A study on the use of games to teach reading skill for intermediate level students at tran hung dao high school in tien giang province

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DANG KHANH LINH FIELD OF STUDY: THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60.14.10 MA THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: ASSOC PROF DR TRAN VAN PHUOC, HUE, 2013 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere Tien Giang, May 25th, 2013 Author Dang Khanh Linh i Acknowledgements T h i s di s s er t a t i o n w o u l d n o t h a v e b e e n p o s s i b l e wi t h o u t t h e g u i d a n c e a n d t h e h e l p o f s e v er a l i n d i v i d u a l s w h o i n o n e w a y o r a n o t h e r c o nt r i bu t ed a n d e x t e n d ed t h e i r va l u a b l e a s s i s t a n c e i n t h e p r e pa r a t i o n a n d c o m p le t i o n o f t h i s st u dy The writing of an MA thesis is not an easy task During the time of writing, I received support and help from many people In particular, I am profoundly indebted to my supervisor, Assoc.Pro.Dr Tran Van Phuoc, who was very generous with his time and knowledge and assisted me in each step to complete the thesis I am grateful to The College of Foreign languages of Hue University whose research material made the fieldwork possible The librarians seemed enthusiastic about helping us look for related books I would like to say that I truly appreciate many of my colleagues who have supported my work over the past several months And finally, but not least, thanks to my whole family who have been an important and indispensable source of spiritual support Without their encouragement and understanding, it would have been impossible for me to finish this work ii TABLE OF CONTENTS SUB COVER PAGE STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iii LIST OF FIGURE iv ABSTRACT v CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 Rationale 1.3 Research aims 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Research scope 1.6 Outline of the thesis CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Review of previous studies 2.2 Language games 2.2.1 Definitions of games 2.2.2 The relationship between games and education 2.3 When and How to use Games 10 2.3.1 Choosing appropriate games 10 2.3.2 When to use Games 11 2.3.3 The reasons of using games in teachisng reading skill 12 2.3.4 The relationship between games and reading skill 13 iii 2.3.5 Types of language games to teach reading skill 14 2.4 Review of previous studies 14 2.5 Conclusion 16 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 17 3.1 Research methodology 17 3.2 Participants 18 3.3 The instrumentation 18 3.4 Data analysis 19 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 21 4.1 Teachers’ perceptions of using games to teach reading skill 21 4.2 The reality of using reading games at Tran Hung Dao High School 27 4.3 Some suggestions to use games in teaching reading skill more effectively 41 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 45 5.1 Summary 45 5.2 Implications 45 5.3 Limitations 47 5.4 Further research 47 REFERENCE 48 APENDICES iv LIST OF FIGURE Page Figure 1: The importance of reading skill in teaching English 21 Figure 2: The way teachers often use in teaching reading skill 22 Figure 3: The need to use games in teaching reading .23 Figure 4: Preparation for reading games 24 Figure 5: Perception of teachers and students when working reading through games 25 Figure 6: The kinds of games used in reading skill 27 Figure 7: The source from which teachers take games .28 Figure 8: The frequency of using games in reading period 29 Figure 9: The stage the teachers use games 30 Figure 10: The approach teachers use to teach reading through games in Pre-stage31 Figure 11: The approach teachers use to teach reading skill through games in While-stage 32 Figure 12: The approach teachers use to teach reading skill through games in Post-stage 33 Figure 13: The possibilities of students after studying reading through games .34 Figure 14: Knowledge the students obtained after studying reading skill through games 35 Figure 15: The participation of students in reading period through games 36 Figure 16: The problem students encounter after reading period though games 37 Figure 17: The cause of the problems .38 Figure 18: The way to teach reading skill better .42 Figure 19: The way to teach reading skill more effectively .43 v ABSTRACT This study aims at exploring teachers’ perceptions of the use of reading games for Intermediate-level Students at Tran Hung Dao High School in Tien Giang Province The study mainly focuses on (a) teachers’ perception about the use of games in teaching reading skill in English, (b) the reality of using reading games at Tran Hung Dao High School, and (c) difficulties in using reading games faced by teachers and some possible solutions for that problems The participants were 10 English teachers and 79 students Both of the quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in this study The collected data from the questionnaires were presented in