A study on using the spaced repetition technique on smartphone application to improve english vocabulary for the first year english majors at hong duc university

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that I, Vu Thi Dieu Linh, a student of the Faculty of
Foreign languages at Hong Duc University, confirm my authorship in the
research titled “A study on using the spaced repetition technique on
smartphone application to improve English vocabulary for the first-year
English majors at Hong Duc University.” The thesis is the result of my own
research and the substance of the thesis has been submitted neither as a whole
nor in part for a degree to any other universities or institutions.
Thanh Hoa, May 2022

Vu Thi Dieu Linh

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
On completing this graduation thesis, first and foremost, I would like to
express my profound gratitude to Ms. Trinh Thi Hang, my respectful
supervisor, who has always given me precious advice and suggestions. Without
her instructive remarks as well as corrections, the study could not have been
accomplished.
I am also immensely thankful for the enthusiastic support, unique ideas,
and valuable suggestions of my beloved lecturers, my friends, and especially
my classmates in class K21A of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Hong Duc
University. They are those who have always comforted and encouraged me to
overcome obstacles while I was carrying out my study.
I could not finish this paper if there was no assistance from freshmen in
class K24B of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hong Duc university. They
are those who have directly participated in my own research. I would like to
send my big thanks to all of these students.
Last but not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to my family, my parents,

and my elder sister for all their infinite spiritual support during the
implementation of the study. Without them, I could hardly have had enough
bravery to deal with difficulties and keep going on with my research.

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ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to find out the efficiency of applying
spaced repetition technique in learning vocabulary for freshmen specializing in
English language teaching at Hong Duc University.
Participants in the study included 60 first-year English majored students
in class K24B of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hong Duc University.
They were chosen to become the subjects of survey questionnaires about
attitudes as well as techniques to learn vocabulary. Furthermore, 60 students
were divided into 2 groups (a control group and an experimental group) to be
subjects who took part in the experimental research. Both groups answered the
pre-test and post-test questions about vocabulary. However, the experimental
group used spaced repetition technique while the control one used traditional
methods of learning vocabulary.
At the end of the study, the students of the experimental group who
applied spaced repetition technique showed more positive results in
memorizing vocabulary than the control one. Therefore, the effectiveness of
SRT in improving vocabulary had been proven. In addition, some
recommendations were given for further study in the future.

iii


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. EU

European Union

2. SRT

Spaced repetition technique

3. FFL

Faculty of foreign languages

4. No.

Number

5. IELTS

International English Language Testing
System

6. TOEIC

Test of English for International
Communication

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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 3.2.1. The number of years that students have learnt English ............ 30
Figure 3.2.2. Students' level of interest in English ........................................ 31
Figure 3.2.3. Students’ opinions on learning vocabulary .............................. 32
Figure 3.2.4. Students’ frequency of learning vocabulary ............................. 33
Figure 3.2.5. Students’ time of learning vocabulary per day ......................... 33
Figure 3.2.6. The way that students use to learn vocabulary the most often . 34
Figure 3.2.7. The problem students often face most when learning words .... 34
Figure 3.2.8. The number of students who tried using this technique before .35
Table 3.2.1. Students’ attitude to learning vocabulary by using SRT ............ 36
Table 3.2.2. Students’ vocabulary memory ability after using SRT ............... 36
Table 3.2.3. Students’ other skills after using SRT ......................................... 37
Figure 3.3.1. The number of correct answers and the equivalent percentage in
the pre-test ....................................................................................................... 38
Figure 3.3.2. The number of correct answers and the equivalent percentage in
the post-test ..................................................................................................... 39

