Cải thiện việc ghi nhớ từ vựng của trẻ em thông qua thuyết đa trí tuệ

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOIUNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIESFACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ------HOÀNG THỊ THU HỒNG IMPROVING YOUNG LEARNERS’ RETENTION OF

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOIUNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

- -HOÀNG THỊ THU HỒNG

IMPROVING YOUNG LEARNERS’ RETENTION

OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY THROUGH MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES APPROACH (Cải thiện việc ghi nhớ từ vựng của trẻ em thông qua thuyết đa trí tuệ)

M.A MINOR THESIS (Type I)

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOIUNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

- -HOÀNG THỊ THU HỒNG

IMPROVING YOUNG LEARNERS’ RETENTION

OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY THROUGH MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES APPROACH (Cải thiện việc ghi nhớ từ vựng của trẻ em thông qua thuyết đa trí tuệ)

M.A MINOR THESIS (Type I)

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

Supervisor: Prof Hoàng Văn Vân

Hanoi, July 2019

Signature

Hoang Thi Thu Hong

This thesis would not be fulfilled without the help of some people, and insome ways, I would like to thank everyone who has taught me, inspired me, andsupported me throughout the realization of this thesis

I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards my supervisor, Prof Dr.Hoàng Văn Vân, for his whole-hearted assistance, encouragement as well as hisprofound guidance he gave me while I was implementing my research Heconsistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the rightdirection whenever he thought I needed it

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers inFaculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and InternationalStudies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their interesting lectures whichhave inspired me to conduct this thesis

I would also like to express my thanks to the teachers of English in myworking place for their willingness to participate in the research Without theirpassionate participation and input, the validation survey could not have beensuccessfully conducted

Last but not least, I must express my very profound gratitude to my parentsand to my boyfriend for providing me with unfailing support and continuousencouragement throughout my years of study and through the process ofresearching and writing this thesis This accomplishment would not have beenpossible without them

Thank you

Hanoi, July 2019Signature

Hoang Thi Thu Hong

This study is conducted with the purpose to find out the effects of usingactivities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory in helping young learners toimprove their retention of English vocabulary It is both a quantitative study and aqualitative study In the study, the class was divided into three main groups ofstudents according to their levels All of the groups were pre-tested at the beginning

of the study by using a vocabulary test and doing the survey to classify dominantbits of intelligence Throughout the learning process in class for two months, theteacher observed and prepared the learning and teaching activities accordingly Allstudents in the class were post-tested at the end of the intervention For the detailedoutcome, the data was collected and analyzed carefully The results of the studysuggest that Multiple Intelligence Theory based activities have a significant effect

on the retention of young learners’ English vocabulary

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure 2.3 - Learners’ characteristics according to aged group

Figure 3.2 - Action Research Model (Source: Susman, 1983)

Figure 4.1 - Intelligences of students

Figure 4.1a - Descriptive statistics of pre-test scores of average students Figure 4.1b - Descriptive statistics of post-test scores of average students Figure 4.1c - Frequency of pre-test scores of average students

Figure 4.2a - Descriptive statistics of pre-test scores of pretty good students Figure 4.2b - Descriptive statistics of pre-test scores of pretty good students Figure 4.2c - Frequency of pre-test scores of pretty Good students

Figure 4.2d - Frequency of pre-test scores of pretty good students

Figure 4.3a - Descriptive statistics of pre-test scores of good students

Figure 4.3b - Descriptive statistics of post-test scores of good students Figure 4.3c - Frequency of pre-test scores of good students

Figure 4.4a - Descriptive statistics of pre-test and post-test scores

Figure 4.4b - Frequency of pre-test scores

Figure 4.4c - Frequency of post-test scores

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Statement of the Problem and Rationale for the Study 1

1.2 Aims of the Study 3

1.3 Scope of the Study 3

1.4 Methodology of the study 4

1.5 Significance of the Study 4

1.6 Design of the Thesis 5

1.7 Summary 5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 Vocabulary retention and techniques to improve students’ vocabulary retention 6

2.2 Multiple Intelligence Theory and the role of Multiple Intelligence Theory in supporting students’ achievement 9

2.3 The appropriateness of Multiple Intelligence Theory to young learners’ characteristics 15

2.4 The review of previous studies on the effectiveness of MI theory for enhancement of learners’ vocabulary retention 19

2.5 Summary 21

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 22

3.1 Setting 22

3.2 Research Design 23

3.3 Participants 28

3.4 Data Collection 29

3.5 Data Collection Instruments 31

3.6 Data Analysis Method 33

3.7 Summary 34

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 35

4.1 Findings 35

4.1.1 Activities based on Multiple Intelligence Approach contribute positively to young learners’ scores 36

4.1.2 Activities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory help young learners improve their retention of English vocabulary 46

4.2 Discussion 50

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 52

5.1 Summary of the Findings and Discussion 52

5.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Studies 53

5.3 Conclusion 54

REFERENCES 55 APPENDICES I

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the researcher will set the introduction of the study, including:the statement of the problem and the rationale for the study, the aims, the scope, thesignificance, the methodology of the study, and the design of the thesis

1.1 Statement of the Problem and Rationale for the Study

Globalization is a catch-all term that refers to any activity that involves morethan one country, for example, travel from one country to another, even need a

common language Thanks to this situation, English has become a lingua franca, a

global language generally used for communication between the speakers whosenative languages are different from each other As a result, learning English isessentially crucial At the same time, vocabulary learning plays an important part inlearning English Although learners may acquire English grammar, they seem tolack fluency due to the absence of vocabulary knowledge

It is noted that mastering a language is a matter of grasping its vocabulary orwords For this reason, promoting vocabulary growth has been a major concern ofeducators in the area of second language acquisition My learning experience hastold me that to make a word permanent, this word can be met several times (fromfive to seven times) My learning experience has shown me that if I do not put mylearned words into practice, these words can fade away This shows us that learningvocabulary is not an easy task, it is much more sophisticated than it seems to be.Clearly, learning a new language and its outcome can depend on different factorsfrom objective to subjective ones

