Using role play in teaching short stories to third year english majors at the university of technical education in ho chi minh city m a

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE ******************** THESIS USING ROLE-PLAY IN TEACHING SHORT STORIES TO THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN HO CHI MINH CITY Submitted to the Department of English Linguistics and Literature in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL By TRAN THI THIEN THANH – TESOL 2008 Supervised by DOAN HUE DUNG, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY, 2013 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled “USING ROLE-PLAY IN TEACHING SHORT STORIES TO THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN HO CHI MINH CITY” In terms of the Statement of requirements for Theses in Masters’ programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of the Department of English Linguistics and Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City The thesis has not been accepted for any degree and it is not currently submitted in candidature of any other degree Ho Chi Minh City, 2013 Tran Thi Thien Thanh i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that, I, TRAN THI THIEN THANH, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Thesis deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree to the original of my thesis being deposited in the Library to be accessible for the purpose of study and research, in accordance with the normal condition established by the Librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of theses HCMC, 2013 TRAN THI THIEN THANH iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Doan Hue Dung for her great encouragement, sympathy and support during my research I appreciate her generosity and very detailed suggestions on various drafts of this thesis Without her guidance and support this research could not have been completed In addition, I am thankful to the teachers who helped to answer the questionnaire and my students at Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Technical Education who assisted in data collection I would also like to thank Dr Nguyen Dinh Thu for his instructing me to teach literature and his care and encouragement I want to express my gratitude to all of the professors who devotedly taught me during my postgraduate studies at the USSH In addition, I want to say thank you to all of my classmates, TESOL 2008 class, especially Mr Huynh Phong Nhuan,who have inspired and encouraged me, spiritually and practically, during the study process and compilation of this thesis Finally I would like to send my special thank to my family who always encouraged and helped me during this study iv ABSTRACT This thesis is a study of applying role play in teaching American short stories The study aims to examine the effects of role play in teaching and learning American literature Its goals are set to find out (1) students’ attitude toward learning American literature and (2) the effect of applying role-play in the context of teaching and learning American short stories As for the framework of analysis, the study involved 15 teachers in charge of American literature and 59 students majored in English at the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Technical Education The research instruments included questionnaires for both teachers and students and pre-tests and post-tests for students only The major findings of the study revealed that both students and teachers appreciate the various effects of role play in teaching American short stories, especially enhancing the comprehension of short stories; however, not many teachers apply it very often in their literature teaching for different reasons Key words: role play, literature, American short stories, comprehension v TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv ABSTRACT v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF FIGURES x LIST OF TABLES xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study 1.2 Rationale 1.2.1 Teaching and learning literature at high school level 1.2.2 Teaching and learning British and American literature at English-majored tertiary level 1.2.3 Teaching and learning British and American literature at HCMCUTE 1.3 Aims of the study 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Hypothesis 1.6 Significance of the study 1.7 Limitations of the study 1.8 Research Method 1.9 Organization of the study CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW 11 2.1 Literature in English Language Teaching 11 2.2 Literary Text Selection 13 2.3 Short Stories 15 vi 2.3.1 Definition 15 2.3.2 Characteristics of a Short Story 16 2.3.2.1 Setting 16 2.3.2.2 Plot 17 2.3.2.3 Characters 17 2.3.2.4 Theme 18 2.3.2.5 Point of view 19 2.3.3 Problems When Using a Short Story 19 2.3.4 Approaches to Teaching Short Stories 20 2.3.3.1 Elements of the Short Story 21 2.3.3.1.1 Visualizing the setting 21 2.3.3.1.2 Seeing conflicts 21 2.3.3.1.3 Understanding decisions 21 2.3.3.1.4 Sensing tone and mood 21 2.3.3.1.5 Seeing character 22 2.3.3.1.6 Understanding character 22 2.3.3.1.7 