High school teachers perceptions and attitudes towards applying communicative language teaching in teaching grammar

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ HUYỀN High school teachers’ perceptions and applying Communicative attitudes towards Language Teaching in teaching grammar NHẬN THỨC VÀ THÁI ĐỘ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN CẤP BA ĐỐI VỚI VIỆC ÁP DỤNG ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG GIAO TIẾP TRONG DẠY HỌC NGỮ PHÁP M.a MINOR thesis Field: English Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Ha Noi - 2010 VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ HUYỀN High school teachers’ perceptions and applying Communicative attitudes towards Language Teaching in teaching grammar NHẬN THỨC VÀ THÁI ĐỘ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN CẤP BA ĐỐI VỚI VIỆC ÁP DỤNG ĐƯỜNG HƯỚNG GIAO TIẾP TRONG DẠY HỌC NGỮ PHÁP M.a MINOR thesis Field: English Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: DR DƯƠNG THỊ NỤ Ha Noi - 2010 iii Table of contents Acknowledgements i Abstract ii Table of contents iii List of abbreviations vi List of figures and tables vii Part one: Introduction 1 Rationale Aims of the study Research questions Method of the study Scope of the study Definition of terminology Significance of the study Design of the study Part two: development Chapter one: Literature review 1.1 Communicative Language Teaching 1.1.1 The origins of CLT 1.1.2 Characteristics of CLT 1.2 Grammar 11 1.2.1 Definition of grammar 11 1.2.2 Approaches to grammar teaching 12 1.3 The role of grammar in foreign language teaching and learning 13 iv 1.4 Grammar teaching in the light of CLT 14 1.5 Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes to grammar teaching in the light of 16 CLT Chapter two: Research methodology 19 2.1 Methodology 19 2.1.1 Research questions 19 2.1.2 Method orientation 19 2.1.3 The participants 19 2.1.4 The instruments 20 2.2 Data analysis 21 2.3 Conclusion 21 Chapter three: Findings and discussion 22 3.1 The findings from the questionnaire and discussion 22 3.1.1 Teachers’ perception of the role of grammar in English 22 Language Teaching 3.1.2 Teachers’ attitudes to teaching grammar 22 3.1.3 Teachers’ perception of students’ attitudes towards learning 23 grammar 3.1.4 Teachers’ perceptions of CLT 23 3.1.5 Teachers’ grading of the benefits CLT brings to grammar 26 teaching 3.1.6 Teachers’ grading of the constraints they face when applying 27 CLT to teaching grammar 3.1.7 Teachers’ perception of the teacher’s role in CLT 28 3.1.8 Teachers’ perception of the students’ responsibilities in CLT 29 3.1.9 The care for CLT through discussions and comments at high 30 schools 3.1.10 The frequency teachers teach grammar in the light of CLT 30 v 3.1.11 Teachers’ perception of the benefits that CLT brings to 31 grammar teaching 3.1.12 Teachers’ evaluation of teaching grammar in the light of CLT 31 3.1.13 Teachers’ opinion about the frequency of applying CLT in 32 teaching grammar 3.1.14 Teachers’ opinion about the suitability and applicability of 33 applying CLT in teaching grammar 3.1.15 Teachers’ attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar 33 3.1.16 Teachers’ recommendations for effective application of CLT in 34 teaching grammar 3.2 The findings from the interview and discussion 34 Part three: Conclusion 39 Conclusions 39 Recommendations 41 Limitations of the study 42 Suggestions for further studies 42 References 43 Appendixes i vi List of abbreviations CLT Communicative Language Teaching ELT English Language Teaching T1 Teacher T2 Teacher T3 Teacher T4 Teacher T5 Teacher T6 Teacher vii List of figures and tables Name Page Figure 1: Teachers’ perception of the role of grammar in English Language 22 Teaching Figure 2: Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching grammar 22 Figure 3: Students’ attitudes towards learning grammar 23 Table 1: Teachers’ perceptions of CLT 24 Table 2: Teachers’ evaluation of the benefits of CLT in teaching grammar 26 Table 3: Teachers’ evaluation of the constraints of applying CLT in 27 teaching grammar Figure 4: Teachers’ perception of the teachers’ role in CLT 28 Table 4: Teachers’ perception of the students’ responsibilities in CLT 29 Figure 5: Teachers’ care for CLT at high schools 30 Figure 6: The frequency teachers teach grammar in the light of CLT 30 Figure 7: Teachers’ perception of the benefits that CLT brings to grammar 31 teaching Figure 8: Teachers’ evaluation of teaching grammar in the light of CLT 32 Figure 9: Should all grammar lessons be taught in the light of CLT? 32 Table 5: Do you think CLT is suitable and applicable in teaching grammar 33 at your school? Figure 10: Teachers’ attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar 33 Figure 11: Teachers’ recommendations for effective application of CLT in 34 teaching grammar Part one: Introduction Rationale There is no doubt that English has been used as a tool of communication among native speakers as well as non-native ones No one can deny the important role of English in every field of life Therefore, the demand for learning English is increasing in Vietnam where English is one of the main subjects at school, and among the compulsory subjects of the entrance exams to a number of universities Therefore, it is urgent that students be equipped with a suitable and good method as well as teachers with effective teaching method to help their students get the best results It has been claimed that English language teaching