english language macro-skills of freshman vietnamese students in selected colleges in bacgiang city input to intervention measures

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam




BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines



i

ENGLISH LANGUAGE MACRO-SKILLS OF FRESHMAN
VIETNAMESE STUDENTS IN SELECTED COLLEGES IN BAC GIANG
CITY: INPUT TO INTERVENTION MEASURES






A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty of Graduate School
Batangas State University

Batangas City, Philippines






In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in English





By:
NGO THU THU HUONG (Autumn)
December 2014






THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines



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ABSTRACT
Title : English language macro-skills of freshman
Vietnamese students in selected colleges in
Bacgiang city: input to intervention measures.
Author : Ngô Thị Thu Hương (Autumn)
Course : Doctor of Philosophy major in English language and Literature.
Year : 2014
Adviser : Dr. Matilda H. Dimaano.

Summary:
The main focus of the study was to assess the Freshman
Vietnamese students’ English Language Macro Skills among selected
Colleges in Bacgiang City. This study sought to find out the learning
contents of a general English course offered to Freshman students, the
level of students’ performance in the macro-skills of reading, writing,
speaking and listening, the relationships between pairs of macro- skills
in English language, the difficulties students have in the macro-skills,

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Socialist Republic of Vietnam




BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines



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the difficulties appear to be more relatively serious and the intervention
measures proposed to enhance macro- skills of students
The study made used of the descriptive method of research to
determine the English language macro-skills of Freshman Vietnamese
students among selected colleges in Bacgiang. There were 299
students from three colleges of Bacgiang and 30 teachers who were the
respondents of the study.
Findings of the study revealed that General English courses cover
skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing as well as essential
vocabulary, idioms and colloquial language. They are designed to give
students confidence to communicate effectively in real life and provide
them with effective training in English for work, study and travel.
In Bac Giang Colleges, the course General English I required
students to attend and participate in all class activities and do
homework and this is given ten percent weight. Students are also
required to take progress test in grammar, vocabulary, reading and
writing and assigned also ten percent of weight and a midterm test in

the same area with twenty percent allocated weight for each.





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Socialist Republic of Vietnam




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Republic of the Philippines



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The dissertation also assessed about the level of students’ performance
in the macro-skills in reading, writing listening and speaking the English
language were all of average level of the given student population. The
dissertation also showed that there were significant differences existed
in the students’ performance among the macro-skills in English
language and were therefore not related to each other. Most students
encountered difficulties in comprehension for macro skills in reading
and listening; sharpening writing skill for macro kill in writing; and
pronunciation for the macro skill in speaking. The difficulties in macro-
skills are those that pertain to comprehension skills both in Reading and
Listening. Finally, The dissertation proposed the intervention measures

composed of select strategies designed to improve skills where
students demonstrated poor performance.










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Republic of the Philippines



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researcher wishes to express her personal thanks and
appreciation to those who, in one way or another, have helped make
this dissertation.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to

Thai Nguyen University - Viet Nam and Batangas State University –
Philippines who have made very favorable condition and opportunity for
the development of the dissertation.
I am indebted to ITC, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and
Forestry of Thai Nguyen University for accepting me as a PhD. Student and
for your guidance and supports during the course.
I wish to recognize with great gratitude valuable advice, and
general assistance provided by Dr. Matilda H. Dimaano, for her patient
guidance, helpful suggestions, encouragement and constructive
supervision in writing of this research. Her enlightening suggestions and
detailed comments have shaped this dissertation largely. Without her
help, this field study report would have been impossible.





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Republic of the Philippines



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I owe my gratitude to Dr. Corazon Cabrera and The Panels for
their highly intellectual abilities to give excellent advises and detailed
review during the preparation of this study.
I greatly appreciate the financial assistance and spiritual supports
of Bacgiang Ngo Gia Tu College , of Foreign Language Department, of
my dear colleague for me and my family during my PhD. study.
I would like to give expressions to my gratitude to all the teachers of
the Graduate School of Batangas State University of the Philippines and
teachers of English Department from three Colleges in Bacgiang province
for their valuable lectures that inspire me to carry out the research.
I take this opportunity to express my thankfulness the first year
students from three Bacgiang Colleges for their cooperation in
completing the questionnaires.
My classmates, thank you very much for making the atmosphere
of our class as friendly as possible.
I am also very grateful for the wholehearted support and love that
my husband and children, along with her parents, brothers extended
during the writing process. They supported her high and low points that
accompanied the realization of this study.
I can just say thank you all for everything.





