Using pictures to teach english vocabulary to primary school students

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VINH UNIVERSITY TRẦN THỊ THANH TUYỀN USING PICTURES TO TEACH ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION... MINI

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

TRẦN THỊ THANH TUYỀN

USING PICTURES TO TEACH ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO PRIMARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS

MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

VINH UNIVERSITY

TRẦN THỊ THANH TUYỀN

USING PICTURES TO TEACH ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO PRIMARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Code: 60140111

MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

SUPERVISOR:

Ngô Đình Phương, Assoc.Prof.,Dr

Vinh, 2017

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I greatly appreciate supporting from my supervisor, Assoc Prof., Dr Ngo Dinh Phuong

He tried his best to guide me, support me in my thesis In addition, my sincere thanks are due to the teachers and the students at Hong Ha primary school where I do the research The teachers helped me in arranging the classes where I do the surveys The students cooperated well with me in my surveys Moreover, I also want to say a big thanks to my classmates with their encouragement Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my family for their love and encouragement They always give me the advice

as I am tired

ABSTRACT

Vocabulary is very important in learning language It is seen as central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas There are many techniques to teach English vocabulary However, in this research, I would like to explore using pictures in teaching English vocabulary to primary schools students The study focuses on the students’ attitudes towards using pictures in teaching English vocabulary and the use of pictures helps students improve their memorization of English vocabulary The research was taken place in Hong Ha primary school in Ho Chi Minh City with 86 third- graders from two classes 3/5 and 3/6 The instruments I used were: pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire with twenty statements for each, two tests with twelve items for each The data results from questionnaires and tests were treated via Excel program The results showed that the students liked using pictures in learning vocabulary and had a positive attitude towards using pictures in teaching English vocabulary In addition, using pictures could help learners in remembering the words better In conclusion, the students had a positive attitude towards using pictures in learning English vocabulary and it helped learners improve their memorization in learning English vocabulary

TABLE OF CONTENT

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims 3

1.3 Scope 3

1.4 Research Questions 3

1.5 Organization of the study 4

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 English Vocabulary teaching 5

2.1.1 Vocabulary definition 5

2.1.2 Kinds of Vocabulary 6

2.1.3 Techniques for teaching vocabulary 6

2.1.4 Principle for teaching vocabulary 10

2.1.5 The importance of vocabulary in language learning 10

2.1.6 Stages to teach vocabulary 11

2.1.7 How to teach and learn vocabulary effectively 12

2.1.8 Presenting vocabulary 13

2.2 Pictures in vocabulary teaching 14

2.2.1 Picture definition 14

2.2.2 Types of pictures 14

2.2.3 The criteria of a good picture 17

2.2.4 The advantages of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary 18

2.2.5 The use of pictures in teaching vocabulary 20

2.3 Ways of using pictures as a teaching strategy 23

2.3.1 Drills 23

2.3.2 Communication (games) 23

2.3.3 Understanding 23

2.3.4 Ornamentation 24

2.3.5 Prediction 24

2.3.6 Discussion 24

2.4 The textbook Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition 24

2.4.1 The overall design of the textbook 25

Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition 2.4.2 The general features of the textbook 25

Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition 2.4.3 Description of the English Vocabulary section in this textbook 26

2.4.4 The repetition of vocabulary in each unit in the textbook Family , and Friends- grade 3 special edition 28

2.5 Activities where pictures are used to teach vocabulary in textbook Family and Friends-grade 3 special edition 29

2.6 The English learning of primary schools students 30

2.6.1 Learners’ problems in vocabulary learning at primary schools 30

2.6.2The current situation and problems of vocabulary teaching at primary schools 31 2.6.3 The characteristics of students at primary schools 31

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 33

3.1 Participants 33

3.2 Instruments to collect data 33

3.2.1 Questionnaires 33 3.2.1.1 Rationale for choosing questionnaires as one of the instruments to collect

Data 33

3.2.1.2 Description of the questionnaires 34

3.2.2 Vocabulary tests 35

3.2.2.1 Rationale for choosing vocabulary tests as one of the instruments to collect data 35

3.2.2.2 Description of vocabulary tests 35

3.3 Procedures to collect data 37

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 39

4.1 Students’ attitudes towards using pictures in teaching English vocabulary in pre-questionnaire and post pre-questionnaire 39

4.1.1 Pre-questionnaire 40

4.1.2 Post-questionnaire 42

4.2 Students’ performance through vocabulary tests analysis 48

4.3 Discussion on the results of the study 54

4.3.1 What are the primary school students’ attitudes towards using pictures in learning English vocabulary? 54

4.3.2 To what extent may the use of pictures help students improve their memorization of English vocabulary? 55

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 58

5.1 Conclusion 58

5.1.1 What are the primary school students’ attitudes towards using pictures in learning English vocabulary? 58

5.1.2 To what extent may the use of pictures help students improve their memorization of

English vocabulary? 59

5.2 Recommendation 59

5.2.1 Teachers 59

5.2.2 Students 60

5.3 Suggestion for further study 60

5.3.1 Limitation 60

5.3.2 Suggestion for further study 61

REFERENCES 62

APPENDICES 65

TABLES LISTS

Table 2.1: Some criteria of a good picture .17

Table 2.2: Advantages of using pictures in teaching English 18

Table 2.3: Description of the English vocabulary section in “Family and Friends-grade 3 special edition” textbook 27

