Luận văn thạc sĩ a study on teaching english vocabulary to the 10th grade ethnic minority students at vung cao viet bac high school through activities

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ HOÀNG YẾN A STUDY ON TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO THE 10TH GRADE ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AT VUNG CAO VIET BAC HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH GROUP ACTIVITIES Nghiên cứu việc dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh cho học sinh dân tộc thiểu số khối 10 trường phổ thông Vùng Cao Việt Bắc thông qua hoạt động nhóm M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 z VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ HOÀNG YẾN A STUDY ON TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO THE 10TH GRADE ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AT VUNG CAO VIET BAC HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH GROUP ACTIVITIES Nghiên cứu việc dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh cho học sinh dân tộc thiểu số khối 10 trường phổ thông Vùng Cao Việt Bắc thơng qua hoạt động nhóm M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN HUY KỶ, PhD Hanoi, 2014 z i DECLARATION This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts I certify that this thesis is the result of my own research, and that it has not been submitted for any other degree It involves no material previously published or written by any other person, except where due reference is acknowledged in the paper Hanoi, August 2014 Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Yến z ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my profound gratitude to a number of people for helping me to make this M.A thesis possible Firstly, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Dr Nguyễn Huy Kỷ for his academic guidance, valuable advice, and supervision throughout this research Secondly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the lecturers of the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their useful lectures and guidance during my course Thirdly, I wish to extend my special thanks to the students at classes 10A1, 10A2, 10A3, 10A4 and the teachers of English at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school for their help and cooperation during my research Last but not least, I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to my loving family and my friends for their unfailing love and encouragement to help me complete this research z iii ABSTRACT In Vietnam, English is one of the foreign languages that is compulsory from primary school level to university level It can be seen that vocabulary is very important in English teaching and learning However, teaching English, especially its vocabulary to ethnic minority students has a lot of difficulties This thesis is carried out to investigate the use of learning group activities in teaching English vocabulary to the 10 th grade ethnic minority students at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school, Thai Nguyen city, and find out how group activities benefit for both teachers and learners of English to help them teaching and learning English vocabulary better Furthermore, it is hoped that this thesis will help other teachers of English be aware of the advantages of group activities and apply them effectively to teach English vocabulary z iv LIST OF ABBREAVIATIONS CLT : Communicative Language Teaching VCVBHS: Vung Cao Viet Bac high school ESL : English as second language LIST OF CHARTS Chart 1: The students’ opinions about English vocabulary in learning English Chart 2: The students’ attitudes towards learning new words Chart 3:The students’ interest in learning English vocabulary Chart 4: The students’ attitudes towards using group activities in teaching and learning English Chart 5: The students’ judgements about advantages of group activities in English vocabulary learning Chart 6: The students’ desire about choosing their partners in group activities Chart 7: The students’ expectation towards teachers’ activities in English vocabulary lesson Chart 8: The students’ preference towards the teachers’ activities in vocabulary lesson Chart 9: The average mark of pre-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the experimental group and the control group Chart 10: The average mark of post-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the experimental group and the control group z v LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Teachers’ opinions of English vocabulary in English teaching Table 2: The methods often used in teaching English vocabulary Table 3: Teachers’ frequent use of group work in English vocabulary teaching Table 4: The teachers’ judgement about group activities in English vocabulary teaching Table 5: The teachers’ implementation of using group activities in their current teaching Table 6: The teachers’ tasks in English vocabulary teaching through group activities Table 7: The students’ engagement in group activities in English vocabulary lessons z vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT .iii LIST OF ABBREAVIATIONS iv LIST OF TABLES v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims of the study .2 Significance of the study Research questions Scope of the study Methods of the study Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Vocabulary teaching .5 1.1.1 What is vocabulary? 