VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOICOLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

-------------------------

NGUYỄN THỊ THU HÀ

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOME CLT CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY TO

FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT THE AJC

(Nghiên cứu tính hiệu quả của một số hoạt động theo đường hướng giao tiếp

trong việc dạy từ vựng cho sinh viên năm thứ nhất không chuyên tại

Học viện Báo chí và Tuyên truyền)

M.A Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Language Teaching Methodology

Code: 601410

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân

HANOI - 2008

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DECLARATION

I hereby that the thesis entitled

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOME CLT CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IN

TEACHING VOCABULARY TO FIRST YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT

THE AJC

is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Education at College of Foreign

Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. I confirm that this thesis has not been

submitted for any other degrees.

Student’s Signature

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to all the people who have helped me with this research study.

My thanks to:

My supervisor - Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Van, whose expert help and guidance has

been invaluable to me throughout the writing of this thesis.

The teachers of the Postgraduate Department - College of Foreign Languages -

Vietnam National University for the knowledge they have provided.

The two teachers of English and 40 first year students of Ho Chi Minh Ideology

department, Academy of Journalism and Communication for their assistance and

participation in my experimental research.

And finally, my thanks go to my family members, friends and other colleagues at the

AJC for their love and support to me, which are very significant for me to finish this

research study.

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ABSTRACT

This thesis is devoted to examining the comparative effectiveness of some CLT

approach classroom activities in teaching vocabulary to first year non-major students at the

Academy of Journalism and Communication. In order to achieve this objective, a theoretical

and practical research is carried out. In the Theoretical Background, the background of

vocabulary and relevance to teaching vocabulary are summarized. An overview on CLT

approach that has been employing in foreign language teaching in Vietnam is also introduced

in this part. After that a brief background setting to the quasi-experiment relating to teaching

and learning vocabulary at the AJC is highlighted. Subsequently, the quasi-experimental study

is given to evaluate the effectiveness of some CLT approach classroom activities. And the

results we will get based on data analysis are in the third chapter. Finally, some

recommendations for vocabulary teaching/learning effectively are suggested.

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TABLE OF CONTENTSDeclaration..................................................................................................iAcknowledgemments..................................................................................iiAbstract.......................................................................................................iiiTable of contents.........................................................................................ivList of abbreviations.....................................................................................................................viList of tables....................................................................................................................viiList of charts.....................................................................................................................ixPART I: INTRODUCTION................................................................................1

1. Rationale..................................................................................................12. Aims of the study.....................................................................................33. Significance of the study..........................................................................34. Scope of the study...................................................................................35. Research Questions..................................................................................46. Methods of the study................................................................................47. Design of the study..................................................................................5PART II: DEVELOPMENT................................................................................6CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND...................................................61.1. Introduction...........................................................................................61.2. Vocabulary in teaching and learning English........................................6

1.2.1. Definition and types of word..............................................................61.2.2. Definition and types of vocabulary.....................................................71.2.3. The importance of vocabulary............................................................81.2.4. The role of vocabulary in language skills...........................................8

1.2.4.1. In communication............................................................................81.2.4.2. In other skills...................................................................................9

1.3. Teaching vocabulary.............................................................................9

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1.3.1. The role of vocabulary teaching.........................................................91.3.2. What needs to be taught while teaching vocabulary?.......................101.3.3. Methods and approaches of teaching vocabulary at university.....................................................................................................................111.3.4. Theoretical background of CLT approach...........................................12

1.3.4.1. Introduction and definition of CLT ..................................................121.3.4.2. Basic features of communicative approach....................................131.3.4.3. The role of the teacher in CLT.........................................................131.3.4.4. Challenges for applying CLT in Viet Nam........................................141.3.4.5. Some principles of employing CLT in teaching vocabulary effectively.....................................................................................................141.3.4.6. Prominent features of CLT activities that encourage vocabulary learning......................................................................................14

1.4. Summary.................................................................................................15

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AJC: Academy of Journalism and Communication

CLT: Communication Language Teaching

EFL: English as Foreign Language

ESP: English for Specific Purpose

M.A: Master

MC: Master of Ceremonies.

TPR: Total Physical Response

VNU: Viet Nam National University

LIST OF TABLES

Pages

Table 1: Vocabulary designed in the course-book Lifeline – Elementary 19

Table 2: The results and mean of the post-tests 33

Table 3: Rating students through post-tests 35

Table 4: Modes of the post-tests 36

LIST OF CHARTS

Pages

Chart 1: Below-average 35

Chart 2: Average 35

Chart 3: Good 36

Chart 4: Excellent 36

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale

“It is said that people living in the global integration age should know English at least

for communication. Do you agree with this?” Once a friend of mine asked me this

question, and without thinking, I answered at once “Yes, undoubtedly so.” This thought has

not changed since that day and English nowadays dominates over the other foreign

languages and is considered a second language in many countries all over the world. Like

other developing countries, in Vietnam the demand of using English has increased

dramatically in the last few years. Actually, with the open policy and a stable political

system, Viet Nam today has attracted more and more foreign investors, tourists come to do

business and relax. And obviously, English is the first choice for most Vietnamese people,

especially the youth. That reflects in the enormous number of English centers, clubs,

schools, universities…. including home and foreign ones. However, the reality of teaching

and learning English in Vietnam is still not a perfect picture even at the universities,

colleges… let alone at the English centers. One of the reasons is a less effective teaching

methodology and wrong myths on understanding it. Let’s take teaching vocabulary as an

example. This aspect of teaching methodology has been lightened and even neglected for a

long time, while we all know that vocabulary is a means to link four skills, namely

speaking, writing, listening, and reading and without vocabulary we cannot transfer exactly

what we want to say to the listeners. As a communication instrument used by people all

around the world, the use of English required much vocabulary. According to many

linguists, in communication, vocabulary is more important than grammar. However, it has

not received the recognition it deserves in the classroom. “A vast amount of teaching time

is consumed by explanation and definition, classroom blackboards are often littered with

masses of new lexical items, and students compile page upon page of vocabulary word -

lists that they rarely have the opportunity to practice” (Ruth Gairns & Stuart Redman

1986).

At the Academy of Journalism and Communication - a national training institution,

which is assigned the task of training communication, education officers and producing the

future journalists for the country, the reality of teaching and learning vocabulary is

somehow not different in comparison with the whole general vocabulary teaching picture.

AJC students usually feel bored in vocabulary lessons because they have not changed their

learning habits such as writing words on paper, trying to learn by heart or learning

passively through the teacher’s explanation. Besides, AJC students after graduation have a

huge demand of reading and communicating in English. In order to do this, they must have

a certain amount of vocabulary and moreover, they must know how to use it properly in the

specific context. From this, we can see that in order to master English, apart from students’

appropriate learning strategies, the teachers’ role and teaching methodology are also very

important. What ways should be applied to teach vocabulary effectively?

In recent years, CLT has been applied in Vietnam and it has shown its effectiveness in

teaching and learning language. “CLT is an approach that helps students be more active in

real life situations through the means of individual, pair and group work activities. It

encourages students to practice the language they learn in meaningful ways.” (Nguyen Thi

Thu Van & Khuat Thi Thu Nga 2003 ).

From this background, the question “Is it true that CLT classroom activities are more

effective than traditional ones?” has come to my mind and reminds me of my colleague’s

teaching period regarding teaching vocabulary. At that period, many communicative activities

were applied, which involved the whole class and attracted students’ attention so much. “Why

don’t we apply CLT activities to teaching vocabulary? Is it effective for students of all levels?

However, does only one period reflect exactly the effectiveness of CLT activities?” – Those

thoughts and worries plus the reality of teaching and learning vocabulary led me to carry out a

quasi-experimental research to examine “the effectiveness of some CLT classroom activities

in teaching vocabulary to first year non-English major students at the Academy of Journalism

and Communication”.

