An investigation of the teachers and learners attitudes towards the communicative language teaching at the foreign language center of ussh in ho chi minh city m a

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TEACHERS’ AND LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING AT THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER OF USSH IN HO CHI MINH CITY Submitted to the Depa

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TEACHERS’ AND

LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS

THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

AT THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER OF USSH

IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Submitted to the Department of English Linguistics & Literature

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in TESOL

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TEACHERS’ AND LEARNERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING AT THE FOREIGN

of my own work except as cited in the references

The thesis has not been accepted for any degree and it is not currently submitted in candidature of any other degree

Ho Chi Minh City, October 2012

Signature:

ii

Master in 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 copy 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

Ho Chi Minh City, October 2012

Signature:

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foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Le Hoang Dung, who read my manuscript with great care and devotion, gave thoughtful and insightful comments, and provided me with invaluable support and relevant materials in the preparation and completion of this thesis, thus asserting his indispensable role as a wholehearted instructor He has been my mentor academically and mentally

Secondly, I am obliged to all my teachers in my postgraduate program for their dedication and useful instructions through my time as a master student

Thirdly, I am also greatly indebted to the teachers and students at the Foreign Language Center of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities for their time and commitment in providing documentation for the study If it had not been for their invaluable cooperation, this thesis would not have been completed

Fourthly, my special thanks are extended to my fellow master students – TESOL

2009 class – who are good friends, teammates as well as good colleagues I highly appreciate the understanding and knowledge they shared with me during the course

Last but not least, my sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude are reserved for

my parents who have always supported my dreams and believed in me, evenwhen

I didn’t believe in myself Their love, care, unconditional support and continuous encouragement kept me survive all the tough times The titanic task of completing

my thesis would be impossible without them

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effective EFL teaching method However, the application of this teaching method

is still limited at FLC-USSH Thus, with the intent of enhancing the application of the communicative approach at this language center, the current study was carried out to explore the teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards the theory and application of CLT, as well as the actual application of this teaching method at FLC-USSH

For the purposes of the study, the models of CLT based upon theories of Richards

& Rodgers (2001) and Larsen-Freeman (2004), including three levels: Approach,

Design and Procedure, were adopted and extensively synthesized to construct a

theoretical guideline for the study On that ground, the conceptual framework of the study was refined

The study employed features of quantitative and qualitative research methods Data for the study were collected from (i) questionnaire to 33 teacher respondents and 397 student respondents, (ii) interview with 33 teachers, and (iii) 5-class observation Data were analyzed by measures of counts, means and percentages

The findings indicated that the participant teachers generally had highly favourable attitudes towards CLT, whereas the learners displayed moderately positive attitudes towards this teaching method Furthermore, the teachers articulated a number of constraints that hamper the effective accomplishment of CLT The application of CLT at this language center was not as efficacious as expected

The results, although tentative, contribute to an understanding of the reality of using CLT at FLC-USSH and provide suggestions for the concerned bodies to facilitate the process of applying this teaching method in this institution The thesis closes by identifying some possible research in relation to this study

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RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF FIGURES ix

LIST OF TABLES x

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xii

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of the study 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 4

1.3 Objectives of the study 5

1.4 Research questions 5

1.5 Scope of the study 6

1.6 Significance of the study 6

1.7 Organization of the study 7

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 A brief look over some related studies 8

2.2 The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 9

2.3 Communicative competence 10

2.4 Some practical problems in the application of CLT 12

2.5 Model of a teaching method by Richards & Rodgers (2001) 14

2.6 Principles of CLT by Larsen-Freeman (2004) 16

2.7 Syntheses 17

2.7.1 Approach 18

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2.7.2.2 The syllabus 22

2.7.2.3 Types of teaching and learning activities 23

2.7.2.4 Learner roles 23

2.7.2.5 Teacher roles 24

2.7.2.6 The role of instructional materials 26

2.7.2.7 Evaluation 27

2.7.2.8 Error correction 27

2.7.3 Procedure 29

2.7.3.1 Teaching-learning activities 29

2.7.3.2 Classroom interaction 30

2.7.3.3 Techniques 31

2.8 Conceptual framework of the study 33

2.9 Summary 36

Chapter III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 38

3.1 Research setting 38

3.2 Research design 38

3.3 Respondents of the study 39

3.3.1 Teacher respondents 40

3.3.2 Student respondents 41

3.4 Research instruments 42

3.4.1 Questionnaires 43

3.4.1.1 Questionnaire to teacher respondents 44

3.4.1.2 Questionnaire to student respondents 45

3.4.2 Interviews 47

3.4.3 Observations 48

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3.5 Summary of research tools 49

3.6 Data collection procedure 51

3.6.1 Procedure for conducting the questionnaire survey 52

3.6.1.1 Procedure for administering the questionnaire to teacher respondents 52

3.6.1.2 Procedure for administering the questionnaire to student respondents 52

3.6.2 Procedure for conducting the interview 53

3.6.3 Procedure for conducting the classroom observation 53

3.7 Data analysis procedure 54

3.8 Summary 55

Chapter IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 56

4.1 Analytical framework 56

4.2 Reliability analysis 57

4.3 Results 59

4.3.1 Results from questionnaire to teacher respondents 59

4.3.1.1 Teachers’ attitudes towards the theory of CLT 59

4.3.1.2 Teachers’ responses to the application of CLT at FLC-USSH 68

4.3.2 Results from questionnaire to student respondents 73

4.3.2.1 Students’ responses to the application of CLT at FLC-USSH 73

4.3.2.2 Students’ attitudes towards the application of CLT 78

4.3.3 Results from the interview 80

4.3.4 Results from the observation 87

4.4 Discussions of results 88

4.4.1 Teachers’ attitudes towards the theory of CLT 88

4.4.2 Learners’ attitudes towards the application of CLT 91

4.4.3 The application of CLT at FLC-USSH 92

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4.4.4 Some practical problems in the application of CLT at FLC-USSH

