Issues of teaching english to young learners at the private language center teachers’ perspectives

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES -oOo - ĐÀO THỊ DIỄM HƯƠNG ISSUES OF TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT THE PRIVATE LANGUAGE CENTER: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES (Nhận định giáo viên vấn đề giảng dạy tiếng Anh cho người học nhỏ tuổi trung tâm tiếng Anh) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi – 2021 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES -oOo - ĐÀO THỊ DIỄM HƯƠNG ISSUES OF TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT THE PRIVATE LANGUAGE CENTER: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES (Nhận định giáo viên vấn đề giảng dạy tiếng Anh cho người học nhỏ tuổi trung tâm tiếng Anh) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Lê Văn Canh Hanoi – 2021 DECLARATION I confirm that this is my own work and the use of all materials from other sources has been properly and fully acknowledged Hanoi, March 8th 2021 Signature Dao Thi Diem Huong i ABSTRACT This dissertation presents the research findings on the topic of Issues of Teaching English to Young Learners at the Private Language Center: Teachers’ Perspectives Its main aims were to investigate the approaches to teach English to young learners and main issues related to teaching English to young leaners such as class size, physical conditions, management, learner factors and professional skills as well as suggestions for improvement these issues at that center The study was conducted using qualitative methods Qualitative data was obtained through focus group interview The research uncovered a wide range of factors concerning the teaching of English to young learners from the perspectives of teachers at a private language center In particular, it showed that many of these factors are commonly experienced by different teachers in teaching and learning to young learners Keywords: young learners, class size, physical conditions, management, learner factors, professional skills ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest sense of gratitude to my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Le Van Canh for his continuous advice and encouragements throughout the course of this thesis Also, for his systematic guidance and great effort A big thank to all the teachers who were patient in answering questions in group interview and sincere helps given to me within the data collection process My gratefulness goes to all those people who made this research work possible and an unforgettable experience Last but not least, special thanks go to my family and friends for their unconditional love; especially my husband, who, most importantly, relentlessly supported me every step of the way iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ………………………….…………………… i ABSTRACT ………………………………………………….… ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………….… iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………….….… iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ………………………………… vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ……………………….…… 1.1 Rationale …………………………………………………… 1.2 Purposes of the study ………………………………….… 1.3 Significance of the study …………………………………… 1.4 Scope of the study ………………………………………… 1.5 Outline of the thesis ……………………………………… CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ………………….… 2.1 Young learners …………………………………………… 2.1.1 Definition of young learners …………………………… 2.1.2 The characteristics of young learners ……………….…… 2.1.3 Development of young learners …………………… … 2.1.3.1 Cognitive development of young learners ………….… iv 2.1.3.2 Social and emotional development of young learners … 10 2.2 Teaching English to young learners ……………………… 11 2.3 Issues related to teaching English to young learners ……… 13 2.3.1 Class size ……………………………………………….… 13 2.3.2 Learner factors ………………………………………… 16 2.3.3 Professional skills ……………………………………… 18 2.3.4 Physical conditions …………………………………….… 22 2.3.5 Management ………………………………………… … 24 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY …………………………… 31 3.1 Research design ………………………………………….… 31 3.2 Research question ………………………………… …… 32 3.3 Research approach ……………………………………….… 32 3.4 Research setting ………………………………………….… 33 3.5 Participants ………………………………………………… 34 3.6 Data collection instruments ………………………… …… 35 3.7 Data analysis procedures …………………………………… 35 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION …………… 37 4.1 Issue 1: Learner heterogeneity …………………………… 37 v 4.2 Issue 2: Conditions of teaching and learning ……………… 38 4.3 Issue 3: Teacher wellbeing ……………………………….… 39 4.4 Issue 4: Expectations vs outcome ………………………… 45 4.5 Suggestions for improvement ……………………………… 45 4.6 Discussion ………………………………………………… 46 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS … … 49 5.1 Conclusion ……………………………………………….… 49 5.2 Implications ………………………………………………… 50 5.3 Limitations ……………………………………………….… 51 References ……………………………………………… ….… 52 Appendices …………………………………………….