felte quarterly issue 2

FFFFELTE QUARTERLY

☼ Issue 2 ☼ Spring 2012

Faculty of English Language Teacher Education

University of Languages and International Studies, VNU

For internal circulation only

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Felte Felte Felte Felte Quarterlyuarterlyuarterlyuarterly




For internal circulation only

Editors Mr. Ngô Xuân Minh (Division II)

Ms. Trần Hoài Giang (Division II)

Ms. Hoàng Hồng Trang (Division III)

Layout Editor Ms. Trần Hoài Giang (Division II)

Editorial Advisory Board Ms. Nguyễn Thu Lệ Hằng, FELTE Dean

Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Quỳnh, FELTE Vice Dean

Ms. Vũ Mai Trang, FELTE Vice Dean

Mr. Khoa Anh Việt, FELTE Vice Dean

Photo Credit Front cover photo taken by Spoii (2009). Retrieved from:

http://spoii.deviantart.com/gallery/

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Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Editors’ Notes ................................................................................................. 4 FELTE Rhythm

Curricula revision and course development projects Nguyen Thu Le Hang.....................................................................................5 AUN at FELTE Nguyen Thanh Thuy & Phan Ngoc Quynh Anh ............................................. 6 Workshop on teaching reading Vu Thi Kim Chi ............................................................................................... 7 FELTE Library Do Thi Minh Ngoc .......................................................................................... 8

Been there done that Vu Mai Trang ................................................................................................. 10

FELTE Faces Mr. Vu Hai Ha, an inspiring scholar Nguyen Thi Chi .............................................................................................. 12

Feature Article Developing socio-cultural competence in the context of English as a global

language: Implications for English classrooms in Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh ..................................................................................16

Review Mckay, S.L. (2002). Teaching English as an international language:

Rethinking goals and approaches. New York: Oxford University Press.

Thai Ha Lam Thuy .........................................................................................23

Teaching in Focus Mentoring program at Division of English Skills 1 – the pathway to become

a professional learning community.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang & Can Thi Chang Duyen............................................26

Call for Contribution .................................................................................... 32

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☼ Issue 2 ☼ Summer 2011

EditorsEditorsEditorsEditors’ Notes Notes Notes Notes

Spring is unarguably the most celebrated season in Vietnam, and to match the

festive atmosphere of the season, this issue of FELTE QUARTERLY has been attired in the rosy

hue of peach blossoms, the symbolic flower of spring in Northern Vietnam. The sight of peach

blossoms is also reminiscent of the time for Vietnamese people to look back on the previous

year and look forward to the brand new one.

Hence, the journal starts with FELTE Rhythm, a quick review of some remarkable events

occurring in the past semester in the faculty, including the Curricula revision and Course

development project, the AUN project and the establishment of the faculty library as well as a

photo stream of other recent activities. In this season of growth, the journal enjoys the birth of

“Been there done that” – a new column hosted by Ms Vu Mai Trang – which gives room for

faculty members’ brief stories about their mind-opening trips. In the third column (FELTE

Faces), F.Q. proudly presents a young, yet exemplar figure of the new generation, Mr. Vu Hai

Ha – a Ph.D. candidate at Monash University. Also in this issue, F.Q. is honored to introduce a

research report by Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh, who despite her physical absence is still present

in professional discussions and admired for her contribution to the FELTE family. In the Review

column, Ms. Thai Ha Lam Thuy provides a succinct but informative critique of a notable TESOL

publication from Oxford University Press. The issue ends with a report on the mentoring

program at School of English I, which will hopefully act as food for thought for other schools of

the faculty in their process of mentoring new staff. As usual, all readers should not miss the

Call for Papers to keep themselves informed of ways to join the vibrant community of F.Q.

writers and editors.

To conclude this special issue, the Editorial Board would like to offer their best wishes to

all FELTE staff members and their families on the occasion of the new year. Hope the year of

the Dragon will be the opportune time for all to unleash their potential and ascend to the new

heights in all aspects of life.

F.Q. Editorial BoardF.Q. Editorial BoardF.Q. Editorial BoardF.Q. Editorial Board

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FELTE Rhythm


CURRICULA REVISION AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Nguyen Thu Le Hang

Following the success of the National English

Teacher Education Curriculum (NETEC) project led by

Dr. Diana Dudzik and the course development

project guided by Assoc. Prof. Martha Bigelow in the

first half of 2011, the professional team of FELTE had

several opportunities to get involved in 2 major

projects in the second half of the year.

The 1st one is the revision of the curricula

towards uniformity among ULIS faculties in terms of

the total number of credits and the total number of

subjects per curriculum. FELTE Dean joined with

other Deans of the University in a series of

workshops and working sessions throughout the

Summer, with the facilitation of VPAA and the

Director of the Training Affairs Department, followed

by consultation sessions among the key staff of

FELTE. Two curricula for mainstream and two

curricula for the Fast-track- one set for English

teacher education, another for the training of

interpreter/translator and administration officer-

were finalised, with 8 new English proficiency

subjects and 14 new subjects in the professional

knowledge domain.

The 2nd major project is the Multiple-stream

Course Development. There are 3 streams: the

Contextual subjects, the Proficiency subjects, and the

Other subjects in the Professional Knowledge Domain

(M5). The 1st stream is called the Meandering as the

course developers will have time to go through the

process until teaching handouts are produced and

papers relating to their work presented at

international conferences and get published. The

Faculty of LCESP is in charge of this 1st stream

subjects under the guidance of Dr. Diana Dudzik.

FELTE has 1 subject- Issues in Teaching English as an

International Languages- in this group. The 2nd

stream is named the Rapids as the course developers

had only 2 intensive weeks coached by Assoc. Prof.

Martha Bigelow. During these two weeks of

December, they worked on 8 Proficiency subjects. All

the Rapids teams have kept working on their draft

syllabi and shared the versions on Google Docs. The

3rd stream is called the Rivulet as the course

developers had few workshops facilitated by Dr.

Dudzik and the deliverables for this subject group

are limited to Course Overview, Objectives,

Description and Assessment. By 15 January 2012,

FELTE successfully completed the huge work load

and managed to submit to the University all the

required syllabus summaries for the new subjects.

We still have a long way ahead, as we have only

passed the starting point. Highlights of the Course

Development Project, yet, motivate us all as we “are

making history”, creating such transformational

changes as designing courses following the Backward

Design, or restructuring the Proficiency courses

condensed to 4 semesters only while adopting the

challenging approach- the Integrated, Theme-based

and Genre-based Approach.

In the coming months of the first half of 2012,

a larger number of team leaders and members will

involve themselves in various tasks including the

survey among employers, alumni and current

students about the curricula and program standards,

the comparative analysis of similar English Teacher

Education and English language programs in the

world and in the region, and above all, the course

development as planned in our roadmap.

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FELTE Rhythm


AUN at FELTE Nguyen Thanh Thuy & Phan Ngoc Quynh Anh

WHAT IS AUNWHAT IS AUNWHAT IS AUNWHAT IS AUN----QA?QA?QA?QA?

ASEAN University Network-Quality

Assurance (AUN-QA) System was originated by

Dr. Vanchai Sirichana, the first chairman of the

AUN Board of trustees (AUN-BOT) in 1998 in

order to reach and maintain the high standard

education for not only a particular country but

also for ASEAN as a whole. Since then, AUN-QA

has been continuously put into practice,

developed and thrived to become a strong QA

system, gaining the international recognition.

QA should be an instrument for mutual

recognition to and respect of differences among

individual institutions including their diversified

cultural and basic resources. The Project was

welcomed by the 4th Meeting of the AUN-BOT in

Myanmar in 1998 and became an important

priority of the AUN, particularly in the dimensions

of teaching, research and overall academic

management.

AUN IN VIETNAM AUN IN VIETNAM AUN IN VIETNAM AUN IN VIETNAM

In Vietnam, AUN-QA has been carried out

with various activities and Vietnam National

University, Hanoi has officially been one member

of AUN Board of trustees since 1995.

ULIS – VNU is currently working on Fast-

track program evaluation. One of the objectives

of this program is to look back on the

achievements of Fast-track program education

during the past years as well as to define existing

problems that need to be solved in order to build

up the orientation for development in the coming

years. On the other hand, thanks to the AUN-QA

project, not only ULIS teachers’ self-evaluation

competence will improve but they also get more

familiar with international standards and criteria.

Besides teachers’ participation in the project,

students’ contributions are of great importance

to the success of the project.

