A STUDY ON APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL =Nghiên cứu việc áp dụng một số trò chơi vào dạy ngữ pháp tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10A4 trường THPT Phong Châu

In recent years, English has become more and more popular in the world, it is an international language and is one of the most popular and most spoken in the world . It plays an important role in everyday life, helping us communicate and exchange with other countries in the world. When talking about the importance of English, Dr. Karin (2012) said that: “English is the official language and the main language of trade and commerce worldwide”. In fact, English is the official language of more than 53 countries and territories, the official language of the EU and the third most widely spoken language in the world after the Chinese and Spanish. Moreover, English is spoken by more than 400 million people in the world as a mother tongue, more than one billion people use English as the second language, developed countries around the world are proficient and popular. In Vietnam, English is being taught at every educational level. In studying languages in general and studying English in particular, it can be said that grammar seems to be difficult and boring for students. It is thought by students that English grammar contains complex, difficult, and different rules. Besides, traditionally, many teachers approach grammar teaching very seriously, making the lessons dull and uninteresting. Therefore, students usually feel tired and bored during grammar lessons and then they are not motivated to study. However, as one of language components, grammar is very necessary and nobody can refuse the importance of learning this skill. According to William Somerset Maugham (1938), he indicated that “It is necessary to know grammar, and it is better to write grammatically than not, but it is well to remember that grammar is common speech formulated.”, “Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English”. In addition, Kay (1987) stated that “In order to communicate effectively in English, students need to have a good foundation in grammar”. Once again, Ur (1988) said that “a person who knows grammar is one who can express himself or herself in what would be considered as acceptable language forms”. So, we can see that English grammar plays an integral role in learning English.

This thesis could not have been completed without the help,encouragement and support of a number of people who all deserve my sincerestgratitude and appreciation.

First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to mysupervisor, Mrs Nguyen Thi Hoa, M.A, for her training, guidance, andencouragement in the preparation and writing of this minor thesis This thesiswould not have been completed without her help from the period when this was

in the commencing stage

Secondly, I would like to thank the teachers in the Foreign Department,who supported my study, created the best conditions for me to do my thesis.Many thanks are given to our friends and colleagues for introducing andproviding me with materials to carry out this study

My special thanks also go to the English teachers and students of class10A4 at Phong Chau high school for their willingness to take part in my trainingstrategy scheme Without their help, this study could not have been fulfilled

I am also heavily indebted to my family – my parents and my sister Theywere always by my side to give me continual support and encouragement for allthat I did

Finally, other big thanks from me to all others who directly or indirectlysupported me during the period I implemented this minor thesis

This study was conducted as an action research in which students weretaught on how to process grammar deeply by applying games as supplementaryactivities in English grammar teaching and learning.

The study first aimed to find out the situation of teaching and learningEnglish grammar of class 10A4 students at Phong Chau High School, and then

to find out the difference between using and not using games in teaching andlearning English grammar for class 10A4 students through experiments For theaccomplishments of these purposes, 45 students in class 10A4 at Phong Chauhigh school were involved in the study

This research was used many data instruments include observation,questionnairs for students, students’ feedback, interview questions, pre – testand post – test

To more accurately assess the effectiveness of using games in teachingEnglish grammar for class 10A4 students at Phong Chau high school, theresearcher has conducted an experiment applying some games to some English

grammatical structures such as: To+infinitive; Attitudinal adjectives, and Will vs going to to have necessary findings and then draw some necessary pedagogical

conclusions

EU: European Union

EFL: English Foreign Language

Charts Page

Chart 1 Students’ understanding of the lesson 30

Chart 2 Students’ attitude towards teachers’ teaching method 31

Table 1 Students’ interest in English lessons 29

Table 2 Students’ activities in grammar lessons 30

Table 3 Students’ time for learning grammar at home 31

Table 4 Students’ comments on teachers’ frequency of using

grammar games

32

Table 5 Result of the test before experiment 34

Table 6 Feedback questionnaire of class 10A4 students after

experiment

45

Table 8: The comparison between pre-test and post-test 47

TABLE OF CONTENT

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2.1 In the world 3

2.2 In Viet Nam 3

2.3 Existing problems 4

3 Research purposes 4

4 Research questions 4

5 Methodology 5

5.1 Methods of the study 5

5.2 Data collection instruments 5

6 Hypotheses 6

7 Significance of the study 6

7.1 Educational significance 6

7.2 Methodological significance 6

8 The scope of the study 6

9 Participants of the study 6

10 Design of the study 6

PART B: MAJOR CONTENT 8

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 8

1.1 An overview of English grammar 8

1.1.1 Definition of English grammar 8

1.1.2 The role of grammar in teaching and learning English 8

1.2 Overview of language games 10

1.2.1 Definition of language games 10

1.2.2 Types of language games 10

1.3 The games should be used in teaching English grammar 12

1.5 Benefits of teaching grammar with games 14

1.6 Tips for using grammar games in class successfully 15

1.7 Conclusion of the chapter 19

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS 20

2.1 The subject and object of the study 20

2.1.1 The subject of the study 20

2.1.2 The object of the study 20

2.2 Research methods 20

2.2.1 Methods of the study 20

2.2.2 Data collection instruments 20

CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT SITUATION IN APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL 25

