Speaker
Description
The present study aims to examine the in-and-out-of-school use of English by first-year Vietnamese university students during their preparatory English program in a non-English-speaking environment. The study sample consisted of 50 lower-intermediate EFL learners at the outset of the program, corresponding to levels A2-B1 on the CEFR scale. In the Vietnamese context, speaking English inside the classroom is considered essential to improve speaking skills, while outside-school real-life use is limited, especially for young university students. This study also sought to examine the relationship between in-class speaking and out-of-school English use.
The study employed the explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design. Quantitative data collection methods were employed to address the research questions, including the administration of a structured questionnaire to assess the frequency of English-speaking among the study sample members. Additionally, open-ended questions were used to gain more insights into the study sample members' out-of-school use of English. Quantitative data were analyzed through statistical methods, while qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis.
The findings indicate that the study sample members spoke more English inside the classroom than outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, the study sample members spoke English mainly through structured activities, such as answering teachers' questions, discussing in pairs or groups, etc. On the other hand, the study sample members rarely used English outside the classroom to communicate in real-life situations. The constraints on the study sample members' out-of-school use of English were low confidence, fear of making mistakes, and limited opportunities to engage in real-life communication in English.
