NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE NGÔ HOÀNG MINH THẢO THE APPLICATION OF THE COMMUNICATIVE A
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In recent years, the primary objective of foreign language learning has shifted towards enhancing communicative ability This has led to a renewed emphasis on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which prioritizes effective communication Key areas of focus include developing speaking and listening skills, writing for specific communicative purposes, and engaging with authentic reading materials Underpinning CLT are essential principles of communicative competence.
The primary objective of the Communicative Approach (CA) is to develop students' communicative competence, which entails the ability to use the target language appropriately in various social contexts Achieving this requires students to understand linguistic forms, meanings, and functions It is crucial for them to recognize that there is a significant distinction between merely knowing language forms and possessing the skills necessary for functional and interactive communication Students must learn that multiple forms can fulfill a single function and that a single form can serve various functions Consequently, they need to select the most suitable form for effective communication and adeptly navigate the process of negotiating meaning in both spoken and written interactions.
In English learning, students must engage with all four skills from the outset Oral communication involves negotiation between the speaker and listener, while written communication relies on interaction between the reader and writer Although the writer cannot receive immediate feedback, the reader strives to grasp the writer's intentions, and the writer considers the reader's perspective Thus, meaning is not solely contained in the text; it emerges through the negotiation between the reader and the writer.
Effective written communication relies heavily on the ability of both the writer and the reader to understand each other's perspectives Writers must anticipate how readers will interpret their messages and foresee any potential misunderstandings Conversely, readers need to communicate their thoughts clearly to ensure comprehension This process requires patience and imagination from both parties Additionally, strong interaction, negotiation, and critical thinking skills are essential for successful written exchanges In a reading class, students must collaborate to negotiate the meaning of texts with one another and their teacher to enhance their understanding.
This article aims to explore the methods of learning and teaching reading skills at TPH, focusing on the application of Communicative Approach (CA) in reading instruction.
In Vietnam's English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, numerous educators have conducted research to explore their teaching environments Notable examples include Mr Nguyen Tuan Khanh from the Hue Institute of Fine Arts, Mr Nguyen Dinh Cung Duy from Maritime Secondary School, and Ms Nguyen Thi Song Thuong from HCMC Architecture University.
Ms Phan Xuan Thao from HCMC University of Economics highlights the challenges faced in teaching and learning reading within their educational context Meanwhile, Ms Nguyen Duy Mong Ha proposes the implementation of the communicative approach to enhance reading instruction for Vietnamese English majors.
Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of teaching reading, particularly in the context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) However, there is a notable gap in research focused on high school reading instruction This study aims to explore the methods of teaching and learning reading at Tran Phu High School, as well as the challenges faced in implementing the Communicative Approach (CA) in this setting.
1.2.2.1 THE COURSE AND THE SYLLABUS
The school year consists of 33 weeks divided into two semesters, with English taught in five periods per week across three days The Ministry of Education and Training allocates three periods for core lessons, while two additional periods focus on extra exercises and activities Each unit in the course book is designed to be taught over two weeks, incorporating three to four periods for reading comprehension and six to seven periods for grammar practice and revision The course follows the PPP framework—Presentation, Practice, and Production—where reading texts introduce discussion topics and grammar points However, the course materials present challenges, as the texts are difficult, the information is outdated, and the complex structures require extensive teacher explanation Additionally, the tasks provided lack motivation and engagement for students.
At Tran Phu High School, the English teaching staff comprises both seasoned educators who graduated from the Teacher Training College and younger, enthusiastic teachers This diverse mix of experience and energy contributes to a dynamic learning environment.
All students attending class 11 th at Tran Phu high school in the school year
Since 2005, students have been learning English from the sixth grade, and by the time they reach English 11, they have gained significant experience and mastered tenses, structures, and voices Being of the same age allows teachers to easily adjust the teaching pace and provide clear explanations.
