Luận văn tốt nghiệp an evaluation and application of multimedia tools to learn vocabulary for second year students

Khóa luận tốt nghiệp ngành ngôn ngữ Anh đề tại ứng dụng công nghệ đa phương tiện để học từ vựng đối với sinh viên năm thứ 2. Đề tài có độ dài 60 trang. The application of multimedia tools is considered one of the effective ways to learn English vocabulary to students. So, it is necessary to get teachers and students familiarized with this relaxing but useful and effective technique. This research intends to investigate different applications of multimedia tools by students to develop vocabulary to teach English vocabulary to for the second year English major students

I guarantee that the study with title: “an evaluation and application of multimedia tools to learn vocabulary for 2 nd year English major students at Hung Yen University

of Technology and Education “is my own research I certify that no part of the above

report has been copied or reproduced by me from any person’s work and that report is originally by me under guidance of my supervisor

Signature

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to a number of people, without whose support, this graduation paper would not have been completed First and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest and deepest gratitude towards

my supervisor for his dedicatedly invaluable help and useful corrections It was he who continually reminded me about managing time despite his busy schedule at school and at home His kindly constructive guidance, suggestions and comments have made it possible for me to finish this study

Next, I am very grateful to all my teachers at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education whose support and considerations have enabled me to pursue the course

Moreover, I want to show my special attitude to the second year English major students

at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education who help me finish the survey questionnaire of this research

Last but not least, I am truly grateful to my family and friends for their continual

encouragement during the time I conducted the research

The acquisition of vocabulary has long been left to be a crucial component of learning a foreign language Therefore, techniques for teaching and learning vocabulary become the matter of concern in many studies There are a lot of different techniques for students to improve their vocabulary However, the current students’ methods often

learning vocabulary do not satisfy with their expectation Students are not interested in learning English vocabulary

The application of multimedia tools is considered one of the effective ways to learnEnglish vocabulary to students So, it is necessary to get teachers and students familiarized with this relaxing but useful and effective technique This research intends to investigate different applications of multimedia tools by students to develop vocabulary to teach English vocabulary to for the second year English major students at UTEHY More

specifically, the researcher strived to find out difficulties encountered by for second-year English major students in applying multimedia tools in learning vocabulary, the specific use of visual aids and propose some recommendations for teaching vocabulary at this University To get information for the research, the researcher has exploited survey

questionnaires with 47 English major students To attain the information back- up survey questionnaires, informal interviews with 5 among 47 students are also conducted

The result of this study indicated that all students were fully aware of the

importance of learning vocabulary However, the quality of learning vocabulary was not really good Besides, students used different techniques to lean vocabulary and they also used multimedia tools as an effective aid when learning vocabulary However, each

technique still has some limitations so this study also provides some suggestions for students to improve their vocabulary

The researcher hopes that the study would make some contributions to

improvement of learning vocabulary in the Department of Foreign Language

TABLE OF CONTENT

PageDECLARATION……… ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………ABSTRACT………TABLE OFCONTENTS

5 Instruments of the study

6 Design of the study

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1An overview of using multimedia tools

1 Definition of multimedia tools

1.1.2 Multimedia language learning and teaching

1.1.3 Multimedia tools use in vocabulary learning

1.1.3.1 Definition of vocabulary

1.1.3.2 Multimedia tools in learning vocabulary

2.2 The important of Information Technology and multimedia tools

2.2.1: The important of IT in learning vocabulary

2.2.2: The important of multimedia tools in learning vocabulary

3.3: Computer- assisted learning language

CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY, DATA ANALYSIS

2.1: The context of the study

2.1.1 An overview on context of the Department of Foreign Languages at UTEHY

2.3.3.Solutions and techniques to improve the efficiency of learning vocabulary for

second-year English major students at UTEHY

3.2.1 Internet.

3.2.2 Software

PART C: CONCLUSION

1 Summary of the study

2 The limitation of the study

3 Suggestion for further studies

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

UTEHY: Hung Yen University of Technology and EducationFL: Foreign Language

CALL: Computer- assisted learning language

IT: Information technology

LIST OF TABLES ANDCHARTS

Chart 1: Multimedia tools’ important

Chart 2: Frequency of using multimedia tools in learning vocabulary

Chart 3: Types of multimedia tools using to learn vocabulary

Chart 4: Students’ perception of the effects of using visual aids on their vocabularyChart 5: Students’ time spent on multimedia tools

