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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BA THESIS
THE CURRENT STATUS OF APPLYING
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING
ENGLISH OF FIRST-YEAR BIOTECHNOLOGY
STUDENTS AT THE VIETNAM NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
THỰC TRẠNG ỨNG DỤNG CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN
TRONG VIỆC HỌC TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN
NĂM THỨ NHẤT KHOA CÔNG NGHỆ SINH HỌC TẠI
HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM

Student

: LE THI THU HA

Student code : 621205
Major

: ENGLISH

Supervisor : NGUYEN CONG UOC, Ph.D
TRAN THANH PHUONG, M.A

Hanoi – 2021


CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY



I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report
entitled “THE CURRENT STATUS OF APPLYING INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY

IN

BIOTECHNOLOGY

LEARNING
STUDENTS

AT

ENGLISH
THE

OF

FIRST-YEAR

VIETNAM

NATIONAL

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE” submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language. Except where the
reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due
acknowledgement in the text of the thesis.


Hanoi, 2021

Le Thi Thu Ha

Approved by

Approved by

SUPERVISOR 1

SUPERVISOR 2

(Signature and full name)

(Signature and full name)

Date:……………………

Date:……………………

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge all the following people without whom I
would not have fulfilled this master’s thesis.
First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ph.D
Nguyen Cong Uoc for his valuable instruction and endless support. He spent his
valuable time and effort reading my work with much care and gave me his
insightful comments.

Without his devoted assistance, this thesis would not have been
completed. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to M.A Tran
Thanh Phuong for all the valuable comments and instructions.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all lecturers in the Vietnam
National University of Agriculture who provided me with invaluable sources of
knowledge during my study there and all the staff members of the department
for their help during the course.
I also express my special thanks to the students who took part in this
study for their willing support and contributions to my research.
Last but not least, I would like to send special gratitude to my family for
their consistent support.

ii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ..................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................. vi
LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................. vii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ viii
Part I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1
1. Rationale for the study ...................................................................................... 1
2. Aims and Objectives of the study ..................................................................... 3
3. Research questions ............................................................................................ 3
4. Scope of the study ............................................................................................. 3
5. Significance of the study ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

6. Design of the study............................................................................................ 5
Part II: DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 1 - LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................... 6
1.1. Review of the previous studies (At home & abroad) ..................................... 6
1.1.1. Review of the previous study: At home ...................................................... 6
1.1.2. Review of the previous study: Abroad ........................................................ 7
1.2. Review of theoretical background ................................................................. 8
1.2.1. Technology, Information Technology ........................................................ 8
1.2.2. ICT used in education and English language learning and teaching .......... 9
1.2.3. Applications of information technology in English language teaching and
learning ................................................................................................................ 10
1.2.4. Benefits of IT applications in English language learning ......................... 11
1.2.5. Computer and EFL teaching and learning ................................................ 11
iii


1.2.6. Mobile Assisted Language Learning ........................................................ 14
1.2.7. Internet and Web-Based Language Learning Activities ........................... 14
1.3. SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 15
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 16
2.1. Research Methodology................................................................................. 16
2.2. Research setting/context............................................................................... 16
2.3. Data collection.............................................................................................. 16
2.3.1. Data collecting instruments ....................................................................... 16
2.3.2. Data collecting procedures ........................................................................ 17
2.4. Data analysis ................................................................................................ 18
2.5. Methods of anlysis ....................................................................................... 18
2.6. Summary ...................................................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ............................................. 20
3.1. Findings and discussion ............................................................................... 20

