Teachers' beliefs about communicative language teaching and their classroom teaching practices

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
  


NGUYỄN THỊ THANH BÌNH



TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT COMMUNICATIVE
LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THEIR CLASSROOM
TEACHING PRACTICES
(Niềm tin của giáo viên về phương pháp giảng dạy theo đường hướng giao tiếp và
hoạt động giảng dạy trên lớp)



M.A Minor Programme Thesis
Major: ELT Methodology
60.14.10





Hanoi, 2012

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
  


NGUYỄN THỊ THANH BÌNH



TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT COMMUNICATIVE
LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THEIR CLASSROOM
TEACHING PRACTICES

(Niềm tin của giáo viên về phương pháp giảng dạy theo đường hướng giao tiếp và
hoạt động giảng dạy trên lớp)
M.A Minor Programme Thesis


Major: ELT Methodology
Major code: 60.14.10
Supervisor: Dr. Ngô Hữu Hoàng




Hanoi, 2012

iv
TABLE OF CONTENT
Declaration i
Acknowledgement ii
Abstract iii
Table of content iv
List of abbreviation terms vi
List of tables vii
INTRODUCTION 1
1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
2. AIMS OF THE STUDY 2
3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3
4. SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANGE OF THE STUDY 3
5. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY 4
DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 5
1.1. Beliefs 5
1.1.1. Definition of belief 5
1.1.2. Teachers’ beliefs 6
1.1.3. Teachers’ beliefs about language teaching 6
1.1.4. The relationship between beliefs and practices in language teaching 9
1.2. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 10
1.2.1 What is CLT 10
1.2.2 The background to CLT 11
1.2.2.1 Traditional approach 12
1.2.2.2 Classic communicative language teaching 12
1.2.2.3 Current communicative language teaching 13
1.2.3. The characteristics of CLT 14
1.2.4. Teachers’ beliefs toward CLT 16

1.2.4.1. Correspondence between beliefs and practices 17
1.2.4.2. Discrepancy between beliefs and practices 17


v
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 20
2.1. Context of the study 20
2.2. Subjects 21
2.3. Data collection instruments 21
2.4. Data collection procedure 23
2.5.Data nalysis 24
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 26
3.1. Demographic characteristics of teachers studied 26
3.2. Results of research question 1 28
3.2.1. Findings from the questionnaire 28
3.2.2. Findings from the interview 30
3.3. Results of research question 2 32
3.3.1 Findings from the observation 32
3.3.2. Difficulties in applying CLT in the classroom 35
3.3.3. How to deal with the difficulties 36
3.4. Results of research question 3 36
CONCLUSION 40
1. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 40
2. LIMITATIONS 41
3. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDIES 42
REFERENCES 44
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 : Teachers’ beliefs questionnaire (in English)
Appendix 2 : Teachers’ beliefs questionnaire (in Vietnamese)
Appendix 3: A sample interview

vi
List of abbreviation terms


GTM
CLT
Grammar Translation Method
Communicative Language Teaching
HUBT
Hanoi University of Business and Technology
SD
Strongly Disagree
D
Disagree
N
Neutral
A
Agree
SA
Strongly Agree





vii

List of tables


Table 1:

Table 2:
"Oppositions" between traditional and communicative language
teaching
Gender of teachers…………………………………………………

11

26
Table 3:
Age of teachers …………………………………………………
27
Table 4:
Years of English Teaching Experience of teachers……….………
27
Table 5:
The descriptive statistic of questionnaire………………………….
28
Table 6:
Teachers‟ beliefs and practices in the classroom…………………
32
Table 7:

Figure 1:
Factors affecting teachers‟ beliefs………………………………….


