教育类论文范文.doc

AbstractEnglish is an important and special tool for communication now in China. There has been a trend of teaching children at younger ages throughout the whole nation. Childrens English teaching has become the backbone of elementary education. However, primary school English teaching methods are still under exploration. A common phenomenon is that childrens interest in English is decreasing as time moves on. To cultivate childrens interest has become the most important task in English teaching. This paper is based on theories of game from home and aboard, and game is taken as research object. This research probes the definition of game, the types, characteristics and advantages of games, together with the importance of games in class teaching，and provides some advice on how to use games in the classroom. This paper guides the teachers in choosing appropriate games to arouse childrens enthusiasm, and improving the teaching effectiveness.Keywords: children; English; teacher; learning; game摘要英语教育的低龄化成为我国英语教育活动的一种趋势，小学英语作为启蒙教育的基石，越来越成为社会关注的焦点和热点。但是，不容乐观的是目前少儿英语教学领域里存在着种种问题，最为令人担忧的是学生对于英语学习兴趣不足,因此培养学生学习英语的兴趣是英语教学的首要任务。本文主要是在已有的国内外游戏教学理论的基础上，以游戏教学在少儿英语课堂中的应用为研究对象，对少儿英语游戏的优点、类型、特点以及在课堂教学中的重要作用进行了初步的探讨，并对如何在少儿英语课堂教学实践中应用游戏教学提出了建议。指导英语老师如何恰当的将游戏运用到英语课堂中，激发学生学习英语的兴趣，从而达到提高少儿英语教学质量的目的。关键词： 儿童； 英语； 教师； 学习； 游戏Games in English Teaching for Children Chapter IntroductionWith Chinas policy of reform and opening to the outside world, English, as an international language, has become more and more important. So people begin to pay due attention to English learning. We all know that children have the ability to learn second languages more easily than adults. For this reason, our government put special emphasis on childrens English teaching. Many new English curriculum standards have adopted by the Ministry of Education, and English has become a compulsory course in all primary schools. Although, the number of English learners has been growing rapidly, the level of English teaching had not been improved. How to teach English well is still a puzzling question. In China, the typical teaching model is the teacher-centered class. In this kind of English class, the teachers play the main role and they explain every language points while the students just write down all the words they say. After the class, numbers of exercises is provided to make students commit the new words and expressions to memory. They think much of students ability of writing and listening but not speaking and reading. So it is common to see that after ten years English learning, a great deal of student still cannot communicate with foreigners.Nowadays, people have realized the negative influence of the teacher-centered class, and ask for educational reform. Therefore, the Ministry of Education has taken out a series of measures to solve this problem, while the situation has not been improved. According to a newspaper survey on childrens attitude to English course, 70 percent of the children think English class is boring and dont like to have it. Thats just the main reason that blocked childrens progress of English study. So what should we do to change it? After a great number of researches, educators found that one appropriate strategy to encourage language acquisition is using language games. This study focus on the games in childrens English teaching. Though quite a lot of people know the significance of games in childrens English teaching, they still cant figure out best ways to organize them. In order to raise the efficiency of games in the English class, this article introduces the definitions of games, different types of games, the characteristics of games. Through the right use of games, the author hopes to achieve the goal of childrens interest arousing.Chapter Games in Language Teaching2.1 Definition of GameDifferent people have different definition for game. Spodek Bernard and Saracho Olivia demonstrated that: games are different kinds of activities; they are highly structured and include specific rules to be followed. Similarly, Jill Hadfield defined games as “an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun.” Brown said “a game could be any activity that formulized a technique into units that can be scored in some way.” From above, we can understand that games are structured play activities organized around specific rules.According to Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, “game” in language teaching can be defined as an organized activity that usually has the following properties: a. a particular task or objective, b. a set of rules, c. competition between players, and d. communication between players by spoken or written language. Byrne gave the definition to games as a form of play governed by rules. They should be enjoyed and fun. They are not just a diversion, a break from routine activities, but a way of getting the learner to use the language in the course of the game. 2.2 Types of GamesGame has found an increasingly wide application in language teaching. It can be used to teach children word, vocabulary, phrase and so on. It can also be used to tap the potential of the childrens ability. According to these reasons, games can be divided into different categories. 