VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ THỊ LIÊN IMPROVING ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR STUDENTS OF BUSINESS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY (HAUI) THROUGH GAMES: AN ACTION RESEARCH Nâng cao việc học từ vựng cho sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh thương mại trường Đại học Công Nghiệp Hà Nội thông qua trò chơi ngôn ngữ: Nghiên cứu hành động MINOR M. THESIS FIELD : English Teaching Methodology FIELD CODE : 8140231.01 Hanoi, 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ THỊ LIÊN IMPROVING ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR STUDENTS OF BUSINESS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY (HAUI) THROUGH GAMES: AN ACTION RESEARCH Nâng cao việc học từ vựng cho sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh thương mại trường Đại học Công Nghiệp Hà Nội thông qua trò chơi ngôn ngữ: Nghiên cứu hành động MINOR M. THESIS FIELD : English Teaching Methodology FIELD CODE : 8140231. Lâm Quang Đông, PhD Hanoi, 2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has been accomplished with the support and encouragement of many people.
Hence, I hereby would like to express my appreciation to all of them. In the first place, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor - Assoc. Lâm Quang Đông, PhD for his valuable assistance and guidance throughout my research. Also, I am greatly indebted to all professors and staffs of the Faculty of Post- Graduate Studies for their meaningful lessons and precious support thanks to which I was able to overcome obstacles during the time my research was carried out.
Besides, I would like to give my whole-hearted thanks to students at Hanoi University of Industry for their enthusiastic participation in my research. Without their help, I would not have been able to complete this paper. Last but not least, I owe a great debt of gratitude to my beloved family whose support and encouragement have always been a great deal of motivation that has helped me to overcome all problems to complete my thesis. Hanoi, Lê Thị Liên ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study was carried out in the form of an action research in which students were instructed with the use of games in their vocabulary lessons.
The research aimed to figure out whether the use of games in vocabulary teaching could help improve students‟ vocabulary retention. In order to accomplish these purposes, 20 sophomores at Hanoi University of Industry were selected to participate in the study, which lasted eight weeks. Three data collection instruments were employed, namely pre-test/post-tests, class observation and note-takings so as to gather most reliable findings for the research. Findings from the tests, observation and note- takings revealed that students experienced an improvement in their vocabulary memorization throughout the eight weeks of study and the reason for the vocabulary retention progress was mainly attributed to the use of games in language classroom.
Benefits of using games can be listed as the deeper impression of vocabulary on students‟ memory and a more frequent exposure to vocabulary use. Results from the note-takings and observation also reflected a completely positive attitude of students towards the use of games, and students claimed that games helped them have more fun and motivation in learning. On this basis, useful implications for teachers‟ preparation, classroom practices and future research were proposed. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
iv LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES .vii PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Organization of the thesis.
3 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .What is vocabulary? .What is involved in knowing a word?.Vocabulary learning and retention. Review on the use of games in vocabulary teaching .Definitions of language games .Language games and vocabulary acquisition retention .Relationship between games and vocabulary teaching/learning …………………. Previous research and their limitations. Participants and the research context.
Definition of action research. 15 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. The reasons of choosing action research for this study. Pre-intervention stage.
Data collection procedure .1 The class observation using checklists & note-taking.2 Pre-test and post-test. 24 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS. Data analysis and discussion .Effects of using games on students‟ vocabulary retention – findings from observation and note-taking. Effects of using games on students‟ vocabulary retention – findings from pre- and post-tests .3 Problems in learning English vocabulary via games and possible solutions.
Major findings and discussion. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for further study. II GAMES EXPLOITED FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY .VI v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com OBSERVATION CHECKLIST.
VII PRE-TEST.IX POST TEST 1 .XI POST TEST 2 .XI LIST OF VOCABULARY. XIII vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: The vocabulary teaching plan .17 Table 2: Scores of pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2.28 Figure 2: The overall mean score of students‟ pre-test and post-test 1 .29 Figure 3: The overall mean score of students‟ pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2.30 vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale As a teacher of English, I recognize that although the issue of vocabulary teaching and learning is currently receiving attention from teachers and learners at our school, how vocabulary items can best be taught and learnt remains a big question. A vast amount of teaching time in a vocabulary lesson is spent on explaining, defining, students compiling page upon page of word lists that they rarely have opportunity to practice.
