People tend to avoid activities they do not enjoy while they seek to give all optimum attention to things that excite them. Little wonder students nowadays, indulge in online games on their phones and give maximum attention to it since they derive pleasure from it. Such interests, could however be channeled in the right direction through integration with their education.
Therefore, as teachers who teach English to second language learners, we need to ensure that our lesson activities are enjoyable and satisfying for students as this would increase their motivation for English learning. This week, I will be sharing an online learning game, Wordwall, which can be very effective for teaching students of any educational level sets of vocabulary.
WordWall
Wordwall contains about 12 templates of games (crosswords, random wheel, quiz, anagram, drag and fit etc.) all of which are interesting and engaging. As such, teachers can utilise any of them to engage learners and ensure their participation. In addition, the images and themes on the game are attractive and are similar to the ones on actual game apps that students have been used to. Therefore, it puts off the pressure that comes with testing since, the templates are often for recalling what students have been taught.
Benefits
The Worldwall game has many benefits for English learners as it mostly targets the learning of vocabulary. Vocabulary is the building block of a language, it becomes important for students to acquire a reasonable amount of English words so that they can conceptualise situations and things they need to talk about, avoid struggling when reading comprehension passages and also become excellent communicators. For many second language learners, vocabulary is a very significant aspect of language which they might have challenges with and which might hinder their acquisition of the target language.
Therefore, the Wordwall tool can effectively help students to increase their lexical power. Through the vocabulary practice and visual cues provided by the colourful letterings, students are able to learn the correct spellings of words, get exposed to different words and their meanings in a fun manner. Thereby, reinforcing and internalising newly learnt words in their memory. In addition, students are engaged and just like they would while playing 'real games', there are lots of mental processes involved in participating in the game.
The Wordwall is influenced by the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) approach, which expects students to utilise the computer or technological device to improve their language learning. Additionally, students can play the game independently hence, increasing learners' autonomy, which is a principle of CALL. However, students can also be grouped to work in pairs or teams hence, encouraging team work, cooperation and competition all which energise students and increase their motivation.
Limitations
Just like every other online games, the Wordwall can only function where there are conditions to facilitate it. Firstly, there must be devices such as phones and/or computers on which the games would be played. Secondly, there must be internet connectivity for the game to work. Therefore, if those devices mentioned above cannot be provided, utilising the Wordwall in the classroom becomes an impossible task.
To learn how to create vocabulary activities on Wordwall, watch my demonstration below;
Image credit according to order of use:
Pricilla Du Perez on gettyimages
https://wordwall.net/
https://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/pre-teaching-vocabulary-and-vocabulary-instruction/
iqoncept on depositphotos
Christopher Gower on Unsplash
