Luận văn thạc sĩ applying cooperative learning principles to the teaching of english speaking skills in large classes

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ XUÂN HƯƠNG APPLYING COOPERATIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLES TO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS IN LARGE CLASSES ỨNG DỤNG CÁC NGUYÊN LÝ HỌC HỢP TÁC VÀO VIỆC DẠY KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH CHO CÁC LỚP ĐÔNG M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Hanoi - 2012 z VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ XUÂN HƯƠNG APPLYING COOPERATIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLES TO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS IN LARGE CLASSES ỨNG DỤNG CÁC NGUYÊN LÝ HỌC HỢP TÁC VÀO VIỆC DẠY KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH CHO CÁC LỚP ĐÔNG M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: PHAN THỊ VÂN QUYÊN, M.A Hanoi - 2012 z 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study………………………………………………… PART B: DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………………… CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND……………………………… 1.1 Speaking skills……………………………………………………………… 1.2 Large classes………………………………………………………………… 1.2.1 Definitions…………………………………………………………… 1.2.2 Advantages of large classes………………………………………… 1.2.3 Disadvantages of large classes……………………………………… 1.2.4 Teaching speaking skills to large classes…………………………… 1.2.5 Key aspects effective for large class management…………………… 1.3 Cooperative learning (CL)…………………………………… ………… 10 1.3.1 Definitions of CL…………………………………………………… 10 1.3.2 Principles of CL……………………………………………………… 11 1.3.3 Benefits of CL………………………………………………………… 13 1.4 Cooperative Language Learning…………………………………………… 14 1.4.1 Goals of CLL………………………………………………………… 15 1.4.2 Advantages of CLL…………………………………………………… 15 1.4.3 Disadvantages of CLL……………………………………………… 16 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 1.4.4 Main differences between CLL and traditional method……………… 16 1.5 Application of CL principles in teaching English speaking skills to large classes……………………………………………………………………… 18 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY……………………………………………… 22 2.1 Current situation of teaching and learning speaking skills at 22 VIMARU…………………………………………………………………… 2.2 Research questions………………………………………………………… 22 2.3 Research methods…………………………………………………………… 22 2.4 Subjects of the study………………………………………………………… 25 2.5 Data collection instruments………………………………………………… 25 2.5.1 Classroom observation…………………………………………… 25 2.5.2 Students’ journals………………………………………………… 26 2.5.3 Informal interviews……………………………………………… 26 2.5.4 Questionnaires…………………………………………………… 26 2.5.5 Speaking tests…………………………………………………… 27 2.6 Data analysis procedure…………………………………………………… 27 CHAPTER 3: DATA FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION………………………… 28 3.1 Difficulties affecting teaching of English speaking skills to large classes at 28 VIMARU……………………………………………….…………………… 3.1.1 Insufficient time for giving instructions and checking……………… 28 3.1.2 Challenges in maintaining the class’ discipline……………………… 28 3.2 The benefits of the application of CL principles in teaching English 29 speaking skills to large classes at VIMARU…………… ………………… 29 3.2.1 Enhancing students’ participation…………………………………… 29 30 3.2.2 Changes in nature of participation…………………………………… 32 3.2.3 Improvement in speaking skills……………………………………… 34 35 3.2.4 Improvement in social skills………………………………………… 35 3.2.5 Improving collaborative skills……………………………………… 36 3.2.6 A solution to the problem of mixed-ability students………………… 36 36 3.2.7 Less time-consuming………………………………………………… 36 3.2.8 Improving independent working……………………………………… z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 3.2.9 Preventing social loafing phenomena ……………………………… 3.2.10 Reducing the teacher from hard workload ………………………… CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS………………………………………………… 37 4.1 CL implementation plan…………………………………………………… 37 4.1.1 CL group structuring………………………………………………… 37 4.1.2 Classroom arrangment……………………………………………… 37 4.1.3 CL atmosphere……………………………………………………… 38 4.2 Difficulties in CL application……………………………………………… 38 4.3 The teacher’s role in a CL speaking lesson………………………………… 38 PART C: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………… 39 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………… 39 Recommendation……………………………………………………………… 39 Limitations of the study……………………………………………………… 39 Suggestions for furtherstudy……………………………………… ……… 40 REFERENCES 41 APPENDICES I-X z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study The current English language teaching and learning context in Vietnam shows that the demand for English learning is very great As a result, English classes at schools and universities are large in number of students However, the teaching of speaking skill encounters many difficulties due to large class size as well as lacks of appropriate methods, teaching aids, insufficient time, unmotivated students,… The choice of this study was made in an attempt to solve the problems the researcher faced after three years of working as a teacher of English at VIMARU She finds herself unable to manage large classes effectively especially during speaking lessons because of the following reasons First, most of students of VIMARU had learned English in difficult conditions before they entered the university, so their motivation was low Secondly, their levels of proficiency are low especially in speaking skills This made them unwilling to speak English in the classroom To make matter worse, the number of students in each class is usually over 60 and even 90 which is too difficult for the teacher to keep the class in good discipline One of the teachers’ concern is, therefore, how to help the students to speak English better by participating more actively in speaking activities In order to address this concern, the researcher found the suggestion on using cooperative learning seemingly effective After studying the CL principles which are heterogeneous grouping, collaborative skills, group autonomy, simultaneous interaction, equal participation, individual accountability and positive interdependence, the researcher found these applicable to her teaching context as she had long been searching an effective method in teaching speaking skills to large classes Therefore, the researcher decided to carry out a study in