Tài liệu A study on english grammar learning strategies use of students in class 10a8 at doan hung high school

HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY FACULITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN HUONG GIANG A STUDY ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR LEARNING STRATEGIES USE OF STUDENTS IN CLASS 10A8 AT DOAN HUNG HIGH SCHOOL B.A GRADUATION PAPER Field: English Teaching Methodology Phu Tho, 2018 HUNG VUONG UNIVERSITY FACULITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TRAN HUONG GIANG A STUDY ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR LEARNING STRATEGIES USE OF STUDENTS IN CLASS 10A8 AT DOAN HUNG HIGH SCHOOL Nghiên cứu về chiến lược học ngữ pháp Tiếng Anh của học sinh lớp 10A8 Trường THPT Đoan Hùng B.A GRADUATION PAPER Field: English Teaching Methodology Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Hoa, M.A Phu Tho, 2018 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am, first of all, particularly indebted to my supervisor, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoa who has enthusiastically helped and encouraged me to finish this research project. Without her experienced guidance, valuable comments and constant support, my research would still be far from finished. Secondly, my sincere thanks also go to all lecturers and staff of Foreign Language Department for their valuable lessons and precious help. Thanks to their lesson as well as valuable help, I could overcome enormous obstacles when doing the study. Besides, I would like to give my profound thanks to 40 students at Doan Hung High school who have participated in this research. Finally, I would also like to express my deep gratitude and love to my devoted parents, my sisters, my friends for their constant support and their understanding. Their great encouragement and love have helped me to complete this study. ii ABSTRACT This thesis was carried out with an aim to assess English grammar learning strategies use of students at Doan Hung High school. The purposes of the thesis were to investigate the areas of current situation of using grammar learning strategies: the student’s attitude (what strategies they often use, the reason and degree of utilization), the student’s awareness ( advantages and difficulties of strategies that students often use). The subjects involved in the study were 40studentsinclass 10A8. These students were invited to join the survey and answer the questionnaire. The study reveals that students use six strategies (direct strategies and indirect strategies) when learning English grammar. And direct strategies are used more often than indirect strategies. They use strategies at medium frequency. The main reason for choosing direct strategies is easy to use. Strategies help students learn grammar more easily and more effectively. And the most difficulty is choosing appropriate strategies for each task in the text book. The study suggests that teachers should raise the students’ awareness about using suitable strategies to each activity and give them more chances to use strategies in learning grammar. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... i ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS ........................................................................ vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................. vii PART A: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................1 1. Rationale ................................................................................................................1 2. Previous studies......................................................................................................2 2.1. In the world .........................................................................................................2 2.2. In Vietnam ...........................................................................................................3 2.3. Existing problems................................................................................................4 3.Research Purpose ....................................................................................................4 4. Research Questions ................................................................................................4 5. Methodology ..........................................................................................................5 5.1. Research procedure ............................................................................................5 5.2. Research Methods ...............................................................................................5 6. Hypotheses .............................................................................................................5 7. Significance ............................................................................................................6 8. Scopes of the study ................................................................................................6 9. Design of the study ................................................................................................6 PART B: DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................8 CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ...................................................8 1.1. The Role of Grammar in Language Learning.....................................................8 1.2. Language Learning Strategies............................................................................9 iv 1.3. Main Features of Language Learning Strategies ..............................................10 1.4. The Purposes of Language Learning Strategies ...............................................11 1.5. Grammar Learning Strategies ...........................................................................12 1.6. Classification of Grammar Learning Strategies................................................14 1.6.1 Direct Strategies .............................................................................................17 