Applying games in teaching the present perfect tense to the freshmen at haiphong medical university

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT: Communicative Language Teaching PPP: Presentation – Practice- Production PPT: Present Perfect Tense HMU: Hai Phong Medical University LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

POST – GRADUATE DEPARTMENT

( Nghiên cứu việc áp dụng trò chơi trong việc dạy thời Hiện tại

Hoàn thành cho sinh viên năm thứ nhất Đại học Y Hải Phòng )

M.A Minor Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Hanoi - 2011

POST – GRADUATE DEPARTMENT

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

ĐỖ THỊ HỒNG DIỆP

APPLYING GAMES IN TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE TO THE FRESHMEN AT HAIPHONG MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

( Nghiên cứu việc áp dụng trò chơi trong việc dạy thời Hiện tại

Hoàn thành cho sinh viên năm thứ nhất Đại học Y Hải Phòng )

M.A Minor Thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Supervisor: Phung Thi Kim Dung, MA

Hanoi - 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ……… i

Abstract ……… ii

Table of contents ……… ……….iii

List of abbreviations ……… vi

List of tables and charts ……….vi

Part 1 : INTRODUCTION ……… 1

1 Rationale ……….……….1

2 Aims of the study ……….………2

3 Scope of the study ……… ……….3

4 Methodology of the study ………3

5 Design of the study……… ………3

Part 2 : DEVELOPMENT ………4

Chapter 1: Literature review ……… ……… …4

1.1 Grammar and its role in English teaching and learning ………… ………4

1.1.1 Definitions of grammar ……… 4

1.1.2 The role of grammar in English teaching and learning ……… 4

1.1.3 Grammar: What need to be taught? ……… … ……….6

1.2 The Present Perfect tense and its meaning ……….……… 7

1.2.1 Present Perfect expresses indefinite past actions ……….…………7

1.2.2 Present Perfect expresses state up to the present ……… ……… 9

1.2.3 Present Perfect expresses finished events connected to the present 10

1.2.4 Present Perfect for repeated or habitual actions ……… ….11

1.3 The application of games in teaching Present Perfect Tense ………11

1.3.1 The importance of students’ motivation in learning language … ……… 11

1.3.2 Definitions of game ……… ….13

1.3.3 Classifications of games ……….……….….14

1.3.4 Advantages of teaching Present Perfect tense with games ……… 15

1.3.5 Application of games ……….……….… 17

1.3.5.1 Which games to apply? ………17

1.3.5.2 When apply games? ……….18

1.4 Summary ……… …19

Chapter 2: Contents of the study ……… ……… ….20

2.1 Background to the study ……… …20

2.1.1 An overview of English learning and teaching at Hai Phong Medical University ……….20

2.1.2 Aims and syllabus of Present Perfect teaching at Hai Phong Medical University……… 21

2.1.2.1 Aims ……… 21

2.1.2.2 Syllabus ……… ………21

2.1.3 Situation of teaching and learning grammar, including the Present Perfect tense at Hai Phong Medical University ………22

2.2 Lesson plan and application of games in teaching the Present Perfect tense………….23

2.3 Data analysis ……… ………23

2.3.1 Analyzing result of the questionnaire ……….23

2.2.1.1 Questionnaire for teachers ……… ………23

2.2.1.2 Questionnaire for students……… ……… 28

2.2.1.3 The feedback of the freshmen in experimental lesson ……… …32

2.3.2 Class observation ……….………… …35

2.3.3 Result of interview ……… ……… 37

2.4 Findings and discussion ……… 39

2.4.1 Research question 1……….……… 39

2.4.2 Research question 2 ……… 39

2.4.3 Research question 3……… ……….39

Chapter 3: Suggestions ……….……….… 41

3.1 Some suggestions in adapting and applying games……… 41

3.2 Examples of the Present Perfect games in Headway textbook (elementary) ……… 41

Part 3: CONCLUSION ……….……….42

1 Summary of major findings ……… …42

2 Limitations and suggestions for further research……… ……….43

REFERENCES ……… 45 APPENDICES ……… ………I

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT: Communicative Language Teaching

PPP: Presentation – Practice- Production

PPT: Present Perfect Tense

HMU: Hai Phong Medical University

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

Chart 1: Teachers purpose of teaching grammar

Chart 2: Teachers’ method to teach grammar

Chart 3: Students’ Present Perfect learning

Chart 4: Suggestions to improve the students’ learning

Chart 5: Frequency of using games in class

Chart 6: Students’ interest in PPT

Chart 7: Students’ understanding of the lesson

Chart 8: Students’ attitude to teaching method

Chart 9: Students’ time for learning lesson at home

Chart 10: Students’ understanding after the lesson

Chart 11: Students’ problem with PPT

Chart 12: Students’ attitude to learn PPT through games

Chart 13: Students’ interest in games in the lesson

Chart 14: Students’ understanding after the lesson with the games Chart 15: Students’ application structure PPT in the games

Table 1: Teachers’ difficulties in teaching PPT

Table 2: Advantages of games in teaching PPT

Table 3: The problems of teaching PPT through games

Table 4: Teachers’ ideas to improve the approach to the PPT

Table 5: Students’ activities in Present Perfect lesson

Table 6: Students’ comments on teachers’ frequency of using games Table 7: The advantages when participating in the games

