How to enrich english vocabulary

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH CODE: 13 GRADUATION THESIS B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES HOW TO ENRICH ENGLISH VOCABULARY Supervisor : Le Thi Anh Tuyet, M.A Student : Pham Thi Diu Date of birth : April 16, 1994 Course : K19A08 (2012 - 2016) HANOI, 2016 Graduation Paper DECLARATION TITLE: “ HOW TO ENRICH ENGLISH VOCABULARY” I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other’s paper without acknowledgemet and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor Hanoi, 15th April, 2016 Student Pham Thi Diu Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Supervisor Le Thi Anh Tuyet, M.A Graduation Paper ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs Le Thi Anh Tuyet MA, for her academic guidance and support throughout this study Without her valuable assistance, my thesis would not have been completed I would like to sincerely thank the lectures of Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University who have provided me with not only knowledge but also the study condition during my student life, as well as their useful advice in this graduation paper Finally yet importantly, I am indebted to my family and friends who have encouraged and supported me so much in the completion of this paper If there had not been great help from the above people, my study could not have been fulfilled Hanoi, 15th April, 2016 Pham Thi Diu Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Graduation Paper LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS L1 : The first language L2 : The second language ESP : English for Specific Purposes ESL : English as a Second Language TOEFL : Test of English as a Foreign Language CAE : Certificate in Advanced English Etc : Et cetera Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Graduation Paper LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Students’ Attitudes Toward Learning Vocabulary 28 Table 2: Students’ Learning Vocabulary Problems 29 Table 3: Students’ Common Ways in English Vocabulary Learning 30 Table 4: The Student’s Performance in Their English Vocabulary Learning 32 Table 5: Teacher’s Teaching Method and Students’ Expectation 34 Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Graduation Paper TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS LISTS OF TABLES PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims and Purposes of the Study Scope of the Study Reaseach Questions Methods of the Study Design of the Study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW I An Overview of Vocabulary The Definition of Vocabulary The Roles of Vocabulary The Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge II Classification of Vocabulary Receptive Vocabulary Productive Vocabulary Active Vocabulary Passive Vocabulary III Some Common Techniques of Teaching and Learning Vocabulary 10 3.1 Teaching Vocabulary 10 Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Graduation Paper 3.1.1 Teaching Vocabulary Based on Texts 10 3.1.2 Teaching Vocabulary by Using Synonyms, Antonyms 12 3.1.3 Teaching Vocabulary through Translation 12 3.1.4 Teaching Vocabulary by Using Techniques 14 3.1.5 Teaching Vocabulary Using Games 15 3.2 Learning Vocabulary 17 3.2.1 Learning Vocabulary by Using Dictionary 17 3.2.2 Learning Vocabulary by Using Flashcards 18 3.2.3 Learning Vocabulary by Using Highlighting Words 20 3.2.4 Learning Vocabulary by Making Vocabulary Tree 21 3.2.5 Learning Vocabulary by Using Word Formation Charts 22 3.2.6 Learning Collocations 24 3.2.7 Practicing and Reviewing Regularly 25 CHAPTER II: PROBLEMS OF ALMOST STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY – A CASE STUDY 26 I Subject of the Study 27 II Data Collection Method 27 2.1 Interview 27 2.2 Questionnaires 27 2.3 Observation 28 III Findings 28 IV Summary 35 CHAPTER III: SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ENGLISH VOCABULARY 36 I Recommendation for the Teacher 36 1.1 Using Context Clues to Present Word Meaning 36 Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Graduation Paper 1.2 Encourage Students to Develop Their Self-studying 37 1.3 Provide More Useful Teaching Facilities 39 II Recommendation for Students 40 2.1 Be Aware of Words 40 2.2 Read More 41 2.3 Guess Word Meanings from Each Context then Making It Personal 42 2.4 Using Dictionary and Thesaurus Handy 43 2.5 Go Backs to Your Roots 44 2.6 Learn Some Words a Day 45 2.7 Engage in Conversation 46 2.8 Play Some Games 46 2.9 Using Some Vocabulary Tools or Websites 47 2.10 Motivation 47 PART C: CONCLUSION 49 REFERENCES 51 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale Language is a systematic means of communication by using sounds or conventional symbols It is the code we all use to express ourselves and communicate to others Language therefore remains potentially a communicative medium capable of expressing ideas and concepts as well as moods, feelings and attitudes Besides mother tongue, we need an international language to communicate with people from other countries English is a popular language that almost countries use it It is spoken by more than 300 million native speakers, and between 400 and 800 million foreign users It is the official language of air transport and shipping, the leading language of