Using ABCD Model Lesson Objectives to improve the Difficulties in Learning English Vocabularies in Reading Lessons among Grade 6 Students in Vietnam
An Action Research on Using ABCD Model Lesson Objectives to Improve the Difficulties in Learning English Vocabularies in Reading Lessons among Grade 6 Students in Vietnam.
Chukwuma, Chisom-Nonso Henry
Abstract
Effective knowledge of Vocabulary development in language learning serves as the gateway to developing reading skills in EFL (English as a Foreign language) learning. Most Vietnamese low-intermediate students’ poor performance in reading lessons and tests are as a result of poor knowledge of English vocabularies. They encounter problems in reading lessons due to difficult lexical items in their reading comprehension passages given to some strange English sounds’ patterns, word usages, spellings and pronunciation patterns different from their L1. Ultimately, this leads to lack of interest, fluency and confidence in reading English passages and texts. Therefore, this study aims at application of ABCD model lesson objectives towards solving this ELT problem mostly related to intermediate language learners in Vietnam where English language is a compulsory subject studied as a foreign language for international communicative purposes. The study has adopted a four stage Action Research (AR) model proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988). The research study employed predominantly a qualitative research design, implementing characteristics of a case study aiming to investigate the difficulties related to vocabulary learning and improve it with the theoretical framework of ABCD model lesson objectives. The researcher conducted a four-week action research on how ABCD module can improve the vocabulary reading skills among 20 grade 6 students in in Truong Tieu Hoc Dich Vong B public school, Hanoi and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu (Foreign Language Centre Centre) VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoi. Before the action research, students’ difficult vocabularies (lexical items) were identified from their syllables and topic lessons, simple questionnaire and and pre-test. Then, a two-week action plan was carried out and ABCD model lesson objectives of Audience/Actor, Behavior, Condition and Degree was applied in the light of the results of the problems. Vocabulary reading post-tests was taken and post interview was made afterwards. The findings of the study suggest that the use of AR as a tool for investigating and improving the vocabulary learning and reading skills through application of ABCD model objectives was effective. It was found that the data collection and analysis as well as analysis of students’ post-test and teachers’ interview improved their vocabulary reading skills after the action research. The study concludes that AR can be used as a tool to improve the ELT difficulties of vocabulary learning and reading through effective application of ABCD model lesson objectives.
Keywords: Lesson objectives, ABCD model Objectives (Audience/Actor, Behavior, Condition, Degree), Learning difficulties, English Vocabularies, Reading lesson, Grade 6 low-intermediate learners, Action Research, Vietnam
1.1 Introduction
Given to the linguistic fact that while English language is a stressed-oriented language, Vietnamese language is a tone-based language, Vietnamese grade 6 low-intermediate learners struggle with many language difficulties in English ranging from strange pronunciation and spelling patterns of words in L2 to meanings of target words and their appropriate usages. These set of language learners often can’t pronounce some vocabularies and when they attempt, they often mispronounce them in their bid to use their phonic knowledge of L1 (Vietnamese language) to pronounce some words in the target language which is English. Nation, (2001, Read, (2002) and Schmitt, (2000) in Rousoulioti, T. & Mouti, A. (2016) practically believed that Vocabulary comprehension and use have always been on the forefront of any consideration of teaching/learning and language assessment, of both first language (L1) and second/foreign language (L2). Vocabulary knowledge is one of many factors strongly associated with reading competence, particularly in the upper elementary grades and beyond where the majority of text read is informational (Anderson & Freebody, 1981; Carney, Anderson, Blackburn, & Blessing, 1984; Hart & Risley, 2003; Hirsch, 2003; Kame'enui, Carnine, & Freschi, 1982; Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986) in Hairrell (2008).
