An application of semantic mapping in teaching English vocabulary for students of food processing at Nghe An trading and tourism vocational college

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
NGUYEN THI LAN PHUONG
AN APPLICATION OF SEMANTIC MAPPING IN TEACHING ENGLISH
VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF FOOD PROCESSING AT NGHE AN
TRADING AND TOURISM VOCATIONAL COLLEGE
MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION
Nghệ An, năm 2014
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
NGUYEN THI LAN PHUONG
AN APPLICATION OF SEMANTIC MAPPING IN TEACHING ENGLISH
VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS OF FOOD PROCESSING AT NGHE AN
TRADING AND TOURISM VOCATIONAL COLLEGE
Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Code: 60140111
MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION

SUPERVISOR:: TRAN BA TIEN, Ph.D

Nghệ An- 2014
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I certify that the thesis entitled “An application of semantic mapping in
teaching English vocabulary for students of Food Processing at Nghe An Trading
and Tourism vocational college" is the result of my own work, and that the minor
thesis or any part of the same has not been submitted to any university or institution.
Vinh, August 2014
Author’s signature
Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong
i
ACKNOWLDGEMENTS

The thesis could not have been completed without the help of many people to
whom I am indebted.
I would like to thank Dr. Tran Ba Tien, who commented on my work, for his
kind help and valuable advice he provides me.
I am also grateful to the head of Foreign Language Department at Nghe An
Tourism-Trading Vocational College, my colleagues and students of K18B5 and
K18B6 who helped me much to finish the methodology of the research.
I wish to thank my parents and my loved family who love, care, support and
encourage me a lot in the production of this study.
Finally, I am too aware that despite all the advice and assistance, I feel that
the thesis is far from perfect, it is therefore, my sole responsibilities for any
inadequacies that it may be considered to have.
ii
ABSTRACT
At Nghe An Trading and Tourism vocational college, when students
learn English, they usually face with many difficulties not only in specific language
skills but also in vocabulary. Semantic mapping is considered as a good strategy be
applied in teaching of vocabulary. Based on literature review, it is found that
semantic mapping has had good effects on vocabulary learning; especially it
improves the retention and retrieval of word meanings. This study was
conducted to explore the students’ vocabulary performance under the treatment
of semantic mapping and their reflections on the teacher’s application of this
method. This experimental study followed a two-group pre-test and post-test
design. The participants were 87 freshmen of Food processing students at At Nghe
An Trading and Tourism vocational college. Three instruments: (1) the tests on
vocabulary knowledge, (2) the questionnaire on the students’ perceptions towards
semantic mapping, and (3) the interview on the students’ reflections towards
semantic mapping were employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i
Vinh, August 2014 i
Author’s signature i
ACKNOWLDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS 5
LIST OF TABLES 5
LIST OF FIGURES 8
LIST OF CHARTS 9
Chapter 1 10
INTRODUCTION 10
1.1. Rationale 10
1.2. Aims of the study 12
1.3. Research questions 13
1.4. Significance of the study 13
1.5. Organization of the study 13
Chapter 2 15
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 15
2.1. What is vocabulary? 15
2.2. The importance of vocabulary 16
2.3. Approaches to teaching vocabulary 17
2.3.1. General traditional methods 17
2.3.1.1. The grammar-translation method 17
2.3.1.2. The direct method 17
2.3.1.3. The audio-lingual method 18
2.3.2. Communicative approach to teaching vocabulary 18
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2.4. Semantic mapping 22
2.4.1. Definitions of semantic mapping 22

2.4.2. A typology of semantic mapping 24
2.4.2.2. Story mapping 26
2.4.2.3. Concept mapping 28
2.4.3. The use of semantic mapping in empirical research 30
2.4.3.2. Stage to use 33
2.4.3.3. Way to use 34
2.5. The roles of semantic mapping in EFL classrooms 36
2.5.1. Improvement in success and rate of foreign language acquisition 36
2.5.2. Improvement in attitudes towards foreign language acquisition 37
2.6. Implications for English vocabulary teaching practices 38
2.6.1. Stage 1: Introduction 39
2.6.2. Stage 2: Brainstorm 39
2.6.3. Stage 3: Categorization 39
2.6.4. Stage 4: Synthesis 40
2.7. Summary 40
Chapter 3 41
METHODOLOGY 41
3.1. Study setting 41
3.2. Participants 41
3.2.1. The Control Group 42
3.2.2. The Experimental Group 42
3.2.3. Resemblance 42
3.3. Data types of methods of data collection 43
3.3.1. Experiment 43
3.3.1.1. Pre-test 44
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3.3.1.2. Experimental teaching process 44
3.3.1.3. Post-test 46
3.3.2. Interview 46
3.3.3. Questionnaire 47

