The effects of lextutor in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading at dong thap community college

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY The effects of Lextutor in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading at Dong Thap Community College A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Tai Lieu Chat Luong Master of Arts (TESOL) Submitted by: TRAM THI NGOC HUONG Supervisor Assoc Prof Dr NGUYEN THANH TUNG Ho Chi Minh City, August, 2017 i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled “The effects of Lextutor in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading at Dong Thap Community College” is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis This thesis has not been submitted for any degree in any other tertiary institution Ho Chi Minh City, 2017 TRAM THI NGOC HUONG i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Tung, for his devotion, patient instruction, encouragement and enthusiastic guidance throughout the current research I am deeply indebted to him for his invaluable advice and comments from which I have learned many important things while doing the research I also wish to express my appreciation for his applied linguistics lectures which are very useful and inspiring me to the research Next, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the instructional staffs for the MTESOL course of the Graduate School at the Open University in Ho Chi Minh City They gave me profound knowledge and valuable advice from which I could develop theoretical and practical knowledge in the sphere of language teaching and learning Then, I would like to give my special thanks to teachers and students at Dong Thap Community College, all of whom were very willing and enthusiastic to participate in the research I am also very thankful to my close friends, who enthusiastically encouraged me to finish the research Last but not least, I would like to express my deep gratefulness to my family, who were always by my side and gave me love and mental support to help me overcome difficulties to accomplish the research work ii ABSTRACT The most difficulty the students at Dong Thap Community College (DTCC) encounter in reading is their struggle to deal with English vocabulary The study thus investigates the feasibility and educational value of applying the Compleat Lexical Tutor (Cobb, 1997) into dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading at DTCC Seventy students from two classes at DTCC were selected as the control and experimental groups to participate in the research The data of the study were collected through the two instruments of a questionnaire and tests Test and questionnaire data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test and means respectively Considering the research questions in the light of findings, the research indicates the positive benefits of the activities in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading with the help of Lextutor The findings of the research indicate that the students made better improvement in vocabulary and reading comprehension They also expressed a positive attitude towards the activities with Lextutor iii CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.2 Statement of the problem 1.3 Aim of the study, research questions and hypotheses 1.4 Research significance CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction of Lextutor 2.2 Introduction of the Web VP 2.3 The benefits of Lextutor 2.4 Procedure for applying the Web VP 12 2.5 Studies on the related topic 20 2.6 Chapter summary 22 CHAPTER : METHODOLOGY 23 3.1 Research Site 23 3.2 Research participants 23 3.2.1 Population 23 3.2.2 Sample 23 3.3 Research design and method of investigation 25 3.3.1 Research design 25 3.3.2 Method of investigation 26 3.4 Analytical Framework 33 3.4.1 Tests 34 3.4.2 Questionnaire 35 3.5 Reliability and validity of the instruments 36 3.5.2 Questionnaire 37 3.6 Chapter Summary 37 iv CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 38 4.1 Tests 38 4.1.1 Resemblance in the pre-test 38 4.1.2 Disparity in the post-test 42 4.1.3 The correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension 49 4.1.4 Summary of the results from the pre-tests and post-tests 50 4.2 Questionnaire 