senoraquesenberry.weebly.comsenoraquesenberry.weebly.com/.../graduate_action_rese… · web...
TRANSCRIPT
Graduate Action Research Project: “To what extent do board games improve a student’s oral proficiency skills in a middle school Spanish class?”
Audra Quesenberry
Emory & Henry College
December 9, 2014
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to identify to what effect board games could improve
students’ oral proficiency skills in an eighth grade Spanish classroom. Students in the
experimental group played a custom-designed board game for their class, EspañolLandia
for one time a week during the last five weeks of class. The control group only played the
board game for their oral pre and post test which was administered to both groups. The
control group reviewed the same phrases by identifying them on a study guide and working
with a partner on their own to create dialogues, without a game format. The two-student
teams were evaluated by their teacher as they played EspañolLandia. Johns Basic Reading
Inventory was used to assess the groups and designate them as demonstrating the
following reading levels: Independent, Educational, and Frustration. The results of this study
found that the experimental group had much greater gains than the control group in their
reading levels when comparing the scores of the pre and post tests. The study was inspired
by the author’s experiences teaching ESL abroad and her positive experience of using
board games to improve student fluency.
Section A-Question
To what extent do board games improve a student’s oral proficiency skills in a middle
school Spanish class?
Segment B-Introduction and Rationale
The impact of globalization on society underscores the importance of learning a
foreign language. Spanish is the second-most widely spoken language in the world, behind
Mandarin Chinese (Lewis, Simons, & Charles, 2014). Increasing immigration of workers
from Latin American countries to the US has resulted in a large workforce of Spanish
speakers living and working here that might not necessarily speak English well. Free trade
agreements that the US has signed with nine Latin American countries provide economic
opportunities for international commerce.
All of the above considerations highlight the necessity of effectively teaching Spanish
as a foreign language. While most people recognize the usefulness of studying Spanish,
truly learning the language is a different challenge in itself. Many people preface their
experience having studied Spanish with, “Well, I studied Spanish some in school, but …”
Thus, the challenge of a foreign language teacher is not just to teach, but to create
opportunities for students to actively engage and demonstrate oral proficiency in the
classroom. How can students learn a language if they hardly ever speak it? How can
foreign language teachers get students to actually speak in class?
The main purpose of this action research project is to determine to what extent the
use of board games can impact oral proficiency skills in a middle school Spanish class.
Some specific objectives of the study include evaluating the use of small group activities in
fostering active student engagement as opposed to teacher-centered instruction, increasing
student’s awareness of the Spanish content that they are learning, and of course,
encouraging learners to have fun while initiating spontaneous use of language and
practicing targeted skills.
While observing the effects that games have on a student’s fluency, the teacher
examined any unintended consequences, positive or negative, that might result from using
this student-based approach in a middle school Spanish class. In particular, the teacher
noted if learners are truly on-task as they play or if any disciplinary problems arise from the
playing of the game. The results of this project could be helpful not only for teachers who
instruct Spanish at the middle school level but also for elementary or secondary teachers of
any given foreign language. My research will inform foreign language teachers to what
extent the use of board games is effective in improving the fluency of their students.
Gaudart (1999) asserted that games turn the tables on the traditional teacher-based
approach of teaching a foreign language. Classroom games give students the opportunity to
practice speaking in a “nonthreatening situation” where students take center stage, actively
engage in oral production and “fully use the language that they have learned, participating
in the communicative process throughout the game.” (Gaudart, 1999, p. 290). She argued
that many language teachers are reluctant to use games not only because of disciplinary
worries but also because they were taught in a teacher-centered way and are simply
emulating their former instructors. Twenty-first century teaching must move away from
traditional, instructor-based methodologies and encourage active student engagement with
the material being taught (Bean 2011). This study will contribute to this body of research,
specifically focusing on the role of games in a middle school Spanish classroom and their
impact, if any, on student’s oral proficiency skills.
Segment C - Literature Review
Foreign language teaching: moving towards a more communicative approach
Foreign language teachers interested in teaching oral proficiency skills are faced
with the conundrum of teaching students who often lack a proper grammatical base due to
the fact that the majority of schools in the US do not offer foreign language electives to
students until the middle or high school levels. Due to this late introduction to foreign
language for many students, teachers have often resorted to passive, direct instruction
methods and students are awash in photocopies and grammatical exercises. For this
reason, students may study any given language for three to four years, but not actually
have any speaking skills to speak of, pun intended.
Because of these challenges, foreign language teaching associations have voiced
the necessity in moving toward a more communicative pedagogical approach. For example,
the National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (NFSLEP) created the Five
C’s to guide teachers in foreign language instruction: Communication, Cultures,
Connections, Comparisons and Communities. These 5 C’s are achieved through classroom
work in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Virginia’s Standards of Learning, which are
discussed further in Segment D-Research Site Description, also stress verbal
communication, since more than half of the points relate to student oral production.
