Tishreen University

Language Institute

Using Content Videos to reduce Interlingual and Intralingual

Transfer of Vocabulary in an EFL Context:

A small - scale study on students in Mega Soft Institution

M.Ed. in Specification and Qualification in English Language Teaching

By: Lillian Isperdon

Supervised by: Dr. Dima Farhat

Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of M.Ed. in Specification and Qualification in English Language Teaching.

Tishreen University: Language Institute

Table of Content

1. Introduction

2. Keywords

3. The research problem

   1. The purpose of the study

   2. The objectives of the study

   3. The research questions

   4. The research questions

4. Literature Review

   1. Difficulty of teaching vocabulary in EFL contexts

   2. Use of videos to avoid interlingual and intralingual errors in terms of vocabulary

   3. Choice of videos: Content videos:

5. The proposed Methodology

   1. Research Design

   2. Context and Sampling

   3. Data Collection Methods

   4. Data Analysis

6. Issues of Trustworthiness

7. Research Constraints/ Limitations

8. Ethical considerations

9. Recommendations

10. Conclusion

11. Reference List

12. Appendences

1. Introduction:

Vocabulary learning is one of the major challenges foreign language learners face during the process of learning a language. Knowing a word is defined as knowing its spelling, pronunciation, collocations (i.e. words it co-occurs with), and appropriateness concerning its contextual use (Nation , 1990:33). During English language learning in in EFL contexts, there seems to be some interlingual or intralingual errors that learners commit while using vocabulary in their target language speech. This study seeks to present empirical data on the claim that using content videos inside the classroom can reduce interlingual and intralingual aspects of vocabulary transfer in the classroom. It draws on 3 studies including different students in intermediate and advanced proficiency level in English as well as a group of students learning English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (ESP). Throughout this paper, firstly, I will discuss the difficulties that students in an EFL context as Syria go through in learning vocabulary and the use of video to undermine the interlingual and intralingual errors. Seconly, I will review the literature discussing this topic. Thirdly, I will present the study context and the methods of obtaining information as well as the analysis of the results found.

2. Keywords:

Intralingual errors: The error of overgeneralizing the use of certain words are the result of faulty or partial learning of L2 and such errors.

Interlingual errors: Errors that result from language transfer and are caused by the learner's native language.

ESP: English for Specific Purposes.

EFL: English as a Foreign Language.

3. The research problem:

One of the problems that EFL learners face during the process of learning a language is learning vocabulary. Schmitt (2000:23) suggests that the term ‘word’ is not specific enough to cover the complexity of vocabulary and to capture different aspects of lexis. Factors such as what mother tongue a student has, levels of motivation and how much contact the learner has with the target language are all variables that affect the learning of vocabulary (ibid: 14.). Since learners are rarely exposed to any English input in the EFL Syrian context, (Gas and Selinker, 2008:102) shows that learners resort to literal translation of their mother tongue utterances (interlingual) or they overgeneralize the use of vocabulary in the wrong contexts (intralingual), thus making interlingual and intralingual errors. Based on small scale studies, this paper proposes that teachers should use additional realia (content videos) along with the traditional pen-and-paper method to help students in overcoming such errors by exposing them to comprehensible visual and auditory input that can help in representing new words visually and aurally in their actual contextual and enhance uptake for vocabulary through audio- visual channels.

1. The purpose of the study:

The purpose of the studies is to find out the influence of using content videos in minimizing interlingual or intralingual errors of vocabulary that EFL learners commit while using the target language.

2. The objectives of the study:

Throughout these studies, I want to explore the effects of using content videos inside the classroom on interlingual and intralingual aspects of vocabulary transfer.

3. The research questions:

1. Do intermediate/ Pre-intermediate/ ESP students at Mega Soft commit interlingual and intralingual errors after being taught in traditional manners?

2. To what extent are these errors frequently observed in traditional ways of vocabulary learning?

3.-To what extent can the use of videos help in enhancing vocabulary learning?

4. Literature Review:

   1. Difficulty of teaching vocabulary in EFL contexts:

Vocabulary learning is one of the major challenges foreign language learners face during the process of learning a language. Knowing a word is defined as knowing its spelling, pronunciation, collocations (i.e. words it co-occurs with), and appropriateness concerning its contextual use (Nation, 1990:33). Therefore, as suggested earlier Schmitt (2000) suggests that the term ‘word’ is not specific enough to cover the complexity of vocabulary and to capture different aspects of lexis. He uses the example of the single word “die” to express the contextual complexity of vocabulary. The word “die” can mean “pass away” (phrasal verb) and “kick the bucket” (idiom) (p. 1) but each meaning is used in a different context. Other examples which highlight the complexity of vocabulary in its morphological complexity is the use of affixes, suffixes and different verb tenses or word classes such as the verb ‘permit’ and the noun. The error of overgeneralizing the use of certain words are the result of faulty or partial learning of L2 and such errors are called intralingual errors as suggested by Gass and Selinker (2008:102).

Laufer (1992:75-76) on the other hand talks about factors such as what mother tongue a student has and its effects the learning of vocabulary. Errors that result from language transfer and are caused by the learner's native language are called interlingual errors (Gass and Selinker, 2008:102). Laufer (1992:76) offers an error such as *He went to the home’ which is a reference to the use of the preposition ‘to’ and the article ‘the’ with the noun ‘home’ and the possibility of interlingual transfer from Arabic since the Arabic alternative of go needs a preposition ‘Yazhab ela’ and ‘home’ needs a definite article in Arabic which is ‘Al Bayt’ unlike English.