Statement of the problem
Learning vocabulary is an essential activities for people who wish to study a foreign language Vocabulary enables language learners to produce what they want to say
With a rich source of words, it is easier for LLs to communicate exactly what they want to convey without much explanations This is why teaching new words to student is a crucial part of language lessons
However, not all teachers put emphasis on teaching These teachers believe that grammar should be focused on more than vocabulary They fear that students may make mistakes in sentence building if they learn too many words before getting familiar with basic grammar rules Some teachers even think that words would be best learned through experience, because there are not many suitable contexts for teaching words in the language classroom The beliefs mentioned above are true to a certain extent Without grammar rules, very little is communicated, but without words nothing is communicated, as Wilkins (1972, p 111-112) said The most important thing for language teachers to do is to find suitable vocabulary teaching techniques
In Chi Linh District, the translation method is officially applied to word teaching in high schools New words are normally delivered to students with their meanings explained by teachers, which is very time-consuming For most of the students, learning new words is a boring task What they do is to listen to the words they need to learn, looking up for their meanings in the dictionary, and then write those words again and again The process is repeated until language learners remember the words, yet they find it difficult to keep these words in their long term memory It can be considered the result of a less impressive new-word learning way
Vocabulary games have been proved beneficial to word teaching Language games can motivate students in the English vocabulary learning process By using vocabulary games in language classrooms, teachers can help students make use of their words to interact with other classmates, and get to know more words through oral communication Besides adding elements of fun, games can help store a long lasting word source in students’ long-term memory However, language games are quite new activities to language teachers and learners of some high schools in Chi Linh District They are not often properly exploited Some students say they seldom play language games in leaning words in classes Some teachers hardly ever design any lessons including vocabulary games Their students therefore seldom have a chance to learn new words through vocabulary games
Thus, the present study has been carried out to investigate the attitudes of teachers and learners towards games for teaching and learning vocabulary.
Research questions
The research focuses on finding the answers to the following question:
What are the attitudes of teachers and learners towards using games in teaching and learning vocabulary?
Objectives of the study
This study has been carried out in order to discover:
the attitudes of teachers towards language games in teaching vocabulary
how teachers apply games for vocabulary teaching
the attitudes of students towards learning vocabulary by language games
how students get involved in using language games for word learning.
Significance of the study
The aim of the study is to reveal the attitudes of both language teachers and learners towards language games for vocabulary teaching and learning on the one hand On the other hand, it provides facts for teachers to compare vocabulary games with other word-teaching activities Vocabulary games in this sense can be viewed as a positive factor contributing to making word teaching more effective Games help increase language learners’ word-retention naturally.
Scope of the study
The study has been conducted in Chi Linh District, Hai Duong Province There are four high schools in this area The research aims at the attitudes of the teachers and students in these schools towards language games The researcher would like to explore how vocabulary games are applied to teaching and learning words in English language classes A survey research has been done with the participation of thirty English language teachers and twelfth- grade students of different high schools in Chi Linh District, Hai Duong Province.
Design of the study
The study includes three parts:
PART I is the Introduction of the study which states the problem, the research question, objectives, scope, significance and design of the whole paper
PART II is the Development which is composed of two chapters Chapter one presents the Literature Review of the study Chapter two demonstrates the research’s methodology including the subjects of the study, data gathering instruments, procedures, findings and discussion
Part THREE is the Conclusion which summarizes significant findings of the investigation, elaborates contributions of the research, puts forward practical suggestions for future research, and addresses notable limitations as well.
LITERATURE REVIEW
An Overview of Vocabulary Teaching
There are different definitions of vocabulary Linguistic scholars describe vocabulary with their own sets of criteria, depending on the areas they base on to develop the term Vocabulary is commonly defined as “a list of words with their meanings, especially in a book for learning a foreign language.” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s E-Dictionary, 2010)
McCarthy (2004, p 5) states that “vocabulary items are not often single orthographic units, but rather multi-word units.” This means speakers tend to use words which can be put together to make sense rather than using an equivalent number of individual words
Vocabulary “may be individual words, or full sentences – institutionalized utterances – that convey social or pragmatic meaning within a given community.”
