Customer Reviews

Grammar Games: Cognitive, Affective and Drama Activities for EFL Students

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Grammar Games contains fifty-six language learning activities divided into five sections; competitive games, collaborative sentence-making games, awareness activities, grammar through drama, and miscellany. About one fifth of the games deal directly with grammatical accuracy by exposing students to correct or incorrect sentences, with a caveat from the author urging us to accept that students who are highly focused will not imprint the wrong sentences that the theories of Skinner or Krashen may suggest. I can't say for sure whether incorrect grammar will be unconsciously learned or not, but it is clear that not everyone will be interested in these kind of activities anyway. I was therefore pleased that the rest of the book covered material that would appeal to many different types of learner, not just the analytically inclined. Grammar Games has a distinctly British, slightly seventies, and somewhat eccentric feel to it. We can learn by being physically active, or by being silent and reflective. There are board games and gambling games. You can vote for the best, play snap, take part in an auction, or do back-writing. You can even brainstorm why two people would want to exchange socks on a train - not everyone's cup of tea, perhaps. I enjoyed reading Grammar Games because most of the activities looked interesting and highly original, and that there were many that I would like to try out with my students, someday. For the EFL teacher searching for new ideas on how to teach grammar while having fun, whether you are experienced or novice, I recommend that you take a look at Mario Rinvolucri's Grammar Games.

This book was recommended to me by a professsor who had used it with her Middle School ESL kids. After having it a week, I have to say it is fabulous. I had been looking for ways to teach grammar to my junior high kids, without tedious explanations of grammatical rules, worksheets or diagramming. The day after I received it, I was able to start the kids on a game where they could internalize grammatical rules, and demonstrate what they already understood about the deep structure of English. The only preparation required was writing a sentence on the board, and they were involved for twenty minutes. The only reservation I have in recommending this book is that it is British, and intended for adult learners. I have had to adapt some of the language to make it easier for my kids to understand.

Provides various activities that teach many aspects of English as well as grammar points using communicative methodology. These activities are creative and helpful. What is so useful is that these activities can be modified/altered to suit your class level. Some of the expressions and topics are a little strange and not really suitable to use in class for young learners who are at beginning level. But of course you can alter them. I have been able to make up many of my own lesson ideas from this book, written by ESL teaching veterans. "Grammar Games" is very helpful. I also recommend "More Grammar Games" which is a part-two, or addition to this book.

I teach junior high English as a Second Language to mostly Spanish-speakers in Colorado. I use this book all the time. It has many suggestions for puzzles and auctions, collaborative and competitive games. Some of them require preparation; like pulling sentences from homework to play a game judging correctness, or making and laminating cards, but many can be played straight out of the book. If you have taken a language teaching methods course, and were baffled by the idea of "The Silent Way" you will begin to see how it could work, because some of these games come from that philosophy. The title of this review comes from student complaints about some of the activities, where they are writing poems or paragraphs. There is no competition and no winner getting candy. However, even if no one is getting candy, they wind up being very focused on the grammar. As Rinvolucri says, "the dice and cards are the locomotives that pull the grammar train along." One caveat- the writer is British, and has taught mostly adults, so some of the games have to be tweaked. The grammar is mostly the same, the names of some of the games can be changed, and some content can be changed. For example, one prompt asks students to write down complaints about landladies. I don't think any of my kids has complaints about landladies. Fabulous book- I would buy it again, and I highly recommend it.

The subtitle of the book did use the word EFL, and perhaps I should have realized that these games are not suitable for adult ESL students. The level of most the so-called games is too low for most ESL classrooms. And the author has a very odd idea of a game. In V.2, students do a multiple choice quiz, choosing the best translation of a sentence in their native language. Activity II.5 is entitled "Correcting homework" and that's what it is--having the students correct each others' homework. Some are more game-like, I suppose: IV.4 has students writing irregular plurals on the backs of other students with their fingers; such words as "genii" and "menservants" are suggested. And V.4, "We are furniture," has students pretending to be furniture while repeating sentences they have memorized. As the author says, "By now some students will be bored and others will be mystified." (p.131) Yes, indeed.

This book helped me with my classes. It's been great to find a book with such good games and ideas to make students understand grammar without bored classes. Excelent way of learning! Fun and interesting.

"Grammar Games" is a must for transforming deadly dull grammar lessons into creative and fun activities. Each activity lists the grammar structure involved, level, preparation, materials and timing. A big bonus is that the Table of Contents lists the grammar point as well as the name of the activity--far too many other resources only give you the name of the activity, which makes it impossible to find anything easily. A great resource!