Việc áp dụng phương pháp giảng dạy CLT những khoảng cách giữa lý thuyết và thực hành

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

PHẠM LÊ NỮ TUYẾT NGÂN

THE APPLICATION OF CLT: THE GAPS BETWEEN
TEACHERS’ THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AND
PRACTICES AT BACH VIET COLLEGE

VIỆC ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP GIẢNG DẠY CLT: NHỮNG KHOẢNG
CÁCH GIỮA LÝ THUYẾT VÀ THỰC HÀNH CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TẠI
TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG BÁCH VIỆT

M.A. MINOR THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111

Hanoi, 2014


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

PHẠM LÊ NỮ TUYẾT NGÂN
THE APPLICATION OF CLT: THE GAPS BETWEEN
TEACHERS’ THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AND

PRACTICES AT BACH VIET COLLEGE

VIỆC ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP GIẢNG DẠY CLT: NHỮNG KHOẢNG
CÁCH GIỮA LÝ THUYẾT VÀ THỰC HÀNH CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TẠI
TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG BÁCH VIỆT

M.A. MINOR THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111
SUPERVISOR: PHAN THẾ HƯNG, Ph.D.

Hanoi, 2014


DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP
I certify that this thesis is my original work. No other person‟s work or ideas
have been used without acknowledgement. Except where I have clearly stated that I
have used some of this thesis elsewhere, I have not presented this for assessment in
another course or unit at this or any other institution. I have retained a copy of this
thesis.
Signed:

Date:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This thesis would not have been possible without the assistance and support of

many individuals. I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciation of
these people for their invaluable contributions.
Firstly, I would like to express my warmest gratitude to Dr. Phan Thế Hưng, my
supervisor, for his instructive suggestions and valuable comments on the writing of
this thesis. Without his invaluable help and generous encouragement, the present
thesis would not have been accomplished.
Secondly, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to all participants in the
Faculty of Foreign Languages at Bach Viet College who have made significant
contributions to the completion of my thesis.
Last but not least, my thanks would go to my beloved parents for their loving
considerations and great confidence in me all through these years. I also owe my
sincere gratitude to my best friend, Đỗ Thị Tuyết Sương, and my classmates who
gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my
problems during the difficult course of the study. In short, I offer my regards and
blessing to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of
my thesis.

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ABSTRACT
Since the importance and requirement to communicate in English cannot be
declined, in the current trend of improving quality education, many EFL countries
in general and Vietnam in particular have changed from traditional grammarbased teaching method into communicative-focused approach. However, some
studies have reported that there is still a gap between the theory of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) and classrooms‟ actual practices. The purpose of this
thesis is to investigate the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT, their
understandings about CLT and their practices into their classrooms when applying
CLT at Bach Viet College (BVC). Besides, this qualitative study also tries to
investigate some challenges that prevent these teachers from implementing CLT

into English classrooms at BVC.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEFINITION OF TERMS ....................................................................................... vii
1. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)..................................................... vii
2. Communicative Competence ........................................................................... vii
3. Teacher‟s theoretical knowledge ..................................................................... viii
4. Teacher‟s practices .......................................................................................... viii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... ix
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................x
PART A: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................1
1. Rationale ..............................................................................................................1
2. Aims and Objectives of the study........................................................................3
3. Research Questions .............................................................................................3
4. Scope of the study ...............................................................................................3
5. Methods ...............................................................................................................3
6. Design of the study ..............................................................................................4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................5
1.1. Characteristics of CLT .....................................................................................5
1.2. Principles of CLT .............................................................................................6
1.3. Communicative technique in the classroom .....................................................7
1.4. Roles of teachers and students in CLT .............................................................8
1.4.1. Roles of teachers ........................................................................................8
1.4.2. Roles of students ........................................................................................8
1.5. Challenges of implementing CLT in EFL contexts .........................................9
1.5.1. Challenges related to students .................................................................10

