Rationale of the study
There is no denying that English has been taken up by people in all walks of life not only in academic institutes but also in companies in Vietnam People are eager to learn English and wish to acquire it at an early age Also, in order to speed up the country economy and to improve the living standards as soon as possible, it is necessary for engineers, technicians, scientists, etc to learn and acquire English to keep up to date with the latest developments in technology in the world
However, as a matter of fact, there are a large number of graduates who cannot use English at work fluently, while English proficiency is constantly considered as a key requirement for recruitment In order to improve this situation, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) launched the dispatch No 2196/BGDĐT-GDĐH dated April 22 nd 2010, universities and colleges must notify the graduate outcome standards to students to know Accordingly, English is one of the compulsory criteria to evaluate students‟ performance after 4 years at schools Moreover, as cited from Prime Minister‟s Decision No 1400/QĐ-TTG approving the project "teaching and learning of foreign languages in the national education system period 2008-2020”(Nhan, 2008), in the higher education level, students who are studying in universities non-specialized in foreign languages have to pass at least the language proficiency-level 3 (450 TOEIC) after their graduation Therefore, as one of the leading universities in Vietnam, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has integrated TOEIC as one of learning outcome standards to the evaluation system In addition to the number of outstanding students attaining the required English level, there are a lot of undergraduates, especially non- English major ones, encountering problems with English outcome standards in their final year at this university That is the reason why “difficulties faced by the fourth-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in achieving English learning outcome standards” is chosen as the research‟s topic
Therefore, it can be assumed that mastering English skills will be a key for labor force in the market And meeting learning outcome requirements is a stage in the roadmap to prove personal capability.
Research objectives
Rather than serving only for the purpose of completing the graduate thesis, the author has found it interested in the project implementation, which may also help the school and educators consider the effective ways how to improve English teaching and learning quality at university Accordingly, the research needs to address the following issues
Having general understanding about learning outcome standards for students in Vietnamese universities and Hanoi University of Science and Technology in particular
Understanding difficulties of fourth-year non-English major students;
Examining the relations and correlation between difficulties of fourth-year non-English major students and achievement of learning outcome standards;
Identifying the most influencing difficulties to impact on the fourth-year students‟ learning outcomes at Hanoi University of Science and Technology;
See how to improve the situation to help students accumulate sufficient knowledge and skills.
Research questions
The purpose of the study is to find out factors causing challenges in achieving learning outcomes faced by the fourth year non-English major students at HUST To this end, the researcher has formulated the following leading questions to be answered in the course of the study:
1 What are the difficulties faced by the fourth year non-English major students of HUST in achieving leaning outcome standards?
2 Which particular factor poses the most difficulty for the fourth year non- English major students of HUST in achieving leaning outcome standards?
3 What could be done to solve the problems of the fourth year non-English major students of HUST?
Scope of the Study
In the research, the author would emphasize the difficulties of the fourth-year non-English major students facing and determine the most influencing factor
Although students, especially ones in the fourth year, this research focuses on the difficulties of language Moreover, with the limitation of time and resources, the author would conduct the project in small target population in order to provide precise findings and conclusions on the issue
Firstly, the research targets to find out some major difficulties when students‟ English ability cannot reach the requirements of outcome before graduating
Rather than spreading the research‟s scope of work to the entire area of Hanoi, the author chose to make the research at Hanoi University of Science and Technology
Last but not least, the research also considers these factors‟ influence on acquiring learning outcomes, which is regulated by the school‟s board
Although the research is conducted on target population in reality, with some limitations and pressure, it cannot avoid the uncertainty in the implementation
Therefore, all of findings and conclusions are only relative and referential.
Structure of Research
The research consists of 3 main parts, including:
The first part will provide the overall viewpoints about the learning outcome standards Hanoi University of Science and Technology has required full-time students to achieve Accordingly, based on the standards, the author would develop other ideas about the difficulties the fourth-year students may face when they cannot accumulate sufficient English skills and knowledge, which are considered the foundation to write the next chapter of Literature review After that, research objectives and questions will provide some preliminary orientation to help the researcher to narrow the research‟s scope of work as well as avoid the excursion in the project implementation In addition, the structure of research is considered the framework or an outline for readers to follow the researcher‟s thoughts and arguments.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of outcomes and outcome-based education
There have been a lot of different concepts and perspectives about learning outcomes
According to Margery H David (2003), an outcome is a culminating demonstration of learning It is what the student should be able to do at the end of the course
Jenkins and Unwin defined that: “Learning outcomes are statements of what is expected that the student will be able to do as a result of learning the activity.” (2011)
Another definition is that “Learning outcomes are an explicit description of what a learner should know, understand and be able to do as a result of learning.”
