SKKN using games in teaching vocabulary

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1.1 The reason of selecting the topic 1.2 Aim of the research 1.3 The research method 2 CONTENTS 2.2 Effect of using game in teaching vocabulary 2.3 Types of the game in teaching vocabulary .5 * Game “ Pass The Ball ” * Game “ Line Bingo ” .7 * Game ‘1 Go!’ .9 * Matching Games 10 * Game “The Corner ” 11 * Game “ Printable Board ” .12 *Hangman 12 * Game “Hidden Picture” 13 * Game “ Whisper ” 14 REFERENCES .21 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The reason of selecting the topic In the trend of globalization today, the importance of English cannot be denied and ignored because it is widely used everywhere in the world Along with the development of technology, medicine, engineering and education, English plays a very important role It has been used for the Final Examinations to evaluate students’ level of knowledge Therefore, it is neccesary to have teaching and learning English methods and techniques In the initial stages of learning a language, vocabulary plays a primary role in acquisition and communication Vocabulary is a core component of language proficiency and provides much of the basic for how well learners speak, listen, read and write Vocabulary acquisition is increasingly viewed as crucial to language acquisition Yet, learning vocabulary is often perceived as a tedious and laborious process Therefore, many methods helping language learners to improve and learn vocabulary have been given such as listening to foreign music, watching foreign cartoons or films with subtitles, reading books, newspapers, and playing games Using games for learning and teaching vocabulary has been applied in many countries in the world; however, not many Vietnamese language teachers as well as learners employ the effectiveness of the kind of methodology for vocabulary teaching and learning In reality, in Viet Nam vocabulary has not been considered as a major subject which should be taught separately and officially instead of teaching together with lessons of listening, speaking, reading and writing Besides, vocabulary lessons were not paid enough attention in order to help students learn new words more interestedly and effectively As a result, though Vietnamese students realize the importance of vocabulary, most of them have formed a habit of only learning new words found in their text books or through teacher’s giving or explanation Moreover, most Vietnamese students normally learn vocabulary by such methods as listing new words on a notebook and learning them by heart, writing new words repeatedly down on papers, reading new words out loud several times, and so forth These above seem not to be very effective and interesting ways for acquisition So the teacher must what the vocabulary is no longer the "hardship" of the student, standing in front of the porters that prompted me to the subject: "Using games in teaching vocabulary" According to this research, I myself will get experiences to improve skills and teaching methods 1.2 Aim of the research To make students interested in learning English at high schools 1.3 The research method Observation method 1.4 Score of the study The study focuses specifically on using games in teaching vocabulary to the 11 graders at Nguyen Quan Nho high school in Thieu Hoa, Thanh Hoa So the study limits itself to the teaching vocabulary only, and the subjects of the study are students from two classes (11B1,B2 and 11B6) studying “Tieng Anh 11” textbook at Nguyen Quan Nho high school th 2 CONTENTS 2.1 Definition of the game Games are forms of entertainment derived from a set of artificial rules, typically with a known goal to be reached Games can be in the form of physical activities, mental, or a mixture of the two Also, games can be classified as cooperative, solitaire or competitive Hadfield (1987) defines “a game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun” Similarly, according to Rixon (1981), “a game consists of governed by rules” This is summed up very well in Gibb’s definition (1978) of a game as “an activity carried out by cooperating or competing decision markers, seeking to achieve, within a set of rules, their objectives” Different the definitions are, they share the same opinion that a game has three main characteristics They are: a goal or objective, a set of rules which govern a game and games involve a contest either between players or between players and the goal 2.2 Effect of using game in teaching vocabulary Games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful Even though games are often associated with fun, we should not lose sight of their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching and learning Games are effective as they create motivation, lower students’ stress, and give language learners the opportunity for real communication According to J Haldfield , “a game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun.… Games should be regarded as an integral part of the language syllabus” This definition highly evaluates the importance of games in teaching It shows that games serve not only as an ‘amusing activity’, but also as a technique to carry out many pedagogical tasks Classifying games into categories can be difficult because categories often overlap J Hadfield proposes two ways of classifying language games First, language games are divided into two types: linguistic and communicative games Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as supplying the correct antonym Communicative games presuppose successful exchange of information and ideas J Hadfield also offers to classify language games into many more categories: sorting, ordering, or arranging, information gap games, guessing, search games, matching games, labeling, exchanging games; board, role play games According to W Lee , games can be classified into ten categories: structure games which provide experience of the use of particular patterns of syntax in communication; vocabulary games in which the learners’ attention is focused mainly on words; spelling, pronunciation games; number games; listenand-do games; games and writing; miming and role play; discussion games Let’s discuss some of the common advantages of using games in foreign anguage teaching and learning Games promote learners’ interaction Interaction comprises the nature of classroom pedagogy and classroom behavior Pair or group work is one of the main ways to increase cooperation Many games can be played in pairs or in small groups, thereby providing an opportunity to develop their interpersonal skills such as the skill of disagreeing politely or the skill of asking for help In the classroom learners will definitely participate in the activities Therefore, in groups or in pairs, they are more willing to ask questions, communicate and discuss topics with their partners and think creatively about how to use foreign language to achieve their goals The competition in the games gives students a natural opportunity to work together and communicate with each other a lot Games improve learners’ language acquisition.Thanks to the motivation and interaction created by games, students can acquire knowledge faster and more effectively than by other means Games can stimulate and encourage students to participate in the activity since they naturally want to win Apart from having fun, students are learning They acquire a new language Students begin to realize that they have to use the language if they want others to understand what they are saying Games can motivate learners, promote learners’ interaction, and improve learners’ acquisition As a result, games can increase learners’ achievement, which means that learners’ test results, ability of communication, knowledge of vocabulary, or other language skills can improve C Riedle emphasizes the advantage of games in improving learners’ achievements: “We are teaching a new generation of students, which requires unconventional teaching strategies to be put into practice in the classroom And when schools use games, student benefits speak for themselves – a greater desire to learn and higher test scores.” In brief, games prove to be a useful tool in language teaching Games not only motivate learners and create a friendly atmosphere, they are aimed at developing all language skills Consequently, games can motivate, promote learners’ interaction, improve their acquisition and increase their achievement Let's summarize why we should use games in language teaching - Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class; - Learning a language requires a great deal of effort Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning; - They encourage students to interact and communicate; - They create a meaningful context for language use; - Games lower anxiety especially when played in small groups; - Games can involve all the basic language skills, i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and a number of skills are often involved in the same game; - Many games can be played in small groups, thereby developing their interpersonal skills; - Games involve students in active learning; - They can encourage students to draw on analysis, synthesis, evaluation; - They foster a more positive attitude toward the classroom experience – more attention, better attendance, better participation; - They improve retention, decision-making skills, and comprehension of general principles Games can be a very worthwhile teaching element A successful game is successful because of the reason that it is based on specific time allocation, it has clear relevance to the material, there is appropriateness to all members of the class, and ultimately, the enjoyment of the learners is increased through their active engagement with the language 2.3 Types of the game in teaching vocabulary Classifying games into categories can be difficult, because categories often overlap Hadfield (1999) explains two ways of classifying language games First, she divides language games into two types: linguistic games and communicative games Linguisticgames focus on accuracy, such as supplying th correct antonym On the other hand, communicative games focus on successful exchange of information and ideas, such as two people identifying the differences between their two pictures which are similar to one another but not