VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ HOA THE EXPLOITATION OF AUTHENTIC TASKS IN SPEAKING CLASSES FOR ENGLISH NON-MAJOR FRESHMEN AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY (NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC KHAI THÁC CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG THỰC TIỄN TRONG LỚP HỌC NÓI CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT KHỐI KHÔNG CHUYÊN ANH Ở TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI) M. Minor thesis Field: English teaching methodology Code: 601410 Hanoi, 2011 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ HOA THE EXPLOITATION OF AUTHENTIC TASKS IN SPEAKING CLASSES FOR ENGLISH NON-MAJOR FRESHMEN AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY (NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC KHAI THÁC CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG THỰC TIỄN TRONG LỚP HỌC NÓI CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT KHỐI KHÔNG CHUYÊN ANH Ở TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI) M. Minor thesis Field: English teaching methodology Code: 601410 Supervisor: Phạm Minh Tâm, M. Hanoi, 2011 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration …………………………………………………………………….
i Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………… ii Abstract ………………………………………………………………………. iii Table of contents ……………………………………………………………… iv List of abbreviations …………………………………………………………. vi List of figures, tables and charts ……………………………………………. vii PART A: INTRODUCTION ………………………………………….
Rationale for the Study………………………………………………………. Research Aims and Research Questions……………………………………. Significance of the Study……………………………………………………. Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………… 3 5.
Methodology of the Study …………………………………………………. Organization of the Study……………………………………………. 4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………. Communicative Language Teaching………………………………… 4 1.
Concepts of CLT………………………………………. Main characteristics of CLT ………………………………………. An overview of Task-based Language Teaching……………………. Definitions of a task ……………………………………………….
Components of a task ………………………………………………. Types of tasks………………………………………………………. General types of tasks…………………………………………. Authentic tasks versus pedagogical tasks…………………….
Definitions of TBLT………………………………………………… 8 1. Task-based Learning Framework…………………………………. Benefits of Task-based Language Teaching to learners…………. Challenges of implementing TBLT ………………………………… 12 1.
Definitions of speaking skill………………………………………. Teaching speaking skill in TBLT …………………………………. Authentic tasks in speaking classes ……………………………………. 15 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Common types of authentic tasks…………………………………. Criteria to identify authentic tasks…………………………………… 16 1. Conclusive remarks ………………………………………………………… 18 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ……………………………………. Teaching and learning facilities …………………………………….
English Course book for Non-major Freshmen……………………. Selection of the Participants…………………………………………. Procedure of data collection ……………………………………………. Procedure of data analysis ……………………………………………….
Conclusive remarks……………………………………………………… 24 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ……………. Summary of the study …………………………………………………. Limitations and suggestions for further research………………………. I Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire for teachers……………………………….
I Appendix 2: Informal Interviews for teachers…………………………………. V Appendix 3: Sample of Task-based Speaking Lesson ………………………… VI Appendix 4: Classroom Observation sheets……………………………………. IX LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HaUI: Hanoi University of Industry EFL: English as a Foreign Language TBLT: Task-based Language Teaching TBL: Task-based Learning CLT: Communicative Language Teaching CC: Communicative Competence CA: Communicative Approach LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vii LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS Page Figure 1: A framework for analyzing communicative tasks……………………. 7 Figure 2: Task-based Learning Framework…………………………………….
10 Table 1: Common types of authentic tasks ……………………………………. 16 Table 2: Teachers’ profiles……………………………………………………. 21 Table 3: Teachers’ perceptions of speaking skill and the exploitation of authentic tasks in speaking classes………………………………………. 28 Chart 1: Teachers' perceptions of tasks & TBLT……………………………….
26 Chart 2: Teachers' perceptions of authentic tasks………………………………. 27 Chart 3: Teachers' perceptions of benefits of authentic tasks…………………… 30 Chart 4: Teachers’ ways of dealing with speaking activities in the text book……………………………………………………………………………. 31 Chart 5: Teachers' favorite techniques embedded in exploiting authentic tasks……………………………………………………………………………… 34 Chart 6: Students’ response to the tasks as perceived by the teachers…………. 35 Chart 7: Teachers' difficulties in exploiting authentic tasks to teach speaking….
36 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1 PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale for the Study Speaking is regarded as one of the key outputs for English learners. Of all the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), speaking seems the most important one. Classroom activities that develop learners‟ ability to express themselves through speech would therefore seem an important component in any language courses.
People are not able to communicate in English if they cannot deliver their messages and make themselves understood. Many Vietnamese university students, especially at HaUI, learn English as their foreign language without their motivation since they have few opportunities to practice communicating in the target language. It is understandable that they have hardly learnt English as a tool of communication but a university subject. In many universities as well as in HaUI, English is normally taught for students to help them deal with tests, exams rather than for communication.
Grammar- oriented teaching methods seem to be prevalent in most language classes. Therefore, English skills though scheduled in the textbooks, are not paid much attention to. Students are supposed to learn English by exercise completion, but not gaining much for using English as a tool of communication. In recent years, the communicative approach in language teaching has become more and more predominant.
