4T7 if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with your teammates (1)

ABSTRACT Learning English is a long accumulation process It requires learners to have certain vocabulary combined with practicing each key skill However, for most students studying English, they have to face many difficulties in learning English in general and learning English vocabulary in particular The most common obstacle for students is the lack of necessary vocabulary to learn well other language skills How to study vocabulary effectively is concerned by many teachers as well as researchers, and many learning methods are designed to serve effective vocabulary learning for students However, because the learning motivation, attitude and learning style of students are so different, the causes, difficulties and nature of vocabulary learning of students are found to design the method of learning words that satisfies the aforementioned characteristics of students and these methods will quickly be accepted and widely used by students Therefore, this is the goal and the reason for carrying out this research ACKNOWLEDGEMENT There is a famous saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with your teammates" The truth proves that there is no success without support from people around you In order to go this far, I am so lucky to have received a lot of help and support from my teammates, my teachers, family and friends This support whether more or less, direct or indirect, whether by action or just honest advice, have helped me tremendously From bottom of my heart and deep gratitude, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the teachers of UEF on for their time, dedication and knowledge during the time we studied there Especially, I would like to thank Ms…….for her guidance through every single lesson, giving me precious advice that enables me to complete this research Following the direction that she led me, my essay has been successfully conducted Once again, my deepest thanks to her My graduation essay was conducted within months During this time, I realized that my knowledge was still very limited Therefore, there are still a lot of mistakes, I hope to receive suggestion from the teachers and classmates in order to improve my essay and my knowledge TABLE CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem statement Currently, English plays an important role because it has become an international language and is used as the official language in all industries such as aviation, commerce, science and technology, etc In Vietnam, English are becoming more and more important and are being included in the school environment as a compulsory subject It can be said that if we consider learning English as the construction of a building, then learning vocabulary is its foundation There are many ways to learn vocabulary, but to have a strategy to enrich the vocabulary effectively is not easy and in fact, they are not really effective to learn vocabulary yet 1.2 Rationale for the present study It is a fact in learning English that after many years of learning, many people are still difficult to communicate successfully They tend to use simple vocabulary instead of what they have learned Besides, vocabulary usage is also an essential factor to evaluate the quality of a writing Regarding to writing skill, learners often have difficulty choosing vocabulary that is both accurate and logical One secret to helping learners to successfully use English is to equip them with knowledge of vocabulary We can only understand correctly only when the vocabulary is correctly and appropriately used Therefore, the limited knowledge of English vocabulary makes the great effect on the use of English From the above reasons, the author digs into the vocabulary learning methods of English learning students at UEF to find the key vocabulary learning methods for English-specialized students and study new learning methods to strengthen and improve the learning method for future specialized students The study focused on answering the following questions: (1) What is the role of vocabulary in learning English? (2) Which vocabulary learning methods UEF English-specialized students always apply? (3) How to learn vocabulary effectively? 1.3 Aims of the study Researching this topic, the author wants to solve the following problems: Firstly, the topic helps students determine the importance of learning vocabulary and its relationship with listening, speaking, reading and writing skills Secondly, the topic digs further into the study of vocabulary learning methods of the UEF English-specialized students Thirdly, the topic gives some suggestions on how to learn vocabulary effectively to help English learners build their own vocabulary 1.4 Significance of the study The topic gives an overview of vocabulary and vocabulary learning methods applied to foreign language learning On that basis, the topic helps find effective vocabulary learning methods for English learners CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of vocabulary There are many different definitions of vocabulary In correspondence with its very important role in foreign language learning, vocabulary has become a major concern for researchers, instructors and learners Ur, Penny (1996) defined vocabulary as words we teach in a foreign language However, a vocabulary unit that may have a single word or also have more than a single word It is a combination of two or three words or even multi-word idioms Pyles and Alges (1970) also suggested that: When thinking about a language, the first factor we think of is words The word is the focus of language They are the connection between sound and meaning that allows us to communicate with others Moreover, they are arranged together to create sentences, conversations