BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC VINH
LÊ THANH NGỌC
AN INVESTIGATION INTO PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICE OF EXTRA — CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BY TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS IN EFL CLASSROOMS OF UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT THAI HOA, NGHE AN
LUAN VAN THAC SĨ KHOA HỌC
NGANH LL & PPDH MON TIENG ANH
Trang 2BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC VINH
J/4.T€ Thààu View LÊ THANH NGỌC
AN INVESTIGATION INTO PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICE OF EXTRA — CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BY TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS IN EFL CLASSROOMS OF UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT THAI HOA, NGHE AN
NGANH LL & PPDH MON TIENG ANH MA SO: 60.14.10
LUAN VAN THAC Si KHOA HOC
NGUOI HUONG DAN KHOA HOC:
TS TRUONG VIEN
Trang 3STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I hereby acknowledgement that this study is mine The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true, are used with permission from associates and have not been publisheed elsewhere
Author
Trang 4ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thesis hardly succeeds without the help of other people Therefore, I wish to express my propound gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Truong Vien for his professional guidance and great supports without which my work would have never been completed
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my lectures of English Faculty and Post Graduate Office of Vinh University of Foreign Language Department foe ccreating convenient conditions in doing this reseach and during my learning process at my M.A course
Trang 5TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES ABSTRACT CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Research aims 1.3 Research significances 1.4 Research questions 1.5 Scope
1.6 Organization of the study
CHATER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 What are extra — curricilar activities?
2.1.1 extra — curricular activities for the individual
2.1.2 extra — curricular activities for the collective
2.2 Reasons for organizing extra — curricular activities 2.3 Characteristics of extra — curricular activities 2.4 How to organize extra — curricular activities?
Trang 6What are the bebefits? 2.4.1 English Clubs 2.4.2 English Games 2.4.3 English Songs
2.4.4 English Quizs and Puzzles 2.4.5 Trips and Excursions 2.5 Previous study
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES 3.1 Research approach
3.2 The subjects
3.3 Data collection methods
3.3.1 Questionnaires
3.3.2 Interview
3.3.3 Classroom Observation
3.4 Data analysis
3.4.1 Data analysis from questionnaire 3.4.2 Data analysis from interview 3.5 Procedure
3.6 Chapter summary
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards extra — curricular activities
4.1.1 Teachers’ attitudes towards ECAs
4.1.2 Students’ attitudes towards ECAs
4.1.3.Teachers’ judgements on students’ attitudes towards
extra — curricular activities
4.2 Types of ECAs organized in High Schools of Thai Hoa 4.3 Preparation and organizing of extra - curricular activities
Trang 74.3.1 Organizing of extra - curricular activities 4.3.2 Preparation of extra - curricular activities
4.4 Factors that facilitate and obstruct the work of organizing
extra - curricular activities
4.4.1 Factors that facilitate the work of organizing ECAs 4.4.2 Factors that obstruct the work of organizing ECAs
4.5 Outcomes of extra - curricular activities
4.5.1 Students’ gains in extra - curricular activities 4.5.2 Students’ suggestions on extra - curricular activities 4.5.3 Teachers’ desires in extra - curricular activities 4.5.4 Benefits of extra - curricular activities to teachers
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION
5.1 Summary of the findings 5.2 Implications of the study 5.3 Sugestions
5.4 Limitations of the study
Trang 8LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ECAs : Extra - curricular activities
Trang 9Figure 4.1.2 Figure 4.2 Figure 4.3.1 (a) Figure 4.3.1 (b) Figure 4.3.1 (c) Figure 4.3.1(d) Figure 4.3.2(a) Figure 4.3.2(b) Figure 4.4.1 Figure 4.4.2 Figure 4.5.1 Figure 4.5.3 LIST OF FIGURES
: Students’ attitudes towards ECAs
: Rate the types of ECAs used in classroom Chart of time organizing ECAs in a semester Chart of time organizing ECAs in off-days Chart of the topics of ECAs
Chart of the teachers’ response to students’
mistakes in ECAs
Chart of the original of ECAs
Chart of Students’ purpose when taking part in ECAs
Chart of factors facilitate organizing of ECAs Chart shows students’ difficuties when joining
ECAs
Chart of students’ achievements from ECAs Chart shows the teachers’ desires in
Trang 10Table 4.1.1 Table 4.1.2 (a) Table 4.1.2 (b) Table 4.1.3 Table 4.2 Table 4.3.1 (a) Table 4.3.1 (b) Table 4.3.1 (c) Table 4.3.1 (d) Table 4.3.1 (e) Table 4.3.2 (a) Table 4.3.2 (b) Table 4.3.2 (c) Table 4.4.1 Table 4.4.2 (a) Table 4.4.2 (b) Table 4.4.2 (c) Table 4.5.1 LIST OF TABLES
Teachers’ attitudes towards ECAs
Students’ attitudes towards ECAs
Students’ view of ECAs
Teachers’ judgements towards ECAs Types of ECAs
Time to organize ECAs
The topics of extra - curricular activities The role of teacher in ECAs
How is English used in ECAs
How are students’ mistakes responsed? Original of ECAs’ contents
Students’ preparation before joining ECAs Students’ purpose when taking part in ECAs Factors facilitate organizing of ECAs
