Nghiên cứu thăm dò về chiến lược học từ vựng về chiến lược học từ vựng của sinh viên năm thứ nhất không chuyên tiếng anh trường đại học tân trào

The purpose of the study is to explore 1 the most commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies that the first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University were using to learn E

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

-******* -

PHẠM THỤC ANH

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES BY FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH

MAJOR STUDENTS AT TÂN TRÀO UNIVERSITY

(NGHIIÊN CỨU THĂM DÒ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG

CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC TÂN TRÀO )

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 6014.0111

HANOI, 2014

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

-******* -

PHẠM THỤC ANH

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON VOCABULARY STRATEGIES BY FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR

STUDENTS AT TÂN TRÀO UNIVERSITY

(NGHIIÊN CỨU THĂM DÒ CHIẾN LƯỢC HỌC TỪ VỰNG

CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC TÂN TRÀO )

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 6014.0111

Supervisor: Lê Văn Canh, Ph.D

HANOI, 2014

DECLARATION

I, Pạm Thục Anh, hereby certify that the thesis entitled “An exploratory study

on vocabulary strategies by first year non-English major at Tân Trào University” is

submitted for the partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty of

Post Graduate Studies - University of Languages and International Studies- Vietnam

National University, Hanoi I also declare that this thesis is my own work and effort

and that it has not been submitted anywhere for any award where all other sources of

information have been used, they have been acknowledged

Ha Noi, 2014 Signature

Phạm Thục Anh

Furthermore, I want to owe special thanks to all the lecturers at the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies- University of Languages and International Studies - Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their useful and interesting lectures, which have inspired me to go on this paper

In particular, I send my thanks to my husband who supported and encouraged

me while the work was in progress

Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks go to my family, my friends and my colleagues for their helpful support and continuous encouragements

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on vocabulary learning strategies by first year non-English major students (N=219) at Tân Trào University The purpose of the study is to explore (1) the most commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies that the first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University were using to learn English vocabulary, (2) reasons for their preferences and (3) the effectiveness of those strategies to their vocabulary learning which is self-evaluated by the students A vocabulary learning questionnaire and interview were used for data collection The study points out that (1) learners only limite to some strategies, (2) there is a strong influence of teaching method and past learning experiences on learners‟ choice of vocabulary learning strategies, and the practice of these limited vocabulary learning

strategies helps learners to retain sound, spelling and equivalent meaning of a word,

and (3) learners realize the benefits of those strategies on retaining sound, spelling and equivalent meaning of a word and help them concentrate on lessons

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LISTS OF TABLES iv

LISTS OF FIGURES iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale of the study 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Objectives of the study 2

4 Research questions 2

5 Scope of the study 3

6 Method of the study 3

7 Design of the study 3

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 4

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 An overview of learning strategies research 4

1.3 Language learning strategies (LLS) 5

1.3.1 The definition of language learning strategies 5

1.4 Vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies 8

1.4.1 Aspects of knowing a word 8

1.4.2 Factors affecting learners in learning English vocabulary 10

1.4.3 Vocabulary learning strategies 10

1.5 Summary 14

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 15

2.1 The context of the study 15

2.2 Research questions 15

2.3 Research method 15

2.4 Participants 15

2.5.1 The questionnaire 16

2.5.2 The interview 17

2.6 Data analysis procedures 17

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 18

3.1 Quantitative data 18

3.1.1 Students‟ self-reported use of Determination strategies (DET) 18

3.1.2 Students‟ self-reported use of social strategies (SOC) 19

3.1.3 Students‟ self-reported use of Memory strategies (MEM) 20

3.2 Qualitative data 24

3.2.1 Reflection on the reasons for preferred vocabulary learning strategies 25

3.3 Discussion 28

3.3.1 The most commonly-used strategies 28

3.3.2 The reasons for the preferred strategies 28

3.3.3 The effectiveness of those commonly-used strategies on vocabulary learning 30

PART C: CONCLUSION 32

1 Summary of major findings 32

2 Conclusions 32

REFERENCES 34 APPENDIX I

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale of the study

Learning a second or foreign language (L2/FL) is arguably one of the most cognitively challenging undertakings most people will go through in a lifetime, and many argue that learning the vocabulary of an L2 is perhaps the most challenging aspect of becoming proficient in the target language (Meara, 1995; Milton, 2009; Nation, 2001; Schmitt, 2000) Some characteristics that distinguish vocabulary learning from other language skills include the fact that - vocabulary learning is incremental, potentially limitless, and heavily constrained by the learner‟s experience (Swain & Carroll, 1987, p.139) One area of L2 vocabulary acquisition research that has been gaining attention in recent years to help explain the difficulties some L2 learners encounter when learning vocabulary is the focus on learning strategies- vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in particular Scholars‟ interest in L2 VLS, Schmit (2000) argues, stems from a movement to get away from a predominant teacher-oriented pedagogical philosophy to a more learner-centered ideology that includes an interest in how learners themselves can manage their own language learning Schmitt believes that it may be easier to apply learning strategies to vocabulary learning due to the relatively discrete nature of vocabulary learning as compared to more integrated language skills such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, and grammar

