(Skkn 2023) implementing extracurricular activities to enhance students’ speaking skill at cua lo high school

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM IMPLEMENTING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT CUA LO HIGH SCHOOL LĨNH VỰC : TIẾNG ANH SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO NGHỆ AN TRƯỜNG THPT CỬA LÒ - - SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM IMPLEMENTING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT CUA LO HIGH SCHOOL (Lồng ghép hoạt động ngoại khóa để nâng cao kỹ nói tiếng Anh cho học sinh trường THPT Cửa Lò) Bộ mơn: Nhóm tác giả: Tổ: Năm học: Số điện thoại: Email: Tiếng Anh Phan Thị Huệ Phạm Thị Thùy Linh Ngoại ngữ 2022-2023 0976679154 0918245195 huept.c3tk@nghean.edu.vn linhdhnnhue145@gmail.com Cửa Lò, 2023 TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENT PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for choosing the topic 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Method of the study 1.5 Significance of the study PART II: CONTENT 2.1 Theoretical background methods 2.1.1 Teaching and learning English speaking skill 2.1.2 Extracurricular activities in teaching speaking 2.2 Practical background 2.2.1 Students’ viewpoints on speaking skill at Cua Lo high school 2.2.2 Applying extracurricular activities in teaching speaking 2.2.3 Difficulties in using extracurricular activities at Cua Lo high school in the past few years 2.2.4 Tips for successful lesson for extracurricular activities 2.3 Samples of using outdoor activities in teaching speaking skill for students at Cua Lo high School 2.3.1 A day as volunteers in S.O.S children’s village with the philanthropy campaign of CLECers (Cua Lo English club’s members) 2.3.2 Organizing ‘Happy New Year - 2023’ programme 14 2.3.3 A- day excursion to Lam Kinh Ancient Capital and Phu Quy Flower Valley 29 2.4 Findings and evaluation 41 2.4.1 Achieved results 41 2.4.2 Recommendation 41 2.4.3 Survey of emergency and featibility of proposed solutions 42 PART III: CONCLUSION 47 REFERENCES APPENDICES PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for choosing the topic In recent years, English teaching plays a vital role in the period of modernization and industrialization English has been one of the most important subjects at school For the educational innovation, many considerable changes in teaching and learning English at high schools in Vietnam have been made In oder to develop students' communicative competence, the emphasis of English teaching has been placed on the mastery of communicative language skills in which four language skills including listening, speaking, reading and writing have been given balanced weight in the national syllabus However, the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning English in many high schools in Vietnam in general and in Nghe An in particular, are not really as good and high as expected , especially, teaching speaking English skill in upper secondary school is a really big challenge for most teachers as it is not easy at all for the teachers to grow the students’ interest in order that they have motivation to speak English In reality, Vietnamese students find it hard to be able to communicate in English fluently One reason is that teachers have not frequently created a suitable communication environment for students to learn speaking skill Most teachers rely basically on the textbook and not spend time designing a variety of interesting activities Learning English is to communicate; nevertheless, in speaking lessons students are usually passive, write most of the time or keep silent and after speaking lessons, students not know how to express their ideas in real situations related the topic they have learned in class As teachers of English, we find out that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our students on task in four walls of the classroom Therefore, we always try to look for the most effective ways of teaching so that our students can understand the lesson easily and love learning English We have applied a variety of different ways of teaching related using teaching aids and other technologies Among those, the most effective method that allows our students to participate in is extracurricular activities since students can relax and learn the language at the same time without much pressure of studying In the recent years we have applied many extracurricular activities at our school on a large scale and we have found that our students have studied more actively and effectively They are always more eager to access the lesson than before Our students always look forward to extracurricular activities Bearing those in mind, we would like to conduct the Teaching Experience entitled “Implementing extracurricular activities to enhance students’ speaking skill at Cua Lo high school” in oder to enhance speaking English opportunities for students and improve the quality of teaching and learning English at Cua Lo high school 1.2 Aims of the study The study is carried out to meet the following aims: - To provide in-depth information on the types of extracurricular activities learners participate in, as well as how they engage themselves in such outdoor activities - To give a brief overview on outdoor activities and introduce samples of extracurricular activities out of the class - To stimulate student creativity and activeness as well as reduce students’ stress and pressure - To improve the quality of teaching and learning English