Designing a British studies syllabus for the third - year English major at Foreign Language Department, Nghe An teachers' Training College = Thiết kế chương trì

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
university of languages and international studies
faculty of postgraduate studies
  



PHẠM THỊ THU HIỀN


Designing a British Studies syllabus
for the Third-Year English Majors at
Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An
Teachers’ Trainging College


(THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH MÔN ĐẤT NƯỚC HỌC
ANH CHO SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN ANH NĂM THỨ 3,
KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM
NGHỆ AN)

Minor M.A Thesis


Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 16A044

HANOI - 2010
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
university of languages and international studies
faculty of postgraduate studies
  



PHẠM THỊ THU HIỀN


Designing a British Studies syllabus
for the Third-Year English Majors at
Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An
Teachers’ Trainging College


(THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH MÔN ĐẤT NƯỚC HỌC ANH
CHO SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN ANH NĂM THỨ 3, KHOA NGOẠI
NGỮ, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM NGHỆ AN)


Minor M.A Thesis



Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 16A044

Supervisor: Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa, PhD







HANOI 2010


v
Table of contents

Declaration……………………………………………………….…………… i
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………ii
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………… iii
list of abbreviations ……………………………………………………… iv
list of figures and tables……………………………………………… iv
table of content …………………………………………………………… …. v
Part A Introduction
I. Rationale of the study ……………………………………………………………… 1
II. Aims and objectives of the study ………………………………………………………….1
III. Scope of the study ……………………………………………………………………… 2
IV. Methods of the study……………………………………………………………… 2
V. Design of the study …………………………………………………………… ……… 2
part B: Development
Chapter one: literature review 4- 15
1.1. An overview of Syllabus……………………………………………………………… 4
1.1.1. Syllabus………………………………………………………………………… 4

1.1.2. Curriculum and syllabus ………………………………………………………… 4
1.2. The roles of syllabus in training program….………………………………………… 5
1.3. Steps in designing a syllabus…………………………………………………………… 6
1.3.1. Needs analysis …………………………………………………………………… 7
1.3.2. Goal setting ……………………………………………………………… …… 7
1.3.3. Selecting the content……………………………………………………… …… 8
1.3.4. Grading the content ……………………………………………………………… 8
1.3.5. Selecting and grading tasks and activities…………………………………………. 8
1.3.6. Summary ………………………………………………………………………… 9
1.4. Needs analysis in syllabus design ……………………………………………… …9
1.4.1. The meaning of "Needs"……………………………………………… ……… 9
1.4.2. Kinds of needs ………………………………………………………………… 10


vi
1.4.2.1. Target needs ………………………………………………………………10
1.4.2.1.1. Necessities ………………………………………………… … 10
1.4.2.1.2. Lacks ………………………………………………………… 10
1.4.2.1.3. Wants ………………………………………………………… 11
1.4.2.2. Learning needs …………………………………………………………… 11
1.4.2.3. Summary …………………………………………………………………. 12
1.5. Viewpoints of teaching Country Studies ………………………………………………. 12
1.6. British Studies programs in some Vietnamese Colleges and Universities …………… 14
1.6.1. British Studies programs at University of Languages and International
Studies, VNU, Hanoi………………………………………………………….… 14
1.6.2. British Studies programs at Department of Foreign Languages, Vinh University 14
Chapter two: Methodology 16 - 19
2.1. The setting of the study………………………………………………………………… 16
2.2. Research questions ………………………………………………………………….…. 16
2.3. Data collection instruments ………………………………………………………… 17

2.3.1. Questionnaires ………………………………………………………………… 17
2.3.2. Interviews ……………………………………………………………………… 17
2.4. Subjects of the study ………………………………………………………………… 17
2.4.1. Students ………………………………………………………………………… 17
2.4.2. Teachers ……………………………………………………………… ……… 18
2.5. Data collection procedures …………………………………………………………… 19
2.6. Summary ……………………………………………………………………… …… 19
Chapter three: Results and Data analysis 20 - 30
3.1. Target needs ……………………………………………………………………………. 20
3.1.1. Necessities ……………………………………………………………………… 20
3.1.1.1. In terms of topics and sub-topics ……………………………….……… 20
3.1.1.2. In terms of tasks/ activities …………………………………………….… 23
3.1.2. Lacks …………………………………………………………………………… 25
3.1.3. Wants …………………………………………………………………… …… 26
3.1.3.1. In terms of students’ goals of a British Studies course……………… 26
3.1.3.2. In terms of students’ objectives of a British Studies course …………… 27
3.2. Learning needs ……………………………………………………………………….… 28
3.2.1. Resources and administrative constraints …………………………………… …. 28
3.2.1.1. Class – size and the facilities ………………………………………… 28


vii
3.2.1.2. Time ………………………………………………………………… …. 28
3.2.1.3. Materials …………………………………………………………… … 28
3.2.2. The learners ………………………………………………………………… …. 29
3.2.2.1. Age and level …………………………………………………… … 29
3.2.2.2. Motivation for learning/ learning styles/ preference ……………… …… 29
3.2.3. The teaching staff ……………………………………………………………… 30
Chapter four: A proposed syllabus 31 - 37
4.1. Aims and objectives of the course ………………………………………………… … 31

