Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018, Diversity and Unity of Language Education in the Globalised Landscape

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING TODAY 2018 LTLT 2018 DIVERSITY AND UNITY OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN THE GLOBALISED LANDSCAPE ISBN: 978-604-73-6009-3 May, 2018 HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM VNU-HCM PUBLISHING HOUSE Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018 Diversity and Unity of Language Education in the Globalised Landscape NHIỀU TÁC GIẢ Bản tiếng Anh ©, TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM KỸ THUẬT TP.HCM, NXB ĐHQG-HCM CÁC TÁC GIẢ Bản quyền tác phẩm bảo hộ Luật Xuất Luật Sở hữu trí tuệ Việt Nam Nghiêm cấm hình thức xuất bản, chụp, phát tán nội dung chưa có đồng ý tác giả Nhà xuất ĐỂ CÓ SÁCH HAY, CẦN CHUNG TAY BẢO VỆ TÁC QUYỀN! ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Tin T Dang Hang T T Dinh Ha T T Le Hoa T Truong Dung H Huynh Thu T K Le Van T M Huynh Trang N A Nguyen Minh V B Phan Chair Member Member Member Member Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Secretary ACADEMIC COMMITTEE Tin T Dang Thanh T G Trinh Ha T T Le Hoa T Truong Thu T K Le Dung H Huynh Long D T Tran Suong T M Hoang My T A Su Thao T N Nguyen Trang M H Le Chair Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member WELCOME REMARKS Dear distinguished guests and scholars: It is our great honour to welcome you all to Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018 at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education (HCMUTE) As you should have known, HCMUTE is one of the most renowned and dynamic universities for training and research in Vietnam It is committed to offering quality training services and fostering effective space for innovations We have several programs assessed by AUN-QA and the institution accredited at the national level Along with the striving process of bringing breakthroughs to the training services at the university, LTLT 2018 is proudly organised This annual conference is a public forum for academics, researchers, lecturers, and stakeholders at different levels of their professional careers within the area of language teaching and learning to share research findings, provoke innovative ideas for classroom practice, and shape directions for new research This year, LTLT 2018 seeks to understand the diversity and unity of different teaching and learning practices in the globalised context of language education The event is a forum for both local insights and international perspectives to be shared and analysed for better understandings and more effective practices of the field Nowadays, every student comes to class with a smartphone and remains connected during class time at a physical room Students can read the materials that teachers have never heard about They may be exposed to a variation of English that the teachers have never experienced This conference is, therefore, able to address these challenges and opportunities Therefore, we look forward to learning from your vigorous discussions during the conference and hope that this forum would motivate more efficient changes of language education in the context of Vietnam and other countries Once again, welcome to HCMUTE Thank you for your participation and enjoy the conference Associate Professor Do Van Dzung President, HCMC University of Technology and Education i OPENING SPEECH Dear honourable guests, researchers, and colleagues: It is our privilege to welcome so many professionals, researchers, colleagues, students, and stakeholders in the area of English language teaching and learning joining the conference today Language Teaching and Learning Today is an initiative of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, HCMC University of Technology and Education in facilitating and empowering the professional community of language education and research On behalf of the conference organising team, I would like to welcome you all to our second conference of Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018 The main program was expanded from half a day of last year to a full day of this year We are very proud to host 50 presentations, including research papers, training workshops, and poster presentations These are the most rigorous studies that are recommended by our reviewers The conference is honoured with the participation of about 300 participants from various parts of Vietnam and the world Ladies and gentlemen, LTLT 2018 today aims at exploring the diversity and unity of different teaching and learning practices in the globalized context of language education This forum is to offer researchers and practitioners from different teaching and learning contexts like you a unique opportunity to share your local insights and dialogue with other international perspectives The conference is highlighted by a keynote speech of a linguist from Malaysia and four featured