(LUẬN văn THẠC sĩ) an exploratory study on lecturers’ application of the content and language integrated learning approach to teach the sophomores of the international standard programs

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES o0o ĐỖ THỊ HỒNG NHUNG AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON LECTURERS’ APPLICATION OF THE “CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING” APPROACH TO TEACH THE SOPHOMORES OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD PROGRAMS AT VNU UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (NGHIÊN CỨU THĂM DÒ VỀ VIỆC GIÁO VIÊN ỨNG DỤNG ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG HỌC TÍCH HỢP KIẾN THỨC CHUN NGÀNH VÀ NGƠN NGỮ ĐỂ GIẢNG DẠY CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI HỆ NHIỆM VỤ CHIẾN LƯỢC TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHỆ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI) MA.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES o0o ĐỖ THỊ HỒNG NHUNG AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON LECTURERS’ APPLICATION OF THE “CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING” APPROACH TO TEACH THE SOPHOMORES OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD PROGRAMS AT VNU UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (NGHIÊN CỨU THĂM DÒ VỀ VIỆC GIÁO VIÊN ỨNG DỤNG ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG HỌC TÍCH HỢP KIẾN THỨC CHUYÊN NGÀNH VÀ NGÔN NGỮ ĐỂ GIẢNG DẠY CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI HỆ NHIỆM VỤ CHIẾN LƯỢC TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHỆ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI) MA.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa HANOI – 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com DECLARATION I hereby state that I, Do Thi Hong Nhung, being a candidate for the Degree of Master of Arts (TEFL), accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of M.A Thesis deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the thesis Ha Noi, September 15th,2014 Signature Do Thi Hong Nhung i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals around me, to only some of whom it is possible to give particular mention here I would like to express my appreciation, first and foremost, to my supervisor Dr Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa, who guided me to develop my study into a practicable frame in the very beginning and offered valuable suggestions while the work was in progress My thanks also go to all the lecturers of Faculty of Post Graduate Studies at University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their inspirational lectures in class, by which I have been motivated to explore some interesting issues concerning English language teaching and learning I am extremely obliged to a great number of teachers and students in VNU University of Engineering and Technology, without whose genuine encouragement my MA study here is hard to accomplish Last but not least I wish to avail myself of this opportunity, express a sense of gratitude and love to my friends and my beloved family for their understanding & endless love through the duration of my studies ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABSTRACT Although it is a new phenomenon, the concept of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has become one of the major trends in education and research In Vietnam, CLIL is locally known as English as a medium of instruction (EMI) where content subjects are taught in English The study presents the results of implementing CLIL approach in a member university under Vietnam National University, Hanoi The main objectives of the study were to seek the views of both the teachers and students regarding the teaching and learning of content subjects through English Survey questionnaires were used as the research instruments The findings indicated that teachers and students acknowledged the challenges of integrated CLIL and its beneficial role in promoting both the foreign language and content Therefore, proper English language and CLIL methodology training program should be implemented to the teachers and students in order that they can learn and teach content subjects effectively iii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION .i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF FIGURES .vii LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF CHARTS vii PART A: INTRODUCTION PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW Theoretical background of Content and Language Integrated Learning 1.1 Overview of Content and Language Integrated Learning 1.2 Core features of CLIL approach 1.3 Lesson planning tools 1.3.1 The 4Cs Framework for CLIL 1.3.2 The language triptych 11 1.4 Key competences expected of teachers working with CLIL 12 Previous studies relevant to the study 15 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 18 2.1 The setting of the study 18 2.2 Participants 19 2.2.1 Teachers 20 2.2.2 Students 20 2.3 Data collection instrument 20 2.3.1 The questionnaires for the students 21 2.3.2 The questionnaires for the teachers 21 2.4 Data analysis 22 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 23 iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 3.1 Data