3.1 A general overview of Phong Chau high school and class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school 25

3.1.1 Phong Chau high school 25

3.1.2 Class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school 26

3.2 Discription about English basic textbook of grade 10 26

3.3 Descriptions of grammar points in English basic curriculum of grade 10 27

3.4 Findings from the current situation 28

3.4.1 Results from questionnaire 28

3.4.2 Results from interview 32

3.4.3 Results from the test (before experiment) 34

3.4.4 Results of class observation 34

10A4 at Phong Chau high school 36

3.5.1 Matching game 37

3.5.2 Arranging game 37

3.5.3 Guessing game 37

3.5.4 Role – play 37

CHAPTER 4: EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS 38

4.1 Description of experimental teaching 38

4.2 Data collection instruments 38

4.3 Experiment procedure 38

4.4 Result 43

4.4.1 Result from feedback questionnaire of students in class 10A4 43

4.4.2 Result from post – test 45

4.4.3 Results from observation 47

4.5 Findings 48

4.6 Implications 49

4.6.1 For the teachers 49

4.6.2 For the students 51

PART C: CONCLUSION 52

1 Summary of the study 52

2 Main findings 52

2.1 Findings from the questionnaires 52

2.2 Findings from the interview questions, observation and test 54

3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research 55

3.1 Limitations 55

3.2 Suggestions for Further Research 55

REFERENCES 57 APPENDIX

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

In recent years, English has become more and more popular in the world,

it is an international language and is one of the most popular and most spoken inthe world It plays an important role in everyday life, helping us communicateand exchange with other countries in the world When talking about theimportance of English, Dr Karin (2012) said that: “English is the officiallanguage and the main language of trade and commerce worldwide” In fact,English is the official language of more than 53 countries and territories, theofficial language of the EU and the third most widely spoken language in theworld after the Chinese and Spanish Moreover, English is spoken by more than

400 million people in the world as a mother tongue, more than one billionpeople use English as the second language, developed countries around theworld are proficient and popular In Vietnam, English is being taught at everyeducational level

In studying languages in general and studying English in particular, it can

be said that grammar seems to be difficult and boring for students It is thought

by students that English grammar contains complex, difficult, and differentrules Besides, traditionally, many teachers approach grammar teaching veryseriously, making the lessons dull and uninteresting Therefore, students usuallyfeel tired and bored during grammar lessons and then they are not motivated tostudy However, as one of language components, grammar is very necessary andnobody can refuse the importance of learning this skill According to WilliamSomerset Maugham (1938), he indicated that “It is necessary to know grammar,and it is better to write grammatically than not, but it is well to remember thatgrammar is common speech formulated.”, “Grammar is the structural foundation

of our ability to express ourselves The more we are aware of how it works, themore we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and othersuse language It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the

richness of expression available in English” In addition, Kay (1987) stated that

“In order to communicate effectively in English, students need to have a goodfoundation in grammar” Once again, Ur (1988) said that “a person who knowsgrammar is one who can express himself or herself in what would be considered

as acceptable language forms” So, we can see that English grammar plays anintegral role in learning English

I agree with Mario Rinvolucri (1984) about his opinion about grammar

He thought that “Grammar is perhaps so serious and central in learning anotherlanguage that all ways should be searched for which will focus students’ energy

on the task of mastering and internalizing it One way of focusing this energy isthrough the release offered by games” Indeed, the fact that students at all levelsare learning grammar in Language focus periods, however, teachers usually askthem to revise some grammatical structures or introduce new structures and thenrequire them to do all the exercises in the textbook This makes students feelbored, not interested in the lessons, and makes the classroom atmosphere morestressful Games in general and grammar games in particular are very useful inteaching and learning English grammar because it not only encourages, but alsoimproves and teaches students’ ability in using English fluently as well.Therefore, I think this study is necessary and the result of using games inteaching grammar will bring many practical benefits to the students

For all the above reasons and with the desire to create interest for students

in English grammar lessons, especially students in class 10A4 at Phong Chau

high school, I really want to clarify the topic : “A study on applying some games

in teaching English grammar to students of class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school”.

2 Previous research about using games in teaching and learning English grammar

2.1 In the world

When researching about using games in teaching and learning English

grammar, Arda Arikan (2007) researched about “The effectiveness of using games in teaching grammar to young learners” with the main aim is to explore

the effectiveness of using games when teaching grammar to young learners.English language teachers’ opinions are collected through a questionnaire andthe results demonstrate that EFL teachers have a range of conceptions aboutusing games in grammar teaching The study suggests that while EFL teachersaccept the effectiveness of games’ application in teaching grammar, they don’tuse games as frequently as expected in their classrooms

In 2005, Tran Vu Nguyen in “How to teach grammar communicatively”

which was carried out at Nong Lam university with the involvement of 100students and 10 teachers, suggested ways for students to present and practicelearning new grammatical rules communicatively at the same time He carriedout included games that played an important part in teaching grammarcommunicatively Moreover, it also emphasized that game is a vital part of ateacher’s equipment because they provide not only practice but also an amusingand challenging receipt from other classroom activities

2.3 Existing problems

According to the above previous studies, the researcher sees that theauthors of those studies only focused on the effectiveness and necessity of theactivities during the process of teaching English grammar in general, they didnot give clear and detail instructions about games when being applied in specificgrammar lessons Moreover, they did not mention how to choose the suitablegames for each lesson, for students’ levels, for age, etc So, in this study, theresearcher will give the detailed information of some games which are suitablefor the contents of some grammar lessons and the students’ levels

3 Research purposes

The purposes of this study are:

The first purpose is to investigate the current situation of teaching andlearning English grammar to the class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School Based

on the current situations and results got from investigating the effectiveness ofusing language games, the author proposes some solutions to improve theeffectiveness of teaching – learning English grammar

The second purpose is to demonstrate the effectiveness of applying thegames in teaching English grammar to grade 10 in general and to class 10A4 inparticular

4 Research questions.

The research will find the answers for three main following questions:

1 What is the current situation about applying some games in teachingEnglish grammar in class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School?

2 Which games should be used in teaching English grammar in class10A4 to improve students’ grammar?

3 How effective is the application of games in helping students improve

grammar?

