Factors To Improve English Language Teaching Education Essay

English language was officially taught as a foreign language at secondary schools in Cambodia only from 1989. Prior to 1975, the principal Foreign Language taught in schools had been French but 1970-1975 because of American involvement (politics and military) in Indochina War, the study of English was also encouraged (Nou, 2002). From 1975 to 1979, the study of foreign language had been forbidden due to the fact that this country had been plunged into civil wars (Nou, 2002). From 1979 to 1989 Vietnamese and Russian were the languages officially including in school’s curriculum. The study of English/French was prohibited, if one was found to be learning them, they would be severely punished and even imprisoned (Nou, 2002). There was some anecdotal evidence from countless discussions with schools’ directors, community of students’ parents, and learners, that most students wanted to learn English but schools could not afford English Language Teaching to meet their demands because they lacked teachers, classrooms, and teaching and learning materials (Nou, 2002). 2

1.2.Problem Statement 4

Some of teachers of English did not have proper training but were appointed and promoted to become teachers due to the shortage of human resource supply because those students have been selected from upper secondary school students, who might have a poor background of English knowledge due to poor instruction from earlier English study (Nou, 2002). Furthermore, the pre-service training curriculum mainly addresses teaching methodologies and practicum rather upgrading and improvement courses, which focus on core English knowledge and those are extremely needed for teacher trainees. As consequence, those still have poor in English in term of reading, speaking, and grammar after graduation (MoEYS, 2001). 4

1.3.Research Objectives 5

Within education context, teacher part is a lead and plays a crucial role of education improvement and upgrading, thus, in-house training, teacher’s competency and teacher’s ability are directly involved and influence as well as contribution in teaching quality and teaching achievement, the purposes of this study is to explore their difficulties in teaching English language in term of teaching skills and methods; language improvement; subject matter knowledge; and motivation and teachers’ perception towards the development of quality of English language instruction at upper secondary school level. 5

1.4.Research Questions 5

This study will be conducted in an upper secondary school in Takeo province based on following questions: 5

1.5. Significance of the Study 5

1.6. Definitions of Key Term 5

1.7. Proposed Chapter Organization 6

CHAPTER II 7

LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1. Teaching Skills and Methods 7

2.2. Language Improvement 9

2.3. Subject Matter Knowledge 11

2.4. Motivation 12

2.5. Conceptual Framework 14

Figure 4. Conceptual Framework of teaching English language to achieve quality and effectiveness 15

CHAPTER III 16

METHODOLOGY 16

3.1. Research Design 16

3.2. Research Tools/Instruments 16

3.3. Site, population, sample size and sampling method 16

3.4. Data Collection Procedures 17

3.5. Data Analysis 17

3.6. Ethical Consideration 18

3.7. Strengths and limitation of method 18

CHAPTER IV 20

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 20

4.1. Teaching Skills and Methods 20

4.2. Language Improvement 27

4.3. Subject Matter Knowledge 28

4.4. Motivation 30

CHAPTER VI 33

CONCLUSION 33

REFFERENCES 34

APPENDICES 38

Appendix A: Guided Questions for Individual Interview 39

Appendix B: Classroom observation checklist 40

Appendix C: Letter asking permission for a field visit 41

41

Appendix D: Informed consent form 42

Appendix E: Timeframe 44

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

CamTESOL Cambodia Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

CLT Communicative language teaching

EFL English as a Foreign Language

ELLs English language learners

IHEs Institutions of Higher Education

L1 Native language

L2 Second language

M. Ed Master of Education

RUPP Royal University of Phnom Penh

UNTAC United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia

U.S. United States

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

English language is the worldwide language for over century ago and has been recognized in many countries around the world as well as it will be taken a lead for future (Crystal, 1997/2003). It is impossible to ignore its influence in any part of the world and English language represents the progression of globalization. Furthermore, English language teaching is a means of propagating not only the English language, but also the globalization that the language symbolizes (Igawa, 2010).

