tema 18b

THEME 18 FUNCTIONS OF GAMES AND CREATIVITY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING. DEFINITION AND TYPOLOGY OF GAMES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING AND PROFICIENCY. GAMES AS PLAY AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE.

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THEME 18 0.– INTRODUCTION 1.– FUNCTIONS OF GAMES AND CREATIVITY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING. 1.1.– VIGOTSKY AND THE SOCIAL COGNITION THEORY 1.2.– GAMES AND LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS 1.3.– GAMES AND LEARNING STYLES 1.4.– GAMES AND MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES 1.5.– GAMES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 1.6.– GAMES AND THE LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS 1.7.– FUNCTIONS OF GAMES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING 1.7.1.– WHY USE GAMES IN THE EFL CLASSROOM? 1.7.2.– LEARNING VOCABULARY THROUGH GAMES 1.7.3.– INTEGRATING GAMES INTO THE SYLLABUS 2.– DEFINITION AND TYPOLOGY OF GAMES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING AND PROFICIENCY 2.1.– WHAT IS A LANGUAGE GAME? 2.2.– GAMES CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO CENTRAL AREAS OF YOUNG LEARNERS‟ EXPERIENCE 2.3.– GAMES FOR DEVELOPING READING AND WRITING SKILLS 2.4.– GAMES AND ENGLISH CULTURE: PLAYGROUND GAMES 2.5.– GAMES FOR VOCABULARY PRESENTATION, PRACTICE AND REVISION 2.6.– GAMES FOR STIMULATING THE DIFFERENT SENSORIAL LEARNING STYLES 3.– GAMES AS PLAY AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE 3.1.– THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE 3.2.– GAMES AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE 3.3.– SELECTION CRITERIA FOR LANGUAGE GAMES 3.4.– RELEVANT ASPECTS OF GRADED AND PLAYING GAMES IN THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM 4.– CONCLUSION 5.– BIBLIOGRAPHY

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0.– INTRODUCTION When considering young learners and foreign language learning, it is accepted that setting the right learning environment is a matter of vital importance. Taking into account children communicative needs, their interests and their psychological characteristics, their attention span and the communicative competence they have in their mother tongue are only some of the aspects teachers should bear in mind when teaching a foreign language. Learning a language does not need to be a boring experience at all and didactical resources such as games, songs, role-play, among others, should be significant elements. The educational value of games is high, as it involves active participation. Young learners discover new things from commonly known concepts of games. Games enable learners to learn with ease and fun and provide meaningful and enjoyable language practice for all age groups and at all levels. Games can be used to practise any of the communicative skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing - at any stage of the learning process, from controlled repetition through guided practice to free expression. Gathercole et al. (1992), for example, demonstrate that young learners are particularly dependent on memory and that success in language learning can vary due to variation in short-term memory. Related to this, the high value of games can also be considered whenever we use them as warmers, fillers or language activities. 1.– FUNCTIONS OF GAMES AND CREATIVITY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING. Referring to games and creativity in FLL obviously implies analyzing some considerations about the main theories which are the framework to the current conception of the learning process and specifically language learning. In this first section, we will analyze the main conclusions of the Social Cognition Theory, and their impact on learning; the five language functions which represent the interactive nature of communication; the Multiple Intelligences Theory and the Emotional Intelligence Theory and how both link learning and games; the importance of playing games and language games for fostering learning and some of the benefits of games when learning a Foreign language in Primary education. 1.1.– VIGOTSKY AND SOCIAL COGNITION THEORY The social cognition learning model asserts that culture is the prime determinant of individual development. Humans are the only species to have created culture, and every human child grows in the context of a culture. Therefore, a child's learning development is affected in all sorts of ways by the culture including the culture of his family environment in which he or she is immersed. 1. Culture makes two sorts of contributions to a child's intellectual development. First, children acquire much of the content of their thinking, that is, their knowledge through culture. Second, the surrounding culture provides a child with the processes or means of their thinking, what Vygotskians call the tools of intellectual adaptation. In short, according to the social cognition learning model, culture teaches children both what to think and how to think. 2. Cognitive development results from a dialectical process whereby a child learns through problem-solving experiences shared with someone else, usually a parent or teacher but sometimes a sibling or a peer. 3. Initially, the person interacting with the child assumes most of the responsibility for guiding him or her through the problem solving process, then gradually this responsibility is transferred to the child. 4. Language is a primary form of interaction through which adults transmit to the child the rich body of knowledge that exists in the culture. 5. As learning progresses, the child's own language comes to serve as his primary tool of intellectual adaptation. Eventually, children can use internal language to direct their own behaviour.

