Applying ASEAN university network quality assurance for assessing the course of english for tourism at ho chi minh city open university

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY GRADUATION THESIS MAJOR: BUSINESS ENGLISH Applying ASEAN University Network- Quality Assurance for Assessing the Course of Engl

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY

GRADUATION THESIS MAJOR: BUSINESS ENGLISH Applying ASEAN University Network- Quality Assurance for Assessing the Course

of English for Tourism at Ho Chi Minh City

Open University

Intern’s name: Le Tri Thien Student code: 1457012325 Major: Business English Instructor: M.Ed Bui Do Cong Thanh

Ho Chi Minh City – 2019

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I want to use this opportunity to show my deep gratitude for Mr Bui

Do Cong Thanh for being an inspiring model and an erudite mentor that leaves a remarkable influence on my thoughts and emotions Without his constant and thorough guidance, I would not have the energy and commitment needed to finish this report paper His role model has left a long-lasting impact on my learning and studying pattern and working attitude that has already shown positive prospect

Furthermore, my genuine appreciations also go to my father, my mother, my little brother, and my darling for their emotional anchors that keep me straight forward Were it not their support and encouragement, it would be impossible for me to tackle the problems arising while writing the reports

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to all the academic staff of both the School of Advanced Study and the Faculty of Foreign Languages for the opportunity and experience that I have attained while working with such prominent progenitors Also, the hospitable and professional working environment at both the faculties will indeed lay a strong foundation for my future career

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i

COMMENTS OF INSTRUCTOR Error! Bookmark not defined TABLE OF CONTENTS i

TABLE & FIGURE iii

ABBREVIATIONS iv

ABSTRACT v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE REPORT 1

1.1.1 Current Situation of English 1

1.1.2 English in Tertiary Education Level in Vietnam 4

1.2 RATIONALE 7

1.3 METHOD DESIGN 7

1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION 8

1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 8

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9

2.1 DEFINITION OF EVALUATION IN EDUCATION 9

2.2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING 11

2.3 ASEAN UNIVERSITY NETWORK – QUALITY ASSURANCE 12

2.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 15

Expected Learning Outcomes 16

2.5 SUMMARY 28

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 30

3.1 SETTING 30

3.2 PARTICIPANTS 30

3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN 31

3.4 INSTRUMENTS 32

3.5 ETHICAL ISSUES 36

Chapter 4: RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS 37

4.1 FINDINGS ARISING FROM THE SURVEY RESPONSES 37

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4.1.1 Course learning outcomes 37

4.1.2 Course specification 39

4.1.3 Course structure and content 42

4.1.4 The coursebook 43

4.1.5 Teaching and Learning Approach 47

4.1.6 Student assessment 51

4.2 OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 52

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 55

5.1 PROBLEMS SIGHTED DURING THE SPAN OF CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH 55

5.2 CONCLUSIONS 56

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 57

REFERENCES 59

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Questionnaire (English & Vietnamese Version)

TABLE & FIGURE

Figure 3: AUN-QA Models for Higher Education 13

Figure 4: AUN-QA Models for Programme Level 14

Figure 5: Theoretical Framework 15

Figure 4: Students' average satisfaction towards Course Learning Outcomes 38

Figure 5: Student's average satisfaction towards Course Specification 40

Figure 6: Students' average satisfaction towards Course structure and Content 42

Figure 7: Students' average satisfaction towards the coursebook and its content 43

Figure 8: Students' average satisfaction towards coursebook organisation and structure, language, and layout 45

Figure 9: Students' average satisfaction towards teaching and learning approach 48

Figure 10: Students' average satisfaction towards the key competences of education 50

Figure 11: Students' average satisfaction towards student assessment 51

Figure 12: Scatter Chart 54

Table 1: FFL Programmes Learning Outcomes 19

Table 2: Course Objectives of English for Tourism 20

Table 3: Course Learning Outcomes of English for Tourism 22

Table 4: Summary of students' satisfaction towards Course Learning Outcomes 38

Table 5: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards the course specification 40

Table 6: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards the course structure and content 42

Table 7: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards the content of the coursebook 43

Table 8: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards organisation and structure; language; and coursebook layout 45

Table 9: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards teaching and learning approach 48

Table 10: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards the key competences of education 50

Table 11: Summary of students’ satisfaction towards student assessment 52

Table 12: Summary of students’ average satisfaction 53

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ABBREVIATIONS

HOU: Ho Chi Minh City Open University

FFL: Faculty of Foreign Languages

ESL: English as a Secondary Language

EFL: English as a Foreign Language

EIL: English as an International Language

MOET: Ministry of Education and Training

AUN-QA: ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance

VSTEP: Vietnamese Standardised Test of English Proficiency

CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

ABSTRACT

With an unprecedented growth of importance of English sighted in recent years (Galloway

& Rose, 2015), there have been calls for an proper English teaching and learning model that works beyond the native-speaking one (Sharifian, 2009) Being no outsider to an upward trend of the world, the English teaching and learning system in Vietnam has been undergoing drastic changes, especially in the form of programmes using English as medium

of instruction, yet the innovative implementation is not without fault (Hamid, Jahan, & Islam, 2013; Le D M., 2012) With this view in mind, many researchers identified problems within the English teaching and learning in Vietnam (Hoang, 2011; Le D M., 2012), many

of which refer to the validity of the programme To ensure the quality of tertiary education programme, the use of quality assurance, or accreditation has been in practice globally by governments and recognised bodies (QAA, 2019) One of such bodies that has been working on the betterment of education in the region, ASEAN University Network (ASEAN University Network, 2015), has been devising and perfecting a form of quality assurance concerning various aspects of a higher education institute on the programme level These standards have been applied throughout the region and at many local institutes

In light of this fact, the paper serves as a proposal for a pilot descriptive research utilising the format of AUN-QA to assess a course of the English Major, in the hope of contributing

to the process of continuous improvement needed for the quality assurance in immediate future By employing five factors among that of AUN-QA, the author aims to examine the effectiveness of the course in the view of lecturers and students following the course

