The return to the life of face-to-face classes

Many students, like me, were used to receiving classes in a different way after 2 years of the pandemic. However, this semester we have returned to virtual classes and now at the end of the semester, I was able to witness different situations. As different people found it very difficult to get used to face-to-face classes again, on the other hand, people who are getting used to face-to-face classes again and although it sounds a little unbelievable there were people who got used to face-to-face classes again just in a matter of time.

 In my case, it was very difficult to go back to classes day after day since I was working and studying in the evenings. From time to time I was late for class because I was late from work or I didn't finish my homework on time because I didn't have time in the afternoons for my other classes. In other words, everything was chaos in my life at the beginning of the semester.  But as time went by my life became more comfortable and I can give my point of view based on my experience. I was always aware that at any time I had to go back to college classes. 

Therefore, I had to learn to organize myself better. Perhaps the classes during the pandemic were more relaxed, as I did not have to move from one place to another. And this gave way to more activities while I was in online classes. However, it only remains to give up many things that thanks to the virtual modality we were able to do but in the end, we must prioritize the destiny that one day we chose which was to enter the university regardless of whether it was virtual or face-to-face.

Do violent games can have a negative impact on children?

The advancement of technology through the years has provided entertainment, such as video games, with a negative impact on children. However, there are positive aspects that influence children such as acquiring new vocabulary in English. For this reason, I believe that people at some point in life have taken to playing video games, although there are others who cannot live without them, and they are probably the most proficient in the English language. Like most children, I too have played video games since I was a child. But I think spending a lot of time with these types of activities has helped my cognitive skills and reduced stress. In general, it depends on how each person reacts, as we are all different and you have to know what are the pros and cons of playing video games at a young age.

One positive influence is that researchers confirm that playing video games makes many children unconsciously learn English more easily and quickly. For example, a video game that has been popular for years with various video game series is Resident Evil. This video game is a very violent game in which you have to perform murders throughout the game to level up. Nevertheless, this type of video game includes stories with dialogues, and individual player participation in English about real-life contexts, and consequently many students end up reproducing both the good they hear and the bad they see in each child's personal behaviors.

Similarly, other benefits for children who play video games claimed by researchers is that they improve physical and mental skills. Video game playing on a daily basis has been shown to improve visual attention and allow for more efficient multitasking. For instance, research carried out by the University of Oxford, with 5,000 children between 10 and 15 years old, found that those who played at least one hour a day presented higher levels of sociability and a lower degree of hyperactivity or emotional problems. Therefore, the video game called PES 2010, which deals with the popular sport of soccer for me when I was a child helped me develop my imagination.  For this reason, I think that video games encourage creativity and cooperation rather as opposed to violence. In other words, spending too much time playing video games can lead to a loss of sensibility, becoming a long-term addiction. The question is how to know what video game is advisable for children to spend their free time playing?

In sum, there are different types of video games that can have an effect on children. But we must not forget that all children are different and therefore have a different way of receiving new information. In order for video games not to add to the negative aspects, it depends on knowing what to choose as an educational and productive video game. That means, if parents and guardians in charge of children begin to control by choosing a video game suitable for children, which is not too violent but contains the learning of a certain subject, video games will have the expected performance in children. What we must always keep in mind is that learning at an early age will always be faster and more efficient than learning English.