the impacts of task based instruction on grammatical performance of pre intermediate non english majors at van lang university

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY ĐỖ THỊ HUYỀN THE IMPACTS OF TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION ON GRAMMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE NON-ENGLISH MAJORS AT VAN LANG UNIVERSITY MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL Ho Chi Minh City, 2019 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY ĐỖ THỊ HUYỀN THE IMPACTS OF TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION ON GRAMMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF PRE-INTERMEDIATE NON-ENGLISH MAJORS AT VAN LANG UNIVERSITY Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Major code: 60140111 MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL Supervisor: Assoc Prof PHAM VU PHI HO, PhD Ho Chi Minh City, 2019 i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled “The impacts of Task-based Instruction on grammatical performance of pre-intermediate non-English majors at Van Lang University” is my own work Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains any material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution Ho Chi Minh City, September 2019 DO THI HUYEN ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Ass Prof., Dr Pham Vu Phi Ho, who spent his valuable time on giving me instructions, advice, constructive comments, and encouragement This thesis would not have been completed if it had not been for his great support Secondly, I would like to thank my colleagues and classmates who encouraged me and shared with me much experience in thesis writing Thirdly, I am also grateful for all lecturers and staff at the Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, who instructed me and equipped me with relevant information and shared knowledge Finally, thanks to all my beloved first-year students at Van Lang University, the data collection and teaching procedures could be finished on time iii ABSTRACT The quasi-experimental research was conducted to investigate the impacts of Task based Instruction on Pre-intermediate non-English majors at Van Lang Univerisity Mixed method was employed using Pre-test, post-test and interview to respond to the three research questions The research lasted eight weeks on two groups of students (1) the control group studying grammar through PPP (2) the experimental group studying grammar through TBI with five grammatical points The findings indicate that TBI approach has a significant impact on the preintermediate non-English majors’ grammatical performance The students’ attitudes towards TBI group is more positive than that towards PPP group However, in terms of grammatical performance in writing and speaking, TBI model is not superior to PPP model Key words: Task based Instruction, grammatical performance, PPP, attitudes, speaking, and writing iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP… ………………………………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS… …………………………………………………… ii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………… iii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………… iv LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………….ix LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………….viii ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………………… xi CHAPTER – INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of the problems 1.3 Aims of the study 1.4 Research questions .8 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 Structure of the study CHAPTER - LITERATURE REVIEW 12 2.1 Theoretical framework 12 2.1.1 Definition of grammar 13 2.1.2 Grammatical performance 13 2.1.3 How to teach grammar 14 2.2 Previous studies 28 2.3 Research gaps 34 2.4 Chapter summary .36 CHAPTER – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 37 v 3.1 Research design .37 3.2 Research setting and participants 38 3.2.2 Participants 39 3.3 Instruments 41 3.3.1 Pre-test and Post-test 42 3.3.2 Interview 45 3.4 Research procedure 47 3.5 Training procedure 50 3.5.1 Traditional PPP lessons 50 3.5.2 TBI lessons 51 3.6 Data Collection and Analysis 55 3.7 Chapter summary .56 CHAPTER 4– RESULTS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 57 4.1 Reliability of the marking of speaking and writing 57 4.2 Grammatical performance of the two groups before the treatment 58 4.2.1 Pre-grammar paper test 58 4.2.2 Pre-writing test 59 4.2.3 Pre-speaking test 59 4.3 Research question 60 4.3.1 Comparison of the pre-grammar test & post-grammar test 61 4.3.2 Comparison of the post-grammar test 62 4.4 Research question 63 4.4.1 Comparison of the pre-speaking test & post-speaking test 63 vi 4.4.2 Comparison of the post-speaking tests of the TBI group and PPP group 64 4.4.3 Comparison of the pre-writing test & post-writing test 65 4.4.4 Comparison of the post-writing test 66 4.5 Research question 67 4.5.1 Interviews after each lesson 67 4.5.2 Interviews after the whole treatment 75 4.6 Discussion .79 4.6.1 The impacts of on the pre-intermediate non-English-majors' grammatical performance in the grammar-paper test at Van Lang University 79 4.6.2 The impacts of on the pre-intermediate non-English-majors' grammatical performance in speaking and writing test Vat an Lang University 81 4.6.3 The attitudes of learners towards the teaching grammar through TBI and PPP 81 CHAPTER – CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 85 5.1 Summary of the research findings 85 5.2 Conclusion .86 5.3 Pedagogical implications 87 5.4 Limitations and recommendations 88 References 90 APPENDIX A – LESSON PLAN 97 LESSON – PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR FUTURE USE 97 LESSON – MUST/MUSN’T/HAVE/DON’T HAVE TO/CAN/CAN’T 101 LESSON – MIGHT/MAY/WILL PROBABLY 104 vii LESSON – ZERO CONDITIONAL 110 LESSON – FIRST CONDITIONAL 112 APPENDIX B- TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW AFTER EACH LESSON .114 APPENDIX C –TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW AFTER THE WHOLE TREATMENT .128 APPENDIX E – POST-TEST 142 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 3.1 English training program at Van Lang University according to CEFR …………………………………………………………………………………… 38 Figure 3.2 Demographics of participants ……………………………………… 39 Figure 3.3 Correspondence between the research questions and the research instruments ………………………………………………………………46 Figure 3.4 Training procedure for PPP lessons ………………………………… 52 Figure 3.5 Training procedure for TBI lessons ……………………………………53 131 I think it would be perfect if you have more games Student 27 (1) Do you understand all the grammatical points presented over the last time? Yes, I understand (2) Do you like this method? Yes, because I like working in groups I feel motivated when studying with new method (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestion? The new method implemented is motivating, we had fun However, it will be perfect if more games are integrated in the lessons Student 28 (1) Do you understand all the grammatical points presented over the last time? Yes, I understand (2) Do you like this method? I like new method because I can work in group my peers can help me and