The Application Of Games In English Teaching In Kindergartens

In recent years, preschool English teaching has been attached more and moreimportance to in China. Due to parents’ expectations to be enrolled in key elementaryschools and the developmental needs of kindergartens themselves, it has beenpopularized to carry out preschool English education in kindergartens in China.However, since there is no unified standard for preschool English education, and theteachers’ teaching skills are limited, teaching models and methods in elementaryschools are copied in English classes of many kindergartens without consideringchildren’s physical and psychological traits. Meanwhile, English teaching aims inkindergartens are improperly understood and implemented, with more importanceattached to vocabulary children memorize than to children’s listening, speaking andlearning interest.Given children’s physical and mental characteristics and preschool Englishteaching aims, games are the most suitable teaching means. Although it is known tomost English teachers in kindergarten, in a large number of actual English classes,games are used as a time-filler, an instrument to cheer children up instead ofachieving English teaching aims. At present, studies on the game teaching mainlyfocus on either application in English teaching of primary schools, or on the currentsituations, problems and corresponding strategies on the game teaching inkindergartens. Few empirical researches are conducted to explore the relationshipbetween the game teaching in preschool English class and English teaching effects.The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between gameteaching and English teaching effect in a kindergarten. Three research questions areanswered in the study. They are as follows: a. whether the approach of game teachingis more helpful for developing children’s English listening than the traditionalteaching method; b. whether the approach of game teaching functions better inimproving children’s English speaking than the traditional teaching method; c.whether the approach of game teaching is more efficient in sustaining children’sattention and activating their participation in classroom activities. The present study is conducted in a kindergarten in Fenghuangling, Linyi City,lasting for three months. Quantitative and qualitative methods are employed in dataanalysis, with quantitative data being analyzed through SPSS17.0and qualitative dataanalyzed through transaction analysis. Major findings are presented as follows:1. Compared with the traditional teaching method, the approach of gameteaching is more helpful to develop children’s English listening.2. The approach of game teaching performs better in helping children developtheir English speaking than the traditional teaching method.3. The approach of game teaching is more efficient in sustaining children’sattention and activating their participation in classroom activities.Based on the major findings of the study, pedagogical implications, especiallyEnglish game teaching in kindergartens are presented, hoping to help English teachersimprove their teaching skills and teaching effects. Meanwhile, the limitations of thestudy are summarized and corresponding suggestions for future studies are providedin purpose of paving the way for more relevant studies.