The use of pictures in teaching English speaking in an English center = Ứng dụng của tranh ảnh trong dạy nói tiếng Anh tại một trung tâm Anh ngữ.

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES DƯƠNG TRÀ MI THE USE OF PICTURES IN TEACHING ENGLISH SPEAKING IN AN ENGLISH CENTER (Ứng dụng của tranh ảnh dạy nói tiếng Anh tại một trung tâm Anh ngữ) MINOR PROGRAM THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 HANOI–2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES DƯƠNG TRÀ MI THE USE OF PICTURES IN TEACHING ENGLISH SPEAKING IN AN ENGLISH CENTER (Ứng dụng của tranh ảnh dạy nói tiếng Anh tại một trung tâm Anh ngữ) MINOR PROGRAM THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 SUPERVISOR: VŨ MAI TRANG, M.A HANOI –2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENT Chapter I: Introduction ……………………………………1 Rationale for the study ……………………………………1 Research aims and objectives ……………………………………2 Research questions ……………………………………2 Research site and subjects ……………………………………2 Research methodology ……………………………………2 Significance of the study ……………………………………2 Chapter II: Literature review ……………………………………3 Background of the study ……………………………………3 Teaching English speaking ……………………………………3 2.1 The notion of speaking ……………………………………3 2.2 The notion of teaching speaking ……………………………………3 2.3 The components of speaking skill ……………………………………4 2.4 The activities to promote speaking skill ……………………………………5 Definition of action research ……………………………………8 Picture processing and memory models ……………………………………9 Chapter III: Research methodology ……………………………………12 Participants ……………………………………12 Method of research ……………………………………12 Analysis of the research ……………………………………13 3.1 The questionnaire ……………………………………13 3.2 Class observations ……………………………………25 Chapter IV: Conclusion ……………………………………27 Conclusion ……………………………………27 Limitations and suggestions for future research ……………………………………31 Chapter V: References ……………………………………32 Appendix ……………………………………I Chapter I Introduction Rationale for the study The support of pictures in teaching English is pervasive owning to their proliferation in instructional materials They penetrate into every way of our life and are even included in textbooks Thus, it would be a big mistake if teachers not find ways to investigate their effects on student learning However, the question arises as to the contribution of pictures make in assisting learning, which seems to be taken for granted by those who produce the resources and triggers studies implemented with increasing frequency in recent years about this issue Students in the investigated English center enjoy many benefits regarding the learning environment, which profits this study a lot First, class size is small with only 10-15 students Manageable class size saves teachers a lot of time in organizing extra educational activities to discover the lessons in depth Second, students are not randomly put in a class or grouped according to age but they have to a placement test before their enrollment Students in a class are always of the same level, depriving teachers of pains and exhaustion when scouring the Internet and other sources for various materials fitting various levels or for the best ones among thousands Another advantage is that classes are well-equipped with computers and projectors that teachers, who have certain computer techniques, can organize any kind of activities using pictures as they wish This benefit also erases the problems pertaining picture sizes and colors, as teachers manage to make them clear and large enough for students to look at, and teachers‟ effort in searching and cutting tasks from old newspapers and magazines Pictures, when used, are included in PowerPoint slideshow Among four practical English skills, speaking makes use of pictures the most They are both found in textbooks and other resources Teachers also use additional pictures to complement their teaching This reliance on pictures reflects an implicit assumption by practitioners that these visual representations are intrinsically effective in supporting learning English speaking However, as the nature of an English center, students go to class in the evening and often feel unmotivated or too tired to learn; this raises questions of the usefulness and the applications of pictures in teaching English speaking 2 Research aims and objectives As pictures are considered as something indispensable in teaching speaking by most instructors, how to use them effectively is a worth answering question whose answer is of great importance to teachers The major purpose of the study is to find out ways to use pictures in teaching English speaking It also seeks to discover their impacts on speaking lessons and consider factors that can influence their effectiveness Research questions The study revolves around the following guide questions: 3.1 What are the functions of pictures in teaching English speaking? 3.2 Which activities using pictures can be organized in teaching students of the center? 3.3 Pictures with or without text materials, which is more facilitative? 