Acquiring a second language involves different areas such as motivation, learners‟ needs, learning environment, learning strategies and language awareness It

is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore second language learning strategies In any event, learning strategies are defined by Chamot and Kupper (1989) as

“techniques which students use to comprehend, store, and remember information and skills” (p.9)

Vocabulary strategies are one part of language learning strategies which in turn are part of general learning strategies (Nation, 2001) Language learning strategies encourage greater overall self-direction for learners Self-directed learners are independent learners who are capable of assuming responsibility for their own learning and gradually gaining confidence, involvement and proficiency (Oxford, 1990) So is the case with vocabulary learning strategies Thus, students need training

in vocabulary strategies they need most Research has shown that many learners do use more strategies to learn vocabulary especially when compared to such integrated

tasks such as listening and speaking However, they are mostly inclined to basic vocabulary learning strategies (Schmitt, 1997) This in turn makes strategy instruction an essential part of any foreign or second language program

Learning strategies are the tools that learners use for active, self-directed language learning, and research shows that the conscious, orchestrated and tailored use of such strategies is strongly associated with language achievement and proficiency (O‟Malley & Chamot, 1990) Research on L2 learning strategies and vocabulary acquisition over the past four decades has greatly advanced our knowledge and understanding of L2 vocabulary acquisition However, most of the L2 VLS studies conducted to date have focused on specific learning strategies under experimental conditions such as the keyword method, dictionary use and inferencing

As a result, there is lack of research on learner-selected VLS that provides deep understanding and reasonable explanation of vocabulary learning process This study will help fill this gap by focusing on this area In addition, little research has been done on the nature of VLS FL students resort to at different stages of language development and the effectiveness of these types of strategies have on improving vocabulary and their relationship to language proficiency

I believe that it is necessary to inquire into current situation of students‟ use of vocabulary learning strategies in this college Therefore, the researcher‟s ambition in this paper is to gain an insightful understanding of the current vocabulary learning situation among the first year non-English major students

2 Aims of the study

The aims of the study are to get closer to a comprehensive understanding of vocabulary of freshmen at Tân Trào University and to provide some implications for

the learning and teaching of English as a foreign language

3 Objectives of the study

The objectives of the study are to explore (1) the most dominant self-selected vocabulary learning strategies by first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University, (2) reasons for their preferences and (3) the effectiveness of those strategies on their vocabulary learning which is self-evaluated by the students

In order to establish a theoretical framework for the investigation in thesis, the literature on language learning strategies, vocabulary, and related issues is reviewed

4 Research questions

The study will be conducted to answer the following questions:

1 What are the most commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies by first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University?

2 Why do they use those preferred strategies?

3 How do they self-evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies to their vocabulary learning?

5 Scope of the study

The study limited itself to the investigation of commonly-used vocabulary strategies are employed by first year non-English students at Tân Trào University It also explores factors that shape their choice of strategies and the usefulness of those self-selected strategies to their vocabulary learning

6 Method of the study

This is a study which used a mixed-method approach including questionnaire and interview After the data are analyzed and discussed, some conclusions will be drawn and some suggestions will be raised in the thesis

7 Design of the study

The thesis is divided into four chapters:

Chapter 1 includes the rationale, the objective, the research questions, the scope, the method and the design of the study

Chapter 2 covers some information about history of research on learning strategies, some basic concepts related to history of research on learning strategies and vocabulary learning In addition, learning strategies and learning strategy classification are reviewed to set up the theoretical framework for the investigation in the next chapter

In Chapter 3, the study is presented It includes the context of the study, the research questions, the research method and the participants

Chapter 4 presents the findings of the study discusses commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies by first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University, the reasons for their choice and students‟ evaluation of the effectiveness

of those strategies on their vocabulary learning

In the last chapter - chapter 5, some major findings are presented and conclusions are withdrawn

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction

In this chapter, a brief review of learning strategy research is given; some basic concepts related to history of research on learning strategies and vocabulary learning are presented In addition, learning strategies and learning strategy classification are reviewed to set up the theoretical framework for the investigation in the next chapter

1.2 An overview of learning strategies research

Research on learning strategies has been inspired by two interwoven principles: cognitive psychology and second language acquisition O‟ Malley and Chamot (1990) provide a good overview on this issues

Firstly, in the field of cognitive psychology and second language acquisition is best understood as a complex cognitive skill and research were experimental and oriented toward training learners to acquire strategies According to Anderson (1985), two kinds of knowledge are involved in the acquisition skills: declarative knowledge and procedure knowledge The former is statistic factual knowledge, or what learners know about; the latter is learners‟ ability to understand and generate language and apply knowledge of rules to solve a problem without conscious application, known as dynamic information These two kinds of knowledge are thought to be at different stages or a sequence of skill learning: cognitive, associative, and autonomous stages At the cognitive stage, the very beginning learner may try to obtain typical declarative knowledge such as vocabulary and the rules of grammar Thus, learner may gain knowledge about language itself rather than try to use it actively for purpose such as commutative meaning and errors during performance are inevitable The next stage is called the associative stage where learners start to reduce errors in declarative knowledge and to synthesize chunks of elements of the language skill without conscious application of the rules and many errors of the first stage may disappear At the last stage, the autonomous one, learners can perform their language skills without conscious application of the rules and many errors of the second stage may disappear Note that these stages are not distinct or mutually exclusive because the two types of knowledge are not restricted to a certain stage but used at different stages It is reasonable not to regard them as distinct but as recruiting processes

