A study on the use of mobile applications to improve vocabulary learning and teaching in an english centre in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ THỊ KIM NHUNG A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMP

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LÊ THỊ KIM NHUNG

A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY LEARNING AND TEACHING IN AN ENGLISH

CENTRE IN HANOI

(Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng các ứng dụng trên điện thoại thông minh để cải thiện việc dạy và học từ vựng tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh tại Hà Nội)

M.A APPLIED PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

HANOI – 2020

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LÊ THỊ KIM NHUNG

A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY LEARNING AND TEACHING IN AN ENGLISH

CENTRE IN HANOI

(Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng các ứng dụng trên điện thoại thông minh để cải thiện việc dạy và học từ vựng tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh tại Hà Nội)

M.A APPLIED PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01

Supervisor: Dr Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh

HANOI – 2020

DECLARATION

By submitting this thesis, I declare that the entire work is my own original work, which has not been submitted to any other university or institution Other sources of information used in this paper have been clearly identified and acknowledged

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis advisor,

Dr Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh for her particularly valuable guidance, contributions and support throughout the study

I would also like to express my genuine thanks to all of the members in Post-graduate Department of University of Languages and International Studies (Hanoi) for designing such a great syllabus of the Master program Finally, I am also grateful to my family members who have always been supportive, encouraging, and above all inspiring all through my study time

Hanoi, October 2020

Lê Thị Kim Nhung

ABSTRACT

Language teaching and learning has undergone significant changes as a

result of rapid development of technology This research is a mixed methods research with the participation of ten students from different high schools in Hanoi The purpose of this study was to figure out whether the chosen mobile application named Quizlet effectively facilitated learners in their vocabulary recall An online Quizlet class was created and students were expected to use this mobile application to self-study SAT test essential vocabulary in ten weeks The instruments included a pre-test at the first week, a post-test at the tenth week, and a face-to-face interview Findings of the study show that the use of mobile application Quizlet is meaningful to learners‟ vocabulary recall

In addition, the attitude of the students toward the application was rather favourable although there were some challenges during the learning process

Keywords: mobile-assisted language learning, mobile application, vocabulary recall

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CALL : computer-assisted language learning MALL : mobile-assisted language learning SAT : Scholastic Aptitude Test

SPSS : Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Challenges that students may encounter when using mobile

application in vocabulary learning and teaching 37

Figure 1: The convergent design diagram 24

Figure 2: Paired Samples Statistics 32

Figure 3: Paired Samples Test 32

Figure 4: The effect of mobile applications on facilitating students‟ vocabulary recall 35

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale for the study 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Research questions 3

4 Scope of the study 3

5 Significance of the study 3

6 The structure of the thesis 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 6

2.1 Overview of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) 6

2.1.1 Definition of MALL 6

2.1.2 Mobile devices and mobile applications that assist English vocabulary learning 7

2.1.3 Benefits of MALL 9

2.2 Vocabulary teaching and learning 10

2.2.1 Definition of vocabulary 10

2.2.2 Vocabulary teaching 13

2.2.3 Vocabulary learning 13

2.3 The use of mobile application called Quizlet in English learning and teaching15 2.3.1 Brief introduction of the mobile application Quizlet 15

2.3.2 The use of Quizlet in English learning and teaching 18

2.4 Summary 18

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 20

3.1 Restatement of the purpose of the study and the research questions 20

3.2 Research design 20

3.3 The setting and participants of the study 25

3.3.1 The setting 25

3.3.2 Participants 25

3.4 Data collection tool 27

3.4.1 Pre-test and post-test 28

3.4.2 Face-to-face interview 28

3.5 Data collection procedures 29

3.6 Data analysis methods 30

3.7 Chapter summary 31

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 32

4.1 Pre-test and Post-test results 32

4.2 Students‟ attitudes towards the use of mobile applications in vocabulary learning 33

4.3 Challenges that students may face when using mobile applications in learning and teaching 37

4.4 Chapter summary 39

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 41

5.1 Recapitulation 41

5.2 Implications 41

5.3 Conclusion 42

5.4 Limitation of the study 43

5.5 Suggestions for further study 44

REFERENCES 45 APPENDICES I

APPENDIX 1: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST I APPENDIX 2: TEST SCORES V