in Vietnam is grammar-based, that indicates the importance of grammar in ELT However the question of how to teach grammar effectively is a big concern of every English teacher Choosing the suitable method(s) to teach grammar is really an important step to achieve the teaching and learning purposes Recently, some methods have attempted to supplement or replace the traditional ones with models of correct usage and exercises, which provide a greater degree of contextualization Therefore, to meet the new demands for different competencies and increased quality for Vietnam’s development, higher educational curricula and methods are required to be further reformed in a practical and updated way to produce skilled manpower well-prepared for immediate employment in the future, to boost the training of post-graduates within the country and overseas, to strengthen scientific research, and to facilitate the application of advanced education experience (Pham, 1998) During this period, in the field of Vietnamese ELT, more and more teachers are offered chances to upgrade their degrees abroad; more seminars by Western organizations on teaching methods are held for Vietnamese teachers, and more Western teachers are employed in Vietnamese universities In this context, Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT) has been introduced and considered by a large number of Vietnamese teachers and educators as the more appropriate approach for ELT at Vietnamese upper secondary schools compared to the traditional teacher-centered education The question is whether a Western approach can and should be applied in an Asian context like Vietnam, and whether there are challenges in this application, what teachers perceive of it, what their attitudes towards it are Though a number of research studies have been conducted focusing on CLT and teachers’ attitudes towards CLT, little research has been done on teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards teaching grammar in the light of CLT, especially in Hai Phong, a city in the North of Viet Nam With the view to investigating high school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar, the researcher decided to choose the topic: High school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards applying Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in teaching grammar” for her M.A minor thesis The thesis mainly focuses on what teachers perceive of CLT and teaching grammar in the light of CLT, then their attitudes towards it, from which the researcher gives suggestions for an effective application of CLT in grammar teaching It is hoped that this study will have a little contribution to improving the application of CLT in ELT in general, English grammar teaching in particular Aims of the study The study aims to: - Explore high school teachers’ perceptions of CLT - Investigate what they perceive of applying CLT in teaching grammar - Explore their attitudes towards teaching grammar in the light of CLT Research questions: The study is an attempt to answer the three following research questions: What high school teachers perceive of CLT? What they perceive of applying CLT in teaching grammar? What are their attitudes towards teaching grammar in the light of CLT? Method of the study In order to explore high school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes to applying CLT in teaching grammar, the survey research is employed Data will be analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively With the aim of increasing the validity and reliability of the data collected, the author uses two main instruments: * a questionnaire for teachers with two types of questions: closed and open-ended The questionnaire aims to get teachers’ opinions about teaching grammar in the light of CLT * a semi-structured interview with teachers to get better insights into teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards teaching grammar in the light of CLT, the way CLT is applied in their lessons, and whether CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently Besides, reviewing the related documents is also a method to establish the theoretical background for the study Scope of the study For each research, it is necessary to limit its boundary to the manageable areas This study attempts to investigate high school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar It is exploratory by nature It is focused on high school teachers in different schools in Hai Phong, a city in the North of Vietnam These schools are both in the city and the country Definition of terminology 6.1 Communicative Language Teaching Up to now, there have been a number of definitions about CLT According to Lightbown & Spada (1999:172, in Fernando Ruby, 2001), “CLT is based on the premise that successful language learning involves not only a knowledge of the structures and forms of the language, but also the functions and purposes that a language serves in different communicative settings This approach to teaching emphasizes the communication of meaning over the practice and manipulation of grammatical forms (emphasis added).” I really like this definition as it can reflect the nature as well as the target of CLT CLT focuses not only on forms but also on meaning When CLT is successfully applied, students feel very confident in different communicative contexts As viewed by Nunan (1989:194) “Communicative language teaching views language as the system for the expression of meaning Activities involve