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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
LÊ THỊ LÂN
APPLYING METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES IN
LEARNING VOCABULARY FOR IN-SERVICE STUDENTS
AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, VIETNAM NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY: AN ACTION RESEARCH (Một nghiên cứu cải tiến về việc áp dụng các thủ thuật siêu
nhận thức trong việc học từ vựng của sinh viên Tại chức trường
Đại học Ngoại Ngữ - Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội) M.A. Minor Programme Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10

(Một nghiên cứu cải tiến về việc áp dụng các thủ thuật siêu
nhận thức trong việc học từ vựng của sinh viên Tại chức trường
Đại học Ngoại Ngữ - Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội)
M.A. Minor Programme Thesis
Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10
Cohort: MA 16
Supervisor: Phan Thị Vân Quyên, MA HANOI, 2010 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ………………………………….
i

1.1.2.1. Semantics……………………… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……
5
1.1.2.2. Grammar…………………………………………………………… ……… …
1.1.2.3. Methodology…………………………………………………………… ………
6
6
1.1.3. The role of vocabulary learning………………………………………….
6
1.1.4. Factors affecting vocabulary learning ……………………………………….
8
1.1.4.1. Intralexical factors……………………………………………………………
8
1.1.4.2. Individual and social factors………………………………………………….
9
1.2. Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) ………………………………
10
1.2.1. Vocabulary knowledge…………………………………………………………
10
1.2.2. Vocabulary learning strategies ………………… …………………………….
10
1.2.2.1. Definition………………………………………………………………………
1.2.2.2. Classification…………………………………………………………………
1.3. Metacognitive learning strategies…………………………………………
10
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13 7
1.3.1. Definitions…………………………………………………………………………

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Chapter 3: Data analysis and discussion of major findings………………
26
3.1. Questionnaire data analysis……………………………………………
3.1.1. The pre-training questionnaire results …………………………………
3.1.2. The post-training questionnaire results …………………………………
3.1.3. Pre-training and post-training questionnaire results …………………
3.1.4. Discussion of the pre-training and post-training questionnaire results
26

29
29
30
34

3.2. Pre- and Post- test data analysis………………………………………….
35
3.2.1. The pre-test and post-test results ……………………………………………
35
3.2.2. Discussion of the pre-test and post-test results ……………………………
37
PART III: CONCLUSION …………………………………………………….
38 8
III.1. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………
38
III.2. Implications for English teachers ………
39

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table



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PART I: INTRODUCTION
This part helps to provide the background as well as the context for the study. Background
to the study, aims, scope, methods, and organization of the study will be discussed in
details in this section.
I.1. Background to the study
The wide use of English as an international language in different fields of life
makes the teaching and learning of English gain great momentum. However, educational
achievements are still far from being satisfactory even though teaching approach has been
improved significantly. One main cause is that the teaching and learning are both so far
from the learner-centered approach. In order to meet the economic and social demands of
modern society, English teachers need to pay attention to the development of learners‟
competence and focus on an effective learning method. As a learner, setting up a schedule
for learning something new every day in addition to class assignments is really necessary.

learning the vocabulary knowledge. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the issue
of vocabulary strategy learning by applying metacognitive strategies. It aims at exploring
what lies behind this phenomenon and examines the effectiveness of application.
I.2. Aims of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of metacognitive strategies on
by students‟ vocabulary acquisition, then help them to save the time and effort in their
vocabulary learning process. The study aims at finding answers to the two questions:
 What are the most and least frequently used metacognitive vocabulary learning
strategies by in-service English students?
 How do metacognitive strategies help students make progress in their vocabulary
acquisition?
I.3. Scope of the study
To investigate the vocabulary learning strategies employed to learn new words, the
study focuses on in-service English students who do not have much time invested in
learning and find out ways that could help improve their vocabulary learning.
This study aims at training metacognitive learning strategies in vocabulary learning
for in-service English students at Hanoi University of Languages and International studies,
Vietnam National University in Vinh Yen province. All learners have finished three years
studying at college with English as a major. Currently, they are teachers-learners who are 12
working as teachers of English at different high schools in Vinh Yen and spending their
weekend pursuing higher qualification.
The course book is NEW HEADWAY Intermediate level which is supposed to be
completed after ten weeks. The focuses are on Vocabulary, Grammar and other skills are
mostly studied at home by students.
The concept of metacognitive assessment is relatively new and complicated to
approach although in recent decades there have been efforts to develop suitable measuring
instruments. The repertoire of metacognitive skills has been shown to be among the factors