Chart 6: Students’ losing concentration

Table 1: Learning vocabulary on multimedia tools

Table 2: Problems in choosing types of multimedia tools

Table 2: Problems in choosing types of multimedia tools

Table 4: Applications to learn vocabulary

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.Rationale

It is generally accepted that vocabulary is an important element during teaching andlearning a foreign language Taylor, L.2005 stated that “Vocabulary plays an important role in second language acquisition and academic achievement Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot

understand others or express their own ideas Wilkins (1972) wrote that “Without

grammar, very little can be conveyed Without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.” In Vietnam, with the changes and the developments of the economy and society, as well as the implementation of the open- door policy, English has been used more and more widely both by the young and the old and it has been the most popular foreign language English also occupied specially important status in the development of international relationship in Vietnam More importantly, English has been influenced on our education curriculum as a compulsory subject It is known that, in learning a foreign language in general, and English

in particular, the knowledge and mastery of vocabulary play an extremely important role Pyles and Algeo (1970) noted that: "When we first think about the language, we think about words It is words that we arrange together to make sentences, conversations and discourse of all kind" In fact, vocabulary is the element that links the four skills of

speaking, listening, reading and writing all together

Many efforts have been made to improve the quality of teaching and learning

vocabulary The use of multimedia tools in learning vocabulary is one of the efforts, and it

is proving to be advantageous For developing countries like Vietnam, so that applying multimedia tools to education is indeed necessary for integration

Nowadays, there are a lot of multimedia tools which are used in learning English especially vocabulary However, learners have faced many difficulties in learning

vocabulary It seems difficult for students to apply the suitable way to learn As a student atthe Foreign Language Department at Hung Yen university of Technology and Education, I and most of students have encountered difficulties in learning vocabulary Even though we have our own computer to study, the results were not as expected This is the reason why I

carry out my study with entitled” an evaluation and applications of multimedia tools to

learn vocabulary for second year English major students at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education” to find out applications of multimedia tools to learn

vocabulary efficiently for English major

2.Aims of the study

The main aims of this study is to find out applications of Multimedia tools on learning vocabulary of second year English major student at UTEHY so that some useful techniques can be given to help them improve the quality of learning vocabulary with multimedia tools

These are the specific aims:

- Investigate different applications of multimedia tools by second year English majorstudents to learn vocabulary

- Find out difficulties encountered by for second-year English major students in applying multimedia tools in learning vocabulary

- Propose some solutions and techniques to improve the efficiency of learning vocabulary for second-year English major students at UTEHY

3 Research questions

In order to achieve the aims above, the study concentrates on answering the

following research questions:

3.1 How do second-year English major students apply multimedia tool to learn vocabulary?

3.2 What are difficulties encountered by second-year English major students when applying multimedia tool to learn vocabulary?

3.3 What are some suggestions and techniques to improve the efficiency of learningvocabulary through application of multimedia tools?

4 Scope of the study

This thesis cannot cover the whole issue of using multimedia tools in learning English vocabulary due to the limitation of time, experience as well as shortages of

reference materials The study only focuses on an evaluation and application of multimediatools to learn vocabulary for 2nd year English major students, not all English majors at UTEHY

5 Instruments of the study

To collect data to support the study” an evaluation and application of multimedia tools to learn vocabulary for 2nd year English major students at UTEHY”, two instruments were used in this chapter:

Survey questionnaires: to collect the information from students, these questions are handled to 47 students in 2 classes in Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hung Yen

University of Technology and Education The data collection for survey questionnaires supplies useful information for the research

Interviews: the researcher interviews 5 students to get more information about the subjects of this study

6 Design of the study

The study consists of the following main parts:

Part A: -Introduction: gives information about the topic of this paper, background

to the study, the reason for choosing the topic, the aims of the study, the scope of the study and instruments of the study

Part B: - Development, this part is divided into 3 main chapters as follow:

Chapter 1: Literature review: presents the relevant theories related to research

topic It focuses on four main points: an overview of using multimedia tools in language learning and teaching, the important of Information Technology and multimedia tools, computer- assisted learning language and the difficulties of using and exploiting

multimedia tools in language learning and teaching

Chapter 2: Methods of the study and data analysis: mention the participant of the

study, data collection instruments and procedures of data collection, the data collected will

be analyzed to find out solutions and techniques to improve the efficiency of learning vocabulary for second-year English major students at UTEHY

Chapter 3: Findings and suggestions and techniques: summarizes results of the

research and gives some suggestions on how to use multimedia tools in learning

vocabulary

Part C: - Conclusion: summarizes the main issues of the study, proposes some

limitations of the study and suggests the further studies will be also added here

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 An overview of using multimedia tools in language learning and teaching.

