PHAM THI HAO USING SHORT STORIES TO ENHANCE ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS MASTER THESIS THAI NGUYEN - 2023... FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES PHAM THI HAO USING SHORT STO
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Learning vocabulary is an important aspect of academic study It is often observed that without grammar, little can be communicated, but without vocabulary, nothing can be communicated It is clear then that vocabulary is essential for any language learner
Reading enriches vocabulary by fostering interest and habits Educators should employ methods that expand students' vocabulary Language learners acquire vocabulary at varying rates, influenced by factors such as necessity, familiarity, and logical coherence However, repetition plays a vital role in vocabulary acquisition Repeated exposure to words and phrases in context enhances comprehension and encourages independent dictionary use.
However, even if we read a lot, only high-frequency words will keep coming up time after time This is where a concept called 'narrow reading' comes in The idea here is that learners are encouraged to read around the same topic for a while, thus increasing their chances of coming across the same, topic-related, lexical items repeatedly Language learners may find it challenging, nevertheless, when they read lengthy reading texts The challenges they encountered - they do not grasp some of the words in the reading passage, it is difficult for them to understand the words, but it makes them have to face reality if reading is complicated, so that is why they do not understand the reading passages On the other hand, it uses complex vocabulary and the way the teacher teaches it could be more fascinating Therefore, teaching vocabulary through short stories is an exciting strategy to enhance students' interest in learning vocabulary and help them understand what they are reading In order to motivate the learners, teachers need to apply what is needed to be learned to encourage the learners to study vocabulary more effectively
Short stories offer an engaging and effective method for students to enhance their reading comprehension and vocabulary Through the provision of entertaining and context-rich stories, students can immerse themselves in varied and stimulating topics, fostering both vocabulary acquisition and language skill development This contextualized approach, as opposed to traditional word-list education, has been shown to promote word retention and usage The incorporation of short stories in the classroom provides students with an enjoyable and captivating experience that encourages their reading habits and vocabulary growth.
At Doan Thi Diem Ha Long School, secondary students know the importance of learning and improving their English skills However, many students still need help learning vocabulary They find it difficult to express their ideas, and it often takes them a long time to make sentences or speak out their ideas despite knowing the words and their meanings Moreover, their ability to use vocabulary in the proper contexts is limited, and they need to be more productive and creative in their English skills Though some techniques have been applied to raise their interests and improve their vocabulary, the results seem not to be acceptable Students still find using the words they have learned challenging Therefore, the author has chosen the research topic: Using Short Stories to Enhance English Vocabulary for Secondary School Students.
Aims and Objectives
The study aimed at finding ways to enhance English vocabulary for secondary school students through the use of short stories in English classrooms
More specifically, the study seeks to:
- Investigate the current situation of learning English vocabulary for secondary students at the secondary school in Ha Long
- Determine the effects of using short stories in enhancing English vocabulary for secondary school students
- Identify the students’ attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons.
Scope of the Study
This study, conducted with 33 secondary school participants, aimed to examine the specific impact of short stories on students' vocabulary development While language comprises various aspects, this research solely centered on the vocabulary enhancement effects of short stories, excluding other linguistic aspects from its scope.
Research Questions
1) What is the current situation of learning English vocabulary for secondary students?
2) To what extent does the use of short stories enhance secondary students’ English vocabulary?
3) What are the students’ attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons?
Significance of the Study
Firstly, the study provided secondary students an effective way to enhance their vocabulary Short stories were expected to be an exciting and helpful way to enrich students’ vocabulary
Secondly, the study would provide some fruitful ideas for teachers to teach vocabulary These ideas enable teachers to create a more relaxing environment and improve teaching effectiveness
Thirdly, for further researchers, the study could be a good reference source for using short stories and teaching vocabulary
Finally, the study is expected to be a valuable document for educational policymakers or school boards of managers who would like to make positive changes in English teaching and learning by introducing new approaches to improving students’ vocabulary in particular and English competence in general.
