Using semantic mapping to enhance students’ vocabulary retention = sử dụng sơ Đồ ngữ nghĩa trong việc phát triển ghi nhớ từ vựng của học sinh

Using semantic mapping to enhance students’ vocabulary retention = sử dụng sơ Đồ ngữ nghĩa trong việc phát triển ghi nhớ từ vựng của học sinh

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Vocabulary plays a crucial part in the success of foreign language learning (Schmitt, 2014)

A learner with limited vocabulary size is likely to performpoorly in aspects of language In other words, vocabulary is the first aspect that students have to learn if they learn a language Moreover, it could establish a concrete foundation for both the language learning process and real-life communication Learning vocabulary is also said to be one of the most challenging aspects of studying any foreign language (Barcroft, 2002); moreover, insufficient knowledge of vocabulary could cause several problems for students Strategies of language learning and teaching have been investigated to lend an impetus to the effective ways of both memorization, classroom instruction as well as the teaching methods For learners, vocabulary learning strategies can make a significant contribution to the success of language learning and give stimulation for self-study, but these strategies need to be well- informed by teachers or students’ responsibility for vocabulary learning In the teaching process, teachers likely encounter questions about the best or the most effective ways to memorize new words

According to Vu and Peters (2021), Vietnamese learners have several avenues for vocabulary acquisition, such as exposure to input through various media, focused tasks that encourage active learning, and technology-assisted learning platforms However, challenges persist The emphasis may remain solely on the form and meaning of words, neglecting practical application Students might also lack effective vocabulary learning strategies and revision techniques, hindering long-term retention Particularly, as observed in my teaching context, the students of grade seven in this research have low vocabulary retention They have difficulty in remembering and recalling the learnt words In fact, they often depend on Google Translate or other applications on their phones to find the meaning of the taught

2 words then they tend to forget about them Students often faced significant difficulties in learning and retaining vocabulary One of the primary challenges was remembering the pronunciation of new words, which led to confusion and miscommunication Additionally, students frequently struggled with the proper combination of words in collocations, mixing up nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech This confusion was compounded by low motivation and engagement during vocabulary retention activities, making it hard for them to stay focused and committed to the learning process Moreover, there was often not enough meaningful exposure to new vocabulary, limiting opportunities for students to encounter and practice new words in varied and authentic contexts The lack of consistent and effective revision further hindered their ability to retain vocabulary over time Furthermore, they often found it challenging to connect new words to relevant contexts, resulting in an inability to retain the vocabulary Hence, this research focuses on applying semantic mapping to teaching vocabulary Semantic mapping is one of the potential strategies for teaching vocabulary It can also be used as a visual strategy for vocabulary enhancement in categories with related words (Khoii & Sharififar, 2013) Hence, it helps students to find the relationship among the lexical items The teacher could utilize this teaching strategy, which can not only draw more students’ attention to the new words, but also help them to attain the conceptual connection between words

For all the aforementioned reasons, this action research was conducted to improve the students’ vocabulary retention and their attitude towards the strategy.

Research aim and questions

This study is aimed to improve grade 7 students’ vocabulary retention through semantic mapping and to investigate students’ perception towards this teaching technique

Accordingly, the two research questions are as follows

1 To what extent does semantic mapping help to enhance the students' English vocabulary retention?

2.What is the students’ attitude toward the implementation of semantic mapping for English vocabulary retention?

Significance of the study

In completion, this study would hopefully offer certain benefits to English teachers, students as well as researchers who share an interest in applying semantic mapping in teaching vocabulary to students

Firstly, the research provides students a chance to view English vocabulary in a network

3 where words are connected to each other This is expected to assist students in reflecting and recalling the new words in their own way, which may help their learning process more efficiently

Furthermore, the implementation of semantic mapping as a strategy for teaching vocabulary not only enhances students' retention but also provides teachers who are in the similar context with a valuable tool to discern and comprehend their students' individual learning styles

Finally, this study is expected to serve as a source of information for scholars who are interested in the link between semantic mapping and vocabulary teaching strategy Although this action research does not intend to generalize the effectiveness of using semantic mapping to teach vocabulary in every single class of English, it might lay the foundation for more extensive research.

Scope of the study

The study only focuses on the influence of semantic mapping on students’ vocabulary retention Therefore, vocabulary mastery and practice are outside the scope of inquiry Besides, in the scale of an action research, the present study only collect data from 48 participants at grade 7 whose English level was around A1 according to CEFR (British Council, 2001) in the duration of eight weeks in a secondary school in Hanoi.

Method of the study

This study is conducted as an action research which employs both qualitative and quantitative method of data collection and data analysis Data collection instrument includes two tests, a questionnaire and an interview to answer the two research questions related to the impact of semantic mapping on students’ vocabulary retention and their attitude The rationale for the choice of action research and the procedure of data collection and analysis are detailed in the methodology chapter.

Structure of the thesis

This research consists of five main parts as follows

Chapter 1- Introduction, states the rationale, the context, the definitions of key terms, the research objectives and questions, the significance, the scope, the method as well as the structure of the study

Chapter 2- Literature review- provides the theoretical base for the study and review of previous studies related to the topic

Chapter 3- Methodology - describes the research approach, research design, research setting and participants, as well as methods of data collection and analysis

Chapter 4- Findings and discussion- presents, analyses, and discusses the research findings Chapter 5- Conclusion- presents the summary of the main issues discussed in the paper, acknowledges the limitation of the research, and offers suggestions for further studies

LITERATURE REVIEW

Vocabulary overview

Celce-Murcia (1991) defined vocabulary as the building blocks of a second language’s knowledge This emphasizes the importance of vocabulary; however, it seemed to be too general More simply, Schmitt (2020) concluded that vocabulary knowledge is knowledge of the components of vocabulary, lexical organization, receptive and productive mastery, and fluency Hence, the process is more than just knowing the word, but also comprehending several aspects of the process in vocabulary construct and retain the vocabulary

The majority of prominent researchers in the field of vocabulary knowledge are within the scope of its use in either skill of listening, writing, reading, and speaking Therefore, they classified it into productive and receptive vocabulary (Nation, 2001; Laufer & Paribakht,

