ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to register my profound gratitude to Mrs.
Nguyen Thi Le, my supervisor, for her invaluable instructions, expertise and
encouragement.
I would like to express my appreciation to the students as well as lecturers at
Hanoi Pedagogical University N0.2 whose participations and opinions are the
valuable materials for my research.
I would also like to give my special thanks to my classmates and my friends
whose warm support and enthusiasm have contributed greatly to the development
of the research.
Lastly, I am greatly to my family for their kindly encouragement endless
support during the research’s finalization.

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ABSTRACT

Vocabulary learning strategies play an important role in vocabulary learning.
Admittedly, lack of vocabulary knowledge will have an effect on all four of
language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. In addition, vocabulary
learning and word retention are always the problems encountered by students at
university. This study, hence, investigates EFL students studying English as a
second language in Hanoi Pedagogical University N0.2.
This study explores the strategy use of vocabulary learning among EFL
learners. The study could not have been completed without the help of FLF
students at HPU2. A sample of 100 respondents participated in the study. Data
collection was carried out through questionnaires. The results revealed awareness
of students about how importance of vocabulary learning is in learning English,
their beliefs in learning English vocabulary and their strategies most used in



LIST OF ABBREVIATION

EFL

: English as a Foreign Language

FLF

: Foreign Language Faculty

HPU2

: Hanoi Pedagogical University N0.2

L1

: Native language

L2

: Second language

LLS

: Language learning strategies

VLS


II.

Aim of the study ................................................................................ 2

III.

Scope of the study .............................................................................. 2

IV.

Methods of the study ......................................................................... 2

V.

Significance of the study ................................................................... 3

VI.

Design of the study ............................................................................ 3
PART TWO
DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

I.1: Literature review in brief .......................................................................... 4
I.2. Language learning strategies (LLS).............................................................. 5
I.2.1.The definitions of learning strategy ................................................. 5
I.2.2.The characteristics of learning strategy ............................................ 5
I.3. Vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies ............................................ 6
I.3.1. Knowing a word ............................................................................... 6
I.3.2. Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS)............................................... 7

III.2.5: Making your own word list........................................................... 31
III.2.6: Using a thesaurus ......................................................................... 31
III.2.7: Listening to the radio and watch film and television programs that
use a college-level vocabulary.................................................................. 32
III.2.8: Using some vocabulary websites .................................................. 32

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PART THREE
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION................................................................................................. 34
REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 35
APPENDIX ....................................................................................................... 37
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES ....................................................................... 37

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PART ONE
INTRODUCTION

I. Rationale
Vocabulary is central to language and is of great significance to language
learners. Words are the building blocks of a language since they label objects,
actions, ideas without which people cannot convey the intended meaning. The
prominent role of vocabulary knowledge in second or foreign language learning
has been recently recognized by theorists and researchers in the field. Wilkins
(1976, cited in Thornbury 2002, p.13) contends that “without grammar very little
can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”, hence the crucial

specifically to:
1) Explore students’ attitudes of English vocabulary learning.
2) Explore strategies are used the most by the EFL students in English
vocabulary learning.
3) Suggest some effective strategies to improve students’ vocabulary learning.
III. Scope of the Study
The general research area of this study is vocabulary.
The phenomenon is strategies for learning vocabulary made by the first-year
students of English of Foreign Language Faculty at HPU2 in the academic year of
2012/2013. Others relating to vocabulary are also briefly mentioned.
The population involved in the study is one hundred the first-year English
major students at HPU2.
IV. Methods of the Study
The study was carried out based on material collection and survey
questionnaires.
For the theoretical basis, referential materials on English vocabulary and
strategies for enriching vocabulary were gathered, synthesized and analyzed. The
problems were also pointed out, implications and suggestions were included.
For the practical basis, all the information and experience gathered from
survey questionnaires with the first-year English major students were used to find
out the effective strategies for enriching English vocabulary.

