Efl primary school teachers’ perceptions and practices of using flash cards in teaching english vocabulary to primary students

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

PHẠM BÍCH NGỌC

EFL PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS
AND PRACTICES OF USING FLASH CARDS IN

TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO PRIMARY
STUDENTS

Field: Theory and Methodology of English language teaching
Code: 8140111

Supervisor: Dr. VÕ DUY ĐỨC

BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

PHẠM BÍCH NGỌC

NHẬN THỨC VÀ THỰC HÀNH SỬ DỤNG THẺ
TỪ VỰNG TRONG GIẢNG DẠY TỪ MỚI CHO

HỌC SINH TIỂU HỌC

Ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học Tiếng Anh
Mã số: 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: TS. VÕ DUY ĐỨC

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I certify that I completed the study indicated in this report. With the
exception of areas where reference is given in the text, no other person's
work has been used without due acknowledgement in the thesis. I confirm
that this work has not been provided in any other form for the fulfillment of
any other degree or qualification and that it is being submitted as part of the
M.A. thesis in English at Quy Nhon University.

Quy Nhon, November 2023

Phạm Bích Ngọc

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Võ Duy Đức, my
thesis supervisor, for his essential assistance and support throughout the
project. Without his knowledge and perseverance, this thesis could not be
completed. It is a privilege to be one of his students. I'd like to thank
everyone who took part in the study.

Last but not least, my heartfelt gratitude goes to my parents for their
encouragement, support, and understanding.

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ABSTRACT
Teachers employ a variety of media when teaching English.

Flashcards are an effective medium for teaching English, especially in
primary education, since they facilitate the teaching and learning of
vocabulary. Therefore, the overall aim of this research is to investigate EFL
primary school teachers‘ perceptions and their practices of teaching
vocabulary in elementary school settings in Quy Nhon City. To answer the
research questions, the investigation employed a quantitative and
qualitative approach through a questionnaire among 50 primary teachers in
17 primary schools in Quy Nhon City. Moreover, observation checklists
and interview instruments were also employed to explore their perceptions
and assess their teaching practice. The data results reveal many essential
aspects of using flashcards in vocabulary instruction. The findings show
that teachers have favorable attitudes toward utilizing flashcards to teach
English vocabulary, saying flashcards are an effective tool to make
vocabulary learning enjoyable and memorable. However, there are some
drawbacks to using flashcards as teaching aids in elementary schools.
Hopefully, the findings of the study have provided an insightful
understanding of the use of flashcards in teaching vocabulary in primary
school settings in Quy Nhon City. From these empirical findings, relevant
implications are suggested for better using flashcards with primary school
teachers.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF CHARTS
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................... 1

1.1. Rationale ............................................................................................................. 1
1.2. Research aims and objectives..................................................................... 2
1.3. Research questions.......................................................................................... 3
1.4. Scope of the study ........................................................................................... 3
1.5. Significance of the study .............................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................4
2.1. Vocabulary.......................................................................................................... 4
2.1.1. Vocabulary definition ................................................................................ 4
2.1.2. Kinds of vocabulary.................................................................................... 5
2.1.3. Teaching and Learning Vocabulary ..................................................... 7
2.1.3.1. Teaching vocabulary............................................................................... 7
2.1.3.2. Learning vocabulary .............................................................................. 9
2.2. Flashcards .........................................................................................................11
2.2.1. Flashcards definition ...............................................................................11
2.2.2. Kind of flashcards..................................................................................... 12
2.2.3. Teaching and Learning flashcards .................................................... 14
2.2.4. Advantages and disavantages of flashcards .................................. 17
2.2.4.1.. Advantages of flashcards.................................................................. 17
2.2.4.2. Disadvantages of flashcards ............................................................ 19

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2.3. Teachers’s preceptions on using flashcards ....................................... 20
2.4. Related studies............................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 25
3.1. Research design ............................................................................................ 25
3.2. Setting and participants ............................................................................. 26

3.3. Data collection instruments ..................................................................... 28
3.3.1. Questionnaires ........................................................................................... 28
3.3.2. Semi- structured interview .................................................................... 29
3.3.3. Observation checklist ............................................................................ 30
3.4. Procedure ........................................................................................................ 31
3.4.1. Data collection ......................................................................................... 31
3.4.2. Data analysis.............................................................................................. 32
3.5. Summary .......................................................................................................... 32
CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .............................................. 33
4.1. Teachers’ perceptions of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary ............................................................................................................................ 34
4.1.1. The necessity of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary............................................................................................................................. 34
4.1.2. The benefits of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary............................................................................................................................. 38
4.1.3. The weakness of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary............................................................................................................................. 46
4.2. The implementation of using flashcards to teach English
vocabulary .................................................................................................................. 48
4.2.1. Frequency of the use of using flashcards in teaching
vocabulary ................................................................................................................. 48
4.2.2. Teachers' application of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary ........................................................................................................................... 50

