AN IMPACT OF GAME-BASED TEACHING ON VOCABULARY LEARNING OF THIRD GRADE STUDENTS IN SHENZHEN QIANHAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This research discussed game-based teaching in third-grade English as an entry point and proposed corresponding teaching strategies for existing problems. The objectives of this research were: 1) to find out the impact of game-based teaching on the English vocabulary learning of the third-grade students in Shenzhen Qianhai Elementary School; and 2) to find out the satisfaction level of third-grade elementary school students with the use of game-based teaching methods to improve their English learning. This study aims to inspire third-grade English educators. According to the analysis of the data using SPSS, the results revealed that the average of mean scores was 3.66 and the average of S.D. was 0.71, with the highest mean score (=4.0) and the lowest score (=3.50), while the highest S.D. was 0.85 and the lowest S.D. was 0.53. Then, by looking closely at how English is taught through games in third-grade classrooms now and finding the problems teachers are having putting it into practice, several major problems become clear. These include teachers' biased views of game-based teaching, teachers' haphazard use of game methods, a lack of variety and newness in game materials, and students who aren't interested enough. Building upon these findings, the research proposes tailored teaching strategies aligned with the learning characteristics of third-grade students and the demands of the English curriculum. These strategies include meticulous preplanning to ensure the suitability of game teaching, providing moderate guidance to enhance student participation and engagement, fostering interactive learning atmospheres through verbal and non-verbal exchanges, and facilitating post-game reflection to stimulate critical thinking and optimize teaching effectiveness.