The application of task based approach to english speaking activities for first year fast track students by the teachers of english in felte ulis vnu

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER THE APPLICATION OF TASK-BASED APPRO

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

GRADUATION PAPER

THE APPLICATION OF TASK-BASED APPROACH

TO ENGLISH SPEAKING ACTIVITIES FOR

FIRST-YEAR FAST-TRACK STUDENTS BY THE

TEACHERS OF ENGLISH IN FELTE, ULIS, VNU

Supervisor: Ms Phạm Thị Thanh Thủy(M.Ed) Student: Lê Thị Hồng Nhung

Course: QH2012

HÀ NỘI - 2016

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH

KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

Việc áp dụng phương pháp dạy học theo nhiệm vụ vào bộ môn nói Tiếng Anh cho sinh viên năm nhất CLC ĐH

ACCEPTANCE PAGE

I hereby state that I: Lê Thị Hồng Nhung (QH2012.F.1.E2), being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Bachelor‟s Graduation Paper deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

Signature

Date

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, it is my honor to be supervised by Ms Phạm Thị Thanh Thủy, to whom I would like to express my deepest gratitude Without her dedicated guide and support, this paper could not be accomplished

Secondly, the researcher would like to send sincere thanks to the charge in Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, Vietnam National University (FELTE, ULIS, VNU) who agreed to help me with the research and all the first-year fast-track students majoring in English Language Teacher Education in FELTE, ULIS, VNU Without their help and determination in the procedure of collecting data, the researcher could not finish this paper, either

teachers-in-Last but not least, I am extremely grateful to my family and friends who always stayed by my side and gave me strength to overcome any difficulties during the time of writing this paper

it influenced Functional Language lesson It is recommended that the teacher should use task-based approach for a maximum of 10 students to ensure the quality of this learning task Additionally, the teacher should equip themselves with related knowledge when facilitating authentic tasks and also help students develop supplementary skills in other activities so as to accomplish the task

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i

ABSTRACT ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES AND ABBREVIATIONS vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Statement of the problem 1

1.2 Aims of the study and research questions 2

1 3 Significance of the study 3

1.4 Scope of the study 3

1.5 Methods of the study 3

1.5.1 Data collection methods 3

1.5.2 Data analysis methods 4

1.6 Overview of the study 5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 Historical background of task-based approach 6

2.2 Task-based approach in English language teaching 7

2.2.1 Definition of task and task-based approach 7

2.2.2 Types of task 9

2.2.3 A framework for task-based approach 14

2.3 Teaching English speaking 17

2.3.1 Definition of speaking 17

2.3.2 Principles for teaching speaking 18

2.4 Related studies 20

2.5 Chapter conclusion 21

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 22

3.1 Research design 22

3.2 Participants 22

3.3 Data collection instruments: 23

3.3.1 The observation of documents 23

3.3.2 Class observation 24

3.3.3 Semi-structured interviews with teachers 24

3.4 Data collection procedure 25

3.5 Data analysis procedure 26

3.6 Chapter conclusion 26

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 27

4.1 Research question 1: Why do the FELTE-ULIS teachers teaching first-year fast-track students choose to apply task-based approach to their English speaking lessons as stated in the course guide of the subject? 27

4.2 Research question 2: How do the FELTE-ULIS teachers apply task-based approach to English speaking lessons as claimed by themselves and seen by the researcher? 29

4.2.1 Forum 30

4.2.2 Functional Language Speaking Lesson 35

4.3 Chapter conclusion 39

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 40

5.1 Summary of findings 40

5.2 Implication of the study 40

5.3 Limitations of the study 41

5.4 Suggestions for further study 41

LIST OF REFERENCE 42

APPENDICES 46

Appendix 1: OP – FORUM ACTIVITY 46

Appendix 2: OP – FUNCTION LANGUAGE LEARNING 47

Appendix 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS 48

Appendix 4: OP – FORUM ACTIVITY 49

Appendix 5: OP – FORUM ACTIVITY 52

Appendix 6: OP – FUNCTION LANGUAGE LEARNING 54

Appendix 7: OP – FUNCTION LANGUAGE LEARNING 56

Appendix 8: INTERVIEW SCRIPT - TEACHER A 58

Appendix 9: INTERVIEW SCRIPT - TEACHER B 61

Appendix 10: FUNCTION: BEING TACTFUL 65

Appendix 11: FUNCTION: EXPLAINING AND PARAPHRASING 68

LIST OF TABLES AND ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Types of task proposed by Nunan (1999, as cited in Nunan, 2004, p.61) 13

Table 2: A framework for designing a task-based lesson (Ellis, 2006) 15

Table 3: A framework for designing a task-based lesson (Willis, 1996) 17

Table 4: Principles for teaching speaking 20

Table 5: The number of participants 23

Table 6: Forum procedure 32

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT Communicative Language Teaching L1 First language OP Observation Protocol FELTE Faculty of English Language Teacher Education ULIS University of Languages and International Studies