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4.2.3. Students’ respond when flashcards are implemented ................ 51
4.2.4. Challenges that teachers may face when using flashcards in
teaching English vocabulary ........................................................................................ 52
4.2.5. Suggestions for the effective use of flashcards in English

classes .................................................................................................................................... 55
4.3. Discussion ....................................................................................................... 57
4.3.1 EFL teachers’ perceptions of using flashcards in teaching
English vocabulary to primary school students..................................................... 57
4.3.2 The implementation of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary and challenges faced by teachers ........................................................ 60
4.4. Summary ......................................................................................................... 61
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS............................... 62
5.1. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 62
5.2. Implications ................................................................................................... 64
5.3. Limitations of the study ............................................................................ 65
5.4. Suggestions for further studies ............................................................... 65
REFERENCES
APPENDICES

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Reseach Design p.26

Table 3.2 A brief description of the survey participants p.27

Table 4.1 Teachers’ perceptions of the necessity of using p.34

flashcards

Table 4.2 Teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of using p.38

flashcards

Table 4.3 Teachers’ perceptions of the weakness of using p.46

flashcards

Table 4.4 Teachers’ activities p.50

Table 4.5 Students’ responses p.51

Table 4.6 Challenges that teachers may face when using p.55

flashcards

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LIST OF CHARTS

Chart Frequency of the use of flashcards in the classroom p.49
4.1

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale

Vocabulary is generally the total number of words that exist in a
particular language. More specifically, it functions as the foundation
without which any language is impossible to exist in this world. Learning a
foreign language, especially English as a language of international
communication throughout the world, has now become essential to
grasping the opportunity to reach information. Learning English vocabulary

at an early age is the fundamental step to learning English. It stands to
reason, as stated by Edward (1997) in his book, that vocabulary is one of
the most important factors in all language teaching, and learners must
continually be learning words as they learn structure and as they practice
sound systems.

The flashcard is one of the media that can be used by teachers or
students in the teaching and learning process. Likewise, flashcards can be
appropriate for learning new vocabulary because they contain pictures,
words, or sentences, which can make the students feel interested in learning
new vocabulary. Komachali and Khodareza (2012) stated that a flashcard is
a piece of cardboard consisting of a word, a sentence, or a simple picture
on it. Usually, the teacher writes a question on one side and an answer on
the other. Besides, the flashcard can be vocabulary, historical dates,
formulas, or any subject matter that can be learned via a question-and-
answer format. Therefore, flashcards are widely used as a learning drill to
aid in memorization, and they are often associated with spaced repetition.
Moreover, flashcards are beneficial as teaching media to teach English.
Flashcards provided many pictures, which made the activity fun. With
pictures, the students could easily understand new vocabulary and

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everything about English. Hence, flashcards are a good medium for
teaching English vocabulary at the elementary school level.

However, the teachers sometimes do not use flashcards as a medium
in the learning process, especially in elementary schools. The use of
flashcards as the teaching medium has not been sufficient. Some teachers
still use traditional ways of teaching. They only lectured and the only

media that they used were a black or white board and a board marker. In
teaching English, the teachers do not use any media except a black or white
board and a board marker. There is no interesting activity, only lecturing.
For specific subjects, such as vocabulary, the teachers only ask the students
to rewrite a list of vocabulary words, memorize them, and make sentences
based on the list of vocabulary words given by the teachers. The existence
of flashcards as a medium for teaching the language has not been
implemented. These are the motivations for me to conduct a study with the
title "EFL primary school teachers’ perceptions and practices of using flash
cards in teaching English vocabulary to primary school students”.

1.2. Research aims and objectives

Aims of the study
The aim of this study is to investigate the EFL primary school
teachers’ perceptions and practices of using flashcards in teaching English
vocabulary to primary students in Quy Nhon City.

Objectives of the study
- To investigate the teachers’ perceptions towards the use of
flashcards for teaching English vocabulary.
- To describe how the EFL primary school teachers implement
flashcards into their English teaching practice.

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1.3. Research questions
This study is an attempt to address the following research questions:
- What are EFL primary school teachers’ perceptions of using
flashcards in teaching English to primary students?