The matter is, nowadays, the age of learning new languages is cut down; itmeans that young learners have chances to access to English very early Younglearners seem to be unfamiliar with dictionaries or blackboards With most of thekids (especially preschool and primary school learners), they cannot sit on a chair topractice writing new words various times, or read books to find new words They,different individuals, are gifted with strengths and weaknesses in different areas

Any individuals can develop any intelligences to a reasonably high level with theirparticular environments, stimulation, and encouragement They can learn newthings through multifarious ways Thus, conventional techniques used for learningvocabulary as the traditional way is not useful as it was

Vocabulary learning is flexible and vocabulary teaching can be diverse too Intraditional teaching methods, words are written on blackboards with their mothertongue meanings, and students are encouraged to pronounce words lots of time.This method has been used widely in some educational areas Foreign languageinstruction in some public schools in Vietnam has still involved in memorization ofvocabulary, and written grammar patterns exercises Teachers, partly, still play thecentered roles, whereas students are in passive roles They are asked to read thecourse books or textbooks and look up the new words beforehand For the timebeing, communicative strategies are very limited, and students tend to forget thewords in a short period of time

To escape from that traditional concept, and figure out how each individual

intelligence works in various fields and contexts, in “Frames of Mind” (1983),

Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, stated: “Surely infocusing on the educational process, we are considering a domain of utmostimportance in all cultures, as well as an optimal area in which to observe theintelligences at work.” In that sense, Multiple Intelligence Theory may provide agood framework to use in ensuring good teaching practices and improved outcomesfor young learners

Multiple Intelligence Theory by Howard Gardner has brought manyimplications for teaching and learning a foreign language It is a learner-centeredtheory that emphasized on the abilities-intelligence in each individual In terms ofteaching English in general, it provides a lot of teaching strategies that can beimplemented in the classroom For that reason, in vocabulary teaching for younglearners, teachers can apply activities for different intelligences of the students,

especially for young learners These activities can help the students to learn andremember the vocabulary easily in spite of their young age

In a nutshell, the theory of Howard Gardner can provide a framework tosupport students’ English vocabulary retention It is believed that the retention ofvocabulary learning can be easier when suitable activities are adapted based onstudents’ intelligences

1.2 Aims of the Study

Traditional teaching methods in general and, in particular, teaching vocabularytend to treat students as a homogeneous group Teachers have tendencies to presentthe same in-class exercises and activities to all learners and expect the sameoutcome Sometimes, students do not show their interest in studying such newthings in such mentioned stable old ways Using Howard Gardner (1983)’s MultipleIntelligence Theory can be a good model for vocabulary teaching when it hasvarious implications for educators in terms of classroom instructions

This action research is conducted with the aim of discovering whether studentscan improve their retention of English vocabulary through Multiple IntelligencesApproach Specifically, the study will try to answer the following question whoseresult will be used for later discussion:

- To what extent do activities based on Multiple Intelligence Approach contribute to young learners’ retention of English Vocabulary?

1.3 Scope of the Study

The study includes the teacher’s speech and performance because the teacherplays an important role in giving instructions and guiding students to join inactivities in the class Moreover, the teacher’s interaction with young learners isalso an essential key for students to improve learning and retention of vocabulary

In addition, there would be much inadequate if young learners’ products andperformance are not included The researcher has to measure students’ development

in learning vocabularies through their individual intelligence in order to figure outthe most suitable activity to maximize learners’ performance

As a study on groups of students at an English center in Hanoi city, theconclusion of the study may not be valid to be generalized for application to anyother contexts It may be useful to serve as an intensive source of information torefer to or to provide a hypothesis for further studies

1.4 Methodology of the study

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to achieve the aimsstated The data collected for the study is analyzed from the results of pre-test andpost-test as well as teacher’s observation sheets

Pre-test and post-test which have been examined to have an equivalentdifficulty level, are used to test students’ vocabulary before and after the project.The pre-test is delivered to students before the intervention and the post-test is used

to collect the scores and then compare to the scores of the pre-test

The qualitative research method through teacher’s observation sheet is used tomeasure how activities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory contribute to youngstudents’ vocabulary retention

1.5 Significance of the Study

In fact, Multiple Intelligence Theory was generally applied in English teachingand learning, and there has been a wide range of studies about the implications ofthis theory However, there were a few studies about its effects on achievement andretention of English vocabulary

The findings of the thesis may serve as useful information not only for theresearcher, involved students but also for all language teachers In particular, thestudy is conducted to enable young learners in search of their passion for learningvocabulary and then enhance their retention of English vocabulary Therefore, theresults of this study may be generalized to apply for students at the same levels It isalso hoped that the thesis will make contributions to the achievement in Englishlearning of young learners in the private center Besides, this study may also bringnew insights into language teaching when recommendations for other research are

stated with the hope of taking the most advantages of the using MultipleIntelligence Theory as a model for vocabulary teaching

1.6 Design of the Thesis

The study consists of five chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction – includes the rationale, aims, scope, significance and

methodology of the study

Chapter 2: Literature review – presents literature related to the study including

Multiple Intelligence Theory, the definition of vocabulary, teaching Englishvocabulary to young learners, and research on Multiple Intelligence Theory andadaptation in teaching vocabulary for young learners

Chapter 3: Methodology – presents the setting, the background of participants as

well as data collection instruments and procedures for carrying on the researchincluding pre-post-test and students’ self-assessment paper at the end of theintervention

Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion – reports the main findings obtained from the

data collection and discusses the prominent aspects

Chapter 5: Conclusion – summarizes the main research points, points out the

limitation of the study and makes suggestions for further studies

1.7 Summary

The focus of this chapter has been on introduction of the research It hasclearly provided an overview of the study in terms of the statement of the problemand the rationale, the aims, the scope, the significance, the methodology of thestudy, and the design of the thesis

