[Welcome to the EL game series. These posts are all short introductions to games you can play in the EL. Because learning to play games in English can take a long time, some posts will explain how to play simple versions of games. Other posts tell you why you should use games to practice English. You can also use the tags to find other posts you might be interested in.]
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Welcome to my new series on the English Lounge (EL) blog, all about using games for English learning. Here, “games” include board games (like the Game of Life), card games (like Uno), games that use drawing, speaking, RPGs, and even video games. The EL has many games that you can play when you visit, and sometimes we will have special game events where we bring in even more fun and exciting games to try.
What do games have to do with language learning? Playing games alone will probably not get you a 500-point TOEFL score. But studying for tests is not the only (or best) way to learn language, especially communicative English. I strongly believe that games are an excellent kind of “head fake learning,” doing an activity with one goal (playing a game) while learning something different (language skills). I will write more about this and other concepts, like “self-narration,” in the future.
Games that involve talking are a very good, structured kind of speaking practice. Games are (or should be) fun and social, so they can help you learn to enjoy English. More importantly, they can help you experience language as a means, not an end. This means instead of thinking about English as a goal by itself, treating it as a tool for communication, making friends, etc. They can also help you develop an “English habit,” which is important for maintaining the language skills you have already acquired.
Games are not a silver bullet. You will not become a master English user with games alone. However, they can be a useful, creative, and fun way of learning that you might not have experienced before. Give it a try!
