A survey of using group work on learning speaking skills to grade 9 students at khanh duong secondary school in ninh binh

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES BA THESIS A SURVEY OF USING GROUP WORK ON LEARNING SPEAKING SKILLS TO GRADE STUDENTS AT KHANH DUONG SECONDARY SCHOOL IN NINH BINH KHẢO SÁT VIỆC SỬ DỤNG KĨ NĂNG LÀM VIỆC NHÓM TRONG VIỆC HỌC KĨ NĂNG NÓI ĐỐI VỚI HỌC SINH LỚP TRƯỜNG THCS KHÁNH DƯƠNG TẠI NINH BÌNH STUDENT: TA THI GIANG STUDENT CODE: 621263 MAJOR: ENGLISH SUPERVISOR 1: NGUYEN THI THUY LAN, M.A SUPERVISOR 2: PHAM HUONG LAN, M.A Hanoi – 2021 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “A survey of using group on learning speaking skills to grade students at Khanh Duong Secondary School in Ninh Binh” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2021 Ta Thi Giang Approved by SUPERVISOR i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the process of fulfilling this graduation paper, I have received much necessary assistance, previous ideas, and timely encouragement from my teachers, family, and friends I would like to acknowledge and extend my great thanks to many people who have made the completion of this study possible: First and foremost, I would like to offer the deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Nguyen Thi Thuy Lan, M.A and Pham Huong Lan M.A who have supported me throughout my thesis with his knowledge and enthusiasm Their detailed comments and useful advice have helped me shape my ideas and realize my aims Therefore, it is an undeniable fact that this paper would have not been completed without her invaluable support Secondly, I am extremely grateful to all the lecturers of Faculty of Education and Foreign Languages in Vietnam National University of Agriculture for their awesome lectures that have helped to increase my interest in English language and enriched my academic knowledge of English during the past four years In addition, I warmly thank all my friends for their encouragement and precious assistance throughout the process of writing the thesis Their material and spiritual support is a great driving force for me Especially, I wish to thank Ms Nguyen Thi Thu, Ms Nguyen Thi Hong and 60-grade 9th students at the Khanh Duong secondary school for their enthusiastic and effective cooperation in the process of completing the survey questionnaire Finally, I am greatly indebted to my parents, who have encouraged and supported me to fulfill this graduation thesis HaNoi, 2021 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY RESEARCH QUESTIONS SCOPE OF THE STUDY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY DESIGN OF THE STUDY PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES 1.1.1 Related research in Vietnam 1.1.2 Related research in the world 1.2 REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.2.1 Theoretical background of speaking 1.2.1.1 Nature of speaking 1.2.1.2 Different aspects of speaking 1.2.1.3 Teaching speaking in a classroom 12 1.2.2 Theoretical background of groupwork………………………………… 13 1.2.2.1 Definitions of group work 13 1.2.2.2 The principles to organize a successful group work in speaking class 16 1.2.2.3 Group discussion 20 1.2.2.4 The role of the teacher with group work activities 21 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 31 2.1 RESEARCH GOVERNING ORIENTATION 31 2.2 RESEARCH METHODS 31 2.2.1 Major method(s) 31 iii 2.2.2 Research setting/context 31 2.2.3.Data collection 32 2.2.4.Data analysis 34 2.3 SUMMARY 35 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 36 3.1 STUDENT’S PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARD GROUP WORK IN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILLS 36 3.2 DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS FACE WHEN PARTICIPATING IN GROUP WORK.……………………………………………………………….45 PART III: CONCLUSION 47 RECAPITULATION 47 2.CONCLUDING REMARKS 47 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 49 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 49 REFERENTCES 51 APPENDIX 53 APPENDIX 537 APPENDIX 538 iv ABSTRACT Speaking is widely acknowledged as an important component of second language instruction for all students When learning this skills, Vietnamese students face significant challenges as well As a result, finding a solution to this issue becomes critical The information was gathered through the use of questionnaires and interviews The purpose of this study is to find out the current situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills of grade students at Khanh Duong secondary school According to research results, students face a lot of difficulties when learning to speak Speaking is widely recognized as an important component of second language instruction for all students In learning these skills, Vietnamese students also face significant challenges Therefore, finding a solution to this problem becomes important Information was collected through the use of questionnaires and interviews The purpose of the topic is to find out the current situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills of grade students at Khanh Duong Secondary School According to the research results, most students realize the importance of using group work in learning to speak, difficulties when using this activity also often occur, typically nothing to say, using using too much mother tongue From his research, the researcher hopes that this research will help students understand the importance and use of group work in the most effective way v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES List of tables Table 2.1 The importance of group work for students Table 2.2 Applying group work activities in learning