Teachers’ perceptions of implementation of integrated skills approach in teaching legal english at ho chi minh city university of law

DEGREE IN ENGLISH Major: Legal English TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH IN TEACHING LEGAL ENGLISH AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF LAW Supervisor: P

rnrndnrndrnrn MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF LAW

GRADUATION THESIS B.A DEGREE IN ENGLISH

Major: Legal English

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH IN TEACHING

LEGAL ENGLISH AT HO CHI MINH

CITY UNIVERSITY OF LAW

Supervisor: Pham Thi Phuong Anh, M.A

Student: Nguyen Van PhucStudent ID: 1952202010047

Class: LE44B

Ho Chi Minh City, 21 June 2023

Ho Chi Minh City, 21 June 2023

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HCMC UNIVERSITY OF LAW FACULTY OF LEGAL LANGUAGES

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED

SKILLS APPROACH IN TEACHING LEGAL ENGLISH AT

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF LAW

Submitted by:

Nguyen Van Phuc

Supervised by:

Pham Thi Phuong Anh, M.A.

Ho Chi Minh City, 21 June 2023

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I, Nguyen Van Phuc, hereby declare that this thesis entitled “Teachers’Perceptions of Implementation of Integrated Skills Approach in Teaching LegalEnglish at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law” is my original work and that Ihave fully acknowledged all the sources that I have consulted during the researchprocess

As the author of this thesis, I assert my authority and ownership over itscontents, and take full responsibility for its accuracy and validity Furthermore, Ideclare that no part of this work has been submitted for any other academic award

or qualification

I affirm that the research, analysis, and findings presented in this thesisrepresent an important contribution to the field of Foreign Language Teaching andLearning, and that I am fully qualified to undertake this thesis

Ho Chi Minh City, June 21, 2023

Nguyen Van Phuc

Third, my thanks also go to my family and friends for their love and support.Without their encouragement and understanding, I would not have been able tocomplete this thesis.

Lastly, I want to thank all those who have influenced my academic journey,directly or indirectly, and equipped me with the knowledge and skills to undertakethis study

Research on the Integrated Skills Approach for teaching General English isplentiful, while that on English for Specific Purposes is increasing However, therehas been little research on the use of this approach for teaching Legal English, asub-type of English for Specific Purposes This study investigated teacher’s ways ofimplementing the Integrated Skill Approach in teaching Legal English and theirperspectives about the approach Two research questions were designed, namely (1)How do teachers implement the Integrated Skills Approach in teaching LegalEnglish?; (2) How do teachers perceive the Integrated Skills Approach? It is aqualitative research conducted at the Department of Legal English of Ho Chi MinhCity University of Law, from March to June 2023 Data were collected fromsemi-structured interviews with 5 teachers of the mentioned Department, andanalyzed thematically The findings of this study show that the participants used avariety of teaching activities and materials, with presentation and discussion, as well

as online resources, being favored Furthermore, the participants placed significance

on the input process and used various methods to implement it Additionally, theyreported that the Integrated Skills Approach was effective at increasing students’motivation and suitable for Legal English teaching, despite being demanding intime and effort This study may guide teachers, students and academicians wishing

to apply this approach or being curious to know more about the approach tolanguage instruction

Keywords: English for Specific Purposes, Foreign Language Acquisition,

Integrated Skills Approach, Language Instruction, Legal English, Qualitative research, Teaching Methodology, Teaching Strategies, Perspectives.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Ⅰ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ⅱ ABSTRACT Ⅲ TABLE OF CONTENTS Ⅳ LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Ⅴ CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 11.2 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE _31.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 31.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 31.5 OVERVIEW OF THESIS CHAPTERS _ 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH _ 62.1.1 OVERVIEW OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH _ 62.1.2 ADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH 82.1.3 DISADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH 102.1.4 INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHING TYPES 122.1.4.1 CONTENT-BASED INSTRUCTION _122.1.4.2 TASKED-BASED INSTRUCTION 132.1.5 INTEGRATING SKILLS TECHNIQUES _ 142.1.5.1 TEACHER ROLE REDEFINITION _ 142.1.5.2 SPECIFIC APPROACHES _ 152.1.6 FACTORS IMPEDING SKILLS INTEGRATION _ 162.2 INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH FOR ENGLISH FOR SPECIFICPURPOSES 182.3 OVERARCHING THEORY 21

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 23

3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY _ 233.2 DATA COLLECTION _ 233.3 DATA ANALYSIS 253.4 PEDAGOGICAL SETTING AND PARTICIPANT DESCRIPTION _ 25

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 28

4.1 WAYS OF IMPLEMENTATION _ 284.1.1 REPEATED USE OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

ACTIVITIES _284.1.2 ONLINE RESOURCE USAGE AS A SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCE

TO COUSEBOOKS _ 314.1.3 INPUT PRIORITIZATION _ 324.2 TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS _344.2.1 INCREASE IN LEARNERS’ MOTIVATION 344.2.2 TIME-CONSUMING AND EFFORT DEMANDING TASKS _ 364.2.3 BEING APPROPRIATE FOR TEACHING LEGAL ENGLISH 39

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS _ 41

5.1 SUMMARY _ 415.2 CONCLUSIONS _ 415.3 LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES 43

REFERENCES 44 APPENDIX _ 52

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ESP English for Specific Purposes

HCMULAW Ho Chi Minh City University of Law

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

English for Specific Purposes, commonly referred to as ESP, has been aprominent aspect of English Language Teaching since the 1960s The blossomingera of ESP has been recognized as a result of various events such as the SecondWorld War in 1945, the swift development in scientific and technologicaladvancements, the heightened usage of English as the global language for science,technology, and commerce, and the greater number of global students learningEnglish as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) Given this situation, inconjunction with Vietnam’s integration into the global economy, educationalinstitutions at tertiary levels in Vietnam have been including ESP courses in theirforeign language curricula to meet learners’ demands

ESP is basically different from General English (GE) as ESP focuses onspecialized language for specific industries or fields Its crucial point is “English isnot taught as a subject separated from the learners’ real world (or wishes); instead, it

is integrated into a subject matter area important to the learners” (Rahman, 2015).Despite the tailored content and goals of ESP, the traditional approach to teaching itoften concentrates on individual language skills in isolation Hidalgo (1997) andNguyen (2015) elaborated that traditional ESP teaching methods concentrate onincreasing the range of technical terms and enhancing their skills of reading andtranslation As a result, learners may “know” the language but are unable to “use” it

in natural communication

Having said that, a shift towards incorporating communicative aspects of theEnglish language into ESP courses, in conjunction with students’ changing needshas made it necessary to revise the ESP traditional practice Changes are takingplace both in the design of ESP materials as well as techniques and methods with anemphasis on more than just remembering terms, structures, and comprehendingtexts As in the case of students enrolling in ESP courses at the University of Nariño

in Pasto, they expressed the need to not only comprehend spoken English but also

communicate fluently in the language for their future endeavors because it wouldnot only aid them in their academic pursuits but also prove useful in theirprofessional careers (Hidalgo, 1997).

In fact, there are many methods and approaches that are consideredappropriate and can be used effectively in ESP classrooms pursuant to students’needs (Belcher, 2006) However, with the advent of diverse language educationmethodologies, the Integrated Skills Approach (ISA) has garnered attention for itspotential to enhance ESP classes' effectiveness

Integrated Skills Approach is the integration of two or more language skills,namely Listening, Reading, Speaking Writing, in a lesson in order to provide acommunicative and interactive framework of language teaching and learning(Oxford, 2001) ISA has been widely used and adopted in educational settingsacross the globe, especially for GE classes, to ensure that students gain authenticand meaningful learning experiences that foster their communicative competenceand real-world preparedness Embracing this approach in ESP teaching presents anopportunity to revolutionize language education and significantly improve learneroutcomes

There has been a significant amount of research conducted on ISA, whichhas been classified into two categories based on their objectives The first categoryfocuses on determining effectiveness, and the second category is dedicated toexploring the attitudes of learners and teachers Shatnawi (2005), Alptekin, Erçetinand Bayyurt (2007), Askildson (2008), Borhany, Tahriri and Tous (2015) offereffective illustrations of the former, while Mitrofanova and Chemezov (2011),Sanchez (2000), Akram and Malik (2010), Bose (2003), Faydi (2003) provideexcellent examples of the latter, with all the studies concentrating on teaching GE.While there has been increasing interest in researching ISA in teaching ESP, withnumerous studies undertaken in that field, such as the ones conducted by Al-Abdelyand Al-Jamal (2019), Hu and Li (2019), Wang and Xiao (2017), and Chen and Li

(2019), the application of ISA in LE courses has yet to receive much attention,which will be addressed in this study.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

This study was conducted with the teachers of the Department of LegalEnglish (DLE) who had been implementing the ISA in teaching LE classes at HoChi Minh City University of Law (HCMULAW) Its main aim was to explore howteachers implement and perceive this approach The study findings would beparticularly valuable as they will provide empirical evidence and contribute to theexisting body of knowledge on LE teaching and learning

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study attempted to address the two following research questions:

1) How do teachers implement the Integrated Skills Approach in teaching LegalEnglish?

2) How do teachers perceive the Integrated Skills Approach?

