Students attitudes towards the integrated approach to grammar teaching, a quasi experimental research on the first year students at hanoi college of economics and technology

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDY DEPARTMENT OF POSTGRADUATE VŨ THỊ SÂM STUDENT’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE INTEGRATED APPROACH TO GRAMMAR TEACHING, A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS ANDTECHNOLOGY (Nghiên Cứu Thử Nghiệm Thái Độ Sinh Viên năm thứ trường Cao Đẳng Kinh Tế Kỹ Thuật Hà Nội việc Giảng Dạy Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Anh Phương Pháp Tích Hợp) M.A Minor Program Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10 HÀ NỘI – 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDY DEPARTMENT OF POSTGRADUATE VŨ THỊ SÂM STUDENT’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE INTEGRATED APPROACH TO GRAMMAR TEACHING, A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS ANDTECHNOLOGY (Nghiên Cứu Thử Nghiệm Thái Độ Sinh Viên năm thứ trường Cao Đẳng Kinh Tế Kỹ Thuật Hà Nội việc Giảng Dạy Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Anh Phương Pháp Tích Hợp) M.A Minor Program Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10 Supervisor: Dr Duong Thi Nu HÀ NỘI - 2010 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ii PART 1: INTRODUCTION iii Rational Aims of the Study Research questions iv v Scope of the Study Method of the Study Organization of the Study PART 2: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Learning attitudes 1.1.1 Definitions of learning attitudes 3 1.1.2 The role of attitudes in language learning 1.2 Theoretical background of grammar teaching 1.2.1 Definitions of grammar and the place of grammar in English language teaching 1.2.2 The brief view of grammar teaching approaches 1.2.3 Stages of a grammar lesson at the current trend of ELT 1.3 Rational for the Integrated Approach 1.3.1 There is no best method 1.3.2 Related studies 1.3.3 Institutional reasons for the integrated approach 12 13 13 13 14 v 1.3.3.1 Low level students 1.3.3.2 Large-size and mixed level class 1.3.3.3 Student’s specific learning needs 1.3.4 Practical suggestions for the application of integrated approach 1.4 Conclusion to the chapter Chapter II: METHODOLOGY 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5.1 2.5.2 2.6 Chapter III: ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS Data analysis 3.2 Findings and discussions 3.2.1 Teachers’ beliefs and knowledge in teaching pronunciation 3.2.2 Formal curricula description 3.2.3 Teaching pronunciation’s goal and assessment 3.2.4 Approaches and techniques of teaching pronunciation 3.2.5 Teachers’ roles in teaching pronunciation 3.3.6 Teaching and learning materials PART 3: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 3.1 Summary of major findings 3.2 Implications of the Study for Teaching pronunciation 3.2.1 Improving teacher’s knowledge and opinion of different approaches to TEFL 3.2.2 Enhancing and varying teacher’s roles in teaching vi 3.2.3 Not to depreciate the appropriate uses of L1 in the classroom 3.2.4 Some suggestions for the integration of approaches in grammar teaching 3.2.5 Improving Facilities and Teaching/Learning Environment Conclusion to the chapter Limitations of the Study Suggestions for further research REFERENCES 41 APPENDICES I APPENDIX A Pre-treatment questionnaire I APPENDIX B Post-treatment questionnaire V APPENDIX C Pre-treatment interview and discussion VII APPENDIX D: Post-treatment interview and discussion VIII APPENDIX E: List of tables IX vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT Communicative Language Teaching A2 English for the second semester (Pre-Intermediate) EFL English as a Foreign Language ELT English Language Teaching ESL English as a Second Language ESP English for Special Purposes UTC University of Transport and Communications PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rational Teaching and learning grammar has been regarded as crucial to the ability to use a language In other words, grammar gains a prominence in language teaching, as much as without a good knowledge of grammar, learners’ language development will be severely constrained By studying grammar learners come to recognize the structure and regularity which is the foundation of language and they gain the tools to talk about the language system (Burns and de Silva Joyce, 1999, p.4-5) This is undeniable, and can be strongly agreed by any ESL teachers, who have paid much attention to teaching grammar in their classroom It is clear for all that, by teaching grammar, teachers not only