SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN ĐỊNH 1 SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM APPLYING SOME LANGUAGE GAMES TO CREATE EXCITEMENT FOR STUDENTS AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN READING PART OF UNI
Trang 1SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ
TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN ĐỊNH 1
SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM
APPLYING SOME LANGUAGE GAMES TO CREATE EXCITEMENT FOR STUDENTS AND IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY IN READING PART OF UNIT 3 IN GRADE 10
AT YEN DINH 1 HIGH SCHOOL
Người thực hiện: Lê Thị Huyền Chức vụ: Giáo viên
SKKN thuộc môn: Tiếng Anh
THANH HOÁ NĂM 2022
Trang 21 INTRODUCTION
1.2 Reasons for choosing the research
1.2 Aims of the research
1.3 Object of the research
1.4 Researching method
2 MAIN CONTENT
2.1.Theoretic basis of the problem
2.2 Realistic basic of the problem
2.3 Solutions to the problem
2.3.1 Types of games are used in the English classes
2.3.2 The Advantages and Disadvantages in Using Games
2.3.3 Some common language games used in English classes
2.3.4 Suggestions on using games
2.3.5 Applying the research to teaching
2.4 Result after applying the research in teaching
3 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
3.1 Conclusion
3.2 Recommendation
REFERENCES
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Trang 31 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Reasons for choosing the research
It is undeniable that English, in recent years, has been considered as one
of the most popular languages in the world It is now the key factor ofglobalization - of political views, international business as well as education As
we know nowadays Vietnam expands more and more relationships with foreigncountries, the need in studying a foreign language is growing steadily In fact,English is taught as a compulsory subject from primary schools to universities inVietnam Hence, teaching English has become a phenomenon in Vietnam,especially to young learners However, in most public and private schools inVietnam, teachers who are in charge of giving instructions are the center of theclassroom, while students are interested in taking notes rather than speaking uptheir ideas and taking part in the lessons As a result, students aren’t really activeand creative, which makes English class become boring and passive Manychildren are afraid of English subject, and then study ineffectively, which leads
to low quality of the subject This requires teachers to teach English in varietyways to allow students to accurately and clearly express their ideas in English.Teachers should change their role from instructors who dominate the class intoeducators whose role is to help, guide and support the students to acquire theforeign language There are many good ideas about English teaching It is notout of date to discuss the using games in the English classes, which is oftenconsidered as one of the best way to get the students involved in the classroomactivities in which their communicative ability is practised and improved Thus,
it is necessary to carry out such a study in English in order to improve students'achievement by applying language games, and offer observations or evidenceproving whether games are helpful to the English language learning in Yen Dinh
1 All the above-mentioned reasons and factors have inspired the writer to
conduct a research titled “Applying some language games to create excitement for students and improve efficiency in Reading part of Unit 3 in Grade 10 at Yen Dinh 1 High School ”
1.2 Aims of the research
-To introduce the role of games in teaching and learning English
- To introduce some basic games to help teachers and students findinterest in teaching and learning English
-To introduce the method as well as some basic tricks to make the game
in each lesson in a flexible, diverse and effective way
- To show how to use language games effectively
- To contribute a small part to the improvement of teaching and learning
at Yen Dinh 1 high school
1.3 Object of the research
This subject is concerned with providing some language games andapplying them for some activities in Reading lesson in Unit 3 in English 10
Trang 41.4 Researching method
Multi-methods are integrated to conduct this research, including mainlymethods of observation and analysis Besides, the research is undertaken as aresult of the reality of the long-time process of my daily teaching at school
2 MAIN CONTENT
2.1 Theoretic basis of the problem
“A game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun There aretwo kinds of games: competitive games, in which players or teams race to befirst to reach the goal, and co-operate games, in which players or teams worktogether towards a common goal The emphasis in the games is on successfulcommunication rather than on correctness of language” (Toth 1995)
Additionally, games have teaching value, especially in second languagelearning and teaching Most of the experienced scholars have argued that gamesare not just a vital part of teaching English as a foreign language but have a greateducational value Also, many scientists say that any game is one of the mostimportant means of intellectual and moral education of children “Games canincrease motivation to learn the language as students, especially the weakerones, feel a real sense of achievement when they manipulate a game” (Hubbard1987)
