Tài liệu A study on applying some games in teaching english grammar to students of class 10a4 at phong chau high school

HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY FACULITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES HA THI THUY NGA A STUDY ON APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL B.A GRADUATION PAPER Field: English Teaching Methodology Phu Tho, 2018 HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY FACULITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES HA THI THUY NGA A STUDY ON APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL Nghiên cứu việc áp dụng một sô trò chơi vào dạy ngữ pháp tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10A4 trường THPT Phong Châu B.A GRADUATION PAPER Field: English Teaching Methodology Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Hoa, M.A Phu Tho, 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the help, encouragement and support of a number of people who all deserve my sincerest gratitude and appreciation. First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoa, M.A, for her training, guidance, and encouragement in the preparation and writing of this minor thesis. This thesis would not have been completed without her help from the period when this was in the commencing stage. Secondly, I would like to thank the teachers in the Foreign Department, who supported my study, created the best conditions for me to do my thesis. Many thanks are given to our friends and colleagues for introducing and providing me with materials to carry out this study. My special thanks also go to the English teachers and students of class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school for their willingness to take part in my training strategy scheme. Without their help, this study could not have been fulfilled. I am also heavily indebted to my family – my parents and my sister. They were always by my side to give me continual support and encouragement for all that I did. Finally, other big thanks from me to all others who directly or indirectly supported me during the period I implemented this minor thesis. Thank you. Viet Tri, May 2018 Ha Thi Thuy Nga ABSTRACT This study was conducted as an action research in which students were taught on how to process grammar deeply by applying games as supplementary activities in English grammar teaching and learning. The study first aimed to find out the situation of teaching and learning English grammar of class 10A4 students at Phong Chau High School, and then to find out the difference between using and not using games in teaching and learning English grammar for class 10A4 students through experiments. For the accomplishments of these purposes, 45 students in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school were involved in the study. This research was used many data instruments include observation, questionnairs for students, students’ feedback, interview questions, pre – test and post – test. To more accurately assess the effectiveness of using games in teaching English grammar for class 10A4 students at Phong Chau high school, the researcher has conducted an experiment applying some games to some English grammatical structures such as: To+infinitive; Attitudinal adjectives, and Will vs going to to have necessary findings and then draw some necessary pedagogical conclusions. ABBREVIATION EU: European Union EFL: English Foreign Language LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Charts Page Chart 1. Students’ understanding of the lesson 30 Chart 2. Students’ attitude towards teachers’ teaching method 31 Tables Page Table 1. Students’ interest in English lessons 29 Table 2. Students’ activities in grammar lessons 30 Table 3. Students’ time for learning grammar at home 31 Table 4. Students’ comments on teachers’ frequency of using 32 grammar games Table 5. Result of the test before experiment 34 Table 6. Feedback questionnaire of class 10A4 students after 45 experiment Table 7: Result of the test after experiment 46 Table 8: The comparison between pre-test and post-test 47 TABLE OF CONTENT PART A: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 1. Rationale........................................................................................................... 1 2. Previous research about using games in teaching and learning English grammar ............................................................................................................... 3 2.1. In the world ................................................................................................... 3 2.2. In Viet Nam ................................................................................................... 3 2.3. Existing problems ......................................................................................... 4 3. Research purposes ........................................................................................... 4 4. Research questions. ......................................................................................... 4 5. Methodology .................................................................................................... 5 5.1. Methods of the study .................................................................................... 5 5.2. Data collection instruments ......................................................................... 5 6. Hypotheses ....................................................................................................... 6 7. Significance of the study ................................................................................. 6 7.1. Educational significance .............................................................................. 6 7.2. Methodological significance ........................................................................ 6 8. The scope of the study ..................................................................................... 6 9. Participants of the study ................................................................................ 6 10. Design of the study ........................................................................................ 6 PART B: MAJOR CONTENT .......................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND.......................................... 8 1.1. An overview of English grammar ............................................................... 8 1.1.1. Definition of English grammar ................................................................ 8 1.1.2. The role of grammar in teaching and learning English ........................ 8 1.2. Overview of language games ..................................................................... 10 1.2.1. Definition of language games ................................................................. 10 1.2.2. Types of language games. ....................................................................... 10 1.3. The games should be used in teaching English grammar ...................... 12 1.4. When games should be used ...................................................................... 13 1.5. Benefits of teaching grammar with games ............................................... 14 1.6. Tips for using grammar games in class successfully............................... 15 1.7. Conclusion of the chapter .......................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS ........................................................ 