science, technology, computers, and commerce, and a major medium of education, publishing, and international negotiation In Vietnam, English is also one of the most important languages and taught as a compulsory subject in all levels of education to make use of English to become effective means to communicate and trade In learning English, vocabulary is a very important part The more words you have, the more you can understand whatever you read and hear, furthermore you can say everything you want when you express your point of views Therefore, in this study, I would like to give an overview of vocabulary and find out some difficulties that most students are facing in their learning process Then I will suggest some solutions to deal with these difficulties Aims and Purposes of the Study - Finding out the difficulties that students are facing in learning vocabulary - Giving some solutions to improve and expand vocabulary effectively Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Scope of the Study The study limits itself to the investigation of the difficulties in learning vocabulary of all students from elementary school, junior and senior high schools to colleges or universities Reaseach Questions - What are common techniques of teaching and learning vocabulary? - What are the difficulties that students facing? - What are suggestions for students to develop their vocabulary? - What is the effective solutions to improve teaching and learning methods? Methods of the Study This study mainly using descriptive method, interview, questionares or observation Design of the Study The study is divided into three parts: Part A: Introduction In this part, the academic routines required for a graduation paper, namely rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study are included Part B: Development It is the most important part of my paper, including three chapters: Chapter 1: Literature Review This chapter provides theoretical background concerning with learning and teaching vocabulary Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Those modern facilities will make the teacher can explain and show the subject lively and efficiently, the lecture become more effective as the teacher can save a lot of time in writing down everything on blackboard as usual therefore the teacher may arrange time to provide more useful knowledge to students II Recommendation for Students 2.1 Be Aware of Words Many people are surprised when they are told they have small vocabularies “But I read all the time” they protest This shows that reading alone may not be enough to make you learn new words When we read a novel, for instance, there is usually a strong urge to get on with the story and skip over unfamiliar or perhaps vaguely known words But while it is obvious when a word is totally unknown to you, you have to be especially aware of words that seem familiar to you but whose precise meanings you may not really know Instead of avoiding these words, you will need to take a closer look at them First, try to guess at a word's meaning from its context - that is, the sense of the passage in which it appears; second, if you have a dictionary on hand, look up the word's meaning immediately This may slow down your reading somewhat, but your improved understanding of each new word will eventually speed your learning of other words, making reading easier Make a daily practice of noting words of interest to you for further study whenever you are reading, listening to the radio, talking to friends, or watching television Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 40 2.2 Read More When you have become more aware of words, reading is the next important step to increasing your knowledge of words, because that is how you will find most of the words you should be learning It is also the best way to check on words you have already learned When you come across a word you have recently studied, and you understand it, that proves you have learned its meaning What should you read? Whatever interests you - whatever makes you want to read If you like sports, read the sports page of the newspapers, read books about your favorite athletes If you are interested in interior decorating, read it, not just look at the photographs Often people with very low vocabularies not enjoy reading at all It is more of a chore for them than a pleasure because they not understand many of the words If this is the way you feel about reading, try reading easier things Newspapers are usually easier than magazines There is no point in trying to read something you simply are not able to understand or are not interested in The important idea is to find things to read you can enjoy, and to read as often and as much as possible with the idea of learning new words always in mind The more you read especially novels, literary works and stories can offer rich opportunities for learning vocabulary, but also magazines and newspapers the more words you will be exposed to As you read and uncover new words, use a combination of attempting to derive meaning from the context of the sentence as well as from looking up the definition in a dictionary Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 41 2.3 Guess Word Meanings from Each Context then Making It Personal According to Gaskins (2004): “A language learner