Vai trò của giáo viên trong lớp học kỹ năng nói tiếng anh lấy người học làm trung tâm cách hiểu của giáo viên và thực tế giảng dạy

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

GRADUATION PAPER

THE ROLES OF TEACHERS IN
LEARNER-CENTERED
EFL SPEAKING CLASSROOMS:
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES

Supervisor: Dr. Vũ Hải Hà
Student

: Nguyễn Trần Trâm Anh

Course

: QH2014.F1.E1

HANOI – 2018


ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ
KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH

KHĨA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

VAI TRỊ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TRONG
LỚP HỌC KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH

LẤY NGƯỜI HỌC LÀM TRUNG TÂM:
CÁCH HIỂU CỦA GIÁO VIÊN
VÀ THỰC TẾ GIẢNG DẠY

Giáo viên hướng dẫn: TS. Vũ Hải Hà
Sinh viên: Nguyễn Trần Trâm Anh
Khóa: QH2014.F1.E1

HÀ NỘI – 2018


Supervisor’s name and signature:
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
Date:………………………………………………………………………………

I hereby state that I: Nguyễn Trần Trâm Anh, QH.2014.F1.E1, being a candidate
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL), 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.

Signature

Date

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This paper would not have been completed without the kind support from
my teachers, family, and friends. For the past six months, they have always stayed
beside me and given me strength to overcome all the obstacles in this long,
arduous, yet rewarding journey.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and
appreciation to Dr. Vu Hai Ha, my instructor and supervisor, whose care and
sharing have been a huge source of motivation and inspiration to me. The past six
months have been remarkably challenging, but thanks to his patient guidance and
insightful comments, I was able to sharpen my writing and complete this
graduation paper.
I am also grateful to Ms. Bui Thi Anh Duong for her detailed comments on
my research proposal and progress report, as well as her valuable advice and kind
encouragements.
I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all the teachers and students
who agreed to take part in this research project. Their contribution to the surveys,
interviews, and observations allowed me to gather crucial data to complete this
paper. I really appreciate their time and patience, as well as their intriguing stories
about teaching and learning.
Last but not least, I am indebted to my Mom for her unconditional love and
support. She has always been my best friend, my number one supporter, and my
biggest source of strength for the past twenty-two years. Without her, I would not
be who I am today.

i

ABSTRACT

This research aimed at investigating teachers’ perceptions and practices
with regard to their roles in learner-centered speaking classes, as well as the
difficulties they encountered in implementing their roles in learner-centered EFL
speaking classrooms.
In order to achieve the established targets, both quantitative and qualitative
methods were adopted for data collection and analysis. The data was collected
from six teachers and 221 students by means of three main research instruments
namely questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations.
As revealed by the collected data, the teachers identified themselves to be
facilitators in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms, whose main
responsibilities were to (1) avoid dominating class actions, (2) design instructional
activities that can promote collaborative and authentic learning, motivate students
to speak, and suit learners’ characteristics, and (3) provide detailed feedback and
instruct students how to learn. However, in practice, some learning activities were
perceived by the students to be not as effective, suitable and collaborative as the
teachers expected. Besides, while all the six teachers highly agreed on providing
students with learning sources and study methods, only some of them managed to
do these activities in their classes. In addition, this study also pointed out some
notable difficulties that the teachers experienced such as teachers’ lack of
knowledge, students’ passivity and reluctance to speak, and some other factors
such as big class sizes and poor facilities.
By comparing teachers’ perceptions and practices as well as pointing out
the difficulties, the study has proposed some methods to improve the teaching and
learning quality.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACCEPTANCE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. i
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………...v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................. vi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1
1.1. Rationale of the research ................................................................................. 1
1.2. Objectives of the research and the research questions .................................... 3
1.3. Scope of the research ...................................................................................... 3
1.4. Significance of the research ............................................................................ 4
1.5. Organization of the research ........................................................................... 4
1.6. Chapter summary ............................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................... 6
2.1. Learner-centered approach .............................................................................. 6
2.2. Learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms ................................................. 10
2.3. The roles of teachers in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms ............ 11
2.4. Related studies .............................................................................................. 15
2.5. Chapter summary .......................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................... 18
3.1. Research design ............................................................................................. 18
3.2. Research setting and participants .................................................................. 19
3.3. Data collection instruments ........................................................................... 21
3.4. Data collection procedure ............................................................................. 25
3.5. Data analysis methods and procedure ........................................................... 27
3.6. Chapter summary .......................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .............................................. 28
4.1. Research question 1....................................................................................... 28

