VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES -------------------- NGUYỄN THỊ THU HƢƠNG TWELFTH GRADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNICATIVE AND NON-COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES IN EFL CLASSROOMS IN BAC LY HIGH SCHOOL (Nhận thức của học sinh lớp 12 về các hoạt động giao tiếp và phi giao tiếp tại trường Trung học phổ thông Bắc Lý) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.10 HANOI – 2011 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES -------------------- NGUYỄN THỊ THU HƢƠNG TWELFTH GRADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNICATIVE AND NON-COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES IN EFL CLASSROOMS IN BAC LY HIGH SCHOOL (Nhận thức của học sinh lớp 12 về các hoạt động giao tiếp và phi giao tiếp tại trường Trung học phổ thông Bắc Lý) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60. Tô Thị Thu Hƣơng HANOI - 2011 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS vii PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale of the study 1 2. Aims and Objectives of the study 2 3. Scope of the study 2 5. Methods of the study 3 6.
Significance of the study 3 7. Structure of the study 4 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical background of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 6 1.1 Definitions of CLT 6 1.2 Characteristics of communicative language teaching 7 1.2 Communicative and non-communicative activities in language teaching and learning process 8 1.1 Definition of communicative and non-communicative activities 8 1.2 Characteristics of communicative and non-communicative activities 9 1.3 Roles of communicative activities in language teaching and learning 10 1.4 The roles of teachers in communicative activities 11 1.5 Types of communicative activities 12 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.3 Students’ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities 14 1.4 Summary 15 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.4 The Textbook English 12 19 2.5 Data collection instruments 20 2.6 Procedures of data collection 21 2.7 Procedures of data analysis 22 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Students’ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities 23 3.1 Students‟ preference of communicative and non-communicative activities 23 3.2 Students‟ opinions of the usefulness of these activities 27 3.2 Students’ perceived difficulties in practicing communicative activities 29 3.1 Low English proficiency 29 3.2 Traditional learning styles and habits 30 3.3 Little motivation for communicative competence 31 3.4 EFL settings 31 CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 To MOET, DOET 33 4.3 To students 37 PART C: CONCLUSION 38 REFERENCES 40 APPENDICES I LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT = Communicative Language Teaching DOET = Department of Education and Training ELT = English Language Teaching L2 = Second Language MOET = Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training SLA = Second Language Acquisition LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com vii LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS page Table 1: Students‟ enjoyment of non-communicative activities 24 Table 2: Students‟ enjoyment of communicative activities 24 Table 3: Students‟ opinions of the usefulness of non-communicative activities 28 Table 4: Students‟ opinions of the usefulness of communicative activities 28 Chart 1: Students‟ difficulties in practicing communicative activities 30 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 1 PART A- THE INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study The field of second or foreign language teaching has undergone many paradigmatic shifts and methodological trends over the last few decades. We have seen the Audiolingual Method, Cognitive-based Approaches, the Total Physical Response, the Natural Approach, Communicative Language Teaching and many others.
Within the debate on English teaching methodology, the study of Vietnamese students‟ response to CLT, especially classroom activities deserves particular attention. Do they enjoy activities involving communication and real use of language? Do they agree that real language activities emphasizing language content are more effective than non-communicative activities that stress formal correction? Do they believe that such activities are helpful to them as language learners? Do they face with any difficulties in practicing these activities? According to Kumaravadivelu (1991, p. 107) "the more we know about the learner's personal approaches and personal concepts, the better and more productive our interactions will be." We as teachers should be aware of our students' perceptions and beliefs about language learning in order to facilitate desired learning outcomes in the classroom. As suggested by Bada and Okan (2000), there is a need for closer cooperation between students and teachers.
It is important to remember that learners already critically evaluate what they do (Breen, 1989). Teachers can use different strategies to build learners choices into their lessons. Teachers and students can have a dialogue and negotiate alternatives, which would definitely lead to more learner involvement and could, therefore, lead to more positive attitudes towards language learning. As teachers, at every single moment, we should observe our students' reactions and consider their attitudes and preferences in order to promote a more inclusive climate that will enhance learning.
In order to deepen our understanding of how students react to communicative and non- communicative activities, Barkhuisen (1998:86) has called for “teachers to discover their learners‟ feelings and beliefs about their language learning experiences and consequently to review and possibly change their teaching process”. Moreover, Vietnamese high school syllabi now keep promoting CLT in an attempt to enable the students to use the target language for communicative purposes instead of mastering its grammatical rules and structures. Vietnamese twelfth graders in upper secondary school had five-year experience studying English “communicatively” as English LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 2 is among the compulsory subjects at secondary schools. However, the fact is that after those years of learning English, not many pupils have a clear cut purpose of learning English in their mind and they are likely passively motivated to learn English basing on the textbooks and teachers‟ method of delivery.
