VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT ----------------------------- DANG THI QUYNH GIANG VIETNAMESE TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF CODE-SWITCHING IN THEIR TEACHING TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN A PRIVATE ENGLISH CENTER IN HANOI Thực tiễn việc chuyển ngữ của giáo viên Việt Nam trong dạy học tại một trung tâm Tiếng Anh trẻ em ở Hà Nội M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Major code : 8140231. Lê Văn Canh Hanoi - June,2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT ----------------------------- ĐẶNG THỊ QUỲNH GIANG VIETNAMESE TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF CODE-SWITCHING IN THEIR TEACHING TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN A PRIVATE ENGLISH CENTER IN HANOI Thực tiễn việc chuyển ngữ của giáo viên Việt Nam trong dạy học tại một trung tâm Tiếng Anh trẻ em ở Hà Nội M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Major : English Teaching Methodology Major code : 8140231. Lê Văn Canh Hanoi - June,2018 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby, certify the thesis named “ Vietnamese Teachers’ Practices Of Code-Switching In Their Teaching To Young Learners In A Private English Center In Hanoi” is the result of my own work for the Minor Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The research has not been submitted for any degree at any other universities or institutions.
I agree that the origin of my thesis deposited in the library can be accessible for the purpose of study and research. Dang Thi Quynh Giang i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Doing an MA thesis is one of the greatest experiences in my life. Different people have different methods to achieve their goals. For me, to complete this thesis, I keep trying, and obviously I have owned many people.
My greatest thanks are to Assoc. Le Van Canh, my supervisor, for his agreement to accept me as his student. I am grateful for his patience and insightful suggestions, his encouragement and sympathy with me. My special thanks are also to the board of institution management who allow me to conduct the research in the English center.
Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues who are interested in my study and accept to join in. I am deeply in debt to them for their knowledge and support. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study investigates the code-switching by three Vietnamese teachers teaching English in a private educational institution in Hanoi, Vietnam. It seeks to find the frequency of code-switching in the three classes the participants are teaching and the pedagogical functions which the code switches serve according to teachers‟ self-reports.
Adopting a qualitative case study method (Yin, 2009) with the help of classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews, the researcher discovers that teachers use code-switching in their class consciously up to fifty- eight percent for five pedagogical functions including maintaining discipline, conveying meaning efficiently, explaining and translating unknown terms or vocabulary items, expressing solidarity and building rapport, and clarifying tasks. The study recommends that future research had better concentrate on the attitudes of students regarding the use of L1 in the classroom and uncover similarities and differences between CS practices of teachers teaching students in two different academic years. Key words: teachers‟ practices, code-switching, young learners iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS CS Code-switching EFL English as a Foreign Language EL Embedded Language F Female L1 First Language L2 Second Language ML Matrix Language MLF Matrix Language Framework S Student T Teacher TL Target Language v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS. vi LIST OF TABLES. Background of research problem. Statement of the problem.
Rationale for this study. The focus of the study. Operational definition of terms. Code-switching in bilingualism.
Conceptualizations of code-switching. Code-switching and code-mixing. Code-switching and borrowing. Types and models of code-switching.
Functions of code-switching. Classroom language policy. 27 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Data collection procedures.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. I vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Participants‟ profiles .34 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. INTRODUCTION This section presents code-switching as a phenomenon of multilingual speech.
The impacts of code-switching in monolingual settings and the functions of code - switching happens in language and content classrooms in multilingual settings. A limited number of studies on classroom code-switching based on either teacher reports or observation of code-switching phenomenon in Vietnam are also described. The significance of the study is also included in this chapter. Background of research problem For much of the 20th century, professional discussions, debates and research within ELT has assumed that English is best taught and learned without the use of students‟ first language(s), leading to the promotion of monolingual, English–only teaching.
In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been increasingly questioned and a re-evaluation of the practice of changing between the language being taught (TL) and the students‟ first language (L1) in language classrooms, code-switching, has begun. Furthermore, there is an increasing recognition that what has been fashionable in ELT theory and literature does not necessarily reflects what actually happens in classrooms around the world. In Vietnam, however, despite this recent interest, there is, as yet, little data that documents the extent and purpose of code -switching in English Language Teaching. Thus, stimulated by the current re-appraisal of the issue, this research aimed to address this gap.
Code-switching refers to the use of more than one code or language in the course of a single speech event (Gumperz, 1982). Such switch in language in the midst of a speech is frequently found in bi/multilingual discourse (e. Hlavac, 2006; Montes-Alcala, 2000; Myers-Scotton, 2003). The term bilingual and multilingual have been used interchangeably (e.
