A DEVELOPMENT OF PLAY-BASED LEARNING THROUGH SONGS TO IMPROVE CHINESE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN THAILAND

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: (1) to investigate how to design an effective teaching method of Play-based Learning through songs to improve Chinese vocabulary acquisition of kindergarten students in Thailand, and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of Play-based Learning through songs to improve Chinese vocabulary acquisition of kindergarten students in Thailand. A quantitative analysis was used in this research. 17 students of K1 from Double Trees International Kindergarten Ratchaphruek campus in Bangkok were divided into two groups, including an experimental group and a control group to participate in this research. Two research instruments were designed to obtain data, including lesson plans and the post-test (the Chinese vocabulary speaking test and the Chinese character matching test). The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and content analysis. The results of the analyses revealed that (1) students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores on the Chinese vocabulary speaking test than students in the control group; and (2) Students' Chinese character matching test scores in the experimental group were higher than the control group, but not significantly. In summary, the final total scores indicate that the experimental group's Chinese vocabulary acquisition which conducted through the use of play-based learning through songs was superior to that of the control group through a traditional method. The findings suggest that this teaching method can effectively improve students' speaking vocabulary. It is recommended that play-based learning is to be employed with young learners when learning a second language.