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

First, the ISA has been studied and employed widely by lots of educationalinstitutions around the world to teach GE classes While applying this approach forESP classes is getting more attention, that for LE classes has generally been littleaddressed both in Vietnam and other countries For this reason, it is believed that ananalysis of the methods and perspectives of the teachers experiencing this approachwill be useful for other teachers, administrators, and academicians interested inEnglish Language Teaching

Second, ISA proves to be especially effective for GE classes with a number

of benefits such as students' and teachers’ motivation, authentic and enjoyablelearning environment, improved communicative competence and active learning,etc (Adolfo-Escribano & Sánchez-Méndez, 2020) This study will shed light onwhether these benefits are true with LE classes with the data collected from thementioned participants

Third, Wang (2017) pointed out that previous studies have predominantlycentered on ISA from the perspective of students As a result, language teachers'perceptions and attitudes towards integrated language skills teaching are commonlyneglected, with more emphasis placed on educating teachers on the approach'scontent and effectiveness, as stated by Karavas (1996) This study seeks to addressthis gap by gathering data on teachers' viewpoints to contribute to a morecomprehensive understanding of integrated teaching and learning.

Lastly, the current implementation of ISA at the DLE of HCMULAWprovides this study with immense significance as it will reveal how the ISA wasexecuted, along with its strengths and limitations based on teachers' perspectives.Consequently, this study's findings could serve as a valuable foundation for otherresearchers who aspire to investigate language skills teaching in LE classes or ESPclasses in general through an integrative approach

1.5 OVERVIEW OF THESIS CHAPTERS

The content of the study was structured and presented as follows:

Chapter I: This particular chapter delves into the research's topic and

background It also provides a detailed account of the research questions, thepurpose, and the significance of the study

Chapter II: The core foundations and the overarching theory that supports

the study are outlined in this chapter

Chapter III: This chapter elaborates on the methodology of the study,

primarily highlighting how data were collected, analyzed, and subsequentlypresented Additionally, it provides a description of the study population and thepedagogical setting

Chapter IV: The fourth chapter is dedicated to the analysis and

interpretation of the study's results

Chapter V: The summary, conclusions and implications for future studies

are settled down

Finally, the relevant appendix is attached at the end of the study, followingChapter V.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH

2.1.1 OVERVIEW OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH

Until the late 1970s, the four language skills were taught separately due tothe prevalence of traditional language teaching methods such as the GrammarTranslation Method, Structuralism Approach and Total Physical Response, amongothers (Richards & Rodgers, 2001) Previously, when the Grammar TranslationMethod was dominant, learning activities mostly involved dissecting the rules ofEnglish grammar and interpreting literary works from English into the students'native language However, this approach did not equip students with the necessaryskills to communicate effectively in their daily lives Another example is theStructuralism Approach which considers language as an intricate system ofinterconnected components In this approach, the main aim of language teaching is

to assist students in acquiring mastery over language elements and understandingthe regulations that govern the combination of these elements For example, the use

of phonemes to form morphemes or the use of words to create phrases andsentences (Usó-Juan & Martínez-Flor, 2006) As a result, students possessedconsiderable knowledge about the language's elements and rules; however, theyencountered difficulty when it came to utilizing them for communication purposes.This was parallel with the observation conducted by Tajzad and Namaghi’s (2014)who stated that Iranian EFL learners had a decent grasp of language elements likegrammar, vocabulary and the like Nonetheless, they struggled to use themeffectively for communication in English because class time was primarily spent ongrammar, vocabulary and reading skills in isolation, with limited opportunities tointegrate language skills in practical situations These kinds of methods andapproaches are referred to as the Segregated Skills Approach which was eventuallychallenged with the introduction of Communicative Language Teaching in the late1970s Additionally, with learners striving for not only language proficiency but

also appropriate usage in social and communicative environments, the ISA surfaced

as a promising alternative to meet the evolving learning needs

ISA is the integration of at least two of the traditional four language learningskills, namely Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing (Honeyfield, 1988).Widdowson (1978) was an early proponent of this approach and argued thatlanguage is not employed in isolation but in socially contextualized discourses TheISA posits that using all four language skills in isolation is uncommon, as peoplenaturally leverage multiple skills to accomplish a single task For instance, whenengaging in a conversation, individuals actively listen and speak to communicateeffectively Similarly, during lectures, students listen to the lecturer and take notes,which may progress into discussions or comments among attendees

According to Oxford's (1992) perspective, learning ESL or EFL can becompared to a tapestry that is made up of various intertwined strands These strandsinclude the teacher's and student's traits, the learning environment, and thelanguages being used To achieve the best results, the four primary language skills -reading, listening, writing, and speaking - should be integrated during instruction.This will lead to practical and optimal interaction between the skills If the skills aretaught in isolation, they will not be able to support or interact with each other

Richards and Schmidt (2002) added that “integrated approach is the teaching

of the language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, in conjunctionwith each other, as when a lesson involves activities that relate listening andspeaking to reading and writing” Harste, Woodward, and Burke (1984) furtherpostulated that every instance in which an individual speaks, writes, listens, or readsadds to a "data pool" of encountered language that can later be drawn upon.Therefore, rather than keeping language skills separated, they emphasized that allforms of language expression and their integration support growth and development

in literacy Nan (2018) shared this belief and reported that any development in one

of the four skills can lead to the development of other skills and eventually improveoverall language proficiency

