Master minor programme thesis English linguistics: Pmpacts of Vietnamese standardized test of English proficiency (VSTEP) on the first year students’ English language learning at university of Languages and International studies (ULIS), Vietnam national university, Hanoi (VNU)

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This is a small-scale empirical study of test impact in Vietnam. It is one of the first studies exploring the impacts of the VSTEP - a new English proficiency test in Vietnam, so this study would fill in the research gap on the VSTEP. The study is potentially significant in that it provides an insight into the impact of an exit test on English language learning in University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS). Most importantly, the study highlights the voices of students, the very people at the centre of the learning process.

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Nội dung Text: Master minor programme thesis English linguistics: Pmpacts of Vietnamese standardized test of English proficiency (VSTEP) on the first year students’ English language learning at university of Languages and International studies (ULIS), Vietnam national university, Hanoi (VNU)

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ****************** NGUYỄN THỊ LINH IMPACTS OF VIETNAMESE STANDARDIZED TEST OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (VSTEP) ON THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ULIS), VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI (VNU) (NHỮNG TÁC ĐỘNG CỦA KÌ THI CHUẨN HÓA ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC TIẾNG ANH THEO KHUNG NĂNG LỰC NGOẠI NGỮ 6 BẬC DÙNG CHO VIỆT NAM (VSTEP) TỚI VIỆC HỌC TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM NHẤT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI) M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi, 2016
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ******************* NGUYỄN THỊ LINH IMPACTS OF VIETNAMESE STANDARDIZED TEST OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (VSTEP) ON THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ULIS), VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI (VNU) (NHỮNG TÁC ĐỘNG CỦA KÌ THI CHUẨN HÓA ĐÁNH GIÁ NĂNG LỰC TIẾNG ANH THEO KHUNG NĂNG LỰC NGOẠI NGỮ 6 BẬC DÙNG CHO VIỆT NAM (VSTEP) TỚI VIỆC HỌC TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM NHẤT TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ, ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI) M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Tô Thị Thu Hương, PhD Hanoi, 2016
DECLARATION I hereby declare that my thesis submitted for the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University has been composed by myself, apart from the help recognized. This paper has also not been submitted for any other degree or processional qualification except as specified. Hanoi, 2016 Ngu n Thị Linh i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to send my thanks to many individuals for their invaluable help during the conduct of the research. Without their help, the completion of this research project would not have been possible. First and foremost, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my supervisor, Dr. To Thi Thu Huong for her remarkable supervision, enthusiastic guidance, invaluable support and critical feedback throughout the research. Besides my advisor, I would like to thank all the doctors and lecturers of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their useful lectures, which are partly applied in this study. Next, I wish to send my big thanks to the first year students at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) for their cooperation and the valuable information they provided in my research questionnaire. Furthermore, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to my family and friends, especially my mother, for standing by me and for giving me their unconditional love, care, good assistance and patience. Finally, my sincere thanks also goes to graders and readers for their valuable evaluation and feedback on this thesis. ii
ABSTRACT Due to the globalization of the English language, a global testing campaign has been established, specially standardized English proficiency tests. According to Templer (2004), these tests have increasingly controlled access into privileged educational and occupational paths in the professional and corporate world, and affected many local language policies. In Vietnam, a new national English test - the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) applied at the University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) and other schools has gradually assumed a greater gate- keeping role. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of the VSTEP as a graduation requirement on the first year university students‟ English learning at ULIS. The paper begins with some background information about English language‟s role and certification exit requirements. The next section discusses the context that induced the introduction and implementation of the policy of using VSTEP certificates to determine graduation eligibility. The main part of this paper examines in detail the impacts of the VSTEP test on the learning of English of the first year students at ULIS. Finally, the discussion section evaluates the efficiency of the policy, followed by some recommendations. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ..........................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................ vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1 1.1. The English language education in Vietnam ........................................... 1 1.2. Rationale of the study ............................................................................... 2 1.3. The significance of the study .................................................................... 2 1.4. Aims of the study ...................................................................................... 3 1.5. Research questions of the study ............................................................... 3 1.6. Organization of the study ........................................................................... 3 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................... 5 2.1. The VSTEP ............................................................................................... 5 2.1.1. The introduction of the VSTEP as an English certificate exit requirement at ULIS. .................................................................................... 