A number of measures to improve the efficiency of remembering and using englinsh vocabulary for students in grade 3,4,at ha phong primary school

HA TRUNG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HA PHONG PRIMARY SCHOOL

EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE

A NUMBER OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE
EFFICIENCY OF REMEMBERING AND USING
ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS IN
GRADE 3, 4 AT HA PHONG PRIMARY SCHOOL

The implementation: Le Thi Binh
Position: Teacher
Place of work: Ha Phong Primary school
Experience initiative of subject: English

1


HA TRUNG, YEAR 2019

1: BACKGROUND
1.1. The season I choose the topics.
Education plays an important role in the development process of human
society. In other words, Education is a determining factor in the rapid and
sustainable development of a nation. Therefore, the Party and State have
identified the aims of education is to train the people to meet the full
requirements of the country industrialization and modernization, especially
during the current integration. Our country has been on a path of renewal. With
the opening policy, we have had the relationship with many countries in the
world. This is a good chance to help people in our country reach all areas of life.

So widely used communication in English- the common language of the world is
essential. In addition to this, English serves as a positive means of effective
support for the process of deeper integration of our country. Moreover, we can
compare English as a golden key to help people develop a vision and be able to
go everywhere in the world to reach all areas. To contribute to improving the
quality of education in general and particularly the quality of using English is
very important and urgent. English language was included in the school
curriculum and standards as well as compulsory subject in secondary
examinations with the goal of helping students on the basis of training four skills
such as: Listening, Speaking. Reading and Writing. At the same time it creates
favorable conditions for self- studying, self- understanding of modern science
and the rich cultural treasures of human beings.
According to decision No 50/ 2003 of Ministry of Education and Training
on October 30th 2003, issued an elective English program for elementary school
with the overall goal is to help pupils form the Primary basis first as a
foundation for the development of long- term proper moral, intellectual
aesthetic, and the students , basic skills to continue their studies in higher
education. Besides sticking common goal of elementary level, English courses
as elective in Primary school have following objectives:
+ Initially formed basic and simple communication skills in English for
students, in daily communication at school and at home by skills like Listening,
Speaking, Reading and Writing with emphasis on two skills, they are listening
and speaking.
+ Support for students the basic and simple knowledge in English.
+ Contribute to the student formed positive attitudes towards English so
students have more knowledge and love for the mother tongue. The teaching
English for students is very useful contribution to the formation of learning
methods and personality development of students in a comprehensive way.

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Although English in elementary schools is an elective subject, how to teach
students effectively to gain these objectives is my concern. On the other word,
what and how to make students understand and absorb all lessons easily, they
can remember vocabulary for a long time and use the new words flexibly in
daily communication. In order to attract students , interest in English, the teacher
has to apply suitable methods to teach.
To be successful in every period, English teacher must innovative
synchronous teaching methods. For example, innovative methods of teaching
vocabulary, grammar, sentence structures and teaching skills such as listening,
speaking, reading and writing.
For students, learning and remembering vocabulary as much as possible is
very useful and necessary. Because when the students have a large amount of
vocabulary they can not only understand immediately what their teacher is
saying and answer the teacher, s requests but also make a dialogue in different
situations easily. I courageously give “A number of measures to improve the
efficiency of remembering and using English vocabulary for students in
grade 3, 4 at Ha Phong Primary School”.
1.2. Research purposes:
Research projects to contribute to improve the quality of English primary school
- To improve the quality of students.
- Study of the theoretical basis to teach vocabulary for students to find
solutions to help students easy to learn, easy to remember vocabulary in English
- Help students form vocabulary and memory skills using words effectively
- Study of the body in practice is rarely studied English in primary.
- Propose solutions to improve the quality of English teaching contribute to
improving the quality of education.
- Survey and proposed a number of recommendations aimed at contributing
to improving the quality of teaching.

