An investigation into using compilation of theme based lexical lists on students’ vocabulary retention

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ***************** TRẦN THỊ HÀ THU AN INVESTIGATION INTO USING

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

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

TRẦN THỊ HÀ THU

AN INVESTIGATION INTO USING COMPILATION

OF THEME – BASED LEXICAL LISTS

ON PRIMARY STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY RETENTION

(Dạy từ vựng cho học sinh tiểu học thông qua phương pháp sưu tập từ theo nhóm)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English teaching methodology

Code: 8140231.01

Hanoi, 2019

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

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

TRẦN THỊ HÀ THU

AN INVESTIGATION INTO USING COMPILATION

OF THEME – BASED LEXICAL LISTS

ON PRIMARY STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY RETENTION

(Dạy từ vựng cho học sinh tiểu học thông qua phương pháp sưu tập từ theo nhóm)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field : English teaching methodology Code : 8140231.01

Supervisor : Dr MAI THỊ LOAN

Hanoi, 2019

DECLARATION

I hereby state that I, Trần Thị Hà Thu, being a candidate for the Degree of Master of Arts, accept the requirement of the University relating to the retention and use of M.A Thesis deposited in the library

I certify my authorship of the thesis: An investigation into using

compilation of theme-based lexical lists on primary students’ vocabulary retention is the result of my own, and this thesis has not been submitted for any

degree at any other university or institution

ACKNOWLEDMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr, Mai Thị Loan for her valuable guide, patient support and encouragement in the completion of this M.A Thesis

I am so grateful to the writers of many books and Web pages I read which have stimulated my thinking on doing this paper

This study has been also completed with the invaluable help and the co – operation of the students and the English teachers at Khanh Nhac A Primary School Without their enthusiastic contribution and cooperation, this research would certainly not have been completed

Finally, I am greatly thankful to my family and friends, who are forever a great source of support and encouragement

ABSTRACT

The study aims at investigating the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists in teaching vocabulary to primary students at a primary school in Ninh Binh In order to fulfill the aim of the study, the instruments employed to collect data were test, classroom observations and questionnaire for the students The results of the data analysis indicate that the students gave prominence to vocabulary teaching and learning through compilation of theme-based lexical lists The students also achieved considerable progress in their vocabulary retention after attending vocabulary lessons using compilation of theme-based lexical lists In addition, the findings of the research point out some recommendations to better situation for the benefits of the students, some of which are choosing well-suited materials, using compilation of theme-based lexical lists in combination with other activities such as games and mind-mapping The study is hoped to meet the teachers’ needs, increase

the motivation of learners and teachers during learning vocabulary process

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS vii

LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES viii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 2

1.3 Research questions 2

1.4 Method of the study 2

1.5 Scope of the study 3

1.6 Significance of the study 3

1.7 Structure of the study 3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Previous studies on theme-based teaching 5

2.2 Vocabulary in English teaching and learning 6

2.2.1 Definition of vocabulary 6

2.2.2 Types of vocabulary 7

2.2.3 Aspects of vocabulary knowledge 9

2.2.4 The role of vocabulary in English teaching and learning 10

2.3 Teaching English to young learners 12

2.3.1 Characteristics of young learners 12

2.3.2 Teaching English vocabulary to young learners 13

2.4 Methods in vocabulary teaching 14

2.4.1 The Grammar -Translation Method 14

2.4.2 The Direct Method 15

2.4.3 The Audio-Lingual Method 15

2.4.4 Communicative Language Teaching 16

2.5 Compilation of theme-based lexical lists in English vocabulary teaching and learning 16

2.5.1 Theme-based teaching approach 16

2.5.2 Planning vocabulary teaching using compilation of theme-based lexical lists18 2.6 Summary 19

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 20

3.1 Experimental research 20

3.2 The setting of the study 20

3.3 Participants 21

3.4 Data collection instruments 22

3.4.1 Test 22

3.4.2 Classroom observations 22

3.4.3 Questionnaire 23

3.5 Data collection procedure 24

3.6 Data analysis procedure 24

3.7 Summary 25

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 26

4.1 Data analysis 26

4.1.1 Analysis of test 26

4.1.2 Analysis of classroom observations 29

4.1.3 Analysis of questionnaire for students 32

4.2 Discussion 40

4.3 Summary 43

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 44

5.1 Recapitulation 44

5.2 Concluding remarks 44

5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further study 46

REFERENCES 47

APPENDICES I APPENDIX 1A: PRETEST I APPENDIX 1B: POSTTEST II APPENDIX 2: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION CHECKLIST II APPENDIX 3A: QUESTIONNAIRE (ENGLISH VERSION) V APPENDIX 3B: QUESTIONNAIRE (VIETNAMESE VERSION) VIII APPENDIX 4: THE FORMULA OF MEAN, MEDIAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION XI APPENDIX 5: PHIẾU ĐỒNG THUẬN THAM GIA NGHIÊN CỨU XVII

LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS

CBI : Content-Based Instruction

CLT : Communicative Language Teaching GTM : Grammar Translation Method

UK : United Kingdom

US : United States

% : Percentage

LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 2.1 What is involved in knowing a word Source: Nation (2001: 27) 10

Figure 2.1 Brainstorming and making webs 19

Figure 4.1 Results of pretest scores of experimental class and control class 26

Figure 4.2 Results of posttest scores of experimental class and control class 27

Table 4.1 Descriptive statistics for the pretest and posttest scores of experimental class and control class 28

