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УДК: 372.881.111.1 ГРНТИ: 14.35.09 DOI: 10.32415/jscientia.2019.02.06
EFFECTIVE VOCABULARY TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
A. G. Khamitova, A. M. Mukhtarkhanova, A. E. Zarkesheva
L. N. Gumilyev Eurasian National University 2 Satpaev St., 010008 Astana, Kazakhstan
S3 Khamitiva Ardak - ardak.khamitova@gmail.com
Communicating in a foreign language is impossible without mastering vocabulary. It is of special importance in English for Specific Purposes (further ESP) courses as requirements of modern realities in Kazakhstan force experts to know enough ESP vocabulary to be able to demonstrate their knowledge in their professional sphere. Since vocabulary plays such an important role in ESP courses it is essential to determine what strategies ensure effective teaching and learning it in specific groups of learners. This paper presents results of a study held on vocabulary teaching and learning strategies employed by ESP teachers and learners at L.N. Gumilyev Eurasian national university (further ENU) in Astana, Kazakhstan. An open-ended questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were conducted among 20 ESP teachers and 48 ESP students of L.N. Gumilyev ENU. The questions elicit not only teachers' vocabulary teaching experiences and opinions about the most effective vocabulary teaching approaches but also the reasons for students' vocabulary learning and using problems. During the interview students described their preferred vocabulary learning styles and confirmed the importance of learning vocabulary in ESP. The study determined the most effective ESP vocabulary teaching and learning strategies for teachers to use at L.N. Gumilyev Eurasian National University.
Keywords: ESP vocabulary teaching and learning, vocabulary teaching strategies, vocabulary learning styles, categories of ESP vocabulary, categories of vocabulary teaching techniques.
ЭФФЕКТИВНЫЕ СТРАТЕГИИ ОБУЧЕНИЯ ЛЕКСИКЕ И ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ЕЕ НА ЗАНЯТИЯХ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА В ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫХ ЦЕЛЯХ
А. Г. Хамитова, А. М. Мухтарханова, А. Е. Заркешова
Евразийский национальный университет им. Л.Н. Гумилева Казахстан, 010008 г. Астана, ул. Сатпаева, 2
ЕЗ Хамитова Ардак Газизовна - ardak.khamitova@gmail.com
Общение на иностранном языке немыслимо без владения лексикой. Особое значение в преподавании ПОИЯ (профессионально-ориентированный иностранный язык) в свете требований современных реалий Казахстана отводится владению вокабуляром/лексикой, чтобы специалисты могли использовать иностранный язык, демонстрировать знания и умения в профессиональных целях. В связи с этим, значимая роль отводится лексике при преподавании данного предмета, так как важно определить какие стратегии обеспечивают эффективное обучение лексике и овладение ею студентами в преподавании ПОИЯ. В данной статье описаны результаты исследования стратегий и приемов, которые используются при обучении вокабуляру преподавателями на занятиях ПОИЯ и при изучении его студентами Евразийского национального университета им. Л.Н. Гумилева, г. Астана, Казахстан. С этой целью проведены анкетирование и полуструктурированное интервью среди 20 преподавателей и 48 студентов названного университета. Вопросы, предложенные в анкетировании и интервью, затрагивают не только разные методы обучения лексике, а также мнения преподавателей о наиболее эффективных подходах к обучению вокабуляра и о значимости новых подходов для студентов в решении проблем с изучением новой лексики. Во время интервью студенты описывали свои предпочитаемые методы изучения новых слов и подтвердили важность изучения лексики на занятиях ПОИЯ. Исследование выявило самые эффективные стратегии обучения лексике преподавателями и приемы изучения нового вокабуляра студентами ЕНУ им. Л.Н. Гумилева.
Ключевые слова: обучение лексике и изучение ее в профессиональных целях, стратегии обучения лексике, стили изучения лексики, категории профессионального вокабуляра, категории приемов обучения лексике.
