The effectiveness of visual aids to vocabulary learning by 10th graders in Le Quy Don High School, Hai Phong = Tính hiệu quả của Giáo cụ trực quan đối với việc

Despite the importance of vocabulary in helping learners of English improve their language competence, the question of how to teach and learn vocabulary effectively is always raised by b

TRẦN THỊ NINH

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL AIDS TO VOCABULARY

HAI PHONG

(Tính hiệu quả của Giáo cụ trực quan đối với việc học Từ vựng của học sinh lớp 10 trường THPT Lê Quý Đôn, Hải Phòng)

m.a minor thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60 14 10

Hanoi - 2010

TRẦN THỊ NINH

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL AIDS TO VOCABULARY

HAI PHONG

(Tính hiệu quả của Giáo cụ trực quan đối với việc học Từ vựng của

học sinh lớp 10 trường THPT Lê Quý Đôn, Hải Phòng)

m.a minor thesis

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Supervisor: Nguyễn Bàng, M.A

Hanoi - 2010

Table of contents

DECLARATION……… i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……… ii

ABSTRACT……….……… iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS……….……… iv

Part a: Introduction……… 1

1 Rationale………. 1

2 Aims of the study……….…… 2

3 Significance of the study……….……… 2

4 Scope of the study……….… 2

5 Research questions……….… 2

6 Design of the study……….……… 3

Part b: development 4 Chapter I: Literature review………. 4

1.1 Vocabulary and it roles in language learning ……… 4

1.2 What students need to know ?……… …… 5

1.2.1 Form: pronunciation and spelling……… … 5

1.2.2 Meaning and use in communication……… ……… 6

1.2.3 Grammar……… ……… 7

1.2.4 Collocation……… ……… ……… 7

1.3 Visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary……… 7

1.3.1 Definitions of visual aids……… …. 8

1.3.2 Classification of visual aids in term of the different media of visual aids 8 1.3.3 Classification of visual aids in term of significant difference of function in the teaching process……….

14 14 1.3.4 The effectiveness of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary……….… 15

Chapter II: Methodology……… 18

2.1 Research questions……… 18

2.2 The participants……… 18

2.3 The methods of the study ……… 18

2.3.1 The questionnaires……… ……. 18

2.3.2 Class observation………. 18

Chapter Iii: Data analysis and discussion……… 22

3.1 Situation analysis……… … 22

3.1.1 The setting of the study……… 22

3.1.2 Learners and their background……… 22

3.1.3 Materials and facilities………. 23

3.2 Findings and discussions form survey questionnaires……… 24

3.2.1 Survey questionnaire for students……… 24

3.2.2 Survey questionnaire for teachers……… 29

3.3 Data from the class observation……… 32

Chapter IV: Pedagogical implications……… 35

Part c: conclusion……… ……… …… 38

1 Recapitultion……….… 38

2 Limitation of the study ……… ………….… 39

3 Suggestions for further study ……… 39

APPENDICES……….……… …… I

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

In a language, vocabulary plays a significant role It helps people arrange ideas, prepare speeches to communicate with others etc That vocabulary is of great importance to language is agreed by many researchers Rivers (1981: 462) emphasized : "Language is not dry bones It is living growing entity, clothed in the flesh of words” As a result, vocabulary learning is a means of mastering a foreign language In teaching and learning English, it is the basis for learning other skills Despite the importance of vocabulary in helping learners of English improve their language competence, the question of how to teach and learn vocabulary effectively is always raised by both teachers and students As beginners, the 10thgraders at Le Quy Don high school often find it challenging to learn vocabulary, and a lot of questions about how to learn vocabulary in an effective way are raised What students are wondering is always haunted in the teachers’ mind most of the time, which inspires them to find out suitable solution to vocabulary teaching and learning to satisfy their students’ needs One of the most effective way to teach vocabulary is through visual aids Using visual aids to help students learn vocabulary is not the newly - arisen one However, their effectiveness to students’ vocabulary learning worth considering by all teachers, because what students can see and touch will be perceived in their mind better than what they can hear only Learning vocabulary through visual aids brings about good results When a teacher uses visual aids, the students’ attention is more completely focused since visual aids provide one mechanism to direct and focus attention In addition, visual aids make a teacher more persuasive in teaching vocabulary then increase students’ understanding of the topic

