VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST-GRADUATE DEPARTMENT HOÀNG THÙY HƯƠNG TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE TASK-BASED APPROACH TO SPEAKING SKILLS: A CASE OF GRADE 11, NGUYEN HUE GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL, HA DONG, HANOI (NHẬN THỨC CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VỀ ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG DẠY HỌC THEO NHIỆM VỤ ĐỐI VỚI KỸ NĂNG NÓI: NGHIÊN CỨU TRƯỜNG HỢP LỚP 11, TRƯỜNG PTTH CHUYÊN NGUYỄN HUỆ, HÀ ĐÔNG, HÀ NỘI) M.A Thesis (Minor Thesis) Field: TEFL Methodology Course Code: 60.10 HANOI - 2010 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST-GRADUATE DEPARTMENT HOÀNG THÙY HƯƠNG TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE TASK-BASED APPROACH TO SPEAKING SKILLS: A CASE OF GRADE 11, NGUYEN HUE GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL, HA DONG, HANOI (NHẬN THỨC CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VỀ ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG DẠY HỌC THEO NHIỆM VỤ ĐỐI VỚI KỸ NĂNG NÓI: NGHIÊN CỨU TRƯỜNG HỢP LỚP 11, TRƯỜNG PTTH CHUYÊN NGUYỄN HUỆ, HÀ ĐÔNG, HÀ NỘI) M.A Thesis (Minor Thesis) Field: TEFL Methodology Course Code: 60.10 Supervisor: Lê Văn Canh, M.A HANOI - 2010 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration. iii Table of contents. iv List of vii abbreviations. List of tables and figures.
The background of the study. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Organization of the study.
Task-based approach. The development of task-based approach. The nature of task-based language teaching. Task-based teaching framework.
Task-based teaching vs. other types of teaching instruction models. Advantages and disadvantages of task-based language teaching. Implementing tasks in teaching the skills of speaking.
The importance of understanding teacher perception of teaching 15 methodology. Definition of teacher perception. 16 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Relation between teacher perception and practice.
Previous studies on teacher perception of TBLT. The fitness of case study to research purpose. Restatement of research questions. Case description & context of the study.
The setting of the study. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS. General overview of the findings. Teacher perception of tasks.
Teacher perception of TBLT to speaking skills. Teacher perception of advantages and disadvantages in TBLT 31 implementation to speaking skills. The reality of teachers' class teaching. Discussions of the findings.
Congruence and incongruence between teachers' perceptions of TBLT 37 and its theory. Consistence and inconsistence between their perceptions and their 38 classroom behaviours. Consistence and inconsistence between teacher perceptions of 38 advantages and disadvantages and their teaching practice. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com vi CHAPTER 5.
Summary of the study major points. Summary of the study. Limitation of the study. VII TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com vii LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT: Communicative language teaching ELT: English language teaching PPP: Presentation - Practice - Production TBA: Task-based approach TBLT: Task-based language teaching TST: Task-supported teaching TTT: Test - Teach - Test (=): Neutral (-): Non-conceptual, negative, not mentioned TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com viii LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Participants' profile Table 2: Participants' perceptions of task Table 3: Participants' perception of TBLT to speaking skills Table 4: Participants' perceptions of TBLT advantages and disadvantages Table 5: Participants' class teaching practice Figure 1: Teacher-student perceptions and the quality of learning outcomes TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.
The background of the study In the long history of linguistics, changes and shifts in teaching methodology is obvious as there is never satisfaction with on-going methods and procedures. It leads to researchers and scholars' having been trying and seeking better ways of teaching and learning languages. Each new methodology born out is the result of the feedback to weaknesses of the previous prevailing one. All of these methodologies are possibly categorized into the grammatical and conversational approaches which are always in the opposite trends.
They advocate different ways and formats: written vs. oral language, learning grammar vs. learning speaking, formal vs. informal language use.
With these two scales, the second one - the conversational approach dominates in the twentieth century. In the second half of the century, the need for communication between people of different cultures and languages creates a flood of learning language more quickly and effectively. People are in the need of communicating orally and engaging in real communication. There is a movement of learning language seen everywhere within society all over the world.
New and more efficient methods appear to meet the demand of the whole societies. In the last part of the twentieth century, there is a contrariety between what is called focus on form and focus on content, or in other words, they are shifting to teaching language for accuracy vs. teaching language for meaning. The task-based approach (TBA) was born out in this context at the end of the twentieth century.
It has been evolving as the response to limitations of the traditional approach PPP represented by the procedure of presentation, practice and performance. First known as in 'Bangalore Project' of Prabhu in 1979, task- based approach has gained its popularity in the field of language teaching since then. Many researchers, teachers have been using it for their own rights in the teaching contexts. American Government Language Institutions switched to task-based instruction for foreign languages for adults in the early 1980s (as cited in Corony Edwards, Jane Willis, 2005, p.
