Tài liệu A study on the use of mobile applications to improve vocabulary learning and teaching in an english centre in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ THỊ KIM NHUNG A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY LEARNING AND TEACHING IN AN ENGLISH CENTRE IN HANOI (Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng các ứng dụng trên điện thoại thông minh để cải thiện việc dạy và học từ vựng tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh tại Hà Nội) M.A. APPLIED PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 HANOI – 2020 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ THỊ KIM NHUNG A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY LEARNING AND TEACHING IN AN ENGLISH CENTRE IN HANOI (Nghiên cứu về việc sử dụng các ứng dụng trên điện thoại thông minh để cải thiện việc dạy và học từ vựng tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh tại Hà Nội) M.A. APPLIED PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor: Dr. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh HANOI – 2020 DECLARATION By submitting this thesis, I declare that the entire work is my own original work, which has not been submitted to any other university or institution. Other sources of information used in this paper have been clearly identified and acknowledged. Hanoi, October 2020 Lê Thị Kim Nhung Xác nhận của Xác nhận của Chủ tịch Hội đồng Cán bộ hướng dẫn Huỳnh Anh Tuấn Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Quỳnh for her particularly valuable guidance, contributions and support throughout the study. I would also like to express my genuine thanks to all of the members in Post-graduate Department of University of Languages and International Studies (Hanoi) for designing such a great syllabus of the Master program. Finally, I am also grateful to my family members who have always been supportive, encouraging, and above all inspiring all through my study time. Hanoi, October 2020 Lê Thị Kim Nhung ii ABSTRACT Language teaching and learning has undergone significant changes as a result of rapid development of technology. This research is a mixed methods research with the participation of ten students from different high schools in Hanoi. The purpose of this study was to figure out whether the chosen mobile application named Quizlet effectively facilitated learners in their vocabulary recall. An online Quizlet class was created and students were expected to use this mobile application to self-study SAT test essential vocabulary in ten weeks. The instruments included a pre-test at the first week, a post-test at the tenth week, and a face-to-face interview. Findings of the study show that the use of mobile application Quizlet is meaningful to learners‟ vocabulary recall. In addition, the attitude of the students toward the application was rather favourable although there were some challenges during the learning process. Keywords: mobile-assisted language learning, mobile application, vocabulary recall iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CALL : computer-assisted language learning MALL : mobile-assisted language learning SAT : Scholastic Aptitude Test SPSS : Statistical Package for the Social Sciences iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Challenges that students may encounter when using mobile application in vocabulary learning and teaching............................................. 37 Figure 1: The convergent design diagram....................................................... 24 Figure 2: Paired Samples Statistics ................................................................. 32 Figure 3: Paired Samples Test......................................................................... 32 Figure 4: The effect of mobile applications on facilitating students‟ vocabulary recall ............................................................................................. 35 v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .............................................................................................. i ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES .............................................................. v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................. 1 1. Rationale for the study .................................................................................. 1 2. Aims of the study .......................................................................................... 2 3. Research questions ........................................................................................ 3 4. Scope of the study ......................................................................................... 3 5. Significance of the study ............................................................................... 3 6. The structure of the thesis ............................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 6 2.1. Overview of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) ......................... 6 2.1.1. Definition of MALL ................................................................................ 6 2.1.2. Mobile devices and mobile applications that assist English vocabulary learning .............................................................................................................. 7 2.1.3. Benefits of MALL ................................................................................... 9 2.2. Vocabulary teaching and learning............................................................ 10 2.2.1. Definition of vocabulary ....................................................................... 10 2.2.2. Vocabulary teaching.............................................................................. 13 2.2.3. Vocabulary learning .............................................................................. 13 2.3. The use of mobile application called Quizlet in English learning and teaching15 2.3.1. Brief introduction of the mobile application Quizlet ............................ 15 2.3.2. The use of Quizlet in English learning and teaching ............................ 18 2.4. Summary .................................................................................................. 18 vi CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY............................................................... 20 3.1. Restatement of the purpose of the study and the research questions ....... 20 3.2. Research design ........................................................................................ 20 3.3. The setting and participants of the study ................................................. 25 3.3.1. The setting ............................................................................................. 25 3.3.2. Participants ............................................................................................ 