Using realia to teach english grammar to young learners in lets go series

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background This study was conducted at the Southeast Asian Minister of Education Organization - Regional Training Center (SEAMEO RETRAC) in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam SEAMEO has had its foundation in 1965 and aimed to promote regional development through cooperation in education, science, and culture As a subordinate body of SEAMEO, the Regional Training Center or RETRAC has been in existence since 1996 to assist all SEAMEO member countries to improve educational management Therefore, RETRAC provides training, undertakes research work, serves as an information center, and engages in other related activities within and outside the region SEAMEO RETRAC is well equipped with over 30 spacious, air-conditioned lecture rooms, meeting rooms, a library, an audio-visual room, an advanced computer lab, a language lab, and an international hall which houses 100-150 people The library acts as an information center through the services it offers, providing high quality collections of books and media materials All SEAMEO RETRAC students, faculty, and staff can access the latest self-study materials from there There is a great collection of English language teaching and learning materials at all levels English training CD-ROMS on computer along with videos, cassettes, and simplified reading materials are provided Especially there is a room called kiddy corner where teachers and young learners can look for things they need such as toys, comic books, crayons, movies, etc Moreover, the free internet service is available for teachers and learners who want to search for more information Kiddy programs at SEAMEO RETRAC are designed for young learners from age to 14 who wish to speak English smoothly and acquired a good knowledge of English Basically, the programs provide English classes for children at three levels: Tiny Talk, Let’s Go, and Pacesetter Tiny Talk provides young learners who have never learned English before with basis language such as greetings, identifying objects, coloring, etc After finishing Tiny Talk, the learners can proceed to Let’s Go series, which has six levels Young learners at SEAMEO RETRAC who take Let’s Go courses range in age from six to twelve and are supposed to have some familiarity with English In reality, most know only a few words, and perhaps, some simple expressions of greetings It is initially difficult, therefore, for them to follow the structures of the book or understand the oral instructions of the native teachers Pacesetter is more difficult than Let’s Go Most of the learners at this level are teenagers All the relevant classes in the thesis used Let’s Go series published by Oxford University Press Let’s Go Second Edition, a seven-level course, combine a carefully controlled grammatical syllabus with functional dialogues, alphabet and phonics work, and songs and chants by Caroline Graham Let’s Go is designed for children who start to study English The themes and situations throughout the books are universal to children everywhere There are five basis components in each level including the Student Book, the Workbook, The Teacher’s book, the Cassette or Compact Disc, and the Picture Cards The Student Books with beautiful full-color illustrations in a clear and attractive format contain eight units The question and answer format that is used to practice new structures and vocabulary help students learn how to ask and answer appropriate questions to get information The Workbooks provide reading and writing practice to further reinforce the language introduced in the Student Books Let’s Chant- Let’s Sing and Grammar & Listening were used as supplementary materials There are six levels of instruction Level focuses on the development of basis oral language through functional dialogues, question-and-answer patterns, and vocabulary work Language structures covered include the simple present tense of the verbs to be, to have, to want, to like as well as simple adjectives and prepositions Level covers the Wh- and Yes/No forms of questions and answers emphasizing on the third-person singular form, expressing abilities can or possession have, and the present continuous tense Formal reading is partly introduced Level focuses on expanding the students’ ability to use grammar patterns introduced in level Short reading passages are taught gradually emphasizing the verb be and irregular verb forms Level introduces more new structures with slightly longer reading passages This level includes new language structures and high-frequency sight words It also includes new language structures such as comparatives, past continuous, future tense, infinitive form, and why – because patterns Level recycles previous language content and introduces the present