95

4.5 Major findings 96

4.6 Summary 97

Chapter V: CONCLUSION, SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

98

5.1 Conclusion 98

5.2 Suggestions 100

5.2.1 Suggestions for the administrators 100

5.2.2 Suggestions for the teachers 102

5.2.3 Suggestions for the learners 104

5.3 Delimitations of the study 106

5.4 Recommendations for further study 107

5.5 Summary 108

REFERENCES 109

APPENDICES 114

Appendix A: Questionnaire to teacher respondents 115

Appendix B: Questionnaire to student respondents (English version) 120

Appendix C: Questionnaire to student respondents (Vietnamese version) 123

Appendix D: Interview questionnaire to teacher respondents 126

Appendix E: Observation checklist 128

Appendix F: Letter to teacher respondents 129

Appendix G: Letter to student respondents (English & Vietnamese versions) 130 Appendix H: Letter to administrators 131

Appendix I: Reliability of items in questionnaire to teacher respondents 132

Appendix J: Reliability of items in questionnaire to student respondents 133

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LIST OF FIGURES

2.1 Summary of elements and subelements that constitute a method…… 15

2.2 Model of CLT used in the current study……… 32

4.1 The skills focused……… 80

4.2 Main language used in teaching……… 81

4.3 Communicative activities used……… 81

4.4 Teachers’ roles assumed.……… 82

4.5 Types of materials exploited……….… 83

4.6 Areas of language usually taught with CLT……… 84

4.7 Types of error correction employed ……… 85

4.8 Practical problems in the application of CLT……… 85

4.9 Places of training on CLT……… ……… 86

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LIST OF TABLES

2.1 Summary of principles of CLT by Larsen-Freeman (2004)… … 17

2.2 Types of error correction by Lyster and Ranta (1997)…… … …… 28

2.3 Conceptual framework of the study……… … 34

3.1 Demographic characteristics of teacher respondents……… 40

3.2 Demographic characteristics of learner respondents……… …… 42

3.3 Summary of research tools……… … 49

4.1 Reliability of the statements of questionnaire to teacher respondents 58

4.2 Reliability of the statements of questionnaire to student respondents 58

4.3 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Theory of language and Theory of learning………

Dj 59

4.4 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Objective of teaching and The syllabus……… ……… …

Xn 61 4.5 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Learner roles and Teacher roles……… …………

Xn 62 4.6 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Types of teaching and learning activities, and Role of instructional materials………

Jdh dhdj 64 4.7 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Evaluation and Error correction……… …

Dh 65 4.8 Teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT in terms of Teaching-learning process, Classroom interaction and Techniques ……… …

Djjd 66 4.9 Teachers’ responses to application of CLT in terms of Types of teaching & learning activities, and Role of instructional materials

Shl

68

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4.10 Teachers’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Learner

roles and Teacher roles……… …

Shs 69 4.11 Teachers’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Evaluation and Error correction……….……

Hd 70 4.12 Students’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Teaching-learning process, Classroom interaction, and Technique… … ….…

Jdsj 72 4.13 Students’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Types of teaching and learning activities, and Role of instructional materials…… ………

Dhj jdh 74 4.14 Students’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Learner roles and Teacher roles……… ………

Jdh 75 4.15 Students’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Evaluation and Error correction……….………

Hd 76 4.16 Students’ responses to the application of CLT in terms of Teaching-learning process, Classroom interaction and Techniques….…………

Dh 77 4.17 Students’ attitudes towards the application of CLT……… … 79

4.18 Results from the observation……… ……….…… 87

5.1 Summary of major findings……… … …… 98

5.2 Summary of major practical issues and suggestions……… … 105

xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

FLC-USSH Foreign Language Center of the University of Social Sciences

and Humanities

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study, stating the problem, identifying the objectives of the study, raising the research questions, asserting the significance of the study, specifying the scope and the limitations of the study, and drawing a brief look over the study’s structure

1.1 Background of the study

The period following the 1950s saw a tremendous increase in the need for communication among the people of the world in various spheres of international contact like politics, academics, economics, technology and culture The world has started becoming a global village This gave birth to the need and pressure of adopting a common lingua franca for this global village to facilitate communication and make it more practical for the people of various linguistic backgrounds (Crystal, 1997, p.10) This phenomenon led to the appearance of an international language: English It was accorded this privilege and has become the language of international communication

With the rapid development of the economy of Vietnam, English is becoming a hit in our social scenario It is a vehicle for communication with the outside world to exchange information In order to work successfully in today’s borderless global context, it is a must for Vietnamese people to know not only workable English but good presentational and communication skills too Differently speaking, communicative ability must be fostered

Hence, recently, a shift toward more communicative and eclectic approaches of second language teaching in Vietnam has led to a change in instructional styles allotting more classroom time for students to actively communicate with one another This innovative method is known as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) As postulated by Brown (2000, p.266), CLT is considered to be the best teaching method “to ensure successful

language teaching” For this reason, many textbooks on teaching English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) have accommodated this approach to language instruction Based upon this method, teachers should adopt various roles (e.g facilitators, independent participant, need analyst, counselor, etc.) and use a wide selection of activities ranging from form-focused tasks to meaning-focused interactions whereby students are endowed with opportunities to interact purposefully and successfully with one another (Richards & Rodgers, 2001) In other words, learners must have the ability to use both forms and functions properly for establishing meaningful communication

