Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Do students learn idioms better from only a Japanese translation or from a definition plus etymology?
Graduation Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Department of
English Language and Literature
Notre Dame Seishin University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts
by
Kyoko Nakayama
2018
Contents
Abstract
Chapter One: Vocabulary Learning 1
1.1 Introduction 11.2 Learning a Foreign Language 2
1.2.1 Vocabulary Learning 21.2.1.1 Incidental Learning from context 31.2.1.2 Intentional Learning – word cards, word list
41.2.2 Forgetting and language learning 4
1.3 Etymology 51.3.1 What is etymology? 51.3.2 The role of etymology 6
1.4 Previous research on etymology and vocabulary learning
71.5 Research Questions 9
1.6 Conclusion 10Chapter Two: The experiment and Questionnaire 12
2.1 Introduction 122.2 Method 12
2.2.1 Introduction to the experiment / questionnaire
122.2.2 Method 12
ii
2.2.3 Results 162.2.3.1 Results of the experiments 162.2.3.2 Results of the questionnaires 17
2.3 Summary 21Chapter Three: Discussion 23
3.1 Introduction 233.2 Summary of the results 233.3 Discussion of the results 24
3.1.1 The Results of the Experiments 243.1.2 The Results of the Questionnaires 25
3.4 Research questions 273.5 Implications 283.6 Limitations of the experiment 283.7 Further research 293.8 Conclusion 29
References 31
Appendices 33
iii
Abstract
In recent years, the world has become global, and English is
used as an international language all over the world. In Japan, many
people start learning English as a second language. Some Japanese
companies use English in their companies as their official language.
Many elementary schools have started adding English classes.
Because of this we should find out what is important for learning
English and the effective aspects of learning English.
In Chapter One, we looked at the importance of vocabulary
building when learning a second language, and many ways of
vocabulary learning. From this etymology was selected to find out the
importance of vocabulary learning with etymology and to understand
how etymology works in our brain.
Chapter Two introduced experiments and questionnaires two
times to 40 subjects. A second one was given eight months later.
In Chapter Three, we looked at the results of the experiment
and questionnaires and discussed them in detail. According to the
results of experiment, there was no clear difference. However, the
results of questionnaire show that students think that etymology is
important for learning vocabulary, and learning vocabulary with
iv
etymology is enjoyable. We should find the best effective ways of
vocabulary learning in the future.
v
Chapter One Vocabulary Learning1.1 Introduction
English is one of the most influential languages in the world, and it
is called an “International Language”. In many countries, English is often
used as a communication tool. The opportunities to use English have
increased in Japan, too. For example, we can easily go overseas for
studying or traveling. If we visit China, we need not speak Chinese
because most Chinese can speak English, so we can talk with them in
English. Like this, the Japanese have become more interested in learning
English to communicate with foreign people. We also watch foreign
dramas or movies, and listen to foreign music in English. In this way,
English may become an essential part of our lives.
Nowadays, many Japanese people have opportunities to learn
English because many companies in Japan have started making English as
an official language, and many elementary schools have introduced
English classes and so on. Some parents make their children study English
before they enter junior high school, and many adults go to English
conversation school for their business, or overseas travel.
Many Japanese people start learning English these days, but some
of them can’t speak English well even though they have learned English
for many years. When we start learning English, we often are in trouble
because of the differences between English and Japanese. Especially,
1
idioms, proverbs and phrases are very difficult to learn because they often
cannot be understood by looking at the meaning of the separate words.
For example, there are some idioms which have the same meaning in
English and Japanese, but they use different words because the culture is
different between English and Japanese.
1.2. Learning a Foreign Language
Learning a second language is quite a lot more difficult than
learning our own native language. Many people take time to acquire
English in Japan because English words, grammar, and phrases are very
different from Japanese. There are a lot of things we have to learn, so we
often have troubles and lose confidence to speak English. There are many
aspects of learning a second language, and vocabulary learning is among
the most important.
1.2.1 Vocabulary Learning
It is very important to learn vocabulary when we start learning a
second language. Most learners of a second language worry about
vocabulary learning and feel concerned how to deal with the task of
learning thousands of words. When we start learning English as a second
language, there are some aspects of the language we should learn, such
as listening, reading, speaking, writing, and so on. However, vocabulary is
the base of all of those aspects. If we do not know words, we cannot listen,
2
read, write and speak well. In contrast, if we know many words, we may be
able to make ourselves understood to native speakers even if we cannot
speak the language fluently. We have many ways to learn vocabulary, for
example, by reading books, listening to music, watching TV, reading
newspapers and magazines, speaking in conversations, writing, word card
learning and so on. Some Japanese people do not learn vocabulary
because it takes time to study and we cannot feel the development
immediately. However, Nation (2001: 9) showed that second language
learners need to know quite large numbers of words. This is useful in the
long term, and is not a short term goal. Therefore, vocabulary learning is
one of the most important aspects of learning a second language.
There are two popular views on what it means to learn a second
language: incidental learning and intentional learning. We will look at each
of them below.