2. Aims of the study

The study is aimed to find out the role of vocabulary in acquiring a foreign language

and to make a comparison between the traditional activities and CLT classroom activities

through the quasi-experiment so as to evaluate the effectiveness of some CLT classroom

activities in teaching vocabulary to first year non-major students at the Academy of

Journalism and Communication. From these, the writer tries to give some recommendations

to teach vocabulary more effectively.

3. Significance of the study

As mentioned in the Rationale, vocabulary is really necessary and important for

learners to communicate well, however it has been undervalued or it is taught in merely

traditional ways, which makes the lessons boring. This study tries to test the comparative

effectiveness of some CLT classroom activities and suggest some recommendations for

teaching/learning vocabulary more effectively.

With this study, the writer hopes to make a small contribution to teaching/learning

vocabulary communicatively and effectively, which may help students retain vocabulary

and help the teachers find the most appropriate way in teaching vocabulary.

4. Scope of the study

The study was designed to find the answer to the main question “Is it true that CLT

classroom activities are more effective than traditional ones?” Due to the limit of a minor

thesis, the quasi-experiment just lasted in 6 weeks basing on three first units (Unit 1, 2 and

3) of the textbook Lifelines – Elementary. The subjects of the research are 40 first year non-

major students of the Ho Chi Minh Ideology department and the two teachers of English,

who co-prepared the lesson plan and taught these two classes – experimental and control

ones. I myself could not teach the students, because I’m not working as an official teacher.

5. Research Questions

1. What is vocabulary’s role in language teaching and learning?

2. Is it true that CLT classroom activities are more effective than traditional ones?

3. What are suggestions for teaching and learning vocabulary more effectively?

6. Methods of the study

First of all, the Theoretical Background relating to the research was conducted by

collecting materials, internet sources… In the Development, we took a brief look at the

reality of teaching and learning vocabulary at the AJC including the descriptions of the

teachers, students, course-book… as the background setting to the study.

With an attempt to find out the comparative effectiveness of some CLT classroom

activities in teaching vocabulary to first year non-major students, a quasi-experimental

research was made. The study was limited to only the first year non-major students of Ho Chi

Minh Ideology department (Academy of Journalism and Communication). These 40 students

belonging to two classes were not randomly selected. One class was randomly assigned as the

experimental and the other as the control class. Similarly, two teachers almost similar in

respect of educational qualifications, age, training, and experience at teaching to non-English

majors and their reputation at the university were selected. One teacher was randomly

assigned to the experiment and the other to the control class. The quasi-experiment lasted in 6

weeks with three first units of the textbook - Lifelines - Elementary. The pre-test was

administered to the students of both classes at the beginning of the experiment in order to

check students’ vocabulary knowledge. After finishing one unit, a post-test, whose content

was based on the knowledge of that unit was delivered to students of both classes. However,

the content of the last post-test included the knowledge of all three units. Apart from the post-

tests, class observation and teachers’ self-assessment were used as supplementary testing

instruments to confirm the post-test results. The data obtained were thoroughly analyzed by

statistical descriptions. By these ways, we can see which of two kinds of activities namely

traditional and CLT had a positive effect on the vocabulary teaching. From these, some

recommendations were suggested.

7. Design of the study

The research includes three parts. The first part is Introduction, in which the rationale,

aims, scope, methods, research questions and design are identified.

The second one is Development which consists of three chapters. Chapter one –

Theoretical Background gives an overview of the theories relating to vocabulary. In the

chapter 2 - The Quasi-Experiment, the answers to the research questions are given. The last

chapter – chapter three - Data analysis, results and discussion prescribed the results of the

quasi-experiment.

The Part three - Conclusion gives the summary of the study, the suggestions for

teaching/learning more effectively and the recommendations for further study.

PART II: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1.1. Introduction

This chapter focuses on providing an overview of the theoretical knowledge relevant to

the study including Vocabulary in teaching and learning English; Teaching vocabulary;

Methods and approaches of teaching vocabulary at university and Theoretical background of

CLT approach.

1.2. Vocabulary in teaching and learning English

1.2.1. Definition and types of word

Vocabulary mastery begins with a word. So what is a word? According to Arnold

I.B., (1996) the term “word” denotes the basic unit of a given language resulting from the

association of a particular meaning with a particular group of sounds capable of a particular

grammatical employment. The word is structural and semantic entity within the language

system. The American Heritage Dictionary (1985) tells us that words are usually separated

by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent in many languages.

Words as single units cannot provide the act of communication by themselves: a man, I,

like, good. They provide the act of communication when they are combined in a certain

way: I like a good man.

Charles Carpenter Fries in his book “The structure of English: An Introduction to

the construction of English tendencies” (1952) distinguished four types of words

according to the function in the sentences and their combinability with other words:

- Function words: do (forming the question)

- Substitute words: he, she, they…

- Grammatically distributed words: some, any

- Content words, which constitute the bunk of the language vocabulary

1.2.2. Definition and types of vocabulary

“Vocabulary is knowledge of words and word meanings” is defined by Fran Lehr

and his associates (2004) in a research entitled “A Focus on Vocabulary”. Now let’s take a

look at the term “vocabulary knowledge”. How is “vocabulary knowledge” understood?

Steven Stahl (1998) gives us a definition as follows: "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge;

the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits

into the world." That means vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully

mastered. It is something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime.

Instruction in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in a dictionary and using

the words in a sentence. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through indirect exposure to

words and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific words and word-learning

strategies.

From the explanation above, we can see a new vocabulary learning strategy that is very

interesting and useful. Besides, it can be seen that vocabulary is very important when students

want to learn English, because a student who has much vocabulary will find it easier to

understand and master English than any other student who does not.

Researchers often refer to four types of vocabulary:

- Listening vocabulary: the words we need to know to understand what we hear.

- Speaking vocabulary: the words we use when we speak.

- Reading vocabulary : the words we need to know to understand what we read.

- Writing vocabulary : the words we use in writing.

1.2.3. The importance of vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of vital parts of English, especially in the field of communication.

The three following quotations will illustrate this:

"Without grammar very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be

conveyed." (Wilkins 1972: 111).

"When students travel, they don't carry grammar books, they carry dictionaries.”

(Krashen in Lewis 1993: iii).

“Knowing words is the key to understanding and being understood. The bulk of

learning a new language consists of learning new words. Grammatical knowledge

does not make for great proficiency in a language.” (Vermeer, 1992: 147)

1.2.4. The role of vocabulary in language skills

1.2.4.1. In communication

English is used as a communicative tool between two or more people speaking different

languages. As a communicative tool used by people all around the world, the use of English

will require much vocabulary. Needless to say, a person who has much vocabulary will find it

easier to master English than any other person who does not. With much vocabulary people

can also be more proficient in communication, because they do not need to worry when

selecting the words that will be used in conversation. From this, we can say vocabulary and

communicative ability are highly correlated. I would like to quote Lewis’s point of view to

support this: “Vocabulary is basic to communication. If acquired do not recognize the meaning

of key words used by those who address them they will be unable to participate in the

conversation If they wish to express some idea or ask for information they must be able to

produce lexical items to convey the meaning. Indeed, if our students know the morphology

and the syntax of an utterance addressed to them, but do not know the meaning of key lexical

items they will be unable to participate in the conversation” (Lewis, 1993)

1.2.4.2. In other skills

A good vocabulary is as necessary for writing as it is for reading and listening.  

Students can hardly choose the proper word to express oneself unless they have a choice; and

that means having several words to select from, which will come from building a good

vocabulary.  Furthermore, a student who has trouble generating satisfactory length in themes

reveals another important writing by product of vocabulary. “With a poor vocabulary, the free

flow of ideas and pen is blocked and dribbles out; with a good vocabulary, it will be helped to

flow.”  (www.aug.edu/fenglish/learning_materials/how2_vocabulary.htm)

Vocabulary is also very important to reading and listening comprehension. Students

cannot understand what they are reading and listening without knowing what most of the

words mean.