51 4.3 Chapter summary 59 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 60 5.1 Finding on the students’ improvement 60 5.1.1 Vocabulary 60 5.1.2 Reading comprehension 61 5.1.3 The correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension 62 5.2 Finding on students’ attitude towards the activities 63 5.3 Chapter summary 65 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 66 6.1 Main conclusions 66 6.2 Evaluation of the methodology 67 6.2.1 Strengths 67 6.2.2 Weaknesses 68 6.3 Recommendations for teachers and students 68 6.3.1 For teachers 68 6.3.2 For students 69 6.4 Suggestions for further research 70 6.5 Chapter summary 70 REFERENCES 71 APPENDIX 1: The vocabulary size test 76 APPENDIX 2: The pre-reading test 77 APPENDIX 3: The post-reading test 87 APPENDIX 4: The post-vocabulary test 95 APPENDIX 5: The questionnaire 99 APPENDIX 6: Text analysis by the Web VP in Lextutor 106 APPENDIX 7: Activities in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading 118 APPENDIX 8: Lesson plan for the control group 120 v APPENDIX 9: Lesson plan for the experimental group 122 APPENDIX 10: Reading comprehension pre-test and post-test scores 125 APPENDIX 11: Vocabulary post-test scores 126 APPENDIX 12: Item total statistics of the reading comprehension pre-test 127 APPENDIX 13: Item total statistics of the reading comprehension post-test 128 APPENDIX 14: Item total statistics of the vocabulary post-test 129 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: What is involved in knowing a word 15 Table 2.2: Reasons for choosing a particular activity 19 Table 2.3: Explanation of reasons 20 Table 3.1: Personal information of the students 24 Table 3.2: List of reading texts 26 Table 3.3: Activities in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading 28 Table 3.4: Test score interpretation 31 Table 3.5: The questionnaire clusters 33 Table 4.1: Mean scores in the pre-test 39 Table 4.2: Independent-samples t-test in the pre-test 40 Table 4.3: Reliability statistics of the pre-test 40 Table 4.4: Test of normality in the pre-test scores 41 Table 4.5: Mean scores in the vocabulary achievement test 43 Table 4.6: Independent-sample t-test in the vocabulary achievement test 43 Table 4.7: Reliability statistics of the vocabulary achievement test 44 Table 4.8: Test of normality in the vocabulary achievement test scores 45 Table 4.9: Mean scores in the reading comprehension test 47 Table 4.10: Independent-sample t-test in the post-reading comprehension test 47 Table 4.11: Reliability statistics of the post-reading comprehension test 48 Table 4.12: Test of normality in the post-reading comprehension test scores 49 Table 4.13: The correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension in the control group 50 Table 4.14: The correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension in the experimental group 50 Table 4.15: Frequency, percentages and mean of students’ responses to the questionnaire 52 Table 4.16: Reliability statistics of the questionnaire 53 vii Table 4.17: Students’ attitude towards the usefulness of activities in dealing with vocabulary 56 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: The entry page of Lextutor Figure 2.2: The input of the text 12 Figure 2.3: Text analysis 13 Figure 2.4: Text analysis 13 Figure 4.1: Pre-reading test score distribution 38 Figure 4.2: Comparison of vocabulary achievement test scores 42 Figure 4.3: Post-reading comprehension test score distribution 46 Figure 4.4: Students’ interests in activities in dealing with vocabulary 54 Figure 4.5: Students’ preference in activities in dealing with vocabulary 54 Figure 4.6: Students’ pressure from activities in dealing with vocabulary 55 Figure 4.7: Students’ perceived competence from the activities 57 Figure 4.8: Students’ attitude towards the relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension 57 ix 115 TEXT 12: DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS Two years ago, high school students Michael Pinsky and David Connor read an article in a newspaper about a school in Harlem, e neighborhood in New York City The school had a baseball team, but no money to buy balls, team uniforms, or other equipment Michael and David had an idea They decided to help the team get money