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale for the study

Technology has changed the way that English is taught and learned in the classroom Nowadays, several terms such as „computer-assisted language learning‟ (CALL), „mobile-assisted language learning‟ (MALL) and „blended learning‟ are becoming increasingly familiar to teachers In recent years, the application of technology in educational purposes has been of great concern for researchers in the field In many developed countries in the world, it is unnecessary for teachers to struggle with a CD player or a blackboard and a piece of chalk anymore They have new technologies such as overhead projectors, interactive whiteboards, computer labs equipped with wireless internet, so that they could make use of PowerPoint to present grammar, play podcasts or videos to give instruction on listening skills, or even provide students with access to a wide range of web-based tools (online course in Canvas or Moodle) that allow them to study at home and publish their work and engage with peer review and self-assessment In many classrooms, students are equipped with tablets when they enter the class for learning purposes It is no doubt that technology plays an important role not only in boosting students‟ learning autonomy but also in facilitating teachers in their teaching

When teaching English vocabulary to a group of high school students planning to take the SAT test, the researcher realized that (1) students find paperwork uninteresting; therefore, their learning autonomy and engagement

in classroom activities seem rather low, which hinders their improvement of lexical range, (2) students are not willing to study vocabulary both inside and

outside the classroom in traditional ways including using paper-based flashcards and keeping vocabulary notebooks Since vocabulary competence plays a key role in the success of a SAT test taker, it is crucial for the researcher to find out and employ appropriate educational technological tool(s) that would help address these above problems It is expected that the selected tool would make great contribution to creating a lively atmosphere in class and improving students‟ learning autonomy and engagement The researcher then made the decision on choosing a mobile application called Quizlet, which is an online learning community providing engaging, customizable activities and numerous learning modes to help students practice and master whatever they are learning to apply to this SAT preparation class Furthermore, other two applications that facilitate teachers in obtaining recent multiple-choice test results are also employed, namely Kahoot! and Plickers Mentioned above are the primary reasons why the researcher would like

to carry out the action research titled “A study on the use of mobile applications to improve vocabulary learning and teaching in an English centre

in Hanoi.” Beside all of those justification, personal passionate interest in the application of pedagogical technologies to teaching as well as mobile-assisted language learning is also one of the inspirational factors urging the researcher

to conduct the study

2 Aims of the study

This research aims at:

(1) reporting in details the process and result of the use of the mobile application called Quizlet in an English classroom;

(2) verifying if the application Quizlet effectively facilitates English vocabulary learning and teaching activities; and

(3) determining challenges and difficulties that teachers and students may face when using mobile applications in teaching and learning

3 Research questions

The study is conducted to find answers to a primary research question, which is „Does the mobile application named Quizlet effectively facilitate students‟ recall to essential words of the SAT test?‟ In order to address this primary research question, the research aims at answering the following secondary research questions:

(1) To what extent does selected mobile application in English vocabulary teaching improve students‟ English vocabulary recall test results? (2) What are the students‟ attitudes towards the mobile application? (3) What challenges and difficulties do students and teachers face when using the mobile application?

