VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN HOÀNG PHƯƠNG THẢO THE APPLICATION OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study and problem statement
Ever since the beginning of the twenty first century, the methods of teaching and learning English in Vietnam has been extensively investigated Le (1999) studied the group of Vietnamese English language teachers and found out that in Vietnam, the only responsibility of English language teachers was to teach students formal knowledge about the English language and to train test-taking strategies for students so that they can perform well in examinations Certificates and degrees were more highly regarded than competence Accordingly, exam failures were considered academic incompetence and those who cannot achieve a good result in examinations were likely to suffer from a face-losing experience Students are not the only one who were pressured to pass the examinations, teachers were also heavily pressurised by how many of their students can pass the examinations as since student’s pass rate was a more decisive criterion to evaluate a teacher’s ability than his or her teaching practice Therefore, regardless of students’ learning purposes, teachers must ensure that their students can pass the exam with the best results possible As the teaching and learning process was extensively driven by exam performances, students were prone to become exceptional test takers but possess a limited competence to produce meaningful communication in real life More than 10 years later, Le (2013) reported in his research that the focal point of English teaching and learning process in both lower secondary and secondary school levels was practicing exercises about English vocabulary and grammar, with the sole purpose to pass the end-of-term exams and university entrance exams These exams mainly require students to have a good command of English vocabulary and grammar only All these sources have pointed out that for a relatively long period, the driving force of the whole process of teaching and learning English has been academic achievement, leading to the fact the prevalent method for teaching has always been primarily grammar-translation Consequently, there has been a lack of focus on training English listening and speaking skills for students of all ages Le (2011) proposes that despite the significant preference for grammatical competence in traditional language classrooms in Vietnam, Vietnamese teachers of English have been advised to focus on enhancing their students’ competence in all four skills of the English language, particularly speaking skills In order to reach this target, a different teaching method other than grammar-translation is necessary and the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach is highly advocated
Because of its suitability for developing students’ communicative competence, CLT has been welcomed in a myriad of educational institutions However, the application of it seems restricted to upper-secondary or tertiary education only while the usage of CLT at secondary school level remains unexplored.
Aims and objectives of the study
The primary aim of this study is to investigate the application of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in enhancing students' speaking skills at the secondary school level in Vietnam Despite the introduction of CLT in the educational system, its application at the secondary school level remains under- researched This study seeks to address this gap by exploring how CLT can be utilised to improve the speaking abilities of students, providing insights that could inform future teaching practices and curriculum development.
Research questions
Given the background information discussed above, this study aims to answer two following questions:
1 What are the perceptions of secondary school EFL teachers of
2 How do secondary school EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence?
Research methods
The study utilises a case study approach, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches Data collection methods include structured surveys and questionnaires to gather quantitative data, semi-structured interviews for qualitative insights and classroom observations to assess practical applications Quantitative data are analysed using statistical methods, while qualitative data undergo thematic analysis Ethical considerations involve informed consent, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and data security.
Scope of the study
This study was conducted in consideration of speaking skills only The reason was that speaking is considered to be the most crucial skill in terms of communication or interaction in daily lives (Ur, 1996) As a result, students need comprehensive and detailed guidance from teachers to be competent English users in the future They need to be provided with opportunities, language inputs and strategies to be able to practice their oral communication meaningfully and effectively This study targeted at teachers’ perceptions of CLT approach in developing speaking competence for students at secondary school level Moreover, another focus of the study is the teachers’ actual application of CLT approach in enhancing speaking competence for secondary school students In order to realise the aforementioned aims, this study was designed to explore a case that included five EFL teachers working in a public secondary school in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Significance of the study
With this project, the researcher hopes to measure the potential of a modern teaching method in the real context of teaching English in Vietnam This research is expected to add more insights into the existing body of knowledge about English teaching in Vietnam, utilising a case study approach The practice of CLT has been thoroughly scrutinised yet the situation is completely different in Vietnam By investigating teachers and learners’ classroom activities and procedures, the data collected shall enable readers to understand what is understood by and what is being practiced by Vietnamese teachers of English with regards to CLT approach According to the MOET of Vietnam (2018), the main approach in the General School Education English Curriculum is Communicative Language Teaching approach teaching-learning context is absolutely necessary because it allows the parties involved to figure out the problems remaining and what needs to be done for CLT to be used effectively for the teaching-learning process.
Organisation
This paper is organised into five main parts: Introduction, Literature review, Methodology, Findings and discussions, and Conclusions The main content of each part is identified below
This chapter illustrates an overview of the research problem, states the research questions and the scope of the study, as well as its contribution to existing literature
This chapter provides theoretical knowledge, including definitions of key concepts, frameworks and an overview of results from related researches
This chapter provides details in terms of setting, sampling, instruments and procedures employed in the research
Chapter IV: Findings and Discussion
This chapter presents and analyses the data collected and provides a general discussion
This chapter summarises the data presented in Chapter IV, addresses limitations of the study and provides implications for further research as well as practical applications.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of key terms
One of the very first attempt to define Communicative Language Teaching was made in the early 1980s Littlewood (1981) describes communicative language teaching (CLT) as a pedagogical approach centered on fostering communicative competence He highlights the idea that communicative competence entails using language effectively across diverse social situations to accomplish communicative goals Emphasising interactive and purposeful communication over strict grammatical accuracy, CLT promotes engagement in genuine communicative tasks like role-playing, discussions, and problem-solving tasks to boost language acquisition within authentic contexts
Richards (2006) refers to Communicative Language Teaching approach as a principal collection of language teaching goals, learners’ methods of language learning, classroom activities, teachers’ and learners’ roles in the classrooms According to him, the ultimate goal of the teaching process is learners’ communicative competence Learners should be learning in an environment that is less controlled by teachers Additionally, instead of restricting classroom activities to memorisation of dialogs and drills, students are encouraged to participate in “pair work activities, role plays, group work activities and project work” (Richards, 2006, p.4) More importantly, it is the CLT approach which defines new roles for teachers and learners of languages Learners are stimulated to engage in cooperative classroom activities instead of those set in and an individualistic approach Teachers are expected to perform the tasks of a facilitator and monitor in the classroom By doing so, learners are given the chances to be responsible of their own learning process
Besides Richards (2006), other scholars have attempted to coin the term
CLT is “an approach to language teaching methodology that emphasises authenticity, interaction, student-centered learning, task-based activities, and communication for the real world, meaningful purposes” Four interconnected characteristics of CLT were described by Brown (2007) as follows First of all, classroom goals should focus on all of the aspects of communicative competence and must not be restricted to grammatical or linguistic competence only Secondly, language techniques are constructed so as to involve learners in the pragmatic, authentic and functional usage of language for meaningful communication The third characteristic has to deal with fluency and accuracy These two aspects are regarded as complimentary principles that define communicative techniques However, the levels of importance placed on these two aspects are not always balanced Occasionally, fluency may have to be prioritised over accuracy so as to keep learners engaged in language use in a meaningful manner Last but not least, in a classroom where CLT is applied, the ultimate goal is to have students practice the language productively and receptively in unrehearsed settings
Within the scope of this study, the definition provided by Brown (2007) was adopted
Speaking is defined by Brown (1994) as an interactive procedure of meaning construction that includes generating, receiving, and analyzing information According to this definition, speaking focuses on exchanging meanings To realise the goal, people rely on their articulators to produce language that allows them to express meanings to other people and be understood Moreover, they also take advantages of nonlinguistic vehicles like facial expressions or body language so as to clarify meanings In general, speaking is a two-way process that involve producing and receiving the language This definition is agreed by Byrne (1984) who believes that speaking is an interactive exchange between speakers and listeners, encompassing both the productive use of language skills and the interactive ability to comprehend It can be understood that speaking possesses a productive property when one person in a conversation takes on the role of speaker actively Sharing the same opinion, Nunan (2003) indicates that speaking is a productive skill which contains the systematic production of structured verbal expressions to convey intended meanings The fruit of the speaking process is verbal utterances produced by people for communicative purposes The communicative purposes range from retelling stories, giving information, expressing feelings, giving commands, making jokes to agreeing or complaining Speaking is a productive skill Spratt et al (2005) proposes that speaking requires the speaker to utilise speech to convey meaningful ideas to other people Nunan (2003) also describes speaking as a productive oral skill and it involves producing verbal utterance to comprehend meaning
As defined in Oxford Advanced Dictionary, competence refers to the fact that a person has the ability, power, authority, skill and knowledge to do what is required Brown (2004) suggests the following aspects that help to evaluate whether or not an individual is perceived to have speaking competence First and foremost, a person with speaking competence should be able to imitate a word or phrase or possibly a sentence Secondly, he or she should be able to produce short stretches of utterances to illustrate knowledge of grammatical, phrasal, lexical or phonological relationship Furthermore, the ability to respond a very short conversation, standard greetings and small talk, simple requests, comments and so on is another indicator of speaking competence In addition, speaking competence is reflected in the ability to exchange facts and information to maintain social relationships Finally, a person with speaking competence is capable of developing his or her oral production such as speeches, oral presentations and story-telling to retain the interaction with listeners
With regard to speaking competence in educational settings, it is advisable to refer to frameworks namely the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (2001) or guidelines by the Ministry of Education and Training for evaluation Specific details about speaking competence of secondary school students shall be discussed in other parts of this paper.
