English for banking and finance at ho chi minh city university of economics a critical review and suggestions for syllabus improvements

This thesis takes a critical look at the current syllabus for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at HoChiMinh City University of Economics so as to make it more effective in

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANNITIES

NGUYEN PHUONG CHI

ENGLISH FOR BANKING AND FINANCE

AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS:

A CRITICAL REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS

FOR SYLLABUS IMPROVEMENTS

A THESIS IN TESOL CODE NUMBER 5.07.02

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF TESOL

SUPERVISOR: CAO THI QUYNH LOAN, MA

HOCHIMINH CITY -2003

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled:

ENGLISH FOR BANKING AND FINANCE

AT THE HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS:

A CRITICAL REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS FOR SYLLABUS IMPROVEMENTS

in terms of the statement of Requirements for Theses

in Master’s Programmes issued by the Higher Degree Committee

HoChiMinh City September 10, 2003

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, NGUYEN PHUONG CHI, being the candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes

of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for the care, loan and reproduction of theses

HoChiMinh City September 10, 2003

Nguyen Phuong Chi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Ms Cao Thi Quynh Loan, for her providing thorough instructions, guidance and valuable comments in the completion of this thesis

I am extremely grateful to my former supervisor, Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, who has encouraged and given me the inspiration to do this thesis, and provided me with great ideas to finish the thesis

My special acknowledgement is respectfully extended to Mr Nguyen Huynh Dat, Head of the Department of English Linguistics and Literature, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and staff members

I would also like to send my thanks to Ms Thai Thi Xuan Thuy, Head of the Foreign Languages Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, Mr

Vo Dinh Phuoc and some of the staff members for their help and useful contribution

Last, but not least, my warmest and most affectionate thanks are given to my parents, brother and friends, without their moral support and encouragement this thesis could not have been completed

ABSTRACT

A good syllabus will help both teachers and students a lot in the process of teaching and learning This thesis takes a critical look at the current syllabus for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at HoChiMinh City University of Economics so as to make it more effective in meeting the needs of students, teachers, the department as well as society

To do this, a study was carried out to develop recommendations

to improve the current syllabus The method employed in the investigation included a survey of students’ and teachers’ opinions of the current syllabus, with questionnaires given to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business, interviews with the teachers in charge

of the course, and class observation Besides, test results were analysed

The study has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the current syllabus On this basis, the strengths were retained and the weaknesses were improved or replaced In addition, constraints in improving the syllabus were clarified so that a revised syllabus could be better

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

8 TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURES

3.1 The relationship of a curriculum to the syllabuses

which draw from it p 12

3.2 The means analysis model by Holiday p 27

TABLES

4.1 Assessment of the class observation p 42

4.2 Percentage of students’ range of marks .p 44 - 45

4.3 Percentage of students got the average marks

and above in sections 1and 2 in semesters 1 and 2 p 46

5.1 Results of practice tests .p 54 - 55

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Certificate of originality i

Retention and use of the thesis ii

Acknowledgements iii

Abstract iv

List of Abbreviations v

List of illustrations vi

Table of contents vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION 1

1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY .2

1.3 RATIONALE 2

1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 2

CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 4

2.1 AIMS AND REQUIREMENTS OF TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE STUDENTS OF STATE FINANCE AND MONETARY BUSINESS AT THE UE 4

2.2 PRESENT SITUATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING OF ENGLISH TO THE STUDENTS OF STATE FINANCE AND MONETARY BUSINESS AT THE UE 4

