VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES PHAM THI THU HIEN INVESTIGATING DIFFICULTIES IN VOCABULARY LEARNING OF ETHNIC MINORITY LEARNERS AT SON LA ETITNIC BOARDING DIGI SCIIOOL AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUSIONS (Khó khăn trong việc học tử vựng của học sinh dân tộc thiểu số ở trường PTDT nội trú Sơn La và 1 sé giải pháp khắc phục) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Hanoi - 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, ITANOT UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF PO: FRADUATE STUDIES PHAM TIT TITU WEN INVESTIGATING DIFFICULTIES IN VOCABULARY LEARNING OF ETHNIC MINORITY LEARNERS AT SON LA ETHNIC BOARDING HIGH SCHOOL AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUSIONS (Khó khăn trong việc học từ vựng của học sinh dân lộc thiểu số ở trường PTDT nội trú Sơn La và 1 số giải pháp khắc phục) MLA. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Cade: 601410 Supervisor: KIM VAN TAT, M. Aims of the study 3.
Scope of the Study. 4 Methods of the Study. Design of the study. CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
General knowledge of English Vocabulary.1, What is vocabulary?. Classification of vocabulary. In term af the cancept of morpheme 1. In term of the meaning - 1.
In term of the function of vocabulary items in a sentence 1. In term of the sequence of use 1.In term of the use of word 1. The role of vocabulary in langtrage tcaching and learning. Factors affecting vocabulary acquisition.
Methods in vocabulary teaching 1. The Granumar- Translation Mcthod.2, The Direct Method.3, The Audio-lingual method.4, The 9ilent Way.6, Total Physical Response (TPR) 1. The Communicative Approach (Communicative Language Teaching —CLT). Difllculties caused by other factors 34 4.
Grammar-hased examinations 34 4.2, Using word guessing game.3, Using Semantic Mapping, an 41 4. Cuessing word in context. Organizing English speaking clubs 46 4. Guiding stulents’ home revision.
Better current situations. Providing teachers with more professional support 46 4. Improving the students' Vietriamaese competerice 46 4,5. Raising the students’ general knowledge wT 4.
Educating ethnic minority teachers to teach English for students in their communities. Improving learning, teaching conditions at sehooL. Lintitations of the study. 8 3, Suggestion for further study AD ®EERENCES.
APPENDIXS 10 4 Methods of the Study The study uses a combination of various methods to achieve its objectives such as descriptive, comparative, and statistical. Various sources of data, including those obtained from the students in the Son La Tithnic Boarding Tigh school First, survey questionnaires were conducted, Data obtained help to investigate students’ difficulties learning English vocabulary at Son la thnic boarding High School and also help teachers In find out appropriate aclivitics lo improve vocabulary learning Secondly, the author interviewed 10 ethnic students to get better understanding of their difficulties in learning vocabulary. Design of the study The thesis consists of three parts as follow Part A: Introduction Part B: Development Part B is composed of three chapters, cach of which focused on a particular issuc: - Chapter 1 deal with Theoretical Background. + Chapler TI describes the method employed and introduces the silmation of teaching and learning vocabulary at Son La Ethnic Boarding High School.
- Chapter LUI describes the data analysis and discussion about the students? difficulties in learning vocabulary at Son La Rihunic Boarding Tigh School - Chapter IV is the Finding and some solutions for better learning Enghsh vocabulary to Ethnic minority students in Son La Ethnic Boarding High school, Part C: Conclusion. word that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discaurse of all kinds”. Itindicates that vocabulary fal for learning a language. In short, it is possible to say that it is hard to give a precise definition of word.
For the pedagogical purposes of this paper, the definition by Ur, P. Classification of yacahulary There have been different ways to classify vocabulary according to different eriteria.1, In term of the concept of morpheme Vocabulary is divided into three kinds: simple words, deriver words and compound words. - Simple words: A simple word consists of a root morpheme, such as big, hat. + Derived words: A dorived words consisis of a root and one or more derivational morphemes like player, interesting.
- Compound words: A compound word has at least two roots with or without derivational morphemes. For example: plant-cater, racing horse.2, In term of the meaning ‘There are two main kinds of meaning in a word: lexical meaning and grammatical meaning, There fore, vocabulary can be divided in to notional words and functional words. Notional words are words with clear lexical meaning. They address objects, actions, qualities, ete.
And they have meaning in themselves. Notional words form a great number ofeach speaker's vocabulary. Functional words are words whose meaning is grammatical and only have meaning, in relation to the other words with which they are used. Functional words are parucles, articles, prepositions 1.
In term af the functi on of vocabulary ilems in a sentence According to the function of vocabulary items in a sentence, vocabulary can be divided into parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and pronouns. Each part of specch has its own position complying with certain grammatical rules and relating to others. The teacher should point oul the function of sách item so thal sludenis ean use ils gremmialical tules correctly. 10 4 Methods of the Study The study uses a combination of various methods to achieve its objectives such as descriptive, comparative, and statistical.
