游戏教学法在小学英语中的应用

论文总字数：27299字

摘 要

传统的中国英语教学方法已经不能适应教育的发展了，以教师为中心和应试教育下的教学不仅不能激发学生学习英语的兴趣，英语课堂也变得无聊乏味。近些年，游戏教学法出现并且在课堂上非常受青睐，因为老师把教学内容和游戏结合起来了，学生在玩中学，在学中玩。英语课堂也因此变得有趣和好玩，孩子们都非常喜欢这种教学方法。但是游戏教学法在中国目前还不是一门成熟的教学法，我们应该多向西方国家学习。本文主要探讨游戏在英语教学中的重要性，以及使用游戏教学法的一些基本原则和常用的英语游戏种类，让游戏教学法在英语教学中更好地发挥作用。通过把游戏引入课堂，游戏教学法不仅能激发学生学习英语的兴趣，而且能活跃课堂气氛，是新课程标准下英语教学的一个好帮手。

关键词：游戏教学法；游戏的重要性；激发学生的学习兴趣；游戏教学法的使用原则；英语游戏种类

Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………1
2. Literature Review…………………………………………………………1

3. The Current Situation of English Teaching in Primary School…………2

4. The definition of Game Teaching Method………………………………....4

• 1. The definition of game………………………………………………………4

4.2 The definition of Game Teaching Method…………………………………5

4.3 The advantages of Game Teaching Method………………………………5

4.4 The disadvantages of Game Teaching method……………………………..6

5. Application of Game Teaching Method in English class………………….7

5.1 The Characteristics of Pupils" Personality Tendency………………………..7

5.2 The Characteristics of Primary School Students" Motivation……………….7

5.3 The categories of games in English teaching……………………………....8

5.4 The principles of using Game Teaching Method…………………………8

5.41 Game should have purpose………………………………………………8

5.42 Game should be inspiring…………………………………………………9

5.43 Game should have rules…………………………………………………9

6. Conclusion………………………………………………………………….9

Works Cited…………………………………………………………………...11

1. Introduction

Since China’s reform and opening-up policy came out in 1978, especially after China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001, the language, English was becoming more and more important in our daily life. However after all these years, English still is a nightmare for most of Chinese students. It is not because English is too hard to learn, but because traditional English teaching cannot arouse the students’ interests in learning. In traditional English teaching, the class has always been teachers-centered. Teachers just simply instilled English into students’ minds and what students did was a simple and mechanical repetition. Students got bored in the class and finally lose their interests in English as time moves on. Otherwise according to some psychological researches, primary school students can easily be distracted by the surroundings. They can’t stay focused for a very long time, 30 minutes is the best. So some educational games are necessary for English teaching. It is well known that loving playing games is the nature of children. Applying some games in English class will help to arouse the enthusiasm of students in learning English, activate the atmosphere of class and attract students’ attention. But games are unacceptable for most of Chinese parents and elder-teachers. They think it will mislead students and it is a threat to the authority of teachers and school. Playing games is never good things for most of Chinese. We often ignore and neglect the power of games. Rousseau’s naturalism educational theory and Dewey’s pragmatic educational theory both claim that education should follow the nature of students (Dewey, 19). This thesis mainly discusses the importance of games in English teaching, introduces some principles of using Game Teaching Method and the categories of English games to make it work effectively in English teaching. I hope that one day we can make it like Jean Piaget described: Learn in play and play in learning.

2. Literature Review

On the one hand in China, many theses about Game Teaching Method came out in recent years. Li Haiyang thought that teaching methods should follow the nature of students. We could acquire experience by applying Games Teaching Method in English teaching. Ling Meiye studied theoretical foundation of Game Teaching Method and categories of games. Zhou Yingyi claimed that games was necessary for Music teaching. She thought that Music teaching should be student-centered and games could help students to have a deeper understanding of songs.

So far in China, each theory emphasizes different aspects of Game Teaching Method and there is no systemic theory come into being.

