A survey on vocabulary learning strategies adopted by third year english majors at vietnam national university of agriculture

Students are afraid to learn new words and have limited basic knowledge, failing to keep up with the vocabulary of the program will cause many difficulties, thereby hindering their learn

BA THESIS

A SURVEY ON VOCABULARY LEARNING

STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF

AGRICULTURE

KHẢO SÁTCHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM BA NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH TẠI

HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM

Student code : 621274

Hanoi – 2021

BA THESIS

A SURVEY ON VOCABULARY LEARNING

STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF

AGRICULTURE

KHẢO SÁTCHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM BA NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH TẠI

HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM

Student code : 621274

Hanoi – 2021

majors at vietnam national university of agriculture submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

Hanoi, 2021

Vu Thi Quynh

Approved by SUPERVISOR

(Signature and full name)

Date:………

period of study, research and writing of the thesis I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Master Nguyen Thi Hoai who wholeheartedly helped and created the best conditions for me to complete this thesis She shared invaluable expertise and provided intellectual inspiration and insightful commentary on the paper I especially acknowledge her gift of encouragement and confidence that I need most at the end of this research

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the teachers in the Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages at Vietnam National University of Agriculture for their dedication to imparting valuable knowledge as well as creating the most favorable conditions for me throughout the course of study and research and until the implementation of the thesis topic

Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues and good friends, who greatly assisted in the data collection of this study I am certainly indebted to all the students who volunteered to take part in the survey Without them, this study could not have been completed

3.1 To what extent do third-year english majors at vnua use different

3.2 What are the reasons why some vocabulary learning strategies are more

3.2.1 Easy access to the internet offer many different strategies involving

3.2.3 The suitability to individuals learning style 333.2.4 The chance for vocabulary repetition or review 333.2.5 The entertaining aspect of vocabulary learning strategies 34

4 Recommendations/suggestions for further study 37

APPENDIX 4: Interview question – Vietnamese version 52

LIST OF ABREVIATION

VNUA : Vietnam National University of Agriculture

R = receptive knowledge, P = productive knowledge QAVLS : Questionnaire of English Vocabulary Learning Strategies CUP : Cambridge University Press

SD : Standard Deviation

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: What is involved in knowing a word (Nation, 2013, p.60) 8

Table 3: The extent to which students use memory strategies 22Table 4: The extent to which students use metacognitive strategies 24Table 5: The extent to which students use functional practicing strategies 25Table 6: The extent to which students use Production- Oriented strategies 27Table 7: The extent to which students use Centering Attention strategies 29Table 8: The extent to which students use other strategies 30

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale for the study

Psychologists, linguists, and language teachers have been interested in vocabulary learning strategies for a long time (Levenston, 1979) Numerous studies have been conducted comparing the retention effects of different vocabulary presentation strategies In fact, the vocabulary field has been especially productive in the last two decades We have seen a number of classic volumes on theories (e.g., Carter, 1987; Carter & McCarthy, 1988; McCarthy, 1990; Nation, 1990), research (e.g., Arnaud & Bejoint, 1992; Gass, 1987; Meara, 1989; Nation & Carter, 1989), and practical tips (e.g., Gairns & Redman, 1986; McCarthy & O’Dell, 1994) Recent volumes, especially the CUP volumes, that shed significant light upon different aspects of vocabulary acquisition include Huckin, Haynes, and Coady (1993), Harley (1995), Hatch and Brown (1995), Coady and Huckin (1997), Schmitt and McCarthy (1997), Atkins (1998), Wesche and Paribakht (1999), Read (2000), Schmitt (2000), and Nation (2001)

Before the trend of integration and globalization, English is considered the most commonly used language in the world Therefore, this foreign language plays a very important role in the current globalization integration era Human relationships as well as cooperation and investment in any field from business, commerce, transportation, technology, media, tourism to opportunities in studying, working, Expanding relationships for cooperation is not only limited

to Vietnam but also to other countries around the world In such a context, an understanding of the learner's usage strategy and its relationship to learning outcomes is of utmost importance

At Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), vocabulary learning strategies of students in general, and English majored students in particular, are rather limited and seems to be ineffective There is a big

difference in students' proficiency and there is a big difference in vocabulary learning methods between them Students are afraid to learn new words and have limited basic knowledge, failing to keep up with the vocabulary of the program will cause many difficulties, thereby hindering their learning, especially when English majored students are in their later years of study

At VNUA, there has been no research investigating students’ vocabulary learning strategies From the above reasons, we have decided to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies of third-year English majors at VNUA

2 Aims and objectives of the study

The research aims to evaluate the current situation of students' vocabulary learning strategies Specifically, the study examines the extent to which third-year English majors at VNUA use different vocabulary learning strategies In addition, The study examines the reasons why some vocabulary learning strategies are more common among third-year English majors at VNUA

3 Research questions

The current study attempts to address the following questions:

(1) To what extent do third-year English majors at VNUA use different vocabulary learning strategies?

(2) What are the reasons why some vocabulary learning strategies are more common among third-year English majors at VNUA?

4 Scope of the study

The subjects of the study are 3rd year English majors at VNUA.The number of K63 students is 122, the time of doing research is from February 17,

2021 to June 30, 2021

5 Significance of the study

The study aims at finding out third-year English majors’ current use of vocabulary learning strategies As for students, research results will help raise their awareness of the use of vocabulary learning strategies In addition, it can

help learners realize their full potentials and thereby discover the most effective vocabulary learning strategies The study will also provide some useful suggestions to students in their use of vocabulary learning strategies in order to improve their vocabulary in particular and advance their English proficiency in general.As for lecturers, research results can direct teachers to pay more attention to teaching vocabulary strategies in a more intentional way as well as encourage students to practice vocabulary learning strategies more often This study would gives teachers and students a broader view of vocabulary learning that goes hand in hand with practice

6 Design of the study

Apart from abstracts, references & appendices, the study consists of three main parts:

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION Presents rationale of the study, aims and objectives of the study, research questions, the scope as well as the significance of the study

PART 2 - DEVELOPMENT: is divided into 3 chapters:

Chapter 1 - Literature review Provides theoretical background for the study including definition of vocabulary, importance of learning vocabulary, vocabulary acquisition and methods of teaching vocabulary

Chapter 2 - Methodology Describes the methodology used in the research including the research approach and methods action research, data collection instruments, participants, the procedures employed to carry out the research

Chapter 3 - Findings and discussions Reports and discusses the findings of the study

PART 3 - CONCLUSION

Summarizes the main issues that have been addressed in the study, points out the limitations, draws pedagogical implications concerning the research topic and suggests several solutions

This study was conducted to determine to what extent third-year English majors

at VNUA use different vocabulary learning strategies; Next is to explore why certain vocabulary learning strategies are more common in English vocabulary acquisition

Part 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF VOCABULARY

As Nation (1990) states, "without a vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed" Besides Hatch (1983) said: "vocabulary is the goal in communication" It plays

an essential role in language acquisition

Researchers such as Laufer, Gu (2003) and Nation (2011) clam thatvocabulary plays an important role in all language skills (eg listening, speaking, reading and writing Research shows that vocabulary diversity is extremely important in vocabulary acquisition: it is essential for successful use

of a second language because without broad vocabulary, we would not be able

to use structures and functions in communication (Nation,2011) It depends on vocabulary knowledge and lack of knowledge is the biggest obstacle for learners

to overcome (Huckin, 1995)

Indeed, vocabulary is considered to be the beginning of all foreign language learning and determines the success of learners Therefore, in order for their English learning to be really effective and highly applicable, learners themselves must understand the importance of vocabulary According to researchers, the human brain usually only retains about 20% of the information received after 1 month Meanwhile, to meet the needs and expand knowledge, the acquisition of more knowledge has never stopped When language learner possess a rich and rich vocabulary, speech can become natural and fluent

English vocabulary is the core of communication, in the communication process, readers or listeners almost only pay attention to the content that the speaker wants to express rather than grammar and sentences Because, even if you firmly grasp the grammatical structures, but the vocabulary is limited, it is still impossible to properly convey the content that language learner want to convey to the opponent

