VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES --------------- HOW TO IMPROVE THE SELF-STUDY OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH NON-MAJORED STUDENTS AT VAN HIEN UNIVERSITY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) Submitted by DÖÔNG TRAÀN THY DIEÃM Supervisor TOÂ MINH THANH, Ph. Ho Chi Minh City, December 2005 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY OF MASTER’S THESIS I certify my authorship of the Master’s thesis submitted today entitled: HOW TO IMPROVE THE SELF-STUDY OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE ENGLISH NON-MAJORED STUDENTS AT VAN HIEN UNIVERSITY In terms of the statement of requirements for thesis in Master’s program issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Department of English Linguistics and Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City, December 2005 DUONG TRAN THY DIEM RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Duong Tran Thy Diem, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) accepts the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s thesis deposited in the library. In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the library for the care, loan or reproduction of the thesis.
Ho Chi Minh City, December 2005 Signature. DUONG TRAN THY DIEM ABBREVIATIONS CUP: Cambridge University Press EFL: English as a Foreign Language HCMC: Ho Chi Minh City L2: Foreign Language/ Second Language NXB: Nhaø xuaát baûn OUP: Oxford University Press VHU: Van Hien University VOA: Voice of America ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. To Minh Thanh for her generous assistance and great devotion to guiding me through the preparation and completion of this thesis over a long period of time. Without her whole-hearted guidance and enthusiastic encouragement, I could not have finished the thesis.
She was always with me, critically read my manuscript and made constructive observations to help me reflect on my problems. For creating favorable conditions for my fulfillment of my academic work, I am indebted to Senior Lecturer Nguyen Huynh Dat, M., Dean of Department of English Linguistics and Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities. For dedication and helpful instructions during the three-year TESOL course, I am grateful to all my teachers. For help with the data collection for the study, I wish to acknowledge the support and cooperation of my teacher colleagues and pre-intermediate English non-majored students of Van Hien University.
For help with reference works, I express thanks to the staff members of the English Research Center of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Mr. Philip Nash, Head Trainer of the TESOL certificate course of the TEFL International English Language school, Ms Tran Thoai Lan, and numerous others. Finally, my special mention must go to my family and my steady friends for their love, understanding, sympathy and constant encouragement which have been a motivational inspiration to me. ABSTRACT This thesis aims at discovering the current state of self-study in the L2 field experienced by the pre-intermediate English non-majored students at Van Hien University, raising their awareness about how they have been learning English on their own and helping them find more effective ways of working so that they can continue to undertake their L2 learning efficiently and usefully even when they are away from their teacher and the classroom.
To this end, data for the investigation were collected through two types of instruments: a questionnaire administered to 160 pre-intermediate English non-majored students and a semi-structured interview carried out with 15 teachers who have been in charge of general English classes at pre- intermediate level. Such a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of survey is likely to increase the validity and reliability of the results of the study. The data analysis of the two sources of information has brought to light the reality that the students’ weaknesses in self-study stem from three main factors: (1) low level of motivation; (2) poor study habits, and (3) lack of energy and perseverance to overcome difficulties in study. On the basis of these significant findings, the study suggests the integration of the recommendations about how to refine self-study into classroom activities as an integral part of the English course.
Along with language learning, the students are trained to use a number of self-help techniques and the power of imagination to develop: • An effective system for self-motivation for learning English; • A regular routine of study based on long-term plans and weekly study schedules; • A repertoire of judicious learning strategies workable for their own situation; • Enough energy and perseverance to overcome difficulties in study. Being equipped with these fundamentals, the students are supposed to carry out their self-study successfully and thus become effective learners of English. LIST OF TABLES Chapter 4 Table 4.1 Summary of sample characteristics .2 Learning English is one of the students’ great needs .3 Students’ reasons for learning English .4 Value of self-study .5 Students with and without plans and schedules for self-study .6 Students’ ways of self-study with a regular routine .7 Students’ ways of self-study without a regular routine .8 Students’ after class self-study time spent on various sections of an English lesson officially given in class .9 Students’ self-study ways of learning grammar .10 Students’ self-study ways of learning vocabulary .11 Students’ self-study ways of improving listening skills .12 Students’ self-study ways of improving speaking skills .13 Students’ self-study ways of improving reading skills .14 Students’ self-study ways of dealing with a reading text written in English .15 Students’ self-study ways of improving writing skills .16 Students’ difficulties in self-study .61 LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 4 Figure 4.1 Percentage of students’ attending high schools in a city and in a small province .2 Students’ reasons for learning English .3 Percentage of students with and without plans and schedules for self-study .4 Students’ ways of self-study with or without a regular routine .5 Students’ after class self-study time spent on various sections of an English