Tính hiệu quả khi sử dụng trò chơi trong việc dạy ngữ pháp cho học sinh cấp II Trường Phổ thông Song ngữ Quốc tế Wellspring Nghiên cứu hành động

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ****************** NGUYỄN HỒNG NHUNG THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING G

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

******************

NGUYỄN HỒNG NHUNG

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES AS

SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES IN TEACHING GRAMMAR FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT WELLSPRING INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL: ACTION

RESEARCH

TÍNH HIỆU QUẢ KHI SỬ DỤNG TRÒ CHƠI TRONG VIỆC DẠY NGỮ PHÁP CHO HỌC SINH CẤP II TRƯỜNG PHỔ THÔNG SONG NGỮ QUỐC TẾ WELLSPRING: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG

M.A Minor Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10

Hanoi, 2013

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

******************

NGUYỄN HỒNG NHUNG

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES AS

SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES IN TEACHING GRAMMAR FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT WELLSPRING INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL: ACTION

RESEARCH

TÍNH HIỆU QUẢ KHI SỬ DỤNG TRÒ CHƠI TRONG VIỆC DẠY NGỮ PHÁP CHO HỌC SINH CẤP II TRƯỜNG PHỔ THÔNG SONG NGỮ QUỐC TẾ WELLSPRING: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG

M.A Minor Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10

Supervisor: Dr Ngô Hữu Hoàng

Hanoi, 2013

DECLARATION -*** -

I hereby certify that this minor thesis entitled

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES AS SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES

IN TEACHING GRAMMAR FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT WELLSPRING INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL: ACTION RESEARCH

is completely the result of my own word for the Degree of Master at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and that this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or

institution

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis could not have been completed without the help, encouragement and support of a great deal of people who all deserve my sincerest gratitude and appreciation

First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor,

Dr Ngô Hữu Hoàng, for his training, guidance, and encouragement in the preparation and writing of this minor thesis This thesis would not have been completed without his help from the period when this was in the commencing stage

Secondly, I would like to send my thanks to my principal, who supported my studies a lot by granting me days off to study and complete this minor thesis, even during a busy time of the school 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 students of class 789A3, Wellspring International Bilingual 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 brother They were always by my side to give me continual support and encouragement for all that

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted as 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 at enhancing junior high school students’ motivation at Wellspring International Bilingual School to study grammar and balance grammar learning with other skills learning (Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing); and then, recognizing if using games as supplementary activities increase students’ motivation in studying grammar For the accomplishments of these purposes, fifteen students in class 789A3 at Wellspring International Bilingual School in Long Bien District, Hanoi, Vietnam were involved

in the study The present study tends to use qualitative method with the support of quantitative method Then, the data instruments include pre-test, post-test and the practitioner’s diaries By comparing the results of the pre-test and the post-test, the students’ increasing motivation in grammar studying could be revealed through the improvement of the students’ grammar retention Also, from the teacher’s diaries, the enhancement of the students’ motivation in grammar studying could be recognized through their involvement and participation in learning activities

