Developing supplementary vocabulary activities to enhance vocabulary retention for tenth grade students at a high school in bac ninh province

DECLARATION I hereby certify the thesis entitled “Developing supplementary vocabulary activities to enhance vocabulary retention for tenth grade students at a high school in Bac Ninh pro

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL

STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-O0O -

QUẢN THỊ MINH NGUYỆT

DEVELOPING SUPPLEMENTARY VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES

TO ENHANCE VOCABULARY RETENTION FOR TENTH GRADE

STUDENTS

AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN BAC NINH PROVINCE

Phát triển các hoạt động bổ trợ học từ vựng để cải thiện vốn từ vựng

của học sinh lớp 10 tại một trường THPT Bắc Ninh

M.A MINOR PROGRAM THESIS

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Supervisor : Dr Vu Thi Thanh Nha

Hanoi 2019

DECLARATION

I hereby certify the thesis entitled “Developing supplementary vocabulary activities to enhance vocabulary retention for tenth grade students at a high school in Bac Ninh province.” as my own work in the fulfillment of the

requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Languages and

International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Bac Ninh, 2019 Student‟s signature

Quan Thi Minh Nguyet

Secondly, my grateful thanks are also extended to Ms Le Thi Lien – my supervisor in my training at Thuan Thanh 3 high school for her assistance in keeping my progress on schedule and supporting me in collecting data for my paper

Finally, I wish to thank my family for their support and encouragement throughout my study

ABSTRACT

It can be understood that vocabulary is a key point in learning English As a teacher of English for high school students, I am highly aware of vocabulary acquisition function for my students They are from rural district with quite low level of English In addition, they have obstacles with words when they are learning English because of lacking vocabulary Therefore, they could face with a number

of difficulties learning vocabulary effectively As a teacher, I want to find out a solution to this problem in my class It results a need for more supplementary activities to enhance students‟ vocabulary retention

Aiming to achieve my goals, I prefer action research with helps me in

finding out the effectiveness of supplementary activities on my students, and their attitudes towards those activities That using digital flashcards and paper flashcards

is expected to support students‟ vocabulary retention Observation and

questionnaire are research tools which help me to carry out my study Due to the limitattion of the study, the participants includes 45 students in the practitioner‟s class, quite a small number After an eight-week study, the practitioner gets some positive feedback of the students, and the students‟ output is a little better; their desire to the adjustment is an encouragement By applying some supplementary activities to enhance students‟ vocabulary retention, she hopes to help and suggest some effective vocabulary learning and teaching activities Therefore, she does expect that her findings would be the hints for further investigation in vocabulary retention as well Although the study time is not quite long, she would carefully review and think of later study

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES viii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the study 1

1.2 Aims of the study 2

1.3 Scope of the study 2

1.4 Methodology 2

1.5 Organization of the thesis 3

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 4

2.1 Concepts of vocabulary 5

2.1.1 Definition of vocabulary 5

2.1.2 Classification of vocabulary 7

2.1.2.1 Vocabulary classification according to frequency of use 7

2.1.2.2 Vocabulary classification according to meaning 8

2.1.3 Aspect of vocabulary to be taught in class 9

2.1.3.1 Pronunciation and spelling 9

2.1.3.2 Word formation 10

2.1.3.3 Grammar 10

2.1.3.4 Collocation 11

2.2 The role of vocabulary in language teaching and learning 12

2.3 Currently techniques in vocabulary teaching 13

2.3.1 Visual techniques 14

2.3.2 Verbal techniques 14

2.3.3 Translation 15

2.3.4 The use of dictionary 15

2.4 Quizlet and flashcard as new vocabulary teaching and learning tools 16

2.4.1 Quizlet 16

2.4.2 Flashcard 16

2.5 Memorizing vocabulary 18

2.5.1 Vocabulary retention 18

2.5.2 Types of memories 19

2.6 Related studies 19

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 23

3.1 The methodology 23

3.1.1 Reason to choose action research 23

3.1.2 Phases of action research 24

3.2 Participants of the study 26

3.2.1 The students 26

3.2.2 The textbooks 26

3.3 Data collection instruments 29

3.3.1 Observation 29

3.3.2 Questionnaire 30

3.4 Procedures of the research study 31

3.4.1 Plan: Planning the action 31

3.4.2 Act: Putting the plan into action 31

3.4.3 Observe: Observing the results of the plan 32

3.4.3.1 Observation: 32

3.4.3.2 Questionnaire 32

3.4.4 Reflect: Reflecting and planning for further action 33

3.5 Summary 33

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 35

4.1 Current difficulties that students might face in their vocabulary retention 35

4.1.1 Difficulties that students might face 35

4.1.2 Aspects of vocabulary to be taught 36

4.1.3 The most frequently used techniques to teach vocabulary 37

4.2 Supplementary activities to enhance students’ vocabulary retention and

their attitude 38

4.2.1 Supplementary activities to enhance students‟ vocabulary retention 38

4.2.1.1 The first cycle: applying paper flashcards 38

4.2.1.2 The second cycle: applying digital flashcards 40

4.2.2 Students‟ attitude toward supplementary activities 42

4.2.2.1 Frequency of using supplementary activities prior to the study 42

4.2.2.2 Opinion of students on the effect of using DFs and PFs to teach vocabulary 43

4.2.2.3 Benefits of using supplementary activities in teaching vocabulary perceived by students 44

4.2.2.4 Difficulties of using supplementary activities to teach vocabulary perceived by students 46

4.2.2.5 The desire for using supplementary activities in vocabulary acquisition 48

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 49

5.1 Summary of the findings 49

5.2 Some suggestions for using flashcards and Quizlet to teach vocabulary 50

5.2.1 For the teachers 50

5.2.2 For the students 51

5.3 Limitation of the study 51

5.4 Suggestions for further research 52

REFERENCES 54 APPENDICES I APPENDIX 1: LESSON PLAN I APPENDIX 2: LESSON PLAN III APPENDIX 3 V SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE V PHIẾU CÂU HỎI KHẢO SÁT IX APPENDIX 4: XII APPENDIX 5: XIII