4.2. Time allotment ……………………………………………………………………… 31
4.3. Content and tasks/activities ……………………………………………………… … 31
4.3.1. Topics in the syllabus ……………………………………………………… … 31
4.3.2. Tasks and activities …………………………………………………………….…33
4.4. Organization of the syllabus …………………………………………………………… 33
4.5. Assessment …………………………………………………………………………… 35
4.6. Materials available …………………………………………………………………… 36
4.6.1. Books ………………………………………………………………………… …36
4.6.2. Websites ………………………………………………………………………… 36
4.7. Summary ……………………………………………………………………………… 36
Part C: Conclusion ………………………………… 38
References …………………………………………………………………… … 40
Appendixes ………………………………………………………………….…. I – XIV
Appendix 1: Questionnaire 1…………………………………… I
Appendix 2: Questionnaire 2 …………………………………… IV
Appendix 3:` Interviews …………………………………………. VII
Appendix 4: A sample unit …………………………………… VIII
Appendix 5: A sample test …………………………………… XIV
Appendix 6: Course outlines …………………………………. XVIII



iv
list of abbreviations


ACTFL American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
TESOL Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
MOET Ministry of Education and Training
NTTC Nghe An Teachers' Training College

EFL English Foreign Language
FLD Foreign Languages Department
BSS British Studies Syllabus
BSC British Studies Course
BS British Studies
T Teacher
S Student

list of figures and tables


Table 2.1. Student subjects’ background information …………………………………… 18
Table 2.2. Teacher subjects’ background information ………………………………… 18
Table 3.1. Teachers’ and students’ ranking of topics…………… …………………… … 20
Table 3.2. Teachers’ and students’ ranking of sub-topics …………………… ………… 21
Table 3.3. Students’ ranking of topics and sub-topics …………………………… ………. 23
Table 3.4. Teachers’ and Students’ ranking of tasks …………………… ……………… 24
Table 3.5. Students’ ranking of tasks …………………………………………………… 25
Table 3.6. Students’ ranking of constraints in studying BS ………………… ………… 25
Table 3.7. Students’ ranking of BSC’s goals ………………………… …………… 26
Table 3.8. Students’ ranking of BSC’s objectives ………………………………………… 27
Table 4.1. The topics' and sub-topics' order………………… …………… 32
Table 4.1. A detailed syllabus………………… ………………………….…… … 33




1
Part A Introduction

I. Rationale of the study
Vietnam started conducting its Open Door Policy with a great number of Joint-Venture
projects and flows of foreigners coming to work and to visit Vietnam. Being aware that
English is not only a compulsory subject in the training curriculum but also a very useful tool
in the period of integration and globalization, both teachers and learners in Vietnam have
made endless effort to advance the quality of teaching and learning English for the different
purposes.
It is evident that the study of language cannot be separated from the study of the country's
background knowledge of that language such as people, geography, history, government and
politics, economy, cultures and lifestyle, education, transportation and environment.
Therefore, it is important to raise the teachers' and students' countries studies awareness of the
target languages. If the students are well equipped with the country's background knowledge,
they can better understand the language. Especially, the third-year English majors at Nghe An
Teachers' Training College (NTTC), it is more significant to educate students this. However,
in reality, since the Foreign Languages Department (FLD) was founded in 1997, it started to
teach "British Studies" as a compulsory subject without an official syllabus. In the early
years, some voluntary English teachers carried out on their own lectures. Recently, there are
five teachers of the department in charge of teaching the subject and they made a series of
lectures followed an "ordered topics". These things caused problems when teaching the
subject in 30 to 60 class-hours per the sixth semester for the third-year English majors.
"British Studies" teaching has encountered a number of problems such as content burden,
inappropriate materials, lack of time so on. Those things related to a syllabus. Although it is
undeniable that the essential roles of syllabuses in providing a practical basis for the division
of assessment, textbooks and learning time and telling the teacher and students what should
be learned so forth.
Being a teacher in charge of teaching "British Studies" for the third-year students of FLD,
NTTC, the author finds that it is urgent to design a British Studies syllabus (BSS) for the third
- year English majors at Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An Teachers’ Training
College which is practical, applicable and suitable for students.
II. Aim and objectives of the study

1. Aim
The major aim of the study is to design an appropriate British Studies syllabus for the third -
year English majors at Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An Teachers’ Training College.


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2. Objectives
In order to achieve the main aim, the specific objectives are as follows:
- to find out the third-year English majored students' needs for the British Studies
course.
- to identify the components of a British Studies course such as objectives, contents,
order of the content, tasks/activities and assessment and to suggest a proposed British
Studies syllabus for the third - year English majors at Foreign Languages Department,
Nghe An Teachers’ Training College based on their needs analysis.
III. Scope of the study
Due to the narrow scope of a minor thesis, this study only focuses on syllabus designing
process, but not all the theories relating to syllabus design such as implementing, teaching
method and evaluating. It is also limited itself to designing a British Studies syllabus
including objectives, contents, order of contents, assessment ect. based on Survey's results of
students' needs and the fact of teaching and learning for the third-year English majors at
Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An Teachers’ Training College.
IV. Methods of the study
Then, the study used quantitative methodology to collect data through two questionnaires.
This helps the author find out their target needs and learning needs for a British Studies
course.
- The first questionnaires were designed for the third-year English majors at FLD, NTTC.
- The second ones were designed for some English teachers at English majored group at FLD,
NTTC.
Besides, several informal interviews were carried out for the English teachers of British
Studies at FLD, NTTC by the use of qualitative methodology.