The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” is totally true because visual aids can help establish organization for presentation In other words, one of the most effectiveness of visual aids is establishing the overall organization for the presentation; therefore, students look for order in everything they have experienced However, up to now there have not been any studies on the effectiveness of visual aids in learning vocabulary All the above reasons are the

motivation and the driving force for this study in which the use of visual aids and their effectiveness to 10th graders in Le Quy Don high school, Hai Phong will be investigated It is hoped that this study will help those wanting to improve their vocabulary teaching find feasible ways to raise students’ interest in learning vocabulary

2 Aims of the study

The aims of the study are:

- The students’ attitude toward visual aids

- To investigate the effectiveness of visual aids to vocabulary learning by 10th graders

in Le Quy don high school, Hai Phong

3 Significance of the study

It is hoped that this study will be significant for both teachers and learners of English

in terms of vocabulary teaching and learning In addition, it would become a good source reference to those who concern vocabulary Therefore, it is believed that this study will contribute to the development of English teaching and learning throughout the country

4 Scope of the study

Visual aids are really a large category which may be applied to teach all language skills such as: listening, reading, speaking and writing as well as other language components: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, etc However, since both limited time and experience the study could hardly cover all aspects It, therefore, would focus on the effectiveness of visual aids to vocabulary learning by 10th graders at Le Quy Don high school, Hai Phong

5 Research questions

The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of visual aids to vocabulary learning by 10th graders at Le Quy Don high school, Hai Phong, therefore, aimed at answering

the following questions:

1 Do you students like learning vocabulary through visual aids?

2 How effective are visual aids to students’ vocabulary learning ?

3 How much progress have students made in learning vocabulary with visual aids?

6 Design of the study

The study is divided into three parts

Part A: Introduction

This part provides a general introduction of the study with the specific reference to the rationale, the aims, the methods, the significance and the design of the study

Part B: Development

The development of the study consists of four chapters, as follows:

Chapter one- “Literature Review”: Gives a brief view on motivation, the theoretical background of English vocabulary, the overall view of some visual aids and the effectiveness

of visual aids in vocabulary lessons

Chapter two - “Methodology”: Gives an insight into the research methods to find out the answers to the research questions Also, this chapter gives a brief view on the subjects and the procedures of the study

Chapter three - “Finding and discussion”: Presents the data collected from the survey questionnaires, class observation and the discussion of these data

Chapter four - Pedagogical implications: Suggests some solutions to vocabulary teaching and learning

Part C: Conclusion

This part presents a conclusion and review of the study ending with limitation of the

study and suggestion for further research

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Vocabulary and it roles in language learning

Vocabulary in English is a large aspect Therefore, it has been paid much attention to

by many linguists However, there have been different definitions of vocabulary Each linguist gives his/her own definition of vocabulary depending on the criteria that s/he considers the most important in terms of linguistics, semantics, lexicology, etc Vocabulary is defined as words used by a particular language book Ur (1996) defined vocabulary roughly as “the words we teach in the foreign language” However, she also accepted, “a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word” Pyle and Algeo (1970: 96) also stated, “When most of us think about language we think first about words It is true that the vocabulary is the focus of language It is words that sounds and meanings interlock to allow us to communicate with one another, and it is word that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discourse of all kinds” These statements indicate that vocabulary is the total number of words

of a language and it is an essential part of language Therefore, it cannot be denied that vocabulary plays a significant role in language teaching and learning Davies and Pearse (2000: 59) stated, “In communication, vocabulary is often more important than grammar It is frustrating for intermediate learners when they discover they cannot communicate effectively because they do not know many of words they need” Supporting their points of view, Wilkins (1972: 111) emphasized that “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed Without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” From researchers’ ideas, it shows a fact that non-native speaker needs vocabulary first in order to communicate If a language was a house vocabulary would be as construction material to build up that house Thus, it is needless to say vocabulary

is important or not

In teaching and learning English, learning vocabulary is worth learners’ great attention Vocabulary has not been a subject for students to learn lately but has been taught within

lessons of reading, writing, speaking and listening It is true that vocabulary knowledge contributes to reading success in other important ways that are perhaps less obvious If a learner has a wide range of vocabulary, he/she can understand others easily; on the contrary, if his vocabulary is limited he /she will surely has difficulty in mastering English