at Cua Lo high school - To enhance English communication skill of the students at Cua Lo high school - To suggest some feasible solutions to eliminate the demotivating factors in English speaking lessons in order to better students’ English learning - To suggest some extracurricular activities in teaching speaking skill 1.3 Scope of the study The study was going to be conducted at Cua Lo high school for average students about applying extracurricular activities in increasing students' interest in learning speaking to students at Cua Lo high school Due to the limitation of time, only class 12D1.2 was asked to participate in the study 1.4 Method of the study - Collect and study various materials relating to the subject to find out the orientation for the content of the topic, understand the research problem and solve the problem with relatively accurate documentation - Attend English lessons of colleagues in and out of school to summerize some valuable experience in holding extracurricular activities - Carry out surveys and interviews among students as well as have small discussions about the effectiveness of the application - Discuss the problem of teaching method and skills to teach English speaking skills through expert group meetings 1.5 Significance of the study Hopefully, the findings will make a little contribution to the banks of teaching initiatives to increase interest in learning speaking English for students by implementing extracurricular activities The study may also help to find out what are the difficulties when applying extracurricular activities Furthermore, it may not only help to find out the difficulties when applying extracurricular activities but also give some suggestions to help teachers to overcome these difficulties PART II: CONTENT 2.1 Theoretical background methods 2.1.1 Teaching and learning English speaking skill a Communicative language teaching approach - an effective language teaching method  Definition of communicative language teaching approach "Communicative language teaching (CLT), or the communicative approach, is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study." (www.wikipedia.org) Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate communication The teacher sets up a situation that students are likely to encounter in real life Unlike the audio-lingual method of language teaching, which relies on repetition and drills, the communicative approach can leave students in suspense as to the outcome of a class exercise, which will vary according to their reactions and responses The real-life simulations change from day to day Students' motivation to learn comes from their desire to communicate in meaningful ways about meaningful topics Margie S Berns, an expert in the field of communicative language teaching, writes in explaining Firth's view that "language is interaction; it is interpersonal activityand has a clear relationship with society In this light, language study has to look at the use (function) of language in context, both its linguistic context (what is uttered before and after a given piece of discourse) and its social, or situational, context (who is speaking, what their social roles are, why they have come together to speak)" (Berns, 1984, p 5)  The goal of communicative language teaching approach The main goal of communicative language teaching is to build, to make, and to develop learners' communicative ability in the classroom and outside the classroom in order to the learners to be active speakers without many thinking about grammatical mistake In other words, the main goal of this approach is to make an improvement of the communicative competence, especially ability for speaking in the classroom or out of class with other person by using oral language  The way of learning English speaking effectively Speaking is "the process of sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non- verbal symbol, in a variety of context (Chaney, 1998, p.13) Learning English speaking as second language is actually not easy for Vietnamese students According to Margre S.Berns again, "language is interaction, it is interpersonal activity and has a clear relationship with society" (Berns, 1984.p.5) Therefore, learning speaking is not just a process of imitation or repetition of drills It requires a lot interaction between students In speaking activities, the more communicative activities students attend, the more improvable speaking skills students get The main criterion for success in learning speaking is whether or not the learners can communicate fluently in English The below steps are some guidance that can helps learners reach to this aim The first step is realizing the fact that learning the English language should not be a duty or chore for the learners; it should be taken as a fascinating hobby that will help learners to expand their horizons in many aspects of their life One of the most important aspects of improving spoken English is to have an extensive vocabulary so that they could express their thoughts clearly and easily Having a good stock of words would help them to be more precise with their construction and more articulate with their speech Second, having knowledge of basic grammar is another very necessary component of improving spoken English It is not necessary to have an extensively detailed knowledge of grammar for speaking fluent English In fact, speaking in absolutely correct grammar may sometimes lead to awkwardness in casual and informal meetings or talks So, learners