Organization of the study
Chapter I: Introduction - This chapter discussed the rationale for selecting the research issue, the aims and objectives, the scope, the research questions, the significance of the study, and the study's organization
Chapter II: Literature Review - The chapter included the theoretical background of vocabulary (definitions of vocabulary, types of vocabulary, strategies for enhancing learners’ vocabulary, vocabulary size of language learners, and top- down vs bottom-up approach to second language vocabulary)
Chapter III: Research Methodology - The research design, study respondents, data collecting instrument, and data collection technique were all provided in this chapter
Chapter IV: Researching Findings - This chapter provided and discussed all of the research findings
Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations - This chapter summarized the study's findings and drew its conclusions In addition, the study's limitations and recommendations for future research and relevant parties were highlighted.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical background
Learning new words is one of the most crucial parts of learning any language, especially English As defined by Oxford (2008), vocabulary includes the words a person is familiar with and those that make up a language
According to Stahl (2005), knowing a term requires knowing its definition and how it applies to the context in which it is used Teaching students how to use terms in context is more effective than simply having them look them up in a dictionary According to Al-Dersi (2013), having a large vocabulary helps pupils in several areas, including reading and listening comprehension, word interpretation, and social communication However, they need clarification on its significance Teaching and mastering a new language ultimately leads to better communication between students and teachers Words should not be taught in isolation or by memorization without understanding He continues, as this contributes to a lack of lexical dimension According to Razali (2013), native speakers often use familiar expressions while communicating with those learning a new language He also argues that pupils' grammatical knowledge alone may not be enough to ensure effective communication Having a baseline vocabulary in a second language is essential since it enables for communication of concepts even when grammatical constructions are lacking Although students may have a firm grasp of the language's grammatical rules and constructions, they often lack a firm grasp of how to apply those rules in the context of authentic, multifaceted, interpersonal communication
In his work, Schmitt (2000) divides vocabulary into two categories:
(1) organization and meaning types of knowledge: There is a link between words that are stored in the mind in an ordered fashion, not at random, when one is familiar with the definition of dictionary terms, its record constraints, and knowledge of lexicon and association words
(2) Non-meaning word knowledge: understanding of the grammatical aspects of words (including their creation, word class, and origin) and knowledge of the word form (spoken and written)
According to Montgomery (2007), there are four distinct categories of words: (1) Speaking Vocabulary: ordinary language; the language of the home and the office
(2) Listening Vocabulary: words that we can decipher when we hear them (3) Reading Vocabulary: comprises of all the text that our brains immediately process as words
(4) Writing vocabulary: the term or words used in reading and writing, such as those used in notes, letters, reports, etc
In linguistics, words are categorized based on their communicative function Thornbury (2002) identifies a distinction between content words and functional words Content words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, convey the primary meaning of a sentence Conversely, words like interjections and conjunctions are classified as functional words, as they facilitate the structure and flow of language rather than carrying substantive meaning.
Nouns are words that are used to describe people, places, things, or ideas A noun can function as the subject or object of a verb b Verb
The word "verb" is used to describe an action c Adjective
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns in more depth d Adverb
The term "adverb" can refer to either a predicate adjective or a verb phrase, or it can refer to an adverb e Preposition
A preposition is a term that is used before a pronoun or pronoun to indicate location, position, time, or method d Conjunction
Connecting phrases, clauses, and sentences is the function of the conjunction e Interjection
An interjection is a sudden word or phrase used to express a feeling
Word knowledge, as defined by Nation (2001), includes familiarity with the word's structure, meaning, and use
Table 2.1 True Mastery of a Word, Nation (2001, p.27)
Spoken R What does the word sound like?
P How is the word pronounced?
Written R What does the word look like?
P How is the word written and spelled?
What parts are recognizable in this word?
What word parts are needed to express the meaning?
What meaning does this word form signal?
What word form can be used to express this meaning?
R What is included in the concept?
P What items can the concept refer to?
What other words does this make us think of?
P What other words could we use instead of this one?
R In what patterns does the word occur?
In what patterns, must we use this word?
What words or types of words occur with this one?
P What words or types of words must we use with this one?
R Where, when, and how often would we expect to meet this word?
P Where, when, and how often can we use this word? a Receptive and Productive Vocabulary
Passive and active vocabulary use differ significantly While receptive vocabulary encompasses words individuals comprehend in context (Stuart, 2008), they may struggle with active use, as highlighted by Lewis and Hill (1992) The acquisition of receptive language, the primary form in childhood (Webb, 2005), establishes the foundation for developing this vocabulary component.
In addition, students of a foreign language can develop and employ what are called productive categories of vocabulary in their own reading, writing, and spoken communication Like Stuart (2008), productive vocabulary consists of terms that students know how to use correctly in both spoken and written communication Vocabulary size, both receptive and productive, has been the primary focus of research in this area (Laufer & Paribakht, 1998) It has been observed that learners' receptive vocabulary size is typically larger than their productive vocabulary size (Webb, 2005) This is due to the fact that most vocabulary tasks practice and assess receptive rather than productive vocabulary, such as asking students to look up words in dictionaries and match words with the same meaning b Explicit and Implicit Vocabulary Learning
Learning that takes place naturally, simply, and without conscious operation is called implicit learning; learning that involves more conscious operation, in which the learner formulates and tests hypotheses in search of structure, is called explicit learning, as defined by Ellis (1994)
The ability to infer the meaning of words based on context is crucial for learning implicit vocabulary through reading, and this, in turn, requires prior knowledge of the terms in context Many methods, such as finding synonyms, memorizing, mnemonics, and guessing the meaning of words, can help language learners implicitly acquire new vocabulary, as stated by Nezhad et al (2015) One of the most efficient ways to increase one's vocabulary is to seek out terms that are semantically close to an unfamiliar one
Memorization is the process of repeating the term in the target language until you know it by heart Oxford (1990) emphasizes the role of memory strategy in acquiring a vocabulary The effect of storing words is a broad vocabulary that develops gradually over time There will likely be a lot of repetition involved Using flashcards for spaced repetition to learn new material is a tried-and-true method
A frequent mnemonic device is to associate the keyword with an image; doing so helps to illuminate the word's sense
Another strategy involves making educated guesses about a word's meaning based on its usage According to Laufer (1997), it is trickier than it seems to infer meanings from context and necessitates a wide peripheral vision c Incidental and Intentional Vocabulary Learning
Acquiring new information by chance is referred to as "incidental learning." Concurrent learning also entails acquiring knowledge in more than one area at once (Richards & Schmidt, 2002) Furthermore, unlike implicit learning, which takes place without one's knowledge, the concept of incidental learning stands on its own
Explicit learning can be intentional or unintentional, while implicit learning is involuntary Explicit learning is commonly associated with the structured environment of a classroom, but research suggests that unintentional acquisition of vocabulary through informal exposure outside of formal settings can also contribute to language proficiency.
