PROMOTING STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY AND LOGICAL THOUGHT THROUGH UNIT 6 COMPETITIONS PART a READING – PERIOD 29 TEXT

z SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ TRƯỜNG THPT HẬU LỘC SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM PROMOTING STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY AND LOGICAL THOUGHT THROUGH UNIT 6: COMPETITIONS-PART A: READING – PERIOD 29 –ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 11 Người thực hiện: Trần Thu Hiền Chức vụ: Giáo viên Đơn vị công tác: Trường THPT Hậu Lộc SKKN thuộc lĩnh mực (môn): Tiếng Anh THANH HÓA, NĂM 2018 TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE INTRODUCTION NUMBER 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Methods of the study CONTENTS OF EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE 2.1 Scientific background 2.2 The reality of teaching and learning reading skill at Hau Loc 4th Upper secondary school 2.3.The solutions 2.3.1 Procedure: 2.3.2 Application 2.3.3 A lesson plan 2.4 Verifying the solution of the study 12 CONCLUSION 13 3.1 Conclusion 13 3.2 Recommendation 13 REFERENCES 14 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Nowadays, English is considered as a more and more important part as a means of international communication than ever English is one of the necessary subjects for students in general, and even more important for high school students because it is not only a compulsory subject at school but also a subject of decision in the important contests as high school exams and university entrance exams At Hau loc 4th Upper secondary school, most students find it difficult to understand and complete reading comprehension questions well They often give mechanical responses They even not finish exercises in reading parts in both textbooks and tests As the result, they regularly get bad marks Therefore, it is a necessity to find effective methods used in reading to help students easily complete their tests well One of the most causes that makes students meet many difficulties in learning English is that they often read passages so little that they can understand the passages fully and misunderstand the passages easily Insufficient vocabulary makes students less confident and leads them eliminate reading comprehension part in studying process and the exams Those above reasons urge to me find the best way to help students solve that problem that why I choose the topic: “PROMOTING STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY AND LOGICAL THOUGHT THROUGH UNIT 6: COMPETITIONS-PART A: READING – PERIOD 29TEXTBOOK 11” 1.2 Aims of study This study is conducted to help 11 th – form students of Hau Loc th Upper secondary school to promote their creativity and logical thought through a reading lesson as a model Furthermore, it is hoped that students overcome the hard of reading comprehension section, and gradually improve and develop reading comprehension skills in the exams To summarize the above, my study is aimed at: - Providing the theoretical background about reading skill - Developing the effectiveness of applying reading skills, - Especially, using comprehension questions set up in the forms of reading exercises in English tests of most examinations - Reading comprehension is to acquire a lifelong skill, one that helps the student maintain a competence and fluency in the target language that may well outlast competence and fluency in speaking, listening and writing Finally, it is a skill that requires only passage And it can be done at any place any time - Some difficulties possibly encountered by students at Hau Loc 4th Upper secondary school when answering comprehension questions - Suggesting some feasible solutions to help teacher and students at the school improve the quality of teaching and learning English skills, especially in mastering English reading skill 1.3 Scope of the study Given the rationale and the aims of the study, it is necessary to limit the study to the areas which are manageable Benefits of using questions in forms of reading exercises create the effectiveness of students’ reading skill which focus on two factors: developing students’ creativity and their logical thought The subject under the study are the 11 th – form students at Hau Loc rd Upper secondary school (students from two classes: 11A8 and 11A9) The study focuses specially on “Unit 6: Competitions – Part A: Reading – Period 29 in English textbook 11 (basic level)” 1.4 Methods of the study To complete this study, the following steps implemented: - Collected references and books related to reading skill are analyzed in details to form the theoretical background this paper - The available theory concerning with comprehension questions is studied and followed in my study paper - Ideas of some possible difficulties are got from my understanding the English learning and teaching English at Hau Loc th Upper secondary school as well as my gained experiences in training course CONTENT OF EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE 2.1 Scientific background The title of my experience initiative: “PROMOTING STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY AND LOGICAL THOUGHT THROUGH UNIT 6: COMPETITIONS - PART A: READING – PERIOD 29ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 11” It