Using flash cards to teach english vocabulary for primay students

THANH HOA EDUCATION & TRAINING DEPARTMENT
THANH HOA CITY EDUCATION & TRAINING OFFICE
EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
USING FLASH CARDS TO TEACH ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR PRIMAY STUDENTS
Implementer: Nguyen Thi Le Hang
Position: Teacher
School: Nguyen Van Troi Primary School
Subject: English.
THANH HOA, YEAR 2018
	INDEX
CONTENTS
PAGE
 1: INTRODUCTION
1
1.1. The reasons for choosing the topic
 1
1.2. The purposes of research
 1
1.3. The object of the research
 2
1.4. The methods of the search 
 2
2: CONTENT
 3
2.1. Theoretical basis of the experiece initiative
 3
2.2 Situation issuses before applying experience initiative 
 4
2.3. The sollution of implemented 
 5 - 6
2.4 . The affect of experience initiative 
7-17
3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
17
1. Conclusion.
 17
2. Recommendations.
 17-18
 REFERENCES	
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The reasons for choosing the topic
With the general growth of society, English is becoming popular for all of people in over the world. Teaching and learning English is a problem that the Vietnam educations care about.
English is not only taught in universities, high schools, junior high schools but also in primary school . Vocabulary learning is an intrinsic part of language teaching. A number of researchers agree that there is very little research carried out in the field of vocabulary learning and that the most effective means of vocabulary learning is still unclear. In recent years, applied linguists have strongly advocated vocabulary teaching because of the important role it plays in language learning. Vocabulary is necessary for communication and in expressing meaning through the productive and receptive skills. There are many techniques employed by teachers in teaching vocabulary and they can improve their learners’ knowledge of vocabulary by helping them in building a large number of words to choose from anytime they want to convey their intended message in different contexts.
Students, however, complain that they cannot remember the words they have learned. To solve this problem, vocabulary learning tool .The researcher believes that an awareness of individual differences in learning makes EFL educators and curriculum designers more sensitive to their roles in teaching and learning. Furthermore, it will permit them to match teaching and learning so as to develop students “potentials in EFL learning as well as to assist students to become cognizant of the ways they learn most effectively. It also helps the students to develop techniques and tools to become more motivated and independent learners. The understanding of the students” beliefs of vocabulary learning and their vocabulary learning techniques use enables teachers and researchers to design appropriate materials and activities to help them improve their vocabulary learning so as to enhance their lexical competence. 
There are many methods used to teach vocabulary for primary school students, although what is the effective method? This research aims to find out the most effective one – using flashcards.
To help primary school students memorize thousands of foreign words quickly and easily teacher can use flashcards to teach them. However, how flashcards can improve student’s English vocabulary, and is it really effective? This study demonstrates an initial attempt to explore how teachers in junior high schools use flashcards to teach English vocabulary, what the best way for them to use flashcards is. And how students of primary schools can memorize English vocabulary when their teachers use flashcards.
 1.2. The purposes of research
	Research this topic to help teachers improve my pedagogical profession methods and create in teaching, contribute the teaching tasks that the Party and State assigned to and the quality of teaching English in general. At the same time, students are interested in learning and motivated in activities, practice the language. These things contribute to improve their ability of communication in English in the classroom.The teaching and learning follow morden teaching methods become better and more efficient
1.3. The object of the research
As an English teacher at primary school, I always wondered, after agonizing over every hour to class.Although students have a good knowledge of grammar, when I do exercises to develop 4 skills : Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing,they are not good at four skills. They are not listening, speaking and afraid to speak.And they often wrote the wrong word to use and misspelled.
In the process of teaching and research I have realized that the vocabulary system is one of the three main aspects of the language, have a special meaning in the teaching of a foreign language. System vocabulary helps students distinguish types of speaking and writing style in each particular case, therefore it makes students more confident in the process of communication with foreigners. Howerver, most students are not aware of it and even we who live normally do instead of teaching so many students, teachers provide knowledge Grammar helps students choose to write new words, include highly effective for students that create dependency and inertia .
Therefore teaching vocabulary is key because there is no certainly no word language. We can not train and develop the four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing for students that are not based on the foundation of vocabulary. Volume vocabulary as much as it helps students to understand and communicate effectively quickly. The vocabulary learning and use on a regular basis, which is the result of the learning process. For this to be true teacher is to guide students to actively and positively in the learning activities. Teachers must find appropriate teaching methods to help students practice and remember well the vocabulary they have learned. At the same time, teachers must instruct students how to learn and practice self- review vocabulary at home to memorize vocabulary and develop their own. With my little experience I boldly go into a topic: "using flashcards to teach English vocabulary for primary students"
1.4.The methods of the search 
With this topic I have applied the following methodology.
- Method of dialogue,interview
- Method of observation.
- Material reseache method.
- Method of survey and statistics
2. CONTENT
2.1.The oretical basis of the experience intiative
Before I start my study of the vocabulary flash card strategy on the vocabulary knowledge, it is necessary to clarify some of the concepts involved in it. 
