A study on difficulties of the fourth year non english major students at hanoi university of science and technology in achieving english learning outcome standard

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ************************* NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HẰNG A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES OF THE FOURTH-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING ENGLISH LEARNING OUTCOME STANDARDS AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS (Nghiên cứu khó khăn sinh viên khơng chun tiếng Anh năm thứ trường Đại học Bách Khoa Hà Nội việc đạt chuẩn đầu tiếng Anh đề xuất số giải pháp khắc phục) M.A.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 HA NOI – 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ************************* NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HẰNG A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES OF THE FOURTH-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING ENGLISH LEARNING OUTCOME STANDARDS AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS (Nghiên cứu khó khăn sinh viên khơng chun tiếng Anh năm thứ trường Đại học Bách Khoa Hà Nội việc đạt chuẩn đầu tiếng Anh đề xuất số giải pháp khắc phục) M.A.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 60140111 Supervisor : DR PHẠM THỊ THANH THÙY HANOI – 2017 DECLARATION NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HẰNG, hereby certifies that this thesis, which is entitled “A Study On Difficulties Of The Fourth-year Non-English Major Students At Hanoi University Of Science And Technology In Achieving English Learning Outcome Standards And Some Suggested Solutions” is created from my original work I have firmly declared the contribution of others to my thesis such as data analysis, practical strategies, and all other researches that were employed or reviewed in my thesis This thesis is the result of my own study in the fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts at Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Hanoi, 2017 Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hằng i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr PhạmThịThanhThùy, whose insightful comments, criticism, direction and kind support were of great assistance to me in carrying out this study My sincere thanks also go to all the lecturers and staff of the Faculty of PostGraduate Studies, Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, for their valuable knowledge and invaluable guidance and help during my two years of study at the Faculty I am also indebted to the teachers as well as the students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, who have helped me a lot in my data collection to fulfill this paper Last but not least, I would like to express my appreciation to my family for their understanding and strong encouragement to me throughout the study Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hằng ii ABSTRACT The fact that final year students at universities in Vietnam in general and at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in particular face many difficulties in achieving English learning outcome standards is of great concerns to many people including educational managers, teaching staff and families This study aims to explore the difficulties that students encounter in achieving English learning outcomes, identifies which particular factor poses the most difficulty of the students in order to propose feasible solutions that help them overcome the problems and get the best results in English study The subjects of the study were the fourth-year nonEnglish major students of Hanoi University of Science and Technology among which 108 students who took English examination in the academic year 2016-2017 were selected for the study Data on difficult factors that students face in achieving English learning outcome standards were collected using questionnaire and interview The results show that the fourth year non-English major students have many problems that negatively affected their academic achievements in both English subject and university study These problems mainly resulted from sources: (1) the students themselves, (2) the teaching staff, and (3) the management Several suggestions to help students overcome the problems by the participants are also presented iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv ABBRIVIATIONS v LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES vi PART A INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale of the study 1.2 Research objectives 1.3 Research questions 1.4 Scope of the Study 1.5 Structure of Research PART B DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Definition of outcomes and outcome-based education .5 1.1.1 Definition of outcomes 1.1.2 Definition of outcome-based education 1.2 Difficulties of learning English as a foreign language 1.3 Difficulties in achieving expected learning outcomes in English language study 1.3.1 Difficulties relating to the students 1.3.2 Difficulties relating to the teachers 1.3.3 Difficulties relating to the management 1.4 Previous studies on the difficulties faced by language learners 10 1.5 Chapter summary 13 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 14 2.1 The context of Hanoi University of Science and Technology 14 2.1.1 Teachers 14 2.1.2 Students 14 iv 2.1.3 The English teaching and learning at HUST 15 2.1.3.1 The syllabus of English teaching and learning 15 2.1.3.2 The English teaching and learning in HUST 15 2.1.4 Requirements of English learning outcomes for HUST students .16 2.2 Research method 18 2.2.1 Description of the subjects 18 2.2.2 Conduct preliminary study 18 2.2.3 Data collection instruments 20 2.2.3.1 Questionnaire 20 2.2.3.2 Teacher interview 20 2.2.4 Procedures 21 2.2.5 Data analysis 21 Summary 22 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 23 3.1 Difficulties faced by the fourth-year non-English major students .24 3.1.1 Difficulties relating to the students 24 3.1.2 Difficulties relating to the teachers 28 3.1.3 Difficulties relating to the university management .30 3.2 The factor that poses the most difficulty for the students 33 3.3 Summary of the results 35 PART C: CONCLUSIONS 37 Recapitulation of the main ideas 37 Implications 37 REFERENCES I APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE III APPENDIX 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS V APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW VIII APPENDIX 4: RATE OF DIFFICULTY XI v ABBRIVIATIONS HUST: Hanoi University of Science and Technology EFL: English Foreign Language L2: Second Language vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE1 1: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 25 TABLE1 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 28 TABLE1 3: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 30 TABLE1 4: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS 33 TABLE 1: FACTORS AND PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES INFLUENCING THE EFL LEARNERS‟ ACHIEVEMENT 36 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: SPOLSKY‟S (1989) MODEL OF SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING 12 FIGURE 2: MINIMUM ENGLISH LEVEL FOR STUDENTS AT HUST 17 FIGURE 3: EQUIVALENT TO SCORES OF ENGLISH LEVEL 17 FIGURE 4: SUMMARY OF FACTORS CAUSING DIFFICULTIES TO THE EFL LEARNERS IN ACHIEVING LEARNING OUTCOMES 19 FIGURE 1: DIFFICULTIES RELATING TO THE STUDENTS 26 FIGURE 2: DIFFICULTIES RELATING TO THE TEACHERS 29 FIGURE 3: DIFFICULTIES RELATING TO THE MANAGEMENT BOARD 31 FIGURE 4: DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE 4TH YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HUST IN ACHIEVING ENGLISH LEARNING OUTCOMES 34 vii Finally, school should also apply the standard of foreign language to lecturers, so that cadres and lecturers will become a good example of learning foreign languages for students to follow Limitations of the research and suggestions for further study In doing a research, limitations are unavoidable and this minor thesis study is of no exception Firstly, the research has mainly based on questionnaire with 108 non-English major students at HUST The ideas from a small number of participants may not be totally typical for thousands of non-English major students‟ ideas at HUST Furthermore, the study includes only the subjects who are the fourth - year nonEnglish major students at HUST It is unfortunate that the researcher cannot cover the subjects of English major students as well as the first, the second and the third year students at HUST Therefore, the researcher hopes that in the future she can extend the survey questionnaire on English major students and other subjects to gain precise information to judge the situation objectively Secondly, as the researcher‟s knowledge of this field and practical experience is limited, the suggestions and recommendations are likely to be subjective and incomplete, leaving the issue to open to debate Therefore, further study should overcome the shortcoming Finally, due to the limited scope of the current study, the writer could not deal with other important factors that affect EFL learners‟ outcomes This calls for further research 41 REFERENCES AoutaGhania, (2013), An Analysis of Some Internal and External Factors Influencing Learners’ Success in EFL Dissertation, University of Biskra, Algeria Beardsmore, H B (1982) Bilingualism: Basic principles, Avon Choi, I.C (2008) The impact of EFL teaching on EFL education in Korea Language Testing, 25/1, 39-62 Crystal D (2003).English as Global Language Trumpington Stree, Cambridge CB2 1RP, United Kingdom: The Press Sydicate of The University of Cambridge Desveaux, S (2013, July 17) https://support.cambridgeenglish.org Retrieved August 19, 2016, from https://support.cambridgeenglish.org: https://support.cambridgeenglish.org/hc/en-gb/articles/202838506-Guidedlearning-hours Dornyei, Z (2007), Research methods in applied linguistics New York: Oxford University Press, pp 39-45 Ellis, R., (1986),Understanding Second Language Acquisition, Oxford: OUP Ellis, R., (1994),The study of second language acquisition, Oxford: OUP HàThanhBích Loan, 2015 , “ChuẩntiếngAnhđầurahệđạihọcchínhquy: Thựctrạngvàgiảipháp” http://nnkt.ueh.edu.vn/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/02.pdf 10 Hanoi University of Science and Technology (2014, October 20) http://hust.edu.vn Retrieved July 31, 2016, from http://hust.edu.vn: http://hust.edu.vn/web/vi/home 11 Hedge, T (2000), Teaching and learning in the language classroom, Oxford: OUP 12 Henry Khiat, (2014) “The Importance of Learning Outcomes