Trang 1 --- GRADUATION PAPER FIELD: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS A STUDY ON ERRORS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANG ED
HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES - GRADUATION PAPER FIELD: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS A STUDY ON ERRORS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANG EDUCATION AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ CÁC LỖI SAI TRONG KỸ NĂNG NÓI CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM KỸ THUẬT HƯNG YÊN VÀ GỢI Ý MỘT SỐ GIẢI PHÁP) Supervisor: Doan Thi Thu Thuy, M.A Student: Nguyen Mai Hong Student number: 11317091 Hung Yen – 2021 HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES - GRADUATION PAPER FIELD: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS A STUDY ON ERRORS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HUNG YEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANG EDUCATION AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ CÁC LỖI SAI TRONG KỸ NĂNG NÓI CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM KỸ THUẬT HƯNG YÊN VÀ GỢI Ý MỘT SỐ GIẢI PHÁP) Student: Nguyen Mai Hong Student number: 11317091 Supervisor: Doan Thi Thu Thuy, M.A (ký tên) Hung Yen – 2021 i DECLARATION I certify my authorship of the study report entitled “A study on errors in English speaking skills of the first- year English major students at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education and some suggested solutions” This graduation paper is the result of my own world an effort, and that it has not been submitted anywhere for any award Where other sources of information have been used, they have been acknowledged Hai Duong, June 2021 Signature Nguyen Mai Hong ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to many people for giving their sincere help to me in doing my graduation paper First of all, I would like to acknowledge sincere and faithful thanks to my supervisor Mrs Doan Thi Thu Thuy – M.A of English Department for her steadfast support, guidance and dedicated labor, and without her this world could not see the light Second, I give my special thanks to all the teacher in the Faculty of Foreign Languages who had given motivation, support and precious knowledge to during study at Hung Yen University Technology and Education I would also thanks for their help completing the survey questionnaire and for their willingness to share their relevant ideas to me Besides, I am also grateful to many students in three classes K18 of Faculty of Foreign Languages on campus 1, campus and campus who were willing to complete the survey questionnaire Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, my friends who give me support and encouraged during the time the study were carried out iii ABSTRACT This paper mainly discussed error and solutions in English speaking skills for the firstyear students at Faculty of Foreign Languages at UTEHY Speaking skills- “the most important aspect of the learning a second language” is one of the more difficult ones and a big challenge for the Vietnamese students To achieve the desired aims of the current study, I combined both qualitative and quantitative method, including two main namely survey questionnaire and interview The subjects of the study are 79 first-year students at Faculty of Foreign Languages Students are invited to answer questionnaires and interview questions The results of this study show that the participants have errors when speaking such as: incorrect grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, not fluently, lack of confidence, unnatural speed, poor idea and mother tongue- based translation The strategies to improve speaking skills such as: talk to native speakers, practice with partner, practice alone, learn speaking English through English songs, movies, take part in English clubs, improve background knowledge, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………….i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………ii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………… iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………… vii LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES………………………………………………….viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………1 1.Rationale of the study……………………………………………………………… 2.Aims of study……………………………………………………………………… 3.Research question…………………………………………………………………….2 4.Scope of study……………………………………………………………………… 5.Methods of study…………………………………………………………………… 6.Design of the study………………………………………………………………… CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………3 2.1.Definitions of speaking…………………………………………………………… 2.2.Definitions of errors……………………………………………………………… 2.3.The importance of speaking……………………………………………………… 2.4.Errors in speaking………………………………………………………………… 2.4.1.Grammar………………………………………………………………………….7 2.4.2.Vocabulary……………………………………………………………………….7 2.4.3.Pronunciation…………………………………………………………………….7 2.4.4.Intonation……………………………………………………………………… 2.4.5.Fluency and coherence………………………………………………………… 2.4.6.Speaking speed………………………………………………………………… vi 2.4.7.Lack of confidence……………………………………………………………….9 2.4.8.Lack of background knowledge………………………………………………… 2.4.9.Eye contact…………………………………………………………………… 10 2.4.10.Mother tongue- based translation………………………………………………10 2.5.The causes of speaking errors…………………………………………………… 10 2.6.Summary………………………………………………………………………….12 CHAPTER III: STUDY……………………………………………………………….13 3.1.Background of the study………………………………………………………… 13 3.1.1.The physical setting…………………………………………………………… 13 3.1.2.The speaking course…………………………………………………………….13 3.1.3.Participants of the study…………………………………………………………13 3.1.4.Data collection instruments…………………………………………………… 14 3.1.4.1.Survey questionnaire for students…………………………………………… 14 3.1.4.2.Interview question for students……………………………………………… 14 3.1.5.Procedure of data collection…………………………………………………… 14 3.2.Data analysis………………………………………………………………………15 