After necessary data has been gathered, the author based on the collected numbers and
percentage ratios to interpret the results of the study. Then the findings were grouped together
and compared to find out the important factors relating to the proposal of a British Studies
syllabus for the third-year English majors at FLD, NTTC.
V. Design of the study
The study consists of three major parts (Introduction, Development and Conclusion), a list of
references and appendixes
Part A: Introduction presents the rationale, the aim and objectives, the scope, the
methodology and the design of the study.
Part B: Development includes three important chapters
Chapter one reviews the literature relevant to the topic of research, provides the theory of
syllabus design.


3
Chapter two presents the research methodology of the study. It provides the setting of the
study, research question, the instruments and the data collection procedures.
Chapter three is the main part of the study that reports the results and data analysis and major
findings.
Chapter four proposes a British Studies syllabus.
Part C: Conclusion aims at summarizing the main ideas of the study, offering some
implications for teaching British Studies and some suggestions for a further research are
included. Hopefully, the syllabus might be useful for those who are concerned.
Appendixes include the questionnaires, interviews, a sample unit and a sample test.

Part B: Development
Chapter one: literature review

1.1. An overview of syllabus
1.1.1. Syllabus


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There have been several ways in which a syllabus can be defined. Jack C. Richard (2001)
states “a syllabus is a specification of the content of a course of instruction and lists what will
be taught and tested”. According to Wilkins (1997), syllabus is specification of the content of
language teaching which have been submitted to some degree of structuring or ordering with
the making teaching and learning a more effective process.
to Prabhu's more specific "specification of what is to be learnt" (1987:89). For Allen (1984),
the syllabus is " that subpart of curriculum which is concerned with a specification of what
units will be taught" (Allen 1984:61), whereas for Yalden (1987), it is primarily a teacher's
statement about objectives and content, with formal and functional components in a dual
progression of linear and spiral learning (cf. Stern 1984:14). Brumfit (1984d) specifies
content (linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, cultural, substantive). In contrast,
Kumaravadivelu sees the syllabus as "a preplanned, preordained, presequenced inventory of
linguistic specifications imposed in most cases on teachers and learners" and claims that this
is a “ widely recognized” perspective (1993b: 72).

A universal definition for "syllabus" therefore seems impractical, since different educational
theories and approaches differ on syllabus goals and functions. What can be said is that
syllabi tend to be representations, reflecting the originator's ideas about language learning:
"every syllabus is a particular representation of knowledge and capabilities. And this
representation will be shaped by the designer's views concerning the nature of language, how
the language may be most appropriately taught or presented to learners, and how the language
may be productively worked upon during learning” (Breen, 1987a: 83)
1.1.2. Syllabus and curriculum
In defining syllabus, there are several conflicting views on the distinction between syllabus
design and curriculum development. Douglas Brown (1995) views curriculum/syllabus as
designs for carrying out a particular language program. Features include a primary concern
with the specification of linguistic and subject matter objectives sequencing, and materials to
meet the needs of a designated group of learners in a defined context.
Karl Krahnke (1987:2) also holds that “ A syllabus is more specific and more concrete than a
curriculum, and a curriculum may contain a number of syllabi”.
Similarly, Allen (1984: 61) proposes “curriculum is a very general concept which involves
consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social, and administrative factors which
contribute to the planning of an educational program. Syllabus, on the other hand, refers to
that “subpart of curriculum” which is concerned with a specification of what units will be
taught” (as distinct from how they will be taught, which is a matter for methodology).
Traditionally, syllabus design has been as a subsidiary component of curriculum design.
Curriculum is concerned with the planning, implementation, evaluation management, and


5
administration of education programs. Syllabus focuses more narrowly on the selection and
grade of content.
Nunan’ points of view, syllabus is understood in restricted sense, which means focusing on
the content of learning and its organization. And his following definitions of syllabus maybe
the most suitable and clearest in this context of our study:

“The syllabus replaces the concept of “method”, and the syllabus is now seen as an
instrument by which the teacher, with the help of the syllabus designer, can achieve a degree
of “fit” between the needs and aims of the learner and the activities which will take place in
the classroom”. And “A syllabus is a statement of content which used as the basis for
planning courses of various kinds. So the task of the syllabus designer is to select and grade
this content.” (Nunan, 1993)
1.2. The roles of syllabus in training program
Language syllabus design is a comparatively new area in applied linguistics, and it is the fact
that there is some disagreement on almost everything that matters in syllabus design and
development. All of these controversial issues lead to different trends in language syllabus
design. Huchinson & Waters (1993) proposed three main approaches to Language syllabus
design: Language-centered, Skilled-centered and Learning-centered approaches.
In Skilled-centered approach, the syllabus is not a prime generator. According to Huchinson
& Waters (1993), the skills and the texts negotiate with each other in the syllabus. The skill
syllabus plays a role in the initial selection of the texts and establishes criteria for ordering
and adapting them. The texts available, at the same time, will affect what can be focused on
in the exercises and assessment.
It is noticeable that in learning - centered approach, the syllabus is divided into two levels. In
level 1, the syllabus is called the general syllabus which outlines the topic areas and the
communicative tasks of the target situation. This general syllabus can be used as the basis for
the initial selection of the texts and writing of exercises/ activities. In level 2, a detail syllabus
is generated from the materials selected in level 1. This syllabus is then checked against an
independent syllabus produced from the needs analysis to deal with gaps and overlaps.
Thus, in this approach, "the syllabus is used creatively as a generator of good and relevant
learning activities rather than just a statement of language content. Yet, at the same time. it
maintains relevance to target needs". Huchinson & Waters (1993).
In view of amount of work that goes into syllabus design and the considerable weight of
authority that syllabuses have, Huchinson & Waters (1993) also considered whether they are
necessary. This reveals that just as there are acknowledged and hidden reasons for having a
syllabus.

