Work environment as a motivating factor for self improvement of english a case study of projects in CARE international in vietnam

Motivating role of work environment in CARE Vietnamese staff’s self- 40improvement of English 4.4 Elements of work environment affecting CARE staff‘s motivation to self- 45improve their

VŨ MAI GIANG

WORK ENVIRONMENT AS A MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT OF ENGLISH: A CASE STUDY OF PROJECTS IN CARE INTERNATIONAL IN

VIETNAM

MÔI TRƯỜNG LÀM VIỆC VỚI VAI TRÒ LÀ YẾU TỐ THÚC ĐẨY

VIỆC TỰ HOÀN THIỆN TIẾNG ANH:

TRƯỜNG HỢP CÁC DỰ ÁN CỦA CARE QUỐC TẾ TẠI VIỆT NAM

MA THESIS

Major: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10

HANOI, 2009

VŨ MAI GIANG

WORK ENVIRONMENT AS A MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT OF ENGLISH: A CASE STUDY OF PROJECTS IN CARE INTERNATIONAL IN

VIETNAM

MÔI TRƯỜNG LÀM VIỆC VỚI VAI TRÒ LÀ YẾU TỐ THÚC ĐẨY

VIỆC TỰ HOÀN THIỆN TIẾNG ANH:

TRƯỜNG HỢP CÁC DỰ ÁN CỦA CARE QUỐC TẾ TẠI VIỆT NAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.1.2 Different approaches towards motivation in language learning 7

3.3.1 Questionnaire 31

4.2 Types of motivation for English self-improvement possessed by CARE 37Vietnamese staff

4.3 Motivating role of work environment in CARE Vietnamese staff’s self- 40improvement of English

4.4 Elements of work environment affecting CARE staff‘s motivation to self- 45improve their English

List of graphs and tables for data analysis

Graph 1: English language skills before and after working for CARE

Graph 2: Role of CARE work environment in self-improvement of English

Table 1: Participants’ profile

Table 2: Types of motivation for English self-improvement possessed by CARE staff Table 3: Work requirements in CARE

Table 4: Kind of work that CARE staff have to use English and their frequency Table 5: Relationships in CARE

Table 6: Opportunities of working for CARE

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the study

Since Vietnam started its “Doi moi” process, much attention has been paid tolearning how to use English for communication It has become the main foreign language

in schools, the language at work environment and for diplomacy It is a fact that Englishteaching centres have mushroomed, learners rush out to evening English classes with ahope to gain better marks in the exams and get a good job Even busy adults spend theirlimited time on learning English to better perform tasks, to get promoted, to find a betterjob in an English speaking environment or to study abroad Motivation to learn English,hence, becomes more important than ever because it is the key factor affecting the success

or failure in language learning process

Also since Vietnam opened its door to the outside world, more and more governmental organisations (NGOs) establish their representative offices in Vietnam andthousands of projects have been implemented for Vietnam’s sustainable development.More and more Vietnamese come to work for an NGO and often enjoy the workenvironment there NGO environment is usually a multi-cultural, multi-lingual one whereEnglish is mainly used for communication One question is raised: Can Vietnamese staffimprove their English in such an environment and if so, how to improve?

non-Many studies have been conducted on English learning and teaching and manytechniques have been suggested for brushing up one’s English Though there are somestudies focusing on the motivation to study English and how to maintain and strengthensuch motivation at school and colleges, there are few or no studies on learning English andmotivation to learn English after leaving colleges

It is quite common that some English major graduates often complain that theirEnglish skills get worse after graduation because they do not have the environment to use

it, their work does not require them to use English and they also do not have time forfurther learning Some non-major graduates state that they want and they need to improve

their English but they do not have an appropriate environment to learn and to use thelanguage In all these circumstances, the work environment plays a crucial role indetermining whether employees have strong and long-lasting motivation to self-improvetheir English.

With the above mentioned reasons, the researcher would like to investigate Englishlearning in an NGO environment and the role of work environment in motivating staff toimprove their English It is hoped that the research would be of great help for thoseworking in an NGO in particular and elsewhere in general

1.2 Scope and purposes of the study

The study was conducted on the Vietnamese staff who are currently working fordifferent projects in CARE International in Vietnam (hereafter abbreviated as CARE) Thestudy mainly focused on the principal purposes below:

 to explore different types of motivation possessed by CARE Vietnamese staff for improvement of their English skills;

self- to identify their perceptions of the role of work environment in their English improvement;

self- to investigate the main elements affecting their English self-improvement in an NGO setting.

