This study investigates the practice of game teaching approach in English vocabulary teaching in elementary school and hopefully it can enrich the relevant theoretical and practical research on Englis
This study investigates the practice of game teaching approach in English vocabulary teaching in elementary school and hopefully it can enrich the relevant theoretical and practical research on English vocabulary teaching in elementary school. And this study also tries to improve the efficiency of classroom learning and arouse students’ interests by creating an active classroom learning atmosphere in English learning in primary school.
Therefore, this study tries to demonstrate the application of game teaching approach in English vocabulary teaching by practical exploration and sum up its influence in primary school.
1.3 Overall structure of the study
This thesis is pided into five parts. The main contents are presented in details as follows.
Part One offers a brief introduction to the study, which contains the background, significance and overall structure of the study.
Part Two gives a review of the previous literature related to the theory of multiple intelligence, second language acquisition and children’s cognitive development. It also reviews the previous researches on the game teaching both abroad and at home.
Part Three introduces the research methodology which includes the research questions, participants, instruments, experimental procedures and data collection.
Part Four are the data analysis and discussion of the research result.
Part Five is the conclusion part. It presents the major findings of the study and some limitations.
2. Literature review
This part introduces the English teaching method – game teaching approach. It explores the method in several aspects including the definition, theoretical basis and previous studies.
2.1 Definition of game teaching approach
In Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary, a “game” is an activity or sport usually involving skill, knowledge or chance, in which you follow fixed rules and try to win against an opponent or to solve a puzzle (2006:595).
The game teaching approach is a clever combination of games and teaching. It carries out the class in form of games and makes students learn knowledge that teachers want to teach unconsciously through a more interesting way in the lively and relaxing atmosphere (Wang Ning, 2016). Game teaching approach changes the traditional teacher-centered teaching model and fully embodies students’ subjectivity (Gong Qing, 2014).
2.2 Theoretical basis
Game teaching approach has mainly three theoretical foundations which are the theory of second language acquisition, children’s cognitive development and multiple intelligence.
2.2.1 The theory of children’s cognitive development
Cognitive development is an important part in the process of children’s development. Students in primary schools have their special cognitive characteristics. And the most influential deficiency of English learning is their short attention span. Children change all the time, so it is quite difficult to make them concentrate on learning material for a long time unless something really attract their mind (Qu Liankun et al., 2002). In order to achieve the goal of teaching, teachers have to make s full preparation with different kinds of games to maintain their curiosity. The application of game teaching approach can help teachers to hold students’ attention as long as possible.
2.2.2 Comprehensible output theory
In 1959, Penfield and Roberts put forward the Brian Plasticity Theory, which holds that there is a cellular plasticity in brain capable of developing two or more languages, but this function will gradually weaken after a sensitive period. Eric H. Lenneberg (1984) also had the same claim in his Biological foundations of language that there was a critical period between young childhood and puberty for human beings to learn languages. Students in primary school are at the critical period of English learning.
Swain (1985) believed that despite of the comprehensible input, comprehensible output was also important for second language acquisition. When people acquire the second language they need sufficient inputs as the basis of production. But only when people use language to communicate can he master the language. The applying of game teaching approach in English class can provide students large inputs as well as a lot of opportunities of output. When playing games, students have to adopt various measures of understanding to finish tasks, which ensures that all inputs are understandable. And requirements of most games that students need to use language to communicate or exchange information help students achieve comprehensible output.