presentations of colleagues from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam Provided with different challenges of the globalised learning context, the conference is urged to consider the ease of technology access, the influence of foreign cultures, the dominance of digital citizens in every classroom setting The developmental process that learners integrate their local value with those of their counterparts from the virtual space is also investigated In addition, the learning behaviours and attitudes of the Z generation are examined Their communicative needs are then studied to understand the contradictions ii between teaching practices and learning preferences for the promotion of more appropriate training modes and services To finish this introduction to the conference, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the organising team, reviewers, guest speakers, presenters, student volunteers, and other colleagues for their amazing dedications to the event I would also like to thank you the sponsors for their generous sponsorship, particularly the gold sponsors of the conference, IDP, Halo English Centre, and Dai Truong Phat Our appreciation is extended to Macmillan Education, Cambridge University Publisher, and Canh Quan Viet for supporting the conference Thank you for the media team of HCMC University of Technology and Education for covering the event and getting it on air Finally, please allow me to thank all special guests and participants from different institutions for coming and sharing their expertise with us today I wish you all the best and hope that you will enjoy Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018 to the fullest Thank you Dang Tan Tin, PhD Conference Chair Dean, Faculty of Foreign Languages HCMC University of Technology and Education iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Remarks Do Van Dzung i Opening Speech: Diversity and Unity of Language Education in the Globalised Landscape Dang Tan Tin ii Keynote Speech: Globalising English Language Teaching Stefanie Pillai Featured Speech 1: I can Vlog: Oral Competency of Gen Z within the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework Made Hery Santosa and Ratih Mas Absari Featured Speech 2: Creating an Active Environment for Students’ Willingness to Communicate in English Bui Thi Thuc Quyen 30 Featured Speech 3: ‘Vietnamese-medium Instruction is good, but English-medium Instruction is better’: The Paradox about English-medium Education in Vietnamese Universities from the Student Perspective Le Thi Thuy Nhung 46 Written Language Development of English-Majored Students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education Trinh Thi Giang Thanh 60 The Impact of CLIL on Primary School Students’ English Vocabulary Development and Content Knowledge Thieu Thi Hoang Oanh 75 Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education Programme: Where Children Learn Well Binay Pattanayak 94 10 The Role of Learner Autonomy in English Language Education Duong My Tham and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tram iv 111 11 Learner Autonomy Beliefs and Practices of First-Year Students at HCMC University of Technology Vo Thi Bich Phuong 121 12 Enhancing Students’ Vocabulary Memory at University of Engineering and Technology Nguyen Thi Phuc 157 13 An Investigation into Data-Driven Approach to Introducing Vocabulary and Collocations Pham Thi Thuy Trang 169 14 Students’ Perspectives on the Implementation of Self and Peer Assessment in Academic Writing Pham Ngoc Kim Tuyen 182 15 The Effects of Peer Feedback on the First-Year Students' Writing Performance Dong Hoang Minh 211 16 Peer-Correction in Responding to Writing as Work in Progress: A Way to Improve the Management of Writing in the Classroom Le Ha To Quyen 228 17 The Effects of Project-Based Learning on the Interpersonal Skills of Freshmen at Thu Dau Mot University Tran Anh Vu 242 18 English-Major Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Culture in English Language Learning Tran Quoc Thao and Pham Tan Tai 253 19 Challenges of Teaching English in Vietnam through the Eyes of Expatriate Teachers Vo Huynh Thanh 271 20 Factors Influencing EFL Reading Comprehension of Vietnamese Secondary School Students: A Case Study Tran Quoc Thao and Tran Tuan Son 289 21 Fostering Learner Autonomy through an Extensive Reading Program with Undergraduate Students at Thu Dau Mot University Do Huy Liem 303 v suggested their analysis of moderator variables be a reference for more systematic studies Qualitative research design employing retrospective interviews as the main methodology can benefit from meta-analysis of moderator variables to construct instruments which address these variables in the corresponding manner of digressing participant’s responses and interpreting what actually occurs within the entire process Another attention should be given to a detailed description of the given WCF which match the research aim and focus of