VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES WiwRRNN RỊN Hi Mi 8 M ĐỚN NHIẾP THỊ VÂN ANIT ASTUDY ON VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF TALENTED STUDENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SELECTION AT THANIT LIEM C IMIG SCHOOL, HA NAM PROVINCE (NGIIIỀN CỨU VŨ CHIồN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG CỬA HỌC SINII ĐỘI TUYẾN HỌC SINH GIỎI MÔN TIỀNG ANH TRƯỜNG THPT Œ 'THANH LIÊM, HẢ NAM) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HA NOI - 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NHIẾP THỊ VÂN ANIT A STUDY ON VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF TALENTED STUDENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SELECTION AT THANH LIEM C HIGH SCHOOL, HA NAM PROVINCE (NGHIBN CUU VE CHIEN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG CỦA HỌC SINH ĐỘI TUYẾN HỌC SINH GIỎI MÔN TING ANH TRƯỜNG THPT C 'THANH LIÊM, HÀ NAM) M. MINOR PROGRAMME TIIESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr. Trần Thị Thu Hiền ILA NOI - 2016 DECLARATION Thereby declare that this dissertation represents my own work and that it has not been previously submitted to this University or any other institute in application for admission to a degree, diploma or other qualifications.
Hanoi, 2016 Nhiếp Thị Van Anh 4.2 Discussion " CHAPTER FIVE : CONCLUSION.4 Recomimendations for further research. PART 1: The Student’s Personal Background PART 2: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire. vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Information of the participants 18 Table 4. Determination Strategies used hy the talented students Vable 42.
Social strategies used hy the talented students 25 Table 4. Memory strategies used by the talented students. Cognitive strategies used hy the talented students 29 Table 4. Meiacognitive strategies used by the talented siudenis.
31 vii CHIAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION.1 Rationale for choosing the topic Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings. As Steven Stahl (2005) puts it, "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge, the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world.” Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something, that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime. Instruction in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in a dictionary and using the words in a sentence. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through indirect exposure to words and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific words and word-learning slralegies Limiled vocabularies prevent students from comprehending a text.
‘Therefore, an effective approach to vocabulary is always one of the great concerns of every language loachor. The reason is that learning vocabulary is really challonnging requiring many cognitive processes, and teachers have to make sure that the students understand the word and its meaning as well as how to use the word accurately and appropriatcly At upper- secondary schools in Vietnam, with a short duration of 3 periods per weck for all language skills and language focus, vocabulary instruction has paid less attention than it should have been. Students have to learn so many new words every week, and by the time they learn the new words in the new tessons they have forgoten most of the words they have learned in previous lessons Moreover, most of the students, in fact, are not interested in vocabulary lessons. ‘hey feel bored with the comman methods used by teachers since most of the teachers of English at the researcher’ school are still applying the traditional ways of teaching “Teacher (alks — students LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1 coG Cognilive stralegies 2 DET Determination Strategies 3 EFL English as a Foreign Language 4 MEM Memory Strategies 5 MET Metacognitive strategies 6 Ll Native Language 7 12 Second Language 8 soc Social Strategies iv ABSTRACT Although vocabulary forms the biggest part of the meaning of any language, it is also the biggest problem for most learners.
A study of vocabulary learning strategies was carried out with talented students in English language selection at Thanh Liem C high school, Ha Nam province to find the strategies they use most and least popularly. ‘This is only ihe initial rescarch (scarch strategies) lo prepare for a long-iorm study, in which ihe usclul strategics arc applicd for other students to improve the quality of English learning throughout the school. The research involved 25 talented students in English language selection at Thanh Liem C high school, Ha Nam province. Data was collected fram a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire Results of the study showed that the students favoured strategies focusing on guessing meaning [rom context, when they encounlered new words.
Besides, bilingual and monolingual dictionaries is also a useful tool to help students find the meaning of words. Moreover, many students are interested im studying words through English language media such as television programs, Internet, English songs, However, students had difficulty implementing a number of social and metacognilive slrategics, such as inleracling with native speakers and testing oneself with word tests. To conclude, strategy training especially on guessing, dictionary strategies and deep processing strategies is essential. It would be good if teachers could provide different opportunities for students to retrieve the vocabulary Iearned in dilferent contexts.
The rosulis suggested that tcachers should make learners aware of their own responsibility in vocabulary learning and expose them ta different approaches and strategies in enhancing vocabulary acquisition. ili LIST OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF CONTERTS. LIST OF TABLES.
