BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE

~~~~~~  ~~~~~~

RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The use of Quizlet
in facilitating the business vocabulary acquisition of
BUH Business English Freshmen and Sophomore Students

Supervisor: DAO NGUYEN ANH DUC

Members: Nguyen Thanh Thuy

Le Thi Thanh Xuan
Nguyen Dang Le Quoc Khanh
Nguyen Dinh Tri
Mai Huy Hoang

Ho Chi Minh City, June 4th, 2021.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................2

1. Background of the study .......................................................................................2

2. Research Objectives ............................................................................................3

3. Research Questions .............................................................................................3

4. Significance of the study.......................................................................................3

CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................4

1. Introduction...........................................................................................................4

2. General overview of Quizlet .................................................................................4

3. The effectiveness of Quizlet in the acquisition of business vocabulary ................7

3.1. Enhancing student’s L2 learning motivation ................................................ .7

3.2. Promoting L2 active learning ........................................................................ 8

4. Difficulties when using the Quizlet ........................................................................9

5. Conclusion............................................................................................................9

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY................................................................................11

1. The study design ................................................................................................11

2. Method of data collection, sample, and sampling strategy .................................11

REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................12

TIMELINE ..................................................................................................................15
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CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the study

Nowadays, students are referred to as "Digital Natives" since they are comfortable

with technology, computers, and the Internet, as well as video games (Prensky, 2001).

That has resulted in the necessity of applying information technology (IT) to teach and

learn. Moreover, many countries in the world have considered technology as an important

role in teaching and learning English (Eady & Lockyer, 2013).

Vocabulary plays an important role in acquiring knowledge and reading

comprehension as a second language. Thanks to this development of IT, Quizlet

application was invented with the hope that students can self-study vocabulary at home

effectively without teachers’ support.

Recently, to keep up with the trends and discover a better way to learn English,

Vietnamese teachers have also administered Quizlet application in the acquisition of

English vocabulary, especially in learning English new words. In Banking University,

Faculty English students have to struggle with the economic vocabulary. It is difficult to

approach quickly in a short time because they have never learned these words before.

Furthermore, commercial language is utilized in various discourses as well as economic

discourse so that economic vocabulary is not limited to the bank, tax, and customs

records (Nadezhda, Larisa, Irina, Lidia & Alexander, 2019).

For these reasons, when approaching information technology is highly popular, it

is necessary to research the usage of Quizlet in helping the business vocabulary

acquisition of BUH Business English Freshmen and Sophomore Students.

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2. Research Objectives

In this study, the researchers would like to evaluate if Quizlet application is helpful

in assisting students learning second language (L2). Next, specific aspects of using

Quizlet in business vocabulary acquisition will be explored. Furthermore, we also want

to identify the difficulties which students can have when they use Quizlet.

3. Research Questions

The aim of this study is to provide answers to the following three questions:

• How do the students use Quizlet in business learning vocabulary?

• How effectively does Quizlet help students learn business vocabulary?

• What are the difficulties when they use the Quizlet?

4. Significance of the study

This study will determine the pros and cons of using Quizlet in acquiring business

vocabulary and show some data assessing the level of effectiveness when students use

it in learning. To sum up, all the results in this research help Faculty English students in

Banking University aware and make the best of the benefits from Quizlet application in

boosting student’s L2 learning motivation and autonomy.

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CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Introduction

The purpose of this literature review is to explore how effectively students learn

vocabulary through Quizlet and what difficulties they have to face. Firstly, the literature

review describes the overview of Quizlet application as well as explains its functions in

the acquisition of vocabulary. Then, this review looks at the important aspects about the

effectiveness of Quizlet in the acquisition of business vocabulary that previous

researchers found out. Besides, in this part, the review demonstrates the enhancing

student’s L2 learning motivation and promoting L2 active learning. Last but not least, the

review saves the best for the researchers exploring the issues when students use Quizlet.

This literature review will contribute to finding out the research gap as well as providing

an impetus for this study.

