Effect of using Word Game in teaching English Language Vocabulary among upper primary student - I

INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK

1.01  INTRODUCTION

According to Froebel, “Education is a process by which a child makes its internal external”. Education is one of the most potent instruments to bring about transformation in both society and the individuals. Education shapes the mankind and plays an important key role in heralding human culture. Education is viewed as a sum total of what is received through learning, that is acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, transmission of culture, development of personality and an aid to self – actualization. Thus education prepares a person for facing new situations.       

Education is an important index of human development and higher education in particular, is an indicator of progress and prosperity of a nation. Having an influential impact on development, higher education is indeed a vital tool for intellectual, cultural and aesthetic development, for achieving social well-being. It contributes to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge and skills. It also enriches the social and cultural standards of life, and brings about qualitative improvement in the national sphere.

            Education is expected not only to provide skills for survival and growth but also has to engender in students some basic human values and familiarize them with the formal and informal principles of a particular society. In this view, the aim of education should not be the learning or teaching of social, physical, biological, engineering or medical sciences, but the growth of body, mind and the soul. It should aim at happiness, friendliness and adoption of human values like hope and equality, culminating into more civilized philosophy of life.

According to Aristotle, “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body”. Education develops man’s faculty, especially his mind so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, goodness and beauty. 

According to T. Raymont, “Education is the process of development which consist the passage of human being from infancy to maturity, the process where by the person adapts himself gradually in various ways to his physical and spiritual environment”.

According to Radha Krishnan, “Education must include not only the training of the intellect but also the reinforcement of heart and discipline of the spirit”.

According to John Dewey, “Education is the process of living through a continuous reconstruction of experience. It is the development of all those capacities, an individual learns which enable him to control his environment and fulfill his possibilities.

According to Drever, “Education is a process in which and by which knowledge, character and behaviour of the young are shaped and moulded.

1.02. Structure of Education

            The development of the citizen leads to the development of the country. Education is important for the progress of a country. So in our country, Education is made free to all people, irrespective of caste, creed, sect and religion. Schools act as agencies of education that shape the character and develop the intelligence of the individual. The pattern of education comprises three major stages namely, Primary, secondary and higher secondary stages, followed by higher education.

Primary Education

            Primary education occupies a significant place in the educational construction of a developing country. It covers standard I to V. It is at this stage that the child starts going to a formal institution. The education that he receives, provides the foundation for his physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and social development.

Secondary Education   

            Education that is imparted in high school classes, standard IX and X is secondary education. Primary education is intended to provide the minimum essentials to children and secondary education helps the children to become full members of a complex modern society. An All-round development of the child takes place at this stage.

Higher Secondary Education

            A uniform pattern of educational structure is followed for the promotion of educational development in our country. In this pattern, 10 years of general education followed by diversified higher secondary education of 2 years and then 3 years of university education is provided. In the modern parlance of all India level, higher secondary education means the education that follows X standard. Higher secondary education occupies a prominent place in our educational ladder. It provides the link between secondary and higher education.

1.02  IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English today occupies a significant place in our educational system. As things are at present, the student at the end of an arduous and expensive scholastic career, has neither a command on the foreign language thrust on him, nor on his own mother tongue. The result is that he never comes to have any effective medium for self-expression and there is no personality, since there is no self-expression.

However, many countries have tried to reduce the role of English in national life for political reasons and to promote their mother tongue. This policy has succeeded to some extent in Tanzania, Malaysia but its ill effect was soon absorbed when their students could not secure admissions in British and America universities. India, which is a multi-lingual country, English still plays a predominant role. With the use of computers, dominated by the Americans, American English has come to be widely used.

1.03  ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

English is the most widely spoken language in the world. No language can be compared with English in respect with the international status and through the medium of English language, greater and greater number of people come close to one another. It is the mother tongue of 320 million people and another 200 million use it as their second language. In India, it is not only the popular second language but also the mother tongue of small Indian community, the Anglo – Indians.

English is the language of international politics, trade, commerce and industry. One out of 10 persons in the world knows English. 75% of the world’s mail, 50% of the world’s newspapers, 60% of the world’s radio stations and more than 50% of the world’s scientific and technical periodicals use English as the medium of expression. English is one of the six official languages of the UNO. It is also the link language of the common wealth countries. It has facilitated mobility of teachers and students from one country to another. It has opened worldwide chances for employment.

