VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
NGUYỄN THỊ HOA
THE EXPLOITATION OF AUTHENTIC TASKS IN SPEAKING
CLASSES FOR ENGLISH NON-MAJOR FRESHMEN
AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY

(NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC KHAI THÁC CÁC HOẠT ĐỘNG THỰC
TIỄN TRONG LỚP HỌC NÓI CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT KHỐI
KHÔNG CHUYÊN ANH Ở TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP HÀ NỘI) M.A. Minor thesis
Field: English teaching methodology
Code: 601410 Hanoi, 2011


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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
Declaration …………………………………………………………………….
i
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………
ii
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………
iii
Table of contents ………………………………………………………………
iv
List of abbreviations …………………………………………………………
vi
List of figures, tables and charts ……………………………………………
vii
PART A: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………
1
1. Rationale for the Study……………………………………………………….
1
2. Research Aims and Research Questions……………………………………
2
3. Significance of the Study…………………………………………………….
2
4. Scope of the Study……………………………………………………………
3
5. Methodology of the Study …………………………………………………
3

1.2.7. Challenges of implementing TBLT …………………………………
12
1.3. Speaking skill ……………………………………………………………
13
1.3.1. Definitions of speaking skill………………………………………
13
1.3.2. Teaching speaking skill in TBLT …………………………………
14
1.4. Authentic tasks in speaking classes ……………………………………
15

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1.4.1. Common types of authentic tasks…………………………………
15
1.4.2. Criteria to identify authentic tasks……………………………………
16
1.5. Related studies ……………………………………………………………
17
1.6. Conclusive remarks …………………………………………………………
18
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY …………………………………….
19
2.1. Research Context…………………………………………………….
19
2.1.1. Teachers ……………………………………………………………
19
2.1.2. Students ……………………………………………………………
19
2.1.3. Teaching and learning facilities ……………………………………
20

PART C: CONCLUSION ……………………………………………
38
1. Summary of the study ………………………………………………….
38
2. Pedagogical implications……………………………………………….
38
3. Limitations and suggestions for further research………………………
40
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………
42
APPENDICES …………………………………………………………
I
Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire for teachers………………………………
I
Appendix 2: Informal Interviews for teachers…………………………………
V
Appendix 3: Sample of Task-based Speaking Lesson …………………………
VI
Appendix 4: Classroom Observation sheets…………………………………….
IX

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HaUI: Hanoi University of Industry
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
TBLT: Task-based Language Teaching
TBL: Task-based Learning
CLT: Communicative Language Teaching

Page
Figure 1: A framework for analyzing communicative tasks……………………
7
Figure 2: Task-based Learning Framework……………………………………
10
Table 1: Common types of authentic tasks ……………………………………
16
Table 2: Teachers’ profiles……………………………………………………
21
Table 3: Teachers’ perceptions of speaking skill and the exploitation of
authentic tasks in speaking classes………………………………………

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Chart 1: Teachers' perceptions of tasks & TBLT………………………………
26
Chart 2: Teachers' perceptions of authentic tasks………………………………
27
Chart 3: Teachers' perceptions of benefits of authentic tasks……………………
30
Chart 4: Teachers’ ways of dealing with speaking activities in the text
book……………………………………………………………………………

31
Chart 5: Teachers' favorite techniques embedded in exploiting authentic
tasks………………………………………………………………………………

34
Chart 6: Students’ response to the tasks as perceived by the teachers…………
35
Chart 7: Teachers' difficulties in exploiting authentic tasks to teach speaking….