reads most words in text as sight words and uses information in text to unlock the meaning of unknown words Contextual guessing strategies are commonly used to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words in situations when language learners have a lack of knowledge in vocabulary, grammar, or other linguistic elements to read a given text” Oxford (1990) stated: “Contextual guessing strategies can be made based on a wide range of clues; namely, linguistic and nonlinguistic clues Language learners establish the meaning of a new word based on interpretation of its immediate text, which is one or two words before or following the unknown word Learners also use other linguistic clues, such as semantic or syntactic knowledge to unlock the meaning of new words With regard to nonlinguistic clues, language learners apply the knowledge of context, text structure, and general world knowledge” In a similar vein, Nagy (1995) suggests that the effects of contextual guessing are determined by language learners’ knowledge of linguistics, strategies, and the world Linguistics knowledge includes knowledge with regard to syntax, word schemas, and vocabulary The meaning of a word determines its syntactic behavior Likewise, the syntactic behavior of a word in text provides important information concerning its word meaning Language learners with strong syntactic knowledge tend to accurately infer the meaning of unknown words, the context constrains the possible meanings for a given word in text Knowledge of the words surrounding an unknown word helps language learners infer the meaning of the words in context Learners can guess the meaning of the unknown words based on the schema created by the words Vocabulary also provides learners with information Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 42 regarding the words using their affixes to predict its meaning For instance, the words “dictionary”, “predict”, and “diction” share the same affix, “dict” Knight (1994) claims that: “Although dictionary use can enhance the accuracy and precision of the meaning of unknown words, it slows learners’ reading comprehension” Thus, students should guess the meaning of an unknown word from its context and to refer to a dictionary only as a last resort According to Nation (2001), learning vocabulary via guessing from context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary learning Many educators such as Kaivanpanah and Alavi (2008) encourage the contextual guessing strategy, which refers to the use of background knowledge and linguistics cues to infer the meaning of unknown words Parel (2004) found that although reading comprehension results from receptive vocabulary knowledge, the ability to use inferencing strategies improves the reading skills of language learners with low receptive vocabulary Paribakht’s (2004) study highlighted how learners frequently use their background knowledge to enhance the accuracy of guessing the meaning of unknown words If the topic or main idea of the text is familiar, learners have a greater possibility of correctly guessing the meaning of unknown word Fischer (1994), contends that students who infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word generate their own equivalent meaning based on contextual cues In addition, Rhoder & Huerster (2002) claim “a dictionary provides a decontextualized meaning” Therefore, students often have difficulty developing an appropriate context for an unfamiliar word based on dictionary definitions 2.4 Using Dictionary and Thesaurus Handy A dictionary is the first indispensible resource to improve your vocabulary It’s only by looking up a word in a dictionary that you will learn Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 43 its precise meaning, spelling, alternate definitions, and find much more useful information about it A thesaurus is also a valuable resource for learning by finding connections between words, such as their synonyms and antonyms Use whatever versions you prefer in print, software or online When you uncover a new word, look it up in the dictionary to get bith its pronunciation and its meaning Next, go to the thesaurus and find similar words and phrases and their opposites and learn the nuances among the words Consider adding a good dictionary and thesaurus to your bookshelf Here are some recommendations: 2.5 - Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary - The New Oxford American Dictionary - The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus Go Backs to Your Roots One of the most powerful tools for learning new words and for deciphering the meaning of other new words is deeply understanding words, you can make your vocabulary grow exponentially Instead of just memorizing words, try to really understand them by looking at their “etymology, word roots, prefixes and suffixes” At least half of English words are derived from Greek and Latin roots, so there are enormous benefits in being familiar with them Just to pick an example, when you understand that the prefix “ortho” means straight or right, you start to find connections between seemingly unrelated words, such as orthodontist (a specialist who straightens teeth) and orthography (the correct, or straight way of writing) Understanding the logic behind words always pays off