games

1. Language learning games for solo use
from Games for Language Learning 3rd edition
by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge, Michael Buckby, 2006
© Cambridge University Press 2006
Cambridge English Teacher © Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment 2013
8 Solo games
Learners benefit from learning and or revising aspects of language
during private study time or for homework. The games in this chapter will
help them with this sort of study. Some of the solo games also lend
themselves to follow-up with a partner. The games here are a small selection
only; other activities suitable for solo use can be found elsewhere in the
book.
We suggest that, if possible, you prepare the learners for any intended solo
games by trying them out in class beforehand, under your direction. In this
way, the learners will feel clear and confident about using the games without
your direct support.
It is helpful to give the learners an opportunity to experience how to select
and apply different types of game to suit their specific needs. It is our aim to
promote ‘learning how to learn’, with something suitable for different
learning styles.
We suggest that you help your learners to recognise their preferred ways of
learning by giving copies of pages 172 and 173 to them and then going
through the list discussing each style. To show that we all make use of all the
styles, you might like to ask the learners to put the styles into their order of
importance for them as individuals.
For the learners’ convenience, and yours, Cambridge University Press
are happy to give you permission to photocopy the pages in this chapter
marked PHOTOCOPIABLE for the learners to keep.
171

2. Language learning games for solo use
from Games for Language Learning 3rd edition
by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge, Michael Buckby, 2006
© Cambridge University Press 2006
Cambridge English Teacher © Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment 2013
You have got 1000 million brain cells!
More than the number of stars in the galaxy!
Here is how to use them
You are amazing!
You have an amazing memory! You can remember thousands of
people and places. You can remember many techniques to do with
your mobile phone and your computer. You have remembered at
least 10,000 words in your own language. No problem! You have
an amazing memory!
********
There are many ways to learn
We all learn in different ways: looking, listening, moving,
being crazy, creating, being serious.
Use all these ways and find your own favourite way of learning …
but still use all the ways.
********
Do you like to look at things?
Write down the words you want to learn.
Put pictures with each word.
Choose or draw crazy pictures if you can.
Make diagrams explaining the words.
Use different colours.
********
Do you like to listento things?
Say the words you want to learn aloud.
Exaggerate the rhythm of the words.
Dramatise the words; say them aloud with feeling.
Write the words so that you can see how they sound.
Play music in the background while you learn.
********
Do you like to move about and touch things?
Make word and picture cards and move them around.
Beat the rhythm of the words with your finger.
Walk about when you learn words.
Use real objects when you can.
Mime the different words.
Games for Language Learning
172
From Games for Language Learning © Cambridge University Press 2006 PHOTOCOPIABLE1

3. Language learning games for solo use
from Games for Language Learning 3rd edition
by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge, Michael Buckby, 2006
© Cambridge University Press 2006
Cambridge English Teacher © Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment 2013
Do you like to be crazy?
Make up crazy pictures to illustrate words you want to learn.
Make up crazy sentences to go with pictures.
Laugh and learn.
********
Do you like to create things?
Put words together which sound nearly the same and are
funny together,
for example, fat cat, turkey in Turkey, a horse of course.
Write poems with the words.
Invent as many different conversations as possible.
Write a letter, a story, a joke or words for a song.
********
Do you like to think seriously?
Find your own ways of learning.
Find ways of explaining points of grammar.
Find ways of grouping and ordering words.
List all the words you can think of which you associate with a topic.
Make up as many sentences as you can about the topic.
Explain your ideas to other people.
********
Do things with the language
Use your brain to do things with the language. Just looking and
reading will not help you enough.
********
Work! Break! Work! Break! Work! Break! Work! Break!
Work! Break!
Work for 10 to 15 minutes and then stop. Do something else for
5 minutes: listen to music; jump up and down (this puts oxygen
into your brain). Then work on the same language for another
10 to 15 minutes but with another technique. Make sure you
work on the language you have learned after a few days and then
after a few weeks.
********
SOCCER PLAYERS IN TRAINING RUN WITH THE BALL BETWEEN
STICKS SO THEY CAN PLAY SOCCER BETTER!
SINGERS SING DOH – RAY – ME SO THEY CAN SING BETTER!
YOU CAN PLAY THESE GAMES AND BOOST YOUR LANGUAGE POWER
Solo games
173
From Games for Language Learning © Cambridge University Press 2006 PHOTOCOPIABLE1

4. Language learning games for solo use
from Games for Language Learning 3rd edition
by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge, Michael Buckby, 2006
© Cambridge University Press 2006
Cambridge English Teacher © Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment 2013
8.4 Match the halves
To revise the spelling of a list of words, for example apple, banana,
bean, cabbage, chicken, chips, milk, potato.
1 First write out the list of words you must learn. Then make a
second list of the beginning of each word and a third list showing
the end of each word. The endings in the third list must be in a
different order from the beginnings.
2 Cover up your list of complete words. Look at the other two lists
and try to write all the words in full. Say the words to yourself as
you write them.
3 Compare your new list with the original list to make sure that your
words are correct.
Note
You can do this activity alone or with a partner.
Games for Language Learning
178
From Games for Language Learning © Cambridge University Press 2006 PHOTOCOPIABLE1