for the equipment they needed So the two boys started a project to raise money for the baseball team They called the project “Home Runs for Harlem.” They placed boxes in stores to collect money for the team and sold bracelets with the words “Home Runs for Harlem” on them Their plan was to give all the money they collected to the school to support the team Michael and David’s project was a great success They raised over $9,000 The team bought the equipment they needed: gloves, baseballs, and bats The school also used some of the money to pay a baseball coach After the school in Harlem received the money, Michael and David spoke to the students at the school, and David explained why this was a dream come true “It’s not just about me,” he says “It’s for other people It’s for the community.” “I just hope they have a fun time playing baseball, and if they can have the equipment, then that just help out,” says David Michael and David now plan to raise money for other baseball teams in Harlem For their passionate and inspiring efforts to support school baseball programs, the two teenagers were New Yorkers of the Week on one of New York’s news stations 116 117 APPENDIX 7: Activities in dealing with vocabulary in intensive reading Unit 10: In a restaurant Activity 1: Pre-teaching vocabulary - a ninja (n): picture - vegetarian (n/adj) -> a vegetarian (n): a person who does not eat fish or meat -> a vegetarian restaurant (adj.): a restaurant does not serve fish or meat Activity 2: Match the words in column A with their meaning column B A B location a having very good taste or smell a ninja b a customer a guest c a person trained in traditional Japanese skills of fighting and moving quietly delicious d a place where something happened a vegetarian e a person who does a job without being paid for it restaurant a volunteer f a restaurant that serves no fish or meat Activity 3: Use a dictionary to find the meaning and part of speech of the following words from the text - Focus (v): - Performance (n): Activity 4: Choose the correct words to complete the sentences: Many people like Dans Le Noir because it is in good A performance B location C blog D guest Her mother is very proud of her because she did a very amazing _ this morning 118 A performance B volunteer C location D blog If you want to be successful, you should appreciate your suggestions A vendors’ B ninjas’ C guests’ D volunteers’ The guests should on the touch, smell and taste of the food when eating at Dans Le Noir A focus B appreciate C check D inspire Customers always come back that restaurant because it serves very food A good B delicious C fantastic 119 D all of the above APPENDIX 8: Lesson plan for the control group Unit 10: In a restaurant Skill: Reading – Restaurant experiences Time: 55’ Class: Food Technology K15A I Objective of the lesson: By the end of the lesson, the students are able to: - Comprehend the webpage with restaurant descriptions - Memorize and use the vocabulary related to restaurant experience - Develop their skills in synthesizing information and reading for specific information II Method: CLT III Teaching aids: pictures, board, chalk, hand-outs, course book IV Procedure: Stage Contents Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Time Pre- Discussion - T show the pictures - Ss work in pairs to 5’ reading - What is the strangest one of Ninja Akasaka, discuss the questions among three restaurants? Annalakshmi and and then individually Have you ever been to those Dans Le Noir answer the restaurants? restaurants to ss and questions - ask them the related questions - T call two ss to answer the questions and ask the class to give feedback Pre-teaching vocabulary - branch: picture use - T uses picture and - Work with the T to - volunteer: someone who does a example, explanation deal with the job for no money, usually for the to teach the new unknown words good of the community words 120 5’ - cover: picture use - blind: unable to see While- A which sentence describe all - Go over the reading three restaurants check the instruction correct answer - Have ss read the - Ss work individual webpage silently and and then compare check the correct the answer with their sentences partner 15’ - Go over the answer with the answer with the class