The use of instagram application to improve grade 10th students vocabulary at a high school

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Everyone knows the popularity of English, which is clearly proven by the numbers According to Elizabeth Gration (2022), the English language is now used by approximately 1.35 billion individuals across the globe That equates to 17% of the world's population 62% of UK adults believe that English is the most essential subject for non-native kids all over the planet to acquire while attending school Besides, the English language is the official one in 75 countries, which means that English is the main language in 39% of the world's nations The average age at which children should begin studying English in schools around the world is seven and a half

Also from Elizabeth Gration (2022), people can see which languages are important for children to learn where English is not an official language

Figure1.1 Which language should children whose first language is not

English be taught at school? (Gration, 2022)

61,9 %, more than half of the survey participants, those who are asked believe English should be taught in the place where it is not the official language The above analysis figures clearly show that English plays a huge role in human life English is the key to help people connect with the world, increase their knowledge and develop themselves

English vocabulary plays a significant role in mastering a language The understanding of vocabulary has been considered a prerequisite skill that must be learned in order to improve other linguistic talents Vocabulary is a fundamental requirement for the majority of other language abilities (Roche, 2013) Growing one's vocabulary is essential for language mastery A student with a little vocabulary will struggle to succeed in all aspects of language According to Yang

(1997), the reason why many college students are still having trouble with reading their English textbooks is that they are unable to read complete vocabulary The basis of a person's language is vocabulary, which is made up of three fundamental language units: pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar Grammar gives the overarching structures, and lexicon is the fundamental content used to fill in the gaps because "Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed" (Wilkins, 1987) Vocabulary acquisition is a gradual procedure including methods, and the prudent implementation of these tactics will accelerate vocabulary development (Nation, 2008) To summarize, vocabulary is essential as it constitutes the foundation of all languages It is the raw material from which we can express our opinions and concepts, share information, understand others, and create personal relationships One can communicate even if he or she only knows a few words and have no understanding of grammar

There are so many learning media that students may utilize to increase knowledge and language proficiency (Putri & Sari, 2020) like printed books, brochures, modules, pamphlets, CD, multimedia, videos, internet (Sari, 2016), etc Real books are one of the mediums that is recognized as a very efficient medium for pupils to boost their language understanding Teachers can also benefit from printed books while imparting content (Sasalia & Sari, 2020) In today's digital age, we may study our language through more than just books; there are plenty of online platforms and media games available to assist us in strengthening our language skills (Oktaviani & Desiarti, 2017) Additionally, vlog is one of the mediums used to increase students' knowledge of English, which is demonstrated by Mandasari and Aminatun in 2019 There are printed and online platforms that may be utilized to instruct students utilizing the flipped classroom learning style (Mandasari & Wahyudin, 2021) As a result, mastering how to improve both written and online content in learning English is critical in order to attain the goal language

According to an article published in Our world in data (Ortiz-Ospina, 2019), MySpace was the initial social networking website to reach a million monthly active users, which it did in 2004 This could be considered the birth of social media as humans know it The number of user in most kinds of social network between 2004 and 2008 grew quickly, especially that the number of people being on Facebook jumped from about 100 million to 2,3 billion For a decade, Facebook has dominated the social media market, but five other operating systems have much more than 500 million members With over a billion users, YouTube, Instagram, and WeChat followed Tumblr and TikTok followed, each with over 500 million users The youngest social network, Tiktok, also recorded significant achievements In just one year, the number of Tiktok accounts doubled, reaching 500 million in 2018

Figure 1.2 Number of people using social medial platforms, 2004 to 2008

Initially, the social network is based on the concept of a brand, which creates a consumer's relationship to the company's reputation on a platform that provides relevant context, engagement components, and an evaluation system It is a popular way to reap the benefits of using social media as a form of advertising This is the power of online communities to infuse an organization's internal culture with opportunities for cooperation, exchanging files, and information transmission (Pedamkar, n.d.) As the demand for social networking increases, it also has to grow to allow users to share more forms of information To attract more users, social networks must also meet essential needs, such as students' learning needs

The Internet plays an important role, which has become a critical situation for us The internet is a significant part of life for both entertainment and education There is a large community that uses the internet solely for education, but there is also a large number of people, including the majority of youth and teenagers, who use the internet solely for entertainment (MahboobRabbani, 2015) The internet is a huge technological advancement, but social networks are extremely dangerous for youth because they engage in time-wasting activities The internet has an impact on our views on society and ethical behavior

