Thiết kế giáo trình cho học sinh lớp 9 trường thcs nguyễn tri phương huế chuẩn bị kỳ thi đạt học bổng a star

TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages SUB COVER PAGE STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLES OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Research aims 10 1.3 Research questions 10 1.4 Research significance 10 1.5 Structure of the thesis 11 CHAPTER - LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.1 Previous studies 12 2.2 Syllabus 14 2.2.1 Difference between syllabus and curriculum 14 2.2.2 Types of syllabus 16 2.2.2.1 Functional/ notional syllabus 16 2.2.2.2 Structural/ grammatical syllabus 17 2.2.2.3 Situational syllabus 18 2.2.2.4 Task-based syllabus 18 2.2.2.5 Skill-based syllabus 19 2.2.2.6 Content-based syllabus 19 2.2.2.7 Mixed/ layered syllabus 20 2.2.2.8 Theme-based syllabus 21 2.2.3 Syllabus design 23 2.3 Needs analysis 24 2.3.1 The process of needs analysis 26 2.3.2 Kinds of needs 26 2.3.2.1 Target needs 27 2.3.2.2 Learning needs 28 2.3.3 Effects of needs analysis on ESP syllabus 29 2.4 Selecting themes and planning thematic units 29 2.4.1 Topics or Themes selection 30 2.4.2 Topics or Themes grading 31 2.4.3 Thematic units planning 32 2.5 Material design 33 2.6 A* Star Scholarship and the structure of the selection test 34 2.6.1 A* Star Scholarship 34 2.6.2 The structure of the selection test 34 CHAPTER – METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES 36 3.1 Research approach 36 3.2 Research subjects and site 36 3.3 Methods of data collection 37 3.3.1 Questionnaires 38 3.3.2 Interview 41 3.3.3 Class observation 41 3.4 Data analysis 42 3.5 Procedures 42 3.5.1 Questionnaires administration procedure 42 3.5.2 Interview procedure 43 3.5.3 Research steps…………………… ……………………………………43 3.6 Conclusion 44 CHAPTER - FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 45 4.1 Data analysis from teachers 45 4.1.1 Teachers‟ perceptions of the tests and students‟ performance 46 4.1.1.1 Teachers‟ perceptions of students‟ listening and speaking skill…… 47 4.1.1.2 Teachers‟ perceptions of the reading comprehension texts 48 4.1.1.3 Teachers‟ perceptions of the writing skill 48 4.1.2 Teachers‟ advice for students on the four skills 50 4.2 Data analysis from students 52 4.2.1 Students‟ perceptions of the A* Star selection test 52 4.2.2 Students‟ difficulties in doing the selection test 53 4.2.3 Students‟ experience and preparations for the test 54 4.2.3.1 Students‟ experience and preparations for the Listening and Speaking skill 55 4.2.3.2 Students‟ experience and preparations for the reading skill 55 4.2.3.3 Students‟ experience and preparations for the writing skill 56 4.2.3.4 Students‟ experience for the overall preparation 56 4.3 Interview…………………………………………………………………….57 4.3.1 Teachers‟ responses to the English selection test 57 4.3.1.1 Students‟ common mistakes in the interview 57 4.3.1.2 Teachers‟ suggestions 59 4.3.2 Students‟ responses to the English selection test 62 4.3.2.1 The difficulties students met during the test 62 4.3.2.2 Students‟ suggestions 64 4.4 Sample syllabus for grade gifted students at NTP School………….… 66 4.4.1 Target learners and other contextual factors…………………………… 66 4.4.2 Approaches, goals, objectives of the syllabus………………………… 67 4.4.3 The syllabus for grade gifted students 68 4.4.4 Sample units for grade gifted students 70 4.4.5 Description of experimental teaching 70 4.4.5.1 Responses of teachers 71 4.4.5.2 Responses of students 74 CHAPTER – CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 80 5.1 Research questions 80 5.2 Summary of key findings 80 5.3 Implications 83 5.3.1 For administrators at NTP School 83 5.3.2 For teachers at NTP School 84 5.3.3 For grade students 85 5.4 Contributions of the Study 85 5.5 Limitation of the Study 86 5.6 Further study 87 5.7 Concluding reflection 87 REFERENCES 88 APPENDICES Appendix A: Questionnaire for teachers Appendix B: Questionnaire for students Appendix C: Feedback sheet Appendix D: Questions for interview Appendix E: Observation sheet Appendix F: Sample units Appendix G: Reliability analysis of the questionnaires for teacher Appendix H: Reliability analysis of the questionnaires for students LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESP : English for Specific Purposes QA : Questionnaire A QB : Questionnaire B QC : Questionnaire C TOEFL : Test of English as a Foreign Language IELTS : International English Language Testing System NTP : Nguyen Tri Phuong RI : Raffles Institution MCQs: : Multiple choice questions N : Number SPSS : Statistical Package for the Social Sciences SD : Standard Deviation Mean : Mean Score SEAMEO : The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization LISTS OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1 Needs analysis……………………………………………… ……25 Figure 2.2 The Needs Assessment Cycle………………………………… ……26 LISTS OF TABLES Table 3.1: Research subjects 36 Table 3.2: Research methods 38 Table 3.3: Summary of clusters for teachers 40 Table 3.4: Summary of clusters for students 45 Table 4.1: The reliability of the questionnaire……………………………………45 Table 4.2: The mean score of the questionnaire for teacher 46 Table 4.3: Teachers‟ perceptions of the tests and students‟ performance 47 Table 4.4: Teachers‟ perceptions of students‟ listening and speaking skill 48 Table 4.5: Teachers‟ perceptions of the reading comprehension texts 50 Table 4.6: The mean score of teachers‟ advice for students…….