BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRUONG DAI HỌC SƯ PHAM THÀNH PHO HO CHÍ MINH AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS' BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR AT AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LUAN VAN THAC Si KHOA HOC GIAO DUC Thành phó Hồ Chí Minh - 2023 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG DAI HỌC SU PHAM THÀNH PHO HO CHÍ MINH AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHERS' BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR AT AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Chuyên ngành: Lí luận và phương pháp giảng day bộ môn tiếng Anh Mã số: 8140111 LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ THẠC SĨ KHOA HỌC GIÁO DUC NGƯỜI HUONG DAN KHOA HỌC: PGS. NGUYEN THANH TUNG Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh — 2023 LỜI CAM ĐOAN Tôi xin cam đoan luận văn nảy là công trình nghiên cứu của riêng cá nhân tôi, không sao chép của ai, do tôi tự nghiên cứu, đọc, dịch tài liệu, tông hợp và thực hiện. Nội dung lý thuyết trong khóa luận tôi có sử dụng một số tài liệu tham khảo như đã trình bay trong phan tài liệu tham khảo. Các số liệu và những kết quả trong khóa luận là trung thực và chưa được công bo trong bat ky một công trình nào khác.
Nếu có bat kỳ sự gian lận nào, tôi xin chịu trách nhiệm trước Hội đông cũng như kết quả luận văn của mình. DECLARATION I hereby certify that I am the author of the thesis. On my honor, I thus certify that I prepared the previous academic paper and completed all related tasks by myself. I also certify that I have only used the resources that have been declared.
According to the guidelines for academic writing, all formulations and notions taken literally or in their core from printed, unprinted, or Internet sources have been appropriately referenced and recognized with [footnotes or other clear indications of source. There is no other examination office authority to which the academic work has been submitted. The work is delivered in printed and digital formats. I certify that the digital edition's content is exactly the same as what is found in the printed version.
LỜI CÁM ƠN Lời dau tiên, tôi xin chân thành cảm ơn PGS. Nguyễn Thanh Tùng đã tận tình hướng dẫn, chi bảo và luôn có sự phản hôi tỉ mi trong thời gian nhanh nhất trong suốt thời gian qua đẻ giúp tôi hoàn thành luận văn này. Tôi xin gửi tới Ban giám hiệu, các đồng nghiệp và học sinh trường TH- THCS-THPT Thái Bình Dương lời cảm ơn sâu sắc vì đã hỗ trợ, tạo điều kiện và hợp tác dé tôi hoàn thành luận văn của mình. Cuối cùng, tôi cũng cảm ơn gia đình và bạn bè đã giúp đỡ tôi hoàn thành tốt luận văn.
IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Words cannot express my gratitude to my academic advisor, Assoc. Nguyen Thanh Tung for his invaluable patience and feedback. I am grateful to him for advising me and introducing the project in an easy-to-understand way which has helped me complete my project efficiently and effectively on time. I am also grateful to my managers and colleagues, especially my roommates, for their editing help, late-night feedback sessions, and moral support.
Also deserving of praise are the study participants from ICG school, who positively influenced and inspired me. Lastly, I would be remiss in not mentioning my family and friends. Their belief in me has kept my spirits and motivation high during this process. ABSTRACT This research examined an under-researched topic of the teachers’ beliefs and practices of teaching grammar at Thai Binh Duong Primary, Middle, and High School.
Several studies have reported that teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning impact their teaching practices, although teachers’ instructional decisions do not necessarily correspond to their beliefs. A qualitative research design was employed in this study. Data were collected through interviews and observations, Before being observed in their classes, two teachers were interviewed to learn about their beliefs about grammar instruction. The participants’ responses were recorded, categorized into themes, and converted to quantitative data for further analysis.