1.1.2 The importance of vocabulary in teaching and learning language 1.2 Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 1.2.1 Communicative language teaching methods 1.2.2 Teaching and learning English vocabulary through communicative activities 1.3 Group work in vocabulary teaching and learning 1.3.1 Definitions of group work 1.3.2 Advantages and disadvantages of group activities 1.3.2.1 Advantages of group activities in teaching vocabulary .9 z vii 1.3.2.2 Disadvantages of group activities in teaching vocabulary 10 1.3.3 The role of the teacher in group work .12 1.4 Summary .12 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 13 2.1 An overview on current situation of teaching and learning English vocabulary at VCVBHS 13 2.1.1 The students .13 2.1.2 The teachers .13 2.1.3 Teaching materials 14 2.2 Restatement of the research questions .14 2.3 Participants 14 2.3.1 The students .14 2.3.2 The teachers 15 2.4 Data collection instrument 15 2.4.1 Questionnaire 15 2.4.1.1 Questionnaire for the students 15 2.4.1.2 Questionnaire for the teachers 16 2.4.2 Pre-test and post-test 16 2.5 Summary .16 CHAPTER 3: RESULT AND DISCUSSION 17 3.1 Presentation of statistical results 17 3.1.1 Result of questionnaire 17 3.1.1.1 Result of questionnaire for the students .17 3.1.1.2 Result of questionnaire for the teachers .21 3.1.2 The result of pre-tests and post-tests .26 3.1.2.1 The result of pre-tests 26 3.1.2.2 The result of post-tests 27 z viii 3.2 Findings and discussions 28 3.2.1 The opinions of the teachers and the 10th grade ethnic minority students at VCVBHS about the use of group activities in teaching and learning English vocabulary 28 3.2.2 Group activities used in teaching English vocabulary to the 10th grade ethnic minority students at VCVBHS .29 3.2.2.1 Game .29 3.2.2.2 Role playing 30 3.2.2.3 Projects 30 3.2.2.4 Interview .30 3.2.2.5 Problem solving and decision making 30 3.3 A particular example of using group work in teaching English vocabulary to the 10th grade ethnic minority students at VCVBHS 31 3.4 Summary .32 PART C: CONCLUSION 33 Recapitulation 33 Conclusions 34 Limitations of the study 35 Suggestions for further research 35 REFERENCES 36 APPENDICES .I APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE STUDENTS I APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE TEACHERS III APPENDIX 3: PRE-TESTS V APPENDIX 4: POST-TESTS XII APPENDIX 5: THE RESULTS OF PRE-TESTS AND POST-TESTS XX z VII III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word To many people, their friends are the most important in their life Really good friends always (16) joys and sorrows with you and never turn their backs on you Your best friend may be someone you have known all your life or someone you have grown (18) with There are all sorts of things that can (19) about this special relationship It may be the result of enjoying the same activities and sharing experiences Most of us have met someone that we have immediately felt relaxed with as if we had known them for ages However, it really takes you years to get to know someone well (20) _to consider your best friend PRE-TEST (Time allowed: 40 minutes) Name: Class: I Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to complete the following sentences If you want to get a good result in every work, you should have a _ A loyalty B sympathy C constancy D unselfishness A _friendship is a precious relation ship A mutual B sincere C generous D successful A good marriage is based on _ A trust B loyalty C secret D A & B The children seem to be totally _ of working quietly by themselves A unable B impossible C incapable D not able Peter _ to go in for the exam A avoided B let C advised D decided I believe that everyone has had experiences in their life A memorable B observable C acceptable D reflexible The children were _about opening their presents A interested B fond C keen These come from a high school near here z D excited VIII A volunteer B volunteers C voluntarily D voluntary How voluteers help disadvantaged children _ their difficulties? A to get B to overcome C to know D to pass 10 To the work for a humane society is _ A friendly B mutual C voluntary D thoughtless II Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers After spending a day at the beach, I stopped to buy a snack on my way home But when I reached for my wallet, it wasn’t there I checked my other pockets, and the car and then headed back to look at the beach My driver’s license, my ID card – my mind was racing through all the things I had lost and I felt rotten A search of the beach and parking lot proved fruitless, so I headed home I tried to forget it because there was nothing I could do, but I was mad at myself for losing it After dinner when I was watching TV and trying to forget, the phone rang and a voice asked: “Did you lose a wallet? I found it on the beach” What a great feeling that gave me – not only for my luck, but also for my faith in all humanity! 