In conducting this action research, the researcher simply wants to undergo a process of investigating and solving this ELT classroom problem with the aim of exploring and improving the difficulties related to learning and reading of vocabulary items. This agrees with the notion of a holistic teacher and underscores Santana-Williamson in Edge, (2001, p.35) view that the purpose of conducting action research is for teachers to reflect on their teaching and on their students’ learning, and use their knowledge and experience. Mettetal. G (2001) postulated that classroom actionresearch is a research designed to help a teacher find out what is happening in his or her classroom, and to use that information to make wise decisions for the future. Methods can be qualitative or quantitative, descriptive or experimental. However, the researcher’s goal to apply ABCD model lesson objectives in this action research to improve the difficulties of students in learning and reading vocabularies agrees with Burns (2010) perception of the central idea of the action part of AR which is to intervene in a deliberate way in the problematic situation in order to bring about changes and even better, improvement in practice. Importantly, the improvements that happen in AR are ones based on information (or to use the research term, data) that an action researcher collects systematically.
The researcher conducted a four-week action research on how ABCD module lesson objectives can improve the vocabulary reading skills among 20 grade 6 students in Truong Tieu Hoc Dich Vong B public school and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoi. This is a Communication Class I teach twice a week. The instruments of questionnaire and pre-test, were employed to investigate the difficulties of students’ vocabulary learning and the instruments of post-interview were employed to evaluate the progress of the research action. The ABCD model objectives were applied to achieve effective learning and reading of vocabulary items in reading lessons.
1.2 Purpose and Significance of the study
a. To investigate and solve the difficulties related to learning and reading of English vocabulary items in EFL socio-linguistic environment such as Vietnam.
b. To employ ABCD model lesson objectives in improving the vocabulary reading skills among 20 grade 6 students in Vietnam.
c. To practically verify the validity or falsity in the above-outlined hypotheses on the causes of grade 6 students’ difficulties in vocabulary reading lessons in Vietnam
d. To employ instruments of simple questionnaire, pretest, posttest and interviews and students recommended text to explore and improve the vocabulary learning and reading difficulties.
e. To utilize effective and interesting teaching in improving grade 6 vocabulary learning and reading difficulties
2. Literature Review
Theoretical Foundation
2.1 Definition of ABCD model objectives and Clarification Terms
Dwyer (1991) in Arapah.E (2016) stated that different levels of objectives can also be categorized according to different levels of learning that you want the students to achieve. That is, whether you want the students to remember factual information, distinguish among the concepts, apply rules/principles, or do problem solving, these expectations should be expressed as different types of objectives. Heinich, et al., (1996) suggested that one method that can be useful when writing a learning objective or outcome is the A.B.C.D. method. Besides their perspectives, studies and researches over time has proven that ABCD model objectives is a learner-centered objective not a teacher-based objective. It clearly spells out the expected learning outcomes of the learners in terms of learning needs (what they are expected to know) and target needs (what they are expected to do and how much they can perform the learning tasks) at the end of any given language objectives or instructions taught in the target language. This objective model is both a task-based objective and it adopts backward approach curriculum/syllable design. This model objectives practically justifies Ignacio Estrada (2018) assertion that If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.
According to McKimm (2009:408) in Arapah. E (2016), setting the learning objectives underpins effective clinical teaching, helping to determine teaching, learning and assessment methods. Then, in understanding the curriculum, learners’ needs and the educational context is essential when planning teaching sessions and learning outcomes may be defined in terms of broad goals, instructional objectives or competencies. Therefore, many teachers, while welcoming the new approaches, nevertheless feel a need for a clearly defined frame-work for organizing their teaching, both in the long term and in the short term (El Fadil, 1985) in Arapah.E (2016).
