SKKN How to present vocabulary effectively to promote motivation for grade 12 - Students at upper-secondary school

INDEX
Page
PART I: INTRODUCTION
2
1.1. Rationale
2
1.2. Aims of study
2
1.3. Scope of study
2
1.4. Methods
2
1.5. New points 
2
PART II: CONTENTS
3
2.1. Theoretical background
3
2. 2. Practical background
3
2.3. The solutions
3
2.3.1. Procedure
3
2.3.2. Application
3
a. Showing the meaning of words visually
3
a.1. Using mine
3
a.2. Using pictures and cards
4
b. Using synonyms or antonyms
5
c. Using examples and situations 
6
2.4. The discussion
7
*The effects of the study: 
7
 * My colleagues' comments:
7
PART III: CONCLUSION
7
3.1. Summary of the study
7
3.2. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further study
8
REFERENCE
8
PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. 1. Rationale
Nowadays, in Vietnam, the demand for foreign languages, especially English is on the increase. English, which has played an important role in work and study, has become a means of communication as well as a compulsory subject at schools and universities. However, to learn English vocabulary effectively is still a problem for students at school because most students who do not understand the importance of vocabulary become bored with learning English vocabulary or have no habit of using it often. It is no exception to grade12-students. How to make students interested in learning vocabulary in English is essential. That's why I have spent a great deal of time studying the topic: "How to present vocabulary effectively to promote motivation for grade 12-students at upper-secondary school"
1.2. Aims of study
	The study is aimed at:
- investigating the situation of teaching and learning vocabulary.
- investigating the effectiveness of applying the new ways of presenting the meaning of vocabulary
1.3. Scope of study
The study focuses on teaching the grade 12- students the vocabulary in lessons in the basic textbook "Tieng Anh 12".
1.4. Methods
I use the knowledge of the methods from methodological books I learned at university as well as the experience in watching my colleagues' lectures in class. Meanwhile, I compare the results of my students' interest in learning vocabulary.
1.5. New points 
 These are some methods I apply to teach in school which depends on each lesson and time. In my initiative experience I focus on 3 main methods
1.5.1. Showing the meaning of words visually 
a. Using mine
b. Using pictures and cards
1.5.2. Using synonyms or antonyms 
1.5.3. Using examples and situations
PART II: CONTENTS
2.1. Theoretical background
	It means my lesson plans designed for presenting vocabulary which appear lessons of the basic textbooks " Tieng Anh 12".
	The situation of presenting vocabulary is shown in the survey result.
2.2. Practical background
For some year of teaching, I realize that most of my students studied English vocabulary enthusiastically, which brings about their lack of certain words to understand a text, to listen to a tape or to use English in speaking and writing. They only focus on grammar learning, which is the easiest part in English learning. Thus, more than 80 percent of students felt bored with learning studying as well as having limited vocabulary to complete assigned tasks in the lessons of Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing. These interfered with my lessons. 
2.3. The solutions
2.3.1. Procedure:
In the school year of 2016-2017, I taught two classes of the same level (12A8, 12A6) . Class 12A6 was applied with normal methods of teaching while class 12A8 was with my new methods. Of course, I maintained the steps of a lesson of teaching vocabulary such as 
- Use a suitable technique to elicit or show the meaning of the new vocabulary .
- Model the pronunciation clearly ( three times )
- Ask students to repeat the word in chorus and individually.
- Correct students’ s pronunciation
- Write the words on the board and students copy down on their notebooks.
- Check that students clearly understanding the meaning and pronunciation.
2.3.2. Application
	I applied my new techniques in the steps of show the meaning of the vocabulary as follows:	
a. Showing the meaning of words visually
a.1. Using mine:
	 This is the way of using body actions or gestures to show the meaning of words. Some action verbs and adjectives showing feelings and states can be taught using mine.
*Illustrated lesson:
Unit 3: Ways of socializing (Reading - page 31)
 The teacher shows the meaning of some words through body actions or gestures: wave, clap, point at, raise one's hand, nod.
- Wave: the teacher waves and makes Ss understand the action.
- Clap: the teacher claps in front of people and asks Ss what it means.
 - Point at: the teacher uses the hand and points at one student and asks Ss what it means.
 - Raise one's hand: the teacher raises the hand and asks Ss what it means.
 - Nod: the teacher also nods and asks Ss what it means.
a.2. Using pictures and cards:
	In this way, cards with words are used to stick to pictures so that each card goes with one picture. At first, the teacher has to plan the words he or she is going to teach and designs the cards for them. Then the teacher collects pictures which are suitable for words. Below are details. 
