How to improve peer interaction in the 10th form english class in high schools = làm thế nào để cải thiện sự tương tác giữa học sinh lớp 10 trong giờ học tiếng anh

VINH UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE - - How to Improve PEER INTERACTION IN the 10th FORM ENGLISH CLASS in high schools (Làm để cải thiện t-ơng tác học sinh lớp 10 học tiÕng anh) summary of Graduation thesis Field: methodology Supervisor: nguyÔn thị vân lam, M.A Student: nguyễn thị bích hạnh Class: 46a-eNGLISH Vinh, 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT For the accomplishment of this study, I have revived a great deal of helpful assistance from many people First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs Nguyen Thi Van Lam, M.A for supporting me and challenging me With her profound knowledge and teaching experience as well as great enthusiasm, she has given me a lot of advice, comments, and encouragement in order that I could finish my research with the most desired result I am deeply thankful to all the teachers of the Foreign Language Department of Vinh University whose lectures and guides have helped me much while I carried out this study I would also express my special thanks to all the English teachers and students at Nguyen Du High School Thanks to their help, I could finish the survey used for my study My deepest thanks are for my beloved family and my friends who always support and encourage me during my preparation till the completion of the study Their love and support mean more to me than they will ever know I have tried my best; however, as a result of the limitation of knowledge, experience as well as materials, mistakes are unavoidable Thus, I would like to receive any regard and comment from you on my study Vinh, May 2009 Nguyen thi bich hanh Table of contents acknowledgements i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii TABLES AND CHARTS iv ABBREVIATION v part one: Introduction 1 The Reasons for Choosing the Study The Objectives of the Study The Scope of the Study The Methods of the Study The Design of the Study Part two: Investigation 10 CHAPTER 1: Theoretical Background 10 1.1 Interaction 10 1.1.1 Definition of Interaction 10 1.1.2 Role of Interaction in Foreign Language Learning 10 1.1.2.1 Interactional Modification Theory 11 1.1.2.2 Sociocultural Theory 12 1.2 Peer Interaction 13 1.2.1 Definition of Peer Interaction 13 1.2.2 Peer Interaction in Language Class 14 1.2.2.1 Communicative Language Teaching 14 1.2.2.2 The Students‟ Role 15 1.2.2.3 The Teacher‟ Role 15 1.2.2.4 Advantages of Peer Interaction in Language Class 17 1.2.2.5 Problems of Peer Interaction in Language Class 19 1.2.3 Types of Peer Interaction 20 1.2.3.1 Pair Peer Interaction 20 1.2.3.2 Group Peer Interaction 20 1.2.3.3 Whole Class Peer Interaction 22 Chapter 2: REAL SITUATION OF USING PEER INTERACTION IN THE 10th FORM ENGLISH CLASS 23 2.1 General Characteristics of the 10th Form Students 23 2.2 Characteristics of the New English Textbook of the 10th Form 25 2.3 The Survey 27 2.3.1 The Informants and Setting 27 2.3.2 Questionnaire Description 28 2.3.3 The Survey Result from Teachers 29 2.3.4 The Survey Result from Students 31 2.4 Real Situation of Using Peer Interaction in the 10th Form English Class in High Schools 33 Chapter 3: Suggested activities for peer interaction improvement in the 10th English class .39 3.1 Stages of Organizing a Peer Interaction Activity 39 3.1.1 Preparation 39 3.1.1.1 Peer Interaction or not? 39 3.1.1.2 Selecting Materials 40 3.1.1.3 Teaching Specific Communication Skills 41 3.1.2 Organizing the Activity 42 3.1.3 Evaluation 44 3.2 Suggested Activities for Peer Interaction Improvement 45 3.2.1 Review/Warmer Activities 46 3.2.2 Presentation Activities 47 3.2.3 Practice Activities 47 3.2.4 Evaluation/Feedback Activities 48 3.3 Examples of Activities for Peer Interaction Improvement Applied within "Tieng Anh 10" 49 PART THREE: CONCLUSION 57 REFERENCES APPENDIX C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an TABLES AND CHARTS Table 2.1 The survey result from teachers for questions to 29 Chart 2.1 The survey result form teachers for question 30 Chart 2.2 The survey result form teachers for question 30 Table 2.2 The survey result from students for questions from to 31 Chart 2.3 The survey result form students for question 32 Chart 2.4 The survey result form students for question 33 Chart 2.5 The survey result form students for question 33 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an ABREVIATION Clt : Communicative Language Teaching T : Teacher Ss : Students Part one: Introduction The Reasons for Choosing the Study English has been widely used all over the world and become the international language It is, hence, understandable why the demand of Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an English learning is increasing considerably day by day Furthermore, the goal of the language learners has changed and shifted from obtaining language knowledge to achieving the communicative ability in English Educationists and linguists have made great efforts to find the most appropriate method with the view to enabling language learners to get the most desired results To meet the need, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is applied as the dominant method Unlike other traditional methods, in CLT, the learner‟s role is more emphasized Most of classtime is devoted to student-student interaction, not teacher-student interaction As a result, students can participate more actively, and they can direct and develop the classroom