Sử dụng tranh ảnh trong dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh cho sinh viên năm thứ hai Khoa Cơ khí trường Cao đẳng nghề Công nghiệp Hải Phòng

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES





NGUYỄN THỊ THU HOÀ



USING PICTURES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY OF ENGLISH TO
THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
AT HAI PHONG INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL COLLEGE


(Sử dụng tranh ảnh trong việc dạy từ vựng Tiếng Anh cho
sinh viên năm thứ hai khoa Cơ Khí trường Cao Đẳng nghề
Công Nghiệp Hải Phòng)




M.A. MINOR THESIS


FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 601410

Hanoi - 2010

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES




NGUYỄN THỊ THU HOÀ



USING PICTURES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY OF ENGLISH TO
THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
AT HAI PHONG INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL COLLEGE


(Sử dụng tranh ảnh trong việc dạy từ vựng Tiếng Anh cho
sinh viên năm thứ hai khoa Cơ Khí trường Cao Đẳng nghề
Công Nghiệp Hải Phòng)

M.A. MINOR THESIS


FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 601410
SUPERVISOR: KHOA ANH VIỆT, M.A









Hanoi - 2010

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE
’
S STATEMENT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii
ABSTRACT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale 1
2. Aims of the study 2
3. Scope of the study 2
4. Methods of the study 2
5. Design of the study 2

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 4
1.1. VOCABULARY TEACHING 4
1.1.1. Definition of vocabulary 4
1.1.2. Classification of vocabulary 5
1.1.3. The roles of vocabulary in language teaching and learning 6
1.1.4. Stages in teaching vocabulary 6
1.1.4.1. Presenting 6
1.1.4.2. Practicing 7
1.1.4.3. Consolidating and revising 7
1.2. PICTURES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING 8
1.2.1. Conncept of pictures 8
1.2.2. Principles of selecting a picture 8
1.2.3. Types of pictures 9
1.2.4. The roles of pictures 13


v
CHAPTER 2: ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTEXT AT HAI
PHONG INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL COLLEGE 15
2.1. Students and their background 15

2.2. Material and facilities 16

CHAPTER 3: THE METHODOLOGY 18
3.1. Research questions: 18
3.2. Participants 18
3.3. Instruments 18
3.3.1. Questionnaires 18
3.3.1.1. Objectives 18
3.3.1.2. The teachers
'
survey questionnaires 19
3.3.1.3. The studdents
'
survey questionnaires 19
3.3.2. Class observation 19
3.3.2.1. Ojectives 19
3.3.2.2. The criteria for observation 19

CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 21
4.1. Data presentation 21
4.1.1. Data from the survey questionnaires 21
4.1.1.1. Data from the teachers
'
survey questionnaire 21
4.1.1.2. Data from the students
'
survey questionnaire 27
4.1.2. Data from the class observation 31
4.1.2.1. Introduction 31
4.1.2.2. Data analysis of the class observation 32

4.2. Discussion of findings 34

PART C: CONCLUSION 36
1. Implication 36
2. Conclusion 37
2.1. Summary 37

vi
2.2. Limitations of the study 37
2.3. Suggestions for further study 38

REFERENCE 39
APPENDICES (SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE) I






1

PART A: INTRODUCTION

This part presents the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study.

1. Rationale

Nowadays, English is not only seen as an effective medium of international
communication but it also has wide and deep influence on many various fields of life such
as science, technology, education, economics, politics, culture, etc. It plays an important

role in the development of society. Millions of people in all over the world are learning and
using English in their study or in their work.

English teaching involves four language skills Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
In teaching and learning a language, there are four elements that support four language
skills above: grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation that are also taught in
English teaching and learning process.

In four elements above, vocabulary plays an important role in learning language as Wilkin
(1972:11) emphasizes: “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary
nothing can be conveyed”.

In Vietnam in general and Haiphong Industrial Vocational College in particular vocabulary
teaching has not been paid attention deservedly. Vocabulary has been taught within lesson
of reading, writing, speaking and listening. There are many difficulties in teaching such as
mixed-level students, large class, and passive students in order to apply suitable teaching
method. So skills and techniques of teaching vocabulary are crucial for language teachers.