13/9/2011, Professor Nguyen Hoa, ULIS

rector, signed the decision to establish the self-

assessment board of the Honor program of

English teacher education according to the AUN-

QA, including:

• Professor Nguyen Hoa, President – Chairman

• Dr. Do Tuan Minh - Vice President – Vice

chairman

• Ms. Nguyen Thu Le Hang, M.A. - Dean of FELTE

– Vice chairman

• Ms. Vu Tuong Vi, M.A. – Head of Fast Track

Program – Secretary

• Dr. Lưu Bá Minh, Associate Prof – Standing

member

• Dr. Ha Le Kim Anh, Head of Academic affair -

Member

• Mr. Nguyen Xuan Chu, M.A. – Head of

personnel office - Member

• Dr. Lam Quang Dong, Head of Faculty of

English - Member

The assessment of the Fast Track Program

based on AUN including 15 criteria and 68 sub-

criteria started from September to November,

2011. During this time, lecturers of FELTE were

divided into different specifically-assigned

groups namely Writing group, Editor Group and

Supporting Groups. Supporting groups are

different groups of lecturers taking charge of

finding evidences for AUN 15 criteria.

By the end of November, Writing group will

have finished the first draft of the AUN self-

assessment report based on the evidences found

by Supporting groups.

As planned, at the beginning of December,

2011, the report and the self-assessment

checklist will be submitted to the Quality

Assurance Board of VNU. On January 2012, ULIS

will welcome the experts of AUN coming to ULIS

to evaluate the quality of Fast Track Program for

ELT students.

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FELTE News


Workshop on Teaching Reading by Ms. Susan Lucasse Vu Thi Kim Chi

The workshop on Teaching Reading by Ms.

Susan Lucasse on August 30th, 2011 was an eye-

opener to many novice teachers who were

fumbling for an effective and inspiring way to

teach reading skill. New teachers with little

experience of teaching at college learnt a lot not

only from Ms. Lucasse’s presentation, but also

from the way she organized activities and

modeled an effective reading lesson. By putting

the audience in the shoes of learners, she actually

made us consider what a student looked forward

to and needed to acquire after some time

reading. She also directed our attention to

reading as a daily activity that we did, both in

Vietnamese and English, very often. Reading does

not need to be academic and serious all the time.

Therefore, we can help students improve their

reading ability with interesting authentic tasks

and texts which seem to be part of their everyday

life. The section that seemed to be the most

attractive was the partial conduct of a sample

integrated reading lesson designed by Dr. Melissa

Smith. In the role of students, we gradually went

through the three phases of the lesson with

relevant and exciting activities which required us

to read both intensively and extensively. This

sample lesson illustrated really well the theory of

integrating intensive and extensive reading tasks

in L2 classroom and gave me a lot of ideas for my

teaching. The post activities were very creative

but quite challenging, as they asked students to

actually get engaged in the story by acting the

roles of the characters. Although it might be

difficult for such activities to be included in a real

reading lesson under our circumstances, they

provided the hints for us to design reading tasks

in which students are encouraged and challenged

at the same time to use the knowledge they just

learn in the lesson for certain purposes.

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FELTE Rhythm


FELTE Library

Do Thi Minh Ngoc

It’s finally here after months of planning!

FELTE Library is now officially open to the mass

community of FELTE Teachers on every Tuesday and

Thursday morning, starting from November, 2011.

“Headquartered” in Room 206, B2 Building on

the campus of the University of Languages and

International Studies (HULIS), the library offers

ideally tranquil and inspiring work space, welcoming

atmosphere, and easy and unrestricted access to an

extensive collection of university course-books,

reference materials and CDs. The library, currently

housing nearly 170 items in high demands,

deserves to be called the first resource for meeting

all FELTE Teachers’ information needs. The Faculty

Managerial Board and the library staff are

endeavoring for the commitment to turn the library

into the key agent in enabling FELTE Teachers to

prosper in the information society and supporting

any individual who is undertaking professional self-

development.

Just spare your time, come along and join with

us. The library staff – all of whom are young and

energetic teachers of the Faculty, are always on

hand to help you!

FELTE Library is open from 9 a.m to 11 a.m on every Tuesday and Thursday!FELTE Library is open from 9 a.m to 11 a.m on every Tuesday and Thursday!FELTE Library is open from 9 a.m to 11 a.m on every Tuesday and Thursday!FELTE Library is open from 9 a.m to 11 a.m on every Tuesday and Thursday!

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FELTE Rhythm


L2 VocabularyL2 VocabularyL2 VocabularyL2 Vocabulary knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge

as a twas a twas a twas a twoooo----sided coinsided coinsided coinsided coin 18 Oct 2011

Dr Michael HarringtonDr Michael HarringtonDr Michael HarringtonDr Michael Harrington,

School of Languages and Comparative

Cultural Studies, the University of

Queensland, Australia

Division 2 Inset TrainingDivision 2 Inset TrainingDivision 2 Inset TrainingDivision 2 Inset Training 16 Nov 2011

ULIS StarSULIS StarSULIS StarSULIS StarS �� 16 Nov 2011

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BEEN THERE DONE THAT


Hosted by Vu Mai TrangHosted by Vu Mai TrangHosted by Vu Mai TrangHosted by Vu Mai Trang

Having recently taken a course? Gone on a trip? Done something interesting? Met new

people? In this space of each issue of FELTE Quarterly we post a question for you to

share your experience and to learn about, and from, our colleagues.

In this issue let’s meet four FELTE faculty members who have attended conferences in

the last couple of months to find out what had well impressed them.

Ms Hieu Thuy (ELT)Ms Hieu Thuy (ELT)Ms Hieu Thuy (ELT)Ms Hieu Thuy (ELT)

Voices in ELT International Conference, Thamasat University, Thailand, June 2011.

The first impression that the Conference had on me was its

organization. Though that was the first time TU held such an

International conference in ELT, they had decided to make it

big. The venue was placed in a five-star hotel, and the

reception dinner was extremely Thai. I was also delighted by

the helpfulness, English proficiency level, and

professionalism of their voluntary students. They were all

wearing their smart uniform - the guys in suits with ties and

girls in shirts and skirts. There were just about 15 of them

but whenever the guests needed help, they could manage

right away. For example, on discovering that my name was

misspelt on the Certificate of Participation, I immediately

sought for help and a nice girl appeared just in time to

direct me to the responsible person.

Ms Mai Trang (ELTMs Mai Trang (ELTMs Mai Trang (ELTMs Mai Trang (ELT))))

New Directions, British Council Assessment and Evaluation Symposium, Kuala Lumpur,

July 2011.

One of the things I most remember from the trip was the story

of one Malaysian colleague. Every single day of the Symposium

she came into the conference hall with a super tiny,

sometimes crying, baby in her arms. Struck by an empathy

being a working mother myself, I talked to her and found out

to my amazement that her baby is just 3 weeks old! I was

further taken aback when one of her friends joined our

conversation and almost proudly added that this is the

seventh child of hers! The efforts of this woman to make this

far must be enormous, considering what I learned from the

participants list that most people who came to this

Symposium are those of significance, including noted scholars

and policy makers. Thinking of her, however, I can’t help

feeling lucky, in some way, imagining the boundaries she

must have tried hard to go beyond, successfully or not.

Women seen on KL streets, many in black veils

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BEEN THERE DONE THAT


Ms ThMs ThMs ThMs Thơm Thơơm Thơơm Thơơm Thơm (English 1m (English 1m (English 1m (English 1))))

Discourse, Knowledge and Culture Symposium, University of Danang, University of Hue

and University of English and International Studies (ULIS-VNU), Danang, December

2011.

Since it was the very first time I joined a conference in

this city, I was filled with lots of emotions: the curiosity

to discover Danang as a place of interest, the honour to

meet and learn from many researchers in the field, and

the anxiety to prepare for my presentation on Discourse.

However, what most impressed me at the Symposium

was the presentation by the guest speaker, Professor Ly

Toan Thang (Institute of Dictionaries and Encyclopedia)

focusing on Discourse Analysis from Cognitive

perspective. The presentation attracted me in the way

that the scholar was serious to investigate a seemingly

minor example: “đít chai/the bottom of the bottle” in a

popular Vietnamese saying: “mắt kính dày như đít chai”.

To my surprise, the professor did a thorough research in

various languages in different parts of the world, and traced back to our longstanding history and culture

to provide rather impressive explanations and conclusions. He strongly believed that the example might

have rooted from the traditional and habitual sitting habit of the Vietnamese, “ngắi bắt”. Hardly words

can express my thirst for every single theory proposed and my satisfaction to listen to the rational

explanations. Most importantly, I have learnt much from his commitment in doing scientific research,

which greatly motivates young learners like me in the research career. I was fortunate enough to have a

good time in Danang and join the interesting Symposium.

Ms QuMs QuMs QuMs Quỳnh Lỳnh Lỳnh Lỳnh Lê (English 1)ê (English 1)ê (English 1)ê (English 1)

International Conference on Language

and Communication, ICLC 2011,

Bangkok, December 2011.