1.4 Significance of the study

Much research has shown the importance of social contexts or learningenvironments on second language learning This study was carried out with the hope toprovide language learners, especially those who work for an NGO with an overview of therole of work environment and its elements affecting their motivation to self-improve theirEnglish It is hoped that, the findings from this study will make managers better understandtheir staff and hence, create more favourable opportunities for their staff learning in generaland for their English learning in particular

This study will not only help those working in CARE to reflect on their improvement of English but also help English learners to be aware of and make best use oftheir work environment in their path to English perfection In the broader term, the studyalso might be useful for the organisations to make the strategic plan for human resourcedevelopment and give an insight to informal learning at workplace

self-1.5 Methodology

In order to achieve the primary purposes of the study – to discover CAREVietnamese staff’s motivation types for English self-improvement, to get their opinionsabout the role of the work environment and its elements affecting their motivation for self-improvement of English, the case study was adopted in this study

This case study uses both qualitative and quantitative approach with questionnaireand semi-structured interviews as the main data collection tools for the given purpose toget an insight into CARE’s staff motivation to self-improve English at workplace Theinstruments as well as the data collection process will be discussed in more details inChapter 3

1.6 Study design

The study consists of five chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 provides a general introduction including the rationale, the scope andpurposes, research questions, significance, methodology and design of the study.Definitions of terms are also presented in this chapter.

Chapter 2 aims at systematizing the theoretical background for the thesis bydiscussing the two main points: motivation theories and approaches in language learning aswell as at work environment and the impact of work environment in language learning

Chapter 3 focuses on the research methodology, explaining why case study waschosen for the conduct the research as well as how to achieve reliability and validity Italso describes the tools and procedures to collect data

Chapter 4 presents the data analysis and findings In this chapter, a comprehensiveanalysis and interpretation of the collected data will be explored to find the answers to theresearch questions

Chapter 5 is the conclusion of the study, providing a summary of major findings,recommendations as well as directions for further research

1.7 Definition of terms

Self-improvement: increasing the ability of using the four English macro-skills

consciously and subconsciously (learning and acquisition)

Motivation: some kind of internal drive that encourages somebody to pursue a

course of action (Harmer 1983)

Target language: the language which a person is learning other than his/her mother

tongue

Second language (L2): refers to a target language that learners aim to master The

L2 in this study refers to English

Language acquisition: refers to a subconscious process of picking up a language

through exposure

Learning environment: refers to the physical, mental and social conditions at the

learner’s disposal

Work environment: means the social and professional setting around a person in

which s/he is supposed to interact with peers and supervisors

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

The important role of motivation in second language learning is undeniable andmotivation can be consider the key to successful L2 learning Thus, much research onmotivation and its role in second language acquisition has been undertaken so far.Motivation is influenced by social and situational contexts so it needs to be examined inthe surrounding settings In this chapter, the researcher shall review some theories onmotivation as well as the work environment as the theoretical backgrounds for the study

2.1 Motivation Theories

2.1.1 What is motivation?

The concept of motivation is very much part of our personal and professional life

In our everyday conversation, we talk about likes and dislikes, wishes and desires, attitudestowards, for example, English learning At work, we may complain about the salary, theincompetent management, the relationship with colleagues or supervisors, opportunities forpromotion or study further All these things belong to motivation, a domain attractingmuch study and research because of its enabling power

According to Brown (2002), “Motivation is one of the most important factors in thesuccess in English Motivation means having a real purpose in learning English, or reallywanting to learn English for a reason”

Motivation, defined as the impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seekingacts (Ames & Ames, 1989), is important because it determines the extent of the learner'sactive involvement and attitude toward learning It is learners’ orientation toward the goal

of learning a second language (Crookes and Schmidt 1991)

The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics definesmotivation as follows:

Motivation is generally considered to be one of the primary causes of success and failure in second language learning (2002: 344).

So it would seem, from this definition that motivation is something we need to takeseriously into consideration if we are concerned about creating the best possible L2acquisition

Gardner (1985) indicated that the motivation of foreign language learning containsfour aspects:

- Effortful behavior,

- A desire to attain the goal,

- Attitude towards the activity

Motivation then refers to the combination of desire and effort to conduct a behaviour toachieve a goal

Moore (1997) defined motivation as the forces or drives that energize and direct us

to act as we do Motivation leads to accomplishments We plan for them, work for themand achieve them based on our short-term and long-term goals

Though much research has been conducted on motivation, there is still a debate onwhat motivation truly is “If motivation were a straightforward concept it would beuninteresting” (Galloway et al, 1998:42)

According to Lightbown & Spada, motivation in second language learning is acomplex phenomenon which can be defined in terms of two factors: learners’communicative needs and their attitudes towards the second language community Iflearners need to speak the second language in social situations to fulfill professionalambitions or if they have favourable attitudes towards the speakers of the language, theywill be motivated to acquire that language proficiency

Perhaps the only thing about motivation most researchers would agree on is that it,

by definition, concerns the direction and magnitude of human behaviour that is:

- the choice of a particular action

- the persistance with it

- the effort expended on it

- why people decide to do something,

- how long they are willing to sustain the activity

- how hard they are going to pursue it

(Cited in Dornyei, 2001:8)

2.1.2 Different approaches towards motivation in language learning

One explanation for the complex meaning of the term “motivation” is that there aremany different approaches towards motivation research In this section, we will discussthree major approaches that are the most helpful to the study: the behaviourist, thecognitive and the constructivist approaches