4.2. Research question 2....................................................................................... 34
4.3. Research question 3 ...................................................................................... 43
4.4. Chapter summary .......................................................................................... 45

iii


CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 46
5.1. Summary of major findings .......................................................................... 46
5.2. Implications of the study ............................................................................... 48
5.3. Limitations of the study ................................................................................ 49
5.4. Suggestions for further studies ...................................................................... 49
REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 50

iv


LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1. Descriptions of teachers’ role as facilitators by Weimer (2002) ........ 14
Table 3.1. The research participants .................................................................... 21
Table 3.2. Data collection tools............................................................................ 25
Table 4.1. Teachers’ role: design instructional activities, perceived by teachers.......... 28
Table 4.2. Teachers’ role: avoid dominating class actions, perceived by teachers ..... 32
Table 4.3. Teachers’ role: develop learners’ self-awareness as learners and foster
learners’ study skills, perceived by teachers ........................................................ 33
Table 4.4: Teachers’ role: designing instructional activities, assessed by students....... 35
Table 4.5. Teachers’ role: avoid dominating class actions, assessed by students ......... 39
Table 4.6. Teachers’ role: develop learners’ self-awareness as learners and foster
learners’ study skills, assessed by students .......................................................... 40

v


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT: Communicative language teaching
EFL: English as a foreign language
HNUE: Hanoi National University of Education
HSGS: High School for Gifted Students

vi


CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
This chapter sheds light on the background and rationale of the research,
together with its scope and significance. More importantly, this section clarifies
the research objectives and questions, which act as important guidelines for the
whole paper.
1.1. Rationale of the research
Globalization has consolidated the position of English language in Vietnam,
making it the main foreign language to be taught and used in the nation (Do, 2006;
Nguyen, 2017). In this highly integrated world, a good command of English is
necessary for Vietnam to expand cooperation with foreign nations, and for
Vietnamese individuals to enhance job prospects and educational opportunities.
Improving the quality of English language teaching and learning, therefore, has
always been among the nation’s top priorities (Giao Duc Thoi Dai Online
Newspaper, 2017).
Enormous attempts have been made to improve the English competence of
Vietnamese learners, including the adoption of the communicative, learnercentered approach in language teaching programs, as well as in the designation of
curriculum and English textbooks published by Vietnam Ministry of Education

and Training (Hoang, 2007, 2011). Compared to the traditional teacher-centered
approach in which students are often passive recipients of knowledge, learnercentered approach places students in a central position (Cannon & Newble, 2000).
Teaching is directed towards learners and their learning, and students also play a
more active role in their own learning process. With these positive features,
learner-centered approach is believed to bring about positive changes in English
language teaching and learning in Vietnam. It is expected to offer not only deeper
understanding, but also some pivotal skills required by the labor market such as
independence, creativity, and cooperation (Pham, 2010).
For this approach to be implemented successfully in EFL education, the
roles of teachers in learner-centered classrooms need to be clarified (Tudor, 1993).
This is because teachers’ perceptions of their roles will inform their choice of the