I was most impressed by the hospitality and

excellent organisation offered by the host at the

Conference. On arriving at the site, instead of

seeing young beautiful volunteering girls, as we

usually do domestically, I caught the sight of

many not-so-young ladies and gentlemen here

and there giving help in the plenary session room

and always with a friendly smile on their faces. During the welcoming party that afternoon, we learned

that they were holding key positions in their organisations and all were with ..Ph.D! They did their best to

comfort the participants, from the "tiny" things - like making a walking tour to get our feedback on lunch

food- to "bigger" ones, like getting us the proceedings released years ago! Not until the last day did I

find out that they had just recovered from the severe floodings ever just weeks before!

Picture taken in My Son

Picture taken with Teun and Dijk

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FFEELLTTEE FFaacceess


‘The teacher always needs to learn,

Mr. Vu Hai Ha, an inspiring scholar FELTE has a tradition where the teachers, generation by

generation, have made non-stop endeavor to pursue their

desire of self-fulfillment in learning and teaching. Among

those who have been successful in reaching out to the world

education is an arguably outstanding young figure, Mr. Vu

Hai Ha, an enthusiastic, inquisitive, and inspiring teacher -

researcher. He is pursuing a PhD degree in Education at

Monash University, Australia in his 20s.

Stimulated by a desire for the engagement and

enhancement of young-generation teachers currently

working in FELTE in their teaching and researching career, I

have invited teacher-cum-postgraduate-student Ha to share

his philosophy and experience in his developmental route.

• Nguyen Thi Chi (C): Hello, my teacher. Thank

you for joining in this second issue of FELTE

Quarterly. How are you there?

• HH: Hello Chi. Everything is fine. How about

you and your work?

• C: Everything seems to go in a right way for

me. And now, shall we talk a bit about you,

about your qualities? ☺

• HH: It’s my pleasure ☺

• C: If you have to choose three adjectives to

describe yourself, what will you choose?

• HH: Uh… ‘Dedicated’; that’s the first one. The

second one might be ‘hard-working’; and the

third one is ‘serious’. ☺

• C: So what do you mean by ‘dedicated’ and

‘serious’?

• HH: Well, I think it’s a kind of complementary

in the sense that when you show your

dedication to something, it doesn’t mean that

you are not serious. You shouldn’t take

‘serious’ in the negative sense. I think ‘serious’

means that when you are interested in

something, ; and that’s the most important

thing I think. And dedication, especially

teaching in Vietnam… you know when it comes

to teaching in Vietnam, there are a lot of

difficult conditions and parameters that I think

dedication will come first to good teachers;

and that’s what I am trying to do.

• C: Well, that seems the reason why you have

been so popular in our department as well as

in our university. Many teachers and students

have praised your endeavor and dedication in

both teaching and researching. So could you

please share with us your thoughts of these

broad areas?

• HH: Of course. I am always willing. ☺

• C: Thank you, teacher. As I know, teaching

philosophy is very important because it can

‘when it’s your job, especially concerned

quite a lot of people, you should give it

what you have,

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assist the enhancement of a teacher’s

performance, so I wonder what your

philosophy of teaching is.

• HH: Well, I think it’s very hard. I never collect

my philosophy of teaching. But I think the most

important principle underlying teaching is, you

know, being able to explain to students. I

mean that you should help your students

understand the matter as much as possible.

And another thing is that you inspire your

students. In the past I emphasized the first

one, the first principle, that is how to convey

my ideas to the students in the clearest way as

possible. But in recent years, I think that I am

shifting to the later principle, instead of, you

know, passing on the information to the

students, I try to inspire them; that is I give

them the tool, the inspiration, I inspire them,

and I encourage them to explore things in real

life. So, in brief, teaching means inspiration

and inspiring students.

• C: Yeap, I like the word ‘inspiring’. Honestly,

when I was a student, I was inspired a lot in

your reading lessons. They did not only

provide me with knowledge and skills but they

also proved me that teaching was an art,

particularly teaching reading. And I’d like to

ask you some more specific things related to

your reading lessons.

• HH: Ok!

• C: You know many students reckon reading

lessons are so dull, but those who attended

your lessons, as far as I know, all felt excited.

How did you keep students motivated with so-

called dull lessons?

• HH: Well… well. Normally, people classify

reading as receptive skills, and by receptive,

they give students kinds of reading in the

classroom, something prescribed by the

teacher on syllabus, and their tasks are simply

answering the questions. And sometimes the

questions are very closed-ended… I mean that

the task of students is doing exercises and the

task of the teacher is saying it’s right or wrong,

or skim and scan the text to take the cues, or

that’s sort of thing. And when I was a student

in CLC or Fast-track program, I found reading

was dull, was boring and kind of monotonous.

It’s like exam-coaching, I think. But when it

comes to the reality, I realize that there is

much more in reading than to answer the

questions. I read an article in real life, I realize

that at the end of the article there is no

question and no right or wrong, no multiple

choice questions, so reading is to relate what

you already know with what you are reading,

so that it can help you best with your purpose

as well as enrich your knowledge. That is the

main thing that I want to be realized in my

reading lesson, reading is not for answering

questions, but reading for life. So reading is

not just receptive, but reading is input and is a

source of inspiration. I want to use the word

‘inspiration’ again. It is again my philosophy of

teaching. Reading is inspiration to other skills

and also to life, to work, everything. I really

want my student to understand that reading is

very important, not for exam, but for real life

as well.

• C: How did you do to make your students

understand that reading is not doing the

exercises but the input for other skills?

• HH: It’s really hard because whether we like it

or not, examination and testing system in our

university is kind of standardized tests, so the

students don’t… It’s kind of paradox here, the

students don’t want to do exercises like IELTS

or TOEFL so much but when they are directed

towards reading for other purposes, they

complain that, you know, we need to be

coached for the exams. So that’s what I say

there is a paradox here. I think that the most

important thing here is to help students

understand the purposes of reading. For

example, with your class, at the beginning of

the semester, I talked about my intention of

critical reading, and I told you, I remember,

13



• “It’s up to you. If you are willing, you will learn

a lot. If you are not willing, it is ok, because

you know, it’s kind of workload, not only for

you, students, but also for teacher. But if you

think it’s the opportunity to learn, we do

together”. I think that it is important for

teachers to help students to understand why

they are doing something in the first place.

Otherwise, it’s kind of imposing on the

students that they must do that. So it takes

time; and come back to your question: how, I

think, talking to students, motivating them and

helping them to see what kinds of problems,

and what the reading program does not

provide them, and then inspire them to do

something different. Finally, I think both

students and teacher need to involve in that.

• C: Humm… That will be kind of food for

thought for teachers, especially for me, a

‘new-comer’ in teaching career. And I

remember you once told us that innovation

was essential in teaching; it makes a teacher an

attracting and vivid textbook. Could you please

share with us how to be constantly innovative

in our teaching?

• HH: Well… I remember some people asked me

this question before, and I say first of all, it

comes from the nature of the teacher, being

creative. I think that not all teachers are

creative because for some of them, creative

means breaking the rules, the textbook. It is

kind of take risk and some don’t like to take

risk. So, first innovative comes from teachers,

and second it must come from students. Some

classes like to explore new things and we find

their motivation to learn, but there are classes

which don’t want to change at all. As for your

question about the techniques to be creative, I

think that first of all the teacher need to read a

lot because, you know, innovation should be

meaningful. For example, you remember the

warm-up games at your listening class? Of

course, you are talking about reading, but

when it comes to warm-up activity, I always

tried to make the connection between the

warm-up activities with the listening skills that

your class focused. So I think that meaningful

makes creative sustainable, and in order to do

that the teacher should read a lot. There are

many sources of reading, library, somewhere

else, and even workshops. I remember I learnt

a lot from the workshops when I was in my first

teaching year. I attended the workshop on

Critical Thinking by Ms. Phung Ha Thanh, and

it was very useful, it gave me a lot of

interesting ideas about how to improve my

classes. And that’s the first thing; the teacher

always needs to learn. And secondly, you

should think, put yourself in the students’

situation, you think of how students are gonna

do this, or think of what activities will work and

what you are going to do. We, teachers, always

need to encourage the students to give

feedback because creativeness, if it is not

appreciated by the students explicitly, and

sometimes students do not show whether they

enjoy the activities, the new things brought by

the teacher, we may feel demotivated; so I

think listening to the students is one way to

encourage you to be even more creative. I

shouldn’t forget to mention that I also learn

from the students themselves because

sometimes I ask students to be creative in

class and some students have really good

techniques or ideas. I may duplicate their ideas

or I may build up my ideas based on their

ideas. So in brief, in order to be constantly

creative, the teacher needs to learn all the

time, whenever you can, when you are a

teacher, when you are a student, when you are

a workshop attendant.

• C: So interesting: teachers need to learn at any

time, and even learn when talking to each

other in this way. ☺

• HH: ☺

‘teaching means inspiration and inspiring students,

14



• C: And now I’d like to move on to another big

area in which you are also popular, that’s

research. Could you please share with us what

‘research’ means to you? And how come have

you been attracted to research?

