A survey on parent'''''''' attiudes towards their children''''''''s learning English at the primary school. M.A. Thesis Linguisitcs: 60 14 01 11Acknowledgements

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC ANH A SURVEY ON PARENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEIR CHILDREN’S LEARNING ENGLISH AT THE PRIMARY SCHOOL (Khảo sát thái độ phụ huynh việc học Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.01.11 HANOI, 2014 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC ANH A SURVEY ON PARENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEIR CHILDREN’S LEARNING ENGLISH AT THE PRIMARY SCHOOL (Khảo sát thái độ phụ huynh việc học Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.01.11 Supervisor: Dr Nguyễn Văn Trào HANOI, 2014 DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby state that the thesis entitled ―A survey on parents’ attitudes towards their children’s learning English at the primary school‖ is the result of my research for the Degree of Master of Arts at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and the thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or tertiary institution Hanoi, June 2014 Student Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the process of doing the study, I have received a lot of help, assistance, guidance and encouragement from my supervisor, my family, friends, students and their parents First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Mr Nguyen Van Trao, PhD., lecturer of Hanoi University, for his whole-hearted guidance and support Without his invaluable recommendations and advice, I could not finish this thesis My sincere thanks are also sent to my all beloved students and their respectful parents who are willing to supply for me information as well as motivation to finish this study Last but not least, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to my family, my friends who always encourage and inspire me to complete my thesis ii ABSTRACT This study investigated the parents‘ attitudes towards students‘ English language (EL) learning at Hai Thanh Primary School (HTPS), Duong Kinh District, Hai Phong city 450 parents of the HTPS students participated in the study The data for the study was collected by these instruments: survey questionnaires and interviews with 22 parents The research answers three questions: (1) Why parents want their children to study English at primary school? (2) What parents want their children to be taught at Primary school? and (3) How can parents help their children study at home? Results of the study showed that the parents expressed a generally positive view about the importance of early English language learning in Vietnamese contexts Many stated that early childhood is an important time for EFL learning, and engaged in home teaching of English The findings have implications for policy makers, early childhood educators, parents, primary English language teachers and the general public iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL English as a Foreign Language FL Foreign language SL Second language LAD Language acquisition device EL English language HTPS Hai Thanh Primary School iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Parents‘ opinions about children‘s English language learning at primary school Figure 2: Parental ideas about the first time to learn English Figure 3: Parents‘ opinions about influence of English on Vietnamese Figure 4: Parents‘ opinions on English pressure on their children Figure 5: Parental ideas about the effectiveness of their children‘s EL learning Figure Parents‘ understanding of their children‘s lessons Figure Parents‘ ideas about English skills taught at primary school Figure Parental attitudes towards teaching English curriculum Figure Parental attitudes towards English teachers Figure 10: Frequency of parents‘ assistance in children‘s English language learning Figure 11 Parent‘s permission to let children learn English outside school time Figure 12 Supplying English learning materials of parents v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv LIST OF FIGURES v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the research Scope of the research Research questions Organization of the research PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1 Teaching English to primary school children 1.1.1 Typical characteristics of young learners 1.1.2 Models of teaching English to primary school students 1.2 Attitudes of parents and their impact on education 10 1.2.1 Definition of attitudes .10 1.2.2 Research on parents‘ language attitudes in foreign language contexts .12 1.2.3 The importance of parental attitudes in EFL education 13 CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY 17 2.1 Setting 17 2.2 Participants 17 2.3 Data collection 19 2.4 Preliminary .20 vi 2.4.1 Section 1: Why parents want their children to study English at primary school? .20 2.4.2 Section 2: What parents want their children to be taught at primary school? .26 2.4.3 Section 3: How can parents help their children study at home? .29 2.5 Summary 30 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS 31 3.1 Answer to research question 1: 31 3.2 Answer to research question 2: 32 3.3 Answer to research question 3: 34 3.4 Suggestions for parents to support their children‘s EL learning at home 35 3.4.1 Helping children with picture books 36 3.4.2 Giving children learning environment .38 3.4.3 Learning with children through games 39 3.4.4 Accessing to English early is better 39 3.5 Summary 40 PART C: CONCLUSION .41 Concluding remarks 41 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further study .43 REFERENCES 43 APPENDIXES I vii PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the research Language is the means of communication Through language we can express our ideas, hopes, dreams and thought The study of language is a theme that will never be enough and backward Beside the native language, foreign languages help people get knowledge, understand about the world Moreover, foreign languages prepare today‘s youth for tomorrow‘s opportunities by supporting basic skills instruction, developing cross cultural understanding and preparing our youth to enter the global market place English has become a worldwide language and is used as the medium of international communication and is the language of professional advancement It has become the number one foreign language to be taught both inside and outside the formal educational systems of many countries Nowadays, English teaching and learning in Vietnam has been developing at an unprecedented speed As a primary English teacher, the author has witnessed how English has become one of the compulsory subjects in the curriculum, how Vietnamese education system appreciates the importance of English learning nowadays, especially at primary schools, and the importance of how parents motivate their children‘s English language learning at primary school For young learners, learning English is not only their subject at school and their own concern, it is also their parents‘ worry and interest Many studies have indicated that parents play an important role in maintaining their children‘s language ability as well as in participating for the success of school and learning Wong (2000) found out that parents serve an important language model for shaping children‘s language behavior Both how parents behave and feel influence their children‘s language learning development Thus, the study, reported in this thesis, on investigating parent‘s attitudes towards their children‘s EL learning at HTPS, was conducted as an effort in sharing parent‘s thoughts as well as desires and suggesting suitable and effective techniques in teaching English at home accessing is naturally knowing English Learning may give children feeling of pressure when they must finish many subjects at school including English However, if children are introduced English since pre-school period, they will feel interested in and not think it is a subject 3.5 Summary The chapter has presented answers to the research questions The findings can satisfy the aims of the study: exploring the parents‘ attitudes towards their children‘s EL learning at a public primary school in Hai Phong City The data analysis has highlighted the reasons why the parents desire their children to learn English at the primary level, what their expectation about the English teacher and how they support their children to learn English at home The data has also provided the researcher with valuable feedback which surely helps her to have more and more motivation in her teaching career and create more attractive and effective English lessons for her beloved students 40 PART C: CONCLUSION Concluding remarks The aims of the present study is to obtain information about the parents‘ opinions about their children‘s EL learning at Hai Thanh Primary School, their aspiration and support for their children‘s learning of this subject The results can be summarized as follows: Firstly, all of the parents recognize the importance of English for their children‘s current learning as well as for their future career No one refuses the vital role of teaching English for children at the primary level Secondly, expectations of the parents about their children learning environment as well as teaching curriculum are shown Most of the participants agreed with English program applying for their children‘s learning Moreover, many parents also desire to have more chance for their children to able to learn English more Thirdly, the author received sharing of parents about how they help their children with learning English at home However, not all of parents have ever carried out methods to support the learning This was explained by the reason that they did not know how to help them effectively Therefore, the author as an English teacher who may have knowledge about learning and teaching English combined with her practical experiences of teaching and reference from other researchers, gives out recommendations for parents to help children learn English better It is suggested that in addition to revealing the parents attitudes towards their children‘ EL learning, , this study presents a great chance for the author to break the ―distance‖ between the teacher and parents which hopefully brings about more success in teaching of the teacher as well as the learning of students at Hai Thanh primary school 41 As a primary English teacher, I believe that the role of a teacher cannot be denied However, the importance of parents to the learning of children is a decisive element because primary years are the first step for children to access to the success of learning at a higher level It is hoped that parents always keep their attention to their children‘s EL learning English language teachers should always listen to the parents‘ aspiration to co-operate and guide students to get the best result in learning Limitations of the Study and suggestions for further study The main limitation was regarded to the subject of research That means the researcher chose parents of the school in only one location where she is working The reason for this limitation is because of time constraint As a result, the study could not be implemented in different schools with different learning environments One more limitation is the experimental treatment The study lasted for months which may not collect comprehensive understanding of all participants Finally, the interviews were not recorded, the information was only noted down by the author Therefore, there was no way to affirm it was precise This study focused on researching attitudes of parents‘ towards their children‘s EL learning at a public primary school and then give recommendations for them to assist their children‘s EL learning It is obvious that parents and teachers should make joint efforts in supporting the EL learning of the children Therefore, I would like to recommend for the next researchers who are also interested in children‘s learning English that they should a study on practical methods for parents as well as teachers to support students to study English language better and better 42 REFERENCES Bae-Suh, S (2012) Parental perceptions on parent involvement in Korea Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 6(1), 21-41 Baker, C., & Sienkewicz, A (2000) The care and education of young bilinguals: An introduction for professionals Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters Bergen, D., Hutchinson, K., Nolan, J T., & 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Nhằm giúp em học sinh học tập tốt môn Tiếng Anh, xin bậc phụ huynh bớt chút thời gian lựa chọn câu trả lời cho câu hỏi khảo sát theo quan điểm khách quan mình: Q vị cho việc học Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học nào? A Rất quan trọng B Quan trọng D Không cần thiết E Khơng quan tâm C Bình thường Theo quí vị, học sinh nên bắt đầu học Tiếng Anh từ nào? A Từ bắt đầu học chữ D Từ lớp B Từ lớp C Từ lớp E Từ lớp trở lên Theo quí vị việc học Tiếng Anh từ tiểu học có ảnh hưởng đến việc học Tiếng Việt em khơng? A Có B Khơng Theo q vị, việc học tiếng Anh trường tiểu học có gây áp lực cho em học sinh khơng? A Có C Không để ý B Không Việc học Tiếng Anh q vị trường có hiệu không? A Rất hiệu B Hiệu C Bình thường D Khơng biết Q vị có biết học học Tiếng Anh trường khơng? A Có B Khơng I Theo quí vị, việc học tiếng Anh trường tiểu học, kỹ cần ý nhiều hơn? B Đọc – Viết A Nghe - Nói Theo q vị chương trình học Tiếng Anh áp dụng có phù hợp với khả q vị khơng? A Phù hợp B Chưa phù hợp C Không biết Theo quí vị, đội ngũ giáo viên dạy Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học quí vị theo học có giúp q vị học tốt mơn học khơng? A Rất tốt B Bình thường C Khơng quan tâm 10 Quí vị quan tâm đến việc học Tiếng Anh nào? A Luôn B Thỉnh thoảng C Khơng 11 Ngồi việc học trường, q vị có cho tham gia khố học Tiếng Anh khác khơng? A Có B Khơng 12 Q vị có mua sách, báo hay phương tiện khác giúp học tiếng Anh không? A Chưa C Không nghĩ đến B Rồi Trân trọng cảm ơn hợp tác! II APPENDIX B (English version) SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE Theme: ―A survey on parents’ attitudes towards their children’s learning English at the primary school” Dear all respectful parents! To help students learn English better, I would like to ask all respectful parents to spend a little time answering the following multiple choices questions according to your own ideas: Question 1: What is your opinion of the learning English at Primary school? A Very important B Important C Normal D Unnecessary E I don‘t care Question 2: In your opinion, when should students learn English? A From starting to learn ABC B From grade C From grade D From grade E From grade and upper Question 3: In your opinion, can learning English at Primary school have bad effect on learning Vietnamese? A Yes B No Question 4: In your opinion, does learning English at Primary school cause pressure to students? A Yes B No C I don‘t mind Question 5: Is your child’s current learning English effective? A Very effective B Effective C Normal D I don‘t know III Question 6: Do you know what your child learns in English lessons? A Yes B No Question 7: In your opinion, which skill needs to be paid more attention when teaching English at Primary school? A Listening - Speaking B Reading - Writing Question 8: In your opinion, is the English curriculum being applied suitable for your child? A Suitable B Not suitable C I don‘t know Question 9: In your opinion, English teachers in your child’s primary school help your child learn English well? A Very well B Normal C I don‘t care Question 10: How often you help your children learn English? A Always B Sometimes C Never Question 11: Besides learning at school, you let your child take part in any English course outside? A Yes B No Question 12: Have you ever bought books, newspaper or other English learning aids to help your child’s learning English? A Not yet B Already C I never think about this Thank you for your co-operation! IV APPENDIX C (Vietnamese version) CÂU HỎI PHỎNG VẤN Chủ đề: ―Khảo sát thái độ phụ huynh việc học Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học” Quý vị chia sẻ trình độ học vấn mình? …………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………… ………… Quý vị làm nghề gì, thu nhập hàng tháng bao nhiêu? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Quý vị học Tiếng Anh chưa? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Quý vị cho biết lí q vị đăng kí cho học tiếng Anh từ lớp không? Xin cho biết ý kiến quý vị thực trạng học Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Nếu đề xuất ý kiến nhằm giúp em học sinh học tốt môn Tiếng Anh trường tiểu học, xin chia sẻ quan điểm quý vị V ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Thời gian vừa qua, có chương trình IOE giải tiếng anh mạng, q vị có biết cho phép tham gia khơng nghĩ chương trình này? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Quý vị muốn học lớp Tiếng Anh giáo viên trẻ hay già dạy? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Quý vị có học Tiếng Anh khơng? Nếu có, xin chia sẻ phương pháp mà bạn áp dụng ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …… Trân trọng cảm ơn hợp tác! VI APPENDIX D (English version) INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Theme: ―A survey on parents’ attitudes towards their children’s learning English at the primary school” Can you share with us what your level of education is? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… What is your job and your monthly income? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Do you know English? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Why you want your children to learn English from grade 1? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Can you share your personal ideas on the real status of learning English at primary school now? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… VII If you are allowed to propose an idea to help students learn English better, what will you share? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Recently, there is program named IOE, have you known about it and let your child take part in What you think about this program? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Do you wish your child to be taught by young or old English teacher? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Have you ever learned English with your child, if yes, please share the methods you have applied? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you for your co-operation! VIII