An investigation into the use of useful expressions to enhance speaking skills for the third year students at hanoi university of business and technology

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF
LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
_________________


LÊ HỒNG PHƯỢNG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS FOR THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS

AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
NGHIÊN CỨU CÁCH SỬ DỤNG CÁC CỤM TỪ HỮU ÍCH GIÚP NÂNG
CAO KĨ NĂNG NÓI CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ BA TRƯỜNG ĐẠI
HỌC KINH DOANH CÔNG NGHỆ HÀ NỘI

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111

HANOI - 2017


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF
LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
_________________


LÊ HỒNG PHƯỢNG

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS FOR THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS

AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
NGHIÊN CỨU CÁCH SỬ DỤNG CÁC CỤM TỪ HỮU ÍCH GIÚP NÂNG
CAO KĨ NĂNG NÓI CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ BA TRƯỜNG ĐẠI
HỌC KINH DOANH CÔNG NGHỆ HÀ NỘI

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111
Supervisor: Dr. Dương Thị Nụ

HANOI - 2017


DECLARATION
I hereby certify that this thesis is entirely my own work. I have provided
fully documented references to the others‟ work. The material in this thesis has not
been submitted for assessment in any other formal course. I also accept all the
requirements of ULIS relating to the retention and use of M.A Graduation Thesis
deposited in the library.
Hanoi, May 2017

Lê Hồng Phượng

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This thesis would not be fulfilled without the help of some people, and in
some ways, I would like to thank everyone who has taught me, inspired me,
challenged me, and supported me during the process of conducting this thesis.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to my beloved supervisor, Duong
Thi Nu, Ph.D, for her great assistance as well as her dedicated guidance she gave
me while I was carrying out my project.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all lecturers
in Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International
Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their interesting lectures and
professional dedication which have inspired me to conduct this thesis.
I would also like to express my thanks to my colleagues at Faculty of
English, my third-year students at Faculty of Management at Hanoi University of
Business and Technology for their willingness to participate in the research.
Without their help, this project could not be completed.
Last but not least, I am most thankful to my family and my closed friends
who have always inspired and encouraged me all the time.
Hanoi, May 2017

Lê Hồng Phượng

ii


ABSTRACT
The majority of second language learners encounter problems when they
speak in the target language. For the number of the students at Hanoi University of
Business and Technology, the matter might be a big obstacle. Because of their
various and low levels before entering the school, the students find it difficult to
master speaking skills in English. In this project, the researcher conducts an
investigation in the use of useful expressions to the third-year students within 8

weeks. The research was formulated as an action one which used a questionnaire as
a research instrument to collect quantitative and qualitative about students attitudes
and the effectiveness of using useful expressions in learning speaking skills. As can
be seen from the qualitative and quantitative data, difficulties, limitations and
challenges still occurred during the research; however, to some extent, the students
made much progress in their speaking competence. The results suggested the use of
useful expressions as one of the effective ways to teach and learn speaking in
English.

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TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION .........................................................................................................
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..........................................................................................
ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................
TABLE OF CONTENT .............................................................................................
PART 1: INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................
1.1

Rationale ....................................................................................

1.2

Aims and objectives ................................................................

1.3

Scope of the study ...................................................................

1.4

Research questions ..................................................................

1.5

Method of the study ................................................................

1.6

Design of the study ..................................................................

PART 2 - CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................
1.1

Definition of terminology .......................................................

1.2

The role of speaking in language learning .........................

1.3

Components of speaking competence .................................

1.4

Different techniques used to teach pronunciation .........

1.5 The role of useful expression or fixed expression in developing speaking skill .......

1.6

Previous studies ......................................................................

1.6.1

Lexical bundles .............

1.6.2

Idiomatic expression .....

1.6.3

Useful expressions ........

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .........................................................................
2.1

Context of the study ...............................................................

2.2 The study ........................................................................................................
2.2.1

Participants ...................

2.2.2

Data collection instrume

2.2.3

Questionnaire ................

