The impact of teachers quality on rus students in terms of speaking skill

Vietnam national university, Hanoi University of Languages and international studies faculty of Post-graduate Studies ĐÀO XUÂN HÙNG The impact of teachers’ quality On rus students in

Vietnam national university, Hanoi University of Languages and international studies

faculty of Post-graduate Studies

ĐÀO XUÂN HÙNG

The impact of teachers’ quality

On rus students in terms of speaking skill (Tác động của chất lượng giáo viên đối với việc học nói của học sinh

trung học ở vùng nông thôn) M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Hanoi, 2010

Vietnam national university, Hanoi University of Languages and international studies

faculty of Post-graduate Studies

ĐÀO XUÂN HÙNG

The impact of teachers’ quality

On rus students in terms of speaking skill (Tác động của chất lượng giáo viên đối với việc học nói của học sinh

trung học ở vùng nông thôn) M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Cohort: MA 17

Supervisor: Hà Cẩm Tâm (Ph.D)

Hanoi, 2010

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.3.1 Introduction 14

2.3.2 The main characteristics of the language used by the EFL

teachers

14

CHAPTER THREE: THE STUDY

3.4.1 The language for opening and closing of the lessons 25

CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT Communicative language teaching

CSs Communication skills

EFL English as a foreign language

ESL English as a second language

MOET The Ministry of Education and Training

RUS Rural upper-secondary school

TEFL Teaching English as a foreign language

UEE The University Entrance Exam

UFE The upper-secondary final exam

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationales

English has undergone many changes in teaching and learning in Vietnam over the last few decades Demand for learning English even becomes stronger when Vietnam applies its open door policy English turns out to be the leading factor in a smaller and smaller world Learners want to be able to master English to a high level of accuracy and fluency Employers too insist that their employees have good English language skills, fluency in English is a prerequisite for success and advancement in many fields of employment in today‟s world

However, in rural upper-secondary schools (RUSs), though English is a compulsory subject, it fails to equip students with enough knowledge and skills, especially speaking skill Even, The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has developed new textbooks, equipped more facilities to better the teaching and learning English, the fact is not changed This is because:

First, the goals of learning English and foreign language in general are set by the MOET It can be translated as follows: To provide some basic knowledge about foreign languages in order to help school students to communicate and to use them as a key to science and technology These goals are too general and vague to be easily put into practice

Second, Hubbard (1987, p.24, Burn, 1981, p.2, as cited in Thuoc, 1988, p.48) stated that “the teacher is a means to an end: An instrument to see that learning takes place As a human being, he is of course a subtle and sensitive instrument who cannot be satisfactorily replaced by a mechanical aid…” However, teachers‟ qualifications haven‟t been strictly considered and developed That is the reason why teachers have failed to meet the demand

of teaching English in general and teaching speaking in particular

In fact, teachers are the people who know the languages, select the new material to

be learnt, and present it as clearly and memorably as possible Also, teachers work as conductors who give students opportunities to participate, to practise In addition, teachers act as guides in organising and motivating students‟ language activities The question is how teachers do those without being equipped with proper knowledge and skills I think that it is essential to do research on teachers‟ qualifications so I decided on choosing the topic “the impact of teachers‟ qualifications on RUS students in terms of speaking skill”

1.2 The aims of the study

- The aims of this study are as follows:

a) to examine the impact of teachers‟ instructions on RUS students in terms of speaking skill

b) to suggest a possible basis for RUS teachers‟ ELT effectiveness

1.3 The significance of the study

The study helps point out some impacts of teachers‟ instructions on RUS students in terms of speaking skill It would enable teachers to be aware of the necessity of their instructions to the students‟ speaking skill development It is also hoped that the study would make some suggestions for teachers‟ effectiveness which is considered by many linguists, educators and researchers as one of the most crucial ways to develop students‟ speaking skill