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter is intended to present the background theory underlying the issue,including the definition and the relevant knowledge around core concepts, followed

by a review of related studies in the same field

2.1 Vocabulary retention and techniques to improve students’ vocabulary retention

2.1.1 Definition of Vocabulary

It is believed that human being’s language is based on vocabulary Vocabulary

is the most important element in learning well a foreign language since it helps usexpress our feelings, ideas, and emotions to others Vocabulary can be the creator’svehicle for bringing the world into existence

Different linguists hold different concepts about vocabulary, and it is defined

in discrepant ways by different researchers In Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English (1990), the vocabulary is: (1) all the words that a person knows or

uses, (2) all the words in a particular language, (3) the words that people use whenthey are talking, and (4) a list of words with their meanings, especially in a book forlearning a foreign language

Nation (1990) stated that: “Learners’ vocabulary is divides into two groups,active and passive.” Active vocabulary is the one that learners could use in speakingand writing skill; whereas, passive vocabulary is the words that learners canrecognize in listening and reading skills

In addition, Penny Ur (1996) defined vocabulary as the words that we teach in

a foreign language She also made a statement that “a new item of vocabulary may

be more than a single word: for example, post office, and mother-in-law, which aremade up of two or three words but express a single idea.”

According to Hiebert and Kamil (2005), vocabulary consists of two types: oralvocabulary and print vocabulary “Oral vocabulary is the set of words for which we

know the meanings when we speak or read orally Print vocabulary consists of thosewords for which the meaning is known when we write or read silently”.

In short, vocabulary is the focus of language It is all the words that exist in alanguage It allows us to communicate with each other in all skills (reading,listening, speaking and writing) Vocabulary has a vital role in the process oflanguage learning, but it is, generally, ignored so language learning becomes toodifficult because of the lack of vocabulary knowledge

2.1.2 Vocabulary retention and strategies to improve students’ vocabulary retention

According to Nation (2005), vocabulary learning is a vital process for thesuccessful acquisition of language It involves not only students’ knowledge ofword definitions, but their attention to different aspects of a word as collocation,synonym, and pronunciation as well The truth is vocabulary learning is important,but both vocabulary learning and vocabulary retention are the two matters ofdifficulty They even get more challenging for foreign language learners Inlanguage teaching, retention of which has been taught could possibly depend on thequality of teaching, the use of diverse strategies, or, more importantly, the interest

of the learners

In Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English (1990), the word

‘retention’ refers to the ability to continue having something from a considerable

time elapse, for example, weeks or months, or even longer Thus, vocabularyretention could be interpreted as a situation when learners can retain newly learnedwords and use them appropriately Furthermore, Schemitt (1997) stated thatvocabulary retention refers to the techniques that learners utilize in order to obtain,store, retrieve and use the information

In fact, the general concept of using strategies or techniques to boostvocabulary learning is not new The concern for discovering effective ways to fostervocabulary retention is, prominently, the role of both vocabulary teaching and

learning There is a wide range of strategies focused on enhancing vocabularyretention

O’Malley (1985) reported that repetition was the most commonly usedstrategy among learners He added that repetition could activate cognition and ithelped to facilitate target language learning

On the other hand, Schemitt (1997) emphasized some other strategies such as'highlighting' important ideas or new vocabularies which are often so simple forstudents to take them for granted

Moreover, Oxford's (2003) comprehensive classification for improvingvocabulary retention focused on direct and indirect strategies She figured out thatthe direct strategies necessitated the mental processing of the language Theycomprised memory, cognitive and compensation strategies The indirect strategiessupported and managed language learning without directly involving the targetlanguage They fostered the business of language learning and includedmetacognitive, affective and social strategies

Later, Nation (2004) regarded memory strategies as the most effective toimprove students’ vocabulary retention The aims of memory strategies were toengage learners in storing and retrieving new pieces of information easier In linewith Nation, Nemati (2009) also focused on memory strategies and their effects onlong-term retention Additionally, in another article, Nemati (2013) investigated theimpact of vocabulary learning strategies on both short-term and long-term retention

of vocabulary items The outcome revealed that memory strategies could enhancelong-term retention of vocabulary items significantly Using synonyms and shortcontexts is able to significantly enhance the retention of learners’ vocabulary interms of short and long period

In short, in order to help language learners to enhance vocabulary retention,there are various vocabulary learning strategies, and their effectiveness resides inthe fact that all of them require learners to be active in their learning process

Generally, among a variety of vocabulary retention strategies, most languageteachers have experienced the ones adapted for some students in one class with alittle use for the rest of the students in the same learning environment The arousedissue is that a variation in leaning should focus on individual differences Themultiple intelligences approach will be discussed more in detail later

2.2 Multiple Intelligence Theory and the role of Multiple Intelligence Theory

in supporting students’ achievement

In modern life, in order to assess the intelligence of children, I.Q ('intelligencequotient') testing is known as the most prominent form of intelligent testing.However, IQ tests seem to be one of those post-modern phenomena thatcontinually develop and change They may assess the logical thinking skills andmemory, but they cannot assess individuals’ interpersonal skills or creativity.Therefore, someone who scores below average on an IQ test may still haveexceptional creative abilities that IQ tests overlook

Basing on some limitations of IQ testing, with the reason to develop and fulfillthe concept of general intelligence factor, a theory developed and published byHoward Gardner commonly referred to as Multiple Intelligences Theory came intobeing Howard Gardner, essentially, embarked on a pursuit to see through anddescribe the construct of intelligence Spending decades to study developmental andcognitive psychology, Howard Gardner, in some research, claimed that all humanbeings possess not just a single intelligence According to Gardner (1999a),

“intelligence is much more than I.Q because a high I.Q in the absence ofproductivity does not equate to intelligence.”

