the implementation of project based learning in efl classrooms a case study at hoa binh junior high school

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY
---------------------------------------------

HA QUYEN QUYEN

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN EFL
CLASSROOMS: A CASE STUDY AT HOA BINH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

HA QUYEN QUYEN

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN EFL
CLASSROOMS: A CASE STUDY AT HOA BINH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Major: TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES
Major code: 60140111
MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: NGUYEN THI HONG THAM, Ph.D.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I declare that this study is my own work and has not been submitted, in whole or in
part, for another degree in any institution.
I declare that any information cited from the published or unpublished work written
by others has been acknowledged in the text and a bibliography has been provided.

Date: September 18, 2019
Student’s signature: Ha Quyen Quyen


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Completing this dissertation is one of the greatest desires in my life. It was made
possible thanks to the encouragement, assistance, and support of many people and
institutions.
Above all, I am very much grateful to my supervisor, Dr Nguyen Thi Hong Tham,
who provided me with valuable advice from my first few days in the course and
through the duration of my thesis to completion. Her untiring supervision not only
encouraged me to complete my thesis, but it also helped me effectively improve my
research skills.
Also, my sincere gratitude sends to the participants at Hoa Binh Junior High School
who supported me by all their hearts. It was such a great honor to cooperate with
you during my time of doing research. Thank you for helping me making this thesis.
To all my great lecturers at Ho Chi Minh City Open University, thank you for
taking your valuable time to instruct me during the course. All experiences and
knowledge sharing by all of you have encouraged me in widening my horizon.

Finally, my eternal love and thanks go to my friends and my family who always
have faith in me and encourage me since I participated in the course. Without all of
you, I could not finish my course properly.
September 18, 2019


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ABSTRACT
This qualitative case study aimed to investigate the implementation of ProjectBased Learning (PBL) approach in EFL classrooms at Hoa Binh Junior High
school. This study explored the implementation of PBL in four aspects: (1) the
teachers and students’ experience in implementing PBL which four EFL teachers
had done in their classrooms; (2) the teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards
PBL; (3) the challenges both teachers and students face when implementing PBL
and (4) some suggestions to improve the implementation in the future. In the study,
the researcher used four instruments: eight classroom observations, four semistructured interviews to EFL teachers, four student focus groups and documents.
Notably, four teachers and 195 students from four classes were involved in the
study. The data collection was conducted within two phases. In the first phase, the
researcher did eight classroom observations, including two observations per class.
In the second phase, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews for four
lecturers, and four focus groups with six students per group. All the data were
analyzed and categorized in light of main themes and sub-themes.
The findings of this study indicated that the PBL approach was partly implemented
in the context as a supplemental teaching and learning approach. Also, from the
teachers’ and students’ perceptions, the benefits of PBL in teaching and learning
English like the improvement in integrated language skills, presentation skills,
interdisciplinary knowledge were confirmed. Then, some challenges the
implementers face were pointed out such as limited time, teamwork challenge,
parents’ support as well as assessment. Finally, some suggestions were given to
improve the situation, including preparing well for the projects, grouping, meeting

parents face-to-face and assessing the process rather than the product.
Keywords: PBL, implementation, EFL, English speaking skills, generic skills,
benefits, challenges.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ................................................................................................................. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................ vi
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of the study ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the problem ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Aims of the study ................................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Research questions ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.5 Significance of the study ....................................................................................................................... 5
1.6 Organization of the study ..................................................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................ 7
2.1 Speaking skills ....................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Speaking skills ............................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.2 Characteristics of speaking skills ................................................................................................. 8
2.1.3 Presentation skills ........................................................................................................................ 10
2.1.4 Teaching speaking skills ............................................................................................................. 11
2.2 Generic skills ....................................................................................................................................... 13
2.2.1 Definitions of generic skills ......................................................................................................... 13
2.2.2 The nature of generic skills ......................................................................................................... 14