tables and charts quantitatively The results of the study provided encouraging evidence to indicate that English teachers at Tran Hung Dao High school highly appreciated the necessity and benefits of reading games in teaching and learning English The findings suggested that when organizing language games for students, teachers should be aware to take their interests, proficiency level and the content of lessons into account However, the survey teachers encountered a number of difficulties when they incorporated games into their lesson They are limitation of time, class size and lack of facilities And from the above things, there are some suggestions to help teachers overcome the problems vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background English has become much more important in Vietnamese educational background in the recent years since Vietnam integrated into World Trade Organization (WTO) Besides this, the outbreak of Information Technology also contributes to accelerating the learning and teaching at schools and colleges all over the country Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been implemented to meet the requirements in training the learners of English to use the language in real communication “Let my playing be my learning, and my learning be my playing.” (Miller, 2008) Games are encouraged to use in the classroom to help students “digest” the lesson easily However, some teachers think that language games are a waste of time and prefer not to use them in classroom since games sometimes have been considered only for their one element, which is fun In fact, games can provide EFL and ESL students more than what we expected Among several strategies used to improve students' proficiency such as visual aids, CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), drama, role-play, and so on, games are another useful strategy to promote students' language proficiency (Richard - Amato, 1996) One useful strategy to encourage language acquisition is using language games because games help the learners feel excited when they attain the knowledge in the classroom When the teachers use games in the classroom, it is beneficial for teachers to have a complete understanding of the definitions of games, which are usually defined as a form of play concerning rules, competition, and an element of fun (Angkana, 2002) Teachers should also consider the advantages of games: the ability to capture students' attention, lower students' stress, and give students the chance for real communication Lastly, teachers need to assess how to use games appropriately in the classroom It is important to choose an appropriate time and integrate them into each period time of the day Teachers should take a consideration into using games because the use of games in period one is quite different from that in period five, or the use of games on Monday is different from on Friday 1.2 Rationale I select the topic for my research: A Study on the use of Games to Teach Reading skill for Intermediate-level Students at Tran Hung Dao High School in Tien Giang Province due to some main following reasons: Although reading is a basic skill in English, it is rather difficult to master it To gain the reading skill, learners must have some essential elements At first, they have enough vocabulary to understand the texts well Next, they know how to analyze the information or implications in the questions Last but not least, they find the answers hidden in the texts Because of the reasons above, learners often spend a relatively long time finishing the tasks This makes most of the students feel bored and passive And games may be the best solution to help them become more activated The traditional teaching way does not give the learners much chance to use the language in real life As a result, learners cannot inscribe what the teachers have instructed them In addition, this prevents students from getting the content of the reading text, and it is impossible for students to finish their papers in the allotted time in any tests or exams Until about 1980s, CLT was applied to train learners to use the target language in real context in daily life This method uses games to help students to be able to memorize the words and to practice them outside the classroom Therefore, learners become activated in the classroom That they get knowledge actively leads the encouragement of self-study from the learners In some cases, learners feel uncomfortable in a very formal classroom Some difficult tasks may make them a bit stressful Therefore, using games in the classrooms proved to be an effective way to break the ice in the classroom and reduce the stress among students Playing games also creates a friendlier atmosphere at schools 1.3 Research aims I would like to investigate the attitudes of the learners as well as the educators at Tran Hung Dao High School about the use of games to teach reading skill The study also aims to find out how English teachers at Tran Hung Dao High School have used games to teach reading skill and their suggestions to teach reading skill through games better The study also finds out the techniques of using games to enhance the effectiveness in both teaching and learning reading skill among teachers and students, and apply such games into Tran Hung Dao High School in Tien Giang Province 1.4 Research questions The research will concentrate on solving these following problems: 1) What is the teachers’ perception about the use of games in teaching reading skill in English? 