VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES ĐỖ THỊ KIM OANH A STUDY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT HAI PHONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ CÁC CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG CỘNG ĐỒNG HẢI PHÒNG MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60.10 SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN THỊ MINH TRÂM, M.A HANOI – 2012 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENT. iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES. viii PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aim of the study.
Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Methods of the study. Structure of the study.
1 Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Language learning strategies. Background of language learning strategies. Definition of language learning strategies.
Classification of learning strategies. The importance of language learning strategies in language learning and teaching. Vocabulary learning strategies. Definition of vocabulary learning strategies.
Classification of vocabulary learning strategies. Classification of Gu and Johnson (1996). Classification of Schmitt (1997). Classification of Nation (2001).
The context of the study. 18 i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Data collection instruments. Semi-structured interview.
Student‟s awareness of vocabulary learning strategies 28 2. Strategies used for discovery a new word‟s meaning. Strategies used for consolidation a word in memory. Overall strategies use of the six categories of strategies.
The need of vocabulary learning strategy training. Teaching and learning in context. Analysis of word features. Use of vocabulary.
43 ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Limitations and suggestions for further study. I LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES List of tables: iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Table 1: Gu and Johnson‟s (1996) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies. 13 Table 2: Norbert Schmitt‟s (1997) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies.
15 Table 3: Nation‟s (2001) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies. 16 Table 4: Table of test specifications. 20 Table 5: Vocabulary learning strategies for discovery a new word‟s meaning used by the Pilot study participants. 22 Table 6: Vocabulary learning strategies for consolidation a word in memory used by the Pilot study participants.
23 Table 7: Vocabulary learning strategies in survey questionnaire. 27 Table 8: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Determination strategies. 30 Table 9: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Social strategies. 31 Table 10: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Social strategies (Consolidation).
33 Table 11: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Memory strategies. 34 Table 12: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Cognitive strategies. 35 Table 13: Descriptive statistics of students‟ use of Metacognitive strategies. 36 Table 14: Strategies use according to descending order of mean.
38 Table 15: Mean of six categories. 39 List of figures: Figure 1: Chart of the design of the study. 25 Figure 2: Student's awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning. 29 ABBREVIATIONS COG Cognitive strategy iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DET Determination strategy HPCC Hai Phong Community College L1 First Language L2 Second Language LLS Language Learning Strategies MEM Memory strategy MET Metacognitive strategy N Number of students SLA Second Language Acquisition SOC Social strategy VLS Vocabulary Learning Strategies X Mean of frequency of use v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale for the study Vocabulary is very important for people‟s communication and language learning, which plays an important role in the process of second language acquisition. Wilkins (Wilkins, 1972: 111) stated that “without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. Hence, we cannot deny that skills of language learning including listening, speaking, reading and writing cannot be successfully achieved without vocabulary. So the study of vocabulary learning strategies is as an important step in second language acquisition.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the study on vocabulary learning received little attention. Fortunately, vocabulary learning has been studied more widely since the 1980s. It has attracted more and more interest from researchers, educationalists as well as teachers. Many of them, both at home and abroad, have pointed out their view on the vocabulary learning‟s significance.
As Decarrico (2001: 285) stated that “Although vocabulary has not always been recognized as a priority in language teaching, interest in its role in second language learning has grown rapidly in recent years and specialists now emphasize the need for a systematic and principled approach to vocabulary by both the teacher and the learner”. Or Nguyen Huyen (2004: 1) compared “If a language could be considered as a house, then its grammar could be considered as cement and its vocabulary could be figuratively compared to bricks. To build a complete house, not only cement but also bricks are needed. Without bricks, no house can be built, even when plenty of high quality cement is available.” This means that to be a competent English communicator, one must acquire a good knowledge of English grammar and have a rich amount of English vocabulary as well.
In Vietnam in general and in my college, Hai Phong Community College in particular, English is the compulsory course for students. However, there is a large gap between the students‟ English ability and requirements settled in the syllabus. 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com As vocabulary becomes a big obstacle in English learning and their speed of vocabulary improvement is quite slow. Besides that, many English teachers think that their students can achieve vocabulary themselves.
Every new word can be looked up in English – Vietnamese dictionary which is marked with phonetic symbol and its Vietnamese meaning, so it is unnecessary to make great effort to teaching vocabulary. In addition, there are some teachers still adopt the traditional teaching methods which are proved to be inefficient by many researchers. On the other hand, as a teacher of English, I have dealt with many questions relating to vocabulary learning which are raised by my students. Even some of them have worked hard on learning new words but the result is so disappointing.
