VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ MAI LIÊN A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF USING VIETNAMESE IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO THE 10TH FORM ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AT VUNG CAO VIET BAC HIGH SCHOOL Nghiên cứu vai trò việc sử dụng tiếng Việt dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh cho học sinh dân tộc thiểu số lớp 10 trường PT Vùng Cao Việt Bắc M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ MAI LIÊN A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF USING VIETNAMESE IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO THE 10TH FORM ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS AT VUNG CAO VIET BAC HIGH SCHOOL Nghiên cứu vai trò việc sử dụng tiếng Việt dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh cho học sinh dân tộc thiểu số lớp 10 trường PT Vùng Cao Việt Bắc M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: DƯƠNG ĐỨC MINH, PhD Hanoi, 2014 DECLARATION I, Nguyễn Thị Mai Liên, certify that the work presented in this study " A study on the role of using Vietnamese in teaching English vocabulary to the 10th form ethnic minority students at Vung Cao Viet Bac High School" is the result of my own research and the material has not been submitted either in whole or in part for any degree to any other university or institution Hanoi, August, 2014 Student‟s signature Nguyễn Thị Mai Liên In my capacity as supervisor of the candidate's thesis, I certify that the above statements are true to the best of my knowledge Supervisor Duong Duc Minh, Ph.D i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of this thesis, I greatfully express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Duong Duc Minh who gave me his precious comments, expert advice and most of his kind encouragement during my doing research Also, I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to all of the lecturers and the staff of the Department of Post-Graduate Studies at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their valuable lectures and supports I am greatly indebted to my colleagues and students at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school for their enthusiasm, helpfulness, care and patience towards my interviews which grant great contributions for my thesis Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to my parents, my husband and other members in my family for their love, care, support and encouragement so that I could accomplish my study ii ABSTRACT The use of the first language in foreign language teaching and learning has long been a controversial issue However, as a common phenomenon in English language learning, the influence of the first language can not be ignored especially with low proficiency learners This paper aims at providing the evidence to the role of using the first language (Vietnamese) in vocabulary teaching and learning process For these purposes, nearly 200 students of four classes of grade 10th and teachers of English Department at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school were participants of the research Three research tools were used to gather the data: questionnaire, interview and observation The findings of the research were totally true to the research hypotheses First, Vietnamese is still widely used to teach and learn vocabulary by teachers and students of Vung Cao Viet Bac high school Frequent using of Vietnamese for words‟ explanation, habit of using bilingual dictionary to look up new words and doing translation exercises to practice new words are the evidences for the findings Most of participants found using Vietnamese effective to their teaching and learning vocabulary, therefore they often apply it to improve vocabulary acquisition iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS L1 : First language L2 : Second language ESL: English as a second language iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 19 Table 20 Table 21 Table 23 Table 27 Table 28 FIGURE 22 FIGURE 24 FIGURE 25 FIGURE 25 FIGURE 26 v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the Study The Aims of the Study Research Questions .2 The Scope of the Study The Methods of the Study .2 Design of the Study .3 The Summary PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Vocabulary 1.1.1 What is Vocabulary? 