The effects of games on helping high school English learners retain word meaning = Hiệu quả của trò chơi trong việc giúp học sinh THPT ghi nhớ nghĩa từ vựng

Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies Faculty of Post-graduate Studies LÝ THỊ THANH MAI The effects of games on helping high school English learners retain word meaning (HIỆU QUẢ CỦA TRÒ CHƠI TRONG VIỆC GIÚP HỌC SINH THPT GHI NHỚ NGHĨA TỪ VỰNG) M.A Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Hà Cẩm Tâm (Ph.D) Hanoi, 2010 -iv- Table of Content Page Certificate of originality i Aknowledgement ii Abstract iii Table of Contents iv Part A: Introduction 1 Rationale Aims of the study Research question Scope of the study Research methodology Organization of the study Part B: Development Chapter 1: Literature review 2.1 Vocabulary teaching and learning 2.1.1 What learners need to know about word learning? 2.1.2.1 Word meaning 2.1.2.2 Word form 2.1.2.3 Stages in word learning 2.1.3 Factors affecting vocabulary retention 2.1.3.1 Depth of processing 2.1.3.2 Memory 10 2.1.3.3 Learning styles 11 2.1.3.4 Motivation 13 2.1.3.5 Attitude 14 2.2 Teaching and learning vocabulary through games 15 2.2.1 Games for language teaching and learning 15 -v- 2.2.1.1 Definition of games 15 2.2.1.2 Advantages of games 16 2.2.1.3 Which games to use? 19 2.2.1.4 When to use games? 19 2.2.2 Word games 20 Chapter 2: The study 22 2.1 Research question 22 2.2 Design of the study 22 2.2.1 Participants 22 2.2.2 Data collection instrument 23 2.2.3 Data collection procedures 25 2.2.4 Experiment procedures 25 2.2.4.1 The teaching to the experiment group 25 2.2.4.2 The teaching to the control group 26 2.3 Data Analysis and discussion 27 2.3.1 Analysis of test results 27 2.3.1.1 The pre-test 27 2.3.1.2 The progress tests 28 2.3.1.3 The final test 30 2.3.2 Discussion and findings Part C: Conclusion 31 35 Major findings 35 Implications 36 Limitations and recommendations for further studies 37 References 38 Appendices I Appendix 1: Tests Appendix 2: Games applied in the experimental process Appendix 3: Scores I IX XIV -1- Part A: Introduction Part A – Introduction- provides the background to the study and statement of the problem, the aims, the research question, the scope of the study as well as the research methodology It also outlines the organization of the thesis Rationale Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings As Steven Stahl (2005) puts it, "The knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world." Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime It cannot be denied that vocabulary is one of the vital parts in a language learning Wilkins (1972:111) emphasized that, “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” Cook‟s (1991) conclusion is also consistent with Wilkins in that “Grammar provides the overall patterns, vocabulary the material to put into those patterns” Or some authors, led by Lewis (1993) argue that vocabulary should be at the centre of language teaching, because „language consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalised grammar‟ It is clear to all of us that one cannot read, speak, listen, write, or understand a foreign language without knowing a certain number of words How can one appreciate the depth of meaning implied in discourse or become fluent conversationalists if lexis is not involved? Vocabulary learning is obviously an essential part of language learning Learning words can considered to be the most important aspect of second language acquisition (Knight, 1994) Candlin (1988) stated that "… the study of vocabulary is at the heart of language teaching in terms of organization of syllabuses, the evaluation of learner performance, and the provision of learning resources …." Maiguashca (1993) said that vocabulary is "perhaps the fastest growing area of second language education in terms of research output and publication." Thus, the importance of vocabulary in language learning cannot be denied Yet, although the issue of vocabulary teaching and learning is currently receiving attention of teachers and students in most of high schools in Vietnam and in my school as well, it is still far from clear how vocabulary items can be best taught and learned From my own experience and observation, vocabulary is often taught by the grammar-translation -2- approach, that is at the time for vocabulary, a vast amount of teaching time is consumed by explanation and definition, classroom blackboards are often littered with masses of new lexical items, and students compile page upon page of word-lists that they have few opportunities to practice This results in students‟ short-term memory of new vocabulary items They will very quickly forget the new words‟ meaning and use This also makes students get bored with learning vocabulary So what should a teacher if their students get bored? Nation (2001) suggests some interesting ways to help learners remember previously met words such as getting learners to graded reading or listening stories; speaking and writing activities based on written input that contains the words; taking part in activities that involved testing vocabulary such as Word and Picture Matching, Same or Difference, etc Gairn & Redman (1986) recommends classroom activities such as using visual aids, speaking activities (role play, narrative, etc.), games, questionnaires