Using Educational Games as a Teaching Technique to Develop EFL Learner’s Vocabulary Knowledge The Case Study of First Year Pupils at Lorak Brothers Middle School

Abstract

Despite the necessity and relevance of vocabulary in all language, this part of the language actually receives less attention than the other parts of language. As a result, it is less motivating for students to rely solely on their daily routines to improve their vocabulary storage. As the meanings of new words are frequently highlighted, vocabulary learning is seen as both a necessary and challenging component in learning any foreign language. Because of this, teachers of English should employ practical strategies to maintain student’s interest and excitement for language. One of these techniques is to teach vocabulary more efficiently via educational games. Therefore, the goal of the current research study is to investigate the effect of using educational games on learner’s vocabulary knowledge. The research was conducted at Brothers Lourak Middle School in Borj Bou Arreridj. The study population consisted of 125 students and the sample consisted of 44 students who were between the age of twelve and thirteen. It dealt with 1st year EFL pupils and all of them were nonnative speakers. The participants were divided into two groups; a control and an experimental group. The experimental group received instruction through educational games, whereas the control group was instructed through a traditional manner, and both groups were given access to a vocabulary-based test that was presented as a pre-test and a post-test. The investigation was based on a quasi-experimental design. The data was analyzed in order to see whether the findings are positive or negative concerning the effect of educational games as a teaching technique to develop learners’ vocabulary. The findings suggest that using educational games as a teaching technique is effective in enhancing students’ vocabulary. The experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test, and inferential statistics proved a statistically significant difference between the two groups