order to find out how well students can cooperate with each other to improve their speaking skills and build up confidence On the other hand, it helps overcome the disadvantages while improving the advantages of a large class Most importantly, z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 it may encourage students to get involved in the speaking lessons and thus, improve their participation in a more conscious way Many CL programmes have been carried out worldwide and in Vietnam However, few have been done particularly for large classes while this is one of the difficulties the researcher and her colleagues have encountered at VIMARU Accordingly, the researcher of this study would like to conduct an action research project to find out how CL works in her teaching context Once the study proves the CL works well, it is hoped to be widely recommended and implemented to enhance the students’ participation in speaking lessons and serves as effective way to improve the traditional ways of teaching and at the same time to make the teacher’s job in a large class less hard Objectives of the study The overall objective of this study is to examines how CL works in a university context where students are studying English as a curriculum subject Particularly, the study was conducted to experiment CL principles in a large class where students’ oral competence was really low to see if CL could help to improve the situation Scope of the study In this individual research, the researcher will only focus on the effectiveness of applying CL principles in teaching speaking skills to two large classes of first-year Informatics students at VIMARU, 76 of whom were male (57.57%) and 56 female (42.43%) Most of the participants were between 19 and 21 years old who were in their second semester of general English course The speaking activities are selected and adapted the course book New Headway Elementary 3rd edition (Oxford University Press), basing on Spencer Kagan’s CL structures The data collected from classroom observation, informal interviews and questionnaires are then analyzed by the researcher herself z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 Research questions: The study aims at answering the two following questions: - What are the difficulties of teaching English speaking skills in large classes at VIMARU? - To what extend did the application of cooperative learning principles improve English speaking skills of students in large classes at VIMARU? Method of the study: The action research employs both quantitative method and qualitative method to analyze the collected data During speaking lessons on the basis of CL principles, classroom observation is made to note down the students’ attitude, participation and cooperation in groups, discussion and even conflicts,…The students are also interviewed to clarify their answers in the questionnaires previously done by themselves The collected information, thus, is more reliable and straightforward Organization of the study: The study is divided into three main parts The contents covered in each part are as follows: - Part A is the introduction which gives the rationale of the study, the objectives, the research questions, the scope, methods and organization of the study - Part B is the development of the study which comprises chapters Chapter presents the literature reviews of the study Chapter describes the process of implementation of the study such as data collecting and analyzing, findings and research discussing questions Chapter is devoted to pedagogical implications and suggestions for further study - Part C is the conclusion of the study z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 PART II CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1 Speaking skills……………………………………………………………… 1.2 Large classes………………………………………………………………… 1.2.1 Definitions…………………………………………………………… 1.2.2 Advantages of large classes………………………………………… 1.2.3 Disadvantages of large classes……………………………………… 1.2.4 Teaching speaking skills to large classes…………………………… 1.2.5 Key aspects effective for large class management…………………… 1.3 Cooperative learning (CL)…………………………………… ………… 1.3.1 Definitions of CL…………………………………………………… 1.3.2 Principles of CL……………………………………………………… 1.3.3 Benefits of CL………………………………………………………… 1.4 Cooperative Language Learning…………………………………………… 1.4.1 Goals of CLL………………………………………………………… 1.4.2 Advantages of CLL…………………………………………………… 1.4.3 Disadvantages of CLL……………………………………………… 1.4.4 Main differences between CLL and traditional method……………… 1.5 Application of CL principles in teaching English speaking skills to large classes……………………………………………………………………… z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLODY 2.1 Current situation of teaching and learning speaking skills at VIMARU The teaching and learning of English speaking skills at VIMARU face common problems that most universities with large classes of students Within a limited time and a large size of students in each class which ranges from 65-80, most teachers find themselves unable to implement efficiently their tasks Besides, it it impossible to carry out individual checks which is essential for evaluating and adjusting their teaching methods and materials To make matter worse, the levels of proficiency of the students are mixed while it is extremely difficult for the teacher to carry so many teaching plans simultaneously Most students enrolled VIMARU with relatively poor knowledge of English since it is neither their major nor a requirement for university entrance exam This made them more demotivated and disinterested in English in general and in improving their speaking skills in particular 2.2 Reseach questions: the reseacher would like to have an action research aiming at finding answers to two following questions: - What are difficulties of teaching English speaking skills to large classes at VIMARU? - To what extend did the application of cooperative learning principles improve English speaking skills of students in large classes at VIMARU? 