Luận văn an investigation into teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary at le quy don gifted high school dien bien

TETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN HANH TUYET AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ A

TETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYEN HANH TUYET

AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’

ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING VOCABULARY AT LE QUY DON

GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL, DIEN BIEN

NGHIÊN CUU THÁI ĐỘ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ HỌC SINH ĐÓI VỚI VIỆC

SỬ DỤNG GIÁO CỤ TRỰC QUAN DE DAY VA HOC TU VUNG

Ở TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYEN LE QUY DON — DIEN BIEN

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: | English Teaching Methodology

Hanoi, 2011

TETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYEN HANH TUYET

AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’

ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING VOCABULARY AT LE QUY DON

GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL, DIEN BIEN

NGHIÊN CUU THÁI ĐỘ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ HỌC SINH ĐÓI VỚI VIỆC

SỬ DỤNG GIÁO CỤ TRỰC QUAN DE DAY VA HOC TU VUNG

Ở TRƯỜNG THPT CHUYEN LE QUY DON — DIEN BIEN

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Vượng, M.A

Hanoi, 2011

iii

ABSTRACT

This study aims al finding out the altitudes of the toachers and students at Le Quy Don gilled high school in Dicn Dien lowards the usc of visual aids in touching and leaning English vocabulary

In the study, the quantitative and qualitative methods are employed The instruments to collect data for the study arc survcy questionnaires and interview After gathering and analyzing the collected data, some major findings have been revealed ‘the first finding is that most of the Icachers and students al LQD gifled ligh school in Diow Bicn have positive attitudes towards the use of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary The seeond finding shows that most of the teachers tend to use different types of visual aids in teaching

Tas hopeflf thal this study con be of some lelp to the teachers al LOD gifted high school and the school itself about ther teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of visual aid in teaching vacabutary or other teachers and schools interested in the subject matter

LISTS OF FIGURES AND TARLES

List of figures

Figure |: Data collectzd from question 1 of the teachers’ questionnaire

Figure 2: Teachars’ interest in using visnal aids lo [zach vacubulary

Figure 3: Teachers’ evaluation of the visual aids in general

Figure 4: Data collected from question 5 of the teachers’ questionnaire

Figure 5: Data collected from question 9 of the teachers’ questionnaire

Figure 6: Data collected from question 12 of the teachers’ questionnaire

Figure 7: Studenls’ interast in Icarning vocabulary through visusl aids

Figure 8, Students’ evaluation on the usefuulness of visual aids in vocabulary teaching

Figure 9: Data collected from question 3 of the students” questionnaire

Figure 10: Students” preferences of the sources of te pielures

Figure 11: Students’ preference of the sources of real objects

Figure 12: Data collected from question 10 of the students’ questionnaire

Figure 13: Teachers’ attitudes towards the importance of vocabulary in language teaching

Figure 14: Data collected from question 2 of the interview for the teachers

List of tables

Table 1: The teachers’ evaluation of the specific visual aids

Table 2: The teachers’ freqnency of visual aids use in teaching vocabulary

Table 3: The teachers’ ways of using of visual aids to teach vocabulary aud the

frequency of the teachers using these ways to teach vocabulary

‘Table 4: ‘The types of visual aids and their impressions on the students

Table $: The Leachers’ frequent sources of gelling visual aids

Table 6: The teachers’ reasons for using visual aids in teaching vocabulary

Table 7: ‘The challenges faced by Lenchers when using visual aids to teach vocabulary

Table 8: Thestudents evaluation of visual aids in facilitating, dueir vocabulary learning

Table 9: The students’ evaluation on their teachers’ frequency of using visual aids to

Pages

‘The reasons for the students’ interest in learning vacabulary through visual aids

The reasons for the students’ de-motivation in leaning vocabulary through visual aids

‘The problems faced by the students when learning vacahulary through visual aids

Teachers’ favorite ways of teaching vocabulary

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Rationale of the study acssesmeenin smeneinnnetnnesaisvnnsenena nearness

