‘VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOTI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRAN HOANG ANH, KI7A AN INVESTIGATION INTO TIIE USE OF PRESENTATION- REFLECTION ASSIGNMENTS IN THE AMERICAN STUDIES SYLLABUS AT ULIS-VNUH: RELEVANCE AND EFFICACY AS PERCEIVED BY LECTURERS AND STUDENTS (Nghiên cứu về việc Sử dụng Bài tập Thuyết trinh-Viét Thu hogch trong B6 mon How Xỹ Học ð Trường ĐHNN.-ĐHQGHN: Độ Phù hợp và Hiệu quả từ Góc độ Đánh giá cũa Gidng vidn nà Sinh viên) M. Combined Program Thesis English Language Teaching Methodology 601410 TIANOI - 2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRAN HOANG ANH, KI7A AN INVESTIGATION INTO ‘THE USE OF PRESENTATION- REFLECTION ASSIGNMENTS LN TIE AMERICAN STUDIES SYLLABUS AT ULIS-VNUH: RELEVANCE AND E ICACY AS PERCEIVED BY LECTURERS AND STUDENTS (Nghiên củu vỗ việc Sử dựng Hải rập Thuyết trình-Viễt Thu haạch trong Hộ môn loa Kỹ Học ở Trường ĐHNN-ĐHQGHN: Độ Phù hợp và Hiệu quá từ Gúc độ Đúnh giá cũa Giảng viên và Sinh viên) M. Combined Program Thesis English Language Teaching Methodology 601410 Supervisor: Dang Ngọc Sinh, MLA. HANOI - 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
LIST OF FIGURES. ng trau PART A: INTRODUCTION - - 1 1. Backgrotnd of and ratianals for the study - - 1 2. Aims of the research.
ào nu mntnmnanninenti viene d 3. Significance of the StUdY.senenenennentimennnnentimneiinennmennensennen 4, Scope of the research 2 5, Organization of the study 3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4 CHAPTERI: LITERATURE REVIEW. Key and related concepts. Content-based Instruction and the teaching context in ULIS-VNUH American Studies courses .2 The presentation assignments " 1.
Relevance and efficacy.4 English skills in sheltered course classes.5 Interdisciplinary research skills. Tow does this stady fit into other research? - - 19 1. Summary 19 CHAPTER2: METHODOLOGY. Data oolleetion proetdies.5, Data analysis proesdite.
Summary - - 30 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. 31 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Key and related concepts 1.1, Content-based Instruction and the teaching centext in ULIS-VNUH American Studies courses ince the early 1980s, there has been a growing interest in combining language and ` teaching. in the American context, programs, models, and approaches have proliftratcd in all Ievels of instruction, orcating various fons of incorporating language and content tcaching (Mct, 1991).
In the mid 1990s in Europcan countrics, curicdum innovations have been directed toward the content and language integrated leaming approach, in which both curriculum content— e.g, science or geography — and Pingtish are taught together (Graddol, 2007). All these forms of incorporating language and content teaching fail under the heading of Content-based Instruction Overall, it is clear that the term CBI is commonly used to describe a curricula approach which seeks to integrate language and content instruction. This paper thus adopts the view similar to that of Curtain and Pzsola (1994) in which CBI involves the euriculum concepts being taught through the foreign language, appropriate to the grade level of the students. Content Met (1999) proposes that ".content! in content-based programs represents material that is cognitively engaging and demanding for the learnsr, and is material that extends beyond the largel language or target cultwe*, This paper adopts the definitions of Met (1999), Curtain and Pesola (1994), which is most relevant to the research context.
Therefore, "content" here is seen as materials, or specifically "curriculum concepts", that are cognitively engaging and demanding for the learncr, and is material that extends beyond the target language or target culture. Chapter 2: Literature Review and Practical Basis i, ‘To what degree do they think the actual assignment quality has met the igmrcntsỶ requircrtents2 fii, What do they suggest about modilying the assigrmnsnls? 3. Significance of the study The research did not aim to and thus did not suggest the best assignment design to be used in the course. Instead, it was expected to have a certain impact on the way how the current assignment lypes of American Studi OF —and even of simdlar cour offered by the division e.
British Studies or General Geography of the UK and the US would be designed, both in paper and practice, to better meet the preset course objectives. It also served as a refcrential material for rescarchers and tcachers alike who are interested im the testing and assessment aspect of curriculum design. 4, Scope of the research As stated, the study would look at the American Sludies assignments in only two tain dimensions: relevance and etlicacy whose meanings within this research context would be interpreted later in the next chapter In terms of research population, the study targeted at students and lecturers involved in the American Studies courses at ULIS-VNUIL. Specifically, for practical reasons, these are students from the classes of QHOSIE, sinec they wers the latest groups to take the courses —while all the previous groups had graduated.
As for the lecturers, all of them came from the Country Studies Division — Paculty of Lingnistics and Cnitures of English Speaking Conmiries. i, ‘To what degree do they think the actual assignment quality has met the igmrcntsỶ requircrtents2 fii, What do they suggest about modilying the assigrmnsnls? 3. Significance of the study The research did not aim to and thus did not suggest the best assignment design to be used in the course. Instead, it was expected to have a certain impact on the way how the current assignment lypes of American Studi OF —and even of simdlar cour offered by the division e.