2) How have games been used to teach reading skill at Tran Hung Dao High School? 3) What are some suggestions from the teachers to use games in teaching reading skill more effectively? 1.5 Research scope This research focuses on the use of games to teach reading skill at Tran Hung Dao High School, but it can be applied to any individual concerning with this topic 1.6 Outline of the thesis This research contains five main chapters REFERENCES Agnieszka U The Use of Games: For Vocabulary Presentation and Revision English Department of Pedagogical University in Rzeszów, Poland Andrew P Johnson (2008) Teaching Reading and Writing: a guidebook for tutoring and remediating students, USA Allington, R L (2006) What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs (second ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon Angkana D (2002) Games in the ESL and EFL class, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand Avedon M & Brian B (1971) Learning Through Games The Study of Games New York: John Wiley & Sons: p 315 Byrne, D (1995) Games Teaching Oral English Harlow: Longman Group UK Limited Bui, T.D.T (2011) A Study on the use of grammar games to teach Grammar at A Luoi High School Ma thesis, Hue University Carrier, M (1990) Games and Activities for the Language Learner, UK Creswell, J W (1994) Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE 10 Don, L (2003) Using PowerPoint for ESL Teaching Madera High School (Madera, California, USA) 11 Hadfield, J (1990) A Collection of Games and Activities for Low to MidIntermediate students of English Intermediate Communication Games Hong Kong: Thomus and Nelson and Nelson and Sons Ltd 12 John, K & Angela, M (2004) Literature Review in Games and Learning Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol 13 Kuder, S J., & Hasit, C (2002) Enhancing literacy for all students 48 14 Lee, W.R (1979) Language teaching games and contests Oxford: Oxford University Press 15 McMillan, James H &Schumacher, S (1993) Research in education: a conceptual introduction 3rd ed New York: Harper Collins College Publishers 16 Miller, C T (2008) Games: Purpose and Potential Education Morehead State University 17 Nguyen, T.T.H & Khuat, T.T.N (2003) The Effectiveness of Learning Vocabulary Through Games, Asian EFL Journal, 5(4) Retrieved October 19, 2009, from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_sub.Vn.php 18 Park, B (2006) The Science of Learning Meets the Art of Teaching Education Canada, 46(4), 63-66 19 Reutzel, D R., & Cooter, R B (1996) Teaching children to read Englewood 20 Richard –Amato, P.A (1998) Making It happen New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Group 21 Rixon, S (1981) How to use games in language teaching London: Macmillan 22 Silvers, S M (1982) Games for the classroom and the English-speaking club English Teaching Forum, 20 23 Squire, K Changing the game: What happens when videogames enter the classroom? 49 APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS I am doing a research on “the Use of Games to teach Reading skill for Intermediate Students at Tran Hung Dao High School in Tien Giang Province” This questionnaire is made to collect necessary data for my thesis All responses will be kept strictly confidential and will not be used for any other purposes * Teacher’s profile:  Your full name: Age:  Years of teaching:  < years  5-10 years  Male  Female  > 10 years  You are teaching at the grade:  10  11 Please, circle or cross the option you choose A Teachers’ perceptions about the use of games in reading class 1) In English learning, reading skill is ………………… Very important Important A little Unimportant 2) In reading skill, you teach……………… Comprehension Grammar Vocabulary  12 important Translation 3) Do you think the use of games is necessary for teaching reading? Very necessary  Necessary A little necessary Unnecessary 4) What is your preparation before you teach reading through games?  Collect a lot of things (pictures, materials) relating to the lesson  Ask students to discuss the lesson with group members before class  Give students some suggestions about the lesson  Others (specify): 5) How you feel when you teach reading through games?  