Applying some games to motivate the 11th form students in speaking lessons at le loi high school

Applying some games to motivate the 11th form students in speaking lessons at le loi high school THANH HOA EDUCATION & TRAINING DEPARTMENT LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INITIATIVES APPLYING SOME GAMES[.]

THANH HOA EDUCATION & TRAINING DEPARTMENT LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INITIATIVES APPLYING SOME GAMES TO MOTIVATE THE 11TH FORM STUDENTS IN SPEAKING LESSONS AT LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL Teacher’s full name: Trịnh Thị Hoan Job title : Teacher The field of the experience initiative: Foreign language THANH HOA, YEAR 2017 SangKienKinhNghiem.net TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………… A INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………… I Reason for choosing the study ……………………………………… Basis of theory ……………………………………………………… Basis of practice …………………………………………… ……… 2.1 For teachers ………………………………………………………… 2.2 For students ………………………………………………………… II Objectives of the study ……………………………………………… III Scope of the study ………………………………………………… IV Methods of the research …………………………………………… V The new features in the experience initiatives……………………… B CONTENTS AND RESULTS ……………………………………… I Contents ……………………………………………………………… About games ………………………………………………………… Why use games in class ? …………………………………………… When to use games? ………………………………………………… How to choose games? ……………………………………………… Important things to consider when using games in the classroom …… Suggested games to teach speaking in the new textbook for grade 12 II Results ……………………………………………………………… 21 C RECOMMENDATIONS ………………………………………… 22 D CONCLUSIONS …………………………………………………… 22 E REFERENCES……………………………………………………… 23 Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the leaders of Thanh Hoa Education and Training Department for organizing this seminar and for giving me the precious chance to it Second, I am indebted to all the colleagues at Le Loi high school for providing me a lot of useful advice and ideas which are the most needed for this research I also offer my regards and blessings to all of my family members who have supported me during the completion of the research Last but not least, I would like to thank you very much for your presence and observation Your comments and advice would be highly appreciated Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net A INTRODUCTION I Reason for choosing the study Basis of theory: It cannot be denied that nowadays English has become an international language that takes an important role in the social life of the world It is considered as a tool of communication has been playing an important part in acquiring cultural, scientific and technical knowledge, for collecting worldwide information and carrying out international exchange and cooperation Because of its importance, recent years, English has been taught in almost schools in Vietnam Since 2006 new English textbooks for students at grade 10, 11, 12 have been officially used in Vietnam Speaking skill is one of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) which the new English textbooks require students to master According to Ur (1996, 120), of all the four skills, speaking seems intuitively the most importan [8] “In practice, however, many learners feel frustrated as they find that speaking in a foreign language is a complex matter It is because speaking involves many factors The ability to speak fluently presupposes not only knowledge of language features, but also the ability to process information and language “on the spot” (Harmer, 2001)”[1] In learning speaking skill, the students often find some problems The common problem is that their native language causes them difficult to use the foreign language Other reason is because of motivation lack to practice the second language in daily conversation They are also too shy and afraid to take part in the conversation Many techniques including games can be applied because this technique is effective to use in teaching speaking “Games, which are task-based and have a purpose beyond the production of correct speech, serve as excellent communicative activities (Saricoban & Metin 2000) Games offer students a fun-filled and relaxing learning atmosphere After learning and practicing new vocabulary, students have the opportunity to use language in a non-stressful way (Uberman 1998) While playing games, the learners' attention is on the message, not on the language Rather than pay attention to the correctness of linguistic forms, most participants will all they can to win In a game-oriented context, anxiety is reduced and speech fluency is generated, thus communicative competence is achieved”.