RESEARCH METHODS
USING FLASHCARDS IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR BEGINNER
Arranged By:
Gilang Panji Sadewo/111214146
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Research Background
Vocabulary is generally the total number of words that exist in a particular language. More specifically, it functions as the foundation without which any language is impossible to exist in this world. Learning a foreign language, especially English as a language of international communication throughout the world, has now become essential to grasp the opportunity to reach information. Learning English vocabulary at an early age is the fundamental step to learn English. It stands to reason, as stated by (Edward, 1997) in his book that vocabulary is one of the important factors in all language teaching and learners must continually be learning words as they learn structure and as they practice sound system. Hence, English vocabulary is now introduced to learners from an early education.
1.2. Research Problem
Using flashcards, is the most effective method to improve students' vocabulary mastery. The purpose of the research is to know how to use flashcards in EFL classroom affects students' vocabulary improvement. The answer will be discovered through problem formulation in the form of these questions:
How does the use of flashcards improve beginning learners' understanding towards English vocabulary in ELT classroom?
How is the use of flashcards implemented in ELT classroom to improve beginning learners' memory to recall the newly learnt vocabulary?
What are the supports/barriers of using pictures to improve beginning learners' understanding towards English vocabulary in ELT classroom?
1.3. Research Benefits
The result of the research will help English teachers to improve skills in teaching vocabulary. It is hoped that the result of this study can give some contributions to the success of the teaching learning English at the study program especially related to the effort of enriching students' vocabulary.
1.4 Definition of Terms
The dictionary definition of the term flashcards is a card having words, numerals, or pictures on it, designed for gaining a rapid response from pupils when held up briefly by a teacher, used especially in reading, arithmetic, or vocabulary drills. In this paper, the term flashcards is used to mean a card which consists of pictures and words to help young learners improve their vocabulary.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1. Vocabulary
"If language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and the flesh." (Harmer, 1993)
Vocabulary is generally the total number of words that exist in a particular language. More specifically, it functions as the foundation stone without which any language is impossible to exist in this world. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through indirect exposure to word and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific word and word-learning strategies. (Linda Diamond and Linda Gultohn, 2006). Learning a foreign language, especially English as a language of international communication throughout the world, has now become essential to grasp the opportunity to reach information. Learning English vocabulary at an early age is the fundamental step to learn English. It stands to reason, as stated by (Edward, 1997) in his book that vocabulary is one of the important factors in all language teaching and learners must continually be learning words as they learn structure and as they practice sound system. Hence, English vocabulary is now introduced to learners from an early education.
2.2. What vocabulary to teach
Teaching vocabulary for beginning students is not as easy as what is seemed. There is a difficult choice on what and how much vocabulary to teach. Furthermore, every English teacher must consider what vocabulary items to teach gradually. They must consider the vocabulary to be taught first and left for later on. They must organize which vocabulary items to be taught from the most simple to the most complicated one.
Every English teacher must be able to be selective. It stands to the reason that the teacher's choice is influenced into some extent by the course book and supplementary materials they use. However even here, "teacher decides on emphasis given to individual items." (Gairns and Redman 1992:54). Teachers are the ones who know and understand their students' English competence.
2.3 Types of Vocabulary
There are two types of vocabulary as stated by (Allen and Corder, 1975):
a. General vocabulary that is used in all subjects.
b. Technical vocabulary that consists of words that have special meaning in particular areas such as mathematics, social studies, and science.
2.4. Usefulness
The matter of teaching vocabulary is not only about what vocabulary to teach or the types of vocabulary to teach preferentially, teacher should also take into consideration mainly usefulness of the words. Every English teacher should consider the vocabulary which is useful for the students. There are several aspects to be considered by every English teacher in vocabulary selection.
First of all, considering learner's needs are essential to do. Teacher must be able to predict what words the students need, especially the words the students need to know of talking about daily life. In additional, teacher may also add vocabulary items to be used for talking about people and things surrounding them. "When such words are learnt, the new language can immediately be put to use". (Allen 1983: 108)
The second criteria of the teacher's choice is the term of frequency, especially the frequency in which the particular item is used in common language. This criteria can be the consideration for every English teacher to set vocabulary items to be taught first in ELT classroom. In general, "The words whis are most commonly used are the ones we should teach first." (Hammer 1993: 82)
Another aspect to consider is the term of coverage of the word. (Harmer, 1993) argued, the words covering omre things are likely to be taught before words with only one specific meaning. E.g. the word 'room' must be taught first before words 'living room, bathroom or bedroom'. This process will show that vocabulary teaching and learning is developed gradually.
2.5 Learnability
'Learnability' is another factor to be considered by English teacher on selecting words to be taught first. It stands to reason that there are a lot of easy and difficult words in every language, especially English. As the examples are the complicated spelling and pronunciation of certain word. Another reason is that some words' meanings might be difficult to be remembered by students.
2.6. Techniques in vocabulary teaching
Vocabulary can be taught in various ways. Students have a lot of opportunities to explore and grasp new vocabulary during English lessons: by the teacher, texts, course books, or other materials they work with. Vocabulary can also be learnt through the communication happens in the class. It can be from teacher to students or vice versa and students to students. A lot of this vocabulary is automatically absorbed. (Harmer 1993: 159)
It is suggested that English teacher must carefully set induction or pre-teaching activities first. It can be done by presenting pre-selected vocabualry related to the topic to be taught first in the beginning. Pre-teaching activities will arise students' attention and desire to explore certain topic in greater detail. In additional, English teacher must be able to determine interesting topic to teach English vocabulary.