the study This study initially implemented the setting of seven elements of rewriting and drew interpretation of findings with reference to this set of elements However, the inclusion of reflective practice as such requires an attention for “…more data-led accounts of both reflection and any interaction involved” and an aim “…to identify, formulate, and share tools that promote dialogic, engaged, and evidence-based practice” (Walsh & Mann, 2015, p 360) Moreover, even though the think-aloud methodology was used as a checker of participant’s recognition of the WCF in rewriting of their first drafts, there were negative impacts for its implementation on participants Reports on causing pressure, forming an association with child identity, inability to notice every single detail of the given WCF from the study call for theoretical reviews on the role of working memory on second language comprehension and production (Linck et al., 2014) so as to enhance the implementation of think-aloud in research practice The last note of evaluation is given upon the effectiveness of rewriting practice and draft revising as the means to reconstruct grammatical accuracy in student writing Combining both etic and emic perspectives in reflecting the involved process, the evidence that the participants in the study demonstrated different strategies of recognizing, processing, and acquiring raises some key issues regarding teacher’s effort to provide grammatical correction for EFL learners They are to what extent learners and teachers’ goals for improving grammar correspond with each other (Zhou et al., 2013), how learners notice their solutions for grammatical errors and apply in the subsequent drafts (Hanaoka & Izumi, 2012), and “…the nature of the learners’ engagement with the feedback received to gain a better understanding of why some feedback is taken up and retained and some is not” (Storch & Wigglesworth, 2010) References Berg, B L., & Lune, H (2014) A Dramaturgical look at interviewing In Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences (8th ed.), pp 105-164 USA: Pearson 509 Chandler, J (2003) The efficacy of various kinds of error feedback for improvement in the accuracy and fluency of L2 student writing Journal of second language writing, 12(3), 267-296 Ellis, R (2009) A typology of written corrective feedback types ELT journal, 63(2), 97-107 Engestrom, Y (2000) Activity theory as a framework for analysing and redesigning work Ergonomics, 43(7), 960-974 Hanaoka, O., & Izumi, S (2012) Noticing and uptake: Addressing prearticulated covert problems in L2 writing Journal of Second Language Writing, 21(4), 332-347 Headland, T N., Pike, K L., Harris, M., (Eds.) (1990) Frontiers of Anthropology, Vol Emics and etics: The insider/outsider debate Newbury Park, Calif: Sage Publications Kang, E., & Han, Z (2015) The efficacy of written corrective feedback in improving L2 written accuracy: A meta‐analysis The Modern Language Journal, 99(1), 1-18 Lee, I (2014) Revisiting teacher feedback in EFL writing from sociocultural perspectives TESOL Quarterly, 48(1), 201-213 Levenston,E A (1978) Error analysis of free comparison: The theory and the practice Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 1-11 Linck, J A., Osthus, P., Koeth, J T., & Bunting, M F (2014) Working memory and second language comprehension and production: A meta-analysis Psychonomic bulletin & review, 21(4), 861-883 Storch, N., & Wigglesworth, G (2010) Learners’ processing, uptake, and retention of corrective feedback on writing Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 32(02), 303-334 Truscott, J (1996) The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes Language Learning, 46(2), 327-369 Walsh, S., & Mann, S (2015) Doing reflective practice: A data-led way forward ELT Journal, 69(4), 351-369 Weber, R P (1990) Basic content analysis (2nd ed Vol.49) Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications Zhou, A A., Busch, M., & Cumming, A (2014) Do adult ESL learners’ and their teachers’ goals for improving grammar in writing correspond? Language Awareness, 23(3), 234-254 Trinh Ngoc Thanh received his Master degree in the field of English Language Studies in 2012 In the meantime, he is a doctoral candidate at Department of English, Tamkang University, Taiwan His major research interests include Corpus Linguistics and Second Language Writing His doctoral thesis combines quantitative analysis and corpus-driven approach to analyze the pattern of language 510 SILENCE IN LEARNING AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS Nguyen Xuan Minh RMIT University Do Thi Huong IZUMI Language Center Abstract Communicative language teaching seems to be a favorite method to encourage more communication in the target language, which is hailed by many language teachers However, it is also proven that silence is necessary in language classrooms Favoring silent moments in language lessons appears to be controversial when interaction