An analysis of the practicability of morphology to vocabulary development of students from huflits foreign languages department

HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GRADUATION PAPER AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICABILITY OF MORPHOLOGY TO VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS FROM HUFLIT'S FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT I I I ! Advisor: MS Bin THJ PHUONG THAO, M.A Student: NGUYEN NAM TRUNG Student's number: llDH710290 Class: BAll03 Major: English - Vietnamese Translation and Interpretation HUFLlTLIB "'' '101001392 ' 1111111111111 """ June, 2015 HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GRADUATION PAPER AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICABILITY OF MORPHOLOGY TO VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS FROM HUFLIT'S FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT Advisor: MS BiJI THJ PHUONG THAo, M.A Student: NGUYEN NAM TRUNG Student's number: llDH710290 Class: BAl103 Major: English - Vietnamese Translation and Interpretation June, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 Research gap 1.3 Objective 1.4 Scope 1.5 Research question 1.6 Organization LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Vocabulary acquisition in Second Language Learning 10 2.2 Approaches to vocabulary learning 10 2.2.1 Repetition Learning Approaches 11 2.2.2 Word-Form Learning Approaches 12 2.3 Morphology: Basic introduction 13 2.3.1 What is Morphology? 13 2.3.2 Terminologies 15 in Morphology i Morpheme 15 ii Free and bound morphemes 16 iii Affixes and Bases, Roots 17 a Affixes 17 Prefix 17 Infix 18 Suffix 18 b Bases & Roots 20 Bases 20 Roots 20 2.3.3 The importance ofleaming roots 21 METHOD 3.1 Description of the Subjects 3.1.1 The subjects in the survey 23 3.1.2 The subjects in the experiment and in the interviews 23 3.2 Materials 3.2.1 The survey questionnaire 24 3.2.2 The experiment tests 25 3.2.3 The list of Latin and Greek roots in English 25 3.2.4 The post-test interview questions 26 3.3 Procedures 3.3.1 The survey 26 3.3.2 The experiment 27 3.3.3 The post-test interviews 28 3.4 Statistical treatment 28 RESULTS 4.1 The results in the survey 30 4.2 The results in the experiment 36 4.3 The results in the post-test interview 38 ! DICUSSION 5.1 Discussion 5.1.1 On the survey 44 5.1.2 On the experiment 47 5.1.3 On the post-test interviews 50 5.2 Recommendations and Applications 52 CONCLUSION 6.1 Conclusion 55 6.2 Limitations and Implications 59 APPENDIX I The Survey Questionnaire 61 II The Experiment Materials 67 Test 68 Test 76 The Latin and Greek Root List 84 III The Interview Transcripts Vietnamese Interview Transcripts English Interview Transcripts IV The list of the subjects 94 107 122 The subjects in the experiment 123 The subject in the interview 124 REFERENCES - 93 125 ABSTRACT English linguistics are often considered as a "bridge" leading learners into a much deeper world of the language's lexicons Among linguistics subjects, Morphology is of great importance in lexical development, however, there seems to be a common trend that many EFL students have no much interest in learning the subject The aim of this study was to investigate the practicability of Morphology to vocabulary development of 10 senior students from Foreign Languages Department at Ho Chi Minh University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT) by means of a twomultiple-test experiment Results indicated that Morphology helped the participants acquire lexical items more easily and systematically Morphology can even bring out more benefits in enriching one's vocabulary and to other related fields if further research has been carried out BANG TOM TAT CaC man hQc ngon ngfr hQc ti6ng Anh thuang duqc xem nhu "cfru n6i" giup nguai hQc ti6p xuc sau hon v&i kh6i luqng tu vvng cua ngon ngfr Trong s6 nhfrng man hQc do, Hinh thai hQc co tim quan trQng vi~c phat tri~n tit VlJIlg, nhien hi~n t~i co nhi€u sinh vien nganh Ngon ngfr Anh khong danh nhi€u hUng tM cho hQc man Bai khoa lu~n huang t&i vi~c nghien Clm tinh kha thi cua Hinh thai hQc vi~c phat tri~n tit vlJIlg cua 10 sinh vien nam cu6i khoa Ngo~i ngfr thuQc huang f)~i HQc Ngo~i ngfr va Tin HQc Thanh ph6 H6 Chi Minh (HUFLIT) thOng qua mQt thlJc nghi~m v&i hai ki~m tra tr~c nghi~m tit vlJIlg K6t qua cho thfry duqc Hinh thai hQc giup nhfrng nguai tham gia thlJc nghi~m hQc tit nhanh va M th6ng hon Hinh thai hQc co th~ dem nhi€u lqi ich hon vi~c rna rQng v6n tit cua nguai hQc cung nhu nhfrng Ung dl,mg cac linh VlJClien quan n6u co nhi€u nghien Clm duqc ti6n hanh tuong lai ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Initially, I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor - Ms Bui Thi Phuong Thao - for her constructive feedbacks Her profound knowledge of Morphology as well as insightful questions on my paper really challenged me to think deeply on the topic the and stay focused My deep appreciation also goes to Ms Bui Thi Thanh Truc for giving precious advice, to Ms Tran My Uyen for allowing me an access to the lab room for the test experiment, to Mr Tran Thanh Tu for his ardent supports at the beginning of this research I also owe thanks to my friends who were always willing to help me during the experiment even though they were really busy with the final examinations Finally, I would like to thank my parents for supporting me throughout the process of writing this paper Chapter I INTRODUCTION