As the foundation for other skills to develop, in every person's daily life, communication is the factor that has to be affected and also has the opposite effect on all activities And the same goes for communicating in English Rich and abundant vocabulary will greatly assist language learner in developing and perfecting other skills more effectively With a wide range of vocabulary, can easily understand the conveyed content even if your grammar is not too strong And when language learner understand quickly, get it right, they will be able to respond quickly The process of listening, understanding and speaking the word will also become more and more fluent and fluent In addition to problems related to listening, speaking or reading skills, English vocabulary also helps develop the brain in the ability to write quickly, in the right context and without spelling mistakes From there, language learner can confidently write a letter or present a problem in English without having to worry about anything

In the second language, lexical knowledge is defined as "a continuum between ability to make sense of a word and ability to activate the word automatically for productive purposes" (Fu,2005) That is, for the acquisition of vocabulary, it is not only about understanding the word, but also applying it in all cases Just like learning a word needs to go hand in hand with practicing the word In addition, each learned word has different effects and purposes, requiring learners to be flexible when applying the words they have learned This operation must always be used continuously and regularly to increase the ability to remember and understand more deeply Only then will it not be easy to forget a word that we have learned.Many excellent students also face many difficult words and they never know them Vocabulary always has to be improved and improved, otherwise the vocabulary will be limited and hinder the effective acquisition of words (Laufer, 1986)

Vocabulary is at the root of the language approach (Macaro, 2003) They are very important building blocks in the production of languages Without

vocabulary, no information can be conveyed Indeed, vocabulary is considered

to be the beginning of all foreign language learning and determines the success

of learners Without a complete understanding of words, cannot speak, nor understand what others are saying It is the key that holds language learner’ opinion, thoughts In other words, vocabulary plays an important role, being the foundation of language system

1.2 WHAT IS INVOLVED IN KNOWING A WORD Nation (1990) has developed a list about vocabulary knowledge: spoken form of

a word, written form of a word, grammatical behavior of a word, conceptual meaning of a word, frequency of use of that word, text style of a word, linking words together From there, learners can master all these forms of knowledge and they know how to use each word in each different case, increasing the level

of language proficiency

According to Nation( 2013) to learn and absorb a new word consisting of many different elements For vocabulary we need to know about form, meaning and then use Thus, learning words will be more specific, much deeper than just knowing the meaning of words This strategy also helps to remember longer and learn much more effectively because it helps to understand the essence of what each word is like The table below describes it in more detail (What is involved

in knowing a word)

Table 1: What is involved in knowing a word (Nation, 2013, p.60)

Form Spoken

Written Word paris

R,P What does the word sound like?

How does the word pronounced?

What does the word look like?

How is the word written and spelled? What parts are recognisable in this word? What word parts are needed to express the meaning?

meaning Concept and referents Associations

R,P What meaning does this word form signal?

What word form can be used to express this meaning?

What is included in the concept?

What items can the concept refer to?

What other words does this make up think of?

What other words could we use instead of this one?

Use Grammatical

functions Collocations Constraints on use (register, frequency…)

R,P In what patterns does the word occur?

In what patterns must we use this word? What words or types of words occur with this one?

What words or types of words must we use with this one?

Where, when, and how often would we expect to meet this word?

Where, when, and how often can we use this word?

Note: R = receptive knowledge, P = productive knowledge

When starting to learn a second language, learners always face many difficult challenges and problems It is the barrier that makes people discouraged, not persistent enough and in the end they easily choose to give it up The reason for that situation is the difficulty in spelling, pronunciation and even in understanding the meaning of that word In addition, need to know how to apply

it flexibly in daily writing and communication There are many people who have learned that new word but easily forget it, don't use it often or never use it So in

a short time those words will disappear forever from the list of new words you have learned Vocabulary acquisition will need to learn from basic to advanced, accept difficulties and practice every day with determination to conquer a second language

According to Krashen (1998), there are two independent foreign language activities: ‘the system of acquiring’ and ‘the learning system’ It is a product of cognitive processes that are very similar to the process children go through when they learn vocabulary first It requires meaningful interaction in language - natural communication - in which the speaker focuses not on the form of his or her words, but on the act of communication

1.3 VOCABULARY ACQUISITION Vocabulary acquisition is an essential part of language learning because the meaning of new words is often emphasized, whether in books or in the classroom It is also central to language teaching and is of utmost importance to language learners

