VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ----------o0o---------- NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEMORY STRATEGIES TRAINING ON STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY RETENTION: AN ACTION RESEARCH AT PHUONG DONG UNIVERSITY Hiệu quả của việc đào tạo những chiến lược ghi nhớ đối với việc lưu nhớ từ vựng của sinh viên: Nghiên cứu hành động tại trường Đại học Phương Đông M. COMBINED PROGRAM THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ----------o0o---------- NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEMORY STRATEGIES TRAINING ON STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY RETENTION: AN ACTION RESEARCH AT PHUONG DONG UNIVERSITY Hiệu quả của việc đào tạo những chiến lược ghi nhớ đối với việc lưu nhớ từ vựng của sinh viên: Nghiên cứu hành động tại trường Đại học Phương Đông M. COMBINED PROGRAM THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: Assoc. Le Van Canh, PhD Hanoi, 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I, Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang, K21 being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts hereby certify that this minor thesis entitled THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEMORY STRATEGIES TRAINING ON STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY RETENTION: AN ACTION RESEARCH AT PHUONG DONG UNIVERSITY is completely the result of my own work for the Degree of Master at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and that this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or institution.
Hanoi, April 2nd, 2015 Supevisor Candidate Assoc. Le Van Canh Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis could not have been completed without the help, encouragement and support of a number of people who all deserve my sincerest gratitude and appreciation. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof Le Van Canh, Ph.D for his valuable support, wholehearted guidance, and timely encouragement during the time when I was doing this research.
This thesis would not have been completed without his help right from the beginning when the study was just in its formative stage. Second, I would like to send my thanks to all my colleagues who have helped me a lot in creating good conditions in teaching and helping me with their experiences during my thesis. My special thanks also go to the students in class 513A26 for their willingness to join my training strategy scheme, answer my questionnaire and send me their learning vocabulary diaries. Without their help, this study could not have been fulfilled.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to my beloved family - my parents, my husband, my sisters and brothers whose support and encouragement has always been a great deal of strength that has helped me a lot to overcome all problems to complete this thesis. Finally, I would like to send my special thanks to my readers for their concern, interest and comments for this study. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study was conducted as an action research in which students were taught on how to process vocabulary deeply by applying some vocabulary learning strategies (VLS). The study first aimed at identifying the vocabulary problems that students are facing with; evaluating the improvement of students’ vocabulary retention with some helpful memory strategies, namely structured reviewing, using mechanical techniques, using imagery and placing new words into a context; finding out which strategies are the most popularly used among students; and finally collecting students’ attitudes towards the strategy training scheme, four sub-memory strategies and their suggestions for a better future teaching and learning program.
For the accomplishments of these purposes, 28 first-year students in one class at Phuong Dong university, Vietnam were involved in the study. The data instruments varied from a Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) test, a group-interview, learners’ diaries, pre-test/post-tests to a questionnaire. Through the VKS test and the group interview, the results revealed that among many obstacles students encountered in their independent vocabulary learning, lack of remembering techniques was the biggest problem. Learners’ diaries noticeably indicated students’ equal concerns for all four sub-memory strategies, and especially for “using imagery” strategy.
The results from the pre-test and the two post-tests helped to prove the effectiveness of using memory strategies in both short-term and long-term vocabulary learning. Finally, students’ positive attitudes towards both the strategy training scheme and four memory strategies and their suggestions about the future learning and teaching vocabulary were comprised in the last instrument- questionnaire. On this basis, the study gave some implications for teachers’ preparation, classroom practices and future research. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLES Table 1: Results from VKS test Table 2: Students’ strategic problems in vocabulary learning Table 3: Mean scores gained by the group in the pre-test and post-test 1 Table 4: Mean scores gained by the group in the pre-test and post-test 2 Table 5: Students’ preference of four sub-memory strategies Table 6: Students’ suggestions for future schedule Table 7: Types of strategy training FIGURES Figure 1: Action Research circle Figure 2: Data collection procedure Figure 3: Strategies used as reported students’ diaries Figure 4: Report of strategies used in post-test 1 Figure 5: The whole group’s performance in the pre-test and post test 1 Figure 6: The whole group’ performance in the pre-test and post test 2 Figure 7: The whole group’ performance in the pre-test, post-test 1 and post test 2 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Language learning strategies.