analysis 23 3.1.1 Data analysis of research question 23 Table 5: Teachers’ perceptions of disadvantages of EMI classrooms 31 3.1.2 Data analysis of research question 32 3.2 Discussion of major findings 34 3.2.1 Teachers’ and students’ awareness of the application of CLIL approach 34 3.2.2 Teacher’s and Student’s perceived advantages in EMI courses 35 3.2.3 Teacher’s and Student’s perceived disadvantages in EMI courses 35 3.3 The extent to which key features of CLIL were present in the EMI classes 35 3.4 Suggestions 36 3.4.1 Content-based EAP courses for teachers and students 36 3.4.2 CLIL Methodology training for teachers 37 3.4.3 Bilingual education policy 38 PART C: CONCLUSION 39 Summary of the study 39 Summary of main findings: 39 2.1 Teachers and students’ opinions regarding the advantages and challenges in the implementation of CLIL approach 39 2.2 Teachers’ and students’ recommendations to improve the teaching of subject through the medium of the English language 40 Limitations of the study 40 Recommendations for further study: 41 REFERENCES 42 APPENDIX I v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BICS : Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills CALP : Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency CLIL : Content and Language Integrated Learning EAP : English for Academic Purposes EFL : English as a foreign language EMI : English as Medium of Instruction FL : The Foreign Language ISP : International Standard Program L1 : The First Language/Mother Tongue L2 : The Second Language SMP : Strategic Mission Program VNU : Vietnam National University, Hanoi VNU-UET : University of Engineering and Technology, under Vietnam National University, Hanoi VNU-ULIS : University of Languages and International Studies, under Vietnam National University, Hanoi vi TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Coyle’s four Cs framework of key principles 10 Figure The Language Triptych (Coyle, Hood, Marsh, 2010) 11 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Teaching subjects through a foreign language in the primary school 13 Table 2: Teachers’ opinions towards their instruction and their students’ level of attainment 25 Table 3: Students’ Perceived Advantages of CLIL 29 Table 4: Students’ Perceived Disadvantages of CLIL 30 Table 5: Teachers’ perceptions of disadvantages of EMI classrooms 31 LIST OF CHARTS Chart 1: Students’ level of English proficiency 23 Chart 2: English skill students want to improve 24 Chart 3: Teachers’ assessments towards their students’ commands of English 24 Chart 4: Students’ CLIL Classroom activities in English 26 Chart 5: Students’ opinions towards language used in the EMI classroom 27 Chart 6: Teachers’ CLIL Classroom activities in English 27 Chart 7: Teachers’ perspective on code-switching to Vietnamese 28 Chart 8: Teachers’ ways to help students understand key terms 29 Chart 9: Opinions about teacher’s training courses 32 Chart 10: Students’ recommendations regarding effective EMI practice 32 Chart 11: Teachers’ recommendations regarding effective EMI practice 33 Chart 12: Perceived teachers’ needs for CLIL training sessions 34 vii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION The initial chapter states the problem and the rationale of the study, together with the aims, objectives and the scope of the whole paper Above all, it is in this chapter that research questions are identified to work as clear guidelines for the whole research Rationale for the study Globalization has given people more access to diverse resources not only financially, but also educationally as well as linguistically With the tide of globalization, being able to speak English fluently has become a prerequisite to a successful employment opportunity Nowadays in many countries where English is not the national language, there has been a move towards English – medium instruction in higher education (Hughes, 2008, p.5), especially in East Asia countries such as Viet Nam It is more meaningful and fruitful to provide learners with instructions which focus on the integration of both content and language, rather than to teach them separately “Language is acquired most effectively when it is learned for communication in meaningful and significant social situation” (Genesee, 1994) Therefore, many people hold the view that English-medium instruction would greatly benefit students’ L2 development as well as content knowledge acquisition One approach, particularly in tertiary education, is through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in which “subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language” (Marsh, 2002, p 2) In ELT, forms of CLIL have previously been known as “Content-based instruction”, “English across the curriculum” and “Bilingual education” This approach in education started in Europe in 1970s and has been spreading widely since 1990s The approach is based on the well-known assumption that foreign languages are best learnt by focusing in the classroom not so much on language – its form and structure – but on the content through which language is transmitted Recognizing the benefits above, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) issued two declarations in an effort to reform the teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system (MOET, 2008, 2010) In the TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com During my classroom practice, it is found out that the major concern of the teachers was their students’ proficiency The teachers communicated in English during the whole class meeting, brought the aspects of authenticity and academic challenges in their classrooms but they were somehow ineffective because of the students’ low proficiency Some other features that could not be really implemented were the active learning, student-centered atmosphere, development of student’s own knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests and experience, and challenges toward students to develop themselves as scholars who have content and language knowledge Because the majority of the students did not have sufficient proficiency, they did not participate actively although their teachers had encouraged them to by asking them some questions or points to discuss in English The classroom thus had more teacher-centered atmosphere Because of their limited language proficiency, these students did not comprehend the teaching/learning materials discussed which might obstruct the development of their own knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests and experience towards both content subjects and the English language If the majority of proficient users of English attend the EMI classes, it is believed that all of the CLIL features will be more visible in EMI classes 3.4 Suggestions According to Coyle (1999) CLIL focuses both on content and language learning, so its implementation needs approaches, methodologies and learning strategies from those in traditional foreign language, so it is essential to design courses that cater for these needs 3.4.1 Content-based EAP courses for teachers and students Language proficiency was still regarded as the single most important prerequisite for effective EMI practice Cummins (1986) reports that there are two levels of language proficiency: the basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and academic language proficiency (CALP) The first one refers to general English, while the second one refers to the language needed to perform effectively in academic subjects It takes 2-3 years for language learners to be proficient in BICS as compared to 5-7 years in CALP Mohan (1990) also points out that students’ 36 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com success in understanding their academic textbooks depends on two factors namely the content factor and the language factor As the finding of this study show, most of the students are dissatisfied with their current GE courses because the skills trained and content taught in these courses often cannot meet their real EAP needs Students not only require more language support at their universities, but “this support should be oriented towards academic rather than general English” (Evans & Green, 2007, p.5) Thus, the students should get extra language support to help them deal with academic content that is in English Therefore, they should be exposed to academic language proficiency (CALP) as suggested by Cummins (1986) The EMI policy will work successfully if both students and teachers have adequate English proficiency (Coyle et.al, 2010) Teachers in charge of such program need both language and pedagogical competencies Several students complained that the reason why they were unable to have good comprehension of their English lectures was because some of their lecturers’ English although good, may not be specialized enough Hence, it is suggested that universities should also provide their lecturers involved in English-medium instruction with better resources and support Although VNU have invited speakers to give talks on how to teach content courses in English, to my knowledge, most of these talks did not focus specifically on how to use the English language effectively in lecture Instead, some proper short-or long term EAP courses have been specifically designed for lecturers teaching EMI subjects courses 3.4.2 CLIL Methodology training for teachers Teacher lacked the CLIL teaching methodology to assist their learners in the acquisition of academic literacy and language Besides, none of the teachers had received training that equiped them with skills for effectively teaching through the medium of English These findings stressed the need of organizing CLIL teacher training sessions, workshops and conferences during which the academic teachers would have ability to learn about the CLIL methodology in a practical way and also exchange teaching experience with other academic teachers In addition to pedagogic trainings, training programs in oral English presentation skills should also be offered Teachers should also be encouraged to 37 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com work collaboratively with English language teachers or their colleagues who are proficient in English This is done to strengthen the teachers’ commands of the language Those who are more proficient in English can provide language assistance, for example, to find meanings of difficult words or ways to say something in the target language 3.4.3 Bilingual education policy The findings of this study suggest that the