A study on some major factors affecting English learning of grade 6 ethnic minority students of a mountainous secondary school to help them learn better

CHAPETR 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Rationale It is undeniable that English is one of the major languages in the world. It links people in many fields: science, technology, business, communication, education, etc. Nowadays, English is popular enough to be spoken at every corner of the world. Therefore, teaching and learning English have become the necessity in every country. In Vietnam, English is one of the foreign languages that are compulsory from primary school to university. However, there are differences in English learning results among students from different minorities as well as different areas. Teaching English to ethnic minority students in the remote and mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam has long been a controversial issue. In Sonla, it is a fact that there exists a big gap between students in towns and students from minorities in mountainous areas. . Minority students in mountainous schools are considered to learn English not so well as those in towns. What factors can affect their learning process is my question for that problem. Hence, I have chosen that topic for my thesis namely “A study on some major factors affecting English learning of grade 6 ethnic minority students of a mountainous secondary school to help them learn better”. I hope that this research can give a few benefits to teachers, students and people concerned about this field. 2. Hypothesis Up to now, there are many factors affecting English learning of grade 6th minority students, and different factors affect them in different ways and different levels. 3. Objectives of the study The main objectives of this study are as follows: To identify the present situation of teaching and learning English of teachers and grade 6th minority students at Phỏng Lập secondary school. To find out some major factors affecting their English leaning . To find out which the most important factors are and which the least ones are. To give some suggested solutions, which could be useful for teachers and learners in teaching and leaning English at mountainous secondary schools. 4. Scope of the study For the limitation of time, conditions, and materials, this study only focuses on some major factors affecting English learning of some grade 6 ethnic minority students at Phong Lap secondary school. In addition, this thesis is also carried out on some teachers of English in this school which can help us to see some major factors affecting English learning to grade 6 students in this school more obviously. 5. Methods of the study Carrying out this research, the following methods have been used: Theoretical study Survey (questionnaire) Interview Class observation 6. Research questions In the thesis, the following questions will be answered. What is the present English learning situation of grade 6 ethnic minority students at Phong Lap secondary school? What are some major factors affecting their English learning ? What are the most and the least important ones? What are suggested solutions to the study? 7. Overview of the study The study concludes five main following chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature review Chapter 3: Data collection and analysis Chapter 4: Major findings and discussions Chapter 5: Conclusion CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Introduction This chapter involves different issues in the theories of second language learning: definitions of language acquisition and theoretical background of language learning factors in specific such as intelligence, personality, learning strategies, teaching strategies, attitudes and motivation as well as environment and context of learning. 2.2. Definitions of language acquisition “Language acquisition is one of the most impressive and fascinating aspects of human development” (Lightbown, P.M & Spada, N. 1999). Up to now, there have been many definitions of language acquisition. This term is most often used interchangeable with language learning. In their study, they show that according to Krashen, S. (1982), acquisition represents “unconscious” learning, which takes place when attention is focused on meaning rather than language form. In website on February 28th, 2008, Second language acquisition is the process by which people learn a second language in addition to their native language. The term “second language” is used to describe the acquisition of any language after the acquisition of the mother tongue. There is also research into the similarities and differences of third language acquisition. The term “language acquisition” becomes more commonly used after Krashen, S. (1982) contrasted it with formal and non-constructive “learning”. However, second language acquisition has become established as the preferred term for this academic discipline. Though second language acquisition is often viewed as part of applied linguistics, it is typically concerned with the language system and learning process themselves, whereas applied linguistic may focus more on the experiences of the learners, particularly those in the classroom. Additionally, second language acquisition has mostly examined naturalistic acquisition, where learners acquire a language with little formal training or teaching. 2.3. Theoretical background of language learning factors “Many of us believe that learners have certain characteristics which lead to more or less successful language learning”, (Lightbown, P.M & Spada, N. 1999). There are many factors affecting language learning of the learners. Weiner, B. (qtd. in Williams, M. & Burden, R.L. 1997: 105) suggested that, on the whole, people tend to refer to four main sets of attributions for their perceived success and failures in life: ability, effort, luck, the perceived difficulty of the task with which they are faced. In other field, Spolsky, B. (1998) shows us many other factors: attitude, intelligence, aptitude, learning strategies, personality, material, motivation, memory, training strategies, social context. Many other researchers agree that they can be divided into two groups: internal factors and external factors. Weiner, B. (qtd. in Williams, M. & Burden, R.L. 1997) saw that internal factors arise from inside and external ones are from the outside the learners. For the limitation of time, this study just focuses on some major factors, which have more effects on language learning of the ethnic minority learners of grade 6 in remote mountainous areas in Sonla. 