Luận văn thạc sĩ VNU ULIS techniques of presenting vocabulary to increase motivation for grade 11 students with the english textbook (basic stream) at dong do high school in hanoi

1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES - *** PHAM THI HANG TECHNIQUES OF PRESENTING VOCABULARY TO INCREASE MOTIVATION FOR GRADE 11 STUDENTS WITH THE ENGLISH TEXTBOOK (BASIC STREAM) AT DONG DO HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI (Các thủ thuật giới thiệu từ vựng nhằm gây hứng thú cho học sinh lớp 11 giáo trình tiếng Anh trường cấp Đông Đô, Hà nội) M A MINOR THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 HA NOI-2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES - *** PHAM THI HANG TECHNIQUES OF PRESENTING VOCABULARY TO INCREASE MOTIVATION FOR GRADE 11 STUDENTS WITH THE ENGLISH TEXTBOOK (BASIC STREAM) AT DONG DO HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI (Các thủ thuật giới thiệu từ vựng nhằm gây hứng thú cho học sinh lớp 11 giáo trình tiếng Anh trường cấp Đông Đô, Hà nội) M A MINOR THESIS Supervisor: Dr Dương Thị Nụ Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 HA NOI-2010 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3.Research questions 1.4.Methods of the study 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Design of the study Part2:Development Chapter 1: Literature Review 1.Concepts of vocabulary Definition of Vocabulary Classification of Vocabulary What need to be taught in English vocabulary? The role of vocabulary in language teaching and learning Motivation and its role in language teaching and learning Techniques in presenting vocabulary and their benefits 10 Chapter 2: Present situation of teaching and learning vocabulary at Dong Do High School 13 Learners’ language background and vocabulary learning methods 13 Teachers’ current methods of teaching vocabulary 14 Material and material assessment 15 Chapter : Data collection, findings and discussion and some suggestions 16 Data collection 16 1.1 16 The participants LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1.2 Instruments for collecting data 16 1.2.1 Questionnaire 16 1.2.2 Classroom observation and discussion 17 Findings and discussion 18 2.1 Findings and discussion about students 18 2.2.1 Students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning 18 2.1.2 Students’ difficulties in vocabulary learning 19 2.1.3 Students’ common ways in vocabulary learning 20 2.1.4 Students’ comments on teachers’ methods in teaching vocabulary 21 2.2 Findings and discussion about teachers 24 2.2.1 Teachers’ attitudes about vocabulary teaching and their difficulties in teaching vocabulary to 11th students at D.D high school 24 2.2.2 Teachers’ current methods in teaching vocabulary 26 2.2.3 Techniques of presenting vocabulary to increase students’ motivation 28 2.3 Findings from the class observation 31 2.3.1 Introduction 31 2.3.2 Data analysis of the class observation 31 2.3.2.1 The first lesson- Unit 8- Reading 31 2.3.2.2 The second lesson- Unit 11- Reading 32 2.3.3 Post- activity questionnaire: Students’ response to two samples of presenting vocabulary 33 PART : CONCLUSION 35 Review of the study 35 Some feasible recommendations for teaching and learning vocabulary more effectively at Dong Do high school 36 Limitation and suggestions for further study 37 REFERENCE 39 APPENDICES LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1.Rationale of the study With the open-door policy as well as the developments in the economy and society, English has become the most popular foreign language in Vietnam The number of people learning and using English for different purposes has been unceasingly increased day by day This has resulted in changing the outlook of the Ministry of Education and Training for teaching and learning English at upper secondary school It has become a compulsory subject in the state examination and it is one of three subjects for some universities‟ entrance exam However, both of teaching learning of English are still far from being satisfaction Both teachers and learners have faced many difficulties in English teaching and learning, especially in teaching and learning of vocabulary It is known to most second language learners that the acquisition of vocabulary is a fundamental and important component in the course of their learning A good mastery of vocabulary is essential for ESL / EFL learners, especially for those who learn for specific purposes or expect to operate at an advanced level in English It is undeniable that vocabulary plays a significant role in second language acquisition Wilkins (1972, p.11) emphasizes the importance of vocabulary “without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” Furthermore, Pyles and Algeo (1970) state that “when we first think about language, we think about words It is words that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discourse of all kinds” In fact, vocabulary is the decisive element that links the four skills of speaking, reading, listening and writing all together In order to communicate well in a foreign language, we should acquire an adequate number of words and should know how to use them accurately In Vietnam in general, vocabulary teaching has not paid much attention as it deserves Most of teachers have been teaching vocabulary within lessons of reading, listening and writing For them, the common way to communicate word meaning is translation through word list