Actually, research has shown that there are still drawbacks in the teaching method in Vietnamese context and EFL learners have not received many benefits yet Although CLT has been used for many years, teachers in Vietnam have not widely adopted it yet Rather, they still depend on traditional teaching methods in their classrooms Tran, Thi Thu Trang & Baldauf (2007) point out an undesirable reality that, in the context of Vietnam, teachers feel pressures from parents and school administrations to prove that their students have learned enough to pass entrance exams to get into reputable schools, and that they are competent educators based upon students’ scores on standardized tests Consequently, teachers stick to the textbooks, lecturing on the finer points of grammar for the purpose of clear communication, involving little communication amongst the students for developing communicative competence Many studies have suggested that teacher-dominated classes instead of learner-centered classes prevent students from practicing oral skills effectively (Edwards, 1987; Pace, 1992) and that the traditional grammar-translation method “failed to develop an adequate level of communicative competence (i.e the ability to use the target language for authentic communication)” (Hu, 2002, p.93) In Vietnam’s educational system, although English is a compulsory subject in high schools and at universities, many high school pupils, after years of learning English, find themselves unable to communicate in a natural way or face up with communication breakdown in the target language even in simple situations; university or college students cannot read reference materials in English after graduation Those learners obviously have

fairly good knowledge of linguistic competence, but they find working with English a terribly demanding and challenging task

After ages of working as an English teacher at the Foreign Language Center

of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (FLC-USSH), the author of the current study observes that the traditional teaching method is still widely used

in this institution From his personal experience and observation, many of his colleagues still spend most of their teaching time on correcting grammar exercises Most notably, activities which promote communication and interaction between learners are hardly found in several classes Overall, the traditional grammar-translation method with careful explanation of word meaning and usage followed

by drilling and mechanical exercises are still widely used and placed much emphasis upon by many teachers In English classes, teachers speak whilst students just listen and take notes, which is considered as being teacher-dominated This teaching method is certainly not beneficial to the EFL learners since, just as indicated above, the grammar-translation method fails to develop learners’ communicative competence

The courses of English at FLC-USSH aim to prepare learners for A, B or C certificates in English The examinations for these certificates test four language skills of learners It is expected that, after graduation, the learners can communicate effectively in English In spite of the fact that learners manage in some way to get the certificates, it is clear that the wide application of traditional teaching method, as just described above, is not quite suitable for the teaching and learning purposes at FLC-USSH

Although issues concerning the teachers’ and learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards CLT have received a great interest from educational researchers, to the best of the researcher’s limited knowledge, there are very few studies which have been devoted to explore this issue in the teaching and learning context of foreign language centers in Ho Chi Minh city in general and at FLC-USSH in particular The evidence is that only a small number of Master theses related to this matter can be found in the English Resource Center (ERC) of the

University of Social Sciences and Humanities, as well as in the library of Ho Chi Minh City Open University

Having been an EFL learners, and now, being a practitioner of English Language Teaching, the researcher himself is well aware of the importance of teachers’ adopting a good teaching method Hence, the call for employing CLT to enhance the teaching and learning of English at FLC-USSH is necessary It is high time the method were applied As there have hardly been any studies directed at investigating the teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards aspects of CLT until now at FLC-USSH, this field of study captures the researcher’s curiosity He feels

an urgent need to rectify this enormous and alarming gap by conducting an investigation into this area From those thoughts, this study was nourished Hopefully, it will be contributing more or less to the endeavour of improving the present teaching and learning situation at this center

To sum up, the question about the enhancement of the teaching and learning quality of English at FLC-USSH with respect to the effective implementation of CLT in this institution, therefore, captured the researcher’s concerns and generated ideas from which this study came into being

1.2 Statement of the problem

It is quite clear that an appropriate teaching method will be beneficial to both the teachers and learners in general CLT is a prominent theoretical method in EFL teaching and has been widely recognized by many educational scholars (Pica, 2000; Brown, 2000) to be such a good teaching method, as discussed in the previous section

However, it is certain that some problems still exist in the process of applying this teaching method, especially at FLC-USSH As stated above, the application of this method in actual teaching is still rather limited in this language institution (e.g communicative activities are hardly ever employed; Vietnamese is used most of the time instead of English…) Another concern touches upon the practical constraints that may hamper the efficacious implementation of CLT (e.g

the center bears a serious lack of teaching facilities; there is a large population of learners in each class (over 40 students), etc.) These deficiencies have prompted the author of the thesis to consider possible solutions and conduct the present study

What could be the reason for the preference of traditional teaching method rather than CLT? Gorsuch (2000, p.678) stresses that “regardless of successive educational reforms and curriculum changes, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs remain the single strongest guiding influence on instruction” It is now clear that teachers’ attitudes towards CLT and perceptions of this teaching method are central to the practice of CLT, and therefore, should be envisaged first in the application of this method

1.3 Objectives of the study

The study is, thus, conducted as an attempt to investigate learners’ attitudes towards the application of CLT and teachers’ attitudes towards the theory of CLT

in the context of EFL teaching and learning at FLC-USSH Concurrently, the study also seeks to explore how CLT was applied to teaching in the institution The second most important aim of this study is to address some practical problems emerging from the teaching and learning setting at FLC-USSH so that steps can be taken to cope with them Finally, in line with the study’s findings, providing some pedagogical recommendations for putting CLT to efficacious use is also an underlying consideration of the study

1.4 Research questions

The main purpose of this study is to seek for the possible answers to the three research questions which are formulated as follows:

1 What are the teachers’ attitudes towards the theory of CLT at FLC-USSH?

2 What are the students’ attitudes towards the application of CLT at USSH?

FLC-3 To what extent is CLT applied to the teaching of English at FLC-USSH?

