Research on English Games in the Kindergarten Teaching

李佳霖

【Abstract】The research is based on literature analysis， classroom observation and interviews. Through the comprehensive analysis of English games teaching in kindergarten， the author tries to provide support for English teachers in the process of making teaching designs.

【Key words】game teaching； kindergarten English； case analysis

I. Introduction

Each course in kindergarten has its value and significance， including English. English game education can help children develop their language proficiency， cognitive level and so on. Game is the basic activity in kindergarten. Gamification teaching is an important method to promote childrens learning interest and learning effect. Therefore， game has become an important method for English teaching. Therefore， English teachers need to apply games in teaching process and encourage children to play games.

II . Choice of Appropriate Games

1. English Role Play

English role play means that children can play a role with the help of real or vicarious material and through the imitation and imagination to creatively recur the surrounding social life by language， action and expression. Childrens age traits is active， curious and like to imitate and their thought is image thinking based. Therefore， in order to satisfy childrens psychological need， teachers should create a relaxed and free environment for children and provide enough materials which games need. In this way， children can recur a real scene in role play and improve their learning interest.

2. English Music Game

English music game is on account of English songs. Every song is a topic of the basic content. The main point of music activity is the song or game itself. English words or sentences are not the key point of these activities. Therefore， children cannot control all the lyrics， but it does not influence children to sing and take part in games. Activity atmosphere is conducive to the cultivation and improvement of childrens listening and speaking ability.

3. English Intellectual Game

English intellectual game includes perceptive game， listening game， guessing game and so on. This kind of activity can help children to achieve success， build self-confidence and have a happy emotion experience. This sense of joy can make children become interested in English learning. It is also good for the improvement of childrens oral ability.

III. Game Design Principles

1. Aim Principle

Game as a main part of children education should serve for teaching. Therefore， teachers should control the key point of game process and the relation of game， course and teaching according to the educational objectives. For example， in an activity of Halloween， teachers let children wear Halloween clothes and hold Halloween props for a fashion show. In the whole process， teachers just focus on performing effect， but ignore the cognition and intensification of the related words of Halloween. This kind of activity do not have corresponding objective. And its design and organization also break off the educational objective.

2. Appropriate Principle

This principle includes two meaning. One is that games should adapt to childrens physiological and mental characteristics. The second is that games should adapt to childrens English level （Brown 56）. When designing and organizing games， teachers should choose appropriate games according to childrens physiological and mental characteristics. Teachers need notice that the content of games should be easy and lucid and help children understand and exercise listening and speaking ability by using direct teaching methods.

3. Group Principle

Game should be designed for all the children and can stimulate the childrens initiative. Therefore， teachers should pay attention to the organization methods of games. For some classes with a lot of children， teachers can assign a part of children to play the lead role and encourage other children to observe game process and make response and decisions. This kind of group game can balance the normal order of games with the degree of participation of all children.

4. Communication Principle

The practicability of game means that the content and scenes has practical significance and relates to our daily life. Then children can accept English knowledge naturally and pleasurably and try to communicate with others by using what they are learning.

VI. Conclusion

Firstly， some game design cannot attract childrens attention. Teachers could not consider childrens age characteristics when they designing games. Before starting the game， teachers usually describe the rules and details intangibly and make children confused. Teachers do not have enough time to guide active children， thus the game order is often chaotic.

Secondly， teachers are not kind and gentle enough. They dont demonstrate and explain the games in the right way and seldom say encouraging words. Some of these games are lack of interests and teachers are lack of professional qualities. Teachers do not integrate themselves into children and just play games for games.

References：

[1]劉瑩.幼兒園英語游戲教學研究[D].保定：河北大學，2011.