Students’ attitude toward english as a compulsory subject at an upper secondary school in quang ninh province

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

ĐINH THỊ HẢI HÀ

STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARD ENGLISH
AS A COMPULSORY SUBJECT
AT AN UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
IN QUANG NINH PROVINCE
(Thái độ của học sinh đối với Tiếng Anh như một môn
học bắt buộc tại một trường THPT tại Quảng Ninh)

MASTER’S THESIS
Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 8140231,01

HÀ NỘI – 2018


ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ
KHOA SAU ĐẠI HỌC

ĐINH THỊ HẢI HÀ

STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARD ENGLISH
AS A COMPULSORY SUBJECT
AT AN UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
IN QUANG NINH PROVINCE
(Thái độ của học sinh đối với Tiếng Anh như một môn

học bắt buộc tại một trường THPT tại Quảng Ninh)

MASTER’S THESIS
Major: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 8140231,01
Supervisor: Assoc.Prof Lê Văn Canh

HÀ NỘI –2018


STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
The thesis entitled “Students’ attitude towards English as a compulsory subject at an
upper secondary school” has been submitted for the Master of Arts.
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. I have
fully acknowledged and referenced the ideas and work of others, whether published
or unpublished, in my thesis.
My thesis does not contain work extracted from a thesis, dissertation or research
paper previously presented for another degree or diploma at this or any other
universities.
Signed ..................................
Dinh Thi Hai Ha
Date ........./............/.............


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am deeply indebted to the individuals that provided support for the completion of
this study.
Associate Professor Dr. Lê Văn Canh supervised the entire study and, most
importantly, read and discussed every aspect and section of this dissertation with
assiduity. His recommendations also helped to shape the form and contents of the

final version. I am equally indebted to them for the exceptional friendliness,
kindness, and patience that he demonstrated during my study at ULIS-VNU and my
research.
My sincere thanks also go to the Dean - Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn as well as the staff
members at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, University of Languages and
International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU), who are always
so kind and supportive during my study time.
In addition, I would like to express my thankfulness to all the participating teachers
at an upper secondary school who helped me in my preliminary research, especially
the teachers who accompanied me during a long time of my data collection time.
The results I have achieved today partially belong to them.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my fellows for their dedication and support,
and my family members for their motivation for me to overcome all the difficulties
and to become a better me now.
Thanking you all
Dinh Thi Hai Ha
September, 2018

i


ABSTRACT
This paper explores the influence of students’ attitude and English subject
studying outcome through a case study at a high school. The study hopes to identify
and provide few recommendations on approaches to improve English teaching
outcome at high school level in general. From a survey of 180 at a high school
students across age ranges and grades, the finding includes the significance of
students’ drive to study English and their opinions about teachers on English
learning outcomes. Furthermore, from data overview, it is suggested that school
facilities also matter. Therefore, the study recommends school to provide students

with information about the implications of English, improve facilities to embrace
the age of Internet, and enhance students’ opinion about teachers.

ii


TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................... iii
ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................. v
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. vi
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1
1.1. Rationale.............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2. Research question ............................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Research method................................................................................................................. 2
1.4. Scope of the study ............................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Significance of the study .................................................................................................... 3
1.6. Structure of the thesis.......................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 5
2.1. Definition............................................................................................................................. 5
2.1.1. Attitudes .......................................................................................................................... 5
2.2. English as a compulsory subject in other countries and Vietnam. ............................... 13
2.3. Students’ attitudes to English as a compulsory in other countries................................ 17
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 18
3.1. Context of the study .......................................................................................................... 18
3.2. Instruments ........................................................................................................................ 19
3.2.1. Questionnaires................................................................................................................ 19
3.3. Data collection .................................................................................................................. 21
3.4. Data analysis ..................................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ............................................................ 24
4.1 Quantitative results and discussions ................................................................................. 24
4.2. Qualitative results and discussions .................................................................................. 32
4.2.1. Results of the interviews ............................................................................................... 32
4.2.2. Discussions of the interview ......................................................................................... 33
iii


4.2.3. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 33
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................... 34
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 37
APPENDICES........................................................................................................................... I

iv


ABBREVIATIONS

CEFR:

Common European framework of Reference

EFL:

English foreign language

L2:

Second language

TEFL:

Teaching English as a foreign language

v


LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1. Reliability value regarding the language Aspects.................................... 20
Table 4.1. Descriptive Statistics of Students’ Attitudes towards English Language25
Table 4.2. Descriptive statistics of Behavioral aspect of Language Attitude..25
Table 4. 3. Descriptive Statistics of Cognitive Aspect of Language Attitude ......... 27
Table 4.4. Descriptive Statistics of Emotional Aspect of Language Attitude ......... 29
Table 4.5. Descriptive Statistics of Attitudes towards English as a compulsory
subject ............................................................................................................................ 30

vi


CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
In foreign language learning context, there are various factors that influence
the learning process such as motivation, attitudes, anxiety, learning achievements,
aptitudes, intelligence, age, personalities, etc. (Shams, M., 2008). The matter of
learner’s attitude is acknowledged as one of the most important factors that impact
on learning a language (Fakeye, D., 2010).
Attitudes toward learning are believed to influence behaviors such as
selecting and reading books, speaking in a foreign language etc. Especially in
Education, if the students have positive attitude towards any subject, they can
achieve many things in that specific area. There is an interaction between language

learning and the environmental components in which the students were grown up.
Both negative and positive attitudes have a strong impact on the success of
language learning. Attitude is determined by the individual’s beliefs about
outcomes or attributes of performing the behavior (behavioral beliefs), weighted by
evaluations of those outcomes or attributes. Thus, a person who holds strong beliefs
that positively valued outcomes will result from performing the behavior will have a
positive attitude toward the behavior. Conversely, a person who holds strong beliefs
that negatively valued outcomes will result from the behavior will have a negative
attitude.
Attitude is considered as an essential factor influencing language
performance and received considerable attention from both first and second
language researchers. There are many reasons why students’ attitude toward
language learning is important. Weinburgh (1998) believes that attitudes toward
learning influence behaviors such as selecting and reading books, speaking in a
foreign language. Generally, it is believed that learners’ attitudes dictate whether or
not they will be able to absorb the details of language. In other words, achievement
in a target language relies not only on intellectual capacity but also on the learner’s
1


attitudes toward language learning. This means that learning language should be
approached primarily as a social and psychological phenomenon rather than as a
purely academic one.
As Brown (1994:168) defines “attitudes, like all aspects of the development
of cognition and affect in human beings, develop early in childhood and are the
result of parents’ and peers’ attitudes, contact with people who are different in any
number of ways, and interacting affective factors in the human experience”, the
benefits of this for students have aroused my interest and encouraged me to carry
out the thesis “Students’ attitudes’ towards English as a compulsory subject at an
upper secondary school”.

As a teacher of English at secondary school for over 10 years, I have noticed
that learners of English in general and students at secondary schools in particular do
not show positive attitudes towards English as well as English learning. This leads
to demotivation and poor language achievement. Most of them learn English just as
to complete the curriculum. It is assumed that if teachers understand their feelings
and emotion or their attitudes towards English and English learning they can design
appropriate activities to motivate their students in order to achieve better language
proficiency. That is the main reason for me to carry out this study.

1.2. Research question
In this study, the main objective is to conduct a literature review on the
relationship between students’ attitudes and English subject studying outcome at the
high school. The main questions are:
(1) What are the attitudes of Vietnamese high school students towards English
learning?
(2) What are the attitudes of Vietnamese high school students towards English as a
compulsory subject at schools?

1.3. Research method
The method used in this study is quantitative. Thus, an adapted questionnaire
was employed as a measuring instrument. The participants were required to answer
2


all the items of the questionnaire honestly, giving their own perceptions about their
attitudes toward learning English language in terms of the emotional, cognitive as
well as their gender.

1.4. Scope of the study
The participants in this study consist of 180 high school students, 94 persons

(52.2%) male and 86 persons (47.8%) female, randomly chosen from the
secondary schools in Quang Ninh province. There were 58 students (32.2%) in
the grade 10, 68 students (37.8%) in the grade 11, and the grade 12 students
were 54 (30%). The students from different grades, different genders were
selected to represent varieties of attitudes towards learning English in terms of
genders and time of studying English.
For the qualitative research, 12 students from the participants are selected for
interviews; for each grade, two boys and two girls are selected.