History of Communicative Language Teaching
In the past century, concepts regarding syllabus design and methodology have reconsideration in terms of approaches to syllabus design and methodology Richards
(2006) split the development of CLT approach into two distinct phases According to him, the first phase which lasted until the lates 1960s is known as the era of traditional approaches During that time, teachers were in favour of traditional approaches to language teaching which considered grammatical competence as the basis of a person’ language proficiency and prioritised the teaching and learning of grammar They were founded on the idea that grammar could be taught explicitly, using an approach that heavily emphasised repetition and drilling Instead of using an inductive approach where students are given examples of sentences containing grammar rules and asked to figure out the rule on their own, the method used to teach grammar was deductive, where students are given the opportunity to practice using the rules after being presented with them It was believed that learning a language entailed amassing a sizable repertoire of phrases and grammatical structures and mastering the ability to produce these precisely and swiftly in the appropriate context The four abilities were introduced, often in the order of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, once a fundamental command of the language had been developed through oral drilling and controlled practice
However, as noted by Richards (2006), the CLT theory has led to the emergence of functional and skills-based teaching approaches and the replacement of accuracy activities like drill and grammar practice with fluency activities focused on interactive small-group work As a result, a "fluency-first" pedagogy (Brumfit 1984) was developed, in which students' grammar requirements are established based on their success on fluency exercises rather than by a grammatical curriculum This growth can be divided into two stages, which we shall refer to as classic and contemporary communicative language instruction
The second phase as defined by Richards (2006) is the classic communicative language teaching phase which lasted from the 1970s to the 1990s According to his account, as outdated approaches like Audiolingualism and situational language instruction fell out of favor, a backlash against traditional language teaching strategies started in the 1970s and quickly expanded throughout the world Given that it was argued that language ability involved much more than grammatical competence, the primacy of grammar in language teaching and learning was called into doubt While grammar proficiency was required to produce sentences that were grammatically correct, focus shifted to the knowledge and abilities required to use grammar and other language features properly for various communicative purposes, such as making requests, offering advice, making suggestions, describing wishes and needs, and so on Communicative competence was required in order to use language effectively This idea was more expansive than grammatical competence In this sense, communicative competence entailed understanding what to say and how to say it depending on the circumstance, the players, and their roles and objectives That information was absent from traditional grammar and vocabulary curricula and teaching approaches This kind of information was thought to be acquired informally
The idea of communicative competence was developed within the field of linguistics or more precisely, the subfield of sociolinguistics and was popular among language teachers who argued that communicative competence, rather than merely grammatical competence, should be the objective of language teaching The next challenges to be tackled were what would a syllabus that reflected the concept of communicative competence and what consequences it would have for language teaching approaches The solution was Communicative Language Teaching approach When it first emerged as a novel method of language instruction in the 1970s and 1980s, Communicative Language Teaching approach sparked a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement As a result, language instructors and educational institutions all over the world quickly started to reconsider their methods of instruction, curricula, and instructional materials Grammar was no longer the beginning point when creating language lessons using a communicative method There was a demand for novel language teaching strategies.
Principles of Communicative Language Teaching
In order to apply CLT approach effectively in teaching and yield satisfactory outcomes for learners, several principles of CLT must be adhered to There are six first principle is to make actual communication the main focus of the language learning process The second principle is to provide students the chance to experiment and put their knowledge of language to the test Also, it is recommended that teachers be tolerant of students' mistakes because they show that the student is improving his or her communicative skills Also, it is strongly advised to give students the chance to improve their accuracy and fluency Also, since speaking, reading, and listening often occur together in the actual world, it is essential to combine these several skills And finally, it's important to give students the freedom to induce or discover grammar rules
Richards (2006) stresses the emphasis on giving new roles for teachers and students in the classroom in order to apply these principles successfully in the classroom Activities that required learners to negotiate for meaning and engage in meaningful interaction were needed, as opposed to those that required precise repetition and memorisation of phrases and grammatical patterns.
Current trends in Communicative Language Teaching
As observed by Richards (2006), the CLT approach has been frequently used since the 1990s As our understanding of the processes of second language learning has advanced, communicative language teaching has continued to change because it outlines a set of very general principles based on the idea that communicative competence is the goal of second and foreign language teaching and a communicative syllabus and methodology is the way to achieve this goal As a result, the theory and practice of teaching communicative languages today are influenced by a variety of educational traditions and paradigms
Modern methodologies nevertheless make some reference to traditional methods and depend on earlier traditions in communicative language teaching As a result, the following traits are frequently found in classroom activities Firstly, their aim to improve students' communicative competence by connecting grammatical development to communication skills As a result, grammar is not taught in a vacuum; rather, it frequently develops from a communication job, necessitating the use of certain grammar points After completing a task, students may think back on some of the language features of their performance With the use of exercises like problem- solving, information-sharing, and role-playing, they also foster the need for dialogue, interaction, and meaning negotiation Thirdly, they offer chances to learn grammar both inductively and deductively They also employ material that is relevant to the interests and lives of the pupils Students should be given the opportunity to apply what they have learned to their own life in order to personalise their learning Last but not least, actual texts are frequently used in educational resources to pique attention and offer reliable language models
Kholstinina et al., (2021) strongly advocated the usage of the internet in CLT classrooms According to these authors, the Internet provides vast educational resources that can significantly enhance language learning by improving listening comprehension through authentic audio materials, expanding both active and passive vocabulary, and fostering motivation for language use It supports developing reading, writing, and speaking skills, as well as enabling students to engage in global collaborative research and creative projects By integrating these online materials into lessons, teachers can address various didactic tasks more effectively, making learning more dynamic and connected to real-world contexts
Recently, Qodiriy (2020) proposed significant changes to the CLT approach Emerging theories now view English not as an isolated subject but as interconnected with other areas of the curriculum Additionally, language teaching through project work requires students to engage with issues beyond the confines of the language classroom It is also recognized that learners have diverse learning styles and strengths, and teaching should accommodate these differences rather than imposing a uniform approach Consequently, there is a growing focus on enhancing students' use and awareness of various learning strategies Finally, learning is increasingly understood as a social process that relies on interaction with others, rather than a solitary activity.
Communicative Methodological Frameworks
As discussed earlier, the application of CLT in the classroom relies heavily on which activities are selected to foster the learning process Scholars have different ideas suggested by Littlewood (1981) and Richards (2006) are analysed in this section
As proposed by Littlewood (1981, p 86), communicative activities are split into two groups, which are illustrated in Table 2.1 below
Table 2.1 Littlewood’s framework of communicative activities
Pre-communicative activities Communicative activities
Functional communication activities Social interactional activities
In his framework, Littlewood (1981) classified activities according to the stages in which they are used More importance is placed on communicative activities In order to fill in knowledge gaps or resolve problems, students must engage in functional communication activities The student must pay attention to the context, the responsibilities of the persons involved, and details like formal versus informal language when engaging in social interaction tasks
Taking an approach that is rather different from that of Littlewood’s, Richards
(2006) classified classroom activities according to the level of control exerted on them The framework as designed by Richards (2006, p 16) is presented in Table 2.2 below
Table 2.2 Richards’ framework of communicative activities (Richards, 2006, p 16) Mechanical practice Meaningful practice Communicative practice
Controlled practice tasks that students can perform successfully even if they don't completely grasp the language they are using
The use of specific grammatical or other things is practiced through repetition drills
Tasks in which pupils are still given control in terms of language but are forced to make decisions that have real-world consequences Students might be given a street map with different buildings marked in
Activities that emphasise language use practice in authentic communicative contexts, where authentic information is shared, and where the language used is not entirely predictable For instance, students can be required to sketch a
Mechanical practice Meaningful practice Communicative practice and substitution drills, as examples of this type of activity various locations so they can practice using prepositions to explain where things are A list of prepositions, including across from, on the corner of, close to, on, and next to, is also provided
Afterwards, they must respond to inquiries like
"Where is the café?" and so on Due to the requirement that they react in accordance with the locations of places on the map, the practice has become meaningful for them map of their neighborhood and respond to inquiries regarding the locations of various locations, such as the closest bus station, café, etc
This research adapts the framework proposed by Richards (2006) since it is more updated and suits the context of current English language teaching practice better.
Activity types in Communicative Language Teaching
As far as speaking skills are concerned, accuracy and fluency stand out as the two most pivotal factors (Abdulaal et al., 2022) In the past, it was stated by Brown
(2007) that fluency should be prioritised over accuracy in some situations to foster meaningful language use This is a view shared by Richards (2006) who argues that one of the goals of CLT is to develop fluency in language use Nevertheless, scholars nowadays uphold the view that fluency and accuracy are both crucial components of
CLT (Leong and Ahmadi, 2017) The development of these two components has been found to be non-linear (Evans & Larsen-Freeman, 2020; Yu & Lowie, 2020), with each holding significance depending on the phase or the priority in the language acquisition process.
Fluency is the natural language use that takes place when a speaker interacts meaningfully and sustains ongoing, intelligible communication despite communication competence limitations By designing classroom activities that require students to negotiate meaning, employ communication techniques, clear up misunderstandings, and work to prevent communication breakdowns, fluency can be developed (Richards, 2006) Teachers tend to focus on fluency development when they aim to enhance learners' capacity to produce smooth, connected speech at a natural pace (Adem, 2022)
Accuracy involves the proper use of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation (Richards, 2006) Accuracy development is the primary focus when teachers want to train learners so that they are capable of generating statements and pronouncing words without errors (Lindahl, 2018)
Accuracy practice, which concentrates on producing appropriate instances of language use, can be contrasted to fluency practice The differences between tasks that emphasise accuracy and those that emphasise fluency are summarised by Richards (2006, p 14) in Table 2.3 as follows:
Table 2.3 Fluency and accuracy activities (Richards, 2006, p.14)
Activities focusing on fluency Activities focusing on accuracy
- Reflect natural use of language
- Require meaningful use of language
- Require the use of communication strategies
- Produce language that may not be predictable
- Reflect classroom use of language
- Focus on the formation of correct examples of language
- Practice language out of context
- Practice small samples of language
- Do not require meaningful communication
Activities focusing on fluency Activities focusing on accuracy
- Seek to link language use to context - Control choice of language
It was advised by Lindahl (2018) that teachers balance fluency and accuracy exercises, using accuracy exercises to enhance fluency exercises Work on accuracy may come before or after work on fluency For instance, based on how well the students performed on a fluency task, the teacher could give accuracy work to address any grammar or pronunciation issues they found The question of whether fluency exercises promote accuracy at the price of fluency, however, emerges The goal of fluency exercises is to convey meanings effectively by utilising all available communicative tools There is frequently no incentive to utilise proper grammar or pronunciation, and there is a great reliance on vocabulary and communication techniques As a result, fluency work necessitates additional effort on the part of the teacher in terms of preparing students for a fluency assignment or providing feedback on language use in follow-up activities
At this time, dialogues, grammar exercises, and pronunciation drills were still present in textbooks and classroom materials, but they now appeared as a series of activities that alternated between accuracy exercises and fluency exercises
Also, the dynamics of the classroom shifted Teachers were urged to employ small group work more frequently rather than a disproportionate amount of teacher- fronted instruction Activities in pairs and groups give students more chances to utilise the language and improve their fluency
Researchers including Richards (2006, p 19-20), Thamrana (2015, p 90-100), Toro et al., (2019, p 110 -118) and Dos Santos (2020, p 104-109) have attempted to synthesise many activity types that are favourable in CLT The activities are described in Table 2.4 below:
Activities that refer to the reality Students are asked to look
Activity type Description Example to get knowledge they are lacking of A gap in the information is what this is If students use their linguistic and communicative resources to gather information instead of just practicing language forms for their own sake, more authentic communication is likely to take place in the classroom By doing this, students will use the vocabulary, grammar, and communication techniques at their disposal to finish a task The idea of an information gap is crucial to communication in CLT festival, listen to their friend’s questions and answer with the information they have just read
Activities that operate on the basis of the information-gap theory
Usually, the class is broken up into groups, and each group gets access to some of the knowledge needed to finish an activity To complete the whole, the students must put the pieces together As a result, students are encouraged to engage in meaningful communication practice while using their linguistic resources to produce utterances effectively
Students are assigned to work in pairs to read a text together about the causes and the spread of a disease The pairs are then re- organised into “jigsaw” groups to pool their information and complete a task where they have to collect, synthesise and present all possible causes of the disease and the extent to which it spread
Activities that emphasise using one's language resources to achieve a task, such as games, puzzles, and reading maps
Students are required to read a map and give directions for their friends
Activities that involve surveys, interviews, and searches that are undertaken by students and require them to use their linguistic resources to gather data
Students are asked to conduct a survey among their classmates about language learning motivations
Activities that allow students to contrast values, attitudes, or beliefs
Students are required to rate six characteristics that they might take into account while selecting a date or marriage
Activities that stimulate students to take knowledge that has been offered in one form and portray it in another
After reading directions on how to get from point A to point B, students are asked to draw a map outlining the steps, or after reading information on a subject, they might portray it as a graph
Activities that entail using inference, practical reasoning and so on to derive some new knowledge from the available information
Students are required to design a teacher's schedule based on the class timetables that are provided
Role plays Activities where students take on Students are required to act
Activity type Description Example different parts and create scenes or conversations using information or cues provided to them out a conversation that they have listened to.
Developing speaking competence
The definition of speaking competence varies In this research paper, the components of speaking competence proposed by Goh and Burns (2012) shall be adopted
Figure 2.1 Components of speaking competence (Goh & Burns, 2012, p 53)
As illustrated in the figure, the key components of speaking competence are knowledge of language and discourse, communication strategies and core speaking skills (Goh & Burns, 2012, p 153) Knowledge of language and discourse includes mastering speech sounds and grammar and understanding discourse organisation for social appropriateness Additionally, communication strategies require using cognitive, metacognitive, and interactional techniques to compensate for language limitations and enhance communication effectiveness Finally, core speaking skills involves processing speech for fluency and managing conversation flow To sum up, speaking competence is achieved when speakers can employ these key components to communicate fluently, accurately, and appropriately in social contexts This view is also shared by Wei et al (2024)
Knowledge of Language and Discourse
In terms of classroom procedure for speaking competence development in a communicative approach, Goh and Burns (2012, p 153) suggests a methodological framework known as The Teaching-Speaking Cycle
Figure 2.2 The Teaching - Speaking cycle (Goh & Burns, 2012, p 153)
According to this framework, the initial phase involves increasing metacognitive awareness of speaking and serves two primary aims: to prompt learners to strategise for overall improvement in speaking skills and to ready them for approaching specific speaking tasks Secondly, teachers must scaffold learning so that students are prepared for the requirement of the speaking tasks Thirdly, teachers need to offer learners an environment where they can practice speaking by engaging in a communicative activity and encourage learners to enhance their ability to speak fluently without overly focusing on the accuracy of the language form Stage 4 of the cycle focuses on providing opportunities for learners to refine language accuracy and improve their effective application of skills and strategies During this stage, the teacher highlights specific aspects of the fluency task that require attention, such as pronunciation, grammar, text structures, and vocabulary Next, students are required
1 Focus learners’ attention on speaking
2 Provide input and/or guide planning
4 Focus on language/ skills/strategies
6 Direct learners’ reflection on learning
7 Facilitate feedback on learning to repeat the speaking tasks in Stage 3, with the application of language items picked up from Stage 4 After that, teachers stimulate learners to independently reflect on their learning by monitoring and assessing what they have gained from earlier stages Finally, teachers give learners feedback on the performance they gave in the initial stages of the cycle
The improvements of students’ speaking competence have always been a major concern for educators all over the world Countless efforts have been made by teachers to enhance learners’ speaking competence in terms of both fluency and accuracy Results have shown that apart from many other methods, Communicative Language Teaching has proven itself to be a highly effective method in developing students’ speaking skills For example, an experimental research project done by Mulyanah et al (2018) showed that the average post-test score of the experiment class with CLT application was significantly higher than that of the control class This result cemented the hypothesis that Communicative Language Teaching can develop the students’ speaking competence Another study which shared the same finding is the one conducted by AL-Garni and Almuhammadi (2019) Furthermore, it was found in this study that interviews and role-plays effective activities for students’ speaking improvement
An important aspect to consider in developing speaking competence for students is the criteria to assess how much they have improved In order to do so, educators are generally recommended to refer to the CEFR framework However, in the context of this study, it was important to consider what is expected of students according the General School Education English Curriculum (MOET, 2018) in order to interpret the development in students’ competence Since the focal point of this study is students’ speaking competence at secondary school level, details about students’ expected proficiency as described by MOET (2018) are presented in Table 2.5 below:
Table 2.5 Indicators of secondary school students’ speaking competence
- Can pronounce sounds, stress, intonation and rhythm in short and simple sentences
- Can give short, simple instructions to use in the classroom; simple sentences about familiar topics
- Can ask and answer briefly about the topics in the Curriculum such as school, friends, festivals, landscapes,
- Can prepare and give presentations about the suggested topics in the Curriculum
- Can pronounce sounds, stress, intonation and rhythm in simple sentences
- Can give short instructions to use in activities inside and outside the classroom
- Can exchange basic information on familiar topics
- Can prepare and give presentations about the suggested topics in the Curriculum
- Can pronounce sounds, stress, intonation and rhythm in basic compound sentences
- Can give simple instructions to use in everyday situations related to the topics studied
- Can participate in short, simple conversations about familiar topics
- Can prepare and give presentations about the suggested topics in the Curriculum
- Can pronounce clearly and relatively accurate sounds, accent, intonation, rhythm of phrases and sentences
- Can participate in short, simple conversations about familiar topics related to work and daily life
- Can prepare and give presentations about the suggested topics in the Curriculum.; give reasons and briefly explain personal views
- Can exchange ideas and information on familiar topics using simple discourses
In alignment with the General School Education English Curriculum (MOET,
2018), different English textbooks have been published, almost all of which adopt the Communicative Language Teaching approach as the primary pedagogical methodology Regarding the context of this study, the participants utilise an English textbook constructed based on the General School Education English Curriculum (MOET, 2018) and the procedure for teaching speaking is recommended as follows:
Figure 2.3 Procedure for teaching speaking
In this procedure, it is very important to note that when students practice in pairs or in groups, they are encouraged to employ the language elements that they have been taught in the lesson Furthermore, they are advised not to correct their friends’ error while they are speaking, but should only do so when they have finished their turns Similarly, as an observer, teachers do not interrupt students’ speaking practice to point out their mistakes immediately This feature makes the teaching procedure of CLT different from that of Audiolingualism, a method which highlights the significance of instant response to pronunciation or grammar mistakes, under the assumptions that without immediate feedback, errors may become a “permanent part of learners’ speech” (Richards, 2006, p
7) The procedure of a speaking lesson according to the Audiolingualism methods is described by Richards and Rogers (2014) as follows:
Teacher models the speaking activity
Students practice in pairs or in groups
Teacher gives feedback or encourages peer feedback
Additional activities may occur in the language laboratory, where students engage in further dialog and drill exercises.
Students can use their textbooks, and additional reading, writing, or vocabulary exercises related to the dialog may be introduced.
Key structures from the dialog are chosen for pattern drills, practiced first in chorus and then individually Minimal grammatical explanation is provided.
The dialog is modified to match the students' interests or situations by altering specific key words or phrases The students then act out the adapted dialog.
Students listen to a model dialog featuring key structures, and repeat each line both individually and in unison.
Teacher immediately provides immediate corrections for any mistakes.
In order to further understand the procedure of teaching speaking according to the Communicative Language Teaching approach, it is worth comparing it with that of the Direct Method, which is introduced by Richards and Rogers (2014, p.12) as follows:
1 Instruction in the classroom was carried out entirely in the target language
2 The focus was on teaching common vocabulary and everyday sentences
3 Oral communication skills were developed through a structured progression, using question-and-answer interactions between teachers and students in small, intensive classes
5 New teaching concepts were introduced orally
6 Concrete vocabulary was taught using demonstrations, objects, and pictures, while abstract vocabulary was taught through idea associations
7 Both speaking and listening comprehension skills were emphasised
8 Correct pronunciation and grammar were given importance
Although CLT and Direct Method both encourages that grammar rules are discovered inductively, there are several disparities to take into account Unlike the Communicative Language Teaching approach which considers the role of teachers as facilitators, the Direct Method relies heavily on the active participation of teachers, particularly native ones Furthermore, pair work or group work is not recommended as preferrable interaction patterns Instead, the Direct Method prioritise the interaction between teachers and individual learners for their language acquisition.
Teachers’ perception and application of CLT
As far as teachers’ perception is concerned, Borg (2003) defines it as unseeable cognitive aspects of their teaching practice, namely their knowledge, belief and thought It is considered that perception has a profound influence on teachers’ practice and various different facets of their lives (Borg, 2003) The correlation between teachers’ perception and practice is illustrated in a framework provided by Borg (1997), as depicted in Figure 2.4 below
Figure 2.4 Teacher cognition, schooling, professional education, and classroom practice (Borg 1997)
Given teachers’ perception of CLT approach, a research project by Le (1999) pointed out that in general, Vietnamese teachers of English are recorded to have favourable attitudes towards the CLT approach Nevertheless, they are under pressure when it comes to employing communicative teaching activities in their classroom and the reasons vary Teaching English for communicative purposes is perceived to be too demanding in Vietnam because of teachers’ low proficiency of English, oversized classes and poorly-equipped classrooms, let alone the limited resources of materials, audio-visual support Similar attitudes were recorded in the study by Mai & Iwashita (2012) who investigated the answers from 37 teachers and 88 university students with pre-intermediate to intermediate English proficiency All the participants had generally positive attitudes towards CLT Despite this, teachers showed less positivity than students with regards to pair work or group work activities It was suggested that before choosing a teaching method, learners’
At secondary school level, teachers are not granted with frequent access to the resources of the target language, especially in terms of methods Secondary schools in Vietnam are unlikely to provide teachers with a range of materials and adequate technical support to teach English with CLT approach Textbooks are often the only teaching materials offered to teachers As a result, both teachers and students to rarely have the chance to get involved in meaningful interaction with highly competent speakers of the language As the language input environment is poorly structured, sooner or later the English proficiency of Vietnamese teachers is fossilised, which proves to be another hindrance for the successful application of CLT in teaching and learning languages As diagnosed by Le (1999), they suffer from difficulty getting meaning across in the target language of English
As mentioned earlier, in secondary schools, teachers have extremely restricted access to the materials and resources of the target language Another critical issue is the use of L1 in the classroom Le (1999) noted that is a big challenge encountered by Vietnamese teachers as they try to create an environment for students to use English actively The challenge is even tougher when teachers teach learners in beginner level classes since learners’ proficiency are low Therefore, teachers must switch to Vietnamese As Harmer (2007) claimed, the fact that teachers or students have to use L1 too frequently hinders the students from exposure to the target language The author also recommended that teachers should maximise the use of English and minimise the use of L1 during their lessons A study conducted by Doan
& Utsumi (2008) once shed lights on the application of CLT at five universities in Vietnam Employing mixed methods which utilised both quantitative and qualitative data To be more specific, the researchers carried out a survey to gather quantitative data from teachers and students about how CLT was used in their learning environment Regarding qualitative data, individual interviews and classroom observations were chosen to collect information from teachers and students The results obtained from teachers were that traditional practices were prominently used in classrooms at all five universities and CLT had brought about a major alteration in the teaching practices A large number of teachers combined a variety of teaching activities with the approach switching from teacher-centered practices to student- centered practices In contrast, students claimed that they felt the methods used in their classrooms were mostly traditional ones and they did not experience any changes to CLT approach Both teachers and students stated that they were faced with major hurdles when they attempted to apply CLT approach in their teaching and learning process
Even though Vietnamese teachers are interested in using the CLT approach to language teaching, they encounter numerous challenges when they attempt to apply this approach in their teaching practices Among the prevalent reasons, the most important ones are the difficulty in creating “realistic second language situations” for their students who rarely have real-life demands for communication in the target language, and the pressure to train their students test-taking skills instead of speaking skills
A current research project by Nguyen (2015) suggested that there existed numerous factors that influence the process English teaching and learning, as well as teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards it Those factors included facilities and equipment, curriculum, teaching, and students’ attitudes and motivation Additionally, applying CLT was a real challenge for teachers in terms of its principles By using mixed methods, Nguyen gathered data from the questionnaire for students, the interview for teachers and managers, and classroom observation The study results showed that: Both teachers and learners were satisfied with the provision of facilities and equipment at their schools Regardless of some objective limitations, all participants presented their positive attitudes towards the CLT syllabus Teachers reported that the amount of time distributed for English was far from enough to emphasise on teaching communication while managers had the opposite view All students and teachers in the study agreed that using English for instructions helped to improve students’ English proficiency Furthermore, a lack of foreign teachers meant that students did not have chances to get themselves familiar with diverse accents and ways of speaking English A study by Nguyen (2012) considered an aspect of CLT depth interviews and focus groups, observations and video recording the classrooms, and questionnaire, the researcher was able to gather information from 35 teachers and
450 students from both English-major students and non- English major students of a university It was shown in the findings that (i) half of the participants had the chance to join pair/group work in English classrooms, (ii) lots of students enjoyed working in pair/group, and admitted that these activities are helpful for their English communicative competence development Overall, teachers and students were willing to participate in pair or group work during the process of teaching and learning English
To sum up the scenario of training speaking skills with a CLT approach in Vietnam, Le (1999) noted that it might be faulty to conclude that Vietnamese students are passive learners since their passiveness in learning is the product of the overuse of traditional teaching methods If teaching methods are substantially renovated, students’ learning styles and abilities will change accordingly.
Related previous studies
Research on EFL teachers’ perceptions and application of CLT in teaching the language explored various settings, from European, North and South American and African to Asian countries (Harmer, 2007; Wong, 2010; Reski, 2020) Similarly, some studies on such matters have been conducted in the context of Vietnam (Le, 1999; Doan & Utsumi, 2008; Mai & Iwashita, 2012; Nguyen, 2012; Nguyen, 2015; Tran & Ho, 2016; Nguyen, 2021) In some of these studies, the researchers focused on specific key constructs of the Communicative Language Teaching approach, for example, characteristics and principles (Nguyen, 2012), teachers’ and students’ perceptions (Le, 1999; Nguyen, 2015; Tran & Ho, 2016), teachers’ application (Doan
& Utsumi, 2008) and CLT training for pre-service teachers (Nguyen, 2021).
Research gaps
Regardless of the large volume of previous studies that have been carried out in the field, a research gap has existed since 2018 when the new English curriculum and many new English textbooks were approved Therefore, it is worth investigating how CLT approach is perceived and practiced within the setting of secondary schools as far as the new curriculum and new textbooks are concerned There has been a lack of studies investigating teachers’ perceptions and application of CLT in relation to one another since new English textbooks were introduced This has prevented researchers from achieving a greater sense of coherence and unity of the issue Teachers’ perceptions of CLT approach, thus, must be further investigated to see whether or not what teachers know, think, and believe of Communicative Language Teaching approach is reflected on how they apply what they know in actual lessons to benefit students’ development
As a result, in order to fill in these gaps this study was set out to unveil teachers’ perceptions and application of CLT approach in developing students’ speaking competence in the context of Vietnam
In summary, this chapter synthesises the previous literature to present the definition, principles and procedures CLT in teaching speaking to develop students’ competence This chapter also summarises the exisisting research papers and points out the gap for further investigation
The principles of CLT can be summarised as: (i) make actual communication the main focus of the language learning process, (ii) provide students the chance to experiment and put their knowledge of language to the test, (iii) be tolerant of students' mistakes because they show that the student is improving his or her communicative skills, (iv) give students the chance to improve their accuracy and fluency, (v) combine listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in learning activities, (vi) give students the freedom to induce or discover grammar rules
To summarise the research gaps, numerous studies have been conducted about the characteristics and principles of the approach, teachers and students’ attitudes towards it or the application of it Nevertheless, not many have been done about the correlation between teachers’ perceptions and practices, specifically since the introduction of the new English curriculum has emphasised a more important role of the Communicative Language Teaching approach Therefore, this study aims to shed light on that matter.
METHODOLOGY
Case study as the research approach
This research project was carried out in the form of a case study, which is defined by Nisbet and Watt (1984) as a specific example that is frequently constructed to depict a more general theory In each case study, the case itself belongs to a bounded system, such as a class, a school or a community In this essence, the case offers an example of real people in real contexts which is very unique and thus, enables readers to comprehend ideas with considerable insights rather than presenting them with abstract theories or principles (Cohen et al., 2007) To be more specific, case studies allow readers to see clearly the link between abstract theories and ideas However, it is worth noticing that even though the case is framed within a bounded system, the results yielded from case studies are not applicable to the single instances only In fact, case study is an approach that is capable of developing a theory that enable researchers to understand other similar situations as Robson (2002) pointed out, case studies aim at analytical reasoning instead of statistical generalisation Conducting a case study requires observing the case or phenomenon in its real-life setting by means of numerous data types (Robson, 2002) Because of the utilisation of multiple data sources, case studies provide readers with descriptive and detailed results that are narrow-focused, both subjective and objective (Dyer, 1995) In this paper, the two research questions attempt to explore teachers’ perceptions and application of CLT approach in developing speaking competence for students Therefore, the employment of multiple data sources is necessary for a conclusion to be reached and case study approach shall allow the research to realise the goals Moreover, case study approach is taken into account because it can get hold of unique characteristics that are likely to be lost in large scale studies (Cohen et al., 2007) Another critically important advantage of case studies is its ability to observe effects in real situation and acknowledge that setting is an optimal determinant of both causes and effects (Cohen et al., 2007) Given the context of this study, using case study approach helped the research to get an insight into the matters of “why” and “how” of the research subject (Yin, 2003), particularly about how secondary school EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence With regard to the aforementioned reasons, case study proved itself to be the most suitable method for this research project
As discussed above, Cohen et al (2007) framed the concept of “case” as a bounded system referred to as a class, a school or a community In this study, the EFL teachers participating in the data collection procedure are considered as a case.
Research design
In this section, the rationale for selecting the research site and research participants is discussed
This research regards teacher participants as a case The selected teacher participants came from School A - a public secondary school in Cau Giay district, Hanoi, Vietnam Founded in the early 2010s, School A is among the top high-quality secondary schools in the country It is under the control of Cau Giay Department of Education and Training in terms of organisation, human resources, finance, and facilities In 2018, School A was one of seven institutions in Hanoi city to establish two dual degree classes, which not only employed the mainstream program developed by the Ministry of Education and Training but also applied Cambridge International Curriculum Having gained recognition for its distinguished English language learning and teaching environment, School A was suitably chosen as a research site
As guided by MOET, students at School A study 3 lessons of English per week, which accounts for 135 minutes of studying per week The number of speaking lessons that students have every week is not fixed Instead, it depends on the progress of the textbook adopted by the school According to the chosen textbook, speaking is taught in integration with another skill, namely reading
With the research approach as mentioned above, non-probability sampling was adopted because of its suitability for small-scale projects such as a case study (Cohen et al., 2007) To be more specific, the researcher opted for purposive sampling and intended to invite all English teachers in School A to become participants for the study 5 teachers from the department of English in School A were invited to participate in the process of data collection The participants’ teaching experiences (in both school A and other schools) ranged from 5 to 12 years In terms of qualifications, all the teachers graduated with a bachelor degree in English Language Teacher Education or English Linguistics Some of them are qualified with M.A in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
The participants of this research project were addressed by pseudonyms as mentioned in the table below The purpose of using pseudonyms is to secure the anonymity of the participants
Pseudonym Gender Qualification Years of teaching
Khanh Female Bachelor degree 5 years
Trang Female Master degree 12 years
Phuong Female Bachelor degree 6 years
Dieu Female Bachelor degree 4 years
Hong Female Master degree 8 years
With regards to their experience teaching at School A, the participants have been teaching students of all grades from grade 6 to grade 9 It is noticeable that for every academic year, each teacher might be assigned to teach different grades instead of focusing on just one grade in a year.