5 2.1.2. The basic information of the VSTEP levels 3-5 ................................ 6 2.2. Definition of impact and related studies ................................................ 11 2.3. Impacts of some English tests as a graduation requirement ................ 16 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 20 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 20 3.2. Method of the study ................................................................................ 20 3.3. Context of the study ............................................................................... 21 3.4. Participants ............................................................................................. 21 3.5. Data collection instrument ..................................................................... 22 3.6. Data collection and analysis procedures................................................ 26 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ........................................ 28 4.1. Some general information about the first-year students. ........................ 28 Table 7: Students’ general information.................................................................. 28 4.2. Impacts of the VSTEP on students’ English learning ............................. 30 iv
4.2.1. Academic impacts: Learning Content and Learning Methods ........ 30 4.2.2. Affective impacts: goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy and anxiety .......................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS................. 42 REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX 1 ......................................................................................................... I v
LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Format of the VSTEP................................................................................ 7 Table 2. VSTEP level conversion table .................................................................... 9 Table 3. VSTEP equivalency table ........................................................................ 10 Table 4: Structure of the questionnaire .................................................................. 23 Table 5: Changes of some items in the edited questionnaire compared to original version. .................................................................................................................. 24 Table 6: Changes of some items between pilot and main questionnaire ................. 26 Table 7: Students‟ general information .................................................................. 28 Table 8. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ learning content ................................. 30 Table 9. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ learning methods ............................... 33 Table 10. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ goal orientation ................................ 34 Table 11. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ motivation ....................................... 35 Table 12. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ self-efficacy ..................................... 38 Table 13. Impact of the VSTEP on students‟ anxiety ............................................. 39 vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VSTEP: Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency ULIS: University of Languages and International Studies VNU: Vietnam National University, Hanoi MOET: Ministry of Education and Training TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages DA2020: Đề Án Ngoại Ngữ Quốc Gia 2020 EFL: English Foreign Language ASL: Arabic Second Language HKCEE: Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination NMET: National Matriculation English Test GEPT: General English Proficiency Test FCE: First Certificate in English IELTS: International English Language Testing System CET: College English Test vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1. The English language education in Vietnam As mentioned by Hoang (2011), English test is one of the six national exit exams at Junior and Senior Secondary School and English is studied as a compulsory subject by 94% undergraduates and 92% graduates at Vietnamese institution. However, the teaching activities in classes are not delivered in an effective way for students to achieve sufficient levels of competence to pass the certifications required for recruitment. Ha (2007) also argues that the level of communicative competence in English of most Vietnamese employees are still very low, and many freshly graduated students cannot get jobs in foreign companies because of the English language requirements. The fact is that most Vietnamese learners still cannot use it effectively as a means of communication after a long period of learning English. Pham (2004) estimated that in a class of fifty English major learners, fewer than ten graduates have the sufficient English skills for jobs such as interpreters, translators, tour guides or teachers of English. Moreover, according to Ellis (1996) and Pham (2004), English classrooms in Vietnam continue to focus more on grammar-oriented than communicative. The current issues point to the fact that Vietnam should upgrade the currently low English teaching and English use standards in order to catch up with the fast globalisation process, sizable inputs and major changes. An innovation has been proposed in order to ensure higher standards of English proficiency among students graduating from Vietnamese tertiary institutions. One of the main goals of the “National Foreign Languages Project to the year 2020” (DA2020) is to strengthen students‟ English proficiency throughout the educational system. A key feature of this English project is to impose graduation standards control; that is, to require graduates to achieve certain minimum standards before they could graduate from their study programmes. Therefore, in early 2008, Vietnamese Ministry of Education & Training (MOET) gave an official instruction, requiring universities 1