3.1.1. Questionnaire result................................................................................... 20
3.1.2. Interview result .......................................................................................... 31
3.2. Recommendation for the students ................................................................ 33
3.3. Summary ...................................................................................................... 34
Part III: CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 36
1. Recapitulation.................................................................................................. 36
2. Limitations of the study .................................................................................. 37
3. Suggestions for further study .......................................................................... 37
REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 39
APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 42

iv


ABSTRACT
In the early part of the 21st century, the development of information
technology and its important applications in learning, especially the field of
information technology has developed significantly. The study aims at
investigating the situation of technology use including how benefits and
challenges that non-English major students at the Vietnam National University
of Agriculture applied information technology to assist their learning English.
This study, which employed a questionnaire as the main instrument, presents the
result of data collected from 100 participant students at the faculty of
biotechnology of Vietnam National University of Agriculture. Moreover, the
study design is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative
approaches. The outcomes of the study indicate the following: Students own a
variety of information and communication technologies and use them quite
regularly in schoolwork, recreation, and online activities. Among this
information technology, smartphones and laptops are leading the top of the
device ownership chart. Most of the participants assess their information

technology at a high level, remarkably in the fields of online application and
mobile technology. In general, the study result has proved that students have a
positive attitude towards information technology use in learning English.

v


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

VNUA

: Vietnam National University of Agriculture

CALL

: Computer Assisted Language Learning

EFL

: English as a Foreign Language

ESL

: English as a Second Language

MOET

: Ministry of Education and Training

MALL


: Mobile Assisted Language Learning

AECT

: The Association for Educational Communications and
Technology

IT

: Information Technology

ICT

: Information Communication Technology

PLATO

: Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations

vi


LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Weekly hours of IT use for learning English..................................... 21
Table 3.2: IT use for English language learning purposes .................................. 22
Table 3.3: Learners’ perceptions of IT use in learning English .......................... 24
Table 3.4: Students’ Attitude .............................................................................. 27
Table 3.5: Top three of benefits and challenges ................................................. 30

Table 3.6: Face-to-face and online learning........................................................ 31
Table 3.7: Suitable language skill for smartphones ............................................ 32

vii


LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1: Electronic Device Ownership ........................................................... 20
Figure 3.2: The feeling of participants when using information technology in
learning English................................................................................................... 23
Figure 3.3: Mean score of students’ attitude ....................................................... 27
Figure 3.4: Students’ attitude about information technology ............................. 28
Figure 3.5: Online study (part 1) ......................................................................... 28
Figure 3.6: Online study (part 2) ......................................................................... 29
Figure 3.7: Benefits and challenges of using information technology ............... 30

viii


Part I: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study
We are living in the era of two revolutions: the scientific-technical
revolution and the social revolution. These revolutions are growing like a storm
in human history, pushing many fields, having strong strides, and opening up
great prospects as humanity enters the twenty-first century which is a great
achievement of the current scientific-technical revolution. It penetrates and
dominates most fields of scientific research, technology application in
production, education, training, and other political and social activities.
Information technology is used in all-natural subjects, technical, social, and

humanities in education and training. Rapid changes in information and
communication technology, globalization, and new knowledge acquisition
strategies make a computer-based learning environment more fundamental than
ever. The fast growth of communication technologies has changed the
instruction and use of a target language, enabling new forms of discourse,
authorship, and ways to participate in academic communities (Kern, 2006).
According to Warschauer (2000), globalization and new information
technologies will further spread English and change the way English is used. In
other words, information technology contributes to transforming “notions of
literacy, making online navigation and research, interpretation and authoring of
hypermedia, and synchronous and asynchronous online communication critical
skills for learners of English” (p. 511). It is undeniable that technology has been
successfully and beneficially applied in various areas of society especially in
foreign language education (Amiri, 2012).
Actually, in Vietnam, English is the most popular foreign language and is
widely spoken in many cities. In the education area, although there are currently
other foreign languages in Vietnam, English is regarded as the most important
and compulsory foreign language. Significantly, MOET invested in computers
1


at schools and universities, encouraged teachers to use computers to solve
teaching and learn foreign languages. In addition, information technology has
been contributing to the modernization and educational renovation process in
Vietnam. Technologies also offer students “opportunities to practice reading,
writing, speaking and listening outside the classroom at their own pace, in real
life-semblance and safe environments” (Pop, 2010). Furthermore, teachers’
CALL applications in the classroom suitably reply to the MOET’s call for
teaching renovations. CALL could be a key to solve the difficulty of the above
teaching situation in Vietnam. It can be a suitable solution to assist and supply

