Using guessing games to improve the 5th graders vocabulary retention

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY TRAN THI THANH BINH USING GUESSING GAMES TO IMPROVE THE 5TH GRADERS VOCABULARY RETENTION MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION NGHE AN, 2019 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY TRAN THI THANH BINH USING GUESSING GAMES TO IMPROVE THE 5TH GRADERS VOCABULARY RETENTION Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8.14.01.11 MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION Supervisor: Assoc Prof., Dr NGO DINH PHUONG NGHE AN, 2019 i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this research is my own work The data and findings collected and analyzed in this thesis are true, used with permission, and have not been published elsewhere Nghe An, August 4th, 2019 Author Tran Thi Thanh Binh ii ABSTRACT This study has been conducted to examine the benefits of using guessing game to improve the 5th graders’ vocabulary retention, and investigate the students as well as teachers’ attitudes toward using guessing game in teaching and learning English The study has been conducted on 30 students at grade and teachers of English at Kien Giang primary school number In order to obtain these students’ opinions concerning the guessing game and their effectiveness toward the vocabulary, a questionnaire was designed as one of data collection tools Some open questions were implemented to interview students and seven experienced colleagues of the researcher about their attitudes and the results after they learn vocabulary after using guessing game into English lesson In addition, the researcher has done two experimental tests (one pretest and one post -tests) with 30 students so as to measure how progress they are compared to the tests with other common texts The findings from data analysis has shown that most of the students not only have positive attitudes toward guessing game but realize their feasible effects on creating a relaxed learning environment and on improving students’ vocabulary retention as well Basing on findings of the study, the researcher also supplies some suggestions about how to use guessing game with the aim at improving the grade students’ vocabulary retention iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my beloved supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Ngo Dinh Phuong for his valuable time, suggestions, guidance, and assistance in this study Without his help, the study would not have been completed I would like to thank at Kien Giang primary school number 1, teachers, the students of two classes I taught in order to collect information for my research, who allowed me kindly to my investigation with their students Without their help, this study could not have been successful and completed Finally, my thanks go to my colleagues, friends and especially my family I feel greatly indebted to them for their essential help and encouragement iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .vii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 The aims of the study 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of study 1.5.Significance of study .3 1.6 Method of study .4 1.7 The organization of the study CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Vocabulary .6 2.1.1 Definition .6 2.1.2 Kinds of vocabulary .7 2.1.3 The importance of vocabulary .7 2.1.4 Concept of Teaching Vocabulary 2.1.5 Concept of Learning Vocabulary 2.1.6 Students Problem in Learning Vocabulary 10 2.2 Games in English as a Foreign Language .12 2.2.1 Definition of Game 12 2.2.2 The Advantages of Game .15 2.2.3 Purposes of Using Game 16 v 2.2.4 Principles of Game Selection 17 2.3 Guessing game .19 2.3.1 Concept of Guessing Game 19 2.3.2 Benefit of Guessing Game 19 2.3.3 Learning Vocabulary by using guessing Game 20 2.3.4 Teaching Vocabulary by using guessing Game 21 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .24 3.1 research questions 24 3.2 Participants .24 3.3 Materials 25 3.3.1 The curriculum and the textbook Tieng Anh 25 3.4 Procedure .27 3.4.1 Data collecting technique 27 4.2 Procedures of data collection 29 4.3 Procedures of data analysis 32 CHAPTER FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 33 4.1 Data analysis and discussion from Phase .33 4.1.1 Data analysis from Phase 33 4.1.2 Discussion from Phase 39 4.2 Data analysis and discussion from Phase 39 4.2.1 Data analysis from students’ survey questionnaires 39 4.2.2 Data analysis from teachers’ questionnaires .45 4.2.3 Data analysis from students’ test results .51 4.2.4 Discussion from phase 54 CHAPTER CONCLUSION .55 5.1 Recapitulation 55 5.2 Pedagogical implications .56 5.3 Suggestions 56 5.4 Limitations 58 vi REFERENCES 59 APPENDIXES 63 APPENDIX A: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRES FOR STUDENTS 63 APPENDIX B: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRES FOR TEACHERS 64 APPENDIX C: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRES FOR STUDENTS 66 APPENDIX D: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES FOR TEACHERS 68 APPENDIX E: QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW .70 APPENDIX F: WRITING ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 71 APPENDIX G: TEST ITEMS 73 APPENDIX H: TESTS RESULTS .75 APPENDIX I: TEST ITEMS 77 APPENDIX K: TESTS RESULTS .80 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CAR: Classroom Action Research EFL: English as Foreign Language IRF: Initiation-Response-Feedback TEFL: Teaching as an English Foreign Language viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 The vocabulary topics in textbook Tieng Anh 26 Table 3.4 Time proportion for vocabulary lessons 31 Table 4.1: Teachers’ and Students’ attitude importance of teaching and learning vocabulary 33 Table 4.2: Students’ important to using guessing game 34 Table 3: Students’ attitude in learning vocabulary 35 Table 4.4: Students’ frequency in practice vocabulary 36 Table 4.5: Students’ self-evaluation about ability to remember vocabulary 38 Table 4.6: Students’ degree of preference about using guessing game 40 Table 4.7: Students’ feelings when playing guessing game 41 Table 4.8: Students’ opinions about the benificial of using guessing game to improve vocabulary retention 42 Table 4.9: Students’ opinions about the using guessing game can help your improving vocabulary retention 43 Table 4.10: Students’ opinions about the using guessing game can help your improving vocabulary retention after using guessing game 44 Table 4.11: Teachers’ opinions towards the importance of using guessing game in teaching vocabulary lessons 46 Table 4.12: Ways of motivating students to keep guessing game 47 Table 4.13: Teachers’ preparation for students some guessing games 48 Table 4.14: How does the number vocabulary of students will improve? 49 67 B No How can guessing game help motivate you in the English vocabulary learning? A Reflective guessing game gives me chances to interact with the teacher and other members in real situations and make me more relaxed & enjoyable B Reflective guessing game is not helpful at all Thank you for your co-operation 68 APPENDIX D: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES FOR TEACHERS This survey questionnaire is designed and conducted to use guessing games in vocabulary lessons to improve vocabulary retention for the students and teachers’ evaluation towards applying or using this activity in vocabulary teaching to improve vocabulary retention for the students I am grateful for your co-operation in finishing this questionnaire Please be assured that you will not be identified in any discussions of the data Please circle the appropriate answers for the following questions In your opinion, how important are guessing games in teaching vocabulary for students? A Very important B Important C Not important at all How can you motivate your students learning vocabulary through guessing game? You may choose more than one option A Let monitor control the guessing game in warm up part vocabulary lesson beside teacher’s observation B Let student choice kind of guessing game C Use students’ feedback to the teaching to make the lessons more effective D Others: collect the guessing game for giving feedback How you prepare for your students to teach vocabulary by guessing game? You may choose more than one option A Use a specific prompt to demonstrate how and what to play guessing game B Provide students with language use to play 69 C Others How does the number vocabulary of students will improve? A Very much B A little C Not at all Should using guessing game be encouraged to use? A Yes B No Thank you for your co-operation! 70 APPENDIX E: QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW For both teachers and students: Why you think vocabulary is important? How does the number vocabulary of students will improve? For students only: Why you like keeping using guessing game in vocabulary lessons? How you perceive the value and convenience of the guessing game? Thank you for your co-operation! 71 APPENDIX F: VOCABULARY ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Form How is the vocabulary unit, functional expression, or grammar structure formed? Meaning Use What meaning does the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure has in the (specific) context? When or why is the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure used? Criteria Form: vocabulary unit, functional expression, or grammar structure formed Meaning: meaning of the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure has in the specific context Use: functional expression or grammar structure used (Adapted from Dougherty Stahl, K.A., & Bravo, M.A (2010, April) Contemporary Classroom Vocabulary Assessment for Content Areas The Reading Teacher, 