Games are also a fun tool for developing skills. I mean, who likes to be talked at. How many of us really develop a skill by sitting and talking, or listening to someone else talk? Based on the lifeless faces of students when I wandered into the realm of casual teaching and was tasked with talking from a pre-written, well worn, lecture, not many I would wager.
Within every game I teach at XtrAct Drama Academy there is built a transferable skill. Indeed, I once met a university lecturer who told me, "You give me a subject, any subject, and I will show you how to use drama to teach it." And I believe her. When I look at the many different experiences I have had working across a number of industries or travelling through non-english speaking nations or even in my every day interactions. Each skill I needed is a skill that gets covered within my drama classes. Problem solving, Effective Team Work, Effective and Engaging communication, Literacy, Focus, Observation, Confidence... The list goes on. And if you go on to work in theatre and perchance even pursue tertiary training in theatre you need to include skills in Mathmatics, IT, Science, Lighting, Sound Production, Administration... the list goes on.
We may not explicitly describe to students the skills they are developing each time they play in our classes, but trust me, Drama is more than a game.