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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES BÙI THỊ THU HÀ

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE DIFFICULTIES
THAT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FACE IN USING
NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 8
AT LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NGHE AN

Những khó khăn mà giáo viên và học sinh
gặp phải trong việc sử dụng sách giáo khoa Tiếng Anh 8
ở trung học cơ sở Nghệ An.

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 601410
HANOI - 2010

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

BÙI THỊ THU HÀ
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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURES
Figure 1: The students‟ self-evaluation on their English level
Figure 2: Students‟ self-reported frequency of preparing their new lesson
Figure 3: Students‟ perception of the difficult level of the new English textbook 8
Figure 4: The most difficult language skill
TABLES
Table 1: Difficulties in listening skill
Table 2: Difficulties in speaking skill
Table 3: Difficult in reading skill
Table 4: Difficulties in writing skill
Table 5: Difficult level of language focus part
Table 6: Students‟ opinion about working in pairs or groups

CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Textbook and the role of the textbook in the classroom 4
1.1.1. What is a textbook? 4
1.1.2. The role of the textbook in a language program. 4
1.2. CLT and its implementation in the classroom in Vietnam. 5
1.2.1. What is CLT? 5
1.2.2. Implementation of CLT in the Vietnamese classroom 6
1.3. Summary 9
CHAPTER TWO:
AN OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN
VIETNAM AND INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 8
2.1. An overview of English language teaching in Vietnam. 10
2.2. Description of the new English textbook 8. 12

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2.2.1. Aims of the new English textbook 8 12
2.2.2. Specific objectives of the new English textbook 8 12
2.2.3. Approach to textbook development 13
2.2.4. Underlying teaching approach of the new English textbook 8 14
2.2.5. Overall layout of the new English textbook 8 15
2.2.6. Overall layout of each unit 16
2.3. Summary 17
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research questions 18
3.2. Subjects of the study 18
3.3. Data collection instruments 18
3.3.1. Questionnaire 18
3.3.2. Interview 19
3.3.3. Classroom observation 19
3.4. Summary 20

4.2.2.2. Implications for students……………………………………………… 36
4.2.2.3. Implications for policy makers or designers……………………………36
4.3. Summary………………………………………………………………………… 37
PART III: CONCLUSION
1. Conclusions …38
2. Limitations of the study and Suggestions for further study …39
REFERENCES 40
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Questionnaire for students
Appendix 2: Questions for teachers
Appendix 3: Reading in Unit 6
Appendix 4: Writing in Unit 6, Speaking and Listening in Unit 13
Appendix 5: Language focus in Unit 13
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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English is a basic compulsory subject in the curriculum of secondary education. It is
expected to help students access knowledge, advanced technology, and a variety of world
cultures. Moreover, English at secondary school plays an important part in students‟
intellectual development, especially language mentality. Therefore, along with other subjects,
English helps to contribute to students‟ personal foundation and development.
In Vietnam, a new series of textbooks for lower secondary schools ( English 6,7,8,9) was
introduced in 2002 by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) with aim to teach
students communicative skills in English. The four skills ( Listening, Speaking, Reading and
Writing) are promoted in the new textbook ( new method). While teachers and students in
Vietnam are still familiar with old method ( only reading and writing) and students come to
class with an expectation that teachers say and students listen and write. The new textbook

3. Scope of the study
This study focused on the difficulties that students and teachers have in using English
textbook 8 at three lower secondary schools in Nghe An: Hung Chinh, Le Mao and Hung
Binh. Thus, it is necessarily limited in scope and its results should not be generalized to other
parts of Vietnam.
4. Research questions
In order to achieve the aims of the study, my research questions are:
(1) What kinds of difficulties do students have when they learn the new English
textbook 8?
(2) What kinds of difficulties do lower secondary school teachers have when they use
the new English textbook 8 to teach their students?
(3) What are the solutions to overcome those difficulties?
5. Method of the study
In order to collect sufficient and relevant data for the study, three research techniques were
employed:
- Conducting a survey questionnaire to investigate students‟ ideas about their difficulties
they have in English learning as well as their attitudes towards the new English textbook 8.

