VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES PHAM THI THU HIEN INVESTIGATING DIFFICULTIES IN VOCABULARY
METHODOLOGY 24 2.1 Research questians 24 3.3 Subject of the study
The interview 26
An interview was conducted following the administration of a student questionnaire in class This informal conversation took place in Vietnamese between the researcher and the students The interviewer ensured that the questions were clear, precise, and engaging to motivate the participants.
Ten ethnic minority students were randomly selected for interviews to gain deeper insights into the challenges they face in learning English vocabulary Each conversation lasted approximately seven minutes, allowing interviewees ample time to respond to all questions.
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ă 27 3.1 Results and discussions from the questionnaires 27 3.2 Results and discussion from the interview 31
Data analysis goes beyond merely describing collected data; it involves interpreting the information to derive meaningful insights (Pownsy & Watts, 1987) In this study, the researcher analyzes feedback from questionnaires, interviews, and observations to understand the challenges faced by ethnic students in learning English vocabulary.
3.1 Results and discussions (rom the questionnaires
The following questions from questionnaire will be considered to obtain data for analysis and discussion:
One hundred percents of the etlnic minotity students are Thai people
2 How do you think of your Vietnamese language competence?
All students acknowledged that their proficiency in Vietnamese is lacking, with many only able to comprehend basic phrases Their limited vocabulary hinders their ability to articulate more complex ideas in the language.
3 Do you think that English is important for your job in the future?
The importance of English for future job prospects is well recognized, as all participants affirmed its significance However, they struggle to dedicate sufficient time to learning the language due to various obstacles Key reasons include a lack of time and the belief that they can postpone their English studies until a more convenient opportunity arises.
4, How long have you learned English?
‘To this question, the students have the same answers, they have studied inglish for four years (since they were in 6 form),
5, What do you think of learning English vocabulary?
Ttems Nunuber of students | Percentage (%) a, Very difficult and boring 25 63.595 b Difficult 13 © Interesting and easy 2
Approximately 62.5% of students find vocabulary learning difficult and boring, with only a small percentage considering it interesting and easy This challenge stems from their low initial knowledge and motivation, as many entered the school with a poor foundation in English Students often perceive vocabulary learning as a tedious task that requires more time and energy compared to other subjects They tend to view it merely as memorizing word spellings and their Vietnamese equivalents When asked about their boredom, learners reported that they typically copy new words from teachers or highlight unfamiliar terms in their textbooks, only noting their meanings in Vietnamese.
6 low mneh time do you usually spend leaming vocabulary outside classroom?
Time spent Percentage (%) a About one hour a day 15 b More than two hours a day 10 c About two hours a day 15
Despite students recognizing the importance of vocabulary learning, only a small percentage dedicate sufficient time to it Specifically, only 30% of students spend one to two hours daily on vocabulary acquisition, while a mere 10% invest more than two hours Alarmingly, over half of the students, 60%, do not allocate any time to learning new words This trend can be attributed to the fact that English is not their major, leading to minimal focus on vocabulary In school, students are required to study various subjects and tend to prioritize those they deem more relevant to their future careers, such as math, literature, physics, chemistry, or biology.
7 What kind of difficulties đo you often meet?
‘Items Percentage (%) a Difficulties in pronunciation 40% b Difficulties in remembering collocations and multi-word verbs 10% ¢ Many subjects to smdy 20% d Tack of equipment and opportunities far learning vocabulary 30%
It is the fact that, ethnic leamers always face many problems in learning vocabulary
A significant 95% of learners reported finding vocabulary challenging, highlighting the varying difficulties among different individuals Notably, 40% of learners indicated that pronunciation poses the greatest challenge in acquiring English vocabulary This reliance on imitating teachers leads to difficulties in recalling or reading words independently after lessons.
Many students report a lack of exposure to various media, including television, newspapers, and the internet Additionally, they face challenges due to inadequate teaching and learning resources, such as projectors, cassette players, laptops, and supplementary books This situation leads to significant difficulties in their education Furthermore, students are required to study multiple subjects simultaneously, which contributes to their overall limited general knowledge.
