Types of Language Games: Linguistic, Communicative, Movement, Card and Board Games

Summary

This document explains how language games can be classified, starting with Hadfield's (1999) distinction between linguistic games, which focus on accuracy, and communicative games, which focus on exchanging information. It then describes common game types used in lessons, including movement games, card games and board games, and notes that games are labelled by their most outstanding feature.

Key points

Hadfield (1999) divides language games into linguistic games and communicative games.
Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as supplying the correct word, its meaning, a synonym or an antonym.
Communicative games focus on successfully exchanging information and ideas; correct language use is secondary to the communicative goal.
Games are classified by their most outstanding feature, since many games are difficult to label.
Movement games physically activate children and need close monitoring.
Card games involve collecting, giving, exchanging, sorting and counting cards, which can serve as symbols for objects or actions.
Board games mainly involve moving markers along a path and can be made by children as a craft activity.

Test yourself

Types of Language Games

Classifying games into categories can be difficult, because categories often overlap. Hadfield (1999) explains two ways of classifying language games. First, she divides language games into two types: linguistic games and communicative games. Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as supplying the correct word (it could also be the meaning of the word, a synonym or antonym). On the other hand, communicative games focus on the successful exchange of information and ideas, such as two people identifying the differences between their two pictures which are similar to one another but not exactly alike. Correct language usage, though it may seem important, is secondary to achieving the communicative goal.

Game Types

It is important to know what types of games are available in order to plan a lesson with a balanced rhythm. There are many different types of games: card games, board games, movement games, games with music, to name but a few. However, many games are difficult to label. Therefore, we have assigned each game a type based on its most outstanding feature—for example, although a board game includes dice rolling, the board itself is the primary focus.

Movement Games

In these games, the children are physically active. Movement games are generally 'rousers' and need to be closely monitored.

Card Games

Children collect, give away, exchange, sort, and count cards. The cards can have a meaning or value in a game, or simply serve as symbols for objects or actions. (It is unlikely that you will have an elephant handy and it is not easy to describe snow-skiing in a tropical country.) Cards are often components of other game types as well.

Board Games

Any games which mainly involve moving markers along a path. Board games can be made by the children as a fun craft activity.

FAQ

What is the difference between linguistic and communicative language games?

Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as supplying the correct word or its synonym or antonym. Communicative games focus on successfully exchanging information and ideas, with correct language usage being secondary to the communicative goal.

Why is it important to know the types of language games?

Knowing the types of games helps teachers plan a lesson with a balanced rhythm.

How are games assigned to a type when they overlap?

Each game is assigned a type based on its most outstanding feature. For example, a board game that includes dice rolling is classed as a board game because the board is the primary focus.