1.4 The scope of the study

- Firstly, The impacts on students‟ development in terms of speaking skill is a very complicated problem, it composes of many factors Therefore, my thesis will focus mainly

on rural Teachers‟ qualifications-those are teachers‟ instructions; the effectiveness of teachers‟ method practice The effectiveness here can be understood as the comparison between goal setting and goal achievement If the goal setting matches with the goal achievement, the teaching will be considered effective and vice versa

- Secondly, more attention will be paid to the theory and description, which will make RUS teachers be aware of their problems and have directions to improve and develop in order to better the teaching

- Thirdly, with the limitation of time and references, I shall only venture to suggest some theoretical solutions for RUS teachers‟ effectiveness in terms of CL and method practice

1.5 Method of the study

- Classroom observation: Teachers‟ instructions

- Guided interview

1.6 Organization of the study

The study consists of four chapters:

- Chapter one: Introduction which contains rationale, scope, aims, significance, methodology and organization of the study

- Chapter two: Literature review establishes the basic theoretical ground from the literature on speaking skills, principles of teaching speaking skills for beginning learners, the MOET principles of teaching speaking skill, principles in teaching using CLT, common methods and teachers‟ language instructions, and teacher development (TD) are clearly described

- Chapter three: The study describes the overall picture of how the research was carried out from choosing the research question, the participants, the data collection instrument to gather data and analysis, results and discussion to make it more comprehensible

- Chapter four: Conclusion reviews the main findings of the study, suggests some solutions, and ends with some suggestions for further research

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses the theory and research into which this study bases on The chapter is divided into four sections The first section provides an overview of speaking skill The second section presents language teaching methods The third section is about the language of the English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher And the last section gives Issues of teacher development in Vietnam

2.1 An overview of speaking skill

Bailey (2003, p.2) also pointed out that speaking is such a basic human behavior that

we don‟t stop to analyze if there is not anything noticeable about it What we ignore is a number of physical, mental, psychological, social, and cultural factors that must all combine together when we speak People will have a great influence when they hear a lucid speaker in a second or foreign language

2.1.2 Characteristics of beginning level learners

What does it mean to be a “beginning” or a “lower-level” language learner? According to the American council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (as cited in Bailey, 2005, p.30), beginning level students can be characterized as follows:

- Oral production consists of isolated words and learned phrases within very predictable areas of need

- Vocabulary is sufficient only for handling simple, elementary needs and expressing basic courtesies

- Utterances rarely consist of more than two or three words and show frequent long pauses and repetition of interlocutor‟s words

- Speakers may have some difficulty producing even the simplest utterances This means that at this level speakers will be understood only with great difficulty Given these limitations, what can teachers do to help beginning students develop their English speaking skill? In addition, if you are teaching EFL in your home culture, you are

probably already aware of the challenges that learners face when their exposure to English outside the classroom is limited Likewise, if you are teaching EFL, you will need to be particularly creative in designing a syllabus and planning lessons that develop speaking skill For beginning learners in an EFL context, they have difficulties in finding chances to listen to and speak English Therefore, the classroom is of great importance in providing input and practice opportunities for the learners Classroom lessons are very safe and friendly havens where low-level learners can make mistakes and take risks in a supportive environment with a helpful teacher and classmates who are at approximately the same proficiency level and who may have similar concerns

2.1.3 The MOET principles of teaching speaking skill

Minh (2007, p.19) stated the methods used in the new curriculum to teach speaking skill must follow the guiding principles:

1 Communication skills (CSs) be the goal of the teaching and learning process; linguistic knowledge be the means by which CSs are formed and developed

2 Students play an active role in the teaching and learning process and teachers be only organizers and guides

3 Teaching contents be selected and organized according to themes to guarantee a high level of communicativeness while catering to the accuracy of the modern language system

11

Ask about the topics covered Perform some basic language functions such as expressing likes and dislikes, agreement and disagreement, distinguishing facts and opinions

12

Ask and answer about the topic covered, perform some basic language functions such as expressing opinions and viewpoints, talking about needs and likes, explaining

