Grammar Games by Mario Rinvolucri

Grammar Games contains fifty-six language learning activities divided into five sections; competitive games, collaborative sentence-making games, awareness activities, grammar through drama, and miscellany. About one fifth of the games deal directly with grammatical accuracy by exposing students to correct or incorrect sentences, with a caveat from the author urging us to accept that students who are highly focused will not imprint the wrong sentences that the theories of Skinner or Krashen may suggest. I can't say for sure whether incorrect grammar will be unconsciously learned or not, but it is clear that not everyone will be interested in these kind of activities anyway. I was therefore pleased that the rest of the book covered material that would appeal to many different types of learner, not just the analytically inclined. Grammar Games has a distinctly British, slightly seventies, and somewhat eccentric feel to it. We can learn by being physically active, or by being silent and reflective. There are board games and gambling games. You can vote for the best, play snap, take part in an auction, or do back-writing. You can even brainstorm why two people would want to exchange socks on a train ­ not everyone's cup of tea, perhaps. I enjoyed reading Grammar Games because most of the activities looked interesting and highly original, and that there were many that I would like to try out with my students, someday. For the EFL teacher searching for new ideas on how to teach grammar while having fun, whether you are experienced or novice, I recommend that you take a look at Mario Rinvolucri's Grammar Games.

Read about Grammar Games at Amazon.com.