Difficulties experienced by Vietnamese lecturers teaching IELTS speaking at university level and some suggested solutions = Những khó khăn của giảng viên khi dạ20150227

ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS

PAGE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ii
TABLE OF FIGURES
vii
ABSTRACT
viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1
1.1 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
1
1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY
2
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
3
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
3
1.5 METHODOLOGY
5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
6
2.1 THE IELTS TEST
6

2.2 AN OVERVIEW
6
2.3 THE IELTS SPEAKING TEST: AN OVERVIEW
6
2.4 SPEECH FUNCTIONS IN IELTS
13
2.4 IELTS SPEAKING TEST RESEARCH
15
2.5. FACT ABOUT TEACHING ENGLISH AT VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITIES
16
2.6 FACT ABOUT IELTS IN UNIVERSITIES IN VIETNAM
16
2.7 AFFECTIVE FACTORS IN IELTS LEARNING
18
2.8. ROLE OF LECTURERS AND STUDENTS IN IELTS TEACHING AT
VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITIES
22
2.8.1 ROLE OF LECTURERS
22
2.8.2 ROLE OF STUDENTS
24
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
26

iii
3.0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
26
3.1 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
26
3.2 PROCEDURES OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

26
3.2.1 QUESTIONNAIRES
26
3.2.1.1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LECTURERS
27
3.2.1.2 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS
28
3.2.1.3 PROCEDURES OF DATA COLLECTION
28
3.2.1.3.1 THE PILOT QUESTIONNAIRE
30
3.2.1.3.2 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
30
3.2.1.3.3 PROCEDURES OF DATA ANALYSIS
31
3.2.2 CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
31
3.2.2.1 SUBJECTS
32
3.2.2.2 PROCEDURES OF DATA ANALYSIS
34
3.2.3 INTERVIEWS
34
3.2.3.1 SUBJECTS
35
3.2.3.2 PROCEDURES OF DATA COLLECTION
35
3.2.3.3 PROCEDURES OF DATA ANALYSIS
36
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

37
4.1 QUESTIONNAIRES RESPONSES
37
4.1.1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LECTURERS
37
4.1.1.1PERSONAL INFORMATION
37
4.1.1.2 QUALIFICATIONS
38
4.1.1.3 LECTURERS‟ EXTRA SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
39
4.1.1.4 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES OF TEACHING IELTS SPEAKING IN
GENERAL
40

iv
4.1.1.5 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES OF TEACHING IELTS SPEAKING PART
1
41
4.1.1.6 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES OF TEACHING IELTS SPEAKING PART
2
42
4.1.1.7 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES OF TEACHING IELTS SPEAKING PART
3
43
4.1.2 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS
43
4.1.2.1 PERSONAL INFORMATION
44
4.1.2.2 STUDENTS‟ ENGLISH LEVELS

44
4.1.2.3 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES IN GENERAL IN STUDENTS‟ POINT OF
VIEW
45
4.1.2.4 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES IN IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 IN
STUDENTS‟ POINT OF VIEW
46
4.1.2.5 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES IN IELTS SPEAKING PART 2 IN
STUDENTS‟ POINT OF VIEW
47
4.1.2.6 LECTURERS‟ DIFFICULTIES IN IELTS SPEAKING PART 3 IN
STUDENTS‟ POINT OF VIEW
48
4.2 OBSERVATIONS
50
4.2.1 OBSERVATION RESULTS
50
4.2.2 FINDING BASED ON MY OBSERVATION
53
4.2.3 THE REASONS BEHIND THE DIFFICULTIES MENTIONED
53
4.2.4 SUGGESTIONS FROM THE OBSERVATION
55
4.3 INTERVIEW
55
4.3.1 SUGGESTED SOLUTION IN PROBLEM OF ERROR CORRECTION
56
4.3.2 SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF HELPING STUDENTS TO
COPE WITH LANGUAGE ANXIETY IN IELTS SPEAKING
59

4.3.3 SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF HELPING STUDENTS TO
COPE WITH STUDENTS‟ LACK OF CRITICAL THINKING IN IELTS SPEAKING
60

v
4.3.4 SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF HELPING STUDENTS TO
USE THE CUE CARD EFFECTIVELY IN PART 2
64
4.3.5 SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF HELPING STUDENT DEAL
WITH SELF-STUDY METHOD FOR PRONUNCIATION
65
4.3.6 SUGGESTED SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF HELPING STUDENT TO
UTILIZE THE TIME EFFECTIVELY
66
4.3.7 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS MADE BY PARTICIPANTS
67
CHAPTER 5 IMPLICATIONS
70
CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION
73
6.1 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
73
6.2 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
75
6.3 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
76
REFERENCES
77
APPENDIX A
I