2.3 Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT) ................................................................... 16
2.4 Project-Based Learning (PBL) ........................................................................................................... 18
2.4.1 History of PBL ............................................................................................................................. 18
2.4.2 Definitions of Project-Based Learning ...................................................................................... 19
2.4.3 The characteristics of PBL ......................................................................................................... 19
2.4.4 The teachers’ and students’ perceptions of PBL in education ................................................ 22
2.5. The Implementation of PBL in the Vietnamese context ................................................................. 30
2.6 Conceptual framework ....................................................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 35
3.1 Research Design .................................................................................................................................. 36
3.2 Setting of the study .............................................................................................................................. 37
3.3 Participants .......................................................................................................................................... 37


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3.3.1 The teachers ................................................................................................................................. 37
3.3.2 The students ................................................................................................................................. 39
3.4 Instruments .......................................................................................................................................... 40
3.4.1 Classroom observations .............................................................................................................. 40
3.4.2 Semi-structured interviews to EFL teachers ............................................................................. 42
3.4.3 Student focus groups ................................................................................................................... 43
3.4.4 Document analysis ....................................................................................................................... 45
3.5 Data collection procedures ................................................................................................................. 45
3.6 Data analysis procedures .................................................................................................................... 46
3.7 Validity and reliability ........................................................................................................................ 48
3.7.1 Validity ......................................................................................................................................... 48
3.7.2 Reliability ..................................................................................................................................... 49
CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS .............................................................................................................................. 50
4.1 The implementation of PBL in EFL classrooms ............................................................................... 51

4.2 Teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards PBL .......................................................................... 66
4.2.1 The benefits of PBL in teaching and learning English ............................................................. 66
4.2.2 The challenges and solutions to overcome the challenges ........................................................ 97
4.3 Summary of the main findings ......................................................................................................... 115
CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................ 117
5.1 The implementation of PBL in EFL classrooms ............................................................................. 117
5.2 Teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards the benefits of PBL ............................................... 119
5.2.1 The improvement in students’ speaking and other language skills ...................................... 119
5.2.2 The formation of students’ generic skills. ............................................................................... 120
5.2.3 The enhancement of students’ interdisciplinary knowledge and positive attitude .............. 121
5.3 The challenges and solutions ............................................................................................................ 123
5.4 Suggestions for PBL improvement .................................................................................................. 126
CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 129
6.1 Summary of the study ....................................................................................................................... 129
6.2 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................... 131
6.3 Pedagogical implications .................................................................................................................. 132
6.4 Recommendations for further research .......................................................................................... 133
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................ 135
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. 142


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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1.3

Model of Presentation as an Interactive Process ………..…….

Figure 2.6

The Conceptual Framework of the study ……..………………. 35

Figure 4

Thematic Network of PBL approach ………………………….

53

Figure 4.2.2

Products of the project work ………….……………………….

61

Figure 4.1.4 (a)

Self, Peer Evaluation Form ………...………………………….

67

Figure 4.1.4 (b) Group Evaluation Form ……………………………………….

68

Figure 4.2.1

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The Poster of Recycling ………………………………………. 89

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Summary of the methodology chapter .......................................... 37
Table 3.3.1 Summary of teachers’ characteristics........................................ 40
Table 3.4.1 The information of observations ................................................ 44
Table 3.4.2 The information of the interviews .............................................. 45
Table 3.4.3 The information of focus groups ................................................ 47
Table 3.7 Codes of data from different instruments ..................................... 50
Table 4.1 The Phases of a PBL lesson .......................................................... 55
Table 4.1.1 Activities in the starting the project phase ................................ 56
Table 4.1.3 The activities in the reporting periods ....................................... 64


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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT

: Communicative Language Teaching

PBL

: Project-Based Learning

EFL

: English as a Foreign Language

MOET

: Ministry of Education and Training

PP

: Power Point


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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
This introduction chapter provides an overview of the issues discussed in this study.
The chapter consists of: (1) background of the study, (2) statement of the problem,
(3) aims of the study, (4) research questions, (5) significance of the study, and (6)
organization of the study.
1.1 Background of the study
In teaching and learning English as a foreign language (EFL), communicating in
English is the essential goal that learners need to gain. In order to reach that aim, it
is EFL teachers’ mission to devise classroom activities which constitute “real
communication”. “Real communication” or “authentic communication” involves
students to produce spontaneous communication and thoughtful understanding in
interaction (Horwitz, 2013, p.23). In other words, students need to effectively
interact with English speaking partners in their daily life. However, there is the
absence of authentic communication in EFL classrooms where English is not
frequently used except for three 45-minute periods per week at school. Besides,
conventional teaching approaches, mainly focusing on grammar, reading, simple

