the effect of exercises in english elementary reading books, on the

Transcription

1
THE EFFECT OF EXERCISES IN ENGLISH
ELEMENTARY READING BOOKS, ON THE
SUCCESS OF VOCABULARY TEACHING
—PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION PROPOSALS
Author: Özgür Akman Çevik
Advisor: Ass. Prof. Dr. Sevinç Sakarya Maden
A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Department of
Foreign Languages Education in Accordance
with the Regulations of the Institute of Social Sciences
Trakya University
Institute of Social Sciences
February, 2007
Edirne
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to the Memory of my Father, Cevat AKMAN
i
TEŞEKKÜR
Çalışma sırasında bilimsel katkıları ile bana yardımcı olan, eğitimim süresince
emeğini ve yardımlarını esirgemeyen, tez danışmanım Eğitim Fakültesi Yabancı Diller
Eğitimi Bölüm Başkanı Doç Dr Sevinç SAKARYA MADEN’e teşekkür eder,
şükranlarımı sunarım. Çalışma süresince değerli önerileri için Sayın Yrd Doç Dr Nesrin
KAYA ve Yrd Doç Dr Muhlise COŞKUN ÖGEYİK’e, istatistik alanında yardımları
için Sayın Yrd Doç Dr Nesrin TURAN’a, bana maddi ve manevi her türlü desteği veren
eşim ve aileme burada teşekkür etmeyi borç bilirim.
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Tezin Adı: Başlangıç Düzey İngilizce Okuma Ders Kitaplarında Yer
Alan Alıştırmaların Kelime Öğretme Başarısına Etkisi
- Problemler Ve Çözüm Önerileri
Yazan: Özgür AKMAN ÇEVİK
ÖZET
Bu çalışmada Trakya Üniversitesi Teknik Eğitim Fakültesi 2. sınıf İngilizce
derslerinde 3. ve 4. yarıyıllarda okuma odaklı bir yaklaşım sürdürüldüğünde, okunan
kitaplarında yer alan alıştırmalara ek olarak kelime öğretimine ilişkin aktiviteler
sunulması durumunda, öğrencilerin kelime öğrenme başarısının artıp artmadığı
araştırılmış, yeni kelimeler pekiştirici alıştırmalar ile desteklendiğinde, öğreticilerin göz
önünde bulundurmaları gereken hususlara dikkat çekilmeye çalışılmıştır.
Araştırmada belirlenen sorulara cevap bulabilmek için deneysel araştırmanın
denk kontrol gruplu ön test son test modeli ve ayrıca bir anket uygulaması
kullanılmıştır. Bunların uygulanması süresince üç farklı okuma kitabından alınan
metinlerin ve alıştırmaların yanı sıra deney grubu öğrencilerine kelimeleri kavramaya
ve sağlamlaştırmaya yönelik ek alıştırmalar verilmiş, yeni kelimelerin tekrar
kullanımına ve üretimine yönelik etkinlikler yapılmıştır.
Araştırmanın neticesinde öğrencilerin kelime bilgilerinin son test ile arttığı tespit
edilmiş, ancak deney grubu ile kontrol grubu arasında söz konusu olan farkın
istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı olmadığı görülmüştür.
Anahtar kelimeler: kelime öğretimi, pekiştirme alıştırmaları, kalıcı öğrenme,
öntest, sontest
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Name of the thesis: The Effect of Exercıses in English Elementary Reading Books, on
the Success of Vocabulary Teaching
—Problems and Their Solutıon Proposals
Author: Özgür AKMAN ÇEVİK
ABSTRACT
This study explores whether the students’ success in learning vocabulary is
enhanced if additional vocabulary teaching activities are presented alongside the
exercises in the books taught when a reading focused approach is adopted in Trakya
University technical Education Faculty 2nd class English lessons of 3rd and 4th
semesters and draws attention to the points that need to be considered by teachers when
new vocabulary is supported by practice exercises.
Pre test –post test model with an equal control group of the experimental
research and a surey were used to find the answers for the questions outlined in this
study. During the application of these, additional exercises which served for the
comprehension and consolidation of the vocabulary were given and activities which
focused on the recycling and production of the new vocabulary were carried out to the
experimental group besides the exercises of texts extracted from three different books.
The post test showed that the students’ vocabulary expanded as a result of the
study, however the difference between the experiment group and the control group was
not found to be significant.
Key words: vocabulary teaching, practice exercises, recycling of the words,
production of the words, pretest, post test
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v
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DEFINITIONS
•
Collocates: To place together or in proper order; arrange side by side. n.
word which frequently qualifies another.
•
Comprehension: The ability to understand, convert and translate without
the help of a clue.
•
Lexical sets: Words that belong to a particulary group. This group could be
a:1. Semantic group
Example: cat, dog, elephant, snake
belong to the semantic group Animals.
2. Syntactical group
Example: pretty, long, unusual, frightening
belong to the syntactical group Adjectives.
3. Functional group
Example: Hello, Hi, Good morning, Hello there
belong to the functional group Greetings.
Lexical sets are often referred to as Word Families.
•
Recall : To call back to mind; to revive in memory; to recollect; to
remember; as, to recall bygone days.
•
Target Words: The words in foreign language that has been learned.
•
Text-based exercises, questions: Preparing exercises and questions
according to a text
•
T-test: One of the most commonly used tests used in social sciences
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ABBREVIATIONS
WM :
Working memory
STM:
Short term memory
LTM : Long term memory
CDE : Constructıon Desıgn Educatıon
CE
: Constructıon Educatıon
GPA
: Grade Point Average
GP
: Grade Point
EFL
: English as a Second Language
L2
: Second Language
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 PROBLEM
In recent years, studies have shown that only interactive teaching is inadequate
in teaching foreign languages in Turkey, and that teaching foreign languages aimed at
bringing an ability to read and comprehend is more appropriate in countries that are
geographically far from where the native language is spoken. (see Neuner, 1993)
In this context, in the mandatory English classes at Trakya University Technical
Education Faculty’s 1st and 2nd semi-semesters, English grammar is taught with a
textbook titled ‘Headway’ and subsequently in the 3rd and 4th years, a reading oriented
approach is adopted. This intends to help the students to read and understand the foreign
language literature in their related field and follow the innovations and technological
advances.
Reading consists of recognizing; dissecting, perceiving, understanding and
comprehending of words (see Celce-Mercia, 1991). In time, the reader learns how to
use words, dictation and punctuation correctly and therefore how to think in a right and
effective way. Because vocabulary constitutes the basis for reading and comprehension,
it needs to be expanded while continuing the reading activity for easier comprehension
of the material.
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Thornbury (2004:14) has stated that the effort to learn a large number of words
does not solve the students’ problems to learn new vocabulary and that the
communicational advantage of improving vocabulary in class has been neglected. In
fact, in the Direct and Audiolingual methods, vocabulary has been cast aside while
teaching grammatical structures has been prominent. Since the 1970s with the
communicative approach, teaching of vocabulary has moved into prominence and after
1984 textbooks has began to include activities that specifically targeted vocabulary.
Nowadays, the importance of teaching vocabulary systematically in EFL
programs is recognized so that vocabulary becomes the focus in EFL classes.
When a word is encountered for the first time, the probibilty of forgetting it is
high unless the word is reiterated. In order to remember the words and word groups,
they need to be correlated to older information. New words are forgotten if they are not
used. In teaching materials, activities which call for reiteration of words are not given
enough importance. Therefore, teachers must use activities suitable for reiteration and
reinforcement to teach their students new words they have encountered for the first
time.
One of the conclusions Oxford and Scarcella (1994:102) have come to in their
research ‘How to teach vocabulary’ is this:
‘It is very rare that words are used over and over in textbooks. The
number of practice exercises in textbooks is usually inadequate. The new
vocabulary in the text is not reiterated in the following activities; in fact
they are not even used again in the same book.’
Nation (1990:41) has stated that in order to remember a word, it needs to be
encountered 5 to 16 times in activities or texts. Nation also has the opinion that most
teachers do not handle the vocabulary they are going to teach systematically and do not
make long term plans related to the teaching of new vocabulary, often preparing just
before class.
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From the excerpts above, it is understood that vocabulary needs to be expanded
in order to improve success in the reading and comprehension process so teaching
vocabulary is important; however the textbooks are inadequate in this respect and that
new vocabulary is forgotten fast. In this context, this study intends to find out whether
vocabulary learning will be improved or not by presenting additional exercises to the
ones in elementary English reading textbooks.
1.2 THE AIM OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to find out whether vocabulary learning is improved by
presenting additional exercises to the ones in English reading textbooks which are
studied in English classes of Trakya University Technical Education Faculty.
Improvement is evaluated by pre and post tests. Trakya University Technical Education
Faculty students whose foreign language is at elementary level are assigned and three
texts taken from reading textbooks are used in class. In this process, after the control
and experimental groups are assigned, the experimental group is given additional
exercises and any improvements due to these additional comprehension and
reinforcement activities are analyzed.
1. How can the vocabulary teaching studies in reading classes at elementary
level which form the basis for the reading process be more effective?
2. How adequate are the exercises present in reading text books in terms of
teaching new vocabulary?
3. What will change in the students’ comprehension of the text and their
vocabulary when new exercises are provided in addition to the ones present in reading
textbooks?
1.3 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
According to Chestain (1988) in order to have permanent learning in reading
focused EFL class, words need to be transferred to the long term memory (LTM) as
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well as introduced. Therefore, in cases where exercises in textbooks are short of helping
students transfer words to their LTM, suggestions will be made for the teachers as to
what they should put importance on in relation to vocabulary teaching.
1.4 ASSUMPTIONS
•
Assigning control and experimental groups
•
Determining these control and experimental group students’ English
level by a pre-test
•
Ensuring all participants take part in activities, the same information is
given and have classes at the same time
•
Ensuring both groups are at the same level of English, in this case
beginners.
•
Same texts used in both groups
•
Giving the experimental group additional exercises along with texts.
1.5. RESTRICTIONS
The universe of this study is the Trakya University Technical Education Faculty
students, and population is 2nd year Construction Design Education and Construction
Education students whose level of English is beginners. After a pre test conducted at the
beginning of the research, the Construction Education students whose outcomes were
slightly lower were assigned as the experimental group and the Construction Design
Education students as the control group.
1.6 RELEVANT RESEARCH
Tez No: 108882
An analysis of the problems faced during teaching/learning vocabulary at prepschool with special emphasis on reading activities. (a case study at Gaziantep
University)
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(Gaziantep Üniversitesi Hazırlık Okulu öğrencileri ve okutmanlarının kelime
öğrenme ve öğretme sürecinde karşılaştıkları problemlerin okuma aktiviteleri açısından
incelenmesi.)
Işıl Göğüş Tataroğlu, M.A. Thesis, Gaziantep University, 2001
Tez No: 105078
Improving students’ active vocabulary in English through strategy awareness,
recycling, and student feedback.
(Öğrencilerin İngilizce aktif kelime hazinesini strateji tanıma, tekrar etme ve
öğrencilerin geribildirimleri aracılığıyla geliştirme.)
Ayşe Akın., M.A. Thesis, Middle East Technical University, 2001
Tez No: 97291
The Influence of bilingual (English-Turkish) and monolingual (English-English)
glosses on incidental vocabulary learning throught reading.
(İngilizce`den Türkçe`ye ve İngilizce`den İngilizce`ye sözlüklerin, okuma
sürecinde rastlantısal kelime öğrenimindeki etkisi.)
Esen Yücel Spahıu, M.A. Thesis, Anadolu University, 2000.
Tez No : 117055
Teaching vocabulary at intermediate level in EFL classes
(İngilizcenin yabancı dil olarak öğretildiği sınıflarda orta düzeyde kelime
öğretimi.)
Hakan Aydoğan, M.A. Thesis, Dokuz Eylul University, 2002.
Tez No : 116106
Foreign language vocabulary acquisition through on online tool.
