HA NOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ------------------o0o----------------- MAI ANH ENHANCING ENGLISH ELECTRICAL VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT AT HANOI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT (TĂNG CƯỜNG VỐN TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH ĐIỆN CHO SINH VIÊN KHOA ĐIỆN CỦA TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG CÔNG NGHỆ VÀ KINH TẾ HÀ NỘI: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG) M. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi, 2016 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com HA NOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ------------------o0o----------------- MAI ANH ENHANCING ENGLISH ELECTRICAL VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT AT HANOI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT (TĂNG CƯỜNG VỐN TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH ĐIỆN CHO SINH VIÊN KHOA ĐIỆN CỦA TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG CÔNG NGHỆ VÀ KINH TẾ HÀ NỘI: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG) M. MINOR PROGRAM THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr. Dương Thi Nu ̣ ̣ Hanoi, 2016 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “ENHANCING ENGLISH ELECTRICAL VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT AT HANOI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam Nation University, Hanoi.
I have fully documented references to the work of others. The thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or tertiary institution. 2016 Mai Anh i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to a number of people who have given me significant help, encouragement, and support in the completion of my thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr.
Duong Thi Nu for her enthusiastic guidance, valuable support, and helpful comments during completing my research. Without her guidance and support, this study would not have been completed. Second, I am thankful to lecturers and staff s of the faculty of Post-Graduate Studies for their valuable lessons as well as the good training environment and condition in order to help me and others finish the course well. My special thanks also to all my students for their willingness to joint my study.
This thesis could not have been fulfilled without their help. Last but not least, I would like to send my special thanks to my family, especially my father, my husband and my children, who encourage and share the hardship with me. ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABSTRACT This study was carried out at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics as an action research project with aim at enhancing students‟ vocabulary of Electrical English. The techniques applied include creativity, which means using pictures, context clues and guessing meaning of words in context.
The study aims at, first, finding the vocabulary learning problems that learners are encountering; second, assessing the changes in positive direction of students‟ vocabulary acquisition with the enhancing English Electrical vocabulary plan; and finally, gathering students‟ attitudes towards the enhancing English Electrical vocabulary plan. In order to accomplish the study, the instruments of data collection varied from small talk, pre-test, post-test to a questionnaire. The results of small talk and pretest discovered two problems students were facing with learning vocabulary namely dictionary application and lack of techniques. The results from the pre-test and post-test helped to demonstrate that the techniques were effective and students vocabulary was improved as indicated in the post-test score.
Finally, the data received from questionnaire show the students‟ positive attitude towards the enhancing English Electrical vocabulary plan. Based on the result of the study, some suggestions for a further study are recommended. iii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents Page Candidates‟ statement. iii List of tables and abbreviations.
vi PART A: INTRODUCTION. Rationale of the study. Aims of the study. Significance of the study.
Method of the study. Scope of the study. Design of the study. 5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Vocabulary in ESL teaching and learning. The importantce of vocabulary in teaching and learning. Vocabulary in ESP teaching and learning. The concept of the ESP.
Vocabulary teaching in ESP. Enhancing ESP vocabulary teaching. Learning vocabulary through creativity. Learning vocabulary through context clues.
Learning vocabulary through guessing. 14 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHOOLOGY. 16 iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Implementation of action research.
Data collection instruments. Data collection procedure. Interpretation of data. 24 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
Ressult from small talk. Ressult from pre-test. Students‟ attitudes toward enhancing EEV. Students‟ preference toward vocabulary practicing activities.
Students‟ expectations in term of methodology. Recapitulation of the study. Limitations of the study. Suggestion for further study.
I v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF TABLES Tables Page Table 1: Techniques of encouranging the students in learning vocabulaty. 10 Table 2: Learning English vocabulary by using pictures. 11 Table 3: Types of context clues. 13 Table 4: Plan of enhancing English Electrical Vocabulary.
17 Table 5: Students‟ obstacles in English vocabulary learning. 28 Table 6: Test result and meaning difference of pre-test and post test. 29 Table 7: Students‟ preference toward vocabulary practicing activities. 33 Table 8: Students expectation in term of methodology.
35 Figures Page Figure 1: Action research circle. 17 Figure 2: Data collection procedure. 23 Figure 3: Result from pre-test. 28 Figure 4: The index of pre-test and post test.
30 Figure 5: The result of students‟ improvement in their learning. 30 Figure 6: Importance of the enhancing EEV. 31 Figures 7: Effectiveness of the enhancing EEV. 32 Figure 8: Motivation during the enhancing EEV.
