HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER

USING QUIZLET IN LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR
STUDENTS AT FACULTY OF ENGLISH, HANOI NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

STUDENT’S NAME

: Ma Hong Anh
Truong Bich Huyen

CLASS

: K64A

SUPERVISOR’S NAME

: Bui Thi Anh Van (M.A)

Hanoi (03/2016)


CONTENTS
I.

Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 1

II.


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I. Rationale
When it comes to learning a new language, the four critical skills to master
are reading, writing, listening and speaking. To reach a certain level of proficiency,
learners have to possess not only proper grammar, but more importantly, sufficient
lexical resources. Indeed, Beglar and Hunt (2005) claimed that vocabulary learning
is “the central component in successful foreign language acquisition”. So, how can
we define “sufficient” in this context? In order to comprehend second language (L2)
discourse, a language student must typically learn thousands of words. How many
thousands depends on the kind of discourse. Research has shown that one must
know at least 95% of the words in a given written or spoken text in order to
understand it (Hsueh-Chao & Nation, 2000). Therefore, it is becoming increasingly
important to build up a large store of words.
However, not everyone knows exactly the most suitable and efficient way
to learn new words. As a result, vocabulary-building strategies and resources are
gradually receiving greater attention from teachers and students alike. Thousands
of surveys and research have been carried out, followed by a number of creative,
helpful learning methods introduced to L2 learners. In this research, we would
like to focus on one single vocabulary enhancing tool that we find exciting and
adaptable to this new generation of students: Technology.
In the last years we have been able to observe an increase in using
technology in education which does not involve only computers but also tablets,
smartphones, Internet and all other modern tools of the 21st century. Several
surveys have been conducted to validate the fact that technology using in
teaching and learning is on the rise. According to a recent survey carried out by
Versal in 2014 and 2015, teachers‟ use of online tools increased by 6% (from
47% to 53%), the majority of assignments given to students is Internet-based.
So, why is it that technology holds such a great impact on the

possible, including the use of multiple languages and images. The Quizlet site also
includes a text-to speech audio function, giving users the option of hearing as well as
reading card content. In a recent study, Quizlet was found to be more effective than
using paper flashcards at improving vocabulary test scores (Imrie, 2014).
The aim of this research is to examine the apparent superiority of Quizlet and
digital flashcards in general. In order to accomplish that, we actually made various
types of Quizlet activities and had a number of second year students who major in
English try learning a few sets of vocabulary through those activities. After working
on the data, we will give clear answers to the following research questions:


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- To what extent do students evaluate their interest in learning vocabulary
using Quizlet and its effectiveness?
- In what ways should students employ Quizlet to learn new words the
most effectively?
II. Literature Review
II.1. Vocabulary learning and its importance in L2 learning.
Vocabulary is the knowledge of meanings of words. As mentioned in the
rationale, there are four main language skills to be acquired, classified into two
categories: productive skills and receptive skills. Similarly, knowledge of words
can also be categorized into two forms: productive and receptive (Kamil &
Hiebert, 2005).
Productive vocabulary is a set of words which can be used when writing
or speaking. Most of them are well-known, common and frequently used words.
In contrast, receptive or recognition vocabulary is that set of words, often less
frequent in use, for which an individual can assign meanings when reading or
listening. In general, receptive vocabulary is larger than productive vocabulary.
During the process of learning a second language, vocabulary refers to one of

L2 vocabulary learning what rules apply or which vocabulary items should be
learned first. Another reason is that the vocabulary system is open-ended. Oxford
(1990) also claims that vocabulary is “by far the most sizeable and unmanageable
component in the learning of any language, whether a foreign or one‟s mother
tongue, because of tens of thousands of different meanings”. Despite the extreme
difficulties coming from learning vocabulary, learners still have to deal with it on
a regular basis, for „„vocabulary has traditionally been one of the language
components measured in language tests‟‟ (Schmitt, 1999).
Acknowledging the importance of vocabulary learning and several
problems faced by L2 learners, researchers have worked hard for the past
decades to find out the effective ways to make it easier for students to learn new
words. This research will look at a technology integrated learning method: using
web-based flashcards.
II.2. The importance of using technology in L2 learning.
As mentioned in the rationale, more and more people nowadays have
access to modern devices such as computers, tablets, smart phones.
Accompanying the diverse types of technology is the widespread use of the
Internet, which has been one of the most essential parts of most people. The most
modern technologies of the 21st century found their way into almost every part
of each industry. Among the industries that push technology forward the most


