Changes in teaching grammar in the world and in vietnam

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE CHANGES IN TEACHING GRAMMAR IN THE WORLD AND IN VIETNAM A research project submitted to the Faculty of English Linguistics & Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL by PHẠM PHÚC KHÁNH MINH Supervised by DR NGUYỄN THỊ HỒNG THẮM HO CHI MINH CITY, OCTOBER 2015 ! Tables of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature review 2.1 Definition of grammar 2.2 Changes in teaching grammar in the world 2.3 Changes in teaching grammar in Vietnam Chapter 3: Conclusion and implications 11 References 12 ! CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Grammar has been considered as an important aspect in the processes of teaching and learning English Krashen (1982) showed his interest in learning grammar and support the idea that teachers should teach conscious grammar rules He even clearly stated that “when given time, and when focused on form, some people can use conscious grammar to great advantage.” Contributing to this idea, Terrell (1991) also suggested that “instruction about forms or structures of the target language is beneficial to learners at a particular point in their acquisition of the target language,” and that “grammar-focused activities are necessary and that classroom students will not come close to the number of hours of input necessary for natural acquisition.” It can be easily seen that grammar has an important place in the field of teaching English as a second language Its utmost importance has also been accepted and recognized by many scholars (Doughty & Williams, 1998; Thornbury, 1997, 1998) From these reasons, it can be concluded that along with vocabulary, English grammar has a significant role in teaching, not only in developing countries such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia but also developed countries like Japan, Germany, Hungary, Poland and so on (Braine, 2005) According to Braine (2005), the most dominant methodology in teaching English was always grammar-translation method in which “reading and grammar were prevalent.” However, he criticized that “no attempt was made to teach language in context or to provide dialogues and conversations” Supporting this idea, Canale and Swain (1980) emphasized that learners should have a chance to use language in a real interaction with competent speakers The emergence of Communicative Approach in the 1970s has shed light on revolutions and innovations in teaching English grammar, shifting from rules explaining to contextualized texts and talks Weatherford (1997) pointed out that language courses should not be built around grammar but around pragmatic communicative function”, emphasizing that “language instruction must be content-based, meaningful and always oriented toward communication.” The centrality of the classroom has shifted from teacher-centered to learner-centered, with teachers’ ! facilitation in communication and correction in learner errors Terrell (1977) also claimed that “the role of grammar instruction has changed drastically in the last 40 years from grammar translation to communicative approaches.” As a result, grammar teaching has a new approach which demonstrates that grammar learning is not about studying a set of rules without employing it in a meaning interaction Nunan (2005) insisted that “We must teach grammar, but we must teach it in a different way than in the past.” Specifically, in the Vietnamese context, Communicative Language Teaching has received positive and favorable attitudes from both teachers and learners (Mai & Iwashita, 2012) It can be easily seen that a great amount of studies was conducted on grammar teaching, but in the context of Vietnam, a developing country in the South East Asia, there are still insufficient studies on this issue Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to illustrate the changes in grammar teaching in Vietnam between the past time and the present time, along with suggestions and implications relating to this matter 5 ! CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of grammar From the 17th century, Chomsky’s concept of Universal Grammar has caught interest of many scholars and researchers and raised a great deal of controversy as well The theory proposes the innateness of human brain to contain a set of rules of speaking a language and implies that all languages have a common structural foundation He also viewed grammar as “the explicit theory constructed by the linguist and proposed as a description of the speaker's competence,” and “it refers to this competence itself.” Continuing investigating the notion, Fromkin , Rodman, and Hyams (1990) considered that the grammar of a language “consists of the sounds and sound patterns, the basic units of meaning such as words, and the rules to combine all of these to form sentences with the desired meaning.” Hence, grammar can be said to represent the linguistic competence of speakers From this viewpoint, Fromkin et al (1990) agreed that teaching grammar is helpful for learners who not speak the standard language as English They also stated clearly that the processes of teaching and learning grammar are based on the previous knowledge of the grammar of the native language, using it to compare with that of the target language Furthermore, Fromkin et al (1990) categorized grammar into different kinds Concerning the unconsciousness or capacity about linguistic knowledge of speakers, grammar is seen as descriptive grammar, which is assumed to be acknowledged by every speaker Descriptive grammar “does not teach the rules of the language; it describes the rules that are already known.” On the other hand, the grammar that “attempts to legislate what your grammar should be is called a prescriptive grammar”, meaning that it does not describe but directs human linguistic knowledge in a conscious way Grammar has always been regarded as an essential part in learning a second language For example, Spada and Lightbown (1993), Lightbown (1998) have concluded that when teachers focus on linguistic form along with communicative interactions with learners, the learning process is proven to be more effective Then, most researchers and ! educators support the importance of teaching grammar However, teachers should focus on form “within a meaning-based or communicative approach in order to avoid a return to analytic approaches” (Larsen-Freeman, 1991) Thus, it can be said that learning a second language such as English has been shifted from grammar-translation approach towards the orientation in language use (Celce-Murcia, 1980) 2.2 Changes in teaching grammar in the world Gardner (2008) observed and concluded that grammar teaching methodology has changed throughout the years He also mentioned the