Lexical phrases are unanalysed chunks that play a significant role in language acquisition. However, it is believed that the use of lexical phrases by learners of English as a foreign language like Vietnamese students is limited and ineffective, and there is a lack of studies on lexical phrases in Vietnam. Therefore, this paper is expected to shed light on typical categories of lexical phrases used by the third year mainstream students in speaking classes at Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and their attitudes towards using them. Additionally, the paper also offers several pedagogical suggestions for more effective and diverse use of lexical phrases in speaking classes. In order to accomplish these purposes, 114 thirdyear mainstream students were chosen as study samples. By employing class observation, questionnaire, interview as tools for data collection, this study revealed fifteen typical categories of lexical phrases used by the students in their speaking classes in which signals for their presentations are the most frequently used. It was also indicated that the more important the phrases were, the more frequently the students used them. However, the range of lexical phrases used by the surveyed students was restricted, and the students did not grasp the functions of these phrases. Therefore, based on the findings, teachers and students will be more aware of students’ limited use of lexical phrases. Lastly, with pedagogical suggestions of teaching lexical phrases in this research, teachers can take their own initiatives to effectively exploit lexical phrases speaking lessons.
ABSTRACT Lexical phrases are unanalysed chunks that play a significant role in language acquisition However, it is believed that the use of lexical phrases by learners of English as a foreign language like Vietnamese students is limited and ineffective, and there is a lack of studies on lexical phrases in Vietnam Therefore, this paper is expected to shed light on typical categories of lexical phrases used by the third -year mainstream students in speaking classes at Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and their attitudes towards using them Additionally, the paper also offers several pedagogical suggestions for more effective and diverse use of lexical phrases in speaking classes In order to accomplish these purposes, 114 third-year mainstream students were chosen as study samples By employing class observation, questionnaire, interview as tools for data collection, this study revealed fifteen typical categories of lexical phrases used by the students in their speaking classes in which signals for their presentations are the most frequently used It was also indicated that the more important the phrases were, the more frequently the students used them However, the range of lexical phrases used by the surveyed students was restricted, and the students did not grasp the functions of these phrases Therefore, based on the findings, teachers and students will be more aware of students’ limited use of lexical phrases Lastly, with pedagogical suggestions of teaching lexical phrases in this research, teachers can take their own initiatives to effectively exploit lexical phrases speaking lessons i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract Table of contents List of table and figures List of abbreviations CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION PAGE i ii iii v vii 1 Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Methodology of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Organization of the study CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2 3 2.1 Lexical phrases in language description 2.2 The importance of lexical phrases in language learning 2.3 The use of lexical phrases in speaking CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY 12 14 3.1 Participants 3.2 Data collection instrument and procedure Data analysis CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 15 15 17 4.1 Research question – Typical categories of lexical phrases 18 used by the third- year mainstream students in speaking class 4.2 Research question – The third-year mainstream students’ 32 attitudes towards using lexical phrases in speaking classes CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION 5.1 Major findings of the study 5.2 Pedagogical suggestions for more effective use of lexical 39 40 phrases 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further studies 41 REFERENCES APPENDICES 42 44 ii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES LIST OF TABLES Table The frequency of using typical categories of lexical phrases in PAGE 50 speaking classes from the class observation Table The frequency of using lexical phrases in speaking classes 52 from the questionnaire Table Categories of lexical phrases frequently used by native 29 speakers but rarely used by the third- year mainstream students in speaking classes Table The students’ attitudes towards the importance of using lexical iii 54 phrases in speaking classes Table The frequency of using lexical phrases by 18 students 56 majoring in business in their speaking classes Table The attitudes of 18 students majoring in business towards the 58 importance of using lexical phrases in their speaking classes LIST OF FIGURES Figure The frequency of using "I think X / I think that X" Figure The frequency of