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Action Research Spiral 24

Figure 2: Detailed Action Research Model 25

Figure 3: Students' difficulties in learning vocabulary 35

Figure 4: Aspects of vocabulary to be taught in a lesson 36

Figure 5: Teachers‟ major current vocabulary teaching methods 37

Figure 6: Frequency of using supplementary activities to teach vocabulary 42

Figure 7: Opinion of students on the effect of using supplementary activities to teach vocabulary 43

Figure 8: Benefits of using supplementary activities in teaching vocabulary perceived by students 44

Figure 9: Difficulties of using supplementary activities to teach vocabulary perceived by students 46

Figure 10: The desire for using supplementary activities in teaching vocabulary 48

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Benefits of using supplementary activities to enhance students‟ vocabulary as students‟ perception 44

Table 2: Difficulties of using supplementary activities to enhance students‟ vocabulary as students‟ perception 46

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the study

Mastering vocabulary plays an important role in learning a foreign language It is because vocabulary carries content which constitutes a language itself Each word has its own notion, so having good vocabulary helps the learners understand well what they read and heard The larger amount of vocabulary the learners acquire, the easier it takes to master language When we have command of a language, it meant that we are able to manage vocabulary

It might be difficult for high school students, when they are at a beginning level, they might face difficulties with vocabulary learning It is obvious that if they have good vocabulary, they will use language more proficiently In addition, their test requires definite range of vocabulary to pass It is easy to understand that vocabulary needed for high school student is not very much, but there is a number

of learners who can not find the way to master

It is obvious that vocabulary plays a very important role for learners of any language not English only, but learning vocabulary has not been paid attention enough yet Without vocabulary, language users can still communicate by other nonverbal means, but in tests they can not In writing, vocabulary is a must for users That is the reason learners should master vocabulary well Some students learn by heart words when they are being marked on the following lesson, in other way, they still have not found out the importance of vocabulary in language learning When we do not have any course for vocabulary separately, mastering vocabulary depends on individual‟s perception There are some students event do not understand basic words leading to be almost illiteracy Joining English test, they choose the answer randomly without any responsibilities for their answer In addition, there is no extra activity for vocabulary mastering With the aim to enhance vocabulary retention for students in some extension, a new study on which integrates some activities after class will be conducted

1.2 Aims of the study

This study research aimed to enhance the students‟ vocabulary retention through supplementary activities

To achieve the objectives, the study answered the following research questions:

1) What challenges did the students have in learning vocabulary?

2) To what extent can supplementary vocabulary activities enhance the

students’ vocabulary retention?

3) What are the students’ opinion towards those activities?

1.3 Scope of the study

Due to the limited time as well as the limited scope of a graduation thesis, this research is only paying attention to the use of supplementary activities in teaching English vocabulary but not various kinds of teaching activities Also, the research was conducted on limited subjects of the grade 10th students at a high school in Bac Ninh province

As teaching for few weeks, the researcher found out the problems in vocabulary retention of students, she thought of any solutions to this problem As soon as she figured out some supplementary activities which she thought they could help improve her students‟ vocabulary retention, she decided to choose action research method It was helpful in this case because she could try the activities on her familiar participants She designed two cycles referring to two activities to improve students‟ vocabulary retention After each cycle, she had review on the result, which might favorable in students‟ learning output

1.4 Methodology

Aiming to deal with the current problem with students‟ vocabulary retention, the practitioner selected action research because she could make a test to apply other activities to affect the current class situation In addition, she is the researcher who understands the problem and the participants the most

The participants of the study are students at class she is currently teaching, which is quite familiar with the researcher, since she clearly knows their characteristics of vocabulary acquisition In order to achieve the targets of the study, she preferred questionnaire and observation as a tool The data from survey as well as her observation are expected to answer for her research question

1.5 Organization of the thesis

The graduation thesis minor consists of five chapters, organized as follows:

Chapter I- Introduction: mentions the background to the study and rationale to

conduct it, states the aims, scope, organization of the graduation thesis

Chapter II- Literature Review: represents theoretical background knowledge of

vocabulary, current teaching vocabulary method and some new teaching method, and reviews some related researches

Chapter III- Methodology: states the subjects of the study, research instruments,

as well as data collection procedures employed to carry out this research

Chapter IV- Findings and discussions: analyzes and discusses the results

collected from the classroom observation, survey questionnaire Besides, the limitations of the study are introduced

Chapter V- Conclusion: summarizes what have been discussed in the previous

parts, limitations of the thesis as well as provides some suggestions for further research

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Vocabulary is known to play an important role in English learners to have a fluent use Enriching vocabulary in their English acquisition is quite essential to use English effectively But for vocabulary, language learners would not be able to communicate fluently because it helps carry all the content that language users need All English language activities require the support of vocabulary You probably will not be able to write or read academic English with narrow vocabulary resources Consequently, an appropriate vocabulary learning method will help you with better understand the meaning of words or phrases in English, leading to effective English learning output

