The Effectiveness of Leaning Vocabulary through Games

Abstract

The purpose of the current paper was to investigate the effectiveness of games in vocabulary learning and to what extent they influenced the EFL learners’ vocabulary enhancement.The paper also investigated the students’ attitudes towards using games for vocabulary learning. The study was carried out in the Experimental English Classes (EEC) at the American University of Armenia (AUA). Two groups, experimental and control were involved in the current study. The experimental group learnt vocabulary with the help of games, whereas the control group practiced vocabulary through traditional text book exercises. The research was quasi-experimental. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used for data collection in the current research study. The instruments were pre and post tests, a questionnaire for students, and semi-structured interview with students on using games in the vocabulary learning process. The results of the tests revealed that there was no significant difference between the students’ performance of control and experimental groups. The findings of the questionnaire showed that the majority of the experimental group students found games helpful for acquiring and remembering new words and phrases easier, pointed out the fact of learning while playing and interest towards learning vocabulary. The results of the attitudinal questionnaire revealed that the experimental group students had positive attitudes towards using games in the classroom environment.