The use of games in teaching vocabulary to young learners a case study at nguyen binh khiem primary school

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER THE USE OF GAMES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY AT NGUYEN BINH KHIEM PRIMARY SCHOOL Supervisor: Ms Cấn Thị Chang Duyên (M.A) Student: Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên Course: QH2012.F1.E2 Hanoi, 2016 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHĨA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP VIỆC SỬ DỤNG TRỊ CHƠI TRONG DẠY TỪ VỰNG CHO TRẺ EM: NGHIÊN CỨU TRƯỜNG HỢP TẠI TRƯỜNG TIỂU HỌC NGUYỄN BỈNH KHIÊM Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Thạc sĩ Cấn Thị Chang Duyên Sinh viên: Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên Khóa: QH2014.F1.E2 Hà Nội, 2016 i ACCEPTANCE PAGE I hereby state that I: Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên (QH2012.F1.E2), being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Bachelor‟s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Signature Date May 5, 2016 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards Ms Cấn Thị Chang Duyên, my supervisor, for her continued support and encouragement throughout this study Without her careful supervision and guidance, the study could not be completed My special thanks are also extended to two teachers of English at Nguyen Binh Khiem primary school for their invaluable help in allowing me to conduct the observations, attending the interviews and giving useful advice on my test preparation Besides, I would like to express my sincere thanks to 54 pupils of two classes 1A1 and 2A3 for their enthusiastic participation in doing the achievement tests, served as empirical data for the research In addition, my thanks go to my dear friends in class 12E2 as well as my old friends for their previous assistance, suggestions and encouragement during the time I carried out the study Last but not least, I am eternally grateful to my parents who have been giving me unconditional love and support to complete the research i ABSTRACT No matter what language a child learns, it is words that serve as a stepping stone to the acquisition of language elements and skills Among a handful of techniques in teaching and learning words, games are considered one of the best ones The present study, therefore, aimed at investigating the current situation of applying games in teaching vocabulary to young learners by teachers of English at Nguyen Binh Khiem primary school Specifically, it explored ways of using games, their effectiveness, practical issues and recommendations during the employment Both qualitative and quantitative approaches, along with three research instruments namely observation, interview and testing, were adopted with the hope of giving in-depth answer to the four reseach questions In addition to six observed lessons in two classes, two teachers of English were involved in the interview and 54 pupils were invited to achievement tests The results indicated that various games were exploited in all of three stages of vocabulary lessons, especially in practice and revision Besides, with positive attitudes from teachers and pupils as well as pupils‟ high scores in the tests, games were proved effective in helping children learn vocabulary, especially in terms of denotation and pronunciation Challenges from pupils such as disruptive behaviors, unenthusiastic involvement and intense competition and issues from teachers like unclear instruction and neglect of scoring made it sometimes difficult for teachers to manage classes during games However, these issues were addressed with solutions suggested by both teachers Despite the researcher‟s efforts, there were certain limitations such as the lack of pupils‟ opinions and oral test and limited number of participants, which are hoped to be overcomed in future studies ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ii LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND ABBREVIATIONS vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study Aims and objectives Significance of the research Scope of the study Organization CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Young learners 1.1 Definition of young learners 1.2 Characteristics of young learners An overview of vocabulary learning An overview of vocabulary teaching 3.1 Principles of vocabulary teaching 3.2 Stages and activities in teaching vocabulary Teaching vocabulary to young learners through games 12 4.1 Definition and characteristics of games 12 4.2 Advantages of using games 13 4.3 Selection of games 14 4.4 Practical considerations of implementing games 15 Related studies 17 5.1 In the world 17 5.2 In Vietnam 18 iii CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 20 Quantitative and qualitative approach 20 1.1 Quantitative approach 20 1.2 Qualitative approach: Case study 20 Research setting 21 Participants 21 Research instruments 22 4.1 Observation 22 4.2 Interview 23 4.3 Testing 24 Data collection procedure 25 Data analysis method and procedure 26 6.1 Content analysis method 26 6.2 Statistical analysis method 26 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 27 RQ1: In what ways are games exploited in teaching vocabulary to YLs? 27 1.1 Phases of teaching vocabulary in which games are used 27 1.2 Selection of games 29 RQ2: To what extent can the use of games help YLs learn vocabulary? 32 2.1 YLs‟ response 32 2.2 Teachers‟ perceptions 33 2.3 Test results 35 RQ3: What are practical challenges faced by teachers when they implement games? 38 3.1 Pupil-related factors 38 3.2 Teacher-related factors 39 RQ4: What are solutions to the challenges suggested by the teachers? 