VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ OANH IMPROVING ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR STUDENTS OF MEDICAL ENGLISH AT A MEDICAL COLLEGE IN HA NOI THROUGH GAMES: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT NÂNG CAO VIỆC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH Y CHO HỌC SINH TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG TRUNG CẤP Y Ở HÀ NỘI THƠNG QUA TRỊ CHƠI NGƠN NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG MINOR THESIS Major : Methodology of teaching English (1) Code : 8140231.01 HÀ NỘI- 2019 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ OANH IMPROVING ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR STUDENTS OF MEDICAL ENGLISH AT A MEDICAL COLLEGE IN HA NOI THROUGH GAMES: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT NÂNG CAO VIỆC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH Y CHO HỌC SINH TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG TRUNG CẤP Y Ở HÀ NỘI THƠNG QUA TRỊ CHƠI NGƠN NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG MINOR THESIS Major : Methodology of teaching English (1) Code : 8140231.01 Supervisor : PHẠM LAN ANH.PHD HÀ NỘI- 2019 CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT *** -I hereby cetify that this minor thesis entitled IMPROVING ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING FOR STUDENTS OF MEDICAL ENGLISH AT A MEDICAL COLLEGE IN HA NOI THROUGH GAMES: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT is completely the result of my own work for the Degree of Master at University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and that this thesis has not been submitted for any other university or institution ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the course of fulfilling my thesis I have owed my debt to many people First and foremost I would like to express my sincere and deep gratitude to, Ms Pham Lan Anh, my supervisor for her wholehearted guidance, valuable suggestion and useful materials during the time of writing this thesis Second, I would like to send my thanks to the colleagues at a Medical College in Ha Noi who have provided me with the insightful knowledge being most significant in paving the way for me to carry out the research I should be grateful to the librarians, for their constant help thanks to which I was able to access to all materials needed to accomplish the thesis Finally but importantly, my heart-felt gratitude goes to my beloved family whose support and encouragement has always been the great source of inspiration for me to complete this thesis ABSTRACT One of the most challenging tasks facing any language teachers is to capture students’ interest, and therefore, keep them in high learning spirit Meanwhile, vocabulary learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating especially for teenagers To realize this situation, the teachers are supposed to find out teaching approaches corresponsive to students’ needs and wants The study, in that light, lays a focus on students’ improvement in learning medical English vocabulary through language games The study is conducted in the form of an action research with the research tools being teacher’s diary, pre-test, post-test and survey questionnaire to collect data Then the data from teacher’s diary and tests were exploited to find out the improvement in students’ vocabulary And the data from survey questionnaire were used to find out students’ attitudes towards language games and provide factors that should be considered by teachers when using games to teach medical English vocabulary Through the results of the teacher’s diary, the pre-test and post-test, it can be concluded that language games could help improve students' vocabulary retention The results collected from the questionnaires showed that most of the students expressed their positive attitudes towards the games carried out in teaching medical vocabulary TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Vocabulary is an essential part in learning a foreign language One of the most important issues in second language teaching and learning is vocabulary learning And, perhaps, one of the most difficult aspects of learning a second language is the retention of learning vocabulary (Holden, 1999) Vocabulary seems to be the foundation of language It encourages students to learn the four macro skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking Vocabulary is a very crucial element because without vocabulary students cannot learn other skills as Wilkin (1972) puts it, “Without grammar, little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” In the context of a medical college under study, (here by called college X), almost all the students have spent many years neglecting learning English before their college enrolment Therefore, they get into trouble of attaining knowledge in general and vocabulary retention in particular The students have difficulties in remembering the writen form and spoken form of English vocabulary specially the medical vocabulary which belongs to a specialized professional area The