[3] With many years of experience in teaching English at high school, I have realized that motivation is one of the key factors that determine students’ success or failure in language learning For teaching and learning speaking skill, the great impact of motivation is not an exception It is undeniable that if the students are motivated, especially from the warm- up stage, their speaking will be completed more successfully and their difficulties in speaking will no longer exist Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net All the above-mentioned reasons have inspired me to choose the theme “APPLYNG SOME GAMES TO MOTIVATE THE 11TH FORM STUDENTS IN SPEAKING LESSONS AT LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL” Basis of practice 2.1 For teachers Motivation is essential to success in most fields of learning The importance of motivation in speaking has been drawing attention of many researchers and educators Learners often complain that they cannot think of anything to say and they have no motivation to express themselves Rivers (1968) believes that the learners have nothing to express maybe because the teacher had chosen a topic which is not suitable for him or about which he knows very little.[ 6] Many teachers haven’t given students any chances to practice vocabulary, grammar , if there, they just check one or two students before the lesson mechanically, which makes students bored and passive On the other hand, when teaching, teachers haven’t made full use of the students’ activities and creativeness so the lessons are usually boring In conclusion, from about discussion it can be learnt that among the factors affecting student’s motivation, teacher’ teaching method, especially the games used in their teaching, should be put into consideration 2 For students Since education reform, students have loved learning English but mainly advanced students And weak students who understand the lesson slowly learn passively They wait for the teacher’s or other students’ answers Many of them have no opportunities or they don’t dare to practice speaking English in class They are afraid they speak incorrectly Many can not speak, even they ignore paying attention to the lessons or taking any notes or doing any homework In fact, we can see these students have no love for English…Therefore, the teaching qualities of English not live up to our expectations II Objectives of the study The objectives of this research is to simplify the tasks and to present some abilities of using games for some grade 11 English speaking lessons in English textbook 11 to have effective lectures and develop student’s speaking skill III Scope of the study This study mainly focuses on the effects of using games to increase motivation in speaking periods in the textbook for the 11th form students at Le Loi high school during the school year 2016- 2017 IV Methods of the research - Using the text- book to apply to each lesson and section - Using references to improve - Pictures and other materials Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net - Discussing with other teachers, - Observing and drawing out experiences V The new features in the experience initiatives My research is basically based on the last one completed last year However, there are some innovations: - Various games or activities were designed at suitable level with the 11th grade students’ English proficency Therefore, they are easier for students to conduct - In this theme, I apply more pictures, which create students a lot of good opportunities for brainstorming, memorizing and imagining It’s lively and funny pictures that delight and motivate students in English speaking lessons They are used as precious teaching materials for teachers as well B CONTENTS AND RESULTS I Contents About games "A game is an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun There are two kinds of games: Competitive games, in which players or teams race to be the first to reach the goal, and co- operative games, in which players or teams work together towards a common goal The emphasis in the games is on successful communication rather than on correctness of language." (Toth, 1995) [5] “Games can be used at any stage of the lesson once the target language has been introduced and explained They serve both as a memory aid and repetition drill, and as a chance to use language freely They can also serve as a diagnostic tool for the teacher, who can note areas of difficulty and take appropriate remedial action.” [4] Why use games in class ? “Games are used as methods or techniques to involve students in learning Well-chosen and designed games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same time allow learners to practise language skills The benefits of games range from cognitive aspect of language learning to more co-operative group dynamics and as a result games are highly motivating since they are amusing and at the same time challenging Ersoz (2000) states that games can be used to give practice in all language skills and they can be used to practice many types of communication Huyen (2003) identifies the advantages of using games to learn vocabulary in the classroom: a) Games add relaxation and fun, so the learners retain words more easily b) Games