List of figure

Teacher cognition, schooling, professional education, and classroom
practice

38





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1
INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale

With regard to help learners to improve their English skills, linguist and language
teachers have developed different teaching approaches and methods over the last
centuries. In Vietnam, there exist two teaching methods and approaches, namely
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Grammar Translation Method
(GTM). However, the way teachers practice teaching in the classroom depends on
the beliefs that they think is the best for their students. In facts, it is undeniable that
GTM is still the most widely-used and common English teaching approach applied
in most of educational institutions in Vietnam. However, in modern foreign
language teaching and learning, GTM shows quite a lot of shortcomings. On the
other hand, CLT is in favor and gets a lot of support as well as compliment. It is
considered the best and most appropriate approach to teach foreign or second
language, thus, it is able to replace the traditional GTM. CLT is well- supported
from teachers and educators because of its benefits to learners such as emphasizing
on communicative competence, teaching grammar in both deductive and inductive
ways, motivating learners by relaxing atmosphere and small group activities.

Focusing on the teaching of CLT, this study explore teachers‟ beliefs, as the initial
step towards understanding how to affect the process of schooling as well as
understanding the values and beliefs of those who drive those process. Teachers‟
beliefs are important concepts in understanding teachers‟ thought process,
instructional practices, change and learning to teach. It was, however, not until the
1970s that research on teaching emphasized the significance of teachers‟ beliefs ,

which reflect in their teaching practices . According to Borg (2003:81), teachers are
“active, thinking decision makers who make instructional choices by drawing on


2
complex practically- oriented, personalized, and context- sensitive networks of
knowledge, thought, and beliefs”. He suggested that beliefs, by affecting the way in
which we perceive reality, guide both our thoughts and behaviors. In other words,
teachers‟ beliefs greatly impact their instructional decisions in the classroom.

At Ha Noi University of Business and Technology (HUBT), English is considered
as the most important subject in the curriculum because it helps students a lot in the
future such as finding the job, communicating with foreigners, going
abroad….Therefore, in order to improve learners‟ communicative competence,
teachers had better apply CLT approach instead of GTM method. Although some
studies have investigated teachers‟ beliefs about CLT and classroom practices in
Asian context (e.g Choi, 1999) and in Vietnam (e.g Pham, 2007), no research has
been carried out, to my knowledge, about the impact of English language teachers‟
beliefs on practices with regard to CLT at HUBT.

Studies on this topic draw on questionnaires,on classroom observation,
interview,and the writers‟ teaching experiences.

2. The aims of the study
Given the need for the importance of teachers‟ beliefs in teaching practice, the
purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between teachers‟ stated
beliefs and their teaching in the classroom in terms of CLT approach with reference
to 24 teachers at HUBT. The study also finds out the factors that influence what
these teachers think, believe and practice. In addition, the results of the study
recommend some implications for teacher development and teaching methods at

HUBT and Vietnamese university English education.


3. Research questions:


3

1. What are HUBT English teachers‟ beliefs about communicative language
teaching?
2. How are their teachers‟ beliefs reflected in their practice in the classroom?
3. What are the factors affecting their beliefs?

4. Scope and significance of the study

This paper only concentrates on finding beliefs of the teachers at HUBT in teaching
CLT. Because the study explores teachers‟ beliefs in English department at HUBT,
the results will not generalize to all teachers of English in Vietnam. In addition, the
researcher investigates communicative approach in the relation with traditional
method.

In teaching foreign language, the most significant goal is to help students develop
their communicative competence. Hence, CLT has been considered as an ideal
teaching approach to many teachers and researchers. In Vietnam, English teaching
approach is mainly focus on traditional methods; as a result, students have shown
low proficiency in speaking and listening. They also have difficulties in
communicating in English although they are able to master vocabulary, grammar
and reading quite well. Therefore, CLT is the best way to improve learners‟
communicative competence. By investigating teachers‟ beliefs and classroom
practices, this study explores how communicative language teaching has been

implemented in HUBT context.




5. Organization of the study:


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This study is composed of three following parts:
Introduction presents the background, aims, research questions, the significance,
the scope, and the design of the study.
Development is organized around three chapters as follows.
Chapter 1- Theoretical background, conceptualizes the framework of the study
through the discussion of teachers‟ beliefs and CLT
Chapter 2 - Methodology, presents the context, the methodology used in this study
including the subject, the data collection instruments, data collection procedure, and
data analysis.
Chapter 3 – Findings and Discussions consists of a comprehensive analysis of the
data and a discussion on the findings of this study.
Conclusion offers a summary of the findings, recommendations, limitations, and
future directions for further study.

DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1.1 . Belief
1.1.1 The definitions of “Belief”


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Belief is of great importance in teaching as well as in life. They are involved in
helping individuals make sense of the world, influencing how new information is
perceived, and whether it is accepted or rejected. Beliefs colour memories with their
evaluation and judgment, and serve to frame our understanding of events. In simple
term, “beliefs”, based on the verb “believe”, which comes from two old English
words: BE and LIFON. BE meaning "life" (as in being) and LIFON meaning
"according to". Therefore, to believe, means to live according to what you believe.
Referring to the definition, “belief” is considered as “one which is part of a system
of ideas” (Richards et all: 84). Pajares (1992) asserted that belief systems serve as a
personal guide by helping individuals define and understand the world and
themselves. The concept of beliefs is also defined by Borg (2001: 186) in the paper
name “Teachers‟ beliefs” as : “a belief is a proposition which may be consciously
or unconsciously held, is evaluative in that it is accepted as true by the individual,
and is therefore imbued with emotive commitment; further, it serves as a guide to
thought and behavior”. In the same article, Borg also mentioned four common
features of beliefs, namely: (i) the truth element; (ii) the relationship between beliefs
and behavior; (iii) conscious versus unconscious beliefs; and (iv) beliefs as value

commitment. In other words, beliefs in general are characterized in terms of
knowledge, cognition, proposition, and idea which are accepted as true.

1.1.2. Teachers’ beliefs

From the 1970s until now, teachers‟ beliefs have been paid attention to by many
researchers (Lee, 1998; Borg, 2001; Richards, J. C, Gallo. P.B, &Renandya , W.A,
2001; Farrell & Lim , 2005; Altan, M.Z, 2006; Zheng, 2009; Kuzborska, 2011).
While Borg (2001) referred the term teachers‟ beliefs simply as teachers‟ pedagogic
beliefs, or those beliefs of relevance to an individual‟s teaching, Nespor (1987) and
Zheng (2009) share the same idea with a more fully concept that teacher beliefs, as
a substructure of one‟s general belief system and coloured by former experience,


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underlie planning, decision making, and behavior of teachers in the classroom. In
another research, Basturkmen, Loewen, & Ellis (2004: 244) pointed out that “the
term beliefs is defined as statements teachers made about their ideas, thoughts, and
knowledge that are expressed as evaluations of what „should be done‟, „should be
the case‟, and „is preferable‟” whereas Mohamed (2006) believed that “a teachers‟
beliefs represent a complex, inter- related system of often tacitly held theories,
values and assumptions that the teachers deems to be true, and which serve as
cognitive filters that interpret new experiences and guide the teacher‟s thoughts and
behavior” .

One of the characteristics of teachers‟ beliefs is that it has a relationship with
knowledge. However, in many studies on teachers‟ beliefs, it is difficult to
distinguish between beliefs and knowledge. Therefore, it is also impossible to
distinguish whether teachers refer to their knowledge or beliefs when they plan and
make decisions and act in classroom (Verloop et al (2001: 446).

1.1.3. Teachers’ beliefs about language teaching

It is obviously true that teachers‟ beliefs have great impact on their decisions and
judgments in the classroom. When mentioning the importance of teachers‟ beliefs
on language teaching, Pajares (1992) concluded that teachers‟ beliefs had a strong
influence on the way they planned their lessons, on the decisions they made, and on
their classroom teaching practices. Choi (1999: 5) also agreed that teachers‟ beliefs
about language teaching are one of the most important factors that can affect
students‟ success in language learning. Altan (2006: 45) suggested that teachers‟
beliefs influence their consciousness, teaching attitude, teaching methods and
teaching policies, as a result, strongly influence teaching behavior and, finally,
learners‟ development. Kuzborska (2011: 102), however, shares a different
approach when mentioning that teachers‟ beliefs influence their goals, procedures,
materials, classroom interaction pattern, their role, their students, and the schools


7
they work in. Although having different approaches to the importance of teachers‟
beliefs in language teaching, all above authors agree with the same view that by
getting to investigate teachers‟ beliefs and principals they follow, it is easy to
understand how they practice their work as well as how they change throughout the
process of teaching. In addition, it should be taken teachers‟ beliefs into
consideration to help pre- service and in- service teachers develop their thinking and
practices. However, teachers‟ beliefs are not directly observable, so they are not
easy to study (Johnson, 1994).