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- Interviewing teachers to clarify issues raised in their teaching with the new English
textbook 8 to their students.
- Observing classes to find out how the new English textbook 8 is employed, and to get
information of both teacher‟s methods of teaching and students‟ ways of learning in
classroom.
6. Design of the study
The study consists of three parts: introduction, development and conclusion.
Part one provides the overview of the study including the rationale, objectives of the study,
scope of the study, research questions, methodology and the structure of the study.
Part two is the major part of the thesis. It is divided into four chapters. Chapter one
reviews theoretical background, some concepts on the textbook and its roles in the classroom,

textbook packages which typically consist of a student‟s book, a teacher‟s book, a workbook
and some or all of the following components: a test booklet, audio tapes or compact discs for
listening comprehension and pronunciation work, video tapes and guides, grammar book.
Textbook materials play a very important part in language teaching and learning.
It is true that in many cases teachers and students rely heavily on textbooks, and
textbook determine the components and methods of learning, that is, they control the content,
methods and procedures of learning. Students learn what is presented in the textbook, and the

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way the textbook presents materials is the way students learn it. For language students, and
specially those who have limited or no contact with native speakers, the textbook is one of the
main learning and reference tools due to its pervasive use inside and outside the classroom as a
guide to proper language use. Most of the language that students will acquire during their
schooling in English will be from either their teacher or their textbook. Theoretically, the
textbook will influence the class and the learning process. Therefore, in many cases, materials
are the center of instruction and one of the most important influences on what goes on in the
classroom.( Kitao, 1997)
Ur (1996) said that textbook provides framework to help teachers and learners know
where they are going and what is coming next, so that there is a sense of structure and
progress.
Richards ( 2001, p12) defines: “ Textbook is an important material is most language
programs. In some situations, textbook may serve primarily to supplement the teachers
instruction or provide the major source of contact they have with the language for learners
apart from input provided by the teacher. In other situations , textbook may also serve as a
form of teacher training. I provided ideas on how to plan and teach lessons as well as formats
that teachers can use”.
In short, we cannot deny the important roles of textbook in teaching and learning
English because it provides framework and ideas so as to both teachers and students know
how to plan and teach as well as learn.
1.2. CLT and its implementation in the classroom in Vietnam.

and learning. However, to appreciate its value and to make it work effectively in a certain
context are not the same.
In reality, there are a lot of constraints in using the CLT in the school classrooms in
Vietnam regarding to context, culture, history, teaching and learning style, learners‟ needs and
classroom issues.
- Culture and history:
Changing textbook must depend on a lot of things such as users, contexts and
especially culture. CLT originates from the context of Western culture where individualism
and competition are typical, there must be a clash in this new context and he said “ Everyone

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talk at the same time”. But Western culture is quite different from Vietnamese culture where
collectivism dominates the learning and teaching environment, students often find it is
shameful to say something wrong and they even cannot interrupt their teachers while they are
speaking. Furthermore, the educational system in Vietnam is characterized as a closed system
and knowledge-centered. The textbook, the syllabus and the teacher determine the knowledge
to be required. So Le (2007) indicated that central to pedagogical practices in Vietnam is the
traditional view of the teacher-student relationship, and the teacher is only a provider of
knowledge and trainer of behavior. Vietnamese learners often come to class with an
expectation that teachers will explain the vocabulary and pieces of grammar rules and style
point. Clearly, it is difficult to apply the CLT in schools in Vietnam successfully because we
know that a language always exists in close relation to its socio-cultural context.
- Learning and teaching style:
To Vietnamese students , the speaking and listening time is difficult time, they do not
like to express their ideas and only want to listen to their teacher and repeat what they listen.
Hence, teachers must spend a lot of time preparing a lesson and making their students able to
speak and listen easier. The students had to memorize those sayings to recite them when they
were asked to, and he also said that the major method of learning in Vietnam is still
memorizing and the transfer of knowledge is in one direction from the teacher to student.
Chung (2000, p.203) assumes: “ Many Vietnamese spent hours in English classes writing