(Lewis, 1993, p 89) Besides, Grave (2000) considers vocabulary as the whole stock of words of a branch of language possessed by every learner
Although the definitions are not the same, scholars tend to describe vocabulary items more than single words Vocabulary therefore covers a bigger aspect of language and it is the medium for language learners to express their ideas
We can consider vocabulary as the backbone of a language From what have been stated and suggested by scholars and linguists, vocabulary can be seen as all of the words in a language which are used in a particular context or the words an individual person knows
1.1.2 Role of teaching and learning vocabulary
Teaching and learning vocabulary have been recognized as being necessary in any learning language stages It bridges over the gaps between language skills Students may be very good at learning language grammar, they still cannot communicate successfully in a second or foreign language without words The ability to express a wide range of meanings depends much on the number of words they have accumulated, as presented by McCarthy (1990, p viii) Vermeer (1992, p 147) considers knowing words as the key to understand others and being understood by others And as what Selinker (1994, p 270) asserted, words are probably the most important component for learners when learning a language Lewis (1993, p 89) agrees that “lexis is the core or heart of language.”
It is obvious that vocabulary is very important It is normally not surprising if a language learner with a large number of words can often communicate better than others who just know some Language students will be able to convey their ideas more precisely and better with a good source of vocabulary They are also capable of comprehending reading materials, giving responses, understand others’ speech, speaking more fluently, and writing about specific issues concretely if they can use appropriate words Vocabulary is the essential component of a language, teaching and learning vocabulary should be seriously taken into account when teaching English Language teachers, therefore, need to take vocabulary teaching activities as integrated parts of teaching language skills, and as the basis to develop learners’ language skills
Some language teachers claim that they are teaching new words without principles
However, principles are understood as “strong beliefs that influence your actions, reasons for acting or thinking in particular ways” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s E- Dictionary, 2010) Thus, any teachers who even are practising teaching English regardless of following any courses namely “teaching principles,” they are actually teaching their language learners what they believe the best to teach Those teachers tend to take the advantages of language aspects they are interacting with students
Their own rules may be traditional or the same to current principles being applied at present time And again, knowledge of word teaching principles basically enables language teachers to concretely name and plan what about words they are teaching to their learners
Thornbury (2002, p 15, 16) recommended that we teach nine aspects of a word to language learners The word knowledge includes the spoken form, the written form, the meaning(s), the grammatical behavior (verb or noun, whether it can be used passively, etc.), the collocations of the word, the word’s derivations, the register of the word (spoken and written), the word’s frequency, and the connotations
Hubbard et al (1989) and Nation (2003), cited by Huong et al (2011), suggeste eight principles of teaching vocabulary as following:
- The spoken word form should be taught and learned first in order to help students avoid pronouncing the words the way they are written
- Present new words in a memorable way to help language learners remember better
- Make sure that language learners have understood new words, even when the words have been well presented
- Give students opportunities to practise the words having learned in context
- Revision is needed for language learners
- Choose the higher frequency words for teaching and spend more time practising them than the lower ones This should contribute to building language learners’ active source of words
- Teaching words as units for language beginners to develop their fluency quickly
- Word learning strategies, such as word cards, should be suggested to language learners for their effective self-study
Norbert Schmitt (2004, p 6-19) has suggested that language teachers consider several principles when teaching vocabulary to students These principles are:
- choosing the number of words and the kind of words to teach
- learning the spelling and pronunciation of a word is important
- making use of the first language
- combining explicit teaching and incidental learning
There are, of course, different principles of teaching vocabulary to language learners The researcher himself often considers six things when he practises teaching words to my language learners: (1) choosing the key words of the lesson to be taught, (2) asking learners to list the words of the lesson they have not known, (3) trying to teach different aspects of a word, (4) giving meaningful contexts and learning opportunities to learners, (5) using tests and checking vocabulary techniques to provide students with a chance to use learned words, and (6) getting to know more and be patient with learners
These principles of vocabulary teaching will be realized with good teaching techniques
In general, English language teachers know the importance of teaching vocabulary
Thus, there are popular techniques applied to effective word teaching These techniques include visual techniques, verbal techniques and translation
Doff (1998, p 13-16) shows three ways of presenting the meaning of new words