VNU Vietnam National University

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This initial chapter includes statement of the problem, the aims, the significance as well as the scope of the study Besides, the research questions are clearly indicated

as the backbone of the study

1.1 Statement of the problem

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is predicated on the theory that the ultimate goal of language learning is communication This novel concept, which appeared in the last half of the 20th century, has almost closed the door on traditional teaching approaches in which vocabulary and rule clarification dominate language teaching and learning as exemplified by the grammar-translation method However, Richards and Rodgers (2001, as cited in Rozati, 2014) state that CLT is not regarded

as a method that enables teachers to design content, syllabus and teaching routines Rather, CLT is composed of a wide range of methods or approaches that have a shared goal of developing communication abilities Among the applied approaches, Willis (1996, as cited in ZHAO, 2011) affirms that task-based approach is highly valued as it creates a chance of integrating “the best insights from communicative language teaching with an organized focus on language form”, which helps avoid the imbalance between language meaning and form in CLT

The first decade of the 21st century witnessed a huge change in at least the perception of learning languages in Vietnam It has been all over the news that many university students with 12 years of English learning experience cannot generate a small casual talk with foreigners The course of action towards this alarming issue is the nation-wide transition from traditional approaches to CLT in general and task-based approach in particular at all education levels According to the documents of Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (2006),

“Communicative skills are the goal of the teaching of English at the secondary school while formal knowledge of the language serves as the means to the end.” (as

cited in Barnard and Nguyen, 2010) At tertiary level, almost all EFL teachers are required to apply CLT or Task-based approach in their English classes (Le, 2014)

A number of researches related to task-based approach can be found in Vietnam These include the studies by Le (2014), Nguyen (2014), Barnard, R & Viet, N.G (2010), Elke, Hoang, Kris and Lies (2015) However, the focal research area is more

of secondary education or non-English major students at university and the research content targets at 4 English skills as a whole or writing skill alone This research aims to investigate how the FELTE-ULIS teachers apply task-based approach to English speaking activities for first-year fast-track students majoring in English Language Teacher Education

1.2 Aims of the study and research questions

The research is conducted to investigate the application of task-based approach for fast-track freshmen in ULIS, VNU Specifically, the focus of this research is on the reasons why the FELTE-ULIS teachers choose task-based approach and how they apply it into teaching The above-mentioned questions are addressed by both the FELTE-ULIS teachers and the researcher in order to guarantee the objectivity of the research Then the study is expected to offer several pedagogical implications for teachers to enhance the benefits of using task-based approach and for students to maximize their learning in task-based activities

This research is on “The application of task-based approach to English speaking

activities for first-year fast-track students by the teachers of English in FELTE, ULIS, VNU” The two following questions briefly summarize the objectives of the

study:

1 Why do the FELTE-ULIS teachers teaching first-year fast-track students choose

to apply task-based approach to their English speaking lessons as stated in the course guide of the subject?

2 How do the FELTE-ULIS teachers apply task-based approach to English speaking lessons as claimed by themselves and seen by the researcher?

1 3 Significance of the study

The result of this research is expected to benefit both FELTE-ULIS teachers/ students as regards teaching/ learning methods and anyone who is interested in this topic The research plays a role as one of the initial studies on the application of task-based approach to speaking activities separately and for English-major students

at tertiary level in Vietnam To be more specific, the FELTE-ULIS teachers may be able to reflect on their task-based teaching, using the analysis of the study as well as different perspectives of their colleagues As a result, improvements can be made to deploy the application of task-based approach

1.4 Scope of the study

In the first place, as stated in the previous part, task-based approach can be applied

in either receptive or productive skills However, the research merely aims to address the application of task-based approach in speaking lessons and it is the fact that speaking is widely known as one of the most challenging language skills to freshmen In the second place, research participants are the teachers who are in charge of first-year fast-track students majoring in English Language Teacher Education from University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University The result of this study may be used as reference to some similar cases such as English language specialized universities in Hanoi

1.5 Methods of the study

1.5.1 Data collection methods

In this research, the qualitative approach is applied as it can provide details about human behavior, emotion, and personality characteristics, which can help researchers gather detailed information on the lessons (Madrigal and McClain, 2012) As mentioned in the research design, this research demands to have a

thorough understanding of teachers‟ application of task-based approach; therefore, this approach effectively serves the purpose of both exploring and explaining new information The main data collection instruments are the observation of documents, class observation and semi-structured interviews with teachers If the researcher considers the observation of documents as a theoretical basis and class observation

as a “field trip”, semi-structured interviews help bridge the gap between the assumed knowledge (gained from document and class observation) and the actual knowledge (gained from direct interaction with teachers/ designers)

1.5.2 Data analysis methods

Firstly, the received data is classified into two groups referring to two research questions The first question “why do the FELTE-ULIS teachers teaching first-year fast-track students choose to apply task-based approach to their English speaking lessons as stated in the course guide of the subject?” can be answered by document observation and the interviews The second question is addressed by document observation, class observation and interviews

