Do you sometimes feel tired after hours of studying? Are you torn between taking a break and pushing yourself to study more? Well, why not do both at the same time!

Playing a game in a foreign language has some distinct advantages. First of all, some people have trouble chatting, because they are shy or don’t know what to talk about. Silence during a conversation can feel very uncomfortable. But games have their own set sequence and pace, so you don’t have to worry so much about your next words. You can just go with the flow and only chat when there is something you want to talk about.

Also, one of the obstacles in language learning is the fact that you need to repeat what you have learned to solidify your skill and knowledge, but repetition can feel like a chore. However, when playing games you repeat certain words and phrases many times without even thinking about it. Before you know it, you memorize new English!

Finally, some games have themes, such as agriculture, war or exploration. This allows you to absorb related vocabulary as a set, with the additional benefit of visual cues to help you remember. It also lets you venture outside the realm of everyday ordinary English and broaden your horizons.

Here is a list of games we have in SALC:

• Taboo (“homemade” version) (any number of players)
• The Settlers of Catan (3-6 players)
• Monopoly (2-6 players)
• Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small (2 players)
• Dixit Odyssey (4-12 players)
• Codenames (4-8+ players)
• Scrabble (2-4 players)
• Resistance (5-10 players)

It’s very likely that the list will expand in the future!