Enhancing English Vocabulary Learning through Word Games

Abstract

Vocabulary is the heart and the core component of English language proficiency since it provides much of the basis for how well learners speak, listen, read and write. Accordingly, teachers should be the ones who put their hearts into teaching and strive hard for the success of their learners by selecting and adopting various methods and techniques like word games that cater the nature of children in order to enhance their vocabulary knowledge and increase their motivation. The current study tends to investigate teachers and students’ attitudes towards the role of vocabulary games like Scrabble and Hangman as a new pedagogical tool to enhance students’ vocabulary mastery. The relevance of this study is linked to the fact that games are absent in our schools. Hence, we have hypothesized that word games help in developing students’ vocabulary knowledge and raise their motivation. To test the validity of the formulated hypothesis, the researcher opted for a descriptive method based on qualitative and quantitative research methods by collecting data from questionnaires addressed to both learners and teachers of third year middle level at Benouda Benzerdjeb school –Mostaganem, as well as, from both a classroom observation and an experiment conducted in the classroom. The results show that word games’ components including motivation, competition, cooperation, teamwork, purpose, diversity, variation and deviation from the conventional and formal learning all contribute to offer an educating and entertaining environment for both teachers and students who have agreed on their efficiency to improve students’ vocabulary skill and awaken their hidden motivation.