4 Scope of the study

The study focuses on the application of the mobile application named Quizlet to teaching and learning vocabulary in a class of ten students (intermediate level) from various high schools in Hanoi These students aimed

at getting high mark on the SAT tests in order to study abroad In terms of

vocabulary, all lexical items were obtained from the Master Word List of the book Barron's SAT, 29 th Edition Students were expected to recall the

essential words so that they were able to score the highest marks in their real SAT test

It is expected that the result of this study could be applied to further studies which closely relate to the application of mobile technology in second language and foreign language learning and instruction

5 Significance of the study

The findings of this study may prove useful to the following:

 Teachers/Instructors: This paper might raise their awareness of applying an online technological tool to their teaching in order to make it better and better Also, trying to work with up-to-date technologies would enhance professional development

 Students: This study might be meaningful to students to have a clearer view and experience of the teacher‟s performance, which would enhance students‟ participation rate during the lesson In addition, learners‟ learning autonomy of vocabulary would be expected to increase

 Researchers in the field: This paper may serve as an inspiration in employing a technological tool (mobile applications) in teaching and undertaking more relevant research papers

6 The structure of the thesis

This study is divided into five main chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 – Introduction deals with several general elements of the thesis, which consists of the rationale, aims, research questions, scope, significance and design of the study

Chapter 2 – Literature review and theoretical background – gives a critical review of the previous studies relating mobile assisted language learning and the application of mobile applications to teaching and learning English Furthermore, the results of several studies on the use of mobile application called Quizlet in English learning and teaching vocabulary are briefly summarized

Chapter 3 – Methodology – provides the information by which the research was conducted and how the data was collected

Chapter 4 – Data analysis and finding – describes how the data was analyzed as well as the findings drawn from the data analysis This chapter

reveals the results and discussion of the study, in which a primary research question and three secondary ones are discussed and addressed

Chapter 5 – Conclusion – summarizes the whole paper as well as presents several limitations of the study Moreover, implications and suggestions for further studies are included

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL

“mobile assisted language learning (MALL) MALL has been considered to create a considerable impact on language instruction in terms of principles, techniques, strategies, teacher and learner roles, material use and evaluation process This chapter covers the literature review of mobile assisted language learning, vocabulary teaching and learning, and the use of the mobile application called Quizlet in facilitating teaching and learning English

2.1 Overview of mobile assisted language learning (MALL)

2.1.1 Definition of MALL

In recent years, mobile assisted language learning (MALL) has been of great interest for researchers MALL is considered as one of the possible solutions to CALL (computer-assisted language learning) problems, including the complication of the setup of desktop computer and the learners‟ negligence to what are presented on the desktop screen Although, in general, MALL has also been treated as a branch of CALL, Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008) claimed that MALL was different from CALL „in its use of personal, portable devices that enable new ways of learning, emphasizing continuity or spontaneity of access and interaction across different contexts of use.‟ (p 273)

MALL focuses on how mobile technology can be applied to language learning According to Yang (2013), mobile-assisted language learning

(MALL) was „a burgeoning subdivision of computer assisted language learning in general As mobile technology has evolved, so have their advanced applications developed for language education.‟ (p 19) Baleghizadeh and Oladrostam (2010) quoted the definition of MALL by Trifanova, Ronchetti and Gamper (2004) as a sub-area of technology for language learning (TeLL) including the use of „any device that is small, autonomous and unobtrusive enough to accompany us at every moment‟ for language learning and teaching purposes In other words, MALL is defined as the category of technology enhanced language learning that takes place with the mobility and the portability of learning devices, as well as the mobility of their users

In short, MALL could be simply understood as a subset that might overcome the drawbacks of CALL In a MALL environment, learners are assisted by portable devices such as smartphones or tablets in their learning Thanks to the useful mobile equipment, it is unnecessary for learners to sit in front of paper-based books or desktop screens for a long time They are now able to learn anytime and anywhere with the support of mobile technology

