THU DAU MOT UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

*************

TITLE
AN INVESTIGATION ON EFFECTIVENESS OF USING
FLASHCARDS TO TEACH ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO
KIDS AT UP ENGLISH CENTER

Student’s name Duong Diep Gia Linh

Student’s code 1722202010154
Class D17AVGD02
Course 2017-2021
Major English Language
Lecturer MA. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau
Binh Duong, November 2020

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ................................................................................................ 05

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................... 08

Abstract ......................................................................................................... 09

1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 10

2 Literature Review

2.1 Definition ......................................................................................... 12

2.2 Previous Study.................................................................................. 15

3 Research Methodology ............................................................................. 16

4 Finding & Discussion ............................................................................... 18

5 Conclusion & Recommendations .............................................................. 20

APPENDIX A Students’ Questionnaire ............................................................ 22

APPENDIX B Teachers’ Interview Questions .................................................. 24

References ..................................................................................................... 25

3
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
(none)

4
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1—The factors of flashcards

which make children enjoy learning English vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

5
LIST OF FIGURES
(none)

6
 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

STUDENT’S FULL NAME Dương Diệp Gia Linh

STUDENT’S ID 1722202010154

TITLE OF PAPER An investigation on effectiveness of using

flashcards to teach English vocabulary to
kids at UP English center.

I hereby confirm that I am the sole author of the paper presented. Where the work
of others has been consulted, this is duly acknowledged in the paper’s
bibliography. I have also not consulted any other unnamed online sources. All
verbatim or referential use of the sources named in the bibliography has been
specifically indicated in the text.

PLACE & DATE SIGNATURE

7
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To complete this research in the best way, I would like to appreciate all the
teachers in Faculty of Foreign Languages of all the help. I was given necessary
knowledge as a basis during learning process. That valuable knowledge is also a
valuable resource to help me complete this graduation thesis.

Additionally, I would like to appreciate my instructor, Ms. Nguyen Thi

Ngoc Chau for the wholehearted guidance and worthy contribution. Those
comments are not only helping me in implementing this study but also being my
experience in the future.

Finally, I would like to thank 10 teachers and 40 students at UP English

Center for all of their support. Thanks to that I could get the most accurate results
for my paper.

I strongly believe that if I did not receive all the mentioned support, I could not
complete my research.

Sincerely,
Linh
Duong Diep Gia Linh

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 ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study is to inverstigate how flashcards affect the teaching
English vocabulary for kids at UP English center. In other words, this research
was written to study how flashcards can improve English language acquisition
process of students—who are pre-teenagers and teenagers—during a period of
learning, as well as to analyze some advantages of using flashcards as a means to
teach English vocabulary to the abovementioned students.

In collecting the data, this research used documentary studying method,

qualitative method, surveying method by using questionnaire. It was realized
during one week by carrying out several interviews involving 10 different teachers
and a survey of 40 students from Grade 3 to Grade 5 at UP English Center.

The result showed that vocabulary mastery of children was enhanced after
they were taught by using flashcards, which means they could memorize and put
English vocabulary into use more easily. Hence, to make young students more
eager and cooperative in learning English vocabulary, flashcards are highly
recommended for teachers.

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1. INTRODUCTION

In contemporary society, English is considered as an indispensable means of

communication all over the world. English is used in most of areas to communicate.
Therefore, English learning as well as English teaching is crucial in modern life.

In Vietnam, English is taught as a foreign language. Students have learned

English since they were in primary school. They have to cover four basic skills,
namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. To develop these skills, students
must have some particular degree of vocabulary. According to Jack C. Richards
(Richards, 2001), one of important aspects in learning foreign language is
vocabulary. Moreover, according to Coady & Huckin (1997, p.5), “vocabulary is
central to language and of critical importance to the typical language learner”.
Hence, vocabulary learning and teaching are believed to be two of the most
significant elements of language education, especially in English—which means
that without a decent range of vocabulary people may be hindered to achieve
anything in verbal and written English communication.

