Vietnamese EFL Pre-service Teachers' Understanding of the Concept of Instruction-giving and its roles in foreign language classrooms

Abstract

In English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, instruction-giving is an indispensable part of classroom procedures and determines the quality of a lesson. Consequently, it is of high necessity that EFL pre-service teachers be equipped with fundamental knowledge about instruction-giving. However, research indicated that there might be gap in teacher trainees’ pedagogical knowledge and belief affecting their instructional behaviors. The present study was therefore conducted in order to investigate the understanding of Vietnamese EFL pre-service teachers of the concept and its roles in foreign language classrooms. The study used a quantitative method, employing a survey questionnaire. 106 students majoring in English Teacher Education at a university in Vietnam volunteered to participate. Overall, the results indicated a high level of understanding among students to relevant definitions and characteristics of the concept of instruction-giving. However, a minority of participants displayed misunderstanding of interactive nature of instruction-giving in EFL classroom. Based on the results, the study recommended implications to enhance the quality and relevance of current syllabus at university. Limitations and suggestions for further research were also proposed.