MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
NGUYEN THI LAN PHUONG
AN APPLICATION OF SEMANTIC MAPPING IN TEACHING ENGLISH
VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF FOOD PROCESSING AT NGHE AN
TRADING AND TOURISM VOCATIONAL COLLEGE
MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION
Nghệ An, năm 2014
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
NGUYEN THI LAN PHUONG
AN APPLICATION OF SEMANTIC MAPPING IN TEACHING ENGLISH
VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF FOOD PROCESSING AT NGHE AN
TRADING AND TOURISM VOCATIONAL COLLEGE
Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Code: 60140111
MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

SUPERVISOR:: TRAN BA TIEN, Ph.D

Nghệ An- 2014
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I certify that the thesis entitled “An application of semantic mapping in
teaching English vocabulary for students of Food Processing at Nghe An Trading
and Tourism vocational college" is the result of my own work, and that the minor
thesis or any part of the same has not been submitted to any university or institution.
Vinh, August 2014
Author’s signature
Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong
i
ACKNOWLDGEMENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i
Vinh, August 2014 i
Author’s signature i
ACKNOWLDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS 5
LIST OF TABLES 5
LIST OF FIGURES 8
LIST OF CHARTS 9
Chapter 1 10
INTRODUCTION 10
1.1. Rationale 10
1.2. Aims of the study 12
1.3. Research questions 13
1.4. Significance of the study 13
1.5. Organization of the study 13
Chapter 2 15
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 15
2.1. What is vocabulary? 15
2.2. The importance of vocabulary 16
2.3. Approaches to teaching vocabulary 17
2.3.1. General traditional methods 17
2.3.1.1. The grammar-translation method 17
2.3.1.2. The direct method 17
2.3.1.3. The audio-lingual method 18
2.3.2. Communicative approach to teaching vocabulary 18
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2.4. Semantic mapping 22
2.4.1. Definitions of semantic mapping 22

3.4. Analytical framework 48
3.4.1. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-tests 48
3.4.2. Qualitative analysis of interview 49
3.4.3. Quantitative analysis of questionnaire 49
Chapter 4 49
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 49
4.1. Results from the experiment 50
4.1.1. Pre-test results 50
4.1.1.1. The Control Group 50
4.1.1.2. The Experimental Group 50
4.1.1.3. Pre-test similarities 51
4.1.2. Post-test results 52
4.1.2.1. The Control Group 52
4.1.2.2. The Experimental Group 52
4.1.2.3. Post-test differences 53
4.1.3. A comparison of pre- and post-test results for each group 54
4.1.3.1. Means 54
4.1.3.2. Distribution of score types 55
4.2. Results from interviews and questionnaires 56
4.2.1. About the role of vocabulary and the application of semantic
mapping in its teaching 57
4.2.1.1. The students’ preference for the approach to teach vocabulary.57
4.2.1.2. The students’ impression on semantic mapping 58
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4.2.1.3. The students’ reflections on the teacher’s application of semantic
mapping 59
Promoting group-work competence 64
The constraints of semantic mapping 65
4.2.1.4. The students’ opinions for the frequency of using semantic
mapping 66

Table 4.2: Pre-test score analysis for Experimental Group 51
Table 4.3: Post-test score analysis for Control Group 52
Table 4.4: Post-test score analysis for Experimental Group 53
Table 4.5: Approaches to teach vocabulary that the students’ former teachers used
57
Table 4.6: How the students found semantic mapping 58
Table 4.7: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on creating motivation 59
Table 4.8: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on stimulating the vocabulary
learning process 61
Table 4.9: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on facilitating the vocabulary
learning process 62
Table 4.10: Various strengths realized by the students 63
Table 4.11 shows the Students’ responses to the effect of S.M on promoting group-
work competence. 64
Table 4.11: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on promoting group-work
competence 65
Table 4.12: Students’ responses to the constraints of S.M 65
The report findings of Omar’s study indicate that utilizing semantic mapping in
vocabulary instruction enhances word learning and vocabulary retention for
the students and it it is more effective than employing the traditional vocabulary
teaching. 69
The report findings of Ngoc Thuy’s study show that the students had positive
attitudes towards this method. The semantic mapping can improve high school
students’ vocabulary retention and is promising to vocabulary teaching and
learning 69
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Compare its findings with mine: 69
+ It encourages students to group words or concepts of both new and prior
knowledge, create associative links among them, and present them thematic
graphically. 69

