MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ------------ NGUYEN THI DIEU THUY AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOICE OF USING TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN QUANG TRI PROVINCE MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, Hue University of Foreign Languages HUE, 2016 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ------------ NGUYEN THI DIEU THUY AN INVESTIGATION INTO FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOICE OF USING TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN QUANG TRI PROVINCE MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60.11 SUPERVISOR: HOANG TINH BAO, Ph.D HUE, 2016 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ -------- NGUYỄN THỊ DIỆU THÚY NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC NHÂN TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN VIỆC LỰA CHỌN CÔNG CỤ TRONG DẠY TỪ VỰNG CHO TRẺ Ở TỈNH QUẢNG TRỊ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 60.11 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: TS. HOÀNG TỊNH BẢO HUE, 2016 STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP The work contained in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, my thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. NGUYEN THI DIEU THUY Date: ………………………….
i ABSTRACT This study investigates factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners in Quang Tri. Specifically, it aims to explore common techniques that teachers use in teaching vocabulary and examine factors affecting their choice of techniques. There are 30 teachers coming from some different primary schools in Quang Tri participated in the study. The results of the study showed that teachers preferred using realia, visuals plus body and demonstrating than other techniques such as games, songs and storytelling.
Additionally, it indicated that there are many factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques but out of them, children’ age, level and class size had much more influence than other factors. The results also informed that those factors had both positive and negative influences on teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary. From the results, this study suggests that teachers need to understand characteristics of children as well as other factors to choose techniques that suitable for children. Besides, teachers should know how to combine different techniques in process of teaching to avoid boredom and get more effectiveness.
ii Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to people who have advised and supported me, and made constructive criticism during the research. Thanks are extended to Dr Hoang Tinh Bao, my supervisor for his professional guidance and support. Without his generous professional support and encouragement, this thesis could not reach this present standard. I am very grateful to the teachers who carefully completed the questionnaires and sincerely provided me with valuable information for this research in the interviews.
I wish to express my deep thanks to my parents and friends for all their understanding, faith, and involvement during the time I was conducting this project. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv LIST OF TABLES.
vii LIST OF CHARTS. Background of the study. The aims and research questions of the study. Significance of the study.
Scope of the study. Structure of the study. The definition of young learners. Characteristics of young learners.
General concepts of vocabulary. The importance of teaching vocabulary. Teaching vocabulary to young learners. Techniques in teaching vocabulary.
Factors affecting vocabulary teaching. Values for the children. Data collection instruments .FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners.
Teachers’ perception of teaching vocabulary and using techniques in teaching vocabulary. Common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners. Factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners. Teachers’ attitude toward factors affecting their choice of techniques.
Common factors affecting teachers’ techniques. Children’s attitude toward techniques. Difficulties in using techniques to teach vocabulary to young learners in primary schools in Quang Tri. Some suggestions for teachers in using techniques .CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS.
Limitations and suggestions for further study. Suggestions for further study .60 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Profile of teacher participants .2: Teachers’ attitude toward using techniques in teaching vocabulary .1: Common techniques in teaching vocabulary .2: Reasons in employing teaching techniques .3: Reasons in employing teaching techniques .4: Factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques .38 vii LIST OF CHARTS Chart 4.1: Teachers’ attitude toward teaching vocabulary .2: Teachers’ attitude toward using techniques in teaching vocabulary .3: Level of frequency of using techniques .4: Usefulness of using techniques in teaching vocabulary .5: Common techniques used in teaching vocabulary .6: Teachers’ attitude toward factors affecting the choice of techniques .7: Common factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary .38 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In this introductory chapter, background of the study is provided. This is followed with the rationale and the aims of the study. Then, the significance and the scope of the study are also presented.
Finally, this chapter is concluded by structure of the study. Background of the study When English has been becoming an international language, the ever- growing need for good communication skills in English has created a huge demand for English. Students need to have a high level of English proficiency with both accuracy and fluency. In Vietnam, English has become a compulsory subject at schools as well as universities throughout the country.
Teaching English to young learners is seen as an important step because it gives them basic knowledge of the English language. At this stage, vocabulary is very basic to learn as it is one of the most important components of language. 111) admits that “without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (as recited in Lenka, 2006). Indeed, vocabulary has many impacts on learners’ ability of communication or use of language.