additional means for teachers and students to achieve their goals more
effectively and efficiently.
In that common trend, at universities, information technology is also
considered a tool to help renovate the quality of foreign language teaching and
learning. With the widespread implementation of the Project on teaching and
learning foreign languages in the national education system 2020, Vietnam
National University of Agriculture has made significant investments in facilities,
equipment for teaching and learning foreign languages, and opening practice
classes training for teachers, and incorporating technology into students' English
practice activities. As we know, the English language is the most widely used in
the world, with integration and globalization, the application of information
technology in learning English is indispensable to use at the workplace for
biotechnology students when getting a job after college. On the other hand,
being proficient in the language can help one leave a good first impression
which means higher chances of getting the position one is applying for.
Currently, the application of information technology in learning English by firstyear biotechnology students at VNUA is still limited and they do not know how
to use it correctly in learning English. Therefore, in order to study this problem
in-depth, the author has conducted the research entitled: "The current status of
2


applying information technology in learning English of first-year biotechnology
students at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.” Hopefully, this
study will help students deeply understand the issues they have not yet applied
technology when learning English and suggest solutions to use information
technology to the subject effectively.
2. Aims and Objectives of the study
The study aims to understand the perceptions of biotechnology students at
the Vietnam National University of Agriculture on the characteristics that attract
them to use technology to self-study English, the types of technology, and the

extent to which they operated.
Specifically, this research aims to obtain two objectives: The first
objective is to assist students in applying information technology for learning
English, and motivating them to be autonomous learners on studying. The
second one is to confirm the benefits and challenges of applying information
technology and to assist their learning of English.
3. Research questions
The study was conducted to find out the answers to these central research
questions:
- Question 1: To what extent do the biotechnology students at the Vietnam
National University of Agriculture utilize information technology to assist their
learning of English?
- Question 2: What are the benefits and challenges for applying
information technology to assist their learning English of biotechnology students
at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture?
4. Scope of the study
This study focuses on the information technology broadly applied to
English language teaching but in the framework of this minor thesis, the
researcher focuses on studying the reality in which the students are using the
3


computer in their studies.
Although information technology is used for studying, practicing,
presenting, and the application it to has been so far limited, for learning English.
This is a reason for the researcher to choose it.
Moreover, the study aims at investigating the reality of the students'
information technology using for learning English because the laptop is really
important for them to study from first-year. However, it is difficult to carry out
this research on a larger scale because of the time limit and the framework of a

minor thesis. Therefore, the study is narrowed to a group of 100 first-year
students. The students are the Biotechnology faculty at the Vietnam National
University of Agriculture.
The scope of the study includes 100 biotechnology students (A random 20
students/class) from 5 classes CNSHA, CNSHB, CNSHC, CNSHD, CNSHE of
K65 at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture. The study begins
01/03/2021 and finishes on 30/06/2021.
5. Significance of the study
This study plays an important part in defining the benefits of using
information technology for learning English as a second language, especially at
university. Besides, the thesis provides an overview of the current status of
applying information technology in learning English of first-year biotechnology
students at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.
Moreover, the research helps discover drawbacks of computer-assisted
language learning in the context of higher learning, and the findings are a
valuable tract of information for lecturers and education administrators to
enhance the application of information technology to their practices. Last but not
least, this is expected to provide helpful information and materials for other
students to carry out their aspirations.

