The appropriateness of focus on form instruction in the light of clt to 11th grade students at to hien thanh high school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
TO HIEN THANH HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
THE APPROPRIATENESS OF FOCUS ON FORM INSTRUCTION IN THE LIGHT OF CLT TO 11TH GRADE STUDENTS AT TO HIEN THANH HIGH SCHOOL
Teacher: Hoang Thi Tan
Position: Teacher - Chief Specialist
Field of research: English
THANH HOA YEAR 2019
CONTENT
PART 1: 
Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III
Appendix IV
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
	CLT	Communicative Language Teaching
ELT	English Language Teaching
GCSE	General Certificate of Secondary Education
L1	First Language
L2	Second Language
PART 1: INTRODUCTION
	1.1. Rationale
	Together with the growing demand for learning English, there has been an innovation in English teaching and learning methods everywhere in Vietnam. Nowadays, teacher not only transfers knowledge but also guides, organizes students’ learning activities. The aim of language teaching is to help students understand language as well as use it actively in real life; after a language lesson, students can communicate in English. In fact, at To Hien Thanh high school, teaching English grammar in the light of communication has some problems, such as students’ levels, teachers’ methods, facilities, textbooks, etc. Further more, students are not hard-working.They spend little time on learning English. In addition, they have no chance to practice English in real life or listen to English from native speakers.
	In English lessons of high school, teacher almost starts from basic structures and the simplest knowledge. With the experience of 26 years working as a teacher of English and of 23 years teaching English at To Hien Thanh high school, the author always concerns with how to help students learn English better, how to motivate them in learning English and how to reach the aim of teaching English in the light of communication are the questions the author always thinks of. The question of how to equip students with grammatical competence so that they can use the language to communicate in any situation has become a matter of teachers of English in general and teachers of English at To Hien Thanh high school in particular.
	For the above reasons, the author intends to investigate the appropriateness of focus on form instruction in the light of CLT to 11th grade students at To Hien Thanh high school then to give some suggestions to make English teaching and learning activities here more communicative. The author hopes that this study will have some contribution to improving the application of CLT in ELT in general, English grammar teaching in particular at To Hien Thanh high school.
	1.2. Aim and objectives of study
	The aim of the study is to find out the appropriateness of focus on form instruction in the light of CLT to 11th grade students at To Hien Thanh high school.
	The objectives of study are:
	First, to investigate contextual factors affecting the application of focus on form approach.
	Second, to evaluate contextual appropriateness of the focus on form approach.
	Last, to give some suggestions and some solutions of teaching method so that applying CLT in teaching and learning English at To Hien Thanh high school has good results and effectiveness.
1.3. The participants: 90 students of grades 11B6 and 11B7. They are at the age of 17 or18. They have studied English for 6 years.
	1.4. Research methods
	The main methods utilized in this study are Survey questionnaire for students, Classroom observation, Post-observation interviews with two teachers. To carry out the study, many references were selected, read and filtered for information. The following instruments are used:
	+ Questionnaire for students: to investigate students’ real situation of learning English and to explore their expectation in learning English.
	+ Classroom observation: to clarify and test the validity of information about teaching grammar in the light of communication, the author observed two of 5 teachers who are on behalf of two teaching styles.
	+ Post-observation interviews with two teachers: to get better insights into teachers’ perceptions and attitudes toward teaching grammar in the light of CLT.
	PART 2: CONTENT
	2.1. Theoretical background
	This chapter provides definitions and concepts of the terms: Focus on Form vs Focus on Forms, Contextual appropriateness of teaching methods, EFL contexts.
	*Definitions of focus on forms
	“Focus on forms is equated with the traditional teaching of discrete points of grammar in separate lessons.” (Ron Sheen – ELT Journal Volume 56/3 July 2002).
	Long (2000) described Focus on Forms as a traditional teaching approach in which teachers present the learners with preselected and sequenced linguistic items. (Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics, 2007, Vol. 7, No.1The Forum).