Background Research gap Objective Scope Research question Organization INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background No one can deny the important role of English as it is now the most widely used language in the world English becomes more and more simplified for communicative needs because of the fast-paced globalization Depended on specific purposes, the language is divided into two categories: English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) In the process of learning English, one can build up his or her vocabulary by practicing skills from listening, speaking, reading and writing Learners may come across a wide range of new words and gradually improve their lexical skills such as guessing meanings by context or mastering the use of word choice in speaking or writing if they keep on practicing those mentioned skills As learners advance their English learning, especially for academic purposes (EAP), the density of advanced lexicons is very high Therefore, many EFL students face a lot of difficulties in struggling with comprehending specialized texts or writing formal essays that require high standards because they may lack methods of learning and using words properly English linguistics subjects are considered as a better tool to enrich one's vocabulary comprehensively and academically They serve as a bridge into a much deeper world of the language's lexicons That explains why most language universities put some linguistic subjects in the main curriculum for EFL students As a matter of fact, HUFLIT's Department of Foreign Languages (DFL) currently introduces courses such as Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics to EFL students as the basic introduction to English academic I: What is your opinion on the fact that many [EFL] students not apply the root analysis to guess word's meaning or to enrich their vocabulary set when they already studied Morphology, which emphasizes the knowledge of root words? 13: This issues can be explained by many reasons I think the first reason is that most students not have awareness the importance of learning roots, and the second reason is attributed to the fact that they not find enough interest, love for root learning I: This is also the last question Thank you for your cooperation 115 INTERVIEW NUMBER FOUR The Interview with Ms Nguyin Tht Thanh Thew (DFL senior student - Major: English as Foreign Language (EFL) Speciality: English - Vietnamese Translation and Intelpretation) I = Interviewer or the researcher 14 = Interviewee no - Ms Nguyin Tht Thanh Thew Foreword: Good morning Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao First, I would like to express my thankfulness for participating the two tests in the experiment And now, I am going to conduct an interview with you for some personal assessment regarding "The analysis of the practicability of Morphology to vocabulary development of DFL students from Ho Chi Minh University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT)" I: On the first question, how did you choose the answers for test I? 14: In test 1, there are some words that I have encountered but did not have any clear clue oftheir definitions Therefore, I chose the answers by intuition I was not sure of my choice I: For test 2, how did you choose the answers? 14: In the second test, after receiving the material, I memorized many roots Therefore, I did the test based on roots I did the best with clarity instead of intuition I felt confident with my performance 116 I: Did the material help you during the experiment? 14: Yes, the material was very helpful to me I have learned many new words and roots I can apply [roots analysis] to learning words I've never encountered I: Did you have any difficulties during the process of the experiment? (the period after receiving the material and before the second test) Ifso, did they affect your results in test 2? 14: In fact, there are a lot of roots in English, and it takes a long time to learn them thoroughly In test 2, there were some items that I had revised [in the material] but I did not memorize them well It demanded you a good memory Therefore, I was not sure of some of my choices in the second test I: After the two tests, you pay more attention to the root learning as well as the importance of Morphology? 14: After completing the two tests, I find it very important to learn roots and be able to identify them, especially in reading and writing With the knowledge of Morphology, we can learn many words by identifying roots and guessing the meaning without having to know its definition When I received the material, I realized the importance of this subject - that is the application of guessing words' meaning by their roots For example, this morning I encountered a new word in the examination, and by applying root identification to guessing its meaning, I got it right Therefore, I think Morphology is very important 117 I: What is your opinion on the fact that many [EFL] students not apply the root analysis to guess word's meaning or to enrich their vocabulary set when they already studied Morphology, which emphasizes the knowledge of root words? 