The Integration of Games in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Classroom: Moulay Ismail University as a Case Study

Abstract

This paper puts emphasis on the integration of games in the teaching of English as a foreign language, with the aim of investigating the impacts of using games in the classroom on the process of learning English as a foreign language, the students'perception towards the use of games, the students’ skills, their participation in games, and their attitudes. The research approach adopted is the quantitative approach. The tool used to collect quantitative data is a questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to one group of foreign language students, who study at the university of Letters and Human Sciences in Moulay Ismail University in Meknes, Morocco. The sample includes fifty male and female participants. The findings show that the integration of games in the classroom helps the foreign language students to improve their four language learning skills, vocabulary repertoire, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, team work skills and encourages them to participate in the classroom. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the use of games in the classroom has many positive impacts on the perceptions of students towards the technique of game-based teaching, their attitudes towards the language, the teacher, and themselves. The significance of the study lies in raising the teachers’ awareness of the importance of the integration of games in teaching English as a foreign language.