BMSV02b - Đề cương nghiên cứu đề tài nghiên cứu
khoa học sinh viên (tiếng Anh)
UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES
FACULTY OF ENGLISH
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OUTLINE OF STUDENTS
(Year………..)
1. Project title:
THE ROLE OF MORPHOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN VOCABULARY LEARNING
AMONG VIETNAMESE EFL LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS FROM SOME
HIGH SCHOOLS IN DANANG CITY.
Major (according to the project content): Teaching methodology.
Student Representative’s Full name: Nguyễn Trần Bảo Trân - Student ID: 411230301
Class, Faculty/Division: 23CNA07, Faculty of English
Permanent Address: Danang City
Contact Address:
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Phone Number: 0917848897
Email: [email protected]
- Participants:
1)Trần Thị Tuyết Sương Class, Faculty, Division: 23CNA07, Faculty of English
2. Overview of domestic and foreign research background:
2.1. Foreign Research
Foreign studies have investigated the significance of vocabulary for language acquisition.
According to Nation (2006) one of the important foundations for successful language
learning is a strong vocabulary base since vocabulary plays a crucial role in both
understanding and communicating. Similarly, Nagy et al. (2014) emphasized that
morphological awareness might act as a strong predictor of vocabulary achievement,
suggesting that learners who have competent morphological skills are able to decode and
derive the meanings of relatively new words with greater ease, particularly with academic
words. Giazitzidou, Mouzaki, and Padeliadu (2023) found similar results, showing that
morphological awareness affects reading fluency, spelling, and general language proficiency.
Constructivist Theory and Schema Theory are examples of other theories that also
demonstrate that morphology is important for vocabulary acquisition. Morphological
Awareness as an Analytic Process Piaget’s Constructivist Theory (1972) highlights the active
nature of meaningful knowledge construction, which resonates with the analytical processes
in morphosyntax processing.
Anderson Schema Theory (1984) also emphasizes that having relevant framework will help
the learners to connect the new vocabulary to the words they already know, therefore
improving their procedures in both getting and understanding them.
2.2.Domestic Research
Vietnamese EFL learners experience challenges when they learn English due to the
discrepancy between the structures of these two languages (English & Vietnamese) according
to research evidence in comparison with the past studies. This proves to be a difficult task
given how morphologically rich English is compared to the highly monosyllabic nature of
Vietnamese (Nguyen, 2013). The approaches to tackle these issues include the embedding of
morphological awareness into English teaching strategies. Tang (2007) argued explicit
instruction on morphology is needed to increase the decoding ability of learners
3. Necessity of the project:
While vocabulary is essential to language ability, there are substantial challenges faced by
Vietnamese EFL learners due to the contrasts between Vietnamese and English, such as
English’s morphologically rich system relative to Vietnamese’s monosyllabic structure
(Nguyen, 2013). Conventional teaching belonged to rote learning, which is considered
ineffective with the challenges mentioned earlier (Nguyen, 2021; Tran & Hoang, 2021).
Morphological awareness, or the awareness of how words are structured and formed, has been
demonstrated to support vocabulary learning, retention, and use (Nagy et al., 2014;
Giazitzidou, Mouzaki, & Padeliadu, 2023). Requesting students to craft their opinions based
on strong reasoning also makes them less dependent on the instructor and receives what
students can be taught (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2022), which highlights the gap that can be filled
by integrating this approach of learning into teaching. Therefore, this study might be
constructive in transforming the context of EFL teaching and learning in Vietnam with its
workable and research-backed ideas in enhancing the acquisition of vocabulary.
4. Objective(s):
Assess the current level of morphological awareness among high school EFL students in Da
Nang City.
Explore the relationship between morphological awareness and students’ vocabulary
learning, focusing on comprehension, retention, and application.
Investigate students’ perceptions of the role of morphological awareness in enhancing their
vocabulary learning.
5. Research methodology: (specify research questions, objectives, aims, instruments,
research approach, ect.)
5.1. Research Questions
The level of morphological awareness of EFL high-school students in Da Nang City
How does morphological awareness play a role in vocabulary learning and retention for
these students?
How do students perceive the impact of their morphological awareness on vocabulary
acquisition?
5.2. Research Aims
This justifies the need to conduct the study on the importance of morphological awareness for
Vietnamese EFL learners in improving their vocabulary acquisition process. It aims to evaluate
the relationship between students’ morphological awareness and their vocabulary learning and
to explore students’ perceptions about this vocabulary learning approach.
5.3. Objectives
Assess the current level of morphological awareness among high school EFL students.
Explore how morphological awareness influences vocabulary acquisition and memory
retention.
Investigate students’ perceptions of how morphological awareness impacts their
vocabulary learning.
5.4. Research Approach
They base this study on the need for a mixed-methods approach, particularly for the purposes of
explaining the rationale behind methodology selection.
1. Quantitative Approach:
By the use of vocabulary and morphological awareness tests.
Closed-ended question Surveys to explore quantitatively what students think.
2. Qualitative Approach:
Open-ended survey questions to understand personal strategies, challenges and rich student
perspectives.
5.5 Instruments
5.5.1. Vocabulary Test:
It was intended to test students’ understanding of morphologically complex words. This
establishes a baseline for understanding participants’ vocabulary skills.
5.5.2. Morphological Awareness Test (MA Test)
e.g., recognition of a word decomposition, word formation, meaning interpretation of complex
words, etc.