Both (McCarthy, 1992) and (Thornbury, 2004) demonstrate two general possibilities or preparing and arranging vocabulary presentation. The teacher provides the learners with the meaning of words and the progresses to introduction of their forms or vice versa. Teacher can also prepare illustration to make it clearer and easier to be learnt by the students.
Illustrating many words can be done in various ways. The more creative the teacher teaches vocabulary, the easier the vocabulary can be learnt. Vocabulary can be taught "using real objects (called realia) or pictures or mime"(Thornburry 2004:78). There are many things around the class that might be useful and effective to be used as teaching media.
As (Harmer, 1993) suggests, sense relations, definition and direct translation of words might function as yet another helpful tool for clarifying the meaning. Again, explaining certain vocabulary with the meaning directly to the students is effective to clarify the meaning and not to teach vocabulary. However, some English teachers do not know about this. Most of English teachers teach vocabulary using words-meanings lists and asking the students remembering those lists.
2.7. Picture as vocabulary teaching media
Vocabulary teaching needs to be presented in a classroom attractively. Repetition drills are useful for familiarizing students quickly with a specific structure or formulaic expression (Doff, 1990). Teachers need various aids or suitable media to improve this process. Pictures are one of suitable media in teaching vocabulary. As (Wright, 1989) stated that picture is not just an aspect of method but through its representation of place, object, and people, it is essential part of the overall experiences. Furthermore, studies show that foreign words are learned more easily when associated with actual objects or a corresponding picture, or imagery techniques, or translation (Plass, Chun, & Leutner, 1998). It stands to reason that pictures are motivating and draw learners' attention,(Wright, 1990)
Pictures are suitable media to motivate learners to learn vocabulary and later improve another skills. Pictures can be "stimulus for writing and discussion, as an illustration of somrthing being read or talked about, as background to a topic and so on" (Hill, 1990). (Moreover Hill, 1990) also lists several advantages of pictures, such as availability (one can get them in any magazines, on the internet, etc.): they are cheap, often free; they are personal (teacher selected them); flexibility- easily kept, useful for various types of activities (drilling, comparing, etc.). The advantages of pictures above indicate that pictures are multifunctional devices. Again, pictures can be efficiently developed and demonstrated by teachers in classroom activities for learners. However, the success in employing picture as interesting language teaching media depends on teacher's creativity.
The use of picture in English vocabulary teaching has its function as an interpreter that helps the learners get the 'Big Picture' and meaning as well. As (Heinich, Molenda & Russel, 1982) stated, the primary function of a visual as a communication device is to serve as a more concrete referent to meaning than the spoken or written word. Words are arbitrary symbols. The meaning of a word is easy to understand if it is associated to picture that illustrate the word appropriately. However, three or more words cannot be illustrated effectively by picture. Hence, the use of picture in English vocabulary teaching for learners seems practical in preparation and administration but not in process. Another matter is the question of how to use pictures to teach vocabulary effectively. Including variety of stimuly in teaching is important but not enough. It is essential for the teacher to find the balance and not to use pictures or visuals only but to combine them with other different techniques.
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Method
The practical part is focused on techniques of using pictures in vocabulary teaching for primary school pupils (8-11 years old). A lesson plan is needed and included in this research to show how a vocabulary lesson will be demonstrated, the researcher therefore will use descriptive method to get his aim. Descriptive method is the effort to observe, notify, analyze, and interpret the condition happening. In this case descriptive method is used to describe the English teacher's strategies in teaching English vocabulary and the students' perception toward the English teacher's strategies in primary school.
3.2. Research Setting
The study will take place in Mama Sayange Elementary School Yogyakarta. In Mama Sayange Elementary School there are six vocabulary classes offered from the first years to sixth years. There are four teachers who teach vocabulary class.
Research Participants
Sample is a technique of taking a representative sample from the population. In this case, the researcher will choose three classes of the first year, third year and the fourth year with three different teachers for each chosen class as the sample.
Instruments and Data Gathering Techniques
The researcher will conduct class observation and interview to collect the data needed. The observation will focus on students' behavior and attitude toward the use of media in English language teaching, especially picture use.
Observation
The researcher will observe by watching the teacher while they teach English vocabulary. The researcher will also video record the lesson process from the beginning until the end of the class. The observation purpose is to find what strategies that the lecturer uses to teach the second semester students.
Interview
In this case, the researcher as the interviewer will ask some information to the teacher about the strategies that are used in teaching English vocabulary and the students' response according to the lecturer. It consists of nine questions. As for the students, the interviewer will ask about their response to the teaching strategies from their own perspective. It consists of five questions. All of the results of the observation and interview are regarded as data.
REFERENCES
Allen, J.P.B., and S.P. Corder, eds. 1975.Papers in Applied Linguistics. II. London:
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Edward, David Allen and Rebecca M, Vallete. (1997). Classroom Technique. Foreign Language and English as a Second Language. New York: Harcout Brave Javanovich
Gairns, Ruth. Redman, Stuart.(1992). Working with Words: A guide to teaching and
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Heinich, R., Molenda, M., & Russell, J.D. (1982).Instructional Media: And the new technologies of instruction. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hill, David A. (1990). Visual Impact: Creative language learning through pictures. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited.
Linda, D., Linda, G. (2006). Vocabulary Handbook. United States of America: Consortium of Reading Excellence, Inc. (CORE)\
McCarthy, Michael. (1992). Vocabulary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Plass, Jan L., Chun, Dorothy M., & Leutner, Detlev. (1998). Supporting Visual and Verbal Learning Preferences in a Second-Language Multimedia Learning Environment. Journal of educational psychology, 90 (1), 25-35.
THhornbury, Scott. (2004). How to Teach Vocabulary. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Wright, Andrew. (1990). Pictures for Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.