Or “A learning outcome is a statement of what the learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do at the end of a period of learning.” (Donnelly and Fitzmaurice, 2005)
Moon, (2002) asserted that “A learning outcome is a statement of what a learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do at the end of a period of learning and of how that learning is to be demonstrated” (Moon, 2002)
Thus, it can be seen that the various definitions of learning outcomes do not
• Learning outcomes focus on what the learner has achieved rather than the intentions of the teacher;
• Learning outcomes focus on what the learner can demonstrate at the end of a learning activity
In short, learning outcomes are statements that describe significant and essential learning that learners have achieved, and can reliably demonstrate at the end of a course or program In other words, learning outcomes identify what the learner will know and be able to do by the end of a course or program
1.1.2 Definition of outcome-based education
William G Spady, an educational researcher, defines that outcome-based education is an approach to education in which decisions about the curriculum are driven by the exit learning outcomes that the students should display at the end of the course
Outcome-based education means clearly focusing and organizing everything in an educational system what is essential for all students to be able to do successfully at the end of their learning experience
Spady, (1994), who spearheaded the development of outcomes based education, suggests that the ability demonstrate learning is the key point This demonstration of learning involves a performance of some kind in order to show significant learning, or learning that matters He claims that significant content is essential, but that content alone is insufficient as an outcome Rather, knowledge of content must be manifested through a demonstration process of some kind.
Difficulties of learning English as a foreign language
A foreign language (or a second language) is a language other than one‟s mother tongue used for a special purpose, e.g for education, government (Crystal, 1997:256) English as a second or foreign language (ESFL), refers to the use of English by speakers with different native languages In recent years, teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been paying increasing attention to identify the needs of their students, to students‟ attitudes towards English and their reasons for learning it The researchers investigate the answer to the following question: why do students still find difficulties in learning English, although their teachers do their best to help them achieve good results? The answer to this question lies in the fact that learning English or any other foreign language is difficult, not only for EFL students, but for all native speakers Beardsmore (1982) suggests that many of the difficulties a second language learner has with the phonology, vocabulary and grammar of L2 are due to the interference of habits from L1 The formal elements of L1 are used within the context of L2, resulting in errors in L2, as the structures of L1 and L2 are different.
Difficulties in achieving expected learning outcomes in English language study7 1 Difficulties relating to the students
There is no denying that there are various different factors affecting learning outcomes of L2 learners If the learners put a lot of effort into coordinating these elements positively, their learning outcomes will be improved Conversely, these factors will be difficulties and barriers for the learners in an attempt to reach expected outcomes unless the learners combine them properly Difficulties belonging to the factors are categorized in three relating subjects as follows
1.3.1 Difficulties relating to the students
Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between background knowledge and achievement It is said that background knowledge is a key factor affecting the learners‟ success, especially in language study The term background knowledge is described as what students already know which is very advantageous for learners in accessing a new language Poor knowledge is one of the biggest difficulties faced by learners not only in language learning but also in achieving expected outcomes
Besides, according to Brown (2008 as cited in Liu, 2011), what contributed to negative outcomes for their language-learning is the international students‟ lack of English language skills It means that language skills are important for learners to reach the success in language learning
Motivation and attitudes are considered one of the most important factors in the process of second language acquisition (Ellis, 1994) According to Ellis, attitude and motivation of learners will determine the persistence of them when encountering with the challenges and difficulties in the study process These factors affect the fluency degree of the language learners; therefore, they lead the success or failure of language development There is a truth that most students are not interested in learning the language and just think about passing the course, thus, because they are not interested, they do not listen to their teacher and do not learn anything, even they learn something they will forget it quickly (Akram, 2013).In addition, the role of attitude and motivation has been conducted by many L2 researchers The overall findings show that positive attitude and motivation are related to success in second language learning (Gardner, 1985)
It is commonly said that practice makes perfect The saying is considered the valuable guideline for every language learner due to its meaning It shows an undeniable fact that practice plays an important role determining the success of language study As a matter of fact, before joining the test, the course had been offered to the students in order to give them preparation through daily practice This is needed in order to make them familiar with the test and to guide them in answering the tests
In association with practice, self-study is vital for learning results and also the most important factor of education program basing on credits (Tran Thanh Ai,
2013) According to Little (2007), the capability of foreign language learners‟ self- study will determine the success of that language study process Hedge (2000) describes in detail the possibility that is the case learners who are aware of needs and goals try to reach the aims, know how to exploit the resources independently, move in thinking and adjust the learning methods in order to improve the results and manage the study time reasonably
1.3.2 Difficulties relating to the teachers
According to Willy A Renandya (2013), who conducted the related research in Singapore, input is arguably one of the most important elements in language learning Years of research by L2 researchers have clearly demonstrated the critical role of input in L2learning.In the language classroom, language input essentially refers to oral or written language that a learner receives Research has shown that for input to be beneficial for language development, it has to be highly comprehensible and abundantly and reliably available in the classroom as well as outside the classroom Nunan (1991) quoted that "successful language learners applying their developing language skills outside the classroom can play a crucial role in their second language development"