3.4. Analytical framework 48
3.4.1. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-tests 48
3.4.2. Qualitative analysis of interview 49
3.4.3. Quantitative analysis of questionnaire 49
Chapter 4 49
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 49
4.1. Results from the experiment 50
4.1.1. Pre-test results 50
4.1.1.1. The Control Group 50
4.1.1.2. The Experimental Group 50
4.1.1.3. Pre-test similarities 51
4.1.2. Post-test results 52
4.1.2.1. The Control Group 52
4.1.2.2. The Experimental Group 52
4.1.2.3. Post-test differences 53
4.1.3. A comparison of pre- and post-test results for each group 54
4.1.3.1. Means 54
4.1.3.2. Distribution of score types 55
4.2. Results from interviews and questionnaires 56
4.2.1. About the role of vocabulary and the application of semantic
mapping in its teaching 57
4.2.1.1. The students’ preference for the approach to teach vocabulary.57
4.2.1.2. The students’ impression on semantic mapping 58
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4.2.1.3. The students’ reflections on the teacher’s application of semantic
mapping 59
Promoting group-work competence 64
The constraints of semantic mapping 65
4.2.1.4. The students’ opinions for the frequency of using semantic
mapping 66

4.3. Discussion 67
4.4. Overall summary 68
Chapter 5 69
CONCLUSION 69
5.1. Conclusions 69
5.2. Recommendations for English language practitioners 71
5.2.1. For teachers 71
5.2.2. For students 72
5.3. Suggestions for further research 72
5.4. Summary 73
REFERENCES 74
APPENDIX A 79
APPENDIX B 83
APPENDIX C 86
APPENDIX D 88
APPENDIX E 88
APPENDIX F 93
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LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS
EFL: English as a foreign language
P: Participant
Q: Question
S.M.: Semantic mapping
W.L: word list
%: Percent
LIST OF TABLES
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Table 3.1: The Control Group’s background information 42
Table 3.2: The Experimental Group’s background information 42
Table 4.1: Pre-test score analysis for Control Group 50

Table 4.2: Pre-test score analysis for Experimental Group 51
Table 4.3: Post-test score analysis for Control Group 52
Table 4.4: Post-test score analysis for Experimental Group 53
Table 4.5: Approaches to teach vocabulary that the students’ former teachers used
57
Table 4.6: How the students found semantic mapping 58
Table 4.7: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on creating motivation 59
Table 4.8: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on stimulating the vocabulary
learning process 61
Table 4.9: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on facilitating the vocabulary
learning process 62
Table 4.10: Various strengths realized by the students 63
Table 4.11 shows the Students’ responses to the effect of S.M on promoting group-
work competence. 64
Table 4.11: Students’ responses to the effect of S.M. on promoting group-work
competence 65
Table 4.12: Students’ responses to the constraints of S.M 65
The report findings of Omar’s study indicate that utilizing semantic mapping in
vocabulary instruction enhances word learning and vocabulary retention for
the students and it it is more effective than employing the traditional vocabulary
teaching. 69
The report findings of Ngoc Thuy’s study show that the students had positive
attitudes towards this method. The semantic mapping can improve high school
students’ vocabulary retention and is promising to vocabulary teaching and
learning 69
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Compare its findings with mine: 69
+ It encourages students to group words or concepts of both new and prior
knowledge, create associative links among them, and present them thematic
graphically. 69

+ Students will be able to remember and retrieve words already learnt with more
ease and lastingness. In addition, the fact that the success of this strategy is mostly
due to the participation and contribution of students really makes them part of the
learning. 70
+ Learning vocabulary via semantic mapping was unexpected, exciting,
comfortable, understandable, and useful. 70
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: Model of a word mapping (Source: http:// graphic.org) 25
Figure 2.2: Items in bedroom (Gairns and Redman, 1986) 26
Figure 2.3: Basic framework of a story mapping (Source: http:// graphic.org) 27
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Figure 2.4: Semantic mapping for “human life circle’(Gairns and Redman, 1986).27
Figure 2.5: Detailed example of a story mapping (Source: http:// graphic.org) 28
Figure 2.6: Model of a Double Cell Diagram (Source: http:// graphic.org) 29
Figure 2.8: Word Scroll by Beers (2003, p. 192) 31
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LIST OF CHARTS
Chart 4.1: The change in pre- and post-test means for each group 54
Chart 4.2: Control Group’s score type distribution 55
Chart 4.3: Experimental Group’s score type distribution 56
Chart 4.3: Students’ impression on semantic mapping 58
Chart 4.5: Students’ opinions for the frequency of using semantic mapping 66
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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
Vietnam is entering a unique stage of its development. With impressive
economic growth over the last ten years, it has been integrating with the region and
the world exemplified by its recent accession to WTO, membership of the UN