In Vietnam learners‟ needs is quite different. They do not like to communicate but they
only notice to grammar or how to do exercises to pass the national examinations. According to
Canale and Swain (1980, p.27) argue that “a communication must be based on and respond to
the learner‟s communicative needs” and they also said the requirement to provide learners
with “the opportunity to take part in meaningful communication interaction with highly
competent speakers of the language situations” is unrealistic and impracticable in Vietnamese
settings. Meanwhile most of the students learn English to pass the national examinations; they
do not have the competence needs in communicating and only put weight to English grammar.
On the other hand, teachers‟ coming to class must teach attitude or personalities to students.
The Vietnamese teachers‟ two major responsibilities are to help to develop students‟
personalities and to provide them knowledge. This means teachers are center, while CLT is a

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centered learner method. In fact, CLT plays an important role in teaching English but it is no
universal method. In fact, using the implementation of CLT in Vietnam as a case study and of
course, both students and teachers have many constraints in using this method.
- Classroom issues:
Practically, now Vietnamese teachers of English are facing various difficulties in
teaching English to large classes because of the variety of learners‟ levels. Moreover, the
variety of learners in the classroom requires plenty of efforts from the teachers. With regard to
teaching efficiency in classes with mixed abilities, a teacher of English is required not only
widened knowledge of English but also the ability of organizing, managing the classroom to
help students learn better. For example: checking their understanding, designing appropriate
texts and more importantly organizing different in some features such as learning styles,
motivation to study English, attitudes towards English, learning strategies and especially
learning ability. Therefore, these multilevel classes usually cause enormous challenges for
effective learning and teaching English. Besides, teachers do not know how to correct
mistakes of all learners. If they correct learners‟ mistakes individually, they have not enough
time. Especially when learners work in pairs or groups, teachers cannot go around all of
groups at the same time to detect learners „mistakes. In brief, large classes with mixed abilities

either English and French, many students opt for English due to employment, and also due to
the fact that English is “in fashion” among young people. Indeed, awareness of the need to
increase the quality of English language education has been widespread in Vietnam.
Therefore, English is taught in lower secondary schools. English textbook 8 has been used to
teach the students who have learnt English for at least 2 years (grade 6,7) because some
students have learnt English for more than two years at primary schools. Students learn
English for three forty-five minute periods a week, except in grade 9 when they learn for 2
periods a week. In addition, most of the students are often not a good at English, or they spend
only a little time learning it. For them, English is simply an obligatory subject. They learn it
mainly for marks, just to pass the tests. Therefore, they seem to be likely passive in learning.
They depend much on the textbook and teachers‟ method of delivery.

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The large number of students in English class, often more than 40 students in each one,
poorly equipped only with blackboard and desks for 4 or 5 students sharing one are really
challenging for both teachers and students.
For long time, the process of teaching and learning a foreign language at lower
secondary school has been mainly dominated by the grammar-translation approach, the habit
of teaching and learning English mainly for doing the tests, not for communication, that is
because all the tests are written one. Teachers typically provide learners with a large amount
of academic language knowledge, make light of language practice based on given linguistic
data, whereas learners take notes or acquire language passively. As a result, most students
could do the tests quite well, but they hardly say a sentence in English. It is the fact that both
teachers and students seem to be very lazy to speak English in class. In many cases, in class
English, teachers and students both talk in Vietnamese.
A recent survey of the Ministry of Education and Training, most of foreign language
teachers spend most of time on presenting, explaining grammar rules. Learners take notes,
memorize, acquire knowledge passively and have little chance for developing language skills.
During lesson, teachers only teach language data in the textbook, do not exploit or teach
without reference to other teaching material resources. Learners listen to their teacher and

and literature.
- To create a communicative environment or setting for learners to acquire English by
using it thorough activities in class.
- To provide teachers with sufficient activities to develop their communicative
competence.
- To enrich students‟ general understanding of and positive attitudes towards language,
people and cultures of some English speaking countries, thus enrich the students‟ knowledge
and their pride of their own culture and language.
2.2.2. Specific objectives of the new English textbook 8
Having learnt the English 8 students will be able to use their English language
knowledge within the book to:
- Listen and understand the main idea of short dialogue in the classroom, short

