The impacts of language games on vocabulary learning of young learner's at My - Viet foreign language center

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

PHẠM DUY HẠNH

THE IMPACTS OF LANGUAGE GAMES ON VOCABULARY LEARNING

OF YOUNG LEARNERS AT MY-VIET FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

PHẠM DUY HẠNH

THE IMPACTS OF LANGUAGE GAMES ON VOCABULARY LEARNING

OF YOUNG LEARNERS AT MY-VIET FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER

Major: Teaching English to speakers of other languages

Major code: 60140111

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: Le Thi Thanh Thu, Ed. D.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

I

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “The Impacts of Language Games on

Vocabulary Learning of Young Learners at My-Viet Foreign Language Center” is

my own work.

Except where reference is made in the thesis, this thesis contains no material

published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from the other thesis.

No other person’s work has been used without the 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.

Tien Giang Province, 2019

PHAM DUY HANH

II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deep thanks to the contribution of those who

supported me during the time I wrote this thesis. I cannot finish this study without

their help.

First and foremost, I would like to send my great gratitude to my supervisor,

Le Thi Thanh Thu, Ed. D, Dean of Postgraduate Education of Ho Chi Minh City

Open University, for all of her support during the time I have done this thesis. Her

useful advice helped me gain a lot of great knowledge to finish the thesis.

I am also thankful to Mr. Minh Tran Thien, the manager of My-Viet FLC

who created the best condition for me to conduct the experiment.

I also thank for the participant of all the learners for their enthusiastic in all

of the activities.

Lastly, I would like to send my gratitude to my family who motivated me to

finish this thesis.

III

ABSTRACT

The research was carried out at My-Viet Foreign Language Center (My-Viet

FLC) from May 12, 2018 to July 28, 2018. Two classes which the researcher is

teaching were conveniently chosen for this study as the experimental group (EG)

and the control group (CG). The research covered ten sub-units of Everybody Up 6

(Kampa & Vilina, 2012). The purpose of the study was to investigate the

effectiveness of applying language games in teaching English vocabulary to young

learners as compared to the current practice and the attitudes of the participants

towards the language games. The instruments were used to collect the data included

the tests for both groups and questionnaire for the EG. The results found from the

tests and the questionnaire were analyzed by using the mean score, the percentage

and T-Test.

The result from the tests showed that, at the beginning of the experiment,

there was no significant difference in the English proficiency between the two

groups. After the experiment, the EG got higher mean scores in comparison with

those of the CG. Because the same material was used to teach vocabulary for the

two groups and similar vocabulary teaching stages, the difference in the results

could be counted on the intervention of applying the language games. In addition,

the findings from the questionnaire demonstrated that young learners had a positive

attitude towards language games application. They strongly agreed that the

language games were beneficial for their vocabulary learning and even did not

consider what the educators warned as the disadvantages of the language games as

disadvantages at all.

The results of the study confirmed that language games could help My Viet

FLC young learners enhancing positive attitude towards studying vocabulary with

games and improve their vocabulary learning.

IV

TÓM TẮT

Nghiên cứu được thực hiện tại Trung tâm ngoại ngữ Mỹ Việt (Mỹ-Việt FLC)

từ ngày 12 tháng 5 năm 2018 đến ngày 28 tháng 7 năm 2018. Hai lớp mà nhà

nghiên cứu đang giảng dạy đã được sử dụng như là một nhóm thực nghiệm và một

nhóm đối chứng cho nghiên cứu này. Nghiên cứu trải dài qua 10 bài học của quyển

Everybody Up 6 (Kampa & Vilina, 2012). Mục đích của nghiên cứu là để kiểm

chứng hiệu quả của việc áp dụng những trò chơi ngôn ngữ trong việc dạy từ vựng

Tiếng Anh cho những học viên nhỏ tuổi so với những phương pháp giảng dạy đang

được sử dụng hiện tại và thái độ của những người tham gia hướng tới các trò chơi

ngôn ngữ. Công cụ để thu thập dữ liệu bao gồm những bài kiểm tra cho hai nhóm

và bảng câu hỏi cho nhóm thực nghiệm. Kết quả tìm thấy được phân tích bằng cách

sử dụng điểm trung bình, tỉ lệ phần trăm và kiểm định T-Test.

