Using Games to Improve Students' Communicative Ability

It is believed that the communicative language teaching approach (abbreviated as CLTA) is one of the most effective methods to keep away from the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method in developing students’ communicative ability. Using games, which is communicative in essence, are often considered effective in developing students’ communicative ability. In order to help English teachers put the communicative language teaching approach into practice, this paper, on the basis of pointing out the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method, discusses what the communicative language teaching approach is, states the value and importance of using games in English-teaching class, introduces eight types of games that could be used in class, and presents some suggestions when using the games.