1998) Receptive vocabulary knowledge can be known as understood a word’s meaning by learners when reading text or listening to the text (Webb, 2013) On the contrary, productive vocabulary knowledge refers to learners not only understanding the word, but also using them in speech and writing, hereby this type of vocabulary is in deeper cognitive process related to structure and meaning In the next part, the common indicators of vocabulary knowledge are discussed in greater details to provide the theoretical background for teaching and learning vocabulary

The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary retention is intrinsically linked, as vocabulary knowledge forms the foundation of effective vocabulary retention (Ortiz, 2018) When learners possess robust vocabulary knowledge, they are better equipped to retain words in their long-term memory, facilitating their retrieval and use in various contexts

Researchers have varied opinions about indicators of vocabulary knowledge Nation (2001) viewed vocabulary knowledge as the combination of form (pronunciation, spelling, and word parts), meaning (structure of meaning of words, ideas and preferences, a combination

6 of words) and use (syntax, collocation, constraints in use) Even though this could be a useful guideline for selecting vocabulary teaching strategies, some researchers pointed out that it was complicated (Webb, 2013) and too complex for the instrument to measure vocabulary knowledge for students at elementary English level

As a result, for students at low levels such as A1 and A2 according to CEFR (British Council,

2001), the language aspects of vocabulary knowledge namely word form, meaning, collocation, and word relations are recommended to be acquired for First, regarding word form, vocabulary cannot be taught or learnt in complete isolation from the rest of linguitics components, which means learners are supposed to be aware of the word’s pronunciation and its spelling when learning vocabulary Particularly, there is often no obvious connection between the written form of a word and its pronunciation, which could be a challenge for learners of English, so it is crucial that teachers present the phonemic script accurately In terms of meaning, Ortiz (2018) pointed out that it refers to the basic meaning of the connotation of the word Another aspect is collocation Firth (1957) defined a collocation of a word can be the statement of habitual places of that word This indicates the restriction on how words can be used together in the appropriate context Abushaev (2023) found out that the errors in language tests of four skills or communication were usually from students’ lack of collocation, which indicates that collocation can contribute to the improvement of four skills Finally, regarding the word relation, this is a useful way to learn and teach English Gairns and Redman (2010) emphasized that the meaning of a word could be understood and learnt with other words in the language To understand the word relation, students should do activities such as involving synonyms (words with similar meaning), antonyms (words with opposite meaning) and collocations These activities can be attached to vocabulary teaching such as diagrams, mind maps, words by categories, word familes, by topic These strategies were viewed as effective strategies in teaching vocabulary by Gairns and Redman (2010) as organisation took the lead in memorization and motivated students

In conclusion, selecting vocabulary knowledge indicators such as word form (including pronunciation and spelling), word meaning, collocation, and word relations is particularly beneficial for assessing students at the A1 to A2 levels of language proficiency At these levels, learners are building foundational language skills and require a solid understanding of basic vocabulary concepts Word form knowledge, which encompasses pronunciation and spelling, is essential for learners to accurately produce and recognize words in spoken and

7 written contexts Understanding word meanings allows students to grasp the basic definitions and contextual usage of vocabulary items, facilitating comprehension and communication Proficiency in collocations aids in the development of natural and fluent speech, as learners become familiar with common word pairings and phrases Additionally, knowledge of word relations helps learners expand their vocabulary by recognizing connections between words, enhancing both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge Within this research’s aim, incorporating these indicators into the assessment can help the researcher to effectively evaluate and support students' vocabulary retention at the A1 to A2 levels, laying a strong foundation for further language development Moreover, the improvement in the chosen indicators will be examined in the pre-test and the post-test as well as the questionnaire.

Vocabulary retention

Vocabulary retention refers to the ability to remember and retain words in one’s memory over an extended period of time (Ghalebi et al., 2021) In other words, it can be a cognitively complicated process in which learners are required to learn new lexical items, comprehend their meanings and be able to recall and use them accurately in language activities such as speech or writing after a certain period of time since their initial encounter

A number of scholars have attempted to choose the factors which may have influence on vocabulary retention Both Ghalebi et al., (2021) and Nation (2001) asserted important factors affecting L2 vocabulary retention They agreed that the frequency of occurrence can affect vocabulary retention Nation (2001) added that the Retrieval stage i.e, the remembering and recalling of a word within the same meaning in different context, the more the incidents of this stage occur at reasonable intervals, the better the learning Another factor that may influence vocabulary retention is the engagement in the learning process Hulstijn

(2012) stated that learners can learn vocabulary through incidental vocabulary learning and intentional vocabulary learning Incidental vocabulary learning refers to learning a new word without conscious intention such as picking up new words in listening or reading activities while the counterpart indicates learning a new word in an explicit way for example doing a vocabulary exercise or engaging in constructing a net of words The combination of two types of learning can help students to acquire greater depth of vocabulary knowledge which results in better retention From the mentioned studies, it appears that increasing cognitive

8 effort equals an enhancement in vocabulary retention This will be further discussed in the next section

There was a close relationship between English vocabulary retention and cognitive skills, namely memory, logical thinking and creative thinking (Ortiz, 2018)

In terms of memory, it refers to the capacity to retain knowledge or information Students have both a working memory which allows them to retain information for short periods of time and long-term memory allows them to store and recall information later (Cox, 2018, as cited in Ortiz, 2018) This concept may be closely correlated to Forgetting Curves (Ebbinghaus, 1964, as cited in Li, 2017) Forgetting Curves, based on Ebbinghaus's pioneering research (1964, as cited in Li, 2017), illustrates the rate at which information fades from memory over time In the realm of vocabulary retention, these curves emphasize the necessity of consistent reinforcement to counteract the natural decline in recall Semantic mapping serves as a proactive strategy to mitigate this forgetting process By actively engaging with words through semantic mapping exercises, learners repeatedly revisit and reinforce their understanding, thereby strengthening their memory retention Hence, vocabulary retention can have a close relationship to the forgetting curves Forgetting Curves, which was discovered by Ebbinghaus (1964, as cited in Li, 2017), referred to the human brain’s intuitive description of gradually forgetting the new information This curve had a significant influence on human cognition and memory In other words, if the information is in short-term memory without reviewing, it could be forgotten within time The forgetting curve hypothesized the decline of memory retention in time The typical graph of the forgetting curve illustrated that people tended to halve their memory of newly learned knowledge in a period unless they consciously review their lessons

