The Importance of Using
The Importance of Using
The Importance of Using
I. Introduction
One of the most crucial elements of EFL courses are games. They contain enjoyable activities with
objectives and regulations. Games are "an activity with rules, an aim, and an element of enjoyment," according
to Hadfield (1990; cited in Deesri, 2002, p.1).
Language games, according to some writers, should be in the core of the foreign language education
program rather than being relegated to the program's periphery because, in addition to being entertaining, they
also have objectives and are governed by rules (Haldfield, 1999). According to S. M. Silvers, the author of the
book Games for the Classroom and English Speaking Club, games are often seen as time fillers by instructors
since they break up repetitive repetitions in the class (Silvers 1992). He contends that many professors often
overlook the reality that true learning may often occur in a relaxed setting and that students can also utilize the
target language they have already been exposed to and have mastered. According to Greenall's definition,
games encourage healthy rivalry among students who are engaged in language-related activities (Greenall,
1990).
The fact that students gain a lot from playing games shows that employing them in a foreign language
classroom is acceptable. Numerous seasoned authors have confirmed the educational value of gaming. Lee
(Lee, 1995) lists a few causes, including the following: Games provide an opportunity to break up the irregular
routine, but they are crucial for providing challenges and inspiration. Additionally, games motivate learners to
connect and communicate effectively, provide them a reason to persist in their learning efforts, give them a
context in which to use the language meaningfully, reduce anxiety, and let them study in a fun and relaxed
environment.
For both language instructors and students, games offer various benefits. When students participate in
the activities and have fun without realizing it, they encourage learning the target language. In addition, it is
exciting for the instructor to offer the language in a fun environment, which strengthens the work. The
statement "games inherently promote student attention, a correctly presented game may be one of the greatest
motivating tactics" from McCallum (1980, p. ix) stresses this idea. Making difficult situations obvious is
another benefit of employing games in a foreign language environment. A stress-free environment should be
provided for language learners. As a result of the lack of fear experienced by learners at this time and their
increased positive emotions and self-confidence as a result of not being concerned about being penalized or
reprimanded when speaking the language freely, games are now highly beneficial (Crookal, 1990).
This essay aims to demonstrate the value of games in EFL courses. The function of games in EFL courses will
be thoroughly examined in the section that follows.
purposeful setting. According to Constantinescu (2012), playing games may help students get a better
knowledge of both spoken and written English. Games aid in the context-based learning of words and
grammatical structures utilizing proper pronunciation and spelling.
Despite the fact that the majority of instructors are unaware of games as a learning approach, they play
a significant role in language learning classes. However, it provides a number of advantages for learners'
learning processes. First off, games save the lecture from becoming routine and uninteresting. On the other
hand, they foster a productive and encouraging learning atmosphere where the emphasis is on the students and
their education.
Games always make learning enjoyable for students, which is why they are more engaging than regular
sessions. The activities in the classroom assist the students learn the language while having fun. Even reserved
and reticent kids respond favorably to them (Mei & Yu-Jing, 2000). Children are more motivated as a result
because they play as a substitute activity, which motivates pupils to maintain interest in the lesson and keep
working. They lessen the pressure of learning a foreign language in this manner (Mei & Yu-jing, 2000).
Games have several benefits for encouraging the acquisition of the target language in EFL courses. As
games are used, students' concern over language acquisition lessens, which is one of the benefits linked with
them. In language lessons, students make the assumption that they must succeed in the target language, even
when they do not. Additionally, students experience a great deal of anxiety as a result of their instructor
criticizing and punishing them when they make a mistake. Games now take center stage because they let
learners practice the target language without fear of punishment or condemnation, which lowers anxiety, boosts
pleasant emotions, and boosts self-confidence (Crookal, 1990).
Games are referred to be learner-centered activities since learners actively participate in them. As
stated by Crookall (1990). Through games, roles between students and teachers are altered, and teachers urge
students to actively engage in their learning. Games thus allow students an opportunity to be in charge of their
own education. Another benefit of games from an educational standpoint is that they provide a framework for
language usage that is relevant. Teachers may create a variety of situations via the use of games that enable
students to learn subconsciously since they are not focused on the message or the language. As a consequence,
when they concentrate on a game as an activity, they pick up the target language in the same way they pick up
their native tongue: unconsciously (Cross, 2000).