1


teaching methods, materials and activities, which directly affect their students’
learning. In some classes, the implementation of learner-centered approach did not
yield its desired effects as the teachers lacked the knowledge about their new roles,
as well as the activities that could be held in learner-centered lessons (Tawalbeh
& AlAsmari, 2015). In some other classes, teachers’ misconceptions of learnercentered approach have resulted in incorrect application of the approach, thus
negatively affected the students’ learning (Garvin, 1991). Indeed, teachers play a
decisive role in the implementation of learner-centered approach. The transition to
learner-centered education “will not take place without the support and the
commitment of teachers” (Vandenberghe, 1984, p.14).
To date, a growing body of research has been conducted on the
implementation of learner-centered approach in EFL classrooms. However, most
of these studies investigated the application of learner-centered approach in other
countries (Tawalbel & Alasmari, 2015; Zeki & Sonyel, 2014; Wohlfarth, 2008)
and in tertiary level in Vietnam (Pham, 2010). Few studies have examined the roles
of teachers in learner-centered EFL classes. In the context of Vietnam, even though

the learner-centered approach has been applied in English language teaching for a
comparatively long time (Hoang, 2011), many Vietnamese students are still bad at
English, especially at speaking (Le, 2013; Tran, 2013). Therefore, considering the
importance of teachers’ roles, the need to enhance speaking skills, as well as the
dearth of studies on teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms,
the researcher conducts a study entitled “The roles of teachers in learner-centered
EFL speaking classrooms: Teachers’ perceptions and practices”. As one of the
first studies enquiring into the teachers’ perceptions of their roles in learnercentered EFL speaking classes, their practices, and the difficulties in implementing
their roles, this study hopes to put forward some suggestions to enhance the
effectiveness of the learner-centered approach in teaching speaking skills.

2


1.2. Objectives of the research and the research questions
This research investigates the perceptions and practices of teachers’ roles
of six English teachers at High School for Gifted Students - HNUE who, in the
pilot study, claimed to have applied the learner-centered approach in their speaking
classes. Therefore, the study hopes to examine (1) the teachers’ perceptions of their
roles in learner-centered EFL speaking classes, (2) their actual practices as judged
by their students, and (3) the challenges in implementing their roles. To be more
specific, it seeks answers to the following questions:
1. What are the teachers’ perceptions of their roles in learner-centered EFL
speaking classrooms?
2. How do the students view the roles of their teachers in the actual learnercentered EFL speaking classrooms?
3. What are the difficulties in implementing teachers’ roles in learner-centered
EFL speaking classrooms, as perceived by the teachers?
By gaining insights into the teachers’ perceptions of their roles, comparing
teachers’ perceptions and practices, and investigating the obstacles in
implementing teachers’ roles in learner-centered speaking classes, the study hopes

to suggest several measures to enhance the teaching of speaking skills in light of
learner-centered approach.
1.3. Scope of the research
This research focuses on investigating the roles of six teachers in the
learner-centered EFL speaking lessons at seven classes at High School for Gifted
Students, HNUE. To be specific, it enquires into the teachers’ perceptions of their
roles in English speaking classes in light of learner-centered approach, their actual
practices, as well as the challenges they have to encounter in implementing their
roles.

3


1.4. Significance of the research
Since this research focuses on the teachers’ perceptions and practices with
regard to their roles in learner-centered EFL speaking classes at High School for
Gifted Students – HNUE, it may help to:
(1) Fill in the current research gap about the roles of teachers in learnercentered EFL speaking classrooms. The research may provide a source of
reference for other researchers who would like to conduct studies on this
topic.
(2) Inform policy makers and other educators of these high school teachers’
perceptions, practices and difficulties in implementing teachers’ roles in
learner-centered English speaking classrooms. From these findings, policy
makers and educators might take appropriate measures such as providing
teacher training, or offering further support to enhance the quality of
teaching and learning English speaking skills.
(3) Inform other EFL teachers of their colleagues’ perceptions and practices.
Other teachers might be more aware of their colleagues’ teaching strategies,
as well as the difficulties in fulfilling teachers’ roles in learner-centered
EFL speaking lessons.