Table 2.4: The repetition of vocabulary in each unit in “Family and Friends-grade 3 special edition” textbook 28

Table 4.1: Clusters of the questionnaires 39

Table 4.2: Descriptive statistic of students’ attitudes on the benefits of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary in pre-questionnaire 40

Table 4.3: Descriptive statistic of students’ attitudes on the drawbacks of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary in pre-questionnaire 41

Table 4.4: Descriptive statistic of students’ attitudes on the benefits of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary in post-questionnaire 42

Table 4.5: Descriptive statistic of students’ attitudes on the drawbacks of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary in post-questionnaire 43

Table 4.6: Outline of the tests 48

Table 4.7: Mean and SD of two classes in test 1 49

Table 4.8: Mean and SD of two classes in test 2 50

Table 4.9: The incidental probability (p) in test 1 and test 2 of two classes 53

CHART LIST AND PICTURE LIST

Picture 2.1: Techniques for teaching vocabulary 9

Picture 2.2: Pictures of individual animals 14

Picture 2.3: Pictures of situation 15

Picture 2.4: Sources of Pictures for vocabulary teaching 22

Picture 2.5: Look and Write 29

Picture 2.6: Read and draw the times on the clocks 30

Figure 4.1: The Students’ attitudes on the benefits of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary between pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire 45

Figure 4.2: The Students’ attitudes on the drawbacks of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary between pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire 46

Figure 4.3: Compare about the agreement of students between pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire in cluster 1 and cluster 2 of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary 47

Figure 4.4: The Mean score of test 1 and test 2 of 2 classes 52

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, it shows the rationale for choosing the title for the master thesis, aims of the study, scope, research questions, and organization of the study

1.1 Rationale

English is an international language in the world It is taught in many schools not only in Vietnam but also in almost every country on this earth Vocabulary, as one of the knowledge areas in language, plays a great role for learners in acquiring a language (Cameron, 2001) Vocabulary is very important for learners in learning a language It is seen as an important part of knowledge in learning English In addition, vocabulary is seen as central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas Therefore, Wilkins (1972) states the importance of vocabulary that “…while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (pp.111-112) For example, two friends, native speaker and Vietnamese, talk about their house Although Vietnamese friend does not have the good grammar knowledge, he or she has a great source of vocabulary about “house” topic Therefore he or she can describe about his or her house, and the native speaker can understand what the Vietnamese friend says Vocabulary is very important in learning foreign language If learners want to be successful in learning skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, they need

to prepare vocabularies as much as possible They need to practice vocabularies every day For example, with the words related to the topic learners learn, it helps them in learning speaking and writing with the productive vocabulary It also helps learners in learning listening, reading with the receptive vocabulary Therefore, O’Rourke (1974) states that vocabulary development is a vital part of each student‘s life It affects his thoughts, actions, aspirations, and often his success In general, success with words

means success in many areas, particularly in academic achievement In a world expanding fast in every field the need to expand and enrich student’s vocabularies is compellingly apparent (p.14)

At primary schools, some learners are afraid of learning English vocabulary They can learn new vocabularies quickly, but they also forget them fast as they come home or do not use them for a long time Most students tend to learn by heart the meaning new vocabularies to get marks, then they will forget them if they do not often use them In addition, the characteristics of young learners are different with the characteristics of adults Young students are young and lose concentration easily in learning language It is very hard for teachers to involve learners in learning English Teachers also face many problems to encourage students to use English at school Moreover, learners at primary school do not have opportunities to experience an English environment and they are afraid of making mistakes

Teaching English to primary school students are different from teaching adults learning because the characteristics of young learners are different with the characteristics of adults The primary school students are young They can lose their concentration easily and quickly if the learning process and activities are so boring and not interesting It is very hard for teachers to attract their students in learning English language, so they need

to find the effective ways to encourage and attract their young learners in learning English language Meanwhile, adults can control their learning because they learn language with their aims Basing on teaching and learning process, the students at primary school require the different treatment and situation that is more attractive, various, and interesting If the teachers teach English vocabulary by writing the words

on the board, just say the meaning of the words, and ask students write the meaning of the words in their book, it is so boring and the students will not concentrate in their learning anyway Therefore, Jeremy Harmer (1991) points out that at the same time the span of attention or concentration of children is less than that of an adult The adults learn language with their aims and with the high concentration They can control their learning Therefore, the teaching and learning process needs special techniques which

are suitable with the characteristics of the young learners Thus, the English teachers have to be able to organize teaching and learning activities or use the suitable techniques

to master the lesson effectively Especially, teachers need to provide the most effective way to help learners to be able to memorize or retain the English words in a long term memory

As an English teacher at primary school, I realize that teaching vocabulary is a major concern because almost primary school students cannot remember the English vocabularies in a long term memory When teachers teach new words, they remember at that time, but then they forgot Or when teachers teach them new vocabulary, then ask them to do a quick test, almost of them forget the words and have most of the wrong answers for their test To solve this problem, I suggest that an effective way to help students to improve their memorization of English vocabularies is using pictures To explore more about the effective way, using pictures, in helping students remember the vocabularies better and learn English well; therefore, I choose the topic “Using pictures

to teach English Vocabulary to primary school students”

1.3 Scope

I would like to focus my thesis on third graders at Hong Ha primary school in Ho Chi Minh City with “Family and Friends-Grade 3 special edition” textbook

1.4 Research Questions

What are the primary school students’ attitudes towards using pictures in learning English vocabulary?

