A Brief Analysis of Application of Games in Primary School English Teachin1

宁夏民族职业技术学院

Ningxia Vocational and Technical

College for Minorities

毕业论文

（20 届）

论文题目：_____________________________

院（系）：_____________________________

专 业：_____________________________

学 号：_____________________________

姓 名：_____________________________

指导教师：_____________________________

A Brief Analysis of Application of Games in Primary

School English Teaching

By

Zhangqi He

Foreign Language Department of

Ningxia Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities

March 5, 2008

Acknowledgments

In the process of my thesis, I would like to give my sincere thanks

to many teachers and friends who have gave me a lot of support and

guidance. Without them, the thesis can not be complete.

First and foremost,my greatest thanks are extended to my

supervisor, Lecturer Ren yan, for her infinite patience, insightful advice and invaluable guidance in my writing and completion of this thesis. She labored through drafts of this thesis and pointed out defects in my

theorizing.

At the meantime, I also want to express my deepest appreciation to

all the other teachers in English Language Institute, for introducing me, in their classes, to academic research in the areas of English Teaching

Methodology.

Abstract

With the development of globalization, the phenomenon that

English learners become younger and younger is pretty common. Primary schools have taken English as one of required subjects and children begin to learn English at Grade three. Chinese traditional methods to learn

English are usually remembering vocabulary, learning grammar, reciting text books and so on, which make students rather boring. Under such

circumstances, it is necessary to explore a useful English teaching method which is suitable for children characteristics and cognitive development. Primary English Teaching Syllabus points out that “interest is a good

teacher for pupils to learn a foreign language. And it is an important task for primary school English teacher to arouse students interest at present.”

This thesis aims to explain that game-teaching, which is not only

interesting but also inspiring, is a good method for pupils to learn English. Game-teaching can help students cultivate the interest to learn a foreign language and create a desire to learn it further more.

Key words:game,teaching,way,interest

摘 要

随着经济全球化的深入发展，英语作为交流工具越来越重要，英语学习在中国也越来越低龄化，各个小学已把英语作为学习科目之一，三年级便开始教授英语。中国传统的英语教学主要为背单词、记语法、背诵课文等，使不少学生感到枯燥不堪。在这样的背景下，探究一种适合儿童性格和认知能力的英语教学方法是很必要的。小学英语教学大纲指出：“兴趣是学生学习英语最好的老师，小学英语老师的首要任务就是培养学生对英语学习的兴趣”。

本文希望通过阐述说明游戏既有趣又有激发性，能帮助学生培养对外语的学习兴趣，激发学习的欲望，是一种适合儿童学习英语的好方法。游戏教学有助于培养学生的学习兴趣，进一步营造外语学习的欲望。

关键词：游戏；教学；方法；兴趣

Contents

Acknowledgments………………………………………………………..i Abstract…………………………………………………………………..ii摘要……………………………………………………………………..iii

1 Introduction………………………………………………………….....1

1.1 The Present Situation of Primary School English Teaching in

China……………......................................................................................2 2 The Introduction to Games in Primary School English

Teaching....................................................................................................4

2.1 Definition of Game......……………………………………...........4

2.2Aptness Analysis Between Games and Primary

English......................................................................................................5 3 The Stratifies of Games in Primary School English

Teaching...................................................................................................6

3.1 How to Design Proper Game ……………………......................6

3.2 How to Make Games and Learning an Integration......................7 5 The Applications of Games in Primary School English

Teaching……............................…………………………………………9 6 The Effectiveness of Games in Primary School English Teaching …………..........................................................................……11

7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………13 Bibliography……………………………………………………………15

1 Introduction

English has become a required lesson in primary schools since

2001.With the trend of more and more pupils learning English, it is urgent and necessary to find an appropriate method which is suitable for pupil characteristics and cognitive development. The Primary School English Outline points out:“Interest is a good teacher for language learning. It is teachers main task to provoke students interest in English study.”1The

fundamental goals of teaching English at primary school are to arise pupil learning interest and motivation, to help students form good learning habits and master useful skills for secondary language learning.