and colleges to articulate their graduation standards, among which is the English requirement, by the end of the same year. 1.2. Rationale of the study Since August 15th, 2015, ULIS-VNU has used the VSTEP as an exit test for all students. This proficiency test is completely new in Vietnam and there has no study on this. Therefore, I would like to conduct this study in order to explore its impact on students‟ English learning at ULIS. Students at ULIS have to achieve certain level of the VSTEP required by the university before graduation. Therefore, the test would have certain impacts on their learning. Among students at different years, the first year students are those who just enter a new learning environment. The transition from high school to higher education is considered the most stressful period for the first year university students. Adapting to the new environment makes them experience many unexpected circumstances. Different workload such as assignments, varied teaching methods, and working with other students and lecturers are some examples of these unexpected circumstances. Thus, knowing the impact of the test on the first year students‟ learning of English would be helpful to both lecturers and students in their teaching and learning. As mentioned before, the VSTEP is a new test, so an investigation of its impacts on students‟ learning of English at ULIS-VNU could be seen as an example of research on test impact, which has become a significant area of interest in language testing in recent years. 1.3. The significance of the study This is a small-scale empirical study of test impact in Vietnam. It is one of the first studies exploring the impacts of the VSTEP - a new English proficiency test in Vietnam, so this study would fill in the research gap on the VSTEP. The study is potentially significant in that it provides an insight into the impact of an exit test on English language learning in University of Languages and International 2
Studies (ULIS). Most importantly, the study highlights the voices of students, the very people at the centre of the learning process. The findings of this study should provide some important information to help the institution; on the other hand, to further improve the test itself for more beneficial impacts, i.e to enhance English teaching and learning through the design and administration of the test and to improve the policy and implementation of the English graduation requirement. 1.4. Aims of the study This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of the VSTEP on the first year students‟ language learning at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) – Vietnam National University (VNU). Following the study of Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen (2012), the researcher would like to investigate the impact of VSTEP on ULIS students‟ English learning in two ways: academic and affective. The academic impact refers to the VSTEP‟s influence on “students‟ English - learning behavior, as this pertains to learning content (i.e., what students study) and learning methods (i.e., how they study)”, whereas affective impact refers to the VSTEP‟s influence on “students‟ affective conditions, such as goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety.” (Hongli Li, Qi Zhong and Hoi K Suen, 2012: 82). 1.5. Research questions of the study Research question 1: How does the VSTEP influence the students’ English learning behavior in terms of learning content (i.e., what students study) and learning methods (i.e., how they study)? Research question 2: How does the VSTEP influence the students’ affective conditions such as goal orientation, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety? 1.6. Organization of the study The study consists of 5 chapters Chapter 1: Introduction of the research Chapter 2: Literature review (Other researches on this topic are discussed) 3
Chapter 3: Methodology (the way the researcher collected the data as well as analysis them is showed) Chapter 4: Findings and discussion Chapter 5: Conclusion and recomendations 4
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. The VSTEP 2.1.1. The introduction of the VSTEP as an English certificate exit requirement at ULIS. It has been obvious that many tertiary institutions integrated graduation standard control into study programmes which was essential for assuring the quality of institutions‟ qualifications. There have been several means to achieve the goal. Most universities in Vietnam adopted standardized English proficiency tests such as Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL), either self-developed tests or external public tests, as the means of standards control. ULIS is an example of this policy. The institution has newly applied a national English proficiency test called Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) and required all the students to submit evidence of the required English level measured by the VSTEP for graduation. The VSTEP is a standardized test designed to measure the English proficiency of undergraduate students at ULIS. The test is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and be relevant to the context of English use in Vietnam. Students are expected to take the VSTEP from the end of their second year till the last year at ULIS. The VSTEP are held several times a year; therefore, students can take the test many times while at the university. The test targets level 3 to level 5. The students of ULIS need to achieve level 5 which is equivalent to the level C1 of the CEFR test. Like most of the CEFR - based test, VSTEP consists of four sections: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The innovation - setting the VSTEP as a graduation requirement – is expected to have impacts on what and how teachers teach and what and how students learn, thereby promoting students‟ English skills development. 5
2.1.2. The basic information of the VSTEP levels 3-5 2.1.2.1. The origin of the VSTEP It is clearly that English has played a predominant role in the foreign language teaching program at tertiary level in Vietnam for a long period (Hoang Van Van, 2008). In 1986, opening the door of Vietnam to the world and under the impact of globalisation and internationalisation in higher education lead to the demand for enhancing English language teaching and learning which is one of the most important purposes of higher education renovation in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government also seems to prioritise this goal when it officially adopted the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as the national framework of reference for foreign language education in Vietnam in 2008 under Decision 1400/QĐ-TTG. Decision 1400/QĐ-TTG is to approve DA2020 and one of the duties of the DA 2020 is to design and apply a tool for assessing English proficiency of Vietnamese students. Therefore, linguists and educators created a local CEFR-V; that is, a Vietnamese version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a set of standards used in teaching English in Vietnam. According to Circular No. 01/2014 / TT – 01- Ministry of Education & Training on January 24th, 2014, Minister of Education and Training has issued the Vietnameses Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) for levels from 3 to 5. It is applied to foreign language training institutions, language training, and language learning in the national education system. 2.1.2.2. The format of the VSTEP There are four parts in the test: Part 1: Listening _40 minutes Part 2: Reading _60 minutes Part 3: Writing_60 minutes Part 4: Speaking_12 minutes 6