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6. Internalization refers to the process of learning - thereby internalizing- a rich body of knowledge and tools for thought that first exist outside the child. This happens primarily through language. 7. A difference exists between what a child can do on his own and what the child can do with help. Vygotskians call this difference the zone of proximal development. 8. Since much of what a child learns comes form the culture around him and much of the child's problem solving is mediated through the help of an adult, it is not appropriate to focus on a child in isolation. Such focus does not reveal the processes through which children acquire new skills. 9. Interactions with social agents and the surrounding culture, such as parents and more competent peers, contribute significantly to a child's intellectual development. 1.2.– GAMES AND LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS According to Mohtar (1999), five categories of language functions have been identified as the most significant ones used in communication. Human beings develop varying degrees of competence when using them. They represent the interactive nature of communication. 1. Controlling - This is expressed by language functions such as commanding, offering, suggesting, permitting, threatening, warning, persuading and their responses. 2. Feeling - This includes expressions of feelings or attitudes such as commiserating, claiming and their responses. 3. Informing - This includes asking for and giving information, justifying, questioning, naming, explaining and their responses. 4. Ritualising - This act serves to maintain social relationships. It includes greeting, leavetaking and turn-taking. 5. Imagining - This includes creative behaviours such as role- playing, fantasising and theorising. All five categories are used by children every day. They use persuasion in order to get things from others; they express their feelings when they are happy or sad; they ask each other questions when they interact; they exercise turn-taking rules; they greet their teacher every day, and sometimes when they play they take on different roles. Children use various language forms in expressing these language functions both in their first and second languages. Therefore, the teacher can reinforce those forms and functions and teach them new ones in the classroom. By offering the child many opportunities for practising language used in various ways for various purposes, especially in games and role-plays, the teacher will help the child expand his or her repertoire of the language functions as well as the forms used in expressing each function. 1.3.– GAMES AND LEARNING STYLES This approach to learning emphasizes the fact that individuals perceive and process information in many different ways. The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than whether or not they are "smart." In fact, educators should not ask, "Is this student smart?" but rather "How is this student smart?" The concept of learning styles is rooted in the classification of psychological types. The learning styles theory is based on research demonstrating that, as the result of heredity, upbringing, and current environmental demands, different individuals have a tendency to both perceive and process information differently. The different ways of doing so are generally classified as: 1. Concrete and abstract perceivers. Concrete perceivers absorb information through direct experience, by doing, acting, sensing, and feeling. Abstract perceivers, however, take in information through analysis, observation, and thinking.

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2. Active and reflective processors. Active processors make sense of an experience by immediately using the new information. Reflective processors make sense of an experience by reflecting on and thinking about it.

1.4.– GAMES AND MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES This theory of human intelligence, developed by psychologist Howard Gardner, suggests that there are at least seven ways that people have of perceiving and understanding the world. Gardner labels each of these ways as a distinct "intelligence" in other words, a set of skills allowing individuals to find and resolve the genuine problems they face. Gardner defines an "intelligence" as a group of abilities that:  Is somewhat autonomous from other human capacities  Has a core set of information-processing operations  Has a distinct history in the stages of development we each go through  Has plausible roots in evolutionary history While Gardner suggests that his list of intelligences may not be exhaustive, he identifies seven, each of which is related to a different type of game: 1. Verbal-Linguistic: The ability to use words and language 2. Logical-Mathematical: The capacity for inductive and deductive thinking and reasoning, as well as the use of numbers and the recognition of abstract patterns 3. Visual-Spatial: The ability to visualize objects and spatial dimensions, and create internal images and pictures 4. Body-Kinaesthetic: The wisdom of the body and the ability to control physical motion 5. Musical-Rhythmic: The ability to recognize tonal patterns and sounds, as well as a sensitivity to rhythms and beats 6. Interpersonal: The capacity for person-to-person communications and relationships 7. Intrapersonal: The spiritual, inner states of being, self-reflection, and awareness 1.5.– GAMES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE In 1994, author Daniel Goleman stated: "...in navigating our lives, it is our fears and envies, our rages and depressions, our worries and anxieties that steer us day to day. Even the most academically brilliant among us are vulnerable to being undone by unruly emotions. The price we pay for emotional literacy is in failed marriages and troubled families, in stunted social and work lives, in deteriorating physical health and mental anguish and, as a society, in tragedies such as killings..." Goleman asserts that the best remedy for battling our emotional shortcomings is preventive medicine. In other words, we need to give as much importance to teaching our children the essential skills of Emotional Intelligence as we do to more traditional measures such as IQ and GPA. What is Emotional Intelligence exactly? The term encompasses the following five characteristics and abilities: 1. Self-awareness: knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them 2. Mood management: handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately 3. Self-motivation: "gathering up" your feelings and directing yourself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness 4. Empathy: recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues 5. Managing relationships: handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations.

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Why Do We Need Emotional Intelligence? Research in brain-based learning suggests that emotional health is fundamental to effective learning. According to a report from the National Centre for Clinical Infant Programs, the most critical element for students´ success at school is an understanding of how to learn.

The key ingredients for this understanding are: 