1.6.1.1. Memory Strategies ......................................................................................17 1.6.1.2. Cognitive Strategies ....................................................................................17 1.6.1.3. Compensation Strategies ............................................................................18 1.6.2. Indirect Strategies ..........................................................................................18 1.6.2.1. Metacognitive Strategies .............................................................................18 1.6.2.2. Affective Strategies......................................................................................19 1.6.2.3. Social Strategies..........................................................................................19 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODS .................................................................20 2.1. The subject and object of the study ..................................................................20 2.1.1. The subject of the study ..................................................................................20 2.1.2. The object of the study ...................................................................................20 2.2. The data collection instruments ........................................................................20 2.2.1. Survey questionnaires ....................................................................................20 2.2.1.1. Reasons for choosing survey questionnaires. .............................................20 2.2.1.2. Describing survey questionnaire ................................................................21 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ........................................23 3.1. A general overview of Doan Hung High School ..............................................23 3.1.1. Teachers at Doan Hung high school .............................................................24 3.1.2. Students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung high school ........................................24 3.2. The English textbook of grade 10 .....................................................................24 3.3. Characteristics of grammar tasks in the textbook .............................................27 3.4. Findings from the current situations .................................................................27 3.4.1. Results from questionnaire ............................................................................27 3.4.1.1. The grammar learning strategies that students often use...........................29 3.4.1.2. The reasons why students like to use these grammar learning strategies ..30 v 3.4.1.3. Frequency of students’ using grammar learning strategies .......................30 3.4.1.4. The benefits of three grammar learning strategies that the students often use the most ..............................................................................................................32 3.4.1.5. Students’ difficulties with three grammar learning strategies that they often use ...................................................................................................................33 3.5.Discussion ..........................................................................................................34 3.6. Implications .......................................................................................................34 3.6.1. For students....................................................................................................35 3.6.2. For teachers ...................................................................................................35 PART C: CONCLUSION ........................................................................................37 1. Summary of the study ..........................................................................................37 2. Limitations of the study .......................................................................................37 3. Suggestions for Further Research ........................................................................38 4. Conclusion ...........................................................................................................38 REFERENCES........................................................................................................... I APPENDIX 1 .......................................................................................................... IV APPENDIX 2 .......................................................................................................... XI vi LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS Table 1:The grammar learning strategies that students often use Table 2:The benefits of three strategies that the students often use the most Table 3:Students’ difficulties with three strategies that they often use Graph 1:The reasons why students like to use these grammar learning strategies Graph 2:Frequency of students’ using grammar learning strategies vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ELF : English Foreign Language L2 : Second Language FL : Foreign Language GLSQ : Grammar Learning Strategies Questionnaire GLS : Grammar Learning Strategies LLS : Language Learning Strategies SILL : Strategies Inventory for Language Learners M : Mean 1 PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Nowadays English has become one of the most popular languages worldwide. In different countries, different people at different ages learn English for their own purposes. In Vietnam, learning English language is interested by young people, especially students for a plenty of reasons such as studying at good universities, studying abroad and so on. It has widely been accepted in language teaching and learning that grammar structures are very important because they make up the skeleton of a language. Without grammar, words hang together with no real meaning