…………… 50 Table 4.7: Teachers‟ advice for students on the four skills 52 Table 4.8: Mean score of questionnaire for students………………………… …52 Table 4.9: Students‟ perception of the A* Star selection Test…………… ……53 Table 4.10: Students‟ experience and preparations for the listening and speaking skill………………………………………………………………… …55 Table 4.11: Students‟ experience and preparations for the writing skill…… …56 Table 4.12: Students‟ experience for the overall preparation……………… … 56 Table 4.13: Target learners…………………………………………………… …66 Table 4.14: The type of tests and evaluation………………………………… ….66 Table 4.15: The English Syllabus for grade students at NTP School……… …68 Table 4.16: The viewpoints of NTP teachers on the lessons ……………… …72 Table 4.17: Teachers‟ suggestions to improve the quality of teaching and learning……………………………………………………………………… ……73 Table 4.18: The level of English proficiency of grade gifted students 74 Table 4.19: The viewpoints of grade gifted students on the lessons……… ….75 LISTS OF CHARTS Chart 4.1: Teachers‟ perceptions of the writing skill 49 Chart 4.2: Teachers‟ advice for students on overall preparation …… 51 Chart 4.3: Students‟ difficulties in doing the selection test 54 Chart 4.4: Students‟ experience and preparations for the reading skill 55 Chart 4.5: Teachers‟ comments on the experimental teachings 71 Chart 4.6: Students‟ suggestions to improve the quality of teaching and learning 77 ABSTRACT This thesis aims to investigate the current needs of A* Star Scholarship in Singapore A syllabus is designed to meet the needs and then some thematic units for grade gifted students at Nguyen Tri Phuong Junior High School are developed The data are collected by means of questionnaires and interviews Seventy-five questionnaires are delivered and returned, and nineteen interviews are conducted with two groups of participants: 14 NTP students in Raffles and Raffles teachers The findings reveal the purpose, the current needs of A* Star Scholarship, the format and the themes frequently used in the tests Besides, the ex-students and Raffles teachers give worthy experiences and advice After taking many factors into consideration, theme-based syllabus is chosen as the most suitable to the current needs for grade students at NTP School Limitations and suggestions for further research are also included in the hope that more convincing and reliable conclusion will be drawn out in the field of teaching and learning English to take A* Star Scholarship in Singapore CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale In the time of globalization, English is becoming the “accepted international language of technology and commerce” (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, p23); people everywhere are learning it enthusiastically As Tran (2000) remarks, “more and more countries are making their lingua franca to communicate with the rest of the worldnot only with native English-speaking but also non-native English speaking countries in international setting” (p.26) In fact, English is so widely spoken and referred to as the "lingua franca" of the modern era In Vietnam, since the economic open-door policy pursued by the Government has increased the number of English- speaking people who are expected to be the main assistants helping Vietnam easily keep up with developed countries in the world, English has been geared as one of the most important subjects in high school education in Vietnam Following with the globalization, many students are also seeking for better education in English-speaking countries namely the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Singapore, where the educational systems have been recognized for years Thus, the need of learning English is even more emphasized In an interview with Vietnam News (2004) about the situation of English language education in Vietnam and opportunities for Vietnamese students today, Assistant Professional Do Huy Thinh, Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Training Centre, claims that globalisation, since its interception, has changed the world Nations, cultures and races start mixing with the others, and education is no exception More and more chances are now opened up for students from any countries to study in other more well-developed education environment This is incredibly popular in Vietnam nowadays Integrating with this trend, Nguyen Tri Phuong Junior High School in Hue City and Raffles Institution in Singapore as premier secondary schools in Vietnam and Singapore respectively, have an added responsibility to develop students with a global outlook Nguyen Tri Phuong Junior High School is one of the old famous schools that has large number of gifted students It is the unique junior high school in Hue City where students are carefully selected through a strict entrance exam and their academic performance in their primary education Raffles Institution (RI) which was founded in 1823 grew to be a beacon of educational excellence that attracted the best from all walks of life regardless of race or creed in Singapore, and from overseas [72] Thanks to the cooperation of Nguyen Tri Phuong (NTP) Junior High School with Raffles Institution, many NTP students have received the A* Star Scholarships to pursue their secondary education in Singapore According to the feedbacks from previous batches of students who are studying in RI, the education in Singapore is indeed a good chance for Vietnamese students as they integrate with many international friends and learn to be more independent Albeit with the keen interest of the students in this scholarship as well as their effort to prepare for the selection, only 25 students, including 16 boys and girls, were chosen in the past six years This number is relatively low in comparison with other cities like Hanoi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City [73] As a teacher at this school, who is doing research on A* Star Scholarship, I would like to specially design an English syllabus which will help gifted students who are potential but lack English proficiency to take up the scholarship Basing on the experience of the previous batches of students and teachers from Raffles Institution, this research aims to design an appropriate syllabus