On the other hand in foreign countries, from Ancient Greece on, Games was widely used in education, especially preschool education. French educator Rousseau placed great value on the active role of game in promoting physical and mental development of children. He thought that children should learn in games. Czech Republic well-known educator Comenius also considered games as a good way to build up one’s body. In the early 1900s, Dewey, an American pragmatic educator insisted that we should learn from practice. Piaget even divided children’s games into three stages: Sensorimotor play (0-2), Symbolic or pretend play (2-7), games-with-rules (7-12). Most education theories of western countries focus on motivating the students to learn. They all have great impact in primary school English teaching of our country.

Many countries encourage to applying Game Teaching Method into primary school English teaching. The teaching method of primary school in Japan is the same as kindergarten’s, which they can choose what games to play. Game also plays a big role in American primary school, but applying too much games in teaching can also make the students confused. So how to handle the balance of game and teaching is very important.

In this thesis, I mainly discusses the importance of games in English teaching, introduces some principles of using Game Teaching Method and the categories of English games to make it work effectively in English teaching. This thesis mainly use documentary research.

3. The Current Situation of English Teaching in Primary School

There are many problems in primary school English teaching. Firstly, the differences of English education between eastern China and western China. Some studies show that 3-12 years is the golden age to learn language. Primary school is the most important period for a language learner. Since 1999, China started to have English class in primary school, but it was not a compulsory education and it was for eastern urban cities. Most cities in Eastern China were developed coastal cities. Many overseas-funded enterprise came to China because of the labor resources, the huge market and great purchasing power since China’s reform and opening-up policy came out in 1978. The importance of English education was also increasing year after year. And Eastern China also increased investment in English education since then. On the contrary in western China, which was poorest and most isolated place in the country, many students went to work after graduating from middle school. They didn’t even have English class in primary school. The same situation also exited in rural areas. The people in countryside couldn’t afford to go to school. Even now, though China become the second largest economy in the world, some west remote areas and countryside’s English education of primary school still is zero, while urban cities start to learn English from the first grade of primary school. According to some researches, only about 30 percent of rural students in primary school have English class. It seems that the gap of English education between city and countryside, eastern and western China is still widening.

Secondly, the shortage of English teacher in countryside is also a big problem. It is pretty normal that one teacher teaches Chinese, Math and English at the same time in China rural areas. Furthermore, most rural English teachers in primary school are lacked of English teaching experience and the knowledge of teaching method. They don’t even major in English. But rural primary school can do nothing about it. According to a research, over 95 percent of college graduates don’t want to go to the rural areas, even though they come from countryside. Most of them are eager to stay in urban cities. Consider to this situation, the teachers in rural areas can hardly achieve the goal of English teaching under the new national curriculum standard. Many schools have to shut down English class.

Thirdly, as we all know, the education in China has always been influenced by the examination-oriented system for a long time. Teacher-centered education still plays the main role in our country. English in China is not used for communication, but a tool to continue the further education. In English class, English teachers write language point on the blackboard and explain every single point of language grammar. Students have to listen to the teachers carefully and take notes all the time. Teachers fail to arouse the students’ learning interests. Oral English and students’ interests are the last things come to teachers’ minds. English teachers in China always ask the students to copy the sentences from the text and memorize every single words from it. Because it might exit in tests. Test is the only way to prove themselves in English. In the end, the ability of learning English becomes some numbers in the test and the ranks in the class. But the new curriculum standard says, according to the physiological and psychological characteristics of primary school students, the purpose of the primary school English course is to stimulate students" interests in learning English and to cultivate their positive attitude towards English learning, so that they can establish a preliminary self-confidence in learning English and layer a good foundation of pronunciation and intonation. And then they are able to speak some simple daily sentences in English and lay the foundation for further study.

There are more other issues in primary school English teaching in China, such as the English class is too long, the unreasonable arrangement of English class, Unscientific English textbook and so on. English education of primary school in China still has a long way to go, and I hope it will get better in the future.

