How popular culture as seen through movies and music affectsVietnamese teenagers’ English learning - Tài liệu tham khảo | Đại học Hoa Sen

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HOA SEN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES  PROJECT 1 REPORT Lecturer:
MS. HỒ PHƯƠNG NGUYỆT ÁNH Students:
Nguyễn Hồng Phúc – 2181105
Nguyễn Thị Thúy Quỳnh – 2185657
Nguyễn Ngọc Yến Nhi – 2181370
Đặng Ngọc Phương Linh – 2185807
Topic: How popular culture as seen through movies and music affects
Vietnamese teenagers’ English learning. *** ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to show our deepest appreciation to Ms. Ho Phuong Nguyet Anh,
our study instructor, for her passionate encouragement, for bearing suggestion
during the progress of this research. We would like to extend our genuine
appreciations to Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong for his help in keeping our progress
schedule. My grateful thanks are also extended to Mr. Tran Quang Tien for his
constructive support and recommendations on this investigation. I ABSTRACT
Barriers in the process of study second languages are inevitable with learners.
The limitations of vocabulary, skills, and knowledge are all the obstacles that
students are facing. Therefore, American popular culture could be seen as a
motivational and reliable learning resource for Vietnamese teenagers’ and Hoa
Sen University contexts. This study intends to explore how popular culture,
including music, movies, films, and other types of popular culture products
related to learning purpose, could help learners enhance their performance,
especially English skills. This secondary research study focused on the benefits
and challenges of using mass-product as English learning or teaching tools
toward learners. The results indicated that these methods improved learners’ oral
fluency and language proficiency. It also broadens learners’ horizons about
cultural awareness and offers the essential skills for their upcoming careers.
Consequently, the findings also suggested that English classrooms would be
more effective and motivate if teachers apply these teaching methods (more time
to encounter English music and films) in the curriculum. CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................1 II
1. 1. Topic introduction:............................................................................................................................1
1. 2. The aims of the study project:..........................................................................................................2
1. 3. Research questions:..........................................................................................................................2
1. 4. The significance of the study............................................................................................................2
1. 5. The organization of the report:.........................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................................4
2. 1 Definition of Terms............................................................................................................................4
2. 1. 1 Culture.......................................................................................................................................4
2. 1. 2 Popular Culture..........................................................................................................................5
2.2 Literature Review...............................................................................................................................6
2. 2. 1 Benefits and drawbacks of using popular culture in ELT..........................................................6
2. 2. 2 Popular culture impact on language learning through movies and music.................................7
2. 2. 3 The impact of popular culture on English learning...................................................................9
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY..............................................................................................................14
3. 1. Definition of secondary research....................................................................................................14
3. 2 Characteristics of secondary research..............................................................................................14
3. 3 Justify why to choose secondary research.......................................................................................15
3. 4 Criteria for selecting articles............................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS............................................................................17
4.1. Develop of Skills.............................................................................................................................19
4.2. Develop of Language ......................................................................................................................19
4.3. Cultural Awareness..........................................................................................................................20
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................20
5. 1 Summary of the study......................................................................................................................20
5. 2 Implications of the study.................................................................................................................21
5. 3 Limitations.......................................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................................22 III CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1. 1. Topic introduction:
Society is more and more developed, so language learning is also one factor that
helps people become more competitive to integrate into the international
environment easily. Most studies indicate lessons in English are taken from
products of popular culture through film and music (Viswamohan, 2004; Baoan,
2008), anime (Fukunaga, 2006) or technology (Thornton & Houser, 2004). It is
one of the uncomplicated factors that make up international integration. Some
studies have also pointed out its active public text in classroom use (Cheung,
2001). Therefore, Hoa Sen students use English as a second foreign language
because they listen to and learn lessons that are entirely in English. Since then,
they have been forged a lot, especially speaking skill. We can see that popular
culture, especially through movies and music, has greatly influenced young
people's learning through listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It has
also contributed to giving young people the motivation to spend and be more
interested in learning English. For Hoa Sen students, building knowledge
through popular culture helps students at Hoa Sen University increasingly easily
integrate with the international through the exchange of skills that they learn
from popular culture. We can see that popular culture, especially through movies
and music, has greatly influenced young people's learning through listening,
speaking, reading and writing skills. Thanks to that, it has contributed to giving
young people the motivation to spend and be more interested in learning
English. For Hoa Sen students, building knowledge through popular culture
helps students at Hoa Sen University increasingly easily integrate with the
international by exchanging skills that you learn from popular culture. It helps
students at Hoa Sen University increasingly easily integrate with the
international by exchanging skills that they learned are from popular culture. In
this research, my argument for the significance of popular culture in Hoa Sen students' learning English. 1
1. 2. The aims of the study project:
This project aims to find out evidence and opinions of experts about popular
culture in movies or music affects English speaking skills of university students.
