Encourage students out of class english learning strategies

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HÓA TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN ĐỊNH SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM ENCOURAGE STUDENTS’ OUT-OF-CLASS ENGLISH LEARNING STRATEGIES Người thực hiện: Đỗ Thị Thủy Chức vụ: Giáo viên Đơn vị công tác: Trường THPT Yên Định SKKN thuộc mơn: Tiếng Anh THANH HĨA NĂM 2019 Table of contents Introduction ……………………………………………………… 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic.………………………… 1.2 Purposes of the study……………………………………… 1.3 Objects of the study…………………………………… 1.4 Methods of the study……………………………………… Contents ………………………………………………………… 2.1 Theoretical background…………………………………… 2.1.1 Definitions of ‘learning strategies’ and ‘out - of - class learning strategies’……………… 2.1.1.1 Learning strategies……………………………… 2.1.1.2 Out – of – class learning strategies……………… 2.1.2 Out – of – class learning strategies in learning English 2.1.3 The roles of students’ out – of – class learning strategies on their learning ……………………………………… 2.2 Students’ out – of – class learning strategies at Yen Dinh high school ……………………………………………… 2.2.1 Language learning strategies………………… …….… 2.2.2 Out – of - class Learning activities……………… … 2.2.3 The relationship between motivation and out-of-class learning strategies …………………………… ……… 2.3 How to make use of students’ out – of – class learning strategies ………………………………………….……… 2.3.1 Conducting surveys to determine students’ out – of – class learning strategies ……………………………… 2.3.2 Create a classroom that supports differentiated learning 2.3.3 Assigning suitable tasks outside the classroom …….… 2.3.4 Sample tasks outside the classroom ……………… … 2.4 Effects of the study on teaching and learning…………… Conclusion ……………………………………………………… 3.1 Conclusion ………………………………………………… 3.2 Recommendation ………………………………………… References …………………………………………………… Appendice Page 2 3 4 4 7 7 8 10 10 10 11 13 14 16 16 19 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic In recent years, many researchers have focused on variables which promote success in language learning The fact is well known that even though students learn language in the same class, the degree of their success of language learning is different depending on students’ individual differences (Motoki, 2006) A lot of studies focus on these individual differences, and there is an increasing expectation for research which focuses on the effects of the variables of those individual differences on actual learning conditions Takeda (1998) says that to acquire skills for communication in English, learners need to not only study linguistic features but also motivate themselves for language learning, and consider their learning strategies Within the realm of second language acquisition and learning, a large number of research bodies (e.g Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Oxford, 1990) have agreed that language learning strategy use is one of the most important factors in the second language acquisition process Many studies of second language learning (e.g Green & Oxford, 1995; Griffiths & Parr, 2001; Oxford, 1990; Park, 1997) have extensively documented how successful learners seem to use a wider variety of language learning strategies than unsuccessful learners Meanwhile, several studies (e.g Cohen, 1998; Oxford, 1990; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Purpura, 1997) have revealed that selecting appropriate strategies could enhance the learners’ performance of second language learning Therefore, it is clear that the choices of strategies used by second language learners plays a vital role in second language learning It is found that information technology permeates students' life, but its vast potential for learning English is still unexploited Email and surfing the Internet, in particular, can be more fully utilized with the help of the school As for leisure activities, the study went in congruence with other studies Listening to songs and watching movies and television are still all-time favourites To heighten the effectiveness of the learning strategies, their use should perhaps start from the classroom The study suggests raising learners' awareness of the benefits of outof-class learning strategies and introducing more activities or school programmes that lead to access to the resources beyond class Moreover, teachers tend to pay more attention to the stratergies students use inside than those outside classroom while “Out-of-class activities are also linked with real life applications; this connection is key to fostering more authentic language usage and autonomy” (Pearson, 2004) Having been an English teacher for sixteen years as well as an experienced second language learner, I have paid special attention to the factors affecting students’ second language learning Besides, I also spent a lot of time studying these factors in my thesis during my post graduate course at ULIS Therefore, I have written my initiative “ encouraging students’ out – of – class learning strategies with the desire to find better teaching methods and know how to motivate the students to learn more effectively, especially outside the classroom 1.2 Purposes of the study The current study aims at: Investigating the choice of language learning strategies, especially out of class learning stratergies among grade 10th students at Yen