Factors obstruct organizing of ECAs Difficulties when taking part in ECAs Factors obstruct organizing of ECAs Students’ achievements from ECAs
Trang 11Table 4.5.3 : Teachers desires in organizing ECAs 85
ABSTRACT
Together with classroom activities, extra-curriculuar activities (ECAs) play a significant role in improving students’ communicative competence of English This research investigates the organizing of out-of-class activities The subjects of the study are teachers and students of Thai Hoa, Tay Hieu, Dong Hieu upper — secondary schools in Nghe An province The research focusses on the following
points: (1) Teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards ECAs, (2) Types of ECAs
organized in classrooms of English in upper — secondary schools of Thai Hoa town,
(3) Preparation and organizing of ECAs, (4) Factors that facilitate or obstruct the
work of organizing ECAs, (5) Outcomes of ECAs The findings show that all the teachers and the majority of students have positive attitudes towards ECA Students of the 3 schools have chances to take part in different kinds of ECAs among which English club, English quizzes, English songs practice and performances and English games are widely organized It is revealed by the investigation that ECAs are thoroughly prepared and organized However, teachers and students have to confront some difficulties among which the lack of expense and facilities is typically recorded Besides, teachers have some other difficulties in organizing and students in participating in ECAs The research also demonstrates that both
teachers and students assume that ECAs are beneficial to them All in all, via the
Trang 12Accordingly, sugestions are made with the hope that ECAs are later on better organized
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
FT his chapter first specifies the rationale of the study Then, the aims and significance of the research are states, followed by the research questions and indended scope of the study The chapter ends with the structure of the study
1.1 Rationale
"The ideal setting for teaching a language is, of course, the country where it is spoken natively By residing in that community and being forced to use the language for communication, the full impact of a language as the chief means of communication in a culture is brought out Lacking this setting the next best thing is to create the atmosphere of the second culture through proper decoration of a classroom, a lounge and/or when possible, a house Agreements to speak only the second language and to be active in language clubs can be realized with varying
degrees of success", asserted Robert Lado (1964 : 49) That is, in his viewpoint,
Trang 13Inside class, the amount of time for English is very limited and is almost spared for introcducing and presenting language items students haven't got many chances to practise using English In this case, extra-curricular activities (ECAs) are an ideal compensation because they furnish students with the environment to apply and experiment the newly - learned knowledge of the target language Inside class students are accompanied by teachers and are pressed by structured programs Out - of - class activities are good opportunities for them to be independent learners, to escape from the class routine as well as to adopt new knowledge of English Mary Underwood (1987 : 44) said: "by organizing a class library or an English club you can provide your students with the possibility of extending their knowledge and interests outside the classroom as well as giving them an opportunity for genuine
communication
Furthermore, ECAs meet the demand of students' variety of learning styles and learning strategies It is true that some students like the way they are kept inside classroom, under the control and care of teachers They find is safe to learn in such an environment However, others may learn effectively in a stimulating and less formal environment - the one in which ECAs take place
All the above - mentioned reasons prove that ECAs are very needful to English learners and it's equally essential to do a research project on them Through this research we hope to have clear insight into oganizing of ECAs in some Upper Secondary schools in Thai Hoa town, Nghe An province Still, the research is done with the expectation that its results can be afterwards applied to better the work of organizing ECAs
1.2 Research aims
Deriving from the reasons mentioned above and all things about ECAs that many reseachers focused, I have decided to do this thesis with the hope to contribute to specify the following aims:
Trang 14- To classify the types of ECAs organized at some upper — secondary schools in Thai Hoa town — Nghe An province
- To find out the preparations and organization of ECAs as well as to specify the factors that faciliatate or obstruct the work of organizing ECAs
1.3 Research significances
Via the investigation, we have a full insight into the reality of the organizing of ECAs Accordingly, sugestions are made with the hope that ECAs are later on better organized
1.4 Research questions
To attain the aims, the research is an attempt to find answers to the following questions:
1 What are teachers' and students' attitudes towards extra-curricular activities?
2 What kinds of ECAs are organized in classrooms of English in Upper - Secondary schools in Thai Hoa town, Nghe An province ?
3 How are ECAs prepared and organized ?
4 What are the factors that facitilitale or obstruct the implementation of ECAs ? 5 What are the outcomes of these ECAs ?