APPENDIX B
II
APPENDIX C
VII
APPENDIX D
VIII
APPENDIX E
XII
APPENDIX F
XIII
APPENDIX G
XXVII
APPENDIX H
XXIX
APPENDIX I
XXX
APPENDIX K
XXXI
APPENDIX L
XXXII
APPENDIX M
XXXIII
APPENDIX N
XXXIV

vi
TABLE OF FIGURES
FIGURES
PAGE
Figure 3.1. Research instruments

26
Figure 4.1: Sex ratio
37
Figure 4.2: Age ranges
38
Figure 4.3: Teaching qualification
38
Figure 4.4 Extra specific responsibilities
39
Figure 4.5 Difficulties in teaching IELTS speaking in general
40
Figure 4.6 Difficulties in teaching IELTS speaking part 1
41
Figure 4.7 Difficulties in teaching IELTS speaking part 2
42
Figure 4.8 Difficulties in teaching IELTS speaking part 3
43
Figure 4.9 Gender of students
44
Figure 4.11 Difficulties of lecturers in general from students‟ point of view
45
Figure 4.12 Difficulties of lecturers in teaching IELTS speaking part 1 from
students‟ point of view
46
Figure 4.13 Difficulties of lecturers in teaching IELTS speaking part 2 from
students‟ point of view
47
Figure 4.14 Difficulties of lecturers in teaching IELTS speaking part 3 from
students‟ point of view
48

Figure 4.15 Difficulties of lecturers in teaching IELTS speaking from both
students‟ and lecturers‟ points of view
49


vii
Abstract
In Vietnam nowadays, the Vietnam National University, Hanoi in particular, a new
standard for English proficiency is set; that is the required overall score of 5.0 on the
IELTS or equivalent. Thus, many universities emphasize the development of IELTS skills.
While efforts have been made to teach the four macro skills of writing, reading, listening in
many language colleges, far less attention is paid to teach necessary techniques to develop
good IELTS speaking skill. To bridge the gap, this thesis aims to explore the difficulties
experienced by lecturer teaching IELTS speaking to Vietnamese students at university
level and to find out the solutions regarding this issue. Through a questionnaire survey on
lecturers and students of IELTS preparation courses, the study found that lecturers have
encountered numerous difficulties when teaching IELTS speaking to Vietnamese students
such as error correction, overcoming nervousness, using the cue card, helping students
improve their critical thinking in answering abstract issues. The study also explores
lecturers‟ perceptions of the difficulties when teaching students IETLS speaking as well as
the factors that help learners to develop their speaking skills. Students questionnaire also
helps to explore the lecturers‟ difficulties from the students‟ point of view. Suggested
solutions for each problem are given by experienced lecturers through interviews. This
work hopes to both contribute to the existing body of IELTS research as well as to pave the
way for future studies in this fields.




1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
IELTS is the most widely used international test of English, with 4 million test takers
world wide. IELTS has the advantage of being objective and fast. It is reasonably accurate.
These commonly used tests of English are probably sufficiently objective to be useful as a
minimum or qualifying standard when trying to evaluate the English language skills of a
large number of people, such as employees in a large firm or potential students. The
widespread requirement for these tests serves as a catalyst for many people to apply
themselves to the study of English. Therefore, IELTS preparation courses are needed by
many learners. Many lecturers have tried to find suitable teaching methods to in order to
help individuals learn and get high score in IELTS. Thus, teaching IELTS preparation
courses (henceforth called teaching IELTS) becomes an important element in helping
Vietnamese students acquiring positive learning experiences. Moreover, many studies have
come to a conclusion that effectively obtaining an IELTS certificate is not only important
to students‟ English learning, but also add to their future career.
My interest in IELTS Speaking topic is the result of having taught IELTS test preparation
in Hanoi for years at the currently the largest IELTS test center in Vietnam. Throughout
this period I have repeatedly encountered a number of difficulties regarding teaching
IELTS Speaking test preparation as well as performance; so much so, in fact, that my
empirical observations developed into concerns strong enough to warrant this research.
From the main problem of test performance, there have sprung equally worrying issues
which may or may not be at the heart of the matter: students expectations of the courses, of
study and teaching methods, teaching materials, time management both in and out of
class, the level and type of classroom participation, the lack of preparation, the type and
quality of questioning posed by instructors, as well as an overall unserious attitude towards
the IETLS exam, an attitude that is certainly not indicative of the very purpose of the test.
The main reason for hypothesizing this was due to two main factors: the very nature and
construction of the exam itself and the fact that the underlying ideology of the IELTS
Speaking exam is extremely different from that of English language tests developed by
Vietnamese teachers.

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While the IELTS test is administered in over 250 centers in 110 countries around the
globe, the relatively high percentage of candidates in Hanoi, accounting for an estimated
40 percent of all IELTS candidature in Vietnam makes the role in the IELTS undoubtedly
crucial to the future success of this exam. While the Vietnam IELTS Network (The British
Council and IDP Education Australia) struggles to meet its exponentially increasing
administrative demands, questions concerning the IELTS test itself, with particular interest
on Vietnamese students‟ preparation and performance, have not been addressed with
paralleled concern in academic circles. It is within this framework that my research has
been conducted.
Therefore, my study attempts to examine the difficulties of lecturers when teaching IELTS
and to suggest suitable teaching techniques to suit Vietnamese students for effective IELTS
teaching method.
1.2 AIMS OF THE STUDY:
The primary goal of this thesis is to study the difficulties of lecturers when teaching IELTS
to Vietnamese students from both lecturers‟ and students‟ point of view. It covers new
teaching techniques and shows lecturers the real-life applicability of those techniques
gained from both students and professional perspectives. This problem can be tackled
through answering the following questions:
1. From lecturers‟ perspective, what are their biggest difficulties when teaching
IELTS speaking to Vietnamese students at university level?
2. From students‟ perspective, what are lecturers‟ difficulties when teaching
IELTS speaking?
3. What teaching techniques do lecturers suggest to overcome those difficulties?
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
There are many different types of difficulties of lecturers when teaching IELTS speaking,
however this paper only focuses on the most common difficulties voted by lecturers and
students in the three parts of IELTS speaking sub-test. The study conducts an insightful