or sense. So as to be able to use a language to some degree of proficiency, we need to master some grammatical knowledge. Grammar is an important and necessary part in student’s learning because it forms the basis for the development of four skills: reading skill, speaking skill, listening skill and writing skill. Students with good grammar not only produce sentences grammatically but also acquire the ability to apply grammatical knowledge in certain contexts to express their thoughts and feelings as well as to receive feedback. By teaching grammar, teachers not only give students the means to express themselves, but also fulfill student’s expectations of what learning a foreign language involves. However, how to learn grammar effectively is not very easy and it is of constant concern of learningstrategies. When teaching grammar, English teacher of Doan Hung high school seem to prefer traditional teaching methods in which grammar rules are taught deductively. The common practice of some senior teachers is just giving the explanation of new wordsand grammar structures, asking studentsto learn by heart and make sentences, reading structures, texts or conversations loudly and using a lot of written exercises. In terms of teaching schedule, the students in class 10A8 are currently required to attend only one 2 period (45 minutes) of grammar per week. In class, students do not have a chance to use grammar in communicative activities. They are just asked to do grammar exercises in the textbooks after teacher’s presentation and explanation of a new grammar point. It’s difficult for teachers to finish their teaching successfully because of the time constraint, the large class size, and the student’s mixed level. If we can’t find out any solutions to overcome those given difficulties, it is certain that the grammar lesson can’t be successful and it even becomes worse as the teachers find it unconfident and less enthusiastic in their teaching class. And the students will be fed up with learning grammar if they do not usually understand the lesson. Therefore, both teachers and students need to use more grammar strategies learning to make the lesson more effective. Appropriate grammar learning strategies bring comfortable atmosphere, positive attitude and also impulse student’s motivation. This study attempts to investigate the ways in which students in class 10A8 in Doan Hung high school make conscious efforts to learn English grammar more efficiently, which strategies they use in learning grammar. Therefore, the situation encouraged the author to do the research “A study on English grammar learning strategies use of students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung high school.” with the hope this study can help the students improve their grammar. 2. Previous studies 2.1. In the world When researching about using English grammar strategies, Filiz Yalçin Tilfarlioğlu (2005) had a study on “An Analysis of the Relationship between the Use of Grammar Learning Strategies and Student Achievement at English Preparatory Classes”, Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies. This study attempts to investigate the ways in which some language learners make conscious efforts to learn English grammar more efficiently, which strategies they 3 use in language learning, whether a particular learning strategies favors certain strategies or not, if it does, what those strategies are and relationships between strategy use and learner achievement in grammar learning. The result shows that the use of grammar learning strategies has a positive effect on the student achievement. By knowing this, study can help the students and improve their learning habits. The research “The relationship between grammar learning strategies use and language achievement of Iranian high school ELF learners”of SorourZekrati (2017), Indonesian ELF, Journal. This study sought to explore the relationship between grammar learning strategy use and language achievement of Iranian high school EFL learners. The participants of the study were 300 students from three different proficiency levels (Elementary, preintermediate, and intermediate), 230 of whom completed and returned an Oxford Solution Test, and a Likert-scale Grammar learning strategies questionnaire (GLSQ) containing 35 statements. The results indicated that there was a positive relationship between language achievement and grammar strategy use. The findings of the study might provide Iranian EFL teachers and learners with some helpful implications for teaching and testing, and learning grammar strategies respectively at high schools, as well as useful directions for future studies in this domain. 2.2. In Vietnam “ Việc sử dụng các thủ thuật ( strategies) học ngữ pháp tiếng Anh của sinh viên năm thứ hai Khoa ngôn ngữ và Văn hóa Anh- Mỹ” was written by Nguyễn Thu Hiền, (2009), University of Languages and International Studies- Vietnam National University. This study investigated the using grammar learning strategies of students at the second year teacher’s awareness about students using and the 4 relationship between grammar learning strategies and result of studying. And then giving some suggestions to help students use grammar learning strategies better. 2.3. Existing problems According to the above previous studies, the researcher sees that the authors of those studies only focused on the relationship between the use of Grammar Learning Strategies and Student Achievement and teacher’s awareness about student’ s using and the relationship between strategies and result of studying, they did not give the frequency of using grammar learning strategies. And they did not mention about the advantages and difficulties of strategies that students often use. So, in this study, the researcher will try to find out some current situations of grammar learning strategies’ use of the students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung high school. 