*Illustrated lesson:
Unit 12: Water sports (Speaking - Task 1- page 131)
Task 1: Look at the pictures and match the names with the suitable water sports.
Cards:
Swimming
Synchronized swimming
A B
Rowing
Windsurfing
 C D
Scuba-diving
Water polo
 E	 F
Pictures :
P1 P2 P3
P4 P5 P6
Teacher’s activities: 
- The teacher divides Ss into two groups.
- The teacher asks Ss to sticks pictures which go with cards.
- The teacher helps Ss to discuss.
- The teacher gives marks to the winning group.
- The teacher helps to read. 
Students’ activities: 
- Ss work in two groups, observe pictures carefully and use cards to paste in the pictures.
- The class will be exciting.
Suggested answers 
A. Synchronized swimming 
P5
B. Swimming 
P6
C. Rowing 
P4
D. Windsurfing 
P2
E. Scuba-diving 
P1
F. Water polo 
P3
*I also applied this way to Unit 13 (Task 1 - Speaking -page 141) when introducing sports of the 22nd SEA Games, and to Unit 16 (Task 1- Speaking - page 175) with flags, capitals and nations of ASEAN.	
b. Using synonyms or antonyms:
	This is a nice warm up game using synonyms and antonyms. You can make it as difficult or easy as you wish, depending on the level of your students. Hand out a list of words to each student. There should be two columns next to each word, label the heading of each column, synonym and antonym. You can create your own lists using words you've already taught. Then read out the synonyms and antonyms of those words. The students have to write these words next to the word they are the same or the opposite of. 
*Illustrated lecture:
Unit 6: Future Job (Speaking: Task 2 - page 66)
 Find each pair of antonym from the following:
Boring rewarding difficult dangerous fantastic
Easy interesting disappointing awful safe
- The teacher sticks words on the board or give small handouts to ask Ss to match
- Ss guess and match
- The teacher checks corrected answers
- The teacher helps SS to read vocabulary and explains
Suggested answers:
boring
interesting 
rewarding
disappointing
dangerous
safe
difficult
easy
fantastic
awful
c. Using examples and situations:
This is also a way of showing what words mean. Most abstract words can be taught effectively in context. Usually, the meaning can be shown through simple sentences. The teacher can ask Ss to find the meaning by guessing the meaning of sentences which refer to common things.
*Illustrated lesson 1:
Unit 1: Home life (Reading-page 12)
- The teacher asks Ss to look at the book and pay attention to the sentences.
''My main responsibility is to wash the dishes and take out the garbage. 
I also look after the boys'' 
- Based on the sentences the teacher asks Ss to guess the meaning of ''responsibility, take out, look after''
*Illustrated lesson 2:
Unit 10: Home life (Reading-page 107)
- The teacher asks Ss to look at the book and pay attention to the sentences.
"The Red list has been introduced to raise people's awareness of conservation needs."
"Government have enacted laws to protect wildlife."
- The teacher asks Ss to guess the meaning of " raise people's awareness, enact laws".
2.4. The discussion
*The effects of my study: 
 	With the use of my new ways of presenting vocabulary, compared with the students of class 12A6, those of class 12A8 made great progress in English learning based on some certain criteria during the school year:
Class
Motivation
Long-term memory
Doing exercises of vocabulary well
Using vocabulary to write or speak English well
12A6
40%
40%
35%
30%
12A8
90%
85%
85%
80%
* My colleagues' comments:
	After reading my study, my colleagues thought that my ways of presenting vocabulary were useful in teaching vocabulary effectively. They also added that the ways could be applied for some lessons in the basic textbooks of Tieng Anh 10 and Tieng Anh 11. 
PART III: CONCLUSION
3.1. Summary of the study
The things above are my ways of teaching based on my own gains from the teaching experience and my students. I think that teachers should use teaching approaches flexibly in certain lessons as well as certain students. What's more, it's important to combine various teaching techniques to motivate students' interest in English learning, which helps them to get the best result of using the language and completing the tests or examinations well.
3.2. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further study
Although this is my teaching experience, it may not become the best way of presenting English vocabulary. Moreover, the number of ways is so small. Whether it is successful or not depends on lots of factors. During the completion of the study, mistakes are definitely inevitable, so I would hope to get as many comments as possible from experienced colleagues so that I can improve myself in teaching process.
REFERENCE
- Textbook (Tieng Anh 12 - basic)
- Teacher's book
- Methodological books of English
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
	I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine. The date and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere
The confirmation of the Head-Master Thanh Hoa, 19th May in 2015
 I assure this is my experience initiative, not copying the contents of other people.
 The writer
 Nguyen Van Canh