• HH: For me, research is an opportunity to

learn… Research is an opportunity to sharpen

your skills. Many people think that research is

just reading and writing only but research

includes a lot of skills, for example, when you

go out to interview people, that is socialization,

communication skills, when you present your

idea to the public or to the panel, you sharpen

your presentation skills…And I realize lots of

skills I have today and I am confident with

come from my research experiences… The

most important thing that inspires me to do a

lot of research is that I could learn a lot from

them… Another thing is you have right attitude

to understanding of research. You don’t try it,

you know, kind of application for scholarship,

or prizes I think. Actually, in my situation I

didn’t even, you know, claim the prize when I

got the first, second prizes, and I was eligible

for extra points or marks in GPA but I didn’t

claim that, because I was satisfied with what I

got already. In brief, you take research as an

opportunity to learn and understand it,

especially student research. Probably that will

inspire you.

• C: I remember that your current thesis is about

Vietnamese 9X TESOL trainees’ Struggle of

Voice for their Language and Values. And what

inspires you to do such research?

• HH: Well, again I have to say that research

should come from your real life. Many people

think that I do research on 9X because they are

popular, modern, and they are probably of my

topic and that I am going to talk about the

international language or anything, but actually

it’s not. You know, the reason why I chose the

topic is that the more I taught them, the young

generation, the more I realize that I was bored,

and I lost my appetite, energy and my

•

enthusiasm for teaching. I didn’t know why

because, you know, dedication is still my merit,

my strength, my quality. I think the problem

might be my communication with the students.

So I really want to understand the younger

generation even more, so that in the future

when I come back to Vietnam, I love teaching

even more. So far I think that at least I

understand the younger generation much

more. I realize that in the past I had some

conflict with young generation because I didn’t

understand them enough. That’s why I decided

to work on their voice, their language, and

their values in classroom.

• C: I think not only you but many other teachers

can get benefit from your study. I long for

much more inspiring lessons of yours when

you come back… And the last question is ‘Do

you have any research plan in the coming

time?’

• HH: Of course, I am doing one, my PhD project.

I’m also writing a course book for critical

reading program. So you’ll find new ideas

about critical reading in this book rather than

handouts. Actually Ms. Yen and Ms. Ha in Fast-

track program are experimenting the program

right now. We are working closely as a team

although we are thousands of miles away.

That’s collaborative teaching and action

research in my view.

• C: Thank you very much for your energetic

sharing. I believe that FELTE teachers,

especially young teachers, as well as students

will soon find teaching and learning about

reading much more an interest and a challenge

than a bore. Also, we will probably be more

engaged in research ourselves as well as in

guiding our students to do research. On behalf

of FELTE teachers, I wish you notable success

in your PhD study. We hope to see you soon in

teaching.

• HH: Thank you. I also hope to see all of you

soon. Best wishes to my colleagues!

, Research is an opportunity to learn ‘

15

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Developing socioDeveloping socioDeveloping socioDeveloping socio----cultural competence in the context of English as a Global cultural competence in the context of English as a Global cultural competence in the context of English as a Global cultural competence in the context of English as a Global

Language: Implications for English classrooms in VietnamLanguage: Implications for English classrooms in VietnamLanguage: Implications for English classrooms in VietnamLanguage: Implications for English classrooms in Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Thuy Minh

National Institute of Education

In his report for the British Council entitled “English Next”, David Graddol (2006) points out that as

English becomes a global language, native-speaker (NS) norms are becoming less relevant. This is

because the global spread of the language would mean fewer interactions involving an NS. The fact that

an increasing number of interactions in English nowadays are taking place between people who use it as

an additional language can make the task of teaching cross-cultural communication skills more complex

than ever. Instead of introducing only NS socio-cultural norms, English teachers now need to help their

students to accommodate to a much more diverse range of cultural differences and perspectives

(Crawford 2006).

In this paper, I will discuss the challenges that the globalization of English has posed for teachers in

preparing ‘socio-culturally competent’ English language users, and draw implications for English

classrooms in Vietnam. I will firstly address the concept of ‘socio-cultural competence’ as a core

component of ‘communicative competence’ with reference to the context of English as a Global

Language (EGL). Drawing on this discussion, I will then argue that teaching English rules of speaking in

this new context should be informed by a World Englishes perspective rather than by NS norms as it was

previously assumed, and finally I will explicate the relevance of this proposition to English Language

Teaching (ELT) in Vietnam.

1. Socio-cultural competence in the context of EGL: A critique of the NS model

Socio-cultural competence is the knowledge that enables a speaker to express his/ her meanings and

intentions via speech acts (e.g. requests, invitations, disagreements and so on) appropriately within a

particular social and cultural context of communication. This knowledge necessarily involves both having

linguistic means for expressing speech acts and understanding the socio-cultural constraints on the use

of these means (Canale 1983). Socio-cultural competence is essential for effective communication and in

fact constitutes one of the core components of one’s communicative competence’ (see Canale and Swain

1980, Canale 1983). That is to say, a language user cannot be deemed ‘competent’ if he or she is unable

to, among other things, ‘do things with words’ properly in a given context of use of the given language.

Research into cross-cultural communication has repeatedly shown that performing speech acts in a

second language (L2) can be a challenging task for many L2 learners (see Kasper and Rose 2002).

Difficulties arise mostly due to the inherent differences that exist between their first language (L1) and

culture and the second language and culture. Very often, these differences have caused

miscommunication (Thomas 1983). The implication drawn from this body of research is language

pedagogy needs to allow L2 learners to explore the socio-cultural norms of the NS community and the

various ways they constrain the language use by this community (see Rose and Kasper 2001).

Indeed, this idea has tremendously impacted L2 classrooms in the past few decades. It has remained

widely accepted among teachers and researchers for years that L2 pedagogical practices can benefit

enormously from a description of NS models. For example, Cohen (1996: 412, cited in McKay 2002)

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explained how studies that compare NS speech act behavior with learners’ speech act behavior can

contribute to the teaching of L2 speech acts:

“Once descriptions of the speech acts are made available, the next task is to determine the

degree of control that learners have over those speech acts … Ideally, this information could then

be used to prepare a course of instruction that would fill in the gaps in language knowledge and

also give tips on strategies that might be useful for producing utterances. The role of the learners

is to notice similarities and differences between the way native speakers perform speech acts and

the way they do.”

McKay (2002) points out that what underlies this NS-based pedagogical model is the assumption that the

goal of L2 learning is to achieve the ‘NS competence’. According to this model, any variation from the NS

norms would be considered undesirable or even ‘defective’ (Crawford 2006, Foley 2007). For example,

Thomas (1983) describes two types of learners’ ‘failure’ when performing a speech act in the L2. “Socio-

pragmatic failure’ is evident when the learner either performs the given speech act where it is not

expected (e.g. asking a new acquaintance personal questions) or does not perform it where it is required

(e.g. thanking for a service). “Pragma-linguistic failure’ happens when the learner expresses the speech

act in a non-target-like manner (e.g. making an imperative request).

While the proposition that L2 pedagogy needs to set as its aim the development of learners’ socio-

cultural competence is plausible, the assumption that this competence should be based on an NS model

is not without criticisms (McKay 2002, 2003, Crawford 2006, Foley 2007). Kasper (1997) argued that for

adult L2 learners the goal of achieving a native-like competence is unfeasible since L2 is increasingly

difficult to acquire with age. Cook (2002: 333), for instance, indicated that “only a vanishing small

percentage of students ever come close to the ‘success’ of duplicating native attainment”.

What is more, it is unreasonable to assume that the goal of L2 learners is to achieve a native-like socio-

cultural competence. There is evidence to suggest that L2 learners do not always desire to adopt NS rules

of speaking because sometimes it happens that these rules conflict with their own system of cultural

beliefs and values (Hinkel 1996, Ellis 1994, Kasper 1997). Perhaps they only target at becoming

competent L2 users while maintaining their cultural identity (Ellis 1994, Siegal 1996). The total

convergence with the NS behavior by L2 speakers may also be viewed negatively by some NSs. For

example, the former might be perceived as “intrusive and inconsistent with the non-native speakers’

(NNS) role as outsider to the L2 community” (Kasper 1997: 12, abbreviation added). Therefore, some

divergence as a marker of non-membership could perhaps be more appreciated (Kasper, ibid.).

Another problem lies in the difficulty establishing what can count as ‘NS norms’ because as Kasper (ibid.)

argues, the NS community is certainly not a homogenous group. This is precisely the case of the English

language, where so many varieties exist. Kachru (1989), for example, divides the English speaking world

into three groups, which he terms the ‘inner’, the ‘outer’, and the ‘expanding’ circles (Figure 1). The

‘inner circle’ includes countries where English is spoken as the first/ native language (ENL) (e.g. the

United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and which he refers to as ‘norm-

providing’ countries. The fact the NS of these English varieties do not necessarily share the same ‘norms’

would make the task of ‘following NS norms’, supposed it were desirable, rather daunting for English

learners, especially if they learn the language outside the territory of the ‘inner circle’. As Yano (2001:

120) puts it,

“As far as English is learned by immigrants in English-speaking societies such as Britain and the

United States, there does not seem to be any problem in learning the language in the socio-

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cultural framework of these societies. However, problems arise when English is learned as a

second (ESL) or foreign language (EFL) in societies where English is not used as the native

language, because English is no longer used in the Anglo-American socio-cultural framework

alone”(abbreviations added).

