How to develop the speaking skill for vietnamese learners at high school

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES ””” PHAN KHANH VAN H HO OW W TTO OD DEEVVEELLO OPP TTH HEE SSPPEEAAK KIIN NGG SSK KIILLLL FFO OR R VVIIEETTN NAAM MEESSEE LLEEAAR RN NEER RSS AATT H HO OO OLL HIIGGH H SSCCH A Thesis in Master of Arts Major: TESOL Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Supervisor NGUYEN THI NGOC HANH, M.A HO CHI MINH CITY, 2006 C ER RT TIIF FIIC CA AT CE TE EO FO RIIG GIIN NA OF AL LIIT OR TY Y I hereby certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: HOW TO DEVELOP THE SPEAKING SKILL FOR VIETNAMESE LEARNERS AT HIGH-SCHOOL in terms of the statement of Requirements for Theses in Master’s Programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee Ho Chi Minh City, May 15, 2006 PHAN KHANH VAN i RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, Phan Khanh Van, being the candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for care, loan or reproduction of theses Ho Chi Minh City, May 15, 2006 PHAN KHANH VAN ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Ms NGUYEN THI NGOC HANH, for her patient guidance, encouragement and valuable advice throughout my research Without her help, I could not have finished the thesis I owe a great deal to all my lecturers for their helpful instructions during the Master course at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities I would also like to thank all the teachers and students at Le Thi Hong Gam high-school for their help and co-operation in completing the questionnaire Last but not least, my sincere thanks go to my family, my friends and my colleagues whose support has been especially important to the success of my educational endeavors iii ABSTRACT Through time the definition of language has changed, first as writing, then as speech and now as communication The need of most English learners is not limited to a good knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary but it is the ability to use English to communicate effectively This thesis, therefore, aims to identify the problems and solutions to develop the speaking skill for Vietnamese learners, especially those in high-school where the teaching and learning of English are much concerned with the written rather than the spoken form As an effort to identify the problems, a survey was carried out to investigate students’ learning experience, their awareness as well as their expectation towards the learning of English in high-school The findings from the survey included students’ passive English learning experience with little or no exposure to oral practice both inside and outside the classroom, low motivation in learning affected by ineffective teaching methods and inappropriate curriculum in high-school nowadays It was also found out that although most learners have a lack of confidence in expressing their own opinions, they have high expectation of speaking practice at school in preparation for their future careers or higher study In consideration of students’ prior and existing grammatical and semantic knowledge in light of the learner-centered approach, the thesis came up with suggestions and implications of practical techniques and strategies for high-school teachers to help develop the students’ oral competence in the context of communicative and cooperative learning These suggestions and implications include techniques to build up students’ confidence as well as their learning motivation, application of iv conversational strategies, techniques to vary communicative activities in a cooperative learning environment, classroom management skills, techniques to select supplementary teaching materials and ways of testing or assessment The thesis is written in view of looking for better changes in the teaching and learning of English in Le Thi Hong Gam high-school in particular and in other Vietnamese high- schools which are in similar circumstances in general v 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 TA AB BL LE EO FC ON NT TE EN NT OF TS S CO Page Certificate of Originality i Retention and Use of the Thesis ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Table of Contents vi List of Tables x Abbreviations xi INTRODUCTION 0.1 The Problem 0.2 Purposes of the Study 0.3 An Overview of the Thesis CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND 1.1 Teachers’ Profile 1.2 Students’ Profile 1.3 Description of the School Curriculum 1.3.1 High-school Textbooks 1.3.2 The Format of Each Unit 1.4 The Reality of English Teaching and Learning at High-School 1.5 Summary 10 vi 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 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Spoken and Written Language 11 2.2 The Nature of Speaking 13 2.2.1 What is Oral Communication? 