The impacts of games on learning vocabulary of grade 5 students at Asian International School

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

__________________________________

NGUYEN THAO THUAN

THE IMPACTS OF GAMES ON LEARNING VOCABULARY OF GRADE 5

STUDENTS AT ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

__________________________________

NGUYEN THAO THUAN

THE IMPACTS OF GAMES ON LEARNING VOCABULARY OF GRADE 5

STUDENTS AT ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Major: Teaching English to speakers of other language

Major code: 60140111

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: LE THI THANH THU, Ed.D.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to explore the impacts of games via the Grade

5 students’ attitudes towards the application of games in their vocabulary learning

and the effects of games on the students’ vocabulary achievement at Asian

International School. To achieve these purposes, an experimental research was

employed. This study lasted in three months, one group learned vocabulary in the

normal way while the other group learned vocabulary with game application in the

review stage. The pre-test was delivered to both groups at the beginning of the

study. After games were applied in six weeks of the treatment, the post-test 1 was

held to evaluate the vocabulary achievement of two groups. Next, the post-test 2

was administrated to the students of both groups at the end of the treatment. Right

after the post-test 2, a set of questionnaire was delivered to only 25 students of the

experimental group to find out their attitudes towards the learning vocabulary with

games.

The results from the vocabulary tests proved that students learning with

games had significantly better results than students learning with the normal

method. The experiment students showed their positive attitudes. They all like

studying with games mostly in every lesson. Emotionally, they felt relaxed,

interested and motivated in learning. The positive attitudes helped to contribute to

their better results in the vocabulary tests. Students in the experimental group did

made better progress in their vocabulary learning in comparison with what students

in the control group did. This led to the suggestion that games should be

implemented to help primary school students develop their vocabulary performance.

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “The impacts of games on learning

vocabulary of Grade 5 students at Asian International 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. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any

degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

NGUYEN THAO THUAN

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Nguyen Thao Thuan, being a candidate for the degree of

Master of Arts (TESOL), accept the requirements of the University relating to the

retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis

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, and reproduction for theses.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

NGUYEN THAO THUAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Master of Arts in TESOL thesis is the result of a fruitful collaboration

of all the people who have kindly contributed with enormous commitment and

enthusiasm in my research. Without the help of those who supported me at all times

and in all possible ways, it would not have been feasible for me to complete my

M.A. thesis.

First of all, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Le Thi Thanh Thu Ph.D.,

whose compassions, encouragement and guidance throughout the research have

helped in the completion of this thesis. I have truly learned from the excellence of

her skills and from her wide experience in research; no words are adequate to

describe the extent of my gratitude.

I am also sincerely grateful to all lecturers of the Open University in Ho Chi

Minh City for providing me with invaluable sources of intellectual knowledge

during my study there. This knowledge was very useful when I conducted this

research.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to the anonymous participants who

contributed data to this thesis. Without them the data collection for this study could

not properly been carried out.

Last but not least, I would like to express my particular gratitude to my

beloved family for their unconditional love, understanding, encouragement, and

financial and spiritual support over time and distance.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Page

ABSTRACT i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ii

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS x

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1. Background of the study 1

