Nghiên cứu phương pháp học từ vựng học thuật bên ngoài lớp học của sinh viên tiếng anh tại trường đại học ngoại ngữ huế

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN THI MY DUNG A STUDY ON STRATEGIES TO LEARN ACADEMIC VOCABULARY OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM BY EFL STUDENTS AT HUE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, Hue University of Foreign Languages HUE, 2016 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN THI MY DUNG A STUDY ON STRATEGIES TO LEARN ACADEMIC VOCABULARY OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM BY EFL STUDENTS AT HUE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60.14.01.11 SUPERVISOR: ASSOC PROF DR LE PHAM HOAI HUONG HUE, 2016 i BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ TRẦN THỊ MỸ DUNG NGHIÊN CỨU PHƯƠNG PHÁP HỌC TỪ VỰNG HỌC THUẬT BÊN NGOÀI LỚP HỌC CỦA SINH VIÊN TIẾNG ANH TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ HUẾ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH CODE: 60.14.01.11 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: PGS TS LÊ PHẠM HOÀI HƯƠNG HUẾ, 2016 STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself Date: 25 / 06 / 2016 Signature Tran Thi My Dung i ABSTRACT This seeks strategies to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom It aims to explore students‟ perceptions and use of strategies in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom Moreover, the study also investigates the difficulties faced by the students in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom The subjects of this study include 120 EFL students at Hue University, College of Foreign Languages The data are collected by means of questionnaire, interview and diary Then, they are presented in tables and charts according to statistical frequency and percentage The findings reveal that most of the students had positive perceptions toward learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom They had applied some strategies to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom as well as identified the usefulness of those strategies Especially, using the Internet, guessing the words‟ meanings that base on the context, looking up the dictionary, studying academic words in TOEFL, IELTS, C1 tests were preferred Moreover, difficulties faced by students were revealed Accordingly, students‟ impatience is the main problem in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom Based on the research findings, some recommendations and implications are made in the hope that the strategies to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom will be implemented effectively ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I am eager to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Le Pham Hoai Huong, enthusiastically guiding me at every stage of the development of my study Secondly, I am indebted to the teachers and students at Hue University, College of Foreign Languages who were kind enough to create the most favorable conditions for me to collect the necessary data for my research In addition, I owe a debt of gratitude to all teachers of the English Department of Hue College of Foreign Languages who have given me the fundamental knowledge of language teaching and learning Last but not least, I cannot find words to express my gratitude to my family members and friends who have worked closely with me and cheered me up during the difficult time iii TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF TABLES .viii CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 1.1.Rationale 1.2.Research aims: 1.3.Research significance 1.4.Research questions 1.5.Scope of the study 1.6.Thesis organization CHAPTER II - LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Academic vocabulary 2.2.1 Definitions 2.2.2 Academic word list 2.2.3 Important features of academic vocabulary (nominalization) 2.3 Relationship between academic vocabulary and language learning 10 2.4 Learners‟ autonomy and academic vocabulary learning 13 2.5 Strategies to learn academic vocabulary 14 2.6 The difficulties in learning academic words outside the classroom 17 2.7 Previous studies related to the research 18 2.7.1 In other countries 18 2.7.2 In Vietnam 20 iv 2.8 Summary 20 CHAPTER III – METHODOLOGY 21 3.1 Introduction 21 3.2 Research approaches 21 3.3 Participants of the study 21 3.4 Data collection 22 3.4.1 Questionnaire 22 3.4.2 Diary 22 3.4.3 Interview 23 3.5 Data analysis 24 3.6 Summary 24 CHAPTER IV - FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 25 4.1 Introduction 25 4.2 EFL students‟ perceptions of learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 25 4.2.1 EFL students‟ frequency in academic vocabulary learning 25 4.2.2 The benefits of learning academic vocabulary 25 4.2.3 The importance of learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 26 4.2.4 The importance of autonomy in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 29 4.2.5 The benefits of autonomy in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 30 4.2.6 The benefits of learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 31 4.3 Strategies