MID-TERM TEST
Scientific Research Methodology
(Time allowance: 2 weeks)
1. Research title:
FACTORS AFFECTING ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF
THE STUDENTS AT HIGH SCHOOL IN VIETNAM’S URBAN AREAS
2. Research aim:
The study shows the factors affecting communication skills in English, in
order to improve English communication skills of the high school students in
Vietnam’s urban areas.
3. Research objectives:
The research objectives of the study are:
- To assess whether what difficulties high school students in Vietnam's urban
areas in the process of communicating in English.
-To identify the causes of difficulties of the students at a high school in
Vietnam’s urban areas when learning English communication skills.
-To identify the factors that influence English communication skills of the
students at a high school in Vietnam’s urban areas.
-To propose some recommendations and outline some solutions to improve
English communication skills of the students at a high school in Vietnam’s
urban areas to overcome difficulties when learning English communication
skills.
4. Research questions:
-Do the students at a high school in Vietnam’s urban areas have difficulties in
learning English communication skills?
-What are the causes of difficulties of the students at a high school in
Vietnam’s urban areas when learning English communication skills?


-What are the factors that influence English communication skills of the
students at a high school in Vietnam’s urban areas?

-What are some recommendations and some possible ways to improve English
communication skills of the students at a high school in Vietnam’s urban
areas?
5. Literature review:
5.1. An overview of previous studies:
Certainly, English language has gained much attention in language-ineducation policies in Asian countries. It is a compulsory subject in high school
curriculum in some countries in Asian, including Vietnam. English language
have started to provide access to English language as a foreign language in the
national education program in Vietnam. However, at the high school level,
arising from such implementation were issues associated with foreign language
policies for high school education which have been identified in many research
studies (Cindy, Naomi & Moon, 2015; Coco et al., 2017; Li, 2018; Chan, 2018).
Some of these issues were also reflected in education more generally.
Currently, in Vietnam, about 55/63 provinces are implementing high school
English programs (Nguyen Hoang, 2016); the rest is teaching ethnic minority
languages. Most provinces have enough resources (teachers, facilities, parents'
needs and children's preferences, etc.) to incorporate English into their curricula.
However, the reality is significantly different. The implementation of English
education is not as effective as expected although expectations are very high
among stakeholders. Based on an investigation of the English teaching situation
at the upper secondary level, Min suggests that 'conditions are not yet suitable to
allow a successful expansion of teaching at the primary level' (Min, 2015: 25).
She adds that 'there is no clear perception of the goals, means and outcomes of
teaching English to upper secondary students' (Min, 2015: 30). In addition,
teachers are not fully trained to teach upper secondary English and do not have a
good level of English (vocabulary, academic vocabulary, specialization).
Existing textbooks and materials are not completely suitable for urban high
school students to develop their language communication skills '(Min, 2015: 30)
for high school students. With those missing conditions, the effectiveness of
English education for high school students hardly meets its purpose.



Professional teachers are one of the most important factors in ensuring the
effective implementation of communicative English education at the upper
secondary level as they can greatly contribute in motivating students to learn
English. . Besides, it is not easy to teach students effectively, because foreign
languages are less required at the upper secondary level than at all educational
levels because students still have important university exams. Besides other
factors depend more on spoken language (Miranda, 2014). Some researchers
agree that teachers should have a high level of language proficiency and be truly
professional in comparison to their broad knowledge of vocabulary (Miranda,
2014; Lima, 2000; Slattery & Willis, 2001) and understanding good on methods
of teaching communicative English to high school students (Lima, 2000). While
advocates of English language teaching and foreign language studies praise the
growing interest in English language programs, many fear that these efforts are
unnecessary. The biggest concern is the quality and quantity of professional
teachers, who can meet the conditions to teach high school students who can
communicate after 3 years of studying at a high schools in Vietnam’ urban areas
to practice perform these efforts.
5.2. Theoretical frameworks:
Communication is a skill that involves a systematic and continuous process of
speaking-listening-understanding and feedback. Most people are born with the
ability to talk, but each must learn to speak well and communicate effectively.
Speaking, listening and understanding verbal and nonverbal cues are skills by
observing others and modeling our behavior based on what we see and perceive.
We are also taught some face-to-face communication skills through education.
(Shakira, 2016).
In Vietnam, there are now official English textbooks published by the
Ministry of Education and Training for each school year. Most of the content of
academic books is unclear, unattractive, lacks pronunciation exercises, focus on

grammar and vocabulary. Consistent themes in vocabulary and grammar
throughout the three books. The cassette attached to the book is not renewed, the
quality is not good (Nguyen Hoang, 2016: 38). For English communication,
different schools use different materials to teach and learn communicative
English.


These studies are supported by research on high school IELTS in Vietnam
conducted by Moon for the British Council in September 2018 which shows that
textbooks do not match students' needs for English language skills. Their focus
(grammar, not communication), input type activities, make students learn
passively, unable to communicate in English. Despite these limitations, these
books are still widely used because of their release by the Vietnamese Ministry
of Education and Training (Moon, 2018). In my opinion, those comments are
absolutely correct and I support them.
Although the policy of teaching communicative foreign languages in high
schools in Vietnam has been widely accepted and supported, more urgent actions
are needed to improve the current situation. We don't just need to focus on
reading, writing or grammar and vocabulary skills, but listening, speaking and
communication skills are most important. We desperately need good teachers
not only in urban areas. We need to encourage and support high school students
in English communication skills, especially urban high school students, where
they are developed and qualified to use communicative English. Thus, I do this
research.
6. References:
1. Cindy, Naomi & Moon (2015). English in high education in Vietnam: Policies,
outcomes and stakeholders' lived experiences. Current Issues in Language
Planning, 11(2), 150-162. doi: 10.1080/14664208.2011.584371.
2. Li & Chan, (2018). Success or failure of primary second/foreign language
programmer in Asia: What do the data tell us? Current Issues in Language

Planning, 12(2), 309-323. doi: 10.1080/14664208.2011.609715.
3. Cameron, L. (2003) Challenges for ELT from the expansion in teaching
children. ELT Journal 57 (2), 105-112.
4. Miranda (2014) Teaching English in the High School Classroom- Thailand:
Longman.
5. Nguyen Hoang (2016). Foreign language education in primary schools in the
People's Republic of China. Current Issues in Language Planning, 8(2), 148-160.
doi: 10.2167/cilp113.0.


6. Min (2015) Investigating the teaching of English at High Level in Vietnam: A
summary report. Paper presented at the Teaching English Language at High Level
Conference, Hanoi, Vietnam.
7. Lima (2000). High English language education policy in Viet Nam: Insights
from implementation. Current Issues in Language Planning, 12(2), 225-249. doi:
10.1080/14664208.2011.597048.
8. Shakira, (2016). Importance of English communication skills. International
Journal of Applied Research 2 (3), 478 480, 2016.
9. Slattery, M. and Willis, J. (2001) English for Primary Teachers. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
10. Moon, (2018). The situation of high school IELTS in Vietnam. Paper presented
at the Teaching English Language at High School Level Conference, Hanoi,
Vietnam.