Motivating 10th grade students in a speaking skill lesson at ham rong high school

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HAM RONG HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE THEME MOTIVATING 10th GRADE STUDENTS IN A SPEAKING SKILL LESSON AT HAM RONG HIGH SCHOOL Researcher: Nguyen Thị Xuan Oanh Function: Teacher Work place: Ham Rong High School Research field: English THANH HOA 2019 I INTRODUCTION Nowadays Speaking English is very important in our life especially to the young, however, there are some students who were good at English, passed entrance university exams with mark or in English, but at University their English speaking skill was bad They had to go to the English center to add their English speaking skill This is the problem I have been thinking for a long time The English which students have learnt at school is not small but there is little chance for them to use English to communicate to other people by speaking at school There are few foreigners in Thanh Hoa city, where my school is situated so my students don’t have much opportunities to practise speaking English to them In my experience I want students to make chances themselves to practise speaking English in their class and school The English speaking environment appears in front of them II CONTENT Aims of study Facilitate students’ process of learning speaking skill Suggest some models used for practicing speaking English to both acquaintances and strangers at school Scope of study The study only focuses on introducing the techniques helping students in grade 10 at Ham Rong high school to motivate in speaking English acquaintances and strangers at school through the models designed for optional lessons and out-door activities From the result of application of the technique, suggested models will be given to improve teaching speaking skill to students at Ham Rong high school Background of the problems In the optional lessons of Tieng Anh 10, our English group has composed the program that we have used to teach in our school for years, and in the lessons students are given many exercises to Most of these exercises are written ones so that students are fed up with the lessons They not want to learn a language in this way so that in some classes students have four English lessons a week but their English speaking skill is not good After four years of studying in lower secondary school and one year in upper secondary school, most students hardly use English to communicate to other people With what I have learned from my colleagues and my experience in my teaching life, I show my little experience to help students motive in speaking skill in the optional lessons of Tieng Anh 10 Measure 4.1 At class According to the topic of each unit, some different pictures are collected and printed in colour After each unit, there are two or three optional lessons I deliver each table a picture relating to the topic and guide students how to with these pictures They look at the pictures, work on group to find out answers to the questions about their pictures The questions are divided into different kinds to make students to observe and think more about the pictures and things that relating to the pictures The teacher is willing to answer the students’ questions when they not know the answers Good students can answer the questions and explain, not good students can give short answers without explaining They work in groups for about minutes and then each table selects two students to go to the board to ask and answer about the picture they have worked with The other students look at the picture and take notes what they have listened to and then the teacher choose one student report what they have taken notes to the class 4.2 Outdoor activities After Units in the first semester, students are used to speaking in front of the class, they are asked to go out to interview other students in grade 12 who are good at English to get some information and then they report the information to the class The information and the questions are discussed and pre-practised carefully at class in periods with the teacher’s help 4.3 Models 1: Indoor activities (The first semester) 4.3.1 Unit 1: A day in the life of……… * Before conversation Pictures and questions are shown: A farmer/ Peter A writer/ Linda A student/ John A singer/ Jesca A doctor/ Mary A fisher man/ Ann A taxi driver/ Ana A tour guide/ Barbara A teacher/ Bush 10 A gate keeper/ Dean 11 A journalist/ Lan ∗ Questions: What is your picture about?  