According to Constantinescu (2012), games provide the following benefits:
• "Games expand kids' vocabulary in English in a familiar and relaxed setting (even for pupils who may have
special needs), where they feel secure. English is also widely utilized with computers, in addition to this.
• Playing video games fosters motivation and a drive for personal growth.
• The elements of challenge and competitiveness are essential to any game, and pupils focus more intently on
finishing the assignment.
• Multidisciplinary strategy. Students also draw on information from other courses.
• Playing games helps pupils become better observers.
• The goals and rules of games are obvious.
• Playing games fosters creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
• Games provide fresh and engaging methods of instruction and practice that take the place of conventional
workbooks.
• Games may be adjusted for players with various degrees of understanding.
• Educational games are simple to use and comprehend.
• Playing educational games in class doesn't take much time.
• Many instructional video games are available online at no cost.
• Quick feedback for both students and teachers.
• The effects are greater and more obvious (sometimes both visual and aural).
• The working hours are often agreed upon and observed from the start.
While encouraging collaborative learning, games also allow for individual student progress and cognitive
development.
• Games may be utilized as incentives for pupils in the classroom.
Students could be willing to play games only for enjoyment. Teachers, meanwhile, need more
arguments to persuade them to play games. When choosing games to use, when to use them, how to link them
to the curriculum and textbook, and most importantly, how effective they are, teachers must exercise extreme
caution. Teachers in EFL settings should use extreme caution while selecting and modifying games. According
to Constantinescu (2012), instructors should take into account a number of factors while selecting language
games, including:
• "Games need to have a goal. They're not only for fun; they're utilized to inspire kids.
• Language use should be emphasized in games. Students must acquire, practice, or brush up on language skills
III. Methodology
Semi-structured interviews and observation were employed as data gathering methods in this
qualitative case study. The rationale for selecting a case study is that it enables the researcher to delve more
deeply into the lives of the participants and collect richer and meaningful data. The case study research
technique is an empirical investigation that examines a current phenomena in its real-life context; where the
boundaries between phenomenon and context are not readily visible; and in which many sources of evidence are
utilised. This definition is given by Yin (1984, p. 23). Many researchers (Miles and Huberman, 1994; Debreli,
2012; Silverman, 2011) contend that a qualitative study is more flexible in gathering in-depth background data
since it may ask open-ended questions or pay careful attention to events and occasions on a regular basis. An in-
depth examination of the participants' learning processes was necessary since the goal of the current research
was to ascertain the impacts of the Twister game on students', who are not EFL students at English Preparatory
Schools, vocabulary acquisition. In order to better understand and investigate students' learning processes,
qualitative data gathering tools were used. Many claim that the most often utilized tools for collecting
qualitative data include games, interviews, reflective reports, and observations (Cohen, Manion& Morrison,
2012). Multi-method triangulation, according to Kopinak, is the process of "collecting data relating to the same
phenomena using more than one approach, mainly to evaluate whether there is a convergence and, as a result,
greater validity in study conclusions" (Kopinak, 1999). According to Kopinak, adding additional instruments
would result in the provision of more granular and multi-layered information about the fact being studied.
Since the current study does not aim to generalize to larger context and is not interested in disclosing
statistical data for comparisons, this is another major factor in the decision to use a qualitative research
approach. It seeks to draw out a thorough image from a select group of participants, which would provide a
more comprehensive picture. More details regarding the study's participants and the tools used to gather the data
are provided in the sections that follow.