2.1.2 Mobile devices and mobile applications that assist English vocabulary learning

Mobile devices which can be used for MALL include cell phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, etc They play an important role in the acquisition of all the language skills with the support of MALL Recently, smartphone use in language learning caused the emergence

of Mobile Assisted Language Learning According to Bahrani (2011),

„current use of mobile devices in language learning ranges from vocabulary or grammar learning to story reading and pronunciation practices‟ (p 245) Nowadays, there is a wide range of mobile devices that can be employed in

language learning and teaching, but the role played by mobile devices are variable depending on the type of the device used For instance, in terms of smartphones, it was stated by Chinnery (2006) that learners could practice communicative language, expose themselves to authentic e-learning materials and complete tasks online thanks to various features and functions that a smartphone offers In terms of tablets, the results of a comparative study carried out by Lan, Sung, and Chang (2007) revealed that the application of tablet personal computers to assist peer collaboration exceeded the traditional class setting, at which students find it not easy to work with their peers In other words, EFL learners‟ anxiety and shyness when it comes to peer collaboration in class could be lessened thanks to the application of mobile devices Moreover, their self-esteem and motivation are boosted as Yang (2013) stated in her research paper

Regarding mobile devices and applications that could help learners improve their lexical range, several studies have been conducted by various researchers In the study on the application of PDAs to support undergraduate learners of English in vocabulary self-study, Song and Fox (2008) verified the effectiveness of the mobile device in helping highly motivated learners to improve communication skills regarding word definitions with their peers and lecturers outside the classroom In the survey conducted by Deng and Shao in

2011, they investigated students' attitude towards self-directed English vocabulary learning through an electronic dictionary application in daily context The results showed that learners were willing to study via mobile applications in their everyday life Basoglu and Akdemir (2010) conducted an experimental research to make comparison between learning English vocabulary via mobile phone applications and learning these lexical items using paper-based flashcards The results indicated that the experimental

group, whose members used smart phone applications to learn, achieved significantly better in the multiple-choice post-test

2.1.3 Benefits of MALL

With the use of mobile devices, significant opportunities have been obtained in terms of material use and time allocated to language education MALL managed to eliminate the drawbacks of traditional vocabulary instruction thanks to the facilities and functions brought by mobile devices

In terms of benefits of MALL, lots of studies have reported that the application of mobile technologies may have a positive contribution to foreign language learning Attewell (2005, p 13) suggested MALL could bring potential benefits in the following areas Firstly, mobile learning facilitated learners‟ ability to enhance not only their language skills but also other essential skills such as collaborative skills and technological skills Secondly, mobile learning gave a hand to students to overcome the shyness or hesitancy

in raising their voice in class as they had the opportunity to participate in various kinds of novel activities, which were less stressful in comparison with those of traditional class Finally, thanks to the help of mobile learning, the duration of students‟ concentration was rather longer compared with normal sessions „when it is normally difficult to focus them for 15 minutes‟ (p 13) Mobile technologies have shown enormous potential for the development of learners‟ autonomy, creativity, motivation, and cooperative skills In the study by Kim and Kwon in 2012, they also summarized the benefits of MALL First of all, they stated that thanks to MALL, students had easy and prompt access not only to a greater amount of language learning materials but also to other people regardless of time and place Furthermore, the nature of digital technology „facilitates students‟ participation in both collaborative and individualized language learning activities synchronously

and / or asynchronously allowing rapid development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills‟ (p 35) Last but not least, it was believed that MALL provided various resources and tools for language learning that encouraged learners to be more motivated, autonomous and socially interactive

Wang (2012) stated in the study conducted to investigate the use of electronic dictionaries in reading electronic text that electronic dictionary applications were particularly helpful in broadening intermediate and advanced learners‟ lexical range, in which many items were essential to improve their reading and writing skills In the research on the effectiveness

of vocabulary learning via mobile phone, Lu (2008) concluded that mobile groups acquired more new words than paper-groups students The more frequently they accessed SMS lessons, the more lexical items they gained and remembered In addition, Lu (2008) stated that students found it easier to learn and memorize new lexical items in SMS (short message service) lessons, which were considered convenient and interesting As mobile learning provided students a flexible learning environment where they were able to learn anytime they wanted, students were impressed by the convenience and effective time management in learning vocabulary through mobile phones

