The document describes a project called 'Perky Piung Words Adventure' aimed at improving English vocabulary learning among students in Hulu Terengganu, Malaysia, through engaging and fun activities that incorporate a mascot. It highlights challenges in vocabulary acquisition, the project's objectives, execution over six months, and positive outcomes in learners' language competency and engagement. The findings suggest successful collaboration between educators and schools, with recommendations for further development and the potential for extending the project to secondary learners.

1. Perky Piung
Words Adventure
Learn Vocabulary the Fun Way
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2. Introduction
This project is an initiative under the Highly Immersive Programme aimed at
collaboration between Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Hulu Terengganu and schools
in the vicinity through vocabulary learning. The collaboration requires the teacher
to guide learners where they are expected to use their background knowledge in
designing short vocabulary lessons as well as interacting with the world around
them in physical and digital form.
Injecting the element of fun by using a realia called Perky Piung, it promotes
experiences that are active, social, contextual and engaging. Through this project,
the collaboration became personal and tangible post-project via interaction on
various social media platform. In conclusion, this project aspires to ignite positive
relationship thus providing opportunities for higher order thinking, oral
communication, and leadership skills in the parties involved.
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3. Plan
Problem Statement
The success of English Language teaching and learning in Malaysia has long been
debatable. The results of the examination were examined and scrutinised to the
detail. This mechanism serves as a benchmark to gauge our learners' abilities and
it has shown an insignificant improvement over time. Although various factors are
contributing to the problem, lack of vocabulary has always been a problem
plaguing English Language learners in Malaysia (Kaur, 2013).
In a study of Year 5 students vocabulary level by Wang & Yamat (2019), it
highlighted that the students’ mastery level was low, with the majority of the
participants have not acquired the vocabulary learnt in the previous year. The
authors suggested that the level of vocabulary served as an indicator of general
proficiency. Hence, the better vocabulary level, the higher the proficiency level the
students will achieve. As vocabulary is crucial to proficiency development,
initiatives must be made by teachers and learners to enhance the vocabulary bank
(Wang & Yamat, 2019).
With Hulu Terengganu as the area of focus, the performance of UPSR English
Language has shown a decline for 2 years in a row (refer table 1). This call for
active intervention in teaching and learning of vocabulary. In this project, teachers
guided the learners to explore vocabulary and use their background knowledge
to present the vocabulary to an audience. Learners then utilised their language
skills to design a mini vocabulary lesson creatively.
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4. Objectives
• To develop collaboration between Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Hulu Terengganu
and schools within the vicinity.
• To promote engagement of learning by doing fun activities.
• To polish learners’s language competency in preparing and doing the
presentation.
• To produce user-generated vocabulary videos for classroom use.
Time frame
The project was executed for a period of 6 months from January 2019-June 2019.
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UPSR 2017 UPSR 2018
Comprehension 3.05 3.15
Writing 3.53 3.62

5. Do
Flow of the project
There were 5 steps involved in the project (refer to figure 1). During the course of
the project, learners frequently interacted with a mascot called Perky Piung. The
mascot provided element of fun and a motivational booster for the learners to
complete their tasks.
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Figure 1

6. There were primary 10 schools involved in the project. The schools participated on
voluntary basis.
1. SK Menerong, Hulu Terengganu
2. SK Landas, Hulu Terengganu
3. SK Cheting, Hulu Terengganu
4. SK Seri Berang, Hulu Terengganu
5. SK Tengku Ampuan Intan, Hulu Terengganu
6. SK LKTP Bukit Bading, Hulu Terengganu
7. SK Tapu, Hulu Terengganu
8. SK Bukit Diman, Hulu Terengganu
9. SK Bukit Perah, Hulu Terengganu
10.SK Tembila, Besut
End product
The videos made by the schools were posted on Perky Piung channel on You Tube.
Scan on the QR Code to watch the videos.
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7. Online presence
The pictures of this project can be viewed online through Instagram and Facebook.
Scan on the QR Code to view the pictures.
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8. Check
Findings
Data collection were done through a survey with the learners post-project,
interview with the teachers involved and observation during execution.
For survey, learners’ answered questions using Microsoft Forms. These questions
were a mixture of open and close-ended. As for the interviews, one to one face to
face method was employed to the teachers were they spoke about their
experiences in conducting the project. Observation were done by the researcher
on all stages of the project where identification of participants on-going behaviour
and reception towards the project
Based on the data, the findings were organised into three themes. The first theme
is preferences towards the project, next is learners’ self-perception on their
language ability and fun learning elements.
Preferences towards the project.
95% of the learners showed interest in the project. This was further supported by
teachers indicated that good feedback was received from the learners as they
were excited to teach Perky Piung words.
Besides, positive responses were received from other teachers who were indirectly
involved with the project. The fact was affirmed through observation, as the school
community was seen supportive of completing the project.
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9. Language competency
The survey required the learners to gauge their ability pre and post-project. Before
the project, learners’ language competency ranges from ‘okay’ to ‘perfect'.
However, it improved post-project (refer figure 2).
It was evident that learners exhibit a high confidence level after completing the
project. This was further substantiated by the positive correlation of their
preferences towards learning and teaching Perky Piung (56%). Moreover, the
learners suggested post-activities with Perky Piung such as reading and playing
games.
Fun learning
Based on the interview, teachers understood the reason to be creative when
teaching vocabulary. The incorporation of a mascot such as Perky Piung made their
learners excited to learn. On top of that, the teachers had to look into other
teaching methods for fun vocabulary learning. One of the teachers said, “There are
so many fun ways to attract pupils to love English and learn new words”.
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Figure 2