1.2.1.1 Incidental Learning from context
Incidental Learning is to learn vocabulary accidentally. We do this
learning through reading or listening to something when the main aim is to
understand and enjoy what we are reading or listening to. Advanced
learners can enhance their vocabulary skills by this method. However, the
weak point of this method is that learners learn not only necessary words
but also other words that they do not need to learn or that they might not
meet again soon and so have wasted effort beyond immediate need. We
do this learning through reading or listening to something, for example,
3
some Japanese read a newspaper in English and can learn some
vocabulary. There are many people who learn vocabulary through listening
and singing to music in English. Both ways to learn vocabulary that
incidental learning leads to learn having fun.
1.2.1.2 Intentional Learning – word cards, word list
Intentional learning is making an effort to learn vocabulary with the
aim of acquiring it for example when we learn using word cards or word
lists. People who are trying to enter universities in Japan often use word
cards or word lists, and remember a long list of words and idioms by
writing or reading or checking with tests. They commit to memory of
thousands of words’ meanings, sounds, and spellings.
1.2.2 Forgetting and language learning
Meeting words many times and in many different ways are good for
learning vocabulary. However, just repeating the meeting or remembering
words is not good for remembering for a long time because we do not
know the enough information about the words. When we learn words with
a lot of information and in different ways, we make connections which
helps us to remember the words.
Craik and Lockhart (1972) identified “Levels-of-processing effect.” It
shows that deeper levels of study can lead to longer and stronger memory
4
storage than shallow levels of study. Shallow levels of study are phonemic
and orthographic, so they lead to a fragile memories, and we cannot
remember for a long time. They indicated that learning words which we do
not receive full attention and analyze at a shallow level will not stay long
in the memory. On the other hand, learning words which are fully analyzed
and have received full attention, will stay longer. (Nation, 2001: 310)
Craik and Lockhart also said that perception involves the rapid
analysis at a number of levels or stages. The preliminary stages are
related to the analysis of physical or sensory features: lines, angles,
brightness, pitch, and loudness. The later stages are more related to
matching the input against stored abstractions from past learning. In other
words, later stages are concerned with pattern recognition and the
extraction of meaning. This conception or hierarchy of processing stages is
referred to as "depth of processing."
1.3. Etymology
As mentioned above, vocabulary learning is very important
when we learn a foreign language, and schematic knowledge is
effective in helping us to remember. There are a lot of strategies to
learn vocabulary, but some of them are hard to imagine or
memorize by just practicing them repeatedly. This thesis will focus
on etymology which is schematic knowledge.
5
1.3.1 What is etymology?
Hashemi and Azizznedhad (2011) said that etymology is the
scientific study of the origin and history of words, what they are
derived from and how the meaning and form have changed.
Learning new vocabulary with etymology means knowing the
background of the vocabulary, and there are stories which tell us
where the expressions came from. For example, the expression
every cloud has a silver lining means that we can find something
positive in any bad situation. This expression comes from the
following theory:
Rain clouds are often dark in color or ‘gloomy’. However, if we watch the
clouds for a while, we can sometimes see the sun shining behind them. This
phenomenon can make the edge, or ‘lining’, of the cloud appear a silver color,
much brighter and lighter than the rest of the cloud. As dark clouds can have a
‘silver lining’, equally, when life seems bad, there is always a more positive way
of looking at the situation. This idiom has been used for at least 150 years.
(Bloomsbury International webpage, undated)
1.3.2 The role of etymology
Pierson (1989) claims that learning with etymology can be
effective. According to Pierson, instruction in etymology could offer
meaningful linguistic information which will be helpful for
intermediate and advanced second language learners.
6
Pierson also said that etymological training could benefit second
language education. The teacher and student would become more
sensitive to the meaning of words and their relationships with other words
from both history and other languages. Ausabel and Robinson (1969)
showed three necessary conditions for meaningful learning to take place.1. What is learned can be linked to other areas of learning2. The learner must have already internalized ideas to which the new
learning can be connected3. The learner intends to make these connectionsTherefore, one of the best approach to learning new vocabulary words
may be through their etymology.
1.4 Previous research on etymology and vocabulary learning
Takahashi (2011) researched the effects of learning vocabulary
with etymology. She mentioned that etymology is very helpful when
learning vocabulary because etymology gives us a clear image and
connection of the vocabulary and it will become easy for us to remember
the word. She gave experiments to see if etymological learning helps
learners learn vocabulary better. She gave an experiment to 140 female
students within the age range of 18 to 22 to see how much they memorize
after learning with either a phrase list or a phrase list with etymology. Two
months later, she gave the same words to see how much the subjects
remembered. She concluded there was no significant difference in the
data of experiments, but she found out an interesting thing from the
7
interviews done after test which is that all the subjects answered learning
vocabulary with etymology is attractive, impressive and easier to store
memory. Finally, Takahashi concluded that etymology is helpful when we
learn vocabulary.
Zolfagharkhani and Moghadam (2011) also researched the effect of
etymology instruction on vocabulary learning. In order to investigate the
effects of etymology for vocabulary learning, they generated the following
research questions.