Forgetting Curve (Ebbinghaus, 1964, as cited in Li, 2017, p.28)

This chart shows how the retention of memory declines based on time The Forgetting Curve controls the repetition of the temporarily learnt word which are typically 1 minute, 2 minutes,

10 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days and 21 first days after its first appearance (Ebbinghaus,

1964, as cited in Li, 2017) If a word set were shown at these intervals, the memory of the would be reinforced, thus improving the retention There have been a few studies about the relationship between vocabulary memorizing method and the Forgetting Curve By comprehending the relationship between forgetting curve and vocabulary retention, teachers can assist students to implement effective study habits, ensuring that they retain and internalize new words for long-term use

Regarding logical thinking referred to the ability to logic and reasoning (Ortiz, 2018) This may have a close relationship of semantic mapping By defining a specific field of action and structuring the learning process through logical thought, semantic mapping enables learners to consciously understand and critique the ways in which content is taught This method actively engages students in their learning process, allowing them to pay more attention to lessons and critically analyze and organize new vocabulary As a result, semantic mapping not only enhances logical thinking but also promotes deeper comprehension and retention of vocabulary

Another factor influencing vocabulary retention is creative thinking According to Ortiz

(2018), creative thinking entails having the verbal and mental fluency to generate ideas, the ability to produce diverse ideas flexibly, elaborate on ideas extensively, and originate new concepts This suggests that students benefit from opportunities to engage in brainstorming sessions, discussions, and critical thinking exercises These were the keywords of semantic

10 mapping which encourages learners to visualize and connect words in innovative ways This method not only aids in the organization and comprehension of new vocabulary but also enhances retention by making the learning process more interactive and memorable

In conclusion, the literature review highlights the interconnectedness between English vocabulary retention and cognitive skills, particularly memory, logical thinking, and creative thinking By integrating a strategy to teach vocabulary that fosters cognitive skills such as semantic mapping, teachers can empower students to effectively retain and internalize new vocabulary for long-term use Within the aim of this research, the review was examined in the questionnaire and laid a foundation for the interview questions.

Vocabulary teaching

Generally, teaching vocabulary is concerned with the theories and beliefs about language Gazal (2007) suggested that teaching vocabulary both involves teaching specific lexical items and provides learners with suitable strategies to enhance their vocabulary Thus, learners might feel more motivated and confident when reviewing their vocabulary In order to achieve that aim, there are some principles made by Wallace (1989, as cited in Gazal,

2007, p.300) as belows: a Objectives: The teachers should be specific about the number of words that suit students' ability to learn b Quantity: The teachers should be decisive on the quantity of vocabulary c Needs: The teachers should decide what lexical items will be taught according to the coursebook or curriculum In some cases, teachers’ role can be a facilitator if students are put in the active position to ask for vocabulary d Frequent exposure and repetition: Teachers need to make sure that students can recognize the target words and its meaning If the lexical items are in students’ productive vocabulary, they need to receive opportunities for practice e Meaningful presentation: This requires teachers’ presentation of the new words with both their denotation and reference clear f Situation presentation: The students should learn the new words in an appropriate context g Inferencing procedures: The teachers can provide some opportunities for students to guess the words by hearing or reading in some type of texts

The relationship between semantic mapping and vocabulary retention is grounded in effective teaching principles and strategies Teaching vocabulary extends beyond merely

11 presenting new words; it encompasses imparting specific lexical items and equipping learners with strategies to enhance their vocabulary, as suggested by Gazal (2007) Semantic mapping, which visually organizes and connects words to their meanings and contexts, aligns well with Wallace's (1989, as cited in Gazal, 2007) principles For instance, by being specific about the number of words taught and ensuring they are suited to the students' abilities, teachers can create targeted and manageable learning goals Additionally, frequent exposure and repetition of vocabulary within meaningful and contextual presentations enable students to recognize and internalize new words more effectively By using semantic mapping, teachers facilitate an environment where learners can infer meanings through connections and context, fostering both motivation and confidence in vocabulary acquisition Thus, semantic mapping serves as a practical tool that integrates these principles, presenting new vocabulary in a structured, contextualized, and meaningful manner, ultimately enhancing vocabulary retention.

Semantic mapping

Semantic mapping as vocabulary teaching and learning strategies have received increasing interest from various scholars Sokmen (1997) defined semantic mapping as a cognitive process involving brainstorming various associations and connections related to a word from learners’ prior knowledge, which are then visually represented in a diagram In accordance with this idea, Barcroft (2002) defines semantic mapping as the increasing evaluations of a word in relationship with its meaning This also concerns semantic elaboration The word meaning association attached to words is the main concentration of semantic elaboration (Nation, 2001) He also added that knowing a wide range of associations for a word would contribute to the comprehension of its full meaning, recalling the word form as well as its meaning in the context, in other word to get more into the depth of vocabulary knowledge From the discussed studies, it appears that semantic mapping emphasizes tapping prior knowledge which corresponds to Schema’s theory This theory explained how individuals organize and interpret information based on pre-existing mental structures called schemas (Anderson, 1977, as cited in Dilek & Yuruk, 2013) Semantic mapping helps learners integrate new vocabulary into existing schemas by visually connecting new words with known concepts By organizing words into categories and showing relationships, semantic mapping aligns with the idea that knowledge is structured in interconnected schemas This

12 visual representation aids in memory by facilitating the assimilation and accommodation processes, making it easier to remember and retrieve vocabulary Additionally, semantic mapping activates prior knowledge, enabling learners to build on what they already know and adjust their schemas to incorporate new information

In conclusion, the term semantic mapping is a cognitive process that involves visually or conceptually representing the relationship between words or concepts It is used to organize and visualize the connections between different words, ideas, or meanings, showing how their connection in a network or diagram This term is based on (Anderson, 1977, as cited in Dilek & Yuruk, 2013) which activates prior knowledge, integrates it with new knowledge and organizes the information in a meaningful way

2.4.2 Procedures for using semantic mapping

Semantic mapping for learning vocabulary can include a graphic designer such as web, flow charts and other devices that give students opportunities to scrutinize and construct relationships among words A model proposed by Johnson and Pearson (1984) explained the steps for making semantic mapping as follows:

Step 1: Write a key word on the board or a slide

Step 2: Stimulate students to brainstorm as many words as they can which are related to the keyword Encourage them to write or say as many words as possible

Step 3: Guide the students to group the word by category, discuss why certain words go together If the unfamiliar word that the teacher plan is not suggested, present and discuss it Step 4: Create the map

Step 5: Have a discussion about the correlation between these words or extend the map The procedure of mapping a topic assists students to learn new words and new meanings for known words as well as understand relationships between the concepts While drawing on the prior knowledge, students could retain their vocabulary as well as comprehend the relationship between words The building-up conversation can also lend an impetus to a synergistic relationship between critical thinking and other skills of English The semantic map below is to illustrate:

Semantic mapping of transportation (Badr & Abu-Ayyash, 2019, p.336)

As observed from this graph, the key word of the topic is transportation Then, there are strands, namely water, land, air which helps to clarify the key word After that, details, inferences, and generalization that are linked to each strand in order to identify one strand from another In this case, they are different types of transport on land, water, and air This research followed this model due to its clarity and suitability of the research context

2.4.3 Benefits of using semantic mapping

A number of studies show that semantic mapping can bring positive advantages in teaching vocabulary and students’ learning process Semantic mapping could be a radical alternative to the other vocabulary teaching method (Dilek & Yuruk, 2013; Khoii & Sharififar, 2012; Udaya, 2021) Based on quantitative data from background, t-test calculation, Dilek and Yuruk (2013) claimed that the semantic mapping was superior to traditional methods to learn vocabulary because it could create the atmosphere in the classroom where students were put in active role to critically think about the connections between words and their prior knowledge This result was also explained through Schema theory (Anderson, 1977, as cited

14 in Dilek & Yuruk, 2013) which explains how knowledge is organized and interpreted through mental structures called schemas, is closely related to semantic mapping Semantic mapping visually represents relationships between words and concepts, mirroring how schemas organize information in the mind By creating semantic maps, students actively integrate new vocabulary into their existing knowledge, enhancing comprehension and retention This process involves activating prior knowledge, promoting critical thinking, and facilitating the accommodation of new information In other words, semantic mapping could engage students in the learning process In similar context with Dilek & Yuruk (2013)’s study, Khoii and Sharififar (2012) also carried out a study on EFL undergraduate to compare the effectiveness between rote memorization and semantic mapping Unlike Dilek and Yuruk (2013)’s study, the finding of Khoii and Sharififar (2012) pointed out that semantic mapping was not better than rote memorization in terms of students’ enhancement due to students’ poor involvement in the making process of making semantic maps Another research setting in secondary school where students’ English level was elementary to investigate the effectiveness of semantic mapping compared with wordlist in terms of recalling and retaining vocabulary (Udaya, 2021) This research’s finding was similar to this of Dilek and Yuruk’s study as Udaya claimed that semantic mapping was effective to vocabulary’ retention and recalling in comparison with wordlist This research was also based on Schema theory to explain how information was processed From the mentioned studies, it seems that semantic mapping could be a radical teaching method due to its interactivity and visualization and the process of information under the circumstance that students actively involve in the process than other traditional methods

Another significant advantage of semantic mapping is its ability to enhance student engagement and motivation in the learning process Research comparing the effectiveness of semantic mapping with other vocabulary retention techniques consistently highlights these benefits For instance, Udaya (2021) and Dilek and Yuruk (2013) found that students exhibit a positive attitude towards the use of semantic mapping These findings are corroborated by earlier studies from Johnson et al (1986) and Nation (2001), which emphasize the active role students take when employing semantic mapping strategies Students using semantic mapping were not just passive recipients of information; they actively participated in creating semantic maps, making the learning process more interactive and engaging This active involvement aids in better understanding and retention

15 of vocabulary and also boosts students' confidence Moreover, students could gain a sense of satisfaction and achievement, which provided positive reinforcement and further motivated them to engage deeply with the material The visual and creative aspects of semantic mapping made the learning process more enjoyable and stimulating, sustaining interest over time

Finally, semantic mapping is appropriate for learners at varied English level proficiency Low English level readers felt motivated and could understand new words and the word relationship in reading comprehension when semantic mapping was applied (Johson et al.,

1986) Additionally, Nation (2001) also added that the complexity of a semantic map was based on students’ English level and their involvement in the process

To sum up, within the aim of this research to find out the effectiveness of semantic mapping on students’ vocabulary retention and students’ attitude toward it, the mentioned benefits of semantic mapping were utilized in the questionnaire and the interview

2.4.4 Challenges of using semantic mapping

A number of studies suggest the possible disadvantages of semantic mapping, namely interference and students’ confusion of the word categorizes In spite of the method’s effectiveness, Stoller and Graber (2013) warned against overusing it when introducing new or less frequent lexical items They stated on the ground that learners could be overwhelmed Even though semantic mapping help learners learnt words in relationship with others under a theme, interference might occur when there are many new words grouped semantically (Waring, 1997) He suggested a solution that interferences can be limited if the materials such as reading passages were meaningful instead of lists of words Another challenge of applying semantic mapping is the confusion of certain categories of words Badr & Abu-Ayyash (2019) in his quasi- experimental research about the effect of semantic mapping toward vocabulary mastery of the seventh-grade students pointed out that students at low English levels were puzzled at antonyms such as open and shut or synonyms such as protect and preserve This questions the application and functionality of semantic mapping This limitation was addressed in the research of Mohammed (2020) This researcher argued that only the lexical semantic topics, i.e, sense relations involving synonym, antonyms, hyponymy, homonymy and taxonomy, were appropriate to be utilized as categorized content for the applicability of semantic mapping to learn vocabulary Notably, their finding showed that students at intermediate or higher levels did not have confusion in categorizing the

16 words, but they did develop awareness of lexical semantic topics through mapping

To sum up, these literature reviews pointed out the possible challenges when applying semantic mapping in teaching vocabulary Within the aim of this research, these mentioned challenges were examined in the interview.

