An investigation into how visual aids are used in the process of teaching english to10th grade classes at krongbuk high school

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Chapter one consists of five parts. The first part introduces the background to the study; the second part states the aims of the study; the third part gives the scope of the study; the fourth part introduces the research questions and then in the fifth part, the outline of the thesis is presented. 1.1 Background to the study. Visual aids are considered very valuable teaching tools. Students began to see visual aids at very early stages of their schooling ages: When they first attended preschools or kindergartens. They saw the first formal use of visual aids in the bulletin boards, blackboards and while boards which the teacher used to illustrate concepts for early learning so it is obvious that when at higher levels students are used to learning their lessons through visual aid (Jeary_www.TonyJeary.com). The reason for using visual aids in language teaching lies in the fact that visual aids have three main following pedagogical values. Firstly, visual aids help to get lessons into the learners’ minds. A study of U.S. Department of Labor (www.osha.gov) stated that three days after a lesson, the students retain 10% of what they heard from an oral presentation, 35% from visual presentation and 65% from a visual and oral presentation. Secondly, visual aids can help the teachers save time. Thirdly, they add interest into the lesson and improve learner’s understanding. (www.csus.edu /b /burnetln /VASO1/ index.htm) . Because of these above mentioned advantages reasons, the new English textbooks for Vietnamese students, especially those being used for 6 th to 10 th grade students contain a variety of pictures. In order to know how pictures included in the 10 th grade students’ textbooks and other kinds of visual aids are used in the process of teaching English in KrongBuk District, where the researcher practiced her English teaching for two months, the researcher would like to carry out the study: ” An investigation into how visual aids are used in the process of teaching English to10 th grade classes at KrongBuk High School, DakLak Province ”. 1 1.2 The aims of the study: The study aims to investigate: 1. What kinds of visual aids are used in the process of English at KrongBuk High School? 2. What are they used for and how they are used ? 3. What do the teachers’ and the students think about the usefulness of visual aids. 4. Whether the teachers like to use visual aids. 4.1 The reasons why they like to use visual aids. 4.2 The reasons why they do not like to use visual aids. 5. Whether the students like their teachers to use visual aids. 5.1 The reasons why they like their teachers to use visual aids. 5.2 The reasons why they do not like their teachers to use visual aids. Based on the study, the researcher gives some suggestions on how to use visual aids more frequently and effectively in teaching English at KrongBuk High School. 1.3 The scope of the study. Visual aids are considered as good teaching aids, there are a lot of visual aids that teachers can use in the process of teaching in general and in teaching English in particular. Blackboard is considered good teaching tool that teachers use in every lesson but in this study, the researcher only want to focus on pictures in tenth grade students’ textbooks and some simple visual aids that can be prepared by teachers. 1.4 Research questions. The study is to answer the following research questions: 1. What kinds of visual aids are used in the process of teaching English 2. What are visual aids used for ? 3. How often they are used and how they are shown to the students? 4. What are teachers and students’ opinions about visual aids? 1.5 Outline of the thesis The thesis is composed of five chapters 2 Chapter one: Presents the background to the study, the aims of the study, the limitation of the study, the research questions and the outline of the thesis. Chapter two: Reviews the literature related to the study. Firstly, it gives a brief introduction of visual aids. Secondly, it states the advantages of using visual aids in language teaching. Thirdly, it points out the requirements of good visual aids and finally it gives tips for using visual aids. Chapter three: Describes KrongBuk High School, where the research was carried out, the subjects of the study, the data collection instruments. Chapter four: Reports and dicusses the result of the study. Chapter five: Gives suggestions and conclusion of the study . 3 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter reviews the literature related to using visual aids in the process of teaching English. It is composed of four main parts. The first part gives a brief introduction of visual aids, which consists of two sub-parts: Definition of visual aids and types of visual aids. The second part states the advantages of using visual aids. The third part points out the requirements of good visual aids. Then the fourth part presents some tips for using visual aids. 2.1. A brief introduction of visual aids. 2.1.1. Definition of visual aids. According to Doff (1988), visual aids are pictures, objects and things for students to look at. Dr. Lade Adeyjanju (http:// ultibase.rmit.edu.eac/Articles/nov 03/adey anju1.htm) clarifies the definition of visual aids: are designed materials that may be locally made or commercially produced. They come in form of wall charts, illustrate pictures, pictorial materials and other two dimensional objects. 