2. General overview of Quizlet

According to Wright’s study (2016), Quizlet is known as a digital flashcard platform

that allows users to construct their flashcards and study them through a variety of learning

modes. It is one of the most popular flashcard programs, with over fifty million monthly

users as well as over three hundred and fifty million users--generated study sets (Quizlet,

2021). Currently, with different types of learning modes, Quizlet not only gives the student

interest in trying out various modes but also provides them ‘richer ways’ to study (Sri,

2017).
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Table 1: Features of Quizlet

Mobile
Features Description
App

There are 3 types of tasks: flashcard, multiple-choice

item, and typing the required answer. Users can

Learn Available
personalize this activity by selecting one of the three

options.

Users can create their flashcards. It could optionally be

added self-explanation, audio, ... Digital flashcards can

Flashcards Available
be flipped by mouse clicks or tabs on screens to show

definitions or visuals that illustrate the term.

After listening to the audio prompts, learners are

required to type the words correctly. If the word is Not

Spell
spelled wrong, the correct answer will be read letter by available

letter while it appears on the scene.

Users are given some space to write the definition or

Write Available
meaning of a word learned in ‘flashcards’ functions.
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Four types of tests are included: true/false, multiple-

Test choice, matching, and typing the answer. Learners can Available

customize this activity.

Learners will join in a game that needs to match

keywords to their definitions (or accompanying visuals)

Match as rapidly as possible. When learners complete each Available

question, the app will show the score and rank among

other learners.

Another game in which the terms emerge on

approaching asteroids. Before the falling asteroid hits Not

Gravity
the planet, students must type the corresponding Available

definition of the term.

This is a feature that needs four or more people.

Students will need to connect to http://quizlet.com/live

and input the code provided by the teachers. Not

Live
Participating in the activity which has been planned by Available

the teacher, students will have to team up to compete

with the other group.

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3. The effectiveness of Quizlet in the acquisition of business vocabulary

3.1. Enhancing student’s L2 learning motivation

Focusing on motivation, Ryan & Deci (2000) divided motivation into intrinsic

motivation and extrinsic motivation. In principle, intrinsic motivation (IM) is described as

participating in conduct that is intrinsically fulfilling or gratifying while extrinsic motivation

(EM), on the other hand, alludes to the execution of conduct that is essentially reliant on

the accomplishment of an objective that is separate from the actual activity.

According to Rezaei et al. (2014), Quizlet applications are ideal media for making

students enjoy learning the words. It is indicated that students are motivated in acquiring

vocabulary when applying it. Some of the interviews finding (Anjaniputra, A. G., &

Salsabila, V. A., July 2018) has proved that Quizlet is a new, enjoyable way of vocabulary

learning for students due to various features on the application. “Those different features

gave a ‘fun experience’ for students to feel ‘different way’ of learning”.

Among various study modes available in Quizlet, Franciosi (2017) has stated that

game-based learning on Quizlet could significantly promote the transferability of learned

English vocabulary. The outcome of the research shows that many students held more

optimistic views about using Quizlet game-based learning platform to build up their TOEIC

vocabulary and exhibited considerably greater confidence in their TOEIC satisfactory test

marks. On the other hand, Lees and Mcnee (2015) also indicated that students who utilize

Quizlet application are more motivated than those who do not. The overall score earned

by the user of the application is much greater than that of the non-user.
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3.2. Promoting L2 active learning

Active learning consists of a short course-related individual or small-group activities

that all students in a class are called upon to do, alternating with instructor-led intervals

(Richard & Rebecca, 2009). Thus, to learn vocabulary, only using motivations to boost

up oneself perhaps is not enough. Using tools in general, and Quizlet application in

specific is an essential way for less-bored learning and to decrease external effects

interruption.

Quizlet may greatly improve academic vocabulary acquisition. Students could find

the learning experience to be more pleasant and beneficial, which motivated them to

spend time studying on their own with Quizlet (Dizon, 2016). In addition, Setiawan &

Wiedarti (2020) also demonstrated that students felt more enthusiastic, did not get bored,

and showed a high level of interest when learning vocabulary using Quizlet application.

