This document discusses using fun and games as an aid for teaching English to primary school children. It describes how activities like singing, roleplaying, and drama can provide practice using the language in an enjoyable way. The document outlines some key parameters to consider when developing these types of activities: 1) The language payoff - what language the children can be expected to learn from the activity, 2) Cultural dimensions - incorporating activities that English-speaking children also enjoy, and 3) Choosing activities suitable for one's teaching situation. It provides examples of different types of activities, such as listening activities, talking activities, improvisations, and plays, and suggests starting simply but making activities more complex over time.

1. META 2.3
Anna Louisa Moreno Mendez
FUN, GAMES &
DRAMA AS AN
ENGLISH
TEACHING AID
WITH PRIMARY
AGE CHILDREN

2. Introduction
Fun and games are refered to activities like singing, clapping hands or drawing, and activities such
as roleplaying, situational drama and other drama activities associated with communication can be
used with second language learners, providing language practice in a stimulating and
entertaining way. These techniques are not intended to teach new language, but to allow the
children to practice the language that they have already learned in a free, unstructured situation.
These activities give the children a chance to explore and play with the possibilities offered by
the new language, and provide situations where this new language can be related to the
children's own experiences. The language thus becomes internalized and its value as a
communicative tool is clear to the children at an early stage.

3. It is a commonplace that young children Iearn better through play or at least can be induced to
go along with teaching that is tempered by 'fun' activities. Fun should have a role in, rather than
just be a feature of, children's education. For carrying out these kind of activities, teachers need
monitor what is actually, rather than seemingly, going on in class. Also, they need to develop a
clear understanding of the mechanics and effects od different activity types. Therefore, here are
some parameters to consider before develop these kind of activities:
Fun and games in a English
class
1. Language pay-off
2. Cultural dimensions
3. Choosing or adapting activities for your
situation

4. 1. Language pay-off
Language pay-off is one of the most obvious parameters to consider. This refers
to what can a child be expected to absorb or learn in a language terms from a
particular type of activity. Some examples of this are:
 Language learned by heart as part of an activity
 Langage picked up as result of an enjoyable activity
 Creative use of languge in an activity
 Language pay-off from conceptual engagement
 Informal language analysis through puzles and making activities

5. 2. Cultural dimensions
Overlaid on language pay-off and conceptual considerations we need to consider the
cultural dimensions. It is quite possible to invent simple games and write original stories,
songs and rhymes with a pure language pay-off where you find a gap in your syllabus, but
it is worthwhile also doing some research into fun and games activities which already
exist in the culture of English-speaking children. Many of these activities are not
confined to English-speaking cultures, but exist under other names in the native culture.
Knowing that the story or game you are engaged in is one that English-speaking children
enjoy must add to the satisfaction of playing it, and is an example of culture teaching at
primary level.

6. 3. Choosing or adapting
activities for your situation
An example of this can be going outside the
classroom. Games convenient to the classroom tend
to be static and word-based, and there is a case for
looking outside to playground games. Teachers who
can commandeer the school gymnasium or playground
for a session of skipping rhymes and action games in
English will add a lot to pre-fab learning and to the
consciousness that children are much the same
everywhere. Also songs and rhymes can be adapted
to the necessities of the course.

7. Types of
activities

8. Listening
activities
These activities that
follow try to take
difficulties with:
• Sound discrimination
• Speed of delivery
• Length of utterence
• Time allowed for
assimilation
And at the same time,
these challenge the
children to succeed by
demanding an active
response. Some of these
activities are:
• For verbal response
• For physical

9. Examples of activities
Rythm and
sound
Syllabification
Following
instructions
Verbal response
Physical response

10. Example

11. Talking
activities
The activities under this heading try to
provide an interesting stimulus, one
that will encourage the children to
speak by giving them something to
say.

12. Examples of activities
Descriptio
ns
Conversatio
ns
Radio show
Charad
es

13. Example

14. Improvisatio
ns
Improvisation is defined here as
any roleplaying activity which is
centered around a dramatic
incident or series of incidents as
in a story.

15. Examples of activities
• Puppets
• Stories and folk tales
• Chatting in the queue

16. Example

17. Plays for
performanc
e
The teacher responsible for
preparing this kind of activities has
to ensure that it generates
language practice.

18. Examples of activities
An improvised play Five-minute playlet
Full scale play
Musical
A scripted play

19. Example

20. Conclusion
Initially, these activities can be simple and the vocabulary
used will be just the one which most young learners have
experienced with. But by increasing the language content and
dramatic demands gradually, the children will still be drawn to
these activities and for more complex and demanding
situations, continuing to find the activities interesting,
enjoyable and stimulating. So do not hesitate to implement
these types of activities where students learn and have fun.

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