Table 4.3 Teacher’s instruction in the classroom 30

Figure 4.3 Materials in the classroom 31

Table 4.4 The teachers’ frequency of applying compilation of theme-based lexical lists in English classes 32

Figure 4.4 Students’ comments on English lessons using compilation of theme-based lexical lists 33

Figure 4.5 Students’ involvement in English classes using compilation of theme-based lexical lists 33

Figure 4.6 Students’ assessment of the difficulty of learning vocabulary through compilation of theme-based lexical lists 34

Figure 4.7 Students’ assessment of their vocabulary retention after lessons using compilation of theme-based lexical lists 35

Figure 4.8 Ways of presenting the meaning of words that students like 37

Figure 4.9 Kinds of tasks students would like to be involved 38

Table 4.6 Students’ preferred themes in English lessons implementing compilation of theme-based lexical lists 39

Figure 4.10 Students’ favorite kinds of activity organization in English classes 40

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale

Today, with the world’s borders more porous than ever, coming along with the international globalization and technological advancements, the importance of foreign languages is obviously proved Foreign language can be considered as an effective tool to deepen our understanding and appreciation for the rich and complex world we are living in English, which is the most common language, has been now widely taught in almost every school in Vietnam Besides four main skills

of English including listening, reading, speaking and writing, it is necessary to consider the importance of vocabulary which is not only the tool for expressing ideas but also the basis to improve the four skills Underlining the essential role of vocabulary acquisition, Schmitt (2000:55) likens lexical knowledge to center of communicative competence and the acquisition of a second language” Therefore, vocabulary is presented throughout every unit in the English textbook published by the Ministry of Education and Training, integrated into four skills in English lessons

Being a teacher of English, I am well aware of the importance of applying effective methods in teaching vocabulary to primary students The previous studies have provided various methods of teaching vocabulary at primary schools Pham Thị Thu Trang (2012) conducted a study on teaching vocabulary to primary students by using story telling method Vũ Thị Thanh Tâm (2012) introduced an action research on using stories and drama in vocabulary teaching Besides, Naveen (2009) proved the effect of other vocabulary teaching methods including definitions, antonyms, synonyms, pictures and drawings At Khanh Nhac A Primary School, the teachers of English have applied variety of methods and strategies to teach vocabulary in English lessons including compilation of theme-based lexical lists However, from the researcher’s experience, the application of compilation of theme-based lexical lists has not been scientifically considered In other words, the

teachers are not well aware of teaching vocabulary to primary students based on a theme thorough the whole lesson This motivates the author to conduct the study

“An investigation into using compilation of theme-based lexical lists on primary students’ vocabulary retention”

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

The study aims at investigating the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists in teaching vocabulary to primary students

This overall aim leads to the following objectives:

(1) To investigate the effectiveness of teaching vocabulary through compilation

of theme-based lexical lists

(2) To investigate the current situation of vocabulary teaching and learning by using compilation of theme-based lexical lists at Khanh Nhac A Primary School

(3) To give some recommendations to improve vocabulary teaching through compilation of theme-based lexical lists

1.4 Method of the study

The study was carried out by these steps:

First, the pre-test were administrated to the students in experimental and control class

Second, compilation of theme-based lexical lists was applied in the English lessons in experimental classes in four weeks Simultaneously, classroom observations were made by the researcher in order to discover the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists in English lessons

After that, the questionnaire was delivered to forty students of experimental class to investigate their attitudes toward learning vocabulary through compilation

of theme- based lexical lists as well as their recommendations to promote teaching and learning vocabulary in classes

The post-test were administrated after four weeks of applying compilation of theme-based lexical lists to investigate the students’ vocabulary retention after the course

Finally, the collected data was summarized and analyzed to lead to the major findings and give the answers to the research questions

1.5 Scope of the study

The study was conducted with the participation of eighty 4th grade students at Khanh Nhac A Primary School to investigate the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists on primary students’ vocabulary retention Therefore, teaching vocabulary to students in other grades and the teaching of the other vocabulary strategies would be beyond the scope

1.6 Significance of the study

The study contributes to the theory of teaching vocabulary by using compilation of theme-based lexical lists In addition, the results of this study can help teachers of English at Khanh Nhac A Primary School in particular and other schools in general to effectively apply compilation of theme-based lexical lists in order to improve their students’ vocabulary retention

1.7 Structure of the study

The study consists of three parts Each part deals with different aspects of the study:

Chapter 1 presents the introduction of the study including the rationale, aims and

objectives, research questions, method, scope and design of the study

Chapter 2 is the Literature Review In this chapter, the writer focuses on some main points: the role and types of vocabulary in English teaching and learning, the importance and the characteristics of teaching vocabulary to primary children, methods of vocabulary teaching and compilation of theme-based lexical lists in vocabulary teaching

Chapter 3 focuses on Research Methodology which includes the description of the setting and the participants of the study Data collection instruments and data analysis procedure are also introduced

Chapter 4 – Data analysis and Discussion aims at analyzing the collected data Based on the analysis, some discussion on the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists on primary students’ vocabulary retention was given

Chapter 5 provides the summary of the main issues and some recommendations for the effective use of the compilation of theme-based lexical lists in English teaching The limitations as well as some suggestions for further study are also included in this part