2.2 Vocabulary teaching and learning

2.2.1 Definition of vocabulary

Although it is considered as a sub-skill in language learning, vocabulary still plays a fundamental role in mastering a second / foreign language According to Richards (2003), vocabulary is „a set of lexemes which includes single words, compound words and idioms‟ (p 580), which is different from word – „the smallest of the linguistic units which can occur on its own in speech or writing‟ (p 588) Obviously, vocabulary does not mean just a single

word such as „mom‟ or „dad‟ There are two types of vocabulary: receptive vocabulary, which refers to the words we understand through reading and listening; and productive vocabulary – the words we use to communicate through writing and speaking (Lehr, Osborn, & Hiebert, 2004, p 5) The Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary (2010) provided a list of three definitions in total for the word „vocabulary‟, which were (1) all the words that a person knows or uses, (2) all the words in a particular language, (3) the words that people use when they are talking about a particular subject (p 1722) According to these definitions, it can be concluded that there are the subject‟s vocabulary, the language‟s vocabulary and the person‟s vocabulary

In short, vocabulary could be simply understood as all the words and phrases used in a particular language or subject Without these lexical elements, it is impossible for a foreign language learner to convey his ideas or expressions about something using the target language

When it comes to vocabulary competence, there is a number of aspects that learners should pay close attention to beside the spoken and written form and the most common meaning of a lexical item Ur (2015) proposes a list of vocabulary knowledge aspects which need to be learnt as the following:

 Form

Form consists of spoken and written, or in other words, pronunciation and spelling respectively Mastering these two fundamental aspects would be particularly helpful to students, especially to their two productive skills (speaking and writing)

 Meaning: denotation

The denotational meaning of a lexical item can be normally found in dictionaries as the very first meaning Sometimes, the meaning of the original word could be used to infer to „metaphorical extensions‟ based on the similar features

 Grammar

Ur (2015) emphasizes that it is important to teach students the

„unpredictable change of form in certain grammatical contexts‟ like irregular verbs, infinitive and gerund, etc

 Collocation

Collocation refers to words that usually go together As it is not always shown in the dictionaries, in order that learners can avoid inappropriate word choice, instructors should make attempt to deliver this aspect to students

 Connotation

Again, it is another aspect that is not always mentioned in the dictionaries The connotations of a word are „the emotional or positive-negative associations that it implies.‟ (Ur, 2015, p 62) A typical example of this aspect is lexical item used to make description of a person‟s appearance These couples of words „fat‟ and „chubby‟, „thin‟ and „slim‟ express different attitudes of the speakers Therefore, as Ur states, „it (connotation) does need

to be taught‟

 Appropriateness

It is necessary for learners to set their speech with appropriate vocabulary in the proper context, so that awkwardness and misunderstandings could be avoided For instance, depending on the specific situation or context, the two synonyms „died‟ and „passed away‟ shall be used differently

 Meaning relationships

Another aspect that learners are encouraged to remember when studying vocabulary is the relationship between these lexical items Ur (2015) makes a list of six major meaning relationships including synonymy, hyponymy, antonymy, co-hyponymy, superordinates and translation

 Word formation

Understanding word formation or morphemes that build the words could broaden learners‟ lexical range They can even derive the definition of a completely new word based on its morphemes without looking it up in dictionary

2.2.2 Vocabulary teaching

A number of studies have been conducted in the area of vocabulary instruction In the study carried out by Rodríguez and Sadoski (2000) to investigate the effectiveness of rote, context, keyword, and context/keyword methods on retention of vocabulary in EFL classes, the results revealed that context / keyword method helped learners to recall the words learnt after one week, suggesting a very promising educational value for this method Mondria (2003) argued that regardless of whether word meaning was provided by, or inferred from, context, the meaning inferred method took longer than the verifying and memorizing method In the research conducted

by Webb (2007) to testify the effect of repetition on vocabulary knowledge on

1, 3, 7, and 10 times, the results showed that some might recall after ten repetitions in context; however, in order to completely acquire a foreign language word, more than ten repetitions were required Laufer and Girsai (2008) studied the effect of explicit contrastive analysis and translation activities on the incidental acquisition of single words and collocations Three groups of meaning-focused instruction, non-contrastive form-focused instruction, and contrastive analysis and translation were compared The results indicated that the contrastive analysis and translation group significantly outperformed the other two groups on all the tests