- Help students with a positive, interested in the subject.
- Know the use of vocabulary, sentence structure effectively learn, create
prerequisites for classes above.
1.3. Research subjects:
- Subjects: Students grade 3, 4, Ha Phong Primary school.
1.4: Research Methodology:
- Develop rationale for the topic.
- Develop practical basis for subject.
- Find out the contents and methods for forming, inculcate and apply
knowledge.

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2: THE CONTENT OF EXPERIENCE
2.1. Theoretical basis of the problem.
In teaching of any language, the role of vocabulary is very important. So
we can also say that “language is a set of vocabulary”. That does not mean the
only unit to understand the individual words, independent of each other but also
master the language through relationship dialectic between units of vocabulary.
Learning and using vocabulary is the leading factor in transmitting knowledge
and acquiring a language in general and English in particular.
Because the word is a unit of language, it is expressed in two forms:
verbal and written. In order to use a language skillfully, learners have to master
expressions of verbal and written. However, due to the relationship of the words
and other elements of language such as: grammar, phonetics, intonation…… or
even in specific situation. We can think that vocabulary are bricks, grammar is

another factor of language are considered as the grout to set up a home
language.
Teaching vocabulary is an important issue, but learning how to remember
for a long time also equally important. The teacher should not force students to
learn in a restrictive way that teacher encourages students to actively find the
suitable ways to learn by their own style. However, teacher can give the pupils
some of their experiences or help learners focus initially test experience.
To make the process of teaching and learning vocabulary effectively is not
boring, this means changing the teaching technical vocabulary so appealing and
makes learning easily. I can specify the method that causes excitement and
curiosity of elementary school students as drawing directly on the board does
not sharp but just by the rod (stick figures). Either use the real objects such as
toys or action described by vivid and lively more people can teach learners to
imitate the drawing done, put the objects or actions to the words they have
learned. This is the way we actually attract the students , attraction and help them
remember vocabulary longer.
In addition to the specific methods, teachers can incorporate a multiple
techniques to teach to avoid the wasting a lot of time.
2.2. Status of teaching and learning English at Ha Phong Primary School.
I have been teaching English at Ha Phong Primary School for 2 years. I
noticed a common situation is that almost students have not realized the
importance of learning English language. Both students and their parents still
have neglected and overlooked attitude to English in elementary school. So
during the process of studying they do not pay attention to the results of English
learning. They never revise knowledge they had learnt, so they forget all what
they had learnt in a short time.
One of the more common situations is very difficult to acquire the level of
the children are limited while the time for the course is short. Moreover, the
number of students in a class is overcrowded. This means that students do not
have more chances to practice language.

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Although textbooks were very modern in term of the lessons structures,
close to everyday life for the purpose of monitoring the needs of the students ,
interest. By teaching the lectures and contacting with the students, I am always
thinking the way to teach more effectively, students learn well or they are more
creative in communication. In addition to this, they are both interested and
excited to understand the language that they are studying, the quality of teaching
will get better and better.
* Results of the status:
After finishing learning vocabulary, students often forget vocabulary easily
or do not know how to use flexibility in special communicative situations.
This is the students, results of an assessment of grade 3,4 in the academic
year 2017-2018:
Class
Number of
Excellence Rather good Average
Bad
pupils
3A
32
6
5
17
4
4A
24
4
6

12
2
4B
25
4
8
10
3
Total
81
14
19
39
9
Looking at the above table, we can see the number of students is not much
better. The rate excellent and rather good pupils are low. The rate of average
pupils is high. There are many causes leading these results. In my experience,
the remembering vocabulary to have confidence and interest in learning English
is the main cause. To have better students , results, I have applied some of the
following solutions:
2.3. Solutions and organizational activities.
Each unit is divided into three lessons, combining the teaching of
vocabulary, grammar and practice together in a class with the time allowance of
40 minutes. So I just mentioned to only teaching vocabulary with suitable
techniques for individual pupils.
* The role of teaching vocabulary skills in process of teaching and
learning English.
- The teaching vocabulary skills are applied in all the teaching process.
Since the introduction of vocabulary, practice speaking and writing exercise to
strengthen the boot to create a lively lesson from the beginning of a lesson.

