PRACTICUM 2024

USSH | MATESOL 2022

2024

Supervised by

Dr. Pho Phuong Dung

1. Hoang Ky Nam
   
2. Nguyen Thi Ngoc An
   
3. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung
   
4. Tran Thi Thuy Linh
   
5. Nguyen Tan Loc
   
6. Nguyen Thanh Tam
   

Table of ​contents

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This page is dedicated to expressing our ​appreciation to all of the Doctors who helped ​us have the opportunity to experience this ​practicum. They were determined to show and ​introduce us to prestigious universities, doctors, ​and lecturers. They encouraged us to try our ​best and enjoy the joyous memories ​throughout the trip.

Furthermore, we want to give special thanks to ​Dr. Pho Phuong Dung, our supervisor, who ​helped us before, during, and after the trip and ​gave us a great deal of constructive advice. ​Thanks to her help, we could modify our ​content for the workshop and micro-teaching.

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Hello, I’m

About us

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About us

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One of the key activities in this Practicum course was the Microteaching session, which took place on the third day of the trip. In this activity, we were assigned to deliver a 50-minute lesson to a class of 30 non-English major students at Thai Binh Duong University, using the course book Voice Pre-Intermediate A2/B1 by National Geographic Learning. It provided us with an opportunity to apply the TESOL theories and knowledge acquired throughout the MA in TESOL Program and demonstrate our teaching skills, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

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In preparation for the microteaching session, several online meetings were organized for us to discuss the lesson based on the materials provided by Thai Binh Duong University (TBD). Initially, we found it challenging as the volume of knowledge to be covered in a 50-minute lesson was overwhelming. Consequently, it required significant time to design a comprehensive and effective lesson plan that would best facilitate the achievement of the lesson's outcomes. We carefully designed the activities and prepared the necessary teaching aids to ensure learners' engagement and understanding. Additionally, we had a chance to meet with our supervisor to conduct a demo microteaching session, where we received valuable feedback and comments on our teaching style, time allocation, activities, and PowerPoint slides. We also received tips for classroom management, such as seating arrangements for group work. Based on this feedback, we had to make several revisions to our lesson plan to enhance its effectiveness.

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As the lesson progressed quickly, it finished ahead of the scheduled time, allowing us to leave the class earlier than expected. While walking past another classroom, the instructor from the other observed class inadvertently saw us and showed her willingness to invite us to join her session. This provided a unique opportunity to experience a markedly different teaching style compared to the previous class.

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In this class, the instructor’s teaching style was dynamic and energetic, with a loud and clear voice that captured the students' attention. She incorporated engaging and competitive games, which effectively aroused the learners' interest and enthusiasm. The activities included both whole-class and group practice, fostering an interactive and collaborative learning environment. The students were active and willing to participate, showing a stark contrast to the passivity observed in the earlier class. Overall, this observation highlighted several areas for improvement in our own teaching practice, which emphasizes the need for clear explanations, interactive activities, diverse grouping strategies, teaching pace, effective use of feedback and reinforcement to foster a more engaging and supportive learning environment.

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Observing the classroom dynamics and learners’ characteristics provided us with valuable insights that necessitated adjustments to our lesson plan. Initially, we believed that after extensive preparation and revisions, our lesson would proceed smoothly. However, the observation session revealed the need for significant changes. Consequently, an urgent meeting was called the night before the microteaching. We gathered in the hotel room from 11 PM until nearly 2 AM for a fruitful discussion. During this session, we made critical adjustments to the lesson plan regarding the time allocation for each teaching step, the activities, the simplification of language instruction, the adaptation of task types and many others to better suit the needs of the class we were going to teach. This last-minute revision ensured that our lesson was more tailored and customized to the students' proficiency levels and learning styles, with the ultimate aim to enhance their engagement and comprehension.

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When we conducted the microteaching, it was clear that the students’ levels were low and they seemed unenthusiastic at first, but they could still comprehend and communicate the basics. We managed to adjust our teaching accordingly to the students’ levels. In activities and practices, we showed what they needed to do and checked their understanding of what was just being said to make sure they could do the activities without interruption. Our activities managed to excite some of the students and the teachers were friendly, so we could create a comfortable learning environment where the students could practice and voice what they had learned and known. However, some of our activities required lots of time to do, so the students only had a little bit of time to do the free activity at the end.

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From the reflection above, it is indicated that the main problem involves time. In our teaching practice in future, we should be more selective about which activities to be included in the lesson so that all the learning outcomes can be met by the end of the lesson. It will entail a more careful analysis of the learning materials to determine the aims and objectives and an understanding of the students’ characteristics to anticipate any potential problems and prepare suitable solutions. However, we also understand that we cannot follow the lesson plan rigidly but should exhibit the flexibility and adaptability to handle any unexpected situations. Besides the time issue, thanks to the supervisor’s comments, we can learn from each other’s problems such as classroom management skills and the use of L1 in the lesson. Making improvements on these aspects will help us improve the quality of teaching in our own professional careers.