In addition to the practice of English, the game is a teaching tool thatactivates the mental children’s activity, allows to make educational processmore attractive and interesting, makes them worry in order to create a powerfulstimulus in language acquisition
The application of games in the teaching process enhances students’motivation to learn and stimulates their interest in learning English, so that theycan be actively engaged in learning by themselves “You want me tolearn English” changes into “I want to learn English” They will be engaged
in improving their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills Thus, gamesprovide motivation for language learners, relieve their pressure in the learningprocess and provide them with a real opportunity to exchange ideas In otherwords, games prompt motivation so that students effectively learn the language(Amato, 1996)
Games can be used at any stage in a lesson: at the beginning to diagnosewhat the students can or cannot do; during the lesson for language practicepurposes; or at the end as reinforcement
To summarize it all, we can say that, basically, game is one of thefundamental learning activities They are useful and effective tools for teachers
to apply in language classes Using games helps to make the lessons moreinteresting, enjoyable, and effective
2.2 Realistic basic of the problem
As can be seen, English is a rather difficult subject to students particularlythe ones in rural areas In reality, a lot of students do not have clear awareness of
Trang 5the importance of studying English; therefore they think it is not as stimulating
as others subjects Most students, for the sake of the university entranceexaminations, consider some other subjects, such as: maths, physics, chemistry,even biology more important than English As the result, they learn English with
a rather ignorant attitude Some other students feel a little bored with Englishclasses because they have to remember vocabularies or structures mechanically
Additionally, most students at Yen Dinh 1 High school have a lowstarting point with the average entrance score of English is about 3 points or abit lower Moreover, lots of them come from poor families, so learningconditions are limited They do not have dictionaries, reference books, videotapes of machine support for the children the skills of listening, speaking,practice more These have affected the quality of their learning Therefore,learning English for them is really a challenging
Using language games in English classes is an effective solution tomotivate students, to make them interested in the lessons and to love English
2.3 Solutions to the problem
2.3.1 Types of games are used in the English classes
- Competitive games: The aim of this type of games is to finish the game
as soon as possible before others
- Communication games: They are used to exchange information.
Students get information and they must react on it
- Cooperative games are a form of play in which players work with one
another in order to achieve a common objective The goal of a co-op game is
to reduce emphasis on competition and increase emphasis on the social aspects
of play or sport
- Code-control games: students must not make mistakes when playing
these games because they are controlled If not, they will lose points
2.3.2 The Advantages and Disadvantages in Using Games
2.3.2.1 Advantages
- Games may cause learners to engage in their classroom more while creating
an environment of learning with experience
- Games are fun and can motivate and/or encourage the learner to continueplaying
- The interaction involved in games can help learners understand better
- Games may improve critical thinking skills as well as reading comprehension
- Games can be a source of stress relief for some people
2.3.2.1 Disadvantages
- If games aren’t designed correctly, it could be a disadvantage to the learner’sthinking
- Games may be a source of distraction and waste of time
- If teachers aren’t familiar with technology (aren’t tech-savvy) the waystudents are, there could be a gap between teaching and learning
- Games could lead to student addiction, thus causing physical/psychologicalproblems
Trang 62.3.3.1 Who
“Who” game is one of my students’ favorite games and is always at thetop of the list when I ask them what they want to play It is a variation of the
Accelerator part of the old version of Quiz: “Road to mount Olympia” The
aim of this game is to create initial inspiration for students and lead them intothe lesson, so it needs to be concise, right focus of the lesson and effective
This activity lasts about 2 to 4 minutes It is used to lead into the lesson:
PEOPLE'S BACKGROUND
To conduct this game, the teacher will divide the class into 4 teams Eachteam has an extra board and a pen to write the answers The teacher plays avideo with 8 consecutive facts about a famous person for the students to watchand find the answer Students will watch the video and write answers as quickly
as possible (video runs for only 40 seconds) The team with the correct answer
in a shortest time will get 4 points The team having the answer in the secondfastest time will get 3 points; 2 points for the third fastest and the one with noanswer will get no point (Video about Barack Obama)
Trang 8After playing the game, the children were very excited and engaged innew lesson eagerly After the class, I had a survey about the students' interest inthe class and the results were very positive (results table is in the appendix).