5.5.3. Questionnaires:
Closed-ended Questions: This collects quantitative data, in terms of the extent of
morphological strategies employed.
Open-ended Questions: Previous experiences and strategies with morphological learning.
5.6. Research Design
5.6.1. Participants:
About that number came from 150 high school students Grades 10-11 (in Da Nang City) selected
through convenient sampling. Participants will be assigned to an experimental and control group.
5.6.2. Procedure:
Pre-test — vocabulary test to assess participants’ baseline proficiency.
Intervention: The experimental group will be taught morphological awareness lessons 3-4
times a week for 3-4 weeks, including, but not limited to, breaking up words into parts,
identifying word formation processes and contextual practice.
After the morpheme morphological awareness program, both groups will take a morpheme
morphology awareness test and a final vocabulary test to assess progress.
Survey: Students will respond to questionnaires and reflect on their learning experiences
5.7. Data Analysis
1. Quantitative Data:
Test scores will be analyzed statistically to measure the impact of morphological
awareness on vocabulary learning.
Closed-ended survey responses will be converted into percentages to summarize patterns
in perceptions.
2. Qualitative Data:
Open-ended survey responses will be analyzed thematically to identify emerging trends
and personal insights related to students’ morphological learning experiences.
6. Research subject and scope:
6.1. Research Subject
In concrete, this work investigates morphological knowledge affecting vocabulary acquisition
in Vietnamese EFL students. The study focuses on high school students in Da Nang City and
the patterns of their ability to identify, read, and utilize the morphological sublexical features–
prefixes, roots, and suffixes when learning and using new vocabulary.
6.2. Scope of the Study
6.2.1. Participants:
The study involves approximately 150 students from Grades 10 and 11 in three high schools
in Da Nang City: Thai Phien High School, Thanh Khe High School and Ton That Tung High
School. Grades one students are also excluded from the study because their time is mostly
occupied with the national high school examination during the research period.
6.2.2. Geographic Scope:
This research focuses only on high school students in Da Nang City which is a typical urban
area in the context of Vietnam society with different students.
6.2.3. Content Scope:
A morphological awareness which has been defined, among other things, in the context
of its influence on vocabulary acquisition and recall.
Investigate the connection between the students’ level of morphological awareness and
their comprehension as well as usage of complicated words.
The students’ attitude towards the concept of morphological awareness as a factor that
can influence their learning process is also investigated.
6.2.4. Time Frame:
The study will take two to four weeks, inclusive of pre-tests, instruction based on the findings
for the experimental group, post-tests and survey.
6.2.5. Intervention Scope:
The experimental group will undergo lessons on morphological development Pays focusing
on decomposition, formation as well as contextual use of morphology. The control group will
learn vocabulary normally without receiving any directed morphological training in the study.
7. Research contents:
Introduction: Explains vocabulary in language acquisition, difficulties involved with
Vietnamese EFL learners, and the aim and research questions of the study.
Literature Review: Examines morphological awareness as a concept, its effects on vocabulary
acquisition, difficulties of Vietnamese learners, and theory support (Constructivist and
Schema theories).
Methodology: Explains the choice of the combination of quantitative and qualitative data
collection, types of the instruments used (tests and surveys), the method of selecting
participants, the process of proposed intervention, and the methods of data analysis.
Data Collection and Analysis: Explains pre-tests, post-tests and instructional intercessions;
along with other procedures by giving the quantitative as well as qualitative results.
Findings and Discussion: Contains information on the morphological awareness achieved,
effect on the vocabulary teaching and perceptions of the students.
Conclusion and Implications: Provides conclusion and implications for practice, as well as
suggestions for further research.
8. Research results:
This study aims to explore the role of morphological awareness in the vocabulary acquisition
of Da Nang high school EFL learners. The study aims to:
Evaluating morphological awareness of EFL students at a number of high schools in
Da Nang.
Investigating how morphological awareness in students influences their vocabulary
acquisition.
The study also suggests some effective vocabulary teaching strategies for Vietnamese
students which will improve their ability to use and comprehend vocabulary in various
contexts.
Analyzing Students' Perspectives on the Impact of Morphological Awareness on
Vocabulary Acquisition
9. Products:
After the research process, the main product is a scientific research report focusing on:
Morphological awareness contribution to vocabulary instruction for EFL learners in
certain high schools in Da Nang.
Morphological awareness and students vocabulary acquisition
The relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary learning: students'
perceptions and opinions.
The report will reflect on the results of tests and surveys, analyze both quantitative and
qualitative data, and present conclusions and recommendations on more effective
methods of teaching vocabulary through morphological awareness.
10. The research's contributions to education and training, socio-economic, security
and defense issues:
The research report entitled “The Role of Morphological Awareness in Vocabulary Learning
Among Vietnamese EFL Learners: A Case Study of Students from Some High Schools in
Danang City” offers useful information regarding the correlation between morphological
awareness and vocabulary learning in Danang high school students. These structural
differences between Vietnamese and English inadvertently created three challenges for the
students in terms of vocabulary learning due to their linguistic differences, and this is
ultimately the core motivation for this study to overcome those difficulties in learning of the
students. This study, therefore, explores the way students at a high school in Danang learn
forgotten vocabulary to aid contemporary understanding of essentially context-driven
knowledge, which serves to inform the development of teaching methodologies in the
broadly defined field of language education.
Danang, <Day>/<Month>/<Year>
Instructor Student Representative
(signature and full name) (signature and full name)