The findings of the research revealed teachers’ beliefs: grammar was thought to be best taught through an inductive approach; the three grammatical dimensions should be taught in the order of meaning-form-use; a grammar session should begin with a warm-up, followed by meaning-focused input, language-focused learning, and meaning-focused output; regarding grammar drills, written tasks. and multiple- choice exams take precedence over speaking and listening exercises. In addition, the findings pointed out their classroom practices: teachers taught grammar dimensions in different orders: meaning-form-use, form-meaning-use, meaning-use, and meaning-form; teachers employed both inductive and deductive approach in teaching; a typical grammar lesson included a warm-up, meaning-focused input Stage, language-focused learning stage, meaning-lfocused output; teachers employed controlled-grammar drills instead of communicative activities. Key words: teaching grammar, teachers’ beliefs and practices, grammar teaching approaches, meaning, form, use vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION cooinoioaoooioiiooooiotooootiiicottaiiigiiitiiiiiaiiii4i112110818ã85008 ii ACENG WEEDG MENUS isis ssssssstsaisscaiesrssesnssssisisnsasseaniesaieisvesscaisasssssaniearinaniseunaass iv ABSTRACT ssssisssissssscisectsoasseasaveasoavesssssassoassoaseveasseasesassssareatsoastnassvoastsavessisessvoattnaites v TABLE OF CONTENTS Giá coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo vi LIST'IOF ABBREVIATIONS j.2:::1::cssseasscassevessosseessssssscasssassoasssassevszsoasecatscaszeasiecs vill EST OR TAB UES tuadioiioanoiiiiooaioinnipanrionitioioiiiitotuiioittiiiitittiapaitaiiani ix EES TOP RIG URES os iscscssasssessscasesarscacsssascacssassseasscarscassssaseatssarnseaiseascatscaisenassaunseasse X CHAPTEEI,INTERODUCTIONG: 00 cooocoooooooooaio | 1.
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\CHAPten SHIHỆRTWG;ooaiooairinniiiiiipitiiitiiaii00311143103138681053315395ã61383337333038393038580 37 CHAPTER 4. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS. 38 AM, DatasaMal Sis ccsccsiscasssassscsczcssscasscssscasscasseasiseassesnecatscasseatscasveastscassesszcazieasseass 38 4. EMCrViCW data ssiisesisssssesssccsscasscaisssssnassscssiaassossioassoasiscasaessaessscasieasieaaseass 38 4.22::cccssesesessccsssezssesszsasssesssezsseeeceessetsssasssausazzscezesess 41 4:2: (Di5€05510ñ6f1fi8đliỹŠSasiooooooaiangiiptooniitttiitiialiiliiisi11011483030310331316818818 50 4.
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59 Ds, (CODCÍUSIOĐÊnoinaargisitiotiiai01231122113311123153114833133816531821133513ã3903835853883558ã5882858835 59 5. Evaluation of research methodology. HH HH HH HH HH 60 i00: TW ENKHESSES:ciaiisictidiiiiiitiii010103111202131111401631393349311633312328453892959313333834988361 60 3:3. IR€ecommend2UÙODS::::::::‹‹::‹co:cco-occcosiieniiioiiontiisiipetiieiiiSSi2Ÿ1572818058565558655050 61 DS, (FOR MCACKCIS ;uanasannrannindaiiiaitiatitiiiiiiiitdiiA61113513351453313513853131133i3585588337 61 DIZ: FQTSŒHđ6SRIS::::ioiiiiiiiioiiiisiiiaiiiaiiioiiiE211130173313201523503312955203530533558323ã855 61 5.
Suggestions for further research. CHAPter SUMMATY cos sccsscsassansscasscosscvsscosssoxscoasseasstenssassecsscesssasscanssedsasersconswerd 62 IREEERENGES:.:::::::cccccc: co coiDotioiiiootiidintiiSi00511011025185816568858 8555 63 DI NI HáS;,:2;442:22711221227212/)3520112/1320123313203152231347223903213233330332131333132049321321513/12213142) 72 Vill LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 3Ps Presentation — Practice — Production CLT Communicative Language Teaching CPBI Competency-based Instruction DM Direct Method EFL English as a Foreign Language ESL English as a Second Language GTM Grammar-Translation Method IGC Thai Binh Duong Primary - Middle - High school MOET Ministry of Education and Training OECD The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development SLA Second Language Acquisition TBLT Task-based Language Teaching IX LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Participants’ HH0fRiISHOÏicosaooasoaanaaianoiaioanrainainananiiitnitiannatistieis 25 Table 3.- - - 5G HH TH Hy 30 Table 4. Teachers’ beliefs in teaching ørarmMAF.
cà nesiririreieree 39 Table 4. Grammar dimension orders .-- 5 SH ng 42 Table 4. Teachers` teaching patterns, teaching approaches and frequency. The actual grammar đfi]ÌS.