Most early theories on motivation were based on a behaviourist approach.Motivation is quite simply “the anticipation of reward” Driven to acquire positivereinforcement, and driven by previous experiences of reward for behaviour, we actaccordingly to achieve further reinforcement Behaviourists consider performance in tasksand motivation to do so, results from external forces: parents, teachers, peers, educational

requirements, job specifications, and so forth (Brown 2007) This approach, however,

cannot satisfactorily explain the complex behaviours of human beings

From the cognitive view, motivation places more emphasis on the individual’sdecision, “the choices people make as to what experiences or goals they will approach oravoid, and the degree of effort they will exert in that respect” (Keller, 1983) Ausubel(1968, cited in Brown 2007) identified six needs for the construct of motivation:

- The need for exploration, for seeing the other side of the mountain

- The need for manipulation, for operating on the environment and causing change

- The need for activity, for both mental and physical movement

- The need for stimulation, the need to be stimulated by the environment, by other people, or by ideas, feelings, thoughts

- The need for ego enhancement, for the self to be known and to be accepted and approved of by others

A constructivist view of motivation places even further emphasis on social context

as well as individual personal choices According to Williams and Burden (1997), a constructivist view of motivation centres around the premise that each individual is motivated differently… however, an individual‘s motivation is also subject to social and contextual influences These will include the whole culture and context and the social situation, as well as significant other people and the individual’s interaction with these people (Cited from Dornyei 2001:115)

William and Burden’s framework of L2 motivation (cited from Dornyei 2001)

Internal factors

Intrinsic interest of activity:

- arousal of curiosity

- optimal degree of challenge

Perceived value of activity:

- anticipated value of outcomes

- intrinsic value attributed to the

- mediated learning experiences

- the nature and amount of feedback

- the nature and amount of appropriate praise

- punishments, sanctionsThe learning environment:

- resources

- awareness of developing skills and

mastery in a chosen area

Self-concept:

- realistic awareness of personal

strengths and weaknesses in skills required

- personal definitions and judgements

of success and failure

- learned helplessness

Attitudes:

- to language learning in general

- to the target language

- to the target language community

and culture

Other affective states:

- anxiety, fear Developmental age

and stage Gender

- time of day, week, year

- size of class and school

- class and school ethos The broader context:

- wider family networks

- the local education system

- conflicting interests

- cultural norms

- societal expectations and attitudes

In short, the behaviourist approach and the cognitive view, when looking atmotivation, either focus on the external forces or the individuals’ decision Hence, theyboth get stuck in seeking explanations for human beings’ complicated behaviours In order

to solve the problem, the constructivist approach was born, combining the personal choiceand the environment that a person is living in, to have a more appropriate look atmotivation

2.1.3 Different approaches towards motivation at work

Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was thefocus of many researchers Five major approaches that have led to our understanding of

motivation at work are Maslow’s need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two- factor theory,Vroom's expectancy theory, Adams' equity theory, and Skinner's reinforcement theory.

According to Maslow, employees have five levels of needs (Maslow, 1943):physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing

Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higherlevel need would motivate employees, for example once the physiological needs like foodand shelter are met, people move up the hierarchy and become motivated by securityissues Maslow's theory does tell us two important things:

- That not all people are motivated by the same thing

- That the same person is not always motivated by the same thing since their needs change over time

Herzberg's work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes(Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959) Motivator or intrinsic factors, such asachievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such aspay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction

Motivator factors, increase job Hygiene factors, those whose absence can

3 Interest in the Work Itself

4 Opportunity for Growth

5 Opportunity for Advancement

6 Importance & Responsibility

7 Peer & Group Relationships

8 Salary (Pay)

9 Fairness of Supervisors

10 Company Policy & Rules

11 Status & Perks

Vroom's theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performanceand performance will lead to rewards (Vroom, 1964) Rewards may be either positive ornegative The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highlymotivated Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will bemotivated.

Unlike Maslow and Herzberg, Vroom does not concentrate on needs, but ratherfocuses on outcomes Whereas Maslow and Herzberg look at the relationship betweeninternal needs and the resulting effort expended to fulfils them, Vroom separates effort(which arises from motivation), performance, and outcomes Vroom, hypothesizes thateffort, performance and motivation must be linked so that a person is motivated Heproposes three variables to account for this, which he calls Valence, Expectancy andInstrumentality Expectancy is the belief that increased effort will lead to increasedperformance i.e if I work harder then this will be better Instrumentality is the belief that if

I perform well that a valued outcome will be received i.e if I do a good job, there issomething in it for me Valence is the importance that the individual places upon theexpected outcome For example, if I am mainly motivated by money, I might not valueoffers of additional time off

Adams’ theory states that employees strive for a fair balance between anemployee’s inputs (hard work, skill level, tolerance, enthusiasm, etc.) and an employee’soutputs (salary, benefits, intangibles such as recognition, etc.) as well as the equity betweenthemselves and other workers According to the theory, finding this fair balance

serves to ensure a strong and productive relationship is achieved with the employee, withthe overall result being contented, motivated employees.