To sum up, building vocabulary is such an important aspect of learning a foreign

language. The shortages of having vocabulary will impact on the difficulty of using their

English properly in oral and written forms. Therefore, vocabulary mastery should be the basis

of knowledge and a part of integrated language learning in most communication. And a rich

vocabulary as well as knowing how to use vocabulary appropriately also improve students'

ability to communicate through speaking, listening, and writing.

1.3. Teaching vocabulary

1.3.1. The role of vocabulary teaching

Teaching vocabulary being an important part of teaching foreign language has the

goal to help students not only to improve and extend their vocabulary. The wide choice of a

word causes the language to be flexible, it assists in avoiding repetition and monotony of

speech, and it gives the possibility to express the idea more exactly and understandably.

Nowadays it is generally accepted that vocabulary teaching should be part of the syllabus and

taught in a well-planned and regular basis. Lewis (1993) argues that vocabulary should be at

the center of language teaching, because “language consists of grammaticalised lexis, not

lexicalized grammar”. As a result, new course-books now include word study sections.

Consequently, learners have to make a conscious effort to acquire the target language not only

in the classroom but outside it as well. In effective language teaching, students are exposed to

the target language in multiple ways, and teachers’ aim is to make the vocabulary lessons not

boring and above all encourage their students to be autonomous in their language learning.

1.3.2. What needs to be taught while teaching vocabulary?

To teach or to learn a word means to teach or to learn its form, meaning and usage.

 

Form

pronunciation

spelling

inflections

derivations

   

 Meaning

basic and literal meanings

derived and figurative meanings

semantic relation

connotation

  Usage

subcategorization

collocation

sociolinguistic and stylistic

restrictions

slangs and idioms

  From illustration of what should be taught with a word via an isosceles triangle above,

we can see the balance between three aspects of vocabulary teaching: form, meaning and

usage. In other words, these three aspects should be paid equal attention to.

1.3.3. Methods and approaches of teaching vocabulary at university

Of many factors which measure the success or failure in learning and teaching,

methodology is considered as one of the most important. Methods are held to be fixed

teaching systems with prescribed techniques and practices, and approaches are language

teaching philosophies that can be interpreted and applied in a variety of different ways in the

classroom. “A method is theoretically related to an approach, is organizationally determined

by a design, and is practically realized in procedure” (Richards and Rodges, 1996).

Additionally, according to Prator (1991: 17) “…in the teaching situation it is the method used,

more than any other factor, that determines the results achieved”.

Methodology of vocabulary teaching/learning has undergone too many changes. Let’s

take a look at the grammar translation method first. In this method, vocabulary is taught by

means of translation when students are given lists of words with their translation to be learned.

Language is seen as a collection of words which are isolated and independent and there must

be a corresponding word in the native tongue for each foreign word students learn. This

method to my eyes is commonly applied in teaching vocabulary to non-English majors at

training institutions in the north of Vietnam. In audio-lingual method, teaching vocabulary is

also tuned up to grammar and words were presented and learned in structures. Also, great

attention is paid to pronunciation. Vocabulary according to Total Physical Response is

emphasized over other language areas by using commands to direct behavior and action

sequence. This method involves a substantial amount of listening and comprehension in

combination with various physical responses. Teachers often use gestures, body language,

facial expressions to illustrate the words to students. If TPR is considered suitable method for

beginners especially children, so direct method is better for those who are very competent in

terms of using vocabulary effectively in communication. The words in this method are taught

by modeling and practice. Concrete words are taught through demonstration, objects or

pictures while abstract ones are taught by association of ideas.

And the last method, more precisely teaching approach I would like to mention is

Communicative Language Teaching Approach. Because this study is much relevant to this

approach so a greater attention is paid to present it in an isolated part.

1.3.4. Theoretical background of CLT approach

1.3.4.1. Introduction and definition of CLT

Vietnam is facing a rapid economic progress while it is more and more closely related

to the outside world. The traditional teaching method of grammar translation no longer keeps

up with the realistic communication needs. Some critical changes need to be made in order to

improve the English teaching quality in Vietnamese colleges. The CLT approach is becoming

increasingly popular in the world, and it would be very helpful to apply it to the classrooms in

Vietnam. In recent years, CLT has been applied in Vietnam and it has shown its effectiveness

in teaching and learning language. With this approach, Vietnamese students feel more

confident when communicating with foreigners. Because it focuses mainly on

“communicative competence” which is considered the goal of CLT. “Communicative

competence” referrers to “the underlying systems of knowledge and skill required for

communication” (Canale, 1983: 5). Communicative Competence enables students to use the

language in different spheres of communication and in different functions.

Let’s turn back to the definition of CLT. According to Wikepedia: “Communicative

Language Teaching is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that

emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. It is

also referred to as “communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages” or simply

the “Communicative Approach”.

1.3.4.2. Basic features of communicative approach

David Nunan (1991: 279) lists five basic characteristics of CLT:

1. An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language.

2. The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.

3. The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language but also

on the learning process itself.

4. An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing

elements to classroom learning.

5. An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activities outside the

classroom.

These five features are claimed by practitioners of CLT to show that they are very

interested in the needs and desires of their learners as well as the connection between the

language as it is taught in their class and as it is used outside the classroom. From what Nunan

states about the prominent features of CLT, we can see that any teaching practice that helps

students develop their communicative competence in an authentic context is deemed an

acceptable and beneficial form of instruction. Thus, in the classroom, CLT often takes the

form of pair and group work requiring negotiation and cooperation between learners, activities

in which students practice and develop language functions and encourage learners to develop

their confidence.

1.3.4.3. The role of the teacher in CLT

The role of the teacher in CLT is quite different from traditional teaching methods. In

the traditional classroom, the teacher is in charge and "controls" the learning. In CLT the

teacher serves as more of a facilitator, allowing students to be in charge of their own learning.

Teachers are not merely transmitters of knowledge anymore; instead, they become facilitators,

needs analysts, counselors, and group process managers.

The teacher still sets up exercises and gives direction to the class, but the students do.

This responsibility to participate can often lead to an increased sense of confidence in using

the language. In CLT, students practice real-life situations, for example, buying food at the

market or asking someone for directions. In these exercises, the goal is for the student to

communicate his or her needs and thoughts, without worrying about having perfect grammar.

1.3.4.4. Challenges for applying CLT in Viet Nam

Le Van Canh in his paper “Language and Vietnamese pedagogical contexts” assumes

that communicative teaching is too challenging in Vietnam because of some reasons such as

the teacher’s English proficiency is low, classes are large, the buildings, furnishings and

other facilities are basic, and only low levels of support can be provided in terms of

materials, libraries and advisory services. New teaching methods require new understandings

and skills. They often require teachers to spend more time doing additional preparatory work,

while there are already many demands on teachers’ time in addition to their syllabus teaching

work.

1.3.4.5. Some principles of employing CLT in teaching vocabulary effectively

When we try to adapt vocabulary teaching method under the guidelines of CLT into

Vietnamese EFL classroom, we have to consider these following principals:

1. Understanding the cultural difference.

2. Adjusting the roles of teacher, student and material.

3. Incorporating vocabulary presenting with practicing.

4. Combining all four basic skills.

1.3.4.6. Prominent features of CLT activities that encourage vocabulary learning

1. Face-to-face nature of communication in group activities can help students to adjust

their speech to suitable level for both speakers and listeners. Students involved in group work

can get help from each other.

2. Communication activities generally provide a meaningful context, which may not

only provide sufficient evidence for a student to make a reasonable guess as to the meaning of

unfamiliar items, but it also assists in the remembering of new items.

