Sử dụng sơ đồ tư duy để giúp sinh viên ở Trường Trung cấp Nông Lâm Thanh Hóa tái sử dụng từ vựng

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES ********* LƯU VĂN HẬU USING MIND MAPPING TO HELP STUDENTS AT TH

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES

*********

LƯU VĂN HẬU

USING MIND MAPPING TO HELP STUDENTS AT THANH HOA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY RECYCLE

VOCABULARY

(SỬ DỤNG SƠ ĐỒ TƯ DUY ĐỂ GIÚP SINH VIÊN Ở TRƯỜNG TRUNG CẤP

NÔNG LÂM THANH HÓA TÁI SỬ DỤNG TỪ VỰNG)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

HANOI – 2013

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES

*********

LƯU VĂN HẬU

USING MIND MAPPING TO HELP STUDENTS AT THANH HOA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY RECYCLE

VOCABULARY

(SỬ DỤNG SƠ ĐỒ TƯ DUY ĐỂ GIÚP SINH VIÊN Ở TRƯỜNG TRUNG CẤP

NÔNG LÂM THANH HÓA TÁI SỬ DỤNG TỪ VỰNG)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Supervisor: Đỗ Bá Quí, MEd

HANOI – 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration.………

Acknowledgements ………

Abstract………

Table of contents……….………

Abbriviations………

List of table and charts……… …

Part A: INTRODUCTION ……….…

1 Rationale of the study ……….…………

2 Aims and objectives of the study………

3 Research questions………

4 Scope of the study………

5 Methods of the study ……… ………

6 Design of the study……….………

Part B: DEVELOPMENT ……….………

Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ……….…… …………

1.1 Mind mapping……….……… ……….…

1.1.1 Definition of mind mapping……….………… ………….……

1.1.2 Characteristics of mind mapping……….……….…

1.2 The Birth of mind mapping……….…….………

1.3 How to create mind mapping……….……….….….………

1.3.1 Steps to create mind mapping……….……… ……

1.3.2 The three A‟s of mind mapping……….…… ….……

1.3.3 Mind map laws……….……….………

1.3.3.1 The laws of technique……….……….… …………

1.3.3.2 The laws of layout ……….……….…… …………

1.4 The application of mind mapping in some aspects……….………

1.4.1 The application of mind mapping in teaching foreign language…… …

i

ii iii

iv vii viii

1

2

2

2

2

2

3

4

4

4

4

5

5

7

7

10

11

11

14

14

14

iv

1.4.2 The application of mind mapping in teaching English vocabulary ……

1.4.3 The application of mind mapping in self-analysis……….…… …

1.5 Summary………… ……….………

CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY ………….……….……… ……

2.1 A brief introduction to THCAF and the teaching and learning of English ………

2.1.1 The college……….……….……….……

2.1.2 The teachers of English……….……….……….……

2.1.3 The students……….……….……….……

2.1.4 The course-book “Lifelines - Elementary” ……….……….………

2.2 Methods of the Study……… …………

2.2.1 Piloting the application of MM strategies in helping students at THCAF recycle vocabulary – Using “Lifelines-Elementary”……… …………

2.2.1.1 Three chosen parts in the course-book “Lifelines - Elementary” ……

2.2.1.2 Class procedures……….……… ……

2.2.1.3 Participants………….……….… ……

2.2.1.4 Data collection instruments………….….……….…………

2.2.1.4.1 Questionnaires……… ……….………

2.2.1.4.2 Interviews……….……… ……….……

2.2.1.5 Data analysis procedures……….…….……….………

2.3 Summary……….…………

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ……… …………

3.1 Student Questionnaire………… …….……….………

3.1.1 The students‟ opinions about applying MM to recycle vocabulary…

3.1.2 Students‟ feedbacks on the use of MM in recycling vocabulary…… …

3.1.3 Would you like to recycle vocabulary with MM any longer?

3.1.4 Students‟ opinions about advantages, difficulties when using MM to recycle vocabulary and their suggestions ….………….……….…………