20 2.1. The subject and object of the study .......................................................... 20 2.1.1. The subject of the study .......................................................................... 20 2.1.2. The object of the study ............................................................................ 20 2.2. Research methods ....................................................................................... 20 2.2.1. Methods of the study ............................................................................... 20 2.2.2. Data collection instruments .................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT SITUATION IN APPLYING SOME GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO STUDENTS OF CLASS 10A4 AT PHONG CHAU HIGH SCHOOL ..................................... 25 3.1. A general overview of Phong Chau high school and class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school ............................................................................................... 25 3.1.1. Phong Chau high school ......................................................................... 25 3.1.2. Class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school ................................................. 26 3.2. Discription about English basic textbook of grade 10 ............................ 26 3.3. Descriptions of grammar points in English basic curriculum of grade 10 ......................................................................................................................... 27 3.4. Findings from the current situation ......................................................... 28 3.4.1. Results from questionnaire..................................................................... 28 3.4.2. Results from interview ............................................................................ 32 3.4.3. Results from the test (before experiment)............................................. 34 3.4.4. Results of class observation .................................................................... 34 3.5. Suggesting some games to apply in teaching English grammar to class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school ..................................................................... 36 3.5.1. Matching game ........................................................................................ 37 3.5.2. Arranging game ....................................................................................... 37 3.5.3. Guessing game ......................................................................................... 37 3.5.4. Role – play ................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 4: EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS ............................................ 38 4.1. Description of experimental teaching ....................................................... 38 4.2. Data collection instruments ....................................................................... 38 4.3. Experiment procedure ............................................................................... 38 4.4. Result ........................................................................................................... 43 4.4.1. Result from feedback questionnaire of students in class 10A4 ........... 43 4.4.2. Result from post – test ............................................................................ 45 4.4.3. Results from observation ........................................................................ 47 4.5. Findings ....................................................................................................... 48 4.6. Implications................................................................................................. 49 4.6.1. For the teachers ....................................................................................... 49 4.6.2. For the students ....................................................................................... 51 PART C: CONCLUSION................................................................................. 52 1. Summary of the study ................................................................................... 52 2. Main findings. ................................................................................................ 52 2.1. Findings from the questionnaires ............................................................. 52 2.2. Findings from the interview questions, observation and test ................ 54 3. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research. .................................. 55 3.1. Limitations .................................................................................................. 55 3.2. Suggestions for Further Research ............................................................ 55 4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 55 REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 57 APPENDIX 1 PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In recent years, English has become more and more popular in the world, it is an international language and is one of the most popular and most spoken in the world . It plays an important role in everyday life, helping us communicate and exchange with other countries in the world. When talking about the importance of English, Dr. Karin (2012) said that: “English is the official language and the main language of trade and commerce worldwide”. In fact, English is the official language of more than 53 countries and territories, the official language of the EU and the third most widely spoken language in the world after the Chinese and Spanish. Moreover, English is spoken by more than 400 million people in the world as a mother tongue, more than one billion people use English as the second language, developed countries around the world are proficient and popular. In Vietnam, English is being taught at every educational level. In studying languages in general and studying English in particular, it can be said that grammar seems to be difficult and boring for students. It is thought by students that English grammar contains complex, difficult, and different rules. Besides, traditionally, many teachers approach grammar teaching very seriously, making the lessons dull and uninteresting. Therefore, students usually feel tired and bored during grammar lessons and then they are not motivated to study. However, as one of language components, grammar is very necessary and nobody can refuse the importance of learning this skill. According to William Somerset Maugham (1938), he indicated that “It is necessary to know grammar, and it is better to write grammatically than not, but it is well to remember that grammar is common speech formulated.”, “Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the 2 richness of expression available in English”. In addition, Kay (1987) stated that “In order to communicate effectively in English, students need to have a good foundation in grammar”. Once again, Ur (1988) said that “a person who knows grammar is one who can express himself or herself in what would be considered as acceptable language forms”. So, we can see that English grammar plays an integral role in learning English. I agree with Mario Rinvolucri (1984) about his opinion about grammar. He thought that “Grammar is perhaps so serious and central in learning another language that all ways should be searched for which will focus students’ energy