Using games in pre reading activities to enhance tenth grade students’ comprehension

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY ĐÀO KIÊN TRUNG USING GAMES IN PRE-READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION Nghệ An, 2017 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY ĐÀO KIÊN TRUNG USING GAMES IN PRE-READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Code: 60140111 MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: Ngơ Đình Phương, Assoc Prof., Ph.D Nghệ An, 2017 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and effort and that it has not been submitted anywhere for any award Where other sources of information have been used, they have been acknowledged ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I feel very lucky when I am a student at Vinh University getting opportunity to this M.A thesis today I would like to acknowledge the supports I received from a number of people in the course of carrying out the research paper First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my lecture Prof Dr Ngo Dinh Phuong With his patient guidance, useful comments as well as sincere encouragements, he helped me my graduation paper easier and more interesting Without his help, the thesis would not have been possible Secondly, I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all Post -Graduate lecturers, who taught and recommended thoughtfully as well as gave me advice during various stages of learning and writing my master thesis Thirdly, I want to convey my special thanks to the students from class 10.4 in Bac Son secondary school for their help and cooperation during my research at their class In closing, I also thank my family and friends for their enthusiastic encouragement and support me not only finance but also spirit during the time I my thesis One more time, thank all these for helping me complete this thesis ABSTRACT This thesis focused on the use of game activities to enhance students’ comprehension in reading lesson at Bac Son Secondary School The study was conducted in class 10.4 at Bac Son Secondary School in the second semester of the school year 2016 – 2017 The study was implemented on 40 students by using games The writer used questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews to get students’ answers Through the study, we can see that the students can enhance their reading comprehension in learning reading Game activities made students relax and motivated to read and their comprehension is improved Based on the findings, the writer can realize how students felt about activities used in the class as well as their effectiveness for students Most of students said that they thought that games helped student develop their comprehension in reading lesson TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES, CHARTS AND ABBREVIATIONS vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims of the study .3 1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Scope of study 1.5 Methods 1.6 Thesis design CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Reading comprehension .6 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Reading skills 2.1.3 Reading comprehension difficulties .10 2.2 Pre-reading stage 11 2.2.1 What is Pre-reading? .11 2.2.2 Purpose of Pre-reading 12 2.2.3 Importance of Pre-reading activities 15 2.3 A review of the literature of Games 17 2.3.1 Definition of games .17 2.3.2 Games as a teaching method 19 2.3.3 Roles of games 20 2.3.4 How to use games 22 2.3.5 Choosing the Game 24 2.3.6 Factors affecting the choice of games 24 2.3.7 Adapting the Game 26 2.3.8 When to Use Language Games .28 2.3.9 Types of Language Games 29 2.3.10 Benefits of games in learning language .29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 33 3.1 Research questions 33 3.2 Participants .33 3.3 Materials 34 3.4 Research instruments .35 3.4.1 Classroom observation 35 3.4.2 Questionnaire 36 3.4.3 Interview 36 3.5 Data collection procedures 36 3.5.1 Game activities .36 3.5.2 Classroom observations through teaching process 37 3.5.3 Post-survey questionnaire for students 37 3.5.4 Post-observation interviews 37 3.5.5 Technique for analyzing data 38 3.5.6 Summary 38 CHAPTER 4: FINDING AND DISCUSSION 39 4.1 Data analysis 39 4.1.1 Analyzing result of post-survey questionnaire .39 4.1.2 Analyzing results of classroom observations 43 4.1.3 Results of interviews .46 4.2 Discussion 52 4.2.1 The use of game technique to stimulate students’ comprehension skill in reading activities 52 4.2.2 The effectiveness of games used in class 52 4.2.3 The students’ attitude and response on the use of game activities 53 4.3 Suggestions of using language games in pre-reading activities in reading lessons 54 4.4 Summary 55 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 56 5.1 Summary 56 5.2 Implications 57 5.2.1 Implications for the student 57 5.2.2 Implications for the teacher 58 5.2.3 Implications for administrator .59 5.3 Suggestions 60 REFERENCES 61 APPENDICES 66 LIST OF TABLES, CHARTS AND ABBREVIATIONS