The use of gaming technologies in foreign language classes as a way to prevent and correct language anxiety

Abstract

The paper looks into the problem of finding methods and educational technologies that reveal the creative potential of students, ensure their involvement in the educational process, and ensure the prevention and correction of psychological problems the students might have. The authors review the value of gaming technologies, the peculiarities of their use in teaching foreign languages, especially in connection with the emergence of language anxiety of students, and analyze the types of language anxiety and the role of gaming technologies in the prevention and correction of language anxiety of students. The paper focuses on the causes of language anxiety in teenage students. The study aimed to look into the influence of game forms of education on the reduction of language anxiety of school students learning foreign languages. To achieve the goal and confirm the hypothesis put forward, the authors used the method of measuring language anxiety during the study of a foreign language by Horwitz (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale). At the formative stage, a set of games was developed, which was used in German lessons with students of the experimental group for one month. Further, the paper analyzes the results of the study of the influence of game forms of learning on the reduction of language anxiety in the study of foreign languages. The paper has not only theoretical significance in terms of considering language anxiety, but also practical significance and novelty because the results of the study showed the high efficiency of gaming technologies and confirmed the fundamental possibility of prevention and psychocorrection of language anxiety with their help.

Keywords

• gaming technologies
• language anxiety
• prevention and correction of language anxiety
• language and speech games