Dinh uppersecondary school Not only examining students’ out- of –class learning strategies in isolation but also exploring the links between their learning strategies and their English learning results at school Suggesting some methods to make full use of students’ out- of – class learning 1.3 Objectives of the study: The research focuses on finding what kinds of out – of – class learning strategies of learning English existing among grade 10th students and if students’ choice out - of - class learning stratergies is related to their motivation and studying result of the subject 1.4 Methods of the study To realize the aims of the study, the reseacher has used both quantitative and qualitative methods The theoretical background of the study comes from a lot of published books by famous researchers in the field The data for the charts has been collected through survey questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software The participants are 90 students from the classes of grade 10 at Yen Dinh uppersecondary school, both males and females Before being handed out the survey questionnaires, the students were explained what to to complete the paper correctly Then they were allowed to finish it individually within 30 minutes The survey instruments of these parts involve a set of questionnaires: the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning or SILL (Oxford, 1990) The SILL is a paper-and-pencil survey and widely used for investigating language learners’ strategy use all over the world The data then were collected to be processed by The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Computer Program CONTENTS 2.1 Theoretical background 2.1.1 Definitions of ‘learning strategies’ and ‘out - of - class learning strategies’ 2.1.1.1 Learning strategy + Learning strategy concepts The word “strategy” comes from the ancient Greek word strategia, which means steps or actions taken for the purpose of winning a war.The warlike meaning of strategia has fortunately fallen away, but the control and goal directedness remain in the modern version of the word (Oxford, 1990) In defining the language learning strategy, Oxford & Crookall (1989) stated that “different researchers use different terms and different concepts”.Many researchers and experts have defined language learning strategies from different points of view According to Wenden (1987), language learning strategies can be defined from the aspect of language learning behaviours, such as learning and regulating the meaning of a second or foreign language, cognitive theory, such as learners’ strategic knowledge of language learning, and the affective view, such as learners’ motivation, attitude, etc It is argued that three points of views can improve language learning O’Malley, Chamot and their colleagues (Chamot & O’Malley, 1987; O’Malley et al., 1985a) were devoted to studying the use of learning strategies by ESL learners in the US Based on their research, language learning strategies were devided into three main categories, metacognitive, cognitive, and social affective which refer to learners’ planning their learning, thinking about the learning process, monitoring their own comprehension or production, and evaluating the outcomes of their own learning Next, Rigney (1978), and Rubin (1987), define language learning strategy as those “that contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and (which) affects learning directly” (1987) Moreover, the definition by Oxford (1990) also included cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of language learning strategies that enhance learners’ language learning proficiency and self-confidence (Oxford, 1990; Ehrman & Oxford, 1990) + Language learning strategy system of Rebecca Oxford Oxford (1990) classified learning strategies inventory as operations employed by the learner to aid in the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information Learners can adopt more specific strategies to make their learning more direct and effective Oxford categorized these learning actions as direct or indirect strategies Direct strategies help learners store and recover information; they assist learners in producing the language to fill in the gap of unknown knowledge Direct strategies include memory, cognitive, and compensation strategies Meanwhile, indirect learning strategies echo direct strategies, but manage language learning without direct involvement Indirect strategies are metacognitive, affective, and social strategies The functions of each strategy defined by Oxford (1990) are as follows: Direct stratergies - Memory strategies help learner link one second/ foreign language learning item or concept with another but not necessarily involve deep understanding - Cognitive strategies enable the learner to manipulate the language material in direct way, e.g., through reasoning, analysis, note-taking, summarizing, synthesining, outlining, reorganizing information to develop stronger schemas ( knowledge structures), practising in naturalistic settings, and practicing structures and sounds formally - Compensation strategies (e.g., guessing from the context in listening and reading, using synoyms and “talking around” the missing word to aid speaking and writing; and strictly for speaking, using guestures or pause words) helps the learner make up for missing knowledge Indirect strategies - Metacognitive