MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HUE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DANG XUAN THAO
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE
OF TEACHING AIDS IN TEACHING ENGLISH
AT SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HUE CITY
MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY
OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
CODE: 60140111
SUPERVISOR: ASSOC.PROF.DR. LUU QUY KHUONG
HUE, 2013
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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

ĐẶNG XUÂN THẢO
SỬ DỤNG CÔNG CỤ HỖ TRỢ GIẢNG DẠY
TRONG DẠY HỌC MÔN TIẾNG ANH CHO
TRẺ EM Ở MỘT SỐ TRƯỜNG TIỂU HỌC
TẠI THÀNH PHỐ HUẾ
LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP
DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH
MÃ SỐ: 60140111
NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC:
PGS.TS LƯU QUÝ KHƯƠNG
HUẾ, 2013
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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Moreover, thanks are due to my close friends who helped me to collect
relevant materials and gave me support as well as advice.
Finally, I wish to extend my thanks to all members in my family, especially
my parents, who gave me precious encouragements during my writing process.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iii
ABSTRACT iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xi
LIST OF TABLES xii
LIST OF FIGURES xiv
CHAPTER 1 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Background and Rationale of the Study 1
1.2. Aims of the Study 2
1.3. Research Questions 2
1.4. Scope of the Study 2
1.6. Organization of the Study 3
CHAPTER 2 4
LITERATURE REVIEW 4
2.1. Previous Studies Related to the Study 4
2.2. Theoretical Background 5
2.2.1. Age in Foreign Language Learning 5
2.2.2. Features of the Young Learners 5
2.2.2.1. Short Attention Spans and Much Physical Energy 6
2.2.2.2. Enormous Capacity for Finding and Making Fun 6
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2.2.2.3. Delighting in Imagination and Fantasy 6

3.7. Summary 27
CHAPTER 4 27
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 27
4.1. The Reality of Teaching English and Using TAs in Teaching English for
Children at Some Primary Schools in Hue City 28
4.1.1. The Reality of Teaching English at Some Primary School in Hue city .28
4.1.2. Teachers’ Perceptions on Using TAs 33
4.1.3. Teachers’ Frequency of Using TAs 34
4.1.4. Purposes of Using TAs in teaching English 35
4.2. The Most Commonly Used Kinds of TAs in Teaching English for Children
at Some Primary Schools in Hue City 37
4.2.1. The Criteria for Selecting TAs 37
4.2.2. The Kinds of TAs 38
4.2.3 Teachers’ Frequency of Using Concrete Kinds of TAs 40
4.2.4 Students’ Fondness towards Kinds of TAs 42
4.2.5. Lesson Stages with TAs Used 44
4.3. The Ways of Using TAs to Teach English to Children at Some Primary
Schools in Hue City 45
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4.3.1. The Ways of Using TAs 45
4.3.2. Teachers’ and Students’ Feelings when Using TAs 45
4.4. Teachers’ Difficulties in Using TAs and Possible Solutions to Improve
Teaching and Learning English with the Support of TAs 47
4.4.1. Teachers’ Difficulties of Using TAs in Supporting English Teaching 47
4.4.2. Possible Solutions to Improve Teaching and Learning English with the
Support of TAs 49
4.5. Summary 51
CHAPTER 5 52
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 52
5.1. A Summary of Key Findings 52

Table 4.8: Possible Solutions for Teachers’ Difficulties in Using TAs
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Table 4.9: Possible Solutions for Students’ Difficulties in English Learning with TAs
49
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xiii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1: Students' Fondness of Learning English 27
Figure 4.2: The Reasons Children Like Learning English 28
Figure 4.3: The Reasons Children Don't Like Learning English 29
Figure 4.4: Teachers' Perceptions of Using TAs 33
Figure 4.5: Teachers' Frequency of Using TAs 34
Figure 4.6: The Criteria for Selecting TAs 36
Figure 4.7: Lesson Stages with TAs Used 43
Figure 4.8: The Reasons Children Like Learning English 44
Figure 4.9: Teachers' Feelings of Using TAs 45
Figure 4.10: Students' Feeling when Learnt with the Support of TAs 46
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background and Rationale of the Study
In the tendency of global integration, learning English has become an
essential need because it is an international language. There may be many factors
that exert an influence on the success of English learning. However, the most
important one that has to be taken into consideration is the age because, age plays a
crucial role in the learning process (O'Grady, 1993). According to many studies,
beginning learning English at early ages will bring children many advantages.
However, the children are easily distracted in the class if teachers do not
have an interesting teaching method to attract their attention. Thus, it is necessary
for teachers to make the English lessons more attractive and creative so that they

