Phiing Thi Hdi Van vd Dig Tap chl KHOA HQC & CONG NGHE 105(05) 151 155 THE USE OF IMULTIMEDIA IN ENHANCING ENGLISH ORAL COMPETENCE FOR FRESHMEN STUDENTS AT COLLEGE OF SCIENCES THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY P[.]
Phiing Thi Hdi Van vd Dig Tap chl KHOA HQC & CONG NGHE 105(05): 151-155 THE USE OF IMULTIMEDIA IN ENHANCING ENGLISH ORAL COMPETENCE FOR FRESHMEN STUDENTS AT COLLEGE OF SCIENCES -THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Phung Thi Hai Van, Nguyen Thi Que College of Sciences - TNU SUMMARY Speaking so far has been considered as one ofthe most important skills in English learning, yet it is also one of the weakest skills that students possess In many recent researches, advanced technologies have proved to effectively facilitate foreign language teaching and make English speaking so much more fun lo learn with However, whether multimedia really enhances students' competence in oral communication in the Northern mountainous region of Viehiam like in Thai Nguyen province has not yet been fully investigated Therefore, in this paper, we introduce a preliminary study on the use of Muhimedia in the teaching of speaking skill to first year students ofthe College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University Two groups of students who experienced two different teaching methods namely traditional teaching method and multimedia participated in the study Pre-test means scores showed no significant differences between the control and experimental groups while comparisons ofthe post-test mean scores showed a great improvement in the students' achievement The study concluded that use of multimedia in teaching English helps enhance EFL students' mastery of English oral communication Key words: Multimedia, traditional approach, enhancing oral competence, college of Sci: pre-test, post-test INTRODUCTION Numerous studies have confirmed that English is, in comparison with other languages in the world, the most rapid form of international communication As a result, English has become one ofthe compulsory subjects in the education system of Viet Nam in recent decades It can be also noted that the use of multimedia in leaching English is becoming more and more popular in the modem world Multimedia means using more than one type of communication tool It may be any computer application that integrates text, graphics, animation, video, audio, or other methods of communication Multimedia is different from television, books or cassenes because the former lets you interact wilh its application When clicking on a word, you can make a picture appear, or you can click on a picture so that a video can be started Multimedia became more popular in the mid 1990s when the price of hardware began to fall Then, people started using it in the industry, business, education, entertainment and in other purposes Today, multimedia can be found at home, in school, at work, in public places such as libraries, Internet shops or cafes In Educalion, sludenis study interactive CDROMs al their own speed and explore topics by clicking on related links creatively Specifically, teenagers have played computer games for years, bul multimedia applications combine education and entertainment and they let the users visit virtual worlds or change the ending of films Brinton as quoted by Hartnetl (2001) claimed that multimedia tool server is an important motivator in the language teaching process because "media materials can lend authenticity to the classroom situation, reinforcing for students the direct relation between the language classroom and the outside world" Multimedia is convenient; however, it is difficult for a lot of teachers in general and teachers of English in particular in terms of its application Tel: 0963 888 288 Emaii: quenguyenlnu@gmail c 151 Phiing Thi Hdi Van vd Dtg Tgp chl KHOA HQC & C N G N G H $ Do teachers of English really experience using multimedia at work? How should the teachers of English apply multimedia in teaching? When using il, whal kind of multimedia should be chosen for each specific lesson? These arc questions that are olien faced by most English teachers nowadays No one can deny the important role of the teachers to students, which is nol only the pride bul also Ihe teachers' challenge Whal teachers present and convey to students can directly or indirectly shape their minds, attitudes and motivation to study As a result, most teachers wish lo make use as much as possible of innovative methods lo motivate their students in the clgssroom And according to Slempleski and Arcario as quoted by Strangman (2003), teachers around the world are experimenting wilh these communication tools of multimedia lo facilitate learners in learning so as lo enhance the quality of their language lessons Teachers at the College of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University also are clearly aware of these issues Particularly, we agree that the goal of English learning and teaching is no longer to pass examinations but lo use the language for daily communication and interactions Therefore, the abovementioned are the main reasons in shaping our own