writing and even exam-focusing, have reduced the opportunities for students to use
English, so students cannot communicate in English after leaving school (Ngo,
2014).
Simultaneously, another goal that students need to obtain for their future profession
is generic skills. The components of generic skills or major skills are recognized by
Mayer’s key competencies as communication, collaborative, critical thinking,
creative, planning and organizing, self-management, learning and technological
skills (Curtin, 2002). Nevertheless, it is not easy for students to establish these skills
in traditional classroom environment which centers on teachers who determine what
and how the students learn and assess on students’ learning. In this kind of
classroom, there is little attention to students’ interests or needs. Students are just


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passive listeners and no voices in their learning process. Therefore, students’ main
skills may not be able to be established or developed.
Due to the above concerns in teaching and learning process, there is a need to find
ways to promote not only students’ authentic communication to enhance their
speaking skills but social key competences to form their generic skills as well.
Besides, the policy of Viet Nam’s education reform which aims to supply
Vietnamese students with competitive skills puts the process of teaching and
learning English under innovation. As a result, Project-Based Learning (PBL), “a
teaching model that organizes learning around projects” (Thomas, 2000, p.1), has
initially been implemented in K-12 curriculum of teaching and learning English. In
this curriculum, PBL is expected to equip students with the productive skills,
especially speaking skills through presentations and to establish generic skills
focusing on communication, collaborative, critical thinking, creativity, and
technological skills.
1.2 Statement of the problem
In Vietnamese context of EFL teaching and learning, in the Decision 1400/QĐ-TTg

dated September 30, 2008 of the Prime Minister on the Approval of the Project
entitled “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education
System, Period 2008-2020” (2020 Project), the Ministry of Education and Training
(MOET) sets up the goal that:
... by 2020, most Vietnamese students graduated from secondary, vocational
schools, colleges and universities will be able to use a foreign language
confidently in their daily communication, their study and work in an integrated,
multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment, making foreign languages a
comparative advantage of development for Vietnamese people in the cause of
industrialization and modernization for the country (General Objectives in the
Decision, p. 1).


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Accordingly, to make the national project more specific, the Circular
55555/BGDĐT-GDTrH on October 8, 2014 from MOET puts an emphasis on the
transformation of students’ learning into student-centered, which focused on
students’ needs and interest. The Circular also requires teachers to reform their
teaching methods into student-centered learning and assessment towards formative
and self, peer assessment. The center of the assessment techniques is to develop
students’ virtue as well as competences. In brief, the Decision and Circular assume
the significant requirement of reforming teaching and learning process towards
student-centered learning in the context of Vietnamese academic education.
Further, numerous studies also examined the benefits PBL brought to EFL
classrooms in diverse contexts from the higher education at high schools,
universities, or colleges. For instance, Hoang (2014) adopted PBL as a tool for
effectively teaching Intercultural Communication in English at the university.
Another study of Vietnamese students’ awareness towards a Project-Based
Environment was also conducted by Felipe et al. (2016). In the study, the

researchers affirmed the benefits of implementing PBL in Vietnamese teaching and
learning setting. Additionally, Bui, Pham and Tran (2017) also carried out studies
on the effectiveness of PBL integration in the curricula in the context of language
classrooms of universities or senior high schools. Nevertheless, the implementation
of PBL in the context of state junior high schools received little attention in the
literatures although it is a part of the new English textbooks in Vietnamese
curriculum. PBL is a new term to EFL teachers in these schools in Vietnam.
At Hoa Binh junior high school, PBL has been used for four years in four selected
classes by four selected teachers with initially astonished moments from both
teachers and students. This is the only lower junior high school in Trang Bom
district, Dong Nai province which has employed the piloted English program
following the Project 2020. In the piloted English book, there are six parts in each
unit. They are “Getting Started” which gives an overview of the topic, “A Closer


