Kết hợp tiếng anh như một ngôn ngữ quốc tế vào trong tài liệu dạy nghe dành cho sinh viên năm nhất chương trình chất lượng cao

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

GRADUATION PAPER

INCORPORATING ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL
LANGUAGE IN TEACHING MATERIALS OF LISTENING
SKILL FOR FIRST-YEAR FAST-TRACK STUDENTS

Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, M.A
Student:

Nguyen Phuong Anh

Course:

QH2014.E1

HANOI - 2018


ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
TRƢỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ
KHOA SƢ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH

KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

KẾT HỢP TIẾNG ANH NHƢ MỘT NGÔN NGỮ QUỐC TẾ
VÀO TRONG TÀI LIỆU DẠY NGHE DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN
NĂM NHẤT CHƢƠNG TRÌNH CHẤT LƢỢNG CAO

Giáo viên hƣớng dẫn

: Ths. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hằng

Sinh viên

: Nguyễn Phƣơng Anh

Khóa

: QH2014.E1

HÀ NỘI - 2018


ACCEPTANCE PAGE
I hereby state that I, Nguyen Phuong Anh, QH2014.E1, being a candidate for the
degree of Bachelor of Arts Honors Program accept the requirements of the College
relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the
library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library
should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the
normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the
paper.

(Signed)

Nguyen Phuong Anh
29/05/2018

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To be honest, this graduation paper is the first scientific work of one-hundred
percent mine. From the start of the thesis till the day of submission, I have met with
thousands of pressures and obstacles that no words could express. From finding a
supervisor, finding reference materials, making sense of the materials, collecting data
just to receive refusal, and then again making sense of the collected materials, I was
always swimming in a sea with no island within sight. Luckily, I was not without
saviors and delightful moments. But for these people, I could not manage to swim
through to the submission day. So this acknowledgement is a token of my gratitude to
those who have supported me for the last six months.
Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Ms. Thu
Hang for her continuous support of my study and her knowledge and experience that
guide me to the end of the graduation paper. I would also like to treasure her patience,
motivation, and tolerance for my procrastination. Furthermore, I would also like to
send the deepest thank to Ms. Pham Ha for having been my academic advisor for my
thesis. I could not have imagined where this study could have been destined to without
my supervisor and advisor.
Secondly, I deeply appreciate the participants of this study, the Fast-track firstyear classes and their teachers, who have willingly and enthusiastically participated in
this study.
Thirdly, I would like to sincerely thank my soulmate, Minh Duc, who has
supported me mentally, physically and academically. I have to admit that I benefit a
great deal from exchanging my difficulties with him, even though we are different in
research fields.
Fourthly, I owe my family members a big thank for their spiritual support in
times of hardship and also my cats for entertaining me when I am down. Without them,
I would not have managed at all, let alone finish the graduation paper.

Fifthly, I thank my friends and classmates who have taken time to listen to my
difficulties and helped me when I am in need. Thanks for being sleeplessly together
during those final days of our university life.
Finally, I want to thank myself… for not quitting. As my supervisor said, “You
should be proud of yourself”. I am.
ii