Vocabulary frequently increases with age, and is a fundamental and useful tool for communication and knowledge acquisition Learning vocabulary is one

of the first steps of learning a second language, however a person will never reach the final step in acquiring vocabulary Whether in a mother tongue or a second language, the acquisition of a new vocabulary is an ongoing process Many methods can help with the acquisition of new vocabulary

Wenden (1991) argues that in vocabulary acquisition, shallow processing and deep processing have an extremely important role in it

Shallow Processing: this takes two forms:(1)Structural processing (appearance) which is when we encode only the physical qualities of something (e.g the typeface of a word or how the letters look); (2) Phonemic processing – which is when we encode its sound

Shallow processing only involves maintenance and leads to fairly term retention of information Shallow processing methods have been contrasted very clearly in foreign language learning In addition, learning vocabulary is not very effective, students will learn superficially, the ability to grasp information knowledge of vocabulary is very little If this shallow processing continues, over time they will lose the ability to recognize the meaning or understanding of a word in different situations and cases Thereby reducing the acquisition and reception of new words in the process of learning a second language

short-Deep Processing: Semantic processing, which happens when encode the meaning of a word and relate it to similar words with similar meaning Deep processing involves elaboration rehearsal which involves a more meaningful analysis (e.g images, thinking, associations etc.) of information and leads to better recall.For example, giving words a meaning or linking them with previous knowledge

Levels of processing: The idea that the way information is encoded affects how well it is remembered The deeper the level of processing, the easier the information is to recall learners have a better overview of the language in all different matters It is not a superficial or superficial learning, a general understanding of that vocabulary, to learn in a deeper, more diverse way about vocabulary

Ellis (1995) also added that when applied to vocabulary learning, shallow proccessing only helps students to stop at the level of oral rehearsal, but with

deep processing, students will need to deal with both form and semantic aspects, and as a result, enhance their ability to remember and apply

Brown and Payne (1994, cited in Hashimi & Hodavi, 2015) studied and identified the first steps in learning English vocabulary It involves the following steps: identifying new words, understanding word forms and meanings, keeping word forms and meanings in memory, and using words in real-life situations That said, when learning a new word, just memorizing the form and meaning will not help increase vocabulary Such a way of learning will be easy to forget and not understand the essence, difficult to communicate Instead, using learned words in many real-life situations will help learners remember words longer Applying new words to each case will also help increase vocabulary and better reflect English

Brenda D Smith (2008) outlined seven essential steps to learning and memorizing new words These are "words that rhyme, link and organize, understand word structure, use dictionaries, recognize word families (prefixes, roots, and suffixes), understand word origins These steps: It is very important to start learning new words It is important to understand the nature of words, the usage of each word is different Studying in such detail also helps with grammar problems When communicating, it will also be natural, easy to convey their opinions without being wrong in structure and syntax

1.4 VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES Vocabulary learning strategies has become popular research topics for researchers Because the world becomes more and more globalized, it is increasingly necessary to learn foreign languages for everyone

In recent years, two books have been published Gu (2005), Takač(2008) The books delves deeply into learners' efforts and strategies in learning vocabulary in the most effective way It has proven the relationship between strategy and vocabulary learning outcomes In addition, we can compare the

characteristics and properties of the different strategies to indicate the success level for each case Oxford (1994) shows how to systematically guide vocabulary for learners to master specific strategies Schmitt (2000) believes that

it is necessary to help learners realize that self-learning vocabulary will be better and will create regularity and continuity in vocabulary learning problems

The relationship between strategies and results for learning vocabulary is a clear combination and has a profound effect on learners Because of the high results of vocabulary learning, that strategy is of great help to learners For example, the method of texting, writing emails in English is a very effective strategy for everyone, reflecting that strategy as well Make a list of vocabulary learning strategies to know and practice After that, it will give a look and evaluation of the methods used in learning In addition, each strategy applies in different cases and ways Learning vocabulary is a very arduous process, learners must practice and persevere Still have to wait spend a lot of time in learning words and how to receive new words Self-study will help discover new and richer knowledge If language learner pay attention to learning words every day, practicing words, vocabulary will improve more, increase ability to remember words