40 iv 4.1 Pupil-related problems 40 4.2 Teacher-related problems 41 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 43 5.1 Summary of findings 43 5.2 Limitations 44 5.3 Suggestion for further research 44 LIST OF REFERENCES 46 APPENDICES 50 APPENDIX 1: OBSERVATION CHECKLIST 50 APPENDIX 2: ACHIEVEMENT TEST (FOR GRADE 1) 52 APPENDIX 3: ACHIVEMENT TEST (FOR GRADE 2) 54 APPENDIX 4: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION - TEACHER A 56 APPENDIX 5: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION - TEACHER B 62 v LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Games used in class and .30 Table 2: Statistics of grades of class 35 Table 3: Frequency of grades of class 35 Table 4: Statistics of grades of class .36 Table 5: Frequency of grades of class 37 LIST OF FIGURE Figure 1: Stages of a vocabulary lesson………………………………………… 29 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS YL Young Learner NBK Nguyen Binh Khiem TA Teacher A TB Teacher B RQ Research question vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This initial chapter presents the problem and the rationale of the study Research questions to achieve the research’s aims, significance of the research, scope of the study and the organization are also clearly presented Statement of the problem and rationale for the study Despite some predictions that English will be dethroned, the number of learners of English is still increasing dramatically all over the world This trend may be due to the growing need to work and communicate with people from other parts of the world However, how successfully people can achieve that goal lies in their language competence in terms of both language skills and language elements “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins, 1972, p.111-112) Thus, vocabulary plays a fundamental role as it enables people to express their own ideas and exchange information with others Additionally, vocabulary acquisition can support learning process of other skills (Nguyen & Khuat, 2008) Regardless of proficiency levels, vocabulary learning is of great importance; therefore, appropriate and effective teaching methodology and activities to help learners sharpen their vocabulary should be taken into consideration It is commonly known that game is one of the most useful techniques in vocabulary teaching Games provide learners with a wide range of learning situations, maintain learners‟ motivation, and enhance interaction among learners (Carrier, 1980) As for YLs, the fact that they want to play makes them “naturally and universally engage” in games (Brumfit & Tongue, 1991) The idea of using games in primary classrooms is not novel Nevertheless, it is not always as advantageous as mentioned above since it depends greatly on many factors such as the objectives of learning activities, the types of games chosen and the APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: OBSERVATION CHECKLIST Teacher Number students Class Date of observation Lesson focus Time Language items Game(s) used Yes/No SELECTION Its objectives are clear, achievable and associated with vocabulary learnt of the lesson The chosen pattern of organization is appropriate for the class It is suitable for the level of the group of learner Materials are appropriate and relevant It follows “ludic principles” (chance, cooperation and competition, memory involvement) INSTRUCTION DELIVERY 50 of Comments The instruction language is suitable for the students The rule is clear, brief and reasonable There are periodic checks for understanding PARTICIPATION All students have equal chances to play Students participate actively and enthusiastically in the game CLASS MANAGEMENT Time is allocated effectively appropriately and The level of noise is acceptable 51 managed APPENDIX 2: ACHIEVEMENT TEST (FOR GRADE 1) Name: Class: 1A1 Time: 10 minutes Exercise 1: Match Jump Fly Hop throw a Frisbee Juggle ride a bike 52 Exercise 2: Read, look and put a tick () juggle  run kick a ball climb a tree walk fly 53 APPENDIX 3: ACHIVEMENT TEST (FOR GRADE 2) Name: Class: 2A3 Time: 10 minutes Exercise 1: Write giraffe happy sharpeners lettuce scared hungry bread sleepy monkey stickers Marbles Monkey 10 Exercise 2: Write the missing letters 54 c h i c k e n d _ l _ _ i n p _ _ g _ _ n c h _ _ s _ k _ _ _ i n g s d i _ _ _ _ a u _ _ g e s _ _ o c o _ i l e _ e _ _ _ f r _ _ t s 10 b a _ _ o o _ s 55 APPENDIX 4: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION - TEACHER A Date: 4/3/2016 Duration: 12 minutes I: Hi, how many years have you been teaching English? A: I have been teaching for year… about year and a half I: What you think about the importance of teaching vocabulary in teaching English? A: Vocabulary is an important language element Children have to know words in order to express their ideas or write sentences Unlike Vietnamese, questions in English can be answered shortly by just one or few words; hence, when they have a rich vocabulary, they can easily answer simple questions Put it another word, they can communicate basically I: Can you tell me how your students, first graders, learn vocabulary? A: As first and second graders are getting to know English, the requirement is that they can look at pictures and say words related to pictures Gradually, they can identify letters They are not required to write much so they mainly study through activities and games I: How you often teach vocabulary? A: Regarding teaching vocabulary, for international classes, they have already been taught vocabulary by foreign teachers, my main job is to help them revise learnt vocabulary Whearas, while introducing new vocabulary to CLC classes, especially second and third graders, the easiest way to