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1
MARKING BOARD
Criteria Full mark Examiner 1 Examiner 2
1. Title 0.5
2. Content 0.5
3. Introduction 1.0
4. Literature Review 2.0
5. Notion of original research 0.5
6. Key Objectives / Research 0.5
Questions
7. Research methods 2.0
8. Analysis 0.5
9. Proposed Chapter outline 0.5
10. Research limitation 0.5
11. Proposed Time Scale 0.5
12. References / Bibliography 1.0
TOTAL 10.0
Signature:
2
CONTENT
1. Introduction 4
2. Literature Review 5
2.1 Grammatical Difficulty in English Language Learning and Teaching 5
2.2 Internal and External Factors affect the Acquisition of English Grammar 6
2.3 Summary 7
3. Notion of Original Research 8
4. Key Objectives/Key Questions 8
5. Research Methods 9
5.1 Research Methods 9
5.2 Research Design 9
5.3 Questionnaires 9
5.4 Participants 10
6. Analysis 10
6.1 Data Collection 10
6.2 Data Analysis 11
7. Proposed Chapter Outline 11
8. Research Limitations 12
9. Proposed Timescale 12
10. References 14
11. Appendix – Research Questionnaire 16
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1. INTRODUCTION
Recently, the integration and developments of Vietnam economy has led to a renewed
interest in learning English of teenagers in Vietnam. In order to succeed in learning foreign
languages, we need to have an extreme grasp in grammar, so “English Grammar” is an
important component and plays a key role in learning English. However, the grammar
structure is always intricate and complicated. According to (DeKeyser, 2005), the meaning
expressed through a grammatical form can be difficult to learn due to its “novelty,
abstractness, or a combination of both”; therefore, learning advanced grammar will be very
complicated for first-year students to understand comprehensively.
There are a surprising number of more than 70% first-year students of Faculty of Foreign
Language (FFL) of Sai Gon University finished the “English Grammar” Module with grade
C or below. Why is that happening? Even though all of them have already studied Grammar
in high school, why did they end up receiving such bad scores?
Being a student of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Sai Gon University, the module
“English grammar” is indispensable. And the intimate relationship between grammar and
the other skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing are also undeniable.
Understanding the importance of grammar in learning English, we decided to carry out this
research in order to find out what are the trickiness that students encounter when studying
the module “English grammar” in Sai Gon University.
In our opinions, only when we realize the obstacles we are having, then we can see the
problems in a wider view and solve it thoroughly. Thus, we decided to conduct this project
with the purpose of: Identifying external difficulties of the “English Grammar” Module of
Freshman Faculty of Foreign Language of Sai Gon University.
We do believe that all of the factors under investigation in this study may be of importance
in accommodating the later generations with a more objective view of learning English
Grammar and how to improve it for not only the students of Faculty of Foreign Language
of Sai Gon University but also other EFL students in Vietnam’s Colleges.
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Grammatical Difficulty in English Language Learning and Teaching
English grammar is one of the most important subjects for English learners, especially
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. However, it is also regarded as one of the
most difficult sector to learn.
Li Ju Shiu (2011) said "In fact, the percentage of students who are interested in grammar is
little over 50%, and about 10% have difficulty in learning and remembering grammar. It
shows that grammar is the hardest and the most boring in class of students.”
The question of what constitutes grammatical difficulty has long interested language
researchers. In a paper that specifically addresses this intriguing question, Ellis (2008)
distinguished two types of challenge: (1) the difficulty learners have in understanding and
expanding a grammatical feature and (2) the difficulty learners have in internalizing a
grammatical feature so that they are able to use it fluently and automatically in
communication. He argues that the first sense of grammatical difficulty relates to explicit
knowledge, while the second sense relates to implicit knowledge. Dekeyser (2009), on the
other hand, makes a distinction between the objective and subjective difficulty in the
acquisition of grammatical features. “Objective difficulty concerns the difficulty of the
grammatical rule itself whereas subjective difficulty refers to the actual difficulty that
individual learners experience in EFL learning”. DeKeyser ascribes grammatical difficulty
to three factors: problems of meaning, problems of form, and problems of form-meaning
mapping.
