Luận văn thạc sĩ influences of the internet on english learners in vietnam

Influences of the Internet on English Learners in Vietnam HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISHCODE 80 GRADUATION PAPER B A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES INFLUENCES OF THE INTERNET ON ENGLISH LEARNERS[.]

-GRADUATION PAPER B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDIES

INFLUENCES OF THE INTERNET ON ENGLISH

LEARNERS IN VIETNAM

Name of student: LE THANH DUY Date of birth: 03/02/1997

Class: K22A Supervisor: LE THI ANH TUYET, M.A

Ha Noi – 2019

CODE: 80

I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by

me from any others’ work without acknowledgement and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor.

support, which helped and guided me through the past time.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the board of directors

of the English Faculty of Hanoi Open University for facilitating me tocomplete this graduation thesis

Secondly, I honestly thank Mrs Le Thi Anh Tuyet, my supervisor, who hasgiven me advices to fulfil my graduation thesis and thanks to those guidance,

I have also improved my English skills a lot

Thirdly, I would like to thank my family and friends who were always with

me in difficult times

Last but not least, I am grateful of the English majors at Hanoi OpenUniversity, who participated in my surveys and gave me the most practicalanswers

In short, I really thank all people who helped me fulfil my graduation thesis

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study 1

1.3 Scope of the Study 2

1.4 Research Questions 2

1.5 Methods of the Study 2

1.6 Design of the Study 2

1.7 Summary of the Chapter 3

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 The Importance of English in Vietnam 4

2.1.1 English in the Past 5

2.1.2 English at Present 6

2.1.3 English in the Future 11

2.1.4 How Vietnamese People Used to Learn English 11

2.2 The Importance of the Internet 12

2.2.1 The Definition of the Internet 12

2.2.2 The Development of the Internet in Vietnam 13

2.2.3 Benefits of the Internet 14

2.3 Summary of the Chapter 16

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 18

3.1 Data Analysis 19

3.1.1 Influences on Aspects of English 19

3.1.1.1 Grammar 20

3.1.1.2 Vocabulary 20

3.1.1.6 Writing Skill 25

3.1.2 Influences on the Studying Methods 26

3.1.3 Other Benefits 28

3.2 Bad Behaviors of Vietnamese English Learners 29

3.2.1 Misusage 30

3.2.2 Dissipation 31

3.2.3 Perseverance 32

3.2.4 Other Limitations 33

3.3 Suggested Solutions 34

3.3.1 Misusage 34

3.3.2 Dissipation 35

3.3.3 Perseverance 35

3.3.4 Other Limitations 36

3.4 Summary of the Chapter 37

CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION 39

4.1 Review of the Study 39

4.2 Limitations of the Study 40

4.3 Suggestion for Further Study 40

REFERENCE 42

Books 42

Websites 43

APENDIX………

Table 2: Word Topics and Communicating Ability of Secondary Level 8

Table 3: Word Topics and Communicating Ability of High School Level 10

Table 4: Number of Internet User in Vietnam from 2011 to 2018 14

Table 5: Number of Internet User in Vietnam from 2000 to 2010 14

Chart 1: Number of student Using the Internet to Study English 18

Chart 2: Bad Behaviors of English Learners in Vietnam 29

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale

English is one of the most important languages around the world, and no onecan deny the possibility of this language in the future According to experts,more than 400 million people around the globe use English as their mothertongue and about one billion people use it as their second language InVietnam, the number English users occupy 20% of the total population.Furthermore, our country is in the period of international integration anddevelopment and this makes the role of English more significant than ever.This language has become a compulsory subject at school and in nationalexaminations and it is needed for occupation qualification

As the matter of fact, English always appears as the first and the mostavailable language on any websites, sources of information on the Internet.Over the past 15 years in Vietnam, the stunning developing ability of theInternet has made a great impact on every aspect of life, including the waypeople learn English

Without any doubts, I would like to take this subject into discussion to clarifyhow the Internet has changed the methods Vietnamese people used to studythis international language over times as well as the unreasonable behaviors

of Vietnamese English learners when using the Internet

1.2 Aims and Objectives of the Study

This study will provide a closer look through 4 main objectives:

- To illustrate the importance of the Internet and the rising number of Internetusers in Vietnam

- To clarify the need of English in the present and in the future in Vietnam

- To point out the effects of the Internet on Vietnamese English user inchanging the way they learn English and in their inappropriate behaviors.

