Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on using authentic materials in teaching english a survey at ha nam teachers’ training college”

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES *************** PHÙNG THỊ HUYỀN TEACHERS’AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ENGLISH: A SURVEY AT HA NAM TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ SINH VIÊN VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG NGỮ LIỆU NGUYÊN GỐC TRONG VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH: MỘT KHẢO SÁT TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI - 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************** PHÙNG THỊ HUYỀN TEACHERS’AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN TEACHING ENGLISH: A SURVEY AT HA NAM TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN VÀ SINH VIÊN VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG NGỮ LIỆU NGUYÊN GỐC TRONG VIỆC GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH: MỘT KHẢO SÁT TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Lê Văn Canh HANOI - 2017 DECLARATION I declare that the thesis entitled “Teachers‟ and students‟ perspectives on using authentic materials in teaching English: A survey at Ha Nam Teachers‟ Training College” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, and that this thesis has not been submitted for any other degree Hanoi,2017 Phùng Thị Huyền i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The study could not have been fulfilled without the help, encouragement and support of a number of people First and foremost, I am thankful to to my supervisor, Dr Lê Văn Canh for his never – ending support and valuable guidance during this process Without his continual interest and encouragement, this thesis would not have been completed Second, I would like to take the chance to express my great attitude to our teachers at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of Vietnam National University, University of Languages and International Studies for providing with the precious knowledge from their practical and helpful lectures Besides, I greatly appreciate my colleagues and the participants in my research because of their generosity in giving me time and suggestion Finally, I wish to thank my families, without whose love and support this study could hardly become a reality ii ABSTRACT This study provides an overview of the current literature and a survey of teachers’ and students’ perspectives on using authentic materials This paper mainly aims to (1) explore teachers’ perceptions towards the advantages and challenges of the use of authentic materials, (2) explore students’ perceptions towards the use of authentic materials, and (3) investigate the difference between learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on authentic materials There were 93 students and 11 teachers participating in the study Findings from the descriptive statistics and content analysis were analyzed based on the questionnaire and semi- structured interview The results of the study suggested that the general perspectives of the participants on authentic materials were strongly positive The study concludes with some implications for classroom use and further research iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration ……………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgements …………………………………………………… ii Abstract ………………………………………………………………… iii Table of contents ……………………………………………………… iv Lists of abbreviations …………………………………………………… v List of tables …………………………………………………………… vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale ………………………………………………………………… 1.2 Objectives of the research………………………………………… 1.3 Research questions………………………………………………… 10 1.4 Organization of the study…………………………………………… 10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition: What are authentic materials? 12 2.2 Advantages of using authentic materials in teaching English 14 2.2.1 Developing language skills……………………………………… 14 2.2.2 Exposing learners to real language ……………………………… 16 2.2.3 Motivations ……………………………………………………… 17 2.2.4 Developing intercultural communicative competence…………… 18 2.3 Challenges of using authentic materials in teaching English 2.4 Teachers’and students’ perspectives toward authentic materials………………………………………………………………… 2.5 Previous studies…………………………………………………… 19 20 23 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Participants ………………………………………………………… 26 3.2 Instruments ………………………………………………………… 26 iv 3.2.1 Questionaires ……………………………………………………… 26 3.2.2 Semi-structured Interviews ……………………………………… 27 3.3 Questionaire Validation 27 3.3.1 Cronbach alpha …………………………………………………… 27 3.3.2 The reliability of students‟ questionnaire ………………………… 28 3.4 Data collection …………………………………………………… 29 3.5 Data Analysis ……………………………………………………… 29 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 Results …………………………………………………………… 30 4.1.1 The results of students’ questionnaire ………………………… 30 4.1.1 Students‟ perspectives on the benefits of using authentic material 4.1.1 