(Çevrimiçi bir araçta yabancı dilde kelime öğrenme.)
Selçuk Özdemir M.A. Thesis, Middle East Technical University, 2001
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Tez No : 101722
Teaching vocabulary in context.
(Bağlam içinde kelime öğretimi)
Ayşe Selmin Söylemez M.A. Thesis, Abant Izzet Baysal University, 2001
Tez No : 109214
Vocabulary teaching and learning through learning styles.
(Öğrenme biçemlerine dayalı kelime öğretimi ve öğrenimi.)
Ahmet Kayıntu, M.A. Thesis, Ataturk University, 2001
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
In this chapter, teaching vocabulary in reading-based English lessons will be
dealt with, to what extent these exercises in the book of reading lesson is beneficial on
teaching vocabulary is discussed and also additional theoretical information related to
the organization of additional exercises are given.
2.1 READING (ENGLISH-BEGINNER LEVEL)
Reading is a process of interaction existing between the knowledge of the reader
related with the given title and the subject and the text written by the author. According
to Nunan (1989:33), reading is not only a coded form of the subject and grammar.
According to him, good readers relate their own knowledge with the reading passage.
Reading changes and improves the knowledge possessed. According to Grellet (1990:
7), reading is finding and taking out the needed information out of a written text as
quick as possible.
Again, according to Grellet (1990:7), the students who are at the beginner level
want to trust themselves in reading lessons. For that reason, the choice of the text which
will be read is very important. The choice of texts with so many unknown vocabulary
and long sentences with complicated structures decrease the interest of the text by
complicating the understanding process. Additionally, Aytaş (2005)states that the
students cannot keep up with the text frequently because of not understanding the words
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and word groups completely and as a result of this their reading pace growth is hindered
and in order to eliminate this, their word power should be improved.
2.2 THE QUALITY OF TEACHING VOCABULARY OF THE
TEXTBOOKS
Thornbury (2004:34) explains that the factors determining the choice of
vocabulary for the lexical section in the program of textbook content as usefulness,
frequency, being easy to learn and being easy to teach. Usefulness is the ability to use
the words immediately. Through teaching the words such as pencil, blackboard, door,
notebook etc, the students are made to use them. Because of the reason that most of the
words do not have a chance to be used, it is very difficult to guess which words would
be more necessary and to have them in the program. For that reason, vocabulary
repertoire is examined. The words in the vocabulary repertoire are more useful than the
other words. The reason of this is that the words in the repertoire are widely used while
explaining a word. For the reason that teaching frequently used words also means
teaching frequently used meanings, it has a stronger effect. Some words can be learned
easily compared to others. For example, the word similar to the one in the student’s
native language. It is so common to use them for the students in the beginner level and
add them into the program. Being easy to teach should not be mixed with being easy to
learn. If the words are presented with the pictures or can be defined they are more easily
taught words. Moreover, words are more easily taught than verbs and adverbs.
Teaching vocabulary knowledge in the beginner level books firstly consists
generally the people or objects in the classroom such as girl, boy, book and pencil. The
reason for this is that the meaning can be conveyed easily. The students can both see
and touch these objects in the classroom. According to Allen (1983: 21) the success in
the learning process is related to the frequent usage of the senses. Although it is not
possible for every student to touch that object, it would also be helpful to see the object
while hearing its name. Later texts and levels include the words related to the objects
and people which are in the daily life of the student. When the lessons progress the
students would know more words and for that reason the teacher could explain English
words by using another English word. Similarly, the words which cannot be explained
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by movements or pictures are taught by other previously learnt words. Furthermore,
when the lessons go further the words are taught in categories such as furniture,
transportation, health, weather, buildings, and parts of a house. The words taken from
these categories are presented to the students in each lesson. Presenting words is applied
by using in a simple paragraph or is applied according to the requirements of the
grammar used.
The inputs of vocabulary in the books are given in three ways. (See Thornbury
2004: 35)
• As separated vocabulary sections in the units
• As integrated into the text based activities
• As coincidentally existing in the grammar explanations, exercises and
procedures.
In addition, the words are presented in lexical sets in the vocabulary section.
Being able to catch the differences between meaningfully so close words in the same set
is beneficial However, learning lexical sets is difficult. Days of the week, colors, even
the easiest words hot and cold are confused and become difficult to learn when given as
a set. In spite of this most of the textbooks prefer to give the words by using the lexical
sets. Instead of giving word compared with their antonyms, it is more instructive giving
the same word by matching with its commonly associated collocates. For example,
instead of ‘hot water’, ‘cold water’, ‘hot coffee’ may be used and, by depicting ‘hot’
and ‘dry’ as completing each other and given like ‘hot summer’ (See Thornbury, 2004:
37).
Today’s textbooks include periodic repetition sections in order to make the
words regularly used and repeated again. Vocabulary knowledge activities are
frequently joined with text based activities. Paribakht and Wesche (1996) (Nation 2003,
159) classified the exercises given with the texts in the textbooks and used Gass’s
(1988) five levels in learning from inputs. This classification relates the vocabulary
exercises with the situations in which learning may take place and shows how these
exercises are arranged in order to make them more effective. These five levels:
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1. Gass’s very basic level is ‘apperceived level’. It is also named as ‘noticing’. In
this stage, there are some factors affecting noticing such as repetition, salience and prior
knowledge. Vocabulary exercises which provide the use of noticing condition(selective
attention) as listing words to notice at the beginning of the text and using highlighting in
the text. These are underlining, writing in italics and in bold and pointing with a star.
Glossing items also gives the same effect. The biggest effect is enabling the word
realized by making it striking when it is encountered next time.
2. Gass’s next level is ‘comprehended input’. Maybe this is the first levels for
the receptive retrieval. Vocabulary exercises in this level (recognition ) consists
matching the words with synonyms in the first or second language, with definitions or
with their pictures
3. Paribakht’s and Wesche’s (1996) ‘manipulation’ level responds to Gass’s
‘intake’ stage. In this section, vocabulary exercises include morphological analyses of
the words resulting in forming words of different word classes with the addition of
affixes.
4. Fourth level consists activities such as guessing words from the context and
matching the words with collocates and synonyms, finding the odd one in a set and it
are named as ‘interpretation’ by Paribakht’s and Wesche’s or ‘integration’ by Gass.
5. In the production level which is named as ‘output’ by Gass, the recall of the
target word exists: it contains classifying activities, and activities such as finding the
form of the word in the text to match the words with the definitions given after the text,
and answering the questions demanding the usage of target word.
2.3 THE PLACE OF MEMORY IN LEARNING VOCABULARY
Grain&Redman (1986), emphasize that learning is also remembering. For that
reason, knowing about memory is important. Psycholinguists explain memory as being
able to fix knowledge by keeping it in some periods in verbal learning. In order to
emphasize the importance of learning about the memory Schmitt (2000: 137) says that
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‘Knowing how memory works may help us in gaining maximum advantage out of the
time spent on repetition section while making a program.’
It should be realized that words are not learned on a linear manner only with an
increasing progress without the possibility of going back. Teachers should remember
that the students forget the words existing in the texts read in time. This forgetting is a
natural result of learning. One part of the words goes through variable stages till they
are “fixed” in the memory and learned.
There are three systems which are Short Term Memory (SHM), Working
Memory (WM), and Long Term Memory (LTM) in the memory systems.
Short Term Memory (SHM) is for storing or keeping the knowledge in the
formation process .It keeps the knowledge for a few seconds. This period of time can be
lengthened if rehearsaled. For example if a phone number is repeated continuously it is
not forgotten. Short Term Memory (SHM) works quickly but the capacity for storing
knowledge is low. In other words, the capacity of SHM is limited. For that reason,
learning new words really and keeping them in the memory is only possible through
transferring the knowledge related to the word from short term memory to long term
memory.
Focusing on the words for making processes is the job of working memory
(WM). Many cognitive processes such as reason-result relations, learning and
understanding are related to WM. This is the place where the knowledge is settled,
operated on and separated according to later process areas.
Long Term Memory remembers the knowledge from the moment it takes it for
hours, weeks, and years. The knowledge should be repeated and used in order to be
transferred to the Long Term Memory. LTM has an unlimited capacity and works so
slowly. In order for knowledge to pass to LTM repetition is highly needed.
Thornbury (2003) explains LTM as a type of filing system. LTM has a huge
capacity in opposition to WM which has a limited capacity and not having a fixed
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content. It has ‘a part in which knowledge is forgotten quickly’ and ‘a part in which the
knowledge is never forgotten’. The learner should transfer the knowledge from ‘the part
which knowledge is forgotten quickly’ to the part in which the knowledge is never
forgotten’. Researches made on memory show that in order for knowledge to pass to
LTM and turn into permanent knowledge it should go through some stages of
information processing. In order to be able to learn vocabulary taught in foreign
language as they will not be forgotten and will be remembered if needed, the principles
below should be considered.
•
Repetition: Learned knowledge should be memorized by repetition while it is in
WM. The knowledge is not remembered for a long time with common repetition
if it is not arranged at the same time. The most ideal learning way to repeat a
word is encountering new words with intervals at least seven times while
reading ifthey have been met over spaced intervals.
•
Retrieval: It is other type of repetition. Retrieval is recalling a word from the
memory with intervals. Activities enable the learner to remember this word
again in time.
•
Spacing: It can be applied in short term memory and long term memory. In
spacing firstly one or two of the words are introduced and after these are learned
other two or three are tried to be taught. In each lesson previously learned words
should be repeated. The interval between successive tests should gradually be
increased.
•
Pacing: The teacher gives time to the students as ‘memory work’ .In this period
of time students organize, revise, and repeat new words silently and individually
so that the students should be given the opportunity of to pace their own
rehearsal activities..
•
Use: Known widely as ‘use’ or ‘lose’, this principle enables students putting
words to use and to settle them in LTM.
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2.4
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
REPETITION
IN
VOCABULARY
TEACHING
Repetition is highly necessary for vocabulary teaching. Because encountering
the word once does not ensure the learning of the word. Repetition is related to the
permanence of the knowledge. There are lots of studies related with how the words
should be repeated. According to these Nation (2001: 77) states that spaced repetitions
may result more positively rather than repeating the whole subject in one time. Spaced
repetitions include spreading repetitions to a long period of time. For example, after
firstly allocating 3 minutes, the same words are studied 3 minutes a few hours later, 3
minutes 1 day later, 3 minutes 2 days later and 3 minutes 1 week later. Time in total on
the study of the words is 15 minutes; however, study time is spread over 10 days or over
a longer period. Spaced repetitions enable learning the knowledge which will be
remembered in a longer period. Repetitions should be performed with gradually
increasing intervals. While the time period between the first repetitions is short, the
intervals in the later repetitions should be longer.
Repetition may be effective if it is considered as ‘repetition’ by the student. That
is, the student should remember that he or she has encountered the word before. The
time of keeping the words in mind is important. The students are required to keep a
word in their minds till at least one month later when they come across a word.
In a study, Anderson and Jordan (Nation, 2001:76) evaluated to what extent a
new knowledge is remembered just after learning, one week later, three weeks later and
eight weeks later. The percentages of being remembered is in the following: 66% just
after learning, 48% one week later, 39% three weeks later, 37% eight weeks later. This
result shows that repetition of the new words should be just after learning without
forgetting takes place.
2.5 APPROACHES IN VOCABULARY TEACHING
The aim of vocabulary teaching is introducing the form , pronunciations are
more generally the form of a word and enabling students to make a connection with the
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meaning of the word (See Nation, 2001: 61). The researchers have different approaches
in teaching vocabulary.
Seal, B (1998: 298) divides vocabulary teaching into two: Planned Vocabulary
Teaching Planned Vocabulary Teaching and Unplanned Vocabulary Teaching.
