A study on using some language games in teaching vocabulary to grade 10th student at viet tri industrial high school

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HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
----------

NGUYEN PHUONG THUY

A STUDY ON USING SOME LANGUAGE GAMES IN TEACHING
VOCABULARY TO GRADE 10th STUDENTS AT VIET TRI
INDUSTRIAL HIGH SCHOOL
(Nghiên cứu sử dụng một số trò chơi ngôn ngữ trong giảng dạy từ vựng
tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10 tại trường THPT Công Nghiệp Việt Trì)

B.A. GRADUATION PAPER
Field: English Methodology

Supervisor: NGUYEN THI THU HANG, M.A

Phu Tho, 2020


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HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
----------

NGUYEN PHUONG THUY

A STUDY ON USING SOME LANGUAGE GAMES IN TEACHING

VOCABULARY TO GRADE 10th STUDENTS AT VIET TRI
INDUSTRIAL HIGH SCHOOL

B.A. GRADUATION PAPER
Field: English Methodology

Phu Tho, 2020


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to a
number of people, without whose support, this graduation paper would not have
been completed.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my
supervisor Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, M.A. for the wholehearted guidance she
gave me while I was doing this research. I am truly grateful to her for her ideas.
comments and instructions, as well as her constant support throughout my
research.
Secondly, I would like to thank all the lecturers, teachers and staff at
Hung Vuong University, especially those in Department of Foreign languages
who have created favorable conditions for me to study and write graduation
paper.
Thirdly, my sincere thanks go to all teachers and students in Viet Tri
Industrial high school whose endless enthusiasm has helped me to carry surveys
which are very useful for my thesis.
Last but not least, I would like to show my gratitude to my family, my
friends for their spiritual, emotional and financial support and for giving me the

optimism to continue my learning.

Phu Tho, June 2020

Nguyen Phuong Thuy

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ABSTRACT
Vocabulary learning has always been a major concern for those who
want to learn a second language. One of the techniques that can be used to
master vocabulary is using vocabulary games.
This study aims at checking the effectiveness of games in facilitating
learning as well as improving vocabulary for the grade 10th students at Viet Tri
Industrial High School. First, to learn about the current methods of learning
vocabulary, the survey questionnaire about students' problems related to
vocabulary and game technique was conducted among 40 students of grade
10A. Second, class observation was done to evaluate the quality of vocabulary
studying among these students after using vocabulary games during three
weeks of the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic school year. Last, the
questionnaire also was used to find the students' attitudes toward using games
to improve vocabulary.
Based on the results of this thesis, the difficulties of students in learning
vocabulary have been found out as well as the game technique that was
introduced received positive responds from students.

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TABLE OF CONTENT
PART A: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1
1. Rationale........................................................................................................ 1
2. Previous studies ............................................................................................. 2
3. Research purposes ......................................................................................... 4
4. Research questions ........................................................................................ 4
5. Research methods.......................................................................................... 4
6. Significance of the research .......................................................................... 5
7. Research scope .............................................................................................. 5
8. Research design ............................................................................................. 5
PART B: MAJOR CONTENT ......................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .......................................... 7
1.1. An overview of vocabulary ........................................................................ 7
1.1.1. Definition of vocabulary ......................................................................... 7
1.1.2. Classification of vocabulary.................................................................... 9
1.1.3. The importance of vocabulary .............................................................. 10
1.1.4. Aspects of vocabulary needed to be taught........................................... 10
1.1.5. Principles of teaching vocabulary ......................................................... 13
1.1.6. Stages of teaching vocabulary in CLT .................................................. 14
1.1.7. Factors affecting the decision in choosing vocabulary items to teach.. 15
1.2. An overview on using language games in language learning .................. 16
1.2.1. Definition of language games ............................................................... 16
1.2.2. Types of language games ...................................................................... 18
1.2.3. Games to teach vocabulary ................................................................... 20
1.2.4. Benefits and problems of using games to teach vocabulary. ................ 22
1.2.5. Steps of using games to teach vocabulary……………………….........24