Regarding teaching vocabulary method, some authors made a suggestion which involves quite a number of concerning Sokmen (1991) recommended a mixed approach to teaching aiming to combine different styles of learning Her principle is based on the learner‟s independence, which means teachers will show variety of methods and then students will choose one It means making decision is for students They have a chance to select what is suitable for them She also emphasizes the importance of reading in vocabulary teaching Reading, especially

in academic context, will bring students a source of vocabulary

Although dictionaries use is so omnipresent, Scholfield (1980) suggests it as

a useful way to learn vocabulary, working on a language by language basis Despite its effectiveness, using dictionaries well should take time Scholfield also gives some exercises at the beginning and then use dictionaries for effective output learning

In addition, Hwang and Nation (1989) found the effect on reading newspaper stories on the same topic The stories relating to topic are more helpful to encourage retrieval than unrelated topic When students face the words they learnt before, they will have a chance to revise it The repetition should be twice or three times a week

In addition to the above-mentioned discussion, in this chapter, aspect of vocabulary, concept of vocabulary as well as vocabulary classification will be discussed in more detail

2.1 Concepts of vocabulary

2.1.1 Definition of vocabulary

There are quite a number of definitions of vocabulary in the world Different definitions may be given for the term vocabulary regarding different viewpoints However one of the most general definitions of vocabulary is as the knowledge of words and word meanings Or someone else may define vocabulary as a list of words arranged in alphabetical order with their definitions which explain how the words are used Vocabulary basically defined as the knowledge of word and its meaning However, in reality it is more complex to clearly understand vocabulary in reality than its theory

Learning a language entails learning numerous of aspects about language, involving lexicology and its pronunciation, syntax, writing system, discourse…, but of the most importance is vocabulary aspect, said Folse (2004) It means that when you learn any language in the world, the first most essential aspect you should pay attention to is its vocabulary In fact, there are many definitions of the theory of vocabulary, and every linguist has a vocabulary definition of his own

Nation (2001) emphasizes that when we know a new word; it means that we know more than its meaning, its formation, and its basic use The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and language use is defined as complementary; that is knowledge of vocabulary enables language use and, conversely, language use helps improve vocabulary knowledge To be broader understanding, vocabulary is like a key leading us to master a foreign language generally When people think of any language, the first thing coming to their mind is the vocabulary This shows how

vocabulary plays an important role in the way language is formed, said Pyles and Algeo (1970)

It is true when we would like to make a sentence, or want to convey a meaning we have to use words which build the sentence When you study a language, the first thing you pay attention is its vocabulary, which represent the meaning of any notion

in that language Vocabulary learning has been considered as an integral and significant area of language teaching as Casco (2011:31) also mentions “words are the basic building blocks of language, the units of meaning from which larger structures such as sentences, paragraphs and whole texts are formed”, which clearly reveal the importance of vocabulary in language learning as well

It is the fact that there is an essential element of foreign language learning is the amount of vocabulary one possesses, as vocabulary forms the biggest part of the meaning of any language (McCarthy, 1988); the larger amount of language vocabulary a user possesses, the easier he can master that language A word, in most linguistic analyses, is described as a set of properties, or features that it carries into practice, including its meaning, collocation, grammatical interaction, written form, spoken form (pronunciation) and frequency To master a word is not only to learn its meaning but also to learn other aspects of vocabulary All these properties are called word knowledge

Schmitt (2000) emphasizes that “lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language” p 55 Vocabulary knowledge is normally considered as an indispensable part for second language learners because a limited vocabulary in a second language hampers successful communication The dictionary meaning of a word is the basic meaning However,

a word can have extra meanings in different texts In addition, there are some associations between words Words can not only come in oral form as those we can see in listening and speaking skill but also in writing form such as those words that

we recognize and use in reading and writing skill

Furthermore there are two forms, receptive and productive that we can understand

of word knowledge Receptive vocabulary includes words that we recognize when

we hear or see them Productive vocabulary includes words that we use when we speak or write Receptive vocabulary is typically larger than productive vocabulary, and may include many words to which we assign some meaning, even if we do not know their full definitions and connotations – or ever use them ourselves as we speak and write (Kamil & Hiebert) (2005)

2.1.2 Classification of vocabulary

Vocabulary is categorized based on different criteria such as frequency of use, meaning, and other criteria

2.1.2.1 Vocabulary classification according to frequency of use

According to Nation (2001), there are four kinds of vocabulary in written language They are: high-frequency words, specialized words, and low-frequency words It means that high repetition words are basic and common words, so people can easily understand the content He also states that high-frequency words include content words which mean words carry content It contains about 2000 word families as Nation and Hwang (1995) present The high-frequency words of English are considered as the best selection for foreign language learners who want to master language academically, including nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs Therefore, when learning and teaching vocabulary, high-frequency words should be paid special attention Teachers and learners should carry under the direct of learning, direct of teaching, incidental learning and its collocation In brief, high-frequency words are quite of importance that helps learners to basically use any language both

in written and spoken language

The second type is specialized word, including technical words Nation (2001:17) also states that “Special vocabularies are made by systematically restricting the range of topics or language uses investigated” Therefore, it is possible for users to

acquire vocabulary and understand vocabulary in some factors such as economic reports, magazine, education and etc…Academic words are not technical one but is also considered sub-technical words because they include neither technical words nor formal words In technical words, there are some words only occur in specific area, for instance; the word “cost”, “supplier” in economic field