It is about a …………… What is his/ her name? What is her/ his job? What does she/he every day? Does she/ he like her/ his job? Why/ why not? Do you like this job? Why you think about it? What job you want to get in the future? And why you want get the job? What you for your career? * While conversation After working in the group, they choose two students in their group to practice asking and answering the questions A singer/ Jesca ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? It is about a singer What is his/ her name? Jesca What is her/ his job? She is a singer 4.What does she every day? In the morning she gets up late After getting up, she goes to the gym room to morning exercise and she has breakfast in the restaurant with her husband In the morning she spends an hour to some new songs In the afternoon, she teaches children how to sing at a singing club She gets home at about half past four and prepares for singing at theatres, or modern restaurants Sometimes she sings at the meetings or conference………… Does he/she like her/ his job? Why/ why not? - Yes, she does Because she likes singing/ when she sings she feels happy…… - No, she doesn’t Because she can’t sing…………… Do you like this job? Why you think about it? - Yes, I I think it is an interesting job………………………… - No, I don’t I think it is an interesting job but I can’t it…………………… What job you want to get in the future? And why you want get the job? I want to become a doctor because I can treat my family, relatives and friends…………… What you for your career? From now, I will study harder, especially subjects: Math, Chemistry, Biology * After the conversation One student is chosen to report: This is Jesca She is a singer In the morning she gets up late After getting up, she goes to the gym room to morning exercise and she has breakfast in the restaurant with her husband In the morning she spends about an hour singing some new songs In the afternoon, she teaches children how to sing at a singing club She gets home at about half past four and prepares for singing at theatres, or modern restaurants Sometimes she sings at the meetings or conference………… 4.3.2 Unit 2: School talk * Before conversation Pictures and questions are shown: ∗ The pictures are about 10 students who are good at Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Literature, English, Information technology and gymnastics Mary/ England/ Literature Viet Ha/ Vietnam/ English Barbara/ America/ Information technology Dean/ Canada/ gymnastics Bonshoo/ Korea/ Geography Chellily/ China/ History Peter/ English/ Math Linda/ France/ Physics John/ Australia/ Chemistry 10 Jesca/ Singapore/ Biology ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? What is his/ her name? Where is she/ he from? Do you know how old she/ he is? What subject is she/ he good at 4.What does she every day? Do you like this subject? What subject are you good at? * While conversation After working in the group, they choose two students in their group to practise asking and answering the questions Viet Ha/ Vietnam/ English ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? It is about a student What is his/ her name? She is Viet Ha Where is she/he from? She is from Vietnam Do you know how old she is? She is about 16 years old What subject is she good at? She is good at English 4.What does she every day? She goes to school in the morning In the afternoon, she goes to the English speaking club to practise speaking English with her friends Sometimes she goes to the park to speak English with foreigners In the evening, she watches English news program on television and then she does homework until half past ten Do you like this subject? Yes, I But my English is not good What subjects are you good at? I am good at Math Because it is a useful subject……………… * After the conversation One student is chosen to report: Viet Ha/Vietnam/ English Viet Ha is a Vietnamese student She is about 16 years old She is good at English She goes to school in the morning In the afternoon, she goes to the English speaking club to practise speaking English with her friends Sometimes she goes to the park to speak English with foreigners In the evening, she watches English news program on television and then she does homework until half past ten 4.3.3 Unit 3: People’s back ground * Before conversation Pictures and questions are shown: ∗ Pictures of some famous people in Vietnam and in the world An Thuyen / music poet Nam Cao/ writer Ronaldo/ footballer Nguyen Du/ poet Trinh Cong Son/ music composer Cong Vinh/ footballer ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? What is her his/ name? 3.When was she/ he born Where was she/ he born? 5.What is she/he famous for? What is her/his background? 7.Do you want to be famous? Why/ why not? Do you know any famous people in your homeland? And tell me some things about her/him? * While conversation After working in the group, they choose two students in their group to practise asking and answering the questions Cong Vinh/ Footballer ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? It is about a footballer What is his name? He is Le Cong Vinh 3.When was he born? He was born in 19 Where was he born? He was born in Quynh Lam village, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province 5.What is he famous for? He is famous for his football playing What is his background? When he was young, He lived and studied in Quynh Luu district He was born in a football- loving family, his father was a good footballer His mother loves football a lot His sister used to be a student in our school She is Le Thi Khanh Chi When his family realized that he was good at football, they sent him