Students‟ perspectives on the challenges of using authentic materials………………………………………………………………… 30 31 4.1.1.3 Students‟ perspectives on how to use authentic materials 32 4.2 Interview results 33 4.2.1 Teachers‟ interviews …………………………………………… 33 4.2.2 Students’ interviews ……………………………………………… 41 4.3 Discussions ………………………………………………………… 44 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS 5.1 Conclusions ……………………………………………………… 48 5.2 Implications for classroom use of authentic materials ………… 49 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further study ……………… 51 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………… 52 APPENDICES ………………………………………………………… v I LISTS OF TABLES Table 1: Rules of thumb for Cronbach Alpha Table 2: Cronbach alpha‟s students‟questionaire Table 3: Students‟ questionnaire‟s Corrected Item-Total Correlation Table 4: Students‟ perspectives on the benefits of using authentic materials Table 5: Students‟ perspectives on the challenges of using authentic materials Table 6: Students‟ perspectives on how to use authentic materials vi LIST OF ABBRIVIATION EFL : English as Foreign Language HTTC: Ha Nam Teachers‟ Training College vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the rationale, objectives, research questions, scope, and methods of the study Also, it presents the structure of the study 1.1 Rationale Teaching materials play an important role in teaching learning process According to Grave (2000), using materials is identified as one of the most important aspects in designing a language course For this reason, teachers rely on a different range of materials to support their teaching and their students learning There has been considerable discussion about the use of authentic materials and demand for authentic material is getting stronger Authentic materials have proved useful in fulfilling the goal of communication of learning foreign languages and the needs of the students In addition, these materials facilitate and support the teaching-learning process Epstein & Ormiston (2007) believe that a teaching material is a tangible factor which a teacher can use to deliver instruction and assist students in learning and acquiring a language It is believed that using authentic materials correspond the mastery of four skills, make students to produce grammatical sentences and enable students to function the language effectively in appropriate context and society Harmer (1991) states that, despite many textbooks‟ use of non-authentic materials to practice specific language points, only authentic materials will genuinely improve listening and reading skills Similarly, Allen et al (1988, as cited in Baird, 2004) maintain that the strategies students develop in comprehending authentic texts can help them develop writing proficiency in the target language REFERENCES Adams, T (1995) What makes materials authentic? ERIC Documen Reproduction Service No ED 391389 Allen, E D., Bernhardt, E B., Berry, M.T., & Demel, M (1988) Comprehension and text genre: An analysis of secondary school foreign language readers The Modern Language Journal, 72(2), 163-172 Bacon, S M., & Finneman, M D (1990) A study of the attitudes, motives, and strategies of university foreign language students and their disposition to authentic oral and written input The Modern Language Journal, 74(4), 459-473 Bacon, S., & Finneman, M (1990) A study of attitudes, motives, and strategies of university foreign language students and their disposition to authentic oral and written input Modern Language Journal, 74(4), 459-73 Baird, K., & Redmond, M (2004) The Use of Authentic materials in K12 French Program Winston-Salem, NC: Wake Forest University, : Department of Education Breen, M (1983) Authenticity in the language classroom Applied Linguistics 6/1, 60-70 Brinton, D.M (1991) The use of media in language teaching Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers Brown, S R (2001) Structural and functional information: A cautionary note to Fernandes and Simon Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for the Policy Sciences 52 Byrd, P (1997) Grammar from context: rethink the teaching of grammar at various Proficiency levels The Language Teacher Online: The Japan Association for Language Teaching Journal, 21(12), 169-189 10.Chavez, M M Th (1994) Learner‟s perspectives on authenticity, 1-33 The Annual Meeting of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 1-33 11 Cruz, J.H.R (2010).The role of literature and culture in English language teaching art09.html http://www.relinguistica.aza.uam.mx/no007/no07 (accessed 8/11/2011) 12.Day, R.D., & Bamford, J (1998) The cult of authenticity and the myth of simplification In Extensive reading in the second language classroom (pp.53–63) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 13.Day, R R and J Bamford (1998) Extensive reading in the second language classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 14.Duquette, G., Dunnett, S., & Papalia, A (1987) The effect of authentic materials in acquiring a second language Canadian Modern Language