1.1.1 Definition of multimedia tools

Multimedia may be defined in multiple ways, depending upon one’s perspective Typical definitions include the following:

 Multimedia is the use of multiple forms of media in a presentation.( J.E Schwartz 1999)

 Multimedia is “information in the form of graphics, audio, video, or movies A multimedia document contains a media element other than plain text (R Greenlaw,1999)

 Multimedia comprises a computer program that includes text along with at least one of the following: audio or sophisticated sound, music, video, photographs….(Maddux, 2001)

Multimedia tools are apparatus that use a combination of various content forms For example a computer is a multimedia tool because it combines audio, video and textual content It can be used as visual, audio and even textual

1.1.2 Multimedia language learning and teaching.

It is undeniable that every single development in science and technology virtually affects the ways of teaching and learning Before looking at the use of technology in Foreign Language(FL) learning today, it is necessary to take a brief review of technology

in FL classroom, which is called “educational technology” (Harmer 2001, p.134)

Learning second and foreign languages is demanding more and more specialized teaching and more sophisticated learning resources, as well as a teaching methodology adapted to the new multimedia tools that are starting to be used in language classes

Computer-based multimedia technologies introduce students and teachers in an innovative and exciting universe Our world is changing and communication skills are becoming essential to earning a living, and although it is too early to know in full the real

consequences and effects that multimedia technologies are going to have on our lives, we already know that they are essential for academic and professional development, and our ways of communicating with the world It is also early to know what effects computers are

going to have on outreaching methods, so it might be better to get into the train before it leaves without us Over quite a few decades, computer-assisted language learning has proven to be extremely useful in the language learning classroom, especially teachers, whointroduce computers in their teaching practices successfully Multimedia has been

considered as an effective media for enhancing teaching and learning process This new tool, with its various forms is now common to find in many schools, from elementary to university The new function of multimedia had led the programmer to develop new software for teaching and learning process Within learning language such as: Computer- assisted learning language (CALL), many programs for improving speaking, vocabulary, grammar and listening skills are easily found in the internet

1.1.3 Multimedia tools use in vocabulary learning.

vocabulary as “all the words which exist in a particular language or subject.” This

definition covers vocabulary’s meaning on the whole Nevertheless, it does not show vocabulary in a deep understanding More precisely, Longman Dictionary of

Contemporary English (1995) presents six meanings of the word “Vocabulary” as follow:

1 All the words that someone knows, learns or uses

2 The words that are typically used when talking about a particular subject

3 All the words in a particular language

4 The word failure/ compromises, etc is not in somebody’s vocabulary used to saythat someone never thinks of accepting failures, etc

5 A list of words with explanations of their meaning in a book for learning foreign languages

6 A list of the codes or terms used in a computer system

A clear explanation of vocabulary is cited as follows:

In his book “A course in language teaching” Penny Ur defined vocabulary roughly

as the words we teach in the foreign language which the teacher has to introduce and explain to students However, a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word: for example, post office and mother-in law, which are made up of two or three words but express a single idea There are also multi-word idioms such as call it a day, where the meaning of the phrase cannot be deduced from an analysis of the component words A useful convention is to cover all such cases by talking ‘items’ rather than ‘words” (Ur Penny, 1996, p 60) In this definition, it also suggests that vocabulary is bigger than just the meaning of words It covers a huge aspect of language and is the medium to express

ideas Pyles and Algeo (1970) said, “it is true that vocabulary is the focus of language with its sound and meaning, which interlock to allow us to communicate with one another” In

our opinion, it is logical to say that the vocabulary of a language is all its words,

compounds and idioms used to convey and receive information in oral and written

communication The teacher needs to present the vocabulary in a way that students can easily understand how to use the new words In addition to that, the learner’s individual strategies for learning and using vocabulary need to be taken into consideration