1.5 Scope of the study
The research is carried out by the help of 20 teachers and 140 students from Thai Hoa, Tay Hieu, Dong Hieu high schools in Thai Hoa town — Nghe An province (each school has only 7 English teachers) in the time of 8 weeks The final product is research has a full insight into the reality of the organizing of ECAs
1.6 Organization of the study
The research is clearly divided into 5 chapters apart from the table of contents, references and appendices
Trang 15Chapter 2 sets out a review of literature of the relevant materials It also clears the definition of ECAs, reasons for organizing and characteristics of ECAs; especially is the steps to organize ECAs and the bebefits that it bring to
Chapter 3 explains how the study is designed, how data are collected and what methodology is used to carry out this study
Chapter 4 focuses mainly on the results of the study including the statistical analyses related to the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards ECAs; types, outcomes, preparation, organization and the factors facilitate or obstruct the work of organizing ECAs
Chapter 5 sums up the results of the research and suggests some implications for organazing ECAs
Reference and appendices can be also found at the end of the thesis
Trang 162.1 What are ECAs ?
ECAs are defined, in the Oxford Student's Dictionary of Current English, as activities that take place "outside the regular course of academic work or studies" at a school or university
Ngo Van Phusdc (1999) also asserted that all activities organized outside school time are named ECAs This is a very basic type of learning activity and is carried out with specific plan and purpose Also, ECAs to his viewpoint are a continuation of classroom activities, aiming to form and develop personality of students
In classroom of English, any activities in English that take place outside classtime are regarded as ECAs ECAs in English can be categorized into two types: ECAs for the individual and ECAs for the collective
2.1.1 ECAs for the individual
ECAs for the individual are activities that a student himself chooses to do for his own needs and interests outside the language classroom in order to gain new knowledge or to get progress in English On carrying out investigations on different learners of English as a foreign language, Nunan (1991 : 173) and Pickard (1996)
mentioned some ECAs of individual as follows:
* Having someone who is proficient in the language to speak with in order to learn the language sufficiently well
* Taking part in conversation exchanges with foreigners who want to practise the language of the learner (Nunan, cited in Brownrigg, 2001 : 6)
* Conducting dialogue journals over the Internet with a native speaker or writing to pen - friends (Nunan, cited in Brownrigg, 2001 : 6)
Trang 17* For sheer pleasure, listening to songs and singing songs, watching movies with subtitles, reading interesting novels and all other media including advitisments and booklets as well
2.1.2 ECAs for the collective
ECAs for the collective are organized and planned ones A large number of students may join together in one activity held at school or a certain prearranged place There are normally the leaders who are in charge of the conducting and the organizers who take on organizing English clubs, English quizs, English games, English oral competitions, meetings with students of English speaking countries are
a few extra - curricular for the collective to name
In this research, an investigation in done into the latter type - that of ECAs
for the collective
2.2 Reasons for organizing ECAs
According to Mary Underwood (1987 : 44), "Extra activities, conducted outside lesson times, can make a significant contribution to maintaining a good atmosphere in the classroom If a greater command of English is seen to open the way to interesting activities, your students will take a more positive attitude to their
studies"
In the article on reproductive versus creative learning tasks, Robert (2001 : 6) claimed that in order to move students from passive, teacher - centred learning to an autonomous, active participatory learning it is important to build up a natural setting or a creative learning environment According to him, in this environment students will gradually be able to recombine the familiar elements like words, structures, and prefabricated patterns in new ways to produce utterances that have never been produced before However, in his viewpoint "a creative learning environment cannot be maximized without sufficient out-of-class practice"
Trang 18contexts and environments in which English is learned He also stated that these English learner found motivation, a preparedness to takes risks, and the determination to apply developing language skills outside the classroom the most helpful things in their learning of English
Students who learn English as a second language suffer from the lack of exposure to the community using the language (i.e the target community) What is more, the amount of time spared for the learning of English language in class is not much As a result, it has been suggested that Upper-secondary Schools should take every advantage to organize the practice of the target language outside school time (Phuong phap giang day ngoai ngu o truong pho thong, 1986)
Also, when comparing instructed and natural settings for language teaching, Lightbown and Nina Spada (1993 : 69) wrote: "Most people agree that learning a second language in a natural acquisition context or "on the street" is not the same as learning in the classroom Many believe that learning "on the street" is more effective This belief may be based on the fact that most successful learners have had exposure to the language outside the classroom"
Further, ECAs are advantageous in that they bring a number of benefits to students Hoang Manh Phu (1987) made a list of advantages of ECAs to students as
follows:
* ECAs supplement, reinforce and complete knowledge that students gain the curriculum
* ECAs help students to recognize the gaps in their knowledge acquisition Reality reveals that there is a lack of general knowledge in students however good they are at studying
* ECAs open the way to the combinating and comparing between theory and practice as well as create an environment for students to apply what they learn in
Trang 19* ECAs meet the demand of student's variety of interests They give students opportunity to further their discovery of more knowledge and to escape from the rigid, compulsory program