25 3.4. Data collection tool .................................................................................. 27 3.4.1. Pre-test and post-test ............................................................................. 28 3.4.2. Face-to-face interview........................................................................... 28 3.5. Data collection procedures ....................................................................... 29 3.6. Data analysis methods .............................................................................. 30 3.7. Chapter summary ..................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ....................................... 32 4.1. Pre-test and Post-test results .................................................................... 32 4.2. Students‟ attitudes towards the use of mobile applications in vocabulary learning ............................................................................................................ 33 4.3. Challenges that students may face when using mobile applications in learning and teaching ...................................................................................... 37 4.4. Chapter summary ..................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 41 5.1. Recapitulation .......................................................................................... 41 5.2. Implications .............................................................................................. 41 5.3. Conclusion................................................................................................ 42 5.4. Limitation of the study ............................................................................. 43 5.5. Suggestions for further study ................................................................... 44 REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 45 APPENDICES .................................................................................................. I APPENDIX 1: PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST ................................................. I APPENDIX 2: TEST SCORES ....................................................................... V vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale for the study Technology has changed the way that English is taught and learned in the classroom. Nowadays, several terms such as „computer-assisted language learning‟ (CALL), „mobile-assisted language learning‟ (MALL) and „blended learning‟ are becoming increasingly familiar to teachers. In recent years, the application of technology in educational purposes has been of great concern for researchers in the field. In many developed countries in the world, it is unnecessary for teachers to struggle with a CD player or a blackboard and a piece of chalk anymore. They have new technologies such as overhead projectors, interactive whiteboards, computer labs equipped with wireless internet, so that they could make use of PowerPoint to present grammar, play podcasts or videos to give instruction on listening skills, or even provide students with access to a wide range of web-based tools (online course in Canvas or Moodle) that allow them to study at home and publish their work and engage with peer review and self-assessment. In many classrooms, students are equipped with tablets when they enter the class for learning purposes. It is no doubt that technology plays an important role not only in boosting students‟ learning autonomy but also in facilitating teachers in their teaching. When teaching English vocabulary to a group of high school students planning to take the SAT test, the researcher realized that (1) students find paperwork uninteresting; therefore, their learning autonomy and engagement in classroom activities seem rather low, which hinders their improvement of lexical range, (2) students are not willing to study vocabulary both inside and 1 outside the classroom in traditional ways including using paper-based flashcards and keeping vocabulary notebooks. Since vocabulary competence plays a key role in the success of a SAT test taker, it is crucial for the researcher to find out and employ appropriate educational technological tool(s) that would help address these above problems. It is expected that the selected tool would make great contribution to creating a lively atmosphere in class and improving students‟ learning autonomy and engagement. The researcher then made the decision on choosing a mobile application called Quizlet, which is an online learning community providing engaging, customizable activities and numerous learning modes to help students practice and master whatever they are learning to apply to this SAT preparation class. Furthermore, other two applications that facilitate teachers in obtaining recent multiple-choice test results are also employed, namely Kahoot! and Plickers. Mentioned above are the primary reasons why the researcher would like to carry out the action research titled “A study on the use of mobile applications to improve vocabulary learning and teaching in an English centre in Hanoi.” Beside all of those justification, personal passionate interest in the application of pedagogical technologies to teaching as well as mobile-assisted language learning is also one of the inspirational factors urging the researcher to conduct the study. 2. Aims of the study This research aims at: (1) reporting in details the process and result of the use of the mobile application called Quizlet in an English classroom; (2) verifying if the application Quizlet effectively facilitates English vocabulary learning and teaching activities; and 2 (3) determining challenges and difficulties that teachers and students may face when using mobile applications in teaching and learning. 3. Research questions The study is conducted to find answers to a primary research question, which is „Does the mobile application named Quizlet effectively facilitate students‟ recall to essential words of the SAT test?‟ In order to address this primary research question, the research aims at answering the following secondary research questions: (1) To what extent does selected mobile application in English vocabulary teaching improve students‟ English vocabulary recall test results? (2) What are the students‟ attitudes towards the mobile application? (3) What challenges and difficulties do students and teachers face when using the mobile application? 