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Vocabulary Games for Online ESP Teaching

The document discusses the importance of using vocabulary games in online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teaching to enhance language acquisition and student engagement. It highlights various game strategies, such as Hangman and Taboo, that can reduce anxiety and promote effective communication among learners. The conclusion emphasizes that well-chosen games can significantly improve students' vocabulary learning and overall language proficiency.

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16 views2 pages

Vocabulary Games for Online ESP Teaching

The document discusses the importance of using vocabulary games in online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teaching to enhance language acquisition and student engagement. It highlights various game strategies, such as Hangman and Taboo, that can reduce anxiety and promote effective communication among learners. The conclusion emphasizes that well-chosen games can significantly improve students' vocabulary learning and overall language proficiency.

Uploaded by

treschic080503
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

October 14, 2022  Oxford, UK  93

DOI 10.36074/logos-14.10.2022.29

USING VOCABULARY GAMES IN ONLINE TEACHING ESP


ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4726-9432 Nataliia Ishchuk
PhD in Education, Ass. Professor
Ass. Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages for Specific Purposes
Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0440-3731 Serhii Shevchuk
Postgraduate Student, Faculty of Philology, Psychology and Foreign Languages
Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University
UKRAINE

Introduction. Vocabulary is crucial when learning a language, whether it is your


mother tongue or a foreign language. The four linguistic skills — listening, speaking,
reading, and writing — should incorporate vocabulary. Students have to learn a great
deal of words and know how to use them correctly in order to communicate effectively
in a foreign language. The conventional approach to teaching vocabulary is rather
monotonous. A teacher presents lexical units, asking students to record them in their
notebooks, and ultimately learners have to memorize them before the following
lesson. Besides, in terms of online learning, when students get tired of sitting in from
of their monitors, some entertaining activities would definitely make the teaching-
learning process more enjoyable for students.
Result of the research. There are several strategies and tactics for making
English teaching and learning entertaining and engaging, playing games being one
of them. A game may help university students learn and practise using new
terminology in a non-stressful manner. Anxiety is lessened and speaking fluency is
developed better in a game-based environment, resulting in communicative
competence.
Since games are both entertaining and challenging, they are also encouraging
and motivational. They incorporate a competitive aspect into language-building
exercises. This provides a crucial impetus for deliberate language use. The
competitive environment also males learners focus and think intensively during
learning a language, which improves unconscious input acquisition. There are
competitive games, in which players or teams compete to attain a goal first, and
cooperative games, in which players or teams work together to achieve a common
goal.
Despite the fact that games do not always work because of students’ different
learning styles and preferences, they are still worth using in the classroom, since they
provide learners with a number of benefits. Thus, games often incorporate friendly
rivalry and keep students engaged. These circumstances encourage youngsters to
engage in and actively participate in learning activities. Moreover, games bring real-
world context into the classroom and improve students’ language proficiency level.
Games emphasise successful communication in learning ESP. However, a
teacher should avoid competitiveness with some groups of students if the latter find
such games stressful and overwhelming. Therefore, it is preferable to play games in
which everyone wins.
A variety of games can be employed in the online classroom. The most popular
one for vocabulary revision is Hangman, a game of guessing. One of the best online
versions can be found on [Link] [1]. It is both simple and encouraging for
94  Theoretical and empirical scientific research: concept and trends
.

students, because if they fail to guess the word having 10 attempts, the balloons will
burst and the man will crash. This tool is a perfect substitution of a whiteboard and is
amazingly simple for teachers. It takes a couple of minutes only to make a list of
words to be revised. In the lesson, a teacher shares the screen in MS Teams, and
students get involved in an interactive activity.
Of great interest for students is the Taboo game, another word guessing game.
The aim of the game is to explain given words without saying the “taboo” words listed
below the word. [2] For example, someone may have to make his partners guess the
word “advertising” without saying the words “commercial,” “marketing,” “promote” or
“product.” Normally, a students chooses a card, but in an online lesson it seems to
be a challenge. One of the solutions to the problem may be sending cards to students
in the MS Teams private chat.
Teachers can also use board games and puzzles in an online ESP lesson. For
example, students should rearrange the letters in order to form a meaningful word.
However, students with a low level of English proficiency might have great difficulty
with this kind of activity. Teachers may assist students by including images. Therefore,
students will get a picture-based puzzle. Using cue cards is an alternative strategy.
In online lesson, vocabulary games are very useful and helpful exercises for
enhancing students’ language abilities and competency. Due to time and curricular
constraints, teachers must often assess the students’ progress on a number of topics.
It is clear that games are really valuable and may be utilised to enhance language
acquisition and offer students with communication practise. Therefore, it is advised
that teachers experiment with games that may be valuable to their students in order
to boost students’ competency and assist them in achieving their objectives, or at the
very least to attempt new approaches to teaching. By playing well-designed games,
students may practise ESP terminology. The playing and competition given by games
increases the learners’ motivation. Additionally, they alleviate tension in the
classroom. During game play, the learners' focus is on the message, not the
language. In a sense, students absorb language instinctively since their whole focus
is on the action. Games offer suitable usages for longer communication practise.
They stimulate interaction and communication among ESP learners. Students fit the
discourse to the game’s setting via such exercises. Therefore, these activities
establish a context for language usage that is meaningful. Such exercises promote
both collaboration and rivalry inside the classroom. Thus, prospective classroom
ideas are generated and an effective, enjoyable, and passionate learning
environment is created.
Conclusion. Learning technical vocabulary is the first and most essential phase
in language acquisition. In an online classroom, when students are uncomfortable
with ESP, a teacher should include relevant vocabulary games to make language
learning dynamic and engaging. Games may motivate, amuse, instruct, and enhance
fluency and communication abilities. Therefore, the importance of games in language
acquisition cannot be disputed. However, in order to maximise the effectiveness of
vocabulary games, a teacher must select appropriate games only. When conducting
a game, it is important to consider the number of students, their competence level,
the cultural context, the time, the learning subject, and the classroom environment.
In conclusion, using games to acquire vocabulary is an effective and engaging
method that can be used teaching ESP.

References:
[1] Hangman. Retrieved from [Link]
[2] Business English Vocabulary Card Game | Forbidden Words. Retrieved from
[Link]

Common questions

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Vocabulary games increase student engagement by incorporating elements of fun and competition, which can lead to increased motivation and active participation . They mitigate the fatigue and stress associated with traditional learning, enabling students to focus on learning by doing rather than passive memorization, thereby making the learning process more dynamic and interactive .

Integrating real-world context into vocabulary games helps students relate their language learning to practical scenarios they might encounter outside the classroom, enhancing the relevance and applicability of their knowledge . This link to real-world usage can significantly improve language proficiency and prepare students for practical communication in their specific fields .

Vocabulary games help reduce anxiety by creating a non-stressful learning environment where the focus is on successful communication rather than on the language itself . Such an environment encourages language use without the pressure typically associated with traditional learning techniques, supporting better fluency development. Furthermore, games provide a context for practice where students can focus on interaction and the message, which enhances their fluency .

Games provide a dynamic and engaging alternative to traditional teaching methods, which are often monotonous and memorization-focused . They offer interactive and enjoyable learning experiences that can alleviate the fatigue associated with online learning, thereby increasing student engagement and motivation, and promoting communicative competence .

Competitive games motivate learners by incorporating friendly rivalry, which can engage students deeply and encourage focused language use . In contrast, cooperative games emphasize teamwork and shared goals, reducing stress for learners who might find competitiveness overwhelming . Recognizing these differences is crucial for teachers to select games that fit students' learning styles and preferences, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the learning experience.

Teachers can assist students with low proficiency by providing image-based puzzles instead of text-only ones, as images can help cue understanding and recall . Using cues like images or simpler vocabulary can scaffold their learning and make the activity more accessible and engaging, facilitating their participation and understanding.

Potential limitations include varying student preferences and learning styles, as games might not suit everyone . Additionally, competitive games could cause stress for some students. These issues can be mitigated by offering a variety of game types, such as cooperative games where everyone wins, and ensuring that the games used are inclusive and adjustable to students' proficiency levels and interests .

Games create scenarios that mimic real-life communication, shifting the focus from merely learning vocabulary to using it contextually . By fostering interaction and communication among learners, games provide a context for meaningful language use, encouraging students to tailor their discourse according to the game's setting, which enhances their practical language skills .

Teachers should consider the number of students, their competence level, cultural context, time constraints, the specific learning objectives, and the overall classroom environment when selecting vocabulary games . These factors ensure that the chosen game is appropriate and aligns well with the educational goals while also accommodating the students' needs and preferences.

In an online lesson, "Taboo" can be adapted by sending word cards to students via private chat in MS Teams, allowing them to participate without physically selecting cards . A challenge that might arise is the need to ensure all students have equal access to the materials and understand the rules, which may require additional guidance or support, especially if students have varying levels of technological proficiency.

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