Teachers practices and perceptions of integrating computer assisted language learning into englishclasses at thong tay hoi secondary school

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY - HOANG TRAM ANH TEACHERS' PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ENGLISH CLASSES AT THONG TAY HOI SECONDARY SCHOOL Major: English Language Course code: 8220201 HO CHI MINH CITY, AUGUST/ 2021 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY - TEACHERS' PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ENGLISH CLASSES AT THONG TAY HOI SECONDARY SCHOOL Submitted to the Faculty of English Language in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in English Language Number of words: 20947 Course code: 8220201 By HOANG TRAM ANH Supervised by LE VAN TUYEN, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, AUGUST/ 2021 iii The thesis entitled TEACHERS' PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ENGLISH CLASSES AT THONG TAY HOI SECONDARY SCHOOL was successfully defended and approved on … 8/6/2022… at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) Academic supervisor: Le Van Tuyen, Ph.D………………………… Examination Committee TS NGUYỄN THỊ KIỀU THU…………………… Chair TS NGUYỄN THỊ NHƯ NGỌC……… ………… Reader TS NGUYỄN THỊ THU…………………………… Reader TS PHẠM HUY CƯỜNG………………………… Member TS CAO THỊ PHƯƠNG DUNG……………… Secretary Member On behalf of the Examination Committee Chair iv HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY POSTGRADUATE INSTITUE HCMC, 4/8/2021 MASTER’S THESIS REPORT Student name: Hoang Tram Anh Sex: Female Date of birth: 25/01/1997 Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City Major: English Language Student code: 1941900024 I- Thesis title: TEACHERS' PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ENGLISH CLASSES AT THONG TAY HOI SECONDARY SCHOOL II- Objectives and contents: This study is conducted: a) To find out the practices of CALL that are utilized by English teachers at TTHSS b) To explore the teachers’ perceptions towards the integration of CALL in the English classes at TTHSS …………………………………………………………………………………… III- Starting date: 20/03/2021 IV- Completing date: 04/08/2021 V- Academic supervisor: Le Van Tuyen, Ph.D ………………………… ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR (full name, signature) FACULTY DEAN (full name, signature) v CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled: TEACHERS' PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING INTO ENGLISH CLASSES AT THONG TAY HOI SECONDARY SCHOOL In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Faculty of English Language, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology Ho Chi Minh City, AUGUST 2021 HOANG TRAM ANH vi RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, HOANG TRAM ANH, 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 original 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 Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for theses Ho Chi Minh City, AUGUST/2021 Signature …………………………… HOANG TRAM ANH vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude towards my supervisor for his vital support and assistance, Mr Le Van Tuyen who gave me magnificent guidance and advice His encouragement made it possible to achieve the goal It is whole-heartedly expressed that your advice for my research proved to be a landmark effort towards the success of this graduation paper Generally, it is my first time to conduct an academic research paper, so it is impossible to avoid some deficiencies I gratefully acknowledge his encouraging and sincere comments on my paper as well as his immensely important guidance during my beginning until the very end of my thesis I would like to show my appreciation 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 I would like to thank all the support and participation of the English teacher at Thong Tay Hoi Secondary School, those whose assistance proved to be a milestone in the accomplishment of my end goal Finally, I wish to give a special thanks to my family: my mother and my father who not only assisted me financially during my time conducting the thesis, but also expressed their support morally and emotionally viii ABSTRACT The assistance of computer technology in the academic field, particularly in the field of teaching and learning languages, is nothing but remarkable Investigating the practices of application of Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and perceptions of its practitioners in the context of teaching EFL is of vital importance Especially in Thong Tay Hoi Secondary School (TTHSS), a specific study on the application of CALL in the context of TTHSS has not been done yet Therefore, teachers are still not aware of the importance of CALL as well as lack the skills to use it That is why the current study has been conducted to identify the common CALL practices among the English teachers at TTHSS in Ho Chi Minh City, along with their perceptions towards the use of CALL in their English classes Twentyfive English teachers at TTHSS participated in this study Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from questionnaires and semi-structured interview The data gathered through questionnaires were analyzed by using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), and “content analysis” was employed for qualitative data analysis The findings revealed that although teachers can apply CALL applications and have rather positive perceptions towards CALL itself, some of them were still unfamiliar with its definition, classifications and some barriers still exist, preventing teachers from integrating CALL into their teaching of English The findings of this study led to some recommendations to elevate and expand the integration of CALL into both teaching and learning of languages It is expected that the study will shed light on the existing knowledge relating to the field of study Key words: EFL context, CALL, practices, perceptions, English teachers, Secondary School, Vietnam ix TABLE OF CONTENT Master’s thesis report iv Certificate of originality v Retention and use of the thesis vi Acknowledgements vii Abstract viii Table of contents ix List of tables xii List of figures xiii List of abbreviations and sympols xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study 1.2 Statement of the problem 1.3 Aims and objectives of the study 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Definitions of the terms 1.8 The organization of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Technology and Language Teaching 10 2.3 CALL and ESL/EFL Teaching 12 2.4 Practices of integrating CALL into English classes 15 2.5 Benefits of Integrating CALL into English Classes 18 2.5.1 Individualization in a large class 18 2.5.2 Resource diversity 