Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)

Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo (Luận văn thạc sĩ)

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

LE THI BAY

THE EFFECT OF GAMES ON GRADE 10TH STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION

IN ENGLISH CLASS AT TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL

(Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo)

M.A THESIS Field: English Language Code: 8220201

Thai Nguyen, 2019

THE EFFECT OF GAMES ON GRADE 10TH STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION

IN ENGLISH CLASS AT TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL

(Ảnh hưởng của trò chơi đối với động lực học của học sinh khối 10 trong lớp học tiếng Anh tại trường trung học Trần Hưng Đạo)

M.A THESIS APPLICATION ORIENTED Field: English Language Code: 8220201

Supervisor: Dr Duong Duc Minh

Thai Nguyen, 2019

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the minor thesis entitled “The effect of games on grade 10 th

students’ motivation in English class at Tran Hung Dao high school” is my own

work To the best of my knowledge, it contains no materials previously published or

written by another person, or substantial proportion of material which have been

accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at the School of Foreign

Languages – Thai Nguyen University or any other education institutions The thesis

has not been submitted to any other examining body and has not been published

Any contribution made to the research by others is explicitly acknowledged in the

thesis

The candidate

Le Thi Bay

Supervisor

Dr Duong Duc Minh

I thank all my family and dear friends for their lifting my spirits at each turning point of this journey as well as for their great encouragement and valuable help during the data collection process

Last but not least, I extend my special thanks to all the research participants Without their valuable opinions and ideas in the questionnaires, the study would not have been accomplished

ABSTRACT

This paper aims at investigating the effect of games on grade 10th students’ motivation in English class at Tran Hung Dao high school, Quang Ninh province and seeks to determine the extent to which using games in learning process affects the improvement in students’ motivation in learning process, how students experience the teacher’s practice and behavior and measure the students’ perceptions of the using games in learning environment with respect to its effectiveness Questionnaire, observation and structured interview were used as the main tools to collect data Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used to provide enough data for the present study The results from the data revealed that the using games in learning process significantly affected students’ motivation in language classes In addition, most of the students involved in the study are generally happy about using language games in their study and they recognize the benefits of the language games in enhancing interaction between them and their classmates as well as their teacher

Key words: language games, high school students, motivation, attitudes,

performance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi

LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES vii

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2 Aims of the thesis 3

3 Scope of the thesis 3

4 Significance of the thesis 3

5 Structure of the thesis 4

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 6

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

1 Definition of motivation 6

2 Definition of games 8

3 Educational games 9

4 Games in English language teaching 9

5 Previous studies 12

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 15

1 Research design 15

2 Research procedure 15

3 Participants 17

4 Instruments 18

5 Data collection procedures 19

6 Data analysis 20

7 Summary 20

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 21

I Results 21

1.1 Results of questionnaire 21

1.2 Results of observation 25

1.3 Results of Semi-structures interview 26

II Discussions 28

PART 3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS 32

1 Recapitulation 32

2 Implication 33

3 Limitations 34

4 Recommendations and suggestions for further study 34

REFERENCES 37 APPENDICES I APPENDIX 1: I APPENDIX 2: III APPENDIX 3: IV APPENDIX 4: V APPENDIX 5: VI

LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES

page Chart 1: Students’ ideas of the importance of using games in English

learning process 21

Chart 2: Students’ opinion of using games in real contexts 22

Chart 3: Students’ understanding of the lesson 22

Chart 4: Students’ attitude to teaching method 23

Chart 5: Students’ interaction in English lessons 24

Chart 6: Students’ difficulties in playing games 24

Chart 7: Comparison of students’ motivation through lessons 25

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

In the current globalization and integration trend, English is considered to be the most widely used language in the world, as nearly 60 countries use English as their primary language, their mother tongue, and nearly 100 countries use English

as second-language English Therefore, this foreign language plays a very important role in the current integration of globalization

