Investigating teachers’ and students’ perceptions of communicative language teaching approach in grammar lessons for first-year non-english major students at Nguyen Tat Thanh institute of international education

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

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NGUYEN THI HOANG TRINH

INVESTIGATING TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’

PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE

TEACHING APPROACH IN GRAMMAR LESSONS

FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

AT NGUYEN TAT THANH INSTITUTE OF

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2022

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

--------∞0∞--------

NGUYEN THI HOANG TRINH

INVESTIGATING TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’

PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE

TEACHING APPROACH IN GRAMMAR LESSONS

FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS

AT NGUYEN TAT THANH INSTITUTE OF

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Major code: 8 14 01 11

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: DO THI HOAI THU, Ph.D.

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2022

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC MỞ CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

KHOA ĐÀO TẠO SAU ĐẠI HỌC

GIẤY XÁC NHẬN

Tôi tên là:……………NGUYỄN THỊ HOÀNG TRINH……………………

Ngày sinh: ………13/03/1992……… Nơi sinh:……Đồng Nai………

Chuyên ngành: …LL&PPGDBMTA…… Mã học viên: …1781401110040..

Tôi đồng ý cung cấp toàn văn thông tin luận án/ luận văn tốt nghiệp hợp lệ về bản

quyền cho Thư viện trường đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Thư viện trường

đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh sẽ kết nối toàn văn thông tin luận án/ luận văn

tốt nghiệp vào hệ thống thông tin khoa học của Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ Thành

phố Hồ Chí Minh.

Ký tên

(Ghi rõ họ và tên)

…………………………………

CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

Ý KIẾN CHO PHÉP BẢO VỆ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ

CỦA GIẢNG VIÊN HƯỚNG DẪN

Giảng viên hướng dẫn: …………………ĐỖ THỊ HOÀI THƯ……………………………

Học viên thực hiện: …NGUYỄN THỊ HOÀNG TRINH… Lớp: …MTESOL017A……

Ngày sinh: …13/03/1992… Nơi sinh: ……Đồng Nai……

Tên đề tài:

INVESTIGATING TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH IN GRAMMAR

LESSONS FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT NGUYEN

TAT THANH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Ý kiến của giáo viên hướng dẫn về việc cho phép học viên Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Trinh

được bảo vệ luận văn trước Hội đồng: Đồng ý cho phép học viên Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Trinh

bảo vệ lại luận văn trước Hội đồng.

Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, ngày 27 tháng 12 năm 2021.

Người nhận xét

Đỗ Thị Hoài Thư

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “INVESTIGATING TEACHERS’ AND

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

APPROACH IN GRAMMAR LESSONS FOR FIRST-YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR

STUDENTS AT NGUYEN TAT THANH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL

EDUCATION” is my own work.

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains any

material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have

qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma.

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text

of the thesis.

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other

tertiary institution.

Ho Chi Minh City, December 2021

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As a young teacher, the process of writing this thesis was the most difficult part of my

life. If there were not some precious people who supported me with their valuable ideas,

this research would not be conducted.

Firstly, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor Ph.D. Do Thi Hoai Thu for her valuable

support in every step of the research. I express my sincere gratitude to her who really

supported me with her invaluable ideas and perfect academic English. Without her great

support, patience and encouragement, I would not succeed.

My special thanks are for my students at Nguyen Tat Thanh Institute of International

Education (NIIE) who provided the precious data for the research. I also thank the Head of

English Department and my colleagues at NIIE for their permission and great support to

conduct questionnaire and interviews.

And I cannot find correct way to express my gratitude to my family. Thank you for

supporting me all through my life. Thank you for being with me not just while writing this

thesis but while breathing. I owe everything I have to you.

Thank you…!

ABSTRACT

In today’s globalized world, English proficiency is viewed as a critical tool for individuals

and the country as a whole to increase their competitiveness. As a result of the great demand

for a new approach and the interest in its prospective route, the Communicative Language

Teaching (CLT) approach was imported into EFL contexts. Vietnam, likewise, has been

reported to have adopted and integrated CLT into its curricula. While the CLT approach is

used, grammar continues to play a significant role in an EFL student’s foreign language

learning. However, studies on teachers’ and students’ perceptions of grammar, specifically

studies on the differences and similarities in teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the

application of the CLT approach to teaching English grammar, have not been found much

in the Vietnamese literature. For that reason, the current study was carried out by employing

a semi-structured interview as a qualitative approach with five teachers’ and nine students’

participation to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the CLT approach in

grammar lessons for first-year non-English major students at Nguyen Tat Thanh Institute

of International Education. The findings of the study revealed matches and mismatches

between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of key components of teaching and learning

grammar in CLT classrooms. Based on the research outcomes, some implications for

educational leaders, curriculum developers and managers, as well as teachers of English

and EFL students, were offered for teaching and learning grammar.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background of the study .................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Statement of the problem................................................................................................... 4

1.3 Purpose of the study ........................................................................................................... 8

1.4 Research questions.............................................................................................................. 8

1.5 Significance of the study..................................................................................................... 9

1.6 Structure of the thesis....................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................... 11