The strategies of learning vocabulary based on situations and contexts is more effective than based on the word list For example, Oxford and Scarcella (1994) in their research have found that learning vocabulary based on context can help students memorize vocabulary for exams and tests In addition, McCarthy (1990) states that if students learn vocabulary through a meaningful, content-specific situation, students will memorize and assimilate that vocabulary for a longer period of time

However, there are also non context based vocabulary learning strategies that are used much Recently, researchers have attempted to investigate which context-free vocabulary learning strategies are used the most and have found

that the mechanical methods are used more often by students than the other, the strategies is highly complex Cohen and Aphek (1981) observe that students try

to memorize words they don't know by memorization In addition, O ‟Mally et

al (1985) also found that the repetition strategies is also used the most by students in the vocabulary learning process Through the studies, the above of learning vocabulary are said to be disappointing for researchers and ineffective for students

Other studies on vocabulary learning strategies have also found many different ways that good students and weak students use to learn vocabulary Similarly, Cunningsworth (1995) sees helping students build their own vocabulary learning tricks as a very effective method Brown and Payne (1994) define five steps in the vocabulary learning process of a foreign language: having a source to access new vocabulary, having a clearer form in both the picture and the sound of the words Learn the meaning of words, memorize the form and meaning of words, then use words are quite important steps in the vocabulary learning strategy of most students

According to Sahandri's (1988) research, the vocabulary learning tips of students are classified according to the level of use: (1) using a monolingual dictionary, (2) guessing the meaning of words context, (3) learning a new word many times, (4) relating a vocabulary with its synonyms and its antonyms, (6) using new words in sentences, (7) using language communication channels English, (8) notes, (9) repeating new word lists, (10) writing paragraphs using new words, (11) learning words with classmates, (12) using specific actions when learn vocabulary, (13) chat with native speakers, (14) ask the teacher what new words mean

In their research, Ming-Ju and Hsin (2010) prove that the lexicon of English students is richer through journal articles and it will be directly proportional to their ability to learn English and their reading comprehension In

addition, they also note that vocabulary learning should include synonyms for students to quickly increase their vocabulary

Palmberg (2011) also confirmed the effects of learners on effective vocabulary acquisition as follows: People tend to develop their own language learning styles depending on their abilities For example, for vocabulary learning, some people like to memorize, others like to divide the word into different parts and focus on memorizing those components Others look for similarities and differences between the words and their native language Others find mnemonic strategies very helpful for learning their vocabulary

Choosing a method for yourself is important, affecting the process of absorbing new words Because one person's method cannot be imposed on another It may be very effective, but not for everyone At the same time, we should use many methods to choose the most suitable way to learn words

Guessing meaning of a new word

In the process of reading, listening and communicating, it is difficult for learners to know and fully understand the meaning of words, so the self-decoding and guessing of the word is very important Learners can guess the meaning of a word based on the content, context, or words before and after the vocabulary (McCarthy 1997)

Learning and improving English vocabulary is always essential for anyone who is learning any language and so is English Knowing and mastering more and more words will help language learner to be more confident in taking the test as well as understand and be more certain in answers However, for an extremely rich English vocabulary that even native speakers do not know, it is not impossible to encounter new and difficult words in the English, must take advantage of every opportunity and possibility to guess and find the correct answer

To guess the meaning of a word that is new, First of all, need to consider that new word in relation to the words around it so that learner can determine the type of that new word: it can be a noun, it can also be a verb or an adjective Contrary to the case, if in the sentence there are words like however, yet on the other hand, instead of, but, while although… can use opposites to guess the meaning of new words

Using illustrations

Brown and Payne (1994) have discovered how to learn vocabulary through pictures, sounds, lively, interesting examples, or academic content, problem analysis, and bring new insights Therefore, when watching video or listening, it

is necessary to comply with the following steps: focus on watching, listening and feeling the content and vocabulary used; second time listening, review Amolica (1989) suggests that using illustrations helps our brain to be divided into two hemispheres – the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere The left hemisphere of the brain controls language and the right hemisphere controls the memory function When language learner speak – words can easily follow the wind and disappear in a few seconds But when learner see images, our brains process the information in a completely different way – the images stay in the brain longer whether the learner has this learning style or not