exactly alike Correct language usage, though still important, is secondary to achievethe communicative goal The second taxonomy that Hadfield uses to classify language games has many more categories As with the classification of games as linguistic games or communicative games, some games will contain elements of more than one type * Game “ Pass The Ball ” This classic classroom game is incredibly fun and a great activity to get your students motivated and energized It’s also a fun way to introduce or review vocabulary with students All you need is a soft ball and some flashcards How To Play: Students will pass the ball around the class and when the music stops, the student with the ball must answer a question from the teacher For example, if you are teaching vocabulary to with colors, the teacher might ask ‘What color is it?’ Another way to play is, when the music stops, the student with the ball can ask the question and all the other students must answer This way all students get to practice the vocabulary while playing the game * Game “ Line Bingo ” This ESL vocabulary game is a great alternative to regular bingo Most textbooks these days come with small picture / word cards at that back that students can use for this game If you don’t have these cards, visit our flashcard page where you can download and print these ‘student cards’ for free How To Play: Give each student or pair of students one set of vocabulary cards Ask them to place them in a horizontal line in any order they want Once students have placed their cards in a line, the game can begin The teacher should say one of the words and if that word is on the left end or the right end of the line then students can turn that card over If the card is in the middle of the line, students cannot turn it over For example, if you are teaching the present progressive / continuous tense you can ask students to shout out ‘What are you doing?’ Then the teacher can answer using one of the words on the card (e.g ‘I am painting.’) Then students should look at their line of cards and check if ‘painting’ is on the left or right end of their line The first student / pair of students to turn over all their cards is the winner To make this vocabulary game more fun, invite your students one by one to the front of the class to choose the next word *Game “ Hot Seat ” This simple no prep game is a great way to get students to utilize all their existing vocabulary while learning new words at the same time How To Play: To play this game, you can divide the class into 2/3 teams or you can just play as a whole class Choose one student to sit in the ‘Hot Seat’ This is a seat at the front of the class facing the other students Then from behind the student in the hot seat, show the other students a word from the lesson The other students must try to describe what the word is without saying the actual word And the student in the hot seat must guess Kids absolutely love this game and it is a great way to review vocabulary that your students have learned that lesson * Game ‘1 Go!’ For this vocabulary game you can use flashcards or you can simply write the words on the board How To Play: Put the flashcards (or write the key words) on the board in a line 6-8 words is the best When the teacher says ‘1, 2, 3, Go!’ one student must jump up and shout the first word Then another student must jump up and shout the second word Then another student must jump up and shout the third word And so on until all 6/8 words have been called out Any student can jump up and say any word at any time, but if students jump up at the same time, then they lose This game can be played as a whole class, or if you have a large class, divide the class into teams * Matching Games These PowerPoint Games will test your students’ memories Matching games are simple to make and great for reviewing vocabulary How To Play: Divide the class into teams The aim of the game is to find two matching words / pictures The teams will take turns choosing TWO numbers Click on the square to reveal the word beneath If the two words are the same, then that team gets a point If they are different then click on red circle to hide the word again The game becomes more and more fun as it progresses because students start to remember where they saw the words 10 * Game “The Corner ” This no prep classroom game is great to review vocabulary and as a listening activity How To Play: Assign a word to the corners of the classroom Then, choose one student to come to the front and close their eyes Then the other students have seconds to move to one of the corners of the classroom After the time is up, the student at the front will choose one of the words while keeping his/her eyes closed The students standing in the corner with assigned with that word are out, and must sit down The game continues like this until one student is left That student is the winner, and can be the next student to come to the front and close their eyes TIP: Many students moving around the class can be quite dangerous For safety, instruct students not to run and make sure there are no bags, coats, books, etc, on the floor that the student can trip on 11 * Game “ Printable Board ” Printable board games are easy to prepare and a great way to get kids talking using the vocabulary from that lesson *Hangman If you’re not familiar with hangman, its a game where the teacher would think of a word and then draw a line for each letter of that word Then students must try to guess what the word is by guessing letters of the alphabet In the traditional hangman game, if students guess wrong too many times, then the teacher would draw a man hanging from his neck on the board Even though it is just a stick figure drawing, the idea seems quite gruesome and 12 maybe not appropriate for children That is why we made a fun alternative to hangman, ‘Save The Teacher’ How To Play: Think of a word and draw lines on the board corresponding to the letters in that word Then ask students to guess letters of the alphabet to try to guess what the word is If students guess wrong, play the video and the fuse will get closer to the rocket Pause when you see the pause sign and ask students to guess again If students guess wrong too many times, then the rocket and the teacher will blast off into space Don’t worry, at the end of the video the teacher is okay and just went for a fun ride * Game “Hidden Picture” These PowerPoint games are easy to make and a great way to introduce or review vocabulary How To Play: Click on the color shapes to make them disappear As the shapes disappear the picture beneath is slowly revealed When students are ready to guess what it is, they should raise their hand and guess while using the target language 13 For example, if you are teaching vocabulary about animals, when the student guesses they should say ‘Is it an (elephant)? * Game “ Whisper ” This is a very fun classroom game and all you need is a board and chalk / a pen How To Play: Write many words from the lesson on the board (at least 10) Then divide the class into two teams and ask them to make two lines in front of the board Give the student at the front of each line a board eraser Next, the teacher should whisper one of the words to the students at the back of the lines Then those students should quickly whisper the word to the next student in line, and then that student should whisper to the next student, and so on down the line When the word is whispered to the student at the front of the line, he/she should quickly run to the board and erase that word The quickest one to erase that word wins a point for their team Then change the student at the front and play again 2.4 Sample games used in teaching vocabulary in English 11 Unit : Personal experience - textbook English class 11 Lession : Reading 14 - Teacher uses the game : pass the ball Teacher need a soft ball and some pictures Students will pass the ball around the class and when the music stops, the student with the ball must answer a question from the teacher Teacher gives the picture and asks student “ What emotion is it?” Another way to play is, when the music stops, the student with the ball can ask the question and all the other students must answer This way all students get to practice the vocabulary while playing the game Vocabulary - Exited (adj) - Angry( adj) - Disappointed (adj) - Embarrassed (adj) - Frightened( adj) - Happy (adj) - Surprised ( adj) 15 Lesson 15: SPACE CONQUEST - textbook English class 11 Lesson 1: Reading Step 1: the teacher gathers before the new words will be taught in this lesson Vocabulary: Conquest (n) Orbit (n) Enormous (a) Precisely (a) Space craft (n) Cosmonaut (n) Telegram (n) To lift off (v) To honor (v) To occur (v) Weightlessness (n) To rename (v) Approximately Step 2: Classify new words in different teaching methods + Group of words: Space craft (n) Telegram (n) Cosmonaut (n) With the words in this group, teachers can use pictures, images or PowerPoint presentations to help students see and predict meaning, giving them the most comprehensive view of the meaning of the word + Group: Orbit (n) To lift off (v) Enormous (a) 16 The teacher combines spoken words, word action, student action, reading and guessing words For example, "enormous" - the trainer can swing his arms to both sides and wide in a circle to express the words Or with the word "lift off", the teacher uses both hands upward and decisively, both acting and shouting words for students to follow + Group: To occur (v) To rename (v) Precisely (a) Group from: Conquest (n) To honor (v) Weightlessness (n) Teachers can explain the meaning of a word in Vietnamese or English depending on the level and ability of the student Example: Students base on the full sentence and guess the meaning of the word Everyone honors the national hero - Nup In a nutshell, by combining vocabulary-based methods in the same unit, students will be transformed into different vocabulary approaches that are exciting and productive However, in order to organize the lecture, students should have the preparation, creativity, sensitivity and flexibility of the teacher to apply appropriate vocabulary teaching methods to each lesson, You can choose which method to teach first or later depending on the teacher's assessment to help students in each class to help them can pay attention, participate in enthusiasm and learn the