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURES

PAGE Figure 1: Action Research cyclye (Sagor: 1992) 21

Figure 2: Data collection procedure 24

Figure 3: The students’ results of the pre-test 28

Figure 4: The students’ results of the post-test 30

Figure 5: The students’ results in the pre-test and the post-test 32

Figure 6: The students’ participant in learning activities in class 34

TABLES PAGE Table 1: Schedule of Grammar Teaching for class 789A3 19

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration i

Acknowledgement ii

Abstract iii

Table of contents iv

List of figures vii

INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale for the study 1

2 Aims of the study 3

3 Research questions 3

4 Scope of the study 3

5 Practical significance of the study 3

6 Methods of the study 4

6.1 Data collection methods 4

6.2 Data analysis 4

7 Design of the study 4

DEVELOPMENT 6

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

1.1 Previous studies related to language teaching and learning 6

1.1.1 Studies related to using games in language teaching and learning 6

1.1.2 Studies related to using games in teaching grammar 8

1.2 The importance of grammar 10

1.3 Which games should be used? 11

1.4 When should games be used 11

1.5 The importance of students’ motivation 13

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 16

2.1 The background of the study 16

2.1.1 The study setting 16

2.1.2 Participants 17

2.1.3 Materials 17

2.2 Hypotheses 18

2.3 Implementation of the Action Research 19

2.4 Data collection instrument 21

2.4.1 Pre-test and Post-test 21

2.4.2 Diaries 21

2.5 Data collection procedure 22

Chapter 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 23

3.1 Data analysis preocedures 23

3.2 Research question 1 24

3.2.1 Results from the pre-test 25

3.2.2 Results from the post-test 26

3.2.3 Comparison between results from the pre-test and the post-test 28

3.3 Research question 2 29

3.4 Summarization 32

3.4.1 Effectiveness of grammar games 32

3.4.1.1 Effectiveness of grammar games in developing students’ motivation 32

3.4.1.2 Effectiveness of grammar games in developing the ability of students’ understanding of the lesson 33

3.4.2 Difficulties when using grammar games in class 34

3.4.2.1 For the teacher 34

3.4.2.2 For students 35

PART III: CONCLUSION 36

1 Recapitulation 36

2 Limitations of the study 37

3 Suggestions for further study 38

REFERENCES viii

APPENDICES xii

Appendix 1: Pre-test xii

Appendix 2: Post-test xvii

INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale:

In studying languages in general and studying English in particular, it can be said that grammar is seemed 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 lesson dull and uninteresting Therefore, students usually feel tired and boring in 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 (The

Summing Up, 1938), “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 richness of expression available in English.” Moreover, as stated by McKay (1987), in order to communicate

effectively in English, students need to have a good foundation in grammar Once again, Ur (1988) states that a person who knows grammar is one who can express himself or herself in what would be considered as acceptable language forms In brief, although grammar plays an important part in English studying, students do not have motivation in learning this skill

What are the solutions to solve with the stated matter above? Perhaps, teachers need to apply variable teaching methods to stimulate students to study so that they can understand and master grammar as well as feel motivated when studying lessons There are many ways that help students be interested in and follow the lessons In the writer’s position, that games through lessons is one of the most appropriate approaches This approach can help students find studying English grammar more easily Thus, in the present study, the writer has an intention of

proving that applying games into lessons is also very effective for junior high school students Moreover, junior high school students are still at the age of young students; therefore, they prefer do actions to sit quietly in class As a result, the writer thinks that games are appropriate for them to motivate their studying She also hopes that by using games, the students will not be bored and they will study English grammar with full of motivation Although learning grammar is not a simple work, games encourage students to maintain their interest in learning And then, they can attain achievements in four communicative skills

In this context, the students who took part in this research are rather good at Speaking, Reading and Listening; however, they often have many difficulties in Writing They can communicate with native speakers very well but doing grammar exercises is an obstacle for them In fact, most of the students think that grammar is the most boring lesson in English subject; studying grammar is just to repeat structures, usages for these structures and vocabulary, and then, practice with exercises In other words, the students do not have motivation to study grammar Consequently, this also causes students’ failure to improve their communicative skills In order to solve the obstacle, the author carried out this Action research by applying games as supplementary activities in teaching grammar in her own class The writer hopes that the new teaching method will bring the students a new learning environment in which they can study with full of their interest, their energy, and their stimulation

In conclusion, with all of the reasons stated above, the researcher would like

to devote her time and effort researching to her thesis: “The effectiveness of using

games as supplementary activities in teaching grammar for junior high school students at Wellspring International Bilingual School – Action research” From

this, she expects to help her students motivate as well as make progress in studying grammar

2 Aims of the study:

The purpose of this research is to enhance junior high school students at Wellspring International Bilingual School to study grammar, and then balance grammar learning with other skills learning (Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing) The paper aims to recognize if using games as supplementary activities increase the students’ motivation in studying grammar

3 Research questions:

This paper is designed to find out the answers to the following questions:

RQ1: How much does the use of games improve junior high school students‟ motivation in grammar learning at Wellspring International Bilingual School? RQ2: If so, by what ways does this new teaching method enhance their motivation

in grammar learning?