Ellis (2005, p 218) writes, "… most researchers now acknowledge that learner output also plays a part." L2 researchers (e.g., Ellis, 2005; Swain, 1999) agree that learner output is useful for learners' language development It can make learners pay more attention to grammar, thus enabling them to produce more accurate language; it can provide them with an opportunity to try out newly learned grammatical points; it can facilitate faster access and retrieval to existing linguistic knowledge, which through repeated use improves learners' fluency; and finally, it enables them to develop their ability to produce longer stretches of speech, thus enhancing their discourse skills
1.3.3 Difficulties relating to the management
One of the reasons why our students are not successful in learning English in school is probably due to the way the English curriculum is designed and the content it is covering It is proved that the more appropriate the English program is, the more successful the English learners can be Unless the English content of the textbook meets the learners‟ need, learners‟ motivation will possibly decrease, which affects directly and profoundly on the learners‟ achievement
Up to now, numerous researches on effective English learning methods have shown that learning a language requires learners to be persistent to keep learning in a long and continuous period Time is a real factor determining the success of language study
When mentioning factors influencing language learning outcomes, it is necessary to take assistance and instruction into consideration It is obvious that the management board is responsible for the assistance and instruction to the learners
Research has shown that instruction that is distributed over a longer stretch of time is less effective than one that is taught more intensively Light Bown's (2000) research in Canada with the French immersion programs is exemplary and shows that "students who have intensive exposure to the second language near the end of elementary school have an advantage over those whose instruction was thinly spread out over a longer period of time." (p 499) What‟s more, assistance from related objects and subjects such as facilities, materials, references, extra-classes, tutors or advisors supported by the board of management will contribute to the success of language learners.
Previous studies on the difficulties faced by language learners
It is important to shed the light on some of the studies conducted on the difficulties faced by EFL learners in achieving learning outcomes all around the world to take advantage of the procedure and ways of account
Frederick Wehbe (2013) indicated that “some of the problems ESL students will face are due to the diversity in racial, ethnic, religious, and linguistic background.” With the indifferent perspective, Liu (2011) specified the four barriers that EFL learners encountered They were culture shock, language proficiency, cultural personality and earlier learning experiences
Besides, researches on EFL language learning problems have also attempted to point out the factors that may influence learners‟ outcomes Renandya W A
(2013) conducted a research named “Essential factors affecting EFL learning outcomes” pointed out eight factors that can influence the outcomes of foreign language learning They are roles of input, output, fluency, formulaic expressions, motivation, grammar, vocabulary, and amount and intensity of instruction The researcher suggested that language teachers should focus on these eight factors in order to raise students‟ level of proficiency up However, the research has its own limitation because of not covering all other factors related to curricula issues, teacher factors, learner factors, and a whole host of situational factors that may affect on learners‟ outcomes in their language learning process
Another research on the factors influencing the outcomes of language learning conducted by AoutaGhania (2013) identified and analyzed internal and external factors leading learners to succeed in EFL According to the researcher, internal factors include intelligence, perception, self-esteem, and learning styles; whereas external factors are divided into such two sub-factors as motivation and socio-cultural status The research deals with one of the most issues in foreign language learning, which is the internal and external factors influencing learners‟ success in EFL Nevertheless, the research is limited to third year students because they have a great relation with the problem; they have studied English for three years, so they can recognize the main problems they face in learning English This could provide teachers and learners into the main factors that contribute to students‟ success in learning process
In addition, Ellis‟s (1994) review of research demonstrated that psychological factors such as language aptitude, learning style, age, motivation, strategy use and learner belief; and social factors such as gender, class, ethnicity, cultural background and settings for learning were considered the barriers of the EFL learners‟ achievements
In order to have the generic picture of language performance, the language evaluator should define and understand clearly what they are going to assess as well as which criteria should be included Accordingly, Spolsky (1989) indicated the relations among different components, including contextual factors, learning opportunities, learner differences like background and learning environment, and the learning outcomes Therefore, lacking any of these components will influence the ability of language performance Accordingly, contextual factors include all components related to the context, for example, the noise, the special environment or so on Besides, learning opportunities describes the possibility to learn new things or acquire new knowledge Notably, it also includes the environment, whether the language learners have good environment to practice their language
Besides, the background and even personalities of language learners also influence on their performance in language For quick-win learners, they can learn and acquire new words in some seconds but for the slow-processing students, they spend time on learning but not have long-lasting memory Therefore, if one of these factors is failed to meet, language learners will be posed to the difficulties in English learning In turn, these difficulties will result in the failure to meet the expected outcomes in the future
Figure 1.1: Spolsky’s (1989) model of second language learning
(Source: Spolsky‟s (1989) Model of Second Language Learning)
In Vietnam, some studies have been conducted on factors posing difficulties and affecting the learning outcomes of EFL learners Ha ThanhBich Loan (2015), who conducted a research on the issue of English outcomes for full-time students at University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City, pointed out the factors influencing the learning outcomes The two main factors are time issue (learning program amount
(English program) Also, Nguyen Van Loi (2014), in a study on factors influencing the English proficiency growth of English education students at Can Tho University that self-study, indicated four factors such as self-study, opportunities to access comprehensible input and to use meaningful output, motivation and attitude, assessment method
In conclusion, based on the analysis above, it can be concluded that language learners, especially who do not have much time to learn English, will face many troubles in language learning process Lack of such factors as learning orientation, learning motivation and awareness of learning English is considered one of the main challenges Moreover, the shortage of basic knowledge, the limitation of English proficiency, the inexperience in testing skills and some other situational factors are of great obstacles for EFL learners to reach the success in language study.