Introduction. It goes without saying that it is problematic for a specialist to communicate in a foreign language unless one masters enough vocabulary in the field of one's specialty. Aside from this, it is of great importance to be accepted in one's professional sphere and "to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions" [1]. "No matter how well the student learns grammar, no matter how successfully the sounds L2 are mastered, without words to express a wide range of meanings, communication in an L2 just cannot happen in any meaningful way" [2, p. 8]. Effective vocabulary teaching helps develop future specialists' communicative competence. "Vocabulary plays a crucial role in language fluency development and language building" [3, p. 291]. "Vocabulary is a core component of language
proficiency and provides much of the basis for how well learners speak, listen, read, and write" [4, p. 255]. Thus, "effective ESP vocabulary teaching plays a crucial role in successfully implementing ESP programs." [5, p. 176].
Background. L.N. Gumilyev Eurasian National University in Astana is an academic higher educational establishment, training experts in more than 70 specializations; 57% of these fields are technical and technological ones such as mechanics, computer modeling, space techniques and technology, construction, information technology, etc., and science-based fields like biotechnology, chemistry, nuclear physics and others. Foreign Language for Specific Purposes is taught after the Foreign Language course, which is a comprehensive discipline where students are meant to master 800-1000
words in addition to ones which had been gained during secondary education [6, p.7]. Besides, the university conducts international cooperation by virtue of 130 agreements with foreign institutions, according to which students may study abroad on student exchange programs. Needless to say, the students have to be able to speak a foreign language in their professional sphere not only for academic purposes but also for job-related ones:
"In this regard requirements in teaching a foreign language in higher educational establishments have increased. Future specialists are expected to possess colloquial speech in the professional sphere as well as in everyday life. Development of a competence of this kind is a complicated and time-consuming process in traditional teaching at non-language departments. Moreover an insufficient amount of time is allocated for studying a foreign language at non-language departments, there is no entrance exam on the subject, and the most of students have a low level of it." [7, p. 41].
Earlier English for Specific Purposes (further ESP) teachers devoted too little time to teaching vocabulary in the classroom. They taught isolated words on a vocabulary list, had students translate them into the L1, or students learnt vocabulary taken independently from glossaries. Not all the students were the same, however. Only a few of them benefited from this kind of learning vocabulary; for others, it was an overwhelming challenge. Many students had difficulty communicating due to the lack of specialty vocabulary. "ESP vocabulary always presents a major linguistic obstacle to nonnative English-speaking students" [5, p. 179].
Over the previous decade educators have recognized the importance of devoting more time to vocabulary teaching and learning in the classroom. Methods and textbooks have changed and have become more innovative. ESP teachers have started to pay more attention to vocabulary teaching and learning strategies to exploit precious classroom time efficiently. Most importantly, they have scrutinized the research on what sorts of words the ESP vocabulary should comprise. Nation & Meara assert that the choice of vocabulary to focus on is a function of two major considerations, namely the needs of learners and the usefulness of the vocabulary items [8, p. 21]. Jordan suggests that the question of which vocabulary to teach/learn is a crucial one, which should be addressed prior to any consideration vis-à-vis how to teach/ learn vocabulary effectively [9].
Literature Review. ESP vocabulary is presented in research literature with different names, e.g. specialized, technical, semi-technical and others. According to Coxhead, specialized words are expected to belong to a particular subject area at university or to a professional discipline [10, p. 117]. People outside of that academic or professional sphere might have some knowledge of this vocabulary, but the people inside these areas of language use are expected to be able to understand and use this language fluently. Thus, the vocabulary selection should be focused on learners' needs based on their fields of study.
In order to achieve good results in ESP vocabulary learning and usage (both general and technical), it is vital for both learners and teachers to be aware of learning and teaching strategies. The main source of current vocabulary is ESP texts. Nation distinguishes the following types of words occurring in texts:
1. High-Frequency words, including many content words, e.g., state, product, present, probation, horizon, division;
2. Academic words, including many words that are common in different kinds of academic texts, e.g., practice, activity, needs;
3. Technical words, which are closely related to the topic and subject area (words from the field of agriculture, techniques etc.) in the text, e.g., bolt, screw, anchor, stud, tire;
4. Low-Frequency words, which include words like bucolic, aerate, stamina, tract [11].
Dudley-Evans & St John suggest two categories of ESP vocabulary: general vocabulary with higher frequency in a specific field and general English words with specific meaning in a particular field [12]:
Type of vocabulary Examples
General vocabulary that have a higher frequency in a specific area Academic: sphere, strategy, acknowledge, relevant, style Tourism: reception, destination, attraction
General English words that have a specific meaning in a particular area Caps lock, shift in computer science, kinematics, spectral analysis, friction in physics, stress and strain in mechanics and engineering, etc.