However, the real outcomes prove to be a matter of concern of all language teachers and learners. The fact is that a lot of learners‟ linguistic performance is quite good in class learning, but when they engage in real-life communication in which the target language is used, they seem to be hindered by many factors such as lack of communication skills, inappropriate responses and so on. They really find it difficult to express with a “real” situation. Such matters may rest with many reasons including classroom methodology, teaching materials, teacher‟s proficiency as well as speaking activities.
Among which, speaking activities play the crucial role in motivating and getting students involved in the lesson, then in helping them achieve the goal of using the target language in real-life communication. Things considered, EFL teachers share an agreement that it is essential to exploit communicative speaking activities which are close to real life situations with hope to overcome these current situations. In an attempt to grapple with the problem, the use of Task-based method has been recommended in teaching speaking at HaUI. In the literature, there were few studies related to exploitation of authentic tasks in teaching speaking despite numerous studies were implemented on TBLT.
What‟s more, no previous LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 2 studies have been conducted about the exploitation of authentic tasks in English speaking classes at the university where the author is teaching. All of the mentioned conditions, henceforward, have paved the way for the author to carry out a research on “The Exploitation of Authentic Tasks in Speaking Classes for English Non-major Freshmen at Hanoi University of Industry”. It is conducted in an attempt to address the gap in the literature and to offer an insight of the reality of teaching speaking with the exploitation of authentic tasks to English Non-major Freshmen at HaUI. Additionally, some suggestions of exploiting authentic tasks effectively to teach speaking skills will be given with the hope of providing useful source and reference for teachers at HaUI in particular and for all teachers of English in general to motivate their dear students in English speaking lessons.
Last but not least, it is expected that the research would make a certain contribution to the improvement of teaching speaking skills for the first-year English non-major students at HaUI. Research Aims and Research Questions This study is carried out with the wish of achieving following aims: - To investigate the teachers‟ perceptions of the exploitation of authentic tasks in English speaking classes - To find out the extent to which authentic tasks are exploited in TBL framework in English speaking lessons - To explore the difficulties as perceived by the teachers when they exploit authentic tasks in English speaking lessons In order to achieve the above-mentioned aims, the following research questions were raised: 1. What are the teachers‟ perceptions of the exploitation of authentic tasks in teaching speaking? 2. To what extent are authentic tasks exploited in TBL framework in English speaking classes by the teachers? 3.
What are the challenges as perceived by the teachers when authentic tasks are exploited in speaking classes? 3. Significance of the Study This study helps point out the teachers‟ perceptions towards authentic tasks and its exploitation in teaching speaking skills. Particularly, this study is carried out with the hope to provide an insight into current teaching situation in English speaking lessons to teach English Non-major Freshmen at HaUI. Hopefully, the findings and recommendations of this study will be of some help for both teachers and students of English in the process of LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 3 teaching and learning speaking skills.
The results of this study may also be useful for those who are interested in this field. Scope of the Study Due to time constraint as well as the author‟s ability and working conditions, the study is restricted to mention the exploitation of authentic tasks in teaching speaking. Furthermore, perceptions and exploitation of authentic tasks are revealed on the part of teachers who have been teaching English non-major freshmen at HaUI in the school year 2010-2011. Methodology of the Study To reach the aims of this study, both qualitative and quantitative approaches are made used of.
Data are collected from questionnaire, informal interviews and classroom observation. The quantitative data collected from survey questionnaire were then analyzed statistically, while qualitative data were obtained from informal interviews and class observation. Informal interviews were carried out to supplement the survey questionnaire. Class observation is employed to get better insight of the reality of exploiting authentic tasks in speaking lessons.
The validity of the study is ensured with the main instrument classroom observations. Hopefully, with the combination of the three methods, the study would yield reliable and valid findings. Organization of the Study The thesis consists of three main parts: the Introduction which provides an overview of the study, the Development which is the main part and consists of 3 chapters, and the Conclusion which includes summary of the study, implications, limitations and suggestions for further study. Three chapters in the main part are as follows: - Chapter 1: Literature review sets up theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study.
- Chapter 2: Methodology gives detailed presentation about the methods and procedures of the study such as participant selection, data collection methods, data analysis methods and so on. - Chapter 3: Findings and discussions show the data collected from the survey questionnaires, the interviews and observation. Also, the data will be discussed in this chapter to find out the answer to the research questions. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 4 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter will briefly present a theoretical background of the study with the reexamination of the concepts most relevant to the thesis‟s topic.
Firstly, a general introduction of CLT will be given. Secondly, the overall perspectives of TBLT will be discussed. Thirdly, an account of teaching speaking skills in Task-based Approach will be mentioned. Finally, common authentic task types and criteria to identify authentic tasks will be referred to in speaking classes.
Communicative language teaching (CLT) 1. Concepts of CLT CLT appearing in the 1960s and 1970s is an outcome of more attention to learners‟ effective and appropriate use of language learnt. It is a prominent theoretical model in English language teaching (ELT) and is widely accepted nowadays as one of the effective approaches. According to Nunan (1989) “CLT views language as a system for the expression of meaning.
Activities involve oral communication, carrying meaningful tasks, and using language, which is meaningful to the learners. Objectives reflect the needs of the learners; they include functional skills as well as linguistic objectives. The learner‟s role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teacher‟s role is as a facilitator of the communication process.
Materials promote communicative language use; they are task based and authentic” (p.