Working conceptual framework

Based on the reviewed literature, the working conceptual framework of the present study is designed to explore the effectiveness of semantic mapping on students’ vocabulary retention

As illustrated in Figure 2.5, the framework is comprised of key concepts and theories namely Memory, Logical thinking, Creative thinking (Ortiz, 2018; Ebbinghaus, 1964, as cited in Li,

2017), Engagement and Motivation (Udaya, 2021; Dilek and Yuruk, 2013; Khoii and Sharififar, 2012; Johson et al., 1986; Nation, 2001), Schema theory (Anderson, 1977, as cited in Dilek & Yuruk, 2013)

Specifically, semantic mapping can facilitate a comprehensive understanding of vocabulary by visually representing it to help learners grasp the features of vocabulary such as pronunciation, meaning, collocation, spelling, and word relations more effectively Accordingly, factors influencing the retention, including memory enhancement through visualization, and creative categorization, play significant roles in reinforcing vocabulary

17 retention Semantic mapping not only integrates new information with existing knowledge but also reduces cognitive load by presenting information in a visually accessible format Moreover, it fosters engagement and motivation among learners while catering to different proficiency levels.

Review of related studies

Various studies have investigated the effectiveness of semantic mapping in enhancing vocabulary retention across different proficiency levels in English The research that used this teaching technique for vocabulary development was Sasan and Mehrdad (2011) Although they overlooked the measurement of presenting semantically related word’s relational length, their findings implied that students could remember or recall lexical items better by seeing the correlation of words in a network The connections among words was viewed as important as they could promote students’ vocabulary learning (Boldger and Zapata, 2011) about the use of lexical-sets in vocabulary teaching by using a model proposed by Collins and Loftus (1975, as cited in Barcroft, 2002) In this model, the network composes nodes presenting words and lines between these nodes referring to the connection between the words Whenever a single node in the network is activated, it is activated throughout the full network, thereby resulting in a faster process (Collin & Loftus, 1975, as cited in Barcroft,

2002) This can bond the links between the words and assist vocabulary learning Moreover, teaching vocabulary through semantic mapping purposely activated the active process of relating new information or concepts to learners' prior knowledge (Badr & Abu-Ayyash,

2019) Similarly, the information can be processed at a variety of levels from shallow to deep knowledge, and that the amount of cognitive effort to this process decides the vocabulary retention quality This vocabulary retention can be short-term or long-term based on students’ awareness in terms of the evaluation and revision (Nilforoushan, 2012) This implies the possible relationship between the retention of vocabulary and the Forgetting Curves

In another notable investigation into the efficacy of semantic mapping as a vocabulary instruction technique for intermediate foreign language learners, Abdollahzadeh and Amiri

(2009) conducted a significant study Their research compared the effectiveness of semantic mapping against traditional methods across diverse learning styles, including visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modalities Their findings revealed that while semantic mapping demonstrated potential in enhancing students' vocabulary, it notably excelled in benefiting visual learners This underscores the advantageous nature of semantic mapping

18 for individuals with a visual learning style Furthermore, a compelling association emerged between semantic mapping and creativity In a study by Liu et al (2021), which assessed semantic association and creative abilities, results indicated a close relationship Specifically, semantic distance exhibited a positive correlation with the gray matter volume of the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus, a region associated with visual word learning, semantic knowledge retrieval, semantic memory, divergent thinking, and creative traits These research reviews show that semantic mapping can assist learners in an interactive process in which they have to activate their memory for learned words to comprehend new lexical items Moreover, this strategy gives ways to better understanding and retention of vocabulary for students when they learn the new words in a network with their stored words

As students are offered chances to utilize their prior knowledge, they may get a sense of security and motivation in the learning process Thus, semantic mapping in teaching vocabulary stimulates students to remember the form, the meaning, the use and the collocation of target words, but also to recall stored words and to retain new words

On the other hand, the result of several studies show that semantic mapping also poses some possible challenges when applying in teaching Firstly, students may be easily overwhelmed when they say too many new words or less common words This situation is called the overuse of semantic mapping (Stoller & Grabe, 2013) Moreover, students who are at lower language levels or in a large class tend to suffer from the learning overload induced by this overuse Another issue of semantic mapping that teachers could encounter is interference Although one word can be put under a certain category in this strategy, this word can be semantically related to another word in the map thus holding similar meaning to them This induces confusion for students Waring (1997) showed the empirical evidence on strong interference affecting negatively on vocabulary learning, so the vocabulary retention might meet obstacles He also gave some suggestions for these demerits To reduce interference, teachers may group open semantic sets such as colors, patterns, vegetables, or emotions for students to learn or avoid present learners with new lexical items that are semantically related To avoid overuse of semantic mapping, teachers should apply this technique in accordance with students’ learning pace

In Vietnam, English language teachers have been introduced to strategies such as semantic mapping However, the extent to which teachers have implemented this method to enhance students' vocabulary retention remains uncertain A study conducted by Dang and Hoang

(2014), titled "The Effect of Semantic Mapping on Vocabulary Retention of Non-English Major First-Year Students," addresses this issue This research project reports the outcomes of an action research initiative investigating the impact of semantic mapping on vocabulary retention and students' attitudes toward this method The study involved 50 female students from a single intake class at Hanoi Community College Data collection methods included questionnaires, pre-test and post-test assessments using the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), and semi-structured interviews with a smaller student group The findings provided empirical support for the positive attitudes toward semantic mapping, suggesting its potential to enhance vocabulary retention among students Additionally, practical implications were discussed, along with recommendations for further research In conclusion, semantic mapping emerges as an effective technique for vocabulary teaching, offering significant benefits for students However, it is advisable to explore alternative methods to cater to diverse learning styles

Nguyen (2014) conducted a study utilizing action research methodology to investigate the effectiveness of semantic mapping in teaching English for specific purposes (ESP) vocabulary The primary objective was to assess the impact of semantic mapping on students' vocabulary retention and gauge their attitudes toward this instructional technique The study involved administering questionnaires and pre-test and post-test assessments using the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) to a sample of 20 students from a single class at Thai Nguyen University of Technology in Vietnam Following the tests, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of students to gather additional insights The results of the study indicated positive outcomes, with students demonstrating improvement in vocabulary retention and expressing favorable attitudes toward semantic mapping

In summary, the literature review indicates that the use of semantic mapping to improve students' vocabulary retention is a well-established practice among educators globally, including in Vietnam Numerous studies have investigated the effectiveness of this method, consistently demonstrating its benefits in enhancing vocabulary retention and fostering positive attitudes among students However, it is noteworthy that the majority of research in Vietnam has focused on employing semantic mapping primarily at the tertiary education level This narrow focus leaves a significant gap in understanding how effective semantic mapping is across different educational stages, particularly in primary and secondary education Furthermore, while the existing studies underscore the general efficacy of

20 semantic mapping, they often do not account for variations in student engagement and cognitive development that may influence outcomes at these earlier stages Consequently, this study seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining the extent to which semantic mapping contributes to enhancing vocabulary retention and shaping students' attitudes towards vocabulary learning across a broader spectrum of educational levels By doing so, the research aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of semantic mapping’s applicability and effectiveness, potentially informing teaching practices.