ABSTRACT

The spread of English on a global language has resulted in the emergence of a new
paradigm of English language teaching, English as an International Language (EIL),
which switches the focus from native models to communicative effectiveness and the
equal status of all varieties of English and cultures. This emergence urges scholars,
educators and teachers to reconsider the appropriate approach to design syllabus
materials. In Vietnam, though the goal of communicative effectiveness in English
language teaching (ELT) is acknowledged, EIL syllabus material design remains at the
stage of exploring teachers‟ and students‟ perceptions of EIL. Little attention has been
given to measure the extent to which EIL has actually been incorporated in teaching
materials. This study aims to explore the perceptions of material developers regarding
EIL incorporation in teaching materials and the actual extent of EIL integration in
teaching materials within the scale of listening skill of the course 2B*, Fast-track
program, Faculty of English Teacher Education. The results show that there exists a
mismatch between the material developers‟ appreciation of EIL incorporation and their
modest practices of incorporating EIL in teaching materials. However, due to various
shortcomings, the study asks for more related research regarding the incorporation of
EIL to capture a big picture of EIL implementation.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ................................................................................................. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ iv
ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1
1.1. Background of the study...................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement of research problem and questions ..................................................... 2
1.3. Scope of the study ............................................................................................... 3
1.4. Significance of the study ..................................................................................... 3
1.5. Organization ........................................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 5
2.1. Key concepts in teaching English as an International Language ........................ 5
2.1.1. The spread of English as an International Language .................................... 5
2.1.2. English as an International Language and World Englishes ........................ 5
2.1.3. Features of English as an International Language ........................................ 7
2.2. Teaching English as an International Language ............................................... 10
2.2.1. Changing communicative contexts ............................................................. 10
2.2.2. The need to teach English as an International Language ........................... 11
2.3. Teaching materials in English as an International Language ............................ 11
2.3.1. Definition of teaching materials ................................................................. 11
2.3.4. Traditional teaching materials .................................................................... 12
2.3.5. Principles of EIL material evaluation ......................................................... 13
2.4. Teaching listening skill in Fast-track program .................................................. 18
2.4.1. Teaching listening skill in the course 2B*.................................................. 18
2.4.2. Listening materials in the course 2B* ........................................................ 18
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 21

iv


3.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 21
3.2. Research approaches ......................................................................................... 21
3.3. Data collection methods .................................................................................... 21
3.2. Data collection instruments ............................................................................... 23
3.3 Data collection process ....................................................................................... 24
3.3.1. Participants.................................................................................................. 24
3.3.2. Data collection procedure ........................................................................... 25
3.4. Data analysis ...................................................................................................... 26
3.4.1. Document analysis ...................................................................................... 26
3.4.2. Interviews.................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ....................................................... 28
4.1. Findings from interviews ................................................................................... 28
4.1.1. Different interpretations of EIL .................................................................. 28
4.1.2. Recognition of the importance of teaching EIL in the globalized context . 29
4.1.3. The need to incorporate EIL in teaching listening to first-year students in
Fast-track program ................................................................................................ 30
4.1.4. The perceptions of incorporating EIL in teaching materials ...................... 31
4.2. Findings from document analysis...................................................................... 33
4.2.1. Evaluation of the sources of the teaching materials ................................... 33
4.2.2. Overview of the EIL integration in teaching materials of listening skill ... 35
4.2.3. Material evaluation by specific principles .................................................. 38
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 46
5.1. Summary of major findings ............................................................................... 46
5.1.1. The perceptions of integrating EIL in teaching materials .......................... 46
5.1.2. The extent of EIL inclusion in the teaching materials of listening skill ..... 47
5.2. Implications ....................................................................................................... 48
5.3. Limitations of the study ..................................................................................... 49

5.4. Suggestions for further studies .......................................................................... 49
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 50
v


APPENDIX 1: LIST OF 2B* COURSE MATERIALS ......................................... 55
APPENDIX 2: CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING EIL TEACHING
MATERIALS.............................................................................................................. 56
APPENDIX 3: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS RECORD ............................................ 58
APPENDIX 4: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS............................................................ 60
APPENDIX 5: SAMPLE OF INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT ................................. 61

vi


ABBREVIATIONS

EIL

English as an International Language

ELT

English language teaching

ESL

English as a Second language

FELTE

Faculty of English Language Teacher Education

NS

Native speaker

NNS

Non-native speaker

ULIS

University of Languages and International Studies

VNU

Vietnam National University

WE

World Englishes

ELF

English as lingua franca

EGL

English as global language

vii


LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1

Kachru‟s three circle of World Englishes (Kachru, 1992)

Figure 3.2

Summary of data collection procedure

Figure 4.3

Material evaluation by EIL material evaluation principles

Figure 4.4

The level of EIL integration by sub-criteria

Figure 4.5

The correlation between the teaching contents and the
incorporated varieties of English

LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1

Summary of sources of data

Table 4.1

The total number of collected documents and the distribution by
type of listening activity