Data collection instruments
In order to collect data for this study, three instruments were employed, including semi-structured interviews, questionnaire and non-participant classroom observation The application of each instrument is illustrated in the following sections
Interviews are intersubjective in their nature instead of being exclusively either subjective or objective (Laing, 1967, as cited in Cohen et al., 2007) Accordingly, interviews ensure that all parties involved are given opportunities to discuss their interpretations of the setting they are in and to express how they reflect on situations from their own viewpoint (Cohen et al., 2007) For this reason, several interviews were held to gain insights into teachers’ diverse perception of Communicative Language Teaching approach During the course of interviewing, the participants were able to profoundly reflect on their perceptions and practical application of CLT approach in developing students’ speaking competence
Particularly, semi-structured interviews were employed because the order of the interview questions are under control while still make ways for spontaneous thoughts Another benefit is that the researcher can expect not only complete answers but also responses about complicated and deep-rooting issues (Cohen et al 2007) Moreover, the usage of prompts and probes (Morrison, 1993) means that the researcher can request participants to “extend, elaborate, add to, provide detail for, clarify or qualify their responses, thereby addressing richness, depth of response, comprehensiveness and honesty that are some of the hallmarks of successful interviewing” (Patton, 1980) All interviews were conducted with interview protocols, recorded with the participants’ consent and transcribed for data analysis
On designing the interview protocols, a list of interview questions by Wong
(2010) was taken into consideration to create questions that explore teachers’ perception and application of CLT in enhancing speaking competence for students While the preliminary interview focused on participants’ perceptions of CLT, the pre- teaching interviews concentrated on their practical application of CLT in their teaching of speaking skills
The interview protocols for preliminary and pre-teaching employed in this research project are described in Appendix A of this paper
The interview protocols were followed in every interview to collect data Upon accepting the invitation from the researcher, the participants were required to sign a consent form to show that they agree with the data collection procedure For the sake of participants’ convenience, they were allowed to choose the location for interviews
At the interview site, the researcher once again asked for the participants’ permission before recording the interviews In terms of language, all interviews were conducted using Vietnamese since participants felt more comfortable to share their opinions in mother tongue
Besides semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire was also employed for data collection in this study While qualitative data from semi-structured interviews would provide a significant insight into the way teachers understand the term Communicative Language Teaching approach and its principles, it was expected that the quantitative data collected from the questionnaire would help to identify the general trend in teachers’ perceptions of Communicative Language Teaching
In order to gather data for this study, the researcher adapted a questionnaire designed by Karavas-Doukas (1996) (See Appendix C) The questionnaire is constructed to investigate teachers’ perceptions towards different aspects of the Communicative Language Teaching approach The instrument comprises 24 close- ended items The survey items were divided into five subcategories towards which teachers can express their attitudes: the significance of grammar and its placement (6 items), the teacher's role in the classroom (4 items), engagement in group/pair activities (4 items), the involvement and impact of learners in the learning process (6 items), and the extent of error correction (4 items) Specific distributions of survey items are presented in Table 3.2 as follows:
Table 3.2 Distributions of survey items
Subcategory Item Total the significance of grammar and its placement 1, 3, 12, 17, 18, 23 6 the teacher's role in the classroom 7, 16, 19, 21 4 engagement in group/pair activities 2, 9, 13, 22 4 the involvement and impact of learners in the learning process
4, 5, 8, 11, 20, 24 6 the extent of error correction 6, 10, 14, 15 4
Each item was graded on a 5-point Likert scale The scale was arranged in Table 3.3 as follows:
Even though the semi-structured interviews were conducted in Vietnamese due to participants’ preference for communicating ideas in their native language, which they found more comfortable, the researcher decided to keep the questionnaire in its original English version to avoid misinterpretation during the translation process The purpose of using this questionnaire was to generate a trend among teachers about how they comprehend the concept of Communicative Language Teaching approach and compare their responses with that from the semi-structured interviews
It is argued that a piloted survey is critically important since it helps to check the validity and reliability of the items in the questionnaire Furthermore, the researcher can also minimise the effects of ambiguities and remove redundant or context of this study, a piloted survey was conducted with the participation of 1 teacher from the selected school It was then found that all 24 items in the questionnaire were comprehensible to the participants and relevant to the research topic Therefore, no adjustments were made to the data collection instrument
The questionnaire was delivered directly to the participants when they attended the interview sessions At the interview site, the researcher asked for the participant’s permission and handed the questionnaire to him or her The participant was then allowed 30 minutes at most to give the response After that, the questionnaire was collected and the interview took place
Besides interviews, observation is another method used to collect data for this study It was Robson’s (2002) saying that there may be a difference between what people do and what they say they do In that case, observation offers a reality check and allows researchers to take a fresh look at normal behaviours that may otherwise be taken for granted or go unnoticed should another method of research is applied (Cooper and Schindler, 2001) Basing on this ground, observation method was utilised with a hope to ensure the validity and reliability of the data collected
By observing participants’ classroom practice, the researcher could gather evidence in the classroom to answer the research question “How do secondary school
EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence?” Non-participant observation method was employed for this study The researcher’s intention was to observe one speaking lesson of each participant In an attempt to collect data from various sources, the researcher decided to observe speaking classes of grade 6, 7 and 8 During classroom observation, the researcher sat at the back of the classroom with an aim to observe teachers’ and students’ interactions during the lessons The researcher did not participate in any activities of the class to avoid interrupting the teaching and learning process With the participants’ accords in the consent form, the researcher noted down details about the lessons on a checklist and recorded videos of all the lessons
In this study, the researcher utilised a well-established CLT classroom observation checklist that was proposed by Reski (2020) Not only was the observation checklist of previous researchers in the field used, some appropriate modifications were made to it It was expected that the validity, the reliability, and the contextual pertinence of data was ensured The checklist consisted of 17 items to examine the actual application of CLT in the classroom The items in this checklist were divided into stages of a speaking lesson The distribution of the observation checklist is illustrated in Table 3.4 as follows:
Table 3.4 Distribution of observation checklist items
Data collection procedure
The data collection process took place over a period of approximately two months For the first question “What are the perceptions of secondary school EFL teachers of Communicative Language Teaching approach?”, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to find out the answer With regard to the second question “How do secondary school EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence?”, pre-teaching interviews as well as class observations were utilised The data collection procedure for each participant was illustrated in Figure 3.1 below and rationales for employing each of the aforementioned methods were illustrated in the previous section
Before the data collection process, each participant was provided with an introductory letter, which explained the purpose of the study and a consent form, which presented the procedure of data collection (see Appendix A) The participants were given freedom to read and ask questions to clarify all their concerns about the study When the researcher and the participants reached an agreement about the procedure, the participants signed the consent form as an evidence of their accord After that, the researcher and the participants negotiated and arranged the schedule for interviews and classroom observations On the day of the interview, the participants were invited to complete a questionnaire before joining a semi-structured interview session The preliminary interviews, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, were conducted first to explore teachers’ background and perceptions of CLT
In the next phase, each participant’ teaching practice was observed in one lesson Before observing each lesson, the researcher interviewed the participant in about 15 to 20 minutes to discover how she planned to apply CLT in the lesson Details about the process of interviewing and observing are illustrated in the tables below
No Participant Interview type Location Date Duration
Khanh’s home 21/11/2023 38 minutes Pre-teaching interview Classroom 23/11/2023 20 minutes
Trang’s home 22/11/2023 42 minutes Pre-teaching interview Classroom 23/11/2023 18 minutes
Phuong’s home 22/11/2023 37 minutes Pre-teaching interview Classroom 27/11/2023 15 minutes
Dieu’s home 28/11/2023 42 minutes Pre-teaching interview Classroom 31/11/2023 12 minutes
Hong’s home 28/11/2023 43 minutes Pre-teaching interview Classroom 31/11/2023 16 minutes
No Participant’s Name Date Duration
Data analysis method
After gathering the questionnaires and conducting the interviews and classroom observations, the researchers proceeded to synthesise and analyse the data obtained Open-ended responses from the surveys were coded for numerical calculations Transcriptions of interviews were made, and data were grouped based on recurring themes for deeper analysis For field notes of classroom observation, the data were also grouped for analysis Insightful accounts of how data were analysed are illustrated in the following sections
In this research, data collected from the questionnaire and the observation checklist were considered to be quantitative data Those data would help the researcher answer both research questions SPSS IBM statistics was employed for quantitative data processing To be more specific, the software was used to calculate descriptive statistics for each item on the Likert scale This includes measures such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and range These statistics provided an overview of the central tendency and variability of responses for each item The information gathered from these close-ended inquiries was amalgamated and sorted into categories to detect emerging themes concerning teachers’ perceptions of CLT approach Besides, reliability analysis was also conducted to assess the internal consistency of the Likert scale items The measure for this was Cronbach's alpha A higher alpha value indicates greater internal consistency among the items The scale's reliability for the present study was determined to be 0.87 through the internal consistency method
Qualitative data from interviews underwent transcription, and data were similarly grouped according to thematic elements for additional analysis Thematic analysis, described by Braun and Clarke (2006) as a fundamental qualitative analysis method, was utilised in this study due to its effectiveness in organising and presenting rich qualitative data This approach facilitated the exploration of participants' experiences, meanings, and realities Following Braun and Clarke's (2006) approach to thematic analysis, the data analysis process began by immersing in the data, meticulously transcribing interviews and making detailed notes to garner relevant information Subsequently, initial codes were generated by systematically identifying both the semantic and latent meanings within the data These codes were then organised into potential themes, with recurring patterns identified through cross- analysis across participants The study employed two qualitative data collection instruments: semi-structured interviews and classroom observations By comparing and triangulating evidence from these sources, the study aimed to enhance the validity and reliability of its findings.