Liccardi et al (2007) say students have social connections with one another in order to share their various educational experiences and to converse about various issues and topics Cain (2009) stated that social media outlets could be utilized to make good decisions Still, they are also used for engaging in digital snapshots and information, showing security, and running online discussions because numerous additional groups within social networking websites motivate users to engage in these types of illicit behaviour Dr Irshad Hussain conducted a study in 2012 which demonstrated that almost all undergraduates (90%) favoured using Facebook Social media was used to exchange educational activities and thrive on social networks all over the world by them Besides, these platforms were also applied to share what they had learned with their peers and those around the world According to the findings of the study, social networking sites exerted a critical impact on promoting interaction and connection in the development of Virtual Communities around the world

Online tools are classified into 12 categories by Son in 2011 (Son, 2011) First category is learning Management Systems/ Content Management Systems (Moodle, Drupal, and Joomla, for example, are technologies for language learning planning, execution, and evaluation.) while the second one is communication to text and hold video conference (Messenger, Gmail and Skype, for instance) The next category is Live and Virtual World, which includes technologies that facilitate live meetings such as ActiveWorld, WiZiQ, and Wimba Classroom Social networking and bookmarking is an indispensable category which helps store and exchange information There are a great number of social networking nowadays such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Myspace Fith is Edmodo, Penzu and WordPress.com, which belong to collaborative language learning categorised under Blogs and wikis Furthermore, for the presentation category, technologies such as Prezi, Animoto, and SlideRocket may be utilized to convey information in an innovative manner Resource sharing is next category which can be Google Docs, Slideshare and YouTube usually used for sharing document and information as well

Besides, learning using tools like Webnode, SnapPages and KompoZer to create ones own website are in website creation category, followed by Web search engines in which people search almost whatever they want like Google The next online tools are dictionaries and concordancers, for example, YourDictionary.com and Merriam Webster Online Utilities are the last category including Proactive language exercises They are supported by programs such as Doodle and Storybird Online learning tools were demonstrated to be useful in studying a foreign language, especially in enhancing vocabulary by Kessler (2018)

Graves and Watts-Taffe (2008) said that to build the high language levels necessary for success in school and beyond, their vocabulary knowledge should be improved first Dalton and Grisham (2011) believe that digital tools and media that are widely available in almost every school can improve pupils’ learning of vocabulary

In 2014, Azadeh Rezaei analyzed the performance of English learners who were taking part in a study that involved introducing mobile applications to the group The quantitative results suggested a good change in learners' performance, and the responses to the questionnaire revealed that utilizing the apps improved their understanding of vocabulary, confidence, and class involvement Besides, writers also concluded that participants had a favourable attitude toward the incorporation of multimedia in education (Azadeh Rezaei, 2014)

According to the author's personal observation, vocabulary teaching in the classes which the writer teaches currently has not had many new and positive changes to increase student interest Students' vocabulary learning still has many difficulties For example, students cannot remember new words for a long time and understand how to use words clearly

In short, the author clearly sees that English plays an extremely important role for everyone, especially students Learning English vocabulary is very urgent In addition, the growing internet is creating many new and potential learning opportunities, including practicing English vocabulary for learners Therefore, in this research, the writer looked at how Instagram may help students enhance their vocabulary retention, because Instagram is a popular social media platform, not only seniors but even youngsters access it.

Aims and objectives

The aim of this research is to improve English vocabulary retention when grade 10 th students at Dao Duy Tu high school use Instagram to study

The objectives of the study are cited as follow: a) to investigate the current situation of students learning vocabulary at Dao Duy Tu high school b) to evaluate the effects on using Instagram application at students’ vocabulary retention at Dao Duy Tu high school

Scope of the study

In the current development era, digital knowledge acquired through the use of internet-connected devices by students seems to have become an indispensable part The author applies the idea of studying vocabulary with Instagram due to the fact that the amount of time learners use their mobile phone or computer is quite large, but most of it is for entertainment The subjects of the study were 25 students from class 10P of Dao Du Tu High School, Thai Nguyen The research was conducted during the first ten weeks of semester 2 After considering the issue of time and knowledge, the author focuses on the problem related to grade 10 th students’ vocabulary retention in foreign language learning.

Research questions

The aim of the study was answered through the following research questions:

1 What is the current situation of students’ English vocabulary learning at

Dao Duy Tu high school?

