Some measures to raise the effectiveness of speaking lessons through pair work and group work activities for grade 10 students at lam kinh hi

PART A: INTRODUCTION I Reasons for choosing the topic In the trend of global integration, English is considered as an international language.“English is now widely known as the major language of intercommunication, international commerce, business, science, culture, and so on As a result, there has been a positive trend of teaching and learning English across the country English is also introduced to the educational curriculum from primary education to tertiary education”[2] However, their results of learning English are not really good Many Vietnamese students cannot communicate in English, even though they spent 6-7 years learning English at schools The problem is that they learn English just to pass regular tests or examinations, while they cannot use English in reality Especially, many students got high scores from exams and tests, but they can only write grammatical sentences, while they are very bad at listening and communicating Additionally, English is a language and it is a foreign language so it is too difficult for students, especially rural students to learn although they have been learning for several years It would be too boring for teachers to teach and for students to learn English if teachers didn’t reform teaching methods to interest students I have been thinking of how to change the methods but whatever new methods teachers may use, weak students will become bored, passive and inactive if teachers don’t interest them effectively In recent years, at Lam Kinh high school as well as the other high schools in rural and mountainous areas, teaching and learning English has been taken into consideration Throughout years’ time of my teaching English in the period of general education renovation, I have myself thought that it is necessary to reform methods of organizing activities in speaking lessons to motivate students I have positively realized that only by organizing pairwork and groupwork effectively can we interest students in English speaking lessons These activities can be considered to be useful techniques which are suitable for the students’ psychology They strongly delight either learners or teachers when they have skillfully used traditional activities Besides, they can raise the time and quality of speaking skill - one of the most important skill of learning and teaching English It is all the reasons above that led me to the choice of the study “Some measures to raise the effectiveness of Speaking lessons through pair work and group work activities for grade 10 students at Lam Kinh high school” This study is intended to make a modest contribution to an increased understanding of using pairwork and groupwork activities in teaching English speaking skill at high schools Note: At this page, the paragraph “English is now widely… to tertiary education” is consulted from Reference number [2] II Aims of the study With the reasons above in my mind, the specific aims of the study, accordingly are: - To introduce pairwork, groupwork and show the advantages and disadvantages of working in pairs and groups - To suggest how to organize pair and group work effectively and how to deal with initial problems that may arise - To show how pairwork and groupwork can be used for various classroom activities - To help teachers be confident in using pair and group work themselves III Objects of the study With the hope of improving the learning English through games, the study focuses on the Grade 10 students at Lam Kinh high school and English textbooks grade 10 IV Methods of the study To realize the aims of the study, a variety of methods used: collecting data, making personal observations, reading reference books, applying in teaching and drawing out experiences through attending classes V New points of the study Although the study has some similarities with the previous one, I draw my attention to measures to raise the effectiveness of Speaking lessons through pair work and group work activities for grade 10 students at Lam Kinh high school with the hope of investigating into ways to organise pairwork and groupwork more effectively in English speaking classes, which make lessons more interesting and stimulating PART B : DEVELOPMENT I Theoretical background Pair work and group work 1.1 Definition of pair work Pairwork is a classroom activity in which the whole class is divided into pairs by the teacher Every student works with his or her partner in pairs and all the pairs work at the same time In fact, a pairwork consists of two students working together at the same time 1.2 Definition of group work Groupwork is a group of students working together A class can be divided into small groups to work together ( usually three or more students in each group), as in the pairwork, all the groups work at the same time Advantages and disadvantages of pairwork and groupwork Pairwork and groupwork have both advantages and disadvantages These are mentioned below 2.1 Advantages - To increase the amount of student practice: When students work in pairs or groups they have more chance to practise By working in pairs or groups students often feel more willing to talk among themselves in a small