ABSTRACT This study aims to find out the type of vocabulary learning strategies that the second-year English majored at Thu Dau Mot University commonly use.. Significance of the study T
INTROCDUTION
Research objectives
This research paper focus on difficulties in learning English vocabulary that second-year students at Thu Dau Mot University are facing with and solutions to improve their vocabulary.
Research questions
Considering the purpose of this study, the content of this study focuses on answering the following two main questions:
1 What difficulties do second year students at Thu- Dau Mot University face in learning English vocabulary?
2 What are the strategies to improve the students’ English vocabulary?
Significance of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the most efficient vocabulary learning strategies utilized by English major second year students at Thu- Dau Mot University It is believed that being aware of how different people learn will make everyone who is interested in English as a distant teaching profession and learning more aware of their roles In addition, it will help students become aware of the methods for more practical learning while also developing students' potential lives and fostering competitive teaching and learning Additionally, it will make it easier for students to develop strategies and methods for becoming many motivated and self-sufficient learners Learning how students use vocabulary can change how teachers and researchers design activities and materials that help students improve their lexical competence.
Scope of the study
The study focuses on finding out ways to help seacond years students improve their vocabulary.
Structure of the study
The following is a list of the five chapters that make up this study:
This chapter focuses on the study's background, objectives, research questions, significance, and thesis statement
The study's literature review is presented in two subsections The first is the hypothetical structure which with respect to certain speculations connected with issues and and solutions to improve English vocabulary of second year students at Thu Dau Mot University The second is previous research on the difficulties associated with learning English vocabulary
This chapter describes the study's research methods, population and sampling, research instruments, data collection and data analysis methods of this study
This chapter is divided into two small parts The first is the results section focuses on the data analysis which presents the data from the survey in tables and figures, then describe in general the results obtained from the study The second is the discussion concentrated on discus the findings from the survey results
This chapter including the summary of the main findings, the limitations and future direction, the recommendations, and the implications (optional) of the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Learning strategies
What are learning strategies? In my opinion, a learning strategy is an individual’s approach to completing a task There have obviously been a number of definitions of learning strategies because it is believed that learning strategies are an important and significant part of development in both a native language and a second language
Learning can be characterized as the interaction by which the external and unfamiliar become internal, familiar, and usable The process of learning is frequently depicted as lively, and students can employ a variety of methods Those techniques are referred to as strategies However, the definition of the term
"language learning strategies" is not universally agreed (Hoang, 2019) A learning strategy is defined as "an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language," according to Faerch and Kasper (1983:67) According to O'Malley and Chamot (1990), learning strategies, as defined by Weinstein and Mayer (1986, p 43), aim to facilitate learning and are global in nature "Affect the learner's motivational or affective state or the way the learner selects, acquires, organizes, or integrates new knowledge" is the goal of strategy use
Learning strategies are defined as "any set of operations, steps, plans, routines used by the learner to facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval, and use of information, that is, what learners do to learn and do to regulate their learning," according to Rubin (Wenden and Rubin 1987:19)
O'Malley and Chamot (1990, p 1) define learning strategies as "special thoughts or behaviors that individuals use to comprehend, learn, or retain new information." According to Bialystock (1985), learning strategies are the normal processes of learning that take place regardless of whether the learner is paying attention to them and manipulating them intentionally As a result, the learning process and learning strategies are identical
As Nunan (1991:168), "Learning systems are the psychological cycles which students utilize to learn and utilize the objective language" According to Nunan's definition, learning strategies are limited to "mental processes." Richard et al (1992:209), offer a more extensive meaning of learning techniques, or at least, learning procedures are deliberate way of behaving and contemplations that students utilize during learning to all the more likely assist them with understanding, learn and recall new data"
According to Ellis (1997:76), "the particular approaches or techniques that learner employs to attempt to learn a second language" is the definition of learning strategies He goes on to explain that problem-oriented behavioral or mental learning strategies are common
Oxford (1990) her perspective on language learning strategies is summed up in twelve key features They are:
(1) the contribution to the main goal, communicative competence
(2) learners’ allowance to become more self-directed
(3) the expand of the roles of teachers
(5) specific action taken by the learner
(6) the involvement of many aspects of the learner, not just the cognitive
(7) direct and indirect learning support
(12) being influenced by a variety of factors
These twelve features reflect almost fully the characteristics of language learning strategies Each researcher defines learning strategies from different perspectives
In this study the researcher adopted the definition by Oxford in the account that it covers the essential aspects of language learning strategies
From a variety of points of view, each researcher defines learning strategies The Oxford definition was used in this study because it encompasses the essential aspects of language learning strategies
2.1.2 The importance of learning strategies
Side by aspects with the occasion of language abilities in English idea of as content, students really should "gain proficiency with the method for learning" In the long run, students stand to gain the most In the long, advanced method of language learning, sensible learning methods would enable students to independently advance their English
"The main benefit of all learning strategies is that they give students more control over their own learning so that they can take more responsibility for their studies” (Nation, 2001) As a result, the strategies make it easier for students to develop independence, autonomy, and self-reliance in the study Students will choose how they want to deal with challenges once they have access to a variety of learning options Sensible information about learning strategies and the ability to put it to use in the right ways could significantly change the problems that arise during the learning process.