1.1.1. Game(Twister)
Games are tremendously beneficial in a classroom since they provide students several opportunity to
learn the language. Games may be utilized as an introduction, as the lesson develops, and as a conclusion,
according to Carrier (1980, as referenced in Sánchez, Morfin& Campos, 2007), who also identifies three
relevant phases in a lesson when they can be used. The lesson starts with stimulation when games are used as an
introduction. At this stage, the class has already piqued the pupils' attention from the outset. Additionally, they
are quite important in determining the level of pupils. Games may also be used to review a prior activity. After
the lesson plan is created, games are included to stress a point that the instructor feels is important for practice
or revision. To provide an exciting conclusion, games are included at the end of the class. As a result, pupils
have the opportunity to exercise the material they have learned, and the instructor may determine whether or not
the material has been grasped by the class. According to Sánchez, Morfin, and Campos (2007), games have a
good impact at any point in the session since they allow students to enjoy themselves while still benefiting from
covert language practice.
A traditional American game called twister. It comprises of a pointer-equipped guidance board. The
left foot, right foot, left hand, and right hand are the four spaces on the board. Green, red, yellow, and blue
circles are present in each location. The giant twister mat has six rows of circles in the colors green, red, yellow,
and blue.
In the current research, "Twister," a popular gaming activity, is chosen to assess its impact on EFL
primary level students' language acquisition. Twister is a game that is often played in EFL classes, although its
benefits for learning have not yet been sufficiently shown via empirical research. The efficacy of the game that
is being investigated in this research and employed as a tool for data collecting.
1.1.2. Semi-StructuredInterviews
Semi-structured interviews are used in the current research due to the fact that interviews ask questions
orally and gather accessible data orally (Kuale, 2006). One of the primary justifications for choosing a semi-
structured interview style is that, in contrast to structured interviews, it enables the collection of more in-depth
data since investigations are conducted to get more exploratory data about the questions. The in-depth
comprehension of the respondents' opinions, attitudes, and emotions is the additional justification for doing
semi-structured interviews. The necessity for researchers to see aspects that could not be immediately seen,
such as students' attitudes, perceptions, and opinions, led to the use of interviews (Mackey &Gass, 2005). In
order to learn more about participants' behaviors and activities in relation to the EFL setting under investigation,
non-participant observations were also utilised (Mackey &Gass, 2005).
In this research, students were interviewed in a semi-structured interview to gain their opinions on
using games to acquire English vocabulary. An interview form was created by researchers with this objective in
mind. Following the conclusion of all game-related activities, interviews were held with four participants who
gave their consent and were told that their identities would be kept private and that their remarks would only be
used for study.
1.1.3. Observation
Methods of observation are helpful to researchers in a number of ways. According to Schmuck (1997),
they provide means of regulating nonverbal emotional expression, figuring out how participants connect with
one another, and monitoring how much time is spent on particular tasks. Additionally, the researchers find that
participant observation is useful for verifying the definitions of terms used by interviewees, monitoring
situations where informants may not be able or willing to share ideas that would be impolite or sensitive, and
monitoring situations participants have reported in interviews so that they are aware of inaccurate and distorted
information described in interviews which is provided by those informants (Marshall &Rossman, 1995).
As was already indicated, this research used the observation approach. In order to compare the observed
behaviors, verbal responses, and sentiments with the participant interview data, individuals were monitored for
eight hours.
1.2. Participants
Since only a small number of participants are used in qualitative research designs, it was chosen to focus on
only two of them in order to get a better insight. These individuals were chosen using a sampling strategy based
on criteria. The following criteria were used to randomly choose individuals who met the general requirements,
and these were:
They should have elementary level English ability, regardless of whether they are EFL students at English
Preparatory Schools.
Generalcharacteristicsofthetwoparticipantsaregivenbelow:
Pseudonym Age Nationality Education
Jack 23 Vietnamese Privatelesson
Jill 22 Vietnamese Privatelesson
1.4. DataAnalysis
The transcription of the audio-recorded interview data marked the beginning of the data analysis. The
familiarization of the data recorded is then accomplished by reading the transcription multiple times. The
information was then assigned meaningful codes (Miles and Huberman, 1994). In order to gather the most
relevant information under generic labels, those codes were then refined into categories. The next section
presents these categories together with the data that best fits each one.
