Why Games Belong in the Classroom
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The Power of Games in the Modern Classroom
At first glance, it may seem paradoxical to associate the words “game” and “learning”, as in many educational systems, the classroom is still a space of discipline, efficiency, and predefined learning objectives. It is not considered a place for games, storytelling, or imaginative play. Yet, increasingly, research urges us to reconsider this perspective. Not only do games belong in the classroom but they may well be essential, especially when we aim to teach languages, foster intercultural acceptance, and address the diverse learning profiles of 21st-century students.
Games function as carefully designed ecosystems that integrate rules, feedback, motivation, and narrative elements. Rather than replacing the curriculum, they provide the framework through which content is delivered. In the context of language learning, games offer opportunities for meaningful interaction, narrative engagement, and cultural exploration. When learning objectives are embedded in playful environments, students’ meaningful and authentic engagement in the learning process is enhanced.
Play and the Mind: What Science Says
Theoretical and empirical evidence highlights the role of play in children’s cognitive and social development. Jean Piaget regarded play, especially symbolic play and rule-based games, as a fundamental means for a child’s cognitive growth, considering them as essential for the development of abstract thinking and language acquisition (Piaget, 1951). Lev Vygotsky, on the other hand, emphasized the social context of play. Through imaginative scenarios and role-playing, learners operate within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), reaching new heights with support from peers or teachers (Vygotsky, 1978).
Games as Platforms for Experiential Learning
In contrast to traditional, passive teaching methods based on lectures, games encourage active participation. In language and culture classrooms, this could mean navigating a virtual escape room in the target language, engaging in role-play activities (e.g., negotiating at a marketplace), searching for hidden words, or participating in a genially game. These immersive experiences anchor learning emotionally and cognitively. Learners engage with language in meaningful contexts (Chowdhury et al., 2024). Therefore, vocabulary and cultural knowledge become lived rather than memorized. The use of games in language learning encourages children to collaborate and share ideas. This approach aligns with the principles of social constructivism and allows students to learn through experimentation and hands-on activities (Chowdhury et al., 2024). It enables them to apply existing skills to solve problems related to the subject matter. Additionally, game-based learning helps students process and decode essential information needed to understand learning materials. As a result, it offers meaningful opportunities and structured support for students to engage more actively in the educational process (Adipat et al., 2021).
Enhancing Motivation, Reducing Fear of Failure
Games have a strong motivational capacity, helping learners stay engaged for extended periods (Plass, Homer, & Kinzer, 2015) and in some games they even enhance intrinsic motivation (Chowdhury et al., 2024). In language classrooms, where fear of mistakes can inhibit participation, games allow learners to experiment and fail safely. Students are encouraged to try, fail and try again normalizing failure as part of the learning process and fostering perseverance. Generally, games have the ability to foster engagement in learning on cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural levels in ways that other media often cannot (Plass et al., 2015). Research confirms that both analog and digital games can enhance enthusiasm and commitment to learning (Ribeiro, 2019; Le et al., 2023), while systematic reviews highlight engagement as a key benefit (Hainey et al., 2016; Ongoro & Fanjiang, 2024).
Facilitating Differentiated Instruction and Inclusivity
Games can incorporate any learning theory and often adapt better to learner diversity than other media (Plass et al., 2015). Through adjustable difficulty, branching narratives, and multimodal formats, they meet varied learner preferences, benefiting, for example, visual or auditory learners as well as those who thrive in strategic or role-play contexts. Digital platforms such as Genially, Kahoot, and Wordwall allow educators to personalize tasks, scaffold vocabulary, and tailor feedback. By tracking learner choices and preferences, teachers can adjust future instruction. This adaptability is especially useful in multilingual and multicultural classrooms. Furthermore, research indicates that game-based settings enhance student autonomy and responsibility (Gerovasiliou & Zafiri, 2017; Ribeiro, 2019).
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Cultivating 21st-Century Skills through Play
Beyond linguistic skills, game-based learning develops collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking (Thornhill-Miller et al, 2023). By solving problems, designing narratives, and negotiating meaning in group quests, learners practise cognitive agility and empathy, which are skills central to success in a connected, multicultural world.
Bridging Informal and Formal Learning
Students do not enter classrooms as blank slates. They bring experiences from home where they daily engage with analog games such as board games and puzzles, digital games, social media, and mobile learning apps. When educators integrate game mechanics into instruction, they validate these informal learning paths and connect school to the real world. This continuity between formal and informal learning enhances relevance, engagement, and retention. Moreover, the fluidity between these two spaces opens the possibility for students to take ownership of their learning beyond the classroom.
Language, Culture, and the Power of Play in Practice
Language is more than vocabulary; it is culture, history, identity, and perspective. Games such as language treasure hunts or cultural detective missions not only promote peer collaboration but also encourage intercultural dialogue. In practice, a well-designed game might require learners to decode a secret word that leads to cultural symbols, monuments, idiomatic expressions, or to take on the role of an English shopkeeper, a Romanian museum guide, or a Belgian explorer. In doing so, games allow learners to step into these cultural worlds from within.
Furthermore, through role-play and simulation, learners are not just learning about cultures, they are practising intercultural acceptance. This kind of embodied learning is vital for today’s global citizens. As UNESCO (2021) reminds us, education must equip learners not only with skills, but with empathy and the capacity to live together in diversity.
Empirical studies support these benefits. For example, gamification enhances vocabulary learning (Gerovasiliou & Zafiri, 2017; Klimova & Kacet, 2017). Digital game-based language learning has shown statistically significant gains in vocabulary and reading comprehension, especially when vocabulary is supported by multimodal narratives (Chowdhury et al., 2024). Other research reports improvement in spelling, word practice, and sentence construction through game-based interventions (Le et al., 2023).
Conclusion
The research consensus is that playful learning enhances motivation, memory, risk-taking, and both social and cognitive flexibility. In language and culture education, games connect learners with each other and with content in ways that foster engagement, empathy, and creativity, affirming that joy and curiosity are fundamental to learning.
REFERENCES
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Chowdhury, M., Dixon, L. Q., Kuo, L.-J., Donaldson, J. P., Eslami, Z., Viruru, R., & Luo, W. (2024). Digital game-based language learning for vocabulary development. Computers & Education Open, 6(Article 100160). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100160
Gerovasiliou, F., & Zafiri, M. (2017). Adapting board games to stimulate motivation in vocabulary learning in six-year-old learners: A case study. Journal of studies in Education, 7(3). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317587264_Adapting_Board_Games_to_Stimulate_Motivation_in_Vocabulary_Learning_in_Six_Year_Old_Learners_-_A_Case_Study
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UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707