British Studies or General Geography of the UK and the US would be designed, both in paper and practice, to better meet the preset course objectives. It also served as a refcrential material for rescarchers and tcachers alike who are interested im the testing and assessment aspect of curriculum design. 4, Scope of the research As stated, the study would look at the American Sludies assignments in only two tain dimensions: relevance and etlicacy whose meanings within this research context would be interpreted later in the next chapter In terms of research population, the study targeted at students and lecturers involved in the American Studies courses at ULIS-VNUIL. Specifically, for practical reasons, these are students from the classes of QHOSIE, sinec they wers the latest groups to take the courses —while all the previous groups had graduated.
As for the lecturers, all of them came from the Country Studies Division — Paculty of Lingnistics and Cnitures of English Speaking Conmiries. PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Key and related concepts 1.1, Content-based Instruction and the teaching centext in ULIS-VNUH American Studies courses ince the early 1980s, there has been a growing interest in combining language and ` teaching. in the American context, programs, models, and approaches have proliftratcd in all Ievels of instruction, orcating various fons of incorporating language and content tcaching (Mct, 1991).
In the mid 1990s in Europcan countrics, curicdum innovations have been directed toward the content and language integrated leaming approach, in which both curriculum content— e.g, science or geography — and Pingtish are taught together (Graddol, 2007). All these forms of incorporating language and content teaching fail under the heading of Content-based Instruction Overall, it is clear that the term CBI is commonly used to describe a curricula approach which seeks to integrate language and content instruction. This paper thus adopts the view similar to that of Curtain and Pzsola (1994) in which CBI involves the euriculum concepts being taught through the foreign language, appropriate to the grade level of the students. Content Met (1999) proposes that ".content! in content-based programs represents material that is cognitively engaging and demanding for the learnsr, and is material that extends beyond the largel language or target cultwe*, This paper adopts the definitions of Met (1999), Curtain and Pesola (1994), which is most relevant to the research context.
Therefore, "content" here is seen as materials, or specifically "curriculum concepts", that are cognitively engaging and demanding for the learncr, and is material that extends beyond the target language or target culture. Chapter 2: Literature Review and Practical Basis The rationale of CBI Content-based instruction (CBI) bases its rationale on the premise that students can effectively obtain both language and subject matter knowledge by receiving content input in the target language. Although it has been recently recognised by influential authors such as Rodgers as "one of the Communicative Language Teaching spin-off approaches" (2001), some authors contemplate the paradigm within an even wider perspective: according to Stryker and Leaver (1997), for instance, CBI "is a truly and holistic approach to foreign language education. (which) can be at once a philosophical orientation, a methodological system, a syllabus design for a single course, or a framework for an entire program of instruction" The benefits of the approach are directly or indirectly associated with an extensive body of research from a variety of fields.
Strong empirical support for CBI can be found in second language acquisition research, in teacher training studies and in cognitive psychology, as well as in the outcomes documented by successful programs in a variety of contexts and levels of instruction (Adamson, 1993, Dupuy, 2000). Classification of CBI and current teaching context Through a careful review of related literature, this paper adopts the classification used by Met (1999). Met (2007) has specified the approach as follows CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING: A CONTINUUM OF CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATION Content-Driven Language-Driven Total Partial Sheltered Adjunct Theme-Based Language classes Immersion Immersion Coues Model Courses with frequent use of content for language practice Among the models above, the actual instruction model seems to fit in most with the Sheltered Courses as the latter is defined by Echevarria, J. (2004) (cited in Short, D, & Himmel, J., 2007) as shown above.
Chapter 2: Literature Review and Practical Basis iv 3.1, Perceptions of teachers and students of the degree to which the presentation- reflection assignments have helped to meet the conse's objectives. Perceptions of teachers and students of the degree to which the actual assignment quality has met the assignments' requirsmenIs.3, What do teachers and students suggest about modifving the assignments? Practical ‘implication and suggssHoDs.48 PART C: CONCLUSION - - - - sl 1. Summary of findings. Limitations of the stUdY.
Suggestions for fiwther research - - - 32 REFERENCES 33 APPENDIX. Ameriean Studies course oullne. szneeererrrrrrreT Appendix2a, Survey questionnaire form Studentvarsien. Survey questionnaire form — Teacher version.
Summary of questionnaire data — Students’ Perception - xu Appendix 3b. Summary of questionaire data — Teachers! Porecption - XI Appendix4. Correlation between efficacy index and presznfafion seoYe. Summary of relevant suggestions from students - XVI PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.
Key and related concepts 1.1, Content-based Instruction and the teaching centext in ULIS-VNUH American Studies courses ince the early 1980s, there has been a growing interest in combining language and ` teaching. in the American context, programs, models, and approaches have proliftratcd in all Ievels of instruction, orcating various fons of incorporating language and content tcaching (Mct, 1991). In the mid 1990s in Europcan countrics, curicdum innovations have been directed toward the content and language integrated leaming approach, in which both curriculum content— e.g, science or geography — and Pingtish are taught together (Graddol, 2007). All these forms of incorporating language and content teaching fail under the heading of Content-based Instruction Overall, it is clear that the term CBI is commonly used to describe a curricula approach which seeks to integrate language and content instruction.
This paper thus adopts the view similar to that of Curtain and Pzsola (1994) in which CBI involves the euriculum concepts being taught through the foreign language, appropriate to the grade level of the students. Content Met (1999) proposes that ".content! in content-based programs represents material that is cognitively engaging and demanding for the learnsr, and is material that extends beyond the largel language or target cultwe*, This paper adopts the definitions of Met (1999), Curtain and Pesola (1994), which is most relevant to the research context.