Gomez, Gujarati & Heckendorn (2012) stated that it is unacceptable for secondary
schools students to have studied a foreign language for four years and not be able to have
speaking or comprehension skills. Noting the difficult task that foreign language teachers
have in creating opportunities for students to speak, they call for instructors to guide their
classroom and “provide opportunities for students to communicate in the target language in
authentic ways while scaffolding experiences to achieve proficiency” (p. 97). Their research
involved the Orbital Experience, an active, student-based research learning project, where
students choose a topic, research it, and prepare oral and written presentations (in Spanish)
that they share with their classmates.
This pedagogical shift towards a more participatory, communicative approach is of
particular interest to foreign language educators and they should also consider the use of
games in their teaching repertoire as an experiential learning tools that can lead to
improved student fluency. There is little research that has been conducted on the link
between student’s oral proficiency and the use of games. However, there are several trends
concerning related literature that will be addressed below: games as related to student
achievement, foreign language learning and student nervousness, indifferent or negative
opinions of games as being beneficial, and the selection of high quality games while
keeping curriculum standards in mind.
Games and student achievement
With the ever-increasing emphasis on student achievement as measured by local,
state, and national high stakes standardized testing, it is not surprising that research exists
to determine if there is a correlation between games and increased student achievement.
Randel, Morris, Wetzel, and Whitehill (1992) reviewed literature that compared the
effectiveness of traditional classroom instruction versus the use of games, evaluating 67
quantitative studies over a 28 year period. Of these studies, 38 showed no difference
between games and traditional instruction. While this may seem to negate the need for
incorporating games in classroom instruction, it is merely representative of the views of
many educators that games, while fun, may not provide any real educational benefit.
Twenty two studies favored the use of games, 5 favored games but did not have
sufficient controls and 3 favored traditional instruction. Studies on achievement in social
sciences, math, language arts, physics, biology, and subject matter interest and retention
over time were included. Mathematics was the subject that was most favored by use of
games followed by social studies.
Influential educational researcher Marzano (2010) suggested that games can
enhance student achievement in the classroom and recommended that they should: be
used for inconsequential competition, target essential academic content, and have a post-
game debriefing period conducted by the teacher. He also advised that students revise their
notes to include new information that they picked up from the playing of a game. Along
similar lines, it has been noted that student-made board games can be beneficial as an end-
of-the-term activity to review key concepts as well as an effective form of “constructional
learning” (Ji-Eun & Jeong-Ah, 2014, p. 34). This constructivist interpretation emphasizes
that students achieve meaning-making through the experience of personally making their
own board games, which explains its effectiveness as a revision activity.
Foreign language learning and anxiety
Researchers have focused on the affective domains and foreign language learning,
particularly on the nervousness that many students experience while studying another
language. Ewald (2007) noted that foreign language study may cause more anxiety than
learning in other core academic areas. The aforementioned Orbital Experience study
reported reduced student anxiety related to oral communication both because of the
relaxed, friendly setting in which the project was carried out as well as the camaraderie that
students had formed after getting to know each other and their interests (Gomez, Gujarati &
Heckendorn 2012). MacIntyre and Gardner (1994) explored the cognitive effects of anxiety
in foreign language acquisition and examined them in a three-stage model: input,
processing, and output. They found that anxiety was present in all stages and that anxious
students may have a poorer foreign knowledge base than their more relaxed peers.
Nearly all foreign language textbooks include reading, listening, and speaking
activities with accompanying scripts and cultural readings. While confident learners who
enjoy studying foreign languages may enjoy these more communicative activities, it has
been found that less sure students who were not familiar with these materials experienced
increased reading anxiety, which led them to earn lower grades than students with lesser
levels of reading anxiety. (Saito, Horwitz, & Garza, 1999). The researchers arrived to this
conclusion in their study of university level Japanese, Russian, and French learners.
Thus, it is important for teachers to anticipate the negative effects that foreign
language learning can produce in some students. Oxford (1999) suggested several
classroom strategies to mitigate student nervousness, including: providing multiple
opportunities for success, encouraging students to take moderate risks, differentiating
activities for varying learning styles, and using music, humor, and games to help loosen up
students. All of these recommendations stress the effectiveness of games in helping
anxious learners to relax and overcome foreign language learning anxiety.
Researcher’s differing opinions on games
Even though classroom games are used to practice target skills, not all educators
employ them for the same reasons nor view their usefulness in the same light. What can be
said, however, is that students overwhelmingly look to them as a welcome break from the
normal classroom routine and a fun time to relax and enjoy time with their classmates. The
trick of an experienced teacher is to capitalize on this student enthusiasm for games and
carefully select games that reinforce target skills, as well as pay close attention to the
effectiveness of the game’s design.
Some educators have reported that games are indeed fun, but deliver no real
educational experience (Bennet, Wood, & Rogers, 1997). Others have suggested that
students do not take games seriously enough to get any educational benefit from them
(Rao, 2002). Games, while certainly entertaining, may not contribute learning in the
classroom (Conati, 2003). So, as the aforementioned research shows, for many educators,
the jury is still out on the degree of effectiveness that games have in the classroom.
