The article describes the peculiarities of teaching English for students in secondary school. The authors emphasized the most important tasks that a modern foreign language teacher faces i.e. how to implement the effectiveness of game techniques in teaching students foreign languages, increase students’ interest in the language being studied, and enrich the content of foreign language education in secondary schools. Considering the peculiarities of teaching English, it is necessary to identify possible problems arising in the studying process, as well as the solution of these problems in order to make the learning process the most effective. The teaching game is the main activity in teaching foreign language at school, as it creates a favorable atmosphere for effective mastering of the educational material, the work of students in the team and independently, develops the skills of foreign language communication, and also contributes to the mental and psychological development of the child. The game method of teaching a foreign language can be used at any stage of learning, taking learners’ age features into consideration. The use of game techniques is designed to help students accept English as a real communication tool and become a useful experience in the possession of a foreign language. The authors presented ways for learners’ motivation for studying English, different game methods for language skills development of students in secondary school; the practical material is analyzed.
Nowadays the importance of learning English is very relevant. Knowledge of a foreign language provides great opportunities: a person can study in prestigious universities, has more chances to find a good and highly paid job, travel to any country in the world, as about one and a half billion people speak English, and as many study it. One can work abroad, negotiate or communicate with people of different nationalities, learn their culture and traditions, share experiences. Thus, English is the global language of information transmission both in the business environment and in everyday communication.
There are certain difficulties in studying any foreign language. Frequently this is due to certain errors of both the student and the teacher. One of the main mistakes is high self-criticism. A student is very demanding of himself, and then, without achieving certain results, often despairs. It is also an important mistake to think in your native language, and then translate into a foreign language. Of course, it is difficult for language learners to understand how one can think otherwise, but still it is worth trying. Teacher's mistakes include incorrect imparting of material (inaccurate pronunciation, incorrect explanation of the topic). It is necessary to note that excessive attention to grammar is also a mistake. A person can study it for years, but, having got into the language environment, will not be able to express his thoughts.
There are many ways and methods of learning a foreign language, which help to deal with difficulties, to prevent errors. This article considers the gaming teaching methods.
One of the main tasks of teachers is to make pupils interested and love the subject. Using the game method at foreign language lessons leads to creating a favorable psychological atmosphere of communication and helps students realize that a foreign language is, first of all, the real means of communication. It is therefore very important that lessons with playing techniques are unusual, funny and long-awaited activities.
With the help of certain types of games it is possible to develop pronunciation, listening skills, lexical and grammar material become active and is mastered absorbed by students intensively. Children discover creative and intellectual abilities. Children are given the opportunity to solve various issues themselves, to make choices: how to act, what to say, and so on. The game is a specially organized activity requiring emotional and mental strength.
The use of active methods requires a certain pedagogical skills and efforts. The driving force of speaking as a type of speech activity is the motivation. Creating a motivation for speaking is the most difficult component of the teacher's activity when organizing a lesson. But, despite the difficulties faced by the teacher, do not ignore the game itself as an effective teaching tool. Such methods as situational, debates, discussions, mini-plays performance cab be considered as active methods of the English language methods. If there is a theatrical action, you need to take care of the details of the props and costume they will make the game more full and convincing [1].
Gaming activities at the lesson not only contribute to real communication in English, but also develops mental and strong-willed activity. Despite the fact that this is a complex, but at the same time interesting activity, it requires a great concentration of attention, trains memory, and develops speech. Game exercises impress even the most passive and poorly trained students, which has a positive effect on academic performance. Gaming techniques enable pupils to overcome shyness, which prevents freely use words of another language in speech, students stop being afraid of making mistakes.
In modern schools, gaming activities are used in the following cases:
- in order to help students study certain topics on their own;
- as elements of another method;
- as a whole lesson or part of it (introduction, explanation, consolidation, control or exercise);
The game form of the lesson is carried out at the lesson due to the use of gaming techniques and situations, which are the means of motivating and stimulating for students. In the process of the game activity situations can be repeated as often as possible, and they can also be varied.
In addition to games that create situations of real communication, there are also games in the process whereby children easily and unobtrusively memorize new words, constructions, and repeat the material. Working with younger children, teacher often faces the problem of keeping attention and quickly tiredness of pupils. Thus the teacher can apply the game developed by the authors called «accordion» Sheet A4 is folded into an accordion. Preliminary it is necessary to choose the covered topics on grammar, vocabulary and physical exercises. At each bend, the question is written alternately. For example: 1) Present Simple Tense. Examples. 2) Name 10 words. Theme: Family. 3) Turn around 5 times. The learner having completed one task, unfolding the accordion, moves to another. This game allows you to remember the material you've passed, change your usual position behind the training place, and develops a quick switching of the student from the mental to the physical exercises.
For vocabulary, memory development and attention, you can use games such as «Rhymer», «the Blanks», «Associations». The game is «the Rhymer» is that the student has to find pairs of rhyming words. With the help of this game updated vocabulary of the language, if you know one of the rhymes it is easier to remember the second. After learning vocabulary, you can return after some time in order to repeat. For playing «the Blanks» are selected simple poems, related to certain topic. On the first sheet of paper written the poem as a whole, the second cleaned a few words on the third half. The student is offered two times to read first the leaf, then the second and third turns, inserting the missing words. This game helps to develop memory and repetition of the vocabulary on the topic. Also during the game the previous unfamiliar words and structures are also revised.