communication skills, inappropriate responses and so on. They really find it difficult to
express with a “real” situation. Such matters may rest with many reasons including
classroom methodology, teaching materials, teacher‟s proficiency as well as speaking
activities. Among which, speaking activities play the crucial role in motivating and getting
students involved in the lesson, then in helping them achieve the goal of using the target
language in real-life communication. Things considered, EFL teachers share an agreement
that it is essential to exploit communicative speaking activities which are close to real life
situations with hope to overcome these current situations. In an attempt to grapple with the
problem, the use of Task-based method has been recommended in teaching speaking at HaUI.
In the literature, there were few studies related to exploitation of authentic tasks in teaching
speaking despite numerous studies were implemented on TBLT. What‟s more, no previous

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studies have been conducted about the exploitation of authentic tasks in English speaking
classes at the university where the author is teaching.
All of the mentioned conditions, henceforward, have paved the way for the author to
carry out a research on “The Exploitation of Authentic Tasks in Speaking Classes for
English Non-major Freshmen at Hanoi University of Industry”. It is conducted in an
attempt to address the gap in the literature and to offer an insight of the reality of teaching
speaking with the exploitation of authentic tasks to English Non-major Freshmen at HaUI.
Additionally, some suggestions of exploiting authentic tasks effectively to teach speaking
skills will be given with the hope of providing useful source and reference for teachers at
HaUI in particular and for all teachers of English in general to motivate their dear students in
English speaking lessons. Last but not least, it is expected that the research would make a
certain contribution to the improvement of teaching speaking skills for the first-year English
non-major students at HaUI.
2. Research Aims and Research Questions
This study is carried out with the wish of achieving following aims:
- To investigate the teachers‟ perceptions of the exploitation of authentic tasks in English
speaking classes

used of. Data are collected from questionnaire, informal interviews and classroom
observation. The quantitative data collected from survey questionnaire were then analyzed
statistically, while qualitative data were obtained from informal interviews and class
observation. Informal interviews were carried out to supplement the survey questionnaire.
Class observation is employed to get better insight of the reality of exploiting authentic tasks
in speaking lessons. The validity of the study is ensured with the main instrument classroom
observations. Hopefully, with the combination of the three methods, the study would yield
reliable and valid findings.
6. Organization of the Study
The thesis consists of three main parts: the Introduction which provides an overview
of the study, the Development which is the main part and consists of 3 chapters, and the
Conclusion which includes summary of the study, implications, limitations and suggestions
for further study.
Three chapters in the main part are as follows:
- Chapter 1: Literature review sets up theoretical background that is relevant to the
purpose of the study.
- Chapter 2: Methodology gives detailed presentation about the methods and
procedures of the study such as participant selection, data collection methods, data analysis
methods and so on.
- Chapter 3: Findings and discussions show the data collected from the survey
questionnaires, the interviews and observation. Also, the data will be discussed in this
chapter to find out the answer to the research questions.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

everything that is done is done with a communicative intent” (p.132). Accordingly, CLT
aims at making CC the goal of language teaching and developing procedures for the teaching

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of the four language skills that acknowledge the independence of language and
communication (Le Van Canh, 2004). The CA does a lot to expand on the primary goal of
building up “communicative competence”. Understanding the concept of CC is the core to
apply CLT in a given social context. The concept was first introduced by Hymes (1972) as
“what a speaker needs to know in order to be communicatively competent in a speech
community”.
Littlewood (1981) states “one of the most characteristic features of communicative
language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural
aspects of language, combining these into a more fully communicative view”(p.1). CLT
advocates going beyond teaching grammatical rules of the target language, and
recommending that, by using the target language in a meaningful way, learners will develop
CC.
According to Richards (2001), one of the goals of CLT is to develop fluency in
language use. Fluency is the natural use of language that occurs when a speaker engages in
meaningful interaction and maintains ongoing communication despite limitations in
communicative competence. While using the language, accuracy is important but
communication precedes it. So, it is advocated in CLT that if messages are understood,
accuracy may be achieved later.
Another characteristic of CLT is its use of authentic materials (Larsen-Freeman,
1986; Widowson, 1996). It is desirable to give students opportunities to respond to genuine
communicative situations so that they can develop strategies for understanding language as
actually used by native speakers (Canale & Swain, 1980). Authentic materials in teaching
speaking include articles from magazines or newspapers, video recordings of live television
programs.
CLT emphasizes on learner-centered teaching. It means that learners are negotiators
and interactors while the teacher functions as a facilitator, needs analyst, counselor, and

