VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
******************

NGUYỄN HỒNG NHUNG THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES AS
SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES IN TEACHING GRAMMAR
FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT WELLSPRING
INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL: ACTION
RESEARCH

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

M.A. Minor Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10
Hanoi, 2013

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

I hereby certify that this minor thesis entitled
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES AS SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
IN TEACHING GRAMMAR FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT
WELLSPRING INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL: ACTION RESEARCH
is completely the result of my own word for the Degree of Master at University of
Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and that
this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or
institution.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted as action research in which students were taught
on how to process grammar deeply by applying games as supplementary activities
in English grammar teaching and learning. The study first aimed at enhancing junior
high school students’ motivation at Wellspring International Bilingual School to
study grammar and balance grammar learning with other skills learning (Speaking,
Listening, Reading, and Writing); and then, recognizing if using games as
supplementary activities increase students’ motivation in studying grammar. For the
accomplishments of these purposes, fifteen students in class 789A3 at Wellspring
International Bilingual School in Long Bien District, Hanoi, Vietnam were involved
in the study. The present study tends to use qualitative method with the support of
quantitative method. Then, the data instruments include pre-test, post-test and the
practitioner’s diaries. By comparing the results of the pre-test and the post-test, the
students’ increasing motivation in grammar studying could be revealed through the
improvement of the students’ grammar retention. Also, from the teacher’s diaries,
the enhancement of the students’ motivation in grammar studying could be
recognized through their involvement and participation in learning activities. iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration i
Acknowledgement ii
Abstract iii
Table of contents iv
List of figures vii
INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale for the study 1
2. Aims of the study 3
3. Research questions 3
4. Scope of the study 3
5. Practical significance of the study 3
6. Methods of the study 4
6.1. Data collection methods 4
6.2. Data analysis 4
7. Design of the study 4
DEVELOPMENT 6
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 6
1.1. Previous studies related to language teaching and learning 6
1.1.1. Studies related to using games in language teaching and learning 6
1.1.2. Studies related to using games in teaching grammar 8
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1.2. The importance of grammar 10
1.3. Which games should be used? 11
1.4. When should games be used 11
1.5. The importance of students’ motivation 13
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 16

3. Suggestions for further study 38
REFERENCES viii
APPENDICES xii
Appendix 1: Pre-test xii
Appendix 2: Post-test xvii
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INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale:
In studying languages in general and studying English in particular, it can be
said that grammar is seemed to be difficult and boring for students. It is thought by
students that English grammar contains complex, difficult, and different rules.
Besides, traditionally, many teachers approach grammar teaching very seriously,
making the lesson dull and uninteresting. Therefore, students usually feel tired and
boring in grammar lessons and then they are not motivated to study. However, as
one of language components, grammar is very necessary and nobody can refuse the
importance of learning this skill. According to William Somerset Maugham (The
Summing Up, 1938), “It is necessary to know grammar, and it is better to write
grammatically than not, but it is well to remember that grammar is common speech
formulated.” “Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express
ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the
meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster
precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in
English.” Moreover, as stated by McKay (1987), in order to communicate
effectively in English, students need to have a good foundation in grammar. Once
again, Ur (1988) states that a person who knows grammar is one who can express
himself or herself in what would be considered as acceptable language forms. In

learning environment in which they can study with full of their interest, their
energy, and their stimulation.
In conclusion, with all of the reasons stated above, the researcher would like
to devote her time and effort researching to her thesis: “The effectiveness of using
games as supplementary activities in teaching grammar for junior high school
students at Wellspring International Bilingual School – Action research”. From
this, she expects to help her students motivate as well as make progress in studying
grammar. 3

2. Aims of the study:
The purpose of this research is to enhance junior high school students at Wellspring
International Bilingual School to study grammar, and then balance grammar
learning with other skills learning (Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing). The
paper aims to recognize if using games as supplementary activities increase the
students’ motivation in studying grammar.
3. Research questions:
This paper is designed to find out the answers to the following questions:
RQ1: How much does the use of games improve junior high school students‟
motivation in grammar learning at Wellspring International Bilingual School?
RQ2: If so, by what ways does this new teaching method enhance their motivation
in grammar learning?
4. Scope of the study:
As being shown in these research questions above, this study was conducted
at Wellspring International Bilingual School located in Hanoi. This was
implemented on fifteen students of class 789A3. Before the treatment of this action
research, they did not have motivation in grammar lessons and their results also
were not good. With the application of games as supplementary activities in

diaries during the treatment of fifteen weeks were collected. Then, she calculated
the number of participants in each week and demonstrated under the format of a
column chart. By this way, the enhancement of the students’ motivation in grammar
learning could be recognized.
7. Design of the study:
There are three main parts in the study:
Introduction: introduces Rationale, Aims of the study, Research Questions, Scope
of the study, Practical significance of the study, Methods of the study, and Design
of the study.
Development: includes three following chapters:
 Chapter 1: Literature Review: introduces the theoretical foundations for
the whole study.
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 Chapter 2: Methodology: elaborates on the setting, the participants, the
materials, the methods used, the instruments, and the data collection
procedure.
 Chapter 3: Findings and Discussions: introduces the data analysis
procedure, presents and analyses all the data to find out the answers to the
two research questions, and then gives out the summary from the findings.
Conclusion: summarizes all the major points in the study, reveals the limitations of
the study and proposes some suggestions for further studies.
real communication”. Undeniably, games assist both teachers and students to build
up real-life environment so that teachers easily lead students into lessons, and
students feel relaxing and simply take up new knowledge. However, together with
these advantages, games are often thought to be associated with fun and laughter so
that it is not really learning. Disagreeing with this conception, Kim (1995: 23)
asserts that learning a language together with enjoying oneself at the same time is a
possibility. Provided that we do not lose sight of the pedagogical values in foreign
language teaching and learning, studying through games can make pleasant
environment; and then, students will be motivated.
For young kids, Topkaya and Küçük (2010) declare that primary school
curriculum for young learners’ English lessons should take more advantage of
games. Having the same idea with them, Sungurtekin, Sezer, Bağçeli-Kahraman
and Sadioğlu (2009: p. 756) state that “by playing games, a child makes
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acquaintance with his environment, learns life and gains new instructions.” In other
words, games are essential part of primary school education because the
contextualization and natural activities can make learning meaningful. Moreover,
from the result of the study “Effectiveness of Using Games in Teaching Grammar to
Young Learners” by Gülin Yolageldili and Arda Arikan (2011), it is declared that
“games are an important and necessary part of English language teaching and
learning in the context of primary schools‟ English lessons simply because they
provide EFL teachers with many instructional advantages. Games are one of the
best ways to direct young learners‟ energy into language learning because young
learners like to be physically active; moreover, they are imaginative and creative
and they learn subconsciously.” In reality, primary students are small students; they
do not have enough experience to understand knowledge terms or abstract
definitions. Instead of that, learning through pictures, images, or activities make
them comprehend simply. This finding also supports the present study since junior
high school students are still at the age of young students, their body develops quite

same time rather than only sitting in one place and doing exercises. After that,
students will be absorbed in the grammar lessons unconsciously. Having the same
point of view, Bob Obee (1999: 6) affirms that language games promote students to
apply grammar knowledge into communicative situations.
In order to affirm the advantages of using games in teaching grammar,
Aydan Ersoz (2000) explains two reasons why games are effective for teaching
grammatical knowledge. Firstly, games that are amusing and challenging are highly
motivating. Secondly, games allow meaningful use of the language in context.
Thus, although learning a foreign language may be tiring and always needs
continuous effort, taking part in language games can help them avoid feeling dull
but feel enthusiastic and fascinated in language lessons. Moreover, according to
Saricoban and Metin (2000), "the use of such activities both increases the
cooperation and competition in the classroom." In other words, games are valuable
to create fun and passion in competition as well as associate the relationships among
students or between teachers and students.
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In Vietnam, this matter has also been studied by many scholars. In the
research “How to teach Grammar communicatively” carried out by Nguyen (2005)
at Nong Lam University, the author suggested methods to teach students new
grammatical rules communicatively so that they can both learn and enjoy at the
same time. Especially, he stresses that games are an essential part of a teacher’s
resources. Games can motivate students’ energy into learning so that they can
remember the knowledge better. In other study of the application of games in
grammar review lessons for sixth grade accomplished by Luong (2009) (quoted in
Luu & Nguyen, 2010), he emphasizes that games really bring remarkable results in
students’ learning progress. They improve their ability in using grammatical
knowledge in both written tests and oral performance significantly. The topic of
application of games in teaching and learning grammar is also worked on other
participants. It is believed that English is an important subject in high school

Secondly, according to Smith (2001: 15), if teachers neither help students
pay attention to grammar nor create opportunities for them to improve grammar,
learners are likely to have many difficulties in communication that require them to
take use of their existing grammar resources. Thus, without awareness of functional
grammar, it is not easy for learners to express their ideas and their thoughts.
Besides, they can get listeners be confused or comprehend in different point of
views. In other words, they can be not successful to transfer their information to
listeners.
In addition, Larsen – Freeman (1986:13) affirms that grammar is regarded as
a skill rather than an area of knowledge. It can be said that grammar is the fifth skill
besides four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Therefore,
developing skills take much time to practise and learning grammar also takes time.
In other words, grammar is the foundation for mastering four language skills; thus if
we get the basis of Grammar knowledge, we will find studying communicative
skills easy to advance.
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In brief, grammar is acknowledged to be of importance in language in
general and in language teaching and learning in particular. When we realize and
understand a great deal of knowledge about Grammar, mastering four language
skills will be easier.
1.3 Which games should be used?
Unconsciously, games bring many advantages to language lessons; however,
choosing appropriate games takes consideration because games should create fun
environment without losing pedagogical values. Firstly, teachers should find out the
purpose of a game clearly. According to Nedomová (2007: 19), teachers “should
consider whether the game-like activity is for children only to make the lesson more
attractive and protect them from being bored or whether we tend to revise and
practise some particular part of grammar, vocabulary, etc.” Moreover, teachers
need to consider the level of the games before applying them into lessons. If the

learners is quite difficult; thus, teachers’ preparation should be taken into
consideration. After that, when teachers implement games in lessons, they should
introduce its rules and give instructions to the learners directly and simply. Even
teachers may take advantage of using the mother tongue to give explanation since
when students understand what they need to do in the games, they can achieve
educational purpose in playing it. In addition, when games are playing, if students
make mistakes, teachers should not interrupt a game to correct the mistakes. Instead
of that, “interruptions should be as infrequent as possible so as not to detract from
the student‟s interest in the game. An alternative to immediate correction is to make
note of errors and discuss them when the game is over” (Celce-Murcia (1979: 54)).
In other words, interruptions may affect students’ attention and enthusiasm so that
teachers should wait until the game is over to discuss as well as correct their
mistakes.
It is also stated that games playing into pairs or groups interest both teachers
and students a lot because of their competition, cooperation and success. Pair work
or group work helps to improve students’ communicational skills as well as develop
solidarity among students. McCallum (1980: xii) suggests that teachers should keep
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students in the same team during the year because it is beneficial for teachers to
save time and it is beneficial for learners to increase team spirit. In brief, games
which require students to work in pair and in group enable learners to expand their
language and communicational skills while building up competition and team spirit
among learners. Furthermore, thanks to games, students can develop their ability in
using language because games create real-life situations for students to participate
and practise. The importance is that teachers need to consider when or in which part
language games should be applied in lessons.
1.5. The importance of students’ motivation:
Since motivation is not only a vital but also a highly complex factor
determining more or less successful language learning, it is necessary to examine

role of motivation in second language learning but also emphasizing the „highly
complex construct‟ of motivation claimed that if a learner is motivated, he/ she will
probably decide to undertake a particular task with certain amount of energy and
time needed for it.
Furthermore, McKay and Tom (1992:2) point out that the need and drive to
communicate with others in a new language provide strong motivation for most
learners. Accordingly, when learners have a specific purpose, in the context, the aim
to communicate in a foreign language, there exists the stimulation inside them to
force them to study to fulfill their objective. When applying this theory into this
present research, the teacher believes that this theory is also benefit. Since when
they speak in a new language, together with the number of vocabulary, grasping
functional grammar is also affective in the support of transferring information to
addressees.
This is more or less similar to the opinion of McKay and Tom, Lightbown
and Spada’s (1999: 56) state the definition of motivation in second language
learning that “motivation in second language learning is a complex phenomenon
which can be defined in terms of two factors: learner‟s communicative needs and
their attitudes towards the second community”. They also add that ''if learners need
to speak the second language in a wide range of social situations or to fulfill
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professional ambitions, they will perceive the communicative value of the second
language and will therefore be motivated to acquire proficiency in it. Likewise, if
learners have favourable attitudes towards the speakers of the language, they will
desire more contact with them.”
Learners’ motivation can change overtime and effect on their language
learning. Various studies have found out that motivation is strongly related to
success in language learning. Particularly, Gardner (1985) (quoted in Spolsky,
1998) sums up “… it seems clear that achievement in a second language learning is
influenced by attitudinal/motivational characteristics. Postulating that achievement

as a Second Language), two periods of Mathematics, two periods of Biology, and
two periods of ICT (Information Communications Technology). In this present
research, the writer only paid attention to ESL subject. With eight periods of ESL
each week, there are six periods that students study with the native speaker and
there are two periods that they study with the Vietnamese teacher, the present
researcher. The native speaker is in charge of teaching students language skills such
as Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and introducing Cultures in Western
countries. The Vietnamese teacher is in charge of teaching the students Grammar,
Vocabulary, and Structures. According to the International program of Junior High
school system, students follow three course books basing on their levels. These
course books include Solution Elementary, Solution Pre-Intermediate, and Solution
Intermediate. In fact, the students taking part in this study were in pre-intermediate
level; therefore, they studied the course book of Solution Pre-Intermediate.
In term of the course schedule, it took learners thirty periods (fifteen weeks)
to finish the last half of the course book during the second semester. Each week, the
students studied two periods of grammar. Each period lasts for forty-five minutes.
As a result, the students spent ninety minutes studying grammar lesson every week.
For each lesson, the teacher helped her students understand one grammar part
according to the course distribution.
The study room was a large room (about thirty square meters) which was
equipped with modern facilities such as a teacher’s table, students’ desks, two white