COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING IN PRACTICE?:
A STUDY OF FOUR POST-GRADUATE STUDENT TEACHERS
IN THAILAND
AURAPAN WEERAWONG
(BEd English, Srinakharinwirot University
MA TESOL, University of London)
A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
2004 i
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

Without patient encouragement and support from many people, this thesis would not
have been realized. First of all, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the enthusiastic
supervision of Associate Professor Dr. Christopher J. Stroud during this work. I am

I wish to convey my special gratitude to the thesis committee, Associate Professor Dr.
Robbie Goh, Head of Department of English Language and Literature, Assistant
Professor Dr. Michelle M. Lazar, Dr Rubdy Rani Sumant, and Associate Professor
Dr. Bao Zhiming, for their most helpful comments and advice. I also wish to thank
Associate Professor Dr. John A. Richardson, for his help, support, interest and
valuable advice on various issues of my study. Lastly, I owe a huge debt of gratitude
to the National University of Singapore for the scholarship and research grant.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i i
TABLE OF CONTENTS iv iv
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
SUMMARY xiii
ABBREVIATION xvi

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Research questions 8
1.3 Methodology 8

CHAPER 2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN THAILAND:
A BACKGROUND
2.1 Introduction 11


5.1 Introduction 73
5.2 Analytical framework 73
5.3 Data collection instruments 82
5.4 Methodology 92
5.5 Data analysis 104
5.6 Conclusion 106 106

CHAPTER 6 PROBLEMS IN CLT IN PRACTICE: QUALITATIVE
ANALYSIS 1
6.1 Introduction 108
6.2 Student Teacher 2: T2-ST 109
6.3 Analysis of classroom practice of Student Teacher 2 (T2-ST) 110
6.4 Summary: A checklist of the teaching procedures, classroom management 130
practices, and classroom resources of Student Teacher 2 (T2-ST)

6.5 Conclusion to Student Teacher 2 (T2-ST) 132
6.6 Student Teacher 3: T3-ST 132
6.7 Analysis of classroom practice of Student Teacher 3 (T3-ST) 134

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6.8 Summary: Checklist of the teaching procedures, classroom management 155
practices, and classroom resources of Student Teacher 3(T3-ST)

6.9 Conclusion to Student Teacher3 (T3-ST) 156
6.10 Student Teacher 4:T4-ST 157
6.11 Analysis of classroom practice of Student Teacher 4 (T4-ST) 158
6.12 Summary: Checklist of the teaching procedures, classroom management 176
practices, and classroom resources of Student Teacher 4 (T4-ST)


8.2 Student Teacher 1: T1-ST 218
8.3 Analysis of classroom practice of Student Teacher1 (T1-ST) 219
8.4 Summary: Checklist of the teaching procedures, classroom 248
management practices, and classroom resources

8.5 Conclusion to Student Teacher 1 (T1-ST) 250

CHAPTER 9 POSSIBILITIES IN CLT PRACTICE IN THE LESSON
RELATING OTHER SKILLS: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS 4

9.1 Introduction 252
9.2 Student Teacher 1: T1-RD 252
9.3 Analysis of classroom practice of Student Teacher1 (T1-RD) 253
9.4 Summary: Checklist of the teaching procedures, classroom 268
management practices, and classroom resources of
Teacher Student 1 (T1-RD)

9.5 Conclusion to Student Techer1 (T1-RD) 269
9.6 Evidence of changes in all four informants’ teaching behaviours 270
9.7 General conclusion 273

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CHAPTER 10 POSSIBILITIES AND PROBLEMS IN CLT IN PRACTICE:
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS 5

10.1 Introduction 274
10.2 Analysis of the overall classroom interaction 274
10.3 Findings and discussion 275
10.4 Analysis of classroom interaction 281
10.5 Conclusion 316

Page
Table 2.1 Fundamental English 16
Table 2.2 English for English Concentration 17
Table 2.3 English for business 17
Table 5.1 The Interaction Analysis Categories 87
Table 5.2 The four informants’ profiles 93
Table 5.3 The schools’ profiles 94
Table 5.4 The transcripts of lessons 99
Table 5.5 Data analysis 106
Table 10.1 Overall mean and standard deviation scores on all lessons 278
Table 10.2a Overall percentages of teacher’s explanations in structural lessons 292

Table 10.2b Overall percentages of teacher’s explanations in lessons relating to 293
the other skills

Table 10.3a Overall percentages of teacher’s questions, explanation, and 302
evaluation in structural lessons

Table 10.3b Overall percentages of teacher’s questions, explanation, and 302

evaluation in lessons relating to the other skills xi
LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Fig. 4.1 Teaching Methodology Cline 67
Fig. 5.1 Johnson’s (1995) framework for understanding communication 79

