VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN DIỆU LINH NON-ENGLISH MAJOR UNDERGRADUATES’ BELIEFS ABOUT ENGLISH PROFICIENCY STANDARDIZATION (Niềm tin của sinh viên không chuyên Tiếng Anh về chuẩn hóa năng lực ngoại ngữ Tiếng Anh) M. MAJOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 HANOI – 2018 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN DIỆU LINH NON-ENGLISH MAJOR UNDERGRADUATES’ BELIEFS ABOUT ENGLISH PROFICIENCY STANDARDIZATION (Niềm tin của sinh viên không chuyên Tiếng Anh về chuẩn hóa năng lực ngoại ngữ Tiếng Anh) M. MAJOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Lê Văn Canh HANOI – 2018 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com DECLARATION I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “Non-English major undergraduates’ beliefs about English proficiency standardization” is entirely my own research work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work.
Hanoi, 2018 Nguyễn Diệu Linh i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Associate Professor Le Van Canh, my supervisor, for his valuable guidance, professional advice and constant encouragement he gave me throughout the whole process of my research. He gave me many constructive suggestions and enthusiastic instructions whenever I encountered any difficult concepts or any challenges about my research. Without his keen supports, this study could not have been fulfilled. I am thankful for having him as my supervisor.
His academic expertise as well as his incredible critical thinking will certainly be a great source of inspiration for my future academic career. I also wish to extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues at Faculty of English, Hanoi National University of Education who were willing to give me generous assistance and to all 122 undergraduate students who participated in the survey for this research project. Without their passionate participation and cooperation, the survey could not have been successfully conducted. Finally, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my dearest parents, my wonderful partner, and my best friends.
Throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis, I sometimes felt disheartened and depressed, but their boundless love and continuous encouragement helped me quickly eliminate those negative emotions and motivated me to keep making progress. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABSTRACT The recent foreign language education policy in Vietnam regarding English proficiency standardization has led to heated debates from all stakeholders about its effectiveness and appropriateness since its first launch in 2014. However, there has been lack of empirical research into beliefs and understandings of students, who are most affected by the policies, about the English standards for graduation.
The study was thus conducted in an attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. The aim of the research was to examine undergraduates‟ understandings and judgements on the current education policies of standardization of English proficiency to university students in Vietnam. A survey using questionnaires was carried out with the participation of 122 university undergraduates. The data collected from the students‟ responses were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Results from the questionnaire data revealed students‟ great confidence in their possibility of achieving the university outcome standards. They were also found to possess sufficiently positive beliefs and strong approval to the required English proficiency level and the process of standardizing English proficiency in Vietnam. However, English proficiency standardization is still problematic. Besides various beneficial facets of the CEFR-V implementation, this study raised some critical problems and challenges that policymakers and language teachers need to face with and overcome to improve students‟ performances, and more importantly, to make the English proficiency policy more practical and suitable.
Through the findings, the indispensable role of teachers as an assistant, a companion of the students in their language learning journey was also highlighted. Finally, some suggested solutions and implications were made to inform policymakers, educators and teachers of necessary changes to better the foreign language policy and maximize students‟ learning performances. iii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION. iii TABLE OF CONTENT.
iv LIST OF TABLES. vi LIST OF FIGURES. vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.
Background to the study. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study.
Organization of the thesis .4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Definition of language proficiency. Types and levels of proficiency. Standards-based education and language proficiency standardization.
Standards-based education. Language proficiency standardization. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Significance of learners’ beliefs in language learning.
Context of the study. English language teaching and learning in Vietnam. The National Foreign Language 2020 Project (Project 2020). CEFR-V standards/ Vietnam national standards on foreign language proficiency framework.
Mandated outcome standard to CEFR-V for tertiary level. Background information of the questionnaire participants. Data collection instruments .37 iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Data collection procedures .40 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
Undergraduate students‟ beliefs about English proficiency standardization. Students’ explanations for agreeing with the English proficiency standardization. Students’ explanations for disagreeing with the English proficiency standardization. Undergraduate students‟ understandings about the CEFR-V.
Students’ self-evaluation of their understandings toward the CEFR-V. Students’ understandings about the purposes of the CEFR-V. Students’ usage of the CEFR-V. Students’ recognition of level three (B1) in the CEFR-V.
Undergraduate students‟ beliefs about the outcome standard to CEFR-V for tertiary level .1 Undergraduate students’ level of approval of the outcome standard to CEFR-V for tertiary level. Undergraduate students’ beliefs about the achievement of the outcome standard to CEFR-V for tertiary level. Limitations of the study. Further research suggestions.
