LITERATURE REVIEW

Conducting language games in the classroom has long been regarded as one of the many ways in which the target language is learnt successfully. This is based on the fact that games and pair work activities help motivate students to communicate in the target language, besides providing “situations in which communication is natural and meaningful” (Oller, 1993:120). This runs parallel with the view of Long and Porter (1985), which emphasised that “when students interact with one another in a second language while trying to jointly solve a problem, the likelihood of mastery of the second language is significantly increased”. Besides providing motivation and context to communicate, language games also create “a sense of play” which enhances both learning and memory (Oller, 1993). All the features mentioned above are sufficient to support the incorporation of language games into the classroom.
However, no matter how beneficial games are towards language learning, the content and approaches of language games need to be taken into careful consideration. Just like any teaching method, a good and effective language game needs to be based on some theories of learning or language learning, so that learners can truly benefit from it. One example of an effective language game is “Animal Habits”.
Developed for post beginner to lower intermediate learners, “Animal Habits” provides a perfect avenue for cooperative learning among its participants. This is evident when participants go through each other’s sentences to detect any errors. This activity therefore provides the opportunity for peer tutoring among learners, which “fosters cooperation and interdependence in pursuing learning tasks” (Lang et. al, 1994:353). By having constant practice, most children “become rather good instructors and benefit greatly from teaching fellow students” (Lang et. al, 1994:353).
Meanwhile, Gardner’s (1983) theory of Multiple Intelligence is also applied in “Animal Habits”. Students are provided the opportunity to build on three out of seven types of intelligences proposed by Gardner, namely linguistic intelligence and interpersonal intelligence. By completing sentences, learners are trained in their linguistic intelligence, whereby they use the language to convey meaning effectively. While exchanging ideas during the discussion on written structures, learners also get to practice their interpersonal intelligence by being sensitive to their classmates’ thoughts and feelings. In this way, they can learn to convey their thoughts without offending anyone. Also, they can practice their negotiation skills when deciding on the correct and wrong sentences.
It can be seen that “Animal Habits” incorporates theories of learning in the students’ language learning process. Having been founded on these theories, the game should also be effectively carried out, reaching the desired result at the end of each game. If this can be achieved, “Animal Habits” can be accepted as a game that is effective for language learning purposes, both theoretically and practically.

REFERENCES

Oller, J.W. (Ed.) (1993). Methods That Work: Ideas for Literacy and Language Teachers. 2nd ed. USA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

Lang, H.R., McBeath, A., Hébert, J. 1994. Teaching Strategies and Methods for Student-Centered Instruction. Toronto: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Gardner, H. 1983. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Cited in Kauchak, D.P. and Eggen, P.D. (1998). Learning and Teaching: Research-Based Methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Long, M.H., and Porter, P. (1985). “Group Work, Inter-language Talk, and Second Language Acquisition.” Cited in Oller, J.W. (Ed.) (1993). Methods That Work: Ideas for Literacy and Language Teachers. 2nd ed. USA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.