3
analysis of those difficulties, looks deeply into the causes and finds suitable solutions as
suggested by lecturers.
The situation with foreign language teaching in Vietnamese universities is in some ways
different from that of many European countries. In Vietnam, students in all specialties have
foreign languages on the curricula as an obligatory subject for two or three years out of the
average four or five years of the full course. Thus, our students not only want to learn
foreign languages, but also have to learn them because students of any subject, any
discipline must learn a foreign language as part of their program. At the beginning of the
university course of foreign language teaching it is necessary to formulate its actual – and
realistic aims and tasks. Students must know from the start what variety of the foreign
language, and to what extent, they are going to master it. Hence, its findings may not be
necessarily generalized to students in other countries. Moreover, the population of this
study consisted of tertiary lecturers and tertiary students in Hanoi since Hanoi is the
capital city and also the centre of Vietnam tertiary education.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:
The globalization of education, of English and a growing demand for good English-
speaking skills in the job market in particular have been placing a greater emphasis on the
teaching of IELTS speaking skills in Vietnam. Therefore, speaking is also a crucial part of
language learning and teaching at universities in Vietnam. Despite its importance, for
many years, teaching IELTS speaking has been undervalued and English language
lecturers have continued to teach speaking just as a repetition of drills or memorization of
dialogues. However, today's world requires that the goal of teaching IELTS speaking
should improve students' communicative skills, because, only in that way, students can
express themselves and learn how to follow the social and cultural rules appropriate in
each communicative circumstance.
IELTS speaking skill, as a new standard of foreign language in Vietnam and regarded as
one of the most important skills to gain, has been taught at earlier stages in Vietnam
universities. If we want to make our students communicatively competent in English as a
second language, it seems wise to assume that IELTS speaking skill will play a vital role in

4
achieving this overall competence. It has now become a dire need for our learners to speak
and interact in a multiplicity of situations through English. Even in many contexts, IELTS
speaking skill is the basis on which a person‟s language competence is judged. Since
IELTS speaking play an important role in helping students in their career, it is evident that
teaching IETLS speaking is a significant factor in language teaching and learning in
universities. Although an IELTS certificate is recognized by more than 6000 institutions
across 120 countries, only few research studies have been conducted in Vietnam context.
There are even fewer ones carried out on difficulties of Vietnamese lecturers in teaching
speaking skill in IELTS.
Teaching IELTS speaking skill in a foreign language context such as Vietnam has some
potential difficulties. It is a matter of great concern that most of our tertiary learners can
not speak English fluently even when they have learnt and have been taught the language
for a minimum of 7 years of their life i.e. from grade 6 to Upper Secondary level. What
are the reasons behind it? By analyzing the situation both from lecturers‟ and students‟
point of view, this study hopes to draw more light on this important issue and to evaluate
some of them so as to introduce them for use by both lecturers and students. Furthermore,
it is strongly believed that this study contributes to the recent knowledge about the IELTS
speaking teaching trends in universities in Vietnam. Inevitably, such challenges should be
uncovered to find solutions for the improvement of the situation. Thus, the constant
communication with the learners and lecturers is necessary. For researchers in the field of
English language teaching and training the basic duty is to observe, find, identify and
determine these difficulties through dialogues with English language lecturers regarding
the classroom situations. Hence, they are the ones who are able to generate some
suggestions and solutions to the difficulties experienced by English language lecturers and
students contributing to the ease of connection of the universities. With the purpose on this
duty in mind, the present thesis tries to report some of the major current challenges in
teaching English in Vietnamese public universities. The authentic voices of English
language lecturers from a variety of experience and socio-economic background they work

for will be displayed in this paper.
1.5 METHODOLOGY:

5
This study aims at investigating difficulties facing Vietnamese university lecturers in
teaching IELTS speaking through questionnaire surveys. The population of this study
consisted of university lecturers from various universities in Hanoi. The students‟ sample
was chosen from 5 different universities and this facilitate the process of the survey. The
sample consisted of 92 students. The lecturers‟ sample consisted of 189 lecturers of
English language in Hanoi. The lecturers took part in questionnaire and in the interview;
their responses exposed the difficulties of teaching IELTS speaking and their suggested
solutions. The students also took part in the questionnaire survey to reveal what they think
are the difficulties of the lecturers in teaching them IELTS speaking. To achieve the goals
of this study, the researcher designed a questionnaire in a way that it included four
categories: difficulties in teaching IELTS in general, difficulties in teaching IELTS
speaking part 1, difficulties in teaching IELTS part 2, difficulties in teaching IELTS part 3.
The questionnaires, and the observation revealed the difficulties facing by lecturers in
teaching IELTS speaking and some of the solutions to those difficulties are suggested by
experienced lectures through group interview.

