Using language games to increase motivation in english speaking class for grade 8 students at nguyen binh khiem boarding school

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DUONG QUYNH NGA

USING LANGUAGE GAMES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION IN
ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASS FOR GRADE-8 STUDENTS AT

NGUYEN BINH KHIEM BOARDING SCHOOL

M.A THESIS
Field: English Linguistics

Code: 8220201

THAI NGUYEN - 2023

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DUONG QUYNH NGA

USING LANGUAGE GAMES TO INCREASE MOTIVATION IN
ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASS FOR GRADE-8 STUDENTS AT

NGUYEN BINH KHIEM BOARDING SCHOOL

M.A THESIS
(APPLICATION ORIENTATION)
Field: English Linguistics
Code: 8220201

Supervisor: LE THI THU HUONG, Ph.D

THAI NGUYEN - 2023

ĐẠI HỌC THÁI NGUYÊN
TRƯỜNG NGOẠI NGỮ

DƯƠNG QUỲNH NGA

SỬ DỤNG TRỊ CHƠI NGƠN NGỮ ĐỂ NÂNG CAO ĐỘNG LỰC
TRONG CÁC GIỜ HỌC NÓI TIẾNG ANH CHO HỌC SINH LỚP 8

TRƯỜNG PTDT NỘI TRÚ NGUYỄN BỈNH KHIÊM

LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ
(Định hướng ứng dụng)

Ngành: Ngôn ngữ Anh
Mã số: 8220201
Cán bộ hướng dẫn: TS. Lê Thị Thu Hương

THÁI NGUYÊN - 2023

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this thesis (Using language games to increase motivation in

English speaking class for grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem boarding school) is

my own work. I have read, researched, translated documents, and synthesized

knowledge to make this thesis and make sure not to copy it anywhere. The theories in

the thesis are used the same material as I have referenced in the reference section

already in the thesis. All data in the thesis are guaranteed to be truthful and have not

been published in any other research work.

Thai Nguyen, March, 2023

Approved by Author’s signature

SUPERVISOR

Le Thi Thu Huong, Ph.D. Duong Quynh Nga

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank my thesis advisor - Dr. Le Thi Thu
Huong - My direct instructor. Thank you that the door to your office is always
open when I run into trouble or have questions about my research problem. The
teacher always allowed me to freely express my views and gave me comments
and suggestions, leading me in the right direction during my research and
implementation of my master's thesis.
I would also like to thank the teachers in the Faculty of Foreign
Languages - Thai Nguyen School of Foreign Languages for imparting to me in-
depth specialized knowledge during my study period so that I have a great
supporting knowledge base for my students. I am in the process of doing my

master's thesis.
Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their continued
support and encouragement throughout my years of study and through the
research and writing of this thesis. This achievement would not have been
possible without them.
Sincerely!

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ABSTRACT
The article presents findings of a recent study which investigated language
games to increase motivation in English speaking class for grade 8 students at Nguyen
Binh Khiem boarding school. Language games were applied for 12 weeks during the
English lessons of grade 8 class with 40 students. Two survey questionnaires, class
observation and interview were used to collect data for analysis. Results of the study
showed that students’ motivation for learning speaking was much improved with the
employment of frequent language games in the teaching and learning process. Most
students found language games make speaking lessons more enjoyable and more fun.
Especially, language games can help to create more chances and more talking time for
students. They felt more relaxed and enjoyable in learning speaking; while their level
of anxiety was lowered, their confidence was enhanced when language games were
integrated in their class sessions.
Keyword: Language games, motivation, English speaking skills, grade 8 students.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................... I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... II

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ III
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................IV
LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................... VII
LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................. VIII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................................IX
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................. 1

1.1. Rationale ...............................................................................................................1
1.2. Research aims.......................................................................................................2
1.3. Research questions...............................................................................................2
1.4. Scope of the study ................................................................................................3
1.5. Method of the study .............................................................................................3
1.6. The significance of the study...............................................................................3
1.7. Design of the thesis ............................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................5
2.1. Speaking................................................................................................................5
2.1.1. Definition of speaking ........................................................................................5
2.1.2. The importance of speaking................................................................................5
2.1.3. Teaching speaking ..............................................................................................6
2.2. Motivation.............................................................................................................7
2.2.1. Definitions of motivation................................................................................................ 7
2.2.2. Types of motivation ........................................................................................................ 8
2.2.3. The role of motivation in foreign language learning ................................................. 12
2.2.4. Methods to enhance motivation in learning................................................................ 13
2.3. Language games.................................................................................................14
2.3.1. Concept of language games.......................................................................................... 14
2.3.2. Benefits of using language games ............................................................................... 15

