ELT Goes To The Movies: Why should it be boring? Part 2

ELT Goes To The Movies: Why should it be boring? Part 2

A great post on games by Sylvia Guinnan: http://salis.gr/wordpress/?page_id=598

Al Rescate del Estudiante de Español: Dr. Darleana McHenry opina... (pero en inglés)

Al Rescate del Estudiante de Español: Dr. Darleana McHenry opina... (pero en inglés) In Increasing Student Engagement http://stcarriescenterclassroommanagement.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/increasing-student-engagement/, Dr McHenry states she´s planning to use games in the math class.

Dr. Darleana McHenry opina... (pero en inglés)

Al Rescate del Estudiante de Español uses games to learn how to put together Spanish sentences. Students practice the verb tenses not through drill and kill where students repeat verbs and fail to recognize them out of context. Brumana designed card games with the different parts of speech and the students play the game mixing and matching the cards to formulate sentences. So the students learn relevant Spanish in a relaxed atmosphere with other language learners.

The games are effective teaching tools on several levels. One of the greatest inhibitors to learning is anxiety. Talking and playing with your peers is one the ways to reduce anxiety and relax the brain so that one can learn and remember new information. As you laugh at your errors, socialize and self correct in a playful atmosphere, increases the likelihood that you will retain the information and be able to use it later.

Second languages teachers tend to overcorrect their students assuming that students learn language from listening to them explain their errors. One acquires language by using language. One learns about language by listening to some explain the language. Language classes need to focus on facilitating the acquisition of language. Socializing and interacting with one’s peers in the target language facilitates the acquisition of the second language.

Active learning allows people to participate in their own learning. The interaction among students transfers to acquiring new knowledge such as learning a new language. The games in Al Rescate del Estudiante del Español utilize the right brain by reinforcing knowledge which allows for a greater understanding by involving students in activity.

After the conclusion of the games a group discussion is held where general principles are discussed. The learning targeted is relevant and meaningful. The student can leave the learning session being able to use Spanish in a “real life setting”. Students can act on what they learn more immediately which is the purpose of learning a language.

Darleana McHenry