In the case of this study about vocabulary learning strategies, the declarative knowledge is the information about learning strategies, and procedural knowledge is the automatic use and application of language knowledge In the cognitive stage, learners may know that these are such things as learning strategies or be aware that they are using them in different tasks The second stage is referred to as the associative stage, a transitional period when the learners start to use language learning automatically without conscious application In the last stage, the autonomous stage, learners may use and apply strategies automatically

Secondly, in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), research on learning strategies was conducted independently of cognitive psychologist and the methodologies in the studies were also different Early attempts in SLA were made

by Rubin (1975) and Stern (1975) to find out what „a good learner does‟ and called these „strategies‟ According to O‟ Malley and Chamot (1990), it is difficult to separate “which strategies are fundamental for learning, and which one might be most useful to other learners, and which should be combined with others to maximum learning effectiveness” Therefore, they argue, it is necessary to clarify the role of strategic processing in SLA from both an empirical and theoretical standpoint (O‟ Malley & Charmot (1990:12) Their suggestion is useful and encouraging me to

do this research

1.3 Language learning strategies (LLS)

1.3.1 The definition of language learning strategies

1.3.1.2 Language learning strategies (LLS)

There is no consensus on the definition of language leaning strategies due to different interpretations of “strategy” and “learning” Different studies have given different definitions of language learning strategies

Stern (1983) defined strategies as “best reserved for general tendencies or overall characteristics of the approach employed by the language learners, leaving

techniques as the term to refer to particular forms of observable learning behavior” (cited in Ellis 1999, p.531) Weinstein and Mayer (1986) stated that learning strategies have learning facilitation as goal and are intentional on the part of learner The goal of strategy use is to affect „the learner‟s motivational and affective state, or the way in which the learner selects, acquires, organizes, or integrates new knowledge (cited in O‟Malley and Chamot 1990, p43) Tarone (1983) defined learning strategies as “an attempt to develop linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in the target language - to incorporate these into one‟s interlanguage competence” (p.67) Chamot (1987) stated that “learning strategies are techniques, approaches, or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate the learning, recall of both linguistic and content area information” (pp.71-84) Rubin (1987) stated that “learning strategies are strategies that contribute to the development of language system that learner constructs and affect learning directly” (p.22) Oxford (1992) defined learning strategies as “strategic actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques that students (often intentionally) use to improve their progress in developing L2 skills” These strategies can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval, or use of the new language Strategies are tools for self-directed involvement necessary for developing communicative ability Ellis (1999) stated that learning strategies are the particular approaches or techniques that learners employ to try to learn an L2 They can be behavioral (for example, repeating new words aloud

to help you remember them) or they can be mental (for example, using the linguistic

or situational contexts to infer the meaning of a new word” (p.76) Cohen (1998) stated that “learning strategies are learning processes which are consciously selected

by the learner The words „consciously selected‟ are important because they demonstrate the special character of strategy” (Ellis, 1999: 531) Wenden (1998) defined learning strategies as “mental steps or operations that learners use to learn a new language and to regulate their efforts to do so” (p.18)

From the definitions above, we can see there are some differences in the way learning strategies are defined regarding the following aspects Firstly, Oxford (1992) viewed learning strategies as only behavioral, while in Weinstein and Mayer (1986) and Ellis‟s (1997) view, they are both mental and behavioral Secondly, Chamot (1987) stated that learning strategies are “deliberate actions” and Cohen (1998) thought of learning strategies as “conscious” but other researchers avoided addressing it Thirdly, Stern (1983) believed that learning strategies can only refer to

“approach” and “technique” is more concrete, however, other researchers use the term strategies to refer to the kind of behavior that Stern (1983) called techniques Finally, Rubin (1987) suggested that language learning strategies have direct effect

on language development while other researchers looked on it as more indirect

Obviously, there is not yet a comprehensive definition of learning strategies and the terminology, in fact, is not uniform, which are “learner strategies” (Wenden and Rubin, 1987), “learning strategies” (O‟Malley & Chamot, 1990), and “language learning strategies” (Oxford, 1990a, 1996) Different perspectives on defining language learning strategies, which such as are cognitive, social, or pragmatic, show the complexity of this field This is, probably, the reason for researchers to work out taxonomy instead of defining them and there are a number of basic characteristics in the generally accepted view of LLS Oxford (1990:9) offers a more comprehensive list of the features of language learning strategies as the following:

 Contribute to the main goal, communicative competence

 Allow learners to become more self-directed

 Expand the role of teachers

 Are problem-oriented

 Are specific actions taken by learners, not just the cognitive

 Support learning both directly and indirectly

 Are not always observable

 Are often conscious

 Can be taught

 Are flexible

 Are influenced by a variety of factors

1.3.1.3 Classification of language learning strategies

A number of researchers attempted to develop a classification scheme of language learning strategies In the literature, however, like the definition of learning strategies, the research which has been done on this field has not reached a consensus agreement on ways to classify learning strategies by different scholars

Cohen (2000) suggested that language learning strategies include strategies for identifying the material that need to be learned, distinguishing it from other material

if needed to be, grouping it for easier learning (e.g grouping vocabulary category into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs), having repeated contact with the material (e.g through classroom tasks or the completion of homework assignments), and formally

committing the material to memory when it does not seem to acquired naturally (whether through rote memory techniques such as repetition, the use of mnemonics,

or some other memory techniques)

Among a variety of classification of learning strategies offered by researchers, Oxford‟s (1990) scheme, which sees the aims of language learning strategies as being oriented towards the development of communicative competence, seems to be the most comprehensive detailed system of six strategies, classified as direct and indirect The direct strategies include metacognitive, affective, and social compensation strategies These strategies, as the word “direct” conveys, are directly involved in learning the target language in the sense that they need mental processing

of the language In this scheme, memory strategies are defined as those “helping students store and retrieve new information”, cognitive strategies as “enabling learners to understand and produce new language by many different means”, and compensation strategies as “allowing learners to use the language despite their often large gaps in knowledge” (p.37) The indirect strategies, which include metacognitive, affective, and social strategies, support language learning by arranging, evaluating, lowering anxiety, encouraging oneself, cooperating with others, asking questions, and other ways In Oxford‟s (1990) system, metacognitive strategies allow learners to control their own learning through organizing, planning, and evaluating Affective strategies help learners gain control over their emotions, attitudes, motivations, and values, while social strategies lead to increased interaction with the target language (see Appendix 1 for Oxford‟s (1990) taxonomy)

1.4 Vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies

1.4.1 Aspects of knowing a word

According to Cowie (1999), vocabulary refers to all the words that exist in a particular language or subject Macathy (1990) indicated that the single, biggest component of any language course is vocabulary In fact, knowing a word, it is believed, means knowing its meaning However, knowledge of a word requires more than that Cook (2001:61) states that “a word is more than its meaning” For Cook (2001), knowing a word may involve four aspects: form of the word (for instance, spelling and pronunciation), grammatical properties (for instance, word combination and appropriateness), and general meaning and specific meaning

Word knowledge is an essential component of communicative competence (Seal, 1991), and it is important for both production and comprehension in a foreign language Richard (1976:83) offered the assumptions concerning knowing a word as follows:

1) Knowing a word means knowing the degree of probability of encountering that word in speech and print For many words, we also know the sort of words most likely to be found associated with the word

2) Knowing a word implies knowing the limitation on the use of the word according to variations of function and situation

3) Knowing a word means knowing the syntactic behavior associated with the word

4) Knowing a word entails the knowledge the underlying form of a word and the derivations that can be made from it

5) Knowing a word entails knowledge of the network of association between that word and other words in the language

6) Knowing a word means knowing the semantic value of a word

7) Knowing a word means many of the different meanings associated with a word

According to Nation (2005), what involves in „knowing‟ a word depends on various aspects which fit into three groups These include the form of a word, knowing the meaning of a word, and knowing how a word is used Knowing the form

of a word includes spelling, sounds and word parts Knowing the meaning of a word linking its form and meaning, knowing a concept for a word and what it can refer to, and knowing what other words of related meaning it can be associated with Knowing how a word used concerns the grammar of the word, including parts of speech and sentence patterns it fits into, collocates of the word, and whether the word

is formal or informal, polite or rude, used mainly by children and so on, or has no restrictions on its use

In summary, knowing a word proposed by different scholars mentioned above involves many crucial aspects All of these aspects concerns word form, word meaning and word use Therefore, regarding vocabulary learning, it is certain that learning vocabulary items means learning the form, the meaning and the use of the new words

1.4.2 Factors affecting learners in learning English vocabulary

According to Brustall et al (1975), in language learning as in other form of leaning, “nothing succeeds like success” He pointed out that successful learners developed favorable attitude as the course progressed, thus these attitudes encouraged more successful learning Learners‟ motivation is likely to benefit and determine partly the effectiveness of learners‟ vocabulary learning

