Using hyponymy to improve vocabulary retention for first-year undergraduates: An action research project at a college in Hanoi = Một nghiên cứu hành động về việc sử dụng hệ thống quan hệ thượng hạ vị để cải thiện khả năng ghi nhớ từ vựng cho sinh viên năm nhất tại một trường Cao đẳng ở Hà Nội

Tóm tắt

This study is conducted to investigate the effect of teaching vocabulary through hyponymy on first-year undergraduates’ vocabulary retention. This study uses a combination of methods, including information from a questionnaire, an interview, a post-test, and a pre-test. The tests and questionnaire were completed by forty first-year students who had just completed their first semester. The interviews featured five students chosen at random. The post-test results were significantly better than the pre-test results, demonstrating the beneficial effects of the hyponymy-based strategy on improving the students' vocabulary retention. Additionally, the interview and questionnaire emphasized the advantages of using the hyponymy-based method in the classroom, stressing its effectiveness and user-friendliness. For educators looking to enhance their students' vocabulary retetion, these findings offer insightful information. Then, based on the conclusions, several practical suggestions about effective teaching strategies would be recommended to help undergraduates overcome the problem of vocabulary retention so that they can improve their ability in using vocabulary in speaking and writing tasks.