to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom 36 4.4 The difficulties and suggestions during learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom 41 4.5 Summary 43 v CHAPTER V - CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE STUDY 44 5.1 Summary of the key findings 44 5.2 Implications 45 5.2.1 For students 45 5.2.2 For teachers 46 5.3 Limitations 46 5.4 Recommendations for further study 47 5.5 Conclusion 47 REFERENCES 48 APPENDIXES 53 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS English as a Foreign Language EFL Hue University, College of Foreign Languages HUCFL vii Huynh (2006) New vocabulary Learning Strategies by Students of Finance and Banking at Hue University College of Economics MA: Hue University, college of pedagogy Hyland (2004) Learning Autonomously: Contextualising Outside the classroom English Language Learning Language Awareness, 13(3), pp 180-202 Joshi RM, Aaron PG (2000) The component model of reading: Simple view of reading made a little more complex Reading Psychology Retrieved on May 27, 2015 from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/233617523_THE_COMPONENT_MODEL_OF_RE ADING_SIMPLE_VIEW_OF_READING_MADE_A_LITTLE_MORE_COMPLEX James S B & Michael F G (2010) What is Academic Vocabulary? Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 54 Ken H & Polly T (2007) Is There an "Academic Vocabulary"? Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc (TESOL) Retrieved on June 20, 2015 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40264352 Kirakowski, J and Corbett, M (1990) Effective Methodology for the Study of HCI North Holland Elsevier Retrieved on December 22, 2015 from http://www.ucc.ie/hfrg/projects/respect/urmethods/diary.htm Kieffer, M J & Lesaux, N K (2007) Breaking down words to make meaning: morphology, vocabulary, and reading comprehension in the urban classroom The Reading Teacher, 61(2), pp.134-144 Kinsella (2010) Academic language toolkit A resource for developing academic langua for all students in all content areas Sweetwater district Page Krashen, S.D (1989) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition English Language Teaching series London: Prentice-Hall International (UK) Ltd Levin & Joel R (2002) Mnemonic Strategies and Techniques The Gale Group Inc Retrieved on October 26, 2015 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403200415.html 49 María.P (1973) Explicit Teaching of Academic Vocabulary in EFL- Preparing Icelandic students for education at university level MA: University of Iceland Lisa L, Temoca D, and Dianna T (2013) How Can Teachers Increase Classroom Use of Academic Vocabulary? Retrieved on October 27, 2015 from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/How_Can_Teachers_Increase_ Classroom_Use_of_Academic_Vocabulary_463703_7.pdf Martin A (1976) Teaching Academic Vocabulary to Foreign Graduate Students TESOL Quarterly 10(1): 91 97 Matsuoka, W., & Hirsh, D (2010, April) Vocabulary learning through reading: Does an ELT course book provide good opportunities? Reading in a Foreign Language, 22(1), 56-70 Retrieved May 25, 2015 from http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/April2010/articles/matsuoka.pdf Maricel G S Depth of academic vocabulary knowledge: Investigating depth of academic vocabulary knowledge among language-minority community college students San Francisco State University, California, USA McMillan J H & Schumacher S(1993) Research in Education-A Conceptual Introduction, NewYork: Harpen Collins College Publishers Muse E & Tannenbaum K.R (Eds.), Vocabulary acquisition: Implications for reading comprehension (pp 123 – 139) New York: Guilford Nadarajan S (2011) The Challenges of Getting L2 Learners to Use Academic Words in their Writings Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching pp 184–200 Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Nation, I S P (2008) Teaching vocabulary: Strategies and techniques Boston: Heinle Nation, I S P., & Waring, R (1997) Vocabulary size, text coverage and word lists Cambridge Nation, I S P (2001) Learning vocabulary in another language Campridge: CUP 50 Newton, E et al (2008) Evidence-based instruction in reading: A professional development guide to vocabulary Boston: Pearson Education Nunan, D (2000) Autonomy in Language Learning Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press Nunan, D (1997) Designing and adapting materials to encourage learner autonomy London: Longman, p 193 Oxford, R (1999) Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher should know Boston: Newbury House (p.1) Proctor, C.P, Dalton, B, & Grisham, D.L (2007) Scaffolding English language learners and struggling readers in a universal literacy environment with embedded strategy instruction and vocabulary support Joural of Literacy Research, 31(1), pp.71-93 Santos M (1998) Dept of Academic vocabulary knowledge: Investigating dept of academic vocabulary knowledge among language-minority community college students San Francisco State University, California, US Scharle, A., & Szabo, A (2000) Learner autonomy – A guide to developing learner responsibility Cambridge University