Learning English through games - Will it be advantageous?

Can English be learned through games? Will games help children in learning English faster?

English has always been considered a tougher language to be learned in many developing countries whose ancestors are not even aware of the existence of such a language. Teaching English to people who have vernacular background has always been a Himalayan task for educators and teachers. Perhaps, it is not just for teachers, but for students too who do not get the hold over the language.
They tend to forget their memorized words easily and the language always remained an alien for them. But, it may not be always so, learners can still retain the remnants of the vocabulary thought in school or anywhere, if only it gets taught in a language best known and appreciated by experts. Yes, through games.

Advantages of using games in teaching English:

Children tend to retain things happening whole play for a longer duration that those taught in an ideal classroom set up. Playing has always been remained as a natural way of learning and it is an important responsibility from educators to transform it as a learning tool to teach the language for all ages. Also games are a safe opportunity to practice the language without fear of getting ridiculed. And few games are competitive in nature; they serve to provide an excellent sense of accomplishment for many children as they watch their team mates or opponents progress with the language. Games not just help in instilling the language in young minds, but also can enhance their fluency and their memory as children tend to forget what they have learnt a little fast. Finally teaching or learning English through games can fetch incredible results as children tend to get naturally motivated towards the activity with little or no frustration.

Method of using Games in teaching English:

Almost any game can be adjusted to co-relate it with the needs of the lesson. But care is to be taken in choosing games that are linguistically relevant, simple to explain and understand, easy to set and yields interest from children. Games can also be used as an ice-breaker or warm up session before teaching vocabulary in the class or as a review at the end of the teaching session. Grammar books with pictorial representations would aptly fit your learning need, as children can be made to cut the pictures out next to the language word to present it to the teacher. Or creative skits with great vocabulary can be acted out in front of kids made to sit in a circle for creative observation.

Examples of games to teach English:

The tic-tac-toe game can be accommodated for team play, where the students have to answer correctly for few questions on English vocabulary or English grammar to get their chance to play x or o. concentration games that uses cards to match vocabulary or grammar points. Students can also be made to prepare their own cards. Then, the clothesline game to teach English by building sentences with different words and students can take turns to create different sets of sentences. Scramblers and puzzles can also be used to prepare children for higher level vocabulary. English taught in this manner, draws their attention and interest in learning the language more keenly. Games can truly help in teaching and learning English language.