in Your Study Guide”, SIM University Press I 13 Lightbown, P M (2000), Classroom SLA research and second language teaching AppliedLinguistics, 21(4), 431-462 14 Little, D (2007),Language learner autonomy: Some fundamental considerations revisited Innovation in language learning and teaching 1(1), 14-29 15 Liu, L (2011) An International Graduate Student‟s ESL Learning Experience beyond the classroom TESL Canada Journal, 29(1), 77-92 16 Margery H Davis (2013), Educational Strategies, pp 227-3 17 Rattanaphumma R., (2008), Second Language Learning and Language Learners, Galaxy, The English Department Journal 18 Rebecca L (2003), Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview, Oxford University Press 19 Spady W G (2013), Outcome-Based Education: Critical Issues and Answers, Oxford University Press 20 Spolsky, B (1989) Conditions for second language learning Oxford: Oxford University Press 21 Thomson S (2012), The Effects of TOEIC Education in South Korea Universities, Dissertation, University of Birmingham, pp 23-24 22 Willy A Renandya, (2013), Essential Factors Affecting EFL Learning Outcomes,English Teaching, Vol 68, No 4, Winter 2013, pp 23-41 23 Yancy D.C (2004) The Importance of Students’ Learning Outcomes, Johnson C Smith University Press II APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE (About the difficulties faced by the fourth year non-major English students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology) I PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: (optional)………………………………… Class: ………… Academic year: ……………………… Faculty: …………………… Age: …………….Gender: Male/ Female Hometown: …………… AI CONTENT The purpose of the questionnaire is to find out the information about the difficulties faced by the fourth year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology Your responses are of great importance to the success of the study, so please kindly respond to each statement or question and complete all of them as frankly and accurately as you can by marking "x" in the appropriate box indicating the difficulties Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation! Level of agreement: 1: Completely disagree 2: Disagree 4: Agree 5: Completely agree III 3: No idea No A Content Difficulties relating to the students Students have poor background knowledge Students have inadequate vocabulary Students‟ grammatical knowledge is uncertain Students‟ language skills are poor Students are unaware of TOEIC test Students‟ exam skills are poor Students are not interested in learning English Students lack seriousness in learning English Students are unaware of English language‟s importance Students not invest much time learning English Students not attend the English class fully Students are not willing to study by themselves Students‟ learning methods ineffective Students not have enough time for revision class Students not have enough time for self study B Difficulties relating to the teachers The requirements of English subject are very high Teachers‟ teaching methods inappropriate Teaching competences are unqualified Teachers not encourage students to learn English Teachers not assign the task, homework or assignment for students Teachers not create the environment for students to practice English Teachers not explain the test requirements in details Teachers not guide students the exam methods C Difficulties relating to the management The demand of outcome standards is too hi Classroom programs not support exam c The school management for the students‟ s Equipment for teaching and learning Englis School library resources are incomplete The school lacks organizations to advise an students in learning English 10 11 12 13 14 15 Scholarships to encourage outstanding and the school are few IV APPENDIX 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Appendix 2.1: Reliability Statistics Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha 841 Appendix 2.2: Mean value for each question (item) in each group Descriptive Statistics A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 V A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 Valid N (listwise) VI Appendix 2.3: Mean value for each group Descriptive Statistics A B C Valid N (listwise) VII APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW Question 1: How did the teacher approach the teaching of general English programs? All interviewed teachers reported that in order to improve the students‟ English skills and knowledge, they emphasized on the teaching general programs to complete the basic knowledge gaps and training of listening strategies, such as, predictive skills, extracting special information, getting the general picture In addition, they were not restricted to one particular teaching method; they preferred to combine some teaching methods depending on the students‟ proficiency level and learning condition They were strict to the students because they strongly believed that students should practice very hard and make good progress Question2: What teaching materials, teaching activities, and learning tasks were employed in the course? All the teachers reported that they used the textbook New English File Intermediate They agreed that this kind of book provided students with basic knowledge of grammar, structures and vocabularies, and helped students