19 2.5.3 Multimodal practice with feedback 19 x 2.5.4 Promote second language learning 19 2.6 Challenges of integrating CALL into English classes 20 2.6.1 Teacher-related challenges 20 2.6.2 Student-related challenges 22 2.6.3 Context-related challenges 24 2.7 Previous studies 25 2.8 Conceptual Framework 29 2.9 Summary 31 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research design 33 3.2 Research site 34 3.3 Sample and sampling procedures 34 3.4 Research instruments 36 3.4.1 Questionnaire 36 3.4.2 Semi-structure interviews 37 3.5 Data collection procedures 38 3.6 Data analysis procedures 38 3.6.1 Data from questionnaires 38 3.6.2 Data from interviews 39 3.7 Reliability and Validity 39 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 Introduction 42 4.2 Results of the study 42 4.2.1 The common practices of CALL among English teacher into their English classes 41 4.2.2 The perceptions of the teachers towards the integration of CALL into their English classes 53 4.2.2.1 Teachers’ perceptions towards the benefits of CALL integration into English classes 53 Patel, C (2013) Use of multimedia technology in teaching and learning communication skill: An analysis International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology, 2(7), 116-123 Peeraer, J., & Van Petegem, P (2010) Factors influencing integration of ICT in higher education in Vietnam (I J Z Abas, & J Luca, Eds.) 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Word - PowerPoint - Computer-mediated communication (CMC) applications (email, chat rooms, social media, etc.) - Web browsers and web applications (blogs, wikis, etc.) I have applied CALL software applications (CDROM, web-based authoring systems) into my English instruction before 86 5 The CALL software application I most frequently used is: - CD-ROM (textbook learning materials, role playing games, etc.) - Web-based authoring systems (clozemaster.com, choicemaster.com, etc.) What skills you use CALL to teach? Why? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… What language knowledge (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar) you use CALL to teach? ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… What is the attitude of students towards CALL integrated lessons? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) benefits Alternatives No Item Strongly disagree Disagree Using computers generally makes completing tasks easier Teaching and learning using computer is not limited with time and space Preparing learning materials (e.g worksheets and 87 Neutral Agree Strongly agree 10 11 12 handouts) by using technology is a lot easier CALL applications help each student to study independently in the class Students’ interest in learning a language will increase by the use of computers The integration of CALL can help to decrease teachers’ workload such as making handouts The use of CALL provides easy access to authentic materials and communicative activities for language teaching and learning The use of CALL will bring about a positive change in teachers’ style of teaching The use of CALL will bring about a positive change in teachers’ style of addressing the students’ response issues The CALL program is beneficial in improving the skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening for students The CALL is beneficial in improving pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary for students Using CALL is one of the innovative ways of adding flavour to the lessons (E.g Using videos and pictures to explain a new concept.) 88 Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) barriers No Item Alternatives Strongly agree 10 11 12 13 Excessive and dependent use of computers and CALL technology will replace teachers in the future Teacher will have a lot of burdens when integrating CALL Not all the students or teachers who use a computer at home, are frequent users and have sufficient data or internet access Students can use computers to cheat when doing assignments or tests Using computer reduce the need for communication between learners Students often violate rules when using computers to visit websites that are not suitable for learning It is lack of technology equipment Use of CALL exposes the students to culturally and linguistically unsuitable material The training for the use of computers in language teaching is inadequate It is very difficult to control the class when using computer in teaching Computers cannot handle unexpected situations due to technological barriers Using a computer often has difficulty connecting to the internet Unexpected power outages will interfere with computer teaching 89 Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree APPENDIX EXCERPT OF STUDENT INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT Questions Responses T1: PowerPoint - I like using PowerPoint the most PowerPoint allows presenters to show the main points they are talking about during the presentation This not only keeps the presenter on track, but also keeps the students focused on the main point during lesson Easy Test Maker- EasyTestMaker is an online test generator to help me create and manage my tests T2: PowerPoint - PowerPoint because it can integrate photos, movies or graphs in presentations without having to use other applications T3: PowerPoint- PowerPoint can make my presentations more interesting through the use of multimedia that can help improve audience focus PowerPoint lets me use images, audio, and video for greater visual impact Prezi-it is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs Q1:What is your favorite such as PowerPoint software when you T4: Prezi- Prezi is more vibrant than PowerPoint It is a integrate CALL in presentation tool that transforms static, low-light your teaching? presentations into compelling presentations that tell a story Quizlet- I also use Quizlet to teach students vocabulary Quizlet is a website that provides learning tools for students, including flashcards, games, etc Students can learn vocabulary through Quizlet Kahoot!