THE EFFECT OF GAMES ON GRADE 10TH STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH CLASS AT TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES LE THI BAY THE EFFECT OF GAMES ON GRADE 10TH STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH CLASS AT TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL (Ảnh hưởng trò chơi động lực học học sinh khối 10 lớp học tiếng Anh trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo) M.A THESIS Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Thai Nguyen, 2019 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES LE THI BAY THE EFFECT OF GAMES ON GRADE 10TH STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH CLASS AT TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL (Ảnh hưởng trò chơi động lực học học sinh khối 10 lớp học tiếng Anh trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo) M.A THESIS APPLICATION ORIENTED Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Dr Duong Duc Minh Thai Nguyen, 2019 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the minor thesis entitled “The effect of games on grade 10th students’ motivation in English class at Tran Hung Dao high school” is my own work To the best of my knowledge, it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportion of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at the School of Foreign Languages – Thai Nguyen University or any other education institutions The thesis has not been submitted to any other examining body and has not been published Any contribution made to the research by others is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis The candidate Le Thi Bay Supervisor Dr Duong Duc Minh i ACKNOWLEGEMENTS This research paper would not have been completed without the help of many people to whom I would like to express my deep gratitude First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Mr Duong Duc Minh, Ph.D for his wholehearted support, continuous motivation and precious guidance which was decisive factors to the completion of the thesis I thank all my family and dear friends for their lifting my spirits at each turning point of this journey as well as for their great encouragement and valuable help during the data collection process Last but not least, I extend my special thanks to all the research participants Without their valuable opinions and ideas in the questionnaires, the study would not have been accomplished ii ABSTRACT This paper aims at investigating the effect of games on grade 10th students’ motivation in English class at Tran Hung Dao high school, Quang Ninh province and seeks to determine the extent to which using games in learning process affects the improvement in students’ motivation in learning process, how students experience the teacher’s practice and behavior and measure the students’ perceptions of the using games in learning environment with respect to its effectiveness Questionnaire, observation and structured interview were used as the main tools to collect data Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used to provide enough data for the present study The results from the data revealed that the using games in learning process significantly affected students’ motivation in language classes In addition, most of the students involved in the study are generally happy about using language games in their study and they recognize the benefits of the language games in enhancing interaction between them and their classmates as well as their teacher Key words: language games, high school students, motivation, attitudes, performance iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES vii PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims of the thesis 3 Scope of the thesis Significance of the thesis Structure of the thesis PART 2: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW Definition of motivation Definition of games Educational games Games in English language teaching Previous studies 12 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 15 Research design 15 Research procedure .15 Participants 17 Instruments 18 Data collection procedures 19 Data analysis 20 Summary 20 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 21 I Results 21 1.1 Results of questionnaire 21 iv 1.2 Results of observation 25 1.3 Results of Semi-structures interview 26 II Discussions 28 PART 3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS 32 Recapitulation 32 Implication 33 Limitations 34 Recommendations and suggestions for further study .34 REFERENCES 37 APPENDICES I APPENDIX 1: I APPENDIX 2: III APPENDIX 3: IV APPENDIX 4: V APPENDIX 5: VI v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS MMOs: Massively multiplayer online games NFL: National foreign language PPP: Present- practice- produce technique vi LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES page Chart 1: Students’ ideas of the importance of using games in English learning process 21 Chart 2: Students’ opinion of using games in real contexts 22 Chart 3: Students’ understanding of the lesson 22 Chart 4: Students’ attitude to teaching method 23 Chart 5: Students’ interaction in English lessons 24 Chart 6: Students’ difficulties in playing games 24 Chart 7: Comparison of students’ motivation through lessons 25 vii PART 1: INTRODUCTION Rationale In the current globalization and integration trend, English is considered to be the most widely used language in the world, as nearly 60 countries use English as their primary language, their mother tongue, and nearly 100 countries use English as second-language English Therefore, this foreign language plays a very important role in the current integration of globalization Human relations as well as cooperation, investment in any fields from science, business, commerce, transportation, technology, communication, tourism to the opportunities in learning, expanding ties to co-operate not only in Vietnam but also in other regions of the world Especially since Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization and the transformation of Vietnam, the world during the Industrial Revolution 4.0 We are entering a new economic phase with many opportunities and challenges With the opening of the market we have a very strong economic development opportunity, along with the demand for high quality human resources meeting labor requirements in the age of integration, English is one of the tools that help us to reach and grasp those opportunities Therefore, the demand for training and development of foreign languages, especially English in Vietnam is increasingly focused and enhanced However, at present, although the focus on foreign language training at the school level, the results have not yet reached the required standards The objectives set out in the project "Teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system for the period of 2008 - 2020" have created a strong impetus in teaching and learning foreign languages; However, from the objective to the actual results of the project, the distance is very far On November 16, 2016, Mr Phung Xuan Nha Minister of Education and Training announced that “the government had failed to meet the goals of the NFL scheme for the 2008-2020 periods” (VN, 2016) Limited English proficiency results in loss of the opportunity