Tài liệu Applying anki to enhance vocabulary acquisition of first year students at a university in hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN PHƯƠNG TRINH APPLYING ANKI TO ENHANCE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI (Sử dụng Anki nhằm nâng cao việc học từ vựng của đối tượng sinh viên năm nhất tại một trường đại học ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR 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 NGUYỄN PHƯƠNG TRINH APPLYING ANKI TO ENHANCE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI (Sử dụng Anki nhằm nâng cao việc học từ vựng của đối tượng sinh viên năm nhất tại một trường đại học ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor: Duong Anh Chien, PhD. Hanoi - 2020 DECLARATION I certify that the work presented in this research report has been performed and interpreted solely by myself. I confirm that this paper is submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the M.A. Degree and has not been submitted elsewhere in any other form for the fulfillment of any other degree or qualification. Hanoi, 2020 Nguyen Phuong Trinh i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Upon writing these lines, I have realized this thesis is nearing completion. I look back and I see how long, sometimes tiring and yet worthy this journey has been. Although I am the researcher who wrote this, I believe I am not the only one who contributed the success to it. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people who helped me in this chapter. First, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisor, Duong Anh Chien, Ph.D. It is his assistance and dedicated involvement in every step throughout the process that led to the accomplishment of this paper. I would like to thank you very much for your immense support and valuable advice. I would also like to send a special thanks to my students who were so generous with their time in participating in this research. In addition, I am grateful for all the lecturers from the faculty of post-graduate studies at University of Languages and International Studies for providing me with comprehensive knowledge and supporting me in my master‟s course. Last but not least, my sincere thanks to my friends, Bui Bich Ngoc, Luong Hue Phuong, Do Thi Ngoc Ha, and most importantly, my mother. There were a lot of doubts and scares along the way, but I am glad that I had my family and friends accompany me on this rough road. This thesis stands as a testament to their unconditional love and encouragement. January 12, 2020 Hanoi, Vietnam Nguyen Phuong Trinh ii ABSTRACT This study investigates the impacts of Anki, a web-based flashcard program, on learners‟ vocabulary learning and their perceptions towards the program based on three criteria: usefulness, usability and enjoyment (Davis, 1989; Ranalli, 2009). Participants of the study were first-year students from two intact classes whose levels of language proficiency were at elementary level. Both groups underwent a pre-test and then were required to learn the KET Vocabulary List developed by Cambridge TESOL, which is corresponding to their level at A2 according to CEFR over a period of three weeks. The control group (n = 18) utilized paper flashcards while the experimental group (n = 18) used Anki flashcards. A post-test ensued so that comparisons between two methods of learning vocabulary could be made. The results indicated that making use of traditional flashcards and Anki did lead to the improvement in vocabulary learning; however, those who used Anki showed better performance than those who did not. Therefore, it can be concluded that Anki is an effective learning tool for language learners to expand their vocabulary. In order to gain insights into their perceptions about Anki, the researcher asked the participants to take part in a survey, six of whom later joined an interview to elaborate on their thoughts about Anki. Analysis of the responses revealed that the learners found it useful and rather enjoyable, but the user-friendliness criterion was not viewed as an advantage of this program. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ....................................................................................................... I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... II ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ III LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. VI LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. VII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1 1.1. Rationale of the study .......................................................................................1 1.2. Aims of the study and research questions ........................................................2 1.3. Scope of the study .............................................................................................2 1.4. Significance of the study ..................................................................................3 1.5. Methods of the study ........................................................................................3 1.6. Structure of the thesis .......................................................................................3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................ 5 2.1. Target vocabulary for ESL students ..............................................................5 2.2. The role of repetition in language learning ...................................................5 2.3. Spaced repetition ...........................................................................................7 2.4. Computer-based flashcards programs in language learning ..........................8 2.5. The use of Anki as a learning tool ...............................................................11 2.5.1. The description of Anki .........................................................................11 2.5.2. The use of Anki in vocabulary learning ................................................12 2.6. Previous studies on the effectiveness of Anki in learning vocabulary ........12 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 17 3.1. Participants ..................................................................................................17 3.2. Research design ...........................................................................................18 3.3. Data collection instruments .........................................................................18 3.4. Data collection process ................................................................................22 iv 3.5. Data analysis ................................................................................................24 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................. 