1. What is the effect of etymology instructions vocabulary strategy on
vocabulary learning of upper-intermediate EFL learners?2. Is there any difference between the performance of male and female
EFL learners in learning vocabulary through etymology strategy?
They gave an experiment to 60 EFL Iranian learners studying
English as their major within the age range of 20 to 28 males and females.
First, all students took a vocabulary test to determine their levels in
vocabulary knowledge. They were randomly assigned to two groups:
control group and experimental group. Both groups took a pretest and a
posttest. After having a vocabulary test, only students in the experimental
group learned with etymology. The control group was not taught in
learning new words, so they followed traditional vocabulary learning. The
learners learned definitions, synonyms, or antonyms of the new words.
There is a result of posttest for both groups.
There are the results of tests.
8
The Results of the Pretest
The Results of the Posttest
(http://www.cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/viewFile/
j.css.1923669720110706.180/2106)
They concluded that the students in the experimental group were
significantly superior to the students in control group in vocabulary
9
learning. They claimed that not all words can be learned through this
approach, but an etymology strategy would be used for fields of study
such as biology, medicine, botany, psychology, and other specific-content
fields. They argued that an etymology strategy instruction has a positive
effect on vocabulary learning of EFL learners. It seems then that if we train
students in etymology strategy as one of the effective vocabulary learning
strategies, they would be able to learn and recall more words.
1.5 Research Questions
According to the above, it is clear that vocabulary learning is very
important when learning a second language, and learning with etymology
seems to be an effective strategy. This thesis will research whether
etymology leads us to better vocabulary learning or not.
We will look at the following three research questions:
1. Can students understand the etymology of English words?
2. Does adding etymology when learning lead to better remembering?
3. What do students feel about learning with etymology?
1.6 Conclusion
In this chapter, we talked about language learning, and mainly
vocabulary learning. We discussed the importance of vocabulary learning,
10
and we found out that it is very important to learn a second language. We
also looked at two popular ways of vocabulary learning: incidental and
intentional learning. Then we looked at the importance of the “Levels-of-
processing effect” and we found out that schema knowledge which is
analyzed deeply and has a lot of information, is very important to learn
vocabulary deeply. This is because schematic knowledge can lead us to
make connection between the word and the meaning and to remember it
quickly and for a long time. Then, we discussed the strategies for
vocabulary learning, and learning with etymology was focused on. We
looked at etymology in detail and discovered what etymology is, and the
role of etymology. In Chapter Two, we will conduct an experiment and
questionnaire to find out whether learning with etymology helps
vocabulary acquisition and to look at how the subjects feel about
etymology.
11
Chapter Two: The Experiment and Questionnaire2.1 Introduction
In Chapter One, we talked about learning a foreign language and
etymology. We started the chapter discussing the importance of English.
Then we talked about learning a second language, how vocabulary
learning is essential to learn a foreign language, and looked at many ways
to learn vocabulary. We also discussed what etymology is and how useful
it is.
In this chapter, we will look at an experiment with two different
conditions and a questionnaire that were given to subjects divided into
two groups over two times to determine whether etymology is effective for
learning or not and how the subjects feel about etymology after having
tests.
2.2 Method
2.2.1 Introduction to the experiment / questionnaire
This experiment was designed to see the effect of etymology in
vocabulary learning. The subjects were tested two times including a delay
test. The questionnaire examines how the students feel about etymology
after taking the experiment and their interests in etymology.
2.2.2 Method
1) Subjects
12
The subjects of the experiment and the questionnaire were 40,
female 3rd and 4th year English Department students at Notre Dame
Seishin University and some 19-22 year old male and female students in
another university. They were randomly assigned to either of the two
conditions.
2) Test design
The aim of this experiment and questionnaire was to find out how
well the subjects learn idioms with etymology, and how they feeling about
etymology. We determined the effect of etymology by looking at test
scores and comparing the test and delay test. A pretest was given to 3
people who are 4th year English Department students at Notre Dame
Seishin University to choose idioms for the test. They were asked whether
they know or not 80 English idioms. The words in the pretest were
randomly chosen. After collecting the data, 20 idioms were chosen that
they all not know. For example, once in a blue moon means very rarely. It
is well-known for Japanese, and they all answer that they know the
meaning, so it was removed. In contrast, know the ropes means showing
how a particular job should be done. They all answered they do not know
it, so it was chosen. The 20 idioms were divided into two lists (list A and
list B) each with 10 idioms, balanced between long and short idioms, and
four modes were made; list A with etymology, list B without etymology, list
B with etymology, and list A without etymology. The worksheets are
designed as follows.
13
Figure 1: List A with etymology
Get one’s goat : イライラさせる、怒らせる
昔、馬主は競馬の際、馬を落ち着かせる効果のあるヤギを一緒に馬小屋に入れてい
た。ところが、ライバルがヤギを盗んで、レース前に馬をいら立たせてレースに勝
てないようにすることがあった。
As explained above, idioms with etymology are listed with Japanese
meanings and Japanese origins and histories of them. The design leads the
subjects to learn idioms with etymology, and make a lot of connections
between the idiom and the meaning.
