VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES BA THESIS THE CURRENT STATUS OF APPLYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING ENGLISH OF FIRST-YEAR BIOTECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT THE VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE THỰC TRẠNG ỨNG DỤNG CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN TRONG VIỆC HỌC TIẾNG ANH CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT KHOA CÔNG NGHỆ SINH HỌC TẠI HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM Student : LE THI THU HA Student code : 621205 Major : ENGLISH Supervisor : NGUYEN CONG UOC, Ph.D TRAN THANH PHUONG, M.A Hanoi – 2021 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “THE CURRENT STATUS OF APPLYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN BIOTECHNOLOGY LEARNING STUDENTS AT ENGLISH THE OF FIRST-YEAR VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2021 Le Thi Thu Ha Approved by Approved by SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) (Signature and full name) Date:…………………… Date:…………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge all the following people without whom I would not have fulfilled this master’s thesis First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Ph.D Nguyen Cong Uoc for his valuable instruction and endless support He spent his valuable time and effort reading my work with much care and gave me his insightful comments Without his devoted assistance, this thesis would not have been completed I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to M.A Tran Thanh Phuong for all the valuable comments and instructions I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all lecturers in the Vietnam National University of Agriculture who provided me with invaluable sources of knowledge during my study there and all the staff members of the department for their help during the course I also express my special thanks to the students who took part in this study for their willing support and contributions to my research Last but not least, I would like to send special gratitude to my family for their consistent support ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii ABSTRACT v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii Part I: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale for the study Aims and Objectives of the study 3 Research questions Scope of the study Significance of the study Error! Bookmark not defined Design of the study Part II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER - LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Review of the previous studies (At home & abroad) 1.1.1 Review of the previous study: At home 1.1.2 Review of the previous study: Abroad 1.2 Review of theoretical background 1.2.1 Technology, Information Technology 1.2.2 ICT used in education and English language learning and teaching 1.2.3 Applications of information technology in English language teaching and learning 10 1.2.4 Benefits of IT applications in English language learning 11 1.2.5 Computer and EFL teaching and learning 11 iii 1.2.6 Mobile Assisted Language Learning 14 1.2.7 Internet and Web-Based Language Learning Activities 14 1.3 SUMMARY 15 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 16 2.1 Research Methodology 16 2.2 Research setting/context 16 2.3 Data collection 16 2.3.1 Data collecting instruments 16 2.3.2 Data collecting procedures 17 2.4 Data analysis 18 2.5 Methods of anlysis 18 2.6 Summary 19 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 20 3.1 Findings and discussion 20 3.1.1 Questionnaire result 20 3.1.2 Interview result 31 3.2 Recommendation for the students 33 3.3 Summary 34 Part III: CONCLUSION 36 Recapitulation 36 Limitations of the study 37 Suggestions for further study 37 REFERENCES 39 APPENDICES 42 iv ABSTRACT In the early part of the 21st century, the development of information technology and its important applications in learning, especially the field of information technology has developed significantly The study aims at investigating the situation of technology use including how benefits and challenges that non-English major students at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture applied information technology to assist their learning English This study, which employed a questionnaire as the main instrument, presents the result of data collected from 100 participant students at the faculty of biotechnology of Vietnam National University of Agriculture Moreover, the study design is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches The outcomes of the study indicate the following: Students own a variety of information and communication technologies and use them quite regularly in schoolwork, recreation, and online activities Among this information technology, smartphones and laptops are leading the top of the device ownership chart Most of the participants