4 Scope of the study:

As being shown in these research questions above, this study was conducted

at Wellspring International Bilingual School located in Hanoi This was implemented on fifteen students of class 789A3 Before the treatment of this action research, they did not have motivation in grammar lessons and their results also were not good With the application of games as supplementary activities in teaching grammar, the teacher – the researcher hoped to create attractive and effective learning environment for her students so that they could feel motivated and improve themselves

5 Practical significance of the study:

This current action research tends to be institutional because it was carried out with a small group of students in a specific context (only fifteen students in the class 789A3 at Wellspring International Bilingual School) Thus, the researcher is aware that the results cannot be easily generalized She hoped that through the results of this action research, she could help her own students increase their motivation in studying grammar to improve their learning And then, she herself could improve her teaching skills

6 Methods of the study:

The current action research tended to use qualitative method Since only fifteen students in class 789A3 joining in this study, the amount of students was small and the researcher took notice of every member; therefore, the practitioner employed qualitative approach with the support of quantitative method

6.1 Data collection methods:

Data was collected by tests (pre-test and post-test) and the teacher’s diaries Firstly, the researcher identified the current learning situation or the students’ problems when dealing with grammar studying Next, a system of tests including pre-test and post-test was implemented to compare the students’ progress in grammar retention And then, during the treatment, the teacher’s diaries were

written weekly to collect the students’ motivation in grammar learning

6.2 Data analysis methods:

The collected data was categorized to answer the two research questions Firstly, the results of the pre-test and the post-test were compared From this, the students’ motivation in grammar learning could be revealed through the improvement of the students’ grammar retention After that, all of the researcher’s diaries during the treatment of fifteen weeks were collected Then, she calculated the number of participants in each week and demonstrated under the format of a column chart By this way, the enhancement of the students’ motivation in grammar learning could be recognized

7 Design of the study:

There are three main parts in the study:

Introduction: introduces Rationale, Aims of the study, Research Questions, Scope

of the study, Practical significance of the study, Methods of the study, and Design

of the study

Development: includes three following chapters:

 Chapter 1: Literature Review: introduces the theoretical foundations for

the whole study

 Chapter 2: Methodology: elaborates on the setting, the participants, the

materials, the methods used, the instruments, and the data collection procedure

 Chapter 3: Findings and Discussions: introduces the data analysis

procedure, presents and analyses all the data to find out the answers to the two research questions, and then gives out the summary from the findings

Conclusion: summarizes all the major points in the study, reveals the limitations of

the study and proposes some suggestions for further studies

DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Previous studies related to language teaching and learning:

1.1.1 Studies related to using games in language teaching and learning:

Accepted by Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1984), “Language learning is

hard work Effort is required at every moment and be maintained over a long period of time Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work.” Indeed, learning a new language requires continuous effort and

attempting Thus, games create exciting and funny learning environment that can help learners avoid being fed up with sometimes to maintain their inspiration to continue studying Sharing the same idea, Richard-Amato (1996: 10) acclaims that

games are effective for both teachers and learners They help teachers “create

contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful” They also “create motivation, lower students' stress, and give language learners the opportunity for real communication” Undeniably, games assist both teachers and students to build

up real-life environment so that teachers easily lead students into lessons, and students feel relaxing and simply take up new knowledge However, together with these advantages, games are often thought to be associated with fun and laughter so that it is not really learning Disagreeing with this conception, Kim (1995: 23) asserts that learning a language together with enjoying oneself at the same time is a possibility Provided that we do not lose sight of the pedagogical values in foreign language teaching and learning, studying through games can make pleasant environment; and then, students will be motivated

For young kids, Topkaya and Küçük (2010) declare that primary school curriculum for young learners’ English lessons should take more advantage of games Having the same idea with them, Sungurtekin, Sezer, Bağçeli-Kahraman

and Sadioğlu (2009: p 756) state that “by playing games, a child makes

acquaintance with his environment, learns life and gains new instructions.” In other

words, games are essential part of primary school education because the contextualization and natural activities can make learning meaningful Moreover, from the result of the study “Effectiveness of Using Games in Teaching Grammar to Young Learners” by Gülin Yolageldili and Arda Arikan (2011), it is declared that