offer learners the means to express themselves but also fulfill learners’ expectations of what learning a foreign language involves However, how to teach grammar effectively is not easy at all This is the big concern of any language teachers, especially those who teach English to students with practical purposes of communication and work in the future As a teacher at a newly born college as the Hanoi College of Economics and Technology (hereafter in referred as Hanetco), where English is considered the most dominant and essential subject, the researcher and all of her colleagues at the college have the absolute consensus that grammar is something that needs putting to the top of priority Unfortunately, we found that there are many constraints, regarding institutional, learner perspectives, and teaching context perspective, that prevent us from teaching English grammar best communicatively Moreover, as referred from well-known linguists, the author has an idea that many of the approaches to grammar teaching, currently popular or has been waned, all have the advantages and availability and suitability to be utilized in different teaching situations That is why in this small research, the researcher tries to make a suggestion of an integrated approach to teaching grammar to students at Hanetco Learning attitudes has recently received considerable attention from both first and second language researchers Most of the researches on the issue have concluded that learner’s attitude is an integral part of learning, and that should be, therefore, become an essential component of second language learning pedagogy There are several reasons why research on student’s attitudes towards language learning is important First, attitudes towards learning are believed to influence behaviors (Kaballa & Crowley: 1985) (Source: Weinberg 1998) such as selecting and reading books, speaking in a foreign language Second, a relationship between attitudes and achievements has been shown to exist Schibeci and Riley (1986), (Source: Weinberg 1998) report that there is support for the proposition that attitudes influence achievement, rather than achievement influencing attitudes The reason is that attitudes influence one’s behaviors, inner mood and therefore learning So it is clear that there is an interaction between language learning and the environmental components in which students grew up Both negative and positive attitudes have a strong impact on the success of language learning The attitudes of an individual depend heavily upon different stimuli Stern (1983) claims that the affective component contributes at least as much and more often to language learning than the cognitive skills, and this is supported by recent researches All studies adduce that affective variables have significant influences on language success (Eveyik, 1999; Skehan, 1989; Gardner, 1985; Spolsky, 1989) Discovering student’s attitudes about language will help both teacher and learner in the teaching-learning process Therefore, we have to consider the crucial role of this affective domain, attitudes 1.2 Aims of the study The aim of the study was to investigate what the attitudes of the students at Hanetco towards English grammar learning are and how their attitudes would change after some grammar lectures with the integrated approach Thanks to the findings of the study, the researcher hopes to leave some suggestions for further study in this very interesting topic 1.3 Research questions Focusing on a case with a target on the first year non-English-major students at Hanetco, this research examined the learning of grammar before and after the experiment of the integration of approaches To achieve this, three research questions were proposed: (1) What are the reasons for a change in approach to grammar teaching to students at Hanetco? (2) What are students’ expectations towards grammar teaching and learning? (3) What are the students’ attitudes towards the new integrated approach? (4) 1.4 Scope of the Study This study plays the role as a quasi-experimental study Due to the time limit and financial constraint, the author was unable to carry out the experimental study on a larger scale Therefore, the researcher intends to describe the student’s attitudes and beliefs towards English learning and teaching in the real context of first-year students at Hanetco 1.5 Method of the Study A qualitative and quantitative methodology was selected for this quasi-experimental research This involves the following instruments for data collection: (1) Survey questionnaires (pre-experiment and post-experiment questionnaire) (2) Interviews