- How do EFL primary school teachers incorporate flashcards into
their English teaching practice?
1.4. Scope of the study
The study's scope is limited to research on perceptions and practices
among primary school English teachers. Nevertheless, given the time
constraints and geographical constraints, 50 EFL teachers from 17 primary
schools in Quy Nhon city participated in the study.
1.5. Significance of the study
This study gains great importance considering the limited number of
studies on the attitudes of EFL teachers at primary schools towards
flashcard use in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province. These research
results can help English teachers improve their teaching language skills,
and teachers can change their methods to make the students motivated and
relaxed in the teaching-learning process in primary schools in Quy Nhon
City. The study findings may provide insights into further studies or
training programs related to this topic and on the application of the
flashcards to language teaching and learning. In conclusion, this study is
intended to benefit students and teachers as a whole.

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CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

In the trend of learning English as a foreign language in the country,
teachers play multiple roles in the teaching process to help facilitate learning,
and flashcards appear to be a popular method for teachers to teach
vocabulary. This chapter has introduced the theoretical aspects of vocabulary
retention, the teaching technique of using flashcards, and a literature review
of relevant studies.

2.1 Vocabulary

2.1.1 Vocabulary definition

Hornby (2006) defined “vocabulary as all the words a person uses
when discussing a particular subject in a particular language. Vocabulary is
a list of words with meanings, glossaries, and words used in
communication; these words have meanings and convey messages.
Vocabulary is also a fundamental communication talent; without
vocabulary, communication will be difficult”. Vocabulary is “a list of words
and often phrases, typically arranged alphabetically and defined or
translated; a lexicon or glossary” (Longman, 1987:1117). According to
Carteret (2007:72, cited in Rofiah, 2010), vocabulary is central to the
acquisition of a foreign language at the elementary level. In recent years, it
has moved to the forefront of foreign language instruction, supported by
substantial and expanding research. It is also reinforced by Cameron
(2001:95), who stated that “vocabulary is the foundation of using a foreign
language as discourse, since vocabulary is both acquired through discourse
participation and is fundamental to discourse participation”. Wallace
(1998:9) pointed out that “Vocabulary is the most essential component of
language”. It implies that in order to communicate effectively in English,
students must grasp vocabulary. Vocabulary plays an essential role in

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English learning because it is one of the elements that simultaneously
connect speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Without sufficient
vocabulary, it is impossible to cultivate the four language abilities. If
students acquire a large vocabulary, it will be easy for them to comprehend
and speak. By observing the preceding explanation, it is clear that

vocabulary is essential for people, in this instance, students, to acquire
language; by mastering some vocabulary, they can improve their language
proficiency.

2.1.2 Kinds of vocabulary
Doff (1990:19) stated that there are two kinds of vocabulary:
- Active vocabulary: Consists of words that students must both
comprehend and use themselves. By providing examples and queries,
active vocabulary is taught so that students understand how to use the
words.
- Passive vocabulary: Consists of words that pupils must
comprehend (e.g. when perusing text) but do not need to use independently.
Learning vocabulary is a process; it is impossible to acquire a large
vocabulary without study. Since students begin learning vocabulary as
infants, they have a large vocabulary as adults.
Similarly, Schmitt and McCarthy (1997) stated that there are some
types of vocabulary, which are:

- Receptive Vocabulary: The terms that pupils comprehend when
they listen to and read spoken language. Listening and reading vocabulary
are referred to as receptive vocabulary.

- Expressive Vocabulary: It is the vocabulary that students employ
when speaking and writing. Since these are the vocabularies individuals use

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to articulate themselves, the term expressive vocabulary is used to refer to
both.

According to Thornbury (2002), there are various types of content
words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions,
interjections, and prepositions.

Likewise, Sherlock (2012) stated that there are kinds of vocabulary:
- Noun: It is any class of words naming or denoting a person, thing,
place, action, or quality.
- Verb: It is any class of words expressing action, existence, or
occurrence and usually constituting the main element of a predicate.
- Adjective: It is any class of words used to modify or other
substantive
- Adverb: It is any class of words generally used to modify a verb, an
adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause by expressing time, place,
manner, degree, and cause.
- Pronoun: It is any class of words to substitute for a noun or noun
phrase.
- Conjunction: It is any class of words to connect words or groups of
words.
- Interjection: It is any class of words to express surprise or a strong
feeling.
- Preposition: It is any class of words to show the relationship
between a noun or pronoun and another noun or pronoun.
From the preceding explanation, it is clear that there are numerous
types of words. These terms are frequently used in daily life. Teachers must

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select appropriate instructional materials for vocabulary instruction based
on student need, curriculum, and student level. Numerous word classes are
used in language acquisition, particularly for imparting vocabulary.

Therefore, teachers must choose materials for teaching vocabulary based on
the type of vocabulary they will teach their students. In the process of
teaching and learning the English language, teachers can prepare and
support their material with word content derived from this matter. In
addition, the activities should emphasize the acquisition of vocabulary
related to the English language learning material.