involve friendly competition, so it keeps learners interested and motivated c) Vocabulary games bring real world context to the classroom Mei (2000) emphasizes similar points by saying that it encourages active learning, as well as collaboration and interactivity Interactive learning techniques also hold Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net memory, performance and social benefits Kim (1995) states more general advantages of using games in the classroom and they include: Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class They are motivating and challenging Learning a language requires a great deal of effort Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning Games provide language practice in the various skills- speaking, writing, listening and reading They encourage students to interact and communicate They create a meaningful context for language use.”[2] When to use games? - “Games are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at the end of a lesson As Lee observes, a game “ should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do(1979:3) Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages Rixon suggests that games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen - Games also lend themselves well to revision exercises helping learners recall material in a pleasant, entertaining way All authors agree that even if games resulted only in noise and entertained students, they are still worth paying attention to and implementing in the classroom since they motivate learners, promote communicative competence, and generate fluency.” [7] How to choose games? - “A game must be more than just fun - A game should involve "friendly" competition - A game should keep all of the students involved and interested - A game should encourage students to focus on the use of language rather than on the language itself - A game should give students a chance to learn, practice, or review specific language material.” [2] Important things to consider when using games in the classroom - “Choose suitable games (depending on the number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and the classroom settings) - The way students perceive a game depends on the actual design and implementation of the game - Give clear instructions, give clear rules and give clear time limits - Rather demonstrate than explain - There must be a clear purpose and achievable goals - Clear objectives and goals must match the difficulty level of the game and ability level of the students Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net - Ensure that shy or quiet students are not alienated and have an opportunity to take part - Debriefing, or the evaluation of results/ events in the game, is crucial to the game’s success - It must still be fun, but still help the students to learn.” [2] Suggested games to teach speaking in the new textbook for grade 11 Within the scope of this study, I not have the attempt to cover all the speaking lessons in the new textbook for the 11th form I just only suggest here some typical speaking games which can be used in the process of teaching speaking skill with a view to help teachers of English at this level to apply them in their speaking classes I hope that through these games, students can understand the lesson better as well as finish the tasks with more effective results Unit Friendship - B Speaking (page 15, 16, 17) Game 1: CATEGORISING ▪ Aims: To arrange words in the same topic ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: 24 word cards with different adjectives of physical characteristics and personalities, large papers, glue ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into teams: Team A and team B I hang large papers with columns: physical characteristics and personalities on the blackboard.Then I deliver word cards I ask students to stick word cards into the appropriate column as quickly as possible One word can be put in columns I sum up: The group finishing the task in the shortest time and having more correct word cards will win the game Answer key: height tall short medium PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC build face hair slim fat big small (medium) oval square straight wavy curly dark fair (short) General appearance charming attractive good-looking PERSONALITIES helpful easy-going optimistic honest reliable generous kind Game : WHAT’S HE/SHE LIKE? ▪ Aims: To choose the suitable adjectives in task (page 16 ) to describe a person ▪ Time allowed: minutes Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net ▪ Material preparation: sentences describing someone’s personalities ▪ Organization: The whole class ▪ Steps: I ask students to discuss the meaning of the words in task at page 16 I read sentences aloud and ask students to choose a word that is suitable with that personality I let students write words into their notebooks After reading twice, I ask some students to write their answers on the blackboard I comment and give