… … I vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS YLs: Young learners EYL: English to young learners TEYL: Teaching English to young learners L1: First language L2: Second language CLT: Communicate Language Teaching MoET: Ministry of Education and Training VNU: Vietnam National University, Hanoi CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference 10 ICT: Information Communication Technology 11 NSs: Native Speakers 12 EFL: English as a Foreign Language vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale English has been taught not only adults but also children all around the world The numbers of children learning English as a foreign language had started increasing In some countries, such as Vietnam, the introduction of English as a compulsory subject at primary level is relatively recent (Nguyen, 2011) Parents want their children to develop English skills to benefit from new world orders and put pressure on governments to introduce English to younger children (Enever & Moon, 2009; Gimenez, 2009) Vietnamese parents want their children to learn English earlier than the current programme could offer In the hope that their children will have the right kind of start for a new kind of society, many parents, particularly the young ones in urban and affluent areas send their children to private foreign language centers to learn English even when they are pre-schoolers Many parents said that learning English at schools is not enough time to be master, so they often send your children to extra lessons in the evenings and weekends This leads more and more English language centers opened in big cities even villages in Vietnam These centers have focused on developing students’ communicative skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and thus have aroused students’ interest in learning English, helping them get better results Learners are given an opportunity to be able to communicate with foreigners in English and to go to study abroad after finishing upper secondary schools The global spread of English accompanied by the myth of ‘the younger the better’ has led to English fever among parents (Nguyen, 2011), which motivates the mushrooming of private English centers for young children While much research on the challenges of teaching English to young children Kumaravadivelu, B (2001) Toward a post-method pedagogy TESOL Quarterly, 35, 537-560 Lamb, M (2011) A ‘Matthew Effect’ in English language education in a developing country context In Coleman, H (Ed.), Dreams and realities: Developing countries and English language (pp 191- 211) London: The British Council Li, D (1998) “It’s always more difficult than you plan and imagine”: Teachers’ perceived difficulties in introducing the communicative approach in South Korea TESOL Quarterly, 32, 677–703 doi:10.2307/3588000 Littlewood, W (2007) Communicative and task-based language teaching in East Asian classrooms Language Teaching, 40, 243–259 doi:10.1017/ S0261444807004363 Llurda, E (ed.) (2005) Non-native Language Teachers New York: Springer Miles, B & Huberman, A (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc Moon, J (2000) Children Learning English Oxford: Macmillan-Heinemann Moon, J (2005) Investigating the teaching of English at Primary Level in Vietnam: A summary report Paper presented at the Teaching English Language at Primary Level Conference, Hanoi, Vietnam Najvar, P (2010) Raná výuka cizích jazyků v České republice na konci 20 století Brno: Paido Pedagogický výzkum v teorii a praxi ISBN 978-807315-200-0 58 Nguyen, H.T.M (2011) Primary English language education policy in Vietnam: insights from implementation Current Issues in Language Planning, 12(2), 225-249 Nunan, D (2003) The impact of English as a global language on educational policies and practices in the Asia-Pacific region TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 589–613 Nur, C (2003) English language teaching in Indonesia: Changing policies and practical constraints In W K Ho & R Y L Wong (Eds.), English language teaching in east Asia today: Changing policies and practices (pp 163–172) Singapore: Eastern Universities Press Peltzer-Karpf, A & Zangl, R (1998) Die Dynamik des Frühen Fremdsprachenerwerbs Tübingen: Narr Phillips, S (2003) Young Learners Oxford: Oxford University Press Pinter, A (2011) Children learning second languages Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan Prapaisit de Segovia, L & Hardison, D M (2008) Implementing education reform: EFL teachers’ perspectives ELT Journal, 63, 154–162 doi:10.1093/elt/ ccn024 Reilly, V (1997) Very Young Learners Oxford: Oxford University Press Richardson, C A & Rabiee, F (2001) ‘A Question of Access’ – an exploration of the factors influencing the health of young males aged 15– 19 living in Corby and their use of health care services Health Education Journal 60, 3–6 59 Saergeant, P & Erling, E.J (2011) The discourse of English as a language for international development: Policy assumptions and practical changes In Coleman, H (Ed.) Dreams and realities: Developing Countries and English Language (pp 255- 274) London: The British Council Scott, W A & Ytreberg, L H (1990) Teaching English to children London: Longman Shin, J K., & Crandall, J A (2014) Teaching young learners English: From theory to practice Mason, OH: Cengage Learning Slattery, M & Willis, J (2001) English for Primary Teachers: A Handbook of Activities & Classroom Language Oxford: Oxford University Press Stewart, D.W & Shamdasani, P N (1990) Focus groups: Theory and practices Newbury Park: Sage Tabors, P O (1997) One child, two languages: a guide for preschool educators of children learning English as a second language Baltimore: Paul H Brookes Pub ISBN 155766272X Thomas, L., MacMillan J, McColl, E., Hale C & Bond, S (1995) Comparison of focus group and individual interview methodology in examining patient satisfaction with nursing care Social Sciences in Health 1, 206–219 Thornbury, S (2006) An a to z of ELT Oxford: Macmillan Wedgwood, R (2007) Education and poverty reduction in Tanzania International Journal of Educational Development, 27, 383–396 doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.10.005 60 Appendices Appendix A QUESTIONS FOR FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW Which center you work for? Could you give a brief description of the center? E.g., How long has it been in operation? Who’s the manager, Vietnamese or Foreigner? How large (i.e., how many classes) is the center? What about classroom conditions? (equipment: type of tables and chairs, TV or projector, active board, …) How long have you taught at that center? Who are your learners? How old are they? How are they selected? What makes you happy about teaching