2.2.1 Multiple Intelligence Theory

2.2.1.1 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

In his Multiple Intelligence Theory, Howard Gardner proposes eight types ofintelligences: (1) linguistic intelligence, (2) logical-mathematical intelligence, (3)bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, (4) musical intelligence, (5) interpersonal

intelligence, (6) intrapersonal intelligence, (7) spatial/visual intelligence, and (8)naturalist intelligence.

1 Linguistic Intelligence

Linguistic intelligence is the type of intelligence that deals with words, spoken

or written Practically, linguistic intelligence is the extent to which people can uselanguages both verbal and nonverbal languages Those with linguistic intelligencecan learn foreign languages easily because they have high verbal memory and theycan understand or manipulate both syntax and structures at the same time

2 Logical-mathematical Intelligence

Logical-mathematical is one of several Multiple Intelligences People withlogical-mathematical intelligence process information through logic, abstraction,reasoning, and numbers It is often assumed that those who with this intelligence

do well with quantitative methods Their mind is sophisticated and functions like

a computer

3 Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence

One of the six basic Multiple Intelligences, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is aspecial concept that many children possess and display It also refers to a keenawareness of prominent changes in the body balance In theory, people who havebodily kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement

At times, they might not be studious and academically intelligent; nevertheless, theycan excel in many other areas They seem to be very active, keep acting and cannotsit in one position

In addition, people with musical intelligence will assist in learning They,sometimes, use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information

5 Interpersonal Intelligence

This intelligence has to do with interaction with others, and people with thiskind of intelligence thrive with social interaction They tend to be extrovert andmake friends easily They work well with others and have a lot of friends Theyare masters at collaboration and have the ability to cooperate in order to work aspart of a group They communicate effectively and show their empathy withothers, and may be either leaders or followers

6 Intrapersonal Intelligence

Intrapersonal intelligence has to do with introspective and self-reflectivecapacities Those who with this kind of intelligence are typically intuitive andintroverted They are skillful at deciphering, coding, and looking inward andfiguring out their own feelings, motivations, and goals They have a deepunderstanding of others from their strengths or weaknesses, even what makes othersunique They can predict their own reactions or emotions

7 Spatial/Visual Intelligence

This intelligence has to do with visualizing things A person who has spatialintelligence has sensitivity with form, color, shape, space, and line The ability tosolve the problems related to the notion of space such as using a map to locate aplace in a city or drawing a floor plan are examples of spatial intelligence Withspatial intelligence, individuals can become future architects, navigators, painters,sculptors, and graphic artists

8 Naturalist Intelligence

This kind of intelligence has to do with the natural world by classifying,recognizing and categorizing species found in nature like plants, animals, andminerals Individuals with naturalist intelligence can be able to distinguish the

species that are harmful or beneficial for humans They show tendencies to go outand discover new things in nature rather than be indoors

2.2.1.2 Defining an intelligence

In order to classify eight bits of intelligence above, in his book, “Frames ofMind” (1983), Gardner set up certain tests of criteria to help us decide whichintelligence each learner has He identified basic signs that each intelligence couldexhibit to be considered an intelligence

- An intelligence has been isolated through brain damage:

When people suffer accidents of illnesses and specific areas of the brain areaffected, one intelligence is often damaged too For example, if a person has alesion in Broca’s area (left frontal lobe), linguistic intelligence may be greatlydamaged However, the person might still be able to do math, dance, or sing Forthat reason, Gardner is actually proposing the existence of seven autonomous brainsystems

- Exceptional individuals

Gardner suggested that single intelligence in certain individuals could operate

at high levels Savants are people who demonstrate amazing abilities in oneintelligence while other intelligences at the expense of the full functioning of theothers Some intelligences can exist in each individual, for example, they cancalculate multi numbers in their head or play a musical instrument after hearingonce

- Developmental History

It is suggested by Gardner that each intelligence has its own developmentaltrajectory – the time of arising in childhood, peaking to be adults, or graduallydeclining as ones get older For instance, musical intelligence peaks quite early, butlinguistic intelligence can peak very late We can best see the intelligences working

at our zenith with our full intelligences in the lives of truly exceptional individuals

- Evolutionary History

Multiple Intelligence Theory has a historical context Each intelligence hasroots in the evolutionary history of human beings For example, Naturalist andBody kinesthetic intelligence were probably valued when the American lived inrural areas They lived close to the nature, hunted, harvested grain, and built barns

- Psychometric History

Most theory of intelligence has its standardized measures of human ability toascertain the validity of a model Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children includessub-tests that focus on several of the different intelligences For example, arithmeticability is used to figure Mathematical intelligence

- Psychological Tasks

We can look at psychological studies to see intelligences working in isolationfrom one another For example, individuals can master a specific skill such as anarithmetic problem, but they may still not be able to read fluently

- Core operations

Each person maintains a set of core operations that can drive its variousactivities For example, in musical intelligence, individuals need to be able todiscriminate rhythmic structures and be sensitive to pitch

- Symbol System

Gardner states that each of the seven intelligences has its own unique symbol

or notational systems The ability to symbolize is one of the most important factorsthat help to separate humans from other species There are spoken and writtenlanguages, graphic language, computer language, musical notation systems, andideographic language

In general, Garner's Multiple Intelligence Theory says that each of us hassome certain intelligences among the eight types mentioned above However,equivalent to each individual there will be some special types of intelligence that

dominate the rest ones People can define the intelligence that we have according tothe certain tests of criteria

2.2.2 The role of Multiple Intelligence Theory in supporting students’ achievement

Through decades, Multiple Intelligence Theory and its effect have been widelystudied Many scholars have shown their concerns about this theory since its birth.Even, the theory’s father stated that “I was amazed at how many individualsclaimed that they wanted to revise their educational practices in the light of MItheory.” “Frames of Mind” (1983) Schools’ widespread use of MultipleIntelligence Theory as a learning and teaching model, across many differentdisciplines, produces quite a variety of successful results Many schools have sought

to structure curricula according to the intelligences and to design classrooms toreflect the understandings that Howard Gardner develops