4


6. Design of the study
Apart from abstracts, references & appendices. The study consists of three
main parts:
+ PART 1 - INTRODUCTION presents rationale of the study, aims and
objectives of the study, research questions, the scope as well as the significance
of the study.
+ PART 2 - DEVELOPMENT is divided into 3 chapters:

Chapter 1 - LITERATURE REVIEW – provides theoretical background
for the study including definitions of Technology and Information Technology,
Applications of information technology in English language teaching and
learning, Computer and English as Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and
learning, Mobile Assisted Language Learning, Internet and Web-Based
Language Learning Activities.
Chapter 2 – METHODOLOGY - describes the methodology used in the
research including the action research, data collection instruments, participants,
the procedures employed to carry out the research.
Chapter 3 - FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS - reports and discusses
the findings of the study.
+ PART 3 – CONCLUSION - summarizes the main issues that have been
addressed in the study, points out the limitations, draws the implications
concerning the research topic and suggests several solutions.

5


Part II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1 - LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES (AT HOME & ABROAD)
1.1.1. Review of the previous study: At home
“An investigation into the use of information technology in writing
learning of the third-year students of English at Vinh University” by Pham Xuan
Dat in 2010. The study played an important part in defining the benefits of using
information technology for learning English as a second language, especially the
writing skills at university. Besides, it awakened the students to the importance
of computers in learning writing skills. As implied, once the students had a
positive attitude toward the applications of computers to their writing learning
and consider it a need, they use the computer more frequently.

The article is observed by Van Lam Kieu and Vo Thi Thanh Nga (2021)
to demonstrate “The effectiveness of using technology in learning English”. For
this research, the use of technology in learning English is becoming increasingly
widespread and productive for learners. Besides, knowledge also can learn from
technology more easily. However, using technology in learning English still has
some drawbacks, such as certain commercials and an Internet connection to
learn while using. Moreover, they highlighted some programs that can help
learners change a lot and pay attention to learners' feelings to find the best
approach for learners. The results showed that using technology in learning
English is very important, so it is even more critical to data and collects
opinions. Researchers need to pay more attention when choosing this research
paper's participants, such as taking data from all students studying English and
other disciplines to get diverse and objective details.
In conclusion, according to the above studies, the authors showed the
benefits of applying technology in learning English and helped learners improve
their English skills and had effective learning methods.
6


1.1.2. Review of the previous study: Abroad
“Applying Multimedia Technology to the Teaching and Learning of
College English in China” by Erchun Chen in 2012. In this study, the
introduction of multimedia technology to the teaching and learning of College
English was for meeting the needs of the new tendency of social development,
there is still a long way to go to put its potentials into full play. Suggestions on
making the bright prospect come true involve attaching more importance to
teachers’ education and development, triggering students’ learning potentials
and initiatives, integrating multimedia teaching into traditional classroom
teaching, shifting from the traditional teaching, and setting up a practical and
effective system of teaching evaluation and management. Nevertheless, in this

study that focuses on problems and explains a lot, there was not yet a new
method of learning English when applying technology, not attracting and
arousing students’ learning interest.
The article was written by Shyamlee and Phil (2012) with the topic "Use
of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning". The researchers
used qualitative analysis to find out the pros and cons of applying multimedia
technology to English language teaching and learning, such as the Internet,
PowerPoint, Electronic Dictionary, etc. The results showed that using
multimedia technology could enhanced teachers' and students' teaching effect
and interaction. Moreover, technology also makes the course content flexible.
By contrast, technology also keeps students' thinking potential restricted. To
summarize, the authors claimed that technology should not be overused because
it is just a support tool for teaching and learning English.
To sum up, the application of multimedia technology in learning English
could enhance teachers' and students' teaching effect and interaction, triggering
students’ learning potentials and initiatives, integrating multimedia teaching into
traditional classroom teaching.
7


1.2. REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1.2.1. Technology, Information Technology
1.2.1.1. Definition
What is technology? Technology is the invention, change, use, and
knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, professional skills, systems, and
organizational methods, to solve a problem, improve an existing solution,
achieve a goal, or perform a specific function. Using technology in learning
English uses software or applications on phones or computers that can assist in
learning. Application software is used, such as Duolingo, Elsa Speaking,
Oxford's Dictionary, etc.

