VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN BÍCH HUỆ A CASE STUDY OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN A REMOTE AND MOUNTAINOUS SECONDARY SCHOOL IN QUANG BINH PROVINCE (ĐIỂN CỨU VỀ VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH Ở MỘT TRƯỜNG THCS-THPT THUỘC VÙNG SÂU VÙNG XA CỦA TỈNH QUẢNG BÌNH) MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 HANOI-2010 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………. iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ……………………………………. v PART ONE: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………….
Rationale of the study ………………………………………………………. Aims of the study ………………………………………………………. Scope of the study ………………………………………………………. Methods of the study …………………………………………………….
Design of the study ……. 2 PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT …….… 3 Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ……. Definitions of second language acquisition ……. Some stratergies of teaching English ………………………………….
Factors affecting the quality of language teaching ……………………. Attitude and motivation of students …………………………………. Environment and context of teaching ……. Classroom structure amd climate …………………………………….
An overview of the research site …. Descriptions of the teachers of English at Hoa Tien secondary school … 12 2. Descriptions of the students of English at Hoa Tien secondary school … 12 2. The current situation of English teaching and learning at Hoa Tien 6 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com secondary school ……………….
The materials for teaching and learning …………………………. The current situation of English teaching and learning at Hoa Tien secondary school ………………. Questionnaire for teachers …. Questionnaire for students ….
Interview with teachers …. 16 Chapter 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ………………………. Findings from the questionnaires …………. Questionnaire for students ………….
Questionnaire for teachers …………. Findings from the Interviews for teachers ………………………………. 30 PART THREE: CONCLUSION …………. Summary of the findings ….
Recommendations and suggestions ………. Limitations of the study ………. Recommendations for further research ……….……………………………… 37 APPENDICES 7 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT In an attempt to investigate the reality of teaching English in a remote and mountainous school in Quang Binh province, the main purposes of the research were to find out: (1) teachers’ attitude toward English teaching; (2) teachers’ techniques and strategies; (3) teaching materials; and (4) main difficulties in teaching English at school. The subjects of the study were 100 students and 5 English teachers in Hoa Tien secondary school.
All of them answered the questionnaires. Among them, three teachers were invited to participate in an interview. The research finds out that they focus on teaching grammar points but pay less attention to speaking, reading and even communicative skills. The findings also show that they often use black board, pairwork and groupwork, they sometimes use teaching aids which they made by themselves and often use their mother tongue in class.
Moreover, teachers often simplify, adapt or redesign some contents in the textbooks which are not relevant to their students. The research also reveals the students’ negative attitude to and poor motivation for English learning. Finally, in order to improve English teaching in a secondary remote and mountainous school, the study recommends the followings: teachers should vary their teaching techniques and activities; textbooks should be adapted; extra curriculum activities for language learning should be organized; learning and teaching conditions should be improved; and local teachers should be available to teach English for students in their communities. 4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.
RATIONALE OF THE STUDY: These days, there is no doubt about the fact that the English language is becoming something of a forerunner in global communication. It is the first and second language in most countries of the world. Almost 70% of the Internet is in English. A huge volume of the information used on the Internet is also in English.
Thus, English is playing a very significant role in bringing the world together. Therefore, teaching and learning English have become the necessity all over the world. In Vietnam, English is a compulsory subject from primary schools to universities. However, quality of learning and teaching English is different from one school to another, especially from schools in cities, towns and those from remote and mountainous areas.
Students in remote and mountainous schools, particularly in Quang Binh, have a higher rate of low marks than those in cities and towns. It is the fact that there has been a big difference between them. Therefore, how to teach English to students in remote and mountainous schools has been a controversial issue. Thus, investigating the reality of teaching English in remote and mountainous schools should be carried out in order to identify the difficulties that teachers and students there encounter and the factors that affect their English teaching and learning process.
Hence, the topic “A case study of teaching English in a remote and mountainous school in Quang Binh” has been chosen. This case study as the topic of this research is carried out in the hope of giving a few benefits to teachers, students and others concerned. AIMS OF THE STUDY: The main objectives of this study are as follows: To identify the reality of teaching English at Hoa Tien secondary school. To suggest some solutions for improving the English teaching in remote and mountainous schools.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The main focus of the study is on the investigation of the English teaching in a remote and mountainous school in Quang Binh. As this is a case study research, its limitation is obviously 9 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com on teachers at Hoa Tien secondary school, a school located at a remote and mountainous area of Quang Binh province. METHODS OF THE STUDY: In order to carry out this research, the following methods are used: Theoretical study Survey questionnaires Interviews with teachers 5. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: The minor thesis consists of two main parts: the first part is titled introduction including the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study.