2.3.1. Intelligence It is claimed that intelligence and language proficiency are more or less the same thing (Oller, 1981) (qtd. in Spolsky, B. 1998). This argument follows from his claim for the existence of a general factor in language proficiency and the high correlation of IQ score with the results of language tests. The term “intelligence” has traditionally been used to refer to performance on certain kinds of tests. These tests are often associated with success in school, and a link between intelligence and second language learning (Lightbown, P.M & Spada, N. 1999). In Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learner (2002), intelligence is defined as “the ability to understand and think about things, and to gain and use the knowledge”. Intelligence is inside learners’ mind, helps people think in the best way. Accordingly, IQ (Intelligence quotient) is a number that represents a person’s intelligence, based on the results of a particular type of test. Some people say that the high IQ scores are good predicators of performance on the more academic, literacy-based measures. Intelligence can be divided into seven groups (qtd. in Brown, H.D. 1994): Linguistic intelligence Logical-mathematical intelligence Spatial intelligence (the ability to find your way around an environment, to form mental images of reality) Musical intelligence (the ability to perceive and create pitch and rhythmic patterns) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (fine motor movement, athletic powerness) Interpersonal intelligence (the ability to understand others, how they feel and to interact effectively with them) Intrapersonal intelligence (the ability to understand oneself and to develop a sense of self-identify) It is important to keep in mind that “intelligence” is complex and that individuals have many kinds of abilities and strengths, not all of which are measured by traditional IQ tests. “In our experience, many learners whose academic performance has been weak have experienced considerable success in second language learning” (Brown, H.D. 1994). Different people have different kind of intelligence; as a result, have different kind of strength in the life. So when learners know about their strength, they can easily get success in language learning. 2.3.2. Personality characteristics Second language acquisition is defined as the learning and adopting of a language that is not your native language. Once you have acquired a foreign language, you have mastered that language. Second language acquisition may be more difficult for some people than the others. A number of personality characteristics has been proposed as likely to affect second language learning. However, it has not been easy to demonstrate their effects in empirical studies as different studies measuring a similar personality trait produce different results. For example, it is often argued that an extravert (or an unreserved and outgoing person) acquired second language better than an introvert did. Nevertheless, research does not always support this conclusion. Another aspect of personality that has been studied is inhibition. It has been suggested that inhibition discourages risk- taking, which is necessary for progress in language learning. Several other personality characteristics such as self-esteem, empathy, dominance, talkativeness and responsiveness have also been studied. Researchers have shown that personality variables may be a major factor in acquisition of conversational skills, not in acquisition of literacy skills. Despite the contradictory results and the problems involved in carrying out research in the area of personality characteristics, many researchers believe that personality will be shown to have an important influence on success in language learning. This relationship is a complex one, however, in that it is not probably personality alone, but the way in which it combines with other factors that contributes to second language learning. 2.3.3 Learning strategies Successful second language learners are usually people who know how to manipulate strategy levels in their day-to-day encounters with the language. Learning strategies, according to Spolsky, B. (1998:108), are terms to describe identifiable individual approaches to learning situation. Specially, Kneefe (qtd. in Spolsky, B. (1998:108) defines learning strategies as “cognitive and physiological traits that are relatively stable indications of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment”. William, M. & Burden, R.L. (1997: 145) add “A learning strategy is like to tactic used by a player. It is a series of skills used with a particular learning purpose in mind. Thus, learning strategies involve an ability to monitor the learning situation and respond accordingly. This means being able to assess the situation, to plan, to select appropriate skills, to sequence them, to co-ordinate them, to monitor or assess their effectiveness and to revise the plan when necessary. Learning strategies are divided into four groups by Hedge, T. (2000): cognitive, metacognitive, communication, and socio-affective strategies. Cognitive strategies: are thought processes used directly in learning, which enable learners to deal with the information presented in task by working on it in different ways. Examples of other cognitive strategies are repetition (i.e. imitating a model), writing things down, an inferencing (i.e. making guesses about the form or meaning of a new language item). Metacognitive strategies: involve planning for learning, thinking about learning and how to make it effective, self-monitoring during learning and evaluation of how successful learning has been after working on language on some ways. For example, when the learners preview the teacher’s comments on their written work, or review the notes they have made during class, they are using metacognitive strategies. Communication strategies: when the learners used gesture, mine, synonym, paraphrases, and cognate words from their first language to make themselves understood and to maintain conversation, despite the gaps in the knowledge of the second language, they are using communication strategies. The value of these is that they keep learners involves in conversations through which they practice the language. Socio-affective strategies: provide the learners with opportunities for practice. Examples include imitating conversations with native speakers, using other people as informants about the language, collaborating on tasks, listening to the radio or watching TV programmers in the language, or spending extra time in the language laboratory etc. Williams, M. & Burden, R.L. (1997:144) indicate that most of us have