group rather than with a teacher in a large group so that it dramatically increases the amount of talking for individual students - To increase learners’ confidence: The students feel much more comfortable to speak foreign language with one or two other students rather than with the whole class and the teacher Especially shy students or ones who are not good at speaking language yet feel more relaxed and self-confident trying to put their language abilities to a test during the activity and seeing how to use them This encourages students to cooperarte with one another - To motivate students’ fluency: While working in pairs or group abilities, students can use the language freely and express their opinions and thoughts without any restrictions It is difficult not to get the impression that fluency can be improved only during constant speaking practice in the atmosphere of independence and in the state of relaxation[5] - To increase students’ motivation: While working in pairs or groups, the activities are available As we know, a huge variety of activities influences the course of a lesson and its success The more different activities the teacher use in the lesson, the bigger their motivtion is In fact, students’ motivation increases Note: At this page, the section 2.1 “ advantages ….in the state of relaxation” is consulted from Reference number [5] because they are active and feel important during these activities In keeping with this, the teacher is going to experiencesuccess in his/her work because motivated students are usually good languages learners and they always make progress 2.2 Disadvantages - To speak native language: One of the disadvantages is that students often speak in their native language If the class is really big with too many students, it is very difficult for the teacher to listen to all pairs or groups at the same time However, the teacher can still something to change situation The teacher should estabilish certain rules at the beginning of the school year and be very strict about them.After sometime the good habit of speaking only English may be established - To make mistakes: An other problem is incorrectness While students work in pairs and groups, the teacher usually not disturb them, even if he/she notices some mistakes they have made, but we should not forget that errors or mistakes are an indissoluble element of the process of learning Besides, students try to correct each other rather than learn the mistakes One of the main points of having learners speak to each other is to help them increase their confidence and reduce the anxiety that is often found in a purely teacher-centered classroom Pairwork and groupwork activities are usually geared to fluency enhancement rather than accuracy practice - To eliminate shy and weak students from the practice: Some shy and weak students can be eliminated from the practice, because of individuals who always tend to dominate It is not a problem when they work in pairs, but as far as the groups are concerned, the teacher should assign roles to avoid one or two learners taking over the activity and others becoming passive observers - To make noise and indiscipline: Working in pairs and groups in a large class makes noise and indiscline, the teacher have more troublesome than the learners have Participants in a pairwork or groupwork activity are normally unware of the noise and of what other pairs or groups are doing The only possible here could be solved if the classroom had particularly thin walls[5] II Practical background Difficulties from students 1.1 Passive learning style The students are still deeply affected by the old methods such as Grammar Translation or Audio-lingual Method and the learning environment at lower secondary school where speaking was not encouraged and focused They get used to listening to the teachers, taking notes and doing exercises, not speaking 1.2 Low level of English language proficiency While working in pairs or groups, some students can not express ideas in English because of their poor vocabulary, grammar, and even pronunciation Note: At this page, the section 2.2 “disadvantages …particularly thin walls” is consulted from Reference number [5] Some of them not have any knowledge to present the given topic All these factors prevent them from participating in pairwork and groupwork Gradually they will lose their interest in working in pairwork and groupwork 1.3 Learners’ fear of making mistakes Many students are afraid of making mistakes because of their low level of proficiency and their lack of ideas They are not confident enough to express their ideas for the partners Objectives factors 2.1 Large-sized classes All classes in Lam Kinh high school consists of more than 45 students, so that it is very difficult for teachers to organize pairwork and groupwork , to control the class and to put an eye on every student During the time working in pairs or groups, only good and talkative students make use of the chances to raise their voice, shy and less able students can not be given enough care, attention and encouragement 2.2 Lack of reference books and teaching aids In the school library, reference books are not avalaible There are only some reference books for doing exercises Teachers must self-prepare for their lesson