Understanding the plot 22 2.3.3.1.8 Seeing the sequence of events 22 2.3.3.1.9 Understanding the story line 23 2.3.3.1.10 Understanding structure 23 2.3.3.2 Interpreting and Understanding the Short Story 24 2.3.3.3 Writing the Short Story 25 2.4 Methodological Approaches to Teaching Literature 32 2.4.1 Language-based approach 33 2.4.2 Information-based approach 33 2.4.3 Critical literacy approach 34 2.4.4 Stylistic approach 34 2.4.5 Story Grammar approach 35 2.4.6 Reader Response approach 35 2.4.7 Integrated approach 36 2.4.8 Task-based approach 36 2.5 Role play 39 2.5.1 Definition 39 2.5.2 Reasons for using role play in English classes 40 vii 2.5.3 Disadvantages of Using Role play 43 2.5.4 Types of role play 45 2.5.4.1 Role-playing controlled through cued dialogues 46 2.5.4.2 Role-playing controlled through cues and information 47 2.5.4.3 Role-playing controlled through situation and goals 48 2.5.4.4 Role-playing in the form of debate or discussion 49 2.5.4.5 Large-scale simulation activities 50 2.5.4.6 Improvisation 51 2.5.5 The procedure to conduct a role play 51 2.5.5.1 Preparation and explanation of the activity by the teacher 52 2.5.5.2 Student preparation of the activity 54 2.5.5.3 Carry out role play 55 2.5.5.4 The discussion or debriefing after the role-play activity 57 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY 60 3.1 A Brief Overview on the Theory of Experimental Research 60 3.2 Research Design 61 3.3 The Experimental Teaching 62 3.3.1 Characteristics of Student Participants 62 3.3.2 Experimental Teaching 62 3.4 Characteristics of Teacher Participants 64 3.5 Instruments Used in Data Collection 64 3.5.1 Questionnaires 64 3.5.1.1 Pre-questionnaire 65 3.5.1.2 Post-questionnaire 66 3.5.1.3 Teachers’ questionnaire 68 3.5.2 Pre-test 69 3.5.3 Post-test 69 3.6 Data Analysis 70 3.7 Research Procedure 70 CHAPTER DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 73 4.1 Data Analysis 73 4.1.1 Questionnaires for Students 73 viii 4.1.1.1 Pre-questionnaire 73 4.1.1.2 Post-questionnaire 79 4.1.1.2.1 Part 1: Same questions for both classes 79 4.1.1.2.2 Part 2: Questions for the experimental class only 88 4.1.2 Tests 97 4.1.3 Teachers’ questionnaire 105 4.2 Major Findings 120 CHAPTER CONCLUSIONS 124 5.1 Answering the research questions 124 5.2 Implications 126 5.2.1 Increase students’ interest in reading literary works 127 5.2.2 Enhance role-play’s effects in the literature lesson 128 5.3 Recommendations for Further Study 128 REFERENCES 130 APPENDICES 134 APPENDIX Students’ Pre-Questionnaire 135 APPENDIX Students’ Post-Questionnaire (Controlled class) ……137 APPENDIX Students’ Post-Questionnaire (Experimental class) 139 APPENDIX Teachers’ Questionnaire 142 APPENDIX Test .145 APPENDIX Sample lesson plan (Controlled class) .155 APPENDIX Sample lesson plan (Experimental class) .167 APPENDIX A sample role play script (A Gift of the Magi) 179 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1: Plot pattern of a short story 17 Figure 2-2: Anticipating student problems with short stories 20 Figure 4-1: Respondents’ opinions of their favourite skill 74 Figure 4-2: Respondents’ opinions of literature role 74 Figure 4-3: Respondents’ love of literature 75 Figure 4-4: Respondents’ opinions of the obstacles of studying literature 77 Figure 4-5: Respondents’ choice of favourite literature genre 78 Figure 4-6: Teaching activities in the previous literature course 78 Figure 4-7: Awareness of literature role before/after course in the controlled class 80 Figure 4-8: Awareness of literature role before/after course in experimental class 80 Figure 4-9: Comparison of obstacles to studying literature before and after the course in the controlled class 81 Figure 4-10: Comparison of obstacles to studying literature before and after the course in the experimental class 81 Figure 4-11: Time spent on reading a work before each lesson 82 Figure 4-12: Difficulty of reading the assigned works 83 Figure 4-13: Character Incarnation 84 Figure 4-14: Frequency of rereading the works after lessons 85 Figure 4-15: Feeling when studying the course 86 Figure 4-16: Favourite class activities 87 Figure 4-17: Level of understanding a lesson 87 Figure 4-18: Level of Enjoying Role-play 89 Figure 4-19: Course Recommendation 89 Figure 4-20: Role-play’s effect on memorizing story details 90 Figure 4-21: Role-play’s effect on understanding a story without reading it 91 Figure 4-22: Role-play’s effect on interest in literature 92 Figure 4-23: Role-play’s effect on story comprehension 93 Figure 4-24: Role-play’s effect on creativity 94 Figure 4-25: Role-play’s effect on team-work spirit 94 x APPENDIX A SAMPLE LESSON PLAN (Experimental class) UNIT 1: THE GIFT OF THE MAGI Numbers of Periods: I AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson students are able to Understand the plot and other story elements in the story (characters, theme, point of view, irony, symbolism) Discriminate between the types of irony: verbal, situational and dramatic Analyze the purpose of the irony in the story Write a summary of the reading selection and discuss the use of situational