Trang 1 BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM THE FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES --- GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC: DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH SPEAKING OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT BANKING ACADEMY AND STRAT
BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM THE FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC: DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH SPEAKING OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT BANKING ACADEMY AND STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH Student : TRUONG ANH PHUONG Class : K22ATCC Course : 2019 – 2023 Student ID : 22A7510125 Instructor DR HOANG QUOC THINH : Hanoi, May 2021 BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM THE FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC: DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH SPEAKING OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS AT BANKING ACADEMY AND STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH Student : TRUONG ANH PHUONG Class : K22ATCC Course : 2019 – 2023 Student ID : 22A7510125 Instructor DR HOANG QUOC THINH : Hanoi, May 2021 DECLARATION I declare that this graduation thesis entitled “DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH SPEAKING OF ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT BANKING ACADEMY AND SOLUTIONS TO COPE WITH” is the result of my original research work It has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree The other books, articles, researches, which I have made use of are stated in the reference of this paper I have read the University’s current research ethics guidelines and acknowledged my obligations and the rights of the participants i ABSTRACT Title: Difficulties in English speaking of English-majored students at Banking Academy and strategies to cope with Author: Truong Anh Phuong, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy of Vietnam Advisor: Mr Hoang Quoc Thinh, Deputy Manager of ATC program Abstract: English maintains a distinguished position since it is considered to be the most frequently used language compared to the others Therefore, English proficiency is regarded as a crucial instrument for enhancing an individual's competitiveness in life, employment, and other endeavors One of the four language abilities students need to be advanced in order to accomplish that aim is speaking However, during the process of learning English speaking, some students have faced difficulties which lead to their poor performance Hence, the purpose of this study is to figure out those difficulties and offer some suggestions to minimize the problems A questionnaire survey was conducted among more than two hundred English-major students in order to collect data serving for the purpose of this study The findings indicated that the major difficulties among English-major students were psychological factors and intellectual factors when practicing English speaking Keywords: speaking, speaking difficulties, English-major, ATC, speaking skill ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT In fact, I would be unable to complete this graduation thesis without the help and support of others, in either a direct or indirect way First and foremost, this endeavor would not have been possible without Dr Hoang Quoc Thinh, the teacher in charge of assisting me with my graduation thesis During this journey of thesis conduction, he has always been available to offer me detailed guidance and insightful feedback His dedication provided me with a wealth of information to develop my research Furthermore, he regularly points out and corrects even the tiniest errors, giving me more vital experience in presenting my writing entirely and effectively Had it not been for his enthusiasm in support of me, I would never have finished this thesis I am also thankful for the dedicated assistance of all English major students in the Banking Academy of Vietnam, particularly K22 They are the ones who have actively assisted me in gathering data, filling out the questionnaire in order to construct and finish the final thesis Words cannot describe how grateful I am to my family for always being there for me and for their endless encouragement and support I was inspired to keep going forward and get where I am now, only because of my family still being there Last but not least, I would like to thank myself for daring to embark on this challenging journey It has been a long way since the beginning, both geographically, physically and mentally, you have done well P I am proud of you Author Truong Anh Phuong iii TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION ……………………………………………………………… ……i ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… ……ii ACKNOWLEGDEMENT…………………………………………………… ……iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………… ……………vi LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………vii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study……………………………………….………………….13 1.2 Aim of the study……………………………………………………………… 14 1.3 Significance of the study………………………………………….……………14 1.4 Scope of the study……………………………………………… …….