2.2.1 Learners 4

2.2.2 Teachers 5

2.2.3 Current syllabus: English for Finance and Banking 5

2.2.3.1 Needs analysis 6

2.2.3.2 Objective setting 6

2.2.3.3.Content selection 6

2.2.3.4 Methodology 8

2.2.3.5 Materials 8

2.2.3.6 Evaluation 10

2.3 SUMMARY 10

CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW 11

3.1 CURRICULUM AND SYLLABUS 11

3.2 TYPES OF LANGUAGE SYLLABUSES 13

3.3 CONTENT-BASED AND TASK-BASED SYLLABUSES 14

3.3.1 Reasons for choosing these types 14

3.3.2 Position of content-based and task-based syllabuses 15

3.3.3 Definitions of task 16

3.3.4 Task, activity and exercise 16

3.3.5 Content-based and task-based syllabuses for the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE 16

3.4 SYLLABUS DESIGN PROCESS 17

3.4.1 Needs analysis 17

3.4.2 Goal and objective setting 19

3.4.3 Content selection 20

3.4.4 Content grading 21

3.4.5 Methodology 21

3.4.6 Selecting and developing materials 23

3.4.7 Evaluation and testing 24

3.5 APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY 26

3.6 SUMMARY 27

CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSES OF THE STUDY 29

4.1 METHODOLOGY 29

4.1.1 Research questions 29

4.1.2 Research design 29

4.1.3 The study 29

4.1.3.1 The subjects 29

4.1.3.2 The instruments 30

4.1.3.2.1 Questionnaires 30

4.1.3.2.2 Interviews 30

4.1.3.2.3 Class observation 31

4.1.3.2.4 Test result evaluation 31

4.1.3.3 Data collection procedure 32

4.2 ANALYSES OF THE STUDY 32

4.2.1 Analysis of the students’ opinions of the current syllabus 32

4.2.2 Analysis of the teachers’ opinions of the current syllabus 40

4.2.3 Analysis of the class observation 42

4.2.4 Analysis of the test results 43

4.3 SUMMARY 47

CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 48

5.1 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 48

5.1.1 Strengths of the current syllabus 48

5.1.2 Weaknesses of the current syllabus 48

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE SYLLABUS 49

5.2.1 Materials adaptation 49

5.2.2 Text-based tasks 50

5.2.3 Teaching methodology 51

5.2.4 Constraints in improving the syllabus for the students of State Finance and Business Monetary 53

5.2.5 Applicability of the revised syllabus 54

5.2.6 A revised syllabus in hard copy 55

5.3.SUMMARY 106

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 107

6.1 CONCLUSION 107

6.2.LIMITATION 107

6.3 FURTHER RESEARCH 107

APPENDICES 109

Appendix 1 109

Appendix 2 112

Appendix 3 115

Appendix 4 120

BIBLIOGRAPHY 137

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem identification

Since the implementation of the doi moi policy in 1986, Vietnam has joined

the ASEAN and welcomed foreign investors Since then, foreign companies have rushed into the Vietnamese market and established their businesses in Vietnam Most of these companies have created business activities that require the use of English In order to meet this need, all of the universities in Vietnam are teaching English as a compulsory subject to students in the hope that after graduation, they can use it as a means to further their careers

The HCM City University of Economics (UE) is, of course, not an exception

In all departments, such as Business Administration, Accounting - Auditing, Foreign Trade and Tourism, etc all students have to study English For different reasons, the UE has used textbooks written by foreign specialists for many years, however, it can also be easily recognized that these textbooks have not been completely suitable for the students

Over the last few years, the problem has been considered by the Principal and the Department of Foreign Languages at the UE who concluded that it was important to replace or improve the current syllabuses used in all departments This issue has become even more critical due to current events, such as:

- The United States - Vietnam Trade Agreement was approved by the Congresses of the two nations

- Vietnam pending entry into the WTO

In addition, the United Nations and some international economic organizations have insisted that Vietnam change the banking system

Because of these reasons, it is important that the current syllabus for banking and finance used at the UE be critically reviewed, and improved or replaced

1.2 Aims of the study

The study was undertaken in order to develop recommendations to improve the current syllabus In other words, strengths and weaknesses of the current English syllabus for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE will

be identified so that the strengths will be retained and the weaknesses can be overcome

1.3 Rationale

The fact that a syllabus can be used successfully in one department or an

institution does not mean that it can achieve similar success in another The current syllabus for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE was designed three years ago Since then, there have been many changes in students’ background and expectations of what is needed to better prepare them for future work “An understanding of the syllabus design will help teachers develop a more coherent and global view of the teaching and learning processes that occur in the classroom” (Richards, 1998, 1) In summary, the purpose of this study is to critically examine the current syllabus and to suggest changes so as to make it more effective in meeting the needs of the students, the department and society

1.4 Structure of the thesis

The thesis is organized into six chapters

Chapter 1 identifies the problems, states the reasons why this study was undertaken and provides an overview of the thesis

Chapter 2 provides the background for the study It includes an overview of teaching English to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE

in view of aims and requirements

Chapter 3 is the literature review It starts with a discussion of curriculum and syllabus Types of language syllabuses are also briefly mentioned, with the focus on content-based and task-based ones Then, major issues of the syllabus design process and the factors that affect it are dealt with, together with Holliday’s means analysis

Chapter 4 presents the methodology employed in the study In this chapter, specific research questions, the subjects, the instruments and the research procedures are described After that, it analyses and discusses students’ and teachers’ opinions of the current syllabus as well as test results Results of class observation are also given

Chapter 5 discusses the findings of the study and makes recommendations for an appropriate methodology and a revised syllabus

Chapter 6 gives conclusions, limitation of the thesis and suggestions for further investigation

CHAPTER 2

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Chapter 1 provides background information necessary to understand the issues presented in the thesis Aims and requirements as well as the present situation

of learning and teaching of English to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE will be dealt with in this chapter

2.1 Aims and requirements of teaching English to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE

The aims of teaching ESP at the UE are based on the directives set by the Ministry of Education, that is, to prepare the students for employment and to provide them with a background for self-study in future work so that they can meet the ever-changing requirements of the society Particularly, in the case of students

of State Finance and Monetary Business, the aims and requirements have been to train them, the future graduates, to use English in their future work and to read specialized literature in their field In other words, it is to provide students with the specialized knowledge and terms used in banking and finance and training in reading skills

2.2 Present situation of learning and teaching of English to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE

2.2.1 Learners

At the UE, the courses in English are provided in two stages In stage I (the first two years of study), students study General Business English They are supposed to achieve four skills at a pre-intermediate level after three semesters (270 periods) so that they can continue the study in stage II, where they do ESP (120 periods)