Human relations as well as cooperation, investment in any fields from science, business, commerce, transportation, technology, communication, tourism

to the opportunities in learning, expanding ties to co-operate not only in Vietnam but also in other regions of the world Especially since Vietnam became the 150thmember of the World Trade Organization and the transformation of Vietnam, the world during the Industrial Revolution 4.0 We are entering a new economic phase with many opportunities and challenges With the opening of the market we have a very strong economic development opportunity, along with the demand for high quality human resources meeting labor requirements in the age of integration, English is one of the tools that help us to reach and grasp those opportunities Therefore, the demand for training and development of foreign languages, especially English in Vietnam is increasingly focused and enhanced However, at present, although the focus on foreign language training at the school level, the results have not yet reached the required standards The objectives set out in the project "Teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system for the period of 2008 - 2020" have created a strong impetus in teaching and learning foreign languages; However, from the objective to the actual results of the project, the distance is very far On November 16, 2016, Mr Phung Xuan Nha - Minister of Education and Training announced that “the government had failed to meet the goals of the NFL scheme for the 2008-2020 periods” (VN, 2016) Limited English proficiency results in loss of the opportunity to study and work for many students

So as to learn a language well, students demand a relaxed atmosphere that increases motivating and this can be gained through games Using games in teaching not only helps students to learn better but also increase students' motivation, rapport, cooperation and social interaction On the one hand, playing games helped the students get ability for language, this good language ability helps students be self-confident and express themselves in their future life

The game is very useful to improve motivation among shy students who cannot express their feelings or thoughts in front of others By using the game, students can be more active, self-reliant and energetic to study about the environment, the world they live in, and take part in the teaching and learning process We can teach all skills and components through game play, based on a learner-centered approach, while we are teaching; we must pay attention to the meaning, relevance and level of learners (Widodo, 2006)

At Tran Hung Dao High School, students live mainly in mountainous areas, with difficult conditions, their English communication environment is not available, and having a few chances to access learning languages resources as well

as opportunities to communicate in foreign languages Most students who have moderate level of learning, limited access to learning and access to outside knowledge, lack of opportunity to practice communication, Besides, being a foreign language teacher, the researcher have been step by step innovating, integrating and diversifying teaching methods into teaching periods in my classes

to create the most comfortable atmosphere as possible for students to access the foreign language what they are learning best

Adding that, teaching English in most of Vietnam public schools often only focuses on tasks and exercises in the textbook, lack of many important activities, such as: active discovery, analysis, interpretation, problem-solving, memory, and physical activities, which leads to the boredom and be difficult for motivating students in learning foreign language Hence in order to improve the teaching English in the classes more and more efficiently, as well as overcome these

weaknesses, that is reason the researcher conduct the research “The effect of games

on grade 10th students' motivation in English language class at Tran Hung Dao high school” And this research was implemented at Tran Hung Dao High School, Quang Ninh Province

2 Aims of the thesis

This study aims to find out the using of language games in teaching and learning foreign language and its role in promoting students’ motivation in learning English

Especially, the research attempts to discover whether using games in the classroom makes the Tran Hung Dao high school students motivated to learn English Based on this information, the study tries to give satisfactory answers to the following research questions:

1 What is the impact of using games on grade 10th students’ motivation in Tran Hung Dao high school?

2 What are the students’ attitudes towards using games in the English foreign language classroom?

3 Scope of the thesis

This study only focused on using language games in teaching to stimulate student’s motivation in learning English for 10th students at Tran Hung Dao high school, Dong Trieu district, Quang Ninh Province The scope of this research included the students in classes 10A1 with the total of 38 students include 20 females and 18 males at Tran Hung Dao high school Most of them come from mountainous areas not have many opportunities to learn English

4 Significance of the thesis

Findings from this thesis contributed to the field of promoting student motivation in learning English process First, this study provides a suitable

approach for teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning process in Vietnam

Another possible contribution of this study focuses on evaluating the productiveness and learner attitudes and motivation of using games in learning process in order to determine the changes for improvements in terms of teaching and learning methods

Last but not least, the study contributed to dealing with the investigation of how teacher practice and behavior may influence student’s satisfaction of using games in learning environment

5 Structure of the thesis

Part 1: Introduction

This part is the introduction which contains the rationale, aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope, the methods, the significance of the thesis

Part 2: Development

Chapter 1: Literature review

This chapter is the literature review which includes an overview of the theoretical background and the previous researches related to the study

Chapter 2: Research methodology

This chapter presents in details about the method of the study restating the research questions and describes the setting where the study is conducted, the participants, and the instruments used to collect data, and the procedures of data collection