perfect tense Level gives young learners more opportunities to use their language skills to talk about themselves, their opinions using the new language structures such as relative clauses who, modals, conditional using would, reported speech, and phrasal verbs Each course took eighty hours of instruction aimed at speaking fluency, good listening, simple writing, and fun with English Two instructors: a native English teacher and a Vietnamese teacher were assigned to each class They functioned as coteachers The teachers encounter some problems At first, the children must be encouraged or coaxed into actually speaking English, and secondly there are the normal problems with concentration and comprehension of even the simplest rules of grammar As a result, it becomes a time-intensive undertaking There are many ways to teach the structures of grammar to young learners but this study is aimed at examining whether realia is frequently used to teach grammar to young learners and whether it is one of the effective ways to teach grammar in Let’s Go series Moreover, Ur (1996) stated that children have a great immediate need to be motivated by the teacher or the materials in order to learn effectively There is no denying that it is effective for them to have something eye-catching to look at and relevant to the task at hand And realia is useful for both touching and visualization Understanding the importance of realia leads to the necessity of this study 1.2 Statement of purpose Children are at the stage of exploring the world around them Their discoveries regarding their environment are recorded and processed in their mother language But when these revelations are acquired through the medium of a foreign language the difficulties double… acquiring new knowledge, and processing it in a new language The need to understand grammar only makes tasks more complicated As cited in Thornbury 1999, a schoolmaster and textbook writer, Joseph Webbe writes that no man can run speedily to the mark of language that is shackled… with grammar precepts Grammar is important for learners who want to master their language However, teaching grammar has always been one of the most controversial and least understood aspects of language teaching (Thornbury, 1999) Grammar is a description of the rules that govern how sentences are formed Learners, especially the younger ones, consider it an obstacle to the study of English Moreover, children need to see and touch the language they learn and the structures of grammar seem abstract complications that confuse and discourage them It is time, therefore, for teachers to enable their students to “touch” the grammar structures of their new language Using realia is one of ways to achieve this result Giving the importance of teaching grammar, this study will focus on the benefits and problems of using realia to teach grammar to young learners in the Let’s Go series at SEAMEO RETRAC In reality, many teachers understand the need to encourage young learners in the use of English Frequently, however, it seems that they not know how to manage the lessons effectively, and how to use visual teaching aids To this end, the writer finds it necessary to research examining the effectiveness of using realia in teaching grammar to young learners This study looks for potential problems in using realia and for the most effective means of employing it 1.3 Research Questions There is one question that guides this study: To what extent and how effective has realia been used to teach grammar to young learners in Let’s Go series at SEAMEO RETRAC? And three sub-questions are also aimed: How often did teachers at SEAMEO RETRAC use realia to teach grammar structures to young learners in the Let’s Go series? How effective was it? What is young learners’ attitude towards realia in studying grammar? The purpose of this study is to find out whether realia has been frequently used to teach grammar to young learners and whether realia is an effective way in teaching grammar in Let’s Go series at SEAMEO RETRAC It was conducted by investigating the attitude of learners towards realia and their interest in the lessons, as well as teachers’ opinions of using realia 1.4 Significance of the study The study on the effectiveness of using realia in teaching grammar to young learners in Let’s Go series at SEAMEO RETRAC is important for several reasons First, understanding the attitude of children towards realia can help teachers manage grammar lessons in a more understandable and enjoyable way Second, knowing how often and how effective realia can be used in teaching grammar to children may help teaching become more effectively Third, the study concerns students and teachers at SEAMEO RETRAC, but the findings could be useful for teachers who use realia to teach grammar to young learners 1.5 Definition of the term Realia: “the technical