The Importance of Simulations in Developing Effective EFL Curricula.

Simulation-gaming has been used extensively throughout history to develop skills in human organisation and communication. While initially this primarily focused on military strategy and tactics, in the 20th century it began to be applied more widely to the business field and then to areas as diverse as nursing, environmental planning and politics. However, apart from very limited application through small-scale role-playing or tangentially related activities such as Model United Nations, its use in the field of EFL has been largely overlooked. Recently, programs such as the Reacting to the Past series have highlighted the significant impact to be found in academic application of simulation gaming and this article examines and outlines the numerous benefits the can offer to the development of both language and broader communication skills.