2. What are the most commonly used kinds of teaching aids in English
language classes at some primary schools in Hue?
3. How are teaching aids used in teaching English language at some primary
schools in Hue?
1.4. Scope of the Study
This paper is carried out at some Primary Schools in Hue city including Tran
Quoc Toan, Le Loi, Nguyen Trai, Thuan Thanh and Vi Da Primary Schools. The main
participants will be the teachers of English and the pupils at the aboved- mentioned
primary schools.
1.5. Significance of the Study
Even though there are a number of researches into the importance of using
teaching aids in teaching English to children at primary schools, it is surprising
that there is not much investigation into the reality of using teaching aids, kinds of
teaching aids and how to use these aids effectively in teaching English at some
primary schools in Hue City . Therefore, this research hopes to provide an insight
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into the reality of using teaching aids in English language classes at some primary
schools in Hue city. The result of this study is expected to contribute to applying
teaching aids in teaching English to children. In theory, it hopes to find out the
reality of using teaching aids in teaching English, the most commonly used kinds of
teaching aids as well as the ways of using these aids effectively. In application, it is
hoped that the implications of the study will be useful to improve the teaching and
learning English at some primary schools in Hue City.
1.6. Organization of the Study
This paper is divided into five main chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction provided the background, aims, objectives, research
questions as well as organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature Review presented the previous studies related to this
topic, definitions of key terms, integral concepts and involved matters.
Chapter 3: This chapter was concerned with Research Design and

teaching aids have also been implemented. A resourceful English teacher with an
eclectic approach was desirable in English as a foreign language classroom. Rivers
(1981) advocated an eclectic approach in which teachers draw upon techniques
from a variety of methodologies. According to Yorio (1987) language teachers used
a variety of teaching aids to make class room activities interesting and interactive.
Teaching aids are important in the teaching-learning process.
In Vietnam, the importance of using teaching aids in English teaching
attracts the attention of many researchers and teachers. Teaching aids are
indispensable means in teaching English, especially in teaching primary school
students. Nguyen (2010) showed teaching aids are good techniques to deal with
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language teaching, as it involves real life factors into classroom environment. Doan
(2009) thought that the use of teaching aids could improve the effectiveness of
English learning at all skills.
In sum, the above mentioned researchers carried out significant studies on
young language learners and use of teaching aids in teaching language for them.
However, the actual situation of using teaching aids in teaching English for children
has not been paid attention and assessed moderately at primary schools. Therefore,
the researcher of this study finds it necessary to conduct an investigation on using
teaching aids in teaching English at primary schools in Hue City and suggest the
most appropriate and effective methods to improve the learning and teaching
quality.
2.2. Theoretical Background
2.2.1. Age in Foreign Language Learning
Harmer (2001) supported that the age of the student was a major factor in
decisions about how and what to teach. People of different ages had different needs,
competences, and cognitive skills. Children of primary age were expected to acquire
much of a foreign language through play, whereas adults were expected for a
greater use of abstract thought.
Ur (1996) assumed that foreign language learning in school should start