Figure 2: List A without etymology
Get one’s goat : イライラさせる、怒らせる
On the other hand, as described above, idioms without etymology
are listed with only Japanese meanings so the subjects would learn the
idioms by having a direct connection between the idiom and the meaning.
Two types of booklet were designed for Group A and Group B.
Group A learnt 10 idioms in list A with Japanese etymology in 3 minutes
and answered the meaning of English idioms in Japanese. And then, they
learned 10 idioms in list B without etymology in 3 minutes, and answer the
meaning of English idioms in Japanese. The instruments can be seen as
follows.
14
Table 1: Instruments for the experiment
1. Learning 2. Test 3. Learning 4. Test
5. Questionnaire
Group A
List A +etymology
Test A List B -etymology
Test B
Questionnaire
Group B
List B +etymology
Test B List A -etymology
Test A
Questionnaire
After the end of the test, the questionnaire was designed to figure
out their interests and how well subjects learn idioms with etymology. The
subjects were given a link to a Google Form questionnaire and were asked
five questions answering from a scale of five options. For example,
subjects were asked, “Adding etymology leads to better remembering.”
The subjects picked from “Strongly Yes”, “Yes”, “Maybe”, “No” and
“Strongly No”. We can find out from this question how students’ learners
feel about etymology.
Two months later, the subjects were given a delay test and a
questionnaire. The test used the same idioms as the treatment test to see
how much they remembered. They were asked the meaning of all 20
English idioms and answered in Japanese. At the end of the test, the
questionnaire was designed to figure out whether learning idiom with
etymology leads to better remembering or not.
3) Procedure
First, 3 people who are 4th year English Department students at
Notre Dame Seishin University, were given a pretest to choose the words
on the test. Next, two types of booklet are made for Group A and Group B.
15
Then, all the subjects were gathered, and given the test and the
questionnaire. The questionnaire was made using Google Forms, and it
was sent to subjects online. Two months later, they were given a delay
test and a questionnaire which asks how subjects feel after the test.
2.2.3 Results
In this section, we look at the results of the experiment and the
questionnaire. First, we will look at the results of the first and delay test.
Second, we will look at the results of the questionnaires.
2.2.3.1 Results of the experiments
Table 2: The data of the first test scores
With Etymology
Without etymolo
gyGroup A 17.9 16.6 34.5Group B 16.3 17.4 33.7
34.2 34
The data in Table 2 shows the average values of the first test for
the 40 subjects comparing with etymology and without by group. The
score of with etymology is 35.2, and the score of without etymology is 34.
It shows that the subjects who learned with etymology got a slightly higher
score than the subjects who learned without etymology, but there is no
significant difference between them.
16
Table 3: The data of delay test scores
With Etymology
Without etymolo
gyGroup A 3.3 1.0 4.3Group B 2.2 2.3 4.5
5.5 3.3
The data in Table 3 shows the average values of delay test scores
as same as the first test. The score of with etymology is 5.5, and the score
of without etymology is 3.3. In contrast to the data of first test, there is a
little difference between with etymology and without etymology. We can
conclude that subjects remembered more idioms with etymology than
without etymology but not significantly so as both groups forgot a huge
number of idioms.
2.2.3.2 Results of the questionnaires
We will now look at the results of the five questions: two of them
were asked after the first test, and three of them were asked after the
delay test.
Figure 1a: Adding etymology leads to better remembering.
17
20.0%
45.0%
25.0%
10.0%Strongly yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
Figure 1a shows that almost 65.0% of the subjects thought adding
etymology is better for learning. 10.0% of the subjects answered that
adding etymology does not lead better learning.
Figure 1b: I prefer with etymology to without etymology.
15.0%
55.0%
20.0%
10.0% Strongly yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
18
We can find out from Figure 1b that 70.0% of the students prefer
with etymology to without etymology. On the other hand, 10.0% of them
do not prefer with etymology.
Figure 1c: Etymology is important to learn idioms.
45.0%
35.0%
15.0%5.0%
Strongly yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
Figure 1c shows that 80.0% of the subjects thought etymology is
important to learn idioms. 5.0% of them did not think etymology is
important, but there are no students who chose Strongly No.
Figure 1d: Learning idioms with etymology is more enjoyable than without.
19
52.5%37.5%
7.5% 2.5%Strongly yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
We can find out from Figure 1d that more than half of the subjects
answered Strongly Yes, and almost of the subjects could enjoy learning
idioms with etymology. 10.0% of them could not enjoy learning idioms
with etymology.
Figure 1e: I am interested in etymology.
32.5%
42.5%
12.5%
10.0% 2.5%Strongly yesYesMaybeNoStrongly No
Figure 1e shows 75.0% of the students are interested in etymology.
In contrast, 12.5% of them answer Strongly No, so they are not interested
in etymology.
20
Figure 2a: Which did you remember idioms on page 1 or page 2?
(Page 1: with etymology Page 2: without etymology)
20%
15%65%
Page 1
Page 2
Both the same
Figure 2a shows that more than half of the subjects remembered
idioms both with etymology and without etymology. There were more
subjects who remembered Page 1 than subjects who remembered Page 2.