* ECAs boost the activity and encourage the creativeness in students
Last but not least, the organization of ECAs satisfies students in terms of their learning styles and learning strategies Students learn English in many different ways or they have different learning style preferences Some of them learn well from handling, touching or working with things They are tactile learners Other learn from hearing words spoken or conversing with other people They are auditory learners Kinesthetic learners learn best by actively participating in activities, field trips which bring them a lot of learning experiences Students who have group learning style learn effectively through working with others Those with global learning style learn more effectively through concrete experience and through interaction with other people Likewise, extraverted learners learn more easily via concrete experience, contacts and relationships with others (Reid, 1998) Class work, as we know, fails to involve all students' ways of learning So, extending learning environment beyond the context of the classroom is a good idea to cover such various learning styles and strategies For example, field trips can involve students of kinesthetic and tactile styles in learning through real and interesting things; or vistits to places in the community like bookshops, drugstores, monuments or museum can be helpful to these types of learners
2.3 Characteristics of ECAs
According to Hoang Manh Phu (1987), ECAs have the following characteristics:
* ECAs establish relationships not only between students and teachers, students and students but between students and society, students and nature as well
* In ECAs, there is a stress on the role of students, they become active and
Trang 20* ECAs suit interests and likings of students, therefore, knowledge gained is valid and of great use
* ECAs require a complex, thorough preparation in terms of content, form, time, place, facilities and procedure
Besides, ECAs are abundant in terms of form and content They are usually organized in large settings which cause not less difficulties in the managing and evaluating process (Ng6 Van Phusc, 1999)
2.4 How to organize types of ECAs and what are the benefits 2.4.1 English clubs
In countries where English is taught as a foreign language, English club is a popular and familiar kind of ECAs An English club is a place where learners have a chance to use English personally and communicatively In the article with the title "How to run a successful English club", Malgorzata Zdybieuska (1986) divided an English club into three stages: a preparation session, a club meeting and a follow- up
2.4.1.1 The preparatory session
In this stage, there is a discussion among organisers about the form of the meeting, topics, necessary facilities Choosing topic for a club is very important Topics should be related to the learners' general interests in order to stimulate communiation or exchange of ideas
2.4.1.2 The club meeting
Trang 21the classroom routine This can be done in a number of ways such as using visuals aids, theatrical props, lightning effects and background music The element of fun and humour can also make a good contribution Here, there is a change in the role of teachers They no longer act as masters of language, correcting mistakes and giving marks Instead they become language advisers and assistants
2.4.1.3 The follow-up
This stage is spared for consolidating knowledge and developing further interest The follow-up can be carried out under the form of reading relevant materials and discussing in the classroom or collecting ideas on interests and needs of the club members for the organizing of a new club meeting A display of the products of the club is necessary to attract other students to participate the club
activities
According to Zdybiewska (1986 : 23), an English club is beneficial to
learners because:
* It makes them realize that they are learning a living language and therefore various forms of oral communication are valuable
* Tt helps to cross threshold between grammatical competence and communicative competence that is so difficult to pick up in the classroom alone
* It broadens the exposure of the learners to the foreign language due to the multi- media teaching techniques employed in the club
* It has a great educational value as it provides an extensive cultural background to the language studied
* It is a place where students can meet their friends and enjoy themselves The club is equally important for the teachers in that
* It provides field practice for young teachers who would like to acquire some experience in managing larger groups at various language levels
Trang 22* It allows sharing of the teaching experience and testing newtechniques * It is an excellent occasion to make friends with your learners
2.4.2 English games
According to Byrne (1986 : 100), " Games may be defined as a form of play governed by certain rules or conventions They are meant to be enjoyed wherever they are played In the language classroom, however, games are not just a diversion, a break from routine activities They must also contribute to language proficiency in some way by getting the learners to use language in the course of the
game"
In his viewpoint, there are two types of games that can do this: accuracy- focused games and fluency- focused games
2.4.2.1 Accuracy- focused games
Accuracy- focused games assist students to improve their mastery of a particular item or items of language: sounds, spelling, vocabulary, grammatical items Games of this kind are normally played with the students divided into teams, small groups or pairs The purpose of accuracy- focused games is to reinforce and extend what has already been taught However, the enjoyment of the context gets the learners so involved in the game that they do not know they are
practising language pattern or patterns
An example of accuracy- focused games is the guessing game - " glug" In this game, one of the players thinks of a verb, the other players try to find out what it is by asking questions using the invented verb "' glug” or "diggle" to replace the
unknown verb For instance:
A: Are you glugging now?
Trang 23C: Do you glug a lot? B: Quite often, yes
D: Do you like glugging?
B: I don't mind it!
E: Do you glug before you come to school? B: Of course!
F: Have you always glugged? B: Yes For most of my life (etc.)