However, as the traditional ways of teaching English in our country

are always to remember vocabulary, to learn grammar, to recite text books, students interest in English is continuously decreasing. The traditional English class is a teacher-centered class and it ignores the importance of cultivating students abilities to speak and express their ideas. Under the

influence of such a teaching method, many students are afraid to open their mouth in English classes and some even hate English classes. In such a class, the learning atmosphere is boring and stiff. There is no doubt that it prevents finishing the goals of teaching English in primary school and leads to the failure of teaching quality.

The famous American psychologist Burner has said:“The best way to stimulate students is their interests.”2And many researchers have found out that pupils are easy to be motivated by games. Game is a kind of common activity and it has properties of freedom, experience and interest. An English proverb says: “Education must be fun.”3Concerning the essential spirit of games, teaching also can be a game. It is commonly agreed that games is a better way to create a pleasant, easy and funny surroundings for pupils to learn a foreign language, to help them to develop a positive attitude to learn a foreign language, to make them eager to continue with a foreign language learning.This thesis aims to explain that game-teaching in primary school

English teaching is an ideal method by analyzing the present situation of primary school English teaching and introducing applications, advantages and effectiveness of games in English teaching.

1.1 The Present Situation of Primary School English Teaching in

China

English, as an important medium of different fields, is now one of

indispensable tools in our social life and international exchange. More and more people begin to learn English and primary schools teach English from Grade three since 2001.

The importance of English in our country is self-evident. But the

study of English teaching methodology comes late and there is only

one-hundred-year history in China. The major ways to teach English are mostly copies from other countries which are not so suitable for Chinese learners, especially Chinese pupils. By now, there are several popular teaching methods in our country, namely, the Grammar—Translation

Method, the Direct Method, the Audio- lingual Method, the Audio—visual Method, the Communicative Approach and the Cognitive Approach4. But still, the traditional teaching method which is in a large extent influenced by exam-oriented system is now dominated in regular schools. Educators have been aware of the necessity and emergence of carrying out a series of

evolution to meet the needs of China s education. Views on primary English textbooks has changed a lot and teachers opinions on teach pupils English have improved greatly. Some of the newly ideas has been used to the

textbooks in primary school and the materials chosen are more close to

pupils life. Some textbooks are designed according to pupils characteristics and cognitive features, from easy to difficult, learning rhymes, songs, games and others rather than grammar and vocabulary alone. However, there is still a long way for the evolution to take effect .In the real environment of China, a lot of problems still trouble primary English teaching.

First and most important, teachers role in English class is not fully

played. It is known to all that teacher is the most important factor in English

class. They are the guide and pupils get knowledge and interest of English from them. The ability to teach, the sense of responsibility and the

professional knowledge a teacher has directly influence students learning.

A survey shows that among 438 primary English teachers, about 149

of them graduate as English majors and only nearly 49 of them have a

bachelor degree5. Some of them admit that they do not know much about the theories and strategies to teach pupils. They just follow the traditional way that their teachers once teach them when they are students in high school or even in college to teach pupils and tell the students what the textbook wants to tell them. They explain the grammar and new word one by one for pupils, which make class rather boring. Also, only a few of them have learn about children psychology and they know little about children mentality. So they can hardly know what pupils like, not alone catch their interests. What s more, they do not care much about pupils personality. Although realizing their weakness in primary English teaching, some of them are still not

willing to have some further learning, thinking that the knowledge they hold is much more enough to teach pupils.

Second in order, the traditional teaching methods ignore to cultivate pupils ability to speak, to help them form a good habit to learn English. Under the influence of exam-oriented system, most schools and parents think students learning English for exams. So teachers stress more on

test-points, which easily makes English learning a text-centered activity, and pupils spend more time on recite exam points and even text papers. Thus

pupils may take a high grade in exams but they fail to express their opinions in English. Some of them may begin to hate English and only go to English class forced by parents and teachers.

Last but not least, activities in English class are not enough. It is

obvious that exam-oriented education can not contain many interactions or activities. Activities are great promoter for pupils to learn a foreign language. Interactions can make pupils feel close to teachers and love to have the class. Many scholars abroad agree that interest should be put in the first place

while teaching a foreign language, and emphasize that pupils should learn a

foreign language in relaxing and happy surroundings. However, it is a failure in present English classes.

