Students attitudes towards pair work in a Vietnamese university

Abstract

There has been an increased interest to teachers and practitioners in using pair work in language learning and teaching. Several studies have stressed its impact on students’ speaking for communicative purposes with regard to the use of English. However, research into students’ attitudes of pair work in speaking is limited in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam. This paper therefore examines students’ attitudes towards this type of productive instruction at a college of tourism in Can Tho City. Participants in this study were one-hundred twenty-six students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. The findings of this study reveal that pair work activities in speaking lessons brought students interest and confidence. Implications for practical applications of pair work are also presented.