to Song Lam football team to learn and play football and his football career started since then Have you ever met him? No, I didn’t I have seen him on TV many times Do you want to be famous? Why/ why not? Yes, I Because When I am famous, many people know and pay attention to me……… Do you know any famous people in your home land? and tell me some things about them? Yes He is my uncle He is a singer He sings very well Many people know him…… * After the conversation One student is chosen to report Cong Vinh / Footballer 10 Le Cong Vinh is a football player He was born in Quynh lam village, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province in 1985 He is famous for his football playing When he was young, he lived and studied in Quynh Luu district He was born in a football loving family, His father was a good footballer His mother loves football a lot His sister used to be a student in our school She is Le Thi Khanh Chi When his family realized that he was good at football, they sent him to Song Lam team to learn and play football and his football career started since then He plays very well He is seen on TV many times 4.3.4 Unit 4: Special education * Before conversation Pictures and questions are shown: A deaf children class/ teacher Peter A blind children/ teacher Linda A street children class/ teacher John An autism children class/ teacher Mike A good student class/ teacher Mary A bed students class/ teacher Ann An English speaking class for the old/ teacher Lan Huong ∗ Questions: 1.What is your picture about? Who teaches this class? How are the students in her/ his class? 4.What does she/he to teach her/ his students? Does his students understand what she/ he teaches? Does she/ he like her/ his job? Why/ why not? 7.Do you like this job? Why you think about it? If there were not any class for these people, what would happen with them? * While conversation 11 After working in the group, they choose two students in their group to practise asking and answering the questions An autism children class/ teacher Mike ∗ Questions: What is your picture about? It is about an autism children class Who teaches this class? Teacher Mike How are the students in his class? They have autism They don’t want to talk to any one so it is very hard for him to teach them What does she/he to teach her/ his students? He has to use toys, a lot of things to make them happy and then he gets in touch with them first then make them to talk with him When the conversation starts, the lesson may begin Does his students understand what he teaches? At first they didn’t and now they understand Does he like his job? He likes his job When his lesson starts it means he can link these people to our society Why you think about it? I think it is very important If there were not any classes for these people, what would happen with them? They would lose contact with our society………………… * After the conversation One student is chosen to report: An autism children class/ teacher Mike This is a special class Teacher Mike teaches this class The students in this class have autism They don’t want to talk to any one so it is very hard for 12 him to teach them He has to use toys, a lot of things to make them happy and then he gets in touch with them first then make them to talk with him When the conversation starts, the lesson may begin At first they didn’t understand and now they understand He likes his job When his lesson starts it means he can link these people to our society 4.4 Models 2: Out-door activities (Second semester) The people asked for the information are in students in Ham Rong school so the interviews carry out between the second and the third periods or even after the fifth periods 4.4.1 Before the interview The information Period ∗ Questions: Name: What is your name? Class: Which class are you in? The number of students in the class: How many students are there in your class? The head teacher: Who is your head teacher? What the class is like: What is your class like? Family: Can you tell me somethings about your family? The number of members: How many members are there in your family? Father: What is your father’s job? Where does he work? Mother: What is your mother’s job? Where does she work? Other member: 1…………………………………… Other member: 2…………………………………… Other member: 3…………………………………… Hobby: What is your hobby? /What you usually in your free time? The favourite subject: What is your favourite subject at school? The way to study English well: Your English is Ok Can you tell me the best way to study English? 