3.2.1.Questionnaire for students………………………………………………………15 3.2.1.1.The current situation of learning speaking for the first-year students………….15 3.2.1.2.Errors in speaking English…………………………………………………….19 3.2.1.3.Solution to improve speaking skills of the first-year students…………………22 3.2.2.An analysis of interview questions………………………………………………24 3.3.Finding and discussion……………………………………………………………25 3.3.1.The current situation of learning speaking for the first-year students……………25 vi 3.3.2.The errors in students’ speaking…………………………………………………26 3.3.3.The strategies for improving student’s speaking skills………………………… 26 3.4.Recommendations……………………………………………………………… 26 CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION………………………………………………………30 4.1.Summary of study…………………………………………………………………30 4.2.Limitations of the study………………………………………………………… 30 4.3.Suggestions for further study…………………………………………………… 30 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………… 31 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………….I APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENT…………………… I APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESSTION………………………………………… V APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW…………………………………………………………VI APPENDIX 4: THE TAPE SCRIPT…………………………………………………VII vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS UTEHY: Hung Yen University of Technology and Education FFL: Faculty of Foreign Languages M.A: Master of Arts No: Number viii LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES LIST OF CHARTS Chart 3.1: The number of periods per week for speaking lessons………………………… 15 Chart 3.2: Students’ practicing speaking time per day at home…………………………….16 Chart 3.3: The chances to speak that teachers give students in class……………………… 17 Chart 3.4: Students’ opinions about speaking topics in class……………………………….17 Chart 3.5: Students’ thinking about feedback to students………………………………… 18 Chart 3.6: The speaking activities in class………………………………………………….19 Chart 3.7: The student’ strategies to improve speaking skills………………………………23 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Students’ errors in speaking……………………………………………………20 Table 3.2: Students’ ideas about causes of the speaking errors…………………………… 21 Table 3.3: Students’ thinking about teacher’s strategies to help improve speaking skills……………………………………………………………………………………… 24 25 Based on the collected data from the interview, most of the students have the same answers: “Practicing speaking English every day helps improve speaking skills” Some students said that practicing speaking English everyday helps them feel more confident when communicating The others think that practicing everyday helps improve grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation Therefore, they also have good job in the future when they speak English well • Question 2: What the errors you have when speaking English? According to the collected information of the interview, most students said that they often get errors about pronunciation is not standard, incorrect grammar and vocabulary The others said they often have errors about lack of confident or fear of making mistakes when speaking Besides, they also have error about poor idea, when have speaking topics, they not how to speak about that topics • Question 3: What you consider as solution for students to improve speaking English skills? Based on the collected data from the interview, most of students think that the best solution is practice more and more, spend more time on practicing speaking every day Besides, some students said that they should practice with partners and native speakers to improve speaking skills Moreover, one students said that students should improve grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation In addition, the other students said that students can learn through English songs and movies to improve speaking skills 3.3 Finding and discussion This part discusses the findings of the study in order to answer three research questions proposed in the introduction 3.3.1 The current situation of learning speaking for the first-year students The survey questionnaires shows the students have periods per week for speaking lessons Most of the students not spend too much time to practice speaking every day The first-year students thought that given speaking topics are easy and very difficult for them Besides, teachers almost often give them chances to speak and feedback in class In addition, they also have many activities in the speaking class such as discussion, pair work and group work, presentation or play games, all of which help improve speaking skills for the first-year students In my opinion, English is one of the most used language in the world, more and more foreigners are coming to our country so English is very useful to help you 26 get opportunities So, students should take much time to improve English skills, especially, speaking skills 3.3.2 The errors in students’ speaking According to survey questionnaires, students often get errors when speaking English such as vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, intonation, fluency and coherence, speaking speed, lack of confidence, background knowledge, eye contact and mother tongue-based translation The causes of speaking errors are students are not persevering in practicing, not having suitable studying methods and learning environments, not listen to many standard pronunciation sources, not improve their vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, background knowledge and fear of making mistakes 3.3.3 The strategies for improving student’s speaking skills There are some strategies for improving students’ speaking skills All students need a lot of efforts They should practice more and more Most students thought that planning the study vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, improve background