This study is carried out at Tran Phu high school in order to improve the way of learning and teaching reading skill
The purposes of this study are:
1 to find out how the reading skill is being learned and taught at Tran Phu high school
2 to identify the difficulties in the application of the communicative approach to the teaching of reading at this school
3 to suggest some solutions to solve the problems
In order to achieve the aims presented above, the study focuses on answering the following questions:
1 How do the students study reading?
2 How do the teachers teach reading?
3 Do the teachers apply the communicative approach to the teaching of reading?
4 What are the difficulties in applying this approach to the teaching of reading?
The thesis is structured into five chapters: Chapter 1 outlines the study's scope, background, research aims, and questions Chapter 2 reviews relevant literature, including reading models and the application of Contrastive Analysis (CA) in reading instruction Chapter 3 details the methodology, describing the subjects, questionnaire, and survey process Chapter 4 presents the collected data, discusses the results, and proposes solutions to identified issues Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes the main findings and concludes the thesis.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to achieve the aims presented above, the study focuses on answering the following questions:
1 How do the students study reading?
2 How do the teachers teach reading?
3 Do the teachers apply the communicative approach to the teaching of reading?
4 What are the difficulties in applying this approach to the teaching of reading?
OVERVIEW OF THE THESIS
The thesis is structured into five chapters: Chapter 1 outlines the study's scope, background, research aims, and questions Chapter 2 reviews relevant literature, including reading models and the application of Contrastive Analysis (CA) in reading instruction Chapter 3 details the methodology, describing the subjects, questionnaire, and survey process Chapter 4 presents the collected data, discusses the results, and offers solutions to identified issues Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes the main findings and concludes the thesis.
LITERATURE REVIEW
COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF READING
The teaching method significantly impacts student motivation, as noted by Harmer (1991) If students perceive the method as dull, they may become demotivated; conversely, confidence in the method can enhance motivation Highly motivated learners are more inclined to align their roles with that of the teacher and engage cooperatively in classroom activities (Wright, 1987) Therefore, emphasizing the communicative approach is essential, as highlighted by Lewis and Hill.
In 1992, it was noted that contemporary textbooks predominantly utilize the communicative approach, prioritizing language learning for effective communication This perspective suggests that educators who view language as a communication tool will understand the importance of engaging texts, personalized instruction, collaborative activities such as pair and group work, and opportunities for free practice.
Group work is essential in a communicative methodology, as it fosters natural conversational settings more effectively than other classroom structures (Brumfit, 1983) Organized group work, where tasks and roles are clearly defined, enhances communication learning and human interaction (Lewis & Hill, 1992) Successful group interactions yield greater outcomes than individual efforts, boosting motivation among learners (Nuttall, 1982) Additionally, group work generates interactive language, addresses challenges in large classes, and promotes learner responsibility and autonomy, distributing accountability for progress among all group members (Brown, 1994).
To engage students effectively and spark their curiosity about the upcoming text, pre-reading questions are essential, as highlighted by Wallace (1988) These questions provide students with a clear purpose for reading, foster a positive attitude towards the task, and boost their confidence in their ability to extract meaningful insights Additionally, teachers play a crucial role in guiding students to connect their existing knowledge and experiences to the material at hand.
Engaging communicative tasks in the classroom significantly enhance students' motivation and interest (Nuttall, 1982) According to Richards (1990), these activities provide valuable feedback on students' reading performance, allowing them to practice reading while learning about effective strategies for various tasks He emphasizes that teaching-focused activities help students develop and refine their reading skills and strategies Furthermore, Wallace (1992) posits that reading strategies are essential for processing text, highlighting the need for classroom activities to be designed with a genuine communicative purpose.
To effectively implement the communicative approach in teaching reading, it is essential to engage students in an interactive process that integrates both bottom-up and top-down strategies Students should connect their personal experiences, interests, and concerns to the text, as they are active participants in the reading process Prior to starting the task, teachers must bridge the gap between students' linguistic knowledge and their world knowledge by previewing key concepts, explaining cultural and conceptual challenges, and highlighting the text's discourse genre.
Encouraging learners to integrate both top-down and bottom-up reading strategies is essential This involves discussing the text's topic prior to reading, fostering expectations, and making connections between the text's references and the learners' prior knowledge.
To enhance reading skills, group and pair work should integrate other skills, allowing students to exchange ideas and connect their background knowledge to the text Encouraging self-reliance, students should read for enjoyment without constant teacher guidance A well-structured reading lesson should consist of three key components: pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading, each accompanied by suitable activities.
To enhance students' reading speed, teachers should implement various strategies and specialized skills, including predictive skills and word-attack techniques Key sub-skills to focus on are skimming for the main idea, scanning for specific information, outlining, paraphrasing, summarizing, and reading for overall comprehension Additionally, fostering critical reading abilities, such as drawing inferences and recognizing implicit relationships, is essential for developing proficient readers.
