VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY- HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FULCUTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRẦN QUỐC BÌNH PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS IN EFL VIETNAMESE CLASSROOMS
AFFECTING SPEAKING ASSESSMENT:
A CASE STUDY IN NAM DINH UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Những hạn chế của lớp học Việt Nam ảnh hưởng đến việc đánh giá
kĩ năng nói môn Tiếng Anh: Một nghiên cứu tình huống
ở các trường trung học phổ thông tỉnh Nam Định

THE M.A THESIS

Field: Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10 Hanoi - 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHORSHIP DECLARATION i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii
ABSTRACT iii
LIST OF TABLES iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
PART I
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Rationale of the research 1
1.2 Research questions and research aims 2
1.3 Scope of the study Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.4 Methodology 4
1.5 Significance of the study 5
1.6 Design of the study 5
PART II
CHAPTER II: LIERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Constraints in oral teaching skill at Vietnamese lower secondary school and
tertiary education 7
2.2 Constraints in speaking teaching in Vietnamese upper-secondary schools 9
2.2.1 Educational system 9

4.1. Overall findings 37
4.2. The practical constraints affecting teachers to conduct speaking assessment. 38
4.2.1. Difficulties caused by the educational system 39
4.2.1.1 Large classes 39
4.2.1.2 Excessive work in addition to classroom teaching 41
4.2.1.3 Textbooks 42
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4.2.1.4 Exams’ negative backwash 43
4.2.1.5 Few opportunities for retraining 44
4.2.2. Difficulties caused by the students 45
4.2.2.1 Students’ low English proficiency 45
4.2.2.2 Students’ low demotivation 45
4.2.3. Difficulties caused by teachers 46
CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS 46
4.1. Overall findings 46
Table 3 - Practical constraints affecting teachers‟ English speaking
assessment 49
4.2.1. Difficulties caused by the educational system 49
4.2.1.1 Large classes 49
4.2.1.2 Excessive work in addition to classroom teaching 51
“The last tasks in speaking lessons in the textbook are difficult for students‟
speaking ability. I seldom quit speaking lessons but I can only use the first
two or three speaking tasks. I ask them to read aloud and learn by heart and
speak in front of the class. However, I cannot use the tasks of discussion. They
are too difficult for my students” (Teacher 1). 52
Being asked about the lack of speaking tests in the textbook, the teachers
shared their opinions: 53
4.2.1.4 Exams‟ negative backwash 53
4.2.1.5 Few opportunities for retraining 54

(Teacher 5). 65
4.3.6. Picture description 65
4.3.7 Information gap activity 66
Only one of the participants used this type of speaking assessment. 66
The teacher who was the only one using this task shared his opinions. 66
Teacher 3 thought that this task was new to him. 67
4.3.8. Discussion 67
The only teacher using this task expressed her problem of scoring. 67
This participant only applied this task in high-quality classes. 67
5.1. Nam Dinh upper-secondary English teachers‟ speaking assessment 71
5.1.1. The ways of speaking assessment in Nam Dinh upper-secondary school
English teachers 71
5.1.2. The types of non-authentic speaking assessment tasks 71
5.1.3.1 Constraints caused by students 73
Lack of English input 73
Students‟ demotivation 74
Teachers‟ lack of teaching methodology in speaking test 74
Teachers‟ low consciousness of „backwash effect‟ 75
No inter-rater test reliability 75
Teachers‟ low proficiency 76
5.1.3.3 Constraints caused by the education system 76
Large classes 76
Excessive work in addition to classroom teaching 76
Textbook 77
Exams‟ negative backwash 77
Ineffective training classes 78
Teachers‟ personal beliefs 78
REFERENCES 86
Heaton, J. B. (1990). Classroom Testing. Pearson Longman 87
Pennington, C. M. (1999). Language Learning. Arnold 89