Students who come from big cities, such as Ho Chi Minh city, Nha Trang, etc have a much higher proficiency in English than do students who come from central coast and southern provinces (70%) Those students have difficulties in learning English, because in these regions the conditions of learning English are

poor To these students, English is a difficult subject In spite of this, students of different levels have to study in the same classes, in the first and the second stage This is one of the reasons that demotivates them in their study

by the management of the Foreign Languages Department

Teachers who teach English to students of State Finance and Monetary Business are supposed to have, besides their knowledge of English, specialized knowledge and experience in this field They should be dynamic and flexible in seeking supplementary materials and techniques to meet the goals and requirements

of institution and department as well as of students

2.2.3 Current syllabus: English for Finance and Banking

The Department of State Finance and Monetary Business is one of the oldest departments in the UE In spite of its long history, it did not have its own syllabus For many years, its syllabus was the one also used by other departments at the institution, for example: the department of Insurance, Accounting The instructional material was “ The Language of Accounting in English” by Sandra Costinett, Prentice Hall Regents, 1977, so the students of State Finance and Monetary Business had to study the terms of accounting, which did not belong to their field

As a consequence, they were not interested in studying English, leading to poor results in examinations To overcome this fault, since the academic year of 1999-

2000, new material has been introduced to meet the students’ needs The textbook is

“ Banking Transactions” by Francis Radice, Macmillan Professional English, 1994

This textbook covers familiar topics of banking and finance such as Cheques, Plastic money, Export finance, etc

2.2.3.1 Needs analysis

Students study English because it is a compulsory subject They are aware that English is a tool that will help them to get a better job later; however, they can not identify which language competence and language skills they need to improve

As for teachers, since there is no official information about the students’ various needs, it is difficult for them to meet the students’ needs as well as to help them study better

2.2.3.2 Goal and Objective setting

Teachers usually spend the first period providing students with information about goals, objectives set by the Ministry of Education and the Section of English, i.e to train them to use English in their future work and to read specialized literature

in their specific field, so that they can have a greater appreciation and acceptance of the learning experience they are about to take

2.2.3.3 Content selection

The prerequisites of choosing the materials at this department are that the lessons should deal with topics of banking and finance, as well as have a variety of exercises to train reading skills and to teach special terms The textbook

“Banking Transactions” is recommended, as it satisfies these requirements However, with the time allocation of 120 periods in two semesters, students will only study 8 out of 10 units

The following table summarizes the topics and contents

The Bankers Automated Clearing Services

The Clearing House Automated Payments System

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial

Telecommunications (SWIFT)

Opening a corporate account-the bank’s requirements

Account opening procedure

The company mandate

Business advisory services

Vinogradova-a company in difficulty

Advice on management policy and planning

Advice on management records

Investment and finance

Time for a decision

In each unit, the following sections are included:

3 Reading passage - A variety of exercises and activities: questions, gap-filling,

diagram completion, matching, summary

4 Vocabulary - A variety of exercises and activities: word or phrase

completion using words from text, various matching tasks, formation of words partners, phrasal verb completion, noun preposition completion

word-and-phrase-5 Grammar

(this section is kept

limited and does not

occur regularly in the

10 units)

- in short dialogues

- in traditional forms of grammar exercises

6 Discussion - question-answer, table completion, personal viewpoint,

debate, games, term and definition matching, competitive activities

2.2.3.4 Methodology

The Communicative Approach is the one that teachers claim to apply; similarly, student-centered classes are supported Students are encouraged to ask teachers questions when they arise and take part in the discussion, as much as possible

2.2.3.5 Materials

With its overall objective “help the learner to communicate in study, or in other words, use English as a means to improve and enhance his expertise”, the textbook “ Banking Transactions” seems to be the best choice According to Francis

Radice (1995, 6-8), the strong points of Banking Transactions can be summarized

as follows:

(i) the materials are content-based In other words, “the starting point for syllabus design is not the grammatical system of the language, but the communicative purposes for which language is used” (David Nunan, 1998, 28).This approach has resulted in a heavy vocabulary load, but easy grammar points The topics are selected carefully through research among banks in Central Europe

(ii) Each unit has its own topics and can be used either selectively or in sequence The first units are usually shorter and easier than the later ones

(iii) Grammar is taught in a strategic method “By ‘strategic grammar teaching’ is meant the introduction of grammar points as and when the need arises

In this way, the communicative needs of your group determine what grammar they need and the participants will be better motivated to learn it.” (Francis Radice,

1995, 6)

(iv) A major aim of the course is to help learners become familiar with special terms Therefore, new words and concepts are introduced in reading passages in a natural context and vocabulary exercises require learners’ brainstorming These exercises are designed on the three important language learning issues:

(a) language learning is more likely to be effective when learners are under a degree of stress than when they are completely relaxed;

(b) if learners can keep a record of the context in which they first hear words used, it will help them think about how they learn new vocabulary Thus, the contextual aspects are part of the vocabulary-learning process;