Choosing high quality, developmentally appropriate, curriculum-aligned games
Educators should exercise caution in their selection of board games and ensure that
they are developmentally appropriate for their students, as well as aligned with their subject
area content. Perhaps in a nod to developmental differences, it was found that the use of
board games to enhance science instruction and achievement for elementary level learners
was beneficial for first graders, but not for kindergarteners (Pinder 2013).
Mayer and Harris (2010) have advocated for the incorporation of high quality board
games as part of the offering that libraries usually have available for students:
By using designer games that can also be aligned to curriculum standards,
school libraries can still promote a high quality of play while also remaining
focused on student achievement. Like so many other resources in student
libraries, games enrich and extend classroom instruction, while promoting
personal and aesthetic growth. (p. 12)
Note that they stress the use of “designer” games, and indeed, none of the games
they recommend can be found at a normal big box store and must be special-ordered.
Adherence to curriculum standards is also of central importance, so that as children play,
they are also preparing for the high stakes standardized testing which is now so
commonplace. And lastly, although it should go without saying, games should truly be fun
and winning should depend on strategy, not just luck.
Games as experiential, communicative learning tools
Fortunately, educators have come to rely more and more on research-based
practices, and thus are moving toward experiential learning methods and away from
traditional direct instruction. Gaudart (1999) addressed language teacher’s reluctance in
using classroom games and concluded that educators themselves were taught in a teacher-
centered way, and for this reason are wary to incorporate experiential learning tools such as
games into their instruction. Garris, Ahlers and Driskell’s (2002) extensive research has also
cast the use of games in a constructivist light, “we view the learner as actively constructing
knowledge from experience” (p. 446).
An ethnographic qualitative study also conducted with four classrooms at the primary
level concluded that the use of games made students more excited about learning and
enabled them to comprehend the material in a “deeper” manner. An unforeseen plus of the
games, as observed by the teachers who participated in the study, was that student’s social
skills improved as they played and even carried on into the rest of the day, thus contributing
to better class management. (Bendixen-Noe, 2012).
The use of games in graduate level instruction has also been reported on favorably.
Reese and Wells (2007) elaborated on the usefulness of a card game in teaching
conversational skills to EFL learners with aspirations to attend graduate school in the US.
Games have also been used successfully in medical training programs, which are moving
away from traditional passive instruction methods where lecturers impart knowledge to
students; and are moving toward a more active, learner-centered approach (Bochennek, K.,
Wittekindt, B., Zimmermann, S., & Klingebiel, 2007; Premkumar & Bonnycastle, 2006).
However, Rao (2002), in his study of Chinese student’s attitudes towards communicative
learning, suggested that games were not conducive to adult learners.
As the literature has indicated, games not only serve as motivation for students, but
can also be useful teaching tools in experiential learning, since students are actively
engaging and reflecting with the material that is being taught throughout the game (Reese &
Wells, 2007, p. 546). Garris, Ahlers, and Driskell (2002) concluded that well-designed
games serve as motivation for students to hone target skills via engaging in repetitive and
decision-making processes. Gaudart (1999) also reported on the motivational aspect of
games, and was surprised to see that even adult learners would compete with zeal to win a
chocolate bar in a game and seemed even more enthusiastic about games than children
were.
Richard-Amato (2010), in her monograph Making It Happen: From Interactive to
Participatory Language Teaching -- Evolving Theory and Practice, devotes an entire
chapter to games and includes nonverbal, board-advancing, word-focus, and guessing
games as well as treasure hunts. She recommends downplaying competition while playing
games and including few game rules and clearly explaining them. Use of games is
suggested in reinforcing concepts, injecting diversion into daily classroom proceedings, and
as icebreaker activities. “However, their most important function is to give practice in
communication.” (Richard-Amato, 2010, p. 300). The functional importance of
communication via the playing of games emphasizes their effectiveness in improving
student’s oral proficiency in foreign language learning.
Increasing and improving student’s oral proficiency skill in foreign language
instruction is of central interest to my study, as my personal experience teaching ESL in
Argentina for eight years reinforces just how difficult it is to actually get students to speak in
the target language in an authentic way. I often incorporated games into my teaching not
only as a break from the hours of English they had to learn each day, but also as a tool to
“trick” them into spontaneously engaging in conversation with their classmates, while using
targeted structures that we had gone over in that day’s class. It is my desire to translate this
experience to my teaching Spanish as a foreign language to US students, and determine to
what extent that games are effective in increasing student fluency skills in a middle school
Spanish class.
Segment D-Research Site Description
The United States is home to 37 million Spanish speakers (Lopez & Gonzalez-
Barrera, 2013), which ranks it with the fourth-highest population of inhabitants who speak
Spanish, after Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and Argentina. It is spoken as a heritage language
and by immigrants around the country, but particularly in urban and suburban areas, as well
as in the Southwest. A place that one would certainly not expect to find a sizable population
of fluent Spanish speakers is in Southwest Virginia, a rural, mountainous corner of the state
nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. In fact, the study will be carried out in an area where
97 percent of the population is classified as non-Latino white, and this statistic is similar in
most counties that comprise Southwest Virginia. Since the focus of this study is on
improving students’ oral proficiency skills in Spanish, the research will be conducted in an
area where there are few Spanish speakers to be had.