11 How much time did the writer spend on the beach? A two days B a day and a half C a day D three days 12 What did he lose? A His car C His key B His wallet D His snack 13 How did he feel when he knew that he lost his driver’s license and I.D card? A He felt happy B He felt unhappy C He felt angry D He felt excited 14 Where did he go after searching the beach and the parking lot and finding nothing? A He went to the police station B He went to his office C He went home D he went to the grocery store 15 What did the person who found his wallet do? A He called him B He came to his house C He called the police D He gave his wallet to the police z IX III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word On (16) _ in London I found another explanation in a guidebook The author of this book said that the Pope and Napoleon (17) responsible Some years before the reign of Bonaparte, the pope came to visit Paris Up to then there had been no rule about the movement of traffic The authorities, however, decreed (18) the Parisians should ride or drive on the right-hand side of the street, leaving the left-hand side clear for the movement of the papal carriage Thus a custom was born and, when Bonaparte came along, he made it the law of the land Moreover, as he conquered country after country, the right-hand rule was (19) _ in those lands until it became the general things throughout continental Europe The British, however, hating Napoleon, reversed the (20) _ out of sheer perversity PRE-TEST (Time allowed: 40 minutes) Name: Class: I Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to complete the following sentences Editorial _ in 'The Guardian' tended to support the government in this matter A comments B complaints C commands D comedies You can hear BBC news _ all over the world A shows B announcements C receipts D programs Television can make things _ because it presents information in an things effective way A memory B memorial C memorable D memorably Many of the stories are based _ rumor A at B in C on D under Kim Anh is for her work She usually tries her best to finish her part of the work A sociable B self-confident C responsible D talkative z X He is very to us Though he's our teacher, he treats almost like friends A active B humorous C studious D friendly The local people are very to strangers A comfortable B familiar C hospitable D enjoyable Most of the undeveloped countries need a lot of _ aid A together B unselfish C mutual D friend He is too _ to lend me his bicycle A selfish B enthusiastic C helpful D pleasant 10 Suddenly she recognized the _of the situation that made her laugh A wonder B pleasure C understanding D hunour II Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers Chen likes to get his news from the paper Lemma turns on the television to find out what's going on in the world Eve subscribes to more magazines than she can keep track of, whereas Kobi chooses to listen to radio talk shows that cover issues thoroughly to tap into what's going on in the world All these people are touched by the media What is the media? What constitutes the media? The media consists of ail the ways that news and information is distributed to a mass audience The media covers everything from hard news, which is investigative reporting to stories that are purely entertaining, such as whether your favorite movie star was on the "Best Dressed/ Worst Dresser list Whether in print or broadcast on TV, the stories are the product of the reporting of many journalists who write the stories, and editors who give out the assignments, assess the quality of the writing and research, and make the decisions about where and when the stories run The news has immediate impact The Internet puts global news onto the personal computer on your desk Almost all browsers have links to up-to-the-minute news stories from various news services You can gets constant news updates from a variety of sources via your personal computer, providing you with the most up-to-date and in-depth coverage 11 According to the writer, A people's life can be changed by the media z XI B newspapers, magazines, televisions, radios are all the mass media C people can only get news from the paper D radio talk shows cover thorough issues 12 According to the passage, the media _ A spreads not only news but also entertainment to audiences B investigates news reports that will be covered C only distributes hard news to people D consists of news and information all over the world 13 Which one of the following is not a responsibility of editors? A Judge the writings and research's B Assign tasks