Thực trạng hoạt động, giải pháp nâng cao vai trò, và tính hiệu quả của câu lạc bộ Tiếng Anh trường đại học giao thông vận tải thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

 50 Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, Vol 26, Feb 2018 
THE ACTUAL STATUS OF ENGLISH CLUB AND SOLUTIONS IN 
ENHANCING ITS ROLE AND EFFICIENCY AT HO CHI MINH 
CITY UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT 
THỰC TRẠNG HOẠT ĐỘNG, GIẢI PHÁP NÂNG CAO VAI TRÒ, VÀ TÍNH HIỆU 
QUẢ CỦA CÂU LẠC BỘ TIẾNG ANH TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC GIAO THÔNG VẬN 
TẢI THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH 
Tran Thi Cam Tho 
Department of English –Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport 
Abstract: In the effort to look for new methodologies in order to increase the quality of teaching 
English at Hochiminh City University of Transport, the author realized the irreplaceable role of English 
club in creating an ideal environment to practice and apply the knowledge acquired from the classroom 
curriculum into the daily communication. However, to activate English club’s activities as strongly as 
possible, with the specifically educational orientation, will require the educators to pay a lot of time on 
designing a systematic and reliable out-of-class learning curriculum. To the extent of this article, the 
author tries to address the real situation in holding English club’s activities, then gives some suggested 
solutions to promote its role and influence on teaching and learning English at Hochiminh City 
University of Transport. 
Key words: English club, problems, solutions, University of Transport in HCM City. 
Classification number: 3.3 
Tóm tắt: Trong những nỗ lực tìm kiếm phương thức giảng dạy mới nhằm nâng cao chất lượng 
giảng dạy bộ môn tiếng Anh tại trường Đại học Giao thông vận tải Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, tác giả đã 
nhận ra vai trò không thể thay thế của câu lạc bộ tiếng Anh trong việc tạo ra một môi trường luyện tâp 
và ứng dụng những kiến thức tại lớp vào môi trường giao tiếp thực tế hàng ngày. Nhưng làm sao để kích 
hoạt hoạt động của câu lạc bộ hiểu quả nhất theo định hướng giáo dục cụ thể sẽ cần rất nhiều thời gian 
nghiên cứu xây dựng một chương trình học tập ngoại khóa cụ thể và có hệ thống. Trong khuôn khổ của 
bài viết này, tác giả sẽ tiếp cận thưc trạng và vấn đề hiện nay trong hoạt động của câu lạc bộ Tiếng Anh, 
từ đó đưa ra những giải pháp nhằm nâng cao vai trò và ảnh hưởng của nó trong việc dạy và học tiếng 
Anh tại Trường. 
Từ khóa: Câu lạc bộ tiếng Anh, vấn đề, giải pháp, Trường Đại học Giao thông vận tải Thành phố 
Hồ Chí Minh. 
Chỉ số phân loại: 3.3 
1. Introduction 
In the trend of globalization around the 
world, English is becoming a key to help the 
fluent speakers take a lot of chances for job 
hunting and well adapting in an international 
working environment. Thus, helping students 
possess a good competence in using English is 
one of the top most important educational 
objectives of most universities in Vietnam, 
and Ho Chi Minh City University of 
Transport (UT) is not an exception. However, 
teaching and learning English at UT are 
coping with many difficulties requiring a lot 
of efforts from the UT educators and mentors. 
As a language, English is actually a skill that 
needs to be practiced regularly to master, but 
with the limited training time and scope of the 
academic classroom curriculum and the lack 
of a complete outside class program, a 
number of UT graduates find it impossible to 
apply for the positions in the international 
working environment. “How can we improve 
the quality of teaching and learning English 
now?” “How can we create a wide, supportive 
and interesting English practicing 
environment for the students at UT?” English 
club and the systematic and extra curriculum 
can be practical and sensible solutions. 
2. Literature review of English club 
2.1. What is English club (EC)? 
Mobin (1999) defined that a school club 
is an entity of people who share the same 
aptitude, interest and inclination to work and 
help to implement activities that will help 
them realize the aspirations and aims that 
have been set and agreed upon in order to 
TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC CÔNG NGHỆ GIAO THÔNG VẬN TẢI, SỐ 26-02/2018 
51 
develop each other’s talents, hopes and 
capabilities [1]. 