on the task of mastering and internalizing it. One way of focusing this energy is through the release offered by games”. Indeed, the fact that students at all levels are learning grammar in Language focus periods, however, teachers usually ask them to revise some grammatical structures or introduce new structures and then require them to do all the exercises in the textbook. This makes students feel bored, not interested in the lessons, and makes the classroom atmosphere more stressful. Games in general and grammar games in particular are very useful in teaching and learning English grammar because it not only encourages, but also improves and teaches students’ ability in using English fluently as well. Therefore, I think this study is necessary and the result of using games in teaching grammar will bring many practical benefits to the students. For all the above reasons and with the desire to create interest for students in English grammar lessons, especially students in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school, I really want to clarify the topic : “A study on applying some games in teaching English grammar to students of class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school”. 3 2. Previous research about using games in teaching and learning English grammar 2.1. In the world When researching about using games in teaching and learning English grammar, Arda Arikan (2007) researched about “The effectiveness of using games in teaching grammar to young learners” with the main aim is to explore the effectiveness of using games when teaching grammar to young learners. English language teachers’ opinions are collected through a questionnaire and the results demonstrate that EFL teachers have a range of conceptions about using games in grammar teaching. The study suggests that while EFL teachers accept the effectiveness of games’ application in teaching grammar, they don’t use games as frequently as expected in their classrooms. 2.2. In Viet Nam Han Thi Luong (2009) studied about “The application of games in grammar review lessons”. The study consisted of a survey with the involvement of 8 teachers and more than 200 students from three high schools and an experimental project with 82 students within three months. The results showed a dramatic improvement of students’ ability in using grammatical knowledge in written tests and oral performance as well. In 2005, Tran Vu Nguyen in “How to teach grammar communicatively” which was carried out at Nong Lam university with the involvement of 100 students and 10 teachers, suggested ways for students to present and practice learning new grammatical rules communicatively at the same time. He carried out included games that played an important part in teaching grammar communicatively. Moreover, it also emphasized that game is a vital part of a teacher’s equipment because they provide not only practice but also an amusing and challenging receipt from other classroom activities. 4 2.3. Existing problems According to the above previous studies, the researcher sees that the authors of those studies only focused on the effectiveness and necessity of the activities during the process of teaching English grammar in general, they did not give clear and detail instructions about games when being applied in specific grammar lessons. Moreover, they did not mention how to choose the suitable games for each lesson, for students’ levels, for age, etc. So, in this study, the researcher will give the detailed information of some games which are suitable for the contents of some grammar lessons and the students’ levels. 3. Research purposes The purposes of this study are: The first purpose is to investigate the current situation of teaching and learning English grammar to the class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School. Based on the current situations and results got from investigating the effectiveness of using language games, the author proposes some solutions to improve the effectiveness of teaching – learning English grammar. The second purpose is to demonstrate the effectiveness of applying the games in teaching English grammar to grade 10 in general and to class 10A4 in particular. 4. Research questions. The research will find the answers for three main following questions: 1. What is the current situation about applying some games in teaching English grammar in class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School? 2. Which games should be used in teaching English grammar in class 10A4 to improve students’ grammar? 3. How effective is the application of games in helping students improve grammar? 5 5. Methodology 5.1. Methods of the study With the aim of finding out the current situations and getting some results after investigation, this study adopts theoretical method, data analysis and experimental method. 5.2. Data collection instruments To identify the problems, the study has been carried out with the data collected from different instruments: 5.2.1. Survey questionnaires Reasons for choosing survey questionnaires: To collect information about the situation of teaching and learning English grammar periods such as their understanding of after grammar periods, teachers’ teaching methods and the ways they learn English grammar in class and at home, their interest in grammar lessons. 5.2.2. Interview Reasons for choosing interview: The researcher interviews closely with the English teachers at Phong Chau high school, especially the teachers teach English to the class 10A4. The aim of this interview is to know the difficulties of the teachers when teaching English grammar and the teachers’ frequency using games in English grammar lessons. 5.2.3. Test Reasons for choosing test: the tests are divided into two stages: the first test for students when starting the research to assess students’ knowledge about English grammar through doing exercises before experiment (pre- test) and the second test after the experiment (post- test) to assess the effectiveness of using games when applied in teaching and learning English grammar. 5.2.4. Classroom observation Reasons for choosing classroom observation: to record more information from teachers and students during lessons. 6 6. Hypotheses If the application of some games in grammar lessons in class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School is successful, this will help students in class 10A4 improve their English grammar and increase their interest in learning English grammar. 7. Significance of the study 7.1. Educational significance - This study helps students have another view on English grammar lessons, encouraging students to actively participate in grammar activities and change the classroom atmosphere. 7.2. Methodological significance - Help teachers recognize the effectiveness as well as the importance of using games in teaching English grammar so teachers can have good methods to make the English grammar lessons more effective. -The study helps teachers know how to use games in teaching grammar more effectively. 8. The scope of the study Because of the limited time and knowledge, the study only focuses on the application of some typical games in teaching English grammar to class 10A4 especially for some structures such as: To+infinitive; Attitudinal adjectives, and Will vs going to. Moreover, these grammatical contents in the basic “Tieng Anh 10” textbook coincided the time the researcher worked as a student teacher in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school ,so it is very convenient to study. 