THE USE OF BOARD GAMES

THE USE OF BOARD GAMES

               According to Gwen Dewar (2009-2012), board games offer    a number of advantages for language learners. First, they can enjoy learning while playing. Second, this kind of games provide students with the opportunity to learn social skills such as communicating verbally, sharing, waiting, taking turns, and enjoying interacting with others. Third, board games can enhance the ability to focus and lengthen learners' attention span by having them complete the steps of the game. 

               First, the idea of using board games was thought because I remembered the times when I played Monopoly and Chinese Checkers (traditional board games) with my family. Besides, they are non-traditional manner of approaching one topic or several topics at once and the practice that they require.   

              

               That is why, this second entry will focus on the use of board games in and outside the classroom, but the interactive ones. I downloaded a board game (powerpoint presentation), the one shown below, from an internet website. You can personalize the version provided according to your expectations.

www.eslgamesworld.com

 

                In addition, this game was customized based on the students' level (4th grade groups) and their needs as well as on the topic studied (symptoms and their treatments). When I finished adapting it, I printed the game and made the photocopies for my students. The next step was explaining what the activity consisted of. The students played in groups of three. A previous review was done.   

 

                In my opinion, it is really practical for teachers since you just need to edit the game and make it your own version. Another valuable idea is to encourage your students to create their own board games. For instance, they can use box lids, cereal boxes, or drink cartons.

 

                Because your opinion is valuable for me, I would appreciate your comments on the use of board games.