Fig. 10.9a Praising students’ performance in structural lessons 299
Fig. 10.9b Praising students’ performance in the lessons relating the other 299
skills
Fig. 10.10a Teacher evaluates student’s responses in structural lessons 300
Fig. 10.10b Teacher evaluates student’s responses in the lessons 300
relating the other skills
Fig. 10.11a Negotiating with students in structural lessons 304
Fig. 10.11b Negotiating with students in the lessons relating the other skills 304
Fig. 10.12aa Minimal responses by students in structural lessons 306
Fig. 10.12ab Minimal responses by students in the lessons relating 306
the other skills
Fig. 10.12ba Responses in complete idea by students in structural class 306
Fig. 10.12bb Responses in complete idea by students in the lessons relating 306
the other skills
Fig. 10.13a Learners’ initiation made to the teacher in structural lessons 306
Fig. 10.13b Learners’ initiation made to the teacher in the lessons relating 308
the other skills
Fig. 10.14a Repetition and drills made by students in structural lessons 308
Fig. 10.14b Repetition and drills made by students in the lessons relating 310
the other skills
Fig. 10.15a Learners’ initiation made to another learner in structural lessons 312
Fig. 10.15b Learners’ initiation made to another learner in the lessons relating 312
The other skills

Fig. 10.16a Period f silence in structural lessons 314
Fig. 10.16b Period f silence in the lessons relating the other skills 314

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SUMMARY


paradigm for the CLT attempts. An interaction analysis category (IAC) adapted from
Nunan (1990) is developed and employed for a quantitative analysis.

Chapter 6 to Chapter 9 are dedicated to qualitative analysis, which interpretative
framework is applied to the analysis of the four informants in all eight lessons.
Transcripts of classroom interaction, incorporated some other research techniques, are
analysed and discussed for teaching and learning behaviours, which contribute to or
constrain CLT. The problems in CLT practice as found in the lessons of T2, T3 and
T4 are presented and analysed in Chapter 6 concerning structural lessons (Analysis 1),
and in Chapter 7 concerning lessons relating other skills (Analysis 2). The potential
presence of CLT practice as found in informant T1’s teaching is presented and
analysed in Chapter 8 concerning her structural lesson (Analysis 3), and in Chapter 9
for the remaining lesson associated to other skills (Analysis 4).

In Chapter 10, an interaction analysis category is applied to capture and quantify the
teacher and learner behaviours in all lessons. The findings are the supplements to the
interpretative analyses. xv
In Chapter 11, an interpretative approach is applied within the socio-cultural
framework, to analyse the teachers and learners’ behaviours as influenced by the
social norms and homogeneous culture. Conclusions are drawn from the language
used and strategies employed by the participants for appropriateness or
inappropriateness to CLT implementation.

The final chapter, Chapter 12, presents the researcher’s discussion and conclusion of
this study. It provides the research findings, which are problems in implementing
CLT, affected by the social contexts and different interpretations and practices of the
individuals, and the possibilities for CLT in practice to emerge. The implications of

The English language was brought to Thailand by missionaries and traders from
Western countries in the mid 1800s. During this period of political pressure from the
West, Thailand had to introduce the study of foreign languages in order to negotiate
with the great European powers and to protect its rights and sovereignty.
Consequently, English has been taught in schools as a foreign language (EFL) since
1871 (Chayanuvat 1997:1). English has been a part of the Thai educational system
since that time and become the most widely studied language among the foreign
languages taught. According to the Thai national English curriculum, “English is
taught for communication” (Ministry of Education, 2001), which is supposedly based
on the Communicative Approach (CA).

1.1.1 English language teaching methodologies
Over the last century, the teaching of EFL in Thailand has been carried out through
various methodologies, namely, the Grammar-Translation Method, the Audio-Lingual
Method, the Direct Method, and taking a Functional Approach (Chayanuvat, 1997:6).
In the late 1960s, during which the theory underlying audiolingualism was rejected,
and Situational Language Teaching was implemented, it was found that students who
received several years of formal English language instruction remained inadequate in
communicating in the target language. During the 1970s, British applied linguists
began to examine the teaching theories underlying past methodologies and
emphasized the functional and communicative potential of language.

