A study on the use of visual aids in teaching English to the first-year students at Military Technical Academy : . M.A Thesis

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ HOÀNG MAI A STUDY ON THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN TEACHING ENGLIS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LÊ HOÀNG MAI

A STUDY ON THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN

TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE FIRST-YEAR

STUDENTS AT MILITARY TECHNICAL ACADEMY

(NGHIÊN CỨU CÁCH SỬ DỤNG GIÁO CỤ TRỰC QUAN TRONG VIỆC DẠY TIẾNG ANH CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT HỌC

VIỆN KỸ THUẬT QUÂN SỰ)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60.14.0111

HANOI- 2013

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

LÊ HOÀNG MAI

A STUDY ON THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN

TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE FIRST-YEAR

STUDENTS AT MILITARY TECHNICAL ACADEMY

(NGHIÊN CỨU CÁCH SỬ DỤNG GIÁO CỤ TRỰC QUAN TRONG VIỆC DẠY TIẾNG ANH CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT HỌC

VIỆN KỸ THUẬT QUÂN SỰ)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.0111

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Lam Quang Dong

HANOI- 2013

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my thesis supervisor, Assoc.Prof Dr Lâm Quang Đông for his valuable comments and instructions, his instant assistance and his kind encouragement and correction in the process of completing this minor thesis

I am grateful to my lecturers at the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies-University of Languages and International Studies, National University, Hanoi for their useful and interesting lectures

My sincere thanks also go to my colleagues and students at Military Technical Academy, who offered me excellent assistance during the process of data collection Finally, I wish to express my thanks to my friends who were willing to share me materials, ideas and proof reading that helped me much in completing my work

ABSTRACT

The research was aimed at finding out the types of current visual aids used and especially the effectiveness and drawbacks of using PowerPoint Presentation in teaching English to the first-year students at Military Technical Academy (MTA) This research was conducted with the participation of students and teachers of English in 17 classes at MTA The instruments used in this study included 17 class observations, interviews with 10 teachers and 20 students The findings showed that the teachers of English at MTA exploited various kinds of visual tools from the

gestures, projectors and PowerPoint presentation In addition, the study revealed that using the modern teaching aids – PPT brought many advantages and disadvantages to the teachers and the students at MTA From the result of the study, some pedagogical suggestions related to using visual aids and particularly PPT effectively are offered for teachers of English

TABLE OF CONTENS

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Research questions 2

5 Scope of the study 3

6 Design of the study 3

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 4

1.1 Visual aids 4

1.1.1 Definitions of visual aids 4

1.1.2 Types of visual aids 4

1.1.3 Benefits of using visual aids in language teaching 8

1.2 PowerPoint 10

1.2.1 Overview of PowerPoint 10

1.2.2 Benefits of using PowerPoint Presentation in teaching English 12

1.2.3 Problems of using PowerPoint in teaching 16

1.2.4 Related studies about the pros and cons of PowerPoint 17

1.3 Summary 19

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 20

2.1 The English teaching and learning context at MTA 20

2.2 Methods of the study 21

2.2.1 Participants of the study 21

2.2.2 Instruments for data collection 21

2.3 Data collection procedures 22

2.4 Data analysis procedure 23

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 24

3.1 Findings from observation 24

3.1.1 The kinds of current visual aids used at MTA 24

3.1.2 How visual aids are used in teaching English at MTA 25

3.1.3 Number of instructors using PowerPoint presentation in English lessons 26

3.2 Findings from interviews 27

3.2.1 Students‟ attitudes towards using PPT in English lessons 27

3.2.2 The effectiveness of using PowerPoint in English lessons at MTA 28

3.2.3 The drawbacks of using PPT Presentation in English lessons at MTA 31

3.3 Summary 31

PART C: CONCLUSION 33

1 Conclusion 33

2 Recommendations 35

3 Limitations and suggestion for further studies 36

REFERENCES 37 APPENDIX I

PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

To teachers of foreign languages, how to deliver lessons effectively and

to motivate students are really big concerns There have been a variety of pedagogical solutions recommended to apply in these lessons, including the use of teaching aids, which are some of the most effective support tools in teaching and learning language Among those, visual aids can be considered a good way to teach language and motivate students, as people receive up to 55% of information through visual channel, 7% through texts and 38% through vocal means(Mehrabian, 2009) Grasping the important role of visual aids, many teachers in general and teachers of languages in particular exploit them to get students involved in the lectures Visual techniques are used for the same purpose by the teachers of English at Military Technical Academy