2.2.4

Pre-test and Post-test res

2.2.5

Analysis techniques

2.2.6

Data presentation and an

2.2.7

Procedure ......................
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2.3 A statement and a sample of assessment ………………………………………….24
2.3.1 Assessment requirements and criteria...................................................... 24
2.3.2 The principles for grading........................................................................ 24
2.3.3 A sample of assessment........................................................................... 25
Chapter 3: DATA ANALYSIS............................................................................... 27
3.1

Students‟ general attitude towards using useful expressions in learning

speaking skill ...................................................................................................... 27
3.1.1 Students‟ attitude towards interest in using useful expression in learning
speaking skill.................................................................................................... 27
3.1.2 Students‟ opinion towards the suitability of using useful expressions in
speaking lessons............................................................................................... 29
3.1.3 Students‟ opinion towards the practical aspect of using useful expressions
in speaking lessons........................................................................................... 30
3.1.4 Students‟ opinion towards their improvements after learning useful
expressions....................................................................................................... 31
3.1.5 Students‟ difficulties in doing the project................................................ 32
3.2 The effectiveness of the research.................................................................... 33
3.3 The pre- test‟s and post-test‟s results............................................................. 34
PART 3:CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 39
1. Recapitulation................................................................................................... 39
2. Main findings................................................................................................... 39
3. Limitation of the study..................................................................................... 40
4. Suggestions for further study............................................................................ 41
REFERENCES...................................................................................................... 42
APPENDICES...................................................................................................................................... I

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PART 1: INTRODUCTION
This part is dedicated to introducing the rationale of the study, the problem to
be addressed in the study, the aims and objectives of the study, and the research
questions to be answered. It will also present the scope of the study and an overview
of the methods and the design of the study.
1.1 Rationale

Speaking skills is one of crucial parts of second language learning and
teaching. “The ability to speak in a foreign language is at the very heart of what it
means to be able to use a foreign language” (Louma, 2004). The mastery of this
output skill in English is a priority for many second language or foreign-language
learners. In this global era, English is utilized as an international medium of
communication and it helps people to work and cooperate in a common language. It
is the fact that the learners are often evaluated their success in the language learning
as well as the effectiveness of their English course through their spoken language
proficiency. Unfortunately, speaking skill is a complicated and multifaceted skill
which is not easy to be improved and takes a long time to make progress. Up to
now, various approaches to teaching speaking, therefore, have been recommended
to help deal with this issue.
In most universities in Vietnam, English is a compulsory subject which
equips students for effective workplace communication after their graduation. It
goes without saying that at Hanoi University of Business and Technology (hereafter
HUBT), a private university, it is not an exception.
Being a teacher of English at English Department at HUBT, the author has
had an opportunity to teach English mainly for communication in four skills
listening, speaking, reading and writing. Thanks to approaching all students from
the freshmen to the seniors at all levels in all majors, the researcher herself has
found that her students have a number of problems with speaking skill. They are not
willing to speak due to many reasons such as poor pronunciation, being afraid of
making mistakes, lack of vocabulary and not having a language environment to
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practice English and so on.
During the first few courses, the author had many frustrations because even
some of her students had motivation to learn English, they could not make progress
in speaking skill. Some students said to her “I can understand your English, but

when I speak to „real people‟ I can‟t understand them”. The writer has decided to
introduce some changes with the desire for motivating and supporting her students
to learn English speaking skill better through an action research whose result will be
presented in this thesis entitled “An investigation into method of English teaching
speaking skill using Useful Expressions for the third-year students at Hanoi
University of Business and Technology.”
The third-year students who are selected to be the participants in this study
have already had two years learning English at HUBT as well as they soon have to
gain a TOEIC certificate to graduate. Furthermore, in order to seek for jobs in an
international workforce environment when Vietnam joined global organizations like
WTO, TPP and soon Asian Union, learners especially need to be accustomed to and
use common phrases, useful expressions which are familiar with people in the
workplace context. Hence, they are able to communicate well with their seniors,
colleagues, or clients. Hopefully, the study will also help to facilitate her teaching,
especially teaching speaking skill which she is interested in.
1.2 Aims and objectives
The aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of the method
of teaching speaking skill using Useful Expressions for the third-year students at
HUBT. This fundamental aim can be achieved when the two following objectives
are met. The first objective of the study is to seek for the effectiveness of using
useful expressions for the students‟ improvement. The other one is to explore the
students‟ attitudes towards using useful expressions technique.
1.3 Scope of the study
In order to improve students‟ speaking skill, teachers can use varieties of
techniques. However, this study merely focuses on studying the effectiveness of
teaching useful expressions to improve students‟ speaking skill.
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This action research is applied in five consecutive speaking lessons. The action

is carried out for the third-year students of all majors in a class of about 30 students at
HUBT within 8 weeks. The collected data are analyzed and discussed to figure out how
using useful expressions contribute to enhance students‟ speaking skill.