2 How does the Instagram improve Dao Duy Tu high school students’ English vocabulary retention after using Instagram?

3 What is the attitude of 10th grade students toward using Instagram to enhance English vocabulary retention?

Significance of the study

Firstly, the research contributes to innovating teaching methods for English teachers at Dao Duy Tu high school By innovation in teaching methods, students will be inspired and motivated to learn not only during English lessons but also during self-study

Secondly, the topic both helps readers update accurate information related to the importance of English in general and vocabulary in particular, and grasps academic knowledge related to English vocabulary In addition, from the research, readers also have a general assessment of the actual level of the 10th graders

Next, the research is expected to contribute to providing an effective vocabulary learning method for everyone, as well as helping future studies have more research bases Its findings could have real-world applications, especially to educators who are looking to help their students enhance vocabulary

In addition, the study is conducted to analyze if Instagram has a potential role in English vocabulary retention It provides readers with a detailed look at the importance of vocabulary for foreign languages in general and for learning English as a second language in particular More importantly, the study will show the current state of vocabulary knowledge and the current vocabulary learning habits of high school students It is expected that the study will indicate positive changes in students’ vocabulary retention by using Instagram in students’ vocabulary learning Last but not least, the writer hopes this study can be a useful source of reference for others who desire to research studies relating to English vocabulary.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Theoretical background

You can do nothing without vocabulary It serves as the foundation for communication Jamalipour and Farahani (2012) stated that language is widely considered the primary communication instrument Vocabulary is what language people use to convey their thoughts, ideas, and viewpoints, which is an expression of the human mind In comparison to another language element, more crucially, from a linguistic standpoint, vocabulary appears to be more valuable and urgent than grammatical function Interestingly, Sullivan and Alba (2010) argued that

"without grammar very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed."

The term vocabulary has long been associated with a word list, as well as any language in the world, spoken or written, is related to the vocabulary When studying a foreign language, the first thing one does is consult the target language's word list Yet, void of vocabulary, an individual cannot communicate, read, write, or comprehend the target language The more words he knows, the more successful he will be

Vocabulary is all about words - whether they are words in a language or a specific group of words that you are attempting to acquire (Vocabulary.com, n.d.)

English vocabulary, like other branches of semantics, may be separated into areas that are as various as feelings, colour, animals, and components of the human body When it comes to vocabulary kinds, the four sorts, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, are all types of vocabulary Besides, there are several kinds of lexicon if the term refers to a list of words, they can be classified into adjectives, nouns, and verbs like grammatical classes (Wollacott, 2023) In this study, the author analyzes word types according to grammatical issues

When students learn a word, students need to remember the spelling, pronunciation, type and meaning of that word

Picture 2.1.1.2 An example of looking up vocabulary

(from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/)

Spelling is the process of writing or labeling the letters of a word It refers to both the spelling of a word and a person's ability to correctly spell words (wiki, 2022)

Spelling connects spoken words to a written system by using agreed-upon norms It converts spoken sounds into letter combinations

Spelling is one of a set of conventions for writing language This set is called orthography Orthography also includes:

Communication skills are crucial in everyday life This begins with rudimentary body language, gestures, and vocalizations as a newborn or early child

As children mature into their language system, the need of developing verbal and written communication grows They must also comprehend the link between these two modes of communication

In terms of literacy, accurate spelling is vital It can help learners form a strong bond with letters and their sounds Learning to spell a variety of words, even high- frequency terms that cannot be sounded out, can aid in reading and writing (wiki, 2022)

By recording a word and its spelling, a youngster is more likely to recognize it in new texts, pronounce it correctly in their own speech, and spell it correctly in their own writing Spelling might be challenging, but teaching youngsters spelling patterns, structures, and exceptions can help them decode new words

Type is another significant elements when studying vocabulary A word is a grammatical unit It can be picked and moved reasonably independently, but it cannot be readily divided Some words can be combined to form a single word They are either joined with an apostrophe (to form a contraction like 'don't') or with a hyphen (to form a new adjective) (e.g well-built) (wiki, 2022)

There are several sorts of words that your learners encounter in the classroom The eight parts of speech in the English language are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections Understanding parts of speech and utilizing the right English language term are critical when using the dictionary to get the correct definition of a word

Understanding word kinds can help us write better with various types of sentences For example, if you did a writing test and used adjectives as well as types of words in it, your mark would be higher It is also critical that students can recognize distinct word kinds while analyzing the work of others, whether it be a story, or an article When describing why authors have decided to employ specific sorts of words, they must be able to utilize the relevant English language phrases For example, consider how an author has used specific adjectives to portray a character in a particular way Mastering word kinds can also aid students in improving their writing since they will be more aware of the influence of their word selections