At Military Technical Academy, students are non-English majors, and they, especially the first year ones, have quite low English proficiency as shown in the results of the placement tests at the beginning of the first semester As a result, the teachers there have to take full advantage of equipments and teaching aids to give English lessons so as to motivate students The researcher therefore carried out the study to find out the current exploitation of visual aids at MTA, how they are used in teaching English in order to suggest ways to deal with problems if there are any and enhance their effectiveness

Because of the limitation of time and wide use of technology in lessons,

my minor thesis focused on deeply investigating the effectiveness and

drawbacks of using PowerPoint presentation in the English lessons by the teachers at MTA

2 Aims of the study

This minor thesis is aimed at:

- Finding out the visual aids currently used in teaching English to the first year students at Military Technical Academy;

- Finding out the good points and drawbacks of using PowerPoint presentation in English lessons at MTA;

- Making suggestions on the use of PowerPoint in teaching English to the first year students at MTA

3 Research questions

This research seeks answers to the following questions:

1 What are the types of visual aids currently exploited in teaching English

to the first year students at Military Technical Academy? How are they used?

2 What are the effectiveness and drawbacks of using PowerPoint in teaching English to the first year students at Military Technical Academy?

5 Scope of the study

This minor thesis is carried to find out types of visual aids currently used

at MTA and mainly focuses on investigating the use of PowerPoint in teaching English to first year non-English majors at Military Technical Academy through interviews and class observation

6 Design of the study

Part A Introduction, presents the rationale of the study, the aims, research

questions, methods applied, and the scope of the research as well as the outline of the thesis

Part B Development, chapter 1 reviews the literature concerning the use

of visual aids and PowerPoint program in language teaching

Chapter 2 describes the sorts of visual aids in use and how they are used in teaching English skills to the first year student at Military Technical Academy

Chapter 3 presents the effectiveness and limitations of PPT use in teaching English at MTA, based on which recommendations are made for improved effectiveness

Part C Conclusion, concludes the thesis, together with limitations of the

study and suggestions for further study

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Visual aids

1.1.1 Definitions of visual aids

Visual aids are defined as any projected or non-projected image that can be classified into illustrations, visuals, pictures, perceptions, mental images, figures, impressions, likeness, replicas, reproductions or anything that would help a learner see an immediate meaning (Canning 1997; 2000) According to Wingard (2000), the aids that can help in teaching languages and can be seen are called visual aids Generally visual aids are supporting tools in teaching language that can be visualized and facilitate language learners in their learning process

1.1.2 Types of visual aids

There are various types of visual aids that can help stimulate the teaching and learning of a foreign language According to Bowen (1982), visual aids are divided into three types: pictures, boards, and projectors while Billows (1961) classified them into two main kinds: two dimensional representations and three dimensional representations The former includes blackboards, pictures, projectors and projected pictures, maps, plans, charts; the latter is dramatization, mime, gesture, facial expression, puppetry and the sand-table In this minor thesis, the author only focuses on aids which are available in classroom or teachers can make themselves These include such visual aids as boards, projectors, different types of pictures, and mime including gesture and facial expression

1.1.2.1 Boards

Boards are usually chalkboard and white board Chalkboards are available in most classes and lecture rooms They are very cheap to use and very helpful to teachers in teaching Teachers can use them anytime during the lesson write and draw illustrations Thus, to teachers the boards are the most common, essential and useful teaching aids

