CLIL

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Games
Author David Bish Project Editor/Director of
Studies EF Manchester
David Lecturing in Berlin
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Games in theLanguage Classroom

• Games vs Play
• What can we gain from Games?
• Effective Language Games
• Varieties of Language Games
• Difficulties using games in the classroom

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Play
My work is a game, a very serious game. M. C.
Escher (1898 - 1972) If life doesn't offer a
game worth playing, then invent a new one.
Anthony J. D'Angelo (1972 -) Play is an
occasion of pure waste waste of time, energy,
ingenuity, skill, and often of money. Roger
Caillois (1913-1978) When you play, play hard
when you work, don't play at all. Theodore
Roosevelt (1858 - 1919) If you want creative
workers, give them enough time to play. John
Cleese (1939 - )
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Games vs Play
Professor Jim Whitehead

• Play is free-form
• Games are rule-based

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Player Effort
Professor Jim Whitehead

• Games are challenging
• Games often contain a conflict
• Players influence the state of the game and its
  outcome
• A player needs to work to win a game

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Games in textbooks

• Activities ?
• Tools ?
• Games ?

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What can we gain from games?

• Challenge
• A student needs to work to win a game
• Changing the pace of a lesson
• Allowing working and thinking differently
• Motivation
• Authenticity

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Testing Language Learning Games
Runablity Is it easy/practical to run/control/set
up in a language class? Authenticity Is it
authentic?  (Would native speakers do
it?) Authentic games are fun and challenging to
play Challenge Does it challenge the students
linguistically at their level? Use Does it
Promote language use? Syllabus Does it meet a
syllabus/learning need? plus look for
an eXtendable/adaptable framework
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Testing Language Learning Games
Runablity Authenticity Challenge Use Syllabus
eXtendability
Classic Noughts Crosses (Tic Tac Toe)
in
at
on
There were
After that..
In time...
of
by
to
It wouldnt say that... but
At first..
It was...
for
with
from
Suddenly...
Eventually...
Nobody
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Testing Language Learning Games
Word Games

• Boggle/How many words
• Board Scrabble
• Word searches / Crosswords
• Anagrams
• Taboo / Back to the board

Runablity Authenticity Challenge Use Syllabus
eXtendability
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Testing Language Learning Games
Board and card games

• MonopolyTM
• ScrabbleTM
• Snakes and ladders
• Ludo
• Dominoes
• Packs of cards (made by students?)

Runablity Authenticity Challenge Use Syllabus
eXtendability
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Testing Language Learning Games
TV / Quiz Games

• University challenge
• Who wants to be a millionaire?
• The missing link
• Blind date
• Just a minute
• Blankety Blank
• Blockbusters
• What is on TV where you teach?

Runablity Authenticity Challenge Use Syllabus
eXtendability
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Testing Language Learning Games
Business Games / Simulations
Runablity Authenticity Challenge Use Syllabus
eXtendability

• Task Based Learning or Games?
• Role play
• Simulation or Real Play

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Difficulties and Solutions

• I am too old for games.
• This is not acceptable.
• We arent learning.
• We are wasting time.
• Games are too expensive.

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?
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Bibliography / Reading List
Guidance for teachers Scrivener, Jim, Learning
Teaching, second edition (Macmillan 2005) Ur,
Penny Wright, Andrew, Five-Minute Activities
(CUP 1992) Popular EFL Classroom Games
books Davis Paul Rinvolucri, Mario, More
Grammar Games (CUP, 1995) Hadfield, Jill,
Communication Games (Beginner to Advanced)
(Longman, 2000) Hancock, Mark, Pronunciation
Games (CUP, 1996) Kay, Sue Reward Resouce Pack
(Starter to Advanced) (Macmillan,
1998) Rinvolucri, Mario, Grammar Games (CUP,
1985) Philosophy of games and language Caillois,
Roger, Man, Play and Games (University of
Illinois Press 2001) Eco, Umberto, Kant and the
Platypus Essays on Language and Cognition
(Harcourt Brace 1999) Harris, Roy, Language,
Saussure and Wittgenstein How to Play Games with
Words (Routledge 1988) Whitehead, Jim, Classic
Game definition (University of California
2006)Available www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmps080k
/Winter06/lectures/classic-game-defn-01092006.pdf