Besides, students in Haiphong Industrial Vocational College in particular and Vietnam
students in general have not changed their habits of learning vocabulary through the
teacher
’
s explanations. Being a teacher of English at Haiphong Industrial Vocational
College, the author realizes a number of problems that the teachers and students encounter
in teaching and learning vocabulary. That is the reason why the author would like to carry
out this research entitled: “Using pictures in teaching vocabulary of English to the second
year students of Mechanical Department at Haiphong Industrial Vocational College”. As

2

states by Gerlach and Emily (1980:273) “A picture may not only be worth a thousand
words but it may also be worth a thousand years or a thousand miles. Through pictures,
learner can see people, place and things from areas far outside their own experiences.
Pictures can represent images from ancient times or portray the future.”
2. Aims of the study

The study is aimed at:
a. better understanding the notions, types and roles of vocabulary and pictures
b. offering English teaching and learning context at Haiphong Industrial Vocational
College.
c. determining the effectiveness of using pictures in teaching vocabulary of English to
the second year students of Mechanical Department at Haiphong Industrial
Vocational college.
Hopefully, based on the results of the study, the research aims to offer English teachers
some suggestions for the better use of pictures in their classes.

3. Scope of the study

It is impossible to cover every aspect of language theory and practice in this study.
Therefore, the study focuses on using pictures in teaching vocabulary to the second
year students of Mechanical Department at Haiphong Industrial Vocational College.

4. Methods of the study

The study applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches with two methods of
data collection: survey and observation. The quantitative data were collected from

questionnaires and were analyzed statistically, while the qualitative data were collected
from the class observation. Survey questionnaires were used to collect information and
evidence for study with the hope that the research would be reliable. Class observation
was carried out to supplement the survey questionnaires. It is hope the combination of
the two methods would make the data more valid and reliable.

5. Design of the study

This study is divided into three parts:





3

Part A presents a general introduction of study including the rationale, the aims, the
scope, the method and the design of the thesis.

Part B presents the development consisting of four chapters:
Chapter 1 deals with the theoretical background of the research. It is concerned with
the issues relevant to the topic of the research: Vocabulary theory consists of
definitions of vocabulary, the classification of vocabulary, the roles of vocabulary, the
stages in teaching vocabulary and picture theory includes concept of pictures, the
principles of selecting a pictures, the types of pictures, the roles of pictures.
Chapter 2 presents English teaching and learning vocabulary context at Haiphong
Industrial Vocational College.
Chapter 3 presents the methodology including the research, the information of
instruments, participants, and the procedures of data collection.
Chapter 4 deals with the data presentation and discussion consisting of the data

collected from the survey questionnaires and class observation and discussion of these
data.

Part C is the conclusion of the study consisting of the implication and review of the
study ending with suggestions for further research. Finally, the appendix, presents the
survey questionnaires.















4

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This chapter is concerned with some of the important issues in the theories of: Vocabulary
which consists of the definition of vocabulary, the classification of vocabulary, the roles of
vocabulary in language teaching and learning, the stages in teaching vocabulary, then the

pictures which consist of the concept of pictures, principles of selecting a picture, the types
of pictures and the roles of pictures.

1.1 VOCABULARY TEACHING

1.1.1 Definition of vocabulary

There are different definitions of vocabulary as it is an important factor in learning a
foreign language. Each linguist gives his own definition of vocabulary depending on the
criteria that he considers the most important in terms of linguistics, semantics, lexicology,
etc.

Penny Ur (1996:60) defined vocabulary “as the words we teach in the foreign language.
However, a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two
or three words and multi word idioms”.

Hatch and Brown define vocabulary as a list or set of words for a particular language or a
list or set of word that individual speakers of language might use.

Pyles and Alge (1970:96) also indicates that “When most of us think about language we
think first about words. It is true that the vocabulary is the focus of language. It is words
that sounds and meanings interlock to allow us to communicate with one another, and it is
word that we arrange together to make sentences, conversation and discourse of all kinds”.
That is reason why vocabulary is essential for learning a language.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines vocabulary as “the sum of words used by,
understood by, or at the command of a particular of group”.

5


From the definitions above, the author comes to the conclusion that vocabulary is a group
of words arranged from a single word, two or three words items expressing an idea to multi
- word idioms and briefly explained and should be understood in the sentences, or in the
contexts, etc.