2.1.2. Types of visual aids. According Doff’s classification, visual aids are some as follows: - Flashcards: are cards with simple pictures, which can be held up by the teacher. They can be used for presenting and practicing new words, structures and for revision. -Charts: are large sheets of card or paper with writing, pictures or diagrams. They can be used for more extended presentation practice. They would usually be displayed on the wall or blackboard. - Real objects: are things in the classroom such as table, fan, window, ect or things brought into the classroom to present vocabulary, practice language and they are often inform of food, clothes, containers, household objects, etc. - The teachers themselves: The teachers can use gestures, facial expression and actions to help show the meaning of words and illustrate the situations. For instance: The teacher can walk again and again before the students to illustrate 4 the structures “present continuous tense" or using the facial expressions to teach some adjectives, etc. And according to Peter Hubbard, Hywel Jones, Barbara Thornton and Rob Wheeler (1985), pictures that the teacher can collect from magazines, calendars, greeting cards, free pamphlets and brochures can be used as visual aids to present new situations and vocabulary. Besides these above visual aids, video tapes and handouts and all sorts of projectors with sound attributes are also considered common types of visual aids used in the process of language teaching. A video tape electronically carries both a picture and a sound track. Its features of sound, movement, vivid image, color and variety hold a learner's attention the way film does. Video tape can be used to program an entire presentation, or to support a teacher's remarks by highlighting certain topics. (www.osha.gov) And handouts are printed information given to the students, they can reinforce important information, provide summaries, reading lists, supply supporting data or set of exercises, etc. (http://.meas.ncsu.edutipsvisual.htm, http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/visualaids.html), Dr. Lade Adeyjanju (http:// ultibase.rmit.edu.eac/Articles/nov 03/adey anju1.htm). 2.2 The advantages of using visual aids in teaching English. Visual aids should be used in the process of teaching in general and in teaching English in particular because of some following advantages. First of all, visual aids can add learners’ retention of information. In many studies, experimental psychologists and educators have found that retention of information after meeting or other events was six times greater when information was presented through visual and oral presentation than when the information was presented by spoken words alone. Studies by educational researchers suggest that approximately 83% of human learning occurs visually; the retaining 17% is through these other senses: 11% through hearing, 3.5% through smelling, 1% through tasting and 1.5% through touching. The studies also suggest that three days after an event, people retain 10% of what they heard from an oral 5 presentation, 35% from a visual presentation and 65% from a visual and oral presentation (U.S.Department of Labor, 3, www.osha.gov) Secondly, Doff (1988:82) states that ”having something to look at will keep the students’ attention, make the class more interesting and the language used in class more real and alive”. This statement is supported by Jeary (www.TonyJeary.com) “using visual aids can focus learner attention in one place; add strongly interest to your speech. An audience’s attention is quite naturally drawn from the teacher to anything that is put on a screen, blackboard or flipchart.”(http://wwww.means.ncsu.edutips.visaul htm.htm). Furthermore, interesting visual aids, such as booklets, posters, or practice equipment will motivate learners by capturing their attention and curiosity (www.motivation.org/uk/_over_work/documents) Thirdly, according to LennyLaskowsk (http://presentersuniversity.com/visual_visauls_usingnotes,1): visual aids have great advantages in languages teaching because the students will feel comfortable when knowing that their teacher is on his/her planned track. Furthermore, as the teacher follows his/her plan, he/she will feel more relaxed and confident (Cross, 1999) In addition, also by Doff (1988); visual aids can be used at any stages of the lesson: to help in presenting new language or introducing a topic; as part of language practice; and reviewing language that has been presented earlier. For example: Flashcards are a handy resource to have and can be used at every stages of the class. They are a great way to present, practice and recycle vocabulary and when students are familiar with the actives used in class, they can be given out to early finishers to use in small groups (Joanna Budden, 1, www.teaching english.org.uk/think/resources/flashcard.shtm). Besides, good visual aids are not just used once, but again and again and can be shared with different teachers. Finally, most of visual aids are easy, inexpensive to make and update (Pat McCarthy,1,http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intrament/committes/facoercom/guidebk/te achingtips/visuals.htm). Teachers can make visual aids by themselves. For instance, the charts felt-tip makers and graphic materials are readily available and with a modest ability at lettering, the teachers can compose the desired visual aids 6 in house (U.S.Derpatment of Labor, 5, www.osha.gov) or the teachers can get pictures from magazine, picture library which is built up by either as a joint venture at their school or privately at home (Peter Hubbard, Hywel Jones, Barbara Thornton and Rob Wheeler, 1985) In conclusion, using visual aids in the process of teaching English has great advantages for both students and teachers. For the students, visual aids help to add the learner’s retention, keep their and attention and make the language used in class more real and alive and visual aids also make them like studying. For the teachers, visual aids are easy to make, do not cost too much money and time to prepare and can be used at any stages of the lesson and can be shared with other teachers. 