Sociolinguistic analysis

Language in Social Context G (11383)

Vietnam Period 1 2021

UC3 - U3230366 - TRAN MY LINH

Professor Van Canh LE

April 5, 2021

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 1

 INTRODUCTION

Social problems affecting the perception and use of language have been prevalent for

a long time and have been studied by many scholars. In particular, in the field of edu-

cation, language is one of the destinations. How socio-linguistic research affects peo-

ple's use of language has a direct impact on language classes. In this article, the author,

a teacher of English as a second language, will discuss two main issues related to stu-

dents' language behaviour based on socio-linguistic studies. The phenomenon of

code-switching in the classroom and the student's gender has an impact on learning.

This group of students all share their native language, Vietnamese, and are at primary

school age. In Vietnam, English is being learned as a second language and becomes a

compulsory subject for all elementary and high school levels. Simultaneously, English

is also used in the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training's critical transfer

exams. The author cannot doubt the importance of learning the English language, and

therefore this target group is well suited to be chosen for this paper to discuss how

they adapt and use this second language under socio-linguistic perspective.

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 2

According to Holmes and Wilson (2017), “the relationship between language and soci-

ety must be explained in different contexts”. From this analysis’s author’s personal

view, not only sociolinguists can recognise the meaning of language usage, but Eng-

lish teachers also need to understand and analyse those differences to support their ca-

reers and better understand their students’ behaviours in English language acquisi-

tions. As a bilingual language teacher (Vietnamese and English, to be more specific),

the author has observed many situations in which students use their first languages

and foreign languages depending on their knowledge and their target in a particular

social context. In order to identify how the access and the use of the English language

affect learners’ behaviours and studies, a group of students is chosen, with the re-

quirement that they share the same language and may have a similar background of

education. In such an analysis, this type of subject is called a socio-linguistic group,

or a speech community - “a group of people sharing a common language or dialect”

(“Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages”, 2021). 

The speech community in this analysis is a group of primary students who are partici-

pating in a private English class in Hanoi, Vietnam. They are from 9 to 10 years old,

equivalent to grade 4-5 at their schools. There are 17 students, including seven female

students and ten male students. All of the group members are Vietnamese and cur-

rently living in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, which is believed to be one of the big

cities offering the country’s highest education quality. 

The students share the same mother tongue Vietnamese, and the English language is

their compulsory subject at school.

Taking part in this English class is one way these students can fulfil their target: build-

ing up a firm basis of vocabulary ranges and grammatical usage and test preparation.

The objectives of this class are:

• Students can use English without difficulties in a daily life context, which in-

cludes listening, reading, speaking and writing skills;

• Students can expand their vocabulary ranges to the level A2 (CEFR);

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 3

 • Students can apply correct grammatical structures in communicative English

and academic tests;

• Students can take educational entrance examinations to several reputed schools

such as Foreign Language Specialized Schools or schools with Cambridge in-

ternational curricula. Therefore, this English class curriculum focuses on the

four English skills, and the test-prep combined the grammar-based MOET

exam and Cambridge Assessment (e.g. A2 Flyers or A2 Key for schools).

Although the members of this group share the same target, their educational back-

grounds quite vary. Some of them come from state schools (e.g. Ba Trieu Primary

School, Le Van Tam Primary School), while the others are from international private

schools (e.g. Vinschool Elementary School, Wellspring Bilingual School, British Viet-

namese International School). This is what creates the differences in their English lan-

guage learning.

Having been observed for over six months, the students have exposed their character-

istics through daily communication and in-class performance in this ELT classroom.

The most notable difference is their English competence, which significantly depends

on how they are exposed to English lessons at school. According to The Ministry of

Education and Training (MOET) - the governmental body in charge of foreign lan-

guage education and policies (Tran & Tanemura, 2020), English at the primary level is

allocated four periods/week (180 minutes in total). The curriculum uses communica-

tion competency as a goal and language knowledge as a means to form communica-

tion skills. After completing primary school, students can communicate in English

through the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, of which two skills

are given priority in listening and speaking. In addition, students hold basic and mini-

mum knowledge of English, including phonetics, vocabulary, and grammar. Through

English, there is an initial understanding of the country, people, and culture of Eng-

lish-speaking countries and other countries worldwide (“Cải thiện chất lượng dạy và

học tiếng Anh cấp tiểu học.”, 2021). Meanwhile, at international schools, for the stan-

dard system, students have 12 periods/week for ESL (based on Cambridge curricu-

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 4

lum), of which 50% of the time studying with English native teachers. On the other

hand, the advanced system students study all subjects (ESL, Math, Science, ICT,

Global perspective) in English with English native teachers (“Tổng quan về chương

trình Tiếng Anh Vinschool năm học 2018 – 2019”, 2021). The amount of time these stu-

dents have for English is much more than those in state schools; therefore, they are

more competent with instructions given in English and the works required using Eng-

lish because they use this language all the time. However, in state schools, students

may not be familiar with this English usage since they do not have much time for

learning the language. Besides, the bilingual teachers can take advantage of their

shared mother tongue, and if a lesson is taught, the first language (Vietnamese) is pre-

ferred to be used as an effective communication tool in order for the students to have a

better understanding of their target language (English). So far, no national policy spec-

ifies which language should be the medium of instruction in English classrooms in