Table 4.2

The EIL integration in different types of materials

Table 4.6

One example of local culture in the teaching materials

viii


CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study
The imperialism, colonization as well as globalization have resulted in the
spread of English as a means for international communication with a tremendous
scope. Nowadays, English becomes the official language of 88 countries, including 60
sovereign and 28 non-sovereign states (British Council, 2014) and the most common
second language in the world (McKay, 2012). In different parts of the world, English is
used as the language of communication, of international diplomacy, in international
working environment, of research and publishing and for information sharing (McKay,
2012). In language education, English is the most widely taught foreign language
(McKay, 2012).
Because of the geographical spread of English, the number of English speakers
from countries where English is not mother tongue outnumbers the number of native

speakers by three to one (Seidlhofer, 2011, cited in Garcia, 2013). Hence, English is no
longer the language of native speakers (NS), but its ownership has now been reclaimed
“to the people who speak it” (Norton, 1997, p. 427). Indeed, following the widespread
use of English, English takes on the characteristics of people who speak it. Non-native
speakers of English (NNS) adapt English both structurally and pragmatically
(Widdowson, 2003) to fit with the local use of English.
The spread of English and the reclaimed ownership of English have led
scholars, educators, teachers, and students to the question of what pedagogical
approach to adopt. The traditional English language teaching (ELT) approach has been
in favor of native speakers‟ models as it is believed that this would allow them to
communicate with NS (McKay 2002). Nonetheless, in the time when English is widely
promoted in every educational system, especially in countries which English is
acquired as a foreign language, it is important to understand communication is not
restricted between native and non-native speakers only, but “include native-to-nonnative and non-native-to non-native interaction” (Truong, 2004, p. 4). In the same light,
speakers of English as a foreign language (EFL) are often exposed to English speakers
1


from English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries. It means that pedagogical
approaches should be compatible with the learners‟ needs for communication
(Matsuda, 2003). The implications for English language teaching lies in the needs to
adopt an approach to teach English and design syllabus materials that is both contextsensitive and suit the local needs. Following such implications, English as an
International Language (EIL) has emerged as a new paradigm of ELT, which various
scholars have based on to develop syllabus materials.
1.2. Statement of research problem and questions
Much to the current status of World Englishes “as a legitimate alternative to the
traditional English as a Second Language (ESL)” (Matsuda, 2003, p.719) and the needs
to acquire different varieties of English, EIL is still in the center of debate in the
countries where English is learned as a second and a foreign language. In those
countries, the traditional ELT approach has been embracing British and American

English as the model for curriculum and material development, while EIL has a modest
attention in ELT. In the context of Vietnam, incorporating EIL in language teaching are
under constraints because of two reasons. Firstly, the practices of teaching and learning
English remain under the influence of Inner-circle countries (Do, 2012). Secondly,
there are challenges regarding teachers‟ capacity, assessment, environment for practice
and limited materials (Phan, 2017).
However, in the Faculty of English Teacher Education (FELTE) of University
of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), the integration of EIL in teaching
English has been seriously considered and implemented. According to Do (2012), “The
non-native approach to language teaching has been formed within a segment of
teaching staff and it is battling against the traditional native approach. Much
improvement in teaching materials and methods has been made towards involving
more Englishes.” (p.82). It means that even though EIL has started to receive attention
from teachers and educators in the university, the implementation of EIL is still in its
infancy and it encounters plentiful challenges.

2


Within the context of EIL inclusion in teaching practices, the previous studies
have been conducted and they have contributed to examining the changing status of
English (Doan, 2014), teachers‟ and students‟ beliefs about EIL methodology (Do,
2012) and their perceptions of and attitudes towards EIL (Phan, 2016). Given the EIL
paradigm shift, nonetheless, few studies address the extent to which or the way in
which EIL has actually been integrated into teaching materials. Acknowledging this
gap, the research is designed to seek answers to the following questions:
1.

What do the material developers of listening skill for first-year fast-track

students at Faculty of English Language Teacher Education perceive of integrating
English as an International Language in teaching materials?
2.