2.2.1 Classification by Teaching ContentFirstly, it can be divided into pronunciation games. Pronunciation is the basis of English specking. The progress to practice pronunciation is also boring; using games can make the learning of pronunciation full of fun and help children learn them correctly. For example, teach students the pronunciation of , teachers can make the students read a short tongue twister. For instance, its a bear sitting on a chair, combing its hair and holding a pear.Secondly, it can be divided into vocabulary games. Vocabulary is one of the most important parts in English learning, but to memorize vocabulary is really boring. Games can create a happy situation and make children in this happy atmosphere to memorize vocabulary.A good method is to divide the students into four groups, and ask the students to list the vocabulary they have learned. Then, game begins. Choose one students in each group and ask one of the four students, for example, whats the antonym of “black”? The key is “white”. If he or she gives the right answer, his or her group can get one mark. If the answer is wrong, give no mark. Finally, the group which gets the highest mark win, the lost three groups should have a performance, such as sing songs, dancing and so on. Thirdly, it can be divided into number games. In the class of number teaching, childrens response is very important. Just teach students how to read and how to write will make them tired of number. In the meanwhile, it will also decrease their interest in English. Here is a game that can arouse childrens interest. Have a student say a number, for example: two. Then the next students should use body language to show the other students this number. Fourthly, it can be divided into sentence games. Sentence is difficult to learn. Childrens English teaching is not just enable the children grasp the grammar but let them speak English formally. Through games to develop childrens ability of creation, stimulate them to use the vocabulary and phrase that they have learned to express their thought. Write down some English sentence on several pieces of paper, and ask student A takes one of them, for example, if the paper says: “eat a banana”, this student should act like that. Then another student B can guess: “Are you eating something?” the student who is acting can just say “Yes” or “No”. Trough these questions he asked, student B tell the other students what the phrase is.2.2.2 Classification by FunctionGames can be used to develop childrens language skills. According to their different functions, games can be divided into four aspects.Firstly, it is the memory games. Memory is the foundation of learning. Its necessary to use games to improve childrens memory. So when teachers teach vocabulary and pronunciation, they can organize a game called “Whats missing?” Write down a vocabulary on the blackboard, but one letter of it is missing, such as “ap_le”. Then the teacher ask like that “Whats missing?” students will answer “p” is missing. Through this kind of game, childrens memory can be improved a lot.Secondly, it is the response games. When the teacher asks something, children usually have a very quick response. According to this, the scholars designed such kind of games, named response games. For example, a teacher make an instruction, under the teachers instruction, the students should do a right action. For intense, the teacher makes an order like: “put up your hands.” Then the students put up their hands.Thirdly, it is the observation games. In this kind of game, teachers usually provide two kinds of materials to the students, one is pictures, and another is texts. For the pictures, students should have an observation of it, and then use their own word to descript it. For the texts, it means in one piece of text, students should find out one word or one sentence that the teacher have said.2.2.3 Classification by NatureIn Elementary Communication Games, Jill Hadfield collected just two kind of games：competitive games and co-operative gamesCesar Klauer applied four types of games as cooperative games，competitive games, communication games and code-control games，which has been greatly adopted and will be stressed as following：Firstly, it is the cooperative games. In this type of game, the main purpose is to develop a sense of cooperation. Players work together to finish a common task. All the members of the team are involved in this type of game, including the shy students. The typical cooperative game is through the given instructions, the team work together to complete a drawing.Secondly, it is the competitive games. As the name shows, there is a competition in this kind of games. In this type of games, players or teams compete to be No.1 to complete the task. It can be the competition between teams or the individual against other individuals. Through competitions, players have the opportunity to improve themselves. It forces them to reach the goal in the shortest time but with the best result. While in this type of games, due attention must be paid to the winners and losers. Guide them to have a right attitude on the results.Thirdly, it is the communication games. In this type of games, players exchange information through dialogues or pass messages to other players. For instance, two players talk to each other and get the information of his partners, like name, age, hometown, hobby, etc. Another form is one of the players give an instruction, another must follow it and do exactly what he is asked, such as drawing a cat, open the door, put up your right hand, etc.Fourthly, it is the code-control games. This type of games demands the students have a good skill of the language. They must produce correct structures, spelling, pronunciation, etc. All of these can help the players or the whole team gets high marks.2.3 Characteristics of GamesIn order to pursuit good grades, English teaching has become an activity of memorizing vocabulary, which made the students lose interest in it. In order to solve this problem, games are applied in English teaching. According to Fredercken, game creates “a bridge between learning and doing”. No matter in per-school education or high school education, games are known as a way to delight students who are tired of the class.While the application of game is not an easy work, it requires the teachers have a careful planning. If they want to use games in an efficient way, they must know well of the characteristics of games.The first