To sum up, knowing vocabulary of a language is a minimum self-requirement for those who want to learn a foreign language

1.2 What students need to know?

According to Ur (1996) there are many aspects concerning words, which need to be taught They are form, grammar, collocation, meaning and word formation Davies and Pearse (2000: 60) also emphasized that: “the aspects of new vocabulary items that you may need to know about and learners may need to learn are similar to those of other new language items such as grammatical patterns or functional expressions Essentially, these aspects are meaning, use in communication, pronunciation and spelling, and grammar.” As mentioned above, learning a word means learning at least, its form, its meaning, and its use

1.2.1 Form: Pronunciation and spelling

Ur (1996) stated, “The learner has to know what a word sounds like (its pronunciation) and what it looks like (its spelling) These are fairly obvious characteristics, and one or the other will be perceived by learners when encountering the item for the first time In teaching,

we need to make sure that both these aspects are accurately presented and learned” It means that in learning vocabulary, “students must learn how item is pronounced, and how it is written” (Davies and Pearse, 2000: 63) Therefore, this can be particularly problematic for learners of English because there is often no clear relation between pronunciation and spelling

1.2.2 Meaning and use in communication

Another important aspect of vocabulary teaching and learning is the meaning Ur (1996) indicated that the meaning of a word is primarily what it refers to in the real world, its

denotation; this is often the sort of definition that is given in a dictionary For example, ‘dog’

denotes a kind of animal; more specifically, a common domestic carnivorous mammal; and

both “dank” and ‘moist” mean slightly wet A less obvious component of the meaning of an

item is its connotation: the associations, or positive or negative feelings it evokes This

meaning may or may not be indicated in a dictionary For instance, the word dog, as

understood by most British people, has positive connotations of friendship and loyalty; whereas the equivalent in Arabic, as understood by most of the Arab countries has negative associations of dirty and inferiority The connotative meaning of a word is varied from context

to another

A more subtle aspect of meaning that often needs to be taught is whether a particular item is the appropriate one to use in a certain context or not Thus, it is essential for learners to know that a certain word is very common, or relatively rare This means that words can suggest different things depending on context they occur in A learner who fails to understand the connotation of a word will probably fail to get the message of the text It is clear that how the meaning of one item relates to the meaning of others is important in teaching Therefore, it

is paid much attention and taught in vocabulary acquisition Such various relationships are listed as synonyms (to distinguish between the different shades of meaning that synonymous words have), antonym (items that means the opposite), hyponyms (to distinguish between the various meaning of a single word for which has several meanings which are not closely related), co - hyponyms or co – ordinates (refer to other items that are the “same kind of thing”), super- ordinates (show general concepts that “cover” specific items), and translation

In short, the words have various types of meaning It is required that the teacher has to make a careful choice of and decision on which meaning of a word to teach and how many meanings and words to teach in the given class time

1.2.3 Grammar

Ur (1996) indicated that the grammar of a new lexical item will need to be taught if this is not obviously covered by general grammatical rules An item may have an unpredicted change of form in certain grammatical contexts or may have some idiosyncratic way of connecting with other words in sentences; it is important to provide learners with this formation at the same time as the base form is taught When teaching a new verb, we might

also give its past form if this is irregular (give, gave) This can be helpful to students because

they can avoid making mistakes in using word form

1.2.4 Collocation

According to Ur (1996), the collocation typical of particular items are another factor

that makes a particular combination sound “right” or “wrong” in a given context Therefore,

this is another piece of information about new item, which it may be worth teaching When

introducing words like “decision” and “conclusion”, for example, teachers may note that you

“take” or “make” the one, but usually “come” to the other Collocations are also often noted

in dictionaries, either by providing the whole collocation under one of the head - words, or by

a note in parenthesis

In conclusion, students should be taught the form, the meaning, the grammar, and collocation of words in vocabulary lesson