Overview of vocabulary ãããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããã 12
Learning vocabulary is regarded as one of the essential English language skills However, a lot of students don't pay much attention to the current word learning, which leads them to believe that learning vocabulary is the most boring part of learning a foreign language However, mastering one's vocabulary is essential for both being able to comprehend what others are saying and communicating effectively with others As a result, various linguists have provided a variety of vocabulary definitions
There are numerous definitions of vocabulary available First and foremost, vocabulary is frequently referred to as the total number of words in a language In a similar vein, vocabulary is defined by the Cambridge Online Dictionary as "all the words that exist in a certain language and topic." In addition, according to Nathan (2013), a person's vocabulary is a list or quantity of terms that they are familiar with and use frequently in their daily lives However, these definitions do not cover every aspect To put it another way Oxford English Dictionary (1991:
461), "vocabulary is total number of words in a language, words known to a person, list of words, their meaning especially at the back of a book used for teaching a foreign language"
Vocabulary is one of the language parts that can influence large scale abilities Vocabulary definitions have been provided by numerous experts Nunan (1999:
101), vocabulary is a list of words in the target language Additionally, Amvela and Jackson (2000: 11) assert that vocabulary, lexis, and lexicon are the same thing Additionally, Schmidt and Richards (2002: 580), vocabulary is a collection of lexemes that includes idioms, compound words, and single words
"Vocabulary is a component of language that maintains all information about meaning and use of words in a language," says Kridalaksana (1993:27) A vocabulary list, particularly in a book for learning a different language, is a rundown of words with their definitions (Richards, 2003:4)
In contrast, Allen (1983) defined vocabulary as the total number of words used to understand or control a particular group of people as well as the number of words in a language
Additionally, there are two categories of vocabulary: receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary, also referred to as passive and active vocabulary (Laufer, 1998; 1998, Lehrosbon and Heibert; Nation, 2001) According to Nation (2001) that receptive vocabulary includes the capacity to deduce the meaning of words by recognizing their form while reading or listening to them
Verges (1990) recognized two kinds of vocabulary: (1) Production vocabulary or active vocabulary (2) Recognition vocabulary or passive vocabulary
Miller (2000:178) says that there are many different kinds of vocabulary, such as listening vocabulary, speaking vocabulary, reading vocabulary, and writing vocabulary
The vocabulary in a language or a particular group of terms you are learning make up your vocabulary Since vocabulary is so crucial, we even made a website to aid in its growth A vocabulary is "a group of words used in a particular language," according to the definition All the words you comprehend when you read, write, or listen to someone speak make up this list In other words, our vocabulary is made up of all the words that make sense to us when they are used in the right context
In conclusion, although there are a lot of different definitions, it is clear that, in addition to the other components and skills of English, vocabulary is the first thing that English learners should learn in order to master the language effectively We can conclude that vocabulary, which includes single words, compound words, and idioms, is an essential component of language proficiency; it gives a significant part of the establishment to how well students speak, read, listen, and write; as well as being analogous to the terms "lexicon" and "lexis."
For those who are learning English, mastering vocabulary is of the utmost importance Students use vocabulary not only in school but also outside of it in everyday life To fully comprehend what others want to say and communicate effectively, vocabulary is necessary Because vocabulary is used from the beginning of learning English, learning vocabulary is also important for students The term "vocabulary" is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as "all the words known and employed by a specific person." However, in order to engage in basic cognitive processes for an extended period of time, vocabulary learning necessitates concentration, which typically causes the student to quickly forget the words they have learned Also, we won't be able to speak well if we don't have a good vocabulary The perceived input of a language is the key to language learning, and learning vocabulary is actually the key to that door For what reason is vocabualry important? Because it conveys your perspective and ideas, vocabulary is very important
The seven characteristics of word knowledge were compiled by Richard (1976), as referenced in Read, 2000) Knowing a word means knowing i) how likely it is that you will use it in speech or print; ii) the restrictions on how the word can be used in different contexts and functions; iii) the syntactic way of behaving related with the word; iv) being aware of a word's fundamental form and the possible derivations from it; v) knowledge of the language's network of associations with that word and other words; vi) a word's meaning in a sentence; and vii) many of a word's various meanings (Richard, 1976, as cited in Read, 2000) These qualities have a profound relationship with the learning techniques understudies pick Those students who notice these characteristics can learn the words
The top four reasons why vocabulary is so important are listed below
First, vocabulary is very important because it gives ideas for how to communicate
A solid vocabulary is essential for effective communication or saying what you mean You can improve your communication skills by speaking in the appropriate manner
