Non-English major undergraduates’ beliefs about English proficiency standardization

• Main Author: Nguyễn, Diệu Linh
• Other Authors: Lê, Văn Canh
• Format: Theses
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Chính sách giáo dục ; Phương pháp giảng dạy ; Tiếng Anh; 428
• Online Access: http://repository.vnu.edu.vn/handle/VNU_123/69835
• Institution: Vietnam National University, Hanoi

The recent foreign language education policyin Vietnam regardingEnglish proficiency standardization hasled to heated debatesfrom all stakeholders about its effectiveness and appropriateness since its first launch in 2014. However, there has been lack of empirical research into beliefs and understandings of students, who are most affected by the policies, about the English standards for graduation.The study was thus conducted in an attempt to bridge this gap in the literature. The aim of the research was to examine undergraduates’understandings and judgements on the current education policies of standardization of English proficiency to university students in Vietnam. A survey using questionnaires was carried out with the participation of 122 university undergraduates. The data collected from the students’ responses were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the questionnaire data revealed students’ great confidence in their possibility of achieving the university outcome standards. They were also found to possess sufficiently positive beliefs and strong approval to the required English proficiency level and the process of standardizing English proficiency in Vietnam. However, English proficiency standardization is still problematic. Besides various beneficial facets of the CEFR-V implementation, this study raised some critical problems and challenges that policymakers and language teachers need to face with and overcome to improve students’ performances, and more importantly, to make the English proficiency policy more practical and suitable. Through the findings, the indispensable role of teachers as an assistant, a companion of the students in their language learning journey was also highlighted. Finally, some suggested solutions and implications were made to inform policymakers, educators and teachers of necessary changes to better the foreign language policy and maximize students’ learning performances.