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Look 1” which provides students vocabulary and pronunciation, “A Closer Look 2”
which centers on grammatical knowledge, “Skills 1” with reading and speaking,
“Skills 2” with listening and writing and each unit closes with a project in “Project”.
Most of teachers and students have been familiar with the first 5 parts. However, it
is a new term to both teachers and students to do a project because they have never
implemented any project before during their school study program.
For the above reasons, the perceptions of teachers and students who were pioneers
in employing PBL in lower junior high schools are worth examining so that the
administrators consider PBL thoroughly before putting it into reformed English
program. In addition, teachers and students who have not had a chance to get
accessed to the PBL approach while this kind of learning will officially put into
practice in the academic year of 2021-2022 will have a nutshell of PBL in EFL
teaching and learning.
1.3 Aims of the study

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how PBL was implemented in the
context of the selected EFL classrooms at a state junior high school of Trang Bom
district, Dong Nai province. The more detailed purposes of the study include:
1. To explore the experiences in implementing PBL, which four EFL teachers
have done in their own classrooms at Hoa Binh junior high school.
2. To investigate what the teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards the
benefits of PBL are in improving students’ speaking skills, and generic skills.
3. To figure out the challenges the PBL implementers face when doing the
projects and the solutions to overcome these challenges.


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4. To find out some suggestions made by the teachers and students for
improving the PBL implementation in the context of EFL classrooms in K-12
education.
1.4 Research questions
Regard the above objectives, four following questions were designed to guide the
research:
1. How is PBL implemented in the selected EFL classrooms at Hoa Binh
Junior high school?
2. What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions of using PBL to improve
students’ speaking and generic skills?
3. What challenges do the implementers face when doing the projects?
4. What should be done to improve the PBL implementation in EFL
classrooms?
1.5 Significance of the study
This study is significant because of the following reasons. First of all, it is expected
that the study will contribute to clarify the way PBL is implemented in the selected
EFL classrooms. From that, EFL teachers consider shifting from teacher-centered

instruction to student-centered learning, in which students have opportunities to
build their own knowledge and improve their skills by experiencing and doing
projects relating to authentic communication. Secondly, this study in the future can
be seen as a useful source of reference for the teachers not only at Hoa Binh Junior
High school but also other teachers who feel interested in this field to consult when
applying PBL into their practice. Thirdly, the current study also helps school leaders
and educators have a deep understanding of how teachers and students appreciate
PBL in their teaching and learning process so that they can support teachers and
students in their PBL implementation. Last but not least, the findings of the study


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can also contribute to the improvement of the current piloted English program. The
curriculum writers and educators from the MOET can refer the study in order to
adjust the program relevant to the context of Vietnamese lower junior high schools
before making it popular nationwide.
1.6 Organization of the study
The thesis is organized into six chapters:
Chapter 1 provides an introduction of the study by introducing background of the
study, statement of the problem, the purposes of the study, research questions, the
significance of the study and the organization of the study.
Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literatures which can be served as the background
for the entire research. In this chapter, the theoretical concepts of speaking skills,
generic skills, Project-Based Learning theory are mentioned, and the conceptual
framework is designed to guide the study.
Chapter 3 describes the methodology of the study. It includes the research design,
the setting of the study, the participants, the instruments, data collection and
analysis procedures. The validity and reliability of the study are also considered.
Chapter 4 presents the findings of the study which are based on the instruments.

Chapter 5 focuses on the discussion of the findings. All the main findings are
thoughtfully interpreted and discussed.
Chapter 6 concludes the thesis by presenting a summary of the findings, making
pedagogical implications, presenting limitations of the study and giving
recommendations for further research and lastly summarizing the overview of the
study.
The next chapter will focus on the literature review relevant to the study.


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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter is divided into four main sections. The first section is focused on
investigating speaking skills. This includes the definitions of speaking,
characteristics of spoken language and teaching speaking. The second section
reveals the definitions of generic skills and the nature of generic skills in students’
study and future profession. The third section is about PBL of which definition is
mentioned, characteristics of PBL and the effectiveness of PBL in students’
development of speaking and generic skills. Moreover, the challenges both teachers
and students have to face during their PBL implementation is also taken into
account. Finally, the study considers the implementation of PBL in the Vietnamese
context, where PBL is considered as an innovative method of teaching and learning,
especially in the setting of K-12 curriculum. Last but not least, the conceptual
framework is designed to lead the study.
2.1 Speaking skills
2.1.1 Speaking skills
In the literature, there has been a wide range of speaking definitions under different
perspectives. First of all, Burns and Joyce (1997) and Brown (2007) assume that
speaking skill is the interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing, receiving and processing information. In addition, Nunan (2003) refers

speaking as “productive aural/oral skills and it consists of producing systematic
verbal utterances to convey meaning” (p.48). To highlight the importance of
speaking skills, Nunan (2015) maintains that speaking skills is “essential for
children’s overall language development in which children learning English as their
native language spend time developing speaking skills” (p.47). According to
Morehouse (2017), as one of the productive skills, speaking skills can be used to
improve other aspects, including learners’ communicative skills and interaction.
Similarly, Harmer (2007) also states that “While listening and reading involve the


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ability to correctly receive messages and are therefore referred to as receptive skills,
speaking and writing, on the other hand, involve language production and are
referred to as productive skills” (p. 16).
Overall, speaking skills is one of the productive skills in language teaching. It is the
ability which speakers express themselves orally, coherently, fluently and
appropriately in a given meaningful context to make themselves understood by
using pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary accurately and fluently.
2.1.2 Characteristics of speaking skills
In the literature, it is known that the major elements in speaking skills include
pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, grammar and accuracy (Gerard, 2000; Ellis,
2009)
1. Pronunciation: Pronunciation relates to the phonological process which
includes two fundamental features of phonemes and supra segmental features
(Gerard, 2000).
2. Vocabulary: Vocabulary is a list of words that a speaker is familiar with and
able to use in a language (Hatch and Brown, 1995)
3. Grammar and Accuracy: Grammar is the internalized system of rules that
speakers of a language share (Hartwell, 1985). While accuracy refers to the

capicity to avoid error in speaking and complex structures that may lead to
error (Ellis, 2009).
4. Fluency: Fluency is defined as the ability of using language in real time to
emphasize meanings and draw on more lexicalized systems (Ellis, 2009).
Furthermore, students are required to master the knowledge of English as well as
the ability “to process information and language on the spot” (Harmer, 2007, p.269)
if they want to become good English speakers. As a result, not only grammar,
vocabulary, and pronunciation but also fluency must be skillful.


9

On the other hand, Brown (2007) emphasized the importance of micro and macro
skills in speaking English. According to Brown (2007), the micro skills are the
ability of producing chunks, phonemes or stress pattern as well as the ability of
using lexical items or different strategies of speaking while the macro skills relate to
the ability to achieve communicative purposes or appropriate genres, implication or
the flexibility of using verbal and non-verbal language for an effective
communication. Nunan (2015) summarized the four skills areas of speaking
competence are required for effective communication, as follows:
1. Phonological skills: Learners need to be able to blend the phonemes of the
language they are learning. In addition, they must use appropriate stress and
intonation.
2. Speech functions: Learners need to achieve specific communicative
functions in social and transactional exchanges such as agreeing with someone,
asking for clarification or offering a reason.
3. Interactional skills: In face-to-face exchanges, learners must manage
interactions by regulating turn taking, redirecting the topic, and negotiating
meaning, in addition to initiating, maintaining and closing a conversation.
4. Extended discourse skills: Learners must often produce long stretches of

uninterrupted language and they need to structure what they say so it is easy for
others to follow. This requires the use of established conventions for structuring
different kinds of extended spoken language such as narrative, procedural,
expository, or descriptive discourse. (p.53)
In summary, speaking skills is characterized by micro skills and macro skills in
monologue and dialogue in which the information is successfully exchanged
between interlocutors or the message is completely sent to the audience from the
presenter. The elements in speaking skills include pronunciation, vocabulary,