Also, vocabulary assists us with further developing listening cognizance Students' lack of vocabulary is one reason why they cannot comprehend what others are saying Students are unable to hear and comprehend the material if they are unfamiliar with the vocabulary and its pronunciation In some cases listening abilities depend on elocution as well as rely upon vocabulary
Thirdly, teaching students vocabulary also helps them write better One of the most challenging English skills is writing Students need to have a large vocabulary in order to write effectively As a result, having a strong vocabulary can help students write better Students need to have a large vocabulary in order to write in a manner that is more formal than conversational
Last but not least, having a lot of vocabulary helps one write well To comprehend what they are reading, individuals need to know 98% of the words, according to research Further developing vocabulary and attempting to learn vocabulary will build your insight
In short, understanding and communicating with native speakers are both made easier by vocabulary knowledge, as are other skills Subsequently, vocabulary learning plays a unique part, and learning vocabulary is the way to further developing language abilities
A student's exposure to language through practical experiences, a variety of reading materials, and the child's capacity to use context to interpret new words all have an impact on their vocabulary growth
"Nothing succeeds like success" says Burstall (1975) of language learning and other forms of education He said that successful students had positive attitudes as the class went on, which made them more likely to succeed The motivation of students is likely to influence their vocabulary learning effectiveness in part Other researchers also found that learning vocabulary is affected by gender differences General proficiency results favor female students (Boyle, 1987); However, male students exhibit superior listening vocabulary skills According to Oxford, Lavine, Hollaway, Felkins, and Saleh (1996), females also employ more new vocabulary learning strategies than males do A high level of self-esteem was linked to proficiency in a second language in a study by Heyde (1979) For the Nation 2001, students using strategies independently of a teacher is the most important method for learning vocabulary Strategy training is recommended as part of a vocabulary development program in his most recent publication Schmitt
Vocabulary learning strategies
2.3.1 Definition of vocabulary learning strategies
In second language acquisition, vocabulary learning strategies will be considered a section of general learning strategies (Naiman et al., 1978; Rubin, 1975) It is important to note that various definitions of language learning strategies exist In the meantime, vocabulary learning strategies do not have an official definition It's possible that this is why vocabulary learning strategies are also part of learning strategies and language learning strategies There have obviously been a variety of definitions of vocabulary learning strategies because it is believed that vocabulary learning strategies may be a crucial and essential area of development in both a native and second language (Pham, 2020)
According to Cameron (2001), "the action that learners take to help themselves understand and remember vocabulary items" is how vocabulary learning strategies are defined
“Knowledge about the mechanisms (processes and strategies) used in order to learn vocabulary as well as steps or actions taken by students to find out the meaning of unknown words, to retain them in long term memory, to recall them - at will, and to use them in oral or written mode,” is Catalan's (2003) working definition of vocabulary learning strategies
2.3.2 Classification of vocabulary learning strategies
There are numerous categories of vocabulary learning strategies Oxford divides learning methods into two main categories: strategies that are both direct and indirect The first category includes memory and compensation strategies, both of which are directly related to the target language and necessitate mental processing of the language The last option alludes to the systems that offer circuitous help for language learning through potential open doors, controlling uneasiness, expanding participation, and alternate ways including met mental techniques, emotional procedures, and social procedures
Gu and Johnson's (1996) list of vocabulary learning strategies includes the following: beliefs regarding the learning of vocabulary, metacognition, regulation, strategies for guessing, dictionaries, taking notes, memory, and activation, and other strategies There are two categories of these strategies: Strategies for metacognition (planning, monitoring, and evaluating) and cognition (paying attention, practicing, and producing) O'Malley and Chamot (1990), on the other hand, divide learning strategies into three categories: Cognitive, social/affective, and metacognitive strategies Learner’s use met cognitive strategies, which are higher-order executive skills, to supervise, control, or self direct their language - learning Advance organizers, directed attention, selective attention, self- management, delayed production, and self-evaluation are specific subcategories of cognitive strategies Cognitive strategies are the mental processes that students use to acquire, sort, remember, and use information, whereas met cognitive strategies are learners' management of their learning They directly manipulate the information that comes in, making learning more effective Repetition, resourcing, directed physical response, translation, grouping, taking notes, education recombination, imagery, auditory representation, keyword, transfer, and guessing are all examples of cognitive strategies Students' social strategies are the ways they work together or interact with others during the learning process They incorporate requesting the assistance of the educator or friends and requesting explanation Last but not least, controlling one's feelings or thoughts in order to continue studying are referred to as affecting strategies The examples include self-talk and self-encouragement.