Idiomatic language effectively boosts memory and cognitive abilities by prompting students to actively infer meaning from context This process demands undivided attention, fostering a mental exercise of deduction and re-evaluation Consequently, the prolonged engagement with idiomatic expressions enhances long-term retention of new vocabulary.
According to Sokmen (1991), this strategy has pupils use a single-language dictionary to look up definitions of new words Words have meanings that can be inferred from their usage
2.1.1.3 Strategies for Enhancing Learners’ Vocabulary
Despite the conviction of many English language teachers that vocabulary needs to be practiced in an actual situation (Hunt & Beglar, 2005), students have a strong tendency to search for the word's translation in their mother tongue when confronted with an unfamiliar word
Decarrico (2001) argues that this approach to learning new words encourages memory over understanding Therefore, studying words one by one prevents students from understanding their context and using them appropriately
According to Nation (2000), learning new words is a cumulative process in which learners' understanding of a term grows the more they encounter it in various contexts To help their pupils learn more words in English, EFL instructors use a variety of methods Two methods for expanding one's vocabulary include immersion in language activities and chance encounters The alternative method is to be given well-structured instructions in the target language A vocabulary diary in which children can write down and study the meanings of new words is one more strategy
Attitudes towards the use of short stories in enhancing vocabulary for
In language teaching, attitudes toward the use of a method can be positive or negative Attitudes may change from negative to positive ones and vice versa They can either facilitate or hinder the learning process effectively
David Nunan (1991) pointed out that "if students can be encouraged to adopt the right attitudes, interests, and motivation in the target language and culture, as well as in the learning environment in which they find themselves, then successful learning will occur, and if these affective factors are not correct, then no set of techniques is likely to succeed, regardless of how carefully they have been devised or how solidly they based on the latest theory and research" (p 234) Students' positive attitudes toward language learning may encourage them to have better results All teachers use different new methods to bring positive attitudes to students so that they have interests, motivation, and confidence in the lessons They can apply what they have learned to practice The use of short stories in enhancing students' vocabulary has the same purposes
Laili (2011) mentions that using short stories is a pleasing way of teaching young learners Al-Dersi (2013: 81-82) also states that learning vocabulary through enjoyable short stories helps build the students' motivation for further learning Therefore, teaching vocabulary to secondary students through short stories is very helpful to involve them in the class because it is joyful and fun In addition, Short stories are good for improving students' vocabulary mastery because they motivate them to learn more According to Donoghue (1990: 366), motivation is significant to achieve the goal of teaching and learning Not only did the pictures make the students motivated to learn, but also the story did Based on Astya (2011), the content of a realistic short story that reflects the real situation in daily life motivates learners to read more The shortness of the text is suitable for the students because they will see that they can read, understand and finish something in English, giving them a feeling of achievement and self-confidence Spack (1985) suggests the aspect of interest to be considered when selecting short stories According to him, the teacher needs to choose stories that interest students, that they most like to read and teach, and that have been made into a film to provide visual interpretation McKay (2001: 322) and Rivers (1968: 230) point out that students read and enjoy a text if the subject matter is relevant to their life experiences and interests Ismail's (2 019) study demonstrated the impact of reading regional folktales on second-year SMA Muhammadiyah Kalosi-Enrekang students' English vocabulary In another equally important study, Musleh, Ibrahim, and Altakhaineh (2020) looked at non-native speakers' opinions on Arabic stories in language schools The study's participants had clear ideas about using short stories to learn a language They found such an approach to be empowering and supportive Khamroeva (2021) also demonstrated the significance of vocabulary instruction and acquisition in a foreign language classroom EFL students used a variety of techniques to expand their vocabulary in English Students' interest and engagement were observed to rise when literature was taught to them (Alkhodimi & Al Ahdal 2019) The desire of students to develop their comprehension of the tale is provided and supported by the use of stories Stories can help people create positive attitudes because they are inspiring, stimulating, and enjoyable (Brewster, Ellis, and Girard, 2002)
A student's attitude significantly impacts their learning outcomes and is crucial for successful second language acquisition Therefore, educators should prioritize fostering and sustaining positive attitudes in the classroom to enhance the effectiveness of both teaching and learning processes.