Press (p.4) Selinger H W & Shohamy E (1989) Second Language Research Methods Oxford University Press Shanker| J L Developing Vocabulary Knowledge Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall Retrieved on May 19th, 2015 from http://www.education.com/reference/article/developing-vocabularyknowledge/ Sokmen.A (1997) Current trends in teaching second language vocabulary In N Schmitt & M McCart hy (eds.), Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Songbo Z (2010) Comparing Receptive and Productive Academic Vocabulary Knowledge of Chinese EFL Learners Asian Social Science Retrieved May 26, 2015 from http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v6n10p14 51 Soureshjani, K.H (2011) Gender-oriented Use of Vocabulary Strategies: A Comparative Study Theory and Practice in Language Studies 1.7, 898-902 Smith, B A (1999) Ethical and methodological benefits of using a reflexive journal in hermeneutic-phenomenologic research Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 31(4), 359-363 Snow, C.E., & Kim, Y (2007) Large problem spaces: The challenge of vocabulary for English language learners (pp 123 – 139) New York: Guilford Susan E W (2011) What is the Difference between Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research? Retrieved on December 28, 2015 from http://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-betweenqualitative-research-and-quantitative-research/ Thanasoulas, D (2000) What is learner autonomy and how can it be fostered? Retrieved on May 20, 2015 from http://iteslj.Org/Articles/Thanasoulas _Autonomy.html Snow, C (2011) Word generation: Promoting classroom discussion to teach academic language and deep comprehension Retrieved May 22, 2015 from http://upptokur.hi.is/player/?r=b4d0d5c2-c89b-4d1f-bde0-7bb2e9c52794 Sandra H Academic Vocabulary University of Nottingham retrieved on June 20, 2015 from http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/alzsh3/acvocab/ Sheory & Mokharai, 1993 Second language reading and vocabulary learning Ablex Publishing Corporation Schmitt, N., & McCarthy, M (Eds.) (1997) Vocabulary: Description, acquisition, and pedagogy Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Wilkins, D A (1972) Linguistics in language teaching London: Edward Arnold (p.111) Youngkyong (2007) Learning and Use of Academic Vocabulary: A Case Study of Three Korean Undergraduate Students in a U.S Academic Setting Temple University Zimmerman, D H., & Wieder, D L (1977) The diary interview method Urban Life, 5(4), 479-499 Zwiers J (2008) Building academic language Newark International Reading Association 52 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRES (For students) I am gathering data for the study “A study on strategies to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom by EFL students at Hue University, College of Foreign Languages” Please put a tick () in appropriate answer(s) that reflects your opinion Definition: General academic vocabulary consists of words that appear reasonably frequently within and across academic domains They are normally abstract words and have many meanings (Baumann &Graves, 2010) Ex: theory, benefit, evidence, achieve, evaluation, shift, circumstances, considerable, interaction, overall, hence, et How often you learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom?  Never  Rarely  Sometimes  Often  Always What are the benefits of academic vocabulary in your language learning? (You can choose more than one answer)  Improving students‟ writing skills  Improving students‟ reading comprehension  Enhancing students‟ critical thinking  Expressing your own opinions clearly  Preparing for some tests such as C1, IELTS, TOFEL, etc  Being able to choose words with greater accuracy  Others………………………………………………………………… In your opinion, learning vocabulary outside the classroom is: (Put a tick () on the option you choose)  Not important at all  Not very important  Important  Very important  Extremely important 53 What you think about the autonomy (tính tự chủ) in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom?  Not important at all  Not very important  Important  Very important  Extremely important What are the roles of autonomy in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom? (You can choose more than one answer)  Enhancing learners‟ motivation and needs  Being independent in choosing materials  Being active in time arrangement  Enlarging academic vocabulary knowledge  Increasing students‟ self-confidence and self-reliance  Others…………………………………………………………………………… Why you think it is important to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom? Choose ONE of the following codes when responding to each question 1- Strongly disagree 2- Disagree 3- Neutral 4- Agree 5-Strongly agree Statements a Broadening student‟s knowledge b Helping students understand abstract concepts, multiple meaning words, and content vocabulary c Helping students understand teachers‟ instructions, lectures or academic texts d Stimulating students‟ interest in English language learning e Promoting students‟ autonomy in language learning 54 f Developing students‟ English skills g