VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ***************** VŨ THỊ HOÀI AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF TOEFL IBT SPEAKING SKILLS AT EQUEST HANOI CENTER Nghiên cứu thăm dò về việc học viên trung tâm EQuest Hà Nội học luyện thi kỹ năng Nói theo bài thi TOEFL iBT M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi – 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ***************** VŨ THỊ HOÀI AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF TOEFL IBT SPEAKING SKILLS AT EQUEST HANOI CENTER Nghiên cứu thăm dò về việc học viên trung tâm EQuest Hà Nội học luyện thi kỹ năng Nói theo bài thi TOEFL iBT M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Phạm Thị Thanh Thùy, Ph.D Hanoi – 2014 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby, certify the thesis entitled “An Exploratory Study on Students' Learning of TOEFL iBT Speaking Skills at EQuest Hanoi Center” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other universities or institutions.
I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library can be accessible for the purposes of study. Hanoi, 2014 Vu Thi Hoai i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe a great many thanks to so many people who have supported me all the way throughout my study to this final achievement. Firstly, it is with heartfelt gratitude that I wish to thank Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, Ph.D for her professional guidance, valuable suggestions and academic advice, leading me through great hindrances and inspiring me to conduct the study.
I am grateful to all the lecturers in the Master course, who supplied me with useful knowledge. I would like to extend my appreciation to my colleagues and students at EQuest Academy for their enthusiasm for responding to my questionnaires and participating in my interviews. Last but not least, words are not enough to express my gratitude to my family. Without their help and encouragement, I could not have finished this study.
ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study is an attempt to explore some strategies commonly used by EQuest learners in the TOEFL iBT Speaking test, discover some difficulties they encounter in learning to respond to the test tasks, and suggest some possible solutions. In the study, the researcher investigates the opinions of 78 students and seven teachers from EQuest Hanoi center. These teachers and students were invited to partake in survey questionnaires and interviews. The results of the study present some strategies that students used to deal with the tasks, their difficulties in learning and some suggestions to improve the situation.
Based on those findings, the thesis provides some pedagogical implications, which might be of great help for teachers and learners of TOEFL iBT test. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Format of TOEFL iBT Speaking Test Table 2: Students’ strategies used in responding to TOEFL iBT Speaking Independent Tasks Table 3: Students’ strategies used in responding to TOEFL iBT Speaking Integrated Tasks Table 4: Learners’ difficulties in learning to respond to Independent Tasks from teachers’ views and learners’ views Table 5: Learners’ difficulties in learning to respond to Integrated Tasks from teachers’ views and learners’ views Table 6: Teachers’ recommendations and students’ expectations for teaching and learning iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1. TOEFL iBT: Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-Based Test) 2. TOEFL CBT: Test of English as a Foreign Language (Computer-Based Test) 3.
ETS: Educational Testing Service 4. L1: First or native language 5. ESL: English as a second language 7. EFL: English as a foreign language v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION……………………………………………………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………… ii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… iii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….
iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………… v TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………. vi PART A: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………. Aims and Research Questions……………………………………………… 1 3. Significance of the study…………………………………………………… 2 4.
Scope of the study…………………………………………………………. Method of the study………………………………………………………… 2 6. Organization………………………………………………………………… 3 PART B: DEVELOPMENT………………………………………………… 4 Chapter 1: Theoretical background………………………………………. TOEFL iBT test and Speaking 4 section…………………………………… 1.
Introduction to the TOEFL iBT 4 test………………………………………. Format of TOEFL iBT Speaking Section………………………………… 4 2. Learners’ strategies used when learning and responding to TOEFL 6 iBT Speaking Section……………………………………………………… 2. Definitions of learner strategies………………………………………….
6 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Classification of learner test-taking strategies……………………………. Difficulties in learning Speaking skills of EFL/ESL learners…………. Difficulties from teachers………………………………………………… 13 3.
Difficulties from students………………………………………………… 14 3. Difficulties from objective factors………………………………………. Context of the study………………………………………………………… 19 2. Data collection procedures………………………………………………….
21 Chapter 3: Results and Discussion………………………………………. Some strategies students often use to respond to TOEFL iBT Speaking questions……………………………………………………………………. Students’ strategies used in responding to TOEFL iBT Speaking 23 Independent Tasks…………………………………………………………. Students’ strategies used in responding to TOEFL iBT Speaking 25 Integrated Tasks…………………………………………………………….
Some difficulties students encounter when learning TOEFL iBT 27 Speaking preparation courses at EQuest………………………………. Students’ difficulties in learning to respond to TOEFL iBT Speaking 27 Independent Tasks…………………………………………………………… 2. Students’ difficulties in learning to respond to TOEFL iBT Speaking 30 Integrated Tasks……………………………………………………………… 3. Some suggestions to improve the situation…………………………… 32 3.