Current research are also focusing on task-based language teaching and learning, for example, Rod Ellis (2003) wrote "task-based language teaching and learning", David Nunan (1989) 'Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom', etc. Other teachers and institutions are following suit. However, there is no common consent in discussion and research. TBA is seen from different views and perspectives.
The explanation for this TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 2 variety lies in the difficulty in implementing TBA in the classroom, in designing materials following TBA and many other reasons. In Vietnam, English is being taught as a foreign language with the aim of enhancing international communication. However, the examination systems focus on formal accuracy. As a result, teachers often prioritize the teaching of grammar which is often taught with PPP approach (presentation, practice, performance).
In its tenets, students are expected to respond using a word or pattern that has been presented before rather than to convey the meaning or message. Therefore, most students when leaving school are unable to communicate effectively in English. This situation has prompted ELT professionals to find a new method more suitable and TBA has attracted their attention. Nevertheless, the fact is that research on TBA in Vietnam is little.
There exist different views about it. Above all, it is unknown that if TBA is really applied in classrooms or not and how teachers who partially have direct effects on language teaching quality understand and apply it in the classroom. For these reasons, the author is inspired to conduct 'Teachers' perceptions of the task-based approach to speaking skills: A case of Grade 11, Nguyen Hue gifted high school, Ha Dong, Hanoi'. Aims of the study The study is conducted to investigate teachers' perceptions of the task-based approach to speaking skills.
The author desires to find out what and how they think and apply TBA in the classroom. Especially, the research tries to explore their views on the advantages and disadvantages of using the task-based approach to teach speaking in their context. Research questions The above aims can be realized through the following research questions: 1. What are teachers' understandings of the Task-Based Approach to speaking skills? 2.
What do they perceive of the advantages and disadvantages of using TBA approach to speaking skills in their context? 1. Scope of the study Though TBA is believed to be used for four skills, however, the researcher has chosen to focus on speaking for the fact that TBA initially emphasizes meaning whereas speaking is closely connected to communication. Moreover, she only researches teacher perceptions TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 3 of advantages and disadvantages of using TBA in the classrooms of non-English major students but English major ones as they use two different course books. The study of teacher's perceptions of the task-based approach to other skills would be beyond the scope of the study.
Also, due to the author's limited ability, time constraints and narrow-scaled study, the subjects in the research only involves a small number of teachers who are teaching non-English major students of Grade 11, Nguyen Hue gifted high school. Organization of the study Chapter 1 introduced the study exploring potential of TBLT within the context of Nguyen Hue gifted high school. The chapter included an overview of the issues, aims and scope of the study, the research questions and the research organization. Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature, including a theoretical framework focusing on learning and teaching theory.
Chapter 2 also provides research of issues related to teacher perceptions of tasks and TBLT. Chapter 3 describes the methodology through a description of the case study and research design. It included the study participants, instruments, the procedure and data analysis. In addition, the role of the researcher, the role of the teacher are mentioned too.
Chapter 4 presents the results of the study. Finally, chapter 5 summarizes the findings and discusses educational implications and limitation of the study. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter briefly covers the theories related to the study relating to nature of task- based approach and the skill of speaking. Task-based Approach 2.
The development of task-based approach Task-based approach was first used by Prabhu in his Communicational Teaching Project in 1979. American Government Language Institutes hired task-based instruction to research adults' foreign languages in the early 1980s. Many researchers such as Little Woods, Rod Ellis, David Nunan, etc. have been using it as an innovation in methodology.
The reason for this change to task-based approach lies in those innovators' realization. They see that most language learners under the methods emphasizing mastery of grammar do not achieve an acceptable level of proficiency in the target language (Corony Edward & Jane Willis, 2005). Many years ago, along with the belief that language is a system of wordings governed by a grammar and a lexicon, structural syllabuses were widely used in schools to teach the target language for students. However, most of them within a structure-based approach failed to attain a usable level of fluency and proficiency even after years of instruction.
Moreover, the approach established to teach second language at the time was PPP known as 'Presentation, Practice and Production'. Presentation often focuses on an item of grammar and usually presented explicitly in a context. This stage is believed to develop learners' understanding of the language point. Following Presentation is controlled Practice.
It aims to enable learners to use and grasp the new rule or pattern. At the production stage, the learner is expected to reproduce what has been taught before more spontaneously and flexibly.135) points out: 'The ironing is that the goal of the final production - free production - is often not achieved. How can production be free if students are required to produce forms that have been specified in advance?' Students, at the production stage, often focus primarily on form, making sentence with the new item or they focus on meaning and complete the task without incorporating the new item. Last but not least, PPP approach is also criticized when it is based on the assumption that students will learn what is taught in the same order in which it was taught, but there is no evidence to prove it (Skehan, 1996, p.
In fact, TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 5 research has shown that teaching does not determine the way that learners' language develops. Instead, it is mainly determined by learner-internal factors. From above reasons, it is essential to have an approach activating acquisition process in learners and teaching that provides a context to activate these processes. Consequently, task-based approach is born out as a dispensable result.