“games are an important and necessary part of English language teaching and learning in the context of primary schools‟ English lessons simply because they provide EFL teachers with many instructional advantages Games are one of the best ways to direct young learners‟ energy into language learning because young learners like to be physically active; moreover, they are imaginative and creative and they learn subconsciously.” In reality, primary students are small students; they

do not have enough experience to understand knowledge terms or abstract definitions Instead of that, learning through pictures, images, or activities make them comprehend simply This finding also supports the present study since junior high school students are still at the age of young students, their body develops quite fast so that they would rather move and act than sit calmly Therefore, games motivate them to take part in learning activities; they can perform their imagination, their creativity, and their energy to study subconsciously

In teaching and learning vocabulary, games are also appreciated by many teachers and researchers Stated by Nguyen & Khuat (2003), games are used not only for fun but also for helpful language practice and reinforce, and then, students’ communicative competence will be enhanced Furthermore, when teachers want to apply games into language lessons, they should consider the number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings In other research “The Effects of Using Games to Reinforce Vocabulary Learning” carried out by Osha Saeed Al Neyadi (2007), the author also agrees that using games and activities to practice vocabulary enhances students’ ability to memorize words; encourages students’ interaction; and enhances students’ motivation The author also suggests that teachers should take advantage of

vocabulary games and other activities to help students recycle words so that they can utilize words naturally

1.1.2 Studies related to using games in teaching grammar:

From the result of previous research, it can be realized that games are so helpful in language teaching and learning, including teaching foreign language for young learners or teaching vocabulary Then, does it also have the same effectiveness in teaching and learning grammar? This matter has also been studied from different points by many scholars Saricoban and Esen Metin (2000) wrote:

“Games and problem-solving activities have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech, and are examples of the most preferable communicative activities."

In addition, games have the advantage of allowing the students to "practice and

internalize vocabulary, grammar and structures extensively.” They can remember

the target grammar, structures, and vocabulary through repeated activities and drills without being tired and boring since students often like studying and playing at the same time rather than only sitting in one place and doing exercises After that, students will be absorbed in the grammar lessons unconsciously Having the same point of view, Bob Obee (1999: 6) affirms that language games promote students to

apply grammar knowledge into communicative situations

In order to affirm the advantages of using games in teaching grammar, Aydan Ersoz (2000) explains two reasons why games are effective for teaching grammatical knowledge Firstly, games that are amusing and challenging are highly motivating Secondly, games allow meaningful use of the language in context Thus, although learning a foreign language may be tiring and always needs continuous effort, taking part in language games can help them avoid feeling dull but feel enthusiastic and fascinated in language lessons Moreover, according to

Saricoban and Metin (2000), "the use of such activities both increases the

cooperation and competition in the classroom." In other words, games are valuable

to create fun and passion in competition as well as associate the relationships among students or between teachers and students

In Vietnam, this matter has also been studied by many scholars In the research “How to teach Grammar communicatively” carried out by Nguyen (2005)

at Nong Lam University, the author suggested methods to teach students new grammatical rules communicatively so that they can both learn and enjoy at the same time Especially, he stresses that games are an essential part of a teacher’s resources Games can motivate students’ energy into learning so that they can remember the knowledge better In other study of the application of games in grammar review lessons for sixth grade accomplished by Luong (2009) (quoted in Luu & Nguyen, 2010), he emphasizes that games really bring remarkable results in students’ learning progress They improve their ability in using grammatical knowledge in both written tests and oral performance significantly The topic of application of games in teaching and learning grammar is also worked on other participants It is believed that English is an important subject in high school because it assists students to prepare for basic knowledge in order that they can continue their higher education or their future jobs Thus, Nguyen (2010) (quoted in Luu & Nguyen, 2010) does a research of “Teaching and learning Grammar through games in the tenth grade at Hung Vuong high school” From the results, the scholar implied that games are necessary to reduce the difficulties of grammatical knowledge as well as increase an exciting and comfortable atmosphere in teaching and learning grammar