Previous Studies
More techniques can help in vocabulary acquisition, according to Schmitt (2000) Additionally, emphasis should be placed on more precise exercises as well as the volume of vocabulary that needs to be learned Language teachers can help students learn more vocabulary on their own Different vocabulary acquisition techniques are introduced by teachers, and students are then asked to put them to use (Schmitt, 2007) For instance, repetition and memorization are the most popular methods used by students to acquire new words For intermediate or advanced students, teachers can recommend deeper processing techniques like associations or keyword procedures (Zhang, 2010)
Numerous studies have attempted to pinpoint the methods employed by language learners in light of the significance of vocabulary development and its impact on language learning
Shen (2003) looked into the shortcomings of classroom vocabulary instruction This study made clear the importance of investigating the various dynamics and dimensions of individual approaches to vocabulary acquisition as well as the necessity of educating students about a variety of vocabulary learning tactics Ener (2003) conducted a study to look at the connection between Turkish EFL students' vocabulary size and their vocabulary acquisition approach According to the Turkish learners' perceptions, metacognitive tactics were used more effectively than psycholinguistic Overall, a link between students' vocabulary size and vocabulary acquisition approach was discovered
Wen and Johnson (1997) collected data through interviews and diaries, which show that the students commonly employed metacognitive and psycholinguistic learning techniques
The association between vocabulary size and the vocabulary learning techniques employed by Iranian undergraduate EFL students was also examined by Hamzah et al (2009) The researchers discovered that in their first semester of study, Iranian EFL students were performing at a median level However, familiarity with the authors led to the conclusion that as students gain more exposure to vocabulary acquisition methodologies, vocabulary size can actually increase
Kafipour and Naveh (2011) discovered that Iranian EFL students most commonly employed metacognitive methods while using social strategies less frequently
Oktaviani (2019) studied how to teach vocabulary to tenth-grade students in MAN 2 Cilegon through short stories 30 students took part in this investigation as participants The results showed that some students lacked vocabulary knowledge, which may be demonstrated by pre-test results Nevertheless, the researcher utilized a short story as a remedy Students in the tenth grade performed better on the follow- up exam
Hopkins and Davis (1982) looked at how short stories affected Hispanic English language learners Short stories have been shown to play a significant impact in the growth of general English competence based on the findings of this study
The impact of short stories on reading ability, particularly comprehension, and speed, was examined by Bell (2001) Data collected from 26 elementary school students divided into two control and experimental groups revealed a substantial difference between the two groups, with the experimental group using short stories outperforming the control group in terms of speed reading Iranian EFL learners' vocabulary size was studied by Ajideh et al (2013) The findings show that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of vocabulary learning All of the studies mentioned above investigated deeply the process of vocabulary development for students However, the researcher would like to conduct this study to know how possible it was to apply short stories in enhancing vocabulary for secondary students By implementing a formal study, the researcher could have a closer look into the use of short stories in developing students’ vocabulary.
Summary
The chapter has presented the relevant literature that helps form the theoretical and conceptual framework for the study First, a set of concepts of vocabulary according to some leading authors is given and then the types of vocabulary; strategies for enhancing learners’ vocabulary, vocabulary size of language learners as well as approach to SL vocabulary learning Second, short stories are discussed, including components, benefits and the use of short stories in vocabulary learning and teaching Finally, an overview of previous studies related to the research area of the dissertation is given to give the readers an overview and research gap between the study and the previous ones.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
In order to investigate the current situation of learning vocabulary of secondary students, the effects of short stories in enhancing English vocabulary for secondary school students and their attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons, the chosen research design for the study is action research
According to Nunan (1992) there are seven steps in the action research cycle Initiation: The teacher comes up with a problem His/her students do not seem interested or motivated What should be done?
Preliminary investigation: spending some time collecting baseline data through observation and recording classroom interaction
Hypothesis: After reviewing the initial data, he/she formed the hypothesis that the students are unmotivated
Intervention: The teacher devises a number of strategies for encouraging the students to relate the content of the lesson
Evaluation: After several weeks, the classroom is recorded again There is much greater involvement of the students, and the complexity of their language and student-led interactions is enhanced
Dissemination: The teacher runs a workshop for colleagues and presents a paper at a language conference
Follow-up: The teacher investigates alternative methods of motivating students The implementation lasted for 8 weeks.
Respondents and locale of the study
The study involved Doan Thi Diem Ha Long which is in the North of Vietnam as its field site It was founded in 2011 and offers instruction at all three general educational levels (primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary) The school has high- equipped facilities and provides a comprehensive educational experience In this school, English is taught to students from grade 1 to 12 I chose this private school as the research field location because it depicts a site that is typical rather than extraordinary Another factor was that this school is a familiar research location for me because that is where I have been working This familiarity helped my fieldwork and my participants
This study was conducted in the second semester of the academic year 2022-
2023 with 33 eighth-grader students who are in a class where the researcher teaches them English The class includes 17 girls and 16 boys The participants formed a sample of the population of lower-secondary students in this school.
Data Collection Instrument
The pre-test was used as the placement test to identify the students’ vocabulary level
The post-test was carried out in order to help the researcher draw a conclusion on whether the use of short stories is effective in enhancing students’ vocabulary Both of the tests have the same format Each test was based on two stories adapted from the website of the British Council for Learning English All of the chosen stories were for students from elementary to pre-intermediate levels There were four types of questions in each test, including word definition, multiple choice, gap-filling, and cloze questions The maximum score for each test was 30
The prequestionnaire was employed to collect information on the current situations of vocabulary learning of secondary students There were two parts to the pre-questionnaire In the first part, the students provided information on their full names, class, and the number of years studying English In the second part, there were three sub-sections:
Student's difficulties in learning vocabulary
Students’ methods of learning vocabulary
Current situations of learning vocabulary through short stories
There were both closed and open-ended questions in order to provide enough space for students to add extra information if necessary The prequestionnaire consists of twenty questions, which took students no more than twenty minutes to finish
The postquestionnaire explored student attitudes towards incorporating short stories into vocabulary lessons, particularly their impact on vocabulary enhancement It included demographic information (name, gender, years of English study) and a section where students rated their agreement on eleven questions using the Five-Point Linkert Scale, ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree Additionally, students had the option to share any additional thoughts or opinions The questionnaire was designed to be completed in approximately fifteen minutes.