C Write reports on the stories D Decide when and where tile stories run 14 The word 'browsers" in line 15 refers to _ A programs used by computers for doing particular jobs B people who look for information on the Internet C people who design the Web D computer programs that allow users to look at and search through information on the Internet 15 An advantage of Internet news reports is that A they can be constantly updated B they link news from various news services C they provide a variety of information D they can be put onto the personal computer III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word Every year many people (16) _ the world learn English Some of them are young children (17) _are teenagers Many are adults Some learn at school; some learn in evening classes A few learn English by (18) or just by hearing the language (19) television or among their friends Most people must work hard to learn English Why all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to (20) _that question Young children learn English at school because it is one of their subjects Many adults learn English because it is useful for their work Teenagers often learn English for their higher studies, because some of their books are in English at college or university Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English z XII APPENDIX 4: POST-TESTS POST-TEST (Time allowed: 40 minutes) Name: Class: I Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to complete the following sentences It's kind of Long to pay for us when we go out together He's A sociable B understanding C calm D generous Minh is a(n) _ man We can believe what he says A patient B honest C tolerant D pleasant A good friendship should be based on understanding A loyal B suspicious C give-and-take D mutual The recent heavy rains have helped to ease the water A supply B poverty C plenty D shortage I wanted to work somewhere where I could serve the A village B community C town D country They tried to find a way of bettering their lives A moving B changing C achieving D improving Last year we had a bumper crop of strawberries A large crop B poor crop C early crop D record crop I don't like quizzes because my general is so poor A appearance B memory C knowledge D thinking The house had been three apartments A turned in B put in C pulled down d turned into 10 I'll speak to her as soon as she comes out of the meeting A goes to B appears C leaves z D attends XIII III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word Where, when and how languages began is still a mystery Many people think that language grew from human beings imitating animal sounds and (11) _ they learned to use these sounds to communicate (12) _ each other Probably the language of primitive people (13) _ of a complicated system of sounds (14) _, we can only trace the history of languages to the time (15) _ they were first written and by then they were well developed II Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers Giving a dinner party is a wonderful way of entertain people You can also make new friends and give others the chance to get to know each other better It needs planning, though First, make a guest list, with different kinds of people and a mixture of women and men Don’t invite couples because they aren’t so much fun When you know who can come, find out what they like to eat and drink Note down any who are vegetarians, or who can’t eat or drink certain things for religious seasons Then plan their menu Include a first course, a choice of main courses and a dessert, plus lots of people’s favourite drinks The next thing to is the shopping Make sure buy more than enough of everything, and that someone can help you carry it! On the day, start cooking early Give people appetizers like Greek mezze or Spanish tapas, so they don’t get hungry if they have to wait Serve the delicious meal, sit down with your guests and have a good time – you’ve earned it! 16 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as the purpose of giving a dinner party? A to entertain people B to make new friends C to get people to know more about their host and hostess D to help people to know each other better 17 when giving a dinner party, you should NOT invite A husbands and wives C both women and men B those who are vegetarians D those who can’t eat or drink certain things 18 The menu should include these EXCEPT A a first course B a supper C a dessert z D main courses XIV 19 According to the passage, starters should be served A because the guests want to have a good time together B because the guests like eating them C because the guests want to eat them while having to wait D because the guests may be hungry while having to wait 20 What should you while the guests are having their evening meal? A Stand beside the guests without doing anything B Sit down with the guests and have a good time C Sit down with the guests to show your politeness D Only serve the guests with the food POST-TEST (Time allowed: 