1.5.2. Challenges related to teachers .................................................................10
1.5.3. Challenges related to educational system ................................................11
CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................13
2.1. Participants and setting of the study ...............................................................13

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2.1.1. Participants...............................................................................................13
2.1.2. Setting of the study ..................................................................................13
2.2. Data collection ................................................................................................13
2.2.1. Data collection instruments .....................................................................13
2.2.1.1. Questionnaires ...................................................................................13
2.2.1.2. Interviews ..........................................................................................14
2.2.1.3. Pilot Period ........................................................................................14
2.2.2. Data collection procedures ......................................................................15
2.2.3. Data analysis procedures .........................................................................15
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ......................................................17
3.1. Findings ..........................................................................................................17
3.1.1. Research question 1: What is the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of
CLT? ..................................................................................................................17
3.1.1.1. Theoretical knowledge of CLT and its characteristic .......................17
3.1.1.2. Theoretical knowledge of activities in CLT .....................................19
3.1.2. Research question 2: Do the teachers‟ understandings towards CLT
reflect their actual classroom practices? ............................................................19
3.1.3. Research question 3: What are the difficulties that teachers face in
adopting CLT at BVC? ......................................................................................21
3.1.3.1. Difficulties related to teachers ..........................................................22
3.1.3.2. Difficulties related to students ..........................................................23
3.1.3.3. Difficulties related to educational system .........................................24

3.2. Discussion.......................................................................................................26
3.2.1. The gaps between teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT and their
practices .............................................................................................................26
3.2.2. Difficulties and challenges of implementing CLT in classrooms ...........27
3.2.2.1. Difficulties and challenges related to teachers..................................28
3.2.2.2. Difficulties and challenges related to students..................................29
3.2.2.3. Difficulties and challenges related to educational system ................29

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3.3. Pedagogical implications ................................................................................30
3.3.1. For teachers ..............................................................................................31
3.3.2. For students ..............................................................................................31
3.3.3. For educational system ............................................................................32
PART C: CONCLUSION .........................................................................................34
1. Conclusions of the study ...................................................................................34
2. Limitations of the study .....................................................................................35
3. Suggestions for further study ............................................................................35
REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................37
APPENDIX 1 .............................................................................................................. I
QUESTIONNAIRE..................................................................................................... I
APPENDIX 2 .......................................................................................................... VII
INTERVIEW........................................................................................................... VII

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DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

According to Richards, et al. (1992), CLT is an approach to foreign or second
language teaching which emphasizes that the goal of language learning is
communicative competence. This approach aims at focusing on developing
communicative competence among learners.
2. Communicative Competence
In order to use the language effectively, learners need to develop
communicative competence – the ability to use the language they are learning
appropriately in a given social setting. According to Savigon‟s definition (1972),
communicative competence may be defined as the ability to function in a truly
communicative setting -that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic
competence must adapt itself to the total informational input, both linguistic and
paralinguistic, of one or more interlocutors.
Besides, it is the view of Canale and Swain (1980) that communicative
competence includes grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence,
discourse competence, and strategic competence.
- Grammatical competence involves knowledge of vocabulary and rules of
word formation, pronunciation or spelling and sentence formation which provide
the learners with knowledge of how to express utterances accurately.
- Sociolinguistic competence relates to the ability to use the language properly
in social contexts depending on contextual factors such as topic, status of
participants, and purpose of the interaction.
- Discourse competence concerns the ability of how to combine grammatical
forms and meanings to achieve a unified spoken or written text.
- Strategic competence refers to the mastery of communication strategies
which enhance the effectiveness of communication or compensate for breakdowns
in communication due to limiting factors in actual communication.