To make it easy for the respondents, all of the questions were translated into Vietnamese.
Data collection procedure
In the first step, students were given the pre-test so that the researcher can identify their current level of vocabulary acquired by students Besides, the students were let to answer the questionnaire so that the researcher could collect data on the current situation of learning vocabulary of secondary students as well as students’ preferences in types of short stories they would like to read in classrooms
The teacher then prepared materials, and designed lesson plans using short stories in teaching vocabulary for secondary students
The intervention of using short stories in teaching vocabulary for secondary students was implemented in 8 weeks using different short stories The action plan for each week was carried out and summarized in the following table:
Week 1: Bully https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/
In education, identity formation is fostered through language acquisition Teachers initiate the process by introducing relevant texts and facilitating vocabulary development Subsequently, students analyze the text, gaining insights into word usage, meaning, and form Practice exercises reinforce these concepts, enabling students to internalize the language's structure and semantics, thereby enhancing their overall language proficiency and identity formation.
forgive Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
an adult Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
Week 4: First star I see tonight
to charge someone with something
break the law Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
Week 5: Love me, love me not
verbs of liking Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases
Exercises were available for practice
agree to + V Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
Week 7: The hole in the wall
dreamed of Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
Week 8: The time travel plumber
as though Teacher introduced the story, prepared students with necessary vocabulary and/ or reading skills Based on the text students learned more about the form, meaning, and use of the words/ phrases Exercises were available for practice
The teacher walked around the classrooms to observe and encouraged students to participate in classroom activities with short stories During these activities, teachers observed students’ participation and improvements in their vocabulary
After 8 weeks of implementation, the students were let to take the post- test The results of the tests were compared to see whether using short stories could help enhance students' vocabulary or not In addition, the post-questionnaire was also delivered to students to evaluate their attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons and how short stories could help students enhance their vocabulary.
Data analysis
All of the information collected will be input into Excel spreadsheet The statistics will be presented and analyzed descriptively.
Summary
Action research, the chosen methodology, has been described in this section The researcher has detailed the methods and tools used for data collecting and analysis The data from the questionnaires and tests were compiled and examined after the eight-week intervention period.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings from the tests
The pre-test assessed students' vocabulary knowledge prior to the implementation of short stories in the classroom The results of the pre-test were tabulated and provided in a table.
Table 4.1 Results of the Pre-Test
According to the above table, the average score of the Pre-test is 17.4 (out of 30), accounting for approximately 52.6% of the total score, which is 2.6% higher than the mid-score (15)
The lowest score is 10 (out of 30), which means the students could only do one- third of the test There were 2 students who got 10, accounting for about 6% of the surveyed students The highest score is 26 out of 30 (this means the students did 78.8% of the questions correctly), and there were also 2 students who scored this, accounting for about 6%
There were 14 students who got 15 or under the number of correct sentences, taking up 42.4% of the total surveyed students We can also see that there are 57.6% of the surveyed students got higher marks than the mid-score The score which most students got is 15 (the mid-score) with 8 students, making up 24.2% of the students
The number of students who got fair scores (65% to 80% of the total score) is
5 students, which is equivalent to 16.7% of the students, and three students (10%) got good or excellent scores (>80%)
After 8 weeks of using short stories in teaching vocabulary, students were given the post-test and the results were illustrated in the following table:
Table 4.2 Results of the Post-Test
After the time of using short stories to enhance English vocabulary for secondary school students, we collected the data shown in Table 4.2 Observing the table shows us:
The average score is 22.4 out of 30, equivalent to 74.6% There is an increase of 5 points in comparison with the score of 17.4 of the result of the pre-test
The lowest score is 11 out of 30 and only 1 student got this score, this means the student only got one-third of the test correct Meanwhile, the lowest score in the pre-test was 10, and 2 students got the score
The highest score is 30 and 1 student got this highest score Meanwhile, there were 2 students who got 26 out of 30 sentences correct, the highest score in the pre-test
The number of students who got under mid-score (15 and under) is 2 students, this is a remarkable decrease from 14 students in the pre-test The percentage of this decrease is 36.6%
The number of students who got good or excellent scores is 13 students, accounting for 39.3%, and there is one student who got a full score of 30 correct sentences The percentage of 39.3% is noticeable because there was no one who got this score in the pre-test It can be seen that their vocabulary test scores have been improved a lot
The following table illustrates the comparison between the results of Pre-Test and Post-Test
Table 4.3 Comparison between the results of Pre-Test and Post-Test
Pre-Test Post-Test Difference
The pre-test results exhibited a score range of 10 to 26, with a mean of 17.4 Following the intervention, the post-test results demonstrated a significant improvement, with the highest score rising to 30, the lowest score increasing to 11, and the mean score markedly advancing to 22.4.
The increases in all 3 figures showed that the application of using short stories to enhance English vocabulary for secondary school students is effective.