The southwestern part of Virginia, while rich in natural beauty and in the hospitality of
its people, is and has been the most economically depressed portion of the state. The
region has always relied heavily upon the coal industry, an economic sector which has
greatly suffered within recent years due to punishing economic regulation by the federal
government. There are few other industries in the area, and like the rest of the country, the
manufacturing sector has also taken an economic hit. There is some small-scale farming,
retail and service jobs, and a growing tourism industry.
In keeping with confidentiality, the county where the study will be carried out will be
called Jefferson County. Hunting, fishing and Nascar races are some of the pastimes
enjoyed by a majority of residents of the area. This area is part of the Bible Belt, and
churches dot the countryside. The county’s demographics are quite homogeneous, with a
total population just under 55,000 and 97 percent of residents designating themselves as
Caucasian. (Quick Facts. US Census, 2013)
The study was conducted at one particular school, Sinking Spring Junior High. The
school, although in a rural area, is located right off of a major Interstate highway. The school
is perched upon a hill before arriving to the small but revitalized downtown area. The
panoramic mountain views that the school enjoys are truly spectacular. The campus is well-
maintained and has historically had a good reputation in the area. The student body is
composed of 309 students. Of these students, 161 are female and 148 are male. There are
12 minority students. Forty eight percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced
lunch.
Research was collected in the junior high’s eighth grade Spanish classes, which
were held in the morning. Eighth graders who were taking Spanish had already taken the
language in sixth and seventh grade as well. Sixth and seventh grade classes are
designated as “exploratories” and last for 30 minutes. All sixth graders rotate through six
exploratories throughout the school year including: Spanish, Art, Keyboarding, Agriscience,
Technology Explorations, and a choice between Chorus or Band. Seventh graders choose
four exploratory courses to complete during the year, with each class lasting nine weeks.
Both sixth and seventh graders are given a Pass/Fail grade. Since they are not core
academic content areas, class time is often taken away from these class periods for
extracurricular school programming. Course content for these grades focuses on culture,
geography, and introduction of basic phrases and vocabulary in Spanish.
Eighth grade Spanish, however, has a different dynamic. It is designated “Spanish I”,
and students earn high school credit for this course. A letter grade is assigned, instead of
Pass/Fail. Students who pursue an advanced studies high school diploma must take at
least three years of a foreign language. The class duration is 47 minutes. This course is
more academically rigorous, as students must learn the grammatical base of the Spanish
language, through verb conjugations, parts of speech, specialized vocabulary, cultural
readings, and listening and speaking activities. Frequent formative and summative
evaluations are administered to ensure student progress.
Regarding the demographics of the class participating in this study, class
composition was equally divided between girls and boys and there were no ethnic
minorities. The teacher-student ratio was 14:1. In the control group the student teacher ratio
was 16:1 and the gender and ethnic characteristics of the class mirror the class which will
be participating in the research.
The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) outline that Spanish I students will start to
develop “communicative competence”. The learning objectives related to oral
communication include interpersonal communication (exchanging information between two
or more people), interpretive communication (listening and reading for understanding) and
presentational communication (speaking and writing for an audience). Additionally, “an
important component of learning Spanish is using the language in the real world beyond the
classroom setting.” (Virginia Department of Education, 2014, p. 12). This study will offer not
just Spanish teachers, but all foreign language instructors a better understanding of how
games can go improve a classroom setting and, in turn, impact a student’s oral proficiency
skills in the middle school classroom.
Segment E-Research Design and Instruments
Participants
Two eighth grade Spanish I classes participated in this action research project. Both
classes were in the same school and held in the morning. The class participating in the
experiment had 14 students, one of which has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP); the
control group had 16 students, two of which had IEPs. These classes were chosen to
participate in the study because of their similar class demographics, as well as the fact that
both classes took place in the morning.
Instrumentation
Interpersonal and presentational Spanish phrases were selected from the students’
book, Buen Viaje. None of the students came from Spanish-speaking households, and the
teacher had had all of the students in sixth and seventh grade Spanish; this ensured that
these phrases were not previously known by the learners.The list of phrases can be
referred to in Appendix A.
The research study began at the beginning of the sixth, or last six week academic
period. This time period was ideal for the research to take place since students had learned
phrases throughout the year, reviewed them again in preparation for and while playing the
game, and also developed oral proficiency skills. Thus, the research for the experimental
group was also effective in that it served as a means to review what had been taught during
the school year. Additionally, even if students could understand the context and/or meaning
of a phrase, they could not always use it orally and in an extemporaneous and authentic
way. Playing the game remedied this problem for students who could not use the phrases
naturally in conversation.