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readings in the textbook topics
- Speak the English expression content simple daily communication concerning the
content themes and language learning
- Read the content of texts, short paragraphs (about 120-150 words)
- Write simple sentences and short paragraphs under the themes in school textbooks
under the guidance and model suggestion.
In general, the objectives of the textbook meet the needs of teachers and students. They
are realistic, relevant and appropriate to the context of teaching and learning in lower
secondary school in Vietnam; aligned with the world trends of English language teaching
nowadays. Learners are provides with opportunities to communicate in the target language in
and outside classroom.
2.2.3. Approach to textbook development
A theme-based approach is used in the new English textbook for grade 8. This is so
different from a structural approach to the development of the old textbook where structures
were selected, graded and presented. To do these well, students have to practice and to
remember by doing a lot of meaningless exercises, learning by heart, and translating the text.

philosophy and it can be used alongside a more traditional approach. In Jane Willis‟ flexible
model for task-based approach, learners begin by carrying out a communicative task, without
specific focus on form. After they have done the task, they report and discuss how they
accomplished this. Only at the end there is a specific focus on features of language form.
Some of proponents of task-based approach to language teaching and learning present it as a
logical development of communicative language teaching since it draws on several principles
that formed part of the communicative language teaching movement.
The learner-centered approach considered learners as the center of the teaching-
learning process, learning is a process of interaction between students with textbooks, students
with teachers and their partners. This promotes students‟ ability, positiveness, activeness and
creativity. It is directed to communicative competence through skills. Communicative
competence is the means of achieving communicative goal. The role of the teacher here is not
transmit knowledge only but also to instruct, organize, or help students to interact with each

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other while they are learning the language knowledge, practicing communicative skills in the
target language.
In the communicative approach , formulating and developing students‟ communicative
skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are considered as a ultimate goal of language
teaching and learning process. Other language items such as vocabulary, pronunciation and
grammar rules are given to students as the means, the conditions to promote the development
communicative skills.
Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate
communication. In other words, the goal of communicative language approaches is to create a
realistic context for language acquisition in the classroom. The teachers prepare a situation
that learners are likely to encounter in real life. The focus of this method is on functional
language usage and the ability to learners to express their own ideas, feelings, attitudes,
desires and needs. Students usually work in small groups on communication activities, during
which they receive practice in negotiating meaning.
Pair and group work create enough confidence for even weak students to join in class

- Read: includes some texts with aiming to expand content of theme as well as structure,
vocabulary and to develop their reading skill.
- Write: includes some writing tasks to help students review what they have learnt and know
more some forms about the way to write a letter, an invitation…
- Language focus: includes some grammar exercises helping students review some structure
points of each unit.
Going with this textbook, there are two cassette tapes. Besides that, there are Teachers‟
book and Exercises‟ book.
However, with this structure, there are some problems in teaching and learning
process. First, teachers and students must have a lot of time to finish all parts: Getting started,
Listen and read, Speak, Listen, Read, Write and Language focus, while, according to program
that is allocated by the Minister of Education and Training, 2007, there are 5 periods to teach
or learn in a unit in school. This is a problem for teachers and learners. Second, There are
always Speaking part and Listening part in a period, but teachers and learners seem not
concerned these two parts because in all examinations, speaking and listening skills are not

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tested. Third, there are too many new words in the reading part so students can not understand
the text or the dialogue well. Last, correcting exercises in the workbook in classroom is very
necessary because teachers can check students‟ understanding of what they have learnt.
Meanwhile, in reality, teachers and students have not enough time to do this.
2.3. Summary
In this chapter, I have already given general description of the new English textbook 8
and the school context where the textbook is implemented. The new textbook is an innovation
in teaching English at the lower secondary school given its great emphasis on the development
of students ability to use English for communicative purpose. However, it is argued that in the
same teaching conditions and the habits of teaching and learning English at the lower
secondary school, both teachers and students would have to face some difficulties in using it.

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