8 How do you usually loan now words?
Items Percent (%) a Write the Tnglish words many times and read aloud 58% b Wrile the English words and its equivalent in Vietnamese 26% c Make sentences with them 8%
4 Write the words and their synonyms? anlonyms ™
Table 4 Most of the students had the habit of learning vocabulary by writing and reading English words many times (58%) and write the words in English and its equivalents in
A significant 26% of Vienan learners focus on spelling and pronunciation, believing this method to be the easiest way to learn In contrast, only 8% of them expand their vocabulary by constructing sentences, while a mere 7% utilize synonyms and antonyms in their learning process.
9 What reasons caused your leaming vocabulary ineffective?
Items Number of students | Percentage (%) a There are lov many words 20 50% b There is not enough time 15 37.59 ¢ There is not enough motivation 5 115%
A significant 50% of learners reported feeling overwhelmed by the extensive vocabulary presented in each unit, as they were required to learn a large number of new words from both the textbook and additional materials provided by the teacher during three class periods each week Additionally, 37.5% of students indicated that their vocabulary learning was hindered by insufficient time, as they struggled to remember the spelling, meaning, usage, and forms of the words.
In addition, 12.5% of them found leaming vocabulary difficult and boring so they fell reluctant to learn any new word they meel, So their language competence was nol improved
10 How do you often learn vocabulary? in pairs/ in groups?
Items Number of students Percentages (%) a Individually 36 90% b Inpais 3 5% c In groups 2 3%
According to Table 6, 90% of students report learning vocabulary individually, likely due to time constraints Teachers primarily deliver new language items orally or by writing on the board, while students take notes Limited practice occurs before moving on to other lesson tasks, and pair and group work are seldom utilized Interaction between teachers and students is minimal, typically restricted to question-and-answer sessions Consequently, teachers often adhere strictly to textbook instructions and syllabus requirements, rendering their teaching strategies ineffective and irrelevant in certain contexts.
11 1Iow đo yeu revise l¿nglish words at home? items Number of students Percent (%) a Learn by heart alk ths words 32 50% b Make sentences with words 4 10% ¢ Find out their collocations 1 10%
The data indicates that 80% of students revise new vocabulary at home through repetitive reading and writing, which leads to difficulties in retaining the words long-term and using them effectively in communication In contrast, only 10% of students create sentences with new words, while another 10% focus on discovering their collocations.
3.2 Results and discussion from the interview
Interviews with ten Thai students in 10th grade revealed that vocabulary acquisition poses a significant challenge for them These minority students primarily communicate in their mother tongue at home and within their communities, but must learn Vietnamese for interactions at school They expressed difficulty in fully understanding Vietnamese, noting that some words seem strange to them In English lessons, they typically comprehend sentences by first translating from their native language to Vietnamese, making the process of learning English through Vietnamese particularly challenging Additionally, they struggle with English pronunciation due to the substantial differences between their native language and English, often leading to mispronunciations.
Many ethnic students struggle to improve their English vocabulary due to several factors Firstly, they often cannot change their pronunciation habits, which hinders their progress Additionally, a lack of clear motivation for learning English contributes to their challenges, as some students are unaware of the reasons for studying the language Furthermore, these students typically lack access to essential resources such as recordings, CDs, television, newspapers, and dictionaries In the classroom, opportunities for communication in English are limited, making it difficult for them to practice and enhance their language skills.
FINDING AND SOME SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER LEARNING
Lack of Time 1.33 4.1.5, Lack of an appropria(e syllabus for ethnic mine 33 4.1.6, Lack of communicative environment 34 4,2, Difficulties caused by the English differences between the written and spoken Torm
In school, students often prioritize subjects they deem essential for their future, such as math, literature, physics, chemistry, and biology, while neglecting the importance of learning English.
In an interview, Deo Thi Ngoc from class 10A expressed the importance of English in modern life but emphasized the need to focus on core subjects like math, physics, and chemistry at this time She plans to pursue group A for her university entrance examinations in the future.
Cam Thi Dung expressed that she lacks the time to learn new vocabulary, as her focus is primarily on completing homework for her compulsory subjects She views vocabulary study as optional amidst her heavy workload.
4.5 Lack of un appropriate syllabus for ethnic minority students
In the Vietnamese education system, all students follow a single syllabus, which presents both advantages and challenges for ethnic minority students On one hand, this approach ensures equal access to knowledge for all learners On the other hand, many topics may feel unfamiliar due to the distinct customs and traditions of these communities Therefore, it is essential to develop a tailored syllabus that accommodates the unique needs of minority students, particularly in learning English vocabulary.