2.1.4 Principles for teaching speaking to beginners

Bailey (2005, pp.36-40) stated three principles as we teach speaking to beginners, such as:

i) Provide something for learners to talk about

As we know when people speak, it is usually about something People talk to communicate-that is, to express themselves, to get goods and services, to influence people,

to convey meanings and messages, and to enjoy the company of others Although these are challenging goals to beginning learners, they need to talk about something Thus, one key principle in teaching speaking is that teacher should provide something for learners to talk about (Bailey, 2005, p.37) For example:

- Neighbourhoods, Cities and Towns

Speaking tasks: talking about days and dates, saying dates, talking about transportation, role-playing personal information

- Friends and family

Speaking tasks: discussion appearance, leaving voicemail messages, describing people, interviewing peers about keeping in touch with friends and family, interviewing peers about conversation topics, role-playing greetings

(Bailey, 2005,p.34, adapted from Thrush, Blass and Baldwin, 2002, pp.viii-ix)

ii) Create opportunities for students to interact by using group work or pair work

Lower levels students can be anxious about speaking out in class One way to overcome their reticence and increase their opportunities to speak is to use pair work and group work, (Bailey, 2005, p.38) According to Pennington (1995, p.x, as cited in Bailey,

2005, p.38), using pair work and group work can improve learners‟ motivation and promote choice, independence, creativity, and realism Pair work and group work also provide feedback to the learner from sources other than the teacher (i.e., from their peers) However, the problem is that pair work and group work can be noisy Bailey (2005, p.39) suggested some tips that you can control the activity

a) Set the task clearly first Either provide written instructions on slips of paper for the students or post them on the chalkboard or overhead transparency

b) Start with pair interaction, and then when the students are used to pairing up quickly and quietly, move to group of three, and then later use larger groups if you want to

c) At first give instructions about how to get into groups

d) Set specific time limits for how long students will be working in pairs or groups e) Give clear guidance as to what is expected at the end of the pair work or group work For example, you might say, “In five minutes, each group sends one person to the chalkboard to write down your list of favourite foods All the group members help that person spell the words correctly.” I think that these are very crucial for your effective teaching Teachers may fail to gain their goals if they cannot control their situations

iii) Manipulate physical arrangement to promote speaking practice

Bailey (2005, p.39) stated that it can be difficult to get student with one another in a new language, but that difficulty is often exacerbated by the traditional classroom arrangement of desks facing forward toward the teacher‟s zone Speaking activities can be encouraged by changing the physical environment The author also suggested some ways

to work with the seating and other aspects of the environment to encourage speaking, such as: The inside-outside circle- that is a technique for giving students the chance to repeat a conversation or interview with several new people, so as to form fluency and confidence; Tango seating-that is a simple seating arrangement designed to force people to use oral communication during information gap tasks that including drawing pictures, following maps, creating designs or structures from verbal descriptions; and the cocktail party technique-that is a quick way to get students talking to new partners and to break up the routine of sitting during language lessons

Moreover, Bailey (1997, p.41) listed some tasks and exercises that can be used to teach speaking to beginning learners: Conversations, controlled (or guided) conversations, and interviews; information gap and jigsaw activities; scripted dialogues, drama, and role-playing; logic puzzles; picture-based activities; and physical actions in speaking lessons Besides, Bailey (1997, P.65) also focused on teaching pronunciation as one part of teaching speaking According to the author, one key to success in teaching and learning a foreign language is having good pronunciation It is not because of sounding like native speakers, but because of being comprehensible

2.1.5 Elements needed for speaking skill development

For many years, linguistic competence was considered as the key for learners It was thought that by being equipped with a wide range of language items, students could put them together and communicate in the end, (Bailey, 2005, p.3) In fact, Lier (1995, p.15, as cited in Bailey, 2005, p.8) created a pyramid of the components of spoken language (Figure 1) The left column lists four traditional areas of linguistic analysis (which teachers must understand), and the center column labels the units of spoken language (which learners must master) Bailey (2005) also stated that these units often referred to as the “levels” of language When learners speaking English that units must work together simultaneously So teachers must understand so as to help their learners