Because of the importance of vocabulary mastery, educators working in

English education should find suitable methods to attract young learners. However,
vocabulary teaching and learning are seemed to be difficult problems to both
teachers and learners. Due to learning vocabulary in traditional ways—dictating
new words and memorizing them by heart—the amount of vocabulary left in their
brains after a lesson is about 20-30% (Wyner, 2014). From that, to make the
classroom more vivid and to help students have more motivation to learn
vocabulary, using supportive media as teaching aids is suggested and one of them
is flashcard utility. There are many reasons to use flashcards. As Wright (1990,
p.2) showed that flashcards are motivating and using them can boost the learners’
attention and involvement more effectively. By using lively, associate and colorful
flashcards, it will help the students to be more interested in lessons while it also
aids teachers in reaching certain teaching goals.

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Based on some previous evidence, the researcher is interested in analyzing the
effectiveness of using flashcards to teach English vocabulary—especially to kids.
The objectives of this research are to analyze the use of flashcards in teaching
vocabulary and to prove whether or not flashcards are effective to master lexical
range of the learners at UP English center. Through this paper, the answer will be
found by three following questions:

1. Do UP English Center teachers use flashcards to teach English vocabulary to kids?

2. Do flashcards motivate pre-teen and teenaged students at UP English Center in

learning and remembering English vocabulary?

3. Do flashcards really impact kids at UP English Center in learning English

vocabulary?

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 DEFINITION
Vocabulary
Vocabulary can be defined in various ways. Hornby (1995, p.1131) showed in
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English that vocabulary is a
total number of words in a language that is used by a person. Meanwhile, Ur (1996)
gave another definition of vocabulary. He stated that vocabulary is considered as
all the words taught in the foreign language. Also from Hatch and Brown’s view
(1995), vocabulary is introduced as a list or a set of words in a particular language;
or a list or a set of words that individuals use to communicate in a language. From
all above definitions, vocabulary is all the words which people use in a language
to communicate, express ideas to others, etc.

Importance of vocabulary
“If language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary
that provides the vital organs and the flesh” according to Harmer (1993) or
Cameron (2001) believes that vocabulary is central to the learning of language at
primary level to enrich students’ language. Thus, vocabulary is viewed as an
essential part in learning foreign language, especially international language like
English. Vocabulary help human catch up with international information all over
the world. Moreover, Wilkins (1972, p.111-112) expressed his own idea that “...
while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing
can be conveyed”. Based on Wilkins’s point of view , people are still able to
manage to communicate without grammar, however, not without vocabulary. With
some useful vocabulary and expressions, people can express their ideas to others
in different language. Due to the role of vocabulary, so learning English
vocabulary at the early age is an original premise to help primary learners master
English language for their purposes.

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Flashcards
Flashcards can be used as visual aids in teaching English vocabulary to young
learners. Halliwel (1992, p.41) states that flashcards are kinds of cards contain
pictures, words, instructions that are arranged in various combinations. Another
definition of Kasihani is that flashcards are cards measure A4 sized papers amount
to 30 to 50 cards and every card contains a picture and name of the picture . Related
to these points, Urbom (1998, p.94) describes that flashcards are cards with word
or words, numbers or a picture on it that you look at to help you learn or remember.
One more definition found on website: [Link]/wiki/Flashcard that
“Flashcard is a card bearing information on both sides, which is intended to be
used as an aid in memorization”. From some discussed points above, flashcards is
a set of cards with words, or numbers or pictures on them. Teachers use them as
visual teaching aids to support the learners memorize new vocabulary more easily.