(4) Inform English learners about the teachers’ roles, as well as the difficulties
in performing learner-centeredness in class. The learners might be more
understanding and more responsible in learning English.
1.5. Organization of the research
This research paper comprises five chapters, namely introduction, literature
review, methodology, findings and conclusion. Each part has a distinctive
function, yet together, they endeavor to accomplish the objectives of the whole
research.
The introduction justifies the rationale of the study, presents research
objectives and questions and clarifies the scope of the research. Besides, this
section also provides a brief overview of how the research paper is organized.

4


The next chapter reviews existing literature on learner-centeredness,
together with its key concepts such as teachers’ roles in EFL speaking classrooms,
and the difficulties in implementing teachers’ roles. It concludes by presenting
related studies and research gap, which lay important foundation for this research.
The third chapter is research methodology, whose aim is to provide an
insight into how the research is conducted. It is in this section that the research
design, together with data collection and analysis, is elaborated.
The essence of the research lies in the fourth section, the findings. Here, the
data collected from the surveys, interviews and observation process is
systematically presented and analyzed in response to the research questions.
The last main part of the study is conclusion. In this part, the researcher
provides a brief summary of major findings and discussions, draw out conclusions,
acknowledge the limitations of the study, as well as provide some
recommendations for further studies.
1.6. Chapter summary

Overall, this chapter has presented (1) the rationale for the study, (2) the
objectives of the study and the research questions, (3) the scope of the study, (4)
the significance of the study, and (5) the organization of the paper. This section
acts as a guideline for the rest of the paper.

5


CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviews some key concepts related to the study and locates this
research in the existing literature. It is through this review that the theoretical
framework of the study and the research gaps are identified.
2.1. Learner-centered approach
2.1.1. Origin of learner-centered approach
The origin of learner-centered approach can be traced back to the 18th
century, when a philosopher named Rousseau published a book on education
called “Emile” (Tabulawa, 2003; Neumann, 2013). In his work, Rousseau (1762,
cited in Neumann, 2013) criticizes conventional education for its failure to cater
for individual learners’ characteristics as well as its tendency to force learners to
study subjects that might be of little interest to them, or even beyond their grasps.
Education, according to Rousseau (1762, cited in Neumann, 2013), should focus
more on learners, and curricula should be geared towards learners’ needs, interests,
and levels of development.
This theory of learner-centered approach was later revisited and further
developed by other researchers, most notably were Dewey (1956) and Piaget
(1970, cited in White & Harbaugh, 2010) with their constructivism theory. Like
Rousseau (1762), Dewey (1956) agrees that more focus should be placed on
learners. Learners become “the sun about which the appliances of education
revolve, the center about which they are organized” (Dewey, 1956, p.34).
However, Dewey (1956) argues that even though education is based on learners’

characteristics and preferences, teachers need to stick to learning goals to ensure
learning effectiveness. Otherwise, education would be fun, but not beneficial for
learners’ educational growth. Besides, he and Piaget (1970, cited in White &
Harbaugh, 2010) suggest that effective learning requires active participation from
learners. Learners should construct knowledge through learning activities instead
of merely receiving ideas, or imitating and mechanically memorizing information.

6


Regarding English as a foreign language (EFL) education, the emergence
of learner-centered approach is associated with the development of communicative
language teaching (CLT) in the 1970s. CLT is considered learner-centered in the
sense that it shifts the focus from language forms to language functions to cater for
learners’ communicative needs (Nunan, 1989). Additionally, CLT also promotes
learners’ active participation in the learning process by requiring learners to
negotiate and construct meanings through interactions with others (Nunan &
Lamb, 1996).
To sum up, learner-centered approach arose in response to the failure to
cater for learners’ needs and interests, as well as the passivity of learners in
traditional teacher-centered approach. The transition from teacher-centered to
learner-centered approach has marked a significant shift of emphasis from teachers
to learners, and from teaching to learning (Barr & Tagg, 1995).
2.1.2. Definitions of learner-centered approach
Even though the learner-centered approach is generally believed to be a
contrast to the traditional teacher-centered approach, its specific definitions vary
among scholars.
Tudor (1993) and Willis (1996) define “learner-centered approach” as an
educational approach in which key decisions about learning contents and
methodology are made with reference to learners’ needs and learning styles.