6
The most importance is that the syllabus “provides a practical basis for the division of
assessment, textbooks and learning time”. Moreover, teachers and learners can be supported “
language learning task” which appear manageable in a syllabus. The syllabus also has a
useful investment since teachers’ planning and thoughts aim to develop the course without
wasting time and money. Besides, with aims and objectives of a syllabus, teachers and
learners can know “why it is to be learnt” and “what is to be learnt”. The syllabus supplies
people who involving in the course “a set of criteria for materials selection” such as defining
the kind texts to look for or produce, the items to focus on in exercises ect. Finally, syllabus
users are provided a visible basis for testing which determines the learners’ success and
failure through a course.
1.3. Steps in designing a syllabus
Steps in designing a syllabus are differently set up by language experts. Long and Crookes
(1993:12) propose that tasks should be considered as the starting point of syllabus design
while Hughes (1990) suggest the important step must be the choice of aims and objectives.
However, both of the two views above only rely on the subjective points of those authors,
not coming from the needs of the learners themselves. According to Nunan (1991) and
Yalden (1987), the design of syllabus must start with needs analysis. Nunan (1991) states
that:
"Pedagogically, the most powerful argument in favor of needs-based course is a motivational
one. The need to motivate students has become a clich. One way of improving motivation is
to orientate content towards those areas that they perceive most interests by learners and
which as being most relevant, and to develop methodologies, which enhance the learners'
self-concept rather than destroying it".
Therefore, according to this view, steps in designing a syllabus are illustrated as follows:
Needs analysis-Objectives and aims–Sequencing - Teaching method - Testing and evaluation.
1.3.1. Needs analysis
The question here is why we should mention needs analysis as one of the essential steps in

designing a language syllabus. The answer, according to Nunan (1993), is to provide the
input, which is relevant to the needs of given learners. Moreover, need analysis is the most
characteristic feature of course designs. This is a complex process, involving much more than
simply looking at what the learners will have to do in the target situation.
In a discussion about the significant role of needs analysis, Nunan (1993: 75) stated "needs
analysis is considered as the initial process for specification of behavioral objectives and it is
from these objectives that detailed aspects of the syllabus such as functions, topics, lexis and
structures are derived". The information collected from a need analysis will be very important
for the designers to specify the objectives needed in the content of the syllabus. Thus, the


7
researcher needs to know what kind of the necessary information in a need analysis. Many
language experts concerned this question. Especially, Hutchinson and Waters (1993) focused
on two important kinds of needs namely, target needs and learning needs.
1.3.2. Goal setting
Goal setting has become an important step in the development of a language program.
Language is no longer seen as a discrete grammatical existing in isolation, but as a set of
resources and options for achieving a variety of goals outside the language classroom. In
other words, language is perceived as a tool rather than as end in itself. However, what a
syllabus designer should start from in setting course goals. From a survey of corps, Nunan
(1991) points out: " the course can reflect the sort of uses to which the target language will
be put, the contexts and situation in which it will be used . The skill that will be developed
and the level at which the courses will be conducted".
The term "goal" refers to the general purposes for which a language program is being taught
or learnt. Setting goals requires judgment to ensure that the goals are appropriate, not only to
learners' needs, but also to the constraint of the educational institution or system, and the
length and scope of program based on the syllabus.
Goals can be analyzed according to their orientation on the process/ product continuum.
Product - oriented goals are mostly appropriate with general English course. Product -

oriented goals can be derived directly from the learners themselves, that is, by asking the
learners why they are learning the language. Learners are involved in the process of
establishing goals. Learners' preferences are arranged into a hierarchical order through a
process of negotiation between learners. And the goals language programs are set based on
these learners' preferences. The process - oriented goals are generally appropriate with special
purpose course, which are established by the teacher or course designer before the course
itself begins.
1.3.3. Selecting the content
The next step, after the general goals of a course have best set, is to specify the ways in which
the goals will be achieved. This is a difficult task, the one which, over the years, has caused a
great deal of contention and controversy. Recently most courses take a multidimensional
approach, specifying and integrating functions, notions and structures in syllabus design. This
makes the task for the syllabus designer much more complex because he/she must select
sequence and integrate vertically and horizontally.
Wilkin (1997) suggested that notional syllabuses would probably be best suited to a post -
beginner level. In addition, in fact, most of the materials and course based on communicative
language learning principles are designed for students who have reached a pre - intermediate
level and therefore have enough grammatical knowledge to fulfill communications.


8
Selecting interesting and relevant content is more difficult task. One of the problems in
developing general courses for adults, in Nunan's opinion (1991), is that the interests of the
learners in a given group differ. What is interesting to one learner can be uninteresting to
another. However, this problem can be overcome through needs analysis and negotiated goal
setting. Therefore, "it would seem that most course bad material waters proceed on an
proceed on an intuitive basis when selecting content".
1.3.4. Grading the content
The following step that a syllabus designer has to do is to grade the content. In other words,
he needs consider how to grade the grammatical, notional, and functional components.