1.04  ENGLISH AS THE RESERVOIR OF KNOWLEDGE

To quote French F.G “Anyone who can read English can keep in touch with the whole world without leaving his own home.” English has been described as the reservoir of knowledge. The rapid progress in science and technology is taking place by means of English language. English is a window through which we are able to see the scientific, technological, agricultural, commercial and literary developments taking place in the world.

1.05  ENGLISH AS A LIBRARY LANGUAGE

In the true words of the Kothari Commission, “No student can be considered as qualified for a degree, in particular, a master’s degree, unless he has acquired a reasonable proficiency in English language. English is the key to the storehouse of knowledge. It is a library language. Most of this knowledge is not yet available in the Indian languages. It is in this context that the role of English as a library language becomes important in India.

1.06  ENGLISH AS A LINK LANGUAGE

English is a link language in India. It is the only language which is understood by the educated people all over the country. The trade correspondence from one table to another is mostly conducted in English. The correspondence between Union Government and state Governments is mostly conducted in English language. It is the language of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Besides, the number of creative writers in English is increasing gradually in India.

1.07  ENGLISH AS THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

As Dwight Bolinger says, “Language is species – specific. It is uniquely human trait shared by the cultures so diverse and by individuals physically and mentally so unlike one another…” Language is a means of communicating thoughts and feelings, though not the only means. Cries, signs, gestures, pictorial representations serve as a means of Communication. Man alone uses language for communication. Language is one of the most important characteristic forms of human behaviour. It is man’s ability to use language for the purpose of communication that distinguishes him from other animals. It has always had its place in human affairs.

1.09 ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE

            English is as much a part of the Indian linguistic scene as any other Indian language. Even today, several million people in India, Africa, Asia, Pakistan, Philippines and various other countries use English as their mother tongue or as a second language. In all these areas, English as a second language (sometimes as an alternative official language) enjoy great prestige and fulfils an essential role in the educational and economic life of the nation. It is called a second cultural reality. There is a constant pressure to use English in our educational system; in the court and civil services and in international business contacts. English is a language used by many countries as their broadcasting, newspaper and novels. It is also used by several creative writers all over the world.

            The policy making body of India, Central Advisory Board of Education did not agree with the language proposals of Mudaliar Commission. In 1956, it designed a formula known as ‘Three language formula’, which was approved by the Central Government as well as by the conference of Chief Ministers, held in 1961.

    According to the formula, every student in a secondary school has to study the following three languages.

1.      a) Mother tongue (or)

b) Regional language (or)

c) A composite course of mother tongue and regional language (or)

d) A composite course of mother tongue and a classical language (or)

e) A composite course of regional language and a classical language.

            2. English or a modern European Language

            3. a) Hindi (For Non- Hindi areas) or

               b) Another modern Indian Language (For Hindi speaking areas)

            Kothari Commission (1964) did not agree with the above ‘Three language formula’. It evolved a new modified three language formula which is as under.

Every student should study the following

a)      The mother tongue (or) The regional language

b)      The official language of the union (or) The Associative official language of the union as long as it exists.

c)      A Modern Indian or Foreign Language not covered under1 and above and other than that used as the medium of instruction.

But the present Tamil Nadu Government has implemented a ‘Two language formula’; Tamil and English. In the secondary stage of Education, the medium of instruction is the regional language. The study through the regional language is one of the best methods of expanding one’s mental horizon. It opens a new world before us and helps in breaking down artificial barriers. English is a very rich language and its study would certainly stimulate new thought.

The study of English has opened vast literature. English is responsible for arousing in us national feeling. As there is no common Indian language, English has taken the place of a common Indian language and has been helpful in bringing together the people of India. It has promoted science and technology. The Indian languages have been influenced by English.

It is necessary for Inter-State and Inter-National Communications. It is the language of the world and is used for International purposes. Therefore, English is given its legitimate place in the school curriculum as a second language. The teaching of English should be a means to an end and not an end itself. It should be taught for its practical utility and not for the sake of its literature. It is better to teach practical English than to teach drama, poetry and prose.

1.10 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF TEACHING ENGLISH

Aims are the direct outcome of the purpose for which language is taught. Without aims, we are like the traveler who does not know his destination or even the direction in which he is going. The aims determine our methods of teaching and even the preparation of text books. In teaching, it is highly desirable to know exactly what one is hoping to achieve, as it is in all great undertakings.