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The following paper investigates the efficiency of the course book Going Places as

perceived by learners and lecturers at HOU In this chapter, the study background will be discussed Then, the problem statement, the research purposes, the significance of the paper

as well as the thesis structure will be addressed

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE REPORT

1.1.1 Current Situation of English

The language of English is spoken in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia, and even in some of the islands drifting amidst the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans In fact, it is now acknowledged as the lingua franca or a ‘world language’ (Viney, 2008) with the status of official language in at least 80 nations and regions around the world as reported in Ethnologue (2019) This fact solidifies the position

of the English language with the number of non-native speakers greatly exceeding that of native one (Galloway & Rose, 2015) Similarly, (Graddol, 2006) reported that approximately 74% of global tourism travelling are from non-native speaking nations to native ones, thus cemented the position of English in intercontinental communication as the most important bridge language in this ever-changing and mobile modern world With the explosion of social network platforms including Facebook and YouTube, the Internet now serves as a vital medium of the dissemination of the English language as learners communicate and interact with others via the evolutionary platform The high status of English can be summarised as in Michael’s work:

“English has become a world language in both senses, international and global:

international, as a medium of literary and other forms of cultural life…; global as the co-genitor of the new technology age… It seems that if you want to resist the exploitative power of English, you have to use English to do it.” (Halliday, 2006, p

362)

As English spreads further away from its birthplace, the language undergoes drastic transformation structurally and pragmatically Even though this transformation can be traced back to the earlier stages of history with the expansion of the former British Empire and the rise of the United States, the differences are more remarkable in the modern era ESL/EFL users do not just assimilate their native accents into the sounds of English but also adapt their own cultural influences to English daily usages Sharifian (2009) reported the phenomenon of cultural conceptualisations in which non-native speakers would draw

on their own cultural references in making conversation in English Notably, bilingual speakers may use English vocabulary that delivers the polar opposite to what they want to convey By the same token, Honna (2000) issued the reality of creating new variants of English that suits the “international, interethnic communication” among the communities

of Asian non-native English speakers This occurrence can be observed throughout nations

of East Asia, thus resulted in the formation of different varieties such as Chinese-, , and Korean-influenced English For example, Sharifian (2009) recorded a substantial difference in meaning perceived by people from different cultural settings that can cause

Japanese-misunderstanding on even a common notion such as ‘friendship’ These findings reflect a

phenomenon that can be concluded as a cultural schema that was explicitly defined in a recent work of Shahghasemi (2017) This theory suggests that people with different cultural identities will employ classification to comprehend each other, and then further add their own influence into the previously existing categories As concluded in Introducing Global Englishes:

“There has been an explosive growth in the number of English users, thus increased

the usage on a global level has resulted in innovations in its use as it is employed by

speakers from diverse linguistic and cultural background and assumes distinct functions and forms in different contexts.” (emphasised as in original document.) Galloway & Rose (2015, p x)

This phenomenal innovation puts forward suggestions of re-framing the pedagogical and teaching English methods (Galloway & Rose, 2015) Specifically, the need of a paradigm shift in teaching English as a global language of communication expanding beyond the NSs model was issued by Sharifian (2009) and further fuelled the quest of establishing an appropriate approach toward English as an International Language (hereinafter referred to

as EIL)

With no exception from the movement of the world, the shifting toward the EIL paradigm

is a matter of considerable concern for Vietnam, as the language has already played the role

of a driving force toward Vietnam’s economic, cultural, and socio-political development ever since the economic reform known as Renovation English’s status then continued to receive a further emphasis after Vietnam became a member of many regional and global associations, including the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and most recently, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Since the Renovation, Vietnam has gathered considerable attention from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), whose interactions require English as the bridge of communication According to statistics collected from Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam has attracted approximately 30,000 projects from foreign investors,

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thus gaining a total registered capital of 415 billion USD (General Statistics Office, 2019) The biggest investors are the Korean Republic, Japan, and Singapore Henceforth, more and more English-speaking foreign businesses have come to invest in projects in Vietnam and bring the need for teaching English as intercultural communication language to a more significant level Experiencing the accelerating speed of development, English remains not only the most preferred foreign language for learning and teaching but also the gatekeeping tool in the societal context where English proficiency serves as a golden ticket for education and career This results in an unprecedented need for English thus creates a hefty power surge in terms of the number of teachers and centres of English Nonetheless, the previous existing yet unarguably low-standard English teaching in Vietnam is not likely to cope with the fast process of globalisation and cease to serve the demands being made on In light of this alarming situation, Decree No 14/2001 TC-TTg was issued to call for the Renovation

of Vietnamese General Education Curriculum, thus specifically adjusted the requirements and the tasks of Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) In the case of English, the aims of Vietnam’s English language teaching are: providing students with the ability of using English as a mean of communication; a general knowledge on English phonetics, grammar and vocabulary; and understanding the native culture as well as promoting Vietnam’s sociocultural roots

A further effort to promote the study of English and to improve English learning and teaching standards to contend with the globalisation and international interdependency movement has been made with the issue of Decision No 1400/QD-TTg on Approving the 10-year National Plan for “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Formal Educational System in the Period of 2008 – 2020” (MOET) The three-phase plan has three distinctive goals: developing and perfecting foreign language curriculum; introducing 10-year curriculum for all levels of the general education system; and developing intensive foreign language programmes for other education levels while perfecting the aforementioned 10-year curriculum Concerning tertiary education, the Plan also establishes the 6-level testing system of Vietnamese Standardised Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as the standard for assessing language proficiency for students as well

as encourages the creation of bilingual programmes The current situation of English language teaching and learning in higher education context of Vietnam will be the primary concern in the following sections

1.1.2 English in Tertiary Education Level in Vietnam

In Vietnamese higher education context, English is introduced as both a major and as a subject In the former, students will be trained to get a BA, an MA and even a doctoral degree in English Available careers for students in this major are teachers, translators or interpreters, or researchers (English Linguistics or Language teaching methodology) There exist many tertiary institutes that offer these courses nationwide, especially those with foreign languages, pedagogy, social sciences, and humane orientations Notably, Ho Chi Minh City Open University is among the very first tertiary institutes to provide doctoral degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in this metropolitan city

In the latter, English receives the status of a compulsory subject applied to the majority of majors of the higher education system in Vietnam Research conducted in 2008 revealed that English was dominant compared to the four other major foreign languages being taught

in the tertiary education system, namely Russian, Chinese, French, and German (Hoang, 2011) Similarly, teaching and learning English at this level receive a further boost as the government has encouraged the establishment of courses referred to as ‘advanced programmes’ which involve English as the medium of instruction Using English as the medium of instruction on fundamental science subjects taught in senior years are also suggested, especially at the two national universities (Hanoi National University and Ho Chi Minh City National University) Regarding the use of English as a medium of instruction at higher education institutions in Vietnam, Le (2012) in The Journal of Asia TEFL considered it a positive movement However, due to institutional inertia and complicated mechanism existing for ages, without proper planning and specified strategies for implementing at micro levels, the project is prone to the risk of total collapse The reality

of failure was journalised in Hamid (2013) paper, which recorded that implementation is