+ Nouns are words that serve as the name for a single thing or collection of objects A chair, for instance, is a noun that describes an object on which you sit There are also different types of nouns, including collective nouns, compound nouns, plural nouns, common nouns, proper nouns, and abstract nouns (wiki, 2022) + Adjectives are words that characterize a noun in order to make the writing more descriptive 'The family resided in a beautiful cottage,' for example, uses the word 'beautiful' to build a more descriptive image of the dwelling The fact that adjectives 'add' to the noun is a simple way to remember how to utilize them (wiki, 2022)

+ Adverbs are words that modify an adjective, verb, or another adverb in order to convey how an action is carried out They can convey location, time, occasion, manner, cause, and degree (wiki, 2022) For instance, rapidly, gently The simplest method to add adverbs into our writing is to inquire when, where, and how an action or occurrence occurs

+ Verbs are frequently referred to as action words Verbs can be used to describe an activity that is being performed (wiki, 2022) Consider the words 'jumping' or 'running.' A verb can also be used to describe an occurrence The word 'become' in the sentence 'the insect became a butterfly' is an example

+ Connectives are simple words that 'link' two separate clauses in a phrase (wiki, 2022) Conjunctions (but, when, because) and linking adverbs are examples of connectives (however, then, therefore)

+ Pronouns are a subset of nouns They refer to a person rather than an item or location (wiki, 2022) Pronouns are frequently used to indicate a person who is speaking to or being talked to They also assist to prevent duplication because we don't have to use the person's name in every phrase For instance, she, it, and he + Prepositions are words that are often used in front of nouns or pronouns (wiki, 2022) They demonstrate the link between a noun or pronoun and other words in a phrase, and they frequently suggest a position, place, direction, or time For example, there is a river behind my house

+ A determiner is a word that precedes a noun (wiki, 2022) The determiner is usually used before the noun 'The donut on my bed is delicious,' for example + Modal verbs express possibility, capacity, permission, or duty These verbs denote possibilities and have the potential to direct what might or should happen in a tale (wiki, 2022) For example ‘we can swim’

Pronunciation is the way that an actual sound or some sounds are produced Pronunciation is different from articulation relating to the certain manufacture of sounds in the mouth and emphasizes how sound is perceived by the listener (Jack Richards, 1992) Pronunciation plays a significant role in all ingredients of oral communication consisting of grammar, vocabulary choice, cultural considerations, ect Pronunciation can include articulation, intonation, rhythm, phrasing, and even gesture, body language, or eye contact

Meaning is the thing or idea that a word represents (wiki, 2022) 'education', for instance, is a procedure of teaching, training, and learning, particularly in schools, colleges, and universities, to enhance knowledge and abilities, (we finished formal education 3 years ago) Understanding the meaning of vocabulary helps learners use them in the appropriate context A large number of students who are not English majors just study the spelling and the meaning of a word, which links with the students' language poverty and the development of other skills

Previous researches

Numerous prior studies have been carried out on using countless online tools in language learning that have been released, but only a few recent researches on how beneficial tools through the internet are in the acquisition of vocabulary among English learners, what challenges they need to cope with when using those online tools and what teachers should do in using online tools in the classroom

Alfiandy Kamal (2019) gained an overall image of students' vocabulary competence in learning via Instagram as well as students' enthusiasm in vocabulary learning via Instagram There were 150 students in the research, divided into six classes of 25 students each The sample was collected using the cluster sampling approach The sample comprised of 48 students from two 11th grade classrooms at SMA Nasional Maros Three tools were used to collect data: a vocabulary test, a questionnaire, and an interview guideline Aside from looking at pupils' vocabulary growth, the researcher also looked into their desire in studying According to the data, pupils were more interested in learning vocabulary using Instagram It was demonstrated by examining the percentage of students who responded to the questionnaire

In 2021, Retno Widia Agustin and Mutiara Ayu published an article: The impact of using Instagram for increasing vocabulary and listening skill The research method employed in this study is qualitative with a descriptive approach Descriptive research is a type of writing that depicts the real state of the thing under investigation at the time the research was conducted The descriptive technique examines the current state of human groups, an item, a set of conditions, a system of ideas, or a class of occurrences The goal of this study was to see how utilizing Instagram affected students' vocabulary and listening abilities The findings were obtained by the researchers According to the poll, 35% of students think that Instagram impacts their vocabulary, and 45% say that Instagram might influence their listening abilities Researchers are pleased since Instagram does have a significant impact on pupils' listening abilities and vocabulary Students must, however, be adept at sifting and selecting what they believe to be excellent and poor