Figure 2b: Which do you think, is there better learning with etymology or
without?
90%
10%
With et-ymology
Without etymology
21
We can find out that almost of the subjects thought learning with
etymology leads to better remembering. However, 10.0% of them thought
learning without etymology leads better remembering.
2.3 Summary
In this chapter, we looked at the effects of learning with etymology
by using an experiment and questionnaires. There was no significant
difference of test scores between with etymology and without etymology.
However, many subjects think learning with etymology is important and
enjoyable, and they are interested in etymology. In the next chapter, we
will discuss the results in detail.
22
Chapter Three Discussion3.1 Introduction
In Chapter One, we talked about vocabulary learning, and
etymology. First, we discussed the importance of vocabulary learning
while learning a second language. Then, we looked at the aspects of
vocabulary learning, and focused on etymology. Etymology makes a
connection between a word and meaning, so it would be useful to
vocabulary learning.
In Chapter Two, we looked at the results of experiments to see if
etymological learning helps learners learn vocabulary better. Two tests
were taken by the subjects. Two months after the first test, the delay test
was given. The test is the same contents as the first test. We also looked
the results of questionnaires to see how the subjects feel about
etymology.
In Chapter Three, we will analyse the experiment and the
questionnaire and discuss it in detail.
3.2 Summary of the results
In Chapter Two, we looked at the results of two experiments and
some questionnaires. From the experiment, no significant difference
between the two conditions (learning with etymology and learning without
etymology) was able to be seen. However, as expected, the result of the
23
first test shows that the score of idioms with etymology were a little bit
higher than the score of idioms without etymology. The test also showed
that the score in the first tests were higher than the second. As for the
knowledge they acquired from the list, most of them were forgotten in
eight weeks.
3.3 Discussion of the results
In this section, we will look at the results of the experiments and the
questionnaire and discuss in detail. First, we will look at the results of the
experiments: the first test, and the delay test.
3.3.1 The Results of the Experiments
Table 2 shows the average values of first test for the 40 subjects
comparing with etymology and without by group. The score of idioms with
etymology is 34.2, and the one without etymology is 34.0. From these
data, there was no clear difference between learning with etymology and
without etymology in the first test.
Table 3 shows the average values of delay test scores as same as
the first test. The score of idioms with etymology is 5.5, and the one
without etymology is 3.3. From these data, there is no significant
difference, but a little bit difference between learning with etymology and
without etymology in the delay test.
24
From these two results, learning etymology when we learn
vocabulary does not seem to make our learning easier. However, when
comparing the score of the first test with the score of the delay test, there
is greater difference in the first test than in the delay test between with
etymology and without etymology. The subjects would be able to
remember the idioms which they learned with etymology.
3.3.2 The Results of the Questionnaires
Q1: Adding etymology leads to better remembering
Adding etymology leads to better
remembering.
Strongly yes 20.0%
Yes 45.0%
Maybe 25.0%
No 10.0%
Strongly No 0.0%
65.0% of the subjects answered Strongly Yes or Yes. However, 10.0% of
them answered that adding etymology does not lead to better learning.
The remaining 25.0% answered Maybe. These data shows that more than
half of them would be able to make good use of etymology even if the
subjects learn this way for the first time.
Q2: I prefer with etymology to without.
25
70.0% of the subjects prefer to learn with etymology to without
etymology, and 10.0% of them answered No. Remaining 20.0% of them
maybe prefer learning with etymology to without etymology. It is clear
that most of them feel better with etymology than without etymology.
However, some of them would think that adding etymology leads to better
remembering, but they prefer without etymology to with etymology.
Q3: Etymology is important to learn idioms.
80.0% of them think etymology is important when learning idioms.
Only 5.0% of them answered No. The remaining 15.0% answered Maybe. It
shows that most of them used etymology when learning idioms and they
thought it useful to remember them. Some subjects, who think etymology
is not important, would think that they can remember idioms with only the
meaning.
Q4: Learning idioms with etymology is more enjoyable than
without.
90.0% of the subjects think that learning idioms with etymology is
more enjoyable than without etymology. Only 7.5% of them answered No.
However, 2.5% of them answered Strongly No. It is clear that most of them
would be able to enjoy learning idioms. On the other hand, some of them
would feel tired from reading long sentences about etymology.
26
Q5: I am interested in etymology.
75.0% of them are interested in etymology. 10.0% of them
answered No, and 2.5% of them are not interested in etymology strongly.
These data show that more than half of the subjects would enjoy learning
idioms with etymology. People who answered No, or Strongly No would not
feel enjoyable about etymology, and it was not so useful much.
3.4 Research questions
In this chapter, we looked at the result of the questionnaire. This
section will answer the research questions from Chapter One.
1. Can students understand the etymology of English
words?
In the experiments, the subjects could use etymology for learning
idioms and the difference of data can be seen a little bit. The
questionnaire shows that the subjects could enjoy learning idioms with
etymology. Therefore, it seems that students are able to understand the
etymology of English words.
2. Does adding etymology when learning lead to better
remembering?
27
According to the experiment, significant effects could not be seen
between with etymology and without etymology, so it seems learning with
etymology did not help learners learn vocabulary better than without it.