Very exciting  Exciting  Normal Very boring B Reality of using games in teaching reading skill 6) What kinds of games have you often used in reading skill in your class? Ordering Hangman Information gap Who wants to be a millionaire Others: 50 7) Which sources you often take games from? Game books Softwares on the Internet Do it by yourself (DIY) Others (specify): 8) How often have you taught with reading games in your English class? Once a week Twice a week Once a month Twice a month 9) At which of the following stage(s) have you used games to teach reading skill? Pre reading While reading Post reading All of them 10) In Pre stage, which approach have you used to teach reading skill through games? Guessing the topic of the lesson  Guessing the main ideas of the text Guessing the meaning of new words  None Others (specify): 11) In While stage, which approach have you used to teach reading skill through games? Guessing the implication  Guessing the main ideas of the text Guessing the details of each paragraph  None Others (specify): 12) In Post stage, which approach have you used to teach reading skill through games? Summarize the content of the lesson Write an essay relating to the topic Translate the text into Vietnamese  None Others (specify): 13) How have your students understood the reading text when you teach reading skill through games?  They can summarize the text by writing or speaking  They can skim the text better  They can scan the text better  They know the procedure to read the text Others: 14) In your opinion, to what extent your students understand the lesson when you have used games in teaching reading skill? Very much Much Not much None 51 15) When you taught reading through games, how did your students take part in the lesson?  Actively  Passively  Enthusiastically  Normally Others: 16) After having taught reading through games, which problems did you encounter?  Students don’t understand the content of the lesson  Students don’t enjoy the games in the class  Students can’t scan and skim the text  Others (specify): 17) Do you think what caused the problem(s)? A large class Limited time Non-challenging games Teacher’s unclear instructions Others (specify): C Suggestions to improve teaching reading skill by using games 18) To teach reading skill through games better, the school must …………………… Have some good game softwares Reorganize seating and tables Reduce the number of students in a class Others (please specify): 19) To teach reading skill though games more effectively, the school should  Train teaching staff specializing in designing games  Instruct teachers some skills to use games and computers  Give more time for reading period Others (specify): 20) To assess students’ understanding the reading text through games, how should teacher do? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! 52 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This questionnaire is made up with a view to collect necessary data for my thesis on methodology I’d be grateful if you take a few minutes to answer the following questions Please put a tick () on your answer * You are studying in Grade 10 11 12 Please, cross X the option you choose or add your ideas to open questions A Students’ perceptions about the use of games in reading class 1) In English learning, reading skill is ………………… Very important Important A little important Unimportant 2) In reading skill, you study……………… Comprehension Grammar Vocabulary Translation 3) Do you think the use of games is necessary for studying reading? Very necessary  Necessary A little Unnecessary 4) What is your preparation before you study reading through games? necessary  Collect new words in the lesson  Discuss the lesson with group members before class  Ask your teacher some suggestions about the lesson  Others (specify): 5) How you feel when you study reading through games?  Very exciting  Exciting  Normal Very boring B Reality of using games in studying reading skill 6) What kinds of games has your teacher often used in reading skill in your class? Cutting and organizing Hangman Information gap Who wants to be a millionaire Others: 7) Do you know which sources your teacher take games from? Game books Softwares on the Internet Do it by himself (DIY) Others (specify): 53 8) How often have you studied with reading games in your English class? Once a week Twice a week Once a month Twice a month 9) At which of the following stage(s) has your teacher used games to teach reading skill? Pre reading While reading Post reading All of them 10) In Pre-reading stage, which approach has your teacher used to teach reading skill through games? Guessing the topic of the lesson  Guessing the main ideas of the text Guessing the meaning of new words  None Others (specify): 11) In While-reading stage, which approach has your teacher used to teach reading skill through games? Guessing the implication  Guessing the main ideas of the text Guessing the details of each paragraph  None Others (specify): 12) In Post-reading stage, which approach has your teacher used to teach reading skill through games? Summarize the content of the lesson Write an essay relating to the topic Translate the text into Vietnamese  None Others (specify): 13) How have you understood the reading text when you study through games?  I can summarize the text by writing or speaking  I can skim the text better  I can scan the text better  I know the procedure to read the text Others: 14) In your opinion, to what extent you understand the lesson when the teacher has used games in teaching reading skill? Very much Much Not much None 15) When you studied reading through games, how did you take part in the lesson?  