Verawati, Elih Sutisna Yanto, Wahyudin Fitriyana (2021) conclude that Instagram encourages students to learn more vocabulary The study sought to ascertain senior high school students' perspectives on acquiring survival vocabulary using Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy (VSS) with Instagram assistance The author learned about the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy from the research, which helps pupils learn survival vocabulary by facilitating their learning process This technique also calls for students to learn in groups so they may share their ideas and thoughts with their peers; group activities boost students' confidence and enthusiasm

In 2023, Mara-Jose Gomez-Ortiz, Elena Domnguez Romero, and Jelena Bobkina provided a learning and teaching experience based on a project-based technique for improving technical vocabulary in the ESP classroom 75 undergraduate sports science learners from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) took the English for Professional and Academic Communication ESP course and joined the work during the spring term of 2022 The students were separated into 16 self-organized groups, each of which was supposed to create a fitness project based on Instagram profiles At the end of the session, those who participated in the survey were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning the usage of Instagram profiles as a learning tool for gaining particular vocabulary in the language All of the students had very good attitudes toward utilizing Instagram to enhance technical vocabulary Finally, the students gave their experience a favourable rating They emphasized the sense of belonging to a worldwide professional network via online platforms, the need of using aesthetically appealing media with a scientific basis, and the ability to express oneself in English through emotionally engaging material and visual resources In conclusion, the ESP Instagram technology provided youngsters with benefits such as the capacity to utilize technical English in a specialized sector, collaborate, and build work environment-related abilities, responsibility, and passion.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research design

This study needed to specify the habits and level of English vocabulary of high school students at Dao Duy Tu high school, then check the impact of Instagram application on Vocabulary retention weekly The process of learning vocabulary using Instagram for students was done after school Therefore, extracurricular activity was employed

Extracurricular activities are activities which learners attend that do not fall under the purview of the school's regular curriculum They may be found at all levels of our educational institutions Extracurricular activities include athletics, clubs, government, the student newspaper, visual arts, music, and theatre Students who do not choose to engage in extracurricular activities are not required to do so (Massoni, 2011) According to Lunnenburg (2010), “Extracurricular activities serve the same goals and functions as the required and elective courses in the curriculum However, they provide experiences that are not included in formal courses of study They allow students to apply the knowledge that they have learned in other classes and acquire concepts of democratic life.” Extracurricular activities have several educational benefits Extracurricular activities have a favourable impact on students' actions, academics, school finalization, positive components to becoming successful adults, and aspects of socialization

The previous research conducted by this author has firmly proved that extracurricular activity helps youngsters, educational institutions, parents, and communities as a whole It also assists learners when gaining new information and abilities, as well as teaching them against engaging in inappropriate behaviours during their free time (Manaf & Fauzee, 2002) Extracurricular activities have additionally been shown to assist in alleviating academic stress and anxiety, allowing students to become more aware and productive in their studies (Arip & Yusof, 2002) According to Ashaari (1996), carefully designed extracurricular events can help youngsters acquire a positive mindset, enjoyment, and healthy lifestyles

In this study, the author introduced Instagram Application to students, guiding students to use after school to practice more about English vocabulary However, the lessons students used on Instagram had been controlled by the teacher After each lesson, the teacher sent the lesson to the student to review the vocabulary which appeared in the lesson.

Participants

The object of the research was class 10P at Dao Duy Tu high school They were all in the age range from 16 to 17 years old The participants had the habit of using social networking everyday Many of them even owned several different social media accounts 10P was chosen owning to the fact that the author was the English teacher of the class The author did not mention geographical issues or family conditions because the participants came from the same high school and were in the same class.

Data collection instruments

A questionnaire is a set of questions linked to the same topic that are posed by an individual or a research group in order to elicit particular information from individuals Because of its several excellent features, it has become a study method used by a wide spectrum of individuals For example, this approach is inexpensive; researchers do not need to use a lot of time and effort to obtain the findings of a large number of study participants Furthermore, the fact that the replies gathered were standardized facilitates data aggregation and analysis Nonetheless, the responses provided may be inaccurate due to the respondents' dishonesty Open- ended questions, dichotomous questions, multiple-choice questions, scaling questions, and pictorial questions are commonly applied in research

The author tended to use a questionnaire to collect information about students’ vocabulary studying and the troubles that students have to face during their study Open-ended questions were also used to get insight students in the survey As a result, this method was used to answer research question number 1 Questionnaire was designed with reference to the researches of (Putri, 2022) and (Retno Widia Agustin, 2021)

Questionnaires (Appendix A) was handed in at the beginning of the study before participants did the pre-test to find out the current situation of students’ English vocabulary learning The questionnaire used quantitative analysis method and helped the writer answer research question number 1