26 4.1. Research question 1 .....................................................................................26 4.2. Research question 2 .....................................................................................28 4.2.1. Usefulness .................................................................................................29 4.2.2. Usability ...................................................................................................31 4.2.3. Enjoyment .................................................................................................33 4.3. Discussions ..................................................................................................36 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 39 5.1. Concluding remarks .....................................................................................39 5.2. Limitations of the study ...............................................................................39 5.3. Pedagogical implications .............................................................................40 5.4. Recommendations for further study ............................................................40 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 42 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... I Appendix 1. Pre- and post- vocabulary tests ........................................................... I Appendix 2. Pre-experiment questionnaire ......................................................... VII Appendix 3. Survey on using Anki for vocabulary learning .............................. VIII Appendix 4. Interview questions ............................................................................ X v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Subcategories in the survey ........................................................................ 21 Table 2. Paired samples statistics of pre- and post-test of participants .................... 26 Table 3. Pre- and post-test comparison of the experimental group .......................... 27 Table 4. Pre- and post-test comparison of the control group .................................... 27 Table 5. Independence Sample Tests ........................................................................ 28 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Pre-experiment survey responses ..............................................................18 Figure 2. Technology acceptance model (Davis et al., 1989) ...................................21 Figure 3. Screenshot of the Anki Flashcard interface ...............................................23 Figure 4. Perceptions about usefulness .....................................................................29 Figure 5. Perceptions about usability ........................................................................31 Figure 6. Perceptions about enjoyment .....................................................................34 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This initial part states the rationale of the study, the scope, the significance, the aims, the methods, and the structure of the study. Above all, it is in this part that the research questions are identified to work as clear guidelines for the whole research. 1.1. Rationale of the study As technology is proliferating worldwide over the past century, web-based learning tools are becoming increasingly commonplace in vocabulary language teaching and learning. Godwin-Jones (2011) indicated that over the past decade, learners have been offered a wide array of opportunities to study L2 vocabulary due to state-of-the-art electronic gadgets instead of being solely confined to the pen-andpencil learning method in the past. One of the influences that technology has left on L2 vocabulary learning has been the emergence of digital flashcards. There is a consensus among researchers that making use of electronic flashcards is beneficial in that it can help facilitate the learned information retrieval and better retention (Altiner, 2011; Dodigovic, 2013; Mclean, Hogg & Rush, 2013; Spiri, 2014). In addition, digital flashcards supply users with various multimedia components such as audio and animation, which can increase learners‟ motivation and interest (Allum, 2004). Compared to traditional flashcards, web-based study cards programs gain additional advantages of carrying as many cards as desired and accommodating users with sharing sets of flashcards (Foster, 2009). Plenty of flashcard software has received a great deal of attention in L2 research such as Quizlet or Memorise. Among those programs, Anki, a flashcardscreating-and-learning software that allows users to study vocabulary using spaced repetition, has recently been on the rise. Anki was stated to help learners foster their vocabulary growth and successfully recall the learned information (Altiner, 2011; Zare and Barjasteh, 2017; Seibert Hanson and Brown, 2019). Nevertheless, Bower 1 and Rutson-Griffiths (2014) examined the impact of Anki on vocabulary learning of TOEIC test takers and concluded that there was no significant improvement when L2 learners used Anki. Due to these contradictory discoveries, the researcher noticed the worthiness of studying Anki with intent to make a contribution to the body of already existing research. For this reason, the topic of this thesis is to investigate whether Vietnamese students could improve their vocabulary when they utilize Anki. 1.2. Aims of the study and research questions The study aims to address the following issues: - The impact of Anki on non-English major first-year students at a university in Hanoi. - Students‟ perception toward the use of Anki based on the three following categories which were adapted from Davis (1989) and Ranalli (2009): usefulness, usability and enjoyment. In order to achieve the purposes stated above, the study revolves around two research questions: 1. How does the use of Anki impact the vocabulary learning of first-year students at a university in Hanoi? 