Motivating students and getting them to engage and take part in the classroom is one of the biggest challenges that schools face today. Children nowadays struggle with maintaining long-term attention spans, often responding to instant gratification.
The concept of Gamification comes in here. Tried and tested, it is one of the most effective ways of driving students to absorb the language. Adding games to a lesson not only appeals to the competitive nature of students but also builds and strengthens their relationships and interactions with each other.
This article looks at what gamification is, some of its benefits and how to adapt it according to students’ levels.
What is Gamification?
Gamification is a game-based educational approach that can be incorporated at any level or subject matter to incentivise students and enhance language learning skills. This method aims to change the environment in classrooms by getting students to engage and participate in activities by creating an often competitive environment.
This way of learning a language helps students soak up the language while focusing on different tasks. While Gamification can be used to isolate and practice individual language points, it can also combine them into certain game elements, often resulting in increased student participation and reduced teacher talk time.
How to Get Started with Gamifying Classes?
Gamification can start even with non-academic goals, especially for younger children. For instance, a point-based system can be used on the board to monitor student behaviour, homework completion and even classroom management. Points can be added or deducted based on their involvement. Rewards can range from something simple, like a sticker, to additional game time.
Incorporating traditional board games or even elements of it can be incredibly interesting for higher-level students, be they, teens or adults.
For example, teachers could use monopoly money to set up an impromptu betting system after a quiz or a test, and students could bet on the right answer.
Playing cards come in handy where students have to do a specific language-related task based on the suit or colour they pick (throw in a couple of random challenges like a tongue twister or a mime to spice it up as well).
A recent personal discovery, digital escape rooms, seemed to be quite enjoyable for teens and adults alike. These activities get students talking and activate their critical thinking skills too. Teachers can also use google forms to create their own surveys, games and tasks that challenge students to think outside the box and take a break from their textbooks.
When it comes to gamification, especially with the increase in online classes, the possibilities are endless.
Must-Have Online Gamification Resources
Looking for no-prep online games? Or perhaps looking to get the ball rolling at the start of a class or fill up some time at the end of one? Here are some surefire ways of getting students to find language learning interesting.
One of the most popular quiz-based resources, Kahoot is a free platform where students use their own devices with an internet connection to answer questions in a time-based and multiple-choice format. Any topic you can think of is covered in a pre-made quiz, from language to science to books and cinema. Teachers can also create their own quizzes and adapt them to their classes and specific student needs.
A gamified learning platform that allows teachers to create quizzes or select from pre-made quizzes by other teachers. The website allows you to review and study the material before practising it in a quiz-based form. There are a few different ways to use the app including a study option, a play option and a slideshow. Watch out for the power-ups if you choose to include them in your game. Reinforcing language has never been more fun!
One of my favourite websites for games and activities is ESLKidsGames. The website’s got lesson plan ideas for young learners, teens and adult classes. There are a plethora of games to practice a variety of language points, from counting to first certificate exercises to fun warmers and coolers. Check out this website to find these and other activities to practice grammar, speaking, vocabulary and writing.
Teach this has got fun and engaging ESL activities, games and worksheets in printable and interactive PDF formats. And to top it all off, it comes with elaborate teacher’s notes and answers for English teachers.
Fan of Jeopardy? Well, look no further than JeopardyLabs. A free game quiz template site is the perfect solution for students and teachers to practice, revise, and learn English. The site comes with pre-made quizzes. And it’s just as easy to make your own quiz, taking the format of Jeopardy in a minimalist user-friendly way and converting it into an online educational resource.
While gamification serves as a brilliant learning aid, there are some challenges that educators need to keep in mind before using them in a classroom / group environment. Many of the aforementioned techniques involve the use of technology, which might exclude some students who cannot access such resources with ease.
Educators must also take care to ensure that the competitive environment created doesn’t pit students against each other. Ideally, a collaborative environment is maintained to reinforce not just the students’ language skills but also the relationships they have with their classmates by encouraging teamwork.
Teachers can run with gamification as far as their imagination takes them. Adapting with the right tools and techniques in an ever-changing educational system, be it online or in person will get the students coming back for more, not to mention make one a strong ‘best teacher’ contender!
By Maya Dileep Kumar
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