1.2. Objectives of the study 3

1.3. Research questions 3

1.4. Significance of the study 3

1.5. Organization of the study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1. Definitions of vocabulary 5

2.2. Aspects of knowing a word 5

2.2.1. Word form 6

2.2.2. Word grammar 7

2.2.3. Word use 7

2.2.4. Word formation 8

2.2.5. Word meaning 8

2.3. The importance of vocabulary learning 9

2.4. The stages of teaching vocabulary 10

2.4.1. Presentation 10

2.4.2. Practice 11

2.4.3. Production 11

2.4.4. Review 12

2.5. How to learn vocabulary effectively 12

2.6. Characteristics of young learners 13

2.7. Learners’ attitudes in language learning 15

2.7.1. Definitions and components of attitudes 15

2.7.2. The importance of attitudes 15

2.8. Games in language learning 16

2.8.1. Definitions of games 16

2.8.2. Types of games 16

2.8.3. Cooperative vocabulary games 17

2.8.3.1. Definitions 17

2.8.3.2. Types of cooperative vocabulary games 17

2.8.4. The advantages of using games in language teaching and learning 19

2.8.5. The disadvantages of games 20

2.8.6. When to play games 21

2.9. Previous studies 22

2.9.1. International studies 22

2.9.2. Vietnamese studies 23

2.10. Chapter summary 25

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 26

3.1. Research setting 26

3.1.1 Research site 26

3.1.2 Participants of the study 27

3.2. Research design 28

3.3. Description of the material 29

3.4. The experimental procedures 30

3.4.1. Time distribution 30

3.4.2. Teaching procedures of the experimental group and control group 35

3.5. Data collection instruments 37

3.5.1. Attitude questionnaire 37

3.5.2. Vocabulary tests 38

3.6. Data analysis methodology 40

3.7. Reliability and validity 41

3.7.1. Reliability and validity of vocabulary tests 41

3.7.2. Reliability and validity of attitude questionnaire 41

3.8. Summary 42

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 43

4.1. Questionnaire analysis and discussions 43

4.1.1. The students’ affective attitudes toward learning vocabulary with

games

43

4.1.2. The students’ cognitive attitudes toward the benefits of games in

their learning vocabulary with games

44

4.1.3. The students’ general affective and behavioral attitudes on game￾based vocabulary lessons

46

4.1.4. Discussions on the research question 1 48

4.2. Test analysis and discussions 50

4.2.1. Pre-test between experimental group and control group 50

4.2.2. Pre-test and Post-test 1 within each group 52

4.2.2.1. Pre-test and Post-test 1 within the experimental group 52

4.2.2.2. Pre-test and Post-test 1 within the control group 54

4.2.3. Post-test 1 and Post-test 2 within each group 55

4.2.3.1. Post-test 1 and Post-test 2 within the experimental group 55

4.2.3.2. Post-test 1 and Post-test 2 within the control group 57

4.2.4. Post-test 1 between experimental group and control group 59

4.2.5. Post-test 2 between experimental group and control group 60

4.2.6. Discussions on research question 2 63

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 67

5.1. Summary of results 67

5.2. Recommendations for teachers 69

5.3. Limitations of the study 70

5.4. Recommendations for further research 70

REFERENCES 72

APPENDIX 3.1: LESSON PLAN UNIT 10 (ENGLISH TIME 5) 78

APPENDIX 3.2: LESSON PLAN UNIT 1 (ENGLISH TIME 6) 80

APPENDIX 3.3: LESSON PLAN UNIT 2 (ENGLISH TIME 6) 82

APPENDIX 3.4: LESSON PLAN UNIT 3 (ENGLISH TIME 6) 84

APPENDIX 3.5: LESSON PLAN UNIT 4 (ENGLISH TIME 6) 86

APPENDIX 3.6: LESSON PLAN UNIT 5 (ENGLISH TIME 6) 88

APPENDIX 3.7: QUESTIONNAIRE (ENGLISH VERSION) 90

APPENDIX 3.8: QUESTIONNAIRE (VIETNAMESE VERSION) 92

APPENDIX 3.9: THE PRE-TEST 94

APPENDIX 3.10: THE POST-TEST 1 97

APPENDIX 3.11: THE POST-TEST 2 100

APPENDIX 4.1: TEST SCORES 103

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 3.1 The research design 29

Table 3.2 Main activities of the study 31

Table 4.1 The students’ affective attitudes toward learning vocabulary with

games

43

Table 4.2 The students’ cognitive attitudes toward the benefits of games in

vocabulary learning

45

Table 4.3 Group statistics on the pre-test results 50

Table 4.4 Independent Samples t-test on the pre-test of the two groups 51

Table 4.5 Paired samples statistics of the pre-test and the post-test 1 within

the experimental group

53

Table 4.6 Paired samples t-test of the pre-test and the post-test 1 of the

experimental group

53

Table 4.7 Paired samples statistics of the pre-test and the post-test 1 within

the control group

54

Table 4.8 Paired samples t-test of the pre-test and the post-test 1 of the

control group

55

Table 4.9 Paired samples statistics of the post-test 1 and the post-test 2

within the experimental group

56

Table 4.10 Paired samples t-test of the post-test 1 and the post-test 2 of the

experimental group

57

Table 4.11 Paired samples statistics of the post-test 1 and the post-test 2

within the control group

58

Table 4.12 Paired samples t-test of the post-test 1 and the post-test 2 of the

control group

58

Table 4.13 Group statistics on the post-test 1 of the experimental and control

groups

59