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................ ii
ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................... iv
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ................................................................. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. vi
PART I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1
1. Rationale........................................................................................................ 1
2. Aims of the study .......................................................................................... 2
3. Scope of the study ......................................................................................... 3
4. Methods of the study ..................................................................................... 3
5. Design of the study........................................................................................ 3
PART II: DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................. 4
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 4
1.1. Vocabulary ................................................................................................. 4
1.1.1. Definitions of vocabulary........................................................................ 4
1.1.2. Types of vocabulary ................................................................................ 5
1.1.3. The importance of vocabulary ................................................................ 6
1.1.4. Strategies for learning vocabulary .......................................................... 9
1.2. Spaced repetition technique ..................................................................... 10
1.2.1. Definition of the spaced repetition technique ....................................... 10
1.2.2. The operation process of SRT ............................................................... 11
1.2.3. Smartphone applications using SRT ..................................................... 13
1.2.4. Advantages of SRT for learning vocabulary ........................................ 17
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 18
2.1. Settings ..................................................................................................... 18
2.2. Participants ............................................................................................... 18
2.3. Data collection instruments ...................................................................... 19
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2.3.1. Teacher interview .................................................................................. 19
2.3.2. Survey questionnaires for students ....................................................... 19
2.3.3. Tests ...................................................................................................... 20
2.3.3.1. Pre-test................................................................................................ 20
2.3.3.2. Post-test .............................................................................................. 20
2.4. Procedures ................................................................................................ 20
2.5. Programs................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ............................................ 30
3.1. Results of interview.................................................................................. 30
3.2. Results of questionnaire ........................................................................... 30
3.3. Results of pre-test..................................................................................... 38
3.4. Results of post-test ................................................................................... 39
PART 3: CONCLUSION................................................................................ 40
3.1. Summaries and conclusions ..................................................................... 40
3.2. Limitations of the study ........................................................................... 40
3.3. Suggestions and implicatures ................................................................... 41
REFERENCES ............................................................................................... viii
APPENDICES................................................................................................... x
APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS ...................... x
APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS .................................. xi
APPENDIX 3: PRE-TEST............................................................................. xiii
APPENDIX 4: POST-TEST .......................................................................... xvi
APPENDIX 5: QUESTIONNAIRE AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL
PROGRAM .................................................................................................. xxiii

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PART I. INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
It is unquestionable that English is considered a global language. It is the
official language of more than 53 countries and territories, the official language
of the EU, and the third most widely used language in the world (only after
Chinese and Spanish due to the advantage of the population number of these
countries). In Vietnam, since starting the open-door process to the world in
many aspects such as getting involved in globalization, international economic
integration, and trade liberalization, English, the international tongue, has
achieved dominance. Indeed, it is manifested by the Ministry of Education
chose it to be the first foreign language taught at schools in Vietnam. Therefore,
the higher demand for learning English in our country than ever. English
positively facilitates job promotions, foreign cooperation, etc.
The high need of society for learning English entails changes as well as
reforms in teaching this language. In the past, it used to be taught in a dull and
uninspiring way. At that time, students just passively absorbed the knowledge
from their teachers. Furthermore, the education system placed great emphasis
on grammar knowledge. As a result, it caused invisible pressure on students
and made learning English boring.
However, today, along with educational improvements in teaching and
learning methods, the learners gradually become the centered subject while the
role of the teacher should be just the instructor instead of the controller.
Nowadays, students are learning evenly between grammar and skills (listening,
speaking, reading, and writing skills).
When taking up a language, the fundamental matter is to learn
vocabulary. It is obvious to see that a lack of words will interfere with the
learning of grammar or other skills. For example, lack of vocabulary, students
cannot do the reading tasks in the reading section, or when practicing speaking,

students also do not have enough vocabulary to present their ideas. The
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beginning of a new foreign language is always a greeting. English is hi, French
is Bonjour, German is Hallo. If you want to go further in conversations, some
basic words are not enough. That is the reason why we all have to learn as much
vocabulary as possible.
As far as learning vocabulary, there is another worrying condition among
students, especially freshmen, which is the problem of memory. Young firstyear students often find themselves stuck with the state of " going in one ear
and out the other". In other words, it is called vocabulary forgetfulness. If they
couldn't remember words, how can they use them proficiently?
In reality, through basic research, besides many gifted students in
learning vocabulary, a majority of first-year students at the Department of
Foreign Languages at Hong Duc University have difficulty in learning
vocabulary. They are often fed up with cramming a lot of words. Moreover,
after learning vocabulary for a while, they encounter the state of forgetting
words quickly. In addition, according to some lecturers, although the first year
in university is the prerequisite year of building vocabulary for language
learning, a lot of students are not diligent or interested in learning words.
Therefore, the vocabulary of the first-year students is not large.
Due to the above-mentioned reasons, I conducted the thesis "A study on
using the spaced repetition technique on smartphone application to improve
English vocabulary for the first-year English majors at Hong Duc University."
In my thesis, I would like to help students in improving their vocabulary
learning, avoiding the issues of forgetting words, and building a rich
vocabulary as a platform for them to study and enhance other skills such as

grammar, reading, writing, and so forth.
2. Aims of the study
The main objectives of the study are as follows.