English at that center? (the learners, the managers, the class size, the teaching and learning conditions, etc.) Please be as detailed as possible What improvements you think are needed at that center? Why you think so? Do you have any challenges in teaching at the center? If yes, what are they? Do you think your teaching skills and competences grow over time while teaching at that center? If yes, give specific examples If no, give the reasons Do you think you will stay teaching at that center for many more years? Give reasons Thank you for participating in this interview I Appendix B INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION Moderator: Hello, can you tell me about yourself? Teacher 1: Ah, my name is …………… I am currently an English teacher in a small center in Long Bien, Hanoi Moderator: Ok, thank you and what about you? Teacher 2: My name is ………………… and I am an English teacher too I work there too with her Teacher 5: Yes, my name is ………………… Teacher 3: I’m ………… an English teacher at ……………… Teacher 4: And I’m ……………… I work there too with them Moderator: OK, I have some questions about your job Are you ready? All: Yes, sure Moderator: Ok, which center you work for? Teacher 2: ………………… Teacher 1: So, yes, we are working for …………………… That is the name of the center And that center is established in 2016 It is owned by Vietnamese woman The center size is not very big, it’s a local one There are about 11 classes are running with different levels and about 100 students The classroom is fully equipped like air conditionals, projectors and we have all II sources of materials like flashcards and the tools like you use in classroom like sticky balls and hummer and things like that Teacher 4: Well, at the moment, I am working for ………………… center This center was founded in 2016 with target students from kindergartens to secondary schools Regarding the leader of our center, she is a Vietnamese manager Her main responsibility is to ensure that the overall performance of the center with a focus on driving growth There are about 11 classes in our center: classes for young learners from 4-5 years old, classes for primary students, the other classes are for secondary students Overall, the classroom conditions are quite good In each room, we all have one big-screen TV, a pair of speakers, a white board In terms of chairs and tables, they are comfortable enough and suitable with students’ age and height So, I can say that the equipment here supports the teaching quality really well Teacher 3: I also work at that center It’s established about years ago The tables and chairs are all good and suitable for learners Besides, the finance source of this center is quite good because this center organized outdoor activities for students where there were foreign visitors so that they could be exposed to different kinds of English and cultures In addition, this center could provide finance for inviting regularly speakers of English to talk to and teach students You know this created supportive environment for learners to be able to communicate in English better Teacher 5: Currently, I’m working as an English teacher for ……………… center As far as I know, it has been founded since 2016 The manager is a Vietnamese and has much experience of teaching and managing Recently, the center has 11 classes and the age of students is from to 15 years old All the classrooms are in good condition with full of equipment such as tables, III chairs, TV, speakers, whiteboard, active board, crayons and white papers, etc In addition, the decoration of classrooms is very cozy and suitable for each special event in a year like Halloween, Christmas and Lunar New Year Moderator: And ok, how long have you taught at that center? Teacher 1: It has been about years and a half Teacher 2: I have taught here for years Moderator: Ms ……………………, how about you? Teacher 4: months I think I have been teaching here for about months Teacher 3: I’ve taught at that center for months Teacher 5: Up to now, I have taught at that center for one year Moderator: Who are your learners? How old are they? And how are they selected? Teacher 1: My learners are mostly kindergarten but the level range will be from beginner to elementary students in the center so all the students want to join the course and the center they have to go through a placement test, they will have to show/ perform their speaking skill that is well reach some certain reading and writing exercises so they are age from for 11 Teacher 2: Um, yes, and my students are that age too, they are almost in grade and grade and just like her they have to a placement test and it’s based on Cambridge like Starters and Movers so it belongs to their age they gonna the test suitable with their age IV Teacher 3: My learners are kids They are from to 10 They are selected by taking an entrance test of course Teacher 4: My learners are studying at primary schools They are from 9-10 years old The students are selected by taking an entrance test Students with equivalent results will be assigned in the same class However, with some mixed-level classes, it is our biggest challenge, for example: slow learners There is a big gap between fast learners and slow learners Teacher 5: My learners are secondary school students They are from 12 to 15 years old They all have expectation of improving their listening and speaking skills When the learners join in my center, we will base on their profiles and the result of their entrance test in order to select and classify them After that, these students will be arranged in the classes that are suitable for their current level In some cases, teachers we have to deal with students who are at different stages of learning and have different individual needs In addition, some students they attended private English language classes at other centers so they are so smart Moderator: What make you happy