5 Methodology

5.1 Methods of the study

With the aim of finding out the current situations and getting some resultsafter investigation, this study adopts theoretical method, data analysis andexperimental method

5.2 Data collection instruments

To identify the problems, the study has been carried out with the datacollected from different instruments:

5.2.1 Survey questionnaires

Reasons for choosing survey questionnaires: To collect information about the

situation of teaching and learning English grammar periods such as theirunderstanding of after grammar periods, teachers’ teaching methods and theways they learn English grammar in class and at home, their interest in grammarlessons

5.2.2 Interview

Reasons for choosing interview: The researcher interviews closely with the

English teachers at Phong Chau high school, especially the teachers teachEnglish to the class 10A4 The aim of this interview is to know the difficulties ofthe teachers when teaching English grammar and the teachers’ frequency usinggames in English grammar lessons

5.2.3 Test

Reasons for choosing test: the tests are divided into two stages: the first test

for students when starting the research to assess students’ knowledge aboutEnglish grammar through doing exercises before experiment (pre- test) and thesecond test after the experiment (post- test) to assess the effectiveness of usinggames when applied in teaching and learning English grammar

5.2.4 Classroom observation

Reasons for choosing classroom observation: to record more information

from teachers and students during lessons

6 Hypotheses

If the application of some games in grammar lessons in class 10A4 atPhong Chau High School is successful, this will help students in class 10A4improve their English grammar and increase their interest in learning Englishgrammar

7 Significance of the study

7.1 Educational significance

- This study helps students have another view on English grammar lessons,encouraging students to actively participate in grammar activities and change theclassroom atmosphere

7.2 Methodological significance

- Help teachers recognize the effectiveness as well as the importance of usinggames in teaching English grammar so teachers can have good methods to makethe English grammar lessons more effective

-The study helps teachers know how to use games in teaching grammar moreeffectively

8 The scope of the study

Because of the limited time and knowledge, the study only focuses on theapplication of some typical games in teaching English grammar to class 10A4

especially for some structures such as: To+infinitive; Attitudinal adjectives, and Will vs going to Moreover, these grammatical contents in the basic “Tieng Anh

10” textbook coincided the time the researcher worked as a student teacher inclass 10A4 at Phong Chau high school ,so it is very convenient to study

9 Participants of the study

3 English teachers of grade 10 and 45 students in class 10A4 at Phong Chauhigh school

10 Design of the study

This paper is divided into three main parts:

PART A is the INTRODUCTION In this part, the rationale, previous research,

research purpose, research questions, research methods, research hypothese,significance of the study, the scope of the study, participants of study and alsoits design are presented

PART B is the MAJOR CONTENT which includes 4 chapters

Chapter I deals with the theoretical background that is relevant to the

purpose of the study: English grammar and language games

Chapter II can be seen as case study in some research methods It

includes reasons for choosing these methods as well as their procedure Besides,this chapter includes some data collection instruments that are necessary forthese methods

Chapter III is some current situations as well as some findings concluded

from the data analysis From the current situations, the researcher suggests somesolutions

Chapter IV is doing experimental teaching in which some suggestions on

using language games are made in teaching English grammar to class 10A4 atPhong Chau High School and some sample language games exploited during allstages of the lessons are provided as well as some results after doingexperimental teaching

PART C is the CONCLUSION which includes the summary of the study,

limitations of the study, suggestions for further study, main findings,implications and conclusion of the study

REFERENCES and APPENDICES are presented in the last pages of the study.

PART B: MAJOR CONTENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1 An overview of English grammar

1.1.1 Definition of English grammar

When defining about English grammar, Crystal (2004) said that:

“Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves Themore we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning andeffectiveness of the way we and others use language It can help foster precision,detect ambiguity and exploit the richness of expression available in English.Additionally, it can help everyone, not only teachers of English, but teachers ofanything for all teaching grammar is ultimately a matter of getting to grips withmeaning”

Grammar is also defined by Ur (1991) as “the way language manipulatesand combines words (or bits of words) in order to form longer units ofmeaning” This definition is quite close to the common understanding of whatgrammar is The main difference is that it tells us how the rules of languagesactually work- they arrange and shape words Nevertheless, knowing what theserules do is not a very motivating factor alone

1.1.2 The role of grammar in teaching and learning English

It is quite reasonable to see the importance of grammar according toHarmer’s viewpoint (1987): “Without some understanding of Grammar,students would not be able to do anything more than utter separate items oflanguage for separate functions The expression of functional language is onlypossible through the use of the Grammar of the language”

Firstly, teaching grammar helps students understand how the languageworks Apart from vocabulary, students need to know grammar to understandhow it is written or how words are combined together to understand the propermeaning Without grammar or with a poor knowledge of grammar, they mayget confused with complicated expression In other words, the teaching of

grammar means providing students with opportunities to use English in a variety

of realistic situations to learn to communicative effectively Appropriategrammar techniques are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts thencontribute positively to communicative goals and they also promote accuracywithin fluent communicate language use

Secondly, according to Smith (2001), if teachers neither pay attention togrammar nor create opportunities for learners to improve grammar, learners arelikely to stand the risk of fossilization or reach a point where they can cope withlevel of communication that is demanded of them by making use of theirexisting grammatical resources and communication strategies and probably withsufficient fluency Surely, they do not see the need to develop their linguisticabilities any further

In favor of the importance of grammar, Larsen – Freeman (1986) affirmedthat grammar is regarded as a skill rather than an area of knowledge Learners

do not simply store knowledge about the language and its use, they need alsodevelop an ability to do something They must have a chance of learningsituations to overcome the knowledge problem It is true to say that grammar isthe fifth skill besides four skills reading, writing, speaking, and listening Skilldevelopment as well as learning grammar takes practice Grammar might not betaught only when the students already possessed the knowledge and the ability

to use the grammar item in speech, writing and listening comprehension In fact,grammar is the basis for mastering four language skills When we have concretefoundation of grammar, we feel easy to advance

In general, grammar is acknowledged to be of importance in languagestudy and in language teaching and learning in particular Grammar is acquirednaturally from meaningful input and opportunities to interact in the classroom.More especially, learners can improve their grammar competence in a suitableenvironment without conscious focus on language forms However, this partlydepends on the learning circumstances As a result, grammar teaching gains its

significant role in English Language Teaching because highly developedlanguage skills are difficult to achieve without some knowledge of grammar.

