The effects of online dictionaries on facilitating vocabulary learning: A case-study at an English Center in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province: Master of TESOL

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most important skills that needs to be focused on and enhanced because it is an effective means of communication. It is an important aspect to acquire when learning a second or foreign language, and the success of learning the language is measured from the performance of learners to speak the language learned because students who can speak English well will have the self-confidence to face and even interact with English native speakers. However, this skill is also considered one of the most difficult aspects of the language learning process. Many students find it difficult to fully express their thoughts in English; they are afraid of communicating in English even though they have learnt this language continuously for many years. Some students understand English texts but they cannot speak English fluently. I am working in the medical field in tertiary level, and I would like to focus on the challenges faced by nursing students in Lam Dong Medical College (LMC) in learning speaking English for specific purposes (ESP) classes and the factors affecting students’ speaking competence in my research. The purposes of the study are to investigate the challenges and the factors affecting medical students’ learning speaking ESP. The research method used in this study is qualitative. Data collection instruments are surveys, interviews and class observation. One hundred students of the Nursing department in Lam Dong Medical College were involved in answering a questionnaire, three interviews conducted with three nursing students and three other interviews for three groups of nursing students selected purposively in order to support the research aims. The findings of the study revealed that there were several major problems and many factors affecting students’ speaking competence that hindered students' development of ESP English speaking ability and led to their low quality output in the context of LMC