VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

LE THI HANG
Characteristics of communicative English:
A study on application of English teaching for
non- language major classes at Quang Binh
University
Academic field: Applied linguistics
Ref No: 62.22.01.05
DOCTORAL THESIS IN PHILOLOGY

HANOI, 2014
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This research was completed at
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Name of supervisors: 1. Assoc Prof. Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Huong
Reviewer 1: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khang
Reviewer 2: Prof. Dr. Mai Ngoc Chu
Reviewer 3: Assoc Prof.Lam Quang Dong
This dissertation will be defended to academic evaluation committee of the
Graduate academy of social sciences, held at:
at…… am, October 2014
The thesis can be found at:
1. National Library of Vietnam
2. Library of Graduate academy of social siences
3. Library of Institute of linguistics
PREAMBLE
1. Rational
The tendency towards communicative language teaching (CLT)
appeared in 1970s, since then this learning - teaching approach has

English teaching to non English major students in Vietnam. There was only
‘an investigation into the application of communicative language teaching
to non-English major students in Thai Nguyên College of Economics and
Finance, school year 2007-2008 A Vietnamese Experience’ studied by
Nguyen Thi Minh Thu. The results indicate the effectiveness and
importance of adapting this approach to teaching English speaking skills for
students. Most studies focused on searching for the causes of low English
teaching results and solutions to the problems.
3. Aims, questions and contents of the study
3.1. Aims of the study
The author’s study purpose is to further the understanding of the
nature of CLT and learn how to teach English effectively for non English
major students at Quang Binh University.
3.2. Research questions
In order to achieve the study bjectives, the thesis poses three
research questions as follows:
1. What are characteristics of communicative English? and what
characteristics do English learning classes in communicative approach
have?
2. What are properties and conditions of English teaching at Quang Binh
University? Which of those have/have not met requirements of CLT?
3. How to teach communicatve English writing for non English major
students at the Quang Binh University?
3.3. Contents of the study
To answer each research question we will respectively carry out the
research contents as follows:
a, Analysis and synthesize previous studies of theory and reality on
properties of English under the context of communication theory, and
characteristics of English learning classes in communicative approach.
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- Practical contributions: the autor initially identified appropriate
ways to apply teaching communicative English writing to subjects of the
study.
7. Organization of the thesis
Besides introduction, conclusion, references, and appendixes, the
thesis consists of three chapters:
Chapter 1: Theoretical background
Chapter 2: Reality of English teaching-learning and needs analysis of
learning English writing of non-language majors at Quang Binh University
Chapter 3: Pidagogical experiment in teaching of communicative English
writing for non-language majors at Quang Binh University
CHAPTER 1
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1.1. Characteristics of communicative English
The term communicative English in this thesis refers to the English
style in association with communication function which is used to exchange
and negotiate meanings.
1.1.1. Transactional model of communication process
To better understand the characteristics of English communication,
we will revise the transactional model of communication process of DC
Barnlund (1970). Looking at the chart 1.1, we can see that the participants
not merely mean to send and receive from one person to another and then
feedback to each other, but rather they are building a common meaning
through this process. Shared meaning lies in the area where the two ovals
intersect with each other. The keys to communicate successfully are not
only to master conventions of using codes or transmitting intact contents of
a message but also to pay attention to a wide rang of other related problems
such as non-verbal cues, context, cultural values, noise, styles and
preferences of the listener or reader to have a communication strategy

discreteness can help users express and understand meanings of sentences
they never heard before thanks to their mastering grammar and reasoning
Noise
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skills. Therefore, learners have to learn to memorize common conventions
of using codes such as the rules of syntax, pragmatics, semantics and
phonetics. The arbitrary, and cultural transmission make students learn to
grasp the cultural characteristics of the target communities as norms, habits
- customs, beliefs, attitudes and values which rule over their communication
behaviors.
1.1.2.2. Functional characteristics
The main function of English is a means of communication to
express meanings, for example, expressing gratitude, asking for directions,
verbalizing the knowledge of certain topics, etc. However, one meaning can
be expressed and interpreted in different ways, so the dual function of
communicative English is means to exchange and negotiate meanings with
the aim of achieving a common meaning or any communication purposes.
Besides, English has got fuction of a foreign language used to meet the
communication needs of the social community groups whose first language
is not English. With the role of international communication language,
English has both the functions of the first language and those of a language
of intercultural and international communication.
1.1.2.3. Characteristics of stylistics and register
In terms of style, English can be varied from the ritual, the formal,
the negotiating, the casual to the intimate in order to accommodate the user
achieve their communication goals. Register is governed by the relationship
of three elements: topics, roles of participants and communication channels.
Therefore, the language always associates with the communication
environment and the user’s needs. Based on the topics regularly referred to,
situations of context, roles of participants, and communication channel,