To foster student independence, it is essential to encourage the use of minimal syntactic and semantic clues to extract maximum information Rather than insisting on understanding every word, students should focus on grasping the overall meaning of a text, as larger coherent units facilitate faster reading By developing skimming skills, learners can quickly identify the main idea without getting bogged down by non-essential details It is crucial to break the habit of word-by-word reading, which hinders comprehension, and to emphasize that understanding all words is not necessary for grasping the text's meaning Frequent reliance on bilingual dictionaries should be discouraged Teachers should guide students in utilizing structural and contextual clues to make informed guesses about unknown words and help them connect ideas throughout the text.
Scanning and skimming are essential reading techniques that complement careful reading They help readers identify valuable texts or sections worth their time Additionally, skimming provides a top-down perspective, making it easier to tackle challenging materials.
Interaction enhances students' language skills, allowing them to utilize their linguistic knowledge in real-life exchanges and to generate messages based on their readings Effective communication should be encouraged among students, between students and the text or its author, and between students and their teacher.
Reading is considered as a kind of dialogue between the reader and the text
Effective communication between a writer and a reader hinges on genuine interaction; without it, messages remain untransmitted Texts inherently possess the potential for meaning, which emerges only when readers engage with the content, utilizing their existing knowledge alongside the information presented Essentially, the text acts as the writer's voice, prompting readers to activate and expand their understanding through the reading process, enriched by the new insights offered by the text.
Teachers should implement pair and group work to enhance student collaboration and knowledge sharing This approach fosters meaningful interactions, as participants negotiate and interpret meanings within a shared context The relationships formed among individuals encourage a desire for engagement, making cooperative habits essential for effective communicative activities By increasing the number of interacting participants, pair and group work not only boosts enthusiasm but also encourages students to communicate more with both their peers and the teacher Additionally, group work instills a sense of responsibility and independence in students, ultimately improving motivation, cooperation, and a supportive classroom environment.
Language acquisition occurs through the interaction between teachers and learners within the classroom environment This micro-world encompasses participants, tasks, and the nature of language exchange, balancing instructional and natural discourse A reciprocal relationship is essential, where teachers actively monitor student responses to guide their actions effectively.
METHODOLOGY
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Despite numerous studies on reading instruction yielding some successes, applying these findings to specific English teaching and learning contexts remains challenging This research is conducted at Tran Phu High School to enhance the methods of teaching and learning reading skills.
The purposes of this study are:
1 to find out how the reading skill is being learned and taught at Tran Phu high school
2 to identify the difficulties in the application of the communicative approach to the teaching of reading at this school
3 to suggest some solutions to solve the problems
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to achieve the purposes presented above, the study focuses on answering the following questions:
1 How do the students study reading?
2 How do the teachers teach reading?
3 Do the teachers apply the communicative approach to the teaching of reading?
4 What are the difficulties in applying this approach to the teaching of reading?
RESEARCH DESIGN
In April 2005, during the 2005-2006 school year, I conducted a study to objectively assess the effectiveness of the communicative approach in teaching reading To gather data from a large group, I utilized a questionnaire survey, which included separate questionnaires for both students and teachers.
As I mention above, there are two questionnaires for both the students and the teachers The subjects here are the students and the teachers at Tran Phu high school
I selected two classes, 11B1 with 49 students and 11B5 with 48 students, totaling 97 participants for the questionnaire survey I focused on grade 11 students as they have recently completed their grade 10 studies and are familiar with the high school English teaching methods.
In 97 students, there are 60 girls and 37 boys Their average age is 17
The questionnaire was distributed to all 13 English teachers at Tran Phu High School, comprising 3 male and 10 female educators The average age of the participants is 36.8 years, and their teaching experience varies significantly.
Participant Sex Age Years teaching
Table 3.3.1.2 Background of participants in study
Two questionnaires are prepared for the students and the teachers to get the objective and exact results
The questionnaire consists of three sections The first part features questions 1, 2, and 3, which focus on students' interest in studying English, their motivation, and their most recent score in the subject This section is designed to gather general information about the participants and to help them feel at ease before addressing more specific questions related to reading skills.
Part 2 comprises question 4 to question 9 They ask about students’ way of studying reading in class In detail, these questions ask students how they study reading by scanning, skimming or just by translating sentence by sentence
Part 3 includes question 10, 11, 12 These questions ask students about their interest in pair work, group work which are considered important in applying the communicative approach to the teaching and learning of English
There are also 3 parts in this questionnaire Part 1, including question 1 and 2, is aimed to help the subjects feel relaxed before answering more specific questions about their teaching of reading
Part 2 consists of 5 questions from number 3 to number 8 They ask the teachers about how they are teaching reading such as their opinions about the current textbook, the teaching methods, extra materials
Part 3 includes question 9 and 10 These two questions ask the teachers whether they have already applied the communicative approach to the teaching of reading and what the difficulties they have got in teaching so far The difficulties (adapted from Lee) are listed for the teachers to choose
The questionnaires A and B each consist of three sections designed to address the research questions For detailed inquiries, please refer to Appendix A.
