VIETNAM NATIONAT, UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES. XI EM Đ EOE PHUNG THI HUYEN ‘TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ENGLISH: ASLRVEY AT HA NAM ‘TEACHERS’ ‘TRAINING COLLEGE QUAN DIEM CUA GIAO VIEN VA SINH VIEN VE VIEC SU DUNG NGU LIEU NGUYEN GOC TRONG VIEC GIANG DAY TIENG ANH: MỘT KHẢO SÁT TẠI TRƯỜNG CÁO ĐĂNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Ficld: Knglish Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 TIANOI - 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAT, UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES. AROSE ER HOR IORI IEA EI PHUNG THI HUY TEACIIERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ENGLISH: A SURVEY AT HA NAM TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE QUAN DIEM CUA GIAO VIEN VA SINII VIEN VE VIEC SU DUNG NGU LIEU NGUYEN GOC TRONG VIEC GIANG DAY TIENG ANIL MOT KHAO SAT TAL TRUONG CAO DANG SU’ PHAM HA NAM.
MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc. Lé Van Canh HANOT - 2017 DECLARATION I declare that the thesis entitled “Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on using authontic materials in teaching English: A survey al Ha Nam ‘Teachers’ ‘lraining College” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Masler of Arts at Universily of Languages and International Studies, Victnam National University, and that this thesis has not been submitted for any other degree. Hanoi, 2017 Phing ‘Thi Huyễn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the study could not have been fulfilled without the help, encouragement and support of a number of people. First and foremost, | am thankful to to my supervisor, Dr.
L@ Van Canh for his never ending support and valuable guidance during this process Without his continual micrest and cncouragement, this thesis would not have been completed, Second, I would like to take the chance to express my great attitude to our teachers at the Facully of Postgraduaic Studies of Vicinam National University, University of Languages and International Studies for providing with the precious knowledge from their practical and helpful lectures. Resides, I prcatly approciate my colleagues and the participants in my research because of their generosity in giving me time and suggestion. Finally, T wish to thank my families, without whose love and support this study could hardly become a reality. ABSTRACT This study provides an overview of the current literature aud a survey of teachers’ and students’ perspectives on using authentic materials.
This paper mainly aims to (1) explore teachers’ perceptions towards the advantages and challenges of the use of anthentic materials, (2) explore students’ perceptions towards the use of anthentic materials, and (3) investigate the difference between learners’ and teachers” perspectives on autheutic materials, There were 93 students aud L1 teachers participating in the study. Findings [rom the descriptive statistics and content analysis were analyzed based on the questionnaire and semi- structured interview. The results of the study suggested that the general perspectives of the participants ou authentic materials were strongly positive. The study concludes with some implicatious for classroom use and further research.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration. Table of contents Tasts of abbreviations List of tables. Objectives of the researc 1. Organization of the study CILAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.
Definition: What arc authentic matcrials’?. Advantages of using authentic materials in teaching English 2. Developing language skills 2. Exposing learners to real language 2.
Developing intercullural communicative compotunce 2. Challenges of using authentic materials in teaching English 2. Teachers’and students’ perspectives toward authentic 20 materials 2. cece ee cece eee e eee nee eee eee 26 3.
che nhehhhhhhHhenredeerree 26 mo. Semi-structured Interviews 27 3. The reliability of students’ questionnaire 28 3.- cà Server re 29 3. Data Analysis CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS `).
The results 0Ÿ s(uden(s” quesliunnair€. Students’ perspectives on the benefils of using authentic 30 material 4. Students” perspectives on the challenges of using authentic 31 materials 4. Students’ perspectives on how to use authentic materials 4.
Students” InI€TVIEWS. nen nhe He. Discussions CHAPTER §: CONCLUSIONS 5. Implications for classroom use of authentic materials 5.
Limitations and suggestions for further study. APPENDICES LISTS OF TABLES Table 1: Rules of thumb for Cronbach Alpha Table 2: Cronbach alpha’s students’ questionaire ‘Table 3: Students’ questionnaire’s Corrected Item-Total Correlation Table 4: Students’ perspectives on the benefits of using authentic materials Table $: Students’ perspectives on the challenges of using authentic materials ‘Table 6: Students’ perspectives on how to use authentic materials vi LIST OF ABBRIVIATION EFL : English as Foreign Language HTTC: Ha Nam Teachers’ Training College vil CITAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the rationale, objectives, research questions, scope, and methods of the study. Also, it presents the structure of the study 1. Rationale Teaching materials play an important role in teaching Iearning process According to Grave (2000), using materials is identified as one of the most important aspects in designing a language course.
For this reason, teachers rely on a different range of materials to support their teaching and their students leaming. There has been considerable discussion about the use of authentic matcrials and demand for authentic material is getting stronger. Authentic materials have proved useful in fulfilling the goal of communication of learning foreign languages and the needs of the students. In addition, these materials facilitate and support the teaching-learnimg process Epstein & Ormiston (2007) believe that a teaching material is a tangible factor which a teacher can use to deliver mstruction and assist students in learning and acquiring a language.