Summary of the chapter

This chapter reviews the literature on vocabulary retention and teaching methods, with a focus on semantic mapping It outlines key concepts such as vocabulary knowledge, which includes understanding word form, meaning, collocation, and relations, and emphasizes the importance of vocabulary retention, influenced by factors like frequency of occurrence and engagement in learning Semantic mapping is presented as a method that visually organizes word relationships, aiding in deeper cognitive processing and better retention Previous studies indicate that semantic mapping enhances vocabulary retention and student attitudes, though challenges include potential student overwhelm if not properly managed The chapter concludes that while semantic mapping is effective, it is essential to consider diverse learning needs and further research its application across different educational contexts in Vietnam

METHODOLOGY

The context of the study

This study takes place in a secondary school in Hanoi where English is not a main major There are 48 students of grade 7 in the class which the writer is currently teaching Their English level is about A 1 according to CEFR (British Council, 2001) They have learnt English since grade three; however, grammar has been their main focus Through the writer’s observation, students have difficulty in retaining the new words The teaching material used in the textbook is The Global Success for grade 7 The course book contains 12 units which are arranged in the order of Getting Started, A closer look 1 (Vocabulary and Pronunciation), A closer look 2 (Grammar), Skills 1 (Reading and Speaking), Skills 2 (Listening and Writing) and Looking back and project There are 4 periods per week for English (45 minutes each)

In order to ensure participants’ privacy, in this study students are addressed according to the order of participants as Student 01, Student 02, and so on

The researcher was also a participant who played the role of the teacher appointed to be in charge of the class from the beginning of the semester This does promote a consistent procedure in implementing this research.

Research design

3.2.1 Rationale for the use of Action Research

Action research can be viewed as a constructive inquiry in which knowledge of a particular issue is founded through planning, acting, evaluating, refinding and learning from experience In a more straightforward explanation, it can be comprehended as learning by doing, namely a group of people face up with an issue; then they do something to solve it

As a result, they can see the success of their effort when resolving the problem If they are not satisfied with the result, they can reflect on it and try it again In the field of education, action research is not a new approach and it is acknowledged as an influential tool for classroom investigation

As an English teacher, the author is well-aware of the issues that the students in this school are having difficulties in retaining the vocabulary Therefore, when pondering a proper methodology for this thesis, action research is the most appropriate method for helping students enhance students’ vocabulary retention

This thesis chose action research made by Nunan (1992) for the following reasons Nunan's research framework offers a structured approach to investigating the effectiveness of semantic mapping in enhancing student vocabulary retention This framework can be likened to a roadmap, guiding researchers through a series of well-defined steps The initial phase involves problem identification, which in this context could be the need to improve vocabulary retention among students at the A2 level Subsequently, a preliminary investigation (step 2) entails collecting baseline data to gain insights into the current state of vocabulary retention within the student population This data informs the formulation of hypotheses in step 3, paving the way for the intervention phase (step 4) During this phase, various instructional strategies incorporating semantic mapping are designed and implemented to address the identified issue Step 5 necessitates a thorough evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, with adjustments made if necessary to optimize outcomes The dissemination of findings in step 6 ensures that valuable insights gleaned from the research are shared with the broader educational community Finally, step 7 encourages follow-up activities to explore alternative solutions and further enhance vocabulary retention among A1 level students By following these systematic steps, Nunan's framework facilitates a comprehensive investigation of semantic mapping 's impact on vocabulary retention, ultimately informing evidence-based decision-making in educational practice

The steps are illustrated as below

Steps in action research (Nunan, 1992, p.19)

Step 1 Initiation A problem triggers the idea of action research Step 2 Preliminary investigation Baseline data are collected to help understand the nature of the problem

Step 3 Hypotheses A hypothesis is formulated after reviewing the initial data Step 4 Intervention A number of strategies are devised and applied Step 5 Evaluation An assessment is carried out to evaluate the intervention Some steps may be repeated Step 6 Dissemination A report of the research is published Ideas emerged from the research are shared

Step 7 Follow-up Alternative solutions of the problem are continually investigated

Research method

The decision to employ a mixed-methods for investigating the effectiveness of semantic mapping in enhancing student vocabulary retention is grounded in several key considerations To be more specific, the research applied Explanatory Sequential Design by Creswell & Clark (2018) First, the research topic inherently encompassed both quantitative and qualitative aspects Quantitative data was for providing measurable evidence regarding the degree of vocabulary retention However, qualitative data offered a deeper exploration of student experiences, perceptions, and the intricate details of their learning process By utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research could capture a comprehensive picture of the phenomenon under investigation This approach merged the statistical strength of quantitative analysis with the richness of qualitative insights Consequently, the research could not only determine whether semantic mapping was effective but also got more information into the reasons behind its impact on student vocabulary retention and their attitude Additionally, the mixed-method design offered the flexibility of triangulating findings from diverse data sources, thereby enhancing the overall credibility and validity of the research outcomes (Denscombe, 2021) In conclusion, the choice of a mixed-method approach aligned with the complexity of the research topic and aimed to provide a understanding of the relationship between semantic mapping and student vocabulary retention.

Participants

The participants in this research included 48 students in the class where the writer has taught English for one year The students were familiar with learning new words through writing the new words and the definition Through observation, they were bored, and they could not focus on the lessons, their English vocabulary retention was low The students were given the tests and the questionnaire In order to obtain more in depth-data, based on the post-test result’s as well as the performance during the intervention, five students comprising of three students (ST6, ST37 and ST47) with significant progress and involvement during the intervention and two students (ST1 and ST4) with only slight improvement and poor engagement, were chosen among the interviewees for a semi-structured interview The language used during the interviews was Vietnamese This was to ensure that students felt comfortable or confident to share their thoughts freely All the interviews were recorded and transcribed for translation

This action research was carried out in following detailed steps the model of Nunan (1992), namely, Initiation Preliminary investigation, Hypotheses, Intervention, Evaluation were utilized.