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Traditionally, language was seen as a system of rules which students needed to
master. In contrast, language in the 1970s came to be seen as a system for the
expression of meaning in social interaction rather than as abstract syntactic rules. In
response to the work of the Council of Europe, referred to as the Threshold Level, a
group of experts in Europe set out to solve problems regarding language learning.
This had an important influence in promoting a communicative approach to language
teaching. The work of the experts of the Council of Europe as well as the British

MOE has announced that ‘Education Reform 1996-2007: The Basic Education
Curriculum’ will be fully implemented in 2005 (Ministry of Education, 2001: 132).
The MOE has explicitly noted that English language teaching in Thai schools is based
on the Communicative Approach. However, these changes seem to be in theoretical
aspects.

1.1.2 The failure of English teaching in Thailand
Realizing the importance of English as a tool for global communication and economic
stability, the MOE has been calling for revisions and implementation of different
English curricula for the past two decades (Ministry of Education, 1991, 2001). It
appears that English taught as EFL in schools at all levels has gone through various
curricula changes arising from different, vague policies. What is never in doubt,
however, is the fact that no matter which methodology or which English curriculum
has been used in ELT in Thailand, the reality is that Thai students still struggle with
the use of English.

The general consensus in Thailand seems to be that the teaching of English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) in the country has failed to help students achieve the
expected level of English (Aksornkul, 1985:1). In 1985, the MOE queried whether the

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English syllabus requirements satisfactorily fulfilled the goals required in the study of
English (Department of General Education, 1985 cited in Aksornkul, 1985). In
response to this, MOE introduced CLT to some in-service teachers of English in their
training courses. MOE reported that graduates at each level were not sufficiently
proficient in English (Ministry of Education, 2001: 40). This problem persists to the
present day. Similarly, the Bangkok Post, the leading English newspaper in Thailand,
revealed that only 1-2% of Thai public high school graduates can communicate well
in English (Bangkok Post, 29 July, 1999). In addition, Wiriyachitra’s study (2001)
confirmed that the English language skills of Thai students before entering the

Additionally, the teachers must provide learners with ample opportunities to use the
language themselves for communicative purpose, and to develop the learners’ ability
to take part in the process of communicating through the language. Because the
teaching methodology is based on the concept of learner-centredness, CLT requires
that the teachers play different roles, e.g., informant, facilitator, controller, guide (cf.
Byrne, 1986; Brumfit & Mitchell, 1989; Harmer, 2001; Johnson, 2001). It is required
that learners take greater initiative in their learning, become active agents in the
process, and engage in speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. Their role
is, therefore, as joint negotiator within the group and within the teaching and learning

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procedures and activities which the group undertakes. Consequently, the learners
contribute as much as they gain, and thereby learn in an interdependent way (Candlin,
1980 cited in Richards & Rodgers: 2002: 77).

After sufficient instruction, guidance, counselling, interacting with communicative
tasks and peers, learners should be able to learn or acquire the target language and
transfer what has been learnt in pseudo-realistic and real-life communication
situations.

1.1.4 CLT training and practice
The MOE, in cooperation with the British Council, Bangkok, have been giving short
training courses, seminars and workshops on CLT to EFL teachers since the 1980s.
Nevertheless, despite all the attention paid to CLT by teachers, its effects on ELT
seem marginal at best (Maurice, 1985; Stroupe & Clayton, 1996; Supervision Unit
Department of General Education, 1997). It appears that their practices do not meet
the demands of the national curriculum.

Interestingly, studies, descriptions of practice, reports from practitioners on effective
or ineffective innovations, difficulties of classroom practices and/or practical teaching

The relevant question to be raised here is whether this is also the case for the teachers
of English in Thailand.

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1.2 Research questions
This study investigates the student teachers’ practice in the classroom in relation to
language teaching methodology. This study is not about the content or structure of a
particular teacher training programme. It is not meant to evaluate student teachers’
practice according to a set of predefined criteria, nor is it an assessment of the
knowledge they have about teaching and learning a foreign language. Rather, it grows
out of a concern to investigate teaching behaviours and practices in an actual
classroom setting with reference to the CLT methodology, an approach they claim
they are committed to. The study seeks to explain such teaching behaviours, how the
teachers put their pedagogical theory into practice and the practical problems involved
in doing so. My research questions are thus as follows:
1) Do Thai teachers undergoing a re-training programme in language
methodology show evidence of implementing that approach in their classroom
practice or not?
2) What factors contribute to successful or unsuccessful implementation?

1.3 Methodology
1.3.1 Classroom observation
To enrich the understanding of what occurs in class, various experts suggest that one
has to be present in the classroom and observe the teaching and learning activities
(Gebhard & Oprandy, 1999; Long, 1983; Nunan, 1989; van Lier, 1988). Since the
classroom is the main forum where the teaching and learning processes take place, it
is the place that is the focus for this study.

The same experts also suggest that ELT classroom investigations offer possibilities of
improving our understanding of the ways in which (1) learners learn in the classroom;