VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ---- ---- NGUYỄN THỊ HẰNG Effectiveness of Teaching Grammar with the Use of Dictogloss for Students of K37A Maths Class, at Hanoi College of Education: An Action Research Hiệu quả Dạy Ngữ pháp bằng Phương pháp Dictogloss cho Sinh viên lớp Sư phạm Toán 37A, Trường Cao đẳng Sư phạm Hà Nội: Nghiên cứu tác động (M.A THESIS) Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.111 HANOI - 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ---- ---- NGUYỄN THỊ HẰNG Effectiveness of Teaching Grammar with the Use of Dictogloss for Students of K37A Maths Class, at Hanoi College of Education: An Action Research Hiệu quả Dạy Ngữ pháp bằng Phương pháp Dictogloss cho Sinh viên lớp Sư phạm Toán 37A, Trường Cao đẳng Sư phạm Hà Nội: Nghiên cứu tác động (M.A THESIS) Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60. Ngô Hữu Hoàng HANOI - 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled: “Effectiveness of Teaching Grammar with the Use of Dictogloss for Students of K37A Maths Class, at Hanoi College of Education: An Action Research” submitted in partially fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA in English Language Teaching Methodology. Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis. Student‟s name Nguyễn Thị Hằng In my capacity as supervisor of the candiate‟s thesis, I certify that the above statements are true to the best of my knowledge.
Ngô Hữu Hoàng Hanoi, February 9, 2014 i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thesis cannot be completed without generous instructions and assistance of several people as follows: My first genuine thanks must be given to Dr. Ngo Huu Hoang, who guided me as a very dedicated instructor. He is the person who gives me suggestions for my paper‟s major as well as supplies me with various information sources. He was unfailingly available for my questions and concerns, and always ready with thoughtful suggestions and valuable insights.
With his special expertise, he provided me with expensive advice, encouragement, and careful guidance. I wish to acknowledge the support of all students in K37A Maths class for their continuous cooperation. Thanks to them, I was able to carry out my thesis and collect data. Last, much gratefulness is offered to Ms.
Nguyen Quynh Trang for her great enthusiasm and assistance during the very first stage as well as during the process of thesis development. Nguyen Thi Bich Lien and Ms. Hoang Kim Thu, two English lecturers at Hanoi College of Education, I appreciate their invaluable advice and recommendations for better implementation of Dictogloss in classroom. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This action research is aimed at examining the effects of dictogloss on the students‟ grammatical competence and motivation for learning grammar.
To fulfill this aim, 28 students of K37A Maths class and two teachers at Non- English major Division, HCE were choosen to take part in the 12-week research. Five instruments were employed, namely qualitative analysis of textbook, observation, tests (entry test, a pre-test and a post-test), questionnaires (a pre- questionnaire and a post questionnaire), and interviews in order to gather the data. The initial data indicated that the students‟ poor grammatical competence and low motivation in learning grammar may be attributed to their exposure of uninteresting and linear teaching method in the class. On the basis of the findings, it was hypothesized that “Applying dictogloss which can be appropriate for the students’ level would raise the students’ interest and grammatical competence”.
An evaluation of the action research study was made by comparing with the data collected by means of post-data collection instruments. The analysis revealed that the use of dictogloss in the grammar lessons improves not only their grammatical competence but also their attitudes towards learning grammar. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT: Communicative Language Teaching EFL: English as a Foreign Language ELT: English Language Teaching FonF: Focus on Form HCE: Hanoi College of Education L2: Second Language MA: Master of Arts SLA:Second Language Acquisition Ss: Students T: Teachers TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Basic procedure of dictogloss in class Table 2: Target grammatical points to be taught Table 3: Students‟ evaluation on topics Table 4: Comparison the students‟ performance in pre-test tasks Table 5: Students‟ responses on the importance of grammar Table 6: Students‟ responses to traditional grammar-teaching classes Table 7: Comparison the students‟ performance in post-test tasks Table 8: Comparison of students‟ performance on task 5 in pre and post-test Table 9: Students‟ attitudes to dictogloss technique v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF FIGURES Figure 1: Action research cycle Figure 2: Students' results of the entry test Figure 3: Students‟ results of the pre-test Figure 4: Teachers‟ usual way of teaching grammar in the previous semesters Figure 5: The results of the post-test Figure 6: Comparison of pre-test‟s and post-test‟s results Figure 7: Comparison of students‟ performance on task 1 in pre and post-test Figure 8: Comparison of students‟ performance on task 2 in pre and post-test Figure 9: Comparison of students‟ performance on task 4 in pre and post-test Figure 10: Students‟ evaluation on their grammar improvement Figure 11: Students‟ attitudes to learning grammar vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .III LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. IV LISTS OF FIGURES.
VI PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study.
