Applicability of tasked based language teaching to the teaching context in thai hoa upper secondary school

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ MINH QUÝ APPLICABILITY OF TASK – BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING TO THE TEACHING CONTEXT IN THAI HOA UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL (KHẢ NĂNG ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC NGÔN NGỮ DỰA VÀO NHIỆM VỤ TRONG BỐI CẢNH TRƯỜNG THPT THÁI HÒA) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Hanoi, 2013 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ MINH QUÝ APPLICABILITY OF TASK – BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING TO THE TEACHING CONTEXT IN THAI HOA UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL (KHẢ NĂNG ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC NGÔN NGỮ DỰA VÀO NHIỆM VỤ TRONG BỐI CẢNH TRƯỜNG THPT THÁI HÒA) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: Nguyễn Việt Hùng, MA Hanoi , 2013 i CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT I certificate that the minor thesis entitled “Applicability of task-based language teaching to the teaching context in Thai Hoa secondary school” is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts is the result of my own work This minor thesis or any part of this one has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other university or institution th Hanoi, 28 June, 2013 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I am most grateful to my supervisor, Mr Nguyen Viet Hung MA for his continual support, encouragement, guidance and ideas Without his tireless support, this thesis could not have been completed Secondly, I would like to express my great gratitude to all the teachers and students at Thai Hoa secondary school for their participation and cooperation during the data collection process Thirdly, it is my pleasure to acknowledge my friends, especially Bui Van Hau, , from whom I have received a lot of help, support and encouragement Finally, my sincere thanks go to my family whose support has been of great significance to the success of my thesis iii ABSTRACT Recently task-based language teaching (TBLT) evolving from communicative language instruction has drawn the attention of many researchers towards itself To date, there have not had many studies on applicability of TBLT in a particular context This study has intended to explore the attitudes of students‟ towards TBLT It also seeks the understanding of teachers‟ of TBLT A sample of five teachers and three hundred students participated in this study A questionnaire was used to examine students‟ attitudes towards the friendliness of theoretical issues of TBLT Then, interviews and observations are employed to find out how teachers understand and implement task-based language learning in their classroom The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively The results of the study showed that while students in general had positive attitudes towards TBLT, teachers lacked conceptualizations of TBLT and their teaching practice did not match TBLT model Therefore, these findings led to the conclusion that it is impossible to apply TBLT to the teaching context in THSS successfully Finally, suggestions were made in order to solve those problems mentioned above: teachers should attend seminars on ELT; they should train themselves through books and articles; there should have had competitions for both teachers and students to enhance teaching and learning English iv LIST OF APPENDICES A QUESTIONNAIRES FOR STUDENTS B INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS C OBSERVATION SHEETS D QUANTITATIVE STATISTICAL DATA E INTERVIEW DATA v Tables Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table 10 Table 11 Table 12 Table 13 Table 14 Table 15 Table 16 Table 17 Table 18 Table 19 Table 20 Table 21 Table 22 Table 23 Table 24 Table 25 vi Table 26 Table 27 Table 28 Table 29 Table 30 Table 31 Table 32 FIGURES Figure Figure vii THSS Thai Hoa Sec TBL Task-Based L TBLT Task-Based L MOET Ministry of E CLT Communicati TEFL Teaching Eng FL Foreign Lang L2 Second Langu DT Definition of ET Examples of T TBLTM Task - Based TGTBLT Teaching Gra TBLT vs OTM Task – Based T Teachers S Students LC F LE Local Culture Facilities Local Econom Between Groups Within Groups XLV ANOVA analysis of Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching Between Groups Within Groups Total Appendix 9.7: Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching according to Economic condition in Multiple Comparisons (I) Duration – years – years More than years Appendix 10: Regression analysis Appendix 10.1: Model Summarye Model a Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching b Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching c Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching d Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching, Attitude towards Features of Teaching XLVI Model Summarye Model a Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching b Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching c Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching d Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching, Attitude towards Features of Teaching e Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Task-Based Language Teaching Appendix 10.2 ANOVA table of multivariable linear regression analysis of Attitude towards Task-based Language Teaching ANOVAe Model Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total a Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching XLVII b Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching c Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching d Predictors: (Constant), Attitude towards Stages of Teaching, Attitude towards Principles of Teaching, Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching, Attitude towards Features of Teaching e Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Task-Based Language Teaching Appendix 10.3: Coefficients table of multivariable linear regression analysis of Attitude towards Task-based Language Teaching Coefficientsa Model (Constant) Attitude towards Stages of Teaching (Constant) Attitude towards Stages of Teaching Attitude towards Principles of Teaching (Constant) Attitude towards Stages of Teaching Attitude towards Principles of Teaching Attitude towards Techniques of Teaching (Constant) Attitude towards Stages of Teaching XLVIII Attitude towards Principles of 1.000 Teaching Attitude towards Techniques of 1.000 Teaching Attitude towards Features of 1.000 Teaching a Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Task-Based Language Teaching Appendix 10.4: Residual Statistics table of multivariable linear regression analysis of Attitude towards Taskbased Language Teaching Residuals Statisticsa Predicted Value Residual Std Predicted Value Std Residual a Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Task-Based Language Teaching Appendix 10.5 Model