“fraught with difficulties and challenges” while examining ten of Asian countries

The seven main problems experienced by instructors in teaching English in Vietnam context was suggested in Hoang’s (2011) paper, namely:

1 The inadequate human force working in the field of teaching English for the population

2 Obsolete currently existing learning materials for English curricula in the modern context

out-5 Emphasising reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar structures instead

of promoting communication due to the faults of teaching methodology

6 The differences between testing and teaching in Vietnam compared to the NNSs model

7 The fear of losing national identity resulting in protest on the early introduction of English into primary schools in Vietnam

The given problems were previously recognised by Pham (1999) and reported in Hanoi Partnership & Interaction in Language & Development International Conference with focus

on the lack of flexibility, adaptability and linkage in the curriculum, while Le (1999) in the same conference, also suggested to culturally attuned the curriculum to make the courses effective in Vietnam context Le (2012) agreed with previous views of Kaplan and Baldauf (1997) that sociolinguistic surveys are much needed to determine the community attitudes towards language teaching, instructors, the target language, and also curriculum and materials

As the main focus of the thesis is higher education context, the fear of early introduction of English in primary schools is out of concern Moreover, the need for applying the cultural preferences of Vietnam into the curriculum also counters the loss of national identity Similarly, with the rise of potent English programmes issued in the previous period, the number of lecturers explodes, and the quality of personnel working in the field is gradually improved; therefore, these problems are no longer the main concern in a practical setting

On the other hand, the income of the lecturers, despite being an alarming concern, is inappropriate to be included concerning assessing the teaching programme, the curriculum, and the specific course in a broader sense With this view in mind, the author recognises the main concern being addressed in this paper is the validation of course and learning materials

Therefore, the author suggests a pivotal set of problems that hereafter serves as issue to be countered in the main approach of this paper:

1 Obsolete currently existing learning materials for English curricula in modern context

2 Emphasising reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar structures instead

of promoting communication due to the faults of teaching methodology

3 The differences between testing and teaching in Vietnam compared to NNSs model

These issues call for a change in the system, yet inappropriate application and adaptation will result in further disarray in the education system Such unwanted incident journalised

in TuoiTreOnline’s newly published issue, in which misapplications of programme assessment are identified among tertiary education institutes (Tran, 2019) These deviations mean there is still a need for a suitable approach toward assessing the academic programmes

in higher education settings This will also be the case of English courses provided across all of Vietnam’s current tertiary education institutes

In light of this fact, however, due to limitation of capabilities and time constraint, the author sets sight upon a smaller target, a newly published and impactful course book used for

teaching and learning tourism and hospitality for English majors at HOU entitled Going

Places This course book is a mandatory learning document for the course of English for

Tourism offered for students in the major of English Interpretation and Translation at the Faculty of Foreign Languages

Compiled by two endeavouring lecturers of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the course

book Going Places is an English-B2-graded material for tourism and hospitality that aims

to focus on providing better insight and solution for the possible incidents and situations arising in students’ future career By providing various situations, readings, and audio records for a specific topic, the authors of the course book aim to teach students how to deal with incoming sources of information while being expected to produce their own replies Also, the inbuilt vocabulary items and related tasks with a strong emphasis on further development allow students to adapt themselves accordingly in their expertise context With permission from both the authors, the paper seeks to answer the following research question:

How effective is the course of English for Tourism using the Course book Going Places

as perceived by learners and lecturers at HOU?

To effectively answer the research question, the author dissects it into smaller parts:

1 The effectiveness perceived by learners

2 The effectiveness compared to the expected learning outcomes

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1.2 RATIONALE

This report aims to serve three principal objectives First and foremost, regarding the School

of Advanced Study, undoubtedly this paper will be a useful case study of assessing the courses and curriculum provided for its students, especially for English majors The results gathered from this research will also reflect the levels of satisfaction of the students towards

a particular subject for one of the most attractive majors offered at the School of Advanced Study, thus provide the Dean of the faculty the information needed for adjustment towards the goal of innovation, globalisation, and integration

Secondly, in terms of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the report is a much-needed pilot assessment rendering assistance for the currently fully occupied lecturers, especially the authors of the book Accordingly, the report also works as a quick overview of the effectiveness of the course book, thus provide beneficial insight into possible adjustments that can be made in the immediate future Furthermore, by dint of reviewing this experimental approach, the Dean of the Faculty can also devise a thorough and standardised assessment criteria that can later be applied for other courses and textbooks to suit future demands

Finally, concerning the students, as the result of work and research on this rather unfamiliar field, the report is a summary of the experience during the internship and leads up to a thesis This invaluable experience will later prepare the author for the incoming situation and problems that may arise in the working environment Nonetheless, with more research and study in this much needed yet relatively controversial aspect of education, the author,

in turn, gains valuable insight of the process of assessing and can later apply these procedures in other aspects of working in immediate future

1.3 METHOD DESIGN

The following research will employ the descriptive research method In fact, based on the insight gathered from previous studies and approaches, establishing a viable approach for

the course of English for Tourism and the course book Going Places is of great significance

Undoubtedly, a clear and detailed approach will serve as a pilot case study and in turn will further equip future studies with insight and knowledge to serve the purpose of enhancing education quality on larger scale Should this approach be employed, the process of assessment that starts from course-level to programme-level applying to the system of tertiary education will be thorough and systematic

1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

Several limitations to this report exist First of all, this study will focus on developing a model assessment for a course of English major by using a model derived from previous approaches and the AUN-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) This model will assist the lecturers and students in determining the effectiveness of the course which has a significant impact on student’s immediate future career However, since the focus of this paper is limited to one objective, implications without modifications can be irrelevant to other courses, not to mention higher levels such as programme-level or systemic level The next limitation is related to the specific research setting of this study As the report is to be conducted in a local public university, a study in a particular type of institution might be limited in generalisability to other types of institutions Also, as the staff’s level of performance and professionalism remain the concern of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, their characteristics will not be addressed, hypothesising that their qualities are ensured by the governing body Finally, due to a limitation in capabilities due to the ineluctable social distancing, the research serves as a pilot test for a dissertation in immediate future, thus, the process of data testing is not included

1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS

This thesis is an immediate continuation of the author’s previous work on the Internship Report conducted during the course of 3 months between September and December of