2.3 Reseach methods: Both quantitative method and qualitative method are employed to analyze the data collected through classroom observation sheets, students’ journals, questionnaires and informal interviews Procedures this action research is implemented basing on the steps proposed by Nunan (1992) as follows: Step Problem identification: From her own experience as a teacher of English at VIMARU for years, the researcher has found a common problem of all large classes in speaking lessons It is impossible to teach speaking skills to a great number of students at the same time and that group work does not always help to z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 solve the problem as only one or two better students in a group works and the rest nothing Therefore, the assessment is not correct and can not motivate both the active and the passive ones Step Preliminary Investigation: The researcher had some informal talks in class with students to give preliminary insight into perceptions of group work, the activities they wish to perform, the topics to talk about in their speaking lessons to find out what teaching method is most likely to suit them After defining the difficulties encountered when working in groups, which are low, uneven participation among group members and poor cooperation, she then introduced the CL principles to solve these problems Step Hypothesis: The researcher conducted classroom observation and had some discussion with students about the reasons for ineffective learning of speaking skills and group working in order to form the hypothesis of the study basing on the initial data collected: applying CL principles to the teaching of English speaking skills in large classes The research questions then were set up, followed by the theoretical background for the study Step Intervention: The intervention was implemented basing on the principles of CL as follows: a Group structuring: The decision of member grouping was made by the teacher basing on heterogeneous principle which means a group will consist of both boys and girls of different levels of proficiency and ages There were some students coming from rural areas and others from big cities whose abilities were different, too The group members discussed the allocation of each role: a speaker, a leader, a moderator, a note taker whose tasks are relatively equal as it is believed that the ideal number of students in each group is four b CL introduction: The students were then made known of the CL definitions, its principles, how it has been applied in different countries especially in language learning and teaching; and most importantly, how it was going to apply in their own classes There was a demonstration on how this works, the students z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 took their roles and tried working basing on these principles The teacher guided them necessary skills for group working and how to cooperate effectively such as group planning, task dividing, timing, solving possible conflicts, … c Implementing CL activities: The speaking tasks were suitably designed for group working by the teacher basing on the textbook There were several different tasks assigned to different groups to ensure that the groups would not discuss to copy each other’s work They were organized to sit knees by knees for better interaction and discussion Besides, they were asked not to discuss too loudly so as not to affect other groups as well as to control the noise of the whole large class The assessment was also made known to the class which was of different levels basing on the contribution of each individual Step Evaluation: When the students first worked with their groups, the teacher walked around to render help where necessary After that she noted down the performance of all groups in her observation sheets At the end of each lesson, informal talks were carried out to find out the students’ opinions on CL, their inquiries and progress The collected data were then analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively The role rotation and member participation which had previously been marked were then calculated and demonstrated in tables Their feedbacks and attitudes towards CL were also noted down for analysis Step Dissemination: While carrying out the study, whenever the researcher encountered any problem or noticed any progress with the teaching of speaking skills using CL principles, she shared the experience with other teachers for dissemination as well as for their advice and consultation The action research was also hoped to be introduced to some other teachers when this M.A thesis is presented Step Follow-up: Lessons and suggestions for better application were made in this final step 2.4 Subjects of the study: This action research is carried out in two classes of first-year IT students who are taking their second course of general English The 10 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 total number of students in these two classes is 132, out of which 56 are girls Their English proficiency levels are mixed: 13.7% are intermediate, 12.1% preintermediate, 51.5% elementary and 10.6% beginners The participants have English classes a week, one is periods and the other is periods The textbook for their second course of general English is New Headway English course, rd edition, Oxford University Press 2.5 Data collection instruments: Three instruments used to get the empirical data for the study are the observation sheets, questionnaires, students’ journals and informal interviews All data were collected during the second semester of their first year 2.5.1 Classroom observation: The observational record is frequently referred to as field notes - detailed, nonjudgmental, concrete descriptions of what has been observed The observation form used to measure the students’ participation and their on-task behaviour in the group was developed by Peacock (1997) The observation was entirely conducted by the researcher herself 2.5.2 Students’ journals: For the purpose of this study the students were asked to write their journals in Vietnamese once a week after their speaking lesson basing on the optional prompts given by the teacher The journals were structured to focus on the issues related to the research questions These were supposed to give the researcher useful information about the students’ reflection on CL activities implemented during their speaking lessons No names were required to be entered in the journals to ensure reliable qualitative data for this study and the students felt free to express their opinions and attitudes towards CL application 2.5.3 Informal interviews: The informal interviews are typically done as part of the process of observing a social setting of interest This instrument of data collection foster 'low pressure' interactions and allow respondents