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Previous studies on theme-based teaching

There have been a lot of researchers carrying out studies on the use of based teaching in the world

theme-Examining the effective of theme-based syllabus for young second language learners, Alptekin, Ercetin and Bayyurt (2007) reported a longitudinal quasiexperimental study on the effectiveness of a theme-based syllabus versus an essentially grammatical syllabus with functional elements for young Turkish learners of English (aged 10 – 11) over a period of two academic years The results

of the study indicated that young learners using a theme-based syllabus develop their English proficiency better than those using an essentially grammatical syllabus

towards theme-based teaching in teaching English vocabulary with the participation

of 32 students in the fifth grade of one primary school in Bandung A classroom action research was carried out by conducting observation through field notes and questionnaire as the instruments The findings of the study revealed that students’ responses were highly positive towards the implementation of theme-based teaching In addition, theme-based teaching could enhance students’ interest in learning process that was supported by the themes chosen

theme-based advanced Chinese intensive program in a university setting Based on the evidence collected by the pre- and post-proficiency test results, learners’ self-reported surveys on the themes and topics, and the reading strategies covered in the program, the researcher argued that the theme-based model has positive impacts on improving language proficiency

However, the fact is that there has been little research into applying based teaching to improve students’ vocabulary retention in Vietnam Therefore,

theme-being aware of the importance of compilation of theme-based lexical lists in vocabulary teaching, the researcher decided to carry out the study to investigate the use of compilation of theme-based lexical lists on primary students’ vocabulary retention

2.2 Vocabulary in English teaching and learning

2.2.1 Definition of vocabulary

Many different definitions of vocabulary have been given by linguists

Wilkins (1972: 11) stated that vocabulary is an important part of language learning and the human existence, without which no communication can be successful Vocabulary is collection of all words that constitute a language under discussion or a particular subject According to Richards and Renandya (2002: 255), vocabulary is the core component of language proficiency and provides much of the basis for how well learners speak, listen, read, and write Richards (2000: 70) said that vocabulary is one of the most obvious components of language and one of the first things applied linguistics turned their attention to

In Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English, Hornby (2006: 1645) stated that vocabulary is: (1) all the words that a person knows or uses, (2) all the words in a particular language, (3) the words that people uses when they are talking, and (4) a list of words with their meanings especially in a book for learning a foreign language A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the largest challenges in learning a second language

Furthermore, according to Hamer (1991: 151 – 161), teaching vocabulary is clearly more than just presenting a new words This may, of course have its place but there are other issues too However, not all vocabulary can be learned through interaction and discovery techniques Thus, statement implies that learning vocabulary cannot always be done through interaction and discovery techniques for the beginners The reason is that, in doing such as technique, the learners are demanded to have an adequate number of vocabularies that have been mastered before

From the above definitions, it can be concluded that vocabulary is all about words – the words in language or a special set of words

2.2.2 Types of vocabulary

Hatch and Brown (1995: 181 – 243) enumerated at least five kinds of vocabulary: word classes, word families, word formation, collocation and homonyms Gruneberg and Sykes (1991) distinguished the two types of vocabulary The first type of vocabulary refers to the one that the students have been taught and that they are expected to be able to use Meanwhile, the second one refers to the words which the students would recognize when they meet them, but they would probably not be able to pronounce However, by investigating the classification of Carter (1987), Nation (2001) and Schmitt (2000), the writer divides vocabulary into many types based on different criteria as follows

2.2.2.1 Classification by origin

According to the origin of words, there are two types which are native words and loan words Loan words are words adopted from one language and incorporated

into another language without translation like cookie, kindergarten Native words

are words that are not borrowed from another language, but are inherited from an

earlier stage of the language like foot, hand

2.2.2.2 Classification by notion

According to the notion, vocabulary is classified into function words and content words Function words are words that have little lexical meaning or have ambiguous meaning and express grammatical relationships among other words within a sentence, or specify the attitude or mood of the speaker Function words include categories of words like determiners, conjunctions or auxiliaries Content words are words that name objects, qualities, actions or states They are usually nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs

2.2.2.3 Classification by the part of speech

The eight main parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections Nouns are words that describe

a thing and can be generic (common nouns) or specific (proper nouns) They can serve as the subject or object or a verb or as a possessive or the object of a preposition Pronouns are nonspecific words that take the place of nouns They are small, short words that help avoid repetition and cut back on the need for longer nouns Verbs are words that describe an action and come in many different tenses and forms Adjectives are words that describe nouns They usually come before the noun they modify Adverbs are words that describe verbs Prepositions are words used to describe the relation between words in a sentence and are the beginning to a prepositional phrase Conjunctions are words used to bring two or more different clauses, phrases, or items together in a sentence Interjections are words used to show a quick and immediate emotion They often stand by themselves and are followed by an exclamation mark

2.2.2.4 Classification by the concept of morpheme

Basing on the concept of morpheme, there are simple words, derived words and compound words Simple words are words consisting of one root morpheme Derived words are words consisting of one root morpheme and one or more derivational morphemes Compound words are word consisting of at least two roots with or without derivational morphemes

