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INTRODUCTION
This section introduces some very first parts of the thesis. It is comprised of five
parts: (1) motivation for the study; (2) aims of the study; (3) research methods; (4)
subject and scope of the study; (5) significance of the study; (6) previous related
studies; and (7) organization of the thesis.
1. Motivation for the study
The 21st century is the century of the integration. In addition, the electronic
media explosion and its implications for the processes of globalization highlighted
issues of intercultural communication. Therefore, English has a crucial role to play
in the current age. Indeed, all the work in any company are involved in English,
such as transactions, communicating with foreign partners and customers,
translating contracts, relevant documents for professional works.
English can be divided into two categories: academic English language (used for
scholarships, studying abroad, etc.) and English communication (daily use, works,
etc.). If the academic English language is known as TOEFL and IELTS certificate,
the English communication perhaps is of TOEIC one, which is a crucial
requirement in the global labor market. In recent years, it has become one of the
international English language testing programs, which is very popular all over the
world. More than 70 corporations, companies, domestic and foreign associations in
Vietnam have used it as a mandatory requirement of the standardization and staff
recruitment.
The state has special interest in foreign language teaching and learning. On
September 30th, 2008, Prime Minister signed Decision No. 1400/QĐ-TTg,
approving the Project entitled “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the
National Education System, Period 2008-2020”. Its general goals are “to renovate
thoroughly the tasks of teaching and learning foreign language within national
education system, to implement a new program on teaching and learning foreign
language at every school levels and training degrees, which aims to achieve by the
year 2015 a vivid progress on professional skills, language competency for human
resources, especially at some prioritized sectors; by the year 2020 most Vietnamese
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youth whoever graduate from vocational schools, colleges and universities gain the
capacity to use a foreign language independently.‟‟ Consequently, achieving a
standard level of a foreign language is a requirement for each student.
For the significant role of English, the Rector of Dong Thap University issued
Decisions No. 86/QĐ-ĐHĐT, which has required students of non-major English to
pass the Toeic exam as one of graduation conditions. Specifically, the university
students have to reach at least a Toeic of 300 score and 250 scores to the college
ones. Therefore, they have to take these English courses and pass the exam before
graduating. However, how is the reality of this issue? According to the report to the
Rector by Informatics and Languages Center, there are only 231 students among
1651 candidates attained the requirement in the first Toeic exam hold on August
25th, 2012. This statistic data also show that the number of those who passed the
exam was 241 students making up 24.79% of all candidates (972 candidates). The
number of candidates passing in the second exam has increased 10.8% compared to
the first one (13.99%), but the rates of passing candidates is still very low compared
to the total number of students at Dong Thap University. So, what is the reason for
the reality of this issue? Must it be the fault of students‟ limited knowledge or their
learning methods or teachers‟ training ones or other reasons? To answer these
questions, I decided to carry out the topic “AN INVESTIGATION ON STUDYING
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR TOEIC EXAM BY DONG THAP UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS” with an effort to find out some common problems in learning English
grammar made by Dong Thap University students and suggest some possible
solutions.
2. Aims of the study
The thesis is carried out:
- To find out the problems in the way of learning English grammar for
Toeic exam by Dong Thap University students.
- To suggest some possible solutions for these problems.
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3. Research methods
To attain the goals of the study in such a better way, many research methods
as analyzing, synthetizing and calculating are employed based on the data of survey
questionnaires, TOEIC course book analysis, and TOEIC test analysis.
4. Subject and scope of the study
The subjects of the study are the students of Toeic 1, 2, 3 classes.
Due to the scope of B.A thesis, time and experience limitations, the research is
limited to the way of learning English grammar for Toeic exam by Dong Thap
University students; and errors on main grammar points the students make, Toeic
syllabus and teaching method will be not discussed in this thesis.
5. Significance of the study
Finding out the non-major English students‟ problems in learning English
grammar for TOEIC exam, the study will suggest some possible solutions that help
them have effective methods in learning and practicing English grammar.
Achieving these good learning and practicing methods, the students can pass the
international exam more easily. Furthermore, there is a strong hope that the study
will be a useful reference supporting not only non-major English students at Dong
Thap University but TOEIC learners, major English ones wanting to know more
about TOEIC exam as well.
6. Previous related studies
Many scholars have been done researches on TOEIC exam. In January 2003, a
team of content and statistical analysis specialists was formed to consider a redesign
of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test as it then existed. The test redesign
coincided with an effort to investigate the possibility of making high quality TOEIC
Speaking and Writing tests available to test score users as additional test
components. They brought the test into alignment with current theories of language
proficiency and provided more proficiency information that is meaningful to test
takers and score users.
In January 2010, in their dissertation “Comparison of Content, Item Statistics
and Test-Taker Performance for the Redesigned and Class TOEIC Listening and
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Reading Tests”, Chi-wen Liao, Natalie Hatrak and Feng Yu analyzed 14 redesigned
TOEIC form and 22 classic TOEIC forms. Their preliminary results at both the item
and test level along with the results for test taker performance revealed the close
similarity in statistical characteristics between the redesigned TOEIC test and the
classic TOEIC tests. They claimed that test scores on the redesigned and classic
TOEIC tests are comparable, even though the two contain slightly different item
type structures.
Though many researches on TOEIC exam and topics relating to it were done,
there has been no study of grammar in the new TOEIC tests, especially ways of
learning grammar for TOEIC exam. Nevertheless, the studies mentioned above are
helpful to this study in terms of providing the theoretical background as they
described obviously the differences of the format and test items between the
redesigned TOEIC test and the classic one.
7. Organization of the study
This thesis consists of the following parts:
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. The important role of English grammar
1.1.1. What is grammar?
1.1.2. The important role of English grammar
1.2. Method of learning grammar
1.2.1. Identifying grammar
1.2.1.1. Function and form
1.2.1.2. Contrasts with other languages
1.2.1.3. Exceptions and complication
1.2.2. Strategies for learning grammar
1.2.2.1. Relate knowledge needs to learning goals
1.2.2.2. Apply higher order thinking skills
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1.2.2.3. Provide plentiful, appropriate language input
1.2.2.4. Use predicting skills
1.2.2.5. Limit expectations for drills
1.3. Description of the TOEIC Test
1.3.1. Listening comprehension section
1.3.2. Reading comprehension section
1.3.3. TOEIC classic test and TOEIC re-designed test
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOG Y
2.1. Research questions
2.2. Research participants
2.2.1. The researcher
2.2.2. The subjects
2.3. Research procedure
2.4. Data collection instruments
2.4.1. The questionnaire
2.4.2. TOEIC course book analysis
2.4.3. TOEIC test analysis
2.5. Method of data analysis
2.5.1. Statistics
2.5.2. Comparison and contrast
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS, DICUSSION AND SOLUTIONS
3.1. Research results
3.1.1. Questionnaire
3.1.2. TOEIC course book analysis
3.1.2.1. Test type items