Background of language learning strategies. Definition of language learning strategies. The importance of language learning strategies in language learning and teaching. Classification of learning strategies.
Vocabulary Learning Strategies. Definition of vocabulary. The importance of vocabulary in second language learning. Factors affecting vocabulary learning and acquisition.
Retention and factors affecting vocabulary retention. Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS). Classification of VLS. 20 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Definition of memory strategies. Why memory strategies?. Oxford’s classification of Memory Strategies. The rationale of using Action Research.
The background to the study. The research process. Identify the problems. Act on evidence.
Plan for the next stages. Major findings of the study. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for further study.
61 Appendix 1: Direct and Indirect learning strategies (Oxford, 1990, p. I Appendix 2: Schedule of Teaching GE1. IV Appendix 3: VKS test. VII Appendix 7: Strategies used as reported in students’ diaries .XIX vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Appendix 8: Individuals’ performance in the Pre-test, Post-test 1 and Post-test 2 .XXI Appendix 9: Mean difference between pre-test, post test 1 and post-test 2 XXIII Appendix 10: Suggested activities for introducing and practicing memory strategies.
XXV vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the statement of the problem, rationale as well as aims and objectives of the study reported in this thesis. It also presents the research questions and the scope of the research. Finally, the chapter ends with an outline of structure of the thesis. Statement of the problem and rationale for the study Vocabulary is considered an essential part of language learning.
According to Knight (1994, cited in Gu, 2003), learning words is the most important aspect of language acquisition. Learning vocabulary is regarded as the basis of obtaining other skills. Vocabulary deficiency can result in weaknesses in reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking competence, writing performance and grammatical accuracy. Therefore, learning vocabulary is an indispensable step of L2 acquisition.
However, how recently learners have learnt something is not important, but in fact, the depth of processing. In other words, students must be taught on how to process information deeply. This view confirmed the role of understanding and applying Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) in teaching and learning vocabulary. Studying VLS has been an interest for a great deal of psychologists, linguists and language teachers for a long time.
There are numerous studies conducted about VLS, their effectiveness in learning vocabulary and these researchers almost have attempted to develop a framework of category of VLS (e.g O’Malley & Chamot 1990, Oxford 1990; Gu & Johnson 1996, Schmitt 1997, Nation 2001) Vocabulary retention is one of the prolems of vocabulary learning. Students have not known how to use memory strategies. Thus the training of memory strategies is esential. However, there are many memory strategies so each study focuses on a group of Memory strategies.
Aim of the study. The study aims at finding out the extent to which the training of memory strategies help the students to retain the learned words better. The training in this study is 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com limited to four strategies as introduced in Oxford (1990)’s taxonomy. These are structured reviewing, using mechanical techinques, using imagery and placing new words into a context.
In an attempt to achieve the above-presented aim, the study was designed to answer the three following research questions: 1. What are the problems second language learners have with vocabulary retention? 2. Why do they have those problems? 3. To what extent does applying the 4 selected strategies, i.e, structured reviewing, using mechanical techniques, using imagery and placing new words into a context help to improve students' vocabulary retention? 4.
Scope of the study This action research is an investigation into the effectiveness of the training of Memory Strategies on students’ vocabulary retention. However, the training does not cover all the memory strategies. In an attempt to make this study more managable, the study focuses on the effectiveness of the training of 4 memory strategies: structured reviewing, using mechanical techniques, using imagery and placing new words into a context on a group of students (n=28) who were studying English as a minor in Phuong Dong university curriculum. The organization of the thesis The thesis is composed of three parts: Part A, Part B, and Part C.
Part A – Introduction - introduces the rationale, aims and objectives as well research questions of the study. Part B labelled as Development is composed of two chapters: Chapter 1- Literature review - introduces the theoretical foundations for the whole study and Chapter 2 – Methodology - elaborates on the participants, the method used, the instruments, the date collecting and processing procedure from the tests, questionnaires, interviews and learners’ diaries. Part C – Conclusion - summarizes all the major points in the study, reveals the limitations of the study and proposes some suggestions for further research. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter provides an overview of the literature related to the study: from vocabulary learning strategies, next, memory strategies and last four sub-memory strategies.
Besides, this review also reveals some critical analysis about the systems of classifying vocabulary learning strategies as well as the research gap, thus motivating to carry out the study. 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 have 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.