Techniques of using games in teaching english lessons for grade 12 at quang xuong 4 high school

I have positively realized that only by new language Games can we interest students in English lessons.. Games in teaching the language can result in the friendly communication between t

I REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE THEME

1-Basis of theory:

Students’ initiative, activity and creativeness are more important in

teaching foreign language because no one can use means of foreign language in

communication better than students’ communication abilities One of the main

methods in teaching foreign language is Communicative Approach;

communication is regarded as both aims and aids of teaching (teaching in

communication, by communicating, and to communicate) To teach English

more and more interestingly, effectively and communicatively, every teacher

must do their best, master their professional abilities, study without cease and

apply active and suitable teaching methods

Throughout years’ time of teaching English in the period of general

education renovation, I have myself thought that it is necessary to reform

methods of organizing activities in teaching often to motivate students I have

positively realized that only by new language Games can we interest students in

English lessons These new language Games can be considered to be new

activities or techniques which are suitable for the students’ psychology The new

language Games strongly do delight either learners or teachers when they have

skillfully used old games Besides, they can raise the teaching quality In these

Games, we can unexpectedly happen to realize students’ talents because they are

equal to students, easy to play, suitable for the whole class even weak students

Furthermore, the students who hardly prepare the lessons might have high scores

in the games because quick-wittedness and intelligence are much more

important than understanding about everything The sense of equality,

atmosphere of excitement, feeling of the games in students’ reach, spirit of

solidarity, the factors of which help students to ignore their shyness which

prevents them from speaking freely and actively This has a great influence on

teaching results Students have chances to use the linguistic data and even they

can see that they are using their vocabulary, grammatical structures… Moreover,

they feel satisfied when they know they can do as well as others However,

learning a foreign language is not only to play Games but it is to communicate

more naturally Games in teaching the language can result in the friendly

communication between teachers and students, among students and good

discussions about any topics All of the reasons are important factors to improve

the teaching qualities and effects English is a language and it is a foreign language so it is too difficult for students, especially rural students to learn

although they have been learning for several years It would be too boring for It

is the reasons above that have been urging me to choose the theme:

“Techniques of using Games in teaching English lessons for grade 12 at

Quang Xuong 4 high school” for my initiative experiences.

2 Basis of practice

a- Achievements

Annually, we have a lot of conferences and workshops to reform teaching methods We usually have discussions about professional knowledge We have been trying to apply new methods to teaching flexibly and skillfully Students are more hard-working, interested in English Therefore, teaching and learning English has been enhanced effectively

b- Some reasons for the disadvantages of teaching and learning English at high schools

English is one of the most important subjects at schools but it is not easy enough for any students to learn Some students, especially the students who have no sense, no mood and no patience in learning can’t keep up with the new methods of learning They have their puzzle in understanding and applying their knowledge to practice Many students haven’t understood the significances of English at the age of the International integration Some students learn English for their curiosity but when they have difficulties, they let things run Some students lack their basic knowledge from the junior high schools Therefore, students have no sense, no mood, no motivation to learn English effectively and actively

c- Facilities and teaching aids

To meet the demands for education reform, facilities of the school are becoming better and better However, students would be more interested and active if we had a lab or a computer room for learning Moreover, teaching aids are supplied quite enough but if only we had large pictures for the lessons, our lessons would

be more exciting and interesting

d- For teachers

Being a teacher of the foreign language, realizing a new method of teaching is a big problem Personally, I see that many teachers haven’t given students any chances to practice vocabulary, grammar , if there, they just check one or two students before the lesson mechanically, which makes students bored and passive On the other hand, when teaching, teachers haven’t made full use of the students’ activities and creativeness so the lessons are usually boring

e- For students

Since education reform, students have loved learning English but mainly advanced students And weak students who understand the lesson slowly learn passively They wait for the teacher’s or other students’ answers Many of them have no opportunities or they don’t dare to practice speaking English in class

They are afraid they speak incorrectly Many can not read, speak, listen and

write, even they ignore paying attention to the lessons or taking any notes or doing any homework In fact, we can see these students have no love for English.Therefore, the teaching qualities of English do not live up to our expectations Following is the convey on the quality of English of 3 classes: 12A, 12B, 12E at the beginning of the first term in school year 2015-2016

of students

Well mastered and applied

Badly mastered and applied

Well mastered and applied

Badly mastered and applied

12A 42 18 42.8 24 57.2 20 47.6 22 52.4 12B 46 20 43.5 26 56.5 21 45.6 25 54.4 12E 45 22 48.8 23 51.2 23 51.2 22 48.8 Total 133 60 45.1 73 54.9 64 48.4 69 51.6

