The interviews with teachers T1 and T2 were conducted during one hour.
They were asked with the same questions about the innovation of integrating Maths into English compared with other teaching English programs, the advantages of integrating Maths into English to students as well as the challenges teachers have to face and how they deal with these problems in teaching process.
The teachers told the researcher during an interview that the implementation of CLIL program in integrating Maths into English has a lot of innovation in comparison with other teaching English programs. First of all, the program provides not only mathematical terms, solutions for Maths problems in English but also the knowledge of language instead of focusing on the language itself. The combination of teaching Maths and English create new learning environment to stimulate students‟ curiousness. Next, the use of language is flexible in teaching process to activate students‟ prior knowledge and explain complex notions, so teachers feel more confident in teaching Mathematics in English. In addition, the program has equipped teachers with videos, games in digital lesson plans to help students memorize the knowledge after each lesson. T1 said that the system of digital lesson plans is a useful tool for teacher to transmit knowledge in an interesting way. Finally, T2 asserts that the curriculum of CLIL program was parallel with current programs of the Ministry of Education and Training. Therefore language teachers did not have many difficulties in integrating Maths into English because students could master basic knowledge of Maths before registering the CLIL program. Briefly, the teachers acknowledge that the CLIL program has more creative features than others current teaching English to primary school students.
3.2.1. The opportunities of integrating Maths into English to primary school students
During the interview, the teachers states that both teachers and students have got benefits from integrating Maths into English.
First of all, language teachers have opportunities to collaborate with subject teachers in making lesson plans. T1 says that working with subject teachers helped her feel more confident when integrating Maths into English because she could discuss about Maths problems which she did not know how to teach.
Next, one of the advantages of integrating Maths into English is the support of technology through the system digital lessons. According to teacher T2, students can approach modern equipment including lively images and sounds, games in each lesson that attract students to the lessons and help them memorize new Maths vocabulary and the knowledge easier than traditional teaching method.
Finally, through the interview with two teachers, integrating Maths into English has positive impacts on primary school students.T2 states that integrating Maths into English can help students acquire subject knowledge and develop their English proficiency. The course book contains basic and enhanced exercises such as performing calculation, comparing using the signs, converting units of mass or lengths, filling in the blank with the given words and so on, that facilitate students to reinforce their knowledge of Maths. Also, students can communicate the language Maths through pair or group works activities during the lessons. Moreover, integrating Maths into English fosters students develop thinking skills. According to teachers, they always give questions which encourage from lower order thinking to higher order thinking during teaching process. For example, the teachers use question with what to encourage lower order thinking skills and use question with how to demand higher order thinking skills.
Extract 10 from Ratios lesson
T1: Look at these candies, what is the ratio of red candies to green caddies?
Ss: the ratio of red candies to green caddies is three over two.
……
T1: Look at the problem 1. Tell me how do you find the numbers of monkeys in the circus?
In short, the implementation of CLIL in integrating Maths into English makes language teachers have opportunities to cooperate with subject teachers to become more confident in integrating Maths into English. Also, the system of digital lectures contributes to attract students to the lessons. Moreover, students can enhance their English proficiency, develop their thinking skills and reinforce the knowledge of Maths.
3.2.2. The challenges of integrating Maths into English to primary school students
In the interview with the teachers, the challenges of integrating Maths into English is the lack of CLIL teachers training programs and materials.
Teachers say that they had one orientation training week before starting the new course. Teachers are introduced the syllabus and curriculum of the program, provided with course book, teaching equipment and guided how to use the digital lectures in order to support teaching process. Also, teachers observe demo lessons from experienced teachers. However, T2 said: “It is the first time I have taught the program to primary school students, I am a language teacher not subject teacher, I haven‟t ever been trained in Mathematics major before, so I am really confused about the knowledge of Maths and teaching methodology. I believe that teachers need to have more training programs”. T1 also agrees that the training program should be organized once a month so that teachers have chance to exchange experiences in integrating Maths into English. Moreover, one of the most concerns of teachers in the CLIL program is lack of materials. It is very hard for teachers
to find appropriate material of references for their classes. According to teachers, they generally find materials of references from websites and specific- subject course books in L1.
The teachers also state that they had many difficulties in explaining mathematical ideas to deepen students‟ understanding and answer students‟
questions about knowledge of Maths. T2 said: “I have spent a lot of time in learning the knowledge of Maths as well as mathematical terminology to clarify them in each lesson. However, my explanation sometimes does not satisfy my students‟ understanding. In some cases, I cannot give responses for students‟ questions raised during teaching process”.
Another challenge of the application of CLIL in integrating Maths into English to primary school students comes from learners. As the researcher mentioned at the beginning of the study, the level of knowledge of Maths and English of students are different although most of them has been taught in CLIL class for two years. Some students are good at Maths but they have difficulties in understanding teachers‟ instructions in English and using English to express their ideas in learning process. Therefore, it takes teachers much time to translate the requirements of Mathematics word problems into Vietnamese and instruct students in writing the solutions for Maths word problems in English. T2 says: “I have to spend much time in teaching Maths word problems because some students cannot understand the requirement of Maths word problems, so I sometimes translate into Vietnamese. After translating, students calculate very quickly but they cannot write the solutions in English……”. Hence, the limitation of students‟ language is an obstacle in teaching and learning processes. On the other hand, other students need more support in order to understand subject concepts. The differences in students‟
levels of the knowledge of Maths and English language competence leads to challenges for teachers to design tasks that suitable for all students in class.
In summary, the challenges of the application of CLIL in integrating Maths into English to primary school students is lack of CLIL teachers training programs and materials, the qualification of teachers as well as the differences in the levels of students in CLIL classes.