list of new words with meanings in their mother tongue without practicing any real context.
Most of the learners may experience the same situation which is looking up words in a bilingual
dictionary to find their meanings or definitions when they meet unknown words. They may copy the
lines of new words without knowing how to use them in a real context. When they work with this
way,
they may recognize that learning vocabulary in list is not enough and pleasing for them, and they
think
this is just because of not being able to memorize, Gnoinska (1998). This way is not an effective way
to
learn a language. Decarrico (2001) indicates that words should not be seen as a separate issue while
learning or be memorized without comprehending. Furthermore, “learning new words is a
cumulative
process, with words enriched and established as they are met again", Nation (2000). In conclusion,
learning vocabulary by ‘looking and remembering’ is not seen as an effective way for English
language
learners.

It was obviously revealed from the interview and observation results of the study that the game
Twister helped participants to learn the language without doing any memorization. Furthermore,
according to results it was obvious that games are useful instruments that provide learners recall the
words without looking at any written source. One of the participants responded to the question
‘Was
it easy to remember the words while playing the game?’ as in the following: ‘Yes, it was very easy to
recall the words. Both the given clues by my friend and the help of you it was not difficult to
remember. What was the most impressing thing was I recognized that I could learn vocabulary via
games without looking up a dictionary.’
4.2. De-motivating Factors
Having very unfamiliar vocabulary
Although lots of advantages mentioned above, one of the participants found the game little bit
boring because of not being able to explain some words that she could not explain. She mentioned
this problem as: ‘When I cannot explain or understand what my friend is asking, it was little bit
boring,
but by the help of you and my friend I can do it so it so fun motivation and enjoy helped me to
continue the game. Actually, this is not a big problem.’

5. Conclusion
The primary aim of this study was to explore the importance of using games in EFL classrooms. As
this findings show that using games creates an environment in which there is fun and satisfaction
besides high motivation for learning a language. Moreover the role of games in order to decrease
anxiety of using the target language cannot be ignored. Games are important for teaching English
because they are a way to provide for learner not only having fun and amusement with the target
language but also practice incidentally. To be short, games can be accepted as useful and effective
tools that are effective for teaching vocabulary. The use of games in EFL classrooms is a way to
provide
more interesting, enjoyable, and effective teaching (Uberman, 1998).
In conclusion, according to the findings of this study, it can be obviously understood that games are
very important instruments in language teaching classrooms in terms of providing a relaxed
environment for learners and for both teachers and learners, games are very useful if they have an
educational purpose rather than being fun.

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

Contents
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 3

Chapter I......................................................................................................................... 7

The importance of learning English ....................................................................... 7

The definition of Game, its Classification and Benefits ....................................... 8

Techniques .............................................................................................................. 12

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 Methods of teaching English through educational games

(1) Mariya Vladimirovna Nazarova, E.Galiullina, „Game-based learning in teaching

English”, Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict 20:8-
12, 2016.
(2) Aðalnámsskrá Grunnskóla. Erlend mál (2007) Reykjavík: Menntamálaráðuneytið.
(3) Rixon, Shelagh (1981). How to use Games in Language Teaching. London: The
Macmillan Press Ltd.
(4)

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