2.2.3 Vocabulary learning

Learning vocabulary is an important part of studying a language, which

is believed to be the one that starts at the very beginning of the learning

process and never ends because a language‟s lexical range is unlimited Boosting the learners‟ motivation and engagement in learning vocabulary is particularly important because a lot of learners feel that they should start learning a language by learning some new words, then apply these words to a specific situation to produce expressions

In the study of investigating vocabulary learning strategies of Iranian undergraduate EFL students, Kafipour and Hamzah (2009) ranked some vocabulary learning strategies based on how frequently they were employed, including using monolingual dictionary, guessing meaning from context, studying new words many times, connecting the word to its synonyms and antonyms, using new words in sentences, using English language media, taking note or highlighting, studying the sound of a word, making lists of new words, writing paragraphs using several new words, studying the word with classmates, asking classmates for the meaning, checking for equivalent words

in first language, using physical action when learning a word, talking with native speakers, and asking the teacher to check definition In addition, learners used numerous ways such as using dictionaries, flashcards, synonyms and antonyms, to learn the words that they needed to know However, it is believed that there is no „best‟ or „right‟ approach for vocabulary learning (Schmitt, 2012) The best way to get and recall lexical items depends on various factors such as learning style of students, targeted words, the school system and curriculum, and many other factors

Schmitt (2011) proposed two general ways learners obtain vocabulary: direct and indirect vocabulary learning approach In terms of direct vocabulary learning, it could be defined as the process of learning consciously through explicit instruction (Laufer, 2001) In direct learning, learners are systematically taught basic and important lexical items which are frequently

used in most situations Indirect vocabulary learning, however, allows language learners to watch or listen to the lexical elements used in many different contexts, for instance, through daily conversations with other people,

or through reading extensively on their own (Laufer, 2001) Indirect vocabulary learning is concerned with unconscious processes of learning through reading or listening without language learners necessarily being aware of the goals of learning In this type of learning, new words are learned incidentally while reading or learning from listening to stories, films, television or the radio Moreover, learners absorb the meaning of lexical items, grammatical structures, and concepts mainly from being exposed to the language, not from explicit instruction In general, both types of learning are useful depending on the contexts and students‟ different learning styles If learners make use of the mixture of these two ways, they may become successful in mastering the target language vocabulary

2.3 The use of mobile application called Quizlet in English learning and teaching

2.3.1 Brief introduction of the mobile application Quizlet

Quizlet is a digital flashcard application providing learners with an attractive and easy-to-use interface that can improve the experience of paper flashcards It is significantly convenient because learners can study with Quizlet on their smart phones (iOS or Android devices) After successfully creating an account, which is totally free of cost, students can immediately access to all the useful functions of the application In general, this mobile application provides flashcard which is not so different from paper flashcard system with the question or the lexical item on the front and the answer or the word meaning and examples on the back However, unlike traditional paper-based flashcards, it is possible for learners to insert pictures or photos related

to the new word In addition, Quizlet provides students with precise word pronunciation, which could be heard when learners click on „Audio on‟ button