strategies (e.g.,identifying one’s own learning style preferences and needs, planning for an L2 task, gathering and organizing materials, arranging a study space and a schedule, monitoring mistakes, and evaluate task success, and evaluate task success of any type of learning strategy) are employed for managing the learning process overall - Affective strategies include identifying one’s mood and anxiety level, talking about feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, and using deep breathing or positive self- talk - Social strategies (e.g., asking questions to get verification, asking for clarification of a confusing point, asking for help in doing a language task, talking with a native speaking conversation partner, and exploring cultural and social norm) help the learner work with others and understand the target culture as well as the language Rebecca Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language learning (SILL) is the most influential instrument in the area of language learning strategies and lays out the most exhaustive hierarchy of learning strategies to date (Rivera-Mills & Plonsky 2007) 2.1.1.2 Out – of - class learning strategy concepts Much interest has been expressed in out - of - class language learning strategies Pickard (1996) reported that some studies formulate useful typologies of strategy use (Naiman, 1978; Oxford, 1990; Rubin, 1975); all highlight the importance of the out-of-class strategies employed voluntarily by learners outside the language classroom Pickard (1996, p 150) also reported that: “These language learning strategies encompass student-initiated activities, such as listening to the radio and reading newspapers.” Rubin (1975) identified seven general characteristics of the good language learner, which include such out-of-class strategies as seeking out opportunities to use the language by looking for native speakers, and going to the cinema or to other cultural events Out-of-class learning, as it relates to language learning, has recently been broadly defined as any kind of learning that takes place outside the classroom and involves self-instruction, naturalistic learning or self-directed naturalistic learning (Benson 2001: 62) Benson (2001:62) divides out-of-class learning into three categories: -Self instruction, where learners deliberately plan to improve the target language and search out resources to help them this, for example by using self study grammar books to improve their grammar - Naturalistic language learning, where they learn mainly unintentionally through communication and interaction with the target language group, for example when engaged in discussions with English speaking classmates or colleagues - Self-directed naturalistic language learning, where learners create or seek out a language learning situation, but may not focus directly on learning the language while they are in that situation For example, learners may subscribe to an English newspaper everyday with the underlying aim of improving their vocabulary, but may read it mainly for the news without undertaking any specific learning activities Benson (2001) referred to the dearth of research on out-of-class language learning, and its importance to the theory and practice of autonomy Macaro (2001) proposed some activities which students would use into the habits of looking for the foreign language outside the classroom: - Speaking outside the classroom: Not only can learners maximize exposure to the foreign language outside the classroom by reading or listening to language, they can also try to speak the foreign language outside the classroom - Social strategies: There is a list of activities that students can with their friends in order to develop this idea that language learning can take place outside the classroom and can involve social activities: writing a letter to their friends with 10 deliberate mistakes, asking them to underline the mistakes, recording a dialogue together, practicing a scene together, trying to work out a foreign language text together -Taking notes: Teachers should allow students to take notes whenever they want It helps to remember and notice something interesting and different about their current knowledge and the input they are receiving -Materials: We have also considered a dossier of materials which we can use in order to train learners to use strategies These materials are designed to «scaffold» the strategy in question 2.1.1.3 The roles of students’ out – of – class learning strategies on their learning The significance of out-of-class learning is evident in a seminal study on Good Language Learners (GLLs) by Rubin in 1975 (as cited in (Mohamed, 2000; Marefat and Barbari, 2009)) One of the characteristics of GLLs is their interest in looking for opportunities to use the language, for instance speaking to native speakers and going to the cinema This notion is strengthened by Stern (1983 as cited in (Marefat and Barbari, 2009) who highlights that a GLL possesses social learning strategy The strategy includes making communicative contact with target language and target language community Nunan’s studies of successful language learners from variety of contexts and language learning backgrounds demonstrate, ‘the determination to apply their developing language skills outside the classroom’ can play a crucial role for learners in terms of their second language development (Nunan, 1991: 175) Field (2007) also states: “Students need to develop the ability to acquire the information that is available both inside and outside the classroom context”.What facilitates or inhibits our students' out-of-class English learning activities? It will be interesting and important for language teachers to know what atually happen beyond the classroom One cannot naively assume that all learners know the importance of exposure or practice outside class or how to capitalize on available resources A better understanding of theìr own work on improving English will inform our teaching strategies Out-of-class learning should be part and parcel of the whole learning issue as it can supplement inclass learning and enhance one's learning effectiveness There is cultural shift within education field as autonomy is increasingly transferred to students’ self guided language learning outside the classroom (Benson, 2011) Learning is a life-long endeavour Teachers cannot learn for their students nor can they help them all their lives Besides, even in a formal learning institution, who can ensure that learners learn what teachers teach, given the complex relationship between instruction and learning? There are more distance or on-line courses, more self-learning programmes and self-access centers If students are empowered to learn on their own, they can take charge of their own learning and life and become, as Benson (2001: 19) remarks, 'fully functioning members of a modern society.' 2.2 Students’ out – of – class learning strategies at Yen Dinh high school 2.2.1 Language learning strategies As illustrated in table 1, the means of the strategies rang from 2.70 to 3.20 which are all above the average of the five – point scale Metacognitive strategy is the most frequently used (M = 3.2) and is followed by affective strategy (M = 3.20) Memory strategy with M = 3.05 ranks third in decending scale Three other strategies, scocial, cognitive and compensation have the means 2.82, 2.79 and 2.70 respectively Compensation strategy is the least frequently adopted, so it can be infered that students not always try to guess the missing words in the context or use guesture to explain for the word they forget From this result, it can be infered that students tend to prefer indirect learning strategies with its sub-types, metacognitive and affective, have the highest mean scores while direct strategies seem not to be their favorite ones with the mean scores of the two sub-types, cognitive and compensation, are both at the lowest level Table 1: Summary of descriptic statistic for language learning strategy use Strategy use Compensation Cognitive Social Memory Affective Metacognitive Mean Std Deviation 2.70 2.79 2.82 3.05 3.20 3.29 1.240 1.111 1.286 1.031 1.439 1.139 2.2.2 Out – of – class learning activities The results from the second section of part I in the survey questionnaires provide some information about what students to learn English outside class Students not only acquire English through one activity but many of them choose more options, so the total response adds up to 204 There is a big difference in the percentage of the choice the students have made ‘Listen to English songs’ ranks first on the list with 76.1 percent of the cases, so the students prefer learning English through English songs to the other activities outside class This option is followed by ‘play games in English’ with only five cases fewer Far from the two options on the top list is the activity ‘read books in English’, which accounts for 40.9 percent of the cases Half of that number belongs to ‘chat with foreigners on line’ Apart from the above mentioned activities, three point four percent of students learn English through other activities As being specified in the survey, these activities include watching films in English, sending emails or talking to foreigners in English Lastly, few students read English newspapers to improve their English and their choice lies at the end of the list which makes up three point four percent of the cases More information about these activities is showed in the table below Table 2: Out – of – class learning activities Responses N Percent Percent of Cases Total Listen to English songs 67 32.8% 76.1% Play games in English 62 30.4% 70.5% Read books in English 36 17.6% 40.9% Chat with foreigners on line 18 8.8% 20.5% Listen to radio programs 11 5.4% 12.5% Other activities 3.4% 8.0% Read newspapers in English 1.5% 3.4% 204 100.0% 231.8% 2.2.3 The relationship between motivation and out – of – class learning strategies Table shows the Pearson bivariate correlations between motivation and out-ofclass learning strategies The motivation mean is computed from the motivation variables in Table 5, excluding amotivation As can be seen, metacognitive strategies is mostly adopted by motivated students with r = 364** and it is followed by memory strategies (r =.323**) The third place belongs to the correlation result of motivation and cognitive strategies Compensation strategies were negatively correlated with motivation (r =-.045) Two other strategies (social and affective) have nearly the same correlation results with motivation (r =.242* and 241* respectively) Metacog- Memory Cogninitive tive Social Affect- Compe ive nsation Pearson Correla- 364** 323** 268* 242* 241* -.045 Motiv- tion ation Sig (2.011 002 011 022 022 670 tailed) N 90 90 90 90 90 