In a detailed elucidation of the objectives of an ABCD model, Thomlinson and McTighe, (2006) stated that an objective should contain; 1) Audience – learners for whom the objective is written for (e.g., ESL, ABE, GED); 2) Behavior – the verb that describes what the audience will be able to do (e.g., describe, explain, find, communicate);3) Condition – the circumstances under which the audience will perform the behavior (e.g., when a learner obtains medicine from the pharmacy s/he will be able to read the dosage);4) Degree – acceptable performance of the behavior (i.e., how well the learner performs the behavior).The objective does not have to be written in this order (ABCD), but it should contain all of these elements. Specifically, in demonstrating that there are some components that form a lesson objective, Zerwas (2008:4-5) illustratively stated some characteristics of a learning objectives. First, it is always expressed in terms of the learner. Second, it is precise and supports only one interpretation. Third, it describes an observable behavior. Next, it specifies conditions under which the behavior is performed. Finally, it specifies criteria for accomplishment. Using a tabular illustration, they defined these specific terms as follows:
· It identifies who will be learning (the learner, the staff member, student, participant, employee, trainee, organization member, and audience member) · Who will be performing the behavior | What behavior should the learner be able to do It should include an action verb which indicates what the learner will be able to do. It should be something that can be seen or heard. | · Under what conditions that the learner has to be able to do it · It states the conditions that will be imposed when learners are demonstrating their mastery of the objective. · It includes what the learners will be allowed to use and the conditions under which the mastery of skill occurs. · It comprises resources, environment, direction, format, deadlines. | · How well must it be done · A degree or criterion is the standard by which a performance is evaluated · The power of an objective increases when you tell the learners HOW WELL the behavior must be done. · It covers accuracy/tolerance, speed, number, reference of standards, permissible errors, degree of excellence. |
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Source: Zerwas (2008:4-5)
Creating Learning Objectives (2015,p. 7-8), explained the ABCD objectives model thus “The ABCD parts of the lesson objectives are defined as Audience/Actor, Behavior, Conditions, and Degree. First, an objective should refer to the “actor” in general terms such as “the learner” or “you.” Other times, the actor can be identified by his or her job role, such as “the customer service representative” or the press operator.” Actor is the “WHO?” Second, Behavior is something that the learner must do -a behavior of some sort. It must be some form of observable behavior, not something unobservable like “know,” “understand,” or “appreciate.” This is the “WHAT” of the lesson objectives. Next, Conditions is a set of given conditions to perform the learning objective’s behavior. For example, “given a list of words, circle the ones that are part of a given machine,” or “given a wrench, tighten this bolt,” or “given a schematic diagram, correctly identify the machines in a work area.” This is the “HOW?” of the lesson objectives. Last is Degree which explains the criteria for performing the task well enough. For example, “in less than ten minutes,” or “with 90% accuracy,” or “90 times an hour.” This is the “HOW WELL?” of the objectives. The lesson objective does not have to be written in the order of ABCD, but it should contain all of these elements.”
However, while A – Audience/Actor signifies the target leaner or group; learner (s) age, language level, previous knowledge, language needs -learning and target needs, special learning situation, and class demographics. B – Behavior signifies the lesson objectives which are observable or practical skill or knowledge the learners can do or perform at the end of the lesson. E.g.: students can identify, pronounce, read vocabulary items fluently as a lexical item and in sentence structures. C – Condition signifies the Students ability to can analyze and compare different topic items in a given lesson and use them appropriately in different circumstances. D – Degree signifies the level of the student’s understanding of the lesson through appropriate evaluative assessments which requires students to show or demonstrate that they understand the meaning or use of a given vocabulary item through practical given questions and worksheet exercises to know their exit level.
The Definition of Vocabulary
Different language experts and linguistics defined vocabulary in different ways. Penny Ur (1996:60) defined vocabulary as “the words we teach in the foreign language. However, a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word: a compound of two or three words or multi-word idioms”. Richards and Platt (1992: 400) perceivesvocabulary as “a set of lexemes, including words, compound words and idioms”. Generally, these definitions justifythat vocabulary is “the total number of words in a language” (Hornby, 1995:1331). Vocabulary is the core of second language (L2) acquisition and foreign language learning. As McCarthy (1990: 140) states that without words to express a wider range of meanings, communication in an L2 just cannot happen in any meaningful way. Nation in Schmitt (2000: 5) proposes a list of the different kinds of knowledge that a person must master in order to know a words: the meaning of word, the written form of the word, the spoken form of the word, the grammatical behavior of the word, the collocations of the word, the register of the word, the association of the word, and the frequency of the word.
Rohmatillah (2015) agrees that Vocabulary plays important role in language learning. Vocabulary is also an essential skill for learning to read, speak, write and listen. Without sufficient vocabulary, people cannot communicate and express their feeling both in form of spoken and written effectively. The more people master vocabulary the more they can speak, write, read and listen as they want. Wilkins in Thornbury (2004: 13) states that without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. He emphasizes that the knowledge of grammar is useless without enough knowledge of vocabulary in a given language. This notion was supported by Ur (1996: 60) that vocabulary is one of important things to be taught in learning foreign language because it will be impossible to speak up without variety of words. These notions underlies and stresses the importance of teaching and learning of vocabularyin foreign language.