13 The job in the future: What job you want to get in the future? Some advices: You are big brothers/ sisters in Hoang Mai school You are going to leave our school Could you give us some advices? Period 2: Practice at class Group work: Students work in groups to ask and answer the questions from to minutes A: What is your name? B: I am …………… A: Which class are you in? B I am in class …………… A: How many students are there in your class? B: There are …………… A: What is your class like? B: My class is ……………We are good at ……………We play…………… well/badly The boys…………… The girls …………… A: Who is your head teacher? B: Our head teacher is…………… A: What Subject does she/ he teach? B: She teaches…………… A: Can you tell me somethings about your family? B: Yes, I can A: How many members are there in your family? B: There are…………… A: What is your mother’s job? Where does she work? B: She is a/an…………… She works in…………… A: What is your father’s job? And where does he work? B: He is a …………… He works in…………… A: What does your sister/brother do? B: She/he…………… Other member: 1…………………………………… 14 Other member: 2…………………………………… A: What is your hobby? /What you usually in your free time? B: My hobby is…………… A: What are your favourite subjects at school? B: I like studying…………………………………… A: Your English is Ok Can you tell me the best way to study English? B: Yes……………………………………………………………… A: What job you want to get in the future? B: I want to be a………… A: You are big brothers/ sisters in Hoang Mai school You are going to leave our school Could you give us some advices? B: Yes………………………… * Pair work: Two students in a group are called to ask and answer the questions in front of the class: The other students listen and take notes by filling the information in the poster they have prepared before After the conversation one student goes to the board to report A: What is your name? B: I am Trang A: Which class are you in? B: I am in class 10A9 A: How many students are there in your class? B: There are 45 A: What is your class like? B: My class is good We are good at English, Math and literature There are only boys They don’t play football well They are obedient The girls are more active A: Who is your head teacher? B: Our head teacher is Mrs Tran Thi Thuong A: What Subject does she teach? B: She teaches Literature 15 A: Can you tell me somethings about your family? B: Yes, I can A: How many members are there in your family? B: There are They are my parents my sister and me A: What is your mother’s job? Where does she work? B: She is a farmer She works in Quynh Thien village A: What is your father’s job? And where does he work? B: He is a soldier He works in Da Nang A: What does your sister do? B: She is a student in Vinh university A: What is your hobby? /What you usually in your free time? B: My hobby is reading books I like reading romantic books… A: What are your favourite subjects at school? B: I like studying English, Math, history A: Your English is Ok Can you tell me the best way to study English? B: Yes The best way to study English better is practising it everyday In English lessons you have to use English to communicate to your friends and teachers A: What job you want to get in the future? B: I want to be a teacher of English A: You are big brothers/ sisters in Ham Rong school You are going to leave our school Could you give us some advices? B: Yes You should ………………………… * Individual work: One student is chosen to report She is Trang She is in class 10A9 There are 45 in her class Her class is good They are good at English, Math and literature There are only boys They don’t play football well They are obedient The girls are more active Our head teacher is Mrs Tran Thi Thuong She teaches Math There are in Trang’s family They are her parents her sister and her Her mother is a farmer She works in Quynh Thien village Her father is a soldier He works in Da 16 Nang Her sister is a student in Vinh university Trang’s hobby is reading books she likes reading romantic books…Her favourite subjects are English, Math, History Trang says that the best way to study English better is pratising it everyday In English lessons you have to use English to communicate to your friends and teachers She advised us…………… * Group work: Outdoor activities Good students in grade 12 are given to students to choose Each group is asked to go out to interview one of the students in the list to get the information in the poster or more During the interview the have to use their telephone to record the interview And then they listen again to write down all the information in the poster In Class the teacher plays the tape of one group and the groups listen to complete the poster then write a paragraph about it The information Name: ……………………………………………… Class: ……………………………………………… The number of students in the class: ……………… The head teacher: …………………………………… What the class is like: ……………………………… Family: The number of member: …………………………… Father……………………………………………… Mother……………………………………………… Other member: 1…………………………………… Other member: 2…………………………………… Other member: 3…………………………………… Hobby: ……………………………………………… The favourite subject: ……………………………… The way to study English well: …………………… The job in the future: ……………………………… Some advices: ……………………………………… 17 ∗ Questions: Greeting: Good afternoon/ morning I am…… I am from class…… I am happy to meet you today Are you ready to answer some of my questions? A: What is your name? B: ……………………………………………… A: Which class are you in? B: ……………………………………………… A: How many students are there in your class? B: …………………………………………………… A: Who is your head teacher? B: …………………………………………………… A: What is your class like? B: …………………………………………………… A: Can you