90 2.3 How to make use of students’ out – of – class learning strategies 2.3.1 Conducting surveys to determine students’ out – of – class learning strategies Everyone is unique From the fingerprints on our fingers to the way we learn, our uniqueness is what makes us different from everyone else For teachers, learning to complement the unique learning styles of their students can sometimes be a bit of a challenge Fortunately, using differentiated learning strategies greatly improves a teacher's ability to cater to students' individual needs It's extremely hard to teach a certain topic to an entire class when the students aren't on the same level of knowledge Teachers who deploy differentiated learning strategies attempt to reach everyone in the class at the same time At the same time, they still understand that everyone is on a different level Chances are many teachers have heard of this teaching method but maybe they've never put it to use On the other hand, perhaps they're currently using differentiated learning strategies but not enjoying as much success with them as they thought Whatever the case may be, I 've put together a helpful go-to guide with five differentiated learning strategies to lean on Use formative assessments to pinpoint student learning styles Design lesson plans based on the student's learning styles Separate students into different groups based on their learning styles Create a classroom that supports the use of differentiated learning Continue to perform formative assessments and tweak groups to meet the current learning style needs of the students Over the past decade, countless advancements in technology have made their way into the classroom Schools offer students access to tablets and mobile devices which can be used to fuel learning success However, not all of the students are going to be proficient with these tools How we use differentiated learning strategies to get around this? At the beginning of the year, spend two to three weeks getting to know the various learning styles of the students During that time there should be a focus on determining which students can work well with mobile technology and computers It's a good idea to document which devices can be used in an advanced manner by which students, too Once I've done this, I can then spend the rest of the year carrying out various differentiated learning assignments that ensure all students are able to effectively use technological tools before the school year is over 2.3.2 Create a classroom that supports differentiated learning Set up the classroom so that students can be placed in groups Student desks can easily be rotated in their positions to form a whole-class learning environment Afterward, they can be transitioned back into their normal 10 positions to create a differentiated learning environment that supports group learning Your formative assessments will dictate which students should be placed in each group You can also rotate stations back and forth for completing different assignments For example, in one learning station you can have students create a piece of artwork In the other three they can complete a puzzle, listen to a webinar lecture, and read an article Provide multilevel resources to the different groups and offer assignments on a tiered basis For example, advanced learning resources will be provided to those who display advanced learning styles Harder assignments are given to students who exceptionally well in problem-solving and research These students will be able to use learning tools to teach themselves and complete their coursework This means the bulk of your attention will likely be provided to struggling students 2.3.3 Assigning suitable tasks ouside the classroom Whenever talking about English teaching situation in Yen Dinh high school, we always mention to limited time in class as the first problem We certainly not want our students to restrict themselves to using English in class We want them to get as much practice as possible One solution can be come up with easily, that is assigning homework activities However, I question how much learning actually takes place Do they really try to their homework by themselves? Are they interested or not? Can they actually get something from those homework activities? … Having experienced failures in piling on homework, I decided to try some other ideas, something easier, more interesting and more inspiring to both my students and me Some of them have been used in my classes and they really work; some still need improving to be able to keep students motivated; and some are just ideas I think of when working on this research paper However, all the assigned tasks are applied the following principles: - They must be within our students’ linguistic reach - They must be meaningful so that the students can use English outside of class to get particular goals - They must be able to exploit the power of enthusiasm, which means they can keep the students interested The followings are two ways to help ESL students expand their classroom learning into real-world settings: + Groups and Clubs Often, the less-structured environment of extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports teams is a great arena in which to motivate ESL students to use the language The lowpressure environment lets youngsters practice communicating 11 in English in a hands-on, interactive way They