SOME SOLUTIONS TO TEACHERS OF ENGLISH IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS TO THE FIRST YEAR NON MAJOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH AT COLLEGE OF SCIENCES, THAI NGUYEN UNIVERS

Ketnooi.com connecting e-citizen LIST OF FIGURES IN THE STUDY 2 Teachers’ preference for teaching speaking through games 31 3 Purposes of using language games in teaching English 32 5

I am gratefully indebted to the teaching staff of Department of Basic Science for theirvaluable lectures which laid the foundation for this study and their constant assistance,encouragement as well as their helps in answering my questionnaires.

My thanks also go to the first year non-English major students in College of Scienceswhere my surveys were carried out

Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks to my family and friends whose direct or indirectsupport helped me complete my thesis in time

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ABSTRACT

In recent years, English has become a compulsory subject in most Vietnamese schools anduniversities A mass of supplementary exercise books, grammar books, and other learningmaterials have been compiled to help students study English better Many scholars haveinvolved in the discussion of the methods of teaching English to non-English major EFLstudents in Vietnam Among the methods, language games are highly appreciated as usefulways to help students to learn English better, especially to improve speaking skills In fact, theroles of language games, in general, have not been fully grasped by most teachers andstudents Some of their drawbacks have prevented teachers from using them more often Arethe attitudes of teachers in compared with one of the students towards the effectiveness andimportance of language games similar? How to run language games in class effectively andwhat should they do before introducing games? Being aware of these problems, we have tried

to choose the topics to make use of the advantages of the English language games andespecially for speaking skill development To be successful with the games, however, teachersshould be sure to control and organize the class well with their appropriate techniques To helpteachers handle language games better, the study will also give some basic steps to use them inclass, with the role of teachers in some types of language games To know the attitudes of theteachers and students towards games as well as the problems of game use, questionnaires andclass observation will be both employed Finally, this study points out that a slight shift ofusing language games for the first year non- English major EFL students should be put intopractice, especially to teach speaking English skills

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pa ge

Acknowledgements……… i

Abstract……… ii

Table of contents……… iii

List of figures and tables……….vi

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study……… 8

1.2 Objectives of the study……… 11

1.3 Scopes of the study……… ……… 11

1.4 Methods of the study……… …… 11

1.5 Design of the study……….12

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction……… ……… 13

2.2 Language games……… ………… 13

2.2.1 Definitions of language games……… ……….13

2.2.2 The role of language games……….… 15

2.2.2.1 Language games create high motivation in learning ……… 15

2.2.2.2 Language games create a pleasant environment and can be used to change the pace of lesson……….……….……….17

2.2.2.3 Language games can increase student-student communication, completion and promote active, student-centered learning……… 18

2.2.3 The drawbacks of language games……….……… 19

2.2.4 When to use games in language teaching……….…….20

2.3 Some types of language games……… ……… 20

2.4 Organizing language games in class……… ……….23

2.4.1 Preparation……….………23

2.4.2 Presentation……… ………… 23

2.4.3 Game-playing stage……….… 24

2.4.4 Post-playing games……….…… 24

2.5 The roles of teachers in communication games……… …… 24 Chapter 3: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

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3.1 Overview of the study process……… …….26

3.1.1 Objectives of the study……… …….26

3.1.2 Subjects……….……….27

3.1.3 Methodology……….………….27

3.1.3.1 Teacher group survey……….………… 28

3.1.3.2 Student questionnaire survey……… ….……… 28

3.1.3.3 Class observation……… ….……….29

3.1.4 Procedures……… … ………29

3.2 Presentation and analysis……….30

3.2.1 Data collection and analysis of the findings from the teachers group survey…… ….30

3.2.1.1 The situation of using language games in the teaching process……… 30

3.2.1.2 The attitude of teachers towards the use of language games in teaching speaking process……… 31

3.2.1.3 The purpose of using language games in teaching process……….…32

3.2.1.4 The frequency of using language games in teaching speaking process………… 34

3.2.1.5 The effectiveness of using language games in teaching speaking process… …35

3.2.1.6 The importance of using language games in teaching speaking process………….36

3.2.1.7 The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games……… 37

3.2.1.8 The difficulties in using language games in class……… ………… 37

3.2.1.9 The advantages of using language games in lessons……… ……….38

3.2.1.10 The time when language games are used in class and how long it takes………….39

3.2.1.11 The works of teachers before introducing language games to students………… 41

3.2.2 Data collection and analysis of the findings from student questionnaire survey ….42

3.2.2.1 Background of the students involved in the survey……….42

3.2.2.2 The exposure of students towards language games……….……44

3.2.2.3 The advantages of using language games on students……….45

3.2.2.4 The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games……… 48

3.2.2.5 The time when language games can be played……… 54

3.2.2.6 The information about how often teachers use visual aids……… 55

3.2.2.7 The number of using language games in class……….…55

3.2.2.8 The types of language games students like best……… 56

3.2.2.9 The opinions of students about what their teachers should do in class………… 57

3.2.2.10 The importance of using language games in learning speaking skills on students 57

3.2.3 Analysis of the findings from class observation……….……… 58

3.2.3.1 Class observation reports……… … ………58

3.2.3.1.1 Class observation report 1……….… 59

3.2.3.1.2 Class observation report 2………59

3.2.3.1.3 Class observation report 3………60

3.2.3.2 The result of observation……… ………….61

3.2.3.2.1 The first comparison between lessons in the same class……….61

3.2.3.2.2 The second comparison between classes with the same lesson……… 62

3.3 Interpretation of findings……….64

3.3.1 Some advantages of findings on the use of language games………64

3.3.2 Some obstacles and difficulties……….……65

Chapter 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Conclusion of the study……….……….67

4.2 Recommendations……… ……68

4.2.1 Some suggestions for language teachers at College Sciences……… 68

4.2.2 Hints and suggestions for using language games on teaching speaking skills……… 72

4.2.3 Some suggestions of using visual aids effectively………74

References ……… …… 76

Appendix I……… ……….78

Appendix II……… ………….80

Appendix III……… ………83

Appendix IV……… 87

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LIST OF FIGURES IN THE STUDY

2 Teachers’ preference for teaching speaking through games 31

3 Purposes of using language games in teaching English 32

5 Teachers’ perception on the effectiveness of using language games in

teaching English

35

6 The importance of using language games in teaching speaking skills 36

7 The difficulties in using language games in class 38

8 The advantages of using language games in lessons 39

11 Level of competence of students in speaking skills 43

12 Students’ experience in playing language games 45

13 The expectation of students from language games 47

16 Students’ perception on the effectiveness of using language games in

teaching English

52

17 Students’ opinions about learning English environment 53

18 Students’ preference towards the studying atmosphere in class 55

19 Using visual aids of teachers from students’ point of views 56

20 Students’ opinions about the number of games used in class 57

21 Students’ attitude towards the roles of language games 59

LIST OF TABLES IN THE STUDY

Table Title Page

1 The use of language games in some aspects of English 33

2 The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games from

teachers’ point of views

37

4 Some teachers’ activities before introducing language games 41

5 The exposure of students towards language games 44

6 The purposes of language games from students’ point of views 46

7 Students’ opinions about the effective use of language games for

English subject

48

8 Students’ preferred activities on game-playing stage 51

9 students’ opinions about the frequency of language games used by

teachers

52

10 Factors preventing students from speaking English 53

12 Time when students like playing language games 55

13 Some types of language games being enjoyed more by the students 57

14 The opinions of students about what their teachers should do in class 58

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY

As globalization, mobility and communications are bringing the world ever close together, it isincreasingly necessary for people to know other languages apart from their mother tongue.Indeed, knowing foreign languages nowadays is of great importance because it helps bridge

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the gap among cultures, increases global understanding, and offers more opportunities for notonly individuals but also national socio-economic development, as Officials at Ministry of

Education in Eritrea quoted a village elder who said:

“If I speak only one language, I can help my country as one man,

If I can use two languages, I can help as two men,

But if I can use all nine languages, then I can work as nine men”

(Jasone Cenoz and Fred Genesee (1998:259, chapter 12))

Among languages, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, has experiencedsignificant changes over the last 30 years One of the most radical changes in the field is theshift from a behavioral focus on second language teachers and the kinds of inputs they provide

to a focus on learners and how learners process the input they receive English is considered asthe dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation,entertainment, radio, diplomacy and so on It is used for so many things from in- and externalacademic conferences to news reports and popular music lyrics It is used not only forcommunication between native speakers and non-native speakers of English but also forcommunication between non-native speakers In Vietnam, English has also become a popularlanguage, especially since our government began the open-door policy This new policy hascreated good chances for foreigners to invest in Vietnam Thus, the need of using English asthe first foreign language in our national study, work and business has been extremelyimportant Those are the reasons why English has been widely taught and learnt in Vietnamand also around the world today

To satisfy the essential demand today, English has been taught as one of thecompulsory subjects in the curricula of schools and universities in the whole country Manyprograms in schools or a large number of courses outside them are opened to serve thedifferent purposes with different levels of learners It comes as no surprise that someimprovements of course designs as well as methods and methodologies that Ministry ofEducation and Training set forth have brought a nation-wide positive movement in teachingand learning English in recent years As we see, a few years ago, the grammatical and

structural methods were widely used Teachers played important roles in imparting Englishknowledge to learners In turn, students had no more chances to fully develop their four skillsbut just sought for mastering the structural and grammatical rules of English This made thestudying atmosphere in classroom become more boring and tenser.

However, some recent changes in language teaching have shown that organizingactivities or creating English environment in classroom have helped learners to have intrinsicmotivation Moreover, boredom and tiredness have been driven away by the fun during thelessons Among new methods of teaching and learning English, language games can bring ussatisfactory results Language games are really funny and potential tools for teachers to helptheir students enrich their knowledge the best Language games and activities provide students

an opportunity for real communication, and, although there are some artificial limits, they help

to link the classroom with the real world Language games are seen as a chance that studentshave to learn or reinforce their knowledge about a foreign language Moreover, languagegames give practice in all the skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading) and in all thestages of teaching and learning that occur in a lesson (introduction, repetition, etc.) But one ofthe main reasons to use them in foreign language lessons is that they are very enjoyable forboth teacher and students Games and activities in a foreign language lesson are verysuccessful due to the fact that the process of learning becomes more active, encouragingstudents and involving them in the class to sustain their interest and work, and, therefore,making retention to improve enormously Realizing the important roles of language games inteaching English is the reason for our choice

The second reason is, throughout my study, to find out how we can reach the goal ofefficiency of applying language games in teaching and learning English at university,particularly at College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University because, in fact, language gameshave not widely used in teaching and learning English here yet One of the reasons for thissituation is that language games have some problems in themselves However, some teachers

of English have already used games successfully and others have not

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The final and the most important reason for our choice derives from the problems ofteaching and learning English, especially teaching speaking skills to the non-major students inuniversity We really want to examine how much language games are used in teaching English

in general and teaching speaking skills in particular The contradiction between the purposeand the fact of English teaching and learning for non-major students in universities has caused

a lot of arguments So what to do? Basically, the non-major students’ main English coursebook is “New Headway” with three levels: elementary, pre-intermediate and intermediate Inthe preface of the course book, the authors say the book is intended for the development ofstudent's four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing And they say thetextbook will provide them with certain vocabulary, knowledge of the country, people,lifestyle, culture of the British-American people so that the students can communicate everyday Therefore, developing the speaking skills is really an important goal Anyway, the presentteaching and learning English still lay much emphasis on the ability to use grammar,vocabulary, sentence patterns correctly but not on the ability to communicate appropriatelyand effectively Consequently, their speaking skills are as not good as expected, if we do notwant to say that very little English is used in their communication through lessons Therefore,

to improve the speaking skills of the non-English major students by communicative languagegames in classroom is my burning interest My desire is that this study will make the languagegames easier, more useful and more effective