To what extent may the use of pictures help students improve their memorization of English vocabulary?

1.5 Organization of the study

This thesis includes the following main parts:

Chapter 1: Introduction

This part presents the reasons for choosing the topic, aims, scope, research questions, and organization of the study

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This part will review vocabulary and picture in linguistic notion It also shows some points about the theoretical background related to the topic, some points about the book

or resource which is used as the material in teaching English vocabulary In addition, it presents the English learning of primary schools students

Chapter 3: Methodology

This part will present the ways to collect and to analysis the data Then there are results which are drawn out from the analysis of data

Chapter 4: Findings and Discussions

This part will present the students’ attitudes towards using pictures in learning English vocabulary before and after using that method Moreover, it will prove that using pictures may help students improve their memorization of English vocabulary

Chapter 5: Conclusion

This part will summarize what have been done in the research, give recommendation, and offer some suggestions for further research

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter reviews the literature relevant to the topic of the present study There are six parts in this chapter The first part is English vocabulary teaching The second part is pictures in vocabulary teaching The third part is ways of using pictures as a teaching strategy The fourth part is the textbook Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition The fifth part is activities where pictures are used to teach vocabulary in textbook Family and Friends-grade 3 special edition Final part is the English learning of primary schools students

2.1 English Vocabulary teaching

2.1.1 Vocabulary definition

Vocabulary, as one of the knowledge areas in language, plays a great role for learners in acquiring a language (Cameron, 2001) In fact, when learners want to learn a language, they need to learn vocabulary Students want to learn skills of language; they need to learn vocabulary first because it is as bridge to help them learn skills effectively Neuman and Dwyer (2009) defined vocabulary as “words we must know to communicate effectively; words in speaking (expressive vocabulary) and words in listening (receptive vocabulary)” (p.385) In actual fact, if we want to communicate effectively, we need a great source of vocabulary It will support us in expressing ideas

as we talking or speaking Moreover, if we want to listen to the information, we have to know a lot of words Meanwhile, Hornby (1995) defines vocabulary as the total number

of words in a language; vocabulary is a list of words with their meaning Furthermore, Diamond and Gutlohn (2006) state that vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings When we communicate together, we need to have a number of words to express ideas or meaning of the speakers For example, when two friends talk about their cars, they need to have a great source of words about parts of a car Therefore,

they can describe about their car, the listener can understand what the speakers say That means they communicate effectively In general, vocabulary can be defined as the total number of words that are needed to communicate ideas and express the speakers’ meaning

we see a list of words to study, we might recognize some of them

Productive vocabulary is the words that leaners understand and can pronounce correctly and use constructively in speaking and writing It involves what is needed for receptive vocabulary plus the ability to speak or write at the appropriate time Therefore, productive vocabulary can be addressed as an active process because the leaners can produce the words to express their thoughts to others (Stuart Webb, 2005) For example,

as the example in receptive vocabulary, if when we see a list of words to study, recognize some of them, use those words correctly when we speak or write, that means that we have the productive vocabulary

2.1.3 Techniques for teaching vocabulary

Brewster, Ellis, and Girard (1992) points out that there are some techniques of teaching vocabulary:

The first one is using objects such as realia, visual aids, and demonstration They can help learners remember the words better Objects and materials are used in everyday life, especially are used as teaching aides Students need to see visuals of actual objects, so they can relate to what is being taught Realia is also used for English language learners

If we match an object to a new word they are learning will help them earn the words and

recognize the object Objects can be used to show meanings when the vocabulary consist

of concrete nouns Introducing a new word by showing the real object often help learners to memorize the words through visualization Objects in classroom or things brought to the classroom can be used According to Gairns and Redman (1986), real objects technique is appropriately employed for beginners or young learners and when presenting concrete vocabulary For example, when we teach learners about the “hat” word, teacher can use the picture of “hat” or use a real hat to show for learners They might think about their new English vocabulary

The second one is drawing: Objects can be drawn on the blackboard, flashcards They can help young leaners understand the words easily For instance, when teacher teach a new word “skirt”, teacher can draw a “skirt” on the board and explain for his or her learners Students also draw it in their book next to the word, so when they go home, they still remember the word