Grading described by Richard, Platt, and Weber (1993) that the arrangement of the content of
a language course or a textbook is presented in a helpful way. Gradation would affect the
order in which words, word meaning, tenses, structures, topics, functions, and so forth are
presented. Gradation may be based on the complexity of an item, its frequency in written or
spoken English, or its importance for the learner.
1.3.5. Selecting and grading tasks and activities
First, we would like to mention here some definitions of term "task". According to some
applied linguists, task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for
some rewards. Thus, examples of task including painting a fence, dressing a child, filling out
a form, buying a pair of shoes and others in other words by "task" is meant the hundred and
one things people do in everyday life.
Now, we find out that the different definitions of "task" lead to different approaches to the
selection of tasks. Candlin (1987) offers several criteria for good tasks. A good task, as for
him should:
- promote attention to meaning, purpose, negotiation
- involve learner contribution, attitude, and effects
- be challenging, but not threatening, to promote risk - taking
- define a problem to be worked through by learners, centered on the learners but guided by
the teacher
- provide opportunities language practice
- promote sharing of information and expertise
(Adapted from Nunan, 1990)
1.3.6. Summary
As the result, analyzing the needs of learners is the first and the foremost step in designing a
syllabus because it helps the designers identify the objectives and aims of the course so that
he/she can design a suitable syllabus to fit their needs. The second important step is defining
the aims and objective of the syllabus govern the content of the whole syllabus. Selecting and


9

grading the content of a syllabus are the next steps for the in designing a syllabus. The last
step to design a syllabus is selecting and grading tasks/ activities.
According to Richards (2001: 120), “the aims, in comparison, are broader than the objectives.
The objectives illustrate the aims of the syllabus and are useful because they force the
syllabus designers and teachers to be precise in defining where they intend to go and what
they intend to be about”.
1.4. Needs analysis in syllabus design
1.4.1 The meaning of "Needs"
As mentioned above, a number of language experts have given different meanings of needs.
First of all, Mounfort (1981: 27) states that needs can mean "what the users - institution or
society at large regards as necessary or desirable to be learnt from a program of language
instruction". This definition views needs from the subjective standpoints of authorities but not
learners themselves. Secondly, in the light of goal-oriented perspective, according to
Widdowson (1983: 2) needs refers to "students" study or job requirements, that is, what they
have to be able to do at the end of their language course". Needs in this sense are described as
objectives or requirement of the course.
In contrast, Brindley (1984: 28) sees needs as "wants, desires, demands, expectation,
motivation, lacks, constraints, and requirement". This view implies that students may have
their personal aims in addition to the requirement of their studies or job. Therefore, this
definition proved to be more sufficient because it combines the views of both previous
definitions.
1.4.2. Kinds of needs
Hutchinson and Waters (1993) state two important kinds of needs namely, target needs and
learning needs.
1.4.2.1. Target needs
A target need, according to Tom Hutchinson and Waters (1993), is defined as "what learner
needs to do in the target situation, that is the situation in which learners will use the language
they are learning". It is more useful to look at target situation in terms of necessities, lacks
and wants.
1.4.2.1.1. Necessities

Tom Hutchinson and Waters (1993) states that "necessities is the type of need determined by
the demands of the target situation, that is, what the learner has to know in order to function
effectively in the target situation".
For instance, an engineer needs to understand diagrams or catalogues, and exchange
information with foreign engineer. He or she will also need to know the linguistic features
(discourse, functional, structural, and lexical) which are commonly used in the situations


10
identified. This information is relatively easy to get. It is a matter of "observing what
situations the learners will need to function in and then analyzing the constituent parts of
them" (Tom Hutchinson and Waters, 1993)
Besides, the information about necessities can be gathered through the advertisements of job
vacancies in the newspapers and interviews with users (Robinson, 1991: 12)
1.4.2.1.2. Lacks
It is essential to know what the learner knows already, so those course designers can decide
which of the necessities the learners lacks. For example, one target situation necessity might
be to read texts in a particular subject area. Whether or not the learners need instruction in
doing this will depend on how well they can do it already. In other words, "the target
proficiency needs to be matched against the existing proficiency of the learners. The gap
between the two can be referred to as the learners' lacks". (Tom Hutchinson and Waters ,
1993)
To decide what the learners' lacks are, interviewing teachers is a useful method. Moreover,
the learners should be tested before starting the course. (Robinson, 1991: 14)
1.4.2.1.3. Wants
Target needs are considered not only in terms of necessities and lacks but also in terms of
wants, with the actual learners playing active role, that is, the learners have views as to what
their needs are. Their wants include their goals (for study, for future job, for training ); their
objectives (for instance, at the end of the course they will be able to overcome the difficulties
in Cross Cultural Communication related to the content of the course); and what they want to

learn (skills, topics, and language).
Wants are varied among different learners. "Learners may well have a clear idea of the
necessities of the target situation: They will certainly have a view as to their lack. But it is
quite possible that the learners' views will conflict with the perceptions of other interested
parties: course designers, sponsors and teachers" Tom Hutchinson and Waters (1993). If the
learners believe that English language teaching should consist of practice in grammar and
general vocabulary, they may well be, at the very least, disconcerted when the English
teacher appears to be teaching their specialism. There can be no clear-cut answer to the
question what the course designer should do in this situation. It is important that the course
designer or teacher should be aware of such differences and take account of them in materials
and methodology. Thus, a satisfactory syllabus should meet the needs of all related parties.
This is a challenge to the syllabus designer.
To get information easily from a large group of learners about their wants, Robinson (1991:
12) suggests that we should use questionnaires.
1.4.2.2. Learning needs