research in applying multimedia and testing for its effectiveness in classroom leaching and learning SUBJECT AND METHODOLOGY The experimental two-group design was applied in this study to find out the effectiveness of using Multimedia in teaching English oral skill 60 students in College of Sciences were purposively selected to be the respondents of the study 30 sludenis were subjected lo Ihe traditional melhod while other 30 sludenis were taught wilh multimedia The experiment was carried out in a three month period ofthe first semester in the school year 2012-2013 A teacher-made achievement test was validated and administered as a pre - test and post - test 105(05): 151-155 T- test was used to test for a significant difference between the mean gain scores in students' speaking skill of the two groups taught with two different approaches namely multimedia and traditional one FINDINGS The students' attitudes in learning speaking through multimedia approach (MMA) and their perceptions on the benefits of MMA on their speaking lessons Attitudes of students towards learning English speaking through multimedia Table L Attitudes of students in learning speaking through Muhimedia students' attitudes towards learning Englisii tlirough tnultimcdia (not interested at all) (not interested) Nutnber (%) 6.67 13.33 (neutral) 16.67 II 36 67 (interested) (very Total interested) 26.66 30 100.00 Il is obvious from the table that the majority of students were very interested and interested in learning English speaking through multimedia (about 63% of the respondents) while the minority of about 20% of the students had no interest in it Therefore, Ihe result showed quite positive attitudes of students when teachers applied multimedia in the teaching of English speaking skill Students' perceptions on the benefits of multimedia on their speaking lesson As table indicated, the average mean of students' perceptions on the benefits of using multimedia in speaking lesson was equal lo 2.81 which was described as "High" Il also revealed from the table Ihal the benefit "I get excited in learning speaking" was ranked first with a weighted mean of 3.1 and described as high and the least-rated was item "My teacher makes us passive " with a weighted mean of 2.47 and classified as "Low" Phiing Thj Hdi Vdn vd Dig Tap chi KHOA HQC & CONG NGHg 105(05); 151 -155 Table Benefits of Muhimedia from speaking lesson Benefits of Multimedia on Speaking Lesson 4.1 get excited in learning speaking 4.2 I have chances to practice speaking in classroom 4.3 I become more active in participating in classroom activities 4.4 My speaking skill is improved 4.5 My teacher always create interesting activities using multimedia 4.6 My teacher always gives me invaluable feedback 4.7 My teacher makes us passive 4.8 My teacher is always a good organizer and manager AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN Weighted Mean 3.1 2.67 2.73 2.73 2.87 2.93 2.47 96 2.81 5 The m a r k s o f t h e s t u d e n t s t a u g h t w i t h M M A a n d T A in p r e - test a n d post-test The pre-test and post-test mean scores in English speaking performance taught with multimedia and traditional approach in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency High Moderate Moderate Moderate High High Low High High of students grammar, Table The pre-test mean scores in English speaking of students in two groups subjected to MMA and TA Grammar Pronunciation Vocabulary Fluency Total Mljitimcdia approach X SD VI 55 0.50 Fair I 43 0.49 Fair 0.52 128 Fair 42 1.17 Poor 5.43 92 Fair Traditional a pproach X SD V[ 63 0.64 Good 27 0.58 Poor 1.33 53 Fair 1.33 0.43 Fair Fair 5.38 2.16 Table The post-test mean scores m English speaking of students it7 two groups taught w.ilh MMA and TA Mljitimedia a\pproach Traditional a pproach X SD VI X SD VI Grammar 2.03 36 Very good 1.78 0.34 Good Pronunciation 1.67 0.42 Good 1.62 0.34 Fair Vocabulary 1.75 0.37 Good 1.68 0.47 Good Fluency 1.55 0.42 Fair 1.40 0.39 Fair Total 7.0 1.56 Good 6.48 52 Fair The two tables clearly showed that multimedia and traditional approaches both helped to improve students' performance in English speaking shown in the higher post-test mean scores of 7.0 and 6.48 as compared with the lower pre-test resuhs of 5.43 and 38 respectively It is also noted that the students in t w o groups were quite o f t h e same level in their English speaking abilities before the experiment, bul students of M M A group advanced to the level of " G o o d " in speaking white Ihe TA students still stayed in the same level of "Fair" although their marks were higher Significant difference in t h e m e a n gain scores o f t h e s p e a k i n g skills o f t h e S t u d e n t s t a u g h t with the M u l t i m e d i a A p p r o a c h a n d the T r a d i t i o n a l A p p r o a c h The findings in table revealed a significant difference in the mean gain score of sludenis taught with the multimedia approach of 1.57 which is higher than the mean gain score of students exposed to the traditional of 1.10 It is therefore concluded that multimedia helped students perform better in speaking skill than traditional approach of leaching 