153USING DIDACTIC GAMES IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Saodat Sharipovna Zuparova
Teacher of the Interfaculty Department of Foreign Languages Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute of Tashkent region
ABSTRACT
It is apparent that, parents are trying to enhance their children's knowledge horizon and abilities. Due to their busy-time at work, children are believed in schools and other educational establishments. Since there are million types of educational tools and materials in order to teach learners, teachers have many options to explain themes without difficulties. Especially, in ESL and EFL classrooms didactic games are being played mostly. This article has aims to introduce didactic games, its importance and some examples by analyzing. Also it focuses on digital didactic games to play out of classes.
Keywords. Didactic games, teacher, student, classroom, activity.
INTRODUCTION
In this globalization era, people are trying to show their power of knowledge in every sphere such as education, sport, technology, policy and so on. Some decades ago humans could not do any actions and nowadays young generation are expected to go on the chain which ancestors did not couple. By all means, teachers are motivators and assistants to do this. In particular, didactic games are utilized by ESL and EFL teachers to teach English more interestingly and effectively in the classroom. A didactic game is construed as some sort of game where set rules are observed. It is an educating tool serving the didactic purpose. An important aspect of the game is to achieve a strictly defined score. Competences acquired when playing didactic games, e.g. persistence, critical thinking or readiness to run risk, facilitate the development of entrepreneurial attitudes. Use of games dates back to the antiquity. The oldest board game was found in China - it dates back to 3000 BC. Some ethnographers are convinced that it was education that was the reason for creating many games. Their task was to reproduce natural living conditions of humans, share knowledge with the next generation and prepare them for proper functioning in the society. A good example may be chess, which was used as a typical simulation game 2000 years ago. Its aim was to prepare soldiers to do battles. The creator of modern pedagogics - Jan Amos Komenski -recommended methods that taught through play. He gave most credit to simulation and competitive games. They were to maintain the attention of the student and evoke their
motivation. Besides that, language learning should not be seemed boring and complicated. Didactic games differ under training maintenance, informative activity of children, game actions and rules, the organization and mutual relations of children, on a role of the teacher. The listed signs are inherent in all games, but in one more distinctly acts, in others — others. In various collections it is specified more than 500 didactic games, but accurate classification of games by kinds is absent. Often games correspond with the training and education maintenance. Didactic games are a lively way of maintaining pupils' interest in the language, they are fun but also part of the learning process, and students should be encouraged to take them seriously. Also, there are some benefits of didactic games by point of view of scholars and scientists.
METHODOLOGY
According to scientists Wright, Betteridgesi and Buckby:
- didactic games help and encourage students because they are funny and interesting
- they help teachers to create useful contexts
- they assure an intense and useful practice of the language
- they develop all four skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening)
By all means, games help to ease learning and teaching process no matter which language is a target one by motivating. Didactic games are really convenient in order to more practice and stabilize previous themes which learners likely forget. As well as, Teachers can use games for improving every language skill especially which one should be increased. Many authors underline that didactic games are an efficient method of developing persistence. Gabriela Kapica claims that they develop willpower, willingness to overcome difficulties and persistence. They bear successes, which evoke optimism and self-faith. Maria Noga adds that "they develop such character traits as regularity, persistence, self-discipline and feeling of justice. They teach how to take up tasks on one's own and how to get on in a peer group".In the current time a person should not only gain universal knowledge but also sole problems, criticize and analyze information and attitude toward what is going on in present and future. Usually teachers use didactic games as a brainstorming or warm-up activity at the beginning of the lesson at schools. However, games play a crucial role in every stage of the lesson and it can be essential if teachers use them in every for introducing and stabilizing new theme. Particularly, young learners who are seven-ten years old may have difficulty in figuring out or learning by heart words. Besides this they are easily tired and bored. In that time teachers can use didactic games. There are various kinds of tools for
organizing didactic games such as cards, pictures, songs, or dialogue-based games "At the shop", "In a Picnic", "At the zoo". They are enjoyable that pupils can learn or revise new or complicated words, grow oral competencies by using them in real life, and enjoy. After several lessons language learning will be their favorite activity.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Playing games at schools are also useful in order to develop team-working and leadership in young learners and teacher can achieve a friendship atmosphere. Sharing ideas, thinking together with group mates, discussion and listening someone serve learners to create strong friendship. In that time future leaders can be visible. In these purposes some didactic games are given with different goals in the following:
1. Hangman
This is considered, traditional but interactive game which enhances students' spelling and subject knowledge, and enjoyable for pupils. It is required whiteboard and pen or interactive whiteboard, plus a list of subject-specific words to inspire your students. Teachers divide the class into two teams then select a student to stand at the front of the class and think of a word related to the lesson could give them a suitable word. The student must then draw spaces on the whiteboard to represent each letter in their word. The rest of the class then guesses the word, one letter at a time allowing one student from each team to guess alternately is needed. Incorrect guesses result in a hangman being drawn. The first team to guess the word wins, unless the hangman is completed. The game then repeats with another student thinking of a relevant word.
If it is felt that a hangman would not be appropriate, then use a different image - either subject-specific or think creatively e.g. a spaceman or snowman.
2. Draw swords
This quick fire game tests students' fine motor skills and promotes quick thinking, as well as generating some healthy competition. For establishing teachers utilize dictionary or textbook, plus list of key vocabulary.
Firstly, educator splits his/her class into small groups and chooses a student from each group to start. The nominated student then places the dictionary or textbook under their arm. Teacher then says a word or image which the students must then race to find in their book (like drawing a sword from under their arm!). The first student to find the word/image is the winner. The game continues with different words/images until every student has had a turn. If you have enough textbooks or dictionaries for every student, then the whole class can compete against each other.
3. Hot potato
This fun classroom game encourages students to think on their feet and draw on a range of subject knowledge. You need some resources: a soft toy, object or item for each group to pass round e.g. bear or ball, plus a list of subject-specific themes e.g. numbers - prime, composite, rational, fractions, decimals etc.
The class should be divided into small groups and handed out an object/soft toy to each group. The person with the object in each group will start. You name a title or theme, e.g. prime numbers, and it is then a race against time for the student to give 5 correct responses, e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, before the item/soft toy has been passed round everyone in their small group and returned to them.With small classes teachers could play in one large group, however shy students may find this intimidating because of the pressure to give correct answers.
4. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Although this game isn't academic, it is an excellent behavior management tool which endorses hard work amongst students. For establishing the game: 3 - 4 students are chosen to stand at the front of the room. The rest of the class then put their heads on the table and hold their thumbs in the air. The 3 - 4 students at the front then carefully tip-toe around the classroom and gently pinch one thumb each, from the students with their heads down. The 3-4 students return to the front of the room, once they have pinched a thumb, and the class raise their heads. The students whose thumbs were pinched then stand and have to guess who pinched them. If they guess correctly then they swap with the student at the front, and the game continues.
In order to make this, academic trainers could ask some subject-related questions to select the students for each round.
CONCLUSION
By the way of conclusion, in every time didactic games possess its important role in the classroom and never lose value. They help and motivate students to learn the target language and not to feel bored and disappointed. They let to make the lesson interesting, meaningful and easy to remember gained knowledge as well as consolidate them. Therefore, modern teachers ought to utilize didactic games in order to cultivate the learners' interest, good attitude for the subject. Moreover, learners should be active and energetic participants during the games and lessons to learn.
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