6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The IELTS Test
2.1.1. An Overview
It has always been necessary, and rarely easy, to assess competence in a particular area or
skill in order to ascertain who is deemed suitable for a given task or opportunity for further
development. In order to make this feasible, standardization of format and criteria for
assessment are essential both for the examiner and the candidate. The International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) has been designed to do just this.
“The IELTS is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to Study or

work where English is used as the language of communication…showing overall ability as
well as performance in listening, reading, writing, and speaking…The Speaking Module
assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in English.” (IELTS Handbook:
July 2001, p.22).
IELTS offers tests in two modes: Academic (for linguistically demanding academic
courses) and General Training (for less linguistically demanding training courses). The
tasks of the Reading and Writing sub-tests of each mode are different, but the Listening
and Speaking sub-tests are the same for both. The IELTS is graded using Band Scores
from 1.0 to 9.0, with demarcations in half Bands for the Listening and Reading but only
whole Bands for the Writing and Speaking sub-tests. The four sub-test Band Scores are
both presented separately as well as averaged into one Overall Band Score on the
candidates Test Report Form. The score is valid for two years. After over three years of
research, pre-testing, revision, and administration, the University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), IDP Education Australia, and The British Council
launched a new worldwide version of the IELTS Speaking sub-test in July 2001. This was
the final addition introduced to the current exam.
2.2 The IELTS Speaking Test: an Overview
The Speaking Module runs between 11 and 14 minutes, and all interviews are recorded on
audio cassette. The Structure of the IELTS Speaking Module is broken up into three main

7
parts, each one fulfilling a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and
candidate output.
Part 1
In Part 1, the candidate introduce themselves and answers general questions. Examples of
topic areas are one‟s home, family, job/studies, personal interests, and a wide range of
similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts between four and five minutes.
Part 2
In Part 2 the candidate is given a verbal prompt on a card and is asked to talk on a
particular topic uninterrupted for one to two minutes. The candidate has one minute to

prepare before speaking at length. The examiner may then ask one or two rounding-of
questions.
Part 3
In Part 3 the examiner and candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues and
concepts which are thematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2. The discussion lasts
between four and five minutes
The overall structure of the test is summarized below.
Part
Nature of interaction
Timing
Part 1
Introduction
and interview
Examiner introduces him/herself and confirms
candidate's identity. Examiner interviews candidate
using verbal questions selected from familiar topic
frames.
4-5 minutes
Part 2
Individual long
turn
Examiner asks candidate to speak for 1-2 minutes
on a particular topic based on written input in the
form of a general instruction and content-focused
3-4 minutes (incl.
1 minute
preparation time)

8
prompts. Examiner asks one or two questions to

complete the long turn.
Part 3
Two-way
discussion
Examiner invites candidate to participate in the
discussion of more abstract nature, based on verbal
questions thematically linked to Part 2 topic.
4-5 minutes
Table 2.1 Three parts of IELTS speaking test
(IELTS Handbook January2002).
The interview will be recorded. Recording the interview has a number of benefits. It allows
the interviewer to be monitored to check the interview is properly conducted and it allows
the interview to be assessed by another examiner if there is some question over the
student‟s score. Another benefit is that if there is any problem during the interview
excessive noise outside will also be recorded.
Much of the interview is predefined, i.e. the interviewer works from a script. However,
there are a number of alternative questions for them to choose from. The interviewer has
more leeway towards the end of the IELTS Speaking interview.
a. Speech Functions in IELTS
The IELTS Speaking exam may be particularly difficult for Vietnamese candidates in that
it focuses on testing actual speech functions. In other words, there are no specific answers.
IELTS could be classified, then, as testing communicative language ability (CLA) rather
than ability to memorize, as is the case with Vietnamese exams. During an IELTS
Speaking test, communicative effectiveness is gauged based on the variety of output from
the candidate. The type of output can greatly vary in the following forms: providing
personal information, providing non-personal information, expressing opinions,
explaining, suggesting, justifying, opinions, speculating, expressing preference, comparing,
summarizing, conversation repair, contrasting, narrating and paraphrasing, analyzing
(IELTS Handbook: January 2002)