One of the latest and complete characterizations of vocabulary learning methodologies is Schmitt's scientific classification, which comprises of 58 techniques partitioned into five gatherings Mayer & Nation's Discovery/Consolidation distinction and Oxford's classification system served as the foundation for Schmitt's taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies Schmitt's
(1997) research divides the strategies into two groups: One is to figure out what new words mean when they are first used, and the other is to make sure they mean the same thing when they are used again The former contains determination (DET) and social strategies (SOC) and the latter contains cognitive (COG), metacognitive (MET), memory (MEM) and The detail can be seen on the table below:
Table 2 Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies
Strategies for the discovery of a new word’s meaning
Analyze part of speech Analyze suffixes and roots Check for L1 cognate Analyze any available pictures or gestures Guess from textual context
Bilingual dictionary Monolingual dictionary Word lists
Ask teacher for 1 L1 translation Ask teacher for a paraphrase or synonym of new word Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word Ask classmates for meaning
Discover new meaning through group work activity
Strategies for consolidation a word once it has been encountered
Study and practice meaning in a group
Teacher checks students’ flash cards or word lists for accuracy
Study word with a pictorial representation of ots meaning
Image word’s meaning Connect word to a personal experience Associate the world with its coordinates Associate the word with its synonyms and antonyms
Use semantics maps Use “scales” for gradable adjectives Peg method
Loci method Group words together to study them Group words together spatially on a page Use new word in sentences
Group words together within a storyline Studying the spelling of a word Study the pronunciation of a word Say new word aloud when studying Image word form
Underline initial letter of the word Configuration
Use keyword method Affixes and roots Parts of speech
Use cognates in study Learn the words of an idiom together Use physical action when learning a word Use sematic feature grids
Verbal repetition Written repetition Word lists Flash cards Take notes in class Use the vocabulary section in your textbook Listen to tape of word lists
Put English labels on physical objects Keep a vocabulary notebook
Use English - language media Testing oneself with word practice Use spaced word practice Skip or pass new word Continue to study
Although the strategies categorized by the aforementioned taxonomies may vary slightly, they all provide a list of widely applicable vocabulary learning strategies The vocabulary learning procedure characterization framework proposed by Schmitt (1997) will be utilized as the hypothetical structure of the examination in this postulation As a result, as a point of reference, the vocabulary learning strategies that are utilized in the questionnaire will be clarified and exemplified below
Determination strategies are utilized when understudies are confronted with finding another word's importance without asset to someone else's ability The following methods can be used to give them the meaning of a new word (Schmitt, 1997):
Learners may be able to guess the new word's part of speech based on their structural knowledge of the language, which can aid in the guessing process Its roots or affixes can also provide clues to its meaning
The most common form of reference material is dictionaries It has been suggested that word lists and flashcards can be used to learn a new word for the first time
As a social strategy, guessing from a first language cognate is useful Words in different languages that come from the same parent word are called "cognates." Cognates can be an excellent resource for both figuring out the meaning of new words and remembering them if the target language and learner's first language are closely related (Schmitt, 1997)
In the last two decades, it has been seen to fit more comfortably with the communicative approach than other, more discrete, Discovery Strategies, so guessing the meaning of an unknown word from its context has been widely promoted However, in order for students to be successful in the inferencing process, they must possess a certain level of language proficiency, adequate subject knowledge, and strategic knowledge (Schmitt, 1997)
Social strategies are utilized to both find the significance of another word and unite a word whenever it has been experienced They are those who are accustomed to comprehending a word by asking a person who knows it It is said that teachers are frequently in this position They can be expected to provide assistance in a variety of ways, including providing a translation into the learner's native language, providing a synonym, paraphrasing a definition, including a new word in a sentence, checking the accuracy of the work of the learner, or any combination of these activities Learners can also benefit from interactions with others, such as group projects or speaking with native speakers, or get assistance from their classmates (Pham, 2020)
Memory strategies use imagery or grouping to connect new materials to previously learned information The following is a list of the strategies (Schmitt, 1997):
Students can learn new words by studying them with pictures of their meaning instead of their definition, by creating their own mental images of the meaning of a word, or by associating new words with a particularly vivid personal experience of the underlying concept (Schmitt, 1997) For instance, a learner mentally connects the word snow to a memory of playing in the snow as a child
Related words imply that new words can be connected to second language words which the understudy definitely knows This usually involves some sense relationships, like coordination, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, or metonymy Semantic maps are a common method for consolidating vocabulary (Oxford
According to Schmitt (1997), unrelated words are words that can be learned to be related to one another
People seem to organize words into groups naturally and without being asked to Grouping is an important way to help remember things According to Schmitt
(1997), words can be grouped mentally or in writing according to their topic, function, story, and so on
Focusing on the orthographical or phonological form of the target word is another type of mnemonic strategy that helps with recall Words can be advanced by unequivocally concentrating on their spelling and elocution, recalling their orthographical structure, or making a psychological portrayal of their sound (Schmitt, 1997)
Previous studies ããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããããã 26
The "Study the current situation and propose methods of learning English vocabulary of non-English major students at Tra Vinh University" is carried out on the basis of theory, results of previous studies, and the current situation English is being taught to non-English major students at Tra Vinh University This study is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research The survey results from 400 students at the college and university level in 2009 show that students are aware of the importance of skills in English communication in general and of English vocabulary in particular However, the actual learning of students does not reflect that In addition, the results of the experimental study show that the two proposed design methods, vocabulary cards and repeating words, are proven effective and can be widely applied among students