3.3.2 Pre test and post-test

Pre-test and post-test were used to test vocabulary ability at the beginning and at the end of the study These two tests were built from actual student tests in the class, which was based on their own curriculum they studied (10 i-Learn Smart World)

Besides, every 2 weeks the teacher would give students a 10-minute test to check the knowledge which students had learned during the week and of the previous weeks They included Test 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Appendix C)

These tests supported the writer in answering research question number 2

The observation checklist was used to follow English vocabulary learning with the Instagram application every week The 25 participants were divided into 5 groups with one group leader for each group Leaders from each group were responsible for checking out their members' learning with Instagram The teacher randomly checked on any group during the research process

According to Dửrnyei (2007), interviewing is a 'natural and socially acceptable' method of data collection since it may be utilized in a number of contexts addressing a wide range of themes Similarly, Kvale (1996), an interview is a conversation whose aim is to collect descriptions of the interviewee's about a specific topic

The most prevalent type of interview is one-on-one Focus group interviews, in addition to one-on-one interviews, are also common (Marshall & Rossman, 2006) The present study used focus group interview According to Thomas (1995), a focus group is a strategy that involves the use of in-depth group interviews where members are chosen due to their purposeful, but not necessarily representative of the group, sampling of a specified social, with the participants paying attention to one particular problem Subjects in this form of study are picked depending on the fact that they are likely to have something to share about the issue, are within the age range, have identical socio-demographic features, are happy speaking with the person who conducts the interview and each other (Richardson & Rabiee, 2001) The study used focus group interview to deal with research question number 3.

Data collection procedure

Teachers notified students of this research by January 2023

Stage 1: Identification of the Problem

First, questionnaires were distributed to students Students answered some of their personal information and vocabulary learning habits in about 15 minutes After that, students took the pre-test in 15 minutes The author assessed the students' initial vocabulary capacity

After understanding general information and the students' English vocabulary learning situation, teachers prepared lessons and lesson plans for students At the same time, lessons on Instagram were also drawn (Appendix B)

(based on the teaching plan of i-Learn Smart World book https://bom.so/N0iSFo)

- Unit 7 + Listening and reading + Writing

- Unit 8 + Grammar + Pronunciation and Speaking + Mid-semester review

The teacher required each student to use his or her Instagram account to follow several other educational accounts Students received information from photos or videos posted by those accounts Every 2 weeks, students took a 15-minute quiz related to the knowledge those accounts had made public

Finally, 5 students from 5 observation checklist groups participating in a focus group interview to help the author better understand their experience using Instagram to enhance English vocabulary retention

Observation was used in phase three of the investigation This phase was completed concurrently with phase two The teacher monitored the class throughout class hours and requested learners to cross-check in groups

The information gathered during the observation stage was evaluated and analyzed Researchers reviewed the data to learn what worked, what did not, and what might be better.

Data analysis

To be able to analyze the data scientifically, the author used Microsoft Excel Data could be fed into Excel and calculated with the commands Therefore, charts were drawn quickly and the writer could find the correlation between categories The author entered the point of each Pre-Test, Post-Test, Test 1, Test 2, Test 3, Test 4 Microsoft Excel was used for drawing expressions illustrating data, average score and percentage depending on the case After that, the author analyzed and had a faster and more accurate conclusion.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings

As mentioned above, the participants were 25 students from class 10P including

15 girls and 10 boys All of the participants were between 16 and 17 years old)

4.1.1.2 Students' English vocabulary learning (before participating in the study)

Table 4.1.1.2 Students’ opinions about learning English vocabulary

Question no Strongly disagree Disagree

1 I find learning English vocabulary important 0 0 0 6 (24%) 19 (76%)

3 I often face with difficulty when learning

All students in the survey were aware of the importance of vocabulary, yet half of them did not like learning vocabulary, and 5 people said neither agree nor disagree

9 learners agreed and 13 strongly agreed that they often experienced difficulties when they learned new words Even though they knew the importance of vocabulary, the number of people who were not interested in learning English vocabulary after school was equal to those who loved learning English vocabulary, 40%

When asked about how to self-study new English words, the students seemed quite confused as they were not able to name the method they learned 5 students said they spent time writing the new words down the paper until they remembered them, 5 others just looked at them and recited There was a person who does not study The rest of the class could not give an accurate answer about their learning English vocabulary way Notably, although students used the internet in general and social networks in particular a lot; however, none of them had taken advantage of free learning applications or the huge sources of social networks to learn English vocabulary