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 27
2.1. Research setting ....................................................................................... 27
2.2. Subject of the study .................................................................................. 28
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2.3. Participants of the study ........................................................................... 28
2.4. Data collection instruments ...................................................................... 29
2.4.1. Survey questionnaires ........................................................................... 29
2.4.2. Observation ........................................................................................... 31
2.5. Research procedure .................................................................................. 32
CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT SITUATIONS OF TEACHING AND
LEARNING VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS IN CLASS 10A AT VIET
TRI INDUSTRIAL HIGH SCHOOL………………………………………. 33
3.1. The real situation of learning vocabulary …………………....................33
3.2. The real situation of teaching vocabulary ……………………………...37
CHAPTER 4: EXPERIMENT AND RESULTS ............................................ 45
4.1. Experiment procedure .............................................................................. 45
4.2. Description of the experimental teaching ................................................ 46
4.3. Evaluation on learning and teaching vocabulary with some language games
after experiment............................................................................................... 50
4.3.1.Students’ evaluation on learning vocabulary with some language games
......................................................................................................................... 50
4.3.2. Teacher’s evaluation on learning and teaching vocabulary with some
language games ............................................................................................... 56
4.4. Major findings .......................................................................................... 57
4.4.1. The real situation of using some language games in learning vocabulary
…………………………………………………………………………….....56

4.4.2. Some benefits of using some language games in teaching and learning
vocabulary ....................................................................................................... 58
4.4.3. Some differences of using some language games in teaching and learning
vocabulary ....................................................................................................... 58
4.5. Implications .............................................................................................. 60
4.5.1. For teachers ........................................................................................... 60
4.5.2. For students ........................................................................................... 62
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PART C: CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 64
1.Conclusion…………………………………………………………………62
2. Limitations in the research .......................................................................... 65
3. Suggestions for further research ................................................................. 65
RERERENCES
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 3
APPENDIX 4
APPENDIX 5
APPENDIX 6
APPENDIX 7
APPENDIX 8

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT

Communicative language teaching

EFL

English as a foreign language

ELT

English Language Teaching

ESL

English as a second language

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Current situation of students’ learning vocabulary........................ 33
Table 3.2: Students' knowledge and attitudes toward using language game in
learning vocabulary ......................................................................................... 36
Table 3.3: Teachers’ techniques in teaching new words…………………….38
Table 3.4: Frequency of using vocabulary games .......................................... 41

Table 4.5: Students’ attitude toward playing language games ....................... 52
Table 4.6: Students’ expectation and preference for the use of language games
in vocabulary classes ....................................................................................... 55

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1: Students’ view about teacher’s techniques ................................... 35
Figure 3.2: Students' attitude toward using language games in learning
vocabulary ....................................................................................................... 37
Figure 3.3: The use of vocabulary games in teaching and learning vocabulary
to grade 10th students at Viet Tri Industrial high school ................................. 38
Figure 3.4: Benefits when using vocabulary games in class………………...38
Figure 3.5: Difficulties when using vocabulary games in class ..................... 40
Figure 3.6: Stages at which vocabulary games are used ................................. 41
Figures 3.7: Teachers’ suggestions on how to better employ games in teaching
vocabulary ....................................................................................................... 42
Figure 3.8: Teacher' knowledge and attitudes toward using language games in
learning vocabulary ......................................................................................... 43
Figure 4.9: The students' attitudes towards language games .......................... 50
Figure 4.10: Students' participation in language games ................................. 51
Figure 4.11: Benefits of using language games in learning vocabulary ......... 53
Figure 4.12 Students’ difficulties in learing vocabulary................................. 54