1.2 Overview of language games

1.2.1 Definition of language games

Language games can be used in language classes Some definitions aboutgames and language games were definded by many authors

First of all, Games are forms of entertainment derived from a set ofartificial rules, typically with a known goal to be reached Games can be in theform of physical activities, mental, or a mixture of the two Also, games can beclassified as cooperative, solitaire or competitive Hadfield (1990) defined “agame is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun” Similarly,according to Rixon (1981), “a game consists of play governed by rules” Thiswas summed up very well in Gibb’s definition (1978) of a game as “an activitycarried out by cooperating or competing decision markers, seeking to achieve,within a set of rules, their objectives.”

Language games mean games related to language If games help toimprove different aspects such as intellectual ability, patience, then languagegames help to develop language skills When playing these language games,students not only have fun but can also practice English enjoyably, which helps

to motivate students Greenal (1984) defined as “one kind of activity which isused to consolidate language already taught or acquired and occurs during thefree stage of lesson or during occasions such as English club meeting…”

1.2.2 Types of language games.

According to Wright et al (1984), there are many types of language gamesthat can be used in connection with teaching English grammar, such as picturesgames, psychology games, cards, board games, guessing games, and so on.Also study about the types of language games, Hadfiled (1987) stated that:

“language games can be divided into two further categories: Linguistic gamesand communicative games Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as

applying the correct antonym On the other hand, communicative games focus

on successful exchange of information and ideas, such as two people identifyingthe differences between their two pictures which are similar to one another butnot exactly alike” Hadfield (1987) also classified language games into manymore categories as follows:

Sorting, ordering or arranging games For example, students have a set of

cards with different products of them, and they sort the cards into productsfound at a grocery store and products found at a department store

Guessing games: In these games, someone knows something and the others

must find out what it is One of the best known examples of a guessing game is

20 Questions, in which one person thinks of a famous person, place, or thing.The other participants can ask 20 Yes/No questions to find clues in order toguess who or what the person is thinking of

Matching games: As a name applies, participants need to find a match for a

word, picture or card

Exchanging games: In these games, students barter cards, other objects, or

ideas Similar are exchanging and collecting games Many card games fall intothis category

Labeling games: These are form of matching, in that participants match

labels and pictures

Role play games: The terms role play, drama and simulation are sometimes

used interchangeably but can be differentiated Role play can involve studentsplaying roles that they do not play in real life, such as dentists, while simulationscan involve students performing roles that they already play in real life or might

be likely to play, such as a customer at a restaurant Dramas are normallyscripted performances, whereas in role plays and simulations, students come upwith their own words, although preparation is often useful

Another distinction among games is that between competitive games andcooperative ones (Jacobs, in preparation) Research suggested that learning, as

well as affective variables are enhanced by a cooperative environment (Johnson

& Stanne; Slavin, 1995) Millis (2005) outlines a number of advantages ofcooperative games, such as appropriate anxiety levels and more constructivefeedback

1.3 The games should be used in teaching English grammar

Unconsciously, games bring many advantages to language lessons;however, choosing appropriate games takes consideration because games shouldcreate fun environment without losing pedagogical values Firstly, teachersshould find out the purpose of a game clearly According to Nedomová (2007:19), “teachers should consider whether the game-like activity is for childrenonly to make the lesson more attractive and protect them from being bored orwhether we tend to revise and practice some particular part of grammar,vocabulary, etc.” Moreover, teachers need to consider the level of the gamesbefore applying them into lessons If the game is suitable for students’ languagelevel, they will feel happy and take part in enthusiastically However, if thegame is too easy or too difficult, they will feel boring and will not want to enjoyplaying the game In addition, it can be easily realized that games help toenhance social interaction and participation from students Therefore, teachersshould understand students’ favourites and if they can learn best with gameswhich require physical action interaction, competition and participation Andthen, teachers can use the games which can both maintain pedagogical valuesand satisfy students Furthermore, other factors such as the size and the physicalproperties of the classroom, the equipment, materials and the time available for agame (McCallum,1980) need paying attention to by teachers In conclusion,before choosing games to serve the lessons, teachers need take care of someaspects stated above to make sure that the games are proper for the lessons aswell as for the students

1.4 When games should be used

Games are mostly thought to be used after studying all of the content oflessons or at the end of the lessons to creature fun, or games are used when there

is 12 not anything more to do in class However, Lee (1979) disagreed with thispoint of view and stated that “games should not be regarded as a marginalactivity, filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better

to do” In other words, games should be carried out in the lessons and should not

be considered as sided activities Thus, Rinvolucri (1990) claimed that gamescan be used in any stage of a lesson Particularly, games can be implemented:

a) before presenting a given structure, especially to find out diagnosticallyhow much knowledge is already known by the learners

b) after a grammar presentation to see how much the group have grasped c) as a revision of a grammar area

Moreover, choosing and applying appropriate games into specificsituations is also important Unconsciously, finding a game that satisfies all ofthe needs of the learners is quite difficult; thus, teachers’ preparation should betaken into consideration After that, when teachers implement games in lessons,they should introduce its rules and give instructions to the learners directly andsimply Even teachers may take advantage of using the mother tongue to giveexplanation since when students understand what they need to do in the games,they can achieve educational purpose in playing it In addition, when games areplaying, if students make mistakes, teachers should not interrupt a game tocorrect the mistakes Instead of that, “interruptions should be as infrequent aspossible so as not to detract from the student’s interest in the game Analternative to immediate correction is to make note of errors and discuss themwhen the game is over” (Celce-Murcia (1979)) In other words, interruptionsmay affect students’ attention and enthusiasm so that teachers should wait untilthe game is over to discuss as well as correct their mistakes