A.Pereira (2013) stated that English 
language clubs feature as academic clubs 
which exist in the hope of continuing and 
complementing the academic content taught 
in the classroom [2]. 
2.2. The importance of English club in 
teaching and learning the language 
It is not difficult to realize that many 
researchers in the world have shared the same 
view when saying about the significance of 
English club. 
Hyland (1993) supposed “when we create 
learning situations that interests and immerses 
students, the constraints of the classroom are 
weakened and thus this encourages the 
development of communicative language 
use”.[3] Loi Dillon (2006) added that all 
learning begins with making meaning and it is 
something that English clubs can provide 
because all their activities are aimed at 
engaging students to be active in the club.[4] 
With the positive results from his research in 
2005, Black held that “students who 
participated in extracurricular activities have 
higher grades and better attendance”.[5] So 
did Lawhorn (2009) who confirmed that 
students tend to do better academically at 
school when they participated in after-school 
activities [6]. And This perception is 
reinforced by Grafford (2004) in a study that 
there is a positive co-relation between 
extracurricular activities, GPA(grade point 
average) and self-esteem [7]. 
“English clubs are, potentially, a very 
valuable part of the English language student 
experience” is concluded by Tom Ewens on 
British council’s English teaching website.[8] 
In summary, it can be clearly seen from 
the worthy findings of the researchers above 
English club is an indispensable part that 
stimulates the process of English teaching 
and learning at any school. It exists in “the 
hope of continuing and complementing the 
academic content taught in the class room”. 
It needs to be regarded and taken into 
account by educators before they build up 
their educational programmes for their target 
students. 
3. The research of the real role and 
the influence of English club at UT. 
After the literature review of the English 
club (EC), some questions came out of in the 
author’s mind: “Has English Club at UT 
fufilled its roles in assisting learning and 
teaching English?” “Is English club properly 
regarded and effectively emploited by both 
students and teachers at UT?” “Is English 
club’s activity program structured as an extra 
curriculum in accordance with a classroom 
academic curriculum to form the backdrop of 
student’s learning environment?” 
To find the most reliable and sensible 
answers for questions, a research of the EC 
real situation was carried out. 
3.1. Research subjects and 
methodology 
Three target groups selected to 
investigate include 20 teachers of English at 
UT’s Language Department, 74 students from 
2 general English classes (Pre-intermediatreal 
English level) and the board of EC’s 
executives. 
The research was worked on with the 
quantative method. Two questionnaires were 
designed, sent to the participants and an open 
interview with the members in the board of 
English club’s executives was made to inquire 
some information about their periodical 
activities and the background of English club 
members. 
The first questionnaire for students 
consists of 10 questions to search information 
about student’s attitude to English club, their 
commitment and acquaintance to the club, 
and students’ habit in using internet for 
studying English. 
 The second questionnaire was given out 
for teachers of English to collect the data 
about their understanding of the role of 
English club in teaching English as well as 
their contribution to the club’s activities and 
the teachers’ habit of accessing internet. 
3.2. Findings. 
3.2.1. The questionnaire for students 
The questionnaire handed out to 74 
students and the results from collecting, 
analyzing and synthesizing the data source are 
shown in the table 1 below. Up to 80% of 
 52 Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, Vol 26, Feb 2018 
students highly appreciate the role of English 
club in learning this language, but 98% has 
never participated in any club’s activities. The 
main reasons preventing them from joining 
this club are inconfidence (34%), lack of 
interest (20%) and a long distance (19%). It 
was a little disappointing to find that 19% of 
students even do not have any idea of the 
existence of English club and the way to 
become a club member. Moreover, students 
have the habit of internet access at home, they 
have good experience in using computers and 
surfing the internet. However, they don’t 
spend much time studying English online. 
Surprisingly, 75% approves to learn English 
on English club’s website. 
