engleski

Language games as a contemporary method of teaching grammar content in the class context

Early language learning in the classroom context is primarily aimed at the development of students' competencies, ie language communication, and this is not possible without the adoption of the spelling and grammar norm of the standard language. According to the new subject curriculum, which was introduced in 2019 in Croatia, students from third to eighth grade learn abou tthe language norm: orthographic, spelling, grammar and lexical at the usable level. Metalanguage knowledge is taught on the basis of already acquired language experiences, and new knowledge is expanded and deepened in accordance with the orderly language development of the child and individual learning dynamics. The subject area of Croatian language and communication is based on learning and teaching language skills and mastering the language as a system in use. In communication situations, the student acquires language skills, knowledge of the language and masters language activities. In order for a student to master communicative language competence, it is necessary to apply new approaches and methods in teaching in accordance with students' interests. Younger school-age children are in a specific developmental stage and play is anappropriate activity for them. When we can interest the student through play and develop a positive attitude towards language content, then learning is more successful, memorization is accelerated, and understanding of learning content is facilitated. Language games in teaching are not new, but their application in the classroom does not yet suppres straditional teaching methods. Therefore, a quantitativ eresearch on the application of language games in the teaching of spelling and grammar content in Croatia was realized in the paper. We were interested in whether th etextbooks used by teachers included language games in the activities within the textbook unit and which games were involved. Textbooks from the first to the fourth grade for th eCroatian language from 2015 to 2020 were researched. The second research interest was focused on teachers and attitudes as well as forms of application of language games in language teaching. This research was conducted by ananonymous online survey on a sample of 214 surveyed teachers from all over Croatia. The results of there search showed that almost half o fthe teachers use language games as a modern method in teaching, but somewhat more in grammar teaching than spelling. Teachers use voice and rhythm games as well as spelling and morphology, and to a lesser extent lexical, semantic and syntactic games. Teachers conduct the most common association games, competition games, crossword puzzles, memory, rebuses, twisters, digitalgames, drama games. In theteaching of spelling and grammar, language play as a method is most often used to repeat and determine the content at the end of the school lesson

early language acquisition, language games, teaching methods, mother tongue teaching, spelling and grammar teaching

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