3.2 Interviews ….……….……….……….…….….……….…

17

19

21

22

22

22

22

23

23

24

24

25

25

28

28

28

29

29

30

31

31

31

32

33

33

34

v

3.3 Summary ………

Part C: CONCLUSION……….……….………

1 Conclusions……….……….………….……….………

2 Limitations of the study……….……….….………

3 Suggestions for further study……….………

3.1 To the teachers of English….……….….………

3.2 To the students ….……….….……….….…………

References….……….….……….……….…………

Appendices….……….….……….….……… …

34

35

35

35

35

36

36

37

I

vi

ABBRIVIATIONS

MM: Mind mapping

THCAF: Thanh Hoa College of Agriculture and Forestry

BOIs: Basic Ordering Ideas

vii

LIST OF TABLE AND CHARTS

Part A: INTRODUCTION

This part includes rationale of the study, aims and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the study, methods of the study and design of the study

1 Rationale of the study

To satisfy the social demand for English competence, more and more people are learning English nowadays and in many colleges or universities English has been chosen as one of the basic compulsory subjects English learners at colleges or universities have a diverse background of English because they come from different provinces in Vietnam

Vocabulary is an important element in second language acquisition By learning new words, learners can enhance their listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as improve comprehension and production in second language Wilkins (1972) emphasizes the importance of vocabulary as “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” Although students‟ English level is not homogenous, they have a common difficulty

in recycling English vocabulary Indeed, many students do not have the habits of recording their vocabulary in the same place and do not know how to organize them effectively Unfortunately, their English teachers do not pay sufficient attention to teaching them strategies to organize vocabulary for the belief that it is the duty of the students at home As organizing to recycle vocabulary is one of the main problems faced by Vietnamese learners of English, each teacher should find effective methods of organizing vocabulary and introduce them to students Moreover, which method should be introduced to students is really a challenge for English teachers at Colleges? Nowadays, there are a number of vocabulary organizing methods in which teachers can teach students to store vocabulary and develop their own strategies to remember vocabulary Mind mapping is believed to

be one of the techniques or activities which can be used in recycling vocabulary

effectively For all the reasons mentioned above, I have decided to choose Using

1

mind mapping (MM) to help students at Thanh Hoa college of Agriculture and Forestry (THCAF) recycle vocabulary as my topic of my MA thesis

2 Aims and objectives of the study

The first purpose of this study is to involve a review on the notion of MM and its applications to teaching a foreign language in teaching English vocabulary

The second purpose is to involve a mini-experiment in which I exploit the insights of MM to help students at THCAF recycle vocabulary effectively, using the course-book the college is currently using; then in order to get to know how effective MM is to recycle vocabulary, a small research is conducted to obtain the opinions from the students at THCAF

3 Research questions

In order to address the aims of the study, the following research questions are raised for exploration:

1 What are the applications of MM to teach English vocabulary?

2 How is MM used to help students at THCAF recycle vocabulary effectively?

4 Scope of the study

Given in the aims set in 2 and the research questions raised above for exploration in 3, the study cannot cover all aspects of vocabulary learning vocabulary Through this study, I would like to apply for students at THCAF in the framework of the thesis, I would focus on the way to apply Mind Mapping in recycling English vocabulary

5 Methods of the study

In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, the study was limited to only the first year non-major students of THCAF These 60 students belong to two classes (CN52A1 and TT52A1) First, MM was applied in the existing classes, and then students were given questionnaires that they can write down their ideas about this new teaching method Interviews with the students were conducted to get more information to support the study The data were recorded both formally and informally

2

6 Design of the study

This study is divided as follows:

Part A: Introduction

In this part, I would like to give out the rationale and the aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope, the methods and the organization to do this thesis Part B: Development

Chapter 1: Literature Review

This chapter focuses on some basic knowledge of MM in general and MM in teaching vocabulary in particular

Chapter 2: The Study describes the method based on study carried out with the description of participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedures and analysis procedures It also gives a brief introduction to THCAF and teaching and learning English, English teachers, students and the course-book (Lifeline-Elementary) that the college is currently using Besides, in this chapter, it attempts

to describe in detail three places where vocabulary is recycled for the students at THCAF, using the course-book “Lifelines- Elementary”

Chapter 3: Data Analysis and Findings arrive at a preliminary confirmation about the effectiveness of MM in helping students recycle vocabulary; a questionnaire is designed to obtain students‟ opinions When there is some doubt about the results

of the questionnaire, an informal interview is conducted

Part C: Conclusion

In this chapter, I would like to give an overview of what have been said in the paper

as well as some of my own comments

3

Part B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, four theoretical backgrounds about mind mapping will be introduced, they are mind mapping, the birth of mind mapping, how to create mind mapping and the application of mind mapping in some aspects

1.1 Mind Mapping

1.1.1 The Definition of Mind Mapping

Your brain is a super bi-o computer that dwarfs any machine on the market

If you understand how it works and how to work with it, you can employ and enjoy astonishing powers of learning, memory, concentration, and creativity in planning and structuring thought on at levels This chapter would provide a comprehensive operating manual for all who want to use their brains to their fullest potential That

is called Mind Mapping, so what is it?