1.1.2 The roles of Vocabulary in Second Language Acquisison 1.1.3 Approaches to Vocabulary Teaching 1.1.4 Explicit and Incidental Vocabulary Learning 1.2 L1 and Translation in Second Vocabulary Language Teaching 1.2.1 Translation Method in Language Teaching 1.2.2 The Roles of First Language on the Second Language 1.2.3 The Use of Translation to Facilitate Vocabulary Teaching .11 1.2.4 Empirical Studies of Translation Method in Vocabulary Teaching and Learning .12 1.3 Chapter Summary 14 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .15 2.1 Participants and Setting of the Study .15 vi 2.2 Data Collection 15 2.2.1 Data Collection Instruments 15 2.2.2 Data Collection Procedures 18 2.2.3 Data Analysis Procedure 18 2.3 Chapter Summary 18 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 19 3.1 Findings .19 3.1.1 Findings and Discussion of Survey Questionnaires 19 3.1.1.1 Analysis of Teacher Questionnaires‟ Results: 19 3.1.1.2 Analysis of Student Questionnaires‟ Results: 23 3.1.2 Findings and Discussion of Class Observations .27 3.1.3 Findings and Discussion of Interviews 30 3.1.3.1 Summary of Teachers‟ Interviews 30 3.2 Discussion 33 3.3 Pedagogical Implications 34 3.4 Chapter Summary 34 PART C: CONCLUSIONS 35 Conclusions 35 Limitations of the Study 35 Suggestions for Further Study 36 REFERENCES 37 APPENDICES I vii PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the Study Vocabulary forms the biggest part of the meaning of any language, and it is the biggest problem for most learners, as described by Mc Carthy (“Interview”, 2001:2, cited in Fan, 2003:222) Mc Carthy firmly believes that language is lexis-driven, and therefore, vocabulary learning is the real key to second language learning He claims that learners will be more successful if they can develop their own techniques and disciplines for vocabulary learning Therefore, an effective approach to vocabulary is always one of the great concerns of every language teacher A recent study by Ramachandran and Rahim (2004) investigated the effectiveness of using the L1 translation in recalling the meaning and retention of the words with elementary level ESL Their results indicated that the translation method through using the first language was more effective than the non-translation method in enhancing ESL learners‟ vocabulary learning ability, and it could improve elementary ESL learner‟s ability to recall the meaning of the word learnt Auer Bach (1993) claims that the use of the learner‟s L1 in the L2 classroom will have a positive effect on learners‟ second language learning, especially in the area of vocabulary Personally, the researcher is interested in the findings of many researchers including Nation (2001) and Kroll and Curley (1988) that new second language words are stored more effectively in the brain when they are linked to their first language equivalents At Vung cao Viet Bac High school, with more than 2,000 ethnic minority students coming from different minority groups, each ethnic group has its own language, but Vietnamese is nominated the national language As far as I can observe, these learners are much in favour of using Vietnamese when learning English vocabulary This has motivated me to carry out this study, which aims at finding the answer for the question about the real situation of using Vietnamese and its role in vocabulary teaching and learning Hopefully, findings will reaffirm the use of L1 as a strategic teaching method within the field of vocabulary acquisition Furthermore, it is to partially help English foreign language teachers have a reflection on their teaching practice REFERENCES Abdul Rahim, H (2004) Meaning recall and retention: the impact of the translation method on elementary level learners‟ vocabulary learning RELC Journal, 35, 161-178 An Interview with Professor Michael McCarthy (2001, May) Cambridge Connection, Hong Kong/China Edition, 2, Atkinson, D (1987) The mother tongue in the classroom: A neglected resource? ELT Journal, 41(4), 241-47 Auerbach, E.R (1993) Re-examining English only in the classroom TESOL Quarterly, 27 (1), 9-32 Barcroft, J (2002) Semantic and Structural Elaboration in L2 Lexical Acquisition Language Learning, 52(2), 323-363 doi: 10.1111/0023-8333.00186 Candlin,C.N (1988) Vocabulary and language teaching New York: Longman Coady J (1993) Research on ESL/EFL vocabulary acquisition Putting it in context In T Huckin, M Haynes & J Coady(eds.), Norwarood: NJAbex,3-23 Cook, V (1991) Second Language Learning and Language Teaching London, New York, Melbourne, Auckland: Adward Arnold Folse K S (2004) Vocabulary myths Michigan: the University of Michgan Press Howatt.A P R (1984) A History of English Language Teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press Howatt, A P R (1984:12) A history of English language teaching In Schmitt, N (Ed.).Vocabulary in language teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Knight, S (1994) Dictionary use while reading: The effects on comprehension and vocabulary acquisition for studentss of different verbal abilities The Modern Language Journal, 78(3) 285-299 Kroll, J F., & Curley J (1988) Lexical memory in novice bilinguals: The role of concepts in retrieving second language words In Barcroft, J (2002) Semantic and Structural Elaboration in L2 Lexical Acquisition Language Learning, 