Ethical considerations
In this study, participation was entirely voluntary Before agreeing to participate in the study, each participant received a thorough explanation of the data collection procedure as well as their respective tasks in the process Each participant signed a consent form to show their accord and received one copy of it (Appendix A) Throughout the research process, the participants' identities were kept private To maintain their anonymity, their names in this study were changed using pseudonyms Also, none of the recorded videos or tapes will ever be shown to the public and were only viewed by the researcher and her supervisor in order to ensure secrecy Before submitting the final article, the participants were invited to read over the research's findings and the transcript of their interviews to make sure they agreed with those contents
In summary, this chapter details the research methodology, focusing on a case application of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach The study was conducted at a high-quality public secondary school in Hanoi, Vietnam, with five purposively sampled English teachers Data collection methods included semi- structured interviews, questionnaires, and non-participant classroom observations Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed to understand teachers' views and practices Ethical considerations were addressed by ensuring participant anonymity and voluntary participation throughout the study.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings
With nearly five years of experience teaching English, Khanh started her career at School A after earning a Bachelor's degree in English Teacher Education She has participated in training sessions by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training on teaching methodologies and new English textbooks She also pursued university courses to enhance her teaching techniques, particularly in improving students' speaking proficiency
The most experienced participant, Trang has 12 years of experience teaching English to secondary school students After earning her Bachelor's degree in English Teacher Education, she spent two years in a private school before pursuing a Master's in TESOL in the UK Upon returning to Vietnam, she joined a public secondary school and actively participated in teaching methodology workshops She has also been a speaker at a conference organised by the University of Languages and International Studies
Teaching at School A for six years, Phuong also works at a private English center, focusing on very young learners She gained expertise in the Communicative Language Teaching approach during her university courses and through training sessions by textbook publishers
The youngest and least experienced participant, Dieu earned her Bachelor's degree in English Teacher Education four years ago She started as a teaching an enthusiastic teacher who frequently attends training sessions to improve her teaching skills
With a Bachelor's degree in English Linguistics and a Master's in English Teacher Education, Hong has ten years of teaching experience She started at a private international school before moving to School A Hong has taught various English curricula and textbooks and has participated in methodology training and online courses from prestigious universities
This section reports on five emerging themes in the EFL teachers’ perceptions of Communicative Language Teaching approach: the significance of grammar and its placement, the teacher's role in the classroom, the engagement in group/pair activities, the involvement and impact of learners in the learning process, and the extent of error correction The findings from this section will help to answer the first research question “What are the perceptions of secondary school EFL teachers of
In order to gain an insight into teachers’ perceptions of Communicative Language Teaching approach, the researchers investigated teachers’ understanding of CLT definition and its meaning to them Additionally, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs when using CLT were explored as well To answer the first research question, both quantitative and qualitative statistics were used
Definition of Communicative Language Teaching approach
To shed light on teachers’ understanding of the Communicative Language Teaching approach, the researcher required the participants to give their own definition for the term When considering the definition of CLT, teachers in this study shared similar perspectives that partly coincide with what is outlined in the literature
In general, all participants expressed their certainty for their understanding of the CLT approach and its principles, which include (i) focus on actual communication, (ii) opportunities for experimentation, (iii) tolerance of mistakes, (iv) emphasis on accuracy and fluency, (v) integration of multiple skills, (vi) discovery of grammar rules and (viii) new roles for teachers and students (Richards, 2006)
I think that adopting a communicative language teaching approach represents an effective method for language acquisition, perhaps the most effective thus far It prioritises communication skills, fostering the ability to interact and express oneself fluently in all four skills of languages rather than focusing solely on memorisation Unlike traditional methods, CLT minimises the need for extensive drills, repetition, and rote memorisation
In my opinion, the communicative language teaching approach is one that emphasises interaction and communication Interaction is the goal, as well as the means of communication, so learners must experience and practice language in a context that is similar to a real-life situation (Trang, preliminary interview, 22/11/2023)
As cited above, the individual interpretations of Communicative Language Teaching by the two teachers are in part aligned with definition given by Brown
(2007, p 378), which is utilised in this study According to him, Communicative Language Teaching approach refers to one that “an approach to language teaching methodology that emphasises authenticity, interaction, student-centered learning, task-based activities, and communication for the real world, meaningful purposes” However, teachers in this research showed a tendency to pay their attention to one or two aspects of CLT but not all key aspects stated by Brown (2007) Therefore, it could be inferred that the teachers have somewhat grasped the essence of this teaching approach, although their understanding is not yet thorough and comprehensive
Another notable point is that through the teachers' responses, it can be observed that they recognise the purpose of CLT not only to develop students' communication skills through speaking but also through other language skills This is an interesting finding since other researchers such as Wong (2010) have found their teachers taking part in her survey believed that the primary aim of implementing CLT in the classroom is to develop proficiency in spoken language
Attitudes towards Communicative Language Teaching approach
It could be deduced from the qualitative data that teachers at School A were in favour of using CLT approach in their lessons
In my classroom, I employ a variety of approaches and methods, depending on the objectives of each lesson I tried to plan so that most lessons can be taught using the CLT approach Besides that, for practice sessions, I also try to incorporate action-oriented approach
According to the General School Education English Curriculum for secondary education (MOET, 2018) (applied in public schools – such as where I work), the primary focus is on communicative language teaching It allows for the use of various methods to help students develop and enhance their communication abilities This approach is also the most commonly applied in my lessons as well as those of other teachers at my school
Discussions
This research aims to investigate the perceptions and implementation of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach among Vietnamese EFL secondary school teachers, utilising various data collection methods including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and non-participant observation Its goal is to reveal teachers' perspectives and instructional strategies in students' speaking lessons By analysing data gathered from diverse sources, this section presents the study's findings and connects them with existing literature
Many participants asserted their utilisation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in their classrooms, as it was required of them However, the study revealed varying degrees of alignment between teachers' perceptions and understanding of CLT The participants held CLT in high regard, agreeing on its efficacy in fostering students' communicative competence and facilitating communication in the target language Nevertheless, their interpretations of CLT varied, with some displaying a more comprehensive understanding than others Similarly, certain teachers exhibited stronger sentiments towards CLT While some aspects of CLT were emphasised by the participants, not all key aspects outlined by Brown (2007) were uniformly recogised Notably, the teachers acknowledged the role of CLT not only in enhancing students' speaking skills but also in developing other language abilities This observation resonates with findings from studies by Razmjoo and Riazi (2006), Hawkey (2006) and Sarab et al (2016), but contrasts with those of Wong (2010), Eng and Jiaxi (2022), and Liu and Deris (2023), who reported misunderstandings or inadequate comprehension of CLT among their participants The disparity in findings can be explained by the different training that is provided for teachers in different areas The issue of insufficient CLT training for teachers have been raised by many scholars like Wei et al (2018) and Nam (2023) Basing on imperical evidence, they reported that the existing teacher training might be seen as inadequate or ineffective for developing teacher competence in CLT To be more specifice, Nam (2023) conducted an investigation on 95 participants and found no statistically significant difference in CLT outcomes between teachers who had completed a methodology course and those who had not
One debatable matter arising from this study is teachers’ perceptions about the significance of grammar instructions in CLT lessons While some teachers reported that they tended to prioritise fluency over accuracy in terms of students speaking performances, others expressed their concern about the fact that grammar-based testing approaches influence their decision about whether or not grammar rules should be left for students to deduce by themselves These mixed feelings have been
As far as the extent of error correction is concerned, teachers in this study have a quite uniform viewpoint that grammatical mistakes during oral practice can be neglected if they are not systematic This is a notion shared by teachers in studies by Shewarni and Kilic (2017) It was also found that in CLT lessons, students should take a more active, decisive role and have more autonomy in their learning process while teachers assume the role of a facilitator, a needs analyst and a counsellor This viewpoint is agreed upon by Garrote et al (2019) or Candlin (1996) who advised that the amount of teacher talking time should be reduced and spared for students
With regard to the application of the CLT approach, the correlation between perceptions and practices were identified as teachers strictly followed the lesson structures and activities they had prepared In terms of CLT activities, teachers showed a tendency to apply simple types of activities such as task-completion, opinion-sharing, information-transfer activities This trend is rather different from that found in studies by Daflizar (2013) who cited more frequent adoption of role- play or interview activities among teachers surveyed
However, despite the clarity of understanding and positive attitudes, the research was able to discover some instances in which teachers’ practice and understanding were not in alignment This finding was similar to that of scholars such as Badger & Yan (2008) and Orafi & Borg (2009) who have pointed out a lack of consistency between teachers' beliefs in CLT principles and their actual classroom practices In details, even though some teachers claimed that they are motivated to refer to authentic materials in the lessons, they actually did not do so in reality Another instance was found in a lesson where the teachers skipped the grammar instruction part although she supported the idea that grammar should be emphasised for its importance in preparing students for their tests
To explain for this disparity, contextual factors must be taken into consideration, which is similar to reasons found in studies in different countries Particularly in Asian countries such as Indonesia, China or Iran, educational policies and large classes have posed difficulties and prevented teachers from successfully applied CLT approach and activities in their lessons (Daflizar, 2013; Sarab et al 2016 and Eng and Jiaxi, 2022) Nevertheless, it is thought-provoking to consider that such unfavourable contextual factors are not witnessed in Western countries, enabling CLT approach to be applied with a greater efficiency there (Hiep, 2007) Furthermore, it is also understandable that some teachers demonstrated an inconsistency between perception and practices because they were still novice teachers, with less than 5 years of experience
In brief, this chapter has outlined key themes derived from the perception and practices of five EFL teachers It has shown how teachers' understanding of the CLT approach and their teaching methods were shaped by both internal and external contextual factors Additionally, it has delved into a detailed examination of the study's findings in relation to the current literature in the field
Overall, the examination of five teachers in this case study offers readers a more distinct understanding of how EFL secondary school teachers employ the CLT approach within speaking classes, as well as the connection between their teaching practices and perceptions.