1.4 Research questions
This study is conducted to find the answers for the following questions:
1. What is the students‟ attitude towards useful expressions?
2. To what extent does the use of useful expressions enhance speaking skill for

the students from the teacher and the students‟ perspectives?
1.5 Method of the study
Action research is employed in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative
methods are used in this research. The data were collected by means of:
-

Questionnaires

-

Interviews

The questionnaire is designed to gather data about the students‟ ideas on the
intended criteria. Information gathered from interviews with teachers will be notetaken, analyzed and used for providing more information.
These two research instruments are used in three phases of the action research for
preliminary investigation, exploration of the effects that the action creates, and
reflection on the action phase.
1.6 Design of the study
A part from the Introduction and Conclusion, the study is organized into
three main parts: Literature Review, Methodology, Results and Discussion.
In the first part, Introduction consists of the rationale, aims, research questions,

significance of the study, scope of the study, and the design of the study.
In the second part, chapter 1 - Literature Review mentions the theoretical
background of the study and the review of the previous studies.
The next chapter - Methodology describes the overall picture of how the research is
carried out from the first step of determining the research design to the last step of
gathering the results.
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The chapter 3 is Results and Discussion. This part reports the statistical results and
the analysis of the data.
In the last part, Conclusion closes the study by summarizing the whole study with
concluding remarks and offering some limitations and suggestions for further studies.
Besides, the list of References and the Appendixes are also parts of this study.

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PART 2
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
A literature review is a collection of researches related to the field we are
studying. It is a summary of research that has been published about a particular
subject. It provides the reader with an idea about the current situation in terms of
what has been carried out, and what we know. Sometimes it includes suggestions
about what needs to be done to increase the knowledge and understanding of a
particular problem. These researches are from professional journals which we can
trust that the authors are trained professionals, and others have examined their
work.
1.1 Definition of terminology
Useful expressions:

Researchers tend to use different words with similar definitions to talk about
fixed or useful expressions, for example Wiktorsson (2002) prefabs, Grant and
Nation (2006) figurative as well as Nation and Meara (2002), and Wiktorsson
(2003) use the term “multi-word units”. Gluckberg (2001) proposes that fixed
expressions include, in order of relative frequency: compound, idioms, names,
clichés, songs, books, and movie titles, quotes and familiar foreign phrases.
From the author‟s perspective, useful expressions in English are fixed
expressions that are used frequently in speaking to express a concept or idea. They
are a standard form of expressions which have taken on a more specific meaning
than the expression themselves. They are different from proverbs in that it is used as
a part of a sentence.
1.2 The role of speaking in language learning
Speaking is fundamental to human communication. Let us think of all the
various conversations we have in a day and compare that with how much written
communication we do in one day. In our daily lives, most of us speak more than we
write. When communication takes place, where there is speech. Without speech, we
cannot communicate with one another. The importance of speaking skill, therefore,
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is extremely enormous for the learners of any language.
If a person would like to become a well-rounded communicator, he or she needs to
be proficient in each of four language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and
writing. Of all skills, the ability to speak skillfully provides the speaker with a
couple of distinct advantages. When we attend a job interview, present a topic,
negotiate a contract with our clients and so on; becoming an effective communicator
is obviously a great benefit. When we share our views with others, the joy we get is
uncountable and the better understanding about life and ourselves as well.
Especially, in some cases, speaking skills can support someone‟s profession well or
even lead to their career success.