(c) learners can only understand and use new words by hearing, reading and using them in a variety of situations In so doing, they understand not only the range of possible meanings but also how usage is modified by context This will prevent them from thinking that because words are broadly equivalent in meaning, they are therefore interchangeable

(v) The tape recordings are also useful to learners The recorded exercises train learners in pronunciation, as well as give them a chance to hear the terms again

Besides the textbook, a teacher’s book and a cassette are provided to help both teachers and students in the process of teaching and learning

2.2.3.6 Evaluation

At the end of each term, students have to take an end-of-term test in 90 minutes Communicative testing is used to evaluate students’ ability of using English as a tool of communication in study The test consists of two sections: Section 1 checks language knowledge (vocabulary, structure and grammar) whereas section 2 deals with reading comprehension (see appendix 3)

2.3 Summary

This chapter has provided relevant information regarding the background of learning and teaching of English to the students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE From what has been presented, it is suggested that the students need a content-based and task-based syllabus and a teaching method appropriate in the process of teaching and learning

CHAPTER 3

LITERATURE REVIEW

Chapter 2 gives the background information to the study reported in this thesis This chapter deals with the major issues in the syllabus design process and the factors which affect it In other words, the following aspects will be discussed: (1) curriculum and syllabus, (2) types of syllabuses, (3) task-based and content-based syllabuses, (4) stages of syllabus design, (5) Holliday’s means analysis This chapter serves as a theoretical base for the other chapters (chapters 4 & 5)

3.1 Curriculum and Syllabus

So far, “curriculum” and “syllabus” are the two terms that have caused much

confusion within the literature as they are used differently in Britain and in the USA

White (1988, 4) defines

“In Britain, “syllabus” refers to the content or subject matter of an individual subject, whereas “curriculum” refers to the totality of content to be taught and aims to be realized within one school or educational system In the USA, “curriculum” tends to be synonymous with “syllabus” in the British sense.”

This distinction is confirmed by Nunan (1988, 14) He states:

“In the US, it is customary to use the term “ curriculum”, rather than “syllabus” to refer to all aspects of the planning, implementation and evaluation of curriculum The term is also used for a particular course of instruction In Britain, the term “syllabus” is used to denote that part of curriculum activity concerned with the specification and ordering of course content or input.”

Similarly, Stern (1996, 21-22) says:

“the term “curriculum” can be used in two ways In one sense, it refers to the programme studies of an educational institution In a more restricted sense, it describes the substance of what is taught in a given subject In Britain, the term “syllabus” is roughly equivalent to curriculum in the more restricted sense.”

From what is said above, these two terms are used interchangeably by designers who follow the American sense whereas there is a clear-cut distinction of curriculum and syllabus in the British one This hierarchical distinction which places syllabus in a subordinate position to curriculum will be employed in my study

The relationship of a curriculum to the syllabuses can be seen in the following figure: (Dubin and Olshtain, 1986, 34)

Figure 3 1: The relationship of a curriculum to the syllabuses which draw from it

According to Dubin and Olshtain,

“A curriculum contains a broad description of general goals by indicating an overall educational-cultural philosophy which applies across subjects together with a theoretical orientation to language and language learning with respect to the subject matter at hand.”

“A syllabus is a more detailed and operational statement of teaching and learning elements which translates the philosophy of the curriculum into a series of planned steps leading towards more narrowly defined objectives at each level.”

And this relationship will be used in the thesis

3.2 Types of language syllabuses

A number of different kinds of syllabuses are used in foreign language teaching Depending on the syllabus designers’ degree of attention to language meaning or form, or priorities in teaching, they have different classification of syllabus For example, Jordan (1997) classifies syllabus according to product, skills

or process; or Richards (1998) makes decisions about syllabus types on the basis of priorities in teaching In this section, product-oriented and process-oriented syllabuses will be dealt with (David Nunan, 1991)

Product syllabuses Process syllabuses Types Structural, functional-notional Procedural, task-based, content-based

Focus Knowledge and skills which

learners should gain as a result of instruction

Learning experiences of learners

Language is merely a vehicle for communicating about something else

Language can be learned holistically, in

“chunks” as it were

Within the product-oriented syllabus, whatstructural and functional-notional syllabuses have in common is that they are based on principles of selection and grading of items The difference is in the former syllabus, decisions about which items to include in the syllabus are made on linguistic grounds whereas in the latter one items chosen must also help learners to carry out the communicative purposes for which they need the language In this case, it is necessary to carry out some

form of needs analysis The structural syllabus tends to promote activities which serve to internalize the formal properties of language In contrast, the functional-notional syllabus promotes activities which attempt to replicate in class “real” communication (Widdowson, 1987, 65)

Within the process-oriented syllabus, the principles underlying procedural and task-based syllabuses are very similar (Richards, Platt, and Weber, 1985) They are organized around tasks and consist of the specification of the tasks and activities that learners will engage in class Their focus is on communicative and cognitive process Content-based syllabuses are different from the two above in that experiential content, which provides the point of departure for this type of syllabus,

is usually derived from some fairly well-defined subject area Its focus is on information

In the field of language teaching, theoretically, it is possible that a single syllabus type can be used However, in practice, it is likely that several types will be combined to bring about positive results