or speeches in different forms It turns out that vocabulary is essential for learning any language According to the dictionary definition on the world.IQ.com website, vocabulary is words that are known by an individual or entity, which is part of a specific language An individual's vocabulary is both a constituent of words that he can understand, as well as a combination of all the words that he uses in the process of creating new sentences 2.2 Role of vocabulary It's undeniable that vocabulary plays a very important role in a language, so it can be said that if you consider learning English as construction of a building, then learning vocabulary is its foundation There are many ways to learn vocabulary, but having an effective vocabulary enrichment strategy is not easy, so many aspects of vocabulary have been studied including how to use words, how to design vocabulary learning curriculum, assessment and vocabulary learning strategies Without a wide vocabulary, it is difficult to create any conversation Therefore, learners need to make efforts to acquire the target language not only in the classroom but also in the outside world As Troike (1976) asserted: Vocabulary is most important for understanding and recognizing things, facts, actions or concepts Scott thornbury (2002: 13) emphasized that: "Without grammar, words can be expressed very little but without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed" David Willkin (2007: 76) further asserted that: "If you spend most of your time learning grammar, your English will not improve much You will see significant progress if you learn a lot of words and phrases You can say very little about grammar but you can say a lot of things with vocabulary.” Obviously, vocabulary is essential to practice listening, speaking, reading, writing skills and learning foreign languages in general 2.3 Definition of vocabulary learning method There is no official definition of vocabulary learning method The reason may be because lexical methods are part of language learning methods Therefore, the definition of language learning methods can be considered as the lexical method definition According to Oxford (1990), one of the leading lecturers and researchers in the field of language learning method research has given his opinion on the method of learning as follows: The method has a special meaning in learning a language because it is an effective tool to help learners to actively and directly participate in learning to maximize their communication ability Rubin (1987) and Schmitt (1997) had the same opinion when defining learning method as a process in which information is conveyed, accumulated, absorbed and used In other words, learning method is special thoughts and behaviours that individuals use to help them understand, perceive or remember new information 2.4 Classification of vocabulary learning method Although there have been many studies on vocabulary learning methods of the authors, namely Lawson and Hogben, 1996; Avina and Sadoski, 1996; Hell and Mahn, 1997, however, only two studies have explored overall vocabulary learning In a recent study by Stoffer (1995), she developed a survey of 53 items designed to learn about vocabulary learning methods These 53 items are summarized in criteria; (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) The method consisting of the use of authentic language Method used for personal motivation The method used to organize words The method used to create the internal connection Method of memorization Method including creative activities Method including physical activities The method used to create confidence Method of dictionary look-up In another study by Schmitt (1997), he made his own proposal for classifying the lexical method He distinguished the methods that the learner used to approach the meaning of the word at first contact with the methods that the learner used to reinforce the meaning of the word in subsequent contacts Method used to approach word meanings includes word guessing and communication methods Method used to reinforce the meaning of words includes communication, memorization, cognition and metacognition The communication method appears in both groups as it can be used for both purposes This classification is partly based on the Oxford classification system (1990) Group of method of approaching to the word meaning Method of guessing the meaning of words includes: (1) Analysis of word types (2) Analysis of prefix, suffix and root word (3) Review of awareness of the first language (4) Analysis of available image or gestures (5) Guess of word meaning from the context of the text (6) Use of bilingual dictionary (7) Use of monolingual dictionary (8) Use of word list (9) Use of word table Method of communication includes (1) Ask teachers to translate into the first language (2) Ask teachers to explain new words or find synonyms (3) Ask teachers the meaning of a complete sentence that contains the new word (4) Ask classmates about the meaning of the word (5) Discover the meaning of new words through collective activities Group of method of reinforcing the meaning of words Method of communication includes (1) Study the meaning of words and practice (2) Check the accuracy of students’ word list or word table (3) Communicate with foreigner Method of memorization includes (1) Study the meaning of words through illustrations (2) Describe the meaning of words (13) Study the spelling of words (14) Study the pronunciation of words (3) Connect with personal experience (15) Read out loud words during learning by heart (4) Attach to words of the same type (16)Visualization of word composition (5) Attach to synonyms and antonyms (17) Underline the first letter of a word (6) Use semantic maps (18) Arrange words into groups (7) Use