Efl teachers and students perceptions and practices of teaching speaking at quang trung high school in binh dinh province

Trang 1 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY DANG THI THANH THUY EFL TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF TEACHING SPEAKING Trang 2 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO

INTRODUCTION

Research rationale

In many Asian contexts, English has become the preferred foreign language due to globalization in different social, economic, cultural, and educational elements (Nunan, 2003) English is now the most widely taught foreign language in Vietnam at all educational levels as a result of English's growth as a global language (Hoang, 2011; Nguyen, 2011; Pham, 2013) English is studied and taught across the nation, and there is a need to encourage its study and improve the standard of English instruction English is currently a required subject at the secondary and tertiary education levels after being introduced to young students in primary school Despite having studied English for a long time, students still struggle to grasp oral communication and reach acceptable English proficiency levels "Many school leavers cannot read simple texts in English nor communicate with English-speaking people in some most common cases," is a common criticism, according to Le (2013, p 66)

Since the National Foreign Language 2020 Project (NFLP/2020 Project) was put into place by the Ministry of Education and Training in 2008 (MoET, 2008), English instruction and learning in Vietnam have received increased attention By the year 2020, the majority of Vietnamese students should be able to communicate effectively in a foreign language, particularly English, in their studies and at work

The decision was then updated by Decision No 2080/Q-TTg dated December 22, 2017, which accepts the revised national strategy for studying and teaching foreign languages in the years 2017 through 2025 The amended goal is to significantly improve the standard of foreign language instruction and study at all academic levels while promoting the use of foreign languages in social activities and educational settings beginning in kindergarten (Prime Minister, 2017) For students and teachers alike, these goals have made studying the English language at all levels both hopeful and difficult There is no exception when it comes to teaching English to high school students It is therefore unavoidable that new textbooks, curricula, and methods for testing and assessment will be introduced

The introduction of the new high school curriculum, which is being implemented by Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDT dated December 16, 2019 (MOET,

2018), has resulted in promising English learning programs, which places greater emphasis on the roles of teachers and students in the active learning process than the previous pilot curriculum dated November 23, 2012 (MOET, 2012b)

The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training sent hundreds of EFL teachers abroad for professional training to fulfill the objectives of the National Project (Tran, 2013) To increase the caliber of EFL teaching and learning and improve students' English communication abilities, they worked to implement novel teaching techniques (Tran, 2013) and earlier English introduction in primary schools To give students the chance to converse with native English speakers and establish real-world English-speaking situations in the classroom, schools and colleges have hired native English TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) instructors However, the bulk of English teachers are Vietnamese EFL instructors, who serve as important stakeholders and agents The impact of EFL teachers' ideas on imparting English-speaking skills in their actual teaching practices has not yet been investigated, despite even though taken training sessions and embraced new teaching techniques

Additionally, research on teachers' perceptions and practices has been made clearer by the emerging tendency to connect theories and practices of language learning This is because it is thought that without some information with which to operate, teachers are unable to practice effectively To shed light on this strong and complex interaction, there have been various research on teachers' perspectives and practices These studies have demonstrated that teachers' perceptions have a significant influence on their instructional strategies (Chan, 2008; Farrell & Benisi, 2013; Gatbonton, 2008; Jerome & Stephen 2014; Shasavar & Jamalsadeh, 2015)

Furthermore, even though there has been a significant amount of research on teaching speaking skill, and on EFL teachers' and students’ perceptions and practices toward teaching speaking globally, in Asian contexts generally, and in Vietnam specifically, their findings have not yet been fully generalized and no firm conclusions have been drawn

Due to the reasons outlined above as well as the fact that English is actually taught and learned in Vietnam, this study was conducted with the following goals:

(1) to ascertain how high school EFL teachers perceive teaching speaking to high school students, (2) to examine how they teach speaking at Quang Trung High School (QTHS) in the framework of the new English teaching and learning, and (3) to ascertain how students at QTHS perceive teaching speaking.

Research aim and objectives

This study aims to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking at a high school in Binh Dinh Province

In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives are targeted:

- To understand how EFL teachers at QTHS perceive teaching speaking and how they practice teaching the skill

- To explore QTHS students’ perceptions of teaching speaking.

Research questions

With the aim and objectives stated above, the following research questions are addressed:

1 What are EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking?

2 What are EFL students’ perceptions of teaching speaking?

Scope of the research

Due to the limited time, the study mainly focuses on examining EFL teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking The study was carried out at QTHS with the participation of 8 EFL teachers and 84 EFL eleventh-grade students.

Research significance

This research is considered to be important for some reasons

Theoretically, the present study provides necessary insights into the reality of teaching speaking from local EFL teachers and EFL students’ perspectives Its findings, therefore, can act as a useful source of reference for future researchers who are interested in the field of teaching speaking It also helps enrich the theory of teaching speaking

Practically, the outcome of the research is expected to make a positive contribution to English teachers’ perception and practices of teaching speaking skill at QTHS, which is hoped to enhance the quality of speaking lessons For students, this research is expected to make students at QTHS aware of the importance of speaking skill Hopefully, it contributes to increasing students’ interest in the skill so that they try to improve their English speaking ability.

Structure of the thesis

The report of the research is presented in five main chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 is Introduction It presents the rationale, aims, and objectives, research questions, the scope of the research, research significance, and the intended structures of the thesis

Chapter 2 is Literature Review The chapter provides the theoretical background on which the study is based and briefly presents a review of previous studies related to this study

Chapter 3 is Research Methodology This chapter describes the research design, research participants, research instruments, and research procedure

Chapter 4 is Findings and Discussion This chapter reports the results of the study The data are analyzed, shown in findings, and then thoroughly discussed

Chapter 5 is Conclusion First, it gives a summary of the results of the study

It then discusses limitations of the study and makes suggestions for further research.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Speaking

It gives individuals a platform to connect with others and communicate their ideas, as well as their intents, hopes, and points of view A "speaker" of a language is sometimes referred to as someone who speaks it well Speaking is the language ability that is utilized the most in practically all situations Torky (2006, p 13) claims that speaking is an expression of thought, ideas, and sentiment that makes use of one's capacity for pronouncing words, grouping them into phrases or sentences, and selecting words that are pertinent to the subject

According to Lawtie (2004), speech is a necessary component of human communication It enables people to communicate with others around the world and to express their views and opinions

Bailey (2005) defines speaking as a productive aural/oral skill that consists of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning, which implies that speaking is a useful skill for communicating ideas through speech

Thornbury (2005) claims speaking is interactive, requiring the ability to cooperate in the management of speaking turns Cameron (2001) further describes that speaking is the active expression of meaning via language with the purpose of enabling others to understand it

From the definitions provided above, it can be concluded that speaking is a two-way process Howarth (2001) and Torky (2006) In other words, it is the collaboration between two or more people in the shared context, and in the shared time It is a complicated interactive process between speakers and listeners, which involves producing, decoding, and receiving messages using verbal and non-verbal symbols Speaking is, then, a technique that enables speakers to communicate their developed and organized thoughts to listeners in a clear, efficient, and accurate way Speaking can be formal or informal

A learner's success when learning a second language has been proven to depend heavily on their ability to communicate verbally Language learners frequently assess their performance in language learning based on how much they believe their spoken language ability has increased According to Systems (2019), students must understand how to communicate effectively with people of various personality types Additionally, Systems (2019) notes that students who lack communication skills will not advance in their professional growth

Speaking ability is said to be one of the qualities that language acquisition emphasizes (Salambau et al., 2022) In order to communicate and transfer knowledge or information from one person to another, this skill is necessary For example, a renowned academic, Nunan (1999), has long demonstrated that speaking fluently in a language is the usual measure of linguistic competency (p 225) Similarly, Brown (2001), believes that communicative ability is the most crucial component of language learning It is essential to speak English, especially with the language's increasing significance in a variety of contexts, including job interviews, tourism, and commerce (Crystal, 1997, Mattarima & Hamdan, 2011; Muamaroh,

2013) As stated by Kuśnierek (2015), speaking would also promote social connection in every civilization Students must therefore develop speaking abilities to learn a language

Harmer (2001) asserts that there are components to speaking ability These factors clarify that speaking fluently requires both the capacity to comprehend information and language "on the spot" as well as an understanding of linguistic aspects The following items are classified as linguistic features

The first factor is connected speech In order to employ linked speech, we must be able to alter our speech sounds Assimilation, elision, connecting, modification, and weakening of sounds can all be used to change their characteristics

The second factor is expressive devices Every English speaker alters the volume and pace of some utterances, places emphasis on certain portions of the utterances, and uses various physical and non-verbal (paralinguistic) techniques to convey their feelings (particularly during face-to-face interactions)

The third factor is lexis and grammar Several popular lexical phrases are often used in spontaneous speech, particularly while performing certain language functions

Negotiation language is the next factor Negotiator language, which is used to ask for clarification and illustrate the organization of what pupils are saying, is advantageous for effective speaking

In addition to the linguistic characteristics already mentioned, other crucial components are mental/social processing, language processing, interacting with others, and information processing Those aspects discussed above must be taken into account if one is to become a successful communicator

Some of the problems with speaking skill that students can come across when learning are inhibition, lack of topical knowledge, low participation, and mother-tongue use (Nguyen & Tran, 2015)

The first problem that students face in class is inhibition They may experience speech inhibition when they want to speak out in class They worry about making errors and are afraid of being judged They are embarrassed by how much the other pupils are focusing on them According to Littlewood (2007), a language classroom can also cause pupils to feel nervous and inhibited

The second proposition is that there is nothing to say According to Baker and Westrup (2003), learners find it very challenging to respond when their teachers ask them to describe something in a foreign language because they are unsure of what to say, what vocabulary to use, or how to correctly utilize grammar Some students find that speaking in front of other students requires them to have something to say, thus if they don't have anything to say, they will likely be more reserved and refrain from speaking during class

Another issue that hinders students from speaking is their low or uneven participation.According to Ur (2012), a huge class with little time allotted for each student may also result in low involvement from the students

The frequent use of mother tongue and anxiety are the next problems While Harmer (2007) believes that using one's mother tongue may help with learning, including speaking, Ur (2012) believes that using one's mother tongue may do more harm than good

Additionally, environmental factor is one of the barriers preventing Vietnamese students from speaking According to some academics, less favorable setting makes it difficult for students to practice or improve English communication skills outside of the classroom (Muamaroh, 2013).