In terms of frequency of word use, there is another type – low-frequency word Also according to Nation (2001), the relationship between low-frequency word and high-frequency word is quite arbitrary This is quite of importance for language user to remember that the boundaries on which we classify sometimes is arbitrary We can also interpret that low-frequency words are words that may not be familiar with almost every foreign language learner Low-frequency words contain proper names which are not popular to every user, and they often appear in some kinds of text such as novels, newspaper…

It is such an amazing thing that some proper nouns like character name, name of places… are like technical words because they are high- frequency in that kind of text, but not in another one As such, the readers do not need to study the name of character in novel However, the classification is quite arbitrary because some words belong to low-frequency for beginners but high-frequency ones for advance learners Therefore, learners should focus on improving their vocabulary every day

so that they can use the language in many situations

2.1.2.2 Vocabulary classification according to meaning

In terms of meaning, vocabulary can be divided into two types: notional words and functional words Notional words are words which clearly convey a meaning They can perform nominative function, and can stand alone with complete meaning In other words, some items including prefixes or suffixes can be added into notional

words to extend the meaning For example, we have the word lonely-loneliness, care-careless…

Actually we can see these words under the form of subjects, verbs, adverbs and adjectives in the sentence which can stand independently Regarding of meaning classification, functional words in language can be preposition, articles, conjunctions, and particle They can not stand alone to convey a complete nominative force as the notional ones can

2.1.3 Aspect of vocabulary to be taught in class

According to Ur (1996), when a new word is going to be introduced to the learners, such types of word aspects must be focused on: its pronunciation and spelling, word form, grammar, and collocation It means that all the aspects of the word will help learners to have clear knowledge of that word For example, when a teacher explains a new word with its collocation in class, the student will be able to apply that word or its phrase with the same context later

Nu (2004) also shares the same opinion that knowing a word means knowing some aspects of words such as its pronunciation and spelling, grammar, its collocation and word formation In his writing, Nation (2001) stated that knowing a word referring to some aspects including word parts, grammartical functions, connecting form and meaning, and collocations It can be understood that knowing a word should go with its collocation resulting the effective output for students They will understand the cases that phrase suits with and will apply better the following time

2.1.3.1 Pronunciation and spelling

Bosch (1997:12) said that “learning to pronounce written words means learning the intricate relations between a language‟s writing system and its speech sounds” In other words, it mentions the relationship between the written words and the sound system, and how the word is pronounced based on its symbol

2.1.3.2 Word formation

Word formation refers to the ways in which new words are made on the basis of other words or morphemes It is also called derivational morphology Most English vocabulary come by adding some affixes to its roots, altering their word class, or combining into compound words For instance: connect- disconnect, bark (V)-bark (N), or bread-winner…

Therefore, when teaching in the classroom, teachers should provide the learners the word knowledge such as word formation to help students have broader views of vocabulary, which is easy to remember and apply it later We can compare and introduce the new word by adding prefix to the students at the same time if possible

2.1.3.3 Grammar

Grammar lays the base for effective communication, so improper grammar could have impact on the meaning and clarity of an intended message Grammar makes writing more readable and more interesting Grammar constitutes the system of a language It is sometimes described as the "rules" of a language, but actually no language in the world has its rules There are always exceptions in language use If

we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the language, like set up a new game But languages did not start like that It means that an article with many grammatical errors will make the readers feel a little discomfort, as well as an incomplete statement or use of the wrong word choice will also annoy listeners Languages started by people making sounds which evolved into words, phrases and sentences There is no common rule for language is fixed All languages change over time Therefore, grammar is of important in language use Grammar skills are useful in every aspect of life from education to leadership, and social life to employment opportunities

They are equally important at home where children learn their grammatical patterns from their parents and family What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection of a

language at a particular time, or around the spoken time In addition, grammar adds meanings that are not easily inferable from the immediate context We should acknowledge that as important as it is to develop our understanding of the grammatical facts of the language we are teaching

What we do hope to do is to have students be able to use grammatical structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately In other words, grammar teaching is not so much knowledge transmission as it is skill development In fact, it is better to think of teaching "grammaring" (Larsen-Freeman: 1997, 2001) Briefly, grammar rules are likewise essential in everyday life for clarity of meaning

2.1.3.4 Collocation

Collocation is used in spoken and written language to make the passage more fluent and natural A collocation is made up of two or more words that are commonly used together in English Collocation is also another aspect that should be known about a new item, which is intended to be taught

Taylor (1990) says that collocation means knowing the function associated with the word and also knowing the association between that word and other words in the language It shows the relationship between words There are different kinds of collocations in English Strong collocations are word pairings that are expected to come together In English, there are some collocations we can guess the meaning from its components for example: make a bed, have a dinner…Besides; some of the most common collocations involve verb and noun collocations used in everyday situations such as: make progress, prepare report, make a wish…

In some exercise in English exam which students must sit on, if they have knowledge of collocation, they can do it well Therefore, it is better if the teachers provide the knowledge for learners through lessons

2.2 The role of vocabulary in language teaching and learning

In spite of its prominence in language learning, vocabulary has been undervalued in the past 50 years of ELT history (Carter & McCarthy, 1988; Seal, 1991; Zimmerman, 1997a; O‟dell, 1997) The role of vocabulary is typically considered in terms of the classic ELT methodologies and the theories of reading models Vocabulary, as one of the knowledge areas in language, plays an essential role for learners in acquiring a language (Cameron, 2001)