Table 8: The difficulties when participating in the games

Table 9: Students’ attitude of frequency of playing games in the lesson

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

Linguists define grammar as a set of components: phonetics (the production and perception of sounds), phonology (how sounds are combined), morphology (how elements are combined to create words), syntax (how words are strung together into sentences) and semantics or meaning So, by definition, language does not exist without grammar In learning

a foreign language, grammar plays an important role Many advantages of grammar study are

to improve your writing, reading, thinking and speaking Besides, it can enable you to express the knowledge that we have, in a correct and understandable format

In the English grammar system, learners still find it difficult to master the connection between Time – Tense – Aspect Tense and aspect are grammatical categories of the verbs which have to do with forms While tense links the situation represented by a sentence with the time at which it is uttered, aspect represents features of the temporal structure of the situation Tense and aspect are obligatory because whenever we encode an event through a finite clause, we select one or another tense, one or another aspectual distinction In fact, tense and aspect can combine in various ways, giving different types, such as: the Present Progressive tense, the Present Perfect tense, the Past Perfect Progressive tense…Having taught

at some colleges and universities for a few years, I realize that the Present Perfect tense that puzzles students most Of all the English tenses, PPT is undoubtedly the most difficult one for students to learn and, for that reason, the most difficult one to teach The trouble does not come from teaching the form Students do not have much trouble with how to form PPT Instead, they have trouble understanding how to use PPT Almost all elementary students know how to conjugate this verb tense correctly, but knowing when to use PPT (the functions

of the tense) is often confusing

Mario Rinvolucri (1984:3) wrote that: “Grammar is perhaps so serious and central in learning another language that all ways should be searched for which will focus students energy on the task of mastering and internalizing it One way of focusing this energy is through the release offered by games” Grammar games are very useful in teaching and

learning; grammar games not only encourage but also improve students’ ability in using

English fluently However, at my university, teaching grammar, including the PPT - a difficult item of English grammar is very boring and passive Through my observation with two

random classes – Y1K32B and Y1K32H- (see Classroom Observation Sheet in Appendix 1), I

find that in the lesson plan, teacher proposes many activities for students to learn and communicate; however in practice, teacher often uses PPP approach, and even Grammar Translation Method which make students inattentive to the lessons In some classes, few teachers use activities, technology or games to create amusement and attractiveness, but they cannot guide students to attend The reasons may be poor English skills or weak motivation of the students or teachers’ knowledge about activities applied in their classes or unsuitable activities to the content of the lesson, etc Finally, teachers cannot gain the first goal and students cannot understand the lesson thoroughly and use grammar structures in oral communication So, the teaching grammar in my university has neither developed ability, activeness and motivation of the students nor created many opportunities for them to communicate in English Therefore, this study is necessary because using games in teaching grammar; specifically the PPT will bring many practical benefits to the students

In consideration of these problems, as an English teacher, I really want to study the situation of teaching and learning the PPT at HMU and make a small contribution to enhancing the effectiveness in teaching this tense through games

2 Aims of the study

 to examine the effects of games on the teaching and learning of the Present Perfect tense and to explore students' attitudes, expectations and progress in their process of learning the Present Perfect tense through games

 to propose several recommendations on game adaptation to make them more enjoyable and productive to the students at HMU

In order to carry out the study in this way, the following questions are put forth

1 What are students’ attitudes towards games in the Present Perfect lesson?

2 How does the use of games help students learn Present Perfect Tense more effectively?

3 What games should be used to teach The Present Perfect Tense more effectively for the freshmen at Hai Phong Medical University?

3 Scope of the study

Given the rationale and the aims of the study, it is necessary to limit the study to the areas which are manageable Benefits of application of games in teaching the PPT create the effectiveness of students’ learning which focuses on two factors: developing students’ motivation and understanding of the lesson The study focuses on the first-year students at HMU, so the results of the study are not applied for all students of all universities

4 Methodology

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods Quantitative method helps

to provide the quantified background data The collected data and information lay the foundation for the study Comments, remarks, assumptions and conclusions of the study are based on data analysis Data collection for analysis in the study come from the lecturers and students in HMU by:

- Class observation

- Survey questionnaires

- Interviews and discussion

5 Design of the study

This minor thesis includes three parts

The first part – Introduction – provides the motivation for the research, identifies the aims, scope, methods and research questions

The second part – Development – consists of three chapters

Chapter 1- Literature review - gives an overview of theories of the study

Chapter 2 – Contents of the study – investigates the current situation of learning and teaching the PPT at HMU through class observation, interviews and questionnaires, then carries out data analysis, comparison, findings and discussion

Chapter 3 – Suggestions – provides or suggestions to overcome difficulties when using Present Perfect games in class and examples of games to teach the Present Perfect tense in Headway textbook (elementary)

The last part of the study is the conclusion which gives a summary of the study and recommendations for further study

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literature Review 1.1 Grammar and its role in English teaching and learning

Crystal (2004) says: “Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English Additionally, it can help everyone, not only teachers of English, but teachers of anything for all teaching grammar

is ultimately a matter of getting to grips with meaning.”

Maugham (1938) adds: “It is necessary to know grammar, and it is better to write grammatically than not, but it is well to remember that grammar is common speech formulated Usage is the only test.”