52(2), 323-363 doi: 10.1111/0023-8333.00186 37 Larsen-Freeman, D (2000) Techniques and principles in language teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press Lewis, M (1993) The lexical approach: The state of ELT and the way forward Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications Majid, H (2009) Task based instruction vs translation method in teaching0020vocabulary The case of Iranian secondary school students Iranian journal of language studies McCarthy, M J (1990) Vocabulary Oxford: Oxford University Press Meara, P (1995) Single-subject studies of lexical acquisition Second Language Research, Il (2), i-iii Murcia, M.C and Prator, C H (1979), An Outline of Language Teaching Approarches in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language CelceMurcia, M and L McIntosh (Eds.), Los Angeles: Newbury House Publishers, Inc, pp 3-5 Nation, I S P., (2001) Learning Vocabulary in Another Language Cambridge University Press Pyles, T and Algeo, J (1970) English - An Introduction to Language New York: Harcourt, Brace Ramachandran, S D., & Rahim, H A (2004) Meaning Recall and Retention: The Impact of the Translation Method on Elementary Level Learners‟ Vocabulary 161-178 Learning RELC Journal, 35(2), doi: 10.1177/003368820403500205 Rivers, Wilga M (1981) Teaching foreign-language skills Chicago: The University of Chicago Press Saggara, N &Alba, M (2006) The key is the key word L2 vocabulary learning method with beginning learners of Spanish The modern language journal, 90, 283 – 243 Schmitt, N (1997:134).Vocabulary learning strategies In Schmitt, N (Ed.) Vocabulary in language teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Schmitt, N (2000) Vocabulary in language teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 38 Senel M (2000) A suggested texbook for the students and the teachers of ELT Departments of the Faculties of Education for Approaches in ELT Course PhD Dissertation, Ankara: Hacettepe University Sokmen, A (1997) Current trends in teaching second language vocabulary The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language, 4th ed, Boston: Houghton, Miffli, 2000 Thornbury, S (2002) How to teach Vocabulary Essex: Longman Ur, Penny 1996 A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Wallace.M J.(1982) Teaching Vocabulary London, Hermann Educational Book Wilkins, D.A (1972) Linguistics in Language Teaching London: Edward Arnold 39 APPENDIX CÂU HỎI DÀNH CHO HỌC SINH Bảng câu hỏi dùng cho việc nghiên vai trò việc sử dụng Tiếng Việt hoạt động dạy học từ vựng thầy trò trường PT Vùng Cao Việt Bắc Tôi đánh giá cao giúp đỡ em thơng qua việc hồn thành bảng câu hỏi Tất thông tin em cung cấp hữu dụng dành riêng cho mục đích nghiên cứu Cảm ơn em! Hãy khoanh tròn đáp án em cho Câu hỏi số 1: Điểm tổng kết môn tiếng Anh bạn gần là… A Dưới 6.5 B Từ 6.5 -7.9 C Trên 8.0 Câu hỏi số 2: (Thầy) cô giáo bạn có thường xuyên dùng tiếng Việt để giải thích nghĩa từ cách dùng từ không? A Luôn C Thỉnh thoảng B Thường xuyên E Không D Hiếm Khi Câu hỏi số 3: Bạn có thường xuyên dùng từ điển Anh-Việt để tra nghĩa từ không? A Luôn C Thỉnh thoảng B Thường xuyên E Khơng D Ít Câu hỏi số 4: (Thầy) giáo bạn có thường xun giao cho bạn làm tập dịch để học từ không? A Luôn C Thỉnh thoảng B Thường xuyên E Khơng D Ít Câu hỏi số 5: Bạn có nghĩ tập dịch giúp bạn học từ dễ nhớ từ tốt khơng? A Có B Khơng I Câu hỏi số 6: Nếu bạn nghĩ tập dịch giúp bạn học từ dễ nhớ từ tốt hơn, vui lịng giải thích lí A Bài tập dịch giúp học sinh hiểu nghĩa cách dùng từ B Bài tập dịch giúp tiết kiệm thời gian học từ vựng liên kết nghĩa với tiếng Việt, nhanh nhớ từ C Ý kiến khác (vui lòng làm rõ ý kiến bạn) ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Tôi xin chân thành cảm ơn! II APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey questionnaire is designed for the study to investigate the role of using Vietnamese in vocabulary learning and teaching of teachers and students at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school Your assistance in completing the following items is highly appreciated All the information provided by you is of great use and solely for the study purpose Thank you! Please circle the answer where necessary Question 1: What is your latest mark of English? B Below 6.5 B From 6.5 to 7.9 C Above 8.0 Question 2: How often does your teacher use Vietnamese to explain the meaning of the new words? A Always C Sometimes B Usually E Never D Rarely Question 3: How often you use bilingual dictionary to look up new words? A Always C Sometimes B Usually E Never D Rarely Question 4: How often does your teacher give you translation exercises to pratice new words? A Always C Sometimes B Often E Never D Seldom Question 5: Do you think that translation exercises help you learn new words better and easily? A Yes B No III Question 6: If your answer for