Engagement in oral production

Abstract

Interaction is recognised as an important contributor to language learning but in many classrooms opportunities to interact meaningfully are limited. This situation can be addressed when teachers make decisions about adapting the materials they are working with. The result is likely to be learners who are more engaged in multiple ways and who therefore learn more effectively. This article reports on a two-phase investigation of English language learning in Grade 5 classes in Vietnam. In the first phase, twenty-one classes were observed to form an understanding of standard practices in these classes. In the second phase, a small, replicable adaptation of coursebook material was made and implemented with an intervention class for one semester. Three dimensions of engagement were investigated, and on each learners in the intervention class were considerably more engaged than in the comparison class, or in the first phase classes. This study demonstrates what it is possible to achieve through a small coursebook innovation.