Research instruments

This study used quantitative and qualitative methods Specifically, tests, a questionnaire and semi-instructed interviews was conducted as research instruments

Purpose: Two tests, namely pre-test and post-test (See Appendix 2), were administered by the researcher to check students’ vocabulary retention learnt in the first semester of the academic year (from unit 1 to unit 6) The pre-test was from unit 1 to unit 3 including the topic hobbies, healthy living and community service while the post-test was from unit 4 to unit 6 within the topic of music and arts, food and drink and a visit to a school During the designing of the tests, the writer had consulted with the team leader and the vice-team leader of the English team at school The pre-test was delivered on the first day of week 1 while the participants took the post-test on the first day of week 7

Structure of the tests: The vocabulary items were chosen from the glossary of Unit 4 to Unit

6 These tests were conducted in a multiple-choice format The tests involved 15 questions which were classified into every three questions for five parts, namely word meaning, pronunciation, spelling, collocation and word relations The reasons why the writer chose these indicators of vocabulary knowledge were justified in section 2.1.1 Indicators of vocabulary knowledge

Procedure: The pre-test was conducted before the implementation of semantic mapping while the post-test was administered at the end of the intervention The time allocation for both of the tests were 15 minutes The collected data were analyzed using SPSS

The questionnaire was chosen as the second data collection instrument in this thesis It is a powerful tool in gathering information about affective dimensions of teaching and learning such as beliefs, attitudes and motivation In addition, it enables researchers to collect a large amount of information relatively quickly The questionnaire used in this research was adapted from the one made by Dang and Hoang (2014) In adapting the questionnaire for

25 this research, the writer recognized its comprehensive coverage of key variables related to students’ attitude towards the implementation of semantic mapping, which aligned closely with this research’s objectives However, given differences in the educational context of participants, certain adjustments were necessary The previous study was aimed to explore students' experiences with semantic mapping, including their enjoyment, perceived usefulness, engagement levels, memory retention, comparisons with traditional methods, and suggestions for improvement Additionally, the writer refined the "usefulness" section to encompass not only word meanings but also aspects such as collocation, pronunciation, and word relationships While the original questionnaire primarily focused on understanding word meanings, the adaptation broadened the scope to investigate multiple facets of vocabulary Moreover, the writer revised the language and wording of some items to ensure clarity and relevance to the participants These adaptations were essential to enhance the questionnaire’s applicability

Purpose: The questionnaire was conducted to examine students’ attitude and responses towards the implementation of semantic mapping

Structure of the questionnaire: The questionnaire included 8 parts, namely (1) Motivation for learners, (2) Usefulness, (3) Engagement in learning activity and classroom, (4) Remembering and Recalling, (5) Comparison with traditional methods, (6) Creative effectiveness, (7) Suggestions, and (8) Others To be more specific, the justification for the questionnaire based on the working conceptual framework of this research is illustrated as follows:

The motivation and engagement (Johson et al., 1986; Nation, 2001) see section 2.4.3 The benefits of semantic mapping

2 Usefulness (6 items) Vocabulary knowledge (Nation, 2001) see section 2.1.1

3 Engagement in learning activity and classroom (2 items)

The benefits of semantic mapping (Udaya, 2021; Dilek and Yuruk, 2013; Khoii and Sharififar, 2012) see section 2.4.3

The benefits of semantic mapping

4 Remembering and Vocabulary retention (Ortiz, 2018; Ebbinghaus, 1964, as

Recalling (5 items) cited in Li, 2017) see section 2.2.2 Factors affecting vocabulary retention and Schema Theory (Anderson, 1977, as cited in, as cited in Dilek & Yuruk, 2013) see section 2.4.1 Semantic mapping overview

5 Comparison with traditional methods (3 items)

The comparison of semantic mapping with other methods in enhancing students ‘vocabulary retention (Udaya, 2021; Dilek and Yuruk, 2013; Khoii and Sharififar, 2012) see section 2.4.3 The benefits of semantic mapping

Creative thinking of cognitive skills (Ortiz, 2018) see section 2.2.2 Factors affecting vocabulary retention

The suitability of teaching methods and students’ needs (Udaya, 2021; Dilek and Yuruk, 2013; Khoii and Sharififar,

2012) see section 2.4.3 The benefits of semantic mapping

8 Others This category was given to gain more richness, depth of responses besides rating scale questions as open-ended questions was viewed as a window of opportunity for the respondents to shed light into an issue (Cohen et al., 2018)

Procedure: The questionnaire was delivered after the intervention on the last day of week 6

It took about 10 minutes for all the students to complete the questionnaire Next, the collected data were analyzed by using SPSS

Incorporating interviews into the methodology is essential to gain a nuanced understanding of students' perspectives on using semantic mapping for vocabulary retention Interviews offer a qualitative approach, capturing rich experiential data, exploring emotional and motivational factors, uncovering individual perspectives, identifying challenges, promoting student-centered research, and facilitating in-depth answers This qualitative lens complements quantitative data, providing a holistic view of the effectiveness of semantic from the learners' standpoint

Purpose: The interview was conducted at the end of the research in order to gain more insight for the students’ vocabulary retention

Structure of semi-instructed interview: This interview includes 5 questions relating to students' vocabulary retention and semantic mapping The questions were based on the benefits and challenges of semantic mapping (see section 2.4.3 The benefits of semantic mapping and section 2.4.4 The challenges of semantic mapping)

Participants: According to Johnstone et al (2008) sample sizes for example five or six participants can give enough information Therefore, the researcher interviewed 5 selected students based on their post-test result and the observation of their performance during the intervention

Procedure: The interview was implemented after the questionnaire, and was recorded by the researcher To ensure the ethical issues of a research, pseudonyms are used for participants The interviewee spoke in Vietnamese so that they could express themselves freely The length of each interview lasted from 10 to 15 minutes.