and many learners use rote strategies as their major way of vocabulary learning, which is really a problem in teaching and learning a foreign language Therefore, educationists should take this into consideration LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com At Dong Do High School, the problem of vocabulary teaching and learning is rather difficult The main reason is that the class size with 45-50 students and learners‟ proficiency of English is rather low Another reason is the course book with a large number of new words Therefore, learners are often confused and find difficult to remember all of them Furthermore, students at Dong Do High School, like other Vietnamese learners in general, usually learn vocabulary passively through their teachers‟ explanation They only write new words on paper with equivalence in Vietnamese and attempt to learn new words by heart Besides, during the lessons, students only ask their teachers for help when they encounter new words Sometimes, teachers require them to look up words in the dictionaries Consequently, the students feel bored with vocabulary lessons and they soon forget new words they have learned easily I have been working as a teacher of English for years and my students have asked me many times about the ways of vocabulary learning Facing these problems, I and some teachers at Dong Do High School want to something to change methodology of teaching and learning vocabulary Therefore, I have conducted a research to find the feasible solutions to help the teachers to apply more suitable methods in teaching vocabulary effectively, especially some techniques of presenting new words to raise students‟ motivation in learning vocabulary I wish to help the learners improve their lexical knowledge and feel more interested in vocabulary lessons As a result, this study will investigate techniques in presenting vocabulary to increase motivation for grade 11 students with the English textbook (basic stream) at Dong Do High School in Hanoi 1.2 Aims of the study The aims of the study are:  To give a brief overview about the role of vocabulary and its relevance in teaching and learning methodology  To conduct a survey about present situation of vocabulary teaching and learning at Dong Do High School  To explore the possible problems faced by the teachers in teaching vocabulary  To explore the possible problems faced by the students in learning vocabulary LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com  To investigate some techniques of presenting vocabulary used at Dong Do High School 1.3 Research questions To achieve the aims of the study, the following questions were proposed: What are difficulties in teaching and learning vocabulary at D.D High school? What are students‟ reactions to the present vocabulary teaching at D.D high school? What are the techniques of presenting vocabulary that motivate students at D.D high school? 1.4 Methods of the study To achieve the aims mentioned above, a survey research with quantitative and qualitative method is used and the following tasks are involved in my study.As a result, the reliability of the research is highly appreciated The instruments used for data collection include survey questionnaires for students and teachers at Dong Do High School  Collecting data for the analysis from 100 students at Dong Do High School in 2009  Collecting data from 10 teachers teaching English at Dong Do High School  Observing some experienced teachers‟ classes teaching grade 11 and interviewing some teachers as well as students  Assessing what difficulties are dominant in vocabulary teaching and learning  Applying some techniques in presenting vocabulary in some classes  Conducting a post-class survey 1.5 Scope of the study The study is narrowed down to the area of teaching and learning vocabulary for grade 11 students at Dong Do High School with the textbook English 11 Specifically, this thesis deals with the present situation in teaching and learning vocabulary, the techniques used in presenting vocabulary to motivate students to find out which methods or strategies are favored most so that inferences would be introduced LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1.6.Design of the study The study is divided into three parts:  The first part “Introduction”.with the rationale, the aim, the methods and the scope of the study are presented  The second part “ Development” consists of chapters: Chapter provides a brief literature review on concepts relevant to the study i.e definition of vocabulary, concepts of words, the role of vocabulary in teaching and learning languages, motivation and the overview of some techniques in presenting vocabulary and their benefits in teaching vocabulary Chapter deals with the investigation into teaching and learning situation at Dong Do High School In this chapter the information about students, their vocabulary learning methods and strategies as well as teachers‟ techniques in presenting vocabulary are discussed comprehensively Chapter “Data collection, findings and discussion, some suggestions” focuses on analysis of effective application of vocabulary teaching and learning methods so that students not feel uncomfortable and bored in the vocabulary lessons The last part of the study “Conclusion” includes review, limitations and implication of the study LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 10 PART 2-THE DEVELOPMENT Chapter : Literature Review In this part, the author addresses some theoretical angles from which she views her ideas Firstly, the author presents some concepts of vocabulary Secondly, she discusses the role of vocabulary teaching in EFL classrooms Next, the researcher presents some basic issues of motivation in foreign language teaching and learning, and particularly motivation in correlation with vocabulary teaching Finally, the concepts of techniques in presenting vocabulary and their benefits 1.Concepts of vocabulary 1.1.Definition of vocabulary Broadly defined, vocabulary is knowledge of words and word meanings However, vocabulary is more complex than this definition suggests Folse (2004) states that “learning a language entails learning numerous aspects about language, including its pronunciation, writing system, syntax, pragmatics…, but the most important aspect is vocabulary” It is true that when you learn a language, the utmost is vocabulary In general, there have been different definitions of vocabulary Each linguist gives his own definition of vocabulary depending on the criteria that he considers the most important in terms of linguistics, semantics, lexicology, etc According to Ur (1996:60) “ a new item vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two or three words or mult-word idioms” Pyles and Algeo (1970, p.96) also give their opinion about vocabulary “ when most of us think about language we first think about words It is true that the vocabulary is the focus of language It is in words that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discourse of all kinds” These statements indicate that vocabulary is the total number of words of a language and it is an essential part of a language, as Nation (2001) emphasizes “ knowing a word means knowing at least its form, its meaning and its basic usage” 1.2.Classification of vocabulary In teaching and learning vocabulary, it is essential to distinguish between different types of vocabulary because different types of vocabulary need different focus and treatment or some LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 11 types of vocabulary will be given priorities and emphases and teaching according to learners‟different aims of learning.As Nu, D (2004) states “ vocabulary can be classified differently according to different criteria such as morpheme, meaning, function, frequency of use, etc” 1.2.1.Vocabulary classified in term of morpheme Words can be divided into three kinds : simple word, deprived word and compound word Simple words consist of a root morpheme such as boy, tall Derived words are those that consist of a root and one or more derivational morphemes such as teacher, misunderstand,… Compound words are those that consist of at least two roots with or without derivational morphemes such as bathroom, swimming pool, rainbow… 1.2.2.Vocabulary classified in term of meaning On the whole, a word possesses two kinds of meaning: lexical meaning and grammatical meaning Hence, vocabulary can be divided into notional and functional words Notional words have clear lexical meaning They address actions, qualities, objects and it form a great number of a speaker‟s vocabulary Functional words have grammatical meaning and they only have meaning in relation with other words with which they are combined They are particles, prepositions, articles, auxiliaries, conjunctions, etc 1.2.3.Vocabulary classified in term of functions According to this criterion, vocabulary can include different parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and pronouns Each part has to comply with grammatical rules and relates to one another Learners, therefore, should be aware of different functions of vocabulary items during the course 1.2.4.Vocabulary classified in term of Frequency of use Nation and Waring (2004) state types of vocabulary: high frequency words and low frequency ones Nation and Waring also indicate the number of about 3,000 frequency words that learners need to know From this Nation argues that teachers should develop strategies to help learners to comprehend and know how to use low frequency words after mastering high frequency words LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 37 2.3 Findings from the class observation 2.3.1 Introduction Two classes were chosen to be observed at random This observation aims at enabling the researcher to elicit reliable data related to vocabulary teaching and learning at D.D high school In other words, it is a mean to check the reliability of the findings collected from the questionnaires Only the parts related to presenting vocabulary were intended to be taken notes of The class observation was carried out basing on such criteria as types of techniques in presenting new words in the lesson, how they are used and the students‟ attitudes and reactions towards learning vocabulary Two teachers under observation have been teaching English 11 th textbook for years and two units chosen are Unit aand unit 11 with reading text Unit is about Celebrations Unit 11 is about Sources of energy 2.3.2 Data analysis of the class observation 2.3.2.1 The first lesson- Unit 8- Reading At first, the teacher warms the students up by showing the picture and asking the students questions in the textbook Some students are interested in answering the teacher and some other seem to be uninterested and indifferent Next, the teacher shows some pictures to present new words in