Classes Number

of students

Speaking Language focus Writing

Well mastered and applied

Badly mastered and applied

Well mastered and applied

Badly mastered and applied

Well mastered and applied

Badly mastered and applied

12A 42 16 38.0 26 62.0 22 52.4 20 47.6 19 45.2 23 54.8 12B 46 18 39.1 28 60.9 24 52.2 22 47.8 22 47.8 24 52.2 12E 45 18 40.0 27 60.0 26 57.8 19 42.2 21 46.6 24 53.4 Total 133 52 39.0 81 61.0 72 54.0 61 46.0 62 46.6 71 53.3

II- AIMS OF THE RESEARCH

From the matter of fact, as a teacher, I have endlessly been considering and researching for the methods to improve the quality of teaching English Knowing that the students’ psychophysiology is doing what they enjoy, liking new things, indulging in pleasures rather than study, I give them a new method

of learning in which they can work for both study and pleasure This method

gives them the feeling of delight and easiness when they learn English lessons through some new language Games which are considered to be the new teaching techniques in place of the old one that students are too familiar to and bored with These new language Games , in fact, are competitions They require students’ quick decisions such as: How to act?, What to speak? How to win the games? Wanting to solve those questions makes students’ thoughts quicker, more sensitive and intelligent because they must make use of their intellectual abilities for pleasure and excitement Thanks to this way, students are naturally

absorbed in the lessons.Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and interesting Also, I would like to exchange my own initiative experiences and methods of teaching for the colleagues so that we can find out new and interesting methods in the period of education socialization our Party and State laid down

III- OBJECTS OF RESEARCH

- Techniques of using games in teaching English language

- Results gained by students before and after using games in teaching

IV-METHODS OF RESEARCH

-Using the text-book to apply to each lesson and section

-Using references to improve.

-Pictures and other materials

B- CONTENTS AND RESULTS I.CONTENTS

1.What is a Game?

"A game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun There are two kinds of games: Competitive games, in which players or teams race to be the first to reach the goal, and co-operative games, in which players or teams work together towards a common goal The emphasis in the games is on successful communication rather than on correctness of language." (Toth, 1995)

2.Why to Use Games

Language learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating Constant effort is required to understand, produce and manipulate the target language Well-chosen games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same time allow students to practice language skills Games are highly motivating since they are amusing and at the same time challenging Furthermore, they employ meaningful and useful language in real contexts They also encourage and increase cooperation

- Games are fun and children like to play them Through Games students

experiment, discover, and interact with their environment

- Games add variation to a lesson and increase motivation by providing a

plausible incentive to use the target language For many students between

thirteen and nineteen years old, especially the high school students, language learning will not be the key motivational factor Games can provide this

stimulus

- The Game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the

students It brings the target language to life

- The Game makes the reasons for speaking plausible even to reluctant students

- Through playing Games, students can learn English the way they learn their mother tongue without being aware they are studying; thus without stress, they can learn a lot

- Games stimulate the students so they look forward to class

- Even shy students can participate positively

3.When to Use Games

- Games are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at the end of a lesson Yet, as I observe, a game "should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have

nothing better to do Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign

languages I suggest that Games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that

they are suitable and carefully chosen.

- Games also lend themselves well to revision exercises helping learners recall material in a pleasant, entertaining way All authors agree that even if Games resulted only in noise and entertained students, they are still worth paying

attention to and implementing in the classroom since they motivate learners, promote communicative competence, and generate fluency

4.How to Choose Games

- A Game must be more than just fun

- A Game should involve "friendly" competition

- A Game should keep all of the students involved and interested

- A Game should encourage students to focus on the use of language rather than

on the language itself

- A Game should give students a chance to learn, practice, or review specific language material

- A Game should focus on the certain aims of certain stages in a lesson, but not only for fun

5.How to Organize Classes

- Think ahead If you mix up the rules or get confused, the students will rebel The class can fail over blame Rehearse Games yourself or with friends before class

- Distinguish noise from chaos To prevent noise, make students sit near the teacher and explain clearly what they are going to do

6.Some Advice

- Games should be regarded as supplementary activities The whole syllabus should not be based on Games only - even for young learners

- When choosing a Game, the teacher should be careful to find an appropriate one for the class in terms of language and type of participation

- Once the Game has begun, the teacher should not interrupt to correct mistakes

in language use

- The teacher should not compel an individual to participate Some learners may not want to participate due to personal reasons Forcing students to participate usually does not have successful results

- A Game which looks wonderful on the paper may not work in the actual classroom setting If it is tiring or boring, it should be stopped

- Give clear instructions Unless the learners know what he is expected to do and how to do it, the aim cannot be achieved, and the Game cannot be played