Teachers might consider involving their students in the course designing phase by
asking learners to contribute ideas regarding learning goals, learning contents and
activity organization based on their own experience (Bada & Okan, 2000; Chan,
2001).
For Cannon and Newble (2002), “learner-centered approach” means active
learning. Learners are active participants in the classrooms, not passive recipients
of knowledge. They need to participate actively in learning activities through
individual, pair, or group work. Besides, students should also have some control

7


and responsibility with regard to the assessment process, such as peer and selfassessment (Klenowski, 1995; O’Neill & McMahon, 2005).
Having these views combined, McCombs and Whisler (1997) argue that
“learner-centered approach” includes an emphasis on both learners and learning.
It is:
the perspective that couples a focus on individual learners (their heredity,
experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capacities, and
needs) with a focus on learning (the best available knowledge about learning
and how it occurs and about teaching practices that are most effective in
promoting the highest levels of motivation, learning and achievement for all
learners). (p.9)
Specifically, some notable features of learner-centered approach suggested by
McCombs and Whisler (1997) are:
(1) Students should be involved in educational decision-making process (i.e.
deciding learning contents and classroom rules).
(2) Teaching should take into account learners’ abilities, learning styles,
developmental stages and learning needs.
(3) Learners’ perspectives should be respected.
(4) Learners should be active participants in the learning process. Learners’

active construction of knowledge and independent learning should be
promoted.
(5) Learning should take place in a positive environment, which fosters
collaboration and positive interpersonal relationships.
Among the reviewed literature, the definition of learner-centered approach
by McCombs and Whisler (1997) is by far the most comprehensive. Therefore, it
will be the foundation for further discussions in this study.
2.1.3. Learner-centered approach in EFL education in Vietnam
EFL education in Vietnam is often criticized for the lecture-style teaching
and a high emphasis on the acquisition of grammar and vocabulary, which have
resulted in many students’ poor communicative competence (Le, 2013; Pham,
2005). Therefore, the learner-centered approach has been promoted in education

8


policy papers to enhance education quality. The English Language Curriculum at
High School Level (Ministry of Education and Training, 2012) states that:
EFL education at high school level should employ the learner-centered
approach. Teaching and learning should focus on the formation and
development of learners’ communication skills by selecting methods and
learning activities that are appropriate to the teaching conditions, contexts
and learners’ ability. Students must be active learners and teachers’ role is
to guide learners’ learning process. (p.13)
This document underscores the need for EFL education to be learner-centered,
which means attending to learners’ communicative needs and promoting learners’
initiative in learning. The learner-centered approach in EFL education has changed
the roles of teachers and learners. Students become active agents in their own
learning, and teachers only play a facilitative role by providing guidance and
creating supportive learning environment to develop students’ potentials. The

promotion of learner-centeredness in EFL education is in line with Vietnamese
government’s attempt to create learner-centered education as stated in The
Educational Law (Vietnam National Congress, 2005) and The Strategies for
Educational Development 2011-2020 (Prime Minister of Vietnam, 2012).
In terms of classroom practices, the learner-centered approach has
received support from many teachers and has been implemented in EFL teaching
in a number of schools across Vietnam (Le, 2005). The approach has been claimed
to enhance learners’ active and independent learning, as well as creativity and
critical thinking, therefore promoting learning effectiveness. However, in some
classes, teachers’ misunderstandings of the approach as well as the big class sizes
have resulted in unsuccessful implementation of learner-centeredness in language
teaching (Pham, 2010).

