| Summary: | 碩士 === 文藻外語學院 === 外語文教事業發展研究所 === 101 === Employment of Sentence Writing Board Game to Enhance
Elementary Fifth and Sixth Graders’ Sentence Writing Ability
Abstract
In this study the author reported on a strategic board game designed to help EFL fifth and sixth graders to consolidate their knowledge of English syntax as a support for writing improvement. In approaching the learning of syntax through game-based pedagogy, the author expected some interrelated outcomes to be achieved. It was expected that adopting a learning-through-doing approach would result in a higher degree of both fluency and accuracy in sentence writing. The aim of the study was to evaluate the participants’ writing ability in relation to grammar accuracy and sentence pattern with repetitive exposure to these elements in the form of a game. Forty-two fifth and sixth graders of three different ability groups, most of whom were diagnosed and tended to kinesthetic, tactile and group-oriented learners from a private bilingual elementary school in southern Taiwan participated in the study. The research was carried out over four successive weeks for a total of 22 sessions with 60 minutes in each session, from April to May, 2012. During this time, in the place of the grammar instruction classes, students interacted using the board game. Data was collected via the administration of the English Sentence Writing Proficiency Test (ESWPT), written by the author, as both a pre-test and a post-test. The test comprises six sections including discrete, controlled and guided writing items. To ensure content validity, two experts were consulted. The results of the three tests were analyzed using Paired Sample t-test to measure the gains of the participants’ improvement in sentence writing of the three ability groups. Participants’ opinions collected after each postgame debriefing were analyzed and reported as well. The findings of the study were generalized as follows: 1. Statistically significant difference was found on the participants’ sentence writing ability in the three ability groups. 2. Grammar and sentence patterns accuracy were improved in the five basic sentence patterns. 3. This game seemed to work successfully on young EFL learners who were kinesthetic, tactile and group-oriented learners. 4. Most of the students enjoyed making sentences with sentence writing board game. At the end of this study, the pedagogical implications and suggestions for further studies were addressed.
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