It is believed that those factors that affect learners in language learning also have an effect in his vocabulary learning According to Lightbrown and Spada (1999:51-68), these factors includes intelligence, aptitude, personality, motivation and attitudes, learner preference, learner beliefs, age of acquisition, and kinds of activities A similar list of factors affecting is suggested by Rubin and Thompson (1994:3-8) It includes, age, aptitude (emotions), personality (extroversion, inhibition, tolerance of ambiguity), learning style (learning by rules of by risks, through eyes or ears), and past experiences The importance of learning strategies to the learning process is emphasized by Nunan (1999:171): “Knowledge of strategies is important, because the greater awareness you have of what you are doing, if you are conscious

of the processes underlying the learning that you are involved in, then learning will

be more effective” Ellis (1997:76-78) also shares the same idea when he states that studies have shown that successful learners use more strategies than unsuccessful learners and successful learners use different strategies at different stages of their development He emphasizes if crucial learning strategies can be identified, they can

be taught to students

Learning strategies are the decisive factors for fruitful vocabulary learning Many scholars have striven to introduce different vocabulary learning strategies in order to help learners of English improve their different vocabulary learning strategies such as Nation (1982; 1990; 2001), Taylor (1990), Oxford (1990), Rubin and Thomson (1994)

1.4.3 Vocabulary learning strategies

1.4.3.1 Definitions of vocabulary learning strategies

Vocabulary learning strategies are a part of language learning strategies which

in turn are a part of general learning strategies (Nation, 2001:217) Therefore, the definition of vocabulary learning strategies stems from that for language learning strategies (Catalán, 2013:155) Cameron (2001:92) defined vocabulary learning strategies as “the actions that learners take to help them understand and remember

vocabulary items” Catalán (2003:56) adopts the definition of vocabulary learning strategies from Rubin (1987), Wenden (1987), Oxford (1990); and Schmitt (1997) as the working definition in her study as “knowledge about the mechanisms (processes, strategies) used in order to learn vocabulary as well as steps or actions taken by students (a) to find out the unknown words, (b) to retain them in long-term memory, (c) to recall them at will, and (d) to use them in written or oral mode Similarly, Intaraprasert (2004:9) has defined vocabulary learning strategies as “any sets of techniques or learning behaviors, which language learners reported using in order to discover the meaning of a new word, to retain the knowledge of newly-learned words, and to expand their knowledge of vocabulary”

1.4.3.2 Classifications of vocabulary learning strategies

In order to learn and acquire and enlarge vocabulary size, that is, knowing a large number of lexical items, with their meanings, or how to pronounce and use them correctly, language learners needs to deal with a wide range of vocabulary learning strategies and every learner has his/ her own way for learning their vocabulary Vocabulary will also be very different depending on whether language learners‟ primary goal is to understand the language, either in reading or listening, or

to produce it, either in speaking or writing Schmitt (2000:133) states that “active learning management is important Good learners do many things such as a variety of strategies, structure their vocabulary learning, review and practice target words and

so on” Beside, Gu and John (1996) indicated that successful strategy learners need strategy for controlling their strategy use This involves choosing the most appropriate strategies from a range of known options and decide how to pursue the strategies and when to switch to another strategy

In classifying learning strategies, scholars have different ways of classifying language learning strategies (Intaraprasert, 2004:10) Taking this into consideration, language researchers have made various attempts to classify vocabulary learning strategies These classification systems give crucial contribution to the knowledge of vocabulary learning strategies Instances of such classifications are the taxonomies proposed by Cohen (1987;1990), Rubin and Johnson (1994), Decarrico (2001) are briefly discussed below

According to Cohen (1987:43;1990:21-37), strategies for dealing with vocabulary items, which have been found to share some common characteristics, were put together and could be grouped under three main categories They include

strategies for remembering words, semantic strategies, and vocabulary learning and practicing strategies

Rubin and Thomson (1994:79-82) introduced three main categories of vocabulary learning strategies that have been reported by language learners to be effective These include Direct Approach, Use Mnemonics, and Indirect Approach They are both concerned with conscious learning processes and unconscious learning processes through both learning words in list, completing various vocabulary exercises, and reading and listening

Decarrico (2001) proposed a list of four vocabulary strategies including Guessing meaning from Context, A Mnemonic Device or the Keyword Method; Vocabulary Note Books, and Other Learner Strategies She argued that language learners have not been taught the majority of words Therefore, vocabulary learning

is more likely to be mainly implicit (incidental) She further suggested that strategies should aid both in discovering the meaning of the new words and in consolidating a word once it has been encountered Thus, language learning should approach independent learning of vocabulary by using a combination of extensive reading and self-study strategies

Although individual vocabulary learning strategies have been increasingly researched (Lawson & Hogben, 1996), only two researchers have proposed a comprehensive list of vocabulary learning strategies Firstly, in a recent attempt by Stőffer (1995), she developed a questionnaire which contains 53 items designed to measure specifically vocabulary learning strategies of 55 items which focus on the use of authentic language, physical actions, self-motivation and visual aids language learning

In another research by Schmitt (1997) he developed a comprehensive

inventory of vocabulary learning strategies ( see Appendix 2) He offered 2 groups of vocabulary learning strategies: the ones to determine the meaning of new words when encountered for the first time, and the ones to consolidate the meaning when encountered again The former includes determination (DET) and social strategies (SOC), and the latter includes social (SOC), memory (MEM), cognitive (COG), and metacognitive strategies (MET) The social strategies are included in the two

categories because they can be used for both purposes

1.4.3.3 Clarifying Schmitt’s vocabulary learning strategies

Schmitt (1997) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies is used as the

theoretical framework of the investigation in this thesis Therefore, the clarification and exemplification of those vocabulary learning strategies that are used in the questionnaire will be presented below as a source of reference

a Determination strategies (DET)

