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The Influence of Collaboration on Attitudes Towards English Vocabulary Learning Sarah Rebecca Huffman Iowa State University

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The Influence of Collaboration on Attitudes Towards English Vocabulary Learning Sarah Rebecca Huffman Iowa State University Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2010 The influence of collaboration on attitudes towards English vocabulary learning Sarah Rebecca Huffman Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the Rhetoric and Composition Commons Recommended Citation Huffman, Sarah Rebecca, "The influence of collaboration on attitudes towards English vocabulary learning" (2010). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 11508. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/11508 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The influence of collaboration on attitudes towards English vocabulary learning by Sarah Huffman A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Major: Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics (Literacy in English as a Second Language) Program of Study Committee: John Levis, Major Professor Volker Hegelheimer Julio Rodriguez Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2010 Copyright © Sarah Huffman, 2010. All Rights Reserved. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................................................vii ABSTRACT...........................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem...............................................................................................1 Objective and Scope of the Study..................................................................................3 Research Questions........................................................................................................4 Structure of the Study....................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................6 The Role of Vocabulary in Second Language Acquisition...........................................6 Defining Vocabulary Knowledge: From receptive to active and beyond......................9 Issues in the Assessment of Vocabulary Knowledge..................................................13 Dominant Learning Models in Second Language Vocabulary Instruction.................18 Foundational Vocabulary Instruction Models.................................................19 Keyword Method.............................................................................................22 Depths of Processing Model............................................................................23 Deliberate Teaching of Vocabulary.................................................................24 Vocabulary Learning through Context............................................................25 iii Multimedia and Computer-Assisted Language Learning Approaches............27 Individual Learning Model..............................................................................29 The Collaborative Learning Model: Constructing shared understandings..................30 Learner Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Vocabulary Learning...........35 Learner Attitudes towards their L2..................................................................35 Learner Motivation to learn their L2...............................................................37 Learner Attitudes and Motivation in Vocabulary Learning.............................40 Collaborative Learning‘s Effect on Learner Attitudes and Motivation...........42 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................48 Participants...............................................................................................................................48 Materials..................................................................................................................................49 LanguageQuest Creation and Rationale.......................................................................49 Computer and the Internet...........................................................................................54 Language Learning Resources.....................................................................................55 Setting......................................................................................................................................57 Procedures................................................................................................................................58 Study Approval from IRB............................................................................................58 Gathering Participants..................................................................................................58 Pre-Test Procedures.....................................................................................................59 Task Procedures...........................................................................................................60 Post-Test Procedures....................................................................................................63 Analysis........................................................................................................................64 Research Question #1......................................................................................65 iv Research Question #2......................................................................................66 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.......................................................................70 Research Question #1..................................................................................................70 Quantitative Data Analysis..............................................................................70 Qualitative Data Analysis................................................................................73 Research Question #2..................................................................................................85 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION................................................................................................89 Implications..................................................................................................................89 Limitations...................................................................................................................93 Recommendations for Future Research.......................................................................97 APPENDIX A: PARTICIPANT PROFILE..........................................................................101 APPENDIX B: RECORD OF LANGUAGEQUEST TASKS..............................................102 APPENDIX C: PRE-TEST SURVEY...................................................................................104 APPENDIX D: LIST OF 75 VOCABULARY ITEMS SELECTED FOR PRE- TEST SURVEY...................................................................................................................105 APPENDIX E: VOCABULARY ITEMS SELECTED FOR LANGUAGE- QUESTS BY CLASS............................................................................................................108 APPENDIX F: SCREENSHOTS OF LANGUAGEQUEST ACTIVITY............................110 v APPENDIX G: LANGUAGEQUEST INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEARNERS......................114 APPENDIX H: POST-TEST SURVEY................................................................................117 APPENDIX I: PARTICIPANTS‘ RESPONSES TO LIKERT-SCALE QUESTIONS ABOUT LEARNER ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING..............................................................................................119 APPENDIX J: PARTICIPANTS‘ RESPONSES TO LIKERT-SCALE QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTIVATION TO LEARN ENGLISH VOCABULARY............120 APPENDIX K: PARTICIPANTS‘ COMPLETE RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING..........................121 APPENDIX L: PARTICIPANTS‘ COMPLETE RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ON MOTIVATION TO LEARN ENGLISH VOCABULARY............................................123 APPENDIX M: PARTICIPANTS‘ RESPONSES TO QUESTION ON PARTICIPATION IN DIVERGENT LEARNING STYLE.................................................125 APPENDIX N: PARTICIPANTS‘ RESPONSES TO QUESTION COMPARING DIVERGENT LEARNING STYLE‘S EFFECT ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING...........................................................................126 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................128 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................138 vi LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 2.1. Continua of Vocabulary Knowledge.................................................................11 FIGURE
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