don’t have to worry about being graded or tested and their motivation levels may be higher because they are engaged in an activity they enjoy In interacting with English-speaking peers, ESL students can find common ground on which to share stories through the use of language + Social Media Social media networks such as Zalo, Facebook,Gmail e.t.c can help teachers and students interact in English outside the classroom If appropriate in terms of students’ maturity levels, the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks allows teachers and students to engage in discussion about assignments, events and other topics pertaining to English Social media sites and their accompanying networking tools can broaden students’ awareness and knowledge of English, as well as build their confidence and boost their motivation to become more fluent For today’s youngsters – the so-called “digital generation” – social media is in many ways their “real world,” and its use can help them build their vocabulary Of course, there are caveats when it comes to social media Parental permission must be obtained before embarking on lessons using social media, and students’ social network activities must be continuously monitored and reviewed In this initiative, I would like to recommend you edmono.com It is often referred as “a Facebook for schools” It is absolutely a user-friendly site allowing you to create digital classrooms where you can post assignments, announcements, share interesting video clips, create quizzes… You can also interact easily with your students, as well as other ESL teachers Suggestions for introducing an ‘English outside the classroom’ program One of the most effective ways for ESL teachers to assist their students in developing English fluency is to encourage them to use English outside the classroom This is not always an easy task, as many ESL students live in non-English speaking households and often socialize with friends who also speak the same native language However, when teachers provide opportunities to use English in an engaging and meaningful way, ESL learners will naturally be more motivated to take risks and explore the language because it is relevant to their 12 personal experience The followings are some suggestions for teachers to initate a program outside classroom • Incorporate it into the cirriculum One of the biggest problems for students is worrying about what others will think if they start speaking English outside the classroom One possible way around this is to make it part of an assignment or homework, such as giving everyone a particular topic and a list of students they have to talk to about it outside the class Students sign each other’s lists to show that they have completed the task This gives them the option of saving face by saying “I have to this for my class.” • Use class time to help students prepare Set aside class time to answer questions that students may have relating to what they practiced outside When you give students an activity to in pairs or groups that could be done without a desk, send them out of the classroom to it so that they can begin to break the association between English practice and the classroom • Set up groups Many students not like to be the only one to try something new Set up an ‘all-English group’ so that students can meet others who are prepared to take up the challenge • Offer students a range of strategies and encourage them to experiment Learners are all different For example, some students may prefer to try to use English all day, and others may like to practice in ten, five, or one minute bursts In the UK, the most effective anti-smoking slogan to date has been ‘never give up giving up’ Remind the students (and yourself!) that this is an ongoing effort, not a ‘one-off’ succeed or fail experiment • Set challenges If you approach this idea like a game, you can set one hour, one day, or even one-week ‘All-English Challenges’ Students who meet the challenge can have their names listed on a league table, receive prizes, or have their achievement recognized in any way you see appropriate 2.3.4 Sample tasks outside the classroom Sample 1: Unit 11: National parks (Tieng Anh 10 – Education publisher) Lesson 3: Listening Home assignment: Divide the class into four groups, base on their English learning ability Each group has to complete the following tasks: + Group (with low English competency): Collect and demonstrate 10 photos of fauna and flora of Cuc Phuong national parks + Group (with medium English competency): Collect and summarize two articles about Cuc Phuong national park in English 13 + Group (with high English competency): Make a mindmap of Cuc Phuong national park Sample 1: Unit 14 The World Cup (Tieng Anh 10 – Education publisher) Lesson 2: Speaking Home assignment: Divide the class into four groups whose members have the same English competency Each group has to complete the following assignment: + Group 1: List 24 World Cup tournaments as in task of the lesson Times Year Host country Winner Score Runner-up … 24 + Group 2: Collect ten photos of the runner – up and the winner of the 24 th World Cup + Group 3: List the names of the footballers of two teams in the final match of the 24th World Cup + Group 4: Write about the final match of the 24th World Cup as in task of the lesson 2.4 Effects of the study on teaching and learning The purpose of school is