and problem solving and so on Whereas, Watcin-Jones (1993) proposes that teachers use games and activities in revising words because with games learning seems to become more active, the students get more involved and retention also improves enormously Therefore, it can be realized that the common tendency of these methodology writers is that teachers should be more active in using classroom activities to help students recycle lexical items One of the most recommended activities is games According to them, games are highly motivating, competitive and fun They also bring a relaxed atmosphere and create more opportunities for students to practice and revise vocabulary With games, students will enjoy themselves, be stimulated and get involved in vocabulary learning As a result, they can learn new lexical items faster and remember better With so many advantages, games seem to be an effective way in teaching and learning a foreign language in general and vocabulary in specific For those reasons, I have decided to choose the topic: “The effects of games on helping high school English learners retain word meaning” for my minor thesis with the hope that it might be of some help for teachers and students in teaching and learning vocabulary Aims of the study This study was carried out in order to: -3- o explore the effects of word games on helping 11th grade students at Tan Lap high school remember the meaning of previously met words o make recommendations on how word games might be exploited to make them more enjoyable and productive to the students Research question: The research was to seek answers to the following question: Are word games more effective than practice exercises in helping high school English learners retain word meaning? Scope of the study Learning a word means dealing with its various aspects such as meaning, spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, collocations, grammar, or restrictions on its use For each above aspect, various criteria need to be taken into account when being studied According to Nation (1994), teachers should spend time on a word by dealing with two or three aspects of a word However, in this study the researcher focused only on one aspect of word meaning because of the limited time, the shortage of reference books, and the students‟ language ability Research methodology The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, in which tests were carried out as the major and unique data collection instrument Five tests were designed in order to gain believable and honest scores that supported the study purposes One served as the pre-test, which aimed at testing the students‟ homogeneity of the two group joining the experiment Three of them were delivered to the students as progress tests right after the periods in which the students recycled previously met words with games or with exercises, and the final one was administered to the students two weeks after all the periods in which games were applied to help students retain word meaning Collected scores were then processed and analyzed organization of the study This minor thesis is composed of three parts as follow: Part A - Introduction: presenting rationale, aims, research question as well as scope of the study, methodology and design of the study -4- Part B - Development: consisting of two chapters Chapter is for literature review, which provides the theoretical background of the study Chapter is for the study which represents the research question, describes the design of the study then presents the data analysis and discussion Part C - Conclusion: summarizing the major findings of the experiment, voicing some implications for language teachers in teaching vocabulary and suggesting some recommendations for further studies -5- Part B: Development Chapter Literature review In this chapter, relevant literature is reviewed, underlying the necessity and the relevance of the study In other words, background knowledge on vocabulary teaching in general and vocabulary teaching through word games in particular is looked at critically to set up the theoretical framework for further investigation The first section of this chapter is devoted to theoretical aspects of vocabulary teaching and learning and the second section of this chapter deals with the main issue, i.e teaching and learning vocabulary through games 2.1 Vocabulary teaching and learning 2.1.1 What learners need to know about word learning? According to Gairns & Redman (1986) when studying a word, learners should pay attention to two large aspects: 1) Words and their meanings (conceptual and affective meaning, style, sense relation, collocation, etc.); 2) Words and their forms (grammar, word building, pronunciation) Nation (2001) shares the idea with Gairn & Redman but adds one more aspect, that is word use However, within the aims of the study, word meaning and word form will be further discussed 2.1.2.1 Word meaning In teaching and learning vocabulary, teachers should bear in mind the following important facts about lexical meaning that sometimes can be problematic: First, the same word can have very different meanings depending on linguistics and social context; Second, there is no one-to-one correspondence of words in any language with another; And no word is the exact synonym or antonym