Teaching speaking

Hinkel (2017) states that imparting speaking skills in a second language entails assisting language students in developing a certain set of interpersonal and communication abilities The development of speech-processing, discourse organization, and oral production abilities, as well as correct grammar, a robust vocabulary, accurate pronunciation, and information sequencing are all requirements for learning a second language (Hinkel, 2017)

According to Al Hosni (2014), "The focus of teaching speaking is to improve the oral production of students" (p 22) While speaking instruction has long been neglected, English teachers tend to teach speaking through drill repetition or discourse memorization The present period, however, requires that speaking instruction enhance students' communication abilities since only in this way can students learn and communicate how to uphold proper social and cultural values suited to every communicative circumstance

To improve students' academic performance and prospects, teaching speaking while learning a second language is essentially the same as imparting the language in a tangible and useful way Instead of expecting students to memorize something, language teachers place a lot of emphasis on teaching speaking because with careful attention, teachers may support students' development of speaking abilities

Teaching speaking in an EFL context differs from those in ESL and English in a native language context To teach speaking in an EFL setting, Bailey (2003, pp 47–66) identifies five key elements First, understanding the differences between the contexts for learning a second language and a foreign language Second, allowing students to practice their accuracy and fluency Third, giving students the chance to converse by using group or pair projects and limiting teacher time Next, creating speaking assignments that need meaning negotiation Last, creating in-class exercises where students receive guidance and practice in both transactional and interactional speaking

2.2.2 Characteristics of successful speaking activity

According to Ur (1996, p 201), some traits of effective speaking exercises include students talking a lot, participants being evenly distributed, motivation being high, and language being of an appropriate quality

In speaking class, students need to talk a lot Students discuss as much as they can throughout the time allotted for the activity This may seem apparent, yet frequently the teacher's discourse or pauses take up the majority of the time

For a successful speaking activity, all students are evenly distributed Discussions in class are not dominated by a small number of engaged students It implies that participation is divided reasonably equitably and that each student has an opportunity to speak

Besides, students’ high motivation is also an important factor resulting in an efficient speaking class Students are often driven to speak out because they are passionate about the subject, have something original to add, or want to help the class complete a task

One more quality of effective speaking activity is students’ language is of an acceptable level Students communicate in meaningful ways that are simple to understand and have a passable degree of correctness If they lack communication skills, they will be unable to understand the speaker's use of English, and do not understand what the speaker is trying to convey As a result, students who desire to speak English well should learn and practice the language as much as they can They, therefore, need to have a certain vocabulary.

The roles of a teacher in speaking class

In the classrooms, teachers have a significant impact on the lives of the students The responsibility of educating the pupils entrusted to their care is what teachers are most well-known for The speaking exercises need teachers to take on a variety of responsibilities, just like with any other sort of classroom activity Harmer (2001) suggests three roles if the teacher is trying to get students to speak fluently

First, the teacher is a prompter Students sometimes get off track, can't think of what to say next, or don't talk with the teacher's desired fluency The role of the teacher, therefore, is important

Second, the teacher works as a participant The teacher should be an excellent animator while urging students to improve language On occasion, this might be achieved by planning an activity clearly and enthusiastically However, there are times when teachers will decide to take the initiative in role-playing games

Last, the teacher takes on the role of a feedback provider When and how to give feedback in speaking exercises is a challenging question, and one that may be resolved by carefully evaluating the effects of many alternative techniques The communicative aspect of an activity might be lost when students are subjected to extensive correction during a speaking engagement On the other hand, pupils may be able to get over difficult misconceptions and hesitations with the aid of a helpful and sympathetic correction.

The role of learners in speaking class

Students play a crucial role in lessons on speaking abilities Students must first be prepared to engage with the supplied curriculum Learners who possess intrinsic motivation are necessary for this This boosts one's sense of self-worth, confidence, and communicative openness (Alharbi 2015) Once the students have developed long-term self-motivation and resolve, they are able to put up more effort by actively participating in class activities and speaking English outside of the classroom According to Achmad and Yusuf (2014), teachers must be aware of their students' cultures when employing unstructured classroom activities because this affects how well they learn In a session on speaking skills, learners are expected to agree to begin, respond, control, and negotiate their role, according to Talley and Hui-ling (2014)

The success of education in general and speech therapy in particular is not just dependent on teachers Students' main concerns are likewise related to achieving success Bygate (1996) believes that the way learners perceive the use of language can be attributed to part of the success or failures of foreign language learning Students must cooperate in carrying out various tasks or activities, show a positive attitude toward their studies, and speak in the target language to learn how to utilize and use the language Thus, it is thought that the learner participates actively in communicative language teaching, which may eventually foster a greater sense of student autonomy.

Perception and practice of teaching speaking

There have been numerous definitions of perception examined in the world's scientific study literature The process of awareness, organization, and analysis of input information is referred to as perception The definition of "perception" according to Kanwisher (2001, p 90) is "the extraction and/or representation of perceptual information from a stimulus, without any assumption that such information is necessarily experienced consciously." The process of identifying

"one's environment through physical sensation, which denotes an individual's ability to understand" is another definition of perception in Chambers Dictionary According to McShane and Von Glinow (2010, p 68), "Perception is the process of receiving information about and making sense of the world around us" Perception is knowledge of the physical world formed from data by the five physical faculties People are likely to infuse their acts with purpose and significance, evaluations and assessments, values, and goals How individuals perceive their place in the world affects what they do in life In other words, how people see things shapes and influence how they act Therefore, it is necessary to comprehend one's perceptions to comprehend their actions

The term "perception" is used in the field of language teaching and learning to examine both EFL teachers' and EFL students' perceptions in a variety of research Thus, the term "perception" is employed in the current study to examine how teachers and students conceptualize the idea of teaching speaking

Perception undoubtedly plays important functions in the teaching and learning process It has the potential to influence students' learning attitudes, motivations, and successes Students' views can influence their motivations, and attitudes toward language acquisition, particularly their expectations, and learning practices, according to Richards and Lockhart (2007)

To better understand how speaking skills are taught in high school, it is important to look into how teachers and students see the subject As a result, the goal of this study is to look into and come to a more complete understanding of teachers' and students' perceptions

According to Dewey (1904), practice relies on one's goals Practice work is described as "an instrument in making real and vital theoretical instruction; the knowledge of subject matter and principles of education" by Dewey (ibid., p 9) A further definition of practice is "the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it" (Oxford living dictionaries online) It appears that practice gives kids higher chances to learn new things

The methods teachers use to instruct their students in speaking activities are related to the ways they teach speaking skills According to Brown (1994, p

124), teachers have a crucial responsibility to teach their students how to study Teachers are essential in improving speaking ability Speaking exercises and activities can be done within and outside of the classroom

Since the growth of speaking ability necessitates the development of the various linguistic components, the instructor must give considerably greater thought to these student variances while instructing speaking skills According to Sprattet al (2005, p 35), "teaching speaking means developing learners' speaking skills by focusing on specific speaking aspects (fluency, pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, and body language) regularly" The instructor has many difficulties in their daily practice when attempting to teach speaking skills

2.5.3 Relationship between perception and practice of teaching speaking

Bodenhausen and Hugenberg (2009, p 14) state that "perception is linked to action in some fairly obvious ways" while discussing the relationship between perception and practice They use a graphic to show how input, perception, cognition, and action are related:

Figure 2.1: The interaction of perception, cognition, and action

Teachers’ perceptions play a key role in the practice of teaching because they directly affect the aims and activities that teachers choose Buchmann (1986) demonstrates how educational goals may influence teachers' perceptions of what is appropriate for instruction and their view of their role as professionals

According to Horwitz (1987), learners' opinions may affect their efforts to learn foreign languages and guide their behavior Riley (1996, p 128) goes on to show that learners' beliefs have a greater impact on their language acquisition than does the stimulus provided by teachers Another subject explored by Erlenawati

(2002) is the influence of learners' beliefs on their learning techniques, practices, assessments, and motivation.

Characteristics of high school learners

High school students, also known as adolescence, are a period of development that begins at puberty and ends when entering adulthood Understanding their traits enables teachers to improve the effectiveness of their instruction

High school students’ thinking shifts from being tangible to being abstract Concrete objects are no longer necessary as mental operations can be carried out "in the head" using abstract terminology as learners become more adept at thinking abstractly and start to comprehend abstract concepts (Brain & Mukherji, 2005) Their comprehension of abstract thought improves More significantly, they have fully developed native language skills at this age and have been learning a foreign language for more than seven years, starting in the third grade of elementary school They are therefore better at using both their home language and a foreign language for their lifelong learning

Learners at this age prefer active over passive engagement in the learning process as they begin to develop their life objectives, (Le, 2011) They are conscious of the significance of their present education and upcoming careers As a result, when they are engaged and pushed during the learning process, they can attain great achievement Additionally, because they are generally hip and up-to- date, students are easily inspired to study and succeed when the lesson's objectives are connected to their current concerns and hot subjects

According to Le (2011), high school students are developing socially, emotionally, and psychologically Since they frequently form ties with friends rather than parents and are greatly influenced by their peers, they aspire to be less dependent on their family environment (Knowles & Brown, 2000) Additionally, they are acquiring a capacity for working in groups and a socially expanding awareness of the self with others They prefer to work in teams that have similar values, hobbies, and work habits They may cooperate with others and pick up knowledge from them Through social engagement, they grow in maturity and become more sensitive in their connections with friends and those around them

They frequently experience mood swings as a result of trying to decide if they belong in their relationships and are therefore susceptible to peer pressure and negative feedback

In general, instructors should remember that high school kids require an adult in command of the classroom while teaching speaking, therefore they must be treated fairly, impartially, and with respect (Brown, 2001) Their performance may also be impacted by how others perceive them (Brown, 2001) Working in groups can lessen students' workload on a job because each tiny error might shame them (Brown, 2001; Flemming & Stevens, 2004; Hammack & Grayson, 2009) As a result, criticism should be given in a method that does not block students' speech, such as after students' performances and without highlighting specific mistakes (Brown, 2001; Harmer, 2001; Bailey, 2005; Thornbury, 2005; Nation & Newton,