oral communication, carrying out meaning tasks and using language which is meaningful to learners Objectives reflect the need of learners; they include functional skills as well as linguistic objectives The learner’s role is as a negotiator and integrator The teacher’s role is as a facilitator of the communication process Materials promote communicative language use; they are task-based and authentic” Nunan’s definition takes into consideration the most distinctive feature of CLT that is the system for the expression of meaning In this approach, students can obtain both functional and objective skills The teachers not force their students to learn but only act as the guider thus students can feel free to study This definition is so adequate and meaningful that it is widely cited by many scholars 43 References Anh, P T H (2003) The application of communicative language teaching (CLT) in teaching speaking to non English-major students in ministry of police: difficulties and recommendations Unpublished M.A Thesis Ha Noi National University Anh, P.T.M (2007) A study communicative approach to grammar teaching and learning at Tran Phu Gifted High School Unpublished M.A Thesis Ha Noi National University Bem, D J (1970) An Experimental Analysis of Beliefs and Attitudes Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan Bodagus (1931) The handbook of attitudes Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers Borg, S (2006) Teacher cognition and language education: Research and practice London: Continuum Brown, H.D (1994) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy Canh, L V (2004) Understanding Foreign Language Teaching Methodology: Ha Noi National University Press Candlin, C.N (Ed.) (1981) The Communicative Teaching of English Principles and an Exercise Typology London: Longman Chaiken, S (1993) The psychology of attitudes Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers 10 Chung, S.F (2000) A communicative approach to teaching grammar: theory to practice The English Teacher Vol.XXXIV National Taiwan University 11 Finocchiaro, M & C Brumfit (1983) The Functional-Notional Approach: From Theory to Practice New York: Oxford University Press.6 12 Galloway, A (1993) Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction and Sample Activities ERIC Identifier: ED 357642 13 Hammer, J (1987) Teaching and learning Grammar Longman Group UK Ltd 14 Hiep, P H (2007) Communicative language teaching: unity within diversity ELT Journal 61/3 15 Hoa, N T M (2006) The application of communicative language teaching (CLT) in teaching grammar to non-English major students at Ha Noi University of business and 44 management: difficulties and recommendations Unpublished M.A Thesis Ha Noi National University 16 Hymes, D (1972) “On Communicative Competence” in Sociolinguistics Harmondsword Penguin � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 17 Johnson, W L (1992) Pedagogical Agents in Virtual Learning Environment USC, Information Sciences Institute & Computer Science Dept 18 Kennedy, C (1988) Evaluation of the management of change in ELT projects Applied Linguistics 9, pp 329–342 19 Koul, L (1984) Methodology of Educational Research 3rded NewDelhi Vikas Publishing Ltd 20 Krashen, S (1981) "Second language acquisition and second language learning." Oxford: Pergamon Press 21 Lan, T.H & Hoan, H.T.H (2003).Teaching Grammar in Light of Communicative Language Teaching Vietnam National University Google.com 22 Larsen Freeman, D & Long, M (1991) An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition 23 Larsen-Freeman, D (1986) Techniques and principles in Language Teaching New York: Oxford University Press 24 Littlewood, W (1981) Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 25 Mulat, L (2003) Teachers' attitudes towards communicative language teaching and practical problems in its implementation Asian EFL Journal 26 Nunan, D (1989) Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 27 Nunan, D (1991) Language Teaching Methodology New York: Prentice Hall 28 Ogeyik, O M (2003) An Evaluation of the Communicative Approach and AudioLingual Method in Teaching Grammar in a Private High School in Turkey: LANGUAGE IN INDIA: Volume 9: March 2009 29 Pekoz, B (2008) Integrating Grammar for Communicative Language Teaching The Internet TESL Journal, Vol XIV, No 10, October 2008 http://iteslj.org/ 30 Peter Lindsay & Donald A Norman: Human Information Processing: An Introduction to Psychology, 1977 45 31 Pham, B (1998) Quality evaluation of educational multimedia systems Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 14(2), 107-121 32 Richards, R.C & Rodgers, T.S (1986) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching New York: Cambridge University Press 33 Richards, J C (2001) Communicative Language Teaching Today ELT Journal 34 Savignon, S (1983) Communicative Competence: Theory and Classroom Practice Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley 35 Selinger, H W., & E Shohamy (1989) Second Language Research Methods Oxford: Oxford University Press 36 Smith, M (2001) Making Content Classes More Communicative Teacher’s Edition 37 Thornburry, S (1999) How to teach grammar England: Longman 38 Widdowson, H.G (1990) Aspects of Language Teaching: Oxford: Oxford University Press 39 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exploratory+survey I Appendixes Appendix 1: Questionnaire Dear my colleagues, This questionnaire is designed to investigate high school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards applying Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in teaching grammar The researcher would highly appreciate your support in completing all the survey questions The data will be used in the research paper only, not for any other purposes Please select the appropriate options for your choice (You can choose more than one option if appropriate) Your gender: □ male □ female Your age: ………… Your years of English teaching: ……… How important you think grammar is to English Language Teaching? a very important b important c not very important d not important at all Do you like teaching grammar? a very much b not very much c not like at all d neither like nor dislike Do your students like learning grammar? a Yes b No c neither like nor dislike Give your opinion about these ideas about CLT: No Idea CLT is student-centered Grammar is not important in CLT CLT gives students opportunities to communicate with others CLT is only used in speaking and listening skills Accuracy and fluency are both given prominence in CLT In CLT, learners not only focus on grammar and Agree Disagree II structures but also on functional and communicative meaning Learners’ experience is not important in CLT CLT’s priority is the exact formation and use of grammar and vocabulary Errors are seen as natural outcome of the development of the communication skills 10 The students’ native language is very important and therefore, is encouraged to use Rank the benefits of CLT from the most important (1) to the least important one (5) Benefit Rank CLT enables students to study and practice not only communication skills but also grammar patterns Students are allowed to communicate using the target grammatical items to be taught Teacher always creates good language atmosphere to attract and interest students to learn CLT gives the learners the opportunity to use the language for their own purpose to take part in communication CLT focuses not only on “accuracy” but also “fluency” to develop interactions in the classroom like in the daily life Rank the constraints in teaching communicative grammar from the most challenging (1) to the least one (6) Constraint The teachers’ low teaching qualities due to insufficient education and training in terms of both teaching methods and technical skills Most high school teachers are used to applying the traditional methods, therefore they hesitate to apply the new one-CLT The teaching facilities not create good conditions for CLT to be successful Most of the classes are big and multilevel, therefore, it is difficult for Rank III teachers to adopt CLT Students’ passive learning styles The kinds of tests and exams (grammar-based) are not favorable to the application of CLT What are the roles of the teacher in CLT? a a controller b a facilitator c a monitor d a director e a counselor f a participant g Other(s) (please specify): …………………………… In CLT, students: a are merely expected to exercises correctly b are expected to involve in activities with their friends c work as a negotiator, an interactor d only perform in class, not have to prepare at home e are responsible for their own work How often is CLT discussed and commented at your school? a always b often c sometimes d seldom e never d rarely e never If yes, at what level? □ daily conversations □ seminars □ workshops Other(s): ………………… 10 How often you teach grammar in the light of CLT? a always b often c sometimes 11 What you think of the benefits that CLT brings to grammar teaching? a enormous b much c not much d very little 12 Do you find teaching grammar in the light of CLT…………….? a necessary b unnecessary c easy e effective f interesting g waste of time and energy h Other(s): ………………… 13 Should all grammar lessons be taught in the light of CLT? a Yes b No d difficult IV 14 Do you think CLT is suitable and applicable in teaching grammar at your school? a Suitable and applicable b unsuitable and inapplicable c suitable and applicable if some changes are made 15 Do you like applying CLT in teaching grammar? a Yes b No 16 What are your recommendations for the application of CLT in grammar teaching to be effective at your school? a The upgrading of teachers’ training is needed to help teachers have complete and sufficient understanding of CLT b The teaching materials and facilities should be improved to support CLT c The number of students in each class should be reduced to make it easier to adopt CLT d Tests should include not only grammar points, but also skills like listening and speaking… d Other(s) (Please specify): …………………………… V Appendix 2: Interviews with teachers I: Interviewer T: Teacher Interview 1: I: Thank you for coming here with me My interview is about the application of CLT in teaching grammar It is not a test of your knowledge, just a free talk to know your opinions T1: OK I am pleased if I can help you I: How you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? T1: Oh, a difficult question! I: You can answer whatever you think! T1: In my opinion, to apply CLT to teach grammar means that the teachers use techniques to teach students the grammar point under the approach of communication I: Is that all? Can you tell more about the techniques here? T1: from that, students may communicate with others fluently, correctly Ah, the techniques elicit students learning I: Ok I: So, you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T1: Yes, but it is really difficult to use CLT to teach grammar I: Why you like? T1: Because it is interesting and students