According to Richards and Renandya (2002: 255), vocabulary is a core component of language proficiency and provides much of the basis for how learners speak, listen, read and write. Without an extensive vocabulary and strategies for acquiring new vocabulary, learners often achieve their potential and may be discouraged from making use of language learning opportunities around them such as listening to the radio, listening to the native speaker, using language in different context, reading or watching television. For Hatch and Brown (1995: 1), they cited that vocabulary refers to a list or set of words for a particular language or a list or set of words that individual speakers of language might use.
In line with learning English vocabulary, English vocabulary is different from Vietnamese language vocabulary ranging from form, including pronunciation and spelling, meaning and the word use. In addition, these differences in the two languages are quite recognizable in both the pronunciation pattern, spelling, meaning and word usage, hence,Vietnamese English language learners often encounter difficulties in learning English vocabulary. Thus, in this research, the researcher wants to investigate the students’ difficulties and factors causing difficulties in learning vocabulary and apply the ABCD model lesson objectives to improve the problem.
The Definition of Reading
Traditionally, Reading is the ability of skill to comprehend language material written or printed in form of letters, numbers, figures and signs. Angela Renee Sebesta Hairrell (2008) perceives reading as a complex set of skills that children begin to develop prior to school, refine during their school years, and apply throughout their lives for pleasure, education, and employment. She added that teaching children to read is one of the most recognized responsibilities of schools and a basic expectation of both parents and children. According to Carrell (1984:1) for many students, reading is by far the most important of the four macro skills, particularly in English as a second or a foreign language.
1. Research Design
The study has adopted an four stage Action Research (AR) model proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)in the application of ABCD model to improve the learning and reading of vocabulary items in reading lesson. The Cyclical AR model based on Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) adopted by Ann Burns (2010) and recommended by Rita Balbi (2009) who is a teacher educator and Action researcher.
1.1 Problem Description
During teaching English reading lesson, the researcher has discovered that students cannot pronounce let alone read many vocabulary items in their text passages. Major difficulties the students face are as follows. (A) Problems of incorrect pronunciation of English vocabulary items. (B) The lack of motivation to learn and read the vocabulary items and text. (C) Confusion in the word form, meanings and usage. (D) Inability to identify and make simple sentence structures with the vocabulary items.
1.2 Hypotheses
The difficulty of reading vocabularies in English lessons and texts is common in Vietnamese EFL classrooms, hence, the researcher has formulated the causes as follows. 1) Students finds the methods of teaching vocabulary boring and uninteresting. 2) Students are not motivated to learn English vocabulary because they don’t have any artificial socio-linguistic environment of English speakers to use it. 3) Students finds English word form (pronunciation and spelling) strange and different from their L1 especially pronunciation of words with final consonants. 4) Students lack good orientation and attitude towards the value and importance of Vocabulary in EFL (English as a foreign language) learning in Vietnam. 5) Students finds English words intrinsically difficult due to linguistic dissimilarities of word class, word form, word meaning, word function between their L1 and English language. 6) Students finds the grammatical use and rules, lexical meanings and use of English words too complex to comprehend due to similarities in meanings of English words and flexibility in functional use.
1.3 Cause Identification
In an attempt to practically verify the validity or falsity in the above-outlined hypotheses on the causes of students’ difficulties in vocabulary reading lessons, the researcher employed instruments of questionnaire to investigate and explore the problems with the aim of applying ABCD model lesson objectives effectively to improve their vocabulary reading skills. Two Interviews were conducted with the participant students’ and teachers respectively to evaluate the effective performance of the ABCD model lesson objectives. The questionnaires were formulated and designed by the researcher himself on the basis of related theories (Oxford, 1990; Vandergrift, 1997), which was composed of difficulties of vocabulary reading problems. The test consisted of two parts, which consists of pre-test and post-test each conducted within twenty minutes. The researcher made the questionnaire survey among 2 grade 6 classes of 20 students who he teaches English language in Public school (formal) setting and English teaching centers both in Hanoi City, Vietnam.
1.4 Problem Identification
Vast knowledge of the correct pronunciation and meanings of English vocabularies is primarily the basic foundation to developing reading skills in the target language and ultimately speaking skills. However, most grade 6 low-intermediate students face difficulties in reading vocabulary items in their reading lessons. As expressed in the questionnaire and interview questions, vocabulary reading, meanings and usages are key areas the students should improve. Given to the fact that vocabulary learning and reading is the major language learning problem in this action research, the need to improve it through application of ABCD model lesson objectives becomes needful.
2. Action Plan Design
2.1 Participants
My participants are grade 6 low-intermediate learners. According to Vietnamese general education which consists of 3 levels with 12 forms /grades, lower secondary level constitutes from form 6-9 for children aged 11 -15. They are young learners with little sub-skills of self-introduction and few salutatory remarks in English. They are the grade 6 students of Truong Tieu Hoc Junior Public School, Dich Vong B Hanoi in the 1st semester and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoi, Vietnam. Most of these students are from Hanoi, Vietnam.
2.2 Instruments
This Action research study employed students learning materials such as English texts, questionnaire, and in-depth Interview techniques to investigate the difficult vocabularies in Grade 6 reading lessons and how to apply ABCD objectives towards increasing the learners’ vocabulary reading skills development.
2.3 Design of the plan
This study employed the ABCD Lesson Objectives for learning and reading of Vocabulary items for grade 6 low-intermediate students. In this model objectives, the target leaners’ information, the leaners’ expectations at the end of the lesson, the leaners’ ability to master the use and meanings of vocabulary items in their appropriate context, and the learners’ level of performance in tests, worksheets and exams. The ABCD requirements as shown in the table below:
Table 2. The ABCD Lesson Objectives for Vocabulary lesson on “Art Project” for Grade 6 low-intermediate students
Audience/Actor Behavior Condition Degree |
-Type of Learners Grade 6 low intermediate learners in semester 3.
-Language level of learners They are young learners with limited language sub-skills, At the end of the lesson, -Previous knowledge of Learners They are knowledgeable in -self-introduction, -salutation remarks and -some function words such as “drink water”, go to toilet” etc.
-Target needs of learners A. Students need to learn the correct pronunciation of vocabulary items about art project. B. Students need to read vocabularies and words in the selected text related to art project fluently.
C. Students need to learn the use of the words related to art project.
D. Students need to use vocabularies to make simple sentence structure in real speech interaction.
E. Students need to know the meanings and usages of the target words in the text and in speech.
| At the end of the lesson, the grade 6 students of Truong Tieu Hoc JuniorPublic School, Dich Vong B Hanoi in the 3rd semester and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoi, will be able: A. To identify and read fluently the target vocabulary items related to art project such as painting, portrait, landscape, art gallery, mural, background, foreground, sculpture. B. Understand, read and use the word usages of the vocabularies in sentence structures, C. Understands the meanings of the vocabulary items in text D. Make expressions with specific examples correctly. E. Use turn talking as drilling method to make sentence structures of interests with the target words. | At the end of the lesson, the students of 6th grade at thirdsemester of Truong Tieu Hoc Junior Public School, Dich Vong B Hanoi in the 3rd semester and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoiare expected to be able: A. To identify the familiar art project vocabulary items they know and pronounce/read them aloud. B. Student will be able to find main idea, specific information, and detail information about art project from the text by answering the questions from the functional text in the form of lexis by filling in the blanks. C. To use the vocabularies and expression related to art project to talk about art project correctly by reading a short functional text in the form of poster based on the flashcard given correctly and having short conversation about it orally. D. Students will able to make sentence structures with the vocabulary items they like best. E. Students will be able to understand and show the connections among wordsusing mind maps.