activities by interacting among themselves while the teacher is a facilitator of the learning process In other words, peer interaction becomes the primary and powerful technique in modern language teaching Additionally, it is believed that like other cognitive development, language proficiency can be obtained through interaction, including peer interaction Peer interaction can provide various learning opportunities Not only more proficient learners assist their peers but mutual assistance among the learners of similar proficiency also occurs Consequently, peer interaction can promote the quality of language learning However, despite its significance, peer interaction in English teaching and learning in high schools has not been exploited to the maximum to improve English learning quality Therefore, the author has attempted to conduct the study entitled “ How to Improve Peer Interaction in the 10th Form English Class in High Schools” to promote an interactive process through which the students could learn from each other through the use of a good selection of interactive class activities The Objectives of the Study The study has been conducted in order to make contributions to the improvement in English teaching and learning in high schools The author, Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an hopefully, shows the support for using peer interaction as an effective way to promote English teaching and learning Thus, the study is aimed to:  Provide a more detailed theoretical framework of peer interaction for teaching English  Briefly point out common characteristics of the 10th form students and the new textbook "Tieng Anh 10" as well as present some information about the real situation of using peer interaction activities in English teaching and learning in high schools  Give procedures to organize a peer interaction activity successfully and some suggested activities to increase peer interaction in the English class as well as some examples of peer interaction activities applied within the new English textbook of the 10th form The Scope of the Study In this paper, only the most necessary knowledge about peer interaction, one particular type of interaction, which is used in language teaching, is mentioned Furthermore, due to limitation of time, it is impossible for the author to carry out the study discussing all the levels of students Thus, this paper only focuses on the students of the 10th form in high schools The Methods of the Study This study has been conducted with the following methods:  Collect materials, mostly from books, magazines and the Internet which refer to peer interaction in language teaching and learning  Conduct a survey to get information about the real situation of English learning and teaching with the new textbook at Nguyen Du High School  Analyze and synthesize the data collected, suggest some types of activities for peer interaction improvement The Design of the Study Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an The study consists of three main parts: Part one entitled “Introduction” outlines the background of the study In this part, the author presents the reasons for choosing the topic, the objectives, the methods, the scope, and the design of the study Part two with the title "Investigation" comprises three chapters In Chapter 1, „Theoretical Background‟, the role of interaction in language learning and the main aspects of peer interaction are provided Chapter deals with the investigation of the factual situation of using peer interaction activities in English teaching and learning in high schools In Chapter 3, the author gives some suggested activities to increase peer interaction in language class applied within the new English textbook of the 10th form Part three is the “Conclusion” in which a brief overview on the achievements of the study is presented The study ends up with “References” providing a list of sources of materials which are used during the process of writing the study and "Appendix" with the survey questionnaires for teachers and students Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an Part two: Investigation CHAPTER 1: Theoretical Background 1.1 Interaction 1.1.1 Definition of Interaction Interaction is a term which is widely used both in daily life and in various sciences In general, interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another From this point of view, it can be inferred that interaction is a twoway effect as opposed to a one–way casual effect Participants included in an interaction can be either the effect–causer or the effect–receiver Effects are balanced for every participant Human interaction is a particular type of interaction Crystal claims that human interaction is face-to-face communication with particular “prosody, facial expression, silence, and rhythmical patterns of behaviors between the participants” (Crystal, 2003) It is a process whereby two or more people engage in reciprocal action There are three main types of interaction in classroom setting, including teacher-learner interaction, learner–content interaction and learnerlearner interaction or peer interaction Each type of interaction has its own features and role in teaching and learning process As indicated in the scope of the study, the study is most concerned with the third type – peer interaction 1.1.2 Role of Interaction in Second Language Learning There have been many theoretical approaches explaining the second language learning such as behaviorism, innatist, psychological theories, and interactionism Each