means my design of a lesson plan for reading part in textbooks have been based on the types of reading comprehension questions in tests of exams during a few last years - There are some main reading skills that I often drill my students Reading for main ideas Reading for inference Reading for reference and vocabulary Reading for details Gap filling Timed reading Additional reading skills To help students understand what you are reading from an English text, teacher has to teach students the ways “extensive reading”, “fluency”, and “intensive reading” Apart from that, teacher never forgets some basic principles for simple reading strategies It consists of steps That is, pre-reading activities, while-reading activities, and post-reading activities Those above steps are very necessary for teaching reading comprehension, and may help students read the text more effectively - Some reference books: The methodology course, Concepts and Comments, IELTS reading tests, TOEFL reading flash, Between the lines, etc 2.2 The reality of teaching and learning reading skill at Hau Loc th Upper secondary school My students, my colleagues and I encountered with some problems To students, first, when my students were in grade 10 th, they didn’t like reading lessons because they thought there were a lot of new words in the passages and some tasks were too difficult Second, they didn’t get lots of reading skills Third, they only expected their teachers would explain the meanings of words, tasks and translate all the English passages into Vietnam Last but not least, they didn’t get acquainted with kinds of reading comprehension questions in English tests It is a fact that students try to remember the formula mechanically, or think carelessly and sometimes not find out the nature of the problem clearly to infer basic conclusions As the result, they didn’t understand the questions and complete tests well Certainly, they got bad marks Therefore, teachers sometimes felt confused because of the situations above At that time, I was also confused After spending most of my time studying methods, I decided to design types of reading comprehension questions for reading parts in textbooks that were similar to those in English tests so that students could get a purpose of studying They tried to study English in order to promote their creativity and logical thought Moreover, they will get good marks in tests and develop other skills 2.3 The solutions 2.3.1 Procedure: First, I introduce some English tests I focus on reading exercises Next I provide students with types of reading comprehensions in tests in exams Then I explain the following reading skills and ask students to discuss them in groups This study only focuses on the following skills: Reading for main ideas For example, firstly I guide students to use the skill “reading for main ideas” to answer the following questions: Which of the following could be the best title for the passage? / What does the passage mainly discuss?/ What’s the main idea/ topic of the passage?/ The main idea of this passage is that… -Then I introduce strategies to the students to find a main idea The main idea can be the first sentence in the paragraph or it can appear in the middle or toward the end of the passage or paragraph The main idea usually covers the whole content of the passage We have to skim (read the passage over quickly) for the main idea Reading for details -We use the skill “scanning” (reading over) for specific information It means we use the skill “reading for details” The following detail questions: + Factual questions: According to the passage, why/what/how….?/ What of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?/ According to the passage,………?/ What of the following words best describes …… ?/ In Which lines does the author describe/ explain……?/ According to the information in paragraph 1, what….? -I have students find key words in both questions and answers Because key words are clues in order to find the best answer + Negative factual questions: What of the following is (NOT) mentioned about… in the passage?/ The following…… are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT……/ ……….LEAST likely……… - I ask students to find the information that is not mentioned or wrong It is important for me to create suitable answers to questions I have to establish right answer and confusing answers Students must think over, compare and analyze questions and answers, which helps them develop their creativity and logical thought Especially, I use principles of teaching reading below: When teaching a reading text, it is necessary to state a purpose for reading a given text Tell the students why they are reading the text It is to skim for the main idea It is to scan for specific information It is for critical reading The purpose of reading task should be stated to the students before they read Before the students read the text, I have them read questions first Focusing on developing the skills of the readers The purpose of teaching is not only to help the students understand the context of the passage for that day, but also to help them learn to read effectively for themselves 2.3.2 Application - Pre-reading - While-reading -Post-reading This study only focus on designing reading comprehension questions which are similar to reading comprehension