Question 1 aims at finding out the students‟ level of English at MAL. It is students‟
grades in the examination when they start studying the second year. The form and level of the test is based on CEFR level with total mark of 100.
Chart 1: Students’ level of English
The chart reveals that nearly 80% of the students who only get 0-44 marks in the test have low level of English ability and 12.5% of them achieve CEFR level A2
79.2%
12.5%
8.3%
Chart 1: Students' level of English
0 - 44 45-69 >70
with 45-69 marks. Unsurprisingly, there are a small number of students (8.3%) who have better results than others. In fact, when interview is carried out, the students admit that theyare extremely bad at English. Take some answers as example:
“I only get 21 marks in the test. I cannot hear any information in Listening part.”
(Student 12)
“When I learnt at high school, I used to be fairly good at learning English;
however, after a long time I do not use it so I forget so much.” (Student 2)
In order to measure students‟ learning goals at MAL, the goals to four skills of learning English considered include presentational speaking, presentational writing, interpretive listening, and interpretive reading.
Question 2 measures the student‟s goals toward learning Speaking skill.
Statements Percentage (%)
1. I can introduce myself to someone. 20.7
2. I can ask and talk about friends, classmates, and teachers. 19.2 3. I can talk about my favorite music, movies, and sports. 22.8
4. I can talk about jobs and career plans. 37.2
5. Others 0.1
Table 3: Student’s goals toward learning Speaking skill
The above table reveals that to talk about jobs and career plans is the main learning goal of speaking learning. It accounts for 37.2%. In addition, 22.8% of them set the goal that is to talk about their music, movies, and sports. Besides, 5 out of 120 students chose the option “Others”, and 2 students of them who join in the interview share that they try to learn English speaking harder for the higher purposes as expressed in what they say in the interview:
“After graduation, I want to have opportunities to study abroad; therefore, I want to speak English fluently.” (Student 1)
“I have liked speaking English since I was small so that I really hope I can speak English naturally as the natives” (Student 7)
Moreover, the percentages of students who choose the option “I can introduce myself to someone” and “I can ask and talk about friends, classmates, and teachers”
are 20.7 % and 19.2%. The goal of them is to present information about themselves and some other very familiar topics using a variety of words, phrases, and memorized expressions.
Question 3 measures the student‟s goals toward learning Writing skill.
Statements Percentage (%)
1. I can write lists and memorized phrases on familiar topics. 19.1 2. I can write short messages and notes on familiar topics
related to everyday life.
40.9
3. I can write on a wide variety of familiar topics using connected sentences.
30.5
4. I can write on topics related to school, work, and community in a generally organized way.
9.5
5. Others 0
Table 4: Student’s goals toward learning writing skill.
The result of question 3 reveals that writing short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life and writing on a wide variety of familiar topics using connected sentences are two main goals of the second –year students at MAL when they learn writing (with the percentage of 40.9% and 30.5%). However, 19.1% of
them only set a lower goal which is writing lists and memorized phrases on familiar topics. When they were asked about the goals for writing skill, one of them shared:
“Due to my poor vocabulary and grammar, I only hope to be able to write something I hear or have heard such as simple information in a phone message or a classroom activity.” (Student 3)
Besides, 9.5% of the participants show the higher goal to learn English writing.
They want to write on topics related to school, work, and community in a generally organized way. It is not surprising that they are students which achieved high marks at the examination. Due to better English foundation, they set higher goals than others.
Question 4 measures the student‟s goals toward learning Listening skill.
Statements Percentage
(%) 1. I can recognize some familiar words and phrases when I hear
them spoken.
15.8
2. I can often understand words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
22.4
3. I can understand the main idea in messages and presentations on a variety of topics related to everyday life and personal interests and studies.