	*Advantages of focus on forms
	Focus on forms provides understanding of the grammar by a variety of means: explanation in the L1, pointing out differences between the L1 and the L2, and aural comprehension activities intended to focus students’ attention on the forms being used; it provides written and oral exercises that entail using the grammar in both non-communicative and communicative activities;frequent opportunities for communicative use of the grammar to promote automatic and accurate use.
	*Disadvantages of focus on forms
	Focus on forms makes students not pay attention to develop their spoken language, not have self-confidence in communicating in English with other people. Teacher introduces knowledge,presents grammatical structures; students listen to the teacher and write down what the teacher introduces. This approach is teacher-centered.
	According to Long (1997), focus on forms does not identify students’ communicative needs, does not ascertain their learning styles and preferences. It is an one-size-fit-all approach.
	*Definitions of focus on form:
	According to Fotos (1998) focus on form is a context based presentation of grammatical forms, rather than overt teacher-led instruction.
	Doughty & Williams (1998) mentioned that focus on form integrates attention to form, meaning and use.
	According to Long (1991) Focus on form refers to drawing students’ attention to linguistic elements as they arise incidentally in lessons whose overriding focus is on meaning or communication. In short, focus on form instruction is teaching grammar in the light of communication.
	*Advantages of focus on form
	Focus on form helps learners “to recognize the properties of target structures in context and develop their accuracy in their use” (Fotos 1998:32).
	Focus on form instruction helps students learn how to use language in a way that emulates realistic communicative scenarios. More to the point, teacher-student/student-student classroom interaction, via both oral and written modes, should consume the majority of class time. Likewise, evaluation centers on students’ abilities to actively engage in authentic communication, using the forms they have learned during interaction.
	As Poole (2003b) has pointed out, in many settings, the students and the teacher often share a common first (or second, or third) language and culture, and thus can easily code-switch in order to overcome communicative difficulties or fill communicative gaps.
	Focus on form instruction encourages students to use language not only in order to practice and automate structures, but also so that the teacher, as well as other learners, may be able to identify learners’ errors and form-based difficulties in order to help learners overcome them. It also encourages students to take responsibility for their own language skill development and helps them gain confidence in their ability to learn and use the language.
	*Disadvantages of focus on form
	Focus on form approach refers to activities that capture learners’ attention to form while maintaining meaningful communication.Thus, meaningful communication, crystallized through pedagogical tasks, was the basis of the Focus on Form treatment.
	Focus on form “ is also assumed that there are significant differences in the two processes: that exposure is insufficient to enable learners to acquire much of the second-language grammar, and that this lack needs to be compensated for by focusing learners’ attention on grammar features” Focus on form instruction, in Long (1991) and Long and Robinson’s (1998) conception, seems optimally suited to classrooms that are small enough to enable instructors to verbally address their students’ problematic forms, presumably via classroom discussion, Q/A sessions, and impromptu and planned public speaking events. Likewise, small classes would be needed for students to have significant amounts of peer interaction both orally and in written form.
	Focus on form instruction ignores the role of negative evidence in second language teaching, and depends too much on positive evidence.
	Learners who learn a second language through communicative classes do not gain high levels of language proficiency (Higgs and Clifford 1982).
	2.2. The reality before applying this method
The author chose students of two classes: 11B6 and 11B7 to test because the English teachers of these classes have two different methods in teaching grammar. The one teaching at 11B6 usually uses Focus on Forms. She mainly starts from basic structures and the simplest knowledge. Students listen to the teacher and write down what the teacher introduces. They learn English passively. On the contrary, the one teaching at 11B7 usually uses Focus on Form. Students learn English actively.