(Donn Byrne, 1986 : 103)
The game provides students with a chance to practise using a variety of verb
forms (tenses, infinitives, gerunds)
2.4.2.2 Fluency- focused games
Fluency- focused games are different from accuracy- focused ones in that the practice of language is not the principal goal Here, learners themselves are required to use language as best as they can to achieve a certain task when playing Fluency- focused games are subdivided into two types: the information gap and the opinion gap
2.4.2.2.(a) The information gap
In this type of game, players have to complete a task either by sharing or eliciting information from other player Participants usually work together
The game " Describe and Draw" is a typical example In this game, one player describes to the other player a picture which they are not allowed to see The listeners have to draw the picture They may ask questions or discuss among themselves The game can be ended up with further talk when comparing the original picture and its version
Trang 24This type of game concerning the ability of using language of players themselves so as to persuade other players Different from fluency- focused games, there is of course competition amongst players instead of collaboration
The game "Use it” is an example of opinion gap type game The first set of cards contain pictures that symbolize occupations The second set of cards contain pictures of the objects that players have to use in connection with their occupations To play, each player takes an occupation card, an object card and says how he will use it in his work If the other players are satisfied with what he says then come comments and questions In this case, the player is permitted to keep the card If the statement of the player is not persuasive enough to other players, then he must put the card back on the table Thus, in order to win the game players should think and use language in a clever way For example, if the player who has chosen the occupation of teacher picks up an object card which shows a box of matches and can not find an "obvious" use, he might say: I need them because I am
nervous and I smoke a lot or I need them to burn homework with (Burne, 1986 :
109)
In order to organize accuracy- focused and fluency- focused games, the following procedure which is suggested by Byrne ( 1 896 : 100 - 106) should be
born in mind:
* Select the appropriate game: Games should be chosen on the basis of suitability both in terms of linguistic level and with regard to the students themselves, that is, their age and interests
* Explain the game carefully: Each game is governed by a set of rules which players must follow Rules can be presented in oral or written form and mother tongue is used if necessary
* Provide adequate rehearsal: the game should be tried out on a " let's- see- how- it- works" basis especially when students play the game for the first time
Trang 25start, but let the students take charge of the game as soon as possible Students may consult teachers as they go round to observe but generally teachers shouldn't interfere with the game while it is in progress
* Provide feedback: Teachers tell students how well they have done by giving points for each correct answer and writing the scores upon the board
Playing English games is beneficial to students David Cross ( 1991 : 153 - 163) assumed that " through games, learners practise and internalize vocabulary, grammar and structures Motivation is enhanced, too, by the play and the competition An added benefit is that the learners' attention is on the language They acquire language unconsciously, with their whole attention engaged by the activity, in much the same way as they acquired mother tongue" Still, he asserted that games help make language learning enjoyable Playing with words is certainly not a loss of learning time On the contrary, on concentrating and listening intensively, students can acquire a great deal of language
In addition, according to Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (1984 : 1), language is effectively learned in meaningful situations When participating in games learners are amused, angered, challenged, intrigued and surprised which stimulate them to use language meaningfully: Thus " the meaning of the language they listen to, read, speak and write will be more vividly experienced
and, therefore better remembered" What's more, they claimed that "Games can
be found to give practice in all the skills ( reading, writing, listening and speaking) in all the stages of the learning sequence ( presentation, repetition, recombination and free use of language) and for many types of communication (e.g encouraging, criticizing, agreeing, explaining)
2.4.3 English songs
Trang 26Geogre Drivas (1990 : 30), Henry Chi Fai Li ( 1998 : 8 ) and Akis Davanellos
(1999 : 13) found songs useful for many reasons:
* Songs are invaluable tools to develop students' abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing and can be used to teach a variety of language items such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives and adverbs * The song " Old Macdonald" is the favourite song of all ages As asserted by W.R Lee ( 1986 :47), the song " is a lively reminder of farmyard vocabulary and the of almost any domestic or farm animals can be worked in
Old Macdonald had a farm,
E-I-E-I-O,
And on that farm he had some ducks,
E-I-E-I-O,
With a quack- quack here And a quack- quack there,
Here a quack, there a quack,
Trang 27Pitches: DE GAB
5 - Purple Belt
Old MacDonald Had A Farm
4 measures (16 beats) introduction on recording Traditional
Old Mac - Don - ald had a farm E-I1-E-I-0O And
A a 1
ot + + T T ——— 1
ts; : s Zz — tt + = † f —— —®—?ˆ—z—x— + — ta
vs z ơ T T oT
on chat farm he had some chicks E-I1-E-I- oO With a 2 ‡ t ert + —— Se — —Ị
chick chick here And a chick chick there Here a chick,there a chick Ev’-ry-where a chick chick
3 £ T T T it † + = † † + † Ƒ i s T =T † z ơ T T
Old Mac - Don - ald had a farm
† † †
† † †
s s s
dắt
eq
In other verses Old Macdonald had a dog ( bow - wow), a cow (moo - moo),
some geese ( hissing sounds), some turkeys (gobble - gobble), some bees (buzzing sounds), some sheep ( bleating sounds), some pigs ( grunting sounds), ect
* Songs provide a nonthreatening atmosphere for students who usually are tense when speaking English in a formal classroom setting and makes it easier for even the shyest learners to participate in the task
* Songs can introduce language in a meaningful context * Songs can reinforce language already learnt
* Songs are highly memorable It seems that songs lodge in both our short and longterm memory so they are a relatively easy way to remember quite long chunks of language (Murphey 1990, citied in Davannellos, 1999)
* It is part of the outside world making the lesson more meaningful and comprehensible
* Songs are fun and will create an impression on the learners
Trang 28often go home and show off to their parents and probably teach the song to their brothers and sisters." ( In service training workshop on communicative English language teaching for junior high school teachers, 1996 : 105)
What's more, as demonstrated by David Cross ( 1991 : 164), " when students
sing or recite, they automatically assume command of the prosodic features of the language The prosodies are stress, rhythm, intonation and syllable length- features
In addition, in David Cross ( 1991 : 164) point of view, students are able to
assume command of the prosodic features of the language ( i.e stress, rhythm, intonation and syllable length) as they sing or recite songs According to him, " these patterns are among the most difficult aspects of language for students to
master."