1.3 Visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary

Vocabulary possesses a variety of aspects that need paying attention to and learning Thus there are a numerous techniques concerned with vocabulary teaching Up to now, using visual aids has been one of the most effective techniques in teaching vocabulary

1.3.1 Definitions of visual aids

The term “visual aids” suggests in the first instance things brought into classroom, like charts, slides, and film, some extra, possibly non – essential, which helps the teacher to do his/her job better The teacher, therefore, cannot do his/her job at all without visual help In the language teaching situation, admittedly, various definitions of visual aids have been proposed over the course of decades of research Widdowson (1975: 211) defined visual aids as

“anything which can be seen while the language is being spoken” Similarly, Sesnan (2001: 208) pointed out that: “visual aid is the name we give to something extra which you use to make your teaching more effective The word “visual” is connected with other words for

‘sight”

In conclusion, visual aids include graphs, tables, models, diagrams, photographs, and pictures etc , which help to encourage students’ interest in learning new lexical items Thus,

it is expected that teachers employ visual aids in their vocabulary teaching

When various traditional “visual aids” are discussed, they tend to be divided into such

group as wall charts, book illustration, ‘relia’ model, puppets, maps, film strip, moving film,

television Widdowson (1975: 212) stated that: “these classifications are natural and often helpful, but they relate to the different media of visual aids, not to the significant difference of function in the teaching process.” He suggested another way of classifying visual aids, which may help us to understand their function better, and hence help us to use them better and more imaginatively in the classroom He classified visual aids in term of the different media of visual aids and in term of the significant difference of function in the teaching process

1.3.2 Classification of visual aids in term of the different media of visual aids

1.3.2.1 Boards

The simplest classroom visual aid of all classrooms is the board, black or white It has great possibilities for pictorial representation, yet most teachers seldom use it except for writing lists of words or paradigms on it

According to Davies and Pearse (2000:154) the board is usually the most basic piece of classroom equipment They stated that: “a lot can be done with it if you know: for instance, writing up examples and exercises, or supporting your teaching with diagrams, tables, and drawings” Gower (1995:159) also supported their idea: “it is unusual to find classroom without a board of some kind, whether it is white, black or green.” It is clear that the boards are divided into two types: chalkboards and white boards The chalkboards are found in most classrooms They are usually black or green Wright & Haleem (1991: 5) indicated that they are “cheap to install, easy, and cheap to use and very adaptable” Thus, chalkboard is said to

be the most common and useful visual aids for teachers The teachers can make use of chalkboards It is clear that they are available, inexpensive and teachers can use them whenever they like to teach a lesson That they do not depend on other factors like electricity supply is very important thing to use them in teaching

The teachers, therefore, can use chalkboards for to serve their different purposes It is useful in presenting vocabulary, spelling, giving a model, etc However, how effective are they depends on the way they are used Many teachers usually think that boards are the places where they present the outline of the lesson plans and write examples on only In fact, they can make use of the board to exploit it to its fullest potential by drawing on the board to present new words Also, by that way they can create visuals and make their lessons much more interesting

Doff (1988) suggested using such chalkboard drawings as stick figures to teach vocabulary He gave some tips to teach vocabulary by using chalkboard drawing Doff (1988) suggested that: “Heads should be large enough to be seen from the back of the class Expression can be indicated by changing the shape of the mouth”

“The direction of speaker is facing can be indicated by changing the note ( This is useful if you want to show two people having a conversation)” (p.17)

“Sex and age can be indicated by drawing hair” ( p 17)

In conclusion, the most versatile piece of teaching equipment is the board Boards provide a motivating focal point during whole - class grouping

