Games Teaching in China and Canada.docx

Games Teaching in China and Canada.docx

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GamesTeachinginChinaandCanada

GamesTeachinginChinaandCanada

Abstract:

Theinterestisthebestteacher.Thegamesarethebestchoicefortheyoungstudentstolearn.Becausegamescatertothephysicalandmentalcharacteristicsofchildren,whichcanhelpstudentslearnwell.ThroughthecomparisoninCanadianandChinesegamesandsometypicalexamples,IanalyzetheimportanceofgamesinEnglishteaching.Atthesametime,IlistPerformanceAssessment.

Keywords:

differentgames;gamesteaching;PerformanceAssessment

Asanewprimaryschoolteacher,IamproudtoenterSuOnCollegetohavetrainingfortwomonths.Ihavelearnedmanyusefulstrategiesforclassteaching,especiallyaboutgames.

Ijusttalkaboutgamesindetailstosupportmyview.

NowadaysgamesaregrowinginpopularityinEnglishteachingclass,becausegoodgamescanengagestudentinterestandleadintofurtherstudy.Especiallythosecooperativegamescandomorethangivestudentspracticeingroupwork.Theycanbuildskillsincooperationandfreestudentstobecomeengagedinlearning.

Weretherenogames,ourclasswouldbecompletelydifferentfromwhatitisnow.

1GamesClassification

Gamescanbedividedintofourtypesaccordingtothecontent.TheyareVocabularyGames,PronunciationGames,StructuralGamesandRolePlayingGames.Letmetalkaboutthemonebyone.

1.1VocabularyGames

InChina,FlashCardsandMagicEyesaregoodbetsinclass.TakeFlashCardsforexample.Teacherpointstoorrearrangesaseriesofobjectsandstudentsarerequiredtoreacttothemveryquickly.Avisualcanbeworthathousandwords.Itprovidesconstantreinforcementofthevocabularyneededtounderstandthelesson.AnothercaseisMagicEyes.Studentslovetobechallengedtoguessthehiddenwords.What’smore,studentscanrememberallthewordsintheprocessoflistening,speaking,looking,touchingandmoving.WhileinCanada,there’resomanyinterestingones,suchasEnergySongs.Hamburgerisalsoacaseinpoint.Itisreallyagoodgameaswecanapplydifferentnewwordstothisgame.Studentscanlistentonewwordsandrepeatthemwhentheyarerunning.Itrequiresstudentstoestablisheyecontactwithoneanotherandprovideanenjoyablewayforstudentstolearnthenewwordsandinteractwithlaughterandfun.Vocabularylearningisthusfacilitatedthroughbodymovementinafunandrelaxedatmosphere.

1.2PronunciationGames

ComparedwithTongueTwisterinChina,theCanadianhavesimplerones.HereIonlysetanexample.Thatis,standingupandbreathingdeeplythenletitouton/a:

/oranyotherphoneticsymbols.Duetothelimitedteachingenvironment,facialexpressionisofgreatusebecausestudentscanstandandlearnnewwords.Moreover,notanyotherskillsarecalledforintheprocessofthisgameexceptpronouncingthecorrectandclearpronunciation.

Therefore,IthinkthiseasygamecanbeappliedintoourclassbeforeputtingTongueTwisterinpractice.

Inmyclass,Ioftenmakeacompetitionbetweenstudents.Forexample:

T:

OK,children,let’shaveamatchinggame.Look,Ihavesomaywordcars.Canyoufindoutthewordswhichpronounce/i:

/?

Forexample,Ithinkeeinseventeenpronouncethissound,soImakealinebetweenseventeenandee.Understand?

Now,Igiveeachgroupapieceofpaper.MakelinesasIdoonthispaper,andthenstickyourpaperontheboard.OK?

Itcanenhancethestudents’leveleasily.

1.3StructuralGames

ChainReactionisofcrucialimportancewhenweteachnewsentences.Studentscantaketurnsspeakingbyusingexpressionssuchas“What’sthetime?

”aftermodelsoftheirteacher.Toteachsentencesquicklyandefficiently,whetherinChinaorinCanada,wedoneedChainReactionbyallmeans.

1.4RolePlayingGames

RolePlayallowsstudentstosimulateavarietyofsituations,usingdifferentregistersoflanguagefoedifferentpurposes.TheExpertsTellUsgameprovidesstudentswithauthentic,althoughimaginedcontentsthatdemandorallanguageandallowforsocialinteractionthathaspositiveresults.Itisplayedinthisway.

“Numberyourselvesofffrom1-5.Number1isgoingtobeanexpert.Inthiscase,person1willbeanunderwaterdiverwhoisanexpertatfindingancienttreasures.Therestofyou（2,3,4,5）aretheownersofaninternationaltreasurehuntcompany.Yourequiretheexpertiseofanunderwaterdivertomakeaseriesofdangerous,butlucrativediscoveries.

“Iwouldliketospeaktotheexpertsprivately.Inthemeanwhile,themembersoftheinterviewingteamshoulddecidewhatqualitiesandexpertiseyouwouldlikethisunderwaterdivertohaveandcomeupwithsomeintroductoryquestions.Remembertomakethisaformalinterviewandtosetupthescenesothatallofyouwillbefacingtheinterviewee.”