pronuncation, spelling and function of vocabulary make them confused in practicing and using them They cannot remember the words they have learnt for a long time so they make mistakes each time the researcher asks them to exercise There are some main reasons that demotivate them in learning English They not use English in their career as well as in their daily life, so they feel it is useless to learn English In addition to this, medical terms cause them difficulties in pronouncing and writing which discourages them to learn English Therefore, they not have motivation to learn English 1.2 Identification of problem The problem of lacking motivation in learning medical English makes it difficult for the students in acquiring medical vocabulary through English lessons What is the best way to transfer knowledge to students effectively is becoming a big question for many teachers Nguyen and Khuat (2003) believe that students prefer to learn language in a relaxing environment such as vocabulary games They believe that in an interesting and communicative class, learners can learn 80 percent of what they are exposed to According to Freeman (1986), learners enjoy language games as well as they enjoy communicative involvement in the classroom He believes that games can provide a healthy and constructive competition Games can encourage learners to discover and involve in the learning process Games can also establish a better bonding between teachers and learners Finally, a good designed language game can create a real communication context in the classroom which can help learners to improve their vocabulary With the purpose of motivating the students to learn medical English vocabulary by using language games in lesson, this study was implemented with the participation of all the students in the class K7C The methodology used in the research is action research with a number of tools such as teacher’s diary, a pre-test, a post-test and questionnaire The purpose of using games is making the medical lessons become more interesting and helping the students remember the lessons easier 1.3 Research objectives and research questions The research sets objectives of finding out how vocabulary games help improve students’ vocabulary retention Besides, it explores students’ attitudes towards the teacher’s use of vocabulary games In order to achieve these goals, there is a need to answer the following questions: How vocabulary games help improve students’ vocabulary retention? What are the students’ attitudes towards the teacher’s use of vocabulary games? 1.4 Scope of the study When vocabulary is chosen to study, some researchers focus on vocabulary retention, some others increase vocabulary size and some researchers improve vocabulary usage In this research, the researcher designed the study to improve the students’ vocabulary retention and change the students’ opinions by encouraging them to interact with each other through vocabulary games The study was carried out in five weeks and the participants of this study were 30 students from class K7C at college X in Ha Noi 1.5 Significance of the study The findings of this study would be significant to the teachers, the students as well as the researchers Firstly, for English teachers, this research may provide more insights on how to improve the students’ vocabulary retention Secondly, the study would serve as input for the students at a medical college in Ha Noi to be aware of medical English vocabulary They would be informed on their weaknesses so that they can devise ways to improve their vocabulary Third, for other researchers who conduct the same research, the results of the research would be expected to be a reference and contribute more information to solve the same problem In addition, the use of language games would enable students to improve their vocabulary and to use vocabulary correctly Moreover, the students would enjoy English lessons more and feel comfortable to use English vocabulary Last but not least, this study might provide recommendation for English teachers at a medical college to prepare more effective English lessons so that learners’ English vocabulary would be improved not only in classrooms but also beyond 1.6 Structure of the study 10 questionnaires showed that games made students more interested, relaxed, motivated and confident when learning medical English In summary, from the findings of the research, it can be concluded that language games could help improve students' vocabulary retention significantly To answer the second research question, the results collected from the questionnaires showed that most of the students expressed their positive attitudes towards games carried out in teaching medical vocabulary Firstly, it can be concluded from the results of the questionnaires that most students appreciated the application of the researcher’s organizing of vocabulary games They found vocabulary games interesting and effective Games partly helped improve their medical vocabulary Thanks to the researcher’s clear instructions, her encouragement, the students’ pairs and group discussion, the students