A study on english vocabulary learning strategies exploited by the second year students of different learning style preferences at school of law, VNU

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES --- NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG A STUDY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNIN

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-

NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG

A STUDY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES EXPLOITED BY THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES AT SCHOOL OF LAW,

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

(Nghiên cứu các phương pháp học từ vựng tiếng Anh của sinh viên năm hai thuộc các nhóm phong cách học khác nhau ở Khoa Luật, ĐHQGHN)

M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

HANOI - 2015

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-

NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG

A STUDY ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES EXPLOITED BY THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES AT SCHOOL OF LAW,

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

(Nghiên cứu các phương pháp học từ vựng tiếng Anh của sinh viên năm hai thuộc các nhóm phong cách học khác nhau ở Khoa Luật, ĐHQGHN)

M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Ph.D Nguyễn Văn Độ

HANOI - 2015

DECLARATION

I hereby, certify the thesis entitled “A study on vocabulary learning strategies exploited by second-year students of different learning styles at School of Law, Vietnam National University” is a presentation of my original research work Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature, and acknowledgement of collaborative research and discussions The work was done under the guidance of Assoc Prof PhD Nguyễn Văn Độ The research was approved by the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Hanoi, 2015

Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang

Besides, I would like to send my sincere thanks to the teachers and year students at SOL, VNU who do me a great deal of favor for their participations

second-in the conduct of my survey questionnaire and second-interviews Without their precious help, this study would not have been completed

I also owe a great debt of gratitude to my grandmother, my parents, my parents-in-law and my baby-sitter who constantly encouraged me and helped me take care of my little daughter during the time I conducted this study

Last but not least, never enough thanks are sent to my husband – Nguyen Ba Tuong, who always stood by my side, suffered from my moody feelings and lent me his hands whenever I was in need during the implementation of this study

ABSTRACT

This study aims at exploring vocabulary learning strategies employed by the second-year students of different learning styles at School of Law, VNU In addition, the research paper suggested several possible ways to help students better their vocabulary learning strategies which are more likely to fit their learning styles.The data collection tools used in this study included survey questionnaires and interviews Then the findings were coded and analyzed by both quantitative and qualitative methods The major findings of the study showed that most second-year students at SOL, VNU preferred visual learning style; ranking second was auditory learning style; and the fewest number of students was found to prefer kinesthetic learning style Besides, the study also denoted the most common VLS exploited by each learning style For instance, visual learners and auditory learners shared the similar preference for using memory strategies to learn English vocabulary while metacognitive strategies were most in favor by kinesthetic learners Based on the findings of the study, some pedagogical implications for both teachers and students were withdrawn along with recommended suggestions for further research

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

Declaration……….……….i

Acknowledgements.………ii

Abstract……… …iii

List of charts, tables & abbreviations vi

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale 1

2 Aims and research questions……… 3

3 Significance…… 3

4 Scope……… 4

5 Methods………… 4

6 Structure of the study……… ……… 6

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 1 Key terms……….7

1.1 Learning style preferences (LSP)……… ………7

1.1.1 Definitions……… 7

1.1.2 Classifications……… …….8

1.1.3 Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences……… 10

1.1.4 Advantages of understanding individual LSP ………11

1.2 Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS)…….……… ……… 12

1.2.1 Definitions……… ……… 12

1.2.2 Classifications… ,……… ………14

1.2.3 Advantages of using appropriate VLS……… …… 20

1.3 The distinction between LSP and VLS………21

2 An overview of related studies……….……… … 22

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY 1 Design of the study………26

2 Setting of the study……… ……….26

3 Participants and participant selection method………27

4 Data collection instruments………28

4.1 Perceptual learning style preference questionnaire … 28

4.2 Strategy inventory for vocabulary learning……… ….30

4.3 Semi-structured interview……… ………32

5 Data collection procedure……… ………33

6 Data analysis methods……… ……34

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION 1 Answer of research question 1………….……… 35

2 Answer of research question 2……… ………36

3 Answer of research question 3……… …56

PART C: CONCLUSION 1 Recapitulations……….……….…………59

2 Conclusion……….60

3 Pedagogical implications……… ………61

4 Contributions of the study……… 62

5 Limitations of the study……… ……… 63

6 Suggestions for further studies……….……… 64

REFERENCES………65 APPENDICES………I

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LIST OF CHARTS, TABLES & ABBREVIATIONS

List of charts

Chart 1: Preferred learning styles of second-year students at SOL, VNU

Chart 2: Percentage of overall strategies used by visual learners

Chart 3: Percentage of overall strategies used by auditory learners

Chart 4: Percentage of overall strategies used by kinesthetic learners

List of tables

Table i: Definitions of language learning strategies

Table ii: Structured and unstructured approach to vocabulary learning by Sanaoui

(1995)

Table iii: Gu & Johnson’s classification of VLS (1996)

Table iv: Schmitt’s taxonomy of VLS (1997)

Table 1: Descriptive statistics of strategies used by visual learners in

Table 11: Descriptive statistics of strategies used by auditory learners in cognitive Table 12: Descriptive statistics of strategies used by auditory learners in

SOL, VNU: School of Law, Vietnam National University

LSP: Learning style preferences

VLS: Vocabulary learning strategies

VAK: Visual – Auditory – Kinesthetic (Model)

ELT: English Language Teaching

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PART A: INTRODUCTION

This first part states the problem and the rationale of the study, together with the general aims, objectives and the scope of the study as a whole Most importantly, it is in this chapter that the research questions are identified to work as clear guidelines for the whole research

