Books: Games in the Language Classroom
New
Ways in Using Communicative Games in Language Teaching
Nikhat Shameem and Makham Tickoo, Eds.
TESOL Publications., 1999, Alexandria, Virginia. 214 ppp. $29.95
The propriety of
games in the classroom has been debated over the years, but in the field
of language education, we are beginning to recognize the value of games
for communication practice. Games can be useful tools for engaging students
in the learning process while lowering the affective filter and encouraging
verbal interaction in the classroom.
For teachers just
beginning to introduce games into their lessons, and veterans who need
some fresh ideas, New Ways in Using Communicative Games in Language
Teaching is the perfect reference book. It contains nearly 100 communicative
activities that can be modified to suit the needs of the students, teacher
and the purpose of the class. For those teachers already acquainted
with the New Ways series, the book’s layout will be familiar.
Each activity has a short description, explanation of procedures, caveats
and options, and appendices on the body of the page. For quick reference,
the left margin contains basic information for the teacher: aims, levels,
time and resources needed.
This easy-to-use
format allows the teacher to quickly decide if a specific activity is
suitable for his/her lesson.
While the organization
of the individual activities is user-friendly and systematic, the overall
organization of the activities within the book is imperfect. New Ways
in Using Communicative Games in Language Teaching is divided into five
sections: 1. Learning Communicative Strategies, 2. Learning Content
Matter, 3. Learning from One Another, 4. Developing Skills in Discourse,
and 5. Developing Fluency. However, these sections are somewhat arbitrary
and vaguely defined. Many activities contained within one section could
just as easily fit under another heading. Furthermore, there is no index
of activities by level or skills practiced. Such an index could be infinitely
useful to a busy teacher. Despite the organizational imperfections,
this book remains a wonderful resource due to the number and variety
of activities presented. There is a communicative activity for nearly
any language skill that needs practice. Several activities, such as
Stress Clapping and What Am I Saying? allow students to practice correct
pronunciation and intonation in a low-stress and entertaining way. Other
activities concentrate on problematic English structures, such as tag
questions and the conditional. Still more activities can be used as
icebreakers, to practice reading and writing skills and to begin discussions
on cultural differences.
The majority of
the activities contained in this book focus on improving the students’
ability to interact socially in a variety of common real-world situations.
For example, Just a Minute, I’ll Check and Classified Ads help
students learn how to read For Sale signs and classified ads and to
buy and sell items informally. Invitations Galore provides practice
in making, accepting and declining invitations. The Supermarket Treasure
Hunt and Design a Menu let students practice verbal interactions in
grocery stores and restaurants. These and many more activities allow
students to practice their survival English skills within the safe atmosphere
of the classroom.
As with any collection
of classroom activities, not all of the exercises contained in New Ways
in Using Communicative Games in Language Teaching will be useful for
every teacher in every classroom. However, the activities are so varied
and adaptable that surely every language teacher will be able to use
this reference successfully and begin integrating communicative games
into his/her daily lessons.
Jaime Linehan Smith teaches in the Studies in American Language program at San Jose State University.