Hi Sunflower
I agree and think that permissive teachers tend to get bulldozed by their class. Teachers have to show who is in charge.
Some teachers do seem to think that teaching with games is ok for a treat, or as a filler, or if you want to be nice, but that is not my view. For me games for beginners to lower intermediates are most effective - for motivation and for learning - and have nothing to do with being permissive.
When I teach with games the children do what I want, not what they want, and I am very strict. Any messing around and they lose a point, or they are out, or get whatever 'consequence' - the politically correct name for punishment these days - that they need.
Rather than not taking a game seriously I had my pupils take the games very seriously - and sometimes winning them too seriously. However I specialise in 12-16. However if you play a game to revise some vocabulary telling the students that the game will be followed immediately by a test then they will take it seriously - the game is their last chance to revise. Then you'll find that all the students do well in the test which will be good for their motivation.
Bye for now
Shelley
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ESL games and activities for teaching English to children