Efl adult learners’ perceptions of interaction and their attitudes towards learning english online at tesse io

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY - NGUYỄN THỊ MINH HIẾU EFL ADULT LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INTERACTION AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH ONLINE AT TESSE.IO Major: English Language Student’s code: 1841900040 HO CHI MINH CITY, SEPTEMBER 2020 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY - EFL ADULT LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INTERACTION AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH ONLINE AT TESSE.IO Submitted to the Faculty of English Language in partial fulfilment of the Master’s degree in English Language Course code: 8220201 By NGUYỄN THỊ MINH HIẾU Supervised by TRUONG CONG BANG, PH.D HO CHI MINH CITY, SEPTEMBER 2020 The thesis entitled EFL Adult Learners’ Perceptions of Interaction and Their Attitudes Towards Learning English Online at Tesse.io was successfully defended and approved on …………………………… at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) Academic supervisor: Dr Truong Cong Bang Examination Committee …………………………………………………………… Chair …………………………………………………………… Reader …………………………………………………………… Reader …………………………………………………………… Member …………………………………………………………… Secretary Member On behalf of the Examination Committee Chair (Full name, tile, signature) HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE HCMC, …………….2020 MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: NGUYỄN THỊ MINH HIẾU Sex: Female Date of birth: September 20th, 1992 Place of birth: Tay Son – Binh Dinh Major: English Language Student code: 1841900040 I Thesis title EFL Adult Learners’ Perceptions of Interaction and Their Attitudes Towards Learning English Online at Tesse.io II Objectives and contents The primary focus of the current study is to investigate and explore learners’ perceptions of interaction and their attitudes towards learning English online at website Tesse.io The researcher hopes to highlight areas that need adjustment to benefit learners’ achievement, teachers’ teaching achievement, and administrators’ improvement of online courses The research was conducted in six months at Tesse.io in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam This study involved the participation of 96 adult learners in different online English classes It should be noted that the researcher has worked as a teacher of English in these classes Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed The data was gathered using online questionnaires and online interviews The results were analysed in terms of means scores and standard deviations using SPSS version 20 and thematic analysis This study was based on the online learning theory of Anderson (2011) and the ABC model of attitudes of Ellis (1956) The findings revealed that students had a positive perception of interaction with teachers, other learners, and course content They valued the guidance and encouragement of teachers in online English classes Learning online offered students opportunities to communicate in small groups and the entire class They could exchange resources such as links or documents with other learners Besides, the findings indicated that course content fit the students’ expectations Students could easily interact with the course content and learning materials by variety of tools In general, students valued the student-teacher interaction as an important factor In terms of attitudes towards learning English online, students expressed positive feeling They were interested in learning online due to the comfort of using smart devices, time convenience, and benefit from feedbacks of teachers Students positively reported that they frequently attended online classes They actively joined the extra free English classes besides the paid class that they enrolled in Besides, students’ attitudes towards learning English online have changed In general, most of the participants posited that they have improved performance when learning English online Finally, with positive attitudes, most students looked forwards to studying English online more in the future Based on the findings of the study, recommendations for the stakeholders (students, teachers, administrators and web developers at Tesse) are included It is expected that the study will shed light on the existing knowledge relating to the field of study Starting date: March 30th, 2020 Completing date: September 20th, 2020 Academic supervisor: Dr Truong Cong Bang ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR FACUTY DEAN (Full name, signature) (Full name, signature) CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled: EFL ADULT LEARNERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INTERACTION AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING ENGLISH ONLINE AT TESSE.IO In terms of the statement of the requirements for Thesis in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of English Language, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology Ho Chi Minh City, October 2020 NGUYEN THI MINH HIEU i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, NGUYEN THI MINH HIEU, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (English Language) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarians for the care, loam, and reproduction for theses Ho Chi Minh City, September 2020 NGUYEN THI MINH HIEU ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr Truong Cong Bang, my supervisor, of his patience, guidance, insightful advice, and constant encouragement throughout the whole research process Under any circumstances, he always gives me his warm support and dedication He has been a wonderful mentor and I feel grateful for having such a wonderful teacher Without his support and guidance, this thesis would never have been completed Second, I would also like to show my profound gratitude to all the lecturers of the Institute for Postgraduate and the Department of English Language in HUTECH for their tirelessly devoting time and efforts to enrich, broaden and deepen my knowledge over the past two years Third, I would like to send my gratefulness to some of the enthusiastic teachers and learners from Tesse.io who helped me to provide and collect valuable data for the questionnaire and