There is a large body of research that indicates a strong correlation between

vocabulary and others skills among both L1 and L2 readers (e.g Coady & Huckin, 1997; Nation, 1990) If the more knowledge of word meanings a reader has the easier it will be tounderstand the text; it follows then that ignorance of individual word meanings hinders comprehension Students often instinctively recognize the importance of vocabulary to their language learning As Schmitt(2010) noted that, “ learners carry around dictionaries and not grammar books” (p.4) Teaching vocabulary helps students understand and

communicate with others in English Voltaire purportedly said, “Language is very difficult

to put on words.” English language students generally would concur, yet learning

vocabulary also helps students master English for their purposes

1.1.3.2 Multimedia tools in learning vocabulary.

For most English learners, the frequently used way in vocabulary learning is by memorizing However, multimedia technology in English learning and teaching can help

students improve the results of memorizing words (NAN Chao, 2005) In recent years with the development of media and computer technology, educators have begun to make use of multimedia tools to improve teaching and learning including English Foreign Language teaching and learning Language teaching can be enhanced by effective of uses

of education technology Applications of multimedia in EFL teaching and learning are more and more widely Available multimedia tools include Web pages, Internet, Software, Computer, etc A lot of teaching and learning activities can be carried out with the support

of these programs

Chun (2007, p 245) notes that for vocabulary learning some addition of visuals in addition to glosses is helpful, whereas she reports that the majority of studies show no effect of annotations and visuals for overall reading comprehension In addition, CALL’s ability to provide immediate, individualized materials and feedback has been shown to be helpful in promoting long-term retention of vocabulary items practiced (Heilman et al., 2010; Zapata and Sagarra, 2007) Goodwin-Jones (2010) provides a detailed overview of the current themes that this paper addresses: individualization of learning, the context in which CALL is implemented and specific tools such as on-line glosses

Students often use all the media types that go to make up multimedia in their learning nowadays The media types include pictures, sounds, written texts and videos and each of these delivers messages in its own particular way The particular character of multimedia to language learning is its delivers’ ability to exist within the same space Moststudents seem to remember more efficiently what they have experienced rather than what they have just read Memory is also connected with images and multimedia provides opportunities to experience language in a variety of media, each of which can serve to reinforce the other

In multimedia tasks the same content is presented through texts, graphics, sounds and motions, which offer opportunities for a variety of learning styles and build multiple paths in memory As students simultaneously see and hear the same information, it is easier to recall it (Healey, 2000a) The same is true for multimedia drills, most of which are programs in game formats They encourage quick response, and their fun factor helps

to build a positive attitude towards learning vocabulary while habit formation is going on

A considerable advantage of computer-based drills over paper-based ones is the ability to offer immediate feedback to learners

2.2 The important of Information Technology and multimedia tools

2.2.1: The important of IT in learning vocabulary.

Information technology (IT) can be a wonderful and convenient resource for authentic materials for foreign language learners IT application in learning and teaching foreign language has contributed to promote proactive, positive student in the school, creating interesting period and high efficiency Information technology provides teachers

an endless choice of multimedia, software, applications and devices with which to create more exciting, interactive lessons The traditional lecture-based lesson, while effective to a point, does not stimulate every type of learner By adding a dimension to their lessons, teachers have the opportunity to engage more students and lead a more involved, energetic class

One of the advantages by using information technology in vocabulary learning is that the students can get joy and relax in learning vocabulary The others are autonomous

or independent learning done by students, various authentic materials in interesting

vocabulary software and online exercises, and technology vocabulary improvement The students enjoy their vocabulary learning by using a computer From their enjoyment, meaningful learning can be constructed Then, their memory of what they have learned can

be stored in their long-term memory chamber It is in line with Brown (2001) Based on hisstatement, long-term memory can stay long and make the students keep remembering whatthey have learnt The long-term memory can be achieved through impressing the students

by offering new experience and meaningful learning Then, the goal of vocabulary learningwill be achieved too Besides meaningful learning, the students can apply independent learning using a computer It is very significant to get their improvement They are

autonomous to improve their vocabulary outside classroom without teacher’s involvement.They can be free to explore various sources to deepen their vocabulary mastery By being independent in learning, they get knowledge beyond what they get from their teacher In addition, Nunan (1999) agrees that learning autonomy gives the students a big chance to learn broadly That means that the students do not have particular limitation to employ sources in vocabulary learning

Many authentic materials in interesting software and online vocabulary exercise areprovided today The exercises are various and shown with attracting display so that the students’ motivation can be promoted By using the programs and doing the online

exercises that provide authentic materials, the students are able to understand the use

of some terms naturally in proper situation Like Tomlinson (1998:13) says that it is important to use authentic material in learning English In relation to vocabulary learning, the students need real life situation as examples when they learn some new terms So, the students really know how to apply the words in a proper sentence and situation Using information technology lets the students meet some terms of IT usage and commands that delivered in English The terms and commands of IT that they do not get in printed

materials can be great input for student vocabulary improvement They meet many terms when using the information technology More often they meet those terms, more

vocabulary that they can obtain It means that the vocabulary storage of the students can beadded with computer terms automatically

The rapid development and wide application of multimedia technology makes greatinfluence on the teaching and learning English A brand- new teaching and learning model

is coming into being accordingly “The application of multimedia and internet technology

in foreign language teaching makes it possible to provide a great amount of information of various kinds and fields at the same time, which can help to create a more authentic language learning environment, enrich the teaching contents and integrate the training of such language skills as speaking, writing, reading, listening, translating at one time

(Zhou&Gong, 2010, 101, 102)

2.2.2: The important of multimedia tools in learning vocabulary.

It has been increasingly argued that computer technologies can support learning in

a number of ways Many features of the computer are considered to enhance vocabulary development and reading comprehension: multimedia is one of them Multimedia refers to computer-based systems that use various types of content, such as text, audio, video, graphics, animation, and interactivity

According to Liaw (1997), teachers should offer English language learners a language-rich environment in which students are constantly engaged in language activities.Children need to be able to interact with each other so that learning through

communication can occur Multimedia tools can facilitate this type of environment The multimedia can act as a tool to increase verbal exchange

Multimedia tools and games provide many fun opportunities for students to

practice vocabulary skills There are numerous software packages for improving spelling, and sight word vocabulary When English Language Learners are learning their second language, any and all language experiences are valuable to assist in vocabulary skill ability

While the computer is now used in some forms or another in most language

classrooms, and is considered standard equipment, multimedia tools is also gradually beingintroduced in the second language classrooms as teachers become more familiar with it It

is a valuable resource to both language teachers and learners The development of

computer-assisted language learning has created the need and opportunity for investigatingthe effects of multimedia on vocabulary acquisition in recent years And a great many of studies have shown that computerized media and a multimedia environment can be very helpful for leaning foreign language vocabulary In multimedia tasks the same content is presented through texts, graphics, sounds and motions, which offer opportunities for a variety of learning styles and build multiple paths in memory As students simultaneously see and hear the same information, it is easier to recall it (Healey, 2000a) The same is true for multimedia drills, most of which are programs in game formats They encourage quick response, and their fun factor helps to build a positive attitude towards learning while habitformation is going on A considerable advantage of computer-based drills over paper-basedones is the ability to offer immediate feedback to learners

3.3: Computer- assisted learning language.

Since the initial introduction of computers into the field of second/foreign language education, a large number of practitioners have concurred that this technology holds great potential for language learning (Levy, 1997; Warschauer, 1996; Warschauer & Healey, 1998) This belief leads to what is known as Computer-Assisted Language

Learning, more commonly referred to as CALL Even though the field is still young, many language educators are endorsing its use as an essential component in language teaching

Embracing the use of computers seems to be due to the fact that computers are capable of performing multiple tasks and thus are more than simply text processors The computer canorganize, select, and present multiple sensory components

Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is defined as ‘the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning Among the concerns often raised in the domain of CALL is how to use the potential of a computer to enhance the language learning process and how to use different media types in teaching and learning An area that has recently received attention is the impact of glossing

individual vocabulary via annotations embodied by different modes and media Chun & Plass were inspired by the premise that a variety of glosses for words in various modalities,such as printed text, graphics, dynamic video, and sound, might have differing capacities tofacilitate vocabulary acquisition and retention

Though CALL has developed gradually over the last 30 years, “this

development can be categorized in terms of three somewhat distinct phases which I will refer to as behavioristic CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL”(cf Barson

& Debski, in press)

3.3.1 Behavioristic CALL

The first phase of CALL, conceived in the 1950s and implemented in the1960s and1970s, was based on the then-dominant behaviorist theories of learning Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as "drill and practice" (or, more pejoratively, as "drill and kill")

“Drill and practice” courseware is based on the model of computer as tutor (Taylor, 1980)

In other words the computer serves as a vehicle for delivering instructional materials to thestudent The rationale behind drill and practice was not totally spurious, which explains in part the fact that CALL drills are still used today Briefly, according to Taylor,

behavioristic CALL:

 Repeated exposure to the same material is beneficial or even essential to learning

 A computer is ideal for carrying out repeated drills, since the machine does not get bored with presenting the same material and since it can provide immediate non-judgmental feedback

 A computer can present such material on an individualized basis, allowing students

to proceed at their own pace and freeing up class time for other activities

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, behavioristic CALL was undermined by two important factors First, behavioristic approaches to language learning had been rejected at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level Secondly, the introduction of the

microcomputer allowed a whole new range of possibilities The stage was set for a new phase of CALL

3.3.2 Communicative CALL.

The second phase of CALL was based on the communicative approach to

teaching which became prominent in the 1970s and 1980s Proponents of this approach feltthat the drill and practice programs of the previous decade did not allow enough authentic communication to be of much value

One of the main advocates of this new approach was John Underwood, who in

1984 proposed a series of "Premises for 'Communicative' CALL" (Underwood, 1984, p 52)

Several types of CALL programs were developed and used during this the phase of communicative CALL According to Taylor & Perez (1989) there were three main types ofCALL:

- Computer as tutor

- Computer as stimulus

- Computer as tool or Computer as workhorse

On the face of things communicative CALL seems like a significant advance over its predecessor But by the end of the 1980s, many educators felt that CALL was still failing to live up to its potential (Kenning &Kenning, 1990; Pusack & Otto, 1990;

Roschoff, 1993) The challenge for advocates of CALL was to develop models which could help integrate the various aspects of the language learning process Fortunately, advances in computer technology were providing the opportunities to do just that

3.3.3 Integrative CALL

Integrative approaches to CALL are based on two important technological

developments of the last decade-multimedia computers and the Internet

Multimedia technology exemplified today by the CD-ROM allows a variety of media (text, graphics, sound, animation, and video) to be accessed on a single machine Computer-mediated communication , which has existed in primitive form since the 1960s but has only became wide-spread in the last five years, is probably the single computer application to date with the greatest impact on language teaching.

It is not hard to see how computer-mediated communication and the Internet can facilitate an integrative approach to using technology The following example illustrates well how the Internet can be used to help create an environment where authentic and creative communication is integrated into all aspects of the course

Students of English for Science and Technology in La Paz Mexico do not just studygeneral examples and write homework for the teacher; instead they use the Internet to actually become scientific writers (Bowers, 1995; Bowers, in press) First, the students search the World Wide Web to find articles in their exact area of specialty and then

carefully read and study those specific articles They then write their own drafts online; theteacher critiques the drafts online and creates electronic links to his own comments and to pages of appropriate linguistic and technical explanation, so that students can find

additional background help at the click of a mouse Next, using this assistance, the studentsprepare and publish their own articles on the World Wide Web, together with reply forms

to solicit opinions from readers They advertise their Web articles on appropriate Internet sites (e.g scientific newsgroups) so that interested scientists around the world will know about their articles and will be able to read and comment on them When they receive their comments (by e-mail) they can take those into account in editing their articles for

republication on the Web or for submission to scientific journals

4.4: The difficulties of finding and using multimedia tools in learning vocabulary.

Technology and visual images become more integral to society; schools have reflected this change by incorporating multimedia technology like sound, video and

slideshows in learning and teaching vocabulary and other skills Multimedia is becoming

an accepted educational practice for instruction Whereas traditional instructional media included tools such as books, newspapers and television, multimedia is a single medium that includes many formats, including video, graphics, print, and audio Multimedia is provided in a digital format that allows students to actively interact with the material It is

able to help student interest and present many topics in a more vivid, effective way

Nonetheless, these methods also bring a number of challenges

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage to using multimedia is the necessary technology Ideally, each student should have access to a computer or device to run the interactive lesson The computing devices need to be able to handle the processing demands of the multimedia, and the school's network, if using web-based multimedia, needs to be able to handle the bandwidth demands Unfortunately, many schools struggle to keep computers

up to date and in good repair and do not have Internet capabilities that can keep up heavy multimedia demands or computer labs with enough machines to provide one for each student in a class

Another problem is the digital divide, or gaps in technology access, since not all students have easy access to the web or to computers that can run multimedia When many users access the Internet at the same time the lines will become busy, which takes users a lot of time and makes the job of accessing the Internet a frustrating experience (Singhal, 1997) Additionally, when teachers wanted to teach any lessons, they had to spend a lot of time to find information, data designing and integrating them and making the PowerPoint lesson was not easy to do quickly This is the barrier to teacher who has limited knowledge of multimedia tools

Availability is also a head-aching problem in using multimedia tools Lee (2000) mentioned the lack of high quality software and the difficulty of choosing hardware and software that are compatible to each other He emphasized that software development is time-consuming and costly, which leads to another barrier in using technology – financial barrier Providing sufficient hardware for learners and teachers may requires a lot of funding Beside, Singhal (1997) pointed out that because many teachers and students are anxious about technology due to their little experience with computers, training them in this area is necessary

Last, problem of using multimedia tools to learn vocabulary is Viruses, a program that infects computer files by duplicating itself A malicious individual writes a code and buries

it in an existing program When the program is located into the computer, the virus

attaches itself to other programs that are residing in the system When a learner inserts a disk thus inflected into a computer’s memory, the computer’s files become infected

CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY, DATA ANALYSIS

2.1: The context of the study.

2.1.1 An overview on context of the Department of Foreign Languages at UTEHY 2.1.1.1 Teachers

There are 40 teachers in the Department of Foreign languages at UTEHY Three of them are teachers of Chinese and 37 of them are teachers of English All teachers

graduated from universities and most of them have Master degree In addition, they have been strongly aware of enhancing their professional qualification with the aim at raising the teaching and learning quality They have experiences, good teaching methods as well

as enthusiasm in teaching English skills They always exchange and support in department with a common goal that is to bring their students interesting lessons and useful

knowledge

2.1.1.2 Learners

Currently, there are about 350 English major students at UTEHY and their age is from 18 to 22 Most of the students have been learning English since they were in grade 6 Thus the majority of the students have strong and clear motivation in learning English and they also aware about the importance of learning vocabulary in learning foreign languages

In general, most of students have positive attitude towards learning vocabulary

2.1.1.3 Facilities

The faculty of English at UTEHY has recently established for about 7 years Although it is a new faculty but it has the facility being well-equipped with cassette/CD players, lab-room, projectors, and screen for visual aids, suitable textbooks and referenced books At the present, the teaching and learning listening skills are taking place at the second campus at Pho Noi and the third campus at Hai Duong The faculty has many LAB rooms which serviced students’ learning need

*Campus 2 - Pho Noi

Campus 2 includes 2 classroom 405 LAB which has 32PCs

*Campus 3 – Hai Duong

Campus 3 includes 3 LAB rooms:

+Class room 303A LAB has 32 cabins

+Class room 403A LAB has 36PCs

+Class room 503A LAB has 36PCs

These classrooms with many facilities for teachers and students carry out various classroom activities This kind classroom is equipped with the following devices:

One computer for teacher From this computer, teacher can manage the class through LAN system Form this computer, the teacher can view the students' screen and contact to any of them through headphones without disturbing the others All facilities are connected to one another through LAN system The teacher can also assign one of the students to show what were on their screen for the whole class to view via Projector on a big white screen And other facilities are equipped in order to create a good environment for students study listening better such as speakers, textbooks, screen for visual aid, etc

2.1.2 Participants of the study

The participant for my study is students who are learning in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education

The subjects of the study 48 second year English major students at UTEHY 48 students study in 2 groups which include about 24 students in each group Therefore, it creates a good environment for students study better

2.2 Instruments of the study

The instruments including survey questionnaires and interviews were employed to obtain data and information for the study

2.2.1 Survey questionnaires

Questionnaires were used in this study because they are one of the most popular instruments in collecting data The purpose of using questionnaires is that the researcher wants to tap into knowledge, opinions, ideas and experiences of students The answers are usually recorded in some ways so that they become available for subsequent reflections and analysis Moreover, it is easy and simple to summarize and report collected data In addition, the questionnaires can help the researcher save time They can be given to large groups of subject at the same time and the data are more accurate

The survey questionnaires designed for students includes twelve questions The aims of these questionnaires are to investigate different applications of multimedia tools

by second year English major students to learn vocabulary and find out difficulties encountered by for second-year English major students in applying multimedia tools in learning vocabulary Twelve questions of the questionnaires were divided into three parts

The first one consists of first 6 questions The aim of this part is to find out different applications of multimedia tools to learn vocabulary The responses of second part

