MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY USING VIDEO CLIPS IN TEACHING VOCABULARY TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL STUDENTS AT THE ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Submitted to the Faculty of English Language in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in English Language Course code: 60220201 By TRAN THI HONG TUOI Supervised by NGUYEN DANG NGUYEN, Ph. HO CHI MINH CITY, DECEMBER 2020 The thesis entitled Using Video Clips in Teaching Vocabulary to Intermediate Level Students at The Asian International School was successfully defended and approved on December 22nd at Hochiminh City University of Technology (HUTECH). Secretary Member On behalf of the Examination Committee Chair HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE HCMC , October 26, 2020 MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: Tran Thi Hong Tuoi Sex: Female Date of birth: 29/8/1994 Place of birth: Long An Major: English language Student code: 1841900005 I- Thesis title: Using video clips in teaching vocabulary to Intermediate level students at the Asian International school II- Objectives and contents: In this thesis, the researcher investigated effects of using video clips in teaching vocabulary to Intermediate level students at the Asian International school. The researcher aimed at evaluating effects of using video clips in improving learners’ vocabulary performance and enhancing learners’ learning attitudes.
III- Starting date: October 30th, 2019 IV- Completing date: October 26th, 2020 V- Academic supervisor: Nguyen Dang Nguyen, Ph. ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR FACULTY DEAN CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled: Using Video Clips in Teaching Vocabulary to Intermediate Level Students at The Asian International School. In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Faculty of English Language, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Ho Chi Minh City, October 26th, 2020 TRAN THI HONG TUOI i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Tran Thi Hong Tuoi, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (English Language) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purpose of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for theses. Ho Chi Minh City, October 26th, 2020 TRAN THI HONG TUOI ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Nguyen Dang Nguyen, my supervisor, for his patience, guidance, insightful advice, and constant encouragement through the whole research process. Without his support and guidance, this thesis would never have been completed.
Besides, without the help of all teachers at HUTECH University, this thesis would not be completed. I would like to send my best gratitude to all the teaching staffs in the foreign language department. Secondly, I would like to send my love and appreciation to my Dad and my Mom, who gave me the best condition as well as great encouragement to complete this thesis. Finally, I honestly want to send my gratitude to my boyfriend.
He gave me a lot of useful advice and valuable reference materials. iii ABSTRACT With the rapid growth of technology, video clips take priority in educational settings around the world. Unlike schools in developed countries, only some schools in big cities of Vietnam have been newly equipped with this teaching aid, including the Asian International School - Van Thanh Campus. Due to its new application, therefore, the overall aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using video clips in vocabulary lessons to enhance the ninth graders’ vocabulary performance and positive learning attitudes towards vocabulary learning.
The fourteen-week quasi- experimental study was conducted on the two classes 9/1 and 9/2 with the participation of 43 ninth graders as the control group and the experimental group, respectively. The instruments included two vocabulary tests (e. one pre-test and one post-test) and the attitudinal questionnaire. The quantitative data obtained from these tools were statistically analyzed by SPSS 20.
The findings of the study showed that the video clips positively contributed to the ninth graders’ vocabulary performance. Based on the results of the vocabulary post-test administered after the treatment, it could be concluded that the newly introduced educational tool did affect the experimental group’ vocabulary performance in a positive manner in terms of word forms, word meaning and word use. Moreover, the ninth graders’ level of motivation, positive thought, and active behaviors in learning vocabulary considerably increased thanks to the video clips. Based on the research findings, the paper concluded some pedagogical implications and a recommendation for further study in line with research on the application of video clips.
Based on the research findings, the paper concluded with some pedagogical implications and a recommendation for further study in line of research on the video clips application. Keywords: video clips; teaching vocabulary; performance; attitudes iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Certificate of originality. i Retention and use of the thesis. iv Table of contents.
v List of tables. viii List of figures.1 Background to the study .2 Statement of the problem .3 Aims and objectives of the study .5 Scope of the study .6 Significance of the study .7 Organization of the thesis .8 Definitions of key terms. 10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Vocabulary in English language classrooms .2 Teaching vocabulary in English language classrooms .3 Using video clips in teaching vocabulary in English language classrooms .4 Learning attitudes towards using video clips in teaching vocabulary19 2.5 Data collection procedure .6 Data analytical framework .7 Methodological issues: Reliability, validity. 40 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.