reading part They are “Peach blossom, candied fruits, Apricot blossom” Then, the teacher asks the students to match the pictures and new words Further more, the teacher introduces the structure “to be busy V-ing” by giving examples and translating into Vietnamese For the word “agrarian” the teacher explains “it is an adjective relating to farming” and then asks the students to translate into Vietnamese To make the students understand the word “pray” the teacher use mime, gesture and the picture to illustrate All the techniques the teacher applied during the lesson really draw the students‟ attention Almost students are interested and involved in the lesson They are eager and excited to work in pairs to find the answers for new words Then, they could practice the vocabulary exercise effectively 2.3.2.2 The second lesson- Unit 11- Reading LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 38 At first, the teacher introduces what the lesson is about The students seem to keep silent and try to pay attention to what the teacher says Next, the teacher asks some questions to lead to the new lesson Then, she draws the students‟ attention by showing them pictures on the projector and asks them what they can see in the pictures The students look interested They discuss in the pairs and groups and the task quite enthusiastically After that, the teacher checks the students‟ answers The whole class really involve in this activity In this activity, the teacher helps the students understand kinds of alternative sources of energy The teacher continues to explain how these alternative sources of energy are produced with new words like sailboats, windmill, and dam by showing them next to the pictures Moreover, when presenting the word “exhausted”, the teacher explains by giving example “when we use something too much, it will be exhausted one day” and then check the students‟ understanding To show the meaning of the word “infinite” the teacher use the synonym “unlimited” that all the students have already known The students just listen and take notes what the teacher says 2.3.3 Post- activity questionnaire: Students’ response to two samples of presenting vocabulary Options a b c d e Questions How you find the teacher‟s 89% techniques in 11% presenting vocabulary? a Interesting b Uninteresting Do you find your teacher‟s using 81% 19% visual aids such as pictures, realia and flash vocabulary cards to interesting present and effective? a Yes b No LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 39 Which activities that your teacher 54% 35% 11% 28% 20% use pictures you think effective? a Name things in pictures b Describe pictures c Illustrate images according to personal imagine What would you like your teacher 21% 10% 21% to to motivate your vocabulary learning? a Present word usages more b Check the previous vocabulary and give more examples c Explain new words by target language, synonyms and antonyms d Instruct correct pronunciation e Use more interesting visual aids As mentioned above, I decided to observe lessons of teaching vocabulary by teachers for classes at Dong Do high school Two teachers used different techniques in presenting vocabulary but mainly focused on the use of visual aids After lessons, the students were asked to express their response to the lessons From this response, we can appreciate whether techniques the teachers used really have drawn the students‟ attention in learning vocabulary in an effective way In general, most of the students (89%) found the lessons interesting They appreciated that the way their teachers presented new words effectively They revealed that the lessons were quite successful because the teachers have made use of different techniques, which helped them remember many words in the period Therefore, their vocabulary have been improved Also, their teachers encouraged them to express their understanding without as being afraid of making mistakes as they found before However, there were still 11% of the students who were not satisfied with the lessons They complained that their teachers only tried to explain meaning and word use and did not pay LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 40 attention to pronunciation This was still a problem for the students to learn vocabulary effectively and they suggested their teachers should overcome this problem to make vocabulary lessons more interesting and satisfactory to students During the lessons, two teachers liked to use visual aids such as pictures, realia and flash cards to present vocabulary As can be seen in the figures shown in question 2, most of the students ( 81%) found the use of visual aids interesting and effective It is true that using visual aids made the lessons more exciting and active As a result, the students understood new words more easily However, the teachers should combine different techniques to present different words which they find the most suitable and can be efficient to the students‟ learning vocabulary In the two lessons, pictures were used more The researcher found that the activity of naming the things in the pictures was preferred by teachers This technique of presenting new words are often used by all the teachers at Dong Do high school as well as other teachers when they try to explain new words because pictures are available in the textbooks and many sources Teachers not have to spend much time to search for pictures as a good teaching