1.1.2. Classification of vocabulary

There are different ways of vocabulary classification according to different criteria,
features or functions.

In terms of semantics, vocabulary can be divided into notional words and functional words.
The notional words are those that have lexical meaning and form a great number of the
speaker
’
s vocabulary. They are objects, actions, qualities, etc. The functional words are
those whose meanings are grammatical. They only have meanings in relation to other
words with which they are used.

In terms of grammar, vocabulary is classified basing on different parts of speech such as
nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, etc.

In terms of methodology, a foreign language learner
’
s vocabulary is categorized into two
kinds, namely active vocabulary and passive vocabulary. Active vocabulary refers to the

words in which the learners can understand and pronounce the words correctly and use
them constructively in speaking or writing. On the other hand, passive vocabulary refers to
the words in which the learners can recognize and understand while they are reading or
listening to someone speaking, but they do not use the words in speaking or writing.

However, some methodologists of the Communicative Language Teaching approach
classify the learner
’
s vocabulary into productive and receptive vocabulary. The productive
vocabulary is the words which the learners can use effectively to produce information in
speaking and writing. The receptive vocabulary is the words for the learner to receive and
understand information in listening and reading.

As foreign language teacher, the teachers should know these classifications so that they can
help students learn vocabulary better, especially help students widen their vocabulary with
more active and productive words.





6

1.1.3. The roles of vocabulary in language teaching and learning

It can not be denied that vocabulary is one of the most important language elements among
pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. Wilkins (1972:11) emphasized that “without
grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. It
does not mean that the author wants to compare between vocabulary
’

s role and grammar
’
s
but to show a fact which the author has experienced in her English learning process that
language learners need vocabulary first in order to communicate. And Harmer (1993:153)
states that “if language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary
that provides the vital organs and the fresh”. Moreover, Pyles and Algeo also state that
“when we first think about language, we think first about words. It is words that we
arrange together to make sentences, conversations and discourse of all kinds”.

These statements are enough to conclude that vocabulary is the decisive component in
language communication. It helps the students to enjoy their class. One who masters
enough vocabulary will find fewer difficulties than those who have fewer vocabularies. On
the others hand, those who lack of vocabulary will face a lot of problem. Mastery of
vocabulary will be useful for the process of achieving language-teaching objectives. That
is the mastery of language skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). In short,
vocabulary is an essential element of all uses of language.

1.1.4. Stages in teaching vocabulary

Basically as proposed by Thornbury (2002) there are three stages in teaching vocabulary
namely presenting, practicing and revising. In this research, the researcher is going to list
each stage with its typical features to have a better review for using pictures in teaching
vocabulary.

1.1.4.1. Presenting

The first stage has indicated clearly its function in introducing new lexical items to
learners. Thornbury suggested that at least learners need to learn both the meaning and the
form of a new word. Therefore, as Thornbury (2002:75) claimed, it’s worth pointing out

that both these aspects of a word should be presented in “close conjunction in order to
ensure a tight meaning-and-form fit”.





7


Proposed by Doff (1988) and Thornbury (2002) and Nation (2000) a variety of ways can
be used or combined in introducing vocabulary. Such as the latter listed a set of choices
related to presenting the meaning through: Translation, Real things, Pictures, Actions/
Gestures, Definitions, Situations and presenting the word through: Spoken form, or written
form. According to Doff, the most common way in the first stage to present vocabulary is
that using pictures (mostly for concrete words), using realia (the real object to bring to
classroom) or using mine (demonstrate meaning of the word by actions or facial
expressions).