One of the highest levels of speaking is to present a certain matter in front of
the huge audiences; in other words, it is public speaking. We can take a look the
campaigns to become the American President candidates. The winners are those
who can make argument about particular matters, and above all is the ability to
persuade the public to trust him or her who can make his or her vision and strategy
become true in the future. Their arguments are the combination of factors including
presenting the ideas clearly and persuasively, arguing, discussing, negotiating,
making concession, and so on. These factors are essential skills in speaking. Hence,
speaking is a skill that we can learn; we can practice to become a master
communicator.
For most people, the ability to speak a language is synonymous with knowing
that language. Nevertheless, “speaking in a second or foreign language has often been
viewed as the most demanding of the four skills” (Bailey & Savage, 1994).

In the current landscape of globalization, information available through the Internet
would become more accessible to students (Goh, Goh, & Burns, 2012). As a result,
more and more teachers in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) countries are
being encouraged to teach English through English. Many learners themselves are
also keen to develop their speaking abilities, so as to secure better jobs and places in
overseas universities. The development of good speaking (and listening) skills is no
longer a bonus for language learners, but an essential aspect of their language6


proficiency development because it can have a direct impact on the personal and
professional success of many of them.
Goh et al. (2012) also claim that speaking for communication is generally
recognized in ESL classrooms as an indispensable tool for thinking and achieving
academic success. For the second language speakers enrolled in academic or
professional programs, training in communication skills is often available to
learners through English –for- Academic- Purposes (EAP) courses or English – for

– Specific- Purposes (ESP) programs. These courses typically focus on presentation
and seminar skills, profession-specific speaking skills, and lecture note-taking skills.
ESL learners in primary, middle, and secondary school contexts also need to use
speech to develop thinking skills that are specific to different subjects in the school
curriculum, and the ability to do this empowers the learners to engage critically with
their social and physical world.
According to Wolvin and Coakely (1996), the connection between language
learners‟ speaking abilities and their academic learning is much formal learning
through the spoken language. Through the medium of English, being able to speak
(and listen) in the language of instruction will greatly facilitate students‟
participation in class and the learning of the subject matter. To be able to speak
English, the second language learners have to develop various pragmatic
competencies. Learners need to learn how to initiate and maintain conversations, to
sustain group discussions, describe feelings and give reasons in an acceptable
manner, and ask for more information or assistance (Brice, 1992). In other words,
one of the fundamental reasons why second language learners need to develop good
speaking skills is to engage in effective day-to-day classroom communication.
With the same viewpoint, Goh et al. (2012) claims that it is important for the
second language learners to develop speaking skills that enables them to use spoken
English effectively in various contexts of learning. It is also not uncommon to find
the second language learners being perceived as less able or intelligent, simply
because they cannot use the language to express their understanding, doubts, and
opinions clearly. Inability to speak and listen effectively in their second language
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can cause some learners to abstain from participating in class. When even daily
communication becomes a problem, it is not surprising that many second language
learners cannot participate in the discourse of academic learning. As a result, they
are further disadvantaged in schools because they cannot demonstrate ways of using

the “mainstream” language valued in formal education (Cummins, 2000).
In a broader perspective, Grainger (2004) claims that when teachers help
learners develop their ability to use spoken English for academic learning, this
ability is not merely limited to expressing and comprehending basic speech
functions in the classroom. Learners have to develop abilities for using speech as a
way of both engaging with ideas and subject-specific thinking, and communicating
facts and opinions clearly through in increasingly abstract use of oral language.
They also need to develop effective skills that will help them participate
successfully in “inter-thinking” when working with others in group. The ability to
use oral language to convey abstract concepts during group work will also
contribute to their ability to understand and express abstract ideas in the written
language. Being able to use oral language well to engage with their learning of the
various academic subjects can help language learners succeed academically and
reap the benefits of an education delivered through the second language.
Second language learners who attend school or tertiary institutions where
teaching is conducted in the target language can engage effectively in the discourse
of an academic environment if they have good speaking abilities. Inability to do so
can cause learners to be disadvantaged in a system where not only proficiency in the
target language is desirable, but also the ability to control the academic register in
the spoken mode is highly valued. Speaking skill also directly benefits learners
because it can facilitate the second language acquisition.
All things considered, it is quite clear to say that the ability to speak a language is
extremely important in daily communication and classroom communication as well,
especially in academic learning.
1.3 Components of speaking competence
Depending on the aim of the test to assess the speakers‟ ability to communicate
8


effectively, components of speaking competence are utilized in various ways.

