The effects of concordance task based instruction on non english majors vocabulary learning and retention m a

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY- HO CHI MINH CITY VIETNAM UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE  THE EFFECTS OF CONCORDANCE TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION ON NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING AND RETENTION A thesis submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL By NGUYEN NU HUYEN TRANG Supervised by NGUYEN THU HUONG, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, MAY 2019 STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: THE EFFECTS OF CONCORDANCE TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION ON NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING AND RETENTION in terms of the statement of the Requirements for the Theses in Master’s Program issued by the Higher Degree Committee This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other institutions Ho Chi Minh City, May 2019 Nguyễn Nữ Huyền Trang i|Page RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Nguyễn Nữ Huyền Trang, being the candidate for the degree of Master of Arts in TESOL, 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 thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for the care, loan or reproduction of the thesis Ho Chi Minh City, May 2019 Nguyễn Nữ Huyền Trang ii | P a g e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of my thesis is one of the most rewarding achievements in my life I would like to take this opportunity to express my immense gratitude to all those persons who have given me their invaluable support and assistance First and foremost, I am profoundly indebted to my thesis supervisor for being such an inspirational and devoted mentor Dr Nguyen Thu Huong, with his whole-hearted guidance, valuable feedback and constant encouragement in each step to complete the thesis He is truly an inspired soul A sincere word of thanks should be sent to Atron, who has always been willing to help, share experience, patiently spend hours explaining sophisticated concepts to me as well as being my demanding proofreader, giving me a much-needed sense of direction whenever I am in times of trouble I would also like to extend thanks to all my students and colleagues at University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Center for Foreign Languages (USSH CFL) Throughout the various stages of this research, their participation and their support more or less assisted me to reach its final success Last but not least, special thanks is reserved for my whole family They have been an important and indispensable source of spiritual support for my writing this Master thesis I love my family This thesis is dedicated to them Notwithstanding all of the above support for this project, any errors or omissions are solely my own iii | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xii LIST OF TABLES xiv LIST OF FIGURES AND DIAGRAMS xv ABSTRACT xvi CHAPTER 1.1 Background to the research 1.1.1 The rising role of vocabulary in modern pedagogy 1.1.2 The intolerable situation of students’ vocabulary knowledge from the current study setting 1.1.3 The prevailing trend of concordance-oriented research in vocabulary teaching 1.2 The purpose of the study iv | P a g e 1.3 Research questions and hypotheses 1.3.1 Research questions 1.3.2 Research hypotheses 1.4 Significance of the study 1.5 Organization of the study CHAPTER 2.1 Definition of vocabulary 2.1.1 Features of vocabulary 2.1.2 Vocabulary size in relation to proficiency levels 11 2.2 Vocabulary Learning 12 2.2.1 The process of vocabulary learning 12 2.2.2 Incremental nature of vocabulary learning 13 2.2.3 The concept of concordance 14 2.2.4 How should vocabulary be learned? 16 2.3 Vocabulary Instruction 17 2.3.1 Tendency of teaching vocabulary in an L2 classroom 17 v|Page 2.3.2 Essential components of vocabulary instruction 19 2.3.3 Proposals for vocabulary instruction 21 2.3.3.1 Task-based instruction (TBI) 21 2.3.3.2 Theoretical grounds behind concordance task-based instruction 23 2.4 Review of prior studies 27 2.4.1 Studies into the role of CTBI in L2 teaching in general 27 2.4.2 Studies into the role of web-based CTBI in L2 vocabulary teaching 28 2.4.3 Studies into the role of paper-based CTBI in L2 vocabulary teaching 29 2.5 A summary of the gaps found 30 2.6 Conceptual Framework 31 2.7 Chapter Summary 33 CHAPTER 35 3.1 Research questions 35 3.2 Research Design 35 3.2.1 Quantitative phase 36 3.2.1.1 Quasi-Experimental Design 36 vi | P a g e 3.2.1.2 Nonrandom sampling and threat to internal validity 37 3.2.2 Qualitative phase 37 3.2.2.1 Interview 37 3.3 Research Site and Participants 39 3.3.1 Research Site 39 3.3.2 Participants 39 3.4 Research Instruments 40 3.4.1 Pretest – Posttest – Delayed Posttest 40 3.4.1.1 Vocabulary size test description 40 3.4.1.2 Test administration and scoring criteria 41 3.4.2 Progress Tests 42 3.4.3 Interviews 42 3.5 Research Materials 45 3.5.1 Textbooks 45 3.5.2 Concordance-based materials 46 3.5.3 Basis for the selection of the vocabulary to be taught 47 vii | P a g e 3.6 Data collection procedure 48 3.6.1 Experiment Conducting 48 3.6.2 Interview Conducting 51 3.7 Data Analysis Procedure 51 3.7.1 Experimental Data Analysis 51 3.7.2 Interview Data Analysis 52 3.8 Chapter Summary 52 CHAPTER 54 4.1 Results of quantitative research 55 4.1.1 Demonstration for the test scores’ normal distribution 55 4.1.2 Statistical analysis of Pre-test result 56 4.1.3 Statistical analysis of progress test results 57 4.1.4 Statistical analysis of post-test result 59 4.1.5 Paired Samples T Test for both groups 60 4.1.5.1 Paired Samples T-Test for the Comparison Group 60 4.1.5.2 Paired Samples T-Test for the Experimental Group 61 viii | P a g e 4.1.6 Statistical analysis of Delayed Posttest result 62 4.2 Results of qualitative research 62 4.2.1 Favorable attitudes towards CTBI 63 4.2.2 The existing challenges of CTBI 63 4.2.3 Preference for the application of CTBI 64 4.2.4 Participants’ autonomous behaviors as a result of CTBI 65 4.2.5 Respondents’ comments and suggestions 65 4.3 Discussion of the findings 66 4.3.1 Research Question 1: Do English non-majored students at USSH CFL who receive concordance task-based instruction have a higher level of vocabulary learning and retention than those who receive a textbook task-based instruction? 