Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemGestures : improving spoken English for Vietnamese tertiary learners of English in Vietnam( 2004)This study investigates the use of co-speech gestures by Vietnamese tertiary learners of English, and the communicative effects of their use of gesture on Vietnamese and native speakers of English. A group of volunteer Vietnamese students were videoed performing three speech acts in English: a monologue, a conversation and a discussion. Two groups of English teachers - one Vietnamese and one American - viewed these performances. The viewers' free and guided responses to each performance were elicited through questionnaires and attitude surveys. Responses were categorised, grouped and frequencies of each were compared to show common trends and differences in their views of the students' body movements and gestures. The types and frequencies of each speaker's gestures were extracted from the videotapes, and looked at in the light of the viewers' free and guided responses. From this, the acceptability of the students' gesture use on the viewers was drawn. The findings of this study show that, with respect to the first part of the enquiry, (i) the students involved all used a range of gestures when speaking English; (ii) students at a lower level of proficiency used Beats and Adaptors more than students at a high level of proficiency; and the male students tended to use more gestures than the females. With respect to the second part of the enquiry, the study shows (i) students' gesture use was generally acceptable to both groups of viewers; (ii) overuse of certain types of gestures, or lack of gestures, were noticed by both groups and aroused negative responses from them both; (iii) native speakers were more strongly negative towards these perceived errors than the Vietnamese viewers were. The study concludes that, contrary to some impressions, Vietnamese students speaking English are physically quite active, albeit males more so than females, but with most meeting a threshold of acceptability from local and native speaker viewers. However, filling gaps in fluency with repeated non-illustrative movements such as Beats, has a negative effect, especially on native speakers.
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ItemFilm as cultural resource for tertiary learners of English in Vietnam( 2009)The goal of English learning in Vietnam today is linguistic proficiency and competence in intercultural communication. Despite the consequent need for access to native-speaker cultural meanings for developing Vietnamese tertiary students of English to this standard, to date the existing instructional conditions have not accommodated this need. The problem lies largely in the use of decontextualised language learning, traditional methodology and, inappropriate textbooks. This study was designed to begin resolving this problem by examining the potential of a target language feature film, "Million Dollar Baby". The aims were to ascertain the affordances of the film for providing access to the designated learners to native-speaker meanings of language, how these might be realised, and at what cost. A theoretical framework of language and culture drawing from the work of Hymes, Halliday, and Bourdieu was established as the basis on which principles and strategies for examining and teaching the fi lm were developed. Firstly, three cultural themes were identified that were significant in the film and of likely continuing value to learners. Secondly, discourse analyses of key scenes manifesting each theme were made using published resources and the opinions of native speaker informants. Thirdly, a set of lessons were trialled with representative volunteer learners in Vietnam, in which the film was shown and the language and cultural aspects of one key scene for each theme taught through an integrated process of informed discussion, embodied experience and personal reflection. The classroom experience was videoed and also documented in teacher and student journals, supported by interviews. Analysis reveals that film can offer a diverse set of language and culture resources for teaching classroom-bound students to access the cultural base of the meanings of language in use. It suggests that a scaffolded process of both guided cognitive exploration and physical experimentation modeled on an actual scene is necessary if students are to perceive and recognise native-speaker meanings as intended. The demands on both teacher and student were not inconsiderable, but were highly rewarding and the results suggest careful exploitation of a suitable film may be a rich seam to follow for developing learners' intercultural competence far from any real social interaction in the target language.