Consequently, most of pupils find themselves unable to use English for day-to-day communication after having passed the English national examination as a requirement for the General Education Diploma. In brief, all of the reasons mentioned above have inspired the present study on: “Twelfth graders’ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities in EFL classrooms in Bac Ly high school” as the title for the thesis in the hope that I can contribute a small part in helping my students and my colleagues to improve their learning and teaching English. Aims and objectives of the study With the above-presented rationales, the specific aims and objectives of the study are the followings. Firstly, the study carries out an investigation into twelfth grade students‟ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities in terms of preference and usefulness.
Secondly, through the investigation the research will find out the difficulties the students encounter in practicing communicative activities. Thirdly, the study will provide possible solutions to these difficulties, thereby improving the quality of English language education in the context of an urban high school. What are twelfth graders’ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities in the EFL classrooms? 2. What are students’ perceived difficulties in practicing communicative activities? 3.
What are the possible solutions to these difficulties? 4. Scope of the study Due to time constraint, the study limits itself to the investigation on twelfth graders‟ perceptions of non-communicative and communicative activities in EFL classroom in the context of an urban high school, Bac Ly high school. Therefore, subjects of the study were LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 3 teachers of English and students in the twelfth form at Bac Ly high school in Ha Nam province. Within the scope of the study, the following issues were addressed: - Students‟ preference of communicative and non-communicative activities (Research question 1) - Students‟ opinions of the usefulness of communicative and non-communicative activities (Research question 1) - Students‟ difficulties in participating in communicative activities (Research question 2) - Implications and recommendations for overcoming these difficulties (Research question 3) 5.
Methods of study In this study, a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized. A questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of students to find answers to research questions 1 and 2. Furthermore, in order to address the limitations of the questionnaire in exploring students‟ perceptions, and to find out their constraints and possible solutions (research questions 3), student semi-structured interviews and teacher group discussions were conducted following the analysis of the questionnaire data. Questionnaire data were analyzed quantitatively for descriptive statistics while the interview and discussion data were processed qualitatively following an “interpretive model” (Hatch 2002) for recommended solutions.
The answers to three research questions provided a picture of students‟ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities as well as their difficulties in doing communicative activities in EFL classrooms and possible solutions. Significance of the study English is used more and more to communicative throughout the world. MOET have provided a series of new textbooks in order to develop students‟ communicative competence. It is said that the textbooks are more useful than the older version, but most of students hardly communicate in English after graduating from high schools and that teachers and authors should adapt and revise these books.
In such a circumstance, the findings will hopefully aid teachers in their choice of classroom activities and in deciding LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 4 how learning activities should be arranged and implemented in the classroom while waiting for MOET to make some changes in these books. Although the study is intended to investigate students‟ perceptions of non- communicative and communicative activities in EFL classrooms in an urban high school, which is not researched adequately in the context of Ha Nam-based high schools, the outcome of the study can contribute significantly to our understanding of the issue in high schools with a similar context. As such, this study will serve as a reference material not only for teachers of English in Bac Ly high school but also for teachers elsewhere who wish to continually improve the quality of teaching and learning English. Structure of the Thesis This paper is divided into three main parts: Part A is the INTRODUCTION.
In this part, the rationales of the study, the aims, research questions, the scope of the study, methods of the study and also its design are presented. Part B is the DEVELOPMENT which includes 4 chapters. Chapter I, Literature Review, deals with a theoretical background about the definitions of CLT and its characteristics; definitions, characteristics, roles, types of communicative and non-communicative activities in the process of learning and teaching; the roles of the teacher in communicative and non-communicative types of communicative activities, and previous studies on students‟ perceptions about classroom activities. Chapter II, Research Methodology, describes the situation where the study was conducted and the informants involved in the study.
It includes the teachers of English, the students, and the textbook. The data collection instruments, procedures of data collection and data analysis were also presented in this chapter. Chapter III, Results and Discussion, presents and discusses the results finding out the students‟ perceptions of communicative and non-communicative activities and their difficulties in participating in communicative activities. Chapter IV, Implications and Recommendations, presents some pedagogical implications of the study and suggestions for overcoming difficulties in practicing communicative activities in the way, which helps students develop their communicative competence in Bac Ly high school.
LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 5 Part C is the CONCLUSION which summarizes the main points of the study, limitations and suggests for further research. REFERENCES and APPENDICES are presented in the last pages of the study. LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 6 PART B DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter reviews the literature on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), and previous studies on students‟ perceptions of non-communicative and communicative activities.