66 4.3.1.1 From noticing to deep processing 67 4.3.1.2 Multiple exposures in multiple contexts 68 4.3.1.3 Opportunities for active involvement 69 4.3.1.4 Fostering learners’ autonomy 70 4.3.2 Research Question 2: To what extent does concordance treatment affect student motivation with regard to those in the experimental group? 71 ix | P a g e APPENDIX 8A STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR REFERENCE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW (ENGLISH VERSION) BY GIRGIN (2011) Did you like using corpus-based activities in the learning of the grammar structures? Was it more boring than learning English grammar through a course book? What you think about learning the grammar structures through corpus-based activities? Is it more difficult than learning English grammar structures through a course book? Did you have any difficulty in using the concordance lines to formulate the rules of the grammar structures? How you evaluate your own participation in the course while learning the structures via corpus-based activities? Do you feel positive towards using corpus-based activities in the learning of the grammar structures? Do you recommend that teachers should use corpus-based activities so as to teach grammar structures in EFL classes? Do you think that using corpus-based activities in the learning of the grammar structures increased your confidence about learning English grammar? 137 | P a g e APPENDIX 8B SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW_ENGLISH VERSION What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordance-based tasks? After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordance-based tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordance-based tasks more interesting?  An additional question Do you think that using concordance-based tasks increased your confidence about learning English new words? Give your reasons 138 | P a g e APPENDIX 8C SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW_VIETNAMESE VERSION Bạn có thích tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên điểm nào? Vì sao?/Vì khơng? Những khó khăn mà bạn gặp phải làm tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên gì? Sau kết thúc khóa học, suy nghĩ bạn việc làm tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên có thay đổi khơng? (ví dụ ban đầu khơng thích thích, ban đầu thích khơng thích) Vì lại có thay đổi vậy? Nếu giáo viên không bắt buộc bạn hoàn thành tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên lớp mà phát cho mang nhà tự làm, bạn có chủ động làm cách nghiêm túc khơng? Vì sao? Bản thân bạn có muốn tiếp tục vận dụng tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên cho trình học tiếng Anh tới bạn mà khơng cần đến yêu cầu hay bắt buộc từ giáo viên khơng? Vì sao? Theo quan điểm riêng bạn, tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên nên thay đổi mặt nội dung, cách trình bày, thời điểm vận dụng, cách thức vận dụng để phù hợp với bạn giúp bạn dễ dàng tiếp nhận cách hiệu hơn? Vì sao?  Câu hỏi bổ sung Bạn có nghĩ việc áp dụng tập ngữ liệu từ máy tính tạo nên khiến bạn tự tin việc học từ tiếng Anh hay khơng? Nêu lí giải thích 139 | P a g e APPENDIX 9A INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S1) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S1: Yes, I Because I can learn many meanings of a word and its usage in different contexts The tasks make it convenient to find information on the keywords by observing surrounding contexts I could learn a lot of vocabulary by searching the information from the concordance lines There are clusters of words to determine parts of speech T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordance-based tasks? S1: About difficulties, I cannot understand all the meanings of the concordance lines T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordance-based tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S1 I am not sure because it depends on my feelings T If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? S1: I not know T: Do you think that using concordance-based tasks in the vocabulary learning increased your confidence about learning English new words? Give your reasons 140 | P a g e S1: Yes, a little bit I believe that I am a bit more confident about learning new words since I know what aspects I should look for when I need, with the help of the contexts around T: Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? S1: No, I am not sure T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordancebased tasks more interesting? S1: In my viewpoint, concordance-based tasks should include familiar contexts and contain supporting vocabulary so that they can be easy to understand, to guess and to translate They should be presented with clearer illustrations 141 | P a g e APPENDIX 9B INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S2) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S2: Yes, I Because there are many examples and I can understand how a word is used in sentences There are words for me to guess the meaning T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordance-based tasks? S2: About difficulties, there are some sentences hard to be translated and guessed T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordance-based tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S2: I did not like it at first, but now I like it because it helps me think better and it is even suitable for my guessing meaning skill which I can apply for my exams More importantly, it is more likely that I can remember new words better then T: If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? S2: Yes, I will Because this is an effective way to train reading skill and to improve vocabulary T: 142 | P a g e Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? S2: Yes, I will T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordancebased tasks more interesting? S2: If there were pictures, it would be more interesting in terms of its content In terms of its form, it is small and convenient to bring anywhere with short and easy-to-understand examples About application