As it can be seen from the above definitions, grammar is not an unimportant set of rules that can be ignored without consequences It is a very complex phenomenon and even though learners may find it a difficult thing to master, the time devoted to that is certainly not wasted

1.1.2 The role of grammar in English teaching and learning

According to Harmer’s viewpoint (1987: 12): “Without some understanding of Grammar, students would not be able to do anything more than utter separate items of language for separate functions The expression of functional language is only possible through the use of the Grammar of the language”, teaching grammar helps students

understand how the language works Apart from vocabulary, students need to know grammar

to understand how it is written or how words are combined together to understand the proper

meaning Without grammar or with a poor knowledge of grammar, they may get confused with complicated expression Appropriate grammar techniques are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts then contribute positively to communicative goals and they also promote accuracy in using language fluently

Besides, according to Smith (2001: 15), if teachers neither pay attention to grammar nor create opportunities for learners to improve grammar, learners are likely to stand the risk

of fossilization or reach a point where they can cope with level of communication by making use of their existing grammatical resources and communication strategies and probably with sufficient fluency Surely, the learners do not see the need to develop their linguistic abilities any further

In favor of the importance of grammar, Larsen – Freeman (1986: 13) affirms that grammar is regarded as a skill rather than an area of knowledge Learners do not simply store knowledge about the language and its use; they need also develop an ability to do something They must have a chance of learning situations to overcome the knowledge problem It is true

to say that grammar is the fifth skill besides four skills reading, writing, speaking and listening Skill development as well as learning grammar need practice Grammar might not be taught only when the students already possessed the knowledge and the ability to use the grammar item in speech, writing and listening comprehension In fact, grammar is the basic for mastering four language skills When we have concrete foundation of grammar, we feel easy to advance

In general, grammar is acknowledged to be of importance in learning and teaching a language Grammar is naturally acquired from meaningful input and opportunities to interact

in the classroom More especially, learners can improve their grammar competence in a suitable environment without conscious focus on language forms However, this partly depends on the learning circumstances As a result, grammar teaching gains its significant role

in English Language Teaching because highly developed language skills are difficult to achieve without some knowledge of grammar

As an important element in the grammatical system of English language, the Present Perfect Tense is also necessary It is not easy to communicate with someone without using the

Present Perfect We often need to talk about things which happened or started to happen in the past and which are linked to the present or future The Present Perfect is the tense that we need

in communications

1.1.3 Grammar: what need to be taught?

The meaning of teaching grammar is still controversial Some teachers claim that a grammar class primarily consists of the explanation of grammatical rules with all of the necessary grammatical terminology for this task For others, the teaching of grammar is synonymous with the practice of common grammatical patterns For still others, what should

be concerned about in grammar teaching is providing learners with opportunity in a variety of realistic situations in order to learn to communicate successfully

Sandra L McKay (1986:xiv) has an interesting point of view: “If we want our students

to learn these things and to use English both correctly and appropriately, we need to include

in our grammar classes attention to both form and function” “Form”, as seen from her

viewpoint, means grammatical forms such as verb tense, question formation and “function” refers to the purpose that language serves such as asking for information, making a suggestion, extending an invitation

Penny Ur (1988: 6) shares the same view as Sandra L MacKay: “Some teachers, and/or the course book they use, have a tendency to concentrate on some of these and neglect others: they may spend a lot of time on getting the forms right and neglect to give practice in using the structure to convey meanings, or they may focus, on written exercises and fail to cover the oral aspects satisfactorily It is important to keep a balance, taking into account, of course, the needs of the particular class being taught.”

According to Adrian Doff (1988: 33), teachers should teach the meaning, the form of the grammatical structure as well as how it is used He also suggests some remarkable points for teachers to remember when presenting a structure:

 Show what the structure means and how it is used, by giving examples

 Show clearly how the structure is formed so that students can use it to make sentences of their own

1.2 The Present Perfect Tense and its meanings

1.2.1 Present Perfect expresses indefinite past actions

The Present Perfect is used when the speaker wants to refer to the past event in relation

to speech time, not to a definite moment of occurrence of the event The speaker views the event as happening at an indefinite time (or unspecific time) in the past This makes a marked contrast with the simple past which is used when the speaker views the events as occurring at

a definite past time Compare:

a The train has left safely

b The train left five minutes ago

In (a) the speaker wants to refer the present situation, the train has left and now it is on the rails with the passengers get on it whereas in (b) there is an adverbial of time to specify the exact time so past tense is appropriate

As a consequence of its indefiniteness, the Present Perfect is often used with indefinite time expressions which mean at any time up to now or by now For example:

Just is used to indicate immediate past time, whose results are very clear:

E.g.: “I’ve just washed the floor” (so it’s still wet)

“He’s just left” (so you are too late to speak to him)

Already suggests that the speaker believes that the action is over and that the present result is

surprisingly quick

E.g.: “He’s already eaten it” (there is none left That was surprisingly quick)

“Have you already seen it?” (What a pity We couldn’t have seen it together)

Yet suggests that the speaker believes that the result of the action should or could be present

“now”

E.g.: “I haven’t painted the fence yet.” (You promised to paint the fence Is it finished, how

long will you take to finish it?)

Lately/Recently are used to express regency These are used to talk about the recent events

which continue up to the present

E.g.: “I’ve seen Jane a lot lately.”

“There have been a lot of terrible storms recently.”

Ever/Never/Before are used to express indefiniteness, especially for remembered experience

which is part of a person in the present

E.g.: “I’ve been to Spain but I have never been to Italy”

“I’m sure we’ve met before.”

Still expresses the speaker’s surprise that the action continues to affect the present moment

E.g.: “He still hasn’t left.” (I am surprised that he is here now)

This morning/ Today/ This week… are used with Present Perfect to refer actions or events

which are still continuing in the present

E.g.: “We’ve done quite a lot work today.”

