TRANSCRIPTION – INTERVIEW 2

Interviewee:
Interviewer: Tran Van Doan
Date of Interview: 08.06.20
Location of Interview: via Zoom

[Begin Transcript 00:00:02]

Interviewer: Good morning. My name is Tran Van Doan. Thank you for your participation. My
study aims to examine the effectiveness of group discussion on students’ giving opinion
expressions development. The information of this interview will be collected as one of the
sources of data. This interview involves two parts.

[00:00:26]

Interviewer: The first part is your perceptions of teaching and learning giving opinion
expressions. The second part is to get your opinions and experience on using group discussions
to help students improve their use of opinion expressions in class. There are no right or wrong or
desirable or undesirable answers. I would like you to feel comfortable with saying what you
really think and how you really feel. If it's okay with you, I would like to record our
conversation. The purpose of this is so that I can get all the details, but at the same time be able
to carry on an attentive conversation with you.

[00:01:10]

Interviewer: I assure you that all the comments will remain confidential. I will compile a report
which will contain all teacher's comments without any reference to individuals. So before we
started, please take a few minutes to read and sign a consent form that I have already given to
you.

[00:01:31]

Interviewer: Is it oka-?

Respondent: Okay

Interviewer: Okay
Respondent: Yeah. It’s okay

Interviewer: <uh> Are you ready for the interview?

[00:01:36]

Respondent: Yeah, I'm ready.

[00:01:38]

Interviewer: So how long have you been teaching English?

[00:01:42]

Respondent: Well-l-l, I've been teaching English for about … five years.

[00:01:47]

Interviewer: Mm hm. And what level are you currently in charge of?

[00:01:53]

Respondent: <um> At the moment, I’m in charge of, you know, <um> … children level to adult
level

[00:02:00]

Interviewer: Mm hm. Okay. So the first part is about your perceptions of teaching and learning
giving opinion expressions. How important are giving opinion sequences in learning English?

Respondent: <uh> I think it's quite important because <um> you know, using those ..<uh>.. for-
formulaic sequences, you know, can help students sho- show their opinions clearer.
Interviewer: Mm hm

Respondent: Yeah, can, you know, signal other people <uh> to know. What help them, you
know, what kind of that opinion is?

Interviewer: Mm hm <um>. Can you name some opinion expressions you frequently teach in
your class?

Respondent: <Um> “In my opinion”, <uh> “In my perspective”, “In my point of view”, “In my
viewpoint”,

Interviewer: Yes

Respondent: Yeah, “To me”

[00:02:55]

Interviewer: Yeah. Kind of thing, right? So how do you teach these sequences?

[00:03:00]

Respondent: <uh> You know, I usually show my- I usually, yeah, give my students some, you
know, sample opinions on the board and I ask my students to repeat and then I will lead in, you
know, yeah, lead in giving them some …those phrases, okay, and h- have them repeat, repeat,
repeat, and then I will help them make their own sentences using those, you know, phrases.

[00:03:23]

Respondent: Mm hm. Are there issues arise when students use formulaic sequences in giving
opinion in class?

Interviewer: Yeah, of course, you know, they usually forget, you know, especially for low level,
usually forget yea- usi- using those, you know, <uh> phrases when expressing themselves, yea-
they usually, you know, go straight to the idea and forget, you know, saying, I'm at [my?] point
of view in my opinion.
[00:03:50]

Interviewer: Mm hm. So how do you deal with your studen- students problem in using these
expressions?

[00:03:58]

Respondent: <uh> In those cases, I usually repeat my students opinions and I..yeah, with those
phrases and have them repeat [over?] [it?] [again?]

[00:04:08]

Interviewer: Mm hm. Okay,<uh> so let's move on to the second part, <uh> there’re some
questions about your perspectives on group discussion, developing the use of giving opinion
expressions. So the first question, do you employ group discussions in your class?

[00:04:27]

Respondent: ..Yeah, sure.

[00:04:29]

Interviewer: Mm hm. How often do you include group discussions in your lesson?

[00:04:35]

Respondent: <uh> I usually have my students discuss, you know, the topic <um> at the
beginning of the class, you know, for ,yeah, I usually give them a topic, you know, yeah, and
<uh> have them discuss in groups to show to share their opinions, to show what they feel, how
they think about that topic.

[00:04:52]

Interviewer: Mm hm. So why do you use it?

Respondent: <um> I use it because I want to hear, I want- I want my students to practice, you
know, <uh> say, showing their opinions, expressing themselves before moving on to the lessons.

[00:05:10]

Interviewer: Mm hm. So how do you conduct discussions in your lessons?

Respondent: (pause) How I conduct my discussion in my lesson?

Interviewer: Yeah, so like what are the common difficulties that your students encounter?

Respondent: (pause) <uh> Sometimes, you know, my students haven’t experienced <um>
something in-, yeah, experienced enough in their life, so that's why they find it difficult to show
the opinions and <uh> ye- they don't know, you know, sometimes their language skill is not
good enough to (pause) yeah, to- to- to express what they want to say.

[00:05:50]

Interviewer: Mm hm. So how do you help them expand their vocabulary when they get stuck?

Respondent: <um> (pause) I usually, you know, <uh> let them work in groups with.. good
students, you know what I mean? I will, you know, I will <um> yeah. Let studen- weak students
and good students work in the same groups, for them to help each other first, and then I'll- I’ll
listen to their opinions and I will say out my thinking. All right. And through that, I will show
them some <uh> vocabularies on board for them to take in, take note to the notebook for further
use.

[00:06:28]

Interviewer: Mm. So how do you combine group discussions and these formulaic sequences in
your teaching?

[00:06:39]

Respondent: ..<um> <clear-throat> How I combine?

Interviewer: Yeah

Respondent: Yeah, you know, before- before I assign..<uh> assign <uh> ,you know, a task to
my students, I usually <uh> say that okay, before I will remind them ,“Before you say your
opinions, you have to start with these phrases, okay? And then have them feel free to talk
whatever they want, to do about whatever they want. And I would go around, observe and help if
needed, help anyone who is in need. Yeah.

[00:07:08]

Interviewer: That's good. So the last question, in your opinion, how effective is group
discussion in improving students use of opinion expressions?

[00:07:26]

Respondent: …<uh> I think it's…I think it’s.. cool for them to improve, you know, <uh> those
expressions in group discussion because they can learn from each other, you know, good
students usually, you know, remember, yeah, using those phrases when expressed, you know,
yeah, you know what I mean, right? -when expressing their opinions.

[00:07:45]

Respondent: But which students usually forget and when they say something and they hear
other people sharing, they can learn from that, yeah, they can copy and they learn from that,
yeah, I think- I think that, you know, students can remember better when they learn from their
friends.

Interviewer: Mm.

Respondent: Yeah.

[00:08:01]
Interviewer: Okay. So <smile> anyway, thank you for your cooperation and participation in this
interview. I assure that this interview responses will be kept confidentially and your identity will
stay anonymously. Alr- so thank you anyway.

Respondent: You're welcome.

[End Transcript 00:08:19]