On the basis of the definitions above, it is apparent that when a person uses alanguage to communicate, they utilize a combination of language skills In certainforms of communication, people even apply all of the skills at the same time Toillustrate, during a presentation, the presenter displays pre-written slides for theaudience to read and follow along The presenter then provides verbal explanationswhile the audience takes notes During the “Question and Answer” session, both thelisteners and presenter take turns listening and speaking by asking and answering.Realizing this, to ensure that students can effectively use the language they arelearning in real communication, it's important to teach these skills in an integratedmanner Byrne (1986) stressed that "we should be looking for opportunities to knitskills jointly, because this is what happens in actual life”.

This integration is even possible in single-skill courses, “some courseslabeled according to one specific skill might actually reflect an integrated-skillapproach after all” (Oxford, 2001) For example, in a course designed for AdvancedReading, teachers provide verbal instructions in English, which requires students toemploy their listening skills to understand the tasks Students may also discuss thetext or summarize it in oral or written form This integration allows learners toexperience language through a range of modalities, which promotes a deeperunderstanding of the language and enhances motivation (Celce-Murcia & Olshtain,2000)

2.1.2 ADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH

The implementation of ISA presents some benefits As Carols (1990)suggested, there are four main advantages

First, it ensures continuity in teaching/learning programs as tasks are closelylinked to one another Hence, students can see the relevance and usefulness of thelanguage they are learning, which can boost their motivation levels and involvementand ultimately improve their language proficiency (Grabe & Stoller, 2020)

Second, it enables activities to be designed in such a way that input precedesoutput, which allows learners to have a solid foundation of language input before

producing language output that is more accurate, fluent and contextually correct(Swain, 1985) Furthermore, it fosters a secure learning environment, particularlysuited for weaker or less confident learners, by providing ample time to process thelanguage input This approach allows students to comprehend the language structureand vocabulary comprehensively, establishing a strong foundation for speakingaccurately and fluently Indeed, in some cases, shy students may be hesitant to usethe new language in front of others However, with sufficient input processing time,they gradually develop greater confidence in their language proficiency, allowingthem to experiment with language output without fear of assessment or judgment.

Third, it promotes realistic learning by allowing the development of fourskills within a communicative context For instance, in a language classroom,learners might engage in group discussions, where they practice their speaking andlistening skills in a communicative context while also developing their reading andwriting skills as they take notes and synthesize ideas Moreover, they may be alsoprovided with opportunities to engage in authentic language use, such as role-plays,simulations, and games This type of language use enables learners to practice anddevelop their language skills in a more dynamic and realistic context that can betterprepare them for real-life communication as they learn to develop pragmaticlanguage skills, such as appropriate language use, which are crucial in achievingsuccessful communication in everyday situations

Fourth, it offers the opportunity to apply language learned in differentcontexts, which can increase students’ motivation and help them in the revision ofthe previously taught language

Oxford (2001) identified another upside of the ISA, stating that incorporating

an integrative language skill teaching approach enables teachers to create dynamicand engaging lessons that foster student participation through various activities andinteractions Incorporating activities like games, role-plays, debates, groupdiscussions, and problem-solving tasks provide learners with a low-riskenvironment where they can practice and receive valuable feedback from their

peers, allowing them to correct mistakes and gain confidence While they work withone another, the teacher can monitor their proficiency in each of these areas andprovide feedback and guidance as needed This method keeps record of theirprogress and provides feedback to learners enabling the teacher to gauge learner’sskills and adjust tasks based on the results Another way that the ISA can helpteachers create engaging lessons is by enabling them to employ a wide variety oflearning resources By using diverse media sources, such as videos, podcasts, ormusic, learners gain exposure to a range of authentic spoken language that helpsthem to become more comfortable and proficient in using the language actively.Teachers can also leverage technology to provide interactive and interactivelanguage assignments and opportunities for learners to practice, learn and progressoutside the classroom.

