Teachers and learnerss attitudes towards the use of games in teaching grammar at dong thanh high school

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY A” TEACHERS’ AND LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF GAMES IN TEACHING GRAMMAR AT DONG THANH HIGH SCHOOL TRUONG DAI HOC MO TP.HCM THU VIEN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Submitted by Pham Thi Truc Ha Supervisor Ly Quyet Tien, PhD Ho Chi Minh City, September 2011 ⁄ STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis, entitled “Teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards the Use of Games in Teaching Grammar at Dong Thanh High School”, is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis Ho Chi Minh City, September 2011 PHAM THI TRUC HA ` ⁄ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation and deeply-felt words to all those concerned in my thesis My deepest gratitude goes to my supervisor, Dr Ly Quyet Tien, who read my manuscript with great care and devotion, gave thoughtful and insightful comments, and provided me with invaluable support and relevant materials in the preparation and completion this thesis, thus asserting his indispensable role as a whole-hearted supervisor I would not have finished my study without his enthusiastic guidance and constructive critical questions to help me think over the problems My special thanks are reserved for my TESOL2 classmates, who shared the happiness and difficulties with me during the course I will never forget the time I studied with them, as siblings in a nice family I am also grateful to Dong Thanh High School in Can Giuoc District, Long An Province, the principal, the English teaching staff, and the students in the academic year of 2010-2011 at Dong Thanh High School, whose willingness, enthusiasm, and encouragement supported me so much Last but not least, words cannot reveal my appreciation to my father and my late mother Without their endless love and devotion, difficulties facing my life I will love them forever ii I could never overcome all the ABSTRACT This thesis attempts to investigate teachers’ and learners’ attitudes at Dong Thanh High School towards the use of games in teaching English grammar At the same time, some grammar games for high school, some problems with their solutions are recommended To find out the answer about the attitudes of high school teachers and students towards grammar game use, a quasi-experiment was implemented in two classes of the tenth graders at Dong Thanh High School After four months, two grammar lessons in each month, the pre-test and post-test scores were compared to prove the positive attitudes, the change of attitude of the high school learners, and the effectiveness of using games in teaching grammar Beside the experiment, questionnaires were also carried out to teachers and 754 students of this school The data collection and analysis from these questionnaires were the answers learners to the effective for the attitudes of the high school teachers and application of games in teaching and learning language grammar From the study findings, valuable implications and recommendations were raised to get high school teachers to employ games more regularly and effectively in teaching grammar Further research was suggested with the hope to call for the investigating of ` the different kinds of games and methods for language grammar teaching ili TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ĐI0U HIẾP ðI HINHONNHÍD css ccisehcsssscessseoseseoorsoecosesoniveehegnbsinnsiipubisacdtansendbesnaeiivwavetaes i Acknowledgement NA" il BE HƠI rsd as Vespeabvavyscoessivnnctasnsseusansscecwsessstesve cata vasensnseble dheabaiine asunder WAkeuaoAiow ili TADNG OE COMCCHIS ‘cscscsisiscscsaseeressenontieessneneenesnostinsée ivnesucPevs bil tenes lvasavarsidetes ucunalabed iv TIE TE SREB Sc sss casconen connnnnsnenssnsssnvasnudvonsavsnvesiicivairnsvscosesaphladoesbedotncesladentgeodvelelboionn Vili TAURENSeis iecssncder tus susnsvuneissscossiz tesneaneesorssentarestrnetusnreandbods Mivadn ddoeinie distin iioove X PUODRE VION cis cu stu daisies cacensaesertcorserevnabaneessnsncesentnssnivenensdieZiuspubigiesld Nessavavelocrteesads xl CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION cccccscscsssssssssscscsescsessasscasscacacscaeacseaeeessessees 1.1 Background of the Problem ccccccccscssssssssssssssescsescscsseccsescscecsecavsvessvscececeees 1.2 Purpose of the Study cccssssssssssessssesesssssscsssusesscsescsesessacasacaessacstavescavevenes 1.3) Research questions ceccssssssssssssessesessesssscsesssssssueseeusacacsusassesassesscssansavesesee 1.4 Significance of the Study ccccsssesessssesesssssssssssssssscsesesesssacscateecscscasesseveceees L.5 MethodolOgy e1 T9 1111 ng nen 1.6 The study background cccccssssssessssesesesssscsssesesscscacsesesssssasacaressavsvaveessvereees DoF REMMI OTES 25s asics sas ses sscneesjeonvonsnsresnvanssuan onexoenvvstveviiniedllefacecsivstvezenselleas, vlbroueies a 1.8 Thesis OVCrVieW s.ssesssesssssssssecsssessessssssucsssssssesessessasatsessesesecsssscssassaserseseees CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW c.cccccccccscsscssssseccssscssessssesessereeseecee F,.S: —= 2.2 2.1.1 The theory of grammar c.ccscsssssssscssssssssesssesssscscecsesecscsceserseseceseeses 2.1.2 The role of grammar in language teaching ccscsccsesssssesessesseeseeses 2.1.3 Approaches to grammar teaching c.cccsssssessssssessssecsesssscesescevesceee 10 2.1.3.1 Deductive and inductive approaches cccccesessessseesesseseees 10 2.1.3.2 Situational approach c.ccccscssssssssesesesestescscsesssssscseeseeseseees 12 2.1.3.3 Task-based approach - s + + ss+s+t+E+EsEEtErEsEsrsrssssrs 13 An Overview about ZaMES ccccssessessesssssssessessesesaesussesscsessesscessrsstsesssseeseneesees 15 iv 2.3 2.2.1 Game definitions from different points of View 5s 15 Joos LANGUARE game GAÍ6EOPIZNHOD csceesessersixilauabbalidrilvgk tugsgiasdsaxesas 15 2.2.3 Advantages of games in language teaching -5 + «5 «s