Each syllabus type has its own advantages and disadvantages To implement

a syllabus type in a particular context, apart from learners needs, factors that can potentially affect the change or hinder its successful implementation have to be taken into account

At the UE, information about why learners want to learn the target language, the societal factors, the constraints, and the resources available need to be collected

In other words, syllabus designers at this institution have to examine the impact of societal factors (educational officials, employers, educational organizations), project factors, institutional factors, teachers and learners on the programme

3.3 Content-based and task-based syllabuses

3.3.1 Reasons for choosing these types

Task-based and content-based syllabuses are emphasized here because they

“provide a purpose for the use and learning of a language other than simply learning language items for their own sakes” (Richards, Platt, and Weber 1985, 289), or they

“facilitate learning not merely through language but with language” (Mohan, 1986)

It can be seen that the content-based syllabus helps students understand more about business concepts while the task-based one trains them to fulfil work-related tasks they are supposed to encounter in their future work

If with other approaches to syllabus design, content is incidental and serves merely as the vehicle for practising language structures, functions or skills, in the content-based syllabus, it provides the vehicle for the presentation of language Advantages for a content-based syllabus are:

- It facilitates comprehension;

- Content makes linguistic form more meaningful;

- Content serves as the best basis for teaching the skill areas;

- It addressed students’ needs;

- It motivates learners;

- It allows for integration of the four skills

(Richards, 1998, 99) Likewise, the task-based syllabus has the advantage of focusing on meaning rather than linguistic structure Claims made to support the use of the task-based syllabus are:

- Tasks are activities which drive the second language acquisition process;

- Grammar teaching is not central with this approach because learners will acquire grammar as a by-product of carrying out tasks;

- Tasks are motivating for learners and engage them in meaningful communication (Richards, 1998, 103)

3.3.2 Position of content -based and task-based syllabuses

When we look at the position of content-based and task-based syllabuses in the table above, we can see that they belong to the process-oriented one which focuses on the learning experiences themselves

3.3.3 Definitions of task

Within the literature, “task” has been defined in a variety of ways Prabhu (1987, 24) defines a task as “an activity that requires learners to arrive at an outcome from given information through some process of thought” Tasks are regarded as “ activities or actions which are carried out as the result of processing or understanding language… Tasks may or may not involve the production of language A task usually requires the teacher to specify what will be regarded as successful completion of the task” (Richards, Platt and Weber 1986, 289) By these definitions, the task is “a piece of meaning-focused work involving learners in comprehending, producing and/or interacting in the target language.”(Nunan, 1989, 10)

3.3.4 Task, activity and exercise

At this point, a distinction should be made between task, activity and exercise

An activity is described “as involving the purposeful and active use of language, where learners are required to call upon their language resource to meet the needs of a given communicative situation” (Vale and Mckay, 1991, 23) With such definition, an activity can be understood as a task An exercise “focuses on one

or more elements of the communication process in order to promote the learning of items of language, knowledge, skills, and strategies needed in activities” (Vale and Mckay, 1991, 24) Thus, activities/tasks involve lots of purposeful language use and exercises lots of language practice

Along with activities/ exercises, language instruction should be used as it enables learners to do things using the language (Nunan, 1999, 25)

3.3.5 Content-based and task-based syllabuses for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE

Task-based and content-based syllabuses are recommended for students of Banking and Finance at the UE because of the following reasons:

(i) the aim of teaching English at the UE is to help students use English as a

means of communication in studying, read specialized materials to improve

their major To achieve this aim, it is necessary that the syllabus should focus

on the learners’ subject matter as much as possible

(ii) through subject matter-oriented lessons, along with appropriate forms of

tasks and exercises to enhance communication skills in studying, the learners’ motivation will be increased Thus the needs as well as the habits of improving English will gradually be established This is very important because at present most of the students learn English to pass examinations (iii) learning English is only effective when learners relate studying to

communicative purposes Thus if learners can study English through updated, subject matter-oriented materials, they will be more interested and the process of teaching and learning will become more meaningful

(Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, 2000, 16) From what is said above, in the integration of content-based and task-based syllabuses designed for students of Finance and Banking at the UE, the content must be related to the learners’ subject matters and there should be real or realistic communication activities or practice communication activities By doing so, it results in desirable effects as well as meets the programme requirements

3.4 Syllabus design process

As for the procedures in syllabus design, either in EGP or ESP, they consist

of the following steps: needs analysis, goal and objective setting, selection and grading of content, methodology, selecting and developing materials, and evaluation

3.4.1 Needs analysis

In an ESP course, an analysis of learners needs has become a tradition According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987, 54), “needs” is the ability to comprehend and/or produce the linguistic features of the target situation, or as Johns and Dudley-Evans (cited in Benesch, Sarah 1996, 723) say they are “identifiable elements of students’ target English situations” “Needs” can be objective or subjective Objective needs derive from “different kinds of factual information

about learners, their use of language in real-life communication situation as well as their current language proficiency and language difficulties.” Subjective needs are