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grammar and accuracy, fluency. These elements contribute to an effective
conversation.
2.1.3 Presentation skills
Presentation skills, which have the close bonding to public speaking skills, could be
considered as a specialized discourse. Lucas (2013) defines presentation skills as a
speech delivered with a purposeful message in a strategic way of communication in
order to inform or convince. Also, Paltridge and Starfield (2013) point out the
purpose of teaching presentation skills for students, including attaining the
academic, professional and professional target. They also state that differently from
other English-Speaking teaching, presentation skills employed language, skills, and
registers to match specific goals. In term of its characteristics, Muehl (2017) designs
an interactive model of presentation skills.
FIGURE 2.1.3. Model of Presentation as an Interaction Process (Muehl, 2017, p. 11)

According to the model, there are some basic elements of the presentation process.
Firstly, the speaker is the one creating the message. In public speaking, the message
could be his/her opinions, identity, etc. Secondly, the message conveyed by the
speaker consists of two parts: factual data and opinions of the speaker. Also, the

channel is the way that the speaker uses to deliver their message. Thirdly, the


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listener is the one who receives and integrates the message by using their
knowledge, attitudes, etc. Then the listener provides both verbal and non-verbal
feedback to the speaker before, while or after the speech. Moreover, both speaker
and listener participate in the same particular context such as time, places, etc.
During the communication process, there should be some “noise” that interferes in
the delivery of the message.
In short, besides requiring complexity, fluency and accuracy in conveying the
message, presentation skills are much more complicated due to the interactive
process of communication. Therefore, the teaching and learning of presentation
skills should be paid more attention.
2.1.4 Teaching speaking skills
The importance of teaching speaking is undeniable. People can successfully
communicate with each other, mainly due to oral interaction. As a result, it is
important to be fluent in English for effective contacts in the context of global
economy in Viet Nam. In order to succeed in learning English, learners need to
succeed in carrying out conversation in the target language with native speakers
(Nunan, 2015). Therefore, speaking must be a priority for most English learners
(Florez, 1999). Beside daily dialogues, speaking also involves in monologue which
is the process of performing speaking publicly in front of some certain audience in
different circumstances. Furthermore, speaking activities in the classroom are able
to raise general students' motivation and create a dynamic and interesting English
language classroom (Nunan, 2015). According to Harmer (2015), teaching speaking
is essential because teaching speaking provides students with the chance of
expressing their knowledge in order to explore their strengths and weaknesses.
Moreover, teaching speaking offers learners the opportunity to practice language

grammar structures practiced which leads to fluent speaking. Due to its importance
in one’s life, it is significant for students to be taught in their classrooms. To prove
the importance of speaking skills, Baker and Westrup (2003, p.5) state that:


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Educators, governments, ministries of education and employers need people who can
speak English well. Companies and organizations want staff who can speak English
for international marketing. Good speakers have a great chance of further education,
of finding employment and gaining promotion. It also helps students to access up-todate information in different fields of sciences.

Taking into account the importance of developing EFL speaking skills, Nunan
(2015) listed five basic principles of teaching speaking which were originally
proposed by Bailey (2003):
1. Be aware of the difference between second language and foreign
language learning contexts: Teachers need to consider the global, national,
and local contexts. In addition, the teacher should know how, when, and why
your learners use English outside of the classroom.
2. Give students practice with both fluency and accuracy: These are two
basic criteria for assessing speaking. However, complexity is sometimes
added as the third criteria. Complexity is the ability of using complicated
sentence structures.
3. Provide opportunities for students to talk by using group work or pair
work and limiting teacher talk: This principle emphasizes the importance
of collaborative work which increases the talking time of students.
4. Plan speaking tasks that involve negotiation of meaning: The negotiation
of meaning relates to the situation that requires the students to clarify the
information which may lead to misunderstandings.
5. Design classroom activities that involve guidance and practice in both

transactional and interactional speaking: Transactional and interactional
speaking dominate daily language use, thus, should be constructed into
teaching speaking.
It came to the conclusion that in EFL classrooms, teaching speaking was extremely
significant since it brought students opportunities to use language in a safe