Indeed, American culture through movies and music has provided knowledge
and language diversity. It is especially creating valuable experiences for Hoa Sen
University students. Moreover, American movies and music help Hoa Sen
University students gain a more in-depth insight into the classic and modern
production styles, cinema and symbols of American culture from time to time.
1. 3. Research questions:
1. How does the popular culture in movies and music influence English skills of Hoa Sen University students?
2. Do such influences help improve Hoa Sen university students’ English- speaking skills?
3. Do American music and movies change the way Hoa Sen university students
perceive English in their daily conversation?
1. 4. The significance of the study
According to Kieran Donaghy, music's interest in language learning plays a huge
role in the academic and emotional development of today's teenagers (British
Council, 2014). However, this study will demonstrate the importance of
academic and native English language in American music and movies. Firstly,
the words contained in the song will help to develop language reading
comprehension skills through exercises using lyrics that help students quickly
come into contact with individual sounds, stories, and phrases instead because
the entire text is in English. Secondly, English lyrics often follow a similar
structure, allowing students to focus on the meaning and overall understanding of the song. 2
Besides, learning English through American popular culture, such as films,
music also brings many benefits to young Vietnamese, especially Hoa Sen University students today:
1. Learning English through movies will help practice listening and speaking
skills, and proper pronunciation is an essential skill when learning a foreign language.
2. Learning English through movies will clearly distinguish the difference
between English in schools and native speakers.
3. This solution is a straightforward and highly effective way of learning.
Therefore, this study is significant and contributes many benefits for young
teenagers globally and Hoa Sen university students. Because attracting young
people to apply thinking skills when learning English through movies and music
will help better understand the text and improve language learning by making
English texts their own (Lizzly, 2017).
The century 21 witnesses the spread of popular culture through entertainment,
American music and films have become accessible and available to much more
people. Popular culture influenced heavily on Vietnamese people through a
variety of factors, especially music and film. Popular culture, "includes media
objects, entertainment and leisure, fashion and trends, and linguistic
conventions, among other things" (Dustin Kidd, 2017). The decade 1980s
experienced the first support to the idea of applying “popular culture” in
teaching and learning a language (Cheung, 2001).
Viswamohan (2004), for example, argue that the resources of popular culture,
especially music and movies, can participate in language lessons. Earlier studies
focus more on "using popular culture in teaching and learning English" (Irena
Rets, 2016). In early research, people focus on the way using popular cultural
products to promote L2 knowledge based on learners' interests as well as
providing grammatically accurate and authentic resources for the development
of English communicative ability. For example, Richards (1969) claimed that 3
listening to music could provide children knowledge with new sounds, rhythm
and intonation, grammar structures and vocabulary thanks to its appealing
nature. Our study target is the effect of popular culture, especially movie and
music-based learning style, on the speaking skills of university students,
especially the Hoa Sen university's students.
1. 5. The organization of the report:
This report has five chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction to some background
information on the topic, including the questions and objectives of the research.
Then, Chapter 2 presents an overview of the thoughts, difficulties, and strategies
of experts from around the world to support and supplement the theory for each
research study. The third chapter is a synthesis of research methods and
processes. The fourth chapter is about finding and discussing results-based and
analysis to find out the answers. The summary of this project is about the
influence and comprehension of American cultures through communication tools
to young English learners in Vietnam.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2. 1 Definition of Terms 2. 1. 1 Culture
To define the word “popular culture”, we need to define the word “culture” first.
Different people clarify "culture" in several multifarious ways. Most
anthropologists define “culture” as the broad spectrum of patterns of learned
human behavior. Edward B. Tylor (1871) claims that culture is "… complex
whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." From that
opinion, we could understand that language itself is just a constituent element of
the culture. Because culture is incorporeal and only exists in human minds, it
always changes. Massey (1998) argues that society culture is seen as being
constituted by “certain values, practices, relationships and identifications”.