The term “Information Technology” (IT) was coined by Jim Domsic of
Michigan in November 1981. Domsic created the term to modernize the
outdated phrase "data processing". Information Technology is a general term
that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store,
communicate and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of
Information Technology as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and
information are associated. “Information Technology” as defined by the
Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is "the study, design,
development, implementation, support or management of computer-based
information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware."
Information technology deals with the use of computers and computer software
to convert, store, protect, process, transmit and securely retrieve information.
In conclusion, information technology (IT) is the use of any computers,
storage, networking, and other physical devices, infrastructure, and processes to
create, process, store, secure, and exchange all forms of electronic data. (by Rich
Castagna, Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor)

8


1.2.1.2. Information Technology Applications
According to Disha Experts (2012:40) indicates that the advent of
information technology has changed the meaning of the term “literate”, with
computer literacy being almost as important as basic literacy in many cases.
Computer education is an essential course at the primary level in most schools
across the world. With more information getting digitized every day, and the
Internet making it accessible to anyone across the world, students are
increasingly relying on electronic sources of information rather than physical
libraries for their needs. The instructional methodology has also undergone a sea
change with the use of images, animations, videos, presentations and e-learning

to complement traditional techniques.
1.2.2. ICT used in education and English language learning and teaching
There are a variety of ICT applications in learning English. According to
Collis and Moonen (2001), the applications of ICT into three groups, namely
“learning resources” including educational software, online resources, and video
resources, “instructional organization of learning” referring to software and
technology tools for lecturing in the classroom, the course management system
and the computer-based testing system, “communication” consisting of email
systems, and websites offering communication options.
The New Medium Consortium (2005a) mentioned the technological areas
that potentially contribute to the field of education and divided them into 4
areas:
+ Firstly, it is called Extended Learning, in which traditional teaching and
learning is enhanced through new communication tools or social networking
sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging. On the other hand, the
process of teaching and learning is not confined to the classroom setting any
longer, it is enhanced beyond the classroom via these social networking sites
(Cheng, 2012:2).
9


+ The second one is called Ubiquitous Wireless, which deals with the
“rapid penetration of wireless networks” (Jung, 2006:29), fostering students’
flexibility in learning via the use of their portable or mobile devices including
laptops, tablets, smartphones, and so on.
+ The third area is Intelligent Searching, which enables learners to search,
organize and retrieve data in a more effective way (Jung, 2006).
+ Educational Gaming, which is the fourth area, made up of games and
simulations, is deemed as a learning tool to have beneficial effects on
motivation, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Jung,

2006).
To sum up, ICT use in education and English language learning and
teaching, as technological areas that potentially contribute to the field of
education and divided them into 4 areas: Extended Learning, Ubiquitous
Wireless, Intelligent Searching, Educational Gaming.
1.2.3. Applications of information technology in English language teaching
and learning
The most common application of information technology in English
Language Teaching (ELT) is the use of computer-mediated material. Teachers
and students can seek information from websites because the Internet is an
everlasting, valuable and multifarious resource supply. Meloni (1998) even
called it a gold mine of materials for English as Second Language (ESL)
teachers. According to Robertson (2006), the resources on the web range from
sites specifically designed for teachers and learners to sites from national and
international newspapers, museums, galleries and so on. Encarta is one of the
important pieces of software for its latest and varied information. It is
considered as an encyclopedia and teaching and learning material can be easily
found out by typing some keywords into the searching box. Moreover, the most
common use of IT for English teaching and learning involves office software,
10


especially PowerPoint-a tool for presentation, and a word processor has
enhanced the effectiveness of FL teaching and learning.
To summarize, it is a “medium in which a variety of methods,
approaches, and pedagogical philosophies may be implemented.”
1.2.4. Benefits of IT applications in English language learning
Some of the literature has highlighted the benefits of IT in learning
English as follows.
According to Darasawang and Reinders (2010), an online language