students preferred to use Vietnamese in their classrooms although at the same time they were aware of the importance of English The teachers also admitted that they often used Vietnamese in explaining key concepts because of their students’ low proficiency This finding somehow implies that the students cannot escape the influence of their mother when the students’ mother tongue will always exist in classrooms If the use of the mother tongue is not limited and selective, the students’ language development will be affected and they will also be discouraged from using the target language In bilingual classes, both students’ native language and target language are used by the teachers A typical bilingual education class is taught 70-80% in English and 2030% in the students’ native language Teachers need to have capability of explaining complicated terms and concepts in simple and clear words They should be able to use the English that their students understand; otherwise they may confuse their students 38 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART C: CONCLUSION This final chapter summarizes the main findings of the present study, followed by a discussion of the implications The limitations of this investigation and recommendations for further study are also explored Summary of the study This study was done at a member university of VNU in which CLIL approach, locally known as EMI teaching has been introduced and implemented since the 20082009 academic year The author’s reason for conducting this study is to explore teachers and students’ experiences and perceptions with respect to the use of EMI and the benefits/challenges of implementing such an approach at the local context The findings of this study suggest that both the students and teachers recognize the importance of English and the use of English as the medium of instruction However, they also experience dilemmas in the teaching and learning process EMI teaching makes the majority of the students feel burdened when they need to communicate in English The teachers also notice that the majority of the students have insufficient English ability to cope with the material of the content subjects Thus, the language barrier seems to affect the students’ academic performances Besides, teachers’ lack of appropriate levels of linguistic competence and CLIL teaching methodology are considered to affect the quality of teaching and studying There are some plausible solutions proposed in this study namely to provide intensive content-based EAP courses for the students, to provide pedagogical as well as the language trainings for the teachers and to have bilingual education policy instead of EMI policy In short, a lot of work remains to be done and changes must be made to improve the quality of SMP more effectively Summary of main findings: 2.1 Teachers and students’ opinions regarding the advantages and challenges in the implementation of CLIL approach Without a doubt, the CLIL teachers and students are aware of advantages and disadvantages of teaching content subjects in English When being asked about advantages they mostly agreed that it bring better opportunities in the future They seem to treat CLIL as a way towards achieving their goals However, lecturers and students are also in put in a dilemma in the teaching and learning process Students have encountered language problems as well as content’s problems and to overcome 39 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com these problems, they need help and guidance from the teachers Emphasis should be given more on building up students’ proficiency in English before they could learn science subjects effectively Besides, teachers’ lack of knowledge concerning methodology of CLIL, teachers’ English competence, lack of proper didactic materials and facilities are also problems which teachers and students face in their teaching and learning practice 2.2 Teachers’ and students’ recommendations to improve the teaching of subject through the medium of the English language CLIL is a challenging process and in order to gain more students who would like to study subjects in a foreign language and help them to keep positive attitude towards CLIL throughout their studies, more work needs to be done on the educational process by providing pedagogically as well as the language trainings for the teachers and how to design proper didactic materials The best way to achieve it would be to organize CLIL teacher training sessions, workshops and conferences where the teachers would have the possibility to learn about the CLIL methodology in a practical way and also exchange teaching experience with other academic teachers Administrators could pay more intention to the linguistic background of the students and how well the faculties offer facilities and educational materials accordingly to fit student needs More EAP language courses, especially contentbased EAP courses should be offered to equip students with appropriate language skills to attend in their EMI classes In addition, the curriculum could be a solution if well prepared by the cooperation of content specialists and language instructors Following a well-grounded and flexible curriculum based on the principles of CLIL could act as a key agent for the course