THE USE OF WEBSITE TO TEACH LANGUAGE

As a language teacher, have you ever used websites to teach English language? Or maybe, are you the one who depends and puts your whole trust on books such as text books or reference books when it comes to language teaching?

 Personally, I used and adapted a lot of activities particularly the language games in teaching grammar during my practicum session as a trainee teacher in Subang Jaya.  Some of the games were chosen in order to suit two vital purposes for my language classroom which were : linguistic purposes and communicative purposes. Linguistic games focus on accuracy whereas; communicative games highlight the achievement of a person to communicate the message to the other person. In my opinion, both of these items are significant because, in order for you to express ideas or messages to others, you must be able to use appropriate and accurate forms of a language.

Before I asked the students to try out the chosen game, these are the several steps I had taken into consideration in order to make sure the smoothness of the lesson:

(1)  I did demonstrations on how to play the games or maybe, on how the program works either individually or groups.

(2)  I explained the difficult terms embedded in the games or programs so that; the students will not face any difficulties while doing the exercises provided.

(3)  I checked the students ‘progressions.

(4)  I made myself visible. So, the students might ask for my assistance if they happen to encounter with the problems later.  

I can see the improvement made by my students after I used website ( games ) in my language classroom. According to Thiagarajan (1999), the games add interest to what students might not find very attractive. This can help the teachers to capture their attention and interest specifically in learning grammar. Games are more memorable than the usual drillings. It provides a context for meaningful learning. In order for the students to be answer the questions in the website, they have to understand how to play the games. So, they will still talk about the games even before, during or after the class.  Games provide chances for shyer learners to take part. By doing this, it may lower their anxiety level and indirectly, they will  learn more in language classes.  Finally, by playing games, your students must be able to use the basic skills such as ; reading the instructions, writing the answers as well as communicating with other members in order to complete the task

A question for the readers , what are the drawbacks of using games in the language classroom?