3.Research Purpose - To find out grammar learning strategies that are often used by the students in class 10A8 when learning grammar at Doan Hung High school, their reasons for using these strategies and the students’ frequency in using these grammar learning strategies. - To find out the student’s awareness about grammar learning strategies.(some advantages and difficulties with grammar learning strategies that they often use) 4. Research Questions This study intends to address the following research questions: 1) Which grammar learning strategies do students in class 10A8 often use? 2) What are the reasons for these strategies often used? 3) How often do the students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High school use grammar learning strategies? 5 4) What benefits can the students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High school get in using these grammar learning strategies? 5) What difficulties do the students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High school have in using these grammar learning strategies? 5. Methodology 5.1. Research procedure Firstly, study theory to clarify the definitions of Language Learning Strategies (LLS) and Grammar Learning Strategies (GLS). Secondly, find out which learning strategies the students in class 10A8 often use, their reasons for using these strategies and the students’ frequency in using these grammar learning strategies. Thirdly, explore the students’ awareness about grammar learning strategies. Finally, give some implications for teaching and learning grammar. 5.2. Research Methods With the aim of finding out the current situations and getting some results after investigation into learning grammar strategies of students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung School, this study adopts quantitative methods. To identify the problems, the study has been carried out with the data collected from only survey questionnaire for students to collect information about their views of the current situations and their advantages, difficulties with strategies which are used in learning English. 6. Hypotheses If the study on English grammar learning strategies in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High School is successful, this will help students in class 10A8 improve their grammar and use grammar in correct contexts. 6 7. Significance Assessing current situations in grammar learning strategies of the students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High School is mainly intended to generate theoretical and practical insights into learning. Thus, the author hopes that conducting the study will have necessary contributions: for students, teachers, and curriculum designers. Initially, the findings of this study can help teachers to get more insights in to how students learn grammar and encourage their students to be conscious of several grammar learning strategies, and create a more suitable learning environment appeal. So that learners can improve and monitor their learning and become autonomous learners. On the other hand, the study can provide deeper insight to curriculum developers to incorporate grammar learning strategies training into the curriculum. Finally, the results may call for more investigation to enrich the existing research findings in the area of grammar learning strategies. 8. Scopes of the study The study focuses specifically on some grammar learning strategies used in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High school. So the study limits itself to the learning grammar only, and the subject of the study consist of all students in class 10A8 at Doan Hung High school, Phu Tho province. 9. Design of the study This paper is divided into three main parts: PART A is the INTRODUCTION. In this part, the rationale, previous research, research purpose, research questions, research methods, significance of the study, the scope of the study and also its design are presented. PART B is the MAJOR CONTENT which includes 3 chapters. Chapter I deals with the theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study: help students study English grammar with grammar learning strategies. 7 Chapter II includes reasons for choosing these methods as well as their procedure. Besides, this chapter includes some data collection instruments that are necessary for these methods. Chapter III consists of some current situations as well as some findings concluded from the data analysis. PART C is the CONCLUSION which includes the summary of the study, limitations of the study, suggestions for further study, implications and conclusion of the study. REFERENCES and APPENDICES are presented in the last pages of the study. 8 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1. The Role of Grammar in Language Learning The role of grammar in the foreign language classroom has constituted an important and debated issue for a long time. In the history of language teaching, the role of grammar has been addressed by a number of linguistic theories and methodologies. The way grammar is or has been-considered has a direct and decisive influence on pedagogical grammars, learning processes and many other areas involved in foreign language teaching. (Rama & Agullo, 2012). Grammar has given different positions in various methodologies and approaches to language teaching. These positions can be viewed in terms of three general instructional approaches, beginning with those that conceptual teaching in terms of methods with an exclusive focus on grammar, continuing later as types of exposure to meaningful communication, and emerging more recently as a set of instructional options with a focus on both grammar and meaning. (Nassaji & Fotos, 2011). These communicative approaches gave no formal grammar instruction assuming that the learners would acquire the forms and vocabulary naturally, during the process of comprehending and responding to the input. Therefore, grammar has a limited role. (Hinkel&Fotos, 2002). On the other hand, many researchers have tried to restore the role of grammar. Ellis (2006) for instance argues that instructed learning may