2019 The information regarding the Internship Corporate, in this case, HOU and FFL is included in the Appendix A The thesis is then structured into five chapters, including this first chapter presenting the introduction Chapter 2 examines the framework of this report, including an approach toward assessing the course It also presents a review of literature on the issues regarding assessing the course Chapter 3 elaborates on the details of the data collection process and ethical procedures Then, chapter 4 narrates and explains the data accumulated during the survey Finally, chapter 5 concludes the data and compares the gathered results with the literature posed in chapter 2

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CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The current chapter reviews the literature relevant to higher education evaluation First, the chapter introduces the approaches of education evaluation The immediate section provides more insight into tertiary education assessment in practice Then, the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (hereinafter referred to as AUN-QA) is addressed In the final part, the framework adapted from the model of AUN-QA that guides the thesis is posed

2.1 DEFINITION OF EVALUATION IN EDUCATION

Evaluation is no unfamiliar notion with various definitions Such definition was prefaced

in Richards (1985, p 130) work as “the systematic gathering of information for purposes

of making decisions.” Despite the first impression of a serviceable definition, its reflection remains too broad and can well be used to define other components of the curriculum including analysis and testing Both of these are ways of systematically collecting information for the “purpose of making decisions” Although the two aforementioned notions can be included in evaluation, it does not help strengthen the given definition

By the same token, Popham (1975, p 8) proposed another definition as “systematic educational evaluation consist of a formal assessment of the worth of educational phenomena.” Contrasting to that of Richards, Popham definition is too restrictive Unarguably, “formal assessment” is an inherent element within a programme evaluation, yet the fact informal activities exist is without doubt While many of the evaluation focus

on “the worth of education phenomena”, yet there are also forms that focus on improving the curriculum, which perhaps are the most constructive and useful of the lot

Worthen and Sanders (1973, p 19) offered a less restrictive alternative: “Evaluation is the determination of the worth of a thing It includes obtaining information for use in judging the worth of a program, product, procedure, or object or the potential utility of alternative approaches designed to attain specified objectives.” Not only is it less restrictive in the sense of “the worth of a program” but it also provides the notion of judging “the potential utility of alternative approaches.” However, with its goal of attaining “specified objectives”, the definition unnecessarily limits and implies a goal-oriented approach, while also ignores the potential of evaluation impact upon curriculum improvement

A more empirical definition was issued by Brown (1989, p 223) as “the systematic collection of analysis of all relevant information necessary to promote the improvement of

a curriculum and assess its effectiveness within the context of the particular institution involved.” There are three important factors that make this definition more eminent compared to remainders Firstly, there is a requirement that information will undergo a

systematic gathering and analysing process that filter out irrelevant information Moreover, there are noticeably two purposes for the information: “to promote the improvement” and

“to evaluate the effectiveness” Finally, this definition also includes site-specification as a clear focus for a particular curriculum assessment In other words, any evaluation will be inescapably connected to the given institution(s) being evaluated As the institutions have been clearly defined, the process of evaluation will eventually centre on that setting

Muhammad (2018) issued a clear line between the inarguably ambiguously used terms of

‘evaluation’ and ‘assessment’ in the field of English language Teaching (ELT) Based on the differences from the various perspectives discussed among leading experts, Muhammad contrasted evaluation from assessment, with the former being the process to determine students’ academic performance, the satisfaction of learners, educators and stakeholders towards the programme, the worth of the programme, the quality of the programme compared to others, and its effectiveness in achieving the mix objectives In contrast, assessment is perceived as a narrower concept that aims to measure students’ ability involving implementation of tests and tasks as the measurement of students’ performance and serves the purpose of the improvement and development students’ learning Assessment serves many purposes including measuring students’ general ability, placement

of learners, indicating learner progress and providing feedback to students concerning the enhancement of awareness and reflection The data gathered in the assessment process can

be further used for the process of evaluation In other word, evaluation focus on a broader entity while assessment task is placed upon a narrower subject With that view in mind, before conducting a programme evaluation process, it is necessary to employ an assessing scheme that aims on a narrower and more specific subject, in this case, being a course within the programme instead of learner’s academic performance

ASEAN University Network (2015, p 49) refers assessment as “a general term that embraces all methods used to judge the performance of an individual, group or organisation” with a further focus on self-assessment involving a critical reviewing process

of one’s own performance Quality assessment in the higher education context, therefore, referred in ASEAN University Network (2015, p 49) publication as “a diagnostic review and evaluation of teaching, learning, and outcomes based on a detailed examination of curricula, structure, resources and effectiveness of the institution, system or programme.” Self-assessment in this view is considered as a pilot preparation before conducting any further external assessment, accreditation or quality audits

From the previous established points of view, the author employs the model with evaluation being the broader concept including the narrow ‘assessment’ that centres on the setting of

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the study The paper is one of the possible self-assessment approaches that can contribute

to the development of quality evaluation in immediate future

2.2 INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING

Quality assurance is a notion originated in large-scale manufacturing In fact, quality assurance is defined in ISO (2015) as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled” As the industry developed and large mechanised plants became the dominant model among manufacturing industry, there was

a suggestion of a new development of methods to reduce defects in manufactured items that are usually referred as ‘quality control’ mechanism With increasing efforts in improving and developing a more complex control mechanism, the term of ‘quality assurance’ prefaces as attempts not only to prevent defects from occurring but also to check up only finished products Quality assurance employs knowledge from expert to develop a systematic quality management process to check quality at all stages of the production line However, quality assurance is not only included in the field of manufacturing Doctor Marjorie Peace Lenn, the founding member of Centre for Quality Assurance in International Education (CQAIE) was among the first pioneers of quality assurance or quality accreditation in higher education, who provided a definition for the notion of

‘quality assurance’ on World Education News and Reviews (1992, p 1) as “a process by which an institution is evaluated at least in part by an external body for a level of quality in its educational offering.” This process can be interpreted as all policies, measures, planned processes and actions regarding maintaining and developing the quality of higher education