Students from both the control and experimental group took an oral pretest, which
consisted in the students being given the game for the first time and playing it. The format of
the oral pretest was identical for both groups, so as to not skew any data. Regarding the
format of the pretest, it was identical to the format of the game itself; students were given a
deck of cards with the phrases and were told to use them correctly during their turn in the
game. The teacher acquired video cameras and tripods from the Jefferson County Schools
so that each student group’s play could be taped simultaneously on the same day. Filming
took place from the beginning of play until the end, that is, when a group won the game.
The researcher then watched each video and used the speaking rubric to assign individual
students their grade.
A speaking rubric was used to evaluate students on their use of the phrases as well
as task completion, comprehensibility, fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and syntax. A
copy of the inventory form used in evaluating the students as they played the game can be
referred to in Appendix F. The results of this pretest were used as a reference to gauge
student knowledge on the meaning of the phrases, as well as their adeptness at using them
orally. The scoring chart with the pretest results can be found in Appendix C. Both classes
participated in the speaking pretest on the first Friday of the beginning of the sixth six week
grading period. They were not given their results, as they knew that the test was strictly for
research purposes. The following Monday, the game format was formally introduced and
taught by the teacher.
The game is called EspañolLandia, which, in Spanish, means “Spanish Land”. The
name is a play on words taken from the childhood board game, Candy Land, since the
board game format is similar to that of Candy Land. The board game was adapted for the
purposes of this research study, and the instructions follow. Play centers around a deck of
43 total cards. Each card has a Spanish phrase written on it, and cards are color-coded
according to their language use. An even number of players is needed to carry out the
game.The teacher divided the teams into two-member, mixed sex groups. The youngest
player will begin play by drawing a card from the stack. This student must draw a card from
the pile in the middle of the board and initiate a dialogue with their partner using the
particular phrase. They must use the phrases via mini-dialogues that they create with their
partner in a grammatically-correct way and with natural pronunciation. Mini-dialogues
should consist of at least four dialogue entries. For example, a student draws a card with
“Tengo una pregunta”. They read the phrase out for their partner and begin creating their
mini-dialogue.
Student A: Tengo una pregunta.
Student B: Si. Que es?
Student A: Puedo ir al bano?
Student B: Por supuesto.
If the students are playing on their own, they decide among themselves if the
dialogue is acceptable and if the team can move the amount of spaces that they rolled on
their dice. Teams advance one space on the board for a correct dialogue. If the team makes
an error with their phrase, they cannot advance to the next space. The team that reaches
the end of the twenty space board game is the winner.
Assessment
Students played EspañolLandia once a week, every Friday class period, for the
second through the fifth six weeks of the sixth six week grading period. This totaled five
cycles of the game that students had played before they took the posttest; which was
administered on the last Friday of the sixth six week grading period. The game format was
exactly the same in the pretest as well as the posttest. The pretest was then compared with
the posttest in order to detect to what extent learner’s appropriate use of the phrases and
fluency in speaking them had changed within the course of playing the game. The control
group also took the posttest in the board game format, although they had learned the
phrases through the traditional method of looking at them on their study guides. Once a
week, on Fridays, the teacher would ask students to create dialogues using the phrases.
Segment F-Graphics to Display Data Analysis and Findings
Figure 1: Experimental Group Results (Pretest and Posttest)
Figure 2: Control Group Results (Pretest and Posttest)
Figure 3: Percentage of Change Between Pre and Posttest Scores
Percentage of Change Between Pre and Posttest Scores
Experimental Group 16%
Control Group 8.8%
Segment G-Findings and Implications
The marked pedagogical shift towards a more communicative approach in foreign
language instruction hints at the effectiveness of board games as a teaching tool to improve
student’s oral proficiency skills. Students actively engaged with the conversational phrases
that they had been using throughout the year and felt challenged to use them correctly with
their teammate in a festive, competitive setting. In the course of the game, they had to come
up with new, extemporaneous ways to use the phrases. This contrasted from their use of
the phrases as they had learned them earlier in the year, where they had just spoken them
in a way that was similar to how the book had presented them.
The teacher who carried out this research suspected that students would enjoy the
game, but was truly surprised at just how much the students looked forward to playing the
game. They were especially enthusiastic on the Fridays that the game was played, and
even asked their teacher how to say certain phrases related to board game play in Spanish.
A list of these phrases can be referenced in Appendix D.
However, while students certainly had fun playing the game, this did not mean that it
was necessarily easy for them. This was demonstrated in the marked difference between
their pretest and posttest scores that correspond to the first and last games they played.
Complete student scores can be referred to in Appendix C for the Experimental
Group, and in Appendix E for the Control Group. The Experimental Group’s percentage
change between pre and posttest scores was 16%, while the Control Group’s was 8.8%.
While these increases may not seem significant, one must keep in mind that a 7.2%
increase, or a full letter grade. The greatest gains were made by students who had scored
low on the pretest. Thus, this research might suggest a particular benefit of board game
play for low achieving students.
While some of the students’ initial uncertainty was likely related to unfamiliarity with
the game, it was also clear that as the played the game, they developed stronger oral
proficiency skills. This is witnessed in the stark contrast between the experimental and
control group’s posttest reading levels. The greatest gains were seen in the experimental
group, which played the game once a week for five weeks. The control group, who
practiced using the conversational phrases on their own and without the weekly use of the
game other than the pretest and posttest.