Hennery (1978) how to learn new words so that "memorable" is considered Brain science shows that our brain can easily remember if that word/information

is introduced in special circumstances such as unique images, funny words,

"weird" actions "strange For example, when teaching vocabulary about emotions, teachers could express the emotions instead of explaining the words’ meaning.This activity is said to be helpful in enhancing students’ ability to remember words better

Using impressive images, sounds or stories can make our brains remember

Many times due to the psychology of thinking that learning is a burden, learner must learn, which makes us lose the joy in receiving knowledge If language learner can relieve that mentality by listening to music or watching movies, it will make new words "in the beginning" easier without making us bored when learning

Using dictionary

According to McCarthy (1997), Cambridge dictionary, Oxford learners dictionary is one of the effective vocabulary learning strategies that gives learners a quick, accurate and complete calculation Using the dictionary, it is necessary to follow the following steps to help learners remember them well and use them more effectively The first is pronunciation: The first thing to use when using a dictionary is the pronunciation of the word With online dictionaries, a special advantage is that the pronunciation of the word will be accompanied by two English accents - English and English - US to help learners listen and imitate the pronunciation of words better In addition, the pronunciation has some differences between British and American English, also helps learners not

be confused when listening to a word with different pronunciation, but also identify and memorizes words better but also helps them listen and use them in communication more effectively The second is learning the meaning of words: Reading and analyzing the meaning of words with English definitions will help learners not only understand the meaning and usage of words but also reinforce vocabulary, expand vocabulary as well As the structures are used in the definition

Flashcards

The Mohamed’s (2003) research shows that learning flash cards is very interesting, encourage students to design a set of beautiful vocabulary cards that stimulate interest in learning vocabulary Students are required to learn vocabulary with cards in a variety of ways For example, when students have a

certain number of vocabulary cards, they can self-study by looking at information on one side of the card and guessing information on the other side Students can say out loud or whisper the information they guess or write the information they guess on paper and then look at the other side of the card to check

Mind maps

Elisa (1988) Using mind maps when learning is one of the easiest ways to learn English vocabulary that is easy to remember and is most applied in recent times For those of language learner who like to draw, want to use visual images

or fun symbols for less boring lessons, this method is extremely suitable Applying mind map will make learning English vocabulary more interesting

Note-taking

According to research by Glisary (1977), when you encounter too many new words, soon language learner will find yourself needing to spend a lot of time and effort to memorize them Whether you've only heard the word on the news or seen it on a milk carton label, learner 've probably jotted it down

Use and review

Annalise (1976) suggested that learning new words by using and reviewing them often After learning new words, should practice using them every day, either speaking or writing learning vocabulary is only successful when know how to use them Review is extremely important when learning English vocabulary brain can only remember if the information is repeated many times, otherwise, they will erase that information from human memory For review, continue to make different sentences to increase the applicability of the word In addition, to the practice diverse and not boring, need to use flashcards, books, and audio books containing new make words to practice

Mila (1996) has studied the strategy of learning English with everyone Every day should speak and study English with friends and relatives to practice

English better For example, language learner are traveling with a close friend, a foreigner that learner meet in the park Even a new friend on social networks Therefore, always be proactive, find a friend to practice with

1.5 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter has reviewed the main theoretical contributions and empirical studies in the field of Vocabulary acquisition and Vocabulary learning strategies Vocabulary is considered as the beginning of all foreign language learning and determines the success of learners Therefore, in order for their English learning to be really effective and highly applicable, the learners themselves must know the method of absorbing vocabulary words The human brain usually only retains about 20% of the information received after 1 month Meanwhile, in order to meet the needs and expand knowledge, the acquisition of more knowledge has never stopped Therefore, word learning strategies have an impact on how effective learners are

Language learning strategies are characterized by conscious and oriented behaviors as well as mental processes that language learners use to improve their language learning effectiveness strategies applied by learners to facilitate their acquisition of vocabulary Collectively, several previous studies have revealed a positive relationship between the use of language learning strategies and academic achievement

goal-A review of the literature in the area of strategic use by learners has demonstrated that a large portion of previous studies have examined the strategic use of learners in different parts of the world It is reported to be frequently used

in vocabulary learning, common underlying factors shared by individuals that influence vocabulary learning outcomes The following chapter, Chapter 2, presents the methods used in the research to address the research questions