Teachers’ recommendations for teaching and learning………………… 33 vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Learners’ expectations for teaching focus………………………………. Summary of the findings……………………………………………………. Implications of the study…………………………………………………….
Limitations of the study……………………………………………………. Suggestions for further 38 studies……………………………………………… REFERENCES………………………………………………………………. 39 APPENDIX 1: Questionnaire for I Learners……………………………………. APPENDIX 2: Questionnaire for Teachers…………………………………… V APPENDIX 3: Guided Questions for Student Semi-structured Interview…….
VIII APPENDIX 4: Respondents’ Personal Information………………………… IX viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A - INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale It is widely known that English is playing an important role in opening up new opportunity for people in many developing countries, including Vietnam. English is regarded as a passport for those who wish to have good jobs or study abroad. As a result, many proficiency tests have been spawned to help English learners measure their competence.
Among these tests, TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test) emerges as a reliable one, so TOEFL iBT score, according to Educational Testing Service (ETS), is accepted by over 9000 colleges, universities, and agencies in more than 130 countries all over the world. A considerable amount of money and effort is invested in test preparation by test-takers; nonetheless, the results are not always satisfactory. Many candidates report that Speaking skills pose a great challenge to them in this new generation of the TOEFL test as they need to deploy multiple skills ranging from listening, reading, speaking to computer-using. As an instructor of TOEFL iBT working at EQuest center for more than three years, I empirically realize that my students experience a number of problems practicing Speaking skills to prepare for the test.
The problems may be about time limitation, vocabulary and expressions, or even speaking to a microphone. Because of this fact, I am concerned with the nature of the problems that my students encounter, and what teachers can do to help them overcome these troubles to better their scores, leading to the implementation of this research. Aims and Research Questions This study is carried out with the aim of gaining an insight into the activity of learning TOEFL iBT Speaking skills of students at EQuest center - my working place - and recommending some suggestions to improve the situation. The study is conducted to answer the following questions: 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
What are some strategies students often use to respond to TOEFL iBT Speaking questions? 2. What are some difficulties students encounter when learning TOEFL iBT Speaking preparation courses at EQuest? 3. What suggestions can be given to improve the situation? 3. Significance of the study It can be seen that there are quite a number of researches about TOEFL iBT test; however, not many of them are about speaking skills.
Recognizing this gap, the author of this study endeavors to have a close investigation into students’ problems in learning speaking skills for the TOEFL iBT test and give a helping hand to remove them. It is hoped that this study is advantageous to both students and teachers in conquering the test. For students, they may be well aware of the possible challenges and what to prepare to tackle them. Regarding teachers, they can predict their students’ troubles and devise effective solutions for themselves to heighten their teaching qualities.
This research is of certain help as a source of reference to any teachers having the same concern. Scope of the study Because of the framework of a minor thesis, this study focuses on 78 students who were at the level of 65 points (out of 120) of TOEFL iBT and above, preparing for their upcoming exams at EQuest center to explore the problems they had. At the same time, seven EQuest teachers were involved in the research. Method of the study To address the presented research questions, a combination of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were deployed.
Two sets of survey questionnaires were used to gather data from 78 EQuest students and seven EQuest teachers. Participants were asked to choose the answers best reflecting their viewpoints, and expand their answers if they wish to. Interviews with 10 students were conducted to get more in-depth information about the students’ opinions in the questionnaire. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Organization The research is composed of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion. Part A: Introduction supplies a brief sketch of the study, including the rationale, aims and research questions, significance and scope of the study. Part B: Development consists of three chapters. Chapter 1:Theoretical background deals with the theory and previous research relevant to the study.
Chapter 2: Methodology presents the methodology of the study, explaining the context of the study, instruments and the procedure of data collection. Chapter 3: Results and Discussion states the findings relating to students’ strategies to respond to the test, their difficulties in learning as well as suggests some recommendations to improve the situation. Part C: Conclusion summarizes the main findings of the research, exposes its limitation and puts forward suggestions for further research. 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B - DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.
TOEFL iBT test and Speaking section 1. Introduction to the TOEFL iBT test The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which was established in 1964, is an international standardized test which “measures how well students use English, not just their knowledge of the language” (The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT, Third Edition, p. It is created by a nonprofit educational organization called Educational Testing Service (ETS). The TOEFL iBT test, administered via the Internet, replaced the TOEFL computer-based test (TOEFL CBT).
It simulates the university classroom and student life communication to let test-takers demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas effectively. The test contains four sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing – and it takes about four hours to complete the whole test, not to mention the time for checking identification and other procedures. There is no requirement for the score to pass the test, but it varies from institution to institution. Each section of the test is scored separately, and then converted to a scaled score of 0-30.
The total possible score is 120. The test can be taken as many times as given. The records of scores are kept for two years by ETS.