time: at home or at the beginning of the class session How to apply: set goals (how many words a day to learn and use) 143 | P a g e APPENDIX 9C INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S3) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S3: No, I not I don’t like it at all since the tasks are too boring I don’t think I like that way of learning vocabulary because it’s too long and repetitive but it’s very demanding and involving so it may work If I have a lot of time this task is better for improving my vocabulary I will know parts of speech and understand words in contexts T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordance-based tasks? S3: About disadvantages, it is hard to translate word meanings when one does not know the other words of the sentence Those tasks are too tough and daunting for me to complete in the time allocated, but it can be useful to see the same word used in different contexts T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordance-based tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S3: I am not sure T: If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? 144 | P a g e S3: No, I will not since there are too many English words Sometimes, it is not easy to understand because the concordance lines were so long or not complete (cut-off sentences) that they look discouraging for me My limited vocabulary inhibited me from properly interpreting concordance lines T: Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? S3: I will learn if asked by the teacher T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordancebased tasks more interesting? S3: 145 | P a g e shorter examples, less words and more pictures APPENDIX 9D INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S4) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S4: Yes, I Concordance-based tasks were very useful for me I first found the part of speech of the word and then guessed the meaning of it in different contexts, etc Apart from the highlighted words, I have learned many new words Besides, I know many aspects of words (i.e word meanings or proper word use) T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordancebased tasks? S4: About disadvantages, in many situations, I not know word meanings T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordancebased tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S4: I was not, at first, interested in the concordance-based tasks since I could not understand how to deal with those tasks However, after I seriously tried, I changed my mind and liked using concordance lines I realized those tasks aid my long-term memory since then Now I really like concordance-based tasks because they provide me with lots of vocabulary and word use T: If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? 146 | P a g e S4: Yes, I will I will actively my concordance-based tasks because they help me improve my vocabulary T: Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? S4: Yes, I will T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordance-based tasks more interesting? S4: 147 | P a g e I not know APPENDIX 9E INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S5) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S5: Yes, I because I can understand word meanings in many different situations But sometimes I find that the words in contexts are more difficult than the “target word” T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordancebased tasks? S5: I sometimes not understand the contexts of the concordance lines because of there are strange and difficult words T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordancebased tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S5: I feel interested in vocabulary learning because it contains new aspects I have not seen before T: If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? S5: Yes, I will I will actively my concordance-based tasks because they help me improve my vocabulary T: Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? 148 | P a g e S5: Yes, I will I will use vocabulary regularly to remember and to use it as my own language T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordance-based tasks more interesting? S5: In my viewpoint, concordance exercises should have familiar contexts and contain supporting vocabulary so that they can be easy to understand, to guess and to translate 149 | P a g e APPENDIX 9F INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION (S6) Participants Content T: What concordance-based tasks’ features you like? Why? S6: Yes, I Concordance lines help me guess the meaning of a word without knowing its meaning thanks to its context (Because this is a new and creative way of learning vocabulary) It makes those who have less vocabulary easy to learn and remember words I also learn more words without the help of Google translate T: What difficulties you usually encounter when completing concordancebased tasks? S6: About disadvantages, I have to translate the meanings of sentences and understand the contexts to guess meanings of words in bold T: After completing this course, what are your affection towards concordancebased tasks? (e.g “I just like it after the course” or “I hate it all the time”) Why? S6: After the end of the course, I change my mind from dislike to like because this way helps me think better and it is suitable for my exams T: If you have to complete concordance-based tasks at home, will you finish it seriously? Why? S6: I will but not with all effort because I just feel like those questions that I can translate and understand but for those exercises I not understand, I will 150 | P a g e be bored and not interested in doing, or I will but with some help T: Will you keep applying concordance-based tasks in your future English vocabulary learning without your teacher’s enforcement? Why? S6: Yes, I will I not need any enforcement from the teacher in order to keep applying these tasks in the future T: In your own viewpoint, what should we to make these concordance-based tasks more interesting? S6: Those tasks should include easy contexts for me to guess the meanings and learn better because difficult contexts will make us confused and not correct in guessing 151 | P a g e