V. WORKSHOP ROLES & ​RESPONSIBILITIES CHECKLIST

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V. WORKSHOP ROLES & ​RESPONSIBILITIES CHECKLIST

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As a young, dynamic, and innovative private university, TBDU prides itself on pioneering to apply the philosophy of liberal education to its teaching and learning strategies through the 5T model: Authentic learning (Thực học) – Interactivity (Tương tác) – Comprehensiveness (Toàn diện) – Empowerment (Trao quyền) – Empathy (Thấu cảm). Regarding its vision, within the next 5 years (2020-2025), TBDU aspires to be a prestigious and international center of education, with world-class quality and a team of excellent lecturers and promising students. TBDU also strives for an education with integrity, academic liberty, respect for individual differences, responsibility, innovation, and harmony.

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As for the mission, TBDU strives to impart and develop knowledge with a view to training its learners to become independent, competent, and autonomous individuals, who can adapt to the social-economic environment and go on to become global citizens, contributing to the overall sustainable local and social developments.

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Upon its establishment in 1955 by the ​General Staff, the Vietnam Naval Academy ​initially was named the Coastal Training ​School. Since then it has undergone several ​name changes, from the Naval Training ​School in 1959, the Naval School of Vietnam ​in 1961, the Naval Officers School in 1967, the ​School of Commander Naval engineering in ​1980, to its final and current name, the ​Naval Academy in 1993.

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As one of the military academies of Vietnam under the administration of the Vietnam People’s Navy, the Academy is tasked with training naval commanding officers in division level and commanding staffs in tactical/campaign level, including undergraduates and postgraduates of the military. In the course of over 70 years, the Vietnam Naval Academy has trained thousands of officers and technical staff for major specialized fields such as control vessels, anti-mines, anti-missile, anti-submarines, gunships, and so on.

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In the first part of our seminar on effective vocabulary learning, we ​applied the vocabulary knowledge framework proposed by Nation ​(2022) to highlight three crucial aspects of knowing a word: its form, ​meaning, and use. In the second part of our presentation, we introduced ​five strategies for learning vocabulary. Among them, the strategy of ​word part analysis is built on the knowledge of morphemes. A ​morpheme is known as the smallest unit of meaning which contributes ​to the meaning of the whole word. In particular, the strategy suggests ​inferring a word’s meaning by exploring the meanings of the ​morphemes, especially prefixes, roots and suffixes. Each of them carries ​its own function; specifically, roots exhibit the basic meaning of words, ​while prefixes change their meaning and suffixes indicate the words’ ​grammatical function.

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In our demo teaching, we were in charge of ​Communication skills in which the students were ​instructed on how to give reasons and applied it in a ​communicative activity. In order to help the students ​generate a natural dialogue, we offered five essential ​conversational moves they were supposed to follow. ​These moves refer to how speakers take turns to start, ​maintain and close the conversation. The idea of ​providing moves was developed from what we had ​been taught in Discourse Analysis course. The results ​were encouraging, showing that students were more ​likely to generate a conversation when equipped with ​sufficient guidance on conversational moves.

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Behaviorism, developed by B. F. Skinner, suggests ​that language learning results from habit formation ​through stimulus-response-reinforcement cycles ​(Hummel, 2014). This theory also emphasizes the ​importance of repetition in learning vocabulary, as ​repeated exposure to words can enhance retention ​(Hummel, 2014). In learning, one typical application ​of this theory is to learn and revise new words by ​spaced repetition method. In teaching, the drilling ​technique involves students repeatedly practicing ​words or phrases.

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The Input Hypothesis, created by ​Stephen Krashen, states that ​learners improve their language ​ability when they receive language ​input slightly more advanced than ​their current level (Hummel, 2014). ​With this in mind, while teaching ​vocabulary and grammar, we kept ​checking the students’ ​understanding by using CCQ.

Sociocultural Theory, founded by ​Lev Vygotsky, emphasizes the role ​of social interaction in the ​development of language ability ​(Hummel, 2014). In line with this ​theory, we designed various ​activities involving group work and ​pair work to encourage students to ​interact with each other using the ​target language, thereby ​enhancing their English skills.