In IELTS, the interviewer may consider this ability in four different criteria:
Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and
Pronunciation. This assessment is famous for its academic reputation which is
recognized worldwide. In terms of Fluency and Coherence, this refers to how good
the candidate is at keeping talking at the right speed and how good they are at
connecting their ideas together. This is a fairly general criteria which includes
evaluating the relevance of the candidate's answers. For the Lexical Resource, this
relates to how much vocabulary the candidate has and how well they use it. As well
as the rules of language at a word level, this criteria considers the communicative
functions of speech and the social meaning of speech. The next criterion,
Grammatical Range and Accuracy, this refers to how many structures the candidate
has and how well they use them. Again, as well as the rules of language, this criteria
considers the communicative functions of speech. The last one, Pronunciation, this
refers to how well the candidate pronounces the language. As well as considering
the communicative effect of the candidate's pronunciation, there is evaluation of
how much strain it causes on a listener, and how noticeable their accent is.
In HUBT, to measure learners‟ speaking competence, basically, those components
above are almost used; however, they are assessed at a lower level. There are five main
categories used to assess students‟ communicative competence: Vocabulary, Grammar,
Fluency, Pronunciation, Content and Useful expressions. The first category Vocabulary,
this refers to their use of words and the range of accuracy of the vocabulary they choose to
use. It is not only how they select words but also how well they utilize them will be
considered. The second category Grammar, the variety of grammar and how correctly they
use are both judged by their teacher. Therefore, the range of tenses as well as the
appropriate use of them is important in all parts of speaking test. About the third one
Fluency, this measures student‟s ability to speak without too many pauses and hesitations.
About Pronunciation, this is not only the way students pronounce individual words but the
whole sentences which are considered. The teacher will be considering how easily their
students can understand what he or she saying. The

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last category Content, this is the way to develop and organize their ideas relating to
the mentioned topic.
In terms of Vocabulary, the way learners choose and utilize words and
phrases is extremely important. When learners would like to say something for any
particular objective like asking for and giving information, expressing agreement
and disagreement, making suggestions and recommendations and so on, there are a
variety of fixed expressions which are to be considered a hint to be given to be
suitable for each context. These are examples:
Objectives
Fixed
expressions

1.4 Different techniques used to teach pronunciation
Up to now, there have been many different techniques applied to teach
pronunciation all over the world such as discussions, role play, simulations,
information gap, brainstorming, storytelling, interviews, story completion,
reporting, picture describing and so on.
1.5 The role of useful expression or fixed expression in developing speaking skill
Expression is a part of every language. (Boers, 2008) claims that all
languages have idioms and are full of them. Native speakers have a tendency to
utilize expressions spontaneously without thinking of the figurative meaning. It is
natural that non-native speakers find several expressions not easy to understand.
Because of the difference between spoken language and written language, the
speaker has barely time to make plan what they are going to say, therefore, the
sentences are shorter and less complex, and may contain grammatical and
syntactical mistakes. The speaker must also produce his utterance within severe
constraints, he does not know in advance what will be said to him and hence what

his utterance will be a response to yet. If the conversation does not flag, he must
10


respond quickly. The rapid formulation of utterances which are simultaneously “right”
on several levels is central to the spoken communicative skill (Taylor, 1983).

Obviously, the pressure of time dramatically affects the language we use. The
possible solutions which help speakers reduce this pressure are considered are the
speakers should use devices to facilitate production and devices to compensate for
difficulties. And some of the facilitation and compensation devices are using of time
creating devices and using of idiomatic or conventional expressions called
formulaic. In this investigation, the author utilizes useful expressions as a kind of
technique which may help learners facilitate their spoken language.
With the current textbook Market Leader which has numerous communicative
situations in business including presenting a product, negotiating a contract, making
arrangements, taking part in meetings, managing meetings, introductions and
networking, considering options, getting information on the phone and so on.
People spend great deal of their time interacting with more people and each of these
situations requires a different register according to the formality of the moment.
1.6 Previous studies
In communication, it is wrong in ways if we select individual words and put
those words together in correct order to make sentences. Words tend to stick
together, thus, there are sets of words to use to talk about specific topics. That
means we tend to be working with sets of words rather than single words. These
sets can be anticipated by us like sets of words to use talk about school or
companies. Nevertheless, several relationships are almost impossible to anticipate
and these are word relationships that linguists label lexical bundles, idiomatic
expression, and structured conversation.
1.6.1 Lexical bundles