Succeeding in university classes/courses h Getting high mark in exams ( semester exams, IELTS, TOEFL, etc) i Preparing themselves for studying at university g Becoming more aware of their learning needs and thus enhances their motivation k Others (please specify)…………………………………………… How often you use the below academic vocabulary learning strategies outside the classroom? (Put a tick () in appropriate answer(s) that reflects your opinion) 1- never 2-rarely 3- sometimes 4-often 5-always Frequency Strategies a Reading theses b Studying academic vocabulary word list c Talking about academic topics with friends d Writing your own reflections e Listening to the news on TV or Internet (CNN, BBC, etc) f Studying vocabulary for tests (Ielts, Toefl, C1, etc.) g Studying word families h Studying the words‟ synonyms and antonyms i Looking up words in an English-English dictionary j Guessing the words‟ meaning basing on contexts k Creating your own academic vocabulary lists l Grouping words together to study them 55 m Using physical action when learning an academic word n Keeping a vocabulary notebook o Testing yourself with academic word tests p Others: (please specify)… Please give some suggestions for learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom effectively …………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………… Which factors you think hinder learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom?  Students not have time for learning academic vocabulary  Studying academic vocabulary is boring  There are too many academic resources to choose  Students are not patient  Students cannot find out the exact meanings of academic words  Students cannot use the academic words in the context exactly  Others (please specify) Thanks for your cooperation! 56 APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Definition: General academic vocabulary consists of words that appear reasonably frequently within and across academic domains They are normally abstract words and have many meanings (Baumann &Graves, 2010) Ex: theory, benefit, evidence, achieve, evaluation, shift, circumstances, considerable, interaction, overall, hence, etc Question - Do you know academic vocabulary? Question - Do you often learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom? Question - Do you think learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom is important? If yes, why? If no, why not? Question - What strategies you use to learn academic vocabulary outside the classroom? Question - What are some difficulties faced by yourself in learning academic vocabulary outside the classroom? 57 APPENDIX CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN Định nghĩa: Từ vựng học thuật chung dùng để từ thường xuyên xuất tất chuyên ngành, lĩnh vực học thuật Những loại từ thường mang nghĩa trừu tượng có nhiều nghĩa khác (ví dụ, theory, benefit, evidence, achieve, evaluation, shift, circumstances, considerable, interaction, overall, hence…) (Baumann & Graves, 2010) Câu hỏi 1: Bạn có biết từ vựng học thuật khơng? Câu hỏi 2: Bạn có thường tự học từ vựng tiếng Anh học thuật bên ngồi lớp học khơng? Câu hỏi 3: Theo bạn, việc học từ vựng tiếng anh học thuật bên ngồi lớp học có quan trọng khơng? Nếu có lại quan trọng? Nếu khơng sao? Câu hỏi 4: Bạn hay sử dụng phương pháp để học từ vựng tiếng anh học thuật bên lớp học? Câu hỏi 5: Bạn gặp phải khó khăn học từ vựng tiếng Anh học thuật bên lớp học? 58 APPENDIX MY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY DIARY Please complete the diary based on the questions below The academic words are attached for you The academic words I learned outside the classroom today are: ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… From which materials did you learn/come across the academic words? ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… How did you try to find out the meanings of the academic words today? ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… 59 APPENDIX Academic words list (Coxhead, 2000) GROUP sector - available - financial - process - individual - specific - principle - estimate variables - method - data - research - contract - environment - export - source assessment - policy - identified - create - derived - factors - procedure - definition assume - theory - benefit - evidence - established - authority - major - issues labour - occur - economic - involved - percent - interpretation - consistent - income - structure - legal - concept - formula - section - required - constitutional - analysis distribution - function - area - approach - role - legislation - indicate - response period - context - significant - similar GROUP community - resident - range - construction - strategies - elements - previous conclusion - security - aspects - acquisition - features - text - commission regulations - computer - items - consumer - achieve - final - positive - evaluation assistance - normal - relevant - distinction - region - traditional - impact consequences - chapter - equation - appropriate - resources - participation - survey potential - cultural - transfer - select - credit - affect - categories - perceived - sought - focus - purchase - injury - site - journal - primary - complex - institute - investment - administration - maintenance - design - obtained - restricted - conduct GROUP comments - convention - published - framework - implies - negative - dominant illustrated - outcomes - constant - shift - deduction - ensure - specified - justification - funds - reliance - physical - partnership - location - link - coordination - alternative - initial - validity - task - techniques - excluded - consent - proportion - demonstrate - reaction - criteria - minorities - technology - philosophy - removed - sex compensation - sequence - corresponding - maximum - circumstances - instance considerable - sufficient - corporate - interaction - contribution - immigration - 60 component - constraints - technical - emphasis - scheme - layer - volume document - registered - core GROUP overall - emerged - regime - implementation - project - hence - occupational internal - goals - retained - sum - integration - mechanism - parallel - imposed despite - job - parameters - approximate - label - concentration - principal - series predicted - summary - attitudes - undertaken - cycle - communication - ethnic hypothesis - professional - status - conference - attributed - annual - obvious - error - implications - apparent - commitment - subsequent - debate - dimensions promote - statistics - option - domestic - output - access - code - investigation phase - prior - granted - stress - civil - contrast - resolution - adequate GROUP alter - stability - energy - aware - licence - enforcement - draft - styles - precise medical - pursue - symbolic - marginal - capacity - generation - exposure - decline academic - modified - external - psychology - fundamental - adjustment - ratio whereas - enable - version - perspective - contact - network - facilitate - welfare transition - amendment - logic - rejected - expansion - clause - prime - target objective - sustainable - equivalent - liberal - notion - substitution - generated trend - revenue - compounds - evolution - conflict - image - discretion - entities orientation - consultation - mental - monitoring - challenge GROUP intelligence - transformation - presumption - acknowledged - utility - furthermore accurate - diversity - attached - recovery - assigned - tapes - motivation - bond edition - nevertheless - transport - cited - fees - scope - enhanced - incorporated instructions - subsidiary - input - abstract - ministry - capable - expert - preceding display - incentive - inhibition - trace - ignored - incidence - estate - cooperative revealed - index - lecture - discrimination - overseas - explicit - aggregate - gender underlying - brief - domain - rational - minimum - interval - neutral - migration flexibility - federal - author - initiatives - allocation - exceed 61 GROUP intervention - confirmed - definite - classical - chemical - voluntary - release visible - finite - publication - channel - file - thesis - equipment - disposal - solely deny - identical - submitted - grade - phenomenon - paradigm - ultimately - extract survive - converted - transmission - global - inferred - guarantee - advocate dynamic - simulation - topic - insert - reverse - decades - comprise - hierarchical unique - comprehensive - couple - mode - differentiation - eliminate - priority empirical - ideology - somewhat - aid - foundation - adults - adaptation - quotation contrary - media - successive - innovation - prohibited - isolated GROUP highlighted - eventually - inspection - termination - displacement - arbitrary reinforced - denote - offset - exploitation - detected - abandon - random - revision virtually - uniform - predominantly - thereby - implicit - tension - ambiguous vehicle - clarity - conformity - contemporary - automatically - accumulation appendix - widespread - infrastructure - deviation - fluctuations - restore guidelines - commodity - minimises - practitioners - radical - plus - visual - chart appreciation - prospect - dramatic - contradiction - currency - inevitably complement - accompany - paragraph - induced - schedule - intensity - crucial - via - exhibit - bias - manipulation - theme - nuclear GROUP bulk - behalf - unified - commenced - erosion - anticipated - minimal - ceases vision - mutual - norms - intermediate - manual - supplementary - incompatible concurrent - ethical - preliminary - integral - conversely - relaxed - confined accommodation - temporary - distorted - passive - subordinate - analogous military - scenario - revolution - diminished - coherence - suspended - mature assurance - rigid - controversy - sphere - mediation - format - trigger - qualitative portion - medium - coincide - violation - device - insights - refine - devoted - team overlap - attained - restraints - inherent - route - protocol - founded - duration - 62 GROUP 10 whereby - inclination - encountered - convinced - assembly - albeit - enormous reluctant - posed - persistent - undergo - notwithstanding - straightforward - panel odd - intrinsic - compiled - adjacent - integrity - forthcoming - conceived - ongoing - so-called - likewise - nonetheless - levy - invoked - colleagues - depression collapse - 63