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I also find the title "Games" destructive to an ESL course for Chinese adults. I have found that my Chinese adult students will throw themselves into a "Challenge" or a "Group Discussion" or a "Team Effort". But call it a "Game" and I run the real risk of the complaint that, "We only play games". Parents of 16-24 year olds also often object to "games" during lessons - not being at all familiar with the actual content or aim of the lesson, just hearing that their offspring was "playing games" during their expensive lesson. In China with its one-child policy, people are regarded as kids until they are about 23. Likewise, the HR Managers of companies can prick up their ears when their employees are "playing games" during their ESL lessons.

I have similarly found that the judicious use of DVD movies and documentaries (a whole new subject) sits a lot better with clients when I present it as it really is - "Now for a listening exercise". Perhaps being stung in the past by unscrupulous ESL teachers who do in fact throw on a movie as a time filler, or pull out yet another unrelated game to compensate for lack of preparation, the clients are on their guard against "games" and "DVDs".