question is "Yes”, could you please specify the reason for your choice? A Translation exercises help students immediately understand new words' meaning and usage B Translation exercises help students to remember words quickly because they link with Vietnamese meaning C Other reasons (Please specify) ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you! IV APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS This survey questionnaire is designed for the study to investigate the role of using Vietnamese in vocabulary learning and teaching of teachers and students at Vung Cao Viet Bac high school Your assistance in completing the following items is highly appreciated All the information provided by you is of great use and solely for the study purpose Thank you! Please circle the answer where necessary Question 1: How many years have you taught English? Your answer: ………………… Question 2: Which technique you use the most often to explain the meaning of the new words? A Using Vietnamese B Explaining the words in English C Giving examples to illustrate meaning D Asking students to guess the meaning of words from contexts E Using visual aids F Others Question 3: Do you ask students to use bilingual dictionary to look up the new words? A Yes B No Question 4: Which aspects of vocabulary you often pay the most attention to when you introduce new words to your students? A Word -form B Grammar C Meaning D Usage V Question 5: How you think translation exercises help you teach new words? A very effective B quite effective C not effective Question 6: If your answer for question is A or B, Could you circle the reason and specify it? A It saves time to teach students directly the usage and meaning of the words B Linking the word meaning with their mother tongue helps students remember the words more easily C Other reasons (Please specify) ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you! VI APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS I this study to investigate the role of using Vietnamese in vocabulary learning and teaching by teachers and students at Vung Cao Viet Bac High School I would be grateful to your answers to the following questions All the information provided by you is of great use and solely for the study purpose Thank you Question 1: Do you use Vietnamese to explain new vocabulary to your students? Why? Question 2: What effects does the use of Vietnamese have on your vocabulary teaching? Question 3: How motivated you think your class is when you use Vietnamese to teach vocabulary to them? Question 4: Do you think that the exclusive use of Vietnamese in teaching English vocabulary has problem(s)? If yes, what are they? Thank you! VII APPENDIX CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Teacher Period Time Teachniques Notes Using Asking Giving Vietnamese students to translation to explain use bilingual tasks the meaning dictionary and the usage of the new words Unit 13: Films and Cinema Lesson: Listening Preteaching Whileteaching Postteaching VIII CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Teacher Period Time Teachniques Notes Using Asking Giving Vietnamese students to translation to explain use bilingual tasks the meaning dictionary and the usage of the new words Unit 13: Films and Cinema Lesson: Speaking Preteaching Whileteaching Postteaching IX CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Teacher Period Time Teachniques Notes Using Asking Giving Vietnamese students to translation to explain use bilingual tasks the meaning dictionary and the usage of the new words Unit 13: Films and Cinema Lesson: Language Preteaching focus Whileteaching Postteaching X CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Teacher Period Time Teachniques Notes Using Asking Giving Vietnamese students to translation to explain use bilingual tasks the meaning dictionary and the Unit 14: The usage of the World Cup new words Lesson: Reading Preteaching Whileteaching Postteaching XI CLASSROOM OBSERVATION Teacher Period Time Teachniques Notes Using Asking Giving Vietnamese students to translation to explain use bilingual tasks the meaning dictionary and the usage of the new words Unit 14: The World Cup Lesson: Writing Preteaching Whileteaching Postteaching XII ... have a reflection on their teaching practice The Aims of the Study The research is aimed to investigate the role of using Vietnamese in teaching vocabulary to the 10th form students at Vung cao. .. (Nation, 2001) One of the greatest advantages of using learners‟ first language in vocabulary teaching is that it provides an easier way to explain the meaning of second language vocabulary The. .. in other words, the main goal was to train students to communicate in the target language and to have an acceptable pronunciation The Reading approach attracted more importance than grammatical