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belong the military or the health care industry but the one we get in touch the
most with is the entertainment industry (Ondřej Rambousek, 2014).
Now since most students are in touch with modern technologies and they
know how to work with them, the time has come for technologies to be in the
education industry as well. They can provide many alternative ways of looking at
education (Saettler, 2004, p. 154) and help improve the old methods and evolve

devices, language learners gain a “sense of freedom, motivation, and
encouragement they need for learning” (Megan Clark, 2013).
Frank and Golonka concluded that “technology use has the potential to enhance
five primary functionalities of foreign language learning and teaching” (Frank et
al., 2008, p. 1). They are:
• Organization: Technology enables learners and teachers to organize
learning and instruction outside of the classroom, and it enables learners to
reflect on and take control of their own learning.
• Input: Technology expands access to a broader range of rich target
language input than is available in the classroom and/or provided by the
curriculum, and it creates opportunities to individualize input.
• Output and interaction: Technology expands opportunities for learners
to create their own output and to interact synchronously or asynchronously with
native speakers and more proficient peers outside of the classroom.
• Feedback: Technology creates opportunities to give and receive
individualized, maximally effective feedback.
• Collaboration: Technology enables collaborative, social learning
synchronously or asynchronously outside of the classroom.
Among several ways to integrate technology with language learning, we
chose to take a closer look into the use of digital flashcards to learn vocabulary,
which has been proven to be of great importance earlier in this research paper.
II.3. Quizlet and some activities using Quizlet
Nowadays, thanks to the development of technology, instead of learning
vocabulary with traditional paper flashcards, EFL learners could use digital
flashcards to enrich their vocabulary size. The benefits of web-based flashcard
programs may even outweigh those of paper-based ones. For instance, they can also
track students‟ learning progress over time, promote motivation by strategically
introducing new words, present vocabulary using multimedia, and allow learners to
study at any time in any location with an internet connection (Allum, 2003; Altiner,
2011, Hulstijn, 2001, McLean, Hogg, & Rush, 2013; Nakata, 2011), cited in TESLEJ (Web-based Vocabulary Learning with Quizlet, 2015)

retype the answer correctly to continue. It keeps track of what learners know and
what they do not and retest them on their mistakes. At the end, Quizlet gives a
final score for learners to evaluate their progress.

Figure 2: Learn mode
• Speller Mode: In the Speller option (shown in figure 3), learners need
to type what they hear. If they type it correctly, they can move on to the next
question. If there is a mistake in their answer, Speller indicates which letters
users have missed so they can retry. This mode is perfect for people who want to
revise the pronunciation and spelling of a term.

Figure 3: Speller mode


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• Test Mode: In Test Mode (shown in figure 4), Quizlet will
automatically generate a random test using the terms and definitions from users‟
set of flashcards. Learners are able to customize Question Types (Written,
Matching, Multiple Choice, and True/False), Prompt (Term, Definition, or both),
and Question Limit. When finishing the test, users click “Check Answers” at the
bottom of the page to see how they did. This mode is highly beneficial as it can
be conducted as an assessment tool in the classroom.

Figure 4: Test mode
• Game Mode: Quizlet keeps learning lively with two game activities, Scatter
and Gravity. In Scatter (shown in figure 5), a number of terms and their
corresponding definitions are distributed randomly over the screen. What players
need to do is matching the terms and definitions by dragging them with the mouse in
the fastest time possible. In Gravity (shown in figure 6), learners have to type in the

being class 64A‟s members means that we will have great deal of time to observe
and evaluate our classmates‟ performance.
III.2. Research instruments
This study is an action research that employs both qualitative and
quantitative methods. The first research instrument employed is a pre-test. This
test consisted of 45 questions in 6 exercises. These exercises varied in types,
which were jumbled words, crossword, matching the words with their
definitions, word search, filling in the blanks, and finding one correct word for
each picture. Student‟s work was scored in order to see the final results. The
purpose of this pre-test was to measure the vocabulary size of 22 participants
about 3 topics: School, Talking about Food, Babies & children (see appendix I).
The second research instrument employed is self-study activities. The link
of 3 Quizlet sets on was sent to all participants. Participants
were asked to study these 3 sets outside the class. Once they had finished all 3
Quizlet sets designed by the researchers, they were recommended to create their
own study set (see appendix II). Afterwards, the link of their study sets should be
sent to the researchers. In such a way, the participants could fully experience
every function of Quizlet. Not only were they given a chance to broaden their
lexical resource provided by the researchers, but they would also have an insight
of how Quizlet really worked through the making of their study sets. In addition,
the links sent to the researchers ensured their participation in the self-study
activities, making the research findings more convincing and trustworthy.
The third research instrument employed is a survey questionnaire. Each
participant was given a 10-question survey to complete after finishing activities
on Quizlet. This survey allowed the researchers to examine how the participants
evaluate the Quizlet in both fields of interest and effectiveness (see appendix III)