to speak more freely and openly Thus, it is an essential part of gaining an understanding of a setting and its members' ways of seeing Before and after each speaking lesson or 11 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 during the break, the researcher had an informal interview with her students for their opinions about the CL structured lesson 2.5.4 Questionnaires: To collect more truthful and reliable data for analysis, the researcher also handed out survey questionnaires to the students at the end of the semester after series of CL structured speaking lessons were conducted The questionnaires were made to survey the students’ preference towards the CL group work This is a less time-consuming tool yet effective and reliable as the students were not asked to enter their names 2.5.5 Speaking tests: For the purpose of comparison, the students’ individual scores in previous speaking tests were noted down before implementing CL group work Speaking tests were taken after every speaking lessons in the form of CL structured groups The whole group’s score was assessed as one which enabled cooperation and at the same time saved time 2.6 Data analysis procedure: The data collected from the classroom observation was analyzed to find out the frequency of participation of each student in every activity The second observation sheet which consists of a series of interaction categories aiming at recording the nature of participation during CL structures activities, the students’ journals, the questionnaires and the informal interviews were analyzed qualitatively These sources of data showed the improvement in speaking skills the students made when working on CL principles The changes towards greater participation of the students can be easily seen in the tables which were made from the collected observation forms of activities; so was the nature of participation.The students’ reflection on CL structured speaking lessons in the journals which were given to each student three times during the second semester and the information collected from informal interviews were studied and categorized to serve the purpose of answering the research questions which are the student’s participation, the improvement in speaking skills they made with the application of CL principles 12 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION This chapter deals with the data collected through observation sheets, students’ journals, speaking test scores, questionnaires and informal interviews The findings will then be discussed against the research questions 3.1 Difficulties affecting teaching of English speaking skills to large classes at VIMARU 3.1.1 Insufficient time for giving instructions and checking: Teachers of English at VIMARU have always encountered the problem of insufficient time for giving instructions and checking in large classes In fact, the number of students in each class at VIMARU is usually 4-5 times bigger than an ideal one for language learning Within periods of 45 minutes a week, the teacher can not manage such large classes to carry out the lesson plan especially in speaking lessons and at the same time to give instructions and check the students’ work individually Besides, it is not easy to get students to participate in classroom activities or to assignments in a timely manner The teacher is also unable to give extra attention to shy, quiet or weak students who will probably be left behind 3.1.2 Challenges in maintaining the class’ discipline: It is really challenging to keep the class in good discipline with a size of 60-80 students per class There are always some late arrivals, early departures and many others talking and going offtrack which causes distraction Additionally, it takes a long time to remember the students’ names which is really important for interaction between the teacher and the students as they may feel unnoticed Checking attendance of a large class is also time consuming Some students not stay in their places in the seating plan but keep changing their seats so the teacher has difficulties remembering their names When practice speaking in a large class, with so many people speaking at the same time, it gets too noisy, thus affecting other neighboring classes As the levels of students are differ, those who complete sooner tend to chat in Vietnamese or something else If the teacher fails to notice and does nothing to prevent these distractions, the learning of all students is compromised They are also out 13 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 of control at the beginning or at the end of each lesson and it takes some time to calm them down 3.2 The benefits of the application of CL principles in teaching English speaking skills in large classes at VIMARU: 3.2.1 Enhancing students’ participation: During each speaking lesson, an observation sheet was used to measure levels of participation of each student The observation was started when the students work together in groups General speaking, the students’ average participation frequency in CL activities was much higher compared with that of the traditional instructional ones Most importantly, all students got involved in the speaking tasks of their CL groups Greater and even participation could be noticed after the CL structured speaking lessons as each member was supposed to fulfill his responsibility in the whole group’s task 3.2.2 Changes in nature of participation: the students were more willing to participate in the speaking activities as each member was supposed to fulfill his own task More importantly, everyone in all group felt free and safe to speak They were not afraid of being criticized in a small group As they all tried their best to compete with other groups and get good marks, they were ready to share their ideas and help other group members to fulfill their tasks The students’ speaking skills were improved noticeably as well as their confidence built up especially to the shy and low level ones who were to participate in the speaking activities as much as other members In helping the weaker ones to their tasks, the more able students were helping themselves to get the group task done 3.2.3 Improvement in speaking skills: Within a limited time of CL principles’ application in speaking lessons, the students gained considerable progress that could be seen through scores of the speaking tests Together with the greater participation, the students also got