Vocabulary generally plays an important part that shapes your ability to use foreign languages One of the factors that can help you to use a foreign language, especially English is the vocabulary You may not be interested in the grammar of English, but you can not ignore the vocabulary because the vocabulary is one that will help you express your thoughts, and feelings

People can use non-verbal language when they meet and communicate to their partners, but sometimes they do not work as expected For example, when you want

to express your thoughts and concerns, body language can not perfectly perform It

is not by chance that almost every linguist admits the importance of vocabulary as well For instance, Krashen (1989) states that most of the meaning in language is conveyed by words, and lack of vocabulary is the greatest obstacle for communication Without grammar, very little information can be transpired; no vocabulary, no information can be communicated It makes sense in learning a foreign language, vocabulary can be considered as small cells that make up the ability to use the language of learners Vocabulary plays an important role in foreign language learning, both in the first language and second language

There are quite number of linguist as well as writers concerning about vocabulary role or its importance regarding practical language Several linguists and investigators in learning foreign language mentioned that vocabulary learning and foreign language learning have a strong relationship to each other (Qian & Schedl

2004) In addition, vocabulary has impact on language using Researchers such as Laufer and Nation (1999), Gu (2003) and others have realized that the acquisition of vocabulary is essential for successful second language use and plays a vital role in the formation of complete spoken and written texts

In English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) learning vocabulary items takes a vital part in all language skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing Moreover, there is an argument that the acquisition

of an adequate vocabulary is essential for successful second language use It is impossible to use the structures and functions we may have learned for comprehensible communication without an extensive vocabulary

2.3 Currently techniques in vocabulary teaching

From the facts, Allen (1993:3) reveals that "many teachers assume that vocabulary can be developed in teaching learning process." However, the students actually face some problems to find out the meaning of words The problem might be due to the lack of understanding of words, and ability to interpret from given text into communication meaning Sometimes it is because students‟ lack of opportunities to meet the words, which result in low frequency word to them It is teachers‟ duty that helps students improve the ability of understanding and using vocabulary in specific context Generally, there are several techniques regarding the vocabulary teaching However, there are a few things that should be remembered by the most English teachers if they want to present a new vocabulary or the lexical items to their students

It is obvious that the English teachers want students to remember new vocabulary and master it in quite appropriate context Therefore, it is supposed that students have to learn, practice, and revise to avoid from forgetting In this paper, there are some popular teaching vocabulary techniques to be mentioned including visual techniques, verbal techniques and translation

2.3.1 Visual techniques

Regarding the visual techniques, Gairns and Redman (1980) as cited by Marla, et al (1999:12) says that "there are there form visual techniques; “relia, pictures, and mime or gestures.” Relia means using a variety of real-object brought by the students in the classroom Picture means the images of new words in reality that teachers tend to teach in class For instance, some objects like table, apple, pen… should be better to be applied this technique in presenting

Therefore, if students can join in preparation for lessons at home, they tend to be more willing and eager to join the lesson That helps to promote students interaction and motivation for class For example, at junior high school level, concerning to food and drink topic, if a student is appointed to bring a kind of food then present about his or her favorite food; that will be much more interesting than teachers‟ presentation It is under teachers‟ introduction obviously The usage of mimes in teaching new words is also considered of great value, especially with actions such

as jumping, running, writing and smoking Referring to ideas mentioned above, Klippel (1994:115) implies that "mime or gesture is useful if it emphasizes the importance of gestures and facial expression on communication That body language or facial expression is applied appropriately will warm the class atmosphere Instead of reading and understanding the word meaning from textbook only, students can join extra activities that help them remember new word in reality, which is better

2.3.2 Verbal techniques

This technique applies to the use of illustrative situation, synonyms, opposites, scale, definition and categories when teachers introduce a new word to students, said Sanusi (2009) Moreover, the English teachers using the technique are expected to introduce a word in English through the use of other word in the same language

We can obviously see that synonyms and antonyms are especially important in building new vocabulary because learners are able to know vocabulary in comparison with its family word In addition, when teachers select this technique, it also explains the meaning and the use of a foreign word in the foreign language itself That knowing a word meaning and its use in appropriate context helps student master foreign language more confidently

2.3.3 Translation

One of the most common techniques in vocabulary presentation is translation, which is to translate the word in question into a learner‟s native language That is considered to be the simplest and easiest to apply Although it is quite useful, some experts however do not recommend this technique (Doff, 1988, p 12) “if we only give a direct translation, the students cannot see how the word is used in an English sentence” Translation is simple, clear and quick for reaching the goal particularly when teachers give examples then students give the word translation

2.3.4 The use of dictionary

By Allen, using dictionaries is "passport to independence and use them is one the students-centered learning activities.” (1993:83) Meanwhile, Gerald and Laura (1989:120) state that "dictionaries are more easily used to determine word meaning.” Using dictionary as a strategy of learning new words in a foreign language is supposed to be one of the most fruitful strategies Mc Carthy concentrated on types of dictionaries in relation to learner‟s level

Some issues have been raised around the choice of dictionary for beginners Although it can be a useful learning resource, it makes the learner more independent

of the teacher Learners can use dictionaries for checking word meaning, do arrangement exercises…

In conclusion, the use of dictionary is an effective way for the students in finding out the meaning of words

