Reviewed by Federica Maggioni

Target group of learners

The interactive games on this website can be played by EFL/ESL learners of any age group as long as they possess basic literacy and
computer skills. Since the activities are mainly developed around high-frequency and common words, they would especially suit
beginning and intermediate learners.

Review
Games to Learn English has been developed by Owen Dwyer, an English teacher who works at the Hefei University of Technology in
Anhui China. It is not clear when the site was first created and whether its content is kept up-to-date. However, currency is not as
relevant as functionality for a site that features engaging and fun games supporting EFL/ESL students in expanding their English
vocabulary. As Owen states on the About page, by using wordpress he ensures ease of navigation and by joining the cloudflare
community he strives to protect his work from spams and other unwanted attacks.

The interface design is pleasantly colourful and uncluttered, and the graphic is simple and attractive. There are a number of
advertisements in the middle and at the bottom of the page but their presence is clearly stated and their content can only be viewed
by intentionally clicking on the relevant hyperlink in the boxes.

Although the featured flash games are not supported by mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, it is possible to use most of
the activities on IWBs, so as to fully exploit their interactive nature. Owen has actually created a dedicated website for electronic
whiteboards (gotefl.net) where he has sorted games by whole-class, pair and individual usage. For classrooms that cannot rely on the
Internet connection, there is also the opportunity to download a package to be used offline. Interestingly, teachers are also allowed to
personalise some activities by adding their own images and sound tracks. On the other hand, if the background music should result
distracting, it is possible to turn it off.
The games suited for lower level students are mainly based on word recognition and spelling, whilst more advanced activities require a
greater knowledge of sentence structure and grammar. Many games offer the opportunity to select a semantic set of words and focus
on a specific category such as food, body parts, clothes, transport and jobs. The OPD (Online Picture Dictionary) that can be found at
the bottom of the page is also semantically organised and is a valuable tool for practising pronunciation and spelling. Underneath the
OPD button, there are also links to additional websites that feature Spanish and Chinese versions of Owens interactive games for users
interested in learning these two languages.
The transparency of the developers intentions combined with a purposeful and linguistically accurate learning framework make this
site a valuable and engaging resource for a diverse array of ELLs. Moreover, I would recommend Owens games also because it has been
confirmed by many language experts that effectively integrated computer-based activities boost the mundane and traditional
vocabulary learning process (Mustafa, Sain & Razak 2012, p. 430) and improve student achievement (e.g. Mahmoudi, Samad & Razak
2012).

Teaching suggestions
Considering that playful activities involving a certain degree of friendly competition are usually well received by students of any age
and origin, I would highly recommend the use of IWB games. To beginners and low-intermediates I would propose matching games
such as Concentration and Desert Drag. With more proficient students I would use Sentence Race and Boulders, which
require the ability to put specific words into a meaningful context (i.e. into a sentence or an utterance).

References
Mahmoudi, E Samad ABA & Razak NZBA 2012, Attitude and Students Performance in Computer Assisted English Language Learning
(CAELL) for Learning Vocabulary, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 66, pp. 489-498.

Mustafa, HR Sain, N & Razak NZA 2012, Using Internet for Learning Vocabulary among Second Language Learners in a Suburban
School, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 66, pp. 425-431.

http://gamestolearnenglish.com