STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled “The Impact of Using Language Game-Based Instruction on Young Learners’ Vocabulary Retention: A Quasi-Experimental Study” is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of thesis, this thesis contains no 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, 2016 NGUYEN THI THU HIEN i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis paper was my maser thesis, and it was the most noticeable achievement for my master study It was the outcome based on my personal efforts; my supervisor’s timing support, and my colleagues’ assistance I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Pham Vu Phi Ho, whose insights and thoughtful comments have guided me to this work, and who has seriously directed me with his competence, generosity, and patience I thank him for his understanding, encouragements, and precious advice Without him, my thesis completion would not be corrected and submitted on time I am thankful to the teaching staff and students in Vietnamese American Private School I am grateful to Ms Thuy, the school headmaster for her acceptance to carry out the experiment I also thank Mr Thanh and Ms Mai, the vice principals, for their encouragements by elaborative advice and technical supports Finally, my thesis paper would not have been successful without the participation from the students in Class 5A3 and Class 5A4 I thank them for cooperating with me throughout the training program, filling the questionnaire and help in the accomplishment of this work ii ABSTRACT Vocabulary learning is an important and indispensable part of any language learning process It is considered as a difficult task so that teachers try as much as possible to facilitate it for their learners One of the techniques that can be used is integrating language games However, few studies have been conducted to explore the influence of using language games in vocabulary teaching in the real context, especially in Vietnamese American Private School To address this gap, this study especially focuses on examining the impact of using language game-based instruction on the fifth graders’ vocabulary retention at Vietnamese American Private School (VAPS) The study was conducted in VAPS during the summer course (June to July) of the academic school year 2015-2016, in district 8, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam The primary aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using language game-based instruction on young learners’ vocabulary retention in primary schools The study involved 39 fifth grade pupils in two classes at VAPS One class consisted of 21 children and was considered as the experimental group; and the second one involved 18 pupils and was considered as the control group The experimental group was exposed to language games in learning vocabulary, whereas the control group involved in lessons without the use of language games The study lasted weeks and involved a pre-test and post-test, interview and questionnaire to participants It was hypothesized that language games would improve pupils’ vocabulary retention and their attitudes towards learning vocabulary were positive The results of the study highlighted the positive effects of game-based strategy in improving children’s vocabulary retention as well as positive attitudes from the participants These lead to two conclusions that adopting game activities indeed helped the pupils improve their ability to memorize the new words iii effectively and their attitudes towards the game-based instruction were positive The study also mentioned several difficulties in applying game activities as well as recommendations for better game treatment Finally, it addressed some implications and called for further research to investigate game-based instruction in a wider context iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIRUGES ix ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS .x CHAPTER I .1 INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Problems of teaching and learning vocabulary in Vietnam 1.3 Statement of the purpose 1.4 Research questions .8 1.5 Significance of the study 1.7 Overview of the thesis chapters CHAPTER II 11 LITERATURE REVIEW .11 2.1 Vocabulary 11 2.1.1 What is Vocabulary? 11 2.1.2 Kinds of Vocabulary 12 2.1.3 The teaching of vocabulary 15 2.2 Young learners 19 2.2.1 Definition of young learners 19 2.2.2 Characteristics of young learners .20 2.3 Language games .24 2.3.1 What are language games? 24 2.3.2 Types of language games 27 v 2.3.3 The advantages and disadvantages of using language games .31 2.4 Previous research in using language games in teaching English vocabulary 38 CHAPTER III 47 METHODOLOGY 47 3.1 Research site .47 3.2 Participants .47 3.3 Research design 48 3.4 Procedures of the study 51 3.4.1 Pre-Training Phase .52 3.4.2 While- and Post-Training Phase 52 3.4.3 Training procedures .53 3.4.4 Teaching material 61 3.5 Research instruments .63 3.5.1 Pre-test and post-test 63 3.5.2 Questionnaire .64 3.5.3 Interviews 68 3.6 Data collection 70 3.7 Analytical Framework .71 3.7.1 The statistical tests .71 3.7.2 Descriptive data analysis .72 3.8 Summary of the chapter 72 CHAPTER IV 73 RESULTS / FINDINGS & DISCUSSION 73 4.1 Performance of both groups on pretest 73 4.2 Research question 1: Does language game-based instruction have any effect on pupils’ vocabulary retention? 