term for any real objects that are introduced into the classroom for teaching purposes” (Thornbury, 1999) 1.6 Limitations This study will confine itself to interviewing and observing the English teachers at SEAMEO RETRAC In addition, the questionnaire will be delivered to learners who are old enough (from to 12 years old) to minimize their reading comprehension errors They are learners from Let’s Go to Let’s Go 1.7 Overview of the study The thesis is structured in five main chapters − Chapter one introduces the entire area of the study This chapter describes the background of the study as well as the importance of grammar in learning English and the role of realia in teaching it to young learners at SEAMEO RETRAC − Chapter two is the theoretical background of grammar and the role of realia in teaching grammar to young learners This chapter reviews the literature relevant to the topic investigated and a brief summary of findings and studies already published − Chapter three presents the methodology employed in the study This chapter includes the description of the research design, objectives, participants, and data collection procedure In this chapter, data collection includes the observations from eight classes, the interviews of ten teachers, and the questionnaire from 177 samples (from children from -12 years old at SEAMEO RETRAC) − Chapter four reports the results of the study and presents discussions of the findings − Chapter five is for the conclusion of the study, and suggested recommendations for the improvement of the teaching quality This chapter puts forward some implications for teaching grammar to young learners using real objects CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Teaching a foreign language to young learners requires a lot of special effort because of their age Imparting knowledge of grammar and helping the students to use it are complex processes According to Harley et al 1995 (as cited in Cameron 2001), young children learn the grammar of the second language more slowly than older learners do, so that although they start earlier with language learning, they make slower progress, and overall gains are not straightforwardly linked to the time spent learning Therefore, the role of teachers is how to stimulate their interests and imagination by using visual teaching aids which support their needs One of the popular means used in kiddy classrooms is realia The teachers need to understand the importance of studying grammar, their students’ abilities, and the extent to which realia can be used in teaching grammar to young learners This chapter consists of a discussion of the literature relevant to the topic 2.1 The need of studying grammar Grammar is one of the most important parts in determining the meaning of English Cameron (2001) states in a larger discussion, that grammar is something much more than the lists of labels and rules found in grammar books, and that grammar is closely tied into meaning and use of language That is to say, grammar may be defined as system of rules for the use of language, or as a study of what is preferred and what is to be avoided in effective speech and writing (Shertzer, 1986) Therefore, studying grammar in order to use the language correctly is the only way to make one’s speech sound natural, and that good habits of speech will improve one’s writing All learners – children and adults – need to study grammar at appropriate levels so that they can manage their speech in proper forms Moreover, Brown (1994) makes a point in his research on the principles of teaching He suggests the idea that grammar gives us the form of the structures of language themselves, but those forms are literally meaningless without a second dimension, that of meaning / semantics, and a third dimension, pragmatics Butt (as cited in James, 2003) shares the same idea that grammar is significant because we know it is the organization of meaning – of semantics In research on learning and teaching a second language, Dunan (1999) confirms that for most of people, the essence of language lies in grammar When someone is said to “lack skills in language”, or when the popular press decries what is sees as the declining standard of English, they are generally referring to an actual or perceived decline in the ability of individuals to express themselves grammatically Cobbett (as cited in Nunan, 1999) wrote: Grammar…teaches us how to make use of them to choose the words which ought to be place We must be acquainted with certain principles and rules, and these principles and rules constitute what is called Grammar The importance of grammar leads to the need of teaching and learning it 2.2 The needs of children in studying Krahne (1994) states that age is more important in that young learners (4 -11 years of age) can make little use of language analysis (meta language and grammatical descriptions) They must be taught through direct methods It might also be claimed that their attention spans are shorter, though even young children can engage in language activity for surprisingly long periods of time According to Krahne, children under the age of about 10 or 12, of course, can probably carry almost no meta linguistic knowledge Adults can usually retain a small amount of general information about a language Therefore, understanding the needs of children is the best way to get good results in teaching According to Gerngross & Puchta (1992), young learners seem to be more at ease with holistic methods of learning grammar in which structures are acquired subconsciously Scott &Ytreberg (1990) state that children understand the situations more quickly than they understand the language used That is to say, teachers must remember to combine form and context together (Celce &Olshtain, 2000) As children from eight to twelve are relatively mature with an adult side and a childish side, they will have some sort of language awareness and readiness Most activities for the young learners should include movement and involve the senses (Scott & Ytreberg, 1990) Since concentration and attention spans are short, teachers need lots of variety in class It is important for language teachers to remember that young children may spend a long time absorbing language before they actually produce anything It is not a good idea to try to force them to speak in the target languages as this can create a lot of emotion stress Reilly & Ward (1997) believe that some children say nothing at all in class but go home and tell their parents what they have learnt Instead of trying to make them use the language, teachers should ask them to repetitive songs, rhymes, games, and plenty of choral work Children then will be able to produce language without the stress of having to speak individually Since children are in an intellectual stage, teachers need to remember their limitations Children are centered on the “here and now”, on the functional purposes of language (Brown, 1994) Moreover, there is an idea from Scott &Ytreberg (1990) that how good young learners are in a foreign language is not dependent on whether they have learnt the grammar rule or not They stated an advice: As a teacher, you should note the structures, functions and grammar items which you want your pupils to learn as well as those they already know, but your actually teaching should only include the barest minimum of grammar taught as grammar… The best time to introduce 10 Điều khó em học ngữ pháp gì? a Khó nhớ công thức b Dễ nhầm lẫn với cấu trúc khác c Hay làm tập sai d Không dùng mẫu câu giao tiếp Các em cho biết, lớp em, đồ dùng dạy học (như viết, thước, búp bê, đồ chơi, bút chì màu…) thầy cô sử dụng để làmgì? a Để chơi trò chơi b Vừa để chơi, vừa để học c Để kiểm tra cũ d Để học Khi học ngữ pháp, em thích thầy cô dạy nào? a Viết ví dụ lên bảng yêu cầu lặp lại b Dùng đồ vật để minh họa c Gọi vài bạn lên trước lớp để minh họa d Thầy cô làm mẫu tình Sau buổi học, em có hiểu không? a Rất hiểu thích học b Hiểu c Hoàn toàn không hiểu Xin chân thành cảm ơn em 59 BIBLIOGRAPHY Allwright, R & Bailey, K.M (1991) Focus on the Language Classroom: An Introduction to Classroom Research for Language Teachers Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Argardizzo, C (1993) Children in Action Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall International Barry, M (1987) Theories of second language learning Eward Arnold Berwald, J (1987).Teaching Foreign Language with Realia and Other Authentic Materials Q & As Washington, D.C.: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages 1-6 Brown, H.D (1994) Teaching by Principles An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy Prentice Hall Regents Brumfit, C (1991) Teaching English to Children: From Practice to Principle Harpercollins Publishers Cameron, L (2001) Teaching Languages to Young Learners Cambridge University Press Carter, R & Nunan, D (2001) Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Cambridge University Press Celce-Murcia, M (2000) Discourse and Context in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press Celce-Murcia, M & Hilles, S (1988) Techniques and resources in teaching grammar New York: Oxford University Press Celce-Murcia, M & Larsen-Freeman, D (1983) The grammar book Newbury House Collins, H (1990) Language Learning Strategies: What every teacher should 60 know New York Davies, P & Pearse, E (2000) Success in English Teaching Oxford University Press Dickens, M., Robertson, I., & Hofmann, E (1995) Realia: Bringing the Real World into the Classroom [Online] Available: http://www.wlc.com/oxus/realia.htm [1997, June 1] Freeman, D.L (1986) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Oxford University Press Gebhard, J.G (1996) Teaching English as a Foreign Language or Second Language University of Michigan Press Gerngross, G & Puchta, H (1992) Creative Grammar Practice Longman Group UK Limited Griffiths, G & Keohane, K (2000) Personalizing Language Learning Cambridge University Press Halliwell, S (1992) Teaching English in the primary classroom Longman Halliday, M.A.K (1995) An Introduction to Function Grammar London: Arnold Harmer, J (1987) The practice of English language teaching London: Longman Harmer, J (1989) Teaching and Learning Grammar London: Longman Harmer, J (1998) How to teach English Addison Wesley Longman Limited Hartwell, P (1985) Grammar, grammars, and the teaching of grammar College English James, J.E (2003) Grammar in the Language Classroom SEAMEO RETRAC Krahnke, K (1994) E 526 Teaching English as a foreign/second language Units 1-5 61 Krashen, S (1982) Principles and practice in second language acquisition London: Pergamon Larsen-Freeman, D (1986) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Oxford University Press Larsen-Freeman, D & Long, M (1991) An introduction to second language acquisition research New York: Longman Larsen-Freeman, D (1991) Teaching grammar In M Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (Second Edition) Boston: Heinle & Heinle Lewis, M & Hill, J (1985) Practical Techniques for Language Teaching Language Teaching Publications Lynne, C (2001) Teaching language to young learners Cambridge University Press McLaughlin, B (1987) Theories of second language acquisition London: Edwin Arnold Nunan, D (1988) The learner-centered curriculum Cambridge University Press Nunan, D (1989) Designing tasks for the Communicative Classroom Cambridge University Press Nunan, D (1999) Second Language Teaching & Learning Heinle & Heinle Publishers Odlin, T (1994) Perspectives on pedagogical grammar Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Paulston, C.B (1976) Teaching English as a second language: Techniques and Procedures Withrop Publishers, Inc Reilly, V & Ward, S.M (1997) Very young learners Oxford University Press 62 Richards, J.C & Rodgers, T.S (1986) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching – A description and analysis Cambridge University Press River, W (1983) Speaking in Many Tongues New York: Cambridge University Press, Third Edition Rutherford, W (1987) Second language grammar: Learning and teaching New York: Long man Scott, W.A & Ytreberg, L.H (1990) Teaching English to Children Longman Group UK Limited Sion, C (1985) Recipes for Tired Teachers Addition – Wesley Publishing Company, INC Shertzer, M.D (1986) The elements of Grammar Macmillan Publishing Company Stevick, E (1986) Images and options in the language classroom Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Susan, H (1980) Teaching Children Modern English Publications Limited Thornbury, S (1999) How to teach Grammar Longman Ur, P (1995) Grammar Practice Activities Cambridge University Press Ur, P (1996) A course in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press Vale, D & Feunteun, A (1995) Teaching Children English Cambridge University Press Wajnryb, R (1992) Classroom Observation Tasks Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Wright, T (1987) Roles of Teachers and Learners Oxford: Oxford University Press 63 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES HUỲNH THỊ PHƯƠNG THẢO USING REALIA TO TEACH ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN LET’S GO SERIES M.A THESIS IN TESOL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF TESOL Supervisor: NGUYỄN HOÀNG LINH, M.A HoChiMinh City – 2006 i CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: USING REALIA TO TEACH ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN LET’S GO SERIES In terms of the statement of Requirements for Theses in Master’s Programmes issued by the Higher Degree Committee HoChiMinh City, July 2006 HUỲNH THỊ PHƯƠNG THẢO ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, HUỲNH THỊ PHƯƠNG THẢO, being the candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions establish by the Library for the care, loan or reproduction of theses HoChiMinh City July 2006 HUỲNH THỊ PHƯƠNG THẢO iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Mr Nguyễn Hoàng Linh, M.A., lecturer of the Falculty of English Linguistics and Literature, HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, for his insightful discussions, constructive criticisms, valuable comments, and continuing support in the preparation and completion of this thesis My special thanks go to Mr Ken Judson, B.A., J.D., English teacher at SEAMEO RETRAC, for his useful advice during the time of completing this thesis I thank Dr Huyønh Trung Taâm, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of HCMC University of Industry, for his support in the process of doing the thesis I also thank all my colleagues and students of kiddy programs at SEAMEO RETRAC for their cooperation in the study Last but not least, my deepest gratitude and thanks are sent to my friends and my family, especially my husband for their invaluable suggestions, encouragement, support, help and assistance iv ABSTRACT This thesis is entitled “Using realia to teach English grammar to young learners in Let’ Go series” The thesis is aimed at describing the possibility of using realia to teach grammar to young learners in Let’s Go classes at Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) – SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (SEAMEO RETRAC) From one side of the issue, a focus of the study was the search for the effectiveness of using realia to present structures to young learners in Let’s Go series From the other side, students’ attitudes and expectation towards realia were learned to understand their interest in the grammar lessons In the light of this understanding, the writer looked to the use of realia to manage grammar classes at SEAMEO RETRAC in a more effective and enjoyable way This study was carried out as follows: (1) a series of class observations and teachers’ interview at SEAMEO RETRAC in order to find out how teachers use realia and to what extent it has been effective in the teaching of grammar to young learners; (2) a questionnaire asking students about their attitudes to their English learning in Let’s Go classes in order to search for their expectation to their learning What has been learned from the analysis of data reveals that most of the teachers use realia to present vocabulary and review the previous lessons, not to teach new grammar structures, except for some easy structures like prepositions or possessive adjectives In order to explain for their teaching styles, Let’s Go teachers pointed out quite a lot of reasons According to them, v although realia can liven the lessons and help young learners remember the knowledge well, it takes the teachers lots of time and energy to design and present From students’ perspective, they felt quite happy with their studying Although they did not have many chances to study grammar with realia (since their teachers did not use much), they had good attitudes towards studying grammar, especially with real objects In an attempt to have a systematic look about the use of realia in teaching and learning grammar, the writer of this thesis wished to offer a depiction of the problems the teachers and the young learners at SEAMEO RETRAC had to face In addition, recommendations were suggested based on the findings vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 Statement of purpose -4 1.3 Research questions -5 1.4 Significance of the study -5 1.5 Definition of Term 1.6 Limitations -6 1.7 Overview of the study CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW - 2.1 The need of studying grammar 2.2 The needs of children in studying -9 2.3 Realia and grammar lessons 11 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY - 17 3.1 Research design 17 3.2 Objectives -17 3.3 Participants -17 3.4 Data collection procedure 18 3.4.1 Observations -18 3.4.1.1 Non-participant observations -19 3.4.1.2 Participant observations -20 3.4.2 Interviews with teachers -20 vii 3.4.3 Questionnaire 21 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION - 23 4.1 Results from the observations -23 4.1.1 Non-participant observations -23 4.1.1.1 Difference between young and middle-aged teachers -23 4.1.1.2 Kinds of realia used in observed classes -25 4.1.2 Participant observations -28 4.1.3 Learners’ responses 32 4.2 Results from the interviews -34 4.2.1 An overview in teaching young learners 35 4.2.1.1 Ease -35 4.2.1.2 Difficulties -36 4.2.2 The fact of using realia in kiddy classes -37 4.2.3 The advantages and disadvantages of using realia 39 4.2.3.1 The advantages 39 4.2.3.2 The disadvantages 41 4.3 Results from the questionnaire 43 4.3.1 The needs of young learners 43 4.3.2 Young learners’ attitude towards grammar -45 4.3.3 Young learners’ problems in studying grammar -48 4.3.4 Realia used in classes 49 4.3.5 Young learners’ attitude and expectation towards realia -49 4.3.6 Young learners’ opinions 50 4.4 The discussion of the findings -52 viii CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 54 5.1 Conclusion -54 5.2 Recommendations 56 APPENDIX 59 BIBLIOGRAPHY 61 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Difference between young teachers and middle-aged teachers 23 Table 4.2 Kinds of realia used in observed classes -25 Table 4.3 The result of using realia -29 Table 4.4 The effectiveness and students’ responses 32 Table 4.5 An overview in teaching young learners 35 Table 4.6 The fact of using realia in class -37 Table 4.7 The advantages and disadvantages of using realia -39 Table 4.8 -43 Table 4.9 -44 Table 4.10 45 Table 4.11 46 Table 4.12 48 Table 4.13 49 Table 4.14 49 Table 4.15 51 x