without school’s helping The lack of teaching aids like video recorders, multi-functions projectors lowers the effectiveness of working in pair and group Teachers can not show the pictures or conversations in real life by showing them video clips or TV programmes III SOLUTIONS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTATION Solutions 1 Steps of organizing pair and group work * Select the activity: An activity that is best suited for group work may meet the following criteria: - The activity has multiple tasks that can be shared among group members or a single task, such as generating ideas, that benefit from the participation of all individuals within a group - The activity involves problem solving and discussion * Presentation: It is advisable to give the instructions before giving out materials of dividing the class into groups Try to foresee what language will be needed, and have a preliminary quick review of appropriate grammar or vocabulary Finally before giving the sign to start tell the class what the arrangements are for stopping: If there is a time limit, or a set signal for stopping, say what it is; if the groups simply stop when they have finished, then tell them what they will have to next It is wise to have a reserve task planned to occupy members of groups who finish earlier than expected * Preparation of materials: The teacher will need to personally collect, or organize students to collect, physical specimens for investigation For example, if the teacher anticipates doing a lesson on the role of the media, she or he might ask the students to bring into class examples of newspapers and magazines There should be materials sufficient for each group * Size and selection of group: Group size normally ranges between 3-5 students Group size can sometimes go larger, although groups larger than not ensure that everyone will participate - Group membership can be determined in different ways A random selection might be done by "counting off" with students (go around the room systematically having students count 1, 2, 3, etc, with each numbers representing a group) or selecting groups on the basis of birth date - In a nonrandom selection, groups will be selected based on the teachers' prior knowledge Usually, groups are selected to maximize diversity within the group, since diversity enhances learning Such groups often have a balance of girls and boys, and students with differing ability levels Teachers can also use their best judgment about personality mixes that would enhance the work of the group * Organize students within the group: A highly structured approach would be that the teacher assigns a specific role to each group member Depending upon the task, the roles might include 'materials handler', 'scribe', 'reporter to the large group' and so on A semi-structured approach might be that the teacher recommend certain roles, but leaves it to the group to assign roles A more structured approach, with rotation of tasks within a group, is often used with younger children A less structured approach can be used with students with experience in group work or for simple tasks that not require that students take on different roles * Control the class during students’ working time: Teacher goes from group to group, pair to pair, monitor, and either contribute or keep out of the way whichever is likely to be more helpful If you decide to intervene, your contribution may take the form of : - Providing general approval and support; - Helping students who are having difficultly; - Keeping the students using the target language(in many cases your mere presence will ensure this!) - Tactfully regulating participation in a discussion where you find some students are over dominant and others silent * Time the group work: The teacher should anticipate student questions about timing, the task results, sharing with the whole group, and so on After giving clear instructions to the students, the teacher should be available to answer questions, but not interfere with the groups' activities It is common in many classrooms that a small group activity constitutes 20 minutes of a 40 minute-period, with 10 minutes allowed for sharing small group work with the whole class * Give feedback: A feedback session usually takes place in the context of fullclass interaction after the end of the group work Feedback on the tasks may take many forms: - Giving the right solution, if there is one - Listening to and evaluating suggestions - Pooling ideas on the board - Displaying the meterials the groups/ pairs have produced 1.2 Some difficulties of pair work and group work and suggested solutions * High noise level: If pair work is successful, it's noisy In a normally crowded classroom equipped with easily movable desks or tables, the problem can be alleviated by keeping as much distance as possible between the pairs The best ‘solution,’ however is simply to keep pair-work sessions short — twenty minutes is probably a reasonable maximum A high level of noise can be tolerated for approximately that amount of time If the session lasts longer, the noise will become distracting and annoying * Furniture: The best furniture for an ESL classroom is small, light tables, and simple, light chairs; these can easily be rearranged for pair work But, of