support system helps promote learner autonomy. The blossoming of multimedia
technology including visual aids, sounds, video clips, animations, and so on
motivates learners, “attracts their attention and elevates their interest in
learning” (Kuo, 2009:25).
Moreover, the Internet connection allows learners to gain access to a huge
amount of authentic materials to make English learning more enjoyable (Dang,
2011).
In short, the application of online resources can result in the enhancement
of their competencies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
1.2.5. Computer and EFL teaching and learning
Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is a rapidly evolving
academic field that explores the role of computer technologies in language
acquisition. A lot of teaching and learning activities can be carried out with the
support of computers, the Internet, CDs, VCDs, DVDs, projectors, cameras, CD
ROMs, radio, television. The following will give an overview of CALL in
respect of its definitions and history.
1.2.5.1. Definition of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is often perceived,
somewhat narrowly, as an approach to language teaching and learning in which
the computer is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment
11


of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element.
Levy (1997:1) defines CALL more succinctly and more broadly as "the search
for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and
learning". Levy's definition is in line with the view held by the majority of
modern CALL practitioners.
In summary, CALL is the search for and study of applications of the
computer in language teaching and learning. As aimed in this thesis, CALL is

used to talk about the assistance of IT in language teaching and learning.
1.2.5.2. A brief history of CALL
CALL's origins can be traced back to the 1960s. Up until the late 1970s,
CALL projects were confined mainly to universities, where computer programs
were developed on large mainframe computers. The PLATO project, initiated at
the University of Illinois in 1960, is an important landmark in the early
development of CALL (Marty, 1981). In the late 1970s, the arrival of the
personal computer (PC) brought computing within the range of a wider
audience, resulting in a boom in the development of CALL programs and a
flurry of publications. Early CALL favoured an approach that drew heavily on
practices associated with programmed instruction. This was reflected in the term
Computer Assisted Language Instruction (CALI), which originated in the USA
and was in common use until the early 1980s, when CALL became the dominant
term. There was initially a lack of imagination and skill on the part of
programmers, a situation that was rectified to a considerable extent by the
publication of an influential seminal work by Higgins & Johns (1984), which
contained numerous examples of alternative approaches to CALL. Throughout
the 1980s CALL widened its scope, embracing the communicative approach and
a range of new technologies.
The acronym CALL was coined in the 1980s and has been recently
defined as: “any process in which a learner uses a computer and, as a result,
12


improves his or her language” (Beatty, 2010). The application of CALL has
been developed significantly in the past decades. In addition, an increasing
number of research on the effectiveness of CALL in language education has
been carried out.
Shafaei (2012) argues that her survey study revealed that the majority of
EFL/ESL international learners in Penang Malaysia agreed that CALL system

helpful in improving their language skills, especially in grammar. The
participants of elementary levels of English were required to use a computer
program that measures the progress throughout their classroom activities in
different language components including grammar, reading, writing, and
conversation. At the end of semester, students answered a questionnaire by
marking “not helpful” and “completely helpful” to show their perception of the
effectiveness of the computer program. The study result showed that the
integration of information technologies and modern teaching methods were
believed helpful and beneficial.
In conclusion, a brief history of CALL showed that the application of
CALL has been developed significantly in the past decades and an increasing
number of research on the effectiveness of CALL in language education.
1.2.5.3. The relationship between learning styles and CALL
Reid (1998) points out that students’ learning styles were defined as
“internally based characteristics, often not perceived or consciously used by
learners, for the intake and comprehension of new information”. He explained
how learners continue their way of learning, “despite the teaching styles and
classroom atmospheres they encounter,” although she admitted that “students
may, over time, acquire additional styles” (p. xii).
As CALL development and application mushrooming, selecting
appropriate programs to match students’ learning styles were the most concern
of teachers and educators (Wild, 1996). Besides, Keobke (1998) stated that
13


CALL software programs would intuitively adapt themselves to each learner and
offer a number of possible interfaces and challenges to match individual
learning styles.
In a nutshell, the relationship between learning styles and CALL needed
to involve in the process of adapting technology to various learning styles.