50.3
4. I can usually understand a few details of what I overhear in conversations.
11.5
5. Others 0
Table 4: Student’s goals toward learning listening skill
Obviously, more than half of the students own the goal to understand the main idea in messages and presentations on a variety of topics related to everyday life and personal interests and studies. More specifically, they hope that they can understand a short YouTube clip and understand what service is being offered in a TV advertisement.
In addition to these, 22.4% of the participants share the purpose to have possibility to often understand words, phrases, and simple sentences related to everyday life.
Take some answers in interview as examples:
“I hope to be able to recognize the names of some parts of the body in a health or fitness class.” (Student 12)
“Because I like science, my goal is to recognize the names of the planets in a online science class which I am taking part in.” (Student 9)
Furthermore, there are 15.8% of the students choosing the option “I can recognize some familiar words and phrases when I hear them spoken” whereas only 11.5% of them have the goal that they can usually understand a few details of what they overhear in conversations.
Question 5 measures the student‟s goals toward learning Reading skill.
Statements Percentage
(%) 1. I can understand some learned or memorized words and phrases
when I read
15.9
2. I can sometimes understand the main idea of what I have read. 50.4 3. I can understand the main idea of texts related to everyday life
and personal interests or studies
30.5
4. I can easily understand the main idea in messages and presentations on a variety of topics related to everyday life.
3.2
5. Others 0
Table 5: Student’s goals toward learning reading skill.
As found in the table above, most students have a fairly low goal to reading which is sometimes understanding the main idea of what they have read and only a small percentage of students (3.2%) agree that they hope that they can easily understand the main idea in messages and presentations on a variety of topics related to
understand the main ideas about their interest or studies and only 15.9% set very low goal with the elementary level of reading.
3.1.2. Motivation
After all the questionnaires were collected, all the participants‟ responses to the questionnaire were analyzed with the program Excel 2007. The function DCOUNT was used to count the frequency of the answer choice: 1- Strongly Disagree (SD), 2- Disagree (D), 3- Undecided (U), 4- Agree (A), and 5- Strongly Agree (SA) of all the respondents to each item (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) in each category of the questionnaire.
I apply the functions SUM and AVERAGE to calculate the total number and the average number of participants choosing the choice SD, D and U and SA, A. Then, the total number of SD and D and the total number of SA and A were compared.
3.1.2.1. Extrinsic motivation.
Table 6 and Chart 2 show that students in this study have a strong extrinsic motivation in learning English.
Statements
SD D U A SA
No % No % No % No % No %
1 2 1.7 5 4.2 6 5 85 70.8 22 18.3
3 0 0 3 2.5 10 8.3 15 12.5 92 76.7
5 12 10 25 20.8 9 7.5 63 52.5 11 9.2
7 14 11.7 32 26.7 19 15.8 37 30.8 18 15
9 2 1.7 3 2.5 16 13.3 80 66.7 19 15.8
Total 16.2 10.1 73.7
Table 6: The frequency distribution of items measuring extrinsic motivation (n =120)
Chart 2: Frequency distribution of items measuring extrinsic motivation.
On average, 73.7% students agree and strongly agree with the items measuring extrinsic motivation. Of which, 89.2% participants agree and totally agree that they learn English so as to get a good job in the future. 89.1 % of students share that they learn English because it is a compulsory subjects at MAL. 82.5% students state that everybody in Vietnam should be able to speak English. There are 61.7% students agreeing and strongly agreeing that the only reason they learn English is to pass the examinations at MAL. However, learning English to communicate with foreigners is also a statement chosen by many participants accounting for 45.8%.
Concerning the interview result, it is not surprising that all the interviewees claim that they learn English for various practical goals such as getting a good job, improving the career future, or pursuing higher education overseas. Take the following answers to the question “Why do you study English?” as examples.