material and they can easily apply in their lessons Although most of the students were satisfied with vocabulary lessons, many of them suggested the teachers should present word use more by giving more examples and use target language or synonyms and antonyms to improve their vocabulary as well as their listening comprehension In their opinion, the techniques the teachers use need to be flexible and make the students more understandable PART : CONCLUSION In the last part of the thesis, an overview picture of the study is provided with a brief description as well as the findings and conclusions Also, there are some implications for the teachers at Dong Do high school and all the teachers who are using the English 11 textbook Finally, the limitations of the study are notified and some recommendations for the study suggested 1.Review of the study This study is aimed discovering present situation of teaching and learning vocabulary for the 11 th form students at D D high school with the English 11 th textbook, investigating in detail into LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 41 teachers‟ and learners‟ vocabulary teaching and learning methods in order to find the effective techniques in presenting vocabulary to motivate students in learning vocabulary The data collected from the survey questionnaire and the class observation will be discussed in this part basing on the following research questions: What are teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes towards teaching and learning vocabulary at D.D High school? 2.What are students‟ reactions to the present vocabulary teaching at D.D high school? 3.What are the techniques of presenting vocabulary that motivate students at D.D high school? Concerning the first two questions, it can be drawn that both of the teachers and students at Dong Do high school have positive attitudes about the importance of vocabulary and the use of techniques in presenting vocabulary In general, the 11 th grade students are really interested in learning vocabulary when their teachers apply techniques of presenting new words Thus, it is possible to say that these techniques can arouse their intrinsic motivation The teachers at D.D high school are also aware of the role of techniques of presenting vocabulary to enhance the students‟ motivation in learning vocabulary However, many teachers not pay attention to applying effective techniques in presenting vocabulary They sometimes use visual aids, sometimes use translation and not combine different techniques together to draw students‟ attention during the lesson In response to the third question, the investigation raises some problems needed to be taken into consideration Although all the teachers appreciate the role of vocabulary in language teaching and have an adequate knowledge of variety of techniques in presenting vocabulary, most of them still restrict themselves to some kinds of these techniques From the questionnaires and the class observation, it is known that the teachers just make use of the some visual aids like pictures, mime Other techniques have not properly exploited Therefore, the teachers need to extent their use of different techniques in presenting vocabulary to motivate their students In summary, the 11 grade students at Dong Do high school can be intrinsically motivated to learn vocabulary when techniques of presenting vocabulary are effectively and flexibly employed However, the teachers at Dong Do high school have not used these techniques to their fullest potentials though they, to some extent, have exploited them in their vocabulary teaching Some suggestions for teaching vocabulary at Dong Do high school as well as other high schools will be discussed in the next part of the thesis LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 42 Some feasible recommendations for teaching and learning vocabulary more effectively at Dong Do high school Like many language teachers, the majority of teachers at Dong Do high school use the Grammar translation Teaching method when teaching vocabulary As a consequence, vocabulary lessons become very boring and monotonous Through the survey questionnaires and post-activity questionnaire after class observation, the researcher suggests that besides pictures the teachers should make more use of visual aids such as real objects, board drawing, flashcards, posters, flipcharts, etc What is more, the teachers should apply various techniques of presenting new words by gestures, examples, and translation is encouraged when new words are difficult to explain Moreover, the class size at Dong Do high school should be taken into consideration In a such a big class of more than 40 students, it is unrealistic for the students to learn Within 45 minutes for a lesson, the students only learn meaning of words and not have any chance to practice new words with communicative activities because the teachers not have enough time to work with individual students This is really a big hinder to the teaching and learning vocabulary As mentioned before, Dong Do student‟s English are not good so if the teachers only use exercises in the textbook, the students will have difficulty to learn vocabulary and soon lose their motivation Therefore, the teachers should pay attention to choosing more other materials related to the textbook to encourage their students to learn vocabulary better Limitation of the study and suggestions for