Vietnam (Tran & Tanemura, 2020). A number of studies have shown that “both Eng-

lish and Vietnamese can be used in English classes in Vietnam, and code-switching be-

tween the two languages is popular in these classes” (Canh, 2014). The bilingual ap-

proach somehow can facilitate the teaching and learning of general English in Viet-

nam, serving “a number of pedagogic functions such as explaining new words and

grammatical rules, giving feedback, checking comprehension, making a comparison

between English and Vietnamese, establishing a good rapport between teachers and

students, creating a friendly classroom atmosphere and supporting group dynamics”

(Nguyen, Grainger & Carey, 2016). In the author’s classroom, code-switching is a com-

mon phenomenon because of the mentioned purposes.

Code-switching has been defined with the term “code” “regarded as a verbal compo-

nent which can be a morpheme, a word, a phrase, a clause or the entire system of lan-

guage” (Nguyen, Grainger & Carey, 2016). In the educational context of Vietnam, the

“code” deals with the first language (Vietnamese) and the target language (English).

The term “code-switching” refers to “the juxtaposition within the same speech ex-

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 5

change of passages of speech belonging to two different grammatical systems or sub-

systems” (Nguyen, Grainger & Carey, 2016).

The way this phenomenon occurring in an educational context, to be more specific, the

author’s English class, bases on its functions in the classroom. With the aforemen-

tioned target of this English class, the advantages of code-switching can be clarified.

The objectives are “students can expand their vocabulary ranges to the level A2

(CEFR)”, and “students can apply correct grammatical structures in communicative

English and academic tests”. At the current level of the primary students, it is difficult

for them to learn and understand the knowledge in English, let alone their English lis-

tening skills are inadequate. Therefore, apart from using English to explain, the

teacher sometimes has to code-switch and use Vietnamese to give the definitions of

abstract words. For example, some words such as “motivation” or “decision” need to

be explained their meanings in the first language and given examples for the students

to remember and understand them. This is an example of an explanation about how

the teacher deals with this when teaching:

Students, we have a new word here: “decision”. Do you know the word “decide”? “decide”

means “ra quyết định làm gì” [to think carefully about the different possibilities that are available and

choose one of them] and “decision” is the noun of this verb, which means “quyết định” [a choice that

you make after thinking and talking about what is the best thing to do] (then the teacher gives examples

of the two words).

In addition, when it comes to grammar structures such as “reported speech” or

“modal verbs”, explaining the rules in Vietnamese is essential. Sometimes, these rules

are difficult to understand if the teacher only uses the target language to explain. For

instance, when the teacher teaches the usage of modal verbs in the past, sometimes the

distinction between these is quite vague so that the teacher has to find a way to clarify

in their mother tongue:

Students, if you want to use modal verbs in the past, you can change their forms (can - could,

shall - should, may - might). However, there is another form of these modal verbs that go with bare per-

fect infinitive such as “could have done” which means “đã có thể làm gì” [expressing ability in past hy-

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 6

pothetical situations, somehow even showing regrets] or “must have done” which means “ắt hẳn đã

làm gì” [expressing the highest certainty about the past].

The teacher even needs to use the first language to give feedback or to compare be-

tween English and Vietnamese whenever teaching any skills. For example, when stu-

dents learn speaking or how to give a successful presentation, there are some details

that students should pay attention to, such as the comprehensiveness of the talk, eye

contact or body language. In these situations, the teacher can use Vietnamese to facili-

tate and make sure the students get the idea more quickly and effectively. 

In short, code-switching can be used in the classroom to enhance students’ English

proficiency. According to Nguyen, Grainger & Carey (2016), first language use facili-

tates second language learning, and students feel more fluent in learning than they do

in English. In this classroom, students also make progress in expanding their vocabu-

lary range. Moreover, they can remember, understand and apply the grammatical

rules when learning. Even the students who come from international school cannot to-

tally understand all the abstract knowledge without an explanation in their mother

tongue. Therefore, code-switching is considered an effective and important educa-

tional tool to satisfy teachers’ and learners’ needs, especially in the context of Vietnam.

