Ilka Birova is a teacher of Russian language and methodology of foreign language teaching at the Sofia University St. Kl. Ohridski. She is interested in new trends in language pedagody and in translation studies as well. Enjoys working with colleagues from different coutries in these spheres. Email: e-mail: ilkabirova@mail.bg, ibirova@uni-sofia.bg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annotation: This article is dedicated to the learning game as an educational phenomenon and its concrete using in foreign language teaching to adults. General short definition of game in language teaching is given.  Useful practical  instructions for using different game activities at  elementary, intermediate and advanced levels of foreign language teaching to adults are presented.

 

Introduction

Game is an important educational phenomenon, especially in contemporary foreign language education of adult students.  Gamification became one of the main trends in language education  not only of children but of adults as well. Game is a central subject of our recent research works [Birova 2012, Birova 2016, Birova 2017]. In our opinion learning game in teaching languages is not an additional but necessary component in language teaching process which we have to combine with traditional teaching methods and activities in a relevant way. We are grateful to the Russian prof. E. Passov who has written a preface of our book about game [Birova 2017], to my Bulgarian colleagues assoc. prof. Zh. Ilieva, prof. V.Vesselinov and other colleagues from different countries for their support of our ideas about game and its great educational value for the contemporary language learning practice. [Ilieva 2018, Vesselinov 2018]

 

Research findings

In this article we present a definition of learning game and give some practical instructions for using game activities in foreign language teaching to adults. Our definition of game in foreign language education is  the following:

Game is one of the forms of organization of teaching process which transforms education into live communication. Game is a necessary component of foreign language education systems  not only for children  but for adult students as well. In  a teaching practice the game is realized through game technologies, language games, playful exercises, techniques, devices and on the base of special playful organization of the lesson. In a teaching process we use learning game for training language material and active relaxing. Game activities develop speaking, writing, communicative and creative skills. Game gives diversity and positive emotional background to the teaching process, increases its effectiveness and supports students’ interest in foreign language and culture.

This short general definition collects an essence of the game as an educational phenomenon in foreign language education.

In our book about game we present a conception regarding practical foreign language education with active use of game activities on the basis of Russian as a foreign language. [Birova 2017] Learning game is an important part in the learning system of language education of teenagers (12+) and adults. According to this conception the following proportion about activities in language teaching  process is recommended: 20% learning time – for using practical educational methods like observation, explanation, demonstration, conversation etc, 30% learning time – for game activities and 50% - for traditional language and speech exercises in combination with innovative technologies like project activities, portfolio etc.

It is necessary to explain what the reason to recommend such a proportion of learning activities in the teaching process is. In our opinion this way the golden ratio, well known from the ancient times is kept. The Suggestopedia method of Dr. Georgi Lozanov known all over the world is based on this important principle. [Lozanov 1978] This famous Bulgarian scientist defines the principle as “the most stable psychological criterion of good balance”. [Lozanov 2005: 153] According to the “golden ratio” the proportion between parts of a whole has to come near the number 0.618. The proportion presented above   20%: 30%: 50% of learning time corresponds to the “golden ratio” principle: if we divide one of these numbers by the next one the result is approximately 0.61. [Lozanov 2005: 149] This result is the reason to evaluate such a proportion as balanced and useful for practical foreign language teaching of adult learners. Using game in teaching process is active if it takes an average of 30% learning time. For example if a foreign language course takes 90 hours, at least 27 hours of them have to be dedicated to game activities: game technologies, playful exercises and language games relevant to define the level and character of language education.

Further we recommend some concrete game activities suitable for elementary, intermediate and advanced levels in foreign language teaching.

At the elementary level of adult education we recommend:

• Exercises for fast and correct pronunciation and expressiveness on the basis of verses, anecdotеs and tonguetwisters
• Using teacher’s instructions like: Listen and do! Listen and draw! Is it thrue or false?
• Making short simple dialogues using a small ball, other objects and flashcards in order to stimulate speaking
• Playful exercises using pantomime, for example on the topic professions, animals, emotions etc (Who am I? or How do I feel?)
• Construction of simple riddles by students using known words and simple grammar
• Solving simple crosswords?
• Work with puzzles including words, phrases and short text based on learnt lexical and grammatical material
• Making associogramms and clusters with familiar lexis
• Playing relevant language games
• Reading in chain with an element of competition in a group/ between groups
• Singing popular songs using karaoke etc.
• Playful techniques and devices: using pictures and flashcards for stimulation of speaking; using gestures and pantomime; reading with change of rhythm and dynamics; chain reading; collecting parts of phrases or a text; competitive element in exercises (ex.Who says this correctly and quickly? Who writes more words beginning with B in a minute?); when correcting the mistakes the teacher uses the “echo” technique (he or she says the correct form in a quieter voice), a technique of question repetition which includes a correct form etc.

At the middle stage of language teaching (at high school, university and language courses) we recommend:

• Using exercises including speed, correctness of pronunciation and    expressiveness of performance (on the basis of verses and tonguetwisters)
• Role-playing dialogues using flashcards
• Making associogrammes on the basis of a key word
• Working with more difficult riddles
• Working with quizzes about foreign history, geography, culture
• Singing songs in karaoke
• Giving more difficult teacher’s instructions (including nonstandard ones with familiar lexis)
• Making clusters with familiar lexis on a particular topic
• Working with more complex word puzzles
• Working with more complex crosswords
• Purposeful listening and reading texts (e.g. a beginning is done, end is unknown,giving prognosis of action development)
• Playful exercises with color cards (e.g. students have one blue and one red card. Teacher says verbs or names with special grammar or spelling features. Students have to show red or blue card. This way a teacher has a feedback about the acquisition of the new lexical or grammatical material.
• Playful exercises with  making a guess about a word meaning
• Using words of different roots (e.g. students: people who study at schools and university/ people who have to learn but very often they don’t want to do this etc.)
• Using relevant language games for the level
• Preparation and presentation of projects on topics interesting for the students; competition in a group/ between groups about the best project on given topic
• Playful techniques and devices: using pictures and flashcards for stimulation of speaking; using gestures and pantomime; reading with change of rhythm and dynamics; chain reading; collecting separated parts of phrases or texts; including competitive element in exercises (Who says this quickly and correctly? Who writes more words with B in 2 minutes?; when correcting the mistakes the teacher uses the “echo” technique (he says the correct form in a quieter voice, a technique of question repetition which includes a correct form etc.)

