Language Choice in EFL Classrooms: A Case Study on Students' Perspective

Abstract

This study examines students’ comprehension of lecturers’ English (L2) and their preference as well as perception on the use of Vietnamese (L1) in EFL classes. Data was collected from questionnaires and focus-group interview with students. Data analysis revealed that students’ English comprehension level was relatively low while the majority of them had a positive attitude toward lecturers’ classroom English speaking. Meanwhile, findings show that a majority of students were motivated to listen to lecturers’ English, which was found to be contradicted to the general belief about non-English major students’ English learning motivation. The students perceived two main factors which influenced their comprehension of lecturers’ English speaking and their learning motivation. Those factors are divided into lecturer-related and student-related. Among those, student-related factors including students’ English vocabulary, strategies in listening to English, and listening practice were believed to be the most influential.