Characteristics of young learners

In Vietnam, English is introduced in primary school; however; teaching and
learning a foreign language at the early age is not easy because of characteristics
of young learners. Young learners or kids is defined by Philips (1996, p.5) as
children from five or six years olds to eleven or twelve years of age. Teaching
primary learners is quite different from teaching adult learners. According to
Jeremy Harmer (1995), at the same time, children’s attetion or concerntration is
much less than adults. They are always curious, and they need motivation to
concerntrate, so that teaching young learners require various approaches to attract
them and make them be more interesting. Another point of view of Brumfit (1995,
p.33) stated that students at the early age need classroom atmosphere to be more
fun and interesting in their learning process. Also, Ytreberg stated that most
activitites for young learners should include movement and involve the senses.
From some characteristics explained above, teaching and learning process for
young students need to be more vivid and energetic. Teachers should use some
special techniques to create better atmosphere in classroom due to characteristics
of young learners are quite different from adult learners. Flashcards could be one
of techniques which are suitable for these characteristics of children.

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The advantages of flashcards
According to “Gardner’s Theory Of Multiple Intelligences”, there are multiple
intelligences in classroom. It means there are many types of learners in one class.
Hence, using flashcards as teaching aid brings a ton of benefits. And according to
Haycraft (1978, p.102) and Cross (1991, p.120), using flashcards in teaching and
learning language has a lot of following advantages:
1. Flashcards can be used for consolidating vocabulary.
2. Flashcards are motivating and eye-catching.
3. Flashcards are effective that can be used for any level students.
4. Flashcards can be taken almost everywhere and studied when are has free
moment.
5. Flashcards can be arranged to create logical grouping of the target words.
6. Flashcards are cost effective/inexpensive.
7. Flashcards provide visual link between their first language and the target
language.
8. Flashcards also can be used for practicing structure and word order or for a
variety of games.
From these points of view, it is easy to say that flashcards brings many benefits.
Flashcards are eye-catching, so they can increase attention and concerntration of
young learners. Furthermore, flashcards are flexible, the teachers can use in
anywhere and at anytime easily. Also, flashcards are seemed to be the cheapest
teaching aid, teachers are able to design their own ones.

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2.2 PREVIOUS STUDY
According to the research of Nugroho (2012) which conducted a survey on students’
English vocabulary improvement by using flashcards, he stated that English teachers
should opt for the appropriate teaching aids in teaching vocabulary, one of them was
flashcard because using flashcards to teach English vocabulary could improve
students’ vocabulary mastery. He said that after using flashcards, thestudents can
learn vocabulary more easily. The students were also active and enthusiastic during
learning process. Their score results improved as well. Therefore, English teachers
are supposed to use flashcards to teach their children.

Also, in the research “Teaching Vocabulary using Flashcards and Wordlist”,

Elsa recommended flashcards should be used to teach English vocabulary (Elsa,
2013). She proposed that students could memorize vocabulary more easily than
before. They were motivated to learn and understand English vocabulary as well after
they were taught by flashcards.

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3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH METHODS
To study this research, the writer of this paper use some following methods:
- Documentary studying method
Overview of studying documents, previous research project related to
effects on using flashcards to teach English vocabulary.

- Qualitative method
This study used interviewing tool to talk to the research subject who is
teaching at UP English Center. This will clarify the analysis better from the
observations or available data collection and add useful information to the
research for saving time, convenience and speed.

- Surveying method by using questionnaire

Surveying 40 random primary students from grade three to grade five from
5 classes in course 2020-2021 at UP English Center by quick questionnaire
about effectiveness of using flashcards to teach and learn English
vocabulary.

PARTICIPANTS
The participants in my research were 10 teachers and 40 students at UP English
Center, including 3 male teachers, 7 female teachers and 40 primary students from
Grade 3 to Grade 5 chosen randomly from 5 classes in course 2020-2021.

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DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
- Qualitative method
The interview was carried out with 10 teachers as teachers for kids
including 7 female teachers and 3 male teachers at UP English Center. They
were interviewed some questions related to issues such as numbers of years
they had spent teaching English to kids, the reason why they used or not
used flashcards to teach English vocabulary as well as their points of view
about effectiveness of teaching English vocabulary by using flashcards.

- Surveying method by using questionnaire

Questionnaire was designed for students and in order to help the students
understand clearly, all the questions were translated into Vietnamese. The
students were required complete the questionnaire in 15 minutes. The
answer sheets were collected after all of them had finished.