They are (1) showing the meaning of the words visually, (2) using examples, and (3) taking the advantages of different techniques For visual techniques, he recommends that language teachers write the words on the board It is a good way for teachers to bring or use real objects available in the classroom to show students the meaning of the words Besides, using pictures by either drawing or preparing before the lesson can help learners guess the meaning of new words There are words whose meanings can be revealed by using mime Teachers use their body gestures, actions or facial expressions to show the word meanings Using visual techniques to show the word meanings makes teaching vocabulary direct, interesting and impressive As Doff (1998, p 14) states: visual technique “is a very effective method” for teaching words to students Giving examples to show the meanings of words in contexts is also a good way to present words However, language teachers should show word meanings by simple sentences Examples should be easy-to-understand, especially for learners who do not have strong vocabulary Doff also suggests that teachers combine “different techniques” when teaching new words to learners This is a practical idea because language teachers often take advantages different methods and techniques to help their students learns vocabulary betters To show the meaning of a word, a teacher can employ pictures, use his facial expressions, give examples, and translate the word into students’ native language This combination is often very useful and effective
Gairns and Redman (1986, p 73) suggest using flashcards, charts, and using objects when teaching words denoting concrete items, such as food, or furniture The techniques are also useful for teaching vocabulary of places, people description, and their activities This method will result in LLs’ quick understanding of the language
Mime and body gestures are also recommended for vocabulary visual teaching techniques By giving situations to demonstrate the words and using gestures, teachers will help students consolidate their knowledge
When language teachers have to teach words that are abstract, Gairns and Redman
(1986, p 74) suggest that they use illustrative situations (oral or written) To make sure that learners get the meanings of the words, teachers can give more situations or contexts to check if they have already understood the words And learners should be encouraged to practise in the contexts and situations given by teachers
When teaching the idiom “not at all” to students, for instance, the teacher creates illustrative situations such as saying: “Thank you for helping me,” or “Do you mind…?” For language learners of low levels, using synonymy and definition, contrasts and opposites is an effective method Teachers can use the word “ very sad ” to demonstrate the meaning of “ miserable ,” or a definition like “a person who receives something” to reveal what “recipient” is For some words, synonyms and definitions can be good techniques to help students get to know the meanings A teacher can ask a question as “What is the opposite of spacious? ” to show the meaning of “ cramped ” to his/her students
When vocabulary teaching techniques such as using pictures, body gestures, synonymy, antonyms, or definitions are not really effective for teaching new words, the technique of translation the words into students’ mother tongue is a good way to teach those words that directly show the meaning of the vocabulary items and save time Students will get to know the words quickly However, Gairns and Redman
An Overview of Language Games
Hadfield (1996, p v) defines language games as activities with rules, a goal and an element of fun According to the definition, games help teachers create language learning activities, and set the objectives Studying language is a hard job, and so is learning new words Students have to make efforts to grasp word meanings, pronounce accurately, and manipulate those words And of course, language learners have to work hard over a long period of time Language games can help students remain their interest and motivation to learn naturally Besides, games enable language teachers to create the contexts in which words are meaningful
Lewis (1999, p 5) regards language games as task based In this sense, English will be a tool that helps learners achieve language goals To participate in a language game, students will learn a set of rules that guides their actions and strategies
Games offer them chances to apply language and build up language skills They are good challenges to learners’ thoughts The games’ rules enable LLs’ decision- making to get better
Some of the language games are carried out by groups or pairs of learners, language games, therefore, are competitive They encourage learners to try to win the prizes or to beat other groups By involving in playing language games, students can have fun, relax, exercise, and compete with their classmates This brings about impressive learning, and which help students remember the lesson better On the plus side, vocabulary games enable learners to pronounce words clearly and accurately to make others understand them.
Classification of language games
In term of categories, Hadfield (1996, p v) divides language games into linguistic games and communicative games According to what he has stated, accuracy is the goal of linguistic games In contrast, the goal of communicative games is successful completion of exchanging information tasks, pictures or chart filling, card matching, not language production
In his book Elementary Communication Games (1984, p 4-5), Hadfield classifies games into two types: “choice games” and “reinforcement games.” Choice games are based on grammar knowledge Instead of doing grammar exercises with unrelated sentences, learners “have to choose the correct linguistic form” in game formats Choice games include (i) matching two words or phrases, (ii) finding missing words to complete a sentence, (iii) sorting words/phrases into categories, (iv) ordering words to make meaningful sentences, (v) competing to make as many sentences as possible, and (vi) completing full questions or sentences
Reinforcement games provide students with both intensive grammar structures repetition and meaningful context These games cover (i) information gap games, (ii) guessing games, and (iii) search games Different kinds of language games, of course, offer language learners various learning activities They generally enable students to learn new words actively and interestingly.