40 minutes) Name: Class: I Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to complete the following sentences A person who has been chosen to speak or vote for someone else on behalf of a group is a/an A contestant B competitor C examinee D representative They had a really good chance of winning the national A compete B competition C competitor D competitive Thank you very much lending me your bike A about B in C for D of Don’t him to arrive early He’s always late A think B judge C hope D expect The manager the men to turn to work immediately A insisted B suggested C demanded D ordered Her mother prevented her going out tonight A against B from C about z D at XV _ are the ones to decide who wins a competition A Audience B Spectators C Judges D Competitors The last World Cup was _ in Germany A broken C held B taken place D happened Everyone congratulated Jim _ his success A for B about C with D on 10 Most of the roads in the city have been recently A replaced B resurfaced C removed D returned II Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers In an effort to produce the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ship afloat, the British built the Titanic It was so superior to anything else on the seas that it was dubbed “unsinkable” The owners were so sure of this that they provided lifeboats for only 950 of its possible 3,5000 passengers Many passengers were abroad the night it hit an iceberge, only two days at sea and more than half way between England and the New York destination Because the luxury liner was traveling so fast, it was impossible to advoid the ghostly looking iceberge An unextinguished fire also contributed to the ship’s submersion Panic inscreased the number of casualties as people jumbed into the icy water or fought to be among the few to board the lifeboats Four hours after the mishap, another ship, the Carphathia, rescued the survivors-less than a third of those orginally abroad The infamous Titanic enjoyed only two days of sailing glory on its first voyage in 1912 before plunging into 12,000 feet of water near the coast of Newfoundland, where it lies today 11 Which of the following is NOT true? A The Titanic sank near Newfoundland B The Titanic was the fastest ship afloat in 1912 C Only a third of those aboard died D The Carpathia rescued the survivors 12 Which of the following did not contribute to the large number of casualities? A speed B Carpathia z C panic D fire XVI 13 How many days was the Titanic at sea before sinking? A B 12 C D 14 The Titanic sank A about half way between England and New York B near the Carpathia C on its way to London D somewhere near New York 15 The Titanic had lifeboats for only 950 of its possible 3.500 passengers because A it was thought to be “unsinkable” B all luxurious ships were well constructed C there was not enough space for more lifeboats D lifeboats were very expensive III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word WHY DO ANIMALS GO EXTINCT? Different kinds of animals have appeared and disappeared throughout Earth’s history Some animals go extinct because the climate (16) _ they live changes The climate may become wetter or drier It may become warmer or cooler If the animals cannot change, or adapt, to the new climate, they die Some animals go extinct because thay cannot (17) _ with other animals for food Some animals go extinct because they are killed by enemies New kinds of animals are always evolving Evolving means that the animals are changing (18) _ from generation to generation Small differences between parents, children, and grandchildren slowly add up over many, many generations Eventually, a different kind of animal evolves [evolve: tiến hóa] Sometimes many of the animals on Earth go extinct at the (19) _ time Scientists call this a mass extinction Scientists think there (20) _ at least five mass extinctions in Earth’s history The last mass extinction happened about 65 million years ago This mass extinction killed off the dinosaurs z XVII POST-TEST (Time allowed: 40 minutes) Name: Class: I Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to complete the following sentences In tonight’s quiz, our contestants have come from all over the country A losers B judges C competitors D winners One third of the world’s consumes two thirds of the world resources A people B men C population D human Since the early 1990s Viet Nam has experienced growth but the differences between the lives of the rich and the poor have been greater A population B economic C.educational D financial The practice of controlling the number of children a person has, using various methods of contraception is called A family planning B birth control C population D A & B Many people go to the pagoda to for a happy year for themselves and their family A pray B long C desire D ask Banh Chung is made sticky rice, green beans and fatty pork A of B from C with D by If modern technology did not exist, we would never have such precious information A valuable B