In the final place, the researcher would like to borrow Willis‟s (1996) definition of
task as an indication of her agreement with Willis‟ stance, according to which “tasks are
activities where the target language is used by the learner for communicative purpose
(goal) in order to achieve an outcome” (p.53). A task usually involves real-world processes
of language use. In other words, it engages learners in a language activity that is normally
found in the real world or resembles those activities in real-world communication; for
example, completing a form, drawing pictures learners engage in asking and answering
questions to clarify and negotiating meaning. In this way, learners function primarily as
language users rather than language learners and thus their communication is more
purposeful and authentic.
Noticeably, all the definitions show that tasks are meaning-focused, goal-oriented
and outcome-achieved. Accordingly, learners are free to use whatever language they want in
order to convey their intended meaning and to sustain the interaction.
1.2.2. Components of a task
A task is viewed as a piece of meaning-focused work, which involves learners in
comprehending, manipulating, producing and interacting in the target language. Specifically,

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task can be analyzed according to the goals, the input data, the activities derived from the
input, the settings and roles implied for teachers and learners. Nunan (1989, p.11)
graphically depicts a way to analyze components of a task, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: A framework for analyzing communicative tasks

Briefly, goals refer to the general intentions for the learning task. Inputs concern data,
verbal or non-verbal, which the individual has to deal with when performing a task.
Activities specify what the learner will actually perform based on goals and inputs. In
addition, there are specific roles for teacher and learner in a given setting. Roles refer to the
social and interpersonal relationship between learners and teachers in the task. Settings refer
to the classroom arrangement affecting interaction entailed in the task, such as pair work or
group work. When selecting, adapting, modifying and creating communicative tasks, Nunan

situations, reasoning and decision-making.
- Sharing personal experiences tasks include narrating, describing, exploring and
explaining attitudes, opinions and recreations.
- Creative tasks include brainstorming, fact finding, ordering and sorting, comparing,
problem-solving and others.
1.2.3.2. Authentic tasks versus pedagogical tasks
Nunan (1989) suggests two broad categories: real-world tasks (such as using
telephone) and pedagogical tasks (such as information activities). Target tasks are much
more specific and more explicitly related to classroom instruction. Pedagogical tasks
include any of a series of techniques designed ultimately to teach students to perform the
target task. He defines authentic tasks as that takes real-world behavior and learner need into
consideration: “tasks which replicate or rehearse the communicative behaviors which will
be required of them in real world” (p.4).
Authentic tasks can be contrasted with pedagogical tasks (e.g. controlled grammar
practice activities such as gap-filling or transformation exercises), which focus on the
development of accuracy rather than language learning. Nunan (1989) supposes that target
tasks or authentic tasks refer to uses of language in the world beyond the classroom;
pedagogical tasks are those that occur in the classroom. According to Richard (2001), real-
world tasks “are designed to practice or rehearse those activities that are found to be
important and useful in the real world” (p.162). The distinction between these two types of
tasks seems so complex and those concerns have inhibited the implantation of TBLT in
English teaching.
1.2.4. Definitions of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)
Over the last two decades, the term TBLT that employs communicative task as basic
unit has played an important role in current oral English teaching and consequently, has
continued to draw attention of language teachers and researchers. Task-based language
teaching can be regarded as one particular development within the broader “communicative
approach” (Littlewood, 2004).

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supported by Richards Frost (2006) including three-phases: pre-task, task cycle (task,
planning and report); and language focus (analysis & practice), as shown in Figure 2.