“I haven’t watched any television so far this week.”

However, the Present Perfect and the past tense in English are not normally interchangeable This is because the two forms reflect different ways of looking at an event The past simple is essentially factual remote in time and relates to a definite event or state in the past whereas the Present Perfect is essentially grounded in the moment of speech It is also indefinite and provides the speaker’s present view of the past- that is, the speaker sees or thinks of something at the moment of speaking which makes him look back on something which has already happened

This is clear if we contrast the following pair:

Have you been busy this morning? (It is still the morning now)

Were you busy this morning? (This morning is now the finished past)

Have you cleaned the floor? (The floor is still wet)

Did you clean the floor? (Maybe the floor is dirty and need cleaning.)

The Present Perfect- not the past tense is used when the meanings of indefiniteness and beforeness are present in the speaker’s mind even though no adjunct accompanies the verb The problem remains is to establish what determines the choice of the Present Perfect rather than the past Consider these sentences:

(a) I’ve finished my homework

(b) He’s sold his house

At first glance, it looks as if there is no element of present involvement in these sentences but

in fact, in all of them there are present features which form part of the whole relevant situation set out in time – that is to say, they are past events with present relevance In (a), the

implication may be I’m now ready to go out with you and in (b) the implication may be he will have to hire a house So the Present Perfect is often used when the past events have some

present importance, usually they are news and we could make a present tense sentence with a

similar meaning about the same situation such as

We often give piece of news in Present Perfect – it is especially common in reports, letters and conversations And it often occurs at the start of an exchange and serves to establish past time focus, subsequent references to events being made by means of past tense For example:

A: I’ve bought a new car

B: Oh, have you? What sort?

A: A Ford We bought it last week

1.2.2 Present Perfect expresses state up to the present

The Present Perfect can be used to report the existence of a stable state of affairs over a continuous period of time up to present

The following sentences are examples:

(1) They’ve lived in Hanoi since 2000

(2) Mai has only had that diamond ring for two days

(3) I’ve felt tired for a whole week now

(4) Those people have been at my house since Monday

(5) The fridge has been empty for days

This usage of the Present Perfect is often used with state verbs and adjuncts of duration or

frequency The sentences like They’ve lived in Hanoi, Mai has only had that diamond ring, The fridge has been empty should not make people understood without the duration prepositional phrase since 2000, for two days, for days It can be said that the adjuncts beginning with since and for are specifically associated with the Present Perfect The adjunct begins with since indicated the starting point of the period of time With for the extended time

is expressed as a quantity, often with a numeral However, adjuncts beginning with for are

often used with perfect form but they are not restricted to them

In (1) and (4) the simple past would be unacceptable because of incompatibility with the

preposition since and in the other examples (2) (3) and (5) the simple past has been used

instead of the Present Perfect, the sentences would mean that the period is already complete in the past

1.2.3 Present Perfect expresses finished events connected to the present

The Present Perfect can be used to imply that a finished action or a past event is connected with the present in some way The result of that action or event is still operative at the present moment That is, the Present Perfect refers to a present state of affairs that has changed from an earlier state as the result of a past event For this reason, it is sometimes called the “resultative perfect” This usage is the clearest with transitional event verbs denoting the change from one state to another For example:

(1) My grandparents have arrived (they are here now)

(2) He’s drunk all the wine (there isn’t any left)

(3) She’s learnt the words (She knows the words)

In some other cases, even though the resultative implication is not obvious from the verb’s meaning, the major focus of the clause is the present result of the event not the past

event itself For example: I’ve cut myself (The cut is still there)

With the Present Perfect just is used to indicate intermediate past time whose result

are very clear For example: I’ve just washed the floor (So it’s still wet)

This usage of the Present Perfect is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the recent indefinite past use However, again we can see that the Present Perfect is closely associated with the notion of current relevance which can be regarded as a pragmatic inference deriving from the basic meaning of anteriority And we consider that current relevance is a consequence of the combination of the Present Perfect with the inherent meaning of the verb

or even of the situation Thus, They have come back implies that they are still back while They came back – has no such implication

Relevance is a difficult idea and does not identify the primary semantic distinction associated with the perfect form It is better to use the explanation based on the essential meaning of the form The speaker sees, or thinks of, something at the moment of speaking which makes him look back on something which has already happened

1.2.4 Present Perfect for repeated or habitual actions

The Present Perfect is used to express actions that are habitual or can be repeated more

than once This use is associated with frequency adverbs: often, always, frequently … and expressions like three/ four/ several times…

Here are the examples:

(1) Mary’s attended classed regularly She’s always worked hard

(2) I’ve watched Bill Gates on TV several times

(3) He has visited his mother daily

(4) The valley has been flooded every year since 2000

For habits or states may continue through the present moment into the future, and adverbial of duration is usually required So this use closely resembles the state use of the

Present Perfect as described in (2) above The sentence: The valley has been flooded every year since 2000 would have a state interpretation if the frequency adverbial every year has

been omitted The valley would be understood to have suffered continuously from a single

flood Also without the adverb of frequency daily or the expression several times the sentences I’ve watched Bill Gates on TV and He has visited his mother become the examples of the

indefinite past meaning

1.3 The application of games in teaching Present Perfect Tense

1.3.1 The importance of students’ motivation in learning language

Since motivation is a vital and a highly complex factor determining more or less successful language learning, it is necessary to examine approaches to motivation in learning

in order to bring about better insights into it

Over the years, researchers have attempted to explain what is meant by motivation