1.5. Significance of the study
The findings of this study will be of great interest to a number of researchers
focusing on demographic variables of Second Language (L2) learners, English as
Foreign Language (EFL) learners, and English education policies and practices. By
providing insights into attitudes of high schools EFL learners toward the English
language, English education policies, and their purposes for learning English, this
study contributes to an understanding of English learning and teaching and adds to
the growing body of studies on the spread of English. Furthermore, this study aims
to offer insights for language attitude research and studies in EFL context.
In addition, if English language teachers know and recognize their students’
feelings, needs, behaviors, they are able to fit appropriate activities with their needs
and would encourage them to positive attitudes toward English learning.
Furthermore, curriculum designers would review the content and the design of the
curriculum to meet the needs and the interests of the students, especially students at
high schools in Vietnam.

3


1.6. Structure of the thesis
Chapter I. INTRODUCTION

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW
Chapter III: METHODOLOGY
Chapter IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Chapter V: CONCLUSION
In this part, the researcher will summarize the findings of the thesis. After
that, the limitation of the research as well as the suggestion for further research will
also be included.

4


CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter is devoted for reviewing related literature about attitudes,
attitudes towards English language learning and English is a compulsory subject at
schools.

2.1. Definition
2.1.1. Attitudes
2.1.1.1 Attitudes and learning
Attitudes towards language learning have been defined differently by
differentscholars. The Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics and Language
Teaching (2002: 297) defines language attitudes as follows:
“The attitudes which speakers of different languages or language varieties have
towards each other’s languages or to their own language. Expressions of positive or
negative feelings towards a language may reflect impressions of linguistic difficulty or
simplicity, ease or difficulty of learning, degree of importance, elegance, social status,
etc. Attitudes towards a language may also show what people feel about the speakers of
that language. Language attitudes may have an effect on second language or foreign
language learning. The measurement of language attitudes provides information which

is useful in language teaching and language learning.”

Attitudes are defined as an “acquired internal state that influences the choice of
personal action” (Gagné & Driscoll, 1988). For instant, a person’s attitude toward
the environment influences whether or not they choose to recycle. A student’s
attitude toward information will influence the resources he or she chooses to use.
Students must understand why it is important to select reliable, authoritative
resources (Morgan, 2009).
Attitude is a mental process which is heavily influenced upon the response that
the individual shows while performing a task. It is how learners react when they are
asked to perform the task. It is expressed in two ways, the positive manner when
they are interested in performing the given task and negative manner, when they are
5


forced or not interested in performing the task. This is again influenced by the
learner’s culture and background.
Attitudes cannot be observed directly but have to be inferred from observed
consistency in behavior. Thus a person holding a favorable attitude toward an object
[for example a language] would be expected to perform favorable behaviors and not
unfavorable ones towards the object. Therefore, the attitude towards a language “is
a construct that explains linguistic behavior in particular” (Mamun, Rahman,
Rahman, & Hossain, 2012: 200) since it can be positive or negative and it
influences our behavior and the way we perform different activities using the target
language.
2.1.1.2. Attitudes and language learning
It is obvious that understanding learners’ attitudes towards what they are
obligated to study will help teachers, educators develop appropriate guides and
changes in the programs to make them better achieved the target language.
 Psychological perspectives of attitudes