Lastly, the ISA emphasizes the fact that mastering a language is not justabout academic pursuits or passing examinations, it is a tool for interacting andconnecting with others (Fotos & Nassaji, 2007) This encourages the acquisition ofpractical language skills as opposed to just memorizing words and grammar rules

2.1.3 DISADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH

Many experts in the field of language education promote the ISA as abeneficial teaching method However, like all instructional approaches, it has somedrawbacks As stated by Hungyo and Kijai (2009), implementing this approach can

be time-consuming for teachers as they need to create interactive, motivating, andauthentic lessons Compared to the traditional or the Segregated Skills Approach, itrequires more effort from teachers to search for materials and develop activities.Furthermore, since it is a relatively new concept in many educational settings,English language teachers may not be adequately trained to use this method As aresult, they may feel uncertain, hesitant, or unenthusiastic when expected to teachwith the ISA

Overwhelming students and limited attention to individual’s interests would

be another two drawbacks of this approach Several studies suggest that certain

students view the approach as too difficult or complicated Li's research (2011)revealed that while the ISA proved advantageous in certain scenarios, it wasoverwhelming for some students, particularly for those new to English LanguageLearning Furthermore, Nassaji and Fotos (2004) discovered that some learnersfound the use of ISA to be complex, particularly during activities that required them

to employ multiple competencies simultaneously in real-time communication Inaddition to being overly complex, the ISA approach can also be problematic formeeting the unique needs of individual language learners Dornyei and Ushioda(2011) pointed out that the approach relies heavily on group or pair activities andtherefore, learning may be problematic to personalize the attention and supportrequired by individual learners It is well known that every learner has distinctivelearning styles, interests, and motivation levels that could impact their languagelearning experience Some students may prefer traditional methods that revolvearound vocabulary and grammar drills, while others may find communicativeactivities and interactions more effective (Kumaravadivelu, 2003) Furthermore, thegroup dynamic of ISA instruction may limit opportunities for interaction andfeedback between learners and instructors, which in turn could impede the progress

of some students, especially those requiring one-on-one instruction due to learningdisabilities

In addition to the disadvantages mentioned, it has also been suggested thatthe approach can lead to a lack of attention to individual language skills This lack

of attention could then have negative consequences for learners, particularly inspecific language acquisition areas (Goh, 2013) According to Goh, variouslanguage activities in the teaching approach, while essential in buildingcommunication skills, might not adequately address these specific areas and mayimpact the acquisition of specific language areas such as pronunciation, grammar,and vocabulary For instance, vocabulary learning might suffer in integrated tasks,

as the focus becomes communication through the integration of different skillsrather than enhancing the vocabulary knowledge of the learners Although learners

may still practice these language skills within integrated activities, the ISA could betoo general for some learners, which could result in less detailed attention tolanguage acquisition Additionally, some teachers who rely solely on this approachmay only correct small grammar errors or incorrect usage of specific vocabularywhen they interfere with communication rather than correcting them for accuracyand mastery purposes This lack of attention to accuracy or details in certainlanguage elements could result in miscommunication or misunderstandings amonglearners, which hinders their overall language proficiency.

2.1.4 INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHING TYPES

Generally, as stated by Alaye & Tegegne (2019), there are numerous ways toapproach integrated-skill teaching, including Content-based Instruction (CBI),Tasked-based Instruction (TBI), Literature-based, Literacy-based,Community-based, Genre-based, Discourse-based, Project-based, Network-based,Technology-based, Corpus-based, Interaction-based, Competency-based, orStandards-based However, CBI and TBI are the most commonly used approaches,attention will be drawn upon understanding the differences between the two

2.1.4.1 CONTENT-BASED INSTRUCTION

CBI is probably the most common form of the integration of skills With thismode, students can practice language skills through activities related to a specificsubject like education, physics, culture, or science This mode allows students topractice all the language skills in a communicative manner while learning aboutspecific subjects The topic or the theme of the subject matter is considered as a

“basic building block” to unify language skills (Robson, 2002) That is to say,language is perceived as a medium to learn content and content is viewed as asource for learning and improving language

Although CBI holds significance for all levels of proficiency, the nature ofthe content may vary based on the level of proficiency (Brinton, Snow & Wesche,1989) For instance, the content designed for beginners typically focuses onfundamental social and interpersonal communication skills However, as they

progress beyond the beginning level, the content may become more complex andscholarly.

CBI consists of three major models: theme-based model, adjunct model andsheltered model (Scarcella & Oxford, 1992)

In the theme-based model, the integration of language skills and the study of

a topic occurs The topic carefully selected is chosen to captivate students' interestand provides ample opportunities for learners to practice different language skills.This method utilizes the context of the chosen topic to facilitate language use Inthis case, a theme/topic turns out to be a “catalyst” to incorporate two or morelanguage skills (Cunningsworth, 1995; Hauptamann, 1988; Brown, 2001)

In terms of the adjunct model, it allows students to take both a languagecourse and a content course at the same time The materials and assignments of bothcourses are coordinated to complement each other, thereby aiding students in theirunderstanding of the content course through the language course Given this, thelanguage teachers have to cooperate with the content teachers (so-called subjectteachers) in a way that allows the language teachers to get information according tothe language forms and language skills provided from the content teachers Then,students can learn the content by developing language skills with the help of thelanguage teachers A good example of this model can be ESL Science or ESL Math

Finally, the sheltered model enables students to gain a deep understanding ofthe subject matter by presenting it through clear and straightforward languageadapted to their language proficiency levels (Oxford, 2001) That is to say, while themain point is to present and deliver content in a comprehensible way to languagelearners, the main focus is on the lessons themselves, with language being lessimportant