Related studies on teaching speaking

The analysis of teaching speaking in the context of EFL has been the subject of several studies up to this point The following are a few of the studies:

Researchers Khaira, Sofya, and Iskandar from Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia carried out the research entitled “Teacher’s strategies in teaching speaking for cadets” (2019) The study sought to identify the methods for teaching speaking and the difficulties encountered by the teachers at Balai Pelatihan dan Pendidikan Ilmu Pelayaran (BP2IP), Malahayati Aceh Two English teachers and 58 students from two classes were involved in this study to examine how the students responded to the teachers' strategies The researchers employed questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations as research instruments to get the needed information The findings demonstrated that major challenges encountered by instructors during instruction were students' low vocabulary, poor pronunciation of English words, and lack of confidence As a result, teachers had to work extra hard to inspire their students The study also indicated that among many teaching strategies, teachers at BP2IP Malahayati Aceh often used Role Play, Drilling, Games, Describing Picture, and Discussion Groups in teaching speaking for cadets Additionally, most of the participants responded favorably to the methods the teachers employed to teach speaking

In the study, Teaching strategies to increase EFL speaking skills in a communicative learning environment, Sanaa and Sara (2020) sought to understand why certain young students find it difficult to communicate and engage in English Additionally, a range of efficient teaching techniques were seen and examined English professors frequently place too much emphasis on students' reading and writing skills rather than their speaking abilities, the study, therefore, revealed that some students do not engage Other mitigating variables were the complexity of the communication duties and the big class sizes Besides, some language learners lost enthusiasm and confidence in their ability to talk in English as a result of professors frequently speaking in their native tongue in front of the class In addition, the study suggested instructional techniques and exercises that teachers might employ to boost students' enthusiasm and self-assurance when speaking English The incentive of students to talk can be increased by using task- and theme-based learning strategies including tales, songs, games, group projects, and pair work

In Ethiopia, Habtamu and Mendida (2022) carried out a study A case study of

EFL teachers’ practice of teaching speaking skills vis-à-vis the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) The study investigated teachers' speaking practices and compared them to the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the new syllabus's underlying approach It also investigated teachers' justifications for their practices as well as the factors that influence the teaching of speaking The researchers used a qualitative case study research design to achieve their goals Classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews were used to collect data from the four carefully chosen English teachers

A qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze the data Other mitigating variables are the complexity of the communication duties and the big class sizes Additionally, some language learners lost enthusiasm and confidence in their ability to talk in English as a result of professors frequently speaking in their native tongue in front of the class The study also suggested instructional techniques and exercises that teachers might employ to boost students' enthusiasm and self- assurance when speaking English The incentive of students to talk can be increased by using task- and theme-based learning strategies including tales, songs, games, group projects, and pair work

Angelina, Renata, and Monica (2021) reported a study Investigating students' perceptions of speaking activities in XI Grade of SMA Negeri 19 Maluku Barat Daya In this research, 33 students responded to the study's questionnaire, and they shared information about how they felt about the English-speaking activities that were carried out in the classroom They provided their opinions on the various speaking activities and types of speaking activities in English class in response to 15 statements from the questionnaire The study's findings showed that group discussions and instructor question-and-answer sessions dominated the activities in class XI Additionally, the majority of respondents believe that speaking is a crucial component in developing interpersonal relationships The respondents agreed that speaking English is enjoyable in general The new study's findings also support the idea that children need to learn a variety of abilities to perfect speaking

Arse (2011) conducted a study The practice of teaching speaking skills at Ayertena Secondary School with two teachers and 55 students to explore the classroom practice of teaching speaking skills in government high schools, especially in grade nine The researcher focused mainly on the functions served by instructors and pupils, as well as the procedures and resources they used She also observed how kids behaved in the classroom and the resources teachers used to develop speaking skills Numerous tools were employed to collect data regarding the aforementioned key goals These include student and teacher interviews, student questionnaires, audio and video recordings, and classroom observations The information was classified and descriptively examined The results showed that the grade level in question used incorrect speaking styles and procedures Teachers employed the conventional speaking instruction strategy, which consists mostly of reading model conversations aloud Group and pair conversations, oral reports, theater, panel discussions, and interviews are all current speaking skills training techniques that receive little to no attention The detrimental impacts of poor speaking practices have had an impact on pupils' speaking abilities

Another descriptive study was conducted by Endalew (2011) to find out

Teachers’ perceptions of speaking skill, speaking instruction and students’ perception of speaking skill at two secondary schools in Addis Ababa To further the study's objectives, a random sample of 150 grade nine students and five teachers from a government high school and a private high school were recruited The major methods for gathering data for this study were questionnaires and classroom observations The results of the questionnaire data were then confirmed by an interview 17 questions were made and distributed to five teachers to find out how they thought about their students' speaking skills On the other hand, 16 questions were created and given to 150 students to ascertain their perceptions of speaking ability All of the teacher and student surveys were completed and submitted An observation checklist was created to monitor how speaking instructions are carried out There were eight evaluation categories in the observation checklist Simple statistical techniques were utilized in the data analysis, facilitating a simpler and more understandable interpretation and discussion of the findings The conversation was conducted using percentages, and the outcomes of the three techniques were triangulated

In the context of Viet Nam, the research Flipgrid App for teaching speaking skills: students’ perceptions and performance impact (2021) by Tang, Nguyen, and

Nguyen was an experimental research related to the impacts of Flipgrid on students’ speaking skills and students’ deeper perceptions on the use of Flipgrid after the training process Using a quasi-experimental design, the study included 80 Vietnamese students from two classes at the College of Economic Relations in Ho Chi Minh City The training procedures for the two groups were equivalent, with the exception of the experimental group's employment of the Flipgrid application Data were supplied via pre- and post-tests, an online survey, and interviews The findings of the study demonstrated that the Flipgrid application at the research location improved the speaking skills of non-majoring English students

Do and Le conducted the study High School Teachers’ perceptions and implementations of group work in English speaking classes in 2020 to explore investigate teachers' attitudes about group work and their group work implementations in EFL speaking courses The data for the study were provided by

105 English instructors from more than 30 high schools in the province of Dong Thap (31 males and 74 females) The study's participants were required to respond to a questionnaire on their opinions of the advantages of group work, potential drawbacks, instructor duties, and its use in speaking classes In addition, the researcher fully recorded 4 speaking sessions at 4 different high schools in the province from 4 teachers who had responded to the questionnaire and given their consent for the researchers to record their lessons in order to gain deeper insights into group work implementations by high school teachers in their regular classroom The findings indicated that the majority of teachers valued group projects in speaking lessons highly They generally had a thorough understanding of its advantages, potential drawbacks, and teachers' responsibilities in assisting groups to gain success and enjoyment

Additionally, Vu and Nguyen (2021) conducted a study of English language teachers’ practices of developing discourse competence through speaking skills for grade 10 students to gain insights into the actual state of cultivating discourse competence through speaking skills in students In a private school, the study looked into four instructors of Grade 10 with various backgrounds and teaching philosophies After conducting the interviews and classroom observations, the findings revealed that teachers combined a variety of strategies that had implicit impacts on different aspects of discourse competency dependent on students' English proficiency while preserving their teaching philosophies Such innovation may indicate a fundamental foundation for teaching and teacher development programs regarding helping EFL students enhance their discourse competency in speaking

Another study by Nguyen concerning Speaking pedagogy: Insights from Vietnamese EFL teachers’ cognitions and classroom practice was carried out at a university in Vietnam in 2018 By examining the beliefs and methods used in teaching speaking by six Vietnamese EFL instructors, this qualitative study intended to close this research gap The study explains how the teachers' cognitions are expressed in their practice and gives important information on three important parts of the instructors' cognitions: curriculum, subject matter content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge Documents, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations were used to gather the study's data The results of the study highlight the absence of specific directions given by curriculum papers about the content, methodology, and links between different curriculum elements The primary educational instrument in this case is a textbook Due in part to inadequate curricular requirements, the majority of teachers displayed a lack of in-depth knowledge of the concept of speaking development, the connections between speaking subjects in the program and other curricular contents, and how each speaking level might help students achieve the overall expected speaking outcomes Furthermore, many teachers believed they had a great deal of autonomy in deciding what and how to teach.

Overall, a number of research have been done to underline the importance of teaching speaking in the context of EFL However, the majority of research on English language instructors has focused on lower secondary and postsecondary English language teachers, whose pupils and curriculum are very different from those at high school level in many aspects There is research on high school teachers' and students' attitudes toward speaking instruction, but few studies have looked at EFL instructors' perspectives and methods for doing so in a high school setting The fact that no one research has been discovered in Binh Dinh Province to look at instructors' and students' perspectives of the same issue at the high school level regarding teaching English speaking ability is a more crucial aspect As a result, it is anticipated that the current study will close a research gap.

Chapter Summary

The chapter establishes the conceptual framework by providing relevant information about teaching speaking skills, teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices, and characteristics of high school students as well Previous empirical research studies relevant to the topic are also used to identify the research gap.

METHODOLOGY

Research approach

A variety of complexities surrounding teaching speaking at high school makes it more appealing to use numerous research approaches than just one Thus, the present research employed a mixed methods approach, which is characterized by a procedure that combines and analyzes both qualitative and quantitative data (Creswell, 2014; Johnson et al., 2007) to gain “greater depth of understanding and corroboration of findings” (Johnson et al, 2007, p 124) Combining different data sources can produce "the most informative, complete, balanced, and useful" findings (Johnson et al, 2007, p 129) and provide additional information on the situation studied (Creswell & Clark, 2011; Creswell, 2012, 2014) The advantages of this combination aid in a more thorough understanding of research challenges than a separate approach (Creswell, 2012, 2014)

The quantitative approach was used in this current study by using the questionnaire including primary constructs (i.e., background information, teachers' and students’ perceptions, teachers' practices of teaching speaking, and solutions to teach speaking more effectively) However, the questionnaire was insufficient for examining teachers' practices because its closed- and open-ended questions only served to gather information about teachers' and students' reports of practices rather than their actual performances in the classroom To encourage the participants to elaborate on the issues brought up and provide more insightful information about their practices in a relaxed and exploratory setting, an interview was used as a tool in the qualitative approach According to Creswell (2014), direct communication with participants results in a thorough understanding of the problem The researcher can triangulate the information acquired to evaluate the coherence of the instructors' replies with the use of interview data Additionally, this study also included classroom observations to examine how instructors and students behaved and what difficulties they ran into during speaking lessons.

