Enhancing Teachers' Competency In Using Video Games To Boost Students' English Vocabulary And Learning Motivation

Abstract

In Vietnam, a significant number of university and college students are avid gamers, leading the author to recognize the potential of video games in motivating them to learn English. However, there is limited research on teachers' perspectives in this area. Hence, the author decides to conduct action research to explore how teachers can enhance their skills to effectively incorporate video games into their classes. This study involved 16 teachers and 24 students from the author's school. The teachers were surveyed through interviews and questionnaires, while the students were tasked with playing a selected video game. Combining the teachers' feedback with the author's observations of student progress yielded satisfactory results. The findings demonstrated that there was a substantial change in the students' vocabulary learning performance and increased motivation between the pre- and post-tests. The results of this study suggest that using video games in English classrooms can improve students' motivation and glossary achievements among Vietnamese university students.