According to Neely and Cortes (2009), lexical bundle is sequences of words
which are frequently re-used, and therefore become “prefabricated chunks” that
speakers and writers can easily retrieve from their memory and use again and again
as text building blocks. Biber and Conrad (1999) also claimed that a lexical bundle
is said to be a sequence of three, four, five or more contiguous words in the

11


classroom talk that occurs above a threshold frequency.
Lexical bundles are defined as groups of words that occur repeatedly together
within the same register. They are “simply extended collocations that appear more
frequently than expected by chance, helping to shape meaning in specific contexts
and contributing to our sense of coherence in a text” (Hyland, 2012). Lexical
bundles are crucially important for determining the success of language users within
specific discourse communities and for the construction of discourse in all
university registers in particular. Previous research has shown that lexical bundles
are especially prevalent in university classroom teaching. They can be classified in
terms of their formal linguistic aspects and their functional role in texts. According
to Bogart, (Biber, Conrad, & Cortes, 2004) identify three main discourse functions
for lexical bundles: stance expressions, discourse organizers and referential
expressions.
In terms of developing speaking skill, Biber and Conrad (1999) said that
lexical bundles are the sequences of words that most commonly co-occur in a
register. They are not usually fixed expressions, and it is not possible to substitute a
single word for the sequence; in fact, most lexical bundles are not structurally
complete at all.
Many bundles in conversation contain the beginning of a main clause
followed by the beginning of an embedded complement clause. Those lexical
bundles can build discourse building blocks, with the following slot being used to

express the content specific to each individual situation. Based on the explanation
lexical bundles can help them to build a specific content of conversation in certain
situations.
In frequency of use of lexical bundles, there are almost 4,000 different lexical
bundles in conversation, and about 3,000 various lexical bundles in academic prose. In
conversation, three-word bundles occur more than 80,000 times per million words and
four-word bundles over 8,500 times per million words. In academic prose, three-word
bundles occur more than 60,000 times per million words, and four-word bundles over
5,000 times per million words (Conrad & Biber, 2004).

12


In terms of lexical bundles in conversation, Biber and Conrad (1999)
mentioned 14 main categories of lexical bundles which fits with transactional
speaking. They are personal pronoun + lexical verb phrase as in “I don‟t know
what …”, “ I don‟t know how …”; pronoun/ noun phrase + be as in “It‟s up to
you”, “It‟s going to be…”; Wh-question fragments as in “What do you mean”,
“What‟s the matter with” and so on.
1.6.2 Idiomatic expression
In terms of idiomatic expressions, they are defined as an expression whose
meanings cannot be inferred from the Cacciari and Tabossi (2014). It means that
idioms cannot be inferred from their constituent parts. On the other hand, they are
also defined as expressions, words, or phrases that have a figurative meaning
conventionally understood by native speakers. This meaning is different from the
literal meaning of the idiom‟s individual elements. In other words, idioms do not
mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meanings.
They are frequently used in both spoken and written language. According to some
estimates like Polio, Barlow, Fine, & Polio (1977), native speakers of English may
use as many as 20 million idioms in their lifetime (Vasiljević, 2013).

Cooper (1998) also claims that since idiomatic expressions are so frequently
encountered in both spoken and written discourse, they require special attention in
language programs and should not be relegated to a position of secondary
importance in the curriculum. Idioms bring cultural and historical information and
broaden people‟s understanding and manipulation of a language. Idioms appear in
every language, and English has thousands of them. They are often confusing
because the meaning of the whole group of words taken together has little, often
nothing, to do with the meanings of words taken one by one. In order to understand
a language, we must know what the idioms in that language mean.
Fromkin (2003) shares the same view that idioms expressions are a part of every
language‟s vocabulary and are based on that language history, heritage, and culture.
Learning idiomatic expressions helps non-native speakers of a language become more
fluent, and sound more native-like. Furthermore, acquiring the knowledge of idiomatic
expressions is an effective way for learners to become more knowledgeable and better