2. What are the first-year students‟ perceptions about learning vocabulary with Anki? 1.3. Scope of the study The intent of this study is to investigate the impact of Anki on non-English major freshmen at a university in Hanoi. The chosen participants are from intact groups who were taught by the researcher due to the time and logistic constraint. In addition, this study focuses on how Anki affects their A2 vocabulary according to CEFR. There are a large number of factors when it comes to mastering every aspect of the target words such as learning their root or using them in various correct, suitable contexts; this thesis, however, only focuses on learners‟ retention of the meaning of L2 target words. 2 1.4. Significance of the study This study sought to discover the effect of Anki on learners‟ vocabulary learning. Therefore, the research will support both teaching and learning processes. First, teachers can benefit from this as they may have better decisions as to whether to employ a digital learning tool in or outside of the classroom. The researcher also believes that not only students who have been struggling with acquiring L2 vocabulary but also those who are looking for an additional source of learning and practicing vocabulary are the ones to benefit a great deal from the experiment. 1.5. Methods of the study This study employed a mix-method approach. From a quantitative perspective, a pre-post test design and survey questionnaire were implemented. The results from the two tests were analyzed in order to investigate the effectiveness of Anki in the vocabulary learning process. The follow-up survey questionnaire was to obtain the students‟ opinions about using Anki based on three categories: usefulness, usability and enjoyment. From a qualitative perspective, a face-to-face interview with some students as a follow-up to the survey was conducted with the aim of further investigating the learners‟ preference toward the use of the application under study. 1.6. Structure of the thesis The thesis is entitled “Applying Anki to enhance vocabulary acquisition of first-year students at a university in Hanoi”. It consists of five main chapters: The first chapter is the INTRODUCTION which includes the reason for choosing the topic, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the method as well as the design of the study. The second one is the LITERATURE REVIEW on some key theories underlying the whole research and review of relevant previous studies. Chapter 3 explains the METHODOLOGY used in the research. It describes the participants, data collection instruments, data collection process and analytical framework. 3 Chapter 4, the backbone of the thesis, deals with the FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. The last chapter CONCLUSION summarizes what has been done so far in the study, and indicates the limitation of the study, pedagogical implications as well as the suggestions for further research in this area. Finally, the thesis is completed by a bibliography of references and appendices. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter aims to shed light on the literature of the study, specifically the theoretical background and a number of studies related to the research topic. First, it focuses on the type of vocabulary ESL students should achieve based on their proficiency. Subsequently, the role of retention in language learning is discussed, followed by spaced repetition together with its effects. The next part presents the roles of computer-based flashcard programs. Finally, a brief introduction of the Anki software as a learning tool and previous studies regarding the effectiveness of Anki in learning ESL vocabulary will disclose the research gap and rationalize the aims of this paper. 2.1. Target vocabulary for ESL students The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a globally standardized scale to identify the level of a language user. It consists of six levels namely A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. Those who are at the A1 level are regarded as absolute beginners and reaching C2 level denotes that the English users are now proficient in the language and virtually have no difficulty communicating with native speakers on various topics. A large number of textbooks and teaching materials follow the CEFR level system (Milton & Alexiou, 2009). Also, in language courses, exams are designed based on the CEFR framework. Milton (2010) stated that the more advanced the language learners‟ level becomes, the wider and more complex their language lexicons are. To be more specific, absolute beginners first start to learn English with the textbooks designed in alignment with A1 level, then as their proficiency increases, they proceed to study materials written for the next levels. 2.2. The role of repetition in language learning Asking students to repeat is a common practice in language teaching as repetition is regarded as one of the key factors in vocabulary acquisition. 