It is also stated that games playing into pairs or groups interest bothteachers and students a lot because of their competition, cooperation andsuccess Pair work or group work helps to improve students’ communicationalskills as well as develop solidarity among students McCallum (1980) suggestedthat teachers should keep 13 students in the same team during the year because it

is beneficial for teachers to save time and it is beneficial for learners to increaseteam spirit In brief, games which require students to work in pair and in groupenable learners to expand their language and communicational skills whilebuilding up competition and team spirit among learners Furthermore, thanks togames, students can develop their ability in using language because gamescreate real-life situations for students to participate and practise The importance

is that teachers need to consider when or in which part language games should

be applied in lessons

1.5 Benefits of teaching grammar with games

Arif Saricoban and Esen Metin (2000) explained how and why gameswork for teaching grammar in class They said, “Games and problem-solvingactivities have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech, and areexamples of the most preferable communicative activities” They go on toexplain that grammar games help students not only gain knowledge but be able

to apply and use.that.learning Additionally, games have the advantage of

allowing the students to “practice and internalize vocabulary, grammar and structures extensively” They can do this through repeated exposure to the

target grammar and because students are often more motivated to play gamesthan they are to do work Plus, during the game, the students are focused on theactivity and end up absorbing the grammar subconsciously

Bob Obee (1999) remarked in his book that classroom games andlanguage games in particular help learners to proceduralise their grammarknowledge in ongoing communicative situations

Aydan Ersoz (2000), author of "Six Games for the ESL/EFL Classroom" also explains more reasons why games do work for teaching grammar Learning

a language requires constant effort and that can be tiring, but Ersoz outlines two good reasons why games should be included in the classroom:

-.Games that are amusing and challenging are highly motivating

- Games allow meaningful use of the language in context

While games are motivating for the students, probably the best reason,according to Saricoban and Metin (2000), to use games is that "the use of suchactivities both increases the cooperation and competition in the classroom." Indeed games can be used to add excitement through competition or to createbonding between the students, and between the students and teachers

Students may wish to play games purely for fun Teachers, however, needmore convincing reasons “Teachers need to consider which games to use, when

to use them, how to link them up with the syllabus, textbook or program andhow, more specifically, different games will benefit students in different ways(Khan, J.1996)” The key to a successful language game is that the rules areclear, the ultimate goal is well defined and the game must be fun

1.6 Tips for using grammar games in class successfully

Lin Hong (1932) explained that not all games are going to work to teachthe students language skills If the game is simply for fun and not linked toeducational goals it may not be the best use of your time It is possible to have afun game that is educationally sound, however To find out if the game iseducationally sound, Lin Hong (1932) indicated these questions:

+ Which skills do the games practice?

+ What type of game is it and what is its purpose?

+ Does the difficulty level of the game mesh with the students’ ability level?+ Does the game require maximum involvement by the students?

+ Do the students like it? Do the teachers like it?

To add to these questions also ask ourselves:

+ What specific vocabulary or grammar are we introducing or practising withthis game?

+ Can we keep control of our class and play this game?

+ What materials do we need for the game and can we obtain these easily?

+ What control, if any are needed, will we have in place to ensure the childrenare on track?

+ Competition is not always appropriate, and it is not appropriate at all for fiveyear olds and under Can we play a game for the sake of the game and not inorder to define winners and losers? Here are some ways play downcompetition: Do not keep score all the time, make sure the teams tie, play downany "winning", praise everyone, play until everyone has finished - the winnersare those who finish, not those who finish first, and everyone finishes etc

+ Are the rules easy and clear?

Organization

Lin Hong (1932) also made some tips for organizing the game whenteaching English grammar more successful said that the first thing you should dowhen start teaching English grammar is to figure out how to organize yourclass For the younger students you’ll want to change your activities every five

to ten minutes because they have shorter attention spans If we don’t changeyour activities, they’ll soon start losing interest As we get towards the higherelementary grades, we can expand the time you spend per activity The best way

to gauge this is to pay attention to our class for the first few days to see whatlength of time works the best for them Additionally, try to have everythingready to go before the students enter the classroom That way we can go fromactivity to activity with minimal downtime This is essential as we can losecontrol of the class if we do not keep them occupied

Expectations

Lin Hong (1932) also believed that if we notice that our class is gettingnoisy or rambunctious, it’s time to change activities Kids of this age like to be

active; in order to balance out the energy levels in the classroom, alternatebetween active activities and quiet activities.

Be careful how you use activities that require fine motor skills - or moreimportantly pay attention to our expectations for activities that require finemotor skills Children in pre-school and early elementary are just learning towrite in their own languages This is not the best time to expect them to write in

a foreign language as well As they progress through elementary school,however, you can begin using games and activities that require them to writesmall amounts

Variation

Lin Hong (1932) affirmed that we should make sure our activities appeal

to all sorts learning styles, so even when you are using games to teach grammarwe’ll want to vary the types of things you expect ourstudents to do For pre-school and early elementary grades, stick to games that use talking, listening,looking and moving For middle and high elementary, we can continue to usegames that use talking, listening, looking and moving and add in some gamesthat use writing and reading

Going along with this same idea, think about what children learn from theeasiest Television commercials are short and catchy and the most memorableare the ones that are repeated often Keep these characteristics in mind when weare teaching grammar to your students - incorporate these characteristics intoour daily activities

Respect

He said that to make games work for us and our class, be sure to operateour class with the most respect - both to and from students This includesteaching our students from the very start that we expect respect at all times This includes giving encouragement and following the rules

We will need to make sure the rules for all of the games are clear andmanageable When possible, explain the rules in the students’ native tongue so

that they all know what is expected of them When there is an environment ofrespect in the classroom, the students will feel safe enough to participate in thegames so that they can get the most educational value out of them.