Equally, Sanosi (2018) has discovered that by using Quizlet application via a smartphone,

students may learn new words themself. In doing the assignments provided in Quizlet,

both studies’ examinations showed that most students prefer to work independently and

confidently with assignments given in the application on their own.

According to many studies, more learners now can improve their self-study learning

skills. These researchers indicated that Quizlet application gives learners the freedom to

learn on their computers and cellphones (Vargas, 2011; Barr, 2016; Kálecký, 2016);

students might benefit from the "spell section" to enhance their word spelling (Vargas,

2011; Kálecký, 2016); and students may focus their progress and discover where parts

of their vocabulary are lacking (Kálecký, 2016). Furthermore, Hakan & Enisa (2018)

stated that the Quizlet effectively helps the students' performance and makes them more
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self-governing in learning vocabulary since the design of the Quizlet is appropriate for

autonomous learners.

4. Difficulties when using the Quizlet

Although Quizlet is a highly rated vocabulary learning platform, at the same time,

there are limitations in the user experience. Some of its features are only available on the

website rather than in mobile apps (Dizon, 2016). Like Wikipedia, Quizlet permits

everyone to make and share a study set, so there is no assurance the data is exact. One

grammatical mistake in another person's cards could lead them to consider some wrong

data, miss inquiries on a test, and get a poor quality they did not anticipate getting. (Bri,

2019).

Furthermore, some students appeared to be distracted while learning vocabulary

and were even occupied with different applications like Instagram, Facebook, ...

(Setiawan & Wiedarti, 2020). Besides, if students use Quizlet's free version, ads will be

displayed on each website page (Bri, 2019). A few advertisements are barely noticeable;

however, they can be oppressive. Thus, on the off chance that students need the best

taking in experience from Quizlet, they should pay for extra administrations.

5. Conclusion

In short, this section helps to find out the interplay between Quizlet and motivation

and active learning, as well as some aspects that have not been clarified in previous

research. The researchers explored that Quizlet created an attractive environment for

students in the acquisition of vocabulary. It provided many functions for students in the

acquisition of vocabulary and boosted them to improve their motivation. In this review,
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students were interested in using game-based learning more than the non-game

approach. Furthermore, although they were distracted by other platforms, there was no

denying the fact that Quizlet played a vital role in enhancing learners’ autonomy.

However, almost all the studies only focused on a certain age so that it made research

data not comparative. Thus, the purpose of this study is to establish if Quizlet can increase

the effectiveness of L2 vocabulary learning and assess their experience of its use.
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CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY

1. The study design

The design of this present study will apply quantitative research in the term of non-

experimental design. To determine the thesis, the study uses the cross-sectional study

because it is useful in answering the research questions by taking a cross-section of the

English Faculty in Banking University. By conducting the retrospective based on

respondents' experiences, all the students' difficulties that occurred while using Quizlet in

the past will be explored.

2. Method of data collection, sample, and sampling strategy

The method used will be through online questionnaires created with Google

Forms. The procedure of collecting primary data consists of finding the general situation

of students using Quizlet; creating a questionnaire based on some previous researchers

and modifying it in line with normal practice; and giving the official questionnaire to all the

sampling participants. According to the characteristics of this study, quota sampling will

be applied because of the limited time for primary data collection. In particular, the sample

will be the representatives of roughly 1000 students in the English Faculty Students of

Banking University, comprising 100 randomly selected freshmen and sophomore

students from all classes. There are 50 freshmen students and 50 sophomore students.

(Word count: 1971)

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REFERENCES

Anjaniputra, A. G., & Salsabila, V. A. (2018). The merits of Quizlet for vocabulary learning at

tertiary level. Indonesian EFL Journal, 4(2), 1-11. doi: 10.25134/ieflj. v4i2.1370.

Barr, B. (2016). Checking the Effectiveness of Quizlet as a Tool for Vocabulary Learning.

The Center for ELF Journal 31, 36–48.