- The use of vocabulary skills taught in the course of teaching English aims
to give students sufficient capital from serving for the language, understand the
meaning, and the usage of vocabulary.
- The different skills from teaching will make students feel interested in the
subjects, memorize vocabulary with contextual communication, enhance selflearning, students will enrich their vocabulary and self inspection process
through its usage. Students will actively in social situations as well as acquiring
new knowledge.
Introduce vocabulary skills:
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The first phase of the analysis is to teach vocabulary introduced new
students. Introduction of new words plays an important role in an English class.
It can help students understand the overarching lesson content, grasp the
meaning of the word and use the word. To introduce new words, teachers need
to perform the following steps:
* Methods of teaching vocabulary:
1. Steps for presenting vocabulary.
T: {show a realize}
T: What is this? Tell me in Vietnamese.
Ss: Cái gương
T: Listen. A mirror……….a mirror………a mirror
T: Everybody repeat.
Ss: a mirror.
T: again.
Ss: a mirror.
T: Nam.
Nam: a mirror.
T: Mai.
Mai: a mirror.

T: say it again. Now listen to me.
A mirror………….a mirror.
S: a mirror.
T: copy this. Who know this word in Vietnamese? Come and write it.
T: which is strong? Do I say mirror or mirror? Remember.
2. Technique for eliciting new vocabulary.
During teaching vocabulary, I often use one of those techniques to present
the words.
2.1 Visuals:
Example:
- To present the word “a car”, I draw a car on the blackboard.
- Ask Ss to read aloud and listen to the teacher and repeat twice.

To present vocabulary in unit 13 English 3: Where, s my book?In
Activity: Point and say. I used pictures to introduce the words: bed and coat,

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Firstly, I hang the picture and say: bed twice and ask students repeat in
chorus and individual and then stick the picture on the blackboard and write
down the bed under the picture. Do the similar way with the others. Ask
students to repeat and copy down in their notebooks.
Or to introduce family members: grandfather, grandmother, father, mother,
brother, sister in Unit 11. I get students to bring their pictures (if they have) to
class and use their pictures to introduce the vocabulary.
2.2, Mine:
Example:
To introduce the new words in Activity: Look and say in Unit 5 “Can you
swim?” in English 4.

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I ask student to close their textbook and look at me to guess: “What am I
doing?” I mine: “cook, swim, skip and read”.
-Ask student to repeat “cook” after acting in chorus and individual.
Especially, I also use this technique in many other lessons to teach vocabulary.
2.3 Realize:
I use this technique in presenting vocabulary in Unit 8: “This is my pen.”
In English 3.
I take the pencil case and ask “What is this?” After students had answered
“hộp bút” teacher reads aloud “pencil case” and ask students to repeat in chorus
twice and then read aloud to take note.

Do the same with others objects involving in the vocabulary in this unit.
2.4, Situation/ Explanation:
Example: With the word “slim” in lesson 1 Unit 14, English 4. I explain:
“She is not big, not short” and ask “What does he/ she look like?” tell me the
word in Vietnamese. Ss: gầy,cao. T: Good. Now listen to me and repeat in
English “slim” twice.
2.5, Example:
Example: To introduce the meaning of phrase words: “school things”. I list
examples of school things such as: Book, notebook, ruler, pen, pencil, eraser/
rubber …these are school things. Give me another example of (school things)…
“What do school things mean?”
- Maths, Vietnamese, English, Art, Science…are subjects “What does
subjects mean?”
- Monday,Tuesday, … Sundays are days in a week “What does the week/
day mean?”