Skinner's theory simply states those employees' behaviors that lead to positiveoutcomes will be repeated and behaviors that lead to negative outcomes will not berepeated (Skinner, 1953) Managers should positively reinforce employee behaviors thatlead to positive outcomes

These five major approaches give us an overview of the things that influenceemployees’ motivation such as needs to be satisfied, the work itself, peer and grouprelationship, supervision, treatment among employees and reinforcement of behaviours.Employers should take these into account in order to have content and motivatedemployees, who will then contribute to the organisation development

2.1.4 Role of motivation

Attitudes and motivational factors have been shown to play a crucial role in secondand foreign language learning Gardner and Lambert (1972) indicate that affective factors,including attitudes and motivation, have significant relationship with foreign languageachievement In fact, these studies have shown that independently of their languageaptitude, learners who are highly motivated and have positive attitudes toward the targetlanguage are more likely to do well in learning a second or foreign language than learnerswho are less highly motivated or who have negative attitudes

The table below presents a brief summary of some findings about the important role

of motivation in language learning

Table: Some Findings Concerning Role of Motivation in Second Language Acquisition (adapted from Gardner 2001)

Gardner & Smythe (1981) Integrativeness, Attitudes toward the Learning

Situation, and Motivation are separate but correlatedconstructs, and Motivation has a direct effect onsecond language achievement

Clément, Smythe

& Gardner (1978)

Differences in integrative motivation help toexplain who will drop out and who will continue withlanguage study in future years

Gliksman, Gardner,

& Smythe (1982)

Differences in integrative motivation accountfor differences in activity in the language classroom

Desrochers & Gardner (1981) Differences in motivation are related to whether or

not children will participate in school-plannedexcursions to the other language community

Gardner & Lysynchuk (1990) Motivation promotes the retention of second

language skills after study ends, largely becausemotivated individuals will tend to use the languageduring the subsequent period

Gardner & MacIntyre (1991) Both integrative

influence the rate

andof

instrumentallearning second

motivationlanguagevocabulary

The relationship between language learning and motivation is an interactive onethough, since many research findings show that successful learning can enhance motivationand vice versa As Gardner and Smythe (1981) claim that high correlation betweenmotivation and successful learning confirms the importance of motivation whether learnersarrive with it or acquire it through successful learning experience.

It is thought that learners who are most successful when learning a target languageare those who like the people that speak the language, admire the culture and have a desire

to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used(Falk 1978) When someone becomes a resident in a new community that uses the targetlanguage in its social interactions, integrative motivation is a key component in assistingthe learner to develop some level of proficiency in the language It becomes a necessity, inorder to operate socially in the community and become one of its members It is alsotheorised that "integrative motivation typically underlies successful acquisition of a widerange of registers and a native like pronunciation" (Finegan 1999:568)

Instrumental motivation

This type of motivation is generally characterised by the desire to obtain somethingpractical or concrete from the study of a second language (Hudson 2000) With

instrumental motivation, the purpose of language acquisition is more utilitarian, such asmeeting the requirements for school or university graduation, applying for a job, readingtechnical material, translation work or achieving higher social status.

According to Gardner and Lambert (1972) motivation is strongly influenced byinstrumental orientation which can be defined as “the pragmatic aspects of learning thesecond language, without any particular interest in communicating with the secondlanguage community”

Integrative motivation vs Instrumental motivation

Learners can be both integratively and instrumentally motivated at one and thesame time as Ellis stated In some cases, integrative motivation may be far more importantwhile in some other situation, instrumental motivation can prove to be successful Itdepends on the social context for learning However, those who do support an integrativeapproach to language study are usually more highly motivated and overall more successful

in language learning

While both integrative and instrumental motivations are essential elements ofsuccess, it is integrative motivation which has been found to sustain long-term successwhen learning a second language (Taylor, Meynard and Rheault 1977; Crookes et al 1991)

In some of the early research conducted by Gardner and Lambert integrative motivationwas viewed as being of more importance in a formal learning environment or in a secondlanguage context than instrumental motivation (Ellis 1997) One area where instrumentalmotivation counts more is in the situation where the learner is provided with noopportunity to use the target language and therefore, no chance to interact with members ofthe target group Lukmani (1972) found that an instrumental orientation was moreimportant than an integrative orientation in non-westernized female learners of L2 English

in Bombay

Brown (2000) makes the point that both integrative and instrumental motivationsare not necessarily mutually exclusive Learners rarely select one form of motivation when

learning a second language, but rather a combination of both orientations For this reason it

is important to identify both the type and combination of motivation that assists in thesuccessful acquisition of a second language At the same time it is necessary to viewmotivation as one of a number of variables in an intricate model of interrelated individualand situational factors which are unique to each language learner

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is a response to needs that exist within the learner, such ascuriosity, the need to know, and feelings of competence or growth (Paul Eggen & DonKauchak 1994, P.428) It exists when someone works because of an inner desire toaccomplish a task successfully (Cheryl L Spaulding, 1992, p.4) In other word, learners arewilling to learn the knowledge that is new and interesting in the purpose of fulfilling oftheir curiosity, the need to know and feeling of competence and growth that cause intrinsicmotivation Their purpose of learning is also the enjoyment of the learning process not forpraise or rewards Learners with intrinsic motivation orientation study English on their owninitiative and tend to prefer moderately challenging tasks

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are important, inseparable andcomplementary to each other in English learning Intrinsic motivation is the type of innerdrive that propels learners forward and onward with continuous energy fueled by its own

curiosity and interest However, in the real world not all of the learners are automaticallyenergized to perform this or that task, or to learn about this or that topic Sometimes, agood grade, the threat of failing and praise move learners from an inactive to an activestate The use of rewards as extrinsic motivators has sometimes been found to increaseintrinsic motivation, especially when the rewards are contingent on the quality of theperformance rather than simply on participation.