9


2.2. Learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms
2.2.1. Definition of speaking
Speaking is defined as an interactive process of meaning construction,
which involves receiving, processing and producing information (Brown, 1994;
Burns & Joyce, 1997, as cited in Florez, 1999). Speakers’ selection of linguistic
forms and the meanings of utterances depend on the contexts, the participants,
speakers’ experience, the environment and speaking purposes. Speaking requires
not only prompt decision-making and smooth delivery, but also appropriate
adjustments when communication problems arise (Bygate, 1987).
2.2.2. Activities in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms
A large number of scholars support the use of pair and group activities in
learner-centered EFL speaking lessons since these activities help promote learners’
acquisition of speaking skills and foster learners’ active participation and
autonomy (Segovia & Hardison, 2009; Storch, 2007). Long (1996) claims that

discussions in group activities expose learners to language input, from which
learners produce output, receive feedback, and then make adjustments to make
their language comprehensible to others. Additionally, dividing classes into
smaller groups allows learners more time to practice the target language, and
enhances learners’ autonomy and responsibility when working with others
(Harmer, 2001; Brown, 1994).
Based on the benefits of pair and group work in teaching speaking, Jones
(2007) puts forward some learner-centered group activities to promote learners’
speaking skills as follows:
 Discussion and sharing: Students are given opportunities to express
their viewpoints on the given topics and receive feedback from their
teachers and friends, which allow them to sharpen their speaking skills.
Discussions are best held in pairs or small groups as they will allow more
talking time for each student compared to whole-class sharings or large
group discussions.

10


 Role play: In this activity, students act out an adopted role. For example,
one student might play the role of a tour guide giving information to a
group of tourists. Role-play improves oral skills because it helps students
“learn by doing”, promote “knowledge retention” and trigger learners’
interest in learning tasks (Julius & Osman, 2015, p.120).
 Information gap: The students are given different pieces of information.
They need to converse with each other to find out the others’ information
to fill in the “gap”. This activity promotes communication skills as it
“simulate real conversations” (Jones, 2007, p.34).
 Problem solving: For problem-solving tasks, students need to work
together to brainstorm solutions to the given problems. These activities

are perfect for speaking classes since they encourage meaningful
communication and, at the same time, enhance group-work and criticalthinking skills.
Overall, these activities might be applied in learner-centered EFL speaking
classrooms to foster learners’ English speaking skills, active participation and
collaboration in class.
2.3. The roles of teachers in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms
2.3.1. Teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms
The implementation of learner-centered approach in EFL speaking
classrooms depends on a number of factors such as teachers, learners, teaching
methodology, materials and learning activities. However, compared to the others,
teachers play a more decisive role (McCarthy, 2015). This is because teachers are
the ones to decide on the teaching methods, materials, and activities, and their
teaching has direct impact on students’ learning. The application of learnercentered approach in teaching speaking, therefore, highly depends on teachers’
support and commitment towards this approach, on teachers’ perceptions of their
new roles, and on teachers’ implementation of their roles in their classrooms
(Vandenberghe, 1984; Weimer, 2002).

11


A large number of metaphors have been employed to clarify teachers’ roles
in learner-centered classes. Learner-centered teachers are described by Ayers
(1986, cited in Weimer, 2002, p.75) as “midwives”, who “empower, guide, and
activate” students. Fox (1983) compares the teachers to the “gardeners”, who help
plants develop by creating favorable conditions such as fertilizing and nourishing.
Hancock, Bray and Nason (2003, cited in Mascolo, 2009) say teachers are
“helpers” who guide students along the learning process. Hill (1980, cited in
Weimer, 2002, p.75) articulates that good teachers resemble the “guides” of a
group of mountaineers, who not only lead the ways, but also foster interactions
among team members. For Barr and Tagg (1995), teachers are similar to

“coaches”, who provide instructions, design activities and facilitate training. It can
be seen that there exist varied perspectives on the roles of teachers in learnercentered classes. Even though to some extent, these metaphors help reveal how a
good teacher in a learner-centered class should be, they are not specific enough to
guide teachers in real teaching contexts.
Compared to other scholars, Tudor (1993) and Weimer (2002) offer a more
detailed description of the roles of teachers who employ learner-centered approach
in their classes. While the former describes teachers as “learning counsellors”
(p.24), the latter considers teachers “facilitators” (p.91).