Where teachers‟ beliefs come from is also an important issue for researchers to
consider. Since Borg (2003: 81) defined teacher cognition as “unobservable
cognitive dimension of teaching- what teachers know, believe, and think”, he
wanted to use the term “cognition” to refer to “beliefs”. In one article, he presented

a general idea about the nature of teacher cognition (teachers‟ beliefs) and its
relationship with teacher learning and classroom practice as follow:


8


Figure 1 Teacher cognition, schooling, professional education, and classroom
practice.
Borg (1999, 2003) suggested that the educational background, professional
experiences in the teachers‟ life, and teachers‟ personality strongly affect the
teaching style. However, Graves (2000) proposed teachers‟ beliefs come from their


9
learning experience, working experience and places, and their ongoing professional
development. In addition, Richardson (1996) believed that teachers‟ beliefs are
mainly influenced by their own experiences (including personal experience,
experience with schooling and instruction, and experience with formal knowledge).
Kindsvatter, Willen, &Ishler (1988) asserted that teachers‟ beliefs are derived from
a number of different sources, namely: (a) their own experience as language
learners, (b) their experience of what works best, (c) established practice, (d)
personality factors, (e) educational based or research- based principles, and (f)
principles derived from an approach or method. After interviewing three
experienced teachers about the sources of their beliefs, Chou (2008) agreed with
Richard &Lockhard (1996) that teachers‟ beliefs come from a variety of sources
such as from their own learning as learners, as teachers, experience of what works
best, and principles.

According to Mohamed (2006), past experience (either in learning or teaching) is

not the only source from which beliefs may be derived. Other sources may include
established practices, teachers‟ personality factors, educational principles, research-
based evidence, and principles derived from an approach or method.

Overall, from my point of view, teachers‟ beliefs represent what they think is the
best for students relating to their attitudes, expectation and personal experience.



1.1.4. The relationship between beliefs and practices in language teaching

Beliefs play a crucial role in language teaching. Fishbien and Ajzen (1975, as cited
in Chang, 2011: 21) suggested that behavior can be determined by intensions;
intensions are the results of overall attitude, and attitudes are a function of salient


10
beliefs. In other words, behavior is a result of belief. Kuzborska (2011) &Tillema
(2000: 102) shared the same viewpoint when asserting that teachers‟ beliefs are
thought to have a profound impact on their classroom practices. An understanding
of this relationship is important for the improvement of teachers‟ professional
preparation and the successful implementation of new curricula. Rios (1996) agreed
that teachers‟ beliefs and practices interact and influence one another. Richard &
Lockhart (1994) mentioned that understanding teachers‟ beliefs is a better approach
to realizing how they typically teach. Furthermore, Borg (2001: 186) proposes that
belief „dispose‟ teachers‟ thought and behavior. In other words, beliefs can lead to
educational decisions and classroom practices, and through those beliefs, we can
understand teachers and process of schooling.
1.2. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING
Communicative language teaching (thereafter CLT) starts from a theory of language

as communication. It is also called Communicative Approach or Functional
Approach and it was the British version of the movement in the early 1960s in
reaction to the structuralism and behaviorism embodied in the audio-linguistics.
Communicative language teaching sets its goal as developing learners‟
communicative competence.