The third one is using illustrations and pictures: It helps to make the meaning of unknown words clear The lists of pictures include posters, flashcards, wall charts, magazines pictures, board drawings, stick figures, and photographs Pictures for vocabulary teaching come from many sources Today many vocabulary books and course books contain many attractive pictures that present the meaning of basic words The teacher can use learning materials provided from school Visual supports helps leaners understand the meaning and helps to make the words more memorable

The fourth one is contrast: Some words are easily explained to learners by contrasting it with its opposite However, some words are not There is an example as following: when teachers teach the word “ancient”, they can use the contrast word to explain for their students as “modern”

The next one is enumeration: Enumeration is a collection of items that is a complete, ordered listing of all the items in that collection This technique helps words difficult to explain visually For example, teaching “clothes” by listing items such as skirt, trousers, dress, etc…

The next one is mine, expressions and gestures: Klippel (1994) implies that “mime or gesture is useful if it emphasizes the importance of gestures and facial expression on communication” Sime (2001)& Hauge (1999) points out that teachers tend to gesture a lot, especially when addressing young learners and /or beginners Teaching gestures appear in various shapes: hand gestures, facial expressions, pantomime, body movements, etc…They can mime or symbolize something and they help learners to infer the meaning of a spoken word or expression, and providing that they are easy to understand In addition, teaching gestures may also be relevant for learners’ memorization process Indeed, many teachers who use gestures as a teaching strategy to help learners in the process memorization of new words

Other technique is guessing from context: Dubin (1993) states that guessing from context as a way of dealing with unfamiliar vocabulary in unedited selections has been suggested widely by L1 and L2 reading specialists Nation and Coady (1988) points out that there are two types of contexts: the context within the text which includes morphological, semantic, and syntactic information in a specific text; the general context

or non-textual context which is the background knowledge the reader has about the subjects being read This technique encourages learners to take risks and guess the meanings of words they do not know as much as possible This helps them build up their self-confidence, so they can work out the meanings of words when they are on their own For example, when we teach the word “gargantuan” in the sentence “Some of the trees in Redwood National Park are truly gargantuan, and in fact they are the tallest trees

in the world”, we base on the other words in the sentence and the context to guess In this example, we can base on the words “tallest trees”, and we know “gargantuan” means “very large”

Other one is eliciting: This technique is more motivating and memorable by simply giving learners a list of words to learn It is a technique which teachers get the learners

to give information rather than giving it to them For example, when teacher teaches about “food”, he or she can use questions to ask students and let them elicit and find out what “food” means

Another technique is translation: Thornbury (2002) states that in some situations translation could be effective for teachers, such as when dealing with incidental vocabulary There are some words that need to be translated and it can save a lot of time

It is truth that sometimes when teachers teach words which are difficult to use technique

to teach, teachers will use translation to explain for their learners

Picture 2.1: Techniques for teaching vocabulary Through picture 2.1, the researcher wants to show that there many techniques for teaching vocabulary Each technique will have advantages and disadvantages However, they are very helpful for teachers and learners in learning words The teachers need to be careful to choose the appropriate techniques to teach the words for their students The teachers need to prepare the lessons at home and choose the suitable techniques Choosing the suitable techniques can help teachers save time, and help learner get the meaning quickly and easily If teachers choose the unsuitable techniques, learners will

be confused and they are not interesting in learning anymore

2.1.4 Principle for teaching vocabulary

In teaching vocabulary there are many principles Paul (2005) said that the teaching vocabulary should be clear and simple without complicated explanations It should draw basing on the students’ previous knowledge by showing a pattern of analogies In fact, when teachers want to teach vocabulary, they need to prepare the pictures which are interesting, attractive, clear and not difficult to find

2.1.5 The importance of vocabulary in language learning

Wilkins (1972) states that “….While without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (pp.111-112) Vocabulary is seen as central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas Without grammar, with some useful words and expressions, learners can often manage to communicate Furthermore, Lewis (1993) states that “lexis is the core or heart of language” (p.89) If students like to

be fluent in English, they need acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and develop their own personal vocabulary learning strategies In general, vocabulary functions as an important role in teaching and learning language It will support other skills to help students develop their language learning

Enumerations

Vocabulary knowledge is often viewed as a critical tool for the second language learners because a limited vocabulary in a second language closes off successful communication Schmitt (2000) points out that “lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language” (p.55)

For example, one friend is native speaker, and other is Vietnamese They talk and chat about their summer vacation Although Vietnamese friend does not have a good grammar, she or he has a great source of vocabulary Therefore, she or he can chat with friend, and the native speaker still understands what his or her friend is talking That is why vocabulary has an important role in learning language

2.1.6 Stages to teach vocabulary

2.1.6.1 Presentation

Thornbury (2002) states that learners need to learn both the meaning and the form of a new word He also emphasizes some factors the words to be presented such as learners’ level, learners’ familiarity with those words The aim of this stage is introducing new lexical to learners

2.1.6.2 Practice

If the teachers just present the meaning of new vocabulary and students do not have chance to practice these new words, learners may easily forget the new words, and do not know how to use them correctly and suitably However, if the teachers give leaners opportunities to practice them through some activities using those new words, students are activated in learning and using those new vocabularies For example, when teacher teaches the new words about “the colors”, teacher needs to design many exercises or games and let students practice them frequently Therefore, they will remember the words better