Kết quả từ những bài kiểm tra đã chỉ ra rằng, trước thực nghiệm, không có sự

khác biệt đáng kể giữa hai nhóm về mức độ thành thạo Tiếng Anh. Sau thực

nghiệm, nhóm thực nghiệm đã đạt được những điểm trung bình cao hơn nhóm đối

chứng. Bởi vì cùng một tài liệu đã được sử dụng để dạy từ vựng cho hai nhóm và

các giai đoạn dạy từ vựng là tương tự, sự khác biệt trong những kết quả có thể được

giải thích bởi sự can thiệp của các trò chơi ngôn ngữ. Thêm nữa, những tìm thấy từ

bảng câu hỏi đã chứng tỏ rằng những học viên nhỏ tuổi có thái độ tích cực đối với

các trò chơi ngôn ngữ. Các em rất đồng ý rằng các trò chơi có nhiều ích lợi cho việc

học từ vựng của mình và thậm chí không xem xét những nhân tố được cho là bất lợi

của các trò chơi như là những bất lợi chút nào.

Những kết quả của nghiên cứu đã chứng thực rằng các trò chơi ngôn ngữ có

thể giúp cải tiến việc học từ vựng Tiếng Anh của những học viên nhỏ tuổi ở Mỹ￾Việt FLC cũng như các em đã có thái độ tích cực hướng tới việc học từ vựng với

các trò chơi.

V

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ..........................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................... ii

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................. iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................v

LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................ix

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................x

ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................xi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION............................................................................1

1.1. Rationale for the study ............................................................................................. 1

1.2. Statement of the problem......................................................................................... 2

1.3. Background of the study .......................................................................................... 3

1.3.1. My-Viet FLC ...................................................................................................... 3

1.3.2. The teachers........................................................................................................ 4

1.3.3. The learners........................................................................................................ 4

1.3.4. Materials............................................................................................................. 5

1.4. Objectives of the study and research questions ..................................................... 9

1.4.1. Objectives of the study ...................................................................................... 9

1.4.2. Research questions............................................................................................. 9

1.5. Significance of the study........................................................................................... 9

1.6. The scope of the study ............................................................................................ 10

1.7. Organization of the study....................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................12

2.1. YOUNG LEARNERS............................................................................................. 12

2.1.1. Definitions of young learners.......................................................................... 12

2.1.2. Characteristics of young learners................................................................... 12

2.2. VOCABULARY...................................................................................................... 13

2.2.1. Definitions of vocabulary ................................................................................ 13

2.2.2. Different kinds of knowledge of a word......................................................... 14

2.2.3. Types of vocabulary......................................................................................... 16

VI

2.2.4. The importance of vocabulary........................................................................ 17

2.2.5. Vocabulary learning strategies....................................................................... 19

2.2.5.1. Determination strategies...........................................................................................19

2.2.5.2. Social strategies........................................................................................................20

2.2.5.3. Memory strategies....................................................................................................20

2.2.5.4. Cognitive strategies..................................................................................................21

2.2.5.5. Metacognitive strategies...........................................................................................21

2.2.5.6. Note-taking strategies...............................................................................................22

2.2.5.7. Rote rehearsal strategies...........................................................................................22

2.2.5.8. Encoding strategies ..................................................................................................23

2.2.6. How to learn vocabulary effectively............................................................... 24

2.2.7. Process of teaching vocabulary....................................................................... 26

2.2.7.1 Presentation...............................................................................................................26

2.2.7.2. Practice.....................................................................................................................27

2.2.7.3. Production ................................................................................................................28

2.2.7.4. Review .....................................................................................................................28

2.3. GAMES.................................................................................................................... 29

2.3.1. Definitions of games......................................................................................... 29

2.3.2. Types of games................................................................................................. 30

2.3.2.1. Guessing word games ..............................................................................................31

2.3.2.2. Slap blackboard games.............................................................................................32

2.3.2.3. Hangman games.......................................................................................................33

2.3.2.4. Charade games.........................................................................................................34

2.3.3. Characteristics of language games................................................................. 34

2.3.4. Benefits of using games.................................................................................... 35

2.3.5. Disadvantages of games................................................................................... 37

2.3.6. When and how to use games........................................................................... 38

2.4. ATTITUDES OF YOUNG LEARNERS TOWARDS TO THE GAMES......... 39

2.5. PREVIOUS STUDIES............................................................................................ 40

2.5.1. Studies outside Vietnam .................................................................................. 40

2.5.2. Studies in Vietnam........................................................................................... 43

2.5.3. Study gap .......................................................................................................... 44

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.........................................................................45

VII

3.1. Research site............................................................................................................ 45

3.2. Research participants............................................................................................. 45

3.3. Research design....................................................................................................... 46

3.4. Language games applied in the experiment ......................................................... 49

3.5. Data collection instruments.................................................................................... 52

3.5.1. The tests............................................................................................................ 52

3.5.1.1. Pre-test .....................................................................................................................52