further study Although the study, in fact, provides insightful findings, it still remains some limitations like many other studies Due to the lack of time, only 100 students and 10 teachers participated in the study A small sample may reveal that the suggestions in chapter are likely to be subjective The selected subjects did not cover many teachers and students from many high schools and may reduce the objectivity and the reliability of the research result As a result, they might be controversial and some shortcomings still persist In term of methodology, the study is limited because it may not really reflect the present situation in teaching and learning vocabulary at Dong Do high school Moreover, the class LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 43 observation for the study was only carried out at classes and what the researcher saw in the classroom may not true to what really go on It is firstly suggested that the limitations of this study will be overcome in further studies with more participants and more class observation to provide more reliable information In addition, the teachers and students „perception of the challenges in teaching and learning vocabulary should be taken into consideration Then, teaching and learning vocabulary can be more effective However, it is hoped that this study helps teachers of English at Dong Do high schools and other high schools pay more attention to applying techniques in presenting vocabulary in a more effective way to attract students‟ attention It also partly stimulates learners in acquiring a second language vocabulary Moreover, it really improves better teaching new vocabulary at Dong Do high school Hopefully, this research would serve as a considerably good source of information to any teachers and schools about using different techniques in teaching vocabulary to motivate students to learn vocabulary In addition, this research would prove to be a concise and updated source of information for any topics and studies relate to teaching and learning vocabulary LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 44 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR TEACHERS In an attempt to find out effective vocabulary teaching techniques for students grade 11 with the course book English 11 (basic stream ) at Dong Do High School, we would greatly appreciate if you could respond to the questions below Your opinion would be very useful to this research Thank you very much for your valuable contributions Please answer the following questions What you think of the role of vocabulary teaching in language teaching? e very important f quite important g not very important not important at all What are the purposes of teaching vocabulary at high school? a to understand the text b to use words and phrases in written communication c to use words and phrases in oral communication What you think about teaching vocabulary at your school? e very difficult f rather difficult g difficult h easy Why you have difficulty in teaching vocabulary? e Student lack sufficient practice of vocabulary f They have difficulty in understanding and remembering new words g Their vocabulary is too poor LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 45 h The number of vocabulary is too large for the students to learn Which stage of teaching vocabulary item you think is the most important? e Presentation f Practice g Production h Revision of the previous vocabulary When you usually teach new words? e Pre- reading or listening f While- reading or listening g Post- reading or listening h Only when students ask for help Which vocabulary you choose to teach your students in a class? e vocabulary that difficult to pronounce and use f vocabulary that your students ask you g vocabulary that students tend to encounter h Only active words Which of the following elements is the most important when you teach new words a pronunciation b spelling c word use d practice How often you use techniques in presenting vocabulary? Frequency of use Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always Techniques 1.Using visual aids Using situation Using verbal means Combining different techniques at the same time 10 Which techniques you often use in presenting new words? LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 46 g using visual aids h translating all new words into Vietnamese and giving examples i using target language to define new words j using synonyms and antonyms k using mimes, gestures and facial expressions l giving situation and explanation 11 How your students feel when you use the following techniques in presenting new words? Student‟s feeling Techniques Very Uninterested Neutral uninterested Interested Very interested a using visual aids b translating all new words into Vietnamese and giving examples c.using target language to define new words d.using synonyms and antonyms e.using mimes, gestures and facial expressions f giving situation and explanation APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 47 In an attempt to find out effective vocabulary teaching techniques for students grade 11 with the course book English 11 (basic stream ) at Dong Do High School, we would greatly appreciate if you could respond to the questions below Your opinion would be very useful to this research Thank you very much for your valuable contributions Please answer the following questions 1.What you think of the role of vocabulary