Keller (1984) (quote in Ellis, 1994) sees ‘interest’ as one of the major components of motivation, defining it as “a positive response to a stimuli based on existing cognitive structures in such a way that learners’ curiosity is aroused and sustained”

However, most of studies on motivation in foreign and second language learning have

been influenced by the work of Gardner (1985) (quote in Spolsky, 1998), who defines motivation as consisting of effort, plus desire to achieve the goal of learning, plus favorable attitude toward learning the language

Another theory on motivation can be seen from Littlewood’s perspective (1985:53)

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

Apparently, Littlewood, not only highlighting the important role of motivation in second language learning but also emphasizing the “highly complex construct” of motivation

claimed that if a learner is motivated she will probably decide to undertake a particular task with certain amount of energy and time needed for it

Furthermore, McKay and Tom (1992:2) point out that the need and drive to communicate with others in a new language provide strong motivation for most learners This is more or less similar to Lightbown and Spada’s (1999:56) definition of

motivation in second language learning that “motivation in second language learning is a complex phenomenon which their attitudes towards the second community:

They also add that “If learns need to speak the second language in a wide range of social situations or to fulfill professional ambitions, they will perceive the communicative value of the second language and will therefore be motivated to acquire proficiency in it Likewise, if learners have favourable attitudes the speakers of the language, they will desire more contact with them”

Learners’ motivation can change overtime and effect on their language learning Various studies have found that motivation is strongly related to success in language learning

Gardner (1985) (quoted in Spolsky, 1998) sums up”: … it seems clear that achievement in second language learning is influenced by attitudinal/motivational characteristics Postulating that achievement in a second language learning is promoted by an integrative motive is not tantamount to saying that this is the only cause or predictor”

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

1.3.2 Definitions of game

According to Haldfield (1999): “A game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun… Games should be regarded as an integral part of the language syllabus, not as

an amusing activity for Friday afternoon or for the end of the term.” This definition highly

evaluates the importance of games in teaching It adds to teachers’ techniques in teaching that games serve not only as an ‘amusing activity’, but as a technique to carry out tasks to learners amusingly as well

Haldfield (1999) adds: “Games can be used at all stages of the progression from controlled to free practice, serving at one end of the range as a memory aid and repetition drill, at the other as a chance to used the language freely and as a means to an end rather than an end in itself They can also serve as a diagnostic tool for teacher, who can note areas

of difficulty and take appropriate remedial action.” Haldfield further emphasizes the effective

use of games Students are always lazy to do the tasks Therefore, games are used suitably in the way in which learners are eagerly and willingly participate to have a chance to practice or use the new language items they have just learnt instead of forcing them to do the tasks unwillingly It is more effective way for students to play and learn at the same time

Lee (1991: 3) defines: “Games in the stick sense, which have a definite beginning and end, are governed by rules…”

Similarly, Hadfield (1990) defines games as "an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun." Games are not carried in chaos Games have the rules, and for it is necessary

players to digest these rules before the start so that they can play the games smoothly without committing them

According to Greenall (1990: 6), “The term ‘game’ is used whenever there is an element of competition between individual students or teams in a language activity.” When appears ‘an element of competition’, all above rules are most needed Besides, games are

emphasized to encourage students’ solidarity in teamwork in which they have to try their best to

do the tasks or maybe to code any requirements given in the games for their team spirit

Therefore, games comprise many factors such as rules, competition, relaxation, and learning The main focus of using game in class is not only to help students to learn more effectively but also to have fun

1.3.3 Classification of games

Classifying games into categories can be difficult because categories often overlap Hadfield (1999) explains two ways of classifying language games First, language games are divided into two types: linguistic games and communicative games

 Linguistic games focus on accuracy, such as supplying the correct antonym

 Communicative games focus on successful exchange of information and ideas, such as two people identifying the differences between their two pictures which are similar

to one another but not exactly alike Correct language usage, though still important, is secondary to achieving the communicative goal

Second, Hadfield (ibid.) classifies language games into many more categories Together with the classification of games as linguistic games or communicative games, some games will contain elements of more than one type

Sorting, ordering, or arranging games For example, students have a set of cards with different products on them, and they sort the cards into products found at a grocery store and products found at a department store

 Information gap games

ones (Jacobs, in preparation) Research suggests that learning, as well as affective variables, are enhanced by a cooperative environment (Johnson, Johnson & Stanne; Slavin, 1995) Millis (2005) outlines a number of advantages of cooperative games, such as appropriate anxiety levels and more constructive feedback

According to Lee (2000) (cited in Pham, 2007), games have been classified into

 Structure games which provide experience of the use of particular patterns of syntax in communication

 Vocabulary games in which the learners’ attention is focused mainly on words

 Spelling games

 Pronunciation games

 Number games

 Listen-and-do games

 Games and writing

 Miming and role play

 Role play and dramatics

It is shown that the classifications of games from the above linguists are common in a way that each kind of games focuses on a language item or a skill for the purpose and the content

of the lesson Therefore, teachers should be careful of choosing the most suitable game for each lesson so that learners and teachers can benefit the most from these games

1.3.4 Advantages of teaching Present Perfect tense with games

Arif Saricoban and Esen Metin (2000), authors of “Songs, Verse and Games for teaching grammar” explain how and why games for teaching grammar in class They say:

“Games and problem-solving activities… have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech and are examples of the most preferable communicative activities” They go on to

explain that grammar games help students gain knowledge and apply and use that learning

Additionally, games have the advantage of allowing the students to “practice and internalize vocabulary, grammar and structures extensively” Games can teach, and there might be no

reason why they cannot be included as a part of a lesson They can do this through repeated exposure to the target grammar and because students are often more motivated to play games than they are to do deskwork Plus, during the game, the students are focused on the activity and end up absorbing the grammar subconsciously

Aydan Ersoz (2000), author of “Six Games for the ESL/EFL Classroom” also explains more reasons why games do work for teaching grammar Learning a language requires constant efforts and that can be tiring, but Ersoz outlines two good reasons why games should

be included in the classroom:

 Games that are amusing and challenging are highly motivating

 Games allow meaningful use of the language in context

While games are motivating for the students, probably the best reason, according to

Saricoban and Metin (2000), to use games is that “the use of such activities increases both the cooperation and competition in the classroom” Indeed games can be used to add excitement

through competition or to create bonding between the students, and between the students and the teachers Students may wish to play game purely for fun Teachers, however, need more

convincing reasons “Teachers need to consider which games to use, when to use them, how to link them up with the syllabus, textbook or programme and how, more specifically, different games will benefit students in different ways” (Khan, J.1996) The key to a successful

language game is that the rules are clear, the ultimate goal is well defined and the game must

be fun

Nagakawa (2003:11) says: “In the deductive approach, students often find it quite difficult to gain the concept of the time of orientation because the instruction often fails to provide a meaningful context with which students can construct the time framework in describing an episode In these activities, students are encouraged to construct the time framework of the past events Through the construction process, students can inductively gain the knowledge of the time of orientation and understand the usage of the past perfective” In

the activity, which provides meaningful contexts and timelines with students, students can practice not only the usage of “the past in the past” but also the usage of the perfective aspects

of the past perfective

The PPT is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages

a difficult time That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages

In fact, the structure of PPT is very simple The problems come with the use of the tense The PPT is really a very interesting tense, and a very useful one Try not to translate PPT into your language Just try to accept the concepts of this tense and learn to "think" present perfect! You will soon learn to like the PPT!

According to Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1984): “Games 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 Thanks to games, shy language learners will have more chances to speak and show their feeling and opinions in English as much as they can”

Teaching the PPT can be hard going - for the teacher and the students It does not have

to be difficult or painful, however You can teach the PPT using fun learning games and before you know it; your students will be more than willing There is an interesting movement towards teaching the tense with games Teaching this tense through games, the atmosphere of the class will be more comfortable and exciting The lesson will become easier, more effective, motivating and interesting It creates students’ motivation in learning Just imagine when coming in class, the teacher announces that it is time for a grammar lesson with games and instead of disappointment and whine, the teachers and the students get smiles, enjoyment and excitement

1.3.5 Application of games

1.3.5.1 Which games to apply?

The teacher's using games in class is not to fill time without any linguistic purposes These games may entertain the students, but when the teacher does not have much time with them each day as it is, he/she wants the game to do double duty to get the most out of the time

he/she spends playing games Lin Hong (2002), author of “Using Games in Teaching English

to Young Learners”, explains that not all games are going to work to teach students language skills If the games are simple for fun and not linked to educational goals it may not be the best use of time It is possible to have fun games that is educational sound, however, to find out if the game is educational sound, think about these questions posed by Hong:

- Which skills do the games practice?

- What type of game is it and what is its purpose?

- Does the difficulty level of the game mesh with the students’ ability level?

- Does the game require maximum involvement by the students?

- Do the students like it? Does the teacher like it?

To add to these questions also ask yourself

- What specific vocabulary of grammar is the teacher introducing or practicing with this game?

- Can the teacher keep control of class and play this game?

- What material does the teacher need for the game and can obtain these easily?

- What controls, if any are needed, will the teacher have in place to ensure the students are

on track?

- Competition is not always appropriate Is it possible to play a game for the sake of the game and not in order to define winners or losers? Here are some ways play down competition: Do not keep score all the time, make sure the team tie, play down any

“winning”, praise everyone, play until everyone has finished // The winners are those who finish, not those who finish first, and everyone finishes, etc

- Are the rules easy and clear?

When you answer clearly these questions, you will choose the best games to teach the PPT – one of the most difficult grammar items

1.3.5.2 When to apply games?

It is necessary for those who want to use games as a learning aid to be concerned about

how to use them Hadfield (1990) suggests that "games should be regarded an integral part of the language syllabus, not an amusing activity for Friday afternoon of for the end of the term."

Games can contribute to develop students' language skills if they are incorporated into the classroom, particularly if they are used to introduce a grammatical rule or structure

Carrier (1980) says that games can be used to open or close a lesson in a stimulating way, to punctuate a lesson, to relieve tension after a test or at any time that teachers feel appropriate Byrne (1980) advises not to play a game at the beginning of the conversation period and save the game for the use in the middle or toward the end of the session, when the students would welcome a change of pace He also reminds that teachers should stop playing a game before students are ready to quit In other words, teachers never have a game played for

so long that it begins to bore the participants Similarly, games shouldn’t be played too often since this will cause it to lose its novelty

Undoubtedly, games are very effective in language teaching and learning with a lot of advantages such as giving fun, reinforcing motivation, improving proficiency and corporation, etc The difficult task for teachers is how to choose the suitable type of game, the appropriate time to play it as well as the opportunity of its use