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Republic of the Philippines



vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE I
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
LIST OF TABLES v
LIST OF FIGURES vi
CHAPTER
I.THE PROBLEM
Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 11
Scope, Delimitation and Limitation 14
Significance of the Study 15
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Conceptual literature 17
Research Literature 77
Synthesis 83
Theoretical Framework 88
Conceptual Framework 92
Hypothesis 93
Definition of Terms 94

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III. RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURE
Research Design 96
Subjects of the Study 96
Data Gathering Instrument 98
Data Gathering Procedure 99
Statistical Treatment of Data 100
IV. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary 138
Conclusion 150
Recommendation 151
BIBLIOGRAPHY 152
APPENDIXES
Appendix A. Questionnaire on English Language Macroskills 162

Appendix B. Questionnaire on Teacher’s Assessment of the English
Language Macroskills of Students 170
Appendix C. Validation Letter of the Questionnaire for Students.183
Appendix F. Letter of Request to the Head of Institution 186





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Appendix G. Letter of Request to the Head of Institution 186
Appendix G. Letter of Request to the Head of Institution 187





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187
Appendix H. Letter of Request to the Head of Institution 188





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Appendix J. Photograph of the study sites 188
Appendix J. Photograph of the study sites 189
Appendix G. Documents for Validation of Questionnaires in
Batangas State University 191





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Appendix H. Documents for Administration of Questionnaires in
Bacgiang Colleges 192
Appendix I. Documents for Response Letters of the Heads of
Bacgiang Colleges 193
Appendix J. Documents for Group Discussion of Bacgiang Colleges
195

Appendix K. Psychrometric Conversion Table 196
CURRICULUM VITAE 198









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xiii

LIST OF TABLES

Table Title Page
1 Distribution of student respondents in the three colleges 97
2 Performance of student respondents in the different skill areas of
the Reading test 109

3 Performance of student respondents in the different skill areas of
113
the Writing test 113
4 Performance of student respondents in the different skill areas of
the Listening test 115
5 Performance of student respondents in the different skill areas of
the Speaking test 118
6 Student's t-test comparison of the mean % scores for each test
group shown as p-values 119
7 Difficult item for student respondents in the teacher-made tests on
macro-skills in English language. Rank of 1- Most Difficult (MD),
Mean % of < 50% - Difficult (D), Mean % > 50% - Not Difficult (ND)
122
8 Most difficult items for student respondents in the teacher-made
tests on macro-skills in English language 126





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Socialist Republic of Vietnam




BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines

xiv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Title Page
1 Research Paradigm 93







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Republic of the Philippines
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM

Introduction

In learning English, there are five macro skills that are needed by
learners to communicate effectively and these are listening, speaking,
reading, writing and viewing. In communication process these skills are
very essential. These skills may approach or solve future problems in
communication most especially in our day-to-day tasks such as in
learning or gaining information, presenting, or holding a successful
meeting.
A combination of micro skills like in writing which consists of
spelling, vocabulary, made up of macro skills which refer to the primary
key, main and largest skill relative to a particular context. In English
language, each skill which comprised the macro-skills has its own
features. The knowledge regarding the use of these five macro skills is
of vital importance. Consistently seeking improvement along these
macro skills will contribute to the self-development, effective
communication and success in many different environments and
contexts of the learners. Absence of these macro skills to a person
pose difficulties on his movement through life and to thrive in the varied
areas such as religion, politics, business, education and career.




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Learning the five macro-skills is not easy. In communicating,
being good only in one of these skills will not ease away difficulties.
Knowledge of these macro skills can make a big difference in the sound
and personal achievement of that person. Seeking improvement of the
macro skills consistently may help learners become successful in
different perspective. Macro skills integration in lessons should come
naturally from the teacher as well as the listener. When one listens,
writing opportunities emerge; when one reads, opportunities for
speaking emerge. Learners are motivated to have opportunities relative
to learning the skills to allow the skills subconsciously to grow naturally
within them. The use of the macro skills serve as a vehicle for
developing critical thinking as well as meta-cognitive strategies used to
evaluate learners' own thinking
In language teaching, the five macro skills in communication are
considered the most important. For teachers and learners, these five
micro skills are indispensable in the learning process and teaching
performances as these will serve as the main tool in obtaining a certain
language at the same time establishing a link on the interrelatedness of
communication and global community.
In early language acquisition, knowledge on sentences and
syntax in speaking as manifested by learners is considered an
interesting feature. The indication of an effective teacher is when the



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BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
learner’s ability to communicate is excellent and has mastery in other
areas of learning with the involvement of the five macro skills. In
teaching the five macro skills involved in communication skills are
speaking, reading, listening, writing and viewing.
In speaking, that is the most direct and useful form of
communication as it is used by people having face-to-face conversation,
over the phone, webcams, and video calling. Talking to someone or
making conversation either intentional or unintentional or a discourse
pertains to speaking. It can be that two people are said to be talking to
each other but they have not communicated anything as they might be
using different languages. Literary works, artistic communications like
daily recitations, poetry, literature, engaged by people through spoken
language are covered in speaking. Speaking involves two persons or
more and has these features: a decoder, an encoder, the message, the
channel and the feedback. Situations can be designed by teachers
where learners could exercise their ability for oral expression.
In listening, students develop the skill of prediction and
anticipation. Before texting, students recall previous experiences. As
regard to listening text topic and form. They will recall in the listening

text cause and effect relationship. This shows the importance of
listening because without it, there will be no communication that will
transpire for listening is most important in communication as it involves



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Socialist Republic of Vietnam



BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
processing sound waves, meaning interpretation, meaning storing in
memory in its mental operation. Listening requires the listener to
understand, interpret and evaluate what they hear which makes
listening a communication technique. Other skills are just part of
listening because of its speech significance and freedom of expression.
Everybody comprehend either from a given talk or utterance through
listening as it has close ties with speaking as a person who happens to
get information may transmit it to another after hearing which makes
listening vital to communication.
Further, there are difficulties second language learner
encountered in listening like becoming distracted by the errors which
the speakers learn to ignore or tolerate in spontaneous conversation

where it contains language structures that may not be grammatical such
as unfinished utterance, pauses and moments of silence. Another
difficulty is that on the learner’s lack of socio cultural, factual and
contextual knowledge of the target language thereby affecting their
problem on comprehension as well as their difficulty to concentrate on
sounds, unfamiliar words, sentences for a long period of time.
As for reading which is another important skill in communication,
it is thought of by many people as a skill intended only for students who
are studying their first years. Unknowingly, reading makes a person
thinks and explore the mysteries of the world, gain knowledge and



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Socialist Republic of Vietnam



BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
ponder on the unknown. Aside from being a multi-faceted process
where word recognition, comprehension, fluency and motivation are
involved, it is also a way where information from written letters and
words can be accessed by people.
Philosophies and theories regarding meaning, nature and

structure of reading served as bases for reading approach. Reading is
also vital as its set of decision to carry out an objective that will ensure
an output or plan intended for implementation. Recently the most
common read items are those of emails and text messages which are
part of people’s day to day communication activities rather than books
and newspapers.
As regard to difficulties of second language learners in reading,
these include: pronunciation difficulties most especially in contrastive
analysis where learners tend to use the native language habits acquired
in them and ingrained in them in articulating English; word recognition
where through the same printed words are used in the vernacular and
English, the same symbols do not stand for the same sound. Another is
the inability of learners to group words into units wherein the groupings
and pauses in the flow of English speech is not always represented in
writing. Learners either string all the words together or pause after
every word. Finally, non-comprehension is also considered one among
the difficulties encountered in second language learners in reading.



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Socialist Republic of Vietnam

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
Unfamiliar vocabulary in reading content can be a source of
discouragement to learners if its difficulty interferes in the thought
getting process.
In writing on the other hand, it is stated that most people rely on
writing because they have difficulty of expressing verbally what they put
in written words what’s on their thoughts to communicate effectively.
Writing has close relationship with reading, speaking and listening for
each has its respective functions to play to ensure successful
communication. Writing skills need to be practiced all the time. It is
not just merely using orthographic symbols, but it also involves
thinking characterized by purposeful selection and organization of
thoughts or ideas. Beginning learners are given exposure to writing
for them to be able to write of which they regarded in turn their writing
with profound value.
Learners through writing discover, communicate, and connect
them to people’s culture, to society, to existing knowledge and to
meanings of communication. In the absence of writing poor
communication occurs because the main focus of writing is basic
communicability so that relative to this, learners must organize their
sentences coherently. In writing, language is considered a detriment.
Exposure of learners to diverse rhetorical forms through extensive
reading and providing them with intensive practice in the actual writing