Chapter 2: METHODOLOGY

2.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study applies qualitative and quantitative approach

Quantitative approach: using questionnaires to survey students, in order to get a description of how students use different vocabulary learning strategies Quantitative data reflects the degree of the vocabulary learning strategies used

by the participants Qualitative approach was adopted to gain and analyze students’ responses in a follow-up semi-structured interview about their use of vocabulary learning strategies

2.2 RESEARCH SETTING / CONTEXT The study was conducted at Vietnam National University of Agriculture, second semester of the school year 2020-2021 at the Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages, including 5 classes: k63eng a, k63eng b, k63eng c, k63eng d, k63eng e Participants were 122 3rd year students majoring in English language However I have removed the invalid or no information surveys, so the survey returned is 105 They are in their twenties currently studying English language

in the Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages Most of them has been studying English for 14 years The following is the survey data that I have collected from the students to carry out the research topic

Table 2: Participants of the study

2.3 DATA COLLECTION

2.3.1 Data collecting instruments

The study use questionnaire with multiple choice questions (see Appendix 1 and 2) The questionnaire has been adapted from Liu (2013) and it includes statements about vocabulary learning strategies There are 35 statements in the questionnaire The students were asked to rate the statements on the survey questionnaire ona five-point Likert scales: 1 – never or almost never true of me;

2 – usually not true of me; 3- somewhat true of me; 4 – usually true of me; always or almost always true of me The questionnaire in English was translated into Vietnamese for the effectiveness of data collection process Respondents answered their opinions by checking the corresponding boxes according to an agreed convention

5-The interview questions were asked about how and why student use the vocabulary learning strategies in order to find out the reason why some vocabulary learning strategies are more common among the participants compared to other strategies The interview questions have been translated into Vietnamese, and piloted for serveral students to make sure that there is no ambiguity The interview questions have been further revised to the final interview questions (see appendix 3 and 4)

2.3.2 Data collecting procedures

The questionnaires were delivered online using Google Forms The researcher sent the questionnaires to participants belonging to five classes at Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages via zalo groups or facebook groups

About six students were selected to participate in an interview later to learn about their use of the strategies in more details Interviews were conducted via Zalo, or Messenger, or mobile phone incase the participants could not be reached in person All the interviews were recorded and transcribed for qualitative data analysis

2.4 DATA ANALYSIS The researcher used Excell to analyse quantitative data gained from the questionnaires The researcher first obtains descriptive statistics from the questionnaire to examine the state of vocabulary strategies adopted by them Specific work includes: overall descriptive statistics of all the strategies used (Means and Standard Deviations) Strategies which were ranked above (3) are considered the most frequent-used strategies, and those which were ranked below (3) are considered the least or never used strategies

Responses to the interview questions were qualitatively processed using themes 2.5 SUMMARY OF RESEARCH METHODS

The present study was designed to be a survey and interview to identify the types of vocabulary learning strategies reported by 3rd year English majors at VNUA The English Vocabulary Learning Strategies (QAVLS) questionnaire, was used to collect information about the participants' use of vocabulary learning strategies Statistical analysis including descriptive statistics, standard deviation analysis and mean were performed to address the first research question In addition, after having the results of the survey analysis, it will be time to plan and schedule an interview with the students to answer questions and find answers to the second research question."

Chapter 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 TO WHAT EXTENT DO THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE DIFFERENT VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES

Vocabulary learning strategies are classified into six groups These include: Memory strategies, metacognitive strategies, functional practicing strategies, production oriented strategies, centering attenion strategies and other strategies These groups were collected to serve the first research question The results and classifications for each strategy group are given below

Table 3: The extent to which students use memory strategies

Strategy Category

I use flashcards to review the newly learned words

Memory I group the words with similar

features such as Words related to food, clothing, or nouns, verbs

I use various online resources, such

as online flash cards Or vocabulary games to practice English words

We can see that strategies ”use flash card to review the newly learned words”, “group the words with similar features such as Words related to food, clothing, or nouns, verbs”, and “use various online resources, such as online