Students can become better learners if they are taught various vocabulary-learning strategies and techniques. They should be able to choose the most effective strategy for themselves from several kinds of approaches. The first developer of vocabulary learning strategies, Nation, and his colleague Newton assert that vocabulary-learning strategies should: involve choice, i.e., there are several strategies to choose from; be complex, i.e., there are several steps to learn; require knowledge and benefit from training; and increase the efficiency of vocabulary learning and vocabulary use [13]. Therefore, some of the possible vocabulary learning strategies that can be used in teaching ESP vocabulary are the following: learning synonyms/ antonyms; learning words by categories; learning words by topic; learning by word families; and learning through use of vocabulary cards. Having analyzed vocabulary teaching techniques, Oxford & Crookall suggest four categories:
1. de-contextualising: word lists, flashcards, and dictionary use;
2. semi-contextualising: word grouping, association, visual imagery, aural imaginary, keyword, physical response, physical sensation, and semantic mapping;
3. fully contextualising: reading, listening, speaking, and writing;
4. adaptable: structured reviewing [14].
Researchers (Li, 2010; Horwitz, 1999; Oxford, 1994) point out that vocabulary learning is influenced by factors such as beliefs, cultural background and task types. That's why vocabulary teaching methods differ depending on cultural context and learning content [15, 16, 17].
Method. The researchers held an empirical investigation on the use of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies. Participants were offered questions to determine what strategies are exploited, and what strategies they considered to be the most helpful. Since not all textbooks used in ESP classes provide assignments to manipulate vocabulary, the main aim of this study is to prioritize the most effective vocabulary teaching and learning strategies for tertiary students.
Participants. Participants were 20 ESP teachers and 48 ESP students of L.N. Gumilyev Eurasian National University in
Astana, Kazakhstan. The teachers work at different faculties; 4 of them teach English for Mechanics, 2 teach English for Space Techniques and Technology, 6 teach English for Economics, 5 teach English for Construction, and 3 teach English for Biotechnology. Students (18-21 years old) with different language-learning experience also were selected from various majors, including Information Technologies (14 students), Chemistry (12 students), Social studies (12 students) and Nuclear Physics (10 students). The ESP teachers were offered a questionnaire containing 10 questions, and the students were interviewed by researchers.
Materials. The materials were an open-ended questionnaire for ESP teachers 10 questions long and semi-structured interview 5 questions long for ESP students. Materials were developed by researchers; the questions for teachers were chosen in regard to the goals of the study. Namely, researchers wanted to: find teacher experiences teaching ESP vocabulary and identify their opinions concerning essential vocabulary teaching approaches; uncover the methods offered which encourage using new vocabulary in speaking and can motivate students to learn and use the vocabulary as often as possible; learn about the difficulties students face in learning and using ESP vocabulary; and help point to the types of strategies teachers might employ to address students' vocabulary learning challenges.
Open-ended background questions were selected for the interview, as these kinds of questions allow receiving in-depth information and categorizing the answers for analysis. The following questions were asked the ESP students during the interview:
1. What is the major you are doing?
2. In your opinion, how essential is learning ESP vocabulary?
3. How well are you doing at vocabulary learning in ESP classes?
4. Is it necessary to know vocabulary learning strategies?
5. What is your vocabulary learning style?
Procedures. The questionnaire for teachers was run online
with the help of the Socrative tool (www.socrative.com). This tool is convenient to use, as it allows respondents to answer at any time and in any place, and to use any gadget connected to the internet. Participating teachers were briefly explained the purpose of the questionnaire and how to complete it. Every participant was meant to spend at least 15 minutes on the questionnaire, because the questions needed some reflection. Over a three-day period, teachers answered the questions online. After that, researchers analyzed the answers.
