Challenges in teaching grammar in the language focus periods with the new english textbook tieng anh 12 at viet ba high school and recommendations

h VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HANOI University of LANGUAGES and International studies FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ************* NGUYEN THU YEN Challenges in Teaching Grammar in the “Language Focus Periods” with the New English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 at Viet-Ba High School and Recommendations (Những khó khăn dạy ngữ pháp c¸c tiÕt “Language Focus” theo s¸ch gi¸o khoa TiÕng Anh 12 ë tr-êng THPT ViƯt nam-Ba Lan vµ mét sè giảI pháp) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY CODE: 60.14.10 HANOI – 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HANOI University of LANGUAGES and International studies FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ************* NGUYEN THU YEN Challenges in Teaching Grammar in the “Language Focus Periods” with the New English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 at VietBa High School and Recommendations (Những khó khăn dạy ngữ pháp tiết Language Focus theo sách giáo khoa TiÕng Anh 12 ë tr-êng THPT ViÖt nam-Ba Lan số giảI pháp) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH METHODOLOGY CODE: 60.14.10 SUPERVISOR: Khoa Anh Viet HANOI – 2010 iv TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION…………………………………………………… ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………… ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………… TABLES OF CONTENTS……………………………………………… LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………… LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES……………………………………… Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….1 1.1 RATIONALE………………………………………………….…… 1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY…………………………………………… 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS………………………………………….2 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………………………2 1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY……………………………………………3 1.6 DESIGN OF THE STUDY………………………………………….3 Chapter 2: DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………… 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………4 2.1.1 Definitions of Grammar………………………………………………… 2.1.1.1 Grammar as rules……………………………………………… 2.1.1.2 Grammar as meaning…………………………………………… 2.1.1.3 Grammar as discourse…………………………………………….7 2.1.2 The role of Grammar in foreign language teaching……………….8 2.1.2.1 Pro-grammar perspectives………………………………………….9 2.1.2.2 Anti-grammar perspectives……………………………………… 10 v 2.1.3 Methods commonly used in teaching grammar………………… 11 2.1.3.1 Explicit grammar teaching…………………………………………11 2.1.3.2 Implicit grammar teaching………………………………………….12 2.1.4 Grammar teaching in the light of CLT……………………………13 2.1.4.1 Definition of CLT………………………………………………………… … 13 2.1.4.2 Teaching grammar in the light of the communicative approach 15 2.1.5 Related studies…………………………………………………… 16 2.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………………………… 18 2.2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………18 2.2.2 Research questions:………………………………………………… 20 a What the teachers at Viet-Ba High school perceive of the problems in teaching Grammar to 12th form students in the “Language Focus periods”? b What should be done to overcome those problems at Viet-Ba High school? 2.2.3 The participants of the study………………………………………….20 2.2.3.1 The teachers and their teaching situations and conditions…….….20 2.2.3.2 The participants of the study………………………………………… 21 2.2.4 The instruments……………………………………………………….21 2.2.4.1 Questionnaire…………………………………………………………… 21 2.2.4.2 Classroom observation………………………………………………….21 2.2.4.3 The interview………………………………………………………… …23 2.2.4.4 Procedure……………………………………………………………….…23 2.3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION…………………………………25 2.3.1 Results and discussion from the questionnaire……………………… 25 2.3.2 The result and discussion from the observation ………………………31 2.3.3 The result and discussion from the interviews……………………… 32 vi 2.4 FINDINGS AND SOME POSSILE SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN THE “LANGUAGE FOCUS” TO 12TH FORM STUDENTS AT VIET-BA HIGH SCHOOL…………………………34 2.4.1 Summaries of the major findings…………………………………… 34 2.4.2 Recommendations…………………………………………………… 37 2.4.3 Limitation of the study……………………………………………… 42 2.4.4 Suggestions for further research…………………………………….…43 Chapter 3: CONCLUSION…………………………………………… 44 REFERENCE ………………………………………………………………… I APPENDIX……………………………………………………………… ……IV Appendix 1: Questionnaire for teachers …………………………………………………………V Appendix 2: Interview questions for teachers …………………………………………………………………………VIII Appendix 3: Extracted transcription of the interview……………………….………………… IX Appendix 4: Observation 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………XII Appendix 5: Observation 2………………………………………………………………….…XVI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT Communicative Language Teaching EFL English as Foreign Language ESL English as Second Language vi 2.4 FINDINGS AND SOME POSSILE SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN THE “LANGUAGE FOCUS” TO 12TH FORM STUDENTS AT VIET-BA HIGH SCHOOL…………………………34 2.4.1 Summaries of the major findings…………………………………… 34 2.4.2 Recommendations…………………………………………………… 37 2.4.3 Limitation of the study……………………………………………… 42 2.4.4 Suggestions for further research…………………………………….…43 Chapter 3: CONCLUSION…………………………………………… 44 REFERENCE ………………………………………………………………… I APPENDIX……………………………………………………………… ……IV Appendix 1: Questionnaire for teachers …………………………………………………………V Appendix 2: Interview questions for teachers …………………………………………………………………………VIII Appendix 3: Extracted transcription of the interview……………………….………………… IX Appendix 4: Observation 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………XII Appendix 5: Observation 2………………………………………………………………….