could remember the medical vocabulary better Secondly, the results from the questionnaires indicated that learning medical English through the vocabulary games offered the students benefits Games supported language learning and encouraged the students to take part in the learning activities actively Moreover, the students expressed that they were more relaxed, more motivated, more self -confident and more interested in learning medical English According to the students’ opinions, the vocabulary games helped them remember the medical vocabulary easier and longer On the whole, the results in this study showed that the implementation of language games was effective and could improve students’ medical vocabulary retention However there still need further studies on medical vocabulary should be conducted with other participants on a larger scale and if possible in different contexts 5.2 Implications From the major findings of the study, the researcher hopes to have some pedagogical implications to help medical English vocabulary learning at a medical college in HaNoi 51 Firstly, motivating students to learn medical English vocabulary is really necessary and important because medical English vocabulary includes difficult terms, words relating to medical area In order to have a successful project of improving medical vocabulary, students need to be constructed and encouraged by teachers If medical English vocabulary is left to be done by students alone, the project to get students to improve vocabulary may be unsuccessful However, improving vocabulary involves both in-class and outof class practice, which demands significant planning At first, teachers should have a specific plan of using games in teaching medical English vocabulary, which refers to what kind of games to be used, the time when teachers use that game and what activities students when taking part in the game When teachers provide students with careful orientation, teachers not only help students to improve their vocabulary’s retention, but also might open a door to the variety of world that medical vocabulary can present Secondly, teachers are advised to pay attention to games selection (games for revision or warm up, games for concept checking or games for practicing) How to play games and materials used in the games must be easy with a variety of games and the games should be chosen by students Therefore, teachers should find out what kinds of games students like most and gain the most benefits Encouraging students to take part in the games actively can promote their independence and autonomy Finally, teachers are advised to design, collect and store interesting games which will help teachers have a big selection of games Besides, it’s very necessary and important for teachers to use games flexibly so that teachers can get the most effectiveness when vocabulary games are used in teaching medical English 5.3 Limitations To some extent, the findings proved that the study was a success 52 overall However, it must be asserted that there are some limitations that could not be advoided The post-test seems tobe easier than the pre-test The researcher recognised this limitation however it was not enough time for the researcher to change the test The research was carried out during a period of ten teaching section During a lesson of 120 minutes, only 30 to 40 minutes was spent on vocabulary work This may have been too short time to come to a general conclusion on how to teach vocabulary effectively to students Perhaps, if the research process could be lengthened, the results of the study would be more certain and comprehensive 5.4 Suggestions for further research Based on the limitations of the study as discussed above, the recommendations are raised for further research as follows First and foremost, further studies should be carried out in longer duration, long enough to conduct cycles of action research in order to produce more reliable results Second, the subjects of the study need to be broadened, for example with the second-year students Third, games may be applied in other skills such as listening, writing and reading Fourth, beside the teacher’s diary, questionnaires, tests other instruments such as interview, observation should be used in further research Fifth, it is important, especially with less confident students, to create a positive supportive, low stress atmosphere that encourages creativity and risk taking Finally, some further research if possible should be taken on studying the tips or techniques in order to apply vocabulary games to improve students’ English vocabulary 53 REFERENCES Freeman, D L Techniques and principles in language teaching (2nd.) London: Oxford University Press 2000 Print McCallum, G P 101 word games: for students of English as a second or foreign language Oxford: Oxford University Press 1980 Print Richard-Amato, P (1988) Making It Happen: Interactions in the Second Language Classroom Longman, New York Schmitt, N (1997) Vocabulary learning strategies In Schmitt, N and McCarthy, M (eds.)Vocabulary:Descriptive, Acquisition and