Following the trends of quality assurance in the academic society, in October 1998, The World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action, Qualitative Evaluation (World Conference on Higher Education, 1998) considered quality

in higher education as “a multi-dimensional concept, which should embrace all its functions, and activities; teaching and academic programmes, research and scholarship, staffing, students, buildings, facilities, equipment, services to the community and the academic environment Internal self-evaluation and external review, conducted openly by independent specialists, if possible with international expertise, are vital for enhancing quality.” Quality in higher education is undoubtedly not a simple one-dimensional notion about academic quality In view of the varied needs and expectations of stakeholders, quality in higher education can be said to be a multi-dimensional concept In this respect, higher education has two different clients: students and society The expectations of such

clients differ depending on whether it regards academic (science/research-driven) study programmes or higher professional education (HPE) (labour market’s demand-driven) programmes It is, therefore, obvious that by putting the concept ‘quality’ into practice the further filling in of ‘quality’ differs as well Regarding assessment of academic programmes, international scientific standards and research requirements are the leitmotivs whilst concerning labour market’s demand-driven study programmes, the main emphasis

is on occupational standards being the professional requirements the labour market has agreed on a national level UNESCO (2003) later perfected the definition of quality assurance in higher education as “systematic management and assessment procedures to monitor performance of higher education institutions”

There exist various quality assurance/ quality accreditation systems among different institutes across the globe, serving as a national standardised requirements of tertiary education system For example, in United Kingdom, it is illegal to offer any higher education qualification unless the degree itself is granted by a ‘recognised body’ Among these bodies is the interdependent Gloucester-based Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education that work on checking quality and standards of higher education in United Kingdom (2019) Some of the notable individuals and bodies responsible quality assurance for include the QQA, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), Japanese Higher Education Bureau Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology However, for the setting of this paper, it is advisable to work on the current existing framework for quality assurance utilised by native higher education institutes, namely the ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance (hereinafter referred to as AUN – QA) AUN – QA and its implementation will be discussed

in the section that follows

2.3 ASEAN UNIVERSITY NETWORK – QUALITY ASSURANCE

At ASEAN level, the first initiatives of cooperation were prefaced in 1977 at the first meeting of ASEAN Ministries of Education Beerkens (2004) reported the brief history of AUN The concept of an ‘ASEAN University’ was discussed, however, it would not come

up again until almost 15 years later Nonetheless, it became clear that this would present too many problems concerning funding, location and leadership At the second meeting of ASEAN subcommittee on Education (ASCOE) in 1994, it was decided that the founding

of a network of existing institutions would be more feasible and a draft charter for ASEAN University was again was prepared for its founding in November 1995 From its start in

1995, AUN now consists of 30 universities across the ASEAN, with Vietnam has 3 institutes, including Vietnam National University Ha Noi, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho University

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AUN recognises the eminence of quality in higher education and the need of developing a holistic quality assurance system that raises academic standards and enhance education, research and services among its member institutes The first version of AUN – QA was first drafted in 1998, and AUN – QA has been promoting, developing, and being adjusted for the implementation of quality assurance across its member universities With the third revised version issued in October 2015, AUN celebrated its 20-year journey and continued

to project its views in promoting and developing the standards of education in the region Concerning HOU guiding vision of attaining the status of leading higher education institute, there is no doubt that meeting the framework of AUN – QA Model is an inescapable step The AUN – QA Models for higher education comprise three levels (i.e strategic, systemic and tactical dimensions) that all are subjected to both internal and external QA assessments

Figure 1: AUN-QA Models for Higher Education

While internal QA ensures that an institution, system or programme has policies and mechanisms in place to make sure that it is meeting its own objectives and standards, External QA is performed by an organisation or individuals outside the institution The assessors then evaluate the operation of the institution, system or programme in order to determine whether it meets the agreed upon or predetermined standards These models are applicable to the diverse universities in ASEAN which are also aligned to both regional and international quality assurance frameworks To determine the level of each standard, AUN – QA employs a 7-point scale to determine an institute’s quality that follows:

Rating Description

1 Absolutely Inadequate

2 Inadequate and Improvement is Necessary

3 Inadequate but Minor Improvement Will Make It Adequate

4 Adequate as Expected

5 Better Than Adequate

6 Example of Best Practices

7 Excellent (Example of World-class or Leading Practices)

However, as the focus of the paper is on the effectiveness of the course of English for Tourism and the Coursebook of Going Places, the author sets sight on one part of the Tactical Level or Programme Level among AUN-QA Model Moreover, it is not likely that the abstract 7-point scale will serve the purpose of the paper, therefore, another scale will

be discussed later

The 3rd version of the AUN-QA model for programme level is illustrated as follows

Figure 2: AUN-QA Models for Programme Level

The 3rd version of the AUN-QA model for programme level encompasses the following

11 criteria:

1 Expected Learning Outcomes

2 Programme Specification

3 Programme Structure and Content

4 Teaching and Learning Approach

5 Student Assessment

6 Academic Staff Quality

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7 Support Staff Quality

8 Student Quality and Support

9 Facilities and Infrastructure

10 Quality Enhancement

11 Output

2.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

With the purpose of the paper is to assess the course, the criteria ranging from number 6 to

11 are unlikely to be necessary to determine its effectiveness Therefore, the author limits

to 5 first criteria with proper adjustment to tune them into the topic of the paper, namely:

1 Expected Learning Outcomes

2 Course Specification

3 Course Structure and Content

4 Teaching and Learning Approach

5 Student Assessment

With this view in mind, the author adjusts the given AUN-QA model for programme level into the framework guiding the approach of this paper

Figure 3: Theoretical Framework

This framework starts with the stakeholders needs These needs are later formulated into the expected learning outcomes driving the course The four immediate factors: (1) Course Specification, (2) Course structure & Content, (3) Teaching & Learning Strategy, and (4) Student Assessment in the middle of the models addresses the question of how the expected learning outcomes are further translated into the course; and how they can be achieved from teaching and learning approach, and student assessment The final column addresses the achievements of the expected learning outcomes and the course

However, as the aim of the paper is focus on a single course in the programme, the author also omits the continuous improvement of quality assurance system and benchmarking to seek best practices that exist in the previous AUN – QA model, which is necessary to be taken into consideration on the broader scales

Stakeholders Satisfaction

Concerning university stakeholders, Schüller (2014) summarised a previous work of Lester (2010), suggesting a three-tier structure concerning stakeholders, including: primary, secondary, and tertiary level The three categories are as follow:

1 Primary stakeholders: those whose responsibilities are to propose an evaluation system of the rector’s work, its implantation of modification

2 Secondary stakeholders: those who are directly dependent by the rectors’ making and act as occasional assessors of the rector’s work

decision-3 Tertiary stake holders: those who are rarely in contact with the rectors, and not usually act as assessors, but are interested in the results of the rectors’ work