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In addition, the concept of communicative competence on Batchman‟s study
(1990) comprises two main factors which are organizational competence and
pragmatic competence. While organizational competence refers to grammatical
competence and discourse competence, pragmatic competence relates to
illocutionary competence and sociolinguistic competence.
In short, communicative competence is the measurement of learning aptitude of
a learner. In an attempt to help learners have the best environment to develop
communicative ability and master the language, teachers need to be active in
implementing communicative approach in order to design lessons which are
appropriate to learners‟ level and various classes
3. Teacher’s theoretical knowledge
According to Shannon (2007), theoretical knowledge, also known as declarative
or propositional knowledge, is knowledge than can be codified or articulated
4. Teacher’s practices
According to Oxford Dictionary, the practice is the actual application or use of
an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BVC:

Bach Viet College

CLT:

Communicative Language Teaching

EFL:

English as Foreign Language

ELT:

English Language Teaching

ESL:

English as Second Language

FFL:

Faculty of Foreign Languages

L1:

First Language

L2:

Second Language

T:

Teacher

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 (Characteristics of CLT as perceived by teachers) ......................................18
Table 2 (The participants‟ recognition of communicative activities) .......................19
Table 3 (The participants‟ rating of laying stress on which activities during teaching
process)......................................................................................................................20
Table 4 (The participants‟ frequency level in engaging students in communicative
activities) ...................................................................................................................21
Table 5 (The participants‟ difficulties & challenges of CLT in implementing CLT
related to teachers) ....................................................................................................23
Table 6 (the participants‟ difficulties & challenges of CLT in implementing CLT
related to students) ....................................................................................................24
Table 7 (The participants‟ difficulties & challenges of CLT in implementing CLT
related to educational system) ...................................................................................25

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
In the general trend of integration nowadays, English is considered as the most
popular language which is used in communication, exchange of economy and
culture all over the world. As a result, the area of English has always become a
special interest because of the importance of English in any scope of social
communication. In Vietnam, learning English has been of importance to all levels.
Since Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO),
more and more investors, who require English as a means of communication, have
invested into the country; therefore, the demand for workforce with good English
has sharply increased. However, the communicative competence in English of
Vietnamese workforce has not met the requirements of the employers. It is proved
that a large number of fresh university graduates have not been employed by foreign

enterprises due to their unqualified English competence. They may have a good
knowledge of grammar and a wide range of vocabulary, but they find it more
difficult to communicate in English fluently. As we know, language educators have
not stressed the need for concentration on grammar, memorization and learning by
heart today, but rather used language and knowledge as a means to communicate
everyone all over the world. Today, CLT is the popular approach they are applying
in classrooms thanks to its advantages. The purpose of the Communicative
Approach is to develop learners‟ communicative competence, so classroom
becomes a favorable environment for learners to take part in using English to
communicate practically and meaningfully. In recent years, there has been an
increasingly interest in using communicative activities. CLT is based on real life
situations that require efficient communication. As Vietnam is in the course of
international integration, it is undeniable that people‟s ability to communicate in
English is thought to be as important as ever, especially in big cities like Ho Chi
Minh City.

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Moreover, as Littlewood (2007) stated that to overcome the limitations of
traditional methods, CLT has been introduced in EFL settings to improve students‟
abilities to use English in real contexts. Learners gradually use the language in
accordance with specific communicative purposes. In fact, successfully learning a
foreign language is determined by how well learners have developed their
communicative competence and how much they are able to apply the
language in real life situations. However, the new method has brought new
challenges, so there is a huge burden upon the teacher. As Nunan (1987, p.136)
pointed out that „while a great deal has been written on the theory and practice of
CLT, there have been comparatively few studies of actual communicative language
practices‟. It is true that EFL teachers are facing a great challenge in turning theory