Security Council, and active participation in various major regional and
international activities. To sustain the growth and enhance its status in international
arena in the years to come, more than ever it needs a highly-skilled workforce that
can help achieve its stated goals of modernization, industrialization and
international integration. One of the important skills needed is the mastery of
foreign languages, especially English, as claimed by Vietnam’s Prime Minister
Dung Tan Nguyen (as cited in Tran, 2008 para. 2) that from now on to 2020, it will
be the nuclear point in the foreign language educational policy and in
communication.
Indeed, during the last ten years English has maintained its dominant role as
the first foreign language in Vietnam. This phenomenon comes from various
demands in both personal and social aspects. In the light of the former, English
proficiency is seen as a vital requirement for employment or overseas higher
education. For example, the mastery of basic English is one of the prerequisite
demands for applicants for jobs in offices and companies, and certifications such as
TOEFL, IELTS or TOEIC are a must for those students who want to study
overseas. In regard to the latter, English plays an extremely important role in
international co-operation. For instance, with the recent economic policy
promulgated by the government to attract capital investment, it has significantly
facilitated economic co-operation “with an ever greater influx of foreign
investment, mostly from capitalist countries” (Do, 2006 p. 2).
Due to such necessary demands, in the last decade English has developed
“with an unprecedented speed in Vietnam” (ibid., p. 8). Specifically, hundreds of
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language centres have been established all over the country, with an overwhelming
majority of learners studying English (Ministry of Education and Training, as cited
in Do, 2006, p. 2). Though it has not yet fully documented, “around 90% of foreign
language learners have been studying English” (ibid., p. 8).
Despite the recent English learning boom, “the basic knowledge about this
popular language of a great majority of the learners has not met the demands in

strategies for vocabulary instruction manifested with the appearance of studies
which suggest some interesting and efficient strategies for teaching and retrieving
vocabulary, such as the investigation of teaching vocabulary through games
(Nguyen & Khuat, 2003; Nguyen, 2006) and the exploration of creative approaches
to build vocabulary (Hoang & Wright, 2005), none have exploited the strategies
which can create mental linkages to reinforce the memorization of words yet.
Hence the call for employing such strategies to diversify the lexical
instruction is necessary, and it is high time the strategies which can synchronize the
easy retrieval of words with the creation of a relaxed and communicative learning
atmosphere were applied. As there has hardly been any investigation into semantic
mapping and its effects on the improvement of the memorization of words as well
as the creation of a positive and exciting learning attitude for students until now in
Vietnam, such a useful strategy captures the researcher’s curiosity and deserves due
research attention.
The expectation of effectively employing this strategy for vocabulary
instruction, therefore, generated ideas from which this study came into being.
1.2. Aims of the study
The study is, thus, conducted in an attempt to investigate the feasibility and
educational values of applying semantic mapping as a strategy into the teaching of
vocabulary to enhance its effectiveness and, concurrently, students’ positive
attitudes towards lexical acquisition.
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1.3. Research questions
To achieve the aim established above, the process of researching is guided by
the following main research question:
1. What is students’ vocabulary performance under the treatment of semantic
mapping?
2. What are their reflections on the teacher’s application of this strategy into
their learning of vocabulary?
1.4. Significance of the study

have not been effective up till now in Vietnam due to the limitative application of
strategies. Therefore, an exploration of one of them – semantic mapping – is
necessary. To know how to apply it into practice effectively to solve the problem of
vocabulary teaching, a theory of vocabulary and semantic mapping needs to be
carefully worked out.
Thus this chapter shapes the background that is relevant to the topic under
investigation in the present study by firstly exploring the concept of vocabulary,
roles of vocabulary and methods to teach vocabulary. Secondly, it give definition of
semantic mapping, it classifies its types; however, as only three of them will be
employed to teach the selected lessons, these three are theoretically examined in
detail. Thirdly, it reviews some empirical research in which this strategy is used.
Fourthly, it considers the roles this strategy plays within English as a foreign
language (EFL) classrooms. The chapter ends with some implications for English
vocabulary teaching practices.
2.1. What is vocabulary?
So far there have been a lot of definitions of vocabulary. Vocabulary is
defined as words in a specific language or freestanding items of language that have
meaning (McCarthy, 1990). Penny Ur (1996) defined vocabulary roughly as “the
words we teach in the foreign language”. She also suggested that “a new item of
vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two or three words
(e.g., post office, mother-in-law), and multi-word idioms (e.g., call it a day)”.
Besides, vocabulary is broadly defined as knowledge of words and word
meanings (Lehr et al., 2004). According to Lehr and his colleagues, vocabulary is
more complex than this definition suggests. First, words come not only in oral
forms including those words that can be recognized and used in listening and
speaking but also in print forms to be recognized and used in reading and writing.
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Second, word knowledge also comes in two forms: receptive and productive.
Receptive vocabulary is words that can be recognized in reading and listening.
Productive vocabulary refers to words that can be used in speaking and writing