Unplanned Vocabulary teaching takes place when a student asks for the meaning of a
word or when the teacher explains the meaning of a word in the lesson. Firstly, the
teacher makes the students comprehend the word via using mimics, synonym words or
anecdotes. Then, the teacher checks if the meaning is understood or not by asking some
questions and lastly relates the learned words with another context or experience and
strengthens the knowledge.
In addition to the examples, asking the meaning of a word which the student
could not find the meaning to the teacher in the classroom is an example to Unplanned
Vocabulary Teaching. The teacher’s skipping one word which is important for the text
and explaining with the words that comes to his or her mind during the lesson is
Unplanned Vocabulary Teaching.
Planned Vocabulary Teaching is divided into two parts. In the first part the
students are made to comprehend the words while the lesson is in progress. In the
second part; the lesson may be named as ‘vocabulary lesson’ because the basic
approach of the lesson is giving priority to the activities directed to the presentation and
practice of the words. Thinking that words may hinder the progress of the lesson the
teacher makes prior study in order for the lesson to go further without having a problem.
Word groups are taught in discussions, situational dialogues readings and listening
tasks. In reading lessons what is given priority is Planned Vocabulary Teaching.
Seal (1998:298), divided both vocabulary teaching into stages following each
other. In the first stage (conveying meaning); the words are introduced to the students.
In the second stage( checking understanding); to what extent the students understand the
meanings of the words is evaluated. In the third stage( consolidation), creative problem
solving activities are used so as to make the students strengthen the words.
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In the first stage, there are various word presentation techniques such as visual
aids, word relations, pictorial schemata, definitions, explanations, examples, anecdotes,
context, word roots and affixes, for the students’ comprehension of the words. In the
second stage in which there are exercises checking the comprehension of the text read,
there exists gap filling, matching pair, sorting exercises, and pictorial schemata. In the
consolidation stage, there are activities such as problem solving tasks, values clarifying,
story or dialogue writing, discussion and role-play.
Schmitt (2000: 145) considered what and how many the words which will be
taught with a priority should be. In the priority list, there are numbers from 1 to 10, and
wh- question words such as what, where, why, when and how. In the ‘useful vocabulary
resource list’ there are 120 words. These include the words related to daily needs the
reading signs, and ordering food. Most of the students want to learn the words with
which they will be able to express themselves easily. For that reason, teaching 2000
words which can be encountered in the daily dialogues is a realistic target. These 2000
words do not give an opportunity to talk about the subjects in detailed way and in an
advanced level; however, it enables the one to have a general knowledge under different
headings and to have an opportunity to start to talk. According to Schmitt (2000: 144);
while choosing 2000 words, a student centered method should be applied and the words
which the students want to learn should be kept in mind. An approach like this
motivates learning. In addition to this, frequently encountered words and the words used
by giving instructions in classroom management should be given priority.
Explicit teaching focuses on activities related to vocabulary teaching. In this
method, even in the teachers’ resource books, vocabulary exercises are given priority
and especially repetition and recycling processes are given importance (See Schmitt,
2000: 146).
Nation (2003:93) emphasizes that it is necessary for the teacher and the students
to use the time related to teaching vocabulary as beneficial as possible, systematic and
according to the principles. For each unknown word two things should be considered:
• Is it worth spending time on?
• How to study with the word?
16
If the aim of the text is teaching vocabulary, and if the subject is a highfrequency word with a high rate of usage, it is suitable to spend time for teachinglearning of the word. If the word gives opportunity to improve learning strategies such
as guessing the meaning from the context or using parts of the word, it is necessary to
teach this word.
According to Nation (2003: 93), giving rich instruction in vocabulary teaching is
very important. Most of the instructions aim at spending time on the word, clearly
discovering various ways necessary for learning a word, and students’ adding the word
carefully and actively in the assimilation stage. Moreover, the connection of form meaning should be strengthened. Another way of knowing a word is being able to
connect a particular form and particular meaning. One should strive for learning how to
write the word and its meaning and distinguish between them. In order to form a
connection between the form and meaning of the word, it is necessary to make use of
activities such as matching the words with the definitions, discussing the meanings of
the idioms, drawing pictures, labeling, conducting group works and riddles.
According to Thornbury (2004: 75), it is important to explain the words in
vocabulary teaching. In the presentation, the stages of a previously planned lesson in
which previously chosen words are taught to the students are told. In the other parts of
the lesson, situations causing incidental learning, such as discussions on unknown
words may occur. The students should know both the form and meaning of the word.
Before teaching a word, there is a question that the teacher should answer and it is ‘how
many words should be taught?’. This is related to the learners’ familiarity with the
words (they may have encountered with the word formerly), the difficulty of the words,
being easy to teach (they may be easily taught, presented with the pictures), skills
related with production (speaking or writing), or related to whether they are taught for
solely making students comprehend the meaning (reading and listening), ore using them
(speaking and writing). Generally most of the textbooks present a set of unknown
words. In the later stage Thornbury (2004: 75) explains that firstly it should be decided
that whether the meaning and then form should be taught first in vocabulary teaching. In
the upcoming stage, it should be decided whether the words should be taught with
translation, realia, pictures, movements and mimics, definitions or situations.
17
Thornbury (2004: 93) emphasizes that it is necessary to do exercises just after
the presentation of the words. Although the idea ‘practice makes perfect’ is so common,
randomly repetition of newly learned words may not enable them to transfer from STM
to LTM. New knowledge (new words) should be combined with old knowledge. In
order to keep the words in mind for a long time and recall when needed, they should go
through some processes in the learning process. They should be kept in WM and should
be exposed to different processes. These processes should be dealt with being taken
apart from the others, should be put back together again, should be compared, matched,
sorted, visualized, repeatedly filed away and recalled. According to Thornbury, these
are integration activities instead of ‘practice activities’ which are less mechanical and
less cognitive or reinforcement activities in language teaching. Integration activities
include processes based on decision making processes and processes based on usage
and word games.
When the approaches above kept in mind, the stages in Seal’s (1998: 298)
Planned Vocabulary Teaching lesson will be made use of but instead of the activities
given for these stages, Thornbury’s (2004: 93) integration activities which are more
practical and cognitive will be used. The stages of Seal’s (1998: 298) Planned
Vocabulary Teaching can be listed as this:
1. Presenting vocabulary: In this stage the words are presented to the students.
2. Conveying meaning: This is the stage which practice tests enabling students to
comprehend the meanings of the words.
3. Consolidation: The students deepens the meanings of the words through
creative problem solving activities.
2.6 PRESENTING VOCABULARY
According to Thornbury, most of the students want the words to be explained in
the classroom through the language they are learning instead of learning them on their
own outside language courses. Explanation is understood as the stages of planned
18
course stages in which previously chosen words are explained in the lesson. Incidental
vocabulary teaching occurs naturally via using them while reading a text or using them
in a discussion
The first question is that how many words are presented. These are related to the
factors below:
• Learners levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
• Learners’ being familiar with the words (the words are the ones which are
used or encountered by the students.
• Difficulty level
• Being easy to teach, that is being easy to explain and depict.
• The words’ being for the usage (speaking and writing) or only remembering
(listening and reading)
In addition to these; according to Mc Carthy (1990) a student can learn between
8 and 12 words in a 60 minute-lesson, that is, between 8-12 words can be introduced
and the students can use these words in their sentences. There are approximately 15
unknown words in a text including 500 words. Furthermore, researches show that a
person should know nearly 300 words in order to be successful in the target language.
For that reason, the teachers should firstly deal with the frequently used words.
There are various ways to convey new lexical meaning to the students. It is not
advised to use one of the methods individually. Different and various presenting
methods are more effective. In order to relate the form and meaning if Gairn’s and
Redman’s (1987: 73-76) classification is followed presentation techniques are divided
into two groups: visual and verbal techniques.
The things that are seen is more effective than the things heard for the people.
Visual aids may be in many ways: flash cards (printed or hand made), wall charts,
reflecting via Over Head Projector, blackboard drawings, etc. The contents of these may
generally be food, drink, clothes, house arrangements and furniture, outdoor places
related to the nature, and transportation types. In addition to this, it may cover useful
19
grouping pictures related to the people’s jobs, countries and sports. According to Gairn
and Redman (1987: 73–76), it is arranged as followed:
Realia, is the usage of real objects. Pictures, is very effective for the objects
which are impossible to bring in to the classroom. A drawing on the blackboard also
accelerates the student’s comprehension of the word. The teacher does not have to be so
talented. Funny drawings may entertain the class and they may be as effective as a
professional drawing. What is important here is to draw quickly and not to lose time
while drawing. Mimics and Gestures, is the most effective way of presenting a new
word. Because it resembles to Total Physical Response which provides sticking into
one’s mind. A quick mimic may represent a concept or action. A sketch performed in
front of the class has also the same effect.
The usage of realia, pictures and mimics is limited. Other words in the target
language are used when presenting the words for which visual assist cannot be obtained.
Verbal techniques, is not only giving the words’ definitions in the dictionary.
Other than these;
a) Presenting with definitions and illustrative situations
b) Explaining with contrasts and opposites
c) Giving synonyms and definition
d) Explaining in the second language with scales or related gradable items
e) Explaining by the examples of the type
Using visual techniques takes more time than verbal techniques, but they may be
more effective in terms of sticking into one’s mind.
Translation is another technique used in explaining the meaning of a word. It is
a technique used for saving time. Gairn and Redman (1994) emphasizes that a word
learned through translation is a knowledge gained without making much effort and for
that reason it may not be remembered easily.
20
2.6.1 Vocabulary Presentation Activities
During explanation, the teacher is considered as active and the students are
passive in a language class. According to Thornbury, (2002: 30) so as to involve
students into vocabulary learning actively, word knowledge activities which teaches
firstly the form and then the meaning, which are form-meaning related and text based.
A learning process like this gives students an opportunity to talk and does not let their
concentration be spoiled.
Personalize
This is a process of students’ using words correctly in a context which is suitable
for them. In learning new words, the activity is conducted by encouraging students in
order to explain the words which are related to each other.
Personalize activities, which are one of the ‘explanation’ activities which make
students to contribute to the lesson are;
1. The students may be required to write a newly learned word in the middle of a
paper or the board and to write related words what comes to their minds through
brainstorming. Students sitting far away from each other draw different word
association networks onto their papers. Later on, they may compare their own word
association networks with other friends’ word association networks.
Below there is the association network which a student formed for the word
(politician) as an example.
politics
Member of the
Parliament
president
politician
Lobby
House of
Parliament
21
2. If the words are taught in word sets such as foods, transportation types, jobs,
or movie types the students may be required to make a personal arrangement between
the words.
For example;
“ drama, thriller, musical, western, horror movie”
The students may be required to make an ordering from the one they like most to
the one they like least.
Peer Teaching
The students teach the words to each other. The example activities are below.
1. Each student is given a list on which there are 6 or 8 words and their
definitions in their native language are written. However, one student is given target
words and the other student is given the meanings of the target words, their synonyms
or antonyms. The students try to find to complete the words in their lists with each
other’s list by cooperating. This activity can be performed by cards.
For example:
A) regularly
B) make sure sth works/is okay
Hurt
sign
Check
often
Properly
cause pain to sth / sb
Signal
correctly
Pedestrian
sb walking near a road
2. The students are given the words and the word categories. The students are
made to match them by cooperating.
For example:
22
Films- thriller, drama, horror, action, comics,
Days of the week – Monday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday
Flowers- Rose, Tulip, orchide, daisy
2.7 CONVEYING MEANING
As Thornbury (2002, 31) states, new knowledge (new words in this context)
should be supported with the exercises in order to join them with old knowledge. The
idea of ‘Practice makes perfect’ is considered here. However, simple repetitions do not
guarantee to transmit the knowledge from short term memory to long term memory.
New knowledge should be joined with existing knowledge, that is, the words existing in
the mind. For this, a set of operations is needed instead of simple repetitions. These
operations are taking apart, putting back together, comparing, matching, combining,
sorted, visualizing, recalling, being repeatedly filed away. According to Thornbury,
these are ‘comprehension activities’ not ‘practice activities’ or ‘reinforcement activities’
and they are related to language teaching methods which are less mechanical and less
cognitive.
