The use of plashcards in teaching vocabulary for young learner at Doan Hung informatics and foreign language school

THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

...............................................

VO KIM TRAN

THE USE OF FLASHCARDS IN TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR YOUNG

LEARNERS AT DOAN HUNG INFORMATICS & FOREIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Major: TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES

Major code: TESOL 739

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: Dr. NGUYEN DINH THU

Ho Chi Minh City, 2016

i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “The Use of Flashcards in Teaching Vocabulary for Young

Learners at Doan Hung Informatics & Foreign Language School” is my own work.

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material

published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified

for or been awarded another degree or diploma.

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the

thesis.

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other

tertiary situation.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2016

Vo Kim Tran

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deep thanks to the contribution of those who supported and

encouraged me during the time I wrote this thesis. I cannot finish this research without their

help.

First and foremost, I would like to send my great gratitude to my supervisor, Dr.

Nguyen Dinh Thu, Dean of Foreign Language Department of HCMC University of

Technology and Education, for all of his support during the time I have done this thesis. His

enthusiastic instruction and useful advice helped me acquire much more knowledge to

accomplish the thesis. His sincere encouragement also motivated me to overcome difficulties

and finish this paper.

I am also extremely thankful to Mr. Ha Dang Van, the manager of Doan Hung

Informatics Foreign Language School who created the best condition for me to conduct the

sample teaching as well as to collect the data. His encouragement also raised me up during

the thesis writing process.

I also thank all of the teacher participants for their open-hearted sharings and the

student participants for their enthusiastic participation in all of the activities.

Last but not least, I would like to send my gratitude to my family who gave me

spiritual encouragement to finish this thesis.

Vo Kim Tran

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ABSTRACT

Young children mainly learn vocabulary in their English learning. Therefore, teachers

often invest lots of time to find out useful teaching techniques and teaching aids which can

help them be successful in teaching young learners vocabulary. This study aims to investigate

the effectiveness of using flashcards to teach young learners vocabulary. This paper examines

whether flashcards can give young children motivation in learning new words and whether

they can enhance their vocabulary retention. The research also investigates the teachers’

perception of using flashcards to teach young learners vocabulary. 34 young learners who are

learning English at Doan Hung Informatics & Foreign Language School participated in this

study during 3 weeks. Both qualitative data, including classroom video recordings, teaching

journals, and teachers interviewing, and quantitative data, including pre-test and post-test

scores were analysed to answer the two research questions. The findings of this research

showed that most of the participants in the experimental group were highly motivated to learn

the new words. Besides, the participants in this group also improved their vocabulary

retention. Finally, the teacher interviewees expressed their positive attitudes towards using

flashcards to teach young learners vocabulary. Some suggestions for further research in using

flashcards for teaching young learners vocabulary are also suggested.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

pages

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ..........................................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .........................................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................................iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................................iv

LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATION ...................................................................................................viii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1

1.1. Background of the research...........................................................................................1

1.2. Statement of the problem ..............................................................................................4

1.3. Aims of the research......................................................................................................7

1.4. Research questions .......................................................................................................7

1.5. The significance of the research....................................................................................7

1.6. Limitations of the research............................................................................................8

1.7. Overview of the research .............................................................................................9

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................10

2.1. Young learners..............................................................................................................10

2.2. Vocabulary in English teaching and learning ..............................................................12

2.3. Young learners’ learning characteristics .....................................................................15

2.3.1. Intellectual ...........................................................................................................16

2.3.2. Vocabulary retention ............................................................................................16

2.3.3. Span of attention....................................................................................................17

2.3.4. Sensory input ........................................................................................................18

2.3.5. Motivation ............................................................................................................19

2.4. Flashcards ....................................................................................................................21

2.4.1. Flashcards in language teaching and learning .....................................................21

2.4.2. Roles of teachers in using flashcards in classrooms.............................................25

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2.5. Study on flashcards.......................................................................................................25

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................27

3.1. Pedagogical context .....................................................................................................27

3.1.1. Settings .................................................................................................................27

3.1.2. Participants ...........................................................................................................28

3.2. Instruments ...................................................................................................................28

3.3. Procedures ....................................................................................................................29

CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS AND RESULTS...........................................................................38

4.1. Response to research question 1 ..................................................................................38

4.2. Response to research question 2 ...................................................................................44

4.3. Response to research question 3 ...................................................................................49

4.3.1. The first interviewee’s response ...........................................................................49

4.3.2. The second interviewee’s response ......................................................................51

4.3.3. The third interviewee’s response..........................................................................52

CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION THE FINDINGS.....................................................................54

5.1. Flashcards gave the young learners motivation............................................................54

5.2. Flashcards enhance the young learners’ vocabulary retention .....................................55

5.3. The interviewed teachers’ agreement with using flashcards to teach young learners

vocabulary. ...............................................................................................................................56

CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..........58

6.1. Conclusion................................................................................................................59

6.2. Pedagogical implications..........................................................................................60

6.3. Recommendations ....................................................................................................61

REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................63

APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................69

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Independent Samples Test of the pre-test scores of the control group and the

experimental group.

Table 2. Independent Samples Test of the post-test scores of the control group and the

experimental group.

Table 3. Paired Samples Test of the pre-test and post-test scores of the control group.

Table 4. Paired Samples Test of the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATION

DH: Doan Hung Informatics Foreign Language School

EFL : English Foreign Language

FC: Flashcard

VR: Vocabulary retention

CG: Control group

EG: Experimental group

1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter mentions the general background of the research. It also

talks about the importance of vocabulary in language teaching and learning. In

addition, the chapter also raises the problem in teaching vocabulary to young

learners at Doan Hung Informatics & Foreign Language school. Then it gives

some issues such as aims of the research, the research questions, the significance

of the research.

1.1. Background of the research

It is the fact that vocabulary itself shows its important position in English

language teaching and learning. Shen (2003) said that “vocabulary has got its

central and essential status in discussion about learning a language”. There are

many highlighted studies on teaching vocabulary. Nation (2001) pointed out the

goals of vocabulary in language learning, the use of vocabulary in specific

learning skills as well as the strategies for teaching and learning vocabulary.

Thornbury (2002) introduced the forms of words, how words are learnt and

words of classroom and test sources. Brand (2004) also integrated word learning

in his literacy workshop in grades 3-6. Lauffer (1997) argued that vocabulary

learning is at the heart of any language learning and language use (as cited in

Carter & Nunan, 2001). Harmer (1991) also confirmed: “ If language structures

make up the skeletons of the language, then it is vocabulary that provides the

vital organs and the flesh”. In other words, vocabulary plays a vital role on

mastering other language learning patterns. Richard & Renandya (2002) called

vocabulary a key to language proficiency. Indeed, vocabulary supports learners

to develop their four skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. For

instance, without vocabulary, learners do not understand the meanings of words,