learn is through pictures They don‟t usually translate words into Vietnamese but by looking at pictures, they can remember the words Then they listen and repeat words to practise pronouncing them correctly Afterthat, I let them an activity to revise However that activity is just for For example, the game Sticky ball, they have to listen to what teachers say and decide what picture is right and throw the sticky ball Because many of them can‟t say words 56 right away when pictures are shown because students haven‟t got familiar with words Meanwhile, for revision lesson, in the first place, they read words out loud individually or chorally to revise vocabulary learnt When it comes to individual practice, I give chances to those who are a bit slower than other students Then, one or two small game-like activities are designed to help learners revise more I: As I can see, you have used a lot of games in your lesson So in what phase of a vocabulary lesson you employ games, presentation, practice or production? A: Games can be used as warm-up activity as long as they are simple and can raise the atmosphere at the beginning As I said earlier, there are games that are exploited to check how much YLs can recall words learnt in the previous lessons Also, games are used to revise structures that have been introduced before These games are helpful in revising both structures and words Vocabulary accounts for 50% of the lesson although the focus of its might be language structure revision It‟s because structures always go with vocabulary I: What games you often choose? A: As for the very first lessons when they are getting to know words, I often let them play games to recognize words like Slap the board or Sticky ball which is another version of Slap the board Or to motivate them better, I can use games where students throw the ball into different areas and then I point to a picture and they say the word to get points Another game is One, two, three where YLs move step by step and look at pictures to say the words out loud This game can be used in word introduction part with the focus on vocabulary but not pictures It means that I can create different versions to raise the level of difficulty When they can know words by looking at pictures, they move to the next stage which is being able to say words by looking at them and then they are asked to match words with pictures I: Why you choose those games in your lessons? A: Because they are suitable for first-grade students Since students can not write well at this age, movement games make students active and eager to learn And games… 57 for example, Hang man… One person one letter which means one student write one letter of the word are not quite suitable for first graders Though they can be employed to help students memorize vocabulary, they are a bit challenging for this group of students I: Aside from the factor of level of learners, are there any other criteria that you base on to choose games? A: Actually there are many… after I have had some practical experience of teaching at first, I thought that games were limited and hence, YLs got bored but now I realize that I can modify games to have different versions It makes students feel that these games are different but actually they are the same It all depends on how teachers name games As you can see, the game What‟s missing?, grade and grade students get the rule very quickly and can play the game at the second time I introduce the game Meanwhile, as a matter of fact, grade students still have difficulty memorizing words….if I teach them 10 words, they can recall when looking at words but they are not able to recall and list out all ten words that they have learnt Therefore, beside remembering what words they have learned and what word is not on the board, I have to some actions to help them I: How YLs respond when you implement games? A: Right at the moment I say the word game, all of them got very excited And I can use games to establish class rules During games, there are students who are so eager that they easily get upset when they are not picked up for the first and second turn; thus, I pay more attention to them, I call them more than others Whereas there are students who are more well-behaved and hard-working, I let them play in more games than the other group; however, in one particular game, they may only get one chance for instance Because groups of learners are various, I tend to design many games and ensure that each child is given equal chance to play I: In your opinion, what benefits games bring out in terms of teaching vocabulary? 58 A: uhm… Firstly, game greatly motivates learners It makes students involved in activities and by doing so, students can remember words because if teachers merely introduce vocabulary, it is hard for them to pay attention to So the first benefit is that game is a souce of motivation and the second is to boost their attention span I: Do you think that games make it easier for students to remember vocabulary? A: As compared to the traditional way,by using games,I think students can acquire 80%, you know 100% vocabulary acquisition is impossible It means, for instance, if they have to learn 10 words, I think they can remember to words because some words are a bit long Some students are less good at pronunciation than others so they are not confident to say those words, which has a negative impact on their memorizing words Additionally, word memorization depends on how hard students try to revise vocabulary at home One factor is how they acquire and another is self-study attitude Since they have extra worksheets which is quite simple, they get better if they all worksheets and revise words in their