Luận văn thạc sĩ VNU ULIS vai trò của tính tự chủ của sinh viên trong việc phát triển kĩ năng nghe IELTS tại trường đại học ngoại thương m a thesis linguistics 60 14 01 11

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ TRUNG HIẾU THE ROLE OF LEARNER AUTONOMY IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF IELTS LISTENING SKILLS IN FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY (Vai trị tính tự chủ sinh viên việc phát triển kĩ nghe IELTS trường Đại Học Ngoại Thương) M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ TRUNG HIẾU THE ROLE OF LEARNER AUTONOMY IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF IELTS LISTENING SKILLS IN FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY (Vai trị tính tự chủ sinh viên việc phát triển kĩ nghe IELTS trường Đại Học Ngoại Thương) M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr Duong Thi Nu HANOI – 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby certify my authority of the research submitted entitled “The role of learner autonomy in the improvement of IELTS listening skill in Foreign Trade University” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Hanoi 2015 Tran Thi Trung Hieu i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr Duong Thi Nu - my research supervisor, for her patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques of this research work I would like to thank my classmates Ms Trang and Ms Hanh, for their advice and assistance in keeping my progress on schedule I would also like to extend my thanks to my academic staff from my Faculty of English for Specific Purposes in Foreign Trade University for their help in offering me the resources to enrich my research My grateful thanks are also extended to my dear students for their helpful enthusiasm and sincere sharing during my procedures of data collection Finally, I wish to thank my dear family, my beloved husband and my sincere friends for their support and encouragement throughout my study ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT The effects of learner autonomy have been shown to play an important role in language education However, we have not really progressed in autonomous learning application There has been little research on the role of learner autonomy in the improvement of listening skill in universities This study was designed investigate the relationship between learner autonomy and IELTS listening score in Foreign Trade University (FTU) A survey research was adopted in this study and a design of questionnaires and interviews was employed as the main instruments of the study The population included all first -year students from CLC classes in the different departments in Foreign Trade University; about 175 students The 36 students enrolling CLC program from Business Management Department are the sample chosen for this study A convenient sampling design was used in this study Data were collected through two phases of the study, utilizing both quantitative method (survey questionnaires) and qualitative method (semi-structured individual interviews) Results reveal that IELTS listening autonomous learning enables students to perform significantly better iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viii PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Aims and Objectives of the study Research questions 4 Methodology Scope of the study Significance of the study Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………………….7 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………7 Theoretical background 1.1 Definitions of Learner Autonomy 1.2 Learner autonomy in language learning 10 1.3 The Importance of Autonomous Learning 13 1.4 IELTS &Banks of Official IELTS 15 1.5 Listening 16 1.5.1 General listening 17 1.5.2 IELTS listening 18 Previous research 19 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY.………………………………………………26 2.1.The context of the study 26 2.1.1 Context of institution 26 2.1.2 Context of class 26 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com 2.1.3 Students 27 2.1.4 Teachers 27 2.1.5 Syllabus and objective 28 2.1.6 Textbook 28 2.1.7 Assessment 29 2.1.8 Teacher tasks assignment 30 2.1.9 Constraints 31 2.2 Methodology 32 2.3 Research design 33 2.3.1 Sample and sampling 33 2.3.2 Research Instruments 35 2.3.3 Data collection 39 2.3.4 Data analysis 41 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND FINDINGS…………………………………….43 3.1 Results 43 3.1.1 Questionnaire results 43 3.1.2 Interview results 52 3.2 Findings 58 3.2.1 Answer to Question 58 3.2.2 Answer to question 59 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS……………… 62 4.1 Contribution of the study to existing literature 62 4.2 Recommendations 64 PART C: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………… 66 Summary of results and findings 66 Limitations 67 Suggestions for further research 68 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………70 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………I v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Attitudes and abilities to self-regulate their learning of category Figure 2: Attitudes and abilities to self-regulate their learning of category Figure 3: Attitudes and abilities to self-regulate their learning of category Figure 4: Comparison among categories in terms of their agreement Figure 5: Comparison among categories in terms of their “no idea” Figure 6: Comparison among categories in terms of their disagreement vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Description