improve basic language skills such as listening, writing, reading and speaking However, they asserted that in order to gain the certificate of TOEIC 450, students had to read a lot of different reference books, for examples, TOEIC Preparation book, TOEIC Smart, Practice Tests for the TOEIC Test, which introduced the strategies and techniques to gain success in examinations All the teachers required the students to the exercises from the textbook and encourage them to practice speaking and listening English every day not only in the lesson but also in the normal life Question 3: What the teachers think about the students’ motivation and attitude towards learning English? All interviewed teachers thought that almost students were not much motivated to learn English and did not know what to learn and how to improve their English skills This might be due to the students‟ past experience, their poor English competence and their laziness in practice A majority of the students were told to be lack of seriousness in learning English They always preferred to complain about VIII the difficulty level of English required outcomes Question 4: What did the teachers considered as problems for the students in learning English to achieve outcomes? What kind of test in the TOEIC exam your students find it the most difficult? Most of the teachers commented that the students were poor in overall language skills and lack of basic knowledge such as inadequate vocabulary, uncertain grammar In addition they were not active in practice speaking and listening, they also did not apply effective learning methods and testing strategies to handle their language problems; moreover, their weak management of time and discipline also affected their English language performance and scores A majority of the students have troubles in listening test Their scores in this test are always much less than those in reading test Question 5: (for management member) Which solutions did the board of management to assist the students to overcome the challenges in learning English and achieving English outcomes? The manager asserted that HUST students were always stressed under a lot of pressure of study; otherwise, the student would not meet the demand of a large number of companies, enterprises or corporations inside and outside the country However, in an attempt to reduce the students‟ obstacles, the board of university management always created the best condition both in facilities and in teaching for the students in their study, especially in learning English In terms of the facilities, the classrooms of foreign languages have been well-equipped with a lot of modern technology like projectors, cassette players, speakers, computers and air conditioners Regarding the teaching English, the university has a system of highly qualified and experienced teaching staff Beside the teaching general English programs, revision classes for TOEIC preparation are opened twice a term in an academic year IX APPENDIX 4: RATE OF DIFFICULTY No A Content Difficulties relating to the students Students have poor background knowledge Students have inadequate vocabulary Students‟ grammatical knowledge is uncertain Students‟ language skills are poor Students are unaware of TOEIC test Students‟ exam skills are poor Students are not interested in learning English Students lack seriousness in learning English Students are unaware of English language‟s importance 10 Students not invest much time learning English 11 Students not attend the English class fully 12 Students are not willing to study by themselves 13 Students‟ learning methods ineffective 14 Students not have enough time for revision class 15 Students not have enough time for self study XI B 8 Difficulties relating to the teachers The requirements of English subject are very high Teachers‟ teaching methods inappropriate Teaching competences are unqualified Teachers not encourage students to learn English Teachers not assign the task, homework or assignment for students Teachers not create the environment for students to practice English Teachers not explain the test requirements in details Teachers not guide students the exam methods Teachers not guide students the exam methods XII C Difficulties relating to the management The demand of outcome standards is too high for the students Class programs not support exam content The school management for the students‟ study is not good Equipment for teaching and learning English are incomplete School library resources are incomplete The school lacks organizations to advise and support for students in learning English Scholarships to encourage outstanding and excellent students of the school are few XIII ... universities in Vietnam, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has integrated TOEIC as one of learning outcome standards to the evaluation system In addition to the number of outstanding students attaining... measure that is used to quantify the amount 23 of variation or dispersion of a set of data values A low standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be close to the mean (also called... universities and Hanoi University of Science and Technology in particular  Understanding difficulties of fourth- year non- English major students;  Examining the relations and correlation between difficulties