Global, situational and task motivation

Brown (1981) identified 3 types of motivation:

Global motivation, which consists of a general orientation to the goal of learning an

L2

Situational motivation, which varies according to the situation in which learning

takes place (the motivation associated with classroom learning is distinct from themotivation involved in naturalistic learning)

Task motivation, which is the motivation for performing particular learning tasks

(quoted from Ellis 1985)

2.1.6 Factors affecting motivation in L2 learning

Many theorists and researchers have found that it is important to recognize theconstruct of motivation not as a single entity but as a multi-factorial one Oxford andShearin (1994) analyzed a total of 12 motivational theories or models, including those fromsocio-psychology, cognitive development, and socio-cultural psychology, and identifiedsix factors that impact motivation in language learning:

 Attitudes (i.e., sentiments toward the learning community and the target language)

A large number of researches on the role of attitudes and motivation have pointed out that

positive attitudes and motivation are related to success in second language learning.Unfortunately, we do not know whether motivation and attitudes produce successfullearning and successful learning enhances motivation or whether both are affected by otherfactors (Patsy Lightbown & Nina Spada)

 Beliefs about self (i.e., expectancies about one's attitudes to succeed, self-efficacy,

and anxiety)

Achievement is important for one to maintain his/her motivation If a person thinks that he/she will succeed in learning a language, then he/she is intrinsically motivated andcommitted to learning

Anxiety may result from several factors like the need for achievement, taskdifficulty, language use opportunity, basic needs not being met Learner anxiety (Horwitz,1986) and other negative feelings can be stumbling blocks to learners becoming cognizant

of learning and transfer opportunities Thus, providing our learners with the motivation tolearn by creating a favourable and non-threatening environment is one of the best steps wecan take to facilitate learning success

 Goals (perceived clarity and relevance of learning goals as reasons for learning)

Oxford and Shearin (19994) argue that “goal setting can have exceptional importance instimulating L2 learning motivation” Goal setting is often associated with a plan to achievethem Setting realistic goals will guide the way for successful learning

 Involvement (i.e., extent to which the learner actively and consciously participates

in the language learning process)

The more involved in the language learning process the learner is, the more likely he/shewill succeed This has been proved in a lot of materials about education innovation inwhich learners are at the centre

 Personal attributes (i.e., aptitude, age, sex, and previous language learning

experience)

Individual learner differences such as aptitude, age, sex, learning experience result indifferences in the route along which learners pass in second language acquisition Thesefactors also influence the rate and ultimate success of SLA (Ellis, Understanding SLA).However, in this study we do not discuss much about how personal attributes influencemotivation

 Environmental support (i.e., extent of teacher and peer support, and the

integration of cultural and outside-of-class support into learning experience)

Research studies have shown that language acquisition is the result of interplaybetween cognitive mechanism and environmental conditions (Spolsky, 1985; Sivert &Egbert, 1995) Understanding and creating optimal language learning environments thusbecomes a primary concern of the language teacher Teachers can observe circumstancesunder which learners acquire language and can make adjustments toward creating optimallearning conditions Teachers should bear in mind that peer and teacher support is veryimportant for meaningful learning Also learners must be given opportunities to make bestuse of their previous experiences and to participate as language users in multiple contexts.These opportunities will result in learners' heightened motivation and awareness of theintricacies of language use

Among the six factors that influence motivation, the first five factors are

learner-related and the last one is referred to the learning situation or learning environment

which will be discussed in more detailed in the latter part since in this study the authordoes not focus on the learner related factors Rather, the researcher wants to investigate thework environment factors affecting individual’s motivation to learn English

2.2 Work environment in language learning

2.2.1 Language learning environment

Learning takes place when a person interacts with the learning environment Thelearning environment refers to the physical, mental and social conditions at the learner’sdisposal

There are two levels of learning environment: classroom level and communitylevel This study focuses on the work environment role so it will consider the learningenvironment at community or social level

Learning environment is much emphasized in education innovation Learning canonly take place effectively and efficiently in a positive and comfortable environment.Positive learning environments support developmental needs of learners not onlyacademically but also socially and personally These are the places where learners feelcomfortable with themselves, safe amongst their peers and motivated to learn.