Psychologically, Eagly and Chaiken, (1993:1) define attitude as “a
psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some
degree of favour or disfavour”, it is important to state that for this study
operationally, it is defined as the students’ perceptions, understandings, beliefs or
experiences of learning English as a second language. Attitude is a mental process
which is heavily influenced upon the response that the individual show while
performing a task. In common terms, it is how learners react when they are asked to
perform the task. It is expressed in two ways, the positive manner when they are
interested in performing the given task and negative manner, when they are forced
or not interested in performing the task. This is again influenced by the learner’s
culture and background.
 Cognitive perspectives of attitudes
From cognitive perspectives, Brown (2000) points out, attitudes are
cognitive and affective; that is, they are related to thoughts as well as to feelings and
6


emotions. Attitudes govern how one approaches learning, which in the case of
language requires exposure to a different culture and also to the difficult task of
mastering a second language. Attitudes begin developing early and are influenced
by many things, including parents, peers, and interactions with people who have
social and cultural differences. Therefore, attitudes “form a part of one’s perception
of self, of others, and of the culture in which one is living” (Brown, 2000: 180). It is
well known that negative attitudes towards the foreign language and group, which
often comes from stereotypes and superficial contact with the target culture, can
impede the learning of that language. Conversely, positive attitudes towards the
foreign language and group increase language learning success. Brown (2000)
describes several studies about the effects of attitude on language learning and
concludes that “positive attitudes towards the self, the native language group, and
the target language group enhanced proficiency”. When students with positive

attitudes experience success, the attitudes are reinforced, whereas students with
negative attitudes may fail to progress and become even more negative in their
language learning attitudes. Because attitudes can be modified by experience,
effective language teaching strategies can encourage students to be more positive
towards the language they are learning.
 Emotional perspective of attitudes
Feng and Chen (2009) stated that, “learning process is an emotional process. It
is affected by different emotional factors. The teacher and his students engage in
various emotional activities in it and varied fruits of emotions are yield.” Attitude
can help the learners to express whether they like or dislike the objects or
surrounding situations. It is agreed that the inner feelings and emotions of foreign
language learners influence their perspectives and their attitudes towards the target
language (Choy & Troudi, 2006).

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2.1.1.3. Attitudes and language achievement
Many studies on language attitudes have revealed that there is a strong
relationship between attitude and achievement (Hough & Piper, 1982; Simpson &
Oliver, 1990; Visser, 2008). Researchers such as Fakeye (2010), Reid (2003), and
Visser (2008) claim that attitude is a vital factor that influence language
performance.
In addition, Padwick (2010, as cited in Abidin, et. al, 2012) states that apart
the intellectual perspective, the nature of language learning depends on the learners‟
motivation and attitude to learn the target language. For example, Mamun, et al.
(2012) conducted a study to investigate attitudes of 79 undergraduate students of
Life Science School of Khulna University towards English language. By employing
a questionnaire to collect the data, they found that the respondents were positive
towards English language and this could be attributed to the fact that respondents

were instrumentally motivated towards English. Similarly, Gömleksiz (2010)
investigated learners‟ attitudes towards language learning in association with
gender, grade level, and department variables. He employed a questionnaire to
collect data from 1275 students studying at Frat University, Turkey. The results
showed that there were significant differences between the attitudes in terms of
gender, grade level, and department variables. Specifically, he found that female
students had more positive attitudes in interest, usefulness and teacher subscales;
sophomores‟ attitudes were more positive than freshmen in terms of interest, selfconfidence, usefulness, and teacher subscales; students‟ attitudes vary from one
department to another.
In 2011, Ghazvini and Khajehpour carried out an investigation on Iranian
students’ attitudes and motivations towards learning English. There were 123 male
and female students from two high schools participating in answering a
questionnaire. The results showed that female students were more positively
motivated and male students were more instrumentally motivated to learning
English.
8


2.1.1.4. Attitudes and motivation
According to Gardner (1985: 10) attitudes are a component of motivation,
which “refers to the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning
plus favorable attitudes towards learning the language.” Deci and Ryan (1985)
identify motivation as intrinsic or extrinsic. Students are intrinsically motivated
when they are interested in learning tasks and outcomes for their own sake, and that
results in internal feelings of self-determination and competence. On the other hand,
students are extrinsically motivated if they carry out some actions to achieve some
instrumental end, such as earning a reward or avoiding a punishment. Whatever
motivates students, it seems clear that a positive attitude towards the target language
and group is important.
Gardner and Lambert (1972) identify two related types of motivation, which