1 Rationale

As a matter of fact, English has recently become one of the most popular languages in the world According to the statistics of Graddol (1997) in the

publication named “The future of English”, there is a remarkable rise in the number

of English users and this number is likely to reach two billion in the next decade

Vietnam, in the process of integrating into the world, also identifies the importance of learning and teaching English in order to educate the adequate number of English users for this integration process However, in the last twenty years, effective and innovative English teaching methods at Vietnamese schools were mostly taken for granted and teachers were seen to focus on teaching test-oriented skills In addition, these English tests generally put the emphasis on English grammar only There is hardly any doubt that the most popular teaching method then was grammar-translation On the contrary, nowadays, communication has become the main purpose of English learning with another approach – Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in which four skills of English: speaking, listening, reading and writing are paid as much attention to as grammar

In this context, all member universities of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) have applied CLT into teaching English; and four skills are thoroughly taught To be more highlighted, at this university, excluding English-major students

at Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies, all other students, such

as students at University of Engineering and Technology, University of Economics and Business or School of Law, are required to have the Certificate of English Level

3, which correspondents to B1 level in CEFR -fully-known as the Common European Framework of Reference, at the time of their graduation (Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, 2014)

In fact, it is considered relatively challenging for most students whose majors are not English language skills to get the Certificate of EnglishLevel 3 Moreover, this certificate is the prerequisite which might put these students under great pressure if they want to graduate from their university As a lecturer of English who

is teaching English for students at School of Law, VNU, the researcher has found out that the majority of students there have been confronting with a number of difficulties in mastering their English language proficiency at Level 3 Among those hardships, inadequacy in lexical knowledge may hinder their proficiency development (Fan, 2003) Apparently, in fact, vocabulary plays a definitely crucial role in a language because they are “the building-blocks” of a language (Thornbury, 2002) Vocabulary learning, consequently, should be taken more care of

According to Laufer (1997), in English vocabulary learning process, there are a number of factors influencing the effectiveness of students’ learning including

objective and subjective factors “Learning style preferences” is mentioned as one

of those In the history of researching in Vietnam, “learning style preferences” is seemingly a novel research area as it can be seen that there have been very few research studies in VNU investigating the relationship between learners’ learning style preferences and their English vocabulary learning strategies

Furthermore, Vietnamese students in general and VNU students in particular are still unaware of their own learning styles; thus, they tend to exploit language learning methods intuitively and somehow ineffectively, which has pressed on the demand for more studies on this field so as to get students more aware of their own learning styles and then find out suitable language learning strategies

For those above-mentioned reasons, the researcher has decided to conduct a study for her M.A thesis on the topic:

“A study on English vocabulary learning strategies exploited by the second year students of different learning style preferences at School of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.”

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2 Aims and research questions

The general aim of this research paper is to explore what English vocabulary learning strategies of second year students of different learning styles at School of Law, VNU are

Specifically, the first objective of the research paper is to classify different learning styles of second-year students at School of Law, VNU in their process of learning English vocabulary The second objective is to find out the most common vocabulary learning strategies exploited by each learning style group during their B1 English course From that, it is expected that the paper can suggest several possible ways to help students better their vocabulary learning strategies which are more likely to fit their learning styles

Overall, the research objectives are to answer the three questions below:

- What are the learning style preferences as perceived by second-year students at School of Law, VNU?

- What are the most common vocabulary learning strategies exploited by each learning style?

- What are the suitable English vocabulary learning strategies for each learning style as recommended by the teachers of English at School of Law, VNU?

3 Significance of the study

When completed, this study would serve as one of the studies on the influences of learning style preferences on the vocabulary learning strategies employed by second-year students at School of Law, VNU Hence, this paper is expected to be useful for students, teachers as well as researchers in ELT

Firstly, as for the second-year students who are attending B1 English course, the researcher hopes that the study will also reveal to them their own learning styles; from that, they may have vocabulary learning strategies which are most suitable to their learning styles so that the vocabulary learning results can be improved

Secondly, the paper might be practical for the teachers who are in charge of teaching B1 English course for English non-major students Specifically, the teachers will probably realize the influences of learning style preferences on their students and then have useful adjustment on vocabulary teaching in class as well as suggesting students following suitable vocabulary self-study strategies so that students will gain more positive results

Last but not least, it is expected that this research paper could help enrich the literature review of the same field

4 Scope of the study

This paper places its focal point on students’ learning style preferences as well as their English vocabulary learning strategies rather than on students’

strategies to learn other languages such as French or Chinese, or other language skills such as speaking or listening These vocabulary learning strategies are

exploited by second-year students at School of Law, VNU who are taking B1

English course and expected to reach English Level 3 after this course

5 Methods of the study

5.1 Data collection methods

The two research instruments the researcher relies on to find out the answer

to those questions are survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview Specifically, the first questionnaire comprising of 30 three-option questions were delivered to 65 second-year students at School of Law, VNU in order to help the researcher discover learning styles of the student participants and then these students into three groups of different learning styles The second questionnaire including 24 questions was used to find out the most and least common vocabulary learning strategies exploited by each group of learning style In addition, a semi-structured interview for three teachers who are currently teaching English for these students was employed so as to quest for the teacher participants’ suggestions about suitable vocabulary learning strategies to each learning style

Regarding the procedure, firstly, the first questionnaire was delivered to 65

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themselves Next, the second questionnaire was distributed to find out the most and least common vocabulary learning strategies used by each learning style Lastly, interviews with three English teachers were held to ask for appropriate vocabulary learning strategies to each learning style as recommended by the teacher participants