It is widely accepted that vocabulary is of the utmost importance in second language acquisition To attain a defined level in the mastery of utilizing them in English learning, however, has never been an effortless task On that account, the study entitled “Vocabulary learning strategies by first-year English majored - students at Tay Do University in Viet Nam” was conducted It pursues the aim of studying the frequently – used vocabulary learning strategies by freshmen of English students at Tay Do University and effective strategies employed by these students As a part of the study, ninety-five freshmen from the course of English
16 have been selected as the participants The questionnaire and the interview were employed as two primary research instruments to analyze the data amassed The outcomes of the study indicate the overall vocabulary learning strategies of students at Tay Do University are related to determination, social, memory, cognitive, and metacognitive strategies, respectively, these are popular strategies and students are excited to use them
The research tries to identify a variety of vocabulary learning strategies adopted by some excel-lent English learners in the lengthy process of vocabulary learning and consolidating Yongwei Nie* & Li Zhou Foreign Language School, Wuchang Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China study about this topic It first of all, introduces some theoretical study of vocabulary learning strategies conducted by some scholars in relevant fields; then an experiment is conducted to show some common vocabulary learning strategies adopted by three postgraduates who prove to be successful vocabulary learners Moreover, it tries to explore the relationship between the number of vocabulary learning strategies and the level of vocabulary Finally, the research provides some advice on vo-cabulary learning on the basis of research results and analysis
Proficiency in English language depends on the knowledge of its vocabulary possessed by the second and foreign language learners and even the native speakers Though developing the vocabulary is vital, it poses several problems, especially, to non-native students of English Students with a low vocabulary knowledge show weak academic performance in different courses related to the language skills, linguistics, literature, and translation at the university level of education This study, in particular, aims to investigate the problems faced by English majors in learning the vocabulary at Prince Stattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) in Saudi Arabia It also puts forward some vocabulary- learning strategies to minimize the potential problems The data consist of the responses of 100 student-participants (undergraduates) randomly picked up from five different levels (four, five, six, seven, and eight) of 4-Year BA English Program at PSAU This quantitative study uses an online questionnaire, as an instrument, to collect the data The results reveal that the English majors at PSAU face several problems in learning the vocabulary such as knowing the meanings of new words, pronouncing new words, using new words correctly, memorizing and spelling new vocabulary and so on To its contribution, this study emphasizes the importance of learning the English vocabulary, draws students’ attention towards it, highlights the problems encountered by students, and raises their awareness of the vocabulary Future research may explore teachers’ perspectives on students’ vocabulary-learning problems and instructional methods implemented to teach the vocabulary in English language classrooms.
METHODOLOGY
Research design and methods
This is a descriptive study based on survey research The study aimed to find out the difficulties in learning vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies of second-year English majors at Thu Dau Mot University From there, several ways can be suggested to help students have better vocabulary learning strategies
To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, both quantitative and qualitative data are collected Surveys are believed to be the most commonly used descriptive method in educational research The interviews were conducted with the aim of asking students about problems encountered and using strategies to learn English vocabulary After collecting, analyzing and discussing the data, several conclusions are drawn
Furthermore, information from the interviews about the vocabulary learning strategies that students applied supported the findings further for further discussion and conclusions.
Research instruments
The data for this study was collected through a questionnaire, representing the quantitative and qualitative methods respectively The frequency of the vocabulary learning strategies was measured using a questionnaire that was developed and used Schmitt's (1997) study served as the foundation for the strategies There were two sections to the questionnaire Questions designed to collect personal information about participants make up Section 1 The second section consists of two parts: questions about the strategies participants may have used and items about the challenges students face when learning English vocabulary in the first part
There were 23 items in these strategies, and they were divided into five categories based on how students approached learning vocabulary: Social strategies (SOC), determination strategies (DET), metacognitive strategies (MET), memory strategies (MEM), and cognitive strategies (COG) are all examples of determination strategies (Schmitt, 1997)
SA stands for "Strongly Agree," A for "Agree," N for "Neutral," D for "Disagree," and SD for "Strongly Disagree." The following Likert scale types are used to score students' responses:
Setting, population and samples
The study included 100 Vietnamese second-year students from Thu Dau Mot University The students ranged in age from 20 to 23 The participants' English proficiency ranges from zero to twelve years Students come from various cities, towns, and provinces The majority of them hail from mountainous and rural regions Most students do not have join to language centers where they can learn English Their high schools are the only places where they can learn English However, this investigation does not take into account age, gender, place of residence, or the number of years spent learning English Students are asked if they are ready to participate in the study and the study's objectives are clearly explained All participants' identities will be kept private.
Data collection and analysis
The questionnaire survey was conducted in a student's regular English class and took approximately 15 minutes to complete Students are informed that their participation is voluntary and that their answers will be kept confidential prior to completing the questionnaire To ensure the success of this investigation, students are also required to provide honest opinions
After completing the questionnaire, 10 out of 30 students were selected to complete an interview to collect information on vocabulary learning strategies from the participants There are five questions per interview: difficulties in learning vocabulary, how they learn vocabulary, what strategies do they use the most and least, what aspects of words do they pay attention to, and how far have they progressed? How far in devising vocabulary learning strategies The duration of each interview is approximately twenty minutes
Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to process the data after it has been gathered To answer the aforementioned research questions, the questionnaire-collected data are coded for statistical analysis The statistical analysis is carried out with Microsoft Excel 365 Descriptive analysis is used to find patterns in the demographic data from the strategy's use and the background questionnaire Themes are also used to analyze interviews to provide insights for discussion and conclusion.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Result
4.1.1 Participant’s opinion about learning English vocabulary