To set the background to the study, in chapter 1, a review of the literature of
vocabulary learning strategies is conducted and a subset of strategies is identified for the
focus of the study. Moreover, vocabulary and metacognitive strategies in vocabulary
learning will be discussed in details that would help identify the problems and give
inspirations for carrying out the research.
Chapter two is the main section which deals with the process of this action research
on Metacognitive vocabulary learning strategies. It presents the methodology for the study
and the procedure to carry out the research.
In the next chapter, the results of the analysis are presented and discussed.
Part three takes a closer look at what the previous chapters discuss before and to
my limited knowledge and experience, recommendations for some applications that in
some way be useful for further future study or research on the same problem will be
presented.
Two other supplementary parts are the appendices consisting of the first and second
questionnaires, the pre- and post- tests in vocabulary and the table results of them.

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PART II: DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1: Literature Review
As what has been mentioned in Introduction part, this chapter is to set the background to
the study, and discuss in details the metacognitive strategies that would be a focus in

1.1.2.3. Methodology: In terms of the way to obtain, vocabulary can be divided into:
 Active words: Active vocabulary includes all words which can be understood,
pronounced correctly, and can be used effectively in speaking and writing.
 Passive words: Passive vocabulary includes all words which the learners can
recognize and understand when they occur in a context, but which learners cannot
produce or use correctly themselves even when they attempt to.
In addition, some other methodologists follow communicative Language Approach divide
vocabulary into productive and receptive. The productive words can be used effectively to
produce information in speaking and writing while the receptive ones are used to receive
and understand information in listening and reading.
These classifications should be known by the teachers and learners, then, they
would know what aspects of the words should be learnt to widen their vocabulary
knowledge.
1.1.3. The role of vocabulary learning
Rivers (1981) emphasizes the important position of vocabulary in a language:
„Language is not dry bones. It is a living growing entity, clothed in the flesh of words‟
(cited in Hoang, 1985 p.23). The extreme significance of vocabulary in a language is also
stressed by Saville and Troike (1976, p.87) by saying:
„Vocabulary is most important for understanding and knowing names for things,
actions and concepts. We can appeal to our common sense and experience in
making this decision about priorities. Many of us have gotten along in foreign
countries, even shopping, getting directions, etc if we just knew the names of what
we wanted although we had no idea how to structure grammatical utterances‟.

From what have been discussed above, it can be concluded that with non-native
speakers, vocabulary is needed as first in order to survive. If a learner has a wide
vocabulary, he can get himself understood and understand others easily; on the contrary, if
it is limited, he will surely have difficulty in doing so. Therefore, vocabulary is a „must‟ for
all English learners to acquire by all means.
The importance of vocabulary raises question of how can learners increase their

word to word due to its connection with learners‟ existing language knowledge. Evaluating
the vocabulary learning is recommended to help learners to deal with this fact.
As a learner of English, our teachers have to face with the same difficulty as their
students that there are too many words to learn but they do not have enough time to learn
them in. Thus, the teacher needs to decide which words worth learning, and learn how to
organize his or her vocabulary learning. It is very important for most learners to have an
idea of whether they are making progress or not. Finding that they are actually making
progress can be a big help to their confidence.
1.1.4. Factors affecting vocabulary learning 17
There is a range of factors that affect choices in learning strategies, including
vocabulary learning strategies. According to Ellis (1994, pp.540:545), there are two broad
categories of such factors:
 Individual learner differences: age, learning style, personality type, and
motivation.
 Situational and social factors: learning setting, type of task, and gender.
It is extremely difficult to list all the significant factors and the ways in which they
influence vocabulary learning because of the differences exist among different researches.
Following are some factors considered by researchers having strong impact on vocabulary
learning process:
1.1.4.1. Intralexical factors
There are some features inherent in the word itself which might affect the ease or
difficulty with which it is learned. These were: pronounceability, orthography, length,
morphology, synformy, part of speech, abstractness and register restrictions, idiomaticity
and multiplicity of meaning. Those factors will be shown in the below table:
Table 1.1. Intralexical factors that affect VL (Laufer, 1997, p.154 cited)
Facilitating factors
Difficulty-inducing factors


