1

Difficulties in teaching and reading vocabulary in the textbook "English for food production staff" for the second year students of preintermediate level at Hanoi Tourism College = Kh khn khi dy v hc t vng trong gio trnh Ting Anh chuyn ngnh ch bin thc phm cho sinh vin nm cui h trung cp trng cao ng Du lch H Ni. M.A. Thesis Linguistics: 60 14 10 / Mai Tuyt Nhung ; Supervisor : M.A. Trn Hin Lan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In competition of this study, first of all I would like to express my sincere and deep gratitude to Ms. Tran Hien Lan, M.A my supervisor for her invaluable advice, careful instructions and helpful encouragement during the process of writing this minor thesis.

Secondly, I would like to send my thanks to all of my lecturers in the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, the University of Foreign Languages and International Studies whose lectures and advice gave me the inspiration to complete this thesis.

Thanks are also extended to Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, M.A- my colleague at Hanoi Tourism College for his useful materials and great aids. Besides, I would like to acknowledge my other colleagues and the students at the Faculty of Food Production Management as well for their kind help and great contribution to my survey.

My very deep thanks also go to all my friends who have encouraged me and shared their experience during the study.

Last but not least, I really appreciate the support and encouragement from my family, especially my parents.

Without all of these aids, this study would hardly have been accomplished.

ABSTRACT
In learning a foreign language, vocabulary is the key to success. Without vocabulary, it is so difficult to convey anything. Thus, to teach vocabulary efficiently to students is the desire of any teachers. In the context of Hanoi Tourism College, teaching and learning English vocabulary for Food Production cope with many difficulties, which needs a lot of discussion.

The aims of the study are to find out some difficulties facing the students and teachers in the process of teaching and learning vocabulary of Food Production and to propose some solutions to these problems as well.

The study was carried out among the ESP teachers and the second year students of Food Production at Hanoi Tourism College. The statistics revealed that most of the students and teachers are coping with many difficulties .The students have not had right English learning strategies or a good motivation in the study and lack of ESP vocabulary as well while the teachers have shortage of specialized knowledge, various teaching technique or teaching aids and reference materials are very poor. Some solutions are suggested to reduce these difficulties including improving specialized knowledge for ESP teachers, teachers activities and teaching facilities; encouraging students to develop their self-study to become more active learners.

The result of the study can be useful for those who teach ESP in general and those who teach vocabulary to students of Food Production at Hanoi Tourism College in particular.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale Nowadays, English is a common language in communication in the world. In Vietnam, English is considered to be a key for communication in offices, companies and at schools. Being a compulsory subject, it is thought to give students and workers chances to study and work all over the world. Talking about learning a foreign language, the first thing we think about is words. Vocabulary plays an essential role in acquiring a language and it is also an important tool to activate four language skills in English. Hence, the more words we know, the more we succeed. However, to acquire words is not easy at all, therefore, it is a necessary and interesting theme for any researches on.

In the context of Hanoi Tourism College, as a teacher of English, I have found out that students have difficulties in studying the English in the course book entitled English for Food Production Staff mainly due to their limited vocabulary, which covers nearly 70% of exercises in the book, especially in reading and translating exercises. They often learn vocabulary passively through teachers explanations and forget words quickly after a short time. Teaching ESP (English for specific purposes) is a difficult task for the teachers of the English language. Beside vocational knowledge, teachers need to carry out researches in teaching vocabulary so as to open their views and instruct students later. In my opinion, ESP in cookery is very interesting but teaching it successfully is extremely hard. 2. Aims of the study

The study aims to achieve two purposes. The first one is to find out some difficulties facing the students of FP and the ESP teachers in the process of learning and teaching English vocabulary in the textbook English for Food Production Staff. The second one is to find some solutions to these problems. 3. Research questions This research was carried out to find out the answers to the following research questions: What are the main difficulties facing the students of FP and the ESP teachers in the

process of teaching and learning English vocabulary in the text book English for Food Production Staff? What are the solutions to these problems?