5.2 Data analysis methods

After the data has been collected, they are processed with both quantitative and qualitative methods

As for the first questionnaire conducted among students, each choice in each survey is counted and totaled up to recognize the highest frequency From this, each student is categorized into three learning styles, “visual” (if he mostly chooses A),

“auditory” (if he mostly chooses B) and “kinesthetic” (if he mostly chooses C) After that, the questionnaires are summed up to categorize 65 students into three

categories of learning styles

In regards to the second questionnaire, for each student group of learning styles, the number of students’ responses for each learning strategy in different

levels of frequency (from never to very frequently) is analyzed by SPSS program

They are all inserted into a table to show which strategies are most or least commonly used among the students belonging to each group of learning style

Concerning the semi-structured interview conducted with three teachers, the transcript is written first After that, information is synthesized and analyzed in light

of the last research question Specifically, the answers are clearly shown in three parts which are correspondent to three groups of learning styles Each part is divided into two separate subparts: the first one is the teachers’ comments on their students’ ways of learning English vocabulary, and the second is their recommendations on the suitable vocabulary learning strategies to each learning style

6 Structure of the study

This study consists of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion

Part A: Introduction- presents the reasons for carrying out this study,

defines the specific purposes, research questions, the scope of the study and the outline of the study

Part B: Development- consists of 3 chapters:

Chapter 1: Literature Review - provides the theoretical background

needed for the study and reviews some previous studies which is related to the topic

of the study

Chapter 2: Methodology - discusses the methodology for this study and

the procedure for carrying out the research such as the selection of the sample, the data collection procedures, and the data analysis

Chapter 3: Results and Discussion - reports the results of the data analysis

along with the discussion as well as some pedagogical implications

Part C: Conclusion - summarizes the main issues discussed in the paper,

draws out some concluding points from the findings, the contributions and limitations of the research as well as some suggestions for further studies

Following Part C is References listing all reference books or materials The final section of the thesis contains the appendices that show all documents serving this research

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

This second chapter would review the theoretical base of the two crucial

concepts in this paper They are: learning style preferences and vocabulary learning strategies In addition, a quick review of related studies in the same field would also

be described

1 Key terms

1.1 Learning style preferences (LSP)

1.1.1 Definitions

In the history of researching, the definition of learning styles has been raised

by a number of researchers From the last years of the previous century, a definition adopted by leading theorists in the field was given by Keefe (1979) (quoted by Logan & Thomas, 2002),

“Composite of characteristics cognitive, affective and psychological factors that serve

as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts and responds to the environment”

Keefe (1979)

By stating so, Keefe mostly focused on the preferences of learners in one particular learning environment but did not concentrate on information types that learners have to perceive

Among those who studied students’ learning styles, Dunn and Dunn (1992) defined learning styles as the way that “each learner begins to concentrate on, process and remember new and difficult information” In this definition, the researchers, different from Keefe, highlighted “new and difficult information”; however, in the fact of learning, learners still have their own ways of studying when dealing with “old” information

In 1995, Felder & Henriquea, continuing with this topic, gave another definition for learning styles which is the way that “an individual characteristically acquires, retains and retrieves information”

Among above-mentioned definitions, this one was the most comprehensive and did not focus too much on learning environment or type of information perceived Therefore, in this paper, researchers will rely on this definition to be the base of the research

1.1.2 Classifications

As mentioned above, learning style is the field receiving a lot of concern from different researchers; therefore, a number of classifications of learning styles have been raised up to now Although there is a wide acceptance of the concept of learning style in educational psychology, there is, nevertheless, disagreement on how it is classified and measured

According to Kolb et al (1979), there are four basic learning styles:

Converger: who wants to solve a problem and who relies heavily upon

hypothetically deductive reasoning to focus on specific problems

Diverger: who solves problems by viewing situations from many perspectives and

who relies heavily upon brain storming and generation of ideas

Assimilator: who solves problems by inductive reasoning and ability to create the

theoretical models

Accommodator: who solves problems by carrying out plans and experiments and

adapting to specific intermediate circumstances

In this classification, problem solving is the most important criterion which was based on to classify learning styles and different learning style learners are those who have different ways of collecting reasons and carrying out experiments to come to the conclusion However, problem solving is not the only subject for learners but students also have to deal with other kinds of activities such as perceiving new knowledge or revising old information

Gregorc and Butler (1984) categorized learning styles into four models: Concrete, Abstract, Sequential and Random They supposed that every one possesses some natural abilities in each of the models above; however, most people

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perceptual qualities while Sequential and Random are ordering abilities There are four combinations of the strongest perceptual and ordering ability in each person:

Concrete Sequential learners prefer to learn by physical senses; specifically,

their learning preferences are computers, demonstration or guided practice Long lectures might not be suitable to them

Concrete Random learners like learning through simulations, games or

independent study Their favorite learning channels are intuition and errors Structured lessons may make them feel bored and easily get distracted

trials-and-Abstract Sequential learners prefer to learn by their intellect They like

lectures, reading and slide shows whereas they dislike hands-on projects

Abstract Random learners prefer to learn by emotions Short lectures,

media and the arts are their learning preferences while structured assignments and drills are out of their favor

In his book Strategies for Success: A Practical Guide to Learning English

(2004), Brown also gave out his learning style category which was somehow more related to reading He clearly noted that speed should be considered as one

significant learning style and can be divided into reflective (slower reader) and

impulsive (faster thinker and reader) Reflective learners prefer all the words of the

reading passage before going on whereas the latter like making some guesses without the whole understanding Therefore, Brown came to a conclusion when reading a same long text, reflective ones are likely to be more cautious and so slower than impulsive ones

Among various ways of classifying, this theory is quite novel and focuses on the relation between learning styles and reading As a matter of fact, nevertheless,

he just concentrated on the speed of reading learners which is not important enough

to become the main factor to classify different styles of reading

Research done by Reid (1987) has shown that learners have three main perceptual learning channels, also known as three basic learning styles:

“Visual learning – reading, studying charts

Auditory learning – listening to lectures, audiotapes

Kinesthetic learning – experiential learning, that is, total physical involvement with a

learning situation.”

