Abstract:

Under conditions of modern reality, the intensive changes of the aims in teaching foreign languages are observed. Today the key emphasis in the practice of teaching foreign languages is put on teaching communication and authenticity. Due to this reason the approaches to the organization of language teaching have been changed, innovative teaching tools appear and the old ones are improved. Junior school age is considered to be the initial point of teaching foreign languages. Success or failures in further learning foreign languages depend on this age. To provide the effectiveness of language education at junior school age, a set of various teaching tools is used, where gamification takes a particular place. The game coincides with the peculiarities of junior school age and the children usually accept it as a teaching tool easily. To crown it all, the game is an indispensable part of informal language education which is gaining its popularity today. The authors believe that among all the variety of games the most effective are the authentic games, which are not modified and retain their original characteristics. Namely, these games can be regarded as a tool of authentic language acquisition. Despite the possible difficulties, such games may bring significant results.

The purposes of the article are to analyze the functions of the authentic games in teaching foreign languages at junior school age and determine the most effective ones. In the research, it was specified that all the authentic games can be dived into grammar, phonetical, vocabulary and listening ones. Communicative games take a separate place in this classification. One of the benefits of the authentic games in teaching foreign languages at junior school age is that they help not only apply in practice the language topics under study but develop memory, concentration, reflection, attention, and fine motor skills. It was also found out that authentic games can be less effective during the lessons at comprehensive schools. The best environment for using authentic games might be an informal language studio. As a matter of fact, language studios perform motivation function and authentic games allow to reach. The authors of the articles examined the most popular authentic linguodidactic games and chose some of them to apply in teaching foreign languages at junior school age in the frame of linguistic creative studio. Thus, the organization of informal language education at junior school age was provided. Such games as Scrabble, Dobble and some other ones were systematically used. The practice of application showed that authentic games possess advantages and disadvantages. They can bring effective educational results under observance of special conditions. Moreover, the use of some other methods and tools enhance the possibilities of authentic games.

Keywords:

Informal language education, authentic games, junior school age.