5 Vocabulary retention denotes the competence of remembering words after a long period of time (Richards & Schmidt, 2002). De Groot (2006) conducted a study concerning this issue and found out 4370% of the target words were acquired on a one-week delayed test after students were exposed to translation pairs in 10 seconds six times and took three receptive tests. Despite the brief duration of those meetings with target words, it can be seen that learners were able to learn new words because of repetition. Researchers hold different views about the number of word encounters required in order for vocabulary acquisition. Nation (2001) indicated from five to more than 20 repetitions are needed. Meanwhile, according to Horst, Cobb, and Meara (1998), initial repetitions help learners remember the spelling and form of the target word; however, it might take more than ten repeated meetings for learners to understand every component of vocabulary and generate words to express their thoughts in speech and writing properly. Webb (2007) found that it is necessary for students to encounter new words at least ten times in the process of vocabulary learning. The reason why researchers hold different opinions about how many repetitions are needed is because no two learners have the same language background and knowledge base from which they approach the target vocabulary. Should the learner find a target word familiar to some extent, the time spent learning that word might be less than the time spent learning an unfamiliar one. Additionally, the number of repetitions can be affected by other factors such as motivation and language learning aptitude (Nation, 2001). Notwithstanding the lack of a fixed number of repetitions required, researchers all come to an agreement that the importance of the recycling process is undeniable. No matter how much time and effort the learner invests in vocabulary learning for the first time, no repetitions can lead to the struggle for memorizing the target words in the future (Nation, 1990). 6 2.3. Spaced repetition Repetition in learning is divided into two main types: massed repetition and spaced repetition. When learners use massed repetition, they try to remember something by repeating the information for a certain period of time without any interruption. In other words, studying a whole list of new words for thirty minutes without reviewing them on the following days is considered massed repetition study. Meanwhile, the other technique requires learners to repeat the information to themselves over and over with gradually increasing intervals between those repetitions. For instance, a student learns the word “dictionary” today, then keeps reviewing it the following day, one week later and two weeks later until long-term retention of the word is ensured. Memory research points out the positive impact of this spaced repetition on preventing the loss of learned information. Ebbinghaus (2011) developed the forgetting curve that describes how memory works over time. He indicated that when no effort to retain what has been learned is made, the memory loss will happen. To be more specific, the information is absolutely retained at the time of learning; there is, however, a sharp drop in memory retention to 40% within the first few days (Ebbinghaus, 2011). Afterward, the forgetting process slowly levels out. Ebbinghaus proposed a method that can be conducive to long-term memory, which are repetitions separated by timed spaces. When an individual revisits the information at regular intervals, there is a high probability that the effect of the forgetting curve will decrease and therefore recalling information will be reinforced. The effectiveness of spaced repetition is proved in plenty of research. With the same total amount of time invested in studying a vocabulary list, those who used spaced repetition method recall vocabulary better than those following massed repetition method (Baddeley, 1990; Dempster, 1987; Roediger & Butler, 2011). They indicated that it is a periodic review that boosts memory performance. In a study conducted by Daloglu, Baturay, and Yildirim (2008), students were asked to learn vocabulary through spaced repetition software called WEBVOCLE. The 7 target vocabulary taken from three modules was put into texts and exercises including multiple-choice, gap filling and cloze tests that the students had to deal with repeatedly. His findings showed that using spaced repetition technique left a positive impact on learners‟ vocabulary development. Ko and Gorenson (2014) also found that there was a statistically significant improvement in receptive and productive vocabulary for Korean students after ten weeks of studying on a spaced repetition program. 2.4. Computer-based flashcards programs in language learning Spaced repetition is a learning technique that is usually performed with flashcards. According to Elgort and Nation (2010), making use of flashcards is a beneficial approach for an impressive achievement of acquiring second language vocabulary. In general, a flashcard is a double-sided card designed for direct learning that allows learners to practice form-to-meaning and meaning-to-form recall in repeated retrieval of L2 words, by flipping the front and back sides of the cards. The main components on a card consist of a new word on one side and its meaning on the other side. However, the learners can design the cards in their own ways by adding illustrations, phonetic transcription or an example so that the target word can be understood more clearly. Since the day digital flashcards were invented, they have always been compared to paper flashcards in terms of their efficacy. Several researchers show their support for the widespread use of flashcard programs due to the effectiveness they bring to language learners. To begin with, these kinds of programs include a history section where the learner‟s improvement over a period of time is recorded in statistics or graphs (Nakata, 2008). Therefore, learners are able to keep track of their learning progress and make a modification if necessary. In addition, while paper flashcards are basic and plain to some extent, digital flashcards offer a range of features to promote vocabulary development as well as to increase learners‟ motivation and autonomy such as audio and illustrations (Allum, 2004). Last but not least, in the study of Azabdaftari and Mozaheb (2012), the participants showed a preference for digital flashcards because of its ubiquity and convenience. Much as it 8 is handy to put a deck of paper flashcards in a pocket or a bag, it can be difficult to handle and organize such a large number of cards if there are hundreds, even thousands of cards. Digital flashcards programs are made to solve this problem since they give users the ability to study large decks more conveniently. To conclude, it can be seen that digital flashcards are basically similar to paper flashcards but with certain advancements pertaining to the facilitation of vocabulary acquisition. With the proliferation of digital devices and the considerable favor of them and their functions with regards to education, a large number of vocabulary learning programs have been created and taken advantage of in language classrooms all over the world. 