2.3. Requirements of good visual aids. Visual aids are considered good teaching aids if they meet these following requirements: First of all, visual aids must be legible and clearly visible to the entire learners. If visual aid is not visible and legible it is not an aid (www.meas,ncsu.edutip.visual.htm). Far too frequently, visual aids are hard to see. The lettering or the graphs which are too small for the teacher and the students to strain to read them. Furthermore, the teacher displays an object that is difficult to see would be almost as bad as not using anything. At the same time, it is also considered a complete waste of the learner’s time. At least, the lettering size to use for distances from the board, chart, or flashcard to the last row of the learners must be: 2.5cm letters for 9 meters or less, 5cm letters for 9 to 15 meters and 7.5cm letters for over 15 meters. (www.meas.ncsu.edutipvisual.htm.htm) Secondly, visual aids should be clear, simple, have few words and are easy to grasp. Albert Einstein says that:”everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simple”. Visual aids are used in teaching process as tools to support the teacher’ presentation. They give learners brief summaries, prompts to practice, clear idea of what the teacher will explain to them. If there is too much information in the visual aids, it will take learners too much time to read or to take notes. By doing like that, the usefulness visual aids will be lost. Jeary 7 (TonyJeary.com) also states that:” the best visual aids are pictures or graphics supported with short simple words and phrases. (www.meas.ncsu.edutipvisual.htm.htm) Finally, the teachers are also visual aids. The teacher should have good grooming, wear appropriate clothes (no clanky jewelry, no extreme fashion no excessive make _up). In short, the teachers should be simple. Besides the teachers should always give a happy and friendly look to the learners and a smile on his or her face is the most important visual aids in teaching process. Anne Miller (http://www.presentersuniversity.com.visual_visuals_virtuosity.php.htm) 2.4. Tips for using visual aids. Using visual aids in the process of teaching English seems to be very simple but actually it requires many things and to use them effectively, the teachers should follow some tips as follows: Firstly, the teachers must prepare in advance. Teachers have to know exactly what learners will do or get by seeing the visual aids. Teachers need to prepare pens, papers, film, ect. to support learners in case they do not have. Visiting the class in advance is another thing that the teachers must do (Kaye Vivian_http:// users.cl.9.net.Kayevivan.htm.). By doing like this, the teachers will be sure about the elements in the classroom like windows, doors, whiteboard, the room’s width and permanent audio visual equipment, like electronic screen. All of these will help the teachers use visual aids more effectively. Secondly, the teachers should use visual aids not just display them. All aids should be used as teaching devices, never to merely intention fill in time or to decorate the room. (bible.ca/lesson_planner/chapter_2.htm,1), (www.humboldt.edu/jmf2 /floss/visual aids.htm.) Thirdly, according to http://meas.ncsus.edutips,5 teachers should use color for emphasis, distinction and clarity. Use of color in visual aids dramatically will improve retention of information. Highlighting headings and key points, graphs, charts is good, functional use if color. Using color for aesthetic value is acceptable but does not over use it because according to Tony at www. 8 TonyJeary.com, too many color and different fonts can destroy the simplicity the teachers need for effectiveness. The teachers should be careful with colored backgrounds because some color can make black figures or text less distinct. Yellow and bright blue are good background colors; dark blue and red usually are not, unless the figure or text is reversed to white. If possible, the teachers should avoid using blue with orange, blue violet with yellow orange and violet with yellow in your visual aids. Fourthly, the teachers should remove or cover the visual aid when he/she finishes using it (Chris@witt com, 2). The moment a visual piece is presented, the learner's attention is drawn to it .When the teachers finish using one visual aids , the teachers should not show it any more when he/she continues with another teaching point. Finally, variety is what is needed because to use only flashcards, for example, and to use them every lesson, would be almost as bad as never using them at all. Cross (1999, 119) suggests that teachers should use all kinds of visual aids, whenever possible and appropriate. 9 CHAPTER III: THE STUDY There are three parts in this chapter. The first part, setting, gives the general introduction about KrongBuk High School. The second part, description of the subjects, describes the subjects of the study. The instruments to collect the data are presented in the third part. 3.1. Setting. KrongBuk High School, where the study is carried out, is located at the centre of KrongBuk District, DakLak province. It is a big school with 2535 students and a teaching staff of 106 members. There are totally 58 classes in this school, including 20 tenth grade classes, 21 eleventh grade classes and 16 twelfth grade classes. The total number of 2535 students consists of 1478 boys and 1057 girls and it includes 809 tenth form students, 978 eleventh form students, 748 twelfth form students. Their age ranges from 15 to 18. 