3. Have a good chance for students to expose to repeated use of the new items.

4. From a psycholinguistic perspective, group-based peer interaction typically provides

a learning environment in which students can make error and express misunderstanding

without the adverse effects of exposing their weakness to the whole class or to the teachers.

Yet, by being aware of these features and the way they affect students’ responses to

unfamiliar vocabulary, teachers can improve the quality of vocabulary learning.

1.4. Summary

In this chapter, I tried to provide a brief description of the theoretical knowledge

relating to the study. Included is vocabulary and its important role in teaching and learning

English. This chapter also included a discussion of teaching methodology that have developed

throughout the history of language teaching from the classic ones such as the grammar-

translation method, the direct method, the audio-lingual method… to the more recent one such

as CLT approach in order to point out: (1) the role of vocabulary in teaching and learning

English, (2) an overview of some teaching methods (3) theoretical background of CLT

approach and prominent of CLT activities that encourage learning process.

CHAPTER 2

THE QUASI-EXPERIMENT

2.1. Introduction

This chapter deals with the quasi-experiment to examine the effectiveness of some

CLT classroom activities for teaching vocabulary to first year non-major students at the AJC.

Because of the fact that I am - the writer not an official teacher of English so I could not teach

the lessons by myself. In this quasi-experimental research I played as an organizer, observer,

data collector and analyzer ….in order to find the answers to the research questions. The two

teachers of English – my colleagues at the AJC helped me prepare lesson plans and teach

English to students of the two classes namely experimental and control. Due to the

requirement of my work, I could not attend all the lessons during this experiment, only some

of them. For lessons I could not observe, the data was collected through the self-assessment

papers delivered to the teachers. To ascertain the effects of CLT classroom activities, apart

from class observation and teachers’ self-assessment papers, I developed an evaluation

instrument to be administered at the beginning of the experiment (pre-test) and again after

completing every one unit (post-tests).

Before going to the main part of this chapter, let’s look at the background setting to the

study including the teachers, first year non-major students, course-book and the syllabus

objectives at the AJC.

2.2. Background to the study

2.2.1. Introduction of the AJC

The Academy of Journalism and Communication was established on the 16 th January

1962 on the basis of the mergence of three institutes: the Nguyen Ai Quoc Institute, the

Institute of Communication and Education, and the People’s Institute. Nowadays, it is the

large national training institution, which focuses in training theory and journalism. It provides

the future political theory, ideology, philosophy officers and journalists to the country.

2.2.2. The teachers

Most the teachers who are in charge of teaching English to the AJC students belong to

the foreign languages faculty - one of the largest faculties of this university. There are 19

teachers, in which 4 teachers of French, 2 teachers of Chinese and the rest are the teachers of

English. As for the teachers of English, four of them have been teaching to the English major

students of the translation specialty belonging to the foreign languages faculty. However,

because the subject of this study is first year English non-major students, so I just want to

focus on those who are in charge of teaching these students. About half of the teachers

majored in Russian who graduated from Vietnamese and Russian universities. They used to

teach Russian since that was a popular foreign language at that time. Then when the Soviet

Union was collapsed, Russian, therefore was not in the first position in comparison with other

foreign languages, they were sent to take English in-service or second major courses. And at

the moment, 3 got a master degree, and some are studying M.A course in English at the

College of Foreign Languages, VNU and Hanoi University. All of them are at the age of from

26 - 58

and have been teaching to non-majors for at least 3 years. One more thing worth mentioning

is that they are all very enthusiastic and responsible though very busy because of high teaching

frequency due to insufficient official teaching staff. This to some extent affects teaching

quality.

2.2.3. The first year non-major students

On average, the first year non-major students of the AJC are aged between 19 - 24,

both male and female. However, the majority of them are female because of the characteristics

of the social specialties at this university. Most students come from different parts in the North

of the country and are trained in two main fields namely political theory and media. Those

who are from journalism specialties are more active, dynamic than those from political theory

ones. Anyway, students of theory specialties are more logical and serious. This character leads

to form the two tendencies in learning English at the AJC. Journalism students, who have

better English learning background at high school and have more chances to go to the extra

classes are often more communicative than those of political theory specialties, who find

English as something very difficult to acquire. That means the English learning background

between faculties are not equal. Moreover, this inequality also happens between students in a

class. Urban students acquire English better than rural ones.

2.2.4. The course-book

The course-books are used for the first year non-English majors are Lifelines –

Elementary, Lifelines – Pre-Intermediate and New Headway. Students have to study one of

these course books during the first two year in order to obtain general knowledge of English.

Students of journalism faculties are taught with Lifelines – Pre-Intermediate and New

Headway while students of some theory faculties are taught with the course-book Lifelines -

Elementary. In this study, first year non-majors of the Ho Chi Minh Ideology department are

the research subject, so I would like to give a brief description of their course-book. Lifelines -

Elementary is written by Tom Hutchinson, who has many experiences in teaching English in

the UK, Germany, and Croatia, and has given teacher training courses in many other countries

around the world. This course-book is divided into 14 units and every two units there is an

“extension” section. This book is accompanied by two class cassettes. The work-book

contains additional grammar practice, vocabulary, and functional language from the student's

book and five “grammar check” revision sections.

2.2.4.1. Vocabulary lesson design in Lifelines – Elementary

There are often five parts in a unit namely grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing,

listening and speaking and pronunciation. As for Vocabulary, it is designed as follows:

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7

Numbers

(P.7)

Classroom

language

(2)

Imperatives

(P.14)

Describing

people

(P.22)

Time

(P.28)

Food&

Drink

(P.36)

Daily

activities

(P.42)

Parts of a

house

(P.50)

Unit 8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 Unit 12 Unit 13 Unit 14

Giving

dates

(P.56)

Verbs

(P.64)

Travel

(P.70)

Clothes

(P.78)

Parts of the

body

(P.84)

Phrasal

verbs

(P.92)

The world

(P.98)

Table 1: Vocabulary designed in the course-book Lifeline - Elementary

Besides, vocabulary is integrated in other parts of a unit. So apart from vocabulary

part, the teachers must also teach the new vocabulary items in these other parts. And this

shows the fact that teaching vocabulary appears in all parts of every unit.

2.2.4.2. Vocabulary Lessons in Lifelines - Elementary

According to the author’s conception, vocabulary teaching and learning is of great

importance sine in this set of books communication is paid so much attention to. There is at

least one main vocabulary input per unit in the student’s book and many other vocabulary file,

items in other parts. Pronunciation element has its deserved position in every unit. There are

three approaches adopted to the teaching of vocabulary:

- To teach new words in a lexical set, for example the numbers, the classroom

language…

- To encourage good vocabulary learning habits: using vocabulary, guessing…

- To teach the systems of vocabulary, for example prefixes and suffixes, synonyms,

antonyms; homonyms, homophones; silent letters, compound nouns; collocation…Besides,

the general vocabulary is arranged in accordance with the thematic principle.

2.2.5. Objectives of teaching General English at the AJC

The final objective of English teaching program at the AJC is to equip students with

background knowledge of general English level and ability to communicate with foreigners.

Students just study general English in three semesters, the fourth semester of the second year

they study ESP to serve for their future job.

2.3. Some CLT classroom activities used in the study

2.3.1. Games

Lee Su Kim (1995) pointed out: “There is a common perception that all learning

should be serious and solemn in nature and that if one is having fun and there is hilarity and

laughter, then it is not really learning. This is a misconception. It is possible to learn a

language as well as enjoy oneself at the same time. One of the best ways of doing this is

through games.”

There are many advantages of using games in the classroom:

- Games are motivating and challenging.

- Games provide language practice in the various skills - speaking, writing, listening

and reading.