2.1.6.3 Production

Thornbury (2002) recommends that learners should produce something as a product of their own Therefore, students will turn these new words from receptive to productive Then they can put those vocabularies in long-term memory in their mind For instance, when teacher teaches about “colors” words, teacher asks students to write a paragraph to

describe their house using “colors” words Learners are also able to speak to their partners about the things they like using “colors” words Through these activities, learners can turn new words from receptive to productive, and remember them in long-term memory in their mind

2.1.6.4 Review

This stage can help students to acquire active and productive words In addition, they can have more opportunities to use words and receive feedback from teachers At this stage, games, communicative activities are seen as the good ways to help learners to review those vocabularies Furthermore, using visual aids are seen as an effective way in

reviewing vocabularies For example, after teaching “clothes” words, teachers can

design a game relating to “clothes” Therefore, students can play happily and remember the words better

2.1.7 How to teach and learn vocabulary effectively

Thornbury (2004) states one of the important roles of the language teacher is to help students to find the easiest way of conveying new information into the mental lexicon Remembering is seen as crucial to students in learning vocabulary Teachers need to focus on how words are remembered, stores in students’ mind, and how long term memory is organized In general, teachers need to help students in building up and using vocabularies effectively, so they are able to store and reuse words Moreover, teachers also use various methods to help students in accomplishing learning words Beside, teachers also help students to arouse their motivation, attention, and to engage learning

in meaningful activities, to provide the effective strategies to learn and practice vocabulary

When teaching and learning language process take place, the problems will appear Teachers should prepare and explore the suitable techniques which will help their students overcome the problems in learning language A good teacher should prepare himself or herself with various and up-to-date techniques for their teaching He or she need to find out the ways to help their learners feel interested and comfortable in learning language For instance, when teacher use synonym to teach students the new

words, but they still do not understand and recognize the meaning of the new words Thus, teachers need to change the way to help their students recognize the meaning of the words Teachers need to prepare this point first, so they can apply in necessary context

The teachers should be concerned that teaching vocabulary to young learners is different from adults Therefore, they need to know and understand the characteristics of their learners to find out the best way for their learners in learning language They need to have a good preparation for their teaching For example, most primary-grade learners are still preoperational, and they learn best with concrete experiences and immediate goals They like to name objects, define words, and learn about things in their own world They also have vivid imaginations and respond well to stories of fantasy Primary students learn through oral language They have short attention spans, so they need to have a great variety of activities, but they tire easily In contrast, adults take more control over their learning than young learners They tend to be more motivated in learning situations than Youth

2.1.8 Presenting vocabulary

Once the teachers have chosen the words to teach for students, next step is to consider what students need to know about the words and how the teachers can teach them Firstly, students need to know the meaning of the words It is vital to get across the meaning of the words clearly and to ensure that the students have understood correctly with checking questions Secondly, they need to know the form of the words They need

to know those words are verbs, nouns, or adjectives, etc…to able to use it effectively Thirdly, they need to know how the words are pronounced There is no clear relation between how a word is written and how it is pronounced Teachers should use the phonemic script The teachers should drill words which may cause pronunciation problems for the students and highlight the word stresses Fourthly, the teachers need to teach the ways they are spelt They need to clarify the pronunciation before showing the

A Cat A Monkey A Dog

written form Fifth point is the situations when the word is or is not used There are many points the teachers need to teach their students as they teach them vocabulary

2.2 Pictures in vocabulary teaching

2.2.1 Picture definition

Mckenkchnie (1980) defines picture as “an image or likeness of an object, person, or scene produce on a flat surface, especially by painting, drawing or photography” (p.1357) Meanwhile, Andrew Wright (1989) states that “picture is not just an aspect of method but through its representation of place, object, and people, it is essential part of the overall experiences”

2.2.2 Types of pictures

Brazyna Szyke (1981) states pictures are divided into two main types

Pictures of individual persons or thing may be used mainly at the elementary level to introduce or test vocabulary items For example, a dog, a cat, a monkey…

Picture 2.2: Pictures of individual animals

Through picture 2.2, pictures of individual animals are easier for learners to guess the

meaning

Meeting Playing tennis Playing football

Pictures of situation in which person and object are “ in action” between objects and people can be perfect teaching aid for introducing or reviewing grammatical or structures For example, the pictures of situation: meeting, playing tennis, playing football, etc…

Picture 2.3: Pictures of situation

Through picture 2.3, learners can easily guess the meaning of the pictures and the words For example, with the first picture “meeting”, teachers show picture and elicit the students to guess the meaning of the picture Therefore, students say the words They may say in Vietnamese That means they understand the picture As the same with picture

2 and picture 3, teachers also do like that This kind of picture is harder than the picture

of individual animal

Andrew Wright (1989) states that there are some types of pictures as following:

2.2.2.1 Check chart for picture

This type of pictures can help learners exploit thoughts about certain ways of using pictures that they choose When special thoughts appear, learners can write them on the back of pictures to keep the pictures