Talking about the specific situation of Vietnamese leanrers, many Vietnamese students
beginning to study English have much trouble learning English grammar. According to Dao
Dan (2002), one of the problems students usually have is handling English aspect. This may
be because verbs are not marked for tense and aspect in Vietnamese. As a result, students
usually transfer non-conjugated verbs and implied tense and aspect into English. Another
problem is that they often transfer Vietnamese sentential structures into English, particularly
the use of the co-pula and phrasal structures. They tend to string together English words using
Vietnamese word order.
There are also other scholars look at grammar difficulty from the perspective of EFL
teachers and learners. Scheffler (2009) determines grammatical difficulty in a study that
explored rule difficulty in relation to the usefulness of EFL instruction. He used a
questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale to investigate 50 Polish EFL learners’
perceptions of grammatical difficulty. The questionnaire asked the learners to rate the
difficulty of 11 grammar structures from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating “very easy” and 5
indicating “very difficult.” These 11 features were selected because the respondents
became familiar with them in their classroom instruction at the time of the study. Results
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suggest that the learners felt that EFL instruction benefited them the most in learning the
features they perceived to be difficult to learn.
2.2 Internal and External Factors affect the Acquisition of English Grammar
Some language learners are successful by virtue of their sheer determination, hard work and
persistence. However there are other crucial factors influencing success that are largely
beyond the control of the learner. These factors can be broadly categorized as internal and
external.
Internal factors affecting second language acquisition are those which stem from the
learner's own mind. Attempts to account for the internal mechanisms of second language
acquisition can be divided into three general strands: cognitive, socio-cultural and linguistic.
These explanations are not all compatible, and often differ significantly (AlAkeeli, 2013).
In addition, following to Morelli (2003), students perceived themselves as having a better
attitude towards grammar instruction in context, while performing slightly better after
having experienced the traditional grammar instruction.
Lightbown Patsy M, Nina Spada (2013) and Macaro (2010) has pointed out some internal
factors that affect the acquisition of English Grammar:
- Age: Children, who already have solid literacy skills in their own language, seem to
be in the best position to acquire a new language efficiently.
- Intrinsic motivation: Students who enjoy language learning and take pride in their
progress will do better than those who don't. ESL students, for example, who need to
learn English in order to take a place at an American university or to communicate
with a new English boy/girlfriend are likely to make greater efforts and thus greater
progress.
- Experiences: Learners who have acquired general knowledge and experience are in
a stronger position to develop a new language than those who haven't. The student,
for example, who has already lived in 3 different countries and been exposed to
various languages and cultures has a stronger base for learning a further language
than the student who hasn't had such experiences.
- Cognition: In general, it seems that students with greater cognitive abilities
(intelligence) will make the faster progress. Some linguists believe that there is a
specific, innate language learning ability that is stronger in some students than in
others.
On the one hand, external factors are those that characterize the particular language learning
situation.
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- The school curriculum and textbook is the first thing to be concerned. For ESL
students in particular it is important that the totality of their educational experience
is appropriate for their needs. Macaro (2010) claim that: “Language learning is less
likely to place if students are fully submersed into the mainstream program without
any extra assistance or, conversely, not allowed to be part of the mainstream until
they have reached a certain level of language proficiency”.
- One more factor that affect strongly on the acquisition of English Grammar is the
teachers’ instruction and teaching methods. The English teacher is often portrayed as
an "unattractive grammar monger whose only pleasure in life is to point out the faults
of others" (Baron, 1982). Clearly, some language teachers are better than others at
providing appropriate and effective learning experiences for the students in their
classrooms. In Abdu Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi PhD. Thesis (2011), he pointed out
the importance of using the appropriate methods when teaching English Grammar.