of Autonomy Table 2: Converting IELTS mark for first-year CLC students Table 3: Background information about the subjects of the study Table 4: The results of the final test of categories Table 5: The results of entry test and final test of the whole class vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLC: Chất Lượng Cao FTU: Foreign Trade University IELTS: International English Language Testing System L2: Second Language ESP: English for Specific Purposes TESOL: Teaching English to Students of Other Languages MOET: Ministry of Education and Training viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com B: You can contact me by my email: bangoc.fbe@gmail.com or through my phone number: 0934281682 Part 2: Interview questions A: I would like to ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening Are you happy to answer all? B: Certainly, my teacher A: Thank you Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: Yes, I have A: And your goals? B: Listening comprehensive and gain higher score for the skill (8.5) A: What you to achieve your goals? B: I choose some materials to practice such as VOA Special English, Youtube, Tactics Listening, American Accent training and Vocabulary in use… A: You find it effective? B: They are quite effective to me because they bring daily life issues with updated news and facts; which are close to my normal life, and help me improve my vocabulary quickly Apart from, I usually study with my friends For example, my friends and I exchange some listening passages for each other We create questions about the passages on our own to ask each other, which helps us understand deeper In fact, we did have one portfolio for ourselves A: Oh, really? Can I have a look at it later? B: Certainly, my dear Moreover, I set the goals for each week or each month From that, I can find out my strengths and weaknesses and try to improve myself X LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: How you know you have achieved your goals? B: I did all the tests by myself and checked the keys to have my final band score A: How often you evaluate your progress? B: I check my correct answers after finishing all listening tasks By having tape scripts carefully read, I myself find where I missed the information or why I got false answers, then listen again and retest Besides, I also ask teachers to guide me into a right listening comprehension, which helped me to save time, and have a better listening strategy for myself A: How you feel when achieving the goals? B: A kind of achieving the goals, but not totally satisfied Nguyen Le Diệu Trang Part 1: Background information A: Good afternoon What is your name? B: Good afternoon My name is Trang and my full name is Nguyen Le Dieu Trang in Foreign Trade University A: You are a first-year student and you are 19, now? B: In the next months, I will be 20 years old and now I’ m over 19 years old A: What is your IELTS band score? B: My band score in the last IELTS test is 5.5 And in the future I tend to go to study abroad therefore, in the next IELTS test, my expectant score will be over 6.5 That will be a challenge for me A: How long have you been learning English? B: Generally, I’ve learnt English for years However, there are many gaps during this duration of time Sometimes I think it is because I had not put enough time for learning English and actually, I just focus on learning English before the exam XI LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: What are your contact details? B: There are various way to keep in touch with me for example you can contact with me by my email: dieutrang0795@yahoo.com.vn or through my phone number: 01698743489 Part 2: Interview questions A: I would like to ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening Are you happy to answer all? B: Certainly, my dear! A: Thank you Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: My listening skill is not quite good, sometimes it’s exactly my weakness so before this semester I used to set the goal for this skill by 6.0-6.5 But now because of my purpose, I have to increase the goal to over A: What you to achieve your goals? B: In my opinions, practice is the most important part for every student who wants to get the high score Firstly, you can buy some IELTS books, in my case I choose Cambridge IELTS I often play the listening part in these books then compare with the band score of IELTS When I can’t hear all the information of some parts, I still play until the end then when it’s totally over, I will replay it to listen again until I can hear everything Moreover, for me, teacher takes an important role in showing to student how to find the key words to catch the answer words easily Moreover, they can provide some useful techniques or fix some mistakes in pronunciation to can hear clearly However, learners play the more important role In my opinion, IELTS test has some typical rules and the responsibility of teacher is showing these points Then no matter how effective technique provided, students are still able to get the high score as if they find out the way and practice by themselves XII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com It is quite similar in other skills For example, listening and speaking have a same trouble that you have to pay your attention on pronunciation The more you speak clearly the more you can listen exactly Especially, the most problems in learning English is the vocabulary