2.2.2.5 Classification by level of usage

According to the level of usage, vocabulary can be divided into common, literacy, colloquial, slang and technical words Common words or popular words often connect with the ordinary things or activities and make up the biggest part of the vocabulary with its core as basic words stock Literacy words are chiefly used in

writing, formal and elevated in style like the word purchase/ buy Colloquial words

are used mainly in speaking to colleagues or friends and in informal writing Slang words are words of vigorous, colorful, fictitious or taboo nature, invented for specific occasions or uses or derived from the unconventional use of the standard vocabulary Technical words are used in various special fields with functions partly

to denote things or processes which have no names in ordinary English, and most remain essentially foreign to outsider, even to educated native speakers

2.2.2.6 Classification by the usage of the word

Vocabulary can be divided into productive and receptive vocabulary Productive vocabulary is defined as all the words that are retrieved from a person’s memory and can be used at suitable time and in suitable situation Receptive vocabulary refers to all the words that can be understood by a person, including spoken, written, or manually signed words

2.2.3 Aspects of vocabulary knowledge

Linguists have conducted studies that address different aspects of vocabulary knowledge Schmitt and Meara (1997) investigated how learners of English developed their vocabulary size and two aspects of vocabulary knowledge (affix and association) over a year They found that the vocabulary size correlated with affix and association knowledge and that there was an interrelationship between the two aspects of vocabulary knowledge Shimamoto (2000), in her cross - sectional study, addressed four aspects of receptive vocabulary knowledge including spoken form, written form, paradigmatic and syntagmatic knowledge She found that the four aspects of vocabulary knowledge were interrelated with each other and they were also correlated with the learners’ vocabulary size

Nation (2001) had another point of view in vocabulary knowledge that he focuses on three significant aspects of a word that certainly need to be considered: form, meaning and use Accordingly, the form of a word involves its pronunciation (spoken form), spelling (written form), and any word parts that make up this particular item (such as a prefix, root, and suffix) For example, in the word

“unsuccessful”, the prefix un- means negative or opposite, success is the root word, and –ful is a suffix means full of or having Here, they all go together to refer to

someone or something that is able to succeed Nation (2001) also stated that meaning encompasses the way that form and meaning work together, in other words, the concept and what items it refers to, and the associations that come to mind when people think about a specific word or expression Use, as Nation (2001) noted, involves the grammatical functions of the word or phrase, collocations that normally go with it, and finally any constraints on its use, in terms of frequency,

level, and so forth For form, meaning, and use, Nation (2001) declared there is both

a receptive and productive dimension, so knowing these three aspects for each word

or phrase actually involves 18 different types of lexical knowledge, as summarized

in the following table

Table 2.1 What is involved in knowing a word Source: Nation (2001: 27)

Aspect Component Receptive knowledge Productive knowledge

word parts What parts are

recognizable in this word?

What word parts are needed to express the meaning?

Meaning

form and meaning

What meaning does this word form signal?

What word form can be used to express this meaning?

concepts and referents

What is included in this concept?

What items can the concept refer to?

associations What other words does

this make people think of?

What other words could people use instead of this one?

Use

grammatical functions

In what patterns does the word occur?

In what patterns must people use this word? collocations

What words or types of words occur with this one?

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

constraints on

use (register, frequency…)

Where, when, and how often would people expect

to meet this word?

Where, when, and how often can people use this word?

The researcher strongly agrees with Nation (2001) that form, meaning and use are three significant aspects of vocabulary knowledge Knowing a word is a complex process that involves learning several different but interrelated types of word aspects

2.2.4 The role of vocabulary in English teaching and learning

Nation (2001) describes the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and language use as complementary: knowledge of vocabulary enables language use,

and conversely, language use allows people to increase vocabulary knowledge In other words, a person cannot use a language without having certain knowledge of vocabulary

Wilkins (1972) strongly confirms the importance of vocabulary Indeed, vocabulary knowledge helps people with language comprehension It is clear that to successfully comprehend a text, students need to have sufficient word knowledge The comprehension of a language depends on the amount of words that are known

in that language According to Nation (2001), readers need to know at least 97% of the vocabulary in a text for an adequate understanding of it Without knowledge of the key vocabulary in a text, a learner may have serious trouble in understanding the message, that is, word knowledge is crucial to reading comprehension and determines how well students will be able to comprehend the texts they read Therefore, having students with a large amount of vocabulary knowledge is essential to language comprehension

Additionally, vocabulary also helps people with language production Hubbard (1983) states that the more words a student knows, the more precisely the student can express the meaning he/she wants to Based on this view, to communicate effectively students need to know a large number of word meanings Furthermore, according to Cardenas (2001), vocabulary is used to determine the proficiency a student has in oral context Since vocabulary is an essential component to determine how much a student is able to communicate successfully, students have to overcome the lack of vocabulary knowledge in order to communicate effectively Language teachers should focus on effective instruction to teach vocabulary to help students to develop their vocabulary knowledge in order to communicate successfully

The above arguments on the role of vocabulary are all to say that vocabulary

is an essential component to determine how much a student is able to communicate successfully It serves as an indispensable part of language through which thoughts, ideas, feelings, experience are conveyed For mastering a language, one definitely needs to have good stock of vocabulary

2.3 Teaching English to young learners

2.3.1 Characteristics of young learners

For the successful teaching of English in primary schools, above all, it is essential for the teacher to understand the young learners’ characteristics, instincts, and interests in their cognitive, linguistic, and emotional aspects

Clark (1990: 6-8) gives a list of the characteristics which young learners share:

1 Children are developing conceptually: they develop their way of thinking from the concrete to the abstract thing

2 Children have no real linguistics, different from the adult learners that already have certain purpose in learning language, for instances, to have a better job, children rarely have such needs in learning a foreign language They learn subject what school provide for them

3 Children are still developing; they are developing common skill such as turn talking and the use of body language

4 Young children very egocentric, they tend to resolve around themselves

5 Children get bored easily Children have no choice to attend school The lack

of the choice means that class activities need to be fun interesting and exciting

as possible by setting up the interesting activities

According to Phillips (1995), in learning a language, young learners respond

to the language, depending on what it does or what they can do with it rather than treating it as an intellectual game or abstract system Brewster (1991) supports it by saying that theories of the children’s learning require that young learners be supported by moving from the abstract to the concrete and through being involved

in activity It can be understood that the children need activities that are more concrete rather than abstract and to be involved in those activities in order that they can learn the language well

In short, children bring many different experiences and knowledge to their learning and it is likely that each child learns differently from the same activity they involve In addition, it is easy for young learners to learn things they can see and

feel, what they have experienced or things related to their daily activities, what they are curious about, what they care about and what they like

2.3.2 Teaching English vocabulary to young learners

It is clear that children have learned their native language with apparent ease

In other words, children can learn their native language without knowing they are learning According to Philips (1993), there are many factors influencing children’s maturity such as environment, culture, sex and experience In order to be successful

in teaching English to children, teachers have to deeply understand their children’s characteristics, goals and motivation

Rixon (1999) claims the importance of the condition under which young learner programs are offered These include conditions inside the classroom and outside the classroom such as the social, cultural, economic value of the language Read (2003:7) clarify the condition by suggesting that young learners are better when learning is:

 Natural

 Contextualized and part of a real event

 Interesting and enjoyable

 Relevant

 Social

 Belongs to the child

 Has a purpose for the child

 Builds on things the child knows but also challenges thechild

 Offered in a relaxed and warm learning atmosphere

In fact, we cannot expect our young students to learn the items we teach and remember all the words in the lessons Although children can learn new words very quickly, they will also forget them quickly Therefore, new words should be introduced repeatedly in different situations in the following lessons Since mere practicing can be extremely boring and tiring to young learners, teachers should be creative enough to wrap practicing in games, role plays and in singing songs, activities that seem to be fun and interesting

2.4 Methods in vocabulary teaching

Lê Văn Canh (2003) affirms that a new approach to English language teaching is needed due to the status of English as an international global language Indeed, in order to bring students with the large amount of vocabulary, it is extremely important for teachers to apply various methods and techniques in language teaching Some major foreign language teaching approaches are briefly given as follows

2.4.1 The Grammar -Translation Method

The Grammar- Translation Method (GTM) derived from traditional approaches to the teaching of Latin and Greek and was the predominant method

in Europe in the 19th century The method focuses on the teaching of the foreign language grammar through the presentation of rules together with some exceptions and lists of vocabulary translated into the mother tongue GTM was used for the purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign language literature and hoped that the students would become familiar with the grammar of the native language through the study of the grammar of the target language and that familiarity would help them speak and write better in their native language (Larsen – Freeman, 2000:11) The main procedure of an ordinary lesson follows this plan: a presentation of a grammatical rule followed by a list of vocabulary and, finally, translation exercises from selected texts while little or no attempt is made to teach pronunciation

2.4.2 The Direct Method

The Direct Method, as the name suggests, is a method of teaching English directly through English Stern (1983) points out that the Direct Method is characterized by the used of target language as a means of instruction and communication in the language classroom, and by the avoidance of the use of the first language and of translation as a technique Correct pronunciation and oral skills are stressed because of the principle that speaking a language is more important than being able to write it The emphasis was on everyday vocabulary and sentences which are taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures while abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas The Direct Method is useful in that,

as River (1968) states, it provides an exciting and interesting way of learning foreign language through activity The method is proved to be successful in releasing students from the inhibitions all too often associated with speaking a foreign tongue, particularly at the early stages

2.4.3 The Audio-Lingual Method

The Audio-Lingual Method (also called Army Method, Mim-mem Method or Aural Oral Approach) is derived from The Army Method, so called because it was developed through a U.S Army programme devised after World War II to produce speakers proficient in the languages of friend and foes As Thornbury (2000) states, the Audio-Lingual Method considered language simply as form of behaviour to be learned through the formation of correct speech habits Audio Linguists believe in the separation of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing The Audio Lingual Method uses certain practical techniques like mimicry, memorization, pattern practice and the language laboratory; it encourages the use of dialogues and substitution tables In the Audio-Lingual Method, like the Direct Method, students are taught a language directly without using the students’ native language However, while the Direct Method focuses on teaching vocabulary, the Audio-Lingual Method drills students in the use of grammar

2.4.4 Communicative Language Teaching

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes communication as both the means and the goal of language learning Learners converse about personal experiences with partners, and instructors teach topics outside of the realm of traditional grammar, in order to promote language skills in all types of situations According to CLT, the goal of language education is the ability to communicate in the target language This is in contrast to previous views in which grammatical competence was commonly given top priority CLT also focuses on the teacher being a facilitator, rather than an instructor Furthermore, the approach is a non – methodical system that does not use

a textbook series to teach English, but rather works on developing sound oral/verbal skills prior to reading and writing Among all methods used and practiced so far, CLT has been considered as the best practice in English language teaching (ELT) because it offers communication means enabling learners to develop the communicative ability (Power, 2003)