assess their information technology at a high level, remarkably in the fields of online application and mobile technology In general, the study result has proved that students have a positive attitude towards information technology use in learning English v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VNUA : Vietnam National University of Agriculture CALL : Computer Assisted Language Learning EFL : English as a Foreign Language ESL : English as a Second Language MOET : Ministry of Education and Training MALL : Mobile Assisted Language Learning AECT : The Association for Educational Communications and Technology IT : Information Technology ICT : Information Communication Technology PLATO : Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Weekly hours of IT use for learning English 21 Table 3.2: IT use for English language learning purposes 22 Table 3.3: Learners’ perceptions of IT use in learning English 24 Table 3.4: Students’ Attitude 27 Table 3.5: Top three of benefits and challenges 30 Table 3.6: Face-to-face and online learning 31 Table 3.7: Suitable language skill for smartphones 32 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Electronic Device Ownership 20 Figure 3.2: The feeling of participants when using information technology in learning English 23 Figure 3.3: Mean score of students’ attitude 27 Figure 3.4: Students’ attitude about information technology 28 Figure 3.5: Online study (part 1) 28 Figure 3.6: Online study (part 2) 29 Figure 3.7: Benefits and challenges of using information technology 30 viii Part I: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study We are living in the era of two revolutions: the scientific-technical revolution and the social revolution These revolutions are growing like a storm in human history, pushing many fields, having strong strides, and opening up great prospects as humanity enters the twenty-first century which is a great achievement of the current scientific-technical revolution It penetrates and dominates most fields of scientific research, technology application in production, education, training, and other political and social activities Information technology is used in all-natural subjects, technical, social, and humanities in education and training Rapid changes in information and communication technology, globalization, and new knowledge acquisition strategies make a computer-based learning environment more fundamental than ever The fast growth of communication technologies has changed the instruction and use of a target language, enabling new forms of discourse, authorship, and ways to participate in academic communities (Kern, 2006) According to Warschauer (2000), globalization and new information technologies will further spread English and change the way English is used In other words, information technology contributes to transforming “notions of literacy, making online navigation and research, interpretation and authoring of hypermedia, and synchronous and asynchronous online communication critical skills for learners of English” (p 511) It is undeniable that technology has been successfully and beneficially applied in various areas of society especially in foreign language education (Amiri, 2012) Actually, in Vietnam, English is the most popular foreign language and is widely spoken in many cities In the education area, although there are currently other foreign languages in Vietnam, English is regarded as the most important and compulsory foreign language Significantly, MOET invested in computers language skills in English could be the future study 38 REFERENCES Amer, A M (2010) Idiomobile for Learners of English: A Study of Learners’ Usage of a Mobile Learning Application for Learning Idioms and Collocations Retrieved from Indiana University of Pennsylvania: https://dspace.iup.edu/bitstream/handle/2069/270/Mahmoud%20Amer%20Corr ected.pdf?sequence=1 Amiri, E (2012) A Study of The Application of Digital Technologies In Teaching And Learning English Language And Literature International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 1(5), 103-107 Butgereit, L., & Botha, A (2009) Hadeda: The Noisy Way to Practice Spelling Vocabulary using a Cell Phone IST-Africa 2009 Conference Proceedings B Hopkins (2017) Advantages of Technology in Education Social Media for Educators [Internet] Beatty, K (2010) Teaching and Researching Computer-Assisted Language Learning (Second Edition ed.) Longman Costley, K C (2014) The Positive Effects of Technology on Teaching and Student Learning Arkansas Tech University Disha Experts (2012) Science & Technology for General Studies CSAT Paper IAS Prelims 2nd Edition, 40 Erchun Chen (2012) Applying Multimedia Technology to the Teaching and Learning of College English in China G Motteram 2013) The Benefits of New Technology in Language Learning British Council [Internet] 10 Groff, J (2013) Technology-rich innovative learning environments Innovative Learning Environments, 1-30 11 James, R (1996) CALL and the speaking skill System, 24(1), 15-21 12 Jung, H-J (2014) Ubiquitous learning: Determinants impacting learners’ 39 satisfaction and performance with smartphones Language Learning & Technology 13 Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Shield, L.