…XVI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT Communicative Language Teaching EFL English as Foreign Language ESL English as Second Language vii MOET OHP SLA Ministry of Education and Training Overhead projector Second Language Acquisition LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Page Chart 1: Teachers’ attitude toward grammar teaching………………………………………….25 Chart 2: Teachers’ awareness of the role of grammar teaching……………………………… 25 Table 1: Techniques used to teach a new grammar item……………………………………… 26 Chart 3: The ways to teach a new grammar item……………………………………………….27 viii Chart 4: Teachers’ awareness of difficulties in grammar teaching…………………………… 28 Chart 5: Teachers’ suggestions to solve these problems……………………………………… 29 -1- Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 RATIONALE: In Vietnam English has played an important part in the development of technology and business nowadays It is considered as the language for international communication and as an instrument for receiving grants and aid Teaching and learning English have become more and more necessary and important because of the international integration process It is offered as a compulsory subject in the curriculum as well as the national high school examinations One of the main tasks assigned to English teaching at school is that of training students to be communicatively competent Moreover, since Vietnam entered WTO, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of and need for spoken English Especially, since school year 20082009 a new educational reform has been carried out, a new National reform Curriculum has been followed in all schools in Vietnam The new textbooks “English 10,11,12” have marked real renovation in English teaching and learning from the traditional approach –Grammar translation method to communicative approach In Vietnam, foreign language teaching in general and English language teaching in particular is said to be grammar-focused For many English teachers and students teaching English means teaching grammar There are many good reasons for this The first reason for this is the aim of the national examinations whose sole objectives is to measure candidates‟ linguistic or grammatical competence in written form Therefore, the teaching of English in secondary schools is still directed towards preparing students for such a sort of examinations Furthermore, without learning grammar, students can not communicate well, to put it another way, the language they produce is considered ungrammatical and unacceptable However, how to teach and learn grammar effectively has been in question up to now, and has been considered as a challenge for many Vietnamese teachers of English in secondary schools Both teachers and students in schools are always faced up with many difficulties At Viet-Ba High school, like at many other high schools in Vietnam, English has been a compulsory subject in secondary curriculum for many years I myself and other English teachers here are aware of the importance of English grammar teaching For me, finding challenges in teaching and learning Grammar in the “Language Focus” periods is one of the ways to deal with grammar more effectively in the secondary school classrooms And this would be of great help to myself as well as to other teachers This is also the reason why my thesis is entitled: “Challenges -2- in Teaching Grammar in the “Language Focus periods” with the New English Textbook Tiếng Anh 12 at Viet-Ba High School and some Possible Solutions” 1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY: For the reasons mentioned above, the specific aims of the study, accordingly, are:  To investigate into the challenges many teachers at Viet-Ba High school encountered in teaching grammar in the “Language Focus” periods with the New English Textbook Tiếng Anh 12  To find out some possible solutions including a variety of techniques and activities to achieve the effectiveness in teaching grammar and in order to make grammar teaching more communicative 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What the teachers at Viet-Ba High school perceive of the problems in teaching Grammar to 12th form students in the “Language Focus periods”? What should be done to overcome those problems at Viet-Ba High school? 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: On the completion of the study, some advantages of both qualitative and quantitative methods were taken as the main research tools in order to seek answers for the research questions To begin with, an extensive review of literature was conducted, critically examining grammar‟s role in language teaching and learning, some common methods used in teaching grammar and their influences on teaching and learning grammar Sources of data were collected, involving the teachers in Viet-Ba High school in order to achieve the aims of the study  Questionnaires: Conducting a survey questionnaire to investigate teachers‟ evaluative comments and their attitudes towards teaching English grammar to 12 grade as well as their perceived challenges  Observation: Observing some classes to investigate how grammar was approached in the classroom by different teachers th  Interview: Interviewing grade 12 teachers to get better insights into the research questions Data collected from the questionnaires were triangulated with classroom observation and interview All these were done at Viet-Ba High school in Hanoi III Pham Thi Mai Anh (2007) Applying communicative approach to grammar teaching and learning at Tran Phu gifted high school M.A thesis Powney, Janet & Watts, Mike (1984) Reporting interview: A code good practice Research intelligence BERA, Newslette Richard, C J, Rodger, S T (1986) Approaches and methods in language teaching: A