Indeed, NS norms seem less relevant in contexts where people do not need to interact with the NS (Yano

2001, Graddol 2006). People in the ‘outer circle’ such as Singapore, India, or the Philippines have their

own rules when using English to communicate within their society. These rules inform appropriate

language use for particular contexts, though not necessarily similar to those observed in the UK or the

USA (McKay 2002). In encounters where people come from all different countries, it also makes little

sense why they should adopt the socio-cultural norms of a particular English NS community to

communicate with one another (McKay 2002, 2003).

Figure 1: Kachru’s categorization of countries in which English is used (from Crystal 1997: 54)

Finally, the difficult is related to the term ‘NS’ itself. As Graddol (2006: 110) indicates, “Global English

has led to a crisis of terminology. The distinction between ‘native speaker’, ‘second-language speaker’,

and ‘foreign-language user’ have become blurred”. In other words, it has become more problematic than

ever to define ‘an NS’ in the new context. One reason is varieties of English in the ‘outer circle’ have

become so well established that many ESL speakers would feel they are NSs of English and do have NS

intuition (Yano 2001). In fact, Kachru himself (1999) has acknowledged the increasing importance of the

‘outer circle’, proposing that the English speakers from this circle should now be better described as

‘functional’ NSs rather than L2 speakers. Another reason for Graddol’s claim is the boundary between the

‘outer circle’ (ESL) and ‘expanding circle’ (EFL) is also becoming less clear since the EFL learners in some

countries are becoming more like second language users (Graddol 2006). For example, many European

countries such as Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland have been

found in transition from an EFL context to an ESL context (Graddol 1997, cited in McKay 2002, Yano

2001). English is now being used daily in various areas of life such as media, business, professional

discourse, higher education and so on in these countries. Spreading at the present rate, English language

use is anticipated to be found in similar transition in other continents very soon (Yano 2001). Given all

these changes, Graddol (2006) argues that it makes little sense to hold on to the ‘traditional’ distinction

between NSs and NNSs, and in a globalized world it would be more helpful to distinguish English

speakers according to their proficiency levels rather than their ‘native’ status.

Also, what can be threatening to many L2 speakers is the fact that the term “NS’ seems to emphasize the

‘superior authority’ of the NS over the latter. As Graddol (2006: 83) points out,

Inner Circle (ENL)

Outer Circle (ESL)

Expanding Circle (EFL)

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“the target language is always someone else’s mother tongue. The learner is constructed as a

linguist tourist – allowed to visit, but without rights of residence and required always to respect

the superior authority of native speakers.”

As argued earlier, the assumption of ‘NS superior authority’ is hard to justify today. This is because with

the vast and fast growing number of English L2 speakers, far surpassing the so-called ‘NS communities’,

the ownership of the language seems to be shifting away from the latter (Yano 2001). There is an

increasing consensus that English should no longer be viewed as a possession of the Anglo-Saxon

community, but should be considered to belong to anyone who uses it (Yano 2001, McKay 2002, 2003,

Foley 2006, Graddol 2006). Graddol (ibid.) even points out that the future of the English language does

not depend on the Anglo-Saxon countries but in fact is determined by the people of Asia since this

continent will boast the largest number of English language users in the 50 years or so to come.

In short, as McKay (2003: 13) points out, “there are many reasons for putting aside the traditional

pedagogical approach of employing NS models”. It is unfeasible and does not allow for learners’

subjectivity and social claims. Nor does it cater to their communication needs in a wider diversity of

contexts and reflect the recent global development of English. In response to the given criticisms, there

is a need to reconsider what it means to be a ‘socio-culturally competent’ EGL user, and work toward an

appropriate pedagogy that helps to achieve this competence in the new context.

2. Towards a socio-cultural competence in the EGL context: Implications for Vietnam

Needless to say, if the goal of ELT pedagogy is to train English speakers who will be communicating in a

globalized world, there is a need to shift to a new notion of ‘communicative competence’ “where the

communication is defined by the capacity of individuals of different cultures to interact” (Brumfit 2003:

120) rather than is limited to the capacity to interact with NSs. In a similar vein, socio-cultural

competence needs to be redefined by a broader set of knowledge and abilities than the knowledge of the

target culture norms alone. It needs to be seen as the capacity of individuals to be aware of the

differences that exist between their own system of beliefs and values and that of their interlocutors and

the capacity to negotiate these differences such that common understanding is achieved and solidarity is

established (see Gee 1993, Kramsch and Thorne 2002, Bredella 2003, all cited in Crawford 2006 for a

similar discussion). Obviously, the teacher’s task in the multilingual context of English use will become

more complex than in the past since they will need to help their learners to accommodate to a much

wider diversity of cultural perspectives and discourse communities than what is presented by the NS

community, and at the same time to achieve intelligibility without losing their cultural identity (Crystal

2001). This can be achieved only by a pedagogy that advocates cultural and linguistic diversity and that

respects learner individuality and system of beliefs and values.

Like any other countries in the ‘expanding circle’, Vietnam is giving an increasingly higher status to the

English language. A recent article found in Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reveals that the Ministry of

Education and Training of Vietnam is planning a project worth 300-400 million USD for promoting the

teaching and learning of English in schools. English will be taught from Grade 3 (age 8) and become the

medium of instruction for selected subjects when students reach the upper-secondary school level. The

goals are also set that 80% of secondary school students throughout the country will be learning English

by the year 2020 and university graduates in targeted majors such as financing, banking, IT, and tourism

should achieve a working knowledge of the language. These facts and figures are plain indicators of the

government’s growing awareness of the important role of English as a means of both regional and global

communication.

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Figure 2: Top 10 FDI countries/ economies by number of projects

Looking at the context of English use in Vietnam today, I would argue that although much of cross-

cultural communication happening in the areas of business, trade and tourism is done in English, the

people involved come from a far wider diversity of L1 backgrounds than merely NSs of English. For

example, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), over 80 different countries and economies

have invested in Vietnam between 1988 and 2007. Among the top 10 investors (in terms of both number

of projects and registered capital), only USA is an ENL country (see Figures 2& 3). The statistics provided

by the General Statistics Office between 2000 and 2005 also indicates that international visitors to

Vietnam represented a wide diversity of nationalities and cultures (Figure 4). Besides the two ENL

countries, namely the UK and the USA, many EFL countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand

were also found among the top sources of visitors.

Investment Capital in 1988-2007

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

Korea

Singa

pore

Taiw

an

Japan

Britis

h V.I

Hong

Kong

Mal

aysia

The U

SA

Neth

erla

nds

Fran

ce

Figure 3: Top 10 FDI countries/ economies by investment capital (in million USD)

When English is learned to be used outside Vietnam, I would also argue that it is for communication

across a wide range of cultures and speech communities. For example, in education, besides the vast

20

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number of Vietnamese students going to study in ENL countries such as the USA and Australia (PTIT, 18

May 2007), the number of students going to ESL countries such as Malaysia and Singapore is also

growing very fast (Bao Viet Nam, 28 September 2008; Gia dinh Online, 19 December 2007). A source

from Singapore reveals that Vietnamese students are among the 6 largest groups of overseas students in

this country (Bao Viet Nam, 28 September 2008).

Obviously, as English is increasing its influence as a global lingua franca on the world’s communication,

the range of cultural boundaries English users cross is also expanding. This is precisely what English

users in Vietnam are experiencing now. The implications that this reality has for English teachers are

crucial. My argument is the time has come for us to rethink our goal of ELT and the implications it brings

in terms of teaching methods, materials and assessment. If we are to develop fluent users of EGL, who

are capable of accommodating themselves to a wide variety of cultural perspectives without losing their

own sense of self and identity, we need to reconsider such issues as what makes a socio-culturally

competent English user, how this competence should be assessed and what cultural materials are useful

in teaching it. A pedagogical approach that employs NS models as sole ‘standard’ reference is certainly

not capable of helping us to achieve this goal.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Taiwan Japan France USA UK Thailand China

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Figure 4: Statistics of international visitors to Vietnam in 2005

References

Bao Viet Nam (2008). Hoc sinh Viet Nam du hoc Singapore tang manh. Accessed October 20, 2008 at

http://www.baovietnam.vn/giao-duc/84085/20/Hoc-sinh-VN-du-hoc-Singapore-tang-manh

Bredella, L. (2003). For a flexible model of intercultural understanding. In G. Alfred, M. Byram, and M.

Fleming (Eds.), Intercultural Experience and Education (pp. 31-49). Clevedon: Multilingual

Matters.