10. As this project required teachers to produce vocabulary videos, they were coerced
to learn the process of recording and producing videos. Thus enabled them to use
this skill in presenting other language contents to their learners. As one teacher
pointed “I was forced to learn how to make a video, but now I can use it for other
topics as well”. Also, they found that integrating ICT in their teaching and learning
activities was beneficial as it engaged the learners better.
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11. Action
Recommendations
Some weaknesses were identified In the course of the project. Ideally, learners
would suggest words to be taught to Perky Piung. However, in most cases, it was
the teachers who identified possible words to be used. Teachers felt it was a
convenient approach as it sped up the process and allowed for a better control of
the learners' activities. Conversely, when the learners chose the words themselves,
their sense of ownership and engagement deepens as they took more control of
the project.
As a result, a board game was designed to allow learners autonomy in their
learning. By playing the game, it strengthens learners’ role in an active setting,
helps them generate words independently while the teacher act as a facilitator.
Huyen & Nga (2003) were proponents for learning vocabulary through games. In
their article “Learning Vocabulary Through Games - The Effectiveness of Learning
Vocabulary Through Games” stated that games are useful and effective tools to be
applied in vocabulary classes. This is congruent with the findings of Wendy Hiew
(2012) where playing games is a good way to learn vocabulary as it promote fun
and interaction. See figure 3 for the flow of project after the addition of board
game.
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12. Scan on the QR Code to view the e-book for the project, post-recommendation.
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Figure 3

13. Conclusion
In reference to the findings of this project, Perky Piung Words Adventure is
successful in achieving its objectives thus proving is relevance in teaching and
learning of English. Exploring vocabulary in a fun way provides a platform for
learners’ engagement therefore learning take a centre stage. Moreover, the
elements of collaboration between traditional classroom teaching of vocabulary
and the integration of ICT in the project managed to bring fun into learning while
at the same time promoting higher-order thinking and building leadership skills.
This project has the potential to develop to older participants, secondary English
Language learners as the issues of insufficient vocabulary are prevalent in the
target group. The use of Perky Piung as a mascot to promote this project will be
equally appealing to this group of learners as it provides a sense of comfort and
safety in practising the language.
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14. Bibliography
Hiew, Wendy (2012) English language teaching and learning issues in Malaysia:
learners' perceptions via Facebook dialogue journal. Journal of Arts, Science &
Commerce, 3 (1). pp. 11-19. ISSN 2229-4686
Huyen, Nguyen Thi Thanh and Khuat Thi Thu Nga. 2003. LEARNING
VOCABULARY THROUGH GAMES- The Effectiveness of Learning Vocabulary
Through Games. The Asian EFL Journal Volume 5 Issue 4. Available at: http://
www.asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_st.pdf [access at 015/09/2020].
Kaur, N. (2013). The Need For Autonomous Vocabulary Learners in The Malaysian
ESL Classroom. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 13(3).
Wang, F., & Yamat, H. (2019). Identifying English Vocabulary Levels of Malaysia Year
5 Primary School Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business
and Social Sciences, 9(12), 61–75.
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15. Appendices
1. Instrument used for data collection
2. Certificates of recognition
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