Figure 1 Units of Language (van Lier, 1995, p.15)

In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a significant change in focus International developments in linguistics, curricula, and pedagogy, as well as by sociolinguistic research had affected linguists and teachers strongly Much research statistics proved that linguistic competence alone was not enough for learners to master English and get on well in society (Bailey, 2005, p.3)

In the mid-970s, According to Savignon (1991, p.264, as cited in Bailey, 2005, p.3), the notion of linguistic competence must be understood as a component of the broader idea

of communicative competence “the ability of language learners to interact with other speakers, to make meaning, as distinct from their ability to perform on discrete-point tests

of grammatical knowledge” Being communicatively competent requires an understanding

of sociocultural contexts of language use

According to Bachman (1990), Canale and Swain (1980, as cited in Bailey, 2005, p.3) sociolinguistic competence (the ability to use language appropriately in various contexts is included Sociolinguistic competence consists of register (degrees of formality and informality), appropriate word choice, style shifting, and politeness strategies Second, strategic competence is of great importance In terms of speaking, it will enable learners to compensate for gaps in skills and knowledge In addition, discourse competence “how sentence elements are tied together” is indispensable Lazaraton (2001, p.104, as cited in Bailey, 2003, p.3) stated that discourse competence involves both cohesion and coherence Cohesion is “the grammatical and /or lexical relationship between the different parts of a sentence” (Richards, Platt, and Weber, 1985, p.45, as cited in Bailey, p.3) Cohesion includes reference, repetition, synonyms, and so on In contrast, coherence involves “how texts are constructed” (Lazaraton, 2001, p.104; Bachman, 1990, pp.84-102, and Douglas,

2000, pp.25-29, as cited in Bailey, p.3) As communicative competence is a multifaceted construct, teachers should be aware of the challenges learners face when they speak English

2.2 Language Teaching Methods

Judging from the teaching history, the teaching of speaking skills has been concerned

up to now, an overview of ELT methods will be discussed in this chapter with reference to their uses in Vietnam I will look briefly at some of the methodological approaches and the linguistic theories underlying them to make it clear how different methods handle the problem of teaching speaking skills

2.2.1 The Grammar Translation Method

The Grammar Translation Method is a way of teaching and learning a foreign language on the basis of detailed analysis of grammar rules and application of these rules to the translation of sentences texts into and out the target language The main characteristics

of this method are as follows:

The goal of foreign language study is to read its literature Study is through detailed analysis of grammar rules and translation of sentences and texts into and out of the target language Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic attention is paid

to speaking and listening Vocabulary is taught through bilingual lists and memorization The sentence is the basic unit of teaching Accuracy is emphasized Mother tongue is the medium of instruction

The Grammar Translation Method focus on teaching the form rather than the use of the target language Bong (1988, p.3) stated that the Grammar Translation method was popular in Vietnam in the 1960s After 3-7 years of study, students had a fairly good knowledge of grammar and translating skills, but could hardly communicate At that time, assessment of student performance used to be through translation, reciting grammatical rules, making sentences and free composition

2.2.2 The Direct Method and Audiolingualism

Richards and Rodgers (1986, p.9 as cited in Bailey, 2003, p.17) figured out that the Direct Method stressed on “everyday vocabulary and sentences”, and lessons were presented wholly in the target language - the language the students are trying to learn The Direct Method focused speaking on that “new teaching points were introduced orally”, rather than in writing Also, lessons emphasized speaking and listening, which were practiced “in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and students” (Richards and Rodgers, 1986, p.10, as cited in Bailey, 2003, p.17)

The Direct Method remarkably influenced the development of the Audiolingual Method In audiolingualism, teachers develop students‟ speaking skill by getting them repeat sentences and recite memorized dialogues from the textbook There are three stages

in each lesson, called presentation, practice and production (Nunan, 2003, as cited in Bailey, 2003, p.17) The underlying goal of the Audiolingual Method is to enable students

to practice speaking through using grammatical structure until producing those structures

has become automatic It is believed that the learners can go on with conversations Bygate (2001, p.15, as cited in Bailey, 2003, p.17) proved that “teaching oral language was thought

to require no more than engineering the repeated oral production of structures… concentrating on the development of grammatical and phonological accuracy combined with fluency”