According to Thornbury (2002), vocabulary and grammar are two essential units that require both young learners and adults to master at early stage. However, as founded by Meara (1980), teaching vocabulary was considered as an add-on to teaching grammar or simply a by-conduct of language teaching and communicative functions. There are some reasons. First of all, most of them thought that we only knew how the words combine to make a complete sentence, so they paid more attention to grammar instead of vocabulary.
As informed by Allen (1983), teachers focused on teaching grammar on priority to vocabulary were already taken too much of any lesson in the classroom. Secondly, some methodologists believed that it was difficult to teach meaning of the word accurately. Therefore, they avoided 1 teaching them. However, since Communicative Approach was employed in classroom, it has focused on developing the communicative competence, viewed as the overall underlying knowledge and ability for language use which the speaker- listener possesses (Brumfit and Johnson, 1983).
Similar to Brumfit and his friend, Littlehood and William (1981) claimed that through the communicative teaching, learners are encouraged to consider language not only in terms of its structures but also in terms of the communicative functions that it performs. Sharing the same interest, Allen (1983) stated that it was not until late 1970s when the core concept of how important teaching vocabulary was recognized and in 1980s, people realized how necessary vocabulary in reading comprehension was. Besides that, she also supposed that “experienced teachers of English as a Second Language know very well how important vocabulary is” (Allen, 1983). This leads trend that teaching vocabulary is paid more attention.
Rationale In general, teaching vocabulary is not easy, especially, for young learners because teachers usually face more difficulties than teaching adults (Sofika, 2009). Because children can respond to anything without understanding the message and they “can learn everything around them indirectly rather than directly, understand mostly when they see, hear, touch and interact rather than from explanation” (Harmer, 2007). They can state abstract thought and understand abstract concepts. Harmer (1991) also added “more than anything else, children are curious, and this in itself is motivating; at the same time their span attention or concentration is less than that of an adult”.
If teachers cannot teach them appropriately, they will feel bored and neglect lesson quickly. This prevents the lesson from succeeding. Therefore, teachers need to be flexible in teaching them and have some proper methods as well as techniques. In teaching vocabulary, there are many techniques which can be employed but not all of them are helpful and suitable for young learners.
Teachers, therefore, have a tendency to choosing some techniques and combine them instead of choosing all or using one single technique. This is the first 2 reason why the study is conducted. The study investigates techniques that teacher use in teaching vocabulary to young learners. To help learners have good English skills and fluency in English, teachers are expected to have appropriate methods and techniques.
Unlike adults, young learners like studying language through enjoyable and cheerful activities in colorful classroom. Teaching young learners is not the same as teaching adults because they have some different motivation and characteristics (Helay, 1981). Consequently, teachers need to consider their characteristics as well as some other factors that affect process of teaching and learning carefully before selecting techniques. There are many factors that influence a teacher’s choice of techniques to teach vocabulary (Takac, 2008).
This is the second reason why this research is conducted to explore the factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary. My current research is entitled “An investigation into factors affecting the choice of techniques of teaching vocabulary to young learners in Quang Tri Province”. The aims and research questions of the study This research is implemented with the aim of investigation into factors affecting the choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners. First of all, this research aims to investigate techniques that teachers often use to teach vocabulary to young learners.
Then, this research explores factors that influence teachers’ selection of techniques to teach vocabulary. For the above mentioned purposes, this research is conducted with aims to look for the answers for two following questions: 1. What are the techniques used in teaching vocabulary to young learners? 2. What are the factors affecting the choice of teaching vocabulary to young learners? 1.
Significance of the study Teaching vocabulary to young learners as well as adults has many methods and techniques. However, teachers usually choose some of them to teach 3 vocabulary because of some factors. There are many studies conducted to investigate techniques that teachers employ in teaching vocabulary to young learners but none of them focus on investigating factors affecting teachers’ choice of techniques in teaching vocabulary. Therefore, beside investigation into techniques that teachers use to teach vocabulary to young learners, this study hopes to prove an insight into factors affecting teachers’ choice of using techniques in teaching vocabulary.
In implication, this study also gives some hopeful suggestions to choose techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners in primary schools in Quang Tri Province. Scope of the study This study employs both quantitative and qualitative approach to investigate factors affecting teachers’ choice of using techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners in Quang Tri Province. Because this research is conducted as a survey research, its scope is quite large. It is carried out in Quang Tri with the number of participants who are teaching English in different primary schools.
Most of them are female and have age of teaching less than five years.