questions in the tests of English examinations I usually make questions and answers which are suitable with each reading lesson In a lesson plan, I only use questions that require students have to use skills such as: reading for details and reading for main ideas 2.3.3 A Lesson plan Unit 6: Competitions Period 29:Reading I Objectives: Educational aim: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: - Develop such reading micro-skills as scanning for specific ideas and identifying meaning in context - Use the information they have read to discuss the related topic Knowledge: - General knowledge: Students get information about competitions - Language: Sentences and expression for competitions - New words: Words related to some competitions Skill: - Word meaning in context - Passage comprehension - Scanning for specific information II Method: Intergrated mainly communicative III Teaching aids: Textbook, some photos, power point lesson plan IV Procedure: Time/ stages Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Warm-up : Warm-up :(5 minutes) (5 minutes) - Asks students to look at the photo and answer the following questions Prereading: (3 minutes Pre-reading: (3 minutes) - Asks students a question: Is winning the most important Whilething in a competition? Why / Why not? reading: While-reading: (28 minutes) (28 - Have students work in pairs minutes) * Task 2: Task 2: - Asks students to read the passage silently and questions to answer the questions in the full form Task 2: Read the passage and choose the best answer A, B, C, or D Who took part in the annual final English Competition last Saturday? A The representatives of three classes of the school B The good students of three classes C English Teachers D Students from many schools What was the aim of the - Discuss the questions - Give answer with the photo - Answer the question in pairs Answers: They took part in the competition “WHEN I AM 18 YEARS OLD” It happened last weekend at Hau Loc 4th Upper Secondary School - Work in group Students may different answers give -Work in pairs -Read the text and questions carefully competition? A To raise fund B To stimulate the spirit of learning English C To help the poor students D To make fun Who sponsored the competition? A The students’ parents Society B The teachers in school C All students and teachers in school D The Vietnam of Learning Promotion What did each group of student have to during the contest? A Answer the question B Think of the question C Work in group D Complete activities in all What did the judges have to to choose the winner of competition? A Observe the students’ performance B Score the students’ performance C Announce the total score of each group and the winner D A, B, C are correct What would be awarded to the winner? A set of CDs for studying English B scholarship C A set of CDs for studying English and an Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary D An Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary - Remind students to use the skill “scanning” for details - Asks students to give oral answers in turns - Gives feedback - Listen and use the skill “scanning” - Answer - Listen and take notes Suggested key: A B A D D A Task 3: Read paragraph again and choose the best answers: In Activity 5, Hung was unable _ A to recite the poem B to write the poem C to answer the judges’ questions D to read the poem Having achieved the highest score, Group B _ A was very happy B sympathized with Group A and Group C C became the winner of the competition D was very proud Group C lost the game because they just got _ A 55 points B 60 points C 65 points D 70 points Nga encouraged her group by _ A singing a song B telling a story C saying that for her the most - Read the text and questions again Task 3: important thing was their participation in the competition and the enjoyment they had from it D saying “For me the most important thing was the points we got and the enjoyment we had from the competition” - Asks students to task in groups of - Remind students to use the skill “scanning” for specific information - Asks representative of each group to give oral answers - Gives feedback - Work in groups -Listen and read for specific information, then discuss answers - The representatives give answers Keys: A C B C Postreading: (8 Work minutes) summarize in groups the passage, and - Listen and read using information over these cues • Name of the competition: • Aim of the competition: • Time / Place of organization: • Organized by: • Sponsored by: • The winner / points: • The award: • The most important thing in a competition - Work in groups - Have students to work in groups of - Try to remember - Remind students to recall main main ideals ideals Key: - Asks students to copy down in • Name of the their notebooks competition: 10 • • • • • • • Consolidation English Competition Aim of the competition: To stimulate the spirit of learning English among students Time / Place of organization: Last Saturday - At school Organized by: The English teachers Sponsored by: The Students’ Parents Society The winner / points: Group B / 70 points The award: A set of CDs & an Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary The most important thing in a competition: Participation in the competition and the enjoyment we had from it - Take