are called instrumental and integrative. Students with instrumental motivation
acquire a language for such reasons as to get a better job, to read technical material,
or to study in the country where the language is spoken. Integrative motivation is
held by students who want to join with “the culture of the second language group
and become involved in social interchange in that group” (Brown, 2000: 162).
Motivation is regarded “as a key component of a model of language
learning” (Spolsky,2000: 158). Because of its importance to language learning,
there is growing interest in the creation of a motivation model that can help develop
methodological applications to improve the teaching and learning of a second
language. In a recent contribution, Dörnyei and Csizér (2002) examine the effect of
socioculturalchanges in Hungary in the 1990s on students’ attitudes and motivation
towards language learning by collecting data from a population of 8,593 thirteenand fourteen-year-old students.
In another contribution, Spolsky (2000: 164) presents several second
language learnercase histories that illustrate the “complex motivational and identity
patterns” among different individuals. Because language knowledge is so dynamic
and contextualized, Spolsky is distrustful of using questionnaires as the sole method
9


to collect data on motivation, and he stresses how important it is to supplement
them with observation, interviews, and focused conversations to obtain “hard
sociolinguistic data and personal statements of second language learners” (Spolsky,
2000: 157).
As with the research that finds a correlation between positive attitudes and
successfullanguage learning, studies like Yashima (2002) find that motivated
students have greater selfconfidence in their second language, resulting in a greater
willingness to communicate; Noels et al. (2000) also find a strong correlation
between instrumental motivation and self determination Theory, which deals with
students’ need for competence, satisfactory social connections, and autonomy.
Although there is contrasting evidence as to whether instrumental or integrative

orientation is better, both types have been shown to lead to successful language
learning (Brown, 2000; Ellis, 1994). What is clear, according to Brown (2000: 181),
is “that second language learners benefit from positive attitudes and that negative
attitudes may lead to decreased motivation and, in all likelihood, because of
decreased input and interaction, to unsuccessful attainment of proficiency.”
2.1.1.5. Studies on students’ attitudes to English language learning in the context of
English as a school subject
A study conducted by Liu (2007) which involved Chinese university
students’ attitudes and motivation towards English language learning showed that
the third year undergraduates showed a lot of positive attitude towards English
language learning and this resulted in high scores in their proficiency test. The
conclusion that can be gathered from this study is that if the respondents show
positive attitude, the results will be excellent.
There are many other studies on learners’ motivation and attitude towards
English language learning and one of it was by Vijchulata and Lee (1985) involving
University Putra Malaysia (UPM) students, which used a questionnaire to gather
data for the study on how motivated students are to learn English and their attitude
towards English language learning. At the end of this study, it was found that the
10


students were both integrative and instrumentally oriented towards English
language learning.
Sarjit (1993) conducted another study on consultants in an organization in
Malaysia. The methodology used in this study was different where Sarjit used not
only questionnaire, but also interview and field observations. The number of
samples for this study was 26 consultants, four directors and one instructor. Upon
completing the data collection process, it was found that the respondents were
mainly instrumentally motivated and followed by personal motivation. Personal
motivation is something that comes within the individual in order to achieve their

goals. In order for an individual to achieve the goals, they will work hard to make
sure they succeed.
Benson (1991) carried out a study in Japan on freshmen to measure their
level of motivation towards English language learning. A survey was conducted
among 300 freshmen and the results of this survey showed that the importance of
integrative motivation and personal goal is important among Japanese college
students: “integrative and personal reasons for learning English were preferred over
instrumental ones” (Benson, 1991:34).
In Papua New Guinea (PNG), a similar study was carried out by Buschenhofen
(1998) where he conducted this study to measure the attitude towards English language
learning among final year university students. The data was collected via a
questionnaire and it was discovered that both the group of respondents were very
positive towards English language learning and they also showed some significant
attitudinal difference to certain English language context. These differences were
concluded by Buschenhofen (1998) as the changing social, educational and linguistic
conditions by looking at the difference in age of the two groups.
Several researches have shown that one’s proficiency in a second language is
difficult to be seen if the purpose and attitude is not set by the individual who is
learning the language. Wang (2006) mentioned that learning a language is a very
complex process and involves internal and external reasons. Learners will show a
11