Bri, S. (2019). Pros and cons of using a Quizlet in your classroom. Retrieved from

https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/quizlet-pros-cons

Eady, M. J., & Lockyer, L. (2013). Tools for learning: technology and teaching strategies:

Learning to teach in the primary school. Queensland University of Technology,

Australia, 71-89. Retrieved from

https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/publication76376

Franciosi, S. J. (2017). The Effect of Computer Game-Based Learning on FL Vocabulary

Transferability. Educational Technology & Society, 20 (1), 123–133.

Dizon, G. (2016). Quizlet in the EFL classroom: Enhancing academic vocabulary acquisition

of Japanese university students. Teaching English with Technology, 16(2), 40-56.

Retrieved from http://www.tewtjournal.org

Hakan, K. & Enisa, M. (2018). Autonomy in Vocabulary Learning of Turkish EFL Learners. The

Eurocall Review, 26(2), 58.

Kalecky, R. (2016). Quizlet vs. Vocabulary Notebook: The Impact of Different Methods of

Storing and Revising Vocabulary on Students’ Progress. Retention and Autonomy.

Unpublished Master's thesis, Masaryk University.

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Lees, D., & Mcnee, G. (2015). Effects and impressions of digital vocabulary-learning vs. paper-

based. Humanities Review, 20, 143-164.

Nadezhda V. B., Larisa L. Z., Irina G. A., Lidia, E. M. & Alexander, V. C. (2019). Media

Promotion Role of Economic Vocabulary: Specific Features and Functions in

Presentation and Advertisement. Online Journal of Communication and Media

Technologies, 9(2).

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon 9, 1-6.

Quizlet. (2021). About Quizlet. Quizlet. Retrieved from http://quizlet.com/mission

Rezaei, A., Mai, N., & A., P. (2014). The effect of mobile applications on English vocabulary

acquisition. Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering), 68(2), 73-83.

Richard, M. F., & Rebecca, B. (2009). Active learning: An introduction. Retrieved from

https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/stem-resources/legacy-site/education-related-

papers/active-learning-introduction/

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000b). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic

Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologists, 55(1),

68-78.

Sanosi, A. B. (2018). The effect of Quizlet on vocabulary acquisition. Asian Journal of

Education and e-Learning, 6(4), 71-77.

Setiawan, M. R., & Wiedarti, P. (2020). The effectiveness of Quizlet application towards

students’ motivation in learning vocabulary. Studies in English Language and

Education, 7(1), 83-95.

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Sri, R. (2017). New Quizlet Feature Lets Students Customize Study Materials with Pictures.

Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/08/24/new-quizlet-feature-lets-

students-customize-study-materials-with-pictures

Vargas, J. (2011). Modern Learning: Quizlet in the Social Studies Classroom. Unpublished

Master's thesis, Wichita State University.

Wright, B.A. (2016). Transforming vocabulary learning with Quizlet. In P. Clements, A. Krause,

& H. Brown (Eds.), Transformation in language education. Tokyo: JALT.

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TIMELINE

Amount Amount Of
Start-Day Of Time Start-Day Time For Complete
Activity
On Plan For Doing In Reality Doing (In Percentage
(On Plan) Reality)

Choosing a research
14th May 7 days 14th May 4 days 100%
area/topic
Making the research
21st May 7 days 21st May 5 days 100%
questions
Reading related
21st May 4 days 22nd May 3 days 100%
references
Writing the first outline of
25th May 3 days 25th May 4 days 100%
the literature review
Writing the introduction
28th May 4 days 28th May 3 days 100%
and the literature review

Doing research proposal 1st June 2 days 1st June 3 days 100%

Checking the grammar

4th June 1 days 4th June 1 days 100%
of the reseach proposal
Do questionnaire 4th June 3 days 4th June None 40%
Collecting the data 11th June 7 days None None 0%
Analyse the data 18th June 3 days None None 0%
Cite your sources
18th June 2 days None None 0%
properly
Writing the research 20th June 5 days None None 0%
Checking the research 28th June 1 days None None 0%