Research participants

The study was conducted with the participation of all the members of the English group, at QTHS, including 8 EFL teachers There were five females and three males from 35 to 50 years old They all had mastered English Level 5 of the Vietnam 6-level language proficiency and participated in training courses in the General Education Program 2018 There were two Masters of English language All the teachers were asked about their perceptions of teaching speaking, the role of speaking skill as well as the strategies to teach speaking more effectively Besides, they responded by how they applied to teach speaking in classes The questionnaire was also delivered directly to those 8 teachers

The second participant group comprised 84 students from two intact classes These two classes were randomly selected from 10 classes of the eleventh grade The total number of students in each class determined the number of participants They had all studied English at primary and secondary schools for about nine years With the random selection of two out of 11 grades, the researcher hoped to get accurate, effective, comprehensive and reliable survey results All of them joined the survey and completed the questionnaire Of 84 participants, 8 students (including 4 students per class) responded to interview questions For the objective of this research and to gather additional data for the study, the researcher wished to interview 8 students in order to obtain a significant amount of qualitative data All of them participated in this study after the author clearly explained its aim to them.

Research instruments

In order to carry out this research, the researcher used three research instruments: 1) the questionnaire to collect quantitative data, 2) the interview question list in order to find out qualitative data to further and deepen information about teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practice of teaching speaking, and 3) the observation checklist to crosscheck the perceptions towards teaching speaking of the teachers and students as well as their practices in speaking classes

The use of questionnaires is seen to be a useful approach for gathering data and saving time for informants The advantages of a questionnaire, according to Kumar

(2011, p.141), are that "it is less expensive" and "it offers greater anonymity" It implies that when a researcher uses questionnaires to look into a scientific issue, they may save time, money, etc Additionally, this approach is ideal for exploring how participants in this study perceive teaching speaking We employed a questionnaire for both EFL teachers and EFL students in the context of this study

The researcher created a series of student questionnaires by incorporating concepts that suited the goal of the current study (Macalister, 2010; Stoeckel, Reagan & Hann, 2012) The student questionnaire was used as the basis for a questionnaire for teachers, however the viewpoints were modified to be more applicable to educators

Many researchers have recognized the advantages of interviews Kvale

(2003) asserts that conducting interviews is a potent method for deeply absorbing informants' narratives One of the best ways to learn about someone else's thoughts on the research issue is to speak with them directly Additionally, interviews are "a good approach for studying the production and negotiation of meanings in a natural situation," according to Cohen et al (2007, p 29) Additionally, Kumar

(2011) lists a few advantages of interviews, including the fact that they are better suited for complex contexts, a useful tool for gathering comprehensive data, and that the researcher can more precisely characterize the interview questions The interviewees get the opportunity to "talk in their voice and convey their thoughts and feelings" in addition to providing full reports of their opinions (Berg, 2007, p

96) It is a typical tool for gathering data for study

It was, therefore, suitable for this study to explore the teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking The researcher could explore “as much depth as possible the respondent’s experiences, views, or feelings” and obtain

“the richness of insight” (Richards, 2009, p.185) Besides, through the interview method, the researcher hoped the participants could have chances to talk freely about the issue of teaching speaking and other related issues as well

Class observations were carried out in this research to see how teachers and students performed and what problems they had in speaking classes

Observation is monitoring the systematic phenomenon that is investigated Observation, according to Creswell (2012, p 212), is the procedure of gathering information in a particular educational situation Undoubtedly, observations are a common method for gathering data, and they give the researcher a variety of options It indicates that the researcher travels to the research site and visits the targeted courses to watch how speaking lessons are taught and learned

From the observation, the researcher used descriptive field notes and observation checklists to note down and later analyze the teachers’ and students’ practices of teaching speaking skill.

Research procedure

Figure 3.1 Data collection and analysis procedure

Figure 3.1 shows the procedures of data collection and analysis in this current study

The purpose of the pilot study was to evaluate two research tools: a questionnaire and an interview The results gathered gave the researcher more helpful knowledge for gathering data, interpreting data, developing research tools, and effectively obtaining conclusions for the primary study In this pilot study, two data collection methods –questionnaires and semi-structured interviews - were used The questions for the main research were examined, modified, and edited as part of a qualitative pilot study The primary study was carried out once all the instruments had been examined and were prepared for data collection

After the process of piloting the questionnaire, complete questionnaires were distributed to 84 EFL students and 8 EFL teachers The questionnaires were delivered in hard copies For the convenience of the students, the Vietnamese version of the questionnaire was attached to the English version The questionnaire for teachers was in English After the selected EFL teachers and students received and answered the questionnaires, the researcher used SPSS software to analyze data according to scales

In this research, the researcher interviewed 8 out of the 84 student participants (4 students per class) to survey their perceptions and practices of teaching speaking at Quang Trung High School The interviews with students were conducted in Vietnamese With the participants' permission, the interviews were taped, transcribed, and (in the case of student interviews) translated into English by the researcher for subsequent analysis In addition, 8 instructors were also interviewed to learn more about how they approached teaching speaking skills and their teaching methods They each had separate interviews The initial version of the guiding interview questions was written in English However, the researcher instructed the participants to share their experiences in Vietnamese during the interview by using the Vietnamese version To concurrently record all of the interviews, the author employed two digital recorders (one a mobile phone and the other a recorder; one served as a backup for the other) According to Kumar (2011, p.135), “The biggest advantage of narrative recording is that it provides a deeper insight into the interaction”

Afterward, the researcher observed the lessons of four out of eight teachers interviewed above The researcher first designed the classroom observation checklist Three weeks after the questionnaire survey had been distributed, class observations were conducted The researcher observed the two classrooms where the survey was given out Then an analysis of the data from classroom observations was implemented to strengthen the results of the interview and the questionnaire.

Data analysis

According to Cohen et al (2007, p 365), "There is the potential of massive data loss, distortion, and the reduction of complexity," transcribing data from an oral version to a written one is a crucial stage in interviewing According to Kvale

(1996, p 176), a transcript can act as "an opaque screen between the researcher and the original live interview situation" and is capable of selecting material Cohen et al.'s (ibid.) recommendation is that the researcher should ensure that the data is transcribed Thanks to Miles and Huberman's (1994, as quoted in Cohen et al.,

2007, p 368) ideas of twelve predefined approaches to evaluate transcribed and interview data, the researcher of this study was able to record her interviews with EFL teachers and students Data from student and teacher interviews conducted in Vietnamese were transcribed by the researcher

As mentioned earlier, Vietnamese translations of the English interview questions were used to interview teachers and students After that, the researcher had to translate the interview data in order to pursue the investigation's objectives

In the current study, based on the methodology for conducting interviews analysis stated by Jovchelovitch and Bauer (2000), information that was translated and transcribed from interviews with EFL teachers and students was examined to address the research questions These qualitative data were analyzed to see how teachers and students understood the subject and what they did in speaking sessions The validity and dependability of the qualitative data analysis were also emphasized According to Gibbs (2007), the researcher must use confidently collected and analyzed data to assess the qualitative validity of the findings The research methods used in this study must be consistent to have qualitative dependability After analysis, the opinions of teachers and students were compared to determine how their perspectives and speaking instruction methods were compared

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to code and provide statistics for survey report data obtained through questionnaires The means and standard deviations were revealed in this study In addition, an analysis based on the coding and classification of quantitative data using the previously mentioned scales Additionally, these statistics' validity and dependability were taken into consideration because they "lead to meaningful interpretations of data" (Creswell, 2014, p 200) The outcomes of the data analysis provided answers to the study questions

Descriptive statistics deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data Its goal is to provide a summary and interpretation of data in a way that is easy for people to understand In this study, the author used the mean, the dispersion, and the standard deviation to summarize the data to reduce the data into a more manageable form that could be analyzed and understood more easily

Summarizing data through the mean helps the author see the trend of concentration of the data set The low dispersion indicates that the values are more tightly concentrated around the center A higher dispersion indicates that the data points are further away from the center Deviation is a measure of whether the distribution of values is symmetric or skewed (Argyrous, 2011)

Descriptive statistics in the survey of this study used a 5-choice Likert scale The parameter used was Mean - the average The mean value of the scale is understood as follows:

1.00 - 1.80: Strongly disagree/Very dissatisfied/Very unimportant…

4.21 - 5.00: Strongly agree/Very satisfied/Very important…

Before statistics were used to examine the quantitative data, 90 items from

10 subscales were tested for their Cronbach's alpha coefficients to ensure their internal consistency This was done to check the reliability of all assertions in the questionnaire The 90 items in the questionnaire had acceptable Cronbach's alpha coefficient values, and there was strong internal consistency between all of them They also said that the items show strong connections and all measure the same thing

Table 3.1: Reliability statistics for the questionnaire

Cronbach's Alpha Number of Items

Ethical considerations

All of the five guidelines listed below, which were proposed by Dornyei

(2007) and Oppenheim (1992) to interact with research participants for data collection, were rigorously followed when gathering data for this study

- First, not to harm the research participants;

- Second, to protect participants' privacy and refrain from publishing any personal data without consent;

- Third, to provide sufficient study information;

- Fourth, in the case of young participants, to request permission from someone with appropriate authority;

- Lastly, to uphold the degree of secrecy that was pledged.