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The Affective Filter Hypothesis, also proposed by Krashen, posits ​that the feelings have an impact on the language acquisition ​ability (Hummel, 2014). According to this theory, negative emotions ​like embarrassment or fear hinder language learning, while ​positive emotions facilitate it. To address this, we implemented a ​warm-up activity to create a welcoming atmosphere before ​starting the lesson. During the lecture, we also attempted to ​maintain a positive learning environment for the students by ​smiling, giving compliments and gifts on their good participation, ​and providing positive feedback on their errors.

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Given that our students are at the elementary level and the materials are designed for pre-intermediate learners, the Grammar-Translation Method was used to ensure the best understanding of a complex grammatical rule or an abstract word. This method was used when the teachers found that concept would be easier to explain in their native language. By doing so, the students were more likely to follow the instruction.

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To enhance the students' English communication skills, the Communicative Language Teaching Approach was utilized through the implementation of role-play. In this interactive activity, the students were given a specific situation where they would politely reject offers and provide reasons for it. To ensure the students could conduct the task, we offered them not only useful language but also conversational moves showing how the dialogue should take place. This approach not only encourages the practical use of language in real-life scenarios but also promotes active participation, as students are required to interact with each other, thereby improving their overall communicative competence.

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Several adjustments were made in the microteaching to improve ​engagement and comprehension. According to Tomlinson (2011), ​materials should help learners to feel at ease and help them to develop ​confidence. Considering students’ proficiency, we decided to replace a ​listening task, which was too long and difficult for the students, with a ​written dialogue between two characters. This dialogue was shorter and ​easier to understand, but it was still able to convey the message of the ​listening task. This adjustment increased student participation, facilitated ​students’ understanding and reduced their anxiety. Additionally, we ​replaced a textbook exercise with one from the workbook that matched ​the students’ proficiency levels. This change helped build their confidence ​and reinforced learning by ensuring the task was achievable.

To make lessons more relevant, we ​integrated traditional culture references ​into the discussion and speaking activities. ​Besides foreign food such as pizza, sushi or ​Thai food, students can talk about ​traditional cuisine of Vietnam such as Bun ​bo or Bun rieu in their role play to make the ​content more engaging and demonstrate ​practical language use. This adjustment ​aligns with a principle in materials ​development: “What is being taught should ​be perceived by learners as relevant and ​useful” (Tomlinson, 2011, p. 11).

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In terms of the application of knowledge in Language assessment, different ​methods were used to measure students’ learning outcomes and provide ​feedback. During the microteaching session, we provided students with a ​checklist for speaking tasks. These checklists helped students reflect on their ​peers’ performance, fostering autonomous learning by guiding them to ​identify and correct their peers’ errors. However, due to time constraints, we ​could not conduct the assessment procedure as expected, but generally ​speaking, we still considered the checklist useful for the activity. In the ​seminar, consolidation games were used to review key concepts for the ​audiences. These interactive games checked audience participation and ​comprehension, reducing the pressure associated with traditional ​assessments and creating a more positive learning environment.

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Last but not least, integrating technology in ​language teaching is increasingly important. Our ​group’s topic for the workshop was related to the ​use of ChatGPT in language teaching and learning. ​We demonstrated practical applications such as ​generating conversation prompts, and creating ​personalized learning experiences. The findings ​and suggestions from research also provided us ​with a more profound understanding of how ​ChatGPT is actually operated. Moreover, we could ​learn how to use ChatGPT as a valuable assistant ​in the classroom to get real-time support and ​foster interactive learning.

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Like all learning experiences, the Practicum program has provided me with a valuable opportunity to reflect, to ruminate, and to look inwards. To begin with, my experience with the Practicum was rather complicated and special, as I found myself thrusted upon with a leadership position from the get-go. Prior to the start of the program, I had been tasked with the content for the whole program, i.e. the Workshop and the Seminar. Specifically, my responsibilities were connecting the fellow students and the professors, keeping everyone in the loop, and making sure everyone pull their weight and complete the work on schedule.

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This position was not exactly unfamiliar to me, yet it was so long ago since I took up managerial tasks that I cannot help but have doubts about my abilities. Getting a group of people from all walks of life to agree on one thing was an incredible feat in and of itself, and getting them to complete that goal was even more of a miracle. Again, being in charge of people is not uncharted territory; I had had my fair share of experience, what with being involved in clubs and organizations in my earlier years in college. However, my experience with the Practicum was entirely different: I was working with people several years my senior, and my “clientele” were my advisors and faculty members, not my juniors and subordinates whom I could boss around.

Another thing that the Practicum ​taught me was to be mindful of the ​cultural differences that still pervades ​within the local English learning and ​teaching community. During the ​preparation for the microteaching, we ​were constantly reminded that the ​students at TBDU were at a lower level ​of English. Yet our expectations did not ​fully prepare us for the reality, which ​was that the students’ proficiency was ​even lower than what we had in mind.