1.2 The Introduction to Games in Primary School English

Teaching

This part concludes two parts. The first part expounds the definition

of game and the second part analyzes the aptness between games and primary English.

1.2.1 Definition of Game

Game has come into people s life since ancient time. Many great

philosophers have thought about what game on earth is.

French sociologist Roger Castillo, who wrote the book Les jejune Les homes (Games and Men), defined a game as an activity that must have the following characteristics:

fun: the activity is chosen for its light-heated character

separate: it is circumscribed in time and place

uncertain: the outcome of the activity is unforeseeable

non-productive: participation does not accomplish anything useful

governed by rules: the activity has rules that are different from

everyday life

fictitious: it is accompanied by the awareness of a different reality6

Also, the greatest two Greek philosophers left us precious opinions on game. Aristotle says that game is an aimless behavioral activity for relaxing and amusement after working7. Plato says that game is a conscious imitated activity of children for needs of living and capability8.

1.1.2 Aptness Analysis Between Games and Primary English

A game is a form of play with goals and structures, often used for

recreations and sometimes also designed as an education tool. In fact, games seem to be always in connection with education content. Game-teaching is

defined as an instructional method by which teachers teach pupils

knowledge and help them develop abilities to learn, and at the same time, change difficult language points into interesting games, create attractive

communications. Many scholars have found that the features of game can easily improve learning. And there are many aptness between games and primary English.

Games can spur pupils motivation and turn the boring classes into interesting ones. English is such an unfamiliar language which has huge differences with our mother tongue. The English classes can easily be a

nightmare for pupils if the teacher uses a wrong teaching method. Shy pupils may never open their mouth to speak English. Games are fun and enjoyable for both teachers and pupils. With games in English classes, the learning surroundings will be relaxing and happy. They can provide pupils who are afraid to perform in class more opportunities to express their ideas.

2 The Strategies of Games in Primary School English Teaching

This part consists of three sections which presents the strategies of

games in primary school English teaching. The first section is analyzing how to design proper games, the second part is analyzing how to make games and learning an integration and the third part is introduction of the applications of games in primary school English teaching.

2.1 How to Design Proper Game

The website Wikipedia says: “Game-design is the game development process of designing the content and rules of a game in the per-production stage and design of game play, environment, story line, and characters during production stage. The designer of a game is very much like the

director of a film, the designer is the visionary of the game and controls the artistic and technical elements of the game in fulfillment of their vision.” 11That is a definition of most video game design. While connected with

English teaching, game design requires to taking the rules and aims of a game into account.

First and for most, when designing a game, the teacher should be careful to think about the pupils language level and competence. That is to say, a game should be easy to understand and short to play. There are a great number of language games in present age, but not all of them fit for pupils to play. The rules and aims should be clearly to represent to pupils and the words involving in should be easily understood by pupils, including the words and sentences used to give the command. If the game is too difficult for pupils to play, it is a failure. Take a hide-and-found game for example. A teacher wants pupils to practice two sentences—“Where are you?”“I am here.” The teacher can divide pupils into two groups, and tells them:“ Group

A hide, group B find. Group B should ask where are you? ，group A should answer I am here. There is no need to practice more sentences once in a game, and the aim can be easier to reach.

Second in order, the game should be designed to fit the purposes of the class or the content. Playing games is not simply for fun, more important, it serves for the teaching aims. The game should be closely connected with the instructional objectives. Educators suggest bring games into English teaching means to find the combination between games and English

teaching, and make them an integration. If the game has nothing to do with the class, no matter how interesting it is, it definitely can not be adopted. For example, the class is teaching animals, then, the teacher can choose several pupils to walk around a chair. While they are walking, the teacher describes the characters of animals and when the teacher stops, pupils who know the answer quickly sit on the chair and answer the question.

Last but not least, the game should be designed to fit both teachers and pupils.

Playing with the pupils, the teacher can control the process rather than a stand-by. The pupils will be more willing to play with the teachers.