are eager I: Why you think it is difficult? T1: As the teachers have to prepare a lot In fact, we have not much time I: Could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? T1: Firstly, a grammar lesson is taught under stages, pre-while-post I: Ok And how can u make grammar communicative in each stage? T1: I use eliciting questions to ask students It is a way to communicate with students and help students recognize the grammar point I: What about realia? Do you often use? and pair and group work? T1: I usually use pair word and group work but sometimes use realia I: How your students feel in these lessons? I mean when CLT is applied? VI T1: My students like learning grammar the most and they spent time learning grammar the most because they study grammar for their exams I: But I mean when CLT is applied?' T1: If they prepare before hand, they are happy I: You mean it also depends on students' preparation? T1: Both teachers’ preparation and students' preparation I: Ok I see It means CLT is not only demanding for teachers, but also students? T1: Yes I: Do you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently? T1: No I: Why so? T1: It is not suitable in my school learning and teaching condition I: Oh, I see I: You not have favorable teaching facilities? T1: The size of students in a class, the means of teaching and learning etc I: And students are not qualified enough? T1: That’s it I: I share the hardship with you T1: In a class of from 45 to 50 students, only from to 10 students know about English, the others not I: It means you see the benefits but you meet constraints in applying T1: Yes I: Ok, thank you very much for your cooperation T1: It is a little help I: Thank you indeed! Interview 2: I: How you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? T2: It is using grammar to teach communication or teaching grammar in context VII I: Ok Can you tell more about it? T2: I try to make grammar lessons communicative by giving a contest before each grammar point I: Ok, thank you Do you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? Why? T2: Yes, if so, my students can have effective communication T2: And the lesson is more interesting Students are very eager I: Ok I: Could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? T2: I often use role play, interview, sentences making I: What about pair and group work? Do you often use them? T2: I use when it is possible T2: However it is not easy to use them as my classes are often very crowded I: Do you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently? T2: Yes, students should improve both their grammar and speaking skill I: Ok I: That's good Thank you very much Interview 3: I: How you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? T3: I think applying CLT to teaching grammar is that in grammar lesson, we put students in the center of the lesson Formerly, it was teacher-centered I: Could you talk more about it? T3: We create a lot of opportunities for students Teachers only observe them work and interfere when necessary I: You mean the students are active in their lessons T3: Yes I: So, you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T3: Yes, I like it very much I: Could you tell me why? T3: Because it is effective VIII I: Effective? What you mean by “effective”? T3: I mean students can practice more in a more communicative way , Thus, they are eager in communicative lessons I: Thank you So could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? T3: Normally I often provide my students the new grammar point in the context And the students themselves discover the grammar point Then I ask my students to make more examples And then a number of activities are held for students It is the time students worked with their friends for accuracy and fluency I: Oh, that is very good But you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently? T3: Yes, I: think so It is very effective, and very good In my opinion, it is better than any other approaches So maybe it is the best currently Interview 4: I: How you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? T4: Yes Other methods provide students with the knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and make students gain accuracy of the language by learning by heart, repetition, while CLT provides students the use of grammar, vocabulary in real context, helps students to communicate in real context I: Ok Thank you I: Do you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T4: Yes I: Why? T4: Because it is interesting and useful It helps students to communicate in real situation, real context I: Is that all? T4: Oh, it motivates students to learn I: What's else? T4: Students can gain not only accuracy but fluency I: Thank you So could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? IX T4: First, teachers can use some techniques to present their structures, for example, when teaching the simple past passive, teachers can provide a situation: Last Sunday, my daughter was taken to cinema by my sister They were attracted by the beautiful actors and actresses They were made to laugh from the beginning to the end of the film Then teachers underline verbs of simple past passive and give students explanations about its form, meaning and use Teachers can get students to practice by role- play Teachers can give the topics: Mr John's house was broken in by a thief He is now reporting it to the police Play the roles of Mr John and the police Teachers divide the group into pairs to practice, using Simple past passive I: Ok That’s a very good way to involve students in communicative activities I: So what specific activities you often use in CLT grammar lesson? T4: I use pair work, group work, interview, role- play, story- telling, talking about specific topics, game I: Oh That seems you are very enthusiastic in teaching I: My last question is “Do you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently?” T4: Yes, because no method is better than CLT until now I: You mean they are better than others In what way? For example in teaching grammar? T4: The most prominent characteristic of CLT is to help students to be able to communicate while others not I: Oh, that seems you highly appreciate the benefits CLT brings to grammar teaching? T4: Yes That’s why I often apply it I: OK Thank you very much for your sharing T4: Never mind! Interview 5: I: Thank you for coming here with me Today we are going to talk about the application of CLT in teaching grammar Is this familiar to you? T5: Yes, as a high school teacher, I: often apply this approach in my lesson I: So how you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? X T5: I think it is to make grammar communicative I: Oh, that’s correct But In way can you make grammar communicative? T5: CLT aims at developing students’ communicative competence So using it means using different communicative activity to enable students to use the grammar structure in the real communication process I: That’ true T5: And the lesson becomes more interesting to our students I: So you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T5: Oh, most of the time I like using it You know it makes the students more motivated in the lesson, and they get exposed to the target language though a lot of practice activities I: You said most of the time? What about the rest? When don’t you use it? T5: You know, CLT is rather demanding so if I what it to be successful I need to prepare much before the lesson And it depends on many factors To be honest, when I: have someone attend my lesson, I need to prepare more carefully It’s when CLT is my first choice I: Do you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T5: Of course, I I: Why? T5: It makes the lesson more interesting and students feel more comfortable in the lesson In stead of sitting passively, they can actively involve in activities with their friends and negotiate meaning I: You often use CLT so could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? T5: in my lesson, students are the center In mean I only act as a counselor and interfere when necessary First I often introduce the new grammar point in the context, and try to put it in real context to be memorable Then my students practice in pair and groups Sometimes I use games to rouse learning’s atmosphere I: So you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently? T5: To be honest, I am not sure about it But I think it is effective and I like using it XI Interview 6: I: How you understand the application of CLT in teaching grammar? T6: In my experience, CLT must be applied in any aspects of language learning T6: And I prefer CLT in grammar I: You are in favor of CLT? T6: Because grammar is "a must" for VN learners I: Yes And CLT is effective in teaching grammar? Do you think so? T6: Yes Teaching CLT incorporating with grammar will make interaction for learning I: Do you like teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T6: Yes I: Could u explain why? T6: I did it at any time if possible I: But why you like it? rather than other methods? T6: It's a smart one I: Yes T6: As for me, communication is the first priority in teaching and learning I: Yes, that' the final goal of learning a foreign language T6: Why not? T6: And grammar provides us accurate rules to it effectively I: So you think CLT is the nearest way to reach that goal T6: Not really I: What you mean? T6: I think, without grammar I can still reach the communication purposes I: Yes, I see your point I: Could you describe the way CLT is applied in your grammar lessons? T6: I love to it I: But how can u it? I mean the specific activities in your lesson to make grammar communicative? T6: But it seems different from the tradition First, I explain the new words to students, and then I ask them to practice I: Yes, what kind of practice? XII T6: When it becomes similar, I help them to discover the rules themselves and I explain if necessary I: Do you find it effective when teaching grammar in the light of CLT? T6: Yes T6: I hate learning grammar and I don’t want my students to have any problems of learning communication because of grammar barrier I: Yes, so you think CLT is the best method in teaching grammar currently? T6: What I'm thinking about the best way is the way u can help your students learn how to communicate best I: Is that CLT? T6: Yes, in theory, the best way is integration of methods I: OK Thank you very mush for your sharing! ... OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN THỊ HUYỀN High school teachers’ perceptions and applying Communicative attitudes towards Language Teaching in teaching. .. to investigate high school teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar It is exploratory by nature It is focused on high school teachers in different schools in. .. investigates the perceptions and attitudes towards applying CLT in teaching grammar of 50 high school teachers in Hai Phong They come from eight high schools in Hai Phong They are both male and