1.3.2.2 Pictures

Pictures are kind of visual aids which might be m o r e effectively to develop and sustain motivation in producing positive attitudes towards English teaching and learning It is said that a picture can save a thousand words Although it has been mentioned that a picture of something is less useful than the thing itself, for such things the teachers cannot bring to classes as: trees, cars, mountains, etc they can use a picture instead of the thing itself , pictures can not only bring images of reality into the unnatural world of the language

classroom, but also function as a fun element in the class Pictures meet with a wide range of use not only in acquiring vocabulary, but also in many other aspects of foreign language teaching Wright (1990: 4-6) demonstrated this fact on an example, where he used one compiled picture and illustrated the possibility of use in five very different language areas His example shows employing pictures in teaching structure, vocabulary, functions, situations and all four skills Moreover, he pointed out that “potential of pictures is so

great that only a taste of their full potential can be given” in his book According to Bowen (1982) pictures can be divided into wall pictures and wall charts; flashcards, work cards and

sequence picture

1.3.2.2.1 Wall pictures and wall charts

Bowen (1982:13) defined “A wall chart is a large diagram or picture display card Most wall charts consist of combinations of visual and verbal material Their aim is to give information on a topic A wall picture, on the other hand, is simply a large illustration of a scene or event, or a set of scenes or events Davies and Pearse (2000: 157-158) stated that:

“Wall - charts can be scenes like the national park”

, or “separate but related pictures”

Generally, wall pictures can be seen by the whole class So they are used with the whole class Besides, “wall – charts need to be clear for all learners, including those at the back of the room or out side This meant that you need to select cut – out pictures which are

large enough, and with strong outlines or contrasting tones, not all dark or light tones Any writing on the wall - chart also needs to be large enough and in strong colour or dark tone.” (Davies and Pearse, 2000:158)

1.3.2.2.2 Flash cards

Flash cards are pieces of paper in which words, sentences arc written or pictures are drawn They can be divided into two main kinds; picture flashcards, word flashcards

1.3.2.2.2.1 Word flash cards

According to Bowen (1982), word flash cards are cards on which words have been printed and they can be held up rapidly or “flashed” by the teacher before the class Wright & Haleem(1991: 59) also indicated that “ word flash cards are usually about 8cm in height and are as long as is necessary for the text” They pointed out the following characteristics of word flash cards: “Word flash cards are easy and inexpensive for the teacher to prepare The cards are easy to store and to carry into classroom They are easy for the teachers and students

to handle and to use at the appropriate moment They can be held, propped, or stuck to the board A number of cards can be displayed at the same time: by asking several students to hold them, by sticking them to the board, by clipping them to a wire, by propping them to a shelf,

by using a sentence maker” Generally, word flash cards are inexpensive, easy to make, store and carry to classes, and they can be held, propped, or stuck to any objects in the classroom Nevertheless, they will find their use in teaching vocabulary too, offering valuable help mainly in teaching the spelling of newly learnt words, which definitely should not be neglected as it often is

1.3.2.2.2.2 Picture flash cards

Wright & Haleem (1991) stated that “picture flash cards are pictures mounted on cards approximately 15 cm by 20 cm” They also point out the following characteristics of picture flash cards Like word flash cards “picture flash cards are inexpensive, easy for teachers to use

in the conduct of the lesson The cards must be small enough to handle easily but large enough for every student to see One or more cards can be displayed at any one time by teachers or

students ”.As for classroom use, picture flash cards “are more suitable for the representation

of a single concept, such as an object or an action It is best to use picture flash cards for the revision and practice of previously taught language, rather than for the presentation of new items.” (Bowen, 1982:28)

1.3.2.2.3 Work cards

Ur clarified that “work cards are made in sets, each card offering a different, fairly short task They are not written on: a student does one card, writing answers on a separate piece of paper or in a notebook, and then exchanges it for another working through as many of the set as there is time for.” Bowen (1982: 31) made it more clearly when stating “work cards can include visual as well as text Magazine pictures, drawings, maps and diagrams can be important parts of work cards at all levels, used for a variety of purposes” Finally, work cards contribute to create interests and therefore motivate students in learning vocabulary

1.3.2.2.4 Sequence pictures

Sequence pictures are a series of pictures on a single object They reveal their story or theme like a strip cartoon in a connected set of illustrations Each picture will help students to find out the meanings of the others that lead them to gain an overall scene of the story of theme That is the way of teaching reading linking together in a process To sum up, “for helping students understand the meaning of a word, we often find that a picture is useful” ( Allen, 1983: 24) It is clear that there are various types of pictures to be used for language learning, practicing and organizing They differ regarding their size, form and origin, which makes them fit for a number of activities depending on their type For several reasons, they help students remember the words better and they help the teacher to make the lesson more interesting and beneficial