I APPENDIX 1: CEFR – Global scale. I APPENDIX 2: Student questionnaire .III v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: The 6 levels of the CEFR-V .1: Students‟ self-evaluation of their understandings to the CEFR-V .2: Students‟ understandings about the purposes of the CEFR-V.3: Students‟ usage of the CEFR-V .4: Results of students‟ level of approval of the outcome standard to CEFR- V for tertiary level .5: Students‟ beliefs about the achievement of the outcome standard to CEFR-V for tertiary level .62 vi TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: SBE framework - external accountability .1: Result of sample size calculator .3: Participants‟ purposes of using English after graduation .1: Students‟ beliefs about language proficiency standardization .2: Students‟ main explanations for agreeing with the foreign language standardization .3: Students‟ reasons for using the CEFR-V.4: Students‟ reasons for not using the CEFR-V .5: Students‟ recognition of B1 level to the CEFR-V .56 vii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HNUE Hanoi National University of Education SBE Standards-based Education CEFR Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR-V Vietnam national standards on foreign language proficiency framework MOET Ministry of Education and Training IELTS the International English Testing System viii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Background to the study English has been undoubtedly the most widely-used language in the world. As a result, English has become a core requirement of for employment, especially transnational incorporations.
Also, it is believed to be a passport to better future life to many individuals. Unsurprisingly, recent years have witnessed significant educational reforms whose focus is on developing and increasing the foreign language and especially English proficiency of students so that they can confidently and effectively engage and participate in the international labor market. Vietnam is not an exception. Since 1986, English has been expanded rapidly within Vietnam.
It becomes the most popular foreign language and also plays a special role in various fields, especially in employment and education. The spread of English in Vietnam is so strong that people tend to regard its appearance as a common thing. On the streets from either urban or rural cities, it is not unusual to come across numerous signs or paintings in shops, restaurants, clothing haul, entertainment spots, transport, etc. are in English, or at least, have an English word in them.
English is also a gatekeeping tool for job promotions, a pay rise or an opportunity to get a training course abroad. In 2008, Vietnam started its ambitious project to increase foreign language proficiency among its people. It was called The National Foreign Language 2020 Project (Project 2020). Its initial aim was „to renovate the teaching and learning of foreign languages within the national education system‟ (Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 2008).
It is expected that by 2020, most Vietnamese students graduating from secondary and vocational schools, colleges, and universities can use a foreign language in their daily communication. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) was adopted for measuring and assessing language proficiency. In an attempt to localize the CEFR, Vietnam develops a six-level of proficiency, which is called Vietnamese Common 1 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR-V). Many universities in Vietnam have implemented it as a supporting tool to direct their curricula, practices in teaching and learning, and evaluation.
Gradually, it has been standardized and has been utilized to set an outcome standard of English proficiency for tertiary students in Vietnam. According to the new policy, university students in Vietnam are expected to achieve level 3 in CEFR-V in order to graduate. The appropriateness and reasonableness of this decision, however, are still matters for debate. Although there is a great deal of research studying the perspectives of teachers and students about the effectiveness and impacts of the CEFR-V (the standards) on various aspects of teaching and learning, there is insufficient qualified research investigating process of English standardization through the use of CEFR- V as an outcome standard and its practicability, especially those focusing on attitudes of the students who are experiencing the pressure of achieving certain level of English according to the framework.
With the significant paradigm shift in pedagogy from teacher-centeredness to learner-centeredness, students nowadays are regarded as the most important stakeholder in education. Therefore, it is utterly crucial that every educational innovation or policy listens to students‟ voices, to their wills and beliefs so as to gain better alignment with the current approach in education. All these conditions henceforth offered the researchers a chance to conduct a study investigating further into the undergraduate students‟ beliefs about the English proficiency standardization. Aims of the study This study attempted to investigate students‟ understandings of the Vietnamese version of the CEFR proficiency standards, in terms of its objectives and the contents of each level.
More importantly, this study was aimed to provided 2 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com an account of the students‟ opinions about the English proficiency standardization for Vietnamese university students. Research questions In order to achieve the above-stated aims, the study seeks to address the following questions: (1) What are non-English major undergraduates‟ beliefs about the English proficiency standardization for Vietnam undergraduate students? Why do they believe that way? (2) How do they understand the CEFR-V and the proficiency standards defined in the CEFR-V? (3) What are their opinions about the English proficiency standards to CEFR-V for the tertiary level? Why do they believe that way? 1. Scope of the study The study limits itself to the investigation of the opinions and understandings of a group of university students who were learning English as a compulsory course regarding the policy of standardization of English proficiency to Vietnamese university undergraduates. Significance of the study Students are important stakeholders in educational innovation.
In case of new requirements of English proficiency, the students are the ones who are most influenced by the policy.