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

My objective in conducting this research is to investigate some main issues The primary goal

is to discover the present language game use in teaching speaking skills to the first year major students of English at College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University The second one is

non-to know the opinions of both teachers and students about language games Finally, I want non-tosuggest some solutions to teachers of English in improving the quality and effectiveness ofteaching speaking skills by using language games based on the findings from the surveys

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study only focuses on dealing with how to improve the effectiveness of teaching speakingskills by using language games, not any other stimulating activities Next, because of thelimitation of time as well as the length of the study, the author intends to investigate in a smallrange, just among the first year non-major English EFL students at College of Science, ThaiNguyen University, mainly through questionnaires and classroom observation Therefore, it isbelieved that further research to fulfill this gap is necessary At last, the study is not acollection of games, but some suitable games in developing English speaking skills for thenon-major English students are given All games chosen are based on the curriculum of “NewHeadway” course book

1.4 METHODS OF THE STUDY

This research paper is conducted by using several methods in combination First of all,observation method is employed in some English classrooms to investigate the presentsituation of language game application for speaking skill development In addition, somedifferent kinds of language games in accordance with class observation are used for betterefficiency Next, we use questionnaires for both teachers and the first year non-major students

at College of Sciences Then, description and analysis of the collected data and discussion will

be done to discover problems that teachers and students encounter with the use of languagegames Finally, to avoid unsuitable language game use, we offer some suitable games andappropriate suggestions to run them

1.5 DESIGN OF STUDY

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The study is divided into four chapters The first chapter is the introduction stating thereasons, the objectives, the scope, methods and design of the study Chapter two is to deal withthe review of related literature and studies, the general overall identification of the area of thestudy Next, presentation, analysis and interpretation of data will be the main interest of thechapter three The last chapter is about conclusion, suggestion of some sample presentationsand selections and recommendations for the whole study the author has introduced above

games raging from panorama view to close-up one There are different ways to help us tolearn foreign languages better and language game is one of those However, to avoidmisunderstanding the nature of language games in compared with games in general, it isextremely important to give the correct definition of language games So, what is a languagegame?

2.2 LANGUAGE GAMES

2.2.1 Definitions of language games

In recent years, language games have become more and more popular as they have beenwidely used in most schools in our country In order to give a clear understanding what alanguage game is, it is useful and necessary to relate it to the definition of games in general Many researchers are interested in games and there are also a lot of games existing in ourdaily life due to the increasing development of society and technology According to Rechard

and Marjorie Baudains (1990:3), “Games are activities students do for their own sake, for the immediate fun, curiosity or competitive ambition aroused by games” However, the definition

only refers to the surface properties of a game in general, not a language game in particular

Another definition by Gibbs (1974) is about game with more depth: “an activity carried out

by cooperating or competing decision makers, seeking to achieve, within a set of rules, their objectivities” (Gibbs, 1974:60) Or as Hadfield (1990:5) defined a game, it is “an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun” Another definition is made by Rixon (1981), in which he

defines that a game consists of play governed by rules It means that normally, a game musthave clear goals and is played in a fixed time For example, the action of kicking a ball around

in the schoolyard is just a play Only when we add rules about how and where to kick the balland when footballers try to get the ball into the other side’ s net with their great effort can thisplay turn into a game There are games which need only one player at a time but most gamesrequire more So, for some general ideas about games above, we can see any activities that areconsidered as games must have something in common, like the governed rules, defined goals,set-up time from the beginning to the end and funny elements carried out by cooperation and

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completion of decision-makers for the language practice due to having communication amongplayers by spoken or written language

Based on the definitions of game that many researchers have concluded, the term

“language game” is a more narrow definition It does not only share the characteristics of

games in general but also the ones of itself in particular In language learning and teaching,besides the purpose to free the spirit, many games are also used for other purposes such as toreinforce reading, speaking skills, or to remember vocabulary and to promote communication

by using the foreign languages as well People use language games with the big hope ofdeveloping and improving the player’s language skills through repeated usages Similarly, the

term “language game” has also been defined by many researchers and educators As we said

before, language games have the same properties as games in general like rules, goals,elements of fun, cooperation, completion and communication among players The only thingthat language games differ from other games is that they must guide the learner’s actions andemploy their language skills It is the main content that Lewis and Bedson (1999) illustrated in

the way they showed the differences of “language game” from others, “what differentiates language games from other activities in the English language teaching classroom is the presence of a visible set of rules which guide the learner’s actions, and an element of strategy Learners can also employ their language skills strategically in cooperative games, where a group works together to achieve certain goals” (Lewis and Bedson, 1999:5) In addition, Greenall, S (1984) considered language game as one kind of “activity which is used to consolidate language already taught or acquired, and which occurs during the free stage of lesson or during occasions…” As we see that any language games must also serve the

purpose of developing language skills Any forms of language games by spoken or writtenlanguage they must be related to the communication between players since communicatingskills are seen as a greatly big factor improving the use of foreign languages that Rixon (1981)implied Thus, if a game follows the requirements that it must have, but without thecommunication among players or relevance of teaching and learning English language, it is

not language game Game “chess” can be cited as a good example for this as “the skills used

in chess are intellectual and tactical and not linguistic” (Rixon, 1981).