The questionnaire A (for students) is written in Vietnamese so that all of them with different proficiency levels can understand it clearly and therefore answer it more accurately.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
RESULTS FROM THE QUESTIONAIRE
In April 2006, questionnaires were administered to gather data from students and teachers Questionnaire A was distributed to students in English classes, with 96 out of 97 completed forms returned after 20 minutes Meanwhile, Questionnaire B was given to 13 English teachers during a monthly meeting, with a 100% return rate of all 13 questionnaires collected after half an hour The analysis will focus on the data obtained from the 96 completed Questionnaire A forms and the 13 completed Questionnaire B forms.
The data collected from the questionnaires are presented in tables, figures and numbers
4.1.1 RESULT FROM QUESTIONAIRE A (FOR STUDENTS)
Questionnaire A aims to gather insights into students' attitudes towards studying English, their approaches to reading in class, and their preferences for group and pair work The findings will be presented in a clear and organized manner.
4.1.1.1 STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARD LEARNING ENGLISH
The initial three questions focused on students' attitudes toward learning English, their motivation for studying the language, and their scores from the most recent English test Additionally, these questions served to ease students into the survey, helping them feel more comfortable before addressing the primary research questions.
Students’ attitude toward studying English
Among 96 students, 23 of them are very interested in studying English (23.9 %),
36 students are interested in this subject (37.5 %), 22 students are little interested in it (22.9 %) and 15 students are not interested in English at all The statistics are presented in table 4.1.1.1 a
23 23.9 Students are very interested in English
36 37.5 Students are interested in English
22 22.9 Students are little interested in English
15 15.7 Students are not interested in English at all
Table 4.1.1.1 a: Students’ attitude toward learning English
The findings indicate that a majority of students enjoy learning English; however, there is a segment of students who have a strong aversion to the subject These students are compelled to study English due to its status as a mandatory subject in the school curriculum.
Students' motivation plays a crucial role in their learning process Question 2, "Why do you learn English?" seeks to uncover the reasons behind students' motivation to study the language The findings presented in Table 4.1.1.1 b illustrate the various purposes that high school students have for learning English.
Table 4.1.1.1 b: Students’ Purposes of learning English
A small percentage of respondents, only 6.3%, study English for entertainment purposes In contrast, the majority, comprising 51% (49 respondents), focus on English to achieve high exam scores or to pass their exams Additionally, 39 respondents study English to communicate with foreigners, while 2.1% (2 respondents) aim to learn English for the purpose of studying abroad Some students also mention "other reasons," such as listening to English songs or watching films, which align closely with entertainment motivations.
Students study English for various reasons, with the primary motivation being preparation for examinations Test results serve as key targets, driving students to work diligently However, this focus on written assessments often leads to neglecting other essential language skills Fortunately, many students also aspire to communicate with foreigners, highlighting the importance of speaking and listening alongside reading and writing.
“Learning English for entertainment” seems not to match the students’ purpose much And only 2 students want to study aboard In general, the students have serious purposes for studying English
Figure 1: Percentages of students' purposes for studying English
Students’ score of the last English test at school
The question “What is your score on the last English test?” aims to assess students' proficiency in English Overall, the results were positive, with 23 students achieving scores of 8, 9, or 10, representing 23.9% of the class.
In the recent test, 40.1% of students achieved a score of 6.7, while 28.1% scored 5 Of particular concern, 7.3% of students received scores of 3 or 4 The overall average score was 6.5, with a minimum score of 3 and a maximum of 10 Detailed results can be found in Table 4.1.1c.
Table 4.1.1.1 c: Students’ score of the last English test
4.1.1.2 STUDENTS’ WAY OF STUDYING READING SKILL
The 6 following questions are aimed to ask about the students’ way of studying reading skill In detail, they ask about the student’s reading strategies, their problems when reading, and translation into Vietnamese when reading
Guessing the meaning of the unknown words
In response to the question, "Can you guess the meaning of the unknown words in the reading text?", only 13 students (13.5%) answered "Yes," while a significant majority of 83 students (86.5%) responded "No." These results are clearly illustrated in Table 4.1.1.2.1.
