Luận văn the effectiveness of guessing the meanings of unknown words from context by non english 10th graders at nguyen trai gifted high school hai duong

Significance of the study Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary.. Significa

ABSTRACT Guessing the meanings of unknown words from context has been considered to

be an cfeetive skill in vocabulary acquisition and language skills development, In order

to study the effectiveness of the guesswork, this research investigated the guessing ability of fifty-nine non-Fnglish 10” graders at Nguyen Trai Gifted Tligh School, Tai Duong, through two tests A pre-test was given to students to identify their guessing ability before training, After the training period, which lasted three weeks, the students were required to do a post-test lo find oul [heir improverneut in the guessing ability In addition, the author surveyed ten English teachers at Neuyen Trai Gifted High School to get their opinions on teaching and training the guessing strategy The results indicated that the ability to guess is useful for students to deal with reading texts containing new words, Finally, the findings were discussed, and some suggestions and implications for applying the guessing skill in language teaching and learning were also proposed at the end of the thesis

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EEL: English as a Foreign Language

LLY: English Language ‘Teaching

LIST OF CITARTS AND TABLES Chart 1: The pre-test results

Chart 2: Teachers’ ways af dealing wilh new words

Chart 3: The frequency of using the guessing skill

Chart 4: The problems relating to using the guessing skill

Chart S: Teachers’ solutions to the problems

Chart 6: The post-test resulls

Table 1: The students’ ability to use the guessing techniques

‘Table 2: The effectiveness of the guessing techniques

Scope of the study

Significance of the study

Methods of the study

Design of the study

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.2 Three main stages of the action research

2.2.1, Pre — Improvement stage

Step 1: Tdeulifying the problem

10

12

PART TWO: DEVELDPME

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts concerning the strategy of guessing the mearings of unknown words (rom context, In addition, different is

this strategy will also be presented

As Nation and Coarly (1988:102) pul it, “context is also referred 10 as morphological, syntactic and discourse information in a given test, which can be classified and described in terms of general features” Gough (1984, as cited in Dycus, 1997) provides a similar but clearer view of context that at a basic level, context can be sccn as information and in tum, information reduces uncertainty in reading, context can be defined as information that 1eđuess uncerlainly about the elements of a text, their memings, and Ihe meaning ofa texl as a whole

Nevertheless, of the many theoretical descriptions of the elements and nature of context, Bialystok (1983, as cited in Dycus, 1997) offers a broad sense of context Shz proposes thal context cxists in relation and proportion to the readcr’s implicit knowlcdge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other

languages and world knowledge), and contex! (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues to meaning) From this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge

Bialystok’s point of view is supported by Dycus (1997) that traditionally context and meaning were seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text, and the key 1o using il was linguistic knowledge This view is claimed by cognitive Iheorists Lo place too much emphasis on linear, bottom-up processing Today, different definitions of context include language knowledge and emphasize the role played by high-level knowledge sources and personal experiences 11 is useful 10 note the commonly uscd general distinotion

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

PART TWO: DEVELDPME

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts concerning the strategy of guessing the mearings of unknown words (rom context, In addition, different is

this strategy will also be presented

As Nation and Coarly (1988:102) pul it, “context is also referred 10 as morphological, syntactic and discourse information in a given test, which can be classified and described in terms of general features” Gough (1984, as cited in Dycus, 1997) provides a similar but clearer view of context that at a basic level, context can be sccn as information and in tum, information reduces uncertainty in reading, context can be defined as information that 1eđuess uncerlainly about the elements of a text, their memings, and Ihe meaning ofa texl as a whole

Nevertheless, of the many theoretical descriptions of the elements and nature of context, Bialystok (1983, as cited in Dycus, 1997) offers a broad sense of context Shz proposes thal context cxists in relation and proportion to the readcr’s implicit knowlcdge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other

languages and world knowledge), and contex! (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues to meaning) From this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge

Bialystok’s point of view is supported by Dycus (1997) that traditionally context and meaning were seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text, and the key 1o using il was linguistic knowledge This view is claimed by cognitive Iheorists Lo place too much emphasis on linear, bottom-up processing Today, different definitions of context include language knowledge and emphasize the role played by high-level knowledge sources and personal experiences 11 is useful 10 note the commonly uscd general distinotion

PART TWO: DEVELDPME

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts concerning the strategy of guessing the mearings of unknown words (rom context, In addition, different is

this strategy will also be presented

As Nation and Coarly (1988:102) pul it, “context is also referred 10 as morphological, syntactic and discourse information in a given test, which can be classified and described in terms of general features” Gough (1984, as cited in Dycus, 1997) provides a similar but clearer view of context that at a basic level, context can be sccn as information and in tum, information reduces uncertainty in reading, context can be defined as information that 1eđuess uncerlainly about the elements of a text, their memings, and Ihe meaning ofa texl as a whole

Nevertheless, of the many theoretical descriptions of the elements and nature of context, Bialystok (1983, as cited in Dycus, 1997) offers a broad sense of context Shz proposes thal context cxists in relation and proportion to the readcr’s implicit knowlcdge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other

languages and world knowledge), and contex! (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues to meaning) From this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge

Bialystok’s point of view is supported by Dycus (1997) that traditionally context and meaning were seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text, and the key 1o using il was linguistic knowledge This view is claimed by cognitive Iheorists Lo place too much emphasis on linear, bottom-up processing Today, different definitions of context include language knowledge and emphasize the role played by high-level knowledge sources and personal experiences 11 is useful 10 note the commonly uscd general distinotion

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

References,

Appendix A: Text for the pre-test

Appendix B: Questionnaire for teachers

Appendix C; Training lesson 1

Appendix D: Training lessen 2

Appendix Ti: Training lasson 3

Appendix G: Questionnaire for students

ow VIL

xX

XI

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

6 Methods of the study

With reference to its characteristics, this thesis can be categorized as an action research, Both qualitative and quantitative methods wonld be employed to carry out the study The following melhods were applied to collect data for this study:

Two tests were used to evaluate the students’ guessing ability before and after the training period

A survey questionnaire was § fically designed for the teachers of Fnglish to find out

The slurly consists of three main parls: Introduction, Developinent and Conclusion

Part 1: Introduction presents the rationale, the aims of the study, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, the methodology and the design of the study

Part 2: Development consists of Chapter one “Literature Review”, Chapter two

“Methodology” and Chapier thrss “Findings and Discussion”

Chapter one, ‘Literature Review”, aims at presenting the theoretical background for the thesis The most important notions related to guessing the meanings of unknown words from context are introduced

Chapter two, namely “Methodology”, describes the study and the methodology underlying the research ‘This chapter provides the background information of the instruments used to collect the dala, the procedure of daia collcetion and Ihe procedurs of data analysis

Chapter three, “Findings and Discussions”, presents findings and discussions on the study and some suggestions for teaching and using the guessing skill

Part 3: Conclusion restates the main points đi

drawn from the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for further study

xssod in [he study, sore conclusions

References,

Appendix A: Text for the pre-test

Appendix B: Questionnaire for teachers

Appendix C; Training lesson 1

Appendix D: Training lessen 2

Appendix Ti: Training lasson 3

Appendix G: Questionnaire for students

ow VIL

xX

XI

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

6 Methods of the study

With reference to its characteristics, this thesis can be categorized as an action research, Both qualitative and quantitative methods wonld be employed to carry out the study The following melhods were applied to collect data for this study:

Two tests were used to evaluate the students’ guessing ability before and after the training period

A survey questionnaire was § fically designed for the teachers of Fnglish to find out

The slurly consists of three main parls: Introduction, Developinent and Conclusion

Part 1: Introduction presents the rationale, the aims of the study, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, the methodology and the design of the study

Part 2: Development consists of Chapter one “Literature Review”, Chapter two

“Methodology” and Chapier thrss “Findings and Discussion”