106 teachers in the teaching staff are in charge of different subjects. Eleven of them are teachers of English, including 6 males and 5 females. Most of them are young teachers, the oldest of whom is 44 years old and the youngest one is at the age of 24 and there are six tenth grade teachers of English. 3.2. Description of the subjects. Six tenth grade teachers of English and a group of 200 tenth grade students are the subjects involved in this study. The students were chosen at random from 20 tenth grade classes and in each class 10 students were chosen. The six tenth grade teachers of English at KrongBuk High School are young teachers and most of them have been teaching English for 6 years. All of them said that pictures in textbooks were very useful and they used them in every lesson. They all said that they rarely learnt English through visual aids when they were at high school and university. Four of them sometimes used some other kinds of visual aids besides the pictures in the students' textbooks. 10 [...]... effective and frequency that the teachers should let them prepare some simple visual aids 5.2 Conclusion The study is an investigation into using visual aids in teaching English at KrongBuk High School, DakLak Province It concerns with what kinds of visual 35 aids are used, what are they used for and how they are shown to the students and their effectiveness The subjects of the study are the six teachers of. .. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter reports and discusses the results of the study The findings of the study of the study are presented in five main following issues: (1) What kinds of visual aids are used at KrongBuk High School (2) What visual aids are used for and how they are used This section is composed of three parts: part one answers purposes of using visual aids, part two presents the frequency of. .. used in the process of teaching tenth grade English at KrongBuk High School Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 help to answer what visual aids are used for and how they are used to teach different aspects/skills 11 Question 9 helps to find out the reasons why visual aids are used in the process of teaching English at KrongBuk High School Questions 10 is designed in the questionnaires to seek the teachers' attitudes... pictures in the textbooks The reasons of the teachers for not using visual aids are shown in Table 7 below 17 BAÛNG As can be from table 3, all teachers (n=6,100%) always used the pictures in the textbooks in the process of teaching English Besides the pictures in the textbooks, teachers at KrongBuk High School also used other kinds of visual aids but the purposes and the frequency of using them were... to state their opinions about learning English through visual aids, including whether they like or dislike learning English through visual aids or not, why they like to learn English though visual aids, what kinds of visual aids they like their teacher to use, how often they like learning English through visual aids, their opinions about the usefulness of visual aids, their reasons for not liking to... Using Visual Aids Besides The Pictures in The Textbooks The four teachers who sometimes used other kinds of visual aids besides the pictures in the textbooks responded in this table As can be seen from table 5 most the teachers of English at KrongBuk High School (n=4(66.7%) used visual aids in the process of English teaching because firstly they thought visual aids could make the language used in class... were used by one teacher The reasons for not using other kinds of visual aids may be English textbooks for tenth grade students contain too much knowledge that the teachers did not have enough time to use other kinds of visual aids expect for the pictures in the students' textbooks 4.2 What visual aids are used for and how they are used 4.2.1 Puposes of using visual aids What visual aids are used for... learning English through visual aids because they thought visual aids could make the language used in class more real and alive It was the same as the researcher’s observation, that the students were more active and the lessons were more interesting when the teachers used some visual aids in their English classes More than 80% of them liked learning English through visual aids because according to them visual. .. 4.4.5 Students ' Opinions about The Usefulness of Visual Aids Being Used at KrongBuk High School This section presents students' opinions about the visual aids being used by the teachers in the process of teaching English Statements Opinions Agree kinds of visual aids The pictures in the textbooks are useful The pictures in the textbooks are clear, big and colorful enough 35(17.5%) 10(5%) 70(35%) 130(65%)... attitudes about the usefulness of visual aids they have been using, Question 11 is given in the questionnaires to find out the reasons why visual aids are not used in the process of teaching English at KrongBuk High School Questions 12, 13 and 14 are included to seek the necessary information about the subjects of the study • The questionnaire for the students The students respondents in this study were . investigate: 1. What kinds of visual aids are used in the process of English at KrongBuk High School? 2. What are they used for and how they are used ? 3. What do the teachers’ and the students think. 03/adey anju1.htm). 2.2 The advantages of using visual aids in teaching English. Visual aids should be used in the process of teaching in general and in teaching English in particular because of. have visual aids used more frequently and effectively. 4.1 What kinds of visual aids are used. What kinds of visual aids are used at KrongBuk High School is shown in Table 1. What kinds of visual