13


aware of the culture and customs of that particular language. The importance of
idioms also lies in the fact that it is an everyday routine of the native English
speakers‟ language. Learning idiomatic expressions by non-natives leads them to
better English proficiency, help their second or foreign language seem to be more
native speakers. Therefore, learning English idiomatic expressions not only
enhances one‟s second or foreign language skills but helps non-native speakers of a
language understand that target language better (Yule, 2006).
According to Maisa and Karunakaran (2013), no translator or language
teacher can afford to ignore idioms if a natural use of the target language is an aim.
In short, lexical bundles, idiomatic expressions or useful expressions are parts in
learning language. They help learners acquire language more deeply and naturally.
The learners using these expressions become alike to native speakers.

1.6.3 Useful expressions:
To be frank, there have not been many researches relating to the useful
expressions. Recently, the research on “Useful expressions for implementing
cooperative learning in English” of results of groups of four authors M. Asakawa,
A.Kanamaru, T. Plaza and C. Shiramuzu from different schools and universities in
Japan.
The results of the questionnaire suggested students generally considered the
list to be helpful in establishing smoother English language communication with
their classmates. The results also suggested that the list helped build confidence and
contributed to increased motivation among the students. The individual comments
in the questionnaire further indicated that students felt the list played a significant
role in helping them during discussions or at least say something such as a quick
response.
The effectiveness of the list which the author provided helped students move
beyond the list phrases to articulate their ideas. The students felt that the list
contributed to learning beyond the specific phrase presented. While the phrases on
the list mainly facilitate learners linking one utterance to another, thereby smoothing
interactions, the list also may have contributed to students to students‟ belief in their
ability to convey their messages in English during the conversation.
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CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
In the previous chapter, the theoretical matters related to the topic have been
covered. In order to see how they work in real learning environment, this research
was carried out with the following steps:
1. Doing the entry test to the students
2. Teaching useful expressions to students
3. Doing the test after a period of teaching time
4. Delivering the questionnaires paper to the students

5. Collecting the completed questionnaires and analyzing the data

In the first step, the author designs the pre-test to check the students‟ speaking skill
at the time of research.
In the second step, this is a real action. The teacher has an opportunity to apply the
new technique for students.
In the third step, the teacher delivers the post-test for students to get the result after
applying to teach useful expressions.
The next step, students are asked to answer some questions relating to the lessons
which have been taught.
The final step, the researcher gathers questionnaires and interprets the data.
This chapter describes only the first four steps. The last step will be
presented in the next chapter. That is, main contents of the chapter include the
context and subjects of the study, the research questions, the data collection
instruments, the data collection procedure, the data analysis procedure. Also, this
chapter mentions the advantages and disadvantages when the researcher used those
instruments and data analysis procedure.
2.1 Context of the study
This study draws on the research carried out at Hanoi University of Business
and Technology, a private university located in Vinh Tuy ward, Hai Ba Trung
district, Hanoi, Vietnam. HUBT is famous for giving opportunities of studying for
students related to two major fields: business and technology. These fields cover
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three groups of various majors like Economics – Business, Technology and Foreign
Languages. Of all, Management and Accounting are the most popular majors in
HUBT. There are thousands of students enrolling in these fields with their full of
expectation annually. Thanks to these expectations, the university always makes the
effort to meet students‟ requirements.

In order to fulfill the needs of the current job in competitive market at
present, the university‟s priority and policy are mainly focus on English and
Information - Technology beside the other major subjects. Therefore, English is
considered to be an extremely essential to all major students and non-major students
as well. In the HUBT‟s curriculum, English is designed for students to learn lasts a
half and three years. Also, the school always seeks for new methods to enhance the
quality of teaching and learning English. Every year, the English faculty carries out
adjusting, renewing or even substituting textbook and course book. In the recent
years, the university‟s infrastructure has changed dramatically in order to provide
equipment and teaching aids for teaching and learning English effectively such as
radio sets, computers, loud speakers and projectors in all classrooms. Beside such
multi-media classrooms, the reference books, the interactive video and audio are
also available in the library. Furthermore, the computer rooms are fully- equipped
with free Internet access. These facilities support students in improving and
practicing their English skills both in class and outside.
With the university‟s priority of accentuating students‟ accomplishment in
learning English, the school always up-to-dates the new tendency of learning
method. A typical example is that, students at HUBT are provided the English
online program. It brings students chances to practice English on their own anytime
and anywhere, even they are not at school. This is a good way for learners to
overcome their shyness and weaknesses when communicating with foreigners face
to face. As a matter of fact, in comparison with non-major students from other
colleges, their English competence tends to be better.
For the third-year students, English is taught three or four lessons per week.
Each lesson covers 12 periods including 4 skills, namely listening, speaking,
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reading and writing. Besides, students are provided the grammar and skills sections
to complete their knowledge.

