The effects of using games on teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension: a case of gifted students

Using educational games for the improvement of the students’ vocabulary retention has been widely used in the educational setting for many decades. The acquisition of vocabulary as part of the subskills of the English language is considered a vital part of learning any target language. Hence, this research study aimed at exploring the effects of using games to teach vocabulary in reading comprehension among freshmen students at Takhar University. This study has employed a mixed-method involving pre-test, post-test, and a semi-structured interview. The researcher employed descriptive statistical analysis to analyze the frequency and percentage of the respondents. The inference method of the content analysis is also used for the semi-structured interview to identify whether games are motivating the students to enhance their vocabulary knowledge of the student. The targeted group was 20 students from the English department. They were freshmen students of the English department at Takhar University. Their ages were ranging from 18 to 25 including both male and female students. The findings of the present study revealed that employing games are effective and beneficial for teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension. This study also indicated that games improve students’ motivation in acquiring vocabulary. Besides, it is hoped that educational games are more attractive, fun, and helpful in teaching and as well as building the vocabulary knowledge of the students. It is proposed that teachers should look for educational games and techniques to involve their students in the use of a creative expression in the enhancement of the vocabulary knowledge.