9
A candidate may not need al of these speech functions in the actual Speaking Test, but
he/she should be aware of how to produce them effectively. To better understand the
significance of these specific speech functions we should first discuss the term
communicative language ability (CLA) in greater detail.
b. Communicative Language Ability (CLA) in IELTS
CLA can be defined as having both the knowledge of a language as well as the facility to
implement it in contextually appropriate use (Bachman: 1990). Bachmann‟s more
comprehensive explanation divides CLA into three components: language competence,
strategic competence, and psycho physiological mechanisms. Of particular interest at this
stage is his understanding of language competence, which he further classifies as being
both organizational and pragmatic.
c. Organizational competence in IELTS
Organizational competence is made up of those abilities dealing with controlling the
formal construction of language used in creating or identifying grammatically correct
sentences, comprehending their propositional content, and organizing them to produce
meaningful utterances. This would include the knowledge of vocabulary, morphology,
syntax, and phonology/graphology and their proper usage. This also includes textual
competence, which may be understood as the knowledge of the conventions for joining
utterances together, either spoken or written, according to the rules of cohesion and
rhetorical organization (Bachman: 1990).
These two requirements for CLA are in line with corresponding requirements in the IELTS
Speaking Test Band Descriptors: grammatical range and accuracy, fluency and coherence,
and lexical resources (IELTS Handbook: January 2002). This performance descriptors deal
specifically with the candidate‟s organization of the linguistic signals that are used in
communication, and how these signals are used to refer to persons, objects, ideas, and
feelings. They concern the relationship among signs and their referents. We will look more
closely into the implications of the above terms in a moment. As of equal importance in
understanding the IELTS Speaking test is the notion of pragmatics.
d. Pragmatic competence in IELTS

10
Pragmatics is concerned with the relationships between utterances and the acts or
functions that speakers intend to perform through them. This may be referred to as the
illocutionary force of utterances (Bachman: 1990). Also embodied in the issue of
pragmatics is the characteristics of the contexts themselves. This will determine the
appropriateness of the actual utterances. Another way of understanding pragmatics is
described by van Disk as follows: pragmatics must be assigned an empirical domain
consisting of CONVENTIONAL RULES of language and manifestations of these in the
production and interpretation of utterances. In particular, it should make an independent
contribution to the analysis to the conditions that make utterances ACCEPTABLE in some
situation for speakers of the language.” (Haliday, M.A.K., 1998). Pragmatic competence
becomes of particular importance for the IELTS Speaking candidate in both how he/she
interprets and responds to test input. Two common difficulties that arise are that the
candidate misinterprets or ignores the speech function he/she is being asked to perform. In
the later scenario, the candidate may recite a long passage of prepared text from memory.
The examiner must disregard these utterances as non-ratable. In the first situation it is the
responsibility of the examiner to put the candidate back on track. The amount of
illocutionary force allowed, however, is restricted to the examiner‟s repeating or
rephrasing of the question. That is to say that the examiner cannot tell the candidate
directly that their response is inappropriate. This would naturally create undue stress on the
part of the candidate. If the context for appropriate response is not understood, however,
the candidate may become confused and respond as he/she so interprets. They are not
penalized for doings, though continual responses of topic are at the examiner‟s discretion
to mark down for coherency. Without delving too deeply into this area, which would
inevitably lead us to critiquing the IELTS test itself, suffice it to say that the test makers do
factor pragmatics into the design of both the test rubric and the way raters interpret
candidate responses. With that, we should now look more closely at the IELTS
performance descriptors themselves, and see just how they do account for CLA in
particular.

e. Performance Descriptors in IELTS
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed which describe spoken
performance at the nine IELTS bands on four analytical subscales (Appendix E). For each

11
performance descriptor there is a range of marks, and the score given to a candidate for
each depends on the degree to which the stated requirements are fulfilled. The following
section is based on the IELTS Handbook in January2002, but the definitions include
specific references from the examiner‟s assessment criteria. Being that this later document
is confidential by UCLES, we will only paraphrase some of its relevant points for our
further understanding here.
f. Fluency and coherence in IELTS
Fluency and coherence asses the ability to converse at levels of continuity, rate and effort
characteristic of native speech, and to connect ideas and language together to form
coherent, connected speech. The key indicators concerning fluency are frequency of
hesitation, self correction, and repetition. Coherence involves logical ordering or
sequencing of sentences utilizing a variety of cohesive devices (connectors, pronouns,
conjunctions, etc.) within and between utterances. The greater the range and accuracy of
these cohesive devices are, the higher the score.
g. Lexical resources in IELTS
The examiner is concerned here with the variety of vocabulary the candidate can use and
the precision with which meanings and attitudes can be expressed. The key features of
lexical resources are the multiplicity of words used, or lack of repetition, as well as
appropriate usage of idiomatic expressions. Included in these criteria is the ability to
circumlocution with or without noticeable hesitation. Rephrasing, exemplifying, and
clarifying are also considered, along with the variety and accuracy of the lexis used in
doing so.
h. Grammatical range and accuracy in IELTS
This refers simply to the range and the accuracy and appropriate use of the candidate‟s
grammatical resources. The key indicators of grammatical range are: the length and

complexity of the spoken sentences and the appropriate use of subordinate clauses the
range of sentence structures (especially to move elements around for information focus.)
The key indicators of grammatical accuracy are the number of grammatical errors in a
given amount of speech and the communicative effect of the errors.