1.4 Summary

To summarize, it can be said that The Present Perfect plays a very important part in teaching and learning English Many linguists and researchers have come to a common conclusion that games are very useful and can be used as an effective tool to develop students’ learning and also provide the students an opportunity to practice grammar in general and the PPT in particular Also, the use of games is of great help to make grammar lessons more interesting, enjoyable, and effective To be specific, the PPT and games, two key factors of this study, have been taken into consideration and discussed in many aspects

Chapter 2: The study 2.1 Background to the study

2.1.1 An overview of English learning and teaching at Hai Phong Medical University

Hai Phong Medical University is one of four universities in Hai Phong city It has a long history of over 30 years of foundation HMU has been a partnership for training, exchange of staff and students with research universities in France, USA, Netherlands, Thailand and Japan Besides the material conditions of the university are rather well-provided, which also helps to create its success The university and English Department are trying to look for methods so that by the time of graduation students can use English as a tool to get a better job

There are 9 teachers of English aged from 24 to 55 at HMU Most of them are masters Some of them are studying at Postgraduate Department of Universities All of them are enthusiastic in teaching English

The subjects of the study were 146 students in three first-year classes and the observation class is Y1K32B (49 students) The explanation for choosing these above classes can be stated as follows Firstly, they are students whom are taken charge of by the teachers who are the researcher’s close friends during the internship so it will be easier and more convenient for the researcher to keep contact with them or ask for their help in collecting the data Secondly, lots of students come from comparatively poor families, so their learning condition is low Their lack of awareness of the importance of English as well as motivation makes them not interested in learning English Although most of them have already learnt English for at least three years at high school, their knowledge of English is still poor and limited, especially they cannot use PPT fluently, only some students are good at this subject

Headway elementary is the course book of HMU According to the authors, Headway Elementary has been designed for adults and young adults who would like to use English both for fluency and accuracy and all the four skills are developed systemically (Soars and Soars, 1993) which makes this book appropriate for all kinds of learners The book concentrates on traditional approaches such as a clear focus on grammar with in-depth analysis and clarification, through many exercises and reading material, yet it employs the

“Communicative approaches” since students are required to work out rules individually and reflect upon their personal opinions The book has been used for many years in the HMU The book is suitable for learners who are taking initial steps into building up a well-stocked command of English Headway (elementary) is the first of five books, which cover the initial stage of language learning

The grammar of unit 14 is the PPT, pages 99 -105

2.1.2 Aims and syllabus of teaching Present Perfect tense at Hai Phong Medical University

my lesson with the application of games, the feedback drawn indicates that my students had

mastered PPT more easily and effectively

2.1.2.2 The syllabus

This unit introduces one of the most difficult tenses for students of English to learn The PPT is one of the most commonly used tenses in English, especially spoken English, but its presentation has been deferred until unit 14 This is because until students have understood the concept that the Past Simple refers to the definite past, they will not be able to grasp the idea that the Present Perfect refers to the indefinite past

Unit 14 is taught in 3 periods Each period is 2 hours

 In the first period, students are provided an introduction to PPT: the form, past

participle, the use and the use of ever/ never in this tense

 In the second period, students review the last period and can get used to

doing with two adverbs Yet and Just in Present Perfect

 Finally, students use PPT to communicate through games in the third period

2.1.3 Situation of teaching and learning grammar, including the Present Perfect tense at Hai Phong Medical University

In learning a foreign language, grammar plays an important role Grammar help learners use English in a variety of realistic situations to learn to communicate effectively Without grammar or with a poor knowledge of grammar, they may get confused with complicated expression

With regards to teaching grammar, most of the teachers at Hai Phong Medical University often follow three stages: Presentation-Practice-Production (PPP) At the first stage, the teacher presents the new grammar items on the board through examples, and then elicits examples from the students If the students know nothing or very little about the items, the teacher tells them the rules The students write down the rules and the models in the note-books Then, at the second stage, the students are required to do a series of practice exercises following the steps in the textbook and the suggestions in the teacher's book The final stage - the production- is often ignored because of many reasons, such as: designing and choosing freer activities for communication are very difficult with different levels of students, the time for lessons is limited, etc So, the teacher has not created opportunities for the students to use new language in freer and more creative ways, so the teacher cannot check how much has been learnt actually Therefore, the teaching of grammar at HMU has not met the requirements

of "communicative _ grammar instruction" intended by the textbook writers The teaching PPT is not an exception

In addition, HMU students usually feel bored in grammar lessons because they have not changed their learning habits, such as taking notes, correcting and rewriting sentences to learn proper grammar usage or doing grammar exercises in the textbook but not being able to use grammar structures to communicate in different contexts The PPT is a rather important tense in English, but it gives learners a difficult time That is because it uses concepts or ideas

that do not exist in those languages In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple The problems come with the use of the tense The first step, the most difficult step, is

to understand the use of PPT for natural, real life communication Almost all elementary

students know how to conjugate this verb tense correctly, but they do not know when to use PPT (the functions of the tense) Maintaining the old habit, students cannot master the tense

Besides, most students who are from remote provinces do not have chances to learn English, so their English level is very low when they entered the university In contrast, students from big cities, like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, have higher English level All these students are mixed in one class, which creates many problems for the teacher Besides, teacher cannot ensure that the students are really motivated in classes or are motivated to do their assignments at home