answers Teacher’s speaking sentences describing the personalities Maria is ready to help you Tom is willing to give money to his friend Jack is friendly and polite Linda is so aware of what other people thinks or feels Paul doesn’t talk much about his own success Jim always tells the truth and never cheats Susan shows sympathy for other people’s problems Daisy likes to welcome guests and is friendly to visitors David only says what he thinks or feels Student’Answers helpful generous 3.pleasant caring modest honest understanding hospitable sincere Unit Personal Experiences – B Speaking ( page 25, 26 ) Game 1: Find someone who…… ▪ Aims: To practise ‘present perfect’ and ‘past simple’ in communicative way ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: handouts ▪ Organization: The whole class ▪ Steps: I distribute the handouts to the class Students go around the class interviewing as many students as possible about their experiences If someone answers “Yes” to the questions, they write the name of that person on the sheet I ask students to try to get many “Yes” answers as possible I require students to use ‘present perfect’ and ‘past simple’ when conducting the interviews After the students’ interviews, I ask the students the questions in this format “ Who has ever seen a lion?” The students look at their sheets and if someone said “Yes”, they should say, for example: “ An has seen a lion” If no one in the class has , then the answer is “ No one has ever seen a lion” Page SangKienKinhNghiem.net As a follow up and in order to get more dialogue going, I get the class to ask An follow up questions, for example: “ Where did you see a lion?”, Can you tell us how you feel?, “Were you scared?” Handouts Find someone who… “ Have you ever…? Yes ( Write names) No see a lion (not on TV) be to Africa witness an armed robbery date someone on the internet see a football match ( not on TV) eat pizza drive a truck look after a very old person write a love letter Unit 3: A party – B Speaking (page 35, 36 ) Game: BRAINSTORMING ▪ Aims: To revise the vocabulary on the topic party ▪ Time allowed: 5- 10 minutes ▪ Material preparation: No ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into groups I write the key words relating to the topic party on the blackboard Each group is given a key word: occasion, place, food, drink, game, music, gift I ask groups to find as many words as possible for each key word After minutes, I invite a representative of each group to write the words on the blackboard I check the answer This group can add the words to other groups Suggested answers birthday end –of- term farewell (party) graduation promotion Occassion house- warming (party) wedding anniversary Halloween New Year Christmas Page 10 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Coffee shop restaurant classroom Rock –n- Roll hip - hop pop Place canteen Music classical music beach park jazz folk music home ice-cream chocolate biscuits Coca cola beer coffee wine soup fruits tea Food Drink chicken sandwiches beefsteak bread draw Fanta curry mineral water dancing contest jewerlry milk doll fruit juice souvernir quiz Game Gift book flowers singing contest clothes toy handbag cards Unit 4: Volunteer work – B Speaking (page 49, 50 ) Game : DESCRIBE THE PICTURES ▪ Aims: To warm up and to lead the new lesson ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: some sets of pictures about different kinds of activities related to volunteer work ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into small groups of - students and give each group a set of pictures Students are required to describe the activity in each picture in one sentence only Page 11 SangKienKinhNghiem.net After minutes, I invite some groups to present their discussion in front of the class Which group finishes first and has the most correct and meaningful sentences will be the winner PICTURES Suggested answers: The student is teaching the poor children The students are taking part in directing the traffic The medical students are examining the old people The students are repairing the old houses The students are taking part in a Blood Donation activity The student is helping a woman to cross the road The students are building the road The students are helping the examinees during the University entrance exam period The students are playing games with the disadvantaged children Unit Competitions – B Speaking (page 69, 70 ) Game: - ING CATALOGUES ▪ Aims: To warm up the lesson and to present illustrative activities of Competitions ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: large papers, black markers, glue ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into groups Page 12 SangKienKinhNghiem.net I write – ING and columns : Noun/ Gerund and Adjective on the board I ask students to write words ending in –ING form in columns as many as possible in their papers After minutes, the groups stick their papers on the blackboard I mark and lead to the new lesson: “These nouns