the scale for adjectives of (19) Use the key word method degree (8) Use the normalized method (20) Remember root words and affixes (9) Use the topic-based vocabulary (21) Remember word types method (10) Group words together to study (22) Clarify word meanings (11) Group words in different blank (23) Use words having the same root spaces on a paper (12) Study the spelling of words (24) Learn words in an idiom Study the pronunciation of words (25) Use physical activities Method of cognition includes (1) Read many times (2) Write many times (3) Use word cards (4) Take notes of words (5) Refer to the vocabulary lists in the book (6) Listen word lists (7) Use vocabulary notebooks Method of megacognation includes (1) Use the communication methods in English (2) Test and evaluate the personal level by test related to vocabulary (3) Use crosswords (4) Ignore new words (5) Continue studying words from the outside along with learning in class CHAPTER THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Data gathering instruments White (2002,p 24) Notes that: Quantitative research is scientific and objective approach As mentioned above, the main aim of the study is to impartially record the findings about students’ personal opinions on vocabulary learning methods employed It is obvious that the methodology of quantitative best suits the aim With this type of research, the results are given numerical values and evaluated through some mathematical treatment and then put in form of a report of quantitative data analyse above, it shows the fact that the vocabulary of the majority of the sections of students majoring in English at UEF is still low This is one thing to overcome to help students improve other language skills 4.6 How many percentages will English effect to your work? Figure How many percentages will English effect to your work? This question is designed by the author to collect evaluation of the survey participants of the impact of English on finding a good job in their future From the results shown in the above pie chart, more than half of the respondents (50.4%) thought that learning English well will help them easily find a good job in the future (level of effect greater than 50%) 14.1% of people thought that English has an influence of about 40% on whether they find a good job or not, this is also the number of people who think that English affects 30% of the chances of seeking a good job 15.6% of respondents said that English affects 30% of their job seeking 6/137 participants said that English only affects 20% of their employment opportunities Finally, only people thought that the influence percentage of English on their future jobs was only 10% 4.7 Which vocabulary learning method is best for you? Why? In this question, many methods are given by the participants But the vast majority of them said that any method would be the best Studying with a variety of methods helps them avoid the boredom of learning Next, the method of learning through entertainment programs, watching movies and listening to music, etc are also chosen by quite many people The reason given by the survey is that the entertainment needs are essential for each person Learning vocabulary by this method makes them feel comfortable and not under pressure The third method chosen many people is to read a lot and rewrite it a lot For them, learning this vocabulary not only helps them memorize vocabulary well but also helps them improve their writing skills The fourth most chosen method is the method of learning vocabulary through daily communication They think that this method helps them to memorize vocabulary better and this method also helps them improve their speaking skills CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION To answer the research questions in chapter 1, the results of the study will be discussed in the context of theoretical concepts, based on the findings presented in chapter Through the findings of the findings presented in chapter of the study in this research, we can see that the majority of students majoring in English at UEF are aware of the importance of learning from English vocabulary They are aware that poor vocabulary will affect their language skills This will make it difficult for them to find a good job in the future However, the time they spend on vocabulary is still very limited This is an element they need to overcome in the future to promote their vocabulary learning The survey results show that students participating in the survey are using a variety of methods in learning vocabulary Some of the most common methods used are: vocabulary cards, word family learning, learning through music listening, watching movies and other entertainment, writing over and over, reading over and over, memorizing through images or objects, etc The analysis results in chapter also show that most of the participants through the vocabulary learning process have assessed which learning method for them is the most effective, and help them improve their vocabulary quickly The vast majority of them are aware of the diverse use of methods that not only help them not be bored in learning but also help them quickly improve their vocabulary CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION This final Chapter of the research is to summarize some brief key findings, specific recommendations, and the major limitations of the study 6.1 Summary of key findings The main purpose of the study is to use the questionnaire to conduct a survey of vocabulary learning methods used by English major students at UEF From the collection of 137 answer sheets from research subjects, it has been proven that most students are aware of the role of vocabulary learning, and have investigated a number of vocabulary learning methods used by students with