To be more detailed, according to Reid, visual learners learn by seeing because they can only do best with textbooks that contain graphs, photographs and charts whereas auditory learners learn by being read to and by discussing what has been read The auditory learners will also be more likely to be distracted by sounds The third group of learners are kinesthetic ones who enjoy being able to move while learning They may find it very hard to sit still for long periods of time and they really need hands-on experience to fully understand the content of the lesson

Discussing the perceptual learning channels that these three learning styles prefer to reach, Reid added that the visual learner may think in pictures and learns best from visual displays including diagrams, illustrated textbooks, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and handouts During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners tend to take detailed notes to absorb the information Videos can be beneficial for a visual learner as he can see what is going on These learners need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expressions to understand the core issue Meanwhile, auditory learners might learn best through verbal lectures, discussion and listening to what others have to say They interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speech and other nuances These learners often benefit from reading texts aloud and using a tape recorder The last group of learning style preferences, kinesthetic learners, learns best through a hands-on approach by touching or experiencing themselves the physical world around them

Dunn & Dunn (2003) also shared the similar classification of learning style preferences to Reid’s work when they raised another theory in the field consisting

of three basic learning styles:

Visual - seeing learning style involves the use of seen or observed things,

including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, displays, handouts, films, flip-chart, etc

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Auditory – hearing learning style involves the transfer of information

through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises

Kinesthetic/Tactile - doing learning involves physical experience -

touching, feeling, holding, doing, and practical hands-on experiences

Sarasin (2006) and Pritchard (2009) adopted the same perspective in measuring learning style preferences, which were presented in their books named

Learning Style Perspectives: Impact in the Classroom and Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom respectively

In these above-mentioned ways of learning style classification, Reid’s classification is the clearest and most logical one because it relates to our perception and is based on various learning materials and activities that teachers and students can use in any learning process Moreover, this classification has been used by many researchers when they carried out research studies pertaining to learning style preferences Specifically, Fu (2009) supposed that the simplest and most common way of identifying learning styles is based on the senses As a result, the category

by Reid (1987) and other researchers sharing the same classification with Reid will serve as the base of the research

1.1.3 Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences

Many of us are familiar with three general categories in which people learn: visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners Beyond these three general categories, many theories of and approaches toward human potential have been developed Among them is the theory of multiple intelligences, developed by Gardner, H (2010) Gardner’s early work in psychology and later in human cognition and human potential led to the development of the initial six intelligences Today there are nine intelligences and the possibility of others may eventually expand the list These intelligences relate to a person’s unique aptitude set of capabilities and ways they might prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities Specifically, they are:

1 Verbal-linguistic intelligence (well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words)

2 Logical-mathematical intelligence (ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns)

3 Spatial-visual intelligence (capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly)

4 Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (ability to control one’s body movements and

to handle objects skillfully)

5 Musical intelligence (ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber)

6 Interpersonal intelligence (capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others)

7 Intrapersonal intelligence (capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes)

8 Naturalist intelligence (ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature)

9 Existential intelligence (capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence such as “What is the meaning of life?” or “Why do we die?”

1.1.4 Advantages of understanding individual LSP

According to Al-Hebaishi (2012), variation and diversity are pervasive features of human beings; therefore, people are more different than they are alike

He added that classrooms are where these differences seem to be most apparent Learners have different needs, abilities, skills and styles Among those, their learning styles play as an important factor determining the approaches that they prefer to obtain knowledge Consequently, it is noteworthy that both teachers and learners need to better understand and appreciate these individual learning style preferences in order to teach and learn more effectively

Regarding the advantage of understanding individual learning style preferences to teachers, Stebbins (1995) argued that teachers tend to teach they way they were taught, so sometimes conflicts may arise due to a mismatch between the teacher’s teaching style and learner’s learning styles These conflicts probably cause negative consequences on both teachers and students in classrooms Hence, she

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asserted that teachers should know the general learning style profiles of the whole class, which might enable them to organize and employ teaching materials accordingly

Concerning the advantage to students, Reid (1995) stated that raising students’ awareness of their own learning style preferences can make them not only more prepared for learning but also more analytic about their learning styles and the learning strategies they should make use of to fit their styles In addition, he proposed that developing an understanding of learning styles “will enable students

to take control of their learning and to maximize their potential for learning” (p.14)

1.2 Vocabulary learning strategies

1.2.1 Definitions

Since vocabulary learning strategies are a subcategory of language learning strategies, it is vital that language learning strategies should be defined first so that the definition of vocabulary learning strategies can be better-clarified A number of definitions of language learning strategies have been stated so far The table below shows chronologically how the term evolved through the history of linguistics researching

Table i Definitions of language learning strategies

Rubin (1975) Techniques or devices To acquire knowledge

Bialystok (1978) Methods/conscious

enterprises

For exploiting available information to improve competence in L2

Cohen (1987) Mental operations To accomplish learning tasks Rubin (1987) Set of operations, steps,

plans, routines of what learners do

To facilitate the obtaining, storage, retrieval, and use of information, to regulate learning

Wenden (1987) Language learning

behaviors learners actually engage in, strategic knowledge about learning

To learn and regulate L2 learning

Oxford (1990) Specific actions, behaviors,

steps or techniques that students intentionally use

To improve their progress in developing second language skills

Regarding the definition of a language’s vocabulary learning strategies Cameron (2001) defined vocabulary learning strategies as “actions that learners take

to help themselves understand and remember vocabulary.”