As can be seen from many previous studies, this subject has been exploited from different points of view; most of them focus on expressing difficulties and suggesting solutions for teaching and learning grammar to Vietnamese learners The scholars mostly pay attention to the ways to create a relaxing and motivating atmosphere so students will feel comfortable; and then, they carry out traditional games in which teachers use handouts, pictures without the help of technology In other words, they have not referred to games which take advantage of technology such as projectors, laptops, and slides Moreover, the researchers have not pointed

out how to choose suitable games for the content of the lessons as well as students’ level and ages

1.2 The importance of grammar:

It is quite reasonable to accept that grammar plays an important role in

learning English Harmer (1987: 12) assumed that “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” Apparently,

understanding grammar assists students to realize how the language works, how it is written or how words are combined together, so students can grasp the proper meaning without being confused with expression Moreover, with an efficient knowledge of grammar, students are easily promoted to use English more accurately and fluently

Secondly, according to Smith (2001: 15), if teachers neither help students pay attention to grammar nor create opportunities for them to improve grammar, learners are likely to have many difficulties in communication that require them to take use of their existing grammar resources Thus, without awareness of functional grammar, it is not easy for learners to express their ideas and their thoughts Besides, they can get listeners be confused or comprehend in different point of views In other words, they can be not successful to transfer their information to listeners

In addition, Larsen – Freeman (1986:13) affirms that grammar is regarded as

a skill rather than an area of knowledge It can be said that grammar is the fifth skill besides four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening Therefore, developing skills take much time to practise and learning grammar also takes time

In other words, grammar is the foundation for mastering four language skills; thus if

we get the basis of Grammar knowledge, we will find studying communicative skills easy to advance

In brief, grammar is acknowledged to be of importance in language in general and in language teaching and learning in particular When we realize and understand a great deal of knowledge about Grammar, mastering four language skills will be easier

1.3 Which games should be used?

Unconsciously, games bring many advantages to language lessons; however, choosing appropriate games takes consideration because games should create fun environment without losing pedagogical values Firstly, teachers should find out the

purpose of a game clearly According to Nedomová (2007: 19), teachers “should

consider whether the game-like activity is for children only to make the lesson more attractive and protect them from being bored or whether we tend to revise and practise some particular part of grammar, vocabulary, etc.” Moreover, teachers

need to consider the level of the games before applying them into lessons If the game is suitable for students’ language level, they will feel happy and take part in enthusiastically However, if the game is too easy or too difficult, they will feel boring and will not want to enjoy playing the game In addition, it can be easily realized that games help to enhance social interaction and participation from students Therefore, teachers should understand students’ favourites and if they can learn best with games which require physical action interaction, competition and participation And then, teachers can use the games which can both maintain pedagogical values and satisfy students Furthermore, other factors such as the size and the physical properties of the classroom, the equipment, materials and the time available for a game (McCallum, 1980, p xii) need paying attention to by teachers

In conclusion, before choosing games to serve the lessons, teachers need take care

of some aspects stated above to make sure that the games are proper for the lessons

as well as for the students

1.4 When should games be used?

Games are mostly thought to be used after studying all of the content of lessons or at the end of the lessons to creature fun, or games are used when there is

not anything more to do in class However, Lee (1979: 3) disagrees with this point

of view and states that “games should not be regarded as a marginal activity, filling

in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do.” In other

words, games should be carried out in the lessons and should not be considered as sided activities Thus, Rinvolucri (1990) claims that games can be used in any stage

of a lesson Particularly, games can be implemented:

a) before presenting a given structure, especially to find out diagnostically how much knowledge is already known by the learners;

b) after a grammar presentation to see how much the group have grasped;

c) as a revision of a grammar area

Moreover, choosing and applying appropriate games into specific situations

is also important Unconsciously, finding a game that satisfies all of the needs of the learners is quite difficult; thus, teachers’ preparation should be taken into consideration After that, when teachers implement games in lessons, they should introduce its rules and give instructions to the learners directly and simply Even teachers may take advantage of using the mother tongue to give explanation since when students understand what they need to do in the games, they can achieve educational purpose in playing it In addition, when games are playing, if students make mistakes, teachers should not interrupt a game to correct the mistakes Instead

of that, “interruptions should be as infrequent as possible so as not to detract from

the student‟s interest in the game An alternative to immediate correction is to make note of errors and discuss them when the game is over” (Celce-Murcia (1979: 54))