about teaching English at that center? Teacher 2: Well, I really like teaching at that center because that center really just like respect the teachers and we can think and create our activities for the content They give me the content suitable and with the…… (stop talking) Teacher 1: Yeah, I totally agree with her So basically, our objective is to finish the syllabus but there is no limitation education in term of activities in the class, we are able to use all sorts of activities made by us so we are able to V create and whatever we want in class as long as the students are follow the right syllabus provided by the center Teacher 2: Because they are young learners so they are so eager to learn Teacher 1: Yes, they’re so kind too Teacher 2: And in the center which has small students, small number students just from 8-12 students per class and I also have TA too For that class I think that’s good Teacher 3: One thing that I’d like to teach at the center is the students are obedient, and some of them are intelligent and I like this Moreover, the manager is very nice She helps me a lot in teaching She often suggests new methods and teaching techniques as well You know, every month, all teachers will have a short training courses to share and introduce new techniques and methods such as TPR for the learners of kindergartens and primary schools or CLT, focus more on communication, help the learners can speak English, interact and communicate with English speakers rather than exam-targeted courses We also are introduced new English games those are very interesting and useful for the learners in learning English Teacher 4: A lot of reasons that make me happy and satisfied when working at that center First, with the manager, I think she is a good and positive leader She is open and really nice with her employees Whenever I need help or there are any problems in teaching, she is always willing to help me, suggesting some ideas for me to make lessons engaging students In addition, my student numbers are eight, which is not too big It helps me to focus on each individual and understand about each student The learners sometimes are naughty, but they are still cute and lovely My lessons are always full of VI laughter and my motivation to go to work every day is to see my lovely students Teacher 5: There are several things that make me feel delighted about teaching English at that center The first thing is the manager As I said before, she has much experience in teaching English, so she could give me good advices Thanks to her advices, I can improve my shortcomings in teaching and classroom management skills Also, she is a creative person who suggests me and other teachers interesting ideas for organizing events like Christmas and Tet holiday Therefore, students become more excited about learning English The learners are the second thing that makes me decide to teach at current center They are all well-behaved and intelligent Especially they love learning English as a useful language for their career, but a compulsory subject at school Because of this, they always finish all their homework and the projects I gave them As a result, their level of English becomes better and better Moderator: Yes, what improvements you think are needed in that center? Teacher 1: So, for me, I think the center focus too much on marketing because they have so a lot of time trying to video for marketing, strategies which I think the content is a little bit in appropriate or it’s not very good for the student’s learning progress but it’s look good I like for the fan page And again they… I think they should reduce that and actually focus on the quality and some broken projectors in the center like that in term of facilities that some things they need to fix VII Teacher 2: Yes we both on the sense that the center in marketing important … but the most important I think for an English center it’s education academy it’s not just marketing or money and just like her I think that they should… the center they should more focus on the… how they improve their students not just show the parents what they can for - not just on paper - not like - it depends on the reality that what the students can and it depends on the results what the students can after one course Teacher 5: I think the center should makes a “reading corner” which consists of the different kinds of English books so that students can both entertain and improve vocabularies by reading these books Teacher 3: It would be more perfect if the center were to expand in term of quantity with more classes or bigger classrooms since the students have more space for learning and playing Teacher 4: Yeah There is one thing that should be improved It is the classroom area I hope my class can study in a bigger classroom as the current space is quite limited There are some activities I cannot conduct and it is difficult for students to move or run around the classroom Moderator: So, you have any challenges in teaching at that center? Teacher 1: I don’t have that much challenges teaching at that center because the class size is very small also, I have TA (teacher assistant), I… the biggest challenge again is dealing with the marketing team and strategies sometimes I don’t really want to build the program and activities based on their requirements because I don’t think it’s appropriate VIII Teacher 2: I agree with Ms …………… We don’t have much problems with the students because they are eager to learn and they are happy with our lessons but the difficult thing for us is to deal with the parents and to make it equal between marketing team and the academic team it’s so hard to make the same event for us It’s hard to make it’s good Both teachers and students are often faced with far too high expectations from parents who believe that starting to learn a foreign language at such an early stage must lead to