Chart 4.1.1 Participant’s opinion about learning English vocabulary
This chart above shows that most of the students find learning English vocabulary difficult as % and % of them chose “very difficult” While 1 % agreed that 54 30 3 it is normal, only 3% of them said that it is very easy
4.1.2 Time spent on learning English vocabulary
Chart 4.1.2 Time spent on learning English vocabulary
This chart above shows that the highest percentage of the surveyed students is 81% which represents the number of students who spend less than 30 minutes a day to learn vocabulary The numbers of students who spend about from 30 to 45 minutes and more than 60 minutes a day are nearly the same accounting for 8% and 6% respectively % represents for the students who spend about from 45 to 5
4.1.3 Difficulties in learning English vocabulary
Table 4.1.3 Difficulties in learning English vocabulary
Problems in Learning English Vocabulary 1 2 3 4 5
1 The word pronunciation is difficult to me 100%
2 The word spelling is difficult for me to learn vocabulary 10% 70% 20%
3 Long words are difficult for me to remember 30% 40% 30%
4 Grammar associated with the word has caused me a lot of difficulties 12% 33% 42% 13%
5 I feel it difficult to lean connotative words 100%
6 Words with several meanings cause difficulties to me 23% 71% 6%
As clearly observed from table 4.2, item number 1, 100% of respondents showed their strong agreement that the word pronunciation is difficult for the students That means the majority of respondents have difficulties with word pronunciation Item number 2 in the table describes the percentages of students who responded whether they have difficulties with word spelling 70% of the students showed their agreement with the statement And 10% showed that they strongly agree with statement Otherwise, 20% of the students showed their neutral with the statement It can be concluded that all the students feel it difficult to lean with word spelling
Item number 3 in the table describes the percentages of students who responded to whether they get difficulties with long words Overall, most of the students in the survey showed their agreement with the statement accounting for 40% While 30% of respondents agreed and other 30% of them neutral with this statement
The next item is item number 4 in the shown table 4.2 describes the percentages of students who responded to whether grammar associated with the word has caused them a lot of difficulties Overall, 42% of the students showed their neutral and 12% of them showed that strongly agree with it While 33% of respondents agreed but 13% of them disagreed with this statement It can be concluded that grammar associated with the word cannot cause problem to students during their English vocabulary learning process
The shown table 4.2 item number 5 in the table describes the percentages of students who responded to whether they feel it difficult to lean connotative words Overall, 100 out of 100 students showed strong agreement with the statement It can be concluded that all the students feel it difficult to lean connotative words
The shown table 4.2 item 6 describes the number and percentages of students who have difficulties with words with several meanings Overall, 71% of students showed their strongly agreement with the statement and 23% of respondents agreed only 6% of respondents neither agreed nor disagreed It can be concluded that words with several meanings cause difficulties to the students when they learn English vocabulary
Finally, the last item in the table 4.2 describes the percentages of students who responded to the question related to learning idiomatic words As from the table, 56% of respondents showed that they strongly agreed with the statement,
21% of them agreed While 10% of them neither agreed nor disagreed The remaining 13% chose to disagree It can be concluded that most of the students think it is difficult to learn idiomatic words
4.1.4 Stategies to improve English vocabulary
Table 4.1.4 Strategies to improve English vocabulary
1 Write new words on the sheets small card and carry to learn when needed 19% 40% 29% 12%
4 Guess the word meaning based on word structure 10% 41% 19% 30%
5 Ask the teacher to translate the word new to Vietnamese 9% 51% 20% 17% 3%
6 Take every opportunity to practice using the word like communicating with foreign people 45% 45% 10%
7 Remember the meaning of prefixes, suffixes 61% 12% 25% 5%
8 Memorize words based on words related category (e.g.synonym, antonym…)
9 Choose for yourself important words and memorize 100%
10 Read aloud new words over and over again
11 Stick words on objects around
12 Write and rewrite new words 100%
13 Preview the word section for vocabulary of each lesson and underline important words
14 Learn new words from other sources such as listen to music, read newspapers, movies, etc
15 Set a goal to learn words for yourself 100%
Response from Table 4.1.4 item 1 reveals that 40% of the respondents showed their agreement and 19% of them showed their strongly agreement with the statement, On the other hand, while 29% of them neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement and 12% left showed that disagree
Furthermore, response to item 2 in the same table depicted that almost all respondents 12% and % of the participants showed their strong agreement and 46 agreement with the statement 23% of them chose neutral, 15% of them disagreed with the statement and only 3% of respondents strongly disaggree It showed that most of the students use English – English dictionary in improving their vocabulary
As clearly observed from item 3 in the same table, 30% and 40% of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed with the statement 18% of them neither agreed nor disagree Besides, there were 12% of repondents disagreed with this statement That means when learning English vocabulary, English – Vietnamese dictionary is an emerged strategy
Moreover, response to item 4 in the same table indicates that 51% of the respondents showed their agreement including 10% strongly agree and % of them agreed with 41 the statement 19% of them neitheir agreed nor disagreed The remaining 30% disagree with this statement That means when learning English, guess the word meaning based on word structure is not an emerged strategy
As it can be seen from item 5 of the same table, more than three quarters of the respondents showed their strong agreement and agreement with the statement, in which strong agreement accounts for 9% and agreement is represented by % 51 While 20% of them gave neutral idea on the theme, 17% disagreed and 3% strongly disagreed It can be concluded that the strategy of guessing the word based on the word specific context is used by many students
As observed from item 6 in the same table reveals that three quarters of the respondents showed their agreement with the statement, in which strong agreement and agreement have the same percentage While 10% of them gave neutral idea on the theme It can be concluded that taking every opportunity to practice using the word like communicating with foreign people
Discussion
The study was carried out in order to assess the current situation of vocabulary learning of English major students, highlight the problems and find out the nature of students' vocabulary learning The information and data collected in the survey will be analyzed and thereby develop a method of self-learning vocabulary for students
The experimental part of the topic is Research to test the effectiveness of the methods built on the basis of the results of the Survey Research to help students make the best use of their ability to learn and use the infrastructure own vocabulary
The analysis results in the questionnaire indicated the answer to the research question “What difficulties do first year students at Thu Dau Mot University face in learning English vocabulary?”