interview My work could not be done without the participation of teachers and learners at this online learning website In addition, I would like to thank the board of directors, the academic staff, and the management board for allowing me to conduct this study iii ABSTRACT Online learning alternatives are growing rapidly in Vietnam Recently many education institutions have offered online English courses It is increasingly recognized in education research to find out what learners think about online learning and what makes them successful in an online learning environment Educators should better understand learners’ perceptions of interaction and their attitudes towards learning English online This research examines the students’ perceptions of interaction and attitudes towards learning online to provide information that may assist education institutes and teachers in meeting students’ needs and improving students’ performance This study was conducted at Tesse.io – an online learning and teaching website in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam It was based on the theory of online learning of Anderson (2011) and the ABC model of attitudes of Ellis (1956) A mixed-methods design employing online questionnaires and interviews was carried out with convenience sampling of 96 adult students at pre-intermediate and intermediate levels of English SPSS and thematic analyses were performed to analyze quantitative and qualitative data Results were consistent with student survey responses and indicated that students perceive learning English online positively Besides, their attitudes towards learning English online were positive in terms of feeling, behavior, and knowledge The study proves that several issues need to be highlighted in order to ensure the effectiveness of learning English online Suggestions for learners, teachers, administrators, and web developers on how to improve learning and teaching English online are presented in the study The study contributes to the existing literature of the research field and provides some insights into teaching and learning English online It is expected the study would contribute to the existing knowledge relevant to the field of study, providing a reference for learners, teachers, and researchers who desire to study learning and teaching English online Keywords: Perception, interaction, attitude, online learning iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of originality i Retention and use of the thesis ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Table of contents v List of abbreviations viii List of tables ix List of figures x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study .1 1.2 Statement of the problems 1.3 Aims and objectives of the study 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Scope of the study .5 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Definition of key terms .6 1.8 Organization of the thesis CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW .8 2.1 Online education 2.1.1.Advantages of online education .8 2.1.2.Disadvantages of online education 2.1.3 Perception of learners 2.2 Online language learning 10 2.3 Adult learners 11 2.4 Terry Anderson’s theory of online learning .12 2.5 Role of interaction in online learning .15 2.5.1.Student-teacher interaction 16 2.5.2.Student-student interaction 16 2.5.3.Student-content interaction 16 v No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me whether the interaction in online English classes meets your expectation? a With teachers b With other learners c With the course content d In your opinion, which is the most valued interaction in the classroom? However, I think communication with other learners in classes allows me to engage with others and make learning more enjoyable and effective c I highly value the role of course content before deciding to choose any courses I consider the syllabus, the time of class, the materials, handouts, etc d The student-content interaction No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about the online content delivery at Tesse? a Do you find it easy to interact with online course content? b Do you think the online course content at Tesse to be adequate? Why or why not? S1 a Yes, I can easily review the course content before joining any courses I can also download the materials and handouts of the lessons after the classes b Yes, there are many class activities for us to practice using English Although we are not studying in a traditional class, we have assignments to complete at home and present in front of the class via online calls There are several free lessons for each level taught by energetic teachers I am glad it is a good fit for my learning style S2 a Yes, I I can take the book, hand-out from the website easily It is convenient for me to arrange the lesson I have learned day by day on my 101 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about the online content delivery at Tesse? a Do you find it easy to interact with online course content? b Do you think the online course content at Tesse to be adequate? Why or why not? computer b Yes, of course Firstly, I am a little bit afraid of learning online because I think there will be some limitations In practice, the course content is quite adequate It is designed logically and suits my level S3 a Yes, I b Yes I can engage in various learning activities in online classes such as listening to the audio, watching a video, speaking with other learners, and with teachers Besides, each lesson comes with written notes about what you will learn There is also a community forum when we can practice speaking and listening by communicating with other learners S4 a Yes, I b Yes The course content is good enough to attract my attention I have a feeling that I am learning in traditional classes There are lessons for four major skills Sometimes we have a writing assignment and I can check my work on the internet As I have oppotunities to learn in classes of foreign teachers, many lessons are covering the vocabulary related to Canada and the UK S5 a Yes, I b Yes, I think so I can download the content in PDF files onto my smart devices to learn wherever and whenever I want Tesse has lessons for learners from beginners like me I am serious about improving my English-speaking skills