Confidence



Curiosity



Relatedness



Capacity to communicate



Intentionality





Selfcontrol

Ability to cooperate

These traits are all aspects of Emotional Intelligence. Basically, a student who learns how to learn is much more apt to succeed. Emotional Intelligence has proven to be a better predictor of future success than traditional methods as the GPA, IQ, and other standardized test scores. 1.6.– GAMES AND THE LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS “Logic will get us from A to B. Imagination will take us everywhere”, A. Einstein. This is one of the best known quotes from Einstein, according to him imagination is more important than knowledge. According to R. G. Landry, the process of learning is complex, and its study has long been an important branch of psychology. Similarly, language learning is a complicated process that involves not only the complexities of the learning process, but also the problems of language. Furthermore, when the learning of a foreign language is considered, further complications arise. In recent years, extensive formulations and discussions of the nature of intellectual abilities have appeared in educational and psychological literature. One such ability, creativity or creative thinking is characterized (Torrance, 1966) by thinking in a divergent kind, i.e., “the kind that goes off in different directions”. The primary divergent thinking abilities are fluency and flexibility. Fluency refers to the ability to produce many responses, such as naming as many words as possible that begin with a letter. Flexibility, on the other hand, demands the shifting of classes and is measured by how many different categories of response an individual uses. The case of foreign languages stands on the fact that knowledge of a foreign language “contributes to the education of the individuals, our cultural maturity, and to our identity” (Anderson). Peal and Lambert (1962) found that bilingual groups performed better than monolingual group on a factor they called “symbolic flexibility”. The authors speculated that individuals who knew two or more languages developed more flexibility in their thinking because they had studied two or more labelling systems and were led to pay attention to more aspects of their environment. Creativity of language is an indication that language education and language learning cannot be merely justified through the conditioning theory. Language creativity goes beyond the receipt of a reward as cited in theories such as the ones expressed by Skinner where a child learns the meaning of milk each time his/her mother feeds him/her upon his/her crying. Creativity of language is born out of breaking the fences, getting out of the boxes, violating the rules, and breaching the familiar horizons. Young learners can be taught some expressions to use to communicate with each other. Beginners are often able to internalise 'chunks' of language which allow them to participate in social situations (Richard-Amoto, 1988). Richard-Amoto maintains that during the initial stages of language development pupils often have the desire to communicate but do not have the necessary skills. So by having a repertoire of ways to be communicative they will be able to communicate. Teachers then will have to provide the language forms which are appropriate to the proficiency level of the pupils and which the pupils will be able to use meaningfully. Although the list of activities given is not exhaustive, the following ones are some that can be used for such purpose: o

Games/ Songs/ Describing pictures/ Poetry reading.

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o

Discussion/ Role-playing/ Miming/ Story telling/ Problem solving

1.7.– FUNCTIONS OF GAMES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING 1.7.1.– WHY USE GAMES IN THE EFL CLASSROOM? Games are fun and children like to play them. That in itself is a good argument to incorporate them in the EFL classroom. Playing games is a natural part of growing up and learning. Children experiment, interact with the environment and discover it by playing games. Not including games in the classroom would be to withhold an essential tool to understand the world from children; a world that the language teacher seeks to enlarge through the experience of a foreign language. Games add variation to a lesson and increase motivation by providing a plausible incentive to use the target language. Teachers should bear in mind that language learning will not be the key motivational factor for many children between four and twelve years old, especially the youngest ones. Games can provide this stimulus. The game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the children. It brings the target language to life. Games make the reason for speaking plausible to reluctant children. (Lewis & Bendson) In recent years, language researchers and practitioners have shifted their focus from developing individual linguistic skills to the use of language to achieve the speaker's objectives. This new area of focus, known as communicative competence, leads language teachers to seek task-oriented activities that engage their students in creative language use. Games, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech, serve as excellent communicative activities (Saricoban & Metin, 2000). On the surface, the aim of all language games is for students to "use the language"; however, during game play learners also use the target language to persuade and negotiate their way to reach some desired results. This process involves productive and receptive skills simultaneously. Games offer students a fun-filled and relaxing learning atmosphere. After learning and practicing new vocabulary, students have the opportunity to use language in a non-stressful way (Uberman 1998). In a game-oriented context, anxiety is reduced and speech fluency is generated, communicative competence is thus achieved. Games are also motivating and introduce an element of competition into language-building activities. This provides valuable impetus to a purposeful use of language (Prasad 2003). In other words, these activities create a meaningful context for language use. The competitive atmosphere also makes learners concentrate and think intensively during the learning process, which enhances unconscious acquisition of inputs. Most students who have experienced game-oriented activities hold positive attitudes towards them (Uberman 1998). The benefits of using games in language-learning can be summed up in nine points. Games....  Are learner centred.  Promote communicative competence.  Create a meaningful context for language use.  Increase learning motivation.  Reduce learning anxiety.  Integrate various linguistic skills.  Encourage creative and spontaneous use of language.  Construct a cooperative learning environment.  Foster participatory attitudes of the students. It is also widely accepted that students are more willing to ask questions and think creatively about how to use English to achieve a particular goal. According to Uberman (1998, 87), "Games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency and communicative skills. If not for any of these reasons, they should be used just because they help students see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems that at times seem overwhelming." 1.7.2.– LEARNING VOCABULARY THROUGH GAMES

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In learning a foreign language, vocabulary plays an important role. It is the learning element that links the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing together. In order to communicate well in a foreign language, students should acquire an adequate number of words and should know how to use them accurately. Even though students realize the importance of vocabulary when learning a language, most students learn vocabulary passively due to different factors. In recent years, communicative language teaching (CLT) has been applied in several countries and, in our own experience, it has shown its effectiveness in teaching and learning language. CLT is an approach that helps students be more active in real life situations through individual, pair and group work activities. It encourages students to practice the language they learn in meaningful ways. In a CLT classroom, playing vocabulary games is one of the activities which requires students to actively communicate with their classmates, using their own language. Thus the question to consider is, "Do games help students learn vocabulary effectively, and, if so, how?" Unlike the traditional method of learning and teaching, in a communicative language teaching (CLT) approach, learners are required to take part in a number of meaningful activities with different tasks. This is to improve learners' communicative competence by encouraging them to be an important part of the lessons. Newton (2001) refers to this approach as a way that can enable learners to manage their vocabulary meaning and develop their communicative skills at the same time. Many experts of language teaching methodology also agree that playing games is a good way to learn vocabulary, especially in CLT class. With the use of games, the teacher can create various contexts in which students have to use the language to communicate, exchange information and express their own opinions (Wright, Betteridge and Buckby, 1984). Huang (1996: 1) reaches the conclusion that "learning through games should encourage the operation of certain psychological and intellectual factors which should facilitate communication, heightening self-esteem, motivation and spontaneity, reinforcing learning, improving intonation and building confidence." In summary, games are useful and effective tools that should be applied in vocabulary classes. The use of vocabulary is a way to make the lessons more interesting, enjoyable and effective. 1.7.3.– INTEGRATING GAMES INTO THE SYLLABUS Although it would be conceivable to teach English course solely based on games, most teachers have an accompanying textbook which they need to work throughout the course every year. Games can either supplement the core material or, depending on the flexibility of the programme, replace activities which teachers dislike or feel uncomfortable with. It is important for teachers to examine the course books or syllabus closely. Are there certain areas which appear weak? Perhaps there are aspects of the language, often functions, which are not covered in the core curriculum and can be filled by games. If the syllabus is based on language structures, the topic-based games can make it more interesting for children. Teachers can use language games to introduce new material, to practise recently learnt language items, to introduce or practise certain themes or just to relax or energize a class. Some games can be used for these purposes but teachers should be very clear about what to expect from children. The language focus of a game should not be the only reason for using it. The following questions should be considered: the children‟s active and passive language knowledge in relation to what the game requires, do the games require active language production or simply passive understanding? Do the students have a long attention span? etc.

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CONCLUSION (I)

It is important that children should enjoy language activities so that their level of anxiety is low and they are able to internalise the language items taught. Games play a fundamental role in the lives of children. They tend to see life in terms of games and anything else is seen as something they "have to" rather than "want to" do. If playing and learning could be integrated, English would become an important part of the child's daily reality. This is what language games set out to achieve. The aim of all language games ultimately is for students to "Know English". Knowing English means knowing how to communicate in English. This involves the productive skills (speaking and writing) and the receptive skills (listening and reading). "Knowing English" involves not only producing language correctly, but also using language for a particular purpose.

2.– DEFINITION AND TYPOLOGY OF GAMES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING AND PROFICIENCY After analyzing the main core of the most important educational theories, it is important in this second section to examine several definitions and typology of games, according firstly to the central areas of young learner‟s experience, secondly to the four communicative skills and thirdly to the sensorial learning styles. Although no classification can be considered complete or absolutely definitive, we will offer our suggestions to help teachers draw a creative map of games typology. 2.1.– WHAT IS A LANGUAGE GAME? What distinguishes a language game from other communicative activities in the primary EFL classroom? Certainly, language games are fun, but all the activities in a primary classroom should be. Games are also task based: English is a tool for children to reach a goal which is not directly language related. Craft activities and songs in the target language are also an example of this definition, but that does not turn them into games. What differentiates language games from other activities in the EFL classroom is the presence of a visible set of rules which guide the children‟s actions, and an element of strategy –children must successfully apply their language and other skills. Games can be competitive, but this is not a precondition. Children can also employ their language skills strategically in co-operative games where a group works together to achieve certain goals. Language games are a healthy challenge to a child‟s analytical thought. The rules of the game set clear limits within which the children‟s natural decision making processes must function. With beginners, some games can resemble “fun drills”, with decision making reduced to the substitution of a single word in a phrase. However, even in such cases, children are required to make individual choices based on specific language criteria which form part of the rules of the game. Language games are not activities only aimed to break the ice between students or to kill time. Byrne (1995) gave the definition of games as a form of play governed by rules. They should be fun and enjoyed. They are not just a diversion, a break from routine activities, but a way of getting the learner to use the language in the course of the game. Similarly, Jill Hadfield (1990) defined games as "an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun." Therefore, games involve many factors: rules, competition, relaxation, and learning, in particular. The main focus of using games in class is to help students learn and have fun. However, the rules of the games should be clearly explained and well understood by the student before playing the games in the classroom. There should be only a little number of well-explained rules. Demonstrations can also be very helpful because it can help students understand the game and help them follow the rules.

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Otherwise, they will misunderstand the purpose of the game and they may not get all the benefits they should. For example, if students do not understand the rules of the games called "Dictation Game" and just write words or sentences without following the instructions, then it is just a copying exercise, and it won't help students with accuracy, pronunciation, or spelling in any way. In playing games, competition is very important because it can stimulate and encourage students to participate in the activity since they logically want to beat the other teams. As it happens, students run as fast as possible in the dictation game, they remember as much information as they are able to and speak as loudly and clearly as they can. They run quickly back and forth, trying to memorize the content as accurately as possible. While playing, students not only have fun, but they also relax, do exercise, and tease their friends. Apart from having fun, students are learning at the same time. They acquire new vocabulary along with its spelling and pronunciation. Students begin to realize that they have to speak or pronounce the words clearly if they want others to understand what they are saying. 2.2.–