books I: In your opinion, what aspect of vocabulary among meaning, form and usage, can games be the best helper? A: I think though games students can get a lot of meaning and pronunciation as well In whole-class speaking, it is difficult to correct individual‟s mistakes and there is also no time to correct for each and every student in class Therefore, when a student plays games, I can correct his/her speaking mistakes right away And if mistakes are common, I will deliver whole-class correction I: Is there any problem arising when you implement games? A: As the emphasis of game is players… sometimes I have to pause to remind them of being quiet Or if they keep making noise, I will stop the game At that time, as they know they might not be able to play game anymore, they manage themselves to sit nicely and quietly to continue the game However, there are some students who keep making noise even when I remind them gently or use different ways such as asking them to stand up, stand at the corner or not allowing them to play It takes time to 59 change these students‟ behaviour They still like to play games but the problem is that they are attentive only if they are picked up for games If not, they won‟t pay attention to Those are who I need to keep an eye on I: About language in games,do you prefer using Vietnamese or English? If English, students find it difficult to understand your instruction? A: For primary school pupils, not only first graders… there are games that even adults can‟t get the rule when it is explained in English becase there are some parts that may create misunderstanding between the speaker and the listener Therefore, when I instruct pupils, if it‟s the first time they have played a game, I‟ll tell the rule in English first If it‟s simple, i‟ll have one or two pupils model how to play Then I still have to tell the rule again in Vietnamese because some not pay attention Sometimes they are not clear about the rule even after I have said it many times or the whole class has played two to three times Hence, I think I should explain the rule in Vietnamese one more time While they‟re playing games, if… I have to remind them of class disciplines, speaking in Vietnamese will get their attentions better But I will still in English, along with Vietnamese It is similar when I give instructions Or when pupils go to the board and mispronounce words, the class does not concentrate on how I correct their friends‟ mistakes It‟s when Vietnamese is preferred It means that it has to be a combination of both but English is always used in the first place I: As I can see, pupils pay much attention to scoring among groups, what will you if they feel unfair because you give points to other groups? A: When I am so focused on games that I forget to give their groups point, they immediately remind me to give them points or stars in Vietnamese I‟ll ask them to say that in English like “Give me the star, Give me the point” so that they know how to say whenever they want to get points Pupils‟ reminder is sometimes good because it shows that students really get engaged in games Normally any game has the winner… however, when I sense not positive class atmosphere, I can say “Are you sitting nicely?” or “Zip” so that they will sit quietly or I will give one point to the fastest 60 group sitting nicely, especially groups which have far fewer points than others in order that they don‟t get demotivated but enjoy playing games I: In case they don‟t want to play anymore even when you call them, what will you do? A: Usually they volunteer to play because they are fond of games However, some pupils, maybe because they get upset about something, they don‟t want to play Teachers can‟t always be complaisant but they need to be strict sometimes Teachers should tell students games are not only for fun but for word revision as well so they should try to play By doing so, while some understands very quickly and happliy get involved in games again, some don‟t, which makes me have to be stricter with them I: During games, if they make mistakes, you stop the game to correct right away or wait until the end? A: When they make mistakes, I correct them instantly And it‟s not only for the mistake maker but also for the whole class I can ask them how they should pronounce or call one, two more students to pronounce If they still make mistakes, I let them it again and individuals as well Because they are very young, they learn very fast If I don‟t correct mistakes immediately, they will keep making mistakes There are some words that have two ways of pronunciation, I will make it clear that pupils can choose either ways but they should prefer this way because it appears more frequently in activities and tests Teachers shouldn‟t impose a particular way of pronuncation on pupils 61 APPENDIX 5: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION - TEACHER B Date: 4/3/2016 Duration: 12 minutes I: Hi, can you tell me how many years have you been teaching English? B: I have been teaching for three years Before working here, I have experienced teaching in some kindergartens and primary schools for two years I: What you think about the importance of teaching vocabulary to YLs? B: I think it‟s very important Because when children learn languages, they get exposed to vocabulary first and then comes other importance things like grammar and sentences I: How you often deliver your vocabulary lesson? B: There are many ways of teaching vocabulary First and foremost, I teach them about pronunciation, meaning and pictures through pictures, activities or videos Afterthat, I let them play games or worksheet to practise words learnt Revision lessons can be to periods because it takes time for YLs to remember words I: Do you often use games in teaching vocabulary? B: Actually I often use games because my learners are children If I don‟t use games, they aren‟t motivated to learn I: In what phase of a vocabulary lesson you use games, presentation, practice or production? B: Normally after vocabulary introduction part with flashcards (both pictures and words) to help them get to know what words is taught and its meaning through pictures And I can let them play games like matching pictures with words to check whether they understand how the word is pronounced and what picture it is related to I: What games you often employ in your lessons? B: uhm for example Bingo, matching or… Crossword I: Why you choose those games? 