In other words, interruptions may affect students’ attention and enthusiasm so that teachers should wait until the game is over to discuss as well as correct their mistakes

It is also stated that games playing into pairs or groups interest both teachers and students a lot because of their competition, cooperation and success Pair work

or group work helps to improve students’ communicational skills as well as develop solidarity among students McCallum (1980: xii) suggests that teachers should keep

students in the same team during the year because it is beneficial for teachers to save time and it is beneficial for learners to increase team spirit In brief, games which require students to work in pair and in group enable learners to expand their language and communicational skills while building up competition and team spirit among learners Furthermore, thanks to games, students can develop their ability in using language because games create real-life situations for students to participate and practise The importance is that teachers need to consider when or in which part language games should be applied in lessons

1.5 The importance of students’ motivation:

Since motivation is not only a vital but also a highly complex factor determining more or less successful language learning, it is necessary to examine approaches to motivation in learning in order to bring better insights into it Over the years, there have been a number of studies on motivation in foreign and second language learning In these studies, researchers have attempted to explain what is meant by motivation

Keller (1984) (quoted in Ellis, 1994) sees 'interest' as one of the major components of motivation, defining it as “a positive response to a stimuli based on

existing cognitive structures in such a way that learners‟ curiosity is aroused and sustained” Accordingly, the excitement and inspiration is quite important to do

anything Thanks to them, learners will be curious to find out new theory containing

in the subject, or they desire to study themselves without being bored or fed up with any more

Specifically, most of studies on motivation in foreign and second language learning have been influenced by the work of Gardner (1985) (quoted in Spolsky, 1998), who defines motivation as consisting of effort, plus desire to achieve the goal

of learning, plus favourable attitude towards learning the language In this present study, the researcher also took notice of the matters referred to students’ motivation

as mentioned in this conception of Gardner to help them enhance to study grammar

In view of that, when learners express their positive and enthusiastic attitude, they

spend more time studying, and look forward to lessons, they get motivated in learning

Sharing the sample point of view with Gardner (1985), another theory on

motivation can be seen from Littlewood’s perspective (1998:53) that “in second

language learning as in every other field of human learning, motivation is the crucial force which determines whether a learner embarks on a task at all, how much energy he devotes to it, and how long he perseveres It is a complex phenomenon and includes many components: the individual‟s drive, need for achievement and success, curiosity, desire for stimulation and new experience, and

so on” Apparently, according to Littlewood, not only highlighting the important

role of motivation in second language learning but also emphasizing the „highly

complex construct‟ of motivation claimed that if a learner is motivated, he/ she will

probably decide to undertake a particular task with certain amount of energy and time needed for it

Furthermore, McKay and Tom (1992:2) point out that the need and drive to communicate with others in a new language provide strong motivation for most learners Accordingly, when learners have a specific purpose, in the context, the aim

to communicate in a foreign language, there exists the stimulation inside them to force them to study to fulfill their objective When applying this theory into this present research, the teacher believes that this theory is also benefit Since when they speak in a new language, together with the number of vocabulary, grasping functional grammar is also affective in the support of transferring information to addressees

This is more or less similar to the opinion of McKay and Tom, Lightbown and Spada’s (1999: 56) state the definition of motivation in second language

learning that “motivation in second language learning is a complex phenomenon

which can be defined in terms of two factors: learner‟s communicative needs and their attitudes towards the second community” They also add that ''if learners need

to speak the second language in a wide range of social situations or to fulfill

professional ambitions, they will perceive the communicative value of the second language and will therefore be motivated to acquire proficiency in it Likewise, if learners have favourable attitudes towards the speakers of the language, they will desire more contact with them.”

