The current situation of English language teaching in the light of CLT to the second-year students at Thai Nguyen College of Economics and Finance - a case study

The current situation of English language
teaching in the light of CLT to the second-year
students at Thai Nguyen College of Economics
and Finance: a case study
Nghiên cứu thực trạng dạy Tiếng anh theo
đường hướng giao tiếp tại trường Cao đă
̉
ng
Kinh tế-Tài chính Thái Nguyên : Nghiên cứu
trường hợp điển hình

Hà Lê Mai

University of Languages and International Studies
M.A. Thesis. English Teaching Methodology; Mã số: 60 14 10
Supervisor : M.A. Vũ Thị Thu Thủy
Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract. This minor thesis was conducted with an attempt to investigate the current
situation of English language teaching in the light of CLT, especially in teaching
speaking to the second year students’ non- English majors at Thai Nguyen College of
Economics and Finance in 3 parts: First, the INTRODUCTION presents the rationale,
aims and scope of the study, research questions, method and design of the study. The
second part is DEVELOPMENT which is divided into 3 chapters: Chapter one, Literature
Review, deals with the theories related to the study which is relevant to the purpose of the
study. Chapter two, The Study, deals with date analysis of two questionnaires
administered to teachers and students to find out their attitudes towards CLT and main
difficulties in teaching speaking skills using CLT to freshmen and EFL teachers’
solutions to these problems. Chapter three, Findings and Recommendations, provides
some information about the findings of the study. In this chapter, it emphasizes the
implications of the study in which recommendations for the application of CLT approach

are proposed. And the last part, part C, “CONCLUSION”, summarizes the key issues in
the study, points out the limitations and provides some suggestions for further study.
Keywords. Phương pháp giảng dạy; Tiếng Anh; Kỹ năng giao tiếp
Content.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRELIMINARIES
Page
TITLE
i
APPROVAL SHEET
ii
DEDICATION
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
iv
ABSTRACT
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
xi
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1
1
Rationale of the study
1
2.
Objectives of the study
3
3
Research questions

3
4
Scope of the study
3
5
Methodology
4
5.1
The objects
4
5.2
Instruments
4
5.3
The procedures
5
6
Significance of the Study
5
7
Organization of the study
6

PART B : DEVELOPMENT
7

CHAPTER 1 : LITERATURE REVIEW
7
1.1
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

7
1.1.1
Communicative Language Teaching Theories

7
1.1.2
Communicative Language Teaching Theories

7
1.1.3
Characteristics of CLT
8
1.1.4
Conclusion
8
1.2
Communicative language teaching and learning
9
1.2.1
Conditions related to CLT application
9
1.2.2
Roles of teachers and students in CLT Classroom
11
1.2.3
Issues in using CLT approach in the foreign language
classroom
12
1.2.3.1

Benefits of using CLT approach in the foreign
language classroom
12
1.2.3.2
Problems of applying CLT in the foreign language
classrooms and in second language classroom.
13
1.2.3.3
Previous studies related to CLT application in Viet
Nam
13
1.2.4
Previous studies related to CLT application in Viet Nam
13

CHAPTER 2 : THE STUDY
15
2.1
Background of the study
15
2.1.1
Description of the students at TCEF
15
2.1.2
Description of the teachers at TCEF
15
2.1.3
Settings of the study
15
2.2

Research methodology
16
2.2.1
Subjects
16
2.2.2
Survey instruments
17
2.2.2.1
Questionnaires for teachers
17
2.2.2.2
The classroom observation
17
2.2.2.3
The interview
17
2.3
Presentation of statistical results. 18
2.3.1
Questionnaire for teachers
18
2.3.1.1
Teachers’ teaching experience
18
2.3.1.2
Teachers’ CLT training background
18
2.3.1.3
Teachers’ opinions about the suitable method for

their teaching English at present
18
2.3.1.4
Teachers’ background on CLT
19
2.3.1.5
Teachers’ understanding of subjects about CLT
21
2.3.1.6
CLT ’s application in the actual classroom practice
24
2.3.1.7
Evaluation of English textbook regarding in CLT
application
27
2.3.1.8
Teachers’ opinions about the difficulties in the
implementation of CLT in their context of language
teaching
28
2.3.1.9
The degree of success in applying CLT at TCEF
29
2.3.2
Results of the class observation
30
2.3.3
Interview
34

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
36
3.1
Findings
36
3.1.1
Difficulties from students
36
3.1.2
Difficulties from teachers
36
3.1.3
Difficulties arising from the testing system
38
3.1.4
Difficulties from the teaching and learning environment
38
3.2
Recommendations
38
3.2.1
For the students
38
3.2.2
For the teachers
40
3.2.3
Reform of the current English testing system
41
3.2.4

Improving the teaching / learning environment
41

PART C: CONCLUSION
42
1
Conclusions
43
2
Limitations
44
3
Suggestions for further study


REFERENCES
44

APPENDIXES
I

Appendix 1 Questionnaire for the teachers
I

Appendix 2 Lesson observation sheet
VII

Appendix 3 Interview questions
VIII

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