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2.3.3. Main types of language games..................................................................................... 17
2.4. Previous Studies .................................................................................................18
CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...................................................... 20
3.1. Data collection ....................................................................................................20
3.1.1. The data collection instrument ..................................................................................... 20
3.1.2. Procedures and methods of data collection................................................................. 21
3.2 Research design...................................................................................................22
3.2.1. Game content ................................................................................................................. 22
3.2.2. Game organization ........................................................................................................ 22
3.2.3. Scoring and healthy competition ................................................................................. 23
3.2.4. Game Instructions ......................................................................................................... 23
3.2.5. Participation of learners ................................................................................................ 23
3.2.6. Playtime.......................................................................................................................... 23
3.3. Materials .............................................................................................................23
3.4. Action plan..........................................................................................................24
3.4.1. Guessing game............................................................................................................... 24
3.4.2 Hangman game............................................................................................................... 24
3.4.3 Noughts and Crosses (Unit 5: New development)...................................................... 25
3.4.4. Interview (interview form) ........................................................................................... 25
3.4.5. Word square: (crossword) ............................................................................................ 26
3.4.6. Warm-ups....................................................................................................................... 27
3.4.7. Pre-speaking stage......................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ....................................................... 32
4.1.1. Prequestionnaire .............................................................................................32
4.1.2. Post questionnaire...........................................................................................39
4.1.3. Interview ..........................................................................................................43
4.1.4. Observation .....................................................................................................44
4.1.5. The positive factors and the challenges of using games in speaking lessons45
4.1.5.1. Positive factors ........................................................................................................... 45
4.1.5.2. Challenges................................................................................................................... 46

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4.1.5.3. Sub-conclusion ........................................................................................................... 47
4.1.5.4. Summary ..................................................................................................................... 48
4.2. DISCUSSIONS ..................................................................................................... 49
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................. 51
5.1. Conclusions.........................................................................................................51
5.1.1. The current situation in the teaching of English speaking for grade 8 students at
Nguyen Binh Khiem Boarding School.................................................................................. 51
5.1.2. The kinds of games could be used to increase students’ speaking motivation ....... 52
5.1.3. How students’ motivation was improved after they are engaged in language games
in speaking classes ................................................................................................................... 52
5.2. Implications ........................................................................................................52
5.3. Limitations..........................................................................................................53
5.4. Recommendation ...............................................................................................53
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 54
APPENDIX 1: PREQUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................... I
APPENDIX 2: POST-QUESTIONNAIRE ...............................................................IV
APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .............................................................VI
APPENDIX 4: TEACHER’S OBSERVATION SHEET....................................... VII

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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 4.1: STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH LEARNING ... 32
TABLE 4.2: STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND PERSPECTIVES TOWARDS
SPEAKING LESSONS ............................................................................................... 33
TABLE 4.3: STUDENTS’ PREFERENCES OF TEACHER’S TECHNIQUES
EXPLOITED IN SPEAKING CLASSES. ................................................................ 35

TABLE 4.4: CURRENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO
TEACH SPEAKING SKILLS.................................................................................... 36
TABLE 4.5. CURRENT IMPLEMENTATIONS TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS
TO SPEAK ENGLISH ................................................................................................ 37
TABLE 4.6: STUDENTS’ FEELING AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS
LANGUAGE GAMES EXPLOITED BY THE TEACHER ................................... 39
TABLE 4.7. STUDENTS’ EVALUATION OF THE USE OF LANGUAGE
GAMES IN SPEAKING CLASSES .......................................................................... 40
TABLE 4.8. STUDENTS’ EXPECTATIONS TO THE TEACHER WHEN
USING GAMES IN SPEAKING LESSONS ............................................................ 42

