LEARNING ENGLISH: IT CAN BE ALL FUN AND GAMES

Growing up, I’ve played a lot of different games. From board games to video games, I have tried so many that I’ve lost track with all of it. One thing is for sure though, each of the games I’ve invested my time when I was younger, and even today, it has improved my English a lot. English is not all work and no play, you see. But I guess that’s true for everything. So what are things that these games have improved in regards to my communication skills?

One would be my grammar. I’ve played a lot of card games like Pokémon cards and Magic: The Gathering. It’s a pain in the ass if you struggle with grammar and you start playing these card games because each clause and each rule plays with which moves comes first and which action happens last, and every player has to follow these rules. Verb tenses. Even with modals and conditions are very crucial. A game deciding action may come down to how well you understand the text in every card.

Next, speech. Playing video games, especially the new ones, there will be a lot of talking. Apart from the hacking and slashing, that is. Video games nowadays is pretty much like watching a TV series. There is a story line, and there’s a lot of graphics. A gamer can get used to all the accent of the characters and learn all kinds of vocabulary just by playing video games.

Lastly, board games. Board games are very interactive. Players interact with the game itself, or players interact with other plays. Conversation skills become better the more you play. Monopoly, Cranium, and all the other likes of it are very good examples. Those are the games that make you negotiate with other players or make you sing, draw, and explain things.

Learning English can be very fun. These games don’t just help you with your communication skills, they also make you think more logically and critically. For starters, any game is good. Toy stores and hobby stores have good ones in stock. Just make sure you play with a lot of people to make it more enjoyable and exciting.  And one more thing: make sure that when you are playing, speak English as much as possible.