speaking Table 2.3 Students' interest in group work Table 2.4 Activities that students desire to in group work Table 2.5 Students' perception of the characteristics of group work Table 2.6 Students' opinions about the benefits of group work Table 2.7 Difficulties students face when participating in group work List of figures Figure 2.1 Student's English level Figure 2.2 Students' understanding of the definition of group work Figure 2.3 Skills that students improve after using group work vi PART I: INTRODUCTION RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY In today's world, it cannot be denied that English plays a vital role in every field of social life since it is the most common language used in communication among people who come from different countries and regions In their daily life, the international language may help them prepare better for their career in the future because it does not only equip learners with a necessary source of information of social and culture knowledge but also gives them up-to-date information concerning a different issues in our society nowadays Many people use English alongside their native language in many parts of the world Because the majority of books, cultural documents, and business documents are published in English, learning English is becoming increasingly important in the context of globalization Using English well not only allows people to adapt to a global work environment, but it also gives them access to a wealth of knowledge and cultural understanding available all over the world today As a result, it is preferable to consider learning English in addition to your mother tongue in order to gain access to the world's richest repository of knowledge and culture and to succeed in the workplace The Vietnamese people are no exception, especially since Vietnam is still a developing country undergoing integration Speaking is one of the most important and essential skills to master in order to communicate effectively in English (or any language) People who can communicate well will be more effective at sending and receiving information The ability to speak fluently is a skill that must be mastered Increasing a student's interest in speaking can help them develop their conversational skills The more engaging an environment the teachers create, the more successful the pupils' oral abilities become One of the most effective ways to encourage pupils to utilize the language and push them to become more active is through group work activities According to Doff (1988), pupils experience less fear when they work privately with their peers rather than in front of the entire class Group work can assist shy students who have never participated in a whole-class activity How to promote student’s speaking skills is still a challenging question The students are usually reluctant to speak when they are asked in speaking lessons Typically, students are self-conscious about their English proficiency and have difficulty communicating and expressing themselves in the target language As a result of their fear of making mistakes, they prefer to remain silent and not actively participate in speaking lessons Due to time constraints, language teachers in schools not devote their full attention to speaking activities Furthermore, they struggle to articulate themselves in English Additionally, they have unequal involvement in speaking lessons To tackle these problems, group-work activities are taken into careful consideration in order to enhance students' speaking skills Therefore I decided to carry out research on the survey of using group work in learning speaking skills of grade 9th students at Khanh Duong secondary school The researcher hopes to get a better grasp of the reality of using group work activities in high school speaking classes through this thesis, as well as assisting students and teachers in comprehending the worth of group work activities and so finding more interest in speaking classes AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Aims of the study: Find out the perception and attitude and the current situation difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills Objectives of the study: • To investigate the perception and attitude toward group work in learning speaking skills to 9th graders at Khanh Dương secondary school • To determine the difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills at Khanh Dương secondary school RESEARCH QUESTIONS Accordingly, this study will address the following research questions: What are students’ perception and attitude toward group work use in learning speaking skills at Khanh Duong secondary school? What difficulties 9th graders in khanh duong secondary school face when using group work in learning speaking skills? SCOPE OF THE STUDY 60 students and two ninth-grade English teachers were invited to participate in the survey Conducting research in a specific context, the findings helped me better understand the state and difficulties of using group work in learning speaking skills of grade in Khanh Dương secondary school Implementation time: Two weeks of the final month of the second term in the year 2020-2021 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This research was carried in serious order to determine the present perceptions, attitudes, and difficulties associated with the use of group work The author wants to make a significant contribution to improving the use of group work in speaking classes by using the research findings It will specifically help students in understanding the importance of group work in the development of speaking skills This can be done by students becoming more interested