- They encourage students to interact and communicate.

- They create a meaningful context for language use.

As the writer, I would like to add that games also enable learners to acquire new

experiences within a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson.

2.3.2. Showing the meaning of words by translating

There is a misconception that showing the meaning of words by translating is

shouldn’t. It is true when the teachers use only this method and translate all the unknown

words from easy to difficult, concrete to abstract in the classroom. That makes students not try

to guess and force themselves to learn the meaning and usage. Sometimes, if students cannot

understand the meaning easily, translation should be applied to save the time of the teachers.

But teachers should consider the most equivalent meaning in Vietnamese, explain the

meanings of a word in a specific context and then give example to illustrate those meanings.

That will avoid students’ misunderstanding and misusing.

2.3.3. Relating the meaning of a new word to known word classes

Since during the previous lessons students are provided with many words so if a new

word is introduced relating to the word class they have already known can help them easily to

understand and remember. Prefixes, suffixes… can be demonstrated with their roots on board

to help the students guess the meanings.

E.g.: Beauty: (beautiful)

Manly: (man)…

2.3.4. Contrast and opposites

When the teacher would like to explain the meaning of a new word, he/she sometimes

uses the opposite meaning of that word. To my eyes, this way is really effective which can

bring two advantages: firstly, help students to remind of a learnt word and secondly, say

exactly the meaning of a new word. Many words can be understood better by their contrast in

context.

E.g.: big - small

beautiful - ugly…

2.3.5. Visual aids

Many research studies have shown that learners at elementary level can remember the

words better through the teachers’ word presentation by means of visual aids. Some

communicative activities using visual aids such as: photographs, pictures, posters, real objects,

blackboard drawings, flashcards…can help the teachers create the situation or the context and

above all can stimulate students to speak the language.

2.3.6. Using actions, facial expressions, body language

Teachers should use different techniques to teach vocabulary in order to motivate

students. Body language, actions, facial expressions, mime and mimics, gestures can be used

to help the students to understand the meaning of a word.

E.g.: Make the typical gesture with your hands as you say: Come here; Pick up the

pencil…

2.4. The quasi-experiment

In order to find out the effectiveness of some CLT classroom activities in teaching

vocabulary to first year English non-major students, we made a quasi-experiment at the AJC.

The quasi-experiment was carried out in August 2008 and lasted for six weeks. There were

three stages in our experiment: organization, realization and interpretation of the results.

2.4.1. Organization stage

2.4.1.1. The subjects

The subjects of the study are two classes of the first year non-English major students of

Ho Chi Minh ideology department - Academy of Journalism and Communication, which

consist of 20 students per class.

Below are some characteristics of the Ho Chi Minh ideology department students:

Age: Most of these students are aged from 18 - 21 years old. There are four older than

the others, 2 from the control class (21 & 22) and 2 from the experimental class (22).

Gender: The majority of the subjects are female, in which 17 female students in the

experimental class and 16 male students in the control class.

Native place: In both experimental and control class, 2/3 of the students come from

the big cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa…. The rest are from the villages

of the provinces, in which the experimental students are many more than in the control

class (six/four respectively).

English ability: Because the study was carried out at the beginning of the first

semester so it was very difficult to evaluate English ability of students. Anyway, most

of them have been studying English at the secondary and high school, so they more or

less have certain knowledge of basic general English.

As analyzed above, there is only a little difference between two classes. This rather

equivalent rate in my opinion does not cause many troubles in the results of the study.

2.4.1.2. The teachers

As mentioned in the Scope of the study, because of not being an official teacher of

English so in order to do this research I had to ask two teachers to help me teach these two

classes. Before research, we discussed and co-prepared the lesson plan. Also, because of the

fact that the working time did not allow me to attend all the lessons so I just observed some of

both classes. For the other ones, I gave the self-assessment paper to these two teachers and got

back after one or two lessons. My observation and the self-assessment papers supported me in

testing the effectiveness of some CLT classroom activities used in teaching/learning

vocabulary.

2.4.1.3. Main testing instruments: Pre-test and post-tests

The main instrument for assessment is tests including one pre-test and three post-tests.

The pre-test was delivered to students at the beginning of the quasi-experiment, and three

post-tests after completing every unit. The content of the first two post-tests was based on the

learning knowledge of every unit while the last one included the knowledge of all three units

using in the experiment.

2.4.1.4. Supplementary testing instruments

2.4.1.4.1. Notes from class observation

What the writer noted when observing was used to evaluate the effectiveness of some

CLT classroom activities employed in teaching vocabulary.

2.4.1.4.2. Teachers’ self-assessment papers

Like tests and notes from class observation, the teachers’ self-assessment papers

played a supporting role in testing the effectiveness of the CLT activities in comparison with

the old, popular ones.

2.4.2. Realization Stage

2.4.2.1. Pre-experimental test

At the second stage of the quasi-experiment a pre-test was delivered to students of both

classes with the purpose of checking their vocabulary knowledge. The 15 minutes pre-

experimental test consisted of the following tasks:

1. To translate the following words of different types into Vietnamese:

To make a bed

Unhappy

Happiness

Rewrite

Foot

Tired of

Work

Forget me not

Taught

Learner

2. Write down any words that the following words make you think of:

The results of the students’ tests were thoroughly analyzed and compared. Statistical

methods were used to find out the level of students’ vocabulary knowledge:

X = T.a x 100

T.q

(X: The student knowledge level

School Class

Friend

T.a: True answer

T.q: Total number of questions)

The results of both classes were rather equivalent. Only one female student of the control

class received mark 9. The pre-experimental tests revealed that:

1. More than 60 % of students made the collocations of the three words in the circle

not very well.

2. Poor knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.

3. Difficulties with English words with a wider range of meaning than in Vietnamese.

These two exercises were not difficult at all for those who have been studying English

since secondary school. However, the results of the pre-test showed that students seem not to

remember what they were taught. The vocabulary knowledge of both classes was still poor.

2.4.2.2. Vocabulary teaching process

The CLT classroom activities mentioned in 2.4.2.2.1 were used to teach the

experimental students and the popular old method including mainly exercises was applied to

teach the control students in 6 weeks, which will show us which the better is. In order to

evaluate this, every of three post-tests will be used after finishing a unit. Often, there are three

stages in teaching vocabulary namely presentation, practice and revision.

2.4.2.2.1. Some typical tasks and activities for presenting, practicing and revising

vocabulary

For control class:

a. Word matching

b. Finding the antonyms

E.g.: Find the antonyms of the words below:

Young: ………

Slim: …………

c. Guessing the word

The teacher used the gestures to illustrate an action and asked students to guess the

meaning of the phrase:

E.g.: Open your book

Listen carefully

d. Multiple choice

E.g.: Choose an appropriate word to fill in each blank:

1. I am ………. .I teach English.

a. a teacher b. a nurse c. an engineer d. a waiter

2. Oh! She is too…………… to get married.

a. beautiful b. fat c. good d. young

e. Translation

E.g.: Translate the following words and phrases into English

Chú:…………………

Con vật nuôi:………….

Cầm quyển sách tiếng Anh lên:……………………………………

f. Collocation

A B

France Braxin

Brazil Pháp

The USA Liên hiệp Anh

Hungary Mỹ

Switzerland Hunggary

The UK Thụy Sỹ

Poland Vietnam

Japan

E.g.: Write down any words that the following words make you think of:

Pick:

Assistant:

g. Slap the board

The teacher wrote some learnt words on the board and divided the class into two

teams. The teacher spoke out a word in Vietnamese or sometimes in English, the two selected

students of both teams had to run as soon as possible to the board and slap the word the

teacher read. Who was both quickest and right in slaping the word got one score for their

team.

For experimental class:

For vocabulary presentation, the teacher of experimental class often used visual aids

such as pictures, real objects, body language, face expression, gesture, and opposites….