just have a basic knowledge of grammar would be enough to get learners started The third step is to be able to convey what they want to express in a confident and easy manner For this, learners need to believe in themselves Also, not hesitate to ask the other persons for clarification if learners not understand them or they themselves are stuck on a word or two in the middle, and need some help Finally, keep practicing Speaking English themselves as much as they can and trying to understand the different accents of native English speakers are two things that would take learners a long way in retaining what they learnt as well as improving their spoken English skills Watching English movies, news channels, etc to hear crisp English diction and absorb the different styles of pronunciations 2.1.2 Extracurricular activities in teaching speaking a Definition of extracurricular activities According to Miskimmin states the extracurricular or outdoor activities are exciting means of providing opportunities for huge learning and personal growth While Hornby, the extracurricular activity is an activity done outside a house or building Outdoor activities mean student’s activities that are done outside the classroom whether in the school yard, the town park, the zoo, the industry, or any other places Extracurricular activities usually mean activities done in nature In addition, according to Rickinson states the extracurricular activity is a board and complex one, which touches on a wide range of educational activities in many different setting Relevant examples include outdoor adventure education, field studies, nature study, outdoor play, heritage education, environmental education, experimental education and agricultural education Extracurricular activities at school are carried out in parallel with other educational activities in schools It is a part of teaching and learning a certain topic in a curriculum of the school Students take part in extracurricular activities under the instruction of the teachers nurture the senses of self- reliance, share with the people around them Extracurricular activities’ aim is to create creativity, different environment for students to be most experienced, turn creative ideas of students into reality so that they can show off their speaking’s ability b The Extracurricular Activity Method The extracurricular activity is one of the teaching method that the students are under the teacher guiding and make the certain and concrete aim to go to place or area for learning and observing something The extracurricular activity is a visit to certain place outside the class that is done as academic activities and it has an education aim The extracurricular activity is a very delightful teaching learning method because the students will have pleasant activities and get the enjoyable experience The teacher and students can go to certain places such as supermarkets, factories, traditional markets, a famous person’s house, a beauty spot, etc Based on the above explaination, we can conclude that extracurricular activities are the teaching learning activities that are done at class outside for learning something, where the students can directly observe objects The students can also make recreation during the activitiy and refresh their mind from boring learning activities From these extracurricular activities students will get the direct experience that can make them interested in the topic which is delivered by the teacher, so the students want to have deeper knowledge by finding information from books and other sources, it can develop their self-study, their co-operation Generally, the extracurricular activity is encouraged by motivation to find information about certain thing, exercise students attitude, develop students interest and appreciation and enjoy the new experience; extracurricular activities can make the students see directly event and increase the students experience which cannot got by them in the class only Life in the four walls is really restricted Meanwhile, they will get so much knowledge that enrich of things which cannot be learnt inside classrooms c When to use extracurricular activities When the weather is fine, we are excited to take our students outside because we know we can still be productive when we are free of walls Yes, it is possible to absorb knowledge when they can explore everything by themselve We have found that students can bring back energy and pay attention more when they return to class Some of the most memorable classes for students are those that they spend outside classrooms The more experience they have, the more knowledge they can get Therefore, we should spend time organizing extracurricular activities whenever we can Extracurricular activities can take place at any time of the academic year d The advantages of extracurricular activities in teaching speaking It is not difficult to realize that extracurricular activity is very significant in language teaching It is really a worthwhile learning experience for both students and teachers Not only can students have more chances to "act" and "interact" with their peers trying to use the English language, but students' English speaking, listening, and understanding will also improve as well Students learn to use the language in a more realistic, more practical way Also, through extracurricular activities, the students learn how to express ideas, opinions, by using words or sounds of articulation Oliver(2009) said that “Outdoor