into practice.
In the Vietnamese context, studies on the implementation of CLT have
investigated two respects: teachers‟ attitudes to and perceptions of CLT (Lewis &
McCook, 2002; Pham, 2007; Sullivan, 1996), and how Vietnamese teachers cope
with conflicts between Western values embedded in CLT and traditional
Vietnamese values (Pham, 2004; Sullivan, 2000). It is clear that teachers‟
perceptions are very important in their decision to implement CLT. With regard to
theory, when using CLT, it is supposed that teachers will make the most of
certain roles that supplement the approach. Nevertheless, it does not seem to be
always true that teachers fully understand the potential of these roles and practices:
it is very important to understand what teachers actually believe and practice in their
classroom (professional life), because these beliefs will influence their teaching
(Raths & McAnich, 2003).
In the same sense, right in the Faculty of Foreign Languages (FFL) at Bach Viet
College (BVC) in Ho Chi Minh City, teachers are encouraged to apply CLT to their
teaching. However, whether they can put this teaching method in practice or not is
still limited. This paper investigates the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT,
their understandings about CLT and their practices in applying CLT at BVC. It can

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be seen that teachers‟ understandings of CLT and their practices do not actually
correspond. Hopefully, the results could serve as a useful source of reference for
those who concern about English teaching and learning.
2. Aims and Objectives of the study
The general objective of the study is to assure the gaps between the teachers‟
theoretical knowledge of CLT and their practices in FFL at BVC, while the specific
objectives of the study in this research are:
1. To find out the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT.

2. To investigate whether there is a connection between the teachers‟
theoretical knowledge of CLT and their practices or not.
3. To find out some reasons for the gaps between the teachers‟ theoretical
knowledge of CLT and their practices.
3. Research Questions
This study will try to answer the following questions:
1. What is the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT?
2. Do the teachers‟ understandings towards CLT reflect their actual classroom
practices?
3. What are the difficulties that teachers face in adopting CLT at BVC?
4. Scope of the study
The study aims to know whether teachers‟ theoretical knowledge of CLT
matches their procedure and action in their classrooms. Hence, the researcher
decides to investigate teachers of English in FFL at BVC. The study was limited
with ten teachers of English in FFL at BVC. The data in this study will be collected
through questionnaires, interviews.
5. Methods
The target population of this study was ten teachers in FFL at BVC. The
investigation was carried out in Basic 4 classes at the second semester of 2014.
These classes are similar to general English classes in many universities and
colleges and are considered to be taught by CLT. Therefore, the researcher would

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easily withdraw information from teachers. A descriptive and interpretative analysis
of the data was done. The collected data were qualitative. The research instruments
used in this study were questionnaire, and interview. The questionnaire was
designed to search for the answers to the research questions. This is a main
instrument to gather the data. Towards the interview, the researcher could obtain

specific qualitative information from questions.
6. Design of the study
The thesis is presented in three parts.
Part A states the rationale for the study, the aims of the study, and the
definitions of related terms and provides the design of the thesis.
Part B includes three chapters. Chapter 1, Literature Review, presents theory of
CLT including definition, the goal, communicative techniques in CLT, roles of
teachers and students in CLT, and challenges of implementing CLT in EFL
contexts. Chapter 2 focuses on the research methodology employed in the thesis,
including the presentation of the research questions, participants, instruments and
the data collection procedures. Chapter 3 presents the data analysis in the gaps
between the teachers‟ theoretical knowledge and their practices. Besides, the
difficulties and challenges in implementing CLT into the classroom also are
presented.
Part C presents the conclusion of the study. Some suggestions for teaching
methods improve English learning and teaching. In addition, the researcher presents
limitation while doing this research as well as suggestions for further study.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
CLT has become popular in English Language Teaching (ELT) since its
emergence in the late 1960s. Besides its quick extension in English as Second
Language contexts (ESL), CLT has been also applied in EFL contexts. In order to
increase the number of learners who are able to effectively communicate in English,
national language education policies in EFL countries have approached CLT since
the 1990s (Littlewood, 2007).
When EFL teachers apply the Western-based CLT model to Asian contexts,

