Original Research Article
PPP in action
Insights from primary EFL lessons in Vietnam
The presentation-practice-production (PPP) approach is used in primary schools in Vietnam to teach speaking skills. However, there is disagreement about the theoretical validity and practical efficacy of PPP (
Ellis, 2018;
Willis & Willis, 2007) and little research evidence for how teachers actually implement PPP and their views of this approach. The current study addresses this gap. Seven teachers from six primary schools in Vietnam were observed teaching 11 PPP speaking lessons and were then interviewed on their experience of teaching the lessons. Analysis of the observation data showed that all seven teachers followed all three phases of the PPP sequence in their lessons. However, they frequently added interactive activities to the presentation phase and adapted production activities to make them more communicative. The teachers held mixed views of PPP: Three spoke positively of its value for lower level classes, another teacher was somewhat neutral while the remaining three teachers were dismissive of it and actively sought to adopt a more communicative approach. Overall, findings from the study reveal limitations of the PPP approach as it is practiced in this context and highlight affordances for making PPP more communicative, including drawing on principles of effective task design.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Literature review
- 2.1The PPP approach
- 2.2Classroom implementation of PPP
- 3.Methodology
- 3.1The context
- 3.2Teacher participants
- 3.3Data collection and analysis
- 4.Results
- 4.1Teachers’ PPP practices and the rationales of their implementation decisions
- 4.1.1Presentation
- 4.1.2Practice
- 4.1.3Production
- 4.2Teachers’ perceptions of the PPP approach
- 5.Discussion
- 6.Conclusions
- Notes
-
References
References (40)
References
Anderson, J. (2017). A potted history of PPP with the help of ELT journal. ELT Journal, 71(2), 218–227.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Anderson, L., & Burns, R. (1989). Research in classrooms: The study of teachers, teaching, and instruction. Oxford: Pergamon Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Borg, S. (2006). Teacher cognition and language education. London: Continuum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Butler, Y. G. (2015). English language education among young learners in East Asian: A review of current research (2004–2014). Language Teaching, 48(3), 303–342. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Byrne, D. (1986). Teaching oral English. Harlow: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cameron, L. (2003). Challenges for ELT from the expansion in teaching children. ELT Journal, 57(2), 105–112. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Carless, D. (2009). Revisiting the TBLT versus P-P-P debate: Voices from Hong Kong. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 191, 49–66.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Choi, T., & Andon, N. (2014). Can a teacher certification scheme change ELT classroom practice? ELT Journal, 68(1), 12–21. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dang, T. C. T., & Seals, C. (2018). An evaluation of primary English textbooks in Vietnam: A sociolinguistic perspective. TESOL Journal, 9(1), 93–113. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
DeKeyser, R. (Ed). (2007). Practice in second language: Perspective from applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
DeKeyser, R. (2010). Practice for second language learning: Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. International journal of English studies, 10(1), 155–165. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
DeKeyser, R., & Criado, R. (2013). Automatization, skill acquisition and practice in second language acquisition. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed). The encyclopaedia of applied linguistics (online) (pp. 1–8). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
DeKeyser, R. (2017). Knowledge and skills in ISLA. In S. Loewen & M. Sato, The Routledge handbook of instructed second language acquisition (pp.15–32). London: Routledge. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dörnyei, Z. (2013). Communicative language teaching in the twenty-first century: The ‘principle communicative approach’. In J. Arnold & T. Murphey (Eds.), Meaningful action: Earl Stevick’s influence on language teaching (pp. 161–171). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ellis, R. (2018). Reflections on task-based language teaching. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ellis, R., & Shintani, N. (2014). Exploring language pedagogy through second language acquisition research. London: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Enever, J. (2016). Primary ELT: Issues and trends. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 353–365). London: Routledge. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
García Mayo, M. P. (2018). Child task-based interaction in EFL settings: Research and challenges. International journal of English studies, 18(2), 119–143. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gass, S., & Mackey, A. (2000). Stimulated recall methodology in second language research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching. Harlow: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hoang, V. V., Nguyen, T. Q., Phan, H., Do, H. N. T., Dao, L. N., & Truong, M. N. T. (2015). Tieng Anh 3,4,5 (English 3, 4, 5) (3rd ed.). Ha Noi: Education Publishing House.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Labov, W. (1972). Some principles of linguistic methodology. Language in Society, 1(1), 97–120. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Littlewood, W. (2007). Communicative and task-based language teaching in East Asian classrooms. Language Teaching, 40(3), 243–249. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Long, M. H. (2015). Second language acquisition and task-based language teaching. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nguyen, H. M. T. (2011). Primary English language education policy in Vietnam: Insights from implementation. Current Issues in Language Planning, 12(2), 225–249. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nguyen, V. G. (2014). Forms or meaning? Teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding task-based language teaching: A Vietnamese case study. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 11(1), 1–36.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nguyen, V. G., Le, C. V., & Barnard, R. (2015). “Old wine in new bottles”: Two case studies of task-based language teaching in Vietnam. In M. Thomas & H. Reinders (Eds.), Contemporary task-based language teaching in Asia (pp. 68–86). London: Bloomsbury.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Norris, J. M., & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness of L2 instruction: A research synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis. Language Learning, 50(3), 417–528. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nunan, D. (2011). Teaching English to young learners. Anaheim, CA: Anaheim University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Pinter, A. (2017). Teaching young language learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Phipps, S., & Borg, S. (2009). Exploring tensions between teachers’ grammar teaching beliefs and practices. System, 371, 380–390. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Skehan, P. (1996). Second language acquisition research and task-based instruction. In J. Willis & D. Willis (eds), Challenge and change in language teaching. Oxford: Heinemann.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Spada, N., & Tomita, Y. (2010). Interactions between type of instruction and type of language feature: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 60(2), 263–308. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Swain, M. (1985). Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. M. Gass & C. G. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition (pp. 235–253). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Willis, D., & Willis, J. (2007). Doing task-based language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (3)
Cited by three other publications
del-Olmo-Ibáñez, María-Teresa, María-Fernanda Medina-Beltrán & José Rovira-Collado
2023.
Perception of Future Spanish Primary Education Teachers on Their Multicultural and Multilingual Competencies and the Sustainability of the Educational System.
Sustainability 15:17
► pp. 13123 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Macalister, John & Le Hong Phuong Thao
2023.
Promoting young EFL learners’ oral production through storytelling: coursebook adaptation in the Vietnamese classroom.
International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 0:0
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Nguyen, Loc Tan & Bui Phu Hung
2021.
Communicative pronunciation teaching: Insights from the Vietnamese tertiary EFL classroom.
System 101
► pp. 102573 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 5 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.