Based on the clear analysis results, the researcher makes the following conclusions:
In the process of learning English, first year students at Thu Dau Mot University face with difficulties in learning English vocabulary The difficulties which they often face are (1) word pronunciation; (2) word spelling; (3) long words; (4) grammar associated with the word; (7) connotative words; (8) words with several meanings; (9) idiomatic words
The analysis results in the questionnaire also indicated the answer to the research question “What are the strategies to improve the student’s English vocabulary?” Based on the clear analysis results, the researcher made the following conclusions: The strategies and methods that students apply to solve problems are:
(1) Write new words on the sheets small card and carry to learn when needed
(4) Guess the word meaning based on word structure
(5) Ask the teacher to translate the word new to Vietnamese
(6) Take every opportunity to practice using the word like communicating with foreign people
(7) Remember the meaning of prefixes, suffixes
(8) Memorize words based on words related category (e.g.synonym, antonym…)
(9) Choose for yourself important words and memorize
(10) Read aloud new words over and over again
(11) Stick words on objects around
(12) Write and rewrite new words
(13) Preview the word section for vocabulary of each lesson and underline important words
(14) Learn new words from other sources such as listen to music, read newspapers, movies, etc
(15) Set a goal to learn words for their own ones
To compare between my study and Nguyen Phu Nguyen's ( stategies in learning English vocabulary among first year students at Engineering Officer School), we have some things differents and similaries
Firstly, i want to show you about difficult in learning English As clearly observed from table 4.2, item number 1, 100% of respondents showed their strong agreement that the word pronunciation is difficult for the students and 100% of students who responded to whether they feel it difficult to lean connotative words Both of two study we can see the slimilar in data percentage figures of the survey Another things difficult in english are the word spelling is difficult for me to learn vocabulary, long words are difficult for me to remember, grammar associated with the word has caused me a lot of difficulties, words with several meanings cause difficulties to me and i think it is difficult to learn idiomatic words I have a same ways to make some questions for people but data between two the study is different
Secondly, strategies to improve English vocabulary I will clarify the similarities and differences between the two articles for everyone to see about the data and how to ask the question Both of study, having same questions We show some many ways is common for everyone but my data after make a survey is different from Phu Nguyen’s study But we also have some ways is similar in ways and data There are choose for yourself important words and memorize, read aloud new words over and over again, write and rewrite new words, learn new words from other sources such as listen to music, read newspapers, movies, set a goal to learn words for yourself
To compare between my study and Phan Thi Minh Uyen, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang and Pham Truc Hau's (Vocabulary learning strategies by first-year English- majored students at Tay Do University), we have some things differents and similaries
The ways which we make of servey of both study is different These are student’s attitude toward the importance of vocabulary learning in learning English, student’s attitude toward the importance of vocabulary learning in learning English, students’ use of Determination strategies in vocabulary learning, students’ use of Social strategies in vocabulary learning, students’ use of Memory strategies in vocabulary learning, students’ use of Cognitive strategies in vocabulary learning, students’ use of Metacognitive strategies in vocabulary about ask people that learn English is easy or difficult, how long have you learn this language
Each of our study papers has similarities and differences, but our main aim is to find strategic ways to make it easier for students majoring in English to learn more vocabulary.
CONCLUSION
Summary of the main findings
Based on the theories, the findings, and the analysis, the present study arrives at the following conclusions
Vocabulary is viewed as an essential component of language in the current study, and studying vocabulary is a crucial component of learning a second or foreign language To properly complete production and comprehension exercises in a second or foreign language, language learners require a wide diversity of vocabulary from the target language Giving students a choice of vocabulary learning tools is one way to aid them in improving their understanding of L2 vocabulary The study's findings show that students at Thu Dau Mot University apply their vocabulary learning techniques in a generally moderate way Although data from the questionnaire showed that students used nearly all of the suggested strategies, the frequency was still high It is reported that some tactics are used frequently such as “using monolingual dictionary”, “written repetition”, “choosing the important words by themselves and remembering them”, “ask their teacher to translate new words into Vietnamese”, “stick word lists on objects around” The other strategies are used with low frequency or even rarely used.
Limitations and future directions
This study, like some others, has some limitations
The small number of response samples is the first limitation of this study This study is unable to include all second-year English majored students at Thu Dau Mot University There are only 100 students involved Therefore, in order to obtain reliable data, future researchers should increase the survey's number of participants
However, the difficulty of accessing documents and information also limits this study Because of their limited time, researchers were unable to read all of the previous studies on definitions because English majors in two year programs - typically have jobs during the week and only attend class meetings on weekends, Saturdays, and Sundays They are occupied with their positions as well as their family so time requirement is likewise a constraint for this review As a result, future researchers will need to devote more time to this issue in order to locate comprehensive data
In short, these restrictions make it difficult for the researcher to complete the research However, despite its limitations, this study will assist students in identifying their issues and expanding their vocabulary in English.