There are various processes that the teachers may apply in order to help the
words to settle in LTM. Some of them need more cognitive effort than the others. These
word processes which require decision making are comprehensive tasks. If the
processes related to the words are ordered from the ones requiring the least cognitive
process to the ones requiring the most cognitive process, these are;
• Identifying
• Selecting
• Matching
• Sorting
• Ranking and Sequencing
These processes do not have to be applied one after another. After an identifying
process, a matching or ranking process may be applied.
23
2.7.1 Word Meaning Comprehension Activities
Identifying
It is finding the words where they are hidden in the text.
For example:
• Find eight comparative adjective in the text.
• Underline all the word ending with –ing
• Find five idioms.
Selecting
Selecting processes are more complicated than identifying processes because it
needs knowing the word and decide between the words.
Selecting takes place in the activities such as ‘Find the odd one’. There may not
be only one correct answer of these exercises. These are open-ended exercises.
For example:
• Work in pair. Select five words in order to describe yourself. Use dictionary if
necessary.
Careful
intelligent
quite
interesting clever
cold
kind lazy nervous optimistic
calm
rude sad
confident
funny
imaginative
patient pessimistic
sensitive nice serious
tidy
polite
thoughtful
( Work in pairs. Choose five words to describe yourself. Use a dictionary if
necessary.
Careful
intelligent
calm
interesting clever
kind lazy nervous
rude sad
sensitive
cold
optimistic
nice serious
confident
funny
patient pessimistic
tidy
thoughtful )
imaginative
polite
quite
24
Matching
Matching processes includes the explaining a word visually, with the equivalent
word in the native language, with its synonym and its antonym, with a definition and its
collocate.
For example:
Match the words and their meaning
1) Member of the board
______
a) Ortak
2) Partner
______
b) Uluslararası şirket
3) Vice President
______
c) Yönetim Kurulu üyesi
4) Advisor
______
d) Başkan Yardımcısı
5) International Company
______
e) Danışman
Sorting
Sorting activities requires classifying the words in different categories. The
categories may be given to the students or they may be made to guess.
For example:
• Put these adjectives into two groups- positive and negative.
emotional
friendly
good-humoured
outgoing
confident
ambitious
rude
self centered
offensive
kind
selfish
nice
Ranking and Sequencing
In Ranking and sequencing activities, the students are expected to put the words
in order.
25
For example:
Think that you have just moved to an apartment building. You can buy one
furniture item each week. Rank the items below according to the ones you want to buy
first.
refrigerator
chair
bed
table
dish washer
washing machine
sofa
bookcase
wardrobe
oven
drawer
2.8 CONSOLIDATION
Nation (1990: 41) states that a word which is encountered once cannot be
learned, and researches show that in order to learn a word it should be encountered
approximately 5-16 times (or more than 16). In the nature of human memory a word
could be forgotten if it is newly learned (like other all-part-system learning). Word loss
happens in the beginning stage of vocabulary learning. If the words are not repeated
after presentation they are forgotten. Textbooks are not enough in terms of reusing the
words, for that reason, the teacher should repeat the words in the textbooks with extra
exercises.
Because of the fact that forgetting a word is easier than remembering vocabulary
knowledge gained first should be mentioned. If new words are not repeated later on, it is
impossible to remember them. The reason for this is our brain has a tendency to forget
rather than to remember. If a student has learned 10 words, some of them will be
forgotten in a few days and maybe one or two of them will stay in working or long term
memory. One of the accepted views is that vocabulary acquisition continues during the
increase of the vocabulary. The increase of vocabulary is in verbal level.
Figure 2.1 Continuity of knowledge or knowledge scale
Less knowledge
More knowledge
26
In the two ends of information processing tasks, there are receptive and
productive words. A comprehensive knowledge related to the word comes before the
usage of this word. This results in the demand of using perceived words in order to
acquire more words.
Figure 2.2 Continuity of the vocabulary knowledge based on perception and usage
Word based on perception
Word based on usage
The students make comments related with the words in the activities at the first
stages based on vocabulary learning, but they do not have to use them. What is expected
from the students to do is the processes based on the production of the words from the
beginning in order to add them into their LTM. The processes based on production
come after the processes based on receptive tasks. Some types of speaking and writing
activities are based on production. Thornbury (2002: 100) gathers the processes under
two main headings.
• Completion: Completing the blanks of the sentences and texts
• Creation: Creating the sentences and texts
2.8.1 Vocabulary Consolidation Activities
Gap-filling
Gap filling processes consist activities based on production. Because of the fact
that they are based on production, they are easy to stick in one’s mind. Although
generally sentences and texts are completed, here it is used in the completion of the
words.
The completion of sentences and text is generally known as gap-filling. Gap
filling is writing processes and because they are easy to prepare and solving, they are
generally used for testing and evaluating. The students are directed to guess the
27
meaning so as to find the missing word. The students have to deal with word in terms of
linguistics. They see the target word and other repeated words together. One of the most
common gap filling activities is that the students are expected to find the suitable word
for the gaps in the sentence or paragraph out of the words given and fill in the blanks.
They can be divided into two as open and closed gap filling. In the open one, the
students are expected to fill in the gaps out of their minds, that is out of the knowledge
in their minds. In closed gap filling, the words are given as a list at the beginning of the
exercise. Solely, which word will be suitable to which gap is thought.
For example:
In the example of “I am thirsty, I need a drink.”, ‘drink’ or ‘thirsty’ may be left
blank and they check if the students understand or not the word ‘thirsty’.
Some instructions related to gap filling activities are as followed;
•
Complete the text by writing a suitable word in each blank.
•
Find the suitable word from the list to complete the sentences. Keep in mind
that words in the list are more than the sentences.
•
Complete the sentences by choosing the most suitable word from the list.
Use each word only once.
Creation
In the creation of the sentences and texts, it is expected to create the content
according to the words given.
For instance:
(Some example instructions)
-
Choose three words from the list and make a meaningful sentence out of
-
Make correct sentences related with yourself or somebody you know using
these.
each of these words
28
CHAPTER 3
THE METHOD OF THE RESEARCH
In this section, the design of the research is explained, information is given about
the experimental and control groups, the data gathering methods used is listed, how data
was gathered and analysed in this study is elaborated.
3.1. RESEARCH MODEL
A variety of research models are utilised in scientific studies.
3.1.1 Quantitative Approach
Quantitative approach is also called empirical approach or numerical approach.
Research in sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, engineering are based on
observation and survey.
Studies where observations and surveys are reproducable and objective are
called quantitative studies. (see Ergun, 1997)
Quantitative research methods are: Historical, Descriptive, correlational,
experimental, field study, phenomenology, ethnography, quasi-theory, case study,
action research.
3.1.2 Experimental Method
In a study that uses the experimental method the effects of one certain variable
in two or more groups is analysed. At the end of the experiment the difference, if any,
between the two groups is determined through statistical analysis. If the experimental
study findings suggest a difference, a deterministic relationship can be established. For
29
instance, it can be inferred with the help of this method that one teaching method is
more effective than the other(s).
There are different varieties in this method:
A) Models without a population and a control group
1- Uncontrolled Post test model
2- Uncontrolled pre and post test method
B) Models with a control group
1- Controlled post test model
2- Controlled pre and post test models
C) Models with a population and a control group
1- Cross test model
2- Pre and post test model with a population and control
3.1.3 Controlled Pre-test Post-test Model
In this study the controlled pre-test post-test model was used. In the controlled
pre-test post-test model, the groups are not assigned randomly. Instead, a control group
that is similar to the experimental group is used. Both groups are given a pre-test and it
is ensured that the pre-test scores are similar. Whether there is a significant difference
between the arithmetic means of groups is checked by the ‘t test for independent
groups’. Therefore, in this study, the experiment and control groups were assigned with
a pre-test, using groups that were similar to each other.( same level of English and same
hours of foreign language classes)
Groups
Pretest
Process
Post test
EG
PS1
Text 1, 2, 3
PS 2, 3, 4(A new test was
Additional
given after each text)
Exercises
CG
PS1
Text 1, 2, 3
PS 2, 3, 4(A new test was
given after each text)
Tablo 3.1
30
3.2 POPULATION AND SAMPLING
The universe of this study is the Trakya University Kırklareli Technical
Education Faculty as this is the place where the researcher works that was chosen to
conduct the study. The population is the 2nd year students of Construction Design
Education and Construction Education students who have the same level of English and
same hours of foreign language classes. An experiment and a control group were
assigned according to the controlled pre-test post-test model. The Construction Design
Education (CDE) group whose scores were less lower than the Construction Education
(CE) group was assigned as the experimental group after the pre-test, and the
Construction Education group was assigned as the control group. (Fig.3.2)
PS1
X±S
EG
61,88+14,764
CG
63,46+18,836
(Figure 3.2)
Although there were 46 students enrolled in the CE department, and 52 in the
CDE department, only 25–35 students followed classes regularly; however 33
experimental group students and 37 control group students who took the research test
were taken into consideration. The study was carried out in the 2005–2006 education
year.
3.3 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
Three texts were chosen from three different reading books to be used in the
study (Reading and Writing Targets, Facts and Figures ve Themes for Today),
analysing the exercises in the books and preparing additional exercises to be used in the
classes.
31
3.3.1 The Criteria for Choosing the Books and the Texts
The books Themes For Today, Reading and Writing Targets and Facts and
Figures, where the texts “Sharks: Useful Hunters of the Sea” (3–15), “The Sami of
Northern Europe” (182–188), “Happy New Year” (20–23) were present were chosen
using the criteria below. (Maden, 1995:106).
Student oriented criteria:
• The books being at elementary level as the students are.
• Although both Experimental and Control Groups are Technical Education
Faculty students, because the classes are not ESP classes, the topics were picked out
according to their mutual experiences.
• That they would ensure student participation
• Including exercises that improve the students’ cognitive abilities
Text oriented criteria :
• Not including too many new words to ensure understandability and to keep the
students interested
• The texts being appealing to the students’ age group and being interesting
• Being visually rich
• With the comprehension questions vocabulary and practice exercises should
take a part at the end of the text.
• The exercises being various and large in number
3.3.2 Analyzing the Selected Texts
In reading classes, some activities need to be done before the texts are studied.
To evaluate what is known about the topic, the questions below are used for pre-reading
preparation.
32
Analysis of textbook exercises in terms of their vocabulary teaching
adequacy
Here, the text exercises will be studies according to Paribakht and Wesche’s
(1996, 2003, 159) criteria. Paribakht and Wesche declares five levels in teaching
vocabulary.
1. The first level is also called the ‘appercieved input’, in other words ‘noticing’.
This level consists of highliting in the texts; underlining, italics, bolding and the use of
asterisks.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The words written in thick letters in the
exercises for the text ‘Sharks: Useful Hunters Of The
Sea’
are
aimed
at
affecting
the
students’
consciousness and alerting them. However, they were
not written in bold when they were repeated in the
text.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
The new words were made
clear by writing them in bolding
and underlining them and some of
their explanations were given next
to the text with pictures. However,
no such alerting was seen when
they were used in exercises.
33
TEXT 3: “HAPPY NEW YEAR”
Here,
no
words
were
underlined, written in italics or
thick letters. The students were not
given any comprehension input
before they read the text, and no
italics, bolding or any alerting was
used in the text exercises. (see page
87)
2. Gass’s next level is ‘comprehended input’. This may be the first step to
towards receptive retrieval. Word activities in this step consist of matching them with
their synonyms, definitions or pictures in their first or second language.
The new words are matched with their
synoyms or explanations in L2. There were only
two such activities accompanying ‘Sharks: Useful
Hunters of the Sea’in this level
Words in L2 are matched with
their definitions and synoyms.