Brumfit, C. (2003). Individual Freedom in Language Teaching: Helping Learners to Develop a Dialect of

their Own. Oxford: OUP.

Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language

teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics 1 (1), 1- 47.

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Canale, M. (1983). On some dimensions of language proficiency. In J. W. Oller (Ed.), Issues in Language

Testing Research (pp.332-342). Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House.

Cook, V. (201). Second Language Learning and Language Teaching. London: Anorld.

Crawford, J. (2006). Becoming an L2 user: Implications for Identity and Culture in the Language

Classroom. Studies about languages 8, 70-76.

Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: CUP.

Crystal, D. (2001). The future of Englishes. In A. Burns & C. Coffin (Eds.), Analyzing English in a Global

Context (pp.53-64). London: Routledge.

Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

FIA (2007). Statistics of Foreign Direct Investment in Vietnam in 1988-2007. Accessed October 08 at

http://fia.mpi.gov.vn/Default.aspx?ctl=Article2&TabID=4&mID=52&aID=412

Foley, J. (2007). English as a Global Language: My two satangs’ worth. RELC Journal 38 (1), 7-17.

Gee, J. (1993). An Introduction to Human Language: Fundamental Concepts in Linguistics. New Jersey:

Prentice Hall.

Gia dinh Online (2007). Sinh vien Viet Nam du hoc o Malaysia tang nhanh. Accessed October 20, 2008 at

http://www.giadinhonline.vn/Chitiettintuc/tabid/7944/ArticleID/100964/

Graddol, D. (2006). English Next. United Kingdom: British Council. Also vailable at

www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research.

Kachru, B. (1989). Teaching world Englishes. Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics 15 (1), 85-95.

Kachru, B. (1999). Asian Englishes: Contexts, Constructs and Creativity. Keynote address, The 12th World

Congress if the International Association of Applied Linguistics, Tokyo.

Kasper, G. (1997). The role of pragmatics in language teacher education. In K.Bardovi-Harlig &

B.Hartford, Beyond methods (pp. 113-141). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kasper, G., & Rose, K. (2002). Pragmatic Development in a Second Language. Oxford: Blackwell.

Kramsch, C. & Thorne, S. (2002). Foreign language learning as global communicative practice. In D. Block

& D. Cameron (Eds.), Globalization and Language Teaching (pp.83-100). London: Routledge.

McKay, S. (2002). Teaching English as an International language: Rethinking goals and approaches.

Oxford: OUP.

McKay, S. (2003). Toward an appropriate EIL pedagogy: re-examining common ELT assumptions.

International Journal of Applied Linguistics 13 (1), 1-22.

Tong cuc Thong ke (2005). Nien giam thong ke 2005. Hanoi: NXB Tong cuc thong ke.

Nguoi Lao Dong (2008). 300-400 trieu USD cho du an day tieng Anh. Accessed October 20, 2008 at

http://www.nld.com.vn/tintuc/giao-duc/217900.asp

Rose, K., & Kasper, G. (2001). Pragmatics in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

PTIT (2008). Du hoc: Dua di sao chang don ve? Accessed October 20, 2008 at

http://www.ptit.edu.vn/news_detail.asp?id=1126&lang=0

Thomas, J. (1983). Cross-cultural pragmatic failure. Applied Linguistics 4, 91-112.

Yano, Y. (2001). World Englishes in 2000 and beyond. World Englishes 20 (2), 119-131.

22

Review


Teaching English as an International Language: Teaching English as an International Language: Teaching English as an International Language: Teaching English as an International Language:

Rethinking Goals and ApproachesRethinking Goals and ApproachesRethinking Goals and ApproachesRethinking Goals and Approaches

Sandra Lee Mckay – 2002

New York: Oxford University Press

Review by Thai Ha Lam ThuyThai Ha Lam ThuyThai Ha Lam ThuyThai Ha Lam Thuy

Academic Development, ULIS, VNU

Recent decades have witnessed the worldwide spread of English. It is estimated that

speakers of English as a second language and a foreign language will soon outnumber those

who speak it as a first language. For its globally undeniable dominance, many agree that

English has become an international language. Nevertheless, the spread of English has resulted

in a number of varieties of English spoken today regarding grammar, lexical, and phonological

levels (p.1). Hence, pedagogical implications in the teaching and learning English as an

international language (EIL) are urgently necessary to be examined more than ever before.

Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches by McKay is

one among very few books dealing with this issue. The book also achieved Winner of the Ben

Warren International Book Award for outstanding teacher education materials.

This book consists of five chapters, an introduction, and a conclusion, each of which

examines a particular aspect of the phenomenon of teaching and learning EIL. The first chapter,

‘English as an International Language,’ tries to define an international language by examining

the essential features for a language to be international. Though the number of individuals who

use the language does count, it would be a hasty conclusion to define a language as such. One

very important characteristic of an international language is that it is “no longer linked to a

single culture or nation but serves both global and local needs as a language of wider

communication.” (p.24) Moreover, an international language needs to develop alongside other

languages. McKay also discusses the reasons which enhance and hinder the development of

English. The negative effects of this spread are touched upon together with its positive effects.

Kachru’s classification of Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circle countries is used to explain for the

current trend of English use in the world. The idea of the three concentric circles of the

language is utilized throughout the book to help better understand the assumptions that

current theories and practices of the teaching and learning English have stood on.

The purpose of Chapter two, ‘Bilingual Users of English,’ is to argue a native speaker norm

in English language research and pedagogy is not relevant and unproductive to many contexts

in which English is used as an international language. McKay also proceeds to problematize the

definition of ‘native speaker’ by evaluating the validity and appropriateness of a native speaker

norm. Furthermore, she points out the problems of using native-like competence in second

language acquisition research and suggests thoroughly examining individual learners’ specific

23

Review


uses of English within their particular speech community as a basis for determining learning

goals. She explores the native speaker ideal's impact on bilingual teachers and enumerates the

advantages that bilingual teachers bring to their profession when they share their students’

culture.

In Chapter three, ‘Standards for English as an International Language,’ McKay investigates

what variety of English should be considered the standard for international use of the language.

Distinctive linguistic features of varieties of English are examined. Changes in and attitudes

towards changes in lexical, grammatical, and phonological aspects are discussed with a

thorough review of previous studies. Regarding pragmatic and rhetorical competences, the

demand for conformity to Western cultural pragmatics and rhetorical conventions is

questioned. It is concluded that the focus should be placed on developing “awareness of cross-

cultural variation [rather than] promoting Inner Circle pragmatic and rhetorical rules” to answer

the question of intelligibility. (p.94)

As defined in chapter one, an international language is a language that “can’t be linked to

any one country or culture”, and it must belong to those who use it. However, questions of

whose discourse rules to apply in the use of EIL is problematic and whose culture of learning

should be used receive a great deal of concerns from educational. Regarding these issues,

Chapter four, ‘Culture in Teaching English as an International Language,’ explores culture in EIL

teaching and culture as it is embedded in teaching materials. The teaching of discourse

competence, the use of cultural materials in the classroom, and the cultural assumptions that

inform teaching methods are reexamined.

The last chapter, ‘Teaching Methods and English as an International Language,’ explores

the concept of ‘culture of learning’ by describing the cultural differences in learning between

Asian and Western countries. Moreover, different attitudes towards knowledge are examined.

While Asian students tend toward conserving knowledge end (knowledge of the past), Western

students tend toward extending knowledge (new knowledge is developed). From this point of

view, McKay argues “comparison of various non-western cultures with western ones suggests

that in some ways the latter are the standard and hence should provide the model for the

teaching of English. However, in the teaching of an international language, bilingual users

should be allowed to take ownership not only of the language but also of the methods used to

teach it.” (p. 107). Unfortunately communicative language teaching (CLT) – a teaching method

of Inner Circle developed countries - has been adopted widely under the assumption of

modernization theory with “limited insights until they become virtually meaningless” (Swan

1985, cited in McKay, 2002). In this chapter, McKay critically reviews the rise of communicative

language teaching (CLT) in particular contexts, especially in Asian countries. It is concluded

that one should not assume that a single teaching method (e.g., CLT) is appropriate in all

teaching and learning contexts. The notion of a cultural sensitivity of learning is promoted.

Furthermore, McKay shares an opinion with Prabhu (1990) that “no one best method and

no one method that is best for a particular context.” Prabhu’s believes “there is a factor more

basic than the choice between methods, namely, teachers’ subjective understanding of the

teaching they do” (1990, cited in McKay, 2002) – teachers’ ‘sense of plausibility’. This belief is

advocated by many famous scholars such as Kramsch and Sullivan. The findings in their study

24

Review


in Vietnam context are in keeping with the motto ‘think globally, act locally’; in other words,

‘global thinking, local teaching’. However, my concern would be laid in the validity of ‘teachers’

sense of plausibility’ or how teachers themselves can enhance their plausibility sense.