Lazaraton, (2001, p.103, as cited in Bailey, 2005, p.18) proved that The Audiolingual Method stressed oral skills but “speech production was tightly controlled in order to reinforce correct habit formation of linguistic rules” This sort of rigidly controlled practice does not necessarily prepare learners for the spontaneous, fluid interaction that occurs outside the English classroom In addition, Ellis (1990, p.29, as cited in Bailey,

2005, p.18) also pointed out that the pattern practice and audio-lingual drills are not only boring, but they do not also lead to fluent and effective communication in real-life situations

2.2.3.Communication in language teaching

Firstly, It is necessary to consider the idea that “language teaching and learning is not simply a mechanical process of habit formation” (Allen and Widdowson in Byrne (ed)

1980, p.192, as cited in Phuc, 1986, p.17), but is concerned with communication,i.e the ability to communicate spontaneous and appropriately in any context Some theorists support this view

Brumfit and Roberts (1983, p.85, as cited in Phuc,1986, p.17) pointed out:

“Learning to use language appropriately, and learning to engage not simply in speech acts means, then; mastering more than just the structures of a language, and indeed, more than the language itself.” Littlewood (1981, pp.x-xi, as cited in Phuc, 1986, p.17) shares the same view As for him: “It is not enough to teach learners how to manipulate the structure

of the foreign language They must also develop strategies for relating these structures to their communicative functions in real situations and real time”

Therefore, the ultimate concern of ELT is to develop learners‟ ability to take part in the process of communicating through language, rather than with their perfect mastery of individual structures Johnson (1982, p.12, as cited in Phuc, 1986, p.17) also stated:

“… there is more to the business of communicating than the ability to produce grammatically correct utterances.”

Lee and Vanpatten (2003, p.53) stated that in real context, people communicate for

a number of reasons All things considered, psycho-social and informational-cognitive are the two most usual purposes of communication The psycho-social purpose of language includes getting on well with someone or some group socially or psychologically or joining social behavior in some ways For example, asking someone „How is it going?‟ might be less a desire to be aware of someone‟s life rather than a medium of exchanging jokes or making someone understand that “you care” So that for people, pausing and asking someone “Do you have the time?” when you are in a hurry is an informative activity rather than a psycho-social behavior This conclusion is of great importance Teachers should be well aware of this to focus on the informational-cognitive use of language

Savignon (1983), Breen and Candlin (1980), and Canale and Swain (1980) stated that CLT comprises the notions of negotiation, interpretation and expression CLT is created through the productive, unpredictable and intentional use of language in classroom basing mainly on information and meaning exchange This is both applied in communication and reading and writing or so It means the most typical features of CLT is not only the linguistic structures and interactional ones but also the integration of skills

Canale and Swain (1980) revisited Hymes‟ concept of communicative competence and proposed their own notion about the concept According to them, there are three elements in communicative competence: grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence Canale (1983) later added one more element by distinguishing discourse competence from sociolinguistic competence This is a broad definition of communicative competence which is not only concerned about the linguistic grammatical perspective but also social and functional ones I chose this definition because

it makes clear that communicative competence is more complex than many teachers and administrators expect Moreover, from this definition, we should have proper time and effort for applying it successfully in demanding conditions

2.2.4 Principles of the communicative approach

Johnson and Morrow (1981, as cited in Bong, 1988, p.34) proposed a set of five principles of communicative methodology as criteria to be taken into consideration in developing teaching procedures