education can provide motivators that will aid not only the reluctant learner, but students of all types” When the students make groups and the teacher orders them to use English when they communicate outside the classroom and the students use it very well They can effectively communicate with each other, they express ideas and make their work easier and faster Larsen Freeman explained that extracurricular activities are n e c e s s a r y in the communicative approach because they give learners an opportunity to practice communicating in different social contexts and different social roles In addition, it is also allowed students to be creative and to put themselves in another person's place for a while The extracurricular activity would seem to be the ideal activity in which students could use their English creatively and it aims to stimulate a conversation in which students might find themselves so that they can practise and develop their communication skills e Disadvantages of using extracurricular activities In many places, taking a class outside is prohibited because of safety, liability, time constraints, or being located in an unsuitable area Outside classroom activities depend on the weather so much On cold or rainy day, we can not carry out them and sometimes if it not safe for students as well as teachers It cannot be denied that leaning English by using outside classroom activities can take a lot of time to prepare for it The teacher must plan the extracurricular activity carefully and have the permission of the principal to it It also costs much money in each lesson to buy things necessary for the lesson Sometimes we call some charities donating money in order to oraganizing for these activities 2.2 Practical background 2.2.1 Students’ viewpoints on speaking skill at Cua Lo high school We have collected a number of students coming from different classes and conducted the research about students’ viewpoints on speaking skill and here is the result: Statements Like very much like Like a little Do not like Percentage (%) 13 30 40 17 The above table show most of students (30%) like speaking English and like a little (40%) while some other students(17%) not like and a small of students(13%) like speaking English very much We have also raised a question for my survey is “ Is it important for you to learn speaking skill?” and here are the answers: Statements Very important Important Quite important Not important Percentage (%) 18 36 34 12 As can be seen in the table, a large number of students state that learning speaking are important (36%) and quite important (34%) Some of them (12%) think it is not important and a small number of them (18%) think it is very important 2.2.2 Applying extracurricular activities in teaching speaking More than 2/3 of students (67%) state that their teacher sometimes apply extracurricular activities in teaching English and the rest (33%) state that their teacher rarely used this activities Statements Often Sometimes Rarely Never 67 33 Percentage (%) Almost all students (78%) think the way that teachers apply extracurricular activities is interesting, the percentages of students who think that it is very interesting is 10%, 12% suppose it is quite interesting and no student thinks it is boring Statements Very interesting Interesting Quite Interesting Boring Percentage 10 78 12 APPENDIX STUDENTS' OPINION SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE Question 1: What you think about speaking skill? a very important b important c not important d not important at all Question 2: What you think about extracurricular activities? a very interesting b interesting c very boring d boring Question 3: Would you like your teacher apply extracurricular activities in teaching English speaking skill? a Yes, very much b Yes, sometimes c No, it's very tired d never Question 4: How you think about extracurricular activities? a Very interesting and effective It gives me a lot of fun and I can learn many new things ouside the textbook I like working in group, I can improve my technolygy knowledge thanks to my friends b I don't like it very much c I don't like it, it takes me a lot of time d It is difficult and not effective Question 5: What are the biggest benefits when you have a chance to take part in extracurricular activities? a Nothing b Not much c I don't know exactly d Groupwork skill, team spirit, problem solving and a lot of fun Question 6: What will you expect from your teacher in the future? Would you like your teacher organise extracurricular activities in teaching English speaking skill? a Often b No, because it takes a lot of time c Sometimes, in order to give students good chances to practice important skills that are very necessary in life later beside speaking skill d I don't care much about that APPENDIX Enclosed links on You tobe https://youtu.be/fhCt87w7igI https://youtu.be/f-gtdmQxMyk https://youtu.be/17sqLyMmXqE https://youtu.be/gxjrNrNBa_M https://youtu.be/vHcJ2f0fIHA APPENDIX RESULTS OF SURVEYING THE EMERGENCY AND FEELABILITY OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS (This survey was sent to 200 teachers and students on the Google Forms platform, so we decided to write it in Vietnamese to make sure that the respondents clearly understand the content of the survey questions to get answers the most exactly) A SURVEY RESULTS OF EMERGENCY OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS B SURVEY RESULTS OF FEELABILITY OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS