Board Games in Improving Pupils’ Speaking Skills: A Systematic Review

Abstract

English is a fundamental language to learn as it is used worldwide. The teaching and learning of English has been emphasized in Malaysia as English plays a major role in global communication. However, speaking performance was recorded as poor and weak among pupils in ESL classrooms. Previous researchers explored a myriad of communicative language activities to improve speaking skill. Board games are employed as one of the most useful tools to improve speaking skills among pupils. This systematic review was conducted to examine pupils’ perceptions on the use of board games in learning and speaking, as well as the usefulness of board games in improving their speaking skill. A total of 35 articles, from the period 2017–2021, were accessed through three databases: Google Scholar, ERIC and SAGE Journals. The review was conducted systematically based on the guidelines from the PRISMA statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Based on the articles gathered, the results showed that the qualitative research design was mostly used to collect pupils’ opinions on the use of board games, while quantitative research design was mostly used to evaluate the usefulness of board games in improving speaking. Overall, the systematic review revealed that board games had several positive impacts in pupils’ speaking performances such as improving speaking competency, enhancing motivation in speaking and increasing interpersonal interaction among pupils. It is suggested that future studies could focus on investigating teachers’ opinions on the use of board games in teaching and speaking.

Global education movement: English as a second language teachers’ perceptions of integrating volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity elements in lessons

“…Husin et al (2016) , Evans-Whipp et al (2017) , and Kusumastuti et al (2019) state that the learners develop collaborative and critical thinking skills when they work with others to complete the authentic tasks. Collaborative interaction will further nurture learners’ second language acquisition, formally and informally ( Gunawardena et al, 2017 ; Wong and Yunus, 2021 ). A similar approach is also useful in creating a better understanding among learners and enhancing their ability to cope with complex situations such as in VUCA environment.…”

“…In today’s so-called global age, English represents a medium of interconnectivity. Proficiency in the language profoundly influences individuals and communities worldwide ( Wong and Yunus, 2021 ; Lin, 2020 ). English is an instructional language and international medium of communication in many countries where English is not the mother tongue ( Sinagatullin, 2019 ).…”

ESL Primary Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach to Teach CEFR Speaking Skill

“…Subsequently, a person might fail to speak a language despite claiming that he/she can understand it well. Speaking involves a series of mental and physical processes which requires both speakers and listeners to exchange ideas spontaneously without preparation (Wong & Yunus, 2021). The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) was established by the European Council in 2001 and is currently adopted in many countries around the world with transformation in pedagogy, curriculum and assessment (Tosun & Glover, 2020).…”

“…As the world heads into digitalisation, the ability to speak fluent English has become increasingly important due to its emergence as an international language. In view of this, speaking is considered the hardest language skill to be mastered as it involves a series of mental processes which requires both speakers and listeners to exchange ideas spontaneously (Wong & Yunus, 2021). Despite learning English from a very young age, many ESL pupils were found struggled to speak and convey their ideas well due to lack of vocabulary and unfamiliarity of the language (Al-Jarf & Mingazova, 2020).…”

The Integration of ICT in Improving Reading Comprehension Skills: A Systematic Literature Review

“…This equipment can be applied to teaching practices to enhance and facilitate foreign language learning. Computers or laptops, internet access, high-tech tools such as smart boards, smartphones, interactive games, music players and some more are applied in the target language learning process especially English language as to arouse students' motivation and language awareness (Harper & Milman, 2016;Md Yunus et al, 2021;Hashim et al, 2018;Wong & Md Yunus, 2021). The integration of ICT will lead to countless in English language content, contexts, and pedagogical methodologies in teaching various educational environment.…”