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In a similar vein, I was impressed with my peers for their adaptability and quick thinking they displayed in the face of adversity. Immediately after the observation session, we had to make rapid adjustments to the lesson plans and activities to match the students’ level. As a matter of fact, we had to stay up until 2 AM to revise our lesson plans and still we had to wake up early the following day, fresh and ready to tackle the task ahead. As far as I know, the majority of them were accustomed to using English in class, yet they showed no struggle switching between Vietnamese and English when the situation demanded. While we all did struggle with the time constraints as there were simply too much to pack into the lesson, I do feel that all of my peers performed brilliantly as teachers. It was almost as if watching them in their natural habitats.

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Upon completing the Practicum, I had several lessons and revelations. ​Among them was the reminder to embrace changes as they come. ​Being a perfectionist and a control-obsessed person myself, I learned ​the hard way that no matter how well-prepared you are, how much ​effort you put into a project, things are bound to go south. Though the ​program was a success, I cannot help but feel that there were things ​that I could have done different, better. Yet it was Dr. Phượng who ​reminded me at the Gala dinner that we cannot control everything, we ​can only make the best of what we could. Thus I finally learned to ​relinquish total control over things like I used to.

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Another thing that I learned was to be open-minded. I had to consciouly remind myself that I was not working with a professional crew, and people had other things on their plates other than this program. And thus, I learned to be more empathetic, more mindful of everyone’s circumstances. I learned to take in people’s comment and constructive criticism to work towards the final goal.

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Workshop

• Work closely with the supervisors ​to arrive at a detailed schedule ​for the workshop
  
• Work closely with the group ​leaders to develop the content for ​the workshop
  
• Monitor and oversee the progress ​of content developing, ensuring ​the content are completed in time
  
• Coordinated and orchestrate the ​workshop, ensuring that the ​operation go smoothly
  
• Prepare the content for the ​sections: Drawbacks & Solutions + ​Conclusion & Directions for future ​reserach
  
• Revise the slides and add ​illustrations for the contents
  
• Present the last two sections in ​the workshop
  

• Contribute ideas in group ​discussion
  
• Write lesson plan
  
• Proofread, edit, and format ​the lesson plan
  
• Design and proofread the ​slides
  
• Teach 13 minutes of the ​Speaking section of the ​lesson
  

Seminar

• Work closely with the supervisors to ​arrive at a detailed schedule for the ​seminar
  
• Conduct pre-event logistics and venue ​research and make timely adjustments ​to the schedule and content
  
• Work closely with the group leaders to ​develop the content for the seminar
  
• Monitor and oversee the progress of ​content developing, ensuring the ​content are completed in time
  
• Coordinate and orchestrate the seminar, ​ensuring that the operation go smoothly
  
• Prepare content for the “Vocabulary ​Learning Strategies” section of the ​seminar
  
• Contribute ideas in group discussions ​and suggest the outline for the ​presentation
  

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The first thing that comes to my mind about the practicum ​program is the opportunity to work with a dedicated ​supervisor and wonderful teammates. Collaborating with ​these people made my experience truly meaningful and ​fulfilling. There were numerous changes in behaviors and ​perceptions about teaching and learning, but most of them ​seemed to be in a positive direction.

Firstly, I learned a valuable lesson of acknowledging ​imperfections, staying strong through hardship and always ​preparing for the worst scenario. One memorable incident ​was when I had a health issue right before the workshop. I felt ​unwell and vomited just 10 minutes before the starting time. I ​almost gave up, but I told myself to get through because my ​teammates were counting on me.

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In the end, I managed to finish my part but this ​experience taught me the importance of taking care of ​my health and being prepared for any situation. To be ​honest, when my teammate and I prepared for the ​presentation, we just focused on our individual parts. ​We should have reviewed the other’s sections, too, so ​that if anything happened, we could step in and handle ​the situation. Additionally, although the program ended ​successfully, we realized there were many areas for ​improvement. However, these shortcomings gave us ​valuable experience in event planning and teamwork, ​and I should be more open to accept the imperfections.

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Through the microteaching session, I also learned the importance of ​careful planning and practice from both my performance and that of ​my peers. As most of us exceeded the allotted time, I realized that ​allowing extra time for unexpected situations and real-time interaction ​is a must. Additionally, I also learned the value of adaptability and ​cultural mindfulness. After observing the classes and knowing about the ​learning styles of the students, our group had to quickly adjust the ​lesson plans to create a more relatable lesson and ensure that all ​students could comprehend the lesson. I learned from my teammates ​the lesson of always putting ourselves in the students’ shoes and trying ​to foster a supportive classroom environment.