THE APPLICATION OF “BLENDED LEARNING” IN TEACHING ENGLISH SKILLS FOR 1ST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ULIS, VNU)

Abstract

The application of “Blended Learning” in teaching English skills for 1st year English major students at University of Languages and International Studies

In the 21st century, technology has been spreading at a dizzy pace in almost all areas of our life. In educational field, it is claimed that technology should be brought into operation within any subjects, including languages. In the context of teaching and learning English skills at Faculty of English Language Teacher Education (FELTE), University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), the research aims at identifying the acknowledgement and level of application of technology in language teaching at the faculty. The research is hoped to reveal the great influence and multiple benefits of applying technology in teaching and learning English linguistic skills.

By using quantitative data collection methodology, particularly using questionnaires (for 10 teachers and 75 students at FELTE), the researcher has acknowledged that: Firstly, teachers show very positive attitudes towards the application of information technology to their teaching. Most teachers and students who took part in the survey contend that blending technology with traditional teaching methods brings about effective outcome. Secondly, teachers are aware of and getting used to utilizing technology in preparing, delivering lessons and evaluating students. Thirdly, teachers are having difficulties in applying technology to their class, which is caused mostly by the lack of teaching facilities and training programs regarding information communication technology in education.

Keywords: higher education, blended learning, ICT, activity-level, strategy, structure, support