three levels of changes that always vary in times, namely materials, approaches, and beliefs The first level of changes concerns with textbooks, and syllabuses which are obviously modified every year in line with improvements in technology and globalization The second matter deals with the teaching methods of teachers in order to interact properly with learners; and the last subject is about teachers’ feelings and beliefs Teachers nowadays are feeling more likely to be a learner as well The history of language teaching has seen controversial debates on grammar instruction and the efficiency of grammar instruction on second language learners’ success in terms of proficiency Hinkel (2002) explained that since the early people conceived the best learning method was to memorize the rules and regulations, they underestimate the importance of proper communication in the second language As a result, he pointed out that the grammar translation method, which is known as one of the earliest grammar instructions, lacked of communicative activities and interactions between learners and learners, and learners and teachers as well The emergence of Communicative Language Teaching or Communicative Approach has led to the belief that communicative competence is a vital goal in learning a second language Hymes (1972) asserted that in order for learners to achieve communicative competence, language should be taught in context, provided with communicative situations Therefore, learners will be able to employ the target language appropriately in various contexts 7 ! Poole (2005) stated that the importance of communicative language teaching is demonstrated through focus on form instruction, which provides learners with authentic communication and grammatical structures as well Besides, the focus on form instruction motivates teachers and learners to be attentive towards the form of language where necessary in a communicative classroom environment (Long, 1991; Long & Robinson, 1998) Furthermore, Farrokhi and Talabari (2011) added that focus on form instruction not only focuses on accuracy but also meaning and fluency Moreover, Seedhouse (1997) showed that focus on form instruction is praised as a psychological approach which puts an emphasis on the form that happens in reality thanks to the features of noticing and indicating the linguistic problems of learners which are vital to language acquisition With regard to focus on form and changes in teaching grammar, Gardner (2008) attended the three levels that need changing, namely materials, actions and beliefs However, she asserted that a meaningful and profound change must include all of the three levels above In the area of materials, Gardner (2008) stated that “teachers survey and compare a wide range of materials and resources for teaching grammar so that they learn to identify and critique different syllabuses and activities.” The second level concerns with teaching behavior such as adopting new methodology The last area deals with teachers’ understanding, knowledge, and belief Teachers are aware of reading and doing research, but they also have to attend to discuss and evaluate personal views and experiences Celce-Murcia (1991) concluded that the controversy relating to grammar teaching is still ongoing, but teachers should be aware of grammar instruction in order for learners to achieve a high level of accuracy and proficiency Furthermore, Celce-Murcia (1991) viewed grammar as “resources for creating meaning through text and for negotiating socially motivated communication.” Therefore, teachers and learners have to be conscious of teaching and learning these resources; however, teachers need to be pay attention to providing learners with communicative contexts 8 ! 2.3 Changes in teaching grammar in Vietnam In the Vietnamese context, Le (1991) confirmed that education is considered as the key to success in the future, which means that language certificates are far more important than language competence This point of view leads to an ignorance in communicative teaching and learning Besides, Le (2011) pointed out that due to the oldfashioned viewpoint about teaching and learning languages, teachers pay less attention to the quality of teaching, and consider that the number of their students gaining the pass result reflect their ability in teaching Therefore, Hoang (1999) concluded that Vietnamese students “may achieve the highest scores in the exams but fail to show their excellence in real life performance.” It can be easily seen that in Vietnamese education settings, students “follow passive learning styles and teachers always play the dominant role in the classroom, students must be obedient and dependent on whatever the teachers tell them to do” (Le, 2011) Thus, he concluded that Vietnamese teachers of English and other languages encounter obstacles and barriers in order to put an end to “the passive learning styles and traditional beliefs of Vietnamese students, even in this modern era of communication.” However, despite the social trends, differences between teachers’ and students’ perceptions about the role of interaction in Vietnamese classrooms were indicated (Tomlinson & Bao Dat, 2004) They found that the reasons why teachers keep lecturing in class were that students are thought of being passive, not willing to take part in activities, and hardly speaking English in class Meanwhile, students often feel that they lack opportunities to discuss with classmates in order to share ideas or to prepare for the answer for the teachers’ question The authors also found that students have an expectation that their teachers should organize group work activities for them to improve communicative skills These findings are in line with the perspectives on ELT of Vietnamese education officials, stating that a second language learning process is successful when learners are able to communicate in the target language Wright (2002) revealed the MOET conceives that English pedagogy needs reconsidering because “the traditional emphasis on accuracy in the written language rather than the acquisition of ! fluency in the spoken language is inappropriate for many Vietnamese today” As a result, communicative language teaching has become popular in Vietnam On the other hand, Nguyen (2004) pointed out main difficulties in employing communicative language teaching in Vietnamese schools and institutions, including the shortage of English teachers, teaching facilities and textbooks In an attempt to resolve and overcome these obstacles, Khuong (2015) recently suggested that grammar lessons with PPP (Presentation – Practice – Production) method still need to be maintained but they should be further improved “in the way that the grammar items can be taught concurrently with context through communicative