34
Picking the synonyms and
definitions from the choices were
used in these text exercises for
comprehension, in other words as
comprehended input.
3. Paribakht and Wesche’s (1996) ‘manipulation’ level is equivalent to Gass’s
‘intake’. The vocabulary activities in this last level consist of morphological analyses of
the words that form different vocabulary groups by adding affixes.
The word types in the text
exercises were analyzed. These
constituted different word groups
but differed in the use of suffixes.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE / METİN 3: HAPPY NEW
YEAR”
In this level, there are no alerts that draw attention to the
words’ forms. However it is stressed that adjectives are given
importance in the last text.
35
4. The fourth level is ‘interpretation’ according to Paribakht and Wesche and
‘integration’ according to ‘Gass’ and consists of activities such as predicting words
from context, matching them with collocates and synonyms and finding the odd one out
in a set.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
In this activity it is
required to fill in the
blanks
with
the
appropriate words.
Again, there are
only fill in the blanks
activities
for
interpretation
and
integration levels.
36
Exercise 1.
In this exercise the right word
will be predicted from the context and
then marked. This is an appropriate
exercise for the interpretation level.
Exercise 2.
This exercise aims guessing the
word from the context and replace it with
its synonym. This enables the students to
interpret the new words and guess their
meanings.
5. The production level that Gass calls ‘output’ requires the recall of the target
word form. It consists of exercises such as labelling, , finding the form of the words in
the text with the given definitions after the text and answering the questions that require
the usage of the target words.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
This
activity
requires
the
students to use the target words while
answering the questions on the side.
37
This requires the students to use
the target words while answering the
comprehension questions on the side.
The questions for the ‘Happy New Year’ text aim the repetition of the target
word and the exercises on the side aim finding the form of the word in the text and
matching the words with their definitions.
38
Analysis of the Text Exercises According to Their Vocabulary Teaching
Levels
“SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The texts were first studied
according to the criteria given by
Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and
Gass (1988). In the book ‘Themes for
Today’ can be found a section where
there is a preparation stage that has
preparation activities which can be
done before reading the text.
Here there is a short part of
fill in the blank exercises from
Thornbury’s production tasks
The follow-up activity below which was prepared using visual aids (Fig.1) was
prepared according to the word production tasks based fill in the blanks exercises. There
are cross-word puzzles and cloze quiz activities that aim at permanancy in the LTM by
re-usage of the words. (Fig 1-2)
39
Şekil 1
Şekil 3
Şekil 2
“THE SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
The matching exercises and
questions aimed at comprehending
the texts have been reviewed before.
These exercises consist of
questions
that
are
aimed
at
understanding the texts prepared
using the newly learned words. The
answers require the new words to be
used.
The
true/false
questions
evaluate how well the texts, and
therefore the words, were understood.
40
“HAPPY NEW YEAR”
This exercise is an example of the
selection
activity
of
the
comprehension level.
In the consolidation stage, there are also
fill in the blanks activities. The exercises on the
side and on the other page belong to the
repetition
stage
in
word
derivation
and
vocabulary teaching. The vocabulary teaching in
the exercises adopt a form-meaning relationship.
41
The picture below shows other vocabulary exercises that belong to the ‘Happy
New Year’ text. The exercises that aim production and recall of the words were
prepared emphasizing variety and visuality.
42
Although the exercises in the ‘Sharks: Useful Hunters Of The Sea” are
supportive of the vocabulary teaching levels that Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and
Gass (1988) have suggested, the conveying meaning stage is inadequate compared to
others. Therefore, they will be given with the activities Thornbury (2002) suggested for
conveying the meaning of the words.
In “Sami of Northern Europe” there were only the gap fill and matching
exercises for the conveying of the meaning and repetition of the words. These exercises
are not sufficient in tranfering the new vocabulary to the LTM.
The exercises in ‘Happy New Year’ are mostly very close to the criteria
suggested by Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and the activities suggested by Thornbury
for vocabulary teaching stages.
3.4 PREPARING ADDITIONAL EXERCISES ACCORDING TO THE
VOCABULARY TEACHING STAGES
3.4.1 Presentation Exercises Prepared for the Selected Reading Passages
SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA
Peer Teaching
Find the oposite meaning of the words in your list
1. keep clean
x
2. keep dirty
Common
x
rare
Dangerous
x
safe
Useful
x
unuseful
Warm water
x
cold water
Night
x
dawn
43
Personalise
Sharks was given as the main word. Gather all the words you associate with this
word and prepare an association network.
whale
Whale
sharks
Meat eaters
dolphin
fish
Dwarf
sharks
Sharks
lake
Warm water
swim
sea
ship
river
ocean
Atlantic ocean
SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE
Peer Teaching
Find meaning of the words from your friends list. One of the lists has more
words than the other one.
1. trip
-
seyahat etmek
2. reindeer
-
orman
tent
-
kar
skin
-
kızak
deep
-
pantolon
clothes
-
ilkbahar
forest
-
akşam yemeği
pants
-
derin
sled
-
yaşam
ski
-
göçmen
stormy
-
kış
snow
-
pantolon
44
coast
-
derin
travel
-
çimen
grass
-
rengeyiği
kayak
giysi
kıyı
deri
seyahat
kayak
fırtınalı
çadır
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Peer Teaching
Find the definitions from your friend’s list. Find the oposites of the words.
1. colourful -
tasteless
2. delicious
x
bright
big
-
sad
happy
x
huge
difficult
-
make ugly
decorate
x
hard
flag
-
easy
hard
x
banner
traditional -
dark
bright
x
strike
hit
-
historical
3.4.2 Exercises Aimed at the Conveying Meaning of the New Vocabulary in
the Selected Texts
1. Identifying
* Find the types of sharks-answer: dwarf shark, whale shark
* Find the names of body organs-answer: eyes, ear, teeth-tooth
(The books should be closed in this activity)
* Did the following words occur in the text?
Hear, vibration, scientists, country, ocean, school, evening, information, cancer
45
2. Selecting
* Odd one out!
ocean, sea, lake, dawn / dolphins, animals, sharks, whales /Stormy, rainy, sunny,
sleepy
3. Matching
* Match the words with their definitions.
1. One who hunts wild animals either for sport or for food;
2. full of risk, unsafe
3. a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
4. plural form of foot
5. a person of unusually small stature, abnormal, an animal or plant much below
normal size
___ a. Dwarf ___ b. Dangerous ____ c. Feet ____ d.hunter ____ e. Inches
4. Ranking and Sequencing
hunter, cancer, sharks, prevention, dwarf (people/sharks)
* Put the words in an order. Start from the most horrible to the least horrible one
for people?
* Put the words in an order. Start from the most horrible to the least horrible one
for fish?
THE SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE
The following exercises were used in the word consolidation stage
1. Sorting The exercises prepared utilising the sorting activities:
46
* Which is bigger?
Forest or wood?
Sea or ocean?
A mountain or a hill?
A deer or a leopard?
2. Selecting The exercises prepared utilising the selection processes
Choose all the possible answers
I like being ____________ in summer.
At the cafeteria / on the coast / in the forest / in a tent / on a reindeer/ at school
3. Identifying
Cross out the word that doesn't belong with the others in the group.
Winter home / skis / sleds / dinner
Rendeer / shark / trip / insect
Forget / traditions / songs / stories
HAPPY NEW YEAR
1. Sorting
Group the activities
Blow out the candles, visit all our friends and family, bands pracrice their
music, buy new clothes, eat deserts, wear pary hats, open presents, dancers dance along
the street,
Birthday Party = ____________________________
__________________________________________
Carvival = _________________________________
__________________________________________
The End of Ramadan = _______________________
__________________________________________
47
2. Matching
B. Match them with their Turkish meanings
1. Harika
a. join
2. Katılmak
b. fast
3. Kutlamak
c. excited
4. oruç tutmak
d. magnificent
5. Heyecanlanmak
e. Celebrate
3.4.3 Exercises Aimed at the Conveying the Meanings of new vocabulary in
the Selected Texts
Gap Fill Exercises
Complete the given words as in the example
Ex: Hunt- (hunter)
Move - (movement)
Vibrate - (vibration)
Use - (useful)
Meat - (meat eaters)
THE SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE
Gap Fill Exercises
A. complete with the words from text
S_ _ _ _ _ , C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , N _ _ _ _ _, D _ _ _ , C _ _ _ _ _ _
B. 1. Beautiful animals, like leopards, are hunted for their ________.
Less Skin Coast
2. There was the most awful _______ last night.
Storm
Pulled
Less
48
3. Plastic bottles are ______ expensive to produce
Storm Coast Less
4. They live on the east ______ of Scotland.
Coast Skin Northern
5. Dogs ______ the sleds in many countries.
Pulled Coast Tent
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Using the words by correlating them
— Write five related words to “carnaval”
- _______________________
— Write five related words to “traditions”
- _______________________
—Write five related words to “Wedding day” - _______________________
then make sentences with them.
Gap Fill Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks
Arrival- proud of-shouted at- invitation- occasion
-"an _________ arranged to honor the president";
-I was angry and I_________ him.
-He first met Panos soon after his_______ in Greece.
-She was so________ her son.
-"she had an ______ for the party but she didn’t come".
B. Think anything about Christmas. Start with it and continue in pairs or groups
and see how many words you can link up.
49
P
C
H
R
I
S
T
M
A
S
E
N
S
O
E
W
I
N
T
E
R
N
T
S
3.5 DATA COLLECTION
The data in this study was collected in two ways. These are the performance
tests and a survey used in the pre-test post-test model.
3.5 1 Preparatıon of the Performance Tests
These are the tests that are used in measuring the differences in
information/abilities or behaviour which one gains through training.
Four performance tests were used in this study. The first one is a twenty question
pre-test that aims at determining the English level of the students.This test was prepared
for elementary level students.
The second performance test is the one applied after studying “Sharks: Useful
Hunters of the Sea,”, the third after ‘Sami of Nothern Europe’ and the last one after
‘Happy New Year’. The text exercises were utilised during the preparation of these
questions, however it was ensured that they were not the same. The performance tests
consisted of true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blanks, matching and comprehension
questions.
Test 1 mainly consisted of English grammer questions, Test 2 comprehension,
Test 3 vocabulary and Test 4 comprehension and vocabulary equally. The reason for
this was to determine whether the words emphasized in class affected comprehension or
50
vocabulary. In the performans tests the students were given texts and were asked to
answer the questions according to the texts.
Performance Test 1
This test was given to the two classes of second year students who were learning
English with emphasis on grammar as well as students who were taking mandatory
English classes in addition to their other classes.It was aming to determine the
difference in performance through multiple choice questions. The test was a model test
prepared by using the questions in Headway Elementary Workbook, appropriate for the
students’ level. Because the students were learning English grammar, this test, which
was also used as a pre-test, did not include any questions on reading or vocabulary. As
grammar topics, Headway Elementary Workbook included questions on tenses (Verb to
be, Simple present Tense, Present Coninuous Tense ve Simple Past Tense), there is/are
and much/any. After the test, the class with the higher score was assigned as the control
group, and the other class as the experimental group.
Performance Test 2
The test based on the text “Sharks: Useful Hunters of the Sea” consisted of four
parts. In parts A, B and C, reading and comprehension (True/false, multiple choice and
question-answer) questions which included the targeted words or whose answers were
expected to include the targeted words were asked. Part D included fill in the blanks and
vocabulary questions. The test contained more text-comprehension questions than
vocabulary questions.
Performance Test 3
This test was based on the “The Sami of Northern Europe” text. It consisted of
four parts. The fill in the blanks and find the right match questions in the first two were
aimed at vocabulary learning, the third part at comprehension, and the three multiple
choice questions in the last one at vocabulary, the two at comprehension. This test
emphasized vocabulary learning.
51
Performance Test 4
‘Happy New Year’ also consisted of four parts, as were the other tests applied
after studying the texts. In this test, there were an equal number of vocabulary and
comprehension questions. Part A and B included comprehension, C and D included fill
in the blanks activities.