1.3.2.3 Real objects

Real objects or realia are anything available without special preparation or materials that students can see in class from the simplest things such as tables, chairs, pens, books, etc to more concrete things such as modem machines, natural phenomena (hot, cold, rain, etc.) and

so on Sesnan (2001) said that: “Perhaps the most useful aids are real objects which you use

as part of role play or as part of vocabulary development” In conclusion, real objects or models of real objects are very effective and meaningful in showing meanings but in handling

of real objects, a teacher must be practical and should not be superfluous because in fact sometimes teachers cannot find out the real things to explain new words

1.3.2.4 Mine and gesture

Mine and gesture said to be the cheapest visual aids These kinds of visual aids cost you nothing but some energy to mime, make gestures or express your face However, they can bring about considerable effects when teaching vocabulary “These are often used to supplement other ways of conveying meaning When teaching an item such as ‘to swerve’, a teacher might build a situation to illustrate it, making use of the blackboard or gesture to reinforce the concept” (Gairns and Redman, 1986:73)

1.3.3 Classification of visual aids in term of significant difference of function in the teaching process: Visual materials for talking about and Visual materials for talking with

Widdowson (1975) pointed out that: “there is no hard or fast line between these two types The division is made principally in order to draw attention to the relation between ‘ thing’ and ‘ language’ in the world out side classroom, which is meant to reflect” He made it clear by giving some examples: a pair of scissors can be used for talking about and for talking with The teacher may bring them into the classroom; he may talk about them, their shape, their material, their use He can ask the students about them and get them to describe them

These are well - tried and familiar techniques and correspond to the use generally made of conventional visual aids But such language behavior is normal only in the classroom Nobody, except perhaps cutlers, describes and talks about scissors, in the world outside

In fact, although describing and talking about physical objects and pictures is a perfectly proper used of language, it is not very common in everyday social intercourse, it occurs more often in specialized academic, technical, artistic situations, and in what we might call ‘ demonstration situation’ This is what Widdowson (1975) called talking about things or

“using visual material for talking about” Widdowson (1975) also stated that: “Plenty of

examples of ‘thing’ come to mind, which can be used both for talking about and talking with:

tools, instruments, money, clothes, toys, and, of course, the familiar model shop.”He showed that “better the real thing to talk with than a picture of it to talk about.”

In conclusion, visual aids are available in many forms which are often used lot in teaching vocabulary And, it is hoped that the use of visual aids will help students much in learning vocabulary

1.3.4 The effectiveness of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary

The effectiveness of visual aids in teaching a foreign language has been appreciated by many linguists Vocabulary is an aspect of a language Thus, using visual aids in teaching

vocabulary will certainly bring both the teachers and students a lot of benefit as well

First of all, visual aids are beneficial as it is proved that what students see will be percepted in the mind better than what they hear It is indicated what students see has a great influence on their learning process It is clear that the more senses that are used, the learning takes place The following famous Chinese saying points this out:

“If I hear it, I forget it If I see it, I remember it If I know it, I know it”

Moreover, students usually feel more comfortable and less stressed when they are taught vocabulary through visuals Many students think that learning vocabulary is very boring They find it hard to remember all the words taught by the teacher, especially when the

teachers only explain the words verbally The same situation will not happen when the teachers use visual aids to teach vocabulary Visuals will help to make the atmosphere in the classroom more enjoyable and then learning vocabulary will become more interesting and fascinating in the eyes of the students They not only hear the teacher, but also involve in the lesson They become much more active They are, therefore, motivated to learn vocabulary

Furthermore, Doff (1988) indicated that “Having something to look at keeps the students’ attention, and makes the class more interesting” It means that visual aids help emphasize a point, which is another benefit to using them They can help break information down to manageable pieces for students to focus attention on meaning and make the language used in class more real and alive

In conclusion, visual aids can help the teachers save time, energy and add interest More important, they improve students understanding of vocabulary and they allow for different learning styles It can be said that using visual aids is a good solution for those who want to motivate their students in learning vocabulary Thus teachers cannot ignore the visual aids in teaching, but join it, involve in it and make use of it for the sake of our English teaching