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4. FINDING & DISCUSSION

In this chapter, the researcher presented and analyzed the data which had been
collected by interviewing 10 teachers and surveying 40 random students from
grade three to grade five at UP English Center.

Data analysis from interview

The data collected after interviewing showed that all of teachers at UP English
Center were experienced in teaching English for kids because three out of ten
teachers had taught English to children more than five years, two of them had
taught from three to five years and the rest had taught from one to three years.

All of the teachers told that they always had difficulties when they taught
English vocabulary. This was concluded that teaching vocabulary for young
learners was difficult to all teachers whether they had a lot or less of experiences.

The teachers used various methods (nine of them chose direct translation,
nine of them chose flashcards, seven of them chose body language, five of them
chose real objects) to increase students’ interest in learning English vocabulary
because characteristics of young kids had shown in literature review.

Moreover, 90 percent of the teachers said that they used flashcards as one
of the top techniques when they taught children. They used flashcards in teaching
new vocabulary, reviewing and holding games with the ones. Only one teacher
expressed that she never used flashcards to teach kids before.

It is considered that flashcards are extremely helpful because most of the

teachers often used those to teach vocabulary to children (six of them said that)
and three of them told the writer that they sometimes used and one teacher had
ever used before.

When the teachers were asked about the classroom atmosphere while using
flashcards to teach English vocabulary to children, nine out of ten teachers said
that the atmosphere became more energetic and vivid. The young learners got
enthusiastic when they could learn new vocabulary actively. They also joined
learning activities in class more than before. Also, they could memorize
vocabulary well. On the other hand, the teacher who did not use flashcards in class
told that her classroom atmosphere was always boring. The students were always
in sleepy mood. They did not want to learn English vocabulary and they also could
not remember all the vocabulary more than two weeks.

18
 Nine out of ten teachers who had used to teach English vocabulary to
children before said that they would continue teaching the kids with this methods
dealing with the advantages of flashcards. And the remaining teacher told the
writer that she would try to use flashcards as teaching aids to observe the
differences.

Overall, the interview concluded that flashcards have positive effectiveness to

young students in learning English vocabulary and to teachers in teaching English
vocabulary to kids.

Data analysis from surveying

The factors of flashcards which make children enjoy learning English vocabulary

Table. 1
APPROVAL
DEGREE Totally Totally
disagree Disagree Neutral Agree
(Mức độ agree
đồng tình) (Hoàn toàn (Không (Không có ý
(Đồng ý) (Hoàn toàn
không đồng đồng ý) kiến)
FACTORS đồng ý)
ý)
(Yếu tố)

EASY TO MEMORIZE
(Dễ ghi nhớ)

EYE-CATCHING
(Bắt mắt)

ABLE TO PLAY GAMES

WITH FLASHCARDS
(Có thể chơi trò chơi với thẻ từ vựng)

BOOST ATTENTIVENESS
OF STUDENTS
(Tăng cường sự tập trung)

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5. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

In this chapter, the writer showed conclusion and several recommendations

dealing with the result of this study.

Conclusion
Based on the result collected by interview and surveying from both teachers and
students from UP English Center, the writer of this research strongly believe that
flashcards really affect kids in learning English vocabulary. Flashcards are
necessary teaching aids for children to master their vocabulary. The students tend
to high interest in learning vocabulary by using flashcards. Not only do the
children get active and enthusiastic when learning with flashcards, but they also
memorize English vocabulary more quickly and retain in longer time. Or it can be
concluded that flashcards motivate children’s interest in learning English
vocabulary.
In addition to help children improve their vocabulary mastery, flashcards
also support English teaching process to be more easily than before. When
flashcards are used, the teachers do not need to explain much, however the
students still understand meanings of the words. Flashcards make the teaching and
learning activities be more exciting such as when flashcards are used to organize
games.
In brief, students’ interest is one of the most essential elements to stimulate
students in learning English vocabulary. Hence, to attract the children, teachers
should opt for appropriate strategy, one of them is flashcards.