4. The definition of Game Teaching Method

4.1 The definition of game

What is Game Teaching method and what is educational games? We need to understand the meaning of game first. Though games became Olympic Games 2000 years ago in the ancient Greece, human beings study games systematically pretty late in time. In ancient Greece, Plato thought that games can satisfy the needs of children’s development. Aristotle claimed that games are non-purpose leisure activities. In a word, games are considered as instinctual demand of human beings. It is the most simple and most common way to entertain physically and mentally. Until Kant connected games with arts, the status of games leveled up. Inspired by Kant, many scholar started to study games in different ways. Schiller divided games into two different types: one was natural games of irrational organism, another was aesthetic games. In Schiller’s view, game was a state of harmony and unity between sensibility and reason. In another word, she thought game was a unique human activity. Besides, Spencer claimed that games was to release excessive energy and Lazarus thought game was one way to relax and in order to gain energy for daily work.

Since 1970s, the development of game theory research spread into three directions. The first one was Psychology and Pedagogy, which mainly studied how to use game to improve learning and do psychotherapy. Piaget was the authorized representative of this theory. The second one was Cultural Studies and Anthropology, which representatives were Huizinga and Tylor. The last one was Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, which representative was Gadamer. Above all, Huizinga’s research was the most important one. He defined game as a voluntary activity or a pastime. It must happen in a fixed time and space, and rules were voluntarily accepted by players, but rules were unbreakable and players had to obey the law. The game itself would make players feel excited, happy and different from normal life. He also explained the relationships between game and play. There were spontaneous play and organized play. Organized play was also called game. And game was divided into non-competitive games and competitive games which were called contests (Shang, Jiang, Zhuang, 15).

4.2 The definition of Game Teaching Method

American psychologist Bruner said, the best motivation for learning was that students had an intrinsic interest in what they were learning, and the best way to inspire students" interest was games.

Game Teaching Method belongs to Situational Teaching Method. It takes communicative method as the main guiding principle and sets language scenarios based on teaching content to lead students join in language Communication. And then learn to use language knowledge point in the games. Game Teaching Method is based on the psychological characteristics of children and the current futures of primary school English teaching. It combines games with teaching organically and transforms the boring class into a vivid, fun and playful one that students are happy to accept. Teachers integrate various game activities into English teaching to make students learn English happily and cultivate their interests in learning English. The game-based teaching method is undoubtedly the best interpretation of the new curriculum standard. For students of any age, the game can mobilize the enthusiasm of the students and make them feel that learning is a fun and beneficial process for their own development (Qu, 35).

4.3 The advantages of Game Teaching Method

All things have double sides, the good one and the bad one. The advantages of Game Teaching Method are obvious. Firstly, Game Teaching Method follows the nature of children. It can encourage students to participate in English class. For a long time in China, English teaching has always been teacher-centered, the dominant position of students often got overlook. Whether teachers prepared lessons carefully and gave a good presentation was the only standard to judge teaching bad or good. Teachers couldn’t guarantee all of the students be a part in the teaching. Students became the passive receiver of language. But Game Teaching Method can create a lively learning atmosphere, make the students participate in teaching at the same time and provide students with more English practice opportunities. So that they can find problems and solve problems on their own and become a master of study. Secondly, Game Teaching Method can stimulate the interests of students in learning English. Traditional teaching methods require students to carry a large number of English words and memorize complex grammar rules. These methods would reduce to lose interest in students’ learning motivation. If teachers select some games in the class, students would show great interests and try to be a part of English teaching. It is a great step for English teaching that students want to learn English or fall in love with English class. Thirdly, Game Teaching Method could help to improve students" awareness of cooperation. Games need teamwork and cooperation to finish together. Teaching activities, such as group activities, free discussion and so on, can reduce anxiety in English learning and change the individual competition among students to "intra-group competition" or "group competition". Students can improve learning efficiency and enhance unity among students through self-study and cooperative learning.