In this chapter, some theoretical background knowledge and views on vocabulary, the role of vocabulary, what need to be taught when teaching vocabulary and visual aids as well as the benefits of using visual aids to motivate students to learn vocabulary have been introduced

to the extent that best suits the scale of the research However, at my school there have not been any studies done on this subject That is the reason why I decided to carry out an investigation into the effectiveness of visual aids in learning vocabulary by 10th graders It is hoped that through this study some kinds of changes will be made to help students learn vocabulary better The presentation and discussion of the data collected from the questionnaires and class observation served to answer the research questions will be given in the next chapters

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology to achieve of the aims and objectives

of the study

2.1 Research questions

The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of visual aids to vocabulary learning by 10th graders at Le Quy Don high school, HaiPhong; therefore, aimed at answering the following questions:

1 Do you students like learning vocabulary through visual aids?

2 How effective are visual aids to students’ vocabulary learning?

3 How much progress have students made in learning vocabulary with visual aids?

2.2 The participants

The participants of the survey questionnaires are divided into two groups: The first group consists of 12 teachers of English at Le Quy Don high school who have been teaching English for at least 6 years The second group includes one hundred and fifty students in three classes of 10th graders

2.3 The methods of the study

To obtain the data for the study, two methods were employed: survey questionnaire and class observations

2.3 1 The questionnaire

2.3.1.1 Objectives

To gain the data for the research, two questionnaires were administered to the response One was designed for the teachers and the other for the students This method is chosen because it is easy to conduct and effective for the study

2.3.1.2 The survey questionnaire for the students

The questionnaire for students consists of 7 questions It was delivered to a hundred and fifty students It aims at investigating the students’ difficulties in learning English

vocabulary; the students’ attitude towards visual aids; the effectiveness of visual aids to students’ vocabulary learning, the challenges faced by the students in learning vocabulary through visual aids; and the students’ expectation towards visual aids

2.3.1.3 The survey questionnaire for the teachers

The questionnaire for the teachers comprises 5 questions It was given to twelve teachers of English The first aims at investigating their attitudes toward the usefulness of visual aids in teaching vocabulary (questions 1, 3).Question 2 investigate the teachers’ attitude towards the role of visual aids in teaching and learning vocabulary Questions 4 aims at finding out the challenges faced by the teachers when they use visual aids in teaching vocabulary The last question is an open-ended one that focuses on the suggestions made by the teachers for a better exploitation of visual aids in motivating students to learn vocabulary

2.3.2 Class observation

2.3.2.1 Why observe?

“When we teach, we are often so absorbed in the purpose, procedure and logistics of our lesson that we are not able to observe processes of learning and interaction as they occur through the lesson Being an observer in the classroom, rather than the teacher, releases us from these concerns and affords us the freedom to look at the lesson from a range of different perfectives outside that of the actual lesson plan of the teacher”.(Wajnryn,1992:7) With an attempt to check the questionnaire results in the real life, class observation was carried out to find out the types of visual aids used in the lesson, how visual aids are used and what are the students’ attitudes and reactions toward learning vocabulary through visual aids

2.3.2 2 The tasks of observation

Classroom observation needs to be both well organized and focused because watching carefully - planned and complex lessons can be overwhelming Both the reviewer and reviewee have to discuss the purpose of the observation in terms of, for example, what is being observed, the problems presented by the class and what the main objectives of the lesson are

In other words , there needs to be a focus for the observation In terms of performance management, this may be part of a whole-school focus, a subject focus or an element of concern expressed by the reviewee being observed

Thus, to gain a better understanding of the researcher’s own teaching and to find out better results for the study, class observation was employed in three classes The method of structured observation chosen in this research carried out the following tasks:

- Observing the learners

- Observing the language

- Observing the learning

- Observing the lesson

- Observing the teaching skills a and strategies

- Observing classroom management

- Observing materials and recourses

This chapter mentions the research methodology which is divided into three sections The first to be mentioned is the research questions to be answered in the research The second

is the participants chosen to take part in answering the questions raised by the writer In the third section, the writer raises the methods of the study The following chapter will present data analysis and discussion of the findings