Principle one: Know what you are doing

In real life, people communicate with each other not only because they really want

to talk, but also they have something to exchange Therefore, need and purpose constitute the nature of communication So “when organizing communicative activities we will try to ensure that these activities share the characteristics of communication” (Harmer, 1986, p.43, as cited in Bong, 1988, p.34) In classroom, what is taught should be closely related

to what the learner is most likely to perform in real life communication

Principle two: The whole is more than the sum of the parts

Littlewood (1981, p.17, as cited in Bong, 1988, p.35) stated that in LT, communication should provide students with practice in total skills rather than only in part-skills If they are only involved in drill or repetition, their objective will be the accuracy of utterance rather than its content in a meaningful context Students should have the opportunity to cope with a wide range of language rather than just a number of grammatical structures

Principles three: The processes are as important as the forms

It is crucial to bear in mind that the way students do an activity will decide it to be communicative or mechanical A genuine communicative exercise is really applied by filling the information gap between the speaker and the hearer; making choice from his repertoire of language of what to say and how to say it; and evaluating feedback from what

he has done Information gap in a communicative activity means that one student must be

in a position to tell another something that the second student does not know

Communicative activities also require the student to decide from himself what ideas

he wants to express and how to express them appropriately in a certain situation under the pressure of time during the conversation Exercises such as drills, repetition, substitution or guided exercises in which students are controlled in the use of language do not practise this aspect of communication

Another process involved in communication is feedback which tells the student whether his utterance has been understood as he intended or not, and what criteria are necessary during a particular procedure

Principle four: To learn it, do it

Widdowson (1978, p.144, as cited in Bong, 1988, p.39) said:

“What the learner needs to know how to do is to compose in the act of writing, comprehending in the act of reading, and learn techniques of reading by writing and

techniques of writing by reading” It means that students can only learn to communicate by communicating and develop skills by using skills

Principles five: Mistakes are not always a mistake

Trying to express something they are not sure of, students may make mistakes But

“errors are regarded as a completely normal phenomenon in the development of communicative skills” (Littlewood, 1998, p.94, as cited in Bong, 1988, p.39) In fact, the communicative approach does emphasize on the development of the forms and the uses of language It may be more appropriate and effective to teach the forms through the uses, or

to attach the uses to the forms, or to integrate them for communicative purposes Perhaps, it

is the teachers „responsibility to judge and decide which priority is relevant in his own condition

2.3 The language of the EFL teacher

2.3.1 Introduction

The language used by teachers inside the classroom is crucial to students‟ effectiveness That is due to a variety of teachers‟ roles in classrooms Teachers can be organizers, facilitators, actors, syllabus consumers, attributors, resources, managers… In classrooms, teachers explain, participate, instruct activities, show signals to transitional stages and give feedback… teachers use the classroom language to conduct these tasks from the beginning to the end of the lessons That enables lessons to happen not only smoothly but also effectively

2.3.2 The main characteristics of the language used by the EFL teachers

An EFL teacher‟s language reveals many characteristics However, the main features which will be presented in this part relate to the input aspect of the language

Firstly, it is evident that teacher talk in classroom is dominant in comparison with student talk Cook (1992, p.91, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.15) stated that teacher talk takes up 77% of the time in bilingual classrooms in Canada, 69% in immersion classes and 61% in foreign language classrooms, Werner Hullen (1989) found 75% of the utterances in German classrooms came from the teachers Ellis, (1992, p.74, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.15) reported that teachers keep talking in India, Belgium, Irag, South America and New Zealand Tien (1997, p.15) figured out that although no official figure about EFL teacher talking time in Vietnam was available, it is likely that the same thing could be said about the teacher talking time in EFL classrooms in Vietnam, and perhaps in Britain He also

stressed that teacher talk is advantageous for students It creates a good chance for students

to be exposed to the language not only in a pedagogic context, but also in a natural environment

Secondly, the teacher‟s language in EFL classes is not just the medium but also the content of the lesson As the medium, English is used for the organization and control of the classroom As the content, English is the actual subject being taught For example, in a lesson, an EFL teacher sometimes slows down his/her speech, corrects student language errors, simplifies the vocabulary… so that students can learn the language from the teacher Ellis, (1992, p.58, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.16) considered this as the way teachers utilise English so as to make input comprehensible to a non-native speaker, which, of course, is of great important for language learning