…….14 1.5 Thesis structure………………………………………………………… …….15 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of speaking………………………………………………………….16 2.2 Definition of English speaking…………………………………………………17 2.3 Types of English speaking…………………………………………………… 18 2.3.1 Imitate…………………………………………………………………… 18 2.3.2 Intensive………………………………………………………………… 18 2.3.3 Responsive……………………………………………………………… 18 2.3.4 Transactional…………………………………………………… ……….18 2.3.5 Interpersonal………………………………………………………………18 2.3.6 Intensive……………………………… ………………………….18 2.4 Significance of English speaking ………………………….19 2.5 Characteristics of English speaking ……………………… ………………….20 2.6 Previous studies about difficulties while learning English speaking ….22 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Locale of the study…………………………………… …………………….24 3.2 Participants………………………………………………… .……….24 3.3 Research design………………………………………… .……………… 25 3.4 Research instrument………………………………… ……………………….27 3.5 Data collecting procedure .………………………………………………….28 3.6 Data analysis procedure ……………………………………………………….28 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Findings ………………………………………………………….30 4.1.1 Participants’ demographic results …………………………………….30 4.1.2 Factors that affect ATC students’ speaking performance in general …….32 4.2 Discussion ………………………………………………………….46 CHAPTER SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Summary of the findings .………………………………………………….50 5.2 Suggested implications 5.2.1 Suggested implications for English major students at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy of Vietnam ………………………………………….51 5.2.2 Suggested implications for teachers at Banking Academy of Vietnam 52 5.3 Conclusion……………… ………………………………………….54 REFERENCES APENDIX v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACRONYMS WORD’S MEANING English-majored students at the Faculty of Foreign Languages at ATC Banking Academy of Vietnam EFL English as a Foreign Language ANOVA Analysis of Variance vi LIST OF FIGURES Chart Chart Participants’ academic year The amount of time ATC student have been learning English The level of effect of students’ lack of Chart general knowledge on their speaking performance in general The level of effect of students’ fear of Chart committing mistakes on their speaking performance on general The level of effect of students’ fear of Chart criticism on their speaking performance on general The level of effect of students’ lack of Chart speaking practice on their speaking performance on general The level of effect of students’ lack of Chart word usage and grammar practice on their speaking performance on general The level of effect of students’ low Chart motivation on their speaking performance on general 5.2 Suggested implications 5.2.1 Suggested implications for English major students at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy of Vietnam Students’ speaking ability can be enhanced by consistent practice because "it doesn't depend on talent," according to Wongsuwana (2006) Students' level of progress will therefore be determined by their training and practice techniques This improvement requires time to develop progressively over time and includes practice with their peers and teachers in the classroom as well as essential training outside of the classroom According to the collected responses, English major students at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking Academy seem to have their own solutions to improve the situation Some of them choose to record their practice speech, listen again, correct the wrong pronunciation, then repeat the process several times until they are satisfied with the result Others try to imagine and talk to themselves or their “second personality” when they have time while attempting to imitate their friends' or teachers’ pronunciations and accents They also look for speaking prompts or speaking topics then practice on their own Some choose to watch Youtube videos or listen to English podcasts to improve their skills In addition to those solutions, this study aims to provide some strategies to minimize the obstacles Firstly, for English majors students, English speaking clubs can be an ideal environment for them to improve their skill For instance, the English Club of Banking Academy ECBA is the first and biggest English club at Banking Academy This is a friendly and open environment for students to come to exchange and discuss in English The selected topics are very close and suitable for all levels of students They can easily find a partner to speak to without being shy, as the members of the clubs are expected to encourage and motivate each other to strive in the process of learning English speaking ECBA also annually hosts different English-related competitions for students to challenge themselves They can also look for and join in other English clubs since these organizations are open to welcome everyone regardless of their level of English proficiency 39 Apart from English speaking clubs, English - speaking coffee shops can also help English learners gain practical experience and learn from their mistakes Hanoi is a big city with the advantage of having many foreigners living, working and traveling It is easy to find a space with many foreigners to communicate in English There are many cafes owned by young people, with the desire to create a fun place for young people to come to enjoy a cup of coffee, make friends, exchange and practice English The language used is unpretentious and does not require any academic knowledge, students will use English to make requests, talk, make friends, and communicate with young people who have the same goal to improve English communication skills Additionally, practical communication in public places can also be considered as an actual strategy to deal with the situation Students of