In conclusion, so far many publications on “language games” clearly share a commonunderstanding as well as basic definition of language game The first element is that languagegames are governed by rules which set up clearly defined goals Secondly, in a language gamethere is a contest, in other words, a competition or cooperation either between players and thegoals Next, a language game, even little or much, should lead to having fun for players Andthe last one is quite important that language game must have a great ability itself of developinglanguage skills related to the communication between players Consequently, thanks toavailable resources of material of many researchers, we ourselves can build up a deeper view

of games and language games

2.2.2 The roles of language games

Of course, when studying the use of language games in the teaching and learning English, a lot

of practical research that we find has confirmed effects of language games They are reallyregarded as a big support for teachers in the process of developing language skills for theirstudents In this part, the author only wants to focus on some striking advantages, a series ofgood points that many books have mentioned and researchers have discussed

2.2.2.1 Language games create a high motivation in learning.

As most games require the participation of many players or teams, competition among them isunavoidable So, they play an important role in motivating students to a greater extent than doconventional textbooks or worksheets Hansen, M (1994) wrote that: “language games are

highly motivating and entertaining” It means that language games are significant sources of

motivation and interest, which stimulate students to take part in lessons more positively andardently because they are encouraged and want to be the winner through games According to

Jeremy Harmer, there are “a number of factors which seem to have strong effect on a student’s success or failure” (Jeremy Harmer, 1991:3) Of all the factors, motivation that

students bring to class is suggested to be the biggest one influencing their success Motivation

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may be defined as “some kind of internal drive that encourages somebody to pursue a course

of action” (Jeremy Harmer, 1991:3) If we perceive a goal and if that goal is sufficiently

attractive, we will be strongly motivated to do whatever is necessary to reach that goal The

two main types of motivation students have are “extrinsic motivation, which is concerned with factor outside the classroom and intrinsic motivation, which is related to what takes places inside the classroom” (Jeremy Harmer, 1991:3) So, basing on Harmer’s point of view above,

high motivation that language games create is almost intrinsic one because the majority oflanguage games that teachers use are carried out in class The motivation of the language game

is that studied in the specialized setting of education differs qualitatively from the more

general forms of motivation studied in other field as Ormrod stated that: “motivation in education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subject matter” (Ormrod, 2003) Furthermore, it is admitted that learning English is not simple and its

complexity and difficulties make learners dispirited and tired It will be more terrible if thelessons are so boring In such situations, using language games is one of the best ways tochange the atmosphere of the class and create relaxing feelings to maintain the motivation of

learners As Andrew Wright, David Betteridge and Michael Buckby said that : “Language learning is hard work Effort is required at every moment and must be maintained over a long period of time Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work”(Andrew Wright, David Betteridge and Michael Buckby, 1984:1) It makes students’

learning more meaningful and effective As a result, motivation is considered as one of mainfactors in getting knowledge of students while language games can bring about that effect

“Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and interesting They can be used to give practice in all language skills and be used to practice many types of communication”

(Aydan Ersoz from The Internet TESL Journal, Vol VI, No 6, June 2000) Similarly,

according to Avedon, the main reason why games are considered effective learning aids is that

"they spur motivation and students get very absorbed in the competitive aspects of the games;moreover, they try harder at games than in other courses" (Avedon, 1971)

Thus, it is no doubt that we should increasingly use language games in teaching English

2.2.2.2 Language games create a pleasant environment and can be used to change the pace of the lesson.

This advantage of language game can be found in almost games used in the teaching andlearning process The essence of games is bringing comfortable and relaxing feelings forplayers and language games are not an exception However, it is very necessary for people to

be positively aware of the funny and relaxing factors of language games as Lee Su Kim (1995)

stated clearly that “there is a common perception that all learning should be serious and solemn in nature, and that if one is having fun and there is hilarity and laughter, then it is not really learning This is a misconception It is possible to learn a language as well as enjoy oneself at the same time One of the best ways of doing this is through games” (Lee Su Kim,

1995:35) Moreover, W R Lee (1979) confirmed that “language games could create a pleasant, informal and relaxing atmosphere in class…language games could banish boredom, make for willing learners who look forward to language lessons” So, an enjoyable

environment that language games can create is a good idea to help students learn and absorbEnglish much better and easier Besides, language games become more effectively when

Hansen (1994) found that: “they are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings” (Hansen 1994:118) Playing

games in the classroom can enormously increase students' ability in using language becausestudents have a chance to use language with a purpose in the situations provided Hadfield

(1990) confirms that " games provide as much concentrated practice as a traditional drill and more importantly, they provide an opportunity for real communication, albeit within artificially defined limits, and thus constitute a bridge between classroom and the real word”.

Like in a traditional classroom, students have an opportunity to drill and practice usinggrammatical rules and other functions

2.2.2.3 Language games can increase student-student communication, competition and promote active, student-centered learning.

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Language games that most teachers design are for students Certainly, students have to spendtime for them They have to find out the solutions or ways by themselves to adapt therequirements of games given Therefore, language games are seen as a means to help thembroaden the limitation of communication approved of by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge

and Michael Buckby (1984) that: “language games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful The learners want to take part and in order to

do so must understand what others are saying or have written, and they must speak or write in order to express their own point of view or give information” (Andrew Wright, David

Betteridge and Michael Buckby (1984:1) And so, it will be more effective if students arecompulsory to speak or discuss in English as W R Lee (1979) specified that “most language

games make learners use the language instead of thinking about learning the correct forms”

(W R Lee, 1979:2)

What is more, most games are cooperative ones since they make students involve

in the discussion and information share with each other before their group reach a final result.This also leads to the competition among learners or teams when they try their best to

complete games as quick as possible because of the set-up time Rixon (1981) stated that: “the first thing that many people think of in connection with games is competition among players This is a feature of many games, but there are some in which cooperation is the main thing In other games, there is both cooperation and competition within a team and competition against other teams” So, requiring students to interact in activities of role-play, discussion, argument

and so on is a big effect of language game This also helps to promote the activeness oflearners in practicing language through games Also, when the role of teachers in class ischanged from game partner to consultant and monitor, students express their abilities in alearner-centered activity Moreover, playing language games requires learners a great deal ofeffort to make use of integrated skills of language actively, which language games can helpthem to make and sustain the effort of learning Constant effort is required to understand,produce and manipulate the target language