irony in the selection + Language function: To name characters, plot, theme, point of view + Educational aim: To appreciate the qualities of this piece that has made it a time-honored holiday story To value the true love and sacrifice II TEACHER AND STUDENTS' PREPARATION + Method of teaching: Communicative approach + Techniques: pair work, group work, picture provoking, matching, questioning and answering, discussion, table filling, gap filling, role play 166 + Teaching aids: pictures, overhead projector, CD player + Students' preparation: Read “The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry prior to starting this lesson Look up the vocabulary prior to starting this lesson Students are assumed to already know the definitions of a short story’s elements like plot, character, theme, climax, resolution, style, point of view III PROCEDURE OF TEACHING Stabilization: Warm-up: 2ms + Greeting + Checking attendance Presentation of the new material Lead-in 167 Time Teacher’s activities Students’ activities 10 ms Setting a situation: IMPORTANT DATES - Discuss with their partners and - Show students pictures of some matching occasions and holidays (suggested answers) - Ask them to match each picture Birthday with each special date Chinese New Year Mother’s day Christmas 10 Woman’s day - Ask them “what these pictures The people in these pictures are giving and receiving gifts and have in common?” flowers - Ask them “do you know who creates the art of gift giving at Christmas?” - Play the song “We three kings of Orient Are” so that the students can have an idea of who the magi are - Ask them who the three kings are and why their gifts are meaningful The Magi - Listen to the song The Magi are the three kings who bring gifts to the newborn Jesus gold, the gift for a king; frankincense, the gift for a priest and myrrh — a burial ointment, a gift for one who would die 168 Content 1m Presenting the new lesson Why does O Henry name his story “The gift of the Magi”? What does he want to convey through the story? What makes this story so popular and is considered as a Xmas family story? This lesson can help you to answer these questions and especially the use of Irony technique for which O.Henry is famous Analysis of the story elements of plot, characters, themes, point of view, symbolism Time Teacher’s activities 25 ms I Group performance - Take notes, observe the group performance II Class discussion - Take notes questions and answers - Give feedback 15 ms III Plot - Ask them to fill the Plot Pyramid in pairs Students’ activities - Group summarizes the story - Group performs the role play of the story - Class asks the characters in the performance for clarification of their actions or meaning of some details - Group answers - Class give comments 169 - Ask them to explain their plot, especially the climax detail and setting 15 ms II Characters - “How many characters are there in the story?” - Ask students to work in groups of and fill out the table Characteristics Jim Della Mme Sofronie - Three They are Jim, Della and Mme Sofranie - Suggested answers Characteristics Appearance Personality Actions - Groups exchange their worksheets and explain to other groups - Give feedback Appearance 170 Jim Della - thin, young man, twentytwo years old - wears a worn-out overcoat and no gloves - pretty, slender young - long brown hair cascades past her knees - wears an old brown hat and old Mme Sofronie large, too white brown jacket Personality Actions and Sayings 10 ms III Themes - Which of the following themes can be found in The Gift of the Magi? Explain how O Henry uses each theme you identify (group work) Art Law Fear Money Bravery Death Loss Love Serious, reliable, concerned, sacrificed, quiet - And now I think we should have our dinner - I sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs - You've cut off your hair? thrift, concerned, sacrificed, generous chilly, Cares for money only - What could I with a dollar and eightyseven cents? - Her eyes were shining brilliantly - Will you buy hair? - Fixed up her hair - You won't care, will you? - I buy hair - Twenty dollars - lifting the mass with a practiced hand Beauty Della is worried that Jim won't think she is beautiful with short hair, but Jim loves her for more than just her beautiful hair and how she looks If you really love somebody, they are beautiful no matter how they look Family Jim and Della are husband and wife and they love 171 Justice Faith Giving Growing Beauty Nature Poverty Sacrifice Knowledge Freedom Pride Religion Family Peace Greed Wisdom - Give feedback each other Jim's watch was given to him by his father and has been in his family for many years Still, he sacrifices it out of love for Della Giving Della and Jim both feel that it is important to give nice gifts to each other to express their love Love Because Jim and Della love each other, there is really no need to prove their love by buying gifts for each other Love is the greatest gift Money Della and Jim sell valuable things to get money to buy gifts for each other, because they are poor Sacrifice Both Della and Jim give up valuable