characteristic of games is novelty. Different from the traditional and serious class, game is a novel way to direct the students to grasp the knowledge points. It can also teach the students social skills in a natural way. The second characteristic of games is flexibility. According to the different students, the teachers can organize different games. To the withdrawn children, its good to develop a cooperative game. Through this kind of game encourage them to participate in, and force them to communicate with others. To the poor students, its good to play something easy, which can help them build confidence. So the application of games is very flexible. The third characteristic of games is motivation. Studies show that competitive environments are easy to stimulate students motivation. In order to win, they will put their attention on study. The reward or the praise from the teachers and their parents can also arouse their motivations.The fourth characteristic of games is fun. Thats the basic characteristic of the games. Games create a free and relaxed environment for the students, which can remove the threat of new and difficult material. In this playful atmosphere, students can also work effectively.Games contain many factors, such as rules, competition, and entertainment and learning, in particular, Cesar Klauer summarizes the characteristics of games as the following:Firstly, a game must have rules. Through rules, students know how to play and the teacher judge the players win or lose. Secondly, a game must have goals. This goal stimulates students to play. It can be something like making points or completing the task first.Thirdly, a game is a closed activity. Games must have beginning and an end. It must be clear to the students or the teachers, who is first one to reach the goal.Fourthly, a game is a child-centered activity. Different from the traditional teaching model, in the game-based teaching, teachers no longer in the center of the class, they just become the judge or scorer of the games. 2.4 The Importance of Games in English TeachingBefore 300 years ago, the great educator John Amos Comenius had emphasized the importance of games in his first work School of Infancy. And Friedrich Frobel, the great German educator, also spoke highly of the value of games. Game is a typical form that life took in childhood. Games can arouse the interest of children and lower their stress. In English class, games create an English situation, in this happy situation, children can learn English easier. 2.4.1 Stimulating Childrens Interest of English Learning As we all know interest is the best teacher. It plays the main role in language learning. All the children have the natural disposition to play, if games can be used in English teaching, it will help to arouse childrens interest. Through the fascinating games, children will not only enjoy themselves, but also acquire knowledge in this free and happy atmosphere. And in the meanwhile, it will make children have sense that English learning is an interesting activity. It is good for childrens English learning and can help to raise the efficiency of English teaching.2.4.2 Lowering Childrens Burden on English LearningIn the games, children grasp the language point quickly. It can help children ease their anxious on English study, thus make them got the confidence to learn. When children combine games and study together, they will have a sense of “I would like to learn” instead of “I should learn”. For this reason, they begin to pay a lot of attention on the English study and enjoy themselves. All of these clearly show us that games can lower childrens burden on English study.2.4.3 Making Children Have a Better Understanding of the Knowledge In the English class, if the teachers just explain every language point to the students, but do not encourage them to think and have their own opinion, the students can never hold the essence of the knowledge point. While in the game-based class, teachers create a real-life situation, and in this situation children can change the abstract ideas into concrete ideas. Therefore, they will have a better understanding of the teaching context and flexi ably use whatever they have learned.2.4.4 Improving the Relationships between Teachers and Students In the tradition teaching model, teachers play the role in the class, they hold the administration. All the students should follow their orders. If there is someone who infringed the discipline of the class, he or she would be punished by the teacher. So in the eyes of the students, teachers are very grave and fearful. While in the game-based teaching, teachers are no longer the center of the class, they become positive. They play games with students, just like their elder brothers or sisters. All of these make students change their attitude towards the teachers. The harmony relationships will instead the tension one.Cheaper Design and Methodology3.1 Design3.1.1 Characteristics of games designChildrens English teaching must in accordance with childrens characteristics of psychology. Many studies show that the satisfaction of the childrens psychology decides the game is succeeding or not. The more satisfaction the game creates, the easier the game succeeds. As a conclusion, the characteristics of childrens psychology are the basis of the game design. Therefore, special attention should be paid as following on games design.Firstly, it is purposiveness. Before designing a game the teacher must set an object, according to the different teaching context organize different games. Make full use of games to help the students learn English effectively. For example, in order to improve students memory, teacher can organize a spelling game.For example, have a student say a word, such as, “apple”. Then have the next student say a word that begins with the last letter of this wo