Chapter one, ‘Literature Review”, aims at presenting the theoretical background for the thesis The most important notions related to guessing the meanings of unknown words from context are introduced

Chapter two, namely “Methodology”, describes the study and the methodology underlying the research ‘This chapter provides the background information of the instruments used to collect the dala, the procedure of daia collcetion and Ihe procedurs of data analysis

Chapter three, “Findings and Discussions”, presents findings and discussions on the study and some suggestions for teaching and using the guessing skill

Part 3: Conclusion restates the main points đi

drawn from the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for further study

xssod in [he study, sore conclusions

vì

2.2.1.1 Giving a pre Lest -o eval.eLs øLadenLg” gue

2.2.1.2, Conducting an informal interview about the way the students guessed .18

2.2.1.4, Reading professional books’ joumals for idcas and suegestions 19

Stzp 4: Trying out stratogios and making notes on what lappened in the class a 2.2.3, Post Improvemehfslage chinh reeeercce.22

2.2.3.1 Giving a post-test to evaluate the students’ improvernent 22

2.2.3.2, Designing a questionnaire for students to identify the techniques that they have

2.3.3, Conducting an informal interview to identify the changes 23 2.3, Data analysis procedure 2.0 cesses eeriiesesseneseetssesrenteitneenen 23

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1 The results of the instruments before the training period 24

3.1.3 The resnlts of the questionnaire for the beachers c 2Ó 3.2 ‘The results of the instruments affer the training period 29

3.2.2 The results oŸinterviews "— BL

Chapter sununary

PART THREE: CONCLUSION

vì

2.2.1.1 Giving a pre Lest -o eval.eLs øLadenLg” gue

2.2.1.2, Conducting an informal interview about the way the students guessed .18

2.2.1.4, Reading professional books’ joumals for idcas and suegestions 19

Stzp 4: Trying out stratogios and making notes on what lappened in the class a 2.2.3, Post Improvemehfslage chinh reeeercce.22

2.2.3.1 Giving a post-test to evaluate the students’ improvernent 22

2.2.3.2, Designing a questionnaire for students to identify the techniques that they have

2.3.3, Conducting an informal interview to identify the changes 23 2.3, Data analysis procedure 2.0 cesses eeriiesesseneseetssesrenteitneenen 23

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1 The results of the instruments before the training period 24

3.1.3 The resnlts of the questionnaire for the beachers c 2Ó 3.2 ‘The results of the instruments affer the training period 29

3.2.2 The results oŸinterviews "— BL

Chapter sununary

PART THREE: CONCLUSION

PART TWO: DEVELDPME

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, the author will clarify several concepts concerning the strategy of guessing the mearings of unknown words (rom context, In addition, different is

this strategy will also be presented

As Nation and Coarly (1988:102) pul it, “context is also referred 10 as morphological, syntactic and discourse information in a given test, which can be classified and described in terms of general features” Gough (1984, as cited in Dycus, 1997) provides a similar but clearer view of context that at a basic level, context can be sccn as information and in tum, information reduces uncertainty in reading, context can be defined as information that 1eđuess uncerlainly about the elements of a text, their memings, and Ihe meaning ofa texl as a whole

Nevertheless, of the many theoretical descriptions of the elements and nature of context, Bialystok (1983, as cited in Dycus, 1997) offers a broad sense of context Shz proposes thal context cxists in relation and proportion to the readcr’s implicit knowlcdge (intuitive and unanalyzed knowledge of the second language), other knowledge (knowledge of other

languages and world knowledge), and contex! (linguistic and physical aspects of a text which provide clues to meaning) From this view, context is clearly not an absolute presence in a text but is created by the reader, and is therefore influenced by the reader’s linguistic and world knowledge

Bialystok’s point of view is supported by Dycus (1997) that traditionally context and meaning were seen as a given, existing fully and completely in any properly written text, and the key 1o using il was linguistic knowledge This view is claimed by cognitive Iheorists Lo place too much emphasis on linear, bottom-up processing Today, different definitions of context include language knowledge and emphasize the role played by high-level knowledge sources and personal experiences 11 is useful 10 note the commonly uscd general distinotion