13 2.2.2 Characteristic of Communicative Competence 14 2.2.3 Purposes for Speaking 16 2.3 Classroom Interaction 17 2.3.1 Definition and Nature 17 2.3.2 The Need for Interaction in Oral Classroom 18 2.3.3 Four Aspects of Classroom Interaction that Enhance Communication 20 2.3.3.1 Social Climate 20 2.3.3.2 Variety in Learning Activities 21 2.3.3.3 Opportunity for Student Participation 22 2.3.3.4 Feedback and Correction 22 2.4 The Grammar Translation Method and The Communicative Approach 23 2.4.1 The Grammar Translation Method 23 2.4.2 The Communicative Approach 24 2.5 The Role of the Teacher, the Learner and Instructional Materials in Speaking Classes 25 2.5.1 The Role of the Teacher 25 2.5.2 The Role of the Learner 27 2.5.3 The Role of Instructional Materials 27 2.6 Summary 29 vii 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 CHAPTER 3: DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS 3.1 Data Collection 30 3.1.1 Samples 30 3.1.2 Questionnaire 30 3.1.3 Procedure 31 3.2 Data Analysis and Findings 32 3.2.1 Students’ Viewpoint about the Teaching and Learning of English at High-School 32 3.2.2 Students’ Learning Experience 34 3.2.3 Students’ Attitudes and Expectation of Speaking English 43 3.2.4 Students’ Preferences in English Classes 47 3.2.5 The Way of Testing 49 3.3 Discussion 53 3.4 Summary 55 CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 4.1 Teaching Materials 56 4.2 Teaching method 59 4.2.1 Integration of The Communicative Language Teaching into The Traditional Method 59 4.2.2 Strategies for Developing the Speaking Skill 61 4.2.2.1 Using Minimal Responses 61 4.2.2.2 Recognizing Scripts 61 4.2.2.3 Using Language to Talk about Language 62 4.2.3 Developing Speaking Activities 62 4.2.3.1 Structured Output Activities 63 4.2.3.2 Communicative Output Activities 64 4.2.3.3 Games and Songs 65 viii 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 4.2.3.4 Other Activities 66 4.2.4 Using Teaching Aids 67 4.3 Classroom Management 68 4.3.1 Physical Condition of the Classroom 68 4.3.2 Pairwork and Groupwork 69 4.3.3 The Role of the Teacher and the Students 71 4.3.3.1 Teacher’s Role 71 4.3.3.2 Students’ Role 72 4.4 The Way of Testing and Assessment 72 4.5 Summary 73 CONCLUSION 75 BIBLIOGRAPHY 77 APPENDICES 80 Appendix 1: Practice 1, Unit 4, English 11 Appendix 2: Practice 1, Unit 1, English 12 Appendix 3: Pairwork, Unit 9, English 11 Appendix 4: Questionnaire for the students (in Vietnamese) Appendix 5: Questionnaire for the students (in English) Appendix 6: Data Collection and Analysis Appendix 7: High-School Graduation Exam Tests (2002-2005) ix 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 task The most common types of communicative output activity are role plays and discussions In role plays, students are assigned roles and put into situations that they may eventually encounter outside the classroom Because role plays imitate life, the range of language functions that may be used expands considerably Also, the role relationships among the students as they play their parts call for them to practice and develop their sociolinguistic competence They have to use language that is appropriate to the situation and to the characters Students usually find role playing enjoyable, but students who lack selfconfidence or have lower proficiency levels may find them intimidating at first Discussions, like role plays, succeed when the instructor prepares students first, and then gets out of the way Through well-prepared communicative output activities such as role plays and discussions, we can encourage students to experiment and innovate with the language, and create a supportive atmosphere that allows them to make mistakes without fear of embarrassment This will contribute to their selfconfidence as speakers and to their motivation to learn more 4.2.3.3 Games and Songs: Among classroom activities games are perhaps the most preferable and welcome activity by the learners Games are especially refreshing after conversational activities such as drills and presentation Applying language games to teaching and learning is a wonderful way to break the class routine by providing carefree relaxation In high-school textbooks (English 10, 11, 12), the material designers have taken games and songs into account under the Fun Corner However, they are not really interesting and various and there are no tapes for songs 65 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 A good language game according to M Dobson (1974 ): (1) requires little or no advance preparation, (2) is easy to play and yet provides the students with an intellectual challenge, (3) is short enough to occupy a convenient space in the conversation program, (4) entertains the students by does not cause the group to get out of control, and (5) requires no time-consuming correction of written responses afterward There are plenty of books and materials nowadays which provide a variety of language games but not all of them suit our Vietnamese learning and teaching environment The teachers have to filter carefully in consideration of our own classroom conditions, students’ level and ability, etc to ensure a success when introducing a game to the students Some games such as Guessing Game, Category Bingo have been tried out and proved successful with Vietnamese EFL classes English songs are also good for practicing listening and listening to songs is a good way of relaxation Games and songs are really helpful for developing students’ integrated skills, favorably listening and speaking skills They