English is an all important language and the ability to use this language has become a necessity to an educated person.

Here are some of the reasons why our pupils should learn English.

1.   To communicate in speech or writing with other people who speak English and to understand and take part in a wider life than that of the village.

2.      To understand directions and instructions in life at work (at the post office, hospital or with machines.)

3.      To read books in English on educational subjects like Religion, History, Geography, Nature study, our own trade or profession for example in order to become educated by means of English.

4.      To read books in English for pleasure, comics, magazines, stories, novels, plays and so on.

5.      To read books in English on technical and scientific subjects which will help them to understand the modern world or to make their place in their own progressing community as it moves forward.

 Teachers of English Language should not forget that they are teaching a tool of thought. If English is to carry out its work as a tool of thought, then we should recognize that it will not do this except as an accurate and precise tool of thought. This accuracy and precision can be obtained only if there is a standard in the pupil’s speech and writing. The aim of the teacher of English will be two fold: to increase the power of his pupils knowledge over language which deals with ideas and to increase the power over language which expresses feelings. The ultimate aims are clear; listening, speaking, reading and writing. These should be continued in the schools, and if one gets neglected, there is a deficiency in learning.

“The foundation of language learning is laid on the four fundamental skills namely, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Speech is the ground work and all the rest are built up from it” (French F.G.) However, a teacher should do everything within his powers to give a good command of English to his students.

            In short, “English gives us a glimpse of the Western culture and the progress in industry and science. It enriches our mind, sharpens our intellect and broadens our mental horizon. It takes us beyond the limits of nationality and instills in us the spirit of tolerance, understanding and universal brotherhood and a sense of human solidarity” (UNESCO, 1957).

English in India is used as

1.      One language in the three language formula.

2.      A tool language.

3.      A medium of University education.

4.      A language for advanced studies.

The starting point varies from standard III in Tamil Nadu to standard VIII in some other states.

Primary Level Objectives

In South India, at the end of Std VIII a pupil should be able to

1. Understand statements, questions, short talks and passages read to him on a subject with his experience (within the scope of the syllabus), when said or read at careful conventional speed.
2. Ask and answer questions in speech relating to his experience and to what he has read (within the range of the syllabus).
3. Read with fluency and understand sample passages with in the vocabulary and structural range of the syllabus.
4. Express himself clearly in writing with reasonable accuracy, within the linguistic range of the syllabus on subjects with his experience.

The above objectives are a requisite at the end of Std VIII, for a student to know and acquire the ability to use a fair degree of accuracy over 200 basic structures of English and 1000 to 1750 vocabulary items.

Secondary Level Objectives

            In addition to the objectives listed above at the end of Std IX, a student should be able to

1. Understand a page read to him from the prescribed materials or talk of the save linguistic level on a subject or general interest within his experience.

2.   Ask sensible questions and reply intelligently to questions based on the above.

3. Carry on a sensible conversation with clarity of expression on passages from the prescribed 

materials or on a topic of the same linguistic level within his experience.

4.   Arrange and present his ideas intelligently on a topic selected by him.

5.  Understand the main ideas in a passage of simple English with the linguistic range of the syllabus and be able to reproduce them clearly and correctly in speech and writing in his own words.

6.   Clarity on

i)        A subject of general interest within his experience.

ii)      A topic chosen from a subject within the curriculum.

7.   Read on his own (with the help of dictionary and reference books) for information, further study and enjoyment.

“For a successful completion of the first degree course, a student should posses an adequate command over English and be able to express himself in it with reasonable care, understand lectures in it and avail himself of its literature”

To achieve these objectives and to lay a firm foundation at primary and secondary levels:

a)   We must ensure the effective use of modern methods and techniques.

b)   Adequate attention must be given to all four basic language skills.

c)  Reading and writing shall receive more attention at the high school level to prepare students for the skills, they will need most in later life. Oral practice, however will be necessary.

d)   The art and artifice of silent reading should be taught at the beginning of the secondary course and pupils should be encouraged to read more. For this purpose, it is necessary to setup class libraries and equip these libraries with the latest and the most useful books.

1.11 THE COMPONENTS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Learning a Second language is to effect learning the four skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. The first two skills are intimately related to each other, though one is a recognition skill and other is a production skill. Also, both skills depend almost entirely on the learner’s knowledge of the pronunciation of words and the articulation of sounds in the language.