11
We have considered the needs so far only in terms of target needs, the starting points (the
lacks), the destination (necessities) together with the dispute as to what that destination
should be (the wants). What they have not considered yet is the route. Tom Hutchinson and
Waters (1993) say that "How are we going to get from our starting point to the destination? -
This is learning needs".
It is naive to base course design simply on the target objectives, just as it is untrue to think
that a journey can be planned solely in terms of starting point and the destination. The needs,
potential and constraints of the route (the learning situation) must also be taken into account,
if we are point to have any analysis of learners' needs.
Learning needs or the learning situation include the resources and administrative constraints
(time, length of the course, length of the period, classroom and the teaching aids), the learners
(their age, level, motivation and strategies) and the teachers (their level and difficulties in

teaching).
1.4.2.3. Summary
In short, this section has discussed the most characteristic feature of a course design - needs
analysis. It is not a simple process and both target needs and learning needs must be
combined harmoniously. The next chapter would analyze and discuss the learning needs and
target needs in the target situation in some terms of goals and objectives, contents,
tasks/activities, recourses and administrative constraints, the learners and the teaching staff.
1.5. Viewpoints of teaching Country Studies
It is evident that the study of language cannot be separated from the study of the country's
background knowledge of that language such as people, geography, history, government and
politics, economy, cultures and lifestyle, education, transportation and environment.
Therefore, it is important to raise the teachers' and students' countries studies awareness of the
target languages. If the students are well equipped with the country's background knowledge,
they can better understand the language.
However, there is a variety of perspectives in teaching Country Studies which are focused
into two point of views. First, the course of Country Studies aims to offer the students
opportunities to enrich their vocabulary, to sharpen their pronunciation and their grammatical
knowledge as well as to improve their language and research skills to meet all the demand of
their current study and their future careers. Another view is the Country Study course is to
providing the students with general knowledge of the countries’ people and culture with focus
on the national identity, cultural life, beliefs and values as well as their expressions in the
society. The course is also to help the students to build up a panorama of the countries’
political, economic and educational systems that may serve as the first steps in their lifelong
in-depth studies into fields of their needs and interest. As results, the teaching methods,


12
materials and other tasks in teaching Country Studies are different in two viewpoints. The
teachers and learners may use intensive reading materials as the main method to gain the
aims’ course. Second, the others use extensive readings for their teaching and learning. In the

study, the auhor combination of critical thinking, independent study skills and critical
reading, too. The Five Cs of foreign language education: Communication, Cultures,
Connections, Comparisons, and Communities are known as the five goals necessary for
foreign language learning in the 21st century. These standards describe the content of world
language learning and form the core of standards-based instruction in the world languages
classroom (ACTFL, 1999). These also reflect the author’s beliefs and values about EFL
teaching and will be applied to my teaching British Studies course.
- Communication: Communicate in Languages Other Than Vietnamese
The communication standard stresses the use of language for communication in "real life"
situations. It emphasizes "what students can do with language" rather than "what they know
about language." Students are asked to communicate in oral and written form, interpret oral
and written messages, and show cultural understanding when they communicate and present
oral and written information to various audiences for a variety of purposes.
- Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures
Cultural understanding is an important part of world languages education. Experiencing other
cultures develops a better understanding and appreciation of the relationship between
languages and other cultures, as well as the student's native culture. Students become better
able to understand other people's points of view, ways of life, and contributions to the world.
Especially, in teaching British Studies, the teacher help the learners to gain knowledge and
understanding of the country's background knowledge of that language such as British
people, geography, history, government and politics, economy, cultures and lifestyle,
education, transportation and environment.
- Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information
World languages instruction must be connected with other subject areas. Content from other
subject areas is integrated with world language instruction through lessons that are developed
around common themes.
- Comparisons: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture
Students are encouraged to compare and contrast languages and cultures. They discover
patterns, make predictions, and analyze similarities and differences across languages and
cultures. Students often come to understand their native language and culture better through

such comparisons. Thus in order to effectively learn English at the university and successfully
use it in communication as well as in their future careers it is essential that the English


13
language majors gain an insight into one of the most influential cultures that give birth to the
English language and that provide the environment for its development - the British culture.
- Communities: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the
World
Extending learning experiences from the world language classroom to the home and
multilingual and multicultural community emphasizes living in a global society. Activities
may include: field trips, use of e-mail and the World Wide Web, clubs, exchange programs
and cultural activities, school-to-work opportunities, and opportunities to hear speakers of
other languages in the school and classroom (ACTFL, 1999).
These principles also influence instruction by allowing the researcher to quickly
assess their course syllabus and course materials for strengths and weaknesses. Through the
use of these principles, teachers can create a more acquisition-rich learning environment in
which students can both enjoy learning and make substantial progress in their attempts to
acquire the foreign language.
1.6. British Studies programs in some Vietnamese Colleges and Universities
1.6.1. British Studies programs at University of Languages and International Studies,
Vietnam National University, Hanoi
British Studies course is intended for the third-year students at the Department of Anglo-
American languages and cultures, Colleges of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National
University, Hanoi as part of their fulfillment of the Bachelor of Art in TESOL.
The course aims at providing the students with general knowledge of the British people and
culture with focus on the national identity, cultural life, beliefs and values as well as their
expressions in the British society. The course is also to help the students to build up a
panorama of the British political, economic and educational systems that may serve as the
first steps in their lifelong in-depth studies into fields of their needs and interest. Another