1.2.1. What is CLT?
In an article named “Communicative Language Teaching Today”, the concept of
CLT is defined by Richard (2006: 2) as following:
CLT can be understood as a set of principles about the goals of language teaching,
how leaners learn a language, the kinds of classroom activities that best facilities
learning, and the roles of teachers and learners in the classroom .
In the same article, the author emphasized that the goal of CLT is learners‟
communicative competence. CLT is defined as “an approach to foreign or second


11
language teaching which emphasizes that the goal of language learning is
communicative competence” (Richards et al., 1992: 65). According to Choi (1999),
CLT refers to a language teaching methodology which focuses on developing
learners‟ communicative competence in the target language. Its aim to help learners
not only to master linguistic forms and grammatical rules of a foreign language but
also to be able to use the language appropriately in social interaction and cultural
context.
In order to understand more about CLT, Lewis & Cook indicated the differences
between traditional and CLT approaches:
CLT
Traditional
fluency
accuracy

Contextualized language use
Knowledge about language
Oral language
Written language
Understanding
Memorizing
Students active and happy
Students working hard
Pair work and co- operation
Exercises
Student initiative
Teacher control

Table 1: "Oppositions" between traditional and communicative language teaching
by Lewis & Cook (2002: 151)
1.2.2. The background to CLT

CLT appeared when language teaching was looking for a change. Although the
traditional syllabus has some advantages, it failed to help learners improve their
ability to use language to communicate
According to Richards (2006), the history has seen 3 phases in the trends of
language teaching in the last 50 years
Phase 1: traditional approaches (up to the late 1960s)
Phase 2: classic communicative language teaching (1970s to 1990s)


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Phase 3: current communicative language teaching (late 1990s to the present)

1.2.2.1. Phase 1: traditional approaches (up to the late 1960s)

The traditional approaches, also called The Grammar-Translation Method (GTM),
is a method of foreign or second language teaching which uses translation and
grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities. At one time, the GTM
was called the Classical Method since it was first used in the teaching of the
classical languages of Latin and Greek. (Longman Dictionary of Language
Teaching and Applied Linguistics). In his study, Richards (2006) claimed that
traditional approaches to language teaching gave priority to grammatical
competence as the basis of language proficiency. It was believed that language
learning, in the traditional view, meant building up a large repertoire of sentences
and grammatical patterns and learning to produce these accurately and quickly in
the appropriate situation. Techniques used in these methods included memorization
of dialogs, question- and – answer practice, situation drills, and various forms of
guided speaking and writing practice. Syllabuses during this period consisted of
word lists and grammar lists, graded across level. In a typical lesson according to
this approach, a three- phase sequence, known as the P-P-P cycle, was often
employed: Presentation, Practice, and Production.
1.2.2.2. Phase 2: classic communicative language teaching (1970s to
1990s)

In the 1970s, since traditional language teaching approaches was out of favor and
there was argued that language ability and communicative purposes were much
more importance than grammatical competence, the notion of communicative
competence was introduced. Communicative language teaching created a great deal
of enthusiasm and excitement when it first appeared as a new approach to language
teaching in the 1970s and 1980s. Techniques that were implemented in this method


13
are learners learn to what to say and know how to say appropriately based on the
situation, the participants, their roles and their intentions. With regards to the

syllabus, several new syllabus types were proposed by advocates of CLT including:
A skills-based syllabus: This focuses on the four skills of reading, writing, listening,
and speaking, and breaks each skill down into its component microskills.
A functional syllabus: This is organized according to the functions the learner
should be able to carry out in English, such as expressing likes and dislikes,
offering and accepting apologies, introducing someone, and giving explanations.
Communicative competence is viewed as mastery of functions needed for
communication across a wide range of situations. Vocabulary and grammar are then
chosen according to the functions being taught. Functional syllabuses were often
used as the basis for speaking and listening courses.



1.2.2.3. Phase 3: Current communicative language teaching (late 1990s to
the present)

Communicative language teaching today bases on the principles of classic
communicative language teaching. However, it is different from the old method in
the way that it can be applied in flexible ways, depending on the teaching context,
the age of the learners, their level, their learning goals, and so on.
Jacobs and Farrell (2003, as cited in Richards, 2006) suggest that the CLT today has
led to eight major changes in approaches to language teaching:
1. Learner autonomy: Giving learners greater choice over their own learning, both
in terms of the content of learning as well as processes they might employ. The use
of small groups is one example of this, as well as the use of self-assessment.