Summary of multiple linear regression analysis of Attitude towards Stages of Teaching Model Summaryq Model XLIX 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 a Predictors: (Constant), Q32 b Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27 c Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30 d Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19 e Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22 f Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23 g Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18 h Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28 i Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29 j Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33 k Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21 l Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25 m Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26 n Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31 o Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31, Q20 p Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31, Q20, Q17 q Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Stages of Teaching Appendix10 ANOVA table of multivariable linear regression analysis of Attitude towards Stages of Teaching Model Regression Residual Total Regression L Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total Regression Residual Total 10 Regression Residual Total 11 Regression Residual Total 12 Regression LI Residual Total 13 Regression Residual Total 14 Regression Residual Total 15 Regression Residual Total 16 Regression Residual Total a Predictors: (Constant), Q32 b Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27 c Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30 d Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19 e Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22 f Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23 g Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18 h Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28 i Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29 j Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33 k Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21 l Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25 m Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26 n Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31 o Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31, Q20 p Predictors: (Constant), Q32, Q27, Q30, Q19, Q22, Q23, Q18, Q28, Q29, Q33, Q21, Q25, Q26, Q31, Q20, Q17 LII q Dependent Variable: Attitude towards Stages of Teaching E INTERVIEW DATA Some model transcripts of teacher interviews (two in five interviews) Name: Teacher Interview Question about Teachers’ Perceptions of Task-Based language Teaching (TBLT ) How you understand by task-based language teaching? (Probing indicators: terminology, approaches, framework, principles, techniques…) In my view, task-based language teaching is based on the aims of each unit and there are more specific aims in every lesson to help students to understand easily For example, techniques used in listening lessons are guessing meaning and gap-filling information Can you give an example of tasks? (Probing indicators: Maybe tasks you have carried out with your students…) I take an example about textbooks in grade 12 Students can both read and answer questions in a reading lesson Do you often employ tasks in your teaching? If so, what kinds, and how effective are they? (Probing indicators: communicative task, problem-solving task, gap-information task, language practice task…) While teaching a foreign language, I usually employ tasks For example, communicative tasks and language practice tasks + How effective are they? Of course, when I ask my students such tasks, they are able to develop their language ability and easy to learn Do you know the teaching instruction model in you textbooks is in TBLT? (Probing indicators: Model of language teaching? How many models you know? What is teaching model of CLT? ) I think that the teaching instruction model in textbooks consists of three stages + Do you hear or understand the method mentioned? LIII Although I actually employ it, I not spend much time studying it carefully What you think are positive elements and negative elements of task-based teaching? On the positive side, I think that this method helps students acquire knowledge actively, and students can control situations For example, students are able to read and answer questions in a reading lesson by themselves + Which kinds of skills will students develop when they employ TBL? I think that TBL develops skills such as speaking skill + What about negative elements? Besides advantages that I have just mentioned, TBLT still remains some disadvantages For example, I teach in a mountainous school in which most of my students are ethnic minority Therefore, they are often timid and shy to communicate, which leads to the passiveness in studying a language How many stages you usually go through when you teach according to TBLT? What you in the post task stage of task cycle? (Probing indicators: Remember the lessons you have taught; the design in textbooks…) I think that I go through three stages when I teach according to TBLT In the post-stage, I usually ask them to practise other skills For example, I use the skill of previous lesson to direct students to a new lesson What are the main issues in classroom implementation of tasks? (Probing indicators: Task‟s goals, task procedure, task doing…) I think that my students tasks well, but some of them, as I mentioned above, are timid, which does not lead to high results + Are there any difficulties with the task procedure and the length of a period? No, they are How you see the relationship between task-based teaching and grammar? How you help your students to learn grammar? I think this method also has a relationship with grammar, but grammar is not the focus part Therefore, students themselves draw it from sentences, sentence structures used in tasks in order to help them to acquire grammar forms + How you help your students to learn grammar? LIV Uh, I think that TBLT does not focus on form in lessons, but we have a language focus section at the end of each unit Therefore, we are able to teach grammar in this section and use structures in previous lessons such as listening, reading or speaking What you think makes task-based teaching different from other teaching approaches? (Probing indicators: approaches, instruction model, principles, techniques…) I think that TBT is different from other teaching approaches TBT highlights tasks in lessons and emphasis on communication skills, student-centeredness, and students have more opportunities participating in communicative activities 10 How culturally suitable you think task-based teaching is for your school or students? (Probing indicators: social awareness of learning importance, social learning need, social customs affecting the learning need, students‟ need, students‟ proficiency, students‟ learning strategy, students‟ habits… ) In my opinion, the low level of students and the regional cultural cause some inappropriate sections in units of textbooks + Could you give me an example? Unit Economic Reforms in grade 12 is not suitable to my students 11 How well you think teachers in your school understand task-based teaching? (Probing indicators: terminology, approaches, framework, principles, techniques…) Although we are teachers currently teaching English every day, we not fully understand the terminology and approaches of TBT I think my colleagues too In my opinion, the main factors promoting the application of TBT are that teachers need to be well aware of TBT and students must be more active in their learning 12 What you think are the main factors facilitating or inhibiting the implementation of task-based approaches in your teaching context? (Probing indicators: teacher‟s perception of TBLT, T‟s negative attitudes, Students‟ background/proficiency, Facility, Economy) + What about other factors such as infrastructure, economic and social conditions? In my opinion, higher administrations should provide more modern facilities in order to create a better environment for teaching foreign language For example, cassette players, language teaching rooms, etc LV Name: Teacher Interview Question about Teachers’ Perceptions of Task-Based language Teaching (TBLT ) How you understand by task-based language teaching? (Probing indicators: terminology, approaches, framework, principles, techniques…) To my knowledge, TBLT is based on the requirements of tasks in lessons Can you give an example of tasks? (Probing indicators: Maybe tasks you have carried out with your students…) They are communicative tasks, problem-solving tasks, gap-information tasks or language practice tasks Do you often employ tasks in your teaching? If so, what kinds, and how effective are they? (Probing indicators: communicative task, problem-solving task, gap-information task, language practice task…) I usually employ tasks in my teaching I think that such effective tasks promote students’ thinking and creation in learning Do you know the teaching instruction model in you textbooks is in TBLT? (Probing indicators: Model of language teaching? How many models you know? What is teaching model of CLT? ) In my opinion, the teaching instruction model in the textbooks consists of three phrases The first phrase is to introduce the topic of the lesson Then students practise in the second one and student use what they have learnt to practise in the last phrase What you think are positive elements and negative elements of task-based teaching? I think that TBT has some positive elements The first thing is that TBT promotes four skills of students: listening, speaking, reading, and writing Besides, TBT promotes students’ activeness and creation and enhances students’ motivation through group activities TBT, however, faces some challenges depending on students For example, problems can be easily solved when I teach in classes where students have almost the same high level, but it becomes difficult when I teach in classes having low levels How many stages you usually go through when you teach according to TBLT? What you in the post task stage of task cycle? (Probing indicators: Remember the lessons you have taught; the design in textbooks…) LVI I usually go through three stages In the first stage, for example when I teach in a speaking class, I usually introduce the topic first Then I move to the second stage and the post stage In the post-stage of a speaking class, students are usually spent more time practising speaking What are the main issues in classroom implementation of tasks? (Probing indicators: Task‟s goals, task procedure, task doing…) I think that task’s goals are very clear in textbooks, so teachers sometimes help students easily understand them In addition, I not have any difficulties with the task procedure How you see the relationship between task-based teaching and grammar? How you help your students to learn grammar? In fact, TBT has a close relationship with grammar, and all skills relate to grammar Therefore, in order to help my students learn grammar; I usually help students make up sentences using grammatical forms they have learnt What you think makes task-based teaching different from other teaching approaches? (Probing indicators: approaches, instruction model, principles, techniques…) Compared with other methods, I think that TBLT promotes four language skills: listening, speaking, writing, and reading whereas other methods only develop reading and writing skills 10 How culturally suitable you think task-based teaching is for your school or students? (Probing indicators: social awareness of learning importance, social learning need, social customs affecting the learning need, students‟ need, students‟ proficiency, students‟ learning strategy, students‟ habits… ) It is suitable for most of students, but some knowledge is higher than mountainous students’ current level in my school What is more, some lessons are unfamiliar with students’ need and students’ habits 11 How well you think teachers in your school understand task-based teaching? (Probing indicators: terminology, approaches, framework, principles, techniques…) In my opinion, most of the teachers in my school fully understand task-based teaching 12 What you think are the main factors facilitating or inhibiting the implementation of task-based approaches in your teaching context? LVII (Probing indicators: teacher‟s perception of TBLT, T‟s negative attitudes, Students‟ background/proficiency, Facility, Economy….) Yes Teachers have a supportive attitude toward task-based approaches because these approaches change teaching and learning instructions Besides, most of my students like task-based approaches + How is TBT suitable to students‟ proficiency? I think that task-based teaching is suitable to most of students + What about the infrastructure and economic conditions? There are enough facilities for teaching language, but my province does not have suitable economic conditions to employ this teaching method effectively My school facilities are consistent with local economic conditions In fact, my school located in the area where people not have high living conditions, so they can not create good conditions for their children’s learning ... perceptions of task -based language learning? 1.4 Scope of the study In order to find out the applicability of TBLT in the teaching context of Thai Hoa secondary school, the study is only focused the. .. entitled ? ?Applicability of task -based language teaching to the teaching context in Thai Hoa secondary school? ?? is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts is the. .. applicable the teaching context in Thai Hoa secondary school? ” is worth being investigated before any decisions of TBLT implementation The applicability of a teaching method into a specific teaching context