However, the feelings of the subjects are a little different. From the
questionnaire, more than half of subjects answered that adding etymology
leads to better remembering. Some of them said that the idioms with
etymology were more impressive than the idioms without etymology.
3. What do students feel about learning with etymology?
According to the questionnaire, it seems that the feeling of the
subjects about etymology varies. Q4: Learning idioms with etymology is
more enjoyable than without shows that 90.0% of the subjects think that
learning idioms with etymology is more enjoyable than without etymology,
so many of them have a good impression of etymology. On the other
hand, some of them said that they have to read long sentences, and it
takes a lot of time. Therefore, it depends on people what feel about
etymology.
3.5 Implications
We looked the results of experiments and questionnaires, and we
found out that etymology does not seem to help learning vocabulary well.
However, most of the subjects answered that they enjoyed learning
vocabulary with etymology, and even those who did not get high scores
have a strong impression of idioms with etymology. If the students learn
vocabulary with etymology, some of them may be able to learn with fun
28
and effectively. This implies teachers should make students aware of
etymology so that those who like it can add it to their vocabulary learning
strategies.
3.6 Limitations of the Experiment
There are several limitations with this study. Firstly, about a half of
the subjects were female university students. If the experiments were
given to the students who are in other departments or males, the results
would be more varied. Secondly, there were only twelve phrases for each
test, we could not see the difference even in the first test. If there were
more than twenty phrases, the results might have been different. Also,
there were only forty people who took the experiment. If there were more
than forty people, the results could have been different.
3.7 Further research
There are a few areas which we can research in the future. Firstly,
which aspects of vocabulary learning are more effective than etymological
learning for remembering vocabulary learning? There was no significant
effect on this experiment, so we found out that etymological learning is
not the best way of learning vocabulary. We should find new effective
ways in the future.
29
Secondly, is using images effective for learning vocabulary?
Etymology is expressed with words. Some of the subjects said that
learners have to read long sentences, and it takes a lot of time. So, it
seems that using images may be effective for learning vocabulary. Images
are more impressive than words, and we can remember the images in a
short time. It will be interesting to see if using images can help learners for
learning vocabulary.
3.8 Conclusion
We looked at how important it is to build vocabulary when we
acquire language at the beginning of this thesis. There are various ways of
vocabulary learning. However, some of aspects are shallow levels of study
and they are phonemic and orthographic, so they lead to a fragile memory
study, and we cannot remember them for a long time.
In this paper, we focused mainly on learning with etymology.
Etymology is the scientific study of the origin and history of words, and it
is information about the word. When we learn words with etymology,
students make connections which can lead us to remember the words
better. Therefore, the experiment and the questionnaires were conducted
to see whether etymology leads to better remembering for vocabulary
learning or not.
The subjects were given experiments two times to see how they
remember after two months and how etymology effects them. There is no
significant difference between learning with etymology and learning
30
without etymology. However, many subjects answered that adding
etymology leads to better remembering or etymology is important to learn
idioms.
31
References
Articles
Carter, R. (1987): Vocabulary and Second/Foreign Language Teaching.
20(1), pp. 3-16.
Craik and Lockhart, (1972): Levels of Processing: A Framework for Memory
Research. Toronto, University of Toronto.
Hashimi, M and Azizznedhad, (2011): Etymology: A word attack strategy
for learning the English vocabulary: Procedia - Social and
Behavioural Sciences Volume 28, pp. 102-10.
Nation, P. (2001): Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge
University Press.
Takahashi, K (2011): Does knowledge of a word’s etymology help learners
learn vocabulary? Thesis Notre Dame Seishin University.Zolfagharkhani, M and RG Moghadam, (2011) The Effect of Etymology
Instruction on Vocabulary Learning of Upper Intermediate EFL Iranian Learners. Canadian Social Science Vol. 7, No. 6, 2011, pp. 1-9
Websites
Bloomsbury International, Idiom of the Week
https://www.bloomsbury-international.com/en/student-ezone/idiom-of-the-
week/1305-every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining.html. Accessed November
3, 2017
32
Wikipedia, Levels-of-processing effect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levels-of-processing_effect. Accessed October
14, 2017
33
Appendices
Appendix A: The test bookletsBooklet of the first test for Group A
Idiom TestGroup A
Name ______________________
Age ________________
Do you accept that your data can be used for research?