14
2. The social nature of learning: Learning is not an individual, private activity, but a
social one that depends upon interaction with others.

3. Curricular integration: The connection between different strands of the
curriculum is emphasized, so that English is not seen as a stand-alone subject but is
linked to other subjects in the curriculum. Project work in language teaching also
requires students to explore issues outside of the language classroom.
4. Focus on meaning: Meaning is viewed as the driving force of learning.
5. Diversity: Learners learn in different ways and have different strengths.
6. Thinking skills: Language should serve as a means of developing higher-order
thinking skills, also known as critical and creative thinking. In language teaching,
this means that students do not learn language for its own sake but in order to
develop and apply their thinking skills in situations that go beyond the language
classroom.
7. Alternative assessment: New forms of assessment are needed to replace
traditional multiple-choice and other items that test lower-order skills.
8. Teachers as co-learners: The teacher is viewed as a facilitator who is constantly
trying out different alternatives, i.e., learning through doing.

It is clear that there is no model of CLT which can be applied in all contexts;
therefore, it would be better if educators could emerge different language teaching
approaches in order to meet students‟ demand as well as get the best result. In
addition, a language syllabus today needs to include a systematic coverage of many
different components of communicative competence, including language skills,
content, grammar, vocabulary, and functions (Richards, 2006: 26)
1.2.3. Characteristics of CLT

Chang (2011) suggested some characteristics of CLT that can be summarized as
following:
1, the learner- centered approach


15

2, emphasize in the process of communication
3, both accuracy and fluency should be taken into consideration in language
teaching , but the aim is to build fluency.
4, errors are considered natural and tolerable
5, the role of learners: negotiators between the self, the learning process and the
object of learning (trying to make themselves understood and in understanding
others within the classroom procedures and activities)
6, Teachers: co- communicators, analysts, counselor, and group process managers
7.CLT does not exclude grammar


The characteristics of CLT are also reflected by Li (1998):
1, a focus on communicative functions
2, a focus on meaningful tasks rather than on language per se
3, efforts to make tasks and language relevant to a target group of learners through
an analysis of genuine, realistic situations
4, the use of authentic, from – life materials
5, the use of group activities
6, the attempt to create a secure, nonthreatening atmosphere.
In several previous studies, almost all of the authors agreed that the most obvious
characteristic of CLT is to develop “communicative competence”. Brown
(2007) wrote there is a focus on communicative competence and no focus on
grammar competence while Larsen-Freeman (1986: 132) claimed that „„almost
everything that is done is done with a communicative intent‟‟. In addition,
Chang (2011) asserted CLT emphasizes in the process of communication whereas
Li (1998) confirmed that the primary goal of CLT is a focus on communicative
functions.
Another characteristic of CLT is the introduction of authentic material ( Larsen-
Freeman, 1986; Nunan, 1990; Li,1998 ;Brown, 2007). It is considered desirable to

16
give learners the opportunity to develop strategies for understanding
language as it is actually used by native speakers (Canale and Swain, 1980).
With regard to accuracy and fluency, researchers had the same idea that although
both fluency and accuracy are seen as complimentary, fluency is more
important. (Brown, 2007; Chang, 2011). They suggested that both accuracy and
fluency should be taken into consideration in language teaching, but the aim is to
build fluency.
From my point of view, characteristics of CLT can be summarized from previous
researchers as following:
1. Learner- centered approach.
2. Emphasis on the process of communication.
3. Fluency should be paid more attention than accuracy.
4. CLT does not exclude grammar.
5. The use of authentic, from – life materials.
6. The attempt to create a secure, nonthreatening atmosphere.
7. The use of group activities
1.2.4. Teachers’ beliefs toward CLT

Karava- Doukas (1996 as cited in Chang, 2011) indicated that the mismatch
between the beliefs and practices may contribute to the neglect of examining
teachers‟ attitudes before implementing any new approach
Chang‟s survey (2011) investigated 54 Taiwanese college English teachers about
their attitudes and the reasons behind attitudes the teachers held toward CLT. The
findings indicated that the teachers held favorable attitudes toward principles and
characteristics of CLT in their beliefs. The results also demonstrate that CLT can
make English teaching meaningful and interesting.