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-This study aims to find out the effectiveness of applying Spaced repetition
technique in learning vocabulary for freshmen specializing in English at Hong
Duc University
-The research provides suggestions and implications for teaching and learning
vocabulary efficiently for the first-year students at Hong Duc University.
3. Scope of the study
There are plenty of techniques that are likely to apply to study
vocabulary. It is immensely difficult to cover all techniques. In addition, due to
time limitations as well as the researcher’s ability and working conditions, the
study mainly focuses on using spaced repetition technique in studying English
vocabulary for the first-year English majors at Hong Duc University.
4. Methods of the study
A combination of various methods has been used in this study. The following
are methods exploited:
-Carrying out interviews for teachers to collect data.
-Conducting survey questionnaires to find out students’ views on English
vocabulary learning.
- Using pre-test to assess student’s vocabulary level before using SRT and posttest to re-evaluate the effectiveness of vocabulary memory capability after
applying SRT.
5. Design of the study

The study consists of three parts:
Part 1: Introduction addresses with Rationale, Aims of the study, Scope of
the study, Methods of the Study, and Design of the study.
Part 2: Development which includes 3 chapters: chapter 1: Literature review,
chapter 2: Methodology and procedures of the study, and chapter 3: Findings
and discussion.
Part 3: Conclusion gives a short summary of the entire study.
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PART II: DEVELOPMENT
This part consists of three chapters in which chapter 1 addresses the
literature review of the study, chapter 2 deals with methodology and chapter 3
presents findings and discussion.

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Vocabulary
1.1.1. Definitions of vocabulary
Vocabulary has been defined in various ways. According to the
Cambridge dictionary, vocabulary is explained as "All the words that exist in a
particular language or subject". In Webster Dictionary, vocabulary is “a list
or collection of words usually alphabetically arranged and explained or
lexicon, stock of words used in language or by class, individual, etc.”
Another definition, in the book called “Basic English lexicology” of
Hoang Tat Truong (1993:2) [1], stated that “Vocabulary is meant the sum total
or the system of all the words that a language possesses.”
Besides, there are other experts who have studied and given definitions.

In detail, “Vocabulary is the collection of words that an individual knows”
(Linse,2005:121) [2]. From another view of vocabulary, Hatch and Brown
(1995:1) [3] define “Vocabulary as a list of words for a particular language or
a list or set of words that individual speakers of language might use”. While
according to Roget (1980:1036) [4], vocabulary is
“a.

A list of words often defined or translated.

b.

All the words of Language.

c.

Specialized expressions that are indigenous to a particular field, subject,

trade, or subculture.”
In conclusion, the word “Vocabulary” may imply words known or used
by individuals in a narrow sense or the entire collection of words of a language
in a broad sense.
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1.1.2. Types of vocabulary
Based on the criterion of usage properties of vocabulary, we can classify
vocabulary into 2 large groups: active and passive (Harmer, 2001) [5].

As the name implies, we can understand passive vocabulary as words we
understand but do not call out or use whilst active vocabulary is words that a
person understands, pronounces, and uses them. For instance, a 3-year-old
child can understand words such as “I love you”, and he/ she will have a
reaction or manifestation of feeling happy and smiling. However, they cannot
speak or respond to their parents. Therefore, you find that they understand
words and phrases even before they can say them.
Apart from the names: active and passive vocabulary, vocabulary can
also be classified and called receptive and productive (Hatch and Brown,1995)
[3]
a. Receptive Vocabulary
Learners' receptive vocabulary consists of phrases that they recognize and
comprehend when they are used in context, but that they are unable to produce.
Freshmen recognize this language when they see or encounter it while
examining textual information, but they do not use it when speaking or writing
(Stuart Webb, 2009) [6].
b. Productive Vocabulary
Words that learners understand, pronounce correctly, and use constructively in
speaking and writing are referred to as productive vocabulary. It includes both
receptive vocabulary and the ability to speak or write at the appropriate time.
As a result, students can develop phrases to express their thoughts to others,
and productive vocabulary can be handled as a living process (Stuart Webb,
2005) [7].
Normally, passive/receptive vocabulary is usually reading or listening
vocabulary. This is understandable because when we read or listen we passively
absorb a new word. Taking someone reading a piece of text for an example, he
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or she can recognize the form of letters and how they go together, and how to
understand their sum meaning without the demand for pronouncing it or using
it.
Another form of passive/receptive vocabulary is listening. Listeners can
perceive words that they are listening to and associate heard words with their
meanings. The level of understanding is supported by word context, intonation,
etc.
In contrast, writing and speaking vocabulary is in the active/productive
vocabulary range. Writing is equivalent to reading. Along with reading skills,
it forms the core skills needed for a person to be literate. The writer
demonstrates his or her knowledge of a word in terms of its meaning, spelling,
and correct usage.
Besides, speaking is also one of the types of vocabulary that
demonstrates a person's knowledge of words. This is an active demonstration
that can also rely on other factors such as facial expressions, intonation, pitch,
and gestures to help others understand its meaning. Knowledge of a word is
demonstrated by good use and pronunciation.
1.1.3. The importance of vocabulary
Nelson Mandela said “If you talk to a man in a language he understands,
that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
Therefore, learning languages is extremely crucial but what is the beginning of
a language?
It is not an exaggeration to answer that is vocabulary. They are the “root cause”
of all other aspects. Nobody can deny vocabulary is a prerequisite for
communication and also the foundation for the development of other academic
skills.
Indeed, communication needs vocabulary. Every day, people
communicate with each other, using hundreds, if not thousands of words

without thinking much about their significance. In case it is your mother
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tongue, it is reasonable not to ponder. However, this will no longer be a trivial
matter when you learn a second language, like English. If you don't have the
vocabulary, you can't communicate. It was the famous linguist D. A. Wilkins
[8] who had to exclaim that “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed;
without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed.” Thus, it once again emphasizes
that vocabulary is the first and most important element of communication.
On the other hand, vocabulary is a solid stepping stone for the
improvement of skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing, and
grammatical structure. Comparing skill development is like building a house,
building a vocabulary is now definitely the bricks that lay the foundation.
Let's look at each aspect of the skills. First of all, it is listening. You are
practicing listening skills but do not grasp what the speaker says. You are
listening for IELTS, TOEIC, etc. many times without increasing your level.
The problem here is not how many times you hear it, but whether you know
the words or not. If it's a strange word for you, it's no use hearing it a hundred
or a thousand times. Thus, if you want to hear it, you need to know the
vocabulary and pronunciation.
The second one is about speaking skills. When you have a lot of ideas,
you want to express your opinion but can't find relevant words. This is a deadend! Besides, speaking is known as one of the productive skills.
Nevertheless, to “produce” an idea, you need a certain amount of vocabulary
to convey it. Global Language Monitor, a research site on language trends says
that English has about 1,025,109.8 word units as of January 1, 2014. Google
and a Harvard University study also found that English has 1,022,000 words.

According to the results of a survey by The Economist (2013), the number of
native speakers' vocabulary is as follows:
- Adults know between 20,000 and 35,000 words
- 8-year-olds know 10,000 words.
- 4-year-olds know 5,000 words.
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The question that arises here is how many words do you need to learn to
be good at English?
Certainly, it is unnecessary for you to know 35,000 words to be good at
English. Extracted from Outcast's research, the level of English is equivalent to
the number of words you need to know as follows:
- A1 = 500
- A2 = 1,000
- B1 = 2,000
- B2 = 4,000
- C1 = 8,000
- C2 = 16,000
In general, the number of words does not determine everything, but
without a certain number of words, it is definitely difficult for you to improve
your speaking skills.
In addition, vocabulary plays an important role in reading skills. This is
completely reasonable due to a large number of new words that may appear in
many reading texts regardless of in short news in newspapers or academic
articles. In Vietnam, especially in the national high school examination,
students need to read up to 3 reading comprehension texts. It is said that instead

of reading the entire text, use skimming and scanning techniques to find the
main idea or information for the question. However, it can only be done when
you know the vocabulary to an extent, otherwise, no matter how many times
you apply techniques, it is difficult to choose the correct answer.
Last but not least, vocabulary does matter with another productive skill
which is writing. For quality writing, you need to read more and gain enough
vocabulary. That is, it needs a certain input amount of knowledge and words or
expressions, not merely writing correctly but also writing coherently and
logically.