using " Another thing is X;…; the final PAGE 20 21 thing is X" Figure The frequency of using " Not only X, but also Y; ; in fact" Figure The frequency of using " Today, I would like to talk about 22 23 X…; first of all" Figure The frequency of using " , something like that ; ; for 24 instance" Figure The frequency of using " Do you X; is/ are there it/ they/ X" Figure The frequency of using “yes/yeah (there/it they is/are) X; no, 25 25 (there/it they is/are not) ( X) Figure The frequency of using “you know; ; you can see that X " Figure The frequency of using " in short; that's all of X" Figure 10 The frequency of using " OK, now" Figure 11 The frequency of using " ( OK), so" Figure 12 The frequency of using " Thanks/ Thank you ( very much/ a 25 26 27 27 27 lot) for X Figure13 The frequency of using " I am (really) sorry for that; ; sorry 27 for that" Figure 14 The frequency of using "Hi/ hello My name is ; how/what 28 about you" Figure 15 The frequency of using " good bye; see you ( later)" Figure 16 The students’ attitudes towards the importance of “I think 28 33 X; I think that X", “Another thing is X; ; the final thing is X", " Not only X, but also Y; ; in fact", " Today, I would like to talk about X; ; first of all", " , something like that; for instance" Figure 17 The students’ attitudes towards the importance of “Do you X?; is/are there/it/they X?”,“ Yes/yeah (there/it they is/are) X; no, (there/it they is/are not) ( X)”, “you know,…, as you can see”, “In short;…; that’s all of X”, “ OK, now”, “ OK, so” iv 34 Figure 18 The students’ attitude towards the importance of “Thanks/Thank you (very much/ a lot) (for X)”, “I’m (really) sorry for X; …; sorry for X”, Hi/ hello, everyone/everybody My name is…)? How/ What about you?” , “ goodbye; see you ( later)” LIST OF ABRRIVIATIONS ESL: English as a Second Language FELTE: Faculty of English Language Teacher Education ULIS: University of Languages and International Studies VNUH: Vietnam National University, Hanoi v 35 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study Over the past few decades, the pedagogical values of lexical phrases have been asserted in lexical theory, corpus statistics, and psycholinguistic research Lexical phrases are ideal units for language learning and teaching because they characterize language acquisition and language performance (Nattinger and DeCarrico, 1992) Most researchers now agree that learners use a large number of prefabricated expressions including lexical phrases in acquiring language WongFillmore (1976) claims that “the strategy of acquiring formulaic speech is central to the learning of language” In particular, lexical phrases play an important role in speaking because using them helps learners speak with fluency, as Becker (1975) concludes in his study Speakers of a language gain substantial benefits from lexical phrases such as increased fluency (when speaking and writing), faster comprehension (when reading and listening) especially in fast speech (Lindstromberg, 2000) However, corpus studies have shown that lexical phrases appear in very low frequency in second language student writing, and when they appear, they are often used inaccurately ( Li and Schimitt, 2009) Okamura and Shaw (2000) have also pointed out that the native non-professionals controlled some appropriate phrases, and were able to use appropriate vocabulary, but had very little idea of the rhetoric Meanwhile, the non-native non-professionals produced grammatically competent letters that were inappropriate in both rhetoric and language Therefore, the teaching approach for writing depends crucially on the status of the learners, and lexical phrases are particularly important for non-natives Moreover, Nattinger and DeCarrico (1992) emphasize that lexical phrases play a crucial role in the process of learning and teaching speaking for second language learners The fact that there is a lack of studies on lexical phrases in Vietnam has led the researcher to the study entitled The use of lexical phrases by the third year mainstream students in speaking classes at Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University Hanoi 1.2 Aims of the study The research paper is expected to find out typical categories of lexical phrases used by the third year mainstream students in speaking classes at FELTE, ULIS, VNUH and their attitudes towards using these lexical phrases The aims are presented in two questions below: What are typical categories of lexical phrases used by the third year mainstream students in speaking classes at FELTE, ULIS, VNUH? What are the third year mainstream students’ attitudes towards using lexical phrases in speaking classes at FELTE, ULIS, VNUH? 1.3 Scope of the study Speaking classes at FELTE, ULIS, VNUH include academic lectures, teacher and student conferences, presentations which are non-social discourses According to Nattinger and DeCarrico (1992), these non-social discourses are typical of basically transactional spoken discourses, with interactional discourses interspersed Therefore, this paper will focus on both discourse devices organizers and social interactional markers In addition, it is noteworthy that the samples of the study are limited to 114 third - year mainstream students at FELT, ULIS, VNUH who are carefully chosen to represent total population 1.4 Methodology of the study The triangulation method of class