Findings from the questionnaires
4.2.1.1 Students’ difficulties in learning vocabulary
After observing the data collected from the pre-questionnaire, the students’ difficulties in learning vocabulary were then analyzed and illustrated Students’ difficulties are summarized in the following table:
Table 4.4: Students’ difficulties in learning vocabulary
Students’ difficulties in mastering vocabulary in terms of
No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%)
3 Words accompanied by different phrases
5 Only remembering the Vietnamese meanings of the words
6 Selecting suitable vocabulary for communication
About 70.7% of the surveyed students agreed that they find it difficult to memorize the pronunciation of the words Only 24.2% of the questioned students do not find it difficult to remember the pronunciation of the learned words This means to study and memorize the words is a challenge to the majority of the students However, nearly one-third of the surveyed students disagreed with this view The following figure illustrates students’ difficulties in memorize the spelling of the words The lack of similarity in sound between English and students' native language frequently results in inaccurate pronunciation (Rohmatillah, 2014) In this regard, according to some experts, improper teaching and learning in this area, together with the teacher's personal goals and teaching methods, are to blame for inaccurate pronunciation (Varasarin, 2007)
In terms of spelling, over 70% of the surveyed students found it hard to remember the spelling of the learned words, this means most of the students knew the words and the meanings but they were unable to write them down However, about one-fifth of them claimed that they did not find it hard to recall the learned words This is due to the disparities between the learner's original language and English; moreover, English has a different written form from its spoken form (Rohmatillah, 2014)
66.6% of the surveyed students agreed that they often get confused with familiar words accompanied by different phrases This means about two-thirds of the students knew the core meaning of the words, but if the words went with different phrases, the students would have difficulties in getting the meaning of the whole clauses or phrases Meanwhile, 30.2% of the students did not get the same situation, they claimed that they did not get confused in understanding complex phrases Learners look for terms that semantically fit the text the best, therefore they choose the word that comes the closest to capturing the meaning However, since the term was chosen at random by the pupils, the decision could not have been unquestionably correct The entire meaning of the word may be twisted if the word is not chosen correctly (Rohmatillah, 2014) O‘dell and McCarthy (2008) point out that learners should learn collocations because (1) their speech will appear more natural and be simpler to understand; (2) they will have more varied and varied means of expressing themselves; and (3) if language is presented to them in chunks or blocks rather than as individual words, their brain will likely pr ocess it more easily
Students also admitted that they often forget learned vocabulary 66.7% of the students often forget the words they learn This means nearly two-thirds of the students could not recall what they learned This situation was really alarming because if students could not recall the meaning of the words, they would not understand the meaning of the sentences, the paragraphs, and the whole text Therefore, it's crucial to go over new vocabulary that has just been introduced in the classroom and to use repetition techniques, like oral and written strategies, to help students better memorize the new words (Taka, 2008)
Besides, students only remember the Vietnamese meanings of the words Over half of the surveyed students (about 57.6%) agreed that they only remembered the meaning of the words in their mother tongue This means when these students met the words in the reading contexts, they could get the meanings of those learned words but they could not coordinate the meanings of the words with the meanings of the whole sentences, the whole paragraphs, or the whole text
Despite the communicative benefits of language learning, research indicates that 75.8% of students struggle with word retrieval in communication This challenge is significant, as only 15.1% of surveyed students reported no difficulty in selecting appropriate vocabulary This finding highlights the need for language learning programs to focus on vocabulary development and communication skills to facilitate effective language use.
4.2.1.2 Students’ methods of learning vocabulary
The following table gives a summary of students’ vocabulary learning methods:
Table 4.5: Students’ methods of learning vocabulary
Students’ methods of learning vocabulary
No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%)
1 Using a dictionary to look up the
Vietnamese meanings of the words
English dictionaries to know the definitions of the words
3 Looking up the phrases accompanying the learned words
4 Looking up the synonyms of the words
5 Looking up the antonyms of the words
The first method is using of dictionaries to look up the Vietnamese meanings of the words 75.8% of the surveyed students claimed that they used a dictionary to help with the meaning of the words in Vietnamese This means that they focused on understanding the meaning, not other factors of what could be found in the dictionary, such as pronunciation, usage, or examples Meanwhile, 9.1% of the students said that they never used a dictionary to look up the meanings of the words 15.2% of the students claimed that they sometimes used this kind of help
Secondly, students use English dictionaries to know the definitions of the words As can be seen, a large number of students seldom or never used English dictionaries to look up the definitions of the words, this means that students just focused on the meaning of the words in their mother tongue, not the definition given in the dictionary On the other hand, only a small proportion of them (6%) used this function of a dictionary
Students also look up the phrases accompanying the learned words The above figure shows that most of the surveyed students sometimes or seldom or even never used the dictionary to look up the phrases accompanying the learned words This means they just concentrated on getting the meaning, and it was hard when they encounter the phrases going with those words Only 15.2% of the students often used this method
Looking up the synonyms of the words is another learning strategy Over half of the surveyed (63.6%) seldom or even never find the synonyms of the words, and only 30.3% of the students claimed that they often used the dictionary to do so
Regarding antonyms, 63.6% of participants indicated infrequent dictionary use for their retrieval, while 30.3% reported frequent dictionary consultation for antonym identification.