57 vi CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 5.4 Recommendations for further research .1: Pre-test sample .2: Post- test sample .1: Questionnaire in English .2: Questionnaire in Vietnamese .1: Scores of the pre- test and post- test of the two groups .2: Questionnaire in Vietnamese .1: Consent form for the leader in Vietnamese .2: Consent form for the student participants in Vietnamese. 79 APPENDIX E: The pre-test and post-test scores of two groups. 80 vii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 3.2: Content of the Training Material .3: Time allotment for the study .4: Overview of the used language videos .5: The link between research hypotheses and instruments .6: Quality justification of research instruments .1: Shapiro-Wilk test of normality .2: Description of the pre- test scores of the two groups .3: Comparison of the pre- test scores between the two groups .4: Description of the pre- test and the post- test scores of the control group44 Table 4.5: Comparison between the pre- test and the post- test scores of the control group .6: Description of the pre- test and the post- test scores of the experimental group .7: Comparison between the pre- test and the post- test scores of the experimental group .8: Description of the post- test scores of the two groups .9: Comparison of the post- test scores between the two groups .11: The students’ affective attitudes .12: The students’ cognitive attitudes .13: The students’ behavioral attitudes. 52 ix LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 3.1: Framework of data analysis of the tests.
40 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS AIS The Asian International School AERO American Education Reaches Out EFL English as a foreign language MOET The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training PPP Presentation- Practice- Production xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Background to the study It is vocabulary that plays a crucial role in acquiring a new language. Without sufficient sources of vocabulary, learners can neither understand others nor express their own ideas. Vocabulary knowledge is the background of developing other skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Vocabulary is obviously a main tool for different purposes such as communicating with a native speaker, watching and understanding a foreign film, or even writing a letter to a pen pal. Nothing can be conveyed without vocabulary. In teaching and learning English, regardless the level of learners’ competence in grammar and pronunciation, they cannot have effective communication without sufficient vocabulary knowledge. Many linguists have underscored the vital roles of vocabulary acquisition in acquiring second language competence (Laufer & Nation, 1999; Read, 2000; Gu, 2003; Marion, 2008; and Nation, 2011).
Schmitt (2000) points out that “lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language” (p. As mentioned in Brown, Waring and Donkaewbua (2008), vocabulary is one of linguistic components influencing the development of communicative competence as well as their language skills. In addition, “lexis is the core or heart of language” (Lewis, 1993, p. In fact, a child can manage to convey his desire to adults even when he has no definition what grammar is, providing that they own some necessary vocabulary items.
Communication activities can also be done without grammar, but it is not true with vocabulary. Because of these inarguable reasons, teaching vocabulary should be put much effort. Language instructors may follow a variety of different teaching methods and techniques in teaching vocabulary. Different teaching methods and techniques can be appropriate for different contexts and situations.
That is the reason why identifying a suitable vocabulary teaching method is definitely essential. Henceforth, vocabulary instruction became the focal point of the present study. Globally, there are different methods and techniques for a better teaching and learning of vocabulary. In the early days of the Grammar-Translation Method, the 1 primary aim of foreign language study was to learn a language to read its literature or to benefit from its mental discipline and intellectual development (Harmer, 2006).
Vocabulary was presented in the form of isolated words. They were taught through bilingual word lists, dictionary study, memorization, and their translation equivalents. Little attention was paid to the context in which the words were used and the examples and sentences chosen to practice has no relation to the language of real communication. This method encourages word translation, which makes students keep translating and kill their senses.
There are not enough conversations in target language. It means spoken language is not practiced frequently in the classrooms and learners’ speaking and listening skills are not improved. Gradually, this method could not fulfill learners’ and instructors’ expectation. Then, Direct Method appeared as an answer to the Grammar- Translation Method, based on inductive rather than deductive learning, advocating learning a new language through direct association of words and phrases with objects and actions and development of the ability to think in the language (Richards & Rodgers, 2003).
Concrete vocabulary was taught through mime, demonstrations, and pictures. Abstract vocabulary, on the other hand, was taught by association of ideas. Vocabulary is studied in a natural conversational context whereas textbook explanations are presented later. Vocabulary is preferred to grammar, but only everyday vocabulary is taught.
The Audiolingual Method, like the Direct Method, concentrated largely on listening and speaking skills (Harmer, 2006). In this method, vocabulary teaching, however, was kept to a useful minimum so that the students may concentrate on establishing a firm control of structures. The introduction of Communicative Language Teaching in the 1970’s helped to emphasize the role of vocabulary, allowing learners to have freer choices in creating answers for class exercises, which will vary according to their reactions and responses. The communicative value of a core vocabulary has been recognized; in other words, vocabulary acquisition is the most important.
The recent trend has proved that course books include more activities than specifically targeted vocabulary. More attention is given to a collection of vocabulary items, the grammar of words, collocations, semantic relations between lexical items and word frequency. The lexical approach to second language teaching has received interest in 2 recent years as an alternative to grammar-based approach. This approach entails teaching words already in their chunks as opposed to individual items (Newton, 2001).