objective of the course is to offer the students opportunities to enrich their vocabulary, to
sharpen their pronunciation and their grammatical knowledge as well as to improve their
language and research skills to meet all the demand of their current study and their future
careers.
The students are adapted to several topics of the British Studies syllabus such as brief history
of Britain, Identity and social profiles, beliefs and values, political system, economic system,
working life and leisure life, educational system. The teaching tasks and activities are mainly
lectures and discussion, self-study, presentation and discussion.
The course has two credits of 30 forty-five minute periods and it lasts 15 weeks. During the
course, students have to take oral presentation and get a take-home exam.
1.6.2. British Studies programs at Department of Foreign Languages, Vinh University


14
This course is intended for the fourth-year students at the Department of Foreign Languages,
Vinh University.
The course aims at providing the students with general knowledge of the British history,
British constitution, the educational system, British customs and British traditions, foods,
flowers, holidays and festivals in UK, characteristics of UK citizens, British business culture/
etiquette. The course also is to enrich their vocabulary, to sharpen their pronunciation and
their grammatical knowledge as well as to improve their language and research skills to meet
all the demand of their current study and their future careers. The course has two credits of 30
forty-five minute periods and it lasts 9 weeks. Students have one period for self-study each
week. The teacher in charge of each group arranges one more class for discussion and review
in the last week. The essessment is carried by one presentation and another final written
exam. During the course, the students take some tasks/ activities of learning such as working
in groups or pairs to discuss the related issues, presenting the ideas of the topics and writing
the essays.
In short, as a result of considering these views of teaching and learning Country
Studies in general and taking a look at some British Studies in Vietnam, the teachers

understand how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that
support their intellectual, social, and personal development, understands and uses a variety of
instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem
solving, and performance skills. The teachers use an understanding of individual and group
motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social
interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation and plans instruction based
upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. The
teachers also understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and
ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.











15


Chapter two: Methodology

2.1. The setting of the study
Nghe An Teachers’ Training College was founded on 1960, located in Vinh city, Nghe An
province. There are various faculties such as Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Foreign
Languages Department and the others. Annually, a number of 2000 students are admitted and
a small number is adopted to FLD as English majored students. FLD has been re-founded

since 1997 to train teachers of English for junior high schools in Nghe An province.
However, in recent years, FLD has been training for English bachelor students, too. The
training program is based on the English majored curriculum for teachers' training as well as
bachelor students set by MOET. All students have to experience three stages of English
studying which is divided into six semesters as follows:
- Stage 1: the first or pre-intermediate level occupies the first year. Students in this stage are
taught and drilled in the basic language structures with their four language skills.
- Stage 2: the intermediate level is students at the second year. They also are taught four
language skills for the last year and the stage aims at the perfection of the students' ability to
communicate based on the language functions.
- Stage 3: The stage covers the last year. The students are expected to reach the upper-
intermediate level and are asked to study different subjects such as English Literature,
Teaching Methods, British Studies and so on. British Studies is taught in 45 lass-hours.
Current British Studies materials are subjectively selected by the teachers in charge of the
subject. First, at the early days, British Studies was taught by some foreign volunteers in 60
class hours during the last stage of the course. Since 2000, students have been studying the
subject with the use of the reading textbook "T×m hiÓu ®Êt n-íc Anh qua c¸c bµi ®äc hiÓu"
written by Nguyen Thi Minh Chau and Christ Tapher published by NXB DHQG, TP HCM in
30 class hours. Recently, there are five teachers in our FLD to be in charge of teaching the
subject British Studies although FLD has a staff of 37 teachers of English. The process of
teaching and learning British Studies has encountered with many difficulties including the
learning condition, the English staff, the time allotment and so forth. Therefore, the study of
designing a British Studies syllabus for the third-year English majors at FLD, NTTC is set up
and hoped to be practical, applicable and suitable for students.
2.2. Research questions


16
This study is carried out to find answers to the following questions:
1. What are the third-year English majored students' needs for British Studies course at

Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An Teachers’ Training College?
2. What are the components of a British Studies course for the third-year English majored
students at Foreign Languages Department, Nghe An Teachers’ Training College?
2.3. Data collection instruments
The information about both target needs and learning needs is collected and analyzed. In the
study, questionnaires and interviews techniques were used.
2.3.1. Questionnaires
Questionnaires were used as a main data collection method in this study.
The first questionnaires were carefully designed and piloted with some students in other
classes K4A to examine whether they helped to elicit the kind of data necessary for study.
Based on the feedbacks from those students, some inappropriate and ambiguous questions to
the students had been improved.
Then, the questionnaires were delivered to 32 students after they had just finished British
Studies course. The delivered students were well instructed by the researcher. The
questionnaires consisted of four sections such as goals, requirements of the British Studies
course, topics and sub-topics in the British Studies syllabus and tasks/activities in a syllabus
of the British Studies.
The other questionnaires were completed by 15 teachers of English majored students at FLD,
NTTC. The questionnaires consisted of four sections such as requirements of the British
Studies course, topics and sub-topics in the British Studies syllabus and tasks/activities in a
syllabus of the British Studies.
2.3.2. Interviews
Together with questionnaires, the researcher used semi-structured interviews to get in-depth
information about the subjects in the study. It took about one hours to interview 5 teachers of
English majored students in the meeting hall after the meeting and process the obtained
information. The interview included two sections such as sub-topics of the British Studies
syllabus and tasks/activities in a syllabus of the British Studies.
2.4. The subjects of the study
To answer the question "who provides the information for the needs analysis?”, Robinson
(1991: 11) states that the source of information are the potential students, the language

teaching institution (teachers and administrators), ex- students and those who are or will be
concerned with the students' specific job or study situation.
2.4.1. Students