Different scholars have different definitions From encyclopedia website, wikipedia.org, a Mind Map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radically around a central key word or idea Mind Maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas and as an aid in study, organization, problem-solving, decision making and writing

This is a simple explanation which does not cover the detail of word Therefore, to understand more about the meaning of this word, we should see the explanation of Mind Mapping‟s Buzan, the memory expert

According to Buzan (2000) in “The mind map book”, Mind Mapping is defined that The Mind Map is an expression of Radiant Thinking and is, therefore, a natural function of the human mind It is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlocking the potential of the brain The mind Map can

be applied to every aspect of life where improved learning and clearer thinking will enhance human performance

4

Mind Maps may be enhanced and enriched with color, pictures, codes and dimension to add interest, beauty and individuality These in turn aid creativity, memory and specially the recall of information

Mind Maps help you to make a distinction between your mental storage capacity, which your Mind Map will help you demonstrate, and your mental storage efficiency, which your Mind Map will help you achieve Storing data efficiently multiplies your capacity It is like the difference between a well-packed or badly warehouse, or a library with or without an ordering system

1.1.2 Characteristics of Mind Mapping

According to Buzan and (2000) in “The mind map book”, the Mind Map has four essential characteristics:

a) The subject of attention is crystallized in a central image

b) The central themes of the subjects radiate from the central image as

branches

c) Branches comprise a key image or key word printed on an associated

line Topics of lesser importance are also represented as branches attached to higher level branches

d) The branches form a connected nodal structure

1.2 The Birth of Mind Mapping

Mind maps (or similar concepts) have been used for centuries in learning, brainstorming, memory, visual thinking, and problem solving by educators, engineers, psychologists, and others Some of the earliest examples of mind maps were developed by Porphyry of Tyros, a noted thinker of the 3rd century, as he graphically visualized the concept categories of Aristotle Philosopher Lull (1235 - 1315) also used mind maps

The semantic network was developed in the late 1950s as a theory to understand human learning and developed into mind maps by Collins and Ross Quillian during the early 1960s Due to his commitment and published research, and

5

his work with learning, creativity, and graphical thinking, Collins can be considered the father of the modern mind map

British popular psychology author Buzan claims to have invented modern mind mapping How did Buzan invent Mind Mapping?

In Buzan‟s second year at university, he strode purposefully into library, and asked the librarian where he could find a book on his brain and how to use it She immediately directed him to the medical section of the library He left the library in astonishment

When he explained that he did not wish to operate on his brain, but to use it,

he was politely informed that there were no such books

As he walked away from the library that day, he realized that the „problem‟

of not being able to find the books he needs was actually a blessing in disguise For

if such books were not available, and then he had happened upon virgin territory of the most staggering importance

He began to study area of knowledge he felt would help shed light on the basic questions:

 What is the nature of his thinking?

 What are the best techniques for creative thinking?

 What are the best current techniques for reading?

 What are the best current techniques for thinking in general?

technique?

As a consequence of these questions, he began to study psychology, the neuro-physiology of the brain, semantics, neuro-linguistics, information theory, memory and mnemonic techniques, perception, creative thinking and the general sciences Gradually he realized that the human brain functioned more effectively if

6

its various physical aspects and intellectual skills were allowed to work harmoniously with each other, rather than being divided

The tiniest things produced the most significant and satisfying results For example, simply combining the two cortical skills of words and colours trans-improved his note-taking The simple addition of two colours to his notes improved his memory of those notes by more than 100 per cent, and perhaps even more importantly, made him begin to enjoy what he was doing

By the early 1970s artificial intelligence had arrived and he could buy a megabyte computer and with that computer he could receive a 1,000-page operating manual Yet, in our supposedly advanced stage of civilization, human was all coming into the world with the most astoundingly complex bio-computer, quadrillions of times more powerful than any known computer, and where were our operating manuals?