There are two main categories when studying a set of new words in Quizlet: „Study‟ and „Play‟ „Study‟ consists of five modes in total – Flashcards, Learn, Write, Spell, and Test In „Flashcards‟ mode, the lexical items are presented similarly to traditional paper-based flashcards, which could be flipped over by simply tapping on the phone screen to show the definitions or pictures that explain the word „Learn‟ mode provides students with multiple choice and writing questions, by completing these questions, the learners have their own control of choosing whether they are totally familiar with the word In „Write‟ mode, it is required that learners have to type the exact term of the description shown The number of correct and incorrect answers are displayed on the screen, which allows students to keep tracks of their own results and study progress „Spell‟ mode offers students with the practice of spelling Learners are encouraged to listen to the audio then write the correct answer of the word given This function currently is only available

in the website version of Quizlet In „Test‟ mode, which is believed to be particularly suitable for teachers in designing a progress test, four types of random questions including written, multiple choice, matching, True or False based upon the study set are given After the test questions are answered and completed, the results are directly shown and students can immediately revise the study set

In the meantime, „Play‟ categories includes Match and Live In the

„Match‟ mode, students are required to match the lexical item with its correct definition scattered around the screen Quizlet „Live‟ mode is an online collaborative activity, in which students are divided into groups to participate

in the vocabulary battle In order to achieve the first place of the winning

team, each group member has to not only choose the correct answer, but communicate effectively with other members to avoid choosing wrong answers, which will lead to the consequence that their group has to start from the beginning This kind of activity would generate learners‟ persistence as they try their best to memorize and recall vocabularies in order to reach the criterion in the shortest time All in all, beside the Study mode providing students with learning the target word with its meaning, pronunciation and spelling, Quizlet also offers different ways to study the terms and definitions

in Play mode including Match and Quizlet Live, which creates more interesting, motivating and enjoyable learning environment to learners when they have numerous novel choices to improve their lexical range

This application is also greatly convenient to the teachers to keep tracks

on students‟ studying progress after creating an online class and including all the students For instance, a detailed view of the students who have begun or completed their study sessions could be seen in the Class progress In addition, the number of correct and incorrect answers of each student is recorded and shown statistically, which is a great support for the instructors in deciding which concepts or terms need further review

Another useful function of Quizlet is that students have opportunity not only to study together but also to collaborate and generate their own resources

On the database of the mobile application called Quizlet, a variety of digital flashcard sets on different topics are uploaded and shared to all registered users All of the learners can work together through Quizlet to generate digital flashcards for a test or project There is no limit to the collaboration within students from different classes, different universities or even different countries Quizlet is considered as one of the most effective application to support students‟ mastery in English vocabulary

2.3.2 The use of Quizlet in English learning and teaching

In the study of Ashcroft and Imrie in 2014, they made a description of the application of Quizlet and suggested several advantages of using this mobile application in teaching and learning Quizlet could be used as a great replacement for paper-based flashcards Moreover, this application created such a particularly useful platform allowing teachers and students to share numerous vocabulary study sets, which were greatly meaningful to enlarge lexical range It not only increased the engagement of learners in the classroom, but also developed the learning autonomy of students

In the experimental research conducted by Özer and Koçoğlu in 2017, eighty-nine students in four beginner EFL classes were assigned into control group and experimental group The control group did not use any tools to learn and recall vocabulary at all, while the experimental group used paper-based vocabulary notebooks along with the mobile application Quizlet in a week After analyzing the results of a pre-test, post and delayed post-tests, they came to the conclusion that the experimental group which used Quizlet and vocabulary notebooks made slightly great improvement while there was

no sign of enhancement in the control group with no tool in lexical items learning and recall All in all, it is proved by several previous academic studies that the mobile application named Quizlet effectively supports English students in their vocabulary learning as it offers new enjoyable ways of vocabulary learning

2.4 Summary

In this chapter, several current definitions of MALL are reviewed Then, the researcher briefly looks at studies conducted on the field of mobile devices and mobile applications suitable for MALL After that, the significant advantages that MALL could bring to learners in various areas are presented

Next, some research on vocabulary teaching and learning have been reviewed Finally, the brief introduction of the selected mobile application called Quizlet is presented along with the results from several research on using the mobile application Quizlet in teaching and learning English vocabulary The next chapter describes the methodology of this study