Game «Association» is that the student selects an object and calls the three related words. The others must guess the object. The hidden words can be from a specific region or completely different. With this game you can also check how well the guys know each other and understand. If you guess the Association is not difficult, a group of students is quite close-knit and understand each other «at a glance».
There are also games that contribute to the development of spontaneous speech. One of them of such games – «ode to the subject» The student is invited to get out of the bag the first item and then declares the task. It lies in the fact that the learner needs to describe as much detail as possible, their chosen subject.
Game, with the help of which you can practice the use of individual grammar topics or designs is also very good. So, to repeat this long period of time the student is offered the situation (example: You went out into the yard at night and see a picture.) and it needs to describe at this time the situation happening on the street. The repetition of the passive voice can be used a method of asking questions-riddles about the heroes of Russian fairy tales (for example: who was eaten gingerbread man?).
It is necessary to emphasize the games that are aimed at the study of any specific lexical topics. The authors also developed two such games, called «Cook» and «Stickers». Game «Cook» is used when studying the topic «Food». On stickers there is a list of ingredients for making well-known dishes. The task for the students is to guess these dishes. The results of this game are the repetition of the names of dishes, ingredients and the development of imagination, as to determine meals you need to provide all the ingredients and mentally connect them with each other. Also an effective and entertaining method of studying of the topic «Food» is to create projects about a favorite dish. Students can explain the technology and features of the cooking, the history of the origin of the dish. Children can draw posters, make models from clay or even bring on a tasting of food, if there are appropriate conditions.
The game «Stickers» used on the topics: «Parts of the human body» and «Clothes». Students can be divided into several groups. They distributed stickers with the names of the parts of the body (clothes), and one student becomes the model. The rest of the band sticks on parts of the body corresponding stickers. This game not only remember new words but also changing the work environment, mood. Students work in groups, learn to come to a decision, to listen to the opinions of others.
There are also playing techniques, which you can use to build a large part of the lesson, to prepare to study the following subjects or test knowledge of the material covered. To explore the theme «Traveling» the author develops the game called «Customhouse».
The class selects three assistants to the teacher. The class is divided into 3 groups. The customhouse includes four stations: 1) physical preparation; 2) quiz on knowledge of the country, which is chosen for traveling; 3) check; 4) passport control
Each student gets a mini-passport, which contains the initials, pages for the passing stations, the location for the photo (picture), stamp and signature. At the station of physical training of the students show that they are healthy and will be able to endure the flight (they walk, whirl, clap, etc.). At the station «Quiz» students are asked questions on the knowledge of the country. At the station «Luggage check» students name 10-15 things necessary during the journey. In the station «Passport control» students are checked whether all stations are passed, and stamped.
Competition is an integral part of the game, attracting the attention of students. Guys get pleasure by participating in the game, which creates favorable condition for foreign language lessons and reinforces the desire to study the subject. This game is based on competition. Also develop skills of group work, mental exercises are replaced by physical.
The introduction of learning games can be relevant, at first, due to the nature of foreign language learning, where much depends on the motivation of the students; secondly, the use of educational games to develop creative thinking of students and their communication skills, and third, facilitates the formation of a united team. The game allows the teacher to organize the students, make it more active, interests them in the study of the subject and provides the additional resources for more information. The game helps to develop such qualities as independence and initiative. Learning games provide opportunities for development of creative abilities of the student during the lesson due to the fact that the role of the teacher is limited only by the explanation of the task to the student and then the student works independently selecting those language means which he considers necessary in the situation [2].
Thus, it is especially important to note that the game activates the desire of younger schoolboys to contact with each other and the teacher creates the conditions for equality in speech activity, destroying the traditional barrier between teacher and student.
Communicative games provide a variety of language that is due to the situation of communication, everyday life. The game situation is stored in children twice more words than a conventional plant for memorization. The fact that the game is of interest and activity of children and gives them the opportunity to express themselves in a fun activity for them contributes to a more rapid and lasting memorize foreign words and sentences. Based on the foregoing, it must be concluded that the use of the game form in the initial stage of learning a foreign language is an effective method in the development of communication skills of primary school children [3].
The game method may be used at any stage of studying with a specific adaptation for each age. Using this method is called to create a favourable psychological atmosphere of communication and to help students see the foreign language as a real means of communication. It is therefore important that lessons using gaming techniques have become for the students a pleasant experience. This can be achieved if properly and methodically psychologically reasonable to work to find ways of optimal organization of lessons in a foreign language. It should be noted that the use of games in various stages of training not only helps in learning a foreign language, but also plays a role in the transition of the student to a new and higher stage of mental development [4].
References
- Stronin, M.F. (2001). Obuchaiushchaia ihra na urokakh anhliiskoho yazyka [Teaching games at the English language lessons]. Moscow: Prosveshchenie [in Russian].
- Selevko, K. (1998). Sovremennye tekhnolohii v obrazovanii [Modern educational technology]. Moscow: Obrazovanie [in Russian].
- Konysheva, A.V. (2008). Yhrovye tekhnolohii v obuchenii inostrannym yazykam [Game method in teaching foreign languages]. Moscow: Izdatelstvo «Chetyre chetverti» [in Russian].
- Kolkova, M.K. (2001). Obuchenie inostrannomu yazyku v shkole i universitete [Teaching foreign languages at school and university]. Saint Petersburg: Izdatelstvo KARO [in Russian].