Security Council, and active participation in various major regional and
international activities. To sustain the growth and enhance its status in international
arena in the years to come, more than ever it needs a highly-skilled workforce that
can help achieve its stated goals of modernization, industrialization and
international integration. One of the important skills needed is the mastery of
foreign languages, especially English, as claimed by Vietnam’s Prime Minister
Dung Tan Nguyen (as cited in Tran, 2008 para. 2) that from now on to 2020, it will
be the nuclear point in the foreign language educational policy and in
communication.
Indeed, during the last ten years English has maintained its dominant role as
the first foreign language in Vietnam. This phenomenon comes from various
demands in both personal and social aspects. In the light of the former, English
proficiency is seen as a vital requirement for employment or overseas higher
education. For example, the mastery of basic English is one of the prerequisite
demands for applicants for jobs in offices and companies, and certifications such as
TOEFL, IELTS or TOEIC are a must for those students who want to study
overseas. In regard to the latter, English plays an extremely important role in
international co-operation. For instance, with the recent economic policy
promulgated by the government to attract capital investment, it has significantly
facilitated economic co-operation “with an ever greater influx of foreign
investment, mostly from capitalist countries” (Do, 2006 p. 2).
Due to such necessary demands, in the last decade English has developed
“with an unprecedented speed in Vietnam” (ibid., p. 8). Specifically, hundreds of
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language centres have been established all over the country, with an overwhelming
majority of learners studying English (Ministry of Education and Training, as cited
in Do, 2006, p. 2). Though it has not yet fully documented, “around 90% of foreign
language learners have been studying English” (ibid., p. 8).
Despite the recent English learning boom, “the basic knowledge about this
popular language of a great majority of the learners has not met the demands in

reality” (Nguyen, 1992, p. 21). One of the major reasons for this problem is their
shortage of vocabulary stock. Truly, in a language, lexical items are the building
blocks, since they label objects, actions and ideas, without which people cannot
convey the intended meaning. Many students’ difficulties, both receptive and
productive, result from inadequate vocabulary, and even when they are at a higher
level of language, they are still in need of it. Hence there is no doubt that lexical
knowledge can directly influence the success of language learning in which
“students with affluent vocabulary tend to have advantages in enhancing the four
language skills” (Nguyen, 2006, p. 2).
Although it is of such great importance and in high demand, the interest in
vocabulary in the teaching of English as second or foreign language has long been
neglected. Until the last decade or so, it was a common practice to consider the
teaching of vocabulary as an afterthought or an “appendage” to the more important
tasks of teaching other levels in the study of language such as grammar and
pronunciation. This misconception is proven by the fact that the teaching of
vocabulary in many schools and universities in Vietnam is strategically limited. A
recent report by the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ninh Province
(2008) shows that the teaching of vocabulary in many schools tends to be
“conventionally restricted to translation into the mother tongue or improvised”. (p.
2) Obviously, practices such as listening to teachers, writing down the target
language new words and their mother tongue equivalences, and trying to memorize
word lists passively are what students normally involve themselves in. These
practices surely cause students a feeling of boredom and indigestibleness. Likewise,
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as asserted by Nguyen (2006, p. 4) “such obsolete and poor presentations have
resulted in students’ negative attitude to vocabulary learning; thus most of them
rarely remember the meanings of new terms beyond the tests”. What is worse, as
articulated by Hoang and Wright (2005), the recent strategies to instruct vocabulary
in Vietnam “rarely take place in a communicative environment” (p. 3).
Although this field has recently begun to take a greater interest in the