4.4 The disadvantages of Game Teaching method.

First, In China, there are at least 40 students in each class. As the organizers of games, teachers should not only activate the classroom atmosphere, but also maintain the discipline of class, control the rhythm of games, and ensure that all games are conducted in a standardized and effective manner. This needs a high level of organizational skills and mobilization capabilities for teachers. Second, some students have a poor English foundation or are introverted. They are ashamed to speak in English and are in conflict with games. As for these students, teachers should take more concern about and encourage them to help them eliminate anxiety and the feelings of inferiority, so that they can be actively involved in games. Third, in consideration of the very long time that games would take, students may not receive information enough. If Game Teaching Method is used for a long period of time in a class, students would not be able to accept a greater amount of information and cannot reach the goal of ideal teaching. Besides, many parents and elder-teachers can’t accept using games in class. Game Teaching Method require teachers to make friends with students and play with them. But since the ancient time, the teachers in China has always been the center of class, and the students were knowledge receivers. If you applying games in teaching, they will think you don’t take teaching serious. Furthermore, in many Chinese’s views, games is a symbolic of idle young men. It is a very bad impression. So this is the reason why Game Teaching Method didn’t be widely used in China. And if you don’t use the games properly or if you can’t keep the balance of games and teaching goals, it will lead to a chaos of the teaching. So far in China, most teachers consider games as an assistive tool. The students usually can learn few things from games and will feel confused about what they are learning. That is to say teachers can’t make the games work what they could have worked.

5. Application of Game Teaching Method in English class

5.1 The Characteristics of Pupils" Personality Tendency

Throughout primary school, children have a strong need for activities, including the need for game activities and the need for sports activities. Cognitive needs are the primary needs of primary school students, which manifest themselves as a trend of development from low to high levels. The need for communication is the most basic social need for pupils. Achievement needs are the result of a combination of communication needs and self-realization needs. The achievement needs of primary school students are mainly reflected in the scope of their studies. Their development mainly shows two characteristics: First, as the age increases, the ambition level of pupils has increased; second, the anxiety about academic failure has increased.

5.2 The Characteristics of Primary School Students" Motivation

According to Chinese scholars’ researches show that there are four types of children"s learning motivation:

1. In order to get a good score, do not want to fall behind others, or to learn to get reward from parents or make parents and teachers praise them.

2. To complete the task of school and study groups. Study for the honor of class.

3. Learn for their future, their ideals, and entering a good school.

4. Study for the future of the motherland, learning for the progress of society.

Throughout the primary school period, the dominant learning motivation is the first one and the second one, and the learning motivation of the lower grades primary school students is mostly the first one (Chen, Ke, 20)

Bruno claimed that learning was a student"s internal motivation driven proactive construction process. So stimulating student’s motivation is very important in learning. It is surveyed that using the games to create a flow experience for students to make them immerse in learning and be involved in deeper level of learning.

5.3 The categories of games in English teaching

There are many kinds of games in primary school English teaching. According to the content of games, we can divided games into:

1. Letter game. For example, teachers prepare letter cards of English words which have already learned before and mix them up. Then ask students to combine them one by one in order and in limited time.
2. Vocabulary game. Vocabulary is the most basic but important part of English. However, memorizing English words is so boring. So we should motivate all senses of students, make them memorize words easily by listening, speaking, singing, and watching.
3. Pronunciation game. Pronunciation is the cored part of spoken English. It is the foundation of listening, speaking, reading and writing. If we teach English phonetics in games, it won’t bore the students.
4. Sentence game. The main emphasis of English teaching is sentence pattern teaching. But it is not the main task for the students in primary school to master all rules of sentences, but if they can express themselves clearly in English. By games, teachers can stimulate students’ imagination and to use sentence patterns.
5. Conversation game. Spoken English is most difficult part of learning English. It represents the highest level of English. Situational performance games is the most popular game to teach situational communication.

We can also divided games into practice games, cooperative games, expanding games, comprehensive games and interest-motivated games according designed goals of games (Wang, 12).

5.4 The principles of using Game Teaching Method

5.41 Game should have purpose

Games that adopted in English teaching should have a purpose and games must connect with the content of teaching. All games are made for teachers to complete teaching tasks or teaching goals. For example, in order to ensure students have a deeper understanding of compound words. We can take football as an example. Football is composed foot and ball which both are independent word. Football is a ball that use feet to play. And then have a brainstorm, ask students to list the compound words that have already learned.

5.42 Game should be inspiring

Game shouldn’t only be used for consolidating knowledge and activate the atmosphere of class, but can be used for developing intelligence and fostering their capabilities as well. So when teachers design games, they should consider the age and the capability of students. At the same time, teachers should design some creative games to make students think in different ways. For example picture guessing games.

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