To what extent is English as an International Language incorporated in the

teaching materials of listening skill for first-year fast-track students at Faculty of
English Language Teacher Education?
1.3. Scope of the study
Incorporating EIL in teaching English into educational system has gained
numerous space in the discussions among scholars all over the world and it necessitates
a comprehensive study to accommodate the matter. However, within the limit of a
graduation thesis, it is impossible to conduct the research universally. Hence, the scope
of the research is only teaching materials of listening skill for first-year fast-track
program, FELTE, ULIS. Specifically, the study is conducted on the scope of in-class
syllabus materials including listening materials and handouts of the course 2B*, with a
particular focus on listening skill. Selected materials for research are chosen due to its
compatibility with the purpose of the study, which is to examine the integration of EIL
in teaching materials of listening skill. Particularly, they are the materials used to teach
Topic-based listening, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation.
1.4. Significance of the study
The research will make significant contributions to the practices of EIL
pedagogy in different ways. Firstly, together with previous studies on EIL pedagogies,
this study is bound to reinforce the rationale for incorporating EIL in teaching materials
3


corresponding learners‟ needs, which is currently earning a moderate status in
Vietnam. The way in which EIL is integrated into teaching materials of listening skill
serves as a reference for universities and institutions in Vietnam to design their own

EIL courses. Secondly, it will create research gaps for further investigation on this
matter. Thirdly, when the research has been finished, it will probably reveal the
shortcomings in terms of material development in the subject. In this way, the
drawbacks are recognized, which allows room for proper adjustments from the course
developers and material developers. Finally, the research especially benefits students at
ULIS. The study will help to raise the awareness of learning EIL for international
communication among FELTE students. As students at FELTE are English-majored
students, whose future career involves frequent exposure to both native and non-native
English speakers, it is important that they are aware of different varieties of English
and multiculturalism for communication effectiveness.
1.5. Organization
The study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter aims to introduce the
statement of the research problem and the research questions in general. The second
chapter reviews the theoretical framework related to the spread of English that
necessitates the need to teaching EIL, the distinctions of EIL and WE, and principles
for evaluating teaching materials in the light of EIL. This chapter also gives a general
account of the scope of the study, which is the course 2B* and the materials used to
teach listening skill. In the third chapter, the methodology which the study follows to
generate the results is described in details. The methods for researching involves the
integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches, with the instruments of semistructured interviews and document analysis. Based on the third chapter, the findings
are analyzed and thoroughly discussed in the fourth chapter. The final chapter
summarizes the themes arisen from the findings as well as drawing out the possible
pedagogical implications. The chapter ends with a highlight of the limitations of the
study and suggestions for further research.

4


CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Key concepts in teaching English as an International Language

2.1.1. The spread of English as an International Language
There is one common assumption that the status of „international‟ that a
language gains is based on the number of native speakers. If this is the case, then there
raises a question of why Mandarin (1,197 million native speakers) or Spanish (406
million native speakers) cannot be called an international language (McKay & Brown,
2016) whereas English (350 million native speakers) is called an international
language. The answer is manifested in two factors: the geographical distribution of that
language and the spread of a language by the native speakers of other first languages
(McKay, 2002). Even though Mandarin and Spanish have far more native speakers
than English, English is actually spoken by far more second language users
(approximately 1150 million) (Statisia, 2017). Furthermore, as mentioned in Chapter 1,
88 sovereign and non-sovereign states recognize English as an official language. Based
on these facts, indeed, English can be considered an international language and it has
achieved “an unprecedented scope” (Alptekin, 2005, p.1) that no other languages can
be a match to.
To achieve such tremendous scope, the original English has undergone
milestones to reach its current global status nowadays. First, as a result of technological
advances, English has been brought to the world and emerged as the most widely
spoken languages in all fields (Crystal 1997, cited in Marlina, 2014) such as science,
technology, media, and education. Second, English has attained its global scope thanks
to the special role that an increasing number of countries entitle to it (Crystal, 1997).
This special role is not only acknowledged in the native countries but also in countries
where it is used as a second or foreign language.
2.1.2. English as an International Language and World Englishes
English as an International Language
The term “English as an International Language” is defined inconsistently by
various scholars. According to Marlina (2018, p.20), EIL is variously defined as “the
5