to prepare students for life beyond school Today's society has a higher demand for self-awareness and more specialised skills One of the easiest ways to help advance students is by incorporating learning experiences outside the classroom Learning outside the classroom can help enrich a student's educational experience by showing them real-life applications of theories that they are learning at school After step by step carrying out the ways of encouraging students using their out – of – class English learning strategies, I find out that my students have become more confident and interested in learning English They not feel afraid of making mistakes as they used to Now I really feel happy and proud of my students Their attitude towards English learning activities outside the classroom has changed significantly as shown in the tables bellow Chart1 Students’ attitude towards out –of –class English learning strategies 14 Chart As can be seen from the charts, before I applied the new teaching method, my students also taken part in the learning activities but less often than they now Besides, my students become more and more excited in these activites No one feels bored with the assignments they have to outside class hours Therefore, it can be confirmed that, out-of-class learning is really good for English learners Moreover, I also share my experience in motivating students’ learning through their out – of – class strategies with my colleagues and they also agree that the method I mentioned above are more motivating and effective than the traditional ways of teaching and learning English 15 Conclusion 3.1 Conclusion Once again, I would like to emphasize that the students who try to use English outside the classroom, for sure, the most improvement Obviously, motivation is the key here and I also believe that “fun homework” is an important tool for more English exposure However, when reading the ideas in this paper, some of you probably doubt their effectiveness or some of you probably wonder whether they work for lazy or low level students I not deny that when trying to realize those ideas, the results I got were below my expectations many times The study shows that students, while knowing the limitations of classroom learning, are not fully aware of what are available beyond the classroom and venture out on their own to tap the resources The infrequent use of out-of-class learning strategies perhaps explains the general low standard of English in the community Though it cannot be proved that more proficient learners use more out-of-class learning strategies, they have a tendency to participate in more English activities especially in speaking and watchìng English programmes outside class The impact of examination and the input from native speakers determines what isimportant but importance would not be the sole consideration for students' choiceof strategies outside the classroom Interest or interest together with usefulnesswould be more decisive Like other studies receptive activities, especially those with an entertainment purpose like listening to songs or watching movies or television, were found to be more popular than others, but the I.T group emerged to be as prominent The use of technology has become part of students' life, but its potential for learning has yet to be explored by students They show general ignorance of the rich resources available on the Internet Computer literacy does not contribute to skills in digging the wealth provided by the technology Information should be given and awareness raised if the wealth on the Internet can be exploited by them Actually, my effort still cannot have any impact on some particular students; they keep their own way and not want to give it a go That, for me, is not a 16 big failure The thing here is as a teacher, I have tried to offer ways to help my students who really want to get better at English to use their target language when they are not in the class, to motivate and change their learning routines in a positive way 3.2.Recommendation - To teachers: With the development of IT nowaday, classroom learning is not enough or up-to-date Assignments can also be designed in such a way that they lead to out-of-class learning Project work which encourages the search for English websites and discussìon group for sharing opinions of current issues and English diary for sharing school experiences and daily happenings are a few suggestions By bringing the resources in the community into the classroom and completing learning tasks ouiside the classroom, the teachers can start removing the barriers that so easily erect themselves between formal learning and the wider environment in which the learner lives - To students: Learning any foreign language is really a big challenge to any learner, which requires motivation and hard work Therefore, try your best to learn English because it is very useful in your life Every student should actively participate in learning activities during class hour as well as other activities outsides classroom to acquire knowledge on your own On important thing to help English learners to be successful is that they should take chances of getting your teacher’s help Ask them whenever you encounter difficulty 17 Headmaster’s confirmation I strongly assure that this is the work of my own and not the copy of any other’s Yen Dinh, May 16th, 2019 Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn Đỗ Thị Thủy 18 REFERENCES Benson, P (2001) Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning Harlow: Pearson Education Benson, P (2011) What’s new in autonomy? 