Reasons for using games in vocabulary teaching
Toth (1995, p 6) considers games tools to create context to help students naturally focus on completion of a task without thinking too much that they are practising language items Players know that language games have final results or outcomes, they will, therefore, attempt to complete their tasks which are challenging and interesting Moreover, using games for teaching vocabulary will change the language classroom’s atmosphere Cooperative learning is encouraged in this class
The activities offered by teachers are guiding, not testing Students therefore look at these learning activities as opportunities to practise and try to take advantage of their language games This results in motivation for them to focus on processing the target language structures, not being under the pressure of producing language mistakes Also, learners will participate in word games with self- and peer- correction They often feel at ease to learn when taking responsibility for teaching themselves and helping others And of course, they have plenty of practice in target language Word games often involve oral interaction When learners communicate with each other, they attend to word forms and word meanings better because they really interpret and manipulate the words Games are also sources of fun and pleasure for both teachers and learners while teaching and learning words This is the reason why using games for working with words is a good choice, which makes language lessons more creative and funny.
The previous studies
There are different studies focusing on teaching and learning vocabulary Thao
(2011) carried out a study on improving learning English vocabulary through games
She has claimed that vocabulary games have helped students improve their vocabulary acquisition The similar results were found by Dung (2011) when she did a research on employing checking techniques in teaching words to investigate language teachers’ attitudes towards this method To explore the effects of games on helping learners to retain word meaning, in Mai’s study (2010), she considered games positive activities that were effective to help learners remember words better.
THE STUDY
Subjects
The subjects of the study are teachers and students chosen randomly from different high schools in Chi Linh District The total population is thirty twelfth-grade students and thirty English language teachers aged from twenty-seven to fifty-four
The students taking part in the study have been learning English for more than six years They have opportunities to practise English with different language teachers, and get involved in various vocabulary learning activities The teachers who are of different ages have dissimilar word teaching experiences.
Data gathering instruments
The instruments used in the study are teacher and student questionnaires Each questionnaire comprises eight questions They are used to gather information from language teachers and students In the questionnaire designed for students, the first five questions which reflect students’ attitudes towards using word games when learning vocabulary Questions one and two show how they feel about word games
Question three reveals if word games are their favourite activities in comparison with other word learning activities The fourth question makes it clear whether games help them learn new words better The next question lets us know how many students choose to learn vocabulary by playing games when they have choices The last three questions point out if students really get involved in learning words by games
Three questions are used to reveal the attitudes of language teachers towards using games for teaching words The next three questions help explore whether language teachers are willing to apply games, or use games as tools, the frequency of using games for teaching words The last question discloses whether the teachers have intention to use games for teaching words in the future.
Procedures
The data collection includes three stages:
Stage 1: The questionnaires are designed carefully The students’ questionnaire is in both English and Vietnamese The teachers’ questionnaire is in English only At first, ten questionnaires were delivered to different language teachers and students to make sure that the questionnaires are legible and relevant The researcher then has made some changes to the questionnaires to increase their validity and reliability
Stage 2: The questionnaires were delivered to thirty language teachers and thirty twelfth-grade students The instructions were clearly explained to the respondents
The researcher was with the respondents offering help to make sure that all the questionnaires had been conveniently completed
Stage 3: All the data from questionnaires were collected, encoded into tables and charts to analyzed and contrasted to get answers to the research questions.
Findings and discussion
2.2.1.1 The attitudes of language teachers towards vocabulary games
Question 1 Is using language games for teaching vocabulary more effective and more interesting than other activities?