description and analysis Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Rutherford, W E & Sharwood Smith, M 1988 Grammar and second language teaching: A Book of readings New York: Newbury House Publisher Scott, M V (1989) An empirical study of explicit and implicit teaching strategies in French The Modern Language Journal, 73 Stern, H H (1992) Issues and options in language teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press Swain, M (1985) Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development In S Gass & C Madden (Eds.) Input in second language acquisition Rowley, MA: Newbury House Swain, M (1998), Methodology in language teaching- An anthology of current practice, English teaching professional, Thornbury, S (1999) How to teach grammar England: Longman Thornbury, S (2001) Uncovering Grammar Oxford: Macmillan Heinemann Ur, P (1988) Grammar practice activities Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Verma, Gajendra, K & Mallick, Kanka (1999) Researching education: Perspectives and techniques London: Falmer Press.p V T Kim (2001) Secondary foreign language teachers: present state and solutions Proceeding of the conference on training foreign language school teachers for the first decade of the 21st century held by Hanoi College of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University in Hanoi, in February 2001 Waxman, Hersh, C 2003 Classroom observation Widdowson, H G (1990) Aspects of language teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press Wilkins, D A (1976) “Grammatical, situational and notional syllabus” in Brumfit & Johnson (eds) The Communicative approach to language teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press IV AppendiXes APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS APPENDIX 3: EXTRACTED TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW APPENDIX 4: OBSERVATION APPENDIX 5: OBSERVATION APPENDIX Survey questionnaire for teachers This survey questionnaire is designed for the teachers who teach English to the students of grade 12 at Viet-Ba High school for my study “Challenges in Teaching Grammar in the “Language Focus periods” with the New English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 at Viet-Ba High School and some possible solutions” I hope to enlist your effective help by filling in the questionnaire V I ensure that your information given by you will be kept confidential Thanks for your cooperation Circle the appropriate answers You could have more than one choice in some questions or give your own opinions What is your gender? a Male b Female How long have you been learning English? a less years b from years to years c over years What you think of the importance of grammar in teaching English at school? a important c the most important c as important as others How you find grammar teaching? a interesting b boring c difficult Do you often explain grammar points in the classroom? a Yes, very often b No, rarely c Sometimes What kind of the following techniques you often use to teach a grammar item? a Presenting and explaining grammar rules in detail b Explaining grammar points in passages or dialogues in students’ textbooks c Illustrating grammar rules or sentence structures through examples d Explaining only grammar points students ask you to e Correcting students’ grammar errors frequently How you often teach your students a new grammar item? a Introducing grammatical rules, giving some examples before asking them to practice VI b Showing some examples to help the students draw out the rules of that grammar item and then asking them to practice c Other ideas……………………………………………………………… How you feel when teaching “Language focus” period in comparison with teaching other skills? a difficult b normal c interesting Do you spend more or less time on preparation for teaching grammar in “Language focus” period than for teaching other skills? a more b less c as equal 10 What are your difficulties in teaching grammar in “Language focus” period? a Lack of materials b Limitation of time c Lack of techniques d Students’ poor knowledge e Students’ low interest f Other ideas……………………………………………………………… 11 What you suggest to solve these problems? a Prepare for the lesson more carefully than for other skills b Ask students to repeat or substitute the structure c Present grammar structures by writing examples on the board then ask the students about the grammar structures in those examples, let them chances to describe the rules of the new grammar points d Use different ways or techniques to present grammatical structures such as use pictures, use games to attract students so that the “Language focus” lessons could be the most effective e Let students practice grammar through doing exercises in the textbook f Find out the appropriate exercises (not only in the textbook) for students to practice g Let students practice grammar through playing games or the free speaking and writing activities or working in pairs or groups to exchange personal information with friends VII h Explain grammar rules in details and then ask the students to exercises in the textbook Thank you very much for your contribution ! Appendix Interview questions for teachers I Teachers’ attitude towards grammar teaching Do you like teaching grammar? Why? Why not? How you feel when teaching “Language focus” period in comparison with teaching other skills? AI Teachers’ awareness of the importance of grammar teaching What you think of the role of grammar in teaching English at school? Do you spend more or less time on preparation for teaching grammar in “Language focus” period than for teaching other skills? BI Teachers’ evaluation of methods and techniques of grammar teaching Do you often explain grammar points in the classroom? What kind of the techniques you often use to teach a grammar item? How you often teach