74 4.2.1 Control group’s performance on the pretest and posttest 74 4.2.2 Experimental group’s performance on the pretest and posttest 76 vi 4.2.3 Experimental group’s and control group’s performance on the posttest .78 4.3 Research Question 2: To what extent language games facilitate learners’ vocabulary learning? .82 4.4 Summary of the chapter 94 CONCLUSION 95 5.1 Summary of the results/ findings 95 5.2 Limitations of the study 97 5.3 Suggestions for further research .98 5.4 Summary of the chapter 98 REFERENCES 99 APPENDICES .106 APPENDIX A: TEST 106 APPENDIX B: SCORES OF PRE- AND POST-TEST OF BOTH GROUPS118 APPENDIX C: POST QUESTIONNAIRE 119 APPENDIX D: DATA ANALYSIS OF POST QUESTIONNAIRE 125 APPENDIX E: INTERVIEWTRANSCRIPTS 128 APPENDIX G: LESSON PLAN FOR THE CONTROL GROUP 143 APPENDIX H: LESSON PLAN FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP 153 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Types of vocabulary 151 Table Schedule for the main stages of the research 51 Table Types of language games included 551 Table Structure of a traditional lesson 51 Table 5.Structure of a language games-based lesson 57 Table Selected learning unit 51 Table Themes represented in questionnaire items 67 Table 8.T-test value of vocabulary pretest of experimental and control groups 74 Table 9.Mean scores of vocabulary pre-post-tests for control group 75 Table 10.Comparison between the pre-post-tests of the control group 75 Table 11.Mean scores of vocabulary pre-post-tests of experimental group 77 Table 12.Comparison between the pre-post-tests of the experimental group 77 Table 13.Mean scores of vocabulary posttests of experimental and control groups 79 Table 14 T-test value of vocabulary posttests of experimental and control groups 79 Table 15.Pupils’ general stance on the effect of language games on learning vocabulary 83 Table 16.Games in practicing and remembering vocabulary 85 Table 17 Games and motivation 88 Table 18 Games and anxiety 89 Table19 Pupils’ preference for the use of games 92 Table 20.Pupils’ desire for the use of language games 92 viii LIST OF FIRUGES Figure Pre-test and Post-test Design 51 ix ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS CG Control group CLT Communicative Language Teaching EFL English foreign language EG Experimental group e.g for example ELT English language teaching F Frequency HCMC Ho Chi Minh City L1 First language L2 Second language Min Minute(s) N Total number No Number p Page Pp Pages Q(s) Question(s) r Correlation S(s) Student(s) SD Standard deviation SE Standard error SEM Standard error of the mean T Teacher x Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I Warm up: - - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson II Presentation: - - Teach new words (clean up, damage, the environment, garbage dump, litter, planet, pollution, wildlife) Check vocabulary understanding by doing given handout Let students read the story Ask some questions related to story Encourage students to tell the story again Ask students to exercises in textbook Correct and check answers III Practice: - Ask students to ask and answer about the environment IV Production: - Check Students understanding by asking students to spell the words V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 30-31 148 - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Read out loud the words - Listen and repeat Take note Do handout - Read the story Answer the questions Tell story Do exercises Listen and correct answers - Work in groups - Listen and write the words - Do it at home Unit - Reuse and recycle TIME ALLOTTED: periods/ - 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Read and understand something about reuse and recycle - Understand a short story and act it out - Identify will and won’t to make predictions about the future - Use present progressive to talk about future plans and arangements - Use will/ won’t and present progressive to ask and answer Teaching Aids: - Textbook Teacher’s assignments Pictures 149 Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I Warm up: - - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Do it!” game Teach new words (bottle, plastic bag, paper, recycling center, metal, battery, chemicals, and oil) Check vocabulary understanding by doing given handout - Listen and repeat Take note Do handout Ask students to look at the title and brainstorm Play the recording for students to listen and read Ask questions to check comprehension Ask students to act out story Give examples of will/ won’t and present progressive Encourage students to give other examples Let students exercises in textbook - Look at title and give ideas Listen and read Answer the questions Play a role Take note Give out other examples Do exercises - Work in groups II Presentation: - - - III Practice: - Let students ask and answer using pictures IV Production: - Check Students understanding by asking some sentences 150 - Make sentences V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 