17
The first questionnaires were administered with 32 third - year English majors of FLD, NTTC
who had just finished the BSC in the fifth semester. These students were selected on the class
lists from number 1 to number 16 in classes K4B and K4C. Their ages ranged from 19-22.
There were 5 males and 27 females, three-forth of whom came from the countryside. The
English proficiency levels were reported to be at the intermediate level. Table 2.1.
summarizes the background information about the subjects such as the genders, ages and the
self-assessed English proficiency.

No. of
participants
Gender
Age
English proficiency
Male
Female
19
20
21
22
Intermediate
32
5
27
4

12
15
1
32
Table 2.1. Student subjects’ background information
The third-year English majored students were chosen as the subjects of the study for some
reasons. Firstly, the English training program is based on the English majored curriculum for
English majored teachers’ training set by the MOET. The third-year majors are compulsory to
study British Studies. Secondly, the training quality of English majors is a great concern to
both the college authority and teachers at FLD. Finally, the students are ones who the author
has been directly teaching. These will have favorable conditions to carry out all the steps of
the research process.
2.4.2. Teachers
The teachers were chosen to be the subjects of the study including two groups for:
Questionnaires: 15 teachers who have been teaching English for English majored students
were the first group. The reasons for choosing these teachers were that they have taught the
third-year English majored students and the British Studies was taught as a compulsory
subject for the English majored students and the English bachelor students. These teachers all
hold M.A Degree in English. Their ages ranged from 25-38. There were 3 males and 12
females. Table 2.2 summarizes the background information about the subjects such as the
genders, ages and their English proficiency.
No. of
participants
Gender
Age
English proficiency
Male
Female
25
33

35
38
MA
15
3
12
3
6
4
2
32
Table 2.2. Teacher subjects’ background information
Interviews: the second group was 5 teachers to be interviewed. They all have been teaching
British Studies. They have some experience to reveal their in-depth information in the
interview. All of them were females and their ages ranged from 36-40. They all hold M.A
Degree in English.


18
2.5. Data collection procedures
The data collection procedures started in early September and ended in mid November 2009.
The procedures included the following steps:
i) In the first two weeks of September, the pre-questionnaires were piloted by 5 third - year
English majored students of K4A to examine whether they helped to elicit the kind of data
necessary for the study.
ii) In the third week of the September, the first questionnaires were delivered to the students.
iii) Next, the teachers were given the second questionnaires when they have finished teaching
the semester of the year school.
iii) Then semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 teachers of English at FLD which
support the researcher to gain further information. These teachers were interviewed sometime

in the first week of October.
iv) The treatment of the collected data lasted for 6 weeks from October to mid November into
percentage ratios.
All of the work was finished in November.
2.6. Summary
This chapter reported the methodology for this study in terms of the study setting, research
questions, data collection instruments, subject of the study and data collection procedures.
Firstly, a setting of the study was clarified and the obtainment of the research questions was
made. Then, data collection instruments including questionnaires, interviews were presented
in details with discussions of advantages and disadvantages of each instrument. Finally, data
collection procedures were introduced and statistical procedures were explained.







Chapter three: Results and Data analysis
3.1. Target needs
3.1.1. Necessities
3.1.1.1. In terms of topics and sub-topics


19
In order to collect the information on students’ necessities of topics, the syllabus designer
interviewed five teachers who have been teaching British Studies at FLD, NTTC for their
advices on what topics or sub-topics should be included in the syllabus. All the interviewed
teachers agreed that BSS should consist of the following topics such as British people,
geography of Britain, British history, British government and politics, economy in Britain,

British education, cultures and lifestyle in Britain, transportation and environment.

Items

Topics
Very
relevant
Relevant
Fairly
relevant
Not
relevant
Numbers and Percentages of Teachers’ and
Students’ choices
T
S
T
S
T
S
T
S
1
British people
10
70%
22
69%
5
30%

10
31




2
Geography of Britain
13
87%
19
59%
2
13%
13
41%




3
British history (16
th
-
20
th
century)
4
27%
10

31%
11
73%
22
69%




4
British government and
politics
2
13%
0
3
20%
7
22%
12
67%
25
78%


5
Economy in Britain
0
0
5

33%
11
34%
10
67%
21
66%


6
British education
13
87%
13
41%
2
13%
19
41%




7
Cultures and lifestyle in
Britain
10
67%
20
63%

5
13%
12
37%
0



8
Transportation and
environment
3
20%
0
5
33%
6
19%
7
17%
16
81%


Others
0

Table 3.1. Teachers’ and students’ ranking of topics
Table 3.1. shows teachers’ and students’ expectation of the topics including in the syllabus.
Almost of them (nearly 100%) agreed with the given topics. Only a few of them thought that
economy in Britain and British government and politics were not very necessary or fairly
relevant so as to the percentage ratio up to appropriately 70%. However, neither students nor
teachers expressed the disagreement with the above topics. Both the teachers and students did
not suggest any other topics for the BSS.