strategies for vocabulary instruction manifested with the appearance of studies
which suggest some interesting and efficient strategies for teaching and retrieving
vocabulary, such as the investigation of teaching vocabulary through games
(Nguyen & Khuat, 2003; Nguyen, 2006) and the exploration of creative approaches
to build vocabulary (Hoang & Wright, 2005), none have exploited the strategies
which can create mental linkages to reinforce the memorization of words yet.
Hence the call for employing such strategies to diversify the lexical
instruction is necessary, and it is high time the strategies which can synchronize the
easy retrieval of words with the creation of a relaxed and communicative learning
atmosphere were applied. As there has hardly been any investigation into semantic
mapping and its effects on the improvement of the memorization of words as well
as the creation of a positive and exciting learning attitude for students until now in
Vietnam, such a useful strategy captures the researcher’s curiosity and deserves due
research attention.
The expectation of effectively employing this strategy for vocabulary
instruction, therefore, generated ideas from which this study came into being.
1.2. Aims of the study
The study is, thus, conducted in an attempt to investigate the feasibility and
educational values of applying semantic mapping as a strategy into the teaching of
vocabulary to enhance its effectiveness and, concurrently, students’ positive
attitudes towards lexical acquisition.
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1.3. Research questions
To achieve the aim established above, the process of researching is guided by
the following main research question:
1. What is students’ vocabulary performance under the treatment of semantic
mapping?
2. What are their reflections on the teacher’s application of this strategy into
their learning of vocabulary?
1.4. Significance of the study

The study pays its contributions to both theoretical and practical aspects.
Theoretically, by exploring semantic mapping, the study adds to the growing
demand of strategies for learning and memorizing words for English language
learners (ELLs). Also, by investigating semantic mapping within academic settings,
it is hoped to provide useful information about characteristics and benefits of this
interesting but less-exploited strategy in dealing with vocabulary so far.
Practically, the study is hopefully to provide helpful knowledge about kinds
of semantic mapping and recommend clear guidelines for teachers to use this
strategy to deal with vocabulary in particular and, thus, to facilitate their teaching of
English in general. For learners, this study hopefully provides useful instructions so
that they can use semantic mapping as an effective vocabulary self-learning tip.
1.5. Organization of the study
The study consists of 5 chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the
topic of the study by stating its context, aim, research questions, significance, and
structure. Chapter 2 reviews relevant theories of vocabulary and semantic mapping
which are organized along five main categories: definition, typology, use in
empirical research, roles in language pedagogy, and implications for language
teaching practices. Chapter 3 justifies the design and methods of investigation by
taking the four features of setting, participants, data types of methods of data
collection, and analytical framework into account. Chapter 4 presents the data
analysis and interpretation for the three types of data: experiment, journals and
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questionnaire. It then discusses the findings in the light of the data already
presented. Chapter 5 draws conclusion by explicitly answering the research
questions, gives some recommendations for English language practitioners, and
proposes topics for further research.
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Chapter 2
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
As presented in the previous chapter, the teaching and learning of vocabulary

have not been effective up till now in Vietnam due to the limitative application of
strategies. Therefore, an exploration of one of them – semantic mapping – is
necessary. To know how to apply it into practice effectively to solve the problem of
vocabulary teaching, a theory of vocabulary and semantic mapping needs to be
carefully worked out.
Thus this chapter shapes the background that is relevant to the topic under
investigation in the present study by firstly exploring the concept of vocabulary,
roles of vocabulary and methods to teach vocabulary. Secondly, it give definition of
semantic mapping, it classifies its types; however, as only three of them will be
employed to teach the selected lessons, these three are theoretically examined in
detail. Thirdly, it reviews some empirical research in which this strategy is used.
Fourthly, it considers the roles this strategy plays within English as a foreign
language (EFL) classrooms. The chapter ends with some implications for English
vocabulary teaching practices.
2.1. What is vocabulary?
So far there have been a lot of definitions of vocabulary. Vocabulary is
defined as words in a specific language or freestanding items of language that have
meaning (McCarthy, 1990). Penny Ur (1996) defined vocabulary roughly as “the
words we teach in the foreign language”. She also suggested that “a new item of
vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two or three words
(e.g., post office, mother-in-law), and multi-word idioms (e.g., call it a day)”.
Besides, vocabulary is broadly defined as knowledge of words and word
meanings (Lehr et al., 2004). According to Lehr and his colleagues, vocabulary is
more complex than this definition suggests. First, words come not only in oral
forms including those words that can be recognized and used in listening and
speaking but also in print forms to be recognized and used in reading and writing.
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Second, word knowledge also comes in two forms: receptive and productive.
Receptive vocabulary is words that can be recognized in reading and listening.
Productive vocabulary refers to words that can be used in speaking and writing