LISTENING

            Familiarity with the English sound system and an ability to articulate English sound prepare the students for listening to English utterances with understanding. Listening precedes speaking which paves the way for them to develop oral fluency and accuracy. Listening is often said to be a passive skill while speaking is described as an active one. This is not wholly true; for listening is also an active skill as it is concerned with decoding a message and understanding it.  Moreover, the listener has to show that he has or has not understood the message from his response. Listening is a skill that can be developed through systematic teaching.

            Listening ability as demarcated can be cultivated through listening practice, both extensive and intensive. Extensive listening implies exposure to a wide variety of structures and sounds. This equips the students to listen with understanding to English later in life situations. Intensive listening is concerned with just one or two specific points; this kind of listening practices is primarily for language items as part of the language teaching programme. Both kinds of practice can be done with the help of the recordings which the teacher makes himself as well as with the tapes that accompany texts like Crystal and Davy’s Advanced Conventional English. At a more sophisticated level, this can be done in the language laboratory. The point is that the students must listen to good models. Listening is found to be most effective when it is done in preparation for speaking.

SPEAKING

            Practice in listening should precede practice in speaking. At the phonological level, this is particularly helpful; the students should be able to recognize a sound before they attain an ability to produce it. But, listening does not lead naturally on to speaking and oral fluency in communication unless listening is followed by practice at the grammatical and lexical levels too. So, in listening, attention should be sharpened with particular emphasis on grammatical and lexical items. Listening is a receptive skill like reading and speaking is a productive skill like writing. Just as sharpening reading – attention benefits writing, sharpening listening – attention benefits speaking.

            While giving practice in speaking, the teacher may start with dialogues. Dialogues on simple, contextualized situations may be tried between pairs of students as referred to under techniques. The teacher should control and guide the students without curbing their freedom of expression. This will give the students enough opportunities to practice certain phonological, grammatical and lexical items.

READING

            Reading like listening is a decoding process. But it is a very complex process involving many physical, intellectual and often emotional reactions. Moreover, it entails the ability to recognize the graphic symbols and their corresponding vocal sounds. It is impossible to learn to read without this ability which extends to complex groups of sounds called words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. In other words, there are three important components in the reading skill: these are the recognition of the graphic marks, the correlation of these with the formal linguistic elements, and the correlation of these with meaning. Reading becomes meaningful only if we get at the meaning behind the graphic symbols through our ability to recognize the semantic content of the graphic symbols and the sounds they represent.

            There are two kinds of reading skill: the skill of reading aloud and the skill of reading silently. Reading aloud is primarily an oral matter; it is closer to pronunciation than to comprehension. It is good that the students develop the skill of reading aloud. The skill of reading, however, varies from person to person and depends on several factors including each person’s requirement.

Broadly speaking, there are five uses of silent reading:

1) To make a survey of materials to be studied and to look through indexes, chapter headings and outlines,

2) To skim,

3) To familiarize oneself with the material and its thought content,

4) To study the material in depth, and

5) To study the language in which the material is written from a literary or linguistic point of view.

WRITING

            Learning to write a second language is not merely learning to put down on paper the conventional symbols of the writing system that represents the utterances one has in mind, but it is also purposeful selection and organization of ideas, facts, and experience. In other words, writing is a thinking process and is much more than an exercise in transcription or copying.

            Writing is different from speaking. In writing, it aims at compactness and precision in expression as well as grammatical, idiomatic and orthographic accuracy and the conventions of writing tend to be less flexible than in speech. Moreover, a student who learns to write English has not only to cope with the mechanical problems connected with the script of the language but also with the problem of ease and fluency of expression, of grammatical and lexical accuracy and of the appropriateness of the style of writing as demanded by the occasion or situation. Learning to write is learning to use grammar with ease and facts in some sequential order as tools.