2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Grammar ........................................................................................................................... 11

2.2.1 Definition of grammar ............................................................................................... 11

2.2.2 Significance of grammar teaching to students’ English language learning.......... 12

2.3 Historical developments in EFL teaching and learning grammar in the Vietnamese

context...................................................................................................................................... 13

2.3.1 English Grammar in Vietnam before Doi Moi........................................................ 14

2.3.2 English Grammar in Vietnam from 1986 up to the Present.................................. 15

2.4 CLT .................................................................................................................................... 17

2.4.1 Definition of CLT....................................................................................................... 17

2.4.2 Main principles of CLT ............................................................................................. 18

2.4.3 Teaching grammar using CLT: Benefits and criticism.......................................... 19

2.4.3.1 Benefits of teaching English grammar using CLT........................................... 19

2.4.3.2 Criticism of teaching English grammar using CLT......................................... 20

2.5 Perception.......................................................................................................................... 20

2.5.1 Definition of perception ............................................................................................. 20

2.5.2 The importance of teachers’ and students’ perceptions......................................... 21

2.5.3 Matches and mismatches between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of teaching

and learning English grammar .......................................................................................... 24

2.6 Previous studies................................................................................................................. 26

2.6.1 Studies on the perceptions of teachers toward English grammar teaching

approaches........................................................................................................................... 26

2.6.2 Studies on the perceptions of students toward English grammar teaching

approaches........................................................................................................................... 29

2.6.3 Studies on the gaps between teachers’ and students’ perceptions toward English

grammar teaching approaches........................................................................................... 31

2.7 Research gaps.................................................................................................................... 32

2.8 Conceptual framework..................................................................................................... 33

2.8.1 The importance of English grammar teaching and learning for EFL learners... 35

2.8.2 Students’ motivation for learning English grammar.............................................. 36

2.8.3 Teaching and learning materials .............................................................................. 38

2.8.4 Communicative activities........................................................................................... 40

2.8.5 The use of the target language in the EFL classroom............................................. 41

2.8.6 Cooperative learning.................................................................................................. 44

2.8.7 Feedback in the EFL classroom................................................................................ 45

2.9 Chapter summary ............................................................................................................. 48

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................... 49

3.1 Research methodology overview ..................................................................................... 49

3.2 Study participants............................................................................................................. 50

3.2.1 Research site ............................................................................................................... 50

3.2.2 Research participants ................................................................................................ 51

3.2.3 Researcher description .............................................................................................. 52

3.3 Participant selection ......................................................................................................... 55

3.3.1 Teacher participant description................................................................................ 56

3.3.2 Student participant description ................................................................................ 58

3.4 Data collection................................................................................................................... 60

3.4.1 Data collection instrument ........................................................................................ 60

3.4.2 Data collection process............................................................................................... 61

3.5 Data analysis...................................................................................................................... 63

3.6 Qualitative criteria............................................................................................................ 66

3.7 Ethical issues ..................................................................................................................... 67

3.8 Chapter summary ............................................................................................................. 68

CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION............................................. 69

4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 69

4.2 Teachers’ perceptions....................................................................................................... 69

4.2.1 The first dimension: Learning goals......................................................................... 69

4.2.1.1 The importance of English grammar teaching and learning for EFL learners

........................................................................................................................................... 69

4.2.1.2 Students’ motivation for learning English grammar ....................................... 72

4.2.2 The second dimension: Teaching strategies............................................................. 72

4.2.2.1 Teaching and learning materials........................................................................ 72

4.2.2.2 Communicative activities.................................................................................... 74

4.2.2.3 Cooperative learning........................................................................................... 77

4.2.2.4 The use of the target language in the EFL classroom ...................................... 78

4.2.2.5 Feedback in the EFL classroom ......................................................................... 79

4.3 Students’ perceptions ....................................................................................................... 81

4.3.1 The first dimension: Learning goals......................................................................... 81

4.3.1.1 The importance of English grammar teaching and learning for EFL learners

........................................................................................................................................... 81

4.3.1.2 Students’ motivation for learning English grammar ....................................... 83

4.3.2 The second dimension: Teaching strategies............................................................. 84

4.3.2.1 Teaching and learning materials........................................................................ 84

4.3.2.2 Communicative activities.................................................................................... 85

4.3.2.3 Cooperative learning........................................................................................... 88

4.3.2.4 The use of the target language in the EFL classroom ...................................... 89

4.3.2.5 Feedback in the EFL classroom ......................................................................... 91

4.4 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 92

4.4.1 Matches between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the CLT approach in

grammar lessons (Research question 1)............................................................................ 92

4.4.1.1 Teaching and learning materials........................................................................ 92

4.4.1.2 Communicative activities.................................................................................... 94

4.4.1.3 Cooperative learning........................................................................................... 95

4.4.1.4 The use of the target language in the EFL classroom ...................................... 97

4.4.1.5 Feedback in the EFL classroom ......................................................................... 98

4.4.2 Mismatches between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the CLT approach in

grammar lessons (Research question 2)............................................................................ 99

4.4.2.1 The importance of English grammar teaching and learning for EFL learners

........................................................................................................................................... 99

