I Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this interview.

So I'm currently
conducting an interview about teachers' perceptions and practices in using task-based
language teaching to teach grammar. So the purpose of this interview is to explore or gain
more insights about Vietnamese teachers' perception and classroom practice of using
task-based language teaching to teach grammar in a private English center. So this
recording will only be used for the research purpose and all the information you share
will be kept confidential and you can skip any questions you do not feel comfortable with
and you also have the right to withdraw at any time. All right, let's get started.

So how long have you been teaching English?

L I think it should be about six years, yes. I mainly teach university students and high
school students and I think that I spend more time teaching in the English center,
focusing on IELTS, preparing students for the IELTS examination and sometimes I also
take part in some classes, like extra classrooms to support students in their high school
and secondary school curriculum.

I So besides teaching IELTS, do you teach any other aspect of English like general
English or something like that?

L Yeah, just mainly IELTS and sometimes I may have some classes where I teach
TOEIC but it's quite small, just one class.

I Okay, so since the focus of this interview is about the task-based language teaching
method, so how do you know about this task-based language teaching method? Like from
what kind of resources? Like you read or from the self-reading or from any workshops or
any trainings? Can you share with me? How you know about this approach?

L Uh I first, I first knew about the term TBLT when I was a student at university because
my major is ELT, English language teaching. Uh But at that time I just understood
something like okay, task-based means you give students a task, they complete it instead
of giving them a presentation or explanation, just giving tasks and giving them the
answer or comment. And after that I also, I am doing a master's degree where I
understood more about TBLT and I also joined a workshop of an expert. I don't know, I
don't remember his name but he talks about TBLT and he even, how can I say, like he
helped us to practice a TBLT task and I understood more about how to conduct TBLT in
the classroom.

I So how would you define a task or and how do you understand TBLT? Like what are
some key features of a task in TBLT?

L What I remember most about a task is it must have a clear outcome for students and
they have to conduct something like communication or conversation in real life and they

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have to understand each other. I mean that students must deliver meanings clearly to each
other so they successfully complete the task. So these are the criteria for a successful task
that I remember.

I So you mean that all tasks should have a meaning focus, that's what you mean?

L Yeah, I don't remember how to say it but I think that's it.

I So what are some like stages in a TBLT lessons do you normally conduct? Can you
share with me in the TBLT lesson?

L Normally I don't use TBLT in my classrooms because I just focus on building my

students' strategies to take the exams but since I knew something important about TBLT
that it can boost students' ability to speak or write, I think so. So I apply it more and I just
apply some basic structure of a lesson based on TBLT. First, I ‘ll introduce the task to the
student. Maybe I give them a problem, something like questions or a writing task and I
require them to do some research on their own to solve the problem and after that I will
have my students present their answer or present their writing to the class and to me and I
will give them some feedback. But sometimes I may also give them a task and I also give
them some structures or vocabulary before I have them practice to solve the task.

I So can you give me a more specific example like how do you conduct a TBLT lessons
in your class? What types of activities do you often conduct in your TBLT class?

L mostly I will have them discuss different questions. They may be asked in their real
life like I taught, maybe something I require them to tell a story. For example, when I
taught my students past tense, I used to start the lesson with a short sentence opening a
story and I had my students working in a team to produce a story continuing and write the
end of the story and the story focused on something that happened in the past. So I think
maybe that's one type of class-based activities I used to have my students do. Other
lessons, one more lesson focusing on wish clauses as I remember. I gave them some
questions like if you were a billionaire, if you were someone, if you were rich, what
would you do? And I want my students to answer or discuss what would they do to
practice the wish clause sentences in their speaking or writing task. And sometimes I may
use TBLT to teach writing but I think it's not quite TBLT because I also give them some
structures and also a task and then I ask them to write about it. So I think that it's not
totally TBLT, it's just integrated TBLT into teaching writing.

I Okay, I want to explore more about the activity that you have a main task like requiring
the students to produce a story. For example, a story happened in the past so that is a
main task, right? So before that main task, what are some activities you require students
to do in the pre-task? Do you have any preparation for students to help them prepare for
producing a story in the past?