153 Phiing Thj Hdi Van vflflfg T^p chl KHOA HOC & CONG NGHE 105(05): 151 Table The significant difference ofthe knowledge gained by the students taught with Ihe multimedia approach and the traditional approach Speaking skills Mean gain Stdev scores Experimental Group (MMA) Control Group (TA) CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: Students respond positively in Iheir altitudes towards multimedia and inultimedia's benefits in their speaking skill The hypothesis thai there is a significant difference between the pre-test mean score of students taught with multimedia wilh that of sludenis in the traditional method is rejected The hypothesis that the post-test mean score of students exposed lo multimedia differs significantly fi-om thai of students subjected to the traditional melhod is supported It is evident that the mean score of students using multimedia is significantly higher than that of students in the traditional method The hypothesis that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of students taught with multimedia is also supported And the hypothesis that sludenis in Ihe experimental group exposed lo muhimedia perform better than those in the control group using the traditional approach is also supported in this study RECOMMENDATIONS The recommendations below are given based on the major findings and conclusions ofthe study: The study reveals that after a three month period, students in the currently traditional method performed better in the post-test than in the pre-test Hence, this method is still df Q- Stat 0.029 Reject Ho Significant suggested for teachers to continue integrating in their teaching The findings figure out that students in the MMA group performed better than those in the traditional approach Therefore, teachers of English should try to apply multimedia in their teaching to motivate and enhance students' oral competence The managing boards of College of Sciences and other tertiary institutions in the region and in Vielnam should consult this study regarding the benefits of multimedia in English teaching and therefore should focus much on the development of well-equipped classrooms and teachers wilh expertise in the fields of multimedia as well to enhance students' performance in English Further studies must be conducted to determine the effectiveness of multimedia in larger scales REFERENCES [1] Hartnett (2001) Motivation toward language learning, Brinton [2] Roblyer& Knezek (2003) The implications of technology for teaching and learning WM.C Company Publisher [3] Strangman (2003) The success of computer and software programs m elevating learning outcomes, UK Cambridge University Press [4] http//www.£oogle.com.vn/search?hl^vi&q= multimedia, 2001 Phdng Thi Hdi Van va £)r^ Tap chi KHOA HOC & CONG NGHE 105(05): 151 - 155 TOM T A T SU'DUNG DA PHU"OfNG TIEN DE NANG CAO KY NANG N I TIENG ANH CilA SEVH VIEN NAM THlTC NHAT T R U ' O N G DAI H Q C KHOA H Q C - D ^ I H Q C T H A I NGUYEN Phdng Thj Hdi Van, Nguygn Thj Que' Trudng Dgi hoc Khoa hgc - DH Thai Nguyen KT nang ndi la mpt nhftng kT n3ng quan trpng nhat irong hpc TiSng Anh nhung day cung IA mot nhiing ky nfing ylu nh^t ctia sinh vien NhiJng nghiSn ciru gan day da chiing minh cong nghe lien tiSn gitip ich mgt cdch c6 hieu qua cong tdc gidng d^y ngoai ngiJ vd Idm cho viec hpc giao tiep tieng Anh trA nen thil vj hon Tuy nhi^n, chua c6 nghien cuu ndo chi rfi lieu rSng da phuang tien thuc sy cdi Ihi^n khd nang giao tiep bang tieng Anh cua sinh vien d khu virc mien ndi phia BSc ciia Vift Nam nhu d tinh Thdi Nguyen hay khong Do d6, b^i viet ndy nhiim gidi thieu mpt nghien cim kha mai mi ve hieu qua cua vipc sii dung da phuong ti?n ddi vdi vipc cai thipn kha nang ndi tieng Anh ciia sinh vien n3m thii nh^t, trudng Dai hpc Khoa hpc, Dai hpc Thdi Nguyen Hai nhdm sinh vien dupe gidng d^y bang hai phucmg ph^p iruyen thfing vk phuong phdp day hpc sir dyng da phuang ti6n da tham gia thii nghiem nghign ciiu Dilm trung binh trudc thu nghiem ciia nhdm khong c6 su khdc bi^l d^ng ke dilm trung binh sau thir nghiem phuang phdp the hien su khac biel khd ldn Uong kha nang sii dung tieng Anh cila nhom Kit qua cita de tai cho thay vipc sii dung da dang cdc phuong lign truySn thong giang dgy tieng Anh thyc su nang cao kha nSng giao liep bang tieng Anh cua sinh vien Tii'khda: da phucmg lien, phuang phdp truyen thong, ndng cao khd ndng giao liep, Dgi hoc Khoa hoc, trudc Ihir nghiem, sau thi nghiem Ngdy nhdn bdi- 05/4/2013; Ngdy phdn bien: 06/5/2013; Ngdy duyel ddng 06/6/2013 Tel- 0963 888 288 Email- guenguyentnu@gmail com ... dung tieng Anh cila nhom Kit qua cita de tai cho thay vipc sii dung da dang cdc phuong lign truySn thong giang dgy tieng Anh thyc su nang cao kha nSng giao liep bang tieng Anh cua sinh vien Tii''khda:... phuong ti?n ddi vdi vipc cai thipn kha nang ndi tieng Anh ciia sinh vien n3m thii nh^t, trudng Dai hpc Khoa hpc, Dai hpc Thdi Nguyen Hai nhdm sinh vien dupe gidng d^y bang hai phucmg ph^p iruyen... va £)r^ Tap chi KHOA HOC & CONG NGHE 105(05): 151 - 155 TOM T A T SU''DUNG DA PHU"OfNG TIEN DE NANG CAO KY NANG N I TIENG ANH CilA SEVH VIEN NAM THlTC NHAT T R U '' O N G DAI H Q C KHOA H Q C - D