Effects of communicative grammar teaching on students achievement of knowledge of grammar and oral production

Tai Lieu Chat Luong Question: Did you like taking part in these activities? Answer: (smile) Sure I was very interested in performing them Question: Did the first activities in the practice help you get accuracy in grammar? Answer: Um, (keep silent for a moment) What you mean? Question: Uh huh That means, thanks to the procedure of working on the tasks, you goicorrect form of the language Answer: Oh, I see It seemed to be that Question: Well, did the final activities in this stage help you get fluency? Answer: Fluency? What d� you mean by this? Question: Well In this stage, you were quite free to speak without any interruption from the teacher Right? So you would communicate fluently Is it clear? Answer: Oh, yes I totally agree with you, teacher Question: Do you think the way the teacher applied to conduct the lesson is innovative? Answer: Um It is actuallyJnnovative Question: Do you think the way the teacher used to conduct the lesson motivated you? Answer: Yes I think it was very motivating I like it Question: Do you think executing the lesson in this way made you more critical in thinking? Answer: Certainly Furthermore, I had to work harder and thus I became more active in dealing with the tasks Question: Do you enjoy working in pairs and in small groups during the practice? Answer: (smile) Of course I'd love it Question: Why you enjoy it? Answer: Um (rub hands in satisfaction) Working in pairs or small groups, I have a chance to cooperate with one another in doing tasks We can also share our opinions, so we find less stressed and completely confident (keep silent for a moment), unafraid of making mistakes ·j_ Question: Are you sure you did grasp the grammar rules well? Answer: (nod) Sure Question: Do you think you would communicate well in real situations thanks to the way of conducting the lesson? 153 Answer: Actually, I suppose that Question: Why you think.so? Answer: Um Because we had lots of chances to develop our skills especially speaking skill Question: What difficulties did you encounter when learning grammar wit� this way? Answer: Oh, no Question: Finally, I'd like to ask you one more question What else you think can help to make the lesson better? Answer: (keep silent for a moment) There were some new words occurring in the texts, which made some poor students a little confused at the beginning of the lesson Um I therefore suggest that these words should be explained more carefully Question: Alright, now we've finished our work (smile) Thank you very much for helping me Your answers are very helpful Answer: You're welcome (smile) Question: Bye! Bye! See you later Answer: Bye, Teacher! Question: Have nice time! Answer: Thank you, Teacher Question: Bye! Bye! Answer: Bye! Bye! ·: 154 APPENDIX (A) PRE-GRAMMAR PAPER TEST (Time allotted: 25 minutes) SECTION I Choose the best options that complete the sentences by circl�ng the letter A, B, C or D (2.5 points) you sometimes to the news on the radio? A Arel listening C.Doi listen B.Will/ listen D Are/ listen 2.What the students next weekend? A are/doing B.are/ C will/ D.do/ Mr.Jones and Mr.Parker about their work at the moment A will/ talk B.are/ talking C.is talking D talk you with me in the English club tomorrow? A Will/ join B Are/ join C.Are/ joining D.Doi join I of selling my car now.Would you be interested in buying it? A think B am/ thinking C.will/ think D thinking Next Sunday is Nga's birthday.She some of her close friends to her party A.invites B.invite C is inviting D will invite the children soccer in the yard at this time? A Will/ play B.Is/ playing C Arel playing 8.Nam enjoys collecting stamps very much.He often D.Doi play free time on his collections of stamps A spends B.is spending C.will spend D spend 9.This dress is the expensive of the four dresses she has A best -� B more C.most D.less 10 Ho Chi Minh City is than any others of Vietnam A busier B more busier C.more busy D.the busiest SECTION II Complete the following sentences, using the correct tenses or comparisons (4.0 points) 155 11 Minh (usually, not play) volleyball after school 12 (Lan and Hoa/ read) in the library at the moment? 