4. Scope of the study The study focuses on teaching and learning English vocabulary in the course book English for Food Production Staff for the students who major in cookery. Then, the difficulties found out will be analyzed and the solutions will be made to help to improve the teaching and learning of cookery English at HTC. 5. Methods of the study The study uses the following methods to achieve its objectives. First, the survey questionnaire is conducted to investigate difficulties for students at HTC in the process of learning

vocabulary in the textbook English for Food Production Staff. Then, the teachers are interviewed to get more information of their difficulties in teaching English vocabulary for FP and the solutions to these problems as well. 6. Design of the study The research includes three main parts: Part 1: Introduction: In this part the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the method, and the design of the study are presented. Part 2: Development: It consists of two chapters. Chapter 1 provides the theoretical background for the study. Chapter 2 is the main part of the study including the context of the study, the subjects, and the data collection methods and data collection procedure. Also in this chapter, the data will be analyzed and the findings will reveal teachers and students difficulties in teaching and learning vocabulary in the textbook English for Food Production Staff for the second year students of pre-intermediate level at Hanoi Tourism College. On the basis of these findings, the way of teaching and learning cookery vocabulary will be suggested. Part 3: Conclusion: This part offers a summary of the research and some suggestions for further study.

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1. An overview of ESP 1.1.1. Definitions of ESP

Hutchinson and Waters (1987:19) define ESP as an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learners reason for learning. As an approach to language teaching, ESP is directed by specific and apparent learner need. According to Munby (1978: 2), "ESP courses are those where the syllabus and materials are determined in all essentials by the prior analysis of the communication needs of the learner". And Robinson (1991: 3), also emphasizes the students' needs element of ESP when discussing the criteria to ESP: " An ESP course is based on a needs analysis, which aims to specify as closely as possible what exactly it is that students have to do through the medium of English".

1.1.2.

Classification of ESP

There are many types of ESP which are classified in different ways. Traditionally, ESP has been conveniently divided into two main types differentiated according to whether the learner requires English for academy study: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) or for work training: English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). 1.1.3. Characteristics of ESP

Absolute characteristics: ESP is designed to meet specific needs of learners; ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the disciplines it serves; ESP is centered on the language (grammar, lexis, and register), skills, discourse and

genres appropriate to these activities. Variable characteristics: ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines; ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of general

English; ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at tertiary level institution or in a

professional work situation. IT could, however, be used for learners at secondary school levels; ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students. Most ESP courses

assume basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used with beginners. The absolute and variable characteristics of ESP determine what ESP is and what ESP is not. ESP should be seen simple as an 'approach' to teaching, based on analysis of learner needs and their own personal specialist knowledge of using English for real communication. 1.1.4. Problems of ESP teachers

Robinson (1980:83) supposed that the problems of ESP teachers are lack of sufficient preparation time, lack of personal and professional contact with subject teachers, and the content may be very specific indeed, requiring a high degree knowledge and skill from teachers.

Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters (1987:158) focus on three problems for ESP teachers: the lack of an ESP orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide, the new realms of knowledge the ESP teacher has to cope with, the change in the status of ELT. 1.2. ESP vocabulary 1.2.1. Definitions of vocabulary According to Penny Ur, (1996: 60) vocabulary is defined as the words we teach in the foreign language. He accepted a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two or three words and multi-word idioms. According to Michael Lewis (1993:89), vocabulary may be individual words, or full sentences institutionalized utterances that convey for social or pragmatic meaning within a given community. 1.2.2. Kinds of ESP vocabulary Technical= lexis only really used in the specialism (e.g. TVP, alternator)

Semi-technical= general lexis that has a higher frequency in the specialism, sometimes with a specific or changed meaning (e.g. bug) Enabling= general lexis that occurs frequently in the specialism with no change of meaning, helping to bind discourse together (often verbs like produce, cause, or generate). 1.2.3 Selection of vocabulary for teaching 1.2.3.1. Word lists at an early stage As a matter of fact, word lists not only help teachers to select the words worth attention and teaching but also enable learners to have a systematic study of academic words they need for academic purposes. 1.2.3.2. Awareness of criteria in selection Frequency Range Language needs Availability and familiarity Coverage Regularity Learner ability 1.2.3.3. The use of concordances The use of concordances can challenge the learners to actively construct generalizations, note-patterns and exceptions (Nation, 2011: 111)

1.3.