which helps to boost the four skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – for the future students in order to better prepare them for the selection of the A* Star Scholarship This research is carried out by investigating the current needs, to design an ESP syllabus and to develop some sample units for grade students at Nguyen Tri Phuong School In addition, experimental teaching of the two sample units in a class at Nguyen Tri Phuong will be done to gather feedback from students and work towards more effective teaching methods and techniques 1.2 Research aims This study aims to: - investigate the current needs for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation - explore the challenges that previous students faced in English Test - get information about themes, essential language skills and language focus for a syllabus - find out how to design a theme-based syllabus and develop some theme-based sample lessons for grade gifted students to take A Star* Scholarship English Test - design a theme-based syllabus and develop some theme-based sample lessons as a suggestive teaching and learning material for grade gifted students at Nguyen Tri Phuong School for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation 1.3 Research questions What are the current needs for an expected English syllabus for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation? What should be included in an English syllabus for grade students at Nguyen Tri Phuong School? What are the students and teachers‟ feedbacks on some sample lessons in the suggested syllabus? What modifications should be made? 1.4 Research significance It is hoped that the findings of the study will contribute to the teaching and learning English at Nguyen Tri Phuong Junior High School in Hue City A theme-based syllabus constructed upon current needs and the experience and advice of previous and teachers in Raffles Institution in Singapore will enhance students‟ knowledge and skills English It will provide NTP teachers with a syllabus that meets specific needs of learners and some sample lessons as suggestive teaching materials It is expected 10 All aspects related to extra exercises, time, skills practicing should be taken into account with a hope of bettering the quality of teaching and learning for grade NTP students Summary This chapter has discussed the result of the needs survey and some precious suggestions of the experienced participants It has introduced the English syllabus grade students at NTP School and two sample thematic units as well as their remarks on the experimental teaching of the two units The findings and discussion in this chapter have given the base for the three research answers The summary and implications of this study will be mentioned in the next conclusion chapter 79 CHAPTER CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Overview This chapter firstly presents a brief summary of the findings Next, implications for administrators, teachers and students are suggested by the researcher Finally, contributions of the study, limitations of the study and suggestions for further research are all mentioned in this chapter 5.1 Research questions This study stated the three research questions as follows: What are the current needs for an expected English syllabus for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation? What should be included in an English syllabus for grade students at Nguyen Tri Phuong School? What are the students and teachers’ feedbacks on some sample lessons in the suggested syllabus? What modifications should be made? 5.2 Summary of key findings In order to get findings for this study, this research has employed research instruments such as questionnaires, interview checklists, and class observation sheets Regarding the first research question, in terms of the current needs for an expected English syllabus for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation, the researcher investigated the opinions of NTP students, NTP teachers and Raffles teachers for target needs as well as the aim of the examination As the needs analysis reveals, all participants have positive perception of the importance of the selection test The findings showed that teachers and students were well aware of the necessity of improving the four English skills The majority of the participants stated that the A* Star Scholarship was really a challenging examination, students were not only 80 evaluated their Maths skill, English proficiency but also their intelligence, talents in social communication In the interview, Raffles teachers confided that the aim of the selection test was researching perfect students in Maths and English This scholarship is offered to talented persons who achieve academic success as well as effective communication The English test lasts two hours and a half with two long difficult reading comprehensions texts, different types of questions about grammar and vocabulary along with two kinds of essays Furthermore, students are challenged in an interview with Raffles teachers They are asked any questions related to daily life to check their English fluency, intelligence and social knowledge From the participants‟ point of view, an expected English syllabus for the Scholarship Test preparation should include a variety of reading passages taken from different sources, including but not limited to textbook extracts on sciences and humanities, newspaper articles on current events and social issues as well as excerpts from fictional stories For students, one of the most challenging parts of the English test is the comprehension questions which based on reading texts which are difficult to understand due to unfamiliar format and sophisticated vocabularies This may affect the students‟ confidence in tackling the paper and subsequently the accuracy of their answers Hence, to be best prepared for the test, students should be given opportunities to familiarize themselves with reading materials This way, students can stock up not only their general knowledge but also their confidence in doing the paper now that they are familiar with reading and comprehending complex materials Provided with these materials, students should be instructed to read between and beyond the lines That is to say, they have to be able to infer from what is provided in the text, since inferential questions, which are often difficult, make up a significant portion of the comprehension test Also, students should be taught to scan the text and pick out important information, ignoring complex but unnecessary information when possible This skill can help 81 them get pass a number of questions The syllabus should include cloze tests and similar ones for their practice This is also an important part of the English paper Therefore, students who wish to get the scholarship must practice all related skills An overwhelming majority of the participants asserted that all English skills and areas are of great importance in English studying should be integrated in the English syllabus for A Star* Scholarship Test preparation Regarding the second question, in the interviews with successful students and Raffles teachers, the participants revealed that the themes of the reading comprehension texts or essays were close to our daily life The following topics were recommended to be added into the English syllabus for A Star* Scholarship Test preparation: science, technology, environment, family, school They are essential topics that often appear in the selection test Besides, the surveys showed that most of NTP students lacked knowledge of vocabulary, which made them confused in expressing ideas In addition, some essays were not high appreciated in terms of language use and format Writing is the last section of the English paper which carries equally important weights At school, students are not often taught essential writing skills and given chances to practice and sharpen their writing This leads to many students struggling when doing the writing section of the English paper Thus, it is suggested that lessons on writing skills and practice questions should be included in the syllabus as well With regard to speaking skill, some common topics, questions along with tips to answer the interview should be introduced in the syllabus For the third research question, a quick feedback was applied for grade students and teachers as observers after the experimental teachings The majority of participants were pleasured with two sample lessons The findings revealed that the contents of the lessons met the purpose of the selection test Students could practice all English skills in a lesson Although studying in four experimental periods, students felt confident in speaking and presenting topics However, there were many sections in each lesson that made students feel exerting pressure of time while studying 82 Additionally, the teachers suggested that more extra exercises as writing, grammar, reading ones and experimental tests should be provided for further practice 5.3 Implications Basing on the findings of this study, the author would like to offer implications focusing on three major issues: Administrators at NTP, ESP teachers as well as gifted students as follows: 5.3.1 For administrators at NTP School Firstly, the material facilities should be more interesting So far the gifted students have studied in a good condition, the space and lights are good enough for students to carry out their activities The classroom is separated from others, thus students work in quiet atmosphere and it is equipped with facilities such as LCD projectors, overhead, computers However, some computers and head phones are out of work, which make students meet difficulties in listening periods It is inconvenient to share the head phones New equipments should be installed to create favourable conditions for teaching and learning as well enhance the quality of gifted class at NTP Secondly, the library of NTP School needs to be equipped with more updated books, newspapers, magazines and reference materials so that teachers and students can access to an abundant and useful source of information Thirdly, the school should assist students to have more useful “playgrounds” such as English- speaking clubs, culture-discovering contests and student-level seminars Up to now, the teachers of English hold an English-speaking club per month to help students be more confident in speaking English However, the result is not really satisfing because of some subjective and objective conditions Hence, the administrator should facilitate in terms of financial support, facilities and implementing organization to make outside activities more and more plentiful and vivid Fourthly, school needs to create favourable conditions for students to be taught by foreign teachers Each year, there are two or three groups of Raffles teachers and 83 students coming to NTP to exchange studies, it is the suitable time for Raffles teachers to help NTP students improve their English skills Fifthly, it is suggested that the ESP course for grade gifted students should stretch up to five or six periods per week 5.3.2 For teachers at NTP School To improve the quality of teaching and learning ESP, teachers at NTP should take the following implications into consideration: First of all, NTP teachers need to pay more attention to supplying materials for students As suggested by Gatehouse (2001, p.8), ESP is an approach and not a subject to be taught, materials will unavoidably be pieced together, some borrowed and others designed specially In other words, more materials relevant to students' levels from other various sources should be included in