(Lehr et. al., 2004). Therefore, vocabulary is understood as knowledge of word
spelling, pronunciation, collocations (i.e. words it co-occurs with), and
appropriateness (Nation, 1990). However, Pyles (1970) confirmed that vocabulary
is the focus of language with its sounds and meaning, which interlock to allow us to
communicate with one another.
As discussed above, vocabulary can be seen in many different ways.
Vocabulary refers to words or a set of words in a language or knowledge of words
regarding its forms, meanings and how to use it accurately in the context. In the
present study, vocabulary refers to the words, compounds and idioms in a language
that can be used to conveyed and received information in oral and written
communication.
2.2. The importance of vocabulary
Regarding the importance of vocabulary, Krashen (1989) pointed out that “a
large vocabulary is, of course, essential for mastery of a language”(pp 73, 440-463)
as without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed. (Wilkins, 1972)
Rubin and Thompson (1994) considered the significant role of vocabulary in
communication as stating that “one cannot speak, understand, read or write a
foreign language without knowing a lot of words. Vocabulary learning is at the
heart of mastering a foreign language”. Nguyen and Khuat (2003) also accepted
that vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in learning a foreign
language. Vocabulary is one element that links the four skills of speaking,
listening, reading and writing all together. Vocabulary is a core component of
language proficiency and provides much of the basis for how well learners
listen, speak, read, and write (Richards and Renandya, 2002).
In fact, vocabulary is a means to support communication. It is a necessary
component of language instruction. In order to communicate well in a foreign
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language, learners should acquire an adequate numbers of words and should know
how to use them accurately. When emphasizing the importance of vocabulary in
communication, Della and Hocking (1992) also claimed that with a little

grammar, the learners can have a little smooth communication, but without
vocabulary, it is difficult for others to understand the information the learners want
to express. For this reason, a lack of good grammatical structures may not
interrupt communication. However, if we lack vocabulary, there is no successful
communication. With a good knowledge of vocabulary, learners may feel confident
in communication, and it contributes to the success in communication. However,
the question to arise is which words are necessary for learners to know and
how to remember these words.
2.3. Approaches to teaching vocabulary
The two most common ways in which the meaning of view items is
conveyed as follows: General traditional methods and communicative method of
teaching vocabulary.
2.3.1. General traditional methods
The former includes various approach such as: grammar – translation method, direct
method, audio- lingual method, suggestopedia method
In the scope of thesis, I only focus on three major traditional methods: the
grammar-translation method; the direct method and the audio-lingual method.
2.3.1.1. The grammar-translation method
The grammar - translation method is the oldest method of teaching. The
grammar translation method is a foreign language teaching method derived from the
classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek and Latin. This
method has been used from the classical times to translate classical languages, Latin
and Greek, it has been called Classical method.
2.3.1.2. The direct method
The direct method of teaching foreign languages, sometimes called the
natural method, refrains from using the learners' native language and uses only the
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target language. The direct method was an answer to the dissatisfaction with the
older grammar translation method, which teaches students grammar and vocabulary
through direct translations and thus focuses on the written language.

2.3.1.3. The audio-lingual method
The audio-lingual method was widely used in the United States and other
countries in the 1950's and 1960's. The Audio-lingual Method was developed in the
U.S.A. during the Second World War. At that time, the U.S. government found a
great necessity to set up a special language-training program to supply the war with
language personnel. The audio-lingual method, Army Method, or New Key is a
style of teaching used in teaching foreign languages. It is based on behaviorist
theory, which professes that certain traits of living things, and in this case humans
could be trained through a system of reinforcement—correct use of a trait would
receive positive feedback while incorrect use of that trait would receive negative
feedback.
This approach to language learning was similar to another, earlier method
called the direct method. Like the direct method, the audio-lingual method advised
that students be taught a language directly, without using the students' native
language to explain new words or grammar in the target language. However, unlike
the direct method, the audio-lingual method didn’t focus on teaching vocabulary.
Rather, the teacher drilled students in the use of grammar.
In conclusion, when using general traditional methods to teach vocabulary,
vocabulary items are imparted mostly by translation: either a list of words with their
translation at the beginning of the lesson or the translation of the content having
new words or glossaries at the very end. This is an erroneous practice as it leads to a
state of confusion for the learners.
2.3.2. Communicative approach to teaching vocabulary
The communicative approach could be said to be the product of educators
and linguists who had grown dissatisfied with the audio-lingual and grammar-
translation methods of foreign language instruction. They felt that students were not
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learning enough realistic, whole language. They did not know how to communicate
using appropriate social language, gestures, or expressions; in brief, they were at a
loss to communicate in the culture of the language studied. Interest in and