While a less favoured method might pose fewer problems and hence be more
effective, a more favoured method might be less effective owing to greater
difficulties or problems in implementing it. The difficulties may also be influenced
by the context in which a particular method is used. In addition, the way how teachers
treat students does affect strongly on their studing (Lightbown Patsy M, Nina Spada,
2013). Students who are given continuing, appropriate encouragement to learn by
their teachers and parents will generally fare better than those who aren't. But
students who are usually being given bad compliments may become more timid and
cautious, and may not be open to fully understand the lessons.
- Access to native speakers: The opportunity to interact with native speakers both
within and outside of the classroom is a significant advantage. Native speakers are
linguistic models and can provide appropriate feedback. Thus, learners become more
familiar with the language that the can use it more naturally.
2.3 Summary
To sum up, the question of what makes learning grammar difficult is of considerable interest
to EFL researchers and teachers. The literature suggests that grammatical difficulty can be
determined from psycholinguistic perspectives (e.g., developmental sequences) or linguistic
perspectives (e.g., inherent complexity of grammatical structures). However, they are only
subjective ideas proposed by theorists or researchers.
On the other side, there are many factors that can affect the acquisition of an English
learners. Not only the subject Grammar is difficult itself but also many other factors can
create an impact on the ability to learn the subject of students. It is their complex interplay
that determines the speed and facility with which the new language is learned.
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Research on difficulty from the learners’ perspective about Grammar is still thin on the
ground. Thus, insights into learners’ perceptions of grammatical difficulty constitute a
useful complement to theoretical accounts of grammatical difficulty.
Identifying such difficulties and being consciously aware of them would help students find
ways of overcoming them and find an effective way to learn.
3. NOTION OF ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Previous literature in the field have given us so much information and interesting facts that
keep us in the loop with today’s situation. We discovered the difficulties which arise inside
the subject itself and difficulties prevail from external factors as well.
However, we only collected a few documents talking about the external factors that affect
the students when studying. And none of the research was conducted in the area of Sai Gon
University students. That might be the reasons why there were so many research had been
taken but it still didn’t work for that group of students.
As mentioning in the previous section, teaching methods and the study documents play a
vital role in the acquisition of learners when studying. Here, our research aim to find out the
practical difficulties that arise from external factors such as the textbook, teaching methods
or school facilities in Sai Gon University.
We are especially interested in freshmen who are new to the school, who are very crestfallen
about the difference between the teaching methods of university lecturers and high school
teachers, having difficulties learning by themselves with the materials available and self-
synthesis of knowledge.
In addition, this research will help the lecturers of Sai Gon University understand the
troubles students face, find the inappropriation in their teaching methods and somehow
change the way of teaching to fit the students. Both students and lecturers can work together
to find better teaching and learning methods.
4. KEY OBJECTIVES/ KEY QUESTIONS
The objective of this research is to find out the difficuties that Freshman of Facuty of Foreign
Language of Sai Gon University are facing when studying the “English Grammar” Module.
The general research question will be: What are the difficulties are you having when
learning “English Grammar” module of First-year students of Faculty of Foreign Language
at Sai Gon University?
And here are some side questions that we stick to before giving the big answer for the big
questions:
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- What are the perceptions of students of the difficulties in learning the module
regarding the module’s textbook, teachers’ instruction and study method?
- Do these perceptions of difficulties vary according to the students’?
o Majors (Pedagogy or Linguistics)
o Level of proficiency?
5. RESEARCH METHODS
5.1 Research Methods
We are approaching the situation by taking Surveys. There are some reasons why we choose
this method for our project:
- The study only aims to investigate the difficulties in learning the “English Grammar”
module within First-year student, their perceptions in learning grammar at Sai Gon
University and what troubles are they having.
- Survey is used to collect standardized information from large of numbers of
individuals. We use systematic questionnaires to help students dictate the range of
answers. Because our target participants for the subject is about 450 students of FFL,
survey is the best choice for exploring the facts among them.