success Last but not least, teacher should emphasize more in giving clear explanation regarding particular scientific terms and concepts Teachers should also use various techniques and interesting methods of teaching to attract students’ attention to learn science subjects In conclusion, if CLIL’s potential is to be fully implemented, a number of measures are needed Equipping students and teachers with the necessities before and during the implementation of EMI is the responsibility of the education institutions Limitations of the study It is unavoidable that the study presented in this thesis still has some limitations Firstly, only 12 teachers and 100 students from two faculties were sampled in the questionnaires, which may not be sufficient for the researcher to 40 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com have precise judgments Besides, this study was carried out within the area of VNUUET so the mentioned difficulties may not be suitable to apply to other universities because of learners’ differences in language proficiency, teacher competence and in curriculums Furthermore, the solutions suggested might be insufficient and not be applicable to all teaching context Despite such limitations, the author strongly believes that her research is successful to some extent Recommendations for further study: The results of the study presented above also pose further questions for further research As the present study only investigated the current situations of teaching subject matter in language at VNU-UET, it would be useful if further research considers surveying students and teachers in different types of universities, at difference education level (e.g graduate and undergraduate) of other years to investigate whether they react differently to EMI and encounter different types of problems in their EMI classrooms Additionally, based on the findings of the present study and others on teaching EMI classrooms, it would be of greater value if further studies investigate the effective strategies used by the teachers giving English instruction to overcome their students’ difficulties 41 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com REFERENCES Aguilar, M & Rodríguez, R (2012) Lecturer and student perceptions on CLIL at a Spanishuniversity.International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 15(2), 183-197 Aziz,bin Nordin (2005) Students’ Perception on Teaching and Learning Mathematics in English Retrieved on May 29, 2010 from http://eprints.utm.my Banegas, D L (2012) CLIL teacher development: Challenges and experiences Latin American Journal of Content and Language Integrated Learning, 5(1), 46-56 http://journals.sfu.ca/laclil/index.php/LACLIL/article/view/71 Coonan, C (2007) Insider views of the CLIL class through teacher-selfobservation-introspection International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 10 (5), 625-646 Costa, F., & D’Angelo, L (2011) CLIL: A suit for all seasons? Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 4(1), 1-13 Coyle, D (2005) Developing CLIL: Towards a Theory of Practice, APAC Monograph 6, APAC, Barcelona Coyle, D., Hood, P., & Marsh, D (2010) CLIL: Content and language integrated learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Cummins, J (1979) Cognitive/academic language proficiency, linguistic interdependence, the optimum age question and some other matters Working Papers on Bilingualism, No 19, 121-129 de Graaff, R., Koopman, G J., and Westhoff, G (2007) Identifying Effective L2 Pedagogy in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Based on “An Observation Tool for Effective L2 Pedagogy in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)” by de Graaff, Koopman, Anikina, and Westhoff, in The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (2007), vol 10/5, 603–624 10 Eurydice Report (2006) Content and language learning (CLIL) at schools in Europe Brussels: Eurydice Retrieved from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/ resources/eurydice/pdf/ 0_integral/071EN.pdf 42 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 11 Ioannou-Georgiou, S., & Pavlou, P (eds.) (2010) Guidelines for CLIL Implementation in Primary and Pre-primary Education Cyprus: Cyprus Pedagogical Institute 12 Johnstone, R and McKinstry, R (2008) Evaluation of Early PrimaryPartial Immersion(EPPI),www.scilt.stir.ac.uk/projects/evaluationwr/documents/EPPI_ Book.pdf 13 Genesee, F (1994) Integrating Language and Content: Lessons from Immersion Educational Practice Reports No 11 National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics 14 Graddol, D (1997) The future of English? London: British Council 15 Hillyard, S (2011) First steps in CLIL: Training the teachers Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 4(2), 1-12 ISSN 20116721 16 Hughes, R (2008) “Internationalisation of higher education and language policy: Questions of quality and equity” Higher Education Management and Policy, 20, 1-18 17 Marsh, D (2002) Content and Language Integrated Learning Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä 18 Marsch, D., B Marsland & K Stenberg 2001 Integrating Competencies for Working Life Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä 19 Mehisto P., Frigols M., & Marsh, D (2008) Uncovering CLIL New York: Macmillan 20 MOET (2008) Quyet dinh ve viec phe duyet de an "Day va hoc ngoai ngu he thong giao duc quoc dan giai doan 2008-2020" [Decision on approving Project "Teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system in the period 2008 to 2010] Retrieved November 1st, 2011, from http://www.chinhphu.vn/portal/page?