It was then that he decided to write a series of books based on his research:

An Encyclopedia of the Brain and Its Use He started in 1971, and as he did so the image on the horizon became ever clearer – it was the growing concept of Radiant Thinking and Mind Mapping

In the early stages of its development, he envisaged Mind Mapping being used primarily for memory However, over months of debate, his brother Barry convinced him that creative thinking was equally important of this technique

Barry has been working on the theory of Mind Mapping from a very different perspective, and his contribution enormously accelerated Buzan‟s development of the Mind Mapping Process

Mind mapping was first introduced all over the world in spring, 1974 Nowadays, more and more people use Radiant thinking and Mind Mapping

1.3 How to Create Mind Mapping

1.3.1 Steps to Create Mind Mapping

There are many ways to create Mind Mapping The steps below are based on Buzan‟s structure

7

 Step one: the subject of attention

The subject of attention is central to the Mind Map

Use an all-encompassing term, area of work or concept rather than one that is too narrow or specific

It is best to use some kind of picture to help do recall of information For example:

Surrounding the subject of attention are the basic ordering ideas (main braches) They are the key concepts or terms within which a host of other concepts can be organized

Do not use phrases: use single descriptive words (where possible)

The basic ordering ideas should extend far enough from your central image

to avoid over-crowding the page and confusing information

Ideally, picture should be used to represent themes and concepts

It helps if the braches are different colours or shapes

The braches should be:

For example:

The branches are categories within the basic ordering ideas They will contain subordinate sub-categories

They should be coloured You may find it helpful to use different shades of the colour used for the main branches

Continue to label in bold, colourful lettering

Continue using simple images to represent concepts and to make sense of your Mind Map

Your completed Mind Map should be:

For example:

1.3.2 The Three A’s of Mind Mapping

In many ancient Eastern cultures, master teacher traditionally gave new students only three basic instructions: “obey”, “cooperate”, and “diverge” Each of these instructions characterized a specific learning stage

The Mind Mapping equivalents of these three instructions are the three „A‟s:

„ACCEPT‟, „APPLY‟, „ADAPT‟

 Accept: means that, in the first stage, you should set aside any

pre-conceptions you may have about your mental limitations, and follow the Mind

Mapping laws exactly, imitating the models given as precisely as you can

At this point, you create a minimum of 100 Mind Maps to develop your personal Mind Mapping style Mind maps should be used for all aspects of your note-taking and note-making until you feel them to be an entirely natural way of organizing

your thoughts

10

 Adapt: refers to the ongoing development of your Mind Mapping skills

Having practiced several hundred Mind Maps, this is the time to experiment and

develop your Mind Mapping style further

1.3.3 Mind Maps Laws

The Mind Mapping laws are intended to increase, rather than restrict, your mental freedom It is important not to confuse order with rigidity or freedom The Mind Map laws will help you do exactly this They are divided into 2 groups: the laws of technique and the laws of layout

1.3.3.1 The Laws of Technique

Use emphasis

Emphasis is one of the major in improving and creating The laws below are able to help you to achieve maximum and appropriate emphasis in your Mind Mapping

attracts you, it pleases you and it draws your attention to itself

possible helps you to improve your visual perception

and creativity They add life to your images and make it more attractive

“stand out”, and whatever stands out is more easily remembered and communicated

 Use physical senses: Physical senses add elements of sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, movement

11

 Use variations of size of printing, line and image: Variation in size is the best way of indicating the relative importance of items hierarchy Expanded size adds emphasis, thereby increasing the probability of recall

 Use organized spacing: Organized spacing increases the clarity of the image

item gives your Mind Mapping order and structure

Use association

Association is the other major factor in improving memory and creativity Having established your central image and your Basic Ordering Ideas, the power of association can take your brain into the depths of any subject

 Use arrows when you want to make connections within and across the branch pattern: Arrows guide your eyes to connect one part of a Mind Map with another They can be straight, curved, single or many- headed They also give spatial direction to your thoughts

specific areas of your Mind Map will give you faster access to the information, will improve your memory of the information and will increase the number and range of your creative ideas

 Use codes: Colour codes and symbols can be used to help the brain access information more quickly and clearly, by making connections between various parts of the map Codes could include circles, dots, crosses, underlinings or triangles

Be clear

Obscurity of phrase or writing will hinder the associative process

12

 Use only one key word per line: Each individual word has thousands of possible associations Placing one per line gives you associational freedom, like giving a limb extra joints Important phrases are not lost

 Print all words: This encourages brevity, and because their shape is more defined, it allows better association