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More importantly, fast development of a single global lifestyle is the proliferation of the English language. Language is a great agent of homogenization. If English is gaining a lock on global language, the implications are clear: the culture and other sectors of English Native Speaker countries will dominate such as building styles, infrastructure development, communication and transportation means, even governmental structure and the ways of practice, and even some of their ideologies (Naisbitt & Aburdene, 1990). David Graddol (2000) states “no single language will occupy the monopolistic position in the 21st century which has – almost – achieved by the end of the 20th century” (p. 59). David Crystal (1997) suggests that “a language becomes an international language for one chief reason: the political power of its people – especially their military” (p. 7).

Teachers of English are focal persons of this globalizing process and are providers of the impact that globalization on economy, employment opportunities, investment, science, information technology and international relation, particularly those teaching English as a foreign language in non-English-speaking countries, are recipients of globalization and its impact as well (Capella, 2000).

Background of the Study

English language was officially taught as a foreign language at secondary schools in Cambodia only from 1989. Prior to 1975, the principal Foreign Language taught in schools had been French but 1970-1975 because of American involvement (politics and military) in Indochina War, the study of English was also encouraged (Nou, 2002). From 1975 to 1979, the study of foreign language had been forbidden due to the fact that this country had been plunged into civil wars (Nou, 2002). From 1979 to 1989 Vietnamese and Russian were the languages officially including in school’s curriculum. The study of English/French was prohibited, if one was found to be learning them, they would be severely punished and even imprisoned (Nou, 2002). There was some anecdotal evidence from countless discussions with schools’ directors, community of students’ parents, and learners, that most students wanted to learn English but schools could not afford English Language Teaching to meet their demands because they lacked teachers, classrooms, and teaching and learning materials (Nou, 2002).

MoEYS, however, has realized that all levels of the Cambodian people had been willing to learn English, and without any more delays, the study of this language had to commence from a very low resource base, with no curriculum, no textbooks, and with a very limited number of Cambodian Teachers of English (Pit, 1996). That is why there have been lots of constraints which firstly need to be thoroughly studied, and analysed before some appropriate solutions can be identified so that those constraints can subsequently be solved (Nou, 2002).

English is recently the most popular foreign language in Cambodia. It is the language used for business and education context internationally (Clayton, 2007). The main reasons that promoted the use of English in Cambodia including the presence of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) during 1992-1993 and full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1999 (Igawa, 2008).Furthermore, English language is only official language for this association and it is not only limited to politics, but also in the fields of economy and other sectors as well (Igawa, 2008). The Government and people of Cambodia have chosen English as the second language to communicate and do business with people, organizations and companies from abroad. In this respect, Cambodia shows a clear example of language policy and its impact on the people’s life, education and future of a country in transition (Igawa, 2008).

English language education in Cambodia is growth very fast and more popular for learners because those people get a better job and a better pay if they are in good level of communicative competence in English language (Igawa, 2008). Also, the remarks by former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Joseph A. Mussomeli, at an international conference of English language teachers in Cambodia (CamTESOL) mentioned:

“You are doing more than just teaching a foreign language. You are teaching a life skill that will be crucial to the future prosperity of this country. English, as I have often stressed, is no longer a language. It is, instead, a tool, a weapon, a vehicle. A tool to build a stronger society, a weapon to combat poverty and ignorance, and a vehicle for those who possess it to travel anywhere they choose throughout the world and be understood and understand” (Igawa, 2008, p. 344).

MoEYS has paid attention for foreign language, especially English language by integrating into national curriculum started from lower secondary school level and a part of national examination subject. However, there are many challenges for teachers of English at upper secondary schools in Cambodia recently; even thousand teachers graduated annually but a small per cent of those are interested in teaching at upper secondary schools, especially at rural areas (Igaw & Tsujioko, 2009). Furthermore, a majority of teachers of English language at upper secondary school in Cambodia nowadays lack of proper in-service training before teaching and their teaching skills and methods is the top challenges for them (Igaw & Tsujioko, 2009).