McKay's conclusion, Rethinking Goals and Approaches, succinctly summarizes the major

points elaborated in the book on the development of theories in EIL, teaching goals, and

approaches to teaching EIL. The book develops a strong case for shifting the ownership of

English away from Inner Circle countries through a wide review of studies in many parts of the

world.

The book is clearly written with well-structured organization. A short summary of what

have been discussed is provided at the end of every chapter. Teaching English as an

International Language is a useful source for reflection among those teaching English to

multilingual users, creating curriculum and materials for English courses, or conducting

research in the field of English language acquisition.

25

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Mentoring program at Division of English Skills 1– the pathway to become a Professional Learning Community Nguyen Thi Thu Hang & Can Thi Chang Duyen

Setting the sceneSetting the sceneSetting the sceneSetting the scene

Division of English Skills 1 (hereafter the division or Division 1) is in charge of teaching the

four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing to first-year students enrolled in

English Department. The division has totally 28 teachers, ranging from 24 to 34 years of age. Half

of the teaching staff has been working in the division for 4-6 years; one third has less than two

years experience; and the most senior group (5 teachers) has been teaching for about 8-10 years.

The division suffers high rate of turnover since every year an average of 4-5 teachers (mostly in the

middle group) are transferred to other divisions in the department and it usually expects to recruit

very young teachers who are newly graduates. Therefore, a mentoring program was devised in 2009

to 1) assist the young teachers in the beginning of their career; 2) promote the learning and sharing

practice in the division; 3) create an understanding and supporting relationship among the teaching

staff; and 4) improve the teaching quality reflected in the enhanced students’ outcomes.

Each year the mentoring program focuses on a particular language skill. In the first year it was

Listening skill, then Reading in 2010, and this year Speaking. The most senior group and some from

the middle group (with 6 years experience) are appointed mentors, and mentorship is for less

experienced teachers, though priority is given to the youngest group with less than two years

teaching. Participation in the mentoring program is on a voluntary basis, though most of the

division members are encouraged to join.

At the first meeting of the program (usually one or two weeks before school year starts), the

list of mentors and mentees is finalized and mentees can directly contact and choose his/her

mentor; otherwise the program coordinator will randomly match mentor-mentee pairs, making sure

each mentor has no more than two mentees to avoid overload. At the second or third week, a senior

teacher in the mentor group will give a sample lesson of the focused skill. This sample lesson is

video recorded. Anyone can access this video and consult it for his/her teaching.

After the sample lesson of an experienced teacher, each mentor-mentee pair will then agree

on a meeting schedule, in which they can discuss the mentee’s lesson plans and teaching activities

(of the focused skill) to receive feedbacks, comments, and suggestions. They also decide the two

lessons in a semester when the mentor will come to the mentee’s class to observe. The observation

schedules of all pairs are sent to the coordinator, who will make a synthesis to inform the whole

division.

When it comes to the scheduled lesson, mentor goes to observe mentee’ class. Then mentor

and mentee sit down again to discuss the delivered lesson and draw out remarks and possibilities

for improvement. All of the mentees’ classes in which there is mentors’ observation are video

recorded. In case they want to have a closer look back at their lesson, the video tape is served as a

useful means. Also, by watching the video tape again, both mentor and mentee may find other

details that they have missed in the observation. The bank of video tapes is accessible to not only

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the mentor-mentee pair but also everyone in the division. It is also stored for later use as teaching

resources and researching database.

After each observed class, an evaluation form is delivered to the students, asking them to give

comments on content of the lesson, the teacher and their overall feeling. At the end of the

semester, another evaluation form is given to students, but focuses on the teacher who teaches the

focused skill. The evaluation of teachers is known to leaders of the division only.

There are two meeting sessions held for the whole division, one in the middle and the other at

the end of the semester. In these meetings, feedback for mentors and mentees in general is

discussed and evaluation of the whole program is given. Besides, these meetings aim to facilitate

and consolidate the open and sharing atmosphere among the members.

A learning communityA learning communityA learning communityA learning community

In implementing the mentoring program and making it a regular practice, Division of language

skills 1 is hoping to create a Professional Learning Community. As Stoll et al. points out in his

review of literature on Professional Learning Communities (2006), “learning can no longer be left to

individuals. To be successful in a changing and increasingly complex world, it is suggested that

whole school communities need to work and learn together to take charge of change, finding the

best ways to enhance young people’s learning” (p. 222). It can be seen clearly that the mentoring

program in the division is first and foremost to “enhance young people’s learning”. By discussing

and receiving feedbacks, comments and suggestions, young teachers get the experience from more

senior teachers on their specific teaching pedagogies and contents; hence, the theories they learnt

at college are consolidated with real-life practice. By exchanging opinions, teachers find out the

best way to deliver a lesson with its particular aims and objectives, with particular teaching

resources that a teacher has at hand.

Not only does mentoring program benefit young teachers, it also provides opportunities for

more senior staff to critically reflect their teaching practices. Young teachers are often characterized

by enthusiasm and vigorous teaching styles, their inclination to apply updated technological

advancements in their classroom practice while more senior staff, who after several years has

accumulated remarkable experience and resources, tend to follow their routines. By working with

new teachers, it is likely that more experienced staff is motivated to revitalize their teaching

routines. Moreover, the exchange of applying technological advancements into classroom practice

can be mutually beneficial, for senior staff, it helps to diversify their teaching resources; for junior

staff, it is to make sure they don’t get carried away by fancy techno, become indulgent in technical

details and forget the global content of the lesson. But most importantly, during the process of

lesson plan discussion, both mentor and mentees have to “make the tacit explicit” by analysing the

underpinnings of each and every teaching activity, by which reflecting their underlying beliefs in

teaching profession. As such, the division is driven toward “a group of people sharing and critically

interrogating their practice in an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented,

growth-promoting way” (Mitchell et al., as cited in Stoll et al., 2006, p. 223).

The observation is to be actually involved in the teaching and learning atmosphere planned by

the mentees. It is obvious that what one plans is never exactly what happens. Although it gives

certain pressure on the mentee, it does make the mentee prepare better for their lesson and

therefore, more able to respond to unexpected situations. “The reported changes in teacher

behaviour included: greater confidence; enhanced beliefs among teachers of their power to make a

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difference to pupils’ learning; development of enthusiasm for collaborative working despite initial

anxiety about classroom observation; and, greater commitment to changing practice and

willingness to try new things” (Stoll et al., 2006, p. 230). In observing the class, both mentor and

mentee see what really works of their plan and draw valuable insights for themselves. Mentor and

mentee compare their lesson plan and the actual happenings to develop lesson plans for further

classes.

Apart from the “learning” component of the concept, the “community” part is also essential.

What matters in a community is not just the growth of the division but also “an ethic of

interpersonal caring permeating the life of teachers, students and school leaders” (Hargreaves &

Giles, as cited in Stoll et al., 2006). This “interpersonal caring” characteristic of a community is

clearly felt in every day interactions between division leaders and teachers, between teachers

themselves, and between teachers and students. Perhaps since most of the teaching staff are

alumni of the same department, they have been familiar with the learning and teaching style, the

shared norms and values. Above all, for the long period of time they have spent in the same college,

they have a feeling toward the division and the department like “a second family”.

For the learning community to be effective, it is important that “the ultimate outcome of PLCs

has to be experienced by students” (Stoll et al., 2006, p. 229). Understanding this crucial criterion,

the division has indicated in the goal of mentoring program that the improvement in teaching

quality has to translate into students’ outcomes. As a matter of fact, it is very difficult to establish

and confirm the causal relation between teaching quality enhanced by the mentoring program on

the one hand and increased students’ outcomes on the other. However, the overall effectiveness of

the program still needs to be assessed from students’ perspective. Researchers have found that

“increased classroom motivation and work satisfaction, greater collective responsibility for student

learning” can be good indicators for community’s effectiveness (Stoll et al., p. 229). To obtain this,

one method that the division has exploited is the evaluation form delivered to students after each

observed class. Students have reported to find the activities sufficiently challenging, the teachers

highly competent, and the lessons generally more exciting and engaging. Another means for

assessment is students’ standardized test scores. All the students’ scores in diagnostic test in the

first week, mid-term test, and end-of-term test are analysed and compared to detect progress or

remaining weakness. Based on the analysis, suggestions or adaptations in the teaching syllabus are

made. This practice is also prescribed by Newmann, King and Youngs in the operation of effective

learning communities. According to the authors, three key components to be stressed in a strong

professional learning community are “collaborative work and discussion among the school’s

professionals, a strong and consistent focus on teaching and learning within that collaborative

work, and the collection and use of assessment and other data to inquire into and evaluate the

progress over time” (as cited in Giles & Hargreaves, 2006, p. 126).