4.1.1.3 Students' use of Instagram application

According to the compiled results, this class had 12 people with Instagram accounts, accounting for 48% of the total number of students

In 12 people using Instagram in grade 10P, there were just 2 students having over 100 followers 7 participants cite that they were following 50 accounts or over, and 18 participants were following less than 50 accounts This was a good thing at the beginning of the study, because when the author asked students to follow assigned lessons on Instagram during the research process, students were less likely to be distracted by posts on other topics The 12 students who had an Instagram account did not use it often They occasionally visited Instagram for entertainment, contacting friends, sharing life moments, and following celebrities

Figure 4.1.1.3 Students' purpose of using Instagram before participating in the study

The most popular purpose of using Instagram was for entertainment, the number of people using this purpose was 1.7 times more than the third ranked purpose being sharing life moments 10 of students using Instagram for following famous people, ranked second However, the number of people utilizing this kind of social media to contact their friends was so low (5 people) 100% respondents mentioned that they did not often utilize it

In conclusion, all students did not have the habit of studying English vocabulary via Instagram They had never even cared about or learned English vocabulary with Instagram, because participants said that when they saw a post/video/Instastory on Instagram with English in it, they ignored it

The general structure of a vocabulary test included 4 parts:

+ Exercise 1: Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete the sentence (5-10 sentences)

+ Exercise 2: Find the closest word or phrase (2-4 sentences)

+ Exercise 3: Find the opposite word or phrase (2-4 sentences)

+ Exercise 4: Write the correct form of the word (4-5 sentences)

Tests use a 10-point scale, point is divided equally among all questions in a test

Table 4.1.2.1 Results of pre-test and post-test

Figure 4.1.2.1 Changes in English vocabulary test scores

Overall, time witnessed a dramatic change in scores of class 10P Specifically, the percentage for weak/ poor students in 10P went down fourfold, between 16% and 4% Besides, the number of average students increased from 17 to 19 There was a slight reduction in good group, from 12% to 8% The number of very good student, nevertheless, hitting the lowest point at the beginning of the period (1 student), grew to 3 students after 8 weeks

Table 4.1.2.2 Results of indirect observation checklist Test

The number of students choosing the correct answer

1 correct answer 2 correct answers 3 correct answers

All students got perfect scores (those who chose 3 correct answers) on this test peaked twice The remaining 2 times the score was also very high To be specific, test 2 had one student having 2 correct questions while test 4 had 2 Overall, the number of students giving 3 exact answers was always over 90%

Figure 4.1.2.2 Changes in English vocabulary test 1-4 scores

Average student group whose figure accounted for the vast majority of the total students always outnumbered in comparing to other groups throughout the research period, with the number of participants got 5.0-6.4 score being in an upward trend from 14 to 17 The quantity of weak/poor student varied sharply, which reached a peak at 7 in week 1-2 before hitting the lowest point of 2 in week 7-8 The percentage of good learner stabilized at 12% while that of very good student fluctuated gently in an upward trend

There were 5 students coded A, B, C, D, and E randomly selected from 5 groups who participated in the focus group interview

100% interviewees agreed that it was so easy for them to get acquainted with Instagram They absolutely did not encounter any difficulties with operations on this application All of them also agreed that using Instagram gave them a deep impression of new words Therefore, they can remember words easier and longer In addition, students A and C mentioned that they learned new words based on guessing the meaning of the words in the links they received during the 8-week period

About the level of lessons students received, 4 learners (A, B, D, and E) cited the links they got were appropriate to their levels However, the fifth person (student C) said that the topic videos he/she received were interesting, but they did not have subtitles, so the learner did not receive much information Student C cannot fully understand what the video conveyed Meanwhile, the images were vivid and lovely, very attractive to viewers

When asked about their favorite part on Instagram, 2 of students (B and C) mentioned Instastory, while other 2 interviewees (D and E) loved Posts Instagram live, where users broadcast live to interact, share, and chat with viewers, got 1 vote from A "Instagram Direct Messenger" where people can chat with each other, became the least popular function on Instagram

There were many reasons given by students to explain their choices People who chose Instastory (B and C) said it was fun, made users more creative, and many of their idols used it; in addition, they liked the way Instastory works, the things they shared only appeared within 24 hours The students who chose "post" (D and E) explained that it was entertaining, had beautiful photos, and students could learn many common English expressions naturally Meanwhile, the remaining student, student E, cited that the photos on Instagram were so artistic, he/ she liked to see them more than the photos on Facebook “Instagram live” was voted by student A who watched idols' live stream videos on this kind of social media He/she knew their stars often used Instagram to communicate with fans, so this was his/ her favorite function on Instagram