It can have a huge effect on your result in all four skills A: How you know you have achieved your goals? B: In the last IELTS test, actually I was very close to the goal that I set Unfortunately, my speaking skill was not good as much as I expected, if I had more 0.5 score in speaking skill, I would have got overall band score by 6.0 Therefore, in the future if I want to get my goal, I have to get more practice, especially in speaking skill A: How often you evaluate your progress? B: Not often It is difficult to evaluate my progress A: How you feel when not reaching the goals? B: In that time, I am so expected about my result and finally when I received this, you know about a quote that "there more you expected, the more you disappointed" At that time, I did totally understood what that means Nguyen Quynh Trang Part 1: Background information A: Good morning What is your name? B: Good morning My name is Quynh Trang A: And your age? B: 19 years old A: What is your IELTS band score? B: My band score in the last IELTS test is 6.5 A: How long have you been learning English? XIII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com B: Personally, I've learnt English for years A: What are your contact details? B: My email: trangquynhftu@yahoo.com Part 2: Interview questions A: I would like to ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening B: I’d love to A: Thank you Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: Yes, I have Truthfully, listening is one difficult skill Before the semester I set to increase the goal to A: How you know to achieve your goals? B: I achieved my goal because I got even over 6.0 A: How you feel when achieving the goals? B: Satisfied because it came over my expectation A: What you to achieve your goals? B: Practice, practice more and practice more and more I hope teacher would give tips and strategies and students should follow to practice A: Which materials you use for practice? B: I spend my free time listening all the listening tests in series of Cambridge IELTS tests before the lessons A: How often? B: As I have mentioned above, in my free time before the lessons only, my dear A: How often you evaluate your progress? B: Every semester Dam Tuan Huy XIV LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part 1: Background information A: Good afternoon What is your name? B: Good afternoon My name is Dam Tuan Huy A: How old are you? B: 19, like my friends A: What is your IELTS band score? B: My band score in the last IELTS test is 6.5 A: How long have you been learning English? B: About years Sorry, I can’t remember exactly A: What are your contact details? B: My email: damthao165@yahoo.com.vn Part 2: Interview questions A: I would like to ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening Will that be ok? B: Certainly, my dear! A: Thank you Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: No My listening skill is my weakness I tried as much as possible A: How did you try? B: Take notes some tips and advices from handouts that you passed on us, and ask for my friends’ experience A: How you know you have achieved your goals? B: By the final mark A: When the semester comes to an end, can you get the good mark? XV LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com B: I got 6.5 only, more 0.5 in comparison with my entry test A: It means that you made a good progress? B: Slowly A: How often you evaluate your progress? B: I can feel it by final mark every semester A: How you feel? B: So so Le Trung Kien Part 1: Background Information A: Good morning What is your name? B: Good morning My name is Le Trung Kien A: How old are you? B: I’ m 19 years old A: What is your IELTS band score? B: 6.0 A: How long have you been learning English? B: years A: What are your contact details? B: You can contact with me by my mail address: letrungkien2105@gmail Part 2: Interview questions A: I would like to ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening Are you happy? B: I would love to! XVI LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: Thanks Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: To tell the truth, I have not set any goals Sorry A: Never mind B: My only desire is not be so lazy and try to follow the teacher’s guides A: How? B: Study really hard A: In terms of learning IELTS listening, what is the role of the teacher? What is the role of learners? B: Role of the teacher: Choosing appropriate tasks, helping with tips and correction, making precise assessments And role of learners: being attentive and staying focus, doing all work given A: When the semester comes to an end, can you get better mark? B: No Because I would not try my best A: How you feel about the final band score? B: Indifferent Nguyen Lan Anh Part 1: Background information A: Chào em Lan Anh nhỉ? B: Dạ cô A: Lan Anh 19 bạn phải không? B: Vâng ah A; Điểm nghe IELTS em kì mấy? B: Dạ 5.0 ah XVII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: Em học Tiếng Anh bao năm rồi? B: năm ah A: Nếu cần thêm thơng tin liên lạc với em nào? B: Cơ email cho em qua hòm thư Lananh.nguyen@gmail.com Part 2: Interview questions A: Cơ hỏi em chút việc học nghe IELTS em không? B: Dạ A: Trước bắt đầu kì học em có đặt mục tiêu cho kĩ nghe IELTS không? B: Dạ không cô ah Em mong qua môn cô A: Mong qua mục tiêu nhỉ? Thế em làm để đủ để qua môn học? B: Em cố gắng làm theo dạy lớp, tập trung nghe giảng ghi vào handouts cô phát ah A: Thế nhà có luyện nghe thêm khơng? B: Em nói thật em nghe