VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST — GRADUATE STUDIES AN AA RRA Ki Ki Ki K NGUYEN TH] XOAN A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILL FACED BY NON-ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY Nghiên cứu về những khó khăn trong việc học kĩ năng nói của sinh viên không chuyên Tiêng Anh tại trường Dại học Công Nghiệp Hà Nội M. MINOR TH Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Hanoi — 2012 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, IIANOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST —- GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYEN THI XOAN A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILL FACED BY NON-ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS AT IIANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY Nghién ci vé nhiing khó khăn trong việc bục kĩ năng nói câu vinh riên không chuyên Tiêng Anh tại trường Đại học Công Nghiệp Hà Nội M. MINOR TIIESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 601410 Superviser: Pham Lan Anh, M.A Hanoi — 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS. DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT LIST OF ABBREVLATIONS.
LIST OF TABLES TABLE OF CONTENTS PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Aims of the study k 3. Scope of the study 4 Significance of the study 5. Methodology 6 Design of the study PARTB: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literature Review 1.1, Theoretical backgraund of Communicative language teaching (CLT) 1.
Concept of CLT 1. Characteristics of CLT 1. Concept of speaking Thore are quite many rescarches on Iearning English speaking skill and difficulties in learning this skill; however, there are still few researches about dilficullics in learning speaking skill by sludents al Hal, especially by non-Fnglish major students although it is a quite big university in Vietnam and the number of non-English major students is also quite large. Being an Inglish teacher for non- English major students at this university, I would like to carry out a research to find out the common difficulties in learning this skill by those students in order to help them ta imprave the situation in the next semesters as well as to help me and my colleagues lo improve our teaching These above facts have provoked me to conduct a research with the title: “A study on difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non- English major studeriis at Hanoi University of Industry” 2.
AIMS OF THE STUDY The study is carried out to find out non-English major students’ difficulties in leaming English speaking skill al Haro: University of Tudustry rom students and lecturers’ points of views. Then, some solutions will be generated from the lecturers at this university to overcome the problems. All these above aims can be realized by answering three [ollewing research questions 1. What arc the ifficultics cricountered by non-Euglish iajor students in learning English speaking skill trom lecturers’ opinions? 2.
What are the difficulties encountered by non-linglish major students in learning English speaking skill from students’ opinions? 3. What are suggested as solutions by lecturers for non-English major students to overcome those difficulties? 1. Characteristics of speaking 10 1. Teaching Speaking Skills in CLT approach i 1.
Teaching Speaking Skills in CLT approach i 1. The techniques in teaching speaking skills 13 1. Difficutties in learning speaking skill 15 1.1, Difficulties from teachers 15 1.2, Difficulties from students 1.3, Difficulties from objective factors Chapter 2: ‘The study 2. Description of the Enelish course and its objectives at HaUI 2.2, Description of the students at LlaUL 2.
Descriplion of the teachers al, HAUT 2.4, Data collection methods 2. Data analysis PART C: CONCLUSION 1, Summary of findings 2. Some suggestions to overcome students’ difficulties 2.1, Suggestions for teachers PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY Nowadays, in the trend of globalization, English has become an international language and has been widely used in many parts of the world With the development of modem scicuce and technology along with the integration policy, the need of learning English in Vietnam has been increasing day by day.
With the purpose of finding a good job with high salary or to study abroad, learners of English nowadays not only wish to master the grammar of the language to pass the exam at school but they also wish to develop their communication competence. However, they oflen get. info a lot of difficulties on the way mastering it The reasons may be that to speak a foreign language fluently is not easy and it takes a lot of time and effort. There are many factors such as: students’ motivation, students’ characteristics, leaming materials, teachers’ teaching methods, etc.
which affect students’ achievement in leaming Linglish speaking skill. The topic of difficulues in leaning English speaking has also altracted me since I began teaching English at [lanoi University of Industry (laUI). In the hope of helping students master English well to get a good job after graduation, the Faculty of English aL HaU has applied the communicative language (caching approach in teaching and leaming for both English-major and non-English-major studenls. Among four language skills (lislening, speaking, reading and writing), speaking is paid special attention, However, throughout my teaching for non- Unglish major students at this university, 1 realize that the speaking lessons are usually not really success(ul as expected because students have a lol of difficulties in leaming this skill.
Although students can do the grammar exercises very well, can master quite many new words and structures, they still cannot apply them in learning speaking skill very well. Thal is one of Ibe reasons why T wish {o carry oul a research to find out the common difficulties in learning speaking skill and some suggested solutions to the problem. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study aims al finding out the difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non-English major students at HaUl. ‘there are many types of difficulties that learners can meet when they study a foreign language.