There are many other advantages of language games that we cannot go in details inthe study such as the role of language games in testing and providing immediate feedbacks, increating a meaningful context for language use, reducing the risk of failure, or in shorteningteacher-student distance and conflict and so on This is why we think further study is quitenecessary

2.2.3 The drawbacks of language games

As a saying goes “everything has two sides”, despite advantages in language games shown by

researchers and educators, there are some disadvantages that teachers have to face in theirclasses First of all, if the teachers lose the control, then the class becomes noisy and chaoticwith games The noise made during game-playing stage is also one problem that all theteachers are trying to limit Only when a teacher creates high motivation in playing games forstudents can he or she become a good organizer of games However, high motivation that weexpect to reach is usually the root of noise and fun Because in university, classrooms for non-major English students are normally too large and the number of students in a class is quitebig, noise becomes more difficult to deal with Next, in playing games, students can createwrong values In any games, the factor that creates high participation of students is thecompetition Students always want to win and they are afraid of “losing face” So, it is saidthat games can create undesirable competition and the acquisition of power and health Onemore negative result of language game is that it is a gambling activity When playing games,usually teachers plan for the results and everything else but who knows exactly how studentswill react? Sometimes the games turn out to take a long time and the class cannot go on withwhat they are playing They have to stop the games and the failure is obvious

2.2.4 When to use games in language teaching

Games are activities that bring back a lot of positive effects on students if teachers know the

proper time to use According to Lee, W.R (1979), language games “are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at the end of a lesson” (Lee,1979:3) However, Lee stated clearly that a language game "should not be regarded as a marginal

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activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do" (Lee, 1979:3) Normally, as language games usually take place in a short time and have a lot of fun,

they are used at the beginning of a lesson like a warming-up activity in a stimulating way Many others use them to punctuate a lesson, relieve tension after a test orconcentrated practice session Others also use games when they are tired and the classatmosphere is so quiet and boring Games also lend themselves well to revision exerciseshelping learners recall material in a pleasant, entertaining way Many experienced textbookand methodology manuals writers have argued that games are not just time-filling activitiesbut have a great educational value Rixon (1981) suggests that games be used at all stages ofthe lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen At different stages of thelesson, the teacher's aims connected with a game may vary: presentation (providing a goodmodel making its meaning clear); controlled practice (eliciting good imitation of new languageand appropriate responses); communicative practice (give students a chance to use thelanguage) (Rixon, 1981:70)

As can be seen, the advantages of games are quite clear because at any time of using,they can also create a positive result Language games are so enjoyable that they can beconsidered as an integrated part of a teaching process

2.3 TYPES OF LANGUAGE GAMES

There is a variety of games and activities relating to different language skills: reading,

listening, speaking, writing skills According to the book “Language teaching Games and Contests” written by Lee, W.R (1979), some common types of language games and activities

that are relevant to the subject of the study, non-major first year students are found However,since the author only focus on the use of language games in teaching speaking skills in thisstudy, not other skills, the author will spend more space studying language games for teachingspeaking English

Before introducing some types of games, we should know that there are many ways

of clarifying types of games According to Greenall, S (1984), the author grouped languagegames in thematic sections such as people, food and fruits, job, shopping and so on Wright,

Betteridge and Buckby (1984) gave another classification of games, including picture games,psychology games, caring and sharing games, card and board games, sound games, story

games, word games, etc In addition, Rixon (1981) stated that :“the most obvious way of classifying games from a language teacher’s point of view is according to the language they practice: listening games, spelling games, games to help students build vocabulary, games that bring in a structure or a function and so on” (Rixon, 1981:1) Besides, Hadfield (1990) added: “in some types of games the emphasis is on successful communication rather than on correctness of language Games, therefore, are to be found at the fluency-accuracy spectrum…They are types of communicative games, speaking games, listening games, reading games, and so on” (Hardfield, 1990:5) So, there are two main types of games, they are

Language practice games and Communicative language games These types of games aresuitable to teach communicative skills, especially speaking games Some of language gamesbelow are written briefly They belong to two types of games just mentioned

Firstly, structure games provide experiences of particular patterns of syntax incommunication Students can practice one or more grammar structures, aspects when playingthis type of language games It means that practising or reinforcing a certain grammaticalaspect of language has to relate to students' abilities and prior knowledge Structural gamesbecome difficult when the task or the topic is unsuitable or outside the student's experience Secondly, vocabulary games are very common, known as word games which are used

to drive students’ attention to focus on mainly the usage and meaning of words They helpstudents understand and master words in context or situations

Next, it is spelling games, which aim to rub out any misspellings made by students andprovide a visible image of every word that helps them wholly copy it in their mind

Moreover, according to Lee, W.R (1979), pronunciation games hold a large percentage

of using because errors made in pronunciation of a foreign language vary among students,partly due to the affect of mother tongue So, this kind of language games plays an importantrole in learning English of students

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In order to help students speak English better, number games are seen as a good choice.Most of scholars studying on number games focus on the spoken form of numbers becausethese games are mostly oral ones

What is more, speaking games attract our attention the most Speaking games helpsstudents have a chance to practice speaking English in its true purposes They not only help tosolve students’ language problems by communicating with each other but increase the fluency

of using English towards students Many speaking games are available for teachers to choose

in class such as matching games, guessing games, sweet to speak, information-gap games and

so on As Hadfield (1990) remarked the matching game is one types of games which is “based

on different principle, but also involve a transfer of information These games involve matching correspondent pairs of cards or pictures, and may be played as a whole class activity, where everyone must circulate until they find a partner with a corresponding card or picture; or as a pair work or small group activity” (Hardfield, 1990:6) Also, he stated that

some simple games belonging to matching games can be used easily and effectively For

example, with “Christmas swapping” game, it can be used the whole class to talk about likes and dislikes (Hardfield, 1990:23); or “ideal home” games taking about from 10 to 15 minutes

allows teachers to use in class This game can stimulate the speaking abilities of students bydescribing the places or houses that they like best and expressing their preferences (Hardfield,1990:13) In addition, many researchers spent their time studying guessing games This is avery familiar game for students at a low level In these games, the majority of the class orteams are “guessers” while the teacher, a student or a team takes the role of “knower” Carrier,