Review, 43(4), 479-492 15.Devitt, S., D Little and D Singleton 1988 Authentic texts in foreign language teaching: theory and practice Dublin: Authentic language learning resources Ltd 16.Do, Thi Thanh Tra (2011) “Using authentic materials to motivate second year English major students at Tay Bac University during speaking lessons,” Academic Network for Development in Asia Conference 53 17.Dumitrescu, V Implementation (2000) Authentic Materials: Selection and in Exercise Language Training, 38(2): 20-23 18.Duquette, G., Dunnett, S., & Papalia, A (1987) The effect of authentic materials in acquiring a second language The Canadian Modern Language Review, 43(3), 479-492 19.Epstein, R., & Ormiston, M (2007) Tool and Tips for Using ELT Materials: A Guide for Teachers MI: University of Michigan 20.Gardner, G., & Miller, L Establishing self-access: From theory to practice Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1999 Print 21.Gebhard, Jerry G (2006) Teaching English as foreign or second language A self – development and Methodology Guide (Second edition) The United States of American 22.Gilmore, A (2004) A comparison of textbook and authentic interactions ELT Journal, 58(4), 363-374 23 Gilmore, A.(2007) Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning Language Teaching, 40(2) 24.Grave, K (2000) Developing materials Designing language courses: a guide for teachers Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle 25.Grundy, P (1993) Newspapers Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 26.Guariento, W., & Morley, J (2001) Text and Task Authenticity in the EFL Classroom ELT Journal, 55(4), 347-353 27 Guo, S (2012) Using authentic materials for extensive reading to promote English proficiency In English Language Teaching Retrieved November 25, 2012 28 Harmer, J (1991) The Practice of English Language Teaching London/New York 54 29 Harmer, Jeremy 2001 The practice of English language teaching London: Longman 30 Hendel, D D., & Harrold, R D (2004) Undergraduate student leisure interests over three decades College Students Journal, 38(4), 557-568 31 Herron, C A., & Seay, I (1991) The effect of authentic oral texts on student listening comprehension in the foreign language classroom Foreign Language Annals, 24(6), 487-495 32 Hyland, K (2003) Second Language Writing: Cambridge University Press 33.Jacobson, E., Degener, S., & Purcell-Gates, V (2003) Creating Authentic Materials and Activities for the Adult Literacy Classroom: a handbook for Practitioners NCSALL 33 Joiner, E G., Adkins, P B., & Eykyn, L B (1989) Skimming and scanning with champs-elysees: using authentic materials to improve foreign language listening The French Review, 62(3), 427-435 34.Kelly, C., Kelly, L., Offner, M., &Vorland, B (2002) Effective ways to use authentic materials with ESL/EFL students The Internet TESL Journal, 8(11), 1-5 35.Kim, D (2000) A qualitative approach to the authenticity in the foreign language classroom: A study of university students learning English in Korea Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, 5(1), 189-205 36.Kilickaya, F (2004) Authentic materials and cultural content in EFL classrooms The Internet TESL Journal, 10(7) 55 37.Kramsch, C (1989) Media materials in the language class Contemporary French Civilization, 13(2), 325-345 38.Kramsch, C (1998) Language and Culture (Vol.3) Oxford: Oxford University Press 39 Martinez, A (2002) Authentic materials: An overview Karen's linguistic Issues 40.Maingay, S M (1980) Selection and grading of authentic material for the reading class English Language Teaching Journal, 34(3), 217- 221 41.McDonough, J., & Shaw, CH (2003) Materials and methods in ELT UK: Blackwell Publishing 42 McNeill, A (1994, April) What makes authentic materials different? The case of English language materials for educational television Papers presented at the Annual International Language in Education Conference, Hong Kong 43 Melvin, B.S and Stout, D.S (1987) Motivating language learners through authentic materials In W Rivers (ed.) Interactive Lan- guage Teaching New York: Cambridge University Press, 44-56 44 Miché, M (2002) Weaving Music into Young Minds Albany, NY: Delmar 45.Miller, M (2005) Improving aural comprehension skills in EFL, using authentic materials: an experiment with university students in Nigata, Japan Unpublished Masteral thesis, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK 46.Morley, J (2001) Aural comprehension instruction: Principles and practices In Celce- Murcia, M (Eds.), Teaching English as a second language (pp 69-85) Boston: Heinle & Heinle 56 47.Morrison, B (1989) Using news broadcasts for authentic listening comprehension English Language Teaching Journal, 43(1), 217221 48.Moya, L M (2000) Using authentic materials in the foreign language classroom to meet the needs of sojourners 49.Nunan, D (1989) Designing tasks for the communicative classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 50.Nuttall, C (1996) Teaching Reading Skills in a foreign language (New Edition) Oxford, Heinemann 51.Nuttall, C (1996) Teaching Reading Skills in a foreign Language Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann 52.Lee, W (1995) Authenticity revisited: text authenticity and learner authenticity ELT Journal, 49(4), 323-328 53 Little, D., Devitt, S., & Singleton, D (1988) Authentic texts in foreign language teaching: theory and practice Dublin: Authentik 54 Richard, J.C (2001) Curriculum Development in LanguageTeaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 55 Richard R Day, R R D (2004) A critical look at authentic materials The Journal of Asia TEFL, 1(1), 101-114 56 Opp-Beckman, L (2003) Shaping the Way We Teach English: Module Using & Adapting Authentic Materials Retrieved August 12, 2013, from http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching 57 Otte, J (2006) Real language to real people: A descriptive and exploratory case study of the outcomes of aural authentic texts on the listening comprehension of adult ESL students enrolled in an 57 advanced ESL listening course International, 67(4), 1246B Dissertation Abstracts (UMI No 3212979) 58 Peacock, M (1997) The effect of authentic materials on the motivation of EFL learners ELT Journal, 51(2), 144-156 59.Pitcher, S M., Albright, L K., Delaney, C J., Walter, N T., Seunarinesingh, K., Mogge, S., Headley, K.,Ridgeway, V., Peck, S., Hunt, R., & Dunston, P (2007) Assessing adolescent‟s motivation to read Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(5), 378-396 60.Sanderson,S.(1999) Using Newspapers in the Classrooms Cambidge: Cambridge University Press 61 Schmidt, T (1994) Authenticity in ESL: A study of requests Unpublished Masteral thesis, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62 Schön, D., Maud, B., Sylvain, M., Mireille, B., Isabelle, P., & Régine, K (2008) Songs as an aid for language acquisition Cognition, 106: 5-83 63.Shepherd, S (2006) Using authentic materials British Council teaching English, BBC World Service, Bush House, 10 Spring Gardens: UK: London 64.Soliman, E M (2013) Libyan teachers: Attitudes and Believes Regarding the Use of EFL Authentic Materials within Reading Lessons at Universities Levels in Libya International Journal of Learning and Development, 3(5), Pages-121 65 Spelleri, M (2002) From lessons to life: Authentic materials bridge the gap ESL Magazine, 2, 35-39 58 66 Su, S C (2007) Attitudes of students and instructors toward textbookbased language skills and authentic materials in selected adult English as a second language programs ProQuest 67.Teeler, D., & Gray, P (2000) How to use the Internet in ELT Harlow, Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited 68.Thanajaro, M (2000) Using authentic materials to develop listening comprehension in the English as a foreign language classroom Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 69.Tomlinson, B (2012) Materials development for language learning and teaching Language Teaching, 45(2), 143-179 70.Ur, P (1984) Teaching listening comprehension New York : Cambridge University Press 71.Wong, V., Kwok, P., & Choi, N (1995) "The use of authentic materials at tertiary level" ELT Journal, 49 (4) 318-322 59 APPENDICES APPENDIX STUDENTS’ QUESTIONAIRE This questionnaire is designed to help me completely my thesis on “Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on using authentic materials in teaching English: A survey at Ha Nam Teachers’ Training College” Your opinions would be very valuable to the methodology research and improvement in the teaching and learning English You can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data (English Version) Authentic materials are texts produced by native speakers for nonteaching purposes These materials reflect the real world language Such materials include TV commercials, films, news items, weather forecasts, radio talks, interviews, articles, train timetables, advertisements, brochures, and application forms Please put a cross (√) in the column that best shows your level of agreement and disagreement No Statements Using authentic material helps students understand how English is used in real life Using authentic materials helps students to be aware the differences between English in the textbook and English in the real life The content of authentic materials is motivating to the students The cultural content in authentic materials is interesting There are so many unknown words in Strong Disagree Disagree I Agree Strong Agree authentic materials The language in authentic materials is too difficult for students to understand Authentic materials are good only for students whose English is good Authentic materials are effective only if teachers know how to design appropriate tasks Authentic materials are not necessary because there is no time for students to use them 10 Students should be encouraged to bring authentic materials into the classroom to share with other classmates THANK YOU VERY MUCH! II CÂU HỎI KHẢO SÁT (Bản Tiếng Việt) Đánh dấu (√) vào cột thể mức độ đồng ý không đồng ý bạn nhận định Hồn tồn khơng đồng ý Stt Nhận định Việc sử dụng ngữ liệu nguyên gốc giúp