Since learners are unique individuals and come from a variety of backgrounds andexperience, a positive environment may not occur naturally but require careful nurturingfrom the teacher or adult in charge Rules and expectations that promote positive learningenvironments are a way to help create an environment of respect and mutual learning.Research has shown that factors such as positive learner and teacher attitudes, which areinterrelated to motivation, must be sustained for successful transfer of language learning(Finocchiaro, 1982; Ngeow, 1998)

To foster positive attitudes and to motivate learning, in particular, the learning ofEnglish as a Second Language, an environment conducive to learning must be created.Factors that help create such an environment include:

 a learning situation that has a "low affective filter" (Krashen, 1987) whereby thelearners learn to use the language in a non-threatening and fun environment Otherwise, learnerswill feel uncomfortable and insecure which will further induce a "psychological barrier" tocommunication and learning (Littlewood, 1995) Thus a learning environment that has lowaffective filter will satisfy the learners’ secure need

 providing various types of input which are auditory, visual, sensory, verbal andnon-verbal in nature and input which is comprehensible or a little beyond the level of the learner( i + 1)

 providing a continuous and consistent exposure to the language being learned.Learners need to have as many opportunities as possible to practise the language skills

 an environment where the teachers and the learners are supportive and encouraging.The relationships between teacher-learner and learner-learner do play a very crucial role insupporting the learning process They will decide the learning atmosphere as well as the learningachievements Children as well as adults are sensitive to social dynamics and powerrelationships (Lightbown, Spada, 1999: 57).

 having access to situations wherein learners are able to use the language as a

"natural means of communication" (Littlewood, p 58, 1995) i.e they should have opportunities

to communicate or interact in English Interaction refers to communication between individuals,particularly when they are negotiating meaning in order to prevent a breakdown incommunication (Ellis, 1999) Research on interaction is conducted within the framework of theInteractive Hypothesis, which states that conversational interaction facilitates [language]acquisition because it connects input [what learners hear and read]; internal learner capacities,particularly selective attention; and output [what learners produce] in productive ways.Interaction provides learners with opportunities to receive comprehensible input and feedback(Gass, 1997; Long, 1996; Pica, 1994) as the well as to make changes in their own linguisticoutput (Swain, 1995) This allows learners to "notice the gap" (Schmidt & Frota, 1986, p 311)between their command of the language and correct use of the language

In short, environmental conditions are so important to language learning thatwithout which language acquisition cannot take place effectively and efficiently Hence, agood and comfortable learning environment is very essential in motivating one to learn aswell as contributing to the success of learning

2.2.2 What is meant by work environment?

Work environment means the social and professional setting around a person inwhich s/he is supposed to interact with a number of people They are her/his colleagues andare supposed to co-ordinate with her/him in one way or the other depending on whether it

is the relationship with supervisor or with peers

The work environment in my study can be considered as one kind of sociallanguage learning environment; so a good work environment need to have thecharacteristics of effective language learning environment as mentioned above like:comfort and security, exposure to L2, support and interaction with people, andcommunication need.

The work environment may include the physical surrounding like equipment,computers linked to internet, or buildings but in this research this physical environment isnot taken into much account to make the study more manageable

2.2.3 Role of work environment to learning

Since there are many things that one can learn in the workplace and languageacquisition is one of the things that an international work environment will bring about; so

in the next sections, the author shall discuss mainly the role of work environment tolearning and factors influencing learning at workplace, implying that it will be true toEnglish self-improvement

Education and training is no longer seen as being solely in the realm of educationalinstitutions Education and training is increasingly viewed in terms of a broader systeminvolving workplaces…The increasingly competitive nature of the economy have had agreat impact on the nature of the workplace These changes have meant that the skill level

of employees must be continuously developed…As such, workplace learning, both formaland informal, is taking on an increasingly important role in the education and training ofthe workforce (Johnston et al, 2002)

Learning is an on-going and life-long process It is not a function purely of anindividual institute The university literally comes to the workplace with employeesbecoming ‘participants’—but located in that work site and perhaps never going anywherenear a university location This, therefore, is an education ‘located’ both in a physical and acurricular sense, in the workplace Work, rather than disciplinary knowledge, becomes thecurriculum shaping the learning program, with the goal of studies becoming the

development of the skills and knowledge required for successful performance in theworkplace These skills and knowledge are, in turn, regarded as flexible both in terms oftheir content and mode of acquisition.

As Barnett (1999) points out, learning can take place at work, and workplace basedknowledge is ‘legitimate’ Informal workplace learning is not merely an ad hoc process,but part of a deliberate strategy which takes into account the work that needs to be doneand the skills needed to do the work This may, for example, involve giving employees avariety of tasks, or arranging the work in a manner which maximises learning opportunities(Australian National Training Authority, 2003)

2.2.4 Factors affecting learning at workplace

Supporting and valuing a culture of learning in the workplace is important becauseongoing learning is needed to survive in a time of increasing competition Additionally,with the aim of skilling employees for continued employability, organisations can play avital role in facilitating lifelong learning by providing an environment conducive toongoing learning In discussion of elements of an effective learning culture, Johnston andHawke (2002) imply that an open communication climate is required to facilitate thedevelopment of learning Also many researches have pointed out that most effectivelearning transfer happens during communication, collaboration and social interaction

Below are the two similar triangles, drawn by Eraut (2004), depicting the workcontext for learning and the main factors that influence learning within that context

Allocation and structuring

Expectations of each person’s role, performance and progress

Figure : Factors Affecting Learning in the

Workplace (Cited in Eraut, 2004)

The second triangle mirrors the first triangle but focuses on broader contextualfactors In each triangle the left apex relates to the work itself, the right apex torelationships at work and the lowest apex to the individual worker