gaps between beliefs about different traditions of language teaching begin to surface
and influence their perceptions of theories and practices of new teaching
methodologies.
1.1. Characteristics of CLT
Since its emergence in the late 60s, CLT has expanded and now is widely
utilized as one of the most prominent language teaching methodologies all over the
world. Richard (1992) emphasizes that CLT focuses on making competence the
goal of language teaching and develop procedures to teach the four language skills
that allow the independence of language and communication. In the same sense,
Lightbown and Spada (2000) also state that the main assumption of CLT is to
achieve communicative proficiency by replicating contextual and purposive features
of real communication.
With the regard of characteristics of CLT, Nunan (1991, p.279) lists five basic
characteristics of CLT, as follows:
 An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target
language.
 The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
 The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the language
but also on the learning process itself.

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 An enhancement of the learner‟s own personal experiences as important
contributing elements to classroom learning.
 An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation
outside the classroom.
The characteristics of CLT above show that this approach focuses on learners‟
needs and desire as well as interacting inside and outside the language classroom.
Therefore, learning English through using communicative language is more

effective than purely learning grammar or practising mechanically. This approach
calls for radically different ideas of language teaching. One major shift is that
language learning has become student-centred. Lessons are designed in such a way
that all the students can involve in interactive activities. Authentic and meaningful
communication should be goals of classroom activities.
1.2. Principles of CLT
As mentioned above, the goal of CLT is to provide learners not only knowledge
of language but more importantly skills of language such as listening, speaking,
reading, writing to aim at developing learner‟s communicative competence. Like
this, the fundamental principle of CLT is to enable learners to understand and use
the target language for communication.
Basing on this purpose, Freeman (1986, p.128) stated the principles of CLT, as
follows:
 Learners must have ability to figure out the speakers‟ or writers‟ intention
and writers in communicative process.
 The target language is a vehicle for classroom communication, nor just the
object of study
 One function can have many forms and therefore a variety of language forms
are presented together. Emphasis is on the process of communication, rather than
mastery of forms.
 Students should be given the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions.

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 A student error is ignored. Errors are tolerated and seen as a natural outcome
of language development.
 Fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy.
 One of the teacher‟s major responsibilities is to promote situations to
encourage communication. Students work at discourse level

 In communicating, we have a choice about what to say and how to say it.
 Whenever possible, 'authentic language‟ - language as it is used in a real
context should be introduced.
1.3. Communicative technique in the classroom
The communicative techniques usually applied in teaching with CLT involve
three types: information gap, tasks and role play. The purpose of these techniques is
to involve students in real communication.
- Information gap: according to Pramesti (2010), an information gap exercise is
the activity where learners are missing information they need to complete a task and
need to talk to each other to find it.
- Tasks: the second popular technique is tasks. According to Willis (1996), a
task is an activity „where the target language is used by the learner for a
communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome‟. Students are asked
to carry out tasks in the classroom with a definite outcome. They work individually,
with a partner or discuss in groups to complete tasks and then share their ideas
together.
- Role play: the last technique which the researcher would like to mention is
role play. Role-play is very important in CLT classroom because it gives students
an opportunity to practice communicating in different social contexts and in
different social roles. In addition, it also allows students to be creative and to put
themselves in another person‟s place for a while.

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1.4. Roles of teachers and students in CLT
1.4.1. Roles of teachers
There is no doubt that the success in teaching is subject to the way teachers give
lessons and implement different techniques to manage the class. In traditional
educational method, learning foreign language is often considered to be the process

of transmitting knowledge from teacher to students, but with the application of
CLT, English teaching and learning now is acknowledged as a discovery. Regarding
to the role of teachers in CLT classroom, Breen and Candlin (1980, p.99), notes the
following central roles:
„The first role is to facilitate the communication process between all participants in
the classroom, and between these participants and the various activities and texts. The
second role is to act as an independent participant within the learning-teaching group. A
third role of the teacher is that of a researcher and learner, with much to contribute in
terms of appropriate knowledge and abilities, actual and observed experience of the nature
of learning and organizational capacities‟.