in terms of learning Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 44 and recalling Consider the examples: “breakfast” meaning “interrupt the night’s fast”; or “rainbow” meaning “bow or arcg caused by rain”: while these meanings may be trivial to native English speakers, having such insights about words, foreign or otherwise, never fails to delight me 2.6 Learn Some Words a Day Using a word -a-day calendar or website or developing your own list of words to learn is a great technique many people use to learn new words This approach may be too rigid for some, so even if you use this method, not feel you must learn a new word everyday It is a good idea to keep a running list of the new words you discover so that you can refer back to the list and slowly build them into your everyday vocabulary Plus, keeping a journey of all your new words can provide positive reinforcement for learning even more words especially when you can see how many new words you have already learned There are many websites that provide free word-of-the-day services, delivering them in many formats - such as e-mail, RSS feeds, podcasts and even text messages sent to your cell phone Consider the following recommendations: - Merriam-Webster’s Online Word of the Day: This is the website that delivers the most useful words of all It’s also the most feature-rich: it provides audio explanation, pronunciation and word history The service is available by e-mail, RSS feed, podcast, and SMS - WordSmart Wordcast: Provides difficulty level, comprehensive details and audio pronunciation for the word Just like Merriam-Webster’s Online, it’s available by e-mail, RSS feed, podcast and SMS Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 45 - Dictionary Word of the Day: Another fine service, not as complete as Merriam-Webster’s or WordSmart, but still worth checking out 2.7 Engage in Conversation Simply talking with other people can help you learn discover new words As with reading, once you hear a new word, remember to jot it down so that you can study it later and then slowly add the new word to your vocabulary Nothing out there beats actually absorbing yourself in an environment where you are encouraged to use those words as much as possible For this particular avenue of exploration, this means talking to as many people as possible Engage in everyday conversation, no matter how basic and try using one or two of your learnt words when talking to somebody See how they react, see if you get response If not? Then try again It is all part of the learning process, success or not! 2.8 Play Some Games Word games that challenge you and help you discover new meaning and new words are a great and fun tool in your quest for expanding your vocabulary Gather your family and friends and play word games together You can either play them when you’re bored, or integrate them in your daily routine, such as playing a quick game after lunch, for example Words games are used not only for more fun, but more importantly, for the useful practice and review of language lessons, thus leading toward the goal of improving learners' communicative competence Examples include crossword puzzles, anagrams, word jumble, scrabble, boggle, etc Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 46 2.9 Using Some Vocabulary Tools or Websites Digital tools have advantages For example, many allow students to: - hear pronunciations - read words in a variety of authentic examples - view photos and images related to words (important for English language learners) - reinforce word learning through interactive games - play with and manipulate language - discover rhyming words - collaborate with classmates to create virtual words walls Here are some useful tools for helping students improve their vocabulary Like other digital tools, they are not all created equal Choose tools carefully to support standards and learning goals - Dictionary.com's Word-of-the-Day - English-Word Information - Free Rice: Learn Vocabulary, Donate Rice to UN World Food Program - Get The Words - Improving Vocabulary - Vocabulary.com: Free Word Puzzles and Activities - Vocab Vitamins: MyWordaDay, Grammar, Vocabulary Supplements - WordPlays.com: Word Games 2.10 Motivation Perhaps the most important factor in a successful vocabulary-building program is motivation It will be very difficult for you to study words month after month without a strong feeling that it is worth doing, that a larger vocabulary will help you in school and on the job, and that it can well lead to a more exciting and fulfilling life We certainly feel that this is true, for Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 47 nothing we measure at the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation contributes more to success in life more than vocabulary Your time could not be better spent We know you can expand your vocabulary almost as fast as you wish There are countless examples of people who have done so Remember, you started out in life knowing no words, and now you know thousands You can learn many more Why not start today? Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 48 PART C: CONCLUSION Learning vocabulary is not an easy task First and foremost, it is a process that never ends Language learners have to be prepared for constant vocabulary learning experience However, second language learners should not feel discouraged by thinking about how long or difficult the process might be, as there are many different learning strategies that can help them People usually develop some strategies, which seem to make our life “easier” This paper was carried out with purpose of finding some difficulties in learning English vocabulary of the students and giving several suggestions to enhance their English vocabulary Word learning strategies will enable students to learn the target language vocabulary more efficiently, and to be able, eventually, to manage their own learning The paper begins with literature review which sets an academic background of English vocabulary The next chapter is a survey’s analysis about the students’ studying and developing English vocabulary process as well as popular difficulties during learning process they met From the survey’s analysis in Chapter II, the author gives some recommendations for both teachers and students to deal with current difficulties, set up their learning environment more vivid lively, interesting, in order to make a great effect on their English vocabulary learning process and its retrieval Learning how to build a better vocabulary can be a pleasurable and profitable investment of both time and effort Through my study, I find that almost students have many troubles with their poor English vocabulary in Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 49 fact The reason is they are seem to be become lazier, un-concentration Pronunciation, word meaning, collocation are their problem too Hence, the aim of this paper is find out suitable strategies for students to improve and expand their English vocabulary Play role is an author of this study, I have tried my best to complete my paper However, there are some unavoidable imperfections, so I hope to get sympathy from readers And I would like to receive feedbacks from teachers and readers about my any shortcomings of this study to make a better version Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 50 REFERENCES Ahmed, M O (1989) Vocabulary learning strategies In P Meara (Ed.), Beyond words (pp 3-14) London: British Association for Applied Linguistics, in association with Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research Allen, V F (1983) Techniques in teaching vocabulary Oxford: Oxford University Press Arnaud, P J L., & Bejoint, H (Eds.) (1992) Vocabulary and applied linguistics London: Macmillan Carter, R (1987) Vocabulary: Applied linguistic perspectives London: Allen & Unwin Carter, R., & McCarthy, M (Eds.) (1988) Vocabulary and language teaching London: Longman Dalton, B and Grisham, D L (2011), eVoc Strategies: 10 Ways to Use Technology to Build Vocabulary The Reading Teacher, 10.1598/RT.64.5.1 Gu, Y (2003) Fine brush and freehand: The vocabulary learning art of two successful Chinese EFL learners TESOL Quarterly, 37, 73-104 Knight, S (1994) Dictionary use while reading: The effects on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for students of different verbal abilities The Modern Language Journal, 78, 285-299 Laufer, B (1988) The concept of “synforms” (similar lexical forms) in vocabulary acquisition Language and Education, 2, 113-132 10 Lewis, M (1993) The lexical approach Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) 51 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaires consisting of a series of questions which gave out to identify the current situation of learning English vocabulary for students Your answer to the questionnaire will be for the writer towards problems, difficulties and suggestions developing English vocabulary for students You will not be identified in any discussion of this data Your cooperation is highly appreciated Please answer the following questions and circle or write the answer that you think is appropriate How long have you been learning English? What is the position of vocabulary in English learning? A Very important B Important C Not really important What is the difficulty in your vocabulary learning? A Spelling B Pronunciation C Word collocations D Meaning How you usually learn vocabulary? A Learning by heart B Reading repeatedly Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) C Analyzing affixes and roots D Taking note in color cards How offen you learn English vocabulary outside the classroom? A Offen B Sometimes C Rarely D Never How you feel learning English vocabulary? A Very interesting B Interesting C Boring How efficient you achive in English vocabulary learning? A Very efficient B Efficient C Not very efficient Which techniques you like when learning English vocabulary with teacher’s guide in the class? A Translation B Showing the new words in the context C Showing the meaning of the words D Using synonyms/ antonyms E By through some vocabulary games Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016) Do your teachers give you advices to support you improve your English vocabulary? A Offen B Sometimes C Rarely D Never 10 When you see a new word, how you to find out the meaning of words? A You base on the contexts or illustrating pictures B You use dictionary immediately C You base on word formation D You base on synonyms/ antonyms Thanks for your co-operation! Pham Thi Diu – K19A08 (2012-2016)