Learners’ motivation can change overtime and effect on their language learning Various studies have found out that motivation is strongly related to success in language learning Particularly, Gardner (1985) (quoted in Spolsky,

1998) sums up “… it seems clear that achievement in a second language learning is

influenced by attitudinal/motivational characteristics Postulating that achievement

in a second language learning is promoted by an integrative motive is not tantamount to saying that this is the only cause or predictor”

However, many research findings shows that motivation makes learning successful, and the relationship between learning achievement and motivation is an interactive one As Gardner and Smythe (1981) (quoted in Hedge, 2000) claim that the high correlation between motivation and successful learning confirms the crucial importance of motivation in the classroom whether learners arrive with it or whether they acquire it through classroom experience

CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 The background of the study:

2.1.1 The study setting:

The study was conducted at Junior High school system of Wellspring International Bilingual School located in Hanoi At the school, the program of English subject is different from public schools There are fourteen periods per week to study subjects in English program, including eight periods of ESL (English

as a Second Language), two periods of Mathematics, two periods of Biology, and two periods of ICT (Information Communications Technology) In this present research, the writer only paid attention to ESL subject With eight periods of ESL each week, there are six periods that students study with the native speaker and there are two periods that they study with the Vietnamese teacher, the present researcher The native speaker is in charge of teaching students language skills such

as Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and introducing Cultures in Western countries The Vietnamese teacher is in charge of teaching the students Grammar, Vocabulary, and Structures According to the International program of Junior High school system, students follow three course books basing on their levels These course books include Solution Elementary, Solution Pre-Intermediate, and Solution Intermediate In fact, the students taking part in this study were in pre-intermediate level; therefore, they studied the course book of Solution Pre-Intermediate

In term of the course schedule, it took learners thirty periods (fifteen weeks)

to finish the last half of the course book during the second semester Each week, the students studied two periods of grammar Each period lasts for forty-five minutes

As a result, the students spent ninety minutes studying grammar lesson every week For each lesson, the teacher helped her students understand one grammar part according to the course distribution

The study room was a large room (about thirty square meters) which was equipped with modern facilities such as a teacher’s table, students’ desks, two white

boards, an air conditioner, a TV with HIDM cable wire, internet, students’ lockers,

a water dispenser, a bookshelf, and a cabinet All of the students were arranged to sit in the form of U-shape and face to the teacher so that it was easy for them to look

at and discuss with each other The teacher could go backwards and forwards simply to give lectures and her students had much space to participate in group activities In brief, the study room was appropriately designed enough to serve new grammar learning strategies that were accomplished by the present researcher

2.1.2 Participants:

The subjects of this research were 15 students of class 789A3 with 9 male students and 6 female students In fact, English classes at Wellspring International Bilingual School are distributed differently from other public schools All of the classes are divided basing on students’ English level; therefore, some of English classes are mixed up among different grades In the present study, the chosen class was mixed with students from seventh grade, eighth grade, and ninth grade The writer decided to select this class because it was the best one in the Junior High school system Although they were extremely excited with studying speaking, listening, and reading, they claimed that they were not keen on grammar and writing They were confused about usages of grammatical structures so that they often had difficulty in doing exercises and in writing

The researcher in this study was also the teacher of the class who has been working as an English teacher at Wellspring International Bilingual School for two years so far In this action research, she was both the practitioner and the researcher Thus, she was not only in charge of the design and implementation of the grammar-learning strategies but she also collected and analyzed the data

2.1.3 Materials:

All the lessons taught in the second semester taken from the book entitled Solution Pre-Intermediate by Tim Falla and Paul A Davies and published by Oxford University Press There were five units and each unit includes seven parts including Vocabulary and Listening, Grammar 1, Culture, Grammar 2, Reading, Everyday

English, and Writing In the present study, the researcher only paid attention to Grammar lessons Accordingly, five units with the grammar points are divided as following:

1 Orientation

Pre-test

2 Unit 6: Technology: “will” and “going to”

Pronunciation: going to

3 Unit 6: Technology: Zero conditional

May, might, could

4 Unit 7: Cultures & Customs: must, mustn’t, needn’t

5 Unit 7: Cultures & Customs: First conditional

Pronunciation: “will” and “won’t”