possessions so they can buy Christmas gifts for each other Poverty The Youngs’ apartment is poorly furnished Della had only $1.87 after months of carefully saving Jim wears a worn-out overcoat and no gloves in cold weather Despite their poverty they love each other a lot ms IV Point of view Whose point of view is the story told from? - It's told by a third party narrator who seems to be telling a story directly to the reader as if they were sharing a drink in front of the fire The narrator isn’t an omniscient or indifferent narrator, he has his own personality that adds a distinctive tone to the story - He's willing to take breaks from the "action" of the story 172 In what way does he/she have a voice over the story? to paint a vivid scene The narrator seems to speak directly to his "audience" The narrator also takes breaks from the action to "make a point." He speaks as if he's seen the world and understood it well and he wants to teach you some lessons about it 10 ms V Symbolism What Della’s hair and Jim’s watch stand for? Why does the author call Jim and Della the magi? Explain What does the title mean? Della’s hair represents her endless beauty; Jim’s watch represents his close ties to family Both Jim and Della gave up their most prized possessions for one another This sacrifice is like the way the Magi, the three Kings bring gifts to Jesus The gifts of Jim and Della given to each other are compared to those of the three Kings They come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem The gold is a symbol of love; the frankincense and myrrh were used to burn and had a sweet aroma They were also ingredients used in developing medicines These gifts were not only practical, but precious Focus on Irony – the most outstanding technique of O Henry’s style Time Teacher's activities 20 ms I Presentation of Irony - Play the song “Ironic” sung by Alanis Morissette - Ask students which situation in the song makes them surprised Students' activities (suggested answers) - An old man who won lottery died the next day - A free drive when you’ve already paid 173 - They are examples of Irony What does irony mean? (possible answer) - Give the definition of Irony Irony is what we don’t expect happens According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Irony is a “situation that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens, or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true”; Irony also means the use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or expressed meaning - Introduce basic types of irony  Verbal Irony  Situational Irony  Dramatic Irony - Give different situations and ask students to match each situation with the correct type of Irony While watching a scary movie, the audience realizes that the killer is hiding in the house, but the victim thinks she is safe Someone says, “Oh great!” when something terrible happens A boy lies and says he is sick to avoid going somewhere, and then actually gets ill - Ask students to give definitions to each type of Irony (If students not understand the difference between these 174 types, give some more situations so that students can recognize types of Irony clearly In “Romeo and Juliet” When Romeo finds Juliet in a deep sleep, he thinks she is dead so he kills himself After Juliet awakens, she sees that Romeo is dead, so she stabs herself Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink ; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink You break a date with your girlfriend so you can go to the ball game with the guys When you go to the concession stand, you run into your date who is with another guy You stay up all night studying for a test When you go to class, you discover the test is not until the next day 10 Your boyfriend shows up in ripped up jeans and a stained t-shirt With a smirk, you say, "Oh! I see you dressed up for our date We must be going to a posh restaurant.") Verbal-When what someone says something different from what they really mean, or something different from what would be the expected statement in that particular situation Situational-When the outcome of a situation is totally unexpected and not anticipated based on earlier events Dramatic-When the audience or reader knows something that the characters not, something which adds suspense or humor - Of which type of Irony are the situations in the song “Ironic”? - Break class up into groups of three or four Have each group make up and write down at least one example of each type of irony II Irony in the story “The Gift of the Magi” - Which type(s) of irony might be applied to "The Gift 15 ms of the Magi? Why is the outcome of the story an - Situational irony Della and Jim sacrifice their most irony? precious possessions to buy each other gifts which turn 175 - What is O Henry’s purpose in using Irony in the story? out to be useless because the gifts are related to the things they have sacrificed - To portrait the main theme of the story “love conquers everything” “He also has the idea that life is one constant surprise and that the unexpected continually happens He is, then; a pure