- January, February, March, April, …, December are months in a year
“What does the month/ year means”
2.6, Synonym/ Antonym:
- These techniques are often used to present the vocabulary:
Example: funny
T asks: “What, s another word happy?”
Example: untidy
T asks: “What, s the opposite of tidy?”
2.7, Translation:
Example: Phố
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Teacher asks: How do you say “phố” in English”? Teacher says: “street”
aloud and get students to repeat in chorus and individual.
3. Techniques for checking vocabulary.
After presenting the vocabulary, I always use some techniques to check
how students understand the vocabulary by using the following games in warmup, project, or play game:
3.1 Rub out and remember: to help student memorize new vocabulary.
+ Present or elicit the new vocabulary and build up a list on the blackboard.
+ After each word put the Vietnamese translation.
+ Get the pupils to take note in their notebooks and ask them to close their
notebooks.
+ Rub out the new words one at a time.
+ Each time I rub out a word in English, point to Vietnamese and ask
“What, s this in English?”
+ When all the English words are rubbed out, go through the Vietnamese
list and get the students to call out the English word.
3.2 Slap the board: to get student to recognize new vocabulary through
listening and to check students understand the meaning of new vocabulary.

+ Ask three or four students to be observers and ask them to follow the
teacher, s steps and say why it is a useful technique.
+ Put the new words all over the board- non in a list.
+To check their understanding, put the Vietnamese translation of the new
words or pictures on the board.
+ Call 2 students or two teams of students to the front of the class.
+ Ask students to stand at equal distance from the blackboard.
+ Call out one of the new words in a loud voice.
+ The two students must run forward and slap the word on the blackboard.
+ The one who slaps the correct word first is the winner.
+ If the students are playing in teams, the winning team gets a mark.
+ Then ask two or more students to come forward etc.
3.3. What and Where: to help students memorize new vocabulary or to
revise vocabulary.
+ Elicit words to do with the classroom from the students.
+ As the students give the word, write it on the blackboard inside a circle.
+ Do not write the words in a list.
+ When all the new words are on the blackboard, rub out one of the words
but do not rub out the circle.
+ Get the students to repeat the word including the rubbed- out by pointing
at the empty circles.
+ Rub out another word but leave the circle.
+ Point to the words or the empty circles.
+ The students read or remember the words.
+ Continue until all the circles are empty.
+ The students now have to remember all the words.
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+ Ask students (6 or 8 at a time) to come to the blackboard and fill in the

circles with the correct words.
chess
skipping
Hide- and- seek

Football

badminton
chatting

3.4 Matching: to get student to match the new vocabulary with definitions,
translations of pictures and to save time pre- teaching.
+ Write new words in a list on the left hand side on the board.
+ Write definitions, translations or draw pictures on the right hand side of
the board.
+ Get students to come up to the board and “match” items in the left hand
list items in the right hand list by drawing a line between them.
+ Four or five students can work at the board at the same time.
+ Check answer by asking the class, “Do you agree?”
Example:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October

November
December

Tháng 4
Tháng 6
Tháng 2
Tháng 9
Tháng 7
Tháng 10
Tháng 12
Tháng 1
Tháng 11
Tháng 5
Tháng 3
Tháng 8

3.5. Guess the pictures: To get a lot of students to practice saying the new
words in a meaningful way.
To present the colour in activity 2 “Point and say” in Unit 9, English 3, I
use word flash with the words of colour and put in a pile.
+ Get the students to come to the front and choose one of the word flash.
+ Make sure nobody else can see which the word flash has been chosen.
+ Get the rest of the class to guess which word flash it is.
+ Students ask, “Is it ………?”
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+ The first student to guess the picture correctly comes up to the front,
chooses a new word flash and game continue.
3.6. Ordering: to get students to recognize the pronunciation of new words

and help students practice listening skill.
+ Give the words on the board in the wrong order.
+ Read aloud or tell a story with the new words in it. Get students to put the
words in the correct order by numbering them.
Example:
English
(3)
Maths
(4)
Art
(5)
Music
(1)
Science
(2)
We have five lessons today. Firstly, We have Music. Secondly, We have
Science. Next We have English. And then We have Maths. Finally, We have
Art.
3.7. Bingo: to get students to practice listening to new words and to match
the sounds with spelling.
+ Get the class to brainstorm a list of eight or ten new words and put them
on the board.
+ The students choose five or seven and take note.
+ Read out the words in any order.
+ Each time the student has one of the words that the teacher reads, she/ he
put a tick next to that word.
+ The first student to tick all five words shouts “bingo”
3.8. Jumbled words: to help students to practice spelling new words.
+ Write the words with jumbled letter on the board and tell the student what
the topic is.

