Games and Activities in the EFL Classroom
Basic Concepts:
Games and
activities are an important part of almost every EFL
classroom. Games and activities create situations where
students can use the target language of the lesson in a
playful situation (a game) or in presentation or
production (study or activation) exercises. Games and
activities allow opportunities to use language
repeatedly and to build a habit from the structures
provided.
Most EFL classes should start with a "warm-up" activity
to help the students relax and settle into the class.
The warm-up is often a game, just to start things on a
"fun" level. Structured activities will be provided to
students during the practice and production stages of
the lesson as well, and if time allows a short language
game may also be used at the very end of the class.
The
basic idea is to let the class play, have a couple
laughs and some fun right at the very beginning - work
them very hard in the middle - and finish up the class
with some fun. Following this process, where the class
begins and ends with anxiety-reducing activities or
games, we should find the students more motivated for
their next class.
Every experienced EFL teacher has several favorite games
and activities that require minimal preparation - ready
to go at any time. These games and activities also come
in handy should you be asked to teach a class for
someone else - when you don't know the students and have
not had an opportunity to prepare. Such surprises
are not uncommon in the EFL teaching world.
Expanded
Concepts:
The Internet
is full of websites of games and activities. Probably
the best place to start is the "Idea Cookbook" at Dave's
ESL Cafe.
The Idea Cookbook
Spend some time at Dave's ESL and find five or six games
that you enjoy and understand. Think about how to
use those games in a variety of settings, with different
age groups and for different topics.
Do
a web search yourself and see how many websites you
find. There are literally hundreds.