vocabulary is not monotonous, boring 2.5 Results During this school year, I was directly assigned to teach English Language Arts grade 11 During the teaching process, I have applied the above language games in the lessons and the results are encouraging: I find that these games have created a useful way for them to learn, play and learn not only in the classroom but also everywhere Students are very excited when it is time to 17 study, they remember new words longer, more deeply and naturally lessen their inherent shyness As for some classes that I rarely put these games into in class, the results are really limited: students are afraid to speak, afraid when it is time to study, not really interested in the subject, which little student words 18 CONCLUSION Games stand as a group of tools of language learning in real life (Misirli,2007) It mean that a game can be an effective way in learning a new language which can be created based on our real life The main reason why games are considered effective learning aids is that they spur motivation and students get very absorbed in the competitive aspects of the games; moreover, they try harder at games than in other courses (Deesri,2002) Besides, games have shown many advantages and effectiveness in the process of teaching and learning vocabulary in many ways In the lessons using new vocabulary skills, I realize that in order for the teaching hours to be effective, teachers need to: - Always open close relationship with students to create teacher feelings through teaching and learning activities, thereby attracting students to love English more - Prepare attentive and careful lessons suitable to each target student - Offer easy-to-understand situations to elicit correct guesses from them - Do not restrict language and vocabulary within the textbook Depending on the student's ability, the teacher should expand the content of the language and vocabulary as far as possible - Teachers prepare carefully teaching aids, collect many pictures from newspapers and magazines or draw simple pictures to make a deep impression on students and help them remember right from the classroom - Often ask them to spelling new words they have learned at least three lines per word - Encourage children to buy and collect many simple English stories to read by themselves in order to develop their vocabulary - It is necessary to organize the class scientifically During practice hours, the teacher should wisely choose the type of practice such as pair work or group work that is appropriate for the classroom and the size of the students in the class In short: In my last semester, my teaching and learning has changed a lot I myself have become more aware of my work, always trying to complete good class in general, teaching vocabulary in particular, small details in detail, always want to find innovative ways to avoid the vocabulary lesson becomes boring and 19 tedious It is aimed at creating a comfortable learning space, effective learning as well as fun for students In addition to that, students in the class teach quick, easy to understand vocabulary that is longer than the meaning of the new word, helping them not feel difficult to learn new English words, and help them have many love more when learning a foreign language Obviously, mistakes are unavoidable, all comments and remarks on this research will be highly appreciated I would like to hear the comments of all colleagues to make my subject more complete! I hereby declare that this initiative is due to the experience I myself have written, not copy anybody’s I sincerely thank you! Thieu Hoa, May 2nd, 2021 COMMENTS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE SCIENCE COUNCIL The author Nguyen Thi Bay 20 REFERENCES Hadfield J Beginners’ communication games / J.Hadfield – Longman, 1999 Lee W R Language teaching: Games and Contests / W.R.Lee – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991 Riedle C Web 2.0: helping reinvent education / C.Riedle, 2008 – Available at: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21907 Thronbury, Scott 2002 How to Teach Vocabulary: Person Education Limited Wilkins, D (1972) Linguistics in Language Teaching London: Edward Arnold Schmitt, N Wright, Betteridge, Buckby (2006) Games for Language Learning Cambridge: Cambridge http://www.slashdocs.com/yisqy/teaching-english-vocabulary-usinggames.html Huyen, thanh.et al (2003) from Learning Vocabulary through Games Asian efl journal 21 Các SKKN đạt giải cấp ngành STT Tên đề tài Xếp loại Cấp Năm Warm-up activities for reading in grade 11 textbook C Tỉnh 2017-2018 22 ... gap games, guessing, search games, matching games, labeling, exchanging games; board, role play games According to W Lee , games can be classified into ten categories: structure games which provide... syntax in communication; vocabulary games in which the learners’ attention is focused mainly on words; spelling, pronunciation games; number games; listenand-do games; games and writing; miming... than in other courses (Deesri,2002) Besides, games have shown many advantages and effectiveness in the process of teaching and learning vocabulary in many ways In the lessons using new vocabulary