More importantly, most of teachers of English have no concrete training, especially accent and pronunciation due to lack of quality trainers and many teachers of English language train students to memorize chunks of English language, with more focus on grammar and vocabulary (Keuk, 2009) and the same finding points out teachers whose majors were not English but who knew English better than other were asked to teach English to students (Keuk, 2009).

Problem Statement

Some of teachers of English did not have proper training but were appointed and promoted to become teachers due to the shortage of human resource supply because those students have been selected from upper secondary school students, who might have a poor background of English knowledge due to poor instruction from earlier English study (Nou, 2002). Furthermore, the pre-service training curriculum mainly addresses teaching methodologies and practicum rather upgrading and improvement courses, which focus on core English knowledge and those are extremely needed for teacher trainees. As consequence, those still have poor in English in term of reading, speaking, and grammar after graduation (MoEYS, 2001).

According to Nou (2002) indicated that there are six teachers’ preferences to improve their professional careers in English language teaching including (a) make classroom climate pleasant and to equip those classroom with basic necessities; (b) suitably produce teaching materials for classroom using; (c) need to collaborate with teaching staff is determined factors in succeeding desirable achievement of English language teaching; (d) observation needs to be treated as part of language teaching, definitely scheduled, regularly done with the provision of feedback afterwards; (e) no negative reactions, except overwhelming preferences with it and (f) need a wide range of information concerning English teaching to function well in their classroom.

Furthermore, Igawa (2008) reveals that there are many important areas of improvement needs for teachers of English language. Those include teaching skills & methods, language improvement, communication skills, motivation, attending conferences, lifelong education, culture understanding, subject knowledge matter, and understanding students respectively.

Research Objectives

Within education context, teacher part is a lead and plays a crucial role of education improvement and upgrading, thus, in-house training, teacher’s competency and teacher’s ability are directly involved and influence as well as contribution in teaching quality and teaching achievement, the purposes of this study is to explore their difficulties in teaching English language in term of teaching skills and methods; language improvement; subject matter knowledge; and motivation and teachers’ perception towards the development of quality of English language instruction at upper secondary school level.

Research Questions

This study will be conducted in an upper secondary school in Takeo province based on following questions:

What difficulties do teachers have in teaching English language at secondary school level?

What do teachers think about the development of the quality of English teaching at secondary school level?

1.5. Significance of the Study

This study will be supportive and helpful for interested people, particular, teachers of English, schools and other educational institutions in some basic need indicators and evidence to improve teaching quality including in-house training development, input new teaching methodologies and priority sectors need to be addressed. Also, the study will find some critical challenge happening within that school by teaching side and several options will be raised in order to figure out those challenges in broad consulting with those teachers and input some good practices from previous findings that some of those options might be able to apply for next instruction at that school in order to improve English language instruction at upper secondary schools, particular at grade 10. More importantly, the study will be reflect to relevant educational institutions both public and private to see the strength and weakness of their curriculum and instruction whether they should still keep the same practices or need to be revised their recent curriculum and strategies to get more achievement and meet the society need.

1.6. Definitions of Key Term

Quality of Education: Basic skills, such as reading and writing, have to be regarded as essential parts of all quality education. The attainment of basic competencies is necessary before further progression can be made within a quality system. Furthermore, teachers must teach about values not just through the substantive content of their teaching, but also by using teaching methods, which will integrate democracy, interaction, equality, respect and co-operation as parts of the work in schools/institutions. In these areas teachers must be role models. This is only possible when teachers’ professional status is recognized and when they are given the appropriate support to fulfill their tasks (UNESCO, n/a, p. 4).