32 Figure 9: Studnets‟ preference toward vocabulary practicing activites. 34 vi TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABBREVIATIONS ESP: English for Specific Purposes EGP: English for General Purposes EEV plan: English Electrical Vocabulary VKRS: Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Sheet vii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study Nowadays, more and more people speak English as their foreign language all over the world. With its important role in the daily life, English is widely learnt and used in a variety of areas for many purposes such as: education, economics, technology, marine, telecommunication etc.
Therefore, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has received a great of attention. In Vietnam, ESP courses have been taught and have become one of the required subjects at most colleges and universities around the country in the last few years. As a matter of fact, ESP materials connect students‟ learning and English language teaching. Such a connection is highly encouraging to learn and study because students are capable of applying their knowledge gained from English classes to their main field of study in their future.
In addition, a noticeable distinction between ESP and English for General Purposes (EGP), is vocabulary that is particularly preferred. As Zimmerman (1997 as cited in Eyraud, el al, 200, p2) states “Vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to the typical language learner” and Jahangard (2007, p8) gave more clearly description that vocabulary, particularly specialist vocabulary (or terminology), is a key element of ESP. At Hanoi College of Technology and Economics, in ESP materials, not only vocabulary is mainly focused but also reading, grammatical structures are goaled on each lesson. However, ESP vocabulary teaching and learning is not an easy work which has always been a big matter for both teachers and students.
In fact, the limited time is spent to teach an ESP material is 45 periods at the beginning of the first semester of the second school year. Most students commented that they found a number of new words given in one lesson. Time is too short but words are too 1 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. They could not put them in their mind.
Sometimes, they memorized a lot of words in the short-term, but could not in the long term. Based on the above reasons, it is necessary to find out effective methods in order to enhance ESP vocabulary (English electrical vocabulary) for students of electrical department at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics in long-term memory. Aims of the study The aim of the study is three-folded: First, the study attempted to point out the problems in learning English Electrical vocabulary that students of electrical department at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics are facing with. Second, it was designed to enrich students‟ ESP vocabulary by enhancing English Electrical Vocabulary plan (EEV plan).
Finally, it aimed at gathering not only students‟ attitudes toward the enhancing EEV plan, students‟ preference to vocabulary practicing activities but also students‟ expectations for one better future enhancing EEV plan. Significance of the study During the treatment, the researcher was filled with the aspiration to provide a new method in English vocabulary, helped them temporary forget the traditional learning style such as listing words or learning words by heart. Moreover, it solves the problem up lighting the quality of teaching English electrical vocabulary. The results of the study can also be considered a good reference for researchers or teachers to continue their future work.
Research questions 1/ What are the obstacles that students encounter in learning English Electrical vocabulary? 2 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 2/ To what extent do the techniques used to enhance students‟ vocabulary? 3/ What are the students‟ attitudes towards enhancing their English electrical vocabulary? 5. Method of the study In order to achieve for teaching electrical vocabulary mentioned above, an action research is chosen for the study. In my action research, a small talk, pre-test, post-test, questionnaire are provided and handled as data collection instruments. The pre-test was provided to gain the overview about students‟ Electrical vocabulary level before my research.
The post- test was given to students after 45 periods (or twelve weeks) in which three techniques of enhancing electrical vocabulary were applied to help students enrich their ESP words. All scores from two kinds of tests were collected, compared and analyzed to see the students‟ improvement in learning English Electrical Vocabulary. Moreover, a small talk was conducted to have more in- depth data to support for analysis methodology of action research. Finally, a questionnaire was completed by 17 students with aimed of exploiting students‟ attitudes to the enhancing English Electrical Vocabulary plan.
Scope of the study It is inappropriate to envelop all faces of language theory and practice in my research. Therefore, my research concentrates on enhancing English electrical vocabulary for students of electrical department at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics. Design of the study The study is divided into three parts: Part A, Part B, Part C. Part A: Introduction - contains the rationale, the aim of the study, significance of the 3 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com study, research questions, and method of the study, scope of the study and design of the study.
Part B: Development – includes 3 chapters: Chapter 1: Literature review Chapter 2: Research methodology Chapter 3: Finding and discussion Part C: Conclusion – reviews the main result of the study, limitations of the study, and suggestions for further study. 4 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART B DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Vocabulary in ESL teaching and learning 1.1 Definition of Vocabulary Definition of vocabulary is explained differently by a large number of linguistics researching in special field such as semantics, lexicology. As Ur‟s opinion (1996; p60) pointed the vocabulary may be “the words we teach in the foreign language” and “much more than a single word, a compound of two or three words and multi-words idioms”.