2.2 How to Make Games and Learning an Integration

For pupils, games can be considered as an important, even basic, part of English lessons. A game for a game s sake is meaningless. Games should be designed to practice pupils target language and cultivate their interest to English. Since long ago, there had been always a stereotype that all learning should be serious things without laughter. If any learning is having laughter, then it is not a real learning. Now, it is common agreed that it is possible to learn a foreign language funny and enjoy oneself at the same time. That means interesting games can help to reach study goals and be an integration with learning.

At different classes and with different contents, the teacher can have various ways to make games and learning an integration.

First of all, at the beginning of a lesson, a warm-up game can easily draw pupils attention back to the class from the break. For example, while the whole class is chasing and playing around the classroom, the teacher stands on the platform clapping hands and says: “Let s sing the song we lean yesterday together. Who wants to start the song for us?” Then the pupils will be inspired to review the song they have learn before. A song or a dance is attractive for the little kids and they can review the knowledge of last class through the activity.

Secondly, during the class, games can make it efficient to teach the new knowledge. For example, the teaching content is new words: bird, elephant, giraffe, dog. Then the teacher can bring some cards drawing relevant animals. Each time the teacher can take one picture and ask

students: “Guess, what s this?” Students will try their best to guess and give some worry answers. The teacher then should tell them that their answers are worry and can imitate a monkey and ask: “Is this a dog?”Students will answer yes or no. The teacher can continue to ask students to guess until every student is in his best mood to the class. After that, the teacher should

imitate the right animal while asking the animal name, students will deep remember the new word and what it refers to.

Thirdly, one of the aims of the game is for pupils to practice the new language. Take last example for example, when students answer the teacher question, they are practice listening ability as well as oral English. When the teacher asks: “Is this a giraffe?” Students get to know “giraffe” for the first time. When the teacher tells them it s a giraffe, they get to know it for a second time. When they finally know the animal on the picture is a giraffe, the teacher will ask students follow him read the word. Reading it together or repeating one by one are common methods a teacher will choose. Then, students will get the chance to repeat the word more ten or even twenty times. With the interaction between students and the teacher, students get more and more familiar with new words and finally remember them during the class. After class, the homework and review will be much more easy and relaxing for students. Thus students will be proud and happy to learn English.

What s more, the teacher gets the opportunity to check whether the pupils have grasped what he taught. Through a student s action, the teacher can know whether the student understands what the class teaching and give corresponding aids to the student. For example, while repeating the word one by one, a student forget how to pronounce or can not pronounce right, the teacher can ask the student to follow his pronounce until the student can do it right alone.

Finally, while the class is over, a game can bring to pupils high spirit thus the will look forward to the next English class.

3 The Applications of Games in Primary School English Teaching

Since games has been applied in primary school English teaching for a long time, there are plenty types of games for reference.

Game 1Warming Up

This is a kind of games which are great for starting the class and

revising the knowledge taught last class. Many teachers like songs and

dances because they can easily grasp pupils eyes and make the class active at once.

How to play:

Take this for example, pupils learn words about some actions last

class: go up stair, sit on a chair, eat a pair. The teacher can make up a song, like: “Baby bear, baby bear, go up stair. Baby bear, baby bear, sits on a chair. Baby bear, baby bear, eats a pair, wow!” With a vivid and simple dance, pupils will quickly remember the song and dance, also the words.

Game 2 Droughts-and-crosses12

This is a kind of games which base on asking questions, they are

suitable for all ages and great for general knowledge.

How to play:

Divide the class into two groups. Group one is Apple, and group two

is Banana.

Draw a naughts-and-crosses grid on the white board. Write letter A to letter B on the corner of each square.

Choose the proper questions you will ask. The questions can refer to

the previous class in the text book, be about English language or any subject pupils have learn.

Group Apple and group Banana choose a square they want in turns.

The teacher asks a question prepared before the class and the group

which gives the correct answer can get the symbol of their team name in the square they chose.

The first group to get a line of three symbols in any direction across

the grid is the winner.

Sometimes, the teacher can get the group to write the question for the opposing group. It is a great chance for pupils to practice oral English and can rise their passion.

Game-3 Turn-and-Turn15

This game aims to check whether students grasp the new words or

new phrases.

How to play:

Prepare some cards writing new words or new phrases.