Songs can be organized in a number of ways Drivas ( 1990 : 30 - 31) suggested nine activities used with songs Each activity goes with a specific kind of linguistic practice:
2.4.3.1 Ordering
Teachers choose a number of vocabulary items that match the level of students These items can be word forms: lexical fields or specific sounds, students' duty is to listen and put these words in the order they appear in the song Though simple the task may be, it trains students to listen intensively and for specific
information
2.4.3.2 Listening bingo
Again vocabulary and grammar ( past tenses, part participles) are focused in this activity Teachers make a list of at least 12 items and write them on the board, students have to draw a nine box grid and put one word they like in each box When listening to the song they cross out all the words This is also focused on intensive listening
2.4.3.3 Writing verses
Trang 29students to create as many alternative verses ( with the same rhythm) as possible The activity may end up with performances of each group
2.4.3.4 Spot the errors
Teachers write or dictate beforehand the lyrics of the song with certain changes Students are then asked to take note of the changes as they listen to the song The focus is on intensive listening
2.4.3.5 What's the story?
Students are given a list of questions prepared by teachers The questions are based on the content of the song and it is better if they range from the factual questions to subtle inference questions Teachers should let students first present their suggestions, then, ask them to answer the questions after listening to the song A summary of the song or a report may round up the activity Thus, this activity aims at guided writing
2.4.3.6 Role play
Depending on the song and the level of the class, teachers set the situation Normally, teachers prepare cards with instructions on
For example, in the song " That kind", a girl leaves school and her provincial hometown to become a film star in Hollywood Before she goes she has a long talk with her boyfriend who stays behind After letting the students listen to the song
and make notes of the reasons, teachers hand out the two cards
Student A: boyfriend Student B: girlfriend
You do not want her to leave You think this is your only chance You do not feel ready to move for a career but you would like him You think she does not love you to come with you
enough and that she only cares Fie does seem to share your
Trang 30
stay You think he does not care enough
(George Drivas, 1990:30)
Students get together to discuss and then act out the dialogue 2.4.3.7 Close reading
Lyrics of the song are written or dictated to students but with words omitted, students should first try to fill the gap with their own answer before the song is played
2.4.3.8 Reordering
Teachers put the verses on the board or dictate them to students in a jumbled order, students are asked to reorder the words before teachers play the song This helps students have a global understanding of the content of the song
2.4.3.9 Singing aloud
Get students involved in the music by encouraging them to hum, tap or clap with the beat of the song or some particular word or sound The practice of the song may begin with the class as a whole and then different groups in turn Singing aloud aims to practise pronunciation, stress and rhythm
2.4.4 English quizs and puzzles
Like other types of ECAs, English quizs and puzzles are beneficial to students in much the same way According to Slobodan Juric (1993), organizing an English quiz is an excellent way to stimulate students’ interest in English and to make school life more interesting and lively In addition, he assumed that " excellent students do not have much competition in their classes, so they tend to think that they know it all and so get lazy English quiz provides them with competition."
