Khảo sát về chiến lược học từ vựng tiếng anh của sinh viên không chuyên ngữ tại một trường đại học

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ************************* NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY NGÂN A SURVEY ON ENGLIS

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

*************************

NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY NGÂN

A SURVEY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES

OF NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS AT A UNIVERISTY

(KHẢO SÁT VỀ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH

CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN NGỮ TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

HANOI - 2017

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

*************************

NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY NGÂN

A SURVEY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES

OF NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS AT A UNIVERISTY

(KHẢO SÁT VỀ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH

CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN NGỮ TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Lê Văn Canh

HANOI - 2017

DECLARATION

I, Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngan, hereby declare that the thesis entitled “A survey on English VLS of non-English majored students at a university” reports the result of the study conducted by myself The thesis is submitted to College of Foreign Languages-Vietnam National University for Degree of Master in TESOL I also state that the substance of the thesis has not, wholly or in part, been submitted for any degree to any other universities or substitutions

Hanoi,2017

Nguy n Th Thu Ng n

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my sincere thankfulness to my supervisor, Le Van Canh, Ph.D for his persistent consideration, enthusiastic encouragement and invaluable supervision throughout my process of writing this thesis

Secondly, I would like to thank all lecturers and the staff of Faculty of Post Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their useful lectures, materials, guidance and enthusiasm during my course

Thirdly, I am also indebt of the students at Hong Duc University who were willing to give me valuable information for the survey questionnaire and face-to-face interview My thanks also go to my colleagues who gave me the most favorable condition to pursue this MA course

Last but not least, I would like to show my deepest gratitude to my family and friends who are always supporting me with their sympathy and encouragement

ABSTRACT

The important roles of learning strategies and vocabulary learning are the main reasons which prompt the researcher to conduct this study on English vocabulary learning strategies of non-English majored students at Hong Duc University The aim of this research is to study the English VLSs employed by non-English majors, the frequencies of the use of strategies and learners‟ perception of the helpfulness of those strategies

The participants of this study was 140 non-English majors at Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam Questionnaires and face-to-face semi-interviews were the two tools for data collection in this study The results from data analysis revealed that students applied all of the 58 VLSs in the questionnaires in their vocabulary learning at different levels of frequency of use of these strategies Moreover, a comparison shows a correlation between the most frequently used strategies and the most helpful ones

Based on the findings, the researcher has given some suggestions with the hope of improving the English vocabulary teaching and learning at Hong Duc University The implications include raising the awareness of VLSs of both teachers and students, teaching students how to use VLSs, and designing vocabulary exercises and activities for students to practise VLSs in class

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EFL: English as a first language

L1: First language, native language

L2: Second language

LLSs: Language learning strategies

VLS: Vocabulary learning strategy

VLSs: Vocabulary learning strategies

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

Chart 1: The use of 6 strategy categories by non-English majors

Table 1: Characteristics of language learning strategies by Wenden and Rubin (1987) Table 2: Characteristics of language learning strategies by Oxford (1990)

Table 3: Direct language learning strategies

Table 4: Indirect learning strategies

Table 5: What is involved in knowing a word

Table 6: A Taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies

Table 7: Reference to mean score based on Oxford‟s (1990) SILL Profile of results version 7

Table 8: Vocabulary learning strategy use reported by Hong Duc University English majors

non-Table 9: Frequency of students‟ overall vocabulary learning strategy use

Table 10: Ranking of mean scores for 6 strategy categories

Table 11: Top frequently used vocabulary learning strategies

Table 12: The least frequently used learning strategies

Table 13: The most helpful VLSs as perceived by non-English majors at HDU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2 Significance of the Study 2

3 Research Aims and Objectives 3

4 Research Questions 3

5 Methods of the Study 3

6 Scope of the Study 3

7 Design of the Study 4

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 5

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) 5

1.1.1 Definitions and Characteristics of Language Learning Strategies 5

1.1.2 Classifications of Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) 7

1.2 Vocabulary Learning 10

1.2.1 Definitions of Word and Vocabulary 10

1.2.2 Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge 12

1.2.3 Importance of Vocabulary Learning 13

1.3 Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) 15

1.3.1 Definitions of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) 15

1.3.2 Classifications of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) 16

1.4 Schmitt‟s Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies 18

1.5 Studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies 22

1.6 Summary 24

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26

2.1 Setting of the Study 26

2.2 The Participants of the Study 26

2.3 Data Collection Instruments 27

2.3.1 Questionnaire: (Appendix 1) 27

2.3.2 Interviews: (Appendix 3) 28

2.4 Data collection procedure 29

2.5 Data analysis procedure 30

2.6 Summary 30

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 31

3.1 Finding from quantitative data 31

3.1.1 Vocabulary learning strategy use reported by Hong Duc University non-English majors (Research question 1) 32

3.1.2 Frequency of students‟ vocabulary learning strategy use 36

3.1.3 The most helpful VLSs as perceived by students (Research question 2) 41 3.1.4 A comparison between the most frequently used strategies and the most helpful ones (Research question 2) 43

3.2 Finding from Qualitative Data 43

3.2.1 VLSs to discover the meaning of a new English word in class and outside class: 43

3.2.2 Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered 45

3.3 Summary 47

CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 48

4.1 Implications and suggestions 48

4.2 Summary 52

PART 3: CONCLUSION 52

1 Summary of the study 52

2 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies 54 REFERENCES 54 APPENDIX 1: I APPENDIX 2: VI APPENDIX 3: XI APPENDIX 4: XII APPENDIX 5: XIII

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

In the context of economic globalization, there has been an increasing demand for the high-quality labour workforce in Vietnam Among various qualities that good labourers should have, English proficiency is regarded as a key factor for successful integration The importance of English is undeniable as it is the world's most popular language which is used as mother tongue, second language and foreign language in many countries all over the world Almost every sections, such

as education, tourism or cross-border business communication are conducted in English Therefore, good English proficiency is an advantage of a labourer in the labour market and it may contribute to the economic development of a country The Vietnamese government has initiated a lot of projects and policies to improve the quality of teaching and learning English at schools For instance, in recent years, the National Foreign Language 2020 (NFL 2020) has been carried out nationwide with the primary aim to “renovate the teaching and learning of foreign languages within the national education system” (Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 2008; as cited in Nguyen Ngoc Hung, 2013, p.62) A great amount of time, money and effort have been invested to retrain English teachers and innovate curriculum, testing and assessments, teaching methods and teaching technologies These efforts all aim at raising teacher‟s quality and learners‟ English proficiency However, besides the significant role of policy makers, educational authority and English teachers, it is students‟ active involvement in their learning that is the most important factor to improve their English proficiency

Good learning strategy may have great contribution to the learners‟ success

in language learning Chamot, Barnhardt, El-Dinary and Robbins (1999) stated:

“differences between more effective learners and less effective learners were found

in the number and range of strategies used, in how the strategies were applied to the task, and in whether they were appropriate for the task” (As cited in Shiho Chiya,

2003, p.14) It can be inferred that with appropriate learning strategies, students can learn faster and more effective

In addition, in developing the students‟ knowledge about English, it cannot

be separated from vocabulary mastery It is obvious that vocabulary is an important part of linguistic knowledge Zimmerman (1997, p.5) indicates: “Vocabulary is central to language and of crucial importance to the typical language learner”

Fromkin et al (2003) also states: “Knowing a language means knowing the words of that language” The more words we know, the better we can convey our thoughts Consequently, vocabulary acquisition has always been a fundamental and important activity in English learning and teaching The aforementioned important roles of learning strategies and vocabulary learning are the main reasons which prompt the researcher to conduct this study to get an insight into this matter

Besides, the ideas for this study also come from the researcher‟s own experience as an English teacher for non-English majors at Hong Duc University After five years teaching English, I can recognize the deficiency in non-English majored students‟ vocabulary knowledge, which in turn has bad influence on their English learning process and achievement This research, therefore, sets its objectives to investigate the Vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) used by Hong Duc University non-English majors as well as their perception of the helpfulness of those learning strategies Based on this background knowledge, the researcher also aims at giving some implications to vocabulary English teaching and learning at Hong Duc University

2 Significance of the Study

First and foremost, this thesis provides readers with a good theoretical background knowledge in terms of VLSs In the literature section, the writer has given definitions, characteristics, classifications of the terms related to the research subject In addition, the thesis also reviews a lot of previous studies which gives readers an overview of the research issue

Secondly, by studying VLS used by non-English majored students, this thesis provides English teachers at Hong Duc University with better background about their students‟ vocabulary learning Teachers can find out the ways their students learn English vocabulary and which strategies they consider as the most useful Based on this background comprehension, English teachers at Hong Duc University can create a more effective plan and adopt more suitable methods to teach their students

Thirdly, the study also makes some suggestions for developing English curriculum for non-English majored students at Hong Duc University Based on the findings of this thesis, curriculum makers for English subjects at Hong Duc University can consider spending a certain amount of time for teaching learning strategies in general and VLS in particular when developing the curriculum

Last but not least, this study introduces students with a lot of vocabulary learning strategies Students can adopt these strategies to learn English vocabulary more effectively and in turn improve their English in general

3 Research Aims and Objectives

The aim of this research is to study the English VLSs employed by English majors, the frequencies of the strategies used and learners‟ perception of the helpfulness of those strategies Based on the research results on the aforementioned issues, the study draws out implications to teaching and learning English at Hong Duc University

To achieve the above aims, the present study attempts to gain the following objectives:

− To explore the frequency of VLS use of non- English majors at Hong Duc University

− To investigate learners‟ perception of the helpfulness of those learning strategies

− To give implications to English teaching and learning at Hong Duc University

4 Research Questions

The present study try to answer two research questions as follows:

1 What VLSs do non-English majors at Hong Duc University often use?

2 What are the most helpful VLSs as perceived by Hong Duc University English majors? Are there any correlation between the most frequently used strategies and the most helpful ones?

non-5 Methods of the Study

This study is a survey research Questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were the two tools for data collection in this study Data collected from questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively via Excel software for mean scores Descriptive statistics were also counted for percentage and ranks Data from interviews were qualitatively analyzed to complement the information gained by means of the questionnaires

semi-6 Scope of the Study

This thesis focuses on a small investigation on VLS of non-English majors at Hong Duc University, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam The questionnaires were delivered to

140 non-English majored students All of the students are speaking English as their

foreign language After that, 10 students were selected randomly for interviews

semi-7 Design of the Study

The study is divided into three parts

Part 1: Introduction is concerned with the rationale for the research In addition, it

presents the significance of the study, the aims and objectives, research questions, the scope, the methods and the design of the study

Part 2: Development consists of three chapters

Chapter 1: Literature review provides an overview of theoretical background

relating to the research topic Besides, this chapter reviews related studies about VLS conducted by some famous scholars in the research fields

Chapter 2: Research Methodology deals with the setting of the study, the

subjects, data collection instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis procedure

Chapter 3: Findings and Discussions presents the findings of the research based

on results of the quantitative and qualitative data analysis

Chapter 4: Implications presents some vocabulary pedagogical implications for teachers of English and English curriculum developers at Hong Duc University Part 3: Conclusion consists of the summary and limitations of the study and

provides some suggestions for further studies

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Language Learning Strategies (LLSs)

1.1.1 Definitions and Characteristics of Language Learning Strategies

The term “language learning strategies” (LLSs) has been defined by different researchers and experts in the second and foreign language field

According to O‟Malley and Chamot (1990, p.1), LLSs are “special thoughts

or behaviors that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn or retain new information” Richards & Platt (1992) share the same idea and give more detailed

on the “intentional” characteristic of LLSs when defining them as “intentional behavior and thoughts that learners make use of during learning in order to better help them understand, learn or remember new information” (as cited in Murat Hismanoglu, 2000) In these two definitions, language learning strategies can be

“observable/ behavioral” (behaviors) or “non-observable/ mental” (thoughts) (Wenden & Rubin, 1987, pp.7-8) Cohen (1990, p.4) states that LLSs are “processes which are consciously selected by learners which may result in actions taken to enhance the learning or use of a second or foreign language through the storage, retention, recall, and application of information about that language” According to this definition, LLSs are considered as “processes” more than only strategies In addition, Cohen (1990) insists that LLSs are conscious, rather than unconscious processes, and they must be chosen by learners themselves

According to the aforementioned definitions, the primary goals of LLSs are

to attain comprehension, memorization and application of new information about a language Tarone‟s (1983), however, held a different viewpoint on the goals of LLSs In his definition, LLSs have two main goals that are to “develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language” and “incorporate these into one‟s interlanguage competence” (i.e the type of language produced by non-native speakers in the process of learning a second language or foreign language) (p.67) In other words, LLSs must aim at developing various competencies in the language

Oxford seemed to give the most detailed and comprehensive definition of all She defines LLSs as “specific actions, behaviours, steps, or techniques that students (often intentionally) use to improve their progress in developing L2 skills These strategies can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval, or use of the new language Strategies are tools for the self-directed involvement necessary for

developing communicative ability” (1992/1993, p.18) In Oxford‟s definition, LLSs play the role as a facilitator of acquisition, memorization, recall and application of new language Besides, achieving learner autonomy and communicative competence is also the ultimate goal of LLSs according to Oxford

Besides defining the concept, some researchers also try to clarify their viewpoints by listing essential characteristics of LLSs Still, there are different opinions towards this issue Table 1 below shows six characteristics of LLSs proposed by Wenden and Rubin (1987, pp.7-8)

Table 1: Characteristics of language learning strategies (Adapted from Wenden and Rubin, 1987, pp.7-8)

Characteristics of language learning strategies

1 They are specific actions or techniques

2 They can be observable/behavioural or non-observable/ mental

3 They are problem-oriented

4 They can contribute directly or indirectly to learning

5 They may be consciously employed and became automatized

6 They are changeable

Oxford (1990) offers an expansion for Wenden and Rubin‟s list by stating twelve key features of LLSs as shown in table 2 below:

Table 2: Characteristics of language learning strategies (Oxford, 1990, as cited in Chien Kuo Lee, 2010, p.137)

Characteristics of language learning strategies

1 Contribute the main goal, communicative competence

2 Language learning strategies allow learners to become more self-directed

3 Expand the role of language teachers

4 Are problem-oriented

5 Are specific actions taken by the learner

6 Involve many aspects of the learner, not just the cognitive

7 Support learning both directly and indirectly

8 Are not always observable

9 Are often conscious

10 Can be taught

11 Are flexible

12 Are influenced by a variety of factors

It can be clearly seen from these two tables that Oxford agrees with all six key features offered by Wenden and Rubin However, she also adds more features with regards to learners‟ autonomy, the expansion of teacher‟s role, the involvement

of other aspects of the learner besides the cognitive, the influence of other factors on the use of LLSs and their main goal of achieving communicative competence

In general, researchers have different ways to define LLSs However, they almost all agree that LLSs involve goals or purposes, despite the inconsistency between researchers with regard to this issue In addition to a wide variety of definitions, researchers also offer lists of key features as well as different ways to classify LLSs In the next section, different taxonomies of LLSs will be discussed in detail

1.1.2 Classifications of Language Learning Strategies (LLSs)

As Oxford emphasizes in her book: “There is no complete agreement on exactly what strategies are; how many strategies exist; whether it is - or ever will be

- possible to create a real, scientifically validated hierarchy of strategies” (1990, p.17), scholars offer different taxonomies of LLSs It is due to the fact that researchers propose strategies which are appropriate for their own research contexts This section is concerned with reviewing some classifications of famous scholars in the field of LLSs as follows:

In the taxonomy proposed by O‟Malley (1985), learning strategies are divided into 3 groups: metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies and socioaffective strategies (as cited in Carol Griffiths, 2004) Metacognitive strategies involve planning, thinking about the learning process, monitoring and evaluating learning Cognitive strategies include strategies which are limited to specific learning tasks

such as rehearsal, organization, inferencing, summarizing, deducing, imaginary, transfer and elaboration Socioaffective strategies refer to social-mediating activity and interacting with others

According to Wenden‟s (1991, p.18) taxonomy, language learning strategies are classified into two main categories, namely, cognitive strategies, i.e mental steps or operations learners use to process both linguistic and sociolinguistic content (p.19); and self-management strategies, so-called “metacognitive strategies” (p.25), which learners use to oversee and manage their own learning (p.19)

Oxford (1990) developed a more detailed taxonomy of language learning strategies with two broad classes: direct strategies and indirect strategies Direct strategies are the ones that directly involve the processes of memorizing, storing and contain three sub-categories, namely, memory, cognitive and compensation strategies According to Oxford, memory strategies assist students in storing and retrieving new information; cognitive strategies “enable learners to understand and produce new language by many different means”; and compensation strategies

“allow learners to use the language despite their often large gaps in knowledge” (Oxford 1990, p.37) Indirect strategies are further divided into metacognitive, affective, and social strategies Metacognitive strategies are those which allow learners to coordinate the learning process; affective strategies are concerned with controlling learners‟ emotions; and social strategies “help students learn through interaction with others” (Oxford 1990, p.135) Totally, these six sub-groups include

19 sets of strategies with a further 62 specific strategies A summary of Oxford‟s classification of LLSs is presented in tables 3 and 4 as follows:

Table 3 Direct language learning strategies ( Adapted from Oxford, 1990, pp.18-19)

Memory strategies Cognitive strategies Compensation strategies

1 Using linguistic cues

2 Using other cues

Overcoming limitations in

3 Placing new words

1 Getting the idea quickly

2 Using recourses for receiving

and sending messages

Analyzing and reasoning:

1 Reasoning deductively

2 Analyzing expressions

3 Analyzing contrastively (across languages)

4 Translating

5 Transferring

Creating structure for

input and output:

1 Taking notes

2 Summarizing

3 Highlighting

speaking and writing:

1 Switching to the mother tongue

2 Getting help

3 Using mime or gesture

4 Avoiding communication partially or totally

5 Selecting the topic 6.Adjusting or

approximating the message

7 Coining words

8 Using a circumlocution or synonym

Table 4 Indirect learning strategies ( Adapted from Oxford, 1990, pp.20-21)

Metacognitive strategies Affective strategies Social strategies

Centering your learning:

1 Overviewing and linking

Lowering your anxiety:

1 Using relaxation, deep

Asking questions:

1 Asking for

with already known

2 Taking risks wisely

4 Discussing your feelings with someone else

clarification or verification

2 Asking for correction

Cooperating with others:

1 Cooperating with peers

2 Cooperating with proficient users of the new language

Emphasizing with others:

1 Developing cultural understanding

2 Becoming aware of others‟ thoughts and feelings

1.2 Vocabulary Learning

1.2.1 Definitions of Word and Vocabulary

In this section, the researcher will define two terms “word” and

“vocabulary” as the foundation for better understanding of the term “vocabulary learning”

Concerning the definition of a word, Bloomfield defines a word by contrasting

it with the morpheme or minimal meaningful unit According to him, a form which may occur alone is free and the one which cannot occur alone is bound For example,

wife, long are free morpheme; –ing, -er are bound morpheme Bloomfield states:

“Word is a minimum free form” (as cited in Thomas Meier 2012, p.32) This means that word is “the smallest unit that we can use alone to form an utterance, and it must consist at least one free morpheme” (as cited in Bernard O'Dwyer 2006, p.45) However, if we accept this definition, there are words that cannot stand alone as

utterances: for example, the, a, of, etc To avoid ambiguity, Bernard O'Dwyer (2006,

p.45) gives a more detailed definition in which word is “a free standing form consisting of one or more morphemes of which one is a lexical base”

Like Bloomfield, Richards et al (2010) also define the term word as “the smallest of the linguistic units which can occur on its own in speech or writing” (as cited in Karin C Ryding 2014, p.41) Howard Jackson (2000, p.60) defines word as

“an uninterruptible unit of structure consisting of one or more morphemes and which typically occurs in the structure of phrases.” According to him, word is

an uninterruptible unit because when elements are added to a word to modify its meaning, they are never included within that word and are added either at the beginning as prefixes of the word or at the end as suffixes

Regarding the definition of vocabulary, Nandy (1994, p.1) defines vocabulary as “total number of words we know and are able to use” Likewise, Nation (1990, p.20) states that vocabulary is "all the words known and used by a particular person” Hornby et al (1984) view vocabulary as “the total number of words which make up a language; and a range of words known to, or used by a person” Schmitt (2011) refers vocabulary to “all the words in a language, the entire vocabulary of a language” (p.571) Richards et al (1992) define vocabulary as “a set of lexemes which includes single words, compound words and idioms” (p.400)

Based on the aforementioned definitions, we can see a clear distinction between the notion of word and vocabulary Word is the smallest linguistic unit that has meaning and can stand alone in an utterance Word is a part of vocabulary In other words, vocabulary is comprised of a collection of words Vocabulary consists

of not only single words, but also complex and compound words and idioms Vocabulary learning is not just about words; it involves other aspects of vocabulary

and strategies how to learn and teach it effectively, which will be discussed in the next sections

1.2.2 Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge

This section is concerned with analyzing various aspects of knowing a word discussed by scholars

According to Nation (2001), three kinds of vocabulary knowledge involved

in knowing a word are form, meaning, and use He states that the form of a word is comprised of spoken form (i.e pronunciation a word), written form (i.e spelling of

a word) and word parts that it is made up of (root and affixes) Knowing meaning of

a word involves knowing what the word means, the concept behind it and its associations with other words Regarding the use aspect, learners must be able to recognize the grammatical functions of a word, its typical collocations and other constraints on use such as register and frequency

Nation (2001) also makes a clear distinction between two kinds of vocabulary: the receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary (so-called passive and active vocabulary) He states: “Receptive vocabulary use involves perceptive the form of a word while listening or reading and retrieving its meaning Productive vocabulary use involves wanting to express a meaning through speaking or writing and retrieving and producing the appropriate spoken or written word form” (p.25) According to him, the terms receptive and productive “cover all the aspects of what

is involved in knowing a word” (p.26)

The different aspects of knowing a word are summarized in the following table:

Table 5: What is involved in knowing a word (Adapted from Nation, 2001, p.27)

Note: R = receptive knowledge, P = productive knowledge

Form Spoken R What does the word sound like?

P How is the word pronounced?

Written P What does the word look like?

R How is the word written and spelled?

Word parts P What parts are recognizable in this word?

R What word parts are needed to express the meaning?

Meaning Form P What meaning does this word form signal?

and meaning R What word form can be used to express this meaning?

Concepts P What is included in this concept?

and referents R What items can the concept refer to?

Associations P What other words does this make people think of?

R What other words could people use instead of this one

Use Grammatical P In what patterns does the word occur?

functions R In what patterns must people use this word?

Collocations P What words or types of words occur with this one?

R What words or types of words must people use with this one?

Constraints P Where, when, how often people expect to meet this word?

on use R Where, when, and how often can people use this word? (register, frequency )

Similarly, Ur (1996, pp.60-62) believes that knowing a word involves knowing its: word form (pronunciation and spelling); aspects of meaning (denotation, connotation, appropriateness, and meaning relationships); grammar; collocation; and word formation

To sum up, there are different aspects of knowing a word, namely a part of word form, meaning, and use Therefore, learning vocabulary means learning the form; meaning; and use of the new words

1.2.3 Importance of Vocabulary Learning

It is widely approved by many scholars that vocabulary plays a crucial role in communication and language learning Recognizing the importance of vocabulary, Zimmerman (1997, p.5) indicates: “Vocabulary is central to language and of crucial

importance to the typical language learner.” Fromkin et al (2003) also state:

“Knowing a language means knowing the words of that language”

First, vocabulary provides a useful and important aid for communication and expression in the target language Regarding the role of vocabulary in communication, Schmitt (2000) affirms: “lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language” (p.55) Learners think and express their ideas via words; and without a sufficient vocabulary, they may have difficulties in expressing their thoughts and feelings Communication may break down when speakers do not use the right words (Allen

1983, p.5) In contrast, a rich vocabulary may give them a great advantage in communication as they may feel more confident when interacting with other people and make them easily understood by the interlocutors Regarding this issue, Nandy (1994, p.1) emphasizes: “The more words one is able to use correctly, the better one will be able to express oneself easily and with self-confidence and to understand the world one lives in” In other words, the more words we know, the better we can convey our thoughts and communicate with other people

Moreover, vocabulary also plays a vital role in building language proficiency Paul Nation (1994, p34) notes: “Vocabulary is not an end in itself A rich vocabulary makes the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing easier

to perform.” Vocabulary is essential to language comprehension For instance, to

comprehend a text, learners need to know most of the words in that text Nation (2001) indicates that to understand a text, readers need to know at least 97% of the

vocabulary in it Without adequate vocabulary knowledge, a reader will fail to

understand the main content and intended message of a text Even when he wants to guess the meaning of a word based on the context, he needs to know the keywords

in that text Likewise, in writing and speaking skills, a rich vocabulary is the key for

the formation of complete spoken and written texts

In comparison with grammar, vocabulary is regarded as much more important by many scholars Regarding this issue, Flower (2000, p.5) emphasizes:

“Words are the most important things students must learn Grammar is important, but vocabulary is much more important” Similarly, Wilkins (1972, p.111) writes:

“While without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” This can be confirmed by our own experience For instance, if

we say something with the right words but wrong structures, the listeners are more

likely to make out our intended message than if we use the wrong words In other words, without using the appropriate words, exchanging and understanding thoughts and ideas in communication are rather impossible To emphasize the importance of words beyond grammar, Celce-Murcia and Rosenweig (1989, p.242) assert “ a good amount of vocabulary – with a minimum of structure – often makes for better reading comprehension and more efficient survival communication than near-perfect structure with an impoverished vocabulary of 100 words or less”

To summarize, it can be concluded that vocabulary is the central of language learning It is accepted by scholars to be key to communication and language comprehension As a result, vocabulary learning should be put at the central position and teachers need to explore more effective ways to promote it

1.3 Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs)

1.3.1 Definitions of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs)

There are many definitions of VLSs given by different scholars in the linguistic field

To generally define VLSs, Nation (2001, p.217) states that VLSs are a subclass of language learning strategies He claims that it is not easy to define what

a strategy is, but “a strategy would need to: 1 involve choice, that is, there are several strategies to choose from, 2 be complex, that is, there are several steps to learn, 3 require knowledge and benefit from training, 4 increase the efficiency of vocabulary learning and vocabulary use” (Nation 2001, p.217)

Cameron (2001) defines VLSs as “actions that learners take to help themselves understand and remember vocabulary.” (Cameron 2001, p.92; as cited in Fooziyeh Rasouli & Khadijeh Jafari 2016)

Intaraprasert (2004) proposes a more detailed definition of VLSs He suggests that VLSs are “any set of techniques or learning behaviours, which language learners reported using in order to (a) discover the meaning of a new word, (b) to retain the knowledge of newly-learned words, (c) and to expand their knowledge of vocabulary” (Intaraprasert 2004, p.53; as cited in Ramin Rahimy & Kiana Shams, 2012)

Similarly, Catalan (2003, p.56) defines VLSs as “knowledge about the mechanisms (processes, strategies) used in order to learn vocabulary as well as steps

or actions taken by students (a) to find out the meaning of unknown words, (b) to retain them in long-term memory, (c) to recall them at will, and (d) to use them in

oral or written mode” (Catalan 2003, p.56; as cited in Ramin Rahimy & Kiana Shams, 2012)

In general, the term “vocabulary learning strategies” is defined differently by scholars However, all definitions mentioned above all share the same goals to help learners learn and use vocabulary easier and more effectively They are the actions and techniques which learners use to help them discover the meaning of a new word, remember it, retrieve it when necessary and increase their vocabulary knowledge Besides a variety of definitions offered by famous scholars, there are many ways to classify VLSs In the next section, different taxonomies of VLSs will

be discussed in details

1.3.2 Classifications of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs)

Scholars have different ways to classify VLSs These taxonomies make a significant contribution to the vocabulary strategies acquisition This section focuses on giving a brief discussion of the VLS taxonomies proposed by different scholars, namely, Cohen (1990), Gu and Johnson 1996), Hedge (2000), Nation (2001), and Schmitt (1997)

Cohen (1990, pp.21-37) develops a taxonomy including three main categories, namely, strategies for remembering words, semantic strategies, vocabulary learning and practising strategies Each category is further divided into different sets of strategies Strategies for remembering words involve: Using rote-repetition by repeating the word and its meaning until it seems to have stuck, and using mnemonic associations The semantic strategies involve: Thinking of synonyms so as to build a network of interlinking concepts, clustering words by topic group or type of word, and linking the word to the sentence in which it was found or to another sentence The vocabulary learning and practising strategies consist of: Word and structure analysis (analyse the word according to its roots, affixes, and inflections as a way to understand its meaning), the learning of cognates (words in two languages which are from the same source), using a dictionary, the use of flash cards, grouping, and cumulative vocabulary study

Gu and Johnson (1996) also develop a classification of VLSs which consists

of 108 items based on those reported using by advanced Chinese learners in one of their research English VLSs in the taxonomy proposed by Gu and Johnson (1996, p.51) are grouped into eight categories as follows: Beliefs about vocabulary learning, metacognitive regulation, guessing strategies, dictionary strategies, note-

taking strategies, memory strategies (rehearsal), memory strategies (encoding) and activation strategies

Hedge (2000, pp.117-118) identifies two main categories of VLSs, including cognitive and metacognitive strategies Cognitive strategies involve six sub-sets of strategies: Making associations, learning words in groups, exploring range of meaning, using key words, reading on for evidence in the context of the text, and inference strategy Metacognitive strategies are divided into five sub-classes: Consciously collecting words from authentic contexts, making word cards, categorising words into lists, reactivating vocabulary in internal dialogue, and making a word-network of vocabulary associated with a particular item

Nation (2001) offers a taxonomy which is said to “separate aspects of vocabulary knowledge (what is involved in knowing a word) from sources of vocabulary knowledge, and learning processes” (Nation 2001, p.218) Nation‟s taxonomy comprises of three main categories: Planning vocabulary learning, sources (finding information about words), and processes (establishing vocabulary knowledge) (2001, pp.218-222) The planning vocabulary learning category involves deciding on where, how and how often to focus the attention to the item It

is divided into four sub-categories: Choosing words, choosing the aspects of word knowledge, choosing strategies, and planning repetition The sources category includes four sub-categories: Analysing word parts, using context, consulting a reference source, and using parallels with other languages The processes category involves ways of remembering vocabulary and making it available for use This category consists of three sub-categories: noticing, retrieving, and generating From the three main categories of vocabulary strategies presented above, we can see the complexity of strategies in Nation‟s taxonomy

Schmitt (1997, pp.207-208) develops a taxonomy of VLSs based on the taxonomy of overall language learning strategies proposed by Oxford (1990, pp.17-21) His taxonomy consists of two major classes: 1) Strategies used to discover the meaning of a new word when we first meet it, and 2) Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered The former involves Determination strategies (DET) and Social strategies (SOC) The latter class includes Social strategies (SOC), Memory strategies (MEM), Cognitive strategies (COG), and Metacognitive strategies (MET)

To sum up, scholars offer different classifications of VLSs In this thesis, Schmitt‟s taxonomy is used as the main theoretical background to the study Therefore, in the next section, Schmitt‟s taxonomy will be discussed in details

1.4 Schmitt’s Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

This section is concerned with analyzing the system of VLSs organized by Schmitt (1997) To briefly describe his classification, Schmitt (1997, pp.206-207) affirms in his research that it is organized according to both the Oxford (1990) system and the Discovery/Consolidation distinction suggested by Cook and Mayer (1983) In other words, this taxonomy takes advantage of Oxford‟s categories including Social strategies (SOC), Memory strategies (MEM), Cognitive strategies (COG), and Metacognitive strategies (MET) However, his classification differs from Oxford‟s in terms of the presence of a new category – Determination Strategies (DET)

As mentioned in the previous section, Schmitt‟s taxonomy includes two major classes, namely, strategies for the discovery of a new word‟s meaning and strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered Each class is divided into different sets of strategies Totally, his present taxonomy contains 58 strategies

● Strategies for the discovery of a new word’s meaning

These strategies are used to discover initial information about a new word when learners encounter it for the first time This class includes Determination

strategies and Social strategies

Determination strategies (DET): These strategies help learners discover the

meaning of a new word by using four options: guessing from their structural knowledge of the language, guessing from an L1 cognate, guessing from context, using reference materials

Social strategies (SOC): Learners can also discover the meaning of a new word by

asking someone who knows Learners can ask their teacher or classmates for L1 translation, paraphrase, synonym, a model sentence containing that word; or they can discover the meaning through group work activity

● Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered

Once learners have gained initial information about a new word, they need to use some strategies to remember it These strategies are called Consolidation

strategies which contain Social SOC), Memory (MEM), Cognitive (COG) and

Metacognitive strategies (MET)

Social strategies (SOC): Besides their use in the discovery of the meaning of a new word, social strategies can also be employed to learn or practice vocabulary

Learners can work in a group or interact with native-speakers This group also involves teacher‟s checking students‟ flash cards word lists for accuracy

Memory strategies (MEM): The strategies (traditionally known as mnemonics) are

used to retain the word, using some form of imagery, or grouping A new word “can

be integrated into many kinds of existing knowledge (i.e previous experiences or known words) or images can be custom-made for retrieval (i.e images of the word‟s form or meaning attributes)” (Schmitt, 1997, p.211)

Cognitive strategies (COG): The strategies “are similar to memory strategies, but

are not focused so specifically on manipulative mental processing” (Schmitt, 1997, p.219) Cognitive strategies contain repetition and using mechanical means to study vocabulary Learners can write or say a word again and again to remember it They can also review words by using word lists and flashcards Besides, using study aids can also help learners to remember and practice a word They can take notes in class, make use of special vocabulary sections in their textbooks, study by listening, record a tape of word lists or label their physical objects in L2

Metacognitive strategies (MET): These strategies are used by students “to control

and evaluate their learning, by having an overview of the learning process in general” (Schmitt, 1997, p.220) In the other words, metacognitive is related to planning and self-evaluation to reflect on the learning processes

The classification of VLSs given by Schmitt (1997) is presented in the

following table:

Table 6: A Taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies

(Source: Schmitt 1997, pp.207-208)

Strategies for discovering the meaning of a new word

DET Analyze part of speech

DET Analyze affixes and roots

DET Check for L1 cognate

DET Analyze any available pictures or gestures

DET Guess from textual context

DET Bilingual dictionary

DET Monolingual dictionaries

DET Word lists

DET Flash cards

SOC Ask teacher for L1 translation

SOC Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of new word

SOC Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word

SOC Ask classmates for meaning

SOC Discover new meaning through group work activity

Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered

SOC Study and practice meaning in a group

SOC Teacher checks students‟ flash cards word lists for accuracy SOC Interact with native-speakers

MEM Study word with a pictorial representation of its meaning MEM Image word‟s meaning

MEM Connect word to a personal experience

MEM Associate the word with its coordinates

MEM Connect the word to its synonyms and antonyms

MEM Use semantic maps

MEM Use „scales‟ for gradable adjectives

MEM Peg Method

MEM Loci Method

MEM Group words together to study them

MEM Group words together spatially on a page

MEM Use new word in sentences

MEM Group words together within a storyline

MEM Study the spelling of a word

MEM Study the sound of a word

MEM Say new word aloud when studying

MEM Image word form

MEM Underline initial letter of the word

MEM Configuration

MEM Use Key word Method

MEM Affixes and roots

MEM Part of speech

MEM Paraphrase the word‟s meaning

MEM Use cognates in study

MEM Learn the words of idiom together

MEM Use physical action when learning a word

MEM Use semantic feature grids

COG Verbal repetition

COG Written repetition

COG Word lists

COG Flash cards

COG Take notes in class

COG Use the vocabulary section in your textbook

COG Listen to tape of word lists

COG Put English labels on physical objects

COG Keep a vocabulary note book

MET Use English-language media (songs, movies, newscast, etc.) MET Testing oneself with word tests

MET Use spaced word practice

MET Skip or pass new word

MET Continue to study over time

1.5 Studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies

A large number of studies about VLSs in different EFL contexts have been conducted by researchers This section will review some noted studies carried out

by famous scholars in this field, namely, Schmitt (1997), Gu and Johnson (1996), Catalán (2003) and Fan (2003)

The study conducted by Schmitt (1997) is among the most intensive research concerning this issue In his study, Schmitt developed his own taxonomy of VLS discussed in the previous section This 58-item questionnaire was then used in a survey in Japan, in which all participants spoke Japanese as an L1 and were taking EFL classes The surveys were given to 600 learners of four groups of different ages: junior-high school students, high school students, university students, and adult learners The survey aimed at answering three research questions concerning what strategies learners used most often, what strategies they found most helpful, and whether usage and perceptions of helpfulness change as learners mature The results for the most frequently used strategies were: using a bilingual dictionary (85%), verbal repetition (76%), written repetition (76%), studying the spelling of a word (74%), guessing from textual context (74%), and saying the word aloud when studying (69%) These six strategies coincided with the most helpful strategies as perceived by learners, which include: bilingual dictionary, written repetition, verbal repetition, saying a new word aloud, study a word‟s spelling and take note in class The findings for the third research question revealed that the patterns of strategy use can change over time as learners matured For instance, the use of written repetition, the emphasis on spelling and form decrease as Japanese learners mature Likewise, the use of paired associate words (L2 – L1) on lists and cards also decreases over time In contrast, the kind of “deeper processing” (imaging, association, analysis) becomes more important as learners mature In general, in his study, Schmitt tried

to analyze the vocabulary learning strategy use from the learner‟s perceptions In addition, we can reach a conclusion that age is one important factor affecting strategies choice

Another study was carried out by Gu and Johnson in 1996 in China In their research, they applied a 108-item questionnaire, which was divided into three sections: vocabulary learning beliefs, metacognitive strategies, and cognitive strategies The participants were 850 Beijing University second-year students who had learned English for about six years The information from the questionnaires was then correlated with the learners‟ results of the College English Test (to measure general English proficiency) and a vocabulary size test Participants were divided into five groups according to their level of language proficiency assessed by their test scores The researchers aimed at finding the ways groups of learners combined different strategies They also concerned about whether students‟ vocabulary size and general language proficiency affected learners‟ strategy choices The results showed that the group of participants who had the highest English test scores (0.9%) believed in natural acquisition (i.e vocabulary should be learnt through reading, guessing, contextual encoding) and careful study, but they didn‟t appreciate learning through memorization The second best group of students (9.9%) also considered natural acquisition, careful study, and use of new words as the most helpful strategies However, they had positive attitudes towards words memorization The group who had the lowest English scores (1.9%) used only a very limited set of strategies, namely, memorization and visual repetition Through this study, we can see that students‟ vocabulary size and general language proficiency can greatly affect learners‟ choices of strategy

Catalán‟s study (2003) showed the differences between the two sexes in using vocabulary learning strategy She administered the questionnaire to 450 Spanish students who were learning English as L2 Her main goal was to find out if there were any differences in the use of vocabulary strategies by males and females The results revealed that females used strategies more frequently and with wider range of strategies than males when learning vocabulary In addition, the strategies used more by females included formal rule strategies, input elicitation strategies, rehearsal strategies and planning strategies; whereas male learners showed greater use of image vocabulary strategies In short, the study conducted by Catalán (2003) revealed the gender differences in the use of vocabulary learning strategies

Like Schmitt (1997), Fan (2003) conducted a study in China with the goals

to investigate what vocabulary strategies students used, how often they used them and which ones were perceived as useful in studying vocabulary In addition, Fan

(2003) also aimed at finding out if there were certain strategies that were preferred

by the most proficient learners of English (Fan, 2003, p.222) A 60-item questionnaire was delivered to 1067 Chinese EFL university students The 60 items were groups into categories, namely, management, sources, guessing, dictionary, repetition, association, grouping, analysis and known words The results revealed that the most frequently used and useful strategies were: revision of words, paying particular attention to new words when reading, increasing vocabulary by reading (media texts), guessing meaning from context when reading, using dictionary while reading, using dictionary to find grammatical information and analyzing words by sound segments in order to remember them later (Fan, 2003, p.228) The ones that were used least often and perceived least useful were: the keyword technique, studying wordlists and linking words from Chinese to English based on similar sounds (Fan, 2003, p.229) The findings also showed the differences in the use of VLS between more proficient learners and less proficient learners The more proficient group used more management, sources, guessing, dictionary, known words and analysis strategies They also used dictionary more efficiently than the less proficient students (Fan 2003, p.231) The low-achievers relied more on mechanical repetition strategies and association (Fan 2003, p.232)

To sum up, there is a large number of studies that investigated VLSs of L2 learners These studies have provided readers with better insights about the use of VLSs in different EFL contexts all over the world

1.6 Summary

This chapter has provided readers with an overview of definitions of key terms such as language learning strategies, word, vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies It also deals with aspects of vocabulary knowledge, importance

of vocabulary learning and classifications of VLSs Besides, this chapter reviews related studies about VLSs conducted by some famous scholars in the research field such as Schmitt (1997), Gu and Johnson (1996), Catalán (2003) and Fan (2003) These studies have given readers some useful information about different aspects of the research issue However, studies about Vietnamese students‟ VLS are still limited Therefore, there is a need to conduct a research to provide more evidence in the field of vocabulary learning strategy in a particular context in Vietnam This has prompted the writer to carry out this thesis on English VLSs of non-English

majored students at Hong Duc University By using Schmitt‟s taxonomy of VLSs,

this study hopes to make a small contribution to the growing body of research on this topic

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1 Setting of the Study

The present study was conducted at Hong Duc University during the second semester of the academic year 2017-2018 Hong Duc University is a state university located in Thanh Hoa City, Thanh Hoa Province Established on September 24th

1997, it has 12 faculties, 15 functional departments and 8 belonging centers Hong Duc University offers both Undergraduate and Graduate degrees At present, the University is training bachelor‟s degree in 38 majors Therefore, the number of non-English majors at Hong Duc University is quite high

Here, English is taught as a compulsory subject Students are required to learn three English subjects with three respective levels, namely, English 1 (Elementary level), English 2 (Intermediate level) and English 3 (Advanced level) The English classes are categorized according to students‟ levels based on the results of a placement test at the beginning of the academic year It means that one English class at one level may consist of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors English is one requirement for Hong Duc University students to get the bachelor‟s degree After having passed all three English subjects, students have to sit for a standardized test according to the Vietnamese Six-level Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages The English standard for non-English undergraduates is level 3 (equivalent to B1 level in Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

However, it is worth noticing that the general English level of students at Hong Duc University is not very high They mostly come from rural areas in Thanh Hoa Province, where English teaching and learning has not been paid much attention Each semesters, the number of students who do not pass English subjects

is quite high To some students, English is a real obstacle to get their bachelor‟s degrees In addition, after five years teaching English, I can recognize the deficiency in non-English majored students‟ vocabulary knowledge, which in turn has bad influence on their English learning process and achievement It can be seen that vocabulary has become one of the biggest problems to students in learning English

2.2 The Participants of the Study

Convenience sampling was used as the sampling technique in this research Convenience sampling is “a non-probability sampling technique where subjects are

selected because of their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher” (As cited in https://explorable.com/convenience-sampling)

The participants of this study were 140 non-English majors at Hong Duc University (77 females and 63 males) They were students of four different faculties, namely, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Information Technology and Faculty of Primary Education All of them have learnt English for seven years or more These students were chosen randomly for the survey They were taking part in English classes at the time of the survey

The author randomly chose 140 non-English majors as the subjects of the study because this study does not aim at making comparison between the use of VLSs by different subjects (e.g high-proficiency or low proficiency learners, males

or females) Instead, this study only focuses on finding out the VLSs used by English majors at Hong Duc University in general By investigating their ways of learning vocabulary and their use of VLSs, this study is hoped to draw some implications and suggestions for English vocabulary teaching and learning at Hong Duc University

non-2.3 Data Collection Instruments

In this survey research, mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative were applied to find answers to two research questions A set of questionnaire and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used as two tools for data collection Firstly, the questionnaires were distributed to 140 non-English majored students to investigate the VLSs reported using by learners, the frequency of use of these strategies, and their perceptions of the helpfulness of these strategies Then, 10 students were chosen randomly for the interview to obtain more detailed information for the research

2.3.1 Questionnaire: (Appendix 1)

A questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection in this research The questionnaire was constructed based on the one developed by Schmitt (1997) I chose to adapt Schmitt‟s taxonomy of VLSs because it offers some advantages as Catalán (2003) mentioned as follows:

“- It can be standardized as a test;

- It can be easily used to collect the desired data from students;

- It is based on the theory of learning strategies as well as on theories of memory;

- It is simple and practical which allows for ease of coding, classification and managing of the data;

- It can be used with learners of different ages, educational backgrounds and target languages;

- It is comprehensive and sensitive to the variety of learning strategies;

- It allows for comparison with other studies, among them Schmitt‟s own survey.”

(Catalán 2003; as cited in Dieter Alexander Waldvogel 2011)

In addition, Schmitt‟s taxonomy has been adopted by a lot of researchers in different studies about VLS in different EFL contexts Therefore, the validity of this taxonomy can be ensured

There are two main parts in the questionnaire used in this study: Part 1 for personal information and Part 2 for the main content of the survey Part 1 asks for information about student‟s name, gender, learning major and English learning experience Part 2 contains a list of 58 VLSs adapted from Schmitt‟s taxonomy For each of the 58 VLSs listed in the questionnaire (items No.1 to No.58), students are asked to answer 2 questions:

● Question 1 asks how often students use each strategy when learning English

vocabulary Students answer each item statement using a 5-point Likert-scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always) Students state whether they: (1) Never, (2) Rarely, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, or (5) Always use each strategy by ticking (X) on the appropriate number for each item

● Question 2 asks which strategy students find helpful in learning English

vocabulary Students tick (X) on the strategy they find helpful and leave a blank on the strategy they do not find helpful

The questionnaires were then translated into Vietnamese to make sure that students could fully understand the content of the questionnaire and avoid any misunderstanding due to their deficiency in English proficiency In addition, some specific strategies were illustrated with explanations and examples so that students could clearly understand them

2.3.2 Interviews: (Appendix 3)

The face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used as a useful tool to find out more detailed information for the two questions in Part 2 of the questionnaire According to Cohen (1989, p.28), in a semi-structured interview, there is “a prompt which requests certain information but the exact shape of the

response is not predetermined” Each interview consisted of three parts: Part 1 for Introduction, Part 2 for personal information and Part 3 for the main content In part

3, besides the six prepared questions, the interviewer sometimes asked for some more detailed information or gave some explanations if necessary during the interviews Interview questions in Part 2 and 3 are summarized as follows:

- Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4: An investigation of the interviewee‟s name, age, major and English learning experience

- Questions 5 and 6: An investigation of what he/she employs to discover the meaning of a new English word both inside and outside class, and how often he/she does that

- Question 7: An investigation of student‟s viewpoint on the helpfulness of his/her aforementioned strategies to discover the meaning of a new English word

- Questions 8 and 9: An investigation of what each interviewee employs to consolidate the knowledge of a newly-learned English word both inside and outside class, and how often he/she does that

- Question 10: An investigation of each interviewee‟s viewpoint on the helpfulness of the aforementioned strategies to consolidate the knowledge of

a newly-learned English word

There were 10 students participating in the interviews Each interview for each student lasted from 10 to 15 minutes The language used in the interviews was Vietnamese so that students could fully understand the main content of the interview and freely expressed their ideas, then gave more accurate answers The interviews were recorded with the permissions of interviewees Then the students‟ answers were translated into English onto papers for data analysis

2.4 Data collection procedure

At first, the researcher asked for teachers‟ permissions to deliver questionnaires to their students while students were in their classrooms After self-introducing and delivering the questionnaires to students, the researcher explained the purposes and the requirements of the questionnaires, then guided students how

to complete them appropriately The researcher answered any questions from students during the process After respondents had completed the questionnaires, the researcher collected their answers, thanked for their cooperation and asked for permission from 10 random students for face-to-face interviews

Before the interviews, the researcher contacted with the interviewees for time and places convenient to them The 10 face-to-face interviews in this research all took place at Hong Duc University Campus and students‟ dormitory at different time Each interview lasts about 10 to 15 minutes At the beginning of each interview, the researcher introduced about herself and the purposes of the interview She also provided the interviewee with information about the privacy and confidentiality of the interview and their rights during the interview The interviews were recorded with the permissions from interviewees Then the students‟ answers were decoded for data analysis

2.5 Data analysis procedure

Data collected from questionnaires and interviews were analyzed to find the answers for the two research questions Data collected from questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively via Excel software for mean scores They were also counted for percentage and ranks and presented in the form of charts and tables Data from interviews were qualitatively analyzed to find out more detailed information for the study and presented by quoting relevant responses from the interviewees

2.6 Summary

In this chapter, the author has provided readers with an overview about the methodology of the research In the first part of the chapter, the researcher gives a thorough description about the context where the study was conducted Then, detailed information about sampling method and subjects of the research is also mentioned The two instruments used for data collection in this thesis are questionnaires and face-to-face interviews In addition, this chapter also presents important information about data collection procedure and data analysis procedure

In the next chapter, findings from data analysis will be discussed in detailed