Our research will be conducted mostly by fieldwork, and we will use deskwork to research,
study on previous documents, and analyse the responses afterwards.
5.2 Research Design
The study was mainly quantitative, using questionnaire to collect data. The questionnaires
are strongly associated with the collection of quantitative data through the use of multiple-
choice questions and pre-coded responses, and also include open-ended questions; so that
students can give more ideas about the difficulties of learning grammar.
5.3 Questionnaires
The questions in our questionnaire focus on these 3 following sectors with the purpose of:
- The textbook: We want to discover if there is any difficulties that students have while
learning from the book “English Grammar in use - Third edition”, such as theories,
exercises, examples, arrangements and explanations by article or chapters.
- Teaching methods and class facilities: We want to know the difficulties caused by
teachers’ teaching methods and activities in class. Furthermore, we want to determine
that all the facilities are of sufficient quality to ensure that students have the most
complete learning environment.
- About self-study method: We want to find out about students’ self-study methods,
what difficulties they are having when they learn by themselves.
9
The questions are designed in 3 types:
- Quantity Questions: To collect background information from respondants. The
respondents will have to provide background information on courses, level of
English (prior to University entrance test) and majors in addition for further study.
- Scale: Choose from a scale of 1-4, from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”.
- Multiple choices questions: The answer which will be in check-box form, respondant
can choose many of the options. There are alsoe an extra blank box that the
respondents can add in their ideas to it.
We included our Questionnaire at the end of the Proposal, see at page ... for more details.
5.4 Subjects/Participants
In order to be context-specific and be able to evaluate the situation easier, only one
geographical context was chosen for the study, namely Faculty of Foreign Language of
SGU’s Freshman. Because we believe that the subjects fairly represented the context of
learning the “English Grammar” module that we are investigating. Besides, the chosen
group size was approximately 450 subjects, more than the minimum number required for
making useful statistical analyses according to Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith
Morrison (2007).
6. ANALYSIS
6.1 Data collection
We are going to collect the data in two ways:
- Offline: The participants will complete the questionnaires during class hours at Sai
Gon University. The systematic questionnaires will be done by hand because
students do not have computer in class, and also both members of the research team
help them do the work together. Prior to distributing the questionnaire, it was pointed
out that all their answers would remain anonymous. No time limit was set, but all
participants completed and returned the sheets within 15 minutes.
- Online: We send an online survey to the Facebook Group "KHOA 18 KHOA
NGOAI NGU" and ask them to fill in the questionnaire in order to collect information
from students who do not have class time when we go to work.
By compiling all the valuable surveys, we will obtain the source of information from 450
students.
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6.2 Data Analysis
After data collection, we will synthesize data into Google tool (Google form), then export
the raw date to offline Excel file. From that data, we will sort the answer into 4 small groups
according to:
- Students' majors: English Pedagogy or English Linguistics.
- Scores of the entrance test:
o High score: over 7 marks
o Average score: from 4 to 7 marks
We will evaluate the choices of each student groups seperately and give out the most
common difficulties in each group. Then, we will compare the responses between groups
and make a conclusion about the general difficulties of students and the specific difficulties
of each student groups.
7. PROPOSED CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Chapter one: Introduction
1.1. Introducing the importance of grammar in learning foreign languages
1.2 Rationale for the present study
1.3 Our main target and research questions
2. Chapter two: Literature Review
<Review on previous academic papers revolved around the topic “Difficulties of Learning
English Grammar”>
2.1 Grammatical Difficulty in English Language Learning
2.2 Internal and External Factors affect the Acquisition of English Grammar
2.3 Summary
3. Chapter three: Method
<Clarify how our research method would accommodate the study, what have been done
during the procedure of the study>
3.1 Choosing Surveys and Questionnaires
<Reson why we choose Surveys method and use Questionnaire technique for the study
and how we dealed with them>
3.2 Questionnaire content
<How we designed the questionnaire and piloted it>
3.3 Collecting data method
3.4 Participants
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4. Chapter four: Data Analysis and Results
<Processing on the collected data to give out the final result for each Research
Questions>
4.1 Data Analysis for Research Question 1
4.2 Results for Research Question 1
4.3 Data Analysis for Research Question 2
4.4 Results for Research Question 2
5. Chapter five: Discussion and Conclusion
5.2 Discussion
5.2 Conclusions and Implications
5.3 Limitation of the Study
8. RESEARCH LIMITATION
Naturally, the scope of this project is limited. The study is limited to:
- Only 450 First-year students who is purchasing official Bachelor Degree at the
Faculty of Foreign Languages at Sai Gon University (student of The 18th Course).