50 universities and hundreds of schools from many countries in the world are reported to use vTrain, a flashcard program (Nakata, 2011). She also stated that Quizlet has become an increasingly popular application with more than one million users. In Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo DS, a flashcard program for English learning, was included in language courses at all the public junior high schools (Tamaki, 2007). The use of computer-based flashcards in language learning has attracted a vast majority of researchers in the field. The study of Başoğlu and Akdemir (2012) focused on determining the effectiveness of digital flashcards compared to paperbased ones. A group of 60 Turkish students was equally divided into two groups. The control group used traditional vocabulary acquisition techniques, whereas the experimental group made use of their mobile phone to learn vocabulary on a flashcard program called ECTACO. According to the post-test results, the experimental group gained higher scores, which resulted in the positive impact of ECTACO on students‟ vocabulary acquisition. Notwithstanding this software is available only on mobile phones, its influence is identical to that of other computerbased programs as mobile phones, in fact, are a miniature version of computers (Başoğlu and Akdemir, 2012). Therefore, the result of this research can be contributed into the same group with studies that investigate the impact on using of other computer-based flashcard programs. 9 Dodigovic (2013) investigated the effectiveness of a web-based flashcard software named WordChamp. The students in the study went through three learning stages. First, they learned vocabulary without cards, then proceeded to learn with electronic cards created by the teacher, and finally designed a set of flashcards using WordChamp on their own. Pre- and post-vocabulary level tests were administered. The result suggested that the first two methods yielded similar effectiveness; however, learning with teacher-designed cards was statistically higher. Meanwhile, learning with self-designed cards was not as effective as the other two methods. According to the researcher, it was due to the lack of skills to design digital word cards successfully. Alzeer (2015) did a study about how effective Quizlet is with regards to learning academic vocabulary, how vocabulary retention is enhanced and what students perceive this program. First, volunteers took a 2000 Word Level Test so that the researcher could select the participants based on their homogeneous proficiency level. The two groups underwent the Academic Vocabulary pre-test, followed by the introduction of Quizlet to the experimental group and the paper flashcard learning for the control group. During six weeks, they were asked to learn 240 items from the Academic Word List. Both groups did an immediate post-test at the seventh week and a delayed post-test at the ninth week. The results indicated that there was not much difference in the effectiveness of two learning methods as the two groups gained a higher score at the post-tests. However, in the interview conducted with the experimental group, students said that they thought Quizlet was useful, easy to use and they quite enjoyed using it. Ali et al (2012) conducted a study that aimed to find out learners‟ perceptions towards three vocabulary learning methods: Contextual Clues, Dictionary Strategy and a computer-based software named Tell Me More (TMM). 123 freshmen were classified into three corresponding groups. The contextual clues group employed guessing the meaning based on given contexts and think-aloud protocols. The dictionary strategy group learned by looking up new words together, 10 particularly focused on phonetic symbols and example sentences. Finally, the TMM group was instructed to use hyperlinks by accessing the Vocabulary Workshop. The procedure comprised a pre-test in the first week, two subsequent weeks of studying including two immediate recall tests, and a delayed post-test in the sixth week, followed by the questionnaire and an interview. The researcher found that among the three learning methods, the group who used TMM had more positive attitudes in learning vocabulary. They acknowledged that computers impacted their learning perceptions. Moreover, they felt comfortable using the computer since they are a vital part of their daily life. 2.5. The use of Anki as a learning tool 2.5.1. The description of Anki Anki is a free flashcards program developed by Damien Elmes. It is accessible in a variety of digital devices such as computers, mobile phones, and tablet computers. In addition to making their own flashcards that are called “decks”, users can get access to myriad free decks on different topics on the website of Anki. With regards to the interface of this program, it is similar to a paper flashcard system to some extent with two sides, one containing the question and the back containing the answer. However, instead of flipping the physical flashcards, users click on the “Show Answer” button to see the answer while the question part remains visible by default. There are two formats of flashcards on Anki, which are recognition cards and recalling cards. First, the recognition card format provides learners some written part of a language and tests whether they can understand it. To put it more simply, one side of the card has the target word and the learner is expected to remember its meaning on the other side of the card. The advantage of this type is recognition cards are easier to do and it takes a short time to cover numerous materials. However, recognition-based study experiences one drawback. Learners are likely to have difficulty using words in their own speech and writing in spite of their instant recognition of the target words when they appear in spoken and written language of 11