Summary

This chapter presents the research methodology adopted to find the answers to the research questions It is appropriate to combine quantitative and qualitative data The methods and tools used for data collecting are also discussed in depth.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

Participants’ background information

Before exploring the teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking, the researcher explored the participants’ background demographics Results are summarized in Table 4.1

The number of years teaching

Table 4.1 shows that more female teachers than male ones participated in this research Although most of the participating teachers had experience in teaching English, with 75 % of teachers having spent more than 12 years teaching this subject, only 2 of them (25%) held MA qualifications

Regarding students’ demographics, as shown in Table 4.2 the number of female students was much more than the number of male students More than half of the participants spent less than an hour learning speaking skills per day Only 12 students (14.30%) spent more than 2 hours on this skill

Time spent on learning speaking skills per day

Teachers’ and Students’ perceptions of teaching speaking

Through surveys, the researcher observed that the development of English speaking skills during the process of learning a foreign language at school was considered to play a crucial role Teachers had a deep understanding of the importance of speaking English, not only in building communication abilities but also in instilling confidence in students when using the language in their daily lives Despite this awareness, the classroom reality still faces significant challenges The current curriculum predominantly focused on delivering knowledge about grammar and vocabulary, resulting in the task of developing speaking skills not fully meeting the requirements for students to communicate fluently

The consequence of this was that many students encountered difficulties when attempting to find words to express their opinions, causing them to lose confidence and feel hesitant Furthermore, the issues were not limited to vocabulary and confidence alone; teaching methods were also significantly impacting the process of students' speaking skill development Some teachers still employed traditional methods, overly emphasizing grammar and vocabulary, and even using the native language (Vietnamese) in the classroom This created a learning environment lacking in interaction, causing students to mainly sit, listen, and write without opportunities to practice using English in real-life situations.

Table 4.3 The importance of speaking skill in teaching English

Table 4.3 shows that all participating teachers in the survey (100%) unequivocally acknowledged and possessed a profound understanding of the undeniable significance of speaking skills in the English teaching process They not only exhibited acumen regarding the pivotal role of speaking skills but also demonstrated a keen interest and distinct concern for fostering these skills among students However, a challenge surfaced from the survey, indicating that the time allocated for speaking skill development remained constrained The majority of teachers (approximately 77%) were only able to allocate 5 to 10 minutes for the speaking component in each instructional session, often owing to the pressures imposed by the current curriculum

Despite the clear recognition of the importance of speaking skills, the implementation of these skills within the instructional milieu encountered several obstacles This could be attributed to an excessive emphasis on other elements such as grammar and vocabulary

Table 4.4 Perceptions of issues related to students

Items Mean Std Deviation poor grammatical structures 2.8 1.66 lack of vocabulary 3.0 1.07 poor pronunciation 3.4 1.41 lack of confidence 2.5 1.31 lack of learning motivation 3.6 1.06

The survey provided a multifaceted perspective on teachers' awareness when queried about issues related to teaching speaking skills Initially, concerning difficulties associated with students, three issues garnered the highest "Strongly Agree" selection rate, accounting for over 40% Among these, the problems of insufficient vocabulary, poor pronunciation ability, and lack of confidence were ranked foremost The subsequent two issues encompassed a lack of motivation and deficient grammatical structure, both of which received a considerably high partial agreement rate

These difficulties were shared more clearly through the process of interviewing teachers about the difficulty of speaking skills compared to other skills When interviewed about teaching English speaking skills, the teachers shared that in comparison to other skills such as listening, reading, and writing, speaking skills could present some notable challenges They explained that using vocabulary and grammar correctly, combined with the ability to communicate naturally and understanding the basic language of native speakers, involves complexity and the interaction of multiple factors In their responses, the teachers focused on analyzing the three main challenges of teaching English speaking skills Firstly, they addressed the lack of confidence among students when performing this skill The teachers noted that many students experienced uncertainty when they had to demonstrate their English-speaking abilities in front of others They worried about making grammatical errors or using vocabulary inaccurately This reflected a significant psychological barrier in the learning process, putting students under pressure and consequently limiting their freedom of expression Secondly, the teachers emphasized the importance of listening and immediate response in an English conversation environment They pointed out that in engaging in English conversations, attentive listening and prompt responses were decisive factors Students needed time to understand the meaning of what others were conveying before they could respond naturally and fluently This created a challenge in maintaining the flow of information in a conversation and required a high level of concentration from students Finally, the teachers highlighted the need for organization and logical expression when speaking English They explained that conveying opinions clearly and logically required students to develop the ability to organize their thoughts and turn them into coherent expressions Students needed to identify the main idea, arrange relevant details logically, and use vocabulary and grammar appropriately to effectively convey their ideas

Table 4.5 shows the results of the survey about challenges related to teachers' instructional methodologies

Table 4.5 Problems related to teachers’ teaching methods mainly focuses on teaching grammar and vocabulary excessively uses

Vietnamese speaks in a rather monotonous voice excessively controls your speaking activities only focuses on good students and doesn't care about weaker ones

Among the listed challenges, focusing on vocabulary and grammar instruction and delivering lessons with a monotonous tone were the two difficulties with the highest "Agree" rates when considering the highest and second-highest average scores This indicated that teachers at QTHS were grappling with the challenge of how to better allocate time for teaching various skills and create more engaging lessons for students The next challenge was integrating English into lessons The teacher feedback revealed that many teachers tended to express everything in Vietnamese to ensure students fully understood the lesson content Another notable issue was the challenge of managing student participation in speaking activities Reports from the teachers suggested that a common habit was to interrupt students while they were speaking to correct pronunciation mistakes However, this might not always be necessary and could lead to excessive control, affecting students' confidence in participating in speaking activities The final concern was the excessive focus on high-achieving students in the class, which received the lowest number of votes

Another challenge lay in the excessive use of the Vietnamese language within the classroom The feedback on this matter garnered a neutral evaluation between "Agree" and "Disagree." Some teachers perceived the regular occurrence of using English imperative sentences for communication with students in class, thus challenging the categorization of this as excessive use of Vietnamese The final challenge centered on an undue emphasis on high-achieving students in the class While the survey response to each option held similar percentage proportions, reflecting relatively consistent views among the participating teachers, this issue remained of significance This emphasis could potentially marginalize students who were not as proficient and lead to their feelings of imposition and diminished confidence during speaking activities

Concerning the English classroom environment for students, although five challenges were addressed, only three challenges were extensively mentioned and discussed by the participating teachers: overcrowded classroom sizes, limited opportunities for speaking activities, and varying proficiency levels among students within the same class The excessive number of students in classrooms, compounded by significant differences in academic levels presented difficulties for teachers in providing individual attention or organizing cohesive group activities

In general, the awareness among the participating teachers remained relatively consistent throughout the survey Furthermore, it is evident that the challenges largely revolved around teachers' awareness of issues in English teaching, primarily focusing excessively on vocabulary and grammar, and the lack of time for speaking skill practice Another issue pertained to the large classroom size and proficiency disparities, which also presented considerable challenges for lesson planning

4.2.2 Students’ perceptions of teaching speaking

The reflections from the survey regarding students' perceptions of the English-speaking teaching process at QTHS unveiled a sequence of crucial viewpoints that provided a clearer depiction of the current situation Among the surveyed students, nearly 70% indicated that they did not have a distinct awareness of the significance of speaking skills in the English learning process They perceived speaking skills to be less valued compared to reading, writing, or grammar Furthermore, they encountered various challenges in employing vocabulary and expressing opinions in English because of a lack of flexibility in applying learned vocabulary and inadequate confidence in pronunciation

Moreover, students also believed that teachers did not provide them with sufficient opportunities to practice speaking English and interact with each other in the classroom Specifically, only exceptional students dared to participate in discussions in class, creating pressure on those who were less proficient and contributing to their lack of confidence and unease As a result, most students perceived that the classroom speaking environment did not achieve effectiveness

Table 4.6 The importance of speaking skill

Surveying students' opinions on the significance of speaking skills in English instruction at the school yielded noteworthy insights The survey results revealed that only approximately 25% of the surveyed students possessed a correct understanding of the substantial role speaking skills play in the process of learning English Within this subset, merely around 13.1% of the students exhibited distinct enthusiasm and interest in the development of speaking skills This elucidated why these students spent less than an hour a day on speaking practice

However, a concerning aspect was the substantial number of students who overlooked the importance of speaking skills The majority of them primarily concentrated on completing assignments and tackling English examinations This inclination might signify their missing out on valuable opportunities to nurture their English communication proficiency, a pivotal skill in modern life Leveraging the insights gleaned from this survey, the school can devise appropriate measures to enhance students’ awareness of the significance of speaking skills

In terms of the student perceptions survey on issues associated with teaching speaking skills at the school, there were four surveys encompassing four principal challenges encountered by students while learning English and speaking

The first survey pertained to students' awareness of the challenges encountered during the process of learning to speak

Table 4.7 Problems related to students poor grammatical structures lack of vocabulary poor pronunciation lack of confidence lack of learning motivation

Teaching practice for English speaking skills

To assess the overall teaching practice of English speaking skills by the teachers in the school, the author conducted a small survey regarding the frequency with which students got engaged in various actions These actions included: using Vietnamese, working in groups/pairs, speaking in English in front of the class, completing all assigned teacher exercises, and seeking help from the teacher/peers when encountering difficulties in expressing ideas The results of the survey were not far from expectations, with over 90% of the teachers indicating that students predominantly use the Vietnamese language during the learning process Additionally, activities such as speaking in English in front of the class or seeking assistance from the teacher/peers when lacking ideas were reported to be infrequent This indicated that the students largely continued to harbor feelings of fear and lack of confidence whenever they attempted to communicate in English

The subsequent survey focused on the frequency with which teachers got engaged in specific activities during English class

Table 4.9 The frequency of speaking activities

Teacher provides positive feedback like “Your presentation was really great.”, “It was a good job.”, “I really appreciated your efforts in doing the project”, …”

Teacher corrects your pronunciation/ grammar/vocabulary mistakes while you are speaking

Teacher uses additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes

Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill

Teacher tries to involve all of you in every speaking activity 2.9 1.36

Teacher assesses students’ performance during the process of learning

Teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking 3.6 1.69

Teacher collaborates some strategies (Modeling, Discussion

Group, Role Play, Question and Answer, Demonstration, …) in teaching speaking

Teacher provides maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class

The survey revealed that the teachers were making efforts to help the students improve their speaking skills, as evidenced by factors such as: "Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill," "Teacher assesses students’ performance during the process of learning," "Teacher collaborates with strategies (Modeling, Discussion Group, Role Play, Question and Answer, Demonstration, etc.) in teaching speaking," and

"Teacher provides maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class," with scores ranging from 3.0 to 3.9 However, alongside these positive aspects, there were still areas that needed improvement Factors such as "Teacher provides positive feedback like 'Your presentation was really great,'" "Teacher uses additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes," and "Teacher tries to involve all of you in every speaking activity" still received lower ratings, ranging from 2.4 to 2.9