Overview of the thesis. 5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Changing views of grammar Instruction. Ways of teaching grammar.
Principles of teaching grammar. Dictogloss and its relation with grammar teaching. Procedure of Dictogloss. Factors influencing learners‟ performance on Dictogloss.
19 vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Definition of motivation. Types of motivation. Roles of motivation in teaching and learning a language.
Factors affecting motivation. Definition of action research *. Rationale for choosing action research. Process of action research.
Participants of the study. Data Collection Instruments. Qualitative analysis of textbook “New English file – Pre-intermediate”. Procedure of dictogloss in class.
Basic procedure of dictogloss in class. Variations of dictogloss in class. 46 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. A Summary of Methodology.
46 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Analysis of the entry test. Analysis of Text book “New English Files – Pre-intermediate”. Data from the Pre-test.
Data from the pre-questionnaire. Data from the first interview for students. Data from the interview for teachers. Data from the Post-test.
Data from the post-questionnaire. Data from the post-interview for students. A summary of findings. Implications for teaching.
Suggestions for further study. 80 APPENDIX 2: OBSERVATION SHEET. I ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Grammar has long rooted in the curriculum of English Language Teaching (ELT), with no or very little introduction of speaking and listening.
From its first introduction, grammar was seen as “the center of language pedagogy” and teachers were encouraged to take as much grammar input to the students as possible (Nassaji, H and Fotos, S, 2011:2), so in general, the students were totally or mostly exposed to taught-in-isolation grammar lessons. By that way, they gradually felt demotivated in such traditional classes. By contrast, in the 1970s, the rise of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) led to a tendency of de-emphasizing the role of grammar in classes although it is believed to be “a means to improving master of the language” (Penny Ur, 1991:78). Many teachers are more likely to orient students to such English skills as speaking and listening.
Unfortunately, in the absence of grammar, it is hard for learners of English to acquire accuracy in producing English (Francis J. Teaching grammar, therefore, has become a challenging and boring task for many teachers and likewise learning grammar seems to be a burden for learners. Grammar lessons often go boring in English classes and achieve less efficiency. The context of Non-English major Division, at Hanoi College of Education (HCE) is not an exception.
Non-English major students are assessed to be poor at grammatical competence. Through long courses of grammar, they are still generally weak at producing the correct sentences using the perceived language points. In addition, they appear to express low interest in pure grammar lessons. Meanwhile, researchers reach a consensus that grammar is too important to be ignored; in absence of good knowledge of grammar, “learners‟ language development will be severely constrained” (Hedge, 2000).
It is also widely agreed by language practitioners and theoreticians on the significance of developing learners‟ 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com grammatical accuracy (Dickins & Woods, 1988 cited in Storch, 2001). That is why grammar is chosen to be focused at Non-English major Division, HCE. The tests for non-English major students at HCE are considerably composed of grammar items. Be aware of the situation, the researcher finds that there is a need for a teaching technique which could address the students‟ two primary problems: Poor grammatical competence and low motivation for learning grammar.
Teaching grammar in an interesting and communicative way has been always given some concern by the practitioners of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in general, and even the author of this study in particular. While many attempts have been given to this task, there is still room for more attention to innovative methods of grammar instruction which gives chance for learners to practice grammar via working on a combination of meaning and form which makes grammar learning more meaningful. Dictogloss, one of the recently-developed techniques, is introduced as an alternative method of teaching grammar (Wajnryb, 1990). It is claimed to encourage learners to concentrate on the form of language on basis of communication (Ellis, R, 2003:156–157).
This seems to be appropriate for its application into the English course at Non-English major Division, HCE because in the textbook “New English file – pre-intermediate”, it can be observed that each file centers on grammar section, on which almost other parts are based. This is the inspiration for the researcher to carry out the research entitled “Effectiveness of Teaching Grammar with the Use of Dictogloss for Students of K37A Maths Class, at Hanoi College of Education: An Action Research”. Aims of the study First and foremost, this study is aimed at empirically assessing the effectiveness of teaching grammar in K37A Maths class with the use of Dictogloss in terms of students‟ improvement in grammatical competence and their motivation for learning grammar. In light of the findings, seek possible pedagogical 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com recommendations with the hope of further enhancing the effective use of this technique in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes.
To fulfill the purposes above, this study will be conducted to address the two following research questions: 1. To what extent does dictogloss influence the students‟ grammatical competence? 2. How does it affect the students‟ motivation for learning grammar? 3. Scope of the study First, the scope of this research is confined in its population.
Only one non-English major class at HCE (consisting of 28 students) is investigated. Besides, the action research only covers several files (starting with file 7C) in New English File (pre-intermediate). The last file (file 9B) is obmitted because it is not perfectly suitable for the use of dictogloss (see timetable p. Additionally, it is quite complex.