Chart 1 Teachers’ comparison of using games with other activities for teaching words
As demonstrated in the chart above, about one-third of the teachers agree that using games for teaching new words to language learners is more effective and more interesting than other methods This implies that these teachers under investigation probably have been using games as word teaching activities These activities must have brought both them and their students positive results in mastering lexis items
However, more than a half of the teachers participating in the survey have not considered games as more effective and more interesting activities in contrast to other methods The other 13.4 % of teachers do not concern about this matter To summarize, there are at least more than 30 % of teachers in this survey who have regarded language games as good activities for word teaching
Question 2 Can language games provide meaningful context for vocabulary teaching?
Chart 2 Teachers’ agreement that games create meaningful contexts for word teaching
The pie chart indicates the majority of teachers prefer to use games to help language students learn and manipulate their words in proper contexts It is understandable because games enable language students to communicate successfully and effectively They certainly have to use their own words and ask for other learners’ help when necessary The lexis items are vividly designed for students by getting involved in the games The other 43 % of language teachers disagreed or had no idea of using games to create appropriate learning contexts to learners These teachers may be accustomed to using other techniques to introduce new words to students other than using vocabulary games In conclusion, games are generally thought of as tools to put vocabulary into suitable situations to be learned and practised Using games on this purpose is still popular among language teachers although not all of the teachers take advantages of positive impacts of games
Question 3 Do you think that games for teaching words are time-consuming activities?
Chart 3 Teachers’ viewpoints of teachers towards word games as time-consuming activities
As shown in the bar chart, the teachers who subscribe to the view that games are time-consuming activities account for 46.67 % This trend reveals the real situation of applying games to teaching words About 23 % have no idea about using games to learn vocabulary while thirty % of the teacher do not think that word games are time-consuming These teachers may be capable of conducting word games The teachers who have no idea about the issue are probably not interested in using games, or never aware of them
Question 4 Do you agree that vocabulary games should be introduced when teaching new words to language learners?
The following chart shows that only 20 % of language teachers agree that games should be used when teaching vocabulary It is worth bearing in mind that the percentage is corresponding to what have been reflected from questions 1 and question 3 Although language games can result in meaningful word learning contexts, over 50 % of teachers consider to word games time-consuming, and these teaching activities are not necessarily more effective than other activities This probably explains why 30 % of teachers disagree to introduce language games applied for vocabulary teaching And the rest of the teachers 43.33% do not want to discuss whether to exploit language games as tools to nurture students’ word learning
Chart 4 Teachers’ view towards introducing games to word teaching 2.2.1.2 How language teachers have applied games for vocabulary teaching
Question 5 How well do you think you can conduct a word game in your language class?
The chart below represents the different ability to implement a game to teach vocabulary to students in a language class The variables are categorized as “quite well” and “well enough” to demonstrate if the teachers believe that they can successfully perform a word game in a language lesson Other options such as
“normal” and “not well” are for teachers who are not sure whether they can carry out a vocabulary game in their class Slightly more than 33 % of teachers think that they are able to use games in teaching words Maybe these teachers use game to present and help their learners grasp new words The teachers who agree that their ability is normal or not good enough to guide learners through a word game smoothly amount to 66.7 % The last two choices account for 20 % and 13.33 % respectively
Chart 5 Teachers’ ability to conduct a vocabulary game
Question 6 Which vocabulary teaching technique do you often choose to teach new words to your language learners?
Chart 6 Teachers’ favourite choice for teaching words
As illustrated by the chart, only 10 % of language teachers prefer using word games to other activities to teach vocabulary to students Besides, using visual techniques, verbal techniques and translation is more popular to language teachers It can be inferred from the chart that games have not often been applied much to word teaching The reason for this may be time consumption Obviously, using visual techniques, verbal techniques and translation methods is more convenient than preparing a game for word teaching
Question 7 How often do you employ language games for teaching vocabulary?
Chart 7 Teachers’ frequency of using games for word teaching
It is obvious from the chart that the number of teachers who often make use of games for teaching words account for 6.67 % This group of teachers may find the plus points of games and has been using game as effective activities to enable students to learn words About 16 % of language teachers may sometimes use language games as a change to motivate their students A great number of teachers 76.7 % have rarely or never taken advantage of games in their word teaching activities Language games may not be easy to apply to teaching lexis items to language learners
Question 8 Do you have intention of applying games to teaching vocabulary to your students in the future?