Regarding the results from classroom observation, all of the 4 teachers introduced the topic before starting to teach and provided the vocabulary before practice However, during the process of teaching and learning, they frequently used Vietnamese to give explanations of the requirements of tasks or to provide feedback and correction To help the students speak confidently, the teachers often asked eliciting questions and often circulated the classroom while the students practiced speaking Only two out of 4 teachers used information technology in teaching speaking Due to the lack of time, the teachers did not provide more speaking exercises as well as give homework assignments such as making videos or projects for the students to practice In general, although the teachers all tried to get the students into practice, the teaching had difficulties due to some other elements, such as the contents of the lesson, or the teaching aids

4.3.2 Students’ practice in speaking classes

Regarding the section concerning students' practice during speaking lessons, the author also began by surveying the frequency with which they engaged in activities including using Vietnamese, working in groups, speaking English in front of the class, completing all assigned exercises, and seeking assistance when necessary

Table 4.10 The frequency of speaking activities use

Vietnamese interact in group work/ pair work speak English in front of the class do all the tasks given by the teacher ask your teacher/ friends for help whenever you have difficulties in doing the tasks

The survey indicated that using Vietnamese in the speaking class was the most frequent activity, with an average score of 2.9643 The other activities, namely

"interact in a group," "speak English in front of the class," "do all the tasks given by the teacher," and "ask your teacher/friends for help whenever you have difficulties in doing the tasks," ranged from 2.5238 to 2.7500, with "do all tasks given by the teacher" receiving the lowest score

Table 4.11 reported the frequency of various activities that teachers commonly employed during English lessons

Table 4.11 The frequency of activities teachers commonly employed during

Teacher provides maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class 3.1 1.8

Teacher provides positive feedback like “Your presentation was really great.”, “It was a good job.”, “I really appreciated your efforts in doing the project”, etc.”

Teacher corrects your pronunciation/ grammar/vocabulary, etc mistakes while you are speaking 2.8 1.4

Teacher uses additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes 2.9 1.3

Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill 3.0 1.4

Teacher tries to involve all of you in every speaking activity 2.9 1.4 Teacher assesses students’ performance during the process of learning 3.0 1.3 Teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking 2.8 1.9

Teacher collaborate on some strategies (Modeling, Discussion Group,

Role Play, Question and Answer, Demonstration, etc.) in teaching speaking

It can be observed that all the students highly evaluated the measures: "

Teacher provides maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class," "Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill," and "Teacher assesses students’ performance during the process of learning." These were the most frequently implemented measures in the class, with scores ranging from 3.0 to 3.1 Solutions such as "Teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking,"

"Teacher collaborates with some strategies," "Teacher uses additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes," “Teacher tries to involve all of you in every speaking activity,” and "Teacher corrects your pronunciation/vocabulary mistakes while you are speaking" received lower ratings, ranging from 2.8 to 2.9 The measure with the lowest frequency of implementation was "Teacher provides positive feedback," with a score of 2.7

Additionally, the level of students' speaking practice was also examined from the perspective of the teachers through a checklist of various activities and the frequency of engagement The survey results were in line with expectations, as all the teachers shared a common assessment that students were largely passive in all activities, ranging from constructing statements to actively participating in discussions or exchanges with peers Most of these actions were carried out at a very low frequency Conversely, issues such as excessive use of the native language, difficulty in expression, pronunciation challenges, and a lack of confidence when speaking English constitute a significantly high frequency among students in the class

4.3.3 The relationship between the practical teaching of speaking by teachers and students' performance in speaking classes

Overall, the correlation between teachers' speaking practice activities and students' progress in mastering English speaking skills became evident through information gathered from two different surveys Firstly, when considering the teachers' speaking instruction activities, significant efforts were apparent in creating a conducive environment for students to get engaged in speaking activities However, the surveys also indicated areas for improvement, such as the lack of diversity in speaking activities, the scarcity of speaking exercises for the students to practice independently at home, and the limited use of information technology in the teaching process

Looking at students' speaking practice, several key issues were highlighted The low rates of using English in speaking activities suggest that students' confidence and ability to communicate in English were not yet high While the majority of students completed the exercises assigned by the teachers, the low frequency of regular practice indicated their hesitancy and lack of confidence in expressing ideas in English This underscored the need for improvements to establish an appropriate environment and encourage students to use English in daily communication

The results of the surveys on both teachers' speaking instruction activities and students' speaking practice demonstrated a profound interconnection between these two aspects The teachers' efforts in creating opportunities and an environment to develop students' speaking skills directly impact the enhancement of students' communication abilities However, there remained numerous challenges that need to be addressed to make the speaking practice process more flexible, confident, and engaging for students.

Solutions to teach speaking more effectively

4.4.1 Solutions for teachers to teach speaking more effectively

Based on the information gathered regarding awareness and the current practice of teaching speaking skills, the teachers proceeded to conduct a survey to assess the effectiveness of the 8 teaching methods listed in Table 4.12

Table 4.12 The effectiveness of speaking activities

Teacher increases the use of English in classes 3.9 64 Teacher interacts well in pair work/ group work 4.1 83 Teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction 3.6 52 Teacher speaks more English and less Vietnamese 4.5 53

Teacher reduces speaking time in class and creates maximum opportunities for you to speak

Teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking to help the lesson more interesting and comprehensible

Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill

Teacher often assesses your performances during the process of learning

It is evident that teachers' evaluations of the methods were as follows:

"interact well in pair work/group work," "teacher speaks more English and less Vietnamese," "teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking to help the lesson more interesting and comprehensible," and "teacher often assesses your performances during the process of learning" received the highest ratings, ranging from 4.1 to 4.5 The measures "Teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction," "teacher reduces speaking time in class and creates maximum opportunities for you to speak," and "teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill" were rated lower, ranging from 3.6 to 3.8 Among these, the measure "Teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction" was the lowest rating at 3.6 points

Additionally, through direct interviews, when asked about the three most effective methods for teaching English speaking skills, the responses of the 8 teachers regarding the top three effective solutions for teaching English speaking skills demonstrated a clear awareness of the crucial factors in the development of students' speaking abilities This highlighted the consideration and understanding of the challenges both teachers and students faced in this process

Firstly, “creating a friendly and positive environment where practicing English speaking is maximally encouraged for all students in the class” was seen as an extremely important factor This not only helped students gradually build confidence in using English to express their opinions but also enabled them to practice vocabulary and sentence structures learned in class more regularly Secondly, the implementation of practical activities such as group discussions and conversations in English was emphasized as a significant method in enhancing speaking skills Through these activities, students actively engaged in using language in real-life situations, thus improving their speaking skills naturally and fluently Lastly, the way teachers provided feedback and corrected mistakes for students was also seen as an effective speaking teaching method Instead of the traditional approach of immediately interrupting students to correct errors, teachers could wait until students had finished expressing themselves before discussing areas for improvement This approach reduced pressure, made students feel more respected, and prevented them from feeling embarrassed in front of their peers when making mistakes

When asking about several strategies students should apply to comprehensively develop their speaking skills, we gathered 3 key strategies that were proposed and discussed by all the participating teachers These strategies included: actively communicating with friends in English, dubbing for videos to practice pronunciation and language expression, and actively participating in educational games organized by teachers Firstly, engaging in interactions with friends in English offered valuable benefits It not only enriched vocabulary and communication skills but also allowed the students to practice in real communication situations Through discussing various topics and sharing viewpoints, they gradually built confidence in using English to express themselves Next, dubbing video was a unique method to enhance pronunciation and expression

By mimicking the intonation of native speakers in videos, the students not only corrected pronunciation errors but also focused on using language to generate corresponding effects and emotions in their speech From this, they developed natural and captivating communication abilities Lastly, participating in educational games organized by teachers was an engaging and effective way to hone speaking skills Through activities like puzzles, performances, and competitions, the students not only practiced vocabulary and grammar in an enjoyable manner but also developed critical thinking and social interaction in English These games provided motivation and fostered enthusiasm, allowing students to naturally engage with and learn English in an exciting learning environment

4.4.2 Enhancing Effective Speaking Skills for Students

In addition to the teachers' perspectives on teaching methods, the study also collected information on the frequency with which teachers implement certain activities during English speaking classes, using a rating scale from 1 to 5

Table 4.13 The effectiveness of speaking activities

Teacher increases the use of English in classes

Teacher interacts well in pair work/ group work

Teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction

Teacher speaks more English and less

Teacher reduces speaking time in class and creates maximum opportunities for you to speak

Teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking to help the lesson more interesting and comprehensible

Teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects

Teacher often assesses your performances during the process of learning

The survey results indicated that students rated solutions such as "increase the use of English in classes," "Teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction," and "teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking to help the lesson more interesting and comprehensible" as the highest, with scores ranging from 2.8929 to 2.9760 The remaining solutions received lower ratings, with

"teacher reduces speaking time in class and creates maximum opportunities for you to speak" being the lowest-rated solution, with only 2.7619 points

Similarly, to the questions for teachers about effective teaching methods, the deep understanding of English speaking skill development methods was also clearly expressed by 84 students The three most effective speaking teaching methods were mentioned and enthusiastically discussed during the interviews Specifically, these methods included increasing the amount of English discussion in the classroom, utilizing information technology applications to support teaching and practice, and enhancing interactive activities in English within small groups or pairs The students emphasized the importance of speaking English confidently and fluently The desire for confident and fluent English speaking was reflected in the eagerness to engage in more speaking activities and interactive practices This approach not only aided in vocabulary and grammar development but also sharpened listening comprehension and real-time language processing The use of information technology applications in teaching was recognized by the students as an effective way to make learning English more interesting and interactive Images, sounds, and videos had the capacity to captivate and engage students, helping them refine accurate pronunciation and gain multidimensional language comprehension Lastly, participating in interactive activities in English within small groups or pairs created a safe environment for students to experiment and practice language They had the opportunity to share perspectives, exchanged opinions, and solved problems, thereby improving communication skills and confidence in using English in real-life situations

Regarding the exchange of students' desires from teachers to improve their English speaking abilities, we were pleasantly surprised by the numerous positive contributions from the students These contributions provide a solid foundation to propose more effective solutions in teaching speaking in general Specifically, the students expressed their desire for more opportunities in the classroom The biggest concern for most of them was the fear of feeling self-conscious and making mistakes while speaking Therefore, teachers should leverage these key characteristics to create a vibrant and comfortable learning environment for them Additionally, the students suggested that incorporating some entertaining educational games could make lessons more engaging for them Based on these insights, here are the summarized strategies derived from the students during the interview process:

 Enhance group and individual presentation activities

 Organize educational games to elevate students' interest

 Increase the frequency of using English in the classroom (both teachers and students)

 Implement speaking practice sessions in pairs or small groups

4.4.3 Discussion of effective speaking teaching

Both studies on teaching and developing English speaking skills, chosen by both students and teachers, clearly emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for practice and language interaction within the learning environment Specifically, both the teachers and students emphasized the significance of enhancing discussions in English in the classroom, while creating a comfortable and confident learning atmosphere for both learners and educators Additionally, both groups agreed on the implementation of practical activities like group discussions and conversations in English as essential methods to enhance speaking skills This helped students feel at ease and reduce pressure when participating in practical activities with their peers and fellow learners

However, a notable difference existed in the approaches and priorities of the two groups The students focused on integrating real-world applications of information technology into learning to make lessons engaging and increase interaction This reflected the importance of using images, videos, competitions, and games to capture students' interest and keep them engaged throughout the learning process On the other hand, the teachers emphasized providing appropriate and timely support and correction when giving feedback to the students on word usage or pronunciation errors during practice They highlighted the academic aspect and the accuracy in conveying knowledge This contrast underscored the multifaceted nature of effective English-speaking skill development and highlighted the diverse strategies and perspectives that both students and teachers bring to the table Combining these insights could create a comprehensive and dynamic approach to fostering English-speaking proficiency

This contradiction can be explained from two different perspectives Firstly, in terms of the generational aspect, students are still in an age of exploration, creativity, and curiosity, while teachers are often much more mature This age difference creates a gap in approaches and understanding of technology and learning methods Secondly, it's about roles Teachers, as guides, tend to view issues from an academic perspective, whereas students focus on the fun and practical aspects Altogether, this difference can be better understood by recognizing that the two groups have different approaches and priorities, reflecting the diversity and considerations from both sides in developing English speaking skills

In the concluding part of the discussion, the author summarizes the methods selected as effective by both the students and teachers in teaching English speaking skills, as well as some proposed strategies from the 8 teachers and all 84 students

The three methods voted as most effective by the teachers included: enhancing conditions for students to speak English, organizing speaking activities in pairs/groups, and altering the way feedback and suggestions are provided during students' speaking practice

Chapter summary

Chapter 4 analyzes and interprets the results from the three sources of data: questionnaire, interview and observation The discussion of the findings follows the data analysis and interpretation and is laid out in such a way to the answer the two research questions about teachers’ and students’ perception and practice of teaching speaking.

CONCLUSION

Summary

The research was conducted with a mixed methods design to investigate both EFL teachers’ and EFL students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking skill at QTHS in Binh Dinh Province The participants in this research consisted of

8 EFL teachers and 84 EFL students at QTHS Data were collected from a questionnaire survey, an interview, and observation

To analyze the research data, a set of actions was developed and fulfilled Concerning the survey data and interview data from the EFL teachers’ and EFL students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking, four dimensions related to teaching speaking appeared: perception, related problems, practices, and solutions

Further analyses indicated that there was a noticeable difference in how teachers and students see the school's approach to teaching English-speaking abilities Although both groups agreed that speaking abilities were important, the degree of their awareness and worry differed greatly According to the study, all of the participating teachers agreed that speaking abilities were important They showed a great deal of passion and commitment to helping students develop their speaking abilities Although the students showed a far lower degree of awareness, they were nevertheless aware of the value of speaking abilities Students did not value speaking abilities as highly as other abilities They tended to place greater emphasis on reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary This discrepancy in how teachers and students rated the significance of speaking abilities revealed a substantial divide between them

The findings of surveys on speaking teaching activities by teachers and speaking practices by students in speaking classes revealed a strong correlation between these two elements The improvement of students' speaking skills was directly impacted by the instructors' efforts to provide chances and an atmosphere for students to develop their speaking skills To improve the flexibility, self- assurance, and engagement of the speaking practice process for students, a number of issues, such as the low frequency of regular practice and the lack of an appropriate environment, still need to be resolved

The results of this study also showed that in order to improve the efficacy of teaching speaking, both teachers and students should highlight the importance of fostering chances for practice and communication inside the classroom They also stressed the value of promoting English-language classroom dialogue Both groups also concurred on the adoption of useful exercises like group discussions and chats The strategies and priorities of the two parties, however, clearly differed from one another In order to make lessons more interesting and promote interaction, the students concentrated on incorporating information technology that was used in the real world into their learning The teachers, on the other hand, focused on giving students feedback on word use or pronunciation mistakes made during practice while also offering appropriate and timely help and correction.

Implications

The study's findings provided insights into high school EFL teachers' and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking From the data collected from questionnaires, interviews, and observation, some implications would be suggested for teachers in the hope of improving the quality of teaching speaking

Various solutions for effectively teaching speaking skills in English have been determined It is necessary for teachers to apply the following key points to help their teaching become more efficient

1 Enhancing the enrichment of knowledge and experience in teaching English, both in general language teaching and specifically in speaking skills

2 Practicing to Enhance Pronunciation, Intonation, and Language Accuracy

3 Participating in sharing sessions and workshops to learn from other educators' experiences

4 Enhancing English language interaction in teaching to develop students' listening comprehension skills

5 Increasing language interaction with students during class

Furthermore, to create an environment for effective speaking skills development among students, teachers should implement some effective approaches

1 Intensifying conversational, speaking, and English presentation activities in class

2 Encouraging active communication among students in English or a combination of native language and English

3 Organizing educational games to enhance language learning enthusiasm and active knowledge acquisition for students

4 Establishing the "Progress Peers" Model to encourage students to enhance speaking skills

5 Organizing cultural exchange performances to encourage students' practice and presentation in front of the class

6 Organizing dubbing activities for videos to enhance pronunciation and language expression

In general, teaching and learning English speaking skills are processes in which both teachers and students encounter significant challenges From creating a suitable environment to overcoming self-doubt and challenges in expressing opinions, both sides require patience and effort to enhance speaking skills effectively.

Limitations of the study

It is necessary to acknowledge that the study still has several limitations although it has achieved its aim First, this study was conducted with the participants of 8 EFL teachers and 84 students from only two intact classes at Quang Trung High School, Binh Dinh Province; therefore, the findings could not be generalized to all schools in Vietnam to show the reality of teaching speaking

Second, no matter how deeply the questionnaires, interviews, and observations were conducted, the validity of what teachers and students actually did in the classroom of teaching speaking had yet to be realized The description of their perceptions and practices of teaching speaking, therefore, was limited to some extent

Despite those limitations, the researcher does hope to make contributions to provide insights into teachers’ and students’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking.

Recommendations for further studies

The current study solely focused on high school EFL teachers' and students' attitudes and practices of teaching speaking Further research may be done concentrating on lower secondary school teachers to examine varied practices by levels of schooling in order to make the findings more generalized Further research might also look into how EFL teachers and students perceive and practise speaking skills in various teaching and learning contexts to determine if there are any patterns or variances To further understand how teachers and students approach teaching speaking and their practices when the new curriculum is implemented, research should be done on a nationwide basis

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This questionnaire is designed to investigate EFL students’ perceptions regarding teaching Speaking skill at Quang Trung High School Please answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability We value your opinions all of which will be treated with the utmost of confidentiality The responses to this questionnaire will only be used for the purposes of this research and for no other purposes Thank you very much for your time and consideration

Nội dung trong bản khảo sát này được thiết kế nhằm khảo sát nhận thức của các em về việc dạy kỹ năng Nói tại trường THPT Quang Trung Các em vui lòng trả lời các câu hỏi sau đây một cách trung thực theo ý kiến nhận xét, đánh giá của chính các em Nội dung trong bản khảo sát này chỉ nhằm mục đích phục vụ cho công trình nghiên cứu khoa học Cảm ơn các em rất nhiều

Part I Background information (Thông tin cá nhân)

Please tick in the option that applies to you (Vui lòng chọn thông tin đúng với các em)

2 How much time do you spend on learning speakiing lessons per day?

 Less than 1 hour  1-2 hours  More than 2 hours

Part II Perceptions of problems related to teaching speaking skill at your school (Nhận thức về các vấn đề liên quan đến việc dạy kỹ năng nói ở trường của em)

Please tick in the option that applies to you (Vui lòng chọn thông tin đúng với các em)

2.1 The importance of speaking skill in teaching English at your school (Tầm quan trọng của kỹ năng nói trong việc giảng dạy tiếng Anh tại trường học của em)

Please tick off () the appropriate box () or provide more information in the blanks

Vui lòng đánh dấu () vào ô thích hợp () hoặc cung cấp thêm thông tin vào chỗ trống

1 How important is speaking skill? (Tầm quan trọng của kỹ năng nói)

 2 Slightly important (Hơi quan trọng)

 3 Moderately important (Quan trọng vừa phải)

 5 Very important (Rất quan trọng)

2 How much is your interest in speaking skill? (Mức độ hứng thú của em đối với kỹ năng nói là như thế nào?

 1 Very interested (Rất hứng thú)

 2 Fairly interested (Khá hứng thú)

 4 Less interested (Ít hứng thú)

 5 Not interested (Không hứng thú)

3 How long do you often practice speaking in the classroom per period?

(Mỗi tiết học nói Tiếng Anh, em thường luyện tập nói trong thời gian bao lâu?