METHODOLOGY
The context of Hanoi University of Science and Technology
Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) was officially established in 1956 HUST is a multidisciplinary technical university It always ranks first in technology training universities in Vietnam Thousands of engineers have graduated from HUST and are now serving in key industrial and scientific areas Many of them hold important positions in the government
The English teaching staff in the university consists of 85teachers of English,
28 of whom are in charge of teaching English for non-English major students Most of them are masters of English, except to two PhDs and another 2 are in the process of gaining their M.A degrees Almost all the English teachers are young and active; therefore, they are available to get access to new methods of teaching English in the world Besides, they always have a tendency to continuously equip themselves with the latest knowledge of the English language As for the older teachers, they always prove themselves to be experienced In addition, they never set in their own ways; they try their best to keep up with the changes and innovations of the new English world instead In a word, all the teachers of English in HUST are not only experienced in teaching English but also attentive to the new trend in development of English worldwide What‟s more, they are always highly appreciated because of their dedication and enthusiasm to their students
In general, the students in HUST are at the age of 18 -23, and the fourth-year students are at the age of 22-23 They are mostly male students, coming from different parts all over the country The class consists of about 35 students each
Most of students studied English at high school; however, most of them did not consider English as their major As a result, they did not pay much attention to learn English at that time
In addition, English is not their favorite subjects There can be no doubt that most of them are not really interested in learning English due to the fact that they find it difficult to master English knowledge and to use English skills fluently For illustration, they are familiar with the common teaching methods at secondary and high school with the focus on grammatical and structural issues
2.1.3 The English teaching and learning at HUST 2.1.3.1 The syllabus of English teaching and learning
The main syllabus applied in the HUST is New English Fileby Clive
Oxenden and Christina Latham-Koenig with level intermediate It is asserted that the book meets the current requirements of teaching and learning English It focuses on developing all four skills: reading, speaking, listening and writing At the level of bachelor, the students only complete the book intermediate for a duration of 180 periods, each of which lasts 60 minutes.In addition, non-major English students in HUST have to learn ESP of technical aspects Besides that, other books relating to TOEIC,PET, TOEFL, and IELTS are also used as reference ones for exams In a word, HUST has made great efforts to put forward a satisfactory syllabus of English for the students
2.1.3.2 The English teaching and learning in HUST
While in the past, mentioning studying English, the students always kept in their mind that they necessarily acquired the grammatical rules with the book New Headway by Liz Soars, John Soars and Amanda Maris, nowadays, both of the students and teachers have turned to the new trend of teaching and learning English that is developing such 4 skills as reading, speaking, listening and writing
Therefore, during the lesson, the students have become the centre of attention They actively take part in the lesson and use English even outside the class, which has no precedents before The teachers play the role of instructing, controlling and encouraging the students As a consequence of this, the lesson has become increasingly appealing and all the students have the chance to participate in learning activities However, a number of students profoundly affected by inherent passive learning habits have been unavailable to adopt the new method of teaching and learning This requires the teachers to pay much attention to make sure that all the students have the equal opportunities in the class In addition to follow the program in the class, the students at HUST are required to obey a fix learning schedule set by the teachers The aim of the teachers‟ setting the schedule is to help their students enhance self-studying outside the English class In order to deal with the schedule, the students have to employ better with their time management, and also employ strategies that help them produce the correct answer for a drill or exercise
2.1.4 Requirements of English learning outcomes for HUST students
According to Ministry of Education and Training‟s (MOET) dispatch No
2196/BGDĐT-GDĐH dated April 22 nd 2010, universities and colleges must notify the graduate outcome standards to students to know Accordingly, English is one of the compulsory criteria to evaluate students‟ performance after 4 years at schools
Moreover, as cited from Prime Minister‟s Decision No 1400/QĐ-TTG approving the project "teaching and learning of foreign languages in the national education system period 2008-2020”(Nhan, 2008), in the higher education level, students, who are studying in universities non-specialized in foreign languages, have to pass at least the language proficiency-level 3 after graduating It means that students must reach 450 TOEIC after their graduation
Moreover, with the global inevitable trend of international integration, many international certificates are created to help local residents become global residents
TOEIC (abbreviation of Teaching of English for International Communication) is one kind among these certificates Accordingly, the test will help to evaluate English proficiency for foreign residents (especially in those countries English is not considered their mother tongue) Notably, TOEIC is a reliable certificate which is suitable with the communication and working environment Therefore, as one of the leading universities in Vietnam, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has integrated TOEIC as one of learning outcome standards to the evaluation system Accordingly, for each year at school (Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 2014), students have to pass a certain language barrier before being accepted to learn in the next level as mentioned below