nên em khơng hứng thú nghe nhà cô ah A: Vậy em khơng có thêm tài liệu để luyện tập nhà phải không? B: Dạ A: Theo em, việc học nghe, giáo viên có vai trị quan trọng không? B: Rất quan trọng cô ah Như em kĩ nghe hoang mang khơng biết học nghe cho hiệu Nên em mong đợi cô giáo dẫn chi tiết mẹo làm kĩ nghe phần, cô phát handouts chi tiết bước nghe chọn đáp án ah A: Thế vai trị em gì? B: Em cố gắng nghe chăm làm theo hướng dẫn ah XVIII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: Thế cuối kì điểm em có buồn khơng? B: Bình thường cô ah, em qua môn em thấy may mắn A: Cám ơn em B: Em chào cô Nguyen Lan Anh (English version) Part 1: Background information A: Good morning Lan Anh? B: Yes Good morning A: Are you 19 now? B: Surely A: What is your final listening band score? B: 5.0 A: How long have you been learning English? B: years A: How can I contact you if necessary? B: You can contact me via my email Lananh.nguyen@gmail.com Part 2: Interview questions A: Can I ask you some questions about your learning IELTS listening? B: Certainly A: Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening skill at the beginning of the semester? B: No, I am sorry I just wish I could pass A: Is passing a goal? What did you to get 5.0 band to pass? XIX LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com B: I followed all your instructions, stayed focused and noted down some tips in your handouts A: Did you practice more listening at home? B: Truthfully, I am afraid of listening because of my weakness I have no motivation to practice more A: That means you have no more references of listening? B: No A: In your opinion, is the role of teachers important in learning listening? B: Very important I don’t know any listening strategies so I have no idea to listen effectively I just waited for your guides of tips and listening strategies for each part I tried to read carefully your handouts of each lesson A: What about your responsibility? B: I did pay much attention to listen carefully to all the recordings at class and follow your instructions A: Are you disappointed with band score 5.0? B: No problem I was fortunate to pass A: Thank you B: Good bye Phạm Khánh An Part 1: Background information A: Chào em Em tên gì? B: Em chào Em Khánh An ah Phạm Khánh An A: Năm em 19 tuổi B: Vâng ah XX LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A; Điểm nghe IELTS em kì mấy? B: Dạ 4.5 ah A: Em học Tiếng Anh bao năm rồi? B: năm ah A: Nếu cần thêm thông tin liên lạc với em nào? B: Cơ email cho em qua hịm thư khanhan1707@gmail.com Part 2: Interview questions A: Cơ hỏi em chút việc học nghe IELTS em khơng? B: Dạ A: Trước bắt đầu kì học em có đặt mục tiêu cho kĩ nghe IELTS khơng? B: Dạ có ah Em mong 6.0 kĩ nghe A: Thế em làm để đạt 6? B: Em tập trung nghe phần nghe giảng ý đến thủ thuật nghe ah A: Thế nhà có luyện nghe thêm không? B: Em luyện thêm IELTS Cambrigde ah A: Ở nhà em nghe thường xuyên không? B: Cũng không nhiều cô ah Trước buổi học em tập trung nghe test A: Em có thường xuyên đánh giá tiến khơng? B: Có ah Em tiến làm theo mẹo hướng dẫn Em thích mẹo làm cơ, trước em nghe điền trả lời câu hỏi thơi Có mẹo em làm thêm vài câu A: Thế cuối kì 4.5 em cảm thấy nào? B: Em buồn ah Vì em mong Em cố gắng vào kì sau XXI LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com A: Cám ơn em B: Em chào cô Phạm Khánh An (English version) Part 1: Background information A: Hello What’s your name? B: Good afternoon, teacher I am Khanh An Pham Khanh An A: Are you 19? B: Yes A: What is your listening band score this semester? B: 4.5 A: How long have you been learning English? B: years A: By what way can I contact you if I need more information? B: You can email to me via khanhan1707@gmail.com Part 2: Interview questions A: Are you happy to answer some questions to learning IELTS listening? B: Yes, surely A: Have you set the goals for learning IELTS listening before the semester? B: Yes, I would like to reach the band 6.0 A: By what ways to get the band 6.0? XXII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com B: I attentively listened to all the recordings in your lessons and made use of all tips you shared with us A: Did you practice more at home? B: I practice listening to series of Cambridge IELTS tests A: How often? B: Not much I tried to listen to one test before each lesson A: How often you evaluate your progress? B: Sometimes You have a steady progress by following your advices Your tips are so effective I have just listened and chosen the answers before Your tips help me to have more right answers A: How did you feel when you just got 4.5? B: So sad because I expect for 6.0 I will try my best for the next semester A: Thank you B: Thank you See you soon XXIII LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Appendix 6: A portfolio of IELTS listening tasks XXIV LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ... individual and the social; and between the view of language learning as a means to 12 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com an end (autonomy for language learning) and as an end... have put into consideration that the traditional teaching and learning approach, with its emphasis on individual LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com achievement and transmission... Thomas An ability that has to be acquired (learning how to (1991) Foundation of human dignity and learn) and is separate from the learning that may take LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com