Table 1. Result of the questionnaire for students. 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Low Never Low 
34% 
Inconfidence Home 
<2 
years Basic 
<= 2 
hours 
<= 2 
hours 
Low 
20% 98% 70% 
20% lack of 
interest 70% 23% 60% 22.60% 80% 
25% 
High Seldom High 
19% Distance 
to school 
At university 
or other 
places 
2-5 
years Experienced 
> 2 
hours 
> 2 
hours 
High 
80% 2% 30% 
19% no 
information of 
Club 30% 32,4% 40% 77.40% 20% 
75% 
 8% others 
> 5 
years 
 44.60% 
Explanation 
1: Level of English club importance in learning English. Classified according to the Likert scale, “Low” 
represents level 1-3, “ High” represent level 4-5 , from 1” not at all” to 5 “ very importance”; 
2: The frequency of joining English club’s activities; 
3: Rate the level of English club activities’ attraction. “Low” represents level 1-3, “ High” represent level 
4-5 , from 1” not at all” to 5 “ very interesting ”; 
4: Reasons for not joining English club; 
5: Internet access; 
6: Years of computer using; 
7: Web surfing experience. “Basic” represents level 1-3, “ Experienced” represent level 4-5 , from 1” not at 
all” to 5 “ very experienced”; 
8: Hours of accessing internet for many purposes; 
9: Hours of surfing the internet for studying English; 
10: Level of approval for English club website. “Low” represents level 1-3, “ High” represent level 4-5 , 
from 1” not at all” to 5 “ strongly approve. 
3.2.2. The questionnaire for teachers 
from English Department 
There were totally 20 participants 
required to answer 8 questions in the 
questionnaire. Questions 1 to 4 relate to the 
teachers’s attitude, commitment toward UT 
English club. The 4 left questions give the 
information of teachers’ habits of utilizing 
internet. 
As we can see in the table 2, it is a kind of 
astonishing to find that half of participants do 
not highly rate the role of English club in 
teaching this language. Up to 80 % of teachers 
have never taken part in any weekly activities 
or yearly events of English club. The main 
reasons for this phenomenon are that they are 
too busy with teaching the academic 
classroom program (70%) and it is not 
convenient for them to join club activities 
because they live far from school (20%). 
However, 65% of teachers are willing to help 
English club as online teacher advisors 
Most teachers access the internet at home 
(70%), 60% has good experience in using 
computers and 55% in accessing the internet, 
70% often surfs the internet more than 2 hours 
per day for many purposes. 
TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC CÔNG NGHỆ GIAO THÔNG VẬN TẢI, SỐ 26-02/2018 
53 
Table 2.Result of the questionnaire for teachers. 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 
Low Never 70% business Low 
Home Basic Basic <= 2 hours 
50% 80% 
20% distance 
5% uninterested 
5% others 35% 
70% 
40% 45% 30% 
High Seldom 
 High 
At work 
 experienced experienced > 2 hours 
50% 15% 65% 30% 60% 55% 70% 
sometimes 
5% 
Explanation 
1: Level of English club importance in learning English. Classified according to the Likert scale, “Low” 
represents level 1-3, “High” represents level 4-5, from 1 “not at all” to 5 “ very importance”; 
2: The frequency of joining English club’s activitie;s 
3: Reasons for not joining English club; 
4: The level of willingness to give a help as an online teacher advisor in English club activities. Classified 
according to the Likert scale, “Low” represents level 1-3, “High” represents level 4-5, from 1 “not at all” to 5 “ 
very willing”; 
5: Internet access; 
6: Using computer experience. “Basic” represents level 1-3, “ Experienced” represent level 4-5 , from 1” 
not at all” to 5 “ very experienced”; 
7: Web surfing experience. “Basic” represents level 1-3, “ Experienced” represent level 4-5 , from 1” not at 
all” to 5 “ very experienced”; 
8: Hours of accesing internet for many purposes.
3.2.3. The result of the interview with 
the board of English club executives 
From the interview with the managing 
board of EC, some featured facts of UT 
English club have been found. In fact, there is 
a fluctuation in numbers of members from 25 
to 40. This is an incredibly small number in 
comparison with the total number of UT 
students (around 13.800 students). 