universities in Hanoi can go to tourist attractions, for example, the Old Quarter, St Joseph's Cathedral, West Lake, etc., to meet and talk to tourists from many English-speaking countries around the world They can have the chance to communicate with tourists who come from many other different cultural and language styles However, unlike in-class lessons, students need to be acquired with good listening skills, wealthy source vocabulary and appropriate use of grammar structure to be able to communicate effectively, because the talking topics are unscripted with no prior preparation Moreover, students also need to be equipped with knowledge about the culture and history of Vietnam, famous tourist sites in Hanoi and many other cities in order to introduce to visitors Through the practical teaching process in some courses at Banking Academy, some instructors have applied this method for their students to meet and communicate directly with many tourists in Hanoi, and they have received some positive feedback Students get more interested in learning, they are able to learn more practical vocabulary, put a variety of structures and new words into practice, and finally become more and more confident in actual English communication with foreigners 5.2.2 Suggested implications for teachers at Banking Academy of Vietnam It is important for teachers to try not to constantly interrupt their students while they are speaking Students can get distracted easily, or lose their train of ideas, not to mention their confidence can be knocked if they are repeatedly interrupted It would be 40 frustrating for English learners and this could negatively affect their in-class performance Instead, teachers should allow their students to speak freely without pausing them too much If students make mistakes, note them down and address them in class later When addressing the class about the aforementioned faults, compile the most frequently occurring and significant ones, since not every minor detail needs to be addressed At the end of the day, if the students are allowed to continue talking without being interrupted, they will not associate speaking with a negative experience For many in-class speaking and communication activities, teachers tend to divide their classes into smaller groups However, forgetting to clarify each student’s roles is a common error made by teachers As a result, one or two students will always speak more actively than the others, causing the conversation or activity to be dominated by just a few students Consequently, the other students will feel as though they have no specific role to contribute and will be less inspired to participate in those activities Teachers should make sure their groups are equally split up when it comes to speaking and communicating so that everyone has the opportunity to join Students often provide a short or poor quality response because they run out of things to say They are under pressure, and it is far easier to give up and appear slacker than to admit they are incapable Students often provide a short or poor response because they run out of things to say If your students respond quickly, it's possible that they don't have anything extra to say on the topic or lack the language or confidence to express themselves for longer periods of time However, teachers should assist students by asking relevant follow-up questions to what they've already expressed It should be taken into consideration how long one may take to think about something in another language, then process and verbalize it because words will never suddenly flow out of their mouths while learning new languages In addition, teachers should also keep in mind that acquiring a new language is an ongoing process of development since there will be several errors made There are many contextual factors to think about when mastering a new language It is hard to ask teachers to be patient all the time, however, teachers should not finish their sentences for them or instantly 41 redirect them to another student, which may increase their inhibitions and insecurities when it comes to speaking English 5.3 CONCLUSION The process of teaching and learning shows that all English skills in general and English speaking skills in particular require regular and long-term practice in order for learners to achieve high results It is impossible to learn a foreign language without making mistakes, so students need to be confident, patient and willing to communicate not only in the classroom but especially outside the classroom, in real life situations to improve their skills and abilities Through that process of training and learning, students will improve their language ability, strengthen their vocabulary and gradually correct basic mistakes to improve their English speaking skills overtime This training process needs to be guided and supported by teachers and must be carried out regularly and for a long time, because English speaking skills are very important and necessary not only in the learning process of the students but also help a lot in the process of job interviews and work after graduating from university This study has provided a thorough understanding of the challenges that ATC students have encountered while learning speaking Particularly, psychological factors such as their fear of committing mistakes, fear of being criticized, their shyness and nervousness are the biggest obstacles that prevent them from improving and advancing their English speaking performance in general