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1. Students’ attitudes toward language games ................................................ 34
Figure 4.2: The frequency of using language games..................................................... 43

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ARSC LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CIS Attention, relevance, satisfaction, confident
CLT Course Interest Survey
EFL Communicative language teaching
ESL English as a Foreign Language
IMMS English as a Second Language
L2 Instructional Materials Motivation Survey
Second Language

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the rationale for conducting the study a longing with its aims,
research questions, methods, significance, and design.
1.1. Rationale
With its underlying foundation, language is just a means of inter-person
communication. This occurs whenever using the language becomes necessary, every
time you read, or you are having a discussion with the other people. When you watch a
movie, you are in communication with all the performers, directors, screenwriters, and
other individuals who contributed to its creation. Even when you speak to yourself,
you are communicating with several aspects of yourself. One could say that as life
progresses, this language has become increasingly engrained in every facet of our
existence. The importance of English in the modern, globalized world cannot be
disputed. The number of people learning English has substantially increased during the
last few decades.
It was found that local secondary school students still lack all four skills listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. Especially in speaking skills, they seem to be afraid of
speaking English in class due to various reasons such as shyness, reticence, and fear of
laughter when they say it wrong. Moreover, the number of students spares teachers
little time to check and practice speaking skills for all students. Hence, a good
organization of speaking practice will help both teachers and students overcome these
limitations. Teaching and learning English requires learners to have certain
components such as social knowledge, aptitude for learning foreign languages, ability
to perceive languages, intelligence, agility, thinking, logical reasoning, and persistence.
However, successful English learning does not depend solely on the effort of the
students but also depends greatly on the level and ability of the teacher to impart. In
order to successfully conduct an English lesson in class, the teachers’ application of
teaching methods and art plays a very important role. For students to quickly absorb
knowledge, deepen and apply it well, as well as develop skills, and form quick
reflexes, creating a foreign language environment in the classroom is very important. It
requires teachers to make an ideal English environment in speaking classes.

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The researcher has found that the use of language games is one of the most
effective methods of teaching language and teaching English is not an exception. The
researcher strongly believed that games can help teachers to create contexts in which
the language is useful and meaningful. It can be realized that the common tendency of
these methodology writers is that teachers should be more active in using classroom
activities to help students recycle lexical items. One of the most recommended
activities is games. For students, games are highly motivating, competitive, and fun.

All the above-mentioned reasons and factors have inspired the writer to conduct
the research titled: “Using language games to increase motivation in English speaking
class for grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem boarding school”.
1.2. Research aims

The English instructional games are also expected to improve the students’
speaking ability in exciting ways. In general, the study is intended to find suitable
English instructional games to teach speaking and to explain the students’ responses to
the English
instructional games to teach speaking.

The aim of this research is to investigate the use of language games to increase
motivation in English speaking class for grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem
boarding school. The research objectives consist of a) investigating the current
situation of teaching English speaking to grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem
Boarding School; (b) finding out the kinds of games that can be used to increase
students’ speaking motivation; c) determining how the students’ motivation were
improved after they were engaged in games in speaking classes.
1.3. Research questions

To achieve the above aim, the research was expected to find the answers to the
following research questions:

1) What is the current situation of teaching English speaking to grade-8 students
at Nguyen Binh Khiem Boarding School?

2) How is student’ motivation improved after they are engaged in games in
speaking classes?

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1.4. Scope of the study
The study focuses specifically on using games in teaching speaking to the 40

grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem Boarding School in Vo Thai, Thai Nguyen.
The study limits itself to teaching and learning speaking only, and the participants of
the study are 40 students from grade 8 studying the “English 8” textbook at Nguyen
Binh Khiem Boarding School.
1.5. Method of the study

This is action research with the participants of the 40 grade-8 students at Nguyen
Binh Khiem Boarding School in Vo Nhai, Thai Nguyen. The purpose of this thesis is
to conduct action research to tackle the problems of their low motivation in learning
vocabulary through the use of language games for duration of 3 lessons. The whole
process of the research was divided into five steps:

+ surveying
+ implementation
+ observing

+ reflecting on progress.
The methods used were: Quantitative as well as qualitative research, classroom
observation, survey questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews.
1.6. The significance of the study
The study has practical and significant implications for the use of language games
as an active teaching strategy with a learner-centered focus. Each player must interact
with one another and hold group discussions with one another in order to determine the
game's outcome. As a result, the player must utilize language to fill in the gaps and
convey the information required to win the game. This research not only helps the 40
grade-8 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem Boarding School in Vo Nhai, Thai Nguyen
improve their interest and motivation in speaking and using English, but also helps
teachers find different effective ways to teach speaking skill.
The study also serves as a personal assessment of whether or not the essay paper
will be an important source for future students' research project.
1.7. Design of the thesis

This thesis consists of five parts:
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Chapter 1: Introduction - presents the rationale for conducting the study a
longing with its aims, research questions, methods, significance, and design.

Chapter 2: Literature Review - conceptualizes the framework of the study
including the key concepts. A brief overview of the related studies is also provided.

Chapter 3: Research methodology - presents the context and the methodology
used in this study including the objects, data collection instruments, data collection
procedure, and analysis.

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions - presents, gives a comprehensive analysis

of the data and discusses the findings of this study.

Chapter 5: Conclusions – offers, implications, limitations, recommendations,
and reflection of the researcher.

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CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter conceptualizes the framework of the study including the key concepts. A
brief overview of the related studies is also provided.
2.1. Speaking
2.1.1. Definition of speaking

Speaking, as Bygate (1987) defines, involves not only the use of the right sounds
in the patterns of rhythm and intonation, but also the choice of words and inflections in the
right order to convey the right meaning.

Speaking, a productive skill, is known to have two main types of conversation,
namely dialogue and monologue, which are rather different. In a monologue, you give an
uninterrupted oral presentation while in a dialogue you interact with one or more other
speakers for transactional and interaction purposes.

It is noticeable from the two productive language skills that speaking is different from
writing in both processing conditions and reciprocity conditions. “First, spoken language is
affected by the time limitations, and the associated problems of planning, memory, and
production under pressure. Second, it is reciprocal activity, which has crucial effect on the
kinds of decisions to be made” (Bygate, 1987: 11-12).

In addition, according to Hybel (2001:45), “speaking is any process in which people
share information, ideas and feeling, it involves all of body language mannerism and style-

anything that adds meaning to a massage”.
2.1.2. The importance of speaking

Speaking is the most crucial skill because it is required to carry on a
conversation. Speaking English requires speakers to have a thorough understanding of
many key aspects, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and
comprehension. In order to communicate with others successfully and simply, English
language learners should have sufficient knowledge of the language. In the study of
language use outside of the classroom, Rivers (1981) discovered that speaking is used
twice as much as reading and writing combined. Speaking and listening are two of a
learner's language tools, according to Brown (1994).

Speaking has been claimed to be of major importance for human interaction by
Efrizal (2012 who stated that people speak every day and everywhere. Speaking is the

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spoken method of conveying thoughts and messages. If we want to encourage students to
communicate in English, we should use it when we speak to one another.

According to Richards and Rodgers (2001), speaking skills were neglected in
classes using traditional teaching approaches since reading and writing abilities were
prioritized. Speaking is the most significant and crucial of the four language skills—
listening, speaking, reading, and writing—that are essential for efficient communication,
according to Ur (2000). Speaking is important outside of the classroom as well. Therefore,
language speakers have a greater opportunity of being employed by various businesses and
organizations. According to Baker and Westrup (2003), students who speak English very
well stand a better chance of receiving a better education, getting a decent job, and moving
upwards in their careers.
2.1.3. Teaching speaking

Byrne (1988) identified three stages for improving learners' oral competency:
Teachers are at the center of learning and teaching activities throughout the
presentation phase. As an information source, they are employed. In this phase, students
often observe and listen to the teacher, passively absorbing information. At the end of this
phrase, they are typically merely asked to role-play and dramatize a dialogue or discuss
what they need to learn from prose based on the prior replies.
In contrast to the presentation phase, the practice phase requires students to speak the
majority of the time since they are given the greatest practice opportunities through
carefully monitored and supervised exercises that aim to increase their vocabulary,
grammar proficiency, and speaking fluency. At this phase, the students respond to the
teacher's guided questions and engage in partner discussions to generate fresh insights into
the subject. Ur (1996) stated that the teacher should work on improving the learners'
speaking fluency after the practice phrase. The students must first pay full attention. The
target language also has to be heard loudly or repeatedly. Thirdly, new information must be
understood by the students, and finally, the material must be stored in the student's short-
term memory for use in the lesson.
Learners are provided opportunities to speak English freely during the production
phase, which is the final stage of speaking development. In a real-world setting, students
use English independently rather than relying on the assistance of the teacher.