63 (7), 566–578 Doe: 10.1598/RT.63.7.4) The researcher suggests particular criteria for each grade level as follows: Total mark (10) -10 Criteria The ability to apply a term correctly to all situations There are more sentences or complex sentences with correct cohesion The ability to use the word productively Knowledge of multiple meanings of the word 72 5-6 Selecting an appropriate use of the word There are only simple words 3-4 1- The ability to define a word Poor vocabulary Incomprehensible, no assessable language, can’t remember new words 73 APPENDIX G: TEST ITEMS I Pre-test Time allotted: 30mins A vocabulary levels test This is a vocabulary test You must choose the right word to go with each meaning Write the number of that word next to its meaning Watch part of a house Tiger Pen meat you use it to see Gate design the house Eyes you can run and walk by it Foot it’s cold and wet in this season Summer something used for writing Winter you can know the time 10 Architect kind of food animal with four legs It’s hot and sunny in this season Try to every part of the test 74 You answer it in the following way Watch part of a house Tiger animal with four legs Pen meat you use it to see Gate _ 10 design the house Eyes 7_ you can run and walk by it Foot it’s cold and wet in this season Summer something used for writing Winter you can know the time 10 Architect kind of food It’s hot and sunny in this season Some words are in the test to make it more difficult You not have to find a meaning for these words In the example above, these words are architect, watch, meat… 75 APPENDIX H: VOCABULARY ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Form How is the vocabulary unit, functional expression, or grammar structure formed? Meaning Use What meaning does the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure has in the (specific) context? When or why is the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure used? Criteria Form: vocabulary unit, functional expression, or grammar structure formed Meaning: meaning of the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure has in the specific context Use: functional expression or grammar structure used (Adapted from Dougherty Stahl, K.A., & Bravo, M.A (2010, April) Contemporary Classroom Vocabulary Assessment for Content Areas The Reading Teacher, 63 (7), 566–578 Doe: 10.1598/RT.63.7.4) The researcher suggests particular criteria for each grade level as follows: Total mark (10) -10 Criteria The ability to apply a term correctly to all situations There are more sentences or complex sentences with correct cohesion The ability to use the word productively Knowledge of multiple meanings of the word 76 5-6 Selecting an appropriate use of the word There are only simple words 3-4 1- The ability to define a word Poor vocabulary Incomprehensible, no assessable language, can’t remember new words 77 APPENDIX I: TEST ITEMS I POST-TEST Time allotted: 30mins A vocabulary levels test POST-TEST NAME:…………………………………………………………………… This is a vocabulary test You must choose the right word to go with each meaning Write the number of that word next to its meaning Adopt climb _ go up examine _ look at closely pour _ be on every side satisfy surround bake connect _ join together inquire _ walk without purpose limit _ keep within a certain size recognize wander burst concern _ break open deliver _ make better fold _ take something to someone 78 improve _ wanting food urge Hungry Some words are in the test to make it more difficult You not have to find a meaning for these words In the example above, these words are examining, surround, Wander, improve… Try to every part of the test 79 You answer it in the following way Adopt climb _ go up examine look at closely pour be on every side satisfy surround bake connect _ join together inquire _ walk without purpose limit _ keep within a certain size recognize wander burst concern _ break open deliver _ make better fold take something to someone improve _ wanting food urge having no fear Hungry Brave 80 APPENDIX K: TESTS RESULTS P Pre - test Post-test Post – test S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 4 S6 S7 6 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 3 S12 5 S14 S15 7 S16 S17 7 S18 S19 S20 S21 6 S22 6 S23 S24 4 S25 S26 3 81 S27 6 S28 S29 7 S30 ... research paper titled ? ?Using guessing games to improve 5th graders vocabulary retention? ?? It is expected to contribute to the improvement of using guessing games in teaching English vocabulary at Kien... conducted to examine the benefits of using guessing game to improve the 5th graders? ?? vocabulary retention, and investigate the students as well as teachers’ attitudes toward using guessing game... has to come to in front of the class 22 Each student in the group receives the topic that they take randomly and the students have to hold the topic that they get, and may not show the topic to