observation, interviews and questionnaires were employed during the process of data collection Class observation was first used as the primary tool to collect information, and then a questionnaire was distributed to sampling students to compare and contrast with the findings from class observation Thirdly, interviews were conducted on a group of 12 students to gain more in-depth information Finally, the data from class observation, questionnaire, and interviews would be analyzed to draw discussions and implications 1.5 Significance of the study Before this research, there are some research on vocabulary learning, collocations, idioms and slang in the practical case of FELTE students However, this study sheds the first light on the use of lexical phrases at FELTE, ULIS, VNUH and provides essential storage of information for third year mainstream students, teachers, and researchers working on the related studies As for the third-year mainstream students, this study reveals insights into their own use of lexical phrases, which will raise their awareness of using and learning lexical phrases It also suggests ways for the students to exploit lexical phrases in the process of learning speaking As regards teachers, the study explores a lexical approach to assist students in assimilating real language Therefore, the paper first and foremost helps teachers to become more aware of teaching lexical phrases as a worthy trying method Secondly, the study provides teachers with some suggestions and ideas so that they could take their own initiatives to effectively exploit lexical phrases in speaking lessons Finally, as for researchers, this research could offer useful references for those happen to develop an interest in this topic or language teaching and learning of ESL 1.6 Organization of the study There are five chapters in this paper as follows: Chapter I: Introduction describes statement of the problem and the rationale for the study, aims, scope, methodology, and significance of the study Chapter II: Literature review provides the background of the study, including the nature, the importance and the use of lexical phrases in speaking as well as discussions of related studies Chapter III: Methodology explains in detail the participants and instruments of the study and the procedure employed to carry out the research Chapter IV: Data analysis and discussion presents and discusses the findings collected according to the two research questions Chapter V: Conclusion summarizes the main points, states the limitations of the research, several pedagogical recommendations concerning the research topic, and some suggestions for further studies CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW Lexical phrases in language description 1.1 The nature and description of lexical phrases The term “lexical phrase” has been recently invented by linguists and researchers, so the term “lexical” rather than the term “lexical phrase” appears in the dictionaries In Cambridge Advanced Learners dictionary rd edition, “lexical” is defined as “relating to words” Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary 7th edition describes “lexical” as “relating to the words or vocabulary of a language and relating to the nature of a lexicon or dictionary” Although Becker (1975) has first mentioned this term in his study, but a complete definition of lexical phrase has not been developed until 1992 by Nattinger and DeCarrico In their view, lexical phrases are preliminary described as ‘chunks’ of language of varying length, conventionalized structures that occur more frequently and have more idiomatically determined meaning than language that is put together each time These phrases include both short, relatively fixed phrases such as a ago, and longer phrases or clauses such as if I X, then I Y, the er X, the er Y, each with a fixed, basic frame, with slots for various fillers Each phrase is associated with a particular discourse function, such as expressing time, a month ago, or relationships among ideas, the higher X, the higher Y In another study, lexical phrases are multi-word lexical items or ‘chunks’; that is, vocabulary consisting of a sequence of two or more words which semantically (e.g kick the bucket, take a picture, vicious rumor) or syntactically (e.g of course, due to, apart from) form a meaningful or inseparable unit (Moon 1997) Li and Schmitt (2009) consider lexical phrases as sequences of words that collocate, are often idiomatic, have a high-frequency of occurrence, and perform specific rhetorical functions that can be applied across multiple disciplines and discourse types Some examples of common lexical phrases (italic): All life needs iron in order to breathe university that I study and the year I enter and the year I go out Yeah… and another special one is the number of my… (T: The code.) The code of my student (T: Your student?) Oh, no, the code student is posted in my student card It is also important because when I go to some tourist places such as Quoc Tu Giam or something like that, I show my student card and I … And the price will be go down T: You get some discounts? S2: Yes, … About the picture in my student card it is also a terrible one You know, it was taken in my first year when I went to Hanoi, you know, I look ugly with short hair, very thin and the photographer was, you know, he…he… I think that he didn’t (ah) he