Recommendations
Based on the results of this study, the researcher proposes the following recommendations:
First of all, teachers need to present several vocabulary acquisition techniques from the first-year pupils This research offers proof that employing vocabulary learning techniques may help with vocabulary acquisition The study's findings also revealed that pupils didn't employ vocabulary learning techniques very frequently It's conceivable that pupils are just vaguely familiar with these tactics
It appears that teachers have not explicitly taught students how to learn new words Most teachers let their pupils handle learning new words Teachers should thus encourage students to explore these tactics and assist them in becoming familiar with a variety of vocabulary acquisition tools
Secondly, educators need to focus more on profound tactics Little instruction has been provided to students who ask queries such, "How can I improve my vocabulary memorization? the findings of this study suggest that second year - students choose superficial word processing processes that primarily concentrate on form of a word This can be because deep tactics are more difficult or unfamiliar to second year English students In order to assist pupils retain - terminology better, teachers should impart certain in-depth tactics
Thirdly, teachers should push pupils to utilize more vocal repetition as opposed to written repetition Moreover, research has shown that spoken repetition, as opposed to written repetition, may help words be retained more effectively Hence, rather of simply writing something over and over again, teachers should emphasize vocal repetition more
Lastly, when teaching vocabulary, teachers should introduce new terms in context In vocabulary, a word's meaning depends on its context; that is, a word's meaning is determined by its context In addition to giving a word additional meaning, context also gives a word more information, which helps with word memory The results of the current investigation provide evidence in favor of this argument.
Implication
According to Ghazal Lotfi (2007)'s study titled "Learning Vocabulary in EFL Contexts through Vocabulary Learning Strategies," the researchers would like to refer to two implications based on these findings that could be beneficial to both teachers and students First, teachers should choose some common vocabulary learning methods like using a dictionary and notebooks, both of which are extremely beneficial and should be implemented as soon as possible Students can record the words they come across in their notebooks along with a translation or any additional information they gradually acquire about the words, such as collocation, synonyms, and antonyms In order to add more information, students can be reminded to regularly peruse their notebooks The vocabulary notebook might then be a useful tool Second, students should have the chance to evaluate how well their vocabulary learning strategies are working Additionally, teachers can expose students' vocabulary learning strategies by providing them with a variety of vocabulary exercises As a result, students will discover the strategies that work best for them In general, teachers are crucial in educating students about the value of vocabulary learning strategies Therefore, teachers and students alike require training in vocabulary learning strategies Teachers should be trained to think of the best way to introduce the strategies, and students should be trained to recognize which strategies they lack
Personally, the researchers believe that translating passages and learning vocabulary through frequent writing or reading of new words will improve vocabulary In addition to improving long-term memory, this strategy may also improve translation skills
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Questionnaire The research's most important theories are reviewed in this chapter The key terms (English vocabulary, vocabulary learning problems), learning vocabulary (components of vocabulary, purposes of learning vocabulary, functions of vocabulary), and solutions to the problems are all covered in this theoretical review
We are Do Thi Bich Ngoc and Hoang Thi Thuy Duong, Thu Dau Mot University students majoring in English from class D21NNAN02 We are working on my graduate paper on the following subject: Stategies to improve vocabulary for students of English Major at Thu Dau Mot University Your feedback is extremely helpful to my research I would very see the value in it assuming that you would require the investment to finish this review I can assure you that the information will only be used for research and that your privacy will be protected
Section one: point of views
1 What is your opinion about learning English vocabulary?
□ Very easy □ Easy □ Normal □ Difficult □ Very difficult
2 How much time do you spend learning English vocabulary a day?
A: Students’ difficulties in learning English vocabulary
Rate on a scale of 1-5, to what extend do you agree with the following problems faced when you are learning English vocabulary? Tick ( ) where appropriate:✓
1 = Strongly agree; 2 = Agree; 3 = Neutral; 4 = Disagree; 5 = Strongly disagree
B: Strategies to improve English vocabulary
Please select the number below that best represents how you think about the statements of each part:
Strongly agree (SA); Agree (A); Maybe (M); Disagree (D); Strongly disagree (SD)
1 The word pronunciation is difficult to me
2 The word spelling is difficult for me to learn vocabulary
3 Long words are difficult for me to remember
4 Grammar associated with the word has caused me a lot of difficulties
5 I feel it difficult to lean connotative words
6 Words with several meanings cause difficulties to me
7 I think it is difficult to learn idiomatic words
Thank you very much for your time!
1 Write new words on the sheets small card and carry to learn when needed
4 Guess the word meaning based on word structure
5 Ask the teacher to translate the word new to Vietnamese
6 Take every opportunity to practice using the word like communicating with foreign people
7 Remember the meaning of prefixes, suffixes
8 Memorize words based on words related category (e.g synonym, antonym…)
9 Choose for yourself important words and memorize
10 Read aloud new words over and over again
11 Stick words on objects around
12 Write and rewrite new words
13 Preview the word section for vocabulary of each lesson and underline important words
14 Learn new words from other sources such as listen to music, read newspapers, movies, etc
15 Set a goal to learn words for yourself