At the advanced stage of  language education of adult students we recommend to use the activities mentioned above for the middle stage and additionally the following activities:

• Constructing longer and more complex texts
• Creating quizzes on foreign culture, history, economy
• Making  stories on  a subject matter picture on a particular topic, competition for the best student story (original subject matter and correct language, individual and group work)
• Composing in 2-3 minutes new words on the basis of one long word, using only letters in the long word (e.g. word telecommunication)
• Exercises with associations (e.g. In 2 minutes find 3 common features between 2 words which are not close to each other  as a meaning (e.g. clouds & friends)/ Draw and describe your associations connected with colours: red, blue, orange, green etc.
• Playing more complex language games
• Playing simulative games with problem solving relevant to character of language education (e.g. making slogans for advertisement of products or services, guide narrative about sightseeing of particular city etc.)
• Competition of text translation between students of a group at the university: (fiction, scientific, advertisement texts)
• Presentation in a group of the projects on well known topics which are close to students’ interests, evaluation by students  and teacher of the most original as an idea and the most correct as a language project (e.g. My new business idea etc.)

In addition to the above mentioned middle stage playful techniques at advanced stage we also recommend    using video clips and parts of movies for discussion in a group in order to stimulate speaking activity; including competition element in exercises like this: Who says/writes  text without mistakes? with less mistakes? (ex. advertisement about a product or service)

At all stages of learning the game has an important place in the teaching process. We recommend to keep the above given proportion between learning activities. If we use actively game technologies and techniques, we realize game in our teaching activity. It is possible to transform traditional language and speech exercises into playful by involving an element of speed, competition, expressiveness, using imagination, artistic and intellectual skills. Game in educational process is always connected with creativity, live and joyful communication. Useful examples of language games are presented on the site of Erazmus+ project “Learning games. Exchange of good practices in adult education” and in many other resources. [www.learninggames.eu, 2016-2018, Crookal, Oxford 1990; Byram, Fleming 1998; Crystal 1998]

 

Conclusion

Learning game in the foreign language learning process is a real challenge to the intellect and emotions of adult students. Game activities stimulate not only speaking or writing skills but cognitive, creative, social and intercultural skills as well. In our opinion the game is a great educational phenomenon which has to be actively used in the foreign language education of adult students. We hope that our definition of game and practical instructions given in this article are useful for foreign language teachers and for further researches on undiscovered potential of game in language education of adults.

 

References

Birova, I. (2013) Game as a Main Strategy in Language Education, American Journal of Educational Research, volume 1 (1), pp 7-11. 

DOI: 10.12691/education-1-1-2 http://pubs.sciepub.com/education/1/1/2/index.html

Birova, I. (2016a)  Game as a Method in Language Teaching: Findings of a Teacher Survey, British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science16(4): 1-9, 2016, Article no.BJESBS.26684, http://www.sciencedomain.org/abstract/15197

Birova, I. (2016b)  Project of the Programme Erazmus+ “Learning Games” www.learninggames.eu

Birova, I. (2017) Game in Teaching of Russian as a Foreign Language. Exploration of Game as an Educational Phenomenon , Moscow, Evroskola, 2017, 267 p.(in Russ) /Игра в обучении РКИ. Исследование игры как образовательного феномена, Москва, Еврошкола

Byram, M., Flemming M. (1998) Language Learning in Intercultural Perspective: Approach throught Drama and Ethnography. – Cambridge: CUP  

Crookal, D., Oxford R. (1990)Linking Language Learning And Simulation/Gaming . In D.Crookal and R. L. Oxford (Eds.), Simulation, Gaming, and Language Learning, New York: NewburyHouse, p. 3

Crystal, D. (1998) Language play – England clays Ltd, St Ives plc, 260 p.
Ilieva, Zh. (2018) Game in Teaching of Russian as a Foreign Language. Exploration of Game as an Educational Phenomenon (Moscow, Evroskola, 2017, author Ilka Birova), Humanising Language Teaching, 10/11 2018, issue 5, p.1-3 https://www.hltmag.co.uk/oct18/game-in-teaching

Learning Games. Exchange of good practices in adult education Еrazmus + Project www.learninggames.eu, (2016-2018)

Lozanov, G. (1978) Suggestology and Outlines of Suggestopedia; Gordon and Breach, New York, London, Paris, p.235

Lozanov, G. (2005) Suggestopedia – Desuggestive Education, Sofia University publishing house (in Bulg.)/ Сугестопедия – десугестивно обучение, София, УИ „Св. Кл. Охридски“, 215 p.

Vesselinov, D. (2018) Game Playing as a Linguistic-Methodological Phenomenon, Philologia/Филология, 33 Sofia, “Sofia University St. Kl. Ohridski”,(in Bulg.) 2018, p.105-108

 

Please check the How to Motivate Your Students course at Pilgrims website.

Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.