This document discusses using board games to teach speaking skills to English language learners. It provides the theoretical basis that gamification can increase student engagement and help them learn. Board games offer benefits like developing socio-emotional skills, collaboration, and critical thinking. The document describes a sample board game called "Don't Get Board" which assigns speaking tasks related to images on cards to boost confidence and proficiency. It also notes potential strengths, weaknesses, and considerations for implementation as well as the teacher and student feedback which was positive overall regarding engagement and language development.

1. Teaching Speaking
Michael M. Magbanua
by

4. Contents
1. Abstract
2. Theoretical Basis
3. Relevance
4. Strengths and Weaknesses
5. Materials
6. The Administration
7. Actual classroom activity: videos
8. Teacher’s reflection
9. Participant’s feedback
10. Possible modifications/variations

5. ABSTRACT
Playing board games can be very fun for all ages.
While it is an engaging activity, language teachers
can benefit to its dual purpose– enjoying while
learning. Not a few empirical studies have
supported teachers and researchers’ claim on the
relevance and effectiveness of using board games
based on general and specific language learning
objectives they have set for their students.

6. Theoretical Basis
The gamification theory in education is
that learners learn best when they are also having
fun. Gamification in learning involves using game-
based elements such as point-scoring, peer
competition, teamwork, score tables to drive
engagement, help students assimilate new
information and test their knowledge.

7. Significance to ESL Teaching
1. It teaches students socio-emotional skills.
2. Allow players to practice learning to compete while not
giving up, and the art of winning gracefully.
3. Develops character traits such as perseverance, patience,
responsibility, fairness, and self-discipline are all an
inherent part of playing games.
4. Promotes collaboration, inquiry, and critical thinking.
5. It supports the curriculum that allows opportunities to
experience play, while at the same time promoting student’s
achievement.

8. Strengths
1. It teaches students socio-emotional skills.
2. Allow players to practice learning to compete while not giving up, and the
art of winning gracefully.
3. Develops character traits such as perseverance, patience, responsibility,
fairness, and self-discipline are all an inherent part of playing games.
4. Promotes collaboration, inquiry, and critical thinking.
5. It supports the curriculum that allows opportunities to experience play,
while at the same time promoting student’s achievement.

9. Risks and Limitations
Depending on your personal teaching approaches or a student's individual
learning style, there can be drawbacks to game-based learning:
• Too much screen time.
• Preparation is not always easy.
• Games can be a source of distraction.
• It requires a familiarization of the technology.
• Doesn't replace traditional learning strategies.
Learner’s focus may shift to winning rather than learning, especially if the
rewards assume more significance. It may shift students' focus away from
collaboration. It may diminish the importance of cooperation and sharing of
ideas.

10. Teacher’s Considerations
1. Budget --paid versions or a teacher-made board game?
2. Availability of resources/materials
3. Preparation challenge – doing it online-based or
offline versions; depends on complexity of the design
4. Time management -- time to teach the rules and
playing the game.
5. Content-task matching -- designing to match all the
subject matter with the engaging board game tasks.
6. Student’s attitude towards the materials -- disrespectful

11. “Don’t Get Board”
General Objectives
1. Boost student’s confidence and
level of speaking proficiency.
2. Gain mastery of the target
language structure and function.

12. Materials Needed
• Board games
• Player’s markers
• Dice
• Task cards
• Timer

13. GO TO
GO TO
GO TO
GO TO

14. The Board Game

15. Player’s markers and
Numbers

16. The Task Cards

18. The video

19. How to facilitate “Don’t Get Board”?
1. Students play individually in a 3-membered group.
2. Explain to SS that the manner of playing this board game is similar to
the conventional race board game they play at home– e.g. snakes and
ladders, only with a language twist.
3. Ask the first player to select his number from a box.
4. The player has to advance his marker to the image accordingly. The
arrows will guide him of the direction– L, R, and up.
5. Then, ask the player to draw his speaking task in relation to the image
where he landed.
6. Give her 10 seconds to prepare then let her do the given task. Allow her
to speak in not more than 30 seconds.
7. Should she has executed the task correctly, the second player continues
the game following the same routine.
8. Whoever finishes the game first wins.
9. Finally, reward the champion.

20. Teacher’s Reflections
1. Preparation of materials takes time.
2. Materials can be recycled (if not damaged).
3. Task cards can be modified.
4. Very satisfactory level of students’ engagement.
5. Fairly manageable and productive noise.
6. Teams are in collaboration to win.
7. Individual speakers are competitive.
8. Negotiation of meaning and accuracy was
evident.

21. Possible Variations
1. Vary the board game design.
2. Teacher may facilitate a small group
competition.
3. Change the target language components.
4. Modify themes.
5. Alter the level of difficulty of speaking tasks.
6. May use an interactive board game app.
7. Other creative suggestions?

22. References
Sitti Marwah Rijal 2018. The Use of Boarding Games to Improve the Student’s
Speaking Ability at the Tenth Grade of Sman 5 Barru (A Pre-experimental
Research). Indonesia. Muhammadiyah University of Makassar.
Kipple, Friederike. 1984. Keep Talking, Communicative Fluency Activities
Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lee, H. 2012. Using Board Game in The English Classroom for
Education and Assessment. Malaysian Journal of ELT Research.
Nicholson, Scott. 2010. Everyone Plays at The Library. New Jersey:
Information Today