12
i. Pronunciation in IELTS
This is measured based on the ability to produce comprehensible speech to fulfill the
speaking test requirements. The key indicators of pronunciation will be the amount of
strain caused to the listener, the amount of the speech that is unintelligible, and also the
notice ability of L1 influence. The range of phonological features the candidate produces is
also important, such as use of intonation. There is no one standardized form of English
pronunciation the examiner is listening for; rather, any common or recognized form as a
native speaker‟s pronunciation will be accepted.
k. Rater reliability in IELTS
While it is not our aim to critique the validity of the IELTS rating system, it is however
necessary to provide the reader a general overview of the process. Rater reliability is
achieved through a relatively intricate system of assigning different raters to a candidate‟s
four exams. In Vietnam at least three people are employed to this end, with two certified
examiners rating the speaking and writing, and a third party grading the reading and
listening. These four separate scores are then entered into a specially designed computer
program that flags for jagged profiles, or two test scores that are more than one and a half
or two bands apart (the exact number is confidential). There is little to no margin of error
in interpreting correct reading and listening answers, as partial credit is not given to
responses, so these scores are used as the basis to judge for jagged profiles. Additional
examiners are then called in to remark either the speaking or writing, and possibly even a
third rater is used in times when there is a notable discrepancy between the first two raters.
These examiners naturally do not have prior knowledge of each others‟ scores.
The reader should now more clearly understand the key ideological components that make
up the IETLS speaking test. Given this, it would seem logical to expect that a preparatory

course catered around this philosophy would likely yield more favorable results than would
a course centered on rote-memorization. The main reason why this question is relevant at
al is, as we have mentioned in the abstract, in response to a generally pervasive attitude
among Vietnamese that methods of rote-learning are fit for al occasions. While our
research will show this to not bathe case, the larger question of how to help the Vietnamese
adopt more effective study methods for taking the IETLS Speaking test, as well learning

13
and improving their spoken English skills overall, become the focal issues byte end of this
paper. Simply put, how educators can conduct IELTS Speaking preparatory courses that
better serve their students‟ interests, and what are the cultural difficulties as well as ethical
concerns in achieving this end?
2.4 IELTS Speaking Test Research
In researching the literature, we were not only concerned with the IELTS Speaking Test
but we also had to take into account reported findings relating to English language study
and test preparation in general, while noting those studies pertinent to Vietnamese test-
takers in particular. It is the overall aim of this section to establish a foundation on which
to better grasp the significance of the research explained thereafter. Therefore, we have
divided this section into two parts. First, we review any relevant studies relating directly to
the IELTS Speaking Test. Then, we discus the much broader area of Vietnam educational
practices and their implications for the Vietnamese language learner and test taker.
Based on the 1998/99 IELTS Annual Review, the revision of the Speaking test was
informed by research conducted between 1992 and 1997. However, apart from the
Merylees and McDowel study (1999), which discussed the reliability of the Speaking test
and examiner attitudes to it, and a Brown and Hill paper (1998), which investigated
interviewer styles and candidate performance, there remain relatively few studies in the
public domain relating specifically the IELTS Speaking test. Two studies were carried out
on the IELTS Speaking test for UCLES by Lazaraton (1998, 2000). The first provided
evidence of the effect of examiner language and behavior on ratings, and contributed to the
development of an interlocutor framework for the revised test, while the second provided

confirmation of the effectiveness of the revised test, particularly the range of speech
functions elicited. UCLES also commissioned a study of the current Speaking test (Wylie
&Hudson: 1994). Research into inter-rater reliability (Wylie, 1993) and intra-rater
reliability of the IELTS Speaking test (Conlan, Bardsley &Martinson: 1994) was
commisioned by the International Editing Committee of IELTS but no details of the
findings are available.
In a separate study, completed as part of a B.A in Commerce at the University of Sydney,
Ann Humphry-Baker focused on the relatively under-researched area of candidate

14
perceptions. Ann is a Team Leader in Switzerland for the Cambridge EFL Speaking Tests
and her dissertation, entitled Speaking Tests: Students‟ Perception and Performance, set
out to investigate „how test-takers feel about the speaking test‟. Nick Charge, the subject
manager for IELTS at UCLES, presented an article on the IELTS Speaking Test from an
institutional point of view, in which he discussed the justification for the four performance
criteria (Research Notes: Issue 2). While the cumulative body of IELTS Speaking Test
research is relatively small, it is still relevant in two respects. First, the diverse work done
in this field, though limited as it might be, still reflects a myriad of relevant ideas
surrounding the IELTS. Secondly, there have not been studies to date on comparative
methods of test preparation, so our own research serves as contributing new information to
this ever-growing field. In sum, there are a multitude of relevant, yet unexplored, IELTS
related issues worthy of academic inquiry.

2.5 Fact about teaching English at Vietnam Universities
It is a well-known fact that English language teaching/learning is problematic in Vietnam
(Brick, J. (1991) , Burnaby, B. and Sun, Y. (1989) . We have been hearing those who have
been learning English at universities for years; yet, many could not reach the desired
communicative level to follow even basic level of conversations unless they enroll at
English courses else-where or visit an English speaking country exclusively. Vietnamese is
the only language speaking in the whole country and that is one of the main reasons for

such unsuccessful results.