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

6 Methods of the study

With reference to its characteristics, this thesis can be categorized as an action research, Both qualitative and quantitative methods wonld be employed to carry out the study The following melhods were applied to collect data for this study:

Two tests were used to evaluate the students’ guessing ability before and after the training period

A survey questionnaire was § fically designed for the teachers of Fnglish to find out

The slurly consists of three main parls: Introduction, Developinent and Conclusion

Part 1: Introduction presents the rationale, the aims of the study, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, the methodology and the design of the study

Part 2: Development consists of Chapter one “Literature Review”, Chapter two

“Methodology” and Chapier thrss “Findings and Discussion”

Chapter one, ‘Literature Review”, aims at presenting the theoretical background for the thesis The most important notions related to guessing the meanings of unknown words from context are introduced

Chapter two, namely “Methodology”, describes the study and the methodology underlying the research ‘This chapter provides the background information of the instruments used to collect the dala, the procedure of daia collcetion and Ihe procedurs of data analysis

Chapter three, “Findings and Discussions”, presents findings and discussions on the study and some suggestions for teaching and using the guessing skill

Part 3: Conclusion restates the main points đi

drawn from the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for further study

xssod in [he study, sore conclusions

6 Methods of the study

With reference to its characteristics, this thesis can be categorized as an action research, Both qualitative and quantitative methods wonld be employed to carry out the study The following melhods were applied to collect data for this study:

Two tests were used to evaluate the students’ guessing ability before and after the training period

A survey questionnaire was § fically designed for the teachers of Fnglish to find out

The slurly consists of three main parls: Introduction, Developinent and Conclusion

Part 1: Introduction presents the rationale, the aims of the study, the research questions, the scope of the study, the significance of the study, the methodology and the design of the study

Part 2: Development consists of Chapter one “Literature Review”, Chapter two

“Methodology” and Chapier thrss “Findings and Discussion”

Chapter one, ‘Literature Review”, aims at presenting the theoretical background for the thesis The most important notions related to guessing the meanings of unknown words from context are introduced

Chapter two, namely “Methodology”, describes the study and the methodology underlying the research ‘This chapter provides the background information of the instruments used to collect the dala, the procedure of daia collcetion and Ihe procedurs of data analysis

Chapter three, “Findings and Discussions”, presents findings and discussions on the study and some suggestions for teaching and using the guessing skill

Part 3: Conclusion restates the main points đi

drawn from the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for further study

xssod in [he study, sore conclusions

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

vì

2.2.1.1 Giving a pre Lest -o eval.eLs øLadenLg” gue

2.2.1.2, Conducting an informal interview about the way the students guessed .18

2.2.1.4, Reading professional books’ joumals for idcas and suegestions 19

Stzp 4: Trying out stratogios and making notes on what lappened in the class a 2.2.3, Post Improvemehfslage chinh reeeercce.22

2.2.3.1 Giving a post-test to evaluate the students’ improvernent 22

2.2.3.2, Designing a questionnaire for students to identify the techniques that they have

2.3.3, Conducting an informal interview to identify the changes 23 2.3, Data analysis procedure 2.0 cesses eeriiesesseneseetssesrenteitneenen 23

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

3.1 The results of the instruments before the training period 24

3.1.3 The resnlts of the questionnaire for the beachers c 2Ó 3.2 ‘The results of the instruments affer the training period 29

3.2.2 The results oŸinterviews "— BL

Chapter sununary

PART THREE: CONCLUSION

References,

Appendix A: Text for the pre-test

Appendix B: Questionnaire for teachers

Appendix C; Training lesson 1

Appendix D: Training lessen 2

Appendix Ti: Training lasson 3

Appendix G: Questionnaire for students

ow VIL

xX

XI

Đelween two types øf eontext, ic local contex! end global context, Loval context is provided

by intrasentential information while global context is given by intersentential to discourse

level information and world knowledge

In short, context includss both linguistie and non-linguistic aspects, Therefore, in ardor lo derive the meaning of a word dtom context, leamers need to utilize not only the information presented in the text but also their general knowledge of the topic discussed in the text