functions or uses of English in international contexts” (Mastuda & Friedrich, 2010), “a
variety of English” by Tomlinson (2003) and (Winddowson, 1997) and a newly
emerged “paradigms or perspectives” in ELT (McKay, 2002; Sharifian, 2009).
Within the scope of this study, the definition of EIL is drawn from the third
standpoint. According to Marlina (2018), as a paradigm or perspective, EIL embraces
the recognition of international functions of English and its use in a wide range of areas
by speakers of diverse cultural backgrounds. However, Sharifian (2009) also notes a
possible misunderstanding related to EIL, that is the use of the word “English” together
with an adjective probably implies a particular variety such as Singaporean English or
Malaysian English. Because of the confusion caused by the word „international‟, it is
essential to bear in mind that there exists no single variety of English that serve the
purposes of international communication. This means that instead of focusing on one
particular variety, it should be the pluricentricity of English that EIL paradigm
emphasizes. In the international communicative contexts, speakers of diverse language
backgrounds are able to employ a variety or varieties of English that they are most
familiar with and use various communicative strategies in making meaning, negotiating
meaning and communicating (Marlina, 2018). Through the lends of EIL paradigm,
researchers, scholars and educators can


revisit and reconsider their ways of conceptualizing English;



reassess their analytical tools and the approaches they adopt in the
Sociolinguistics of English and Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL) disciplines; and



revise their pedagogical strategies for English language education in the light of
the tremendous changes that English has undergone as a result of its global
expansion in recent decades. (Marlina, 2018, p. 21)

World Englishes
Besides EIL, there are also other terminologies that are often considered
synonymous with EIL such as World Englishes (WE), English as a lingua franca

6


(ELF) and English as a global language (EGL). However, it is essential to realize the
characteristics of each of these terms to avoid confusion.
Firstly, the term „World Englishes‟ embodies a multitude of definitions which
are inconsistently used by scholars. According to Marlina (2018), World Englishes are
commonly interpreted in three ways: (1) a reference to all varieties of Englishes, (2)
„new Englishes‟ in such countries which were previously colonized and then made
English their additional language and (3) the Kachruvian pluricentric approach with
three concentric circles, which would be later explained in this chapter. According to
Marlina (2018), in a broader sense, „World Englishes‟ (with the capitalized „W‟) is
understood as the third interpretation. This broad use of World Englishes is equated
with EIL because they both centre on the idea of recognizing the legitimacy of
different varieties of English. Meanwhile, the term „world Englishes‟ (with no
capitalized „w‟) is distinguished as either all varieties of English or the „new Englishes‟
(Marlina, 2018). With the aim of the study, which is to discover the integration of EIL
in teaching materials, both of the terms „World Englishes‟ and „world Englishes‟ are
used, yet bearing in mind such distinctions.
Secondly, ELF is used to name the language spoken by speakers from various
linguistic and cultural backgrounds, whose English is not their first language
(Seidlhofer 2005). By ELF, speakers from the countries with English as mother tongue

should be excluded from the circle. Hence, ELF is not an alternative to EIL or WE.
Instead, ELF will be used to refer to the shared code among speakers of English as a
second language or a foreign language.
Thirdly, the term EGL does suggest the establishment of English on the global
scale (Crystal 2003). Therefore, in this research, EGL is used to draw attention to the
global status of English.
2.1.3. Features of English as an International Language
2.1.3.1. Kachru‟s circle of World Englishes
Following the spread of English internationally, Kachru (1990) classifies
English into three concentric circles according to how it is acquired and how it
7


operates. In this model, Inner Circle represents countries that use English as their
mother tongue, typically the U.K, the U.S, Australia and so on. The language used by
people from Inner Circle countries is regarded as Standard English or “norms”
(Kachru, 1992, p.5). Outer Circle includes countries which were the previous colonies
of Inner- Circle countries such as Singapore, India, the Philippines and Kenya. In those
countries, English gains an official status and is additionally spoken beside their own
languages. The final category is Expanding Circle with such countries as Brazil, China,
Japan and Vietnam. In the Expanding-circle countries, English is taught as a
compulsory subject and regarded as “the most popular foreign language” (Phan, 2016,
p.40). Figure 2.1 shows Kachru‟s model together with the number of speakers within
each circle.
Since it was first proposed, Kachru‟s model has been widely accepted and
considered the most renowned model in the field, firstly for the awareness and
appreciation of the existence of varieties of English that it raised (Rajadurai, 2005) and,
secondly for the usefulness of this framework as a tool of WE research (Phan, 2016).
However, the concentric circles met with criticisms from scholars worldwide. On one
hand, McKay and Brown (2016) contend that Kachru‟s categorization oversimplifies