- Students who study this Module first time. Students who relearn the module will not
be eligible.
- The accompanying document "English Grammar in use - Third edition" by Raymond
Murphy (Murphy, 2004)
The research might only be valuable as long as the document "English Grammar in use -
Third edition" is still using. However, it still indicate the general difficulties that students
are facing with regard to grammar instruction and self-studying methods which can be
helpful and be used for further studies.
9. TIME SCALE
We are planning to conduct this research within 12 weeks:
- For the first two weeks, we will research and study on the previous documents related
to the research and determine the key area and key question for our work.
- The next 3 weeks, we will construct a demo questionnaire refering to the past data
that we have studied and the new sector that we want to discover. We will pilot study
in a group of 7-10 chosen fellows. After receiving feedback from them, we will
revise, adjust and give out the official questionnaire to use for our survey.
- 4 weeks following, we will conduct the surveys in both offline and online ways; then
the student will fill in the form available.
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- The last 3 weeks, we will analyze and evaluate the data we received. The final step
of this procedure is to make a report that idetify the most practical difficulties
students had when learning “English Grammar” Module.
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10. REFERENCES
Abdu Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi (PhD., C. o. (2011). Difficulties in Teaching and Learning
grammar in an EFL context. Oman: International Journal of Instruction .
AlAkeeli, F. S. (2013). Examining Lexical and Grammatical Difficulties Encountered by
Iraqi Students in Learning English as a Foreign Language.
Al-Mekhlafi, A. M. (2011). PhD., College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.
Baron, D. (1982). Grammar and good taste: Reforming the American language. New
Haven: Yale University Press.
Cherry Kyaw San, D. T. (2016). Grammatical Difficulties with English Morphemes
Encountered by Undergraduate Students in the Context of Myanmar.
Dao, D. V. (2002). Some Vietnamese Students’ Problems with English Grammar: A
Preliminary Study.
DeKeyser, R. (2005). What makes learning second-language grammar difficult? A review
of issues. Language Learning, 55(S1), 1-25.
Dekeyser, R. (2009). Implicit and explicit learning. In C. Doughty & M. Long (Eds.). The
handbook of second language acquisition.
Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Lightbown Patsy M, Nina Spada. (2013). How Languages Are Learned. Oxford University
Press. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison. (2007). Research Methods in
Education, Sixth edition . New York and London: Taylor & Francis e-Library.
Macaro, E. (2010). Continuum Companion to Second Language Acquisition. London:
Continuum.
Morelli, J. A. (2003). Ninth Graders’ Attitudes toward Different Approaches to Grammar
Instruction. New York: Unpublished Dissertation. The Graduate School of Education,
Fordham University.
Muftah, M. Y. (2017). The Factors that Influence the Acquisition of English Language by
Yemeni KG2 Students. Yemen: International Journal of Research in Education
Methodology.
Murphy, R. (2004). English Grammar in use - Third edition. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
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Ni Ketut Ayu Widianingsih, Ingatan Gulö. (2016). Grammatical difficulties encountered
by Second Language learners of English. Padang: The Fourth International Seminar on
English Language and Teaching .
Scheffler, P. (2009). Rule difficulty and the usefulness of instruction. ELT Journal.
Shiu, L. J. (2011). EFL learners’ perceptions of grammatical difficulty in relation to
Second Language proficiency, performance, and knowledge. Toronto: University of
Toronto.