Chapter 3: Findings and Discussion

This chapter focuses on the results of data analysis and the findings are shown which aims at describing the analysis of data in detail and giving the summary of the findings as well as a thorough discussion of the findings of the

study Some explanations and interpretations of the findings are also presented in this chapter

Part 3: Conclusions and Recommendations

This part includes the conclusion, recommendation, limitations of the study and some suggestions for further research

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1 Definition of motivation

Gardner (1985) said that motivation is perceived as a goal-directed factor since it involves four aspects: a goal, effortful behavior, a desire to reach the goal, and favorable attitudes toward an activity Motivation works as the starting point for learning and supporting the process of foreign language learning In fact, if there is lack of motivation, no student will be able to continue with the process of achieving language proficiency; in the other word, high motivation will be useful for learners to attain proper proficiency in the second language, even if their ability

or learning conditions are not appropriate (Cheng & Dörnyei, 2007) Motivation has been admitted as a remarkable factor in language learning success Motivation research has evolved over the years through several stages demonstrating gradual integration with developments in motivational psychology, while having a clear focus on aspects of motivation related to language learning (Ushioda & Dörnyei, 2012)

Harmer (2002) said that motivation is a type of initiative that encourages someone to do things to reach a goal Moreover, this is fundamental to succeed in most fields of learning; without such motivation, we will not be able to make the effort to learn So, it is necessary to understand the its role when learning a language The author distinguishes between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation coming from outside and inside the individual respectively

Brown (2001) states intrinsic motivation is one of the aspects that helps students succeed in language learning Of course, there are other factors involved

in language learning success, but if learners are provided with opportunities in the classroom to practise the language without depending so much on outdoor rewards for their motivation, they will have a better chance to succeed When students

practise the language for their own personal reasons to become proficient, they will

be able to develop their own competence and autonomy to learn the language

Research has admitted intrinsic motivation as a decisive factor to stimulate success Furthermore, in a model of intrinsic motivation proposed by Vallerand (1997), he found that intrinsic motivation is related to knowledge, accomplishment, and stimulation These three aspects are respectively associated with exploring new ideas and developing knowledge, sensations embraced in attempting to master a task or achieve a goal, and sensations stimulated by performing the task This kind

of motivation is referred to as extrinsic motivation, the motivation that students bring into the classroom from outside (Harmer, 2007)

According to Thomas (2004), Robbins and Timothy (2007) “Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used

to describe the causes for animal behavior as well” This study refers to human motivation According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in a basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality,

or avoiding mortality Conceptually, motivation should not be confused with either volition or optimism Motivation is related to, but distinct from emotion

However, in order to understand of terms used in this study, the following definitions are given to research

The students’ motivation is the desire to attend and learn the contents of the subject or the study program, which is the decision-making process of students on the orientation, concentration and efforts of students in the study process Learning motivation increases the knowledge and skills acquired by students in the learning process This is reflected in their academic results Students will not be able to get the best learning results if they do not have the right learning attitude Learning attitude, in which motivation is the deciding factor

2 Definition of games

The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (Richards, Platt, & Platt, 1995, p 89), game is defined as “an organized activity that usually has the following properties, a particular task or objective, a set of rules, competition between players, and communication between players by spoken

or written language” In addition, Flexner & Hauck (as cited from Deng, 2006, p 3) states that “game is a competitive activity involving skills, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for spectators”

According to Martinson and Sauman (2008, p 478), “Games are effective tools for learning because they offer students a hypothetical environment in which they can explore alternative decisions without the risk of failure Thought and action are combined into purposeful behavior to gain a goal Playing games teaches students how to strategize, to consider alternatives, and to think flexibly” In other words, games are fun activities that help promote thinking, learning, interacting and solving problem Normally, games have an aspect that permits the players to produce information in a short time period Some games require the players to participate in a physical activity or complete a mental challenge

However, Lengelling and Malarcher (1997) say that choosing a game is not easy task, it should be governed by some rules to guarantee the success of them

So, while planning games, teachers should take into consideration the following features: Classroom space, noise, materials necessary for the game, the amount of time needed for each game, and the level, culture, interest and age of students