2011 1112211 tt 22 se 43 Table 4'5. Stages OF grammar lESSGRS saeaaaesiioeneioiiooniiddinoiionranraannannaeii 44 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. Taxonomy of approaches to teaching grammaar. The research analytical framewOrKk.
Data analysis in qualitative researchh. INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a quick overview of the research and the reasoning for the chosen research area. The first chapter also discusses the research problem, research questions, the importance of the investigation, the study goals and objectives, and the research framework. The rationale includes a description of grammar and grammar instruction.
The research problem describes the study setting and poses two questions to be answered, This chapter also discusses the significance of the research problem, along with the research structure. Background to the study English is one of the most popular and dominating languages, with millions of speakers worldwide, and it is used in every field of life. It is the language of science, technology, tourism, entertainment, and travel. Many countries value it as one of the main subjects in their educational curriculum, and children start learning it ata younger and younger age.
It is also an international communication language that is spoken around the world. In Vietnam, it plays an irreplaceable role. Young learners have exposure and access to it from the early years of education. They learn it — a core subject — through 12 years from primary to high school and enter a university that requires a specific level of it.
Its teaching is considered one of Vietnam's most critical missions in education. In 2008, the Vietnamese Prime Minister approved the 10-year National Plan for "Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Formal Educational System from 2008 to 2020.” A new general educational curriculum, including an English one, was introduced in 2018 by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), focusing on students’ activities to build their competency (New General Educational Curriculum Unveiled, 2018). English teachers are trained in new techniques, methods, and approaches to improve English teaching quality. According to the MOET (2008), Vietnam strongly emphasizes preserving and advancing its qualified foreign language instructors while remaining accountable for language instruction.
Teaching English as a second language (ESL), primarily teaching English grammar in Vietnam, has been developing through stages, following the world's tà» educational trends and changing rapidly. Hoang (2010) states that before 1954, Vietnam used the Grammar-Translation method (GTM) to teach English. There are three main approaches to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Vietnam: teacher-centered, book-centered, and grammar-translation (Liu & Litthewood, 1997). According to Le (2001), the traditional Vietnamese perspective on the teacher-student relationship supports a planned curriculum and teacher-centered practices.
Since the 1990s, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been the preferred English language teaching methodology (Pham, 2005). Wright (2002, as cited in Le, 2011) states the MOET is aware that English pedagogy must be reviewed because for many Vietnamese today, the traditional emphasis on precision in the written language rather than learning to speak fluently is incorrect. According to Le (2011), this indicates that CLT has gained attention in Vietnam. It is one of the learner-centered approaches that is primarily focused on the needs, wants, and circumstances of the learner, while GTM is a language-centered approach that is predominantly interested in linguistic forms (Kumaravadivelu, 2006).
As a result, it is evident that the focus of Vietnamese language instruction has evolved from being language-centered to learner-centered. Grammar has been considered an imperative perspective in educating and learning English. In his work, Krashen (1982) stated that some people may employ conscious grammar very effectively when given the opportunity and when they are focused on form. Therefore, teaching English in Vietnam has focused on grammar over other areas and skills.
Khuong (2015) mentioned that Vietnamese high schools typically employ the GTM while instructing English to aid students in performing well on assessments that emphasize grammar. Besides, grammar lessons following the Presentation — Practice — Production (3Ps) model are widely applicable in Vietnamese high schools. Khuong (2015) stated that teaching grammar utilizing the 3Ps model should be conducted to enable communicative tasks to teach grammatical elements alongside context. As a result, most Vietnamese teachers of English are exploiting the CLT for their lessons.
With a desire to understand what teachers’ perceptions of grammar are and w how it is being taught at Thai Binh Duong Primary - Middle - High school (IGC), an internationally-programmed school in Dong Nai, Vietnam, the researcher investigated teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching grammar at IGC school. Statement of the problem There are many aspects to discuss concerning English grammar teaching, such as its definition, its roles in language teaching and learning, grammar teaching methods and rules, and teaching grammar concerning second language acquisition (SLA) theories and learning theories. However, this study concentrated on teaching grammar: the beliefs of IGC Vietnamese teachers of English in how English grammar should be taught and their actual classroom practices at IGC school.