2.5 Compilation of theme-based lexical lists in English vocabulary teaching and learning

2.5.1 Theme-based teaching approach

In order to help students learn the important part of a language, which is vocabulary, many researchers have been researching for more efficient teaching methods to apply in English classes

One of the language teaching methods that is considered to be the new method of language teaching is by creating learning activities through theme-based teaching in which the process of teaching and learning is presented based on the themes that will be expanded to other subjects The integration of theme-based instruction into language teaching originates from general primary education and, as stated by Cameron (2001:181), “has been practiced since the 1960s in UK primary classrooms, where children typically spend all day with the same teacher” Brinton (2001) defines theme-based as an approach to language teaching with the whole

course structured around certain themes or topics In other words, theme-based teaching is a teaching approach with the large model of content -based instruction (CBI) in which the emphasis is on exposing students to a highly contextualized second language environment by using the subject matter as the content of language learning In a theme-based course, different activities are linked together by their content and the theme or topic runs through everything that happens in the classroom and acts as a connecting thread for pupils and teacher

A considerable advantage of theme-based teaching approach is to avoid fragmented and unconnected skill exercises and to bring learners variety of activities with a meaningful content that provides learners with motivating and meaningful uses of the language Cameron (2001) points out the other reasons for using theme-based approach in language teaching, including the fact that new vocabulary items can be learned easily, with the theme providing a meaningful context for understanding, and for the natural use of a wide range of discourse types, both written and spoken Furthermore, the integration of theme-based teaching can help identifying learner’s individual difficulties since they might come across new content When supported by meaningful content, “children may be able

to work out the meaning of new or unfamiliar language, or motivated by real interest in a topic, they may struggle to communicate their knowledge to someone else” (Cameron, 2001:191) Vale and Feunteun (1995) claim that English is not an isolated educational issue Accordingly, they consider language as only one part of child education and suppose to supply a balance between different subjects and the use of themes as the source for teaching Halliwell (1992:131) also states that

“learning other things in English will help children to learn English” Thus, it is considered to be very helpful to bring meaning to language learning

In short, compilation of theme- based teaching is a method that lets students memorize words based on a common theme by making their own connections between words and possibly organizing them in a spider diagram or on the special corner of their notebooks

2.5.2 Planning vocabulary teaching using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

As effective theme-based teaching is extremely demanding, language teachers are supposed to creatively plan, implement and possess their own knowledge of a wide repertoire of activity types and resources Even expert teachers need a careful planning of a theme, to prepare sub-themes and to identify the language learning goals so that teachers become coordinators or facilitators, who maintain a sense of the whole picture and a vision of the skills the students need to acquire through classroom activities

Based on the viewpoints of Cameron (2001), Mumford (2000) and Michael (1999), the writer offers three steps of planning theme-based vocabulary teaching which should be carried out by language teachers

Finding a theme

Concerning the very first step of planning theme-based teaching, Cameron (2001:185) believes that teachers should think about some choice points in order to decide which activity to do or how much time to be spent on it The students are encouraged to be involved in finding the theme by suggesting the theme, or selecting a theme for the term from a list Mumford (2000:6) states that it is advisable to integrate the students in the planning process because when learners choose their methods and topics of study, their learning becomes more meaningful, and then the model of lifelong learning is brought into the school setting In addition, Mumford (2000:4) also supposes that it might be useful to share ideas with other colleagues and therefore work in collaboration with others

Planning content

Two basic planning tools Cameron (2001) mentions are brainstorming and making webs These facilitate collecting ideas and connecting them not only in a linear direction, so that themes and sub-themes can easier be developed from them

Brainstorming, according to Michael (1999), is the unrestrained offering of ideas or suggestions by all members of a committee, conference, etc in an effort to find a solution to a problem, generate fresh ideas, etc A web is a way of

writing down ideas and connections without forcing them into linear form as in a list or in text The figure below is an example of brainstorming and making webs in planning theme-based language teaching

Figure 2.1 Brainstorming and making webs

Planning language leaning tasks

Having identified sub-theme and guiding questions by taking a content perspective on the theme, planning then has to bring a language leaning perspective

to it so that planning moves from content to foreign language classroom activities, with discourse types and aspects of language use guiding the construction of language learning task with clear goals and stages

2.6 Summary

In short, the chapter has clearly presented the relevant literature which has been the basis for the study to be carried out The chapter firstly focuses on some previous researches related to the study The definition, types and some aspects of vocabulary are also concerned The next part deals with compilation of theme-based lexical lists in vocabulary teaching and learning The following Chapter 3 will discuss the methodology by which the research was conducted

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Experimental research

Experimental research is a study that is undertaken in a controlled environment to trace cause-and-effect relationships between defined variables (Kerry, 2018) Experimental research includes a hypothesis, a variable that can be manipulated by the researcher, and variables that can be measured, calculated and compared The researcher collects data and results will either support or reject the hypothesis This method of research is referred to a hypothesis testing or a deductive research method

Experimental research gives researcher a high level of control In other words, the researcher can create the setting in which the phenomena is observed The researcher can remove or control other factors that may affect the overall results In addition, experimental research can lead to excellent results The very nature of experimental research allows the researchers to easily understand the relationships between the variables, the subjects, and the environment and identify the causes and effects in whatever phenomena is studied