is acknowledged to be the key factor for the students to practice languages According to constructivism, students learn by constructing their own meanings by combining new information and their available knowledge Such meaning making is expected to have favorable conditions when done in silence This paper will explain the roles and reasons for the necessity of silence in learning before discussing Vietnamese students’ perception towards silence in classrooms It then presents pedagogical solutions to tackle negative consequences of improper management of silence in language classes Keywords: silence in learning, silence in pedagogy Introduction The teaching and learning approaches in recent decades have been overwhelmed with the appreciation of communicative activities in classrooms The success of language courses is mostly conceptualized as the bulk amount of interaction students are involved in, and the condition for such exchanges of information is expected to be constructed by teachers For many teaching approaches, the general aim behind learning is boosting the quantity and quality of input, interaction, and then output Therefore, teachers often dread if their classes are quiet And the fear of failure is even more acute if such an inactive class is observed by representatives from the Teaching and Learning Department during periods of teachers’ evaluation In the sweeping current of the prevalent communicative approach, it seems the teaching practice valuing silence is a step back when it is attributed to students’ passiveness, and inattentiveness However, the opposite viewpoint which appreciates 511 silence in learning is also gaining supporting evidence This paper aims at eliciting the merits of silence in learning, reasons for positive and negative silence in classrooms, and pedagogical suggestions for hampering the bad and promoting the good of silence in learning The Role of Silence in Learning Jin (2014) conducted a study to explore the role of silence in problembased learning which proved that “students’ silence can be regarded as a positive and constructive means of participation and learning contributing to the success of an ongoing PBL process” (p 72) In the classroom, Bista (2012) stated that silence forms when a gap occurs between a teacher’s expectation of a response and the time that the students take to construct their responses If so, silence should be offered as a necessary condition for students to have critical thinking and deliver meaningful and informative answers to questions In general support of silence, Max Picar (1952) asserted that silence broadened conversations, and that it is the “third speaker in a conversation” (p 69) This idea indeed reflects the fact that whenever there is a speaker, there should also be at least a listener to process information and give responses Zimmermann, and Morgan (2016) added that silence is sometimes a necessary condition for dialogues to occur Silence may precedes talks when ideas need processing before giving, which is also why people often advise each other to think carefully before speaking In addition, in the effort to make meaningful conversations and to explore the dialogical topic to the utmost, questions should be pondered upon, critical thinking should be fostered, and new aspects of the issue should be raised We cannot both speak and process deep thinking Most of the time we can only so in moments of silence - the intervals embedded in speeches As constructivists believe, learning is constructed by learners through the process of meaning making which is the addition of new information to the relevant knowledge of the subject matter through the lens of their personal experiences and beliefs This process develops from “prelogical” to “concrete, and abstract operations” (Airasian & Walsh, 1997) This learning theory coincides with the nature of silence in learning Indeed, Caranfa, (2004) claimed that “the silent substance in the child assimilates the foreign material, fuses it with other contents of the mind, broadens the whole nature of the child, and extends its mental frontiers” (p 211) He also asserted that silence is not only a favorable 512 environment for logical, critical, and rational thinking but it also helps learners to make connection among separated pieces of information to draw an overall picture of the issue In reality, when people are exposed to a source of input, a series of thoughts are generated in their heads Some input will stay as food for thoughts, some will just slip their minds after going through a filter of affection and interest Only the impressive, interesting, outstanding, or shocking information are taken in for followup thinking processes Everyone has a different affective filter and different repertoire of knowledge as well as discrepant levels of expertise Therefore, the follow-up thinking stage after receiving input is different from one person to another, and time for such thinking also varies