13 13.5 I can guess the meaning of the unknown words in the reading text
83 86.5 I can’t guess the meaning of the unknown words in the reading text
Figure 2: Percentages of students' guessing the unknown words
Students can guess the meaning of the unknown words in the reading text.
Students can not guess the meaning of the unknown words i n the readi ng text.
Most students struggle to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words in reading texts, indicating a need for them to consult dictionaries or seek explanations from their teachers.
A significant number of students struggle with the skimming strategy when reading texts, as evidenced by a study where 78 students (81.2%) were unable to identify the main ideas through skimming In contrast, only 18 students (18.8%) successfully found the main ideas using this technique For detailed results, refer to Table 4.1.1.2.1 b.
18 18.8 I can find the main ideas of a text by skimming
78 81.2 I can’t find the main ideas of a text by skimming
Figure 3: Percentages of students' skimming
Students can fi nd the main i deas of a text by ski mming.
Students can not find the main i deas of a text by ski mming.
Many students struggle with the skimming strategy, a crucial reading technique Instead of focusing on every single word, they need to learn how to quickly identify the main ideas of a text.
Question 6 “Can you find the specific information or details of the text without translation?” is intended to ask about students’ scanning strategy when reading a text 20 of them (20.8%) say “yes” and 76(79.2%) say “no” The data are presented in table 4.1.1.2.1 c
20 20.8 I can find the specific information or details of the text without translation
76 79.2 I can’t find the specific information or details of the text without translation
Figure 4: Percentages of students' scanning
Students can find the specific i nformation or detail s of the text wi thout translati on.
Students can not find the specific i nformation or details of the text wi thout translati on.
DISCUSSION
The questionnaires, as outlined in section 3.3, aim to address the research questions, and the findings gathered from these questionnaires are analyzed in relation to the four key research questions.
The findings from questionnaires A and B reveal insights into the reading instruction and comprehension at Tran Phu High School A significant majority of students struggle with understanding unknown words (86.5%), identifying main ideas through skimming (81.2%), and locating specific details via scanning (79.2%) This challenge is largely attributed to the educational objectives, as 51% of students are learning English primarily for examinations Additionally, 84.6% of teachers emphasize vocabulary and text structures during reading classes to meet test requirements.
The traditional teaching method emphasizes vocabulary, grammar, and text structure, leading to unsatisfactory results in students' speaking and comprehension skills in English Consequently, 76.9% of teachers do not implement the essential three-step approach of pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading, which is crucial for enhancing both reading and speaking abilities The pre-reading phase should activate learners' background knowledge, while the while-reading phase focuses on improving language control and reading strategies However, 46.2% of teachers do not utilize additional materials, with translation being the primary activity in reading classes, as 57.3% of students find it necessary for understanding content This reliance on translation, driven by the need to grasp every word for exams, hinders the development of higher-level reading skills and strategies Malliamas (1997) suggests that while translation has its place in ESL/EFL contexts, teachers must judiciously decide when to incorporate it to avoid negatively impacting the reading process.
- Is it a correct way of teaching and learning reading?
Improving reading instruction at this school requires a focus on the communicative approach, which is the most effective method By applying this approach, we can enhance both teaching and learning outcomes in reading.
4.2.2 APPLYING THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF READING
All 96 students (100%) say that they often do group work and pair work when studying reading Group work and pair work are considered the most important communicative activity This result is contrary to the data collected from questionnaire B (for the teachers) 9 teachers (69.2%) say that they sometimes apply the communicative approach 3 teachers (23.1%) rarely apply this method And 1 teacher (7.7%) never uses this approach It is clear that no teacher often apply the communicative approach to their teaching Organizing pair work and group work seems a tendency in teaching at high school now It represents for new teaching method “student – center”, not only in teaching English but also in teaching other subjects That’s why they cannot organize effective group work and pair work 87.5 % of the students say Vietnamese when doing group work and pair work It’s no use speaking Vietnamese when doing group work because the communicative competence only can be developed when the students have chances to speak English The problem here is that the teachers do not apply the communicative approach frequently and effectively The difficulties of applying the communicative approach to the teaching of reading fall into three main categories: those caused by the students, by the educational system, and by the teacher
The frequent reasons for not applying the communicative approach caused by the students are:
Lack of student motivation for attaining fluency (53.8%)
Students use Vietnamese during group work (84.6%)
Low English proficiency can lead to a lack of confidence among students during pair and group work Their anxiety about using English often prevents them from expressing their feelings effectively The core issue lies not in their language skills but in their fear of speaking Consequently, students tend to rely on simple communication or revert to using Vietnamese in group settings, which hinders their participation and learning.