(2007) An Overview of Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Can mobile devices support collaborative practice in speaking and listening? ReCALL, 20(3), 271-289 14 Kern, R (2006) Perspectives on technology in learning and teaching languages Tesol Quarterly, 40(1), 183-210 15 Levy, M (1997) Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Context and Conceptualization Oxford University Press 16 Levy, M (1998) Two concepts of learning and their implications for CALL at the tertiary level ReCALL Journal, 10(01), 86-94 17 Likert, R (1932) A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55 18 MOET (2014) Hỏi đáp số nội dung đổi toàn diện Giáo dục Đào tạo Retrieved from Ministry of Education and Training: http://www.moet.gov.vn/?page=1.1&view=5570 19 Miangah, T M., & Nezarat, A (2012) Mobile-Assisted Language Learning International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS), 3(1), 309 20 M R Ahmadi (2018) The Use of Technology in English Language Learning International Journal of Research in English Education (IJREE), Volume 3(2), 115-125 21 Pop, A (2010) The impact of the new technologies in foreign language instruction our experience Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 2, 2(2), 1185–1189 22 Pham Xuan Dat (2010) An investigation into the use of information technology in writing learning 23 Reid, J (1998) Understanding learning styles in the second language classroom Upper Saddle River: NJ: Prentice Hall Regents 40 24 S Zazulak (2016) Examples of Technology for English Learners Pearson [Internet] 25 S Alsulami (2016) The Effects of Technology on Learning English as a Foreign Language Among Canada, Volume 12, 1-16 26 Shyamlee & Phil (2012) Use of Technology in English Language Teaching and Learning 27 Yang, S C., & Chen, Y.-J (2006) Technology-enhanced language learning: Science Direct, 23, 860-879 28 Valarmathi, K (2011) Mobile Assisted Language Learning Journal of Technology for ELT, 2(2), 1-8 29 Van Lam Kieu, Dang Truc Anh, Pham D Bao Tran, Vo T Thanh Nga, Pham V Phi Ho (2021) The effectiveness of using technology in learning English 31 Warschauer, M., & Meskill, C (2000) Technology and Second Language Teaching Lawrence Erlbaum, 303-318 32 Warschauer, M., Shetzer, H., & Meloni, C (2000) Internet for English Teaching Alexandria: VA: TESOL Publications 41 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: Questionnaire (Vietnamese version) PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT Thưa Anh/Chị! Nhằm đánh giá việc sử dụng công nghệ thông tin để hỗ trợ trình học ngoại ngữ; qua đó, đề xuất giải pháp nhằm nâng cao hiệu việc ứng dụng Công nghệ thông tin dạy học tiếng Anh Học viện Nông nghiệp Việt Nam, mong nhận câu trả lời Anh/Chị cho câu hỏi Anh/Chị vui lòng cho biết ý kiến cách khoanh tròn đánh dấu X vào phương án lựa chọn cho vấn đề ghi ngắn gọn ý kiến vào chỗ trống Thông tin Anh/Chị cung cấp phục vụ mục đích nghiên cứu phân tích, diễn giải theo nguyên tắc bất định danh Trân trọng cảm ơn! 1.Anh/Chị sử dụng thiết bị điện tử sau để học tiếng Anh? ☐Máy tính để bàn ☐Máy tính xách tay ☐Máy tính bảng ☐Điện thoại thơng minh Máy tính điện thoại thơng minh anh/chị có kết nối Internet khơng? ☐Có ☐Khơng Anh/Chị thường dùng thiết bị công nghệ vào việc học tiếng Anh tuần? ☐Khơng sử dụng ☐Ít ☐1 – ☐3 – ☐6 – 10 42 ☐11 Công nghệ thông tin mang đến loại công cụ hỗ trợ học tiếng Anh mà anh/chị áp dụng? ☐Từ điển trực tuyến ☐Website học tiếng Anh trực tuyến ☐Các diễn đàn, mạng xã hội để giao lưu, kết bạn với người nước ☐Các loại ebook; sách, truyện, âm nhạc, phim ảnh tiếng Anh Anh/Chị cảm thấy sử dụng công nghệ thông tin cho việc học tiếng Anh? ☐Khơng hữu ích ☐Có hữu ích ☐Rất hữu ích Theo anh/chị, mục đích việc sử dụng công nghệ thông tin học tiếng Anh là: ☐Làm tập thực hành (từ vựng/ ngữ pháp/ nghe/ đọc) ☐Làm tập ngữ âm/ nói/ viết ☐Xem chương trình trực tuyến dạy học tiếng Anh ☐Sử dụng thẻ Flashcards web để học từ vựng ☐Sử dụng từ điển trực tuyến ☐Tìm kiếm tài liệu tiếng Anh trực tuyến ☐Sử dụng Google dịch ☐Nghe tin/ xem phim, đọc báo điện tử tiếng Anh Anh/Chị cho biết mức Rất độ đồng ý với khơng phát biểu sau? đồng ý Khơng đồng ý Khơng có ý kiến Đồng Rất ý đồng ý 7.1 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp cải thiện kỹ đọc 43 7.2 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp tơi cải thiện kỹ viết 7.3 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp cải thiện kỹ nói 7.4 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp tơi cải thiện kỹ nghe 7.5 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp nắm vững khả ngữ pháp 7.6 Việc sử dụng