Aims of the study

Scope of the siutly

Methods of the study

6 Design o[ the stuổy, sec

1.1.2.1 Vocabulary classificd aecording to the conccp† oŸ morphcrwe

1.1.2.2, Vocabulary classified according to the meaning

11.2.3 Vocabulary classified according Io the famictions

11.2.4, Vocabulary classified according to the frequency of use

1.2 Vocabulary and its significant role in language teaching and learning

1.3.1 Definitions of visual aids

1.3.2 Types of visual aids

1.3.2.4 Pictures,

1,3.2.4.1 Wall pictures and wall g]raTÉS series

1.3.2.4.2 Lash cards -

1.3.2.4.2.1 Word flash cards

1.3.2.4.2.2 Picture fash cards

2.3.1.1 The teachers’ questionnaize

2.3.1.2 The sludonts* questionnaire

2.3.2 The interview for the teachers 1

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Data analysis

3.1.1 Resnlts frorn the su vay questiGnunaires

3.1.1.1 Results fiom the teachers’ survey questionnaire

3.1.1.2, Resulls from the students’ survey questionmaire 3.1.2, Results fiom the interviews for the teachers

3.2 Findings and discussion

PART C: CONCLUSION che nhớ Hưng ha de

4.1, Summary of the sftuẩy, ào

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PART A: INTRODUCTION

1, Rationale of the study

Wilkin (1972: 110) states that “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without

vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” This means that io be a competent English communicalar, one nmst acquire a good knowledge of English grammar and bave a rich amount of English vocabulary as well Vocabulary is an essential element of language Whether in speaking or

writing, learners nezd vocabulary lo communicate and understand others

However, tor many students at Le Quy Don gifted high school in Dien Bien, learning

vocabulary is really a hard job As a result, many students often ask their teachers the same question about how they can learn vocabulary effectively As a matter of fact, what students are

wondering is also a big question that always bare in the teachers’ mind which urges them try to

find a suitable solution fo better facilitate both the teachers’ and students’ vocabulary teaching

and learning process

The idea of’ using visual aids to better aid students learn vocabulary has been conducted at

LQD gifted school by many teachers inoluding the researcher and all agree that visual aids are of

gical use to aid both the tcachers ard their students in tcaching and learning vocabulary Many students admit that they can remember new words more easily by both listening to their teachers

and looking at the visuals ‘They also get involved to the lesson more actively by guessing the words’ mmeaning tiuongh ihe visuals, deseribing the visuals, asking and answering questions

related to the visuals, etc Therefore, students gradually retain more words and can better communicate in the target language For teachers, many agree that they can reduce their talking

time of explaining new words in stead of introducing words directly through different types of

visual aids

From whal the teachers and students Ive mentioned aboul some of benefits of visual

aids, the researcher can partly know about their attitudes towards the use of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary This inspires the researcher to conduct the study enfitled “an

investigation into Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of Visual Aids in Teaching and Learning Vocabulary at Te Quy Don Gifted High School, Dien Bien.” with hope of

understanding more about not only the teachers’ and students’ attitude towards the use of visual

aids tut also the overall problems faced by them in teaching and tearning vocabulary through

visual aids Hopefully, this study will be of some values to those who want to improve their

vocabulary teaching, especially by means of visual aids.

2 Aims of the study: The study aims at

- Investigating the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary

- Exploring the extent to which visual aids have been used in vocabulary teaching and learning

- Finding out the possible problems faced by the teachers and students in teaching and learning vocabulary through visual aids

3, Research questions: In order lo achieve the above-sialed goals, the study was carried out to seek answers to the following questions:

1 What are the teachers” and students’ attitudes towards the use of visual aids in teaching and loarning vocabulary?

2 To whal extent have visual aids beon used in teaching and leaning vocabulary?

3 What are the problems faced by the teachers and students when teaching and learning vocabulary trough visual aids?

4, Scope of the study

In fact, there are many different types of visuals that can be used to help the students bollcr loarn vocabulary However, duc Ip the minar scope of this thesi

s, the research only aims at several types of visual aids such as pictures, chalkboards, real objects, mime-facial expressions which are available in class or can be easily made and applied by the teachers ‘The study has not dealt will stuslents of all tevels but just 11" form students who have been farnitiar with their teachers’ method of teaching voeabulary through visual aids sine they were in grade ten

