This article describes a game used for teaching discussion skills to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. It was originally designed for students wanting to prepare for graduate study at U.S. universities has been since used for other ESL students wanting to improve conversation skills. The game focuses on common phrases helpful for participating in seminar-style classes common to graduate school settings. The authors explain the rationale for choosing to teach skills using a game. They describe the procedures, benefits, and weaknesses of the game and students' experiences using the game.
Bennet, N., Wood, L., & Rogers, S. (1997). Teaching through play: Teacher's thinking and classroom practice. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press .
2.
Bou-Franch, P., & Garcés-Conejos, P. (2003). Teaching linguistic politeness: A methodological proposal. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 41(1), 1-22.
3.
Cane, G. (1998). Teaching conversation skills more effectively. KoreaTESOL Journal, 1(1), 31-37.
4.
Clennell, C. (1999). Promoting pragmatic awareness and spoken discourse skills with EAP classes. ELT Journal, 53(2), 83-91.
5.
Conati, C. (2003). Probabalistic assessment of user's emotions in educational games. AppliedArtificial Intelligence, 16(7-9), 555-575.
6.
De Vita, G. (2000). Inclusive approaches to effective communication and active participation in the multicultural classroom. Active Learning in Higher Education, 1(2), 168-180.
7.
Do, S., & Schallert, D. (2004). Emotions and classroom talk: Toward a model of the role of affect in students' experiences of classroom discussions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(4), 619-634.
8.
Ferris, D., & Tagg, T. (1996). Academic oral communication needs of EAP learners: What subject-matter instructors actually require. TESOL Quarterly , 30(1), 31-55.
9.
Fritschner, L.M. (2000). Inside the undergraduate college classroom: Faculty and students differ on the meaning of student participation. Journal of Higher Education, 71(3), 342-362.
10.
Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J.E. (2002). Games, motivation, and learning: A research and practice model. Simulation & Gaming, 33(4), 441-467.
11.
Gaudart, H. (1999). Games as teaching tools for teaching English to speakers of other languages. Simulation & Gaming, 30(3), 283-291.
12.
Grant, L., & Starks, D. (2001). Screening appropriate teaching materials: Closings from textbooks and television soap operas. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 39-50.
13.
Green, C.F., Christopher, E.R., & Lam, J. (1997). Developing discussion skills in the ESL classroom . ELT Journal, 51(2), 135-143.
14.
Halleck, G., Moder, C.L., & Damron, R. (2002). Integrating a conference simulation into an ESL class. Simulation & Gaming, 33(3), 330-344.
15.
Hodne, B. (1997). Please speak up: Asian immigrant students in American college classrooms. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , 70, 85-92.
16.
Lam, W., & Wong, J. (2000). The effects of strategy training on developing discussion skills in an ESL classroom. ELT Journal, 54(3), 245-255.
17.
Lee, D. ( 1997). What teachers can do to relieve problems identified by international students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , 70, 93-100.
18.
McCarthy, M., & O'Keeffe, A. (2004). Research on the teaching of speaking. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24, 26-43.
19.
Oxford, R., & Shearin, J. (1994). Language learning motivation: Expanding the theoretical framework. Modern Language Journal, 78, 12-28.
20.
Premkumar, K., & Bonnycastle, D. (2006). Games as active learning strategies: A faculty development workshop. Medical Education , 40(11), 1123-1147.
21.
Rao, Z. ( 2002). Chinese students' perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities in EFL classroom. System, 30(1), 85-105.
22.
Tatar, S. (2005). Classroom participation by international students: The case of Turkish graduate students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 9, 337-355.
23.
Wells, T. (2005). Emotion and culture in a collaborative learning environment for engineers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, Texas.