However, experimental research can be affected by errors There might be blunders in the research design or in the methodology as well as random mistakes that cannot be controlled or predicted, which can seriously affect the outcome Besides, the experimental research might not be feasible in some situations in which the variables simply cannot be manipulated or the study would impede on the subjects’ human right or give rise to ethical issues

3.2 The setting of the study

The study was conducted at Khanh Nhac A Primary School which is located

in Ninh Binh Province In the school year 2018-2019, the school has the total of 634 students divided into 17 classes from grade 1 to grade 5 and 36 teachers of different subjects

The four teachers of English have at least three years of teaching experiences They graduated from different universities in Vietnam The researcher also worked as an English teacher in this primary school before attending an MA course at University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi The researcher received the permission of the principle and the support of other teachers of English to carry out the research

English is optional for students from grade 1 to grade 2 and compulsory for students from grade 3 to grade 5 Because of the importance of English as an international language, many activities are regularly held for students outside the classrooms English club has been established and operated weekly in order that students can improve their English skills and help each other learn English Moreover, the school coordinates with the Venus English Center so that students have chances to speak English to native speakers every Wednesday afternoon In addition, a lot of extra-curricular activities such as English Festival, English Speaking Contest, The Olympiad of Talent in English have been held in the school

in order to motivate students to learn English and create an English environment for both English teachers and students

In term of English materials, the textbook used as the official English material for 4th grade students at Khanh Nhac A Primary School is Tieng Anh 4 – standard syllabus published by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) The textbook consists of 20 units related to different topics, each unit is divided into three lessons in which speaking, listening, writing and reading skills are integrated

3.3 Participants

The participants are eighty 4th grade students of two classes 4A, 4B at Khanh Nhac A Primary School These students have been studied English as a compulsory subject since grade 3 Each week, the participants have four periods of English and the total of English periods in a school year is 140 The reason for choosing the 4thgrade students as participants of the study is that they have had one year to get aqquainted with the English program Moreover, the 4th English program focuses on providing students with vocabulary through sentences patterns

All the participants had been divided into two classes since grade 1 and there

is almost no change of class distribution through years In class 4A which was chosen to be the experimantal class, the number of girls is 19 and the number of boys is 21 Class 4B – the control class – includes 20 girls and 20 boys Students in the experimental class were taught by using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

in vocabulary lessons In contrast, students in control class were taught without

using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

3.4 Data collection instruments

as standard tests In addition, the tests were developed in consideration to the 4thgrade students’ English ability After completing Tiếng Anh 3, the students’ English proficiency was at A1.1 level – the minimal level of skill of the Common European Framework of Reference for language (CEFR), therefore, short and simple vocabulary tasks were appropriate to them The pretest and posttest include two tasks The first task (5 points) is about checking the students’ vocabulary retention by matching exercise and the second task (5 points) requires students to look at the pictures and write the words The two tasks make up the totality of 10 points (See Appendix 1)

3.4.2 Classroom observations

A classroom observation is the purposeful examination of teaching and/or learning events through the systematic processes of data collection and analysis

(Bailey, 2001) In other words, classroom observation is a process by which the observer records the teacher’s teaching practices and students’ actions in order to evaluate the quality of teaching provided and the consistency between the curriculum plan and the actual delivery of the material by teachers

In the study, classroom observations were conducted in order to find out how compilation of theme-based lexical lists were applied in English lesson of experimental class Totally, there were eight classroom observations made in English lessons using compilation of theme-based lexical lists in which the researcher took a close look into what happened in the vocabulary lessons, how compilation of theme-based lexical lists was applied and how students reacted in these lessons In order to provide insights into teaching vocabulary using compilation of theme-based lexical lists, the observation checklist was designed based on some criteria (see Appendix 2) Accordingly, lesson procedures and students’ participation aim at investigating the current situation of vocabulary teaching and learning Teacher’s instruction, materials focus on students’ expectations in vocabulary lessons In addition, suggested changes provide data which leads to implications for teachers’ vocabulary teaching using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

3.4.3 Questionnaire

A questionnaire is defined as a document containing questions and other types of items designed to solicit information appropriate to analysis (Babbie, 1990: 377) In this study, the researcher applied questionnaire as the main means of data collection because of some advantages Firstly, the large amount of information can

be collected from a large number of participants in a short period of time Secondly, since the respondents are free to express their own opinion without providing their private information, the results of questionnaires are accurate and objective

The questionnaire used in the research (see Appendix 3) includes 10 questions which were written in both English and Vietnamese in order that all the students could fully understand the questions and truthfully give their own answers

The first five questions were designed to seek the data for the first two research questions They focused on the students’ views on learning English vocabulary through compilation of theme-based lexical lists The next five questions were used

to collect students’ expectations about teaching vocabulary using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

3.5 Data collection procedure

The researcher carried out the following steps to collect the data from classroom observations, pretest, posttest and questionnaire:

Firstly, eighty 4th grade students were given a pretest under the serious control of the researcher These test scores were gathered and then analyzed to identify the students’ vocabulary retention before applying compilation of theme-based lexical lists

