Enhancing Vietnamese Students’ English Language Proficiency and Perspectives: Implementing a Proposed Framework of Integrated Skills Approach

Background/purpose. The integrated skills approach has enhanced students’ English proficiency and classroom engagement, yet challenges persist in its effective implementation. This study examines the impact of a pedagogical framework, based on six fundamental teaching stages, on students’ English proficiency in General English classrooms and explores students' perspectives on participating in integrated skills lessons. Grounded in second language acquisition theory (Krashen, 1982) and the four-strand principles (Nation, 2007), the framework includes six stages: 1) lead-in, 2) meaning-focused input, 3) language-focused learning, 4) meaning-focused output, 5) feedback and assessment, and 6) follow-up activities.

Materials/methods. A quasi-experimental design was used with 90 students divided into control and experimental groups. Forty-five students in the control group participated in isolated skills classes, while forty-five students in the experimental group participated in integrated skills classes following the proposed framework. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests and interviews.

Results. Both groups showed improvement after treatment. However, students in the experimental group (integrated skills) achieved significantly higher post-test scores than those in the control group (isolated skills). Additionally, the integrated skills group demonstrated better overall proficiency and expressed more positive opinions about the lessons compared to the isolated skills group.

Conclusion. This outcome aligns with previous research, demonstrating that integrating skills significantly enhances students' overall language proficiency. However, the results in this study show a higher level of improvement compared to past findings. This highlights the importance of integrating all four skills in General English courses to further boost proficiency and student engagement.

Keywords: Integrated skills approach, pedagogical framework, students’ English proficiency, students’ perspectives, General English classrooms

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