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L Normally, my students are university students so they used to learn, I think that they
have learned nearly all grammar points but they forgot these grammar points. So I have a
task in which I gave them a sample. I just told the story on my own first and maybe I will
write some words, some verbs in the past I used to describe my stories. I show them on
the screen for the student to catch up with my story first and to pay attention to the verb.
And after that, I require my students to use the same verb form or I will correct them if
they make the wrong sentence when they produce the language. So I think maybe that's a
kind of preparation like giving them a sample, modeling, reminding them of something I
want them to focus.

I So how about after students will have like, you do modeling or give them a sample
and highlight the verbs that you want the student to focus on like the grammar point in
the pre-task. And then during the task, students will produce their own story. So how
about the post-task, like what are some activities you often do in the post-task?

L Actually, I often give them, after they present their product to me like writing or
speaking, I will give them some feedback, the general feedback about their performance
and also I will remind them of some mistakes they make in the grammar focus point.
Like if they use the wrong tense of verb, I will remind them to focus on some verbs that
have special past form. Yeah, you know, right? Some irregular verbs. Because it's quite
difficult for students to remember or to use them correctly the first time they heard the
verb or they learned the verb. So I think that in the post-task, I will give them feedback
and consolidate their knowledge about the grammar point.

I So can you share with me what type of feedback you often give them in the post-task?
Like can you share with me the way you often deliver, give feedback to students? Yeah,
can you share with me some of the ways that you give feedback to students in the post-
task?

L Yeah, I think it's delayed feedback. Like after they present, I will give them feedback
and I will give them feedback in terms of oral feedback. Yeah, I will speak and I want
them to take note of my comments. So mostly I speak and if I need to focus on something
like structure or vocabulary, I may write them on the board. Yeah, so my students can
pay attention to the mistakes that they often make. So the most important tasks, the most
important features I will write on the board and other mistakes which are minor, I will
speak. Yeah, mostly speaking.

I So in the post-task, you normally focus on the grammatical structure that students
need to focus on, like you focus on the grammar point in the post task

L yeah, yes. So if I teach grammar and I want them to focus on grammar, I will give more
feedback on grammar. But if it's the speaking task, I also and I focus on other things like
vocabulary or pronunciation, I will give them more about that. And if it is a general task,

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like just write something, I will give them comments on each criteria equally. Yeah, so it
depends on the purpose of my lesson.

I All right, so let's talk more about while the students are doing the task. So for example,
when students work in pairs or groups, maybe to produce a story in the past, like what are
you normally doing when they are doing the task? can you share with me more detail
like what the teacher do during the task, during students performing the task?

L Normally when I have students do group work or pair work, I will do the same with
other methods or other ways to teach my students. I will observe the whole class first and
make sure that everyone joins the work. I will approach each team and listen or look at
their work and if I think they make mistakes or they need support, I will give them
support. I think that is the same as other methods. So mostly I observe the whole class
and I will intervene in some teams which need support or need my correction if they
make a lot of mistakes and they nearly fail to complete the task.

I All right, so can you tell me more specifically, you will give support to students if they
struggle with vocabulary or something? what are some general mistakes that they
normally make during the task? Do you provide students with vocabulary support or
grammar support or something else?

L I think it's all kinds of support. I think it's all kinds of support but mainly if they
cannot complete the task, first they may not understand what they are doing. So I have to
remind them of the requirements and I will give them something like the important vocab
and grammar to complete the task. Because if I give them a lot of vocab or a lot of
structures and they are still struggling with language, it's quite difficult for them. So I just
give them support like just some, not many.

I Yeah, okay. So normally in the TBLT lessons in your class, so normally you focus on
grammar more in the post-task, right? Or like because there are some different ways that
teachers often focus on grammar, maybe during the pre-task or post-task, like I just want
to ask for your experience like, If you want to teach students about the grammar point, for
example past simple, let's say, you often like focus on that grammar point in the post-task
like after students completing the task together or you want the students to focus on the
grammar point in the pre-task because you want them to use correctly the exact tense, the
past tense correctly in the pre-task. So what is your normal approach when you teach
grammar like that?