4. Scope of the study The study focuses on the application of the mobile application named Quizlet to teaching and learning vocabulary in a class of ten students (intermediate level) from various high schools in Hanoi. These students aimed at getting high mark on the SAT tests in order to study abroad. In terms of vocabulary, all lexical items were obtained from the Master Word List of the book Barron's SAT, 29th Edition. Students were expected to recall the essential words so that they were able to score the highest marks in their real SAT test. It is expected that the result of this study could be applied to further studies which closely relate to the application of mobile technology in second language and foreign language learning and instruction. 5. Significance of the study The findings of this study may prove useful to the following: 3  Teachers/Instructors: This paper might raise their awareness of applying an online technological tool to their teaching in order to make it better and better. Also, trying to work with up-to-date technologies would enhance professional development.  Students: This study might be meaningful to students to have a clearer view and experience of the teacher‟s performance, which would enhance students‟ participation rate during the lesson. In addition, learners‟ learning autonomy of vocabulary would be expected to increase.  Researchers in the field: This paper may serve as an inspiration in employing a technological tool (mobile applications) in teaching and undertaking more relevant research papers. 6. The structure of the thesis This study is divided into five main chapters as follows: Chapter 1 – Introduction deals with several general elements of the thesis, which consists of the rationale, aims, research questions, scope, significance and design of the study. Chapter 2 – Literature review and theoretical background – gives a critical review of the previous studies relating mobile assisted language learning and the application of mobile applications to teaching and learning English. Furthermore, the results of several studies on the use of mobile application called Quizlet in English learning and teaching vocabulary are briefly summarized. Chapter 3 – Methodology – provides the information by which the research was conducted and how the data was collected. Chapter 4 – Data analysis and finding – describes how the data was analyzed as well as the findings drawn from the data analysis. This chapter 4 reveals the results and discussion of the study, in which a primary research question and three secondary ones are discussed and addressed. Chapter 5 – Conclusion – summarizes the whole paper as well as presents several limitations of the study. Moreover, implications and suggestions for further studies are included. 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The rapid development and expansion of high technologies, especially mobile technology have changed the ways that instruction of foreign language is delivered to learners. With the continuous improvements of portable and mobile devices, people have made attempts to take advantage of mobile devices in language learning, which led to the emergence of a new concept: “mobile assisted language learning (MALL). MALL has been considered to create a considerable impact on language instruction in terms of principles, techniques, strategies, teacher and learner roles, material use and evaluation process. This chapter covers the literature review of mobile assisted language learning, vocabulary teaching and learning, and the use of the mobile application called Quizlet in facilitating teaching and learning English. 2.1. Overview of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) 2.1.1. Definition of MALL In recent years, mobile assisted language learning (MALL) has been of great interest for researchers. MALL is considered as one of the possible solutions to CALL (computer-assisted language learning) problems, including the complication of the setup of desktop computer and the learners‟ negligence to what are presented on the desktop screen. Although, in general, MALL has also been treated as a branch of CALL, Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008) claimed that MALL was different from CALL „in its use of personal, portable devices that enable new ways of learning, emphasizing continuity or spontaneity of access and interaction across different contexts of use.‟ (p. 273). MALL focuses on how mobile technology can be applied to language learning. According to Yang (2013), mobile-assisted language learning 6 (MALL) was „a burgeoning subdivision of computer assisted language learning in general. As mobile technology has evolved, so have their advanced applications developed for language education.‟ (p. 19). Baleghizadeh and Oladrostam (2010) quoted the definition of MALL by Trifanova, Ronchetti and Gamper (2004) as a sub-area of technology for language learning (TeLL) including the use of „any device that is small, autonomous and unobtrusive enough to accompany us at every moment‟ for language learning and teaching purposes. In other words, MALL is defined as the category of technology enhanced language learning that takes place with the mobility and the portability of learning devices, as well as the mobility of their users. In short, MALL could be simply understood as a subset that might overcome the drawbacks of CALL. In a MALL environment, learners are assisted by portable devices such as smartphones or tablets in their learning. Thanks to the useful mobile equipment, it is unnecessary for learners to sit in front of paper-based books or desktop screens for a long time. They are now able to learn anytime and anywhere with the support of mobile technology. 2.1.2. Mobile devices and mobile applications that assist English vocabulary learning Mobile devices which can be used for MALL include cell phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, etc. They play an important role in the acquisition of all the language skills with the support of MALL. Recently, smartphone use in language learning caused the emergence of Mobile Assisted Language Learning. According to Bahrani (2011), „current use of mobile devices in language learning ranges from vocabulary or grammar learning to story reading and pronunciation practices‟ (p. 245). Nowadays, there is a wide range of mobile devices that can be employed in 7 language learning and teaching, but the role played by mobile devices are variable depending on the type of the device used. For instance, in terms of smartphones, it was stated by Chinnery (2006) that learners could practice communicative language, expose themselves to authentic e-learning materials and complete tasks online thanks to various features and functions that a smartphone offers. In terms of tablets, the results of a comparative study carried out by Lan, Sung, and Chang (2007) revealed that the application of tablet personal computers to assist peer collaboration exceeded the traditional class setting, at which students find it not easy to work with their peers. In other words, EFL learners‟ anxiety and shyness when it comes to peer collaboration