to study and work for many students PART 3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS This final part presents some conclusions drawn from the study, comments on the limitations of this action research, and makes some suggestions for further studies as well the researcher’s professional development after the research Recapitulation This paper clarified the strong points of using games for students at Tran Hung Dao high school The results from this action research expressed the positive influences of games on students’ motivation Three kinds of datasets consisting of questionnaire, observation, and interview which showed an attempt to answer the two research questions posed at the beginning of the study and gave researcher evidence-based judgments to the innovation They have promoted the trend of adopting games in teaching process for students at Tran Hung Dao high school The using games in learning process offers to the students was successful due to a combination of factors In addition, the games tasks were enjoyable, which increased their motivation to learn and gave them higher confidence in persisting with more challenging tasks Vitally important, pertinent games and activities should be examined to identify the most relevant ones for studying English The upcoming study of using games in teaching process could be continuously investigated in different high school of Vietnam Therefore, the collected information is more valid and reliable Games play an important role in teaching and learning process as well as they promote students’ motivation The data was collected from the questionnaire, observation and interview were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively The data analysis helped the researcher achieve the aims of the study Major findings of the thesis, from the thorough analysis and discussions of the data collected from the survey questionnaires and score analysis, significant findings were identified 32 Firstly, it was discovered that using games in teaching and learning process did have positive effects on the students’ motivation Games provide comprehensible input while learners interact in the group and allowing students to clarify the ways of learning new languages Implementing games in teaching also enhanced students’ motivation to learn English in class The strategy also allows the students to interact effectively with peers, which is also used as student-centered method The games also provided a challenge, where they need their concentration to get the tasks done which strengthen students’ mental work Such activities were also new to students’ experience and they think carefully to get the right answers Secondly, from the questionnaires, it was found that most of students had positive view toward the implementation of using games in class Most students liked learning through games it could improve students’ motivation Last but not least, by implementing the games in the class students could improve their interest in learning process The win as a drive to play a language game cannot be underestimated It is the factor which allows a learning class environment to be conditioned and shaped according to the needs of the students, the learning process, or the requirements of a course Implication From the thorough analysis and discussions of the data collected from the survey questionnaires and score analysis, significant findings were identified Firstly, it was discovered that using games in learning process did have positive effects on the studied students’ learning performance Secondly, from the questionnaires, it was found that most of students had positive view toward the implementation of using games in learning process in class Based on students’ response toward the implementation of using games in learning process, it could improve students’ motivation In addition, by the implementation of using games in learning process, students could self-confident 33 themselves to interact with the partners in other groups Last but not least, the studies showed that using games in learning process may be an effective method to promote students’ motivation in learning process as well as to enhance the students’ success Limitations Despite the researcher’s considerable effort, the study has certain limitations due to the time constraint and the researcher’s limited ability Firstly, as an action research with it typical characteristics defined as “situational”, this study is prone to lack generalization The research had been done with a rather small number of participants Although the data collected from the research tools proved high consistency, this narrow range of students prevented the researcher, to some extent, from getting a better overview idea of the effect of using games technique in other school Thus, the intervention has worked quite successfully in the two selected class, but we not know whether it may be applied to other classes in other schools and in other contexts This research, therefore, has unavoidable limited application Secondly, the number of students and classes involved in the study as the main participants were relatively low in comparison with the number of learners of English However, this study was conducted in the familiar context with researcher’s own class and the participants being the researcher’s students, which offers relevance and validity for the research itself Finally, due to the researcher’s inexperience, time constraint and limited authority, limitations in the study are unavoidable However, the serious work and the great efforts of the researcher in selecting and justifying the methodology of the study well ensure the reliability and validity of the results Recommendations and Suggestion for further research Objectively, this paper is not good enough to meet the demand of the readers because of the shortage of time and the limited knowledge and experience of the 34 author Therefore, all the remarks, comments and suggestions would be highly appreciated Based on the findings of this study several practical recommendations can be made for language teaching programs that wish to implement using games in learning process First, in terms of population, since there were 38 students from one classes involved in the study as the main participants, other researchers can further the research by expanding and varying the sampling of participants More students and classes will provide more thorough data for analysis Moreover, additional research is needed that investigates the effects of games on students' motivation in learning process It can be utilized as an alternative form of English education Although the long-term effect of games should be examined through further research and experimentation considering the variety of teaching and learning methodologies it is certainly an effective teaching and learning method for the improvement of students’ motivation Games should be perceived as elements of the process of teaching, learners, should benefit from games connected with English learning in the process of teaching-learning at the right time and the right place Experimental researches should be done to see the impact of the level knowledge and skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening on the