CONCLUSION
Summary of findings
This study utilised a case-study research design to explore the understanding of Communicative Language Teaching among EFL teachers, along with their actual and reported CLT practices in speaking lessons Three data collection methods, namely questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation, were employed to gain insights into these aspects The study aimed to address two key research questions:
1 What are the perceptions of secondary school EFL teachers of
2 How do secondary school EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence?
Chapter 4 presents the emergent themes from the gathered data and the analysis thereof This section provides a summary of the findings pertaining to the aforementioned research questions
Question 1 What are the perceptions of secondary school EFL teachers of Communicative Language Teaching approach?
With the average mean score being 3.09, it was safe to conclude that the teachers surveyed had an adequate knowledge about CLT approach fundamentals and they had a generally positive attitude towards it Even though participants held Communicative Language Teaching approach in high regard, concurring on its effectiveness in fostering students' communicative competence and facilitating communication in the target language, the interpretations of CLT varied among participants, with some exhibiting a more thorough grasp than others Notably, teachers acknowledged CLT's role not only in improving students' speaking skills but also in developing other language abilities This observation was similar to findings from studies by Razmjoo and Riazi (2006), Hawkey (2006), and Sarab et al (2016), but contrasts with those of Wong (2010), Eng and Jiaxi (2022), and Liu and Deris
(2023), who reported misunderstandings or inadequate comprehension of CLT among their participants
Teachers' perceptions regarding the importance of grammar instruction in CLT lessons appeared to be a contentious issue in this study The mean score for these variables was 2.97 While some teachers reported their preference to prioritise fluency over accuracy in students' speaking performances, others expressed concerns about whether grammar rules should be left for students to deduce themselves, influenced by grammar-based testing approaches These mixed feelings have been well documented in other research contexts, notably in a study by Wong (2010)
Regarding the extent of error correction, which received a mean score of 2.90 teachers in this study generally agreed that grammatical mistakes during oral practice could be overlooked if they were not systematic This viewpoint aligns with that of teachers in studies by Shewarni and Kilic (2017) Additionally, with the mean score being 3.27 and 3.30, respectively, it was found that in CLT lessons, students should assume a more active, decisive role and have more autonomy in their learning process, while teachers take on the roles of facilitator, needs analyst, and counselor This perspective is supported by Garrote et al (2019) and Candlin (1996), who advocated for a reduction in teacher talking time and an increase in the amount of time allocated for students’ talking The principles relevant to group work and pair work received a mean score of 3.00, which highlights a favourable outlook on the application of it and resonates with findings by other scholars like Daflizar (2013) and Yanti (n.d.)
Question 2 How do secondary school EFL teachers apply Communicative Language Teaching approach to develop students’ speaking competence?
Regarding the implementation of the CLT approach, an alignment between perceptions and practices was noted, as teachers adhered closely to the lesson structures and activities they had prepared Concerning CLT activities, teachers tended to favor simpler types such as task-completion, opinion-sharing, and
Daflizar (2013), which reported a more frequent use of role-play or interview activities among surveyed teachers
However, despite the clear understanding and positive attitudes, instances were discovered where teachers' practice and understanding were not aligned This discovery echoes the observations of scholars such as Badger & Yan (2008) and Orafi
& Borg (2009), who have highlighted a lack of consistency between teachers' beliefs in CLT principles and their actual classroom practices For example, although some teachers claimed motivation to use authentic materials in lessons, they did not do so in practice Another instance involved teachers skipping grammar instruction despite supporting its importance in preparing students for tests
To account for this disparity, contextual factors must be considered, similar to findings in studies conducted in various countries Particularly in Asian countries like Indonesia, China, or Iran, educational policies and large class sizes have presented challenges and hindered successful implementation of CLT approaches and activities in lessons (Daflizar, 2013; Sarab et al., 2016; Eng and Jiaxi, 2022) However, it is worth considering that such unfavorable contextual factors are not as prevalent in Western countries, allowing for a more efficient application of the CLT approach there (Hiep, 2007).
Implications
Based on the outcomes of this research, significant recommendations emerge for EFL teachers, researchers, and policy makers to effectively integrate the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach and mitigate potential challenges during its implementation
Primarily, in light of issues such as large class sizes or limited time for assessment, subject curriculum should be adjusted so as to allocate ample time for students to practice and for teachers to provide adequate feedback
Secondly, policymakers responsible for formulating testing and assessment policies in secondary education should consider prioritising assessment activities related to speaking skills to promote the adoption of CLT methodology
Lastly, it is advisable for EFL teachers to receive additional training on the theoretical underpinnings and practical implementation of CLT Professional development opportunities such as workshops, courses, or seminars are recommended to enhance teachers' proficiency and equip them with strategies to address challenges arising from factors like class size, varying student proficiency levels, and time constraints Schools can also establish a peer observation program, which can help facilitate the sharing of best practices among teachers and foster a collaborative approach to teaching Another suggestion includes ongoing evaluation of CLT practices by incorporating feedback from students on how lessons are facilitated.
Limitations and suggestions for further research
Despite diligent efforts to carry out this research, it is important to acknowledge the following limitations of the study Firstly, the investigation of teachers' adoption of the CLT approach was solely conducted from the perspective of teachers, without considering the viewpoints of the students themselves Incorporating interviews with students could provide valuable insights into their perceptions and attitudes towards the application of CLT by teachers in speaking classes Understanding students' perspectives may shed light on the reasons behind teachers' decisions to utilise or abstain from CLT activities in specific contexts
Additionally, a challenge arose during the data analysis process concerning the translation of interview data Since all interviews were conducted in Vietnamese and the analysis was carried out in the same language, the need arose to translate representative excerpts into English Given the nuanced differences between English and Vietnamese, selecting words or phrases that accurately convey the participants' thoughts proved to be challenging Consequently, some translated sentences may not precisely capture the intended meaning of participants' responses To mitigate potential misinterpretations in translation, future studies could employ multiple rounds of translation involving more than one translator
Undoubtedly, Communicative Language Teaching approach (CLT) stands as learning, teaching practices, and training, grasp the significance and effectiveness of this approach Moreover, the requirement for EFL teachers to utilise CLT is stipulated in official education documents, resulting in the fact that CLT has been applied more than before Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether teachers can consistently and effectively implement CLT amidst contextual pressures such as students' proficiency levels, time constraints, and class sizes
This study reveals that all EFL teachers reported positive outcomes when incorporating CLT into their speaking lessons They demonstrated a commendable ability to apply CLT regularly and effectively These findings signal a promising shift in Vietnam's education system, which has long prioritised traditional test-focused training They suggest a potential avenue for promoting greater emphasis on innovative teaching methods to enhance the effectiveness of English teaching and learning
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PHIẾU CHẤP THUẬN DÀNH CHO NGƯỜI THAM GIA NGHIÊN CỨU The application of Communicative Language Teaching approach in developing speaking competence for students: A case study in a secondary school in Hanoi
Vận dụng đường hướng dạy ngôn ngữ giao tiếp trong việc phát triển năng lực Nói của học sinh: Nghiên cứu trường hợp điển hình ở một trường THCS tại Hà Nội
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Anh tại Việt Nam về đường hướng dạy ngôn ngữ giao tiếp và việc thực hành vận dụng đường hướng dạy ngôn ngữ giao tiếp của giáo viên trong lớp học kĩ năng Nói Nghiên cứu này sẽ được trình bày như một luận văn tốt nghiệp của em và sẽ được đánh giá bởi Khoa Sau Đại học tại Trường
Quy trình thu thập dữ liệu của nghiên cứu này được thực hiện với 4 giai đoạn nối tiếp nhau Nếu thầy/cô chấp thuận tham gia nghiên cứu, thầy cô sẽ tham gia vào các giai đoạn lần lượt như sau:
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● Giảng dạy tiết học Nói với sự quan sát của người nghiên cứu (Tiết học được ghi âm/ quay hình với sự cho phép của thầy/ cô)