More importantly, it needs silence so as not to mess up the personal logic or not to cause someone to lose the train of thoughts Silence is also the foundation for critical thinking that encourages people to seriously muse on a matter to explore its multifaceted nature and make comparisons where possible to relate it to a wider context and make sense for more people in wider circumstances Bligh (2014, p 34) stated that “silent period proved a critical time of learning and negotiation” and thus after the silence, the written or spoken products are expected to be higher in quality and reflects insights into the issues or suggests critical expansion of the topic Indeed, according to Caranfa (2004) imagination and reflective thinking develop thanks to our silent reflections in which doubt, evaluation, search for explanation, hesitation, and integration of thoughts take place Therefore, the quality of our thinking or perception of the world is improved; the processing of input is conducted in a much deeper level in a search for proper responses or appropriate actions Zimmermann and Morgan (2016) claimed that silence can either facilitates our reflection or suspend our thoughts If it is not a moment of the temporarily frozen mind, silence can prepare us for contemplating and reflecting on what we are exposed to in dialogues Besides its assistance in digesting and checking information, silence also acts as a tool for students to “recall prior knowledge as a means of productive learning” (Jin, 2014, p 78) That is why courses often have consolidation lessons, progress checks, or unit reviews, a large part of which is often done individually in silence before corrections are discussed and given Even in problem-based learning (PBL), a learning approach that requires mainly group work to resolve challenges, silence still plays an important role in students’ learning In a study, Jin (2014) analyzed videos of group work in PBL tutorials and interviews with students to find that silence 513 played a crucial role in constructing knowledge, group dynamics, students’ participation, and learning processes (information recall, knowledge digestion, information search, and idea generation) Silence and Social Learning While individual silent learning may benefit students, their restriction from talks with peers can harm their social learning (Bao, 2013) Obviously, the social skills are often gained from interaction with others Such skills are of great importance when the practicality of educational programs is hailed these years to prepare students ready for work Such skills as team work, planning, problem-solving, and communication skills are the spine of such programs as project-based learning, or work integrated learning programs In order to achieve a good working relationship with others, people have to be amiable, and sociable in their communication, and this often negates silence In conversations, or at meetings, silent people are usually considered not sociable, and silence in social occasions is seen as hindrance to rapport building Even worse, silence sometimes is the root of misunderstanding, which may seriously hurt the relationship Also, real-life situations sometimes are too complicated to be understood with little explanation, let alone silence from people involved Moreover, Jin (2014, p 74) cited Jensen (1973) saying that “five functions of silence in communication are well known and include: linkage, affecting, revelational, judgmental and activating function.” Most of the functions of silence listed here are leaning towards the inner and the insight of oneself, so there is some truth in saying that silence is for the self-benefit Indeed, when staying silent, one thinks for himself, relating the situation to his own case rather than celebrating the ideas with people around However, in the trend of upholding social skills, the favorite’s message of educational institutions in their student recruitment also focuses on the transformation of the learned skills from the academic environment to the workplace later The achievement of such claim by institutions can be a flagship to make them stand out in students’ choice of schools in each enrollment season Reasons for Silence in Learning Silence can be the springboard for creative and valuable classroom contributions; however, if silence is caused by negative conditions in class such as suppression, or demotivation, it may be shifted to the 514 harmful reticence As Krishna Bista (2012) suggested, there are five main reasons for international students to stay quiet in American classes: influences of the culture of silence (e.g Confucian ideology), the concept of learners as listeners in Asian teacher-centered classrooms, learners’ perception of silence as a condition for quality listening and understanding, Asian belief that links silence to respect, wisdom, as well as self-control in class, and students’ low language proficiency Another study explaining the