USING EDUCATIONAL GAMES IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO YOUNG CHILDREN

Abstrak

Over the past two decades, the learning of the English language has gained significant popularity among children. Vocabulary acquisition, being a crucial element of language learning, plays a key role in this process. Teachers employ various strategies to teach vocabulary, particularly to young learners. While traditional methods, such as repetition, are still commonly used, these approaches often lead to a loss of interest among young learners over time. In contrast, game-based methods have proven to sustain students' engagement and interest. This study aimed to enhance vocabulary understanding among young learners through educational games. Conducted at a kindergarten in Chirchik, the research involved 20 non-native young learners, aged 5 to 6 years. Participants were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 10 students. The experimental group was taught vocabulary through interactive games, while the control group learned using traditional repetition-based methods. This paper discusses the effectiveness of game-based learning activities and techniques in the vocabulary acquisition process.