Despite choosing

different names to describe teachers’ roles, the two researchers agree on certain
responsibilities of teachers in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms.
First, both Tudor (1993) and Weimer (2002) highlight the need for teachers
to design learning activities that not only promote learning but also suit their
learners. Specifically, Weimer (2002) argues that teachers should organize group
activities to foster learners’ communicative competence and collaborative
learning, and give students opportunities to learn from each other. He also
advocates the use of authentic materials and authentic tasks to familiarize students
with real-life situations. However, both researchers agree that the chosen materials
and learning activities should be motivating and suitable to learners’ ability and
learning styles to encourage students’ participation in class. In order to do that,

12


teachers need to be aware of their students’ English competence, as well as the
students’ preferred learning styles. If possible, teachers might involve the students
in the course planning process so that students may contribute ideas about factors
such as learning goals, course content and the selection of methodology. However,

teachers should play the ultimate role in making decisions to ensure effective
learning.
Second, Tudor (1993) and Weimer (2002) agree that teachers should
promote learners’ self-awareness as language learners and develop learners’
learning skills. This might be achieved by teachers giving detailed feedback to help
their students identify their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers may also guide
students to be aware of learning goals, as well as suggest learning sources and
strategies to help students achieve those learning targets. To enhance students’
learning, teachers might also model how to solve certain tasks so that students may
observe the whole process, learn the skills, and follow accordingly.
However, unlike Tudor (1993), Weimer (2002) adds another responsibility
of teachers, which is to avoid dominating class actions. He asserts that “teachers
have a serious propensity to tell students everything” (p. 83). However, he points
out that these practices impede learners’ active thinking and reduce learning
effectiveness. Teachers might reduce their talking to promote students’ selfdiscovery and learning autonomy. Instead of always telling, teachers should elicit
learners’ responses to the tasks. For example, teachers might ask guiding questions
to help learners summarize the discussions on their own.
Overall, both Tudor (1993) and Weimer (2002) provide specific indicators
of teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL classrooms. However, Weimer’s list is
more comprehensive (see Table 2.1). Therefore, this research adopts Weimer’s
theory about teachers’ role as “facilitators” as a basis for the investigation into the
roles of teachers in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms.

13


Table 2.1. Descriptions of teachers’ role as facilitators by Weimer (2002)
Teachers’ responsibilities

Indicators

Design
instructional
activities that are effective
and suitable for learners.






Avoid dominating class
actions.

 Elicit learners’ ideas instead of always doing the
telling.
 Reduce teacher talk.

Develop learners’ selfawareness and develop
learners’ learning skills.

 Provide detailed feedback to help learners
identify strengths and weaknesses.
 Help students identify learning goals and their
potentials.
 Introduce students to some materials, sources of
learning, and learning strategies.
 Model to help students learn how to approach and
solve some tasks.

Promote collaborative learning.
Use authentic materials and tasks.
Design motivating activities.
Design activities that suit learners’ abilities and
learning styles.
 Involve students in course/ program planning.