Ilowever, due to the limitation of time and the narrow scale, the study only focuses on the most common difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry from the perspectives of students and teachers. Then, this study will also give out some suggested solulions generated from the teachers in the interview for students to overcome those difficulties and umprove their speaking shall. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Tn finding oul the difficulties of non-English major students in learning speaking Hnglish and some suggested solutions, it is hoped that the result of the study will somehow be used as reference to help students to Jean speaking skill better in the next semesters. In addition, the result of this study is also strongly believed to help me and my colleagues to better our own teaching at LlaUL, as well az those who are in charge of teaching English speaking skill to non-English major students at other universities and colleges in Vietnam with the same situation as at TIaUI.
Last but not least, this study is also hoped to contribute to recent Imowledge about difficulties in leaming speaking skill of non-English major students at IlaUL 1. Characteristics of speaking 10 1. Teaching Speaking Skills in CLT approach i 1. Teaching Speaking Skills in CLT approach i 1.
The techniques in teaching speaking skills 13 1. Difficutties in learning speaking skill 15 1.1, Difficulties from teachers 15 1.2, Difficulties from students 1.3, Difficulties from objective factors Chapter 2: ‘The study 2. Description of the Enelish course and its objectives at HaUI 2.2, Description of the students at LlaUL 2. Descriplion of the teachers al, HAUT 2.4, Data collection methods 2.
Data analysis PART C: CONCLUSION 1, Summary of findings 2. Some suggestions to overcome students’ difficulties 2.1, Suggestions for teachers 3. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study aims al finding out the difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non-English major students at HaUl. ‘there are many types of difficulties that learners can meet when they study a foreign language.
Ilowever, due to the limitation of time and the narrow scale, the study only focuses on the most common difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry from the perspectives of students and teachers. Then, this study will also give out some suggested solulions generated from the teachers in the interview for students to overcome those difficulties and umprove their speaking shall. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Tn finding oul the difficulties of non-English major students in learning speaking Hnglish and some suggested solutions, it is hoped that the result of the study will somehow be used as reference to help students to Jean speaking skill better in the next semesters. In addition, the result of this study is also strongly believed to help me and my colleagues to better our own teaching at LlaUL, as well az those who are in charge of teaching English speaking skill to non-English major students at other universities and colleges in Vietnam with the same situation as at TIaUI.
Last but not least, this study is also hoped to contribute to recent Imowledge about difficulties in leaming speaking skill of non-English major students at IlaUL PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY Nowadays, in the trend of globalization, English has become an international language and has been widely used in many parts of the world With the development of modem scicuce and technology along with the integration policy, the need of learning English in Vietnam has been increasing day by day. With the purpose of finding a good job with high salary or to study abroad, learners of English nowadays not only wish to master the grammar of the language to pass the exam at school but they also wish to develop their communication competence. However, they oflen get.
info a lot of difficulties on the way mastering it The reasons may be that to speak a foreign language fluently is not easy and it takes a lot of time and effort. There are many factors such as: students’ motivation, students’ characteristics, leaming materials, teachers’ teaching methods, etc. which affect students’ achievement in leaming Linglish speaking skill. The topic of difficulues in leaning English speaking has also altracted me since I began teaching English at [lanoi University of Industry (laUI).
In the hope of helping students master English well to get a good job after graduation, the Faculty of English aL HaU has applied the communicative language (caching approach in teaching and leaming for both English-major and non-English-major studenls. Among four language skills (lislening, speaking, reading and writing), speaking is paid special attention, However, throughout my teaching for non- Unglish major students at this university, 1 realize that the speaking lessons are usually not really success(ul as expected because students have a lol of difficulties in leaming this skill. Although students can do the grammar exercises very well, can master quite many new words and structures, they still cannot apply them in learning speaking skill very well. Thal is one of Ibe reasons why T wish {o carry oul a research to find out the common difficulties in learning speaking skill and some suggested solutions to the problem.
Thore are quite many rescarches on Iearning English speaking skill and difficulties in learning this skill; however, there are still few researches about dilficullics in learning speaking skill by sludents al Hal, especially by non-Fnglish major students although it is a quite big university in Vietnam and the number of non-English major students is also quite large. Being an Inglish teacher for non- English major students at this university, I would like to carry out a research to find out the common difficulties in learning this skill by those students in order to help them ta imprave the situation in the next semesters as well as to help me and my colleagues lo improve our teaching These above facts have provoked me to conduct a research with the title: “A study on difficulties in learning speaking skill faced by non- English major studeriis at Hanoi University of Industry” 2.