positive attitude if they want to learn the language and negative attitude if they do
not want to learn the language. However, positive attitude always strengthens the
motivation. There are also situations where one shows a neutral feeling towards
second language learning when they have no choice but to learn the language in
order to complete their school’s requirement. Pan, Zang and Wu (2010) explain that
if the learner wants to learn a language, it will have to show a positive attitude.
Spolsky (1969), added to the same factor which involves positive and

negative attitude towards second language learning. According to Spolsky, the
students will show positive attitudes if they want to learn the language and the
advantage will always be with the one who shows this positive attitude rather than
the one who shows negative attitude.
In another study conducted in four secondary schools in Sarawak by Nancy
(2003) on students’ readiness to learn Mathematics in English it was found that the
students were very interested and motivated to learn the subject in English and
positive attitude was shown. They also felt that learning Mathematics in English
was a challenging task, but they still enjoyed learning it. In this study it was seen
that the students who are not proficient in English were the ones lacked confidence
and were feeling uncomfortable. The attitude of students is strongly influenced by
the performance in English. Holmes (1992) feels that when the students have
positive feelings towards the language that they want to learn, they will show
positive motivation and they will succeed in learning the language. However, there
are also many studies on negative attitude towards second language learning.
Gardner and Lambert (1972) explained that students who show a negative attitude
towards second language learning are students who are the one that do not wish to
learn or speak the language. These groups of students are normally unfriendly and
ethnocentric.
Littlewood (1984) assumed that students will lack confidence and feel
uncomfortable if they do not put their effort to learn the language. He further added
that one day they will lose interest and will have trouble learning the language. This
12


was also proven in the study conducted by Parilah M. Shah (2002) who carried out
a research on individual’s experience in learning a second language. It was a case
study where the attitude, motivation and individual characteristics were examined.
In this study, it showed that even if the individual is low performing, they still make
the effort to learn the language as they are aware of the importance of English as a

second language and for instrumental reasons, standard and status and to achieve all
these, they will put a lot of effort to improve their proficiency.

2.2. English as a compulsory subject in other countries and Vietnam.
Students at all levels of Vietnam are required to study English starting from
grade 3 at primary level throughout the curriculum until university and further
study. English has been the requirement for graduation of all levels of study.
English can be said as of great important for all school children. However, there are
not many studies on the attitudes of the students towards the English when it
becomes a compulsory subject at schools in Vietnam.
In foreign language learning context, there are various factors that influence
the learning process such as motivation, attitudes, anxiety, learning achievements,
aptitudes, intelligence, age, personalities, etc. Shams, M. (2008). The matter of
learner’s attitude is acknowledged as one of the most important factors that impact
on learning a language(Fakeye, D., 2010).
Attitudes toward learning are believed to influence behaviors such as selecting
and reading books, speaking in a foreign language etc. Especially in Education, if the
students have positive attitude towards any subject, they can achieve many things in
that specific area. There is an interaction between language learning and the
environmental components in which the students were grown up. Both negative and
positive attitudes have a strong impact on the success of language learning. Attitude is
determined by the individual’s beliefs about outcomes or attributes of performing the
behavior (behavioral beliefs), weighted by evaluations of those outcomes or attributes.
Thus, a person who holds strong beliefs that positively valued outcomes will result
from performing the behavior will have a positive attitude toward the behavior.
13


Conversely, a person who holds strong beliefs that negatively valued outcomes will
result from the behavior will have a negative attitude.

It addresses English in fundamental ways, such as “for the extent of its
diffusion geographically; for the enormous cultural diversity of speakers who use it;
and for the infinitely varied domains in which it is found and purpose it serves”
(Dewey, 2007: 333). Matsuda (2000) argues that "English as an international
language is not one variety of English … but is an umbrella term for different types
of English which are used for the purpose of international communication" (p. 25).
From this point of view, the notion of English as an international language implies
that most students study English not to interact with native English speakers, but to
access information in English and to interact with other non-native English
speakers. In other words, this term refers to the global use of English for
communication and sharing of information among people of two or more languages,
regardless they are native speakers or not.
Throughout the years, English has been used as a second language in many
countries around the world and widely recognised as the international language of
business, science, technology, and entertainment. Under this premise, many studies
have stressed the importance of English in current times (Fandrych, 2009; Menon &
Patel, 2012; Morris & Maxey, 2014) and have given the status of lingua franca
(Harmer, 2003) since many people use English as a means of communication
between speakers of other languages. For that reason, many countries have
implemented educational policies to include English as a second or foreign
language as part of their national curricula. Vietnam has not been the exception.
The national curriculum includes English as the compulsory foreign language to be
taught at school from 3rd grade (primary education) to 12th grade (upper secondary
education) with an average of three to six classes per week. The English programme
is part of the Vietnamese national programme which was implemented by the
Ministry of Education in 2008. This program has a variety of initiatives for both
teachers and students; meanwhile, teachers have access to continuing education
14