2.3.3.2 About me
“About me” often consists of Yes/No questions The main purpose of thisgame is to give students preliminary information about the text, specificallyabout Marie Curie It is useful in helping students develop speaking skills Theinformation given should be concise and right focus of the lesson The game can
be conducted from 5 to 7 minutes Questions should be short and should be inthe form of Yes/No questions This activity is suitable for the Before You Readsection
The teacher provides 4 keys about Marie Curie (for example: 1867, Paris,professor, Nobel Prize – the teacher can change other information as well), thendivides the class into 2 teams and asks the members of the 2 teams to give Yes/
No questions about the above information for the teacher or administrator to
answer Yes or No Example: Was Marie Curie born in 1867? The members of
the two groups take turns to ask Yes/No questions until the information is clear(all the answers are Yes) The team with more “Yes” answers from the teacherwill win the game
Trang 9After organizing the game, I did a survey about the effect of the game onthe students by asking them to tell a little about Marie Curie's biography and theresult was that most of them were interested in the lesson and grasp the initialbasic information about the content of the lesson Many children confidentlyraised their hands to give a brief biography of Marie Curie based on theinformation the teacher gave.
2.3.3.3 Face to Face
“Face to Face” is an excellent way for students to consolidate informationabout the reading, specifically about Marie Curie, and inspires them after theWhile you read part This game also helps develop pronunciation skills forchildren, helps them have quick reflexes and grasp the lesson better
The teacher writes the topic on the board (MARIE CURIE), then splits theclass into 2 teams facing each other and asks the members of the 2 teams in turn
to say the right words related to Marie Curie (for example: woman, professor, Nobel Prize, ) Students work in groups to do the task given in 5 - 7 minutes If
the team can say more words without repeating words, without hesitation, will
be the winner (Ask students in each group should participate in the game)
After applying this game, I found that students remembered moreinformation, remembered more words and understood the lesson better, and theirpronunciation skills improved significantly
Trang 102.3.3.4 Who is quicker
This is a game that helps children consolidate information about thereading passage, specifically on the topic "BACKGROUND" and inspires themafter the While you read part This game also helps develop children's ability tomemorize vocabulary by topic This is a game that can be played instead of Face
To Face above, but the difference is that in this game the children will writewords related to the topic on the board
The teacher writes the word BACKGROUND on the board in a verticalcolumn Then, he/she divides the class into 2 teams and asks the members of the
2 teams to write a word containing the letter in the word BACKGROUND ontheir team's board The words written must relate to the biographical topic ofMarie Curie Students work in groups to do the task given in 5-7 minutes Inturn, group members will write words on the board as required (example:BRILLIANT, ATOMIC, RADIUM, ) The winning team is the team that canwrite more words without repeating words, without getting the wrong topic, andcan complete all the letters in the word sooner
After organizing the game, students remembered more words related tothe topic "BACKGROUND" and understood the lesson better
2.3.4 Suggestions on using games
There are four elements which should be taken into consideration whenplaying games in English class Teachers should keep them in mind and applythe above discussed games to the practical situation appropriately in order toachieve the best results
2.3.4.1 Time
The amount of teaching time devoted to games depends on the individualteaching content, but it will probably be a relatively small proportion of the total