In fact, games are also classified by many ways in language English teaching According to Hadfield (1999), she explains two ways of classifying language games The first, she divides language games into two categories: language games and communication games Language games focus on accuracy,

on the other hand, the game of communication focuse on the exchange of information and ideas of success The use of correct language, though still

important, is secondary to achieving communication goals The second that Hadfield used to classify language games has more categories Just like classifying games as language games or communication games, some games contain elements

of both types

3 Educational games

Like computer games or online games but these educational games focus on playing in the classrooms, and the definition maintains that such games require the involvement of rules, competition, relaxation and learning A major purpose for using games in class is to promote students' motivation in learning English

Prensky (2006 and 2011) defined educational games as interactive plays that teach us goals, rules, adaptation, problem solving, interaction, all represented as a story They give us the fundamental needs of learning by providing - enjoyment, passionate involvement, structure, motivation, ego gratification, adrenaline, creativity, social interaction and emotion

4 Games in English language teaching

Games are useful for students involved in the learning of English since games can strengthen students’ motivation and self-confidence Using games in English teaching process to raise students' motivation and confidence which can then promote higher levels of English learning process By using a game which helps students lots of opportunities to do, to act, and to move, they can acquire a greater quantity of meaningful lesson

Foreman (2003, p.16) states that “Learning through performance requires active discovery, analysis, interpretation, problem-solving, memory, and physical activity and extensive cognitive processing” In other words, games provide a constructivist classroom environment where students and their learning are central, from there, students draw their own meaning from these experiences while learning from their mistakes and also from each other

In other words, games stimulate students’ activities in classroom and as a result, students become motivated and willing to learn Philips (1993) supports this opinion by her statement that enjoyable activity is memorable then and the possible success that the children could reach in language learning will develop motivation for their further learning

Games allow for creativity, independence and higher thinking Usually, questions made by the classroom teacher are fact based and have only one answer, not allowing for creativity, personal expression The answer is either right or wrong, but games can allow for multiple answers They improve participation, self-confident, and vocabulary usage and moreover, games allow the students to see that there are many ways to solve the same problem It is more like real life

Games also reinforce learning through many multiple intelligences Since individuals receive and process information in very different ways, it is important that teachers use different styles and strategies Games often combine logical reasoning, communication, visual stimulation and spatial relations Games include analysis and explanation of new and old material which makes learning concrete Moreover, the hands-on experiences are integral to critical learning, retention and recall

Games stimulate interactivity The students are actively processing and working with the material and classmates Specially, in a foreign language classroom, it is imperative that the students practice speaking with each other The foreign language students' aim is to speak proficiently and independently in various situations He or she never may do so unless there are ample opportunities for guided and independent practice The interactivity among the students also promotes a community of learners The students will begin to meet each other as individuals and will interact more about each other instead of seeing what they are

on the surface Interactivity will remove stereotypes and barriers in a foreign language classroom

Games allow the students to work in group and to work collaboratively towards a common goal This cooperative effort is not only learning to work with others but also promoting a symbiotic relationship where they can learn from each other Students must supply reasons for why their answer is the best, listen to their teammates’ rationale and then determine which answer is the best and why So, the cooperative effort is promoting a spontaneous discussion about the material, improving pronunciation, increasing participation, aiding in comprehension, all while the students are thinking quickly on their feet The students are also developing trust and self-confident in this process Trust develops within and among the players The students must trust their own instincts and others’ rationale about the answer as well as the ability to produce it Self- esteem grows as their answers are validated and teammates rely on them to be pivotal players in the game

Using games in the language classroom enhances students’ motivation and confidence in the process of learning when they achieve learning goals in a relaxing environment

Using game is a useful tool in improving children’s vocabulary acquisition in

as natural a way as would be normally achieved through play (Angelova & Lekova, 1995; Atake, 2003; Deng, 2006)

In short, the use of games has great pedagogical value in enhancing students' motivation and can be a springboard for teamwork In a classroom based on teaching through games, there are different types of motivated interactions that make teaching-learning process enjoyable in learners-learners, learners and teachers’ interactions

In fact, games are closely connected with motivation For instance, Khan (1991, p 143) points out usefulness of the game because of its motivating importance “It is clear then that games-since children naturally want to play them - can be motivating.” McCallum (1980, p 9) highlights this point by suggesting that