1.5 Scope of the study

This study aims to explore the FLC-USSH English language teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the theory and implementation of CLT Under the constraints of time and access, the study is delimited to find out the attitudes of the two mentioned groups (EFL teachers and students at FLC-USSH) towards the application and theory of the CLT in the English teaching and learning context of FLC-USSH rather than that of the other language schools or centers This also helps to keep the study in reasonable size

Due to the factors mentioned above, pedagogical generalizations and recommendations will be strictly limited to the teaching and learning reality at FLC-USSH only

1.6 Significance of the study

The study’s significance stems from the following practical and theoretical considerations:

Practically, the findings of the current study contribute to the implementation of CLT and enhance the teaching and learning English using CLT

at FLC-USSH Based upon the findings as revealed herein, the researcher gives recommendations to the teachers, the administrators and the students concerning how to enhance the effectiveness in the practice of CLT For example, it enables the board of administrators to come up with plans for workshops or seminars which can help the teachers become more confident in using this teaching method

In addition, this study will be of considerable interest to language educators since

it gives some suggestions on how to create more favourable conditions for implementing CLT based upon the constraints that act against the implementation

of CLT, as reported by the participant teachers

Theoretically, few previous studies have been done on teachers and learners’ attitude towards CLT in the teaching and learning context at a foreign language center in Ho Chi Minh city Thus, the current study is deemed significant

since it will help to bridge the gap by determining whether teachers and learners are willing to apply such a method at FLC-USSH Besides, the study could be seen

as a chance for teachers to express what practical problems they encounter in the implementation of CLT Finally, the study would provide a broader range of insights into research on the use of CLT in Vietnamese context Meanwhile, it may also shed some light on additional related areas that need more investigation

The study, thus, does have significance to multiple groups of language practitioners Its findings have implications for a variety of different areas in the field

1.7 Organization of the study

The study is comprised of five chapters that collectively describe the research conducted Each chapter begins with an overview of what is included in that particular chapter In the following, the main foci of each chapter are specified and presented briefly:

Firstly, Chapter I is the introductory chapter, including the background of

the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, limitations of the study, significance of the study, and structure of the study Secondly, Chapter II discusses the following two parts separately: the first one provides a brief look over some related researches; the second one is concerned with a review of the literature relevant to the study, and on that basis, provides a conceptual framework of the current study Thirdly, Chapter III outlines a methodology employed in the study, covering a detailed description of the subjects, research tools, data collection, and data analysis procedures Fourthly, Chapter IV comes to the analyses of the collected data and discussions of the research findings Finally, Chapter V includes the following three parts: the first one summarizes the findings obtained from the present study; the second one discusses the pedagogical implications; and the last one puts forward some recommendations for further studies in the future

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter explores some work within relevant theory, followed by the consideration of CLT and communicative competence It also addresses some practical problems facing teachers in the process of applying CLT, presenting a model of this method Finally, the framework of the study is conceptualized

2.1 A BRIEF LOOK OVER SOME RELATED STUDIES

There have been a reasonable number of studies investigating related topics in the field In this section, four studies done in the EFL teaching context in Vietnam will

be reviewed briefly in a chronological order Hopefully, a general view of the implementation of CLT will be elucidated

Ellis (1994, cited in Karim, 2004, p.26) studied whether CLT was appropriate in Vietnam It was found that one of the pressing issues in using CLT

in Vietnam was the teachers’ adherence to traditional teaching methods This was justified by two traditional realities: the cultural reluctance of the Vietnamese to challenge written words, and the focus on grammar-translation in the examination system

Lewis and McCook (2002, cited in Karim, 2004, p.25) investigated the lack

of uptake of communicative language teaching principles amongst teachers They collected data from 12 Vietnamese high school teachers of English The study showed that these teachers tried to apply new ideas, but they also used the traditional norms valued in their educational system, which reveals that they could not avoid local educational theories totally despite their willingness to implement CLT Their concept of CLT was not clear They retained traditional aspects of language teaching The findings of the study demarcate that the teachers were following both the traditional and CLT methods in their practice

In her study, Nguyen, Phuong Y Nhi (2007) made an experimental teaching

of grammar with 92 learners at elementary level and a survey with 10 teachers

She proved that communicative activities were used in her teaching institution but not so effectively as expected due to objective reasons, such as the grammar-only classes and the textbook In order to make the program more effective, this researcher gave some recommendations, for example, the integration of the grammar points with the four skills would make the grammar lessons become more interesting and easily understood Materials, which were related to students’ own lives, should keep them interested

In a study done by Tran, Thi Thanh Truc (2011) about designing communicative tasks to teach speaking skill for first year students, the findings reflected that although the teachers were fully aware that speaking skills should be taught communicatively based on target tasks, they still found it difficult in modifying, designing and using a speaking task in a communicative way There were some difficulties that teachers might face, for example, difficulties in designing a good task which was in harmony with the course book content, lack of time to design communicative tasks and learners use of L1

It seems that all the above studies have shared some things To some extent, they mainly focus upon documenting teachers’ perception and practical application

of CLT The writers of these studies might have the same concerns with the author

of the current study about how to effectively apply CLT to the actual teaching

Unfortunately, it seems that these studies excluded the investigation into teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards CLT No attempt has been made either to create a framework to aid in reasonable understanding those attitudes, or to relate them to issues of implementation of CLT However, despite these shortcomings, theoretically, the findings from those studies give out some useful instructions and help to guide the researcher in exploring the application of CLT at FLC-USSH

Since CLT is central to the contents of the current study, it is necessary for the researcher of the study to clarify this concept before he can go further in his study This fact has generated the idea for the next section

2.2 THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT)

CLT came into being in the countries of European Community in the early 1970s when the British traditional language teaching approach was doubted CLT is, relatively, a newly adapted approach in the area of foreign/second language teaching CLT can be seen to derive from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes, at least, linguistics, psychology, philosophy, sociology and educational research (Savignon, 1991)

Richards & Rodgers (2001) assert that, “the communicative approach in language teaching starts from a theory of language as communication” (p.159) CLT thus encourages learners to communicate in a meaningful way using the target language from the very initial stage It is advocated in CLT that if messages are understood, accuracy may be achieved later

Another explanation of CLT by Hubbard et al (1983, p.326) is that CLT

“takes as its starting point the use or communicative purpose of language.” From the explanation of Hubbard et al, it is clear that communicative purpose of language (communicative competence, to put it in other words) is the most important and basic focus of CLT Besides, in CLT, the use of language – the fluency – is put more foci than the form of language – the accuracy To speak differently, a grammatically incorrect utterance is not a serious matter for EFL/ESL learners unless it causes communication failure