What should be taught in teaching vocabulary

According to Penny Ur (1996), to teach vocabulary, learners need to know these elements: pronunciation and spelling, word form, grammar, collocation, aspects of meaning, wordformation need to be taught. 1.4. Teaching and learning vocabulary items 1.4.1. Techniques used in the presentation of new vocabulary items 1.4.1.1. Visual techniques 1.4.1.2. Verbal techniques 1.4.1.3. Translation 1.4.2. Techniques in practising new words

According to Joseph Pettigrew (2005), many different tips and techniques of practising vocabulary were introduced such as matching, synonyms/opposites, filling the blank sentences, completing the phrases/ sentences. Moreover, teachers give the example and students give the category or vice versa, correct the mistakes, label a picture, cross out the word that doesn't belong with the others in group, arrange the words on a scale and complete the definition. Fun and games are very useful to motivate students as crosswords, puzzles, category games. 1.4.3. Independent learning strategies

CHAPTER 2: THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1. Context of study At HTC, English is compulsory for all kinds of students from different majors. The English course is divided into two parts: general English and ESP. The course for pre-intermediate students lasts 2 years. In first two terms, students practice English in the textbook LifelineElementary by Tom Hutchinson, Oxford University Press, copyrighted by Information Culture Press. In the next two terms, ESP is chosen for students to upgrade their major in English. The textbook English for Food Production Staff was compiled by the teachers of English in the faculty of Foreign Languages for Tourism, HTC in 90 periods. 2.2. Description of the subjects

At the time this study was carried out, the total of 50 students were chosen from K13D3. All of them were the second year students specialized in food production management at preintermediate level at HTC. There were 35 male and 15 female students. This class was selected at random among four classes. In addition, four teachers of HTC were interviewed so as to achieve the aims of this research.. 2.3. Descriptions of data collection instruments Questionnaire The set of survey questionnaire for students was administered to get information related to students common difficulties in learning English vocabulary for cookery, their attitude toward vocabulary learning of cookery and teaching methods and techniques used by teachers they would prefer. Interview Interview was organized to find out teachers attitude towards teaching vocabulary for cookery, their difficulties they had to face in the process of teaching English vocabulary for cookery and solutions to overcome the difficulties 2.4. Data collection procedure Both questionnaire and interview were carried out at short break or after lessons in the classroom. The interviews with four teachers of ESP were recorded for later reference.

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND SOME SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL AT HANOI TOURISM COLLEGE 3.1. Findings 3.1.1. Teachers difficulties

3.1.1.1. The lack of specialized knowledge There were numerous terms, complicated structures and countless expressions in English related to the major while the teachers of English for Food Production were all the teachers of GE. They had not been trained as such. They were unexpectedly required to teach a subject which was a new environment and unfamiliar with them.

10

3.1.1.2. The lack of various teaching techniques The most used teaching technique was translation, which was not stimulating but rather boring and depressing. 3.1.2. Students difficulties 3.1.2.1. Ways of learning vocabulary From the survey, it shows that the students did not have proper English vocabulary learning strategies. They often had a traditional habit of learning by heart such as writing the words in English and their Vietnamese equivalence many times or reading them aloud repeatedly. 3.1.2.2. Level of students The students background of English in the same class was different. 3.1.2.3. Lack of motivation More importantly, students were not motivated in learning English. Almost of them did not have a habit of self-study. 3.1.2.4. Lack of vocabulary The students did not have much vocabulary even though they had good knowledge of FP in Vietnamese; therefore, they had difficulties in understanding the text. 3.1.3. Vocabulary itself When learning English vocabulary, the learners often met difficulties in pronunciation. 3.1.4. Others 3.1.4.1. Large classes Large classes were referred to be one of the principle constraints on their teaching vocabulary to the students. In HTC, each class usually contained from 45 to 50 students. 3.1.4.2. Teaching aids and reference materials The equipment in the class room was very simple and traditional such as boards, chalk, cassette players, tapes and textbooks. Beside, in the schools small library, it was lack of reference materials, especially the useful ones during the process of teaching. 3.2. Suggested solutions 3.2.1. Improving specialized knowledge for ESP teachers