 * The following is the result the writer got from students’ 15 minute-test (Test1)
Class
 Mark 9-10
 Mark 7-8
Mark 5-6
Mark 3-4
Mark 0-2
11B6
 3/45 – 7 %
 5 /45 – 11%
18 /45 – 40 %
13/45- 29%
6/45 – 13%
11B7
 8/45– 18 %
15 /45 – 33 %
18 /45 – 40 %
2 /45- 4,5%
2/45– 4,5% 
It can be seen in the table that the results are different: most students get mark 5 and mark 6; few students get marks 9 and 10; students getting bad marks (from 0 to 4) account for 4% -24%	
2.3. The survey instruments
	This study employed the quantitative method which helped to provide background data for finding out appropriateness of focus on form instruction to 11th grade students at To Hien Thanh high school. In order to obtain in-depth and rich data, the writer used: questionnaire for students, classroom observation and post-observation interviews with two teachers.
	2.3.1. The questionnaire for students
According to Selinger and Shohamy (1989) a questionnaire is widely used in second language acquisition research to solicit information about certain conditions and practices, in particular to collect data on phenomena which are not easily observed, such as perceptions and attitudes. It is also used to obtain background information about the research subjects (Koul 1984).A number of techniques are used to collect data through questionnaires. The kinds of questions are various, consisting of Yes/No question, Multiple choice, Ranked question, question in Liker scale. 	 
The questionnaire was designed for 90 students of grade 11 at To Hien Thanh high school (see Appendix I). It contains four multiple-choice questions. Students had four weeks to complete the questionnaire. 
	The aim of the questionnaire is to investigate students’ ways of learning English and their attitudes to learning English grammar lessons. It consists of four questions
	The questions for students focus on the following categories: the students’ evaluation of their English grammar lessons (Question1); students’ opinions about the levels of effectiveness of the ways of learning grammar (Question2); the activities students like in learning grammar (Question3) and the students’ opinions about grammatical mistake correction (Question4).
	2.3.2. Classroom observation
	Classroom observation was employed to clarify and test the validity of information about teaching grammar in the light of communication. The two lessons the author observed were carried out in two 11 classes: 11B6 and 11B7 by two teachers being on behalf of two teaching styles. Teacher A always tries to apply CLT in teaching grammar while teacher B always applies two approaches: focus on form and focus on forms in teaching grammar. The purpose of the classroom observation is to evaluate whether the teachers would give the lessons carefully; the ways teachers motivated as many students as possible into the learning activities; the ways those teachers monitored their classes; the ways they used to evolve compulsory knowledge in 45 minutes.
	2.3.3. The post-observation interviews with two teachers
	Selinger and Shohamy (1989) point out that the use of interview as data collection instrument permits a level of in-depth information, free response and flexibility that cannot be obtained by other procedures. In this study, post-observation interviews consisting of four specific and defined questions were used. The post-observation interviews were conducted with two teachers who teach grammar in two styles. The interviews took place in a face-to-face situations with the subjects. The purpose of the interviews is to discuss for further information to have in-depth understanding of their evaluation on the appropriateness of focus on form instruction to students at To Hien Thanh high school.
	2.4. Findings and discussions
	*Questionnaire for students
	The aim of using Questionnaire for students is to investigate students’ real situation of learning English and to explore their expectation in learning English.
	Question1: What is your opinion about grammar lessons at school?
Students’ opinions
Number of students
percentages
Boring, difficult to understand and to remember
 28
 31 % 
Understanding grammar structures but the classroom is deep
 26
 51 %
Interesting, effervescent, lively and easy to understand
 16
 18 %
Table 1: Students’ opinions about grammar lessons at school
	As can be seen in the table 1, students have different attitudes to grammar lessons at school. Most students (51 %) said that they understand grammar structures but classroom is deep. A lower percentage of the students (31 %) said that the grammar lessons are boring, difficult to understand and to remember. Only 18 % of the students said that grammar lessons are interesting, effervescent, lively and it is easy to understand.
Question2: Please tick the level(s) of effectiveness of the following ways of learning English (in your opinions)
 The ways of learning
 The level of effectiveness
 Very 
effective 
 (%) 
 Not very 
 effective 
 (%) 
 Not 
 effective
 (%) 
Learning grammar through conversations and texts
 28 
 48 
 24 
Listening to the teacher’s explanation of grammar forms and uses then doing exercises in the textbook 
 54 
 33 
 13 
Writing down and learning by heart examples on the board then making sentences using structures having been learned.