the current state of English use because there are bound to be changes in the status of
English use in different parts of the world (Graddol, 1997; Jekins, 2009). Even Kacrhu
(1985, as cited in Rajadurai, 2005) himself noticed the grey areas between the circles
which cause confusion in defining the status of English in some countries such as
South African and Jamaica. On the other hand, the location of native countries in the
centre and inner position seems to create a conflicting connotation that English from
native countries serves as the core, the correctness and the model for acquiring the
language (Graddol, 1997). This somehow results in linguistic imperialism of English
from Inner-Circle countries and marginalism of other varieties of English.
Despite such criticisms, the concentric circle continues to be used by scholars on
EIL or World Englishes for research on a global scale (Marlina, 2018). Therefore, the

8


categorization will be used as a theoretical framework for this research, yet bearing in
mind the changing state of contemporary English use nowadays.
Figure 2.1: Kachru‟s three circles of World Englishes (Kachru, 1992)

2.1.3.2. Characteristics of world Englishes
In such contexts where English is additionally used along the first language like
in Outer- and Expanding- Circle countries, there appear influences of mother tongue on
the use of English (McKay & Brown, 2016). This happens because despite the official
status of English in a country, it is impossible to assume that all the citizens in that
country can speak English fluently. They need to develop “a kind of patterns people
find easier to handle” (Honna, 2000, p. 12). Such changes in language use create
different varieties of English or Englishes, which own “their own structural norms,
their own characteristic features and even their communicative styles” (Romaine, 1992,
p. 254).
At linguistic level, some notable changes in the language use are found in

“pronunciation”, “grammar” and “lexical innovation” (McKay & Brown, 2016, p. 7).
9


For examples, in terms of pronunciation, Indian speakers of English often replace the
sounds /θ/ and / ð/ with /t/ and /d/ (Jekins, 2006), so that thought sounds like dot.
Regarding grammar, Singaporean speakers of English have the tendency to not mark
nouns for plural (Jekins, 2006). According to McKay and Brown (2016, p. 9), “Lexical
innovation” is “the coining of new words” and the borrowing of locally spoken
languages. For instance, Thai people use the word tuktuk to talk about their own
vehicle; while Singapore English borrow the word barang-barang for stuff from
Malaysian (McKay & Brown, 2016, p. 9).
2.2. Teaching English as an International Language
2.2.1. Changing communicative contexts
Due to globalization and the advancement of communication technology such as
the internet and social networking sites, the chance of communicating with English
speakers from different cultures indeed increases as one may no longer need to travel
across borders to communicate (Marlina, 2018). This means that the communicative
contexts are no longer as simple as NNS to NS as traditionally assumed, but they can
also involve the interactions between NNSs of multicultures. Besides, as mentioned
before, approximately 1,150 million people are considered EFL speakers, while there
are only 350 million native speakers (Statista, 2017). Based on these figures,
apparently, English learners nowadays have more chance to communicate with NNS
than NS.
In the same light, in Vietnam, according to Doan (2014), under the influx of
foreign nationals (Do, 2006), English comes into use with greater degrees than ever
before (Le, 2006; Ton & Pham, 2010). English is chosen as compulsory subjects in
most universities and schools (Le, 2006). Recently, it has been made the instructional
medium for certain contents at tertiary level (Doan, 2014). Furthermore, Vietnamese
students‟ goal of learning English is not only to complete a compulsory subject but also

to obtain effective cross-cultural communication (Truong, 2004). This necessitates
rethinking the conceptualization of the traditional teaching approach that embraces
only NS norms.
10