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Bulletin of Tsukuba International University, 14, 43-59 Tremblay, P F & Gardner, R C (1995) Expanding the motivation construct in language learning The Modern Language Journal,79, 505-518 Wenden, A and Rubin, J (1987) Learner Strategies in Language Learning Englewood Cliff, NJ, Prentice Hall DANH MỤC SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM ĐÃ TỪNG ĐẠT GIẢI TT Tên đề tài SKKN Cấp đánh giá xếp loại Kết xếp loại Một số phương pháp giúp học sinh xây dựng trường từ vựng theo chủ đề học Sở GD – ĐT Thanh Hóa C Organizing pair work and group work in speaking lessons Sở GD – ĐT Thanh Hóa C Năm học đánh giá xếp loại 2008 – 2009 2016 – 2017 Ghi Vào sổ số 12/ QĐSGD&ĐT ngày 05 tháng 01 năm 2010 Quyết định số : 1112/QĐSGD & ĐT ngày 18 tháng 10 năm 2017 20 21 APPENDIX Survey questionnaires – Bảng câu hỏi khảo sát This survey aims at finding out some information about out-of-class English learning strategies of grade-ten students at Yendinh uppersecondary school Please help me to complete it by doing the following tasks Mục đích khảo sát tìm hiểu số thơng tin chiến lược học tập tiếng Anh học học sinh khối 10 trường THPT Yên Định Các em vui lòng giúp hồn thành khảo sát cách làm theo yêu cầu I General information - Tick the activities you often to learn English outside classroom Đánh dấu tick (√) vào hoạt động em thường làm để học tiếng Anh ngồi học I listen to English songs Tơi nghe hát tiếng Anh I listen to radio programs in English Tơi nghe chương trình tiếng Anh đài phát I read newspapers in English Tôi đọc báo tiếng Anh I read books in English Tôi đọc sách tiếng Anh I chat with foreigners on line in English Tơi trò chuyện mạng với bạn nước tiếng Anh I play games in English Tôi chơi games tiếng Anh Other activites (If there is any, please specify) Các hoạt động khác ( Nếu có vui lòng nêu cụ thể) II Questionnaire on language learning strategies Bảng câu hỏi chiến lược học tập This form of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) is for students of English as a second or foreign language Hình thức khảo sát chiến lược học ngôn ngữ ngữ ( viết tắt SILL) dành cho người học tiếng Anh ngôn ngữ ngoại ngữ You will find statements about learning English Please read each statement On doing it, circle the response (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that tells how true of you the statement is Các em thấy câu nói việc học tiếng Anh Vui lòng đọc câu Trong đọc khoanh vào câu trả lời (( tương ứng với 1,2,3,4,5) để xác định câu với thân em đến đâu 1.Never or almost never true of me Hoàn toàn gần hồn tồn khơng với tơi 2.Usually not true of me Thường không với 3.Somewhat true of me Hơi với 4.Usually true of me Thường với 5.Always or almost always true of me Luôn gần luôn với I connect the sound of a new English word and an image or picture of the word to help me remember the word Tôi liên hệ âm từ tiếng anh với hình ảnh tranh từ để giúp tơi nhớ từ I practice English with other students Tôi thực hành tiếng Anh với học sinh khác I review English lessons often Tôi ôn tập thường xuyên I watch English language TV shows spoken in English or go to movies spoken in English Tơi xem chương trình truyền hình tiếng Anh xem phim tiếng Anh 5 I write notes, messages, letters, or reports in English Tôi ghi chép, viết tin nhắn, thư tường thuật tiếng Anh When I can’t think of a word during a conversation in English, I use gestures Khi không nghĩ từ giao tiếp, dùng cử I look for opportunities to read as much as possible in English Tơi tìm kiếm hội đọc tiếng Anh nhiều tốt I try to find as many ways as I can to use my English Tơi cố gắng tìm nhiều cách để sử dụng tiếng Anh I try to find out how to be a better learner of English Tơi cố gắng tìm cách học tiếng Anh tốt 10 I encourage myself to speak English even when I am afraid of making mistakes Tơi ln khuyến khích thân nói tiếng Anh e sợ mắc lỗi III Frequency of using out-of-class learning strategies Mức độ thường xuyên sử dụng tiếng Anh học Circle your choice – Khoanh vào phương án em lựa chọn - How often you use English outside the classroom? Em có thường xuyên sử dụng tiếng Anh ngồi học khơng? A Always – Luôn B Often – Thường xuyên C Sometimes – Thỉnh thoảng D Never – Không IV Students’ attitude towards out-of-class English learning strategies Circle your choice – Khoanh vào phương án em lựa chọn - How you feel when taking part in the out-of-class learning activities ? – Em cảm thấy tham gia chiến lược học tiếng Anh học A Excited – Hào hứng B Nervous – Hồi hộp C Bored – Chán Thank you very much for your cooperation! Cám ơn hợp tác em nhiều! ... Definitions of learning strategies and out - of - class learning strategies ……………… 2.1.1.1 Learning strategies …………………………… 2.1.1.2 Out – of – class learning strategies …………… 2.1.2 Out – of – class learning. .. class learning strategies in learning English 2.1.3 The roles of students out – of – class learning strategies on their learning ……………………………………… 2.2 Students out – of – class learning strategies. .. focuses on finding what kinds of out – of – class learning strategies of learning English existing among grade 10th students and if students choice out - of - class learning stratergies is related