It is recognisable from this division that there are various criteria, factors, and situations to determine each of the categories The stakeholder groups will create a relationships network

of the university Newman and Petrosko (2011) concluded a priority in concentrating on stakeholders providing support to universities especially graduates being donors, particularly donors with higher cumulative total giving and senior member As a financial autonomous tertiary institution, students’ tuition fees remain the major source of funding for the existing faculties, facilities, centres and other events and activities of HOU, author recognises that students and their parents are the main stakeholder group that influences teaching and learning activities of HOU Nevertheless, the other group of stakeholders that are directly responsible for these activities, while also influence the students’ performances,

is in fact, lecturers It is then advisable to employ a way to gather their opinions for the process of continuous improvement in order to achieve an exemplary model piloting the future applications

With this view in mind, it is necessary to investigate if the current existing following factors satisfy the needs of students, in this case, the students enrolled in the class of English for

Tourism using the course book Going Places

Expected Learning Outcomes

The definition of outcomes-based education prefaced in a publication of Spady (1994) suggesting a pedagogical theory that bases each stage of an educational system around outcomes Outcomes, as defined in Spady’s paper, do not belong to the abstract notions of values, beliefs, attitudes nor psychological states of mind, but to the tangible application of their process of learning instead In other words, outcomes are what actions and performances reflecting the learners’ competence in using their previously learned knowledge Instead of a single specific style of teaching or assessment tied with outcome-

of the learner By dint of this fact, the author revises the programme learning outcomes as the prerequisites before determining the course There are 6 groups of Programme Objectives further divided into 11 smaller Programme Learning Outcomes The list of these outcomes are tabulated as follows:

PO1: Equip basic knowledge about nature, society and people to serve for

professional development and self-improvement

PLO1: Have basic knowledge of natural sciences and mathematics to analyse and solve problems that arise in work and life

PLO2: Have basic knowledge of politics, law, economics and social sciences and

humanities for explaining and analysing issues in work and life

PO2: Provide theoretical and practical knowledge about the language, culture and literature systems of English-speaking countries to solve professional issues

PLO.3 Apply knowledge of English language, culture and literature of English-speaking countries in specialised activities of English Language Teaching / English Translation – Interpretation/ Business English

Expected

Learning

Outcomes

Description

PO3 Provide professional knowledge for English Language Teaching / English

Translation – Interpretation / Business English

PLO4: Apply knowledge in specialised fields of English Language Teaching / English Translation – Interpretation/ Business English in applying and solving professional issues

Skills

PO4: Help learners develop cognitive skills, professional practice skills and necessary interpersonal skills in the English Language field to carry out professional tasks commensurate with their career positions

PLO5: Have cognitive skills and solve complex professional issues in the field of English teaching, English translation, and commerce

PLO6: Have skills of practicing in the field of English Language Teaching / English

Translation – Interpretation / Business English

English Teaching Methodology Major: Be able to understand the teaching environment, design and practice lectures and evaluate the competence of English learners

English Translation and Interpretation Major: Have the ability to apply in-depth

knowledge and professional skills of interpreters to perform translation and interpretation task

Business English Major: Be competent in applying business and commercial knowledge in professional practice in English-speaking international business environment

PLO7: Have effective communication skills and work in an integrated environment

PLO8: Learners use English fluently and effectively in academics, life and working

environment and communicate in another foreign language (Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French)

Autonomy and responsibility

PLO9: Be able to work independently and in groups

PLO10: Be capable of organizing the implementation of work, learning and developing themselves

PO6: Help learners build a sense of responsibility towards individuals, communities,

a sense of service to the country and professional ethics

PLO11: Have a sense of responsibility and professional ethics

Table 1: FFL Programmes Learning Outcomes

The full list with all subsection of each of the PLOs will then be provided in Appendix A The PLOs are then translated into Course Objectives that will be included in the course specification as follow:

Course

Objectives

Outcomes distributed for the Course

CO1 - Be able to understand and use common

vocabulary in tourism service industry

- Be able to understand basic activities and working processes in the tourism industry

PLO3.1, PLO3.2

CO2 - Present important activities and processes

in the tourism industry, relating to linguistic, cultural, and social knowledge

PLO4.1, PLO4.2, PLO4.3, PLO4.4, PLO5.1, PLO5.2,

Course

Objectives

Outcomes distributed for the Course

- Use related vocabulary to describe places, travel activities

- Use the appropriate vocabulary and speech patterns to communicate effectively and to form speaking reflexes quickly in

communication situations in the tourism industry

PLO6, PLO7.1, PL7.2, PL7.3, PL8.1

CO3 Students are encouraged to develop a

self-aware, responsible learning attitude in teamwork, and at the same time, complete the working style to prepare for the working environment in the future

PLO9.1, PLO9.2, PLO9.3, PLO9.4, PLO10.1, PLO10.2, PLO10.3, PLO10.4, PLO11.1, PLO11.2, PLO11.4

Table 2: Course Objectives of English for Tourism

The given Course Objectives are then formulated into Course Learning Outcomes that will be a vital factor for determining the effectiveness of the course

Course Objectives Course

Learning Outcomes (CLO)

CLOs Description

CO1 CLO1.1 Explaining the vocabulary related to the

tourism industry

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Course Objectives Course

Learning Outcomes (CLO)

CLOs Description

CLO1.2 Identifying basic tourism activities and

processes in the tourism industry

CLO1.3 Listening or comprehensive reading and

understanding the main ideas from the contents

of video clips or reading materials about the tourism service industry

CO2 CLO2.1 Applying linguistic and social knowledge to

communication activities in the context of tourism services

CLO2.2 Searching, selecting, and synthesizing

information to present content related to the tourism service industry; analyse and evaluate the overall quality of tourism activities

CLO2.3 Applying knowledge of communication

language, career, cultures to handle situations in communication with customers in the hotel context

CO3 CLO3.1 Be able to work independently and in groups,

actively participating in the exchange and decision making in groups

Course Objectives Course

Learning Outcomes (CLO)

CLOs Description

CLO3.2 Be able to self-innovate, to be capable of

organizing the implementation of work, learning and developing oneself

Table 3: Course Learning Outcomes of English for Tourism

Before determining the necessary factors for the assessment of the course of English for Tourism, it is necessary to review the framework provided in the Guideline for AUN-QA before shortlisting or expanding the necessary factors The subsequent section will address that by providing a short list of factors, yet the full description can be found in the Appendix

C with more explanations and diagnostic questions needed to clarify the given factors Only five of the factors that exists in the framework will be mentioned, while the others can be found in the original document of AUN