_pageid=578,33345598&_dad=portal&_s chema=PORTAL&docid=78437 21 MOET (2010) Quyet dinh phe duyet De an phat trien he thong truong Trung hoc Pho Thong chuyen giai doan 2010-2020 [Decision on approving the Project of developing the gifted high school system in the period 2008 to 2010] Retrieved October 30th, 2011, from 43 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com http://www.chinhphu.vn/portal/page?_pageid=578,33345598&_dad=portal&_s chema=PORTAL&docid=95359 22 Nguyen, N.G (2011) Students Perception on factors affecting English learning motivation of students in Strategic Mission Project Hanoi: ULIS 23 Nguyen, T.P (2013) Using the textbook “Practice Maths 1” to teach Maths in English to first graders at Minh Khai primary school – Difficulties and some suggested solutions.Hanoi: ULIS 24 Nguyen, T.V (2006) In search of solutions to improving the English language proficiency for under-graduate students at the College of Technology (COT)Vietnam National University, Hanoi 25 Pavón Vázquez, V & Rubio, F (2010) Teachers’ concerns and uncertainties about the introduction of CLIL programmes Porta Linguarum, 14, 45-58 26 Pavesi, M., Bertocchi, D , Hofmanová, M & Kasianka, M (2001) Teaching through a foreign language: a guide for teachers and schools to using Foreign Language in Content Teaching, Teaching through a foreign language Milan: M.I.U.R., Direzione Generale della Lombardia on behalf of TIE-CLIL Retrieved from http://www.ub.es/filoan/CLIL/teachers.pdf 27 Van de Craen, P E Ceuleers, K Mondt & L Allain 2008 “European multilingual language policies in Belgium and policy-driven research” In: K Lauridsen & D Toudic (eds) Language at Work in Europe Festschrift in Honour of Wolfgang Mackieiwcz Göttingen: V&R Press, 139-151 28 Xanthou, M (2008) Learning subject matter through the medium of a foreign language (CLIL): On its effects on primary school learners’ L2 vocabulary development and content knowledge Retrieved February 1, 2013, from http://conferences.ncl.ac.uk/pglinguistics/2008/presentation_documents/X anthou.pdf 44 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com APPENDIX APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey questionnaire is designed to seek your perceptions and experiences regarding teaching content subjects using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at VNU University of Engineering and Technology Your assistance in completing this questionnaire will be highly appreciated You can be confident that the information you provide the questionnaire will be kept confidential and used only for research purposes For each question, please select an option only by circling on the answer that you think is right and write the answer where necessary What kind of English certificate or level you have? A < 5.5 IELTS ETS B 5.5 – 6.0 IELTS ETS C ≥ 6.5 IELTS ETS D Others: ……………………………………………………………………… Which English communication skill you want to further improve? A Listening B Speaking C Reading D Writing Do you agree or disagree with these statements? In the EMI classroom,…………………………………………………………………… No Items Strongly disagree (SD) Disagree (D) Neutral (N) Agree (A) Strongly agree (SA) Teachers can deliver the course in English well Teachers can communicate in English well I understand the EMI lectures delivered I can participate in any classroom activities using English Teachers’ English, although good, may not be I TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com No Items Disagree (D) Neutral (N) Agree (A) Strongly agree (SA) specialized enough Teachers often read from slides/lecture notes, which makes the class boring Teachers’ preparation for the lesson is not really sufficient Teachers not use audiovisual aids much Strongly disagree (SD) Which classroom activities you in English? (You can choose more than one) Note-taking Questioning and answering Oral presentation Oral tests Examination papers In your opinion, which language should your teacher use in the CLIL classroom activities? A English B Vietnamese C Both Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Teaching subjects in English………………………………………………………… No Agree (A) Items Not sure (NS) Disagree (DA) increases students’ motivation to learn English improves students’ English language proficiency prepares for students’ future studies and/or working life gives teachers and students more access to up-to-date materials on the subjects helps teachers’ to diversify methods and forms of classroom teaching and learning II TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Teaching subjects in English………………………………………………………………… No Agree (A) Items Not sure (NS) Disagree (DA) reduces students’ understanding of content knowledge makes students learn English more difficult as there are numerous terminology/unknown vocabulary items means more than double the normal work load discourages discussion and interaction between teacher and students lacks resources for language and content learning