Role of Game-Oriented Instruction in Learning L۲ Vocabulary: A Case of Iranian EFL Young Beginner Learners

The main purpose of this research was to investigate the role of game-oriented instruction on learning vocabulary of Iranian young beginner students. Ninety public school students were selected to participate in this study. Because of practical limitations, the researchers could not assign students to different groups randomly but the selection of the three groups as control and experimental groups were done randomly. After administration of Key English Test (KET), the groups were homogenized and ۱۸ students were eliminated from this study. The treatment starts with ۷۲ students, each group has ۲۴ students. Before starting a treatment, a ۲۰-item multiple choice test was used as pretest. After administration of pretest, the treatment was started. In the control group, new vocabularies were taught through traditional textbook method. In one of the control group, game was used as a main medium of instruction and in the other one, the combination of game and traditional methods were used. In this group, game was used as a supplementary activity. After treatment, posttest was administered in all three groups. In order to analyze the data, SPSS version ۲۰ was used. Since the design of this study was pretest-posttest, analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis. Data analysis showed that there was not significance difference between game group and traditional group, but there was a significance difference between mixed group and traditional group. It means that using game as a supplementary activity has the most beneficial effects on learning new vocabularies.

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Key words: game , game-oriented instruction , supplementary activity