Secondly, the data is processed by the qualitative data analysis which is a process of interpreting any form of content that the researcher has collected According to Learning Qualitative Data Analysis on the Web (n.d.), to analyze the qualitative data, there are few steps that the researcher is compelled to do The first step is to prepare the data by clearly and fully presenting the collected information on one side of the paper only The second step is to develop coding categories To be able

to categorize the collected information, the researcher must comprehend or make sense of all the material After the information has been coded, the researcher can start summarizing or using short quotes to make findings

1.6 Overview of the study

The basic structure of the study

 Chapter 1: Introduction

 Chapter 2: Literature review

-Historical background of task-based approach -Task-based approach in English language teaching -Teaching English speaking

 Chapter 3: Methodology

-Participants

-Data instruments

-Procedure of data collection

 Chapter 4: Results and discussion

 Chapter 5: Conclusion

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses the literature of the study revolving around the three key concepts: “task”, “task-based approach” and “speaking”

2.1 Historical background of task-based approach

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is predicated on the theory that the ultimate goal of language learning is communication This novel concept, which appeared in the last half of the 20th century, has almost closed the door on traditional teaching approaches in which vocabulary and rule clarification dominate language teaching and learning as exemplified by the grammar-translation method However, Richards and Rodgers (2001, as cited in Rozati, 2014) have stated that CLT is not regarded as a method that enables teachers to design content, syllabus and teaching routines Rather, CLT is composed of a wide range of methods or approaches that have a shared goal of developing communication abilities At the early stage of CLT, form-based approaches or the so-called weak form of CLT designed to focus

on language features instead of information exchange were broadly used (Manta, 2013) For example, the PPP cycle (Presentation-Practice-Production) which had already been used in traditional methods was modified to suit the characteristics of

CLT First, the teacher presents new language items in a specific context and check students‟ comprehension The teacher then requires students to practice what have

just learnt in a controlled context such as gap-filling or substitution exercises

Finally, students are given a communication task (for instance: role-playing, writing

a full essay or making presentations) in which the target language should be used In fact, the PPP approach not only encourages students to follow the learning principle

“Practice makes perfect” but also increases the teacher‟s control of the lesson However, a certain number of negative comments on this approach have been found

in various researches as follows:

This approach is ineffective in achieving what it is intended to do… [We] can

do until we are blue in the face, but it doesn‟t necessarily result in what PPP

was designed to do And yet there is, still, within language teaching, a commitment to trying to control not only input but actually what is learned (Ellis, 1993, as cited in Atkins, 2000)

The underlying theory for a PPP approach has now been discredited The belief that a precise focus on a particular form leads to learning and automization (that learners will learn what is taught in the order in which it is taught) no longer carries much credibility in linguistics or psychology

(Skehan, 1996, as cited in Palmer, 2004)

Learners who do well in the practice phase fail to transfer this ability to the production phase, and –even if they do successfully manage the production phase– they often fail to transfer this ability outside the classroom

(Kostoulas, 2012, as cited in Manta, 2013)

The problems of form-based approaches have shifted the attention away from grammatical accuracy As a result, meaning-based approaches as a strong form of CLT in which learners themselves build a language system by using the language have become popular (Manta, 2013) Among the approaches influenced by CLT in general and meaning-based approach in particular, Willis (1996, as cited in ZHAO, 2011) has affirmed that task-based approach is highly valued as it creates a chance

of integrating “the best insights from communicative language teaching with an organized focus on language form”, which helps avoid the imbalance between language meaning and form in CLT

2.2 Task-based approach in English language teaching

2.2.1 Definition of task and task-based approach

To gain an understanding of task-based approach, we should know how

„task‟ is interpreted in this case As reflected in numerous researches, the definition

of task has been viewed in different angles Richard (1986) and Skehan (1996a) have met each other at the point that „task‟ is an activity which requires learners to either process or produce language and aims at the completion of the task (as cited

in Ellis, 2003) Hence, according to Richard (1986), “drawing a map while listening

to a tape, listening to an instruction and performing a command” may be regarded as examples of tasks Similarly, Prabhu (1987, as cited in Ellis, 2003) has defined

„task‟ as an “outcome” that learners are expected to achieve through “the process of thought” Besides, he highlighted the role of teachers as a regulator when implementing tasks

According to Nunan (2004), depending on where the target language is used, there are two sorts of task including real-world and pedagogical tasks The former, as its name suggests, pertains to uses of the target language in everyday life while the latter carries the characteristics of classroom setting Nunan (2004) has expressed the idea that learners are compelled to employ their grammatical knowledge to achieve the task outcome that is to convey meaning when doing a pedagogical task What‟s more, from the viewpoint of Willis and Willis (2001, as cited in Nunan, 2004), what makes tasks distinct from grammatical exercises is that students are not provided “a range of language structures” or forms in order to finish the task