- When giving instructions to beginners, a few words in the mother tongue would be the quickest way to make everything clear More English exposure is needed at a later stage

- Games are best set up by demonstration rather than by lengthy explanation

- When using Games, teachers should be good at controlling the class and careful with chaos and noise

- It is very important not to play a game for too long

- Teacher should prepare the materials in sufficient quantities

- Teacher should "check" answers at the end of an activity

- Making sure everyone participates It is best to stop a game at its peak

7 Advantages of using Games in the classroom:

- Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class

- They are motivating and challenging

- Learning a language requires a great deal of effort Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning

- Games provide language practice in the various skills- speaking, writing,

listening and reading

- They encourage students to interact and communicate

- They create a meaningful context for language use

8 How and when to apply new language Games to teaching some Grade 12 English lessons

8.1-Using Games in Warm-up stage to check, revise vocabulary or grammatical structures or lead students to the new lessons :

Game: Number matching

-Aims: To check or revise vocabulary, grammar or structures which have pairs

of words, or clauses….or lead students to the new lessons in Warm-up stage -Time allowed:5-7 minutes

-Material preparation: Teacher should prepare a table of words, phrases or clauses in advance and stick it on the board

-Steps:

+Teacher divides the class into 2 teams: Team A and Team B and asks each team to choose 5 or 6 couples

+Teacher asks couples in the 2 teams to come to the board and stand on 2 sides +Teacher numbers each member of 2 teams: Team A-1a,2b,3c,4d,5e,6f

Team B-1a,2b,3c,4d,5e,6f

+Teacher shows couples in the 2 teams the pairs of words, phrases or clauses +Teacher asks couples to find and match each other in each team The couple who have the perfect match will score one point for their team

+Teacher translates the meaning of the words, phrases or clauses each couple matched Then teacher corrects

+Teacher sums up: The team having more points will win the game

* For example: English 12( Basic curriculum) ( page 145,146,147)

Unit 13: The 22nd SEA Games - Lesson 5: Language focus ( Exercise 1) -Aims: To lead students to the new lesson in pre-teaching Grammar stage: Double comparison for “ comparative + and + comparative”

-Time allowed: 7 minutes

-Material preparation: I prepare a table of phrases and clauses (exercise 1)in advance and stick it on the board

-Steps:

+I divide the class into 2 teams: Team A and Team B and ask each team to choose 6 couples( for 6 sentences)

+I ask couples in the 2 teams to come to the board and stand on 2 sides

+I number each member of 2 teams: Team A: 1-a,2-b,3-c,4-d,5-e,6-f

Team B: 1-a,2-b,3-c,4-d,5-e,6-f

+I show couples in the 2 teams the pairs of phrases and clauses:

Students in Numbers Students in Letters

1.Travelling is becoming a more and more nervous

2.As I waited for my interview, I

became

b bigger and bigger 3.That hole in your pullover is getting c more and more talkative

4.As the conversation went on, he

became

d more and more expensive 5.The suitcase seemed to get e better and better

6.Her English is improving; it’s getting f heavier and heavier as I carried it

upstairs

+I ask couples to find and match each other in their own team

+The couple who have the perfect match will score one point for their team +I translate the meaning of the words, phrases or clauses each couple matched +I correct the answers

+I sum up: The team having more points will win the game

Students in 1 go with d, 2 with a, 3 with b, 4 with c, 5 with f, 6 with e

After students understand the meanings of the sentences above, we can ask them to give the form of Double comparison “ comparative + and + comparative”

* Note: We can do the same in Exercise 3_Unit 13_Language focus, page 147;

in Exercise 2_Unit 7_Language focus, page 82,83; in Exercise 1_Unit 16_Language focus, page 182

8.2- Using Games in Post reading or listening stage to summarize the ideas.

Game: Paper planes of numbers

-Aims: To summarize the ideas of the text in Post reading or listening stage -Time allowed: 7-9 minutes

-Material preparation: Teacher should ask students to prepare some papers and make planes of paper

-Steps: ( After reading or listening)

+Teacher divides the class into 8 or 10 groups of 5( depending on the number of students in the class)

+Teacher asks students to copy the numbers in the reading or listening to their paper planes and then draw the turns to fly ( throw) the planes

+Teachers gives the instructions that the first group can fly ( throw) their first plane to any other groups they like If the plane lands at any group, this group will open it to read the number in it This group will give a sentence in the reading or listening which includes this number If the group don’t answer or answer incorrectly, they will have no points and no chance to throw the plane to others If they answer correctly, they will have one point and fly the plane to others If the plane lands at no groups, it will be thrown again

+Teacher asks students to take turn to throw their planes until there’s no numbers left Then teacher corrects the answers