2.2.2.2 Pictures of Single Objects

It refers to description of particular subject on account of pointing to a unique topic For example, it can be talking about clothes, bikes, food, etc…

2.2.2.3 Pictures of one person

These make learners guess the individual’s appearances, the social situations of the person, their thoughts and their emotions

2.2.2.4 Pictures of Famous People

Teachers introduce pictures of famous people to their learners After that, their students can inform their identity, character and the physical description

2.2.2.5 Pictures from History

These are used to illustrate scenes, customs and objects from the history

2.2.2.6 Pictures with a lot of Information

These demonstrate the whole information They may illustrate several activities, or it may be a landscape or showing lots of objects, building, and others

2.2.2.7 Pictures of News

These function to the identification of the incident, the events, the place and time or persons They are commonly related with captions and articles These pictures help learners remember the texts by reading for gist

2.2.2.8 Fantasy Pictures

These can be removing from old children’s books They demonstrate daily activities such as eating, sleeping, running, and other activities

2.2.2.9 Pictures of Maps and Symbols

These occur in the areas of daily life such as in road traffic booklets, holiday brochures, and other areas

2.2.2.12 Students and Teachers’ Drawing

Teachers can draw pictures to teach vocabulary, and learners also can do the same to learn new words Learners and teachers’ drawing can reflect their individually and immediacy of special quality Therefore, the same kinds of pictures are appropriate instead of others mostly for personal experiences

Betty Morgan Bowen (1973) gave some types of pictures according to their shapes as following:

Wall Charts: they can be a product of photograph, artist’s drawing, symbols, graph and text

Wall pictures: they can take place of something such as the sky, the sun, the cloud, the sea, and the others These pictures are the large description of scene or event or set of both Generally this kind of picture is used with the full class

Flash Card: There are two kinds: word flashcard and Picture flashcard Word flashcard

is a card with printed words They are effective to the teachers because they illustrate the exact required objectives while picture flashcard is beneficial in representing single concept

Word cards: visual cards such as text magazine picture, drawing, maps, and diagrams Therefore, teachers should be aware about pictures and understand well which pictures

to be used in suitable classes

2.2.3 The criteria of a good picture

Wright (1989) states that there are some criteria for selecting good pictures for leaners as following:

Table 2.1: Some criteria of a good picture

Criteria

Be easy to prepare by teachers

Be organized by the teachers

Be interesting

Good pictures

Be meaningful and authentic to help learners to acquire a language and use it effectively

Have a sufficient amount of language

Be suitable with learners’ interest Have knowledge related to subject that teachers present

Through table 2.1, a good picture means a picture which is easy to prepare, to organize

by teachers It is interesting, attractive, meaningful, and authentic to help students learn and use language effectively It should have a sufficient amount of language In addition,

it should be related to the topics which teachers teach and learners’ interest Teachers need to be careful in choosing a picture to teach their students It should be met on those qualities of a good picture If teachers choose a good picture, it is very helpful for them in teaching words for their students and getting a successful aims in their teaching

When teacher teaches about the vocabulary by using pictures, the teacher chooses the pictures which are not clear, difficult to prepare, not so interesting, not related to the learning topic, they are not seen as good pictures They make the lessons unattractive and unsuccessful

2.2.4 The advantages of using pictures in teaching English vocabulary

Pictures have a vital role in teaching and learning English vocabulary

Gerlach and Elly (1980) states that there are advantages of using pictures in teaching English as following:

Table 2.2: Advantages of using pictures in teaching English

Help to prevent and correct misconceptions

Offer stimulus to further study, reading, and research Visual evidence is a powerful tool

Help to focus attention and to develop critical judgment

Through table 2.2, the researcher wants to emphasize that using pictures is very helpful and useful Pictures are available everywhere, teachers can find it easily They do not need to pay a lot of money to buy them Pictures help to deliver the experiences for the whole group With the visual details, pictures can help to learn words easily Moreover,

by using pictures, it can help students and teachers prevent and correct the misconceptions or misunderstanding Pictures are a great and powerful tool to teach and learn words They help to attract students’ attention and make the atmosphere in class more interesting

Wright (1990, p.2) mentioned that pictures are built on learners’ interest and motivation; they bring the sense of the context of language, and provide a specific reference point or stimulus

In general, pictures are flexible and visual technique They help to develop learners’ interest and motivate them to acquire a positive attitude towards learning and teaching English For example, teachers teach “animals” words, they can use pictures about individual pictures of animals with attractive and interesting photos This makes learner have positive attitude towards teaching and learning vocabulary Therefore the atmosphere in classroom is more active

2.2.5 The use of pictures in teaching vocabulary

Pictures are very useful in teaching and learning vocabulary and other aspects of language learning and teaching

Wright (1990) states that pictures can be employed in teaching structures, vocabulary, and all four skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking In fact, in teaching structures, pictures are used and it helps teachers and learners a lot in learning structures For example, teachers teach “there is and there are” They ask their students work in pair

to practice those structures with topic “describe your room” One student uses her or his language to describe her or his house and other draw details on the paper Then they will check together The student uses language can say “In my room, there are a table, and a chair Next to the table, there is a television At the front of the television, there is a bed.” Through that picture which the student draw, he or she can learn structure “there is/ there are, and vocabulary relating to a room, and skills