E.g.: a marker (Real classroom object)

A cup of coffee (Picture)

Fat (Body language)

Come here (Gesture)

Happy (Face expression)

Some activities for vocabulary practice and revision are as follows:

a. Feel the object: The teacher collected various objects from the students and from

around the class such as a cassette, a crayon, a marker…Put the objects in a bag. Hold the bag

and then asked students to feel the objects and try to identify them (Lexical set of classroom

objects).

b. Invisible elephant: The teacher told the students that she was going to draw a

picture for them. She drew the outline of an elephant, a car, a man, a bird… in the air with

finger and then asked students what she had drawn:

E.g.: Can you guess what?

A car.

The teacher encouraged different interpretations.

c. Jumbled words: The teacher wrote on the board words the students have recently

learnt with the letters in jumbled order and the words all associated with one given theme. The

teacher told the students these words are all family members (Lexical set of family tree).

E.g.: A set of words like unlec,ience,sincou….

Uncle, niece, cousin.

d. Match the adjectives: The teacher wrote two adjectives on the board.

E.g.: Young, beautiful. Ask students to suggest things which can be described

by all three adjectives and make sentences (Lexical set of descriptive adjectives).

My girlfriend is young and beautiful.

e. Match the people: The teacher wrote a list of about ten jobs on the board. Each

student wrote down a list of ten ideas, feelings, memories, etc. he or she associates with one of

the jobs listed. The students then worked in pairs, and each student studied his or her

neighbors' list and tried to guess which job the list refers to. The students then confirmed or

rejected the guess and explained why he or she put each word in the list (Lexical set of jobs).

f. Recalling words: The teacher wrote on the board between 15 and 20 words the

students have recently learnt, or she thought they know, then gave a minute for everyone to

look at them, next erased all of them. Individually, or in pairs or groups, the students tried to

recall as many as they can and wrote them down.

g. Simon says: The teacher called a student as a volunteer to be Simon, the others had

to do as Simon told them to do. According to the rule, Simon had to begin any requirements

with “Simon says”, if not he was out (Lexical set of commands).

E.g.: If Simon says close your book, the players had to close their book

Without first saying Simon says, the players didn’t close their book, and Simon was out.

2.4.3. Summary of the quasi-experimental process

In general, the teachers and the students had participated rather naturally in the study.

It might be explained in two following reasons: (1) this is a quasi-experimental research not

the true one so the subjects completely belong to the class of their own which were arranged

by the Training Management Department as soon as they entered the AJC; (2) there was no

camera used to record the teaching and learning process. However, there were some slight

problems during the quasi-experimental process: (1) the students of both classes did not

participate in all the lessons. In the control class, two of twenty students played truant four

times, seven students from 1 – 3 times, while in the experimental class, the number of students

to play truant five times is 01, 01 – 03 times: 05. This more or less affects the learning quality;

(2) the teaching aids sometimes were out of order. However, all difficulties were overcome to

get the most accurate results of the study.

CHAPTER THREE

DATA ANALYSIS, RESUTLS AND DISCUSSIONS

The tests, the class observation and the teachers’ self-assessments were effective tools

to evaluate the results of the research.

3.1. Interpretation of Result Stage

3.1.1. Classroom Observation Result

The classroom observation results reflected the reality in which the teachers of two

classes adopted the popular old method activities and CLT activities in teaching vocabulary.

Generally speaking, both teachers prepared the lessons very carefully and during the lessons

they were enthusiastic and tried to reach the aims and objectives of the lessons. However,

there were differences in teaching methods and teaching style of these two teachers.

As for the control class, the lesson was teacher-centered. Yet, the teacher’s talking time

was too much whereas student’s talking time is limited. She had to explain so much (mostly in

Vietnamese, sometimes in English and after that translated into Vietnamese even most

students could understand) and in many situations, she did play the role as the teacher and as

the students. In other words, she did too many things for students. And what about the

students? Students in the control class studied rather passively. All the time they noted down

in their notebooks, sat quietly, paid much attention to the course-book and felt shy when

answering the teacher’s questions. The interaction between the teacher and students was not

effective. However, one thing we have to consider is that they did the exercises quite well so

the teacher did not waste much time to correct though they rarely handed up voluntarily.

As for the experimental class, it was different because the teacher used another

teaching method. The emerging thing when observing this class was that most (not all)

students felt interested in English periods. It was reflected when the teacher entered the class,

she was warmly and cheerfully welcomed. The students of this class seemed more active in

involving in the classroom activities. They were motivated by different activities. The class

was student-centered and students were taught in a foreign language learning atmosphere. In

order to achieve this, the teacher often did not correct students mistakes immediately when

students were speaking, motivated them to pronounce, play, speak and involve in other tasks

as well as activities. The teacher looked like an MC of the game-show on the television.

Besides these, group work, pair work activities were employed so as to help students have as

many opportunities to communicate with each other as possible. In unit three, (Lesson:

Describing people) students were interested in describing their classmates according to the

teacher’s requirement. With this activity, students had a chance to communicate with each

other much, though they still made many mistakes. However, in some periods with too many

activities, teacher felt too tired and found it difficult to organize the class. The noisy and out of

control students might affect neighboring classes. Also, as I observed, there were some quiet

students did not involve in the classroom activities. They seemed not self-confident and shy

while the teacher seemed not to find the effective way to motivate them. In some cases, the

teacher forgot about asking students to take note what they had just learnt, which might cause

students’ laziness in self-studying or reviewing the lesson at home.

3.1.2. The teacher’s self-assessment result

The teacher’s self-assessment result showed the similar points like observation result.

However, there is one thing out of schedule that should be considered and may affect the

study. That is, when the teacher of the control group in some periods of the last two weeks

combined the methods that she had been using from the beginning of the experiment and some

communicative activities, she found the active changes in teaching and learning. Students

seemed to be more motivated and involved in the classroom activities. They were not like as

usual reflecting in their attitudes towards the teacher and English lessons.

According to the teacher self-assessments of the experimental class, though the class

was student-centered, but that did not mean the teacher was just like an observer. She had to

organize, motivate, observe and manage the class well. In some periods, as an organizer of too

many activities she felt really tired. What mentioned in her self-assessment showed that the

role of the teacher in CLT activities environment is very important that may affect teaching

and learning quality. From this, I think a successful teacher in CLT activities environment

requires not only foreign language knowledge, adequate perception of the CLT approach

spirit, teaching methodology but also good health, enthusiasm and love to his/her job. Lacking

any of them a teacher will find difficult to fulfill his/her job.

All in all, students of both classes could remember the words they learnt; however, the

pronunciation and communication competence of the experimental class was better.

3.1.3. The post-test results

To access the results of a teaching and learning process, the tests are really a good

tool. During this time, both classes’ vocabulary acquisition was accessed by means of the

tests: the pre-test was given at the beginning of the quasi-experiment (mentioned in 2.4.2.1.

Pre- experimental test) to see the students’ vocabulary knowledge. Three post-tests were

designed to see how much students could remember the new words and use them in the

appropriate context. The post-tests were marked to have the exact scores and necessary

statistics to make a comparison between the two classes. Thus, after completing a unit, a

post-test was given to both classes under experiment with the hope that the test scores

might record and reflect exactly how much knowledge each student acquired and how

much progress they made. The last post- test included the knowledge of all three units in

order to check how students acquired the vocabulary knowledge during the quasi-

experiment lasting in six weeks. It was also expected that a close comparison between the

results of the two classes would suggest the answer to the following research question “Is it

true that CLT classroom activities are more effective than traditional ones?”