* Vocabulary 
A person's vocabulary is the set of words they are familiar with in a language. A vocabulary usually grows and evolves with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Language teaching specialists generally agree that vocabulary is one of the most important aspects for foreign language learners to acquire since it is critical in conveying the meaning of a message. Vocabulary, in the abstract, represents a set of words for a language or a set of words that its speakers might use (Hatch & Brown, 1999). A word as a “single unit of language” (Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary 2000), conveys meaning on its own and is not part of any linguistic pattern that might change the word’s meaning in connection with other words. 
* Flash Card (FC) 
One strategy for learning vocabulary is the use of flash cards. A flash card is a cardboard consisting of a word, a sentence, or a simple picture on it. It should be noted that the letters on it must be visible and large enough for everyone sitting in the front and the back of the classroom. To make sure that everyone can see the letters on the card, it is better to write words with capital letters. Both sides of the flash card should be used in teaching vocabulary. On one side, the new word is written in L2 and perhaps with a picture beside it and on the other side is the translation. These flash cards can be made by both teachers and learners. Various kinds of flash cards are on the market. Flashcards for EFL teaching or self-study have been used for years and are a useful tool for teachers and learners. Flash cards are useful for drilling new letters, syllables, words, and other information. They are normally used in a classroom, but can also be used more informally. A flashcard or flash card is a set of cards bearing information, as words or numbers, on either or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private study. Flash cards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas or any subject matter that can be learned via a question and answer format. Flash cards are widely used as a learning drill to aid memorization by way of spaced repetition. 
* Vocabulary flashcards 
Vocabulary flash card or Word flash card is perhaps worth mentioning at this point, even though they are not actually pictures. However, being used in a similar way as picture flash card, they can often enrich the lesson.
Vocabulary flash card can be fun, colorful, and creative way to aid in memory and retention of vocabulary words. Flash cards are a tried and tested teaching and learning device inside and outside the classroom, for kids and adults alike. Some of these flash cards are designed to perfect your English while others can help you learn a new language entirely. The key to using flash cards is to look at the word or definition on one side, and test yourself to see if you can remember the answer written on the other. So you can perfect your knowledge of the vocabulary on the list and improve your overall vocabulary. 
 2.2 Situation issues before applying experience initiative 
a. Advantages
- Nguyen Van Troi Prirmary School is one of the bigest school in the center of Thanh Hoa City. The school's furnitures is modern and comfortable.
- Administrators of our primary school always care about and create favorable facilities and professional documents serve as teaching subjects: the paintings 3, 4, 5, projectors, language laboratory.
- Local governments and organizations in and outside schools are interested, help teachers in the process of work. 
- Itself subject teachers always get the support from the teachers and professional groups and colleagues.
- Most students prepare books and supplies for learning English department.
For the teacher:
After six years of teaching English to primary school students, I found that training for effective new words is a difficult problem. I may state the following reasons: Teacher do not pay much attention to this stage.
 	Teachers don’t know enough about students in general or in particular sections. Activities are carried out at the group pairs. Facilities lack to meet the requirements of the teaching and learning of this matter.
 	It’s true that new words teaching at primary school is necessary for students to study better at higher grades to up grade on they can communicate better. How to teach new words skill at the primary shool is not easy for teachers.
To make a skills better teacher need to give enough time for students to access and use the method "Pre - While - Post" method in 40 minutes. so that according to the distribution of English language program in grades 1,2 and 3, 4, 5, the section is coupled with other pieces so not enough time for teachers to guide students worked on request. Thus students can not develop good remember words skills.
In the context of education and training efforts are innovative teaching methods towards promoting proactive creativity of students in learning activities.
One of the factors that impact directly to the learning outcomes of students as teaching methods. So to help students with a solid foundation in science instructional periods, student-centered, promote self-discipline to acquire all of the children. Teachers should identify specific objectives of the lesson. Such as that class will focus on practicing speaking skills, say something, use the other structure? But we should remember never skills training to be completely independent. Usually the classes always have at least two skills combined, such as listening, speaking or reading, writing or speaking, listening, writing.
Learners who learn English as a foreign language, memorizing vocabulary is a difficult problem. There are now many effective methods to help learners in learning English vocabularies. Using flashcards is one of these. However, there are also many different opinions around using flashcards. Some judge that flashcards is helpful to teach and learn vocabulary, but the others do not agree. So the question is given that if flashcards have any helpful roles in teaching and learning foreign language vocabulary.