course, many classrooms are not ideally furnished for ESL work Large tables are difficult to move and to arrange but if they are accompanied by light, movable chairs, they can often be left in place and chairs placed opposite each other on both sides * Partners with no information to offer: Since information exchange is essential to pair work, if one student in a group has no information to exchange, the activity will fail When pair work is preceded by an ‘information-acquiring activity’, this problem can be largely eliminated by making sure that everyone understands their material well And of course it is also important to make sure that the information and the method of conveying it are appropriate for the students’ level The best way to alleviate this difficulty is by ‘rotation’- having students change partners - once, twice, or more - during the activity Doing this means that each of the conversations will have to be kept quite short in order to keep the whole activity within the twenty-minute time span, but that, it is to be hoped, will bring a healthy intensity to the conversations Methods for implementation In order to organize pairwork and groupwork more effectively, the teachers and students should the following things : 2.1 To the teachers * Teachers should have a good preparation: They should prepare a various materials for lessons with pictures and information, then teachers should create a good atmosphere for students to take part in pairwork or groupwork by noticing something such as creating pairs and groups Teachers have to decide how to put individual students into pairs or groups and with which of their classmates The teachers can base such decisions on any one of the following principles: friendship (to put friends with friends), streaming (mixture of weaker and stronger students), chance (for no special reasons of friendship, ability or level of participation), changing groups (to change parners often) * Teachers should design activities with a purpose: Normally, every real life communication has a purpose to convey information Activities in the language classroom stimulate communivation outside the classroom when they are structured with such a purpose In other words, the clearer the purpose of the discussion is the more motivated students will be Moreover, teachers should base the activities on easy language Generally, the level of language needed for a discussion should be lower than used in intensive learning activities in the same class The language required for a discussion should be easily recalled and produced by students so that they can speak fluently In some cases, pre-teaching or reviewing essential vocabulary before the activity starts is a good idea * Teachers should use task-based activities: In real life, people use language to perform tasks such as solving problems, developing plans or teaching The use of similar task-based activities inside the classroom will encourage students to use the language * Teachers’ attitude towards students: During the time of working in pairs and groups, teachers’ attitude towards students will decide the success of the lesson such as: observing, listening and how to help students, giving encouragement and even giving feedback Teachers should use different ways of giving feedback or correcting errors for different lessons For lessons that focus on form like grammar lessons, direct and immediate feedback and error correction are needed and expected However, in communicative lessons like speaking, the flow of talk should not be interrupted by the teachers’corrections Teachers should only give feedback and correct errors after students already finish the task When giving feedback, teachers should give feedback on both form and content It is advisable that the teachers should encourage students to selfcorrect Giving feedback and correcting errors are als good ways to motivate students as it is a useful comprehension for students and it shows that the teachers really listen to what they say 2.2 To students Students should participate in pair and group positively with the highest motivation They should become active speakers in the class with the careful prepararion of knowledge Students should improve their background knowledge by reading supplementary materials in terms of videotapes or reading texts from the internet or other sources like magazines or newspapers Students should be aware that confidence is especially imporatnt in working in pair or group If they are afraid of making mistakes, afraid of losing face, they can not make use of the chances to express their ideas and show their language use Their teachers and friends will not laugh at them but help them correct their mistakes which later results in their progress Some suggested exercises of working in pairs and groups and their demonstrations Pairwork and groupwork can be organized in teaching process about English skills such as listening, reading, writing, speaking and grammar These are some kinds of exercises that are suitable for pairwork and groupwork 3.1 Warm up: that is the first part before teaching the main content of the lesson Teachers often organize a simple activity to help students to be familiar with the topic and not need to spend much time Its purpose is to create excitement encourage