13 (Mai/ often/ learn) to play the piano in her free time? 14 My father (not, invite) many friends to the party tonight 15 Watching TV is (interesting) reading books 16 Mount Everest is (high) mountain in the world 17 Jane is (beautiful) girl of the three sisters 18 A bicycle is often (convenient) : a car in busy cities SECTION III Do as suggested in the brackets (3.5 points) 19 Dalat is more beautiful than any other cities in Vietnam (Rewrite, using superlative) 20 No one in his class is as intelligent as Tom (Rewrite, using comparative) 21 My family/ take/ two-day trip/ Dalat/ next Saturday (Make a complete sentence) 22 Where is Bob? - He) listen/ radio/ his room (Make a complete sentence) 23 Students/ your town/ often/ go camping/ summer? (Make a complete sentence) 24 The students are very naughty (Make an exclamation about these students) 25 Lan is wearing a very beautiful dress (Make an exclamation about Lan 's dress) The end 156 APPENDIX (A) POST-GRAMMAR PAPER TEST (Time allotted: 25 minutes) SECTION I Choose the best options that complete the sentences by circling the letter A, B, C or D (2.5 points) Peter an interes�ing football-match on TV tonight A doesn't see B isn't seeing C don't see D won't see Mr Minh is in London at present He at the Park Hotel A stays C is staying B staying D will stay We to Sapa on our summer vacation A go always B will always go C are always going D always go The orchestra a concert at the anniversary celebration next month A gives C give B will give D is giving Look! The children their bikes in the street A will ride B is riding C are riding D ride Mary her friends to her birthday party next Sunday? A Does/ invite C Will/ invites B Is inviting D Will/ invite The students some experiments at the moment A B does C are doing D will What Ms Lien usually after work? A will/ C does/ B is/ doing D will/ does Baseball is common than football in the USA A more C the most B least D the more 10 The United States' Library of Congress is one of the libraries in the world A larger C larger than B largest D most large SECTION II Complete the following sentences, using the correct tenses or comparisons (4.0 points) 158 11 (Mr Jones/ often/ spend) his public holidays in San Francisco? 12 (Tom/ have) breakfast with his parents right now? 13 Hoa (always, not help) her parents on their farm in her free time 14 Lan (not, borrow) books from the library tomorrow 15 My television is (modem) his television 16 Are these houses (beautiful) in the village? 17 Christmas is one of (imP,ortant) vacation in American 18 Life in the city is (noisy) life in the country SECTION III Do as suggested in the brackets (3.5 points) 19 English is more interesting than any other subjects (Rewrite, using superlative) 20 No city in Vietnam is as busy as Ho Chi Minh City (Rewrite, using comparative) 21 Next Christmas day/ mother/ cook/ lot/ delicious foods/ family (Make a complete sentence) 22 Where is Dad? - He/ talk/ his friend - Mr Minh/ living-room (Make a complete sentence) 23 Phong/ sometimes/ play/ computer games/ free time? (Make a complete sentence) 24 The flowers are very colorful (Make an exclamation about this boy) 25 Your un�le is driving a very expensive car (Make an exclamation about the car) The end 159 APPENDIX (B) KEY ANSWERS TO POST-GRAMMAR PAPER TEST SECTION I D D C C C D B A C 10 B SECTION II 11 Does Mr Jones often spend 12 Is Tom having 13 does not always help 14 does not borrow 15 more modem than 16 the most beautiful 17 the most important 18 noisier than SECTION III 19 English is the most interesting subject 20 Ho Chi Minh City is busier than any other cities in Vietnam 21 Next Christmas day my mother will cook a lot of delicious foods for family 22 He is talking with his friend - Mr Minh in the living room 23 Does fhong sometimes play computer games in his free time? 24 What colorful flowers! 25 What an expensive car! The end 160 APPENDIX9 PRE & POST-ORAL TEST PART I: Introduce some things about yourself (At least sentences) Your name Your age Your school/ class Your address Your family mempers Your interests PART II: Talk with your partner, asking and answering about: (At least sentences: questions and responses) Your daily routines/ after-school activities (using adverbs of frequency) Your future plans (usingfuture simple tense) PART III: Talk to the interlocutor about the given photo: (At least sentences: ongoing activities and comparisons) Describe the people's activities in the pictures using present progressive tense Compare the things or the people in the pictures using comparatives or superlatives Guiding questions: What is (are) Tom (Mary/ the boys/ the girls) doing? What you think about the three bicycles (two cities/ two men/ two (three) things in the picture) in comparisons? 161 B • -�,-�••m·�,, ,.-·� _ _,,,_, ,�·-�· ·- �·� -•-ri�_,., _., , ,,� , ,,, '" -,- ,., � C '"•• ,_., •·· '"