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environment. This resulted in the establishment of automatic usage in language
users. In other words, learners could produce utterances “without very much
conscious thought” (Harmer, 2007).
2.2 Generic skills
In the context of the comprehensive education, students are required to establish not
only language skills but also social or generic skills. Therefore, generic skills play
an important role in students’ study and their daily life. It requires EFL teachers to
help their students to form generic skills in their own classrooms, which lead to the
success in students’ life and future profession.
2.2.1 Definitions of generic skills
In terms of generic skills, Muehl and Sholl (2004) states that it is advisable to “find
agreement on terminology that is acceptable to all stakeholders - schools, VET,
higher education, employers, individuals, and communities and which recognizes
that the new agenda of generic skills for the 21st century is about essential life skills
as well as enterprise and employability skills” (p.85). In her study, Elkin (2012,
p.14) suggests that:
Generic skills are high-order, transferable skills that are common to almost all
complex endeavors. They include skills such as communicating, problem-solving,
curiosity, patience, flexibility, purpose, persistence, resilience, courage and creating that apply across all specific fields. They enable us to organize, adapt, and
strategically apply our specific skills in new situations and circumstances.

In addition, the Mayer Committee defined key competencies as:
… generic in that they apply to work generally rather than being specific to work, in
particular, occupations or industries. This characteristic means that the key
competencies are not only essential for participation in work but are also essential for


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effective participation in further education and in adult life more generally.
(Australian Education Council, Mayer Committee 1992, p.7)

Further, in simulations, generic skills also lead to the establishment of new skills
which help people succeed in managing and adapting changes in the face of
adversity. Generic skills are essential because working and learning need flexibility
and the capability of undertaking various tasks at the same time. Moreover, generic
skills motivate students to become reflective and self-directed (Hager, Holland, &
Beckett, 2002). Singh & Gera (2015) add that generic skills encourage learners to
organize and strategically adapt specific skills in new circumstances. In addition,
generic skills assist leaners produce new skills to manage and adapt to various
situations. Generic skills are important as work and life are becoming more and
more complex and asking learners for the capacity of taking over different tasks and
learning from their doing and experience.
2.2.2 The nature of generic skills
While there has been no agreement on the framework for generic skills, the Mayer
Key Competencies (1992) classifies generic skills into seven competencies, which
each individual needs to gain during their work and life. The competencies include
communicating ideas and information; using mathematical ideas and techniques;
working with others and in teams; solving problems; collecting, analyzing and
organizing information; planning and organizing activities and using technology. In
other words, the components of generic skills are communication skills,

collaborative skills, critical thinking, creativity and technological skills (Curtin,
2002).
x Communication skills
According to Harper (2013), communication is the act of conveying meanings from
one group or entity to another through the use of mutually understood signs,
symbols and semiotic rules. Communicative ability not only involves the aspects of


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language like pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar people use but the meaning
they want to transfer to their counterparts accurately in meaningful contexts (Curtin,
2002). The interview process is helpful to effective communication as well as in
people’s profession. In particular, communication skills are most required in
working in groups, where they need to find the best way to show their disagreement
tactfully and skillfully without creating a conflict. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp
active listening, confidence, conflict resolution for effective interaction.
x Collaborative skills
According to Marinez-Moyano (2010), collaboration involves the process of
individuals or organizations working in groups or teams to complete a task or
achieve a goal. It requires leadership and active participation. Team-work results in
the success of teams in overcoming the difficulties. Meanwhile, Barell (2003)
acknowledges that working together helps group members have a strong attachment
to each other and hold hands to solve problems. Each member will be more mature
thanks to useful peer assessment and each other’s performance (Bender, 2012). A
collaborative environment helps people solve all the difficulties in workplace and
their daily life.
x Critical thinking
According to Doyle (2019), critical thinking is the ability to make objective analysis
of certain information or a reasoned judgment. It relates to the evaluation of

information, perceived phenomenon, and research findings. Moreover, critical
thinking can enhance the rationality of the learner. Critical thinking enables people
to improve their process of thinking. Those learners who are good at critical
thinking can produce conclusions from information and distinguish different details
to solve a problem.