tell me somethings about your family? B: ……………………………………………………… A: How many members are there in your family? B: ………………………………………………… A: What is your father’s job? Where does he work? B: ………………………………………………… A: What is your mother’s job? Where does she work? B: ………………………………………………… Other member: 1…………………………………… Other member: 2…………………………………… Other member: 3…………………………………… A: What is your hobby? /What you usually in your free time? B: ……………………………………………………… A: What is your favourite subject at school? B: …………………………………………………… A: Your English is Ok Can you tell me the best way to study English? B: ……………………………………………………… 18 A: What job you want to get in the future? B: ……………………………………………………… A: You are big brothers/ sisters in Hoang Mai school You are going to leave our school Could you give us some advices? B: …………………………………………………… 4.4.2 Interview Greeting: Good afternoon I am…… I am from class…… I am happy to meet you today Are you ready to answer some of my questions? A: What is your name? B: My name is Nguyen Thi Hong Today I am really happy to stay here to and have a short communication with you A: Which class are you in? B: I study in class 12A12 A: How many students are there in your class? B: It has 38 students A: Who is your head teacher? B: Mrs Linh is our heads teacher who is responsible for our actions A: What is your class like? B: Every students in my class are very friendly They are willing to help to help each other to study better and better A: Can you tell me somethings about your family? B: Yes A: How many members are there in your family? B: My family is a close-knit one It has members who are my parents, my three younger sisters, My brother and me A: What is your father’s job? Where does he work? B: My father and mother are both bakers working in bakery at home They their best and sacrifice many things to provide their children good education My second and third sibling are now in primary school My youngest sister is in the kindergarten and my brother is at home with my 19 grandmother Sometimes they are quite mischievous but most of time they are obedient A: What is your mother ‘s job? Where does she work? B: ………………………………………………… Other member: 1…………………………………… Other member: 2…………………………………… Other member: 3…………………………………… A: What is your hobby? / What you usually in your free time? B: I have many hobbies such as reading, dancing, watching cartoon film, listening to music In my free time I usually go to my dancing club to practise Just following music, I want to learn a new dance style, I can ask any other who know it, they are helpful and sometimes humorous A: What is your favourite subject at school? B: English is my favourite subject Because I like learning foreign languages and I find it really interesting When I use it to communicate to others even they come from other countries and know more about cultures in different countries in the world A: Your English is Ok Can you tell me the best way to study English? B: You can study it well by many ways, using your image google to search for vocabularies This way helps you to remember them deeply Or else Youtube is another good advice You can find many things on it About English voice, American voice You can get from there Listening to English songs, studying in group, and especially practice it everyday Record and listen to it later Your voice as well as your grammar will develop well A: What job you want to get in the future? B: My biggest dream is to become an animator, in Viet Nam perhaps it is hard to be done But luckily, my parents have allowed me to go to Japan, a country of animation and comic to study I am sure that I will be trained there So that I can live with my dream A: You are big brothers/ sisters in Hoang Mai school You are going to leave our school Could you give us some advices? 20 B Being a student preceded about studying I would like to give you some advices which may help you a lot in the future You should list all of the things you like, want and best on paper so that you can find out your future job basing on them Determining clearly what you studying for …after all besides getting knowledge, every student wants to get a good job when they finish education in high school or university The most important thing is not what order you rank in class, it is your position in society Therefore, you must have good knowledge long with your experiment Having plans and doing it best I think your future will be brightened more and more The interview is recorded  At home They listen and fill in the gaps in the posters and write paragraphs (in big posters) about each person they have interviewed Some more questions in the interview are added during the interview All of the posters, the paragraphs and audio records are sent to the teacher They are used as material in the optional lessons of Tieng Anh 10 in the second semester  At class The missing formation posters are sent to the other groups to fill in Stage 1: Preparation (2 minutes) * The poster of missing information The number of students in the class: ……………… The head teacher: …………………… What the class is like: ……………………… Family: The number of member: …………… Father……………………………………………… Mother……………………………………………… Other member: 1…………………………………… Other member: 2…………………………………… Other member: 3…………………………………… 21 Hobby: ……………………………………………… The favourite subject: ……………………………… The way to study English well: …………………… The job in the future: ……………………………… Some advices: ……………………………………… Stage 2: Listening and asking for information (about 20 minutes) The teacher plays the record first and asks all groups to listen to and decide whether it is their group’s record or not When the group realizes their record, one of the members of the group is chosen to go in front of the class to answer the questions from other groups The record is played again twice The other groups ask the chosen student any question about the information in the interview his group has done before Some questions that may be needed *The questions: 1.What is her/ his name? 2.Which class is she/her in? 3.How many students are there in her/his class? Who is the head teacher? What is the class like? How many members are there in her/his family? What is her/his father’s job? Where does she/he work? What is her/his mother’s job? Where does she work? What is her/his hobby? /What does she/he usually in her/his free time? 10 What is her/his favourite subject at school? 11 What is her best way to study English? 12 What job does she/he want to get in the future? 13 What are her/his advice to us? 14……………… Stage 3: Writing paragraphs (about 15 minutes) 22 Students are asked to write a paragraph about the person interviewed in the interview they have listened Stage 4: Correction (about minutes) Teacher hang out the writing poster that collected from the group before the lesson And then hang out the writing poster that collected from the groups during lesson The teacher checks and correct mistakes Result When I applied this experience to the class 10A9, at first I had to explain much when they discussed in the group, however, they did it better after about lessons In the speaking lessons of Tieng Anh 10 they were willing to speak in English And they felt like learning English In the English speaking club and communication with foreigners of Ham Rong high school, they took part in the club and spoke English a lot In the school year 2015- 2016, and 2014-2015 I taught English in class 10A7 and 10A5, most of the students in class 10A7 and 10A5 spoke English badly although their English grammar was not bad They were shy to speak in English In the school year 2016- 2017 I taught English in class 10A9 most of the students in class 10A9 could speak English freely in front of the class even when they went to out to interview in the second semester 2014-2015 old 2015-2016 old 2016-2017 new This experience Students Students Of class can speak E can’t speak E speak E badly 10A7 44 30 10A5 43 28 10A9 45 27 9 can be used in both good student classes and not good School year Experience Class student classes because the questions can be answered in short or long, it depends on students’ knowledge, on the other hand these answers have been 23 carefully discussed in the group with the teacher’s help before they practise the conversation and the interview III CONCLUSION During the school year 2016-2017 my experience is applied in class 10A9, I found that their English speaking skill has been better and better They are more active in the lessons They are not shy when speaking English to their teachers Their class is really a good English speaking environment with them Their school seems to a small world for them to speak English I think when they speak English to students in other classes it is similar to when they speak English to a person from Japan, China, Korea… However, when teachers use this models to teach, they have to prepare every answer and the fields that relating to the questions in detail In some cases, students not know they have to ask the teachers If the teachers prepare everything I’ve shown above for their lessons, I think it is suitable and easy to apply in many different classes and school And their students will feel confident and feel like speaking English when they have English lessons at supper secondary school This is my experience in motivating students in speaking English skill and I hope to given some opinions and advices to support my work XÁC NHẬN CỦA THỦ Thanh Hóa, ngày 19 tháng năm 2019 TRƯỞNG ĐƠN VỊ Tôi xin cam đoan SKKN viết, khơng chép nội dung người khác (Ký ghi rõ họ tên) Nguyễn Thi Xuan Oanh 24 25 ... practicing speaking English to both acquaintances and strangers at school Scope of study The study only focuses on introducing the techniques helping students in grade 10 at Ham Rong high school. .. songs In the afternoon, she teaches children how to sing at a singing club She gets home at about half past four and prepares for singing at theatres, or modern restaurants Sometimes she sings at. .. History, Geography, Literature, English, Information technology and gymnastics Mary/ England/ Literature Viet Ha/ Vietnam/ English Barbara/ America/ Information technology Dean/ Canada/ gymnastics Bonshoo/