Learning a language through games

A lot of theories and approaches focused on education demonstrate that children posses the capability to learn in different ways. One of those theories is The Multiple Intelligence Theory, developed by the psychologist Howard Gardner, which defends that people have eight types of intelligence. In this article I will centre on the corporal-kinaesthetic intelligence, due to the fact that it´s the main one developed by means of games.

The acquisition of knowledge through movements is known as corporal-kinaesthetic intelligence, in other words, learning by doing. This is achieved via the coordination between body and mind; and particularly in the teaching-learning process of English as a second language, we can see how lots of knowledge can be acquired through numerous games such as Simon Says.

 In Year two of primary education, Simon says is an excellent game to internalise the vocabulary taught, because the children use the vocabulary in their immediate surroundings. Some examples are: to seek and touch colours in the class, to position themselves using prepositions of place, or point to their clothes or touch parts of the body. It is a highly motivational game where kids learn without realising it.