Towards the end of elementary school, we can start introducingcompetitive games, but only if the class is respectful and it shouldn't be the mainfocus of the game

Routine

He believed that even if we only have our students for a short time everyweek, establishing a routine will help the class go smoothly Children of this age(preschool through elementary school) thrive on routine and if they know what

to expect next, they will be more able to participate in what's going on now Set

up a schedule for the type of activities we’ll be doing at any given timethroughout the class whether it is a game, story or song or whatever we want to

do Then, when you are planning our class, plug in the appropriate activities toeach section of time We should also leave a little time at the end of the classperiod to allow the students to clean up and gather their things as well as timefor us to recap the class, praise the students and tell them goodbye

We can also designate a “sign” to use to signal to the students when it istime to change activities such as clapping or signing a specific song so that theyknow it's time to return to the circle, table or desks

Nurture

He indicated that the most important thing we can do with our students is

to nurture them everyday For each student in ourclass, find something we likeabout him or her and be sure to tell him or her Be encouraging, patient and kindwhile playing games and participating in activities and they’ll like us as ateacher and a person which will in turn help them get excited about the lessonand what we have for them to do everyday

Using games to teach grammar can be both fun and rewarding for us andour students Just remember to keep them engaged and make sure that our games

are truly teaching the skill at hand and we will soon have a class full of studentswho get excited about learning grammar.

1.7 Conclusion of the chapter

In this chapter, the researcher presents about theoretical issues on thedefinition of English grammar, the role of grammar in teaching and learningEnglish, the definition of language games and some types of games and thebenifits of using games in teaching English grammar researched by someresearchers such as: Hadfield, Greenal, Slavin, Millis, Gibb, Bob Obee, AydanErsoz, From the above points, it can be said that grammar plays a veryimportant part in teaching and learning English The application of the grammargames is very necessary to develop students’ motivation and understanding ofthe lesson Those are the main points in the literature review that the chapter isconcerned with to carry out the next steps of the study in Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS

In the previous chapter, the researcher found out the theoreticalbackground of the study This chapter provides detailed information about theparticipants of the study, and then focuses on some reasons for choosing anddescription of the data collection instruments and research procedure

2.1 The subject and object of the study

2.1.1 The subject of the study

The subjects of the study are the English teachers and students in class10A4 at Phong Chau high school as well as the textbook “Tieng Anh 10”

2.1.2 The object of the study

The object of this study is the application of some games in teachingEnglish grammar to the students of class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school Itincludes the current situations in using some language games After analyzingthe result from the fact, researcher gives some solutions Finally, experimentteaching is to analyze the success of the study

2.2 Research methods

2.2.1 Methods of the study

- Theoretical method: Studying about some documents to English grammar

and games

- Data Analysis: The data that are analyzed on the research are qualitative and

quantitative data They are organized by using descriptive analysis Last but notleast, constant discussions with the supervisor and teachers are of greatsignificance

- Experimental method: Conducting an experiment to assess the effectiveness

of using games in teaching and learning English grammar

2.2.2 Data collection instruments

With the aim of finding out the current situations and getting some resultsafter investigation, this study adopts quantitative and qualitative methods To

identify the problems, the study has been carried out with the data collectedfrom different instruments:

2.2.2.1 Class observation

* Reasons for choosing class observation: The researcher chooses observation

to access the reaction of the class 10A4 students towards the use of gamesduring grammar lessons Richards (1994) pointed out that observation method isgood procedure and techniques that are based on systematic observation ofevents and often used in the studying language use and classroom events.Observation is aimed neither at assessment not general findings, but exploringthrough observation aspects of what goes on in our classroom for the benefit ofthe teacher’s own development Another important reason is that this methodplays an important role in supporting two methods used, which are surveyquestionnaire and test such as subjective responses and expression and so on

* Descriptions of the class observation:

Before experiment, the researcher observed three grammar periodswithout English games are taught by the English teacher in class 10A4 at PhongChau High School By this way, the researcher can see the students’ reaction in

English grammar lessons without games (How many students give their answers

or their opinions? Are the students enthusiastic about engaging in activities in the unit?, students’ preparation before going to class, ) The specific content

is presented in Appendix 5.

2.2.2.2 Survey questionnaires

* Reasons for choosing survey questionnaires: To collect information about the

situation of teaching and learning English grammar periods such as theirunderstanding of after grammar periods, teachers’ teaching methods and theways they learn English grammar in class and at home, their interest in grammarlessons

* Descriptions of the survey questionnaires:

The researcher designs a questionnaire , include six questions for thestudents of class 10A4 The content of this questionnaire is about the situations

of teaching and learning English grammar of teachers and students, especiallystudents in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school The specific content is

presented in Appendix 1

Before experiment, in the middle of March 2018, 45 photocopies of thequestionnaire were distributed Before giving the questionnaires to therespondents and answers any questions asked by respondents

The questionnaires were distributed to the whole class, 45 students, tofind out some current situations in using language games in teaching andlearning English grammar After applying some grammar games to teach them,the other questions were used to find out students’ attitudes towards theeffectiveness of suggested solutions

The survey questionnaires include closed questions It is designed tosurvey the student’ attitude towards English grammar

Question 1 of this study is used to find out the skills or lessons which

students like most.