Table 1. Format of the VSTEP Parts Time Numbe Item/ task type Aims r of items/ tasks Listening About 40 35 Test-takers listen to short To test different minutes multiple exchanges, instruction/ listening sub- (including -choice announcements, skills from level time to items coversations and longer 3/B1 to 5/C1: transfer (MCQ) talks and then do the listening to answers multiple choice questions. specific into the information, answer main ideas, sheet. opinions, purposes inferences.... Reading 60 minutes 40 Test-takers read 4 texts on To test different (including mutilple various topics relevant to reading sub- time to -choice level 3/B1-level 5/C1, skills from level transfer items around 1900-2050 words 3/B1 to 5/C1: answers in total, then do the reading for into the multiple choice questions. specific answer information, sheet. main ideas, opinions, purposes inferences, meaning of words.... 7
Writing 60 Minutes 2 tasks Task 1: Time limit: 20 To test written minutes. Length: 120 interaction skills words at least. Weighting: and written 10/30. Test takers write a production (n) letter/ email in skills. response to a (n) given letter/ email. Task 2: Time limit: 40 minutes. Length: 250 words at least. Weighting: 20/30. Test takers write an essay on a given topic, using his/ her experience and knowledge to support his/ her arguments. Speaking 12 minutes 3 tasks Task 1: Social Interaction: To test various test-takers have to answer speaking skills: three to six questions of interaction, two different topics. discussion and Task 2: Solution presenting a Discussion: test-takers are topic to the provided with a situation audience. and three proposed solution options and is required to give opinions about the best solution and counter-arguments for the others. Task 3: Topic 8
Development: test-takers develop a given topic. He/ she can use the ideas provided in the form of a mind-map and/ or use his/ her own ideas to develop the topic, followed by some further questions. (My translation from http://ulis.vnu.edu.vn/taxonomy/term/205/3273) 2.1.2.3. Score conversion tables Table 2. VSTEP level conversion table Average Proficiency General description score level 0 – 3,5 Not mention No description 4,0 – 5,5 3 Can understand the gist of a text or a standard speech clearly on familiar themes in work, study, entertainment, ... Can handle most situations occurring when travelling in the areas where the language is used. Can write simple texts related to familiar topics or personal interests. Can describe experiences, events, dreams, hopes, aspirations and possibly give a short presentation of reasons explaining their ideas and plans. 6,0 – 8,0 4 Can understand the main ideas of a complex text on both specific and abstract topics, including 9
technological exchanges in their field. Can communicate fluently, naturally so that regular communications with native speakers do not make any difficulties for both sides. Can write texts clearly about different topics and can give explanation for their views on a topical issue, point out the advantages and disadvantages of different options. 8,5 – 10 5 Can understand long and difficult texts and identify implications. Can express the ideas fluently, promptly and do not take time to find words or phrases to express the ideas. Can use the language flexibly and effectively serving the social/ academic/ professional purposes. Can write texts clearly and cohesively on complex topics, demonstrating the great ability of using types of writing organizations, conjunctions and linking words or phrases. (My translation from http://ulis.vnu.edu.vn/taxonomy/term/205/3273) Table 3. VSTEP equivalency table The table below shows comparisons between various test scores and level systems (like TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS) and the VSTEP level system. Level TOEFL TOEFL TOEIC Cambridge IELTS (VSTEP) ITP iBT (0-990) Tests (0-9,0) (310-677) (0-120) (0-100) Level 3 450 45 450 70 - 89 PET 4,0 – 5,0 45 - 59 FCE 10
Level 4 500 61 600 90 – 100 PET 5,5 – 6,5 60 – 79 FCE Level 5 550 80 780 80 – 100 FCE 7,0 – 8, 0 60 – 79 CAE (The above scores are minimum that test takers need to achieve) (My translation from https://vnu.edu.vn/upload/vanban/2015/05/06/1610-HD- DHQGHN-27Apr2015.PDF) 2.2. Definition of impact and related studies Recently, in language testing research, some researchers have distinguished between „washback‟ and „impact‟. According to Wall (1997), test impact is “any of the effects that a test may have on individuals, policies or practices, within the classroom, the school, the educational system or society as a whole” whereas washback is “the effects of tests on teaching and learning” (p. 291). Bachman and Palmer (1996) considered washback as one dimension of test impact; thus, the impact of the test is divided two levels: the micro level, such as the effect of a test on individual students and teachers, and the macro level, such as the impact on society and its educational systems. These definitions made the assumption that “tests or examinations can or should drive teaching, and hence learning” (Cheng & Curtis, 2004: 4). At micro level, since the 1990s, the term „washback‟ (Alderson & Wall, 1993) in the field of applied linguistics and „backwash‟ (Biggs, 1996) in general education has been used to refer to the impact which occurs in the form of teaching and learning directed towards a test, in terms of both intended positive effects or unintended effects and perhaps negative effects (Alderson & Wall, 1993; Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Cheng, Watanabe, & Curtis, 2004; Hughes, 2003). Concurring with this, Taylor (2005) also said that washback can be considered positive (beneficial) or negative (harmful). Positive washback encourages good teaching and learning practices while negative washback encourages bad teaching and learning practices. Shohamy (1992) also focuses on washback in terms of language learners 11