Although there are some differences in wording among the researchers, there has been overwhelming agreement that the goal of CLT is to develop EFL learners’ communicative competence The researchers concur that CLT has as its primary objective to help students develop communicative competence in the target language At this point, one may enquire, ‘what is communicative competence?’ In search for an answer to the question, the following section will review a few common conceptualizations of communicative competence

2.3 COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Among innumerable researchers, communicative competence seems to be the indispensible topic for CLT According to Larsen-Freeman (2004), CLT lays

emphasis on developing the communicative competence Besides, it is claimed that communicative competence is widely accepted as the best way to ensure successful language teaching (Brown, 2000, p.266) Hence communicative competence is the very first concept to clarify before the author of the study can go any farther in his study

Dell Hymes (1972) proposes a level of linguistic competence which he calls communicative competence Hymes defines it as “a knowledge of the rules for understanding and producing both the referential and social meaning of language.” It is complementary to Chomsky’s theory of grammatical competence

Larsen-Freeman (2004) also agrees that linguistic competence (the knowledge of language forms and meanings) is just one part of communicative competence Another aspect of communicative competence is knowledge of the functions language is used for Actually, the theory of communicative competence attempts to account for the fact that a normal child acquires knowledge of sentences in a natural setting “This competence [ ] is integral with attitudes, values, and motivations concerning language, its features and uses, and integral with competence for, and attitudes towards, the interrelation of language with the other code of communicative conduct” (Hymes, 1972, p.277-78) Hymes’s view requires developing the components of communicative competence into a teaching approach and method Communicative competence enables learners to convey and interpret meaningful messages within specific contexts

The above-mentioned contributions suggest that language proficiency is not just a collection of its parts (phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon), but a mastery of linguistic forms for use in real situations What is important is to provide learners with meaningful (comprehensible) input and opportunities to interact with each other in a language they understand so that they can use the target language in various situations (Krashen, 1983 in Brown, 2000, p.277-80)

In this study, CLT is defined as an approach that has the aim of developing the learner’s communicative competence; therefore, it is important to acknowledge

that communicative competence is central to CLT, and thus requires EFL teachers

to be well aware of its many characteristics

In her study which focuses upon the appropriateness of CLT in Vietnam, Ellis, G (1994) aptly asserts that teaching in a foreign language setting (i.e the teaching context of Vietnam) gives rise to conflicts Exploring these problems might contribute to the understanding of the application of CLT at FLC-USSH Hence, the next section was set to explore some major practical problems facing EFL teachers in the process of applying CLT to their teaching

2.4 SOME PRACTICAL PROBLEMS IN THE APPLICATION OF CLT

When it comes to the practical problems in the application of CLT, Hui (1997) classifies these problems into five salient constraints which are: economic, administrative, cultural, population, and the teachers’ academic ability These five constraints will be discussed as follows

Firstly, in stating the economic factors, Hui means the unavailability of resources Within this concern, a wide range of teaching facility and equipment might be put into considerations such as: audio-visual laboratories, photocopying, over-head projectors and computers, absence of enough English books, teachers’ lack of time to prepare or to adapt communicative activities, etc

Secondly, the influence of administrators is observed, especially when teaching performances are evaluated, the focus is on the teachers (how well they speak English, how well they use the blackboard, etc.) rather than students and their learning processes “As a result, teachers are more active than students, who simply follow their teachers rigidly and mechanically (1997, p.38)

Thirdly, by cultural factors, Hui also reports that students in China are reluctant to air their views loudly for fear of losing face or offending others This is due to Chinese culture, which seeks compromise between people This is considered to be the case of EFL learners in Vietnam, where had cultural exposure

to China in thousands of years EFL learners in Vietnam are also shy and passive

in their learning and sometimes resist interacting with their peer learners in communicative classroom

Fourthly, for Hui population factors refer to large English-learning population (students) These large numbers of students create over-crowded classrooms which leave hardly any room for free communicative activities, especially which require moving around

Finally, by teachers’ academic ability, Hui states that there are not enough opportunities for every teacher to systematically study linguistic theories and theories of second language acquisition A similar comment surfaced again:

“Despite the theoretical development of communicative language teaching (CLT), understanding among practitioners remains limited”(Sato, 2002, p.41)

Apart from the above constraints by Hui as cited above, according to Dublin & Olshtain in Van der Wail (1990, p.34), most English language teachers

in ESL settings are non-native speakers who are not proficient, so they rely on textbooks and classroom management patterns such as orders, requests, etc A lack

of proficiency in the L2 may result in teachers adopting easy activities such as repetitive drills and exercises

Besides, Burnaby and Sun (1989) confirm that students put pressure on teachers to teach them structures or grammar-focused activities to meet their strong expectations in the traditional national examinations As the exam is concentrated on grammar knowledge, a communicative competence development doesn’t meet the needs of students

Briefly, in order to investigate what problems are facing teachers at USSH, beside the five constraints (economic, administrative, cultural, population, and the teachers’ academic ability), the author of this study also takes into account some other problems, namely the grammar-focused needs of learners, learners’ habit of using mother tongue in classroom and the physical setting of classroom

FLC-2.5 MODEL OF A TEACHING METHOD BY RICHARDS & RODGERS (2001)

A model of teaching method was proposed by Anthony in 1963 He identified three levels of conceptualization and organization, which he termed

Approach, Method and Technique

By Approach, Anthony (1963) means that it is “a set of correlative

assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and learning An approach is axiomatic It describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught.” Based upon this concept, the level of Approach consists of assumptions and beliefs about the language and language learning In other words, theory of language and theory of language learning are the two main concerns at this level

Method is defined as “an overall plan for the orderly presentation of

language material, no part of which contradicts, and all of which is based upon the selected approach” Anthony adds that “within one approach, there can be many

methods” From the discussion, it could be seen that Method is the bridge between theory (Approach) and practice At this level, it is decided what language skills are

focused upon, what content is taught, and in what order the content is presented

Technique is considered to be “implementational – that which actually takes

place in a classroom It is a particular trick, stratagem, or contrivance used to accomplish an immediate objective.” Therefore, classroom procedures are considered to be the main concern at this level