These theories about the role of environment and elements affecting learning in theworkplace can be applied to language learning or self-improvement since this is a sub-set oflearning

3.1 Context of the study

Since this case study is conducted on the projects in CARE, the researcher wouldlike to give a brief description about this organisation as well as the work environmenthere

3.1.1 An overview of CARE International in Vietnam

Founded in 1945 to provide relief supplies and rehabilitation assistance to warravaged Europe and Asia, CARE International is now one of the world’s largestinternational non-government organisations (NGO) working in the fields of communitydevelopment and emergency relief

CARE returned to Vietnam in 1989 under the lead membership of CARE Australia

In 1991, the Government of Vietnam and CARE International signed a formal CountryAgreement

CARE in Vietnam works in co-operation with the People's Aid Co-ordinatingCommittee of Vietnam (PACCOM) It has a representative office in Hanoi and a projectoffice in Ho Chi Minh City as well as offices at major project sites

Since 1989 CARE in Vietnam has worked with Vietnamese partners throughout thecountry to implement over 160 different projects throughout Vietnam in threeprogramming areas:

 Emergency & Community Based Disaster Risk Management BDRM program

 Rural Development & Natural Resource Management

 Health, HIV/AIDS, Avian Influenza & Social program

CARE in Vietnam implements all projects with local Vietnamese partners and seescapacity building with local partners as an integral part of its work Networking andsharing lessons learned is a crucial part of CARE’s development and it has established astrong partnership with CARE International members CARE employs approximately 90local staff supported by up to ten expatriate staff

3.1.2 Work Environment in CARE

In CARE, usually in one project, there is a project manager, one or two projectofficers and one project assistant They can work with one another directly but email isusually used for work

The country director, assistant country directors and most coordinators areforeigners who are from the Netherlands, Australia, England, France, Germany, Belgian,and America

English is often required when one comes to work for CARE English andVietnamese are two main languages used for communication and for work In workshops

or meetings where there is a foreign coordinator, English is often used

3.2 Methodology

3.2.1 Case study

Since the study involves a specific case of projects in CARE International inVietnam, it was carried out as a case study Another reason that the author has chosen thismethod is that she has been a part of the “natural setting” The author has been working inCARE International in Vietnam for one year and a half As such, she has attended manymeetings, has had access to many documents as well as interacting with staff in CARE.Therefore, a perception about the current situation by the author, a brief literature review,and data obtained from questionnaire and interviews might provide a deeper understanding

of the work environment in CARE supporting staff’s motivation to self-improve theirEnglish were of great use to the author as well as to the other people in charge

A case study, noted by Nisbet and Watt (1984: 74), is “a systematic investigation

of a specific instance”, in which the instance “may be an event or a person or a group, a school or an institution …”

Below are several definitions of a case study:

A case study is an exploration of a "bounded system" or a case over time throughdetailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information rich in context

( http://labweb.education.wisc.edu/cni916/def_case.htm)

A case study is a collection and presentation of detailed information about aparticular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjectsthemselves

(http://writing.colostate.edu/references/research/glossary/index.cfm#case_study)

A case study is a study which focuses holistically on an entity (Johnson 1992)

Sturman (1994: 61, cited in Bassey 1999: 26) emphasized the fact that while thetechniques and methods used in a case study may vary and can be both qualitative andquantitative in nature,

“case study researchers hold that to understand a case, to explain why things happen

as they do, and to generalize or predict from a single example requires an in-depth investigation of the interdependencies of parts and of the patterns that emerge.”

Case studies have many advantages as well as disadvantages The advantages of acase study as considered by Nisbet and Watt (1984: 76) is particularly suitable for theindividual researchers, in contrast to other research styles which may often require aresearch team In this particular study, this attribute is of great importance to the author.Another advantage for a case study approach is the fact that from a case study theresearcher might be able to generalize from a case to a bigger picture, to form a source ofdescriptive material sufficiently rich for subsequent reinterpretation, to carry out follow-upactions, and to present data in a more publicly accessible form than other kinds of researchreport

However, case studies also pose some difficulties for researchers as well Thelength of time that case studies require, the great amount of data that is required, thedifficulties in organizing data and analyzing, interpreting them may become a challenge for

a first time researcher as explained by Aldelman et al (1980: 59-60) Wellington (1996:46) also voiced issues of generalisability, validity and sampling in case studies

Concerning this given case study, the author tried to explore in depth the workenvironment in CARE influencing its staff’s motivation of English self-improvement It ishoped that though the research is carried out within CARE, it is still possible to apply its

results to other similar organizations as Nisbet and Watt (1984: 76) argued “the case study provides suggestions for intelligent interpretation of other similar cases.”

3.2.2 Validity and reliability

Bassey (1999: 75) argued that the concepts of reliability and validity are notimportant in case study research He put it:

“A case study is the study of a singularity which is chosen because of its interest to the researcher … It is not chosen as a “typical” example in the sense that

typicality is empirically demonstrated, and so issues of external validity are not meaningful”.