There are some other reasons which are outlined by Brick, J. (1991) such as the efficacy of
language lecturers, student interest and motivation, instructional methods, learning
environment and learning materials. To start with the efficacy of language lecturers, they
must be skillful enough to monitor student performance and expert in instructional designs
(Met, 1999). Moreover, they must be a model for the use of the target language and teach
language learning strategies explicitly. All in all, they must form the most appropriate
atmosphere to make the learning at its best. How well-educated and how much experienced
the lecturers are often regarded that they would provide the most effective language
instruction. Recently, it is found that lecturer success is rooted in their being reflective

15
rather than having worked for long (Richardson, 2005). As for the motivation and interest
of the students, we know that motivation is one of the key components to success for
language lecturers (Dörnyei, 2001; Bachman, L. F. (1990). Lecturers often believe that
their job is to motivate students by creating classroom tasks that are interesting and
engaging and by using authentic materials to stimulate further interest in the target
language, as Benson, P (1997) states. The trend in motivation research has been replaced
with detailed lists of lecturers‟ practices rather than what motivates learners.

The third reason stated by Brick, J. (1991) is the instructional method. It is relevant to the
educational background and experience of the lecturers. A balanced instructional approach
is vital since too much focus on meaning fails to create the knowledge of structure
necessary for anything beyond the most basic conversational skills. As Briton, J. (1979)
believes that teaching structures implicitly are effective but not the over reliance on
structure, which will cause boredom among the students. It should be kept in mind that
students would like to communicate in target language instead of learning about it all the
time. “There are many ways to draw attention to the form of a language (whole words,
sentence structures, stress, and

intonation patterns), depending on the student‟s aptitude, motivation, and previous
experience and on the educational and learning goals of the student and the teaching
program” Brown, H. D. (1987) p. 2). The learning environment and learning materials are
also a reason for an indispensible part of instructional methods of a lecturer. If a learner
cannot put the learned component in the target language, it affects the motivation and thus
success of the learner., Burnaby, B. and Sun, Y. (1989 p.2) clearly put the difference
between a first language (L1) and foreign language (FL) context as “ FL learning is
essentially limited to a classroom within L1 environment.” This is why a foreign language
lecturer should use appropriate teaching materials which addresses the communicative
competence of learners to create an atmosphere where they would feel close to a target
language. Coopersmith, S. (1997) defines the qualities of a good material as having an
interesting text, an enjoyable activity and opportunities for learners by providing their
potential knowledge and skills. Good materials also help the lecturer and the learner in
organizing the teaching/learning process providing various activities to maximize the
chances of learning. They embody a view of the nature of language and learning. Sadly

16
enough, lecturers of English in Vietnam appear to lack good practices in adapting or
designing good materials for their students; which in turns, really demotivates the students.
2.6. Fact about IELTS in Universities in Vietnam
English is a foreign language in Vietnam and the country depends on it for various
international trades and conducting business with the outside world. IELTS is in much
demand in job markets. In business, industry and government, workers are increasingly
expected to develop proficiency in English.

In Vietnam universities nowadays, the new standard for English is set which some IELTS
overall of 5.0 or equivalent. So many students take IELTS courses in universities These
courses are for all students. After passing the Upper Secondary Certificate exam which is
held after completion of twelve years of study, students move to tertiary education. In
Vietnam, as Chowdhury (2001) mentions, students are not exposed to skill development

courses in high schools. So if they are faced with communicative approaches to language
teaching in university, they find themselves in a new world. He also mentions that in
universities, first year students have a modest grasp of structure and usage due to heavy
grammar input from high schools but have great difficulty in expressing themselves.
Lectures find it difficult to get the students to participate in class activities.

According to the Vietnam Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics in 2002, there
are about 92 main universities in Vietnam. These universities have offered an opportunity
to thousands of students of opportunities for a good education and good command of
English. These universities have responded to the demand for English studies by providing
them courses of IELTS in fields of Language Teaching, Business Administration, Business
Finance, Computer Science, Environmental Science and Telecommunications since there
is a high demand in service sectors for students who have good English skills and
knowledge in these areas. Some universities such as University of International Studies
provide an honours degree in English teaching and translating. According to the 16+23
programs at Vietnam National University, students should get certain score of IELTS in
order to be admited to some major. For general students, they should get around 4.5
IELTS. For the fast track students, they should get above 6.5 IELTS in field such as

17
Information technology of Vietnam National University. According to 322 program of the
government, students should also get 5.5 IELTS in order to apply for the scholarship
provided by the state to travel overseas to study at English-medium universities. Courses
for those students are offered at Hanoi University and the Foreign Trade University.
Conlan (1997) states that these universities put special emphasis on English, remembering
that jobs will go to those who have achieved fluency in spoken and written English. At
Hanoi University, students should get an overall of 6.0 IELTS in order to apply or to
transfer to some majors such as Banking and finance, IT, Tourism, IBM etc. At the
Foreign Trade University, one of the condition that students can enter the master course
without having to take the exam is that they have an overall IELTS score of 5.0 or above.