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Recommendations
The writer would like to give some suggestions related to teaching English
vocabulary by using flashcards for Thu Dau Mot University, teachers at UP
English as well as next-course students.
Firstly, to the Thu Dau Mot University and faculties in Thu Dau Mot
University, it is better to give students more time to complete the report in the best
ways. Also, the lecturer should always encourage and follow their students
carefully to help them write the scientific research. The lecturer and the students
should meet each other to discuss and fix students’ current process.
Secondly, to the teachers at UP English Center, the writer of this study have
some recommendations. Using necessary teaching aids such as flashcards while
teaching is important. Therefore, teachers should observe their students’
expression to choose suitable techniques. Additionally, flashcards are absolutely
helpful. Flashcards cannot only be used to teach English vocabulary, but teachers
can also use flashcards to hold different activities to teach grammar or any English
skills.
Finally, to the next-course students, this paper is a result of the writer’s serious
researching process. It is hoped that you could study widely this area in the future
and the result of this study could be used as reference in your research.

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APPENDIX A
STUDENTS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

This study was distributed to study your attitude towards learning English vocabulary by using
flashcards and its advantages in motivating and memorizing vocabulary. The following
questionnaire needs your support, please read it carefully and answer by your own
experiences. The results of this questionnaire are truly crucial for my research.
Please do it by your heart.

Q U ES T IO N 1 . Which grade are you in? (Bạn là học sinh lớp mấy?)

 Grade 3 (Lớp 3)  Grade 4 (Lớp 4)  Grade 5 (Lớp 5)

Q U ES T IO N 2 . How many years have you learned English?

(Bạn đã học tiếng Anh được bao nhiêu năm?)

 Less than 1 year (Dưới 1 năm)

 1-2 years (1-2 năm)

 More than 2 years (Trên 2 năm)

Q U ES T IO N 3 . Do you have difficulties in learning English vocabulary?

(Bạn có thấy khó khăn khi học từ vựng tiếng Anh không?)

 Have no difficulties (Không có khó khăn)

 Have a few of difficulties (Có ít khó khăn)
 Have some difficulties (Có vài khó khăn)
 Have a lot of difficulties (Có nhiều khó khăn)

Q U ES T IO N 4 . Which methods are you exposed in learning English vocabulary?

(Bạn đã được học từ vựng tiếng Anh bằng những phương pháp nào?)
(CÓ THỂ CHỌN NHIỀU ĐÁP ÁN)

 Translation (Dịch nghĩa trực tiếp)

 Real objects (Vật thật)
 Flashcards (Thẻ từ vựng)
 Body language (Ngôn ngữ cơ thể)
 Other ideas (Ý kiến khác) Write your ideas here (Viết ý kiến của bạn ở đây)
....................................................................................

Q U ES T IO N 5 . Have you learned English vocabulary by using FLASHCARDS?

(Bạn từng học từ vựng tiếng Anh bằng thẻ từ vựng chưa?)

 Yes (Rồi)  No (Chưa)

22
 How often are you taught English vocabulary by using
Q U ES T IO N 6 .
FLASHCARDS? (Bạn có thường được dạy từ vựng tiếng Anh bằng thẻ từ vựng không?)
 Never (Không bao giờ)
 Rarely (Hiếm khi)
 Sometimes (Thỉnh thoảng)
 Often (Thường xuyên)
 Always (Luôn luôn)

Q U ES T IO N 7 . Do you like learning new English vocabulary by FLASHCARDS?

(Bạn có thích học từ vựng tiếng Anh bằng thẻ từ vựng không?)

 Yes (Có)  No (Không)

Q U ES T IO N 8 . Why do you like learning through FLASHCARDS?