CNTT giúp tơi có vốn từ vựng tốt Anh/Chị cho biết mức độ Rất đồng ý với phát không biểu sau? đồng ý Không đồng ý Không có ý kiến Đồng Rất ý đồng ý 8.1 Việc ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin giúp cải thiện tiếng Anh tốt 8.2 Việc ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin giúp tự tin giao tiếp 8.3 Dùng Email để trao đổi tập giao tiếp với bạn 44 bè tiếng Anh 8.4 Việc học tiếng Anh thú vị hiệu ứng dụng CNTT 8.5 Những tài liệu dạy học tiếng Anh mạng hữu ích cho việc học 8.6 Điện thoại thông minh phương tiện học ngôn ngữ hiệu 8.7 Đa phương tiện (hình ảnh, âm thanh) mạng Internet giúp tơi tìm hiểu tài liệu tiếng Anh dễ dàng 8.8 Học sử dụng Internet cho mục đích học tiếng Anh hữu ích 8.9 Internet giúp truy cập tài liệu tiếng Anh cập nhật 8.10 Tôi tập trung vào việc học sử dụng Internet 8.11 Tôi dễ bị lãng sử dụng Internet tìm kiếm tài liệu 8.12 Tơi cần giáo viên/người 45 có kinh nghiệm dạy cách tìm kiếm sử dụng nguồn tài liệu học tập trực tuyến 8.13 Tôi mong nguồn tài liệu học tập trực tuyến dùng thường xuyên việc học tiếng Anh 8.14 Tôi hy vọng CNTT sử dụng thường xuyên để giúp tơi cải thiện tiếng Anh Trân trọng cảm ơn! APPENDIX 2: Questionnaire (English version) QUESTIONNAIRE To evaluate the use of information technology to support the foreign language learning process; thereby, proposing solutions to improve the 46 effectiveness of the application of information technology in teaching and learning English at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, looking forward to receiving your answers to the following questions Please indicate your opinion by circling or marking an X in the option for each issue or briefly writing your opinion in the blank The information provided is for research purposes only and will be analyzed and interpreted according to the principle of anonymity Thank you very much! Which of the following electronic devices you own? Check all that apply ☐Personal desktop computer ☐Personal laptop computer ☐Tablet ☐Smartphone Is your computer or your smartphone connected to the Internet? ☐Yes ☐No How many hours you usually use technology devices to study English per week? ☐Do not use ☐Less than an hour ☐1-2 hours ☐3-5 hours ☐6-10 hours ☐11 hours or more What kind of tools does information technology bring to you to learn English? ☐Online dictionary ☐Website to learn English online ☐ Forums, social networks to communicate and make friends with 47 foreigners ☐Types of ebooks; books, stories, music, movies English How you feel about using information technology in learning English? ☐Unhelpful ☐Helpful ☐Very helpful The purpose of using information technology in learning English is: ☐Doing phonics/speaking/writing exercises ☐Doing practice exercises (vocabulary/grammar/listening/reading) ☐Watching the programs of teaching English online ☐Using flashcards on the website to learn vocabulary ☐Using online dictionaries ☐Searching for online English materials ☐Using Google translation ☐ Listening to news/watching movies, reading online newspapers in English How you agree with Strongly the following statements? Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 7.1 The use of IT helps me improve my reading skills 7.2 The use of IT helps me improve my writing skills 7.3 The use of IT helps me improve my speaking skills 7.4 The use of IT helps me 48 improve my listening skills 7.5 The use of IT helps me master my grammar competence 7.6 The use of IT enables me to acquire vocabulary better How you agree with Strongly the following statements? Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 8.1 The use of information technology has helped me improve my English 8.2 The use of information technology has helped me be more confident in communication 8.3 Using Email to exchange exercises or communicate with friends in English 8.4 Learning English can be more enjoyable and effective with the use of IT 8.5 English teaching online materials are useful for learning 8.6 Smartphones are also 49 effective means of learning English 8.7 The multimedia on the Internet (e.g texts, images, sounds, and videos) helps me understand English materials easily 8.8 It is useful for us to learn how to use the Internet for learning purposes 8.9 The Internet can let me access more updated English materials 8.10 I cannot concentrate on my study when I am using the Internet 8.11 I can get distracted easily when I am on the Web searching for materials 8.12 I need teachers/ experienced people to teach me how to use online learning resources 8.13 I hope online resources can be used more often in learning English 8.14 I hope IT is used more 50 frequently to help me improve my English language skills Thank you very much! 51 APPENDIX 3: Interview Questions What you think about face-to-face learning and online learning? What activities on smartphones attract you most? Which language skill (s) is suitable for learning by smartphone? 50