Talking About Video Games in Spanish: Beyond “Good” or “Bad”

A discussion without a “good or bad” verdict

At Spanish Super Tutor, we are discussing video games with our students.

But the task is not:

“Tell me why video games are good.”

And it is not:

“Tell me why video games are bad.”

Instead, students answer a more specific question:

“¿Cuáles son las ventajas y las posibles desventajas de los videojuegos?”

The distinction matters for this lesson. We want students to explain different aspects of the topic, support their points and avoid treating every player’s experience as identical.

Starting with the advantages

Our opening ideas are accessible:

• “Puedes escoger el juego.”

• “Puedes ir a tu ritmo.”

• “Te lo puedes pasar muy bien.”

• “Puedes explorar mundos imaginarios.”

These sentences give students a clear starting point.

The next task is to develop them.

For example:

“Una ventaja es que puedes escoger un juego que te interese.”

Or:

“En algunos juegos puedes ir a tu ritmo, por ejemplo, cuando exploras un mundo sin tener que competir.”

The aim is not to make every sentence longer. It is to make the meaning more specific.

Exploring possible disadvantages

Students then consider a different set of ideas:

• Spending long periods sitting or lying down.

• Having less time for friends outside the game.

• Finding it difficult to stop.

• Leaving less time for homework or responsibilities.

These are discussion points—not claims that every person who plays video games experiences all these difficulties.

Students can express them carefully:

“Si pasas muchas horas jugando sentado, te mueves poco durante ese tiempo.”

“A veces puede resultar difícil parar porque quieres seguir jugando.”

“Jugar puede quitarte tiempo para hacer los deberes.”

The lesson asks learners to identify the circumstances behind an idea, rather than present a possibility as an inevitable outcome.

Being precise about social interaction

One starting point in our discussion concerns time with friends and opportunities to practise social skills.

Here, wording is important.

“Los videojuegos no te permiten desarrollar habilidades sociales” is too broad for the argument we are constructing.

A more focused sentence is:

“Si jugar sustituye el tiempo que pasas con tus amigos en persona, puedes tener menos oportunidades de practicar habilidades sociales cara a cara.”

Students do not need such a complex sentence immediately. They can begin with:

“Puedes pasar menos tiempo con tus amigos fuera del juego.”

Then they can add a condition or example.

The task is to explain the particular disadvantage they mean—not assume that all gaming experiences are the same.

The grammar: poder + infinitive

A central structure in this lesson is:

Poder + infinitive

It appears on both sides of the discussion:

• “Puedes explorar mundos imaginarios.”

• “Puedes pasar menos tiempo haciendo otras actividades.”

Students also compare:

“Los videojuegos te quitan tiempo.”

with:

“Los videojuegos pueden quitarte tiempo.”

The second sentence expresses a possibility rather than an unqualified statement.

To develop that possibility, students add a condition:

“Si juegas durante mucho tiempo, puedes tener menos tiempo para tus responsabilidades.”

Connecting ideas without cancelling them out

Students practise connectors such as:

• Además — Furthermore.

• Sin embargo — However.

• Por otro lado — On the other hand.

• Porque — Because.

• Ya que — Since / because.

• Por ejemplo — For example.

A short answer might become:

“Una ventaja es que puedes explorar mundos imaginarios. Además, te lo puedes pasar muy bien. Sin embargo, si juegas durante muchas horas, puedes tener menos tiempo para otras actividades.”

The disadvantage does not erase the advantage. The advantage does not erase the disadvantage.

Both belong in the discussion.

From a statement to a developed answer

During speaking practice, students use this sequence:

Point → Reason → Example → Qualification

For example:

Point:“Una ventaja es que puedes escoger el juego.”

Reason:“Puedes elegir algo que te interese.”

Example:“Por ejemplo, puedes escoger un juego de aventuras si te gusta explorar.”

Qualification:“Sin embargo, no todos los juegos te permiten ir a tu ritmo.”

Not every answer needs all four elements. The sequence gives students options when they need to develop an idea.

Our final speaking challenge

Students prepare a short response containing:

• Two advantages.

• Two possible disadvantages.

• Reasons or examples.

• At least one qualifying expression, such as a veces, puede or depende de.

They are not required to finish by saying that video games are good or bad.

Instead, they can conclude by identifying what the experience depends on:

“Las ventajas y las desventajas pueden depender del juego, del tiempo que juegas y de cómo organizas tus otras actividades.”

The purpose of the lesson

This discussion gives our A2–B1 learners, including students preparing for IGCSE Spanish and IB Spanish Ab Initio, a familiar topic for practising more developed Spanish.

We work on vocabulary, grammar and speaking—but the instruction remains simple:

Don’t just give me a label.

Explain the advantages and disadvantages.

Explore the programme with Teacher Miguel at Spanish Super Tutor.