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of (1) a restatement of the purpose of the study and research questions; (2) the research design; (3) the setting of the study and information on the participants of the study; (4) the data collection tools; (5) the data collection procedures; (6) the data analysis methods; and (7) chapter summary

3.1 Restatement of the purpose of the study and the research questions

The study is conducted to find answers to a primary research question

„Does the mobile application named Quizlet effectively facilitate students‟ recall to essential words of the SAT test?‟ The research would verify the effectiveness of the selected mobile application in supporting students‟ recall

to essential words of the SAT test In order to address the primary research question and achieve the research aims set, the researcher would figure out the answers to three following secondary research questions:

(1) To what extent does selected mobile application in English

vocabulary teaching improve students‟ English vocabulary recall test results?

(2) What are the students‟ attitudes towards the mobile application? (3) What challenges and difficulties do students and teachers face when

using the mobile application?

3.2 Research design

The study follows the procedure of a mixed methods research, which could be understood as the combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods in a study Creswell (2018) suggested the definition based on the core characteristics adequately describing mixed methods research First of all,

in mixed methods, the responsibilities of the researcher were collecting both

quantitative and qualitative data, then making thorough analysis in order to find answers to the research question(s) Secondly, the researcher needed to integrate these two databases as well as the results derived from data collected Thirdly, the procedure of collecting, analyzing and integrating quantitative and qualitative data would be organized into as appropriate research design Finally, the researcher would make interpretation of the findings from collected information and then „put them under the theory and philosophy‟ In brief, mixed methods research is the type of research in which the researcher follows the procedure of collecting, analyzing and combining both qualitative and quantitative data in order to gain a more complete understanding of research problems

Creswell (2018) acknowledged several advantages as well as challenges of using mixed methods In terms of advantages, using mixed methods research design could offset the flaws and drawbacks of quantitative method and qualitative one because of the nature of combining both these two approaches‟ data In addition, thanks to unrestricted tools of data collection when using mixed methods approach, researchers could gain more persuasive evidence for studying a research problem in comparison with conducting quantitative or qualitative research alone Moreover, the use

of mixed methods approach could bring researchers from quantitative and qualitative fields together, narrowing down the distance and providing invaluable opportunities for collaboration In terms of challenges, it is required that researchers choosing mixed methods had to master skills in conducting both quantitative and qualitative research along with the combination of the two approaches Furthermore, researchers had to consider the amount of time and resources needed to gather data from both quantitative and qualitative sources, making sure that they had enough time

to collect, analyze and combine the data

Creswell (2018) proposed three core mixed methods designs: the convergent design, the explanatory sequential design, and the exploratory sequential design In the first design – convergent design, researchers first collect quantitative and qualitative data at the same time, then use traditional techniques to make analysis on the two data sets separately and lastly, mix the two databases by merging the results during interpretation (and sometimes during data analysis) The purposes of this design are to help researchers obtaining more complete and thorough understandings of the research problem from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and to confirm and validate results from different methods Creswell (2018) also presented the strengths of the convergent design First, this kind of design is suitable for researchers who are new to the mixed methods approach in compared with other two designs – the explanatory sequential design and the exploratory sequential design, which require more skills in conducting mixed methods research Second, the convergent design is rather time-saving and efficient because it allows the researchers to collect both quantitative and qualitative data of the research at roughly the same time Both the other two designs require the researchers to gather data in more two and three phases, but with the convergent design, the data are concurrently collected in only one phase Third, this type of design makes it easier for the researchers to conduct thanks

to the separation and independence of data collection The researchers then apply the traditional techniques to analyze the data and make interpretation from the data analysis Last but not least, this kind of design allows the researchers to directly compare the perspectives of the participants and those

of the researchers drawn from the data collection instruments

The second core mixed methods design is the explanatory sequential design, in which researchers start by gathering and making analysis of quantitative data (the first phase) After that, based on the results from the