B True / False / No information - Go over the instruction 20’ - Have ss read the - Work individually webpage again to find out the - Have ss work answers individually to write T, F, or NI - Have ss to compare - compare answers answers with partners with partners - Go over the answers with the class Post- Discussion: 10’ reading - Which restaurants in A you - Go over the think you’d enjoy? Why? questions - Have you ever been to an - have students to - Work in group and unusual restaurant? Tell your work in groups to discuss partner discuss the questions - Present to the class 121 APPENDIX 9: Lesson plan for the experimental group Unit 10: In a restaurant Skill: Reading – Restaurant experiences Time: 55’ Class: Food Technology K15B V Objective of the lesson: By the end of the lesson, the students are able to: - Comprehend the webpage with restaurant descriptions - Memorize and use the vocabulary related to restaurant experience - Develop their skills in synthesizing information and reading for specific information VI Method: CLT – applying activities in dealing with vocabulary with the help of Lextutor VII Teaching aids: pictures, board, chalk, hand-outs, course book VIII Procedure: Stage Contents Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Time Pre- Discussion - T show the pictures - Ss work in pairs to 5’ reading - What is the strangest one of Ninja Akasaka, discuss the questions among three restaurants? Annalakshmi and and then individually Have you ever been to those Dans Le Noir answer the restaurants? restaurants to ss and questions - ask them the related questions - T call two ss to answer the questions and ask the class to give feedback Pre-teaching vocabulary 5’ - a ninja (n): picture 122 - vegetarian (n/adj) - T uses picture and -> a vegetarian (n): a person example, explanation who does not eat fish or meat to teach the new -> a vegetarian restaurant words - Work with the T to deal with the unknown words (adj.): a restaurant does not serve fish or meat While- Use a dictionary to find the - T go over the reading meaning and part of speech of instruction Remind the following words from the them how to use a - Ss work individual text dictionary and then compare - Focus (v): - Check the possible the answer with their - Performance (n): answers partner -> Dance performance: - T go over the 15’ instruction - Check the answers Match the words in column A 20’ with their meaning column B which sentence describe all three - T go over the - Work individually restaurants check the correct instruction to find out the answer - Check the answers answers Choose the correct words to complete the sentences - compare answers with partners - T go over the - Work individually instruction to find out the - Check the answers answers A which sentence describe all three restaurants check the - compare answers correct answer with partners 123 B True / False / No information - Go over the - Work individually instruction to find out the - Have ss read the answers webpage silently and check the correct sentences - compare answers - Go over the answer with partners with the answer with the class - Go over the instruction - Have ss read the webpage again - Have ss work individually to write T, F, or NI - Have ss to compare answers with partners - Go over the answers with the class 10’ Post- Discussion: reading - Which restaurants in A you - Go over the think you’d enjoy? Why? questions - Have you ever been to an - have students to - Work in pair and unusual restaurant? Tell your work in groups to discuss partner discuss the questions - Present to the class 124 APPENDIX 10: Reading comprehension pre-test and post-test scores Pre-test Post-test Students Control Group 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 4.75 6.75 8.25 5.5 6.75 5.5 6.25 5.5 3.5 5.25 5.25 6.75 5.25 6.5 7.5 5.25 6.5 6.5 6.75 5.25 5.25 5.5 6.25 6.25 Experimental Group 6.5 6.25 5.25 6.5 5.25 6.25 5.5 6 6.5 6.75 8.25 7.5 5 5.25 5.5 5.25 5.25 5.5 6.75 5.75 3.5 6.5 5.5 6.25 6.5 4.75 125 Control Group 5.5 6.75 7.75 7.75 6.25 7.5 6.25 8.5 6.25 4.25 7.75 6.75 4.75 7.5 5.75 7.25 8.25 5.75 7.25 7.25 7.5 4.75 6.75 5.75 7.75 6.25 7 Experimental Group 5.75 9 9.75 7.5 9.25 7.75 8.5 10 8.25 6.5 6.75 9.25 7.5 8.25 5.75 6.5 8.75 9.5 6.75 6.5 8.75 8.75 9.25 6.75 