An investigation into teaching grammar in context for first year non english major students at chu van an university

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES   NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯƠNG HỒNG AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHING GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT CHU VAN AN UNIVERSITY (Đề tài: Nghiên cứu việc dạy ngữ pháp theo ngữ cảnh cho đối tượng sinh viên năm thứ không chuyên Tiếng Anh trường ĐH Chu Văn An) MINOR PROGRAM THESIS Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY Code: 601410 Hanoi, 2012 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES   NGUYỄN THỊ PHƯƠNG HỒNG AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEACHING GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT CHU VAN AN UNIVERSITY (Đề tài: Nghiên cứu việc dạy ngữ pháp theo ngữ cảnh cho đối tượng sinh viên năm thứ không chuyên Tiếng Anh trường ĐH Chu Văn An) MINOR PROGRAM THESIS Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY Code: 601410 Supervisor: NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN MINH, M.A Hanoi, 2012 iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESL: English as a Second Language EFL: English as a Foreign Language FonF: Focus on Form FonFs: Focus on Forms H1: The first hypothesis H2: The second hypothesis H1.1: The first minor hypothesis H1.2: The second minor hypothesis H1.3: The third minor hypothesis Ho.1: The first minor null hypothesis Ho.2: The second minor null hypothesis Ho.3: The third minor null hypothesis PPP: Presentation – Practice - Production v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Design of the study Table 2: Distribution of the sample Table 3: Distribution of the dependent and independent variables Table 4: Distribution of the grammar achievement tests Table 5: Schedule of grammar course Table 6: Teaching procedures for traditional grammar and in-context grammar class Table 7: The descriptive statistics on pretest scores of control and experimental groups Table 8: The inferential statistics on pretest scores of control and experimental group Table 9: The descriptive statistics on pretest and posttest scores of control and experimental group Table 10: The inferential statistics on pretest and posttest scores of control and experimental group Table 11: The descriptive statistics on posttest scores of control and experimental group Table 12: The inferential statistics on posttest scores of control and experimental group Table 13: Descriptive statistics on students‟ on-task behavior of control group Table 14: Descriptive statistics on students‟ on-task behavior of experimental group Table 15: The descriptive statistics on students‟ on-task behavior of control and experimental group The inferential statistics on students‟ on-task behavior of control and experimental group Table 16: Figure 1: Figure 2: Three dimensions of grammar teaching Students‟ on-task behavior of control group Figure 3: Students‟ on-task behavior of experimental group vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Candidate’s statement ……………………………………………………………… Acknowledgement …………………………………………………………………… Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………… List of abbreviations ………………………………………………………………… List of tables and figures …………………………………………………………… Table of contents …………………………………………………………………… PART I: INTRODUCTION i ii iii iv v vi PART II: DEVELOPMENT 1.1 2 3 4 1.1.1 1.1.1.1 1.1.1.2 1.1.1.3 1.1.1.4 1.1.1.5 1.1.2 1.1.2.1 1.1.2.2 1.1.2.3 1.2 1.3 1 7 19 20 2 vii 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.4 2.4.1 2.4.2 2.5 2.5.1 2.5.1.1 2.5.1.2 2.5.1.3 2.5.1.4 2.5.1.5 2.5.2 2.6 2.6.1 2.6.2 2.6.3 2.7 2.7.1 2.7.2 2.7.3 2.8 2.8.1 2.8.2 2.9 3.1 3.1.1 3.1.1.1 3.1.1.2 3.1.1.3 3.1.2 viii 3.1.2.1 3.1.2.2 3.1.2.3 3.2 3.3 3.4 On-task behavior in control group ……………… On-task behavior in experimental group ……… On-task behavior of the two groups in compariso second hypothesis ……………………………… Discussions …………………………………… Findings ……………………………………… Summary ……………………………………… PART III: CONCLUSION Summary of the study ……………………….… Pedagogical implications …….………………… Limitation of the study ………………………… Recommendation ……………………………… Conclusion …………………………………… REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………… APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………………… Appendix 1:English grammar achievement test (pretest) …………… ………… Appendix 2:English grammar achievement test (posttest)…………… ………… Appendix 3:Pretest and posttest scores ………………………………… ……… Appendix 4:Classroom observation sheet ………………………………… …… Appendix 5:Data from observation sheets ………………………………… … Appendix 6:Sample lesson plan for experimental group ………………… …… PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale English language is considered as one of the most important languages because it is the language that bridges people all over the world together That is the reason why such language is introduced to teaching syllabuses of all schools in Vietnam, from primary to tertiary level At my university, English is taught as a foreign language and it is a compulsory subject for all non-English major students in their first academic year Like the other four English skills (i.e., reading, listening, writing and speaking), English grammar holds an inevitable position in our teaching curriculum However, the teaching of grammar is problematic because most of English teachers at my school still keep their traditional views on grammar and grammar instruction To be more specific, they hold the belief that grammar is a set of static rules Accordingly, they teach grammar by focusing on accuracy of form and neglecting its meaningfulness and appropriateness of use Moreover, the grammar lessons are performed in deductive manner, thus students are provided