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1.2.4.1. Correspondence between beliefs and practices

After investigating three experienced teachers about their beliefs and their practices
in classroom, Chou (2008) concluded that despite difficulties they had within their
contexts and students, they all tried to form their own models of CLT. The
reflection model of interpreting „theory into practice‟ in their own contexts is shown
explicitly from the three cases. All three teachers agreed that teachers should
transfer theory into practice

1.2.4.2. Discrepancy between beliefs and practices

An example is provided by Chang& Huang (2001, as cited in Lai, 2005) who
investigated the relationship between teachers‟ beliefs about Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) and their teaching practices. The study was conducted in
Taiwan among 119 English teachers from Taipei public senior high schools. The
findings have shown that these teachers still adopted the more traditional teacher-
centered and lecture- type approach in their classroom practices whereas they held
positive beliefs toward CLT. The reasons for this discrepancy are related to
contextual factors such as large classes, inadequacy of school facilities and lack of
opportunities to receive in- service training.

In addition, in their survey, Farrell & Lim (2005) investigated and compared the
beliefs and actual classroom practices of two experienced teachers of English
language in a primary school in Singapore. The findings suggested that teachers do
indeed have a set of complex beliefs systems that are sometimes not reflected in
their classroom practices for various complicated reasons, some directly related to
context of teaching.

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Three dissertations made by Li (1997), Choi (1999) and Wang (2000) investigated
teachers‟ beliefs and their classroom practice in applying CLT in China (by Li and
Wang) and Korea (by Choi). All findings reveal the discrepancies between what
they believe and how they practice. In general, teachers hold positive beliefs about
the concept of CLT. They, however, have faced various challenges when
implementing CLT in their classroom. As a result, they all agreed that it is difficult
to overcome the problems and traditional classroom features are still very common.
Then, they suggested that there would be limited use of CLT in non-speaking
English countries. Moving more thoroughly to each dissertation, Choi (1999) in her
dissertation showed that Korean EFL teachers supported the concepts of CLT;
however, their teaching practices in classroom were still largely teacher- centered,
teacher- dominated and drill- driven rather than learner- centered. This discrepancy
is a result of many factors that can be summarized as following: large number of
students in a class, few opportunities for in- service teacher training, little support
for travelling to English- speaking countries, teachers‟ low level of spoken English
proficiency and cultural knowledge of English, lack of authentic materials, lack of
school facilities for using audio- visual materials, too little time to teach assigned
textbook content, and a college entrance examination focused mainly on reading
skills.

Li (1997) and Wang (2000) investigated English teachers in China to know to what
extent English teachers have employed the key innovative practices associated with
CLT. The findings indicated that those teachers have become more communicative-
oriented. However, the results indicate that traditional classroom features, such as
teaching focused on the textbook or explaining new words in vocabulary lists, are
still very common. The findings also showed that it might not be the training
respondents received but the type of students they taught that determined the extent

to which they applied innovative practices in their teaching.


19
In Vietnam, Pham (2007) used case studies of three teachers (two senior teachers
and one junior teacher) teaching at a university. All three teachers espouse CLT and
agreed that CLT is useful for learners in their future life and improve classroom
atmosphere. However, when it comes into practice, teachers encountered many
challenges including systemic constrain (traditional examinations, large class size),
cultural constraints (teachers and students‟ role, classroom relationship) and
personal constraints (students‟ low motivation, teachers limited expertise in creating
communicative activities).

1.2.5 Summary

The chapter so far discussed issues and aspects concerning to the topic of the study.
It has discussed the concepts and ideas relating to belief and CLT. In terms of
belief, the definition of belief, teachers‟ beliefs, teachers‟ beliefs about language
teaching and the relationship between beliefs and practices in language teaching are
presented. With regard to CLT, the definitions, the background of CLT,
characteristics of CLT as well as teacher‟s beliefs toward CLT are focused.
The following chapters will present the investigation, the findings and suggested
solutions to the problems under the light of the above mentioned theories.






CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY