THE EFFECTS OF SPELLING BEE GAME ON EFL YOUNG LEARNERS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING

THE EFFECTS OF SPELLING BEE GAME ON EFL YOUNG LEARNERS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING
Cuc Huynh, FPT University, Vietnam

(Presented at the International Conference on Research in Education and Science (ICRES) which took place on April 27-30, 2024, in Antalya, TURKEY (https://www.2024.icres.net/) and at the International Conference on Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology (ICEMST) (https://www.2024.icemst.com/) organized by the International Society for Technology, Education and Science (ISTES) http://www.istes.org).

Vocabulary plays an important role in learning English. However, due to the difference between English and their mother tongue, many students find it difficult to remember the English vocabulary. This research aims at investigating whether Spelling Bee Game has any significant effects on EFL young students’ vocabulary learning. The research followed a quasi-experimental design with the participation of 25 EFL grade-three learners in a primary school in the Mekong Delta. Three research instruments namely a vocabulary screening, a vocabulary test, and a semi-structured interview. The findings from the tests showed that there was a huge change between students’ pre-test and post-test scores. It means students significantly improved their vocabulary before and after the treatment. Besides, the majority of the participants held positive attitudes toward learning and improving their vocabulary learning with Spelling Bee Game. The participants claimed that the use of Spelling Bee Game can help them to improve their vocabulary, increase their spelling, and pronunciation skills, helps them learn vocabulary in a fun and interesting way, and increase their self-confidence as well. The researcher suggests that further studies in this area should consider a larger sample size to obtain a better picture of the reality of the effect of Spelling Bee Game on vocabulary learning.