2.2.2. The need to teach English as an International Language
Indeed, drawing upon the changing contexts of communication around the
world, many scholars (Matsuda, 2012; McKay & Brown, 2016) have been urged to
revise the current approach for ELT, particularly in terms of both pedagogies and
material development. The traditional NS model, which, within the scope of this
research, are British and American English, has been widely utilized in Outer- and
Expanding- Circle because the ideal environment to learn English is considered
English-speaking countries (Quirk, 1990). Hence, native-like competence becomes the
goals for English learners. However, many EIL scholars (Canagarajah, 1999; McKay,
2002) oppose this view due to the political misleading as well as its inadequate
preparation for students to communicate across the border. Indeed, Nunn and
Sivasubramaniam (2011) have pointed out that international communication can be
effectively demonstrated when learners develop not only linguistic skills but also
sensitivity to different communicative contexts. This aligns with the EIL paradigm in
that it appreciates the learnable ability to cope with unpredictable multicultural
differences and the ability to adapt to various communities (Nunn, 2007a, 2007b). To
that end, it is important that ELT methodologies and materials need to change to be
matched with learners‟ needs, which is context-sensitive.
2.3. Teaching materials in English as an International Language
2.3.1. Definition of teaching materials
Since the research focuses on listening materials used to teach first-year students
of Fast-track program, this section seeks to explore the type of teaching materials and
listening materials which are normally employed in language teaching class.
On one hand, according to Brown (1995), teaching materials or “syllabus

materials” (Marlina, 2018, p. 56) are defined as “any systematic description of the
techniques and exercises to be used in classroom teaching” and include not only
“lesson plans” but also “books, packets of audio-visual aids, games, or any other
myriad types of activities that go on in the language classroom” (p. 139). The ideal
procedure of material development should involve the evaluation and selection of
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existing materials, or the adaption or creation of new materials to serve a group of
learners. Importantly, material design should correspond with the overall language
curriculum, learners‟ needs, and goals and objectives.
On the other hand, in a listening lesson, students benefit from listening to
different sources of materials. According to Kadagidze (2006), listening materials can
be classified into recorded materials and live materials. Recorded materials are the
audio recordings or audio-visuals used for classroom activities and live materials
include teacher‟s talk and friends‟ talk. Each of these types exhibits certain advantages
and disadvantages. On one hand, as stated by Kadagidze (2006), recorded materials
allow room for varieties of English sounds, voices and accents to be presented to
learners. At the same time, students can follow the interactions of different speakers
and their conversation. However, the drawback is clear that there exists no interaction
between listeners and speakers for learners to negotiate for meaning. Kadagidxe (2006)
also noted the advantages of live listening in controlling the content for listening input
and interactions.
Within the scope of a graduation thesis, only the materials that are used for inclass teaching and learning (handouts, recordings and audios-visuals) are to be
examined in the study. Furthermore, because of the difficulties in collecting live
materials, only recorded ones are included in the discussion of integrating EIL in
teaching materials of listening skill.
2.3.4. Traditional teaching materials
When discussing ELT methodologies in the context of EIL, it is essential to
examine various aspects such as teaching methodology, instructional variety and

model, curriculum and teaching materials, language testing and teacher-education
program. In a language classroom, teaching materials hold a significant role to both
teachers and students. Matsuda (2012) points out three significant reasons to research
teaching materials. First, teaching materials provide a source of input for learners. Due
to the limited access to the target language outside classroom, teaching materials
provide language knowledge by means of textbooks or audios, along with teachers‟
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input. Second, apart from distributing knowledge, teaching materials also assist to
build up learners‟ perceptions of the world. For examples, Sach Tieng Anh 8
(Vietnamese English textbook for grade 8) (Hoang, et al., 2015) provides lessons on
Peoples of Vietnam and cultures of different parts of Vietnam, and reflect upon the
diversity of Vietnamese cultures. Third, in today‟s borderless world, teaching materials
are a comprehensive source of input in terms of both language knowledge and culture
for teachers to refer to and prepare students for borderless communicative contexts. For
this reason, teaching materials become the focus of the literature.
The traditional ELT teaching materials specifically designed for classroom use
often embrace the varieties of Inner-circle countries, most dominantly the UK and the
US (Matsuda, 2012). According to Matsuda (2012), the varieties of English, though
legitimately recognized by scholars, educators and teachers, are hardly presented in
ELT textbooks. Furthermore, a great deal of contents follow the varieties of British and
American English as well as their cultures (Matsuda, 2002, as cited in Matsuda, 2006).
Additionally, the representations of English users are frequently described as NS rather
than NNS, while NNS are often associated with learners of English. The frequency of
NNS appearance in teaching materials is also much lower than that of NS (Matsuda,
2012). As a result, the lack of representations beyond Inner-Circle countries poses a
deficit and restricted vision of real communicative contexts on ESL learners. As the
interactions among non-native speakers are quite limited in the current ELT teaching
materials, learners face inadequate learning opportunities and, hence, the risk of

