Ever since I became an English teacher, I have really liked using ‘maze’ games with my classes. These are simulation games set in a particular context, where the students, working in pairs or small groups, are given a card that sets up a scenario and gives them three or four possible options. The students read the card (each group gets the same one), discuss the options and then decide which one to choose. Depending on the option they choose, they are then given a new card, which, again, they have to read and discuss before making a choice from several options. In this way, the game can have many different outcomes, depending on the decisions that the students make at each stage.
Potential
These games can generate a good deal of real language use, requiring the students to do lots of reading (the scenario and options) and speaking (discussing the situation and the best decision to make). Many are available online, and these work in exactly the same way as their paper-based counterparts. However, the online games are much more media-rich, often having excellent graphics, sound, video and sometimes even subtitles. This often makes them ideal for language learning, as they can lead to intensive reading, listening and speaking. One way to make these games even more interesting is to give each student a role. Let’s say the game is about running a supermarket; within each group, you could tell one student that they are the supermarket owner, one the manager, one a customer and one an employee working on the shop floor. You can find simulation games of this type about almost anything, and they are widely used in business training and areas such as medical ethics.
Preparation
To get the most from a ‘maze’ game, you need to do more than just start playing it. It is vital first to introduce the students to the topic, set up an introductory discussion on the issues involved or use a video to set up the context. Some sort of lead-in activity will help the students understand the scenario better and get them prepared for the game. Sometimes this might mean pre-teaching key vocabulary or perhaps revising the language for agreeing and disagreeing. How much preparation you do will depend on the level of your students and the demands of the game you have chosen. It is just as important to have something prepared for the students to do after the game is over. You could move them into different groups and get them to talk about what happened in their original group; perhaps they could write up a report about their discussions and the decisions they made; perhaps they could make a presentation about what they have learnt. It is vital to make use of what the students have learnt and experienced in terms of content while playing the game, and I often find this part is just as rewarding as the game itself. Another thing to remember is that some groups will finish quicker than others, so make sure you have prepared something for the fast-finishers to do.
Example games
I have chosen examples that need no download, no signing-in and which can be played immediately from your browser. https://life-saver.org.uk/#/JAKE This is an interesting game, which could be used with higher-level classes. It trains the students in first aid, is very realistic and has high-quality video and audio. Time is of the essence, and the students will lose points if they take too long to make their decisions. If the pressure gets too much, you might like to suggest that the students use the pause button so that they have time to discuss the options. You need to set the game up carefully and make sure you do something with the information the students learn from playing it. I got my students to discuss what they had learnt and to write down a list of what to do if someone falls unconscious. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1kWsQcfTPFjfz9s dxfTGFhC/our-world-war-interactive-episode Some teachers might not find this suitable for their students, particularly young learners, so please watch it before you decide to play it. It is about World War I. There is some swearing in it, too, but the game is dramatic and very well made. It deals with issues of leadership and ethics, and is based on a true scenario. The students are scored and given feedback on their leadership skills. There is plenty of video, which has sound and can have subtitles enabled. There are some tough decisions to be made (eg whether to kill an enemy soldier). One tip with this game is to make sure you are familiar with how it works. To move through the game, you need to press on the ‘Act’ buttons. www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/popupwindow.html Being a history fan, I quite like this game though the graphics are not as good as some others. It poses some interesting situations, and is not as text-heavy as some games. The students are put into the situation of setting up a new colony in North America, modelled on Jamestown. This was the first successful colony to be set up by the British. The students have to deal with local tribes, food shortages, choosing the right locations to build, etc, and there are normally four options to choose from.
This is just a taster of the some of the simulation games available on the internet. You can find all sorts, including simulations based around grammar, those where you are involved in writing the script and those that centre on job interviews. I suggest looking at Larry Ferlazzo’s list at http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ 2009/05/02/the-best-places-to-read-write-choose-your-ownadventure- stories/. Some of those he mentions can be tricky to access, but he has included some real gems.
Russell Stannard is the founder of www.teachertrainingvideos.com, which won a British Council ELTons award for technology. He is a freelance teacher and writer and also a NILE Associate Trainer. Keep sending your favourite sites to Russell: russellstannard@btinternet.com