Trang 31Activity 1: Word puzzle - Honey comb PINE | | LOND (Holly Craigs, 1999 : 29)
¬ A place to catch an airplane A woman may wear this in bed Large prickly fruit with yellow flesh
Two lines of hair on the forehead
A non- edible fungus A very popular sport
Piece of furniture for storing things Saturday and Sunday
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en
anw
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Owner of rented accommodation
10.A sleeveless jacket
11.Place where you get washed
Trang 32Activity 2: Crossword puzzle - Thanksgiving 1n n 2n n 30 n nữ 4n 5o ood n n1 Qo 6n Oo n1 Qo 71 Oo Oo n 8n nnnnữn nn n n n 9 oo a n (http:// a4esl.org) Across bo Mw KW Down 1 2 3 4 5
a popular dessert for the Thanksgiving meat a big meal
what many people like to do after the Thanksgiving dinner the month in which Thanksgiving falls
the season after summer
a large orange vegetable
the first inhabitants of the North American continent alarge bird which is often eaten during holiday meals
relatives
Trang 33Ss eS ND ww KR WN > 2.4.5
(Slobodan Juric, English Teaching Forum, 1993 : 31) It's on your neck
Without them, you can't listen to music
When you lose them it will not be easy for you to eat You can't eat if you don't open it
It's between your head and your body It works day and night If it stops, you die
Without them, day and night are the some for you They are in your shoes
It's in the middle of your face Trips and excursions
According to Mary Finocchiaro (1958:166 - 167), "class visits to places of interest in the school and in the community are excellent media for clarifying vocabulary and concepts and for functionalizing learning" In his opinion, through trip experiences language skills are developed a great deal From the preparation phase, teachers and students may engage in discussion in English He listed twelve activities that teachers can get students involved in the use of English before the departure:
Discussing practices of social behaviour on the trip Discussing safety precautions
Planning expenditures for fare, meals and admission fees Setting time for departure and arrival
Arranging meeting places
Making inquiries about the route to be taken Writing letters to parents asking for consent
%
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Trang 349 Arranging for a special speaker or conference 10 Planning question which will be asked of personnel 11 Writing out some of information in facts above
12 Planning for notes or outlines to be taken while on the trip
Montgomery and Eisenstein ( 1985, cited in David Nunan, 1988) shared the same idea with Mary Finocchiaro They organized excursions to environment in which language had to be used for communication and come to a conclusion that trips
1
are linked to language practice via the following steps:
Students listen to a tape recording related to the focus for the week and complete listening comprehension exercises
Students, in small group, work through a variety of oral exercises
These exercises lead into the development of a task related to the forthcoming field trip ( Tasks can include interviews, hypothesis testing, the gathering of evidence, etc.)
The field trip is undertaken During the trip, learners encounter a range of natural language and engage in a question and answer session with a host
from the site
students complete an evaluation sheet to determine how much they have
understood
In class, the questions and answers for the trip are reviewed Follow- up activities include role- play, debates and the development of a plan of action to address a particular problem
2.5 Previous studies
In the fact that there are many researches of ECAs and the following is some
Trang 35Mahoney and Cairns (1997) looked at the positive connection to school that participating in extracurricular activities created among students whose prior commitment to the school had been marginal They discovered that a wider choice of activities resulted in a stronger effect because students’ individual needs and interests were more likely to be met So Extracurricular activities appeal to student interests
Posner and Vandell (1999) studied the participation of elementary school students in after-school programs and found that such programs can provide low- income students with experiences similar to those of middle-class students with
access to a rich array of lessons (for example, in dance, music, and art), sports, and tutoring
McNeal (1995) indicates that extracurricular participation provides previously marginalized students with access to a more “elite” stratum of the student population and exposes the students to peers who have better attitudes toward school They encourage peer interaction
Extracurricular activities instill a less competitive focus in participants, foster a more cooperative environment, and may therefore encourage students to stay in and complete school (McNeal, 1995) They promote cooperation
Research supports the notion that high-quality extracurricular activities build relationships between students and the competent, responsive adults who supervise
such activities (Mahoney, 2000; Posner & Vandell, 1999) They build student-adult
relationships
Mahoney (2000), who extended the work of Posner and Vandell (1999) to
focus on adolescents in after-school activities, determined that effective youth activity programs are highly organized and encourage increasingly complex skill building for participants They provide structure and challenge
Trang 36& Cairns, 1997) Further, Jordan and Nettles (1999) found that adolescents who
participated in structured activities supervised by positive adult role models were more likely to make personal investments in their schooling that might, in turn, motivate them to excel academically They connect students to school
Davalos, Chavez, and Guardiola (1999) studied the effects of participation in
extracurricular activities on Mexican American students and found that those involved in such activities were more likely to stay in school than their uninvolved peers
Sorge, Newsom, and Hagerty (2000) studied the positive effects of minority student participation in extracurricular activities Their research supports previous studies that showed that exposure to extracurricular science activities has a positive impact on students' science attitudes They draw students—especially minorities and women-to science
Research by McLure and McLure (2000) supports the notion of a positive relationship between out-of-class science accomplishments and in-class science achievement Students who have the opportunity to participate in experiential, science-related extracurricular activities in a nonthreatening environment feel competent, particularly when adults are available to offer suggestions, support student inquiry, and provide enrichment activities A budding interest in science