While the control groups’ oral proficiency skills did improve, they did not improve at
the rate as the experimental group. This would suggest a link between the repeated playing
of the game and improved oral proficiency skills on the part of the two-person student
teams. Both the experimental and control group had identical prior knowledge of what was
tested, since the phrases on the game cards were simply conversational phrases that had
been compiled from the book they had used all year. Thus, the pretest reading levels are a
reflection of each student group’s background knowledge. The notable difference between
both group’s pretest and posttest reading level assessments leads one to believe that the
instructional use of board games in a foreign language classroom can lead to a
considerable increase in student’s oral proficiency skills.
The benefits of EspañolLandia mirror the findings that are discussed above in the
literature review. The use of a board game to promote speaking skills in a foreign language
classroom is indicative of the move to communicative competence that educators strive for
in foreign language teaching. In the case of this study, student achievement increased,
when comparing the experimental and control groups, because of playing the game. While
this study did not specifically address student anxiety due to foreign language acquisition,
one could interpret the results of the study to shed a favorable light on the use of board
games to decrease student anxiety, due to the fact that the experimental group had more
successful results than the control group. Concerning the design and implementation of the
game, the format of EspañolLandia was carefully chosen to be not only developmentally
appropriate for middle schoolers, but also of high instructional quality. The purpose of the
game was not for students to have fun and take a break from traditional instruction, rather, it
was carefully crafted to produce improvements in student oral proficiency. This
recommendation is a fundamental one for those educators interested in using board games,
they must take the time to create truly curriculum-aligned games and participatory learning
activities. When the current literature regarding board games during instructional time is
taken in sum, it can be concluded that, when used correctly, they truly can be
communicative, experiential learning tools.
The active, participatory strategy of employing board games to improve fluency
produced much higher gains than the typical strategy of having students pair off and work
on their own. This could be because the game kept students on task and motivated them to
produce more orally, since they could use the cards to prompt them in their mini-dialogues
that they created with their partners. The color-coded game cards also could have aided
students in either consciously or unconsciously identifying the function of the phrase they
were using, since each card had a particular color that corresponded to phrase’s function.
In the course of playing the game, students actively engaged with the conversational
phrases and were forced to use them in an authentic way. Drawing a card and having to
use it successfully in a mini-dialogue with their partner made students really think about
what they were going to say. Conversely, in the control group, students referenced the
phrases in their study guides and used textbook excerpts to create mini-dialogues that were
nearly verbatim copies of material that students had already read in the textbook.
Another factor that contributed to the success of the board game strategy is that
students felt at ease playing a board game and viewed it as a special time and almost a
treat. This, arguably, could also have affected (either positively or negatively) student
anxiety that is often related to foreign language learning. Then, of course, the element of
competition also inspired students to correctly use the phrases, not just as an end in itself,
but to be able to beat their opponent’s and arrive at the finish line of the board game. The
control group, on the other hand, was learning the phrases simply as a revision and were
much more likely to be off task in their oral production.
Although it remains to be seen exactly how much instructional time should be
dedicated to games in foreign language classrooms, this study has demonstrated the clear
advantage and increase in student’s oral proficiency because of their use. Thus, the
question is not whether a teacher should include games in their teaching repertoire, but,
rather, how to design them to maximize student learning, specifically in increasing fluency.
These findings should motivate foreign language instructors to do just that, to research
board game formats, adapt their teaching content to the game they have selected, and
incorporate the playing of games into their instruction as they see fit.
This instructional strategy of using board games to improve fluency was successful
because students used the game to construct meaning, relating the phrases with prior
knowledge and linking it to the competition of the game. The more traditional revision
method used by the control group encouraged rote memorization and relying on excerpts
from the textbook. Current educational research overwhelmingly supports the use of active
learning strategies where students are active participants in the learning process as
opposed to traditional, passive techniques.
Segment H: Limitations of the Study
While the benefits of using board games as an active learning tool to increase
student’s communicative competency seem quite obvious given the results of this study,
one must be careful to generalize the usefulness of board games in foreign language
learning in general. In particular, this study focused on a middle school classroom, and
students only used conversational phrases that they had already learned throughout the
course of the school year. The results of the study could have been very different if it were
conducted at the elementary or high school level. Additionally, the results could have varied
if there were a different board game format as well as other phrases or vocabulary,
particularly ones that had not been studied previously. Another limitation of the study was
the fact that students took the oral pre and post tests in two-person teams, and were then
evaluated on their reading level based on that team effort. Therefore, hypothetically, the
reading level of a student with stronger or weaker speaking skills could have gone up or
down depending on the performance of their partner. Anxiety is also a component of the
study that could have potentially affected student’s oral production either positively or
negatively in both the experimental and control group pre and post tests. Lastly, the
objectivity of the educator in assessing the student’s reading levels could be called into
question. To remedy this issue, a second, neutral observer who had never had contact with
the group of students could also sit in on the pre and post tests and evaluate their reading
levels; then an average could be taken of the assessment made by the teacher and the
neutral educator. Even though the results of the study provide convincing evidence for the
use of board games in foreign language classrooms to improve fluency, one must be
cognizant of the limitations of the study.
