STIMULATING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION A CURRICULUM INNOVATION STUDY IN A VIETNAMESE CONTEXT Cover design: Pharos/Monique van Hootegem Printed by PrintPartner Ipskamp B., Amsterdam ISBN 90-78087-01-3 This publication was partly supported by grants from the NUFFIC MHO 4 Project and the Graduate School of Teaching and Learning, University of Amsterdam. STIMULATING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION A CURRICULUM INNOVATION STUDY IN A VIETNAMESE CONTEXT ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus Prof. van der Heijden ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Aula (Doelenzaal) der Universiteit op donderdag 29 september 2005, te 13.00 uur door Trinh Quoc Lap geboren te Can Tho, Vietnam Promotiecommissie Promotor: Prof. Rijlaarsdam Overige leden: Mw.
ten Dam (UvA) Mw. van der Linden (UvA) Prof. van Essen (RUG) Prof. Westhoff (UU) Faculteit Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen Het promotieonderzoek is voorbereid aan het Instituut voor de Lerarenopleiding van de Universiteit van Amsterdam TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: The Vietnamese context of teaching and learning English 9 Chapter 3: Stimulating learner autonomy 23 Chapter 4: Learner autonomy and communicative competence: parameters 37 for a curriculum Chapter 5: The intended curriculum 57 Chapter 6: Research methodology: an introduction to the two empirical 69 experiments Chapter 7: The implementation of the intended curriculum 85 Chapter 8: The implementation of the task-based component in the adapted 119 curriculum Chapter 9: The effects of the intended and adapted curriculum 143 Chapter 10: Summary and discussion 169 References 181 Appendices 189 Summary in Dutch 219 Curriculum vitae 223 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many have contributed to the completion of this book, in many different ways.
Working on this study, in a new environment, was made possible with the help and support of many persons. I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor and promoter, Prof. Dr Gert Rijlaarsdam. Dear Gert, thank you very much for accepting me as your Ph.
When I started this research project, I had no knowledge and experi- ences of doing any empirical research. You have helped me see how to become a researcher and how to cooperate with other researchers. I appreciate your supervi- sion. You spent your valuable time during your weekends and vacations reading and giving me your feedback on the drafts of sections and chapters in this book.
I re- member well the question you often asked me, “Does it ring a bell for you, Lap?” when you wanted to make sure that the issue under discussion was clear to me. You set a good example of a very responsible supervisor to me. At the start of the first experiment in Can Tho in November 2002, you arranged your time and made an ultimate short visit to Vietnam, just to make sure that all research activities were going fine. During the past years working on this research, I have gone through good and bad times.
You have been always there to support me, “Be strong, Lap”. With- out your support, this book would not have been completed. My special thanks also go to Hetty Rijlaarsdam for her hospitality and kindness. I acknowledge Dr Peter Bimmel who supervised the theoretical background of this research.
Dear Peter, what a luck I had to meet your expertise in learner auton- omy and foreign language methodology. Thank you so much for your supervising, reading and giving me valuable feedback on the theoretical chapters of my book. My special thanks go to Martine Yates MA for all her work checking and making pro- posals on improving the English language used in this book. Dear Martine, working with me, you encouraged me to trust myself that I could become a better writer in English.
My thanks go to Nuffic from which I was granted the fellowship to conduct this research. I am thankful to Prof. Dr Le Phuoc Loc, Drs Willem Bustraan, Drs Riny van Krieken, Dr Jan Beenakker, Truong Vo Dung MA and Bui Anh Kiet MA the steering MHO4 committee members who created the opportunity and supported my work on this project. Dear Dr Loc, thank you very much for your feedback on my initial research proposal.
Your feedback helped me gain insight into improving that version of the proposal so that I could be accepted as a Ph.D student at the Graduate School of Teaching and Learning (ILO, UvA). Dear Willem and Riny, I highly ac- knowledge all the work arrangements you did concerning my project research and the time you spent for and on me during my stay in the Netherlands. Be advised that I have made the best out of this opportunity. I enjoyed the good time being with your families.
I would like to send my hearty thanks to both of you and to Bep Har- skamp, Philip Warners, Marijn Warners, and Roemer Warners who made my time in Holland more pleasant. Dear Jan, thank you for your hospitality and the nice time I had with you, your wife and your relatives. I am indebted to Huynh Trung Tin MA who helped to create the opportunity for me to work on this project and made a good set-up for my first experiment in Viet- nam. I appreciate my American friends Peggy Williams and Rachel Smith who fully supported me as a candidate to this research project.
I would like to thank Prof. Dr Pepi Leistyna from UMass Boston for his support and the materials concerning his Ph.D proposal at the first stage of my research project. I am indebted to Prof. Daniel Wessner for his mental support, valuable advises and discussions on the quality of the textbook series Interactions and Mosaic.
I appreciate the help of Dr Anne Bannink. Dear Anne, thank you very much for your tutorials on foreign language methodology, your feedback on the draft of the experimental curriculum module and sharing and understanding my project. I am indebted to Drs Stan Frijters for sharing his research project and giving me valuable advice on my project. My thanks go to Prof.