probably used some or all of the following strategies in learning a foreign language: Repeating words over again Listening attentively to try to distinguish works Trying to work out the rules of the language by forming hypothesis about how it works Testing yourself to see if you remember words Guessing the meanings of unknown words Using your head what you are about to say Practicing the sounds of the language to yourself Asking a speaker to repeat something Pretending that you understand in order to keep the communication going These are some strategies that people use to succeed in the complex task of learning a language. Good language learners, as suggested in Hedge, T. (2000), are people who: Find their own way taking change of their learning Organize information about language Are creative developing a “feel” for the language by experimenting with its grammars and words Make their own opportunities for practice in using the language inside and outside the classroom Use mnemonics and other memory strategies to recall what have been learnt Use contextual cues to help them in comprehension Learn to make intelligent guesses Learn certain tricks that help to keep conversation going Learn different styles of speech and writing and learn their language according to the formality of the situation, etc. “Learning strategies include both general approaches to studying language and specific techniques or study habit” (Chandrasegaran, A., 1981). A learner’s approach to language study is determined by how he sees language learning. He may see it as habit formation or as the discovery of a rule system. The approach he adopts will influence his choice of learning techniques: whether they are inferencing, inductive learning of linguistic patterns memorization of sentences, pattern practice etc. It is said that learning strategies are very important. It ups to the learners from different “cultures” use strategies in different ways. If the learners choose suitable strategies with the teacher’s help, they will get success in language learning. 2.3.4. Attitude and motivation Attitude and motivation factors play a crucial role in second and foreign language learning. Gardner, R.C and Lambert, W.E. (1972) indicate that affective factors, including attitude and motivation, have statistically independent and significant relationship with foreign language learning achievement. Attitude and motivation have a close relationship, “A learner’s attitudes affect the development of motivation” (Spolsky, B. 1998:23). Before understanding about the learners’ motivations, the attitude should be made clear. There are many different definitions about language attitudes. Language attitudes are defined as the “attitudes which speakers of different languages or language varieties have towards each other’ language or their own language. Expressions of positive or negative feelings towards a language may reflect impressions of linguistic difficulty or simplicity, ease or difficulty of learning, degree of important, elegance, social status, etc. Attitudes towards a language may also show what people feel about the speakers of that language. Language attitudes may have an effect on second language or foreign language learning. The measurement of language attitudes provides information which is useful in language teaching and language planning.” (Richards, J.C; Platt, J and Platt, H. 1993: 199) In Chandrasegaran’s research (1981), attitude refers specifically to states of emotion and thought relating to the English language, to the learning of English and to the culture of English-speaking peoples. Gardner, R.C. (1985:8) adds that individual’s attitude is an evaluative reaction to some referent or attitude object, inferred on the basic of the individual’s beliefs or opinion about the reference. In practical term, an attitude is a construct derived from a subject’s answers to a number of questions about an object. Its establishment is subject to all the normal worries of the validity of the instrument used and the subject’s answers to the questions. Attitudes do not have direct influence on learning but they lead to motivation which refers to the combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning a language. Gardner, R.C. and Lambert, W.E. (1959) (qtd. in Spolsky, B. 1998) suggested that an individual’s motivation to learn a second language is controlled by his attitudes toward the other group in particular and by his orientation to the task itself. In other words, motivation comes from attitude. In order to enhance students’ motivational intensity, it is necessary to know what motivation is. Motivation itself is a complex construct, as Gardner, R.C. (1985) remarks that motivation involves four aspects: a goal, effortful behavior, a desire to attain the goal and favorable attitudes towards the activity in question. These four aspects are not unidimensional. According to Williams, M. & Burden, R.L. (1997), motivation may be constructed as: a state of cognitive and emotional arousal which leads to a conscious decision to act and gives rise to a period of sustained intellectual and/or physical effort in order to attain a previously set goal (or goals). It is clear from this that motivation occurs as a result of combination of different influences. Motivation is the extent to which you make choices about goals to pursue and the effort you will devote to that pursuit (Brown, H.D. 1994). Lightbown, P.M & Spada, N. (1999) add that motivation in language learning is a complex phenomenon which can be defined in term of two factors: learners’ communicative needs and their attitudes towards the language community. Motivation in Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applies Linguistics (p.138) is the factors that determine a person’s desire to do something. In second language and foreign language learning, learning may be affected differently by different types of motivation. Two types of motivation are sometimes distinguished: (a) instrumental motivation: wanting to learn a language because it will be useful for certain instrumental goals, such as getting a job, reading a foreign newspaper, passing an examination; (b) integrative motivation : wanting to learn in order to communicate with people of other culture who speak it. It is thought that students who are most successful when learning a target language are those who like to speak that language, admire the culture and have a desire to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used. This form of motivation is known as integrative motivation. In other words, integrative motivation is by the learners’ positive attitudes toward the targ