3.4 Which issues need to be addressed in using pictures in the center? Research site and subjects The research was conducted in an English center in Hanoi, Vietnam The subjects were drawn from beginning to proficient levels of learners as well as EFL teachers with at least year's teaching experience, specifically classes consisting of totally 68 students and 20 teachers Among these 20 teachers, of them are highly experienced with more than years teaching English speaking (See Chapter III for more details.) Research methodology This research was carried out in qualitative way, which involved a teacher survey questionnaire designed to get both quantitative and qualitative information and class observation sessions accompanied by records of students‟ responses It also made use of lesson plans for various lessons of different English levels that were provided by the teachers participating in this study Significance of the study This study will be of considerable interest to teachers and students in this language center and others because it opens the door to initiatives as well as to students' attitude and perceptions of language learning This investigation of the influential factors that concern picture uses while learning to speak will hopefully broaden the insight into the issue and will help language teachers avoid problems and make classroom environment less stressful Chapter II Literature Review Background of the study There has been a lot of research on the use of the pictures in language teaching, specially speaking skill It is proven that the use of picture enhances the quality of language lesson, and the interaction among students, as well as between students and teachers As Hill (1990) points out, the conventional classroom may not be the best or suitable environment for language teaching That is why teachers search for various aids and stimuli to improve this situation Pictures are one of the most valuable aids for a teacher They bring “images of reality into the unnatural world of the language classroom.” (Hill 1990) Pictures bring not only images of reality, but can also function as a fun element in the class Even if only employed in additional exercises or just to create the atmosphere, sometimes it is surprising how pictures can change a lesson Wright (1990), through examples, shows that pictures have great effect in teaching structure, vocabulary and all four basic skills Several advantages of pictures include availability (one can access to pictures through any magazine, internet an etc), they are cheap, often free; they are personal (teacher selects them), they come in different formats and styles, and they can raise learners‟ curiosity Teaching Speaking 2.1 The notion of speaking According to Nunan (1991), speaking is the most important aspect of learning a second or foreign language, which involves the process of producing, receiving, and processing information English speaking classes are used to provide students with chances of learning English speaking through interaction with other students or native speaking 2.2 The notion of teaching speaking The main objective of a language course is to enable students to communicate in foreign language; speaking, therefore, needs a special attention This is due to the fact that in daily life, most of us communicate by speaking more than writing Many language learners and teachers regard speaking ability as the measure of knowing a language To them, fluency is the ability to communicate with others much more than the ability to read and write Speaking is the most important skill that a student can acquire, and is the benchmark to assess one‟s progress or accomplishments in spoken communication In general, students need to recognize that speaking involves three areas (Burnkart 1998) a Mechanics: Using the right words with correct pronunciation in the right order b Functions: Knowing when the clarity of messages is essential, and when exact understanding is not required c Social and cultural norms: Understanding how to take into account who is speaking to whom, in what circumstances, about what, and for what reason In language teaching, the teachers help to develop students‟ knowledge by providing genuine or authentic practices and prepare them for realistic communication circumstances In other words, they help students acquire the ability to produce logically connected sentences which are relevant to specific contexts, and use accurate pronunciation and grammar 2.3 The components of speaking skill Speaking is very complex, and it is the language art that is most frequently used by people in the world It often requires the simultaneous use of number of abilities/components developed at different rates and level Syakur (1987) established components of speaking skill, consists of comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency In short, mastering these components will allow speaker to perform effectively and comfortably in actual communication a Comprehension Oral communication certainly requires a subject to respond to speech and to initiate a dialogue b Grammar It is essential that students are able to arrange a sentence in correct grammar structure They need to be able to differentiate appropriate grammatical form in specific contexts Mastering grammar is to gain the expertise in a language both in oral or written form Grammar is the foundation for students to be able to communicate effectively and accurately Using incorrect grammar often obscures the meaning that the speaker wants to convey On the other hand, good grammar can make the speech more intelligent c Vocabulary Without grammar very little information can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed (Wilkins, 1974) If one does not have sufficient vocabulary, he/she can not communicative effectively or express their ideas both oral and written form Hence, vocabulary means the appropriate diction which is used in communication Usually, although a student has good knowledge of grammar, he/she will not be able to communicate effectively with limited vocabulary The lack of vocabulary might hinder the speaker's ability to understand a conversation, which in turn leads to a misunderstanding and does not allow he/she to respond correctly d Pronunciation Pronunciation is more important than it may seem, but students often neglect this part, and some of them even underestimate it Your pronunciation is the first and most important thing native speakers notice during a conversation It deals with the phonological process that refers to the component