grammar, the learners can have a little smooth communication, but without
vocabulary, it is difficult for others to understand the information the learners want
to express. For this reason, a lack of good grammatical structures may not
interrupt communication. However, if we lack vocabulary, there is no successful
communication. With a good knowledge of vocabulary, learners may feel confident
in communication, and it contributes to the success in communication. However,
the question to arise is which words are necessary for learners to know and
how to remember these words.
2.3. Approaches to teaching vocabulary
The two most common ways in which the meaning of view items is
conveyed as follows: General traditional methods and communicative method of
teaching vocabulary.
2.3.1. General traditional methods
The former includes various approach such as: grammar – translation method, direct
method, audio- lingual method, suggestopedia method
In the scope of thesis, I only focus on three major traditional methods: the
grammar-translation method; the direct method and the audio-lingual method.
2.3.1.1. The grammar-translation method
The grammar - translation method is the oldest method of teaching. The
grammar translation method is a foreign language teaching method derived from the
classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek and Latin. This
method has been used from the classical times to translate classical languages, Latin
and Greek, it has been called Classical method.
2.3.1.2. The direct method
The direct method of teaching foreign languages, sometimes called the
natural method, refrains from using the learners' native language and uses only the
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target language. The direct method was an answer to the dissatisfaction with the
older grammar translation method, which teaches students grammar and vocabulary
through direct translations and thus focuses on the written language.

development of communicative-style teaching mushroomed in the 1970s; authentic
language use and classroom exchanges where students engaged in real
communication with one another became quite popular.
In the intervening years, the communicative approach has been adapted to
the elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary levels. And the underlying
philosophy has spawned different teaching methods known under a variety of
names, including notional-functional, teaching for proficiency, proficiency-based
instruction, and communicative language teaching.
Communicative Approach is aimed at training students' listening and
speaking, so it relatively ignores the training of reading and writing. The ability of
writing and reading is quite important for an intellectual to enter universities, study
abroad, read plenty of original books, hoop up into the international webs looking
for information, write papers or dissertations in English, etc. All these cannot be
acquired merely from "Communicative Approach." Therefore, "extensive reading"
can compensate for the fault of "Communicative Approach" and the two can work
side by side.
There are a lot of techniques to teach vocabulary in language learning in
communication method.
• Using real objects
Real objects or models of real objects are very effective and meaningful in
hawing meanings but in handling of real objects, a teacher must be practical and
should not be superfluous.
• Using pictures and drawings
Pictures of many types and colors can be used successfully to show the meaning
of words and sentence. Handmade pictures can also be used as there is no need to
be very artistic.
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Drawings can be used to explain the meaning of things, actions, qualities,
and relations. A line drawing of a head, for example, provides many useful nouns
and verbs.

Teachers who want to encourage students to use their new vocabulary words (and
who can stand a little noise) could benefit from this method. Teachers can make
each day’s word of the day a different vocabulary word, and let students yell
whenever someone says it. Then, at the end of the yell, teachers can remind students
of the word’s definition. Even teachers will admit vocabulary isn’t the most exciting
thing to teach, but adding fun ways to teach vocabulary words can help keep the
process fresh and entertaining.
• Some games help pupils to review vocabulary
Language games are often used to fill a few minutes at the end of the lesson
or to copy some of the faster students while others catch up on an exercise. There
are many kinds of games such as communication game, code control game and so
on. And these games can be played at any level of language specially students at
college. Games play an important role in teaching and learning English. Game is the
best way to help students remember rapidly and review vocabulary effectively.
There are kinds of game for teacher to teach and check vocabulary, as follows:
Hang man; Bingo; which one is it; Spelling Bee; Crossword puzzle, etc…
According to Frisby (1957), the most suitable method to teach a foreign
language is Communicative Approach. The students have the need to communicate
outside the classroom, real communication, not prepared exercises or drills. In order
to get this aim, the Communicative Approach offer us a great variety of techniques
and activities we can use as teachers with our students, using authentic materials,
motivating for the pupils, and similar to the real world. The Communicative
Approach is a valid Method, because there is a lot of different learning needs,
different students, different situations and each one can be deal with the most
suitable method in each case.
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