THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH

411279223202203 - RESEARCH METHODS

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A study on difficulties when learning vocabulary in speaking skills

by the second-year students at University Foreign Language Studies,
the University of Da Nang.

Class: [PPNCKH-03]

Group: [8]

Group members: 4
 THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH

411279223202203 - RESEARCH METHODS

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A study on difficulties when learning vocabulary in speaking skills by the

second-year students at University Foreign Language Studies, the University
of Da Nang.

Word count: words

We declare that this submission is wholly our own work.

Class: PPNCKH

Group:8

Group members:4
1 Introduction

1.1 Rationale

-Vocabulary plays an indispensable role in building topics in speaking skills.

According to Nunan (2002) the term vocabulary covers as lexis, phrasal words,
idiomatic words and so forth. It is important to have knowledge and sufficient
amount of words in any language. Wu (2009) states that vocabulary is a list of
words, usually in alphabetic order end with explanation of meaning. According to
Brumfit (2001) "English is an international language and the most popular means
of international communication. Without enough vocabulary, people cannot
communicate and express their emotions in both spoken and written forms write
effectively. Ur (1996) supports the view that vocabulary is one of the important
things that need to be taught when learning a foreign language because it would be
impossible to speak without a variety of words.

- Ma (2009) argues that learning vocabulary is not an easier process. It creates

certain challenges to be competent in acquiring a second language.The difficulties
in learning English vocabulary such as short term memory, ineffective reading
skills, lack of practices, and irrelevant strategies may cause certain difficulties to
students while learning English vocabulary. These difficulties have ultimately
negative effects on students’ academic performances when they remain to fail in
attempting examination papers or participating in any international or national
competitions. Thus, the study intends to focus on the difficulties in learning
English vocabulary faced by college students. This research was conducted to learn
about the difficulties in learning vocabulary in speaking skills that second-year
students at Da Nang University of Foreign Languages encounter and effective
methods for learning vocabulary.

- This research is considered very important in solving difficulties when learning

vocabulary in speaking skill. Ur (1996) supports the view that vocabulary is one of
the important things that need to be taught when learning a foreign language
because it would be impossible to speak without a variety of words. Especially for
students at Da Nang University of Foreign Languages, they need to clearly
understand and apply vocabulary learning methods well to be able to improve their
English learning skills through this research.
 1.2 Aims and objectives

This study aims to investigate the difficulties of second-year students face while
picking up new vocabulary and applying it to speaking skills and the causes that
lead to the above. As a result, the study proposed ways to help students learn a
large vocabulary and apply it to speaking skills.

The objectives of this study are:

- to find out the difficulties of UFL students in learning vocabulary in speech

skills. So students can speak fluently and present their right thoughts to their
listeners.
- to contribute to the attraction and memorization of students. Students who
feel supported in overcoming language challenges may be more likely to
remain motivated and persistent in their language learning.
- Addressing vocabulary-related challenges in speech skills can have a
positive impact on student success. Students who feel confident in their
language skills are more likely to be academically persistent.
- To Improve vocabulary skills in speech contributes to improving overall
communication skills. This study may highlight specific linguistic or cultural
factors that affect a student's verbal expressiveness.

1.3 Research questions:

1. What are the difficulties when learning vocabulary in speaking skills

encountered by the second-year students of the English Faculty at UFLS?

2. What are the reasons for the difficulties when learning vocabulary in speaking
skills encountered by the second-year students of the English Faculty at UFLS?

3.What are some suggested solutions for the students to avoid the difficulties?

4. What are the effects of overcoming difficulties in vocabulary learning in

speaking skills?
 2. Literature review

2.1. Theoretical background

2.1.1 What is the definition of vocabulary?

When we want to learn a new language, we often start by learning the vocabulary
of that language. Vocabulary can be defined in many different ways. According to
Richards and Renandya (2002), vocabulary is a core component of language
proficiency and provides much of the basis for learners to speak, listen, read, and
write. Without a rich vocabulary and strategies for acquiring new vocabulary,
learners often fail to achieve their goals and may become discouraged.

According to another definition by Hatch and Brown (1995), they say that
vocabulary refers to a list or set of words for a particular language or set of words
that speakers of that language can use and Brown also asserts that vocabulary is the
only system concerned with alphabetical order.

According to Richard in Schmitt (1997) also states that knowing a word meaning
knowing how often it occurs, its appropriateness in different situations, its syntatic
behavior, its underlying form and derivations, its word associations, and its
semantic features. For example, from address in the first case: "I can give you the
address of a good attorney". it acts as a noun then its meaning is "địa chỉ". also for
this case "We’ll address that question at the next meeting". it acts as a verb,
meaning "giải quyết".

2.1.2 What are the difficulties in using and learning vocabulary in speaking
skills?

According to Tiara.Ardilla.Tama (2017), students struggle with confidence, fear

of mistakes, and anxiety while speaking English. They struggle with pronunciation,
vocabulary, and sentence completion. They desire to speak like native speakers but
struggle with pronunciation and grammar. They express a desire to improve their
English skills.

According to Schmitt (2002), several variables impede college students' ability to

learn English vocabulary. The study examined how some pupils struggle to learn
English vocabulary due to specific challenges. For example, most participants have
a short-term memory difficulty, which causes them to struggle to position words.
One word has multiple meanings and pragmatics. It is difficult for students to
understand different meanings of a single word. It demonstrates students'
incompetence and lack of expertise in memorizing a large number of words with
conceptual meaning. Because of the length of the words, all participants struggle
with spelling and pronunciation.