of a grammar made up of the elements and principles that determine how sound vary and pattern in a language A speaker who constantly mispronounces a range of phonemes can be extremely difficult for a speaker from another language community to understand e Fluency Fluency is the ability of speaker to speak fluently and accurately Fluency in speaking is the aim of language learners Fluency can be measured by the extent to which speaker use the target language quickly and confidently with few hesitations or unnatural pauses, false starts These signs indicate that the speaker does not have to stop to search for words or items during his/her speech 2.4 The activities to promote speaking skill In traditional classrooms, speaking practice normally involves one person asking the question and another giving answer The process of question and answer are often predictable and there is only one correct answer In contrary, in real communication speakers normally have to deal with uncertainty of what the other person will say The objective of communication is to complete a task, such as expressing one‟s opinion, obtaining information; and in order to so, speakers may have to clarify their meaning or clarify confirmation by different ways Therefore, to develop communicative competences, teachers need to incorporate classrooms activities with a purpose and an information gap, and at the same time allow multiple forms of expressions (Burkart, 1998) a Structured output activities The two most common types of structured output activities are information gap and jigsaw activities * Information gap activities According to Rapton (2001), in information gap activities students usually work in pairs or groups, whereby one person has information that must be shared with the others in order to solve a problem, gather information and make decision The activity could be filling the gaps in a schedule or timetable For example person A holds a timetable of delivery schedule of a restaurant with some of arrival and departure times missing, while person B has the same timetable but with different blank spaces The two persons are not allowed to see each other‟s timetables and must fill in the blanks by asking each other relevant questions Completing a picture is another common practice of this type of activity, where two students have similar pictures with different missing details and coordinate to find the all the blanks This type of activity gives every student the opportunity to speak in the target language for an extended period of time and they normally produce more speech Furthermore, speaking with peers is less intimidating than presenting in front of the entire class In teaching speaking with pictures, information gap activities are of great help and are commonly used One example is teachers give two students two different handouts One has the picture of a place with many people; however, some of them not have their names included The other student has the same picture but the people who not have names are different while this handout contains information that the previous handout does not have Then students will have to take turn to ask and answer questions of describing the people in the pictures to fill all the missing names * Jigsaw activities Jigsaw activities are more sophisticated than the common information gap activities that can be done with several partners in different groups In a group, each member has one or few pieces of one whole puzzle and must cooperate with each other to fit all the pieces into a whole picture These puzzle pieces might take different form such as photos from a set that tells a story It can be a conversation record, and each member of a group only hears pieces of the conversation In a more elaborate way, jigsaw activities can proceed in two stages First, students are organized in groups and each group receives a different part of the whole information Second, students then reorganize into different groups with each student has different information, and they have to work together in order to make sense of the whole picture One example of this activity that I have done in my English class is a story-telling session Students are divided into three groups of students; each of the groups receives a big picture consisting of smaller ones about a person‟s life The pictures then are cut into pieces given to each of the students in the groups The students have to ask group members about the pictures that their friends have and arrange the pieces in the correct order to complete the picture of a person‟s life b Communicative output activities This type of activity allows students to practice using the target language in situations that resembles real setting Students must work together to solve a problem, complete a task or develop a plan, the most common communicative output activities are discussion and role play * Discussion According to Kayi (2006), in a discussion students may aim to arrive at a conclusion, share ideas about an event or find solutions in their discussion groups There are some criteria to group discussions: - It is essential that the purpose of discussion is set by the teacher This is to ensure students not spend their time discussing about irrelevant topics - The chosen topic is not necessarily a serious one in order to create a more open and interesting environment for students to interact - Each group then works on their topic in a given period of time and presents it to the class - At the end, the class decides on the winning group who defended the idea in the best way This kind of activity encourages students to learn how to express themselves as well as how to justify their ideas V Purposes of picture uses Number of teachers To teach vocabulary 20 To teach grammar To make abstract words concrete