M (1980) studied some kinds of guessing games very carefully For example, “guess the job”

game can be played by groups of 4or 5 students using the simple present to describe any

occupations (Carrier, 1980:13) Rixon (1981) suggested that “what is in the bag” game is also

an interesting game which students can make fun easily Its purpose is to help them practicingname of things and enriching vocabulary (Rixon, 1981:36) Hadfield (1990) introduced the

advantages of “Holiday quiz” game in helping students to use the past tense well by asking

about past events (Hadfield, 1990:19) Besides, a lot of speaking games bring about many

advantages that teachers can use to improve the students’ English speaking Thanks to avariety of this type of games, the author finds a suitable choice of speaking games that caneasily apply in some chosen classes as tests This will be described carefully in the followingchapter.

Last but not least, the roles of writing games are undeniable They help learners enrichtheir vocabulary, remember spelling of words and use the correct grammar Besides, manyother language games have been discussed in various resources of document or previousstudies However, because of the limitation of the study, we cannot mention all

2.4 ORGANIZING LANGUAGE GAMES IN CLASS

To limit some drawbacks and enhance the good points of language games, the organization ofany language games is extremely necessary It requires that teachers have to spend timeunderstanding the chosen games in class carefully Of course, some following requirements oforganizing cannot be ignored

2.4.1 Preparation

The first one is preparation It is quite important because the more time teachers spend, themore effective they can get from games Their games will be performed quickly and smoothly.Some elements are also included in this step such as timing, materials, choice of languagelevel and class management

2.4.2 Presentation

Before students take part in the games, one task that teachers have to do is introducing therules of games as well as the way of performing This step of the organizing process shouldnot be undervalued Because if students misunderstand the requirements of games or getconfused, then the language games may have negative effects Thus, teachers need to provideinformation involved the games like the goal, rules, scoring, time or visual objects Inaddition, students also have to pay attention to their teachers’ introduction of games to makesure that they understand how and what they will play

2.4.3 Game-playing stage

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This is the time that students directly play games in individuals, pairs or even groups Sincethe purpose of designing language games to improve the use of English of students, teachersshould be a corrector to find out their students’ necessary mistakes as much as possible.However, depending on the striking points of chosen language games in class, teachers canconsider which mistakes must be corrected and which one can be ignored so as not to reducethe motivation of students during the games In addition, teachers should control the class welland know how to stop games if their students find it less interesting and more tired Anyway,the comment, correction and encouragement of teachers during the games are key factors in

their students’ success because as Guthrie & Wigfield, (2000) said: “when praise is sincerely given and interpreted as recognition of achievement, it can increase students’ self-perceived competence and motivation” (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000: 414).

2.4.4 Post-playing stage

According to Rixon (1981),“whatever the game is, students like to hear how well they are doing, to receive encouragement and to have any amusing incidents or clever more commented on, as well as having errors corrected” (Rixon,1981:58) It means that when the

game is finished, teachers should give a feedback to all what students have just done Ingeneral, teachers should comment on what students have performed and help them have achance to learn from their classmates whatever good for them

2.5 THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN COMMUNICATION GAMES

In communication games the teacher no longer controls the activity He or she is advised not

to interfere too much during game-playing process The communication among students bythe use of English is encouraged more than between students and teacher because students canfreely speak without worrying about spending time on the choice of words, sentences orgrammatical usage This helps to enhance their ability of communication as well as the use ofthe foreign language

In these games, teachers just work as language consultants, according to Rixon’s idea

(1981:64) “instead if judging what students have to say, the teacher should be on hand to help them with what they want to say” The involved teacher knows about the students’ personal

knowledge and interests, cares about each student’s learning, and holds realistic, positive goalsfor students’ effort and learning When students perceive teachers to be involved and(interested in their progress) and autonomy supportive (providing some controls of learning),they are engaged in the classroom, for example, participating in class discussions, learningactively, and appearing happy

And the other role that teacher can take is a corrector As the game is being played,students, of course, make mistakes It is necessary for the teacher to collect and check them.However, provided that errors are not so serious that they lead to breakdowns incommunication, the other players may not notice them and the teacher also does not need toindicate

Besides, the teacher in communication games can be seen as a referee Some of thesegames are competitive and there may as well be disagreements and blockages that the groupcannot settle on their own It is much more effective if the teacher tries to guide the grouptowards its own solution than to impose an immediate decision of his own since by this means

he can get valuable discussion going within the group

It is noteworthy that the roles of teachers, not only directly influence students’ outcomesbut also has a significant benefit for their engagement, which then is significant in the path tothe student’s outcomes In addition, the influence is reciprocal: student engagement affectedteacher involvement as much as teacher involvement influenced student engagement

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CHAPTER THREE

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

OF DATA

3.1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY PROCESS

In line with the rapid socio-economic development in recent years, education of Vietnam hasundergone major changes in terms of curriculum and learning materials as well as way ofteaching and learning foreign languages Without doubt, English has become a compulsorysubject in almost all universities or colleges However, after 3 or 7 years of using and learningEnglish, most Vietnamese students still cannot express themselves in English as expected.Before entering universities, students are basically taught with the English grammar, the use ofstructure, phrases, and vocabulary For speaking and listening skills, they seem to beunderestimated and paid less attention to Therefore, when furthering their study inuniversities, students are neither able nor confident in using English to communicate withother people, especially with foreigners This has inspired the author to implement this studywith a great hope of finding useful methods that can be easily and effectively applied inclassrooms to help non English major students improve speaking skills

In this chapter, we will describe the procedure of the study The section starts with abrief description of the survey purpose, subjects, method and procedures Then, data collectionand analysis of the findings are given in the next section Finally, the discussion of the surveyfindings is mentioned

3.1.1 Objectives of the study

The aim of the study is to gain well-founded information on the reality of the use of languagegames in teaching and learning English speaking skills to the first year non English majorstudents at the College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University More importantly, the researcherwants to find out the advantages and effectiveness of language games in speaking skills The

problems encountered by both teachers and students when using language games are inprogress and their attitudes towards language games are also discussed.