3.5.2 Survey
-
In the 10 question survey, the students were asked about their opinions on
the texts and exercises given in class.
As a result, compared to the control group who were not given additonal
exercises, the experimental group who were given additional exercises were expected to
find the learning more permanent, to find the text topics and text reading and
comprehension activities interesting, and to find the texts appropriate to their level,
relevant and the exercises adequate.
3.6 ANALYZİNG AND INTERPRETING DATA
3.6.1 Data Collection Procedures
The research started in November 2005 and ended in June 2006. The studies
conduxted with experiment and control groups are as follows:
1. The experiment and control groups were given the ‘English Grammar
Performance Test’ (pre-test) (November 2005)
2. To measure how the exercises in reading textbooks affected vocabulary
learning, six texts in three reading textbooks (Themes for Today, Reading and Writing
Targets, Facts and Figures) were studied over a period of six months. (November-June)
3. The control group was given the texts and the exercises in the textbooks but
no vocabulary learning activities.
52
4. The experimental group was given activities that explained the new
vocabulary and helped them comprehend and reinforce the new vocabulary as well as
the texts and the exercises in the textbooks.
5. To monitor the progress in the performances of the experiment and control
groups, a performance test was given after each text. (January, April and June)
6. Aside from these tests, a survey was conducted in order to collect views on
the way the classes and the books were given.
3.6.2 Statistical Analysis
The statistical analysis of this study was done using Statistica Axa (SN:
AXA507C775506FAN3)After the normal dispersion of the data was analysed using the
one sided Kolmogorov Smirnov test, t-test was used for comparison between the
independent groups, sequential t-test was used after matching the pre and post
performance scores to stress the importance of the additional exercises. For qualitative
data, Pearson Correlation r2 analysis was used giving the numerical and percentile
values.The level of significance is p>0.05.
53
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS AND THE INTERPRETATION
The findings of the research will be analyzed and discussed according to the
methods described in section 3.
4.1 EVALUATION OF THE SURVEY
The survey, along with the PS4 (Performance score) was given to the
Constructional Painting Teaching (CPT) and Construction Teaching (CT)2nd class
students at the Trakya University Kırklareli Technical Education Faculty. 70 students
participated in the survey, 33 of whom were the experimental group and 37 were the
control group. 10 questions were asked in the survey which collected opinions on the
exercises the teacher gave in class. These questions tested whether the students were
satisfied with the texts and activities conducted in class.
On the cover of the survey, the students were asked to give honest answers. The
answers to the questions on the second page for the three reading texts were asked to be
in the form of yes/no. In the questions, abreviations ‘Sharks’ for “Sharks: Useful
hunters of the Sea”, SEN for “Sami of the Northern Europe” and HNY for “Happy New
Year” were used. The results were evaluated using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test.
54
Tablo 4.1: Survey Evaluation Results (*: p<0.05 was accepted to be statistically significant)
Questions
Question1
Question2
Question3
Question4
Question5
Question6
Question7
Question8
Question9
Question10
Grup I (Gd)
Grup II(Gk)
Χ2
p
15(40,5)
1.373
0.241
27 (73)
10 (27)
4.415
0,036*
22 (66,7)
25(67,6)
12 (32,4)
8,184
0,004*
13 (39,4)
20 (60,6)
18 (48,6)
19 (51,4)
0,605
0,436
SEN
18(54,5)
15 (49,5)
26 (70,3)
11 (29,7)
1.847
0.174
HNY
18 (54,5)
15 (45,5)
13 (35,1)
24 (64,9)
2,664
0,103
Sharks
21 (63,6)
12 (36,4)
25 (67,6)
12 (32,4)
0,120
0,729
SEN
13 (39,4)
20 (60,6)
14 (37,8)
23 (62,2)
0,018
0,894
HNY
17 (51,5)
16 (48,5)
24 (64,9)
13 (35,1)
1,281
0,258
Sharks
13 (39,4)
20 (60,6)
15 (40,5)
22 (59,5)
0,010
0,922
SEN
9 (27,3)
24 (72,7)
10 (27)
27 (73)
0,001
0,982
HNY
12 (36,4)
21 (63,6)
15 (40,5)
22 (59,5)
0,128
0,720
Sharks
19 (57,6)
14 (42,4)
27 (73)
10 (27,0)
1,835
0,175
SEN
18 (54,5
15 (45,5)
31 (83,8)
6 (16,2)
7,101
0,008*
HNY
21 (63,6)
12 (36,4)
32 (86,5)
5 (13,5)
4,953
0,026*
Sharks
19 (57,6)
14 (42,4)
22 (59,5)
15 (40,5)
0,026
0,873
SEN
17 (51,5)
16 (48,5)
21 (56,8)
16 (43,2)
0,193
0,660
HNY
14 (42,4)
19 (57,6)
25 (67,6)
12 (32,4)
4,469
0,035*
Sharks
21 (63,6)
12 (36,4)
24 (64,9)
13 (35,1)
0,011
0,915
SEN
19 (57,6)
14 (42,4)
25 (67,6)
12 (32,4)
0,746
0,388
HNY
18 (54,5)
15 (45,5)
29 (78,4)
8 (21,6)
4,491
0,034
Sharks
23 (69,7)
10 (30,3)
30 (81,1)
7 (18,9)
1,229
0,268
SEN
18 (54,5)
15 (45,5)
28 (75,7)
9 (24,3)
3,457
0,063*
HNY
19 (57,6)
14 (42,4)
33 (89,2)
4 (10,4)
9,126
0,003*
Sharks
21 (63,6)
12 (36,4)
29 (78,4)
8 (21,6)
1,857
0,173
SEN
17 (51,5)
16 (48,5)
28 (75,7)
9 (24,3)
4,435
0,035*
HNY
17 (51,5)
16 (48,5)
33 (89,2)
4 (10,4)
12,131
0,000*
Sharks
23 (69,7)
10 (30,3)
30 (81,1)
7 (18,9)
1,229
0,268
SEN
18 (54,5)
15 (45,5)
28 (75,7)
9 (24,3)
3,457
0,063*
HNY
19 (57,6)
14 (42,4)
33 (89,2)
4 (10,4)
9,126
0,003*
Yes
No
Yes
No
Sharks
15 (45,5)
18 (54,5)
22 (59,5)
SEN
16(48,5)
17(51,5)
HNY
11(33,3)
Sharks
55
4.2 EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE TESTS
This research which studies how giving exercises that are more permanent and
effective in teaching vocabulary in addition to the ones in the textbooks used in the
reading classes affect the students’ vocabulary shows the positive development in their
vocabulary by the difference noted in the PS’s of the experiment and control groups.
PS1 is the foreign language performance test that was used as a pre-test. According to
this, the group with the lower PS was assigned as the experimental group. After this
test, the test given after the first text (Sharks) was PS2, after text 3 (SEN) was PS3 and
the last one (HNY) was PS4. Lastly, the APS was derived.
Tablo 4.2 Performance Score Evaluation Table
PS1
PS2
PS3
PS4
APS
X±S
X±S
X±S
X±S
X±S
EG 61,88+14,764
54,88+20,327
62,36+23,381
51,27+15,851
57,30+18,932
CG 63,46+18,836
54,64+20,590
59,23+18,683
52,63+19,433
53,11+19,185
The difference between the performance scores of the experimental and control
groups were analyzed using the t-test and the findings were given in Table 4.2.
The Average of PS1 Related To the Experimental and Control Groups
PS1 is the result of the test given as a pre-test. In this research there is not a
significant difference between the experimental and the control group. ( t=-0,387,
p=0,700)
As can be seen in Fig 4.11 the performance of the experimental group is lower
than the control group with a slight difference before the studies began.
56
The PS2 given after the text “Sharks”
PS2
was studied in the experimental group with its
54,88
additional vocabulary exercises shows that there
54,9
54,8
54,64
54,7
PS2
54,6
was a progress in the experimental group
compared to the control group. However, the
54,5
EG
CG
difference was not significant. (t=0,45, p= 0,700)
(Figure 4.12)
Again, although the test given after the
PS3
second text SEN was studied, shows progress
62,36
63
there is not a significant difference between the
62
61
59,23
60
PS3
59
groups. (t=0,613, p= 0, 542)
58
57
EG
CG
(Figure 4.13)
PS4 was given after the text “Happy New
Year” was studied and the vocabulary exercises
PS4
in the book were done with additional exercises
52,63
53
52
presented. Although the experimental group was
51,27
PS4
51
50
EG
CG
expected to get a higher score in terms of
learning new vocabulary, the control group
seemed to have a better performance. This
(Figure 4.14)
shows that the score is not statistically
significant. (t= -0,314, p= 0,754)
57
The Average Performance Score Related To The Experiment And Control
Groups
Fig
APSP
58
4.15
shows
that
the
average
performance score of the experimental group is
57,3
higher than the control group. But, this is not
56
53,11
54
52
50
EG
CG
(Figure 4.15)
APS
statistically significant. (t= 0,906, p= 0,368)
58
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 CONCLUSION
This study was evaluated with a survey in the context of texts and vocabulary
exercises in the Facts and Figures, Themes for Today ve Reading and Writing Targets
and the survey PS (performance score) results are given in Table 4.3 in Part 4.
The results of the surveys and tests conducted in this research will be given
below. Firstly, criteria in the phase of the survey preparation, the survey questions, the
responses given, the interpretations of these answers and secondly, the results of the
tests will be evaluated. Statistical evaluation of the tests is given in Findings and
Interpretation chapter. However, expected results were not observed (Chapter 4). On the
other hand the same situation is observed for the results of survey too. The answers
given differ from the expected ones. It was determined that there had been problems in
the methodology of the research followed during the exercises survey and tests and it is
discussed below with details.
Exercises:
Exercises were designed according to the presentation of the new words,
conveying their meaning and consolidation in Seal’s (1998: 298) Planned Vocabulary
Teaching lesson and Thornbury’s (2004: 93) integration activities which are more
practical and cognitive were used. Although these activites are more productive and not
59
mechanic to learn vocabulary, the level of the texts were high for the students (see
evaluation of the survey) so that they might have caused demorilization of the students
and got low marks from the tests.
Survey:
The survey was prepared and conducted according to the criteria below:
-
Yes/no choices were used in the survey form to answer the questions.
-
The experiment and control groups were given the same survey.
-
The survey was arranged in a way that provided separate answers for each of
the texts. This way, the differences for each text can be evaluated.
However, these criteria are not proper for the survey of this study. Another type
of survey in which different answers are used could have been selected in stead of the
questions that necessitate yes/no answers. In this way, meaning confusion in the
questions also could have been eliminated.
The same survey shouldn’t have been given to the experimental and control
groups. Because, the additional exercises were not studied with control group students,
but the question “Do you think the given vocabulary exercises were helpful in
comprehending the text?” was supposed to be answered by both group students.
The questions of the survey are indirect. The students might have difficulty on
understanding of them therefore gave wrong answers.
In questions 5, 6 and 7 “Were you given exercises by your teacher while
presenting the words? Were you given other exercises by your teacher to reinforce the
new vocabulary in addition to the text exercises? Were you given additional exercises
that used the new vocabulary to convey the meaning after you finished the text
exercises?” the use of concepts of presentation, consolidation and re-evocation of word
might have caused confusion in the minds of students.
Evaluation of the Survey:
Here are the evaluation of the responses of the questionnaire (see Appendix 5)
given after the post test 4 .
60
Question 1
Experimental Group
80
60
54,5
45,5
In Table 4-1, in the answers to the
66,7
48,5 51,5
33,3
Yes
40
20
No
question “Did you find the texts below
relevant in their topics?”, the control group
found it relevant whereas the experimental
0
SEN
Sharks
HNY
group did not. However, there is not a
Question1
significant difference between the two.