YES NO
Please learn these 10 idioms and their etymologies (語源) . (3 minutes)
34
Get one’s goat : イライラさせる、怒らせる
昔、馬主は競馬の際、馬を落ち着かせる効果のあるヤギを一緒に馬小屋に入れてい
た。ところが、ライバルがヤギを盗んで、レース前に馬をいら立たせてレースに勝
てないようにすることがあった。
A chicken and egg situation : どちらとも言えない
心理学者や科学者が、“鶏と卵はどちらが先か”というジレンマに直面したことから、
どちらとも決めがたいジレンマという意味になった。
Break a leg! : 頑張って！成功を祈るよ
舞台が成功すると、カーテンコールに出て、脚を折り曲げてお辞儀をすることから、
「何度もカーテンコールに出て脚を折られますように」という意味。
Know the ropes: コツを知っている
世の帆船でたくさん使われていた縄の扱いに慣れているかどうか、ということから
生まれた表現。
Let the cat out of the bag: 秘密が漏れる
実際にはネコが入っているのに、豚が入っていると偽って売ろうとした人がいて、
ネコが入っている事が売ろうとした相手にばれてしまったことが語源と言われてい
る。
Take a rain check : 延期する、またの機会にする
35
昔、野球の試合が悪天候のため延期された場合は、観客は“雨天引換券(rain
check)”をもらえ、後日他の試合を見ることが出来るというシステムがあり、それ
が由来する。
Holy cow! : なんてこった！
もともとは“Oh, my god!”と同じように、神に対して驚きを示す表現として“Holy
Christ!”と使っていたが、“Christ”を使うのが神への冒涜だということで、代用と
して、“cow”へと変化した。
My ears are burning: 自分の噂をされている
古代ローマ人は、耳が鳴ったり、燃えているような感じがしたりすると、誰かが自
分の噂をしている、というサインであるとしていたことが語源。
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth: 裕福な家庭に生まれる
ヨーロッパでは昔、金持ちの親は子供に銀のスプーンで食べさせて育てていたこと
から。
Raining cats and dogs: 土砂降り
昔、小屋の屋根はかやぶきで、ワラの中が暖かい場所だったので猫や犬などの動物
がそこを寝床としており、大雨になると天井から動物たちが落ちてきたことから。
36
This is a test of the idioms you were learning. Please answer the meaning
of them in Japanese.
1. Know the ropes ( )2. Let the cat out of the bag ( )3. Break a leg! ( )4. My ears are burning ( )5. Get one’s goat ( )6. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth ( )7. Raining cats and dogs ( )8. Take a rain check ( )9. Holy cow! ( )10. A chicken and egg situation ( )
Please learn these 10 idioms. (3 minutes)
37
A stone's throw: 目と鼻の先
Apple-polish: ゴマすり(人に取り入ること)
Not my cup of tea: 私の好みではない
Get up on the wrong side of the bed: 朝から機嫌が悪い
Sour grapes: 負け惜しみ
Barking up the wrong tree: 見当違いをする
Every cloud has a silver lining: どんなに悪い状況でも良い面がある
A nest egg: へそくり、貯蓄
Straight from the horse's mouth: 確かな情報源から
Skeleton in the closet: 内輪の秘密
This is a test of the idioms you were learning. Please answer the meaning
of them in Japanese.
1. Not my cup of tea
38
( )2. Every cloud has a silver lining ( )3. Straight from the horse’s mouth ( )4. A nest egg ( )5. Apple-polish ( )6. Sour grapes ( )7. Get up on the wrong side of the bed ( )8. A stone's throw ( )9. Skeleton in the closet ( )10. Barking up the wrong tree ( )
Thank you for your time and cooperation. Kyoko Nakayama
Booklet of the first test for Group B
Idiom TestGroup B
39
Name ______________________
Age ________________
Do you accept that your data can be used for research?
YES NO
Please learn these 10 idioms and their etymologies (語源). (3 minutes)
A nest egg : へそくり、貯蓄
鶏に多くの産卵を促すよう、巣の中に似せて作られた人工の卵を置く仕掛けのこと
で、このことから、多くのお金を生めるように、貯蓄するお金を指すと言われてい
る。
Apple-polish : ゴマすり(人に取り入ること)
40
りんごは健康に良いと思われていて、先生に気に入られたかった小学生が、ぴかぴ
かに磨いたリンゴを先生に贈ったことに由来する。
Not my cup of tea : 私の好みではない
イギリス人はお茶にすごくこだわっており、自分がいつも飲んでいるもの以外は飲
みたがらない。このことから「好みではない」という表現になった。
Get up on the wrong side of the bed : 朝から機嫌が悪い
ベッドの左側から起きると不吉なことが起こるとされていたため、間違った方から
起きると、悪い一日になると言われることから由来している。
Sour grapes : 負け惜しみ
イソップ寓話のひとつ。キツネがブドウを食べようと跳び上がるが、何度やっても
届かず、怒りと悔しさで、「どうせすっぱくてまずいだろう。誰が食べるか。」と
言い聞かせることが由来する。
Barking up the wrong tree: まったく見当違いをする
猟犬は狩りの際に、木に登った動物を嗅覚で追いかけ、動物がいる木に向かって吠
えるが、たまに間違った木に向かって吠えていることが由来する。
Every cloud has a silver lining : どんなに悪い状況でも良い面がある
41
直訳すると、“どの雲にも銀の裏地がついている”となる。雨雲は薄暗い色だが、と
きどき後ろから太陽の光が見え、まるで銀色の縁や裏張り(lining)のように見える
ことから由来する。
A stone's throw: 目と鼻の先
“石を投げて届くぐらいすぐの距離”という意味から。
Straight from the horse's mouth: 確かな情報源から
競馬において馬の本調子を知るには、馬を直接見ること、または馬の世話をする人
たちからの情報が一番確かな情報となることから。
Skeleton in the closet : 内輪の秘密
何ひとつ苦労がないと思われていた婦人が, 実は毎夜戸棚の中においてあるガイコ
ツにキスをするように夫から命じられていたという話から。
This is a test of the idioms you were learning. Please answer the meaning
of them in Japanese.