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0-15 pts
16-29 pts
30-45 pts


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Figure 7 shows the results of the pre-test. As can be seen from the chart,
most participants did not perform well on the test, receiving rather low scores
ranging from 0-29 pts in the total of 45, whereas only 14% of the participants
surpassed the average score. This may result from the fact that their vocabulary
knowledge in the topics given is limited.
For these participants all major in English, especially when they have
already reached B1+ level, it can be seen that their vocabulary level has not met
the requirement. Indeed, the pre-test only focused on 3 topics, yet they are all
familiar topics: School, Talking about food, Babies & children. This proves that
vocabulary studying at school is not sufficient, which resorts to different
vocabulary learning method outside the classroom, such as Quizlet.
IV.2. Students’ attitude towards the effectiveness of using Quizlet in
studying English vocabulary

Figure 8: Quizlet’s effectiveness evaluation
The ideas of participants about their own use of Quizlet are illustrated in
figure 8. It is noticeable that most participants agreed that Quizlet is an effective
tool to learn lexical resource, given the fact that 63.64% of participants highly
appreciate the experience with Quizlet.


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Mode and Test Mode are 22.73% and 4.55% respectively. The Learn Mode is the
least favourite mode on Quizlet.


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Figure 13: Students’ willingness to continue using Quizlet
Figure 13 shows how willing the participants are to start using Quizlet to
learn vocabulary regularly. Quizlet is considered to be the number 1 tool when
learning new words by 7 participants (31.82%). The rest said that they would
give it a try once in a while
In brief, the utility of Quizlet in language learning receives positive
feedback from second year students at K64A, FOE, HNUE.
IV.4. Study Implication
The findings of the current study have practical implications for
supporting intentional vocabulary learning with the use of Quizlet. In the
classroom, lessons can be designed in Flashcard Mode, which makes it easier for
the teacher to introduce the new concepts in L2. Students should also be educated
about the effective use of Quizlet (e.g. the amount and timing of practice), and
this can be implemented through explicit strategy instruction at the beginning of
a language course. For self-studying, teachers may advise students to use
flashcards for self-testing or repeated retrieval of words. Students should be
required to use Quizlet to learn vocabulary deliberately and actively outside the
classroom. More importantly, the collaborative learning potential of Quizlet also
needs to be mentioned. Previously, learning vocabulary with flashcards is
considered more of an individual task. However, learning through Quizlet can be


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By doing this, the study would bring about fruitful results later on.


References
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Publications.
Dang, T. H. (August, 2015). The Electronic Journal for English as a Second
Language. Retrieved from />Dreyer, J. (2014). The Effect of Computer-based Self-access Learning on
Weekly Vocabulary Test Scores. Studies In Self-access Learning Journal,
217-234.
Granito, M., & Chernobilsky, E. (2012). The Effect of Technology on a Student's
Motivation and Knowledge Retention. NERA Confrence Proceedings
2012, (p. 17).
Hidayah, T. (2010). Vocabulary and its importance in ELT.
Hsueh-Chao, M. H., & Nation, P. (2000). Unknown Vocabulary Density and
Reading Comprehension. Reading In A Foreign Language, 403-430.
Hunt, A., & Beglar, D. (2015). A framework for developing EFL reading
vocabulary. Reading In A Foreign Language, Volume 17, Number 1.
Kamil, M., & Hiebert, E. H. (2005). The Teaching and Learning of Vocabulary:
Perspectives and Persistent Issues. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Meara, P. (1995). The Language Teacher.
Milton, J. (2010). The development of vocabulary breadth across the CEFR
levels. Eurosla.
Mofarel, A. (Vol. III, No. 3 / 2015). The Importance Of Vocabulary In Language
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Rambousek, O. (2014). Learning vocabulary with technology.
Schmitt, N. (1999). The relationship between TOEFL vocabulary items and


DEFINITION
Second most important
person
A school which provides
accommodation and meals
for the pupils during term
time
The practice of training
people to obey rules or a
code of behaviour and
punish them if they do not;
the controlled behaviour
resulting
from
such
training
A person employed to look
after a building
Connected with schools
and education
Lesson at a university,
college
Staying away from classes
without permission
Post-secondary education


EX2: Crossword
1