The second part includes five chapters. Chapter one conceptualizes the framework through the discussion of issues and ideas on English teaching theories. The research methodology is presented in chapter two focusing on the settings, the research questions, the participants, data collection and data analysis. Chapter three is the report of the results collected from data analysis and discussion of the research questions.
The last chapter is the conclusion of the study, including summary of the findings, recommendations and suggestions, limitations of the study and recommendations for further research. 10 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part TWO: Development Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. OVERVIEW: This chapter deals with some of the most important issues in the theory of language teaching. Firstly, definitions of second language acquisition will be presented.
Secondly, some strategies of teaching English put forward by some researchers and educators will be listed. Finally, factors that affect the quality of language teaching in remote and mountainous areas will be taken into consideration. DEFINITIONS OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Up to now, there has been a variety of definitions of second language acquisition. However, most of the authors have the similar definitions of second language acquisition.
Second language acquisition is concerned with the study of the way in which an individual becomes able to use one or more languages different from his first language. This process can take place in a natural setting or through formal classroom instruction, and, although the degree of proficiency that can be attained is a controversial topic, it can start at childhood or during the adult age (Krashen, 1982). According to the website: http://encyclopedia.com/second+language+acquisition, Second language acquisition is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to their native language(s). The term second language is used to describe the acquisition of any language after the acquisition of the mother tongue.
SOME STRATEGIES OF TEACHING ENGLISH: Linda Woolhether (2010) suggests some strategies for teaching English. These include: Using technologies: Computer technology can help teachers to make learning process more effective, meaningful and socially connected. Inquiry-based learning is a strategy that helps students better organize their thoughts and to complete projects. The teacher can make a class presentation with instructions for completing research projects, creative writing or literature reviews through the use of an LCD projector.
Power Point presentations enable the teacher to instruct students in a clear, precise and motivating way. 11 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Planning and Organization: It is necessary for teachers to plan lessons that are suitable to a particular class. In the lesson plans, student-directed practice should be concentrated on rather than teacher-directed instruction. Responsibility of students for their learning should be encouraged.
The lecture content is probably not appropriate if it minimizes student interaction and expects students to understand the material just by receiving knowledge about the language. Students of English as a second language require instructional strategies that are innovative and motivational. English as a second langugage is a required course for all students that should stress the importance of mastering the skills included in English instruction. For this objective to be accomplished successfully, students need to be able to make the connection between what is taught in class and their life.
Active Learning: Students should be encouraged to participate in the learning process by taking part in class discussions, small group meetings, case studies and role playing. Much literature lends itself to this type of activity. Teachers who utilize literature circles find that students gain a better understanding of reading selections than those who read independently. Literature circles encourage each student’s active participation.
When students are actively engaged, their learning output will improve. As for students from remote and mountainous schools, many researchers and experts suggest a number of strategies for teaching English. Facilitate autonomous students’ learning: Weden (1985) states that learner strategies are the key element to learner autonomy, so facilitating autonomous learning is one of the most teaching goals. Besides, it has been found that students can benefit from the strategies-based instruction (MacIntyre & Noels 1996).
To facilitate autonomous learning, training in learning strategies could, therefore, be one of the teaching goals in an English classroom. Provide strategy instruction: Teachers can provide strategy instruction by offering examples of how they have used strategies for similar language tasks. After explaining a strategy, the teacher can then explain the purpose and importance of the strategy. They may explicitly discuss why a strategy works and when it might be used.
Explicit instruction in 12 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com strategies can make students use the learned strategy more frequently and more effectively, help them become better language learners, help them add strategies to their repertoire of learning tools, make them more aware of the strategies available to them and encourage them to decide which strategies are most effective for particular tasks (Chamot, Barnhardt, El- Dinary & Robbins, 1999). Emphasize the coordination of strategies: Once a few strategies have been introduced, instruction should emphasize the coordination of strategies. The teacher can explain the importance of having a repertoire of strategies for language learning. Students can be reminded that different strategies can work for the same task and that good learners plan, monitor, problem-solve and evaluate recursively during a given task (Chamot, Barnhardt, El- Dinary & Robbins, 1999).
Encourage students to talk about their thought processes: This helps make them more aware of the strategies they have been using. This awareness is important because it enables them to call on those strategies whenever they face challenging tasks. Encourage students to practice learning strategies: Finally, these learning strategies should be practised in different learning tasks. Only through practice will students become more familiar with these learning strategies.
According to Kristmanson (2000), in order to create an effective learning environment, teachers should: - Create an atmosphere in which students are not afraid to make mistakes and are encouraged to take risks.