 Print key words on lines: The line gives structure and organization

 Make line length equal to word length: This laws makes it easier to place words near each other, this facilitating association In addition, the space saved enables you to include more information in your Mind Map

 Make major branches (basic ordering ideas) connect to the central concept/image: This encourages the brain to connect your thoughts Thicker line signal relative importance

 Make boundaries around each branch line: This can assist the memory

of those associated ideas These shapes can themselves become pictures, and have mnemonic qualities

 Place paper horizontally in front of you: Landscape is rather than portrait It is easier to read and give more freedom to draw Use upright printing so

it is easy to read

 Make your image as clear as possible: This encourages clarity of thought

13

1.3.3.2 The Technique of Layout

This technique is based on Buzan‟s attitude:

Ordering Idea enormously enhances the power of your brain

such as a speech, an essay or an examination answer, you will want to communicate

your thoughts in a specific order, whether chronological or in order of importance

To do this, you can simply number the branches in the desired order, even allotting the appropriate time or emphasis to each branch if necessary Letters of alphabet can be used rather than numbers if you prefer Another way, the use of order will result in more logical, thought

1.4 The Application of Mind Mapping in Some Aspects

1.4.1 The Application of Mind Mapping in Teaching

Teaching is arguably one of the most important professions in our society because teachers are responsible for that most treasured of all resources Using Mind Mapping in the lesson is very useful The teacher can use Mind Maps in a number of practical ways to make teaching and learning easier and more enjoyable The teacher can apply Mind Mapping in his (or her) teaching through many ways

The most useful way to use Mind Maps is as lecture notes Preparing a lecture in Mind Map form is much faster than writing it out and has the big advantage of allowing the lecturer and the student to keep an overview of the whole subject at all times A Mind Mapped lecture is easy to update from year to year without becoming messy and its mnemonic qualities mean that a brief overview before the lecture quickly brings the topic right back into focus Because the lecture‟s own knowledge will evolve the same Mind Map will trigger quite different lectures if used from year to year This avoids the tedium of stale lecture notes without requiring any extra work It makes lecturing more fun and more interesting for both the lecture and the students

14

If Mind Mapping is used as framework for lecturing, it enables the speaker to hold a perfect balance between a spontaneously spoken and fresh talk, on the one hand, and a clear and well-structured presentation on the other It allows accurate time-keeping during the lecture or if the allowed time changes for some reason, it allows the speaker edit to adjust the talk to a greater or lesser length as required This editing function can also be very useful if some new information becomes available just before the lecture

The Mind Map can be used to give the teacher an overview of the whole year‟s study programme, showing the term divisions and the type of lessons to be year‟s study programme, showing the term divisions and the type of lessons to be given

teacher, it organizes the order of events for the lesson, lists the equipment required and highlights the objectives of the lesson The class "Argumentative Debate" brainstorm results are below

15

Example 1 (Source: http://www.novamind.com)

For example 2: This Mind Map is a language lesson for a group of non-native

English-speakers by the teacher, Charles La Fond

16

Example 2 (Source: http://www.mindmapbook.com)

1.4.2 The Application of Mind Mapping in teaching English vocabulary

in the 1990s as an aid to activate prior knowledge on a certain topic and help learners to organize and recall items of vocabulary When being used to activate prior knowledge, the teacher asks learners what they know about a certain topic and the learners brainstorm associations which the teacher writes on the board creating a collective map When being used for vocabulary acquisition, teachers first ask learners to brainstorm items of vocabulary associated with a certain topic and then

17

learners are asked to create their own maps instead of the more traditional approach

of creating glossaries with new vocabulary

A Mind Map consists of picture, symbol, color that will not only help the students to understand the meanings of vocabulary but also makes the student feel enjoyable, attract their brain to memorize vocabulary for a long time

The examples below will describe how MM can help students learn vocabulary (See example 3)

By using Mind Mapping in the example 3, students not only learn the meaning of the word “health” but also know different new vocabulary related to the topic “health” In fact, it usually takes a lot of effort to remember words and sentences; whereas when we visualize them, they automatically pop up in our mind when we try to remember them Of course, it is possible to learn by hearing or remembering but it is much easier to lean when we visualize and associate because these techniques suit the way our mind works

18

Example 3 (Source: http://www.mindmapart.com)