“the cognitive and affective needs of the learner in the learning situation, derivable from information about affective and cognitive factors such as personality, confidence with regard to the learning of English and their individual cognitive style and learning strategies” (Brindley, 1989, 70)

Needs analysis, as Richards (1990, 5) defines, is a set of procedures used to collect information about learners’ needs and specify the parameters of a course of study Its purpose is to provide a means of obtaining a wider input into the content, design and implementation of a language programme; to develop goals, objectives and content; and to provide data for reviewing and evaluating an existing programme In language teaching, needs analysis may be used for a number of different purposes; for example: to find out what language skills a learner needs in order to perform a particular role, to help determine if an existing course adequately addresses the needs of potential students or to identify a gap between what students are able to do and what they need to be able to do Needs analysis may take place prior to, during or after a language program (Richards, 1998, 22 - 23)

The term “learners needs” refers to two kinds of needs: “target needs” (what the learner needs to do in the target situation) and “learning needs” (what the learner needs in order to learn) (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, 54) “Target needs” can be considered as learners’ destination whereas “learning needs” is the route to the destination “Target needs” is composed of “necessities”- what the learner has to know in order to function effectively, “lacks”- the gap between the target proficiency and the existing proficiency of the learner, and “wants”- learner’ subjective perception of necessities and lacks There are many ways to gather information about target needs, for example: questionnaires, interviews, observations, data collection, informal consultations with sponsors, learners, and others The analysis of target situation needs is basically a matter of asking questions about the target situation and attitudes towards that situation of the

various participants in the learning process So far, much has been said about target needs, but to get to the destination, “we must choose our route according to the vehicles and guides available, the existing roads within the learner’s mind and the learner’s motivation for travelling” (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, 62) In other words, learning needs must be taken into account as analyzing learning needs provides information about learners’ own resources, their objectives/ purposes, etc

Needs may be clear or vague, in either case the teacher has to find ways to assess and define them so that they can be translated into realistic goals

3.4.2 Goal and objective setting

Goals and objectives are very important in that they provide directions as to what teachers wish to achieve at the end of a programme of instruction Clear understanding of goals and objectives will help teachers to be sure what material to teach, and when and how it should be taught Therefore, it is important for syllabus designers as well as teachers to state realistic and achievable goals and objectives

A goal refers to a statement of a general change that a programme seeks to bring about in learners The purposes of goal statements are:

- to provide a clear definition of the purpose of a programme

- to provide guidelines for teachers, learners, and materials’ writers

- to help provide a focus for instruction

- to describe important and realizable changes in learning

(Richards, 1998, 70) Stern (1996) proposes four types of goals for language learners: proficiency goals, cognitive goals, affective goals and transfer goals Proficiency goals include general competency, mastery of the four skills, whereas cognitive goals include mastery of linguistic knowledge and cultural knowledge Affective goals refer to achieving positive attitudes and feelings about the target language, achieving confidence as a user of the language and achieving confidence in oneself as a learner Transfer goals involve learning how to learn so that one can call upon learning skills gained in one situation to meet future learning challenges Thus,

goals may address not only the attainment of knowledge and skills but also the development of attitude and awareness

On the other hand, an objective refers to a statement of specific changes a programme seeks to bring about and results from an analysis of the goal into its different components Objectives generally have the following characteristics:

- they describe what the goals seek to achieve in terms of smaller units of learning;

- they provide a basis for the organization of teaching activities;

- they describe learning in terms of observable behaviour or performance

In preparing statements of objectives the following principles need to be taken into consideration: (i) objectives should describe a learning outcome, (ii) objectives should be consistent with the curriculum goal, (iii) objectives should be precise and feasible (Richards, 1998, 73-74)

Mager (1975, 76) describes three components of good objectives:

(i) performance: an objective says what a learner is expected to be

able to do;

(ii) conditions: an objective describes the important conditions under

which the performance is to occur;

(iii) criterion: an objective describes the criterion of acceptable

performance describing how well the learner must be able to perform in order to be considered acceptable

In short, “goals are general statements about what must be accomplished

in order to attain and satisfy students’ needs whereas objectives are precise statements about what content or skills the students must master in order to attain a particular goal” (Brown, 1995, 21) Thus, the difference between goals and objectives lies in the level of specialization

3.4.3 Content selection

After needs have been analysed and goals and objectives have been established, selection and grading of content are dealt with

According to David Nunan (1996) in a learner-centered system, content should be derived through a process of consultation and negotiation with the learners, the principal consideration being the communicative needs of the learners

The first step in the process is to examine learner data and extract information relating to the purposes for which learners are attending the course and which can be translated into communicative goals

The second step is to specify the communicative tasks and enabling skills which learners will need to be able to perform in order to achieve their language goals

The next step is to provide contextualisation for the tasks by deciding on such things as topics, settings, interlocutors and so on