L I think it depends because I use it quite flexibly. If my students are too weak and they
don't know that grammar point or they are really so weak in their grammar, so I will give
them more support like I will give them structure in the pre-task and yeah and if my
students have some knowledge about that and they use that quite okay and they just make
mistakes with the, how can I say, like as I gave you an example about past tense and they

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have some background about past tense, they need to, they know that they have to add ed
after the verb. So I think it's okay to not giving them the structure in the first phase and
move it onto the final phase. Yeah it's like consolidation and not just giving new
knowledge. So if I teach something completely new to my students, I will give them the
structure in the pre-stage.

I Can you tell me an example of something completely new in your teaching context?
Can you give me an example?

L Can you repeat the questions?

I Like you mentioned that if there is some grammar points that are completely new to
your students, you will teach that grammar point in the pre-task, right? So can you give
me an example of what grammar point that you teach in the pre-task, so make sure that
students will know that grammar point so they can confidently use that grammar point in
the main task, right? So can you give me an example of that new grammar point that you
teach?

L I think there's some grammar points which are quite difficult, like relative clauses. But
when I teach relative clauses, it's quite difficult for my students. So maybe I never use
that. As I remember, I used to teach my students inversion by having them analyze an
inversion sentence first. So I don't give them a problem in the first phase immediately. I
also give them a sample sentence in inversion and I have my students to analyze it with
me. And then I just explain some basic rules when using inversion in writing. Like you
have to put the verb or put the auxiliary verb before the subject. So I want you to try
using them in your writing to emphasize something important. So that's what I did and I
remember. But when I came up to a difficult grammar point, I normally use the
presentation practice and production method or procedure instead of using TBLT because
it took quite a lot of time to prepare and to think of ideas.

I So you mentioned that, for example, the relative clause you teach in the pre-task. So
there is such a difficult grammatical point like that, you switch to a PPP model. So there
will be no task for them to complete after that, right? So you just give them some
practice, like some drills or drills exercises like that, so they can practice the form of the
relative clause.

L Yeah, at the end of the lesson, I still have them to complete a task, but they have to
understand the grammar point first and practice in some controlled or guided activities
before they do it on their own. So I think that approach still ensures that students produce
the language at the end of the lesson. I think I use it maybe because I teach IELTS and
what I want my students to do is just complete a task that sometimes does not look like a
real-life task because it's the exam.

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I Mm-hmm. So you mentioned that IELTS, okay, so students learn IELTS for
examination, so you don't use TBLT to teach IELTS learners, right?

L No, I say that I don't usually. Sometimes if I can apply it into my lesson, I try to apply
it because I think that my students can actively join the classrooms more and I mostly, I
normally use TBLT. If I use TBLT, I will use it in my speaking and writing classes.

I So can you share with me a lesson like speaking or writing, like speaking or writing
IELTS lessons that you use TBLT? Can you share with me more like, example of how
you conduct in your class?

L Um, I mostly use TBLT. If I use TBLT, I mostly use it with speaking part two and part
three. Yeah, for part two, they will maybe, it's similar to telling a story. So I think that I
often do, I often did a sample first. I told my own story and I gave them some support
like I write a mind map about my own story and I want them to write the same mind map.
I think it will give them support in terms of ideas and they can easily produce their own
story. Yeah, so doing mind map before speaking can, it's like something like giving them
some vocab, giving them some ideas. Yeah, I think so. So that's a part I mostly do about
speaking part three. What I did is to have my students watch a video, watch a video in
which some people answer interview questions because in part three, it's like an interview
but in the higher level, it's more difficult. So I often have, if I can find a video where
people are interviewed about different topics like education or about social media, I will
have my students watch the video first and then I write down some questions about the
video related to the topic in speaking part three and I want them to discuss about the
video and discuss further about the general topic. So that's what I did most in the
speaking skill and yeah, do you want me to share more about writing? I think I shared too
much.