6.75 8.5 7.75 9.25 7.75 7.75 8.5 8.5 APPENDIX 11: Vocabulary post-test scores Post-test Students 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Control Group 5.25 6.5 7.5 7.5 7.25 6.75 8.5 5.75 7.5 5.75 6.5 4.5 7.25 5.75 5.75 5.5 7 7.25 5.75 4.5 6.5 5.5 7.5 5.75 6.75 6.75 Experimental Group 6.75 8.5 8.5 9.5 8.5 7.5 8.5 10 7.25 5.25 6.5 8.75 7.75 5.25 8.5 6.5 8.25 9.25 6.25 6.25 8.25 8.25 8.5 6.5 5.25 8.75 7.25 7.25 8 126 APPENDIX 12: Item total statistics of the reading comprehension pre-test Question Q_1 Q_2 Q_3 Q_4 Q_5 Q_6 Q_7 Q_8 Q_9 Q_10 Q_11 Q_12 Q_13 Q_14 Q_15 Q_16 Q_17 Q_18 Q_19 Q_20 Q_21 Q_22 Q_23 Q_24 Q_25 Q_26 Q_27 Q_28 Q_29 Q_30 Q_31 Q_32 Q_33 Q_34 Q_35 Q_36 Q_37 Q_38 Q_39 Q_40 Scale Mean if Item Deleted 5.7500 5.7286 5.7286 5.7429 5.7214 5.7286 5.7429 5.7214 5.7357 5.7357 5.7429 5.7429 5.7643 5.8357 5.8143 5.9357 5.7500 5.7714 5.8857 5.9357 5.7571 5.8714 5.7643 5.7786 5.9000 5.9357 5.7714 5.7714 5.8214 5.9429 5.9500 5.9429 5.9500 5.9571 5.7571 5.7714 5.9571 5.9500 5.7643 5.7786 Scale Variance if Item Deleted 5.7500 5.7286 5.7286 5.7429 5.7214 5.7286 5.7429 5.7214 5.7357 5.7357 5.7429 5.7429 5.7643 5.8357 5.8143 5.9357 5.7500 5.7714 5.8857 5.9357 5.7571 5.8714 5.7643 5.7786 5.9000 5.9357 5.7714 5.7714 5.8214 5.9429 5.9500 5.9429 5.9500 5.9571 5.7571 5.7714 5.9571 5.9500 5.7643 5.7786 127 Corrected ItemTotal Correlation 373 -.005 050 429 072 -.194 429 148 156 -.094 078 038 557 611 605 582 -.036 355 598 582 513 614 054 148 402 517 195 -.020 683 531 401 531 401 198 -.373 -.440 083 288 -.025 -.057 Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted 769 781 779 767 778 785 767 777 777 784 780 781 760 754 754 762 785 769 755 762 762 754 782 779 766 764 776 786 749 765 770 765 770 776 799 804 778 773 786 789 APPENDIX 13: Item total statistics of the reading comprehension post-test Question Q_1 Q_2 Q_3 Q_4 Q_5 Q_6 Q_7 Q_8 Q_9 Q_10 Q_11 Q_12 Q_13 Q_14 Q_15 Q_16 Q_17 Q_18 Q_19 Q_20 Q_21 Q_22 Q_23 Q_24 Q_25 Q_26 Q_27 Q_28 Q_29 Q_30 Q_31 Q_32 Q_33 Q_34 Q_35 Q_36 Q_37 Q_38 Q_39 Q_40 Scale Mean if Item Deleted 7.8357 7.8429 7.8500 7.8500 7.8429 7.8214 7.8143 7.8286 7.8143 7.8143 7.8286 7.8143 7.8143 7.8143 7.8143 7.8143 7.8357 7.8929 7.8714 7.9357 7.8214 7.8286 7.9071 7.9214 7.8429 7.8857 7.8357 7.8214 7.8929 7.9214 7.8286 7.8286 7.8786 7.9143 7.9143 7.9357 7.9357 7.8429 7.8571 7.8643 Scale Variance if Item Deleted 1.224 1.217 1.199 1.210 1.254 1.326 1.295 1.257 1.310 1.343 1.257 1.295 1.306 1.336 1.295 1.325 1.239 1.192 1.196 1.317 1.329 1.257 1.177 1.253 1.258 1.306 1.316 1.318 1.196 1.234 1.282 1.367 1.196 1.298 1.356 1.299 1.380 1.221 1.181 1.163 128 Corrected ItemTotal Correlation 543 523 569 514 330 -.012 316 414 162 -.178 414 316 200 -.103 316 010 458 459 491 -.021 -.039 414 502 208 311 027 027 043 445 275 250 -.267 471 050 -.153 043 -.230 503 617 667 Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted 750 749 746 749 758 769 761 756 764 771 756 761 764 769 761 767 753 749 748 777 769 756 747 764 758 773 769 767 750 760 761 778 749 773 784 773 788 750 743 740 APPENDIX 14: Item total statistics of the vocabulary post-test Question Q_1 Q_2 Q_3 Q_4 Q_5 Q_6 Q_7 Q_8 Q_9 Q_10 Q_11 Q_12 Q_13 Q_14 Q_15 Q_16 Q_17 Q_18 Q_19 Q_20 Q_21 Q_22 Q_23 Q_24 Q_25 Q_26 Q_27 Q_28 Q_29 Q_30 Q_31 Q_32 Q_33 Q_34 Q_35 Q_36 Q_37 Q_38 Q_39 Q_40 Scale Mean if Item Deleted 6.2071 6.1857 6.1857 6.1929 6.1786 6.1786 6.1929 6.1786 6.1786 6.1786 6.1786 6.1786 6.2000 6.2929 6.2714 6.3929 6.1857 6.2000 6.3429 6.3929 6.2071 6.3286 6.2071 6.1929 6.3571 6.3929 6.2000 6.2000 6.2786 6.4000 6.4071 6.4000 6.4071 6.4143 6.1857 6.1786 6.4143 6.4071 6.1857 6.1786 Scale Corrected ItemVariance if Total Item Deleted Correlation 1.013 394 1.089 -.015 1.101 -.105 1.004 577 1.083 072 1.109 -.218 1.004 577 1.076 156 1.057 369 1.098 -.095 1.076 156 1.083 072 996 552 921 633 924 634 1.005 493 1.075 105 999 529 945 577 1.005 493 991 523 929 621 1.105 -.115 1.107 -.140 997 368 1.016 423 1.091 -.039 1.154 -.399 904 720 1.026 414 1.048 328 1.026 414 1.048 328 1.070 225 1.130 -.338 1.105 -.177 1.077 140 1.063 204 1.086 015 1.057 369 129 Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted 801 813 815 796 810 815 796 808 805 813 808 810 796 788 788 798 810 797 791 798 796 789 820 818 802 800 816 827 783 801 804 801 804 807 820 814 809 807 812 805