học sinh hiểu cách Tiếng Anh sử dụng thực tế đời sống Việc sử dụng ngữ liệu nguyên gốc giúp học sinh nhận thức khác biệt Tiếng Anh sách giáo khoa Tiếng Anh đời thực Nội dung ngữ liệu nguyên gốc có tính chất thúc đẩy tới học sinh Nội dung văn hóa ngữ liệu ngun gốc thú vị Có nhiều từ chưa biết ngữ liệu nguyên gốc Ngôn ngữ ngữ liệu nguyên gốc khó cho học sinh hiểu Ngữ liệu nguyên gốc tốt cho học sinh có trình độ tiếng Anh tốt Ngữ liệu nguyên gốc có hiệu giáo viên biết làm để thiết kế nhiệm vụ thích hợp Ngữ liệu ngun gốc khơng cần thiết khơng có thời gian dành cho học sinh để sử dụng chúng 10 Học sinh cần khuyến khích mang theo ngữ liệu nguyên gốc vào lớp học để chia sẻ với bạn lớp khác Không đồng ý Xin chân thành cảm ơn! III Đồng ý Hoàn toàn đồng ý APPENDIX QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING TEACHERS What are the reasons for your using or not using authentic materials? How often you use authentic materials? In your opinion, what kinds of materials are considered as authentic materials? Can you give some examples? If you have used authentic materials in your teaching, what you think are the benefits to the students? Give examples? What are the challenges of using authentic materials in the classroom? Give examples? Can you suggest how to use authentic materials effectively from your experience? IV APPENDIX QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING STUDENTS What are the reasons for your using or not using authentic materials? In your opinion, what kinds of materials are considered as authentic materials? Can you give some examples? If you have used authentic materials in learning English, what you think are the benefits to your learning? Give examples? What are the challenges of using authentic materials in the classroom? Give examples? Can you suggest how to use authentic materials effectively from your experience? V APPENDIX QUESTIONAIRE VALIDATION Reliability Statistics Cronbach's N of Items Alpha 714 10 Item-Total Statistics Scale Mean Scale Corrected Item- Cronbach's if Item Variance if Total Alpha if Item Deleted Item Deleted Correlation Deleted Using authentic material helps students understand how English is used 24.97 12.735 422 686 25.02 12.945 323 700 25.14 12.650 363 694 25.08 12.533 328 700 25.86 12.386 375 692 25.03 12.384 437 682 25.62 11.843 334 705 25.15 11.537 512 666 26.79 13.528 311 702 25.20 12.643 368 693 in real life Using authentic materials helps students to be aware the differences between English in the textbook and English in the real life The content of authentic materials is motivating to the students The cultural content in authentic materials is interesting There are so many unknown words in authentic materials The language in authentic materials is too difficult for students to understand Authentic materials are good only for students whose English is good Authentic materials are good only if teachers know how to design appropriate tasks Authentic materials are not necessary because there is no time for students to use them 10 Students should be encouraged to bring authentic materials into the classroom to share with other classmates VI APPENDIX STUDENTS’QUESTIONAIRE RESULT Statements Using authentic material helps students understand how English is used in real life Using authentic materials helps students to be aware the differences between English in the textbook and English in the real life The content of authentic materials is motivating to the students The cultural content in authentic materials is interesting There are so many unknown words in authentic materials The language in authentic materials is too difficult for students to understand Authentic materials are good only for students whose English is good Authentic materials are good only if teachers know how to design appropriate tasks Authentic materials are not necessary because there is no time for students to use them 10 Students should be encouraged to bring authentic materials into the classroom to share with other classmates Strong Disagree Freq % Disagree Agree Freq % Freq % Strong Agree Freq % Mean Sd 1.1 6.5 55 59.1 31 33.3 3.25 620 1.1 11 11.8 50 53.8 31 33.3 3.19 680 0.0 20 21.7 46 50.0 26 28.3 3.07 708 4.3 12 12.9 46 49.5 31 33.3 2.34 759 9.7 50 53.8 27 29.0 7.5 3.18 691 2.2 9.7 52 55.9 30 32.3 3.12 792 12 12.9 36 38.7 25 26.9 20 21.5 2.57 971 3.2 18 19.4 43 46.2 29 31.2 3.05 799 56 60.2 36 38.7 1.1 0.0 1.41 516 2.2 16 17.2 53 57.0 22 23.7 3.02 707 VII ... communication Incorporating authentic materials in teaching a foreign language offers more than linguistic advantages Scholars argue for the motivating power of authentic materials McNeil (1994) and. .. existence of some disadvantages, the advantages of authentic materials are more than disadvantages Using authentic materials in language classes will bring lively educational atmospheres and would return... their teaching and their students learning There has been considerable discussion about the use of authentic materials and demand for authentic material is getting stronger Authentic materials have