At the Foreign Trade University, if the students achieve band 6 of IELTS, they will have
chance to receive a scholarship sponsored by Bedfordshire University of £1500. In Hanoi
University of Technology, students who achieve 4.5 band in IELTS will not have to take
the English entrance exam when applying to an MA course. Therefore, IELTS is also a
crucial part of language learning and teaching at universities in Vietnam. IELTS speaking
skill, as a new standard of foreign language in Vietnam and regarded as one of the most
important skills to gain, has been taught at earlier stages in Vietnam universities.
2.7 Affective Factors in IELTS Learning
Motivation is an important aspect to be considered when learning a second language. It can
determine success or failure in any learning situation (Melton, C,1990). According to
Dörnyei (2001) motivation does not exist, it is a theoretical concept used to describe and
explain how people think and behave. The term motivation is also used for explaining why
the learner did or did not gain knowledge; without the need to go into detail about what
factors have contributed to their commitment, the lecturer can simply say “Because they
are motivated” or “They are not motivated” (Dörnyei, 2001, p.6). By using the word
motivation, theoreticians and researchers can easily relate to the most basic aspects of our
mind, which are wills, desires, rational thinking and feelings; thus, our cognitive and
affective functions (Dörnyei, 2001). However, the learners‟ attitudes are not enough to
support motivation in learning Schumann, J. H. (1998). In second language acquisition, it
does not matter how gifted the learners are in their native tongue, they can still find it
difficult or even impossible to learn the new language (Dörnyei, 2001). Learning a second

18
language takes commitment and persistence from the learners and is the key to succeed in
the process of learning a second language Schumann, J. H. (1998).

According to Dörnyei (2001) motivation can be identified through three sets of
components during the learning situation. The first is course-specific motivational
components meaning that the learners‟ interest and needs are in relevance to their
expectations, success and satisfaction in the outcome. These are related to syllabus,

teaching materials, teaching methods and learning tasks. The second is lecturer-specific
motivational components and concerns the motivational impact of the lecturer‟s
personality, behaviour and teaching style contra autonomy-supporting, direct socialisation
of motivation such as modelling, task presentation and feedback. The third is group-
specific motivational components which relates to the characteristics of the learners‟ group
cohesiveness, classroom goals structure as cooperative, competitive or individualistic
(Dörnyei, 2001). The meaning of motivation depends on the perception of human nature
that is used and in which context Schumann, J. H. (1998), but also on the lecturer‟s
supporting the learners‟ motivation Sampson, G. P. (1990). Anxiety is another important
aspect in second language acquisition/learning. It is “the subjective feeling of tension,
apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous
system” Shank, C. C. and Terrill, L. R. (1995, May). Anxiety can have both negative
(debilitating anxiety) and positive (facilitating anxiety) effects, which motivates and
facilitates, disrupts and inhibits cognitive actions in learning Shank, C. C. and Terrill, L.
R. (1995, May). According to Oxford, R. and Anderson, N (1995), anxiety can be divided
in three parts, communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation and test anxiety.
These are related to academic and social evaluation situations and can be defined as a type
of shyness characterized by fear of, or anxiety about speaking in front of peers, negative
feedback evaluation by peers and lecturer and language testing situations (Oxford, R. and
Anderson, N, 1995).
Anxiety is often related to a sense of threat to the learners‟ self concept in the learning
situation. If learners fear being laughed at for making a mistake, it can hinder them of
behaving as they usually do and consequently, it causes emotional stress and lower
selfesteem and self-confidence (Moxford, R. and Anderson, N (1995). However, anxiety

19
plays an important role in the development of a second language, because no matter how
accomplished the learners are, they are likely to experience at least some degree of anxiety
over their own levels of language proficiency (Paine, L. W. (1990). Possible symptoms
caused by second language anxiety include forgetfulness, avoidance of speaking the

language, less interaction with people, low self-esteem, low-confidence, and feeling unsure
of ones abilities Schumann, J. H. (1998).

According to Ledge (2004) there are five competences the learners should develop during
the learning process. The First is linguistic competence which is knowledge of spelling,
pronunciation, vocabulary, grammatical structure and sentence structure and is an integral
part of communicative competence. Pragmatic competence involves three different kinds
of abilities: Illocutionary competence (how to use a language), illocutionary forces (things
around that influence learning) and sociolinguistic competence (knowing how to use a
language with different people). The third is discourse competence which means knowing,
as a native speaker, how to maintain the conversation and take it to further levels and
acquiring language strategies, as a second language speaker, where you take initiatives,
interrupt or enter conversation. Strategic competence is knowing how to cope in a
communicative situation, where the communicative strategies are important and fluency
competence is the speakers ability to, without interruptions or hesitations, link propositions
and speech acts, words and syntactic constituents and linking speech segments (Paine, L.
W. (1990), p.46-52).
According to Wylie, E. (1993) the talk of lecturers has a far-reaching influence since it is a
method for classroom organisation and control; a medium for socialisation and culture and
also a way of encountering the curriculum. Classroom-related communication gives
opportunities to explain what one thinks and knows if it is a secure environment (Wylie, E.
(1993). Thorp, D. (1991) argues that lately employees in the university organisation have
been so preoccupied delivering the curricula that the focus on how it is delivered has been
neglected. Further, “effective teaching depends on successful communication” Thorp, D.
(1991p.4), which is best gained if both the lecturer and the students are open for taking in
nonverbal and verbal signals. The nonverbal form is the easiest form of communication to
send and receive messages accurately, but also an important asset to verbal communication
(Thorp, D. (1991). The classroom should be a tool for transmitting those messages between