The feasibility of integrated approach in English language teaching at Maritime College No.1, Haiphong = Tính khả thi của phương pháp tích hợp trong giản.PDF

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN DUY LỢI THE FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ENGLISH L

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN DUY LỢI

THE FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AT MARITIME

COLLEGE No.1, HAI PHONG

(TÍNH KHẢ THI CỦA PHƯƠNG PHÁP TÍCH HỢP TRONG GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG HÀNG HẢI 1, HẢI

PHÒNG)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

HÀ NỘI, 2011

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN DUY LỢI

THE FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AT MARITIME

COLLEGE No.1, HAI PHONG

(TÍNH KHẢ THI CỦA PHƯƠNG PHÁP TÍCH HỢP TRONG GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG HÀNG HẢI 1, HẢI

PHÒNG)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10

Supervisor : Dr Dương Thị Nụ

HÀ NỘI, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND CHARTS vii

5 Significance of the study 3

1.1 Integrated-skills approach 5 1.1.1 Definitions 5 1.1.2 Types of Integration 6 1.1.2.1 Integration of three areas 6 1.1.2.2 Integration of skills 7 1.1.3 The advantages of integrated approach 8

1.1.4 An integrated approach to teaching reading 9 1.1.5 The disadvantages of integrated approach 10 1.2 The statement of the problems 11 1.2.1 Teachers' background 11

1.2.2 Students’ background 12 1.2.3 The current situation of English language teaching

and learning at Maritime College

13

1.2.3.1 The teaching situation 13 1.2.3.2 The learning situation 13

2.1.1 Research questions 14

2.1.2 The participants 14 2.1.3 The instruments 14

2.1.3.1 Survey questionnaires 14 2.1.3.2 Class observation 15

2.1.3.3 Informal interview 16

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 19 3.1 Teacher survey questionnaire 19

3.1.1 Teachers’ perceptions of feasibility of Integration of skills to Reading at Maritime College

19

3.1.2 Advantages of Integrated Approach 22 3.1.3 Disadvantages of Integrated Approach 23 3.2 Class observation 28 3.3 Informal interview 28

3.5 Recommendations and suggestions 30 3.6 Sample lesson plans with integrated approach 32

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

In this paper I would like to give an overview of maritime English teaching at the Maritime College No 1, Hai Phong, addressing some advantages and disadvantages of integration of four skills to Reading and providing suggestions on how to improve the communicative skills in maritime English teaching at Maritime College

For all these reasons above, a thesis named: “THE FEASIBILITY OF

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

AT MARITIME COLLEGE No 1, HAI PHONG” has been fostered and conducted

2 Aims and objectives

The study is an attempt to meet two aims It not only points to the advantages and disadvantages of integrated-skills teaching at MC but also to provide guidance and suggestions in applying the method with the purpose of teaching improvement

3 Research methods

In this section, the author provided the description of the instruments for collecting data that were used and also highlighted the strengths and weakness

of the research methods chosen

4 Scope of the study

As mentioned in the research’s title, the research is aiming at an investigation on the suitability of integrated-skills method at MC

5 Significance of the study

Being one of two colleges in Vietnam specializing in Maritime industry,

MC has played a very important role in providing Maritime English lectures and labour forces for the nation

6 Design of the study

PART I: INTRODUCTION provides the basic information such as the aims, the scope, and significance of the study

PART II: DEVELOPMENT contains of 3 chapters

Chapter 1: Literature Review justifies the literature on integrated teaching

approach, categories of integration, the advantages and disadvantages of this method and especially the statement of the problems whose background of teachers and students are given clearly with the application of this method at the school

Chapter 2: Research Methodology focus on the methodology employed in this

study, including the methodology, the participants, the instruments for data collection

Chapter 3: Findings and Discussions are reported

PART III: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS presents a review of the research and the recommendations for the improvement of the material with selected suggestions for further research

PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

The process of the literature review involves the researcher in exploring the literature to establish the status quo, formulate a problem or research enquiry, define the value of pursuing the line of enquiry established, and compared the findings and ideas with his or her own (Andresen 1997, adapted from Bruce 1994)

1.1 Integrated teaching approach

1.1.1 Definitions

The philosophy of integrated skills approach is based on the concept that

in natural, day-to-day experience, oral and written languages are not kept separate and isolated from one another Instead, they often occur together, integrated in specific communication events (Peregoy & Boyle, 2001)

Cunningsworth states that “In the actual language use, one skill is rarely used in isolation Numerous communicative situations in real life involve integrating two or more of the four skills The user of the language exercises

his abilities in two or more skills, either simultaneously or in close succession.”

(1984, p.46)

Similarly, Hersan points out that “nowadays, communication is the

major aim for learning a foreign language In daily life, these skills are seen in

integration, for example, after reading a letter, usually an answer to this letter is

written So in the classroom the activities should be taught in integration in

order to arrive at ease in communication.” (1998, p 22)

1.2.2 Types of Integration

The concepts of integration are separated into two as in the chart below:

Figure 1: Classification of integration (Meltem Huri, 2010)

1.2.2.1 Integration of three areas Grammatical Integration

Most of the course books apply this type of integration There is no

topical/thematic unity among the skills activities, but they reinforce the same

grammatical item Therefore, one/a unit of the course book is completely

centred on items such as tenses, articles, adverbial forms and so on with its

skills activities

This type of integrated unit in a book can be confused with a wholly

grammar-based unit The difference between a wholly grammatical unit and a

grammatically integrated unit is that while the former one ignores the

communicative value of language, the second one recognizes it by using

Integration of 3 areas

Integration of skills

INTEGRATION

Grammar

Language functions Topics/themes

Reading Writing Listening Speaking

different skills communicatively, focusing on a grammatical item

Skills activities might be presented in different topics and settings but focusing on only one grammatical item and without logical links among them

