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127IMPROVING VOCABULARY SKILLS USING VIDEO GAMES
Sarvinoz Qurbonboyevna Miyliyeva
Teacher of English at Samarkand State Institute of Architecture and Construction,
Academic Lyceum
ABSTRACT
One of the difficult parts of learning the target language for English language learners is the acquisition of vocabulary. Using educational games for teaching vocabulary has been very popular for several decades. Therefore, the present paper has reviewed the effects of using games on improving vocabulary learning in an English as foreign language or English as second language context. Different studies revealed that games are beneficial in vocabulary learning because they enhance students' ability to memorize words, encourage student's interaction, improve their communicative skills and enhance students' motivation. Games also can help the teachers to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. This study aimed to guide teachers and students towards a better understanding of vocabularies through educational games. This paper suggested game-based learning activities and techniques in the classroom. Hoping that educational games attract more attention and be applied in the classroom in order to learn and teach new vocabulary more effectively.
Keywords: educational game, game-based learning, motivation, meaningful context
Learning vocabulary through games had attained a lot of attention. Donmus (2010) believed that "The value of educational games has been increasing in language education since they help to make language education entertaining "(p.1497). According to Kuzu and Ural findings (as cited in Donmus, 2010, p.1499) "when games and education are combined, it can be educative and education environments can be entertaining. The learners who learned with the use of games, gain positive attitudes and can be more motivated while learning". This is a review of the effects of using games on learning vocabulary in English as a foreign language (EFL).Vocabulary in English is mostly taught out of context as isolated words, the main criticism of this way of teaching is that vocabulary cannot be learnt in isolation (Al Neyadi, 2007). Activities which involve learners in thinking about the words, like using games allow learners to remember the target words more easily. Learning vocabulary is a hard work, so attempt is required to understand, produce and manipulate the target words. Games help and encourage many learners to learn target language more easily. They also help teachers to create contexts in which the target words are useful and meaningful; they also bring fun for students, thus help them learn and retain new words more quickly. In other
words, game-based learning can create a meaningful context for language learning process. After learning and practicing new vocabulary through games, students have the opportunity to use language in a nonstressful way (Uberman, 1998). Games are advantageous and effective in learning vocabulary. They are motivating because they usually involve friendly competition and create cooperative learning environment, so students have an opportunity to work together. They improve students' communicative skills and they have a chance to use the target language (Sorayaie- Azar, 2012).Therefore, vocabulary games bring real world context into the classroom, and enhance students' use of English in a flexible, communicative way. The role of games in teaching and learning vocabulary cannot be denied. However, in order to achieve the most from vocabulary games, it is essential that suitable games be chosen. Whenever a game is to be used, the proficiency level and cultural background of the students should be taken into account, and also it should be useful for students with lower language ability and should be easily applied in the class. Many experienced textbook and methodological manual writers have argued that games are not just time-filling activities but have a great educational value (Riahipour & Saba, 2012). This paper offers the rationale for implementing games as a stress-free tool of learning words. It is believed that games can have the potentiality to contextualize learning words.
DeHaan, Reed and Kuwada (2010) investigated the effect of interactivity with a music video game on second language vocabulary recall. The participants of their study were divided into two groups; one of them played an English-language music video game for 20 minutes, while the other group watched the game simultaneously on another monitor. After playing the game, a vocabulary recall test, an experience questionnaire, and a two week delayed vocabulary recall test were administered. The results of their study showed that both the players and the watchers of the video game recalled vocabulary from the game, but the players recalled less vocabulary than the watchers. DeHaan et al. (2010) argued that although a video game that contains target language vocabulary can be enjoyable, its interactivity can prevent language acquisition process because of this players were unable to recall the game's vocabulary as well as watchers. They also argued that" players of the video game were asked to play the game and attend to the vocabulary simultaneously and these multiple foci of attention prevented them from noticing and recalling more vocabulary items than the watchers" (p.85).Their findings do not reveal that vocabulary can be acquired more effectively through non-interactive approach than interactive one, for these players.
As the world is embracing the 21st century, a new tool that could facilitate English as Second Language (ESL) classroom is imperative. In this case, video games seem to offer a promising positive impact toward ESL classroom. Video games is interactive, which at the same time is suitable for 21st century learner who are craving for technologies. Thus, this study was conducted. Data collection was done in a primary
school in South of Malaysia which two class being sampled. The two classrooms were separated into control group and experimental group. Before any statistical test being conducted, the data was tested for its normality. For this research, the researchers had performed Shapiro-Wilk test. Based on the test, the data was found as normally distributed. To study the effectiveness of video games in facilitating ESL classroom, a Paired Sample T-Test was conducted to measure the different between the pretest and posttest score. A significant different was visible from the test. Further statistical test shows that experimental group perform better that their counterpart in control group (Mohd Shafie Rosli 2018). The paired sample t-test is being conducted and the result shown that there is a significant the pretest and posttest of the experimental group. This indicating that the treatment is giving positive impact toward the samples. (Gee 2003) convince that video games might be ideal in preparing workers for today's workplace that traditional one. Yet, what is importance is the capability of video games to allow the re-creation of user in new world and achieve deep learning at the same time. The question either video game is effective in enhancing sample's vocabulary was answered by the t-test conducted as stated above. It can be concluded that video games is actually an effective tool in enhancing ESL vocabulary as suggested by Gee (2009) that a well-designed video game has a higher probability of delivering outcomes because of its ability to enhance theoretical or contemporary pedagogy which will lead towards success in learning. In normal classroom, memorization create a wall for students to develop their higher order thinking skill. It is contradicting the practice of modern education. As what being proposed by (Barron 2008) in order to develop high level thinking, student need to engage complex and meaningful projects that demand collaboration, research, management of resources, and the development of an ambitious performance or product. The result of this research had proved that sample's is hi ghly motivated based on their higher posttest for the experimental group. As samples were motivated, it make it possible for them to engage and deliver the task. This situation explained that video game is useful in helping to stimulate learner's internal motivation which is important to engage learners in any task to improve their skill and in turn their capabilities (De Aguilera 2003).
In conclusion, organizing and teaching vocabularies through various videos and games is a very effective way. therefore, I think such techniques should be applied more to students.
REFERENCES
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