(Tại sao bạn thích học từ vựng tiếng Anh bằng thẻ từ vựng?)
(CÓ THỂ CHỌN NHIỀU ĐÁP ÁN)

 It’s easy for me to memorize new words (Dễ ghi nhớ từ mới)
 Flashcards are eye-catching (Thẻ từ vựng trông thu hút)
 I can play games with flashcards (Tôi có thể chơi trò chơi với thẻ từ vựng)
 Flashcards boost my attentiveness (Thẻ từ vựng tăng cường sự tập trung của tôi)

Using FLASHCARDS to learn English vocabulary is really

Q U ES T IO N 9 .
effective. (Sử dụng thẻ từ vựng để học từ vựng tiếng Anh thực sự có hiệu quả)
 Totally disagree (Hoàn toàn không đồng ý)
 Disagree (Không đồng ý)
 Neutral (Không có ý kiến)
 Agree (Đồng ý)
 Totally agree (Hoàn toàn đồng ý)

I want to continue learning English vocabulary with

Q U ES T IO N 1 0 .
FLASHCARDS. (Tôi muốn tiếp tục học từ vựng tiếng Anh với thẻ từ vựng)
 Totally disagree (Hoàn toàn không đồng ý)
 Disagree (Không đồng ý)
 Neutral (Không có ý kiến)
 Agree (Đồng ý)
 Totally agree (Hoàn toàn đồng ý)

THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE!

(CẢM ƠN BẠN ĐÃ THAM GIA KHẢO SÁT!)

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APPENDIX B
TEACHERS’ INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Q U ES T IO N 1 .
How long have you taught English to kids?

Q U ES T IO N 2 .
Do you have any difficulties in teaching English vocabulary to children?

Q U ES T IO N 3 .
Which methods do you use to teach English vocabulary to children?
Do your methods usually involve FLASHCARDS?

Q U ES T IO N 4 .
How often do you use FLASHCARDS to teach English vocabulary to kids?

Q U ES T IO N 5 .
While using FLASHCARDS to teach English vocabulary to children, which
other methods do you use alongside FLASHCARDS?
If you do, does it improve the utilization of FLASHCARDS or not?

Q U ES T IO N 6 .
How do you feel about classroom atmosphere when you use FLASHCARDS?

Q U ES T IO N 7 .
In the future, will you continue using FLASHCARDS to teach English
vocabulary to kids?

24
REFFERENCES
BOOKS
 Brumfit, C J Moon and Tongue, R. (1995). Teaching English to Children. New
York: Longman Group Ltd
 Cameron, L. (2011). Teaching Language to Young Learners. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
 Coady, James and Huckin, Thomas. (1997). Second Language Vocabulary
Acquisition. United States: Cambridge University Press.
 Cross, David. (1991). A Practical Handbook of Language Teaching. London:
Cassel.
 Elsa, Y. S. (2013). Teaching Vocabulary using Flashcards and Wordlist. Indonesia:
Indonesia University.
 Halliwel, S. (1992). Teaching English in the Primary Classroom. Harlow: Longman
 Harmer, J. (1993). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Essex: Longman
Group UK Limited.
 Harmer, J. 1991. The Practice of English language Teaching. Essex:
Longman.
 Hatch, E., & Brown. S. (1995). Vocabulary, Semantics, and Language Education. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
 Haycraft, Jhon. 1978. An Introduction to English Language Teaching. England:
Longman
 Hornby, A. (2004). Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English. Oxford
University Press
 Kasihani, K. E. S. 2007. English for Young Learners, Jakarta: PT. Bumi Aksara
 Nugroho, Y. S. 2012. Improving Students Vocabulary Mastery Using Flashcards.
Sebelas Maret University (UNS)
 Philps, S. 1996. Young Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press
 Richards, J. C. & R. T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching.
 Ur, P. (1996). A course in Language Teaching Practice and Theory. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge
 Wright, Andrew. (1990). Pictures for Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
 Wyner, Gabriel (2014). Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never
Forget It.
 Ytreberg, Lisbet H. Wendy A. Scott. 1998. Teaching English to Children.
Addison Wesley Longman Limited

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WEBSITES
Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Learning
by TESOL International Association
[Link]

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