also help to create an exciting atmosphere in class and establish a good relationship between the teacher and the students I myself have realized that whenever I let the students play a game or listen to an English song, the whole class seems to be more excited and get involved to the activity 4.2.3.4 Other activities: Teachers can make use of the lab if it is available It is an ideal place where students can practice speaking, listening or pronunciation together with the help from the teacher A short movie in English with English subtitle of about 30 minutes is suitable for teenagers and discussion about that movie afterwards is a 66 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 very interesting and attractive way for the students to practice English Moreover, teachers should try to make the classroom an English speaking environment where English can be used more often and naturally We can encourage the students speak English in class by giving them bonus mark and reassuring them that making mistakes is not a serious problem Besides inside classroom activities we can organize outside activities such as a short trip to the zoo, to the beach or a picnic in an English-speaking environment where learning activities will take place naturally In addition, every student is welcomed to join in English speaking clubs which should be held at weekend with popular teenaged topics Undoubtedly, a variety of communicative activities both inside and outside the classroom makes the students feel more comfortable and confident when they are learning a foreign language and acquiring communicative competence 4.2.4 Using teaching aids: The teacher can vary the stimulations that he uses to set the stage for communication For example, a tape recording of a radio broadcast might be useful one day, whereas a set of pictures or a grab-bag full of objects might be the best teaching aids the next day Using the overhead projector as a change from the blackboard, or a movie or filmstrip as a change from the textbooks are other ways of introducing variety Likewise, the teacher should constantly be looking for ways of effective integrating everyday realia such as clocks, calendar, mirrors, etc into meaningful classroom activities Using a song or a game every now and then to reinforce a language point that has just been covered in classroom will also provide variety In spite of the difficulties encountered, every teacher should try to take advantage of everything they can providing that they are able to make the 67 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 classroom a real English teaching and learning environment In my opinion, teachers can establish an on-going collection of pictures on a variety of topics that are appealing and interesting and apt to arouse students’ emotional response In learner-centered class where teachers have to minimize their talk pictures can be used as a key supplementary aid to give the message across to give a push to learners’ brainstorming and innovation Collections of pictures should be categorized according to topic and labeled for easy reference With this sort of materials, classroom activities can be varied from giving details (information gaps) to story telling and predicting (a logical ending), from interpreting (meaning from the picture) to critical thinking (for the theme and implications of the picture) and role-playing The use of pictures, therefore, has improved communicative competence and increased opportunities to develop spontaneous interactive language skills of the students in the oral class Besides, Power Point is a very useful computer software that will help teachers a lot in planning interesting lessons 4.3 Classroom management: 4.3.1 Physical condition of the classroom: In Vietnamese high-schools we often have large classes There are from over forty-five to fifty-five students in each class In such a large class some student doesn’t have chance to speak even once during a semester except for the time he/she is called for checking of the previous lesson Language learners are impossible to make progress with a rush and crammed way of teaching and learning Therefore, the suitable class size at high-school for better chances of learners’ communication should be of less than 40 students It’s doubtless that students can only concentrate on their learning activities when they have settled down comfortably in the classroom Being stuffed into a dull or small and hot room with no fresh air or ventilation, they simply cannot 68 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 think of any better to communicate no matter how interesting the topics are appealing That is to say, the physical setting of the class, the lighting, the brightness and the temperature have to be adequate and appropriate to provide a stay of comfort to the students The physical layout of the classroom should be structured in such a way that it will support flexible interaction among the students In order to achieve this aim, the teacher has to look into the possibility of moving the chairs and tables into the shape of his/her designed groupwork We have to make sure that all the participants not