Pedagogy Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Hornby, Albert Sydney 1995 Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New York: Oxford University Press Keller, J (1999) Motivation in Cyber Learning Environments Educational Technology International, 1/1, 7-30 McDonough, J and McDonough, S (1997) Research Methods for English Language Teachers London: Arnold Richards, J and Lockhart, C (1996) Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Alemi, M (2010) Educational games as a vehicle to teaching vocabulary The Modern Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(6), 425-438 10 Aslanabadi, H., & Rasouli, G (2013) The effect of games on improvement of Iranian EFL vocabulary knowledge in kindergartens International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(1), 186-195 11 Cheng, C., & Su, C (2012) A Game-based learning system for improving student’s learning effectiveness in system analysis course Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31,669 – 675 12 DeHaan, J Reed, W., & Kuwada, K (2010) The effect of interactivity with a music video games on second language vocabulary recall Language 54 Learning & Technology, 14(2),74-94 12 Efendi, E (2013) The use of games to improve vocabulary mastery Journal de Physique III, (12), 78-84 13 Riahipour, P., & Saba, Z (2012) ESP vocabulary instruction: Investigating the effect of using a game oriented teaching method for learners of English for nursing Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(6), 1258-1266 14 Rohani, M., & Pourgharib, B (2013).The effect of games on learning vocabulary International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, (11), 3540-3543 15 Al Neyadi, O (2007) The effects of using games to reinforce vocabulary learning In Marifa H.C.T (Ed.), Action research and initial teacher education in the UAE (pp 99- 107) HCT Press, UAE 16 Allen, V F (1983) Techniques in teaching vocabulary New York: Oxford University Press 17 Blachowicz, C & Fisher, P (2004) Vocabulary Lessons Educational Leadership, 61(6): 66-69 18 Sørensen, B.H., & Meyer, B (2007) Serious Games in language learning and teaching – a theoretical perspective Retrieved from: www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.23426 19 Yolageldili, G.,& Arikan, A (2011) Effectiveness of Using Games in Teaching Grammar to Young Learners Elementary Education Online, 10(1), 219-229, 2011 Retrieved from: http://ilkogretim-online.org.tr 20 Yip, F.W.M., & Kwan, A.C.M.(2006) Online vocabulary games as a tool for teaching and Learning English vocabulary wiki.umd.edu/teamill/images/9/9f/Vicki's_article 55 Retrieved from: APPENDIX A SAMPLE OF TEACHER’S DIARY Type of Unit/ games Time Note Ss’participation Games for warm up Lucky Unit1- the students were 15 number Lesson students interested in taking (account 50%) (18/7/2018) part in the game to know which one the lucky number - the questions were difficult - Most students of the did not remember the words relating medical area - The students feel relaxed to start new lesson - This game seemed to be attracted the students the however students 56 students (account 20%) - they were excited was Ss’retention got difficulty in finding out the answers of the questions so they could not give the perfect answer - Which make the students like this game most was the lucky number They got marks without answering questions - This game was rather excited but the students seemed not to be active when they joined the game Besides, this game did not provide the students with suggestions in order for the students to give the correct answer APPENDIX 57 PRETEST AND POST TEST Test (Pre-test) Câu 2-001- C1 A paediatrician………….children A treats B supports C prepares D performs Câu 2-002- C1 An anaesthetist………… surgeons in the operating theatre A treats B supports C prepares D performs Câu 2-003- C1 A surgeon…………….operation A treats B supports C prepares D performs Câu 2-004- C1 A pharmacist…………… medicine for the patients A treats B supports C prepares D performs Câu 2-005- C1 A midwife delivers…………… A babies B blood vessels C other images D tissues Câu 2-006- C1 A/ An………… takes of people’s eyes A dentist B ophthalmologist C surgeon D obstetrician Câu 2-007- C1 A lab technican examines samples and …………… under a microscope A babies Câu 2-008- B blood vessels C1 A cardiologist C other images specializes in D tissues illnesses of the and……………… A babies B blood vessels C other images D tissues Câu 2-009- C1 A radiologist takes x- ray and ………………… A babies B blood vessels C other images D tissues Câu 2-010- C1 An emergency responds to emergencies and gives………… A babies B blood vessels C other images Test (post-test) 58 D first aid heart Câu 3-001- C1 Obstetricians care for pregnant women They help the women with the birth of their babies A women B women who are doctors C women who are sick D women who will have babies Câu 3-002- C1 The order from the highest grade to the lowest of nursing profession in Britain is…………… A nursing officer- auxiliary nurse- sister- staff nurse B nursing officer- sister - staff nurse - auxiliary nurse C nursing officer- staff nurse - auxiliary nurse- sister