Determination strategies refer to the strategies an individual can use to find out the meaning of one word without resource to another person‟s help Learners try

to discover the meaning of a new word with the help of context, structural knowledge

of language, and reference materials

b Memory strategies (MEM)

Memory strategies, traditionally known as Mnemonics, involve relating the word with some previous personal knowledge by using some form of imaginary or grouping The strategies can consist of imagining word‟s meaning, remembering its orthographical form, grouping words together with a storyline and so on

c Social Strategies (SOC)

The other way to discover a new meaning or consolidate a word is through using the social strategies of asking someone for help with unknown words Teachers are said to be often in this position They are expected to give help in a number of different ways such as L1 translation, giving a synonym, giving a definition by paraphrase, using a new word in a sentence, checking learners‟ words for accuracy,

or any combination of these Learners also get help from their classmates or benefit from interaction with others such as group work activities or interaction with native speakers

d Cognitive strategies

Cognitive strategies are those partially similar to memory strategies except for not being focused on manipulative mental processing This group includes repetition and mechanical means of learning vocabulary such as word lists, vocabulary notebooks to study words

e Metacognitive strategies

Metacognitive strategies are effective means for learners in vocabulary learning process through organizing, planning, and evaluating Metacognitive strategies proposed by Schmitt (1997) allow students to have a conscious overview of the learning process through controlling and evaluation activities Testing oneself is

an instance of metacognitive strategies which provide “input to be effectiveness of

one‟s choice of learning strategies, providing positive reinforcement if progress is being made or a signal to switch strategies if it is not” (Schmitt, 1997)

1.5 Summary

In this chapter, some information about history on the issue has been introduced; such concepts as learning strategies and knowledge of learning strategies classification, factors involving in vocabulary acquisition have been presented A theoretical framework has been prepared for the investigation in the next chapter

In summary, the reviewed literature has explored the main decisive factors in language learning in general and vocabulary learning in particular The points considered above are all central to understanding and explaining of what and why learners actually do in the process of learning vocabulary It helps to clarify the notions of learning strategies were born in two fields that have developed it independently: cognitive psychology and second language acquisition The former tried to analyze the strategies that scholars employ and then train novices to use as well The latter referred to the kinds of strategies that are used A number of researchers have attempted to systematize strategies of nonnative speakers, using questionnaires that classify various kinds of strategies into categories It has proved reliable and valid as some studies have shown by collecting data from people such as university students and company employers Though the two studies by Stoffer (1995) and Schmitt (1997) showed taxonomies of vocabulary learning strategies, no study has dealt with students at Tân Trào University

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents methodology of the research including the context of the study, the research questions, the research method, the participants, and the findings

of the study

2.1 The context of the study

At Tân Trào University, General English or Basic English is applied to students of all departments General English is taught during the second, the third and the forth term with total of 150 periods with the aims of providing students basic knowledge of English Specifically, the students have 3 periods of English per week The chosen textbook is Lifelines Pre-intermediate (Hutchinson, 2000) This research focuses on vocabulary learning strategies used during the students‟ English course

non-2 Why do they commonly use those strategies?

3 How do they self-evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies to their vocabulary learning?

2.3 Research method

This study is an exploratory inquiring, and therefore data were collected by means of interview and questionaire Interviews can provide in-depth explanation within a particular context, while questionnaire paint a broad though possibly superficial picture, it is often a good idea to use both (Drever, 1995:8)

2.4 Participants

A total of 219 first year non-English major students at Tân Trào University participated in this study The age of the students, ranged from 18 to 23 The participants had been studying English between 7 and 12 years These students come mostly from many parts of Tuyen Quang province Some of them studied other languages such as French and Russian before entering the college Almost students neither had chance to learn English in language centers nor practiced English with native speakers

2.5 Instruments for data collection

In order to collect the data for the study, the questionnaire and the interview

were designed to gain information about vocabulary learning strategies used by the students in the the study, their reasons, and their self reports on the effectiveness of those strategies on their vocabulary learning

2.5.1 The questionnaire

The questionnaire (see Appendix 3) was designed to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies commonly used by the students participating in this study The questionnaire was based on Schmitt‟s (1997) taxonomy because of its comprehensiveness which is appropriate to the researched populationin this study

The questionnaire was in Vietnamese to make sure that all participants could understand and complete all the questions It consisted of two parts The first part introduced the purpose of study and researcher‟s expectation on students‟ honesty of provided information on individual learning experience, and required the participants

to provide personal information including age, sex, place of birth, duration of learning English, and extra English learning experience at English centres The second part included 33 in which 32 items pertaining to students‟ approaches to vocabulary learning, which were divided into 5 categories: determination strategies (DET), social strategies (SOC), memory strategies (MEM), cognitive strategies (COG), and metacognitive strategies (MET) Question 36 was an open-ended question to which answer depends on individual students‟ learning experience For more details, a table of vocabulary learning strategies in questionnaire is provided below:

Group of strategies Questions in the questionnaire Number of questions

Table1: Vocabulary learning strategies in the questionnaire

In the first stage, the questionnaire was delivered to the students in their regular classrooms at the beginning of the academic year in August Most of the students took 30 minutes to complete all the questions They were encouraged to give their opinions as honestly as possible, and any copied reply would distort the data of the study The researcher confirmed that the aim of the study was to improve their

own language learning and all their personal information was kept secret and only used for the research After all the questionnaires were handed in, the commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies were sorted out This would help to provide information for the second stage of data collection

2.5.2 The interview

Interviews were held to explore the commonly-used strategies and reasons for their preference Six students were chosen among 219 students from the 6 classes involved in this study They were selected on the grounds of that they were available and willing to take part in the interviews They were asked to join in separate interviews that allowed all the participants to share their opinions without bias from other participants The same questions (see Appendix 4) were given to all the interviewees The interviews were in two hours and all the respondents were interviewed in Vietnamese to ensure full understanding and clear description Those exchanges were recorded for later data analysis In the interview, these informants were asked to (1) report the most commonly-used strategies in the questionnaire, (2) share the reasons for those preferences, and (2) self-evaluate the effectiveness of those preferred strategies on vocabulary learning

One-to-one interviews to six chosen students were conducted These took place in two hours and were recorded (see Appendix 5) for convenience of latter analysis During the interviews, each respondent was encouraged to answer the given questions relating to learners‟ common-used vocabulary learning strategies, the underlying reasons for those preferred strategies, and the effectiveness of those strategies on vocabulary learning

2.6 Data analysis procedures

The questionnaire data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics to measure the frequency of each strategy the students reported that they used it This help to identify the strategies that students most frequently used and those they least frequently used

The qualitative data collected through the interviews were also analysed quantitatively to identify the common pattern in the students‟ reasons for using the strategies they claimed to have used in their vocabulary learning However, some meaningful extracts from the students‟ responses were also cited to illustrate the quantitative findings

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

In this chapter, all collected data from the questionnaire and interviews are presented, analyzed and discussed to provide the answer to the three research questions Furthermore, the findings of this study will be discussed and related to the relevant literature in the hope that the commonly-used vocabulary learning strategies, the reasons for their preferences and the effectiveness of those preferred strategies on vocabulary learning will be brought to light respectively

3.1 Quantitative data

The information gathered through the questionnaire provided quantitative data for the research question 1 which helped to find the most-commonly vocabulary learning strategies The terms „high frequency‟ and „low frequency‟ were used in data analysis procedure The former one refers to „always‟ and „usually‟ and the later one refers to „sometimes‟ and „rarely‟ The questions in the questionnaire were analyzed one by one in their vocabulary learning strategy group by counting its percentage

3.1.1 Students’ self-reported use of Determination strategies (DET)

Figure 1: Students’ use of DET in vocabulary learning

As can be seen from the chart above, among three questions of DET strategies, the third question (using bilingual dictionary strategies) was at the highest frequency

of using (39.7% usually and 37,4% always)

On the contrary, the answers to question 2 showed that students rarely used monolingual dictionary to look up for meaning of words (15.2% never and 30.2 % rarely) Guessing from textual context (question1), which was proved to be efficient

in many other studies, received little support from the learners More than 70% used

this strategies with low frequency In terms of using flashcard (question 4), only 6.4% used it with high frequency and 40% never resorted to this strategy

3.1.2 Students’ self-reported use of social strategies (SOC)

Figure 2: Students’ use of SOC in vocabulary learning

Data from the chart indicated that in group of SOC strategies students liked asking teachers for help of translation most (question 5) More than 70% of students admitted that they always and usually asked their teacher to translate new words into Vietnamese and 30 % sometimes do so

Asking teachers for paraphrases or synonyms of new words is also one way to discover the meaning of unknown words (question 6) However, only 16% of the informants enjoyed employing this strategy and most of them (69 %) do not highly value this way

Besides translating a new word into L1 or giving paraphrases and synonyms a new word, teacher may give his support in form of a sentence in which a new word is supplemented (question7) However, 35.3% of the students informed that they sometimes asked their teacher for a sentence including the new word, 30.6% rarely and 20.6% never did it

The informants showed little attention to asking their classmates for meaning (question 8) 3.7% always used this kind of vocabulary learning strategies, 17.4% usually did so and 34.6% sometimes employ it Only 7.8% never did it

In regards to discovering new meaning through group work activities (question 9), the data showed low frequency of students‟ using this strategy Many of the students reported they rarely (53.9%) used this strategy and 15.5% even never did

it Only a small number of the informants used this strategy with high frequency (always 0.5% and usually 8%)

Studying and practicing meaning of words in a group (question 10) seemed to

be unattractive to the students In fact, more than a half of the informants showed their favor for this strategy

Asking teacher to check their flash cards or word lists for accuracy (question 11) were also less used by the students Less than 10% of the informants used this strategy with high frequency