| At the end of the lesson, the students of 6th grade at thirdsemester of Truong Tieu Hoc Junior Public School, Dich Vong B Hanoi in the 3rd semester and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoiare expected to be able: A. To identify and pronounce vocabulary items related to art project correctly by reading the textas reading test. B. Students will be able to identify, fill in the missing letters and read their final answers of the vocabulary items correctly. C. Students will be able to identify the meanings of vocabulary items appropriately through context clues and morphemic analysis routine (prefixes, roots, and suffixes) in the target words through attentive listening and reading. D. Students will be able to identify and read the multimedia vocabulary pictures, identify their meanings and make sentence structures with their word usages. E. Identify the information in a poster well by choosing the right answers of multiple-choice test. |
3. Data collection and analysis
3.1 Data collection
In this action research, the effectiveness rate of questionnaire was 94% and that of interview was 100%. Three Vietnamese English teachers and one foreign English teacher were interviewed. As regards questionnaire, 20 copies of questionnaires were distributed to the students to give answers related to vocabulary learning and reading difficulties. Also, 20 copies of interview papers were distributed to these same students to evaluate their performance. These procedures were conducted and supervised the researcher.
5.2 Reading Material and Target Words
The first step to selecting and choosing appropriate text for reading material was to ensure that the vocabulary content were in accordance to level of the target learners. The criteria for content selection were based on Davis (1989) and Jacobs (1994). They provided four criteria for the text selection choice that helped the researcher with the final decision of the appropriate text selection, namely, Length, topic, syntax and vocabulary. The text “Family and friends 6” Class book (for Starter) by Jenny Quintana (Unit 1, Lesson 1, listening 4 – Topic “Art Project” one Page , 130 words) was chosen for grade 6 low-intermediate learners with low proficiency level. They are young learners with limited language sub-skills. The reading text adapted and employed multimedia features, technology-based short comprehension passage text, word list and audio-lingual tracks of target words.
5.3 Analysis of Questionnaire
Before the application of ABCD model objectives, the student’s participants received a questionnaire respectively about their attitude towards the learning and reading of vocabulary items. The questionnaire addressed questions about the participants’ opinion on the difficulties they face in learning and reading vocabulary items during reading lessons.
5.4 Analysis of interview
This study employed two interviews. While the first interview was used to elicit answers from Vietnamese English language teacher about the difficulties of learning and reading vocabularies among grade 6 students, the second interview was employed immediately after the post test. The students’ participants received an interview about their attitude towards ABCD model objectives. This was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research plan. While the results of the first interview helped the researcher to affirm his hypotheses, the results of the second interviewaddressed questions about the participants’ opinions as regards difficulties in vocabulary learning in reading lessons.
5.5 Vocabulary Test
The participants took a vocabulary reading test before and immediately after the application of ABCD model lesson objectives in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and make any adjustment. The posttest was conducted two weeks later. This study used a separation of two-weeks from each other following similar studies (Chun & Plass, 1996; Yoshii & Flaitz, 2002). The test was based on Julie Penn & Cheryl Pelteret’s Family and Friends 6 Workbook, pages 6 to 7. The immediate post test is consisted of a reading comprehension test and a vocabulary recognition test. The post-test is consisted of a vocabulary recognition and reading test in order to measure weather students recall the correct pronunciation, meaning and usage of the vocabulary items from the experiment conducted two weeks earlier. The participants were not informed in advance that they will take a test both tests.
5.6 Analysis of samples of Vocabulary learning lesson pre-test and post-test
The materials for vocabulary reading pre-test and post-test were both selected from Jenny Quintana’s Family and friends 6 Class book (textbook) pages 8 to 9 and Julie Penn & Cheryl Pelteret’s Family and Friends 6 Workbook, pages 6 to 7. Total of 20 students participated in the two respective tests and they were required to finish each test within thirty minutes respectively. The same assessment criteria were employed in both the pretest and posttest. The pretest was taken before the action research and 10 students vocabulary reading tests were chosen to be the samples; three good scores, three fair scores and four poor scores. The same 6 students’ vocabulary reading constitute the samples of vocabulary reading posttest. These following deductions can be made and concluded from the analysis of these samples. First, all the ten students were able to pronounce correctly the target words and understand the meanings and usage of the vocabulary items in English in the posttest. Second, both the fair-leveled students and poor level students in the pretest performed excellently in the posttest in the aspects of fluent reading vocabulary items but made a little mistake of misplacing the word usages. Third, the four poor academic level students made great positive progress with little mistakes in word usages of vocabulary items. Finally, all the students can read fluently and correctly the target words of English vocabulary in the selected text.