Effectiveness: To be concerned with maximizing the benefits and quality due to educational provision within the constraints of cost or resource availability and to be concerned with selecting the least-cost alternative for securing the desired outcome and result. Also, it suggests that the most cost-effective will be the least costly of the alternatives compared, which is not necessarily the cheapest possible method of attaining the objective and goals. Clearly the implication is that it is only possible accurately to compare the effectiveness of educational activities which have the same ‘outputs’ (Aderson et al, 2001, p. 25).

1.7. Proposed Chapter Organization

The current chapter will serves as introduction by providing most of the context to the study. In chapter II, researcher will present the previous relevant studies related to selected professional development. In chapter III will be a detailed description of research methods and procedures. The findings and discussions section of the thesis, which will be presented discovery about professional development, is available in chapter IV, and researcher will present concluding remarks (e.g. implications and suggestions, future research options, the potential relevance of study beyond its immediate context, etc.) in chapter V.

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

There were several studies concerning to teaching English as foreign language but it is not in Cambodia context and largely on related studies in other countries. Those studies have been conducted related to teaching skills and methods, language improvement, subject matter knowledge, and motivation.

The documents were searched by using “teaching English language”, “effective methods of teaching English”, “teaching English language” and “difficulties of teaching English” as key words for searching. The main online searching machines were “Google scholar”, “Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics” and other databases and resources at my working place. The rest of documents and articles were hard copies from my supervisor, my M. Ed cohort 5 classmates and other sources.

2.1. Teaching Skills and Methods

A previous finding stated that class practices were categorized in two types including text-based and non-text based while non-text based activities were usually flexible and somewhat communicative at times could be non-communicative where students and teachers could interact each other as well as expressed their own thought without prepared in advance, thus, students could raise their local context to the class and their discussion was likely deeper and more confident; and for text-based was guided students with very specific areas as very thing were likely pre-prepared and no time to talk other topic freely. It would be useful and helpful as teachers had to explain students the whole class understanding. We could use text-based to ensure students were familiar the content in advance so they were able to complete and did exercises in the class with less burden and spent less time. For non-text based, students had opportunities to engage in regular communication as those did not generally require information gap and students were freely to use new words, sentences without concerning (Xiao, 2011). This paragraph is considered plagiarism. Please check your citation.

Another article addressed the models of teaching including (1) traditional within classroom basic that emphasized on structural-based models taken place in the context of textbooks, situationally-based models transformed from the textbook to standard daily life and functionally-based models was for communication skill. Also, communication practice encouraged students more aware of the language function in daily use that model would be applied to the standard daily context with more interaction between speakers; and (2) non-traditional beyond the classroom was used new technology as tools for practice in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Specifically, listening ability was developed mainly in a computer- and web-based environment, supplemented by classroom teaching, writing taught mainly in classroom, supplemented by a computer- and web-based environment. For speaking and reading were taught by both means (Chen, 2011). The same

Figure 1. Computer and Classroom-Based College English Teaching Model. Adopted from “Difference Models of English as an International Language and Their Implication of Non-English Majors,” by Chen, W., 2011, Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics (Quarterly), Vol. 34, No. 2, April 2011, p. 11.

Furthermore, teachers also needed to consider other factor at teaching sessions to be able students understanding quickly and preferred their learning sessions. And familiar and local context of text were another factors to push student learning achievement more improvement and better, especially on Reading Comprehension. According to Rabia (1996) stated “the students’ performance was significantly better when the cultural content of the text was familiar and the scores for the inference tests that involved familiar cultural context were significantly higher, regardless of whether the text was in Hebrew or English” (p. 593). Likewise, allowing individual student to bring their own unique contributions to a particular learning, which it would become an inclusive exercise and got benefits as well as empowered to all relevant people. In addition, the person-to-person interaction under guideline and supervision was another factor to improve critical thinking among the students (Ahn & Class, 2011).