Many students find it easier to communicate in their native language and fear making mistakes in English, which can lead to a loss of confidence While a significant number of students prioritize passing exams over developing communicative competence, a survey revealed that 40.6% study English to speak with foreigners, compared to 51% who focus on examinations This indicates a growing awareness among students of the importance of using English for real-life communication I believe that the perceived lack of motivation for achieving fluency is not a major issue; rather, it is essential for teachers to clarify the purpose of learning English to help students understand its relevance.
The second category that caused difficulties for the teachers is the educational system Specifically, this includes these following factors:
- Too little time to develop CLT materials
- Class sizes are too large to conduct CLT
- The school’s grammar-based exams do not justify using CLT
- No assessment tools to test for communicative competence (fluency)
A significant majority of teachers, 93.2%, feel they lack sufficient time to develop Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) materials They are required to cover a unit that includes a reading text, multiple grammar points, and vocabulary exercises within just seven teaching periods, which appears inadequate for thorough coverage Consequently, teachers struggle to incorporate additional CLT materials or communicative activities based on the textbook readings Only in specialized English classes, which are limited to two or three extra periods, do teachers have the opportunity to utilize additional CLT resources effectively.
All 13 teachers agree that class sizes, often exceeding 50 students in high school, hinder the effective implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) The large class size makes it challenging for teachers to manage communicative activities, as students may resort to speaking Vietnamese, engaging in private matters, or remaining silent Additionally, the emphasis on grammar-based exams negatively impacts both teaching methods and student motivation, preventing teachers from adopting a communicative approach The lack of assessment tools for evaluating communicative competence further complicates the situation It is crucial to acknowledge these challenges and seek appropriate solutions.
School administration often discourages Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), with 61.5% of teachers acknowledging this challenge The concern is that discussions can create noise, potentially disrupting subsequent classes While the school promotes effective teaching principles where teachers lecture and students take notes, the adoption of innovative teaching methods remains largely theoretical High schools require additional time to effectively implement real discussions in the classroom.
The third factor that causes difficulties for applying the communicative approach is the teacher himself The teachers have some problems such as:
- Misconceptions about what CLT actually is
- Few opportunities to learn how to use CLT
A significant portion of teachers, specifically 38.5%, are uncertain about the concept of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), highlighting a critical issue in their training This uncertainty stems from a lack of specialized courses focused on CLT, as most teachers rely on college education, books, and online resources for their knowledge Consequently, 84.6% of teachers report limited opportunities to learn how to effectively implement CLT in their classrooms Additionally, 46.2% of teachers express feelings of inadequacy in applying CLT, which underscores the importance of confidence in English speaking skills To successfully execute communicative activities, teachers must also possess creativity and an active approach, making it challenging for them to fully embrace CLT Overcoming these obstacles is essential for effective implementation of this teaching method.
Due to the challenges encountered in teaching and learning reading skills, as well as in implementing the communicative approach in reading instruction, I will propose several effective solutions in the following sections.
The survey results reveal significant challenges in teaching reading, particularly in implementing the communicative approach at Tran Phu High School This article will propose effective solutions aimed at enhancing reading instruction and improving the application of the communicative approach in the classroom.
4.2.3.1 SOLUTIONS TO THE TEACHING AND LEARNING READING
The questionnaire survey results indicate that reading is not effectively taught, as both students and teachers concentrate on vocabulary and text structures rather than enhancing reading skills Current reading class activities are overly simplistic, primarily involving vocabulary explanations and translating texts into Vietnamese to aid comprehension To improve teaching and learning methods, it is essential to implement a communicative approach to reading instruction This includes utilizing an interactive reading model, judiciously considering when to use translation, and organizing communicative reading activities during class.
The interactive model effectively addresses the challenges of integrating bottom-up and top-down reading strategies It is essential for students to connect their personal experiences, interests, and concerns to the text, as they are active participants in the reading process Prior to the reading task, teachers should bridge gaps in students' linguistic knowledge, introduce key concepts, clarify cultural and conceptual challenges, and highlight the text's discourse genre Implementing both strategies involves discussing the text's topic beforehand, generating expectations, and encouraging connections between the text and students' prior knowledge, fostering an engaging and interactive reading experience.