5.7 Analysis of Scores reading vocabulary pre-test and post-test
Table 3. Descriptive statistics of scores of pretest and posttest
|
N |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Mean |
Std. Deviation |
Pretest |
20 |
3.00 |
7.00 |
5.28 |
1.17 |
Posttest |
20 |
6.00 |
9.00 |
7.24 |
1.21 |
Table 4. T-test of scores of pretest and posttest
|
|
N |
Mean |
Std. Deviation |
T |
P |
Score |
Pre-test |
20 |
3.00 |
7.00 |
-5.07 | 0.000*
|
|
Post-test |
20 |
5.00 |
9.00 |
|
|
The above tabular illustrations demonstrate whether there is difference in the scores between vocabulary reading pretest and posttest, and to discover how positively remarkable if there is a difference. As shown in Table 4, there is a positive and significant difference between scores in pretest and posttest (T=5.07, p<0.05), which justifies that ABCD lesson model objectives did improved student’s vocabulary reading difficulties. Hence, students’ reading and learning of vocabulary items improved through the past four weeks application of ABCD model.
1. Reflections, Limitations and Suggestions
This action research demonstrates that the application of ABCD model objectives in improving the learning and reading of vocabulary items in grade English reading lessons is both effective and responsible in tackling the student’s myriad of difficulties they might face. It employs explicit vocabulary instruction with multiple examples and nonexamples, usages of the target word, brief conversation about the vocabulary items, and practical assessment ofunderstanding the learners. It seeks to investigate their language needs, previous knowledge, their language lacks and in order to focus primarily on their target needs for an effective result. The selection of the appropriate texts that contains the vocabulary content appropriately related to the level of the target learners helps to reduce the burden of big chunks of unnecessary words that often confuse and terrifies the students. Also, the methodology of teaching comes into play as the language channel through which vocabulary content are taught and comprehended by the students. Here, effective teaching methods are considered. These teaching methods should focus on the rich meanings of target words, context clues meaning derivations, morphemic routines of word forms, manual and computer games and activities of the target words, visuals and multimedia flashcards of words, turn talking, gestures, body movements and demonstrative actions of play on words etc.
Therefore, interesting and most effective methods of teaching vocabulary items are highly considered. However, the evaluation of students’ skills in the reading and use of vocabulary items should be practically evaluated with pedagogical task or real-life tasks in order to improve their knowledge and use of vocabulary, and reading skills in the target language.
Since the data results in this study show that ABCD model lesson objectives is an effective way to solve students’ vocabulary learning and reading difficulty, there are valuable recommendations for application of this model. Firstly, EFL teachers should consider student’s language level, previous knowledge, language lacks and target need in the selection of the appropriate text and vocabulary items. Secondly, students should be engaged in the vocabulary learning and reading lessons through multiple effective and interesting teaching methods that can trigger their interest towards learning the vocabulary items. Here, students’ learning styles are highly considered. Also, EFL teachers should employ teaching techniques based on technology tools to aid the students master the pronunciation pattern of the target words with ease. Moreover, the use of turn talking, context clues, etc. should be employed in teaching word forms, meanings and usages of the target words. The researcher believes that these steps are both effective foundational and advanced approach towards solving grade 6 difficulties in vocabulary learning and reading areas.
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1. Survey Questionnaire
The following questionnaire for students and English language teachers are formulated and designed with the aim of collecting necessary information for the action research entitled “Difficulties in learning and reading English vocabulary among the 6th (grade) form students at Truong Tieu Hoc Dich Vong B public school and Trung Tam Ngoai Ngu VEA, Huyen, Hoai Duc, Hanoi. Your assistance in answering the questions is highly appreciated.
For each question, please tick (۷) beside the option that is the most appropriate for you. You are required to choose only (one) 1 option for each question.