disruptive communication, which would otherwise be addressed with EIL inclusion.
2.3.5. Principles of EIL material evaluation
In order to remediate the lack of EIL in the traditional ELT, altering teaching
models is not enough. Various scholars have proposed that syllabus materials need to
profoundly deal with knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and linguistic skills in
international communicative contexts (Marlina & Giri, 2013; Matsuda 2012; McKay,
2002, 2012). On one hand, Matsuda (2012) postulates five criteria which teachers can
base on when it comes to evaluating EIL materials. They are:
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#1.

Which variety of English is the material based on? Is it the variety my students

should learn?
#2.

Does it provide adequate exposure to other varieties of English and raise enough

awareness about the linguistic diversity of English?
#3.

Does it represent a variety of speakers?

#4.

Whose cultures are represented?

#5.

Is it appropriate for the local context? (pp. 172-77)
On the other hand, Marlina (2018) singles out four key principles of evaluating,

choosing and developing EIL teaching materials. They are:
#1.

EIL syllabus materials should provide students with exposure to varieties of

English;
#2.

EIL syllabus materials should include representation of a variety of multilingual

speakers of world Englishes and of interaction among them;
#3.

EIL syllabus materials should include representation of and exposure to

different culture values; and
#4.

EIL syllabus materials should provide students with opportunities to develop

skills to communicate across differences. (p.25)
The two authors basically agree on the perspectives of EIL material evaluation.
However, while the former principles (Matsuda, 2012) are appropriate for material
selection and development, the latter (Marlina, 2018) appears to be a more suitable
framework for material evaluation. Therefore, it is adopted as the framework for
evaluating EIL materials in this study, yet revised and complemented by Matsuda‟s

criteria (2012). Specific details regarding the EIL material evaluation framework are
presented below.
Principle 1: EIL syllabus materials should provide students with exposure to
varieties of English.
Because of the unavoidable contact with various linguistic varieties in
communication, teaching materials need to expose learners with different versions of

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English (Marlina, 2018). In light of this, material developers should bear in mind the
three following reminders.
First, materials should raise students‟ awareness that the variety of English that
they acquire and use is just one in the myriad of English varieties, and it may not
coincide with the varieties that other speakers use in real communication. At the same
time, such awareness should orient students towards the legitimacy of different
varieties from speakers of various linguistic backgrounds (Marlina, 2018). In this way,
if teaching materials only include one single variety of English, students are likely to
favor one English and discard or think of others as wrongful.
However, incorporating random varieties of English in teaching materials is not
a recommended choice in material development. The incorporated varieties of English
should also be taken into careful consideration. On one hand, the varieties of English
employed in materials should be “locally relevant” (Marlina, 2008, p.28). This means
that the varieties employed should match with the context of Vietnam, which is for
cross-cultural communication. Furthermore, the varieties used in teaching materials
should follow the goal of the curriculum and the needs of students (Matsuda, 2012).
Within the scope of this research, the varieties of English should serve the goal of
preparing students to “listen and speak about different aspects of encounters on campus
as well as in daily lives” (Fast-track Program, 2018).
One the other hand, the exposure to different varieties of English is emphasized

throughout the principle it is important to realize that mastering all the varieties is an
unrealistic and unnecessary aim for ESL learners (Matsuda, 2012). However, this can
be remediated by using ready-made materials including varieties of English, supplying
the lesson with authentic materials or providing a lesson focus on Englishes (Matsuda,
2012).
Principle 2: EIL syllabus materials should include representation of a variety of
multilingual speakers of world Englishes and of interaction among them.
Concerning the second principle, in the context of international communication,
where there may be multilingual speakers of English, teaching materials should involve
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