VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HÀ NƠI. LNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES ARND INTERNATIONAL STUDLES. FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES Seok guesses tose dea LE TH] THUY APPLYING TLE TECHNIQUE OF GUESSING WORD MEANINGS FROM CONTEXT FOR THE 11™ FORM STUDENTS AT. LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL, THANH HOA (SU DUNG KY NANG DOAN NGIIA TU QUA NGỮ CẢNH DỐI VỚI HOC SINH LOP 11 TRƯỜNG THPT LÊ LỢI, THANH HÓA) M.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60 1410 Tlanoi - 2013 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES EO IOC IORIOR EOE IOES ACR EADIE LE TI TIIỦY APPLYING THE TECHNIQUE OF GUESSLNG WORD MEANINGS FROM CONTEXT FOR TIIE 11 FORM STUDENTS AT LE LOT HIGH SCHOOL, THANH HOA (SỬ DUNG KY NANG ĐOÁN NGHĨA TỪ QUA NGỮ CẢNH ĐÔI VỚI HỌC SINH LỚP 11 TRƯỜNG THPT LẺ LỢI, THANH HÓA) MLA.
MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodulogy Code: 60:14 16 Supervisor: Dr. Lam Quang Ding Hanoi — 2013 LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Chart 1: Result of the pre-test Chart 2: Result of post-test 1 Chart 3: Result of post-test 2 Table1: The effectiveness of the guessing technique 5. Methods of the study With reference to its characteristies, this thesis can be categorized as an achon research. ‘The folowing instruments are applied to collec! data (or (hs study One pre-test and two post-tests were used to measure whether students could improve their vocabulary ‘A questionnaire of 7 questions was given to the students to find out their opinions about the effectiveness of guoss ing technique im understanding word meanings.
Interviews were conducted after 6 weeks of training to obtain more in- depth data about how students assessed their progress when applying guessing technique and how this technique alfected their vocabulary learning Students’ diaries were also used to support this action research. Students were asked to write reflective journals to express their reflections on the guessing technique. ‘The students’ diaries were collected after every 2 weeks of training and then were analyzed to find out what the students thought about the technique of guessing word mearimgs From context. 6 Scope of the study ‘The study is concemed with the application of the skill to guess word meanings (rom context in leaching and learning vocabulary so as to measure the degree of effectiveness of this technique in improving students’ vocabulary.
‘the study only focuses on 11"" graders at Le Loi Iligh School, so the results of the study, though highly expected, may nol be readily applied for all students al high schools. attention in terms of classroom instruction. Some researches on the techniques of teaching vocabulary have mentioned this technique as a good one but little attempt has been made Lo integrate this Ischmique training into normal teaching. Even Hille has been made to investigate the usefulness of developing students’ techniques for guessing unknown words through comtext on the improvement of their proficiency in using vocabulary.
All these have motivated the researcher to carry out an action research on applying the technique of guessing word meanings from context for 11™ graders at Le Loi high school 2. Aims and Objectives of the study The study is aimed al applying the teclmique of guessing word meanings lo teaching vocabulary so that students can understand word meanings as well as their form and then use them correctly. Cin this basis, possible suggestions for improved cffectiveness in students’ vocabulary learning can be derived 3. Significance of the study The present research is carried out to encourage students to deal with word meanings with the help of context.
Tis also cared ont with the hope that. it would help teachers as well as 11 graders at Le Loi High School be aware of the important role of the guessing skill as well as some guessing techniques used in twaching and learning vocabulary. Moreover, it is hoped thal the study could help the 11® graders am particular and high school students in general improve their vocabulary and use vocabulary correctly and fluently 4, Research questions This study was conducted 1 answer the following major rescarch question - How effective is the technique of guessing word meanings from context in helping 11® graders at Le Toi High Schoo! learn vocabulary? 1 attention in terms of classroom instruction. Some researches on the techniques of teaching vocabulary have mentioned this technique as a good one but little attempt has been made Lo integrate this Ischmique training into normal teaching.
Even Hille has been made to investigate the usefulness of developing students’ techniques for guessing unknown words through comtext on the improvement of their proficiency in using vocabulary. All these have motivated the researcher to carry out an action research on applying the technique of guessing word meanings from context for 11™ graders at Le Loi high school 2. Aims and Objectives of the study The study is aimed al applying the teclmique of guessing word meanings lo teaching vocabulary so that students can understand word meanings as well as their form and then use them correctly. Cin this basis, possible suggestions for improved cffectiveness in students’ vocabulary learning can be derived 3.