learners’ achievement Another area that deserves attention in future research is the composition of learners with regard to factors such as linguistic and cultural backgrounds, age, maturity and language proficiency There are indications in the current study that all of these factors may have had an influence on the results Thus, future studies should attempt to control for these factors and investigate their individual influence on the success of using games to promote students' motivation in learning language environments It does not matter indoor or outdoor; It cannot be denied the importance of games If students learn with games, have fun, feel happy and free, it means that they have 35 reached their goals Games strengthen language skills, besides; learners develop social skills and good relationships while they interact with each other Concerning the development of technology, it is believed that in future, the using games in English teaching will be further developed The process of English learning will be more student-centered but less time-consuming Therefore, it promises that the teaching quality will be improved and students’ applied English skills can be effectively cultivated In summary, this study demonstrates that the use of games in language classes offered ways for more effective teaching and learning process and brought positive outcomes to the students 36 REFERENCES Angelova, T G., & Lekova, B C (1995) A model of early childhood foreign language education through playing motoric games Retrieved October 22, 2009, from ERIC database (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No ED397957) Atake, K (2003) Using games to teach English in 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I can use English in real contexts or situation by studying English through games? I understand and practice lessons in class better through games Teacher’s use of game as a teaching method is effective and useful for you to learn English? Interaction Neutral=N, between students-teacher and games? Using games in learning English create strong motivation to practice English in class I SA APPENDIX 2: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SHEET Class: ………… Date: ………… Lesson: …………………………… PART 1: CLASSROOM ATMOSPHERE Students focus on the lesson and activities  always usually  sometimes  never Students participate in each of the tasks enthusiastically  always usually  sometimes  never Students’ gestures and facial expressions show that they are interested in the speaking activities  always usually  sometimes  never Students voluntarily answer the questions  always usually  sometimes  never Students actively contribute ideas to the lesson  always usually  sometimes  never Students ask for clarification if they not understand the task  always usually  sometimes  never Students ask questions after teacher’s and/ or another classmate’s speaking  always usually  sometimes  never Students offer comments after teacher’s and/ or another classmate’s speaking  always usually  sometimes  never Students are ready to work with other classmates  always usually  sometimes  never PART 2: STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH Students manage to say what they wanted …  easily  with some help  with a lot of help II  no Students manage to keep their speaking going smoothly  yes  on the whole  it was rather broken up  it was very broken up Students pronounce well enough to be understood  yes, always  on the whole  not really  no Students use suitable and on – topic words and phrases  yes, always  on the whole  not really  no  not really  no Students manage the necessary grammar?  yes, always  on the whole Students’ involvement Yes No Notes Yes No Notes Students understand the rule of the game after teacher’s verbal explanation Students understand the rule of the game after teacher’s or peer’s modeling Students are interested in participating the game Students are active and enthusiastic Effect of the game on speaking Students are confident to speak Students not care about their speaking mistakes during the game Students can use English to express their ideas and opinions Students are more motivated in speaking lesson III APPENDIX 3: STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Do you enjoy the games instructed by teacher? Are you able to use new language when joining the games? Do you have more opportunities to communicate through games? Do you have stronger motivation when studying English with games? Are there any obstacles as you participate in the games? IV APPENDIX 4: SAMPLE LESSON PLAN WITH LANGUAGE GAMES One grammar point “passive voice” and one topic for speaking “talking about favorite kinds of music” in the course book were chosen and taught in 45 minutes: Passive voice: English 10- Unit 10 (page 104) Talking about favorite kinds of music: The lessons with grammar games were conveyed as following: Lesson (Game 1, about 10 minutes): The Passive voice Teacher prepared several pictures and put them in a box Then, my class was divided into groups (five members in each group) Each group took turn to choose a picture inside the box In minute that group had to make two sentences using the passive voice (for example: Many new roads are being built in this city) However, the students were required to speak out and write down their answers) Which group finished first would get point Teacher gave comment and the winners would receive a small present Lesson (Game 2, about 10 minutes) Introducing about some kinds of music Teacher showed one sentence on the board (for example: I like pop music, because……………) After that I had the students work in groups of five The students were asked to speak out their own sentences about some kinds of music as many as possible Each group had minutes to prepare and then presents in front of class Which group had more answers than the other would win and get a gift Teacher gives feedback, explanation and asked students to take note their ideas V APPENDIX 5: SAMPLE LESSON PLAN WITHOUT GAMES Lessons without using games Passive voice: English 10- Unit 10 (page 104) To begin the lesson, teacher invited two students to go to the board to check old lesson Then, two lessons were taught similarly by applying communicative approach The procedure followed present- practice- produce technique (PPP) Firstly, teacher presented the meaning and structures of new grammar points by setting situation Secondly, the students practiced the new grammar structures by doing exercises in pairs or small groups without any games Finally, it was time for students to practice freely, and finished some more tasks: gap-fill, word/ sentence transformation… VI ... aims at investigating the effect of games on grade 10th students’ motivation in English class at Tran Hung Dao high school, Quang Ninh province and seeks to determine the extent to which using games. .. questions: What is the impact of using games on grade 10th students’ motivation in Tran Hung Dao high school? What are the students’ attitudes towards using games in the English foreign language classroom?... classroom? Scope of the thesis This study only focused on using language games in teaching to stimulate student’s motivation in learning English for 10th students at Tran Hung Dao high school, Dong Trieu