in class could be lessened thanks to the application of mobile devices. Moreover, their self-esteem and motivation are boosted as Yang (2013) stated in her research paper. Regarding mobile devices and applications that could help learners improve their lexical range, several studies have been conducted by various researchers. In the study on the application of PDAs to support undergraduate learners of English in vocabulary self-study, Song and Fox (2008) verified the effectiveness of the mobile device in helping highly motivated learners to improve communication skills regarding word definitions with their peers and lecturers outside the classroom. In the survey conducted by Deng and Shao in 2011, they investigated students' attitude towards self-directed English vocabulary learning through an electronic dictionary application in daily context. The results showed that learners were willing to study via mobile applications in their everyday life. Basoglu and Akdemir (2010) conducted an experimental research to make comparison between learning English vocabulary via mobile phone applications and learning these lexical items using paper-based flashcards. The results indicated that the experimental 8 group, whose members used smart phone applications to learn, achieved significantly better in the multiple-choice post-test. 2.1.3. Benefits of MALL With the use of mobile devices, significant opportunities have been obtained in terms of material use and time allocated to language education. MALL managed to eliminate the drawbacks of traditional vocabulary instruction thanks to the facilities and functions brought by mobile devices. In terms of benefits of MALL, lots of studies have reported that the application of mobile technologies may have a positive contribution to foreign language learning. Attewell (2005, p. 13) suggested MALL could bring potential benefits in the following areas. Firstly, mobile learning facilitated learners‟ ability to enhance not only their language skills but also other essential skills such as collaborative skills and technological skills. Secondly, mobile learning gave a hand to students to overcome the shyness or hesitancy in raising their voice in class as they had the opportunity to participate in various kinds of novel activities, which were less stressful in comparison with those of traditional class. Finally, thanks to the help of mobile learning, the duration of students‟ concentration was rather longer compared with normal sessions „when it is normally difficult to focus them for 15 minutes‟ (p. 13). Mobile technologies have shown enormous potential for the development of learners‟ autonomy, creativity, motivation, and cooperative skills. In the study by Kim and Kwon in 2012, they also summarized the benefits of MALL. First of all, they stated that thanks to MALL, students had easy and prompt access not only to a greater amount of language learning materials but also to other people regardless of time and place. Furthermore, the nature of digital technology „facilitates students‟ participation in both collaborative and individualized language learning activities synchronously 9 and / or asynchronously allowing rapid development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills‟ (p. 35). Last but not least, it was believed that MALL provided various resources and tools for language learning that encouraged learners to be more motivated, autonomous and socially interactive. Wang (2012) stated in the study conducted to investigate the use of electronic dictionaries in reading electronic text that electronic dictionary applications were particularly helpful in broadening intermediate and advanced learners‟ lexical range, in which many items were essential to improve their reading and writing skills. In the research on the effectiveness of vocabulary learning via mobile phone, Lu (2008) concluded that mobile groups acquired more new words than paper-groups students. The more frequently they accessed SMS lessons, the more lexical items they gained and remembered. In addition, Lu (2008) stated that students found it easier to learn and memorize new lexical items in SMS (short message service) lessons, which were considered convenient and interesting. As mobile learning provided students a flexible learning environment where they were able to learn anytime they wanted, students were impressed by the convenience and effective time management in learning vocabulary through mobile phones. 2.2. Vocabulary teaching and learning 2.2.1. Definition of vocabulary Although it is considered as a sub-skill in language learning, vocabulary still plays a fundamental role in mastering a second / foreign language. According to Richards (2003), vocabulary is „a set of lexemes which includes single words, compound words and idioms‟ (p. 580), which is different from word – „the smallest of the linguistic units which can occur on its own in speech or writing‟ (p. 588). Obviously, vocabulary does not mean just a single 10 word such as „mom‟ or „dad‟. There are two types of vocabulary: receptive vocabulary, which refers to the words we understand through reading and listening; and productive vocabulary – the words we use to communicate through writing and speaking (Lehr, Osborn, & Hiebert, 2004, p. 5). The Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary (2010) provided a list of three definitions in total for the word „vocabulary‟, which were (1) all the words that a person knows or uses, (2) all the words in a particular language, (3) the words that people use when they are talking about a particular subject (p. 1722). According to these definitions, it can be concluded that there are the subject‟s vocabulary, the language‟s vocabulary and the person‟s vocabulary. In short, vocabulary could be simply understood as all the words and phrases used in a particular language or subject. Without these lexical elements, it is impossible for a foreign language learner to convey his ideas or expressions about something using the target language. When it comes to vocabulary competence, there is a number of aspects that learners should pay close attention to beside the spoken and written form and the most common meaning of a lexical item. Ur (2015) proposes a list of vocabulary knowledge aspects which need to be learnt as the following:  Form Form consists of spoken and written, or in other words, pronunciation and spelling respectively. Mastering these two fundamental aspects would be particularly helpful to students, especially to their two productive skills (speaking and writing).  Meaning: denotation The denotational meaning of a lexical item can be normally found in dictionaries as the very first meaning. Sometimes, the meaning of the original word could be used to infer to „metaphorical extensions‟ based on the similar features. 11