62 B: I think… actually I use games flexibly but those games make my group of learners interested in addition to reward and encouragement by group competition I: Beside the motivation factor, is there any other reason that serves as criteria for your choice? B: I also have to depend on learners‟ feelings or class‟s atmosphere There are games suitable for this group of learners or this class because they are very active and the number of students is quite few But with students in the class who don‟t participate very actively, I have to think of another game Take Bingo as an example Indolent students may not like this game… or games using balls like Stickly ball that I often use If I can motivate them to go to the board, throw the ball and say the word out loud or when they have finished doing crossword, I‟ll let them choose number of stars they‟ll get by throwing the ball into a three-layer circle and they are very excited I: When you design games for students, how they respond? B: They really like it Right from the beginning, they are very enthusiastic and really want to play game right away I: What is your view on advantages of exploiting games in teaching vocabulary? B: The advantage of using games in teaching vocabulary… is that YLs can acquire vocabulary faster, memorize words quicker and the fact that it makes an impression in pupils‟ mind helps them remember words easily if I don‟t apply games, pupils will get bored and complain that they have to read and write all day I: In your opinion, in which aspect of vocabulary can teachers make full use of games, form, meaning or usage? B: I think it‟s helpful firstly for form, especially pronunciation Vocabulary activities aim at making children more active and involved in games… they speak out loud words… so games help to consolidate their pronunciation and then help them in terms of memorization I: What problems come up when you exploit games in your classes? 63 B: It depends on each game I use… there are games that, during the exploitation, some groups are less interested due to the fact that they sometimes encounter difficult words or words they haven‟t remembered yet Group competition is also a problem however, I always have to find a way to encourage them and keep them calm when they are overexcited and change the game immediately for instance I: When you give instruction, you use English or Vietnamese to explain to pupils? B: I tend to use English more than Vietnamese but in case I feel that they not understand or it‟s the first time I have applied the game and it‟s quite complicated when I explain in English the first time , I can use Vietnamese the second time I: Regarding scoring in games, I observe that they react immediately to your giving points to other groups when it‟s supposed to be their group, what would you do? B: If they are reasonable, I will certainly give them points I only focus on getting them to say the word right but they focus on points or stars Many times I have told myself to bear in mind their group names or members and to give points to the right groups not to make them demotivated However, I sometimes forget about that And if they say that I‟m unfair for instance, I have to explain right away why… why I like that… I can‟t always as what they want I: Group competitions is quite common but as we all know games are for learning not competing, what will you if the competition is a bit fierce among groups? B: I can adjust the situation by … paying more attention to the group with fewer points, calling more students of that group and encourage them more instead of picking only one group… so I support them like saying “Fighting” or “If you get it right this time, I‟ll give you three stars” I: There is a situation that not all students in class participate willingly and eagerly so what is your solution to be able to get the whole class engaged in games? B: When it happens, normally I will think of scoring with the emphasis on individuals It will make uninterested pupils re-engaged because whenever “reward”, “gifts” or “points” is mentioned, they all like it and participate in playing games again I: What will you if you pick someone up but they don‟t want to play anymore? B: If they refuse to play, I keep encouraging them by involving other students in his/her group to cheer for him or helping him/her if s/he doesn‟t remember the word 64 ... of data collection as well as data analysis Quantitative and qualitative approach 1.1 Quantitative approach Although the researcher is aware of the fact that testing, an instrument of quantitative... 5.2 In Vietnam Many Vietnamese researchers have also investigated the use of games in English in general and in vocabulary teaching and learning in particular An action research on learning vocabulary. .. aimed at investigating the current situation of applying games in teaching vocabulary to young learners by teachers of English at Nguyen Binh Khiem primary school Specifically, it explored ways