4.5.1 Suggestions to avoid using too much Vietnamese in teaching grammar The most significant concern of teachers in the context of this study is related to overusing CS. Previous findings revealed that teachers at the language center are aware of controlling the amount and situations they code-switch.
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However, there has not been any official guidelines about suggestions to make use of CS while avoiding overusing L1 from the language centers or from the previous studies. Therefore, an investigation into what solutions teachers at VUS suggest to solve this issue was conducted through question 20 in the questionnaires. At first, five suggestions were collected from the pilot study. The data collected were very encouraging as participants did not only tick the available options but also added on more suggestions to strengthen strong practical basis for the thesis. As is illustrated in Figure 4.9, using visual aids was the favorite technique teachers use to maximize instruction in L2 with 100%
agreement. This includes drawing timelines to visualize learners’ awareness of time when learning tenses or conditionals, using animations to elicit learners’
awareness of the context and grammar in use, etc. This finding reflects the explanation of Gaikwad, V. (2013) that presentation of grammatical concepts by pictures, diagrams, charts, film, animations, and other audiovisual resources help create “visual imagery that would lead to visualization of certain structures”.
Finally, the link between verbal and pictorial model is created and integrated with prior knowledge to be kept in the long-term memory. However, teachers further add on a notice that visuals should be carefully chosen since unless the visuals do not clearly illustrate the context, it will make students even more confused.
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Ranked in the second position is suggestion of simplifying English for instruction to avoid too much L1. It cannot be denied that when teachers’ English instruction is used in simplified English, students’ comprehension for grammatical rules will be achieved without much help of CS. This finding is particularly true in the case of some text books for higher levels, with quite complicated presentation for the target grammar points. It requires teachers to be acute to find a simpler way to present grammar, replacing perplexing explanation with straightforward, intelligible one. The third favorite solution is making use of Concept checking questions (CCQs), with nearly 40 teachers reported to be used in their class. Teachers can use ask open-ended questions and closed-ended questions in English to find out whether students have understood the grammatical items, normally require a yes/no or short answer. For example, after presenting the difference between past simple and past perfect, to draw out if learners have correctly identified the time reference of a sentence in the past perfect, the teacher may ask questions based on the context in the examples. By this way, teachers can minimize L1 but still have the learners get to participate in the learning process, discovery and understanding of new grammar. Another CCQs technique is suggested by some teachers is designing multiple choice questions with three options to trigger learners’ attention. Leaners can articulate their knowledge, teachers clarify to add to students’ knowledge. Once again, language use in this technique should also need to be simple to avoid unnecessary L1.
The fourth suggestions for avoid overusing CS related to giving examples in the presentation step to elicit grammar rules inductively. Besides giving a variety of example to introduce grammar points, the participants suggested that the sentences for example should be link to students’ character and interest. The likely cause for this suggestion is that when examples are personalized, students tend to remember the examples longer and better memorize the context. The more students understand the context in the examples, the less CS is needed.
Examples can be directed to specific students, not always to the whole class or
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the best students and try to cover as many students as possible. It is not necessary be covered in only one lesson but can be practiced through the whole course.
Another piece of advice in production stage is asking students questions and giving tasks which must be answered using the grammar as many as possible in the production stage so that they must be conscious about the meaning and context of the structures. This suggestion is raised from teachers’ experience when they organize speaking or writing practice for students to produce the target grammatical structure. However, in this stage, students might have barriers which is not related to grammar but lack of vocabulary to express the ideas using that grammar point. Teachers tend to use CS in this stage to save time when they give support for individuals. To solve this issue, approximately half of the population suggested that teachers can lessen their CS by teaching anticipated necessary vocabulary in L2 prior to students’ practice so that teachers do not need to use much L1 for individual support. One of new suggestions teachers supplemented to the list is that demonstration can be performed by inviting strong students cooperating with teachers in front of the class. This demonstration can be a conversation using the target grammar points in the presentation stage, or can also be demonstration for activities’ rules in the practice stage. Thanks to this, teachers will be able to minimize CS when delivering rules for unfamiliar activities.
4.5.2 Broader recommendation to use code-switching efficiently in teaching grammar
Teachers did not only provide specific techniques to avoid excessive use of CS, but also made broad recommendation for using CS to its fullest. The hold a belief that CS plays a significant role as a mean of instruction which support both teaches and learners with various pedagogical factors. However, an excessive, uncontrolled use of CS may make students be dependent on teachers’
Vietnamese explanation without making any effort. This concern is in line with that of Swain and Lapkin (2000), Demir (2012). On the other hand, this concern does not mean that L1 should be totally excluded from grammar instruction.
Teachers at the language centers support a judicious, purposeful use of CS, as
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presented by Willis (1996) and Demir (2012) that instead of prohibiting the use of one's native tongue, it would be better to encourage more use of the target language. Commenting on this idea, one of the participants said that it is not necessary to idealize English-only instruction, but have to be flexible to use CS based on learners’ needs and levels. It is very necessary to find out learners’
needs in each class to decide the appropriate amount of CS. The role of teachers has recently changed from dictator to facilitator in order to avoid unnecessary L1, but for fundamental situations, CS stills need to be selectively implemented. It is unavoidable that learners are constantly be influenced by their L1, so learning grammar requires leaners to compare and contrast between L1 and L2 and be aware of the diversity of languages. Over two-thirds of participants reported that in order to find out learners’ need, teachers need to have observation skills. It includes observing students' reaction when explaining the grammar in English to code-switch promptly, and observing learners’ use of grammar in production stage, when they produce the expected grammar structures in productive skills, to use CS and support them when needed.
Another participant, when asked about advice to use CS efficiently, said that teachers can modify and adapt textbook’s tasks to fit their learners’ levels in each class. In fact, there are always classes with a bit higher or lower level in comparison with the expected level of teaching materials, which requires teacher to adapt the extent of challenging tasks in order to avoid relying much on L1 instruction. There was also suggestion to lessen learners’ reliance on teachers’
Vietnamese that at first, teachers only code-switch the key words or phrases that are important for comprehension, not the whole rules. This helps give first appropriate support for learners’ comprehension but still provides them with the effort of understanding the whole picture in L2. Later on, teachers use observation skills to give further CS when necessary if students still have difficulty.
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