This master's thesis attempts to shed light on the use of didactic games in Spanish language teaching in primary and secondary schools in Slovenia. The purpose of the research was to investigate how Spanish teachers understand the role of didactic games in the learning process, how they plan and use them, and what effects their use has on pupils and students. The thesis is based on contemporary didactic approaches to foreign language teaching, particularly the connection between the communicative approach and experiential learning, which emphasize the active role of the learner, learning through activity, and the purposeful use of the target language. In this context, didactic games are recognized as an effective teaching strategy that combines motivation, learning, and social interaction.
The empirical part is based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with teachers of Spanish. The findings show that didactic games are not understood merely as a motivational addition to lessons, but as a well-thought-out and goal-oriented didactic strategy that is meaningfully linked to learning objectives, learning content, and the characteristics of the learning group. The games are mostly planned as part of the annual work plan but are flexible enough to be adapted to the learning group and the learning situation. Teachers emphasize the positive impact of games on motivation, active use of the target language, speaking confidence, and classroom climate. Despite time and organizational constraints, they recognize didactic games as an effective support for modern Spanish language teaching.
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