Another issue the author would like to discuss in this paper is the users’ gender affects

their language choice in some ways. In this class, there are 17 students, including

seven female students and ten male students. The students are learnt about the appro-

priate expressions in the class, such as “May I go out?” or “Teacher, I finished” (when-

ever they have a task). However, it reflects when it comes to their individual work in

writing and speaking skills, which they have to produce language expressions of their

own. Let’s look at an example:

In their end-term test, the students are required to write a note (about 25-35 words).

The item is taken from the A2 Ket for schools test.

You are going to paint your bedroom. Your friend Robbie is going to help you.

Write a note to Robbie.

What colour paint you are going to use,

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 7

 what time you will start,

what clothes to wear.

The author chooses two of the notes, one from a male student and one from a female

student:

[1] Hi Robbie

Next week you will go to my house to paint my bedroom. We will paint it blue.

Also, we will start at 9:00 am on Monday next week. Remember to wear your

old clothes or your raincoat.

From Quoc Truong

(42 words)

[2] Hello Robbie!

Thank you for helping me to paint my bedroom. So you know my favourite

colours are white and black but I like black the best so we are gonna paint it

black. So we will start at 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock please? Because at 6 o’clock and

7 o’clock I’m kind of busy… So, we can’t wear the white colour because it’s

gonna be dirty after we finish. We’re gonna wear black if you have or wear the

dark colour if you want :)

Bye for now!

Avocado (Vy)

(91 words)

It can be easily seen that the male student’s writing is straightforward to the require-

ments. He just provided the exact information required and gave no additional de-

tails. Meanwhile, the female student’s writing is much longer, doubled as the male

student’s. She also added reasons before giving answers, transition words and even

emoticons to express her feelings when writing this note, somehow making the note

not as clear as the former.  

Through exercises like this, the author can clearly see the difference when using the

language of male students and female students. Female students express more than

boys when there is a problem or when they need to make a decision. Male students

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 8

will talk directly to the problem. The female student approaches the problem more in-

directly and seeks compromise. This factor also affects the student’s scores. In this

class, female students’ English writing scores are usually higher than male students.

When working on individual tasks, female students often complete theirs more care-

fully and attentively. They also tend to be more likely to develop ideas than male stu-

dents. Still, the author holds the opinion that gender plays no major role in learning

English. Some male students in the class also show their excellent competence in

learning and their flexibility when it comes to diverse class activities. Such examples

are to support the socio-linguistic finding on how gender affects the way language

users use the target language.

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 9

 CONCLUSION

In short, the application of language in the classroom is something that every teacher

is interested in, especially after learning more from the socio-linguistic perspective. In

a second language class, specifically English, Vietnamese students and teachers need

to find the most effective way to approach the language in which code-switching has

been taken advantage of. The phenomenon of code-switching is considerably common

in second language classes, accompanied by practical effects for both teacher teaching

and student learning. From bilingual activities, teachers can better manage the class,

help students obtain the second language more actively and confidently, and build

good language relationships between their mother tongue and a second language to

avoid forgetting to use their native language.

When learning about gender aspects related to how students learn, teachers should

also draw out practical approaches when giving feedback to students so that teachers

can develop flexible methods and activities for students so that students can acquire

knowledge and correct mistakes regardless of gender. After all, as a teacher, the re-

search author on socio-linguistic is also to assist students thoroughly.

LANGUAGE IN SOCIAL CONTEXT G (11383) 10

 REFERENCES

[1] Canh, L. V. (2014). Codeswitching in universities in Vietnam and Indonesia. In R.

Barnard & J. McLellan (eds.), Code-switching in university English-medium classes: Asian
perspectives . Bristol, UK: Multingual Matters, 118-131.

[2] Cải thiện chất lượng dạy và học tiếng Anh cấp tiểu học. (2021). Retrieved 4 April
2021, from https://nhandan.com.vn/tin-tuc-giao-duc/cai-thien-chat-luong-day-va-
hoc-tieng-anh-cap-tieu-hoc-357174

[3] Holmes, J., & Wilson, N. (2017). Chapter 2. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics.

[4] Nguyen, N. T., Grainger, P., & Carey, M. (2016). Code-switching in english lan-
guage education: Voices from vietnam. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(7),
1333-1340. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/10.17507/tpls.0607.01

[5] Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages. (2021). Retrieved 4
April 2021, from https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

[6] Tran, P., & Tanemura, K. (2020). English in Vietnam. World Englishes, 39(3), 528-
541. doi: 10.1111/weng.12489

[7] Tổng quan về chương trình Tiếng Anh Vinschool năm học 2018 – 2019. (2021).
Retrieved 5 April 2021, from https://vinschool.edu.vn/parent/tong-quan-ve-chuong-
trinh-tieng-anh-vinschool-nam-hoc-2018-2019/

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