2.1.4.2 TASKED-BASED INSTRUCTION

Through TBI, students actively participate in communicative tasks inreal-world settings, allowing them to use the target language in authentic contexts.These tasks can stand alone as independent units, involving interpreting, creating,

editing, or interacting through the language The main focus of TBI is on conveyingthe message, rather than on the structure of the language itself, as stated by Nunan(1989) To help learners improve their language proficiency, they are assigned tasks

to collaborate in pairs or groups to solve problems, produce a product or complete aspecific task while communicating with each other solely in the target language Forinstance, they may work together to analyze a legal case, create a poster, or performscenes from a play The aim of such tasks is to merge different language skills,promote meaningful communication, and foster holistic language learning

TBI is applicable to all students at all language proficiency levels However,the nature of the task changes because higher levels of language means that thetasks become more challenging Specifically, beginners in a class could berequested to introduce themselves and share a piece of information about theirpeers On the other hand, advanced students may be asked to carry out morecomplex and demanding activities like conducting a public survey in a school,university, or shopping complex (Oxford, 2001)

Richards and Rodgers (2001) and Brown (2001) identified that there are twotypes of TBI: pedagogic tasks and real-world tasks Pedagogic tasks are tasks thatlearners are less likely to involve outside the classroom such as when two learnershave to find the differences between two pictures or when a group of studentsengage in an information gap activity Despite being less practical in the real world,these tasks help students build up the language skills that they may take advantage

of and transfer to perform real-world tasks which refer to tasks that simulate thepractical application of language skills, serving as a rehearsal for real-life scenarios.Making a presentation, preparing reports or carrying out a role-play in whichstudents practice a job interview would be some typical examples of this kind

2.1.5 INTEGRATING SKILLS TECHNIQUES

2.1.5.1 TEACHER ROLE REDEFINITION

The traditional approach to teaching views the teacher's role as moreimportant than that of the student, particularly before the twentieth century As

Cortazzi and Jin (1996) specified, teachers were seen as the primary "knowledgegivers" exerting a significant level of influence over their students They wereresponsible for various roles, including being a language model, lesson planner,learner practice supervisor, and evaluator of learner performance Additionally, theywere accountable for organizing the teaching program, including knowledge ofgrammar, course planning, material preparation, and determining the content andmethodology for learners However, with the ISA, students are encouraged toexplore and produce new knowledge while interacting with their peers during theteaching and learning process As a result, the primary responsibility of a teacher inthe classroom has shifted, and they are considered to be a "manager and organizer".This role is of utmost importance in the ISA (Shanghais, 2012) The teacher isresponsible for arranging a variety of language skill-oriented activities that aresuitable, impactful, and pertinent to the students' requirements and desires Forinstance, the teacher must provide clear instructions and conduct good organizationfor students to successfully partake in various activities such as role-play or groupdiscussions Ultimately, in the ISA, the teacher's role has also evolved to that of a

“facilitator” guiding the students along their learning journey

2.1.5.2 SPECIFIC APPROACHES

In a lesson unit, there are different methods to integrate skills related to thetopic or task However, the most popular and easy approach is to follow a patternthat involves receptive skills such as listening and reading, followed by productiveskills like writing and speaking (McDonough & Show, 2003) Such a method can bespotted by providing students with interesting and authentic materials such as texts,videos, music, and magazines that they enjoy reading, watching, or listening to.Afterward, students can then be asked to reproduce some of the content they haveencountered in spoken or written form This approach is also supported by the

“input-interaction-output” theory as stated by Pardede (2019) According to thistheory, the first element is "input" which refers to the language data that students areexposed to through listening or reading After receiving the input, students engage

in “interaction” and exchange ideas such as asking questions or making a discussion

to clarify their understanding of the text, utterance, or expression During or afterthe interaction, the learners produce “output” which can be spoken or writtenlanguage Output can emerge during the interaction when students ask and answerquestions or can emerge after the interaction when students are given anassignment

In addition to the receptive-productive skills sequence mentioned, lessonswould also be integrated using the productive-receptive skills sequence It is allabout pre-reading and pre-listening activities when students discuss a topic andmove on to speaking or listening (Atkins et al., 1996) For instance, in a readinglesson on "Types of Law Firms", teachers could ask students to engage in onlineresearch in pairs or individually and discuss with their peers the types of law firmsthey aspire to work for in the future, identifying their features, and explaining theirreasons for choosing that type As students express themselves, they may also berequired to take notes of their peer's responses This would enable them to gain adeeper understanding of the topic and develop their overall language skills

Over and above the mentioned methods, in order for the “language strands”

to be interwoven, Richards and Rodgers (2014) advised teachers to have multipletechniques at their disposal to effectively integrate language skills into their lessons.This can be achieved by using TBI or CBI separately, combining the two, or usingother types of ISA