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Free activities can also take the shape of the group, pair, or individual work.
However, due to the fact that all students can participate in discussions and they appear
more self-confident and motivated, pair work and group work are very significant and
effective. Additionally, this can save a lot of time. If these three phrases are used in the
correct order when teaching speaking, speaking skills will improve. However, given the
time constraints, learner types, and available resources, they might not be used as intended.
2.2. Motivation

2.2.1. Definitions of motivation

The process of initiating, leading, and sustaining purposeful behaviors is known
as motivation. The act of being motivated is what drives us to act, whether it's getting a
drink of water to satisfy our thirst or reading a book to learn more. Motivation is a
crucial component of human resource management since it motivates people to get
involved. obtain the greatest performance and support corporate objectives. Strong
positive motivation will boost an employee's productivity at work, while weak and
negative motivation will weaken their performance.

The biological, emotional, social, and cognitive motivational aspects that lead to
behavior are related to motivation. The word "motivation" is frequently used in
common speech to refer to the reasons behind someone's actions. The theory of
motivation has so far been the subject of numerous studies. Each author has a different
way of defining motivation since they approach the topic from various perspectives.
However, motivation is typically described as an abstract idea used to explain a
person's readiness to increase effort in order to achieve a certain objective. Mastery of
a language may be a goal for language learners. Numerous models of language learner
motivation have been proposed in the fields of linguistics, sociolinguistics, and second
language acquisition.

A key affective factor in second language acquisition is motivation. It has a
positive relationship with second language success and precedence, i.e., high levels of
motivation frequently result in high L2 achievement and proficiency. While
unmotivated students are more likely to cause disruptions in the classroom, motivated
students are typically more involved in their studies. However, it can be quite
challenging to identify and quantify motivation. Atkinson defined motivation as “a

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cluster of factors” that “energize” the behavior and give it “direction” (quoted in
Arnold, 2000:13). Therefore, from Atkinson's perspective, the term "motivation" refers
to the factors that spur on an individual's activity, energy, and direction. While Dörnyei
(2001:9) saw motivation as an aspect of one's thought processes, the author also
described it as "the dynamically changing cumulative aroused in a person that initiates,
directs, coordinates, amplifies, terminates and evaluates the cognitive and the motor
processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalizes
and acted out".

In his word, Ellis stated that “motivation involves the attitudes and effective
states that influence the degree of effort that learners make to learn an L2”
(Ellis,1997:75). Woolfolk (2001:366) also defined motivation as “an internal state that
arouses, directs and maintains behavior”. Similarly, Brown (2000: 160) indicated that
“motivation is some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order
to achieve something”.

It is clear that different researchers approach the definition of motivation in
various ways. However, they all agree that motivation includes effort, desire, and
favorability with the idea that it happens as a result of a mix of internal and external
factors. As a result, this study will adopt Gardner's (1982: 132–147) definition of
motivation, which holds that it can be divided into three parts. Included in them are
affect, desire, and effort. An effort is defined as the amount of time and motivation put
into learning a language. The learner's level of desire to master the language is shown
by their level of desire, and their emotional responses to language learning are shown.
2.2.2. Types of motivation

The concepts of instrumental and integrative motivation were first articulated by
Gardner and Lambert (1972). When it comes to language learning, instrumental
motivation is the desire of the learner to acquire a language for practical reasons (such
as employment or travel, or exam purposes). The desire to learn a language in order to

successfully integrate into the target language community is known as integrative
motivation, on the other side.

An individual who is motivated to learn through integration has a sincere desire
to engage with speakers of second languages. To better connect with them and

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