VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ESeran ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ DO THI THANH THU’ A STUDY ON PHYSICS STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES ON AN ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION (EMI) PROGRAM AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE, VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (Nghién citu vé nhitng khé khan và biện pháp khắc phục của sinh viên khoa Vật lý khi theo học khỏa học chuyên ngành giảng dạy bằng tiéng Anh tai trwong Đại học Khoa học Tự nhiên, Dai học Quốc gia Hà Nội) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English teaching methodology Code: 60140111 Ha Noi, November 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ESSIL ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ pO THI THANH THU A STUDY ON PHYSICS STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES ON AN ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION (EMI) PROGRAM AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE, VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (Nghiên cứu về những khó khăn và biện pháp khắc phục của sinh viên khoa Vật lý khi theo học khóa học chuyên ngành giảng dạy' bằng tiếng Anh tai trường Đại học Khoa học Tự nhiên, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội) (M.A THESIS) Field : English teaching methodology Code + 60140111 Supevisor : Dữ, Vu Thi Thanh Nha Ha Noi, November 2016 DECLARATION I hereby certify that this thesis is entirely my own work. I have provided fully documented references lo the olher’s work. The material in this thesis has not been submitted for assessment in any other formal course. I also accept all the requirements of University of Languages and Intemational Studies relating to the retention and use of M.A Graduation Thesis deposited in the library CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION L1.
Rationale Globalization and internationalization, combined with the rapid growth of the internet, have resulted in the spread of English worldwide. Strongly influenced by this phenomenon, many Asian countries, where English is not ollicially uscd, have adopted diverse educational policies thal aim to support students in acquiring higher levels of English proficiency and preparing them for better future jobs. While Content-based Instruction (CBE) or Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) refers to an approach where language teaching 1s organized around the informational content rather than a linguistic syllabus (Richards & Rodgers, 2001), EMT is mostly used for educational programs at a tertiary level where professional knowledge is taught through English with the purpose of enhancing students’ knowledge-specific ability as well as their English (Coleman, 2006). In Vietnam, English is considered as an indispensable subject in all universities’ curriculum.
There is a rapidly growing tendency for English to be adopted as the medium of instruction, even when a majority of the population speaks a local language. [lowever, when EMI courses have expanded, they do not get immediate success. At Hanoi University of Science (hereafter HUS), English is a compulsory subject for all students of all faculties. EMI is considered a preferable program to make leamers understood in a workplace context, or have an advantageous job over the others For the second-year physics students, they have one year to be familiar with the ways of studying at university.
learners try their best to improve their English as well as the knowledge of subjects; however, not all students have succeeded. The questions of the ways the sludents choose to overcome are left unanswered in this context. There have been nol much aulempts in invesligaling this issue. Ilence, it is greatly important to research the matter intensively.
1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ‘This thesis would not be fulfilled without the help of some people, and in some ways, T would like to thank everyone who has Llaught me, inspired me, challenged me, and supported me throughout the realization of this thesis. I would like to express my deepest thanks to my beloved supervisor, Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha, for her whole-hearted assistance, encouragement as well as the profound guidance she gave me while 1 was doing my research. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers im Facully of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Llanoi for their interesting lectures which have inspired me to conduct this thesis.
not least, T would also like (9 express my thanks to students al Hanoi University of Science, VNU for their willingness to participate in the research. Without their help, this project could not be fulfilled Hanoi, November, 2016 Do Thi Thanh Thu LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Language-in- Education Policy Goals. Table 2 Review Findings Regarding the Students’ Language Proficiencics Table 3 Review Findings Relating to Academic EMI Situation Table 4: Review Findings Relaling to EMI support Table § Students’ challenges Table 6: Students’ coping strategies and suggestions for teachers. Figure 1 The students’ purposes for Icarning English Figure 2 Areas of using Hnglish students often face challenges vil ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ‘This thesis would not be fulfilled without the help of some people, and in some ways, T would like to thank everyone who has Llaught me, inspired me, challenged me, and supported me throughout the realization of this thesis.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to my beloved supervisor, Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha, for her whole-hearted assistance, encouragement as well as the profound guidance she gave me while 1 was doing my research. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers im Facully of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Llanoi for their interesting lectures which have inspired me to conduct this thesis. not least, T would also like (9 express my thanks to students al Hanoi University of Science, VNU for their willingness to participate in the research.
Without their help, this project could not be fulfilled Hanoi, November, 2016 Do Thi Thanh Thu LIST OF ABBREVIATION TERMS HUS Hanoi University of Science VNU Vietam National University CBI Content-based Instruction TT. Content and Language Tnlegrated Learning Li Tirst Language 1⁄2 Second language MOET The Ministry of Education and Training ELT English language teaching EMT Enghsh as the Medium of Instruction, LIST OF ABBREVIATION TERMS HUS Hanoi University of Science VNU Vietam National University CBI Content-based Instruction TT. Content and Language Tnlegrated Learning Li Tirst Language 1⁄2 Second language MOET The Ministry of Education and Training ELT English language teaching EMT Enghsh as the Medium of Instruction, LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Language-in- Education Policy Goals. Table 2 Review Findings Regarding the Students’ Language Proficiencics Table 3 Review Findings Relating to Academic EMI Situation Table 4: Review Findings Relaling to EMI support Table § Students’ challenges Table 6: Students’ coping strategies and suggestions for teachers.