no opportunities for rule discovery One more problem is that our students are obsessed by tightly controlled mechanical practice like transformational drills and substitutions The final problem lies in the fact that EFL teachers at my university not take the most advantages of the context provided in the course book used for first-year non-major students (New-Headway Elementary and Pre-Intermediate by Liz and John Soars) when teaching grammar section; thus, our students have no or little opportunity to explore and practice grammatical items in real-life situations These problems result in our bored, disaffected students who can produce correct forms on disconnected sentences, but consistently make errors when trying to use the language in context such as short paragraph writing, dialogue completion, explanation of a grammatical meaning or function, and so on This stresses the importance of context in ESL/EFL language teaching in general and in English grammar teaching in particular As Willis (2000:5) puts it, “by learning grammar in context, students learns what native speakers really say (or write), rather than what we would like them to say” Likewise, Harmer (2007:57) suggests that “students need to get an idea of how the new language is used by native speakers and the best way of doing this is to present language in context” These factors drive me to an idea of using context to teach grammar for my students in the hope that such teaching model will help make grammar instruction both effective and beneficial The study entitled “An investigation into teaching grammar in context for first-year non-English major students at Chu Van An University” is conducted in that way Scope of the study The study focuses on the teaching of English grammar for non-English major freshmen at Chu Van An University, thus, its results are not directly applied for those who are in other academic years and those of other universities In addition, the context employed for teaching grammar in this study is restricted to text, i.e., spoken and written discourses taken from the course book and from a variety of authentic sources; therefore, other types of context are not used as the input for the study What is more, the purpose of this study is to examine whether context-based approach takes effect in grammar teaching Other approaches to grammar instruction are referred as the theoretical background for the study but they are not the focuses Finally, only four grammatical categories (Tense, Modal, Conditional sentences and Passive voice) which are divided into eight grammatical items (Past simple, Present Perfect, Can, Must, First conditional, Second conditional, Passive voice in present tense and Passive voice in past tense) are taught and tested during the experiment Other grammatical categories or items lie outside the scope of this study Aims of the study The study aims at investigating the effect of teaching grammar in context in comparison with the traditional method of grammar instruction for non-English major students at Chu Van An University More specifically, the study is a randomized experiment which is designed to achieve two following aims: It tests whether in-context teaching of grammar has any effects on students‟ academic achievement in grammar It examines whether teaching grammar in context can increase students‟ participation in grammar lessons Significance of the study This study may bring four benefits to both English language teachers and their students as follows: It may help change EFL/ESL teachers‟ views on grammar and grammar instruction in a way that grammar incorporates form, meaning and function; thus, teaching grammar is not IV APPENDIX 2: ENGLISH GRAMMAR ACHIEVEMENT TEST (POSTTEST) Full name: ………………………….……………… Class: ……………………………………………… Notes: - The test paper has 03 pages - Dictionaries are not allowed Question 1: Choose the best answers to complete the following sentences by circling A, B, C or D (5 points): Louis Pasteur a professor at the University of Lille at the age of just 32 A become B becomes C became D has become At the moment, scientists agree that the world‟s climate warmer over the past 50 years A become B becomes C became D has become Many animals see clearly in the dark but human beings can‟t this A can If everyone recycles paper, metal and glass, we so much rubbish A don‟t produce Tea on south-facing hillsides, and twice a year A is grown/is harvested C grows/harvests Question 2: Match a clause in column A with a clause in column B so that it makes a meaningful sentence (5 points): Picasso learned to draw If you trains regularly Can you open the door If I were you, Sphinx is a limestone statue Question 3: Read the following short dialogues and stories and correct the underlined mistakes (10 points): Dialogues/Stories V A Jimmy: Have you heard about Sally? She lost her job! Bill: Not really She has found out two days ago B On May 30, 2005, when Natalee Holloway was disappeared after leaving a bar in Aruba Five years to the day later, Stephany Flores Ramirez, 21, in Lima, Peru C Smith: What would happen if the Earth stops moving? Jill: I don‟t now Maybe we will die D The first pocket calculator was weighed almost a kilogram Its was invited inventor E Bill: You can‟t drive on the right when you are in England; otherwise, you‟ll be fined Liang: Really? But I must that in my country Question 4: Read the following situations Match the underlined grammatical forms  with their appropriate meanings or functions by ticking ( ) the best sentences (10 points): Situ Quick! Get a cloth! I‟ve split my coffee I‟m not sure where I put the document But if I find it, I‟ll call you My bike was stolen yesterday (At the customs) Can I see your passport, please? Your cat is seriously ill You must take it to the vest right now VI Question 5: Write a short paragraph about the following pictures, using word cues provided (10 points) (coffee fruits/pick) (coffee beans/roast) Coffee powder/pack ….