22/09/2020
Games can help children learning English in class or online, according to a digital learning expert from Cambridge.
Speaking at the Cambridge Live Experience 2020, Helen Allen from Cambridge English highlighted how games can engage learners, reduce stress and increase motivation whether they’re learning in the classroom or online. The Cambridge Live Experience was a three-day event held to help English language teachers adapt to the changing education landscape as a result of Covid-19.
During her talk Helen showcased a range of games Cambridge English has launched for children on the Kahoot! learning platform. These Cambridge English kahoots are fun, interactive games designed to help learners practise their English and build their language skills at level Pre A1, A1 and A2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference. The games bring together music, colour and great interaction with Cambridge English learning content and images to engage young learners and make learning exciting and enjoyable.
Helen Allen, Digital Pedagogy Lead at Cambridge English said:
‘Online games can be a really great way to help children improve their English levels, providing they are pitched at the right level and introduced in the right way. This has been the driving force behind our kahoots, which are proving to be a really useful resource for students and teachers. Getting the level of challenge and support right is key to increasing motivation and engagement. When you consider the restrictions caused by Covid-19 this year, more than ever there is an increased need for effective but flexible online learning resources. Teachers can launch kahoots in their online or face-to-face classes, or set them as challenges for independent study, and this is great for teachers who are planning lessons which may need to suddenly go online.’
Cambridge University Press has also developed Kahoots for eight key titles aimed at older English language learners.
The Cambridge Live Experience 2020 was hosted by Cambridge English and Cambridge University Press English Language Teaching. They delivered a series of talks on a range of themes including advice on transitioning back to the physical classroom, online learning, socially distanced teaching, understanding learners’ levels and providing emotional support. The event proved popular with registrations of 50,000 teachers from 162 countries around the world.
This generated 105,000 live views of the sessions during the event and nearly 370,000 views after the event.