USING TECHNOLOGY TO TEACH SPEAKING SKILL ONLINE DURING TIME OF COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN VIETNAM- FACTS AND RECOMMENDATION

Abstract

This paper highlights the findings of a study which was undertaken in the University of Foreign Language Studies, the University of Danang, Vietnam. The participants were 5 teachers aged 35 to 48 at university. This qualitative study aims to explore teachers’ issues and challenges towards the use of technology in online teaching of speaking skills to the students. Data collected from reflection notes and interviews were analysed using Activity Theory (AT).  Activity Theory was employed as the framework for guiding the study to unpack the process owing to the fact that the whole system of Activity Theory would help to uncover the use of technology in the teaching context. From Activity Theory analysis, a variety of issues and challenges that teachers had to handle when using ICT in their teaching of speaking skills were located. These issues and challenges are of different components in the Activity System including Subjects, Tools, Rules, Community and Division of Labour. All of these components are tightly related to one another and affect the whole context of the integration of ICT of the teacher participants. In order to better the situation, the study provided recommendations each field of the component and it could be concluded that so as to successfully integrate technology into online teaching of speaking skills  in particular and in language teaching in general, a whole Activity system must get involved, including the teachers themselves, the courses they are in charge of, and in a broader context the Leaders, including the Rectors, the MOET and relevant authorities.