“games automatically stimulate student’s interest, a properly introduced game can

be one of the highest motivating techniques.” Avedon (cited in Deesri, 2002, p 2) adding that “games spur motivation and students get very absorbed in the competitive aspects of the games; moreover, they try harder at games than in other courses”

5 Previous studies

Although there has been much research in the field of motivation, some studies have emphasized the impact of using games on English foreign language learners’ motivation

AlHaj (2011) conducted research to explore and solve a motivational problem in English foreign language Sudanese secondary students The author used previous studies, direct observations, and guided interviews so as to obtain valuable information The results showed that the lack of motivation in English foreign language classrooms within the study was due to the following factors: teachers and their training, schools, families and the lack of developing programs which maintain students’ interest in learning process

Additionally, it was found that a variety of classroom activities play an essential part in motivating students and facilitating the acquisition of English foreign language Thus, it is recommended that teachers use debates, games, group work, pair-work, interviewing, problem-solving and role-plays to stimulate or motivate English foreign language learners

In Tuan’s (2012) study, key motivational factors which were influencing students’ English learning performance and some effective ways of fostering these factors were analyzed The aim of the research was to find out whether motivation had any impact on students’ English learning process Results showed that 94% of the participants agreed that motivational activities are necessary Students love playing games, reading, translation, group or pair work, role-plays, and including television for watching films in English and cassettes for listening

Chou (2014) examined the extent to which activities such as games, songs, and stories helped and motivated 72 Taiwanese English foreign language primary school pupils (between the ages of 8 and 11) to learn English vocabulary The instruments used to collect qualitative and quantitative data were self-assessment questionnaires, achievement tests, and interviews The information collected was analyzed using statistics software The qualitative data was coded, classified and reported according to their similarities and differences The results demonstrated that games, songs, and stories had a positive effect on learners’ motivation to increase their English vocabulary

Kamra, (2010) concluded that using games is an efficient way to teach English in the classroom This way you get the best results in the classroom

It arouses students’ motivation Games prepare young learners for life and they acquire positive social attitudes Games teach sharing, helping each other and working as a team A child learns by doing, living, trying and imitating So this kind of learning is lasting During games some feelings such as the pleasure of winning and the ambition of losing may arise This gives to the teacher an idea about student’s character So games are must-have activities for hardworking teachers This is in the line with Buckingham (2003)

Playing educational games also help students with focus, self-esteem, and memory Educational games can help a person focus because they are being patient while waiting to achieve getting to the next level Playing these games help (does not fit) their self- esteem because sometimes they get a quicker reaction from the game system and they can really see how they have accomplished something In the games there are milestones that the students will have to reach and at the end of each stage they receive something that they will have to have in the next stage This is also where their focus comes into play because they will take their time to make sure they do things correctly so that they may go on longer in the game (Schuna 2010)

A primary advantage of educational games is that students can work on multiple skills and subjects across the curriculum at once The 2010 Horizon Report expands on this idea and includes a long list of benefits from “open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative games” such as massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) Using games of this type can open opportunities for students to work on skills in all areas of traditional education while at the same time including research skills, problem-solving and leadership

In conclusion, Prensky (2011) argued that students are naturally motivated

to play games Serious games are interactive play that teach students goals, rules, adaptation, problem solving, interaction, all represented as a story They give them the fundamental needs of learning by providing enjoyment, passionate involvement, structure, motivation, ego gratification, adrenaline, creativity, social interaction and emotion “Playing has a deep biological, evolutionarily important,

function, which has to be done specifically with learning.” (Prensky, 2011, p 134)

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1 Research design

Action research is adopted as the research approach to answer the two research questions and achieve the aim and objectives of the study According to Ferrance (2000), action research is a suitable method for teachers who want to make appropriate changes to student learning and measure the possible effects, and

he demonstrates “Action research is used to chart the effects of implementation of

a curriculum or strategy, to study student learning and responses.” This method is also justified to offer significant benefits for the researcher, who is also a teacher

Johnson (1995) pointed out three mains advantages of action research The first one is to promote personal and professional growth, the second advantage is to improve practice to enhance student’s learning, and the final one is to advance the teacher profession