Catalan (2003) proposed a more concrete and careful definition of vocabulary learning strategies:

“Vocabulary learning strategies are knowledge about the mechanisms (processes, strategies) used in order to learn vocabulary as well as steps or actions taken by students to find out the meaning of unknown words, to retain them in long-term memory, to recall them at will, and to use them in oral or written mode.”

Brown & Payne (1994) stated a five-step process in learning vocabulary of a foreign language:

(a) Having sources for encountering new words;

(b) Getting a clear image, either visual or auditory or both, of the forms of the new words;

(c) Learning the meaning of the words;

(d) Making a strong memory connection between the forms and the meanings of the words;

(e) Using the words

These ways of defining vocabulary learning strategies are, in fact, the same Both of them are quite clear, so the researcher would base on these theoretical premises through this research paper

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1.2.2 Classifications

A considerable number of definitions of vocabulary learning strategies have been given out in the history of researching; consequently, many researchers have carried out categorizing them Some noteworthy classifications of vocabulary learning strategies belong to Sanaoui (1995), Stoffer (1995), Gu & Johnson (1996) and Schmitt (1997)

Sanaoui (1995) constantly conducted three studies on ESL learners in 1990,

1992 and 1993 so as to find out the most thorough classification of vocabulary learning strategies They are categorized into the two following distinct approaches:

a structured and an unstructured approach

Table ii Structured and Unstructured Approach to Vocabulary

Learning by Sanaoui (1995)

Opportunities for learning vocabulary

Self-created

Independent study

Reliance on course

Minimal independent study

Range of self-initiated activities

Records of lexical items

Extensive (tend to be systematic) Minimal (tend to be ad hoc)

Review of lexical items

Practice of lexical items

Self-created opportunities in and outside

classroom

Reliance on course

Stoffer (1995) also carried out a study on 707 students at the University of Alabama by using a questionnaire which contained 53 items designed to measure specifically vocabulary learning strategies She finally demonstrated that these 53

items could be grouped into nine categories by factor analysis: (1) Strategies involving authentic language use; (2) Strategies used for self-motivation; (3) Strategies used to organize words; (4) Strategies used to create mental linkages; (5) Memory strategies; (6) Strategies involving creative activities; (7) Strategies involving physical action; (8) Strategies used to overcome anxiety; (9) Auditory strategies

Gu and Johnson (1996) used means of a vocabulary learning questionnaire, vocabulary size tests and proficiency tests to carry out a study on the vocabulary learning strategies of 850 second-year students at a Chinese university This questionnaire comprised of 91 questions correspondent to 91 items of vocabulary learning strategies and these questions were to figure out whether the students employed these strategies or not These 91 vocabulary learning strategies were categorized into seven sub-groups The following table would give an overview of

Gu and Johnson’s classification of vocabulary learning strategies

Table iii Gu and Johnson’s classification of VLS

Dimensions and Categories

Metacognitive

regulation

- Selective attention

- Self-initiation

- Using linguistic cues/immediate context

- Extended dictionary strategies

- Looking-up strategies

- Usage-oriented note-taking strategies

- Oral repetition

Schmitt (1997) studied a sample of 600 Japanese students comprising four different levels of English learners: junior high school, senior high school, university and adult students He used the taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies designed by himself as a research instrument to find out which strategies students used and which they considered helpful The 58 vocabulary learning strategies in Schmitt’s taxonomy are clustered into two strategy dimensions: strategies for discovering the meaning of a new word, and strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered These strategies are also divided

into five groups of strategies named determination strategies (DET), social strategies (SOC), memory strategies (MEM), cognitive strategies (COG) and metacognitive strategies (MET) Schmitt described each strategy as follows

(I) Dimension of discovering the meaning of a new word:

a Determination strategies (DET): used by an individual when faced with discovering a new word’s meaning without resource to another person’s expertise

b Social strategies (SOC): use interaction with other people to improve language learning

(II) Dimension of consolidating a word once it has been encountered:

a Social strategies (SOC): have group work to learn or practice vocabulary

b Memory strategies (MEM): relate new materials to existing knowledge

c Cognitive strategies (COG): exhibit the common function of manipulation or transformation of the target language by the learner

d Metacognitive strategies (MET): involve a conscious overview of the learning process and making decisions about planning, monitoring, or evaluating the best ways to study

To be more illustrative, Schmitt’s classification of English vocabulary learning strategies is presented through the table of 58 strategy items below:

Table iv Schmitt’s taxonomy of VLS

Source: Schmitt (1997), pp.207-8

Strategy Group

Strategies for discovering the meaning of a new word

DET - Analyze part of speech

- Analyze affixes and roots

- Check for L1 cognate

- Analyze any available pictures or gestures

- Guess from textual context

- Bilingual dictionary

- Monolingual dictionary

- Word lists

- Flash cards

SOC - Ask teacher for L1 translation

- Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of new word

- Ask teacher for the sentence including the new word

- Asking classmates for meaning

- Discover new meaning through group work activity

Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered

SOC - Study and practice meaning in a group

- Teacher checks students’ flashcards and word lists for accuracy

- Interact with native speakers

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MEM - Study word with a pictorial representation of its meaning

- Image word’s meaning

- Connect word to a personal experience

- Associate the word with its coordinates

- Connect the word to its synonyms and antonyms

- Use semantic maps

- Use “scales” for gradable adjectives

- Peg method

- Loci method

- Group words together to study them

- Group words together spatially on a page

- Use new word in sentences

- Group words together within a storyline

- Study the spelling of a word

- Study the sound of a word

- Say new word aloud when studying

- Image word form

- Underline the initial letter of the word

- Configuration

- Use Key word method

- Affixes and roots

- Part of speech

- Paraphrase the word’s meaning

- Use cognates in study

- Learn the words of idiom together

- Use physical action when learning a word

- Use semantic feature grids

COG - Verbal repetition

- Written repetition

- Word lists

- Flash cards

- Take notes in class

- Use the vocabulary section in your textbook

- Listen to tape of word lists

- Put English labels on physical objects

- Keep a vocabulary notebook

MET - Use English-language media (songs, movies, newscasts, etc.)

- Testing oneself with word tests

- Use spaced word practice

- Skip or pass new word

- Continue to study over time

Schmitt’s classification of vocabulary learning strategies will be picked as the instrument for this research paper because in this taxonomy, English vocabulary learning strategies are most specifically and apparently listed

1.2.3 Advantages of using appropriate VLS

Vocabulary acquisition seems to be considered by L2 learners to be the most crucial part of language learning; hence, it is vital that learners should know how to exploit suitable strategies so as to learn vocabulary effectively

Horwitz (1988) affirmed that the acquisition of vocabulary is a never-ending process and often poses insurmountable difficulties for language learners, so using appropriate vocabulary learning strategies plays a very significant role in language learning

Gu and Johnson (1996) also stated that the use of vocabulary learning strategies significantly affects learners’ L2 proficiency in general and learners’ vocabulary acquisition in particular In addition, vocabulary learning strategies were regarded as a tool in empowering learners to make wise decisions in terms of what

To sum up, there is hardly any doubt that learners can remarkably benefit from exploiting appropriate vocabulary learning strategies when learning English as

a second language Therefore, it is the researcher’s aim to carry out this study and make the students aware of applying suitable strategies in the process of learning vocabulary of a language

1.3 The distinction between LSP and VLS

As language learning strategies and learning style preference have occasionally been mistaken, it is vital to distinguish them in this research paper

Oxford (1990) states that some learner characteristics such as “learning styles and personality traits are difficult to change” (p.12) It can be said that learning styles are relatively stable and not likely to change over time Nevertheless, according to Ellis (1989), learners may sometimes abandon their own learning styles and adjust themselves to fit the teacher’s teaching styles

Learning strategies in general and vocabulary learning strategies in particular, on the contrary, are regarded as “external skills” which indicates “they are more problem-oriented and conscious” Oxford (1990) argues that “learning strategies are easier to teach and modify” while learning styles are internal personalities of learners which are hard to change (p.12) It is implied that learning strategies are more likely to change and how much change crucially depends on the task and materials used in the learning environment

Reid (1998) also helps us find it quite easy to point out the difference between vocabulary learning strategies and learning style preference by referring to

learning styles as “internally based characteristics, often not perceived or consciously used by learners, for the intake and comprehension of new information.” (p.9) By contrast, she defines learning strategies as “external skills often used consciously by students to improve their learning.” (p.9)

In a nutshell, vocabulary learning strategies and learning style preference are proved to be different Specifically, strategies that learners use in learning vocabulary are more inclined to be changed so that the learning results can be improved whereas learning styles are stable personality traits of learners which are relatively hard to change

2 An overview of related studies

As far as the researcher is concerned, the concepts of vocabulary learning strategies and learning style preference are actually not novel to researchers in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular The questions about how language learning strategies and learning style preference differ from each other and how they affect each other have so far been worth-concerning Apparently, a profound understanding of the relationship between these two concepts may partly help both teachers and students in teaching and learning effectively Therefore, these questions have attracted a number of efforts of various researchers to investigate In this part, the researcher would like to review the three most note-worthy studies pertaining to vocabulary learning strategies as well as learning style preference

Tabanhoglu (2003) conducted a study named The Relationship between Learning Styles and Language Learning Strategies of Pre-intermediate EAP Students with the aim to figure out the learning styles of students as well as the

language learning strategies they prefer to use and to investigate whether there is a relationship between students’ learning style and strategy preferences In order to reach the research aim, two questionnaires were delivered to 60 students; the first one was used to identify students’ perceptual learning style preferences and the second was employed to find out their most commonly-used language learning strategies The data analysis of the former revealed that students’ major learning

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style preferences were auditory and individual learning The analysis of the latter found out that cognitive strategies were favored the most In addition, the analysis with respect to the relationship between learning styles and strategies revealed that:

- Visual styles had a significant relation with affective strategies;

- Auditory styles had remarkable relationships with memory, cognitive, affective and social strategies;

- None of the learning styles had a significant relationship with metacognitive strategies