4.4.2.2 Students’ motivation for learning English grammar ..................................... 101

4.4.2.3 Communicative activities.................................................................................. 103

4.4.2.4 Feedback in the EFL classroom ....................................................................... 105

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................... 107

5.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 107

5.2 Research summary ......................................................................................................... 107

5.3 Implications of the study ................................................................................................ 109

5.3.1 Implications for educational leaders ...................................................................... 109

5.3.2 Implications for curriculum developers and managers........................................ 110

5.3.3 Implications for teachers of English and EFL students ....................................... 110

5.4 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research................................... 112

REFERENCES...................................................................................................................... 114

APPENDICES....................................................................................................................... 122

APPENDIX A: Interview questions for university teachers (English version)............... 122

APPENDIX B: Câu hỏi phỏng vấn dành cho giảng viên đại học (Bản tiếng Việt)......... 124

APPENDIX C: Interview questions for university students (English version)............... 126

APPENDIX D: Câu hỏi phỏng vấn dành cho sinh viên đại học (Bản tiếng Việt)........... 128

APPENDIX E: Consent form .............................................................................................. 130

APPENDIX F: A sample of semi-structured teacher interview transcript..................... 133

APPENDIX G: A sample of semi-structured student interview transcript .................... 139

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Teacher participant characteristics ........................................................... 65

Table 3.2: Student participant characteristics ............................................................ 67

Table 3.3: Emerging themes and sample codes ......................................................... 71

ABBREVIATIONS

CLT Communicative Language Teaching

EFL English as a Foreign Language

ELT English Language Teaching

ESL English as a Second Language

GTM Grammar Translation Method

L1 First Language

L2 Second Language

NIIE Nguyen Tat Thanh Institute of International Education

NEP NIIE English Program

PPP Presentation, Practice and Production

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

With an ever-increasing number of people learning English as a second and foreign

language, English has solidified its accreditation as a worldwide language. A profound

understanding of the language structures is the key to foreign language acquisition, so

grammar plays an essential role in foreign language teaching and learning (Mart, 2013).

According to Azar (2007), grammar lessons are crucial in language acquisition since it

helps learners discover the nature of language. Language is made up of predictable

patterns that allow us to understand what we say, read, hear, and write. Moreover, Azar

(2007) adds that without understanding grammar, learners would only be able to transmit

meaning through particular words or sounds, pictures, and body expressions. Yannuar

(2013) supports this by stating that learners should study grammar to become effective

language users since grammar helps them arrange expressions such as fragments of

statements and messages properly and meaningfully. Therefore, many English teachers

in Asia consider grammar the decisive factor in mastering the language (Yannuar, 2013).

Studying a language requires students’ capacity of utilization for even oral and

written communication, and to some certain extent, of course, it is the role of the teacher

to create practical contexts for students to acquire that communicative ability. However,

the reality confronts language instructors with several constraints in teaching and

learning English grammar in countries where English is used as a foreign language in

Asia in general and in Vietnam in particular. According to Pham (2005, as cited in Vu,

2017), several studies conducted to improve the quality of teaching and learning English

in Vietnam indicate that traditional pedagogy focuses on grammar and vocabulary

acquisition in isolation rather than communicative competence. Furthermore, Le (2011)

states that due to the traditional Vietnamese view of foreign language teaching and

learning, teachers in this specific nation devote insufficient attention to the outcome of

2

teaching grammar, considering that the number of students who have passed their

examinations reflects the teacher’s teaching ability. It is worth noting that this

phenomenon leads to learners’ passive learning styles and teachers’ leading role in the

classroom (Albahri, Yang & Moustakim, 2018; Le, 2011; Noori, Shafie & Mashwanti et

al., 2017).

Consequently, the question of how to teach English grammar in an EFL context to

help learners attain high efficiency has always been a primary concern for educators in

Asia. Therefore, many language teaching methods have been introduced, applied, and

implemented in language teaching and learning over the past several decades. In

response to repeated criticisms of traditional English teaching for being ineffective,

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been heavily promoted to English

teachers in Asia (Alharbi, 2021; Ansarey, 2021; Butler, 2014). With the prevalence of

CLT, there has been a shift in focus on the linguistic system as an end in itself to the

successful application of that system in context, which forms a transfer from a focus on

form to an emphasis on communication (Cook, 2003, as cited in Karakaş, 2013). This

approach demonstrates that learning grammar is not about memorizing a set of rules

without employing it in a meaningful interaction but using authentic language in real￾life situations (Christianto, 2019). As a result, the current trend of teaching English as a

foreign language in Asia has highly recommended CLT as one of the cutting-edge

methods for the past quarter of a century (Nunan, 2003). The implementation of CLT in

EFL classes provides a significant set of benefits for both teachers and students regarding

the teaching and learning process. The following are three distinct advantages of utilizing

the CLT approach.

First and foremost, CLT is a student-centered approach that treats students as

creative language users and active participants (Richards & Rodgers, 2010; Shen & Wei,

2019). CLT, in particular, eliminates the flaws of the teacher-centered teaching method

by employing a range of learning content based on familiar topics and real-life situations.