Flashcards are motivating and eye catching. Howard Gardener’s multiple intelligence Gardener’s research indicates that the teachers should aim to appeal to all at the different learner types at some point during the course. It is particularly important to appeal to visual learners, as a very high proportion of learners have this type of intelligence. Flashcards can be bright and colorful and make real impact on visual learners. Especially, it is very useful to teach vocabulary for young students. S.Jackson (England) said he taught adult beginners and found that flashcards are very useful in teaching English vocabulary. He would not like to teach “cabbage”, “lettuce”, “cucumber”, without flashcards. Angela (Canada) said: “I use flashcards when teaching my young students who struggle with word recall”. Laurence (France) an English teacher in a secondary school said that she used flashcards mostly with young students; they were very receptive to any new methods of learning which was not in their book. She gave an example that she taught the students in a secondary about the different parts of the body. She began the lesson by drawing a pin man on the board and asking students to tell what they call in English. As they answered they did not know. She gave them the right words and made them repeat several times. Afterward, she used flashcards to show them a hand a legThe result was really better. She also said that flashcards can make students pay more attention to the lesson. Wilson (Sri Lanka) showed her students a flashcard, example, a dog’s picture and tell them that was a horse, the students immediately tried to correct it. So they could memorize these words better and longer.
According to Joanna Burden, British Council, Spain “flashcards are really handy resource to have and can be useful at every stage of the class. They are great way to present, practice and recycle vocabulary and when students become familiar with the activities used in lass, they can be given out to early-finishers to use in small groups. I sometimes get the students to make their own sets of mini flashcards that can be taken home for them to play with, with parents and siblings”.
b. Disadvantages
	Although our primary school located in the center of the city, the situations of the students face many difficulties. 
For the students:
	The number of students is high in each class. Students are not used flash cards during class.
 There is not enough investment in English in time. Students also are not familiar with the method of learning in English vocabulary learning as well as how to make really effective. 
Through teaching to students courses of professional activities and discussions with colleagues, I found myself that English learning situation also reveals some negativeness.
In general, they are not also self confident in communicating, their remember new English vocabulary is limited use. They can not to make sentences because they do not remember vocabularies. 
To the parents, also very difficult to check or guide them to learn a foreign language at home by subjects, parents do not know. They have limited access to communicate in English outside school hours . 
Directions to the survey quality mastering vocabulary limited school year:
Table 1: QUALITY SURVEY
Class
 Well accomplished
Accomplished
Unaccomplished
Students
quantity
%
quantity
%
quantity
%
1A/ 40
14
35%
22
55%
4
10%
2C/ 39
17
43,6%
19
48,7%
3
7,7%
3C/ 41
20
48,8%
17
41,5%
4
9,7%
4A/ 39
18
46%
18
46%
3
8%
5I/ 39
21
54%
15
38%
3
8%
Total/ 198
90
45,5%
91
46%
17
8,5%
This is a surveytable before using flashcards to teach English vocabularies
To sum up, there are many ways to using flashcards effectively; however this research took especially at the way to using flashcards to teach vocabulary for students of grade 1,2,3,4,5 at Nguyen Van Troi primary school. Different from the previous study, this focus on:
How flashcards can help students remember new English vocabulary. 
The students’ feelings when learning English vocabulary with flashcards. 
2.3. The sollution of implemented 
 2.3.1 Context and Participants
This study was conducted at the Nguyen Van Troi Primary School in Thanh Hoa city. The participants were 1456 female students and male students at the grade 1,2,3,4,5 in thirty classes. All of them had studied English as a compulsory subject at school. They had four periods of English per week.
 2.3.2 Materials
The materials used in this study included a closed-ended questionnaire. Students were asked to answer the question such as “How do you feel when your teacher use flashcards to teach you vocabulary?”The answer was given out four selects: a. very interesting, b. interesting; c. normal; d. boring. All the items in the questionnaire were written in Vietnamese. At the end, the students in all two groups were tested using the posttest.
2. 3.3 Procedure
At the beginning time of the first semester in the school year 2017 – 2018, I decided to examine the quality of English subjects for all students of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School by not using flashcards to teach vocabulary test.
Five classes were selected with each consisting of 198 students. The classes were similar in a number of ways:All the students were different age and all of them studying at the same school with the different English teachers. During the treatment period, they were exposed to the same vocabulary items but through different techniques. The tests that were given and the time for giving instructions were exactly similar for both the flash card and the word list groups. Because of the time limitation, ten vocabulary items were selected. All of the words were from the participants’ textbook (English 1,2,3,4,5). Group 1 received instruction of vocabulary using flash cards and Group 2 received the vocabulary instruction through word lists for lesson 1 or lesson 2. The instruction was given in ten minutes in both sessions. Finally, two days after finishing the procedure, a post-test was administered to both groups to see which group had remembered more words.
2.4 The effect of experience
This study is learne about using flashcard to teach English vocabulary for primary school. The result shows that using flashcards is effective or not, this depends on students’ interest and the way teachers use to teach them. However, what is the most effective way, in here, the way to teach and learn vocabulary for secondary students is that using flashcards, but just using flashcards is not completely efficient. It is necessary for the teachers to combine the flashcards and other visual aids such as posters, board drawing, or teach vocabularies is in context, the teachers should use all kind of skills. Teachers should encourage students to use any words unnaturally. In addition, students should also help their teachers in learning their previous knowledge. Students learn the words they are supposed to study and believe they must be making progress. At least, they feel that way in class. If they leave the class, they don’t remember the words or don’t use them correctly and so are misunderstood. By then, they can’t blame the teacher, they blame