However, the findings revealved something that should be taken into account. Below

are the results of the post-tests:

Post-test 1

Control

class

Post-test 1

Experimental

class

Post-test 2

Control

class

Post-test 2

Experimental

class

Post-test 3

Control

class

Post-test 3

Experimental

class

7 8 8 8 8 9

5 6 6 6 6 7

6 5 6 7 6 7

7 6 8 6 9 6

9 7 9 8 9 9

5 7 5 7 7 7

6 7 6 9 6 10

7 5 6 5 6 6

7 6 8 6 9 7

6 6 7 7 7 9

6 6 8 7 8 8

7 6 6 6 7 6

6 6 7 7 7 7

5 4 6 5 7 5

6 7 6 9 6 9

5 6 7 6 8 7

6 8 7 9 7 9

6 7 5 8 6 9

6 6 5 5 5 5

6 5 7 5 7 5

Mean = 6.25 Mean = 6.2 Mean = 6.65 Mean = 6.8 Mean = 7.05 Mean = 7.35

Table 2: The results of the post-tests

As can be seen in the table above, the results of three post-tests showed that students of

both experimental and control class made progress in learning vocabulary in the quasi-

experiment lasting for 6 weeks. That means both teaching methods had good influence on this

subject. As for this point, the CLT activities in the classroom showed their effectiveness more

than merely traditional ones, which was clearly revealed in the results of the second post-test

(mean of the control class is 6.65 while mean of the experimental class is 6.8) though in the

first post-test the experimental students got lower average mark than the control students. A

possible explanation is that new teaching method with more games and group activities really

gave students in the experimental class a motivation to study. However, the results of the post-

test make us to think of. In fact, the experimental students were marked higher (7.35 in

comparison with 7.05), but if compared with the second post-test, the control students made

rather equivalent progress as the experimental ones from 6.65 to 7.05, while the experimental

students from 6.8 to 7.35. This supported the teachers’ self-assessment results that using

combined method including CLT approach and other common methods brought more active

influence on teaching and learning vocabulary.

The highest mark of the experimental class was 10 and the lowest was 5. Actually, in

the experimental class, the difference among each individual in vocabulary acquirement was

greater than that among the members of the control class. This can also be concluded from the

results of the post-test 1. In Vietnamese training institutions from the primary to postgraduate

level, score is the main and common instrument to evaluate students’ learning ability. As

usual, there are four scales in the assessment format namely: 1 -> 4: below average; 5; 6:

average; 7; 8: good; 9; 10: excellent.

Below is the table summarizing the number of students of both classes that got the

mark from 4 to 10, i.e. rated from below average to excellent:

Scale

Post-test 1 Post-test 2 Post-test 3Control

(students)

Experimental

(students)

Control

(students)

Experimental

(students)

Control

(students)

Experimental

(students)

Below

average0 1 0 0 0 0

Average 14 14 11 9 7 6

Good 5 5 9 8 10 7

Excellent 1 0 1 3 4 7

Table 3: Rating students through post-tests

The number of students rated through posttests of both classes is presented in four

following charts:

Chart 1: Below-average

Chart 2: Average

Chart 3: Good

Chart 4: Excellent

Additionally, the modes – the number of scores gained by most of the

students should be brought in the question. A summary of the modes of three

post-tests got by both classes is presented below in the table:

Class ModesPost-test 1 Post-test 2 Post-test 3

Control class 6 6 7

Experimental class 6 6; 7 7; 9

Table 4: Modes of the post-tests

If the modes of both the control and experimental class in the first post-test is equal so

there is a slight different in the second one, in which the modes of the control is 6, while that

of the experiment is 6 and 7. However, in the last post-test, the most score of the experimental

class is 7 and 9, while that of the control class is 7. It can be concluded that students of both

classes made progress in learning vocabulary but the experimental class did much more than

the control class.

Such findings support the assumption that the new teaching method with games and

group work did not affect the subjects in the experimental class in the same way. While the

strong students were motivated and made significant progress in vocabulary learning, the

weak ones remained inactive and stood still in their usual positions or made very little

progress.

All in all, the findings of this study indicates that games and group work are the

interesting and motivating ways which can bring better results in teaching vocabulary to first

year non-English major students of the AJC. However, they can also bring about some

disadvantages such as confusion, difficulty and discouragement for students especially the

weak ones. Thus, this way seems to have better influence on the higher English ability

students than lower ones in the same class. The fact that the CLT classroom activities proven

to be more effective than the traditional ones doesn’t mean that they can replace completely

the position of traditional activities. The teaching and learning of vocabulary will be improved

clearly if the teachers can make use of the advantages of teaching methods.

PART III: CONCLUSION

1. Summary of the study

Theoretical and practical research on the effectiveness of some CLT classroom

activities in teaching vocabulary to first year non-major students at the AJC gives us the

answer to the question “Is it true that CLT classroom activities are more effective than

traditional ones?” The research results confirm our hypothesis that CLT classroom

activities are closely connected with students’ motivation, students’ former language

experience and knowledge. Also, applying these CLT ativities can reduce students’ anxiety

and improve their self-confidence. However, a noteworthy finding of the research is that if

we combine both traditional and CLT activities in teaching so it will be better for students

of all level in a class from strong to weak. That means, besides word lists, explanations and

exercises, students need some games and group work activities to make them excited and

active in class and it is noted that the CLT classroom activities should not replace

completely the position of traditional methods, because if games and group work are

applied frequently while exercises rarely, the results will be in the fact that some strong

students make remarkable progress in vocabulary acquisition while the weak ones leave

behind. As mentioned in the Literature Review, there are different approaches, and methods

developed throughout the history of language teaching from the classic ones, such as the

Grammar-Translation Method, the Direct Method, the Audio-Lingual Method…to the more

recent ones, such as Communicative Language Teaching, all teaching methods have

enriched the lives of language learners and teachers. There is no single teaching method

that can satisfy all types of students and teachers. So, to improve the quality of vocabulary

teaching/learning, both methods should be exploited to make use of their advantages and to

limit their disadvantages.

2. Suggestions

2.1. For the teachers

2.1.1 The roles of teachers

The traditional role of the teacher as the transmitter of knowledge should be changed.

Teachers should not be the single speakers anymore. Instead, their main role becomes a

facilitator. Facilitation in an English class includes many aspects. The teacher should act as a

physical facilitator and provide things that vocabulary teaching and learning classes need. But

the most important aspect of a teacher as a facilitator is to promote students while they are in

the process of learning vocabulary and raise students’ awareness including generally

explaining what strategies are and why learners should use them.

2.1.2. Teachers should integrate all four basic skills

Teaching and learning vocabulary does not exist alone. A student with rich knowledge

of vocabulary usually can read, write and speak more efficiently, while students with poor

knowledge of vocabulary usually do not have good ability of listening, speaking, reading and

writing either. Therefore, teaching vocabulary should be integrated with reading, listening,

speaking and writing skills. Typically, in the process of vocabulary teaching and learning, the

vocabulary is often introduced before leading into the real time of the lessons relating to these

four skills. And they should be associated with the topic of those lessons. Reading is also

closely related to vocabulary knowledge. The learnt words and the ability to infer from the

context when students are reading can help them very much in understanding how the content

of the reading task. To associate teaching and learning vocabulary and listening can be useful

too, especially at the beginning stage of familiarizing students with the correct and native-like

pronunciation. Speaking is also one essential part of vocabulary teaching and learning class

since classrooms of communicative language teaching should never be silent. In topic

choosing, peer conferring, group sharing, presentation, speaking skills have to be trained. Yet,

when carrying out speaking activities in the classroom, teachers have to make it clear to the

students that they should try to speak English as much as possible even they make many

mistakes.

2.1.3. Teachers should train the students to be autonomous learners

Since the teachers may not have enough time to teach everything about a word,

students have to become independent word learners. As Gu (2003) summarizes his own and

other studies “Good learners seem to be those who initiate their own learning, selectively

attend to words of their own choice, studiously try to remember these words, and seek

opportunities to use them.”