of another word Nguyen Hoa (2004) distinguishes four major components of word meaning which include denotation, connotation, structural meaning, and categorial meaning Denotation: includes conceptual and referential meaning It exists by virtue of what it refers to o Conceptual meaning is widely assumed to be the central factor in linguistic communication and it has a complex and sophisticated organization -6- E.g Woman = + HUMAN, - MALE, + ADULT as distinct from Boy which can be defined as + HUMAN, + MALE, - ADULT o Referential meaning is the ability to refer to objects or things (often called referent) E.g Can you give me a book? Vs I’ve bought a book this afternoon Connotation: includes stylistic, affective, evaluative, and intensifying It is the pragmatic communicative value of the words acquired by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may be used This kind of meaning is rather unstable: that is they vary considerably according to culture, historical period, and the experience of the individual Structural/associative meaning: includes reflected meaning, collocative meaning, associative meaning, and thematic meaning It is the meaning of a word acquire by virtue of its membership in a system or a set o Reflected meaning is the meaning which arises in cases of multiple conceptual meaning, when one sense of a word forms part of our response to another sense E.g The 40th President of the US and the Great Communicator both refer to Ronald Reagan o Collocative meaning consists of the associations a word acquires on account of the meanings of words which tend to occur in its environment E.g pretty girl/boy/woman/flower but handsome boy/man/car/airliner o Associative meaning is also the meaning which arises because of its association with other meanings E.g good vs bad; buy vs sell, hard vs soft o Thematic meaning is the kind of meaning which is communicated by the way in which a speaker or writer organizes the message in terms of ordering, focus, and emphasis E.g A man is waiting in the hall vs There‟s a man waiting in the hall or The dog chased the cat vs The cat was chased by the dog Categorial meaning: is actually one part of grammatical meaning which words derive from being a member of one category rather than another Words fall into such categories as Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Prepositions, Conjunctions, etc It serves as a classificatory basis Meanwhile, Jackson & Amvela (2000) divide word meaning into denotation and connotation only According to them, denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, -7- the "dictionary definition."ă For example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles, having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions" Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the associations that are connected to a certain word or the emotional suggestions related to that word The connotative meanings of a word exist together with the denotative meanings The connotations for the word snake could include evil or danger Nevertheless, other linguists, Gairns & Redman (1986), classify the meaning of word into two types: conceptual meaning and affective meaning Conceptual meaning: According to Gairns & Redman (1986), if a word has reference to an object, action or even in physical world, this can be described as conceptual meaning, which deals with the fact that the knowledge of a word and what it refers to is not enough, but also how to conceptually separate it from words that have related meaning, for example “cup/mug” To understand a word fully, therefore, a student must know not only what it refers to, but also where the boundaries are that separate it from words of related meaning Affective meaning: From Gairns & Redman‟s (1986) viewpoint, this term is used to cover the attitudinal and emotional factors which can be expressed in an item of vocabulary These are often referred to as connotation They gave an example in which “a single woman” is different from “a sprinter” because “sprinter” has a series of evaluative and emotional associations which, for an English native speaker, would not be true of “single woman” These associations may include old, isolated, on the shelf, a sad figure, etc Wallace (1983) defined that affective meaning is determined by cultural structure, the pattern of perception, thinking or feeling Affective meaning reflects “people perceiving, thinking, or feeling things together in space and/or time” 2.1.2.2 Word form Gairns & Redman (1986) emphasize that knowing word form is as essential as knowing word meaning Knowing word form includes word grammar, pronunciation (stress, sound, spelling) as well as word building (affixation, compounding and conversion) ... aims, the research question, the scope of the study as well as the research methodology It also outlines the organization of the thesis Rationale Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings... suggestions related to that word The connotative meanings of a word exist together with the denotative meanings The connotations for the word snake could include evil or danger Nevertheless, other... Reflected meaning is the meaning which arises in cases of multiple conceptual meaning, when one sense of a word forms part of our response to another sense E.g The 40th President of the US and the