In considering the above model of CLT, Richards & Rodgers (2001) suggest that this model fails to give sufficient attention to the nature of a method itself (e.g nothing is said about the roles of teachers and learners assumed in a method, and so on) Therefore, Richards & Rodgers paraphrased, revised and enlarged the original Anthony’s model Richards & Rodgers combined the two levels of Method and Technique into the level of Design; the level of Technique is referred to by a slightly more comprehensive term Procedure Figure 2.1 in the next page is a summary of the model by Richards & Rodgers

a A theory of the nature of language

– an account of the nature of language

– an account of the psycholinguistic and

cognitive processes involved in language

learning

– an account of the conditions that allow

for successful use of these processes

a The general and specific objectives of the method

b A syllabus model

– criteria for the selection and organization of linguistic and/or subject-matter content

c Types of learning and teaching activities

– kind of tasks and practice activities to be employed in the classroom and in materials

d Learner roles

– types of learning tasks set for learners – degree of control learners have over the content of learning – patterns of learner groupings that are recommended or implied – degree to which learners influence the learning of others – the view of the learner as a processor, performer, initiator, problem solver, etc

e Teacher roles

– types of functions teachers fulfill – degree of teacher influence on learning – degree to which the teacher determines the content of learning – types of interaction between teachers and learners

f The role of instructional materials

– primary function of materials – the form materials take (e.g., textbook, audiovisual) – relation of materials to other input

– assumptions made about teachers and learners

Classroom techniques, practices and behaviors observed when the method is used

– resources in terms of time, space and equipment used by the teacher – interactional patterns observed in lessons – tactics and strategies used by teachers and learners used when the method is being used

Figure 2.1: Summary of elements and subelements that constitute a method (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p.28)

Design

The above three levels of a teaching method – Approach, Design and Procedure – together with their components, as summarized in Figure 2.1, do give

a brief yet essential outline of a teaching method On that basis, it is easier for the author to visualize the overall ‘image’ of this teaching method This model, therefore, serves as the very first basic perception of CLT

However, in order to fulfill the major purposes of the thesis, the researcher decided that this model was necessary but not sufficient yet At this juncture it seems more prudent and beneficial that something more be supplemented indeed The following section will present some principles of CLT by Larsen-Freeman (2004) as supplementary ideas to the model of CLT above

2.6 PRINCIPLES OF CLT BY LARSEN-FREEMAN (2004)

In describing a teaching method, Larsen-Freeman (2004) also follows the model of

a method by Anthony (1963) as discussed above That is to say, she also distinguishes between Approach, Method and Procedure

With the purpose of giving a better understanding of the theory and associated practices as suggested by CLT, Larsen-Freeman described a class for high-intermediate immigrants in Canada This class was being taught by using CLT She noted the behaviors of the teachers and learners in this class On that ground, she reviewed a few principles of CLT underlying these behaviors These principles can be summarized in Table 2.1 below:

1 Whenever possible, authentic language should be used

2 Being able to figure out the speakers’ or writers’ intentions is part of being communicatively competent

3 The target language is a vehicle for classroom communication

4 One function can have many different linguistic forms Since the focus of the course is on real language use, a variety of linguistic forms are presented together The emphasis is on the process of communication rather than just mastery of language forms

5 Students should work with language at the discourse or suprasentential (above the sentence) level

6 Communicative activities/tasks are important because they have certain features in common with real communicative events

7 Students should be given an opportunity to express their ideas and opinions

8 Errors are tolerated and seen as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills

9 One of the teacher’s major responsibilities is to establish situations likely to promote communication

10 Communicative interaction encourages cooperative relationships among students It gives students an opportunity to work on negotiating meaning

11 The social context of the communicative event is essential in giving meaning to the utterances

12 Learning to use language forms appropriately is an important part of communicative competence

13 The teacher acts as a facilitator in setting up communicative activities and as an advisor during the activities

14 In communicating, a speaker has a choice not only about what to say, but also how to say it

15 The grammar and vocabulary that the students learn follow from the function, situational context, and the roles of the interlocutors

16 Students should be given opportunities to listen to language as it is use in authentic communication

Table 2.1: Summary of principles of CLT by Larsen-Freeman (2004)

The principles, as addressed in Table 2.1 above, then were rearranged and clarified by Larsen-Freeman under the ten questions which could be rephrased as follows:

- Goals of teachers who use CLT

- Roles of teacher and learners

- Characteristics of the teaching/learning process

- The nature of student-teacher interaction and student-student interaction

- Ways to deal with the feelings of the students

- Language versus culture

- Areas of language and language skills to be emphasized

- Role of the students’ native language

- Evaluation

- Error correction

These principles do help to provide a deeper understanding of CLT, and will be discussed in details in the next section More specifically, the following section is set up with the aim of synthesizing the ideas of Richards & Rodgers (2001) and Larsen-Freeman (2004) The next section thus provides a sufficiently

broad base from which to define a workable framework for the present study

2.7 SYNTHSES

In this section, the author of the study adapted Richards & Rodgers’s model of CLT (2001) by supplementing more specific details which are based mainly upon the theory proposed by Larsen-Freeman (2004)

To be more specific, the level of Design was supplemented with Evaluation and Error correction, the level of Procedure was also adapted and divided into three components, e.g., Teaching-learning process, Classroom interaction and Techniques The general content of each part was supplemented too The following sections and subsections provide an in-depth discussion about these changes, and concurrently, setting up a new model of CLT that could be efficiently adopted for this thesis

According to Richards & Rodgers, at the level of language theory, the CLT has a rich theoretical base Some of the characteristic of this communicative view

of language are as follows:

- Language is a system for the expression of meaning

- The primary function of language is for interaction and communication

- The structure of language reflects its functional and communicative uses

- The primary units of language are not merely its grammatical and structural features, but categories of functional and communicative meaning as exemplified in discourse.