2.3.2. Difficulties in implementing teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL
speaking classrooms
The reviewed literature in the previous section suggests that teachers are
“facilitators” in learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms, who organize effective
learning activities, provide guidance and support to facilitate students’ learning.
However, in practice, a number of factors may hinder the implementation of
teachers’ roles in the actual classes.
First, English teachers might be held accountable for the unsuccessful
implementation of their roles in learner-centered speaking lessons. The lack of
knowledge and misconceptions about learner-centered instruction and about
teachers’ roles have resulted in inflexible or wrong application of this approach in
some learning contexts (Tawalbeh & AlAsmari, 2015). For example, some

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teachers understood the term “learner-centered” in an extreme way, that they did
not play any significant role in their students’ learning. Therefore, these teachers
did not give enough guidance and support for their learners as they were supposed
to in learner-centered classrooms, hence, failed to fulfill their roles as facilitators
of learning (Abbasi & Hadabi, 2014).
The difficulties might also come from the learners. As Nguyen (2011)
explains, some learners often passively listen to their teachers’ lectures and take

notes. It is the passivity of these learners that makes it hard for teachers to
successfully implement learner-centered activities, which normally requires active
participation from learners. Besides, teachers might also have difficulty engaging
students in speaking activities as some learners are anxious when they have to
perform in front of others (Horwitz & Cope, 1986, cited in Maouche, 2010). In
short, learners’ passivity and language anxiety put pressure on EFL teachers to
come up with strategies to promote students’ active participation in class.
Besides, there are also some other factors related to the teaching and
learning conditions that hinder the implementation of teachers’ roles in learnercentered EFL speaking classes. First, the big class size at some schools makes it
difficult for teachers to organize and supervise group work effectively
(Kirkpatrick, 1998, as cited in Pham, 2010). In addition, the lack of class hours
sometimes makes teachers opt for the lecturing style to distribute knowledge to the
class within a limited time frame. Furthermore, the poor facilities in some
classrooms have also been reported to limit teachers’ choice of teaching activities
for their students (Tawalbeh & AlAsmari, 2015).
2.4. Related studies
Teachers’ role is an important aspect that needs to be examined thoroughly
in learner-centered education. This is because teachers’ perceptions of their roles
in learner-centered classrooms inform their decisions on the teaching methods,
course content, and learning activities, which directly affect their students' learning
(Williams & Burden, 1997, as cited in Dang, 2006). To date, most previous
empirical research has focused on learner-centered activities (Roy, 2017;

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Mohammed, 2007), and the impact of this approach on EFL teaching and learning
(Dang, 2006; Amiri & Saberi, 2017). However, very few studies have been
conducted on teachers’ perceptions and practices with regard to their roles in
learner-centered EFL speaking classrooms.

In 2006, Nonkukhetkhong, Baldauf and Moni conducted a study on the
perceptions of teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL classes of five Thai
secondary school teachers. The teachers identified themselves as “facilitators”,
who guided and promoted students active learning through communicative
activities. However, the observed classes revealed a mismatch between their
perceptions and practices. Specifically, most lessons had lecture-style teaching,
with a focus on “analytic study of vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar”, not
communicative activities (p.7). The mismatch was believed to be caused by the
teachers’ lack of knowledge about learner-centered teaching.
Wang (2007) also studied the same topic, but his research participants were
primary EFL teachers in China. The study reported 17 metaphors used by the
teachers to describe their roles in learner-centered EFL classes, some of which
were “knowledge providers”, “army commanders”, “parents”, and “guides”
(p.121). Like the study done by Nonkukhetkhong et al. (2006), Wang’s research
also found some differences between teachers’ perceived roles and their real
teaching. However, the reasons for the discrepancies were not clarified in the
study.
In Vietnam, Chu (2014) investigated the perceptions of 36 university
lecturers with regard to their roles in learner-centered EFL classes. Viewing
themselves as “facilitators”, “activity organizers”, “fire lighters” (p.132), these
EFL university lecturers emphasized the need to design activities that suit learners’
needs and characteristics. However, their teaching did not completely match their
perceptions. This study did not clarify the difficulties or problems the teachers
experienced in implementing their roles.
Overall, the review of key concepts and related studies has pointed out the
varied perceptions of teachers’ roles in learner-centered EFL classes, as well as the

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