Improving language skills through educational games in teaching Turkish to foreigners

The goal in learning a foreign language is to use the language that the individual chose in a proper manner after learning the rules governing that language. Using a language is possible after learning basic language skills. These skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Even though the richness of word treasure and knowing some expression forms are very important, these will prove useless if the person is unable to use this knowledge in writing and orally and if the person has not improved his/her communication skills. In order for a person to have control over the language, she or he needs to have improved his/her language skills equally.In order to provide efficiency and permanency of foreign language teaching, the teacher must use modern teaching methods and techniques. Because, each student may have different kinds of learning strategies. For this reason, the teacher needs to use methods and techniques which would appeal to all students. Teaching through educational games includes activities where all of the students can be active. These games help the students to learn the language by experiencing and practicing. Including educational games that are chosen and organized in parallel with the objectives, means making practice in the target language. In this way, the individual who has learned the language will internalize it. With the educational games incorporated into preparation of education programs and course books for teaching Turkish to foreigners, the success will rise and the lessons will be more efficient and affective.Using the descriptive model of this research, sample educational games are prepared which can be used in improving Turkish learners? language skills at basic level (A1-A2) in an enjoyable, easy and lasting way. These games are organized one by one for listening, speaking (spoken production, spoken interaction), writing and reading skills within the framework of European Language Portfolio. In this study, firstly, educational games and their usage in the learning of the language take a part. Then, by inspecting European Language Portfolio, all language skills are examined and language skill games are presented in a fundamental level (A1-A2). .In the study, literature review method has been adopted, and local and foreign sources have been examined in case of teaching of language usage in the games and then educational games have been prepared after getting experts? opinions. European Language Portfolio criteria is adapted for language proficiency and language skills to teach to the foreigners. Some of the games are prepared to the Turkish equivalances, some of them are prepared original.Keywords: Game, educational game, European Language Policy, language skills.