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ItemTrained in the West, teaching in the East: Vietnamese teachers returning from TESOL courses abroad( 2004)This thesis investigates the beliefs, knowledge and implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) by three Vietnamese teachers of English who have studied in postgraduate TESOL courses in the West. Data were collected through extensive conversations with the teachers, classroom observations and interviews with students. The teachers espoused the communicative theory, but they were doubtful and confused as to how it could be realised in practice. Although they were aware of the need to adapt rather than simply adopt CLT techniques that they had learnt, they lacked the confidence and knowledge to generate independent practices. As a result, they tended to realise only a surface manifestation of CLT through activities such as pair and group work and information gap. In their attempt to use CLT, the teachers made surface changes - changes in activities, practices and materials - rather than deeper changes in beliefs and values concerning the teaching and learning process. The result was dissatisfaction as the surface practices failed due to systemic, cultural, and personal constraints. The findings of this investigation suggest that if CLT is to be used in Vietnam, a new way of defining CLT and an adequate theory of action for Vietnamese teachers need to be articulated. Such a redefinition would represent not only common Western individualist values such as learner choice, autonomy and participation but also the more communal values pertaining to Vietnamese society. At the same time, Vietnamese teachers need to become cognizant of, and make necessary adjustments to their more traditional beliefs, to develop a deeper understanding of new possibilities in teaching approaches. To do this successfully they will need to engage in on-going debate and exchange with their peers.
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ItemIncorporating culture into English language teaching in Vietnam( 2005)This thesis investigates the feasibility and educational merit of incorporating the exploration of cultural meanings into English teaching and learning within the constraints of the existing tertiary educational system and practical realities of modern Vietnam. Adopting Halliday's (1978) theory of language as social semiotic as a basic framework, this paper argues that if the meaning of language in use is to be understood, then one needs to go beyond the surface meaning of what is said and written. Reference must also be made to context of situation and context of culture (Malinowski, 1923). Thus texts need to be interpreted by reference not only to linguistic elements, but also to significant social facts, norms and variations, traditions and current challenges, and more fundamental cultural beliefs and values. Data on the meaning of a set of four texts in New Headway, Intermediate (Soars & Soars, 1996a) were collected from the researcher's own experience/knowledge, library resources, eight native English speakers, and from 25 Vietnamese students. These formed the basis of a teaching program on which further data in the form of journals and interviews were gathered. The content of the texts and visuals were analysed using, firstly, Spradley's Domain Analysis (1979) and then Fairclough's (1995) three-dimensional approach to critical discourse analysis. Thus topic, propositions and omissions were categorised and a comparison was made of the understandings they generated for native speaker informants and Vietnamese students of English. Information new to Vietnamese learners was identified as needing to be taught and discussed. The outcomes of the research show that all the texts provided useful material on culture at different levels of depth. From participating in the program, students were able to construct meaning from a wider range of possibilities and began to realise the complexity of meaning construction. They were also led to reflect on their own culture, thus beginning to expand their monocultural and ethnocentric worldview and to develop their intercultural sensitivity and awareness. Although it was a little demanding, the students found cultural exploration educationally valuable. Three further outcomes were not intended, but also generally positive. They were a new program of teaching in which as agent for intercultural learning; new opportunities for students which increased interest and motivation; and, a new role for the teacher, one which made affective and social demands. Considering the research questions in light of the findings, this research project shows that cultural exploration can be done concurrently with language teaching, within the constraints of a normal program and that it is clearly well worthwhile.
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ItemThe washback of the TOEFL iBT on English language programs in Vietnam( 2010)Washback, or the influence of testing on teaching and learning, has received considerable attention in language testing research over the past twenty years. It is widely argued that testing, particularly high-stakes testing, exerts a powerful influence on both teachers and learners, whether intended or unintended, positive or negative. This study investigated the washback of a high-stakes English language proficiency test, the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT), on general English and TOEFL iBT preparation courses in Vietnam. Vietnam, a developing country whose educational philosophies differ from those underpinning the TOEFL iBT, provided a unique context to explore the test's washback. Four teachers were observed and interviewed and teaching materials were collected from four educational institutions in Vietnam. The study revealed that the TOEFL iBT influenced both what and how the teachers taught, particularly in TOEFL iBT preparation courses. The findings of this study have important implications for teaching and learning in Vietnam.