Materials
Needs analysis
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The main tenets and approaches in CLT are to help students use
English, flexibly and creatively, and to express meanings appropriate to the
text type, topic, roles and norms in a specific situation of communication
context with the aim of having their communication goals. Communicative
approach is expanded under the viewpoint of seeing language as
communication, the learner learn a forein language to have the ability of
interacting and negotiating meanings in an attempt to gain a common
meaning or a communication goal satisfying all participants’ wants; and
through this process, language acquisition will be happened. Besides, CLT
is also developed on the base of theories of second language acquisition and
the terms communicative competence and communicative performance.
Similar to development of first language acquisition process, second
language acquisition normally goes through certain stages; therefore,
General English has been designed according to levels. At each level of
proficiency, knowledge of communicative competence and communicative
performance is compiled in association with the needs and abilities of users.
The theory of working memory of Alan Bladdley proves that English
learning and acquiring as a foreign language are two processes requiring
relatively different types of practising activities. In the first process, students
need to learn to memorize new patterns of language structure by receiving
or using them repeatedly and implementing meaningful association. The
other knowledge of communicative competence is also received and
memorized by listening and reading comprehension. In the latter process,
students have to practise English regularly in natural or unrehearsal
communication contexts. This will help students get quick reactions to
processing language and use it fluently and naturally.
1.3. Characteristics of foreign languages classes in communicative

Quang Binh province, most of them are passive in learning English.
Although students wish to enhance communication activities in order to
improve the efficiency of learning English, they still need to be facilitated
and guided properly. In addition, written English communication skills of
the students is very low, up to 85% of the student do not gain level A1 of
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English. This makes it difficult for them students to study B1 level
immediately as requirements.
Survey on English teaching-learning conditions for non-language major
students at Quang Binh University showed a number of issues which were
not guaranteed for teaching communicating English successfully, including
syllabus design, assessment test, document and facilities, teaching-learning
activities, and students' learning strategies.
2.2. Survey on needs analysis of written English learning of non-
language major students at Quang Binh University
2.2.1. Respondents
- 200 non-language major students of courses 49, 50, 51, 52 Quang Binh
University.
- 10 lecturers teaching English from Faculty of Foreign Languages,
Quang Binh University.
2.2.2. Survey results
According to training requirements, output English of graduate students
at Quang Binh University must reach level A2. The results of needs analysis
of learning communicative English writing helped us identify the objectives
and contents of teaching and learning English in order to serve designing
syllabus for students at experimenta classes. Accordingly, we proposed that
the adverbs: first, second, then, and the conjunctions and, but, because need
for reviewed, so that the student could use them in writing sentences and
paragraphs. For Mathematics Pedagogy class (the students have better
English qualification), we could introduce more conjunctions: so, however.

a scholar of communicative approach, confirmed that learners can perform
activities to obtain communcation ability from the beginning, and that it is
not necessary to learn the language structures in such a mechanical and
traditional manner.
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To balance the skill-getting and skill-using, the best solution is to limit
code consolidation activities by selecting the substitute activities
contextually, in order to express personalized meannings and design
exercises using language in a full context. For example, simple description
with illustrations, spelling, fill out the form or creative writing activities
with free writing practices. Free writing practices can be applied for
students at this level by writing daily news journal, diary, or cinquain poem.
2.3.1.4. Principles for teaching English writing at non-language major
universities in Vietnam
Based on the communicative English teaching method, the author Hoang
Van Van (2010) proposed six principles of teaching English at Universities
in Vietnam as follows:
1. Although communication English teaching method is divided into
four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and
aspects of language (phonology, grammar, vocabulary); these areas
should not be treated (taught) separately. Consequently, if the
writing is central of a lecture, it must be supported by other skills.
2. While learning writing skill, students must perform tasks as many
as possible. The role of the teacher is to guide and organize the
writing activities for learners, and to monitor and promote those
activities.
3. The learners must work together through activities in pairs or in
groups. Discuss importance in generating ideas and organizing
ideas, and to discover what they want to express, even when the
individuals carry out writing activities.

communicative English writing for students whose levels of proficiency
lower A2.
2.3.1.5. Testing and evaluating competence of communicative English
writing
The evaluation of communicative English ability of students includes
multiple elements, depending on the requirments of qualification level. The
assessment includes the evaluation of written products based on analysis
criteria and overall criteria.
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2.3.2. Propose solutions for teaching teaching communicative English
writing for non-language majors at Quang Binh University
2.3.2.1. Syllabus design
For apply teaching communicative English writing for students in
credit system, we proposed to design program based on competence as the
key factor by transforming a number of goals into teaching – learning tasks.
2.3.2.2. Testing and evaluating competence of communicative English
writing
The examination and assessment are implemented the same as in
Section 2.3.1.5. However, in experimental time, we have not found criteria
and grading scale to evaluate a writing product, so we based on the
evaluation criteria introduced by Cyril Weir, we have organized group
seminars to make recommendations for grading scale.
2.3.2.3. Use of teaching-learning resources and facilities
Textbooks and reference materials that serve teaching include materials
and documents for communication English at the level A1 - A2 (equivalent
to the primary level and intermediate level). Among them, the main
textbook will be English for Life and New English File, in which, a number
of lessons will be added with language aspects, or combined and recompiled
from a number of duplicated contents to suit the students’ needs and
program.

