The Negative Importance Of Playing Games In The Classroom

According to numerous scholars (Jiang, 2008, Kou, 2008, Chan & Lin, 2000, Robinson, 1960, & Zheng, 2008) playing games in the classroom is beneficial for students involved in learning a language since games can reinforce learners` motivation, proficiency, communication skills, and self-confidence. Games also decrease students stress towards learning English and give them a chance to learn English in a more comfortable and lower stressed environment. Based on Skinner's theory, games can be considered as a prize that is provided by teachers in order to motivate students to go forward (Pound, 2005). If students come to know that they are going to play a game after learning a particular subject, for example, grammar structure or vocabulary, they participate in educational activities and apply things they recently learned with a greater enthusiasm (Ying, Hui, &Paul2011). Moreover the importance of playing games is also supported by Piaget's theory due its contribution to the improvement in creativity, communication, and problem-solving that occur subconsciously in process of playing games (Slevin, 2006).

Playing games in the classroom can considerably increase students' ability in using target language because they have the opportunity to use it with a purpose and in the situation provided (Mubasalat, 2012). Hadfeild (1990) confirms that "Games as much concentrated practice as a traditional drill and more importantly, they provide an opportunity for real communication, albeit within artificially defined limits, and thus constitute a bridge between classroom and the real world. In this way "students have an opportunity to drill and practice using grammatical rules and other functions." (Mubasalat, 2012 p.6). Consequently, students learn the target language the way they acquire their mother tongue (Fitzarld,