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To sum up, in order to learn English effectively, learners themselves
must understand the importance of vocabulary. Vocabulary is the root both
literally and figuratively when imagining your English learning is a tree.
1.1.4. Strategies for learning vocabulary
According to Rubin (1975:43) [9], strategies are “The techniques or
devices which a learner may use to acquire knowledge.” The term “vocabulary
learning strategies” refers to “Any set of techniques or learning behaviors,
which language learners reported using in order to discover the meaning of a
new word, to retain the knowledge of newly-learned words, and to expand one’s
knowledge of vocabulary” (Intaraprasert, 2004:53) [10]
In fact, it is obvious that there is a variety of strategies that depend on
each person to learn new words. However, according to the classification of
vocabulary learning strategies by Cohen (1998:43) [11], it could be divided into
three main categories: strategies to remember words, semantic strategies, and

vocabulary learning and practicing strategies.
First of all, they are strategies to remember words. Learners will use
rote-repetition by repeating the word and its meaning until it seems to have
stuck in their minds. Also, it is essential to use mnemonic associations
by making a link between the word as well as the sound of a word in the native
language and the sound of a word in another language or linking the word to
the situation in which it appeared. -taking notice of the meaning of a part of
the word or noting the structure of part and visualizing the word in isolation or
in a written context.
- Adding the word to the topic group and conceiving an image of the word in
the mind.
- Associating some physical sensation to the word or associating the word to a
keyword; and using the mnemonic device in order to create a cognitive link
between an unfamiliar foreign language word.

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The next category is called semantic strategies which involve thinking
of synonyms in order to build a network of interlinking concepts and clustering
words by topic group or type of word and linking the word to another sentence.
The last items are vocabulary learning and practicing strategies.
Learners need to analyze the word according to its roots, affixes, and inflections
as a way to understand its meaning. At this time, they can use a dictionary,
flashcards, grouping, and cumulative vocabulary study to have scrutiny on
words.
1.2. Spaced repetition technique

1.2.1. Definition of the spaced repetition technique
SRT was developed and studied by a German psychologist named
Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1880s. Spaced repetition is a way that focuses on
repeating information so that you remember it effectively. As its name implies,
this technique consists of two parts: repetition and spacing.
- Repetition
As we all know, the brain first records information into short-term
memory. Over time, if we don't review it, we will forget it because the brain
will delete information that is supposed to be unnecessary. Therefore, to
remember deeply, it is necessary to repeat. As the ancient Romans used to say,
“Repetition is the mother of all learning”. People often say that “Practice
makes perfect” and in this case, it should be “The more you repeat information,
the more deeply you will remember it”
- Distance
Spacing Repetition creates spaces in the process of learning and
reviewing information. It is closely associated with the concept of the forgetting
curve.
About SRT's history, Hermann Ebbinghaus created the groundwork for
spaced repetition research when he proposed that information loss follows a

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forgetting curve over time, but that forgetting may be restored with repetition
based on active recall.
Landauer and Bjork initially experimented spaced repetition technique
in 1978 with a group of psychology students. They were shown photographs of

a specific individual followed by the subject's name. Providing the spaced
repetition with the repeat of viewing the person's name and face, by the time,
students were able to link the name and face of that individual shown.
Afterward, in 1985, Schacter, Rich, and Stamp expanded the study to
include persons with amnesia and other memory impairments. The data
revealed that spaced repetition can also benefit people with memory problems.
1.2.2. The operation process of SRT
As mentioned above, SRT works based on the study of the forgetting
curve. This curve shows that when we first learn, the brain will remember
information immediately and quickly, but the longer time flies, the more we
will forget, and the knowledge may gradually “fade”.