1.1.4.2. Practicing

Gower, Phillips and Walters (2005:148) state that students often need a little time for the
new lexical items (or new words for short) to “sink in”. Additionally, Gower, Phillips and
Walters pointed out that learners may recognize new item but often delay putting it into
active use. In this case, the use of planned activities for recycling and reactivating the new
vocabulary is necessary. This kind of practice, as implied by Thornbury (2002:93)
underlines the popular belief that “practice makes perfect”. Thornbury also emphasized the
action of moving words from short-term memory into permanent memory. Thornbury
(2002:93) indicated that “new knowledge – i.e. new words – needs to be integrated into
existing knowledge – i.e. learner’s existing network of word associations, or what is called

the mental lexicon.” This means in order to ensure the long-term retention and recall,
words or lexical items need to be put to work, or into practice as it is often understood in
many other contexts. Thornbury proposed that vocabulary need to be placed in “working
memory” and subjected to different operations which would be mentioned

1.1.4.3. Consolidating and revising

In accordance with presenting and putting words into practice, checking students’
comprehension and revising those words are a final important stage in teaching this
specific field. Thornbury (2002.100) states that the third stage sounds familiar and may be
equated to the second one, however; as its name suggests, in this stage, students are
advised to complete high-level tasks namely production tasks. So, production tasks are one
of the most important tasks in this stage.







8

1.2. PICTURES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

1.2.1. Concept of pictures

Pictures are also one of medium to teach and learn language and help students become
active. Gerlach and Emily (1980:241) stated that “a medium is any person, material or
even that establishes condition which enables learners or students to acquire knowledge,
skill and attitude”. Additionally, Gerlach and Emily (1980:273) said that “picture is a two-

dimensional visual representation of person, place, and things. Picture may not only be
worth thousand words but it may also be worth a thousand year or a thousand mile. A
picture is also simple in that it can be drawn, printed, or photographically processed and it
can also be mounted for preservation for the use in future”. Through pictures, learners can
see people, place and things from areas for outside their own pictures and can also
represent image from ancient times or the future. According to Cobuild (1987:1320),
“pictures” can be defined as “a visual representation or image painted, drawn,
photographed, or otherwise rendered on a flat surface”.

Besides, pictures are kinds of visual instruction materials could be used more effectively to
develop and retain motivation in producing positive attitudes towards learning English and
to teach or strengthen language skills. As stated by Wright (1989:29) that “picture is not
just an aspect of method but through its representation of place, object, and people, it is
essential part of the overall experiences”. And Mckenchnie (1980:1357) defines pictures in
Webster dictionary that “Picture is an image or likeness of an object, person, or scene
produce on a flat surface, especially by painting, drawing or photography”.

From the definitions above, the author comes to the conclusion that picture is a two-
dimensional visual that is used to clarify or show things, person, and place from areas
outside learners
’
experience. And pictures can exchange and represent the real object into a
simple device which has displayed series of places, object, person, or even experiences.

1.2.2. Principles of selecting a picture

Selecting a picture is one of the most important factors when teachers use pictures in
teaching vocabulary. Bowen (1982:5) put forward the following principles that teachers
should consider before selecting a picture:

9

a. Appeal: The content of the picture should attract the interest and stimulate imagination
of the whole class.
b. Relevance: The picture should be used to serve the aim of the lesson.
c. Recognition: The significant features of the pictures should not be beyond students
’

knowledge and culture understanding.
d. Size: A picture should be visible for all members of the class in any position (except for
cue cards or word cards, they can be smaller).
e. Clarity: For a self-made picture, its outline as well as its details must be clear enough
with appropriate colours. For picture collected from other materials such as: (magazines,
newspapers, etc). The teachers must re-edit them and omit unnecessary parts so that the
pictures will not confuse and distract students.

1.2.3. Types of pictures

There are many types of pictures that the learners can see always lead to the reality of their
minds. But the realities which have been presented by pictures depend on the types of the
pictures.

According to Wright, he stated the following types of pictures in “Pictures for Language
Learning” book:
a. Pictures of single objects:
Wright (1989:193) states that “Many of the activities described in this book make use of

pictures showing a single object. General things to talk about:
Food: appearance; naming; preferences; comparing foods of the same type; countable and
uncountable; cost; origin; containers; weight; how to cook; good or bad for health.
Clothes: appearance; naming; preferences; suitability; cost; fashion
Cars: naming the manufacturer; country of manufacture; performance; suitable to different
kinds of people; appearance; cost; comparisons.
Animals: appearance; naming; habitat; characteristics; rarity; relationship with people;
comparison.
Everyday objects: naming; possession; cost; usefulness; purpose and appropriateness;
unusual uses; comparisons.
Gifts: naming; preference for self and for others; appropriateness; cost.