3.1.2 Subjects

The subjects for the study are two groups of teachers and students

The first group includes 9 teachers of Department of Basic Sciences, College of Sciences,Thai Nguyen University All of these teachers have experienced teaching English for nonEnglish major students The teacher survey was carried out in the form of questionnairesaccording to their teaching process

The second group consists of 140 first year non-English major students at College ofSciences, Thai Nguyen University They range from 18 to 24 in age, with the majority in theirage of 20-21 Male accounting for 55% outnumbers female which are 45% The study wasconducted among students of different levels, English learning experience and interest with aview to having a thorough and objective overview of their learning English

3.1.3 Methodology

The methods used to collect data in the study is the questionnaire for teacher group, thequestionnaire for students and the class observation on the use of language games in teachingand learning speaking skills

The author used questionnaires as the main source for data collection The reason forchoosing this method lies in the objectives of this study which have already been mentioned in

the previous chapter According to Burns, R B (1999), he showed that “triangulation involves gathering data from different sources so that the research findings or insights can be tested out against each other” (1999:25) and “results from one form of data will help inform and refine the other data” (Verma, G K & Mallick, K 1999:115) Thus, questionnaires are

essential to the research process in social sciences Moreover, this method has its ownstrengths in helping the author to find out satisfactory and sufficient information As a result,the method was chosen to make full use of rather than advocating one and disposing the other

so that the reliability and validity of the research could be ensured and make it more

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persuasive “Questionnaires are any written instruments that present respondents with a series of questions or statements to which they are to react either by writing out their answers

or selecting from among existing answers” (Brown, J D 2001:6) So, by using questionnaires

we can have more in-depth information on certain aspects Hence, any clarification or furtherinquiry towards a question can be made convenient

3.1.3.1 Teacher group survey

The survey was carried out with the help of 9 teachers of English at College of Science, ThaiNguyen University It aimed to investigate the reality of using language games in theirlanguage teaching process Furthermore, through the survey, more information about theattitude of the first year non-English major students towards language games can be obtained

15 questions were designed for the teacher group, which covered 11 main contents as thefollowing:

The situation of using language games in the teaching process (question 1, 14 and 15).

The attitudes of teachers towards the use games in teaching speaking process (question 2).The purposes of using language games in teaching process (question 3 and 4)

The frequency of using language games in teaching speaking process (question 5)

The effectiveness of using language games in teaching speaking process (question 6).The importance of using language games in teaching speaking process (question 7)

The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games basing on teachers’ point ofviews (question 8)

The difficulties in using language games in class (question 9)

The advantages of using language games in lessons (question 10)

The time when language games are used in class and how long it takes (question 11and 13)The information about the works of teachers before introducing language games tostudents (question 12)

3.1.3.2 Student questionnaire survey

A questionnaire with 24 questions in Vietnamese was designed for the first year-non English major students at College of Sciences to make sure that they could understand and have a best

choice for each question It aimed to discovering their background, thoughts and ideas about language games Similarly, all questions were asked were to serve for 10 main contents as the following:

The background of students involved in the survey (question 1, 2, 3, and 4)

The exposure of students towards language games (question 5 and 6)

The advantages of using language games on students (question 7, 9 and 14)

The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games (question 8, 10, 12, 13,

17, 18, 19, 21 and 22)

The time when language games can be played (question 11)

The information about how often teachers use visual aids (question 15)

The number of using language games in class (question 16)

The types of language games students like best (question 20)

The opinions of students about what their teachers should do in class (question 23).The importance of using language games in learning speaking skills on students (question 24)

3.1.4 Class observation

According to the survey questionnaire for the teachers and for the students, we also use method of class observation in the study Its purpose is to examine and clarify the advantages and effectiveness of games in classes, explore how teachers use language games in class and identify the attitudes and feelings of students towards language games Some observations were carried out in three English lessons with two different classes, ENG132N32 and

ENG132N25 in the second term at College of Sciences After observing, two comparisons were made between a lesson using language games and the other without any games; and between a class exposing to language games and another without experiencing games

3.1.4 Procedures

155 copies were delivered but a number of copies handed in back were 140

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Firstly, before actually sending out questionnaire to the target population, it was pilotedamong students who are motivated enough in order to get feedbacks for the questionnaire.After that, some clarifications, discussion and adjustments to it were made to serve the studypurpose better 140 questionnaires were distributed to 140 students who took part in theclasses in their ten-minute break time In this survey, self-completion questionnaires wereemployed with semi-closed questions

Secondly, as for questionnaire for the teacher group, before carrying the survey, a set ofquestions had been prepared The teachers were carried out individually The nature andpurpose of this survey were firstly explained to the teachers and their questions were fullyanswered Some additional information on language games as well as the reality of using them

in their class was also shared with us

3.2 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

3.2.1 Data collection and analysis of the findings from teacher group survey.

3.2.1.1 The situation of using language games in the teaching process.

 Question 1 : Have you ever used language games in your teaching process?

 Question 14 : If you have a pack of games, will you use it in your class?

Figure 1: Teachers’ exposure in using language games

As can be seen from the chart, the percentage of teachers who have ever used language games

in their teaching process is 100% This result is similar to one of the question 14 that if they have a pack of games, certainly all teachers will use them in class Because the answers for question 14 of 9 teachers are the same, the question 15 can be ignored Based on the given result, it can be said that language games are no longer strange and new towards English teachers at College of Sciences And to some extents, they have been aware of the effects of language games and quite familiar with the ways of organizing games, they assure that their usage of language games in the class will be kept on

3.2.1.2 The attitudes of teachers towards the use language games in teaching speaking process

 Question 2 : Do you like teaching speaking skills through games?