1.2.6. Mobile Assisted Language Learning
According to Valarmathi (2011) states that mobile technology becomes an
increasing evolution in language learning environments due to its portability and
connectivity. A variety of studies has already investigated the contribution of
mobile technologies for learning English. Kukulska-Hulme & Shield (2007)
reported that the use of MALL in electronic quizzes, grammar drills and
vocabulary learning dominated while it is also prominent for multimedia,
collaborative listening and speaking activities. Miangah & Nezarat (2012) also
showed that mobile learning technologies had enabled online interaction
between teachers and learners more conveniently to provide a richer learning
environment.
A study carried out by Amer (2010) proved the effectiveness of using
mobile applications which were games and quizzes to help the students learn
idiomatic expressions and collocations. In the study, data were collected by a
questionnaire, the application, and interviews from 45 learners who had used the
application for one week. The study finding showed that learners’ usage of the
application correlated with their average scores on the quizzes. The more they
used the mobile application, the higher score they got in the application.
In short, mobile technology becomes an increasing evolution in language
learning environments due to its portability and connectivity.
1.2.7. Internet and Web-Based Language Learning Activities
The Internet undeniably offered an enormous selection of resources from
all over the world. Accessing and using web pages in foreign language
14


education certainly immerses the learners in the target culture. In addition,
webpages provided learners an authentic source of materials for conducting
research, doing coursework projects, or even publishing their works for some
sort of the audience (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000).

Butgereit & Botha (2009) successfully employed Hadeda, a language
learning application written to support primary and secondary pupils to practice
spelling vocabulary or memorization using their cellphone, in South Africa. Via
a mobile accessible web-based application, Hadeda downloaded an English
spelling vocabulary list that had been prepared by the teacher and used multiple
text-to-speed engines to generate audio vocabulary exercises. The system was
piloted in a private English-speaking school with pupils from grades four
through seven.
In summary, web pages provided learners with an authentic source of
materials for conducting research, doing coursework projects. In addition, it also
a language learning application written to support primary and secondary pupils
to practice spelling vocabulary or memorization using smartphones.
1.3. SUMMARY
This chapter has provided a theoretical framework of how IT, ICT,
CALL, MALL, and other applications of information technology are used in
foreign language teaching. It is hoped that this research will find out the current
situation of using information technology at VNUA. In addition, suggestions
based on the literature review made by the researcher will have a positive effect
on assisting the learning of non-English major students.

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CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research-based on finding out the reality of using information
technology to self-study English is a survey with descriptive, quantitative and
qualitative methods. The primary data collection tool is a questionnaire - a
popular way to get opinions from the participants quickly.
2.2. RESEARCH SETTING/CONTEXT

Because of the limitations of time and space, the study could not touch
upon all the students at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture. It is
confined to the first-year students in the biotechnology faculty at the Vietnam
National University of Agriculture.
The participants of this study were 100 first-year biotechnology students
at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture. Including 20 K65CNSHA
students, 20 K65CNSHB students, 20 K65CNSHC students, 20 K65CNSHD
students, 20 K65CNSHE students.
2.3. DATA COLLECTION
2.3.1. Data collecting instruments
2.3.1.1. The survey questionnaire
The questionnaires designed for 100 biotechnology students (Random 20
students/class from 5 classes CNSHA, CNSHB, CNSHC, CNSHD, CNSHE of
K65) at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.
This study made eight questions for questionnaires. In questionnaires,
number 1 to number 7 questions answer the first research question. The rest of
the question answers for the second research question.
Questions 1 to 6 are multiple-choice questions, in which questions 1, 4, 6
students choose one or more answers; question 2 is a yes/no question that only
allows two possibilities to answer yes or no; questions 3, 5 provide with
available answers and choose the most suitable answer.
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