teaching in language teaching? a very important b quite important c not very important d not important at all What you think about learning vocabulary in your English lessons? a Very interesting b Rather interesting c Interesting d Boring Do you find it difficult to learn other skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening) due to your lack of vocabulary? a always b sometimes c rarely d never Which is the most difficult in learning a new word? a pronunciation b spelling c word use d word memorization Which reasons make your vocabulary learning ineffective? a Too many new words in a lesson b Not enough time in a lesson c Lack of regular teacher‟s check d Not enough motivation LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 48 Which of the following ways you often use to learn vocabulary? a reading a word many times b writing a word many times c doing word games and making sentences d practicing vocabulary exercises e your own ways ( Please specify) What you often when you encounter new words? a look up in the dictionary b ask your teachers or friends c try to guess the meaning based on the context d just ignore e your own way (Please specify) Which of the following ways does your teacher often use to present the new words? a Saying the words clearly and writing on the board b Translating all the words into Vietnamese c Using visual aids d Using synonyms and antonyms e Using mimes, gestures and facial expressions f Using target language to define the new words g Your teachers‟ ways ( Please specify) Which ways of presenting vocabulary you like? a Saying the words clearly and writing on the board b Translating all the words into 37% 37% 73% 30% 73% 15% Vietnamese c Using visual aids d Using synonyms and antonyms e Using mimes, gestures and facial expressions LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 49 f Using target language to define the new words APPENDIX 3: POST-ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE How you find the teacher‟s techniques in presenting vocabulary? a Interesting because you are able to: - Remember new words easily - Improve vocabulary b Uninteresting because: - There are too many vocabulary in the lesson - Unable to remember all the new words - Teaching and learning vocabulary is so stressful and the teachers not focus on pronunciation c Other ideas ( Please specify) Do you find your teacher‟s using visual aids such as pictures, realia and flash cards to present vocabulary interesting and effective? a Yes b No Which activities that your teacher use pictures you think effective? a Name things in pictures b Describe pictures c Illustrate images according to personal imagine What would you like your teacher to to motivate your vocabulary learning? a Present word usages more b Check the previous vocabulary and give more examples c Explain new words by target language, synonyms and antonyms d Instruct correct pronunciation e Use more interesting visual aids LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 50 REFERENCES English Allen, V.F (1983) Techniques in teaching vocabulary New York: Oxford University Press Brown, H.D (1990) Principles of language teaching and learning (4 th ed.) New York: Addison Wesley Longman Dorney, Z (2003) Questionnaires in second language research New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc Ellis, R.(1997) Second language acquisition Hongkong: OUP Folse, K.S (2004) Myths about teaching and learning second language vocabulary: What recent research says TESL Reporter37, (2004).pp.113 Gairns, R & Redman, S (1986) Working with words Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Gardner,R.C (1985) Social psychology and language learning The role of attitudes and motivation London: Edward Arnold Harmer, J.( 1994) The practice of English language teaching Harlow: Longman Harmer, J (2001) The practice of English language teaching Harlow: Longman Meara, P (1982) Vocabulary Acquisition –A neglected aspect if language learning In Kinsella, V.(ed.) More, K.D.(1992) Classroom teaching skills New York: Me Graw-Hill, Inc Nation, I.S.P.(2001) Learning vocabulary in another language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Nation, P & Waring, R (2004) Vocabulary size, text coverage and word lists : VocabularyDescription and Pedagogy pp.6-19 Pyles, T & Algeo, J (1970) English- An introduction to language New York: Harcourt Brace World Ur, P (1996) A course in language teaching Cambridge University Press Wilkins, D.A (1972) Linguistic in language teaching London: Edward Arnold Vietnamese LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 51 Nụ, D.T (2004) Một vài suy nghĩ dạy từ vựng ngoại ngữ chuyên ngành Kỷ yếu hội nghị Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ- ĐHQG Hà Nội LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ... techniques in presenting vocabulary to increase motivation for grade 11 students with the English textbook (basic stream) at Dong Do High School in Hanoi 1.2 Aims of the study The aims of the study... questionnaires for students and teachers at Dong Do High School  Collecting data for the analysis from 100 students at Dong Do High School in 2009  Collecting data from 10 teachers teaching English at Dong. .. learning vocabulary for grade 11 students at Dong Do High School with the textbook English 11 Specifically, this thesis deals with the present situation in teaching and learning vocabulary, the techniques