10

For some examples of the use of pictures of single objects, Wright wants to state ideas on
the teaching of meaning”.
b. Pictures of one person: pictures of famous people, pictures of several people, pictures of
people in action.
Wright (1989:196) points out that “pictures of people invite us to speculate who they are,
what sort of people they are (age, family, work, concerns) and what they are thinking and
feeling”.
c. Pictures of places: Pictures of places might include: home or abroad; landscapes;
townscapes; single buildings; views.
d. Pictures from history: Pictures illustrating scenes, customs and objects from history can
be used like other pictures but have the additional quality of inviting the use of past tense
forms.

e. Pictures with a lot of information: Some pictures are full of information. There may be a
lot of people doing different things, or it may be a landscape or cityscape showing lots of
objects, buildings, etc. The complexity of some pictures makes them particularly suitable
to some activities.
f. Pictures of the news: News pictures invite identification of the incident, what happened,
where, when, and to whom. They are normally linked with captions and articles, and it is
usually a good idea to retain in the texts even if they will not be read in detail. Text can be
read for gist and then matched up with one of similar pictures.
g. Pictures of fantasies: Fantasy pictures often illustrate everyday activities, for example,
eating, sleeping, running, etc.
h. Pictures of maps and symbols: Pictures of symbols can be found in road traffic booklets,
holiday brochures, etc.

According to Bowen, there are some types of pictures as their shapes:
a. Wall pictures and wall charts
Bowen (1982:13) shows that “a wall chart is a large diagram or picture display card. Most
wall charts consist of combinations of visual and verbal material. Their aim is to give
information on a topic. A wall picture, on the other hand, is simply a large illustration of a
scene or event, or a set of scenes or events”. For example, the following wall picture can be
used to teach vocabulary about leisure activities.





11

Generally, wall pictures can be seen by the whole class. So they are used with the whole
class. Conversely, wall charts are usually complex, with printing too small to be seen by
the students from their seats. Therefore, Bowen (1982:15) states that “wall charts are ideal,
however, for pair or group work intermediate and advanced classes. Word cards can be
prepared to accompany the charts so that students may work together to prepare a
presentation before the whole class and/or to prepare a wall display”
b. Sequence pictures is a series of pictures of a single subject its function that told a story
or a sequence of events.
c. Flash cards
- Word Flash cards: According to Bowen (1982), word flash cards are cards on which
words have been printed and they can be held up rapidly or “flashed” by the teacher before
class. Bowen (1982:25) put it “a good width is 10 cm (4 inches) but the length varies
according to the number of the letters in the word to be printed on the card”. Generally,
word flash cards are inexpensive, easy to make, store and carry to classes, and they can be
held, propped, or stuck to any objects in the classroom.

12

- Picture Flash cards: As for classroom use, Bowen (1982:28) states that “pictures flash
cards are more suitable for the presentation of a singe concept, such as an object or an
action. It is best to use picture flash cards for revision and practice of previously taught
language, rather than for the presentation of new items”. The following pictures flash cards
would be ideal for teaching vocabulary on sports.











d. Work cards
Bowen (1982:31) makes it more clearly when stating “word cards can include visual as
well as text. Magazine pictures, drawings, maps and diagrams can be important part work
cards at all levels used for vanity of purposes”.

Meanwhile, Wright & Haleem (1991) points out the following pictures in their book
a. Wall pictures and wall posters

Wall pictures and wall posters illustrate scene, people or objects and are large enough to be
seen by all the students.









13

The picture can be displayed quickly and its complexity can provide a rich source of
vocabulary practice.
b. Picture flash cards
Wright & Haleem (1991:50) state that “picture flash cards are pictures mounted or drawn
on cards approximately 15 cm by 20 cm”.
Wright & Haleem (1991:50) also pointed out the following characteristics of picture flash
cards: “Like word flash cards, picture flash cards are inexpensive, easy for teachers to use
in the conduct of the lesson. The cards must be small enough to handle easily but large
enough for every student to see. One or more cards can be displayed at any one time by
teachers or students. One or both sides of picture cards can be used”.

In summary, there are various types of pictures to be used for language teaching, learning,
practicing and organizing, which help students understand and remember new words better
and they help the teachers to make the lesson more effective, interesting and beneficial.