Collaboration and collegiality among teachersCollaboration and collegiality among teachersCollaboration and collegiality among teachersCollaboration and collegiality among teachers

As discussed earlier, though the program is named mentoring and mentor/mentee roles are

assigned, the members of the division stand on a relatively equal footing. They view the program

more like collaboration among colleagues rather than supervision of senior staff toward beginning

staff. As such, the form of collaboration in the mentoring program can be distinguished as a

continuum from providing aid and assistance to sharing ideas, materials and methods (Little, as

cited in Kelchtermans, 2006). Together with other joint research projects and co-teaching

programs, teachers in the division actively develop various forms of collaboration.

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The equal and respectful stance also indicates that each teacher in the division is autonomous

in and responsible for his own teaching. Moreover, the students’ evaluation at the end of semester,

to some extent, puts pressure on every teacher to perform responsibly. Consequently, teachers are

geared toward inquiry-mindedness and committed to self-improvement. As argued by Firestone

and Pennell (as cited in Kelchtermans, 2006), this amalgamation of collaboration and autonomy

helps enhance the feeling of commitment and intrinsic motivation in teachers. Being responsible for

their own teaching, or their students’ performance in other words, “allows them to make internal

causal attributions for pupils’ results”; hence, sustains their commitment in their professional

development.

The practice of mentoring program in Division 1 doesn’t stop at discussing lesson plans,

exchanging of ideas and making suggestions for teaching pedagogies. Very often teachers are

engaged in challenging the taken-for-granted procedures and arrangements of the existing

conventions. In so doing, teachers unravel their underlying beliefs in teaching practice. An example

of this is when a teacher tried to design a lesson plan with full of fun and exciting games for her

reading class and another teacher questioned the effectiveness of these activities, doubting that

students might get indulged in the excitement of the games and not necessarily develop the

competence as described in the objectives of lesson. By confronting the “why” of these activities, it

was revealed that one teacher believed that learning is best implemented in an exciting and

interactive environment in which students can absorb knowledge naturally and effortlessly while the

other teacher emphasized the objectives being met and learning shouldn’t always be easy and

painless but quite the opposite.

Another example of confronting beliefs took place when teachers observe others’ class and

see how divergent they are in evaluating students’ performance in speaking and writing skills. In

spite of a common rubric for assessment, teachers still differ a great deal in their subjective grading

of these productive skills. While some teachers are more likely to reward high marks based on the

effort and progress a student has made in an assignment, others pay more attention and give more

weight to the quality of the final product; consequently, appear to be tougher in grading. These

contradictions have finally led to a division meeting to agree on more detailed criteria for evaluation

of students’ assignments.

For this “deep learning” practice to take place, members of the division should be able to have

a certain “level of trust and safety”, without which “teachers will hardly be willing to engage

professional collaboration and exchange that might threaten their deeply held professional beliefs”

(Kechtermans, 2006). “Working together productively in schools depends on positive relationships

and collegiality” and “engaging in learning can be risky, especially when working with colleagues.

Teachers are unlikely to participate in classroom observation and feedback, mentoring partnerships,

discussion about pedagogical issues, curriculum innovation, unless they feel safe. Trust and respect

from colleagues is critical” (Stoll et al., 2006, p. 239).

The feeling of autonomy and the “level of trust and safety” manifested in the mentoring

program have to do with the organizational culture of the college in general and the department in

particular. As a college of foreign languages, it has always been an open, dynamic and flexible

working environment. English Department, the biggest and most prominent department,

unsurprisingly more than often provide the leadership resources for the college. English Department

is also characterized by young teachers (three quarters of the staff are under 40 years of age), and

its ability to adapt to and initiate change. Were it not for this tradition of welcoming and initiating

29



change in the organization, the young staff of the division wouldn’t easily engage in straightforward

exchange of beliefs. Rather, they would have contributed to maintaining the status quo of the

organization.

Making the community sustainableMaking the community sustainableMaking the community sustainableMaking the community sustainable

For the division to sustain its quality learning and teaching tradition, emphasis is placed first

and foremost on each individual teacher. This orientation of individual focus is considered by Hall

and Hord as of central importance in order to achieve successful change: “although everyone wants

to talk about such broad concepts as policy, systems, and organizational factors, successful change

starts and ends at the individual level” (as cited in Stoll et al., 2006, p. 243). Claxton (1996)

discusses the factors that facilitate or hinder an individual’s willingness to learn and stresses

attention to be paid to those factors (as cited in Stoll et al., 2006).

A fact in Division 1 is that most teachers are graduated from the same department of the same

college. On the one hand, it creates an “informal culture of congeniality” in which people feel close

and bonded, it inevitably poses a threat to the sustainable development of the division (Staessens,

as cited in Kelchtermans, 2006). Hargreaves (1994), Johnson (2003) as well as Sato Kleisasser

(2004) also note that this pleasant and collegial relationship may run the risk of “suppressing

individuality and creativity of thought”, “silencing teachers’ individual beliefs (...) and all dissonant

voices”, and ultimately “contributing to continuing the status quo” (as cited in Kelchtermans, 2006).

All of this taken into account, teachers in Division 1 are strongly encouraged to take part in

various professional development programs organized by external organizations and institutions.

Policies of the division oblige everyone to attend at least one professional development program

each year and to share what they have acquired from the program to colleagues in a follow-up

workshop or seminar. More importantly, all teachers are given incentives to pursue their master and

doctoral degrees overseas, especially in countries with renowned higher education systems. Upon

returning, most teachers become active members of a certain research group and contribute to

inspiring other members of the community.

The division also wishes to influence the broader community by extending its successful

implementation of mentoring program and learning culture to other units in the department and

college. The mentoring program can be adapted and multiplied to other divisions in the college,

and incorporated with other professional development programs at department and college levels.

The underlying belief is that in reproducing the practice of learning and sharing to other units, a

consistent and favourable environment will be built, which, in turn, benefits the division. When

learning culture is not specific to the division only, teachers can enjoy a wider network of

collaboration and become more motivated.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion

Though the mentoring program has been implemented for only three years, it has proved to

be effective and meaningful to the division as a whole and to every individual teacher. Mentoring

program has served as a ground for all the members, novice and veteran, to bring in their

knowledge, expertise and passion for the job, all to the benefits of the students. It is also an

instrument for the division in achieving its ambition of becoming a professional learning

community, a leading and exemplary unit in the college. Although still much more should be said

and done, all teachers in the division together cherish and work toward the sustainable growth of

their “second family”.

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ReferencesReferencesReferencesReferences

Achinstein. B., & Athanases, S. Z. (2010). New teacher induction and mentoring for educational

change. In: Hargreaves, A. et al., (Eds). Second International Handbook of Educational Change,

(pp.573-593). New York: Springer.

Giles, C., & Hargreaves, A. (2006). The sustainability of innovative schools as learning organizations

and professional learning communities during standardized reform. Educational Administration

Quarterly, 42(1), 124-156.

Kelchtermans, G. (2006). Teacher collaboration and collegiality as workplace conditions: A literature

review. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 52 (2), 220-237

Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006) Professional learning

communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 221–258.

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Call for Contribution Editorial Board

FELTE Quarterly (FQ), a journal of, for and by FELTE teachers, invites all

enthusiastic readers to contribute articles on multifaceted life at Faculty of English Language

Teacher Education, ULIS, VNU and to engage its staff members in collegial discussion about

issues in the field.

FQ is published once every semester as an e-journal and for internal circulation only.

Below are the guidelines for submission.

1111.... Submission categoriesSubmission categoriesSubmission categoriesSubmission categories

- News (in FELTE Rhythm): pieces of news about pre-eminent activities involving FELTE

teachers to keep the whole faculty staff up to date.

- Interviews (in FELTE Faces): interviews with conspicuous faculty figures so that their

colleagues can learn from their recipes for success.

- Feature articles: research reports on a variety of ELT issues.

- Reviews: reviews of ELT- related books, articles, and other teaching – learning materials

- Teaching in focus: practical ideas for classrooms (including but not limited to lesson plan,

worksheets and Power Point slide show).

- Do you know: short pieces of information which are often taken for granted but may be new

to quite a few.

- Fun corner: may include but not limited to word searches, crossword puzzles, funny stories

and comic strips for edutainment.

2222.... Technical requirementsTechnical requirementsTechnical requirementsTechnical requirements

- The submission should conform to the style guidelines in The Publications Manual of the

American Psychological Association(6th edition). For information, see the APA Web site.

- Authors may use British or American spelling, but the spelling style should be consistent.

- The manuscripts must be submitted electronically to the FQ Managerial Board via the email

address [email protected].

- Submissions should be in Microsoft Word or compatible program. Please submit figures,

graphs, and other graphic elements in a standard graphic format (e.g., JPEG) or Excel.

Tables should be created in Microsoft Word or compatible program.

- All quoted material must be cited in text and in a reference list. The FQ Editorial Advisory

Board will determine a clear policy and definition of plagiarism, and its decision will be final.

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FFFFELTE QUARTERLY




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