require for attaining advanced level of grammatical competence and performance since grammatical competence is one component of communicative competence. He believes that the teaching of different grammatical structures in meaningful context influences proficiency in language learning. In addition, Hinkel&Fotos (2002) reported that instructed grammar learning can serve as communicative input, based on which learners can internalize grammar rules. This is seen as especially 9 important for the English foreign language (EFL) situation, in which communicative exposure to the target language is usually lacking. Support was also given for the role of grammar in language learning by Lightbown&Spada (2006). They are confident that exposure to meaning in comprehensible input and mere reliance on communication do not lead to language acquisition automatically. In addition, Debata (2013) pointed out that grammar helps the students in the correction of mistakes and improvement of written work. He implies that a person cannot learn a foreign language accurately only through a process of unconscious assimilation. So, grammar is indispensible for learners. 1.2. Language Learning Strategies Learning strategies have been in the centre of attention and they have gained great importance in the teaching-learning environment. A number of language theorists have defined language learning strategies in different ways. Rubin (1975) who was one of the earliest researcher in this field, defines learning strategies as “the techniques or devise which a learner may use to acquire knowledge.” O’Malley &Chamot (1990) characterized learning strategies as “the special thoughts or behaviours that individuals use to help them comprehend, learn, or retain new information.” Thus learning strategies were seen as special ways of processing information that enhance comprehension, learning, or retention of the information. Brown (2007) on the other hand views learning strategies relating with “input- to processing, storage, and retrieval, that is, to taking messages from others.” Additionally, for Paterson &Rosbottom (1995) learning strategies are “the particular habits or patterns espoused when engaged in the learning process.”Whereas prior descriptions of learning strategies paid more attention to products of learning and behaviors reflecting unobservable cognitive processes, as well as limit learning strategies to receptive skills, definitions eventually provided 10 clearer understanding of what learners think and do during language learning. In this regard learning strategies have been explained by Cohen (1996) as “the steps or actions selected by learners either to improve the learning of a second language, the use of it, or both.” Similarly, Chamot (2004) also described learning strategies as “the conscious thoughts and actions that learners take in order to achieve a learning goal.” One of the most applicable definitions which was cited most frequently in the literature was provided by Oxford (1990). The author defines language learning strategies as “the specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations.” It is indeed, a reflection of what the learner intends to do and specific actions he/she can take. The author also prominently includes how context plays a crucial role in the language learning process. 1.3. Main Features of Language Learning Strategies Oxford (1990: 9) listed the main features of language learning strategies, in which Language learning strategies: 1. Contribute to the main goal of communicative competence. In order to develop communicative competence, it is important for learners to develop: knowledge of grammatical rules (grammatical competence), the ability to use the language as appropriate for the particular social context in which the communication takes place(sociolinguistics competence), the ability to interpret messages coherently with the entire text (discourse competence) and the ability to initiate, control, and redirect communication (strategic competence) Canale& Swain (1980). 2. Encourage learners for greater self-direction. 3. Expand the role of teachers. The roles of teachers include identifying students’ learning strategies, conducting training on learning strategies and helping learners become more independent. 11 4. Are problem oriented. They are tools used to solve a problem or to accomplish a task. 5. Are specific action taken by the learner to enhance their learning. 6. Involve many aspects of the learner, not just the cognitive; those dealing with mental processing and manipulation of the new language. Rather they include metacognitive functions like planning, evaluation and arriving one’s own learning; emotional, social, and other functions as well. 7. Offer direct and indirect support of learning. 8. Are observable to some degree. They are not always readily observable. For instance, the act of making mental associations, which is memory strategy, cannot be observed.However, doing works in cooperation with others can be observed. 9. Have some levels of consciousness. They usually reflect conscious efforts by learners to take control of their learning. 10. Can be taught through strategy training. 11. Are flexible; that is, they are not always in the same sequences or certain patterns. 12. Influenced by a variety of factors to be chosen and used by the learner such as motivation, gender, nationality, age, learning style, etc. 1.4. The Purposes of Language Learning Strategies Within communicative approaches to language teaching a key goal is for the learner to develop communicative competence in the target L2/FL, and language learning strategies can help students in doing so. As Oxford (1990; 2003) indicated language learning strategies contribute a high importance for effective communicative competence. According to Canale& Swain (1980), there are four dimensions of communicative competence. These are grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence. Therefore, language learning strategies can be used as a tool to facilitate these