Degree Minimum score of TOEIC
First year Complete 2 English sessions (FL 1100, FL1101)
Figure 1.2: Minimum English level for students at HUST
(Source: Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 2014)
Accordingly, during the fourth year, students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology are required to pass 400 score of TOEIC, which is considered the minimum acceptable level for each student
It is obvious that Hanoi University of Science and Technology also accepts the results of the students with international certificates basing on the same scores correspondingly as the table below:
TOEIC CEFR-VN TOEFL iBT IELTS Cambridge Tests
Figure 1.3: Equivalent to scores of English level
(Source: Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 2014)
To sum up, facing opportunities and challenges, students with the support from the school must understand the importance and urgency of mastering English proficiency, which helps to prepare sufficient “luggage” for them to step further in the career path.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Difficulties faced by the fourth-year non-English major students
Firstly, the researcher uses the tool SPSS 20 to calculate the mean value of the whole difficulties relating to the students (group A) including 15 items The results of the questionnaire analysis are presented in the table 1.1 below
Difficulties faced by 4 th year non-English major in achieving English outcomes
A Difficulties relating to the students 3.43 ± 0.413
1 Students have poor background knowledge 4.04 ± 0.546
3 Students‟ grammatical knowledge is uncertain 3.78 ± 0.728
4 Students are unaware of TOEIC test 3.19 ± 1.015
5 Students‟ communication skills are poor 3.99 ± 1.089
6 Students‟ exam skills are poor 3.64 ± 0.703
7 Students are not interested in learning English 3.13 ± 1.200
8 Students lack seriousness in learning English 3.25 ± 1.169
9 Students are unaware of English language‟s importance
10 Students do not invest much time learning English 3.72 ± 0.926
11 Students do not attend the English class fully 3.18 ± 0.926
12 Students are not willing to study by themselves 3.80 ± 0.733
14 Students do not have enough time for revision class 2.98 ± 0.843
15 Students do not have enough time for self study 2.63 ± 0.705
(X̅ is mean value;SD is deviation) Source: Results of the author’s analysis
It can be seen in the table, the mean value of the whole group A is 3.43; therefore, the items which have the mean over 3.43 are considered the difficulties of the students in achieving English outcomes Of all these items, the first and foremost challenge is that students have poor background knowledge or item No1 with the mean is 4.04 The second challenging barrier that affects students‟ results of English is low competence of language skills whose mean is 3.99 After the problems of background knowledge and language skills, students have troubles with such issues as inadequate vocabulary, uncertain grammatical knowledge, lack seriousness in English self-studying and ineffective learning methods Besides, the difficulties of poor exam skills and inadequate time issue including revision time for self-study and class time also contribute to the negative results of students in English outcome examinations
In short, all the results of questionnaire analysis on difficulties relating to the students (group A) by computing mean value are expressed in the figure 2.1 below:
Figure 2.1: Difficulties relating to the students
Beside the results from the questionnaire analysis, the analysis of the interview is summarized as follows All 3 interviewed teachers reported that in order to improve the students‟ English skills and knowledge, they emphasized on the teaching general programs to complete the basic knowledge gaps and training of listening strategies, such as, predictive skills, extracting special information, getting the general picture In addition, they were not restricted to one particular teaching method; they preferred to combine some teaching methods depending on the students‟ proficiency level and learning condition They were strict to the students
Difficulties relating to students because they strongly believed that students should practice very hard and make good progress Regarding the students‟ motivation and attitudes, four of five interviewed teachers thought that almost students were not much motivated to learn English and did not know what to learn and how to improve their English skills
This might be due to the students‟ past experience, their poor English competence and their laziness in practice A majority of the students were told to be lack of seriousness in learning English They always preferred to complain about the difficulty level of English required outcomes
All things considered, the results from both questionnaires and interviews justify that the difficulties concerning the students themselves are the biggest
Particularly, the problems of background knowledge, incomplete vocabulary, uncertain grammar and low competence of foreign language skills have caused a lot of troubles for the HUST learners in their attempt to reach the certificate of TOEIC
450 Due to the above mentioned weaknesses, the target students lose motivation in learning English This matter has brought about the fact that the students consider the class very low priority compared to their other subjects, so they do not pay attention in class, and do not actually study In other words, low motivation in learning English could result in the matter of negative attitudes which influence on the students‟ success in English examinations The lack of interest in sections that was not directly required for social or professional reasons indicates that students
“wind up getting disoriented in pursuing the true goal of learning English and keep only one goal in mind… obtaining as high an EFL score as possible” (Choi 2008:
58) Apart from the difficulties in terms of knowledge and motivation, the students‟ negative attitude towards learning English is also a serious problem Basing on the results analyzed above, the opposing attitudes of the target students are manifested in the lack of seriousness, persistence and discipline in attending English classes (44.4%) and English self-studying accounting 64.8% of the total respondents In contrast, the number of students whose attitudes are obedient and positive responded that they did not have effective learning methods These learners found it difficult to answer such questions as where to start learning English, and how to learn and practice English effectively As a result, the students‟ English proficiency has not been improved much, and the certificates of TOEIC 450 or 500 seem to be unachievable
3.1.2 Difficulties relating to the teachers
In addition to the difficulties originating from the students, theyare facing some troubles relating to the teachers in the process of learning English as well as the success in the English outcome examinations The analyzed results are demonstrated in the Table 1 2 below:
Difficulties faced by 4 th year non-English major in achieving English outcomes
B Difficulties relating to the teachers 2.20 ± 0.516
1 The requirements of English subject are very high 2.25 ± 0.738
2 Teachers‟ teaching methods are inappropriate 2.18 ± 0.807
4 Teachers do not encourage students to learn English 2.15 ± 0.681
5 Teachers do not assign the task, homework or assignment for students
6 Teachers do not create the environment for students to practice English
7 Teachers do not explain the test requirements in details 2.20 ± 0.746
8 Teachers do not guide students the exam methods 2.19 ± 0.703
Source: Results of the author’s analysis
From the output of the descriptive statistics (Appendix 2.2), the researcher summarizes and selects the means of items in the group B (Difficulties relating to the teachers), and presents them in the Table 2 above It can be seen the Table 2, the general mean of the group B is 2.20, which means that students are facing few difficulties relating to the teachers Moreover, it is more obvious that the number of items with the average values under the general mean value 2.20 is 5 per 8 (accounting for 62.5%) Accordingly, some obstacles such as no English practice environment, no clear explanation for the test requirements and high requirements of English subject are slightly puzzling the students in obtaining English outcomes
The overall difficulties faced by the 4 th year non-English major students in group B (relating to the teachers) are presented and concluded in the Figure 2.2 below:
Figure 2.2: Difficulties relating to the teachers
It can be concluded that the results from the questionnaire analysis and interview show that the HUST students are unsuccessful in English tests due to the challenges in terms of class duration and programs Both the teachers and students confirmed that the class time for English study at HUST was too short (two terms of general English program in four years, equivalent to 180 hours) According to a research, among 18 universities in Vietnam, the average English scoring of a student stayed at 220-245/990 TOEIC That means students have to attend 360
Difficulties relating to the teachers minimum scoring with which enterprises accept vacancy applications Therefore, the limitation of class time at HUST puts the students in a situation of overloaded learning contents
Based on the above data analysis, the findings of the study have revealed the role of teachers in creating learning opportunities for the students and guiding them the way to handle the test The reasons for this finding are presented in the data analysis that a majority of students (52.8%) has troubles when their teachers do not produce the communicative environment to practice English and not give them a clear guidance to do the English test According to the interview analysis, the reasons for not explaining clearly about the test requirements as well as not guiding the students the way to do the tests were the shortage of class time, plus the matter of overloaded teaching contents This fact is the challenge faced by not only the students but also the teaching staff
3.1.3 Difficulties relating to the university management
Beside the difficulties relating to the students and the teachers, HUST learners are encountering with some challenges generating from the board of university management The Table 1.3 below represents the results analyzed in the questionnaire
Difficulties faced by 4 th year non-English major in achieving English outcomes
C Difficulties relating to the management board 2.60± 0.680
1 The demand of outcome standards is too high for the students 2.46 ± 1.036
2 Class programs do not support exam content 2.71 ± 1.024
3 The school management for the students‟ study is not good 2.24 ± 0.819
4 Equipment for teaching and learning English are incomplete 2.71 ± 0.958
5 School library resources are incomplete 2.55 ± 1.027
6 The school lacks organizations to advise and support for students in learning English
7 Scholarships to encourage outstanding and excellent students of the school are few 2.91 ± 0.860
Source: Results of the author’s analysis
It is quite clear that the mean value of this group is 2.6, slightly higher than that of groups B This indicates that students have more challenges with issues from the board of management than those from the teachers It can also be generalized from the facts and figures on the table 3 that a large quantity of students (75%) supposes to be lack of encouragement from the school management board for the outstanding achievements Additionally, many students agree that learning programs are inappropriate According to them, the exam content does not included in the class lessons For these students, equipment and materials in the classroom and library are incomplete and technologically backwards, which puzzles their English improvement process Over a half of students (56.5%) answering the questionnaire survey assumed that they were not assisted and consulted during the time they prepared for the English outcomes examinations In short, the challenges that affect the students‟ learning results are expressed in the Figure 2.3 as follows:
Figure 2.3: Difficulties relating to the management
Difficulties relating to the management
The factor that poses the most difficulty for the students
Basing on the findings and discussion in 3.1 above, the researcher is going to discuss the factor posing the most difficulty for the students in English study as well as in achieving English learning outcomes
Difficulties faced by 4 th year non-English major in achieving English outcomes Total Mean of Group A Mean of Group B Mean of Group C
Source: Summary from the author’s analysis
As seen from the table above, the mean of group A (difficulties relating to the students) is the highest of all and higher than the mean of Likert 5-level scale (3.00) It is proved that students meet the most difficult barriers by themselves such as background knowledge, motivation, attitude and learning styles, etc The group of difficulties related to the board of university management (Group C) ranks the second with the mean of 2.60 And the third position is of the Group C (difficulties relating to the teachers)
Figure 2.4 below shows the different levels of difficulty in the three groups of factors causing for the fourth year non-English major students
Figure 2.4: Difficulties faced by the 4 th year non-English major students at
HUST in achieving English learning outcomes
In the interviews, when being asked about what the teachers considered as problems for the students in learning English to achieve outcomes and what kind of test in the TOEIC exam the students found it the most difficult, most of the teachers commented that the students were poor in overall language skills and lack of basic knowledge such as inadequate vocabulary, uncertain grammar In addition they
Overall Difficulties were not active in practice speaking and listening, they also did not apply effective learning methods and testing strategies to handle their language problems; moreover, their weak management of time and discipline also affected their English language performance and scores.What‟s more, a majority of the students had troubles in listening test Their scores in this test were always much less than those in reading test
To sum up, the difficulties relating to the students themselves have the biggest impact on their English learning and results Particularly, the factors of poor background knowledge and low competence of English skills are the most serious problems However, other factors such as motivation, attitudes, time and curriculum are reasonably contributing ones to the failure of the students in the English outcome examinations.
Summary of the results
In this study the main point of discussion has been to identify the difficulties in achieving English learning outcomes, and to identify which factor poses the most difficulty for the learners The subjects of the study were the fourth year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology Data were collected using questionnaire and interview The following points are major findings of the study The study identified a range of factors: knowledge, motivation, attitude, time, curriculum, assistance, etc The factors were categorized into three groups to whom they were related The discussion and interpretation sections of the study reveal that these factors influenced EFL learners The following table shows the factors and particular difficulties
4 Unawareness of TOEIC test Skills 5 Poor language skills
6 Poor exam skills Motivation / 7 Not interested in learning English Attitude 8 Lack of seriousness in learning English
10 Not investing much time learning English
11 Not attending the English class fully
13 Ineffective learning methods Time 14 Inadequate time for revision class
15 Inadequate time for self study Teaching 16 High English subject requirements methods 17 Inappropriate teaching methods
18 Unqualified teaching competence Motivation 19 No encouragement from teachers Learning 20 Few assignments and revision tasks opportunities 21 No environment for practicing English Instruction 22 No explanation for TOEIC requirements
23 No guidance for exam methods Curriculum 24 Requirements of English outcomes (TOEIC 450)
25 Inappropriate learning program Principle 26 Poor management for students‟ study Facility 27 Incomplete English learning equipment
28 Inadequate learning materials Assistance 29 No support or advice for students Encouragement 30 Few scholarships for excellent students
Table 2.1: Factors and particular difficulties influencing the EFL learners’ achievement
This chapter contains three sections The first section provides the conclusion of the study Then, the recommendations are presented in the second section
Finally, some limitations and suggestions for further study will be shown in the last section.
Recapitulation of the main ideas
First and foremost, the theoretical background of the research was indispensable In this part, the theories of outcomes in general, learning outcomes in second/foreign language acquisition in particular relating difficuties in achieving English learning outcomeswere touched upon After that, factors influencing learning outcomes in language study were briefly explored
In methodology, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to carry out this study For the quantitative method, questionnaires were delivered to the subjects of the study and then gathered for analysis All the results obtained were then quickly presented in tables and charts for analyses For qualitative one, interviews were conducted and recorded for later analyses
By analyzing the data, the research questions have been answered They are difficulties affecting students‟ learning outcomes All the difficulties belong to such factors as knowledge, skills, motivation, attitude, teaching and learning methods, and learning programs, learning opportunities, assistance, guide, instruction and time management Of all these factors, background knowledge is the most difficult one influencing the learners‟ success as well as their English learning outcomes
The study also discussed the reasons for these challenges, the interaction among these factors of difficulties.