 42 
 46 
 12 
Learning by heart sentences having new structures in concrete situations then applying them to communicate with classmates
 56 
 34 
 10 
Learning grammar through exercises in the forms of games, quiz games, songs, working in pairs / groups
 60 
 31 
 9 
Learning by heart grammar structures, rules then doing exercises in the textbook
 47 
 43 
 10 
Learning grammar through listening, speaking, reading, writing skills
 34 
 55 
 10 
The teacher spends much time training skills. The teacher only teaches grammar when you make mistakes
 27 
 59 
 14 
Table2: Students’ opinions about the effectiveness of the ways of learning grammar
	28 % of students said that learning grammar through conversations and texts is very effective while a larger proportion (48 %) say that this way is not very effective and only 24 % say that it is not effective to learn grammar through conversations and texts. The majority of the students think that listening to the teacher’s explanation of grammar forms and uses then doing exercises in the textbook is very effective (54 %), 33 % think that it is not very effective and 13 % think that it is totally ineffective. In the way of writing down and learning by heart examples on the board then making sentences using learned structures, 42 % of the students consider that it is very effective, 46 % consider it not very effective, only 12 % of the students consider that it is ineffective. Learning by heart sentences containing new structures in specific situations then applying them into communication with classmates also makes students be interested in. It is shown in the following results: 56 % of the students say that they like this way of learning grammar. For them it is very effective; 34 % say that it is not 
very effective and 10 % of them say that it is ineffective. Besides learning grammar by writing down and learning by heart grammar structures and rules, almost students (60 %) likes learning grammar through exercises in the forms of games, quiz games, songs, working in pairs / groups. They believe that it is very effective way for them to learn and remember grammar structures. However, there are students (31 %) who do not like this way very much because for them it is not very effective. Only a small number of the students (9 %) consider this way ineffective. Almost students like learning by heart grammar structures, rules then doing exercises in the textbook. 47 % of students find this way very effective; 43 % say that it is not very effective; the rest (10 %) are not satisfied with this way, for them it is ineffective. As we know, listening, speaking, reading and writing are four skills every learner has to practice regularly while learning foreign language, but it is very surprisingly that the way of learning grammar through listening, speaking, reading, writing skills does not make students be satisfied. Over half of students (55 %) consider that this way is ineffective. Only 34 % think that it is very effective and 10 % say that it is effective. When being asked about the time of training skills and teaching grammar, only 27 % of students say that they like their teacher to spend much time training skills, little time teaching grammar, grammar should be trained only when they make mistakes. They believe that it is very effective way. Contrary to those students, 59 % consider that it is not very effective and 14 % say that it is ineffective.
	Question3: Which of the following activities do you enjoy taking part in when learning grammar?
Activities
Number
of students
Percentages
Work in pairs
 15
 15 %
Work in groups
 54
 54 %
Play games: 
- Information filling
 15
 15 %
- Combining sentences
 40
 40 %
- Rearranging words with the same place of stress; the same 
pronunciation(at phonetic lessons)
 43
 43 % 
-Rearranging words into correct sentences(using pieces)
 55 
 55 %
Table 3: The activities do you enjoy taking part in when learning grammar
	The data in the table 3 show that most students (54 %) enjoy working in groups. They say that when they work in groups, they feel self-confident, they are not afraid of being tested by teacher, they can express their opinions, their points of view freely, especially when working in groups they can get more different opinions about the same problems. Contrary to this, only 15 % of the students enjoy working in pairs. On being asked about playing games, many students like taking part in playing games. One of the games they enjoy most is rearranging words into correct sentences (using pieces) (55 % of students). The game rearranging words with the same place of stress and the same pronunciation (during phonetic lessons) ranks second of the four given games (43 % of students enjoy it). The game combining sentences ranks third among four given games (40 %). The game they do not enjoy most is information filling (only 15% of students).They say that it is very di