VARIOUS APPROACHES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

An approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning. Underlying any language teaching approach is a theoretical view of what language is, and of how it can be learnt. An approach gives rise to methods, the way of teaching something, which use classroom activities or techniques to help learners learn. The Communicative Language Teaching is adaptable to a range of different learner needs and styles. The Grammar - Translation Method is to learn a language in order to read its literature or benefit from the intellectual development that results from foreign language study. The Direct Method greatly focuses on Oral Communication. Skills were built up around question-and-answer exchange between teachers and students. The Audio - Lingualism is teacher centred and is based on behaviorism. Total Physical Response is a method where one understands the spoken language before developing the skills of speaking. The student is not forced to speak, but is allowed an individual readiness period and allowed to spontaneously begin to speak. The Lexical Approach is based on the assertion that language consists of pre-fabricated chunks. It focuses on teaching phrases which show words in combination.

TEACHING OF PROSE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

Prose is a form of language which applies ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure has led to its adoption for the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms of communication.

The textbooks are written according to the structural approach, graded with each lessonillustrating on or two teaching items- vocabulary and structure. Reading skills are of two kinds. They are,

1. The Intensive Reading skill

2. The Extensive Reading skill.

Though only one or two textbooks are used to teach all language skills, generally the Intensive Reading skill is cultivated through the detailed textbook while the Extensive Reading skill is practiced through the Supplementary readers. As we are already aware of the fact that reading comprehension involves understanding the subject matter of the lesson including the important ideas in it, and the sequencing and relationship of these ideas to one another. It also involves understanding the meaning of new words and grammatical structures.

TEACHING OF POETRY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

            Poetry can be used to teach structure, grammar and vocabulary. Aside from these benefits, using poetry to teach English can also promote creativity and a more positive learning environment. Poetry has been characterized as deviating from the norms of language. It has been argued that poetry frequently breaks the rules of language, but by doing so, it communicates with us in afresh original way. The use of language in unusual context is what marks the literature. Poetry is example of a more intense use of language. In other words, the association of meanings which language is familiar or conventionally used is not necessarily always to be found in poetry. A poem, therefore, is not an individual experience or a sum of experiences, but only a potential cause of experiences. Thus, the real poem must be conceived as a structure of norms, realized only partially in the actual experience of its many readers. So it is probably true to say that poetry employs a higher concentration of devices or effects than other deviating from the norms of language. poetry is rewarding and enjoyable experience with the properties of rhyming and rhythm both of which convey” love and appreciation for the sound and power of language”. At this juncture, it can be stated the leaners become familiar with the suprasegmental aspects of the target language, such as stress, pitch, juncture, intonation by studying poetry.

VOCABULARY TEACHING IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

            Human being‘s language is based on the vocabulary, which consists of three basic language units pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Grammar provides the overall patterns, and the vocabulary is the basic material to put into the patterns, cause there is no sentence, no essay, and even no language without vocabulary. As one of the famous English applied linguists Wilkins said ―out grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.‖ (Wilkins, 1987, p.135) Therefore, to a great extent, students‘ ability of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating is all influenced by the vocabulary. Vocabulary teaching is a process, but its aims are clear. In order to teach English effectively, strategies are very important.

            Vocabulary is the most important element in learning well a foreign language as one of three basic parts (phonetics, vocabulary and grammar).In the conventional college English teaching, grammatical translation is a common way to teach new words. Usually, teachers teach words and phrases one by one in the list, giving several sentences that are far from students‘ comprehension. Both teachers and students make great efforts to learn and remember new words but the result is not satisfying. The problem makes us consider: what‘s wrong with our brain, or are our methods incorrect? According to psycholinguistics, learning should be as significant as possible so that it can be stored into long-term memory; learning will not be easily forgotten after deep processing; creating some certain settings can help our memory. Therefore, the words learning will be more effective if we are able to follow those cognitive regulations.

VARIOUS METHODS OF TEACHING VOCABULARY

            However many theories about vocabulary learning process were written, it still remains the matter of memory. Thus, there are several general principles for successful teaching, which are valid for any method. According to Wallace, 1988 the principles are:

- aim – what is to be taught, which words, how many

- need – target vocabulary should respond students’ real needs and interests

- frequent exposure and repetition

- meaningful presentation – clear and unambiguous denotation or reference should be assured.

Learning vocabulary is a complex process. The students’ aim to be reached in learning vocabulary process is primarily their ability to recall the word at will and to recognize it in its spoken and written form.