different frequencies to suit their ability However, their time spent on learning vocabulary will be an issue that needs to be improved in the future 6.2 Implications 6.2.1 For teacher From the findings presented in chapter The author wants to suggest some teachers to teachers to improve the perfection and effectiveness of vocabulary learning methods for students of English major To overcome the fact that students spend less time studying vocabulary, teachers can increase the frequency and number of new word tests in each lesson, which will motivate students to spend more time on their vocabulary learning On the other hand, to increase vocabulary for students, teachers can provide new words for students in each themed lesson, instructing students how to memorize vocabulary best 6.2.2 For Students To help increase vocabulary quickly, the author proposed solutions that students need to spend more time on vocabulary learning The number of vocabulary learned per day increases gradually over time Memorizing learned vocabulary plays a huge role in vocabulary learning Therefore, students need to constantly apply methods to perform this memorization Some effective measures the author recommends: using these vocabulary words when there is a right context, writing them over and over, reading over and over, etc 6.3 Limitations In this study, the author focused on finding out the vocabulary learning methods used by UEF English major students The author emphasizes on pointing out the roles and methods for learning vocabulary effectively for students However, the number of participants, as well as the time to conduct surveys, is also limited Therefore, the results of the study are not entirely representative of all students This suggests that the study only reflects part of the research problem The new study shows some of vocabulary learning methods used by English major students at UEF If the study takes longer time, the number of participants is more then it will reflect the issues in more detail REFERENCE Ur, Penny (1996), A course in Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Pyles,T & Algeo, J (1979), English – An Introduction to Language, New York: Harcourt, Brace Ellis, R (1997), Second Language Acquisition, Oxford: OUP Nation, I.S.P (1990), Teaching and Learning Vocabulary, New York: Newbury House Publisher Nunan, D (1990), Second Language Teaching and Learning , Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publisher Oxford, R (1990), Language Learning Stratergies, Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publisher Spolsky, B (1989), Conditions for Second Language Learning, Oxford: OUP Rubin, J and Thompson, I (1994), How to be a more successful Language Learner, Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publisher Schmitt, N (1997), Vocabulary Learning Stratergies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 10 Stoffer, I (1995), University Foreign language student’ choice of vocabulary learning stratergies as related to individual different variables, Unublished doctoral dissertation, University of Alabama, Alabama 11 Wilskins, D (1972), Linguistics in Language Teaching, London: Edward Arudd 12 Rivers, W.M (1983), Comunicating Naturally in a second language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press APPENDIX STUDENTS’ SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaire is designed for the study entitled “A study on vocabulary learning methods employed by English major students at UEF” Your assistance in completing the survey is highly appreciated All the provided information is solely for the aims of the study, not for any other purposes I/ General information How long have you learnt English? A 1-3 years C 5-7 years B – years D More than years Which year are you in? A Freshmen C Junior B Sophomore D Senior Which personality group you belong to? A Active B Passtive C Active and Passtive II/ Survey When you like to learn English? A 7am – 9am C 1pm – 4pm E From 10pm onwards B 10am – 12am D 6pm – 9pm How long you spend on learning English vocabulary? A C E G 10 minutes B 20 minutes 30 minutes D 40 minutes 50 minutes F 60 minutes Over 60 minutes Which kind of following methods you use to learn English vocabulary? A Flash card B Learning follow "Word Family" C Learning by the alphabet D Learning through listening to music / watching movies / reading books, newspapers E Write again and again F Read again and again G Memorize with pictures or objects H Use the English dictionary app I Use Google Translate J Learning through body language Which method you apply for remembering a vocabulary that you have studied?) A Think again when you have free time B Read it often out loud C Used in writing D Used in online / offline communication E Communicate with foreigners F Add English words in everyday communication G Teach the learned word to another person What level you evaluate your lexises? A Developing B Just enough use C Known mamy key information D Fluency How many percentages will English effect to your work? A 10% B 20% C 30% D 40% E 50% F Over 50% 10 Which vocabulary learning method is best for you? Why? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you very much for your cooperation! ... saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with your teammates" The truth proves that there is no success without support from people around you In order to go this far,. .. grammar, your English will not improve much You will see significant progress if you learn a lot of words and phrases You can say very little about grammar but you can say a lot of things with vocabulary.”... learning vocabulary to be effective, the memorization of learned vocabulary needs to be more focused 4.5 What level you evaluate your lexises? Figure What level you evaluate your lexises? From