4. Interviewing:

a. Definition

A face-to-face encounter between a researcher asking questions and a respondent answering the questions.

b. Types of interview

There are three types of interview: unstructured, semi-structured and structured.

- In the structured interview the participants is free to talk about what he or she considers important. This type of interview can be used for qualitative research.

- Semi-structured interviewing is the most common type of interview used in qualitative research. In this type of interview, the researcher wants to know specific information which can be compared with information gained in other interviews.

- In structured interview, the interviewer asks the participants a series of questions and ticks boxes with their response. Structured interview are used in quantitative research and can be conducted face-to-face or over telephone, sometimes with aid of laptop computers.

c. Methods of recording

If you have decided that interview is the most appropriate method for your research, you need to think about what sort of recording equipment you are going to use. There are two types of recording: using tape recorder and taking notes.

- Using a tape recorder: A suitable tape recorder is one of personal stereo size which uses normal size cassettes and has a built-in microphone. It is useful to take a pen and notepad with you to the interview, even if you intend to use a recorder.

- Taking notes: If you intend to take notes, by yourself a notepad and develop a shorthand style which you will be able to understand later. You should write up all notes into a longer report as soon as possible. You must learn to try and maintain some eye contact while you are writing, and make sure that you nod every now and again to indicate that you are still listening.

d. Establishing rapport

A researcher has to establish rapport before a participant will share personal information. There are a number of ways to do this.

- Treat interviewees with respect.

- Think about your appearance and the expectations of the person you are about interview.

- Think about body language.

- During the interview, firm eye contact with little movement indicates that you are interested in what being said.

- Do not invade their space.

5. Questionnaire

a. Définition

A research method consisting of a series of question for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.

b. Types of questionnaire

There are three basic types of questionnaire: closed-ended, opened-ended and a combination of both.

- Closed-ended questionnaires are the type with which you are most familar.

- Open-ended questionnaires are used in qualitative research. The questionnaires leave a blank section for the respondent to write in an answer.

- Many questionnaires begin with some closed questions, with boxes to tick, and then finish a section of open-questions for more detailedresponse.

6. Typical stages in research

1) Selecting a problem

2) Reviewing the literature on the problem

3) Designing the research

4) Collecting the data

5) Analyzing the data

6) Interpreting the findings and stating conclusions

7) Reporting results.

7. The contents of research proposal (tittle, background/aims and objectives, methodology/methods, timetable, budget and resources, dissemination).

8. Common components of a research paper

A. Preliminary pages

- Title Page

- Acknowledgements

- Abstract

- Table of Contents

- List of Tables and Figure

- Abbreviations

B. Main body (development) of the paper

- Introduction

- Review literature

- Method

- Results

- Discussion

- Conclusion and summary

C. References

D. Appendixes

10. APA style

a. Introduction to APA style/Why use APA style?/How is APA style different from other styles of writing?

b. In-text citations

c. Quottions

To indicate direct quotations of fewer than 40 words, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author, year, and specific page citation in the text, and include a complete reference in the reference list. Punctuation marks, such as periods, commas, and semicolons, should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are part of the quotation but after the parenthetical citation if they are part of your text. For example:

She started, "Students often had difficulty using APA style," (Jones, 1998, p. 1999), but she did not often offer an explanation as to why.

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" p. 199.

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

d. References page

References should begin on a separate page from the text of the essay under the label References, centered at the top of the page. Items on the reference page are listed alphabetically. Begin the first line of a reference at the left margin. All subsequent lines for a reference should be indented one-haft inch.

BOOK

Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Book Title. Location: Publisher.

II. THỰC HÀNH

1. Choose a topic for your research and write research questions.

Example:

Topic: A study on past tense contrast

Research questions/Objectives:

- Similarities and differences between past tenses in use.

- Similarities and differences between past tenses in forms.

2. Choose a topic for your research and analyze your topic (research) with 5 wh-questions.

Example: Topic: Improving your pronunciation skills

What: Improving your English pronunciation skills

Why: The skills are necessary and impotant for communication. The question has significance, is the one that will lead to new problems, is suitable for second year students in FLD, Vinh University.

Who: Secondyear students of K57 answer the questionnaires and take part  ininterview.

Where: The study is conducted in Foreign Language Department, Vinh University

When: The study is carried out from March to the end of May 2018.

3. Writea research proposal.

Example:

Tittle: A study on personal pronouns in English and Vietnamese

Bacground: Write why you have chosen it (how is it significant, suitable, researchable, leads to new question). Demonstrate that you know what you are talking about and that you have khnowledge of the literature surrounding the topic.

Aims and Objectives: Write the aims (to improve my English, to discover similarities and differences in English and Vietnamese culture, ...), write the objectives (subproblems). They must be written clearly.

Methods: How to collect data (questionnaire, interview,...)? Answer the questions: Who?

When? Where? (from Ws).

Time table: Write the detailed timetable answering the questions: What should be done? and when should it be done?

Budget and Resources: Tell about what you will need for your research (materials) and how much this is likely to cost.

4. References

Example:

Author: Lesley Jeffries Book: Meaning in English Year of publication: 1998

Publisher: Macmillan Press Ltd, Hamsphire

Jeffries, L. (1998). Meaning in English. Hamsphire: Macmillan Press Ltd.