Obviously, vocabulary arises in the classroom regardless of the chosen activity, and in spite of any conscious design on the teacher‟s part. As a result, students only think of vocabulary learning as knowing the primary meaning of new words. In addition, the students‟ ability to use English for communication is still limited, especially for secondary school students. They can have a fairly good knowledge of grammar but hardly express themselves properly because of shortage of vocabulary and communicative competence.
That is why, for most students, learning vocabulary in language lesson is a time of failure and disappointment in which they gradually feel bored and gradually reject the work that the teacher is doing for them. ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is considered hard to teach for language teachers. As a teacher of English for Business English, I myself find many difficulties in teaching vocabulary. Motivated by the idea of finding stimulating activities to help students learn vocabulary, with the goal to create a context for vocabulary acquisition in the classroom, I believe that games may be of some help.
In the field of language teaching, games have been proved to be beneficial to students‟ learning process and help stimulate learners with a motivating environment. All the above-mentioned reasons have inspired me to conduct an action research entitled “Improving English vocabulary learning for students of Business English at Hanoi University of Industry (HaUi) through games: An action research”. 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Aims of the study The major aim of the research is to justify whether the use of games in vocabulary teaching can help improve students‟ English vocabulary retention.
Moreover, the researcher can find difficulties that her students have to face with, particularly difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary via games. Then possible solutions are offered to solve these problems so that learners can improve their English vocabulary learning and become confident when expressing their ideas. Research questions In an attempt to achieve the above-presented aims, the study sought to answer the following research questions: 1. To what extent does the use of games in teaching English vocabulary improve students‟ vocabulary retention? 2.
What are the problems that these students encounter in learning English vocabulary via games and solutions? 4. Scope of the study The research only focuses on a limited target population and vocabulary, including ESP vocabulary. In terms of vocabulary, the study focuses on student‟s knowledge of the meanings, forms and usage of English including business English. The target population is second year students studying Business English at Hanoi University of Industry.
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 – Development includes two chapters: Chapter 1 Literature review presents the theoretical foundations for the whole study and Chapter 2 – Methodology elaborates on the participants, the methodology and methods, the data collection procedure and data analysis including the tests, class observation and note-taking. Part C – Conclusion summarizes all the major points in the study, the limitations of the study and proposes suggestions for further research.
2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. What is vocabulary? So far there have been a lot of definitions of vocabulary. Vocabulary is defined as words in a specific language or freestanding items of language that have meaning. Besides, vocabulary is broadly defined as knowledge of words and word meanings (Lehr et al.
According to Lehr et al., vocabulary is more complicated than this definition suggests. Words not only come in oral forms which include the words that can be recognized and used in listening and speaking, but also in print forms of reading and writing. In addition, word knowledge also comes in two forms: receptive and productive. Receptive vocabulary refers to words that can be recognized in reading and listening.
Productive vocabulary indicates words that can be used in speaking and writing (Lehr et al. Therefore, vocabulary is understood as knowledge of word spelling, pronunciation, collocations and appropriateness (Nation, 1990). As discussed above, vocabulary can be seen in many different ways. Vocabulary refers to words or a set of words in a language or knowledge of words regarding its forms, meanings and how to use it accurately in the context.
In other words, vocabulary refers to the words, compounds and idioms in a language that can be used to convey and receive information in oral and written communication. What is involved in knowing a word? When it comes to vocabulary, it surely is the first step toward learning a foreign language. A sentence is usually made up of numerous words. Without any concepts of grammar, learners may guess the meaning of a sentence if the vocabulary is comprehensible to them.
Likewise, learners of a foreign language are likely to get their messages across by putting all the words together, even though not in a grammatical, correct order. Therefore, vocabulary serves as the foundation for 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com language learners in communication. However, mastering numerous vocabulary lists to use in communication is not always easy for language learners. For some students, vocabulary has always been one of the obstacles that hinder their English learning.
Learners may have different problems in learning vocabulary. Some are capable of recognizing the word in reading but fail to spell it out. Some are able to spell the word out in writing, yet they mispronounce the word in speaking. Still, others can say the word and spell it out perfectly, but surprisingly, they may not know the meaning of the word.
In order to know a new word, students need to take great efforts. Nation (2001) pointed out that in order to know a word, many aspects are involved. Nation distinguished vocabulary knowledge into receptive and productive. The former refers to the ability to understand a word while listening or reading.
The latter means the ability to use a word in speaking or writing.