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V. Significance of the Study
The study was carried out to give a clear picture about vocabulary learning
of the first-year English major students at HPU2. It also highlights the important
role of enriching English vocabulary. More importantly, it offers the theoretical
basis for the implication of vocabulary strategies. Pedagogically, the findings of

Vocabulary is a vital aspect in any language because it appears in every skill
of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing skill. Vocabulary learning
strategies are a part of language learning strategies which in turn are a part of
general learning strategies. It’s very useful to help student to learn English
vocabulary quickly and easily. It is the reason why many researchers have put
much effort in studying vocabulary learning strategies like Oxford (1990), Gu and
Johnson (1996), Nation (2001), Višnia Pavičić Takač (2008). They each have their
own way to describe the vocabulary learning strategies. Generally, they focus their
attention on the definition, classification, characteristics and uses of the vocabulary
learning strategies.
In the book Learning Vocabulary in Another Language, Nation (2001) refers
to the definition and the role of vocabulary learning strategies in guessing from
context. Moreover, he pays much attention to some word study strategies such as
word parts strategies, using dictionaries, learning from word cards.
Oxford (1990) gives a very comprehensive taxonomy or classifications of
language learning strategies. The key distinction in this taxonomy is that between
direct strategies and indirect strategies. Oxford divides the direct strategies into
three: memory strategies, cognitive strategies, and compensation strategies. On the
other hand, indirect strategies cover metacognitive strategies, affective strategies
and social strategies.
Višnia Pavičić Takač (2008) in the book Vocabulary Learning Strategies
and Foreign Language Acquisition only focuses his attention on survey of
research, research methods and studies on vocabulary learning strategies.
4


In the book Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Language Learning
Outcomes, Gu and Johnson (1996) mention to the definition of vocabulary learning
strategies. They establish two main dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies
for their study: metacognitive regulation and cognitive strategies which cover six

5. are specific actions taken by the learner.
6. involve many aspects of the learner, not just the cognitive.
7. support learning both directly and indirectly.
8. are not always observable.
9. are often conscious.
10. can be taught.
11. are flexible.
12. are influenced by a variety of factors.
Among the features above, the tenth argument indicates that strategies are
able to be instructed to language learners. It plays an important role supporting
language practitioners to study this issue further so that students can boost their
learning by receiving appropriate strategy instructions.
I.3. Vocabulary and vocabulary learning strategies
I.3.1. Knowing a word
Knowing and learning a word means knowing a word receptively and
productively. Being able to understand a word while listening to a text is known as
receptive knowledge on the other hand, being able to use a word in spoken and
written form is understood as productive knowledge.
It is widely believed that people learn words receptively first and later
achieve productive knowledge (Schmitt 2000). He further proposes the following
list of the different kinds of knowledge that a person must master in order to know
a word:
- The meaning of the word
- The written form of a word
- The spoken form of the word
- The grammatical behavior of the word
- The collocations of the word
- The register of the word
- The associations of the word
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learning and vocabulary use” (Nation, 2001, p. 217).

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I.3.2.2. Classifications of vocabulary learning strategies
There are numerous different classification systems for vocabulary learning
strategies. Some representative classifications are listed at the following.
I.3.2.2.1. O’Malley and Chamot’s VLS classification
O'Malley and Chamot (1990) identified three categories of vocabulary
learning strategies, cognitive, metacognitive and social/affective. Cognitive
strategies are specified as learning steps that learners take to transform new
material, for inference, contextual guessing and relating new information to other
concepts from memory. Metacognitive strategies involve consciously directing
one’s own efforts into the learning task. Social/affective strategies involve
interaction with another person or taking control of one’s own feelings on language
learning.
I.3.2.2.2. Gu and Johnson’s VLS classification
Gu and Johnson (1996) conducted a questionnaire to investigate Chinese
advanced learners’ use of English vocabulary learning strategies, they divided
vocabulary learning strategies into two classes: cognitive and metacognitive
strategies. Cognitive strategies contain memory strategies, classification strategies,
guessing strategies, dictionary strategies, note-taking strategies and activation
strategies. Metacognitive strategies contain plan-making strategies, self-evaluating
strategies, self-checking strategies and selectively distributing attention strategies.
I.3.2.2.3. Nation’s VLS classification
Nation (2001) divided vocabulary learning strategies into three general
classes: planning, sources and process.
* Planning (Choosing what to focus on and when to focus on it): includes
choosing words, choosing the aspects of word knowledge, choosing strategies, and


metacognitive,

affective

and

social

strategies.

Metacognitive strategies allow learners to control their own learning through
organizing, planning, and evaluating. Affective strategies help learners gain control
over their emotions, attitudes, motivations, and values. Social strategies help
learners interact with other people. The detailed Oxford’s (1990) taxonomy of
language learning strategies is as follows:
* Direct strategies
1. Memory strategies
A. Creating mental linkages
B. Applying images and sounds
C. Reviewing well
D. Implying action
2. Cognitive strategies
A. Practicing
B. Receiving and sending messages
C. Analyzing and reasoning
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D. Creating structure for input and output



process and making decisions about planning, monitoring, or evaluating the best
way to study” (1997, p.205).
Since Oxford’s system deals with LLS in general and thus seems not to be
able to cover certain specific strategies used in vocabulary learning, Schmitt
created a new category for those strategies learners employ when discovering a
new word’s meaning without consulting other people, namely determination
strategies. In addition, a helpful distinction suggested by Cook and Mayer (1983)
and Nation (1990) was incorporated into Schmitt’s classification scheme. That is,
in terms of the process involved in vocabulary learning, strategies may be divided
into two groups: (a) those for the discovery of a new word’s meaning (discovery
strategies) and (b) those for consolidating a word once it has been encountered
(consolidation strategies). Table 1 better illustrates the complete classification
scheme proposed by Schmitt.
Table 1. A taxonomy of Schmitt’s vocabulary learning strategies
Determination strategies
Vocabulary

Discovery strategies

Social strategies

Learning

Social strategies

Strategies

Memory strategies

known words) or images can be custom-made for retrieval (i.e. images of the
word’s form or meaning attributes).
(1) Picture/imagery: Learners study new words with pictures of their meaning
instead of definition.
(2) Related words: New words can linked to L2 words that the student already
knows. Usually this involves some type of sense relationship, such as
coordination (blue – other kinds of color like red, purple or white), synonymy
(beautiful-pretty), or antonym (dead-alive).
(3) Unrelated words: Learners can also link words together that have no sense
relationships. One way of doing this is with “peg” or “hook” words. One first
memorizes a rhyme like “one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree etc.” Then
an image is created of the word to be remembered is chair, then an image is
made of a bun (peg word) resting on a chair. Recitation of the rhyme draws up
these images, which in turn prompt the target words.
(4) Grouping: It is an important way to aid recall, and people seem to organize
words into groups naturally without prompting.
(5) Word’s orthographical or phonological form: It involves focusing on the target
word’s orthographical or phonological form to facilitate recall. One can
explicitly study the spelling or pronunciation of a word. Other options are to
visualize the orthographical form of a word in an attempt to remember it, or to
make a mental representation of the sound of a word, perhaps making use of
rhyming words. The Keyword Method entails a learner finding a L1 word
which sounds like the target L2 word, i.e. the English word cat for the Japanese
12


word katana (sword). Then an image combing the two concepts is created, such
as a samurai cat waving a sword. When the L2 word is later heard, the sound
similarity invokes the created image which prompts the L2 word’s meaning.
(6) Other memory strategies: There are other useful ways of consolidating its

speaking and writing lessons and it is difficult for them to get the gist of
information from the conversation or texts in listening and reading lessons. They
said that the reason for these difficulties is that they lack a great deal of
vocabulary. So, there is a need to find ways to help the learners enrich their
vocabulary.
II.2. Research instruments
In order to achieve the purpose of present study, a questionnaire was both
quantitatively and qualitatively used to analyze the collected data in the study.
The survey questionnaires for the students were designed with two parts.
Part one was a six-item background questionnaire in order to get some
background information about students’ English learning experiences and attitudes
of learning vocabulary.
Part two was a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire which was
modified based on the Oxford’s Strategies Inventory for Language Learning
(SILL) (1990). The instrument includes thirty-one vocabulary learning strategies,
and three more strategies should have been added by the participants. The purpose
of this questionnaire is to collect information about the strategies male and female
14


students use when they learn English vocabulary and generally most-used
strategies.
II.3. Data collection
The questionnaires were delivered to 100 students during the regular class
time in the classrooms. The students were given clear instruction before each item
so that they could respond appropriately to each item. The questionnaires were
expected to be returned within 30 minutes. After the questionnaires were returned,
the data were collected and the data were selected by analyzing the questionnaire
individually.
II.4. Method of data analysis


English

Enjoy learning

proficiency

English

Poor=52
Female

19-21

8-10

Good=45

Yes

Very good=0
Poor=3
Male

19

8-10

Good=0


Important

Table 3: The importance of vocabulary learning
The next question, question number 5 investigated about attitudes of
students toward learning of English vocabulary. Results of investigation were
shown in the following pie chart.

8%

14%

Very difficult
Difficult
Not difficult

78%
Table 4: Attitudes of students toward learning of English vocabulary
As can be seen from the table above, the majority of the students, namely
78% found English vocabulary learning difficult and 14% of
o them found it very
difficult. One of the reasons was that they must deal with a large number of new
words after each lesson. However, 8% of them thought that vocabulary learning
was not difficult.

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