(Figure 4.1a)
(Figure 4.1a) For the other texts there is a
significant difference. That the control group
Control Group
80
59,5
73
found the texts relevant may be due to the
67,6
40,5
60
possibility that they are just the topics the
32,4
27
Yes
40
20
No
control group are interested in.
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question1
Question 2
(Figure 4.1b)
Experimental Group
60,6
80
60
54,5 49,5
54,5
39,4
For the second question of whether
45,5
Yes
40
No
20
they found the texts boring, there were less
‘yes’
answers
than
‘no’
from
the
0
Sharks
SEN
experimental group. In the control group 18
HNY
said yes while 19 said no. As a result, neither
Question2
found the Sharks text boring. (Figure 4.2a
(Figure 4.2a)
Control Group
and 4.2b)Both groups found the second text
boring.
70,3
80
64,9
48,6 51,4
60
29,7
for
the
third
text,
the
experimental group found it boring by a
35,1
Yes
40
No
20
As
slight difference while 69% of the control
group found it boring. However, when the
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question2
(Figure 4.2b)
two groups were compared, a significant
difference was not found.
61
Question 3
It is important to select words that are
Experimental Group
80
63,6
60
60,6
36,4
encountered often and are appropriate for
51,5
48,5
their level and needs instead of special
39,4
40
Yes
20
No
question about the levels of the texts showed
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
that the groups found Sharks and HNY
Question3
appropriate for their level. The positive
(Figure 4.3a)
answers the control group gave were
especially large in number. (Fig. 4.3a)
Control Group
80
words. Starting from this, the answers to the
67,6
62,2
However, members of both groups who
64,9
60
32,4
37,8
35,1
Yes
40
No
found the SEN text boring found this
unsuitable for their level. (Fig 4.3b)
20
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question3
(Figure 4.3b)
Question 4
Textbooks today include periodical
Experimental Group
80
60
60,6
72,7
39,4
revision parts so that the new vocabulary is
63,6
regularly repeated. (Thornbury, 2004:39)
36,4
27,3
40
Yes
20
No
said no to the question “Did you find the
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
text exercises adequate in reinforcing your
Question4
remembering them?” However, evaluation
(Figure 4.4a)
shows
Control Group
80
60
Both the experimental and control groups
59,5
73
all
the
texts
were
the exercises for SEN more inadequate
59,5
40,5
27
Yes
20
No
0
Sharks
not
comprehended equally. Both groups found
40,5
40
that
SEN
Question4
(Figure 4.4b)
HNY
compared to the others.
62
Question 5
Experimental Group
80
57,6
60
54,5
42,4
Both the experimental and control
63,6
45,5
36,4
Yes
40
No
20
0
Sharks
SEN
texts. At this stage of vocabulary teaching,
the experimental group was given additional
( Figure 4.5a)
exercises while the control group was given
examplary sentences that helped to explain
Control Group
73
83,8
the meanings of the words. However, the
86,5
positive answers were more in number in the
80
60
27
40
“Were you given exercises by your teacher
while presenting the words?” for all the
HNY
Question 5
100
groups gave the answer yes to the question
16,2
13,5
20
Yes
No
0
control group than the experimental group.
This is because the time frame between
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question 5
( Figure 4.5 b)
studying the texts and taking the survey was
short. The students thought of the examples
given during presentation of the words as
additional activities.
63
Question 6
Both groups said yes to the question
Experimental Group
80
57,6
60
42,4
51,5 48,5
Were you given exercises that used the new
57,6
vocabulary after you finished the text
42,4
Yes
40
No
20
0
Sharks
SEN
exercises? Exercises that helped reinforce
the new vocabulary were only given to the
experimental group. The control group
HNY
students also gave a positive answer to this.
Question 6
The reason for this could be that the control
(Figure 4.6a)
group saw the activities carried out in class
as additional exercises or that they did not
pay enough attention to answering the survey
questions.
Control Group
80
60
59,5
The important difference from the
67,6
56,8
expected ones with regard to results in the
43,2
40,5
32,8
40
Yes
20
No
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question 6
( Figure 4.6 b)
Control Group might have emanated from
the
fact
that
students
interpreted
the
explanatory examples given by the teacher
during the class as additional exercises.
64
Experimental Group
80
57,6
63,6
42,4
36,4
60
Question 7
54,5
Both groups said yes to the question
45,5
40
Yes
20
No
new vocabulary after you finished the text
0
Sharks
SEN
“Were you given exercises that used the
exercises?” Exercises that helped reinforce
HNY
the new vocabulary were only given to the
Question 7
experimental group. The control group
(Figure 4.7a)
students also gave a positive answer to this.
The reason for this could be that the
Control Group
100
control group saw the activities carried out
78,4
67,6
64,9
80
35,1
60
32,4
21,6
40
20
Yes
No
0
in class as additional exercises or that they
did not pay enough attention to answering
the
Sharks
SEN
survey
questions.
The
important
HNY
difference from the expected ones with
Question 7
regard to results in the Control Group might
have emanated from the fact that students
(Figure 4.7b)
interpreted the explanatory examples given
by the teacher during the class as additional
exercises.
Question 8
Experimental Group
80
57,6
54,5
60
40
“Do you think the given vocabulary
69,7
45,5
42,4
30,3
exercises were helpful in comprehending
Yes
20
No
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question 8
the text?”Both groups gave a positive
answer to this question. The percentage of
the control group students who said yes is
higher than the experimental group. (Fig
(Figure 4.8a)
4.8b) There was a significant difference
between the texts SEN and HNY. (p<0,05)
65
Repetition exercises regarding the
Control Group
100
81,1
phase of consolidation of words were given
only to the Experimental Group after the
89,2
75,7
80
completion of the instruction of the text. The
60
24,3
18,9
40
10,4
reason for this might have been that because
20
0
Sharks
SEN
they had not had information regarding these
HNY
additional exercises, the Control Group
Question 8
students evaluated practices done during the
(Figure 4.8b)
class as additional exercises and they did not
show necessary concern to answer the survey
in a correct way. However, giving the same
survey to both of the groups might also have
created the problem. The Control Group
might have felt the necessity to answer the
correct ones and given the affirmative
answers.
Question 9
Experimental Group
80
“Did you do any extra activities after
63,6
51,5
60
51,5
48,5
48,5
36,
4
40
class to remember the words in the texts
Yes
No
20
below?”
More than 50% of the experimental
0
Sharks
SEN
group said yes to this for all the texts. (Fig
HNY
Question 9
4.9a) The control group also gave a positive
(Figure 4.9a)
answer to this. When the answers are
Control Group
100
78,6
compared, the percentage of the students in
the control group who said yes can be seen
89,2
75,7
80
60
40
Yes
21,6
24,3
10,4
20
No
to be over 75%. This shows that the control
group studied more than the experimental
group. This is true especially for HNY and
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
Question9
(Figure 4.9b)
SEN. There is a significant difference in
Table 2 for p<0,05. (SEN p<0,035, HNY
p<0,000).
66
Question 10
Experimental Group
80
72,7
54,5
54,5
45,5
60
45,5
Yes
27,3
40
No
20
0
Sharks
SEN
negative answers for the SEN text. Even
though additional exercises were given for
(Figure 4.10a)
this text which had few activites in the book,
the experimental group did not find it helpful.
Control Group
60
64,9
75,7
The control group found all the texts helpful.
75,7
(Fig 4.10a) Compared to the experimental
35,1
24,3
40
in expanding your vocabulary?” As can be
seen in Fig. 4.10 the experimental group gave
HNY
Question 10
80
“Did you find the texts below helpful
24,3
No
20
group there is a significant difference
according to Table 4.1. This difference is
0
Sharks
SEN
HNY
valid for SEN and HNY. (p<0,05)
Question10
(Figure 4.10b)
The contrariness between survey answers of the Experimental Group and the
Control Group from the expected ones may have arose from the problems given below
depending on the methodology followed:
As we handled above, the Control Group answered the survey because the
survey was applied to both groups although it was a question that should have been
directed to only the Experimental Group.
• First problem is that the study started in November and covered the period
between November and June, and the survey was given to the student seven months
later. During this period, a total of 6 texts were studied in addition to 3 texts shown to
students as examples. The other texts were selected from the units of the same books
(Facts and Figures, Themes for Today and Reading and Writing Targets) among the
texts, which would be seen as more contemporary by the students. But, the students
67
found their levels more difficult, thus they were not included in the exams and the
research. Performance tests were given to the students as midterm and final exams.
However, the result of the research was formed such. This might have emanated from
the facts that the survey was conducted in June, thus during this intermediate period,
former studies might have been forgotten forgotten or the texts, which are subjects of
the research, were interfused with the other three texts. Handling period and calendar
order for the subjects are shown in the following table. The survey was given with Final
(Spring) namely PT4.
Research Period for I. and II. Term of 2005-2006 Academic Year
The Texts studied
The
before
before Final (Fall)
before
(Fall) (BT1)
(BT1)
(Spring) (BT3)
Repetition of the
Text1.Sharks:Useful
Text
Grammar Subjects
Hunters of The Sea
Northern Europe
Year
of the First Year
Text 2
Text 2.
Text 2.
Midterm
Texts
studied
The
Texts
1.
studied
The Texts studied
Midterm
before Final (Fall)
Sami
(BT4)
of
Text 1. Happy New
Survey
Figure 5.1
• Before the study, the Experimental and Control Groups were not informed
about the study to be done when the research began. It might have been due to this fact
the studies done in the classroom were not given necessary attention. If the research
period had been risen to notice, there would have been consistency in answers even
though, the survey was conducted in the end of the year.
• The Experimental and Control Groups consist of the students with beginner
level English from Faculty of Technical Education and they are learning Foreign
Language during a total of 2 hours in addition to their undergraduate courses. The
students found the texts and their exercises difficult compared to their knowledge
although texts and the exercises are at beginner level. In addition to these difficult text
and exercises, the Experimental Group was demoralized by giving additional exercises
related to the words in the texts. The fact that the points of the Experimental Group
were lower than points of the other group is a proof of the situation mentioned. In this
study, the Experimental and Control groups were not selected among the right mass.
Foreign language teaching with only focus on texts could not be conducted successfully
68
among the mass mentioned. If the same study is conducted with students at the beginner
level in a foreign language preparatory class instead of the students of Faculty of
Technical Education, the results we get might be different.
• The individual learning habits and the abilities of the students were not taken
into account; everybody was given the same exercises. This was not able to bring the
specified achievement as its result.
• The exercises that were prepared as additional exercises had similarities with
textbook exercises. Instead of this, a more successful result might be obtained by
including activities not included in textbook exercises, such as explaining and narrating,
and by re-arranging and processing the texts according to the level of target group.
Test :
When we look at their PSs, at the beginning of the research, the result of the pretest given as PS1 showed that average grades of the Experimental Group students were
lower compared to the Control Group, (Figure 5.12, Table 5.2) as a result of the
application of the additional exercises, the results of PS2 and PS3 proved that the
Experimental Group had been more successful than the Control group (Figure 4.12,
4.13 Table 4.2). However, the achievement by the Experimental group compared to the
Control group is not a notable one statistically. According to PS4 results, the Control
group students had more notable achievement statistically and were more successful
than the Experimental group. The causes of this fact are given below:
As can be observed from the survey questions (Figure 5.9a, 5.9b), the Control
group students did more autonomous study regarding words compared to the
Experimental group before the last test that is about the text “Happy New year”. In
addition, according to the survey results, the students evaluated the texts as being above
their levels. As a result, the study done might have been too heavy and thus too
demoralizing for the Experimental group students.
69
In tests, for students the questions that measure the vocabulary teaching are the
most difficult parts to be answered. Therefore, the focus on the questions that aims only
to measure word knowledge in the last test diminished achievement.
The decrease in the achievement of the Experimental group might have been
resulted from the fact that the students gave more attention to other courses because of
the end of the semestre.
BOP shows that the Experimental group was more successful than the Control
Group. But this achievement is not notable one statistically (Table 4.2).