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Up to now, English has confirmed its position as the global language
that appears on many official documents and public signs as well as being
taught in a variety of schools as a second language in many countries, which
can show how important this language is to human life nowadays. Never before
has English become so popular in Vietnam like today. The increasing number
of people, young and old alike, is rushing to learn this foreign language with
hope to find a better position in society and adapt with this exciting world.
English has been a compulsory subject at almost high schools and universities
around our country.
To be good at this foreign language, one of the most difficult aspects of
learning, particularly in an EFL context, is the retention of vocabulary.
Vocabulary learning plays a major role in English language learners’ success.
If a learner has huge vocabulary stock, he can make himself understood by
others with few difficulties. However, learning vocabulary has never been an
easy task. Consequently, teachers have to help students to improve their English
vocabulary by using different techniques such as using visual aids, exercises,
and especially games.
The use of language games to teach vocabulary for students is one of
common ways used in high schools because this teaching method is very
suitable for young and naughty students who specially like the combination
between learning and playing. ESL/EFL specialists often justifies the use of
games with reference to the motivation and benefits that they can provide the
students. “Games are, by definition, fun, and nearly everyone would agree that
if learning can be made enjoyable, then students will learn more” (CelceMurcia, M. & McIntosh, L, 1979:56). In games, “language use takes
precedence over language practice” and in this sense, “games bring classroom
closer to the real world. Each game, by nature, focuses on one or more aspects

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of English like a grammar point, a vocabulary area, or a communication skill”
(Celce-Murcia & McIntosh, et al., 1979:54). Games can teach, and there might
be no reason why they cannot be included as a part of a lesson.
However, do vocabulary games only bring the good things in all cases?
Do they create any hindrances that prevent teachers from applying this
technique? The facts have shown that beside a great deal of good points
mentioned above, vocabulary games are also the root of many adverse effects.
Therefore, the author has decided to conduct an investigation into “A study on
using some language games in teaching vocabulary to grade 10th students at
Viet Tri Industrial high school” to explore the issue in more depth.
2. Previous studies
2.1. In the world
When researching about using games in teaching and learning English
vocabulary, Efendi (2013) conducted a study named ‘‘The use of games to
improve vocabulary mastery’’. The aim of his research described the way of
“got it game” and “back to the board game” in improving vocabulary mastery
of the seventh grade students. His research was a kind of classroom action
research (CAR) in which the researcher acted as the teacher who leads teaching
activity. In order to collect data, he used observation checklist, field note and a
test. The participants of his study were 29 students of seventh grade students.
His study consisted of four major steps: planning, implementing, observing,
and reflecting. The findings of the study showed that “the use of “Got It Game”
and “Back to the Board Game” with the topics vocabulary of daily English
communication, people’s occupation, and personal care and appearance could
improve students’ vocabulary mastery achievement.”
In 2017, Esra Akdogan, a PhD from Presidency University of

Bangladesh, did a research on ‘‘Developing vocabulary in game activities and
game materials’’. The main aim of this study was specifically designed to find
out how to develop game materials and hopefully come out with results


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providing insight to the question “How can we easily memorize vocabulary
items and how can we promote effective ways to learn English vocabulary in a
relaxed manner. The findings suggested that the use of games in foreign
language learning may benefit the process in many aspects such as memory of
vocabulary. The results proved that the occurrence of memorize is improved
with games, and therefore might be a more efficient way to encourage language
acquisition.
Liu Zhi - Liang (2010) presented in “A study on English vocabulary
learning strategies for Non - English major in China Independent College” the
pattern of English vocabulary learning strategies used by the non - English
major student in China Independent College. The aim of this paper was to help
English learners to improve their ability of vocabulary learning and develop
their English proficiency by providing some practical suggestions to both
teachers and students.
2.2. In Viet Nam
In their article “Learning Vocabulary through Games” Nguyen Thi
Thanh Huyen & Khuat Thi Thu Nga (2003), found out that the most common
perception that the people have towards vocabulary learning was that it means
learning a list of words and their meaning without any real context learning.
Pupils would have to pick up one of those bilingual dictionaries and found the
definition of the new words they come across. This learning technique had been
proven in effective specially when it came to young learners. This was due to
the fact that most of the time these young learners would not be able to

remember all of the words that they have looked up for in the dictionary.
The other study was “The survey on how to learn English vocabulary
on the first stage of University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City " by Mrs. Bui
Thi Xuan Hong. The aim of study was to learn how lexical approach to help
students remember and learn from the best usage and survey of habit, when and


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how to use them to learn vocabulary, the advantages and disadvantages of
studying and investigating their vocabulary.
This was the first time the study about “A study on using some language
games in teaching vocabulary to grade 10th students at Viet Tri Industrial high
school” is carried out at Hung Vuong University. Different from the other
studies, the researcher would find out benefits and difficulties when using
games in teaching vocabulary at Viet Tri Industrial high school in general.
And then the researcher proposed some suitable suggestions.
3. Research purposes
The study is aimed at:
- Investigating the current situation in teaching English vocabulary for
grade 10th students at Viet Tri Industrial High school.
- Using some games to teach vocabulary for grade 10 th students at Viet
Tri Industrial High school.
- Finding out the benefits and difficulties of using some games to teach
English vocabulary.
4. Research questions
In order to achieve these aims, the study is to answer the following key
research questions:
- How is vocabulary taught and learned at Viet Tri Industrial high school?
-What are the benefits and difficulties of using games in teaching

vocabulary?
5. Research methods
In order to accomplish this study systematically and adequately, the
following methods were used:
Theoretical research method: This helped review the relevant
documents about using games in teaching and learning to provide the
background of the thesis.


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Investigative method: This method was used with the aim to investigate
the current situation teaching and learning vocabulary at Viet Tri Industrial high
school.
Mathematical statistical method: Calculating the data collected from
survey questionnaires and observation to get the final results.
Experimental method: This method was employed to apply language
games to teach vocabulary for grade 10th students at Viet Tri Industrial high
school.
6. Significance of the research
The author hoped that this research would bring about some benefits in
the teaching of English language in general, and especially in teaching English
vocabulary. The students would be more interested and motivated to engage in
the lesson and especially they were expected to use their active vocabulary
successfully. The teachers could be able to determine better teaching materials,
and they could use the result of this research for more effective application of
games in teaching and testing English vocabulary.
7. Research scope
This research focuses on applying some games to teach English
vocabulary to 40 students of grade 10A at Viet Tri Industrial High School.

8. Research design
The study consists of three main parts:
PART A: INTRODUCTION
This part presents the overview of the thesis including the rationale for
the research, research purposes, research questions, significance of the research,
methodology as well as design of the study.
PART B: MAJOR CONTENT
This part consists of 4 chapters:
Chapter 1: Theoretical background.


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In this part, the study presents definition of major terms used in this
study, including overview of teaching vocabulary, overview of games . . .
Chapter 2: Methodology
This chapter provides the detailed information about participants of the
study and details the tools for data collection, data analysis and the procedure
of conducting the research.
Chapter 3: The current situations of learning and teaching
vocabulary of grade 10th students at Viet Tri Industrial high school.
Chapter 3 analyzes statistic collected from chapter 2 in order to
investigate the teaching and learning of English vocabulary.
Chapter 4: Experiment and results
This chapter gives description of the experiment on applying some
language games to teach vocabulary, as well as draw out the significance of
applying some language games in teaching vocabulary, gives the major
findings of the study, gives implications of study for teachers and students.
PART C: CONCLUSION
This part includes the summary of the limitations of the study, gives the

suggestions for further research.


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PART B: MAJOR CONTENT
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
This chapter focuses on providing an overview of the theoretical
knowledge relevant to the study including the theory of vocabulary, types of
vocabulary, the important of vocabulary, vocabulary learning strategies and
theory of games, integrating games in learning English foreign language
vocabulary.
1.1. An overview of vocabulary
1.1.1. Definition of vocabulary
According to Oxford Advanced Learners‟ Dictionary Sixth Edition
(2000), vocabulary is: 1) “all the words a person knows or uses”, and 2) “all
the words in a particular language”. As the paper particularly focuses on the
students‟ learning of vocabulary, “vocabulary” should be understood in the
first denotation. In association with vocabulary is the term “word”, which,
according to McCarthy (1995:31), “when we speak of the vocabulary of a
language, we are speaking primarily, but not exclusively, of the words of that
language”. Random House Webster ‟s Unabridged Dictionary (Flexner, 2003)
defines “word” as “a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds
or their written representation that functions as a principle carrier of meaning”.
Thus, vocabulary is knowledge of words and word meaning in a broader sense.
The term “vocabulary” is almost introduced to any learner of English at
the first lesson. They commonly think that vocabulary is the total number of
words that a language possesses but hardly explore what its definition is. In
fact, there have existed a variety of definitions of this term. As for Penny Ur
(1996:60), vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words which are taught

in the foreign language. He thought that a new item of vocabulary may be more
than a single word, it can be made up of two or three words but expresses a
single concept or idea. There are also multi word idioms whose meaning
cannot be deduced from the analysis of the component words, for example:


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mother-in-law. Meanwhile, Nguyen Ngoc and Nguyen Bang (2001) claimed
that vocabulary of a language is all its words, compounds and idioms used to
convey and receive information in oral and written communication.
The term vocabulary is defined in different ways. So far, many
linguistics have given out their different definitions of word. Some define it
according to semantic criterion while others refer to it according to the
phonological or potential one. According to Mackey (W.T 1978): “Vocabulary
is the total number of all the words and multi-word items whose meanings
cannot be deduced from the analysis of the component words”. Penny Ur (1995)
in book “A course in Language Teaching” said that: “Vocabulary can have
defined roughly; as the words we teach in foreign language.”
Vocabulary is one of language elements which are important in English.
Vocabulary is very essential for people, especially the students, in the process
of learning, mastering and using language for communication. In the book
‘‘Vocabulary and Language Teaching’’, McCarthy says: "Vocabulary is the
biggest component of any language. If you do not know enough vocabulary you
will not be able to express yourself adequately" (1990:2). It is obvious that the
more words we know, the more we can say and understand the others.
According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary Online, vocabulary is
defined as a) all the words that a person knows or uses, b) all the words in a
particular language, c) the words that people use when they are talking about a
particular subject and d) a lists of words with their meanings, especially in a

book foreign language , vocabularies express our ideas, felling, motivation and
information to the people clearly .Vocabulary is each one of English subject at
school that learnt with listening, speaking reading, writing skills by students. In
this study, vocabulary means the students" ability in mastering any kinds of
words or stock of words such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb., and others in
teaching and learning process and the students know how to use vocabulary in
a particular situation and regularly in their daily life. We notice that vocabulary,


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lexis and word are used to refer to the same thing. However, according to
Scrinever (2005), vocabulary and lexis are different terms. He stated that
vocabulary typically refers mainly to single words (e.g. dog green, wash) and
sometimes to very tightly linked two-or three word combinations (e.g. stock
market, compact disc, sky blue). However he defined lexis as our internal
database of words and complete ready-made" fixed/ semifixed / typical
combinations of words that we can recall and use quite quickly without having
to construct new phrases and sentences word by word from scratch using our
knowledge of grammar ,And word is a single unit of language which means
something and can be spoken or written (Oxford Advanced Learner 's
Dictionary) So in this paper there is no difference in use between words and
vocabulary to refer all the words that existed in a language, which can transmit
and express ideas.
We can make a conclusion that vocabulary is the starting step to acquire
any language, because without understand vocabulary they will have
difficulties in the next learning process. Vocabulary is used to express ideas,
feeling, motivation and information to the people clearly, and it is each one of
English subject at school that learnt by students.
1.1.2. Classification of vocabulary

There are many way to classify vocabulary, McCarten (2007) stated that
the vocabulary of the English language can be divided into two main types:
a. Active vocabulary
Words which students will need to understand and also use themselves.
We call this active vocabulary. In teaching active vocabulary, it is usually worth
spending time giving examples and asking questions, so that students can really
see how the word is used.
b. Passive vocabulary
Words which we wants students to understand (e.g. when reading a text),
but which they will not need to use themselves. We call this passive vocabulary.


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To save time, it is often best to present it quite quickly, with a simple example.
If it appears as part of a text or dialogue, we can often leave students to guess
the word from the context.
Emphasize that students should understand far more words than they can
produce so we should not try to treat all new words as active vocabulary.
1.1.3. The importance of vocabulary
It cannot be denied that vocabulary is one of the most important
dimensions of a language. Day by day, there have been more and more
methodologists and linguists turning their attention to vocabulary and its role
in language teaching and learning process. McCarthy (1990:8) confirmed how
important vocabulary is through his statement, “no matter how well a student
learns grammar, no matter how successful the sounds of L2 are mastered,
without words to express a wide range of meanings, communication in an L.2
just cannot happen in any meaningful way.” Sharing this idea, Mathews &
Spratt (1985) said, “One of the tools that enables students to function accurately,
appropriately and fluently in any situations is the ability to recognize and

produce a wide range of vocabulary items.” The extreme importance of
vocabulary is strongly confirmed by Wilkins (1974), “without grammar very
little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (1974).
This statement implicates that a conversation still can be understood by
speakers but little without grammar. Nevertheless, without vocabulary, no
information can be passed on to others in their talks.
To succeed in learning a language, learners need to possess a huge stock
of vocabulary. However, in teaching process, if teacher only focuses on the
meaning of individual words and takes little care of word combination in a
sentence, learners will face up with difficulties in communicating. Therefore,
it is very necessary to associate vocabulary with grammar, which helps them
not only know the meaning of words but also know how to use them correctly.
1.1.4. Aspects of vocabulary needed to be taught


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Nation (1990:3) stated that “Knowing a word involves not only knowing
its meaning(s) but also knowing its forms and its usage’’. Therefore, to teach
and to learn vocabulary well, both teachers and students must master the
following factors.
a.Forms
When encountering a new for the first time, students often perceive its
pronunciation and spelling forms. Since the relation between how a word is
written and how it is pronounced is rather vague, there should be the phonemic
script of the word so that students can pronounce the word correctly. Besides,
for further understanding of a word, the teachers and students need to know:
the grammatical behavior of the word, the collocation of the word and the
associations of the word. It is very important for teachers to provide students
with an unpredictable change of form in certain grammatical contexts or some

idiosyncratic ways of connecting with other words in sentences at the same time
as teaching the base form. For example, when teaching the verb, teachers need
to introduce the present form, the past form, transitive or intransitive verb, etc.
Gains and Redman (1999:47) classified three main forms of word building:
affixation (the process of adding prefixes and suffixes to the base form);
compounding (the formation of words from two or more separated words) and
conversion (process by which an item may be used in different parts of speech).
Collocation is the way in which words are combined together, and it sounds
‘‘right’’ or ‘‘wrong’’ in a given context. In another way, collocation is defined
as a sequence of words or term which co- occur more often than would be
expected by chance (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). For example, when
introducing words like ‘‘decision’’ or ‘‘conclusion’’, we must use verb
‘‘make’’ before these words: ‘‘make a decision’’ or ‘‘make a conclusion’’ as
well as in expressions like ‘’by the way, on the other hand....’’ we can not omit
any words or add other words into these phrases.
b. Meaning


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Teaching the meaning is another important aspect of vocabulary
teaching. This aspect consists of denotation, polisemy and connotation.
The meaning of a word is primarily what it refers to in the real world,
its denotation; this sort of this definition is often given in a dictionary.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: ‘‘denotation is the
surface of literal meaning encoded to a signifier, and the definition most likely
to appear in a dictionary”. For example, “snake” denotes a kind of animal,
legless, having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and
temperate regions. In fact, the words can contain many different meanings; one
word in English often has more than one denotation, which is polisemy. On the

contrary, “connotation”refers to the association or positive or negative feeling
it evokes, which may or may not be indicated in a dictionary definition.
“Connotation is a subjective cultural and or emotional coloration in addition to
the explicit or denotative meaning of any specific word or phrase in a language”
(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This means that readers can infer other
meanings from the context based on words.
There are various relationships between the meaning of one item and the
meanings of others. They are: synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms, co-hyponyms
or co-ordinates, superordinate, homophones, etc. Synonyms are items that
mean the same, or nearly the same, for example, “clever, smart, bright” may
serve as synonyms of “intelligent’’. Antonyms are items that mean the opposite
e.g. “tall” is antonym of short. Hyponyms are items that serve as specific
example of a general concepts; “dog, lion, mouse” are hyponyms of animal.
Co-hyponyms or co-ordinates are items that are “the same kind of thing”; “red,
blue, green and brown” are co-ordinates. Superordinates are general concepts
that “cover” specific items; “animal” is the superordinate of “dog, lion and
mouse”. Homophones are words that have the same pronounce but different
spellings and meanings e.g. “eye- my; hair- there’’.
c. Usage


