Individual Essay (2nd Draft)

GAMES TO LEARN ENGLISH CAN DEVELOP HUMAN VALUES ON CHILDREN

Games in children education are very important to learn English, nowadays in Venezuelan institutions, games era used as a method to make easier the process of learning a new language in this case to learn English, since it helps children to increase their knowledge about this, through games it is looked to create a cooperation environment between the teacher and the student in order to help children to make new bonds with their classmates. Games reinforce human values, such as: respect, self-esteem and friendship; but that will depend on the game that the teachers select in their English classes.

According to Evey (2006), says that, respect is basically an attitude that is shown towards any individuals’ feelings or interest. It is acknowledging another’s feelings in any kind of relationship. For example the hangman game which consists on choosing a word whose letters are guessed at by the others players and for each wrong guess, a new part of the stick figure of a hanging man is drawn. So with this game children can learn about the importance of this value, because when they are playing they should have a respect attitude, respecting the turn of the others, and wait their next turn. There are also another types of game that can help teachers to reinforce this value, such as: tic tac toe, puzzles, table games, and so on. So at the same time that children are learning English and playing something fun, they are reinforcing the respect value.

Other value is self-esteem, which is very important at that period of time, because children can discover many things that are interesting to them. Blascovich & Tomaka (1991), define self-esteem as, an individual's sense of his or her value or worth, or the extent to which a person values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself. This value can be develop for children with the types of games that allow them to share, but in a not competitive way, games that stimulate and encourage them to do their works at school or homework’s better, to let them know that they can count with their teacher in any moment. But the teachers have to study very careful the type of game that they are going to use in their classes, because a wrong choice can develop other types of values. For example to develop the self-esteem value, teachers can use games such as: spin the bottle which consists on a group of children sit in a circle or facing each other and one person spins a bottle that is lying on its side. When the bottle stops spinning, the neck will be pointing towards a person. The spinner has to kiss that person or say something positive; it can be a story about "first impressions" when they first met. Or simple games in which children win something, a candy, a happy face, a kiss, and so on, in order to make them feel good about themselves.

Morton (2006), defines friendship as a mutual intimacy of mind which we all naturally crave. Each pair of friends possesses within his or her mind a detailed mental model of the other. Friendship is possible between equal peers with compatible personalities who share a natural affinity and the same core values, interests, pleasures and aspirations. This is a very important value for children mostly at that period of life, when they are discovering many innovating things around them. Teachers should use games that permit children to share with their classmates, to create new relationships, new friends, because at the same time that they are making friends, they are building their profile, their likes and dislikes. So for example: puzzle, hot potato, and memory, between others; can help teachers to reinforce this value.

In summary, games are very essential for children, because through them children can learn a new language and learn the importance of respect, self-esteem and friendship values, which are extremely important in the life of every human being, but if there is the possibility to exploit that values at a very young age, why not do it? So that’s why teachers should considered give their classes in a fun an interesting way, but at the same time children are learning English and reinforcing values, that will help them in a future too be better persons.