11

The solution is teachers should find out the sources of the subject specialism they are teaching. Some possibilities are internet searches and professional journals, subject course books, either in English or L1, subject teacher colleagues, teachers book of ESP course books, and last but not least, the students themselves. 3.2.2. Improving teachers teaching vocabulary 3.2.2.1. At the presentation stage Teacher should use photographs, paintings or pictures to present the meanings of difficult words, especially, the words that the students have never heard of or seen before, even in their language. 3.2.2.2. At the practice stage Learning through playing games can help to consolidate a students knowledge. The memory is stimulated in a fun way and the words become embedded in the student mind much more easily than if words are listed and simply repeated by drilling. 3.2.2.3. At the production stage Students can work in pairs or in groups. For speaking tasks, teachers should design in interesting and useful ways and students talk and use the new words they have just learned such as role-play, problem solving, discussion or information gap, and so on. 3.2.3. Encourage students to develop their self-study to become active learners 3.2.3.1. Guessing words from the context 3.2.3.2. Learning words in groups 3.2.4. Equipping teaching facilities It is necessary to equip the classroom with visual aids such as over-head projectors, computers, flip charts, posters beside board, cassette player, course book, or chalk so that the lectures become more effective. Moreover, the library needs equipping with plenty of reference book on ESP written in both Vietnamese and English.

PART 3: CONCLUSION
1. Summary of the study 2. Limitations and suggestions for further study

12

The research could not cover other problems related to grammar or language skills. In addition, the subjects of the study were limited. Besides, the researcher was short of experience in teaching in this field and of the specialized knowledge. Hence, the suggestions made by the author were likely to be a bit subjective. Lastly, due to the shortage of time, the study could not deal with other factors that might relate to the learners vocabulary learning such as learners general intelligence, personal feeling, language aptitude and so on. All of the above would serve for further study which helps students majoring in cookery at HTC learn vocabulary of their profession effectively.

REFERENCES 1. Allen, V.F. (1983), Techniques in Teaching Vocabulary. Oxford University Press.
2. Bennett, N. (1997). Teaching through Play: Teachers Thinking and Classroom Practice. Buckingham. 3. Carrier, M. (1980). Take 5: Games and Activities for the Language Learner. London: Nelson. 4. 5. Carter, D. (1983). Some Propositions about ESP. The ESP Journal, 2, 131-137 Doff, A. (1988), Teaching English: A Training Course for Teachers. Cambridge University Press. 6. Dudley-Evans, T.& St John M.J. (1997). Development in English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 7. Gairns, R. and S. Redman. (1999). Working with Words: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 8. Howard-Williams, D. (1989). Word games with English plus, Graded games and puzzles for practicing your English vocabulary. London Heinemann Educational. 9. Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes. University Press. 10. Jordan, R.R. (1997). English for Academic Purpose: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge

13

11. Johns, A., & Dudley-Evans, T. (1991). English for Specific Purposes: International in Scope, Specific in Purpose. TESOL Quarterly, 25, 297-314. 12. Martin, I. (1992). An Invitation to ESP. Singapore. 13. McDonough, J. & McDonough, S. (1997). Research methods for English language teachers. London: Arnold Nation, P. (1994). New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary. Bloomington: Pantagraph Printing. 14. Munby J. (1978).Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. 15. Nunan, D. (1992). Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 16. Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies. What every Teacher Should Know. Boston: Heinle Publishers. 17. Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T.S. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 18. Stevens, D. (1980). Functional Englishes (ESP). Teaching English as an International Language: From Practice to Principles. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 19. Taylor, L. (1990). Teaching and learning Vocabulary. New Your: Prentice Hall. 20. Trn, T.C. (2007). A Study on How to Improve the Teaching of Vocabulary in Water Resources to the Second Year Students at Water Resources University. Unpublished M.A Minor Thesis. 21. Ur, P. (1981). Discussion that works. Task-centred fluency practice. Cambridge University Press. 22. Widdowson, H.G. (1982). Learning Purpose and Language use. OUP. 23. Wilkins, D.A. (1972). Linguistics in Language Teaching London. Edward Arnold. 24. Wright, A. (1987), Principles of Teaching. Cambridge University Press. 25. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/vocabulary/collocation2.html 26. http://arts-humanities.cant.ac.uk/language-studies SEAMEO Regional Language Centre

14