Chart 8 Teachers’ future intention to apply games to vocabulary teaching
The pie chart above vividly illustrates that 23 % of the language teachers will be willing to use games to teach vocabulary to their students This is not a small proportion because there are many other activities that can be used to introduce to vocabulary in English lessons Those language teachers who choose “not sure” or
“no idea” may find word games not interesting enough to use in a language class
The teachers having intention of using word games in the future is 23 %, which may imply that they can employ vocabulary teaching activities as teaching tools In short, games are probably among favourite activities chosen by language teachers in word teaching
2.2.1.3 The attitudes of language learners towards vocabulary games
Question 1 Do you like language games conducted by your teacher in learning words?
Chart 9 Students’ attitudes of student towards learning words by playing games
It can be inferred from the chart above that the majority of language learners love learning new words in combination with playing language games The total number of students who like word games 60 % reveals that games are really attractive activities This may be due to games’ characteristics such as having goals, being funny and challenging However, other 40 % of students do not like word games or do not have intention to discuss this matter Taking part in these activities is probably difficult for them or they may find word games not interesting
Question 2 What are your feelings when learning new words through vocabulary games?
The following chart clearly shows that most of the students find language games interesting While 53.3 % of the students show their likes to language games There existed 23.3 % have no idea, and the rest are in different or have no interest in language games This means that using language games in teaching words to students is a good choice It is because of students’ keenness on games, and using games in vocabulary lessons will enable students to learn words better
Chart 10 Students’ emotions when taking part in word games
Question 3 Is learning vocabulary by playing language games more interesting than other ways such as writing for many times, learning by heart, etc.?
Chart 11 Students’ attitudes towards vocabulary games compared to other activities
It is clear from the chart above that more than half of language learners find playing games more interesting than other word learning activities such as writing words for many times, or learning them by heart, etc 46 % of the students do not like language games or have no concern to the idea of whether to use games for their word leaning activities In all, the large scale of students love word games Only
10 % of the students do not like vocabulary games and about 36 % have no idea
The majority of the students 53.33 % say “yes” to games in learning vocabulary
Question 4 Do you agree that language games help you learn new words more effectively?
Chart 12 Students’ attitudes towards the effectiveness of vocabulary games
The number of students who consider vocabulary games effective activities which can help them learn words better is exactly the same as that of those who find vocabulary games interesting (53.33 % and 53.33 %) There may be a relationship between the keenness on word games and the effectiveness of using games in learning new words Students feel like those activities and as a result this helps them learn word effectively
Question 5 In your opinion, what is the best way to learn new words among the following choices?
Summary of the study
The study has been conducted in Chi Linh District, Hai Duong Province The participants are thirty English language teachers aged from twenty-seven to fifty- four, and thirty twelfth-grade students of different high schools in Chi Linh District
The questionnaires were delivered to them and the data have been analyzed after being encoded into tables and charts
The study has revealed the teachers and students’ positive attitudes towards using games for teaching and learning new words Teachers need to pay more attention to language games because these activities maintain students’ interest and motivation
Hence, games will somehow promote students’ word acquisition Games can normally draw the learners’ attention Teachers should be careful in finding and designing appropriate vocabulary games regarded as supplementary activities so that they can exploit to perform games within the time limit Besides, teachers’ precise instructions can help learners understand game rules, and game goals quickly The instructions should be simple, easy and clear enough for the students to understand and participate in word learning activities All the things mentioned above aim at maintaining learners’ attention to the lesson as well as their interest.
Limitations of the study
Although the study has achieved the objectives set at the beginning, it cannot avoid some limitations
Firstly, the number of the teachers taking part in the study as the participants are limited The findings would be more useful if the researcher could have got more teacher to participate in the research Moreover, language students who joined the research were randomly chosen The results would be more detailed if the researcher could have categorized them according to different basic groups or according to their English proficiency In addition, the study is conducted within a limited scope which focuses only on teachers and students’ attitudes towards language games in teaching and learning vocabulary It does not take into consideration other issues such as language games which can be applied to teaching other language skills like reading, speaking, etc
The current study is a survey research which has used questionnaires as its main instruments This may not reflect all aspects of the study With the aim of getting more valid and reliable data, other tools can be made used of such as interviews, video-taping and audio-taping Further research into games will provide more exact results if it is carried out over a long period of time Finally, the participants taking part in the research will be classified according to their language levels, age groups and other characteristics considered important to the results of the study
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Teaching Vocabulary at Bac Ninh Specialized High School Master thesis
Vietnam National University, Hanoi – University of Languages and International Studies – Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies
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Learners Retain Word Meaning Master thesis Vietnam National University,
Hanoi – University of Languages and International Studies – Faculty of Post- Graduate Studies
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The questionnaire is designed for the study “Teachers and Students’ Attitude towards Using Games in Teaching and Learning Vocabulary.” Please CIRCLE the answer on your own idea to indicate your choices
*NOTE: all the information provided by you is reserved for the study purpose, and you can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
