Friday, September 30, 2011
ESL Games
Learning a second language is no easy task, but ESL games can be the open doorway to a greater understanding of the English language. You should leave this article knowing where you can find English Learning Games and just why they are useful to those seeking to learn English as a second language.
That is a question has been going on for some time and not just in relation to learning a second language. Teachers in public schools across the country have been trying to make administrators see the benefits in using games as a learning tool. It has been proving time and time again that when a mind is stressed it makes learning more difficult for the student to concentrate and retain the information. When your child is young and you wish to get them on a fast track to their education you do not berate them or shove information down their throat. You instead use flash cards or memory games. The same concept applies to adults trying to learn something as difficult as a second language and ESL games can play a pivotal role.
English as a second language in the classroom is an essential part of learning. Most people, while having fun, do not consider it learning even they are learning something. It is a lot like playing Trivial Pursuit. You may not know all of the answers but you are now hearing them so you are learning them. The potential student will not be able to use books to find out the answers so being creative allows them to creatively find the answers.
Some legitimate reasons to use ESL games would include:
? Fun makes students enjoy a subject. When a student is relaxed they are more likely to learn and maintain more information.
? Playing ESL games in a classroom forces the students communicate.
? Games offer a student a sense of accomplishment. Other students will work harder to win and in the end will be learning English as they practice communicating through the game.
? Teachers can run through more material in the same amount of time than through straight lecturing.
? Very little effort to create the games and they can be used to maintain and control the overall atmosphere in the classroom.
One of the hardest things that a teacher can do is actually getting started with using ESL games. Where do you go from here? What games are around that are good etc. etc. well, I have several resources that you will find useful (or at least I hope you do).
A tremendous source for great games . It has games from ?Who Me?, ?3 Part Sentences? and ?A Date With Bingo?to ?Banana Banana?, ?Dilemma?and ?Eight Count?. These games represent a very small portion of the games found at this site. There are literally hundreds of easily prepared and played games you can use.
Another source for teaching EFL, ESL and English games which offers several articles on using games in the classroom as well as a directory of whiteboard games, flashboard games and playing card games.
ESL games are going a long way when you check ESL Galaxy . It is a huge resource of games and facts. There are downloadable products and online readable content from kids to adults. Definitely it is a source for professionals.
Teaching English as a second language cannot get any easier than knowing the games which are very highly developed and beautifully rendered for your use. You can download the components to put your games together and they even come with translations. There even MP3?s you can download and CDs that you can purchase just start and you will not be dissatisfied.
The last source that I recommend is ESL-Kids . Their web site is very straight to the point. There are nearly 100 games available without having so much as to download a graphic. The directions are very simple to understand. You can also download, for free, writing practice worksheets. Take your time, there is a lot of material.
See also:
Learn English Through Games
Learn English On Internet
ESL Lesson Plans
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Thursday, September 29, 2011
Learn English Through Games
Learn English through games and make your learning fun!
There are a variety of wonderful games out there that have been developed to help people of all ages to learn the English language. You?ll find games that focus on reading, others that focus on vocabulary, some that focus on listening, and a whole lot more. So, if you are looking for an exciting way that you and the entire family can start learning English, the following are several great games you may want to give a try.
Vocabulary Jungle - When you learn English through games, there are lots of online games to choose from that are free. This is one of them. You play the game by choosing a specific category, and then you have to try to go through the jungle, but you can only step on the words that are in the category that you picked out. The word you choose has to touch the square you are already on, and of course you have to keep going forward. If you are not careful, you may end up lost in a jungle. However, the better you get at your vocabulary, the more likely you are going to be able to make it through all the way to the end.
Weather Words - This is another great game that focuses on vocabulary too. When you play the game you will get some letters that are moving. The goal of the game is to take those letters and use them to make words. Thankfully you?ll also get some type of a clue, such as an animation, a picture, or even a sound, to help you figure out which word you should be making. This is an excellent way to start making your vocabulary correspond with real life objects.
The Letter Game - The Letter Game is another great game that will help you familiarize yourself with letters and words. Basically you get a box of letters and one letter, which is in the middle will be in red. The goal is to make as many different words as you can with the letters in the box. The catch is that you have to use the ?red? letter in every, single word. Your goal should be to get 28 words for each box of letters.
There are many different ways to learn English through games. You can find computer games, online games, and even great board games that will help you to learn. So, find a good game and start playing to learn English.
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