It is belicved thal using authentic materials correspond the mastery of four skills, make students to produce grammatical sentences and enable students to function the language effectively in appropriate context and society. Harmer (1991) states that, despite many textbooks’ use of non-authentic materials to practice specific language points. only authentic materials will genuinely improve listening and reading skills. Similarly, Allen et al.
(1988, as cited m Baird, 2004) maintain that the strategies students develop in comprehending authentic texts can help them develop writing proficiency in the target language Tn order to help the students communicate effectively, students must be exposed to real life communication activities. In ather word, the purpose of activities in class should be the same in real life and there must be relationship between classroom aclivilics and real life. Authentic matcrials are very uselul for this purpose. Opp-Beckman (2003) also advocates some reasons for using aulhenlis materials in the classroom.
The author gacs on lo propose that authentic materials cnahle leamer to hear, read, and produce language as they are used in target culture. Authentic materials are also interesting and motivating. By using authentic materials, learners can develop survival language skills and learn tolerance for regarding things they do not understand. Some previous researches mainly explore either students’ attitude or teachers’ attitude about the use of the authentic matcrial in teaching, yet there are still only a few studies in which investigate both viewpoints, the leamers” and the teachers’.
It is true that when planning the materials for learning a foreign language, the opinions and thoughts of both teachers and students should naturally be taken into account since they know what the best way to teach and leam is. The teachers and students are the ones who use the materials on a daily basis and know what works and what does not. In my study, I will take into account teachers’ and students’perspectives and make differences belween them with a view to draw reliable conclusions on the matter of the use of authentic materials in the foreign language classrooms. Objectives of the research Objectives of this study are v To explore teachers’ perspectives on the use of authentic materials y ‘To explore students’ perspectives on the use of authentic materials v To identify the differences between teachers’ and students’ perspectives toward the use of authentic materials, if any 1.
Research questions Base on the objectives of the study, the study try to look for answers to the following questions 1. What do Leavhers think of the benefits and challenges of authentic materials to students’ learning? 2. What do students think of the benclils and challenges of authenuc materials to their learning? 3. Is there a gap between teachers’ and students’ perspectives on authentic materials? And what docs the gap imply for classroom usc of authentic materials’? 1.
Organization of the study This paper consists of five chapters. Hach chapter discusses as follows Chapter T - Introduction introduces the rationale of the study, and the objectives of the research and the research questions. The chapter ends with the organization of the thesis Chapler II - The Literature Review- reviews the relevant literature in an attempt to develop the theoretical framework for the study. It contains the definition of authentic materials, the benefits of authentic materials, the challenges of using authentic malenals, the lachers and students’ perspectives on authentic matorials and a review of previous studies Chapter III is Rescarch Methodology.
It presents the methad of the research. Also included in this chapter is the information about of the research participants, instruments, method of collevting data, and method of analyzing data Chapter TV - Findings and Discussions - provides the details of the analysis which consists of general description, data analysis and findings, and discussions Chapter V is Conclusions CITAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, a brief review of the literature related to the use of authentic materials teaching English will be presented. The revicw will include a brief discussion of definition of authentic materials, the advantages and challenges of the use of authentic materials, teachers’and students’ perspectives toward authentic materials and some previous studies. Definition: What are authentic materials? A number of authors have given different definitions of authentic matenals.
However, they have one fcalure in common: these are materials not designed for the purpose of leaming a foreign language. Nunan (1989, as cited in Adams, 1995) reters to authentic materials as any material that has not been specifically produced for the purpose of language teaching Little et al (1988) define authentic materials as those that have been produced to fulfill some social purpose in the language community in which they were produced Bacon and Fimnemann (1990) deline authenlic materials as texts produced by native speakers for non-pedagogical purposes Gardner and Miller (1999) explain that authentic materials means any texts (printed or digital) or tape which is produced for a purpose other than touching the target language. Similarly, Loe (1995) status thal a toxt is usually regarded as textually authentic if it is not written for teaching purposes, but for a real life communicative purpose, where the writer has a cerlain massage to pass on to the reader. In this sense, students are expected to expose the real language used by native speaker Textbooks or course books are the main materials in curriculums and authentic materials do not replace them.
However, authenc materials can be used as supplementary materials. In some cases, if the topics or certain texts in textbooks arc not relevant and well suited for the specific classroom, tcachors may use authentic materials as substitutions. In case students fecl fed up with textbooks, teachers make use of authentic materials for a change because these materials are interesting and motivating, The key point in all these definitions is that authentic materials are basically not produced for teaching or leaming but give an exposure to language used in real life and when these materials are used in the classroom they motivate the learner to participate in a real conversation and thereby facilitate language leaming. It is evident that the uses of authentic text like newspapers helps the learner develops their communication skills and stimulate their interest in engaging them with the classroom activities through which they develop confidence and enjoy leaning.
Further, leamers are more comfortable when the input is provided from their own culture and customs in order to relate the content/context to their own lives.