Figure 1 The students’ purposes for Icarning English Figure 2 Areas of using Hnglish students often face challenges vil CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION L1. Rationale Globalization and internationalization, combined with the rapid growth of the internet, have resulted in the spread of English worldwide. Strongly influenced by this phenomenon, many Asian countries, where English is not ollicially uscd, have adopted diverse educational policies thal aim to support students in acquiring higher levels of English proficiency and preparing them for better future jobs. While Content-based Instruction (CBE) or Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) refers to an approach where language teaching 1s organized around the informational content rather than a linguistic syllabus (Richards & Rodgers, 2001), EMT is mostly used for educational programs at a tertiary level where professional knowledge is taught through English with the purpose of enhancing students’ knowledge-specific ability as well as their English (Coleman, 2006).
In Vietnam, English is considered as an indispensable subject in all universities’ curriculum. There is a rapidly growing tendency for English to be adopted as the medium of instruction, even when a majority of the population speaks a local language. [lowever, when EMI courses have expanded, they do not get immediate success. At Hanoi University of Science (hereafter HUS), English is a compulsory subject for all students of all faculties.
EMI is considered a preferable program to make leamers understood in a workplace context, or have an advantageous job over the others For the second-year physics students, they have one year to be familiar with the ways of studying at university. learners try their best to improve their English as well as the knowledge of subjects; however, not all students have succeeded. The questions of the ways the sludents choose to overcome are left unanswered in this context. There have been nol much aulempts in invesligaling this issue.
Ilence, it is greatly important to research the matter intensively. 1 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Language-in- Education Policy Goals. Table 2 Review Findings Regarding the Students’ Language Proficiencics Table 3 Review Findings Relating to Academic EMI Situation Table 4: Review Findings Relaling to EMI support Table § Students’ challenges Table 6: Students’ coping strategies and suggestions for teachers. Figure 1 The students’ purposes for Icarning English Figure 2 Areas of using Hnglish students often face challenges vil ABSTRACT Lnglish-medium instruction (MI) has been a great interest to Janguage and language pohey researchers in an cra of globalization and internationalization.
Tn spite of recognising implemental problems and constraints, EMI has been widely introduced into countries where English is not the native language. This paper reported the findings of the study that aimed at identifying second-year physics students’ challenges and their coping, strategies when they studied the EMI program. Two issues, hence, are investigated: (1) what challenges the leamers face and (2) whal are their coping slralegies in the implementation of MI in Vietnam. ‘Che analysis of empirical data gamered from questionnaires and interviews reveals that the students faced such serious challenges as: students’ Fnglish abilily and comprehending leotures.
Their common strategies were group work, extensive reading, lecture attendance, completing assigned work and memorization. Based on these findings, suggestions are made for criameinig the success of similar programs 1H ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ‘This thesis would not be fulfilled without the help of some people, and in some ways, T would like to thank everyone who has Llaught me, inspired me, challenged me, and supported me throughout the realization of this thesis. I would like to express my deepest thanks to my beloved supervisor, Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha, for her whole-hearted assistance, encouragement as well as the profound guidance she gave me while 1 was doing my research.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers im Facully of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Llanoi for their interesting lectures which have inspired me to conduct this thesis. not least, T would also like (9 express my thanks to students al Hanoi University of Science, VNU for their willingness to participate in the research. Without their help, this project could not be fulfilled Hanoi, November, 2016 Do Thi Thanh Thu LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Language-in- Education Policy Goals. Table 2 Review Findings Regarding the Students’ Language Proficiencics Table 3 Review Findings Relating to Academic EMI Situation Table 4: Review Findings Relaling to EMI support Table § Students’ challenges Table 6: Students’ coping strategies and suggestions for teachers.
Figure 1 The students’ purposes for Icarning English Figure 2 Areas of using Hnglish students often face challenges vil TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGTDMENT. LIST OF ABBREVIATION ‘TERMS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIS'T OF TABLES AND FIGURES CIIAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1. Aims of the study. 8cope of the study ie) LS.
Method of the study kh bh BR bh 1. Design of the study CHAPTER 1l: LITKRATURE REVIEW. The EMI context IL1. Context of EMI in the world 1.
Context of EMI in Vietnam IL2. Challenges facing EMI students 1. Previous studies on coping strategies in multilingual higher education. 14 CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY O11.
Context of the study 18 IL2. Research questions TIL3. The study TIL3. Data collection mstruments 01.