Generally, knowing a word involves knowing its form and its meaning at the basic level. In deeper aspects it means the abilities to know its (Harmer 1993):

1) Meaning, i.e. relate the word to an appropriate object or context

2) Usage, i.e. knowledge of its collocations, metaphors and idioms, as well as style and register (the appropriate level of formality), to be aware of any connotations and associations the word might have

3) Word formation, i.e. ability to spell and pronounce the word correctly, to know any derivations (acceptable prefixes and suffixes),

4) Grammar, i.e. to use it in the appropriate grammatical form Unlike the learning of grammar, which is essentially a rule based system, vocabulary knowledge is largely a question of accumulating individual items.

The general rule seems to be a question of memory. And during the process of teaching and learning vocabulary an important problem occurs: How does memory work? Researchers into the workings of memory distinguish between the following systems ( Thornbury, 2012)

− short– term store

– working memory

– long– term memory

WORD GAMES

            Word games (also called word game puzzles) are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.

Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well. For instance, young children can find enjoyment playing modestly competitive games such as Hangman, while naturally developing important language skills like spelling. Solving crossword puzzles, which requires familiarity with a larger vocabulary, is a pastime that mature adults have long credited with keeping their minds sharp.

There are popular televised word games with valuable monetary prizes for the winning contestants. Many word games enjoy international popularity across a multitude of languages, while some are unique to English-speakers.

BENIFITS OF WORD GAMES

            Word games can be addictive. Many of us love these puzzles, and they are without doubt the most popular kind of game among my clients. How are word games good for our brains? Such activities keep us intellectually engaged by getting us to "stretch" our thinking. Unlike timed activities, which offer us a different kind of challenge, word games (and puzzles, board games, and the like) grab our attention, get us to make new connections, and give us the chance to think outside of our mind's box. Games are used to make the children easier to understand and remember vocabularies in some topics. By using games, the children do not feel that they learn something through that activity. Through games the students become active learners.

Word games benefit the brain because they activate parts of the brain that deal with language and word finding, which forces the brain to exercise, work and be active. Kids have a large vocabulary. The average 6 year old knows about 10,000 words, but the learning and accumulating of words doesn’t stop there. They are able to add these new words to their vocabulary and use them when they gets the opportunity. It’s important for them to realize that even though something might sound like a word, that doesn’t mean it is. And, if it is a word, they get to see the definition. Another new word added to their vocabulary! 

The first advantage of applying some games in teaching learning process was the students could be more interested in learning the material. When the students were interested in learning the material, they would give more attention to the lesson given. The second advantage of applying some games in teaching learning process was the teacher didn’t need to explain too many materials. The teacher just explained the materials needed by the students because they can understand the material on that day by simply doing the games.

DISADVANTAGES OF WORD GAMES

            The word vocabulary based on the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, means list of words with their meanings. Vocabulary is the basic thing that should be mastered by the young learners. By mastering vocabularies young learners will be easy to understand the language. If learners do not know the meaning of words, they will have difficulties in understanding what they see, read and learn. Games can be the media to teach vocabularies to young learners for some reasons.

            The first disadvantage of applying games in teaching learning process is that by attracting student’s interest to games, all of them are active and makes noise. Sometimes they too move too much and speak a lot. That condition will definitely make the teacher find it difficult to control them. The second disadvantage of applying some games in teaching learning process is by doing games the teacher only has a little time to explain the material and gives some new vocabularies. So there is no longer time for the teacher to explain more and help them to memorize all the new vocabularies. 

DIFFERENT WORD GAMES AVAILABLE

§  Acrophobia

§  Alpha Blitz

§  Alternade

§  Anagrab

§  Anagrams

§  Bananagrams

§  Boggle

§  Bonza

§  Chicktionary

§  Dabble

§  Ghost

§  Jumble

§  Quiddler

§  Scriptorium

§  Missing letter

§  Letter adding

§  Word search

§  Picture identification

§  Riddles

§  Cross words

§  Fun with code

§  Matching the word with picture

§  Letter changing

§  Finding the correct word

§  Display with vocabulary key

§  Connections

§  Course book recall

§  Rhyme time

§  Directions to children

§  Do you know this word?

§  Vocabulary brain shower

§  ‘S’ – my name is Selvi

§  Tasks with Dictionary

§  Ten things

§  Homophones and Homonyms

§  Word Trap

§  Word network

§  Black board sketches

§  Models, Situations and contexts

§  Reading

§  Families of words

§  Patterns of forms

§  Word list

§  Word groups

§  Word games

§  Completion games

      Word search:

A puzzle consisting of letters arranged in a grid, containing several hidden words written in any direction.