reasons for silence in classroom was conducted by Harumi (2010) She pointed out three main groups of reasons why students stayed silent in a Japanese EFL class which are language problems (lack of vocabulary, grammar, reading skills, and effectiveness in expression), psychological problems (lack of confidence, boredom, tense atmosphere, etc.), and problems in turn taking (little allocation of time for raising ideas, teachers’ giving chances to others, problems in getting back the turn, etc.) Besides, Caranfa (2004) synthesized claims of many scientists stating that “top-down communication, the gap between the teacher and the student, and teacher-centered classroom instruction are deeply rooted causes of silence for Asian students” (p 80) Moreover Bao (2013) claimed that silence transformed to reticence when students were not well-prepared, incapable, and demotivated by improper instruction and other unfavourable learning conditions The understanding of these causes of negative silence or reticence is of utmost importance for teachers in their effort to curb any negative silence in class Vietnamese students’ perception of silence Vietnamese learners may think of their participation in talk as an intrusion to “others’ space, time, and personal styles” (Bao, 2013, p 152), and thus they opt to whisper to the next classmates to save time for others’ opinions However, this is only true when someone dominates the class discussion, taking away chances to contribute ideas, giving comments, and asking questions from the rest of the class They also show appreciation to inner speech attributing the superiority to it compared to output in terms of cognitive stimulation, quantity of processed information, and generation of resources for use in verbal contribution (Bao, 2013) Speaking silently to oneself or whispering as said above still shows the dynamics of the learning atmosphere in class However, if in case students responses to teachers or learning contents are poor while they 515 lose their attention or are distracted by something else, then silence at that time depicts the hibernation of learning activities Also, most of the time reticence signifies ineffectiveness of instruction when students feel uninterested, or they receive little support, recognition and condition for their contribution Therefore, many Vietnamese students not perceive silence as participating in learning but of negligence (Bao, 2013) In brief, there exist students with preference of silence, but the challenge is that teachers not always know which silent student is processing inner speech and which one is day dreaming especially in large language classes in Vietnam The Implications of Silence in Pedagogy 6.1 Individualization of learning The world is heading to cater for individual needs in everything including education In a classroom nowadays, it is almost inevitable that the students form small heterogeneous communities diversified by their cultural backgrounds, academic levels, characteristics, educational needs, and learning styles Therefore, a panacea for a problem is not acceptable any more In this spirit, the acceptance, and respect for different learning preferences should be practiced What needs to be done is not the generalization and assimilation of learners in class but the stratification of learners’ types and the provision for those differences at times To individualize learning, teachers need to spend more time thinking of how to deliver lessons to accommodate different needs rather than what to teach 6.2 The diversification of leaning activities Due to the discrepancy in learners, in order to increase participation and interest in the lessons, teachers need to vary teaching activities to suit the learning styles of different students Especially, for silent students, teachers should develop more appropriate activities to foster their learning Some brief moments for deeper thinking should be ensured during class time, especially when time is needed for the internalization of new information For example, teachers should give students time for thinking for themselves before voicing their answers Moreover, such tasks as brainstorming, writing, reading, solving puzzles, doing quizzes, or listening and note taking could be mixed with other more expressive or 516 oral activities in class for silent students to actively participate in If so at different phases of the lesson, students of dissimilar learning styles can feel their favorite stage to engage and be primary stakeholders while saving that opportunity for their friends in other activities 6.3 The utilization of various teaching techniques to improve learning environment If students need silence, then they should be provided with an environment with slots for silent pondering To be more specific, if students need time to think, then teachers should be patient to allow enough time for them to find answers To avoid making the waiting time dead moments of the class and embarrassing