Additionally, in Littlewood‟s opinion (1981), when students take part in a
communicative activity, teachers who should play a role of „overseer‟ walk around
the class and readily provide students advice or solve their problems. He also
mentioned that teachers should help students engage in activities in classroom, and
students are divided into groups or pairs, and then carry out interaction without
teacher‟s observation. He observed and realized that it will be difficult for students
in order to practice learner-centered activities types if they are not familiar with
procedures. He also suggested that teachers should give them specific instructions
before carrying out a task.
1.4.2. Roles of students
When changing from traditional model to leaner-centered, teachers as well as
students must assume new roles. Once again Breen and Candlin (1980, p.110)
described the role of students in CLT as „the role of learner as negotiator-between
the self, the learning process, and the object of learning-emerges from and interacts
with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom

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procedures and activities which the group undertakes. The implication for the
learner is that he should contribute as much as he gains, and thereby learn in an
interdependent way‟. In CLT, students have to take part in activities in classroom
that are relied on a cooperative rather than an individual way. In fact, according to
Johnson and Johnson‟s findings (1985, p.104), „cooperative learning experiences
promote higher achievement than do competitive and individualistic experiences‟.
Furthermore, in relation to the roles of students in CLT classroom, Hu (2002,
p.95) intends that they are assumed to be „those of negotiators for meaning,
communicators, discoverers, and contributors of knowledge and information‟.
Likewise, Mangubhi et al. (2004), in their descriptions of students‟ roles in CLT
classroom, affirm that students are dynamically involved in expression,
interpretation, and negotiation of meaning. Richard and Rodgers (1986) also agrees
that students are actively engaged in negotiating meaning by trying to make
themselves understood and in understanding others within the classroom procedures
and activities.
In general, this is a learner-centered model, among them both teacher and
students share in the learning and teaching responsibility. In others words, both
teachers and students must co-ordinate during the learning process. This coordination is only achieved when both prepare thoroughly and determine their tasks
clearly straight from the beginning of the class.
1.5. Challenges of implementing CLT in EFL contexts
CLT was originally developed as a Western ELT methodology in the 1970s, but
since then it has been outspreaded in both ESL and EFL contexts all over the world.
Obviously, learning and teaching in ESL environment is different from in EFL.
Many various studies and researches have shown that it is not that much easy for the
teachers especially who are in the EFL contexts to take advantage of CLT in order
to attain the final goal of language teaching with their students. The application of
CLT in FFL contexts has come up against the following challenges.

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1.5.1. Challenges related to students
There are a lot of problems from students. Learners have not participated in
communicative activities actively. The psychology “being afraid of losing face in
public” is also the element which prevents students from taking part in
communicative activities in English classrooms. Being reluctant to practice is one
of the most obstacles in learning English with CLT. Some students get a good hold
of grammar and vocabulary, but they cannot communicate to foreigners because
they seldom make use of it in life. Harmer (1988) also agreed that students are often
reluctant to speak because they are shy and are not predisposed to expressing
themselves in front of other people, especially when they are being asked to give
personal information or opinions. Those are also Smith‟s report (2001) during his
study progress in Korean classroom. Apart from cultural factors above, students do
not have any motivation to impulse their effort in studies. In a study of difficulties
in implementing communicative theory in Vietnam, Bock (2000) concluded that
most students seem to care about coping with examinations which have not checked
learners‟ communicative competence. He also realized that students in Vietnam
only want to look for a job, but most jobs in Vietnam do not require fluent English
ability. Therefore, it does not cost them a lot of time and effort to learn English.
1.5.2. Challenges related to teachers
Based on a study that evaluated the attitudes of Hong Kong educators toward
using CLT in the local context, Chau and Chung (1987) reported that teachers used
CLT only sparingly because it required too much preparation time. In a study of
Karavas-Doukas (1996) investigated teachers‟ attitudes toward the use of
communicative approach in Greece. It was reported that although the English
curriculum in Greece was based on the premises of CLT, teachers showed a
tendency to carry on the traditional teacher-oriented instruction style. The findings
of this study suggested that teachers either did not understand or were unable to see
the practical implications of the CLT principles. Besides, according to Li‟s study
(1998) looked into Korean teachers' perceptions of the implementation of CLT, the