students to work Example 1: UNIT PART B – SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 14, 15) Aims: to revise the names of school subjects - Teacher asks students to close their books - Teacher delivers the first handout A B Civic education a Toán Technology b Vật lý Maths c Tin học Literature d Thể dục Physics e Địa lí Biology f Giáo dục công dân Chemistry g Văn học Physical education h Lịch sử Geography i Công nghệ 10 History j Sinh học 11 Informatics k Hoá học - Teacher asks them to match one item in column A with one item in column B - Teacher asks them to work in groups in minutes, then checks this exercise in chorus - Teacher asks students to read aloud the names of these subjects in chorus Suggested keys: 1-f ; 2-i ; - a; - g; - b; - j; - k; - d; - e; 10 - h; 11 - c Example 2: UNIT 13 PART B - SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 134, 135) WARMUP: Film categorization - Teacher divides the class into small groups of and - Teacher sticks the following· film posters on the blackboard or the walls (alternatively, T can print these posters and distribute them to Ss): - Teacher asks students to match the films with the correct types - Teacher calls on some representatives to report the results of their group work and gives correct answers Suggested keys: Action film Cartoon Love story film Horror film Detective film Science fiction film War film [6] 3.2 Controlled oral practice - pattern practice: This can be done in pairs and groups in the same way as the likes/dislikes’ activity Any controlled oral practice can be done first with the whole class and then in pairs.Teachers often organize activities to create conditions for all students who could participate in practicing the speaking skill Example 1: UNIT - PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 14, 15) Task and Task Talk about Quan’s activities, using the pictures below and then tell your classmates about your daily routine[1] - Asks students to work in pairs to describe about Quan’s activities( base on the pictures), then ask and answer about their daily routine at that time T: Look at picture a, what does Quan at 14:00? S: He gets up after taking a short nap T: What you usually at 14:00? S: I usually my homework - Teacher suggests some phrases if necessary: to get up, to read books, to watch TV, to go to school, to play football, to go home, to have a shower, to go to the stadium,… - Teacher asks students to fill the information in the following table (Give each pair a handout) Note: At this page, the images are derived from Reference number [6], the example is extracted from Reference number [1] 10 Using the pictures in your textbook, describe Quan’s daily activities and find the same information about your partner At Quan usually… Your partner usually…… 14:00 14:15 16:30 17:00 17:15 18:30 18:45 19:00 20:00 - After minutes, asks some pairs to practise in front of class Example 2: UNIT – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 35) Task Imagine you are a journalist Use the cues below to interview a classmate about his/ her background or that of a person he/ she knows well Change the roles when you have finished[1] - For weaker students, teacher should give them a handout to make it easier Note: At this page, the example is extracted from Reference number [1] 11 INTERVIEW FORM Order 10 11 Items Information Greeting: Hello/Hi/ Good morning… Date of birth: When were you born? Place of birth:Where were you born? Home: Where are you living now ? or Where you live? Parents: Can you tell me about your parents? (name/ age/ occupation,…) Brother(s)/ Sister(s): How many brothers/ sisters have you got? Primary school/ Secondary school What’s the name of your primary school / secondary school? Schoolwork: How you work at school? Favourite subject(s): What subject(s) you like best? Experience:Were you a member of any clubs? Thanking: Thank you very much 3.3 Practicing short dialogues: Acting out short dialogues can very easily be done in pairs, with little chance of students making mistakes It can be done first with pairs of students in front of the class, and then with all the students working in pairs at the same time Example 1: UNIT – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 56) Task 1: Work in pairs Ask and answer questions about the uses of modern inventions[1] cell phone radio TV [6] Note: At this page, the example is extracted from Reference number [1] and the images in task are derived from Reference number [6] 12 fax machine electric cooker air-conditioner [6] - Teacher have students work in pairs: Asks and answers questions about the uses of modern inventions following the example A: Can/Could you tell me what a cell phone is used for? B: Well, it’s used to talk to people when you are away from home - Teacher takes notes the form of the questions and answers: Can / Could you tell me what + Noun + is use for ? Well It is used to +inf ( it is used for +v-ing) - Teacher asks some pairs to report A: Can/Could you tell me what the radio is used for? B: Well, it’s used to listen to the news and learn foreign languages A: Can/Could you tell me what the TV is used for? B: Well, it’s used to watch football matches, and TV game shows A: Can/Could you tell me what the fax machine is used for? B: Well, it’s