Action research is considered the best approach to do this study for three main reasons First, the aim of action research is “to intervene in a deliberate way

in the problematic situation in order to bring about changes and, even better, improvements in practice” (Burns, 2009) Second, action research is a problem-solving approach for a particular teaching or learning situation Finally, Beatty (2003) states that action research is very useful for teachers and researchers trying

to find out how and for that purposes can be used to assist learning

2 Research procedures

The action research was conducted using the action research cycle suggested

by Nunan (1992) The research cycle consists of seven phases: Initiation/ problem identification; preliminary investigation; hypothesis; intervention; evaluation, dissemination and follow-up

Step 1: Initiation/ Problem Identification:

In the process of teaching lessons to students, the teacher had found that many students are not interested in learning as well as receiving new knowledge Moreover, they look sluggish, bored and unmotivated during their studies, the atmosphere in classroom is boring This leads they do not understand the lessons The main reason for this matter is that they do not have motivation to learn

Step 2: Preliminary Investigation

To identify the motivation of students in learning process, the researcher had informal chats with the students in the free breaks to discover their problems The students themselves recognized that they are bored with learning English They thought that some reasons come from the lack of motivation in learning process, this leads they are lack of knowledge of lesson and they feel tired of learning English

Step 3: Hypothesis

The results of the informal chats analysis in Step 2 revealed that students’ low proficiency in language could be hypothesized as their lack of knowledge of motivation, vocabulary, knowledge of pronunciation, the lack of time for interacting students- students, students-teacher This motivated the researcher to read the literature on classroom strategies applicable to teaching lessons While reading the literature (teaching methodology books, journal articles, etc…) the researcher came across the idea of using games in language teaching to motivate students in learning English process with traditional classroom might help to improve the situation

Step 4: Intervention

In this phase, the researcher designed the suitable games with the lesson of students in the classroom and the rest of the activity was carried out In class, the students would be instructed to discuss the assignments through games, The students would have chances to take part in pair works or group work to practice

lesson, discuss some topics or questions related to the lesson Teacher also gave the learners feedback as well as tips for the tasks

Step 5: Evaluation

In order to clarify to what extent the games would affect the students’ learning process as well as questionnaire, observation and interview were collected, analyzed and interpreted

to learn English Their parents are mostly farmers, their living condition is quite low, their parents only pay attention to earning a living in order to support their living condition as well as caring their children, they have no time to take care of their children’s learning In addition, while learning foreign languages, they only access and study standard seven- year textbook for high school students with a few references to books as well as other resources for learning language So, their level and language skills are limited, their awareness is mainly based on the experiences that they accumulated through the lessons they have had during the time of practicing activities without creativity in learning the language Thus, they feel shy

to interact with other classmates in English lesson

Six interviewees were randomly chosen from class 10A1 to participate in the researcher’s structured interview

4 Instruments

According to Dornyei (2003, p.23), questionnaires are “easy to construct, extremely versatile, and uniquely capable of gathering a large amount of information quickly in a form that is readily processible” To get the students’ opinions and value of the using games lesson as a whole, a questionnaire was done after the using games sessions were completed Three types of questions were included: rating scales, multiple choices and open questions The Likert scales - strongly agree/agree/neither agree nor disagree/disagree/strongly disagree - were used with statements about the listening sessions, their effect so that the answers could be quantified and analyzed easily (Mackey and Gass, 2005)

In this study, the questionnaire which consists of six items were designed and delivered to all students This questionnaire was designed in a five point Likert-scale which descend the meaning respectively from strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree to strongly disagree This model is helpful to figure out students’ reaction, attitude, and opinion toward the educational games applied during the treatment time All of the questions were written in English then translated into Vietnamese

to make sure students understand all the items in the questionnaire

Each question was designed to serve different purpose To be specific, the 1st item aims to explore students’ perception on the important of game in learning English, the 2nd item is to explore students’ opinion on using games in teaching English to apply in real context conversation, the 3rd items aims at exploring students’ understanding of the lesson when learning with games Item 4 explores the students’ perception on the effectiveness of language game, item 5 explores students’ opinion and interaction when learning English with games The last items deal with students’ motivation when learning English with games