1.2 Guessing the meanings of unknown words fram context as 4 technique of vocahulary

teaching and earning

Learning words via guessing ftom context is the most important of all sources of vocabulary Icazning, This is particular truc for native speakers learning their first language It should also be true for second language learners Nagy(1997:76) argues that although second- language learners are less effective than native speakers at using context, they may have a greater need ta use vontext, The reason is thal they encounler unfamiliar wards quite more often than first language readers and are more expected to encounter unfamiliar meanings of words Obviously, second language learners are able and have more opportunities to tearm words fiom context

It is claimed by Nation (2001:240) that context plays an important part in

comprehending the meming af a word At the simplest level, the unknown word may represent a familiar concept, and so a new label tor that familiar concept is being leamed If the concept is an unfamiliar one, then both the concept and the label need to be learned There

is plenty of experimental evidence to show learners” difficulty with new concept Although the word form and its meaning are among the most important things to know about a word, there are many other kinds of information that can be learned from context that are important in the roceplive and productive use of the word Thes

include the part of spoceh of the word, ils collocations, the things it can refer to and the various forms the word can take These different kinds of information are all closely related to each other and come together to enrich a learner’s knowledge of a word For example, the range of collocaltions that a word has helps specify its meaning; the grammatical patterns a word ean take may affcct its grammatical

functions, its meaning and its range of collocations A very important value of context in

learning vocabulary is thal a variely of conlexts will evoke a variely of enriching instantiations

Gilled Tligh Schoot és that when sludents see an unknown word, hey will ham to bilingual dictionwries or ask their leacher for ils moaning ‘This results in studenls’ over-relianae on the bilingual dictionaries and their teachers while the reading speed may be slowed down, More seriously, they may easily forget the meaning of the unknown word as they have no difficulty gctting its meaning In fact, the comprehension of words involves a scrics of skills or activitics, one of which is guessing the meaning of unknown words from context, ‘This reading strategy has a long history of research with the greal majorily of studies demonstrating its value, TL has oiten been suggested that learning vocabulary through context should be employed as the main approach to enhancing vocabulary knowledge A number of researchers such as Clarke and Nation (1980) and Gains and Redan (1986) have claimed thal to learn words in context and not in isolation is an effective vocabulary lcaming strategy Therefore, cnabling students

to derive word meanings with the help of contextual clues bas become a teacher's main task in order Lo increase students’ vocatnitary Despile the fact that guessing the meanings of unknown words trom context has proved to be an invaluable strategy in the leaming of English vocabulary, it has not been formally and carefully introduced into nglish classes in

"

2 Aims of the study

The study was carried out to:

(1) Find out how effective guessing the meaning of unknown words from context was (2) Suggest some reslistie and appropriats pedagogical implications lo improve students’ ability in guessing the meaning of unknown words from contexts

(J) Ilow effective is guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context?

(2) In what conditions arc students more successfull in guessing the meanings of unknown words ftom context?

(3) What factors limit the effectiveness of guessing unknown words ftom context?

4 Scape of the stu

The main purpose of the study is to find out how much students can do with the guesswork and to help them improve the skill of gnessing the meanings of unknown words

ulis of the study are nol appticd for all sludenls at the school

5 Significance of the study

Guessing the meanings of unknown words fiom context has been approved by many researchers as an effective strategy in improving leamers’ vocabulary However, there has been little practical attempt in applying this strategy to classrooms duc to the ignorance of both teachers as well as learners of its advantages Hor that reason, it is hoped that this study will provide both tharotical and practical foundation for the teachers and Icurners lo make use

of this strategy while teaching and leaming the reading skill, Furthermore, this is a pood chance for the teachers and leamers at Nguyen ‘Trai Gifted [ligh School to assess the