14: As a student, I think it is partly due to the rote-learning of most EFL students They tried to study Morphology in order to pass the required credits Consequently, they forget the purpose of this subject: the knowledge of roots and their application to new words At the end of the course, most of the knowledge related to Morphology and its purpose seem to be ignored and they continue other subjects in new semesters I: This is also the last question Thank you for your cooperation " 118 INTERVIEW NUMBER FIVE The interview with Ms Nguyln Thj ThllY Dung (DFL senior student - Major: English as Foreign Language (EFL) Speciality: Teaching English as English As Foreign Language (TEFL)) I = interviewer or the researcher Is Foreword: = interviewee no - Ms Nguyln Thi Thlly Dung Good morning Ms Nguyen Thi ThUyDung First, I would like to express my thankfulness for participating the two tests in the experiment And now, I am going to conduct an interview with you for some personal assessment regarding "The analysis of the practicability of Morphology to vocabulary development of DFL students from Ho Chi Minh University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT)" I: On the first question, how did you choose the answers for test I? Is: During my four-year study at HUFLIT, most of the items in the first test are the ones that I have encountered Because of limited use of those words, my choices were made by feeling, and I was not sure of those I: For test 2, how did you choose the answers? Is: I chose the answers in a clearer way I was sure of the results because I found a good method to solve the questions: identify the roots and finding their related meamngs 119 I: Did the material help you during the experiment? Is: The material helped me a lot It made my vocabulary learning more active I: Did you have any difficulties during the process of the experiment ? (the period after receiving the material and before the second test) If so, did they affect your results in test 2? I6: Yes, I did There are a lot of roots in the list so that it is required that you have a good memory to learn all the roots, which partially affected my second test For example, with roots on which I had good impression, I could surely find the correct answers On the contrary, some roots with little impression appeared vague to me though I had revised them in the material before the second test Therefore, I think I need more time to learn and absorb them I: After the two tests, you pay more attention to the root learning as well as the importance of MOIphology? Is: Traditionally, I learned English vocabulary by heart After finishing the two tests, there have been positive changes in my vocabulary learning I save a lot of time learning new words, and especially I become less dependent on dictionaries, because I can identify root words and guess the meanings based on roots 120 I: What is your opinion on the fact that many [EFL] students not apply the root analysis to guess word's meawning or to enrich their vocabulary set when they already studied Morphology, which emphasizes the knowledge of root words, in their sophomore year? Is: Personally, most students cannot apply the root into practice because they mainly focus on theory learning and rote-learning, which seems popular in among students in Viet Nam They also don't find for themselves effective methods of learning, among of them is the application of root I: This is also the last question Thank you for your cooperation 121 more IV THE LISTS OF THE SUBJECTS SECTION A The list of subjects in the experiment SECTIONB The list of subjects in the interview , 122 SECTION A: THE LIST OF SUBJECTS IN THE EXPERIMENT Results # Full name ID No GAP* Ngo Tran QUYnh Anh llDH710029 Nguyen Thi ThUy Dung Test Test 7.34 10/20 15/20 11DH710248 6.88 8/20 12/20 Vo Thi TMy Duyen llDH710051 7.91 9/20 18/20 11DH710278 6.30 8/20 16/20 D~ng Thi HuYnh Mai H6 Phuac Biio NgQc 11DH710076 7.67 11/20 17/20 Nguyen Thi Lan Nhi 11DH710047 6.78 6/20 12/20 Di~p Gia Phti 11DH710250 8.15 14120 18/20 Nguyen Thi Thanh Thiio 11DH710272 7.6 6/20 12/20 10 Doan Xuan Trinh Nguyen Hoai Vii 11DH710258 11DH710070 6.9 7.43 4/20 8/20 11/20 12/20 (*: updated in May 2015) 123 SECTION B: THE LIST OF SUBJECTS IN THE INTERVIEW # Full name ID No Speciality f)~ng Thi Huynh Mai llDH7l0278 English - Vietnamese Translation & Interpretation H6 Phu6c BilO NgQc llDH7l0076 English - Vietnamese Translation & Interpretation Di~p Gia PM llDH7l0250 English - Vietnamese Translation & Interpretation Nguy@nThi Thanh Thao llDH7l0272 English - Vietnamese Translation & Interpretation Nguy@nThi Thuy Dung llDH7l0248 Teaching English a Foreign Language (TEFL) The interviews of the five subjects were conducted in Vietnamese language and recorded live on May 21 st 2015 at Ho Chi Minh University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT) The interview audio files are available for access at the link below: https://goo.gl/CKbyCm 124 REFERENCES Anderson, J P., & Jordan, A M (1928) Learning and retention of Latin words and phrases Journal of Educational Psychology, 19, 485-496 Blachowisz, C and P Fisher (2002) Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms (2nd ed) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrilll Prentice Hall Carstaris-McCarthy, Andrew (2002) An Introduction to Morphology Edinburg University Press Chandler, R E, and K Schwartz (1961) A new history of Spanish literature Barton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press Coady, J., & Huckin, T (1997) Second language vocabulary acquisition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Cresswell, Julia (2010) Oxford: Dictionary of Word Origins (2nd ed.) 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