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리디아의 영어 교육 세미나(게임에 관하여)-8월 24일
성인들이 아닌, 어린이들에게 뭔가를 "지도한다 또는 가르친다"고 했을 때 가장 어려운
것이 무엇일까요? 예를 들어 5살 꼬마에게 오늘 내가 뭔가를 가르쳐야 한다고 할 때 전문적인 교사나 강사가 아닌 입장에서 가장 힘든 것이 무엇일까요?
아마, 그것은 아이들의 짧은 집중력과 빨리 싫증을 내는 것일 겁니다. 그리고 어떤 아이들은 "너무 산만"하거나, "너무 내성적"이라서 내가 이끄는 대로 따라 오지 못하는 경우가
많습니다. 그러면, 어떻게 하면, 이런 문제들을 해결할 수 있을까?
노래만 부르는 경우, 챈트만 하는 경우, 동화책만 읽어 주는 경우, 이런 모든 것들이 하나의 독립적인 활동으로만 그치면 안돼고, 다 연관이 있어야 하고, 그 주요 핵심 내용은 반복 되더라도, 방법이 다르게 되면, 싫증을 내는 빈도가 줄어들게 되지요.
그리고, 어릴때 부터, 너무 고급 교재, 너무 재미있는 활동들에만, 익숙해져 있는 아이들은 <재미(fun)>와 <학습(learning)>을 혼동해서, <학습>을 한다고 생각되면, 머리 아파하고 힘들어 하는 반면, <재미>있는 활동을 한다면, 관심과 흥이믈 보여서 열심히 하려고 합니다.
이때 지도하는 분들의 기술(skill)필요하게 됩니다. 너무 <재미>요소가 많이 가미된, 게임
활동을 준비해서도 안되고, 너무 딱딱한 내용의 <학습>만 이루어져도 안됩니다. 그 안에는 반드시 <재미있는 학습>요소가 있어야 합니다. 가장 이상적인 수업은 "아이들은 단지
게임을 즐겁게 한 것 같은데, 지도하는 분은 분명히 가르친 내용이 있고, 아이들은 잘 배우게 된" 것이라고 볼 수 있지요. 중략....
이곳을 누르면, 계속됩니다.
▶그리고, 저의 세미나에 오시기 전에 아래 내용을 한번 읽어보고 오세요. 영어라 부담스럽나요? 그래도 부딛쳐 봐야겠지요??^^*
(자료 출처: Andrew Todd, Games in the Classroom : Designs and Dangers, 초등 영어
교육 세미나 및 하계 자율 연수: The 27th English Workshop for Seoul Elementary School
English Teachers, July 1998, 숙명여자 대학교/서울 청파 초등학교) P.31-33
▶Why use games in the classroom?
▶What advantages do games have over more traditional methods of
instruction?
▶Will the students really learn anything if they are playing games and
not studying?
Children are children, they are not small adults. They have a child's
sense of value, of fairness, a child's sense of humor, a child's
energy. They like to play. They are interested in games and game-like
activities
Playing games means giving up control. It means that the students
are not studying. It means that the students are having fun. It might
be difficult for teachers to justify the use of games. However, games
can and should be played at every opportunity.
It is the teacher's responsibility to insure that the language content of
the games is appropriate to the linguistic level of the students, and
that the games are appropriate to the cognitive development of the
students. Games are a valuable tool in a busy teacher's repertoire of
activities. Not all games result in a leaping, screaming, uncontrollable
mass of small bodies. Some games tend to have a stirring effect.
Others tend to create a subdued and at times intense mood as
students flex their mental muscles around a linguistic puzzle.
When introducing new games the game itself should be clear. It's
rules easily demonstrated or explained in English. It should have
pace. It should appeal to the senses. It should be fun to play in it's
own right, not just as an English teaching tool. The language
introduced and reinforced in the game should similarly have pace. It's
meaning clear from it's application within the game.
The language should DO something. External rewards are
unnecessary. The joy of using language to participate in the game is
it's own motivation. Cheating is discouraged by the students
themselves. They want to have fun. Language mistakes made within
the game are seen as part of the fun and peer correction manifests
itself without teacher intervention.
Playing games in the classroom is NOT an easy option. When
preparing games based lessons the teacher has to be aware not only
of recent language work but also of what demands the particular
activities may have placed on an individual or group. Variety of activity
and variety of language are the keys to a uccessful lesson.
▶Does the teacher need to prepare anything?
▶Do the students need to prepare anything?
▶Will the game be easy enough for them to understand how to play
without resorting to the mother tongue?
▶Does the game maximize the individual student's opportunities to
use English or is the game more likely to favor dominant students?
▶What can the teacher do to make teacher-centered activities more
student-centered?
Part of our job as teachers of children should be to develop
confident, well-balanced individuals capable of either working together
or of working alone.
Many games are simply drills. Drills which the students actually enjoy
participating in. Many of us know from biter personal experience that
traditional drilling techniques are not only inefficient but quite frankly
boring.
In large classes of mixed ability students eachers can very easily set
up either the same game with different language content, or different
games for different groups. It is a truism that all students are different
and that you can't please all of the people all of the time. What we
have to try to do is please most of the students most of the time. It is
also true that all teachers are different. Teachers do not need to be
extrovert, gymnastic, magicians to successfully integrate games into
their teaching. All of teaching is a risk. Every new ida hold risk. Every
new student presents a challenge. The intelligent use of games helps
teachers meet that challenge.
Let's give our students what they really need and leave the language
acquisition up to nature. They'll enjoy their classes more, learn more,
and have fonder memories of school and of english.