used to send and receive letters quickly A: Can/Could you tell me what the electric cooker is used for? B: Well, it’s used to cook rice and keep rice warm A: Can/Could you tell me what the air conditioner is used for? B: Well, it’s used to keep the air cool when it’s hot and vice versa Example 2: UNIT 14 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 145, 146) Task 2: Work in pairs Look at the table below Ask and answer questions[1] Aims: Students can talk about the World Cup tournaments - Teacher asks students to read the information about 17 World Cup tournaments in the table Note: At this page, the images are derived from Reference number [6] and the example is extracted from Reference number [1] 13 - Teacher reads the model dialogue aloud and then asks two pairs to read the dialogue again Model: A: Where was the first World Cup held? B: It was held in Uruguay A: Which teams played in the final match? B: Uruguay and Argentina A: Which teams became the champion? B: Uruguay A: What was the score of the match? B: 4-2 - Teacher asks students to work in pairs to make similar dialogues about the World Cup tournaments - Teacher moves round to make sure that students are working and to help if necessary - Teacher asks students to compare their answers with other pairs - Teacher asks some pairs to report 3.4 Reading a text and answering questions: Students can discuss questions in pairs or groups and then read the text: or they can read the text silently, and then ask and answer questions in pairs or groups This is a good way of involving the whole class in answering questions Example 1: UNIT 10 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 106, 107) Task 1: Work in pairs Read the paragraphs and answer the questions[1] Instruction: You are required to work in pairs to put the actions in the order of importance and then say what we should or should not - Teacher asks students to read through the two paragraphs - Teacher elicits or teaches some new words: + sensitive (adj): quick to respond to, or be affected by + slight changes, signals, or influences +imprison (v): put or keep in prison + reconstruct (v): build again + breed (v): cause (an animal) to produce offspring + reintroduce (v): put (a species of animal or plant) back into a former habitat[3] - Teacher aks students to work in pairs to discuss the two questions in the book using the information in paragraph A · and B - Teacher goes around to observe students working - Teacher asks some students to present their answers Note: At this page, the example is extracted from Reference number [1], the meanings of new words “ sensitive, … reintroduce” are consulted from Reference number [3] 14 Suggested answers: They are opened to help endangered species develop The animals are not kept in cages They can live in their natural environment Example 2: UNIT 12 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 126) Task 1: Read the text and answer the questions about the text “Yes, I love pop music It keeps me happy I really like the Backstreet Boys – they are easy to listen to Their songs cheer me up whenever I feel bad I listen to them all the time I’ve got a Walkman so I can listen to music when I’m out At home, I always have the radio on and I watch pop programmes on TV” [1] - Teacher gives the instruction: You going to read what Ha Anh says about music Work in pairs to answer the questions - Teacher give students some new words: + keep sb happy: make sb happy + cheer sb up: make sb happier/more cheerful - Teacher asks one student to read the passage aloud - Teacher asks students to work in pairs to ask and answer the questions - Teacher goes around to observe students working - Teacher ask some students to present their answers in front of the class - Teacher get feedback and give correct answers: Questions and answers: What kind of music does Ha Anh like?→ She likes pop music Why does she listen to it? →Because it keeps her happy What is her favorite band? → The Backstreet Boys When does she listen to music?→ She listens to music all the time[4] 3.5 Short writing exercises: Students can sit in groups and decide together what to write - one student acts as “secretary” This can be difficult to organize, but in a large class it has the advantage that students correct each other’s mistake and the teacher only has a few papers to mark at the end Pairwork can be used for correcting written work (e.g homework) - students sit in pairs and correct what their partner has written Example: UNIT 10 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 107) Task 3: Work in groups Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of zoos of the new kind Use the given words or phrases - To make it easier, teacher can redesign the task by asking students to complete the sentences using the given words and phrases After working in groups of 4, the representatives will read aloud a complete sentence Note: At this page, the example is extracted from Reference number [1], the section “Questions and answers” is consulted from Reference number [4] 15 Advantages 1/ I’d like / talk / about / advantages -> I’d like to talk about the advantages 2/ They / be / good conditions > They are in good conditions 3/ They / have / better food -> They may have better food 4/ They / develop / better / natural environment -> They may develop better in their natural environment Disadvantages 1/ I’d like / talk / about / disadvantages -> I’d like to talk about the disadvantages 2/ We / spend / a lot / money / on / reconstruct / animals’ natural environment -> We may spend a lot of money on reconstructions of the animals’ natural environment 3/ Keepers/ have/ dangers when they take care/ wild animals -> Keepers may have the dangers when they take care of wild animals - Teacher goes round and help if necessary 3.6 Discussion: With more advanced classes, discussion can be conducted in groups It is important to define the discussions clearly, and to ask each group to report their conclusions afterwards Example 1: UNIT 12 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 135) Task 4: Work in groups Talk about a film you have seen Use the suggestions below[1] Aims: Sts can talk about the film they have seen - Teacher asks students to work in groups to ask and answer about a film they have seen using the suggestions given in the textbook Questions: Where did you see it? What kind of film is it? What is it about? Who is/are the main character(s)? How you feel about it? Why you prefer it to other films? - Teacher asks students to take turns to talk about the films they have seen - Teacher goes around to help students and asks some students to present E.g: I saw " Sand life" at the cinema It is a love story film It is about the life of a soldier after the war He has already been married but after the war he returns with another woman Life with two wives is definitely not easy I feel sorry for the soldiers' life after the war I like the film because of its humane value Note: At this page, the example is extracted from Reference number [1] Example 2: UNIT 14 – PART B: SPEAKING 16 English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 147) Task 3: Work in groups Take turns to talk about the World Cup winners, using the information in the table in task 2[1] - Teacher introduces the task: You are going to take turns to talk about the World Cup winners in different years - Teacher asks students to read the model in the textbook Model: The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 The final match was between Uruguay and Argentina Uruguay defeated Argentina by to 2… - Teacher asks students to work in groups and take turns to talk about the WC winner in a certain year - Teacher goes around to check and to offer help - Teacher asks students to talk about different World Cup Suggested answer: The 17th World Cup was help in Korea and Japan in 2002 The final match was between Brazil and Germany Brazil defeated Germany by to Brazil becema the champion and Germany was the runner- up 3.7 Do grammar exercises: Students can grammar exercises orally in pairs; the teacher goes through the answers afterwards with the whole class, and students write the exercises for homework This is more interesting and productive than students doing exercises alone in silence Example : UNIT 11 – PART B: SPEAKING English 10 (Basic curriculum) ( page 115) Task 2: Work in pairs Imagine that you are Nga’s classmates and you are not happy with the excursion to Huong Pagoda Now you are talking with some friends about what you wish you had or hadn’t done[1] Aims: Students can talk about their excursion to Huong Pagoda and express their regrets - Before students the task, Teacher asks students to read the examples in the textbook and recall what grammatical structure is used in the example Examples: If we hadn’t gone by coach, we wouldn’t have got carsick If we had gone by bike, we wouldn’t have got carsick - Teacher revises the conditional sentence type by giving an example: + Eg: If I had had money, I would have bought this car (But I didn’t have money and so I didn’t buy it.) - Teacher ask students to look at the example and tell the teacher the form as well as the form of the conditional sentence type +Form: If + S + past perfect, S + would/ could +have + P II +Use: The third conditional is used to talk unreal situations in the past - Teacher asks students to work in pairs to make similar sentences orally - Teacher goes around to help students - Teacher asks students to compare their answers with another pairs Note: At this page, the examples are extracted from Reference number [1] - Teacher calls on some pairs to speak out their answers in front of the class 17 Suggested keys: If we had brought enough food and drinks we wouldn’t have spent a lot of money eating in expensive restaurants If some of us hadn’t had food poisoning we could have enjoyed our visit If we had had rain coats, we wouldn’t have got wet and have got a cold If some of us hadn’t left our luggage on the coach when we arrived, we could have had clothes and money with us If we had been careful when walking in Huong Pagoda, we wouldn’t have got lost If we hadn’t thrown wast in the forest, we wouldn’t have got a fine If we had stayed there more than one day, we could have visited all the pagodas[4] In short, using groupwork and pairwork is a good way to teach English for students Teacher should use these activities effectively to encourage the studying spirit of students IV Results after applying the study in teaching By organizing pair work and group work, students in my