Inaprivateconversation,telltheexpertsthattheyaretopretendtoknowasmuchastheycanaboutunderwaterdiving.Encouragethemtousetheirimaginationsandtobeasseriousaspossibleabouttheirrole.Sendtheexpertsbacktotheirgroupsandthensaysomethinglike“Onmysignal,invitethecandidatestositdownandthenbeginthequestioning.”

Allowtheinterviewtolastaboutfiveminutesandthenaskoneinterviewerpergrouptostandandrespondtosomequestions,forexample:

aAtthispointintheinterview,whatisyouroverallimpressionofthecandidate?

Areyouleaningtowardshiringhimorher?

Whyorwhynot?

bWhatfurtherquestionswouldyouliketoaskbeforeyoumakeyourdecision?

Everyoneinthegroupshouldhaveachancetoplayanexpert.

Asweallknow,theRolePlayingGamesalsoallowstudentstotakedifferentperspectivesonasituation,helpthemtodevelopsensitivityandunderstandingbyputtingthemselvesintheshoesofothers,whichisjustwhatweteacherswantthemtolearn.

However,somegamescankilltwobirdswithonestone.Forexample,thegamecalledListenandDo.Thefollowingisagoodexample.

1.Showmeyourline.

2.Combinetwoendstogether.

3.Makeacircle.

4.Makeasquare.

5.Makeatriangle.

6.Makeastar.

Thefirsttime,theteachermakesshapeswiththepupilstogetherwhilegivingtheorders.

Thesecondtime,theteacherjustgivesorderswithoutdoinganythinginordertocheckwhetherthepupilscanmakethecorrectshapes,butthepupilsshouldrepeatwhattheteachersaid.

Thethirdtime,theteacherasksseveralpupilswhohavethelineswiththesamecolortocometothefrontandstandinline,andchoosesoneotherpupiltogivetheorders.

Thentheteacherguidesthepupilstosay:

Icanseefourcircles.Theyaregreen.Therearefourgreencircles.

AnotherexampleisKidConnections.Herearetherules:

eachchildfindsapartner.Whentheteachercallsoutbodyparts,e.g.“Toetotoe!

Handtohand!

Kneetoknee!

”,eachchildsays“Thisismytoe/hand/knee”or“Here’smytoe/hand/knee”andconnectswithhispartnerasquicklyaspossible.Thentheteachertriestogivemoredifficultorder,e.g.“handtoshoulder”or“legtoarm”.

Teachercancheckthewordsatthefirsttime,thenteacherknowwhetherthestudentsmasterthesentencepatternsornot.

Intermsofalltheseadvantages,there’snodoubtthatnotonlyChinesebutalsoCanadianteachersregarditasanimportantpartinclass.

2TheProceduresofGamesTeaching

There’snopointindenyingthesignificanceofgamesinourteaching,andwearequitefamiliarwiththefoursteps:

Firstly,singinginthefirstpartofthewholeclass.Secondly,havingafreetalk,thatisusingafewfamiliarconversationalexpressionsandsimplenon-verbalcommunicationcuestonegotiatesimplespokeninteractions.Thirdly,usinggamesistoleadinlessons.Fourthly,learningnewlessons,trainingtolearn,playinginrolesandracingtoconsolidate.

2.1Teachersplayanimportantroleinthewholeclass

MihalyCsikszentmihalyiputupthisquestion:

Whohavebeenyourmostinfluentialteachers?

Whodoyoustillrememberassomeonewhohasmadeadifferenceinyourlife?

Andhisanswerwasthattheenthusiasticones.Theoneswholovetheirsubjectmatterandwhoshowbytheirdedicationandtheirpassionthatthereisnothingelseonearththeywouldratherbedoing.Suchacommitmenttowardsthesubjectmatterthenbecomes‘infectious’,instillinginstudentsasimilarwillingnesstopursueknowledge.

Fromthiswecanknowteachershouldbeenthusiastic.Besidesit,AdrianUnderhillpointsthatthemovefromLecturertoTeachertoFacilitatorischaracterizedbyaprogressivereductioninthepsychologicaldistancebetweenteacherandstudents,andbyanattempttotakemoreaccountofthelearner’sagenda,eventobeguidedbyit.Controlbecomesmoredecentralized,democratic,evenautonomous,andwhatthefacilitatorsavesoncontrollingisspentfosteringcommunication,curiosity,insightandrelationshipinthegroup.

TeachersinCanadaareallverydiligentandpatient.Theyadviseusthatweshouldkeepreading,justas“Nevertoooldtolearn.”Theysetexcellentrolemodelsforus.Teachersnotonlyconferknowledgeonstudents,butalsomakesignificantcontributionstohowtomakethemostofthedifferentgames,howtomakestudentsactive,howtoattractstudents’attentionforalongtime.

AfterpayingvisitstoallkindsofschoolsinCanada,Ifindthatthefourstepsaremuchtooblameforit’smechanical.

Besidesallthefoursteps,theteachersinCanadaaddspicetoteaching.Theybringenthusiasmandvariedteachingandassessmentapproachestotheclassroom,addressingindividualstudents’needsandensuringsoundlearningopportunitiesforeverystudent.

Beforeteaching,wecanseethere’resomanykindsofpiecesrangingfromalphabetsA,B,Ctodrawingsofanimalsonthewall,whichalldependsonwhat’s