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Sashadroogie · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:54 am Post subject: Chess in the EFL classroom.

What do posters think? Good for teaching those important critical thinking skills so fundamental to EFL? Perhaps learning English through chess could be a niche market? Armenia leads the way outside the EFL sector... Why not emulate their success?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/15/armenia-chess-compulsory-schools

teacheratlarge · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 192 Location: Japan

I gather that is said tongue in cheek.

As an avid chessplayer, I would love to do it, but I know that love for mental exercises using board games doesn't extend to all people. You could teach some language skills, especially if you're teaching strategy and tactics, but many publications simply use internationally accepted algebraic notation as well as accepted symbols (!, ?, ?!) to denote the merits or demerits of moves, so little language understanding is needed of various chess publications.

jaydizzle · Joined: 25 Nov 2011 Posts: 57

I use Settlers of Catan. But that's probably because I'm not smart enough to play chess.

johnslat · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:57 am Post subject:

Dear Sasha,

Question: Would the students get boards or would the students get bored?

Regards,
John

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:08 am Post subject:

Dear Johnslat

Any students who are bored are free to voice such complaints to the school board. In order to do they simply need to take their place in the queue lined up against the wall. Free cigarette!

Sasha

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:55 am Post subject:

Not said with as much tongue in cheek as one may imagine. Have been using extracts from this book to pepper business lessons with.

http://www.howlifeimitateschess.com/

Surprisingly lively discussions emerge as a result. But perhaps this is something that can only happen in lessons with Russian students, talking about one of their own. Russian exceptionalism - more exceptional than any other!

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Yes, I am a addicted chess player, and I would support a program of chess playing but not in the classroom. That should be the time for English instruction.
Here at my university, I am paid planning time for 6 hours in the language department office. Back in September, I had tried to introduce chess playing with little success. I brought my own board, and had played with one student who had finished his coursework and social service but was busy writing his final thesis, but as soon as he had finished he stopped coming to school. I taught another student the rudiments but she had problems with remembering what pawns did. The other students only wanted to play checkers. Much easier.
The checkers made their inadvertent entrance into my classroom when we were studying the FCE material and I had to grab the board. So yes, I do believe chess is a great tool for learning but separate from classroom endeavors. Free time, yes. Class, no.
Here in Valladolid we have a chess teacher at the cultural center who has designed very active chess classes for children. He has introduced tournament play. The program is now attracting older people like myself as well as the parents for the child prodigies. (We have an 11 year old who has beaten everyone, regardless of age and may be destined to be the chess champion of the city). Meanwhile, the English library plans on initiating a chess program one nite a week in the city park. So chess is definitely on the move here in V.

contented · Joined: 17 Oct 2011 Posts: 136 Location: اسطنبول

Chess is a great idea! I teach at a k-12 school and chess is actually part of the curriculum. Just as they go to English, Math, Science, Phys. Ed., and so on, they too, go to chess class. During the year they'll hold a tournament at the school and kids from other schools join in. The chess teacher works part-time and I think his position is enviable. Who wouldn't want to get paid to teach a board game?

teacheratlarge · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 192 Location: Japan

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:10 am Post subject:

I do have to wonder.... a hallmark phrase.

No, I'm not teaching chess any more than I am teaching learners how to think. As we have many, many times discussed, that is simply not the job of a language teacher, which is to teach language. What Russians do not know how to play chess? What students anywhere do not know how to think? Perhaps both are done badly, but attempting to interfere is beyond our purview.

However, the aforementioned book contains short, sharp text which can be exploited in discussion with business learners. Perhaps not so universal, but works well enough in Russia. Not a bad little read in itself, though probably not something that Kasparov will remembered for.

BTW chess was part of Russian and especially Armenian culture before the Soviet Union, though it is true that mass participation was the brainchild of the government. Sadly, this seems to be slipping away.