I Oh, I want to ask more about your activity in speaking part three to let students watch
the video and then ask some related questions about the video and let the student discuss.
So what is the main task after students watch a video?

L They have to discuss the topic in depth. I mean after they watch the video, they have to
answer the questions and show their understanding and also evaluation about a topic or a
problem. Like education in Vietnam, I want them to prepare to assess and evaluate
something. So I think it's maybe also a problem or maybe a task for students and it also
improves not only their language skill but also the way they can express their opinions.

I So the task may be like compare the story or construct a new story based on the video
maybe?

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L With speaking part three, it's not the story. It's like a short presentation or a short
podcast if they have to share their ideas and give their opinions about something. So I
think it's like a podcast or an interview.

I Yeah, like they are making a podcast.

L Yeah.

I Okay, so that is speaking part three. Okay, I want to ask more about the speaking part
two you just shared with me. Like for example, speaking part three is mostly you request
students to tell a story. So firstly, you give the students a sample. You do the sampling
together first and you create a mind map so students can create a similar mind map so
they can learn vocabulary. So that is some activity that you prepare a student for the main
task to produce a story.

So how about the post-task? Like after students have the mind map, have the vocabulary,
they produce a story. And how about the post-task? Can you share with me more about
what you let the student do in the post-task?

L I normally have them make the same story with me and also add a new story. Like if I
require them to talk about their experience in the past which made them feel happy, yeah,
feel happy. I may ask them to make the same story but I want them to speak more than
me. So I may give them one more task. I think it's like to improve their speaking or
improve their use of past tense. If I want them to focus on past tense or something like, I
want them to talk about an event in the past that they felt unhappy about. So it's another
task related to the focus of the lesson and it requires students to do it on their own without
my support. So that's what I also do in my class.

I So how about your writing? Can you share with me just one example of writing
activity that you use TBLT to teach grammar?

L I think that I used it in writing task two. When I give them the question at first and I
require them to discuss and take note some ideas. And I also give my ideas first if my
students cannot share any ideas or it's too difficult for my students. So I will give them
the questions, give some of my ideas or I may, something like I don't know how to say,
but it's like scaffolding their ideas generation or if they give me some ideas I will further
explain it or give example for them to illustrate their points. And that's the thing I
normally do. And then after we discuss the ideas for the task I want them to take note
ideas and I want them to create an essay. If they known the structure of an essay, I will
have them write immediately. But if they haven't known about the structure first I still
give them a question and we give them a sample essay and we together analyze how to
answer the same questions. And then I want them to write their own answer to the
problem, to the question. So that's what I normally do.

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I All right. So to what extent do you think that using TBLT to teach grammar is effective
in your class? does TBLT improve accuracy or enhance your motivation or enhance your
fluency? Any aspect of that? what are your opinions on the effectiveness of TBLT to
teach grammar?

L I think that when I use TBLT what I want my students is to engage actively in the
classroom. So if I focus too much on grammar they may feel bored or they may be
hesitant to speak or write because they are scared that they’ll make a lot of mistakes. So
using TBLT somehow /uhm/ directs my students to something like producing a product
instead of focusing on grammar and use it accurately. Uh I think that TBLT is one
effective way to reduce the anxiety for my students in class. And also in speaking and
writing, the important thing is that they can say something or they can write something
meaningful, so TBLT can help them better in producing language, yeah I think so.

I Uh huh so do you encounter any challenges when using TBLT to teach grammar in your
class?

L Yeah as I’ve mentioned before, I only use TBLT with some grammar points, not all.
Because some grammar points are too difficult for students to understand the structure
immediately, or use it immediately correctly. If they make a lot of mistakes in using these
grammar points, I think that after I consolidate or after I remind them, they still make the
same mistakes. So at that time, it’s quite difficult to fix the mistakes because they get
used to their errors instead of using the grammar point in the correct way. And over time,
this becomes something like permanent mistakes, I dont know how to say that, it has a
term in English but I forgot. One more thing is, maybe, it takes too much time to prepare
because you have to brainstorm something interesting for the students to do. If they think
that the task is not related to them in real life, they don’t have to do it in real life, or they
rarely do it in real life, they may not actively take part in the class. So that’s why I really
care when I choose the task for my students. I want to choose something that draw their
attention but also their participation. And…. Uh huh I think the most difficulty is that I
don't have enough knowledge about TBLT and Im not sure whether I do it correctly or I
violate something like uh hm, the knowledge, uh the foundation, something like, yeah the
theory of TBLT.