9. Participants of the study 3 English teachers of grade 10 and 45 students in class 10A4 at Phong Chau high school. 10. Design of the study This paper is divided into three main parts: 7 PART A is the INTRODUCTION. In this part, the rationale, previous research, research purpose, research questions, research methods, research hypothese, significance of the study, the scope of the study, participants of study and also its design are presented. PART B is the MAJOR CONTENT which includes 4 chapters. Chapter I deals with the theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study: English grammar and language games. Chapter II can be seen as case study in some research methods. It includes reasons for choosing these methods as well as their procedure. Besides, this chapter includes some data collection instruments that are necessary for these methods. Chapter III is some current situations as well as some findings concluded from the data analysis. From the current situations, the researcher suggests some solutions. Chapter IV is doing experimental teaching in which some suggestions on using language games are made in teaching English grammar to class 10A4 at Phong Chau High School and some sample language games exploited during all stages of the lessons are provided as well as some results after doing experimental teaching. PART C is the CONCLUSION which includes the summary of the study, limitations of the study, suggestions for further study, main findings, implications and conclusion of the study. REFERENCES and APPENDICES are presented in the last pages of the study. 8 PART B: MAJOR CONTENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1. An overview of English grammar 1.1.1. Definition of English grammar When defining about English grammar, Crystal (2004) said that: “Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity and exploit the richness of expression available in English. Additionally, it can help everyone, not only teachers of English, but teachers of anything for all teaching grammar is ultimately a matter of getting to grips with meaning”. Grammar is also defined by Ur (1991) as “the way language manipulates and combines words (or bits of words) in order to form longer units of meaning”. This definition is quite close to the common understanding of what grammar is. The main difference is that it tells us how the rules of languages actually work- they arrange and shape words. Nevertheless, knowing what these rules do is not a very motivating factor alone. 1.1.2. The role of grammar in teaching and learning English It is quite reasonable to see the importance of grammar according to Harmer’s viewpoint (1987): “Without some understanding of Grammar, students would not be able to do anything more than utter separate items of language for separate functions. The expression of functional language is only possible through the use of the Grammar of the language”. Firstly, teaching grammar helps students understand how the language works. Apart from vocabulary, students need to know grammar to understand how it is written or how words are combined together to understand the proper meaning. Without grammar or with a poor knowledge of grammar, they may get confused with complicated expression. In other words, the teaching of 9 grammar means providing students with opportunities to use English in a variety of realistic situations to learn to communicative effectively. Appropriate grammar techniques are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts then contribute positively to communicative goals and they also promote accuracy within fluent communicate language use. Secondly, according to Smith (2001), if teachers neither pay attention to grammar nor create opportunities for learners to improve grammar, learners are likely to stand the risk of fossilization or reach a point where they can cope with level of communication that is demanded of them by making use of their existing grammatical resources and communication strategies and probably with sufficient fluency. Surely, they do not see the need to develop their linguistic abilities any further. In favor of the importance of grammar, Larsen – Freeman (1986) affirmed that grammar is regarded as a skill rather than an area of knowledge. Learners do not simply store knowledge about the language and its use, they need also develop an ability to do something. They must have a chance of learning situations to overcome the knowledge problem. It is true to say that grammar is the fifth skill besides four skills reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Skill development as well as learning grammar takes practice. Grammar might not be taught only when the students already possessed the knowledge and the ability to use the grammar item in speech, writing and listening comprehension. In fact, grammar is the basis for mastering four language skills. When we have concrete foundation of grammar, we feel easy to advance. In general, grammar is acknowledged to be of importance in language study and in language teaching and learning in particular. Grammar is acquired naturally from meaningful input and opportunities to interact in the classroom. More especially, learners can improve their grammar competence in a suitable environment without conscious focus on language forms. However, this partly depends on the learning circumstances. As a result, grammar teaching gains its 10 significant role in English Language Teaching because highly developed language skills are difficult to achieve without some knowledge of grammar. 1.2. Overview of language games 1.2.1. Definition of language games Language games can be used in language classes. Some definitions about games and language games were definded by many authors. First of all, Games are forms of entertainment derived from a set of artificial rules, typically with a known goal to be reached. Games can be in the form of physical activities, mental, or a mixture of the two. Also, games can be classified as cooperative, solitaire or competitive. Hadfield (1990) defined “a game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun”. Similarly, according to Rixon (1981), “a game consists of play governed by rules”. This was summed up very well in Gibb’s definition (1978) of a game as “an activity carried out by cooperating or competing decision markers, seeking to achieve, within a set of rules, their objectives.” Language games mean games related to language. If games help to improve different aspects such as intellectual ability, patience, then language games help to develop language skills. When playing these language games, students not only have fun but can also practice English enjoyably, which helps to motivate students. Greenal (1984) defined as “one kind of activity which is used to consolidate language already taught or acquired and occurs during the free stage of lesson or during occasions such as English club meeting…” 1.2.2. Types of language games. According to Wright et al (1984), there are many types of language games that can be used in connection with teaching English grammar, such as pictures games, psychology games, cards, board games, guessing games, and so on. Also study about the types of language games, Hadfiled (1987) stated that: “language games can be divided into two further categories: Linguistic games and communicative games. Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as