Actively  Enthusiastically  Passively  Normally Others: 54 16) After having studied reading through games, which problems did you encounter?  I don’t understand the content of the lesson  I don’t enjoy the games in the class  I can’t scan and skim the text  Others (specify): 17) Do you think what caused the problem(s)? A large class Limited time Non-challenging games Teacher’s unclear instructions Others (specify): C Suggestions to improve teaching reading skill by using games 18) To study reading skill through games better, the school must ……………… Have some good game softwares Reorganize seating and tables Reduce the number of students in a class Others (please specify): 19) To study reading skill though games more effectively, the school should  Train teaching staff specializing in designing games  Instruct teachers some skills to use games and computers  Give more time for reading period Others (specify): 20) To assess your understanding the reading text through games, how did teacher do? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! 55 APPENDIX 2: BẢNG CÂU HỎI DÀNH CHO HỌC SINH P hiếu điều tra nhằm thu thập thông tin cần thiết cho đề tài nghiên cứu Tôi vô cảm on giúp đỡ em Các em cần đánh dấu chéo vào câu trả lời mà cho * Em học lớp 10 11 12 A Nhận thức học sinh việc sử dụng trò chơi tiết học đọc hiểu 1) Trong học Tiếng Anh, kỹ đọc thì… 56 (A)Rất quan trọng (C) Ít quan trọng (B) Quan trọng (D)Khơng quan trọng 2) Trong kỹ đọc Tiếng Anh, em học… (A)Đọc hiểu (C) Từ vựng (B) Ngữ pháp (D)Dịch thuật 3) Em có nghĩ trị chơi có cần thiết cho việc học tiết đọc hiểu? (A)Rất cần thiết (C) Ít cần (B) Cần thiết (D)Không cần 4) Em chuẩn bị trước học tiết đọc hiểu trò chơi? (A)Tra cứu từ (B) Thảo luận với nhóm trước vào lớp (C) Hỏi giáo viên vài gợi ý học (D)Khác: 5) Em cảm thấy học đọc hiểu trò chơi? (A)Rất thú vị (C) Bình thường (B) Thú vị (D)Rất chán B Thực trạng sử dụng trò chơi tiết đọc hiểu 6) Những loại trò chơi mà giáo viên bạn thường dạy tiết đọc hiểu? (A)Sắp xếp đọc theo trình tự (C) Kẻ treo cổ (B) Điền vào chỗ trống (D)Ai triệu phú 7) Em có biết giáo viên em lấy trị chơi từ đâu khơng? (A)Từ sách trị chơi (C) Tự thiết kế (B) Phần mềm mạng (D)Khác 8) Em học tiết đọc hiểu qua trò chơi lần? (A)1 lần tuần (C) lần tháng (B) lần tuần (D)2 lần tháng 9) Giáo viên em sử dụng trò chơi giai đoạn tiết dạy đọc hiểu? 57 (A)Phần mở đầu (C) Phần tóm tắt (B) Phần (D)Cả phần 10) Trong phần mở đầu, giáo viên sử dụng phương pháp để dạy đọc trị chơi? (A)Đốn chủ đề học (C) Đoán nghĩa từ (B) Đoán ý đọc (D)Khơng dùng kỹ thuật (E) Khác 11) Trong phần chính, giáo viên sử dụng phương pháp để dạy đọc qua trị chơi? (A)Đốn ẩn ý đọc (C) Đốn ý đoạn văn (B) Đốn ý đọc (D)Không dùng phương pháp (E) Khác 12) Trong phần tóm tắt, giáo viên sử dụng phương pháp để dạy đọc trị chơi? (A)Tóm tắt nội dung đọc (B) Viết luận có liên quan đến chủ đề học (C) Dịch đọc sang tiếng Việt (D)Không dùng phương pháp (E) Khác 13) Em hiểu đọc mức độ em học đọc trò chơi? (A)Em tóm tắt nội dung qua viết luận trình bày qua kỹ nói (B) Em đọc ý tốt (C) Em đọc chi tiết tốt (D)Em biết quy trình đọc khóa 14) Theo ý em, em hiểu mức độ giáo viên dạy đọc trò chơi? (A)Rất nhiều (C) Khơng nhiều (B) Nhiều (D)Khơng 15) Khi em học tiết đọc trò chơi, em tham gia nào? (A)Tích cực (C) Thụ động (B) Nhiệt tình (D)Bình thường 16) Sau học đọc trị chơi, em gặp khó khăn gì? 58 (A)Em khơng hiểu nội dung (B) Em khơng thích trị chơi lớp (C) Em khơng thể đọc ý ý chi tiết (D)Khác 17) Em nghĩ điều gây khó khăn đó? (A)Lớp học q đơng (B) Thời gian giới hạn (C) Trị chơi khơng thách đố (D)Giáo viên giải thích khơng rõ ràng 59 C) Những giải pháp nhằm nâng cao cách dạy đọc qua trò chơi: 18) Để học tiết đọc trò chơi tốt hơn, trường học nên (A)Có số phần mềm trò chơi hay (B) Sắp xếp lại chỗ ngồi bàn ghế (C) Hạn chế số lượng học sinh lớp (D)Khác 19) Để học tiết đọc trò chơi hiệu hơn, trường học nên (A)Rèn luyện đội ngũ giáo viên chn mơn thiết kế trị chơi (B) Tập huấn giáo viên số kỹ sử dụng trị chơi máy tính (C) Cho tiết đọc thêm thời gian (D)Khác 20) Nhằm đánh giá hiểu bạn đọc sau dạy trò chơi, Thầy (cô) bạn kiểm tra cách nào? Xin cảm ơn APPENDIX: OBSERVATION SCHEME Date of observation: Class: Period: Teacher’s name: Stage Warm up Pre reading While reading Post reading Game Time Equipment/ Material Group/ Pair Content APPENDIX: TEACHER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Do you think games are necessary for teaching reading skill? Why (not)? How is your feeling when you teach reading through games? How often you use games? Which techniques have you used to teach reading skill through games in while reading stage? Which techniques have you used to teach reading skill through games in post reading stage? How did your students take part in the lesson when you teach reading through games? What is your problem when you teach reading through games? What did you to assess their understanding after class? Thank you very much!