1 Is using language games using for teaching vocabulary more effective and more interesting than other activities?
C Dis agree D I have no idea
2 Can language games provide meaningful context for vocabulary teaching?
3 Do you think that games for teaching words are time-consuming activities?
4 Do you agree that vocabulary games should be introduced when teaching new words to language learners?
5 How well do you think you can conduct a word game in your language class?
6 Which vocabulary teaching technique do you often choose to teach new words to your language learners?
7 How often do you employ language games to teaching vocabulary?
8 Do you have intention of applying games for teaching vocabulary to your students in the future?
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
APPENDIX 2 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES FOR STUDENTS
The questionnaire is designed for the study “Teachers and Students’ Attitude towards Using Games in Teaching and Learning Vocabulary.” Please CIRCLE the answer on your own idea to indicate your choices
*NOTE: all the personal information provided by you is reserved for the study purpose, and you can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussions of the data
Thank you very much for your cooperation!
1 Do you like language games conducted by your teacher in learning words?
C I don’t like them D I have no idea
2 What are your feelings when learning new words through vocabulary games?
A Funny and motivated B I don’t like word games
3 Is learning vocabulary by playing language games more interesting than other ways such as writing for many times, learning by heart, etc.?
A Yes B No C I have no idea
4 Do you agree that language games help you learn new words more effectively?
5 In your opinion, what is the best way to learn new words among the following choices?
A Playing language games conducted by your teacher
B Your language teacher lists the new words on the board, explains their meanings and the usage, and helps you pronounce those words
C You prepare the list of new words and learn them by yourself at home
6 How often do you have chance to learn new words by playing vocabulary games in your class?
7 Do you think you are able to join the vocabulary games introduced by your teachers?
8 How can you find vocabulary games to learn new words?
A I buy word game books B I get them from the Internet
C I don’t need them D I have no idea
APPENDIX 3 CÂU HỎI ĐIỀU TRA DÀNH CHO HỌC SINH
Bản câu hỏi dưới đây được thiết kế trong nghiên cứu “ Quan điểm của giáo viên và học sinh đối với việc sử dụng trò chơi trong dạy và học từ mới ” Vui lòng
KHOANH TRÒN câu trả lời của bạn
*GHI CHÚ: tất cả các thông tin cá nhân bạn cung cấp sẽ được lưu trữ cho việc nghiên cứu, và bạn có thể yên tâm rằng tất cả thông tin này sẽ không bị tiết lộ trong bất cứ trường hợp thảo luận nào
Xin cảm ơn sự cộng tác của các bạn!
1 Bạn có thích học từ mới bằng các trò chơi từ vựng?
C Không thích D Không có ý kiến
2 Những cảm giác của bạn khi học từ vựng bằng các trò chơi?
A Thấy vui vẻ và có động lực B bình thường C Không có ý kiến
3 Học từ mới bằng trò chơi có thú vị hơn các cách học khác như viết nhiều lần, học thuộc lòng, v.v không?
A Có B Không C Không có ý kiến
4 Bạn có đồng ý rằng trò chơi giúp bạn học từ mới hiệu quả hơn?
C Không đồng ý D Không có ý kiến
5 Theo bạn đâu là cách học từ mới tốt nhất trong các lựa chọn dưới đây?
A Chơi trò chơi dưới sự hướng dẫn của thày cô
B Thày/cô viết từ mới lên bảng, giải thích nghĩa, và hướng dẫn bạn cách đọc và cách dùng những từ đó
C Bạn tự chuẩn bị từ mới và tự học ở nhà
6 Bạn có thường xuyên có cơ hội học từ mới bằng các trò chơi ở lớp không?