Next, in the interview group, 3 people (A, B, and E) said that they would continue to learn vocabulary with Instagram, the remaining 2 people (C and D) have the same opinion but they only went on when the teacher sent them links to study

In the subsequent question, almost no difficulties were introduced Students said that all the words they were asked to learn were straightforward to remember with

Instagram application Only C said that he/ she rarely saw the types of words explained in sent links, so he/ she had to check themselves with a dictionary or review in the notebook

Besides, when asked about ideas to improve English vocabulary learning with Instagram, 2 students (A and E) thought it would have been better if students had had more vocabulary exercises on the app The other 3 interviewees (B, C, and D) did not give any suggestions

Discussions

Analyzed findings from questionnaires and tests assist in answering the three research questions

1 What is the current situation of students’ English vocabulary learning at Dao

With the characteristics of today's developing society, almost all students have the conditions to use both phones and computers Especially where this research was conducted, the school is located in the city center, which is quite developed compared to surrounding areas Therefore, all students have cell phones for communication and entertainment However, not everyone knows how to use their phone properly for personal development and support for the future Specifically, for the subjects in the study, they spent a lot of time entertaining on their phones, without paying attention to other jobs In 12 Instagram users from Appendix A, entertainment was the primary reason for downloading the Instagram app

Based on the results of the Pre-test, we see that the the class selected for the study had quite similar abilities The overwhelming number compared to other student groups was the average student group The second largest student group was the weak/poor group The total number of good and very good students in each class did not exceed 16%

For a very long time ago, no one had oriented a method of learning vocabulary that was accessible and easy to use for them Respondents had appropriate facilities and circumstances but did not use them appropriately, leading to an imbalance between learning and playing

2 How will Dao Duy Tu high school students’ English vocabulary retention be improved after using Instagram?

Overall, Instagram helps students achieve better score Average score of weekly tests witnessed a upward trend, with that of test 1 being 5.04, test 2 being 5.66, test 3 being 5.92, and test 4 being 6.22 Similarly, the average score calculated after pre-test was 5.6 This number increased slightly to 6.4 after students took the post-test The number of papers with good scores increased sharply Exercise 1 (Choose the best option to complete each of the question) needed the ability to identify keywords, guess, translate Exercise 2 and 3 (Find the word or phrase that is closet/ opposite in meaning to the underlined part) required the ability to guess meaning based on context, especially understanding vocabulary Exercise 4 (Write the correct form of the word) asked contestants to master knowledge about word type, for example the position of each word type or how to form a new word in a different type Based on the characteristics of each type of exercise appearing in each vocabulary test, students had been trained with each specific skill from easy to difficult During the 8-week period, apart from using Instagram to learn and practice vocabulary, after each test, the teacher corrected and conveyed the methods for each specific exercise, combined with the student's progress doing homework, exploring and discovering themselves the methods of working and studying Besides, using Instagram as a form of extra practice helped students better remember word usage cases Words were illustrated through images, sounds, and situations illustrated with pictures, which were quite different from the form of learning in the classroom From there, students were exposed to the same word in many different situations, which increased the impression of the word being learned and made students remember more Instagram's visually-driven interface provided an abundance of images that can be used to learn English vocabulary in context Users can follow accounts that post pictures related to specific themes, such as food, music, or travel, and learn the relevant vocabulary associated with those themes This was also what the research subjects did during their participation As a result, students’ English vocabulary retention was strengthened

More to the point, participating in research helped students practice vocabulary learning habits Instead of all students' free time being used for entertainment like before, they were likely to study and play anywhere and anytime Instagram had become an unexpected tool in helping participants enhance English vocabulary retention While social media platforms were traditionally seen as a distraction from studying, the process had found that Instagram can in fact be an entertaining and effective application to revise and learn vocabulary

3 What is the attitude of 10th grade students toward using Instagram to enhance English vocabulary retention?

Based on the analysis of interview with 5 students that the author presented above, the author concludes that Instagram application has a positive influence on the attitude of enhancing English vocabulary retention.To be specific, all students do not have difficulty using social networks Furthermore, they all agreed that using Instagram had a positive impact on their vocabulary retention More prominently, 60% of interviewees (student A, B, and E) planned to continue using Instagram to study, while the other 2 (C and D) did the same, with the condition of having teacher support The former group searched for learning content on Instagram based on the app's search function Instead of the previous traditional way of learning, for instance, writing new words down on paper until they memorized them, students now can search for new words and remembered them based on the images and videos they got.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

An example of looking up vocabulary 10