Measures Taken by Lecturers in Teaching Language Skills to Large EFL Classes Online at Some Universities in Vietnam

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/acoj.241516

Keywords:

Large-sized class, online teaching, measures, English language skills, digital means

Abstract

In EFL online teaching, large-sized classes are of major concern, and different teachers have taken various measures to facilitate and enable better learning outcomes. This study investigated the measures used by lecturers at some universities in Vietnam to teach language skills to large EFL classes online. The sample size was 60 respondents from different age groups, university settings, and IT competence levels. The research found that most teachers often preferred teaching receptive skills (i.e. reading and listening) as they were more graphic and more easily handled. Accordingly, more audio-visual measures were reported to be effective. Activities that allowed students to prepare and get ready were also more favorable. Presentations, role-plays, interviews and flipped classes were counted among the most frequently used activities. Besides, class short assignments on less academic tasks were more prevailing because they did not apply challenges and pressure on learners. Respondents revealed that they had to perform a lot of technical skills and combine several digital means of teaching, managing, monitoring and assessing their classes. It was recommended from this study that more training on handling blended classes and support efforts should be given to teachers of large classes as well as more innovative language activities and pedagogical measures should be designed to improve teaching and learning quality in such a circumstance.

Author Biographies

Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Faculty of English, Phenikaa University, Vietnam

Huong Tran Thi Thanh is at present a vice dean and a lecturer of the Faculty of English, Phenikaa University. Graduated from the University of Foreign language (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi, as a teacher of English in 1995, she has devoted her life to teaching English at some universities in Hanoi. She completed her research work for an MA degree in English language at ULIS in 2005 and her research career was continued with a PhD degree in linguistics at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, in Hanoi. Her research interests include innovative pedagogy of English language, curriculum development and sociolinguistics of English and Vietnamese languages.

Ngo Huy Tu, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Dai Nam University, Vietnam

Tu Ngo Huy is currently a lecturer of English at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Dai Nam University. He obtained an MA degree in TESOL & FLT from Victoria University and has four-year experience in teaching English as a foreign language. His research interests include teaching English language skills and blended learning.

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Published

22-03-2024

How to Cite

Tran, T. T. H., & Ngo, H. T. (2024). Measures Taken by Lecturers in Teaching Language Skills to Large EFL Classes Online at Some Universities in Vietnam. AsiaCALL Online Journal, 15(1), 90–104. https://doi.org/10.54855/acoj.241516

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