GAMES AND ACTIVITIES FOR LANGUAGE PRACTICE: FUN WAYS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH

Abstract

This article explores the role of games and interactive activities in promoting
English language acquisition among students of varying proficiency levels. With the
increasing demand for communicative competence, traditional approaches often fall
short in maintaining learners' motivation and engagement. This study presents an
overview of effective game-based strategies used in the ESL/EFL classroom to
create an interactive and low-anxiety learning environment. It further analyzes data
from a small-scale action research project conducted among secondary school
students to measure the impact of language games on vocabulary retention, speaking
fluency, and classroom participation. The findings indicate a significant
improvement in learner engagement and language performance, confirming the
pedagogical value of incorporating fun and meaningful tasks into the curriculum