A QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON EVALUATION OF AN INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE: VOICES OF NON-ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS
Main Article Content
Abstract
The preliminary purpose of this study was to investigate how non-English-major first-year students evaluated some aspects of an intensive English course that aimed to improve their English language knowledge and skills. After that course, a total of 453 students participated in the study and completed a self-reported survey questionnaire of 31 items in various types. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. The results revealed that most students who attended the intensive English course held positive views towards the course including content, duration, teachers, materials, teaching methods, and facilities. The students were most interested in some components of the course, such as the teachers, their teaching methods, and the classroom facilities. They thought that their vocabulary and grammar improved the most, whereas teamwork skill witnessed the least improvement. Finally, they expected listening, speaking skills, and pronunciation to be added and reinforced more in the next course. The study offered several implications for future courses and relevant stakeholders.
Article Details
Keywords
evaluation, intensive English course, non-English-major students
References
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Sousa, V. D., & Rojjanasrirat, W. (2011). Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for use in cross‐cultural health care research: A clear and user‐friendly guideline. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 17(2), 268-274. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01434.x
Spratt, M. (2005). Washback and the classroom: The implications for teaching and learning of studies of washback from exams. Language Teaching Research, 9(1), 5-29. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168805lr152oa
To, H. T. T. (2010). Insights from Vietnam. In R. Johnstone (Ed.), Learning through English: Policies, challenges, and prospects. Insights from East Asia (pp. 96-114). British Council. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/publication_1_-_learning_through_english.pdf
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(2), 143-179. http://www.lcwu.edu.pk/ocd/cfiles/Professional%20Studies/PGDT/ELT-509/Handout14.2MaterialsDevelopmentforLanguageLearningandTeaching.pdf
Tran, K., & Heo, Y. (2008). Doi Moi policy and socio-economic development in Vietnam, 1986-2005. International Area Studies Review, 11(1), 205-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/223386590801100112
Trinh, H., & Mai, L. (2019). Current challenges in the teaching of tertiary English in Vietnam. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. 40-53). Routledge.
Vu, A. P. (2019). Nation building and language in education policy. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. 28-39). Routledge.
Benson, P. (2011). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning (2nd ed.). Pearson.
Beran, T., Violato, C., & Kline, D. (2007). What’s the ‘use’ of student ratings of instruction for administrators? One university’s experience. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 17(1), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v37i1.183545
Bowyer, J., & Chambers, L. (2017). Evaluating blended learning: Bringing the elements together. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment Publication, (23), 17-26. https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/375446-evaluating-blended-learning-bringing-the-elements-together.pdf
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Cronbach, L. J. (2000) Course improvement through evaluation. In D. L. Stufflebeam, G. F. Madaus & T. Kellaghan (Eds.), Evaluation models. Evaluation in education and human services (Vol. 49, pp. 235-247). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47559-6_14
Davis, J. M. (2011). Using surveys for understanding and improving foreign language program. National Foreign Language Resource Center. https://nflrc.hawaii.edu/publications/view/nw61/
Dörnyei, Z. (2003). Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration, and processing. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Fajriah, N., Gani, S., & Samad, I. (2019). Students’ perceptions toward teacher’s teaching strategies, personal competence, and school facilities. English Education Journal, 10(1), 16-34. http://jurnal.unsyiah.ac.id/EEJ/article/view/13254
Gravestock, P., & Gregor-Greenleaf, E. (2008). Student course evaluations: Research, models and trends. The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.
Hrastinski, S. (2019). What do we mean by blended learning? TechTrends, 63(5), 564-569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00375-5
Jacobs, H. (2010). Curriculum 21: Essential education for a changing world. ASCD.
Kogan, J. (2014). Student course evaluation: Class size, class level, discipline and gender bias. In S. Zvacek, M. T. Restivo, J. Uhomoibhi & M. Helfert (Eds.), CSEDU 2014 - 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education, (pp. 221-225). SCITEPRESS. https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2014/48618/48618.pdf
Lam, H. T. L. (2018). The representations of life outside Vietnam in first-year technical university textbooks in Hanoi and their influence on students’ intercultural communicative competence in English learning [PhD thesis, The University of Newcastle]. https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:31476
Lam, H. T. L., & Albright, J. (2019). Foreword. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. xii-xviii). Routledge.
Lynch, B. K. (1990). A context - adaptive model for program evaluation. TESOL Quarterly, 24(1), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586850
Mai, L. T., & Pham, T. T. (2018). Vietnamese EFL teacher training at universities. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. 172-184). Routledge.
Nation, P. (2000). Designing and improving a language course. English Teaching Forum, 38(4), 2-11. https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/journal_contribution/Designing_and_improving_a_language_course/12560360
Nguyen, D., & Sloper, D. (1995). Socio-economic background of Vietnam since 1986: Impact on education and higher education. In D. Sloper & T. C. Le, Higher education in Vietnam: Change and response (pp. 26-40). ISEAS Publishing.
Nguyen, S. V., & Habók, A. (2020). Non-English-major students' perceptions of learner autonomy and factors influencing learner autonomy in Vietnam. Relay Journal, 3(1), 122-139. https://kuis.kandagaigo.ac.jp/relayjournal/issues/jan20/nguyen_habok/
North, B., Angelova, M., Jarosz, E., & Rossner, R. (2018). Language course planning. Oxford University Press.
Nunan, D. (1991). Second language proficiency assessment and program evaluation. SEAMEO Regional Language Centre. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED367152.pdf
Ornstein, A., & Hunkins, F. (2018). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Riemer, M. J. (2002). English and communication skills for the global engineer. Global Journal of Engineering Education, 6(1), 91-100. http://www.wiete.com.au/journals/GJEE/Publish/vol6no1/Riemer.pdf
Sara, H. (2021). Guided learning hours. Cambridge Assessment. https://support.cambridgeenglish.org/hc/en-gb/articles/202838506-Guided-learning-hours
Sousa, V. D., & Rojjanasrirat, W. (2011). Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for use in cross‐cultural health care research: A clear and user‐friendly guideline. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 17(2), 268-274. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2010.01434.x
Spratt, M. (2005). Washback and the classroom: The implications for teaching and learning of studies of washback from exams. Language Teaching Research, 9(1), 5-29. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168805lr152oa
To, H. T. T. (2010). Insights from Vietnam. In R. Johnstone (Ed.), Learning through English: Policies, challenges, and prospects. Insights from East Asia (pp. 96-114). British Council. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/publication_1_-_learning_through_english.pdf
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(2), 143-179. http://www.lcwu.edu.pk/ocd/cfiles/Professional%20Studies/PGDT/ELT-509/Handout14.2MaterialsDevelopmentforLanguageLearningandTeaching.pdf
Tran, K., & Heo, Y. (2008). Doi Moi policy and socio-economic development in Vietnam, 1986-2005. International Area Studies Review, 11(1), 205-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/223386590801100112
Trinh, H., & Mai, L. (2019). Current challenges in the teaching of tertiary English in Vietnam. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. 40-53). Routledge.
Vu, A. P. (2019). Nation building and language in education policy. In J. Albright (Ed.), English tertiary education in Vietnam (pp. 28-39). Routledge.