In 2009, Fu carried out A Study of Learning Styles, Teaching Styles and Vocabulary Teaching Strategies in Chinese Primary School with three main aims:

firstly, to investigate English vocabulary learning styles and teaching styles at a Chinese primary school; secondly, to investigate the strategies of English vocabulary teaching used by teachers at primary schools; and lastly, to make suggestions for improvement in vocabulary teaching strategies to meet the needs of different learning styles of all students in one class, which may help reduce conflicts between teachers’ teaching styles and learners’ learning styles So as to gain the research aims, Fu used a proved questionnaire followed by a statistical analysis method This questionnaire has two versions; version 1 is employed to investigate the learning and teaching styles of pupils and teachers respectively; version 2 is to investigate the attitudes of teachers towards English vocabulary teaching strategies

As for the first questionnaire, Fu used VAK model which stands for Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Model (Chislett & Chapman, 2005) and Teaching Style Inventory (Grasha, 1996) The second is about English vocabulary teaching strategies The data from VAK questionnaire revealed that visual learning is the major style; followed by auditory, and kinesthetic was a minor style Regarding Grasha’s Teaching Style Inventory questionnaire, teaching styles converge into four different clusters These clusters are Cluster 1 (expert/formal authority style), Cluster 2 (personal model/expert/formal authority), Cluster 3 (facilitator/personal model/expert), Cluster 4 (delegator expert) Each group of teaching style conveys a distinctive message to the students The data from this questionnaire showed that

the majority of the teachers (71.4%) preferred the “expert” style, 19.1% of the subjects preferred “formal authority” style A very low percentage (9.5%) of the teachers preferred “facilitator” style and no teachers preferred “delegator” style According to Grasha (1996:154), the expert/formal authority cluster tends toward a teacher-centered classroom in which information is presented by the teacher and students receive knowledge The facilitator/personal model cluster emphasizes the personal nature of teacher-student interactions They guide students by asking questions, exploring options, suggesting them alternatives and encouraging them to develop criteria to make informed choices The delegator group emphasizes the development of a student’s capacity to function independently

Al-Hebaishi (2012) implemented a research study with respect to the relationship between learning styles, language learning strategies and the academic performance of Saudi English majors The data obtained from this study revealed that most students at Taibah University were visual learners (46.6%), 33% were auditory learners while only 20.5% were kinesthetic learners The answer to the second research question showed that the most commonly-used strategies were cognitive strategies; second were metacognitive strategies; memory strategies ranked third; social and affective strategies which were so close to each other ranked fourth and fifth respectively; and compensation strategies were the least-preferred strategies Regarding the question about whether there is a significant relationship between the learning style preferences and the language learning strategies used by the students, it was found that the visual learning style had significantly correlations with memory and affective strategies while no remarkable correlations were discovered between auditory and kinesthetic learning styles and learning strategies In addition, the results of the study also revealed that learning style preferences had very little relationship with academic performance whereas learning strategies were significantly related to academic performance Al-Hebaishi also suggested that language teachers should take language strategies and learning styles into account in order to help EFL majors learn more efficiently

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On the whole, the relationship between learning style preferences and language learning strategies has so far drawn a great deal of attention from many researchers worldwide This is understandable because language learning strategies may be influenced by learning style preferences of each learner while the correlation between language learning strategies and academic performance is evident Consequently, a number of studies have been done with various aims but the most noticeable aims are to raise both teachers and learners’ awareness of individual learning style preferences and then to help learners have suitable strategies so as to improve their academic results Nevertheless, it is found out that very few studies in Vietnam have been carried out on learning styles and vocabulary learning strategies This offers a gap for the researcher to conduct an investigation

on the vocabulary learning strategies employed by different learning styles of second-year students at School of Law, Vietnam National University

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

In the preceding chapter, the literature on the research topic was briefly reviewed for the theoretical basis of the whole study In this chapter, the researcher will justify methods of data collection and analysis in order to maximize its validity and reliability of the final results To be more specific, the design and setting of the study, the participants and participant selection method, the instruments as well as the procedures of data collection and analysis will be discussed in detail as follows

1 Design of the study

This is a descriptive study based on a survey research The study aims at investigating the learning styles of second year students studying at School of Law, Vietnam National University as well as the most common vocabulary learning strategies exploited by these learning styles From that, several possible ways are expectedly recommended to help students better their vocabulary learning strategies which are more likely to fit their learning style preferences

In this study, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected The former were obtained through questionnaires; one of which was employed to identify students’ learning style preferences and the other was used to figure out what vocabulary learning strategies were most commonly used by the students The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three teachers of English The interviews were exploited with the purpose of asking for the teachers’ comments on their students’ use of English vocabulary learning strategies as well as their possible recommendations for students to better their strategies which can be more suitable to their learning styles The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed and then analyzed by the researcher

2 Setting of the study

This study took place at School of Law, Vietnam National University (VNU) during the school year 2013-2014 VNU is one of the largest universities in Vietnam with 8 member universities: University of Engineering and Technology (UET), University of Sciences (US), University of Social Sciences and Humanities

3 Participants and participant selection method

The conduct of data collection for this research was carried out on 65 second-year students from 3 B1 English classes at School of Law, VNU in order to explore their learning style preferences as well as the strategies they employ to learn English vocabulary The students’ ages range from 20 to 22 years old They have completed A2 English course and are taking B1 because they are required to be at B1 as a compulsory condition for their graduation In addition, 3 teachers of English who are in charge of teaching these students are also requested to participate in a semi-structured interview These teachers are from 28 to 35 years old All of them have had Master degree at English language teaching methodology

