When you think of childhood, memories of our studies, our parents, our friends and, especially, what we played with them most certainly come to mind. We have been playing since we were little. We play at home, at school, in the street, and any place seems appropriate to play. Playing is the way in which we interact, in which we share, in which we discover the world and in which we create new relationships, even during our adulthood.

The ludic dimension is so important in human development, and so universal, that there are many games that are adapted in all parts of the world for different purposes. This is why in Nueva Lengua, Spanish school for foreigners in Colombia, games are considered a fundamental tool for the process of teaching the language to our students, and in this article we will tell you how we have successfully implemented the games within our classes. We talk about gamification of language classes.

Through the game it is possible develop different skills that complement the linguistic training of students, but mainly three:

1. Cognitive skills

The first skills that are developed through play and that complement our students' language training are cognitive. We resort to these in those games that require finding solutions through analytical and logical-mathematical reasoning.

2. Emotional competencies

In second place are the emotional competencies, that is, those that we build and learn to manage when we face situations within games that generate frustration or even fear, so that our confidence and self-awareness They are strengthened in the process.

3. Social skills

And in third place we have the social competences, those that emerge through the team work and the Team play. When we are forced to rely on the other to achieve our objectives, we understand that our actions are framed in a context that is not unique but that affects those around us. In this sense, when playing as a team, relationships are built based on interaction, cooperation and mutual support: crucial skills for learning any language.

Some of the games we use at apply gamification in Spanish classes as a foreign language:

The UNO game, which allows you to self-assess learning at all levels of the language orally and expand your vocabulary, a very important aspect when you are learning a foreign language, since in this way you can measure your progress. In this case you have the opportunity as a student to learn the different rules that each country has for this game... we assure you that, even if you have played many times, there is always a new rule to learn.

There are also role-playing games, in which you express your ideas, thoughts and feelings through body language, which on a cultural level can be very enriching. Playing to be an actor can be a lot of fun, using your imagination and another language is a combination that you will remember.

With a game like Jenga, which promotes group work, here you will learn that your classmates are learning and making as many mistakes as you. Asking those questions that may be difficult to answer will be your weapon to win this time.

Another game that our students have liked a lot is the well-known “Who wants to be a millionaire?”. This fun game allows you to expand your vocabulary while learning about other cultures in a fun way, and thus test your knowledge of Spanish and general culture.

Gamification and ELE in Colombia

By including the games in our classes of Spanish as a foreign language, the teachers of the school Nueva Lengua we seek to promote students' language skills to the extent that we energize their social interactions, thus promoting a fun and exciting cultural exchange.

To learn more about what we do at school and our innovative teaching method through cultural activities, you can check our website.

Check the tourist activities that we organize for our students, or write to us at info@nuevalengua.com for more information about the Spanish courses and cultural immersion in Colombia.