Hill (1990) points out that beside lessons where pictures are in the main focus, they might be used in order to stimulate for writing and discussion or illustrate of something being read or talked about

Moreover, Hill (1990) states that pictures could bring “images of reality into the unnatural world of the language classroom” (p.1)

Pictures are very useful in introducing and explaining the meaning of new vocabulary because:

Harmer (2001) states pictures should be used for the presenting and checking of meaning of the new words It is truth that the teachers can use pictures in presenting and checking meaning of the new words For instance, when teachers teach about

“transports”, they can use pictures about “transports” to show their students and introduce the words about “transports” Therefore, students can get the words better If teachers want to check their students’ understanding about meaning of those words, they can use pictures to show them This way is quick and effective

Using pictures in teaching new vocabulary makes the atmosphere in classroom more enjoyable and memorable Pictures which are interesting and attractive will make students focus on the lesson and study effectively

Using pictures in teaching new words can attract students’ attention and help them have the deep understanding of vocabulary

In general, the benefits of using pictures in teaching vocabulary are clear There are many ways to apply pictures in teaching vocabulary in classroom However, teachers need to be careful in using pictures for the lessons Teachers need to have the deep look into their class situations, their students’ background knowledge, and the items will be taught

Pictures for vocabulary teaching come from many sources The list of pictures includes posters, flashcards, wall charts, magazine pictures, board drawings, stick figures and photographs Today many vocabulary materials or language materials contain a vast number of attractive pictures that present the meaning of basic words Teachers can use learning materials from schools, or they can create their own pictures sources for their teaching Pictures helps learners understand the meaning easily and help them remember the words easily

However, McCarthy (1992) and Thornbury (2004) point out that in teaching vocabulary, pictures are not suitable or sufficient for demonstrating the meaning of all words It is hard to illustrate the meaning of some words, especially the abstract ones such as

“opinion” or “impact” Therefore, Joklova (2009) cited that in some cases, other tools are used to demonstrate the meaning, or alternatively pictures might be supplemented by the other tools This is the limitation of using pictures in teaching language For example, “Bella has great taste in clothes” In this sentence, “taste” refers to her preferences Teachers cannot use pictures to teach that words because it is abstract word

Picture 2.4: Sources of Pictures for vocabulary teaching

Through picture2.4, the researcher wants to show the sources of pictures for vocabulary teaching Pictures can be posters, wall charts, board drawings, flashcards, magazine pictures, stick figures, and photographs Poster means a large printed picture used for decoration, or a large printed picture, notice, or advertisement displayed in a public place Wall chart means a chart or poster designed for display on a wall as a teaching aid or source of information Board drawing means a large flat board which designers work on Flashcard means a card containing a small amount of information which held up for students to see, as an aid to learning Magazine means a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, typically covering a particular subject or area of interest Stick

figure means a simple figure representing a person or animal, drawn chiefly with straight lines, or s human figure characterized by thinness or angularity Photograph means a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused onto film or other light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally These sources of pictures can help teachers so much in preparing the lesson well, and help learners have a visual picture to learn words interestingly

2.3 Ways of using pictures as a teaching strategy

Harmer (2007) mentioned some ways of using pictures as a teaching strategy as following:

2.3.1 Drills

Teachers help learners who have lower level in learning vocabulary as well as help them

to understand the topic they deal with

Teachers put learners in pairs or groups and distribute the cards which include certain words Then they are asked to formulate a sentence dependent on the words found in the picture or card

2.3.2 Communication (games)

Harmer (2007, p.135) points out that teacher could enquire leaners to produce a conversation dependent on specific pictures; therefore they have to choose one card and start to build a dialogue on it

Learners describe a picture and his friend attempt to design the pictures without the basic one Another way is to organize the class into four groups Then teacher supplies each group with different pictures that displayed a separated series of a story Then teacher gives leaners enough time to look and debate their pictures After that, teacher collects the pictures and reform new groups with previous members It means that teacher takes one from each group and then asked them to share the data and organize them in order to understand the story Pictures have effect in creative writing story based

on a certain number of pictures

2.3.3 Understanding

The purpose of using pictures is to present and to check the meaning Moreover, teacher can use pictures to check learners’ understanding of a piece of writing or listening by asking them to select the suitable pictures that have a relation with the topic

2.3.4 Ornamentation

Harmer (2007) points out that some teachers and materials designers object to this use of pictures because they consider it gratuitous But it should be remembered that if the pictures are interesting they will appeal to at least some members of the class strongly (p.135)

The purpose of this way is that pictures ameliorate the text and give a sufficient knowledge about outside world

2.3.5 Prediction

Teachers can use pictures to give hints about the topic of lesson, so learners can guess the information of the pictures Then they will listen or read a text and make the comparison between their prediction and the reading text This way helps learners engage to the task For example, when teacher teaches about “Food”, so teacher shows pictures about many kinds of “Food” such as rice, noodle, fish, etc…students will guess the topic they will learn today Then they will read a paragraph and compare what they predict are right or wrong