wasn’t a good … He wasn’t a good one at photographing because I (look) don’t look so ugly but the picture I don’t believe T: Thank you, sit down, please How many of you are not satisfied with in your ID Okay So all of you? S: Yes!!! T: So, thank you So, you, please Your name? S3: My name is Le T: Ok, so Le, what you think about your appearance now in comparison with your picture in your ID? S3: Uhm, ah I think that (the) my appearance in the student card is different from my appearance now I think so But I think that it’s not important The important is the beauty of my soul At that time when I was taking photo, I think at that time I was native and … (T: Native?) ( T: -) … T: So, thank you Sit down, please How many of you think that you are more beautiful or much more beautiful, much more handsome than the pictures? S: ( Laughter) T: OK, so sometimes you have to - How many of you have some special incidents or very special accident, special experience with your ID? Very strange story Ok, thank you You can sit while you’re speaking, OK? 93 S4: This story takes from my …uhm… my boyfriend because when he first saw the identity card, then, he feels like horrible and the next time when he wants to (“Vietnamese”) (T: “Vietnamese?”) (T: make fun of) cheat… he wants to cheat me, then he opens my pocket, and then he saw a little then he says … God… God and then he put it T: Thank you - your picture … (Ss: Like God) T: God? Ghost (Ss: Yeah) Thank you And from the next, where are you? Yes Ok & your name first I need to remember your name S5: My name is Linh And my story about my ID card is that I lost it twice once month Immediately after uncle help me to found the ID … in his office and he gave it back to me and one week ago I lost it the second time But I think that because I … that is (the) my current ID, my second one because I change it when my hometown from Ha Tay to Hanoi and I think that I was lucky and it may be my current ID, maybe one of my luck because I lost twice and return to me T: Thank you …( Giving instructions) How many of you think that your job identify you most? Raise your hand No? How many of you say that your friends? III Discussions Students work in group of or 4) S1: So, can I talk to you? I think that if you want to have someone, you should look on his or her friend, the behavior, the personality of his or her friends But when you make friends with somebody, you will be influenced by him or her S2: If I make friend with you, I will be influenced by you, your personality for your perspectives… S1: I think that personality… S2: When you’re friend with someone, you have the same personality or characteristic You like this or dislike this? S1: Have you got my point? S2: I play with many boyfriends S1: You have friends and many of them are boys… Huyen, you just talk about the way family influence on you You choose family so you talk about the relationship 94 S2: I love to choose a friendly person to make my friend … a friendly person … S1: So, … what you think about the way your family make you… You just talk about that because my topic is friend and yours is family S2: My friend usually… S1: So, what you choose? S2: Because my family has many influenced things on me So( level intonation) you talk about the way your family reflects on you That’s all S1: On you… on me S2: On me S1: Yeah S2: Yeah S2: My family has persons, members They are so friendly together Specially, my mother is special … my mother … S1: How is she special? S2: Many people say that she is a unique mother because they ( S1: She cares too much for you) Suddenly, yes, of course Uhm, normally, other mothers don’t like their children to love when they are learning But my mother not … she always wants … wants to me… S1: So, you mean that your family effect you in your activity? S2: No, I mention that in my family have a special mother and the second thing my family has… S1: Actually, I don’t get your point I expect something more general about the way your family affects you, not just describe your family Tell me the special things that reflect on you S2: I … I … S1: Remember you… S2: I … I … don’t know, however, my family I always want to back my family any time I don’t know which thing… I don’t know which thing … I know I only know my family always has something for me 95 T (give instruction) Use the language in the tool box and each of you has minutes and after minutes I will call some of you Ok? S2: You know, I’m from Bac Ninh I’m always proud of my hometown and I can see that many people when… about my hometown, they … Yes, they want me to sing (S1: Quan ho Folk song) And… yeah… A reason when I’m the first student, I’m very afraid of standing a surround and I really … S1: Can you tell me the reason, the motivation to make you more… S2: One thing I want to … to share about my hometown In my hometown have many famous people For example, Nguyen Phi Y Lan and Nguyen Dang Dao S1: Are they very famous? S2: Yes… yes… and many festivals in my hometown And maybe my hometown, I often hear that Bac Ninh is very famous for (S3: traditional… tradition) Yes, traditional S3: In my family, my mother and my father (always are) are always influence on me Special my father… because … me … uhm … ah… because his children… he has to go abroad to earn money S1: Your father is working abroad? S3: Yes Go abroad to earn money for his children, ah, for his