In her study, Larsen-Freeman (2004), also based upon the theory of language, extends this component and gives out a more specific description of some characteristics of CLT, which includes the role of culture in language

learning, the importance of four skills, the use of mother tongue and target language in classroom Her description is as follows:

Firstly, she stated that culture plays an important role in developing learners’ communicative competence Seelye (1984, p.26) argues that “the study of language cannot be divorced from the study of culture.” In other words, language accommodates the culture of people.Therefore, in teaching a language, it is crucial

to teach the culture of its people

Secondly, although in CLT language functions are emphasized over forms, CLT is not limited to oral skills It includes reading and writing skills, too As such, reading and writing skills need to be developed to promote pupils confidence

in all four skills areas It is important to recognize that it is not only the speaker (or writer) who is communicating

Thirdly, Larsen-Freeman says that the students’ native language (L1) has no particular role in CLT However, Cook (2001) believes that teachers who manage

to use both target language and learners’ mother tongue can serve as a model of successful bilingual They are able to use the two languages effectively since each language serves a different function in classroom From the personal viewpoint of the author of this thesis, mother tongue should be used in a limited fashion in communicative classroom; however, it should not be devalued or completely omitted in EFL teaching context

One of the purposes of this study is to seek to explore teachers’ attitudes towards theory of CLT In other words, teachers’ perception of the guiding theory

of CLT – Theory of language – is of great importance Besides, Richards & Rodgers also emphasize the important role of the theory of language by stating that

“specific theories of the nature of language may provide a basis for a particular teaching method’ (p.18) For those reasons, the author takes into considerations some major characteristics of the Theory of language as stated by Richards & Rodgers as well as the specific details proposed by Larsen-Freeman, which are the integration of target-language culture in EFL learning, the equal importance of the

four language skills, the use of mother tongue (i.e Vietnamese) and target language (i.e English) in EFL classroom

2.7.1.2 Theory of learning

In discussing the theory of language learning, Richards & Rodgers propose the two major concerns in this theory: the conditions needed to promote EFL learning, and the process of language acquisition

Firstly, in considering the conditions that need to be met in order for learning processes to be activated, the above researchers suggest three underlying principles: (i) the communication principle which states that activities that involve real communication promote learning, (ii) task principle which states that activities

in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning (Johnson, 1982), and (iii) the meaningfulness principle which states that language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process Consequently, learning activities in communicative classroom are selected based mainly upon their authentic and realistic nature It is clear that these three principles emphasize the role of communicative activities, meaningful tasks and meaningful language

Secondly, concerning the matter of language acquisition, Savignon (1983) stresses the vital role of linguistic, social, cognitive, and individual variables This view supports Stern (1983, p.261)’s claim that “the learner must become a participant in a real-life context of language use as a condition of effective learning” Furthermore, in Krashen (1981)’s view, acquisition refers to the unconscious development of the target language system as a result of using the language for real communication Krashen’s view once again emphasizes the important function of real communication in EFL classroom

In brief, Richards & Rodgers assert that “methods derive primarily from a theory of language learning” This idea proves the importance of the learning theory There are some points that should be considered to be fairly practical and applicable to the current study They are the ideas about the role of communicative activities, meaningful tasks and meaningful language in communicative classroom

2.7.2 Design

Richards & Rodgers (2001) affirm that “in order for an approach to lead to a method, it is necessary to develop a design for an instructional system” This level serves as a bridge between theory and practice In this level, the following themes will be put into considerations in turn: Objective of teaching, The syllabus, Types

of teaching and learning activities, Learner roles, Teacher roles, The role of instructional materials, Evaluation (based upon theory by Larsen-Freeman) and Error correction (based upon theory by Larsen-Freeman)

2.7.2.1 Objectives of teaching

Richards & Rodgers (2001, p.73) point out that particular objectives for the CLT cannot be defined, since such a method assumes that language teaching will reflect the particular needs of the target learners

To make the issue clearer, Larsen-Freeman (2004) argues that the goal of teaching is to have one’s students become communicatively competent To achieve such a goal, students need knowledge of the linguistic forms, meanings, and functions This is because “many different forms can be used to perform a function and also that a single form can often serve a variety of functions.”

It is felt that students need knowledge of the linguistic form, meaning and functions However, CLT gives primary importance to the use or function of the language and secondary importance to its structure or form (Larsen-Freeman, 2004) The implication in this idea is that emphasis is also given to meaning (messages they are creating or task they are completing) rather than form (correctness of language and language structure) Meaning is important since it helps the learners to manage the message they engage with the interlocutors

However, it should not be inferred from the above-mentioned viewpoint that the accuracy is completely ignored or excluded in CLT Accuracy and fluency are presented not as opposites but as complementary According to Doughty (2011) in Ellis et al (2002, p.422) form-focused instruction (aiming to develop the

fluency of L2) combined with meaning-focused instruction (aiming to develop L2 accuracy) works better than meaning-focused instruction on its own, as it develops learners’ ability to use the linguistic form in a communicative task

In view of the above considerations, student’s communicative competence

is the utmost objective of teaching To fulfill this objective, the teachers should focus upon linguistic forms, functions and meanings, which are three components

of communicative competence Although fluency is considered to be more vital in some cases, fluency and accuracy, actually, are of equal importance in developing learners’ communicative ability

2.7.2.2 The syllabus

According to Richards & Rodgers, the term ‘syllabus’ has been used to refer to the form in which linguistic content is specified in a course or method Allen (1984, p.64) shares the view when asserting that the selection of materials is based upon objectives, duration of course, and level Hence, syllabus concerns mainly with choice about language content and its organization

As stated by Richards & Rodgers, the discussion of syllabus models in CLT

is quite extensive However, after consideration of the use of syllabus in communicative classroom, Richards & Rodgers do not give out any recommendations what syllabus should be used in communicative classroom Some researchers even recommend that “the syllabus concept be abolished altogether in its accepted forms” (Richards & Rodgers 2001) The use of one syllabus or another, thus, seems very difficult to justify With so much criticism as just stated above, from the viewpoint of the author of the current thesis, many types of syllabi could be used in communicative classroom The choice of syllabus depends mainly upon the purposes of the teaching and learning