38-41 - Do it at home LESSON: Revision TIME ALLOTTED: periods - 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Recall the old lessons - Review new words about the environment, recycling and animals - Review some grammar points - Practice Asking and answering questions Teaching Aids: - Textbook Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities - I Warm up: - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Retell the story” - Listen and repeat Take note - Look at pictures and say out the words Make sentences Listen carefully and answer questions Give examples II Presentation: - - Recall new words (the environment, planet, pollution, and plastic bag, chemicals, endangered…) Check vocabulary understanding by “explanation” game Ask students to look at picture and say out the words Ask students to make sentences with these words Ask some questions to recall the 151 - - grammar points Have students give examples Go through the answers with the class III Practice: - Let students close the book, ask and answer questions about the environment, recycling and animals IV Production: - Check Students understanding by spelling the words and matching V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook 152 - Check answers - Ask and answer - - Spell and match - Do it at home APPENDIX H: LESSON PLAN FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP Unit1: You can build it! TIME ALLOTTED: periods/ - 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Remember new words about tools - Identify which one is different Teaching Aids: - Chalk and board - Pictures - Teacher’s assignments Teacher’s activities Students’ activities - I Warm up: - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play games: “Vocabulary hunt” II Presentation: - Teach new words (wood, boards, tree house, straight, crooked) Check vocabulary understanding by what and where” game Let Students write the names of tools Ask Students to guess which tool is mentioned Correct the names Get Students to answer the questions in handout Play the tapes 153 - Listen and repeat Take note Play games: “Hear and Jump” - Write the names Guess the tools Listen and take note Correct Answer the questions III Practice: - Get Students to talk about which tool is different - Listen and exercises - Ask and answer about which animal is different - Listen and take note - Play games: “Bingo” IV Production: - Check students understanding - Students can write these words correctly V Assignment: - Ask the Student to write these words in notebook - Do it at home Unit – It’s show time! TIME ALLOTTED: periods/ – 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Understand some new words about “play” in context - Use these words to talk about play in real life - Know some silent letters in words and pronounce correctly Teaching Aids: - Textbook - Teacher’s assignments - Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities - I Warm up and Review: - Greeting Checking the attendant - 154 Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Hang man” game - Recall the old lesson II Presentation: Pre – teaching: - Teach new words (lights, script, make-up, curtain, stage, audience, character, costume) - Check vocabulary understanding by “slap the board” game While – teaching: - Let students listen and read the story - Ask students some questions about the story - Get Students to role play - Give some words with silent letters - Ask students to say the words - Check students ‘pronunciation and correct them Post – teaching: - Let Students distinguish other words with silent letters III Reinforcement: - Check Students understanding about play - Students can say the words with silent letters correctly IV Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 14-15 155 - Listen and repeat Take note Play game “ Describe and draw a picture” - Read the story Answer the questions Give the words Say these words - Speak in group - Listen and take note Ask and answer Play game “Word Pyramid” - Do it at home Unit 3- The best party ever TIME ALLOTTED: periods/ – 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Understand the story and new words referring to household items - Understand and use these words in the correct context - Use verbs and nouns with suffix – ion corectly Teaching Aids: - Textbook Teacher’s assignments Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I Warm up: - - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - 156 Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Charades” game II Presentation: - - - Teach new words (broom, sponge, lampshade, garbage bag, rubber gloves, feather duster, cloth, clothes line) Check vocabulary understanding by “what and where” game - Listen and repeat Take note Play game “Categories” and write the words Ask students listen and read the story Ask students some questions to check students’ understanding Let students role the play Encourage students to tell the story again Give the verbs and nouns ending in – ion and explain Ask students to fill in the blank with nouns or verbs Check and correct answers - Listen and read the dialogue Answer the questions Role play Tell the story Listen and take