notes - Gives remarks and correct Homework: mistakes - Listen (1 minute) - Remind students to learn the new words and main points by heart - Listen and take notes - Ask students to prepare Part B Speaking VERIFYING THE SOLUTION OF THE STUDY 2.4.1: The effectiveness of my study: 11 I have applied my study to teach my students for years Afterwards, the effectiveness of the study is very considerable - Students get acquainted with many types of reading exercises, and they reading exercises well - Students have a lot of skills and methods in doing reading texts and their skill is becoming better and better - Students easily understand the contents of the English texts - Students can many reading exercises in the reference books by themselves at home - Students enjoy reading lessons - Students all get good results at reading in examinations - Especially, students promote their creativity and logical thought 2.4.2 My colleagues’ comments: My colleagues appreciate highly my study They think my study helps students to pay much more attention at reading periods Owning to applying the mentioned above solutions, my lessons become more and more interesting Results verified solutions that are implemented with 78 students at classes of 11A8 and 11A9 at Hau Loc 4rd upper secondary school in the academic year : 2017- 2018 are following: For the 1st results (when students are not fully systematized skills) Class 11A8 11A9 Number of students 42 36 Very Good 0% 0% Moderately good 10% 5% Average Weak 50% 40% 40% 55% However, by applying new approach, I accommodated the students with the system which is quite adequate knowledge related to reading skills and helped them to understand and differentiate the usage of skills, then I assigned similar tasks to students, the results received were more positive For the 2nd results (after being provided full knowledge) Class Number of students 11a1 42 11a3 48 Very Good 19% 17% Moderately good 32% 30% Average Weak 38% 35% 11% 18% Looking at the results of verification, we can see that after being provided a complete knowledge system of the reading skills students can more effectively 12 CONCLUSION 3.1 Conclusion This study is done with the purpose of seeking one effective teaching technique to improve students’ reading skill And as there exist many teaching techniques exploited by teachers to teach reading, the study limits itself to use comprehension questions that are similar those in English tests in national examinations to motivate students to study reading lessons I collected skills and methods to give suitable solutions to the problems that my students, my colleagues and I faced with First, I tested students’ ability I taught students how to exploit reading texts Then I gave specific examples Next I guide students to deal with reading sections in the textbook Moreover, I gave tests Finally, I have surveyed the students 3.2 Recommendation - Each teacher must spend much time on researching effective method to teach each student - English teachers need to improve their knowledge to supply the need of students - School should have English club and organize the extracurricular activities for students to make them be more aware of English knowledge as well as their culture Although the study has accomplished the objectives set at the beginning, it can’t avoid some limitations Due to limited time, limit of knowledge and the scope of the study, the study can’t cover all the uses of all skills Therefore, further study can focus on the use of skills as a motivator in reading classes, writing classes, listening classes and using comprehension questions as an effective technique to teach vocabulary and grammar Therefore, I am looking forward to the leadership providing us with equipment and materials to help us have better teaching conditions and learning with high effectiveness I really hope that my study can be useful materials for students as well as references to some English teachers REFERNCE The methodology course of English language teacher training project 13 Concepts and Comments, The Youth Publishing house 2000 IELTS reading tests, Sam McCarter and Judith Ash, The Youth Publishing house 2002-Vietnam TOEFL reading flash, Milada Broukal, The Youth Publishing house 2004Vietnam Between the lines, Jean Zukowski/Faust, Susan S Johnston and Clark S Atkinson, The Youth Publishing house -Vietnam STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine The date and findings discussed in the thesis are true, used with permission from associates and have not been published elsewhere The confirmation of the Head – Master Thanh Hoa, May 25th, 2018 I assure this is my experience initiative, not copying the contents of other people Tran Thu Hien 14 ... main reading skills that I often drill my students Reading for main ideas Reading for inference Reading for reference and vocabulary Reading for details Gap filling Timed reading Additional reading. .. creativity and logical thought through a reading lesson as a model Furthermore, it is hoped that students overcome the hard of reading comprehension section, and gradually improve and develop reading. .. that they can understand the passages fully and misunderstand the passages easily Insufficient vocabulary makes students less confident and leads them eliminate reading comprehension part in studying