Rationale of the study
English teaching encompasses four essential language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with a primary focus on developing communicative competence in students Speaking, defined as the process of conveying meaning through verbal and non-verbal symbols (Chaney, 1998), is considered the most critical skill in second language acquisition Vocabulary plays a pivotal role in teaching speaking, as it serves as the foundation of language; Harmer (1993) likens vocabulary to the vital organs of language, while Cook (2000) and Wilkins emphasize that grammar provides the structure, but vocabulary supplies the content Lewis (1993) further argues that vocabulary should be central to language instruction, highlighting its fundamental importance Thus, English teachers must effectively organize teaching activities, utilize appropriate techniques, and focus on helping students memorize and group new vocabulary Research by Celce-Maria indicates that initial teaching priorities should emphasize vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, reinforcing the need for strategic lesson planning in language education.
In teaching vocabulary, it is essential for educators to enable students to effectively memorize English words and groups of new terms This highlights the significance of vocabulary instruction, as teachers should strive to discover the most effective methods to help learners retain new words in their long-term memory.
As a teacher at Smart-kids schools, I recognize that vocabulary instruction is crucial, especially since five-year-olds are typically not yet able to read or write To enhance vocabulary learning, I focus on utilizing pictures as an effective teaching tool This article explores the impact of using visual aids in vocabulary instruction for young learners.
2 Aims and significance of the study
This study investigates the effectiveness of using pictures to teach vocabulary at Smart-Kids School, focusing on the relationship between vocabulary comprehension and visual aids in the context of language learning The findings aim to provide insights and solutions to enhance the teaching and learning experience in this setting.
The findings of this research will greatly benefit English teachers, particularly at Smart-kids School in Bac Ninh province By implementing the effective strategies and activities suggested, teachers can enhance student engagement in learning new vocabulary This research provides valuable insights that empower educators to develop personalized teaching methods tailored to their students' needs.
Due to time constraints, limited reference materials, and varying language abilities among students, I cannot cover all aspects of language theory and practice Therefore, I will concentrate on the impact of using pictures in vocabulary teaching, specifically in relation to memory enhancement, student interest, and interaction.
The study employed an action research methodology, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches through two distinct data collection methods Qualitative data were gathered via observations, while quantitative data were obtained from two progress tests and a final test.
This minor thesis is composed of three parts as follow:
Part A - Introduction: The first part presents rationale, aims and significance as well as scope of the study, research methodology and organization of the study
Part B of the study encompasses three key chapters: Chapter 1 offers a literature review that establishes the theoretical framework, Chapter 2 outlines the methodology by detailing the research question, informants, and study design, and Chapter 3 presents the data analysis derived from classroom observations and tests, followed by a discussion of the findings.
Part C – Conclusion: The final part summarizes the major findings of the experiment, voicing some implications for language teachers in teaching vocabulary and suggesting some recommendations for further studies
This chapter reviews pertinent literature to establish the necessity and relevance of the study, focusing on vocabulary teaching in general and specifically on the use of pictures as a teaching tool By critically examining existing background knowledge, this review aims to create a solid theoretical framework for further investigation into effective vocabulary instruction methods.
The first section of this chapter is devoted to theoretical aspects of vocabulary teaching and the second section of this chapter is about pictures in language teaching
Vocabulary is a crucial element of language, as highlighted by McCarthy (1990), who states that it is the largest component of any language and essential for effective communication Mastery of grammar and pronunciation alone is insufficient without a robust vocabulary to convey a range of meanings Historically, vocabulary instruction has often been incidental, introduced through reading or listening activities; however, this approach is inadequate for true vocabulary expansion Lewis (1993) emphasizes that vocabulary should be central to language teaching, asserting that "language consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalized grammar." Today, it is widely recognized that vocabulary instruction must be systematically integrated into language curricula and taught regularly to enhance learners' language skills effectively Understanding the stages of vocabulary teaching is essential for implementing an effective vocabulary instruction strategy.
Basically as proposed by Doff (1988:98), there are four stages in teaching vocabulary namely presentation, practice, production, and review
Presentation is a crucial and intricate initial stage in vocabulary teaching, focused on introducing new lexical items to learners According to Thornbury (2002: 75-76), it is essential for learners to grasp both the meaning and form of new words Additionally, he highlights key factors influencing the number of words presented, including the learner's proficiency level—whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced—and their potential familiarity with the vocabulary.
Gairns and Redman (1986) identify three key techniques for presenting new vocabulary: visual techniques (such as mime, gestures, and various visual aids like flashcards and photographs), verbal techniques (including illustrative situations, synonyms, definitions, contrasts, and examples), and translation, which is a quick and effective method for conveying meaning Thornbury (2002) supports this by suggesting similar methods, including translation, real objects, pictures, gestures, definitions, and contextual situations Doff (1988) further categorizes these techniques into four groups: visual representation, contextual meaning, synonyms or antonyms, and translation, emphasizing the importance of combining these methods for effective vocabulary presentation.
When teachers introduce new vocabulary, it often remains in students' passive vocabulary, leading to forgetfulness and improper usage To effectively activate students' vocabulary, it is essential to implement strategies that encourage active engagement and practical application of these words.
6 teacher gives the learners opportunities to practise them through vocabulary exercises or activities Thornbury (2002:93) underlines the popular belief that
"Practice makes perfect" highlights the importance of transferring vocabulary from short-term to long-term memory To achieve this, teachers can implement practical exercises that enhance students' familiarity with new words Effective activities include matching pictures to words, combining word parts, using prefixes and suffixes, classifying items, completing vocabulary tasks, filling in crosswords and diagrams, and engaging in memory games According to Thornbury (2002: 93-94), tasks can be categorized into five levels of cognitive demand: identifying, selecting, matching, sorting, and ranking and sequencing, all aimed at facilitating long-term retention of vocabulary.
Enhancing fluency with familiar vocabulary is crucial for learners to maximize their existing knowledge At this stage, it is recommended that students engage in advanced activities, particularly production tasks (Thornbury, 2002).