discuss (3) Do you have any difficulties? I was bad at vocab in speaking so I feel a bit difficult (4) Do you have any suggestion? I have no idea Student 29 132 (1) Do you understand all the grammatical points presented over the last time? Yes, I understand (2) Do you like this method? I like new method because we can the task, that makes it easy to understand (3) Do you have any difficulties? I was bad at vocab in speaking so I feel a bit difficult (4) Do you have any suggestion? I would expect more games, it would be fun The games should be at the end of the lesson Student 30 (1) Do you understand all the grammatical points presented over the last time? Yes, I understand (2) Do you like this method compared to the old one? I feel ok with the new teaching method Actually the two methods are both effective (3) Do you have any difficulties? I can’t communicate with groupwork, my teammate don’t want to cooperate (4) Do you have any suggestion? I think we need more time for grammar and vocabulary PPP GROUP Student 31 133 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? About grammar, I understood 80 to 90 % of the lesson Maybe I need to review at home (2) Do you like the current teaching grammar method? I was a bit lazy for the first half of the semester, but as I understood more I was motivated more Working in a group is the best I got to work on communication skills and had my peers to help me It was easy for me to understand Your (teacher’s) expression was good (3) Do you have any difficulties? No, I have no problems (4) Do you have any suggestion? I think we need more speaking than writing because it is easy to cheat Student 32 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? - I am not sure If I focus then I get it but it was most probably because of my former English education (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? - I was not interested in grammar for the first half of the semester I was not really into learning grammar (3) Do you have any difficulties? - Working in groups was difficult for me when I was the last to get the answer in the group 134 (4) Do you have any suggestions? Teacher should give corrective feedback on individual pronunciation Student 33 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I understand but “Simple future” and “future continuous” was hard (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? I am interested in learning grammar (3) Do you have any difficulties? - No, actually (4) Do you have any suggestions? More activities toward the end to practice Student 34 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? I can follow the pace and like the method (3) Do you have any difficulties? I guess no (4) Do you have any suggestions? More examples and games in the middle of the lesson 135 Student 35 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? I like the method (3) Do you have any difficulties? No, I interact well with groupmates (4) Do you have any suggestions? No suggestion Student 36 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? I like the method, no problem (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestions? No suggestion Student 37 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? 136 Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? - It’s ok, but I am not really into (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestions? No, I guess Student 38 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? I think I partly understand I will have better understanding when I worked at home “Simple future” and “Future continuous” were hard But it was on me rather than on the teacher (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? Not really into the current method (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestions? I suggest more activities on grammar at the start Student 39 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? 137 It’s ok, but I am not really into (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestions? No, I guess Student 40 (1) Do you think you understand the grammar presented over the last time? Yes, I (2) Do you like the grammar teaching method? - It’s ok, but I am not really into (3) Do you have any difficulties? No (4) Do you have any suggestions? No, I guess 138 APPENDIX D - PRE-TEST PART – GRAMMAR PAPER TEST (KET PRACTICE TEST) 139 PART - WRITING Read this note from your friend, Maria I’m so happy that you will come and visit me Next Friday How long will you stay? What would you like to there? What food you like? Maria Write a note to Maria, answer her questions Write 20-25 words PART – SPEAKING SECTION 1: one candidate answers the following questions: What is your name? Where you come from? What is your major? What you usually in your free time? What is your plan for the next years? SECTION In this part, the examiner will ask you and your partner to talk together, using some cards to help you 140 CARD 141 CARD 142 APPENDIX E – POST-TEST PART Read the article about air travel Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space A HISTORY OF AIR TRAVEL In 1783, two French brothers built (0) _ first balloon to take people into the air One hundred and twenty years later, in 1903, the Wright brothers build the first plane with an engine and (1) in it This was (2) the United States Then, in 1918, the US Post Office began the first airmail service Aeroplane changed a (3) _ in the next thirty years Then, in the 1950s, aeroplanes became much (4) because they had jet engines In 1976, Concorde was built in the UK and France It is the fastest passenger plane in the world And it (5) _ fly at 2500 kilometres an hour So the journey (6) _ London to New York is only four hours Today, millions of people travel (7) aeroplane, and it is difficult to think of a world without (8) Example: A the B a C one A fly B flown C flew A in B at C through A lot B many C few A fast B faster C fastest answer: A 143 A must B should C can A between B from C of A with B on C by A them B their C they PART – WRITING You are going on holiday Write a postcard to your English friend, Jo:  Tell Jo what you did yesterday  Describe the weather  Say when you are coming home Write a post card to Jo Write about 25-30 words PART – SPEAKING SECTION 1: one candidate answers the following questions: What is your name? Where you come from? What is your major? What you usually in your free time? What is your plan for the next years? SECTION 144 In this part, the examiner will ask you and your partner to talk together, using some cards to help you 145 ... 4.6.1 The impacts of on the pre- intermediate non- English- majors'' grammatical performance in the grammar-paper test at Van Lang University 79 4.6.2 The impacts of on the pre- intermediate non- English- majors'' ...MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY ĐỖ THỊ HUYỀN THE IMPACTS OF TASK- BASED INSTRUCTION ON GRAMMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF PRE- INTERMEDIATE NON- ENGLISH MAJORS AT VAN LANG UNIVERSITY. .. on the pre- intermediate non- English- majors'' grammatical performance in the speaking and writing test at Van Lang University? What are the attitudes of the pre- intermediate non- English- majors