The board can be exploited in various ways in class to facilitate

language teaching In Using the Board in the Language Classroom, Dobbs

(2001: 4-5) introduces a number of ways in using the board as a good teaching tool First of all, teachers can use the board to write vocabulary words or questions or statements drawn from a course book, or creating drawings like stick figures or abstract forms and then ask students to respond

or compose stories orally or in writing in appropriate ways Besides, the board can be employed to present new language concepts By using it, students can have deeper understanding of the new language concepts, and hence can remember these concepts better while looking at the writing on the board In addition, teachers can use the board to explain, clarify, illustrate, emphasize, organize, drill, and list information Also, using board work is an effective way to prepare students ready for new material, to review new material, and

to assess students‟ success at mastering this material From what Dobbs states, it is undeniable that boards or chalkboards in particular are great teaching tools that support teachers a lot in class

1.1.2.2 Pictures

Pictures can be classified into text pictures and class pictures Text pictures can be found easily in the books that are designed primarily for beginners and elementary students Pictures can demonstrate the meaning of a

single word or word phrases For instance, in the lesson of teaching vocabulary of some common objects put in a bag, the pictures in the texts show a list of different objects to illustrate Class pictures include picture cards and wall pictures According to Wright and Haleem (1991: 50), “Picture cards are easy and inexpensive for teachers to prepare which means that sets

of cards related to language teaching points or to subjects matter can be built

up over a period of time He also says that “the cards can be shown to the whole class or to a single student which allow the teacher to control who revives the information on them” Wall pictures compose of photographs, posters, maps, plans, etc which replace the things that cannot be brought into classroom By paying attention to the purpose of using pictures as teaching aids, teachers can have appropriate selection of the types of pictures for individual work, pair work or group work Bowen (1982:15) says that “Wall charts are ideal, however, for pair or group work in intermediate and advanced classes Work cards can be prepared to accompany the charts so that students may work together to prepare a presentation before the whole class and/or to prepare a wall display” Pictures have great importance in the sense that what cannot be described by words can be described through them

1.1.2.3 Objects

There are two types of objects: Real objects (realias) and Representational objects

 Realias or real objects are anything available without special

preparation or materials that students can see in class from the simplest things such as tables, chairs, pens, books, etc to more concrete things such as modern machines, natural phenomena (hot, rain, cold, etc.) and

so on The teacher and learners themselves can also be sources of

realias Realias, therefore, are available around us to be used instantly

or brought to the class for teaching and learning purposes

 Representational objects are objects that can replace real objects in

case the teacher and students cannot prepare realias for use in classroom When using representational objects, both teachers and learner should make careful choices and well prepare to avoid misunderstanding of word meanings

1.1.2.4 Mime

Mime is a performance using gestures and facial expressions to act something without speaking A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication which is made with a movement of the hands, the body and the head to show a particular meaning Facial expressions are the motions of facial muscle beneath the skin that convey emotional state to communicator Gestures and facial expressions cost teachers nothing but energy to present them However, they play an important role in the classroom As Billow (1961: 147) states, “actual presentation of an action, dramatically presents the action better than any other picture can, because, with it, we have movement and the third dimension, for lack of which a picture is sometimes unsatisfactory” According to Darn (2005), gestures reduce unnecessary teacher talking time and increase learner participation; this in turn develops learners‟ confidence In addition, gestures reduce fear of silence, make teachers‟ instructions clear and help the teacher in classroom management In English classroom, teachers‟ gestures can scaffold learners‟ understanding of the language Gestures can be used to support different aspects of language such as vocabulary and grammar

1.1.2.4 Projectors

The overhead projector is a type of projector This good device can be used to replace the chalkboard during the lesson because they have the same features in some aspects Yet, it is more useful in providing clear, vivid and colourful stimuli at all stages: presentation, practice, and production (Bowen, 1982) In addition, teachers who use this type of projector do not have to stand backwards to students like using blackboard, and materials can be prepared in advance to save time but teachers can add more details by using water-based pen during the lesson Furthermore, the materials – overhead projector transparencies can be re-used several times later and can be used as handouts to save money