2.1.6 FACTORS IMPEDING SKILLS INTEGRATION

Although the ISA has numerous benefits and potentials, certain factors mayimpede its progress Kebede (2013) sorted these factors into three categories:teachers' factors, schools' factors, and learners' factors

Teachers' factors regarding the ISA are primarily linked to their competenceand beliefs While some teachers believe that it is easier and more logicallystraightforward to teach language skills separately rather than teaching multiplelanguage skills simultaneously, some think that teaching multiple language skills

concurrently is an unfeasible instructional task (Richards, 2001) Furthermore,according to Frazee (1995), teachers may lack the required knowledge and skills toteach language skills effectively in an integrated manner This knowledge includessubject matter, broad principles and strategies of classroom management andorganization, how to prepare lesson plans and implementation, and learners'interests, attitudes, etc Therefore, without proper training, coaching, orself-initiated research and practice, it can be exceedingly challenging for teachers toincorporate integrative approaches into their teaching.

Moreover, not only is the ISA a time-consuming task for teachers, as itdemands significant preparation in terms of material selection and activitydesigning, but it also requires a considerable amount of effort as assessing diverseskills simultaneously can be challenging Each student's skill levels and types mayvary, with some excelling at oral communication and others proficient in writing.Another hindering factor is the coursebooks used to teach English in classrooms.Smith (2021) found that many coursebooks used in ESL classrooms are not alignedwith the ISA, as they teach English in a segmented way, viewing grammar,vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking, and listening as separate skills Thissegmented approach can make it difficult for teachers to incorporate an integratedapproach unless they supplement the coursebook with additional materials.Furthermore, in certain circumstances, teachers are expected to teach intensivecourses with a significant amount of knowledge to big classes within a short period

of time In such cases, teacher-centered approaches may be preferred to meet therequirements (Hinkel, 2001) Consequently, such a curriculum creates content silos,making it challenging to move beyond a segmented instructional approach, as noted

by Jones (2021)

Finally, students’ factors relate to their attitudes, motivation, interests andtheir language proficiency According to Oxford (2001), teaching integratedlanguage skills can be hindered by students who lack motivation, have limitedlanguage proficiency, and exhibit negative attitudes towards their teachers and/or

peers First, students may lack a positive attitude towards language learning due to avariety of factors, such as feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of integratingmultiple language skills, not seeing the relevance of the content or not beinginterested in the topic being taught (Huang & Van Naerssen, 2020) Second, Hwangand Kim (2018) stated that students may have different learning styles andpreferences, which can make it challenging for teachers to create a balancedapproach that meets the needs of all learners Some may prefer visual aids, whileothers may prefer hands-on activities or language-based exercises Third, they maypossess different levels of proficiency in the four language skills In particular,second language learners who reside in English-speaking countries may possessbetter speaking and listening skills, whereas their reading and writing skills may beweaker Conversely, EFL learners tend to have superior reading and writingabilities, but may struggle with listening and speaking skills This poses a challengefor teaching integrated language skills, as instructional materials and practice mustcater to a wide range of learner abilities (Richards, 2005).

Over and above the hindrances discussed, in some regions and cultures,separate language instruction is highly valued, and both teachers and learners arenot open to integrating different language skills (Richards & Rodgers, 2001)

2.2 INTEGRATED SKILLS APPROACH FOR ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

In recent decades, the term ESP has gained popularity due to the growingrealization that English language students require specialized knowledge in fieldssuch as business, technology, law, media, and science, in addition to GE This hasled to a rapid increase in demand for ESP, particularly in Asian countries whereEnglish is used as a medium of instruction in universities and as a commonlanguage in workplaces

ESP has multiple definitions, with Day and Krzanowski (2011) emphasizingteaching and learning specific skills and language for particular student needs, whileHutchinson and Waters (1987) focused on all decision-making related to content

and method based on the student's requirements Research in ESP has also unveiledseveral defining features, with Dudley-Evans and St John’s study (1998)highlighting a few key ones The first is catering to specific student needs, reflectingtheir academic fields or personal interests Authenticity is another feature, withcourses utilizing authentic language materials and tasks to reflect real-life workscenarios and the target genre Third, a student-centered approach should also beadopted in ESP courses, with all aspects of teaching and learning designed toaddress learner requirements, influenced by their field of study, workingenvironment, and individual circumstances Additionally, ESP courses are designedfor intermediate or advanced English proficiency levels involving mature learnerswho can comprehend complex concepts Thus, cognitive and language skills play avital role in course material development and teaching methods.