identifying patterns and also deviation from that pattern. They test out their versions
of the world through fantasy and confirm how the world actually is by imagining
how it might be different. In the language classroom this capacity for fantasy and
imagination has a very constructive part to play. Children sometimes have problems
to distinguish the real world from the imaginary world. It can be difficult for
teachers to cope with it and to understand their perception of reality.
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2.2.2.4. Second-language Acquisition Capacity
Curtain & Dahlberg (2009) in his book “Languages and children: making
the match” discussed that second-language acquisition theory may help explain the
puzzling situation of children who acquire languages more quickly and apparently
with much less effort than do their parents when placed in a second-language
environment. The children are in a setting in which they are surrounded by language
that is made meaningful because of the context and because of the way teachers
speak to them. They are given time to sort out the language that they hear and
understand, until they are ready to begin to use it for their own expressive purposes.
Their parents, on the other hand, are usually busy learning vocabulary and grammar
rules, and they attempt to apply them later to a setting in which they have something
to say. Krashen (1981), the children would be acquiring language, while the parents
would be learning it.
2.2.2.5. Being Enthusiastic and Lively as Learners
Children are often enthusiastic and lively as learners. They want to please the
teacher rather than their peer group. Young children are motivated when they are
praised. It is very important to support their enthusiasm from the beginning of
learning .They will have a go at an activity even when they do not quite understand
why or how. However, they also lose interest more quickly and are less able to keep
themselves motivated on tasks they find difficult. Children do not find it as easy to
use language to talk about language; in other words, they do not have the same
access as older learners to meta-language that teachers can use to explain grammar
or discourse. Children often seem less embarrassed than adults at talking in new

Older learners do exhibit noticeable superiority because they tend to be more self-
disciplined. One implication for teaching is the need to devote a lot of thought to the
(intrinsic) interest value of learning activities for younger learners.
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2.2.3.3. Children Are Motivated More Easily
Teachers can raise children's motivation and enthusiasm by selecting
interesting activities more easily than that of older, more self-reliant and sometimes
cynical learners. On the other hand, teachers can also lose it more easily:
monotonous, apparently pointless activities quickly bore and demotivate young
learners, older ones are more tolerant of them. Perhaps it would be more accurate to
say that younger learners' motivation is more likely to vary and is more susceptible
to immediate surrounding influences, including the teacher; that of older learners
tends to be more stable.
2.2.4. Principles in Teaching English to Young Learners
Williams (1998) reiterates his teaching experience as a teacher of children by
giving ten principles for teaching English to young children as follows:
 Starting teaching at the child’s level
Williams emphasizes that teacher should start teaching from the level where
the child is. He says that children have experience of life, knowledge of their world,
are good at making sense of what is around them and have already learnt at least
one language. Therefore, the tasks and activities in classroom must be designed to
be appropriate and accessible to children’s level and perspective.
 Encouraging the interaction among children
It is an important part of teacher’s job to encourage the interaction among
children. Learning is really an interactive process in which learners can be better
through collaborating with their peers.
 Giving children opportunities to exchange ideas, opinions and facts
Primary teachers should keep in their mind that through the teaching teachers
have to give their children opportunities to “exchange ideas and opinions as well as
facts” (Williams, 1998). One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to help

It will be easier for children to understand the goals of activities clearly
before they come to deal with them. According to Scott & Ytreberg (1998), learners
should be aware of the objectives of the task – both language-learning and content.
Clear goals will help to answer children’s questions about what is going to happen
and why they are doing the tasks. This will make children feel secure and content in
the classroom so that they can be “encouraged to become independent and
adventurous in the learning of the language” (Scott & Ytreberg, 1998).
 Organizing activities for learners to develop their independence
Generally, learners find teachers as a firm support to lean on during learning
process. It is natural for young learners to be dependent on their teachers. However,
if learners are to become active participants in the learning process which creates
their own understandings and meanings, it is important that activities should be
designed and sequenced to support and foster growing independence.
 Creating a supportive, non-threatening and enjoyable learning environment
In addition to designing appropriate activities that are suitable for children, it
is also a crucial duty of teachers to create a supportive, non-threatening and
enjoyable learning environment in which children can feel comfortable and relaxed
during learning process. In a friendly atmosphere, students can feel secure and their
sense of understanding and challenge as well as learning motivation can be
promoted.
 Ensuring teacher’s assessment reflects their teaching
Teachers should ensure that their assessment reflects their teaching.
Assessment is an area that teachers consider very serious. It is often the most formal
aspect of the teaching work. According to Wiggins (1998), the nature of assessment
influences what is learned and the degree of meaningful engagement by learners in
the learning process.
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