The following statements are about the difficulties related teaching speaking skill at your school Read the statements carefully and use a tick mark ( ) to indicate How much do you agree: (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) N (neutral – Neither agree nor disagree), (4) Agree, (5) Strongly agree

Những phát biểu dưới đây nói về những khó khăn liên quan đến việc dạy kỹ năng nói ở trường của em Em vui lòng kỹ các phát biểu và đánh dấu chọn ( ) để biểu thị mức độ đồng ý của em:

(1) Strongly Disagree (Hoàn toàn không đồng ý),

(3) Neutral – Neither agree nor disagree (Trung lập- không đồng ý cũng không phản đối)

(5) Strongly agree (Hoàn toàn đồng ý)

2.2 Problems related to students (Những khó khăn liên quan đến học sinh)

Your difficulties in speaking skill: 1 2 3 4 5

(thiếu cấu trúc ngữ pháp)

2.3 Problems related teachers’ teaching methods (Khó khăn liên quan đến phương pháp giảng dạy của giáo viên)

2.4 Problems related to teaching curriculum/ syllabus (Khó khăn liên quan đến chương trình học)

9 mainly focuses on teaching grammar and vocabulary

(Giáo viên tập trung chính vào việc dạy ngữ pháp và từ vựng)

(Giáo viên sử dụng quá nhiều tiếng Việt)

11 speaks in a rather monotonous voice

(Giáo viên nói giọng đều đều, gây ra cảm giác nhạt nhẽo)

12 excessively controls your speaking activities

(Giáo viên kiểm soát quá mức các hoạt động nói của em)

13 only focuses on good students and doesn't care about weaker ones

(Giáo viên chỉ tập trung vào học sinh giỏi và không quan tâm đến những học sinh yếu hơn)

2.5 Problems related to in-class English learning environment (Khó khăn liên quan đến môi trường học tiếng Anh trong lớp)

The curriculum does not focus on speaking skill much

(Nội dung chương trình học không tập trung nhiều vào dạy kỹ năng nói)

The assessment of speaking skill is not regularly applied

(Việc kiểm tra kỹ năng nói không được thường xuyên)

The speaking topics are often not interesting and difficult

(Các chủ đề nói không thú vị và khó)

The content of teaching syllabus lacks speaking and interactive activities

(Thiếu các hoạt động dạy nói và tương tác)

Teaching curriculum limit your English speaking practice

(Chương trình giảng dạy hạn chế việc luyện nói tiếng Anh của)

Better students dominate speaking English in class

(Học sinh giỏi chiếm ưu thế và nói nhiều)

(Số lượng học sinh ttrong lớp học quá đông)

The chances to involve in speaking activities are limited

(Cơ hội tham gia các hoạt động nói bị hạn chế)

Part III Practices of teaching English speaking skill at your school (Thực tiễn dạy kỹ năng nói tiếng Anh ở trường của em)

The following statements are about classroom speaking activities at your school Read each statement carefully and put a tick mark ( ) under the alternative given for each statement to indicate how frequently these activities take place in speaking classes Use (1) Never, (2) Seldom, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, (5) Very often

Các phát biểu dưới đây là về các hoạt động diễn ra trong giờ học nói ở trường của em Em vui lòng đọc kỹ và đánh dấu ( ) vào nhận định thích hợp nhất cho biết tần suất của các hoạt động này theo thang độ dưới đây:

Students in the same class are at different levels

(Học sinh trong cùng một lớp có trình độ khác nhau)

The classroom has less equipment to support teaching and learning English (Television, computer connected to the Internet, smart boards, …)

(Phòng học có ít trang thiết bị hỗ trợ dạy và học tiếng Anh (Tivi, máy tính kết nối Internet, bảng thông minh, …)

3.1 How often do you do these activities in speaking classes?

(Mức độ thường xuyên của các hoạt động này trong các tiết học nói là như thế nào?)

3.2 How often does your teacher do these activities in speaking classes?

(Giáo viên có thường xuyên thực hiện các hoạt động này trong các giờ học nói không?)

(Em sử dụng Tiếng Việt)

25 interact in group work/ pair work

(Em làm việc nhóm/ cặp)

26 speak English in front of the class

(Em nói Tiếng Anh trước lớp)

27 do all the tasks given by the teacher

(Em làm tất cả các bài tập giáo viên yêu cầu)

28 ask your teacher/ friends for help whenever you have difficulties in doing the tasks

(Em nhờ giáo viên/bạn bè giúp đỡ khi em gặp khó khăn trong việc diễn đạt ý tưởng)

29 provides maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class

(Giáo viên luôn tạo cơ hội tối đa để học sinh được nói)

30 provides positive feedback like “Your presentation was really great.”, “It was a good job.”, “I really appreciated your efforts in doing the project”, …”

(Giáo viên có khen ngợi em như “Phần trình bày của em thực sự tuyệt vời “Em làm rất tốt.” “Thầy/cô thực sự đánh giá cao nỗ lực của em trong việc chuẩn cho dự án này.”)

31 corrects your pronunciation/ grammar/vocabulary … mistakes while you are speaking

(Giáo viên sửa lỗi phát âm/ngữ pháp, từ vựng, của em khi em đang nói)

32 uses additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes

(Giáo viên sử dụng các hoạt động bổ trợ từ các nguồn khác cho các giờ dạy nói)

33 gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill

(Giáo viên giao thêm bài tập về nhà như làm video, dự án để giúp các em phát triển kỹ năng nói)

34 tries to involve all of you in every speaking activity

(Giáo viên cố gắng lôi kéo tất cả mọi học sinh tham gia vào mọi hoạt động nói trên lớp)

35 assesses students’ performance during the process of learning

(Giáo viên đánh giá và cho điểm học sinh

Part IV Solution s to teach speaking more effectively (Các giải pháp để dạy nói có hiệu quả)

Read each statement carefully and put a tick mark ( ) under the alternative given in front of each statement to indicate how much do you think is the effectiveness of these solutions to teach speaking skills more effectively Use (1) Not effective , (2)

Somewhat effective , (3) Effective , (4) Very effective , (5) Extremely effective

Các em vui lòng đọc kỹ những giải pháp dưới đây và đánh dấu ( ) vào phương án thích hợp nhất để biết mức độ hiệu quả của các giải pháp này để việc dạy kỹ năng nói hiệu quả hơn

(1) Not effective (không hiệu quả)

(2) Somewhat effective (hơi hiệu quả) thông qua các hoạt động trong suốt quá trình học)

36 uses information technology in teaching speaking

(Giáo viên sử dụng công nghệ thông tin trong dạy học)

Discussion Group, Role Play, Question and

Answer, Demonstration, …) in teaching speaking

(Giáo viên phối hợp một số chiến lược (Làm mẫu, Thảo luận nhóm, Đóng vai, Hỏi đáp,

Minh họa,…) trong giờ dạy nói

(4) Very effective (rất hiệu quả)

(5) Extremely effective (vô cùng hiệu quả)

How effective are these activities? (Hiệu quả của những hoạt động này như thế nào?)

You increase the use of English in classes

(Em tăng cường sử dụng tiếng Anh trong lớp)

39 You interact well in pair work/ group work

(Em tương tác tốt trong các hoạt động theo cặp/ nhóm)

40 Your teacher provides appropriate feedback and correction

(Giáo viên nhận xét và sửa bài đúng lúc)

41 Your teacher speaks more English and less Vietnamese

(Giáo viên nói nhiều tiếng Anh hơn và hạn chế nói tiếng Việt)

42 Your teacher reduces speaking time in class and creates maximum opportunities for you to speak

(Giáo viên giảm thời gian nói trong lớp và tạo cơ hội tối đa cho các em được nói)

43 Your teacher uses information technology in teaching speaking to help the lesson more interesting and comprehensible

Thank you for your help!

Chân thành cảm ơn sự cộng tác của các em!

(Giáo viên sử dụng công nghệ thông tin trong dạy nói để giúp vài học thú vị và dễ hiểu hơn)

44 Your teacher gives more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help you develop speaking skill

(Giáo viên giao thêm nhiều bài tập về nhà như làm video, dự án để giúp học viên phát triển kỹ năng nói)

45 Your teacher often assesses your performances during the process of learning

(Giáo viên thường xuyên đánh giá và cho điểm phần trình bày của học sinh trong suốt quá trình học)

This questionnaire is designed to find out teachers' perception and practices of teaching speaking skill at Quang Trung High School Please answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability The responses to this questionnaire will be kept confidential and used only for the research purpose Thank you in advance for your co operation!

Please tick in the option that applies to you

1 How long have you been working as an English teacher?

3 What kinds of qualification are you currently holding?

Part II Perceptions of problems related to teaching speaking skill at your school

2.1 The importance of speaking skill in teaching English at your school

Please tick off () the appropriate box () or provide more information in the blanks

1 How important is speaking skill in teaching English at your school?

2 How much is your interest in speaking skill?

3 How long do you often provide speaking time for your students in speaking classes per period?

The following statements are about the difficulties related teaching speaking skill at your school Read the statements carefully and use a tick mark ( ) to indicate How much do you agree: (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) N (neutral – Neither agree nor disagree), (4) Agree, (5) Strongly agree

Students’ difficulties in speaking skill: 1 2 3 4 5

2.3 Problems related teachers’ teaching methods

2.4 Problems related to teaching curriculum/ syllabus

9 mainly focus on teaching grammar and vocabulary

11 speak in a rather monotonous voice

12 excessively control your speaking activities

13 focus on good students and don't care about weaker ones

14 The curriculum does not focus on speaking skill much

15 The assessment of speaking skill is not regularly applied

16 The speaking topics are often not interesting and difficult

2.5 Problems related to in-class English learning environment

Part III Practices of teaching English speaking skill at your school

The following statements are about classroom speaking activities at your school Read each statement carefully and put a tick mark ( ) under the alternative given for each statement to indicate how frequently these activities take place in speaking classes Use (1) Never, (2) Seldom, (3) Sometimes, (4) Often, (5) Very often

17 The content of teaching syllabus lacks speaking and interactive activities

18 Teaching curriculum limit students English speaking practice

19 Better students dominate speaking English in class

21 The chances for students to involve in speaking activities are limited

22 Students in the same class are at different levels

The classroom has less equipment to support teaching and learning English (Television, computer connected to the Internet, smart boards, …)

3.1 How often do your students do these activities in speaking classes?

3.2 How often do you do these activities in speaking classes?

25 interact in group work/ pair work

26 speak English in front of the class

27 cooperate well with friends for pair and group work

28 ask teacher/ friends for help whenever they have difficulties in doing the tasks

29 provide maximum opportunity for students to practice speaking and perform in front of the class

30 provides positive feedback like “Your presentation was really great.”, “It was a good job.”, “I really appreciated your efforts in doing the project”, …

31 correct your students’ pronunciation/ grammar/vocabulary … mistakes while they are speaking

32 use additional interesting activities from other sources for speaking classes

33 give more homework assignments such as making videos or projects to help your

Part IV Solutions to teach speaking more effectively