Generally, incorporating communicative English language aspects into ESPcourses has led to the introduction of several approaches, including CBI and TBI,which are both types of the ISA The trend towards integrating ESP and ISAmethods has been highly effective, with CBI proving to be particularly successful.Freiermuth (2001) emphasized that CBI gained support for its special feature which

is learning driven by content, enabling students to see the practicality of languagethat is meaningful beyond grammar viability Kavaliauskiene (2004) furthersuggested that CBI can be executed with an aim to promote collaborative learningand encourage students to take responsibility for their participation and interaction

To verify, empirical research by Kavaliauskiene (2004) and Nguyen (2011)validates that CBI enhances students' motivation and academic performance in ESPcourses This approach is highly learner-centered, allowing learners to developlanguage skills while acquiring subject knowledge

Teaching ESP courses can be quite challenging, especially when it comes toincorporating the necessary academic skills into the course content that servesspecific purposes Having this in mind, another way to effectively blend thesecomponents can be discovered through the ISA by means of TBI Specifically,

tailored projects that focus on a list of set skills (Vučić et al., 2013) This approachallows students to work together on communicative tasks, which aids in thedevelopment of skills that can be later applied to their academic growth TBI hasbecome a popular method for preparing students to communicate effectively inacademic settings As a result, ESP syllabuses in these courses have included avariety of tasks Nunan (1989) explained that this is because these communicativetasks are designed to engage learners in understanding, using, and interacting in thetarget language, with a focus on meaning rather than grammar One example of TBIcan be found in the project “The Survey” presented in Vučić et al’s research (2013).The idea of the project originated from an exercise in the textbook “Global -Intermediate” (Clandfield & Benne, 2011) which was used in ESP courses Thetasks that were included in the project consisted of writing a questionnaire,collecting first-hand data, organizing and presenting data using both graphicrepresentation and statistics, and finally a written discourse in the form of a formalreport All the tasks should be completed within a time limit and after finishingevery task, the project moved on to the subsequent stage, which was equallychallenging and demanding This is the reason why this kind of TBI increasesmotivation as it encourages collaboration by assigning it as group work anddividing the work among several students All in all, Vučić et al (2013) stated thatthis project had numerous learning outcomes Firstly, the project provided effectivelearning of the terminology and associated procedures involved in carrying outfirst-hand research Secondly, the project helped students to extend theircommunicative activity beyond the classroom setting, leading to morecomprehensive learning and encouraging students to apply their skills in real-worldscenarios Furthermore, the practical research project exposed students to advancedMicrosoft Word skills, particularly in creating tables and charts, an invaluable skillfor future professional communication Finally, the project encouraged students toreview and summarize their findings, resulting in the creation of professional,

formal written reports that can serve as benefits in both academic and professionalenvironments.

LE is a sub-field of ESP that is focused on teaching language skills requiredfor communication in legal settings Although there is not as much researchspecifically on LE as there is on ESP as a whole, many of the foundationalprinciples and results of ESP are applicable to LE The use of authentic materials,integration of language skills, and focus on learner needs are crucial when teaching

LE, just as in other ESP contexts (Basturkmen, 2010)

2.3 OVERARCHING THEORY

This study was conducted to test the Constructivism Theory (CT) which is alearning theory that emphasizes the importance of active participation andconstruction of knowledge by learners (Ormrod, 2014)

In language learning, the CT posits that learners construct their ownunderstanding of language through interactions with the environment, otherlearners, and the language itself It also emphasizes the role of learners in shapingtheir own learning experiences and encourages them to take an active role in thelearning process (Thornbury, 2006) According to Ellis and Shintani (2014), the CT

is particularly relevant to language learning because it recognizes the complexity oflanguage acquisition and the importance of context in shaping learners'understanding of the language In other words, meaningful and authentic languageuse in the learning process is extremely vital Hence, learners are encouraged toengage with the language in real-world contexts, rather than simply memorizingvocabulary and grammar rules in isolation, which encourages learner autonomy andresponsibility of their own learning

One of the key principles of the CT in language learning is the idea thatlearners build their own understanding of language through their experiences withthe language This can translate to the importance of providing learners withopportunities for hands-on, experiential learning that allows them to construct theirown understanding of the language, which may involve activities such as

role-playing, problem-solving, and collaborative projects that allow learners toengage with the language in meaningful ways (Thornbury, 2006).

It can be seen that while the CT emphasizes the importance of learnersconstructing their own understanding of the language through active participationand engagement with the language, the ISA in language learning emphasizes theimportance of developing all language skills simultaneously, rather than focusing onthem separately These two are closely related, as both recognize the importance oflearners taking an active role in the learning process and engaging with the language

in meaningful ways (Nunan, 2003) In fact, the ISA can be seen as an example ofthe CT in action By providing learners with opportunities to engage with thelanguage in meaningful and authentic contexts, this approach encourages learners toconstruct their own understanding of the language and bridge the gap betweentheory and practice by developing the language skills and knowledge they need tofunction effectively within their professional or academic environment(Basturkmen, 2010)