or gerunds ending in - ING are forms of Competitions” Suggested answer: Noun/Gerund painting drawing teaching running swimming walking jumping jogging saying joking reading speaking Adjective boring interesting exciting tiring annoying embarrassing thrilling fascinating frustrating appealing irritating moving Unit World Population – B Speaking (page 83) Game 1: PICTURE DESCRIPTION ▪ Aims: To warm up the lesson ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: A picture ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I show students the picture and ask them two questions: + What can you see in the picture? + What does the picture tell you? I elicit answers from students and comment I introduce the topic of the speaking lesson: overpopulation / population explosion The picture Page 13 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Suggested answers for the questions: In the picture, the Earth looks like an old , tired man with too many people on his head, shoulders and arms The picture tells us that the earth may not properly accomodate too many people We are facing overpopulation Game 2: CHAIN SOLUTIONS ▪ Aims: To practise speaking the solutions to the problems of overpopulation in Task ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: No ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into groups of students I write the heading “Solution to the problems of overpopulation” on the blackboard and explain useful language in Task 3 I let students work in groups One student starts with “To solve the problems of overpopulation….” Other students in the groups can add the words or phrases to complete the sentences When a sentence is finished, the students makes a new one by using new verbs and ideas I call some groups to present in front of the class and ask others to comment I give feedback on students’ presentations and correct the mistakes Example: Student 1: To solve the problems of overpopulation, …… Student 2: To solve the problems of overpopulation, the government should carry out…… Student 3: To solve the problems of overpopulation, the government should carry out population education programmes Student 4: To solve the problems of overpopulation, the government should carry out population education programmes or family planning programmes Student 5: To solve the problems of overpopulation, …… Student 6: To solve the problems of overpopulation, we should use…… Student 1:To solve the problems of overpopulation, we should use birth control methods Student 2: To solve the problems of overpopulation, …… Unit Celebration – B Speaking (page 93, 94 ) Game 1: NAME THE FESTIVALS OR HOLIDAYS ▪Aims:To revise the names of the festivals or holidays and the vocabulary related to them ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: sets of holiday pictures ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: Page 14 SangKienKinhNghiem.net I divide the class into teams : Team A and team B, distribute each team a set of holiday pictures and ask students to arrange the pictures in the appropriate topics of holidays Students stick the pictures in the corresponding columns on the board and give the heading of the festivals or holidays in each column I check with the whole class I ask students to give the name of each picture HOLIDAY PICTURES 10 11 12 13 14 15 Page 15 SangKienKinhNghiem.net 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Key: 1.Thanksgiving : Picture number 10, 15 2.Valentine’s day: Picture number 5, 16, 20 New Year: Picture number 14, 22 Mid – Autumn: Picture number 1, 11, 21 Independence Day: Picture number 8, 23 Game 2: INTERVIEWING Christmas: Picture number 2, 9, 13 Easter: Picture number 3, 18 Teacher’s day : Picture number 7, 19 Women’s day: Picture number 6, 12, 24 10 Halloween: Picture number 4, 17 ▪ Aims: To practise interviewing about festivals or holidays in a year ▪ Time allowed: 10 minutes ▪ Material preparation: sets of speaking cards ▪ Organization: pair works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into pairs Then I distribute the sets of speaking cards for them Set which has sides : side A and side B is delivered to the first pair Student A gets student A card, student B gets student B card I give the second pair Set Student C gets student C card, student D gets student D card Page 16 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Student A uses cues in the side A of set to make questions and student B uses suggestions in the side B of set to answer Then they change the role, student B asks and student A responses After finishing the questions in the set 1, student A and student B exchange set and continue practising the second time Other pairs the same When students have finished, I call some pairs to act out the dialogue and give comments SPEAKING CARDS FOR PAIR WORK Set STUDENT A Side A You are a foreign student in Viet nam You want to know about Vietnamese festivals Make questions based on the following cues: - name of the festival - reason for this