Seeking opportunities to practice new words such as interacting with native speakers (question 12) is supposed to be a fantastic way to retain vocabulary However, this strategy seemed to be difficult for the informants to apply 55.7% informed that they never did so and nearly 5% used it with high frequency

3.1.3 Students’ self-reported use of Memory strategies (MEM)

Figure 3: Students’ use of MEM in vocabulary learning

Connecting the word to be retained with a particular vivid personal experience

in order to obtain and understand the underlying concepts is believed to be effective

in vocabulary learning (question 13) However, the answer to this question showed that it is not frequent choice of almost students Only 18,7% used it with high

frequency and there remains 7.3% never used it

Some types of sense relationship such as coordination, synonym or antonym are applied to deepen understanding of the new words effectively (question 14) The collected information, on the contrary, indicated opposite facts that only 17.8% used

it with high frequency and 50.2% rarely and 6.4% never used it

In question 15, the informants were asked whether they group words according to particular topics or word types or not The result revealed that nearly half of the informants (33.5%) used it high frequency and 22.2% rarely and 11% never employed it

Grouping words together within a storyline did not gained support from the students (question 16) About 20% used it with high frequency and 29.5% rarely did this and 20,5% denied using it

Question 17 aims at finding out whether the students use Key word method or not Many of the informants reported that they employ this strategy with low frequency (86.2%) Only 6.4% considered it to be one of their key strategies

Remembering affixes and roots (question 18) and parts of speech (question 19) were also less used by the students Only more than 30% adopted these strategies with high frequency

Paraphrasing the word‟s meaning (question 20) is considered to be a useful strategy to compensate for a limited productive vocabulary However, data show an unexpected result with low frequency of using which accounts for 51.6%

Learning the words of a collocation can help for productive use of a language (question 21) However, more than 60% of the informants sometimes or rarely did so 21.9% even never employed it

3.1.4 Students’ self-reported use of Cognitive strategies (COG)

Figure 4: Students’ use of COG in vocabulary learning

Written repetition (question 22) and verbal repetition (question 24) are common strategies in many parts of the world (Schmitt, 1997) This seemed to be no exception to the informants in case of written repetition The students paid their special attention to this written repetition strategy (question22) with extremely high frequency of using (96.8%), and no one never did so Also, a correlative result to verbal repetition was reported in the collected data 73.5% of the informants always and usually applied this Only 1.8 never did so In the contrary, learners seemed take

minimal care with silent study, 60% denied to adopt this

Taking notes in class (or noting down the new words) was a useful way for learners which help learners to create their own personal structure for newly learned

words (Schmitt, 1997) In question 25, the students had a passion for this strategy with surprisingly high frequency of using which accounted for more than 80% and most of the informants took part in this activity

In question 26, taping L2 labels onto their respective physical objects is supposed to be one of strategies which helps a lot in vocabulary learning Schmitt (1997) argues that “one expedient for making L2 words salient is to tape L2 labels onto their respective physical objects” Nevertheless, the data indicated a comparatively equal percentage between the highness and lowness of using frequency The former accounts for 27.2% and the latter makes up 27.1% of the total

Up to 45.9% never employed this strategy

Not many students (23.6) reported seeking the chance to practice the words have learned or need by talking to a friend (question 27) 30.6% sometimes and 30.7 rarely applied it 15% even never did so

3.1.5 Students’ self-reported use of Metacognitive strategies (MET)

Figure 5: Students’ use of MET in vocabulary learning

Making use of mass media (question 28) such as television, songs, radio, newspapers were regarded as a handy and practical source helps to revise and develop English vocabulary especially in authentic context Data show ignorance from the informants to this kind of strategy In fact, only 16.4% preferred this mode and 25.9% rarely and 17.5% never did so

Testing oneself with word tests (question 29) and using spaced word practice (question 30) are considered one of effective self-assessment strategies However, these strategies were used by 65.7% and 66.5% respectively

To be questioned of skipping or passing a word (question 31), students showed adverse perceptions towards this strategy The amount of students who

expressed their particular preference for this strategy in comparison with ones who showed their ignorance are of equal make up 34.9% and 35.5% respectively

Continuing to study words over time (question 32) was supposed to be necessary to all learners However, a vast proportion of the informants (81,2%) reported that they used it with low frequency and 5.5% never did so

In question 33, students were asked to provide other strategies that they applied to vocabulary learning However, no information of different strategies was reported in this question

The results of our questionnaire can be seen easier when the mean score of each question is counted as in the table below Our coding is that:

Always = 5; usually = 4; sometimes = 3; rarely = 2; never = 1

(M)

SOC Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of a new word (Q6) 2.6 SOC Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word (Q7) 2.4

SOC Discover new meaning through group work activities (Q9) 2.1 SOC Studying and practicing with learner‟s friends (Q10) 2.6 SOC Teacher checks students‟ flashcards or word lists for accuracy

(Q11)

2.1

MEM Connect the word withpersonal experience (Q13) 2.6 MEM Associate the word with the with its synonyms and antonyms

(Q 14)

2.9

MEM Group words together to study them (Q 15) 2.9 MEM Group words together within a storyline (Q16) 2.5