have to squeeze into a small room or twist their body to face their partners sitting behind them By giving a little thought and spending a little time to re-arrange the layout of the furniture in the classroom, the teacher can create a new environment where conversation and interaction can take place naturally and spontaneously In addition to the chalkboard, every classroom needs to be equipped with a cassette player, a video cassette recorder, tapes, microphones, a computer, a screen, maps, pictures, etc Such a classroom not only gives much support to the teacher but increases students’ motivation in learning English as well The administrators also have to consider the possibility of organizing English classes in a fixed room where sound is carried well, where all the necessary facilities are provided and especially where the noise made from communicative activities will not disturb the other classes and teachers In any way, our aim is to create as much as possible the physical classroom environment where the students feel enjoyable and engage in every learning activities 4.3.2 Pairwork and groupwork: The Communicative Language Teaching has its special effect when it is applied in a small class or in small groups In a small group, students can learn from 69 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 one another and get more practice with the target language and the teacher can easily control the students Also, small groups allow students to get to know one another better and this can lead to the cooperation among students in the class and create a friendly atmosphere that is very useful for learning a foreign language The most natural and effective way for the learners to improve their communication ability is to practice speaking as much as possible In large classes of forty-five to fifty-five students in Vietnamese high-schools, much speaking practice seems impossible The only solution to this problem is to divide the class into pairs or discussion groups of four or eight participants as required by some of the communicative activities designed in order to maximize students’ talking time Besides increasing the talking time, group activities can provide a collaborative environment where all the group members have the opportunity to learn and help one another Moreover, groups are the best suitable environments for the students who are shy or lack of confidence in speaking in front of the whole class or speaking to the teacher to express themselves freely among a small number of their peers and to increase their self-confidence Additionally, “groupwork can free the teacher from being an instructor-corrector-controller and allows him to wander freely round the class, giving help where needed, assessing the performance of individual student, noting language mistakes for future remedial work, devoting a little more time to slower learners.” (Penny Ur, 1981: 8) Familiarizing high-school students with pairwork and groupwork does help them become more dynamic and supportive in learning and this habit is very important to their study at universities later 70 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 4.3.3 The role of the teacher and the students: 4.3.3.1 Teacher’s role: Learner-centered instruction encourages students to take responsibility for their own language skill development and helps them gain confidence in their ability to learn and use the language Teachers support students by devoting some class time to non-traditional activities including teaching learners how to use learning strategies, how to use available tools and resources, and how to reflect their own learning Teachers should be aware of such things as “What the students need?”, “What language should we teach?” and “How we get the students to use the new language?” The key role that cuts across the three stages of learning mentioned in chapter is, namely, the teacher as a motivator Saying differently, the teacher’s ability to motivate the students, to arouse their interest and to involve them in what they are doing will be crucial If the students are bored, they will not pay attention to and will be easily distracted from the lesson It is essential that the teacher must be competent and confident in not only knowledge of the language or the teaching methods but also cultural and social knowledge This does not mean that a teacher must know everything, but we must be competent within the limitations required by our teaching For example, a teacher cannot teach the students to speak English well if he/she himself/herself cannot speak English well enough or his/her pronunciation is so poor In other words, the teacher must be a good model to the students To achieve this, we should up date our knowledge in whatever ways and whenever possible In my opinion, the authorities should organize seminars or short training courses of the new language teaching methodology or curriculum for high-school teachers at convenient time during the school-year or in summer holiday This is a good opportunity for teachers to better their knowledge 71 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 Besides, teachers should show students the