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97DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS BY USING GAMES
Bakhromjon Juraboyev
Chirchik state pedagogical institute of Toshkent region
ABSTRACT
It is believed that the communicative language teaching approach (abbreviated as CLTA) is one of the most effective methods to keep away from the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method in developing students' communicative ability. Using games, which is communicative in essence, are often considered effective in developing students' communicative ability. In order to help English teachers put the communicative language teaching approach into practice, this paper, on the basis of pointing out the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method, discusses what the communicative language teaching approach is, states the value and importance of using games in English-teaching class, introduces eight types of games that could be used in class, and presents some suggestions when using the
Keywords: College English Teaching classrooms, Games, Dumb English, Guessing Games
Many have been said about the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method in China, and the strengths of the communicative language teaching approach. However, the general situation of China"s English teaching and learning at present is not very satisfactory, as "dumb English" is still stubbornly rooted in a large number of English learners. So it is safe to say that there is still a long way to go in English teaching reform and improving the English teaching quality of China. Sometimes it is easy to get a new method like the communicative language teaching approach heard but difficult to get it accepted, understood and applied to practical classroom teaching in the end. Therefore, it is not out of date to discuss the techniques of applying the communicative language teaching approach to classroom teaching. In this paper, the author, on the basis of pointing out the disadvantages of the traditional teaching method, discusses and explores one way to teach students effectively - using games in the English class, which is often considered as one of the best way to get the students involved in the classroom activities in which their communicative ability is practised and improved. Language games, as one of the most valuable and effective techniques in English language teaching, have been used for a long time by many western teachers. However, they are less used in China, especially in College English Teaching classrooms. Most teachers and students think games are a waste of time or just a fun activity for children. In this article, the author proposes to talk about the importance of using games in College English Teaching and list eight types of games to practise
students' speaking and listening. Finally, some considerations are put forward on using games and the success of using games is stated.
Games are a great way to help students practice what they have learned are a welcome break for them after hours of active listening and concentration. Their importance is not to be underestimated in language-learning curricula, because communication shouldn't be all work and no play. Considering the wide range of advantages of playing games, it is no wonder that most language instructors believe them to be one of their most powerful tools.
Games are a great way to practice new vocabulary. They provide students a great context in which to use their target vocabulary. Instead of going home and memorizing word lists, they actually get to use them, which, in turn, helps them remember more.
Games help students get rid of inhibitions when it comes to actually speaking the language, which is a problem for many students. They find it hard to communicate even though they know a language well enough. Games help them be more creative and spontaneous when using the language, helping them overcome shyness.
Games help students enhance their communication skills in general. Communication is at the core of games. Many people think that adult students especially should have much less trouble communicating when compared to children, but that isn't really the case. In facts, in many cases adults are even more nervous to children when it comes to communication and trying new things. In a friendly competitive environment, they become less afraid to ask questions or reframe their own thoughts. As a result, games help them better convey their thoughts and intentions to their teammates.
Games help keep up the levels of energy and motivation. Learning isn't all about learning new grammar and vocabulary, then trying to quietly decipher the meaning of a new text. Playing a game is a nice break from that routine. The competition boosts energy levels and sort of pushes students to make a cognitive effort in the spirit of winning without them realizing it. Although games are a great tool in improving oral communication skills, there may also be some disadvantages to this method of learning.
The first thing to remember is that games should be fun, controlled fun, to be exact. The instructor should be monitoring the progress of the game carefully in order to ensure that the students are indeed getting all the benefits intended by the game. Otherwise, it can become simply horseplay - too noisy and out of control. Another thing to consider is that some students may not like games at all and prefer other activities instead. It's the instructor's job to take into account the student preferences and choose games that will benefit all participants.
For years, the main method of teaching English in China is like this: firstly, the teacher explains the new words in the vocabulary list by giving definitions and examples. Then he/she will give a brief introduction to the background of the text.
When dealing with the text, the teacher always explains and translates it sentence by sentence or even word by word, sometimes with a few questions which seldom elicit answers or responses from students. Finally, a reciting task or translation exercise is given to the students. In short, the traditional way of English teaching is teacher-centered and language-knowledge-focused. The way of teaching English is similar to that of teaching mathematics: new words presented, related grammar explained, and then written exercises assigned; if students can do the exercises well, it means that they have learned the language knowledge well, and then the lesson moves on. Under such pattern of teaching, students are passive information receiver and written exercises doer. They can remember large numbers of words and grammatical rules, and they can do very well in exams, but they scarcely have chances to express themselves in the target language and test their understanding of the received information about the language. And they are found having a lot of difficulty in communicating with others in English. This phenomenon is ironically defined as "Dumb English", which is the "product" of long hard work of both teachers and students.
As stated above, the main purpose of using games in English classes is to practise students' different skills, especially their communicative ability. Here, eight types of games from published sources (Carrier 1980, Ellis 1986, Harmer 1985, Kallsen 1982, Klippel 1984, MaCallum 1980, Porter-Ladousse 1987, Stern 2002, Willis 1982, etc.) are identified, discussed and explored.
A.Guessing Games
The basic role of guessing games is very simple: one person knows something that another one wants to find out. The thing to be guessed can differ greatly from game to game. It can be a word, an object, an activity or many other things. Guessing games are useful in helping students practise logical thinking and asking questions. 3-item story is one example of a guessing game. One person in a group knows the story in which there are three items given to the other members of the group. Depending on the three items, they have to ask questions to find the story. The person who holds the story can only give yes or no answers. The guessing members have to use their questioning skills to get the answer. To give an example of pun: the teacher gives the students a question to explain: "Why do they tie a horse to a post before a race?" The students have to widen their thinking instead of being occupied in a narrow way and be told to think of more than one sense of a word or a sentence. Then after a period of thinking, they are likely to find the answer: "Because they want to make the horse fast." Here, fast has two meaning which can be firmly fixed or quick.
B. Picture Games Picture games include several types:
Comparing and contrasting pictures; Considering differences or similarities; Considering possible relationships between pictures, such as narrative sequence; Describing key features so that someone else may identify them or represent them in a
similar way; Making a story according to the given picture. Most of these picture games involve the learners in the relatively free use of all the language at their command and at the same time give them the opportunity to practise their speaking and listening. C. Sound Games
Sound effects can create in the listeners" mind an impression of people, places and actions. There is a demand for the listener to contribute through the imagination. This inevitably leads to individual interpretations which mean that the listeners can exchange their points of view and express opinions and ideas. This kind of games can stimulate students' imagination and thinking, and offer them a chance to practise their listening and speaking. Students can make guess at the object described by sound, or make dialogue or a story.
D. Mime Mimes can be done in pairs, groups or even by the whole class. One side has to perform the mimes for the other side so that the answer can be found. It can be an object, action or person. So miming activities are valuable language-learning situations. Guessing something is linked with the real desire to find out and thus is a true communication situation. Miming trains the students' skill of observation and improvisation. It emphasizes the importance of gesture and facial expression in communication. For example: A guest in a hotel in an English-speaking country has a very bad cold and has lost his voice. He wants the receptionist to help him turn on the heating. But he has to mime because of his voice. He tries to make the receptionist understand him by using gestures and expressions. The receptionist makes guesses by asking questions in order to find out what he wants. The activity will not stop until the receptionist gets exactly what the guest wants to do. This game can be done in pairs or in groups.
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