I Ok, so you mentioned the difficulties like, uh, some grammar points are difficult to use
TBLT, right? But, If students still want their teachers to use TBLT to teach grammar,
how can you adapt TBLT to teach grammar for such grammar points that’s difficult like
that? Have you ever adapted TBLT to teach grammar in your own way? It’s still TBLT,
but maybe there’s some ways you can adapt? Have you ever adapted TBLT to teach
grammar before?

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L Yeah definitely. I think that, uh, the materials in my center also integrate TBLT
elements. I mean that in the whole lesson the procedure may be pre, while, post. But in
the pre stage or post or while stage, we may incorporate some tasks which is TBLT. Like
in the pre-stage, or post-stage, students may do something like a task in TBLT, but it’s
just the small activity in the whole class in different procedures, not totally TBLT. Yeah.
So I think that integrating TBLT is a more suitable way when you still want students to
have exam strategies but still develop their language skills effectively.

I Uh okay And I want to ask more. Like For example, if a grammatical point like, you
mentioned before, like conditional sentence or relative clauses. It’s a very difficult
grammar to use TBLT to teach. So in that case, do you still want to adapt TBLT? Still
using TBLT but adapt in different ways? Like you teach grammar point in the pre-task or
you switch to PPP model. So what is your suggestions in that case, like for such grammar
points that is so difficult like that, you still want to use TBLT but adapt it a little bit more,
or you switch to PPP model? What is your solution there?

L To be honest, if it is grammar, not other things like vocabulary or something like that,
I will immediately choose the PPP method, because grammar is something that is quite
difficult to use TBLT to teach. Because as I mentioned, I also really wonder, I really
concern about the production or the impact if my students made a lot of mistakes and
when I gave them the correct knowledge, they still made the mistakes because they get
used to it in the previous task. And more thing I’m so scared is that my students practice
the task in confusion. It may because of my instruction which is not clear. But I think
that’s also one of my concerns. I dont know why but Im not confident in using TBLT in
teaching grammar. But I still try to use some, when I have time to prepare and I want to
change the procedure of the lesson so that my students can engage more.

I So do you have any further suggestions for teachers to use TBLT to teach grammar
more effectively? Do you have any further comments or suggestions?

L Uh, as one of the teachers that, is not, how can I say, does not have full or deep
understanding about TBLT, I think that the best approach for teachers is something that
they can follow, like an example, but it should be something basic example. Like I want
to, uh, watch a video in which a teacher teach a grammar point, or something in TBLT.
But it should be some easy, basic activity, not quite difficult, so I can follow them. And
when I familiarize myself with the process, or with the procedure, I can do it on my own
and watch more long, complicated videos in which they use TBLT to conduct more
lessons. So i think that the best approach for teachers is to give them some examples,
some models so they can follow at first. And if they follow, they are more confident that
they follow the same, the correct procedure./uh huh/

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I Thank you for your suggestions. So before using TBLT, we should watch some
modelling of some teachers using TBLT to teach grammar first, so we can have a basic
knowledge about how to conduct a TBLT lesson. Thank you so much! Let me summarize
a little bit. So you use TBLT to teach grammar, so normally you would teach grammar in
a TBLT lesson in the post-task, after students complete the task, then you focus students
on the grammar point later. Uh But when some grammar points are new to students, you
may teach grammar in the pre-task first to make sure the students know that grammatical
point. So it depends on what types of grammar, like the students know or that is new to
them. Am I correct?

L Yes

I Okay Thank you so much for your insightful knowledge about TBLT and how you
conduct TBLT lesson in you class. Thank you so much!

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