10


results confirmed that the teachers encountered difficulties in using CLT practices
in their classes. The difficulties reported by the Korean teachers were deficiency in
spoken English, and in strategic and sociolinguistic competence. They were lack of
training in CLT, as well as few opportunities for retraining in CLT. In addition,
teachers met with misconceptions about CLT. As we know the advantages of CLT
are evident, but when applying it in practice, there are a lot of teachers who remain
certain misconceptions about it. Thompson (1996) identified four main
misconceptions about CLT, that: 1) CLT ignores grammar; 2) CLT means teaching
speaking only; 3) CLT equals doing pair work and group work, such as role plays;
and 4) CLT demands too much from teachers in terms of time, skills, and energy. In
Ellis‟s study in Vietnam (1994), he found that one of the main problems in using a
communicative approach in Vietnam was that teachers were too dependent on the
inherent traditional teaching practices. This problem, according to Ellis, was
compounded by two traditional practices: the cultural reluctance of the Vietnamese
to challenge written words, and the focus on grammar-translation in the
examination system.
1.5.3. Challenges related to educational system
Large classes are also a challenge in implementing CLT in EEL contexts. A
scientific report of Nauman (2001) showed that an English class in Asia may have
many students to 130. In the same way, Bock observed the average size of
Vietnamese classrooms was 65 students. Ky (2002) confirmed that large size
classes like that is really obstacle in implementing CLT. Again, Li (1998) also
found that teachers of English in South Korea ran into difficulties with the
implementation of CLT due to the large number of students in their classes.
According to Li (1998, p.694), „the teachers found it very difficult, if not entirely
impossible, to use CLT with so many students in one class because they believed

that oral English and close monitoring of class activities were essential in CLT‟.
The next challenge which the writer would like to mention is the inconsistence
between teaching and examinations. A study of Jazadi (2000) found out that a test

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system of Indonesia with comprehensive multiple and right answer choice is a cause
of creating difficulty in implementing CLT. Jazadi identified that in reality such
tests make the use of language to communicate in class not important at all or even
useless. Because of this reason, both teachers and students focus on learning to deal
with examination.

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CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY
2.1. Participants and setting of the study
2.1.1. Participants
This study will focus on ten Vietnamese teachers of English who have been
teaching at BVC for more than one year. Out of these participants, 8 of them are
female, and the rest are male. The majority of the participants are between 25 to 40
years old. Regarding the academic degrees earned by the participants, five of them
are a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the rest Master of Arts (M.A.). As with the
teaching experience of the participants, it varies from one year to 14 years. Among
the participants, three teachers have 1-3 years of teaching experience, five of them
have 4-6 years of experience, and two others have 10-14 years of teaching
experience. To follow this study easily, the researcher would call the teachers in
turn from T1 to T10.
2.1.2. Setting of the study

This study was conducted during the second semester of 2014 at BVC. 10
teachers are teaching General English. General English classes are on Mondays and
Wednesdays. On Mondays, students learn vocabulary and listening skills. On
Wednesdays, they learn grammar and reading skills. All classrooms were set up in
rows of fixed chairs and desks, and there was a large white erase board on the wall
and other equipment such as projectors in all the rooms, and the teachers stood at
the front the class for the entire duration of the class.
2.2. Data collection
2.2.1. Data collection instruments
2.2.1.1. Questionnaires
The questionnaires are designed to search for the answers to the research
questions. The employment of this method as a main data collecting instrument is
not only for later qualitative analysis but also for helping the researcher handle a
large number of respondents in a limited amount of time. In order to address our
research matters, a questionnaire (see Appendix 1) was developed by adapting

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