GAMES CLASSIFICATION EXPERIENCE

ACCORDING

TO

CENTRAL

AREAS

OF

YOUNG

LEARNERS‟

There are several types of games and obviously some different classifications can be found through literature about games and education. We have considered games arranged according to areas which are central to a young child‟s experience and needs, themes with which they can immediately identify regardless of the language that is used. A thematic approach does not mean that we concentrate only on vocabulary. All too often teachers see young students who can recite a good number of words, but are incapable of putting together a meaningful sentence, phrase, or even a simple utterance. Unfortunately, producing a lot of individual words sounds good to parents but that does not show a child can communicate in English. It is important to know what types of game are available in order to plan a lesson with a balanced rhythm. (Bendson, G.) MOVEMENT GAMES. In these games, children are physically active. These games are generally “rousers” and need to be closely monitored. BOARD GAMES. Any game which mainly involves moving markers along a path. Board games can be made by the children as a fun craft activity. DICE GAMES. Dice games are incredibly versatile, especially if we remember that the dice need not only have numbers on its faces: they can have colours, characters, words –virtually anything you like. Dice need not be six-sided either. Little children might only roll one dice, while older children can play games with three or four dices at the same time or even play while using spinners. CARD GAMES. Children collect, exchange, give away, sort and count cards. The cards have a meaning or value in a game, or simply serve as symbols for objects or actions. Cards are often components of other game types as well. ROLE-PLAY GAMES. Role-play games can be seen as simple, guided drama activities. The language input can be quite rigidly prescribed or very open depending on the language level, curiosity, and confidence of the class. Role-plays stimulate children‟s imagination and are a test of true communication. DRAWING GAMES. Drawing games are special because they span a gap between some key functions of the brain. On the one hand, drawing requires creativity and sensitivity towards the world. On the other hand, children must be able to understand instructions and describe their art. Drawing games are particularly helpful with shy children who are reluctant to talk. A picture is a very personal thing and although children may not be ready to describe their picture, they will certainly respond to the teacher‟s questions with yes or no answers.

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SINGING AND CHANTING GAMES. Singing and chanting games often involve movement, but we will list them separately since music plays such an important role in early childhood learning. Chants are great because children: learn to work together get to listen to lots of meaningful language pick up chunks have a reason to use English find them funny move their body enjoy repeating them Chants are easy to make up. The following one is a good example for young learners. We can chant it together and do actions for the different animals (pretending to splash water, etc.). My My My My My

name‟s name‟s name‟s name‟s name‟s

Fred and I‟m a frog – jump, jump, jump Kate and I‟m a cat – miaow, miaow, miaow Fergie and I‟m a fish – splash, splash, splash Micky and I‟m a mouse – squeak, squeak, squeak Benny and I‟m a bird – flap, flap, flap

This is a lovely chant with a rhythm that children enjoy. They can stretch their arms out to show „big‟ and bring their hands close together to show „little‟. It also helps to develop motor skills and colouring demands (children will enjoy colouring in the pictures that come with the chant), concentration, eye/hand coordination and hand control – all of which are important pre-writing skills. WORD GAMES. These games use children‟s enjoyment of playing with words. They are mostly for older children as they involve spelling and writing. INTERACTIVE GAMES. They are a collection of interactive games and activities to help young learners to practice grammar and skills. The players display them on a monitor or on a screen. For each game there is a file in order to play the game. The expansion of playing games online has reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local networks to the Internet and the growth of Internet access itself. Online games can range from simple text based games to games incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many players simultaneously. 2.3.– GAMES FOR DEVELOPING READING AND WRITING SKILLS When the pupils are familiar with the pronunciation and meaning of new words, we can use flashcards to put them on the board and write the words underneath. Alternatively, word cards can be made to go with the picture flashcards. The teacher drills the words and then uses some of the following practice games: Find your word Word and picture match

First letter

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Give out the selected picture cards and write the words on the board. Pupils bring their flashcards to the board and match them with the correct word. Jumble the flashcards, stick them on the board and number them. Put up the written words in a different order where all the pupils can easily see them. Pupils find and copy the words in the same order as the numbered flashcard on the board. Put large alphabet cards around the classrooms. Hold up one of the picture flashcards. Pupils race to touch the letter of the alphabet which is the first letter of the word illustrated on the flashcard.

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2.4.– GAMES AND ENGLISH CULTURE: PLAYGROUND GAMES At this point, we have included some playground games that are very useful not only to deal with all sorts of cultural aspects but to see games similarities between English and Spanish culture, and to have fun as well. Playground games are physical and verbal outdoor games which have been devised by groups of children for their own entertainment. As the rules and names of these games are passed down orally, there are many regional and generational variations. For example the game known as “tag” can also be referred to as 'it', 'tig', 'catch-as-catch-can', or 'he' among other possibilities. Then there are variations on this basic theme such as 'off ground tig', 'budge' etc. Many of these games are extremely old and linked to English culture and have been played in one form or another for centuries. Others arise as a product of popular culture in a particular time or due to a particular toy or piece of equipment such as the Scoobies, yo-yo, etc. COUNTING-OUT GAMES

These are mini-games which are played to determine the initial set-up of a game, e.g. who is 'it' or which players are in which team. It is as follows: Tinker, Tailor,/ Soldier, Sailor,/ Rich man,/ Poor Man,/ Beggar

man, Thief. TAG

CLAPPING

Tag is probably the oldest game played all over the world. One person is 'it' or 'on' and is up against the rest of the players. Hide and seek is a universal example. British Bulldogs and 'Chain tig', which are mainly played in Britain and Australia, are examples where more and more players become 'it' until one winner is left uncaught. A clapping game is usually a type of cooperative, non-competitive, game that is generally played by two players and involves clapping. The template of a standard clapping game is for the participants to clap each other's hand(s), as well as performing other activities such as thigh slapping, in a rhythmic fashion while reciting a rhyme. The clapping pattern is often improvised. The rhyme is very similar to a jump-rope rhyme.