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Therefore, SRT uses spaced repetition strategy, which means that as
soon as my brain starts to forget something, we should review it right away and
thereby remember it longer. The important keyword here is “spacing”. Why is
interval learning necessary? Because “If you review information too early,
you’ll waste your time. If you review information too late, you will forget it and
will have to re-learn it”. Furthermore, according to many experts, it is not good
if you review every day with the same knowledge. First of all, it causes a feeling
of fatigue and boredom for learners. Another disadvantage is that the brain is
not given the opportunity to rest for better data storage later.
The spacing effect refers to the observation that learning that occurs from
repetition is more effective when it is spaced over time. Instead of repeating a
word 100 times in the same day, a person will learn more productively if they

repeat the word 10 times a day for 10 days.
In addition, according to research by Hermann, after 24 hours, on
average, the brain will forget 70% of what it has just learned.
Simply put, if you learn 100 new words, by the next day you will forget 70
words and only remember 30 words or maybe less.
Hermann's research has also shown that, in order to increase the
efficiency of memorization, we need to "intervene" in this curve at the right
time (the golden time). For example, today, you memorize 10 new words, and
you review them after 1 hour - that means you have just intervened deliberately
in the forgetting curve at the right golden time. Therefore, by tomorrow, instead
of only having 30% of the words left, you will remember 75%.
As a result, this way will help the brain put the learned knowledge into
long-term memory. This is especially necessary with foreign language learning.
When you continue to review for the second time, the third time, etc. at the
right time the next day, your ability to remember will increase to 100%, and it
will be a long time until you forget. At this point, the words will have been
transferred to your long-term memory.
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1.2.3. Smartphone applications using SRT
In 1932, professor Cecil Alec Mace, in his book "Psychology of Study"
mentioned the application of the principle of spaced repetition to learning.
H. F. Spitzer, 1939 tested this method with 3,600 6th grade students
studying Science in the state of Lowa. Experiments have shown that this
technique really works. Initially, this experiment went unnoticed until the
1960s, when cognitive psychologists including Melton, Landauer & Bjork

studied the effect of repetition on memory improvement.
Around the same time, Pimsleur language courses pioneered the
practical application of spaced repetition technique. In 1973, the “Leitner
system” - invented by Sebastian Leitner system helps to review repeatedly to
achieve achievements through the use of flashcards. (Flashcards can be
understood as an information card to store information, the knowledge to be
learned, etc.) The development of the personal computer since the 1980s has
greatly influenced the method of learning by means of spaced repetition
techniques thanks to learning software. This software creates an automated
system of scheduling for the user to review knowledge over increasing time
intervals. Not only that, but these applications also allow users to achieve
achievements to reward their achievements.
Most software that applies the technique of - Spaced Repetition Software
(SRS) applies the form of review with flashcards. When needing to review the
user needs to enter the result (information to remember) corresponding to the
question (information hint). Based on the user's review results and on the
Hermann Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, it is set up to analyze when learners are
likely to forget words or information. Then it will remind the learner to learn.
Here are some specific applications or software that use SRT:
Firstly, it is Anki. This is probably the most renowned spaced repeating
flashcard system. It is widely used among people to learn foreign languages
including English. Anki is not flashy or complex and doesn't include many
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features but is extremely easy to use. For each flashcard, you rate how well you
know from “1” to “5”. Words you undervalue will repeat more often. You can

make your own flashcards or find some pre-made cards made by others.

The second one is Brainscape. It is somehow like an upgraded version
of Anki. It works the same way: you can create your own flashcards or find
cards made by others. For each flashcard, you rank your understanding of the
card from “1” to “5”. The lower you rate the card, the more often the card
repeats. On Brainscape, you are free to create your own flashcards or find them
from others.

Another one is called Memrise. While Anki and Brainscape can be used
for memorizing anything. Memrise is specifically designed for language
learners. Apart from similarities, a difference in Memrise is that it possesses a
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number of courses designed in advance. That's fine if you want an app with a
curriculum. Memrise is free to start, but you can sign up for more languages
and features.

Finally, an application using SRT was developed by the Vietnamese
team. It has a pure Vietnamese name " Từ vựng Tiếng Anh" (temporarily
translated: English Vocabulary) which I would consider one of the instruments
that support my research later.

It integrates the very famous spaced repetition algorithm to schedule the
words you need to learn and review in a sequence to help increase your ability
to remember words, but spend less time reviewing words.