When asked Quang van Thinh-10B said: “I expect a text book which focuses more on ethnic daily lives”
Students are immersed in an environment where English is rarely spoken, and resources in English are scarce Their vocabulary primarily comes from syllabus books and teachers Despite their eagerness to engage with native speakers, such opportunities are indeed rare.
Cam Thi Bich, a student from class 10B, expressed, "We lack opportunities to study English beyond our syllabus books We enjoy reading and listening to English materials or conversing with native speakers, but these resources are not accessible in Son Ta."
Inthe mterview, ViThi Thanh 10A said: “When I watehed.a TV program in
Although I don't fully understand the program's content, I enjoy listening to speakers pronounce English I believe that if I frequently watch programs in English, my vocabulary will significantly improve.
Students in Son La face challenges in developing their English vocabulary due to an unfavorable learning environment The lack of English speakers in their community limits their opportunities to practice and enhance their language skills This situation hinders their ability to enrich and recycle their vocabulary effectively.
4.2 Difficulties caused by the English differences between the wrilten and spoken form
English orthography is known for its inconsistency and irregularity, making it challenging for learners to predict pronunciation from spelling Similarly, learners cannot reliably infer spelling from pronunciation This poses significant difficulties for Vietnamese learners, who are accustomed to a more predictable orthographic system where spelling directly informs pronunciation Both teachers and students have acknowledged this challenge.
4.3 Difficulties caused by other factors
Grammat-based examinations another important constraint Today, the examinations have been improved, but its grammar-bascd nature has remained unchanged
Teachers, facing pressure to ensure student success on tests, frequently allocate significant class time to practice multiple-choice grammar questions These examinations have profoundly influenced the teaching methods of English at Son La Ethnic Boarding High School.
4.3.2 Large class All of the teachers Teferred to large al their teaching vocabulary to ethnic students In Son la Ethnic Boarding High School, a class usually consists of from 45 to 50 students The teachers find it difficult to help the as one of the principle constraints on students in the big classes like those
Based on the findings, the researcher proposes several suggestions for enhancing English language learning and teaching at Son Ta Flhnic Boarding High School These recommendations aim to support both teachers and students in improving their educational experience.
4.4.1 Using pictures Teachers should use photographs, paintings or pictures to present the meanings of difficult words, especially, the word that students have never heard of or seen before, even in their language Indeed, new words to be taught can be embedded in pictures or graphs to help students recognize and memorize the meanings casily
Following are examples of teaching vocabulary in unit 8 and unit 15 through pictures
" Unil & A Stary of my Villoge ims: leam new words through pictures
Preparation: Teacher makes 5 sels of 7 pictures related lo 7 new words
+ Teacher says: “We are going lo sant about the aclivitics in the village” and shows
7 pictures before class one by one, saying: “The whole class, look at picture 1: What as he doing? — Ile is ploughing (Teacher repeat again: Ile is ploughing)
Students repeats in chorus after teacher.” He is ploughing” (students repeat twice)
- Teacher writes on the board: “he is ploughing” And introduces the new word ô plough”, teacher continues doing the samc until pichure 7
- Teacher divides students in to 5 groups ( 9 students in each group), then distributes each group a set of pictures
- Teacher tells students in groups one asks and the other answers questions They swapt their roles
Pi Plough(v) He is ploughing
Pt Pump (¥) He is pumping
PS Cultivate (W) They are cultivating rice
P6 Thresh (v) They are threshing rice
Aims: Writing about famous places using the taught words:
Aetivity: information gap; pair work
Aids: Picture of famous places ( siz
Collect various newspaper photographs of famous landmarks that your students are likely familiar with, such as Ha Long Bay, Hanoi City, Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Temple of Literature Remove any captions from the images and affix each photograph onto individual sheets of paper, ensuring there is ample space for writing Prepare at least five photographs for five different student groups.
- Divide students into 5 groups (9 students in each)
- Show the students all the photographs you have prepared and let students choose pictures for themselves
Students in each group should start by examining their photograph and jotting down any information they know about the location depicted As the students engage in this activity, the teacher circulates around the classroom to monitor their progress and provide assistance as needed.
- When time is up, teacher tells students in each group to read what they have written about the picture
- When five groups finished their work, the teacher gives the highest mark for the group which has used the most learned words to write about a place in the picture