and discussions The collected data come from 138 first year students, gathering in two groups of banking faculty, interviews and discussions with random students Then the analysis is carried out in the light of finding out the answers to the research questions and the interviews 1.6 Organization of the study The study includes three parts: - Part 1, INTRODUCTION, introduces the rational for the research, the aims of the study, the scope, the methods and the organization of the study This part also provides a brief description of the thesis topic and information related to English grammar teaching and learning at the author’s teaching context, which is background of the study - Part 2, DEVELOPMENT, consists of three chapters as follows: - Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This part offers the reviews of literature related to studies on learning attitudes, the effect of attitudes on learning result, as well as the brief description of English grammar teaching histories together with the sketchy analysis of some popular approaches to grammar teaching Those help to provide the rational for the supposed integrated approach - Chapter 2: METHODOLOGY The actual procedures of the study are presented in this part: study design, subject of the study, data collection instruments as well as data collection analyzing process - Chapter 3: ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS This part focuses on presenting, analyzing and discussing the results obtained from the study - Part 3, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, summarizes some major findings, provides recommendations for a possibly applicable approach to teaching grammar, limitations of the study, and suggestions for further research 10 Em gặp khó khăn thực hành ngữ pháp hoạt động nói? III □ Khơng đủ vốn từ để diễn đạt ý □ Không hiểu rõ cấu trúc ngữ pháp □ Khơng có cộng tác bạn □ Khơng có hướng dẫn, trợ giúp sát giáo viên □ Hồi hộp, không thoải mái nói trước lớp nói với bạn □ Ngại sai Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… 11 Em thấy có hạn chế cơng tác dạy ngữ pháp tiếng Anh trường em? □ Giáo viên luôn áp dụng phương pháp tiếp cận ngữ pháp □ Giáo viên dành thời gian giảng ngữ pháp nhiều □ giáo viên chưa hoà đồng khuyến khích sinh viên tham gia vào hoạt động thực hành ngữ pháp □ có q dạng hoạt động để thực hành ngữ pháp □ lớp học q đơng, khiến cho sinh viên gặp khó khăn nghe giảng tiếp thu thực hành □ giáo viên diễn giảng cấu trúc ngữ pháp nhanh Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… 12 Em có mong muốn trường hợp thay đổi phương pháp giảng dạy ngữ pháp tiếng Anh lớp em? □ Giáo viên cho thêm nhiều tập viết (34) □ Giáo viên giảng tồn phần trình bày ngữ pháp tiếng việt □ Giáo viên kết hợp hài hoà tiếng Anh tiếng Việt giảng ngữ pháp (47) □ Thay tập viết trò chơi, hoạt động thảo luận nhóm (46) □ Tạo cho khơng khí lớp học sơi hoạt động thực hành miệng □ Tăng tập dịch để nắm cấu trúc (46) □ Giáo viên sử dụng nhiều phương pháp tiếp cận ngữ pháp khác (91) Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… 13 Theo em hoạt động dịch ngữ pháp (dịch từ tiếng Việt sang tiếng Anh ngược lại dựa cấu trúc ngữ pháp vừa học) có phải hoạt động bổ ích thực hành ngữ pháp khơng? □ Có, cần thiết □ Hồn tồn khơng cần thiết □ Em khơng biết có cần thiết hay khơng IV □ Em cho khơng hiệu 14 Theo em có cần thiết thực hành ngữ pháp thơng qua hoạt động nói khơng? □ Có, cần thiết □ Hồn tồn khơng cần thiết □ Em khơng biết có cần thiết hay khơng □ Em cho không hiệu Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… -Xin cảm ơn em nhiều Chúc em học tập tốt! Vũ Thị Sâm V APPENDIX B: PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT SAU THỰC NGHIỆM Trong tuần học Tiếng Anh vừa qua, em thấy việc học thực hành ngữ pháp Tiếng Anh so với trước đây? Em chọn nhiều lựa chọn □ Thú vị □ Khó hơn, gây mệt mỏi □ Căng thẳng, áp lực □ Hiệu □ Gây hào hứng, sôi □ Không hiệu Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… Trong tuần vừa qua em tham gia vào hoạt động để thực hành ngữ pháp? Em chọn nhiều hoạt động □ trò chơi □ tập dịch □ tập viết □ trình bày cá nhân chủ đề □ hoạt động nói theo nhóm Em thấy ghi nhớ ngữ pháp thơng qua hoạt động hiệu nhất? Em chọn nhiều hoạt động □ Thông qua trò chơi □ Qua tập viết câu, xây dựng câu □ Qua hoạt động thảo luận □ Qua tập dịch sang tiêng Anh □ Qua hoạt động trình bày chủ đề Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… Em có thường xuyên tham gia hoạt động nói để thực hành ngữ pháp không? □ Luôn □ Đôi □ Thường xuyên □ Ít □ Khơng Theo em hoạt động nói để thực hành ngữ pháp thời gian vừa qua nhiều hay ít? □ Quá nhiều □ Vừa