needs of learning in terms of the syllabus and tests, what the students not know (language areas where the students cannot function), situations and roles in which students may need to function Students who not see the point of what they are meant to be learning will not learn well 4.3.3.2 Students’ role: In student-centered classrooms, students get rid of their usual role as passive recipient and unquestioning obedient to take a more active and central role in learning Instead of being set everything by the teacher, students are asked to give opinion on what to learn and how to learn something During oral practice, students act as initiators who commence the talk with their friends and as interactors who follow it up and as negotiators who negotiate to maintain mutual understanding and cooperation among all participants in the talk Students may feel unfamiliar with this new role at first but later they will find it beneficial and enjoyable Classroom is the place where the students are contributing and satisfied It’s also the place where they feel the most comfortable and relaxed with peer co-operation in learning correcting one another 4.4 The way of testing and assessment: As I have mentioned, written tests of English at high-school which mainly focus on vocabulary and grammatical rules not satisfy the requirements of Communicative Language Teaching The traditional way of high-school English testing cannot encourage the learners to develop their speaking and listening skills If the aim of English teaching is to develop the four language skills for the learners, then we have to test our students all the four skills Psychologically 72 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 speaking, students tend to learn seriously what will be tested If we want to encourage the students to speak, we should give them oral tests; otherwise, students will regard speaking as less “important” than the other skills There are some ways of testing students’ speaking ability: by continuous assessment throughout the school-year of individual or pair of students (5 to 10 minutes at the beginning of each period) in the form of T-S/ S-S interaction or role-play, by giving short oral tests to each student over two or three lessons in the form of topic discussion or through students’ participation in speaking activities in class Obviously, it is very difficult to test speaking, especially with large classes The question of “what, when and how to test?” has to be carefully considered not only by the teachers but also by the administrators in so far as testing really proves its value in improving students’ communicative competence 4.5 Summary: The above implications and suggestions are important to the process of teaching and learning English effectively The syllabus and coursebook at high-school as well as the way of language testing and assessment must be changed or up-dated in such a way that they can meet the needs of both the teachers and the learners The Ministry of Education or The Service of Education should design a more suitable curriculum for both the junior and the senior high-schools in which the knowledge of the language is linked and is sequenced logically from elementary to advanced level so that learners won’t have to encounter a big gap when they get into colleges or universities 73 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 It is necessary to integrate Communicative Teaching Method into the Traditional Teaching Method in high-school This combination is an interactive language teaching method where explicit grammar instruction is given as well as opportunities to use the grammatical features learned in interaction The flexible application of teaching methods and activities can be fulfilled thanks to the teachers’ knowledge, effort, and enthusiasm The teachers should keep improving the knowledge of the language as well as methodology Besides, the active role of the learners is always appreciated Last but not least, it seems to be not easy to change the entire traditional system of physical condition of the classrooms in Vietnamese high-schools immediately due to financial problems In the present time, both teachers and students should try to whatever possible in so far as the communicative activities will be carried out as frequently as possible 74 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 CONCLUSION The thesis has analyzed the causes of problems associated with the teaching and learning of English in Le Thi Hong Gam high-school and in most other Vietnamese high-schools at the present time The main problem has been widely known as students’ incompetence in communication despite their seven years learning English The biggest difficulty in English Language Teaching at high-school now is that we have not reached a reasonable system of teaching The instructional materials haven’t had adequate consideration of the learners’ needs The fact that high-school teachers are under pressure of finishing the curriculum in time accounts for their preference of Grammar Translation Method They hardly use Communicative Teaching Method because they have got little support from the instructional