knowledge of many fields, practice with partner and native speakers, take part in English clubs, learn speaking English through English songs, movies or practice alone in front of the mirror are the good ways Students considered that teachers giving students clearer instructions before any speaking activity, giving student appropriate and immediate feedback on their speaking in class were the good methods to improve their students’ speaking skills Besides, give students interesting topics, organize interesting games, use technologies like videos, power point, give student chance to discuss in class, update new teaching methods are effective methods In addition, students think that correct grammar, vocabulary errors and pronunciation for them during speaking are so necessary Pair work is also helpful for a good speaking activity Sometimes some shy and introvert students not want to speak in front of the whole class In this situation, if teachers practice group work and pair work, then those shy students can also participate in the class To sum up, there are errors that students often get when speaking, so students need to deal with these problem The above are strategies to help them improve their speaking skills 3.4 Recommendations Many students master the fine points of listen, read or write English but find themselves at a loss when it comes to actually having a conversation with native speakers In reality, the only way to develop fluency in speaking is by huge amounts of listening, and then practicing 27 The following are a few strategies for improving English speaking skills First, find an English- speaking conversation partner It's important to find native speakers to practice Students who are living around many English speakers may be able to find opportunities to chat with neighbors and local business people Joining a English club or a volunteer organization can be a great way to get to know people A lot of students find and meet with tutors online via tools like Skype or Google Hangouts or simply chat (talk) with their friend in real life Second, practice with music and movies Listen to music in English and sing along Music is one of the best tools for learning intonation pronunciation Listening to and singing songs might also help you remember vocabulary and phrases (if the song is easy to understand), and it will help you learn to pronounce English rhythm in a more natural way By unconsciously imitating the singer, you'll learn to pronounce phrases the way native speakers Movies are a much better choice for learning English You'll learn vocabulary, idioms, slang, pronunciation and listening by watching movies Third, improve knowledge about society, economy, etc This is really an excellent way to develop your fluency and build your confidence Many students say that their background knowledge is not enough to speak English confidently, they not know what to say because they not understand about the topics So, supplements knowledge wherever you are, not necessarily macro issues, you should start with minor issues Furthermore, improve your grammar English grammar is an indispensable structure in English, learning grammar we will open a new world and will see many great things Plan your study now and try to get an overview of English grammar Reading English is the way for you to study more and understand grammar Read any material in English that you like: comics, blogs, videos, books or magazines with topics that interest you To increase the efficiency, when reading, pay attention to the author's writing, the sentence structure used, the division On the one hand, you have just understood the use of grammar learned and in fact they are How to use On the other hand, you know more new grammatical structures that you not know In addition, improve your grammar by practicing continuous, you can practice through online tests or find some grammar books to practice Besides, raise your vocabulary A good dictionary is important if you want to improve your vocabulary, so the dictionary should be updated (not more than years without update) and easy to understand Make sure the definitions in it are written in English clearly Pictures also assist you in understanding 28 words I recommend that you use Longman's dictionaries, because the diction and writing of these dictionaries are very good, both in English and American English as well as clear and easily understood example sentences You can also use a vocabulary notebook, choose a word or phrase from the notebook, and try to use them as often as possible in a day Think about situations where you need to use them, write them down and put them in a few examples Check these words or phrases again after a week, to make sure you remember them Some people find that writing cards are also useful for improving vocabulary You can write the words on the card and take them with you for a day, open them whenever you have time and try to make sentences with it Read something you like Be it a newspaper, a novel, a magazine, or a simple book Read page by page, underline words or phrases you don't know yet Find important words to help you understand the content, or repetitive words Use a good dictionary and take notes in your English vocabulary notebook You can also memorize their synonyms or antonyms If you want to improve your vocabulary, you need to stick to it and make it a habit Another strategy is to help you pronounce like a native speaker It is a habit to look up phonetic words when encountering any new words and must be practiced as soon as you start learning English The phonetic transcription, the way to read when meeting new words, will help you master the reading of that word from the beginning Instead of reading it wrong and taking a long time to correct the initial error, create your own habit of correcting right from the first step In addition, you should practice the habit of reading