This study, however, contains several limitations due to the fact that the number of the participants is quite small and the limit of time The further studies should be conducted on a larger scale in a longer time in order to achieve more accurate results Another factor that affects the outcome of this study is the level of English of the participants who took part in the study since the survey did not ask the respondents to rate their English proficiency Further research should also focus on the teaching methods because this is one of the key factors that influence students’ speaking performance as well 42 REFERENCES Asher, J J (2003) Learning Another Language through Actions (6th edition) Los Gatos, CA: Sky Oaks Productions,Inc Aliaga, M., & Gunderson, B (2002) Interactive Statistics Thousand Oaks: Sage Baker, J., & Westrup, H (2003) Essential Speaking Skills: A Handbook for English Language Teachers London: Continuum Bailey, K M (2003) Speaking In D Nunan, Practical English Language Teaching Singapore: McGraw-Hill Brown, H Douglas 2004 Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices.San Francisco State University Brown, H Douglas (1994) Teaching by Principles-An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy Prentice Hall Regents Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford: Oxford University Press Chaney, A (1998) Teaching Oral Communication in Grades K-8 USA A Viacom Company Creswell, J W (2015) A concise introduction to mixed methods research Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Eckard, R., & Kearny, M (1981) Teaching Conversational Skills in ESL Washington: Center of Applied Linguistics Efrizal, D (2012) Improving Students’ Speaking through Communicative Language Teaching Method at Mts Ja-alhaq, Sentot Ali Basa Islamic Boarding School of Bengkulu, Indonesia International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(20), 127-134 Hughes, R (2002) Teaching and Researching Speaking New York: Pearson Education Hedge, T (2000) Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom Oxford: Oxford University Press 43 Littlewood, W (2007) Communicative Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press McDonough, J., & Shaw, C (1993) Materials and Methods in ELT; A Teacher’s Guide UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, p 134 Mazouzi, S (2013) Analysis of Some Factors Affecting Learners’ Oral Performance A Case Study: 3rd Year Pupils of Menaa’s Middle Schools M A Dissertation, Department of Foreign Languages, English Division, Faculty of Letters and Languages, Mohamed Khider University of Biskra, People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Mertler, C.A (2016) Introduction to Educational Research Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Muijs, D (2004) Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Retrieved on April 17, 2023, from https://www.academia.edu/40027547/Doing_Quantitative_Research_by_Daniel_ Muijs Richards, J C., & Rodgers, T S (2001) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Thornbury, S (2005) How to Teach Speaking Harmer, J (Ed) London: Longman Trizano-Hermosilla, I., & Alvarado, J M (2016) Best Alternatives to Cronbach's Alpha Reliability in Realistic Conditions: Congeneric and Asymmetrical Measurements Frontiers in psychology, 7, 769 Ur, P (2000) A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Wongsuwana (2006) Speech could be trained Thailand Education Journal, Vol 21, pp 44-50 44 APPENDIX [Survey] Difficulties in English speaking of English-majored students at Banking Academy and strategies to cope with Hello, I am Phuong, a K22 student at the Faculty of Foreign Language, Banking Academy I am currently carrying out a study on speaking difficulties encountered by ATC students The following questionnaire aims to collect data about problems that ATC students face when practicing speaking skill The collected information will be very helpful to my research which aims to understand the current situation and provide English-major students in ATC Faculty of Banking Academy with some realistic solutions to minimize the obstacles You are kindly requested to fill in this questionnaire by ticking the appropriate box and answer some open-ended questions Your answers shall be confidential and served for research-use only! I would really appreciate your help Thank you and regards, Truong Anh Phuong 45 PART 1: PERSONAL INFORMATION Which year are you in at Banking Academy? 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year How long have you been learning English? years years years More than years PART 2: DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY ATC STUDENTS WHEN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILL On a scale from to 5, how much these factors affect your English speaking ability in general? (Both in class, in tests and in everyday circumstances) - No effect - Minor effect Lack of general knowledge Fear of committing mistakes Fear of criticism Lack of speaking practice Lack of words usage and grammar practice Low motivation 46 3- Neutral - Moderate effect - Major effect Low in-class participation Shyness Nervousness Unfamiliar words pronunciation Apart from the factors above, are there any other factors that affect your speaking ability in general? PART 3: SOLUTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE CHALLENGES In order to overcome the obstacles while speaking English, you have any solutions that you have been using that had actual results to your performance? 47 48 49 50 51 52 53