Question 2 is used to find out the effectiveness of using games in teachingand learning English grammar

Question 3 relates to the students’ activities during English grammarlessons

Question 4 relates to the students’ preference for teachers’ teachingmethods

Question 5 relates to the frequency of learning English grammar ofstudents at home

Question 6 relates to to the frequency of using games in English grammarlessons of teachers

In addition, after conducting experiments using the games in Englishgrammar lessons, the researcher uses other questionnaire, include five questionswere distributed to 45 students survey the effectiveness of the lessons used some

language games (Appendix 6)

Question 1, 2 and 3 of this study relate to the students’ feelings andattitudes towards language games exploited by the teacher

Question 4 is used to find out to the effectiveness of the games inapplying English grammar structures in the lessons

Question 5 relates to students’ difficulties when participating in thegames

2.2.2.3 Interview

* Reasons for choosing interview: The researcher interviews closely with the

English teachers at Phong Chau high school, especially the teachers teachEnglish to the class 10A4 The aim of this interview is to know the difficulties ofthe teachers when teaching English grammar and the teachers’ frequency inusing games in the English grammar lessons

* Descriptions of the interview:

In order to underst* Reasons for choosing interview and more clearly

about the situation of teaching and learning English grammar of teachers andstudents, the author discusses with the English teachers at Phong Chau high

school with three questions ( Appendix 2).

This interview was conducted three English teachers at Phong Chau highschool for the aims at finding out the reality of using games in teaching Englishgrammar, find out the students’ attitude and teachers’ difficulties in teaching andlearning grammar

Question 1 of this interview relates to the teacher’s evaluation to students’attitude toward English grammar

Question 2 relates to the teachers’ difficulties when teaching Englishgrammar

Question 3 is used to find out frequency of using games in teachingEnglish grammar.

2.2.2.4 Test

* Reasons for choosing test:

In the study process, each method is used for a different aim According

to Hughes (1996:11), “An achievement test aims to find out how much each

student and the class as whole, by implication, to improve feedback on students’progress to the teacher and students, to show how effectively the teacher hastaught and to diagnose those areas which have not been well learnt”

In the study, tests are very important and necessary to survey the students’English grammar.Through the tests, the researcher can assess students’knowledge about English grammar and the effectiveness of using games whenapplied in teaching and learning English grammar

* Descriptions of the test:

The tests are divided into two stages: the first test for students whenstarting the research (pre- test) and the sencond test after the experiment (post-test) During the experiment, the English teacher of class 10A4 helps medistributed 45 pre-test photocopies A test after experiment was used to checkthe improvement of the students in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school

The contents of both tests about to+infinitive; attitudinal adjectives and Will

vs going to The specific content is presented in Appendix 3 and Appendix 4.

CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT SITUATION IN APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF

CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL 3.1 A general overview of Phong Chau high school and class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school

3.1.1 Phong Chau high school

Phong Chau high school – a rural school of Phu Tho province The schoolhas 30 classes with over 81 teachers of different subjects Like other highschools in Viet Nam, English was taught here as a compulsory subject.Currently, there are eleven teachers of English and over 1200 students rangedfrom grade 10 to grade 12 Most of students come from villages and town nearthe school in Lam Thao district such as Tien Kien, Thach Son, Xuan Lung,Hung Son and Xuan Huy

English has been taught in Phong Chau high school since 1995 However,the teaching of English, especially teaching English grammar for grade 10 hasmet some difficulties The first difficul is that English grammar is not paid muchattention by most of students in school The second difficulty is that the teachershave to teach in the large size classes There are at least 43 students for eachclass Teachers will deal with some problems in monitoring work, givingfeedback, setting up communicative tasks as well as paying attention to allstudents during class time The third difficulty is that most of the students arenot familiar with teaching in English Most of the students do not understand ifall English lessons are taught in English The last is lack of materials Materialsfor reference and self – study are not available There is a library at school butthere are not many books for reference Moreover, some facilities needed forlearning such as computers, projectors, etc are not enough

Phong Chau high school consists of eleven teachers of English aged from

30 to 48 All of them have been teaching at school for at least 6 years and all theteachers have got the University Bachelor’ Degree in English As rural teachers,

they have few oppotunities to upgrade their teaching and do not have a lot ofteaching facilities and materials to help their work But they are helpful, friendlyand dedicated teachers They are always willing to help their students tacklewith difficulties in learning.

3.1.2 Class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school

The study was carried out to investigate the current situation of teachingand learning English grammar to class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school Class

10A4 has 45 students, include 17 boys and 28 girls Students in class 10A4 had

similar backgrounds, that is, most of them come from villages or town in LamThao district such as Xuan Lung, Tien Kien, Hung Son and some others comefrom Viet Tri city and Phu Ninh district They have already finished secondaryschool with four years of learning English Although they have had for over fouryears of learning English, the English proficiency has been very low Besides,learning environment is very important, too When being asked why students atPhong Chau high school are not good at English, most of the teachers agreedthat they did not have good environment English seems never to be used outsideclass Especially, English grammar, almost it is not practiced outside the class,except the Language focus lessons is learned about English grammar.Furthermore, in English lesons, English is used much by teachers and goodstudents, the others are lazy or reluctant to practiced and do exercises becausethey have no effort and aim to learn Some are afraid of talking as they fear tomake mistakes and lose face, and sometimes they fear to get bad marks and bepaid bad attention from teachers Moreover, English grammar is complicatedand difficult to remember, so most of the students are not interested in thiscontent

3.2 Discription about English basic textbook of grade 10

The main material for English grammar in Grade 10 is a set of Englishtextbook - Tieng Anh 10 It consists of 16 units and 6 Test yourself Each unit

has five parts: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing and Language focus, andeach of them has been taught in a period (45 minutes).