approach has different ways to explain how human 10 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an not under the watchful eyes of the teacher and helps students to become comfortable with each other - Move around the classroom during group sessions Standing behind a desk or in front of the class all the time emphasizes the distance between the teacher and the class Moving into the aisles and around the room makes the class smaller and encourages students' involvement - Do not monitor discussion groups too closely While the teacher may be part of a discussion group, he needs not take the responsibility of monitoring it The teacher should provide clues but let students find their own way out They will learn better in this way - Be careful not to get into private conversations with one or two students, which excludes the rest of the class Where the teacher stands or sits affects whether the entire class feels included So the teacher may need to move away from one student to bring the rest of the students into the discussion - Value and give credit to students' contributions Always strive to belong to the first group, and teach students to likewise This will facilitate peer interaction in the sense that students will be very interested in contributing ideas - Distribute handouts and materials after class, rather than during class time, especially in the large class situations 3.1.3 Evaluation Evaluation is the last stage and one important and often complex aspect with peer interaction although this stage does not take too much time It is time for both the teacher and students to look back what they have done and achieved after interaction activities with the aims at clarifying and improving the effectiveness of the members in contributing to the joint efforts to achieve the learning goals Effective evaluation of peer interaction in inclusive classrooms must focus on both the content and the process of the peer interaction activities Furthermore, the teacher needs to assess individual as well as pair/the whole group efforts 44 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an The teacher should give students enough time to process and this process works well when the teacher leaves some time at the end of the lesson for assessment Peers review how well they learned and taught and how they might improve the process Usually, students say that they enjoy the sharing and learn much out of it During the assessment, the teacher takes note about what the students are saying and the difficulties they face These are to be addressed in subsequent lessons The evaluation tells the teacher what the students have and have not learned Commonly, when one student says that he does not understand something during the evaluation process, there will be at least another student who will be willing to explain Again, the teacher needs to let this happen and provide answers only as a last resort It means that we are letting the students take charge of their own learning The teacher also participates in the evaluation based what he has observed during activities and by listening to students' own evaluation Direct observation is a valuable tool for teachers who are concerned about a student's performance in a specific area In addition, the teacher needs to often ask students to discuss how they work together to accomplish the task This information is shared within pairs/small groups and then with the entire class In order to have an effective evaluation, the teacher should remember to:  allow sufficient time for it to take place  provide a structure for processing (e.g., "List three things your group is doing well today and one thing you could improve.")  emphasize positive feedback  make the processing specific rather than general  maintain student involvement in processing  remind students to use their cooperative skills while they process  communicate clear expectations 3.2 Suggested Activities for Peer Interaction Improvement 45 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an Opportunities for students to interact with their classmates can be included in all phases of a language lesson such as preview, presentation, practice, and evaluation The teacher can use various kinds of activities for peer interaction such as games, discussion, and presentation Some types of activities can be best applied in one stages but also used in other stage of the lesson if appropriate The author tries to give some activities which are often used in each specific stage 3.2.1 Review/ Warmer Activities This stage will provide additional practice and reinforcement of earlier material Also, the teacher prepares the students for the new content and skills to be learned and make them motivated in studying This might be done through the following types of activities: Discussion questions are prepared by the teacher or the students in line with learners‟ levels of English language proficiency For example, to start the reading lesson of Unit 11 (Tieng Anh 10) about environment protection, the teacher may ask students to sit in groups and discuss the question: "Why we have to protect our environment?" Conversation grids have the students‟ names vertically down the side of the grid with questions they can ask one another listed horizontally across the top Conversation grids promote student interaction with everyone in the class or within a small group Peer interviews allow students to engage in interaction to get information from a classmate Students develop or are given a set of questions to ask a partner For example, in