1.4.3 The Application of Mind Mapping in Self-Analysis

After graduating, whether you are thinking what kind of jobs you are suitable for you or you are trying to work out your long-term priorities Mind Maps can be

an enormous help in clarifying your thoughts and feelings

Because a Mind Map will help you to give a comprehensive reflection of the self, having seen this clear image of yourself, you are less likely to suffer the unhappy consequences of making decisions that go against your nature and your real needs There are 4 major steps:

19

 Prepare of your environment: before you begin, you need prepare your environment Your environment should be attractive, comfortable and mentally stimulating as possible

Then do a quick-fire Mind Map burst, allowing a full and free flow of facts, thoughts and emotions Working at speed will make it easier to express all your ideas, whereas attempting to be too neat and careful is likely to inhibit the spontaneous truthfulness needed for such exercise

 Reconstructions and revision: Now select your major branches or Basic Ordering Ideas (BOIs) Useful BOIs can be your history, strong sides, weak sides, hobbies, long-term goals, experience, health, ambitious, knowledge … After that, you should create a larger, more artistic and more considered version This final Mind Map is the mirror reflecting yourself

decisions and plan your future actions

For example 4: Map out your life purpose, and how the different parts of your life

relate to each other Map out the different areas like hobbies, like, friends… For

each area, identify what you would like to be, do and have

20

Example 4 (Source: http://www.mindmapart.com)

1.5 Summary

In this chapter, I have supplied an overview of MM as a teaching model At the first stage, an overview of MM was presented with its definitions, and its birth Next are the steps to create a MM Lastly, the application of Mind Mapping in teaching foreign language, the application of Mind Mapping in teaching English vocabulary and the application of Mind Mapping in self-analysis is presented with some clear examples

21

Chapter 2: THE STUDY

In this chapter, the question of how to use MM to help students at THCAF recycle vocabulary will be concerned It will begin with a brief introduction to THCAF and the teaching and learning of English, THCAF English teachers, students at THCAF and the English course-book that college is currently using Methods of the study concludes “piloting the application of MM strategies in helping students at THCAF recycle vocabulary – Using “Lifelines-Elementary”” by a detailed description of three chosen parts where vocabulary is taught, using MM model, “class procedures”, “participants”, then it will present “data collection instruments”, “data analysis procedures”

2.1 A Brief Introduction to THCAF and the Teaching and Learning of English

2.1.1 The College

THCAF is situated in Dan Quyen commune, Trieu Son district, Thanh Hoa province It is a training institution under Thanh Hoa Service of Agriculture and Rural Development It concludes 4 departments: Economics Department, Grow Trees and Plants Department, Breed and Veterinary Medicine Department and Forestry Deparment Its function and tasks are to training technical staff for the whole of Thanh Hoa province, especially 7 mountainous districts After graduating, they can apply agricultural and rural development contributing to the industrialization and modernization of the countryside

2.1.2 The Teachers of English

Because of not many students, there are only 4 English teachers aged from

33 to 38 at THCAF, however, none of them have ever been to an English speaking country Three of them graduated in service-training from Faculty of English, Vinh

22

University One of them graduated from Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University None of them are M.A of English Most of the teachers have been teaching English for over 7 years and have acquired certain pedagogical competence However, the method of teaching, which is applied by all of the teachers at THCAF, is a very traditional one, the Grammar Translation Method Other methods are not applied

2.1.3 The Students

Because of its particularity, Most of students of THCAF come from mountainous and remote areas They are from 18 to 25 years old; especially they do not have the same level of English language proficiency Some of them have never learnt English before, some have learnt English for 3 years and some have learnt English for 7 years at secondary and high schools Most of them can remember a little grammar, not speaking, writing and listening skill Besides, their vocabulary is very poor, so it is hard for them to express their ideas in speaking as well as writing and they can not understand what they hear Therefore, the way of presenting vocabulary is very important for them; it may help them use vocabulary effectively

2.1.4 The Course-book “Lifelines-Elementary”

The course-book currently used for the students at THCAF is the Elementary written by Tom Hutchinson The main aim of teaching English in this course-book is to provide students with background knowledge of general English for daily communication and social text comprehension This course-book is divided into fourteen topic-based units presenting and practicing vocabulary and grammar, as well as developing the four language skills After every two units, there is an extension to check the learnt knowledge There are often five parts in a unit namely grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing, listening and speaking and

Lifelines-pronunciation As for Vocabulary, it is designed according to topics; it means that

there are fourteen topics corresponding with fourteen units as follows:

23