……………………………………………… VII APPENDIX 3: PRETEST AND POSTTEST SCORES 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 VIII APPENDIX 4: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SHEET Observer: ……………………………… Teacher: ……………………………… Date of observation: ………………… INSTRUCTIONS The observation sheet is designed to measure levels of students‟ participation in grammar lessons Do not participate in the lessons Place yourself in an unobtrusive position in the classroom Start the observation when the students have been working together in groups, in pair or individually for or minutes Observe students one by one, consecutively, clockwise around the class Identify students by number Every seconds write down the categories best describing the observed students‟ behavior at the moment, then pass on the next student Write numbers in sequence down the data sheet Continue until all students have been observed 10 times Categories: = Student on-task: „engaged in the pedagogic work of the day” = Student off-task: “a complete lack of attention to the set task” Student 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 IX APPENDIX 5: DATA FROM OBSERVATION SHEETS W1 W2 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 7 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 X APPENDIX 6: A SUGGESTED WEEK 5: THE PASSIVE VOIC Class: EG12 Number of students: 30    Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students are expected to: Students will review the passive voice by exploring its use in the authentic texts Students will practice passive oral production skills in the context of how to dry fruit Students will contextualize the use of the passive by producing a short passage about method of drying fruit Teaching materials & aids 2.1 Teaching materials    Article 1: Freezing Food by Gary Garriott (plus the audio version of the article) Article 2: Canning Food by Gary Garriott Video: How to dry fruit Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecH3q5H8ybQ 2.2 Teaching aids  Handouts: - Worksheet1: Excerpts from the script of article with the passive structures left out Worksheet 2: Tape script of article  Classroom facilities: chalk, board, laptop and projector Anticipated problems: XI  Students might have problems with the present perfect, present progressive passive forms  Students might have difficulty carrying out the production tasks To deal with the problem, contexts are provided with related background information Teaching procedures: Time Content  Greet the class  Teacher’s a Set the scene for the upcoming listening ta 10’ Warm-up question: “I’ve bought two kilos of meat So I must store the remains fo do?”  Encourage Ss to find out the answer to the Suggested answer: You should free  Tell Ss that they are going to listen to a recor freeze food  Play the recording for the first time At thi down some expressions concerning  Call some students to read the expressions  Now hand out the worksheet (Listen to t 30’ Listening the blanks) and ask Ss to fill out the as they listen for the second time  Play the recording for the third time to che  When finishing the correction, ask Ss to w and discuss the form of the passive  Call three representatives of three groups t results of their group discussion   20’ Reading Give feedbacks and brief revision of passi Hand out worksheet and ask Ss to scan the the question: “What‟s the article ab XII Suggested answer: The article is about how to can food  Ask Ss to underline all the passive sentences in the text  Ask Ss to look closely at the text and have a group discussion about the meaning and function of the passive structure Provide some guiding questions for discussion: 1- Why does the author use the passive voice in these sentences? 2- Could we replace the passive sentences with the active ones? 3- What will the sentences be like if we make the change? Are there any changes in the meaning?  Call two group representatives report the results of their discussions to the class and give feedback   Give summary of the meaning and function of the passive voice Draw a strawberry on the board (or show Ss a picture of a strawberry); ask Ss what they can to store the strawberry for long 30’ Speaking Suggested answers: You can keep it cool in the fridge You can can it You can dry it  Ask Ss to work in group of three Generate ideas of how to fruit  Summarize the ideas and write them on the board  Now play the video of how to dry fruit and ask Ss to note d ways of drying fruit in group  Then ask them to discuss the answers in groups  Go round the classroom for help if necessary XIII  Call two group representatives report the results discussions to the class  Give feedback and correction on some commo students‟ oral products  Ask Ss to work individually and write a short pas words) on the method of drying fruit the passive structure in their writing w 30’ Writing  Collect and then randomly distribute the paper them to peer-correction as their hom  Remind them to bring the paper back on the n discussions and comments ... effective and beneficial The study entitled ? ?An investigation into teaching grammar in context for first- year non- English major students at Chu Van An University? ?? is conducted in that way Scope... What are the effects of in- context grammar teaching on grammar academic achievement of first year non- English major students at Chu Van An University? Q2: What are the effects of in- context grammar. .. above: H1: Teaching grammar in context has more positive effects on the grammar academic achievement of first year non- English major students at Chu Van An University than teaching grammar in traditional