Participants face difficulties in understanding certain words due to their lack of

knowledge about them. They rely on bilingual dictionaries for specific meanings,
but these dictionaries may not provide exact meanings. Words have different
meanings in different contexts, and students often take meanings based on their
little knowledge. Some students only remember a few meanings, negatively
impacting their academic reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
Thornbury (2002) suggests that while a learner can convey a message with little
grammar, without words, nothing can be conveyed. Therefore, students must be
skillful in all four main skills to succeed in education.

2.2. Literature review

3. Research design

3.1 Population and Sample

This research was a descriptive qualitative method, implementing characteristics of

a case study in which the writer investigated the student's difficulties when using
vocabulary in speaking skills. The data collecting technique used in this research
was questionnaires. The research will include English-majored students at the
University of Foreign Language Studies-University of Danang. In this study, 20
participants who second-year students at UFLS. The researcher will need to make a
list of a population of students by name, and then number them in the list. The next
step, we will use the random method which is to use the random function of the
computer to select the population

3.2 Data collection:

 3.2.1 Instrument:

The instrument for this topic is a questionnaire titled "Second-Year Students'

Vocabulary Learning Difficulties in Speaking Skills Questionnaire". This
questionnaire aims to investigate the challenges encountered by second-year
students in learning vocabulary for speaking skills students at University Foreign
Language Studies, the University of Da Nang. It includes:

 Background Information: This section collects optional demographic

information like age, major, and native language.

 Instructions: This section explains how to answer the questions and

emphasizes honesty. Rating level of agreement with each statement on a
scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). There are no right or
wrong answers. Be honest based on your own experiences.

 Sections: The questionnaire is divided into three sections:

o Vocabulary Acquisition: This section focuses on difficulties students

face in learning new vocabulary words (memorization, pronunciation,
word forms, real-life application, feeling overwhelmed).

o Vocabulary Integration in Speaking: This section explores how

limited vocabulary hinders spoken communication (fear of using
incorrect words, difficulty finding the right word quickly,
paraphrasing, limited discussion topics, frustration due to unclear
expression).

o Learning Strategies: This section investigates the techniques

students use to improve their speaking vocabulary (flashcards, online
resources, active use in conversation, exposure through media,
discussions with peers or tutors).

 Open-Ended Questions: This section allows students to elaborate on their

experiences with three questions:

o Biggest challenges in learning vocabulary for speaking.

o Most helpful strategies for improving speaking vocabulary.

 o Suggestions for how university English classes can better support
vocabulary learning for speaking.

By using this questionnaire, researchers can gain valuable insights into the specific
difficulties students face and the strategies they find most effective. This
information can then be used to improve teaching methods and resources to better
support students in developing their speaking vocabulary.Especially, the researcher
will promise that the participants in this study are voluntary and all their
information will be kept confidential and used for the only purpose of research.

3.2.2 Collecting data:

In this research, we will design a questionnaire and then create a form on Google
Form software. As planned, we spread the link of the questionnaire to students
through Facebook and Gmail . This will be due to the fact that the information
collected from questionnaires will be readily processable and this way will help the
researcher apart from saving time.Through the online form, it will take 48 hours to
collect necessary data. During the collecting data process, we will have to consider
and evaluate information sources from participants to bring an exact result for the
study.

3.3 Reliability and validity

o Reliability

We will ask the same few questions to people connected on Facebook, Zalo or
another social networking platform to get results from respondents and compare
the answers to see if they are the same or not. We guarantee that our question list is
valid and trustworthy.

o Validity:

To ensure the validity of the study, we will discuss it with teacher who is lecturer
at the University of Foreign Languages - University of Da Nang, and review our
questionnaires to ensure their clarity and appropriateness. She will check that our
questionnaire has effectively captured the topic under investigation, to check the
questionnaire for confusing and leading questions. It is done to ensure that the
 words are used grammatically, the words are easy to understand, the sentences are
not cluttered and also applied properly can get good results from the research
paper. She were asked to rate their understanding and consistency of the questions
in the questionnaire and provide feedback. Therefore, the team will ensure the
appropriateness of the questionnaire and measure the goals it targets the students.

REFERENCES

APPENDIX / APPENDICE

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree

Learning Vocabulary

1. I find it difficult to remember

the meaning of new vocabulary

2. I often forget how to pronounce

new vocabulary words. (1 - 5)

3. Learning the different forms of

a word (e.g., verb tenses, noun
plurals) is confusing. (1 - 5)

4. I have trouble associating new

vocabulary words with real-life
situations. (1 - 5)

5. There are too many new

vocabulary words to learn, and
it feels overwhelming. (1 - 5)

Using Vocabulary in Speaking

 6. I hesitate to speak in English
because I'm afraid of using the
wrong vocabulary word. (1 - 5)

7. I find it difficult to think of the

right vocabulary word quickly
during conversation. (1 - 5)

8. I often have to paraphrase my

sentences because I don't know
the specific vocabulary word.
(1 - 5)

9. My limited vocabulary restricts

the topics I can discuss in
English. (1 - 5)
10.I feel frustrated when I can't
express myself clearly due to
lack of vocabulary. (1 - 5)
Learning Strategies

11. I find flashcards helpful for

memorizing new vocabulary
words. (1 - 5)
12.I use online resources (e.g.,
dictionaries, vocabulary apps)
to learn new words. (1 - 5)

13.I try to actively use new

vocabulary words in
conversation whenever
possible. (1 - 5)

14.I pay attention to how

vocabulary is used in movies,
TV shows, or music in English.
(1 - 5)
15.I discuss new vocabulary words
with classmates or practice
speaking with a tutor. (1 - 5)

Open-Ended Questions

16.What are the biggest challenges you face when learning vocabulary for
speaking?

17.What strategies have you found most helpful for improving your speaking
vocabulary?

18.Do you have any suggestions for how your English language classes at
university could better support you in learning vocabulary for speaking?