Significance of the study The present research is carried out to encourage students to deal with word meanings with the help of context. Tis also cared ont with the hope that. it would help teachers as well as 11 graders at Le Loi High School be aware of the important role of the guessing skill as well as some guessing techniques used in twaching and learning vocabulary. Moreover, it is hoped thal the study could help the 11® graders am particular and high school students in general improve their vocabulary and use vocabulary correctly and fluently 4, Research questions This study was conducted 1 answer the following major rescarch question - How effective is the technique of guessing word meanings from context in helping 11® graders at Le Toi High Schoo! learn vocabulary? 1 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts conceming the techmiqus of guessing word meanings from context In addition, different issues.
relating to this technique will also be presented. Definition of context. It can be as short as a sentence or as long as several paragraphs, and it will usually contain unknown words (Rapaport, 2003). Context refers to the words surrounding an unfamiliar word, These surrounding words provide clues Lo the meaning of an unfanihar word Traditionally, context was seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text and the key to using it was linguistic Imowledge and it plays a very important role im the identificalion of words m text A word used im different contexts may have different meaning so simply learning the definition of a word wilhoul examples of where and when it occurs will not help leamers to fully understand its meanng.
If learners are not able to contextualize new words by connecting them to words and concepts they already know, the words will likely be less meaningful lo them. And then if meaning is nol contextualized, it, will be difficult for learners to memorize as well as to use new words appropriately, Bialystok (1983) proposes thal. cortex! exisis in elation and proportion to the reader’s implicit knowledge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other languages and warld knowledge), and conlext (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues lo meaning). 'rom this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts conceming the techmiqus of guessing word meanings from context In addition, different issues.
relating to this technique will also be presented. Definition of context. It can be as short as a sentence or as long as several paragraphs, and it will usually contain unknown words (Rapaport, 2003). Context refers to the words surrounding an unfamiliar word, These surrounding words provide clues Lo the meaning of an unfanihar word Traditionally, context was seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text and the key to using it was linguistic Imowledge and it plays a very important role im the identificalion of words m text A word used im different contexts may have different meaning so simply learning the definition of a word wilhoul examples of where and when it occurs will not help leamers to fully understand its meanng.
If learners are not able to contextualize new words by connecting them to words and concepts they already know, the words will likely be less meaningful lo them. And then if meaning is nol contextualized, it, will be difficult for learners to memorize as well as to use new words appropriately, Bialystok (1983) proposes thal. cortex! exisis in elation and proportion to the reader’s implicit knowledge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other languages and warld knowledge), and conlext (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues lo meaning). 'rom this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge 5.
Methods of the study With reference to its characteristies, this thesis can be categorized as an achon research. ‘The folowing instruments are applied to collec! data (or (hs study One pre-test and two post-tests were used to measure whether students could improve their vocabulary ‘A questionnaire of 7 questions was given to the students to find out their opinions about the effectiveness of guoss ing technique im understanding word meanings. Interviews were conducted after 6 weeks of training to obtain more in- depth data about how students assessed their progress when applying guessing technique and how this technique alfected their vocabulary learning Students’ diaries were also used to support this action research. Students were asked to write reflective journals to express their reflections on the guessing technique.
‘The students’ diaries were collected after every 2 weeks of training and then were analyzed to find out what the students thought about the technique of guessing word mearimgs From context. 6 Scope of the study ‘The study is concemed with the application of the skill to guess word meanings (rom context in leaching and learning vocabulary so as to measure the degree of effectiveness of this technique in improving students’ vocabulary. ‘the study only focuses on 11"" graders at Le Loi Iligh School, so the results of the study, though highly expected, may nol be readily applied for all students al high schools. The results after the training period.
The results of students’ diaries. The results of the post- HIL23. The results of the questionnaire. HL24, The resuits of focus group interview.
Summary PART C: CONCLUSION. 1, Summary of the findings. Limitations of the stidy. 4, Suggestions for further research.
REFERENCES APPENDIX A: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST L. APPENDIX B: POST-TEST 2. APPENDIX €: TRAINING LESSON 1. APPENDIX D: TRALNING LESSON 2.
APPENDIX E: TRATNING LESSON3. APPENDIX F: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX G: AN EXAMPLE FROM STUDENTS’ DIARIES. vit PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts conceming the techmiqus of guessing word meanings from context In addition, different issues.
relating to this technique will also be presented. Definition of context. It can be as short as a sentence or as long as several paragraphs, and it will usually contain unknown words (Rapaport, 2003).