“Down by the River where nobody goes, There's a little old man, picking his nose, Ooh, ah, Cantona, Down by the River where nobody goes!” 2.5.– GAMES FOR VOCABULARY PRESENTATION, PRACTICE AND REVISION These games are used to present vocabulary, hold up individual cards, saying the word clearly two or three times while the pupils listen. They then repeat the word several times after the teacher. For further practice or revision of vocabulary, teachers can use some of the following games:

WORD RACE

MYSTERY CARD

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GAMES WITH FLASHCARDS (Strange, D.) Flash up individual cards and get pupils to say the word without a verbal prompt. The pupil who says the word first wins that card. A variation of the previous activity is to cover the card with a plain sheet of paper as you hold it up, and then remove the covering sheet little by little to reveal the picture. Remember the sequence. The teacher shows a sequence of flashcards, drilling the word for each card two or three times. Then he gives the same sequence again, but this time he misses one or two words out. The pupils

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supply the missing words. The teacher removes more and more words from the sequence, until pupils remember the whole set. The following games can be played throughout the school year although they are especially useful as a round up at the end of term. Teachers can use them several times. First play with the whole class and then try in groups (good for mixed ability groups). WORD GUESSING GAMES (Lavery, C.) Choose five words related to recent conversational themes. Write sets of clues to help students guess the words. Play with whole class or teams. Use one word per lesson over five lessons or use all words in one session as a longer game. Example clues: I am a fruit. I begin with the letter „b‟. People eat me after having lunch, etc. This game is good for practising and reviewing action verbs and adverbs. Ask one student to leave the room then the rest of the class chooses a verb e.g. type, ski, fly. The student returns to the room and asks questions to guess the verb. The missing verb can be substituted with coffeepot Example questions: Why do you coffee pot? Where do you coffee pot? Do you coffee pot by yourself? Do you need any special equipment for coffee potting?

GUESS THE WORD

COFFEE POT GAME

OTHER VOCABULARY GAMES WHAT WE LIKE (Expressing likes and personal information).

Individually pupils write down ten things that they like. (Tell them that they should try to include things which they think their partner might not like). Working in pairs, pupils find out how many of the things on their list their partner likes too. They combine their information and display it in a Venn diagram, paying special attention to the intersection area.

2.6.– GAMES FOR STIMULATING THE DIFFERENT SENSORIAL LEARNING STYLES Games for Kinaesthetic learners ANIMAL SHADOWS

BLIND MAN‟S TREASURE HUNT

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Organization: whole class. Materials: a strong desk lamp. It is advisable to practise making chosen animal shadows yourself before playing the game. Take a strong lamp into the class and show the pupils how they can also make animal shadow shapes. Make shapes of known animals like a bird, a dog, an elephant or a giraffe. Objective: Players try to guess the contents of packages by touch. Preparation: Wrap several objects of various weight, shape, and texture in separate parcels. Place these on the table. Game: Divide students into two teams. Blindfold a player and lead him to the table. He or she should select a parcel and try to guess its contents. He or she may ask up to five yes/no questions before guessing the parcel's contents. (i.e. "Is it something you wear?" "Is it something you eat?" etc.). If student guesses contents of parcel, parcel is removed from table, and his or her team gets one point. Variation: Wrap several small objects that could be given as prizes (pencil, eraser, notebook, candy, balloons, etc.) in separate parcels. If student guesses

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contents of parcel, he or she wins the prize.

Games for Visual learners

CLOSE YOUR EYES!

DISASTER!

Skills: Describing physical appearance; asking and responding to questions; visual discrimination Language used: "Look at _________." "Close your eyes!" colours, shapes, positions, articles of clothing Game: Choose a student to begin. Tell the student, "Look at _______." Allow the student to examine the person or object for about five seconds, then direct the student, "Close your eyes!" After the student's eyes are closed, ask him or her a question about the person or object examined. For example, you might ask, "What colour is Anne's shirt?" or "Is there a box of crayons on my desk?" If the student responds incorrectly, direct him or her to open his or her eyes and inspect the object for five more seconds. Direct the student to close his or her eyes again and ask another question. Depending on class size, you may allow students up to three turns. If the student correctly answers the question, he or she chooses a player as well as a person or object and asks the next question. Objective: to recognize and describe changes in a specific setting. Game: Divide students into two teams. Send one team outside of the classroom (with a co-teacher, if students are very young.) Allow the other team a set period of time (two to five minutes depending on students' ages) to make changes to the classroom (hang a poster upside down, move books, switch pictures, exchange chairs, etc.) or themselves (shoes on wrong feet, sweater inside out, socks off, jewellery traded, etc.). At the end of the time period, the opposing team returns to class and points out as many changes as its members detect. One point is given for each correct response (vocabulary and known syntax). Teams then reverse roles and continue. The winning team is the team that describes the greatest number of changes correctly.