at the same time What should be done to help improve the quality of teaching and learning in the EMI classes? (You can choose more than one) A More English training for the students during the 4-year curriculum B More extracurricular activities for students to learn English C Native language teachers preferable to teach English D More foreign academic teachers invited to teach content subjects E More training sessions designed specifically for EMI teachers F Textbooks published in English speaking countries preferable G More internship program at foreign partner universities for students III TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR TEACHERS This survey questionnaire is designed to seek your perceptions and experiences regarding teaching content subjects using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) at VNU University of Engineering and Technology Your assistance in completing this questionnaire will be highly appreciated You can be confident that the information you provide the questionnaire will be kept confidential and used only for research purposes Instructions: For each question, please select an option only by circling on the answer that you think is right and write the answer where necessary Which English communication skills are your students better at? Oral communication skills (Listening and Speaking) Written communication skills (Reading and Writing) Which classroom activities you in English? (You can choose more than one) Delivering lecturers PowerPoint presentation Questioning and answering Giving comments and feedbacks Oral tests Examination papers Do you agree with the statement: “Teacher’s switching to the mother tongue during the lesson is necessary, for example, explaining terminology/ specialized items”? 1=strongly disagree = disagree = neutral = agree = strongly agree Please specify your choice: ……………………………………………………………………………………… … ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… IV TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com What you often to facilitate your students’ understanding of the key concepts/ formulas? (You can choose more than one) A Use English to explain B Use Vietnamese to explain C Write on the boards/slides D Use visual aids (charts/ pictures) When teaching subject through English as medium of instruction, which aspects of language you often focus on? (You can choose more than one) A Vocabulary B Grammar C Pronunciation Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Teaching subjects in English is…………………………………………………………… No Items Agree Not sure Disagree (A) (NS) (DA) increases students’ motivation to learn English improves teachers’ English language proficiency prepares for students’ future studies and/or working life gives teachers and students more access to up-to-date materials on the subjects helps teachers’ to diversify methods and forms of classroom teaching and learning Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Teaching subjects in English……………………………………………………………… Agree (A) No Items reduces students’ understanding of content knowledge makes students learn English more difficultly as there are numerous terminology/unknown vocabulary items Not sure (NS) Disagree (DA) V TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com Agree (A) No Items means more than double the normal work load discourages discussion and interaction between teacher and students lacks resources for language and content learning at the same time Not sure (NS) Disagree (DA) What kinds EMI training did you receive? A CEFR training sessions (The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) B My own knowledge and proficiency make me confident to teach EMI class C Specialized CLIL trainings sessions Which should be done to help improve the quality of teaching and learning in the EMI classes? (You can choose more than one) A More English training for the students during the 4-year curriculum B More extracurricular activities for students to learn English C Native language teachers preferable to teach English D More foreign academic teachers invited to teach content subjects E More training sessions designed specifically for EMI teachers F Textbooks published in English speaking countries preferable G More internship program at foreign partner universities for students 10 Which aspects should training sessions, workshops and conferences for CLIL teachers focus on? A Teachers’ specialized English proficiency B Teachers’ oral English presentation skills C Lesson planning methodology D Assessment procedures/tools E Others: ………………………………………………………………… VI TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ... instruction  Good knowledge of the content subjects  Production of lesson plans  Planning and organization of lessons according to cognitive demands  Gradual content and language progression The teacher... learning and teaching of both content and TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com language That is, in the teaching and learning process, there is a focus not only on content, and not only on language. .. enabling teachers to teach through the medium of their second language and/ or to teach second language speakers of the medium of instruction 3.1.2.2 Solutions to improve the quality of EMI teaching and