- To provide solutions to minimize the bad effects of the Internet onVietnamese English learners

1.3 Scope of the Study

This study covers a wide range of English learners in Vietnam

A more detailed view would be taken on aspects of English subject,encompassing pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and 4 standard skills oflistening, speaking, reading and writing

1.4 Research Questions

Throughout the study, 4 questions will be answered:

- How important is English and the Internet in Vietnam?

- In what way that the Internet has changed the way Vietnamese peoplelearned English?

- What are some bad effects of the Internet on the behaviors of VietnameseEnglish learners?

- What are some suitable solutions to minimize the remaining problems?

1.5 Methods of the Study

The methods used for analyzing the study are the combination of searchinginformation on the Internet, paper documents and conducting a survey onEnglish learners Numbers, figures and tables would also be added into forfurther clarification

1.6 Design of the Study

This study is divided into 3 main parts:

The first part includes chapter I, which consists of rationale, aims andobjectives, scope, research questions and methods of study This part will

briefly show what this study is about and all the contents that would bementioned in the study.

The second part includes chapter II and chapter III, which discuss the contentsrelated to the importance of English and the Internet in Vietnam over theyears In addition, this part would tell us the actual situation of using theInternet of Vietnamese to learn English by surveys and also be consideredabout the influences of the Internet to English learners in Vietnam in allaspects, including advantages and disadvantages

The last part includes chapter IV and chapter V, which provide some practicalsolutions to minimum the disadvantages, review of the study, limitations ofthe study and suggestions for further study

1.7 Summary of the Chapter

In conclusion, this study will provide us the history of English development inVietnam The question of how important English is in the current period will

be answered Besides, the study will also provide us with the basic definition

of the Internet, the development history of the Internet in Vietnam and aboveall, the benefits of the Internet in learning English The Internet helps Englishlearners improve all their skills, including vocabulary, grammar and fourbasic skills The study points out in what way that the Internet has changedour traditional ways of teaching and studying In addition to the advantagesthat Internet offers, this study will show the disadvantages effects thatlearners may face when using the Internet with certain limitations To solvethe remaining problems, this study offers appropriate and effective solutionswith high constructiveness Limitations of the study and suggestions forfurther study would also be added

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Importance of English in Vietnam

In recent globalization trend, the importance of English is undeniable because

it is widely used everywhere in the world along with the development oftechnology, medicine, engineering and education Those are the places whereEnglish plays the most important role

Paul, C V (1989) states:

“Of all the languages in the world today, English deserves to beregarded as a world language It is the world’s most widely spokenlanguage It is the common means of communication between thepeoples of different nations One person out of every four on earth can

be reached through English.”

Paul, C V (1989)Especially for a developing country like Vietnam, English has been taughtvery early as well as many young people are aware of its importance forreasons such as finding a high quality job, communicating with the outsideworld, accessing the scientific resources that they are pursuing That is alsothe reason why many universities and colleges now teach many contents inEnglish as well as regulate foreign language output standards (popularlyEnglish) for students to graduate

Warschauer, M (2000) states: “It is clear that many students who have goodEnglish skills will find better jobs than those with limited Englishproficiency” In other words, students who know English will work moreeffectively because they are able to use information from foreign sources and

on websites

In the industrialization-modernization process of Vietnam today and in the era

of information explosion in the global context, how can learners take a short,proactive approach so that English learners can rise to the height of worldintelligence? – Harmer, J (2006) answered: “They must invest, developeducation, and know foreign languages – English.”

