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USING COMMUNICATIVE GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH
Zulfizar Umarova
English Teacher
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13789407
Annotation:
Communicative games have become a successful technique in teaching
English language in order to increase learner effectiveness and engagement in the lessons.
These interactive and entertaining games provide a dynamic way to practise language skills.
In this article, we discuss the advantages of teaching English through communicative games.
Key words:
communicative games, technique, interactive, teaching English.
Аннотация:
Коммуникативные игры стали успешной методикой обучения
английскому языку, чтобы повысить эффективность и вовлеченность учащихся в
уроки. Эти интерактивные и развлекательные игры предоставляют динамичный
способ практиковать языковые навыки. В этой статье мы обсуждаем преимущества
обучения английскому языку с помощью коммуникативных игр.
Ключевые слова:
коммуникативные игры, методика, интерактивный, обучение
английскому языку.
Annotatsiya:
Ingliz tili o’qitishda kommunikativ o'yinlar o'quvchilarning darslarda
faolligi va qiziqishini oshirishga qaratilgan eng samarali metodga aylandi. Bu interaktiv va
qiziqarli o'yinlar til ko'nikmalarini dinamik usulda mashq qilishga qaratilgan. Mazkur
maqolada ingliz tilini kommunikativ o'yinlar yordamida o'rgatishning afzalliklarini ko’rib
chiqamiz.
Kalit so'zlar:
kommunikativ o'yinlar, texnika, interaktiv, ingliz tilini o'qitish.
Communicative games are intended to encourage the practical use of language by
emphasising real-life communication in the lessons. These games frequently include role-
playing, problem-solving, and collaborative activities that enable students to use English in
various situations. According to Larsen-Freeman (2000), communicative games provide
interaction between language learners. Students practise a variety of language skills through
communicative activities, such as speaking, listening, and vocabulary. For example, role-
playing games force learners to speak English in context, which improves fluency and
conversational abilities. According to Nation (2013), such interactive exercises allow learners
to use language in ways that strengthen their understanding and retention.
In order to effectively incorporate communicative games into English teaching, teachers
should choose games that meet with the learning objectives and proficiency levels of the
students. For instance, simple vocabulary games are suitable for beginners, while more
complex role-playing activities may be appropriate for advanced learners. According to Ur
(1996), the selection of games should be based on their relevance to the lesson content and
the specific needs of the learners. Additionally, teachers can establish a classroom
environment that encourages communication.
Sigurðardóttir (2010) classified games into the following categories: games for dividing
larger groups into smaller groups, introduction games, group games, physical games,
scavenger hunt games, educational games, theoretical expression games, drawing and
colouring games, educational card games, word games, story games, and question games. Also,
games can be divided into cooperative and competitive games. Cooperative games, which
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centre around teamwork to achieve a common objective, can be a great approach to develop
the skill of working with others, even though competitive games can be a helpful way to get
some students' interest and keep them focused. Since winning and losing are not the focus of
cooperative games, no one should have to experience damage to their self-confidence, which
could improve learning outcomes.
"Walking the line" is an example of a physical game in which participants must walk a
line while performing various types of duties, such as walking backwards or balancing a book
on their heads. To make this game more appropriate for a language school, the teacher should
deliver the directions in the target language, such as "everydiv has to walk backwards".
Another example of a physical game is the game "Simon says," in which one person plays
Simon and gives the other players directions such as "jump" or "clap your hands." I classify
this game as a physical game because Simon's directives are typically physical.
Activities such as "Simon Says" are part of a teaching method known as Total Physical
Response (TPR), which teaches languages by enabling learners to observe and take their time
understanding the language before having to speak it. TPR is regarded to be an effective way
of teaching a foreign language for two reasons. The first is that it is thought to reduce the
stress level of learning a language, making it more enjoyable; the second is that it is similar to
how children learn their native language, where they are exposed to the language for many
months before beginning to speak.
Some games require theoretical expressions. For example, "Who Am I?" is a game that
requires theoretical expression. In this activity, the class is typically split into two teams. Next,
individual students take the stage in front of the class and role-play a particular profession
that the teacher has assigned them. Teams alternately make guesses and pose questions, with
the actor limited to provide a yes or no response. The scoring can then be set up so that a
team asking a question gets one point if the answer is repeated in the affirmative, and the
team that identifies the actor playing the role gets five points.
"To Tell a Story" is a story game. The participants sit in a circle, and one of them is
assigned the job of storyteller. The teacher whispers one phrase in each student's ear and asks
him or her to memorise it. The storyteller then begins narrating a story, pausing occasionally
to point at a student, who must then recite the phrase whispered to him by the teacher. The
storyteller must then incorporate this term into the story, which generally results in
humorous repercussions. This game is ideal for language instruction because both the tale
and the vocabulary are in the target language.
To sum up, communicative games are an important pedagogical technique in English
language teaching which provide with several benefits that go beyond standard methods.
These games help to improve engagement, language skills, and social and cognitive
development, making learning more effective and entertaining. Teachers that incorporate
communicative games into their teaching methods can foster a dynamic and engaged
classroom atmosphere that assists students' language acquisition and overall growth in the
target language.
References:
1.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000).
Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching
. Oxford
44
University Press.
2.
Lee, J. (2016).
The Impact of Communicative Games on Language Learning
. TESOL
Journal, 7(2), 45-60.
3.
Nation, I. S. P. (2013).
Learning Vocabulary in Another Language
. Cambridge University
Press.
4.
Sigurðardóttir, S. D. (2010).
The use of games in the language classroom
(Doctoral
dissertation).
5.
Ur, P. (1996).
A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory
. Cambridge University
Press.