(question 7 to question 10) are to investigate difficulties encountered in applying

multimedia tools in learning vocabulary Students’ respondents in the last part including question 11 to question 12 will give some solutions and techniques to improve the

efficiency of learning vocabulary for second-year English major students at UTEHY For students’ survey questionnaires was delivered to 47 second year English major students at UTEHY To guarantee the reliability and the validity of the samples, the

questionnaires for students were directly distributed for students of K11 when they were in their break time in their class and collected right way Therefore, the students could pay most attention to answering the questions related to what they had just experienced In the end, there were 47 students participating in giving responses to the survey questionnaires

2.2.3 Procedures of data collection.

As being mentioned in the methods of the study, the survey data are collected for the study through a combination of questionnaires and interview Firstly, 47 questionnaireswere handed out to 47 second year English major students After that, 5 students were interviewed to attain the information back-up survey questionnaires Then a summary of the findings was done before getting to the conclusion

Chart 1: Multimedia tools’ important

The pie chart above shows students’ opinions about the important of multimedia tools When asked their opinion of multimedia tools, 40% said it is very important, 60% of the students admitted that multimedia tools is important, no one thought that multimedia tools is less important and unimportant Multimedia tools helped the students to relax and learn better Indeed applications of multimedia tools are not strange with the students

Question 2: How often do you use the multimedia tools to learn vocabulary?

Chuỗi 1 0%

As can be seen from the chart, with the highest percent in total, 62% of the studentsadmitted that they very sometimes use the multimedia tools in learning vocabulary 28% said that they often use and only 10% of them very often use multimedia tools for learning vocabulary It is not surprising that nobody said that they do not use the multimedia tools From the data collected above, we can see that a large proportion of students seem to have realized that the multimedia tools support a lots in learning vocabulary

Question 3: What kinds of multimedia tools that you use to learn vocabulary?

Chart 3: Types of multimedia tools using to learn vocabulary

The pie chart shows variety kinds of media that students can use to learn and

improve their vocabulary in learning English As the chart, 40 % of students shown that they use software to learn vocabulary Nowadays it is the best dictionary for students who learn English According students’ answers, using Internet to learn vocabulary accounted for 29% The percentage of students who use computer to learn vocabulary held the third position with 24 % The bottom position belongs to blended learning with only 7% In

short, there are many multimedia tools which help students learn vocabulary better than previous methods All of them bring many benefits for students when learning vocabulary

Question 4: Do you feel easier and more convenient when learning vocabulary with multimedia tools?

In survey question 4, the actual statistics also confirms that most of the students feel easier and more convenient when learning vocabulary with multimedia While 88% students said ‘yes’ and the rest of them said ‘no’ These indicators shown a fact that media has positive effectiveness to learn vocabulary for the second year English major students atHung Yen University of Technology and Education

Question 5: How do you learn vocabulary on multimedia tools?

y (%)

Often (%)

Sometimes

(%)

Never (%)

Checking word and meaning with

software ( Lacviet dictionary,

Oxford advanced learners

dictionary….)

Use visual aids ( YouTube) 0 18 22 60

Learning from websites ( BBC,

forvo…)

Collaborating with blended

learning ( internet with course

book)

Table 1: Learning vocabulary on multimedia tools

The table above shows the students’ methods which they apply how many times in learning vocabulary As can be seen from the table, checking word and meaning with software, 55% of them gave answer “frequently”, 28% of them chose “often” answer, 17%

of students said that they sometimes use

It is surprising that 60% of the students never use visual aids, 22 % of them said that they sometimes use, while 18% of respondents often did

The data from the table shows very clearly that most of the students learn from websites regularly 48 % of students sometimes use websites to learn vocabulary, 40 % answered “often”, and only 12 % of them chose “frequently” Learning from websites is very covenient in nowsaday, they can choose any topic or lesson to learn

The results from the table also pointed out that most of the students have

collaborated with blended learning However 55% of them sometimes learn, while 35 %

“often ”, 10 % “never”

It is easy to understand that most student used learning from websites, checking word and meaning with software to learn vocabualary because they not only relax, but alsoimprove their vocabulary, other skills thanks to them

Question 6: What effects do multimedia tools have on your vocabulary

learning?

Students can remember the words easily Students can remember the words for a long time

Students are interested in learning vocabulary Students can learn how to pronounce the words more precisely

percentage (18%) confirmed that multimedia tools could help them remember the words for a long time 12% of the students said that visual aids assisted them to pronounce the new vocabulary more precisely The smallest proportion (2%) said that they were not