family and … (Time is up T ask student to present their ideas) IV Mini presentations S6: I think just a few that it reflects very much a lot about myself and I am an example The first I love communicating, it is not that I’m very good at communicate but I think my manner as well as my willing to communicate with other and I think I can maintain the conversation The second thing is that I love children, I want to talk and I want to work with them The last thing is, ah, no, the third thing is that I love travel I want to travel to learn about the culture as well as to know to … to know about other people in other areas And the last thing is that I’m not really out going, then, so I will work in an office or an organization that … oh… spend sometimes at the building So from the fourth thing I’ve mentioned I 96 think I will work I think I will shift with the work to the international agency and work with …environment or children… T: Is that all? Thank you Ok The next Near up to mins Ok Comment (Teacher gives detail comment on timing, grammar; re-instruct Ss to their work correctly) Ok, the next Raise your hand Are you all ready? Yeah, you, please S7: Well, uhm, I think my friends really reflect my personality You know, everybody when they make friends with someone, they have the right to choose that kind of person they have something in common to be friend with So, I’m not an exception Ah, my friend most of them are generous, uhm, not only in material life, using money or ever, but in internal life when we have quarrel, so they forget it rather quickly; and so we a kind of - again, rather immediately and the other is they are cheerful, and they are a kind of positive person Instead of looking so, instead of being so ( -) being so negative about the difficulties they are having, they look on the bright side of the dark, part of the dark or challenges And I really learn a lot from them, really change a lot And the final thing is they are kind of out going and we go on trip with other and we laugh a lot , tell jokes Uhm, talk about a lot of thing, from gossip about stars to daily life So it is a … Yeah… So it’s a kind of everytime we meet really relaxing and a kind of refreshing or I have more energy to be back to work, to be back to our occupation, so … or something So … I think that friends really reflect my personality T: Thank you (T gives detailed comment on the speech: pronunciation, accent, word choice, content) Just this comment No more comment Ok, thank you Now, the next part From family, can you raise your hand? Ok, so, you , please S9: Ah, hi everyone I think … my family is the thing I identify strongly with because I can say that we are a closeness family because we often many things together In the past, when I was still in my family, we often watch… spend the whole evening with watching sports programmes together But now, when I live far from home, of course, I can’t… I can not watch with them anymore However, my father, my sister and my mother often call me to remind me of some sports events so as … ah … so that I can watch it in the Internet to discuss with each other about 97 the matches The other thing I want to share is my parents often argue with each other about some topics in my neighborhood or in TV And my sister and I inherit characteristics from parents We often argue and my family together argues a lot And that’s all T: Thank you ( give comment) Ok, you, please S10: Uhm, you know, I ( T: reminds students of lack of conclusion) Ah, you know, I live in Hai Duong and my family live there for generations and, of course, I live in Hai Duong for 17 years Suddenly, ah… my hometown had influence on me and the first thing, the weather in my hometown is very moderate and it makes me very calm in many cases, many situations Besides, almost of people in my hometown are very friendly, friendly, and hospitable So, there a friendly … you know… I think almost of people in my hometown make mistakes in pronunciation and … make mistakes in pronouncing the letter “L” and “N”, so I’m also and also … usually make mistakes in two letters when I pronounce two letters … Ah, and … oh … and one more thing I want to share, the best time in my hometown is spring… I… in… and I was born in spring so my “lame” is (S: Laughter) NAME … and I will try my best to change this, my pronunciation T: Thank you (Give careful comment on the pronunciation, grammar, and the content; homework) S11: I remember I read … I read the story when I was in grade 11 OK, and the book (is) was about the origin of the men and women T: The origin of men and women? S11: Yes, man is from Mars and women are from Venus and the life in Mars is very hot and from the women are from Venus is very peaceful And one day they fall… ah… they fell in love, but because of distance so one day they… it may be explained the reason why the gender gap between men and women I remember that’s all T: Good, thank you (Give overview about the book) So, you work in pairs (Give instruction) V Discuss in group 98 S1: After reading the piece I have something to conclude the age, age,…age is about the life in Venus, age mentions some kinds of aspects your transport the emotional need or the …or the communicate style, appearance OK And the author also makes comparison between age and women …I say especially as especially they appreciate the relationship In contrast, men went to