1. Data Collection & Analysis Methods Suggestion for Further Study
A Case study of How English- language Warm-up Activities may Enhance Vietnamese Pupils’ Culture Literacy
Pham Dieu Linh1, Nguyen Hanh Đao2 1 Son La primary school, 2 Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, MA
Abstract
Conceptual Framework
Data Collection & Analysis Methods
Findings
CL is the ability to analyze and understand a particular society or culture and culturally literate persons can talk smoothly and understand native cultures (Hirsch, 1988).
Children under 10 seem to develop native-like proficiency with optimal openness to other cultural experiences (Pearson, 2009)
Culture-based WU activities motivate YLs and upgrade their linguistic and communicative skills (Mingguang, 1999; Yakup, et al., 2013)
By providing culturally learning materials to engage the pupils in real cultural experience
Films, news, television shows, newspapers, printed matters
By activating the pupils’ background knowledge on culture and other aspects through questions
E.g: Teacher asked questions about stress in English and Vietnamese.
 Pupils compared and identified differences between two languages.
The study is the investigation of warm-up activities used in the English classroom to
enhance cultural literacy for young learners at 4B class, Viet Long primary school.
The main objective of this study is to change English teacher's awareness of cultural
literacy to children and the role of warm-up activities in the process of strengthening
this competence. Moreover, the research aims to explore which warm-up activities
could enhance cultural literacy for the pupils and how to enhance this competence in the
most effective way.
In order to meet these objectives, the research applied qualitative approach in the form
of exploratory case study. Semi-structured, non-participant observation is the major data
collection method. After two weeks of observation in the classroom, we started to
interview the English teacher about her class-related information, especially her
acknowledge of cultural literacy and the way she often implemented warm-up step.
Then, some suggestions about the kinds of warm-up activities to enhance cultural
literacy for the youth such as using songs, chants, in-text pictures, questions were
pointed out to her with a positive hope. The experiment of observation continued in 6
lessons later. At the end of each lesson, there are 3 class members participating in a
quick test in order to check the real effectiveness of the warm-up activities in enhancing
cultural literacy. Teacher's feeling when she applied cultural-based warm-up activities
for students was reflected in another interview in the end.
The study used theme-based coding method to analyze data. As a result, research
questions were answered according to themes in turn.
Data Collection
Semi-structured non-participant observation
(Researchers)
Realize and add new issues to the study
Not participate directly
Non- participant Observation Protocol
(Liu & Maitlis 2010)
Non- participant Observation Protocol
(Liu & Maitlis 2010)
Conducting descriptive observation
Focusing on students' reflections
Quick test
Research Methodology
Exploratory case study
- 3 features:
1 of 3 main types of case study
Generation of research questions
Six-step procedure
(Yin, 2009; Case Study Module, 2007; Soy, 1997)
Six-step Procedure
Step I: identifying problems:
Pre- observation interview
Non- participant observations ( No.1+2)
Literature review
Time schedule and teaching regulations
 2 emerging research questions
Step II : Selecting cases, determining data gathering and analysis techniques
 Teacher as a case
 Non-participant observation
 Theme-based coding
Step V: Evaluating and analyzing data
Identifying themes by coding (Stufflebeam & Zhang, 2017)
 Findings (answering 2 research questions)
Teacher as a Case
A typical rural Vietnamese teaching context
BA. degree of English language teaching
3 years’ teaching experience
Senses of responsibility and life-long learning
Plans to enhance language proficiency and teaching capacity
Data Analysis Method
Theme-based coding (Creswell, 2007, as cited in Creswell 2014)
Theme 1
Theme 2
Implications
For teacher
Learn about their culture
Find out WU activities related to culture before teaching students
For researcher
Be flexible with different types of research
Findings
Theme 1
RQ 1: What activities could improve the Vietnamese pupils’ cultural literacy?
3 major characteristics: Funny, cultural-oriented and time-efficient  Raising questions, songs, videos, in-text pictures E.g: Observation No.7, schoolyard & flamboyants
Theme 2
Research Objectives
Suggestion for Further Study
To recommend warm-up (WU) activities that improve ELT young learners’ cultural literacy.
To investigate how those activities can promote young learners’ cultural literacy (CL).
CL should be embeded into lesson contents.
Researchers should collect more data through observation and other collection methods.
Research Setting
References
School
Class
Syllabus
Viet Long primary school (rural region)
24 basically-equipped classes
Observed class:
32 pupils at grade 4
mixed English levels
middle-class family background
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. In Applied Social Research Methods (4 Ed.). SAGE. Retrieved May 1, 2017, from
Soy, S. K. (1997). The case study as a research method. University of Texas at Austin,1. Retrieved from
Peterson, E. & Coltrane, B. (2003, December). Culture in Second Language Teaching. Digests. Retrieved March 24, 2017 fromhttp:// pdfs/0309peterson.pdf
Mingguang, Y. (1999). Warm-Up Activities. Eric. Retrieved : May 2, 2017
Hirsch, E. (1988). Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Retrieved from American-Needs/dp/
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Retrieved April 30, 2017
RQ 2: How may warm-up activities enhance Vietnamese pupils’ cultural literacy?
Providing culturally learning materials could engage the pupils in real cultural experience
Activating the pupils’ background knowledge on culture and other aspects
Tieng Anh 4 course: 35 weeks, 2 less/week
Tieng Anh 4 textbook outline: 20 topic- based units, 4 reviews
Curriculum outcome:
Level 1 (KNLNNVN, 2013) equivalent to A1 (CEFR)