stimulates further academic coursework in science, which in turn can lead to
students acquiring even greater science knowledge, skills, and interest
So, most of the researches are carried out by foreigners with many aspects
that involve to ECAs However, there is a little thesis of ECAs found in Vietnam,
Trang 37CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES
Chapter 3 gives a look into methodology and procedure of the research Thus, the research approach, the subjects of the research, the data collection method, data analysis and procedure of doing research are presented in details
3.1 Research approach
The research approach is a combination of qualitative and quantitative
methods Data is collected from interviews, questionnaires and observation,
analyzed by statistical techniques and presented in tables and charts Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to supplement each other to collect the best data These two methods are applied to explain the information and analyze the statistics collected from questionnaires and other instruments
According to McMillan and Schumacher (1993) qualitative method is usually used to collect information from a large number of people with a variety of purposes Therefore, with this method, data from many students and teachers can
be collected in a short time From the data, statistics can be described and
measurement scales are done to reveal the reality of ECAs in EFL classrooms of upper - secondary schools at Thai Hoa, Nghe An Statistics, tables and graphs are often used to report the results of these methods Most quantitative data in this study were gathered through questionnaires
Trang 38noncontrived situation (p.37.) These methods are designed to help researchers understand the meanings people assign to social phenomena and to explain the mental processes underlying behaviors Measurement tends to be subjective but it is used to triangulate the collected data of the research
3.2 Subjects
The research will be carried out with the help of two groups of participants: 20 EFL teachers and 140 students at three Thai Hoa high schools
The first group includes 20 teachers (16 females and 4 males) who are teaching at Thai Hoa, Dong Hieu and Tay Hieu high schools Their ages range from 25 to 45 and their teaching duration ranges from 3 to 20 years Seventeen teachers who have been teaching for more than 5 years are considered to be experienced and 3 teachers less tha 5 years are inexperienced All of them attended courses which train them how to apply new English texbooks with communicative approach, teaching aids and other issues related to the implementation of new
books in summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008
The second group consists of 140 students of three schools who are randomly chosen from different classes to fill the questionnaires for the study All of them have been learning English for 5 — 7 years
In this researcher paper, students are chosen as subjects of the study because of the following reasons:
- Firstly, these students had studied 4 years in junior high school with the innovation of new textbooks from 6" form to 9" form and have been learning English for at least 1 year in senior high school, so they have knowledge and experience in studying English
Trang 39what the weak and strong points are of the use of ECAs in English classrooms at high schools of Thai Hoa town
3.3 Data collection methods
In order to carry out the purposes suggested through the researche questions,
the thesis has to base on the methods: questionnaires, informal interviews,
observation These three instruments were chosen for the following reasons:
- Firstly, with questionnaires, a large amount of information and data from many students and teachers can be collected in a short time and it can be carried out in an easy and inexpensive way
- Through interview and observation, teachers can get to know more about teachers’ and students’ attitudes and to confirm the information collected from questionnaires was reliable Especially, this can be a good way for the researcher to get more insights into the issues investigated
3.3.1 Questionnaires:
A questionnaire is relatively economical and can ensure anonymity It has standardized questions which can be written for specific purposes Questionnaires can use statements or questions, but in all cases the subject is responding to something written It is the most widely used techniques for obtaining information
from subjects (McMillan & Schumacher, 1993, P.238)
The questionnaires were used because of the following good reasons:
+ Questionnaires are familiar to most people Nearly everyone has had some experience in completing questionnaires and they generally do not make people apprehensive
Trang 40+ Generally it is relatively quick to collect information using a questionnaire Thirty seven students took part in this research so it is hard and time — consuming to use the other alternative methods
+ In the questionnaire, questions are arranged thematically so responses, with this method, are easily compared and analyzed Hence, the researcher finds it easier to explain the findings, discuss data and draw logical conclusions With a clear instruction, questionnaire can get participants to self — complete
Questionnaires are chosen as a verified method of gaining data for needs analysis Two questionnaires are administered to the subjects: questionnaire for teachers (see appendix C including 11 questions, appendix D including 10 questions, appendix E including 11 questions) is delivered to the teacher respondents Questionnaire for students (see appendix F including 9 questions) given to the student respondents At the beginning of the questionnaires, a short but clear explanation about the nature of the study was also given The questions are under the form of both multiple — choice and open — ended, so that we can be active in collecting needed information All the questions in the surveys are written in English and translated into Vietnamese to be sure that the participants can understand the questions and answer them in the right way All the questionnaires were distributed and returned completely The questions in both Questionnaires focused on the following issues:
- The necessary of ECAs in EFL classrooms - Types of ECAs organized in classrooms
- The time when extra — curricular activities are organized - Students’ attitudes when participating in ECAs
- The role of teachers in ECAs
- Factors obstruct and facilitate the organization of ECAs - Topics used in ECAS