As regards the teaching, lecturers at HUBT normally have a meeting at the
beginning of the new school year so that they are informed all the latest information
about the schedule, syllabus, course book, regulations and principles relating to the
class. Assessing forms including attendance marking, mid-term and final scoring for
students also are provided. Another point to note is that teachers of English graduated
from various universities in Vietnam. Furthermore, most of them are young, dynamic
and dedicated. Nonetheless, some of them were not trained to be teachers. Or to the
teachers at the age of fifties or more, they find it difficult to pronounce English exactly.
Or to some teachers who were not trained to be teachers of English at the beginning, for
instance, they were teachers of Russian, for those inexperienced teachers, several
pedagogical situations may happen like classroom management or their expertise such
as pronunciation that can negatively affect their students‟ performance.

2.2 The study
2.2.1 Participants
The participants in the study are selected randomly are 30 students who
major in Management at HUBT. Most of these students have studied English at least
seven years and they completed their second year at school curriculum last
semester. They are currently the third-year students; therefore, they are supposed to
be familiar with the learning and teaching styles at HUBT.
The 30 students of Faculties of Managing participating in the study are
assumed by the researcher to be more studious than those at other faculties because
of their current academic and future career requirements. Thus, this study does not
necessarily present the whole population of the university. Because of the scope of
the study, the author tries to investigate the effectiveness of learning speaking
through a questionnaire and interview.
2.2.2 Data collection instruments
To reach the major objectives of the study, a survey questionnaire was
utilized as a main tool for data collection in this research because it is considered to
be a “useful instrument for to collecting survey information, providing structured,

often numerical data, being able to be administered without the presence of the
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researcher, and often being comparatively straightforward to analyze”. (Cohen,
Manion, & Morrison, 2013)Therefore, it would certainly be valuable for helping the
researcher explore the effectiveness through learning speaking. Moreover, this
research tool is also relatively more comfortable, time-saving and economical to
administer. Hence, using a questionnaire is one of the solutions to the
methodological problem. Though the use of questionnaire has some weak points, for
instance, “participants think the researcher wants to hear, or indulge in selfflattery”, Ellis (1985) highlighted that questionnaires have provided an insight into
the personal nature of language learning, particularly classroom language learning.
Though the questionnaire is the major instrument, this study comprises the
use of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The qualitative data is obtained
from the interviews with students and teachers of English when developing and
fulfilling the questionnaire. In order to make sure that the participants can
understand clearly the content of the questionnaire, the researcher provided the
Vietnamese version of questionnaire items as well. The explanation was elicited if
necessary.
In addition to the use of survey questionnaires and private interviews, the
researcher also utilizes the adaptive pre-test and post-test from the Intermediate
Market Leader textbook (David Cotton, David Falvey and Simon Kent, the 3

rd

edition, Pearson Education Limited 2012). The useful expressions which the author
selects to teach are according to the topic of each lesson. These lessons belongs to
topics such as, socializing: introductions and networking, starting and structuring
presentations, dealing with figures, social English and getting information on the
telephone. The main tasks throughout the lessons are listening individually, working

in pairs or in groups, playing in roles and making presentation.
2.2.3 Questionnaire
The questionnaire was used to find out the students‟ advancement toward
utilizing the useful expressions to improve their speaking skills and the ways they
learn and practice. The questionnaire was designed with both open-ended and
closed questions. The questionnaire consists of title, “thank you” part, instructions,
questionnaire items and additional information. The questionnaire for students was
in both versions Vietnamese and English so that it was easier for them to understand
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