“In fact, using English well is one of important requirements when we apply for whatever job. Most of people think that in military environment, English is not as
is really regarded as some kind of guarantee for the success of any career, for us, of course.” (Student 3)
“My father is working in Army, and he wants me to follow his career. Therefore, he always says I have to learn English well so that I can get a good position in army in the future.” (Student 5)
“After graduating from MAL, there is a scholarship for higher education overseas in USA in two years. Thus, learning English is a basic condition for me to achieve this scholarship.” (Student 6)
Two out of ten students joining the interview mention the importance of English as an international language. Whereas, most of the students interviewing state that learning English enable to use the Internet easily as well as to integrate with foreigners.
“In globalization situation, English is really an international language. In my opinion, Vietnamese people should know English. I think it will contribute the development of our country.” (Student 1)
“I would like to travel abroad and make friends with foreigners all over the world.”
(Student 3)
“English can help me make use of Internet more easily. I want to read e-books, watch movies and listen to music in English on the Internet” (Student 10)
In short, the results of the questionnaire and the interview show that the second-year students in MAL possess strong extrinsic motivation in learning English. The major reason that urges them to study English is for the good job in the future. In addition, it can be concluded the important role of English in the world nowadays is also crucial factor motivating those students to learn English.
3.1.2.1. Intrinsic motivation
Table 7 and Chart 3 illustrate the frequency and the distribution of the items measuring intrinsic motivation to learn English of second – year students in MAL.
These reveal that students participating in this study do not have strong intrinsic motivation in learning English in MAL.
Statements
SD D U A SA
No % No % No % No % No %
2 20 11.7 46 38.3 2 1.7 40 33.3 12 10
4 7 5.8 45 37.5 0 0 48 40 20 16.7
6 69 57.5 28 23.3 0 0 10 8.3 13 10.9
8 47 39.2 38 31.7 8 6.7 19 15.7 8 6.7
10 54 45 37 30.8 3 2.5 20 16.7 6 5
Total (600) 391 (65.2%) 13 (2.2%) 196 (32.6%)
Table 7: The frequency distribution of items measuring intrinsic motivation (n=120)
Chart 3: Frequency distribution of items measuring intrinsic motivation.
40.3% of students participating in this study claim that they like learning English and learning English lessons were very interesting. 68 out of 120 participants (equivalent to 56.7%) reveal that when class ended they usually wish it would continue. Especially, only 21.7% of students think that they would take English classes even if it were not require at MAL. Moreover, many of them (80.8%) reveal that they do not like the English challenge. More surprisingly, although 40.7% of students state that they learn English so as to communicate with English foreigners, 22.4% of them share the same view that they do not use English outside classrooms when they have chances.
The result of the interview with participants helps to understand more about students‟ intrinsic orientation in learning English at MAL.
Two out of ten students interviewed state that they learn English partly because they think English is an interesting language.
“I like listening to the sound of English. Moreover, using English I can understand more about the culture, the people and the English language itself. All of these attract me a lot.” (Student 10)
Only one of interviewees consider English lesson a challenge that he want to overcome. He says: “I had a chance to go to summer camp at Singapore, most of friends were foreigners. One day, one of my friends asked me to tell her about Hanoi. Unluckily, my English at that time was not good enough to describe Hanoi.
Then, I felt so ashamed, and after that I decided to learn English well. Now my English is well-improved and I also like English more.” (Student 2)
Two students say that they are interested in activities held during English lessons.
“My English teacher is cute and enthusiastic. She always holds some games for us to practice English.” (Students 12)
“I do not really like learning English due to its difficulties, but I am always attracted the activities held in class. It is so funny and exciting. (Student 13)
In brief, the result of the study reveals that the second-year students at MAL have a higher degree of extrinsic motivation than intrinsic motivation in learning English.
While more than 30% of students appeared to have intrinsic motivation in learning English, about 70% seem to be extrinsically motivated. Those statistics also show that a significant number of students possess a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in learning. The student‟s major reason for learning English is for the compulsory subject at school (89.1%), looking the future job (89.2%), followed by the necessary of English in Vietnam‟s society (82.5%) and communicating with foreigners (61.7%). In contrast, 40.3% of students learn English because they think English is very interesting.