note Fill in the blank Correct answer - Work in individual III Practice: - Let students write the new words on their board IV Reinforcement: - Check Students understanding by asking students to spell the new words and give definition - Get students play game V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 22-23 157 - Listen and answer Play game “Crossword” - Do it at home Unit – Our planet TIME ALLOTTED: periods – 35min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Understand story and get some new words referring to the environment - Tell the story again in their own words - Apply some new words to talk about the environment Teaching Aids: - Textbook Teacher’s assignments Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities I Warm up: - - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Charades” game - Listen and repeat Take note Play game “Hear and Jump” - Read the story Answer the questions Tell story Do exercises Listen and correct answers II Presentation: - - Teach new words (clean up, damage, the environment, garbage dump, litter, planet, pollution, wildlife) Check vocabulary understanding by “slap the board” game Let students read the story Ask some questions related to story Encourage students to tell the story again Ask students to exercises in textbook Correct and check answers 158 III Practice: - Ask students to ask and answer about the environment IV Production: - Check Students understanding by asking students to spell the words - Get students play game V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 30-31 - Work in groups - Listen and write the words Play game “Bingo” - Do it at home Unit - Reuse and recycle TIME ALLOTTED: periods/ - 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Read and understand something about reuse and recycle - Understand a short story and act it out - Identify will and won’t to make predictions about the future - Use present progressive to talk about future plans and arangements - Use will/ won’t and present progressive to ask and answer Teaching Aids: - Textbook Teacher’s assignments Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities 159 I Warm up: - - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Hangman” game - Listen and repeat Take note Play game - Look at title and give ideas Listen and read Answer the questions Play a role Take note Give out other examples Do exercises - Work in groups II Presentation: - - Teach new words (bottle, plastic bag, paper, recycling center, metal, battery, chemicals, and oil) Check vocabulary understanding by “What’s missing” game Ask students to look at the title and brainstorm Play the recording for students to listen and read Ask questions to check comprehension Ask students to act out story Give examples of will/ won’t and present progressive Encourage students to give other examples Let students exercises in textbook III Practice: - Let students ask and answer using pictures IV Production: - Check Students understanding by asking some sentences IV Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook page 38-41 160 - Make sentences - Do it at home LESSON: Revision TIME ALLOTTED: periods - 35 min/ period  GOALS OF TEACHING: Aim: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to: - Recall the old lessons - Review new words about the environment, recycling and animals - Review some grammar points - Practice Asking and answering questions Teaching Aids: - Textbook Pictures Teacher’s activities Students’ activities - I Warm up: - Greeting Checking the attendant Recall the old lesson II Presentation: Pre – teaching: - Recall new words (the environment, planet, pollution, and plastic bag, chemicals, endangered…) - Check vocabulary understanding by “explanation” game While – teaching: - Ask students to look at picture and say out the words - Ask students to make sentences with these words - Ask some questions to recall the grammar points - Have students give examples - Go through the answers with the 161 - Greeting Answer the questions (Monitor) Play “Word pyramid” game - Listen and repeat Take note Play game - Look at pictures and say out the words Make sentences Listen carefully and answer questions Give examples Check answers - class III Practice: - Let students close the book, ask and answer questions about the environment, recycling and animals IV Production: - Check Students understanding by spelling the words and matching - Get students play game V Assignment: - Ask Student to exercises in workbook - Ask and answer - Spell and match - Play game “Describe and draw a picture” - 162 Do it at home ... examined the effects of instructional games on facilitating of student’s vocabulary learning The purpose of their study was to gain information about the role of games in the level of vocabulary. .. of language games, the advantages and disadvantages of using language games in teaching English vocabulary, and previous studies in using language games in teaching English vocabulary 2.1 Vocabulary. .. the quasiexperimental study in which the research integrated language game- based instruction into the vocabulary teaching process to train the children in VAPS to examine whether using language