Of course, Malm, Bryngfor & Mörner (2011) suggested that Supplemental Instruction (SI) was a right and excellent method to allow students to be able to complete some difficult courses. The method successfulness was covered to all types of students history including who in the past low, average or high ability. It meant that those students performed likely better in overall after attending SI. Based on this study by comparing between SI attendees and non-SI attendees, there was significantly different as follows “SI attendees are a little more motivated to study, SI attendees are a bit better in working in groups, a slightly higher percentage of SI attendees come from families where a higher education is unusual, SI attendees are also characterized by a better learning strategy in that a) they have better attention spans and can study for longer period of time; b) they are less dependent on “last-minute” efforts; and c) they are used to helping/being helped by classmates in understanding difficult problems in a course” (p. 287).

2.2. Language Improvement

Of course, teaching chunks and pattern teaching, through Consciousness-Raising (C-R) activities, improved and promoted learners’ English output related to accuracy, fluency, flexibility and use of idioms. If students had known the pattern of a word, they were more likely to use the word accurately and correctly. Also, Students would flexibly use alternative in case of they knew many patterns expressed one meaning (Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992; Benson, Benson & Ilson, 1997; Huston, et al., 1997 as cited in Jiang & Shu, 2011).

In addition, C-R activities helped raise students’ awareness of typical chunks and patterns, develop their analytical and inductive ability, promote the construction, testing and modify hypotheses about language. It inspired students to think, analyse language and draw their own conclusions rather than accepting and memorizing what they learned, enabled students to realize the close relationship between pattern and meaning, and promoted students’ interest and confidence in language learning, as well (Jiang & Shu, 2011). Furthermore, students expressed that using difference of materials and activities were specifically beneficial as it was a part to promote students more active in learning and engagement (Santangelo & Tomlinson, 2009).

Another finding addressed related to advantages and benefits of peer review training to contribute to learning English language. According to Min (2006) indicated that trained peer review had reinforce leaners’ capacity to more concentration and effective communication with other people. According to the same finding addressed that there were two important factors, which possibly shed light on the success of peer review training including individual teacher – reviewer conferences; and instructor’s grading peer review comments. However, another instruction technique including grade assignment to peer review comments was another factor to enhance the effect of the peer review training. The instructor’s grading likely served as a strong incentive to invest time and effort in following the four-step procedure to offer feedback.

A new progressive learning model, Partnership For Learning Model (PFLM), designed with educators, students and employers in mind. This model seeks to bridge academic experience with real life experience, thereby making formal education more meaningful and portable. The PFLM is a teaching approach that combines theory with direct experience. As result from this finding addressed that over 97 per cent of students who completed PFLM courses wished to take another PFLM course. They also feedback overwhelmingly rates the mentorship and life skills aspects as highly as the community based project work; students find the process energizing, rewarding and even intriguing. Furthermore, 87 per cent stated that PFLM experience was more meaningful than their internship experience as their internship was limited in scope and importance, while their PFLM experiences were perceived as significant contributions to the community, a feedback (Hugg & Wurdinger, 2007).

Figure 2. Learning and Performance in PFLM. Adopted from “A Practical and progressive Pedagogy for Project Based Service Learning,” by Hugg, R. & Wurdinger, S., 2007, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/, Volume 19, Number 2, p. 197.

2.3. Subject Matter Knowledge

Some other articles was on the practicum and indicated that practicum was recognized as one most important tool and part for teaching capacity development and building, where pre-service teachers had opportunities to translate their learning from the classes into practice (Richards & Crookes, 1988 as cited in Farrell, 2007). And other finding stated that previous experiences could lead more influence on how information on teaching was conveyed into classroom practice in period of their practicum than other influence, but pre-services teachers might not know of this influence as students on their teaching for their practicum, thus, they would be encouraged to use their own experience into practicum (Bailey, et al., 1996; Johnson, 1994 as cited in Farrell, 2007).