2.4 Quizlet and flashcard as new vocabulary teaching and learning tools

2.4.1 Quizlet

Quizlet is "a mobile and web-based study application that allows students to study information via learning tools and games", from Wikipedia It utilizes user-designed learning modules composed of terms and their definitions or descriptions These modules (which are called study sets as used in Quizlet) are presented to students through different learning modes including flashcards, games, collaborative activities and quizzes to facilitate learning environments that can help students master languages and vocabulary The application interfaces designed for the website incorporate 8 learning modes of which 5 are available in the mobile application interface

Quizlet is a digital flashcard application that was used in this research study Quizlet provides learners with an attractive and easy-to-use interface that can enhance the experience of paper flashcards (Ashcroft & Imrie, 2014) Some of the advantages of Quizlet include the ability to rapidly create flashcards with pictures and audio, the ability to access the application on a computer or smartphone, the ability to automatically rearrange flashcards to avoid serial learning, or memorizing the order, and the ability to interact with the cards using a variety of study and game sets

2.4.2 Flashcard

According to Oxford Advanced learners‟ Dictionary (1995:94), flashcard is a card with the word or words and sometimes a picture down it Furthermore, in Longman Dictionary (1985:107), in language teaching flashcards is a card with words, sentence, or pictures It can be inferred from these definitions that flashcards are cards with a word or words, a phrase, or a picture on it used to learn and memorize

vocabulary Flashcards are divided into two types: picture flashcards and word flashcards, in which picture flashcard might be more attractive and interesting to acquire

a Picture flashcards: According to Wright & Haleem (1991:50), picture

flashcards are cards with pictures printed or drawn on having 15×20 cm They should be small enough for the users to easily handle and big enough for the whole class to see clearly The teachers can prepare them before class Advantages of picture flashcards are the attractiveness and colorfulness which blackboard pictures do not have Picture flashcards are useful for presenting, practicing and revising vocabulary of previous lesson

b Word flashcards: In Bowen (1982), word flashcards which are cards with

words printed on can be held up rapidly or “flash” by the teacher before the

depends on the size of class They are useful for representing words or structure

2.5 Memorizing vocabulary

Retention is defined as the ability to provide the meaning of a new word after a given period of time There are two types of word retention: short-term retention and long-term retention

2.5.1 Vocabulary retention

Incidental vocabulary learning refers to acquisition of a word when there is no conscious intention (Hulstijn, 2011), whereas the intentional vocabulary learning refers to “a deliberate attempt to commit factual information to memory” (Hulstijn,

2011, p.1) Read (2004) believes that in terms of vocabulary learning, both incidental and direct vocabulary learning are necessary

Based on Schmitt‟s opinion, Yali (2010) pointed out that a combination of incidental learning, or reading text, and intentional vocabulary learning (specific explicit vocabulary exercises) resulted in better retention, and greater depth of vocabulary knowledge than the incidental vocabulary learning alone

2.5.2 Types of memories

Zhang (2004) states that depending on the amount of time the memory lasts on human brain, memory is divided into three types: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory Sensory memory is “the shortest-lived memory that lasts for milliseconds to a few seconds” (Zhang, 2004, p 1)

The first one, sensory memory is the shortest-term element of memory It is the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli have ended

The second type, short-term memory or working memory is considered to temporarily recall of the information which is being processed at any point in time

It means that when teachers present new words, students have ability to remember and process information at the same time, and then can use vocabulary in correct context

Unlike short-term memory, long-term memory encodes information for storage semantically (i.e based on meaning and association) Like its name, long-term memory is extended for storage of information over a long period of time Short-term memory can develop into long-term memory by process of consolidation

2.6 Related studies

Vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary memorization developing are important in learning a foreign language It is because vocabulary plays important roles in mastering language in general as well as foreign languages in particular to communicate It is such a lot of previous research concerning with vocabulary improvement, including effective vocabulary learning and teaching Some authors from Ta Ku Ling Ling Ying Public School including Carol Pua, Dorothy Li, Cherie Lui & Shirley Cheng paid special attention to teaching and vocabulary learning

strategy and found out technique by using mind-map as a tool to teach English for young learners Researchers have indicated that mind-mapping could be an effective tool that helps students to associate new information to their existing knowledge In this study, they aim to improve students‟ competence in English learning by introducing mind-mapping techniques to facilitate the knowledge acquisition and retrieval process, reflecting on techniques in teaching vocabulary and increasing students‟ motivation to do more revision Mind-mapping can be used in different learning and thinking processes People make use of various colors, images, symbols and errors, etc to associate and connect ideas The strong visual of mind maps occurrence can speed up the learning process and help students to memorize and recall information effectively (Brinkmann, 2003)

Moreover, the more personalized the mind maps, the more easily the learner could retrieve information (Buzan & Buzan, 2000) The result is students‟ expectation to teachers‟ drawing In their own mind maps, they provided new „meaning‟ to the vocabulary with different drawings and word association They could master the vocabulary after seeing the teacher‟s demonstration without asking for explanations Generally, it is found that helping elementary students to create personalized, colorful and interesting mind maps could ease their difficulties to acquire and recall the vocabulary for a longer period of time

In addition, Barr from Tamagawa University conducted a study to measure the success of users by comparing vocabulary test scores for Quizlet users and nonusers

of the application The result is without a doubt, many of his students were visibly engaged by Quizlet in the classroom, which can be predicted Unsurprisingly, the results of this study demonstrated that learners using Quizlet performed better than non-users on tests recycling contents from gap-fill card