Games for Auditory learners

THE LETTER HUNT

Objective: increase phonemic awareness; correctly identify initial consonant sounds. Materials Needed: collection of flashcards or small objects Game: Have students form a circle. Place flashcards or objects outside the circle. Teach the following song to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell":

We're looking for a/an [name of letter], We're looking for a/an [name of letter], [Sing sound of the letter to the tune of "Heigh, ho, the Derry Oh!"] We're looking for a/an [name of letter]. After each verse, ask a student to

find an object or picture beginning with that sound and place it in the centre of the circle. Continue until all objects or pictures have been used. You might also use this song to teach vowel sounds, final consonant sounds, or blends

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CONCLUSION (II)

The benefits of using games in language-learning can be summed up in nine points. Games....  Are learner centred.  Promote communicative competence.  Create a meaningful context for language use.  Increase learning motivation.  Reduce learning anxiety.  Integrate various linguistic skills.  Encourage creative and spontaneous use of language.  Construct a cooperative learning environment.  Foster participatory attitudes of the students.  Stimulate the different intelligences through activating every sensorial learning style.  Foster social and communicative interaction in the primary class.  Are meaningful and fun.

3.– GAMES AS PLAY AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE The concept of communicative competence constitutes the basis on which the current conception of the learning of languages settles. It is the reference point in the document elaborated by the council of Europe, The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which develops the objectives and contents of learning different languages in a multilingual society like ours, characterized by using different languages. 3.1.– THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE Communicative competence is a concept introduced by Dell Hymes, discussed and redefined by many authors. Hymes´ original idea was that the speakers of a language need to have more than grammatical competence in order to be able to communicate effectively in a particular language; they also need to know how the language is used by the members of a specific community to accomplish their purposes. Nowadays, Foreign Language Teaching in many countries is based on the idea that the goal of language acquisition is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals. The desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does. Communicative competence is made up of four competence areas:

Linguistic competence is knowing how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language. Sociolinguistic competence is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people communicating.

Linguistic competence asks: What words do I use? How do I put them into phrases and sentences? Sociolinguistic competence asks: Which words and phrases fit this setting and this topic? How can I express a specific attitude (courtesy, authority, friendliness, respect) when I need to? How do I know what attitude another person is expressing?

Discourse competence is knowing

Discourse competence asks: How are words,

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how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole. Strategic competence is knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one‟s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language and in the context.

phrases and sentences put together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles? Strategic competence asks: How do I know when I have misunderstood someone or when someone has misunderstood me? What do I say then? How can I express my ideas if I don‟t know the name of something or the right verb form to use?

3.2.– GAMES AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE "Knowing English" not only involves producing language correctly, but also using language for a particular purpose. When learners are able to perform the communicative functions they need, they achieve "communicative competence" in that language. Language games help to achieve this. Some authors, like Prasad, U. affirm that language games are indispensable to achieve communicative competence. Vocabulary learning is a life-long experience. One of the problems of learning a foreign language is to master the structures or patterns of the language. When we talk about the structure of language, we are referring to the kinds of materials that go to make up a language and the way the materials are put together, arranged and used to build up sentences. Therefore, we can say that one of the major aims of teaching English is to enable students to express themselves correctly in writing on everyday matters of life, and this requires proficiency in structural skills. (Prasad, U.) What are the aspects of the language that need to be learnt? This question appears to be fairly straightforward. Clearly students need to develop skills, such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. There are many kinds of games such as picture games, card and board games, sound games, true/false games, back chaining drill games and so many others. There are games to cater for different age groups. When talking about skills and games, it is convenient to remember that oral and writing skills refer to the productive skills. In speaking, students are involved in learning the sound system, stress and intonation patterns. And in writing, they are involved in learning the features of the writing system such as spelling, grammar and vocabulary, and punctuation. Since we do not speak or write in isolated sentences, students will also need to learn ways of joining sentences together in connected speech or in writing. Games are thus a natural way of self-expression for both the young and the old. It has the advantage of attention focussing, providing a self-motivating environment for the students with their active participation. Language games can be defined as a significant kind of language activity or exercise. They also introduce an element of competition into the lesson. This provides a valuable impetus to a purposeful use of language. In language games, the learners see the consequences of action at the precise moment of winning or losing a point. The students also accept that games have to be played according to certain rules. Thus a link is established between the classroom and the learner's own environment. There are many advantages of using games in the Primary classroom: 1. Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class. 2. They are motivating and challenging. 3. Learning a language requires a great effort. Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning. 4. Games provide language practice in the various skills- speaking, writing, listening and reading. 5. They encourage students to interact and communicate. 6. They create a meaningful context for language use.

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3.3.– SELECTION CRITERIA FOR LANGUAGE GAMES We suggest the following selection criteria for language games: -Games must motivate and interest the students and should focus on relevant content across the curriculum. -Games must also be age-appropriate and graded, they must appeal to different learning styles and be related to current events or concerns. -Such games must foster authentic language use that integrates listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. -Games must draw upon students' prior knowledge and lead to more and newer information. -The size of the class must also be taken into consideration. -The games have to be carefully prepared in advance. -The purpose and rules of the game have to be explained to the students carefully and their mother tongue can be used to do so if necessary. -The students should be given one or more "trial runs" before the game is played. As many student as possible should be involved in the games, by dividing the class into two teams. If games are played on a team basis, points can be awarded for each correct answer and the scores written on the blackboard. 3.4.– RELEVANT ASPECTS OF GRADED AND PLAYING GAMES IN THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM CLASS SIZE ¤Controlling large classes, 25 children or even more, is one of the hardest task that even experienced teachers face. It is a simple fact of teaching life that the larger the group is, the more difficult it becomes to set up activities which promote active language use. We can play some games with large classes, especially those based on total physical response, such as “Simon says” but they tend to elicit passive responses from prompts. It is advisable that we divide a class up into smaller, more manageable groups which can play games more effectively. TURN PLAYERS INTO TEAMS ¤If teachers have a game that is suitable for eight players, they can expand it to 24 players by playing in groups of three. Teachers should try and encourage English as the means of communication between team members (this can be difficult), they should also insist on the fact that one player from each team (a different child each time) must use the target language. SET UP “GAME STATIONS” IN THE CLASSROOM ¤“Game stations” enable groups of children to play different games at the same time. Teachers can set up everything they need for each game in a different part of the room. The stations should be clearly marked with bright and colourful signs which the children can make. We can split the class into four groups and assign each group a station where they will play the game they choose. We should take care to ensure that games do not interfere with each other at any time. In all cases teachers should make sure that: -Games are familiar in concept to the children. -Children move briskly from station to station, spending no more than 10/ 15 minutes at each. Very young learners, who may require further guidance, spend less time.