Synformy
Part of speech 18 Concreteness/abstractness
Generality
Specificity

Register neutrality
Register restrictions Idiomaticity

One form for one meaning
One form with several
meanings

1.1.4.2. Individual and social factors
There are discussions about individual and social factors affecting students‟ vocabulary
learning as following:
 The influence of first and other language:
The learners tend to find the equivalent hypothesis in their own language. However, due to

variety of vocabulary learning strategies
1.2. Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS)
1.2.1. Vocabulary knowledge
In their book, when giving comments on Nation and Waring‟s ideas, N. Schmitt &
M. McCarthy (Eds.) present three dimensions needed for an adequate description of a
person‟s word knowledge including: the number of words known (vocabulary size or
breadth), the amount of knowledge presented for each word (depth of knowledge), and the
speed of utilizing that knowledge (automaticity).
Many researchers assert that knowing a word requires more than just being familiar
with its meaning and form. In their book, Nation (1990) and Richards (1976) claimed that
to know and master a word entirely, it is required that learners could grasp its
orthographical and phonological form, meanings, grammatical behavior, associations,
collocations, frequency and register. There is a distinction between language learning
strategies and language use strategies, the former being strategies for learning tasks such as
remembering, and the latter being strategies for language use, such as communicating in
L2. In order to have good vocabulary knowledge and improve their vocabulary
proficiency, vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) play a key role and should be employed
in students‟ vocabulary learning process.
1.2.2. Vocabulary learning strategies
1.2.2.1. Definition
Schmitt (1997, p.203) asserts that learning is „the process by which information is
obtained, stored, retrieved, and used‟. Therefore, vocabulary learning strategies could be
any which affect this broadly defined process. According to Nation (2001, p.217), VLS are
defined by the following important features: 20
(1) they involve choice; that is, there are several strategies to choose from
(2) they are complex, i.e. consisting of several steps;
(3) they require knowledge and benefit from training; and
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“guessing intelligently in listening and reading” part of Oxford‟s compensation strategies.
The second classification dimension was proposed by Nation (1990) and reflects the
distinction of initial discovery of word meanings (discovery strategies - DISCOV) and
remembering (consolidation strategies - CONS).
To discuss the results of our study, the strategy system by Oxford (1990) which
consists of both direct and indirect was adopted by the researcher:
Direct strategies require mental processing of the target language. There are three
main groups of direct strategies. Each group processes the language differently and for
different purposes.
a. Memory strategies Sometimes called mnemonics, these involve mental processes used
in arranging information in order, making associations, and reviewing.
b. Cognitive strategies - These involve processing the target language so that meaning
becomes clear through processes such as reasoning and analyzing.
c. Compensation strategies - These enable learners to make up for gaps in their knowledge
and skills, by, for example, guessing meanings and using gestures.
Indirect strategies, on the other hand, support and manage language learning often
without involving the target language directly. There are three groups of indirect strategies:
a. Metacognitive strategies - These enable learners to plan, coordinate, evaluate, and direct
their own learning as well as to monitor errors.
b. Affective strategies - These help learners gain control over their emotions, attitudes, and
motivation through anxiety reduction, self-encouragement, and self-reward
c. Social strategies - These are ways of involving other people in enhancing learning
through questions, cooperation and increased cultural awareness.
Creating mental linkages, repetition and memorization, and translating from first
language (L1) to L2 which are direct strategies in Oxford‟s book (1990) are unconsciously
or consciously used sometimes by students. However, in comparison with the use of direct
strategies, indirect strategies are easily neglected for they are not directly involved in both