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Here is a simple example: If you want to learn the word “Hospital”. You
can create a flashcard with the word HOSPITAL on one side, and the meaning
or phonetics or illustrated image on the other side. At first, you constantly look
back at this flashcard to recall it. Then you wait about 20 minutes and then look
back and recall what it meant. Repeat this after 1 hour, 3 hours, 12 hours, 1 day
and so on (the interval between seemingly gets bigger and bigger) and you'll
find that the word is already ingrained in your memory.

In general, the spaced repetition method will automatically track whether
your answers are correct or incorrect, you mark the word as memorized or not
so that it can schedule a word review and learn new words optimally, based on
the famous algorithm: Spaced Repetition. Furthermore, the app contains more
than 10 most popular vocabulary sets, clearly classified. It can be said that this
is the most complete and best vocabulary learning application. An
indispensable application in your software cabinet. The advantages of “Từ
vựng Tiếng Anh” :
+ The app divides related vocabulary into small lessons. Avoid putting too
many words that cause frustration.
+ Vocabulary with examples, fully translated, with illustrations
+ The sound of the words, the examples are by the reader, not automatically
read by the machine-like other English language applications -> ensure the
accuracy of the intonation
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“Từ vựng Tiếng Anh” includes a lot of vocabulary sets, is a very
complete English vocabulary learning application, you no longer have to worry
about downloading many applications such as learning vocabulary for TOEIC,
IELTS,etc.
1.2.4. Advantages of SRT for learning vocabulary
SRT is beneficial to learning words due to some reasons. One of them is
against forgetfulness. It is undeniable that the biggest fear and also the biggest
obstacle to vocabulary learning is forgetting. However, with the operation of
SRT, we see that this is one of the most powerful techniques to improve their
memory ability. It is also a sustainable method, as opposed to the traditional
“cramming” technique that people often use every time they are in an urgent
hast review for an exam. When we use the “cramming” technique, we can
remember vocabulary in a short time but will forget them soon. This is the
reason why many students are very diligent, but they are always in a state of
“brain-out” to remember words again without success. Thus, it is said that
“Study smarter, not harder”. This method is following the forgetting curve to
retrain against forgetting. Thereby avoiding absent-mindedness when learning
vocabulary. In other words, it is effective for learning words and reducing
forgetting words.
Another reason is that with its diverse applications, learners can ease
fatigue while studying. It is obvious that learning vocabulary is difficult and it
can bore people at times. However, along with applications or software, we
have a variety of choices. As mentioned above, you can select Anki, Memrise,
or " Từ vựng Tiếng Anh " to learn. On these apps or software, learning words
is assisted with sound, vivid images, and so on.
In sum, undoubtedly, SRT has a positive influence on studying words.

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CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.1. Settings
The study was carried out in the Faculty of Foreign Languages (FFL) at
Hong Duc University - Thanh Hoa province. This is one of 12 faculties at Hong
Duc university which is the largest local university in Thanh Hoa province and
was set up on 24th September 1997.
FFL is an outstanding faculty with qualified lecturer staff. There are over
30 lecturers in total. Overall, the faculty lecturers are highly educated. Most of
the lecturers possess Master’s degrees. The faculty also has 2 people who
owned doctorate degrees and 2 people taking part in intensive training in
Australia. Dean of Faculty is Ms. Nguyen Thi Quyet (Doctor of English). Vice
Dean of Faculty is Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh (Doctor of English).
FFL is divided into 3 divisions: Division of English skills Development;
Division of linguistics-culture and English teaching methodology and Division
of foreign languages for non-major students.
In terms of the training programs for English major students, the
department trains 2 majors: English Language Teacher Education and English
Language.
2.2. Participants
60 freshmen specializing in English teaching were selected to be the
subjects of the study. Most of them are at the age of 18 and have been learning
English for a long time. According to what the English teachers in that class
said, most of the students are diligent and passionate about learning English.

However, they are in trouble with learning vocabulary such as forgetting words
or feeling fatigued with a tremendous number of vocabulary. Therefore, it is
reasonable to invite them to take part in my study related to vocabulary
improvement. Those students belong to 2 different classes: K24B in English
Language Teacher Education and K24B in and English Language but they have
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