Missing letter:

Missing letter is a letter recognition game that provides students with the opportunity to figure out which letter is missing from each term.

Letter adding:

Add one letter to each of the following words( in any place) to form a new word.

Picture identification:

Test your ability to identify the correct name of objects in a picture.

Riddles:

A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved.

Cross word:

A puzzle consisting of a grid of squares and blanks into which words crossing vertically and horizontally are written according to clues.

Fun with code:

The each alphabets will been given a code like symbols, and the dashes will also been provided with the symbols, the students should identify the correct alphabet by using the symbols to fill the right word in the dashes

Matching the word with picture:

Matching exercises provide students with fun, engaging way to learn. Not only does it give students an opportunity to learn object/word definitions, but it also challenges them logically.

Letter changing:

It is a tool to change one or more letters in a word. By changing one letter in a word, it is possible to make others.

Finding the correct word:

This game is created to provide the students with review and practice for vocabulary and spelling success.

Teaching Vocabulary

Objectives of teaching Vocabulary

• To recognize the word in the spoken and written form
• To recall it when needed
• To pronounce it
• To speak in a recognizable way
• To spell it clearly and correctly
• To be aware of collocations, connotations and associations.

Types of Vocabulary

  ü  Active Vocabulary

  ü  Passive Vocabulary

Active Vocabulary

            It is also known as the Productive vocabulary. It involves the Speaking and writing skills. It refers to the list of words which students use. It is the words which are pronounced, spelt and used it in the correct grammatical form.

Passive Vocabulary

            It is also known as the Receptive vocabulary. It involves the Listening and reading skills. It refers to the list of words which students recognize. It is only passive until it is used in speech.

Title of the study

The statement of the problem is “Effect of using Word Game in teaching English Language Vocabulary among upper primary student”

Statement of the problem:

The present study concentrates on the pronunciation and the correction of the word while speaking and writing without any mistakes.

Many researchers have found that the word games are very effective in teaching vocabulary for the students.

Hence the researcher had concentrates in the word game to introduce new vocabulary for the students.

Thus the research is titled as “The Effect of using word games in teaching English language vocabulary among upper primary students”

Need of the study:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using word games in enhancing the vocabulary of upper students.

Among foreign language teaching techniques, educational games are seen as appropriate and powerful for very young children because the nature of the games fits the nature of the children. Games are fun for children and they include interaction, physical and cognitive activity, socialization, competition and corporation. Games are child-centered, they can be adjust according to the educational aims and the age level of the children to improve spelling in English Language Vocabulary.

Objectives of the study:

·         To find out the effeteness of language games in learning English vocabulary among upper primary students group.

·         To find out the difference between control and experimental group in their post test score.

·         To find out the difference between post test scores of boys and girls in the experimental group.

·         To find out the difference among experimental group of students belonging to different type of management of schools in their post test score.

Scope of the study

Vocabulary helps an individual in expressing the thoughts and feelings. It is a form of self-expression. It gives a sense of beloningness and understanding among the individual and his friends. It is quite essential for every individual to have a treasure of vocabulary in them. Since, we live in a student-centered teaching pedagogy, it is the need of the hour to focus on methods to make language learning interesting. The usage of word games induces creativity and enthusiasm in the minds of young children. They are keen on learning and never forget because they are involved in it. The researcher tried to introduce a strategy for better
teaching learning of the English language, through the usage of word game.
Limitations of the study

            1. The study was conducted in upper primary schools.

            2. The study was conducted in Chennai district.

            3. The study was conducted only with state board schools.

            4. The study was limited to 180 students of 8th Standard only.

Chapterization

Chapter – 1

This chapter provided an introduction to words the research of using word games in improving vocabulary of the students. It has covered necessary conceptual from word needed for the study.

Chapter-2

This chapter deals with the reviews of the related literature to support the study.

Chapter-3

This chapter includes the method in which the study carried out and explains about the experimental treatment given.

Chapter-4

This chapter covers with statistical analysis of the data provides the finding of the study.

Chapter-5

This chapter holds the summary and conclusion of the study.

Conclusion:

The first chapter is chiefly concerned with the overview of the problem chosen for the study. It highlights the introduction to the problem and its statement, its need, objectives, operational definition of the terms and limitations of the study.