2.1.4. Teachers should use combined method in teaching vocabulary

No method is best and most appropriate in all contexts, so the teachers should make

use of the advantages of every method in order to apply for teaching effectively.

Communicative activities are really important especially in the learning context at the AJC,

however the traditional appropriate exercises shouldn’t be ignored.

2.1.5. How to choose games as effective activities

The role of games in teaching and learning vocabulary cannot be denied. However, in

order to achieve the most from vocabulary games, it is essential that suitable games are

chosen. Whenever a game is to be conducted, the number of students, proficiency level,

cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings are factors that should be

taken into account.

- A game must be more than just fun.

- A game should involve "friendly" competition.

- A game should keep all of the students involved and interested.

- A game should encourage students to focus on the use of language rather than on the

language itself.

- A game should give students a chance to learn, practice, or review specific language

material.

2.2. Rules for students

- Remember that vocabulary goes from passive knowledge to active knowledge -

this means that students need to repeat a word often before it becomes active vocabulary.

- Be patient with oneself, it takes time for this process to work.

- Try always to learn vocabulary in groups of words instead of random lists. In this

manner, words are related to each other and are more likely to be remembered over the

long-term.

- Above all, self study and awareness are two prior factors to achieve learning goals.

3. Limitations and recommendations for further research

Because of the limited time, knowledge and limited size of a minor thesis, the writer

could not carry out the experiment on a larger scale as well as could not teach the classes by

myself or observe many more other lessons so more or less the results might not reach the

most reliable. Apart from these, the subjects of the study (40 first year students of the Ho Chi

Minh Ideology department) are not representative for all AJC students, so the results may not

apply for teaching vocabulary to journalism students.

Based on these limitations, the writer would like to suggest some recommendations for

further research as follows:

- There should be a longitudinal research on a larger scale to affirm the effectiveness of

the CLT classroom activities.

- Further research should be carried out to find out the difficulties of both teachers and

students when applying CLT approach activities in teaching/learning vocabulary so as to

suggest the suitable recommendations to cope with.

- The subjects of the research should be diversified including the theory and journalism

students so the researcher can examine whether with which subject group, applying CLT

classroom activities is more effective.

REFERENCES

Le Van Canh (2001), “Language and Vietnamese Pedagogical Context”, Teacher’s Edition,

Vol. 7.

Fries Ch. (1952), The structure of English: An introduction to the construction of English

sentences, Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York.

Gairns R. & Redman S. (1986), Working with words: A guide to teaching and learning

vocabulary, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Hutchinson T. (2002), Lifelines - Elementary, Student’s book, Oxford University Press,

Oxford, United Kingdom.

Hutchinson T. (2002), Lifelines - Elementary, Workbook, Oxford University Press, Oxford,

United Kingdom.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen & Khuat Thi Thu Nga (2003), “The Effectiveness of Learning

Vocabulary Through Games”, Asian EFL Journal: English Language Teaching and

Research Articles from www.asian-ejournal.com/EFL_sites_search.php.

Johnson K. & Morrow K. (1992), Communication in the Classroom: Applications and

Methods for a Communicative Approach, Longman Group UK Limited.

John, L. (1968), Introduction to theoretical linguistics, Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge.

Lewis M. (1997), Implementing the Lexical Approach: Putting theory into practice,

Language Teaching Publications, Hove, England.

McCarthy M. (1990), Vocabulary Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy, Cambridge

University Press, Cambridge.

Nunan D. (1992), Research Methods in Language Learning, Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge.

Schmitt N. & McCarthy M. (1997), Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy,

Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.

Wilkins D. (1972), Linguistics and Language Teaching, Edward Arnold, London.

www.co.sdsu.edu.

http://www.prel.org/programs/rel/vocabularyforum.asp.

n.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Communicative _ language _ teaching .sociologyindex.com/ quasi _ experiment .htm

www.aug.edu/fenglish/learning_materials/how2_ vocabulary .ht m

APPENDICESAPPENDICE 1:

SELF-ASSESSMENT PAPER (FOR TEACHER)This self-assessment is designed for my thesis research: “A study on the effectiveness

of some CLT classroom activities in teaching vocabulary to the first year non-major students

at the Academy of Journalism and Communication”. Your assistance in self- evaluating your

teaching period during this quasi experiment is highly appraised.

Thank you so much for your cooperation!

Name:…………………………………………………………………………………………...

Class:……………………………………………………………………………………………

Period:…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Date:…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Give main information for the following items:I. The number of students participating in the lesson:

- Attendant:

- Absent (including the names):

II. Lesson:

1. Vocabulary focus:

2. Aims and objectives of the lesson:

3. Teaching aids:

4. Activities:

III. Self assessment

1. Teacher’s health status:

2. Teacher’s preparation:

3. Teaching and learning environment:

4. Evaluating activities used in the lesson

5. Did you encourage involvement of all students?

6. Interaction with students:

7. Error correct:

8. Class management:

9. General evaluation on this period:

APPENDICE 2:

THE POST-TEST 1 (Time allowed: 40 minutes)

I. Unscramble the following words. The pictures will give you clues.

1. urssai

2. bumeralla

3. ramker

4. chertea

II. Complete each of the sentences by using one of the words belowFat color

Pleased from

are nice

is toothbrushes

am Hello

1. …………., I’m Steve.

………to meet you, Steve. My name is Vanessa.

………to meet you, Vanessa.

Where …….. you from?

I…………. from America. And you?

I’m ………….Paris.

2. What ……… is that?

It ……… pink.

3. We have three ……..

4. Look. That man is so………..!

IV. Write the opposites1. cheap ……………… 6. stupid…………………

2. heavy ………………. 7. new…………………..

3. slow………………… 8. thin…………………..

4. tall………………….. 9. small…………………

5. old………………….. 10. bad………………….

V. Imagine that you are in a café. Make a conversation between you as a customer and the assistant.

APPENDICE 3:

THE POST-TEST 2(Time allowed: 40 minutes)

I. Look at the pictures and write the instructions.

1. …………………………………… (1)

2. ……………………………………

3…………………………………….

4. …………………………………. (2)

(3)

(4)

II. Complete the sentences1. I’m married. …….. husband is a doctor.

2. In this photograph we’re with ………friends, Lena and Scott.

3. Mrs Selena is over there with …….. son, Victor.

4. Is this……….new car?

No, it isn’t.

5. This book is for Mr. and Mrs. Rodenberg. What’s ………their address?

III. What are their jobs?1. ……………………………..

2. …………………………

3. …………………………..

4. …………………………….

5. …………………………....

III. Complete the textMy …………. Lena. …………..from Moscow …………. Russia. I’m 18………old and I am

………. Student. My boyfriend ……… a student too. ………name is Maxim and …….. 20. In

this photo we’re……………a café ……….. Madrid. Do………know this city? Madrid

……..our favorite city …………the world. ………… boyfriend is a crazy fan ……….. Real

Madrid. We often go to this city to watch ………….and relax.

IV. Put a dot over the syllable with the stress person 11. lemonade

married 12. secretary

cassette 13. children

hamburger 14. repeat

Brazil 15. listen

exercise 16. excuse

pencil 17. vocabulary

expensive 18. Japan

husband 19. Japanese

meeting 20. English

V. Match the phonetic symbols to the correct word

APPENDICE 4:

THE POST-TEST 3(Time allowed: 40 minutes)

I. Match the picture with the word

II. Look at the picture of Tom Cruise’ family and describe three people in it.

III. Draw the family tree of your friend and write their relationship

IV. Which words have an extra syllable in the plurals in the correct column?glass orange teacher nurse apple box

watch class eye name dress book

toothbrush shop room address window desk

ruler fax niece shoe dog language

no extra syllable an extra syllable

V. What are these words?