5 Methods of the study

In the study, dala was coltseted by two methods: survey and intorview The survey consists

of two questionnaies, one for the teachers and the other for the students Besides, the researcher conducted informal interviews with the teachers in order to supplement the survey questionnaires

6 Design of the stuity: This study is divided into threc main parts

Part A: INTRODUCTION: In this part the zationale, the aims, the research questions, the

soope, the methods and the design of the study are presented

Part B: DEVELPOMENT: This part consists of three chapters: the “Literature Review”,

“Methodology” and “Data Analysis and Discussion”

Part C: CONCLUSION: ‘This part offers a summary of the study and some suggestions

for firthr sludy

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Vocabulary

1.1.1 What is vocabulary?

According to The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, vocabulary 1s defined as “a set of lexemes, including single words, compound words and idioms” Otherwise, in the Oxford Advanced learner's Dictionary, vocabulary is defined quite simple as

“all the words that a perso knows or uscs.”

In Stahl’s view, vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings then he ofitred

a cloar and spocifie definition of vacubulary by saying thal “vocabulary knowledge is knowdsdge, the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into

world.” (Stahl, S.A 2005) The author emphasizes that when learning vocabulary, learners must

acquire the know

¢ of words or word meanings and understand how the word they have learnt can be used appropriately in the real-world situations

1.1.2, Classification of vocabulary

1.1.2.1, Vocabulary classified accerding (o the concept of morpheme

McCarthy (1990: 5) divides words inte three kinds: simple, derived and compound

+ Simple word : A simple word is one that consists of only a root morpheme which can not be further subdivided such as eat, do, learn, live

+ Compound word Compound words are items that consist of moze than one root but have a single identity in that they name a single thing or concept such as sewing machine, campground,

electric fan

+ Derived word: A derived word is one that consists of a root and one ot more derivational morphemes such a3 teacher, worker, helpfid

1.1.2.2 Vocabulary classified accariling to (he meanings

Read (2000: 18) states that vocabulary can be divided into notional words and functional words,

+ Notional words arc words with clcar lexical meaning They address objects, actions, qualities,

etc, and they have meaning in themselves Notional words form a great number of each speaker's vocabulary For example, a bay, a hall, to make, to go

4 + Functional words are words which only have meaning in velalion to the olher words with which they are used Functional words are particles, articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, conjunctions, ete, For instance, on, for, at, the, and, because

1.1.2.3 Vocabulary classified according to the functions

Ina scntenec, word can possess many different functions Therefore, English words can

be classified into different items basing on functions as different parts of speech, ‘These parts of speach can be nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverts, prepositions and pronouns (Quirk, 1987: 18) Each part of speech has its own position, complying with certain grammatical rules and relating,

to others, So that when leaming English words, learners need to be aware of the parts of speech

of thal word in sentence in order to mderstand the word cl

ly 1.1.2.4 Vocabulary classified according (o tbe frequency of use

Itis impossible for teachers to teach students every new word they come across instead of

making them be aware of words with high frequency in ase and those with low frequency Therefore students can save more time and energy to leam words they can-use more fiequently 1.3 Visual aids

1.3.1 Definitions of visual aids

In the Dictionary of English Language and Culture, visual aids are defined as “something that people can look at to help them understand, leam, remember, ete, such as a picture, map, pholograph, or fit Visual aids are oflen used as materials in education” (1998: 1490) Andrew and Satia (1991) define visual aids as “anything learuers can szz used for different purposes ina language class

1.3.2 Types of visual aids

1.3.2.2 Real objects and presentational objects

According to Allen (1983: 4), real objects are of great value to show the meaning of a new word, especially when the obyjects are avallable in the classroom She reinforced that “in most cases, a picture of something is less helpful than the thing ilsclf” She also gives the gencral recommendation “tor showing the meaning of an English noun, use the real object whenever