AUN – QA Criterion 1: Expected Learning Outcomes

1.1 The expected learning outcomes have been

clearly formulated and aligned with the

vision and mission of the university [1,2]

1.2 The expected learning outcomes cover

both subject specific and generic (i.e

transferable) learning outcomes [3]

1.3 The expected learning outcomes clearly

reflect the requirements of the

stakeholders [4]

Overall Opinion

23

AUN – QA Criterion 2: Programme Specification

2.1 The information in the programme

specification is comprehensive and

up-to-date [1, 2]

2.2 The information in the course specification

is comprehensive and up-to-date [1, 2]

2.3 The programme and course specifications

are communicated and made available to

the stakeholders [1, 2]

Overall Opinion

AUN – QA Criterion 3: Programme Structure and content

3.1 The curriculum is designed based on

constructive alignment with the expected

learning outcomes [1]

3.2 The contribution made by each course to

achieve the expected learning outcomes is

clear [2]

3.3 The curriculum is logically structured,

sequenced, integrated and up-to-date [3, 4,

5, 6]

Overall Opinion

Nonetheless, regarding the quality of printed textbooks, Education Bureau of Government

of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2016) suggests the Guiding Principles cover the following areas: (1) Content, (2) Learning and Teaching, (3) Structure and Organisation, (4) Language, and (5) Textbook Layout

Content

A textbook of a particular subject area manifests or translates the four components of the curriculum (aims, content, learning/teaching strategies, assessment) for the purpose of student learning

Learning and Teaching

The development of generic skills is fostered by engaging students in various learning activities to help students learn how to learn There is a balanced coverage of cognitive skills of all levels, e.g skills in information gathering, remembering, focusing, organising, integrating, analysing, generating, etc

Structure and Organisation (S/O)

An appropriate structure of the content is provided to facilitate learning

Language (L)

Textbooks are important sources of reading for students The amount and quality of texts

to be included therefore deserves attention

Textbook Layout

The full set of criteria provided by Education Bureau of Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2016) with all the criteria and relating factors is included

in Appendix B

AUN-QA Criterion 4: Teaching and Learning Approach

4.1 The educational philosophy is well

articulated and communicated to all

stakeholders [1]

4.2 Teaching and learning activities are

constructively aligned to the achievement

of the expected learning outcomes [2, 3, 4,

5]

4.3 Teaching and learning activities enhance

life-long learning [6]

25

Overall Opinion

AUN-QA Criterion 5: Student Assessment

5.1 The student assessment is constructively

aligned to the achievement of the expected

learning outcomes [1, 2]

5.2 The student assessments including

timelines, methods, regulations, weight

distribution, rubrics and grading are

explicit and communicated to students [4,

5]

5.3 Methods including assessment rubrics and

marking schemes are used to ensure

validity, reliability and fairness of student

assessment [6, 7]

5.4 Feedback of student assessment is timely

and helps to improve learning [3]

5.5 Students have ready access to appeal

with measurable scale that can be answered with a Likert scale discussed in the subsequent chapter

1 Expected Outcomes

The course book Going Places is the main material of the course in English for Tourism

The given course employs the set of programme learning outcomes as mentioned in the previous section With the mission and vision of HOU being translated into FFL set of Programme Learning Outcomes, there is no further need to investigate the first factor relating to HOU mission and vision To determine if the course of English for Tourism is clearly designed to achieve these expected learning outcomes, the course learning outcomes (hereinafter referred to as CLOs) are to be reviewed concerning its alignment in the programmed expected learning outcomes To assess the quality of the course, however, it

is necessary to investigate if the course (1) is clearly designed to achieve its expected learning outcomes which should be aligned to the programme expected learning outcomes; (2) is designed to cover both subject specific outcomes that relate to the knowledge and skills of the subject discipline; and generic outcomes that relate to any and all macro- and micro-skills, namely written and oral communication, problem-solving, information technology, teambuilding skills; and (3) has clearly formulated the expected learning outcomes which reflect the relevant demands and needs of the stakeholders, in this case, learners’ and lecturers’ satisfaction and their expectations on what labour market requires

2 Course Specification

AUN – QA considers course specifications as a detailed description of the expected learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes They provide better understanding into the teaching and learning methods that help learners achieving the outcomes, the assessment methods that demonstrate the achievements, and the relationship

of the programme and its study elements It is suggested that the information in the course specification is (1) comprehensive, (2) up-to-date, and (3) communicated and made available to the stakeholders

3 Course Structure and Content

The focus of AUN – QA is, in fact, on programme level Therefore, it cannot be applied to the course of English for Tourism without consideration With AUN – QA’s principles concerning the curriculum as a whole, there must be adaptation (1) Concerning the course contribution, each course must play a part in achieving the expected learning outcomes (2) Based on the curriculum designed in AUN – QA’s Guideline, the subject matter must be logically structured, sequenced, and integrated (3) The course should incorporate more recent changes and developments in the field (4) The course remains relevant and up-to-

27

date This means (5) the expected learning outcomes are measurable, (6) the teaching and learning methods ensures that expected learning outcomes are achieved, and (7) the course should assess how well the students have achieved the expected learning outcomes

4 Teaching and Learning Approach

The four pillars of HOU’s education philosophy are: Humanity, Openness, Application, and Integration However, it is advisable to find out if the learners have knowledge of HOU education philosophy before investigating their satisfaction toward the teaching and learning activities promoting quality learning

Concerning teaching and learning activities, to promote quality learning, AUN – QA suggested that these activities are (1) student-centred; (2) dependent on the concepts and learning strategies the learners employ; (3) set in an environment promoting relaxation, support, and cooperative learning However, the teaching and learning activities also involves teachers to promote learners’ responsibilities This means the teachers are responsible to create a teaching and learning environment that (4) enables individuals to participate in the learning process, (5) flexible in assessment Also, with the aim of promoting lifelong learning in mind, European Commission (2017) issues 8 key competences:

3 Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

Focusing on improving acquisition of these competences to nurture scientific understanding

4 Digital

Strengthening the confident and critical use of digital technology, including coding and programming, safety and citizenship related aspects

5 Personal, social and learning

Improving the skills necessary to participate in an active social life

6 Civic

Stressing the importance of democratic participation, European values, sustainable development and media literacy

7 Entrepreneurship

Enhancing entrepreneurial attitudes to unlock personal potential, creativity and initiative

self-8 Cultural awareness and expression

Increasing intercultural skills and the ability to express ideas in a variety of ways and contexts