Implications 37 REFERENCES I APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE III APPENDIX 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS V APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW VIII APPENDIX 4: RATE OF DIFFICULTY
It can be seen that the number of learners, in the present age, encountering troubles in English language learning has occupied large quantities, especially among non-English major students Therefore, in this part the researcher is trying to suggest some possible solutions accordingly as follows
Owing to the difficulties originating from the students such as poor knowledge, low skill aptitude, time shortage, low motivation, negative attitudes towards learning English, the researcher is going to introduce some implications which are possibly helpful to them in their English study and exams
In the first place, the students should have motivation and positive attitudes towards their own learning because these two factors‟ roles are extremely important determining the success of everyone in every field including language learning
Motivation and attitudes are expressed in the practice of persistence and seriousness in the learners‟ self- study
In addition to motivation and attitude, the students should define their own learning objectives and detailed learning plans in which suitable schedules should be introduced Obviously, if the plans are not suitable, they will discourage the learners themselves As a result, the inappropriate schedules will negatively affect the attitudes of the learners towards their learning and success
Then, the students should have effective learning methods Many researches indicated that using different methods in learning English would be much more effective than applying only one way In fact, using a variety of methods will help all the parts of the students‟ brain multiple intelligences For example, when learning new vocabulary, the learners should create a word map, describe a picture, make a list and study that, type out the words five times All of these methods together help to reinforce the learners‟ learning For the students who are non-English major ones, it is necessary for them to widen background knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and structures, as well as practice English skills at the same time required to try self-studying English It is undeniable that in order to be successful in language learning, self-study plays the most important role Although many English learners feel hesitant about studying alone, there are some advantages of this way such as being more comfortable, more active and motivated, less dependent on others to learn English
Besides, the students must know how to arrange and manage learningtime properly and effectively They should be active in learning process It is important to study English every day and start learning from as early as possible Because the fourth year students are so busy with various complicated and challenging duties that they have little time left for learning English and preparing for the TOEIC outcomes exam Therefore, initiating to learn English early and everyday is much better than studying it urgently with overloaded contents
Moreover, testing skill is considered as a vital factor for the success of English learners In reality, many learners show their good performance during the study process; however, they are often unsuccessful in examinations That is due to their poor testing skills and techniques Thus, the learners should equip themselves the essential strategies to handle the tests
Despite the fact that the difficulties relating to the teachers are not considerable, they should take the result of the study in to account with a view to promote English teaching and study at HUST
The teachers should pay more attention to the students‟ motivation and attitudes They should also help their students to properly assess the need of English for the future, so that the students can identify motivation, positive learning attitudes and effective learning strategies
With regard to the students‟ problems of low English skill competences, the teachers should focus on teaching skills rather than grammar and vocabulary as listening test, so the teacher should let them practice listening more and more
According the results of the study, a large number of the students responded that their teacher did not strictly pose the tasks and review assignments Therefore, it is suggested that the teachers should tighten the discipline and assign more homework for the students to do and obey
In addition, the teachers should give more explanation and guidance about the TOEIC test for students to acknowledge
The implementation of the outcome standards should be consistent throughout the university The management board should pay more attention to teaching and learning equipment to meet the demand for innovative teaching methods Besides, English programs need to be designed more appropriately Also, the university managers should initiate more activities to support the students, help them receive more opportunities to attend English revision classes and to take more English exams In terms of announcing outcomes information, in addition to dissemination in writing, posting information on the website, the school should provide the academic advising staff with the most popular classes Seminars on foreign language learning standards should be organized to raise awareness among students about the need to apply foreign language learning outcomes using international tests Regarding the time of English lesson, the researcher holds the opinion that 180 hours for 4 years at university are not enough for language teaching as it requires regular practice It came to light that once out of school or college, students tap resources such as Language Institutes to manage their proficiency issues The point is, what they could not achieve with almost four years of exposure cannot possibly be taught better by these agencies in two or three months‟ courses English learning hours in HUST should be increased English classes should, therefore, be held for at least six hours a week and continuous in 4 years at university
Finally, school should also apply the standard of foreign language to lecturers, so that cadres and lecturers will become a good example of learning foreign languages for students to follow
3 Limitations of the research and suggestions for further study
In doing a research, limitations are unavoidable and this minor thesis study is of no exception
Firstly, the research has mainly based on questionnaire with 108 non-English major students at HUST The ideas from a small number of participants may not be totally typical for thousands of non-English major students‟ ideas at HUST
Furthermore, the study includes only the subjects who are the fourth - year non- English major students at HUST It is unfortunate that the researcher cannot cover the subjects of English major students as well as the first, the second and the third year students at HUST Therefore, the researcher hopes that in the future she can extend the survey questionnaire on English major students and other subjects to gain precise information to judge the situation objectively
Secondly, as the researcher‟s knowledge of this field and practical experience is limited, the suggestions and recommendations are likely to be subjective and incomplete, leaving the issue to open to debate Therefore, further study should overcome the shortcoming
Finally, due to the limited scope of the current study, the writer could not deal with other important factors that affect EFL learners‟ outcomes This calls for further research
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(About the difficulties faced by the fourth year non-major English students at Hanoi University of Science and
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