2.1.1 English in the Past

The English in the past can be divided into 2 periods of time: Before 1986 andfrom 1986 to 2010

Perhaps, for the first time, Vietnamese people were exposed to Englishlanguage in the 19th century Under the French colonial rule, it was possiblethat the Vietnamese began to study English mainly in the language schoolwhich was established in 1860 Before 1959, under the government of theRepublic of Vietnam, students in the South could choose to study English as aforeign language from grade 6 (middle school) During that same period, inthe North there were only a few places where English was taught After thewar ended, from 1975 to about 1986 the number of students who chose tostudy English as a second language was not much

The period from 1986 up to the 2010 is characterized by the rapid growth andexpansion of English in Vietnam This started exactly on December, 1986when at its Six National Congress, the Vietnamese Communist Party

completely reformed the economy of the country, also known as Doi Moi

(Renovation), which connected Vietnam to the rest of the world

Obviously, in the context of economic reform and the open policies, Englishbecame the first foreign language which was taught in Vietnam It becameone of the six national examinations, which students have to pass it in order toget the Secondary School Education Certificate English quickly became acompulsory subject for both undergraduates and graduates at tertiary level

In the new market of Vietnam with the rapid development of internationalbusinesses and trades, and by more and more foreign tourists came toVietnam, the ability of communicating in English has become a key in finding

a better job in every aspect, not only in tourism and education but also inmany other enterprises

2.1.2 English at Present

In Vietnam today, English has a very important role in different fields.Compared to the past, the number of English learners has increasedsignificantly along with the awareness of the influence of this language

An Overview on Vietnamese Education System

The Vietnamese education system allows for 12 years of schooling, dividedinto three 3 phases:

(1) Elementary school (Grades 1-5);

(2) Secondary school (Grades 6-9);

(3) High school (Grades 10-12)

After 12 years of schooling, students can choose to attend to university orcollege to keep studying English in higher level and in different specialties

English at Elementary Level

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the general Englishprogram will start from grade 3 to grade 12, meaning that students in grade 1and 2 will not be exposed to this subject

After finishing primary school, students can achieve English Level 1 of the level foreign language competency framework for Vietnam Specifically,students can understand and use familiar everyday structures, basic words thatmeet specific communication needs They can introduce themselves andothers and they can answer information about themselves like where they

6-live, relatives, friends Students can communicate simply if the person talking

is slow, clear and willing to cooperate and help

Through English, students have initial understanding of the country, peopleand cultures of some English-speaking countries and other countries in theworld; have a positive attitude towards learning English, be proud, cherishand respect the language and culture of our people, develop qualities likelove, respect for yourself, friends, family, environment, hard work andhonesty

This following table will show some example word topics that children learn

in primary school as well as their communicating ability:

Me and My Friends - Best Friends

- My Friends

- What Can I Do?

- Say hello/ goodbye/ thank you/sorry

- Spell words

Me and My School - My School

- My Class

- Utensils, LearningFacilities

- Ask and answer aboutschool/school activities/ favoriteevent/ frequency

- Describe location, number,features of a thing or a person

Me and My Family - My House

- Rooms and Items

- Family Members

- Introduce family members

- Determine the home addressand location of objects in thehouse

Table 1: Word Topics and Communicating Ability of Elementary Level English at Secondary Level

After finishing secondary school, students can achieve Level 2 English level

of 6-level foreign language competency framework for Vietnam Specifically,

it is possible for students to understand frequently used sentences and

structures related to basic communication needs (such as information aboutfamily, self, shopping, asking for directions, jobs They can exchangeinformation on simple, everyday topics

Through English, students have a general understanding of the country,people, cultures of English-speaking countries and other countries in theworld, have positive attitude towards English subjects At the same time,students have knowledge and pride in the values of their national culture,develop qualities such as compassion, family love and pride in homeland.This following table will show some example word topics that students learn

in secondary schools and their communicating ability:

Our Community - My School

- Hobby

- My Friends

- Describe favorite activity atschool/ details of a person/ simpleexperiences/ famous landmarks