the respondent, teachers may turn to other students before coming back to the silent one Each student interacts with the lesson in class in a different way Some may summarize what others say, some initiate questions, some raise new ideas, some give critique, and some just like to write down what they think When they are free to choose which way to learn, they can clear the affective hurdles and feel enthusiastic about learning Another concern in allowing silence in class is recognizing when it should be tolerated and how much silence should be given to students This is a challenge as a result of students’ diversity which dictates the variation from one student to another in how much silence they need, when they need it, and how they will use it (Bao, 2013) Therefore, the strategies to cope with this issue is to break the task into many small pieces and just control the total time for the task completion on the condition that they can chose to work alone or in whatever group configurations they want That task division will give freedom to students to choose which part they need more focus on, which part to work on by themselves, and where they should pause for more consideration As a consequence, students can all learn about what they are interested in, and approach the task or activities differently but successfully and satisfactorily In this practice, teachers’ observation is also very important in that through students’ activities in class, teachers can draw experience on what each student like or how fast they the task The experience in class observation can help teachers set up reasonable activities to suit students in more aspects as they proceed further in the course As regards maintaining students’ participation, Schultz (2013) suggested that if the student stays silent, the teacher may involves him or her in 517 other activities such as writing, or conversing privately with the teacher, or talking more frequently to friends or allowing students’ free choice of ways they want to express ideas Instead of focusing on students’ silent learning style, teachers should find their interests based on their ages, culture, and hobbies to put them into interactions with classmates with the same interests This measure will remedy cases of temporary silence due to the disintegration stage of newcomers to a new class, or owing to the lack of attention from the teacher in turn giving Caranfa (2004, p 81) emphasized that teachers should have insight into the “ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds” of students to understand reasons for their silence and levels of participation in lessons Therefore, in Vietnamese setting, the understanding of local customs, national culture and language proficiency level of students is crucial for teachers to build rapport with students through very swift immediacies that strikes the students heart and gain their support as well as participation 6.4 The prevention of unfavorable conditions causing reticence The prerequisite of reticence prevention is that the teacher should anticipate any possible causes of students’ silence and prepare solutions before classes For example, if students are unconfident in their skills, tasks should be given to them to practice many times before performance in class If students have linguistic problems, supplementary materials of grammar and vocabulary should be given to them preferably before class as a foundation for classroom tasks If the problem originates from culture, sympathy is necessary, but talks to break the ice need to be done for more proper learning attitudes Conclusion All in all, in order to facilitate silent learners there are four major areas teachers need to elaborate First, they need to understand each student as a person with all aspects that affect their learning styles This can be done through observation, experimentation, surveys, or informal talks with students Second, different learning activities and teaching techniques should be developed and implemented flexibly based on the academic requirements in harmony with the understanding of students’ attributes As a result of this practice, individual students can benefit from optimal conditions for their learning 518 Third, an environment that respects silence should be created in which teachers respect students’ need of silence, maintain good responsiveness, and establish interpersonal bond among members of the class and between students and the teacher This can be done when teachers give time to students’ thinking before retrieving their answers Finally, any problems that can reduce silence into reticence such as lack of knowledge or preparation, lack of confidence in language proficiency, or psychological problems need to be spotted and addressed in time and with the right manner If possible, teachers should make use of available resources in the school including training services of librarians or volunteer tutors, or help of teaching assistants