Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Modern Languages
Department
Modern Languages
First Advisor
Tamara Warhol
Second Advisor
Vance K. Schaefer
Third Advisor
Michael Raines
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Many English as a second language (ESL) learners feel anxiety about speaking English, and their oral performance is affected in this situation. This study aims to determine the effect of using board games on the improvement of ESL students’ oral performance. Task-based instruction and communicative approaches to pedagogy were used for the games. This is a descriptive method of research which intends to determine the correlation between the usage of educational board games and the level of learners’ language anxiety as well as their improvement in oral performance. The pre-test and post-test which were adapted from the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK; ETS, 1999), were designed to measure participants’ oral proficiency in English. The pre-test and post-test questionnaires were modified from Woodrow (2006) with a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all anxious) to 5 (extremely anxious) to measure participants’ anxiety level concerning speaking English within and outside the classroom. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, along with inferential statistics, which included Pearson r Correlation, were used. We found a significant relationship between sufficient board games and the improvement of oral performance. From the reports of the questionnaire, the participants perceived that they did not feel anxious while speaking English during board games. Moreover, the results of the post-test shothat the participants’ oral proficiency improved while their language anxiety level was lower. These findings suggest that lowered participants' anxiety levels due to playing board games with other students in a group setting contribute to an overall increase in their oral performance scores.
Recommended Citation
Cheng, Yi-Chun, "The Effect Of Using Board Games In Reducing Language Anxiety And Improving Oral Performance" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 899.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/899
Concentration/Emphasis
Emphasis: Linguistics