- Or you can use Kahoot! to check student's remember Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy for me to create and play learning games or quizzes in minutes Through Kahoot! teachers can both check students' understanding and help students recall old lessons T5: FluentU- FluentU is a language learning platform that uses real-world videos and has interactive subtitles PowerPoint- PowerPoint because it offers a ton of 90 Q2: How often you integrate computers in teaching? Does using the computer depend on the content of the lesson or does it depend on other factors? Q3: Most teachers in the school seem to favor PowerPoint, you think it is crucial and features, effects, and animations that no other presentation software can beat Google Form- Google Forms helps you create surveys, quizzes T1: I use CALL often in my classes The use of CALL often depends on the content of the lesson that needs to give many examples or not Because through examples, students will easily grasp the content faster than just learning through theory T2: I use CALL two or three times a week In addition, it also depends on students' learning needs, lesson content and time factors Moreover, I love being a teacher who is aware of new technologies, because I think this is what my students expect from me There are many sources on the Internet from which I can get suggestions I love discussing CALL with my colleagues and trying to come up with new ideas, but this doesn't happen often The school doesn't require us to use any specific technology, but I personally enjoy using it T3: The frequency of using CALL also depends on the content of the lesson, if it is a period with complex content, and many examples are needed, CALL should be used While saving time, students will be easy to understand and will not be sleepy when encountering complicated theories T4: I always use computers in my teaching Computer use depends on lessons that require computer support In addition, there are many other factors such as: entertainment for students after stressful school hours, class observation, T5: Regularly The use of computers also depends on factors such as relaxation, entertainment, cultivating knowledge other than language such as letting students understand more about culture and customs through video clips in English T1: Most people use PowerPoint The first reason is that they have all learned how to use it before and become proficient and familiar in using it Moreover, PowerPoint has a lot of features that are quite complete for the integration of teaching content I not appreciate the integration of other applications because it can cause errors and affect 91 effective to integrate other applications in CALL or just remain using PowerPoint? Q4: For some special classes designed to foster English proficient students, you think that class needs a special computer training program for teachers? Q5: What is the difference in student's reaction between CALL integrated classes and the teaching process I feel that instead of being distracted because there is too many software, we should focus on exploiting PowerPoint alone to achieve the best effect T2: Should apply some other applications so that students are not bored when absorbing the lesson T3: Just using PowerPoint is enough, because PowerPoint has a lot of functions T4: In the current information technology boom, teaching support software like PowerPoint is growing strongly and constantly improving its own functions, accessing new applications besides PowerPoint help teachers learn more about technology, know new functions that are more interesting and relevant to their lectures than just manipulating PowerPoint T5: Using PowerPoint is great, but besides that, it needs to be integrated with other software T1: Unnecessary Because no matter what the class is with the level of the student, the computer skills that need to be applied won't change at all What teachers need to improve is the content of the teaching, the content of the exercises, so that students can more easily absorb it T2: It's not really necessary, everyone should take the time to learn more about other skills T3: A dedicated computer training program for teachers is needed In order to use computers in teaching appropriately, it is very important to add computer skills and qualifications for teachers How to teach online properly, T4: Out of necessity, learning something new is never in vain T5: It is necessary, because the computer skills that teachers have today are all self-study A special computer training course is required for teachers so that teachers can learn new skills and apply them appropriately T1: Students feel more interested in the lesson, actively raise their hands to speak, contribute ideas to build lessons and answer questions T2: Computer-integrated classes can help students have more interest in focusing on lesson content through 92 traditional classrooms? Q6: What are the benefits of integrating CALL into English classes at secondary schools? Q7: What are the drawbacks of integrating CALL in English classes at secondary schools? images and videos transmitted via computers, instead of just having dry theories at school traditional classes T3: Computer-integrated learning will produce better teaching results than traditional learning Furthermore, students are also not sleepy T4: Most students are interested in lectures designed through computers with diverse images and sounds, making it easier for students to access and understand the content T5: Students are more interested in the lesson, easy to absorb, easy to visualize T1: Arousing students' interest and helping them absorb lessons more easily and quickly T2: Students are more interested in learning Teachers will also practice building lesson structure skills T3: CALL helps teachers prepare lessons faster, makes lessons more colorful, and can also help students learn and have fun at the same time T4: Support search, design lectures with rich content and many topics as well as ways to transmit knowledge Help students feel more interested in the lesson T5: Students easily absorb lessons, efficiency is increasing day by day T1: There is a slight limitation that students can be distracted from the content of the lesson For example, they easily talk to their tablemates, eat clumsy, because they are subjective that the teacher will not notice T2: Students will be subjected to computer abuse Writing by hand in the traditional way will still be more beneficial for students than learning on computers Writing by hand will still help students remember for a long time Not to mention if the type of student is slow to absorb, they will find it hard to remember by using computer In addition, using computers or electronic devices will not be good for health (eyes, spirits, ) T3: There are no downsides to integrating computers in teaching T4: The internet in schools is often too weak Another big challenge for me is choosing the right tool… 93 Because I use for example browsing the Internet naturally at times when I think it would be useful to use… I can say that I not follow a specific plan for technology integration T5: Limit focus on infrastructure and machines at schools Most technology tools in schools are usually quite old The internet is too weak, it's easy to lose power if you use the computer too much in excess of the allowed amount of electricity 94 APPENDIX PLAGIARISM REPORT 95 APPENDIX DATA COLLECTION ENDORSEMENT FORM 96