To sum up, there are many types of syllabi which can be employed in CLT However, it is quite important to state that there is no particular syllabus that is strongly recommended for all communicative classes The idea of just one syllabus being a panacea for language teaching and learning seems extremely improbable

The decision of what syllabus to use is made based upon the purposes of teaching and learning process

2.7.2.3 Types of learning and teaching activities

Richards & Rodgers (2001, p.76) state that the range of exercise types and activities compatible with a communicative method is unlimited, provided that such exercises enable learners to attain the communicative objectives of the curriculum, engaging learners in communication, and requiring the use of such communicative processes as information sharing, negotiation of meaning, and interaction

In their discussion, though, Richards & Rodgers do not propose any specific activities for a communicative classroom According to Mukalel, J C (1998), there are some typical communicative activities for communicative classroom teaching which can be listed as follows:

- Role Play - Dramatization

- Observation - Inter-questioning

- Work on Pictures - Work on Models

- Making a Guess - Talking about John

- Listen and Say - Reporting T.V./Video Scenes From the above discussion, it is quite necessary that classroom activities should develop learners’ communicative competence and promote communication and interaction among learners in classroom Besides, EFL teachers who are committed to CLT should be well-aware of the various communicative activities that can be exploited in communicative classroom

learners play a central role in communication and interaction Harmer, J (1991, p.4) shares the point when aptly stating that getting students to speak is a vital part

of a teacher’s job, and a good teacher maximizes student talking time and minimizes teacher talking time

Breen and Candlin (1980, p.110) advances the understanding of learner roles within the CLT by describing their roles in the following terms: “The role of learner as negotiator – between the self, the learning process, and the object of learning – emerges from and interacts with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom procedures and activities” From the view of Breen and Candlin, learners are obviously not regarded as passive receivers of target language knowledge On the contrary, they do most of the speaking in classroom They are encouraged to participate in the communicative activities actively

Larsen-Freeman further argues that, learners are expected to interact with other people, either in the flesh, through various configurations (pairs, triads, small groups, and the whole group), or in the writings They help each other and learn from each other Obviously, it is students that need learning practice, rather than teachers In other words, student-student interaction is strongly encouraged in a communicative classroom

In brief, learners play the dominant role in comparison with teachers and are the main communicators in classroom Learners have to participate in classroom activities that were based upon a cooperative rather than individualistic approach

to learning They have to become comfortable with interacting with their peers in group/pair works, rather than relying on the teacher for a model

2.7.2.5 Teacher roles

CLT pays much attention to the needs of learners and the objective is to engage learners’ interests and enjoyment in the language learning process Teachers, therefore, have to avoid the traditional authoritarian role so that learners can have opportunities to manage their own learning (Larsen-Freeman, 2000, p.129)

Richards & Rodgers (2001, p.77) affirm that several roles are assumed for teachers in classroom according to the purposes of teaching and learning, such as needs analyst, counselor, and group process manager Regarding the roles of teachers, Breen & Candlin (1980, p.99) state that the teacher has two main roles: facilitating the communication process between students, and between students and the activities and texts; and acting as an independent participant within the learning-teaching group

Another issue to be considered is how dominant the role of the teachers is in comparison with the role of the learners Larsen-Freeman confirms that the teacher’s role is less dominant than the learner’s role Taylor (1983 in Defeng,

1998, p.679) also adds that teacher-led instruction is not recommended as it gives fewer opportunities for learners to interact than in learner-centered instruction In other words, it is the learner who plays a great role in a large proportion of the process of learning

Altan & Trombly (2001, p.29) also shows agreement by saying: “The teacher-dominated classroom is characterized by the teacher’s peaking most of the time, directing all the activities, and constantly passing judgment on learners’ performance, whereas in a highly learner-centered classroom, learners will be observed working individually or in pairs and small groups” In other words, classroom discourse should not be dominated by teacher talk with few contributions from learners

To sum up, a communicative classroom practice suggests a redefining of role relationship of both learner and teacher vis-à-vis traditional approach The teacher manages, directs, instructs and initiates classroom activities and situations

to facilitate the L2 learning process Besides, teachers’ roles should be less dominant than learners’ roles in communicative classroom, i.e teachers give more opportunities to their learners for interaction and communication

2.7.2.6 The role of instructional materials

Larsen-Freeman says that when it is committed to materials in CLT, authentic materials should be used Authentic materials are used to give learners opportunities to respond to genuine communicative needs in real-life situations so that they can develop strategies for understanding language as it is actually used by native speakers (Defeng, 1998, p.679) Having a similar view, Brinton (1991) adds that authentic materials can reinforce for students the direct relationship between the language classroom and the outside world

Brown (2000) asserts that English teaching materials are considered authentic when they are used according to the levels of the students and also when students can relate the topics of those materials with their background knowledge and they can see the relationship of those topics with real life For these points, in selecting teaching materials, it is important to consider the authenticity of materials and to provide EFL learners with realistic materials for better teaching results

Richards & Rodgers state that there are three kinds of teaching materials which can be used in communicative classrooms: (i) the text-based materials which may be written based upon a structural syllabus and are slightly adapted so that they can support CLT, (ii) the task-based materials which include a variety of games, role plays, situations and task-based communicative activities, and (iii) realia which might be signs, magazines, advertisements, newspapers, or graphic and visual sources It seems that there is a variety of teaching materials that can be used in communicative classroom

From the above discussion, it can be implied that these three types of materials – text-based materials, task-based materials, realia – all promote real-life communicative language use in classroom Hence, they can be used in communicative classroom according to the purposes of the teaching and learning process Furthermore, to make the most use of the materials, teachers must be able

to provide learners with background knowledge to relate to materials