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 Prepare to report to the class how they did the
task & what they discovered/decided
 Rehearse what they will say or draft a written
vision for the class to read
The teacher
 Ensure the purpose of the report is clear
 Act as language adviser
 Helps students rehearse oral reports or organize
written ones

Report
The students
 Present their spoken reports to the class
or circulate/display their written reports
The teacher
 Acts as chairperson, selecting who will
speak next, or ensuring all students read
most of the written reports
 May give brief feedback on content &
form
 May play a recording of others doing the
same or a similar task

Analysis
The students
 Do consciousness-raising activities to identify &
process specific language features from the task text
and/or transcript
 May ask about other features they have noticed
The teacher

class. They draft, rehearse the task while the teacher goes round to help students polish and
correct language or suggest phrases as well. This stage, in Willis‟s view, attaches teacher as
the role of linguistic adviser, who is in charge of giving feedback and helping students
correct, rephrase, and rehearse so as for them to draft the written report. When students are
ready, they come to the third stage – report stage. The teacher calls some pairs to report
briefly to the class orally or in writing so that everyone can compare findings. In the
meantime, the teacher chairs comments on the content of the report or may rephrase if
necessary.
The last phase is language focus, which allows students to have close study of some
of the specific features naturally occurring in the language used during the task cycle. By this
point, the students examine and discuss specific features of any texts they have used or
produced and the teacher may conduct some forms of practice. By this point, the learners
will have already worked with the language and processed it for meaning, so they are ready
to focus on specific language forms that carry the meaning. Thus, the study of these forms is
clearly contextualized through the task itself.
1.2.6. Benefits of Task-based Language Teaching to learners
Learners who are not used to TBLT may not at first realize the advantages of it, and
they should take some time to understand what is required of them and be persuaded of the
benefit.
Bowen (2000) states that the main advantages of TBL are that language is used for
genuine purpose, meaning that communication should take place and that when preparing
the report for the class, students should consider language form in general rather than
concentration on a single form (as in traditional Presentation, Practice, Produce approach).
Some advantages have been summarized by Richard Frost (British Council, Turkey).
Unlike a PPP approach, the students are free of language control. In all three stages, they
must use all their language resources rather than just practicing one pre-selected item. A
natural context is developed from students‟ experiences with the language that is relevant to
them. It is hard to find a natural context in PPP approach when it is required to create context

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to task complexity. Thus, the ability of teachers to adjust the difficulty of tasks may be able
to reduce reluctant students to speak more. Students with low levels of proficiency in the
target language may find it difficult to participate in oral communicative activities and, if the
exams used by an institution are grammar based, communicative fluency may not be
appropriate.

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In the final place, teachers‟ misconceptions of theories and methodology of task-
based teaching also result in failure in teaching speaking communicatively.
1.3. Speaking skill
Many language learners consider speaking ability the measure of knowing a language.
As for them, fluency is the ability to converse with others much more than the ability to read,
write or comprehend oral language. They regard speaking as the most important skill they
can acquire and they can assess their progress in terms of their accomplishments on spoken
communication. Accordingly, if learners do not learn how to speak or do not get
opportunities to speak in the language classroom, they may soon get de-motivated and lose
interest in learning.
The popularity of speaking tends to make us forget the concept that speaking in
foreign language acquisition is viewed as a skill rather than the speaking itself. Therefore, in
this study, the author would like to have discussion on speaking skill definitions instead of
only speaking itself.
1.3.1. Definitions of speaking skill
Speaking skill is man‟s ability in using language as a means of communication.
Bygate (2002) stated that: “we do not merely know how to assemble sentences in the
abstract: we have to produce them and adapt them in the circumstances. This means making
decisions rapidly, implementing them smoothly and adjusting our conversation as
unexpected problems appeared in our path.” (p.3). He highly appreciated speaking skill by
stating that speaking is the medium through which much language is learnt.
Clearly those learners do not learn by heart every word, sentence and then gather
them in the abstract but they learn how to speak in a particular situation. This means