The participants were selected purposefully Second-year students, rather than first-year ones, are picked to participate in the study because it is likely that sophomores are more acquainted with their study at university than freshmen Thus, they may be more aware of exploiting suitable English vocabulary learning strategies Moreover, the second-year students are supposed to study B1 English course during the first semester of the academic school year 2013-2014 For these

reasons, the main focus of the study is on second-year students at School of Law, VNU but not first-year ones

Furthermore, three teachers of English are chosen to take part in the study because of two reasons First, they are presently teaching English to these 65 second-year students, so probably they can understand their students’ learning styles Second, they have a great deal of experience in teaching English non-major students; hence, they are expected to give out reasonable and noteworthy recommendations that help improve their students’ vocabulary learning strategies

4 Data collection instruments

The method employed to collect data in this study was a survey The instruments used in this survey were two questionnaires (perceptual learning style questionnaire and vocabulary learning strategy inventory questionnaire) and a semi-structured interview

According to Verma & Mallick (1999), questionnaires are “one of the most widely employed tools in educational research” In addition, questionnaires are also considered very useful because it can help save “researcher time”, “researcher effort” and “financial resources” Consequently, the researcher wants to take advantage of this method to classify students’ learning styles as well as the most common vocabulary learning strategies exploited by each learning style

The second instrument of this research paper, semi-structured interview, is considered quite extraordinary as the interactions are incredibly rich and the data indicate that you can produce extraordinary evidence about life that you don’t get in structured interviews or questionnaire methodology (Dowsett, 1986) The researcher can realize that advantage, so one semi-structured interview for three teachers who are currently teaching second-year students at School of Law, VNU is designed to answer the last research question

The detailed description of the three instruments of this study will be presented as follows

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4.1 Perceptual learning style preference questionnaire

The first instrument for this study was the 30-item self-assessment perceptual learning style questionnaire developed by Chislett & Chapman (2005) It was exploited to identify the students’ perceptual learning style preferences This questionnaire has been often known as VAK questionnaire (Visual – Auditory – Kinesthetic questionnaire)

4.1.1 Preparation

VAK questionnaire which was designed and developed by Chislett & Chapman was chosen because of two reasons First, the question items in this questionnaire are clear to understand and suitable to identify a learner’s learning style as all of them are related to learners’ perception when learning something new Second, this questionnaire was tested and used by a prestigious university, Swinburne University, and other linguistics researchers such as Al-Hebaishi (2012)

4.1.2 Questionnaire construction

The VAK questionnaire was chosen and the researcher adapted it by adding the part of the respondents’ personal information and the clarification of learning style preferences After that, the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese language so as to make it easier for the respondents to approach and answer all questions

A pilot study was conducted with 10 students who were similar to the actual participants of the study After the process of piloting, some problems with question wording were discovered and then they were fixed to make sure that there would be

no problems with the real questionnaire delivery

4.1.3 Details of the questionnaire

The perceptual learning style preference questionnaire consists of three parts

as follows:

Part 1: The respondents’ personal information

The first part was designed to collect information concerning the students’ general background information such as their name, student code, major, whether

they are aware of their own learning styles or not The questions in this part aim to get the students ready for the next parts

Part 2: The explanation of learning style preferences

The second part provides the students with the general knowledge about learning style preferences, including the concept as well as classification As VAK questionnaire was exploited to identify the students’ learning styles, VAK classification of learning style preferences would be discussed in details so that the students can be aware of these terms

Part 3: The questionnaire about the students’ perceptual learning style

preferences

The last part is the self-assessment learning style questionnaire It was used

to figure out the students’ learning styles as perceived by themselves This questionnaire consists of 30 items, each has three answer options (A, B, C) representing each of the three learning style preferences If the respondent chooses mostly A, this means he/she has a visual learning style If B is mostly picked, the student belongs to the group of auditory learning style; and the option C stands for kinesthetic learning style

4.2 Strategy inventory for vocabulary learning

The second instrument used in this survey was a 24-item questionnaire based

on Schmitt’s taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies It was designed specifically for the purpose of this study In fact, according to Schmitt’s classification of vocabulary learning strategies, there are more or less 58 strategy items from 6 categories of 2 dimensions (Discovering the meaning of new words & Consolidating a word once it has been encountered) Nevertheless, only 24 strategies were adopted in this questionnaire due to some appropriateness for the purpose of the study For example, in the Determination category, there are 3 strategies related to using dictionaries to discover a new word’s meaning These three strategies may confuse respondents, so they were grouped into one strategy correspondent to one question in the questionnaire Another modification is cutting the strategy of “Analyze supra-segmental feature” off To explain, the student

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participants in this study are supposed to be at A2 level, correspondent to intermediate level; consequently, this strategy was not suitable for their learning level Thus, the strategy cut-off is considered reasonable

4.2.2 Questionnaire construction

With some above-mentioned adaptations from Schmitt’s questionnaire (1997), the questionnaire in this survey research was constructed After that, the questionnaire was also translated into Vietnamese language A pilot study was conducted with 10 students who have the similar learning level with the actual participants

4.2.3 Details of the questionnaire

The vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire consists of the two parts as described following

Part 1: The respondents’ information

This part just aims at asking for the students’ learning style The students were supposed to know their perceptual learning style preferences after the first questionnaire delivery This part helped the researcher group the students according

to their styles of learning, which made it easier for the researcher in the process of data collection and analysis

Part 2: The questionnaire about the students’ use of vocabulary learning

strategies