The last step is to decide on linguistic elements which will need to be taught

in order for learner to be able to operationalise the pre-specified skills

3.4.4 Content grading

Once the content for a course has been specified, it needs to be sequenced Most syllabus designers work on the assumption that a course will consist of a sequence of lessons which need to be structured and graded in some way, and that their client group of learners will be relatively stable for the duration of the course However, in the communicative approach, the tasks of structuring and grading become much more complex as it views language learning as a process of learning

to do things with language Therefore, grading tasks means specifying degrees of skills as well as describing performance Unfortunately, at present, there is little empirical evidence to guide decision making on task difficulty The grading of communication tasks in a communicative curriculum will be largely intuitive (David Nunan, 1996)

3.4.5 Methodology

In the “Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics”, methodology is defined

as follows:

(1) the study of the practices and procedures used in teaching, and the principles and beliefs that underlie them

Methodology includes:

(a) study of the nature of language skills and procedures for teaching them;

(b) study of the preparation of lesson plans, materials, and textbooks for teaching language skills;

(c) the evaluation and comparison of language teaching methods

(2) such practices, procedures, principles, and beliefs themselves

(Richards et al, 1985, 177)

We can realize that methodology here is concerned with the “how” Drawing

a distinction of EGP and ESP methodology, Hutchinson and Waters (1987, 142) state that “ the principles which underline good ESP methodology are the same as those that underline sound ELT methodology in general” Therefore, ESP practitioners can learn a lot from EGP techniques of teaching

In ESP, some basic principles of language learning underpin learning-centered methodology (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, 128):

(1) Second language learning is a developmental process The learner’s existing state of knowledge is a vital element in the success or failure of learning

(2) Language learning is an active process Learners must use the necessary knowledge to make things meaningful There are two types of activity:

(a) psycho-motor activity: the observable movement of speech organs or limbs in accordance with signals from the brain;

(b) language processing activity: the organization of information into a meaningful network of knowledge

Of the two factors, in practice, the latter is more important because

“activity” should be judged in terms of how much the learners have to think – to use their cognitive capacities and knowledge of the world to make sense

of the flow of new information

(3) Language learning is a decision-making process The process of developing and using a network of knowledge relies on a train of learner decisions Learners must be decision-makers

(4) Language learning is not just a matter of linguistic knowledge In ESP, the learners’ knowledge of their subject specialism may be of a very high level, while their linguistic knowledge is almost nothing Teaching must respect both levels of the learners’ state

(5) Language learning is not the learners’ first experience with language Learners’ knowledge of communication should be actively exploited in second language learning

(6) Learning is an emotional experience Teachers should develop the positive emotions

(7) Language learning is incidental Students do not have to work with language problems in order to learn language The problems should oblige the learners to use language and thereby fix the language into the matrix of knowledge in their minds

(8) Language learning is not systematic The learner must create an internal system

3.4.6 Selecting and developing materials

For many teachers, the materials they use are very important as it is something concrete that students use and it provides a focus for the class Choosing materials may mean developing new materials, collecting materials or adapting existing materials Among the factors teachers have to consider when they develop, choose or adapt materials, those as effectiveness, appropriateness, feasibility and availability are the most important

In ESP, authentic materials are much emphasized They can be books, the media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV), company-specific materials, public information materials and recording live events on audio or video used in the students’ own specialist workplace or study situation Their purpose is the communication of subject content rather than language form (Kennedy and Bolitho,

1991, 48) By this definition, authentic materials aim to convey information and ideas rather than the use of language Besides, teachers have to consider whether goals, tasks/ activities are authentic or not

3.4.7 Evaluation and testing

Evaluation is the last but not least stage It is “a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information about teaching and learning in order to make informed decisions that enhance student achievement and the success of educational programmes”(Fred Genesee, 2001, 144) Teachers should evaluate the course to improve and promote its effectiveness

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987, 144), in ESP, there are two levels of evaluation: learner assessment and course evaluation Learner assessment plays an important role in ESP because its aim is to assess learners’ performance The second form of evaluation is done to assess whether the course objectives are met

In ESP, there are three basic types of assessment:

- Placement tests: Their aim is to determine the learners’ state of knowledge before the ESP course begins However, as there have been doubts about the ability to accurately diagnose learner needs thorough tests, placement tests can only be an approximate guide and should be treated with caution

- Achievement tests: These are the tests most ESP teachers are most likely

to have to construct because they test how well the learner is keeping up with the syllabus Therefore, the tests can be administered at any time through the course

- Proficiency tests: The tests are conducted to assess whether the student can cope with the demands of a particular situation

Since the ESP course exists to satisfy a particular educational need, its evaluation helps to consider whether the course is actually fulfilling the need There are four main aspects of ESP course evaluation to be considered:

a) What should be evaluated? The answer is everything of significance

b) How can ESP courses be evaluated? In practice, most ESP courses are evaluated using one or more of these techniques: test results, questionnaires, discussions, interviews, informal means, for example: unsolicited comments, “ casual” chats The choice of technique will depend on what suits the teaching situation best

c) Who should be involved in the evaluation? They are the ESP teaching situation, the ESP teachers, the learners and the course sponsors

d) When and (how often) should evaluation take place? It is difficult to prescribe how often course evaluation should be done However, the most important times can be in the first week of the course, at regular intervals throughout the course, at the end of the course or (if possible) after the course