tasks.” Specifically, during the presentation stage, an authentic listening text can be used as a reading text for students to find answers for questions which help them explore the target structure in terms of form understanding, meanings and the use of it After the presentation, controlled practice tasks are to be employed in order for students to practice the grammatical form in a communicative way At the production stage, communicative activities or free activities are provided for students to produce the learned structure in order to achieve communicative competence that is required During these stages, pair work and group work are encouraged to be employed and correction and feedback should also be provided through teachers’ observation and control Along with communicative approach, in a study within Vietnamese context, Ngo (2009) suggested teaching grammar through discover-based approach with implicit grammar instruction can be able to enhance learners’ acquisition of grammar and motivation in learning as well Based on the theoretical and empirical background, the author clarified that there are three stages in grammar lessons with implicit grammar instruction The first stage concerns with context setting which introduces grammatical structures and provokes learners’ consciousness Next, learners are provided with opportunities to activate their previous grammatical knowledge and to expose to meaningful input through thinking about meaning and use tasks Later, learners practice and produce the learned structures by involving in free language activities Consequently, it was concluded that “the discovery learning technique is effective in grammar 10 ! instruction because it provides interactive, communicative activities that allow students to simultaneously process grammatical form, meaning, and use, and also addresses the development of their implicit knowledge” (Ngo, 2009) In addition, the technique is demonstrated to be able to encourage learners to study more actively, to explore their previous grammatical knowledge, and to practice newly learned structures enthusiastically; hence, it is expected to develop learner autonomy in language learning, especially English grammar in the future Besides changes in teaching methodology, testing practices should be reconsidered in accordance with the new communicative language teaching Regarding to this matter, Tran (2009) conducted a study in a Vietnamese school and pointed out that “testing practices were still traditional, with emphasis on language and competence rather than skills and performance.” Thus, the traditional testing left a negative backwash effect on teaching practices, which resulted in language-based or test-oriented teaching practices, not in a communicative approach as it was supposed to be Unsurprisingly, the students failed to achieve communicative language ability As Tran (2009) emphasized that “we are now in a communicative stage, a time when we emphasize evaluation of language use rather than language form”, language testing should be modified towards a communicative approach, and the traditional knowledge tests “must be replaced by the performance tests, which show how well a student can use the language.” As Le and Bernard (2009) agreed that “grammar should be an integral element of second language programmes”, the centrality of grammar is still appreciated by many teachers of English in Vietnam However, it is suggested that teachers should employ an approach which provides learners with discourse and contextualized situations These practices from teachers are indeed believed to help improve the learning process particularly English grammar learning 11 ! CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Ellis (1995) reviewed that “grammar teaching has traditionally consisted of giving learners opportunities to produce specific grammatical structures.” However, LarsenFreeman (2003) emphasized that learners are able to use the structures when they are provided with communicative situations As a result, grammar teaching should be incorporated with communicative approach, meaning that learners are provided grammar knowledge in meaningful contexts and situations For achieving the goal of high quality in teaching and learning, teachers should employ various approaches and methods in order to create dynamic and active learning environments For instance, teachers may apply games and activities to help enhance learners’ activeness, motivation and engagement in the classroom Since the importance of communicative language teaching approach has been acknowledged by many educators and researchers, teachers of English should keep in mind that providing learners with a communicative classroom environment is significant to accomplish better teaching and learning processes which aim at learners communicating properly in the second language Besides, Nguyen and Le (2015) stated that “English teachers really need more support and motivation to make a better effort” in order to achieve the goals desired Therefore, other further implications should be considered such as training for teachers, redesigning the materials and courses, setting clear objectives and learning outcomes, approving teachers’ decisions on specific teaching methodology, and implementing usual evaluation and observation Furthermore, the learning environment should be improved so that learners are motivated and received adequate attention from teachers in order to improve their language competence (Nguyen & Le, 2015) 12 ! 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Tomlinson, B & Bao, D (2004) The contributions of Vietnamese learners of English to ELT methodology Language Teaching Research, 8(2) Tran, D K L (2009) Can CLT be successful without a match between teaching and testing practices? TESOL Conference on English Language Teaching, Weatherford, H J (1997) Issues in the teaching of grammar in a foreign language Conference on Language Teaching and the South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers' Association (Myrtle Beach, SC, 197) Wright, S (2002) Language education and foreign relation in Vietnam Mahwah, New Jersey, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates  ... 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature review 2.1 Definition of grammar 2.2 Changes in teaching grammar in the world 2.3 Changes in teaching grammar in. .. Asia, there are still insufficient studies on this issue Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to illustrate the changes in grammar teaching in Vietnam between the past time and the present... difficulties in employing communicative language teaching in Vietnamese schools and institutions, including the shortage of English teachers, teaching facilities and textbooks In an attempt to resolve and