6 Review

7 Unit 8: What if…?: Second conditional

8 Unit 8: What if…?: I wish…

Song: I wish I knew how it would feel to be free

9 Unit 9: Crime scene: Past perfect

10 Unit 9: Crime scene: Reported speech

11 Unit 10: The written word: The passive (Present simple)

12 Unit 10: The written word: The passive (Past simple, Present perfect)

2.3 Implementation of the Action Research:

That any teacher can have difficulties or problems in his/ her class is evident

In this case, it is his/ her responsibility to recognize problems and find out solutions

to deal with these problems Then, he/ she often carries out a research to solve with identified obstacles, and action research is usually the first choice It is believed by

Lynne Brown (2002) that “the process of action research is similar to the

components of adult learning in that it provides educators with the vehicle that enables learning through a disciplined process of critical reflection, meaningful experiences, and self-directed inquiry.” Thus, it helps learners build up learning

experience through a cyclical step-by-step process Moreover, according to Mills

(2003:4), “Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher

researchers to gather information about the ways that their particular school operates; how they teach, and how well their students learn The information is gathered with the goals of gaining insight, developing reflective practice, effecting positive changes in the school environment and on educational practices in general, and improving student outcomes.”

The process of action research has been defined by many scholars; and as recommended by Sagor (1992), the cycle of action research includes five steps as following:

Figure 1: Action Research cycle (Sagor: 1992)

As can be seen from the above cycle, Sagor (1992) suggested that action research process has five sequential steps Identifying the problem is the first step And then, data is collected through means of interviews, questionnaires, pre-test/ post-test, diaries, field-notes, etc Next, the data is analyzed After that, the fourth step is reporting of results that can bring benefits for the education profession The last step is action planning After completing the action research process, action plans are used to re-address the original problem and to improve schooling practices

In order to solve with the research questions stated before, the researcher thought of some kinds of research to carry out; and finally, she decided to choose action research because of some reasons

First of all, according to Cohen and Manion (1985), “Action research is first

and foremost situational, being concerned with the identification and solution of problems in a specific context The aim of action research is to improve the current state of affairs within the educational context in which the research is being carried out.” In fact, the researcher implemented the study in her own class with her own

students in her own working place Carrying out this research, she could help her students increase their motivation in studying grammar

Moreover, as stated by Kemmis & McTaggart (1982), “Action research is

deliberate, solution-oriented investigation that is group or personally owned and conducted It is characterized by spiraling cycles of problem identification, systematic data collection, reflection, analysis, data-driven action taken, and, finally, problem redefinition The linking of the terms "action" and "research" highlights the essential features of this method: trying out ideas in practice as a means of increasing knowledge about and/or improving curriculum, teaching, and learning.” In this case, together with helping her own students enhance their

motivation in grammar studying, she could improve her teaching skills

2.4 Data collection instruments:

As stated in Introduction part, this action research tended to employ qualitative approach with the support of quantitative method because of the small amount of participants taking part in Thus, in order to find out the answers for the two research questions, the researcher of this present study utilized these collection

instruments including the pre-test/ post-test, and the researcher’s diaries

2.4.1 Pre-test and post-test

Why were pre-test and post-test?

According to Mertens (2005: 349), “test-retest is one of methods to

determine reliability” Taking advantage of it, the researcher used the pre-test and

post-test to check the students’ grammar retention before and after the treatment After that, the results of the study were analyzed and compared to recognize their motivation in learning grammar

How were the tests operated?

All of the two tests were under the format in which the students wrote and chose the correct answer The two tests were designed in the same format with 7 parts and 95 points The post-test was completed at the end of the second semester when they had studied more lessons compared with the pre-test completed at the beginning of the second semester; thus, the difficulty level was also different It was shown that the post-test contained more complicated grammatical theory than the pre-test

2.4.2 Diaries:

Why were the teacher’s diaries?

According to Ian Hughes (2011), “A research diary is a record of the

researcher‟s involvement in a project While the contents of a diary are sometimes used a data, they are different from the information, observations, records or other data which are collected because you think they may yield information about the phenomena under study The diary contains information about the researcher, what the researcher does, and the process of research It complements the data yielded

by the research methodology.” In the present study, the aim of diaries was to realize