2.4.2 Froebel’s game teaching theory 6

2.4.3 Contemporary game teaching theory 7

3 Research Methodologies 9

3.1 The participants 9

3.2 Instrument 9

3.3 Procedure 9

4 Results and Analysis 11

4.1 Results and analysis of the questionnaire 11

4.1.1 Students’ recognition degree of game based teaching 11

4.1.2 Teachers’ application of game teaching method 12

4.1.3 The persity and adaption of games 13

4.1.4 Teachers’ control during the process of games teaching 14

4.1.5 Students’ participation in game-based teaching 15

4.1.6 The interaction between teachers and students 15

4.2 Results and analysis of the in-class observation 17

4.2.1 Guessing game: 17

4.2.2 Solitaire game 17

4.2.3 Role play 18

4.3 Results and analysis of the Interview with teachers and students 18

4.3.1 How did game motivates Chinese primary school students to learn EFL? 18

4.3.2 What’s your confusion during your application of game based teaching in primary English class? 19

5 Conclusion 21

5.1 Major findings 21

5.2 Teaching implications 22

Reference 23

 1. Introduction

1.1 research background 

Prior to 2001, English language had not been a compulsory course in primary schools although, some teaching of English had taken place at this level since the mid 1980s (Wang Q, 2002). This has been on a very modest scale although, on an increasingly larger scale mostly in urban key schools. Nevertheless, due to its unrecognized position in the school curriculum, limited availability of qualified teachers and lack of appropriate teaching materials, the teaching of English at this level had not been standardized. However, since the start of the new millennium, the Chinese government has become increasingly concerned with the upgrading the level of English language of all Chinese citizens. It was decided in early 2001 that English would be offered at primary level from September of that year, starting in cities and then gradually towns and villages (Ministry of Education Document, April 2001). Basic Requirement for Primary School English was issued and designed at the same time by the Ministry of Education (MOE). English language teaching and learning is booming in China and it is becoming the most popular and dominant foreign language in modern China.

Though, lots of efforts have been made to boost the teaching and learning of ESL in China, there are still many complaints, ranging from lack of interest and motivation to learn English, lack of a suitable English environment, lack of interactive teaching methodology to attract the digital natives, lack of confidence, lack of interest to master and remember English words as well as bored teaching and learning attitude (Ruphina .A, Liu .M., 2011). Most research indicates that Chinese students' English learning strategies are primarily focused on reading and writing, on grammar and translation, and on memorization of vocabulary (Rao 2002). In China, teaching is a typical teacher-oriented mode. The teacher mostly dominates the class leaving no option for students to answer and ask questions not even to exchange ideas with the teachers and asking a question is considered an admission of a lack of knowledge (Siemon .A.2010).