advice
Play the Game
Philip Kilgallon speaks of the positive benefits of introducing
competition and game-playing into your child's education
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and
I remember. Involve me and I learn”
Benjamin Franklin
T
he use of competition and
games in learning is not solely
a way to increase engagement,
motivation and enjoyment; it
is also an easy and effective way to
increase the retention of key facts and
knowledge. Being competitive and
having fun is built into all of us and, if it
can be harnessed into creating a deeper
learning environment, then surely we
could learn anything … and, most
importantly, want to!
WHY?
In languages we use games and
competition for a variety of reasons:
• Motivation
the students love to play games in
lessons. A game at the start can create
a positive learning environment from
which to build on. A game at the end
can keep students engaged until the
last moment and quickly give you
feedback on what they have learnt. A
game throughout can allow students
to learn a new topic from start to finish
without any teacher input. Internal
motivation drives them.
• Teamwork
students collaborating together has a
multitude of advantages. Their social
skills improve, it creates a positive and
bouncy learning environment and they
will access ideas they may not have
thought of working individually.
• Engagement and retention of
new knowledge
this is what the whole point is. Fostering
a love of learning, showing progression
and creating an environment where
everyone can be successful.
HOW?
To make games and competitive based
learning successful and valuable, there
are a few things that need to
be ensured:
• Limit unstructured time
All students need to be involved at
All times, whether that is through
leadership within the group, creating
ideas or simply focusing on what is
being done.
• Match up with the Learning
Objectives
A task at the end focuses the children.
It makes them aware that they will need
to produce something at the end of the
game, and that this will link up with
the objectives.
• Control the competitiveness
There will be some students who get
a bit too excited. Make sure this is
harnessed and respect is shown by
everyone and to everyone. Once the
class is accustomed to this, there are
no problems.
CONCLUSION
Using games and competition within
a lesson benefits everybody involved.
The students participate and have
fun instead of simply sitting and
completing comprehensions or making
notes on a topic. Games, competitions
and having fun all relate to a basic
evolutionary need – students learn
better when they are enjoying what
they are doing. You can see it in the
classroom and in the grades that
are achieved. Teamwork and other
social skills are also improved. If it
can be well controlled with a clear
objective in mind, why would you not
play a game instead of completing a
textbook exercise?
Philip Kilgallon is a Spanish and French
teacher at Nord Anglia International
School Hong Kong.
May 2018
23