-Teacher sums up: The group having the most points will win the game

* For example: English 12(Basic curriculum) ( page 139,140)

Unit 13: The 22nd SEA Games - Lesson 1: Reading(After you read)

-Aims: To summarize the ideas of the text in Post reading stage

-Time allowed: 9 minutes

-Material preparation: I ask students to prepare some papers and make planes of paper

-Steps: ( After reading)

+I divide the class into 10 groups of 5

+I ask students to copy the numbers ( 22 nd ; 2003; 11; 32; 444; 158; 90;55;2; 1)

in the Reading to their paper planes and then draw the turns to fly ( throw) the planes

+I ask the first group to fly ( throw) their first plane to any other groups they like If the plane lands at any group, this group will open it to read the number in

it This group will give a sentence in the Reading which includes this number.

For example, they receive the plane with the number 1, they must give the

sentence: “ The Men’s Football team won a silver medal” ( line 11, 12 paragraph 2)

If the group don’t answer or answer incorrectly, they will have no points and no chance to throw the plane to others If they answer correctly, they will have one point and fly their own plane to others If the plane lands at no groups, it will be thrown again

+I ask students to take turn to throw their planes until there’s no numbers left +I correct the number students take out from the Reading

-I sum up: The group having more points will win the game

Group’s answers:

22 nd: The 22 nd Southeast Asian Games were held in Vietnam.( line 1, para 1) 2003: The 22 nd Southeast Asian Games were held in Vietnam from the 5 th to 13 th

December 2003.( line 1,2- para 1)

11: Athletes from 11 participating countries.( line 1, para 2)

32: Athletes from 11 participating countries competed 32 sports.( line 1, para 2) 444: 444 gold medals were won.(line 2 para2)

158: Vietnam won 158 gold medals.(line 5, para 2)

90: Thailand ranked second with 90 golds.(line 6,7- para 2)

55: Indonesia was third with only 55 golds.(line 7, para 2)

2: Singapore and Vietnam were the two nations which had participants who

were

Presented with the most outstanding athlete title in the Swimming and Shooting events.(line 8,9,10- para 2)

8.3- Using Games in Pre-writing stage to present the suggestions for ideas or structures.

Game: Sentence Arranging (like : Jumbled sentence game )

-Aims: To present the suggestions for ideas, grammar, structures in Pre-writing stage

-Time allowed: 5 – 7 minutes

-Material preparation: Teacher should prepare some pieces of paper or some extra-boards in the large or small size depending on the content the teacher needs to suggest for the writing lesson

-Steps:

+Teacher prepares some sentences he/she needs to suggest and writes down each jumped word on the pieces of the paper( or extra-boards)

+Teacher divides the class into 2 teams: Team A and Team B

+Teacher calls students in each team to come to the board( the number of students the teacher calls depends on the sentences the teacher prepared:

Example, there are 5 jumped sentences, teacher calls 5 students in each team)

+Teacher jumps the words in each sentence And then gives each student one jumped sentence

+Within limited time ( for example, 30 seconds) , these students finish putting the correct orders of the words in each sentence so that these sentences are perfect

+The team having the fast and correct sentences will have 2 points

+Teacher corrects and sums up: The team having more points will win the game

(Note: This game can be used to check or revise grammatical structures in Warm-up stage in Language focus sections )

* For example: English 12(Basic curriculum) ( page 49)

Unit 4: School education system - Lesson 4 - Writing

-Aims: To present the suggestions for ideas, grammar, structures…in

Pre-writing stage( before students do the task 1).

-Time allowed: 6 minutes

-Material preparation: I prepare 5 pieces of paper in the large size

-Steps:

+I prepare 5 sentences I need to suggest for the Writing lesson about Education system in Vietnam and write each jumped word on the pieces of the paper and stick them on the board(as shown)

+I divide the class into 2 teams: Team A and Team B

+I call 5 students in each team to come to the board

+I jump the words in each sentence And then give each student one jumped sentence

+Within limited time ( for example, 45 seconds) , these students finish putting the correct orders of the words in each sentence so that these sentences are perfect

+I correct and sum up: The team having the fast and correct sentences will win the games

Teams’ answers:

1.The children in Vietnam start going to primary education at the age of 6

2.Compulsory education lasts during 9 years from primary to lower secondary 3.The academic year in Vietnam lasts during 9 months from Sept to May

4.A school year in Vietnam is divided into 2 terms

5.The children in Vietnam finish upper secondary at the age of 17

Games: Relay

-Aims: To check or practice vocabulary such as verb form or word formations ( nouns, adjectives, adverbs, comparison of adjectives and adverbs…) and phrasal verbs or adjectives… in Warm-up stage or Language focus lessons -Time allowed: 5-7 minutes