- Festivals

- Traditional Customs

- Express agreement/disagreementand explain reason

- Give suggestions

- Describe and compare wonders

- Culture of NationsAround the World

- Predict future life

- Express interests/ possible futureissues

Table 2: Word Topics and Communicating Ability of Secondary Level English at High School Level

After finishing high school, students can achieve Level 3 English level of level foreign language competency framework for Vietnam Specifically, it is

6-possible for students to understand the main ideas of a clear, standardparagraph or speech on familiar topics at work, school, entertainment Theycan handle most situations that occur where the language is used Studentscan write simple paragraphs related to familiar topics or interestedindividuals, describe the experiences, events, dreams, hopes and ambitionsand briefly present the reasons, explain their ideas and plans.

Through English, students have a deeper understanding of the country,people, cultures of English-speaking countries and other countries in theworld, understand and respect the diversity of cultures, and initially reflect thevalue of Vietnamese culture in English, develop the qualities of love for thecountry, people, honesty, compassion and responsibility for the environmentand the community

After completing the high school English program, students can use English

as a communication tool through four skills of listening, speaking, readingand writing to meet their basic communication needs, practical on familiartopics related to school activities, entertainment, career

This following table will show some example word topics that students learn

in high school and their communicating ability:

- Generation Gap

- Entertainment

- Talk about family life

- Exchange ideas abouthousework and the role of familymembers

- Education

- Serve the Society

- Understand and express ideasabout social activities

- Express opinion about socialproblems/ education

Our Environment - Legacy Preservation - Talk about easy methods of

- Climate Change-EnvironmentProtection

preserving legacies

- Write an introduction topromote ecotourism

- Talk about affections of humanactivities on environment

Future

- Lifelong Learning

- Future of Cities

- Talk about life and technology

- Write about the Internet

- Express predictions of futurecities

Table 3: Word Topics and Communicating Ability of High School Level

Keith, W T (2013) states:

“Vietnamese current English program for 3 levels from elementary tohigh school is quite detailed and complete This amount of knowledgecan provide students with the necessary skills to be able to use thislanguage in everyday basic communication This is a platform to buildstudent generations that use this global language, contribute to thedevelopment and construction of the country during the integrationperiod.”

Keith, W T (2013)After finishing high school, students can continue to study English at collegeand university level English at this level will mainly be more familiar withthe aspects of English, thereby helping learners find the major that they want

to study to support future work

2.1.3 English in the Future

In the future, English education will continue to grow stronger The number

of bilingual schools and English language centers will continue to increase

Dreher, H and Maurer, H (2005) predicts: “With the development oftechnology, English teaching and learning is becoming easier than ever for allclasses of people in society, meeting the basic daily communication needs aswell as the requirements in employment” During the integration period, withthe strong investment from foreign organizations and businesses, English isessential in the resume.

Moreover, Vietnamese students have many advantages Learning and practiceneed to go together so if English becomes the primary language, learners will

no longer have difficulty in finding an environment that regularly andinternationally practices English They will easily communicate withforeigners With all these thoughts, I believe using English as an officiallanguage together with Vietnamese will help break down all language barriersand open up countless opportunities for all Vietnamese people

2.1.4 How Vietnamese People Used to Learn English

Noticeably, in Vietnam, learning English is like any other subjects at school,

as math or literature The teaching content focuses on grammar to prepare forthe tests These tests do not even assess language ability but focus oncomparing learning outcomes Therefore, many people forget what they havelearned immediately after passing the exams without the practice and regularreview

The heavy focus on the grammar and vocabulary in the English program inVietnam with the traditional way of reading and writing of Vietnamese people

is making images of English learning not achieve high performance.Chapelle, C (2001) pointed out: “If students are only familiar with exams,paper tests, mainly in grammar, reading comprehension and vocabulary, their

basic communication skills will be quite sketchy, which leads to countlessconsequences.”