English club’s activities do not follow 
any curriculum. The members meet each 
other every week, and discuss the topic 
decided one week before. Therefore, if we 
consider the content of activities as in a whole 
curriculum, we will realize the lack of the 
logical, systematic features and the 
educational orientation in these activities. 
Furthermore, the club does not have a 
stable place to gather their members, so they 
often have to make a room reservation in 
advance for weekly or monthly meetings and 
the student who wants to enroll in club indeed 
find it inconvenient to meet someone in 
charge to apply for his or her membership 
card. 
The club members mainly contact one 
another and inform the news or events of club 
via a fanpage on Facebook, which makes 
them extremely hard to trace the previous 
posts. 
 In summary, the data source that the 
researcher collected from 2 questionnaires 
and an interview indicates that English club at 
UT is mostly underutilized and disregarded. 
The facilities for English club activities are in 
a poor condition and need to be improved or 
upgraded urgently. 
4. Some suggested solutions to 
enhance the role of English club at UT. 
English club with the benefits it brings 
for language learners as well as teachers 
should be paid more attention to. In order to 
improve the real situation of UT English club 
now, the researcher would like to propose 3 
decisive solutions below. 
Firstly, there should be an academic and 
systematic out-of-class learning curriculum 
for English club. 
This curriculum designing is advisable to 
base on the EC members’ background such as 
their level of English, their interests as well as 
learning styles. The activities need to clearly 
be distributed into on-going, weekly, 
monthly, quarterly and yearly ones. 
 54 Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, Vol 26, Feb 2018 
Because of these requirements, the 
researcher supposes that designing outside 
class activities ought to be made by the 
educators at university. 
Secondly, building up a website for 
English club should be considered. 
This is a practical solution for the 
problem of EC’s unpopularity. It helps both 
teacher advisors and students probably take 
part in EC’s activities every day without 
having to commute to university. Besides, 
with an educational orientation in advance, 
the website will be a friendly site to study 
English online for the students at UT. It is a 
best way to connect students and students, 
students and teacher advisors and build up an 
academic, healthy and supportive English 
learning community at UT. 
Thirdly, Language Department should be 
in charge of English club instead of the Youth 
Union. 
Obviously, under the control of the 
Language department, English club will 
receive more supports in professional 
knowledge as well as the educational 
orientation. The combination between the 
teacher advisors who are the experienced and 
knowledgeable with the enthusiastic, but less 
experienced students will bring more success 
for EC’s activities. Teachers also help to 
minimize the mistakes which may arise when 
club members use English on means of media 
like English club’s website or fanpage. 
However, the university managing board 
should take a consideration in promulgating a 
reward policy in order to encourage the 
teacher advisors and EC’s members to 
contribute their time and ardour to English 
club on a long term basis  
Reference 
[1] M. Mobin, Perlaksanaan Kokurikulum di 
Sekolah. Selangor Education Department, 1999. 
[2] A. H. Pereira, K. Ismail, and Z. Othman, “A 
Model for the Malaysian English Language Club 
Activities,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 90, 
no. InCULT 2012, pp. 48–56, 2013. 
[3] A. Hidayat, “The use of songs in teaching 
students’ listening ability,” English Educ., vol. 1, 
no. February, pp. 21–29, 2013. 
[4] P. Loi, D &Dillon, “Adaptive Educational 
Environments as Creative Spaes,” Cambridge J. 
Educ., vol. 36, pp. 363–381, 2006. 
[5] S. Black, “Easing ESL students into learning 
English well.,” Proquest Educ. J., vol. 71, 2005. 
[6] G. Khabeishvili, “Teaching English with films,” 
in Teaching English with films, 2014, no. April, 
pp. 359–361. 
[7] D. Grafford, “The correlation between 
extracurricular activities, G.P.A, and 
self-esteem.,” 2004. 
[8] T. Ewens, “English club.” [Online]. Available: 
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/englis
h-clubs. [Accessed: 25-Sep-2017]. 
Ngày nhận bài: 13/12/2017 
Ngày chuyển phản biện: 18/12/2017 
Ngày hoàn thành sửa bài: 8/1/2018 
Ngày chấp nhận đăng: 15/1/2018