Functional Integration

It focuses on gathering and using skills in an organization around one social functions of language

Thematic/Topical Integration

In this type of integration, skills are practiced in conjunction with each other around a topic in the way they are integrated in real life If there is a context, and skills activities are not isolated from this context, there thought to

be a topical unity among activities Whenever the writers have examined the course books for the integration of skills, this is the only type of integration the course books seem to cover under the title of “Integration of Four Skills”

1.2.2.2 Integration of skills

The integration of skills is a combination of four language skills including Listening, Speaking, Writing and Reading is the most important task for teachers

1.2.3 The advantages of integrated approach

To summarize, using an integrated skills approach enables students to develop their ability in the use of two or more of the four skills within real context and in a communicative framework

1.2.4 An integrated approach to teaching reading

1 When analyzed, there is a large overlap among the component skills of the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing

2 In real-life communication, there is a frequent alternation between receptive and productive activities

3 People have differences in their ability to learn through the ear, the eye and muscular movement

4 If something is taken in through more than one channel, it is more likely to

be learned well

5 Students even of the same age, sex and cultural background are often not interested in the same thing (1981, p 93)

1.2.5 The disadvantages of integrated approach

In conclusion, the teacher should incorporate opportunities throughout the learning process for students to develop their own language skills by responding verbally as they read, write, and learn in English

1.3 The statement of the problems

The teaching staffs have been known to be the key to success of traditional teaching and learning at Maritime College No.1 At the college, there are 23 teachers of English Fourteen out of 23 had the full-time training in English teaching course at the University

1.3.2 Students' background

Students are selected through an entrance examination for college level

As for other levels such as secondary and vocational students, these procedures are determined via documents assessments

1.3.2 The current situation of English language teaching and learning at Maritime College

1.3.2.1.1 The teaching situation

College students have to learn five terms out of six terms within their courses whereas the others have to learn three terms out of four There are two types of course book used at Maritime College

1.3.2.2 The learning situation

Students study at three main departments at Maritime College These are Engine Department, Navigation Department, and Electro-Mechanical Department

1.4 Summary

Chapter one has presented the definition, roles of integration of four skills teaching method as well as the advantages and disadvantages that need to

be taken to be account

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1 Methodology

This Chapter describes how to collect information using a set of tools including survey questionnaire, class observation, and informal interviews

2.1.1 Research questions

To fulfil the aims mentioned above, the research addresses the following questions:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using integrated approach

at Maritime College No.1, Hai Phong?

2.1.2 The participants

The study investigates the feasibility of applying integrated approach of twenty three (23) teachers in Maritime College No 1, Haiphong

2.1.3 The instruments

A combination of different methods is used to collect various sources of data

2 1.3.1 Survey questionnaires

Interviewing can be a complicated business as far as finding mutually convenient times is concerned

The researcher made use a set of survey questionnaires including closed and open-ended questions to cover all belief of teachers and suggestions serving for the improvement of the current learning and teaching situation

2 1.3.2 Classroom observation

2 1.3.3 Informal interviews

Hopkins (cited in McDonough & McDonoug, 1997) lists three applications of interviews in classroom research

2.2 Data analysis

The research is expected to achieve the main following contents:

+ Teachers’ perceptions of feasibility of Integration of skills to Reading at Maritime College;

+ Advantages of Integrated Approach;

+ Disadvantages of Integrated Approach;

+ Feasibility of Integrated Approach, Recommendations and suggestions

2.4 Summary

A discussion of data collection instruments have been conducted in this chapter It also described the participants, the methodology used and data

analysis

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

In the closing chapter, the author integrates and summarizes briefly all

of the preceding chapters

3.1 Teacher survey questionnaire

The teacher survey questionnaires were completely fulfilled by 22

teachers out of 23 teachers who have been teaching English at Maritime

College

3.1.1 Teachers’ perceptions of feasibility of Integration of skills to Reading at Maritime College

These figures show that the integrated approach has been popular and similar with MC teachers Specifically, what are their clear ideas on the integration method would be discovered by the following questions in the Questionnaires

as given

Chart 1: Teachers’ current language teaching approaches at MC

Chart 2: Appropriateness of the integrated Approaches

According to the Figure, 80% of teachers agreed that integrated approach is appropriate to apply at Maritime College No 1 in current situation The teachers themselves did not know how to apply the methods effectively

Chart 3: Priority in Language Teaching

This method required students to be more active as they had to enrich the prior knowledge before they came to class

Chart 4: Definition of Integrated Approaches

In general, the author and almost teachers at MC have the same belief of the integration method aiming to study with perspectives of combination of four language skills in a unit lesson

3.1.2 Advantages of Integrated Approach

There were, according to the Table 1, two significant trends on teachers' ideas on the advantages of integrated approach can bring about in the belief of teachers

Table 1: Advantages of Integrated Approach

1 Help students develop four language skills 75%

2 Students are flexible to cope with various communicative situations

in real life context

80%

3 Interaction between teachers and students reaches at high level of effectiveness

40%

4 Exposes students to authentic language and challenges them to interact naturally in the language

45%

5 Be able to assess the overall language competence of students 85%

6 Make the lessons less boring by applying various skills in a lesson 90%

7 Be flexible for teachers to concentrate on the areas he/she wants 50%

8 Teachers feel free to provide more practical experience and learning materials to support the lesson

90%

9 Be easy for both teachers and learners and within the capabilities of all teachers

55%

10 Teachers are flexible to create suitable learning environment/atmosphere

80%