D auxiliary nurse- sister- nursing officer- staff nurse Câu 3-003- C1 Anesthesiologists put patients to sleep during operations Then the patients feel no pain A hurt B not hurt C operate D not sleep Câu 3-004- C1 Exams and courses that you have taken is………………… A qualifications B pension C overtime D further study Câu 3-005- C1 Money that you will receive when you are old……………… A qualifications B pension C overtime D further study Câu 3-006- C1 Extra hours you can work to earn more money ………………… A qualifications B pension C overtime D further study Câu 3-007- C1 You’ve done this work before so you have………… about it A qualifications B pension C overtime D experience Câu 3-008- C1 More advanced learning means…………………… A further study B skills C pay- scale D basic training Câu 3-009- C1 Special abilities means………………………… A further study B skills C pay- scale D basic training Câu 3-010- C1 The levels of pay is…………… A further study B skills C pay- scale D basic training APPENDIX 59 A LESSON PLAN OF TEACHING VOCABULARY Date July 18th, 2018 th July 20 , 2018 Unit/Lesson Unit 1: The hospital Activities - Present the vocabualry team – Part - Game Unit 1: The hospital - Practice - Warm up team – Part - Present the vocabualry Time 120’ 120’ - Game th July 25 , 2018 Unit 2: Pain- Part - Practice - Present the vocabualry 120’ - Game th July 27 , 2018 Unit 2: Pain- Part - Practice - Present the vocabualry 120’ - Game - Practice st August 01 , Unit 3: Blood- Part 2018 - Game - Game for warm up 120’ - Present the vocabualry - Game for checking rd August 03 , Unit 3: Blood- Part 2018 - Practice - Game for warm up 120’ - Present the vocabualry - Practice August 08 , Unit 4: Medication- - Game for revision - Game for warm up 2018 Part - Present the vocabualry Unit 4: Medication- - Practice - Present the vocabualry th th August 10 , 60 120’ 120’ 2018 Part - Game August 12 , Unit 5: Alternative - Practice - Game for warm up 2018 treatment- Part - Present the vocabualry th 120’ - Game August 14 , Unit 5: Alternative - Practice - Present the vocabualry 2018 treatment- Part - Game th - Practice - Game for revision 61 120’ APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE Bảng câu hỏi nhằm phục vụ cho để tài nghiên cứu việc cải thiện từ vựng tiếng Anh chun ngành Y thơng qua trò chơi ngơn ngữ trường Trung cấp Y Hà Nội Các thông tin câu trả lời em thực quan trọng với nghiên cứu Các liệu phục vụ cho mục đích nghiên cứu khơng mục đích khác Chân thành cảm ơn hợp tác em Mời em đánh dấu (v) vào câu trả lời mà em lựa chọn viết câu trả lời vào phần để trống: Em có thích học mơn tiếng Anh chun ngành Y khơng? a Có b Khơng Mơn tiếng Anh chun ngành Y có phục vụ cho cơng việc em sau khơng? a Có b Khơng Việc học từ vựng tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Y với em nào? a Rất khó b Khó c Bình thường d Khơng khó Em có gặp khó khăn học từ vựng tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Y? Nếu có khó khăn gì? Tại sao? a Đọc từ b Viết từ c Nhớ tứ d Dùng từ Suy nghĩ em giáo viên kết hợp trò chơi ngơn ngữ để dậy từ vựng tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Y? Tại sao? a Rất thích b Thích c Bình thường d Khơng thích Theo em trò chơi từ vựng có cần thiết quan trọng việc học từ vựng tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Y không? Tại sao? a Rất cần thiết b Cần thiết c Bình thường 62 d Khơng cần thiết Trong trò chơi giáo viên sử dụng học từ vựng tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Y, em đánh số thứ tự trò chơi mà em thích từ đến (theo mức độ tăng dần) Giải thích lí do? Board race Word matching Scrambled words Lucky number Bingo Memory Pictionary Charades Trong chơi trò chơi, em a Tham gia cách tích cực c Tham gia có hứng thú b.Tham gia trò chơi giáo viên yêu cầu d Không tham gia Sau chơi trò chơi từ vựng, em cảm thấy nào? a Rất thoải mái b Bình thường c Khó chịu 10 Theo em trò chơi từ vựng mang lại cho em hiệu gì? a Làm cho việc học từ vựng đơn giản, dễ dàng b Giúp em nhớ từ vựng lâu hơn, xác c Giúp em có vốn từ vựng đa dạng, phong phú d Khơng có tác dụng 63 APPENDIX STUDENTS’ SCORES OF TWO TESTS No of students Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss Ss 10 Ss 11 Ss 12 Ss 13 Ss 14 Ss 15 Ss 16 Ss 17 Ss 18 Ss 19 Ss 20 Ss 21 Ss 22 Ss 23 Ss 24 Ss 25 Ss 26 Ss 27 Ss 28 Ss 29 Ss 30 Mean Score of pre-test Score of post-test Gain 6 4 6 4 4 5.16 8 6 7 7 6 9 6 7.03 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 64 65 ... PROJECT NÂNG CAO VIỆC HỌC TỪ VỰNG TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH Y CHO HỌC SINH TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG TRUNG CẤP Y Ở HÀ NỘI THƠNG QUA TRỊ CHƠI NGƠN NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG MINOR THESIS Major : Methodology of... vocabulary effectively through games or not and how they learn it Many experts of language teaching methodology agree that playing games is a good way to learn vocabulary, especially in communicative... vocabulary These games help students start the new lesson excitedly and effectively - Vocabulary games for concept checking 16 After presenting new medical vocabulary, it is very necessary to use