class become more confident in English class Once I give a task and ask them to work in pairs or groups they can understand and it successfully During the practice, students can help each other to correct their mistakes in pronunciation, intonation or grammar After a year applying pair work and group work activities in teaching English at Lam Kinh high school, I have got some satisfactory results Most of my students have become more interested in learning English and of course their ability to use English in communication has been improved step by step In each lesson, students are more active, more flexible and enthusiastic participation in the speaking lessons That is the main reason of the following results from the test of speaking carried out during the recent school year at my school in comparison with those before being applied as follows: Note: At this page, the section “Suggested answers” is consulted from Reference number [4] Table 1: Before applying 18 Class Total 10C6 10C9 ( 44 (46 students) students) The number of students scoring proficient Percentage The number of students scoring pretty Percentage The number of students scoring average Percentage The number of students scoring below average Percentage 0% 11,4 % 17 38,6 % 22 2,2 % 15,2 % 18 39,1 % 20 50 % 43,5 % Table 2: After applying Class Total The number of students scoring proficient Percentage The number of students scoring pretty Percentage The number of students scoring average Percentage The number of students scoring below average Percentage 10C6 10C9 ( 44 (46 students) students) 11,4 % 16 36,4 % 12 27,3 % 11 19,6 % 22 47,8 % 15,2 % 24,9 % 17,4 % Comparing the results obtained from the two tables above, I can see the progress of the students when speaking English through pair work and group work activities with these methods As can be seen in the Table 1, the percentage of students getting bad marks in the speaking test accounts for more than 50% and the rate of students scoring good or excellent makes up for below 15% From the second table, after the adoption of measures to organize pair work and group work in teaching speaking skill, the percentage of students scoring at or above average has increased significantly (from about 50% in Table to about 80% in Table 2) PART C: CONCLUSION 19 I Summary of the study In these activities, we can unexpectedly happen to realize students’ talents because they are equal to students, easy to work, suitable for the whole class even weak students Furthermore, the students who hardly prepare the lessons might have high scores in the activities because quick-wittedness and intelligence are much more important than understanding about everything The sense of equality, atmosphere of excitement, feeling of the fair work in students’ reach, spirit of solidarity, the factors of which help students to ignore their shyness which prevents them from speaking freely and actively This has a great influence on teaching results This result indicates that the measures which I have applied to organize pair work and group work effectively to grade 10 students at Lam Kinh high school have yielded positive results Students are not only able to speak English fluently but also feel excited about learning speaking lessons with different pairs or groups They no longer have to meet the psychological fear of speaking English in public or short tests of speaking On the contrary, the foreign language lessons becomes more fun and more exciting II Suggestions for further study Obviously, small groups or pairs of students working together is a highly effective and essential strategy for teaching English It can improve motivation and contribute to a feeling of cooperation and warmth on the class However, it is concluded that pair work and group work are best used when they are not the only classroom interaction pattern, but when they are combined with other strategies Besides pair and group work, students can also complete activities individually and as a class Mixing up the structure of the activities will keep classes interesting Therefore, teacher had better plan the lessons to include teacher-centered work, individual work and pair work as well as group work Surely, this study can not avoid having limitations and making mistakes Therefore, I would like teachers to contribute your sincere ideas so that I will have perfect and suitable methods of teaching English for high school students I hope it will be helpful for teaching English at high school and suitable for communicative teaching approach Exeperience initiative’s Writer Xác nhận BGH trường Thanh Hóa, ngày 10-06-2017 Tôi xin cam đoan SKKN viết, không chép nội dung người khác Nguyễn Thị Hà 20 ... my attention to measures to raise the effectiveness of Speaking lessons through pair work and group work activities for grade 10 students at Lam Kinh high school with the hope of investigating... pairs and all the pairs work at the same time In fact, a pairwork consists of two students working together at the same time 1.2 Definition of group work Groupwork is a group of students working together... materials for lessons with pictures and information, then teachers should create a good atmosphere for students to take part in pairwork or groupwork by noticing something such as creating pairs