 Reading is the beginning each unit, consisting of one or more passages.Through reading, it helps students to familiarize the topic of each theme in topic

 Speaking includes activities to practice speaking skill They canunderstand the form of communication of group or individual to improve theirpronunciation to get the target language

 Listening consists of conversations or text relating to the topic of eachunit It helps students not only in practicing listening skill but also correctingpronunciation

 Writing consists of exercises which help students develop their writingskill on kinds of composition such as, writing letter, narrative, description,giving instruction, etc

 Language focus provides the pronunciation and grammar structures.Pronunciation consolidates some sounds, practicing in words and sentences.Grammar and vocabulary presents main points of grammar and vocabulary ineach unit

3.3 Descriptions of grammar points in English basic curriculum of grade 10

English grammar is mentioned in the Language focus lesson of each unit(from unit 1 to unit 16) Each unit provides students with different grammaticalknowledge:

Unit 1: The present simple, Adverbs of frequency, The past simple

Unit 2: Wh - questions, Gerund and to + infinitive

Unit 3: The past perfect, The past perfect vs The past simple

Unit 4: The + adjective, Used to + infinitive, Which as a connector

Unit 5: The present perfect, The present perfect passive, Who-Which-That Unit 6: The present progressive (with a future meaning), Be going to

Unit 7: The present perfect, Because of and inspite of

Unit 8: Reported speech (statements), Conditional sentence type 1

Unit 9: Should, Conditional sentence type 2

Unit 10: The passive voice

Unit 11: Conditional sentence type 3

Unit 12: To + infinitive to talk about purposes, Wh - questions

Unit 13: Attitudinal adjectives, It is/ was not until that , a/ an and the Unit 14: Will vs Going to, Will: making predictions, Will: making offers Unit 15: Non - defining vs defining relative clauses, Although as a

contrasting connector

Unit 16: Comparatives and superlatives, Making comparisons

Language focus lesson is the last lesson in each unit introduced after four

skill lessons are Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing, often includes twoparts: Pronunciation and Grammar English grammar is a difficult content inEnglish lessons and it is not interesting for students Therefore, an effectivetechnique should be exploited to motivate students in these grammar lessons

Because of the limited time and conditions, the researcher only appliedsome games for some grammar lessons within the scope of unit 12 - unit 16

3.4 Findings from the current situation

To find out some current situations in using language games in teachingEnglish grammar in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school, the researchersurveys the current situations by using questionnaire, interview, observation andtests The researcher found out some following results

3.4.1 Results from questionnaire

Before giving some suggestions and doing experimental teaching, theresearcher designed a survey questionnaire for 45 students in class 10A4 andasked them to answer this questionnaire The survey questionnaire include 6questions related to the study The researcher got some following results:

45 students of class 10A4, 17 boy students and 28 girl students answeredthe questionnaire, including 6 questions All of them were 16 years old, have

learnt English for 4 years in secondary schools, the result of their learning wasmostly at average rate.

As can be seen clearly from the data collected, most of the students askedlike English but at the different rate 33.3% of the students like learning fourskills (reading, speaking, listening and writing) 26.7% of the students wereinterested in doing exercises which means that their teachers gave reviewingexercises to students to revised grammar structures or prepared for tests In theselessons, the students learnt passively Moreover, only a small number of them(15.6%) liked learning English grammar structures, and just only one student did

not like all of the lessons (2.2%) Table 1 summarizes students’ ideas about this:

Table 1 Students’ interest in English lessons

After grammar lessons, only 13.3% of the students understood thelessons, 20% of the students said that sometimes they couldn’t understandimmediately and 66.7% couldn’t understand This indicates that the students arenot really good at English

Chart 1 Students’ understanding of the lesson

Students’ learning activities play an important role in mastering teachers’lectures and applying new knowledge According to the results from thequestionnaire, the activities of the students in English grammar lessons wereshown in detail in the table below:

students

%

discuss with your classmates the use of new structures 20 44.4

Table 2 Students’ activities in grammar lessons

As can be seen from the table, we can see that over 80 percent of thestudents pay attention to teacher’s lectures and wrote down on their notebooksbut just only 22.2% of the students contributed their ideas; although they had achance of discussing with their classmates about the lessons but they did notgive their opinions or their ideas in the whole class It proves that students inclass 10A4 were still very passive in learning, they just listened to their teachersand then copied down

When being asked about the teachers’ teaching method, 53.3% of thestudents liked the teaching method of their teacher, 35.6% of the students likedvery much and 11.1% didn’t like it

Chart 2 Students’ attitude towards teachers’ teaching method

After each lesson in the class, the teacher assigned homework to thestudents or asked them to self-study at home The chart below shows thefrequency of learning English grammar of class 10A4 students:

students

%

Table 3 Students’ time for learning grammar at home

Most of the students still spent time learning grammar at home, theamount of time spent for learning English grammar was different 48.9% of thestudents just only spent less than thirty minutes a day learning Englishgrammar 13 students spent about thirty minutes on it, account for 28.9% whilejust only two students spent about two hours a day, account for 4.4% and 11.1%

of them spent one hour a day

Through analysis we can see that most students spent less time to learninggrammar at home, they were not really interested in this subject, while only afew students spent about one to two hours to learn English grammar at home

Students’ answers about frequency of teachers’ using grammar gameswere shown in Table 4 In general, teachers and students have similar

comments: grammar games are only sometimes used in lessons All the teachershave ever used the games in teaching English grammar.

From the interviews, the researcher got some following results:

The first idea: Teachers’ evaluation about the learners' attitude toward

English grammar

When interviewing teachers about students’ attitude towards Englishgrammar lessons, they said that most of the students were not interested in theselessons They just did activities according to the teachers’ requirement, theywere very passive They sat in silence and they didn’t raise their hands to givetheir opinions, only good students who regularly expressed their opinions on thelessons A few students sometimes slept in the class or even some students didnot pay attention to the lessons and did not do the homework or prepare newlessons at home The teachers also revealed that most students did not likeEnglish grammar because they said that it was very difficult, complicated andboring These are the reasons why they were not interested in this subject

The second idea: Teachers’ difficulties when teaching English grammar

The difficulties encountered during teaching are inevitable for each

teacher, not only English teachers but also other subject teachers For English, it

is a difficult subject Three teachers said that although they have many years ofteaching experience, they still face to many difficulties such as over – crowded