The key competences are suggested to enhance student’s commitment toward lifelong learning In other words, teaching and learning approach promotes commitment to critical inquiry, information-processing skills, willingness to experiment new practices and ideas With the course of English for Tourism set in the field of tourism and hospitality, it is suggested to investigate the utilisation of the key competences in this expertise, with further emphasis on Vietnamese cultural values However, since the materials of this course are not yet uploaded to the online library, the competence of Digital is therefore not included

in the survey to avoid possible confusion among students

5 Student Assessment

AUN – QA (2015) suggest some of the principles of student assessment, including: (1) measuring the achievement of all the expected learning outcomes of the course, (2) being used in a planned manner, (3) communicating timelines, methods, regulations, weight distribution, rubrics and grading, (4) ensuring validity, reliability, and fairness, (5) using timely feedback of students to improve learning

2.5 SUMMARY

In this chapter, the contrastive meanings of evaluation and assessment are included, considering evaluation as a broader concept that employs the assessment data for the process of evaluation In the subsequent section, the framework that drives this study is discussed A model for assessing the course is adapted based on the model of ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance 3rd version (2015), as well as the Guiding Principles for Quality Textbooks (2016), and the 8 key competences for lifelong learning

of European Commission (2017)

The meaning of stakeholders that the research involves is discussed, with students and lecturers being the top priority of the study With the student-centeredness being the main approach of the assessment scheme, the adaptations of the criteria of Expected Outcomes, Course Specification, Course structure and content, Teaching and Learning Approach, and Student Assessment are addressed, with lifelong learning factors also being included in the model With all of the necessary factors reviewed and adapted in the fashion of the course,

it is then necessary to formulate the instruments to gather the opinions of students and

29 academics towards the course of English for Tourism This process will be discussed in the following section

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The current chapter discusses the methodology used in the paper, describing it in detail in several sections The first section addresses the research setting and scale It is then followed by an outline of the characteristics of subjects of the study The subsequent sections describe the research instruments, the procedures of data collections The final section discusses how this study manages ethical considerations

3.1 SETTING

The study will be conducted in the setting of HOU, a local University located in Ho Chi Minh City With a population of 8 million (General Statistics Office, 2015), the metropolis locating in the South-eastern Region of Vietnam serves not only as the major port of the Southern Region, but also the biggest city of the nation Since 1986, after years of austerity, this fast-moving and ever-growing city has transformed into the centre of politics, culture, and the economic powerhouse of the country For the last three decades, the development

of major districts in high-rise constructions and steel-and-glass precision rivals any financial centre across the globe

With this setting, HOU is among the most active and flexible institutions in the country with students from all the economic classes and provinces nationwide The students are treated in manner of teaching and learning that promotes “Humanity”, “Openness”,

“Application” and “Integration” The education philosophy reflects the general picture of all teaching, learning, and administrative activities of the institute body The education manner can be found in the very students, and also lecturers of this course These characteristics will be further discussed in the subsequent sections where the participants are addressed

3.2 PARTICIPANTS

The target of the study is HOU students and lecturers To be specific, the study will be gathering opinions of students having taken the class of English for Tourism and responsible lecturers This course is a supplement course for the Major of English Interpretation and Translation It means the students will possess the characteristics of an English major students, and by this course specification, B1 or B2 level among European CEFR for Languages These characteristics are discussed in this section

British Council considers B1 level learners as independents users of English It means that the learners have the necessary fluency to communicate with native speakers European

3 is able to produce simple, coherent texts about topics with which they are familiar

or in which they have a personal interest

4 can describe experiences, events, wishes and aspirations, as well as briefly justifying opinions or explaining plans

From this perspective, it means that at least, the participants are fluent to some degree in using English The focus would therefore be shifting towards their fluency in the field of tourism translated in the Learning Outcomes of the course of English for Tourism

In the same fashion, the opinions of lecturers are also to be discovered However, as lecturers being experts in the field, and their capabilities are ensured by the administrating body, in this case, faculty, it is not necessary to further discuss the characteristics they possess in this particular study

Describe the actual participants

3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN

In this section, the author describes the design of the study Sellitz (1962, p 50) considered

“A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure.” As a result, it is imperative that the researcher prepare an appropriate and efficient design to address the research questions before initiating the research operations According to Denzin and Lincoln (1994), paradigm is the basic set of beliefs that guide action that can be viewed as consisting of three main elements: ontology, epistemology and methodology The main methodology that this study utilises is pragmatism It is due to the fact that pragmatism research philosophy accepts concepts to be relevant only if they support action Pragmatic recognise that there are many different ways of interpreting the world and undertaking research, that no single point of view can ever give the entire picture and that there may be multiple realities (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2012) With that view in mind, the author accepts that the results of this pilot study will not provide a big picture view towards the research goals and multiple efforts should be made to truly discover the problem of the research questions

on the responses of the study subjects by the means of questions

To discover the aforementioned factors, the author builds a questionnaire of 7 sections to determine students’ opinions toward the course of English for Tourism

Section 1: Information of respondent

1.1 Name of respondent

1.2 Class of respondent

Section 2: The expected outcomes

In the first section of the questionnaire, aside from the information of participants’ classes, the author aims to gather participants’ opinions if:

2.1 The course is clearly designed to achieve the expected learning outcomes of the programme

2.2 The course is designed to cover knowledge and skills

2.3 The course has formulated the expected learning outcomes reflecting the demands and needs of student

2.4 The expected learning outcomes are measurable

Section 3: The course specification

In the section part, the questionnaire focus on the course specification to determine if:

2.1 The course specification is comprehensive

2.2 The course specification is up-to-date

2.3 The course specification is communicated and made available to the stakeholders

2.4 The information included in the course is:

• Course description and outline or syllabus

• Details of student assessment

• Date on which the course specification was written or revised

Section 4: The course structure and content

4.1 The course matter is logically structured, sequenced and integrated

4.2 The course incorporates recent changes and developments in the field

4.3 The course is relevant and up-to-date

Section 5: The content of the course book

Concerning the content of the course book, the four following factors are to be determined:

5.1 Content

5.2 Organisation and Structure

5.3 Language

5.4 Course book Layout

Section 6: Teaching and Learning Approach

6.1 The teaching and learning methods ensures that expected learning outcomes are achieved

6.2 Teaching and learning activities are student-centred

6.3 Teaching and learning activities relate to the concepts and learning strategies of learners

6.4 Teaching and learning activities are set in a relaxed, supportive and cooperative learning environment

6.5 Teachers enables individual participations in the learning process