1.2.4. The roles of pictures

Pictures play an important role in teaching vocabulary to encourage and motivate the
learner to learn language. As stated by Coppen (1969:88): “The purpose of picture is to
provide a stimulus which will elicit a particular response from the learner. The picture
represents some action and in order to learn the appropriate words to describe the action
itself must not be in question”.

In one study by Sakar (1999) who investigated the importance of pictures used in an
Arabic language class, Sakar concluded that pictures of the costumes used by people at a
particular time history had greatly enhanced learners
’
understanding than any amount of
painstaking explanation.

There are many reasons for using pictures in language teaching. As Wright (1989:2)
pointed out, they are motivating and draw learners
’
attention. Furthermore, Wright (1989:
2) refers to the fact they provide a sense of the context of the language and give a specific
reference or stimulus.

The use of pictures will offer a number of benefits in teaching a second language. One of
such is to promote interest in the learner toward learning a foreign language. Bowen (1980:





14

20) points to the importance of vision or the eye of the learner as “the primary channel of

learning”. The key function of these pictures is to make concepts more concrete or visible
to the learner. In the foreign language classroom, the learners can speak and memorize
vocabulary better and more automatically from the images than by listening to a long
explanation.

In summary, pictures when in conjunction with various effective teaching techniques by
the teachers will attract the learner and make him or her to want to pay attention and want
to take part. Besides, picture will be useful in teaching and learning processes if they are
carefully and creatively prepared by the teachers, and they, then, are used effectively to
support the teaching new vocabulary.



















15

CHAPTER 2: ENGLISH TEACHING AND LEARNING
CONTEXT AT HAI PHONG INDUSTRIAL VOCATIONAL
COLLEGE

Teacher
’
s role, learner
’
s background, their needs, learning environment and material play
an important role in learner
’
s

success or failure in learning a foreign language. In this
chapter, I want to present an overview on learners and their background at Haiphong
Industrial College. Further, the materials and facilities for language teaching are also
assessed.

2.1. Students and their background

This is a Vocational College belonging to Haiphong city. It is a big and prestigious college
in our city. Training vocation for students is the most essential factor in my College and
the main and compulsory subjects in the training program are wheeling, metal work and
industrial electrical skills. Our English subject is only a subsidiary and basic one, so there
is not an own Department of English. It belongs to Department of Basic Technology which
covers different subjects as mathematics, computer practice, literature, physical education,
politics, etc. The whole curriculum of English are divided into two parts as follows:
Part 1: General English with 70 periods
Part 2: English for Specific Purposes with 30 periods

With such a time frame, the students can not learn much, especially for English for specific
purposes they can not come to know a number of technical terms or concepts in English.

Most of the students who enter Haiphong Industrial Vocational College are aged from
sixteen to twenty and male students and they come from different provinces in the North
such as Thaibinh, Quangninh and Haiduong. The majorities of the students are from rural
areas. It is the fact that teaching and learning conditions at different schools across the
areas differ greatly so students entering this College are mixed up in their levels of English.
Most of them have learned English in high school for three years. Some have six years of
English: three years in primary school and three years in high school. But their English
knowledge especially vocabulary is still limited. Their attitudes towards learning English is





16

also a matter considered. Most of them are not interested in learning English because their
level of knowledge is low and foreign language seems to be too difficult for them to learn
well. Moreover, they are not students of English and they do not devote themselves to
learning English. The fact is that many of them do not prepare the lesson at home or review
the lesson regularly. Especially, in English learning periods they are not also enthusiastic
with topics which teachers give to discuss in the classroom and they always sit silently and
write things being written on the blackboard by teachers in their notebooks. Meanwhile,
some of them only try to learn in order to pass the exam or get at least the score five and
the others try to get award or scholarships. Most of them lack of vocabularies so they can
not have a certain source of word to express their ideas in speaking and writing. Moreover,
it was difficult for them to communicate in English as they did not know how to apply

English structure in real situations outside the classroom. The other problem is that there is
no language environment for students to practise English because their classmates and
roommates do not like speaking English and they do not have chance to meet or talk with
the native speakers of English. During class time activities, the teachers are people who
have to talk much, nevertheless, students are passive in participating in the activities.
Besides, class is too large for learning language: each class has about 50 to 60 students
with mixed-abilities, different motivation and expectations of learning English. It is reason
why it is difficult for teachers to apply suitable method for all of these mixed-students.