I need to have a conversation with native English speakers And Tesse helped me with that 102 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about the online content delivery at Tesse? a Do you find it easy to interact with online course content? b Do you think the online course content at Tesse to be adequate? Why or why not? S6 a Yes, I b Yes, I agree with that One thing I like the most is in my class Many students are working in different fields Sometimes they are invited to present information and their experiences in the chatroom We can have time to discuss or “speak” by typing S7 a Yes, I b I am working in the technology field The course content is designed for people who have digital skills and for people who have not The flexible program of online courses allows me to develop my understanding of English S8 a Yes, I b I believe the online course content at Tesse fits my need I am trying to practice speaking English, but I am too old to join in traditional classes The online classes allow me to practice with teachers, work in pairs, and discuss with the whole class S9 a Yes, I b I have searched English online courses to help with my listening comprehension and to improve my pronunciation, and finally, I can enjoy those things at Tesse A premium membership lets me access the website This includes quizzes on each course, homework, and handouts S10 a Yes, I b Yes, I guess Tesse is popular for English courses for adults It has a combination of reading, listening, writing, and speaking lessons in a course It also includes quizzes so I can check my level 103 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION In your opinion, what impact teachers have on the online courses? a How you feel about the level of interaction with teachers? b Could you please tell me how student-teacher interaction benefits you in learning achievement? S1 a It depends on each teacher I like the way they give instruction and encourage us to raise questions I am a little shy for the first time After some classes, I not hesitate to ask for their help One more thing, teachers at Tesse create a positive climate where we are free to share our opinion Some even are willing to assist us after finishing online classes b I feel free to talk to my teachers I can easily share when I have problems in learning and I receive advice from them so that I can improve myself S2 a I suppose teachers are trying their best to interact with us I suppose it is hard in online classes that the teachers can see our faces and our expression When I cannot answer the teachers, they are always patient and motivate us to speak out b Teachers offer us a friendly learning environment Although my English level does not become advanced, at least I feel I am confident in learning S3 a Personally, I am interested as a teacher who always engages us in activities b I have to say the teacher promotes our thinking skills and focus on what is important when learning English I enjoy learning in online English classes S4 a In online classes, teachers not always talk to us, they give us time to “talk” with other learners b Teachers give us opportunities to express our point of view They spend time to ask us about our way to learn at home, whether we love English and our barriers during the online classes That encourages me a lot since 104 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION In your opinion, what impact teachers have on the online courses? a How you feel about the level of interaction with teachers? b Could you please tell me how student-teacher interaction benefits you in learning achievement? I feel free to share my experiences S5 a Teachers interact with us during the classes When I keep silent, the teachers give hints so that I can speak what I think b Not to mention improving my English levels, I would like to talk about the change in my mind Student-teacher interaction brings me confidence It is not about learning in online classes or traditional classes The importance is whether teachers understand and support us or not S6 a I am pleased that the teacher helps us to understand their instruction in online classes b I think student-teacher interaction benefits me As I can communicate with teachers, they give me advice on my weaknesses and strengths I sometimes hesitate about my weaknesses but I am realizing it does not matter, it is more important that my teachers understand me and encourage me in classes S7 a I think teachers interact closely with me and other learners in classes Teachers not only focus on teaching but also try to talk to us to understand my level, requirement, and my field of job b I think the student-teacher interaction is positive to me The problem I face is speaking and listening to English Teachers explain the nature of my problems and advise me on how to deal with the problems They encourage me and give me positive feedback on interacting with other learners delete Besides, teachers promote social interaction in classes They bring us a friendly learning environment I have to say that studentteacher interaction increases my communication I am more active in the 105 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION In your opinion, what impact teachers have on the online courses? a How you feel about the level of interaction with teachers? b Could you please tell me how student-teacher interaction benefits you in learning achievement? learning process S8 a Teachers are always willing to communicate with us b In my opinion, teachers at Tesse have positive interaction with students The thing I like the most is teaching enthusiastically Some teachers even make learning fun so that I am interested in sharing my knowledge I feel that teachers build great relationship with me I develop confidence and I am not fear of failure S9 a Some teachers advise me about my problems or mistakes so that I can improve In the class, I see teachers always take care of us b I can participate in class discussion and give my opinions Learning English online is the time to reduce stress and develop positive relationships with other learners and teachers S10 a I think I can interact with teachers, not like in traditional class where I usually keep silent during the class b I am confident in myself after joining online classes at Tesse Teachers tell me that I can