2.3.6 Discussion

Harmer (2007) states that pictures can stimulate questions such as: What is showing? How does it make you feel? What was the photographer’s purpose in designing it in that way? Would you like to have this picture in your house? Why? Why not? How much would you pay for the picture? Is the picture a work of art? (p.136)

This way helps teacher and learners interacting to have a successful communication and discuss together

When teacher show the pictures to students, he or she used the questions to ask his or her students to check their understanding Through that activity, teacher and students have a good interaction and communication

2.4 The textbook Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition

2.4.1 The overall design of the textbook Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition

The textbook Family and Friends-grade 3 special Edition is used to teach third graders at primary schools This book includes twelve units with the familiar topics in their life Through these units they can develop their social and emotional skills Four different language skills such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing are integrated in each unit The other language parts such as pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary are also mentioned carefully in each unit

Almost vocabulary is presented under pictures or flashcards In addition, the textbook provides students with a variety of topics and activities to help students improve their

language skills using new vocabularies in each unit The content in the textbook is

presented colorfully through pictures and flashcards Therefore, it makes students be

more interested in learning language

2.4.2 The general features of the textbook Family and Friends-grade 3, special Edition

This textbook has an amazing package of integrated print and digital resources, step by step phonics program In addition, Family and Friends –grade 3, special edition with the clear methodology, objectives for every lesson, and carefully staged activities will support students’ learning The controlled “Skills Time” programs in every unit with listening, speaking, reading, writing, and literacy skills will continually improve Phonics is straightforward and fun Each sound is taught in an easy way to understand The writing activities are very well structured and train essential sub-skills such as punctuation, so students feel ready to do their own personalized writing in the Wordbook Furthermore, through a wide range of linked print and digital resources, it helps students to be more attracted in learning language The values syllabus helps students develop the social and emotional skills which guarantee success in the classroom and at home

The textbook Family and Friends- grade 3 special edition is designed with four skills and provides many attractive activities in classroom It contributes interesting pronunciation program for students This textbook helps students to develop skills in learning language and in their life The program in the textbook is designed especially to help learners to develop their motivation in learning English

The textbook helps students in developing their communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing It provides students with appropriate, systematic and basic knowledge of English familiar with their life Through learning English at school, they can learn more skills and knowledge in the life

2.4.3 Description of the English Vocabulary section in this textbook

Almost vocabulary is presented in each unit through pictures and flashcards It supports students in learning other skills in each unit such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing

Almost vocabulary is taught through each unit with the familiar topics as following There are twelve units with the familiar topics For example, unit one is with “clean up” Leaners learn “my bedroom”, and “number eleven to twenty” vocabularies Unit two is with “our new things” and “school things” words Unit three is with “Do you have a milkshake?” and “food, number 20-100” words Unit four is with “We have English!” and “school subjects, and school rooms” words Unit five is with “Let’s buy presents!” and “special days” words Unit six “What time is it?” includes “everyday activities,” and

“times of the day” words Unit seven is “Where does she work?” Learners learn

“places” vocabulary Unit eight “It’s hot today!” is with weather and weather activities words Unit nine is “What are you wearing?” with “clothes, times” words Unit ten is

“You’re sleeping!” with “celebrations and getting ready” words Unit eleven “Look at

all the animal” is with “farm animals and the adjective” vocabularies Unit twelve “Look

at the photos!” is with “memories and cleaning up” words

Table 2.3: Description of the English vocabulary section in “Family and

Friends-grade 3 special edition” textbook

(Naomi, S Family and Friends-grade 3 Special edition Student Book Oxford

University)

Number 11-20

Number 20-100

School rooms

Times of the day

12 Look at the photos! Memories

Cleaning up

2.4.4 The repetition of vocabulary in each unit in the textbook Family and Friends- grade 3 special edition

Table 2.4: The repetition of vocabulary in each unit in “Family and

Friends-grade 3 special edition” textbook

To find out the repetition of vocabulary in each unit of the textbook “Family and grade 3, special edition, I got the examples from two units, unit five and unit eleven With the unit five, “ candy” repeated eight time, “ balloons” with seven times, “ presents” with seven times In unit eleven, “Cow” is eleven times “Horse” is seven times, and

Friends-“Animals” with seven times

Almost vocabulary in each unit is repeated many times to help students remember the words easily Now, this is an example of repetition of three any words in each unit of

Balloon Presents

11

7

7

two units in the textbook Family and Friends- grade 3 special edition In other words, how frequent words are in each unit They are presented as following

Through this table, the result is that almost vocabulary is repeated in many times and frequent in each unit

2.5 Activities where pictures are used to teach vocabulary in textbook Family and Friends-grade 3 special edition

Teachers can use pictures to show learners Then they will try to guess the words or the object that the picture represented Then they can remember it and use it in their productive skills

In textbook Family and Friends grade 3 special edition, there are activities using pictures

to teach vocabulary Now I will give two examples:

Picture 2.5: Look and Write