As a conclusion, it is determined that the additional exercises did not bring
desired achievement due to the errors done in the criteria used in survey preparation and
in the selection of the application methodology. It is obvious that these methodology
errors committed above should be taken account in the class and the study levels and
should be avoided. In the study in which we tried to answer the question of whether or
not the effects of the exercises in English reading text books are sufficient on
vocabulary teaching achievement, we reach the conclusion that under the conditions in
which the situations mentioned above are corrected, the additional exercises will bring
achievement and student satisfaction.
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
Methodological orientations in recent years emphasize that readingcomprehension ability should be gained more than speaking ability in foreign language
courses. When a reading-comprehension focused conception is followed in Foreign
Language courses in Trakya University Faculty of Technical Education in which
education is not a foreign language focused one and Foreign Language course is a
mandatory common course, new vocabulary in the texts taken from different books
cannot be learned at a sufficient level by the students, thus desired level of achievement
70
cannot be obtained in foreign language teaching. Therefore, it was decided to study the
subject scientifically, and development of recommendations for the solution was aimed.
In this study, activities that aim at vocabulary teaching were included in addition
to texts and exercises found in the textbooks in order to teach new vocabulary at a
desired level when English courses, which are oriented to sophomores of T.U. Faculty
of Technical Education, are done in a reading-comprehension focused manner, and it
was analyzed that whether or not there is an increase in learning vocabulary
achievement as a result of this way. However, the result of the study shows that
although the experimental group was given additional exercises, the achievement level
of the experimental group is more than the achievement of the control group but with a
very little difference and this difference is not a notable one statistically. We conclude
that the methodology followed is erroneous, selected texts and additional exercises
demoralized the experimental group, and they were heavy for them because they were
not students who get foreign language focused education. These result leads us these
conclusions: The level of student should be taken into account when reading focused
foreign language education is conducted, one should be more cautious in analyzing the
student profile well, in determining methodology to be applied and in selecting
appropriate materials and strategies in order to teach the foreign language in compliance
with the fundamentals of this methodology. It shows how it is important to act within
certain measures in selecting texts and exercises.
In order to make the students able to comprehend and understand new
vocabulary in a short time, one should know to what extend students are in command of
mother tongue and foreign language, and whether or the students know another foreign
language should be inquired. Because these are the factors that have effects on easy or
difficult comprehension of a text, and thus on comprehending and learning of new
vocabulary in a short time. In order to obtain achievement in reading focused courses,
students’ reading habits should be inquired, the reading strategies they know should be
determined, and one should decide which ones should be developed in foreign language
courses.
71
Texts should be easily understandable, should not exceed students’ vocabulary,
should be appropriate for their knowledge level and include interesting subjects. In this
context, the instructors that aim to make student able to read a text more quickly and to
understand it correctly should plan course arrangements well and prepare course
materials in compliance with this plan and certain measures.
In mandatory common courses given for 2-3 hours a week, materials that are
appropriate to target group and weekly teaching periods should be used instead of
course books prepared for the use in intensive English preparatory classes. The
vocabulary to be taught should be determined by making necessity analysis. New
vocabulary should be associated to former vocabulary and information, and long-lasting
learning should be achieved in this way.
In the courses that aim long-lasting vocabulary teaching, hence developing
reading-comprehension ability, vocabulary teaching should be done in a systematic
way. In addition to the inclusion of the exercises that aim to analyze the meanings of the
new vocabulary, activities that necessitates the use of this vocabulary again and again
and make the derivation -in other vocabulary production - of new vocabulary from this
vocabulary possible should be included. These types of activities and their examples are
given in the 3rd Chapter of the study.
In order to understand to what extend the student learned new vocabulary, the
teaching and the assessment methods should be surely in compliance with each other.
72
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Appendix 1
TEST 1
T.Ü. KIRKLARELİ TEKNİK EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ
2005–06 ÖĞRETİM YILI YABANCI DİL I. VİZE SINAVI
NAME SURNAME :
NUMBER
:
PROGRAM
: Yapı Öğretmenliği II_______
Yapı Ressamlığı Öğretmenliği II _______
A
I. Choose the correct one
1.
At the weekend I ____________ go to the seaside
a. every day
2.
b. a lot of
"I'm a teacher. And ____________ do you do?"
a. how
3.
b. what
b. her
c. his
We _____ a wonderful dinner yesterday evening.
a. have had
5.
c. who
Tom has ____________ English lesson on Thursdays.
a. your
4.
c. often
b. haved
c. had
When _____________ to her?
a. you talked b. Talked you c. Did you talk
6.
He’s got _______ interesting stories.
a. any
7.
b. like watching c. do
b. Are
c. Have
I ________ a new car last month.
a. bought
11.
c. were you
The children in that class ______ nine years old.
a. has
10.
b. Are you
Do you like watching TV? Yes, I ___
a. like
9.
c. An
Where _____ yesterday?
a. was you
8.
b. Some
b. buys
c. Buyed
Are there ______ apples in the kitchen?
a. much
b. any
c. Some
78
12.
I’m going home ______ it’s late.
a. But
13.
b. at
b. can c. want
b. work
b. to dance
c. dance
________John last week?
a. Did you see
19.
c. is working
Arzu can ____________ all night long!
a. dancing
18.
c. on
My father _______ in a bank.
a. works
17.
c. time past
I _____ drive a car.
a. can’t to
16.
b. ago
He likes watching TV ______ evening.
a. in the
15.
c. Because
I went to Paris three years _____.
a. last
14.
b. that
b. Did you saw
c. Do you see
Choose the best translation of the sentence.
Şu anda basit bir İngilizce sınavı oluyorum.
a. At the moment I have a simple English exam. b. At the moment I am
having simple an English exam. c. I am having a simple English exam at the
moment.
20.
My father usually ------------- to work by train , but today he’s ------------
his car.Because it’s very cold.
a. travels / driving
Good Luck
b. goes / walking
c. catches/ travelling
79
Appendix 2
TEST 2
“Sharks:Useful Hunters of the Sea” Metni Derste Okutulduktan sonra
Uygulanan Test
Read “Sharks: Useful Hunters of the Sea” .
A)
Write TRUE or FALSE
1. _____ T _____ F
All sharks live only in ocean.
2. _____ T______F
Sahrks have ears.
3. _____ T______F
Sharks hunt for food at night at night because they see
well in low light.
4. _____ T______F
Information about sharks may help sharks live longer
5. _____ T______F
Sharks clean the ocean.
B)
Answer these questions.
6. What happens when a sharks tooth fall out?
7. How do the sharks keep the ocean clean?
8. What do scientists want to find out?
9. What are two types of sharks?
10. Whay are sharks dangerous for people?
C)
Choose the best answer.
11.
How can sharks find food?
a. They feel vibrations b. They can see with their eyes. c. Both a and b
12.
When do sharks hunt for food?
a. in the morning
13.
b. Dawn
Why are sharks important ?
a. they clean the ocean
14.
c. Both a and b
b. They are very big c. They eat fish
Why do sharks feel vibrations for food?
80
a. Because they can’t see the food. They have no eyes.
b. Because they can’t “hear”. They have no ears.
c. Because they don’t have any cancer.
15.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Sharks are dangerous
b. Sharks are important and useful animals.
c. Sharks are meat eaters.
D)
Fill in the blanks with the given words.
1. in the body_______ cells grow uncontrollably
2. We must__________ the cancer from spreading
3. George often________ wild pigs in the forest.
4. _______ sharks are meat eaters.
5. we got up before _________
prevent, dawn, cancer, hunts, several
81
Appendix 3
TEST 3
TÜ KTEF II DÖNEM I VİZE SINAV SORULARI
NAME SURNAME
NUMBER
PROGRAM
A
A) Fill in the blanks. Use the given words
1.
___1__ in the Sahara Desert travel on their camels.
2.
Most people in Arabia dress in ___2__ clothes. A few people wear western clothes.
3.
I need to write a __3__ story-only one page.
4.
Janet and Tom are going to take a ___4__ to England next year.
5.
The Baker family likes to go camping. They sleep in a ___5__.
nomads______, traditional_______,tent______ brief______ Trip_____,
B) Match the words that mean the same
1.
storm ___________
a. A spider’s home
2.
web ____________
b. Bad weather
3.
coast ___________
c. Land near the sea
4.
terrible _________
d. very bad
5.
adult ___________
e. man or woman
C) True / False
1.
Most Sami live in large cities.
_______
2.
Only a few Sami are nomads.
_______
3.
Sami nomads raise sheep.
_______
4.
There are Sami in Russia
_______
5.
These nomads live in tents because they move so often
_______
82
D) Choose the best answer
1) Where do nomads live?
a. in big cities b. on the coast c.on the sleds
2) Which is not true about Sami?
a. They wear beautiful blue and red traditional clothes.
b. They walk or travel on skis and sleds
c.Rendeer dig through the snow to move back their winter homes.
3) Nomads move from one place to another with their
a.Cars b. horses c. rendeers
4) There will probably be no more Sami nomads in __________
a. trips b. comfortable c. future
5) Sami nomads walk or travel on _____________
a. skis b. reindeers c. tents
GOOD LUCK
83
Appendix 4
TEST 4
TÜ KTEF II DÖNEM I VİZE SINAV SORULARI
NAME SURNAME
NUMBER
PROGRAM
A
A) Read “Happy New Year” . Answer these questions.
16.
What is the celebration for?
17.
Where and when is it?
18.
What preperations do people make for the celebration?
19.
What happens on the evening of December?
20.
What do they sing?
B) Read the list of activities and fill in the table with the correct letters. Then
say which take place before and which during carnival.
a.
bands play to crowds of excited people
b.
peope make colourfulcostumes and masks
c.
people stand and watch the parades
d. bands practise their music
e.
there is a big Samba competition
f.
dancers spend hours practising their dances
BEFORE __ __ __ __ __ __
DURING _a_ __ __ __ __ __
84
C) Fill in the missing adjectives from the list.
colourful, delicious, best, traditional. magnificent,
1. “Danny Boy” is a___________ lrish song.
2. My mother always makes ___________ food on Christmas Day.
3. At Christmas we decorate the house with ____________balloons.
4. On ‘Guy Fawkes’ night in England, many people set 0ff___________
fireworks.
5. Having a party is the___________ way to celebrate your birthday.
D) Complete the sentences with their English meaning
a.
The wedding day is a very __1__ day fort he couple
b.
Children usually wear __3__ clothes at a birthday party
c.
Carnival in my country is like a __2__ street party.
d.
People stand and watch the___4___
e.
They set off __5__ in the evening.
huge____, special___, Smart___, parades____, fireworks____
GOOD LUCK
85
Appendix 5
Figure 3.4 Survey Questions
NAME, LAST NAME:
Did you find the texts below relevant in their topics?
"Sharks"
“The Sami of Northern Europe”
“Happy New Year!”
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
31
32
33
?Did you find the texts below boring?
"Sharks"
Did you find the texts below appropriate for your English level?
"Sharks"
yes
no
41
42
43
Did you find the text exercises adequate in reinforcing your remembering
them?
"Sharks"
yes
no
51
52
53
Were you given exercises by your teacher while presenting the words?
"Sharks"
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
11
12
13
21
22
23
61
62
63
71
72
73
81
82
83
91
92
93
Were you given other exercises by your teacher to reinforce the new
vocabulary in addition to the text exercises?
"Sharks"
Were you given exercises that used the new vocabulary after you finished
the text exercises?
"Sharks"
Do you think the given vocabulary exercises were helpful in comprehending
the text?
"Sharks"
Did you do any extra activities after class to remember the words in the texts
below?
"Sharks"
Did you find the texts below helpful in expanding your vocabulary?
101 "Sharks"
102 “The Sami of Northern Europe”
103 “Happy New Year!”
86
Appendix 6
87
88
89
90
91
92
Appendix 7
93
94
95
96
Appendix 8
97
98

the effect of exercises in english elementary reading books, on the

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