better results which show the improvement in the students’ speaking abilities in both classes The improvement have also been noticed from the students in some speaking skills as follows: 14 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 - Asking and giving responses: During group discussions, activities of asking and answering questions are done repeatedly by role playing Though having several difficulties in question structures or use of tenses, the problem was quickly solved with effective group cooperation Instead of having only one source of instructions from the teacher, those who did not know received help from other groupmates - Explaining and clarifying: The participants have learnt how to paraphrase or to make it clear using simple words and structures They were encouraged to explain and clarify in English with the help of dictionary, internet access or instructions from the teacher with unknown vocabulary or structures - Presentation skill: After several CL speaking lessons, most of the students were able to make presentation in front of their groups as part of their speaking tasks The group members managed to cooperate with each other effectively by contributing ideas, putting them in a logical order and adding necessary additional information 3.2.4 Improvement in social skills: After the application of CL principles in their speaking lesson, the students did not only gain academic benefit, i.e improvement in their speaking skills, but also built up the confidence for social interaction As the students had more opportunities for speaking practice, their speaking skills improved and confidence built up 3.2.5 Improving collaborative skills: The participants of this study achieved these skills through group working and interaction A great number of the students shared their ideas with other peers during CL speaking lessons, asked their groupmates for opinions The number of the students who always and often required help from the teacher has reduced Most of the students were never reluctant to answer their groupmates’ questions 3.2.6 A solution to the problem of mixed-ability students: The heterogeneous grouping principle of CL proves to be effective for these large classes as the 15 z 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37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 students of different levels were organized in small groups where the better students helped the weaker to fulfill the common tasks 3.2.7 Less time-consuming: it saves a great amount of time as many students speak at the same time Besides, the teachers’s assessment is given for the whole group of which greatly reduced amount of time compared with individual checking Questions or enquiries raised by one or two members in the group may be answered by the other members and thus reduces time for the teacher’s explanation and clarification 3.2.8 Improving independent working: the percentage of the students who preferred sharing opinions with their peers shows great tendency of working independently without the teacher’s instructions Nearly half of the students being asked met no difficulties working independently and the number of students who are always and often felt confident enough to work on their own increased 3.2.9 Preventing “social loafing” phenomena occurring in group working: There are always loafers in groups who hitch-hike and nothing However, with the application of CL’s principle of individual accountability, the common task is divided equally among group members and everyone is responsible for his own share in the way that one’s task can not be completed once the others’ tasks remain unfulfilled 3.2.10 Reducing the teacher from hard workload during the lesson: It takes longer time for the teacher to get everything ready for a CL structured speaking lesson at home However, once the students get accustomed with the new way of working in groups, the teacher’s job will be less hard since he will be acting as a guide only This benefits greatly especially to teachers who have too many classes 16 z 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.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.99 37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.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.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.2237.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.66 PART III: CONCLUSION Conclusion: This action research has been realized to identify the common problems of teaching speaking skills to large classes at VIMARU It was also aimed at finding a solution to these problems with the application of CL principles These problems are shortage of time for practice and checking, low and unequal participation of students, management of noise and self-discipline The researcher then investigated how CL principles worked to solve these problems and improve the students’ English speaking skills With the learning materials designed, classroom seating suitably organized for CL group work, the researcher used variety of tools which are class observation, informal interviews, questionnaires and students’ journals and speaking test scores, the discussion in the previous chapters has made it possible to draw the following conclusions The application of CL principles has resulted in greater participation of the students of different levels who showed more interest in the CL structured speaking lessons and were more responsible in group work performance Apart from the teacher’s guidance, they have learnt great deal from each other and thus improving group autonomy and interdependence The nature of participation of the students has changed towards a more positive way with more confidence and self- accountability In general, the improvement made by the participants of this study was far better than the researcher’s expectation with most of students got involved in CL groups in their speaking lessons which have obviously built up their skills More importantly, they have now suitable learning strategies for long-term learning The objectives of the study was accomplished and the questions of the research were answered The application of CL principles in teaching English speaking skills to large classes at VIMARU will be more effective if its classrooms are well equipped with more facilities Besides, this application should be introduced and discussed 17 z 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