2.2. Material and facilities

The facilities used for teaching and learning foreign language are not interested and
invested much. Now, my College does not still have a language lab for students to learn
English and we only have got two radios to practise listening for students, so students find
it very difficult to learn. Overhead projector is equipped in each department and it is not
suitable to use for great number of classes. As a result, it is not frequently used especially
for teaching English except for the special occasions. The library can not provide any other
books or magazines for reference except the main course book. Therefore, the materials for
reference and self-study are not available.






17

For many years, the English course books have been changed. The first textbook used for
part 1 was Streamline by Bernad Harley and Peter Viney, the second one which we are
using is New Headway-Elementary by John and Liz Soars. This book helps the students

have ability to communicate in common situations of daily life and have amount of the
vocabulary as well as the basic knowledge of grammar after the course.
For part 2, the ESP material at Haiphong Industrial Vocational College is “English for
technical students” by David Bonamy. According to the author, the ESP materials are little
concerned with students
’
specialization and their content is not suitable for developing
current science and technicality.

In summary, both teachers and students still have a lot of difficulties in teaching and
learning English subject. The author hopes that leaders at Haiphong Industrial Vocational
College should be more interested in teaching and learning English subject.

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CHAPTER 3: THE METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the research methods chosen for the achievement of the aims and objectives
of the study will be discussed in detail.

3.1. Research questions

For the main purpose of the study, as mentioned in Part A, the major research questions
are:
1. What are the teachers
’
attitudes toward using pictures in teaching vocabulary?
2. What are the students
’
attitudes toward using pictures in teaching vocabulary?
3. How is the effectiveness of using pictures in teaching and learning vocabulary?

3.2. Participants

The participants of the survey questionnaires are divided into two groups.

The first group involves twenty teachers of English ranging from twenty five to forty two
years old. All these teachers have been teaching English at least two years at Haiphong

Industrial Vocational College. They all have Diploma Degree in English.

The second group involves one hundred second year students at Haiphong Industrial
Vocational College. These students are between sixteen and twenty years old, almost of
male. All of them have similar background, that is, they are supposed to be at elementary
level English.

3.3. Instruments

3.3.1. Questionnaires

3.3.1.1. Objectives

To gain data for the research, two questionnaires were administered to the respondents.
One was designed for the teachers and the other was designed for students. This method is
chosen because it is easy to construct, extremely versatile and uniquely capable of
gathering a huge amount of information in a short time (Dornyei, 2003).





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3.3.1.2. The teachers
’
survey questionnaires

The teacher questionnaire, comprising nine questions, was delivered to twenty teachers of
English. The questionnaire completed by the teachers covered two main parts. The first

two questions aim at investigating their attitudes toward using pictures in teaching
vocabulary. The next questions (questions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) aim at finding the effectiveness
of using pictures in teaching vocabulary. The last question is an open-ended one that
focuses on suggestions made by the teachers for using pictures more effectively in teaching
vocabulary to the students.

3.3.1.3. The students
’
survey questionnaires

The student questionnaire, consisting of six questions, was delivered to a hundred students.
Similarly, the questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part one consists of the first
questions aiming to show the students
’
attitudes toward using pictures in learning
vocabulary. The next questions (questions 3, 4, 5, 6) show the types of pictures which will
be revealed from the eyes of the students and the effectiveness of using pictures in learning
vocabulary.

3.3.2. Class observation

3.3.2.1. Objectives

Apart from the survey questionnaires for the teachers and students, class observation was
employed to clarify and test the validity of information about the current situation of using
pictures in teaching vocabulary of English to the students. The method of structured
observation was chosen in this research since just the class activities related to vocabulary
teaching and learning were observed and recorded. The observation was carried out in
several English classes of Mechanical Department at Haiphong Industrial Vocabulary
College and it was kept in the form of diary.

3.3.2.2. The criteria for observation

With an attempt to check the questionnaire results in real life, the class observation was
carried out basing on the following criteria:
- the types of pictures used in the lesson





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- how pictures are used
- the students
’
attitudes, reaction and knowledge toward learning vocabulary through
pictures