To introduce topics of lessons 16 To brainstorm ideas and provide input 12 knowledge To serve as speaking tasks 12 Table 2: The main purposes of using pictures in teaching English speaking No Questions Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree agree Pictures can create students’ visual thinking 10 Pictures foster students’ memory 11 Pictures motivate learners Strongly disagree 16 0 12 0 10 1 Table 3: Pictures’ effects on students’ attitude and learning VI No Question Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree agree 12 Pictures with text content are more facilitative 13 Text appear content Strongly disagree 12 1 0 12 2 0 1 12 7 2 should together with pictures 14 The length and complication of text content depends on students’ age and proficiency level 15 If text content is not to teach new vocabulary and structure, it should be short and simple rather than long and complex 16 Pictures not need to relate to the lesson as long as they have motivating effect 17 Complex pictures are more facilitative than simple pictures 18 Students feel more interested to learn with color pictures than black and white pictures 19 Picture captions are VII important to students’ understanding of pictures 20 Learner’s acquisition relies on whether pictures 12 are positive or negative 21 Children prefer cartoon drawings to real-life photographs 22 Adults prefer real-life photographs Table 4: Factors that may be influential to the use of pictures Times a word appeared Word list Word-Picture Picture-Word Word-Word groups groups groups Windmill Fauna Flora Oil spill Polar bear 4 Drought Tsunami Hurricane Solar panel Exhaust gas Table 5: Words’ frequency in student’s responses in observed communicative classes VIII Times a word appeared Word list Word-Picture Picture-Word Word-Word groups groups groups Discharged water 4 Volcanic eruption 3 Tidal wave Oil sleek Nuclear reactor 6 Pesticide Exhaust fumes Endangered species 8 Savanna 4 Poaching Table 6: Words’ frequency in student’s responses in observed exam preparation classes IX Lesson plans Lesson plan –Foundation Academic English / Unit – Illnesses Stage Activities Time Description of activities allotted Warm-up Pictures to words 10 Backache minutes - Students work in groups of 3-4 Each group chooses a name for themselves - Students look at the pictures on the slideshow and Fever guess the illnesses - The group which has the correct answers the fastest gains point - The highest group wins Broken arm the game X Lesson plan – Pre-TOEFL iBT class / Unit – Tourism Stage Warm Activities Matching pictures with their explanations -up Time Description of allotted activities - Students work in b guarded and made minutes groups of 3-4 stronger that it is - Each group receives difficult for people a to move in or out explanations from a to list of 10 j and has minutes to read those secure that - When spotting the somebody has done pictures from to 10 something on the screen, students e feeling wrong, illegal or dishonest choose the explanations that best suspicious g very unhappy or uncomfortable miserable quickly fit the pictures XI Lesson plan – Foundation Academic English class / Unit – Describing a place Stage Activities Time Description allotted activities of Warm- Using pictures to answer multiple-choice - Students look up question at the pictures minutes Pictures and prepositions that indicate the Part I: Knowing the prepositions positions of things and have In the prepositions presented - Then they have to On some multiple-choice questions about prepositions Under Part II: Look at the The book is pictures and answer the _ the bag questions a on c b in under behind d XII The cat is _ the table a on c b in under d behind The dog is _ the chair a on c b in under behind d XIII Lesson plan: Pre-TOELF iBT class / Unit 3: Events in life Stage Warm-u Activities Story-telling Last year Time Description of allotted activities 20 Present minutes - Students work in groups of and look at the pictures - Students write a story basing on the given pictures They are also told Right in the church In one year to be aware of now the time - The pictures can be in any order XIV Lesson plan – Pre-IELTS class / Unit 8: Movies Stage Activities Time Description of activities allotted Pre- Warm-up: speaking Questions and answers - Students look at the minutes pictures on the screen Action and tell whether they movie know the actors and actresses and what the name of the film is - Then students guess Comedy Sciencefiction movie the topic of the lesson XV Lesson plan – Foundation Academic class / Unit 12: Environment Stage Activities Time Descriptions allotted of activities - While Task 2: Situation speaking - Brainstorming ideas for the situation minutes work Students in Situation: The environment is in endangered groups of condition What are the environmental problems or and how we to protect it? - Students - Speaking use pictures as clues to brainstorm ideas for the situation - Some groups present their ideas to the teacher for corrections - Then the students discuss in groups before some of the students are called to present in class XVI Lesson plan – Foundation Academic English class Unit 7: Describing people Stage Activities Time Description allotted While - Describing pictures: speaking of activities 15 - Students work in minutes pairs and describe the picture given to each of them - Some students will be called on to give their speech in class Unit 8: Giving and showing directions Stage Activities Time allotted While - Information gap speaking Student A’s sheet 15 Description of activities - Students work in minutes pairs Two students have different sheets - Students have to ask and directions give to complete the map XVII Student B’s sheet XVIII XIX Pictures used in class observations * Picture * Picture