Teachers' use of elicitation techniques to teach speaking skill to first-year students of University of Engineering and technology, Vietnam national University, Hanoi

Teachers' use of elicitation techniques to teach
speaking skill to first-year students of
University of Engineering and technology,
Vietnam national University, Hanoi
Việc sử dụng các thủ thuật gợi mở của giáo
viên để dạy kĩ năng nói cho sinh viên năm thứ
nhất, trường ĐH Công nghệ,
ĐH Quốc Gia Hà Nội

Chu Thị Huyền Mi

University of Languages and International Studies
M.A. Thesis. English Teaching Methodology; Mã số: 60 14 10
Supervisor : M.A. Nguyễn Minh Tuấn
Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract. Application of Communicative Language Teaching into English classrooms
has mushroomed worldwide, and employment of elicitation techniques to enhance
learners’ competence in spoken English is not an exception. However, how to
maximize the outcomes of those techniques among Vietnamese students in general and
to non-English-major students is always a big concern to educators. This study was
conducted with a view to examining teachers’ use of elicitation techniques to teach
speaking skill to first-year students at University of Engineering and Technology,
Vietnam National University, Hanoi. To be more specific, the researcher desired to
investigate teachers’ concept of elicitation teaching, their actual implementation and
effects of elicitation techniques on their students’ spoken English skill. The three
objectives were expected to be accomplished by a triangulation of three data collection
instruments including questionnaire, interview and classroom observation. Targeting at
first-year student population, the study could involve 80 of them in the questionnaire
survey and ten teachers in both questionnaire and interviews. Classroom observation
was also implemented to support and test the results gained from the former

instruments. Upon data analysis, the researcher could work out important findings as
follows, i.e. most of the studied teachers had an adequate understanding of elicitation
teaching and used it with high frequency. “Increasing students’ talk” was the most
significant effect of elicitation whereas “time consumption” was the biggest
shortcoming of the techniques. Regarding their actual implementation, all techniques,
especially questioning, were used on a regular basis to elicit students’ talk. The
manners of elicitation which were paid the most attention to included “combining
different techniques”, “alternating types of questions” and “direct questions to a variety
of students”. The findings could after all generate meaningful pedagogical implications
for students, teachers and educational authorities.
Keywords. Tiếng Anh; Kỹ năng nói; Phương pháp giảng dạy; Thủ thuật gợi mở
Content.
The rest of the paper consists of four following chapters.
Chapter 2 provides background theories underlying the issue including definition
of key concepts and relevant knowledge in accordance with a review of related studies
of the same field.
Chapter 3 presents the methodology of the research including features of
participants, research setting, research instruments, data collection and data analysis
procedure.
Chapter 4 reports and discusses findings which answer the four research
questions. It also offers recommendations to relevant parties so as to accomplish a
higher effectiveness of elicitation teaching.
Chapter 5 summarizes major findings, highlights contributions of the research,
puts forward practical suggestions for future research as well as addresses noted
limitations of the study.
In conclusion, the initial chapter has presented basic understanding of the
research including rationales for doing the research, objectives, scope, significance and
overview of the rest of the paper.
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