Dr Martin Goedhart who shared with me his work and experiences in innovation the curriculum of the College of Science at Can Tho University. I acknowledge Dr Tanja Janssen for her time reading and giving feedback on the draft of the curriculum used in my first experiment. My thanks go to Dr Sarah Blom for sharing her experiences with the self-regulated and intrinsic motivation questionnaires and providing me with these questionnaires. I am indebted to Drs Peter de Goeje and Drs Arend van Leeuwen.
I would like to thank them for their understanding and sharing. Dear Peter, thank you for being a wise advisor to me. Dear Arend, thank you for your work with all kinds of paper- work concerning my stay in the Netherlands. The people working at the INS and the health insurance company will miss your voice! I acknowledge Prof.
Dr Geert ten Dam and Prof. Dr Bernadette van Hout- Wolters for their support and kindness to me. I enjoy the cooperative working cli- mate at the ILO. I am thankful to the committee members for their reading and pro- posing improvements in this book.
My special thanks go to the teachers and colleagues at the English Department, CTU who helped me in either running the experiments or collecting the data: Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy MA, Duong Thi Phi Oanh MA., Bui Lan Chi MA., Bui Minh Chau MA., Vuong Le Thien Thanh MA., Luong Le Thuc Trinh BA., Dao Phong Lam BA., Nguyen Thai Huu BA., Tran Mai Hien, Phuong Hoang Yen BA., Nguyen Van Loi BA, Luu Hoang Anh BA., Huynh Trong Nghia BA., Bui Thi Hong Anh BA. Dear teachers and colleagues, I appreciate your cooperation. I would like to thank all teachers at the English Department, Can Tho University who gave me their generous support during my project. I also like to say thanks to all students who participated in the two experiments of this study.
My thanks go to Prof. Dr Le Quang Minh, Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chau Van Luc MA, Nguyen Hoang Vinh MA., Do Xuan Thang MA., Dr Huynh Thanh Ai, Thai Cong Dan MA., Truong Kim Ngan BA., and Nguyen Hoang Hanh BA. who sup- ported me with huge piles of paperwork concerning my stay in the Netherlands. I appreciate insightful talks with Dr Bui thi Buu Hue.
Dear chi Hue, when we go back to Can Tho, we will miss the time we wandered along the streets in Amster- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS dam. I owe Dr Nguyen Huu Khanh for supporting me with materials relating to SPSS. I would like to express my special thanks to chi Tran thi Thanh for her kind- ness and good advises. Dear chi Thanh, you are a very nice lady! I like to thank chi Mai Bekelaar for her care and help.
I will miss your cheerfulness, chi Mai. My thanks go to Duong Thanh Loan, Casper Kleive and Duong Kieu Anh for the nice time we had. I would like to send my special thanks to Huynh Kim Lien MSc., Dr Nguyen Hong Nam, Nguyen Vinh An MSc. and Chau Xuan Phuong BSc.
who inspired me much during the past years. I like to thank Msc. Nguyen Thanh Thuy for sharing with me her experiences of doing research. I acknowledge Drs Nghiem Lien Huong, Drs Bui thi Thanh Thuy, Drs Phan Diep Tu and Drs Le Hong Thai for their friendli- ness and sharing.
Many Dutch colleagues contributed to the completion of this book. I would like to acknowledge my PhD fellows at the GTSL, some of whom graduated during the period I worked at the GSTL: Drs Patrick Sins, Drs Marleen Kieft, Dr Martine Bra- aksma, Dr Hein Broekkamp, Drs Jaap Schuitema, Drs Nadira Saab, Drs Monique Pijls and Drs Anne Toorenaar. Dear Patrick, thank you so much for being a very nice office-mate during my first seven months at the ILO. Dear Marleen, thank you very much for your sharing with me in good and bad times.
I enjoy the talks we had. Dear Martine, I appreciate your time reading, giving your feedback and improving the layout of this book. Thank you for all the references you recommended to me, Hein. Dear Jaap, Nadira, Monique and Anne, thank you for your sharing with me.
I appreciate the nice talks I had with Dr Rijkje Dekker. Dear Rijkje, I will miss your smile! I would like to express my gratitude to Pauline Lusink, Jeroen de Groot, Anita Remmers, Drs. Mariëlle de Reuver, Anne-Martine Gielis, Bas Heerschop and Bert den Hartog for their generous assistance. My special thanks go to Petra Wild- bret who did most correspondences with the committee members concerning the date of my promotion.
I am thankful to Rob Wenders for his friendliness and help- fulness in keeping me informed of news on the work schedule. I appreciate the nice social talks with Kim van Winsen and Nico de Reus. I thank Mariëlle de Reuver for her help with the layout of my book. I would also like to express my thanks to my two paranymphs: Dr Martine Braaksma and Drs Marleen Kieft.
I am very thankful to Drs Abdu Idrissi and Glenn Sabajo for the good friendship. Dear Abdu and Glenn, thank you for being good listeners and wise advisors to me. You are a big source of mental support to me. Dear Glenn, I like to say thanks for the hospitality of your family.
My deep thanks go to Martha Carnie and Robert Carnie for their interest in my work and their care and love to me. Dear Martha and Bob, I acknowledge your visit to me in Holland.