preparation for learning comparative forms to discuss different modes of transportation and their costs, students might be given the questions, “How you come to class? How much does it cost?” Students then summarize their partner‟s responses and report back to the class Games, songs, pictures, short videos are often used to motivate students into new lesson 46 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an 3.2.2 Presentation Activities Presentation of new content or skills may be done interactively through jigsaw readings, and various kinds of focused listening tasks Jigsaw activities provide students with the opportunity to work together on content comprehension and to teach content to other students Students are divided into groups, and each group is given a section of a reading/writing and a few questions about key points in their section Each group reads/writes their section, discusses its content, and answers the questions Then new groups are formed so that each group has one person from each of the previous groups Each student teaches the content learned in the previous group to the members of the new group These interactions provide all students with instruction in the content of every section of the reading Dictogloss, one specific focused listening technique, can include interactive components that are used to discuss, summarize, and integrate content material During a dictogloss, the teacher reads a text twice at normal reading speed The first time, the students just listen; the second time, each learner takes notes Students then work together in pairs or small groups to reconstruct the text in complete (but not exact) sentences Finally, they check their work against the text script 3.2.3 Practice Activities Practice is a crucial stage in the whole lesson, and interactive practice of new content and skills can help students incorporate skills and knowledge from their first language into their learning of English Problem-based learning allows students to interact in a pair or small group to solve a problem First they are introduced to the problem Then they explore what they and not know about the problem, generate possible solutions, consider the consequences of each solution, and together choose the most viable For example, students can discuss arguments for and against the proposed tuition fee increase, and consider possible solutions and possible consequences of these solutions The teacher might draw a chart 47 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an with arguments for the increase in one column and arguments against the increase in another column; students can write the ideas developed in their discussion in the appropriate column Task-based learning has the teacher assign a specific task (e.g., comparing two pictures or texts to find the differences, finding out how to lease a car, learning what houses cost or rent for in a specific area of their city), and students work together in pairs or small groups to find the information they need and present it to other groups Most of the lessons in "Tieng Anh 10" are divided in tasks On average, each lesson has three tasks For the task-based activities, the teacher should provide clear step-bystep directions with examples, including products to be developed (e.g., a chart comparing two pictures or texts, a list of steps for leasing a car), evaluation criteria, and allowed time Conversation grids include a few spaces for peer interaction and previously learned vocabulary For example, the grid may have pictures of different kinds of food on it Students can discuss whether or not they like this food, whether this food is available in their country, and how they might cook this food The grid may be used over a period of time for review Stimulations and role plays are classroom activities in which students take the roles of different participants in a situation, and act out what might typically happen in that situation These activities have advantages of involving a large number of students at the same time Individual and group presentations are often implemented after students finish working in pairs/groups 3.2.4 Evaluation/Feedback Activities Interaction activities can also be used to evaluate learner progress The teacher can evaluate student interactions by using note cards, and students can reflect their interactions to see when they have been successful in communicating their message and when they have not In all feedback and evaluation activities, clear criteria are needed so students know what their 48 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an teacher will be listening for and what they themselves should examine when they reflect on their interactions Using note cards helps the teacher give students immediate feedback When students interact in groups or pairs, the teacher can listen to their discussions; make notes on note cards about an individual‟s strengths and weaknesses (e.g., pronunciation, grammar, use of formulaic phrases for agreeing and disagreeing, interrupting) At the end of the interaction, the teacher can discuss what they have observed with students and give them these note cards as immediate, formative feedback The teacher can also use a grid or form to give more formal feedback to students about their class interaction and participation Reflecting on interaction facilitates students‟ knowledge and acquisition of new grammatical forms Students can reflect individually on their interactions and think about when they were understood and when they were not understood; they