learn well That is a motivation for me to handle a more difficult assignment No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about your interaction with other learners in the online classes? a How often you interact with other learners? b How beneficial are the interaction? S1 a Well, it depends on whether we learn about listening or speaking, reading, 106 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about your interaction with other learners in the online classes? a How often you interact with other learners? b How beneficial are the interaction? or writing If we learn speaking and writing, I can interact with other learners during the class, by speaking or typing b I think the interaction with other learners is promoted by teachers and brings me motivation I can feel a connection with other learners For online classes, I guess I am just sitting in front of the screen and studying, but the interaction with other learners makes the class more attractive and useful S2 a I not always interact with other learners in the classes Just in the speaking class, I sometimes work in pairs with classmates b The interaction allows me to develop myself I think by watching or hearing I can learn the way of using words in writing and listening When I hear classmates to speak, I write down to the chat box as a way to record That is the way teachers advise me to learn English better Teachers instruct me on some principles when joining in a conversation Thus, I have the skills I need to interact and communicate in English S3 a I often interact with other learners in English online classes Usually, I interact by typing in the chat box to discuss with them about a topic or to write down what I hear from their conversation In the group discussion, I speak with my classmates b There are group or class discussions in online classes The teacher guides me on how to engage in a discussion and how to express my viewpoint I am sometimes assigned to be the discussion leader for a particular topic that I become more active in the learning process I can also develop my vocabulary and listening skills 107 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about your interaction with other learners in the online classes? a How often you interact with other learners? b How beneficial are the interaction? S4 a I often interact with classmates in listening and speaking classes b I can practice listening and speaking when I communicate with other learners Interaction with other learners is the opportunity for me to listen to each other’s comments, ask them questions, and build a relationship with them In the online class, I can work in pairs and share the results of the exercise S5 a I often talk to other learners b I think somehow the student-student interaction not only promotes language development but also promotes the development of social skills The time that teachers give us to work in pairs also the time for us to practice using English Although I don’t like to work in pairs, I become more confident after joining online classes at Tesse S6 a I sometimes interact with other classmates b I face difficulty in communicating with others in English I am not confident to talk in front of others However, in the online classes, I have many opportunities to interact and exchange knowledge with other learners They are willing to share their opinions with me I have learned how to lead a topic, and how to keep a conversation going S7 a I rarely interact with others I listen to them and read their comments more b The interaction with other learners benefits my English-speaking ability It always takes time for me to think before speaking out something Teachers advise that I should practice more to react quickly when I listen to someone By joining in online classes, I observe the way they react 108 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you please tell me about your interaction with other learners in the online classes? a How often you interact with other learners? b How beneficial are the interaction? Teachers give me time to work in pairs with other learners and I can easily think about what I am about to say before communicating in online conversations S8 a I just sometimes interact with teachers and other learners in online classes b I enjoy learning the language on my own However, teachers encourage us to join in conversation among students in online classes There are some exercises that teachers require us to work in small groups and present the group’s ideas in front of the class S9 a I sometimes interact with other learners in online classes b When I engage in dialogue with other learners in online classes, I can find new words and increase my vocabulary I can exchange experiences, knowledge, and idea by communicating with others in English S10 a I rarely interact with other learners online b I think student-student somehow benefits students When interacting with others, it is more interesting that I can focus on the lesson No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you like learning English online? Why and why not? S1 I have to say “Yes” It is suitable for my working schedule I can choose time that suit my working schedule It is also easy to learn with a computer or a smartphone S2 Yes, I can try the classes that fit my requirements Besides, I can select the classes that suit my flexible working schedule 109 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you like learning English online? Why and why not? S3 Yes, of course Learning English in online classes is comfortable, especially when I can learn with a smartphone and I can join the classes anytime at my place while I can take care of my kids One more thing, I can receive instant feedback from teachers I have seen the result that I am looking for after a couple of months of learning English online S4 Yes, I am interested in English online classes I feel the courses are created based on students’ interests, requests, and areas that we need to improve I think the lesson content and the activities in online classes are interesting to attract our attention And, the cost to join in online classes is reasonable S5 Yes, I agree I not care about the money much, however, I can get more than a reasonable price Learning English online in my opinion is a way to improve my English quickly For some classes that I miss, there are recorded classes for me to review later S6 Yes, I will After the COVID 19, I realize that learning English in online classes are convenient in some ways, especially when we cannot go because of COVID S7 Well honestly, I would say “Partly” I prefer traditional English classes, however; social distancing prevents us from communicating with others I think online conversations will never replace face-to-face interaction I want to mention that learning English online is a great way to meet new people and to improve my English skills S8 Well yes, everything with the online English classes is fine, except for some system problems And I will join both online and traditional classes S9 Well yes For a student in high school like me, I need to improve all four main skills With the video call, I can have live lessons just like in the physical classroom, except for some system error I can practice listening by hearing other classmates and watching YouTube 110 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you like learning English online? Why and why not? S10 I think I will say “yes” The traditional class would be better The important thing is how effective I can learn English, not about whether it is online classes or traditional English classes No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION In what way that learning English online benefits you? S1 I am more confident in communicating with English I express my opinions more in online classes Learning in an online environment offers me the oppotunities to practice frequently without hesitation S2 With feedback and useful advice from the teachers, I know more about the learning method With the instruction from the teacher, I can self-study at home Besides, I can improve the four main skills, especially speaking skills S3 In online classes, I can receive instant feedback from teachers I have to say that my performance has been improved after joining online classes I also know more about how to communicate in English with native speakers as I joined in online classes with foreigners S4 In the beginning, my speaking and listening become better I can hear and understand teachers and other learners and I can speak up I think that learning online is the time for us to practice speaking, but it appears that I can improve both writing and speaking I change my mind since I have joined in online classes, learning online can improve my English S5 Well, there are grammar lessons and I can review the teaching records after finishing classes It helps me to understand more about the lessons S6 Yes, I will After the Covid 19, I realize that learning English in online classes are convenient in some ways, especially when we cannot attend traditional classes due to its effectiveness 111 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION In what way that learning English online benefits you? S7 Learning English online allows me to learn at my place I find online classroom environment not stressful because I feel free to talk to other learners I increase attention and develop speaking skills Through listening to other learners and teachers I can remember new words and apply them There is an exercise that strengthens my memory and increases creativity S8 I find myself I can adapt to new situations since there are many leaners from different ages and levels of English When I speak out, the teachers correct me a lot, which helps me to know the correct way to use words in speaking and writing S9 I become more independent in learning As there are many topics in online classes, I have tried to search the subject as well as read books and watch English videos Learning in online classes, I can share information and get contact with people from many places in Vietnam, which I think is good for my English learning S10 I can save money and learn at my place at any time which is convenient for my working schedule In online classes I not feel hesitant to share my opinions and knowledge I become more confident No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you would like to continue to learn English online at Tesse? Why? S1 Yes, I will continue to enrol in a new online English course at Tesse I like the way teachers teach English and the learning environment in the classes S2 Yes Tesse supports me a lot in learning English Since I have joined online classes at Tesse, I think my performance has been improved, especially in 112 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you would like to continue to learn English online at Tesse? Why? listening and speaking English Teachers at Tesses are friendly and openminded in teaching us S3 Yes, of course I will try to register in other classes, such as grammar and writing classes S4 Well yes, I will try to join other classes as long as they fit my working schedule S5 Yes, I will continue learning English online at Tesse I can save money and time for travelling to the English center Learning online is affordable, with no expensive fares or enrolment fees S6 Yes, I will Apart from the systematic errors which occur occasionally, I like learning in online classes as they have many advantages, reasonable price and teachers are professional The important thing is I can learn from many learners from different regions in Vietnam Teachers bring me motivation and useful advice S7 Well…I am not sure, but I think I will join both traditional classes and online classes if I have enough time S8 Yes But it depends on whether I have time to learn English or not Currently, I have some projects that I have to spend almost my time, so I temporary pause learning English online S9 Yes Teachers are cute and enthusiastic Classes are at a suitable time that I can arrange my time The learning environment is young and active The topics for us to learn is various and useful I hope there will be more classes in the future that I can join in S10 I think I will say “yes” The important thing is how effective I can learn English, not about whether it is online classes or traditional English classes 113 No RESPONSES FOR QUESTION Could you tell me whether you would like to continue to learn English online at Tesse? Why? I am looking forward to joining many other online English courses in the future 114 APPENDIX E PLAGIARISM REPORT 115