TABLES Table 1: Question 1: How you feel about reading skill? Table 2: Question 2: How often you play language games in pre-reading? Table 3: Question 3: How the game activities help you in reading comprehension class? Table 4: Question 4: What benefits you can get from game activities in pre-reading activities? Table 5: Question 5: Do the games help you to enhance your comprehension skill when learning English? Table 6: Question 6: Do games in pre-reading activities help you comprehend a text better? Table 7- Question 7: How the games in pre-reading activities help you in read a text in reading lesson? CHARTS Chart 1- Question 8: Are games in pre-reading activities effective on helping you to read faster? Chart – Question 9: Do you think using games or not using games in pre-reading activities help you read faster? Chart – Question 10: Do games in pre-reading activities make you read a text easier? Chart - Question 11: Do games in pre-reading activities help to solve difficulties when you comprehend a text? ABBREVIATIONS R: Researcher Ss: Students St: Student EFL: English Foreign Language ESL: English as a Second Language L2: Second language R: Correct A star for you Please choose the next number, Rabbit! Rabbit: Number R: It is 17 Can you answer the question? Rabbit: I am sorry I don’t have answer R: Ok Group Cat? Cat: By 2002, the world had witnessed 17 World Cup tournaments R: Good One more star for your group Rabbit, you must go down a stage Cat, please choose the next number! Cat: Number R 13 Cat: Only 13 teams took part in the first tournament R: One more star for your group Rabbit: Number R: A year- 1930 Rabbit: In 1930, the first World Cup was held R Good And number for Cat – 2002? Cat: It is easy The 2002 World Cup final was jointly held by Japan and South Korea R That is correct Group Rabbit has right answers, group Rabbit has right answers, so congratulate Cat on winning the game (clap their hands) 85 Master Thesis In Education APPENDIX LESSON PLAN Unit 13: Films and cinema Part A-Reading A Aims: - To teach reading skills - By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the history of the cinema and can practice reading, speaking, writing fluently B Teaching aids: projector, books, C Procedures: I Warm-up - Teacher asks students answer the questions II New lesson Pre – reading a Game activity: Matching - Teacher ask student take part in the game - Ask students to match kinds of film with its name - Give one star for each correct answer 86 Master Thesis In Education b - Teaching vocabulary Teacher give vocabulary and ask students repeat them While – reading Activity 1: 87 Master Thesis In Education Activity 2: Teacher give the answers: 88 Master Thesis In Education Activity 3: Ask student work in pair to choose the best title Post- reading - Teacher ask students work in group of eight 89 Master Thesis In Education - Ask students to match kinds of film with its name - Give one star for each correct answer - Teacher gives correct answers III Homework - List ten films you like best - Prepare for the speaking part 90 Master Thesis In Education 91 Master Thesis In Education LESSON PLAN Unit 14: The World Cup Part A-Reading A Aims : - To teach reading skills - By the end of the lesson, students will be able to know more about the World Cup B Teaching aids : projector, books, … C Procedures: I Warm-up - Teacher ask students answer the question II New lesson Pre-reading a Game activity: Guessing - Teacher asks students look at pictures and give vocabulary - Give one star for each correct answer 92 Master Thesis In Education 93 Master Thesis In Education 94 Master Thesis In Education b - Vocabulary Teacher give vocabulary and their meaning 95 Master Thesis In Education While-reading Activity 1: - Teacher asks students to task - Teacher gives one star for each correct answer Activity 2: - Teacher asks students to task 96 Master Thesis In Education Activity 3: - Teacher asks students to task 3 Post – reading - Divide the class into two groups: Cat and Rabbit - Ask each group to choose a number they want (from to 6), then say the information containing the figure behind - Give one mark for each correct answer 97 Master Thesis In Education - Teacher gives the correct answer III Homework: - Learn by heart new words 98 Master Thesis In Education - Rewrite the events mentioned in the passage, using the provided figures - Prepare part Speaking 99 Master Thesis In Education ... so I decide to research the importance of prereading in reading skill in my thesis with title: ? ?Using games in pre- reading activities to enhance tenth grade students’ comprehension? ?? In this article,... of using language games in pre- reading activities in reading lessons of grade 10 in Bac Son Secondary school - To identify effects of applying game to develop students’ reading skill in learning...MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY ĐÀO KIÊN TRUNG USING GAMES IN PRE- READING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION Major: Teaching English to Speakers