2.2 The Importance of the Internet

2.2.1 The Definition of the Internet

People still use the Internet every day in many areas of life The Internet hasalways been everywhere, widely known, but not everyone knows what theInternet is

The Internet is a global information system that can be accessed publiclyincluding computer networks linked together This system transmits data in apacket-style connection (packet switching) based on a standardized inter-network protocol (IP protocol) This system includes thousands of smallercomputer networks of businesses, research institutes and universities,individual users and governments worldwide Teeler, D & Gray, P (2000)defined: “To make it easy to imagine, the Internet is like a virtual society.Every computer in the Internet is like an individual in that society.”

The Internet provides a lot of useful utilities for users, one of the commonutilities of the Internet is the email system, online chat, search engine,commercial and money transfer services and educational health services such

as telemedicine or virtual classes They provide a huge amount of informationand services on the Internet

The usual way to access the Internet is wireless, satellite and via cell phones,IPad, IPhone, Samsung Galaxy and some other touch phones

2.2.2 The Development of the Internet in Vietnam

The Internet in Vietnam is considered to be officially started at the end of

1997 November 19, 1997 was the first day Vietnam joined the globalInternet

Rob Hurle, professor at the Australian National University (ANU), isconsidered the first person to lay the foundation for Internet development inVietnam In 1994, with funding from the Australian Government, Mr Roband his colleagues at ANU bought the History Department of HanoiUniversity for the first computer in Vietnam and modem and made Internetconnection through gate.au By 1995, the demand for Internet use in Vietnamincreased too large and the funding from the Australian Government was nolonger sufficient, so it began collecting money from Vietnamese people usingthe Internet and commercializing the Internet Mr Rob and others colleaguesstarted to cooperate with Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corporation(VNPT) to develop services

VNPT, NetNam, and 3 other companies became the first Internet serviceproviders (ISPs) in Vietnam

According to We Are Social, a reputable statistical source, the Internet in

Vietnam has grown rapidly with a tremendous increase in the number of usersSince 2000

From 2000 to 2010:

Year Number of Internet User Year Number of Internet User

Table 5: Number of Internet User in Vietnam from 2011 to 2018

The number of Internet users in Vietnam has continuously grown over theyears Especially in the period 2012-2013, the number of users grew the most,with 28% growth in 2013 more than the previous year By 2018, internet

users accounted for about 65% of the national population We Are Social

predicts that by 2020, the number of Internet users in Vietnam will reach 64million, accounting for 80% of the population

2.2.3 Benefits of the Internet

It can be affirmed that the Internet directly affects many aspects of life Manyeconomic and social sectors using the Internet such as education, health,trade, diplomacy Jonathan, Z (2008) states: “Some people even claim thattheir life will be meaningless if there is no Internet Internet has dominatedalmost every field, from doctors, engineers, teachers to office workers TheInternet really helped a lot of the people.”

Fast, Convenient and Useful

In the past, people were used to waiting patiently to read somethinginteresting in the newspaper in the early morning of a new day, or the fastestone at a fixed time of the radio or television program Now, people can updateinformation at any time of the day by going to the Internet and viewing theelectronic newspaper Another outstanding feature of this type of newspaper

is its ability to communicate extensively

Today, the Internet has become a means of communicating, exchanginginformation, cooperating, exchanging information among individuals,organizations and countries across the planet, taking place very quickly andextremely conveniently, a place to share information and images (personal,collective or a group of people), current news people are interested in, both

"news" have just discovered (traffic accidents, fires) with speed in seconds.Not only that, people can also go to the Internet to listen to music, watchmovies, comedy or meet famous people they admire Linder, K (2004)claims: “The Internet helps people all over the world get closer to each otherand it is a lever to promote the strength of the community, including thepower of young people, contributing to building and developing theknowledge economy”