Bhatia & Ritchie, 2008; Romaine, 2006). Bi/multilingual is usually associated the speaker‟s ability to use languages. The ability to use first and second language is bilingualism (e. 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Edwards, 2004; Haugen, 1953); the ability to use three or more languages is multilingualism (e.
A speaker with the ability to speak three or more languages (multilingual) need not necessarily use all the languages known to him/her at all times but could switch from one language to another in his/her discourse. The tendency of multilingual speakers to switch codes is acknowledged in various studies (Bhattacherjee, Rahman & Chengappa, 2009; Hlavac, 2006; Montes-Alcala, 2000; Myers-Scotton, 1993; Nomura, 2003). The negative impacts of code-switching on individual and society is much discussed in literature from a monolingual perspective. The act of switching from one language to another is often viewed as sign of linguistic and cognitive deficiency for monolinguals and a rejection of incorporation into the society by nativists (Bailey, 2000).
There are also misguided fears associated with code- switching. For instance, parental fear (of what have I done with my child?), cultural fears (does bilingual entail acculturation), educational fears (does bilingual affect academic progress?) that are prominent in immigrant groups enrolled in bilingual education out of necessity but not parents who send their children to acquire additional language by choice, and politico-ideological fears (is bilingual a threat to the nation state?) (Beardsmore, 2003). These fears; however, implicit or explicit, shows code-switching is not well accepted in monolingual settings. However, research also claims code-switching is often functional in a multilingual setting.
In agreement with Crystal (2001) and Skiba (1997) further expounded on the contribution of the alternate use of languages in compensating a speaker‟s inability to express oneself in a language, expressing solidarity with a particular social group, and conveying a speaker‟s attitude. At other times, code- switching bridges communication between different linguistic groups (Myers- Scotton, 1993). Nonetheless, the complexity and versatility of such code-switching in monolingual setting is inadequately researched. Studies have confirmed code- switching strategy is used in language classrooms (Flyman-Mattsson & Burenhult, 1999; Greggio & Gil, 2007; Martin, 2005; Reini, 2008) and content classrooms (e.
2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Butzkamm, 1998; Martin, 1996, 1999; Zabrodskaja, 2007). They also show code- switching in classrooms are often functional. Researchers have categorized the code-switching instances based on its functions, to name a few, annotating talk (Martin, 1996, 1999, 2005), addressee specification (Huerta-Macias & Quintero, 1992; Then & Ting, 2009), quotation (Then & Ting, 2009; Zheng, 2009), and situational code-switching (Gumperz, 1982; Seidlitz, 2003). Nevertheless, it is unclear how such use of code -switching would differ according to context, if used (Then, 2010).
Statement of the problem Vietnamese society and education draws on long traditional of Confucian ways. Confucianism, which was developed from the ideas of Confucius, and ancient Chinese philosophers, is also known as a Chinese way of thought. In Vietnam, teachers are traditionally respected. Teachers are those whose teach students not only academic matters but also moral behaviour (Jamieson, 1993).
In this largely Confucian society, a teacher acts as a “mentor” ( Kramsch & Sullivan, 1996, p.126) who is considered the moral leader. Vietnamese people are very familiar with some well-known sayings which emphasize the significant roles of teachers, for example, “ first learn how to behave, then learn the subject”, or “ without teachers, you cannot be successful”. The Confucian heritage is best expressed via student-teacher hierarchical relationships, in which students always show their respect to their teacher. For example, students are expected to stand up to greet their teacher when he/ she enters the classroom.
During the class time, the students are expected to keep silent to listen to their teacher and to do what he/ she tells them to, and can only speak when asked to by the teacher. In addition, responding to teacher‟s questions in chorus or in “ collaborative ways” ( Kramsch & Sullvian, 1996, p.203) can be seen as a way of showing respect to teachers, because this means that students are willing to speak. These ways of showing respect to teachers are also common to students at higher levels of education, such as in secondary school and university. At the lower levels of education, such practices of learners to show 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com respect to teachers are usually encouraged.
Moreover, another Confucian characteristic (i., students do not speak up until their teachers ask them to do so) might decrease to a certain extent students‟ opportunities and motivation to speak in their English classes. In 1995, Vietnam officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2001, it participated in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) implemented the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement. Recently, Vietnam has become the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Examples of such events show that the relations between Vietnam and other countries in the Asian region and in the world have been considerably expanded. This expansion of international relations requires the use of a common language to enable the Vietnamese to communicate and collaborate with people from other countries. English is undoubtedly selected as the common language for this type of communication because of its status as a global language. The importance of English has increased due to the fact that more and more foreign investors require English as a means of communication with Vietnamese people.
Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for Vietnamese labour force competent in English. English, thus, outweighs other languages such as Chinese, French and Japanese, and is the first choice as an FL for most of the institutions in the educational systems nation- wide.