romanticist who strives earnestly for - What would the story be without irony? realistic effects.” (Rollins) - Being able to recognize irony is an important skill - To put them into a real life perspective, he makes it that will help you understand an author’s intentions seem as if it could happen to anyone - No surprising ending, straightforward, maybe boring Consolidation Time Teacher's activities ms - Divide the class into 3-4 groups - Do as directed - Each group will think of some quizzes related to the story and ask the others One mark for each right answer Which group has the highest score is the winner Students' activities APPENDIX IRONIC An old man turned ninety-eight He won the lottery and died the next day It's a black fly in your Chardonnay It's a death row pardon two minutes too late And isn't it ironic don't you think It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought it figures Mr Play It Safe was afraid to fly 176 He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye He waited his whole life to take that flight And as the plane crashed down he thought "Well isn't this nice " And isn't it ironic don't you think A traffic jam when you're already late A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife It's meeting the man of my dreams And then meeting his beautiful wife And isn't it ironic don't you think A little too ironic and, yeah, I really think 178 APPENDIX A SAMPLE ROLE PLAY SCRIPT THE SCRIPT OF THE GIFT OF THE MAGI Scene 1: At the market Every day, Della tries to spend as little money as possible when she goes to the market Della: How much for all? (the meat and the cabbage) Seller: 10 cents Della: cents decrease Can you buy them for me with cents? Please! Seller: I just decrease cent as I am possible Della : Just Seller : I can’t afford Della : please! Please! Seller: sorry…never! ( bực bội trừng mắt quát Della) Della: (đếm đếm, suy nghĩ) ok, cents.that’s it Seller: please hold it and … get out!!! ( Della thất thỉu trở nhà.) Scene 2: Della comes back to her apartment, A small apartment Della lives with her husband, James Dillingham Young, in New York City Della: (ngồi ghế đếm số tiền lại ỏi): oh! I have only eighty-seven cents, Christmas will come tomorrow How can I buy a gift for my husband with this little money? (khóc nức nở) A few minutes, she stops crying (Della xoay người chạy đến bên gương treo tuờng Della sees her hair in the mirror; it is a long beautiful silky hair down along the back An idea suddenly appears in her mind Della : that’s right! I only wish my honey would be happy at Christmas Eve I can do… Della: I will buy a meaningful gift The gift could show all my love for my dear husband (Della cuộn tóc lên lại Cơ đứng lặng thút thít lát Cơ đội nón khốc áo chạy khỏi nhà Ngồi trời, gió khơng ngừng thét, tuyết khơng ngửng rơi.) 179 Scene 3: Della stops in front of the sign "Mne Sofronie Hair Goods of All Kinds." She enters the store Madame : welcome! Della: Hello! I want to sell my hair Will u buy it? Madame: I buy hair Take the hat off and let me see your hair Madame: Twenty dollars.(bàn tay nâng niu mái tóc óng ả) Della! Give it to me quick Della sits on the chair still and quietly Madame begins to cut her hair.(thái độ tiếc nuối cho Della) Scene 4: Della is ransacking the stores for Jim’s present.The next two hours passed quickly She is finding to buy a gift for Jim Finally she finds one Della: That’s beautiful A chain for Jim’s gold watch Jim loves his watch a lot but it does not have a chain I will buy it How much does it cost? Seller: 21 dollars Della: Here it is, thanks Seller: yeah, thank you Scene 5: At home Della sees her short hair in the mirror again Della: If Jim is not angry with that I done, he’ll say I look like Coney Island chorus girl But what could I do! Oh! What could I with a dollar and eighty-seven cents? o’clock Meals prepared almost complete Della waits hopes that she is still beautiful in the eyes of Jim Then the door opens (Jim đứng đó, nhìn Della với ánh mắt kỳ lạ Cơ chạy đến bên Jim ịa khóc) Della: Don’t look at me that way, my darling (Khóc) I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present It'll grow fast again—you won't mind, will you? / ‘Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy Jim: You've cut off your hair Really? Della: Right! I had Cut it off and sold it I’m sorry 180 Jim: You say your hair is gone? Della: It's sold It's Christmas Eve Be good to me, for it went for you and nobody could count my love for you (Chợt Jim vịng tay ơm lấy Della rút từ túi áo vật đặt lên bàn) Jim: I love you even if your hair is short or long But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why I was like that (Beautiful and expensive combs) (Della nâng niu quà, mắt tràn đầy hạnh phúc) Della: My hair grows so fast, Jim (She remembers the chain and ran to get) Della: I hunted all over town to find it You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now Give me your watch I want to see how it looks on it Jim: Dell, let's put our Christmas presents away I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs And now suppose you put the chops on 181