+ Call students come to the board to write the correct words there to see if
everyone agrees.
Example: Topic: Toys
Hisp = ……… albl =……….. Oldl = ……….. borot =…………
3.9.Networks: to get students to revise lexical sets. To put words from
different lessons into one context so students can remember them better.
+ Write the network line in the example on the board and put some more
words below it.
+ Have students to put the given words in the appropriate circles.
+ Students fill in the remaining empty circles with their own words.

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Chair

bedroom
Living
room
House

bed

kitchen
bathroom
3.10.Wordsquare: to help student recognize the spelling of new words.
+ Write the words square on the board or make a poster of it.
+ Tell the students what the topic is and how many hidden words there are.
The students come to the board and circle any words they can see.
Example: Circle the numbers in the table below.

T
W
E
N
T
Y
F
T
E
G
J
K
S
P
O
W
N
N
I
N
E
T
U
E
M
F
B
V
V
L

R
L
S
I
X
T
E
E
N
V
C
V
Q
R
N
T
J
E
S
E
L
E
V
E
N
K
F
O
U
R

T
E
E
N
+ Base on the cues on the pictures:

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+ Ask student to look at the picture and letters given to guess the suitable
letters to fill in the squares cross or down.
3.11.Wordstorm: to help students put new vocabulary into a sentence.
+ Get students to work in pairs and brainstorm all the words they know on
a topic.
+ Student A thinks of a word and tell student B.
+ Both students write down the words.
+ Student B thinks of another word, tell student A and then both write I down.
+ When they have thought of all words they can, put two pair together to
share their lists.
+ One pair reads to the other pair who ticks off the same words or adds any
new words. The group with the most words is winner.
Example: Topic: Food and drink.
3.12. Simon says: to help students revise vocabulary with actions.
+ Ask students to do the actions as the teacher or the partner request.
Example: After introducing “Classroom language” in unit 6 English 3, I
have students do as the teacher request.
T: Stand up! Or Stand up, please!
Ss: Act
T: Sit down! Or Sit down, please!
Ss: Act

T: Please open the book.
Ss: Act
T: Close your book, please!
Ss: Act
3. 13. Sing and chant:
- To help students learn by heart vocabulary easily through the song or the
chant with rhythms.
- The chant is a rhythmic expression of natural language which links the
rhythms of spoken American English to the rhythm of traditional American jazz.
3.14. Put the words in the right columns:
Example:
- To revise the new words in unit 16 to unit 17 English 4, I give the
following words such as: bear, post office, zoo, toys shop, tiger, zebra, giraffe ,
monkey, bookshop, cinema, swimming pool, park, lion, elephant and ask student
to put in the right columns.
Animals
Places
Bear
Post office
Tiger
Zoo
Monkey
Toys shop
Zebra
Bookshop
Lion
Cinema
Giraffe
Swimming pool
Elephant

Park
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2.4. The results of experience:
a, Results
* Experimental teaching process:
- After two years of testing these methods for block 3 I think that the
subject is really feasible. Based on the results of the first semester of the
academic year 2017 - 2018 I found the quality of teaching has increased
markedly. Detail:
* The academic year 2017 - 2018:
Based on the results of this test I saw the difficulties and limitations in
teaching the lesson. Therefore, I studied to find new ways to teach primary
school children and has set out three basic objectives are:
* First: Helping students understand and remember them as quickly as possible.
* Second: Create excitement for students a passion for learning and very
highly concentrated in class.
* Third: Students learn in an active, creative and have many opportunities
to practice regularly.
+ The following is the content and how to use some of the game in each lesson.
When teaching spoken English to primary school students are initially
taught the children to become familiar with the use of a new language.
Therefore, we must provide them get passion and excitement in learning
To do this it is necessary to simplify everything to fit with early age, giving
them a learning atmosphere is vibrant, fun and exciting creative initiative.
Thereby, they can learn for fun and fun to learn, therefore, we must use the
games integrated into the lessons and teaching process, depending on the lesson
content to choose games for true fit.
b. As a result, changes of the object:

After a period of experimentation teaching I see the quality and
effectiveness of teaching hours their English increased markedly. Students were
transferred to practice very lively, vibrant school, a cademic atmosphere is not as
boring as before. Students excitement in learning and deepen knowledge.
Through practical teaching by applying flexible methods of teaching in
each unit over the years, I found that the teaching of flexible methods help
many students understand and use the new words effectively. They are all
excited about learning and have a passion to learn. They are able to read,
speak and understand more new words through context, situation they had
known to guess the meaning. Many students used to be shy. Now they are
confident to communicate in English. I also gave many different situations to
engrave more new words in students , mind, especially difficult words. With
flexible techniques to practice in class combined with encouraging drill
spelling new words frequently at home, the students can speak and write
English very well. That made learning outcomes are significantly improved.
And this is `demonstrated by the students , results of assessment in the first
semester of the academic year 2017- 2018:

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Class

Number of

Excellence

Rather good

Average

Bad

12
8
9
29

10
8
10
28

10
8
6
24

0
0
0
0

pupils
3A
4A
4B
Total

32

24
25
81

- Looking at the above table, we can see the rate of excellence and rather
good is high.
- The students, results proved the effective using teacher, methods
flexibly.

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
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3.1. Conclusion:
By using the flexible methods and techniques of teaching vocabulary, I help
students revise and cultivate the vocabulary of English. So they have a large
amount of words and the effective way to learn by heart what they had learnt
that makes pupils have confidence in communicating in English and help them
achieve learning outcomes. Teacher needs to keep abreast of basic steps in the
process of teaching and distribute reasonable time of the lessons.
Those are some of my experience about “A number of measures to
improve the efficiency of cultivating and using English vocabulary for
students in grade 3,4 at Ha Phong Primary School ” that I have been
summarized in the learning, reference, research and teaching experience with
my own students. They are only my own subjective experience. The usage of the
proposed method can achieve the desired result or not, it depends on many
factors. During the process I initiatives inevitably experience, I still have
shortcomings. So I respectfully request colleagues give me more comments to
help me succeed in my teaching process.
3.2 Recommendations:

- Above is the "A number of measures to improve efficiency in mind and
use English vocabulary for students in grades 3,4 in elementary school Ha
Phong" "I was strong as given. We look forward to acceptance of the comments
of the teacher, to hone her expertise in the teaching process more.
- English subjects in recent years has been the investment interest of the
leaders. Ourselves as teachers to teach feel very happy and proud about that. But
what we always think concern is the quality of student learning is still not as
high as the requirements set out though the teacher was trying. There are many
causes for this issue, I would like to mention a higher level of interest help
solve:
- To carry out the problems I mentioned above needs the active support of
all the help of the head teacher, the school Board of Management, the
delegation, team...
- The school should have one room for English subjects
(This room must meet as soundproofing, brightness, width, full facilities ...)
- The school needs additional staffing 1 teacher of English.
- Adding new pictures, new tapes each year, providing special equipment
for the department.
Confirmation of headsmaster
Ha Phong, February 20th, 2019
I assure that I wrote this experience initiative,
do not copy other people’s.
Writer by

Le Thi Binh

Cù Thị Phương
INDEX

17

ORDER
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
3
3.1
3.2

CONTENT
BACKGROUND
The season I choose the topics
Research purposes
Research subjects
Research methodology.
THE CONTENT OF EXPERIENCE
Theoretical basis of the problem.
Status of teaching and learning English at Ha Phong
Primary school.
Solutions and organizational activities.
The results of experience
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion
Recommendations

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