At the moment, overhead projectors are nearly replaced by another modern type of projectors which is computer projector PowerPoint software program combined with projector will bring about more vivid, interesting and useful images to help students to keep pace of the lessons What are other benefits of PPT presentations? The next part will describe them in more details

1.1.3 Benefits of using visual aids in language teaching

Visual aids play a very essential role in teaching and learning a foreign

language because of their benefits

Pictures help individual learners predict information, infer information, deduce information, analyze today‟s world so that it can be brought into today‟s classroom and offer social settings which can immerse or expose the learner to new ideas or further promote an already created setting If a visual

is used in a testing or teaching situation it can enhance clarity and give meaning to the text or to the message being communicated Visuals can serve

to create a solid link between the material learned and the practical application of it on a test (Canning, 1998)

The nature of graphic images serves as a catalyst and stimulus Moreover, the visual can offer input, output and/or feedback on materials learned Likewise, a learner using a visual may be more apt to give an added response to the traditionally expected form The response may change according to the picture in collaboration with the task as it works as an interactive negotiator Although some practitioners may argue that a picture can serve as an impetus, others would equally argue that the same picture has the potential to urge an opinion (Canning, 1998) As teachers manipulate texts daily in lessons, teachers can also control and open a picture to a variety of language learning activities as well as a variety of interpretations

Visuals are a good and useful tool for examination purposes because they lead the learner into drawing out language from their own knowledge and personal experiences through exposure to and immersion in the stimuli presented to them Visuals permit strategies to organize knowledge into semantic or associative clusters In testing and teaching situations picture items can be developed to test whether the students understand the syntax or structure of the target language Visuals allow for options, responses, alternatives, patterns and ranges Students can see immediate meaning in terms of vocabulary recognition provided the item exists in the first language Pictures can be developed into a test to see whether the learner understands the structure and the syntax (Canning, 1998; 2000)

The advantages of pictures suggest that visuals can help make a task or situation more authentic Pictures can help testers and teachers to identify or manipulate structures, vocabulary, functions, situations and skills Visuals used as testing prompts can be used to measure semantic and associative

clusters Pictures allow students to focus on the whole item or a piece of an item Pictures can give or not give a context depending on what needs to be tested Pictures offer test takers options for more interpretive responses, patterns and ranges to answer posited exam questions

The use of visual stimuli enables a learner and/or test-taker the ability

to predict information, to infer information as well as to deduce information from the picture or mental image Another beneficial reason for using pictures

on examinations is authenticity Visuals can bring today‟s world into the language learning environment by serving as an reflection of what exists outside of the foreign or second language classroom This form of stimuli can allow the learner to analyze his/her own world Visual stimuli can expose as well as immerse the test-taker into a familiar or unfamiliar environment, social setting or practical environment

1.2 PowerPoint

Among the most popular visual aids today are PPT, thanks to the development of ICT The following section will provide more specific discussion of PPT

1.2.1 Overview of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is widely used as a type of presentation software program running on Macintosh or Windows PC‟s that enables someone to show colored text and images with animation and sound PowerPoint presentation is formed by a sequence of slides that are individual frames or screens of information The slides, typically for one presentation are collected into PowerPoint file (*.ppt) The files are easy to create and can be e-mailed as attachments or be posted on or downloaded from websites They can also be changed to fit any individual classroom setting (Fisher, 2003)

PowerPoint aims to create and insert new slides, editing existing slides, and reordering existing slides Slides can compose of text, tables, bulleted and numbered lists, graphics, audio, video, and many types of content Content can be modified by formatting, including standard fonts, sizes and other attributes, and background colors and images; reducing, enlarging, cropping pictures, and superimposing drawing; animation schemes, such as having each bulleted point appear one at a time; and many master templates, which are patterns for colors, bullets, text sizes and background images