Another study by Sanosi (2018) aims to find out the benefits of Quizlet use to improve vocabulary retention to language learners Also, the findings suggests that Quizlet represents an ideal environment for learning that can provide active learning

both inside and outside classroom; it helps students more active and get involved in class Other researchers were still concerned about the perception of students towards Quizlet In this regard, Kose, Cimen, and Mede implemented to observe and interview 42 students who used Quizlet as vocabulary learning tool for four weeks The results revealed that most of the students considered Quizlet effective especially in learning definitions, synonyms and pronunciation It can be revealed that Quizlet is a quite amusing tool and method to learn vocabulary and remember

As such, It can be considered that Quizlet application is an effective tool for both teachers and students for vocabulary instruction and learning

There are many comparisons between Digital Flashcards (DFs) and Paper Flashcards (PFs) In their research studies, Dizon and Tang (2017) mentioned that

“most comparison studies of DFs versus PFs have revealed that incorporating computer assisted language learning (CALL) is more effective at enhancing L2 vocabulary learning.” To support his idea, a list of former studies was shown in his writing

Başoğlu and Akdemir (2010) studied and made a comparison at the use of DFs on mobile phones versus PFs with a group of L2 English students at a Turkish university The result of the studies showed that both groups were able to make significant gains in learning vocabulary, but the DF group made a little greater significant enhancement Azabdaftari and Mozaheb (2012) also looked at the use of DFs with L2 English students at an Iranian university The participants in the experimental group used a combination of DFs over mobile phones, and the Internet

to study the vocabulary, while those in the control group used PFs as usual The use

of mobile-learning and DFs had a greater positive effect on vocabulary learning than PFs, basing on the results of post-test These studies proved that DFs may help students more effective remember L2 vocabulary in the short-term Therefore, if the students applied it seriously for a long time; it might be a definite improvement in their vocabulary retention

In Vietnam, there is a study which aims at finding the impacts of flashcards on English major students at a in Tra Vinh university, by Phung Van De (2012) They are encouraged to prepare flashcards on A4 paper There are 2 ways to utilize flashcards: individual or in pairs They can learn vocabulary by collecting and prepare flashcard themselves, then they will learn on their own In addition, they can swap to their partners, and do more activities for interesting learning activities Regardless of which ways they apply, the students had to be checked every week to measure how effectively they work at home However, the quite minority students agree with that technique, only 25.8%, because they prefer other techniques to learn vocabulary It might be less interesting than others in learning vocabulary for adults

non-CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher discusses the methodology used to study the use of flashcards and some activities to teach the grade 10 th students at a high school There are three main parts: the subjects, data collection instruments and data collection procedures

3.1 The methodology

3.1.1 Reason to choose action research

In the study, I choose action research type because I would like to find out that whether I apply a new teaching tool in my profession is effective or not In addition, the situation in my class is improved after my action or my students like or cooperate with me during the study time or not In addition, action research is quite flexible, especially for teachers It is because teacher is the only one who can see the problem in class himself, and find the solution for the problem to improve the performance of their students‟ learning

The second point is that action research is a reproduction cycle, which means after the evaluation the process can be repeated with the revised plan Thirdly, it is collaborative Teachers when they conduct an action research participate and collaborate, examine their knowledge and how they interpret themselves and their actions They do research themselves and collect data about how they teach

Moreover, it can be easily understood that this class problem is of the researcher not anyone else, so the researcher can be the person who understand them most That clearly understanding the problem helps researcher find out the results of action or any improvement later Last but not least, action research aims at changing things (cited in Nunan, 1992, p.17) It means that for teacher, the study is conducted aiming to change and improve only the situation within class that the teacher are taking care of, and it also affect the students‟ output in some extents We can also

infer that action research is extremely helpful for teacher to conduct his or her internal research for the specific context of his classroom

In this study, discussion of supplementary activities in teaching vocabulary was employed to improve students‟ vocabulary retention This research was done in four steps: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting

3.1.2 Phases of action research

Figure 1: Action Research Spiral

Adapted from Kemmis (1983), the figure outlines four steps in action, the movement from one critical phase to another, and the way in which progress may be made through the system It can be seen clearly that in an action research project,

reason why two spirals are repeated It can be understood that when getting result from the first action, the teacher must revise the whole procedure and improve He must evaluate the effectiveness of his actions as well as the limitations of the methods After that, he should revise the plan, make some changes and implement it again to get better results These stages will not separate but are embedded within action and reflection

Figure 2: Detailed Action Research Model

Figure 2 presents detailed action research model, according to Susman (1983) The five steps in this model can be described as follows:

- Diagnosing: the researcher needs to identify the problem by observing the context,

the class or collecting information about the problem

- Action planning: the researcher proposes different solutions or methods which can

be used to solve the problem

- Taking action: after considering the advantages and disadvantages of different

solutions, the researcher chooses one course of actions to apply in the study context

- Evaluating: the researcher analyzes the data to find out the consequences of a

taken action

- Specifying learning: the researcher presents the general findings, what can be

solved and what remains problematic, from which he adjusts the plan to act again Another cycle in an action research begins

In this study, I prefer the model by Kemmis (1983) in which mentions clearly two cycles As far as I am concerned, two cycles of action help me approach and figure out the problem as well as improvement in my trial if any After the first cycle, there is time for me to reflect and review my action, from which I might have appropriate adjustment later at second cycle