and actively participating in the lesson Furthermore, the study highlights the problems and provides suggestions to assist students in making the best use of this activity DESIGN OF THE STUDY The study consists of parts: Part 1: Introduction The background of the study, the urgency of the investigation, the issue statement, the aim, and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the engaged, assimilate the material better, and feel more connected to you Half of the students also indicated that their friends helped them learn more and encouraged them to be more creative This was corroborated by the teacher, who also remarked that when group work was used, the quality of the work improved dramatically In addition, the capacity to communicate in English has improved slightly To support this claim, we may look at the results of a apoll on student English improvement in the chart below Figure 2.3: Skills that students improve after using group work The bar chart above shows the skills that students improved after using group work There are a total of columns equivalent to skills such as pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary The highest percentage is pronunciation with (41.67%) students saying that this is a skill they have improved Next is (31.67%) students choosing vocabulary The least amount of the options is grammar, with (26.67%) of the choices It can be said that most students improve their pronunciation skills However, through interviews, 44 teachers said that students' pronunciation skills have improved but are still poor, especially in terms of stress Students also learn more vocabulary from different topics In addition, grammar is also significantly improved after using this activity in learning to speak 3.2 DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS FACE WHEN PARTICIPATING IN GROUP WORK Table 2.7: Difficulties students face when participating in group work Reasons that hinder students' ability to speak Responses English N Percent 20 19.2% Nothing to say 35 33.7% The use of the mother tongue too much 25 24.0% Low or uneven participation 19 18.3% 4.8% 104 100.0% Lack of confidence when speaking The topic given is too difficult or not interested Total Table 2.7 outlines the factors that impede students' capacity to communicate in English Looking at the table, it seems clear that the greatest challenge students encounter while working in groups is having nothing to say (33.7%) When students are given a question, they frequently have no idea what to reply to, so instead of responding, they remain mute Furthermore, overuse of the mother tongue is the second-highest rate (24%) People with low language ability frequently utilize their native language to speak with members of workgroups, which is an issue we are all too familiar with As a result, improving their English speaking ability is tough for them 45 Another major issue is a lack of confidence in speaking English, with up to 19.25% of students feeling ashamed when forced to so in front of the class Part of the explanation could be due to the two factors indicated above: fear of making mistakes and a lack of vocabulary to articulate their thoughts, both of which lead to a lack of confidence In addition to the above challenges, 18.3% of students said that the time they spent speaking was low or uneven There will often be persons in the group that talk a lot, talk a little, or maybe don't say anything at all The smallest rate (4.8%) learner believe that the issue is too challenging for their aptitude level and that they are uninterested in it The topic is too complex, it's easy to bore students and make them uninterested in taking the exercise All of the above reasons prove that students face a lot of difficulties in speaking English Most students find that they overuse their mother tongue too much and not improve their communication skills, leading to lack of confidence, nothing to say In addition, the assigned topic and the uneven participation in speaking is also one of the difficulties 3.3 SUMMARY In conclusion, the researcher collected and analyzed the results from 60 9th graders and two teachers of Khanh Duong Secondary School after investigating the students' perceptions and difficulties when participating in group work in meetings learn to speak Questionnaire and interview are two research methods used to survey and collect necessary information about this activity According to the research results, students were aware of the need for teamwork for themselves Furthermore, research has revealed the reality of the difficulties that students often face when participating in group work activities In addition, the research results also show the benefits and improvement in students' English that this activity brings However, a small number of students still not see the importance of teamwork and find that this activity does not work for them They have difficulty using and not improve their English That said, not all activities are suitable for all students 46 PART III: CONCLUSION RECAPITULATION The purpose of this study is to determine if students in Khanh Duong Secondary School's grade are aware of the necessity of group work in learning speaking skills, as well as their attitudes and challenges in doing so Interview questions and questionnaires were interviewed to collect the essential information for the investigation In fact, research suggests that students face with a variety of issues when participating in group work activities, including a lack of confidence, using their mother tongue excessively, and so on These issues are also one of the elements that contribute to students' limited ability to communicate