2.1.3 Teaching and Learning Vocabulary

2.1.3.1 Teaching vocabulary

According to Harmer (2001, cited in Efendi, 2013), “teaching
vocabulary is a significant aspect of the discipline of teaching”. It implies
that teaching vocabulary is an activity in which the instructor imparts
vocabulary knowledge and instruction on its use in daily life to the
students.

Moreover, according to Marzano (2004), there are six stages to
imparting vocabulary. The first stage is to define, provide a student-friendly
explanation, or provide an example of the new term. Asking pupils to
restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words is the
second step. Asking the student to create a flash card, symbol, or graphic
representation of the term is the third phase. The fourth stage is to discuss;
periodically engage students in structured vocabulary discussions that
allow them to contribute their newfound knowledge to their vocabulary
notebooks. The fifth step is to refine and reflect, asking students to return to
their notebooks periodically to discuss and refine their entries. The final
stage is to implement learning games by periodically engaging students in

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games that enable them to play with terms.
From the preceding explanation, it can be concluded that teaching

vocabulary must be explicit, simple, and focused on the words' aspects.
Teachers should be able to determine who their pupils are, what they
require, and how they teach in an engaging manner. Schmitt and McCathy
(1997) provided support for this. They stated that the teaching of
vocabulary in a school setting must take into account multiple factors,
including the proficiency levels of students, target words, the school
system, the curriculum, the most effective approach, and the teaching
strategy. In the reading curriculum in particular, each pupil must acquire a
vocabulary of high caliber. Students have difficulty comprehending the text
because they lack the necessary vocabulary. Vocabulary is a fundamental
aspect of language.

Thornbury (2002) mentioned five factors that relate to the teaching
set of the word and should be considered by the teacher:

- The levels of the learner
- The learners’ likely familiarity with words
- The difficulty of the items
- Their teaching ability
- Whether items are being learned for production (in speaking and
writing) or recognition (in listening and reading).
There are some reasons why the teacher should guide the students to
understand a rich vocabulary:
- Subject matter and ideas are expressed with greater precision and
clarity.

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- The proficiency of individuals in the workplace may depend on
their vocabulary quality.

- Individuals appear to have more prestige if their listening,
speaking, reading, and writing vocabulary skills are developed adequately.

- Reading will be more enjoyable for a person with an extensive
functional vocabulary.

- Problem solving is unaffected by vocabulary development. A
person with a large vocabulary should have more opportunities to cultivate
their individuality.

- Conversation with others necessitates a voluminous vocabulary; an
adequate number of words must be used to convey intended meanings.

- Speaking and writing, which are outcomes of the language arts,
require the use of a variety of words to convey precise meanings.

- Using a variety of terms and concepts in speech and writing adds
variety to effective communication. Vocabulary development becomes a
tool for acquiring information through observing and reading, as well as
communicating with others through speaking and writing.

Wallace (1982:105) also pointed out that “Vocabulary is a teaching
topic that lends itself extremely well to the game approach, and there are
literally hundreds of vocabulary games ranging from elementary to
advanced level”. It implies that vocabulary is essential for students in the

instruction and learning of language. If vocabulary is connected to games
in the classroom, vocabulary instruction will be simplified.

2.1.3.2 Learning vocabulary
The center of English language acquisition is vocabulary. According

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to CelceMurcia and Ohlstain (2000), vocabulary acquisition is central to
the acquisition of any language, whether it be a first, second, or foreign
language. It is substantiated by the research of Harmon (2009, cited by
Bintz , 2011). He further explained that “vocabulary acquisition is a
continuous process of encountering new words in meaningful and
understandable contexts”. It implies that learners should continue to
acquire vocabulary knowledge. Therefore, if they have mastered the
language, it will be simple for them to acquire another.

Hatch and Brown (1955:372, cited in Soraya, 2011) described five
essential steps in vocabulary learning based on research into their
strategies:

- Having sources for encountering new words.

- Getting a clear image, whether visual, auditory, or both, of the
forms of the new words

- Learning the meaning of the words
- Making a strong memory connection between the forms and
meaning of the words

- Using the words
Regarding the definition of vocabulary, it is evident that mastering a
foreign language cannot neglect vocabulary. Mastering the vocabulary is
the most essential aspect of acquiring a second language. According to
Finoacchiaro (1974:8), the mastery of vocabulary cannot be neglected in
the development of the language aspects of communication, namely
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It implies that if a person has a
large vocabulary, they will have no trouble learning languages and will be
successful in acquiring language abilities. These are supported by Hammer