3.2 Participants of the study

3.2.1 The students

In this study, there are total 45 students in non-English major class: 10 A1 All of them have studied English for 7 years Some of them are good at English Others are of an average level

3.2.2 The textbooks

The course book is English 10-Volume 1 by Hoang Van Van and Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa, with the cooperation by David Kaye published by Pearson Longman Press and Ministry of Education and Training The book English 10 volume number 1 for pilot is for the first term; it consists of five units and two reviews Each unit in the book includes eight parts: getting started, language, reading, speaking, listening,

writing, communication and culture, and looking back and project However, we only focus on the first three units in the first semester for the research study

We have to cover three units and one review in ten weeks, with thirty one periods, forty five minutes for each period There is also a work book for students to practice (in the series book of English 10) This workbook provides some supplementary exercises for students for further practice at home Although the course book does not spend much for language and vocabulary, students can enrich their own vocabulary source through the rest parts of unit

We also can see looking back and project part give a good chance for students to revise their vocabulary retention at home through their project After all the parts of each unit, students gain some vocabulary and present it in the last part- the project The researcher can measure students‟ vocabulary retention at the following class by checking homework

Although the course book is quite useful in teaching English, the teacher still wants

to make her own assessment so that she can implement some supplementary activities That the practitioner evaluate teaching material on her own is quite important in her teaching profession It might be help her to prepare teaching tools, and visual aids to support her job There are not many materials that help to make assessment The work of Cunningsworth (1995) has helped to provide a good brief summary of how a leveled evaluation can be conducted When applying the impressionistic method, we take the literal meaning of the method by quickly looking through the textbook cover to cover, to try and get an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the book

An in-depth evaluation will be undertaken subsequently to provide a detailed evaluation of specific items in teach textbook on areas such as how the exercises can cater for the syllabus and learners‟ needs (Cunningsworth, 1995; McDonough

& Shaw, 1993)

I would follow Cunningsworth‟s point of view to evaluate the course book English

10, by Hoang Van Van, Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa and David Kaye (2012)

Strengths

* Layout and design: The course book layout and design are clear and easy book

map to follow and evaluate the object after each unit lesson The book contains 5 units and two reviews Each unit consists of five parts: Getting Started, Language, Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking, Communication and Culture, Looking back

&Project Moreover, the authors insert pictures into most of the parts of one unit; therefore, they help students a lot in assessing the task or understanding the text One interesting thing is extra activity at the end of each lesson which helps students

to find out something about their life relating to the topic

* Language content: English 10 is an interesting and flexible book with an

integrated range of activities to develop students‟ knowledge of the world Each unit

is about familiar topic surrounding students‟ life

* Skills: The book helps students improve all four language skills with speaking,

listening, reading and writing Furthermore, it has grammar rules and exercises for them to practice and vocabulary to enhance

* Language type: The language used in the course book is quite popular and high

frequency because it is related to familiar issues around them

Weaknesses

Despite a large number of good points, the course book still has some minor weaknesses

* Layout and design: The cover is not attractive and colorful

* Skills: The writing skill is quite difficult of all skills, because its instruction is not

very clear for students to follow

* Language type: In Language lesson, there are quite a number of grammar issues in

one forty-five period, which makes students hard to follow

In brief, material which plays an important role in teaching and learning English are quite effective despite some limitations The strong points are good design, various and familiar topics, and easy to understand and follow the lesson content The material aims to develop four skills, focusing more on communicative strategy, so the project and activities are interesting However, it has some weaknesses, since it

is not suitable for all students It is meant that students have different level, and it is hard for weak students to complete the lesson, especially writing skill

3.3 Data collection instruments

There are two kinds of data which the researcher collected The first one was quantitative data and the second one was the qualitative data

Quantitative data refers to students‟ opinion of applying supplementary activities by answering questionnaire Qualitative data deal with any occurrences and changes during classroom activities Students‟ behaviors, classroom situation, the process of classroom activity are the examples of qualitative data The researcher collected qualitative data by observation and questionnaire

3.3.1 Observation

A key advantage of conducting observations is that the researcher can witness what teacher and students actually do, rather than what they say they do Observations can be made in real life situations, allowing the researcher to access to the context and meaning so real-life data is collected Two kinds of observations, pre-observation and classroom observation are deployed in the research study The first week prior to the data collection was the time for pre-observation Classroom observation was implemented to find out whether supplementary activities have any influence on students‟ vocabulary retention

3.3.2 Questionnaire

According to Polit and Hungler (1997:466), questionnaire is defined “a method of gathering information from respondents about attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and

feelings” Based on Advanced Design in Nursing Research (Brink and Wood (1989)

it can be concluded some characteristics of a questionnaire which bring the researcher benefits:

 As compared to the time required to conduct personal interviews, questionnaire is faster and less expensive so it save the researcher‟s time and money

 Respondents feel that they remain anonymous and can express themselves in their own words without fear of identification Therefore, it is a good tool for the protection of the privacy of the participants

 Data on a broad range of topics may be collected within a limited period of time

The questionnaire was delivered to students at the end of the study aiming to find out their opinion of using supplementary activities and their desire of the use The details of questionnaire are as follows:

The first six questions are to explore their attitudes towards the importance of teaching and learning vocabulary and how vocabulary is taught in English lesson The seventh question is aimed at asking for their opinions of whether using some supplementary activities is useful or not

The eighth and ninth questions are designed to find out their opinions of the strengths as well as drawbacks of using supplementary activities

The eleventh question aims at asking their desire of continuing using supplementary activities