Raymond Williams (1983) publishes three definitions of “culture”. One of them 4
states that culture is supposed to be “the works and practices of intellectual and
especially artistic activity.” (Raymond Williams, 1983) Culture is seen as texts
and practices whose key purpose is to signify, which call “signified practices”
This definition allows people to think about poetry, novel, music, and so on as examples of culture. 2. 1. 2 Popular Culture
The meaning of the phrase “popular culture” is varied and it depends on the
combination between many different definitions of the term “popular” and
“culture”. Westerhuis (1995) claims that at first, the term “popular”, which was
“popularis” in Latin, was used in legal and political speech with the sense as
“belonging to the people”. According to Raymond Williams (1983), four
definitions of the term “popular” are “inferior kinds of work” (which relate to
“popular literature” and “popular press”), “work deliberately setting out to win
favour” (which relate to “popular journalism” and “popular entertainment”),
“well-liked by many people” (as the principal definition) and “the culture
actually made by people for themselves”. There are numerous ways to describe
“popular culture”. However, the third definition is the general definition for the
term “popular” in “popular culture”. Storey (1993) believes that “popular
culture” can be seen as “left over” after the mass production of the mass-
produced culture. Barker (2012) states that the term “popular culture” is related
to the practices produced by a particular popular audience at present of
consumption. Popular culture is expressed through music, film, the mass media
and so on. Different people define ‘culture’ in different ways. However, the
significant of “popular culture” has transformed over the last 30 years, which
suggests that this term has divergent senses in different decades (Gilbert, 1983).
Moody (2010) declares that there are three main characters seem to be
correlative to most of the interpretations. First of all, “popular culture” is
normally related to the “mass media”. Secondly, popular culture is “consumer-
oriented in nature and frequently encourages consumers to become supporters of
performers, products, or genres”. Last but not least, the globalization
increasingly characterizes popular culture. 5 2.2 Literature Review
2. 2. 1 Benefits and drawbacks of using popular culture in ELT.
In the pedagogic aspect, Cheung (2001) claims that “Popular culture is a rich
source of authentic materials, bridging the gap between formal and informal
English learning, and developing learning based on students’ daily experience,
personal values, attitudes and feelings.” Before that, Rogers (1988) defines the
“authentic materials” in terms of the goals, needs and interest of learners as
‘appropriate’ and ‘qualitative’ and the communication in real life as “natural” in
terms of the aims, targets and interest of learners. Popular culture shows the
learners the connection, the bridge between the lived experiences and the school
knowledge. In other studies, using materials on popular culture was stated as
creating a more student-concentrated environment. It helps the students become
more responsive and active in the education process helps the learners become
more responsive and dynamic in the learning progress (Luo, 2014; Rowsell
et.al., 2015). Additionally, this kind of materials exposes the learners to the up-
to-date and the avant-garde cultural and communal knowledge. Therefore, they
not only boost the curiosity of learners but also let learners announced about the
issues supervening in our community currently. Learning from popular culture
materials also provides students with chances to experience the “authentic
English” because works about popular culture are contemporary and echo
reality, the majority of them are true to life. The accuracy of common culture
resources can not only help students become more self-dependent but also
motivate them to read English materials outclass.
As authentic classroom resources, popular culture involves not only the natural
language which occurs in daily life conversation of the natives but also the
standard English which occurs in newspapers, articles, novels, magazines or
even in the cooking recipes. Nevertheless, it is the fact that there are still some
dissensions about the collaboration between popular culture and the traditional
teaching-learning educational programme. In spite of the fact that there is
affirmative documentation objecting to the declared cognitions as clarified
above, there are still other matters that must be evaluated when applying 6
common culture materials inside language classroom. First of all, the common
culture contents deficiting sympathetic and include the purports related to
brutality or “social taboos” result in hate speech in class, particularly towards the
students with difficult circumstances. The second problem regarding applying
common culture materials in class is the informal language that includes
offensive language. Teachers must select materials that advocate pax, liberality
and veneration as well as concentrating on topics related to the learners’ interests.
2. 2. 2 Popular culture impact on language learning through movies and music
Children's books, music, films, sports, TV shows and social media are typically
included with the popular culture. There are a lot of researchers who conducted
study the importance and the effect of learning English and learning English out-
of-class. Nowadays, the uses of English movies including the English language,
such as free English television programs, online services and social networks,
are being enhanced in the English classroom. Popular cultures play an impactful
role in the students’ improvement of English skills and adaption to a new
learning environment. Chi-Kim Chueng (2016), in particular, he asserted that the
film “Titanic” was a massive success in not only the Westbut also HongKong,
where most young people invaded the imagination universe. All of those seems
to indicate that through their experiences with popular culture students can learn
English. According to research conducted by Seferoğlu, (2008); Florence,
(2009); & Ismaili, (2013), movies as an educational method have also be found
to be an important motivator for language learning. Keene (2006) said that
“movies also educate students by using paralinguistic features in which students
use the characters' movements, pauses, actions and responses to understand the gist of the dialogues”.
According to Chik (2015), Benson and Chan (2010), researchers have drawn the
interest of English-medium popular culture and social media (e.g. video/picture
sharing sites) in globalized digital communities. Most local teenagers and young
adults frequently participate in participatory usage of English by using online 7