Determine which excises seem to help you most and for which kind of tasks: translations,
mechanical drills, answering questions, compositions, and so forth. Ask other students how
they got the right answers or how they successfully learned something, and then see if their
strategies will also work for you. Sometimes, it is helpful to look at how others organize
their notes, rules, and vocabulary lists as well.
In short, metacognitive strategies are sequential processes that one uses to control
cognitive activities, and to ensure that a cognitive goal has been met. These processes help
to regulate and oversee learning, and consist of planning and monitoring cognitive
activities, as well as checking the outcomes of those activities. In the next part, the ideas
offered by Oxford (1990) and O‟Malley (1997) will be chosen to present on the 23
classifications of metacognitive strategies.
1.3.2. Classifications
Metacognitive strategies (MS) are named in terms of their function and are
applicable to various kinds of learning tasks. Wenden (1991) describes three kinds of
metacognitive knowledge: personal knowledge (knowledge about learning or learners
themselves as learners), task knowledge (refers to what learners need to know about
procedures involved in the task in order to complete it successfully) and strategic
knowledge (knowledge about strategies, i.e. what learners works best and knowledge about
general approaches to language learning (LL) that can guide their selection of strategies).
Concerning importance of metacognitive knowledge, Oxford emphasizes that MS is to
help learners not to lose focus of their LL and to control their own learning process and
progress.
Another classification was provided by O'Malley et al. when he identified 26
learning strategies. The metacognitive strategies were to use advance organizers, directed
attention, selective attention, self-management, advance preparation, self-monitoring,
delayed production, self-evaluation and self-reinforcement.
Metacognitive strategies are said to include: using English-language media (songs,

language speaking club.
Self-monitoring: the ability to identify errors in understanding or producing the
new language, to determine which ones are serious, to point out the source of important
error and try to eliminate such errors.
The last metacognitive component mentioned is self-evaluating skill. This skill
allows learners to evaluate their own progress in the new language either general language
progress.
The detailed procedure for metacognitive strategy training would be illustrated,
based on the three components of metacognitive strategies (planning, monitoring,
evaluating).
1.4. Application of Metacognitive learning strategies in learning vocabulary
1.4.1. Typical benefits of Metacognitive learning strategies application
It has been shown that most forgetting occurs soon after the end of a learning
session. A learner can maximize the effectiveness of his or her practice time if it is
scheduled and organized rather than random. Metacognitive strategies involve both
knowledge about learning (metacognitive knowledge) and control or regulation over
learning (metacognitive strategies). To make it short, Metacognitive Strategies involve a
conscious overview of the learning process and making decisions about planning,
monitoring, or evaluating the best ways to study. In other words, Metacognitive strategies 25
are to planning, monitoring, and evaluating the best way to study. As a result, using
metacognitive strategies make a true learning process. Once metacognitive strategies are
grasped, students will transfer use of these skills from their school lives to their personal
lives and will continue to apply them as they mature. The use of metacognitive strategies
ignites one's thinking and can lead to more profound learning and improved performance,
especially among learners who are struggling.
In regards to metacognitive benefits, many researches show that an explicit focus
on metacognitive knowledge about learning processes- in other words, „learning how to

teacher needs the same training in vocabulary teaching, especially in terms of
metacognitive strategies application. Our in-service English students or high school
English teachers would be trained in regard to metacognitive strategy application and then
carrying them out in their own working with the learners.
In addition, even if the importance of vocabulary in a language is realized, there
still exist some problems in teaching and learning English in Vietnam educational settings.
It is the inadequate teaching of vocabulary, the focus is made on grammar, and little
attention has been given to vocabulary teaching so far. The importance of vocabulary in
language acquisition raised question of how to teach and learn vocabulary in the most
effective way. The above discussion discussed the definitions, characteristics and
subcategories of metacognitive strategies. The training of them will help students and
teachers to reach the high vocabulary proficiency.

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Chapter 2: Methodology

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research when teachers and students can collaborate with each other to carry out research
instruments to evaluate the effective of metacognitive strategy training. In brief, action
research approach is carefully chosen for and applied in the study with a hope to bring out
a picture of metacognitive strategy training in vocabulary learning activities.
When using the action research approach, the current researches follow the five
phases proposed by Susman:

Adapted from Susman 1983, cited in Wallace, 2001
Figure 2.1. Five phases of an action research
In this light, the study starts when the lack of the awareness of metacognitive
strategies application in vocabulary acquisition is identified and data is collected for a
more detailed diagnosis. This is followed by designing a course with characteristics
coming up to the expectations of the teaching staff. After that, a single plan of action
emerges and is implemented when the course takes place. Data on the results of the
intervention are collected and analyzed, and the findings are interpreted in light of how
successful the course has been.