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It is obvious that the words we use are often governed by the style and
register we are in. Words are not only restricted geography and socially but also
restricted by styles of speaking or writing. The vocabulary of written English
is greatly different from the vocabulary of spoken English. Spoken language is
the language of face to face conversation, therefore speakers can use a variety
of communication tools such as gestures, tone of voice, facial expression while
in writing, writers have to select the words precisely for richer usage of

vocabulary. Besides, the meaning of a word can be changed as it is used in
different contexts, for example, the meaning for the word “gave” is changed in
following contexts: ‘‘He gave his wife five dollars”; “He gave his wife a kiss”
or “the doctor gave the patient an injection”... So, in teaching vocabulary,
teachers should create more opportunities for students to use vocabulary items
effectively
1.1.5. Principles of teaching vocabulary
According to Hubbard et al (1983) and Nation (2003), teaching
vocabulary has some principles:
 If words are presented in a memorable way and practiced regularly,
students may remember them better.
 No matter how new words are presented, students should always be
checked if they have understood the new words.
 Like teaching anything else, when teaching vocabulary, revision is
essential. New words should be revised regularly, otherwise students
may forget them


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

High frequency words should be paid more attention than low frequency
ones because they are more useful



To help learners self- study effectively, vocabulary learning strategies
(such as guessing meaning from context, using dictionary, using word
card, using collocations....) should be trained.

From those principles, we can see that teaching vocabulary to young learners
should be memorable and fun, which helps kids remember words better. One
more important thing is that new words should be revised regularly through
different activities to make sure students do not forget the words.
1.1.6. Stages of teaching vocabulary in CLT
Gower (2005) states the three stages of teaching vocabulary as follows:
a. Presentation
This is the stage of introducing new vocabulary items in different ways
(pictures, objects, gestures, sounds, different text types, etc.). In this stage, it
would be much better if the teacher introduces new vocabulary items in context
with the words students know because this will help students guess the meaning
of the new items at the first time they see and/or hear them.
The teacher will help students the way of reading and writing new words.
The important thing of this stage is that the teacher needs to pronounce and
write the words correctly.
b. Practice
Controlled Practice
This stage comes right after the presentation stage. At this phase, the
teacher needs to create a positive environment for children to use the new words
under the guidance of teachers. Making mistakes at this stage is also a progress
that primary school students gradually improve, and this stage has the role to
help children form strong relationships between the meaning of words and their
forms (including spoken and written form) as well as know how to use words
suitably


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Free Practice

Teachers should give children opportunities to experience the words
freely. After the stage of controlled practice, students can more easily use what
they have learnt to express their meanings in communication. This step will
help children gradually turn the knowledge they have learned into their own.
c. Revision
This is the process of reactivation that helps assimilation and learning
.As in McCarten (2007), learning vocabulary is largely about remembering,
and students generally need to see, say, and write newly learned words many
times before they can be said to have learned them. Thus, in this stage, the
teacher should have students review vocabulary as often as possible in
activities that have students actively recall words and produce them rather
than merely see or hear them. The stage of revision should be done regularly
during the teaching process; it can be done during the lesson, for example
when the teacher introduces the new grammar point or lets students do
exercises themselves, but it is less direct; or reviewing vocabulary can be done
in the revision lesson and also at the end of the term. However, in a lesson, it
is normal that revision often takes place at the beginning. It is often
appropriate to start off the lesson by doing a short activity which revises a
lexical set presented the day before and quick vocabulary revision games are
a good way to warm up students at the beginning of the lesson (Gower, 2005).
1.1.7. Factors affecting the decision in choosing vocabulary items to
teach
Gower et al. (2005:145) state the following factors for deciding what
vocabulary to teach:
a. Type of lesson
There is a difference between a “vocabulary lesson” (where, for
example, the main objective is for the students to learn and use a number of
vocabulary items), and a lesson in which vocabulary comes up as part of