PowerPoint is powerful and ubiquitous communication technology and aid to teaching and business presentations In 2002, it was estimated that over

400 million copies of PowerPoint were put into circulation and that

“somewhere between 20 and 30 million PowerPoint-based presentations are given around the globe each day” (Simons, 2005) Many teachers today, from elementary school to college and university level, are enthusiastically embracing PowerPoint Presentation as an instructional tool It is argued that PowerPoint Presentation "enhances instruction and motivates students to learn" (Harrison, 1998: 9) Critics of the technology, however, have negative opinions Some believe that the software‟s rigid format "usually weaken[s] verbal and spatial reasoning, and almost always corrupt[s] statistical analysis" (Tufte, 2003: 3) Many believe that using PowerPoint Presentations with students is a productive learning activity (Alster, 2002; Mason, & Hylnka, 1998) Yet many detractors believe that its rigid format stifles not only students‟ creativity, but also their ability to understand and convey information (Tufte, 2003; Shwom & Keller, 2003)

With such conflicting and opposing views about the use of PowerPoint Presentation, many new users of this technology face a dilemma And many

in this dilemma start asking a question: how can an EFL teacher use

PowerPoint Presentation thoughtfully and effectively for instructional purposes? The answer is in an individual teacher‟s choice Teachers should decide and make it clear what a tool like PowerPoint Presentation accomplish

in instructions, both in terms of skills and learning There are many advantages of the use of PowerPoint Presentation as discussed above and they should suffice the EFL teachers willing to incorporate this technology in their teaching and instructions The development of note-taking skills is a vital transferable skill for foreign language learning and careful use of PowerPoint Presentation can encourage this This is often done and can be done by providing students with only outline structures that require annotation or handouts which are „interactive‟ (Race, 1999) Wright (2009) also suggests that PowerPoint is a convenient prop for poor speakers It can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points It also elevates style over substance All these three things definitely contribute to its popularity and should therefore be exercised and practiced

1.2.2 Benefits of using PowerPoint Presentation in teaching English

It should be understood that using PowerPoint in EFL classes does have great advantages both for teachers and students

Catherina (2006: 4) indicates that students think PowerPoint based lectures are more interesting than traditional lectures Moreover, Fisher (1998) reports that student scores on tests are even improved with PowerPoint lectures as opposed to traditional lectures

Aly, Elen, and Willems (2004) point out that PowerPoint based lectures focus attention and reduce distraction (p 42) Szaboa and Hastings (2000) find similar trends in their study at Nottingham Trent University in England

Besides, seventy-two percent of students who are surveyed say that they want PowerPoint presentations to be adopted in EFL classes (p 32)

Miltenoff (2003) indicates that PowerPoint can be used as a multimedia and interactive tool Pictures, animation, sound effects, and music can greatly enhance the quality of the presentation It is much easier to use attractive fonts, photos, clipart, tables, and graphs in PowerPoint And the hyperlinks on the slides allow users to get more information than is found in books and broadens the field of view of students Most importantly, slide shows are adaptable to many EFL teaching environments, including face-to-face and online (p 120)

In addition, comparing PowerPoint presentations with handwriting, teachers can immediately appreciate the value and impact of using PowerPoint presentations According to Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996),

“On the one hand, PowerPoint presentations are more effective and they can take less time and effort to create On the other hand, teachers can improve the quality of PowerPoint presentations while dramatically reducing their production time and budgets.” (p 95)

The colors used in PowerPoint presentations can influence how students respond to teachers‟ messages Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) stated “Colors can bring emotion to PowerPoint presentations However, used improperly, colors can also undermine themes of teachers‟ presentations and distract students” (p 99) In addition, teachers should also be aware that “a significant portion of students may be color-blind and not perceive the differences between two or more colors Keeping all these points in mind, teachers are best advised to keep their color selections simple and restrained” (Coulthard & Hutchinson, 1996: 100)

Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) indicate that fortunately for teachers, Microsoft hired professional artists to compile PowerPoint‟s numerous color schemes A color scheme is a set of eight colors that teachers can apply to individual slides, notes pages, and student handouts The eight main colors include a background color, title text color, text and line color, fill color, shadows color, and three colors for accents (p 99) Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) present the idea that by using color schemes, teachers ensure that all the colors in their presentations are balanced and will work well together Also, color schemes make it easy to apply a new set of colors to their presentations, just as using templates makes it easy to change overall design (p 90)

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words Although this phrase is overused, its truth is undeniable Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) indicate that graphics add personality to teacher presentations and convey information more efficiently than text alone Unfortunately, many new computer users struggle with the tendency to place too many graphics on a single screen To assist teacher in planning how and when to use graphics, apply these basic principles: strive for simplicity, use emphasis sparingly, and ensure a visual balance between graphics and text (p 124)

Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) find that PowerPoint‟s AutoLayouts already encourage a balanced and visually appealing use of graphics The Microsoft ClipArt Gallery mini-app provides a one-stop shopping mall for all the clip art images A clip art image is a computer graphic or picture that teachers can insert into their documents, usually without having to pay royalties or licensing fees to the artist or designer Microsoft‟s ClipArt Gallery provides hundreds of images organized into over 25 categories

Teachers can also use the Gallery to add their own images, delete existing images, and move images (p 125)

In addition to clip art images, teachers can insert graphic files into their presentations Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) state that a computer graphic file is usually created by an artist, designer, or desktop publisher However, teachers can easily create their own graphic files if they have access to a scanner A scanner is a hardware device that converts photographs and other paper-based material into computer images Just as a photocopier makes a representation from paper to paper, a scanner makes a copy from paper to computer Once it is saved to the disk, teachers can insert a computer graphic file into PowerPoint using the Insert Picture command (p 132)

According to Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996), “Most teachers recognize the benefit of using graphics to improve their effectiveness in communicating information Clearly, a chart or graph is easier to decipher than rows and columns of tiny numbers” (p.131) Furthermore, Coulthard and Hutchinson (1996) state that PowerPoint makes it relatively easy for teachers

to include graphs in their presentations It comes with a powerful supplementary program called Microsoft Graph The Microsoft Graph helps them produce great-looking charts and graphs within PowerPoint Graph does not replace a full-featured spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel, but it does provide a more convenient tool for embedding simple charts into presentations (p.132)

While PowerPoint presentations help teachers improve teaching, they also help students absorb teachers‟ messages Cashman and Shelly (2000) find that students learn most effectively when their five senses are involved Researchers have determined that individuals remember 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, and an

amazing 70 percent when they both see and hear That is why it is important

to attend class instead of copying classmate‟s notes When students see and hear instructors deliver a lecture and write their own notes, they are apt to interpret the concepts correctly and recall this information at the ever-important final exam (p 15)

In addition, Roblyer (2003) indicates that many teachers report a simple, but highly effective use of PowerPoint presentation They set up a computer in EFL classroom to display automatically advancing frames of spelling words, vocabulary words, and information According to teachers who have used these strategies, students seem to attend to and retain much of what they see on these slideshows (p.179)

With various practical benefits and advantages embedded in its use, PowerPoint Presentation can surely be a great help and boon for an EFL teacher and also for the learners

1.2.3 Problems of using PowerPoint in teaching

PowerPoint offers a great and powerful tool to facilitate the improved delivery of many lessons and courses It can bring many benefits to both teachers and students However, there are some common barriers related to the technology that make some educators reluctant to use it

First of all, technical problems associated with using computer, particularly PowerPoint program that may occur at the beginning or during the process of lesson delivery are one of the most common matters Some equipment can fail unpredictably, which destroys the presentation such as the computer does not work, projector bulb blacks our, the file is corrupted by magnetic or physical damage or the files are incompatible with the system available In addition, the content designed in slides of the presentation can