Chose two students, give each of them a card. They hold it high in hand, and go slowly in circles hand in hand at the same time. When they sure they have seen what on the card, they can quickly stop to tell the teacher their answers.

Who gets the right answer is the winner.

4 The Effectiveness of Games in Primary School English Teaching

In general, listening, grammar, reading, and writing are required by the College Entrance Text. Influenced by the text syllabus, English classes often consist of listening practice, text learning and vocabulary learning. Most teachers would prefer to start a new lesson by teaching new words, thinking that once students are familiar with new words, they can learn the difficult text easier. But they often teach students how to pronounce the new word first, then, tell them Chinese meaning. When students come to the vocabulary, they just remember a list of words with their Chinese meanings without any context practice. For a long time, it is a common phenomenon that vocabulary is troublesome for most students in China.

Game-teaching is quite different with the traditional teaching method. In game teaching classes, teachers select kinds of interesting activities to make the students involved in the whole class. They use pupil interest to promote their teaching. They try to create a lively learning atmosphere so that students will be fond of English learning. Anyhow, each student is required to take part in several games with different teaching aims. Such activities encourage every student to be a part of the class themselves and they can hardly be absent-minded. This is not only to improve students

communicative competence and sense of cooperation, but also build up their confidence to participate in collective activities and answer teacher s

questions. Many schools have adopted the approach, especially the English training schools, and have proved quite effectiveness of games in English teaching.

There is a popular teaching mode using game teaching approach, which often divides the whole class into five parts, widely adopted in

English training schools, like New Orient School. Pop Kinds Education is a famous project in New Orient School. They teach pupils English with the belief of “play our play”. Take a lesson in Chongqing New Orient

School—Pop Kids Education for example. In the first part, the teacher says “hello” to every pupil and claps hands with them one by one to warm them up. Every student put their eyes on the teacher right and does what the teacher tells them. The teacher get students attention easily. Then she reviews the last lesson in this way: (T-for teacher, S-for students.) T: Now, it s our time for class. Let s do a game together. OK? S: OK!

T: (take out a banana.) Is this an apple?

S: No, it isn t!

T: Is this a pitch?

S: No, it isn t.

T: Is this an apple?

S: Yes, it is!

T: Very good! You are so clever. It is an apple. Every one follows me: apple!

S: Apple!

In the second part, the teacher tells pupils the important points in this class by finding cards. The teacher writes important point on cards before class, put them on the ground. Tell students to find what the teacher says as quickly as they can. The game is pretty good and students get more practice with the importance.

And finally, the teacher uses a competitive-game to text how much the pupils grasp. The teacher divides the class into two groups and divides the white board into two parts. He writes Group A on the right part and Group B on the left part. On each part, the teacher writes down a line of a,b,c,d...z. Group A and Group B are given five minutes to write down words learn in the class which begin with relevant letters. With the same time, the group which writes down more words is the winner. Students have a happy and relaxing time.

The result of that class is that almost everyone remembers what teacher taught them for all of them take part in the class actively. It is obvious that every pupil like games and games do raise pupils interest.

5 Conclusion

Many further efforts need to make to find out best way to teach

English. Also, not any game adopted in primary school English teaching is suitable for teaching every language point. The game should be challenging, purposeful and involve real language and use sounds, dances, play shows, all kinds of materials and so on. Competitive game is often favored by teachers for they can inspire students join in the activity by comparing with other students. Pupils like it, too. When playing such a game, teachers should pay more attention to cultivate students sense of cooperation and responsibility. Or, pupils will only learn to compete. In addition, teachers need to give students necessary help and suitable guidance to ensure the activity successful. Only when the game successes can students be enjoyable and keep their interest in learning English.

Applying games in English classes is not simply to make fun, but to combine teachers morals, professional knowledge and teaching skills into games. When playing games in English classes, the teacher and students inter on each other and promote on each other. While designing a game, the teacher should take many factors into account, such as students language level, fitting for the teaching purpose. Games play a vital role in primary school English teaching. Only teachers do a good job can the game play its real role.

In conclusion, a class carried out with games is much more effective than traditional English class. The use of games can make the class more interesting, enjoyable and effective. Games can be an effective and useful tools applied in primary schools.

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