1. Not my cup of tea ( )2. Every cloud has a silver lining ( )
42
3. Straight from the horse’s mouth ( )4. A nest egg ( )5. Apple-polish ( )6. Sour grapes ( )7. Get up on the wrong side of the bed ( )8. A stone's throw ( )9. Skeleton in the closet ( )10. Barking up the wrong tree ( )
Please learn these 10 idioms. (3 minutes)
Get one’s goat : イライラさせる、怒らせる
A chicken and egg situation : どちらとも言えない
Break a leg! : 頑張って！成功を祈るよ
43
Holy cow! : なんてこった！
Let the cat out of the bag: 秘密が漏れる
Take a rain check : 延期する、またの機会にする
Know the ropes: コツを知っている
My ears are burning: 自分の噂をされている
Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth: 生まれながらのお金持ち
Raining cats and dogs: 土砂降り
This is a test of the idioms you were learning. Please answer the meaning
of them in Japanese.
1. Know the ropes ( )2. Let the cat out of the bag ( )3. Break a leg! ( )4. My ears are burning ( )
44
5. Get one’s goat ( )6. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth ( )7. Raining cats and dogs ( )8. Take a rain check ( )9. Holy cow! ( )10. A chicken and egg situation ( )
Thank you for your time and cooperation. Kyoko NakayamaThe online delay test for both groups
Name記述式テキスト（短文回答）
I accept that my data can be used for research (この回答が卒論に使用される
ことを許可します)*
Accept (許可)
Reject (拒否)
45
Please answer the meaning of these 20 idioms in Japanese. Please do not
use a dictionary. (以下の英語で書かれた 20個の慣用句の意味を日本語で答えて
ください。)
※辞書やスマホなどで調べずに回答してください。
※分からない場合は、「分からない」と回答してください。
1. Know the ropes*
2. Let the cat out of the bag*
3. Break a leg!*
4. My ears are burning*
5. Get one’s goat*
46
6. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth*
7. Raining cats and dogs*
8. Take a rain check*
9. Holy cow!*
10. A chicken and egg situation*
11. Not my cup of tea*
12. Every cloud has a silver lining*
13. Straight from the horse’s mouth*
47
14. A nest egg*
15. Apple-polish*
16. Sour grapes*
17. Get up on the wrong side of the bed*
18. A stone's throw*
19. Skeleton in the closet*
20. Barking up the wrong tree*
48
Thank you for your time and cooperation. Kyoko Nakayama
Appendix B: The online questionnaire about etymologyQuestionnaire after the first test
The questionnaire about etymology(語源学についてのアンケート)
I accept that my data can be used for research (この回答が卒論に使用されることを許可します) *
AcceptReject
Name *
Please answer these questions (以下の質問に答えてください)*
Adding etymology leads to better remembering. (語源が加わることで覚えや
すくなった。)
Strongly Yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
49
I prefer with etymology to without. (語源がないよりある方がいい。)
Strongly Yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
Etymology is important to learn idioms. (語源は慣用句を学ぶのに重要であ
る。)
Strongly Yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
Learning idioms with etymology is more enjoyable than without. (慣用句を
語源と一緒に学ぶことは語源無しよりも楽しめる。)
Strongly Yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
50
I am interested in etymology. (語源学に興味・関心がある、興味・関心をもっ
た。)
Strongly Yes
Yes
Maybe
No
Strongly No
If there is anything you wish to tell me about this experiment, please leave
a comment here in English or Japanese. (もし何かあれば、コメントをお願い
します)
Thank you for your cooperation. ご協力ありがとうございました。
Questionnaire after the delay test
The questionnaire about etymology (語源学についてのアンケート)
I accept that my data can be used for research (この回答が卒論に使用されることを許可します) *
51
AcceptReject
Name *
Please answer these questions. (以下の質問に答えてください。)
Which do you remember idioms in page 1 or page 2? * (1ページ目と 2ペー
ジ目ではどちらの方が覚えていましたか。)
Page 1Page 2Both the same
When you had a first test, you learned idioms in page 1 with etymology
and idioms in page 2 without etymology. Please answer the following
questions based on that. (今回のテストの 1ページ目は、前回のテストで語源(説明)付きで、2ページ目は語
源無しで覚えてもらった慣用句です。それを踏まえて以下の質問に答えてくださ
い。)
52
Which do you think better learning with etymology or without etymology?
*(語源有りと語源無しではどちらの方がより学べると思いますか。)
With etymologyWithout etymologyThank you for your time and cooperation.
If there is anything you wish to tell me about this experiment, please leave
a comment here in English or Japanese. (もし何かあればコメントをお願いし
ます。)
記述式テキスト（長文回答）
Thank you for your cooperation. ご協力ありがとうございました。
53