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Figure 2: Teachers’ preference for teaching speaking through games

According to the chart, it is undeniable that all teachers when asked said that they really likeusing games in their teaching English, especially speaking skills The rate of 100% expressesthe reality of teachers’ interest towards language games as well as their good points inimproving the ability of speaking English of students This was a common opinion of allEnglish teachers at College of Sciences, aiming to help their students have a chance to practice

English together with getting fun from games

3.2.1.2 The purpose of using language games in teaching process.

 Question 3 : What are the purposes of using language games in your teaching process?

Figure 3: Purposes of using language games in teaching English

The result from question 3 confirms one more time that opinions among teachers are the same.All of them also wanted to use language games for both learning and relaxing None of themwanted to use learning or entertaining purpose separately This proves that all the teachers uselanguage games with a clear purpose They wanted to create a comfortable learningatmosphere for their students in which learning and relaxing are combined to reduce students’stress And none of them used language games as time-filling activities

 Question 4 : Which aspect of English do you use language games to teach most?

This question is designed to examine the purposes of teaching English through using language games on teachers The result we got as the following:

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Table 1: The use of language games in some aspects of English

From the table above, we can see that the choices for the question 4 are quite different amongteachers The largest purpose in their using language games was for integrated skills, morethan 55% of teachers while about 44% of the teachers used them to teach speaking skills Theother focus on using language games was to teach new grammar and structure, which heldappropriately 33% Beside, teaching new vocabulary, listening skills and revising the previouslesson through games seemed to be less than two mentioned purposes, only 22% and 11%.Surprisingly, none of the teachers chose games for teaching reading and writing skills Thus,

in compared with integrated and speaking skills, other aspects of English that teachers wanted

to teach together with the use of language games was not paid much attention It may bebecause of the aims of teaching English at universities are different from ones at SecondarySchools Most teachers try to encourage their students to use English in communication skillsmore than simply doing exercises related to English grammar or structure

3.2.1.3 The frequency of using language games in teaching speaking process

 Question 5 : How often do you use language games?

Figure 4: The frequency of using language games

According to this pie chart, it can be seen that the frequency of using language games inlessons varies from teacher to teacher About 44% of teachers sometimes used games in theirteaching process while 33% of them usually carried out Only 23% of the teachers rarely usedthem No one has ever used language games in lessons So, we can come to a conclusion thatall of the teachers at College of Sciences have used language games in their lessons, however,the amount of using them is not much

3.2.1.4 The effectiveness of using language games in teaching speaking process

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 Question 6 : What do you think about the use of language games in teaching speakingskills

of these teachers thought that language games were very effective and 12% left kept a neutral idea for the effect of language games in teaching speaking skill None of these teachers have ever found language games ineffective towards speaking skill It can be referred that the effects of language games in teaching speaking English are quite clear Creating a relaxing atmosphere in class, promoting competition and cooperation among students and encouraging the student-student communication are seen as vital and very important effects of language games in the teaching English in general and teaching speaking in particular In compared

with analysis of part 3.2.1.1, we realize that if they have a pack of games, they will use them; however, the rate of 22% of neutral opinion implied that in case of question 14, using a pack

of games if they have did not mean being sure of the effectiveness of language games,

especially their effectiveness towards teaching speaking English

3.2.1.5 The importance of using language games in teaching speaking process

 Question 7 : How do you think of language games in the process of teaching speakingskills?

Figure 6: The importance of using language games in teaching speaking skills

According to the pie chart, most of the teachers were aware of the importance of usinglanguage games in teaching speaking English at College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University

In fact, from the result, 89% of them agreed that language games play an important role intheir speaking lessons, whereas there was no choice for very important and unimportant ones.Only 11% of them were not sure about whether language games were important or not Thatneutral opinion stated that they found language games in two sides

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3.2.1.6 The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games basing on the

teachers’ view.

 Question 8 : Do your students like playing language games?

Table 2: The attitudes and feelings of students towards language games basing on teachers’ point of views

As can be seen from the table, all teachers realized clearly that their students liked languagegames or not and liked at which level They were all sure that their students liked playinglanguage games in lessons very much This proves that the attitudes of students towardslanguage games are positive The majority of students have a demand for using languagegames in English lessons And this is a reason why more than a half of teachers said languagegames were effective and important in their teaching English process

3.2.1.7 The difficulties in using language games in class.

 Question 9 : What difficulties do you cope with when using language games in your class?

Feeling %

Yes, very much 100

Yes, but not much 0

No, not at all 0

Figure 7: The difficulties in using language games in class

The aim of asking question 9 takes an important role in this study Finding out carefully thedifficulties in using language games helps us to solve the problem partly Clearly, based onsome suggested difficulties, the greatest obstacle to the success of using language games inclass was due to too many students, holding 67% Three choices left took the equal percentage

of 11 No other different difficulties were added after finishing the teacher group survey Thestatics above reflect the reality that number of the first year-non English major students in thesame class is so great This prevents teachers from using language games in class as well aschoosing suitable games for their students Noise, seize of class and mixed-ability of studentsare not too big difficulties

3.2.1.8 The advantages of using language games in lessons

 Question 10 : What are benefits of using language games in your lessons?

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Figure 8: The advantages of using language games in lessons

Looking at the result of question 10, there is broad and almost absolute consensus amongteachers 66% of teachers agreed that language games could create high motivation towardslearning English of students 55% of them supported for the benefit of language games inimproving the ability of students in communication, especially speaking English Theadvantage of language games in promoting cooperation and competition among students held44% One additional opinion in this question supposed that studying and learning at the sametime help students learn English better Certainly, the benefits of using language games in the

teaching process are undeniable As Ormrod (2003) said that “motivation in education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subject matter” So, it

is easy to understand why many teachers support for the first choice