CHAPTER ONH : INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationalc for choosing the topic 1.3 Aim and objectives of the study 1.4 Scope of the study. Significance of the study .6 Structures of the study CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.2 Vocabulary learning strategies.1 Definitions of vocabulary learning strategies .2 Classifications of vocabulary learning strategies 2.3 Previous studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies 2.4 Summary 16 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3. Data collection instrument 3.4 Method in Language Learning Strategy Research 3.5 Data collection proecdure CIIAPTER FOUR : FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .2 Discussion " CHAPTER FIVE : CONCLUSION.4 Recomimendations for further research. PART 1: The Student’s Personal Background PART 2: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire.
vi ABSTRACT Although vocabulary forms the biggest part of the meaning of any language, it is also the biggest problem for most learners. A study of vocabulary learning strategies was carried out with talented students in English language selection at Thanh Liem C high school, Ha Nam province to find the strategies they use most and least popularly. ‘This is only ihe initial rescarch (scarch strategies) lo prepare for a long-iorm study, in which ihe usclul strategics arc applicd for other students to improve the quality of English learning throughout the school. The research involved 25 talented students in English language selection at Thanh Liem C high school, Ha Nam province.
Data was collected fram a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire Results of the study showed that the students favoured strategies focusing on guessing meaning [rom context, when they encounlered new words. Besides, bilingual and monolingual dictionaries is also a useful tool to help students find the meaning of words. Moreover, many students are interested im studying words through English language media such as television programs, Internet, English songs, However, students had difficulty implementing a number of social and metacognilive slrategics, such as inleracling with native speakers and testing oneself with word tests. To conclude, strategy training especially on guessing, dictionary strategies and deep processing strategies is essential.
It would be good if teachers could provide different opportunities for students to retrieve the vocabulary Iearned in dilferent contexts. The rosulis suggested that tcachers should make learners aware of their own responsibility in vocabulary learning and expose them ta different approaches and strategies in enhancing vocabulary acquisition.2 Discussion " CHAPTER FIVE : CONCLUSION.4 Recomimendations for further research. PART 1: The Student’s Personal Background PART 2: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire. vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1 coG Cognilive stralegies 2 DET Determination Strategies 3 EFL English as a Foreign Language 4 MEM Memory Strategies 5 MET Metacognitive strategies 6 Ll Native Language 7 12 Second Language 8 soc Social Strategies iv LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Information of the participants 18 Table 4.
Determination Strategies used hy the talented students Vable 42. Social strategies used hy the talented students 25 Table 4. Memory strategies used by the talented students. Cognitive strategies used hy the talented students 29 Table 4.
Meiacognitive strategies used by the talented siudenis .2 Discussion " CHAPTER FIVE : CONCLUSION.4 Recomimendations for further research. PART 1: The Student’s Personal Background PART 2: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire. vi LIST OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF CONTERTS.
LIST OF TABLES. CHAPTER ONH : INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationalc for choosing the topic 1.3 Aim and objectives of the study 1.4 Scope of the study. Significance of the study .6 Structures of the study CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.2 Vocabulary learning strategies.1 Definitions of vocabulary learning strategies .2 Classifications of vocabulary learning strategies 2.3 Previous studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies 2.4 Summary 16 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3. Data collection instrument 3.4 Method in Language Learning Strategy Research 3.5 Data collection proecdure CIIAPTER FOUR : FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation, first and foremost, to my supervisor Dr. Tran Thi Thu Hien, who has pationtly and constantly guided and supported me to develop my study into a practicable frame in the very beginning and offered valuable suggestions while the work was in progress. My thanks also go to all the teachers that have instructed me at the National University for their inspirational lectures im class, by which I have been motivated to explore some interesting issues concerning English language teaching and learning A special word of thanks goes to my students, without whom it would never been possible for me ta have this thesis accomplished. Last but not least, 1 would like to give my immense gratitude to my family, without whose support my dream of pursuing further study would not have been possible Nhicp Thi Van Anh CHIAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION.1 Rationale for choosing the topic Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings.
As Steven Stahl (2005) puts it, "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge, the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world.” Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something, that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime. Instruction in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in a dictionary and using the words in a sentence. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through indirect exposure to words and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific words and word-learning slralegies Limiled vocabularies prevent students from comprehending a text. ‘Therefore, an effective approach to vocabulary is always one of the great concerns of every language loachor.
The reason is that learning vocabulary is really challonnging requiring many cognitive processes, and teachers have to make sure that the students understand the word and its meaning as well as how to use the word accurately and appropriatcly At upper- secondary schools in Vietnam, with a short duration of 3 periods per weck for all language skills and language focus, vocabulary instruction has paid less attention than it should have been. Students have to learn so many new words every week, and by the time they learn the new words in the new tessons they have forgoten most of the words they have learned in previous lessons Moreover, most of the students, in fact, are not interested in vocabulary lessons. ‘hey feel bored with the comman methods used by teachers since most of the teachers of English at the researcher’ school are still applying the traditional ways of teaching “Teacher (alks — students ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation, first and foremost, to my supervisor Dr.