These problems are always challenging for teachers

2.2 Lesson plan and application of games in teaching the Present Perfect Tense

Unit 14 is taught in three periods (see appendix 2) In these periods, teacher can

exploit several games to teach PPT After these three periods, opinions on and feedback from the teaches and students to the games are collected for making necessary changes and

adaptation for the better use of games in the future

2.3 Data analysis

2.3.1 Analyzing result of survey questionnaire

2.3.1.1 Questionnaire for teachers

Teachers’ answers from survey questionnaire (see appendix 4 ) show that

When being asked about the purpose of teaching grammar, 4/9 (44.4%) of the teachers want to help students to get good results in the exams, 3/9 (33.4%) want to help students to read and translate material better and 2/9 (22.2%) want to help students to communicate better

It shows that our teacher attach importance to marks and one of medical students’ specific characteristics is to read many research books, so teachers’ purpose is to help students understand the foreign documents

5/9 (55.6%) of the teachers often choose PPP approach to teach grammar, 3/9

(33.3%) choose Communicative Language Teaching and only 1/9 (11.1%) often uses Grammar Translate Method Teachers’ attitude of teaching communication is not high

When giving idea about how students learn PPT with the current teaching methods, 22.2% of the teachers say that their students learn very well, 33.3% of the teachers think students don’t learn well learn not well, and 44.5% of the teachers find their students learn badly and very badly So, with the old habit of teaching, students’ PPT learning is not good

When being asked to give some suggestions to improve the students’ learning, 6/9 (66.6%) of the teachers suggest to use games, 4/9 (44.4%) use outdoor activities use outdoor class, 3/9 (33.3%) use extracurricular activities and 2/9 (22.2%) give other ideas such as communicating with foreigners or reading more English documents, etc

When being asked about difficulties in teaching PPT, the teachers provide the following information

Teachers’ difficulties in teaching Present Perfect tense Teachers %

Other difficulties (e.g choosing suitable activities, …) 2 22.2

Table 1: Teachers’ difficulties in teaching the PPT From this table, we see that most of the teachers want to have more time for PPT Crowded classes, passive students or students at many levels are problems

Teachers’ ideas about frequency of using games in class are as follows: only 22.2%

of the teachers usually use, meanwhile 66.6% sometimes use and 11.2% seldom use We see that they do not often use games in the lesson

In spite of acknowledging above difficulties, most of teachers agree that games bring

many benefits

Developing ability of using Present Perfect structure

Table 3: The problems of teaching PPT through games Teachers give their ideas to improve the approach to PPT at the university

Ideas Teachers %

Table 4: Teachers’ ideas to improve the approach to the PPT

2.3.1.2 Questionnaire for students

146 freshmen, 64 male-students (43.8%) and 82 female-students (56.2%) answer the questionnaire (see appendix 5), and the results are as follows:

23.2% of the freshmen like learning PPT very much and 32.1% like Meanwhile, 24% like but not much and 20.7% do not like learning PPT

This chart shows the students’ interest in PPT is similar

After Present Perfect lesson, only 46.5% students understand the lesson in class, 38.3%

of the students understand a little and 15.2% can not understand This means that the effectiveness of the lesson is low

Students’ learning method plays an important part in understanding teachers’ lectures and applying new knowledge Students’ activities in the lesson are summarized in the table

Join in the activities teachers organize 98 60.2

Try to remember the structures in class 65 44.5

Table 5: Students’ activities in Present Perfect lesson This shows that students are still very passive in learning and mainly rely on what teachers explain in class

23.3% of the students like the teaching method of their teachers very much, 32.8% like, 23.3% like but not much and 20.6% don’t like it This chart shows that over a half of students like the teaching method of their teacher, they also keep the old habit of learning, they agree to the teachers’ method without any requirements

When asked if they spent time on learning lesson at home, 52.7% answer yes,

41.7% sometimes and 5.6% no We see that students’ hardworking at home is not high, if they can’t understand the lesson in the class, they have not many opportunities to review the lesson

Students talk about their immediate understanding the PPT after lesson in the class 18.4% of the students say they understand immediately, 45.2% say they can not understand immediately and 36.4% say they understand after a long time they practice and revise many times It shows that the current teaching method of PPT is not good

The students’ biggest problem with PPT is the use (58.2%), only 17.8% have

difficulty with the form of PPT and 24% has problems with other items From this chart we see that the use of PPT is always challenging with students

Students’ answers about frequency of teachers’ using games are shown in the below table In general, teachers and students have similar comments: games are sometimes used in the lessons

Table 6: Students’ comments on teachers’ frequency of using games

28.8% of the freshmen like to learn PPT through games very much, 36.3% like,

21.9% like but not much and 13% don’t like games in the lessons So, most of students (87%) like to learn PPT through games

2.2.1.3 The feedback of the freshmen in experimental lesson

After teaching and learning Unit 14 with games, we have feedback from the students

as follows (see appendix 6):

84.2% of the students say they like the games in Unit 14 and only 15.8% do not like 76% of the freshmen say that the games are guided by the teachers, which makes it easy for them to understand and 26% find it difficult to understand We see that games show their effectiveness in the lesson

When the teachers instruct on how to play the games, 26.7% of the students are very interested in them and really join in and 26.7 % are interested Meanwhile, 21.2% are interested but not much, 18.6% are not interested and 6.8% are not interested at all We can see that the motivation of the students is good

After the lesson with games, 72.6% of the first year students can understand PPT in the class, only 7.5% can not understand and 19.9 % understand a little So, students can learn more from games