phải □ Vẫn cịn Em muốn tiếp tục tham gia hoạt động học tiếng Anh tiêp theo để đạt hiệu tiếp thu cấu trúc ngữ pháp tốt nhất? Em chọn nhiều hoạt động □ trò chơi □ tập dịch VI □ tập viết □ trình bày cá nhân chủ đề □ hoạt động nói theo nhóm □ tất hoạt động Em cảm thấy thay đổi cách truyền đạt ngữ pháp giáo viên? □ Giáo viên có phong cách sơi hơn, động □ Giáo viên có phong cách ồn □ Giáo viên giảng giải ngữ pháp □ Giáo viên giảng giải ngữ pháp nhiều □ Giáo viên giảng ngữ pháp tiếng Anh nhiều □ Giáo viên giảng ngữ pháp tiếng Việt nhiều □ Giáo viên thể hiểu biết xã hội nhiều □ Giáo viên thường xuyên khuyến khích sinh viên nhiều □ Giáo viên lắng nghe nhiều □ Giáo viên yêu cầu thực hành nhiều Ý kiến khác, xin mời em nêu rõ:…………………………………… VII APPENDIX C: PRE-TREATMENT INTERVIEW AND DISCUSSION Question 1: To the two monitors of the targeted groups: In your observation, what your classmates think of English as a subject? (Theo quan sát em, bạn lớp có thái độ môn Tiếng Anh?) Question 2: To students: How you think about grammar learning and teaching with the current teacher’s approach? (Em nghĩ việc dạy học ngữ pháp với phương pháp giáo viên?) Question 3: Supposed that English grammar is not included in the subject teaching, what you think? (Giả sử giáo viên không dạy ngữ pháp môn Tiếng Anh, em thấy nào?) Question 4: As for you, is it necessary to have some changes in grammar teaching at your class? Why should they be changed? What should be changed? (Theo ý kiến em, có cần thay đổi giảng dạy ngữ pháp lớp em khơng? Điều cần thay đổi? Tại cần thay đổi?) VIII APPENDIX D: POST-TREATMENT INTERVIEW AND DISCUSSION Question 1: How you feel about grammar learning in the last weeks? (Em cảm thấy việc học ngữ pháp tuần vừa qua nào, so với trước đây?) Question 2: How you think about the integration of teaching approaches in grammar lessons during the last weeks? Is it proper? Do you recommend any adjustments? (Em nghĩ việc kết hợp phương pháp giảng dạy ngữ pháp thời gian tuần vừa qua? Sự kết hợp có hợp lý khơng? Em có ý kiến đóng góp khơng?) Question 3: What kind of activities did you take part in most frequently? What is (are) the most effective to memorize grammar rules, in your own experience, during the last weeks? (Em tham gia vào hoạt động thực hành ngữ pháp nàp nhiều nhất? Theo em, hoạt động có hiệu nhất?) Question :Do you realize any changes in a lecture structure and teaching style? What are the changes? How you think of the changes? (Em có nhận thấy khác biệt cấu trúc giảng ngữ pháp giáo viên so với trước không? Sự khác biệt em cảm thấy nào?) IX APPENDIX E: LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Student's attitudes towards English learning Table Student’s goals for learning grammar For better results in exams; especially w ritten exams For better speaking and listening For being more confident in communicating in English For better reading and translation No use X Table Factors affecting student’s attitudes towards grammar learning 6% 10% 70% Table 4: student’s attitudes towards current approach XI Table Constraints to successful grammar learning Insufficient vocabulary Not full perception of the structure No willing cooperation from partner(s No adequate instruction and monitoring Afraid of mistakes Speaking anxiety Table Shortcomings in grammar teaching XII Table Student’s level of grammar lesson perception 11% Table Student’s expectations in grammar teaching different ways of teaching grammar more translation exercises more communicative exercises proper use of English and Vietnamses teacher's showing of social knowledge more motivation from teacher XIII Table 9: Student’s favorable approaches Table 10 Student’s attitudes towards the integrated approach Thank you for evaluating AnyBizSoft PDF Merger! To remove this page, please register your program! Go to Purchase Now>> AnyBizSoft PDF Merger  Merge multiple PDF files into one   Select page range of PDF to merge Select specific page(s) to merge Extract page(s) from different PDF files and merge into one  ... to grammar teaching to students at Hanetco? (2) What are students? ?? expectations towards grammar teaching and learning? (3) What are the students? ?? attitudes towards the new integrated approach? ... change in approach to grammar teaching to students at Hanetco? How are the approaches integrated? What are the students? ?? attitudes towards the newly integrated approach? II.4 The participants The study... students are aware of the importance of the teaching approach that they are taught with Most of the students (91%) stated that their teacher applies the PPP and Grammar- Translation approach all the