Various sources of data, including those obtained from the students in the Son La Tithnic Boarding Tigh school First, survey questionnaires were conducted, Data obtained help to investigate students’ difficulties learning English vocabulary at Son la thnic boarding High School and also help teachers In find out appropriate aclivitics lo improve vocabulary learning Secondly, the author interviewed 10 ethnic students to get better understanding of their difficulties in learning vocabulary. Design of the study The thesis consists of three parts as follow Part A: Introduction Part B: Development Part B is composed of three chapters, cach of which focused on a particular issuc: - Chapter 1 deal with Theoretical Background. + Chapler TI describes the method employed and introduces the silmation of teaching and learning vocabulary at Son La Ethnic Boarding High School. - Chapter LUI describes the data analysis and discussion about the students? difficulties in learning vocabulary at Son La Rihunic Boarding Tigh School - Chapter IV is the Finding and some solutions for better learning Enghsh vocabulary to Ethnic minority students in Son La Ethnic Boarding High school, Part C: Conclusion.
10 4 Methods of the Study The study uses a combination of various methods to achieve its objectives such as descriptive, comparative, and statistical. Various sources of data, including those obtained from the students in the Son La Tithnic Boarding Tigh school First, survey questionnaires were conducted, Data obtained help to investigate students’ difficulties learning English vocabulary at Son la thnic boarding High School and also help teachers In find out appropriate aclivitics lo improve vocabulary learning Secondly, the author interviewed 10 ethnic students to get better understanding of their difficulties in learning vocabulary. Design of the study The thesis consists of three parts as follow Part A: Introduction Part B: Development Part B is composed of three chapters, cach of which focused on a particular issuc: - Chapter 1 deal with Theoretical Background. + Chapler TI describes the method employed and introduces the silmation of teaching and learning vocabulary at Son La Ethnic Boarding High School.
- Chapter LUI describes the data analysis and discussion about the students? difficulties in learning vocabulary at Son La Rihunic Boarding Tigh School - Chapter IV is the Finding and some solutions for better learning Enghsh vocabulary to Ethnic minority students in Son La Ethnic Boarding High school, Part C: Conclusion. In term of the sequence of use The sequence of use means the frequency of ocourrence of words. There are three groups of word according to this criterion. They are high frequency words, low fiequency words and specialized words It is very important for the teacher to show sludsnls which group a word be long ta, because it is unnecessary to spend so much time learning low frequency words.: In term of the use of word A cording to this crilcrion we have active words and passive words.
Active words are those which students are able to use after they have leaned them. Passive words are the ones students do not have to use. hey are used especially in the texts to create necessary understandings and use the orroelly and naturall 1. The role of vocabulary in language Leaching and learning “Vocabulary is one of the three dimensions of a language (phonetics, grammar, vocabulary).
Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. (Wilkin, 1972:110) ‘The statement indicates the great importance of vocabulary. Since vocabulary is so imporlaril, leaching and learning vocabulary should be paid enough altenlion Lo. The main objective of language learners is to understand and be understood in their communication using the language acquired.
In order to achieve this aim, they have to study a certain nuriber of vocabulary items. If some one has adequale vocabulary, he or she will feel more confident when communicating with others as well as expressing his/ her opinions in both oral and written forms, Regarding this matter, Wallace (1982) said: “Failure so find the words one needs 10 express himself is the most frustrating experience in speaking another language” It is clear that mastering the meanings and especially the use of a word has an important role in learning a foreign language in general and in learning English in particular. If someone misuscs words, people will misunderstand him. If one can use correct grammar but does not have exact words to express one’s opinion, it is quite hard to ‘build up a successful conversation.
The more words one knows well, the more success fl hi ¢ is in communication and the mors information he can gol from differenl soures such as books, newspapers, etc. In other words, a good Jmowledge of vocabulary will help leamers develop the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. ‘Therefore teaching and word that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discaurse of all kinds”. Itindicates that vocabulary fal for learning a language.
In short, it is possible to say that it is hard to give a precise definition of word. For the pedagogical purposes of this paper, the definition by Ur, P. Classification of yacahulary There have been different ways to classify vocabulary according to different eriteria.1, In term of the concept of morpheme Vocabulary is divided into three kinds: simple words, deriver words and compound words. - Simple words: A simple word consists of a root morpheme, such as big, hat.
+ Derived words: A dorived words consisis of a root and one or more derivational morphemes like player, interesting. - Compound words: A compound word has at least two roots with or without derivational morphemes. For example: plant-cater, racing horse.2, In term of the meaning ‘There are two main kinds of meaning in a word: lexical meaning and grammatical meaning, There fore, vocabulary can be divided in to notional words and functional words. Notional words are words with clear lexical meaning.
They address objects, actions, qualities, ete. And they have meaning in themselves. Notional words form a great number ofeach speaker's vocabulary. Functional words are words whose meaning is grammatical and only have meaning, in relation to the other words with which they are used.
Functional words are parucles, articles, prepositions 1. In term af the functi on of vocabulary ilems in a sentence According to the function of vocabulary items in a sentence, vocabulary can be divided into parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and pronouns. Each part of specch has its own position complying with certain grammatical rules and relating to others.