3.5.1.2. Post-test 1.................................................................................................................53

3.5.1.3. Post-test 2.................................................................................................................53

3.5.1.4. Post-test 3.................................................................................................................53

3.5.2. Questionnaire ................................................................................................... 54

3.6. Data analysis methodology..................................................................................... 56

3.6.1. Tests................................................................................................................... 56

3.6.2. Questionnaire ................................................................................................... 57

CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS................................................58

4.1. Pretest results of the EG and the CG.................................................................... 58

4.2. Posttest results of the CG....................................................................................... 59

4.3. Posttest results of the EG ....................................................................................... 61

4.4. Posttests result comparison between the CG and the EG................................... 63

4.5. Questionnaire results.............................................................................................. 68

4.5.1. The participants’ general feelings towards language games ....................... 69

4.5.2. The respondents’ reflections on the benefits of language games................. 71

4.5.3. The participants’ attitudes towards the disadvantages of language games 77

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS......................81

5.1. Conclusions.............................................................................................................. 81

5.2. Recommendations................................................................................................... 83

5.2.1. For young learners........................................................................................... 83

5.2.2. For the teachers................................................................................................ 85

5.2.3. For My- Viet FLC managers .......................................................................... 86

5.3. Limitations of the study.......................................................................................... 87

5.4. Suggestion for further research............................................................................. 88

REFERENCES........................................................................................................89

VIII

APPENDIX A. THE SAMPLE OF LESSON PLAN...........................................96

OF THE CONTROL GROUP AND THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP...........96

APPENDIX B. THE PRE-TEST .........................................................................101

APPENDIX C. THE POST-TESTS ....................................................................102

APPENDIX D ........................................................................................................107

QUESTIONNAIRE IN ENGLISH VERSION...................................................107

APPENDIX E ........................................................................................................109

QUESTIONNAIRE IN VIETNAMESE VERSION..........................................109

APPENDIX F: THE PRETEST RESULTS OF TWO GROUPS ....................112

THE SCORES OF THE PRETEST OF THE CG.............................................112

APPENDIX G: THE POSTTEST RESULTS OF THE CG.............................115

APPENDIX H: THE POSTTEST RESULTS OF THE EG .............................117

APPENDIX I: POSTTESTS RESULT COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO

GROUPS ................................................................................................................119

APPENDIX J: PERSONAL INFORMATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS...122

APPENDIX K: DATA OF THE ATTITUDES OF THE PARTICIPANTS

TOWARDS LANGUAGE GAME APPLICATION .........................................124

IX

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1. The teaching activities for the CG and the EG.

Table 3.2. Game applied in the lessons of the EG.

Table 4.1. The pretest results.

Table 4.2. Posttest results of the CG.

Table 4.3. Posttest results of the EG.

Table 4.4. Posttest result comparisons between two groups.

Table 4.5. The participants’ general attitudes towards language game application.

Table 4.6. The benefits of games for learning new vocabulary.

Table 4.7. The participants’ attitudes towards the disadvantages of games.

X

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1. Posttest results of the CG.

Figure 4.2. Posttest results of the EG.

Figure 4.3. The test results of two groups.

Figure 4.4. The personal information of the respondents.

Figure 4.5. Students’ perceptions of games’ benefits in learning vocabulary.

XI

ABBREVIATIONS

CG The control group

EG The experimental group

M Mean score

My-Viet FLC My- Viet foreign language center

N Number

p. Page

Q Question

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale for the study

Young learners in English classes that the researcher is teaching cannot

remember new vocabulary well. They almost forget a significant number of new

words they learned after a few weeks. As a result, they did not perform well the

tests in class.

Although the researcher required them to repeat and write out new

vocabulary many times, the problem did not improved significantly. They still

cannot remember and write out the words correctly when required in the tests.

In terms of theory, to help children learn vocabulary effectively, classroom

environment must be fun and relaxed (Wharton, 2000), there are a lot of

oppoturnities for interaction (Key, 2004), vocabulary need to be repeated in

different ways (Brno, 2006), etc.

It seems that games could meet the above requirements. For example,

according to Azar (2012), the use of games in teaching vocabulary is one of the best

techniques to make the lessons more interesting and fun. In addition, Yuksek (2008)

realized that, when joining the games, learners had chances to repeat the same

vocabulary many times which helped them revise vocabulary in various ways. Last

but not least, Aslanabadi and Rasouli (2013) argued that, with games, the students

had opportunities to cooperate with their friends.

Therefore, the researcher decided to conduct this study, investigating the

effect of games on young learner's vocabulary learning, in comparison with the

current teaching techniques.