The application of CLT the gaps between teachers’ theoretical knowledge and practices at bach viet college

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* PHẠM LÊ NỮ TUYẾT NGÂN THE APPLICATION OF CLT: THE GAPS BETWEEN TEACHERS’ THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AT BACH VIET COLLEGE VIỆC ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP GIẢNG DẠY CLT: NHỮNG KHOẢNG CÁCH GIỮA LÝ THUYẾT VÀ THỰC HÀNH CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG BÁCH VIỆT M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* PHẠM LÊ NỮ TUYẾT NGÂN THE APPLICATION OF CLT: THE GAPS BETWEEN TEACHERS’ THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AT BACH VIET COLLEGE VIỆC ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP GIẢNG DẠY CLT: NHỮNG KHOẢNG CÁCH GIỮA LÝ THUYẾT VÀ THỰC HÀNH CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG BÁCH VIỆT M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: PHAN THẾ HƯNG, Ph.D Hanoi, 2014 DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis is my original work No other person‟s work or ideas have been used without acknowledgement Except where I have clearly stated that I have used some of this thesis elsewhere, I have not presented this for assessment in another course or unit at this or any other institution I have retained a copy of this thesis Signed: Date: i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the assistance and support of many individuals I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciation of these people for their invaluable contributions Firstly, I would like to express my warmest gratitude to Dr Phan Thế Hưng, my supervisor, for his instructive suggestions and valuable comments on the writing of this thesis Without his invaluable help and generous encouragement, the present thesis would not have been accomplished Secondly, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to all participants in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Bach Viet College who have made significant contributions to the completion of my thesis Last but not least, my thanks would go to my beloved parents for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these years I also owe my sincere gratitude to my best friend, Đỗ Thị Tuyết Sương, and my classmates who gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of the study In short, I offer my regards and blessing to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of my thesis ii ABSTRACT Since the importance and requirement to communicate in English cannot be declined, in the current trend of improving quality education, many EFL countries in general and Vietnam in particular have changed from traditional grammarbased teaching method into communicative-focused approach However, some studies have reported that there is still a gap between the theory of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and classrooms‟ actual practices The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT, their understandings about CLT and their practices into their classrooms when applying CLT at Bach Viet College (BVC) Besides, this qualitative study also tries to investigate some challenges that prevent these teachers from implementing CLT into English classrooms at BVC iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEFINITION OF TERMS vii Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) vii Communicative Competence vii Teacher‟s theoretical knowledge viii Teacher‟s practices viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix LIST OF TABLES x PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims and Objectives of the study 3 Research Questions .3 Scope of the study .3 Methods .3 Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT .5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Characteristics of CLT .5 1.2 Principles of CLT .6 1.3 Communicative technique in the classroom .7 1.4 Roles of teachers and students in CLT .8 1.4.1 Roles of teachers 1.4.2 Roles of students 1.5 Challenges of implementing CLT in EFL contexts 1.5.1 Challenges related to students 10 1.5.2 Challenges related to teachers 10 1.5.3 Challenges related to educational system 11 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY 13 2.1 Participants and setting of the study .13 iv 2.1.1 Participants .13 2.1.2 Setting of the study 13 2.2 Data collection 13 2.2.1 Data collection instruments .13 2.2.1.1 Questionnaires 13 2.2.1.2 Interviews 14 2.2.1.3 Pilot Period 14 2.2.2 Data collection procedures 15 2.2.3 Data analysis procedures 15 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 17 3.1 Findings 17 3.1.1 Research question 1: What is the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT? 17 3.1.1.1 Theoretical knowledge of CLT and its characteristic .17 3.1.1.2 Theoretical knowledge of activities in CLT .19 3.1.2 Research question 2: Do the teachers‟ understandings towards CLT reflect their actual classroom practices? 19 3.1.3 Research question 3: What are the difficulties that teachers face in adopting CLT at BVC? 21 3.1.3.1 Difficulties related to teachers 22 3.1.3.2 Difficulties related to students 23 3.1.3.3 Difficulties related to educational system 24 3.2 Discussion .26 3.2.1 The gaps between teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT and their practices .26 3.2.2 Difficulties and challenges of implementing CLT in classrooms 27 3.2.2.1 Difficulties and challenges related to teachers 28 3.2.2.2 Difficulties and challenges related to students 29 3.2.2.3 Difficulties and challenges related to educational system 29 v 3.3 Pedagogical implications 30 3.3.1 For teachers 31 3.3.2 For students 31 3.3.3 For educational system 32 PART C: CONCLUSION 34 Conclusions of the study 34 Limitations of the study .35 Suggestions for further study 35 REFERENCES 37 APPENDIX I QUESTIONNAIRE I APPENDIX VII INTERVIEW VII vi DEFINITION OF TERMS Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) According to Richards, et al (1992), CLT is an approach to foreign or second language teaching which emphasizes that the goal of language learning is communicative competence This approach aims at focusing on developing communicative competence among learners Communicative Competence In order to use the language effectively, learners need to develop communicative competence – the ability to use the language they are learning appropriately in a given social setting According to Savigon‟s definition (1972), communicative competence may be defined as the ability to function in a truly communicative setting -that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic competence must adapt itself to the total informational input, both linguistic and paralinguistic, of one or more interlocutors Besides, it is the view of Canale and Swain (1980) that communicative competence includes grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence - Grammatical competence involves knowledge of vocabulary and rules of word formation, pronunciation or spelling and sentence formation which provide the learners with knowledge of how to express utterances accurately - Sociolinguistic competence relates to the ability to use the language properly in social contexts depending on contextual factors such as topic, status of participants, and purpose of the interaction - Discourse competence concerns the ability of how to combine grammatical forms and meanings to achieve a unified spoken or written text - Strategic competence refers to the mastery of communication strategies which enhance the effectiveness of communication or compensate for breakdowns in communication due to limiting factors in actual communication vii In addition, the concept of communicative competence on Batchman‟s study (1990) comprises two main factors which are organizational competence and pragmatic competence While organizational competence refers to grammatical competence and discourse competence, pragmatic competence relates to illocutionary competence and sociolinguistic competence In short, communicative competence is the measurement of learning aptitude of a learner In an attempt to help learners have the best environment to develop communicative ability and master the language, teachers need to be active in implementing communicative approach in order to design lessons which are appropriate to learners‟ level and various classes Teacher’s theoretical knowledge According to Shannon (2007), theoretical knowledge, also known as declarative or propositional knowledge, is knowledge than can be codified or articulated Teacher’s practices According to Oxford Dictionary, the practice is the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it viii PART C: CONCLUSION Conclusions of the study In conclusion, after six months observing and studying, the writer grasped the situation of the teachers at BVC During the time the writer did this thesis, she has read many useful books, articles, etc which are not only to enlarge knowledge of hers, but also to help her have a better writing skill Thanks to the time observing classes, the writer learnt many ways of teaching From that, she also has her own experiences Additionally, the writer has a chance to understand CLT clearly It is obviously different from the time she began doing this thesis She has an objective view of CLT Before she did this thesis, she also had the same mistakes like many teachers that CLT is a method which focuses on Speaking and Listening After doing this thesis, she has a different theory of CLT This approach has much more powerful than what she had thought before English teaching changes by time, and it is designed and innovated to be appropriate In such an opening era, English has become so important for everyone to communicate It is teaching method, not any other tools which can replace the core function in teaching foreign language Therefore, teaching method also becomes essential to help students study more effectively There are many ways, many methods, and many techniques which are employed in teaching English Of all, CLT is one of the approaches which most teachers apply in their classes Due to lack of experience, accurate theory, many teachers have inefficient knowledge of this method Because of some constraints, this approach has been used inadequately and wrongly In general, all the participants have right theoretical knowledge of CLT All of them were well-trained at their universities, so they have good background of all the teaching methods They all know advantages and disadvantages of CLT to learners All of theory they know are from books, and some books are very old Clearly, no one can be sure about their theory Although they know this approach very well, it does not mean that they can apply their theoretical knowledge to their practice They know CLT very well, but they have not had experiences before and they were not even taught 34 by this method while they were at university, therefore their practice often differs from the goals, principles and advantages of CLT From the observation, interview and findings, the researcher realizes the gaps between teachers‟ theoretical knowledge and their actual practices Besides, the researcher also found out several reasons why those teachers face while applying CLT The lack of practice of teachers, incompetence of students and educational system are the main obstacles which prevent CLT application at BVC Limitations of the study The aim of this thesis is to find out the gaps between teachers‟ theoretical knowledge and their practice at BVC After months, the writer collected data and analyzed them and jumped to conclusion that there are some gaps Due to some subjective and objective from teachers, students and educational system, it led to obstacles which prevent teachers from applying CLT However, this thesis is still limited because of two reasons First, the time to implement the thesis was short The writer just had months to read documents, plan the thesis, investigate and write In a short time, the writer had to many jobs, so the result from the thesis is inadequate Second, the survey took place at the end of the school year, so there were just few classes for teachers Hence, the researcher could not interview all teachers at BVC and carry out observation That is the reason why the researcher could not have enough data of many teachers to fulfill the thesis Therefore, the result cannot be complete and sufficient The questionnaire responses may not reflect the teachers‟ actual classroom practices In general, because of time and lack of teachers, this thesis has some limitations and some mistakes, but the researcher hopes they not affect much the result Suggestions for further study This qualitative research provides a foundation for further research on CLT and many other areas related to this teaching approach Because the questionnaire responses may not reflect teachers‟ actual classroom practice, the 35 further research should use the observation instrument to have a close analysis of the gaps between teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT and their practices 36 REFERENCES Bachman, Lyle (1990) Fundamental considerations in language testing Oxford: Oxford University Press Breen, M P., Candlin, C N (1980) The essentials of a communicative curriculum in language teaching Applied Linguistics, 1(2), pp 89-110 Bock, G (2000) Difficulties in implementing Communicative theory in Vietnam, Teacher‟s Edition, (2), pp.24-26 Burns, R B (2000) Introduction to research methods London: Sage Canale M., Swain M (1980) Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing Applied Linguistics, 1(1), pp.1-47 Chau, L., Chung, C 1987 Diploma in education graduates‟ attitude toward communicative language teaching Chinese University Educational Journal, 15, pp.45-51 Ellis, G (1994) The appropriateness of the communicative approach in Vietnam: An interview study in intercultural communication ERIC E-Journal La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia Fang, Z (1996) A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices, Education Research, 38(1), pp.47-65 Harmer, J (1988) The Practice of English Language Teaching New Jersey: Pearson Longman Hu, G (2002) Potential cultural resistance to pedagogical imports: The case of communicative language teaching in China Language, Culture and Curriculum, 15(2), pp 93-105 Jazadi, I (2000), Constrains and Resources for applying Communicative approaches in Indonesia, EA Journal, 18(1), p.35 Karavas-Doukas, E (1996) Using attitude scales to investigate teachers‟ attitudes to the communicative approach, ELT Journal, 50(3), pp.187-198 37 Karim, K M R (2004) Teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and expectations about communicative language teaching (CLT) in post-secondary education in Bangladesh Unpublished master thesis University of Victoria Klipple F (1999), Keep Talking Communication Fluency Activities for Language Teaching, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Kumar, K (1992) Does class size make a difference? - Exploring classroom interaction in large and small classes RELC Journal Vol 23 (1), pp 29-47 Larsen-Freeman, D (1986) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press Lewis, M., McCook, F (2002) Cultures of teaching: voices from Vietnam ELT Journal, Volume 56(2), Oxford University Press Li, D (1998) It‟s always more difficult than you plan and imagine: Teachers‟ perceived difficulties in introducing the communicative approach in South Korea TESOL Quarterly, 32, pp 677-703 Liao, X.Q (2000) Communicative language teaching innovation in China: Difficulties and solutions RELC e –Journal Lightbown, P., Nina, S (2000) How Languages Are Learned Oxford: Oxford University Press Littlewood, W T (1981) Communicative language teaching: An introduction Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Littlewood, W (2007) Communicative and task-based language teaching in East Asian classrooms Language Teaching, 40, pp.243-249 Liu, G.Z (2005) The trend and challenge for teaching EFL at Taiwanese Universities RELC Journal, 36(2), pp.212-221 Mangubhi F., Marland P., Dashwood A., Son J.B (2005) Similarities and differences in teachers‟ and researchers‟ conceptions of communicative language teaching: does the use of an educational model cast a better light Language Teaching Research, 9(1), pp.31-36 38 Marshall, C., & Rossman, G B (1999) Designing qualitative research (3rd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Nauman G (2001), Managing Large Classes, Teacher‟s Edition Nolaso, R & Arthur, L (1988) Large classes London: Macmillan Publishers Nunan, D (1987) Communicative language teaching: making it work ELT Journal, 41(2), pp.136-145 Nunan, D (1989) Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Nunan, D (1991) Language Teaching Methodology New Jersey: Prentice Hall Pramesti V (2010), Improving Students‟ Speaking Competence Through Information Gap (AN Action Research), Muhammadiyah Surakarta University Pham, H H (2007), Communicative language teaching: unity within diversity ELT Journal, 61(3), pp.193-201 Phuoc Ky, Le (2002) Problems, Solutions, and Advantages of Large Classes Teacher‟s Edition, (9), Raths, J., McAninch, A (2003) Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Performance: The Impact of Teacher Education Greenwich: Information Age Publishing Richards, J C., Rogers, T (1986) Approaches and methods in language teaching: A Description and Analysis, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Richard, J C., Platt, J., Platt, H (1992) Dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics Essex, England: Longman Savignon, S (1997) Communicative competence: theory and classroom practice: texts and contexts in second language learning New York: McGraw-Hill Shannon, N B (2007) How school principals learn: The role of theoretical knowledge, experience, and reflection in action in the professional growth of school leaders Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies New York 39 Simpson, J., Weiner, E (1997) Oxford Dictionaries Oxford: Oxford University Press Smith, M (2001) Role of Cultural Identity in Classroom Participation Teacher‟s Edition, (5), pp.28-29 Stephen, W., et al (2006) Observations on undergraduate education in computer science, electrical engineering, and physics at select universities in Vietnam Washington : Vietnam Education Foundation Thompson, G (1996) Some misconceptions about communicative language teaching English Language Teaching Journal, 50(1) Thompson, J (2009) Changing chalk and talk: The reform of teaching methods in Vietnamese higher education The George Washington University Willis, J (1996) A Framework for Task-based Learning Longman 40 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE The purpose of the study is to investigate the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of Communicative Language Teaching These questions are aimed at surveying some information for the thesis and not for other purposes This questionnaire is composed of two parts Part I asks for personal information Part II asks questions pertaining to theoretical knowledge of CLT and the perceived difficulties in implementing CLT as a methodology It will take you 20-30 minutes to complete the questionnaire Your answers will be taken into serious consideration as the primary basic of the success of the researcher Your name will not be used during or after the research Any personal information you provide will remain confidential and known only to the researcher Accurate report from teachers is very important in designing and developing the thesis We appreciate your participation! We value your opinions! Your response will help make a difference! …………………………… I Part I Personal Information: What is your name? : ………………………………………………………… What is your age? a 21 – 29 b 30 – 39 c 40 – 49 d 50 or more What is your gender? a Female b Male What is the highest academic degree you earned? a Bachelor of Arts (BA), b Master of Arts (MA), c Doctorate Degree (PhD), How long have you been engaged in English teaching? - About _years How long have you been teaching English in BVC? - About _years Have you ever taken part in any training courses in ELT, esp CLT? Yes □ No □ ● If Yes, when……………………………………………………………… Where………………………………………………………………………… How long…………………………………………………………………… Comment on the program………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… Part II Questions pertaining to theoretical knowledge of CLT as well as the perceived difficulties in implementing CLT as a methodology In your opinion, what is CLT? Please check what is involved in CLT methodology II Statements True Not true Don’t know CLT is student/learner-centered approach CLT emphasizes fluency over accuracy CLT emphasizes communication in second language (L2) CLT relies heavily on speaking and listening skills 5.CLT requires teachers to have a high proficiency in English CLT involves only group work or pair work CLT requires higher knowledge of the target language culture CLT involves no grammar teaching CLT involves teaching speaking only 10 CLT requires a lot of time to prepare class activities Please check which of the following activities you think as communicative activities  Grammar explanation …  Group discussion…  Describing a picture to a partner  Translation …  Simulation/Role-play…  Reading aloud…  Pronunciation drill…  Games…  Call on students to orally respond to any issue/question… III  Reading and reciting dialogue… 10 Here are some of obstacles of implementing CLT in EFL contexts Do you think they might be difficulties for you in applying CLT in BVC? How might you evaluate the challenges below? Difficulties & Challenges of CLT in Major implementing CLT challenge Not a Challenge challenge at all Teachers‟ proficiency in spoken English is not sufficient Teachers lack the knowledge about the appropriate use of language in context Teachers lack the knowledge about the target Teachers language (English) culture There are few opportunities for teachers to get CLT training Teachers have little time to develop materials for communicative classes Teachers have misconceptions about CLT Students have low-level English proficiency Students Students have a passive style of learning IV Students resist participating in communicative class activities Students lack motivation for developing communicative competence There is a lack of enough support from administration 2.Teachers lack authentic materials such as newspapers, magazines, movies etc Educational System Traditional view on teachers‟ and learners‟ role is not compatible with CLT Classes are too large for the effective use of CLT Grammar-based exams have negative impact on the use of CLT Answer the following questions in your views Please give as many details as possible 11 What are potential problems and difficulties that you might encounter in adopting CLT in BVC? 12 In your opinion, how important are the communicative activities in learning English as a whole? V 13 What is your viewpoint about students‟ participation in CLT classroom activities in BVC? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Do you often interfere when your students are practicing any communicative activities? If yes, why? 15 Do you often correct students immediately when they make errors? Please give a clear explanation 16 During your teaching process in class, what you lay more stress on? Please indicate by giving a scale from to (8: highest) Explaining grammar rules Listening Speaking Reading Writing Games Explaining course books Translation into L1 17 How often you engage students in communicative activities? Please check one Always□ Usually □ Sometimes □ Rarely □ Never □ 18 How many students are there usually in your class? Thanks for your help! VI APPENDIX INTERVIEW What you think about CLT? Define it in your words How you feel about using CLT in your classes? What can CLT contribute to English teaching in BVC in particular and in Vietnam in general? In your view, which skills is CLT applied most to? Explain your answer Which activities you prefer to use in your classes? Why? Please list any other potential problems and difficulties you might encounter in adopting CLT in teaching Do you think those difficulties can be overcome? If No, how and to what extent? Do you have any suggestions about the implementation and practice of CLT method in BVC? Please comment VII ... whether there is a connection between the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT and their practices or not To find out some reasons for the gaps between the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT and. .. purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT, their understandings about CLT and their practices into their classrooms when applying CLT at Bach Viet College (BVC)... knowledge of CLT and their practices in FFL at BVC, while the specific objectives of the study in this research are: To find out the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT To investigate whether