the course, which provide a rich source of authentic language for the students to improve their skills Secondly, different themes of reading comprehensions or writing essays should be brought into focus Teachers had better teach students the ways to answer all kinds of questions and how to write a good essay Thirdly, all skills and areas together with a variety of activities should be integrated in each lesson with a view to providing students with the chance to develop their communicative competence and to creating the multi-intelligences of students For example, students should be encouraged to organize intra-school debate competitions Teachers can also give research assignments to students and make them present their work in front of the class This is for them to stock up their general knowledge and gain confidence in public speaking Also, teachers lead students how to make a make an attractive speech basing on the criterions mentioned above Fourthly, teachers should cultivate their knowledge to help students open their minds Brown (1994) says that one of the most interesting things about teaching is that 84 teachers never stop learning Teaching is considered a lifelong journey of learning rather than a final destination of “knowing” how to teach To promote the idea teachers should self-study and take part in some seminars to ensure their personal development 5.3.3 For grade students English is the most general language for the international business world Students who want to speak English well and be successful in the selection tests must immerse themselves in English-speaking environments To attain fluency in English, students should spend at least one hour everyday listening to news or discussion programs such as NPR (National Public Radio) news or BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation; the World Service or Radio Four are best) news Additionally, spending more time every day on reading English news or articles Reading builds up vocabulary, idioms, phrases, and the concepts of English structures Making friends with native-English speakers and writing them regularly is also the best way to improve speaking and writing skills Besides, taking social activities to keep fit and stay healthy It is essential students asked for teachers and former students‟ advice They will give students valuable experiences Importantly, students manage the time and spend much time practicing experimental English tests as well as Maths, IQ exercises 5.4 Contributions of the Study This research has some contributions as follows The findings of the research reveal the purpose of the English selection test and the current needs for A Star* Scholarship English Test preparation To the syllabus designers, the needs analysis is the essential foundation to base on and design the syllabus In addition, the survey confides some valuable experiences in studying English Furthermore, this research paper is useful for teachers since it provides them with the reflection from their students' learning needs Hopefully, the research paper 85 enables the administrators at NTP to consider and meet the learning needs of grade nine students in order to improve the quality of teaching, learning English and preparing for A* Star Scholarship at NTP school Last but not least, the suggested English syllabus and two sample units for grade gifted students can be used as guidelines and suggestive teaching materials to develop teaching materials for the next ESP course 5.5 Limitation of the Study This thesis is done with the hope that it will improve English skills for grade students at NTP School for A* Star Scholarship English Test preparation The researcher wishes to suggest a suitable course outline and introduce some sample materials based on the purpose of the selection test Due to time limit and other subjective and objective reasons, it is far from being perfect As a result, some more supporting ideas from readers, teachers and colleagues are warmly appreciated It is hoped that the findings and suggestions in the research might be of some value to teachers and students in the process of teaching and preparing taking A* Star Scholarship Test First of all, in Chapter 2: Literature Review, the researcher did not read quite a lot to have a variety of experts‟ opinions on ESP However, the theory presented in this chapter is very basic at the level of course design and are of distinct ESP specialists and it helps the researcher gain insight to the field of ESP Secondly, when doing the needs analysis, the questionnaires were not carried out within a larger scope, yet the questionnaires were fully collected Thirdly, there have rarely been researches on designing ESP theme-based syllabus Accordingly, the researcher still does not have sufficient materials about this topic for reference Thus, limited knowledge of the researcher about theme-based syllabus might lead to some limitations Last but not least, not many sample units are introduced 86 5.6 Further study As mentioned above, not many sample units are introduced in the thesis Therefore, from the suggested syllabus, a complete course book could be done on a nationwide scale in future study Hopefully, the results would be more convincing 5.7 Concluding reflection Dwyer (2000) emphasizes the importance of studying abroad, he believes that studying abroad can make an individual become more social, it will change one‟s life and become a new person Studying abroad opens various opportunities The learning experience will enable a person to become more independent, develop his self-confidence and develop personal and professional growth That is also the aim of the personal development strategies of Asian Scholarship, particularly, A* Star Scholarship Briefly, in spite of limitations, this thesis 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