materials and facilities whereas communicative techniques and tasks require a lot of time, energy and ability Furthermore, the high-school graduation exams, the final tests, are not designed to test learners’ communicative competence So far, all the graduation exams have been prepared to test grammatical structures and vocabulary in isolation from the real context That is why the students are not motivated in the learning of communicative skills They think a number of grammar lessons are enough to get well-prepared for the exams Teachers, thus, feel discouraged in creating more tasks and activities for a communicative classroom Both the students and the teachers are not motivated and have understandably lost their interest in learning and training the communicative competence Our main concern as language teachers is not to inform our students about the language but to develop their ability to use the language for a variety of communicative purposes In order to develop the skills needed for this, 75 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 especially the oral ones of understanding and speaking we have to overcome a number of obstacles such as the size of the class, the facilities and non-English speaking atmosphere in the classroom, the number of hours available for teaching the language, the syllabus itself, and especially examinations, which may discourage us from giving adequate attention to the spoken language The integration of Communicative Language Teaching into the Traditional Teaching Method will have good effect on developing the speaking skill for high-school students The findings, the implications and the suggestions given in this thesis, to conclude, are in a hope to contribute to better the English Language Teaching not only in Le Thi Hong Gam high-school but in other high-schools of the same circumstances as well Limitations of the study: The thesis has investigated the difficulties and the solutions for developing the speaking skill for students at high-school in general but it hasn’t taken the differences among the three grades 10, 11, and 12 concerning age, sex, time of learning as well as their background knowledge into account Besides, the differences in students’ learning ability, the teaching staff or the classroom facilities among many high-schools require a flexible application of the solutions to the problem suggested in the study Recommendations for further study: It can be said that the findings from the study will serve as a foundation for further research in the area concerning designing suitable materials for highschool English teaching and learning, developing communicative skills for the beginners, designing tests for communicative competence or building up students’ motivation in learning English 76 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 B BIIB BL LIIO OG GR RA AP PH HY Y Allwright Dick & Bailey Kathleen M (1991) Focus on the Language Classroom Cambridge University Press Brown, G., & Yule, G (1983) Teaching the Spoken Language Cambridge University Press Brumfit, C J and Johnson, K (1979) The Communicative Approach to Language Teaching Oxford University Press Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford University Press Byrne, Donn (1976, 1986) Teaching Oral English Longman Byrne, Donn (1987) Techniques for Classroom Interaction Longman Celce – Murcia, M (1979) Language Teaching Aids In Celce-Murcia, M., and L Counihan, Gerald (1998) Teach Students to Interact, Not Just Talk The Internet TESL Journal Volume Dobson, Julia M (1974) Effective Techniques for English Conversation Newsbury House Publisher Doff, A (1988) Teach English: A Training Course for Teachers Cambridge University Press Gebhard, Jerry G (1996) Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language The University of Michigan Press Harmer, J (1998) How to Teach English UK: Longman 77 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 Krahnke, K (1994) Teaching English as a Foreign / Second language Cambridge University Press Krashen, Stephen D (1987) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition Prentice-Hall International Larsen-Freeman, Diane (1986) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Oxford University Press Maley, Alan and Duff, Alan (1978, 1982) Drama Techniques in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press Nunan, David (1995) Language Teaching Methodology Prentice Hall Nunan, David (1999) Second Language Teaching and Learning Heinle & Heinle Publishers Richards, Jack C Rodgers, Theodore S (1986) Approaches and Method in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press Rivers, Wilga M (1983) Communicating Naturally in a Second Language Cambridge University Press Rubin, J (1987) Learner Strategies in Language Learning Prentice Hall Tillitt, Bruce & Bruder Mary Newton Speaking Naturally Cambridge University Press Tu Anh, Phan Ha , and Mai Vi Phuong (2000) English 10, English 11, English 12 Education Publishing House, Vietnam Underhill, Nic (1987) Testing Spoken Language Cambridge University Press Underwood, Mary (1987) Effective Class Management Longman 78 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