restaurant, also eating and so the problem no solve S2: So, is this man from Venus? You just show women from Venus? S1: OK, in Venus, women build a lot of shopping centers or parks, not technology or roads, something like that Moreover, in … ah… women like time a lot beaching (S2: Beach) Patient … The counter they also love beauty and they want the beauty of appearance as well as mood I think that the description … on … the piece of reading reflects myself because I don’t care a lot of money I really appreciate the relationship and I want a person to beside when I have - as well as everything in my life So, and as many women, I also love Putin S3: Men from Mars are many difference from Venus …Yes, they don’t like something belong to emotion Yes, they independently to live with his woman, they dislike some kinds of jobs such as motor racer T: After that we think about these questions Make a note here because it is a very important question S1: If you were a member (of) from opposite sex how would your life be? It is an interesting question If I were the opposite sex, I think that it would be very interesting because I have a chance to explore… explore the opposite sex However, I would meet a lot of difficulties S2: Sorry, I interrupt you Ah, are you… you want to change your characteristic if you were a man? S1: Change my characteristic? S2: Yes, because a woman looks like a … woman from Venus In this question, you are … become opposite sex S1: Ah, I see, I see, I were a man So what is different? 99 S2: Should you change your characteristic as a man from Mars? You still concern about feeling of the other S1: Oh, I see, I think that would I be a change … ah, would change a lot First, I would like something related to science, science technology or something which is strong … active sports Moreover, I would like to set goal and try my best to achieve, then I think one more, I would also learn how to leave inside, don’t share, wouldn’t share anything with other people I will solve every problem myself One more important thing was that was I would learn how to make girls fall until now I have never flirt any more S2: So you, I think you want to be total, Martians… S1: Martians? Total want to … S2: Yes, because I think you want to change all of the characteristics to be a Martian Because men are different from women… S1: Do you think that men must be strong and must and don’t care about feeling of the other? S2: I see that point I think that men have to be strong, because if you strong, you have, you just can protect your partner, your girl, and … S1: I agree that men must be strong But you need to care and take care of and share anything with the other You should not keep inside… S2: You have to know one thing that the brain of men are not as - as women So sometimes men want to really want to share with other people But they won’t how to express it Because… you know… the neutrons in their brain are not active are not as - as women S1: I think that we should… S2: This topic is very interesting but I think we should move to question B S1: Ok To what extent does our society expect men and women to fulfill their roles? I think our society is a traditional society So our society takes as a role… (S2: Men build house, women make home.) Ok, I see I think that men should as a tradition, men go out, and make money and bring their wife to take care of their children and the women should stay at home, take care of family… 100 Group 09E5: 27 students with 25 girls and boys Room: 402 A2 Time: 13.00-14.45, March 07th The first presentation S1: Hi everybody, how are you today? To start my presentation, I will you give you some pictures, and please answer my questions: which kind of transportation you prefer? public transportation or private transportation? Can you explain why? Tan, plz S2: Yes, I prefer private transportation S1: Why? S2: Because it is… I think use them whenever I want and moreover it is not very crowded like buses And I think avoid many … S1: Thank you, my topic today is “why people living I Ha Noi don’t like taking buses” My presentation is divided into three parts: Introduction, body and conclusion As you know in Ha Noi as well as are the … of Vietnam A bus is ….with some people, especially students because it is cheap, convenient and safe However, our people don’t like taking buses because of some reasons Firstly, the service attitude of the assistant driver is not good Some drivers refuse to stop and move very quickly, when passengers…so that the passengers have to get on and get off very quickly or else they have been accident … But still which passengers have to rush to get on it he also admitted rush the bus vibrate or not driver and assistant driver lack of control behavior would miss… event beat the passengers For example, on October 20th , 2011 the 34 bus moved from My Dinh to Gia Lam, the passenger Nguyen Trong Phuc coming from Vinh Phuc took the …and then ask to have been got off However, both driver and assistant driver not only refuse to let him get off but also abused him, beat him and made him….Another example, on the morning of October 29th 2011, the old person Le Phuong Thao, 70 years old took the 18 bus from her house to … 101 The second reason is the bus drivers are disregarding traffic rules Mrs Linh said that the people lose …with the bus because of the fact that the bus violent or breaking the traffic law is very common, especially, the root causing an accident Besides, other ………or using the horn… According to survey, the first six months of 2011 had all 80 accidents nearly 100 … related to the bus According to Nguyen Trong Thong, director of transport… , the first 10 months of 2011, 183 drivers and driver assistants were lay off and turn ……… The third reason is that the qualities of buses are not good Many people stand in overload of the bus, as you can see If you experience on buses you can realize that many people are on the buses the air is stuffy the smell is terrible As the result, you feel very tired and headache when traveling by bus In addition, the number of buses at road is less and poor because of lacking buses at rush hour, many people are late for school or work Apart from some reasons are mentioned above, there are a lot of others reasons, as you can see many drivers don’t know…… Moreover, at the ….there are many tips … To sum up, there are three main reasons First, the service attitude of drivers and assistant drivers is not good The second is the driving bus is disregarding the traffic laws The third reason is the quality of bus is not good You can see, Hanoi …… To solve these problems, I think that department of Hanoi transport must deal with …, improve the quality of buses as well as create the friendly environment for the people using the transportation That is the end of my presentation Thank you and are there any questions? S: In your presentation people in Hanoi don’t like going to somewhere by bus because of the disadvantages of buses I have a question, if the services and the bus quality is improved whether the people in Hanoi like going to somewhere by bus or not? S1: I think if the services and the bus quality is improved, Hanoi residents will like taking by bus I think that 102 S: I don’t think that people are willing to use the public transport S1: Can you explain? S: Because …… Is it something relate to their behavior’s attitude to use this kind of transport I think that even the quality is improved people still use… S1: Actually, this is the problem of habit and people …….I think in future will … because the petrol has increased… I mean the government encourages people using public transportation by …… T: OK, everybody please just think for a moment think of the buses ………….Are they full of passengers? S: Yes T: Very crowed and sometimes over crowded So a lot of people are using them despite the disadvantages of the buses… So, you see,…… more and more people public transport to let’s say reduce traffic jam But you see, …So although a lot of people don’t like going by bus, not others still using the buses …That I just point out Bad behavior of drivers and assistant drivers, I think that in developed countries we…., that why I was very very impressed by the …… But the drivers handles everything that happens on the bus……, and I think the government should address immediately ……They are treated very badly and passengers……., or something like that, just like …….So, of course, because the bus …… But we can deny the advantages of the think that the buses bring to us For example, … OK ( falling intonation), it’s up to you whether to decide to go by bus or not,… any questions? S: Yes, ….I wonder that you think that the bus… S1: I think the most thing when you come to Hanoi, … Thank you very much for your listening and attention The second presentation S2: Hi everyone, before starting my presentation today, I have a question for you Have you had any experience about traffic jam or begging or robbing in Ha Noi? 103 S: Yes, of course, when I went out these days I got stuck in traffic jam I have ever experienced pick pocket problem S1: Thank you We are living in a big city, and I know that everyday we have to cope with a lot of problems such as pollution, traffic jam and …In my presentation today, I am going to talk about some big problems in urban cities My presentation is divided into three parts The first one is brief introduction, the second one is some big problems and the last is conclusion I will start with introduction; nowadays we tend to prefer lives in urban cities because of many opportunities that it bring to them such as job, entertainment, good education, better standard living However, the live in urban cities just full and diseases, it makes people to compete to each other………… So, over population create many worrying problems for our society that includes unemployment, traffic jam, and pollution First of all, unemployment is one of the biggest problems in urban cities The main reason why there are ………because the increase in number of employment to …as the result people …….Besides unemployment is also create consequence in our society Firstly, the standard of living decrease, which leads to the consumer purchasing index and the economics growth of country is degraded Secondly, …such as robbing, begging and addiction…… Unemployed people can go to wrong way…The second problem in urban cities is pollution…There are various kind of problems such as air, water, … In my presentation, I just focus on air pollution ……In urban areas, there are main causes of pollution Firstly, in big cities there are a lot of factories, offices, buildings, The second cause …there are high volume of vehicle like cars, trucks…… So, the effect of air pollution our health is so much Some solution to the situation like… Another problem in urban cities is traffic jam Everyday we can get stuck in the roads The main reason for this situation in urban areas, the first reason is there are many companies and these areas with a large number of employees Another reason is that why traffic becomes more crowded is the bad attitude of riders So to 104 reduce traffic jam we should use more often public transport or walking I think that is necessary to change our habit of driving and one more we should …It will make traffic more improved In conclusion, city lives has attracted people because of its convenient and opportunities so the urban areas has become more and more over population, that creates a lot of worrying problems that I mentioned above That is the all about my presentation today Thank you for listening And now I am very glad to answer any question from you S: ……In your opinion, which problems that is the most serious? S2: I think that in our city, traffic is the most serious problem for us because whenever I go out I got in traffic jam many times T: Any other questions Do you think that the advantages …….? S2: As you know, living in big city has many advantages Can you repeat question? T: Ok You mean there more advantages ….and despite of disadvantages people still prefer living in big cities There in question in mind whether ……… S2: My presentation is about some problems… T: Alright, just change my question ………what is the main reason of each city… ? Just take Ha Noi and HCM city as the example S2: The main reason which makes cities more crowded because of many opportunities that …… T: Let’s say, reason for ………Alright, some of you here are from some towns… would you to come back……… S2: For me, after graduating I will come back my hometown… T: So where are you from? S2: I am from Ha Nam T: OK, so, why you choose to come back to Ha Nam,….? S2: Because I feel living in Ha Noi is too stressful T: Oh , I see… S: I have to face with a lot of problems 105 T: OK ….And you feel confident to come back where you were born I see her point now… Thank you Are there any questions for her? The third presentation S3: It account for 70% of the total population, and may be people come to city because of some advantages Firstly, the big city provides a lot of convenience in transportation and the best services… for example; we can get off the bus to work everyday… Secondly, the city is wonderful to relax, there are a lot of places such as parks, zoos,…Thirdly, in the city people can take a good education because most of famous universities where are equipped many modern facilities gather in big city, so people …… The last of living in big city is that the big city gives us a lot of carrier opportunities As we know that, most of big city are also economical center with many companies, both national and international It means that you can have many chances to get a good job with high salary in the big city, … So, I think that many students want to live and work in big cities after graduating These are some advantages of big city Now, I will tell you some disadvantages of the big city Firstly, actually the transportation is quite good but the traffic is also heavy, so sometimes it may take hours….Secondly, environment pollution is big problem in the big city It really effects on our health As a result of industrialization, many factories and industrial center are building and …Thirdly, city is always closed, population …for example, motorbike …Finally, life in the city is supposed to causes some diseases, especially, stress together with economics development… In conclusion, I would like to say that wherever to live city or countryside, there have both advantage and disadvantage That is my presentation Thanks I am so glad answer your question for me Have you had any question for me? T: Everyone? It is Q& A part Which you prefer living in city or living in the country? 106 S3: In my opinion, when I am young I prefer to live in a city so that I can develop my ability but in the future when I get older, I want to live in countryside to relax T: I see, how will you relax in the country? S3: I think when I am old, I don’t think many problems but it means that I ………… I will have a garden………… T: It is the same way because you can take yourself when you live in the city ……… S3: Because when I young, I really want to show my ability on work When I get old, I think country is suitable for me…… T: Ok, anyway…Are there any questions? S: I think, your presentation is good …….On the other hand, you say traffic is heavy S: I see In my opinion, whatever problems have two sides, advantage and disadvantage Actually, transportation in the city is developing ………… T: Thank you very much for your comment 107 ... Decrrio, J.S (19 93) A lexical phrase dictionary language learners Portland State University Nattinger, J R ( 1980) A Lexical Phrase Grammar for ESL TESOL Quarterly, 14 (3) , 33 7 -34 4 Retrieved 1980... Investigating the usefulness of lexical phrases in contemporary course books ELT Journal, 59(4), 32 2 -33 2 Lewis, M (19 93) The lexical approach: The state of ELT and the way forward Hove, England: Language... importance of lexical phrases in language learning 2 .3 The use of lexical phrases in speaking CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY 12 14 3. 1 Participants 3. 2 Data collection instrument and procedure Data analysis