development of communicative-style teaching mushroomed in the 1970s; authentic
language use and classroom exchanges where students engaged in real
communication with one another became quite popular.
In the intervening years, the communicative approach has been adapted to
the elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary levels. And the underlying
philosophy has spawned different teaching methods known under a variety of
names, including notional-functional, teaching for proficiency, proficiency-based
instruction, and communicative language teaching.
Communicative Approach is aimed at training students' listening and
speaking, so it relatively ignores the training of reading and writing. The ability of
writing and reading is quite important for an intellectual to enter universities, study
abroad, read plenty of original books, hoop up into the international webs looking
for information, write papers or dissertations in English, etc. All these cannot be
acquired merely from "Communicative Approach." Therefore, "extensive reading"
can compensate for the fault of "Communicative Approach" and the two can work
side by side.
There are a lot of techniques to teach vocabulary in language learning in
communication method.
• Using real objects
Real objects or models of real objects are very effective and meaningful in
hawing meanings but in handling of real objects, a teacher must be practical and
should not be superfluous.
• Using pictures and drawings
Pictures of many types and colors can be used successfully to show the meaning
of words and sentence. Handmade pictures can also be used as there is no need to
be very artistic.
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Drawings can be used to explain the meaning of things, actions, qualities,
and relations. A line drawing of a head, for example, provides many useful nouns
and verbs.

• Online Videos.
Another visual way to teach vocabulary is to find videos that showcase the
words used in lesson. Videos created for people learning English as a second
language are also ideal for teaching younger students words with which they have
had little or no exposure. You Tube Teachers’ Language Arts section is a good
place to look for video content that is safe for classroom viewing.
• Using synonyms and antonym
When one member of a pair of opposites is understood, the meaning of the
other can be easily comprehended. This helps the student to understand the
different shades of meanings of a word.
A synonym may be used to help the student to understand the different
shades of meaning if the synonym is better known than the word being taught.
Synonyms help to enrich a student's vocabulary bank and provide alternative words
instantly.
• Brainstorm
Vocabulary builds upon itself, and association with words that are already
familiar to students is one of the most effective means of teaching students
unfamiliar words. Teachers who help students to associate new words with words
they already know well will help students with long-term retention.
• Act it Out
Students can take turns acting out one of the vocabulary words, while the
other students guess the word. In order for charades with vocabulary words to work,
students need some basis in the vocabulary, so teachers should schedule the game of
charades a few days after students first get their vocabulary words. Teachers may
want to release the word list on Monday, for instance, and make Friday game day.
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• Word of the Day
Educators who grew up in the 1980s surely remember “Pee-Wee’s
Playhouse” and “Pee-Wee’s Word of the Day.” When the word of the day was
spoken, everyone in the playhouse, and the kids at home, were supposed to scream.

Teachers who want to encourage students to use their new vocabulary words (and
who can stand a little noise) could benefit from this method. Teachers can make
each day’s word of the day a different vocabulary word, and let students yell
whenever someone says it. Then, at the end of the yell, teachers can remind students
of the word’s definition. Even teachers will admit vocabulary isn’t the most exciting
thing to teach, but adding fun ways to teach vocabulary words can help keep the
process fresh and entertaining.
• Some games help pupils to review vocabulary
Language games are often used to fill a few minutes at the end of the lesson
or to copy some of the faster students while others catch up on an exercise. There
are many kinds of games such as communication game, code control game and so
on. And these games can be played at any level of language specially students at
college. Games play an important role in teaching and learning English. Game is the
best way to help students remember rapidly and review vocabulary effectively.
There are kinds of game for teacher to teach and check vocabulary, as follows:
Hang man; Bingo; which one is it; Spelling Bee; Crossword puzzle, etc…
According to Frisby (1957), the most suitable method to teach a foreign
language is Communicative Approach. The students have the need to communicate
outside the classroom, real communication, not prepared exercises or drills. In order
to get this aim, the Communicative Approach offer us a great variety of techniques
and activities we can use as teachers with our students, using authentic materials,
motivating for the pupils, and similar to the real world. The Communicative
Approach is a valid Method, because there is a lot of different learning needs,
different students, different situations and each one can be deal with the most
suitable method in each case.
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