Still, many researchers consider the issue of validity and reliability to be important

in research in general (Bush 2002: 91; Cohen et al 2000: 105) Reliability, noted by Bush

(2002: 92) “relates to the probability that repeating a research procedure or method would produce identical or similar results” In this study, the researcher took every

possible measure to ensure validity and reliability

As for the questionnaire, the author used piloting as one way to ensure thereliability of the research However, concerning the semi-structured interviews, in whichthe interviewee’s opinion contributes to shaping the conversation, and each participant istreated as a unique respondent, reliability may not have been desirable (Bush 2002: 95)

Similarly, every effort was made to ensure validity of the research According to

Bush (2002: 97), “the concept of validity is used to judge whether the research accurately describes the phenomenon that it is intended to describe” In addition to the careful design

of the questionnaire for getting both quantitative and qualitative data, the author tried touse “pre-test” technique and tried to ensure a high return rate by sending personalreminding emails to participants as suggested by Bush (2007: 98) Concerning theinterview, the author tried to attain its validity by sending back the transcripts of theinterviews to each interviewee for cross-checking to avoid bias or misunderstanding by thenote-taker

In short, the author has used several methods of data collection in the study to getboth qualitative and quantitative data In given cases, some questionnaire respondents werealso further interviewed to ensure higher level of validity and reliability of the data.

Some questions were designed using a five-point Likert scale as this instrumentproved to be effective to measure “attitudes, interests and values” (Dornyei 2001:p200) and

to “gather respondents’ views, opinions and attitudes about various language-relatedissues” (Brown 2001, quoted in Le Van Canh 2008) Four open-ended questions wereincluded to get participants’ perceptions of the importance of work environment insupporting their self-improvement of English

The questionnaire was piloted among 5 CARE Vietnamese staff of differentpositions and also sent to the researcher’s supervisor, an expert in language teaching andresearch in order to ensure that the questions in the questionnaire were sufficient,understandable, logical and interesting By testing the questionnaire, the researcher also

knew how long it would take the participants to fill in the questionnaire for adjustment.After getting the feedbacks, the questionnaire was revised The questionnaire was thentranslated into Vietnamese so that some participants could understand the questions and didnot have any language problems in expressing their ideas This could increase the responserate as well Participants had about three weeks to fill in and send back the questionnaires.Both the English and Vietnamese versions were then sent to about 60 CARE Vietnamesestaff, of whom 46 responded (accounting for about 76%).

The questionnaire was administered by internet due to some following reasons Thefirst one was that each CARE staff had an email address through Outlook express (theyreceived it when joining CARE) and the researcher had the list of their email addresses andgot their consent for participation in the research The second and more important reasonwas that sending the questionnaire via email was fast, cheap and easy to reach the targetgroups and get feed back from them

3.3.2 Semi-structured interviews

Beside the survey questionnaire, semi-structured interviews were the secondinstrument used to get the participants’ opinions, beliefs and attitudes After thequestionnaires were returned, a guideline for in-depth interviews (see Appendix 2) wascarefully designed, which aimed to clarify some points in the respondents’ feedbacks fromquestionnaires and to get more qualitative data The nature of qualitative questions, as

pointed out by Lichtman (2006: 29), which “tend to ask why and how rather than what and how many” was clearly expressed in these questions.

The interviews were conducted with 3 groups of Project assistants (PAs), ProjectOfficers (POs) and Project Managers (PMs) Each group had 3-5 members The selection

of the participants for the interview was done at random and based on their consent toattend the interviews

Most of the interviews took place in CARE Hanoi office at lunch time from 12.30

to 13: 30 for the convenience of the participants Some individual interviews took place in

the coffee shop near CARE office after working time or via telephone All the interviewswere conducted in Vietnamese for the sake of comfort and ease of communication andbecause it allowed the participants to freely express their thoughts and attitudes Eachinterview, which was lasted around 45 to 60 minutes, was transcribed by both theresearcher and the minute taker, and thematically categorized Information from theinterviews was used to clarify, deepen and supplement the questionnaire data as well as toget more information and opinions from CARE Vietnamese staff about the workenvironment and its elements influencing their motivation for self-improvement of English.

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

In this chapter, the author presents the results from the research and analyzes thefindings based on the thematic conceptual framework built on the three research questions:

1) What are the types of motivation for self-improvement of English possessed by CARE Vietnamese staff?

2) How motivating do CARE staff find the work environment for their

4.1 Participants’ general information

There were 46 CARE Vietnamese staff who participated in this survey (n = 46).The ratio of male/female is 18/28 Sixty percent of the participants are from the age of 23

to 30 Their time for learning English ranges from 1-3 years to more than 5 years All ofthem have been learning English for at least one year

They are working for different projects in CARE but the participants are mainlyfrom Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh offices Six participants are project assistants (13%), 28 areproject officers (accounting for 60%) and 12 are project managers (26%) Most of them

have been working for CARE for at least a year so they understand well enough about the

work environment in CARE The detailed information of the participants is summarised in

the table below:

Months working for CARE

Months learning English

Table 1: Participants’ profile

The participants’ ranking of their abilities of using English before and after they

joined CARE will give an overview of their self-improvement of English and help the