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DEALING WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE “OUT” OF GAMES. ¤Many games have winners and losers and very often losers are “out” of the game. Besides, in nocompetitive games, some children may simply finish quicker than others. These children need to be occupied in case they wander off and disrupt those still playing. Teachers can use one of the following strategies: -A “consolation” round. Split the class into small groups to play the game. Rather than being “out”, losers from one group go on to compete with the losers from another group. They can either play a new round of the same game or move into a completely different game, running parallel to the first one. In this way, no one is ever “out” –each team or player gets another chance. -The central game board. Create a bright and colourful game board on a large sheet of cardboard. Children who are “out” roll the dice and move across the board, landing on different spaces. Each space represents a particular activity or game that the children must play. The children go off and play the game. When they finish, they return to the game board, roll the dice and move on to something new. MOTHER TONGUE ¤When playing games in the English class, especially in multilingual classes, there are times when a mother-tongue explanation can be helpful. This is especially true if the teacher wants to play a more complicated game with younger children or if he or she wants to use a game that includes concepts or procedures the children have not learnt yet. If the teacher starts explaining a game in English and realizes the class simply does not understand what he or she means, a short prompt in the mother tongue will get him or her over the hurdle and on to the game in question. What is important is that the teacher sticks to English as much as possible. If a child addresses the teacher in mother tongue, it is fine to acknowledge the question, but respond in English. CLASSROOM LANGUAGE FOR PLAYING GAMES ¤Playing games is also a valuable activity to help our students learn and use some useful phrases and vocabulary items related to games, materials and actions, as the following ones: It‟s my/your/his/her turn; Roll the dice; Wait, please!; Move…spaces forward/backwards; Shut your eyes; Whose turn is it?; Shuffle the cards; Don‟t peek (look); Line up; Deal the cards; You‟re out; You‟re out; Give me…; No cheating; Turn around; Ready, steady, go!

CONCLUSION (III)

Children acquire communicative competence in an interactive environment by engaging in meaningful communication (Lindfords, 1980). Children learn language in the context of communication, and conversely they learn communication strategies while they are learning the fundamentals of language and connected speech (Seiler et al., 1984). Several authors describe a number of effective methods through which children learn to communicate. Games and language games play a fundamental role in this learning process.

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4.– THEME OVERVIEW Using language games is a useful strategy to encourage language acquisition. When using games in the classroom, it is beneficial for teachers to have a complete understanding of these games. Games are usually defined as a form of play with rules, competition and an element of fun. Teachers should also consider the advantages of games: the ability to capture students' attention; lower students' stress; and give students the chance for real communication. Lastly, teachers need to plan how to use games appropriately in the classroom. It is important to choose the right time and to integrate them into the regular syllabus and curriculum. However, because of the limitations of the syllabus, games often cannot be used as much as they should. Therefore, it may be challenging for teachers to try and add some games in class in order to develop students' English proficiency of the target language. There is a great number of language games. So teachers have a variety of choices. However, teachers must take many factors into account when it comes to deciding which game to use in a particular class and which games will be most appropriate and most successful with their students,.

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5.– BIBLIOGRAPHY FUNCTIONS OF GAMES AND CREATIVITY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING. AUSUBEL, D. (1963). The psychology of meaningful verbal learning. Grune & Stratton. BROWN, H. D. (1980). Principles of Language learning and teaching. Prentice Hall. GARDNER, H. (1982). Multiple Intelligences: the Theory in Practice. Basic books DEFINITION AND TYPOLOGY OF GAMES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING AND PROFICIENCY UBERMAN, A. (1998). The use of games: for vocabulary presentation and revision. English Teaching Forum. ALBURQUEQUE, R. et al. (1995). En el aula de inglés. Longman. AVEDON, M.E. AND B.S.BRIAN. (1971). Learning Through Games. The Study of Games . John Wiley & Sons. BYRNE, D. 1995. Games. Teaching Oral English. Longman. GAMES AS PLAY AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE MULAC, E.M. (1971). Educational Games for Fun. Happer & Row, Publishers, Inc. RICHARD-AMATO, P., A. (1996). Making It happen. Addison-Wesley Publishing Group. SCHULTZ, M. AND A. FISHER. (1988). Interacting in the Language Classroom. Games for All Reasons. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE FOR LANGUAGES. Council of Europe. http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/common_framework.html http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp ONLINE EDUCATIONAL GAMES FOR CHILDREN: http://www.kidsgames.org/ http://www.funbrain.com/

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