can then share their perceptions with a partner and receive their partner‟s feedback The teacher can help students to focus their reflections by using a grid or feedback form and asking students to think about when they were comfortable and when they were uncomfortable during the interaction Students can also be videotaped when they are interacting with each other They can then watch themselves and each other and analyze their strengths and weaknesses 3.3 Examples of Activities for Peer Interaction Improvement Applied within "Tieng Anh 10" Below are some applications of peer interaction activities which the author used while she was practising teaching skills at high school 3.3.1 Unit 12: Music, Period: Listening, Stage: After You Listen Time: 8’ Type of interaction: Pair Peer Interaction Activity: Role Play 49 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an Instruction: Work in pairs and play out the conversation between Lan Huong and Quang Hung One is Lan Huong, another is Quang Hung (Students have already listened to the conversation between two people in the listening stage) Procedures:  Teacher (T) explains the instruction and goal of the activity  T divides class into pairs  T goes around offering help when necessary  T asks some pairs to act out their role plays  T gives feedback and correction for some typical mistakes  T might leave some minutes for evaluating the activity, considering advantages, disadvantages, and possible solutions 3.3.2 Unit 12: Music, Period: Speaking, Stage: Speaking Task 2: Asking and Answering about Music Taste Time: 9’ Type of interaction: Group Peer Interaction Activity: Peer Interview Instruction: You are going to interview two of your classmates to get the information about their music taste to complete the table Procedures:  T delivers the handouts for every student Handout: Partner Kinds of music Reasons for listening to music Favourite band/ musician Favourite song/ piece of music When listen to music 50 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn Partner C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an  Before Ss the task, T asks them to look at the first column of the table which includes items they should ask about their friends about T asks Ss what questions they can ask if they want to know about their friend‟s favorite kinds of music, reasons for listening to music, favorite bands/singers/musicians, favorite songs, and when they listen to music  Some suggested questions: - What kind of music you like? - Why you like it? - Who is your favorite singer/musician? - What is your favorite singer/musician? - What is your favorite song? - When you listen to music?  T asks Ss to work in groups of One of them will be an interviewer who wants to interview high school students about their music taste  T reminds Ss that they should act out the conversation as it happens in reality For example, they should greet each other and say goodbye  T and a good student make a conversation as a model for the whole class first  T goes around observing, offering help, and collecting any mistakes for later correction 3.3.3 Unit 12: Music, Period: Writing Stage: Before You Write Task 1: Sentence Completion Time: 10’ Type of interaction: Group Peer Interaction Activity: Jigsaw Writing Instruction: You are required to make up complete sentences about Scott Joplin, a famous American musician, using the prompts provided Procedures:  Before Ss the task, T asks them what tense of verbs they should use in this task T reminds Ss that the simple tense should be used here as the musician died Ss should add prepositions and articles when necessary 51 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an  T divides Ss into groups of Each group member will write a sentence  T goes around offering help when necessary  Group members then share their sentence with one another to get comments and necessary correction Next, they combine all the sentences into a profile  T calls on Ss to go to the board Each of them will write down a sentence  T elicits self and peer correction and gives correction if Ss are not able to correct the errors  T gives the suggested answers: He learnt to play music when he was very young Scott learnt to play the works of composers like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart as well as to compose music He quickly became famous His tunes were wonderful mixture of classical European and African beats which were known as Ragtime All in all, he wrote 50 piano rags and was called the King of Ragtime Scott died in 1917 3.3.4 Unit 12: Music, Period: Speaking, Stage: Speaking Task 3: Reporting on the Information Time: 8’ Type of peer interaction: Group and Whole Class Peer Interaction Activity: Presentation Instruction: Now report what you have found out to the whole class Procedures:  Before Ss report, T elicits the structures they can use: Both A and B like ……… A likes ……., so does B A likes ……… but B prefers ………… 52 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an  T asks Ss to form new groups of (two groups in task will form a new group) In the new groups, Ss have to report what they found about their friends‟ music taste Each group will choose a secretary who will take notes of what they have talked about  T goes around, offers help and collects some typical mistakes  T calls on some representatives of some groups to present their report  T gives general comments and corrects some typical mistakes and errors 3.3.5 Unit 13: Film and Cinema, Period: Reading, Stage: Warm-up Time: 6’ Type of interaction: Group Peer Interaction Activity: Guessing Game Instruction: You are going to work in groups and guess the manes of the film based on the posters Procedures:  T divides class into groups of and gives each group a picture/a poster of a famous film T asks students (Ss) to guess the film‟s name, which kind of film is The group who finishes first and has the correct answer will be the winner  T may ask Ss about the characters in the films and any other information about the films they may know  T gives feedback and correct answers: Name of film The adventures of Sherlock Home Tom and Jerry Love Actually Alias War of the Worlds Kill Bill Type of film Detective Film Cartoon Film Romantic Film Action Film Science Fiction Film Thriller Film 3.3.6 Unit 13: Film and Cinema, Period: Reading, Stage: After you read Time: 6’ Type of interaction: Group Peer Interaction 53 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an Activity: Group Discussion Instruction: You are going to work in groups and talk about the history of cinema, using the cues given in the book Procedures:  T gets Ss to work in groups of and take notes of the main events of the history of cinema 19th century History of cinema began 1905 Films were about 5-10 minutes long 1910s The first long films were made 1915 Films became even longer and better Cinema was first built 1920s Sound was introduced and the old silent film was replaced by the spoken ones  T asks Ss to take turn to talk about the history of cinema based on their notes  T goes around offering help when necessary  T calls on some Ss to speak and gives feedback Part three: conclusion I Recapitulation English has been playing a more and more important role in our lives The requirements of English teaching and learning are obviously becoming very different from what they were in the past The goal of English teaching and learning is to train the good English speakers who really have ability to communicate in English successfully, not simply knowledge of English How to develop students' language skills so that they can use English appropriately and naturally in class as well as in daily life is still the biggest concern of both teachers and learners In this study, the author has tried to present her support for peer interaction as a very effective way 54 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an First, the study deals with the crucial role of interaction in general and peer interaction in particular in language learning Next, the important aspects of peer interaction are analyzed as specific as possible The author also has tried to describe the general characteristics of the 10th form students and of the new English textbooks of the 10th form Additionally, based on the survey result and the author's own observation, the real situation of using peer interaction in the language class, including good points, limitations, and factors working against peer interaction, is analyzed specifically At last, in order to help English teachers improve peer interaction in language class, the author provides procedures and guidelines to organize a peer interaction activity effectively, suggests some specific activities to increase peer interaction, and gives some samples of peer interaction activities applied within "Tieng Anh 10" In conclusion, peer interaction is a powerful technique in modern language teaching Students learn language through using it in the interaction with their classmates As a matter of fact, it is not easy for the teachers to apply peer interaction into the Vietnamese high school context Anyway, the author has tried her best to complete the study with the view to helping the English teachers exploit peer interaction to the maximum so as to develop students‟ communicative competence II Suggestions for Further Study This study is only concerned with how to improve peer interaction in the 10th form English class There are other interesting dimensions which have not been discovered, hence, the author attempts to give here some suggestions for further study:  How to improve peer interaction in English class for other forms  A study on using peer interaction in teaching specific language skills  A study on other types of interaction in English class 55 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an 56 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an v REFERENCES ENGLISH: Allwright, R (1984) The Importance of Interaction in Classroom Language Learning Applied Linguistics, v.5, n.2 Barnett, M (1999) Encouraging Students’ Participation in Discussions Teaching Concerns Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1999/ TC_Spring_1999_Barnett.htm Canale, M (1983) From Communicative Competence to Communicative Language Pedagogy, in Richards J C & Schmidt R W., Language and Communication London & New York: Longman Canale, M & Swain, M (1980) Theoretical Bases of Communicative Approaches to Second Language Teaching and Testing, in Applied Linguistics Cohen, E (1986) Designing Group Work Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom New York: Teachers College Press 57 Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4 22.Tai lieu Luan 66.55.77.99 van Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22 Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an.Tai lieu Luan van Luan an Do an Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhd 77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77t@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn.Stt.010.Mssv.BKD002ac.email.ninhddtt@edu.gmail.com.vn.bkc19134.hmu.edu.vn