in English Aside from the difficulties, students have gained many benefits through teamwork The teacher stated that she discovered this practice to be quite beneficial after observing the students' learning in class Students become more engaged in class, participate more actively in the course, and the quality of their work improves Significantly improved, as is the level of interaction and connection among members As a result, it can be concluded that working activities, in particular, should be employed frequently in the classroom to increase students' motivation in learning to speak English Hopefully, this research will aid students in better understanding group work and putting it into practice 2.CONCLUDING REMARKS This research focuses on identifying the current situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills The results of the "survey on using group work in learning speaking skills of grade students at Khanh Duong Secondary School" are available as follows: 47 The perception and attitude of students about group work in speaking skills: The researcher can determine from the information in the questionnaires and interviews that the students at Khanh Duong Secondary School believe that learning to speak is really important This is a necessary skill for anyone who want to learn English effectively Group work is considered to play a role in the success of this skill To further understand the significance of this activity, the researcher conducted a survey to determine the current degree of awareness as well as the importance of group work activities for students First, students recognize the need of group work in learning English This practice, when compared to traditional instruction, aids students in increasing their interest, better absorbing teachings, and improving the quality of their work Furthermore, it connects and enhances interaction amongst members Second, more than half of the students comprehended the core notion of group work correctly and sufficiently In addition, teachers use group work in a variety of activities Students have had more fascinating experiences when working in groups as a result of this That is why the majority of students enjoy this activity The difficulties that students face when using group work in speaking skills: When working in groups, students faced various problems First of all, motivation to learn, students often feel depressed and lack of motivation before class lessons Another issue arises from the course books' topics and settings, which are tough and unfamiliar to students There isn't anything to say This is a very common occurrence for all students They are often complaining about their inability to come up with new ideas Despite their awareness of the value of English, many lack the enthusiasm to talk in class Even when prompted, they find it difficult to express themselves 48 Following that, there is a low or uneven level of student participation It is possible to devote all of one's time to speaking activities As a result, others may not get a chance to speak, or may not be able to say anything at all One of the most common explanations is the use of the mother tongue Many students are hesitant to speak English in front of their peers They prefer their mother tongue to English since it requires them to spend less time thinking Finally, there's a lack of confidence Many students believe that their English is inadequate and that they are unable to communicate effectively in English LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Despite the fact that the study was carried out to the best of the researcher's abilities, limitations were unavoidable The aim of the study is to see identifying the current situation and difficulties of students when using group work in learning speaking skills However, due to the study's limited scope and time constraints, the researcher was unable to cover all aspects of group work, so she focused on only a few The second limitation is due to the stressful situation of the covid 19 epidemic, the survey is conducted online via zalo and Facebook Furthermore, the researcher is limited to interviewing only a few teachers and students about the use of group work As a result, the study's findings are just objective and not address all issues RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY Based on the above mentioned limitations, the researcher makes the following recommendations: Because only group discussion was used as a group-work technique, students may become bored, and certain students at a low level may find it difficult to participate in discussion; as a result, it is critical that future studies on additional group-work strategies be conducted To make the classroom more exciting, it is proposed that the "combining arrangement" technique be used 49 Future research could focus on other aspects of speaking skills, such as connected speech and expressive devices, in order to develop students' speaking skills more holistically In current life, native speakers tend to employ connected speech; as a result, pupils must be taught rules for omitting, adding, or weakening sounds, as well as participate in exercises developed expressly for them Furthermore, in order to be truly successful communicators, students must master expressive methods in speaking, such as changing the pitch and stress of specific portions of utterances, varying loudness and speech to convey how they are feeling 50 REFERENTCES Aftat, Mokhtar, (2008), Motivation and Genuine learning Andrewes, S (2003) Group work vs whole class activities Teaching English Annisa Nurul Ilmi ( 2012) improving speaking skills through cooperative Bowen, Tim, (2005), Methodology: Shy Students; An Article Offering Suggestions And Advice On Teaching Shy Students Brown, H.D (2001).Teaching by Principles An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Brown, H.D.(2001) Teaching by Principles- An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy USA: Prentice Hall Regents Brown, R (2000) Group Processes: Dynamics Within and Between Groups (2nd Ed.) Oxford: Blackwell Byrne, D.(1997), Teaching oral English Edinburgh: Longman Limited Doff, A (1998) Teaching English: A training course for teachers Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 10.Dumas, 2002) Language learning anxiety 11.Gower, R., Phillips, D., & Walters, S (1995) Teaching practice handbook 12.Harmer, J (1999) Practice of English Language Teaching: Longman 13.He, Summer X & Chen, Amanda J.Y, (2010), How to Improve Spoken English 14.I-Jung C (2004) Utilizing group-work effectively in the English language classroom TESL Reporter, 37(1), 1-7 15.Johnson, D., & Smith, K A (1991) Cooperative learning: Increasing College Faculty Instructional Productivity ASH-FRIC Higher Education, 04 51 16.Killen, R (2006) Effective Teaching Strategies - Lesson from research and practice Thomson Social Science Press 17.Learning for the tenth grade students of the tourism program at SMKN YOGYAKARTA In the academic year of 2011/2012 18.Li Hoang Thi Men (2013), investigation into the use of pair work and group work activities to develop speaking skill of the first year English major students of the Faculty Foreign Language, Thai Nguyen University 19.Long M H., & Porter, P A (1985) Group-Work, Interlanguage Talk, and Second Language Acquisition TESOL quarterly, 19(2), 207 – 228 20 Lu Yee Ting (2018) Teaching speaking skills through group work activities SMK DAMAI JAYA 21.Nguyen Thi Dieu Ha (2020) The use of group work to enhance speaking skills for High School Students In Vietnam 22 Noor Anida Binti Awang (2013) Techniques for improving Arabic speaking skills through group work activities 23.Nunan, D (1999) Second Language Teaching & Learning USA Heinle&Heinle Publisher 24.Pham Dang Tram Anh ( 2018) ,the effects of group work in teaching speaking skills to ESP students at DaNang University Of Medical Technology And Pharmacy( DUMTP) 25.Richards, J C & Rodgers, T.S (2001) Approaches and methods in language teaching (2nd ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Ur, P (1991) A Course in Language Teaching Practice and Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 52 APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRES (for students) Bảng câu hỏi lâp nhằm phục vụ cho việc tìm hiểu thực trạng việc sử dụng kỹ làm việc nhóm học nói ( tiếng anh) học sinh lớp trường THCS Khánh Dương, câu trả lời trung thực bạn quan trọng nghiên cứu Cảm ơn bạn nhiều cho hợp tác Vui lòng khoanh tròn vào đáp án ( a,b,c d,e ) trước câu trả lời bạn cho phù hợp Họ tên:………………………………… Lớp :………………………………… Giới tính :………………………………… Câu hỏi khảo sát Bạn có u thích mơn tiếng anh? a Thích b Khơng thích Hoạt động làm việc nhóm quan trọng bạn? a Rất quan trọng b Quan trọng c Ít quan trọng d Khơng quan trọng Bạn hiểu định nghĩa hoạt động làm việc nhóm? a Làm việc theo nhóm tập hợp nhiều người làm b Làm nhóm cách nhiều người kết hợp điểm ưu tiên để hồn thành công việc nhanh hiệu c Làm việc nhóm tập hợp nhiều người ngồi làm khác công việc 53 d Làm việc nhóm người làm riêng lẻ lại có mục tiêu cơng việc Thầy (cơ) bạn có thường áp dụng kĩ làm việc nhóm học mơn nói khơng? a Thường xun b Thỉnh thoảng c Hiếm d Không Bạn thích giáo viên áp dụng hoạt động làm việc nhóm vào hoạt động đây? a Game b Role play c Discussion d Guide practiced Bạn có thích hoạt động làm việc nhóm khơng? a Rất nhiều b Nhiều c d Rất Bạn vui lịng đánh dấu X vào thể mức độ quan điểm bạn trước đặc điểm làm việc nhóm Nội dung Hồn tồn Khơng Trung khơng đồng ý lập đồng ý Đồng ý Hồn tồn đồng ý Các thành viên nhóm thường lắng nghe chia sẻ ý kiến 54 làm việc nhóm Người học có xu hướng thích tự chọn nhóm thay mặc định nhóm giáo viên Làm việc nhóm với người người khác trình độ hiệu Chọn nhóm trưởng cần thiết làm việc nhóm Khi làm việc nhóm tất thành viên có nói Khi tham gia vào hoạt động nhóm, khó khăn bạn gì? ( Bạn khoanh nhiều đáp án ) a Thiếu tự tin trước đám đông b Không có để nói c Sử dụng tiếng mẹ đẻ nhiều d Sự tham gia thấp không đồng e Chủ đề đưa khó khơng gây hứng thú 55 Bạn vui lòng đánh dấu X vào ô thể mức độ quan điểm bạn trước lợi ích hoạt động làm việc Nội dung Hồn Khơng tồn khơng đồng ý Trung lập đồng ý Đồng ý Hoàn toàn đồng ý Làm việc nhóm giúp em tăng hứng thú tham gia tích cực vào học học nói Làm việc nhóm giúp bạn tiếp thu tốt học kỹ nói Em học hỏi nhiều kiến thức từ thành viên nhóm tham gia làm việc nhóm Sự tương tác, kết nối em bạn cải thiện sau làm việc nhóm Tham gia hoạt động làm việc nhóm giúp khơi gợi sáng tạo em với học 10 Học sinh cải thiện kỹ sau làm việc nhóm? a Phát âm b Ngữ pháp c Từ vựng 56 APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONNARIES (For students) Em hiểu hoạt động làm việc nhóm học nói? Em có thích làm việc nhóm khơng? Em có thường xun sử dụng hoạt đơng nhóm để phát triển kĩ nói hay khơng? Em thường gặp khó khăn tham gia vào hoạt động làm việc nhóm học kỹ nói ? Em cảm thấy làm việc nhóm giúp em tiếp thu tốt học kỹ nói khơng? Việc vận dụng hoạt động làm việc nhóm học nói góp phần cải thiện khả nói em ? 57 APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONNARIES (For teachers) Cơ có thường xun áp dụng hoạt động làm việc nhóm học nói khơng? Học sinh có hứng thú với giảng lớp khơng? Cơ thường áp dụng hoạt động làm việc nhóm vào hoạt động cụ thể nào? Theo quan sát cơ, học sinh cải thiện sau áp dụng hoạt động làm việc nhóm học nói? 58