An article by O’Neal, et al. (2008) finding also stated that teachers unlikely considered themselves well-prepared to teach the large number of students in their classroom. Teachers also faced classrooms where the majority of students were high and confident on their English capacity and who attended regular English language private tutoring with qualified tutors within their community. Teacher preparation programs did not well-prepared for student population after graduated from institutions to formally practice their skills and methods. Contrary, teachers’ capacity and knowledge were at exceptional factors – effectively teaching including those who were outstanding students.

However, relation between teachers and students were another factor to affect to instruction and students learning as well. A finding demonstrated that knowledge and subject matter competence was largest category to improve if there was regular contact and good relation between teachers and their students than other categories (Inozu, 2011). The same finding found that “the majority of learning outcomes attributed to student-faculty contact concerned the knowledge and subject-matter competence: developing my linguistic competence (32.78%), following innovations in the field of study (32.78%), theoretical about field of study (22.95%), and knowledge of language teaching (21.31%)” (Inozu, 2011, p. 296).

2.4. Motivation

Finding on the relationship between motivation types and identify changes demonstrated that (1) teachers needed attention beyond teaching of language skills; (2) productive bilingualism also served as an educational objective, teachers could push positive attitudes and beliefs associated with the target language and culture on the one hand, and the native language and culture on the other; (3) individual development motivation influenced self-confidence for learners, teachers could build up students’ self-confidence in learning by helping students set up their goals in English study and incorporate them into their long-term career development; and (4) learners’ immediate, short-term interests such as getting high test scores should carefully monitored and channelled to their long-term goals so as to avoid possible negative effect on learners’ identify change” (Gao, et al., 2007).

Also, motivation to learn a second language (L2) was very different from the motivation learn any other school subject, this was because an L2 was not only a communication code, but also a representative of the L2 culture where it was spoken. Learning L2 thus usually entailed learning a L2 culture to some degree (Schmitt, 2002). The most important motivation to learn L2 were value and attitude (Schmitt, 2002).

Gardner’s (1985 as cited in Schmitt, 2002, p. 173) stated that there were three concepts in particular had become well-known as follows (1) ‘integrative orientation’, which reflects a positive disposition toward the L2 group and the desire to interact with and even become similar to valued members of that community; (2) ‘instrumental orientation’, where language learning is primarily associated with the potential pragmatic gains of L2 proficiency, such as getting a better job or a higher salary; and (3) the ‘integrative motive’, which is a complex construct made up of three main comment: (a) integrativeness (subsuming integrative orientation, interest in foreign languages, and attitudes toward the L2 community); (b) attitudes toward the learning situation (comprising attitudes toward the teacher and the course); and (c) motivation (made up of motivational intensity, desire and attitudes toward learning the language).

In addition, Dörnyei (n/a as cited in Schmitt, 2002, p. 176) also identified four principal aspects of motivational teaching practice including (1) ‘creating the basic motivational conditions’ (establishing rapport with the students; fostering a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere; developing a cohesive learner group with appropriate group norms); (2)’generating initial student motivation’ (enhancing the learners’ L2-related values and attitudes; increasing the learners’ expectancy of success; increasing the learners’ goal-orientedness; making teaching materials relevant to the learners; creating realistic learner beliefs); (3) ‘maintaining and protecting motivation’ (making learning stimulating; setting specific learner goals; presenting tasks in a motivating way; protecting the learners’ self-esteem and increasing their self-confidence; allowing learners to maintain a positive social image; creating learner autonomy; promoting co-operation among the learners; promoting self-motivating strategies); and (4) ‘encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation’ (providing motivational feedback; promoting motivational attributions; increasing learner satisfaction; offering rewards and grades in a motivating manner).

To ensure students smoothly progressed in learning and academic excellence, especially at classroom, teachers had to encourage students considering their performance because it linked the progressing and displaying of skills and abilities in period of instruction course. If so, students would be competence and achievement. Teachers also instructed students on peer mentoring to allow students teach and learn from each