Personally, I found it necessary to provide with them successful learning strategies to learn English words. Those reasons above encourage me to conduct a study on English vocabulary learning strategies used by the first year students at Hai Phong Community College. Aims of the study The ultimate goal of the study is to help improve teaching and learning English in general, and teaching and learning English vocabulary in particular at Hai Phong Community College. Therefore, the specific aims of this study are to find out the students‟ awareness of the important of vocabulary learning and what strategies are commonly used in learning vocabulary.
Research questions The research questions that the present study seeks to answer are: 1. What is the students‟ awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning? 2. What vocabulary learning strategies do the first year students at Hai Phong Community College commonly use? 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Scope of the study The study focused on the investigation of vocabulary learning strategies which are employed by the first year students at Hai Phong Community College during the second term of school year 2011-2012.
Significance of the study Schmitt and McCarthy (1997) points out that vocabulary learning has been regarded as one of the most important parts in a second or foreign language acquisition. On the basis of the idea above, this study helps raise the students' awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning and that there are many other vocabulary learning strategies and therefore the strategy training is necessary to be done by the teachers. Further, it reveals the most and least frequently used vocabulary learning strategies adopted by the students, which can be implemented to support both teachers and students in teaching and learning vocabulary at Hai Phong Community College. Methods of the study In order to achieve the aims of the study mentioned above, the study was carried out on the basis of semi-structured interview and survey questionnaire.
The English teachers at Hai Phong Community College were interviewed about the strategies their students use in learning vocabulary to support information for the survey questionnaire. Then, vocabulary learning strategies listed in the survey questionnaire were compiled from a review of the literature on vocabulary learning strategies and the interviews‟ data. After the results were analyzed, the findings were reported and discussed then some suggestions were raised in the study. 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Structure of the study The study is divided into four chapters. Each chapter deals with an important aspect of the study. Chapter 1 is the introduction of the study, which includes the rationale, aim, research questions, scope, significance the study as well as the methods and structure of the study. Chapter 2 presents the information about some basis concepts related to language learning strategies and vocabulary learning strategies.
In addition, the classifications of language learning strategies and vocabulary learning strategies are reviewed to set up the theoretical framework for the investigation in the next chapter. Chapter 3 covers the pilot study and main study. They include the context of the study, research questions, participants, data collection instruments, procedures, data analysis and implications. Chapter 4 summarizes the main issues of the whole study and gives the future directions for further research and limitations of the study.
4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, a brief review of vocabulary learning strategies is given; some basic concepts related to language learning and vocabulary learning strategies are also presented. In addition, the classification of language learning strategies in general and vocabulary learning strategies in particular are reviewed to set up the theoretical framework for the investigation in the next chapter. Language learning strategies 1. Background of language learning strategies There has been a prominent shift within the field of language learning and teaching over the last twenty years with greater emphasis being put on learners and learning rather than on teachers and teaching.
In parallel to this new shift of interest, how learners process new information and what kinds of strategies they employ to understand, learn or remember the information has been the primary concern of the researchers dealing with the area of foreign language learning. So, language learning strategies (LLS) for foreign language learning and the teacher's role in strategy training is very important. Research into LLS began in the 1960s. Particularly, developments in cognitive psychology influenced much of the research done on LLS.
In most of the research on LLS, the primary concern has been on “identifying what good language learners report they do to learn a second or foreign language, or, in some cases, are observed doing while learning a second or foreign language” (Rubin and Wenden 1987:19). In 1966, Aaron Carton published his study entitled “The Method of Inference in Foreign Language Study”, which was the first attempt on learner strategies. After Carton, in 1971, Rubin started doing research focusing on the strategies of successful learners and stated that, once identified, such strategies could be made available to less successful learners. Rubin classified strategies in terms of processes contributing directly or indirectly to language learning.
Wong- 5 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Fillmore (1976), Tarone (1977), Naiman et al. (1978), Cohen and Aphek (1981), Wenden (1982), Chamot and O'Malley (1987), Politzer and Mc Groarty (1985), Conti and Kolsody (1998), and many others studied strategies used by language learners during the process of foreign language learning. Definition of language learning strategies It is clearly seen that research on learning strategies in general and language learning strategies in particular is becoming increasingly popular.