Using games in the foreign language teaching classrooms is not a novel concept. K-12 (i.e. elementary, middle and high school) teachers have been using educational games for decades. Usually these are supplementary activities in which students practice their communicative skills or test grammatical or lexical items. Students enjoy these type of activities because the element of play helps them learn in a relaxed and fun environment. Games in the classroom also have the element of competition, but this kind of competitive behavior is usually focused on group behavior. Even if game roles are assigned to individuals this type of competition is perceived mainly as non-serious and non-academic.
College teachers of foreign languages are less likely to use games in the classroom. Why? If the use of games in a language class for seventeen year old students can be effective then why is it no longer effective when teaching eighteen year old students in college?
It may be true that teenagers who come to college suddenly feel "grown ups" and expect to be treated like adults. In the four years of college they will mature and will learn how to appreciate lectures by professors delivered in a style drastically different from their K-12 experiences. True as it may or may not reflect the psychologies of the generation X students, spoiled by the "fun" factor in every walk in their lives and by the extensive use of video gaming, the observation above does not fit well the standard foreign language instruction in college. Unlike other academic classes, which may contain hundreds of students in the auditorium, language classes in college or university will remain small. Among many classes that college students the experience of learning a foreign language in college will be very similar and therefore familiar to their K-12, and especially high school, environment.
Foreign language curriculum is rigidly structured around a specific number of teaching hours. On average, a liberal college student who will not specialize in a foreign language and is required to take at least one year of foreign language will spend around 100-120 hours learning a second language. Teachers point out that this is not enough to acquire communicative skills and reach a level of fluency to communicate effortlessly in a different culture. As a result, the focus in the academic setting is to use limited time to develop communicative skills. Games are therefore considered as divergence from a communicative situation since these activities are played according to artificial rules. The primary goal in the game is to play a game rather than to communicate. So does it mean that games cannot be incorporated into the model of communicative teaching of foreign languages?
Let's brainstorm ideas in favor and against the use of games in the academic foreign language classroom. What are the advantages of introducing language games in a college classroom? It's fun. Cognitive performance, in my view, is enhanced by a fun and competitive play which is essential not just for children and teenagers but also for adults. Games produce laughter and mistakes are taken lightly, with a grain of salt. Some game forms, such as Jeopardy or the Wheel of Fortune, may even be so familiar to some students that it will feel to them that they are not learning at all. The advantage of a "gaming" approach may be to create a situation in which communicative skills are obtained while playing a game. Students can be required to communicate with each other only in a target language; rules can be given in the target language; the topics and the themes of games can incorporate grammar teaching points and new vocabulary; and so on.
So why games are not used as the main method for teaching a foreign language in the academic setting? Let's consider some disadvantages. The problem of limited time is perhaps the main reason: games, if not organized or conducted thoughtfully, can become prolonged or disorganized. Too much fun can lead to wasted time in the classroom setting. Secondly, at some point evaluation on the individual level, usually in the form of formal grading, must be considered and administered fairly. Isn't it safer to focus just on the structured material used in the traditional classroom?
In my opinion, the use of games in the foreign language classroom is not a method. It's a cognitive tool which can be used to enhance a communicative approach. The games should be carefully selected and designed. A teacher is expected to prepare for a game just like he or she would prepare a lesson plan. Certain skills should be acquired in order to maximize the use of communicative elements in the game and avoid the waste of classroom time which does not meet a particular pedagogical goal.
If the incorporation of games into the academic classroom may not be a good fit for your teaching style or unacceptable for your academic program consider finding a way to include games outside the classroom. Homework assignments can also be in the form of games. Consider teaming up with some computer developers to design a video game which can be played at home to expose your students to foreign languages. The bottom line is - games can be part of the communicative approach and do not contradict the principles of providing a platform for serious language learning.