4.2.1.3 Current situations of learning vocabulary through short stories
The current situations of learning vocabulary through short stories were collected and illustrated in the form of figures
The following figure demonstrated the general use of short story to learn vocabulary
Students' use of short stories to learn vocabulary
Figure 4.1 Students’ use of short stories to learn vocabulary
Of the surveyed students, 66.7% of them reported that they had used short stories to learn vocabulary, and 33.3% had not learned vocabulary this way
The figure below demonstrates students’ interests in using short stories to learn vocabulary
Figure 4.2 Students’ interests in using short stories to learn vocabulary
Students’ interests in using short stories to learn vocabulary
When asked if students like learning vocabulary using short stories, 75.6% of them claimed that they had an interest in learning vocabulary by this method, and 24.4% of them reported that they did not find it interesting in learning vocabulary by this method
How frequently students used short stories to learn vocabulary was clarified in the following figure:
Figure 4.3 Students’ frequency of using short stories to learn vocabulary
Although the students were interested in short stories, according to the figure above, they did not use stories to learn vocabulary frequently Only one-third of them applied short stories in vocabulary learning often or very often More than forty percent of them just used short stories occasionally There were even 6.1% who never used this method to learn It could be seen that students needed specific guidance and instructions to use this method in learning vocabulary
How much time students spent using short stories to learn vocabulary per week was summarized in the figure below:
Very often Often Sometimes Seldom Never
Students’ frequency of using short stories to learn vocabulary
Figure 4.4 Students’ time using short stories to learn vocabulary per week
One-third of the students spent from three to four hours a week learning vocabulary Almost the same number only spent one or two hours a week Only 9.1% spent more than 6 hours a week studying Ultimately, there was a student who studied vocabulary for less than one hour a week It could be concluded that most students spent insufficient time studying vocabulary
The students’ attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons were identified based on the postquestionnaire Details of data collected were summarized in the table below:
< 1 hour 1-2 hours 3-4 hours 5-6 hours > 6 hours
Students’ time of using short stories to learn vocabulary per week
Table 4.6: Students’ attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons
Students’ attitude toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons
No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%) No (Students) Percentage (%)
1 Students like using short stories in the vocabulary learning periods rather than the traditional methods
2 Using short stories in vocabulary learning periods makes the lessons more interesting
3 Using short stories helps students know how to use
3 9.1 5 15.2 7 21.2 10 30.3 8 24.3 correct vocabulary in different contexts
4 Using short stories helps students memorize vocabulary more quickly
5 Using short stories helps students remember vocabulary longer
6 Learning vocabulary using short stories helps students know how to use more idioms
7 Learning vocabulary using short stories helps students predict the
4 12.1 4 12.1 2 6.1 13 39.4 10 30.3 meanings of the words better
8 Learning vocabulary using short stories helps improve students’ communication skills
9 Learning vocabulary using short stories makes students feel more confident in communication
10 Learning vocabulary using short stories makes students more interested in learning vocabulary
11 Students’ interests in 2 6.1 2 6.1 1 3 15 45.5 13 39.4 learning vocabulary using short stories
Overall, students had positive attitudes towards using short stories in the vocabulary learning Firstly, they like using short stories in the vocabulary learning periods rather than the traditional methods Only a small proportion had contrast ideas
Secondly, most students thought using short stories in vocabulary learning periods makes the lessons more interesting There was only a small proportion of the students disagreed with the ideas
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
Based on the analysis of the findings, the following conclusions could be drawn:
5.1.1 The current situation of learning English vocabulary for secondary students
Firstly, students had some difficulties learning English vocabulary All of the challenges mentioned in the questionnaire (memorizing the pronunciation of the words, memorizing the spelling of the words, forgetting learned vocabulary, only remembering the Vietnamese meanings of the words, and selecting the suitable vocabulary to communicate) were selected by students with different numbers The two most common challenges were selecting suitable vocabulary to communicate and remembering the spelling of the words
Secondly, regarding the students’ learning methods, the most common vocabulary learning method of students was looking up the word's meaning in the dictionary
Despite the popularity of short stories among students for entertainment, their application in vocabulary learning remains low Two-thirds of students have employed short stories for this purpose, but only a minority use them consistently This suggests that the current approach to using short stories in vocabulary instruction needs improvement to enhance student engagement and effectiveness.
The time spent studying vocabulary varied significantly between students While some dedicated more than six hours weekly to vocabulary, many others devoted only one or two hours This disparity suggests varying levels of commitment and priorities among students regarding vocabulary acquisition.
In summary, students still had difficulties in learning vocabulary and most of them did not have useful plans to improve their vocabulary This fact raised the need of finding effective ways to help them enhance their vocabulary
5.1.2 How the use of short stories enhances vocabulary for secondary students
Before the treatment, the students were let to take the pre-test The results of the pre-test showed that students’ vocabulary levels were quite low Furthermore, the students who got excellent scores were only three
After the time of using short stories in vocabulary lessons, based on the post- test, there was a considerable increase in the results of the students Firstly, there is an increase compared to the result of the pre-test
The increases in students’ achievement illustrated the great impact of using short stories in students’ vocabulary learning process
5.1.3 The students’ attitudes toward using short stories in vocabulary lessons
The results of the post-questionnaire survey show that the students have positive attitudes toward using short stories to learn vocabulary
The majority of students enjoy including short stories in their vocabulary- learning sessions A comparable proportion of students believed that using short stories makes learning vocabulary more engaging
In addition, most of the students claimed that studying vocabulary through short stories is beneficial All the advantages listed in the post-questionnaire were approved by at least more than half of the students Specifically, half of them could use appropriate words in various situations; improved word memorization; most of them increased their vocabulary retention; most of the students could learn how to use more idioms; most of them felt they were better at guessing or forecasting the meanings of words; Most of them of students communicated more effectively, increased their communication confidence, developed students' interest in the subject
These figures indicate that the use of short stories in learning vocabulary is more successful than the traditional methods
The study cannot avoid some limitations Firstly, due to the time and resources limit, the study could employ a small number of respondents, which could result in some subjectivity in the findings In addition, the treatment was implemented in eight weeks due to the time frame of the postgraduate program Such a short amount of time prevented the researcher from exploiting all of the benefits of short stories and finding out more about some possible advantages
While the present study has provided valuable insights, its limitations suggest avenues for future research Investigators interested in employing short stories in language instruction may consider conducting empirical investigations on a broader scale or exploring additional dimensions of English language learning and assessment.