I.Background information:
1.Your gender?
| II. The question of learning English vocabulary 4. How is your English vocabulary level? | III. Teaching Methods of Vocabulary learning 7.How do you think of your teacher’s role in helping you learn new words?
| IV. Suggestive effective methods of Vocabulary Learning
10.Which of the following activities do you find the veryinteresting? Choose not less than 3
|
a. Male | a. Excellent b.good d. Poor
| a. Very important b. Important c. Not important | a. Matching words with pictures.
|
b. Female |
|
| b. Use of word-search technique. |
Academic Information 2. How long have you been learning English? | 5. To read English lessons well, whatdo you think of learning vocabularies? | 8. How does your teacher usually teach vocabulary items?
| c. Using teaching aids to play manual games
|
a. 1 - 3 years | a. Very important | a. Use of visual aids such as flash cards, pictures, diagrams, realia, etc b. Use of target language (English)to define new words. | d. Use of audio listening tracks. |
b. 4 - 7 years | b. Important | c. Use of mime, gestures and facial expressions(Demonstrative moves) d. Speak the words clearly and writing on board. | e. Use of gestures, mimes and facial expressions (Demonstratives body languages) |
c. More than 7 years. | c. Not important | e. Elicit new words from context. f. Technology tools(use of internet, software,Projector/T. V, radio program, ...) | f. Use of visual aids |
3. Why did you choose to study English?
| 6. On what scale do you think the learning of vocabulary is difficult? | 9. Whatdiscourages you most in learningand reading vocabulary? | g. Use of technology tools such as computer games. |
a. To speak with foreigners | a. Very difficult | a. The correct pronunciation of the words is difficult. | h. Give many examples of vocabulary meaningsand word usage.
|
b. To pass my English subject exams. | b. Difficult | b. English vocabularies have many lexical meanings and spellings that are confusing. | I. Constant verbal repetition. |
c. To develop my English skills | c. Not difficult | c. Learning and reading vocabulary items is not interesting. |
|
d. To study abroad | d. The use of the word is so complicated for you. |
|
Thanks for your co-operation
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APPENDIX 2. POST-INTERVIEW 1
These questions are structured to elicit direct answers from some Vietnamese English teachers and one foreign English teacher about the main causes of students’ difficulties in learning and reading vocabulary items in reading lessons.
Interview Schedule
Interviewee:…………..Intended duration:........ mins Date:...............Interview began:.............
Location:.......................Interview finished:............Actual duration:.......... Town………………
Topic: “Difficulties in learning and reading English vocabulary among the 6th (grade) form students”
1. How long have you been teaching English in Vietnam?.....................................................
2.Why do grade 6 students in Vietnam fail to pronounce English vocabulary items correctly?
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. What do you think is the cause of grade 6 students lack of motivation towards learning and
reading of vocabulary in English reading lesson?...................................................................
4. Why do grade 6 students in Vietnam still confused in vocabulary meanings and word usage?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What method do you suggest is the most effective in teaching vocabulary learning and reading to grade 6 students in Vietnam?
6. Can you suggest anything that could happen or could be done at this time to improve the grade 6 vocabulary learning and reading effectively? Do you know other effective ways apart from the below-mentioned? If YES, specify. If NO, please comment on the below listed ways.
A. Better syllabus B. Selection of Appropriate textbook or vocabulary content
C. Interesting and effective teaching methods D. Use of CALL Technology tools
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Thanks for your co-operation
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APPENDIX 3. POST - INTERVIEW 2
This interview aims to evaluate the opinion and performance of the target learners after the application of ABCD model objectives in one class meeting.
Interview Schedule
Interviewee:…………...Intended duration:........ mins Date:...............Interview began:.............
Location:........................Interview finished:............Actual duration:.......... Town………………
Topic: “Difficulties in learning and reading English vocabulary among the 6th (grade) form students”
1. Do you still find the pronunciation of vocabulary items difficult?.......................
2. Do you still find the words’usage and structure confusing?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Why do you find vocabulary drilling with visual and technology games very interesting? ………………………………………………………………………….
How often does your teacher organize vocabulary visual and computer games?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
4. Why do you find verbal repetition of vocabulary words uninteresting?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
5. How would you describe your motivation (i.e. desire to study English vocabulary) at this time: HIGH/ AVERAGE/ LOW
6.To improve your English vocabulary, do you think you should read, practice and listen to English Vocabulary more often? …………………………………………..
Thanks for your co-operation
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