lesson officially given in class .52 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Certificate of originality .i Retention and use of the thesis .v List of tables .vii List of figures .viii Table of contents .1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .2 AIMS OF THE STUDY AND STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS .2 Chapter 1: BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .1 TERMINOLOGY RELATED TO SELF-STUDY AREA .2 OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL ENGLISH COURSE AT VHU .3 LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING SITUATION AT VHU .7 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF SELF-STUDY .1 LEARNING HOW TO LEARN A LANGUAGE .2 LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH AND SELF-STUDY TRAINING .2 VALUE OF SELF-STUDY .1 SUCCESSES AS AUTONOMOUS LEARNERS.2 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SELF-STUDY .3 FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS IN AUTONOMOUS LANGUAGE LEARNING .3 ENERGY AND PERSEVERANCE .40 Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .1 ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE .2 STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SELF-STUDY AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS L2 LEARNING .3 STUDENTS’ SELF-STUDY HABITS .2 ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW .1 TEACHERS’ ROLE IN INSPIRING THEIR STUDENTS’ SELF- STUDY .2 BENEFITS OF SELF-STUDY .3 REASONS FOR STUDENTS’ WEAKNESSES IN SELF-STUDY .4 TEACHING L2 LEARNING METHODS TO STUDENTS .5 DEALING WITH THE “REFLECTING ON LEARNING” SECTION IN LIFELINES PRE-INTERMEDIATE .6 ENHANCING STUDENTS’ CAPACITY AND DESIRE FOR SELF-STUDY .73 Chapter 5: IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .1 DEVELOPING MOTIVATION AND INTEREST IN L2 LEARNING .2 LEARNING HOW TO LEARN SUCCESSFULLY .3 TEACHER-STUDENT PARTNERSHIP .4 LEARNING CONSCIOUSLY AND UNCONSCIOUSLY .1 HOW TO DEVELOP MOTIVATION AND INTEREST .3 GOOD LEARNING STRATEGIES .4 ENERGY AND PERSEVERANCE .93 APPENDIX 1: The students’ questionnaire (in Vietnamese) .100 APPENDIX 2: The students’ questionnaire (in English) .106 APPENDIX 3: The teachers’ semi-structured interview(in Vietnamese) 111 APPENDIX 4: The teachers’ semi-structured interview (in English) .113 APPENDIX 5: A photocopied chapter from How to study .115 APPENDIX 6: A photocopied chapter from Effective study skills .120 INTRODUCTION The vast majority of students who receive their formal education at college or university have to undertake two main types of learning: classroom learning and self-study (also called autonomous learning) outside the classroom. The former takes place under a teacher’s guidance whereas the latter provides the learners with opportunities to work independently in their own way and at their own pace.
This project addresses the second type of learning which has been experienced by pre-intermediate English non-majored students at Van Hien University (abbreviated to VHU). Presented in the very beginning is the problem that initiates the study together with its aims and the structure of the thesis.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM After three years working as a teacher of English at VHU, I was assigned to be in charge of three different classes at the pre-intermediate level of English. The students of the three classes were freshmen and sophomores of both sexes, aged between 18 and 25 and majoring in various fields. They had just finished the elementary level in English and thus felt the need to study more to pass the B certificate of English to meet the foreign language requirement for their graduation.
In addition, they also wanted to develop their English well enough to look for a good job after graduation. To fulfill my duty as a teacher, I have spent a lot of time studying both traditional and recent approaches to foreign language teaching and selecting valuable ideas from various sources in order to create my own repertoire of techniques and activities to suit my real teaching situation. In addition to my flexible application of techniques and activities to motivate the students and to help them develop their positive attitudes towards learning English inside the classroom, I have also encouraged the students to raise their sense of initiative in studying outside the classroom because, in my belief, individual students’ efforts still have a large part to play in making their learning successful. To be good at English, students are supposed to apply suitable methods to study more besides their class work.
As Nunan (1991: 180) pointed out: “Developing skills in learning how to learn and activating one’s language knowledge outside the classroom seem to be particularly important.” Unfortunately, in the educational system of Vietnam, the mastery of effective methods of studying a foreign language has not been emphasized in colleges and universities. Pre-intermediate English non-majored students at VHU share the same shortcoming: most of them have neglected to find ways of improving English themselves because they are heavily dependent on the teacher for their progress in learning the target language. The promotion of the students’ capacity for self-study has been overlooked. In such a situation it is clear that these students need to be equipped with necessary tools to become autonomous learners so that they may undertake their own learning effectively.
To meet this demand, this study is an attempt to help students achieve their success in learning English especially via their self-study.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY AND STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS This study aims at (1) seeking evidence to demonstrate that the students’ effective self-study contributes a great deal to their success in language learning, (2) discovering the problems of learning English outside the classroom facing pre- intermediate English non-majored students at VHU, and (3) providing suggestions about how to improve the students’ capacity for autonomous learning. With this end in view, an investigation was carried out via (1) a questionnaire to ask 160 students about their self-study attitudes and habits, and (2) a semi-structured interview with 15 teachers to find their views on the issues closely related to self-study.