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Là một giáo viên tiếng Anh, cô ghi nhận những khó khăn của học sinh trong việc học từ vựng Trăn trở tìm phương pháp giải quyết, cô thực hiện nghiên cứu "Sử dụng truyện ngắn để nâng cao vốn từ vựng cho học sinh cấp 2".
Khảo sát này nhằm tìm hiểu thực trạng việc học từ vựng của các em nên cô mong các em sẽ trả lời các câu hỏi trong khảo sát này một cách trung thực và chi tiết, để từ đó cô có thể đánh giá hiệu quả của việc áp dụng truyện ngắn trong việc nâng cao vốn từ cho các em
Cô cam kết những thông tin của các em sẽ được giữ bí mật tuyệt đối, và chỉ được sử dụng vào mục đích nghiên cứu mà thôi
Cám ơn sự hợp tác của các em!
3 Số năm đã học Tiếng Anh: ………
II Thực trạng việc học từ vựng của học sinh
Hoàn toàn đồng ý Đồng ý Không rõ Không đồng ý Hoàn toàn không đồng ý
I - Những khó khăn của học sinh khi học từ vựng
1 Em gặp khó khăn khi nhớ cách phát âm của từ
2 Em thấy khó nhớ cách viết của từ
3 Em bị bối rối khi thấy từ vựng quen thuộc được đi kèm với những cụm từ khác nhau
4 Em hay quên nghĩa những từ vựng đã học
5 Em chỉ nhớ nghĩa tiếng Việt của từ
6 Em gặp khó khăn với việc tìm từ vựng phù hợp khi giao tiếp
II - Những phương pháp học từ vựng mà học sinh đã áp dụng
Rất thường xuyên Thường xuyên Thỉnh thoảng Ít khi Không bao giờ
1 Em dùng từ điển tra nghĩa tiếng Việt của từ
2 Em sử dụng từ điển tiếng Anh để biết định nghĩa của từ
3 Em tra cứu các cụm từ đi kèm với từ vựng đã học
4 Em tra từ đồng nghĩa với từ vựng em muốn học
5 Em tra từ trái nghĩa với từ vựng em muốn học
……… III – Thực trạng việc học từ vựng thông qua truyện ngắn
1 Em đã học từ vựng thông qua truyện ngắn bao giờ chưa?
2 Em có thấy hứng thú với việc học từ vựng thông qua truyện ngắn không?
3 Em có thường xuyên học từ vựng thông qua truyện ngắn không?
4 Em thường dành bao nhiêu thời gian mỗi tuần để học từ vựng thông qua truyện ngắn?
Trong thời gian 8 tuần vừa qua, các em đã được học từ vựng thông qua các truyện ngắn, cô mong các em sẽ trả lời các câu hỏi trong khảo sát này một cách trung thực và chi tiết, để từ đó cô có thể đánh giá hiệu quả của việc áp dụng truyện ngắn trong việc nâng cao vốn từ cho các em
Cô cam kết những thông tin của các em sẽ được giữ bí mật tuyệt đối, và chỉ được sử dụng vào mục đích nghiên cứu mà thôi
Cám ơn sự hợp tác của các em!
Số năm đã học Tiếng Anh: ………
II Đánh giá của học sinh về việc sử dụng truyện ngắn để nâng cao vốn từ vựng
Hoàn toàn đồng ý Đồng ý Không rõ Không đồng ý Hoàn toàn không đồng ý
1 Em thích áp dụng truyện ngắn vào các giờ học từ vựng hơn việc học bằng phong cách truyền thống
2 Sử dụng truyện ngắn trong giờ học từ vựng làm cho giờ học thú vị
3 Truyện ngắn giúp em biết cách sử dụng đúng từ vựng trong những ngữ cảnh khác nhau
4 Truyện ngắn giúp em nhớ từ vựng nhanh hơn
5 Truyện ngắn giúp em nhớ từ vựng lâu hơn
6 Nhờ việc học từ vựng qua truyện ngắn, em biết cách sử dụng nhiều thành ngữ hơn
7 Truyện ngắn giúp em dự đoán nghĩa của từ tốt hơn
8 Thông qua việc học truyện ngắn, phản xạ giao tiếp của em nhanh nhạy hơn
9 Việc học từ vựng qua truyện ngắn làm em tự tin hơn trong giao tiếp
10 Học từ vựng qua truyện ngắn khiến em thích học từ vựng hơn
11 Nhìn chung, em rất thích học từ vựng qua truyện ngắn
Frank was sitting in the back seat of the police car The car was hidden in a small road next to the Babbington house In the front seats were two strong, young police officers