your students a new grammar item? IV Teachers’ awareness of difficulties in grammar teaching What difficulties you often encounter while teaching grammar in “Language focus” period? VIII Do you have any ideas in order to solve these problems? Thank you very much for your contribution! Appendix EXTRACTED TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW Subjects: Two teachers of English teaching at Viet-Ba High school Abbreviation used: I: interviewer T1: teacher T2: teacher I: First of all thank you very much for your accepting my invitation to the interview I would like to get some information for my thesis: ““Challenges in Teaching Grammar in the “Language Focus periods” with the New English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 at Viet-Ba High School and some Possible Solutions” I: Good morning! Shall we talk about our grammar teaching? Do you like teaching grammar? Why? Why not? T1: Sometimes I like but in general, I don’t like because grammar itself is difficult And….teaching it seems more difficult It’s not easy to make teaching grammar both funny and comprehensible to the learners T2: I like grammar teaching because I can vary strategies, activities when teaching My students always keep silent when they study grammar period I: How you feel when teaching “Language focus” period in comparison with teaching other skills? IX T1: Frequently, in “Language focus” period I don’t find myself inspired Grammar points in textbooks nowadays are often taught for the purpose of exams, so “Language focus” period leaves me in the mood of boredom and monotonous T2: It seems to be more boring than other skills because my students often copy down as much as possible Furthermore, there was little interaction between students and teacher I: What you think of the role of grammar in teaching English at school? T1: Grammar teaching is, of course, necessary because grammar is tested a lot in the exams T2: For me it’s very important because of its influences on productive skills such as writing and speaking I: Do you spend more or less time on preparation for teaching grammar in “Language focus” period than for teaching other skills? T1: It takes me more time to prepare for a period of grammar teaching than others T2: I spend more time…… I: Do you often explain grammar points in the classroom? T1: Yes, I often explain grammar points in the classroom to make sure my students understand the meaning of the text or sentences T2: Yes, I I often explain grammar points in Vietnamese if the learners are weak and ordinary students I: What kinds of the techniques you often use to teach a grammar item? T1: I use both inductive and deductive teaching, which means sometimes grammar rules are taught first and then are applied and vice versa It depends on that grammar points, what levels of the students belong to, etc T2: Presentation-Practice-Production I: How you often teach your students a new grammar item? T1: I teach grammar whenever I come across one especially when these grammar points make students hard to understand the text or exercises T2: I give examples- lead students find the structures by themselves- Ask them make sentences or exercises I: What difficulties you often encounter while teaching grammar in “Language focus” period? X T1: The most difficult thing I encounter while teaching grammar is how to make the target point communicative, how to make students find when/in which situation in daily life it is used T2: I don’t have enough time to cover the content in the textbook My students lack background knowledge what they were taught at secondary school Furthermore, my students are too passive to find out the structures by themselves I: Do you have any ideas in order to solve these problems? T1: I search for others’ experience, others’ lesson plans to diversify the ways I can use to teach grammar I assume that grammar can be memorized easily and in a long time only by making it funny and communicative T2: Sorry I don’t I: Thank you very much for your contribution! Appendix OBSERVATION th Date: 19 July,2010 Class of observation: 12A1 Course book: English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 XI Unit: 1- Home life – Part E: Language Focus Grammatical point: Tense revision: past simple, past progressive and present perfect Stages At the presentation stage (10 mins) XII progress at that time and probably continued” -T pointed to the second pair sentences and said: “I n comparision with present perfect, simple past tense in the last sentence is used for a past action when the time was given The rd present perfect in the sentences expresses a situation that began in the past and continues to the present” -T asked Ss to make more sentences using tenses given to check the Ss’s understandings At the practice -T asked the students to all the stage (25 mins.) XIII my great grandfather He has been married six times At the production XIV stage Homework(1 min.) Appendix OBSERVATION Date: 10th July, 2010 Class of observation: 12A6 Course book: English Textbook TiÕng Anh 12 Unit: 1- Home life – Part E: Language Focus Procedure of the lesson XV Stage At the presentation stage (10 mins.) At the practice stage (25 mins.) XVI At the production stage Homework (1 min.) ... Problems in English grammar teaching in the ? ?Language Focus periods? ?? with the New English Textbook Tieng Anh 12 at Viet- Ba High School The new English textbook Tieng Anh 12 was designed to provide... administrators and for the teachers teaching grammar to the students of grade 12 at high schools in Vietnam in general and at Viet- Ba High school in particular From the findings of the study... problems at Viet- Ba High school? 2.2.3 The participants of the study 2.2.3.1 The teachers and their teaching situations and conditions The number of English teaching staff at Viet- Ba High school is 12