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11. APPENDIX – RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES
[TOPIC] Difficulties in learning "English Grammar" module of
Freshman students of Faculty of Foreign Language at Sai Gon University.
These following questions are questions about the “English Grammar” Module that you
learned at Sai Gon University. Please kindly answer these questions below in this
questionnaire.
Section 1: General Information
1. I am first year student of Faculty of Foreign Language at Sai Gon University
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
2. I started learning English when I was studying
Check all that apply.
Kindergarten
Primary School
Secondary School
Other:
3. How would you assess your general English grammar knowledge?
Mark only one oval.
Poor
Somewhat poor
Good
Very good
4. What is your score in the English exam for the Entrance test to University?
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Section 2: About the Textbook
These are the questions about the "English Grammar in use - Third edition" textbook
which is used in teaching the ‘English Grammar” Module for Freshman of Faculty of
Foreign Language at Sai Gon University. Please indicate how far you agree and disagree
with these statements.
5. About the "Advance Grammar in use - Third edition"
material. Check all that apply.
Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree
The lessons in the textbook are
diverse and abundant
The lessons in the textbook are
well-arranged in order.
The theory explanations in the
textbook are briefly, detailed and
concise.
The theory explanations in the
textbook are very easy to
understand.
The examples are very relevant
to the lesson.
The examples are very easy to
imagine
The exercises are arranged by
level from easy to difficult.
The exercises on the textbook
are relevant to the lessons.
The exercises are practical and
can be applied to reality
The textbook was printed clearly
in bold ink, no page was missing
You learned a lot of new things
from the book
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Section 3: Teacher's Instructions - Classroom facilities
This question asking for how do you feel about the Teaching methods in learning the
"English Grammar" module and the classroom facilities. Please choose the suitable
answer below.
6. How do you feel about the teacher's instructions? (you can choose more
than 1 answers) Check all that apply.
Interesting, funny
Creative, easy to remember
Clear explaination, understandable
Give variety of tips and tricks to remember the lessons better
Have relevant and informative examples/stories to help understand the
lessons better
Too wordy and sleepy
Too fast and elusive, hard to follow
Give irrelevant examples
Unclear, unpractical explaination
Not making enough interactions with class
Other:
7. After each lessons are taught by the Lecturer, how well do you understand
the lessons? Mark only one oval.
30%
50%
70%
100%
8. From scale from 1 to 4, how would you rate about the classroom facilities
(such as Black board, Microphone, Speaker and Projector) Mark only one
oval.
Excellent
Good
Bad
Very bad
9. What are the things that need to be fixed regarding School facilities?
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Section 4: Self-studying Methods
These questions ask for your self-studying methods to find out how can you
learning the "English Grammar" module at Sai Gon University by yourself. Please
answer these questions below.
9. How often do you learn English Grammar by yourself? Check all that apply.
Everyday
3-5 times/week
Once a week
Other:
11. What difficulties do you usually have when studying by yourself? Check all
that apply.
I do not have the motivation to learn
I am easily distracted, hard to concentrate on the lessons
I do not like the "English Grammar" Module and don’t have motivation
to learn it
I can not create a specific study plan so I usually get lost among a large
amount of knowledge
I do not have friends to learn together
Other:
12. Who do you usually study with? Check all that apply.
Alone
In pairs or small group (3-4 members)
In large group (>5 members)
With my family (parents, siblings,...)
Other:
13. Which source of materials do you usually use for your studying? Check all
that apply.
The text book only
Reference books/Other grammar books at home
Exercises on the internet
With my family (parents, siblings,...)
Other:
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14. What are the difficulties you have while looking for learning materials?
Check all that apply.
I can not find the official, authentic source
Online exercises do not include keys
Too many information, I don’t know where to start
I can not afford to buy Reference Books
I can not afford to buy Reference Books
Other:
15. When you study English Grammar by yourself, how well can you
understand the Grammar theories? Mark only one oval.
30%
50%
70%
100%
20