the wind sound in English These are very important sounds that can help you distinguish words in English You should also listen to native English listening programs such as BBC, CNN or VOA When you listen a lot, you will mimic the pronunciation, speed and rhythm of native speakers Be persistent practice learning from others You should ask native speakers, teachers, and other people who have experience in learning English, to have them listen to their pronunciation and discover mistakes These people will help you identify errors in your pronunciation quickly and help you correct errors correctly The last strategy is practicing alone Practicing speaking English in front of the mirror helps you feel confident when communicating The characteristics of this exercise can help you see your mouth, face and body when speaking When you have time, spend a few minutes standing in front of a mirror and practice speaking Choose any topic in your daily life and spend 2-3 minutes just to talk This method helps you adjust your mouth and tongue 29 when practicing pronunciation many times to find the correct sound, as well as confidently looking straight at the opponent in communication Or you can record your own voice and check again to correct any wrong pronunciation 30 CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION 4.1 Summary of study In general, speaking is evaluated as one of the most important language skills for the students The study was conducted to find out the errors and some suggested solutions in speaking English for the first-year English major students at UTEHY To achieve the main aim of the study, the researcher used the combination of methods to conduct the research which included questionnaires for students, and questions for students 79 copies of the online survey questionnaires were handed out to the first- year students of FFL Besides, other students were invited for the interview The major findings of the study are as follows: Firstly the survey showed that speaking English was very important and a difficult skill Secondly, the first-year students of FFL at this university have some errors in speaking such as incorrect grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, lack of confidence, not fluently, mother tongue- based translation Finally, some suggestions are recommended for the first-year students and lecturers of FFL at UTEHY to improve speaking English skills 4.2 Limitations of the study Due to the scope of the study, the research only focus on the first-year students which account for a small number of students in UTEHY Therefore, the result of the study cannot be generalized Besides, this study only concentrates on relevant students' common errors in speaking English and makes some suggestions for students to improve speaking skills Because of the limitation, this study could not cover everything in its of study Although the mentioned limitations, the researcher hopes that this exploratory research will contribute to the better situation of teaching and learning speaking skill at FFL, UTEHY 4.3 Suggestions for further study The following directions should be taken into consideration in the future research: - The study on the motivation in learning speaking English of the first-year English major students at UTEHY 31 REFERENCES Al-Hebaish, S (2012) The Correlation between General Self-Confidence and Academic Achievement in the Oral Presentation Course, Faculty of education, Taibah University Brown, H.Doughlas (1994) Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents Brown and Yule (1983) Teaching the Spoken Language: An approach based on the analysis of conversational English Cambridge Cambridge University Press Bygate, M (1987) Speaking Oxford: Oxford University Press Bygate, M (1998) “Theoretical Perspectives on Speaking” Annual Review of Applied Linguistics V.18 n.1, Pp: 20-42 Burns, A & Joyce, H (1997) Focus on Speaking Sydney: National center for English Language Teaching and Research Burt and Krashen (1982) Correctionof Errors In English A Training Course Sarup & Sons Carter, R & McCarthy, M (1995) "Grammar and the Spoken Language" Applied Linguistics V.16, n.2 Pp: 141-158 Cohen, A.D (1996) “Developing the Ability to Perform Speech Acts” Studies in Second Language Acquisition V.18, n.2, Pp: 253-267 10 Corder (1967) Correctionof Errors In English A Training Course Sarup & Sons 11 Cornbleet, S and Carter, R (2001) The Language of Speech and Writing London: Routledge 12 Eckard, R & Kearny, M (1981) Teaching Conversational Skills in ESL Washington: Center of Applied Linguistics 13 Emden and Becker (2004) Presentation skills for students Houndmills, Basingstoke 14 Fouty-Be Mouleka (2013) English Club Guide Book: A Contribution to Bilingualism in Gabon Trafford Publishing 15 Florez, M A (1999) "Improving Adult English Language Learners’ Speaking Skills" ERIC Digest (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No ED: 435204 ) 16 Haryanto, Tony (2007) Grammar Error Analysis in Students’ Recount Texts English Department Faculty of Languages and Arts Semarang State University 32 17 H.D.Brown (1994) English teaching forum U.S Department of State 18 Hossein Nassaji (2015) The Interactional Feeback Dimension in Instructed Second Language Learning: Linking Theory, Reasearch, and Practice, Bloomsbury Publishing 19 Howarth, P (2001) “Process Speaking Preparing to Repeat Yourself” MET V, 10, n.1, Pp: 39-44 20 Krushna Chandra Mishra (2005) Correctionof Errors In English A Training Course Sarup & Sons 21 Luoma, S (2004) Assessing Speaking Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 22 Ni, Hui (2012) The Effects of Affective Factors in SLA and Pedagogical Implications 23 Nunan, D (1989) Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom New York: Cambridge University Press 24 Rewa Bhasin (2014) Common English Errors Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd 25 Richards (1972) Correctionof Errors In English A Training Course Sarup & Sons 26 Sean Ruday (2014) The Common Core Grammar Toolkit Routledge 27 Sereda et al (1976) Error Prevention and Well-Being at Work in Western Europe and Russia: Psychological Traditions and New Trends Springer Science & Bussiness Media 28 Smith, J (2011) Learning Foreign Language Retrieved on February 9,2011 29 V de Keyser, A Leonova (2012) Error Prevention and Well-Being at Work in Western Europe and Russia: Psychological Traditions and New Trends Springer Science & Bussiness Media I APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENT This survey questionnaire is designed for my research into “A study on errors in English speaking skills of the first- year English major students at Hung Yen University of Technology and Education and some suggested solutions” Your assistance in completing this survey is highly appreciated All the information provided by you only serves the study purposes and you can be confident that your identification will not be revealed in any discussion of the data Please complete the following questions by circling your chosen options, write your answer in the provided blanks Gender: A Male B Female How old are you? …………… How long have you been learning English? …………… Thank you so much for your cooperation! PART I: The current situation of learning speaking for the first-year students How many periods per week you have speaking lessons? ☐1 period ☐ periods ☐ periods ☐4 periods ☐5 periods How many hours per day you spend practicing speaking English at home? ☐15 minutes ☐30 minutes ☐1 hour ☐2 hours ☐Others How often you get chance to speak in class? ☐Rarely ☐Almost often ☐Sometimes ☐Very often What you think about speaking topics given to you in class? ☐Difficult ☐Normal ☐Very difficult ☐Easy How often does your teacher give you feedback? II ☐Rarely ☐Almost often ☐Sometimes ☐Very often What types of speaking activities are you asked to take in your speaking class? ☐Discussion ☐Pair work and group work ☐Presentation ☐Play games ☐Others …………………………………………… PART II: Errors in speaking English How often you get the following errors in your speaking? No Errors Incorrect grammar Wrong vocabulary Non-standard pronunciation Non-standard intonation Not fluently Lack of confidence Unnatural speed Poor idea Poor vocabulary Very often Almost often Sometimes Rarely III 10 Hesitation 11 Poor eye contact 12 Mother translation 13 Others tongue-based How much you agree/disagree with the following causes of speaking errors? No Causes Strongly disagree Not persevering in practicing Unsuitable methods Fear of making mistakes Not having suitable learning environment Not listening to standard pronunciation sources Not improve background knowledge Not improve vocabulary Others Disagree Agree studying grammar, PART III: Solutions to improve speaking skills of the first-year students? Which of the followings may help you improve your speaking skills? Strongly agree IV (You can choose more than one) ☐Practice with partner ☐Talk to native speakers ☐Take part in English clubs ☐Learn speaking through English songs, movies ☐Improve background knowledge of many fields ☐Improve grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation ☐Practice alone in front of the mirror ☐Record and check ☐Others ………………………………………… 10 What should your teacher to help you improve your speaking skills? (You can choose more than one) ☐Give students appropriate and immediate feedback on their speaking in class ☐Give students chances to discuss in class ☐Given students clearer instructions before any speaking activity ☐Use technologies like video, power point, etc… ☐Update new teaching methods ☐Give students interesting topics ☐Organize interesting games ☐Correct grammar and vocabulary errors for students ☐Correct pronunciation for students during speaking ☐Others ………………………………………… This is the end of the questionnaire Thank you so much for your time! V APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESSTION • Question 1: How important is practicing speaking English every day? • Question 2: What the errors you have when speaking English? • Question 3: What you consider as solutions for students to improve speaking English skills? VI APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW • Question 1: How important is practicing speaking English every day? Based on the collected data from the interview, most of the students have the same answers: “Practicing speaking English every day helps improve speaking skills” Some students said that practicing speaking English everyday helps them feel more confident when communicating The others think that practicing everyday helps improve grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation Therefore, they also have good job in the future when they speak English well • Question 2: What the errors you have when speaking English? According to the collected information of the interview, most students said that they often get errors about pronunciation is not standard, incorrect grammar and vocabulary The others said they often have errors about lack of confident or fear of making mistakes when speaking Besides, they also have error about poor idea, when have speaking topics, they not how to speak about that topics • Question 3: What you consider as solution for students to improve speaking English skills? Based on the collected data from the interview, most of students think that the best solution is practice more and more, spend more time on practicing speaking every day Besides, some students said that they should practice with partners and native speakers to improve speaking skills Moreover, one students said that students should improve grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation In addition, the other students said that students can learn through English songs and movies to improve speaking skills VIII APPENDIX 4: THE TAPE SCRIPT