Segment I: Suggestions for future study and abstract
A suggestion for future study that is inspired by this particular research project is
whether board games can improve student achievement in low SES students. Since Sinking
Spring Junior High has a student population of 48 percent of that qualifies for free or
reduced lunch, this issue of how to improve the academic achievement of low SES students
could complemented by the use of board games. Researchers have used numerical linear
board games and have found that their use can potentially increase student mathematics
achievement, particularly among low-income children (Siegler & Ramani, 2008; Ramani &
Siegler, 2008). Since growing income inequality and its effect on student’s educational
outcomes is such a central issue in public education, and low income children often have
had less experiential learning opportunities than their middle or upper class peers,
researchers should continue to explore the use of games as a means to enrich low SES
student’s educational experience. The use of games would allow students of all
socioeconomic backgrounds to practice target skills, be actively involved in the construction
of their learning, and contribute to increased classroom achievement. These positive side
effects of games would also level the educational playing field for low SES students, in an
effort to ensure that public schools can continue to be society’s “great equalizer” (Reardon,
2013).
Appendix A
Phrases used in the game according to function and color-coding
Functions and Color on Card Phrases
Greeting/common courtesies (Green) Hola! Que tal?Hi, how are things?
Buenos diasGood morning
Buenas tardesGood evening
Buenas nochesGood night
Hasta luegoUntil next time
No hay de queNot at all
GraciasThanks/Thank you
PerdonSorry/Excuse me
Asking for information (Yellow) Que dia es hoy?What is today?
Cual es la fecha?What is the date?
De donde eres?Where are you from?
De que nacionalidad es?What nationality are you?
Cuanto es?How much is it?
Cuanto cuesta?How much does it cost?
A que hora…?At what time….?
Cuantos anos tienes?How old are you? (informal)
Tengo …. anosI am …. years old
Asking for personal information (Red) Que te gusta ….?What do you like?
Que te interesa …?What are you interested in?
Que te aburre….?What bores you?
Puedes…..?Can you…?
Quieres ………?Do you want…?
Cuántos hermanos tienes?How many siblings do you have?
Tienes mascotas?Do you have pets?
De donde eres?Where are you from?
De donde es tu compañero?Where is your classmate from?
Describing (Blue) Como es (un compañero)?What is he/she like (a classmate)?
Como soy yo?What am I like?
Como es su pelo?What is his/her hair like?
Cómo son sus ojos?What are his/her eyes like?
Es alto/a o bajo/a?Is he/she tall or short?
Es serio/a o gracioso/a?Is he/she serious or funny?
Es estudioso/a o perezoso/a?Is he/she studious or lazy?
Agreeing/disagreeing (Orange) No, de ninguna manera
No, not at all (formal)No, no way (informal)
Si, por supuestoYes, of course
Appendix B
EspañolLandia Template
Note: The teacher will print out the template and change “Start” and “Finish” to
“Comienzo” and “Fin”, respectively.
Appendix C
Experimental Group Results
Student Pretest Posttest
1 94 100
2 86 96
3 86 98
4 80 92
5 78 88
6 80 92
7 78 92
8 82 94
9 76 92
10 84 94
11 84 96
12 70 90
13 70 84
14 72 88
Appendix D
Board game phrases used during competition
English phrase Spanish equivalent
Good luck Buena suerte
Cheater! Tramposo!
My turn Me toca a mi
Your turn Te toca a ti
Let’s go! Come on
No way! No puede ser!
Winner Ganador
We are the champions! Somos los campeones!
Good game Buen juego
Appendix E
Control Group Results
Student Pretest Posttest
1 94 98
2 94 96
3 84 92
4 86 96
5 78 84
6 82 84
7 80 84
8 86 94
9 78 88
10 78 90
11 82 92
12 80 92
13 78 92
14 84 86
15 70 74
16 72 78
Appendix F
Student Name:___________________________
Speaking Rubric for Evaluating Students on Speaking in Spanish
14 16 18 20
Task completion minimal completion and/or responses frequently inappropriate
partial completion of the task; responses mostly appropriate, yet underdeveloped
completion of the task; responses appropriate and adequately developed
superior completion of the task; responses appropriate with elaboration
Comprehensibility and pronunciation
responses barely comprehensible
pronunciation frequently interferes with communication
responses mostly comprehensible
occasionally interferes with communication
responses comprehensible and require minimal interpretation on the part of the listener
does not interfere with communication
responses readily comprehensible, requiring no interpretation on the part of the listener
enhances communication
Fluency speech halting and uneven with long pauses and/or incomplete thoughts
speech choppy and/or slow with frequent pauses; few or no incomplete thoughts
some hesitation but manages continuous and complete thoughts
speech continuous and few pauses and stumbling
Vocabulary inadequate and/or inaccurate use of vocabulary
somewhat inadequate and/or inaccurate use of vocabulary
adequate and accurate use of vocabulary
wide use of vocabulary
Syntax inadequate and/or inaccurate use of syntax
emerging use of syntax
emerging control of syntax
control of basic syntax
Score sheet:
Task completionComprehensibility and pronunciationFluencyVocabularySyntax Total: ______/100
Letter Grade: Adapted from: Speaking Rubric for Spanish Class Conversation/Speaking Assignments. Pebble Brook High School, Mableton Georgia.Retrieved from: http://pebblebrookhigh.typepad.com/files/project-rubric.pdf
References
Bendixen-Noe, M. (2010) Bringing Play Back to the Classroom: How Teachers Implement
Board and Card Games Based on Academic Learning Standards. Proceedings of
the European Conference on Games Based Learning, 13-18.
Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging ideas : the professor's guide to integrating writing,
critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. 2nd edition. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bochennek, K., Wittekindt, B., Zimmermann, S., & Klingebiel, T. (2007). More than mere
games: a review of card and board games for medical education. Medical Teacher,
29(9/10), 941-948.
Conati, C. (2003). Probabilistic assessment of user’s emotions in educational games.
Applied Artificial Intelligence, 16(7-9), 555-575.
Ewald, J.D. (2007) Foreign language learning anxiety in upper-level classes: Involving
students as researcher. Foreign Language Annals, 40(1), 122-142.
Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J.E. (2002). Games, motivation, and learning: A research
and practice model. Simulation & Gaming, 33(4), 441-467.
Gaudart, H. (1999). Games as Teaching Tools for Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages. Simulation & Gaming 30(3), 283-291.
Gomez, D., Gujarati, J., & Heckendorn, R. (2012). The Orbital Experience: Building
Community Through Communication and Connections in High School Spanish
Classes. American Secondary Education, 41(1), 96-117.
Ji-Eun, L., & Jeong-Ah, B. (2014). Student-made board games: looking back and looking
forward. Mathematics Teaching, 238, 32-34.
Lopez, M.H. & Gonzalez-Barrera, A. (2013). What is the future of Spanish in the
United States? Pew Research Center. Retrieved from:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/05/what-is-the-future-of-spanish-in-
the-united-states/
National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (NSFLEP). (2006). Standards
for foreign language learning in the 21st century (SFLL). Lawrence, KS: Allen Press.
New York State Education Department. (2010). The New York State Report Card:
Comprehensive Education Report. Retrieved from https://reportcards.nysed.gov
Foreign Language Standards of Learning. Spanish I. (2014). Virginia Department of
Education. Retrieved from:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/foreign_language/2014/
spanish/stds_spanish1-4.pdf
Lewis, P.M., Simons, G.F., & Charles, F.D. (eds.). (2014). Ethnologue: Languages
of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
MacIntyre, P.D., & Gardner, R.C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on
cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44, 283-305.
Marzano, R.J. (2010). Using Games to Enhance Student Achievement. Educational
Leadership, 67(5), 71-72.
Mayer, B., & Harris, C. (2010). Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning Through Modern
Board Games. Chicago: American Library Association.
Oxford, R. (1999). Anxiety and the language learner: New insights. In J. Arnold (Ed.),
Affect and language learning (pp.58-67). Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.
Pinder, P. (2013). Utilizing instructional games as an innovative tool to improve science
learning among elementary school students. Education, 133(4), 434-438.
Premkumar, K., & Bonnycastle, D. (2006). Games as active learning strategies: a faculty
development workshop. Medical Education, 40(11), 1123-1147.
Ramani, G. B., & Siegler, R.S. (2008). Promoting broad and stable improvements in
low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing number board games.
Child Development 79, 375-394.
Randel, J., Morris, B. Wetzel, C., & Whitehill, B. (1992). The effectiveness of games for
educational purposes: A review of recent research. Simulation & Gaming, 23,
261-276.
Reardon, S. (2013). The Widening Income Achievement Gap. Faces of Poverty 70(8),
10-16.
Richard-Amato, P.A.(2010). Making It Happen: From Interactive to Participatory Language
Teaching -- Evolving Theory and Practice (4th Edition). Location: Pearson Education
ESL.
Reese, C. & Wells, T. (2007). Teaching Academic Discussion Skills with a card game.
Simulation & Gaming 38(4), 546-555.
Rao, Z. (2002). Chinese students’ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative
activities in EFL classroom. System, 30(1), 85-105.
Saito, Y., Horwitz, E., & Garza, T. (1999). Foreign language reading anxiety. Modern
Language Journal 83(2), 202-218.
Siegler, R. S., and Ramani, G.B. (2008). Playing linear numerical board games promotes
low-income children’s numerical development.” Developmental Science 11,
655-661.
Speaking Rubric for Spanish Class Conversation/Speaking Assignments. Pebble Brook High School, Mableton Georgia.
Retrieved from: http://pebblebrookhigh.typepad.com/files/project-rubric.pdf
Washington County, Virginia QuickFacts. (2013). US Census. Retrieved from:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51191.html