Data collection procedure

As observed, the research recognized that the students’ vocabulary retention was low The researcher decided to use the intervention in the classroom to enhance their vocabulary retention

To further investigate students’ vocabulary retention, the class was given a pre-test The pre- test’s score was attached in Appendix 5

The total mean score the students achieved in the pre-test was 5.07/15, indicative of a moderate level of vocabulary retention The aspect that students got the highest score was in word relations of which was 1.19/3 This indicates that students remembered the synonym or antonym, but did not remember how to pronounce the words Notably, spelling, word relations and collocation emerged as areas where students faced challenges The data suggests the potential efficacy of implementing a targeted method for vocabulary retention

It was hypothesized that using semantic mapping to teach vocabulary can promote students’ vocabulary retention based on the working conceptual framework

Upon identifying the issue, the researcher initiated an action project spanning three units (Unit 4 to Unit 6) Throughout this period, the teacher employed semantic mapping as a teaching tool for vocabulary Each unit comprised seven lessons, including "Getting Started," "A Closer Look 1," "A Closer Look 2," "Reading and Speaking," "Listening and Writing," and "Looking Back and Project." The initial phase aimed to acquaint students with semantic mapping and evoke their background knowledge on the topic Subsequently, students engaged in semantic mapping exercises to expand their vocabulary in the topic area

"A Closer Look 2" delved into grammar integration, complementing the vocabulary acquired through semantic mapping discussions The communication segment facilitated opportunities for students to utilize newly learned vocabulary in simple conversations Reading and speaking, along with listening and writing tasks, utilized textbook materials to further enrich the vocabulary placed in the semantic map The final segment involved reviewing covered concepts and assigning a project where students created their own semantic maps based on the topic (See Appendix 7)

After having finished the implementation for teaching vocabulary through semantic mapping, the researcher carried out the post-test to check students’ vocabulary retention Then, the questionnaire was delivered to the students to collect information about overall students’ attitudes towards the application of semantic mapping Finally, five semi- structured interviews were held to ask five students about their thoughts, comments

Due to limited time, the Dissemination and Follow-up steps of the action cycle were not implemented in this study Consequently, while the results will be included in the recommendations section, this omission represents a limitation of the study

Data analysis and procedure

Data from the interview in the current study was mainly using thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke (2017)’s approach According to these two researchers, thematic analysis consists of six steps, namely familiarizing oneself with data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining, and naming themes and producing the report The qualitative analysis was the interview transcription and others from the questionnaire Research centered on interviews to explore the impact of using semantic mapping to enhance

29 students' vocabulary retention holds promise for uncovering the qualitative dimensions of this pedagogical strategy Conducting interviews allows for a more in-depth understanding of students' perspectives, experiences, and emotions related to semantic mapping

The data from the two tests and the questionnaire were analyzed with the help of software SPSS to produce descriptive statistics Employing measures such as means, standard deviations, and other central tendency indicators, descriptive statistics offer a succinct summary of the quantitative aspects of the study

For the detailed data procedure as follows:

Week 1 The process commenced with an Initiation phase, where the need for improving vocabulary retention was identified This was followed by a Preliminary Investigation lasting 3 days, dedicated to collecting baseline data to understand the nature of the problem During this time, the pre-test was given to the participants Subsequently, 2 days were spent on Hypotheses Formulation, crafting hypotheses based on the initial data

The Intervention phase took place involving the implementation of semantic mapping The implementation of semantic mapping was based on the model of Johnson and Pearson (1984)

On the last day of week 6, students were given the questionnaire to investigate their attitudes towards semantic mapping

Week 7 On the first day, students were given the post-tests to evaluate the effectiveness of semantic mapping on students’ English vocabulary retention after the intervention The semi-interviews were conducted on the first and the second day of week 7 during the break-time and 10 or 15 minutes after school

The writer analyzed the data from the questionnaire, tests, interviews to draw the conclusion and make recommendation.

Summary of the chapter

This chapter outlines the research methodology employed in a study conducted with 48 grade

7 students of A1 English level at a secondary school in Hanoi Utilizing Nunan’s (1992) action research framework, the study followed initiation, preliminary investigation,

30 hypothesis formulation, intervention, and evaluation steps over eight weeks The initiation and preliminary investigation took place in Week 1, followed by a six-week intervention using semantic mapping, and concluding with an evaluation in Week 8 A mixed-methods approach was adopted, incorporating quantitative data from pre-tests and post-tests, and qualitative insights from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews Due to limited time, the dissemination and follow-up steps were not conducted, marking a limitation of the study

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

The improvement of students’ vocabulary retention

To investigate how semantic mapping can enhance students’ vocabulary retention, the researcher compared the scores from the pre-test and post-test Then, semi-structured interviews were analyzed to gain more insights into the result

This section offers a detailed analysis of the post-test results It not only clarifies the key findings but also highlights any significant trends that emerged during the data analysis Furthermore, the section meticulously compares the pre-test and post-test outcomes This comparison aims to identify any noteworthy changes or improvements in the measured variables after the intervention took place

The results of the post-test were presented in Appendix 6 Overall, the mean scores indicate a generally moderate level of proficiency across all areas, with the highest mean scores observed in spelling (2.10) and collocation (2.15), followed closely by meaning (2.10) Pronunciation and word relations both received slightly lower mean scores of 1.25 and 2.6, respectively The table provides a comprehensive overview of individual student performance, allowing for a detailed analysis of their strengths and areas for improvement in vocabulary retention

Descriptive statistics of post-test scores

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std Deviation

As presented in the table, descriptive statistics for the post-test scores reveals an overall mean of 10.17/15 This indicates the effectiveness of the targeted vocabulary retention strategy implementation The aspect that has the highest mean value is Word relations with the number of 2.56/3 It shows that students were able to process the meaning of words, also identify and categorize the words in the right section Furthermore, both Meaning and Spelling exhibit means exceeding 2, indicating a sustained capacity among students to retain the words in the right context over an extended period On the other hand, the lowest mean score stood at 1.25/3 which was for Pronunciation While other sections had the maximum score of 3, Pronunciation’s highest score was under 2 It indicates that students seemed to have trouble remembering the transcriptionof the words Another mean that is above 2 lies in Spelling with 2.10 This shows some improvement of students in remembering the correct spelling of new words

95 Confidence Interval of the Difference

Lower Upper t df Sig (2- tailed)

As seen from Table 4.1.1b, the Significant value of equal variances assumed was p = 0.001