courses to enhance their teaching practices, students have extra-curricular activities.
In addition to implementing the program across the country, the Ministry of
Education has also called for review of the programs of study, and has presented a
proposal to introduce English in the early stages. This last initiative reinforces the
issue that English has a prominent status worldwide.
One of the goals of the National project entitled “Teaching and Learning
Foreign Language in national education system, period 2008-2020” is that "…by
the year 2020 most Vietnamese youth whoever graduate from vocational schools,
colleges and universities gain the capacity to use a foreign language independently.
This will enable them to be more confident in communication, further their chance
to study and work in an integrated and multi-cultural environment with variety of
languages…" (Decision 1400 approved by the Prime Minister).
The decision has put great pressures on both students and teachers, even
educational policy makers. The initial act is on the teachers' language proficiency
i.e., teachers of English must attain the language level of C1 (CEFR). The English
language requirement for teachers of other subjects varies from B1 to B2 according
to titles. Students' English proficiency is expected to reach to A2 or B1 depending
on different levels of studies. After 10 years under the operation of the decision, the
ambition of the government seems to gain little success. There are many
explanations for the unsuccessfulness of the project, namely, teachers’ qualification,
teaching materials, school settings and so on. However, one of the key features for
successful language learners lies in learners themselves. That means they need to
know why they are studying and what they are studying for. To put it in a simpler
way, students need to have good attitudes and motivation towards what they are
studying so that they can achieve their goals.
However, the extended time from 3 years of studying English to 10 years has
put the system under pressures. Firstly, there is a disproportionate demand-supply.
With a population of over 85 million, of whom a sizeable proportion have a strong
desire to learn English, the demand for English language teaching far outstrips the
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supply of native speaker and competent non-native speaker teachers. Secondly,
textbook writing and teacher retraining are the two important aspects to implement
its curriculum. As motioned, textbook writing has been completed, but to do
massive and long term retraining of teachers in English competence would demand
manpower and logistic resources beyond the capacity of the system at present.
Thirdly, despite the importance of English in the new context of integration and
globalization, English language teaching in Vietnam, due to its low quality, has not
met the demand for competent English-speaking people. The main reasons are that
(i) most of the English teachers, particularly those who are teaching at primary and
lower secondary levels are disqualified, (ii) most teachers, except some who are
teaching at tertiary level, have not had a chance to study in an English-speaking
country, and that (iii) many of them do not normally communicate in English and
cannot sustain teaching that mainly depends on communicative interactions.
Fourthly, although the rhetoric of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and
Training stresses the development of practical communication skills, this is rarely
reflected at the classroom level, where the emphasis is on the development of
reading comprehension, vocabulary and structural patterns for the purposes of
passing the end-of-school and university entrance examinations into colleges or
universities. New teacher training programmes pre-service and in-service alike have
been designed and delivered with a focus on training communicative teachers in a
bid to address the faults of teaching methodology. Unfortunately, not much
improvement in terms of teaching methods has been noticed in English classes.
During the training courses, Vietnamese teachers show great interest in new
methodologies, but after they return from those courses, they continue teaching in
the old methods. Fifthly, there is a mismatch between testing and teaching in
English language teaching in Vietnam. While teaching follows the communicative
approach, testing seems to focus on measuring students’ lexico grammatical
knowledge. Last but not least, there have been quite few studies on the learners'

attitudes towards the learning of English as a compulsory subject.
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