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or composition are some writing activities that learners need to be
engaged in. For learners to develop their skills and confidence in
writing, teachers must provide them with frequent and challenging
activities and opportunities as well as changes in learning these skills.
The latest addition to the macro skills in language is viewing
which is also one of the most important in communication skills. It is a
way of portraying information in the data base, where the importance of
mental faculty that allows a perceiver, to delineate or give details about
a target that is inaccessible to normal senses due to time and distance
are given more emphasis. Similar dialogues are carried over by the
literate television viewer to the program creators. Viewers congratulate
or condemned program creators for their work be it sublime or
ridiculous. Considered synonyms is reading and critical viewing and
literary and television literacy. Media as a form of printed page or
illuminated TV set must be a venue for an active reader and viewer to
analyze, react to challenges, explore and understand them. Through
viewing, favourite shows either in movies or television as well as other
forms of viewing devices can be watched by global audience.
Students who experienced varied difficulties in learning
participated fully in any given learning activities as provided in the
outcomes and contents found in the syllabus. Among the difficulties

second language learners experience in learning are having difficulties



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Socialist Republic of Vietnam



BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
with reading, writing and spelling; pronouncing or reading multi-syllabic
words; having reduced or limited vocabulary and word knowledge in
comparison to their peers; having poor retrieval of information due to
problems with meaning; and having poor literacy in their first language.
The behaviours manifested relative to these deficiencies learners are
easily destructed include: poor organizational skill; show reluctance to
learn or get involved in classroom activities, work slowly or too quickly
and inaccurately; demonstrate lack of motivation and have poor self-
esteem.
Explicit teaching of new concepts and skills by teachers offer
advantages to students experiencing difficulties. It provides students
with varied learning opportunities. Effective lessons of teachers must
contain clarity review of their previous work and their lessons will be
based on the previous lessons; new skills and concepts will be

presented clearly and modelled by the teacher, students are guided
through their practice with accompanying feedback to individual
students; independent student practice with the application of
knowledge, skills and opportunity and systematic consultation and
revision of work previously covered.
As early as elementary grade, learners should be given rigid
training as part of their education on the use of the language
appropriately in learning English language. The problem of each of



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communication skills among learners are pinpointed to insufficient
training of teachers to learners starting from the kindergarten as regards
to macro skills in teaching the language. Further, as part of the
rudimentary task and professional work of the teacher, it is required for
them to teach learners with the principles and practice of writing. On
the part of the teacher, mastery of the elements or features of a
language is significant in the second language situation since it helps

assess the needs of the learners on the aspect of communication skills.
The act of speaking in a distinct or strategic way is also another
problem of the learner that needs to be addressed. Learners have the
fear in speaking in class or with peers in the second language or in the
public. Teachers must engage learners with constant practice, through
recitations, presentations and reports inside the classroom. Profound
knowledge of teachers in English with just knowing what structured
lessons can be used with the macro skills in language teaching paved
the way to actual performance or use of macro skills in structured
lessons, thus achieving more developments and improvements on the
intellectual aspects and acquisition of language of the learners.
Attaining the language skills on the part of the learners need
mastery of the language which takes years to learn. But, it can be
attained for teachers are required to note the oral and written difficulties
encountered by learners and address the difficulties by energizing



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students to varied learning activities gearing towards enhancing
language proficiency.
Learners can only benefit the outcome of individual society al
integration if they have attained the required level of proficiency in the
English language. If this level is attained, learner experiences
personality adjustments and more social participation which is
contributory to his future professional development. So that, teacher’s
teaching must be addressed the needs of the learners. It is of vital
importance for teachers to determine the needs and difficulties of
students for her to design appropriate instructional materials for the
enhancement of learner’s language proficiency.
Studying at colleges or universities can be well regarded as a
preparatory period when students accumulate enough basic knowledge
and skills to get ready to their later work. At Bacgiang colleges, more
and more attention has been paid to English language leaning,
especially general English language for first year students. However,
there are difficulties of second language learners in macro-skills. Among
the difficulties second language learners experience in learning are
having difficulties with reading, writing and spelling; pronouncing or
reading multi-syllabic words; having reduced or limited vocabulary and
word knowledge in comparison to their peers; having poor retrieval of
information due to problems with meaning; and having poor literacy in



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BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Republic of the Philippines
their first language. The behaviours manifested relative to these
deficiencies learners are easily destructed include: poor organizational
skill; show reluctance to learn or get involved in classroom activities,
work slowly or too quickly and inaccurately; demonstrate lack of
motivation and have poor self- esteem.
On the part of the teacher, mastery of the elements or features of
a language is significant in the second language situation since it helps
assess the needs of the learners on the aspect of communication skills.
As a college instructor teaching Basic English Course at Bac
Giang College, I am interested to investigate the English Language
Macro Skills of Freshmen students with the end view of proposing an
Intervention measures to enhance the Macro skills of freshmen
students.
Statement of the Problem
This study focused on the English Language Macro Skills the
Freshman Vietnamese students’ among selected Colleges in
Bacgiang City.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:
1. What are the learning contents of a general English course
offered to Freshman students?
2. What is the level of students’ performance in the macro-skills of