The interview was conducted in three languages (Kazakh, Russian and English), depending on a student's preference, in university rooms after classes during a week-long period. Students' answers were written down. Each student spent 5-7 minutes for the interview.
Ethical Issues in Inquiry. Participants of the research have confirmed their voluntary participation in the study and have been made aware that their answers could be the basis of a research article. They have granted permission for the evaluation data collected from the questionnaire and the interview to be published in the research article. Confidentiality about their answers has been guaranteed.
Results. The results of the study have demonstrated that the ESP teachers consider vocabulary teaching to be essential in ESP courses (100%). They claim that future experts should know as much vocabulary as possible in order to be able to understand readings, to understand and to communicate
in their professional sphere, and to write business letters. "Vocabulary enables us to interpret and to express. If you have a limited vocabulary, you will also have a limited vision and a limited future" [18]. 20% of textbooks used in ESP classes don't offer any vocabulary task, which is why teachers develop their own vocabulary teaching materials, although they can only commit limited and infrequent time to teaching vocabulary. There are generally 2-4 (and very rarely 5) vocabulary-related tasks involved in most textbooks; among them are tasks such as identifying the type of highlighted words in the text (noun, adjective, etc.), guessing the meaning from the context, matching words with correct meanings, completing sentences or texts with new words, making collocations, giving definitions, making mental maps, matching words with pictures, using words to describe photos, completing a crossword, word building, and using synonyms/antonyms. Some textbooks offer only a list of words after a text. Only 10% of textbooks currently being used offer a glossary. Participants are sure that using new words to describe an object or to make a story or a sentence help students master and use them in speaking (60%), and reading many ESP texts enriches students' vocabulary (55%). 50% of participants claim that the main reason students have difficulty learning and using vocabulary is the absence or shortage of an English-speaking home environment; students learn new words in class, but outside the class they don't have any opportunity to use them, so 90% of teachers consider that students should be given more vocabulary tasks to do independently. 35% of teachers state that the reason for students' vocabulary learning problems is ignorance of vocabulary manipulation by teachers in class. 15% of teachers blame themselves because they think some teachers are not confident, not creative and not experienced enough to use vocabulary teaching strategies. 80% of respondents conclude that using different vocabulary teaching/learning strategies motivates students to accomplish vocabulary tasks successfully.
Students agree that learning vocabulary is important in ESP; they think that it helps them better understand ESP texts when they read or listen to new words routinely. Only 13% of respondents are satisfied with the current state of their vocabulary learning and using. The remaining 87% of them confess that they need help in learning vocabulary. 67% of students express their wishes to know more about vocabulary learning strategies to be able to master words more proficiently. 25% of participants say that they should spend more time learning vocabulary; 8% of them think their vocabulary-learning problems are connected to their laziness. Students have definite vocabulary learning styles: putting vocabulary cards around to see them as often as possible (21%); writing new words in copybooks (17%); learning words in a sentence or a word combination, in a short conversation or a text (6%); associating foreign words with other words, sounds, images (10%); and repeating vocabulary from a list of words several times (46%). Nearly 80% of students who are not satisfied with their vocabulary learning use vocabulary lists or write the words in their copybooks, and those students who are doing well at vocabulary learning use the words in contexts or prefer cards.
According to the teachers' and students' responses the most effective strategies are as following:
- using new words to describe an object or to make a story or a sentence;
- using vocabulary games;
- giving definitions;
- learning words in a sentence, a word combination, a short conversation or a text;
- putting cards around to see them as often as possible. Conclusion. English for Specific Purposes is a challenging
subject for students at Eurasian National University. Due to the lack of a natural English-speaking environment, students are not always able to use their ESP knowledge in practice, as English is spoken mainly in class. When students face a real need in ESP at work place or job-related situations, they have challenges in speaking and understanding.
As Chen notes, ESP vocabulary teaching and learning is at the core of an effective ESP learning program [19, p. 237]. The results of the study have shown that many students of the
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This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the necessity of ESP vocabulary teaching and learning by ESP teachers. Developing special pedagogical techniques which can help students gain needed skills in mastering ESP vocabulary should be given a great deal of attention.
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Received 28.01.2019