Thirdly, in RUSs of Vietnam, the teachers‟ language in EFL classes is the only authentic language providing comprehensible input for the students to acquire In fact, the students only have 3 English classes (135 minutes) every week They have little or even no access to English outside the classroom Besides, the phenomenon of code switching in the teachers‟ explanation is commonplace in Vietnam Code switching is found in an unfinished sentence: when the teachers sense that something is new in the sentence, they just switches it into Vietnamese, and then carries on to the end of it in English

2.3.3 The language for opening/closing the lesson

The discourse organisation at the level of lesson is usually made up of three phases: The opening phase, the instructional phase and the closing phase Each phase often consists

of different activities Between phases or activities, there are transitional stages

For the first phase of the lesson, the opening, the English used by the teacher is to create a good initial atmosphere or to launch a good start for the students to study In addition, it can serve to link the previous lesson with the present one or even the forthcoming one However, the main purpose is to define the aims of the lesson, to state what the main work is and how it is expected to be done within class time

In the instructional phase, often considered the most important one in a lesson, English is used to serve the process of imparting knowledge to the students Therefore, it is utilised mainly for the purpose of giving instruction for different activities, explanations of new things or information exchanged Besides, it can be used for transition from one activity to another or from this phase to the closing one

Furthermore, in the closing phase, the teacher‟s English is mainly for the ending of the lesson or signaling the transitional stage to ease an activity in progress into closure Finally, it is also for the review of the aims and contents of the lesson, linking with the coming lesson and the reminding students of their homework or reading

2.3.4 The language for instructions

Spratt (1994, p.3, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.26) stated that classroom instructions form a major part of teacher talking time in a classroom and it is very important for the teacher to enable the lesson to flow smoothly and effectively, especially in the transition period between one activity to another So it is necessary to consider some aspects of instruction-giving: Definitions and kinds of instructions, some linguistic features for instructions

Firstly, What is an instruction? and what kind of classroom instruction are there?

An instruction is defined in the Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (1987, p.757,

as cited in Tien, 1997, p.26) as something that someone tells you to do or orders you to do

or clear and detailed information on how to do something Likewise, „if someone gives instructions they tell other people exactly what they must do‟ or instructions are „statement telling someone what they should do and how they should do‟ (Longman Essential Activator, 1997, p.765, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.26)

Let us now examine the second question, the kinds of classroom instructions There are two types: Managerial instructions and content instructions (Wajnryb, 1992, as cited in Tien, 1997, p.27) The former refers to the instructions for the classroom organisational work such as organizing seating or group The latter concerns the content side of the lesson like giving instructions for the students to do oral work or for homework

Another aspect of instruction-giving is that it is somewhat similar to giving It means that If the students receive wrong message, they have to ask the teacher to clarify The teacher, therefore, has to re-instruct Also, most of the instructions are realized

explanation-by (1) the imperative, (2) polite requests, and (3) giving an example as a model for students

to follow Furthermore, language structures are not complicated and vocabulary is simple without idioms employed Besides, teachers need to adjust their language to suit the students‟ language competence

2.4 Issues of teacher development in Vietnam

Iwai (2009, p.92) affirmed that teachers are crucial to improving students‟ communication skills, particularly when they attach to tasks, students are really confronted, which leads to development in their English language ability This conclusion is of great importance It pointed out that not methods or curricula but teachers are the key factor to improving teaching and learning communication skills Therefore, Administrators and the MOET have been fallacious to focus more on methods and curricula rather than TD Strevens (1978, p.189, as cited in Thom, 1992, p.119) defined „the teacher‟ in relation to instructional materials, stating that “the teacher is the human agency responsible for presenting foreign language materials to the learners” It means that teachers take charge of giving students not only input but also make that input comprehensible to them Richards and Nunan (2000, as cited in Park, 2006, p.115) defined „teacher training‟ as student teachers and „education teachers‟ as teachers who is applying theories of teaching And, Lange (2000, as cited in Park, 2006, p.115) stated that „teacher development‟ is a term used to describe a process of TD This is a narrow definition which is suitable with

my research Through this definition, we can conclude that teacher is a decisive factor to solving the problem of teaching effectiveness as well as communicativeness This also points out different functions of teachers in a continual development stages The misunderstanding of teachers‟ functions is the reason why we cannot develop teachers professionally