celebration - when it is celebrated - who is involved - special customs STUDENT A’s RESPONSE GUIDE Side B - Teachers’s day - Honour the importance of teachers in our society - November 20 - Students and teachers, young and old Give flowers, send wishes, visit teachers Set STUDENT B Side A You are a foreigner working in Viet nam You want to know about Vietnamese festivals Make questions based on the following cues: - name of the festival - purpose of celebrating the festival - when it happens - who participates in - any special traditions STUDENT B’s RESPONSE GUIDE Side B - Vietnamese Women’s day - Honour the role of women in family and in society - October 20 - Women in your home, in your workplace - Give flowers, send wishes, organize a small party Set STUDENT C Side A You are a foreigner working in Viet nam You want to know about Vietnamese festivals Make questions based on the following cues: - name of the festival Page 17 SangKienKinhNghiem.net - purpose of celebrating the festival - when it happens - who participates in - any special traditions STUDENT C’s RESPONSE GUIDE Side B - Lunar New Year - Set the old year out and the new year in - Between 19th January and 20th February on the Western calendar - Adults and children - Visit relatives and friends , go to the pagoda, play traditional games, eat special foods, give ‘lucky money’ to children Set STUDENT D Side A You are a foreign student in Viet nam You want to know about Vietnamese festivals Make questions based on the following cues: - name of the festival - reason for this celebration - when it is celebrated - who is involved - special customs STUDENT D’s RESPONSE GUIDE Side B - Mid- Autumn Festival - Celebrate the largest and brightest full moon of the year - 15th day of the 8th lunar month of th chinese calendar - All people , especially children of all ages - Eat moon cakes, watch lion dance, carry brightly-lit lanterns Unit 10: NATURE IN DANGGER – B Speaking (page 118 ) Game: ANIMAL SQUARE ▪ Aims: To revise vocabulary of animals ▪ Time allowed: minutes ▪ Material preparation: animal square handouts , coloured pens, glue ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I divide the class into - groups (depending on the number of students in the classroom) and deliever animal square handouts I ask students to find out 26 names of animals in the square horizontally, vertically and diagonally by circling those words After minutes, I call a representative of each group to stick their answers on the blackboard The groups having the most names of animals will be the winner I provide feedback I ask the winner to say which ones are being endangered and threatened and what they are killed or poached for Other groups can add their ideas Page 18 SangKienKinhNghiem.net Animal square Find out 26 names of animals in this square B U T T E R F L Y F S E T C A T X U T I H L I O N I H R O S E E G W O L F G R H horizontal E P E R A B B I T O P H R F O X D R O R C A M E L E A A I S S N A K E E X F S E O T A R B E Z F E A vertica D O G O A T B E E L diagonal Key Across: sheep elephant tiger 4.cow giraffe tortoise fish horse seal Down: 10 butterfly 11 cat 12 lion 13 wolf 14.rabbit 15 fox 16 ox 17 camel 18 snake 19 dog 20.goat 21 bee Up: 22 rhino 23.rat 24.zebra Diagonal: 25 deer 26 bear - Endangered animals are tigers, rhinos, elephants,bears, cheetahs, pandas Tiger bones and other parts of this animal are used in some traditional medicines Rhino horns are crushed to form a powder which is used to cure fever Elephants are killed for their ivory tucks Unit 12 The Asian Games – B Speaking (page 139, 140) Game: NAME THE SPORTS ▪ Aims: To revise the names of sports at Asian Games ▪ Time allowed: 5-7 minutes ▪ Material preparation: picture handouts, glue ▪ Organization: group works ▪ Steps: I put students into teams and distribute the handouts I ask teams to give the suitable names of sports with the pictures After that, I call on each team to stick their answers on the board The team having more correct answers will win the game Picture handouts Page 19 SangKienKinhNghiem.net 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Key basketball athletics wushu 13 volleyball 17 rugby 21 mountain biking football boxing 10 hockey 14 shooting 18 table tennis tennis weightlifting wrestling fencing 11 bodybuilding 12 karatedo 15 gymnastics 16 billiards 19 swimming 20 cycling Page 20 SangKienKinhNghiem.net ... have inspired me to choose the theme “APPLYNG SOME GAMES TO MOTIVATE THE 11TH FORM STUDENTS IN SPEAKING LESSONS AT LE LOI HIGH SCHOOL? ?? Basis of practice 2.1 For teachers Motivation is essential to. .. speaking skill III Scope of the study This study mainly focuses on the effects of using games to increase motivation in speaking periods in the textbook for the 11th form students at Le Loi high. .. help the students to learn.” [2] Suggested games to teach speaking in the new textbook for grade 11 Within the scope of this study, I not have the attempt to cover all the speaking lessons in the