Ellis (2003) has also responded to the question of „task‟ definition He wrote:

A task is a workplan that requires learners to process language pragmatically

in order to achieve an outcome that can be evaluated in terms of whether the correct or appropriate propositional content has been conveyed To this end,

it requires them to give primary attention to meaning and to make use of their own linguistic resources, although the design of the task may predispose them to choose particular forms A task is intended to result in language use that bears a resemblance, direct or indirect, to the way language is used in the real world Like other language activities, a task can engage productive or receptive, and oral or written skills and also various cognitive processes This definition fully indicates the critical features of „task‟ that involve task workplan, task outcome/purpose, cognitive process, task authenticity, and language skill (Ellis, 2003) Specifically, the task designer considers task as a workplan – an

activity that creates a chance for learners to convey meaning (task purpose) through language processing (cognitive process) in a particular context originated in the real- world (task authenticity) The task designer ensures the success of the task by

guiding students what steps they need to take and measures the success level by the

completion of the task (task outcome) Besides, Ellis has also emphasized the deployment of learners‟ “own linguistic resources” or “particular forms” (cognitive

process) to fulfill the task which can be either productive or receptive (language skill) This demonstrates that Ellis (2003) shares his view towards the definition of

„task‟ with a number of researchers such as Nunan (2004), Prabhu (1987), Richards (1986), Skehan (1996), Willis and Willis (2001)

This research follows the „task‟ definition of Ellis (2003) because of its clarity and comprehensiveness

Basing on the historical background of task-based approach and the „task‟ definition, the author of the research has summarized the picture of task-based approach in the following key points:

1 A meaning-based approach – a strong form of CLT (Task purpose: to convey

meaning)

2 Learning through the completion of pedagogical tasks influenced by

real-world tasks (Task outcome: the completion of tasks)

3 Implicitly required grammatical knowledge (to fulfill the task)

2.2.2 Types of task

As mentioned in the previous part, Nunan (2004) has distinguished the two types of task comprising pedagogical and real-world tasks regarding the place of using tasks Concerning the focus on form, Nunan (2004) has also introduced focused and unfocused tasks A focused task is what requires learners to use a particular structure so as to fulfill the task whereas an unfocused task allows for free use of learners‟ own linguistic resources

According to Willis (1996, as cited in Kasap, 2005), six types of task involve listing, sorting and ordering, comparing, problem-solving, sharing personal experiences, and creative tasks Listing tasks ask people to produce a list following specific

criteria – typical flowers in London, street food in Vietnam or music artists in Japan Ordering and sorting tasks have four different kinds of “processes”: ranking, sequencing, grouping or classifying Comparing tasks require learners to relate items in terms of similarities and differences Problem-solving tasks challenge learners‟ reasoning capacities to address given problems Sharing personal experience tasks, as the/their names suggest, provide a chance for students to share personal experiences with each other Last but not least, creative tasks allow students to generate their own creative products such as short stories, videos, magazines and so on Comparing this typology to that of the Bangalore project proposed by Prabhu (1987, as cited in Nunan, 2004), some tasks can be grouped under a broader term In this project, three principal tasks are information gap, opinion gap and reasoning gap Information –gap activity which is “a transfer of given information from one person to another” may include listing or comparing tasks Reasoning-gap activity which requires learner to make inferences from given information can possibly be problem-solving tasks or ordering and sorting tasks Opinion-gap activity which encourages learners to “articulate a personal preference, feeling or attitude”, (p 57) in a particular context may be sharing personal experience tasks

The above-mentioned typologies may be somewhat specific as in Willis‟s (1996) or

be general as in Nunan‟s (2004) or Prabhu‟s (1987) and they are all based on an analysis of communicative language use (Nunan, 1004) Viewing the types of task from a different angle, Nunan (1999, as cited in Nunan, 2004) has classified tasks according to the strategies underpinning them

Strategy Task Definition

groups

Example: Study a list of names and

classify them into male and female

Predicting Predicting what is to come in the learning

process

Example: Look at the unit title and objectives and predict what will be learned

Inducing Looking for patterns and regularities

Example: Study a conversation and discover the rule for forming the simple past tense

Taking notes Writing down the important information

in a text in your own words

Concept mapping Showing the main ideas in a text in the

text and complete a table

Role playing Pretending to be somebody else and

using the language for the situation you are in

Example: You are a reporter Use the information from the reading to interview the writer

Practicing Doing controlled exercises to improve

knowledge and skills

Example: Listen to a conversation, and practice it with a partner

Using context Using the surrounding context to guess

the meaning of an unknown word, phrase, or concept

Summarizing Picking out and presenting the major

points in a text in summary form

identify the number of speakers

Skimming Reading or listening to get a general idea

of a text

Example: Decide if a text is a newspaper article, a letter or an advertisement

feelings, and ideas about a subject

Example: Read a letter from a friend in need and give advice

Self-evaluating Thinking about how well you did on a

learning task, and rating yourself on a scale

Reflecting Thinking about ways you learn best

ideas as one can

Example: Work in a group and think of

as many occupations as you can

Table 1: Types of task proposed by Nunan (1999, as cited in Nunan, 2004, p.61)

This typology not merely shows what task students are particularly doing but also what skill they are honing Besides, both productive and receptive tasks are mentioned in each strategy whereas the other typologies are more of productive tasks Hence, when looking at a task-based lesson as a whole, this strategy-based typology is preferable The research will apply the strategy-based method of

classifying tasks for detailed analysis and may only refer to other typologies if necessary

2.2.3 A framework for task-based approach

Ellis (2006) proposed a clear framework for a task-based lesson including three phases: pre-task, during-task and post-task and also stated that this framework provided various options with in-depth analysis for teacher to make appropriate educational decisions

Phase Detailed description

Pre-task +) Purpose: To „frame‟ the task students are going to perform ->

To ensure students do the task “in the ways that will promote acquisition.”

+) Strategies:

 Emphasis on the general cognitive demand of the task

 Performing a similar task (break down a step into smaller steps with teacher‟s guidance)

 Provide a model (students observe and study the features

of the required task)

 Idea-focused strategic planning (idea brainstorming activities)

 Emphasis on linguistic factors

 Non-task preparation activities (vocabulary-focused activities)

 Language-focused strategic planning (grammar-focused activities)

During task +) Task performance options

 Teacher‟s decision on whether to set a strict time limit

for students to complete a task

 Teacher‟s decision on whether to allow students to access

to the input data while they perform a task

 Teacher‟s decision on whether to add surprise elements into the task

+) Process options

 Though task-based pedagogy requires learners to treat language as a tool and function as language users, Teacher uses explicit or implicit techniques to achieve the focus on form when communication problems arise

=> Teacher‟s role: both instructor and interlocutor

 Effective scaffolding of participants‟ effort to communicate in L2

 The possible use of L1 in establishing goals for the task

 Collaborative working -> Allow students to take linguistic risks (little pressure from teacher‟s supervision)

Post-task Three major pedagogic goals:

 Repeat performance (ask students to repeat a task)

 Reflect on the task (self-evaluation or task evaluation, written or oral)

 Focus on forms (review of learner errors, raising tasks, production practice activities, noticing activities)

consciousness-Table 2: A framework for designing a task-based lesson (Ellis, 2006)

One of the biggest concerns suggested in the framework above is whether to include form-focused activities/ instructions in the task Ellis (2006) raised the issue of

“detracting” the „taskness‟ of the task which denotes the primary focus of meaning

in the task However, he has demonstrated that the focus on form is beneficial to

“the acquisitional value of the task” (p 92)

From the perspective of Willis (1996, as cited in Richards, 2006), another view of designing a task-based lesson is presented as follows:

Task: Students do the task in pairs or groups with their own linguistic resources

NB: Teacher does not correct students‟ errors in forms

Planning: Students plan in their groups to prepare for the next step: reporting to the

whole class “how they did the task and what the outcome was” in either oral or written form Teacher goes around the class and helps students correct their language individually or in small groups The report is remarked regarding its clarity, organization and accuracy

NB: If the report is in written form, it is recommended that students should make full use of peer feedback and use of dictionaries

Report: Teacher asks some groups or pairs to report fully to the whole class Other

students may take notes

NB: Teacher gives comments on the content of the report but avoids “OVERT PUBLIC CORRECTION”

-Language focus

Analysis

Students do some language-focused tasks based on the previous part in pairs Teacher goes around the class and helps students fix their mistakes Then Teacher briefly reviews the analysis to the whole class on the board

Practice

This part requires students to practice new words, phrases or patterns which have just been summarized in the analysis part (E.g.: Memory challenge, Sentence Completion, Matching…)

Table 3: A framework for designing a task-based lesson (Willis, 1996)

As it can be easily seen, the striking difference between Ellis‟s and Willis‟s framework lies in the focus on form If Ellis promotes the place of focus on form throughout the lesson, Willis underlines that overt form correction is undesired in the first half of the lesson Besides, the framework proposed by Ellis (2006) provides more detailed descriptions in terms of teacher‟s instructions, strategies and decisions Therefore, the researcher chose to use the Ellis‟s framework to compare and contrast with the one that teachers in the fast-track division, FELTE, ULIS, VNU applied in a task-based speaking lesson

2.3 Teaching English speaking

2.3.1 Definition of speaking

The four language skills are depicted according to their direction (Bailey, 2005) Language produced by learners as in speech or writing is called productive while language “directed” at learners is deemed receptive Speaking or one of the two productive language skills “is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving, and processing information” (Brown, 1994; Burns and Joyce, 1997, as cited in Murad, 2009) In other words, Mackey (1965, as cited in Bygate, 1987, p 5) affirmed that “Oral expressions involves not only […]

the use of the right sounds in the right patterns of rhythm and intonation, but also the choice of words and inflections in the right order to convey the right meaning.”

The nature of speaking helps justify why traditional methods such as Translation method are unable to allow for language acquisition It is true that with Grammar-Translation method, we learn about the language instead of the language itself (Bygate, 1987)

Grammar-Furthermore, to communicate effectively, speakers are required to adopt the theory

of communicative competence comprising grammatical, discourse, strategic and sociolinguistic competence (Ilmi, 2012) Specifically, grammatical competence refers to grammar (morphology, syntax), pronunciation, stress, and intonation as well as English-language structures Discourse competence denotes the ability of linking ideas in utterances – the rules of cohesion and coherence Strategic competence allows language users to handle communicative situations with their own linguistic resources Finally, sociolinguistic competence is the ability to communicate with a deep insight into cultural and social aspects of other interlocutors

In short, speaking or speaking skill is considered a tough challenge for ESL learners since it demands the transformation from what learners know about the language to what they can actually “do” to the language

2.3.2 Principles for teaching speaking

The researcher has synthesized and adjusted the two lists of principles proposed

by Brown (2000) and Bailey (n.d., as cited in Nunan, 2003) which present both similarities and differences The two authors share the view that speaking activities should take into account not merely accuracy but also fluency, and encourage students to initiate their talk by using group work or pair work and place the importance on „negotiation for meaning‟ tasks Besides, some distinct angles of teaching speaking are also mooted by each author Brown (2000) underscored the

authenticity of English speaking activities and the relationship between speaking and listening Regarding this relationship, the researcher recommends that the principle of teaching speaking address the relationship between productive skills and receptive skills instead of speaking and listening only From the perspective of Bailey (n.d.), classroom activities should cater for both transactional and interactional speaking The former aims at “getting something done” and being information-focused as in the exchange of goods or service The latter is used in small talks and for the purpose of maintaining social interactions; for example, a conversation related to greetings, weather in particular or non-controversial topics in general Last but not least, the researcher has removed the three principles below for some reasons:

1 Provide intrinsically motivating techniques (Brown, 2000) Since this principle is

needed in all sorts of teaching, it may become unduly repeated

2 Provide appropriate feedback and correction (Brown, 2000) This should be

specified in a particular method or else it might be hard to interpret the word

“appropriate” for teaching speaking in general

3 Be aware of the differences between second language and foreign language learning contexts (Bailey, n.d) The research is conducted in a foreign language

context, which has been clearly stated in the introduction Hence, this principle is not necessary in this case

In conclusion, the six principles adopted in the research are summarized in the table below

1 Give students practice with both accuracy and fluency

2 Provide opportunities for students to talk by using group work or pair work

and limiting teacher talk

3 Plan teaching tasks that involve negotiation for meaning

4.Design classroom activities that involve guidance and practice in both

transactional and interactional speaking

5 Encourage the use of authentic language in meaningful contexts

6 Capitalize on the natural link between productive and receptive skills

Table 4: Principles for teaching speaking (Adapted from Brown, 2000 & Bailey, 2005)

comparing the framework in the examined environment with the theories as in this study.

2.5 Chapter conclusion

In this chapter, the researcher has reviewed the related theories regarding historical background, definitions of tasks and task-based approaches, task typology, the framework of a task-based lesson and English speaking teaching in general This will act as a strong theoretical foundation for the following chapters in terms of designing data collection instruments and analyzing collected data

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The preceding chapter has been clearly presented with various perspectives on the crucial aspects of the research topic in order to form a solid theoretical basis for the coming chapters This chapter would provide a detailed description of research design, participants, data collection instruments/procedure and data analysis procedure

3.1 Research design

The research has been carried out as a case study, which can be justified according

to the three following factors The first factor pertains to types of research questions; specifically, this research is expected to answer the two questions: why the FELTE teachers teaching first year fast-track students choose to apply task-based approach

to English speaking lessons as stated in the Course guide and how they apply it to English speaking lessons Among five main types of questions including “who”,

“what”, “where”, “how” and “why”, “how” and “why” are typical of case study because of their explanatory characteristics The second factor is that as a current student of fast-track program, the researcher was given permission to investigate the case by observing and interviewing Thirdly, the focus of the research is on contemporary events instead of historical ones

3.2 Participants

The research questions were addressed by FELTE teachers teaching first-year track students in English language teacher program There are three classes for fast-track freshmen majoring in English Language Teacher Education However, since there is one teacher who is in charge of two classes, namely QH2015 E1 and QH2015 E2, and these two classes are at similar competency level, the researcher chose only QH2015 E2 to observe She also chose QH2015 E3 to collect data The target participants are two teachers of speaking skills in these classes The number

fast-of students in the two targeted classes are relatively equal, with 19 students at E2

and 21 students at E3 and their current English speaking proficiency is around B1+ level The teachers are in charge of the two above-mentioned classes in the second semester of the 2015-2016 school year and they both have had years of English speaking teaching experience at the fast-track division; teacher A with five years of experience and teacher B with four years of experience

The number of participants is displayed in the table below:

3.3.1 The observation of documents

As document review provides a behind-the-scene look at a program that may not be directly observable, this research will carry out detailed examination of course guide and course materials (“Data Collection Methods for Evaluation: Document Review,” 2009) The frameworks of designing a task-based lesson proposed by Ellis (2006) and Willis (1996, as cited in Richards, 2006) as well as the principles for teaching speaking are expected to help the researcher reflect on collected documents from two classes The collected documents include Course guide, Functional language teaching handouts for week 3 and 4 and students‟ preparation package of week 3 and 4 for Forum activity

The analysis of collected documents can help address research question 2 The researcher moves from theoretical view to implementation; therefore, an in-depth insight into the application of task-based approach can be successfully made

3.3.2 Class observation

Class observation allows the researcher to directly examine how the syllabus is conceptualized By observation, behavior of teachers and students, which might reflect the actual implementation, can be easily recorded

An observation protocol was designed according to lesson procedure, basing on the framework for Task-based language teaching (TBLT) and eight principles for designing a task-based lesson by (Ellis, 2006) (See Appendix 1 &2) In this protocol, teacher‟s instructions and feedback were also recorded because these two helped reflect the used teaching approach

The data collected from class observation is useful especially for research question

2 Class observation plays a crucial role because this is when task-based approach is actualized Careful note-taking is required according to the prepared observation form

It is noted that forum, a big assignment was conducted in Weeks 3, 5, 9, 12, 14 and there are 13 Functional language lessons Therefore, two different observation protocols were designed to cater for those two different lessons (See Appendix 1

&2) Both protocols focus on teacher‟s instructions and feedback as it would help the researcher understand more about the applied approach The protocol for forum activity is designed basing on the activity guidelines in the course guide For forum activity, the class observations were implemented in week 3 in both surveyed classes (See Appendix 4 & 5).For functional language lesson, the class observations were implemented in week 3 and 4 in class A and B respectively (See Appendix 6

& 7)

3.3.3 Semi-structured interviews with teachers

Semi-structured interviews in which questions need not to be predetermined provide

a space for flexibility as opposed to structured-interviews Thus, the researcher can give any more possible questions in order to fully achieve the goal of interviews

The questions of semi-structured interviews aim to reach the answers for both research questions Interviews act as a bridge between the researcher and teachers especially in case there are any misinterpretations or questions during the time of observation; and are helpful for both research questions

In order to get the interview oriented, the researcher made a list of ten questions in advance and would add any necessary changes during the interview (See Appendix 3) These ten questions were designed according to the two research questions; Question 1 asks for general information, question 2 &3 address research question 1 and the rest serve to answer research question 2

3.4 Data collection procedure

Data collection procedure was conducted in a chronological order, including three phases as follows:

Phase 1- Preparation (December 15th –December 31st)

In the first phase of data collection procedure, all the needed documents including course guide and course materials were collected The two above-mentioned types

of material can help the researcher build a theoretical view towards speaking activities in classes Any questions during the time of document review were recorded for further clarification in the later phase

Besides, an observation protocol was also built upon the framework and principles

of TBLT as cited in the previous part Interview rehearsals were conducted during this time to gain real experience

Phase 2 –Implementation (January 1st –February 29th)

In the second phase of data collection procedure, after finishing the final versions of observation protocol, class observations were carried out in two classes In total, four class observations were used for data analysis Each class observation was 4-period long

In week 2 of this phase, a reflection on the effectiveness of the observation protocol was made Luckily, no modification was needed

Phase 3 –Implementation (March 1st –March 31st)

The researcher added some changes to the interview questions basing on the collected data from both documents and class observations The interviews were conducted with both teachers The length of each interview is around 30-45 minutes The results of these two interviews were used for the data

Firstly, the received data was classified into two groups referring to two research questions The first question “why do the FELTE-ULIS teachers teaching first-year fast-track students choose to apply task-based approach to their English speaking lessons as stated in the course guide of the subject?” were found in the interviews The second question was addressed by document observation, class observation and interviews

Secondly, the data was processed by the qualitative data analysis, a process of interpreting any form of content that the researcher has collected According to Learning Qualitative Data Analysis on the Web (n.d.), to analyze the qualitative data, there are few steps that the researcher is compelled to do The first step is to prepare the data by clearly and fully presenting the collected information on one side of the paper only The second step is to develop coding categories To be able

to categorize the collected information, the researcher must comprehend or make sense of all the material After the information has been coded, the researcher can start summarizing or using short quotes to make findings

3.6 Chapter conclusion

In short, this chapter has displayed research design, participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis procedure Besides, the researcher has also reasoned why that is the way the research questions should be addressed

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

In the previous chapter, the methodology of the study including participants, the procedures of data collection and data analysis has been clearly clarified After adopting the methodology, the author has collected significant findings In this chapter, the data would be displayed, analyzed and discussed in order to find the answers to the research questions of this study

4.1 Research question 1: Why do the FELTE-ULIS teachers teaching first-year fast-track students choose to apply task-based approach to their English speaking lessons as stated in the course guide of the subject?

 Linguistic competence is the ability to articulate thoughts or opinions without

any language –related challenge

 Sociolinguistic competence allows students to effectively perform social

interactions with language involving linguistic markers and social relations, politeness convention, expressions of folk wisdom, register differences, and

dialect and accent

 Pragmatic competence enables students to adapt or adopt the language use

appropriately to the situation

 Strategic competence is attained when students are capable of planning,

adjusting and improving their speech

And in order to acquire these above-mentioned competences, the teachers participating in this study built a language learning environment through meaningful tasks or in other words, they exploited task-based approach in their teaching

Secondly, through the interviews, both teachers confirmed that task-based approach was one of Communicative Language Teaching approaches chosen to apply in speaking courses for first-year fast-track students In addition, the teachers-in-charge provided a deeper insight into the benefits of using task-based approach, which helped the researcher understand why task-based approach was a good choice In the first place, teacher A underlined the importance of the authenticity of tasks which reflected the correlation between language learning and real-world tasks Besides, teacher A mentioned that “authentic tasks in task-based approach get students ready before literally stepping outside the academic world” (Appendix 8) In the second place, teacher B stated that task-based approach promoted the idea of focus on meaning, which might effectively develop students‟ communication skill Teacher

A and B met each other at the point that first-year fast-track students already had a good command of English; therefore, the teacher prioritized the development of fluency over accuracy for students and in fact, the teacher expected students to be able to self-correct Nevertheless, the teacher still provided assistance as well as correction related to forms if necessary In the third place, teacher B said that task-based approach encouraged students to activate their own linguistic resources as much as possible in order to fulfill the task From the viewpoint of the two surveyed teachers, even when introducing some new functional language, the teacher also asked students to utilize their linguistic resources as a solid base to answer the teacher‟s questions (See Appendix 8 & 9)

Discussion

Both teacher A and teacher B indicated outstanding features of task-based approach, which were also discussed in a number of researches First of all, authenticity was highlighted in the definition of tasks proposed by Ellis (2003) and Nunan (2004) Teacher A supposed that the authenticity of learning activities might be a stepping stone for students to handle real-world situations in their later life That closely matches the Ellis‟s definition of task (2003, p.4) which is stated that “A task is a workplan that requires learners to process language pragmatically in order to achieve an outcome […] appropriate propositional content has been conveyed.” Secondly, while teacher B embraced the idea of task-based approach as a meaning-focused approach, she still paid attention to students‟ form usage when needed Similarly, Nunan (2004) expresses the idea that one of seven principles for task-based language teaching is the integration of linguistic form and semantic meaning

On the other hand, Krashen (1981, 1982, as cited in Nunan, 2004) is one of proponents of the “strong” approach in which a focus on form is undesired He explains that form awareness is conscious learning, which does not complement the growth of subconscious acquisition or language development Last but not least, both teachers agreed that students had chance to make use of their available linguistic resources when joining task-based activities Regarding this, Ellis (2003) shows the link between a focus-on-meaning and the activation of linguistic resources; students must use up their “reserves” so as to accomplish the given tasks

4.2 Research question 2: How do the FELTE-ULIS teachers apply task-based approach to English speaking lessons as claimed by themselves and seen by the researcher?

In this course, three main activities including Forum, Functional language lesson and Speaking practice were carried out However, Speaking practice was used

merely as a mock test to help students prepare for the final test; therefore, this activity was not be considered in this question To answer the question of the application of task-based approach in this course, the researcher would present the insight into Forum and Functional Language lesson gained by collected documents, class observation and teacher‟s interview

4.2.1 Forum

Findings

Forum is the activity in which students play the role as different stakeholders involved in one particular issue and join a discussion related to that issue There are five forums in total in the course (Week 3, 6, 9, 12, and 14) and forums of week 3 and 4 were chosen for class observations

+) Findings from document observation (Course guide and Students’ preparation package)

 Objectives

Forum aims to develop four aforementioned competences including linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic and strategic competence as fully presented in the Course guide

 Students‟ job

Students are required to follow four steps consisting of Forming groups, Researching-Into the news, Planning for the forum and Conducting the forum within almost two weeks of preparation

Step Task / Activity Notes

involved in the issue

-The class is divided into

5 groups One group is Moderators who select the topic and facilitate the forum The other four groups are participants who follow Moderators‟ instructions and join the discussion

Step 2

Researching-Into the news

-Research information

-Note taking

-Discussion

-Every group has to research information about the issue as well as standpoints of each stakeholder After that, moderators collect basic information from every group to make a booklet

-Possible arguments

-Turn-taking

-Moderators prepare discussion questions in the forum and also a presentation about the issue