2.1.3. Preventingfrommemorization
Although vocabulary is taught through speaking, listening, reading, and writing sessions, it is not often
thought of as a separate topic that students should study. Students employ their existing vocabulary, while the
instructor and their peers introduce new words that will be used in the lesson's classroom activities. When it
comes to vocabulary, many English language learners believe that they just acquire a list of new terms with
meanings in their native tongue without using them in actual context. When they come across unfamiliar terms,
the majority of language learners may find themselves in the same predicament, searching up the words in a
bilingual dictionary to determine their meanings or definitions. Without understanding how to use the new
phrases in practice, they can just replicate the lines of the words. When they acquire terminology in this manner,
they may realize that it is not sufficient and satisfying for them, and they may believe that this is simply due to
their inability to remember. Gnoinska (1998). It is ineffective to learn a language in this manner. According to
Decarrico (2001), words shouldn't be treated as a distinct subject while being learned or remembered without
understanding. The process of acquiring new words is cumulative, and when words are encountered again, they
become more enriched and entrenched. Nation (2000). In conclusion, it is not believed that English language
learners should acquire vocabulary by "seeing and remembering."
The study's interview and observation data made it clear that the game Twister assisted participants in
picking up the language without the need for memory. Furthermore, the findings made it clear that games are
helpful tools for helping learners retain the terms without consulting any textual sources. Was it simple to recall
the words while playing the game? was a question that one of the players answered as follows: Yes, I had no
trouble remembering the words. With your assistance and the hints provided by my pal, it was simple to recall.
The most impressive thing was when I realized I could acquire language without using a dictionary by playing
games.
2.2. De-motivatingFactors
Vocabulary lessons are taught throughout the speaking, listening, reading, and writing courses, despite
the fact that historically learners did not see them as a separate topic to study. The instructor and classmates
provide new language that will be used in the lesson's classroom activities, and the students apply the
vocabulary that they already know. When vocabulary is a concern for English language learners, many of them
believe that they just acquire a list of new words with meanings in their native tongue without using them in any
meaningful context. The majority of students may encounter the same scenario, which involves searching up
terms in a bilingual dictionary to determine their definitions or meanings when they encounter new words. They
could replicate the lines of new phrases without understanding how to use them in a practical situation. When
they utilize this method, they may realize that acquiring language from a list is not sufficient and satisfying for
them, and they believe this is simply due to their inability to remember, Gnoinska (1998). Learning a language
in this manner is ineffective. According to Decarrico (2001), words shouldn't be treated as a distinct subject
while learning or remembered in a way that prevents comprehension. To add to that, "learning new words is a
cumulative process, with terms richer and established when they are encountered again," Nation (2000). In
conclusion, it is not believed that vocabulary acquisition by "seeing and remembering" is a useful strategy for
English language learners.
According to the study's observation and interview findings, Twister clearly assisted participants in
picking up language skills without requiring them to memorize anything. Additionally, it is clear from the
findings that games are helpful tools for helping students remember terms without consulting any written
sources. When asked whether it was simple to recall the terms while playing the game, one of the players
replied as follows: Yes, remembering the words came quite easily. It was easy to recall thanks to your
assistance as well as the hints provided by my pal. The most impressive thing was when I realized I could
acquire language via games without consulting a dictionary.
III. Conclusion
This study's main goal was to examine the value of incorporating games in EFL lessons. As these
results demonstrate, playing games produces an enjoyable and satisfying atmosphere in addition to strong
incentive for language acquisition. Additionally, the value of games in reducing language anxiety cannot be
understated. Games are crucial for teaching English because they provide students a chance to practice the
language while also having fun and being entertained with it. In conclusion, games are acceptable as practical
and efficient teaching aids for vocabulary. Games may be used in EFL classes to make lessons more engaging,
pleasant, and productive (Uberman, 1998).
As a result of the study's results, it is clear that games are crucial tools in language-learning classrooms
for creating a calm atmosphere for students. Games are also highly helpful for both instructors and students if
they have an instructional goal in addition to being entertaining.
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Nguyen Thanh Nam, et. al. “The Importance of using games in EFL Classrooms.” IOSR
Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 27(08), 2022, pp. 17-23.