Testing is a part of evaluation Testing in the classroom can not be separated from the course syllabus and objectives as it helps teachers measure students’ proficiency in the use of language and to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the learned abilities Two approaches within language testing are: norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing; of which, the latter is more important in ESP If norm-referenced tests are designed to maximize distinctions among test takers so as to rank them with respect to the ability being tested; criterion-referenced tests are designed to represent levels of ability or domains of content, and performance on them is interpreted with reference to the criterion level (Batchman, 1990) In developing a criterion-referenced test, the precise, detailed specification of not only the features of the specific purpose target language use situation, but also the criteria for evaluating performance is extremely important (Douglas, 2000, 16)

In designing a test, three basic requirements are always considered and satisfied: (i) content validity; (ii) reliability; and (iii) practicability Some viewpoints related to this theory are as follows:

- the content has to be close to the syllabus;

- the test format has to develop students’ interactiveness and reflect its authenticity;

- there should be relevant tests to reduce cheating;

- relevant tests’ reliability must be ensured

Besides, all tests have a backwash effect (the test will influence what is taught and how it is taught) A test designed with positive backwash is, therefore, encouraged while a negative one should be avoided A good test will cause teachers

to teach what learners need in ways which enhance the learning process

In particular, to implement an integrated syllabus of content-based and based for State Finance and Monetary Business students at the UE, the first thing syllabus designers have to do is to analyse students’ needs and develop students’ profiles After that, they have to review the goals and objectives set to determine the relationship between the institutional needs and students’ needs Then the content is selected As the subjects here are students of State Finance and Monetary Business, the content must focus on their major In order to do so, the syllabus designers should consult specialists in this field Since the syllabus is content-based, grammar

task-is not emphasized and the units may be used either selectively or in sequence With the purpose of communication, the communicative tasks must be specified Finally, there come evaluation and testing to see whether the goals and objectives have been achieved or not

3.5 Appropriate methodology

The aim of this part is to find out the factors that can affect a specific syllabus design As Holliday (1994, 195) points out: “the whole range of activities

in English language education, from syllabus design to project management, needs

to be led by a deeper understanding of the social forces acting on the classroom, which a culture-sensitive approach hopes to provide” He suggests the means analysis which is “on going survey of the cultural, sociopolitical, logistical, administrative, psycho-pedagogic and methodological features of the host education

environment as it changes in time before and during the process of innovation” (Holliday, 1994, 199) Compared with Munby’ needs analysis, his means analysis is different in that during the syllabus planning process, the factors that relate to the subjects and the educational environment are always taken into consideration and act as a basis for the syllabus adjustment Following is his means analysis model

Needs analysis Means analysis

(Investing local features)

Means for overcoming “constraints”exploiting local features

Figure 3.2: The means analysis model by Holliday (1994, 200)

Coming back to the UE, the factors which inevitably influence planning and outcomes such as political, economic, administrative and personnel must be addressed at the same time when the syllabus content specification has been arrived

at

3.6 Summary

In this chapter we have looked at the difference between “curriculum” and

“syllabus” as well as the types of syllabus with emphasis on task-based and based Then, the stages of syllabus design (needs analysis, goal and objective

content-setting, content selection and grading, selecting and developing materials, and evaluation and testing) have been identified and Holliday’s means analysis recommended Besides the syllabus for students of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE, the factors that have to be considered in the syllabus design process are also mentioned All these aspects will act as a basis for the analysis and findings in chapters 4 and 5

CHAPTER 4

METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSES OF THE STUDY

In chapter 3, major issues in the syllabus design and the factors that affect it have been reviewed This chapter presents the research methodology that was decided upon based on the factors discussed in chapter 3 It includes the presentation of the research questions, the research design, the subjects, the instruments and the data collection procedure After that, it analyses and discusses students’ and teachers’ opinions of the current syllabus and evaluates the test results

at the UE

4.1 Methodology

4.1.1 Research questions

The aims of the study are to review the current English syllabus for students

of State Finance and Monetary Business at the UE and give suggestions for improvements These aims can now be formulated through the following research questions:

1.What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current syllabus?

2 What aspects of the current syllabus should be improved?

4.1.3.1 The subjects

There were two groups taking part in the study The first group contained 394 students from the classes of State Finance and Monetary Business The second

group consisted of all teachers who taught the course of the academic year of 2001-

- the number of years of studying English (learning experience);

- the level of difficulty of the course book ;

- the level of difficulty of learning tasks and reasons for these difficulties;

- the learning style of the subjects and the learning style preference;

- the learning approach;

- comment on the examination result;

- opinions of the ESP course regarding learning conditions/ the course book/ the teaching and learning process, and;

- desire to continue studying ESP and their purpose for studying it

4.1.3.2.2 Interviews

Another primary source that provided information about the current design

of the course was the teachers in charge of the course Here the method employed was interviewing (see appendix 2) In the interviews, the following problems were mentioned:

- their teaching experience;

- their ideas of the strengths and weaknesses of the current syllabus, the materials, and the means of student assessment;

- their techniques of teaching vocabulary and the aspect they focused when teaching in class, and;

- their suggestions for a better syllabus