precise C confidential D detailed The floor was covered in tiny pieces of paper A unimportant B many C very large D extremely small These birds to North Africa in winter A settle B go C relocate D migrate 10 is a chemical used for killing- weeds A Pesticide B Herbicide z C Fertilizer D Antibiotic XVIII III Read the following passage and fill in each gap with a suitable word The 23rd Southeast Asian (11) _(also known as the 2005 SEA Garnes) was a multi-sport event (12) in the Philippines from November 27, 2005 to December 5, 2005 The games were (13) by 11 Countries located in Southeast Asia The first gold (14) of the games was (15) to Singapore on November 25th when the Water Polo team came out in tournaments , with the Philippine team taking the silver medal and the Malaysian team taking the bronze II Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers Most people are afraid of sharks, but they usually not know much about them For example, there are about 350 species of sharks that live in oceans over the world Ali of the sharks are carnivores, but most of them don't attack people Some sharks are very small - the smallest shark is about inches long - about as long as your hand But some sharks are very large The largest species of sharks may be 60 feet long and weigh 15 tons Unlike many other kinds of fish, sharks not have bone Their bodies are made up of a kind of tough white flexible material (called cartilage) Sharks not have ears However, they “hear” sounds and movements in the wade Any sound or movement makes the water vibrates Sharks can feel these vibrations and they help the sharks find food Sharks use their large eyes to find food, too Most sharks see best in low light They often hunt for food at dawn in the evening, or in the middle of the night Nowadays scientists want to learn more about sharks for several reasons For example, cancer is common in many animals, including, people However it is rare in sharks Scientists want to find out why sharks almost never get cancer Maybe this information can help people prevent cancer too 16 According to the passage, sharks A are big mammals B usually live in warm water C are meat eaters D always attack humans 17 How long is a smallest shark? A About centimeters B As long as a hand C As one's long hand D About 1,5 meters 18 The word “they” in line I1 refers to z XIX A sharks B sounds C vibrations D movements 19 Sharks can hunt for food at night because A they “hear” more clearly at night B their eyes are large C they feel vibrations in the water D they see well in the dark 20 Which of the following is not true? A Large sharks can weigh up to 15,000 kg B Sharks’ bodies are made up of cartilage C Sharks can find their food by feeling vibrations D Sharks often attack people z XX APPENDIX 5: THE RESULTS OF PRE-TESTS AND POST-TESTS OF THE TWO GROUPS The result of pre-tests 1.1 The result of pre-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the experimental group Test Mark Test % Test % Test % Average(%) - 10 4/91 4.4% 5/91 5.5% 4/91 4.4% 4.8% 7- 8.5 13/91 14.3% 14/91 15.4% 17/91 18.7% 16.1% - 6.5 39/91 42.8% 36/91 39.5% 36/91 39.5% 40.6% 3.5 - 4.5 20/91 22% 22/91 24.2% 18/91 19.8% 22% 0-3 15/91 16.5% 14/91 15.4% 16/91 17.6% 16.5% 1.2 The result of pre-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the control group Test Mark Test % Test % Test % Average(%) - 10 5/90 5.6% 6/90 6.7% 5/90 5.6% 5.9% 7- 8.5 13/90 14.4% 14/90 15.6% 15/90 16.7% 15.5% - 6.5 38/90 42.2% 40/90 44.4% 40/90 44.4% 43.7% 3.5 - 4.5 20/90 22.2%% 17/90 18.9% 15/90 16.7% 19.3% 0-3 14/90 15.6% 13/90 14.4% 15/90 16.7% 15.6% z XXI The result of post-test 2.1.The result of post-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the experimental group Test Mark Test % Test % Test % Average(%) - 10 8/91 8.8% 8/91 8.8% 10/91 11% 9.5% 7- 8.5 19/91 20.8% 21/91 23.1% 22/91 24.2% 22.7% - 6.5 40/91 44% 40/91 44% 36/91 39.5% 42.5% 3.5 - 4.5 19/91 20.9% 18/91 19.7% 20/91 22% 20.9% 0-3 5/91 5.5% 4/91 4.4% 3/91 3.3% 4.4% 2.2 The result of post-tests in English vocabulary of the students of the control group Test Mark Average Test % Test % Test % % - 10 5/90 5.6% 6/90 6.7% 6/90 6.7% 6.3% 7- 8.5 14/90 15.6% 15/90 16.6% 14/90 15.6% 15.9% - 6.5 42/90 46.6% 40/90 44.5% 37/90 41% 44.1% 3.5 - 4.5 15/90 16.6% 15/90 16.6% 19/90 21.1% 18.1% 0-3 14/90 15.6% 14/90 15.6% 14/90 15.6% 15.6% z ... communicate confidently in English so I chose the topic A study on teaching English vocabulary to the 10th grade ethnic minority students at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school through group activities to. .. co-operation and enhance students? ?? pronunciation and intonation However, table also shows that group activities have many disadvantages 100% of the teachers stated that it was difficult for the teachers... investigation into only the current situation, the advantages and disadvantages of using learning group activities to teach English vocabulary to the 10th grade ethnic minority students at VCVBHS, the study