Hargreaves and Fullan (1992, as cited in Thom, 1992) also stated that teachers are crucial to educational betterments and school advancement Therefore, training and developing teachers for the purpose of enhancing English education in Asia are confirmed

by many linguists and educators (Chew, 2007; Choi, 2007; Kaheem, 2004; Kaheem

&Devendra, 2007) Especially, TD ought to be an ongoing process which inquires personal commitment

Biyaem (1997) reported that the teachers and learners face the following difficulties:

As for the teachers

- Heavy teaching loads

- Too many students in a class (45-60)

- Insufficient English language skills and native speaker cultural knowledge

- Inadequately equipped classrooms and educational technology

- University entrance examination, which demands a tutorial teaching and learning style

As for the learners

- Lack of opportunity to use English in their daily lives

- Unchallenging English lessons

- Being passive learners

- Lack of responsibility for their own learning

As for me, this report is factual not only in Thailand but also in Vietnam These are unsolvable problems to Vietnamese classes, especially to the rural classes on their foreign language teaching and learning process Although it is easy for administrators, educators as well as researchers to recognize these, it seems to be above their ability to give an effective solution

Thuoc (1988, p.88) concluded that the teaching and learning quality has not yet been improved much This is due to:

 Failure to exploit available material

 Insufficient equipment and resource material

 Inappropriate syllabus and text books

 Poor language environment

 Inadequately qualified teachers

 Failure to apply communicative approaches in language teaching

The three last items are noticeable to my circumstance In fact, students are given poor language environments by RUS teachers This is not only because of the incompetence in teachers „language skills, but also because the inappropriateness of teachers‟ methodological choice and practice

Moffitt (1963, p.6, as cited in Hong, 1986) suggested that while undergoing initial training programs, teachers do not receive proper subject education Regardless of the quantity and quality of academic education received during training, a teacher who is new

to any school system needs in-service education

Burlinegame (1978, p.158, as cited in Hong, 1986) stated four areas which must be met in any in-service educational programs organized for such participants These are: “(1) enhanced formal training in the area of linking colleges of education to schools; (2)

emphasis on the basic skills of teaching; (3) efforts to provide multiple information sources

to inexperienced teachers; and (4) development of prestige systems to enhance the status of inexperienced teachers”

Moffitt (1963, p.8 as cited in Hong, 1986) Also pointed out that “… teachers must become sensitive to new and challenging responsibilities.” This is necessary as teachers‟ quality goes a long way in determining the quality of learning and therefore the quality of the people

In-service education and training thus becomes necessary because of the changes affecting the learning situation According to Eraut (1972, p.3, as cited in Hong, 1986), “a new era, based on a large conception of what professional development entails, must be an updated rationale”

Eraut (1972, p.5, as cited in Hong, 1986) also proved that “a major function of service education is the promotion of innovation in teaching and learning Without this function… in-service education will contribute little to the solution of the practical problems of school or to the improvement of the quality of education” So transferring new knowledge and insisting on the progress of professional discussion may be necessary functions of in-service education However, they are not really enough in themselves if the purpose of in-service education is to improve what is happening in schools

in-In summary, the literature related to the topic of the thesis has been reviewed in this chapter It has discussed the concepts, elements and principles of teaching speaking skill The analysis revealed that teaching speaking skill is a challenging task to any teachers, especially RUS teachers Therefore, the qualifications are needed to be effective in teaching The qualifications here mean that the understanding and application of the above principles in equipped students with proper elements for speaking skill development Ineffectiveness in teaching might have impacts on students‟ speaking skill development That is the theme of this study which will be made lucid in next chapter

CHAPTER THREE: THE STUDY