Learning Has Never Been Easier

The Internet also contains a huge knowledge base Learners can search almostall information in all domestic and international fields, new news and oldnews Best of all, when they want to search for a certain area or problem, they

go to Google to enter the keyword and press “Enter”, a lot of websites related

to that keyword will pop up

Moreover, the Internet has played an important part in education The system

of distance learning, online learning via network, even learning foreigntraining programs through the Internet is no longer new in Vietnam today.Students can study at any time with free time and communicate directly withteachers on the Internet, while saving costs while saving time Therefore, thismethod of training is revolutionary in the field of education has openedlearning opportunities for those who have long suffered disadvantages: shiftworkers, people who regularly go on business, people who live far awayschools, psychological difficulties or physical health

2.3 Summary of the Chapter

In conclusion, the importance of English in Vietnam in recent years has reallybeen manifested In the past, although English has always appeared as acompulsory subject, few people could see the importance of English At thepresent time, English has confirmed its position when it is an indispensableitem in the resume That is also the reason why in the past few years, Englishlanguage centers have grown at an incredible speed The current Englishcurriculum adequately provides students with vocabulary as well as grammarskills but students lack the application of knowledge to practicalcommunication, resulting in limited communication ability Internet boom issomething anyone can see With so many utilities that the Internet brings tousers, it is always the number one candidate for scientific research Moreover,the Internet appears in all aspects around our lives Individuals who use theInternet for many different purposes such as entertainment, studying, findinginformation, connecting while businesses and companies find ways to applyInternet to advertising products and customer utilities

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Currently, using the Internet for learning English is very popular forVietnamese people, especially university students A survey was conductedfor more than 100 students from Hanoi Open University to see what aspect ofEnglish that they study on the Internet 6 aspects of English includevocabulary, grammar, listening skills, speaking skills, reading skills andwriting skills

The following chart will show the result of the survey

Vocabulary Grammar Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Chart 1: Number of Student Using the Internet to study English

The chart above shows that the number of students using the Internet to learnvocabulary is superior to other aspects 98.1% of students participating in thesurvey said they all learnt English vocabulary via the Internet Besides, 87.7%

of students used the Internet to improve their grammar This is understandablebecause English grammar is very difficult and knowledge of English grammarappears on the Internet a lot Less than 50% of the students participating inthe survey voted in 2 parts as listening and writing skills Only 23.5% ofstudents used the Internet to learn and improve speaking skills

In addition, students were asked questions that corresponded to the aspect ofEnglish that they voted in the survey

Questions include:

- How often do you use the Internet to study English?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your English vocabulary?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your English grammar?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your listening skills?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your speaking skills?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your reading skills?

- How do you use the Internet to improve your writing skills?

In addition to the questions above, students were also asked to speak outabout their own changes in English learning methods

In the last part of this survey, the students mentioned other benefits that theInternet brought to them

Road to Grammar is the website that students mentioned the most It teaches

them grammar with help by practicing puzzles From this website, they

receive some exercises if they are preparing different kinds of exam Theyjust need to select a topic from the available ones and then it takes themthrough a series of quick questions, they can also download them in PDF fileformat or get arbitrary embed codes.

3.1.1.2 Vocabulary

The vocabulary of English has never been easy for any learner, even fornative speakers English vocabulary store with hundreds of thousands ofwords with different lengths Moreover, a word can have many differentmeanings in each situation and context This is a huge obstacle for moststudents It is difficult, but the importance of vocabulary in English or in anylanguage is indisputable It can be said that vocabulary is the most influentialfactor for all other skills in English Having a good English vocabulary means

having good reading skills, improving the quality of writing skills, improving

speaking skills and having high accuracy in listening skills

All the students agreed that the electronic dictionary was born that completelychanged the learning of English vocabulary Hundreds of thousands ofEnglish words encapsulated in a less than 300-megabyte application,compacted in one corner of the phone, which they can always take with them.Not only that, electronic dictionaries can provide a full range of differentmeanings of words or phrases they seek

In their answers, there is a bright point in learning English vocabulary It isthat many words have the same root For example:

- act (verb): Take action; do something

- action (noun): The process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim

- actor (noun): A person whose profession is acting on the stage, in films

- active (adjective): Characterized by lively activity; working; operative…