The current situation of English language
teaching in the light of CLT to the second-year
students at Thai Nguyen College of Economics
and Finance: a case study
Nghiên cứu thực trạng dạy Tiếng anh theo
đường hướng giao tiếp tại trường Cao đă
̉
ng
Kinh tế-Tài chính Thái Nguyên : Nghiên cứu
trường hợp điển hình

Hà Lê Mai

University of Languages and International Studies
M.A. Thesis. English Teaching Methodology; Mã số: 60 14 10
Supervisor : M.A. Vũ Thị Thu Thủy
Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract. This minor thesis was conducted with an attempt to investigate the current
situation of English language teaching in the light of CLT, especially in teaching
speaking to the second year students’ non- English majors at Thai Nguyen College of
Economics and Finance in 3 parts: First, the INTRODUCTION presents the rationale,
aims and scope of the study, research questions, method and design of the study. The
second part is DEVELOPMENT which is divided into 3 chapters: Chapter one, Literature
Review, deals with the theories related to the study which is relevant to the purpose of the
study. Chapter two, The Study, deals with date analysis of two questionnaires
administered to teachers and students to find out their attitudes towards CLT and main
difficulties in teaching speaking skills using CLT to freshmen and EFL teachers’
solutions to these problems. Chapter three, Findings and Recommendations, provides
some information about the findings of the study. In this chapter, it emphasizes the
implications of the study in which recommendations for the application of CLT approach

3
4
Scope of the study
3
5
Methodology
4
5.1
The objects
4
5.2
Instruments
4
5.3
The procedures
5
6
Significance of the Study
5
7
Organization of the study
6

PART B : DEVELOPMENT
7

CHAPTER 1 : LITERATURE REVIEW
7
1.1
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

Benefits of using CLT approach in the foreign
language classroom
12
1.2.3.2
Problems of applying CLT in the foreign language
classrooms and in second language classroom.
13
1.2.3.3
Previous studies related to CLT application in Viet
Nam
13
1.2.4
Previous studies related to CLT application in Viet Nam
13

CHAPTER 2 : THE STUDY
15
2.1
Background of the study
15
2.1.1
Description of the students at TCEF
15
2.1.2
Description of the teachers at TCEF
15
2.1.3
Settings of the study
15
2.2

their teaching English at present
18
2.3.1.4
Teachers’ background on CLT
19
2.3.1.5
Teachers’ understanding of subjects about CLT
21
2.3.1.6
CLT ’s application in the actual classroom practice
24
2.3.1.7
Evaluation of English textbook regarding in CLT
application
27
2.3.1.8
Teachers’ opinions about the difficulties in the
implementation of CLT in their context of language
teaching
28
2.3.1.9
The degree of success in applying CLT at TCEF
29
2.3.2
Results of the class observation
30
2.3.3
Interview
34


Improving the teaching / learning environment
41

PART C: CONCLUSION
42
1
Conclusions
43
2
Limitations
44
3
Suggestions for further study REFERENCES
44

APPENDIXES
I

Appendix 1 Questionnaire for the teachers
I

Appendix 2 Lesson observation sheet
VII

Appendix 3 Interview questions
VIII


Quarterly.
 Littlewood, W (1981). Communicative Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
 Littlewood, W (1990), Communicative Language Teaching. An Introduction. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
 Littlewood, W (1992). Teaching Oral Communication. A Methodological Framework.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 Littlewood, W (1998). Foreign and Second Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
 Lewis,M & Mc Cook, F.(2002) Cultures of teaching : Voices from Vietnam . ELT journal
 Nunan, D.(1991) Language Teaching Methodology. UK: Prentice-Hall International.
 Nunan, D.(1999) Second LanguageTteaching and Learning. Boston Mass
 Pham Thi Thuan, ( 2005 ) An Investigation into the Reality of Teaching and Learning
English in an Upper-Secondary School in a Remote Mountainous Area of VietNam, M.A.
Thesis, CFL- VUH.
 Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.
Cambridge University Press.
 Sheils, J (1993) Communication in the Modern Language Classroom. London: Council of
Europe Press
 To, T.H, Hoang, X.H, and Tran H.L. (2005). “Might CLT be successfully applicable
in Vietnam, especially in the English department”. ASIA TEFL. Conference, Beijing.
 Tran Hien Lan, ( 2007) A Study on How to Teach Speaking Communicatively to Grade 10
Students at Tran Phu High School, M.A. Thesis, CFL- VUH.
 Tran H.L. (2004). “Dạy bốn kỹ năng theo đường hướng giao tiếp” CFL- VNUH.
 Van, Hoang Van (2006) Đổi mới phương pháp dạy học Tiếng Anh ở THPT Việt Nam
.Nha Xuat ban Giao duc
 Websites:The advantages of communicative language teaching approach. Issuer: From
Asia.Tesol Views
 Essential Principles of the Communicative Approach. Communicative Lesson are-http://
www. American.edu/tesol/CA%20Characteristics.pdf