or other academic staff and instructing materials of all kinds from books to online sources to help build students’ confidence through extensive learning and good preparation prior to classes With all of these respects considered and well catered for, it is believed that silence can promote its positive effects in boosting students’ cognition and contribution, and ultimately improve quality of their learning process in their classes References Airasian, P W., & Walsh, M E (1997) Constructivist cautions Education Digest, 78(6), 444-449 Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218492309?accountid=13552 Bao, D (2013) Understanding Silence and Reticence: Ways of Participating in Second Language Acquisition London, New Delhi, New York, Sydney: Bloomsbury Bista, K (2012) Silence in Teaching and Learning: Perspectives of a Nepalese Graduate Student College Teaching, 60(2), 76-82 DOI:10.1080/87567555.2011.633943 Bligh, C (2014) The Silence Experiences Of Young Bilingual Learners: A Social Cultural Study Into The Silent Period Leeds: Leeds Metropolitan University Caranfa, A (2004) Silence as a foundation of learning Educational Theory, 54(2), 211-230 Harumi, S (2010) Classroom silence: Voices from Japanese EFL learners ELT journal, 65(3), 260-269 Jensen, V (1973) Communicative functions of silence ETC: A Review of General Semantics,30, 249–257 Jin, J (2014) Understanding silence in problem-based learning: A case study at an English medium university in Asia Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 28(1-2), 72-82 DOI:10.3109/02699206.2013.813587 519 Picard, M (1952) The World of Silence Chicago: Regnery Schultz, K (2013) The Role of Silence in Teaching and Learning Educational Horizon, 22-25 Zimmermann, A C., Morgan, W J (2016) A Time for Silence? Its Possibilities for Dialogue and for Reflective Learning Stud Philos Educ, 399–413 doi:10.1007/s11217-015-9485-0 Nguyen Xuan Minh is a Master’s student at Open University, Ho Chi Minh City He is currently working as a research assistant at RMIT Vietnam and teaching English at SEAMEO RETRAC His interest is ICT in teaching and learning, and IELTS teaching Do Thi Xuan Huong is a Master’s student at Open University, Ho Chi Minh City She is interested in teachers’ identity formation and teaching ESL to children 520 LIST OF AUTHORS Stefanie Pillai Made Hery Santosa Bui Thi Thuc Quyen Le Thi Thuy Nhung Trinh Thi Giang Thanh Thieu Thi Hoang Oanh Binay Pattanayak Duong My Tham Nguyen Thi Thanh Tram Vo Thi Bich Phuong Nguyen Thi Phuc Phan Thi Thuy Trang Pham Ngoc Kim Tuyen Dong Hoang Minh Le Ha To Quyen Tran Anh Vu Tran Quoc Thao Pham Tan Tai Vo Huynh Thanh Tran Tuan Son Do Huy Liem Nguyen Trong Nghia Phuong Hoang Yen Le Thi Minh Trang Vu Thi Thanh Hoa Ha Thi Bich Ngan Bui Phuong Thao Le Thi Kim Thu Dang Hoai Phuong Tran Thi Thuy Hang Pham Huu Duc Trinh Ngoc Thanh Nguyen Xuan Minh Do Thi Huong 521 Language Teaching and Learning Today 2018 Diversity and Unity of Language Education in the Globalised Landscape NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH Khu phố 6, Phường Linh Trung, Quận Thủ Đức, TP Hồ Chí Minh Dãy C, số 10-12 Đinh Tiên Hồng, Phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1, TP Hồ Chí Minh ĐT: 028 6272 6361 – 028 6272 6390 E-mail: vnuhp@vnuhcm.edu.vn PHÒNG PHÁT HÀNH & TRUNG TÂM SÁCH ĐẠI HỌC Dãy C, số 10-12 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1, NHIỀU TÁC GIẢ TP Hồ Chí Minh ĐT: 028 6272 6361 – 028 6272 6390 Website: www.nxbdhqghcm.edu.vn TRUNG TÂM SÁCH ĐẠI HỌC Dãy C, số 10-12 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Phường Bến Nghé, Quận 1, TP Hồ Chí Minh ĐT: 028 6272 6350 – 028 6272 6353 Website: www.sachdaihoc.edu.vn Chịu trách nhiệm xuất Nhà xuất ĐHQG-HCM tác giả/đối tác liên kết giữ quyền© Copyright © by VNU-HCM Press and author/ co-partnership All rights reserved NGUYỄN HOÀNG DŨNG Chịu trách nhiệm nội dung NGUYỄN HOÀNG DŨNG Tổ chức thảo chịu trách nhiệm tác quyền TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM KỸ THUẬT TP.HCM Xuất năm 2018 Biên tập LÊ THỊ MINH HUỆ Sửa in SIN KẾ DUYÊN Trình bày bìa Số lượng 100 cuốn, Khổ 16 x 24 cm, ĐKKHXB số: 1010-2018/CXBIPH/0356/ĐHQGTPHCM, Quyết định XB số 84/QĐ-ĐHQGTPHCM NXB ĐHQG-HCM cấp ngày 02-5-2018 In tại: Cơng ty TNHH In & Bao bì Hưng Phú Đ/c: 162A/1 - KP1A - P.An Phú TX Thuận An - Bình Dương Nộp lưu chiểu: Quý II/2018 TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM KỸ THUẬT TP.HCM ISBN: 978 – 604 – 73 – 6009 – ... in the area of English language teaching and learning joining the conference today Language Teaching and Learning Today is an initiative of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, HCMC University of. .. parts of Vietnam and the world Ladies and gentlemen, LTLT 2018 today aims at exploring the diversity and unity of different teaching and learning practices in the globalized context of language education. .. MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING TODAY 2018 LTLT 2018 DIVERSITY AND UNITY