Secondly, compilation of theme-based lexical lists was applied to teach vocabulary on the experimental class in four weeks; whereas, the control class was taught without using compilation of theme-based lexical lists During four weeks, the researcher conducted classroom observations in experimental class to gain more accurate understanding about the methods which the teachers applied in English classes using compilation of theme-based lexical lists and the participation and involvement of the students

At the end of the 4th week, posttest was taken by both experimental and control class The posttest scores were collected to investigate the difference between two classes after the experimental period

After the treatment, the students of experimental class were asked to fill in the questionnaire to get their opinions of teaching vocabulary through compilation

of theme-based lexical lists

The collected data was analyzed to draw out conclusions and suggestions for futher studies

3.6 Data analysis procedure

The data collected from the pretest and posttest scores were used to measure

the impact of the treatment All tests were marked by the researcher The test scores

were computed and analyzed to work out means, median, minimum, maximum and

standard deviation (SD), to identify whether the students in control class or

experimental class could improve their vocabulary retention after experimental

period (See Appendix 4 for the formula of mean, median and standard deviation)

The results of classroom observations were analyzed and presented in order

to investigate the current situation of using compilation of theme-based lexical lists

in experimental class

Besides, the data collected from questionnaire was used to get the opinions

of the experimental students about teaching vocabulary by using compilation of

theme-based lexical lists The results of questionnaire was presented and changed

into the equivalent percentages

3.7 Summary

The chapter has presented a complete description of the research

methodology by which the study was carried out In addition, the research design

including data collection instruments (tests, classroom observations and

questionnaire for students), data analysis procedure is also fully described

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Data analysis

4.1.1 Analysis of test

In order to measure the effectiveness of using compilation of theme-based lexical lists on students’ vocabulary retention after four weeks of treatment, the pretest and posttest were administered to both experimental and control class at the same day Both tests were timed 15 minutes, including matching and word writing The results of pretest and posttest scores of the two classes were compared and analyzed as follows

4.1.1.1 Comparison between pretest scores of experimental class and control class

Before taking part in English lessons with compilation of theme-based lexical lists, the students in both control and experimental class took a pretest (see Appendix 1) The scores of the tests were divided into three grades of assessment basing on the primary school grading scale assigned in the Circular No.22/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated September 22, 2016 of the Minister of Education and Training These three grades include: good accomplishment (mark 9-10), accomplishment (5-8), and unaccomplishment (mark 0-4) The results of pretest are shown in the following figure

Figure 4.1 Results of pretest scores of experimental class and control class

As can be seen from Figure 4.1, all of the students in two classes were assessed to be accomplished after taking the pretest However, the number of students well accomlishing in experimental and control class is very low (5% and 7.5% respectively) while a great number of students accomplished with the moderate level (95% of the students in experimental class and 92.5% of the students

in control class) The results of pretest showed that most of the students’ vocabulary retention was at average level before the treatment In other words, most of them encountered some problem in learning vocabulary

4.1.1.2 Comparision between posttest scores of experimental class and control

class

In order to evaluate the effect of the treatment on students’ vocabulary retention after the experimental period, posttest was taken by students of the experimental class and control class The results of posttest are shown in the following figure

Figure 4.2 Results of posttest scores of experimental class and control class

According to Figure 4.2, there was a considerable improvement of the number of experimental students assessed as good complishment based on the results of posttest It is worth noting that the number of these students was 37.5%

which had been only 5% before the treatment Besides, the number of students in control class scoring 9 or 10 for their posttest was slightly higher (10% in comparison with 7.5% for the pretest) The results of posttest showed a certain improvement of students’ vocabulary retention in both classes

The figure also shows that the experimental class surpassed the control class

in term of the number of good accomplished students After taking part in vocabulary lessons using compilation of theme-based lexical lists, the number of experimental students marked 9 or 10 accounted for 15% while only one tenth of students in control class reached the marks (10%) Therefore, it can be said that the experimental class made greater improvements in their vocabulary retention than the control class after the experimental period

4.1.1.3 Comparison between pretest and posttest scores of experimental class and control class

Table 4.1 Descriptive statistics for the pretest and posttest scores of experimental

class and control class.

Descriptive statistics Experimental class (N=40) Control class (N=40)

pretest posttest pretest posttest

experimental class’s posttest increased from 6.8 to 8.23 with the scores ranging from 7 to 10 which had been from 5 to 9 before the treatment; whereas the mean of the control class’s posttest went up from 6.88 to 7.13 with the scores ranging from 6

to 9 which had been from 5 to 9 before the course Looking at median, the median

of the experimental class rose from 7 to 8 with treatment, while the median of the control class remained constant only 7 without treatment

In short, concerning all the statistical values, using compilation of based lexical lists in vocabulary lessons had a significance impact on students’ vocabulary retention

theme-4.1.2 Analysis of classroom observations

4.1.2.1 Lesson procedure and students’ participation

Table 4.2 Lesson procedure and students’ participation in the classroom

Lesson procedure and students’

The teacher encourages the

students to recall what they have

learnt in previous lessons

2

The teacher links students’s prior

knowledge to the content of the

new lesson

3

The teacher leads the students into

the topic of the lesson by a clear

introduction

4

Compilation of theme-based

lexical lists is used in combination

with other activities

5 The students volunnteer to do the

6 The students are engaged, on task,

and not disruptive most of the time 12.5 37.5 50

7 The students take notes of the

8 The students ask questions about

9 The students discuss the tasks in