The effect of the Multiple Intelligence Theory on the academic achievementexamined in the context of a multi-complementary approach Erdir (2005) presentedMultiple Intelligence Theory was stated to have positive effects on academicachievement in comparison with traditional methods in terms of teaching grade,subject area, teaching period, intelligence area and general characteristics

Furthermore, the impact of learning activities based on the MultipleIntelligence Theory on the success of first stage primary school students in Englishlessons was explored by Temel (2008) The learning activities based on the MultipleIntelligence Theory were used in the treatment groups while traditional learningmethods were used in the control groups and proved to be helpful in the Englishachievement of the students

Moreover, Geimer et al (2000) conducted a study using Multiple based activities to improve student’s achievement in Language Arts in three phases:from the grammar phase, reading comprehension phase, and spelling results.Students had chances to access to Multiple Intelligence-based activities andtraditional language teaching methods They were given a Multiple Intelligences

Intelligence-assessment and exposed to a variety of lessons following a Multiple Intelligencesformat The lessons were taught using a variety of subjects and intelligences Theshowed results recorded that the results were more successful when compared totraditional teaching ones

In addition, the effects of using Multiple Intelligence Theory were depicted inKaradeniz (2006) The ninth-grade students in Anatolian high school were taughtwith Multiple Intelligence Theory-based instruction There were two groups: theexperimental group and the control group The former, which was taught throughMultiple Intelligence-based instructions, was more successful in achievement andretention of learned knowledge in English lesson

As all mentioned above, the approach of using multiple intelligences hasplayed the important role in the improvement of students’ achievement

2.3 The appropriateness of Multiple Intelligence Theory to young learners’ characteristics

2.3.1 Young learners’ characteristics

We all know that learners are one of the key determinants in the teaching andlearning process They affect directly the success of a lesson Therefore, teachersneed to know clearly who learners are, what the learners’ language learning needs,language competences, as well as the cognitive skills, are

Understanding learners’ characteristics according to their age or grade levelhelps teachers apply appropriate methods in teaching The following table showsthe characteristics of different aged groups

Figure 2.3 Learners’ characteristics according to aged group

Very Young Learners Young Learners Older/ Late Young

Learners Age: 3-6 years old Age: 7-9 years old Age: 10-12 years old

* No reading & writing

(may recognize letters

or short words)

Skills Used :

* Listening & SpeakingVocabulary Items(concrete & familiarand new objects)

* New in Reading andWriting (word tosentence level)

* No GrammarTeaching ormetalanguage(chunks throughsongs and classroomlanguage)

Used :

* Listening/ Speaking/ Reading/ Writing

* Vocabulary Items(concrete & abstract)Grammar (inductive)

* Short memory: Learn

slowly Forget easily

* Repetition and

revision is necessary

* Limited motor skills

(using a pen and

scissors) but

kinesthetic and

Characteristics:

* Low concentrationspan: Wide variety ofactivities needed

* Short memory:

frequent revision isneeded

Characteristics:

* Longer attention spanbut still children

* Taking learningseriously

* World knowledge

* More cooperation ingroups and in pairs

* Developed social, motor

and intellectual skills

* Learning strategies areused and developing

* Limited motor skills(left-right)

* Reasonable amount

of input

(Adapted from Ersöz, 2007)

These days, as English becomes more and more accepted as an internationallanguage, interest in teaching English to Young Learners has become a trendnowadays As be shown above, young learners are different from teenagers oradults (older learners) Thus, teaching young learners is probably not like teachingadults because children have their own way of learning They are keen on playingand having fun so that the learning and teaching process should be suited to thenature of the children themselves The teacher must create the process of Englishlearning for young learners as interesting, exciting and challenging as possible Young learners have a good memory and respond to something fast They areactive, charm and easy to imitate because childhood is considered as the playingperiod With the term "learning style", we may realize that it is used to describe how

a child learns Some young learners like learning by playing and doing someactivities actively and naturally, some prefer to learn best visually while anotherlearns best through movement Therefore, as a teacher or parent has a rule on how

to teach English to young learners by using various techniques interestingly such assongs, games, stories, pictures or real objects

English learning for young learners aims to their future, in order that they canspeak English communicatively The main purpose to teach English for younglearners is to make them master some vocabularies as many as possible and theyhave no difficulty in learning English for the future

2.3.2 The appropriateness of Multiple Intelligence Theory to young learners’

characteristics

Teaching vocabulary is preferred at the first step to teach for young learners.The teachers need to use some interesting techniques to achieve the objectives ofthe study and to attract the students in the teaching-learning process

Traditionally, in teaching vocabulary, educators have adapted various teachingmethods for young learners such as The Grammar Translation Method, The Directmethod, The Audio-lingual Method, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), orPost-methods In many schools or English centers, young students gain theirknowledge through interesting activities such as games, stories Nevertheless, thoseteaching methods are applied in general for the whole group of students, and do notfocus on any individuals

The fact is each student learns in different ways  Some students learn bestthrough words, other students do well through visual support such as pictures andphotos, and some learn well through music, while others learn best by moving Inthis sense, the new thinking system based on theory such as Multiple IntelligenceTheory has brought new dimensions to teaching young learners It could be a muchbetter way to understand the individuality of how kids learn

Howard Garner (1993) stated that each person has unique and distinctintelligence profiles that are shaped by different biological and environmentalfactors They are a blend of intelligences namely linguistic, mathematical/logical,spatial, bodily kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistintelligence Moreover, Armstrong (2004) said that Multiple Intelligence Theory

“opens

the door to a wide range of teaching strategies” It is one of the teaching approacheswhich is more enjoyable and easier to be received by the students, especially younglearners This approach tries to accommodate the need of the students in learningEnglish based on their intelligences

As mentioned above, each individual has his or her own intelligence profiles,teachers should present information and allow kids to show what they have learned

in various ways, or through diverse activities It is expected that this new approach

is appropriate with young learners’ characteristics In this case, the teacher is notonly as a mere language teacher but they have to be facilitators, observers, andlesson designers as well.

2.4 The review of previous studies on the effectiveness of MI theory for enhancement of learners’ vocabulary retention.

In terms of retention of foreign vocabulary, a myriad of research has beenconducted based on Multiple Intelligences Approach founded by Howard Gardner.Researchers have attempted to explore the relationship between MI theory andlearners’ vocabulary retention

Firstly, the thesis carried out by Anderson (1998) was outstanding He studiedthe improvement of retention in foreign language vocabulary In this study, therewas an experiment for increasing retention of foreign language vocabulary by usingMultiple Intelligence Theory and Memory Enhancement Tools MultipleIntelligence Theory was preferred to focus all the intelligences of the students Itindicated that using Multiple Intelligence skills in the learning and retention ofvocabulary can be a helpful tool Students from each intelligence can learn when theactivities are applied to him/her

Furthermore, the study on the effects of Multiple Intelligence Theory inteaching English vocabulary was carried out by Sefanur, A (2009) Traditionalvocabulary teaching techniques and vocabulary teaching techniques based onMultiple Intelligence Theory are compared in the study It is a quantitative studywhich utilizes quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design Here, therewas an Experimental Group and a Control Group, and both of them were pre-tested

at the beginning of the study by using a vocabulary test Multiple IntelligenceInventory was also applied to Experimental Group to identify their dominantintelligences and prepare classroom activities accordingly In the ExperimentalGroup, the lesson was taught through activities based on Multiple IntelligenceTheory and in the Control Group the lesson was taught by using traditional teachingmethods Both two groups were post-tested at the end of the study Furthermore, in

order to determine the long-term retention, the vocabulary test was applied againtwo weeks after the study The results of the study suggest that Multiple IntelligenceTheory based activities have a significant effect on achievement and retention ofstudents’ English vocabulary

Moreover, Orensteinné (2013) conducted a program with the aim of to useMultiple Intelligence Theory to facilitate vocabulary acquisition and retention inEFL primary classes in Hungary In three weeks, 60 students participated in thestudy Students were randomly assigned to an experimental group taught throughthe ideas based on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory in order to acquirevocabulary, and a control group received traditional teaching methods onvocabulary The data were collected through a Multiple Intelligences Profilequestionnaire on both the teacher’s and the students’ multiple intelligence strengthsand weaknesses, a vocabulary pre-test, an immediate vocabulary post-test and adelayed vocabulary test The result of the study showed that students taught throughMultiple Intelligences-based methods demonstrated more success in vocabularyacquisition and retention, than those who were exposed to traditional methods Additionally, Farahani and Kalkhoran (2014) investigated the relationshipbetween Iranian EFL learners’ MI and incidental vocabulary learning The resultsindicated the significant relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ MI and theirincidental vocabulary, especially with naturalist intelligence

More recently, in TESOL Conference, 2015, Dr Yen Tran and Ms Hanh Lepresented a study on Multiple Intelligence Theory and EFL Learners’ WordRetention The study aims at examining the effect of MI based lessons on EFLlearner’s word retention Before intervening program, a general English test, avocabulary level test and an MI test were delivered in order to determine theparticipants’ English proficiency, vocabulary level and intelligences It was foundthat there is a positive correlation between English proficiency and word retention.The results of the vocabulary test at the end of the experiment showed that MI based

lessons can help the participants improve their ability to retain word spelling andmeaning.

In general, there is quite a mixed variety of the recent application of MultipleIntelligence Theory Although each was conducted at different levels of learnersand educational background, it is time to note that using Multiple IntelligenceTheory-based activities can be helpful in improving the learners’ retention ofvocabulary

2.5 Summary

The literature review of the present study was clearly presented Thetheoretical framework underlying the issue includes the relevant knowledge aroundcore concepts of vocabulary retention and the strategies to improve vocabularyretention, Multiple Intelligence approach and its appropriateness to young learners’characteristics, followed by a review of a variety of related studies

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

To address the research question and achieve the aims, this study wasconducted with the participation of 29 students in an English Center in Hanoi.Details of the setting, the participants, the instruments, the procedures of datacollection and method of data analysis will be stated in this chapter

3.1 Setting

The center is the place for all primary students in all primary schools in Hanoicity to come and join in Students follow different curricula of learning English inclass They can learn from different types of English materials or course books

However, in this center, young learners are supposed to follow Family and Friends textbooks Family and Friends series are divided into 6 main levels from Family

and Friends 1 to Family and Friends 6

In the 2018-2019 academic year, the researcher has taken charge of one class

with 4th graders (in equivalent with Family and Friends 4) Family and Friends 4

contains 15 units with 15 different topics With the content of the providedcurriculum, students have one academic year (9 months) to fulfill this book Thereare two semesters in one academic year In each semester, the teacher will cover 7units, and the last unit will be released for self-studying At the end of the academicyear, students are supposed to take the achievement test to evaluate whether theyare qualified enough to move on the next level or not There are two big tests (Final

1st term test and final 2nd term test) designed for this book and followed by manyprogress tests (summative tests, vocabulary tests, and grammar tests) After eachunit, students have to take the vocabulary test

After observing in the first semester, the researcher realizes that younglearners are getting some troubles with vocabulary Right after the unit, they canremember most of the words; however, after moving on two or three next units,students can recall some of the previous words only

With the above setting, the researcher expects to intervene with a newapproach to see whether young learners’ English vocabulary retention can beimproved as expected

3.2 Research Design

Action research design was selected in this study According to Mettetal(2001), Classroom Action Research is a research designed to assist teachers infiguring out what is happening in his or her classroom, and then make use of thatinformation to make changes for the future The selection of action research mayhave a significant contribution to improving students’ performance and evensuggest open-ended outcomes Moreover, action research can promote “teachers'growth as an empowered professional”, “teachers' confidence in their teachingability”, and their “problem-solving skills as well” (Briscoe and Wells, 2002: 429)

In particular, when being engaged in action research, teachers can be more aware ofthe gaps between their beliefs and practices and of what their pupils are thinking,feeling, and learning

An action research was applied to this current study with the teacher as theresearcher Action research is a suitable chosen research method for the study forsome reasons First, learning and teaching English vocabulary and improvingstudents’ English vocabulary retention have noticeably concerned both educationalpeople and students Moreover, besides many other teaching methods, the new sight

of Multiple Intelligence Theory can be a useful approach for meeting theexpectation to what extent Second, action research is often carried out both outsidethe classroom and inside the classroom Hence, that is very suitable for the currentsetting of the study Third, action research is aimed at changing things as well assuggest a reference source for other research From the findings of the effects ofusing activities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory on young learners’ retention

of English vocabulary, some constructive suggestions will be given so that teacherscan facilitate students’ English vocabulary learning

The below diagram illustrates the action research model.

Figure 3.2 Action Research Model (Source: Susman, 1983)

3.2.1 Diagnosing

In light of the model, the study started when the researcher realizes that there

is a need to improve young students’ retention of English vocabulary The newapproach – using activities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory should be used Inother words, step 1 was implemented to figure out the problem The demand for anew approach in order to help students recall English vocabulary better wasidentified and then investigated

3.2.2 Action planning

In this step, the researcher did a literature search before beginning the actionresearch The literature review allowed the researcher to strengthen the validity ofthe research by giving the theoretical framework, and comparing the findings inothers research with future findings

After having a quite clear literature review, the researcher refined the questionfor the research Participants of the study were the 4th graders in a center where theresearcher works and the material is Family and Friends 4

3.2.3 Taking action

Firstly, in order to measure students’ vocabulary level prior to the treatment,young learners took the pre-test within 15 minutes (APPENDIX 3) The teachermarked the pre-test, classified the scores into three different levels of students andkept the result for later usage

After that, the researcher delivered the survey (APPENDIX 2) to record theusual scores that students usually got and what the strategies that students usuallyused to improve their results The noted usual scores given by students play animportant role for teacher to evaluate level of students in class

With the purpose to focus on developing individuals with a new approach, thescores survey was followed by the Multiple Intelligence survey (APPENDIX 1).Students did the survey to find out their intelligences The teacher took fourdominant intelligences into consideration to direct the teaching activities With thebasic data, the researcher conducted the intervention after that

The intervening program lasted 8 weeks (2 months) The teacher based on theclassified dominant intelligences to make a suitable lesson plan (APPENDIX 5) for

teaching vocabulary in targeted units (Unit 8, 9, 10 in Family and Friends 4 – class

book) The researcher followed the basic content of each lesson (words andreading), and tried to fulfill all the tasks in the class book However, in thisprogram, in order to improve the young learners’ retention of English vocabulary,the lesson plans put the premium on students’ intelligences with preferable activities

to help students remember as much as possible right in the class The detailed planand activities under Multiple Intelligence Theory, as well as steps of the in-classlessons are mentioned below

a The lesson plans with activities under the approach using multiple intelligences

The lesson plan is regarded as an essential vitamin for the teacher According

to Rinvolucri (1996), it is a mental structure or the map teachers need initially tohelp them through the landscape Students can know what their teacher has in storefor them

In fact, in his work, Harmer (2002) mentioned that planning a lesson can bevisualized in different ways to achieve the goals In this action research, with thepurposes to deliver the lesson by a new approach – Multiple IntelligencesApproach, the lesson plans were prepared carefully and focused on learningactivities based on individuals’ intelligences Through the learners’ characteristicsaccording to their aged group presented in Figure 2.3, the researcher figures out thecharacteristics of the young learners in the targeted class Moreover, in Figure 2.4,some vocabulary teaching activities for multiple intelligences were mentioned to bethe suggestion for the teacher to design the appropriate activities to achieve theobjectives of the research For example, for those who obsess musical intelligence,they are able to sing, and play musical instruments Besides, they can composemusic Thus, the teacher allowed students to listen to narrative that uses the newword, repeated afterwards and even sang the songs containing new words

It is importantly noted here is that, in the lesson plan, all the sections wereinserted with learning activities related to intelligences, especially four dominantbits of intelligence Specifically, a wide range of activities was adapted, forinstance:

- listening and repeating (Musical intelligence) (Unit 8, lesson 1)

- role-playing (Bodily intelligence) (Unit 8, lesson 1)

- composing (Linguistic intelligence) (Unit 8, lesson 1)

- using pictures (Visual intelligence) (Unit 9, lesson 1)

- chain game (Linguistic intelligence) (Unit 9, lesson 1)

- guessing words (Linguistic Intelligence) (Unit 9, lesson 1)

- singing (Musical intelligence) (Unit 9, lesson 5)

- whispering game (Unit 10, lesson 1)

- presenting (Linguistic intelligence) (Unit 10, lesson 5)

Moreover, some other activities that did not belong to dominant intelligences

were also used such as: group working (Interpersonal intelligence) (Unit 10, lesson 5), and silently reading (Intrapersonal intelligence) (Unit 8, lesson 5)

b Procedures of the in-class lessons

In order to help young learners to recall English vocabulary, all the in-classlessons contained the great effort of the researcher

At the first step, the teacher tried to activate young learners’ intelligences viavarious types of the warm up activities at the beginning of all the lessons Forexample, in Unit 9, lesson 1 (APPENDIX 5), visual intelligence and linguisticintelligence were awakened Teacher raised colorful flashcards or pictures (toawaken visual intelligence) to attract students Students were supposed to speak outthe words when they saw the flashcards Furthermore, with those words, the teacherlet young learners play the guessing word game (to awaken linguistic intelligence).After that, the new lesson was leaded in, with the maintained basic content as in theclass book

In the consolidation section, the teacher always inserted composing activities(composing a story, writing the sentences) Because of the notion that single wordreflects nothing, these activities allowed students to use the vocabulary inmeaningful context

During the researching period of time, the lessons plans were made andupdated accordingly with the daily observation Right after young learners finishedall three units, the researcher delivered post-test (APPENDIX 3) to evaluatestudents’ achievement They were supposed to do the test well after they got access

to a new approach – learning through activities based on their dominantintelligences

3.2.4 Evaluating

The results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively in step 4

About the quantitative data, the analysis was carried out right after 29 younglearners did the post-test at the end of the project Students’ scores of the two tests –pre-test and post-test were categorized and then analyzed with the support of certaintools The results of both pre-test and post-test were analyzed to figure out to whatextent the activities based on Multiple Intelligence Theory contribute to learners’results The researcher took a close look at the descriptive statistics among threedifferent levels of young learners to see which group made better progress

With qualitative data, the researcher based on the observational data to makecomment on students’ progress during and after the intervening program Theresearcher focused on the students’ improvement in terms of three main aspects:spelling retention, pronunciation retention, and meaning retention

3.2.5 Specifying learning

Finally, in step 5, the study was summed up, how using activities based on

Multiple Intelligences Theory helps to improve young learners’ intention of Englishvocabulary was stated Moreover, the findings were compared with the previousstudies to make the further implementation

3.3 Participants

3.3.1 Students

The study is carried out through 2 months in the second semester of the schoolyear 2018-2019 with the young learners in an English Center in Hanoi City,Vietnam

29 students, aged 9-10, are selected as the targeted population of the research.These students come from different schools in Hanoi Among these students, someare quick on the uptake, and they make rapid progress However, there are someothers who are not After a teaching period of time, the researcher can classifyyoung learners into three main groups based on their studying levels: Averagestudents, Pretty Good students, and Good students

The reasons for the mentioned population selection are their characteristicswhich are best suitable for the research’s purposes These characteristics arepresented as follows Firstly, vocabulary scores in the previous semester wererelatively slow The research realizes that there is a need to help students toimprove the situation Moreover, they all follow the same syllabus and teachingmaterials in the course For those reasons, the demand for supporting intervene isundeniably necessary.

3.3.2 Teachers

Two teachers were interviewed to compare the two tests (pre-and post-tests) ingeneral in terms of content, the number of items and the level of difficulty Both ofthem are teachers at the chosen English center and are well-acquainted with the tests

as test takers before being interviewed

In addition to the piloting of pre-and post-tests to a group of students beforethe project to ensure both tests are parallel, the tests were piloted to two teacherswith the aim of intensifying the validity and reliability of both tests Although theyparticipate in the study indirectly, their role is relatively crucial to achieve the finalresults

3.4 Data Collection

In this research, both qualitative and quantitative approaches are employed.There are two research instruments: pre- and post - tests and teacher’s observation.The former instrument measure learners’ vocabulary The latter is used to see howlearners’ reaction to the new approach

3.4.1 Pre- and post-tests

The researcher used pre-test and post-test to measure the retention of younglearners Pre-test was the scale to help teacher to figure out the level of students’vocabulary before the intervention The researcher could directly base on the result

of the test to observe the progress of students After the intervention, post-test mightplay a crucial role to measure young learners’ retention of vocabulary Obviously, if

students gained higher mark, it would prove the better progress because the test wasfocused on different aspects of vocabulary

Theoretically, a pre- and post-test design requires that the researcher collectsdata about participants’ level of performance before the intervention takes place,and that the researcher collects the same data after the intervention takes place Thepre- and post-test design allows researchers to make inferences on the effect of theintervention by looking at the differences between the pre- and post-test results Forthis reason, the study’s design of pre- and post-tests will be based on the followingsteps:

The students are delivered the two tests (one at the beginning of the projectand one at the end of the project) The two tests are pre-tested and checked carefully

by two teachers before being delivered to all learners

Complete the words

Write the words

Match the words with their definitions

Number of the

items of each

section

Complete thewords Write the words.

Match the wordswith theirdefinitions

3.4.2 Teacher’s observation

As mentioned above, teacher’s observation plays a crucial role in thisresearch All observation sheets allow the researcher to direct the action planappropriately

The observation sheet contains three main sections: input/ activities in class,outcomes of young learners, and suggestions for later improvement In the

Activities/ Input section, the researcher listed out activities related to each

intelligence and recorded whether students were interested in or not After that, in

the Outcome section, the researcher recorded students’ ability in terms of

pronunciation, spelling and composition More details could be added in this section

about each individual’s mistakes The suggestion part was used the necessary

changes in the lesson plan or in-class activities

When observing students in class, the researcher was supposed to figure outwhat activities interest young learners and what do not The adjustment should beoccurred immediately

3.5 Data Collection Instruments

This research resulted from the necessity to improve young learners’ retention

of English vocabulary, the researcher uses activities based on Multiple IntelligenceTheory by Howard Gardner to report whether learners improve their vocabularyretention or not The data is collected throughout the process from the survey(before the study is conducted), vocabulary test (pre-test and post-test), andteacher’s observation

3.5.1 Classroom Observation

In order to have the basic concept about young learners’ attitude, at the firststep, the researcher observed students’ performance directly in the class.Observation (watching what people do) would seem to be an obvious method ofcarrying out this research The teacher noted how young learners reacted in mostlessons (to what extent they find the activities interesting, boring), what activitiesthey prefer to join in at break time together (APPENDIX 4)

From the first week of the course, the teacher took notes of how students reacttoward the activities based on Multiple Intelligence approach in order to identify the