2. The five "Ws" questions: What/why/who/where/when

When we start to think about our research project, a useful way of remembering the important questions to ask is to think of the five „W‟s: what, why, who, where, and when.

- What

What is your research? This question needs to be answered as specifically as possible. Research problem should have significance, be one that will lead to new problems and so to further research, must be researchable, should be suitable for the researcher, and be ethically appropriate.

- Why

Thinking about your research project, your should answer the questions: Why do you do the research? What is the purpose?

Your should think very carefully about why you are doing the research as this will affect your topic, the way your conduct the research and the way in which you report the results.

- Who

Who will be your participants? Participants are the people who take part in the research, the people who answer your questionnaire, who take part in your interview.

- Where

Where are you going to conduct your research? Your need think about where about where your will be carrying out your research. It is necessary to answer the question: Would it be safe for you to conduct research? Would you be comfortable doing research?

- When

When are you going to do your research? Thinking about this question will help you to sort out whether the research project you have proposed is possible within your time scale.

Once you have thought about five "Ws‟, try to sum up your proposed project in one sentence. When you have done this, take it to several people, including your lecture, and ask if it makes sense.

3. Research methodologies vs. Research methods

a/ Research Quantitative:

- Purpose(1) To study relationships, cause and effect Developed prior to

- Design(2) Developd prior to study

- Approach(3) Deductive; tests theory

- Tools(4) Uses preselected instruments

- Sample(5) Uses large samples

- Analysis(5) Statistical analysis of numeric data

b/ Qualitative

- Purpose(1) To examine a phenomenon as it is, in rich detail

- Design(2) Flexible, evolves during study

- Approach(3) Inductive; may generate theory

- Tools(4) The researcher is primary data collection tool

- Sample(5) Uses small samples

- Analysis(5) Narrative description and interpretation

 ##RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Topic: A study on improving the speaking English skill for the first year students at Poreign languages department, Vinh university.

1./ Title

A study on improving the speaking English skill for the first year students at Poreign languages department, Vinh university.

2./ Background

A) Rationale

I want to conduct this research because of some reasons. To begin with it, I find out that a variety of the first year students have many difficulties when they speak English. Therefore, I want to suggest some methods and solutions to help them to speak Englỉsh better. Purthermore, I am a fan of speaking English. So, by doing this research, 1 can make a chance to improve my speaking English skill. Pinally, I wanl to make a little contribution lo the quality of teaching speaking English at Poreign languages department, Vinh university.

B) Previous studies related to this research.

There are some researchers have already had invesligation into this topic, such as: Kamonpan (2010), Goh(2007), Koshy (2005)...

3./ Aims and objectives

- Aims: The research is carried out lo improve the quality of studying and teaching speaking English skill for students and teachers at Poreign languages department, Vinh universily.

- Objectives: There are 2 objectives which I wanl to obtain after doing this research. They are:

+ To find out difficulties what the first year studenls al Poreign languages departmenl, Vinh universily encounter when speaking English.

+ To suggest some sollutions to help the first year students at Poreign languages department, Vinh university can speak English beiter.

- Research questions:

+ which problems do the first year students at Poreign languages departmenl, Vinh universily face when speaking English?

+ What are suggestions for the first year students at Poreign ỉanguages departmenl, Vinh universily to improve speaking English skill?

4./ Meứiodology/Method:

a) Methodology: I decide upon quantitative research because it does not take me too much time lo do. Purthermore, I can generate statistics through the use of large-scale survey research. Thereíore, the results of my research will be more objective.

b) Methods: I will use questionnaire to collect the data. And I tend to use bolh open and closed questions for my research.

c) Participants: The people who will take part in my research will be 100 the first year students at Poreign languages department, Vinh university.

5./ Timetable:

I intend lo carry out my research from August, 2018 to Oclober, 2018.

DATE : ACTION

- 10 -20 August : Literature research, Primary research

- 21A- 05 Sep: Develop & pilot questionnaire, Continue lilerature research

- 06-20 Sep: Analyse pilot word and revise questionnaire, Ask relevant people for commenls

- 21-29 Sep: Send out queslionnaire, Categorise returned questionnaires

- 30-10 Oct: Send out reminder letter for non-responses. Continue to categorise returned questionnaires.

- 11-18 Oct: Data input Data analysis

- 19-28 Oct: Write report, Prepare oral presentation

6./Budget and Resources

RESOURCE : CAUSE

- 1 good quality personal recorder: 200.000 dong

- Purchase data, books: 200.000

- Advert in local paper: 25.000

- Stationary - paper, envelopes, scissors, paper clips: 40.000

- Total expenditure: 480.000

7./ Dissemination

In my study, 1 will work with 100 the first year students ai Poreign languages depanmenl, Vinh university to ensure thai robust and actionable recommendation and guidance are generaled. This meets research objective. I will present my research proposal to English learning forums at Vinh university

8./ Questionnaire

1- Do you like leaming English? A.yes B.no

2- In your opinionn, how important is English?

A. Very important B. Quite important

C. Not very important D.. Not important at all

3- What do you think aboul speaking English?

A. Very easy B. Easy

C. Normal D. Difficult E. Very Difficult

4- Do you encounter any difficulties when speaking E? Yes/no

If yes, what are your main problem?

A. Lack vocabs B. Pronouce incorrectly.

C. Don't enough confidence D. Other

5- What are your recommendations for learning and teaching speaking english skill