communicative proficiency in the foreign language Teacher 1: It’s really difficult like for agreement between teams they’re always like a contrary between teams Like Ms …………, sometimes we have problems with students’ parents who want their kids to be master in English soon Teacher 3: One of the difficulties is that some students are lazy, they often forget to finish their homework Teacher 4: Yes I have two challenges in teaching there The first one is that I have to make a great effort to improve students’ grammar to catch up with English lessons at school Most of my students are not good at grammar They nearly forget all grammar rules and exercises they have learnt in class The second challenge I think is that I have to motivate and arouse students' love for English It is a heavy duty for any teachers, you know But I will try my best to overcome these challenges Teacher 5: Yes, I have some challenges when teach the learners who have problems in pronunciation and a lack of vocabulary Therefore, these students feel ashamed and confused when I ask them to say the new words or make sentences It is the same as other teachers, I myself sometimes face with many IX challenges from students’ parents who want their children to get high marks at school Moderator: Do you think your teaching skills and competences grow over time while teaching at that center? Teacher 1: Yeah, I think definitely because I start teaching at that center that was my first year of teaching and again I have the support from the academic coordinator and I have the chance practice my teaching method with the students so definitely I learn other things on methods in term of teaching so for example to begin with I start with a class of kindergarten and it’s just easy to keep them occupy and you should stay energetic and then they will focus but then as time go by I will have to teach higher level students that have more requirements also that activities are fit different skill but reading skill … you have to know how to deliver a reading lesson for example and that what I learn over time and I think that is reliable skill that I have learnt, it’s to teach higher level students Teacher 2: I believe that I’ve learnt a lot, I’ve been teaching a lot at that center because not only teaching skills we have to deal with the marketing team so I believe that teamwork and communication skill it’s important too so I believe that in any center or anywhere you learned a lot in I believe that Teacher 3: Yes, of course There is no denying that my teaching skill is improved I’m more confident I can control my classes better Teacher 5: Yes, my teaching skills and competences are supposed to enhance For example, I learned techniques how to well manage classroom and how to use mind map in order to help students consolidate the content they have learned and practice presenting X Teacher 4: Before teaching at that center, I only worked as a tutor one-toone So, I had no experience teaching a group of learners I felt quite worried and anxious And my first lessons were not as good as I expected My instructions were quite hard for students to understand and some activities were not fun at all They soon got bored and tired of learning But, as time passes, I gradually learn how to control a class, how to motivate them, and how to engage in teaching and learning, make fun activities, how to deliver a good lesson plan So, I can say that my teaching skills and competences improve a lot since I worked there Moderator: Do you think you will stay teaching at that center for many more years? Teacher 1: I think in order to grow as a teacher or what is teaching career I will have to challenge myself more and for now I think teaching in a center with that class I was not challenged enough so I hope that in future I want to challenge myself for the job at a school for example and I think it’s a more stable path, like teaching in a center most of the time you will work in the evening and that’s not very suitable for my family life forever like all family and your husband so you clearly want to spend more time in the evening with your family so that’s why I think that I am not going to teach at that center for that long Teacher 2: And, yes, if I have a better opportunity, I’m sure I will get it to move to better place because just right if you have few weeks for years and you have to know just like get some things improvement or some things like more respect from that center just like higher salary, I think that we can find another opportunity because we had worked here for… I think years is a long time to prove that we… how we work here so I think that we it better XI Teacher 5: I will keep going to work at this center until I have new plan or any sudden changes happen, I suppose It is because I feel comfortable about teaching conditions, learners and I can learn many valuable things from my colleagues at this center Teacher 3: Of course, I will stay teaching at the center for more years as teaching is my cup of tea In addition, my students are getting better and I am happy for that Teacher 4: At the moment, I love my center and love working there I think I will stay working there for a long time Moderator: Ok, so thank you for participating in this interview Bye XII ... challenges of teaching English to young learners All these conditions offer the researcher a chance to conduct a study on ? ?Issues of teaching English to young learners at the private language center: Teachers’. .. Purposes of the study The research aims to gain understanding of the issues of teaching English to young learners at private centers that are located in Hanoi from the teachers’ perspectives The results... Signature Dao Thi Diem Huong i ABSTRACT This dissertation presents the research findings on the topic of Issues of Teaching English to Young Learners at the Private Language Center: Teachers’ Perspectives