learn vocabulary and grammar. Each week students will be provided with a
certain amount of vocabulary which they need to know how to use to
prepare for the 'skill using' stage. With the same grammar content, most of
the main grammar has been learned in high school, so that the teacher only
provide references for self-study, self-study according to the students’ needs
and instruction of the teachers. In class, we only focus on “skill using”.
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At the beginning of the classes containing a part of writing ability
development, lecturers set aside from 15 to 20 minutes to implement
activities for practising speed, fluency and dictation. Activities outside the
classroom such as exercises selected from the student workbooks or teacher
workbooks. The teachers guide students how to write dialogue journals and
to make cinquain poetry. Each week, in addition to the homework, the
students will be required to write three short paragraphs (journals).
2.3.2.5. Learning strategies
In addition to the usual learning strategies, the teachers guide students
to use the "super-cognitive strategies" and "social strategies" to help them
apply knowledge about “skill-getting” activities in “Skill using” activities.
CHARP 3
PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIMENT IN TEACHING
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH WRITING FOR NON-LANGUAGE
MAJORS AT QUANG BINH UNIVERSITY
3.1. Aims and contents of the experiment
3.1.1. Aims of the experiment
The empirical purposes is to verify reliability and feasibility of the
proposed solutions for applying written communicative English for teaching
students of Pedagogy and Social Sciences fields at Quang Binh University.
3.1.2. Contents of the experiment
As described in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, after identifying program
objectives, assessment forms, sellecting the teaching - learning materials and

Mathematics
Pedagogy C53
39
3.3. Assessment contents and criteria, verification of experimental
results
3.3.1. Assessment contents
Although the learning program of experimental class has been
supplemented and adjusted compared with the general program compiled by
the Faculty of Foreign Languages, to ensure objective comparison between
results of experimental classes and those of control classes, the evaluated
contents must exist in learning program of experimental classes and control
classses. Contents of the exam include two or more writing products at the end
of English II and English III.
In the final semester exam, there will test for assessing grammar and
vocabulary ability. We want to assess whether the language knowledge such
as vocabulary and grammar affects the competence of communicative
English writing.
3.3.2. Assessment criteria
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We organized seminars in team and build grading scale based on
analytical and holistic criteria of CEFR to assess whether the students have
achieved the English proficiency level A2.
3.4. Experimental process
3.4.1. Experimental steps
To carry out the experimental process on schedule, we carried out the
following steps:
Step 1: Deploy pre-experimental plan
Step 2: Organize experimentalwork
Step 3. Process the experimental results
3.5. Results of teaching experiment and discussions

Assessment
contents
Excellent
(%)
Good
(%)
Average
(%)
Weak
(%)
EC CC EC CC EC CC EC CC
Writing 42 0 21 12 11 7 26 81
Grammar 15 7 35 12 43,5 24 6,5 57
Compare with criteria of level A2 for communicative English writing, we
found that 74% of students in experimental classes passed level A2 and 26%
did not pass level A2, while 19% of students in control classes passed level
A2 and 81% did not pass level A2 (see digram 3.4 and 3.5).
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3.5.2. Compare the abilityof communicative English writing of students
before and after the experiment
Results of assessing the competence of communicative English writing
of students show that more than 85% of students did not pass level A1 and
less than 15% of students passed level A1. After 15 weeks of experimental
program, the results show that 74% of students in empirical class passed
level A2 and oly 26% did not pass. While in control classes, only 19% of
students passed level A2 and 81% did not pass communicative English
writing level A2. These results confirmed the effectiveness of the
experimental method: written English ability of the students in experimental
classes is not only better than those in control classes but also much better
than their own results before the empirical process.

The third group related to stylistics and register shows that relying
on the participants’ roles, communication purposes and topics, the speaker
or writer will have to choose how to process language in completely
different ways. Styles of communicative English use can change from the
ritual, the formal, the negotiating, the casual to the intimate. Based on
register, communicative English is probably classified into General English,
English for Office Services, Business English. etc.
The fourth group shows that communicative English always carry
socio-cultural features where language is used, because if partcipants want
to communicate naturally and effectively, they have to process harmonically
8 basic elements: setting and scene, participants, ends, act sequence, key,
instrumentalities, norms, and genre. These elements are governed by the
situation of context where communication event takes place.
In summary, with characteristics of communicative English that the
author elicited above, we can see language in communication as a special
signal system with particular conventions on how it is used. This requires
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learners not only to use language accurately, but also use it appropriately,
flexibly, and creatively, with strategies to achieve their communication
goals.
In order to apply teaching English as a foreign language
communicative approach, apart from basing on the characteristics of
English under the points of communcation functions, we must take into
account the issues in theories of second language acquisition of human
beings, especially those in the theory of working memory of Alan Bladdley
and consider it as the most important factors. The studies verifies that the
process of language acquisition experience certain stages of development,
so General English has been designed according to each level of
proficiency. At each level of proficiency, knowledge of communicative
competence and performance is designed in accordance with the needs and