IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH GAMES FOR 11th GRADE STUDENTS AT YEN PHONG n0 2 HIGH SCHOOL

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES NGUYEN THI SAC IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH GAMES FOR 11th GRADE STUDENTS AT YEN PHONG N0.2 HIGH SCHOOL (Cải thiện kĩ nói Tiếng Anh thơng qua trị chơi cho học sinh khối 11 trường THPT Yên Phong số 2) M.A THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 THAI NGUYEN – 2020 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES NGUYEN THI SAC IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH GAMES FOR 11th GRADE STUDENTS AT YEN PHONG N0.2 HIGH SCHOOL (Cải thiện kĩ nói Tiếng Anh thơng qua trị chơi cho học sinh khối 11 trường THPT Yên Phong số 2) M.A THESIS (APPLICATION ORIENTATION) Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Assoc Prof PhD Hoang Tuyet Minh THAI NGUYEN - 2020 DECLARATION I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master at Thai Nguyen University and that this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or tertiary institution Thai Nguyen, 2020 Student Nguyễn Thị Sắc i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms Hoang Tuyet Minh for her wholehearted assistance Without her advice, comments, and corrections, it would have been impossible for me to fulfill the thesis Besides, students at Yen Phong No.2 high school are people to whom I want to send my grateful thanks Last but not least, I am willing to show my deepest thanks to my family and friends who encouraged and supported me a lot ii ABSTRACT One of the most challenging tasks facing any language teachers is to capture students’ interest, and therefore, keep them in high learning spirit Meanwhile, English speaking skills are a hard skill which can sometimes be frustrating especially students To realize this situation, the teachers are supposed to find out teaching ways corresponsive to students’ needs and wants The study, in that light, lays a focus on students’ improvement in English speaking skills through games The study was conducted in the form of an action research with the research tools being observational note, pre-test, post-test 1, post-test and survey questionnaire to collect data Then the data from observational note and tests were exploited to find out the improvement in students’ English speaking skills And the data from survey questionnaire was used to find out students’ attitude when using games in speaking lessons Through the results of the teacher’s observation, the pre-test, posttest and post-test 2, it can be concluded that games could help improve students’ English speaking skills The results collected from the questionnaires showed that most of the students expressed their positive attitudes towards the games carried out in teaching English speaking skills iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale for the study 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Research question 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Design of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Nature of Speaking 2.1.1 The Definitions of Speaking 2.1.2 The place of speaking among the four language skills 2.2 Games 2.2.1 Definition of games 2.2.2 Role of games to improve the student’s speaking skills 2.2.3 Benefits of using games 2.2.4 The importance of games 2.2.5 Kinds of games in language teaching and learning 10 2.2.6 How to play games 12 2.2.7 The Relationship between Games and Speaking skills 13 2.2.8 Using Games in the Speaking Class 14 2.3 Review of previous studies 16 2.4 Summary 17 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 3.1 The setting of the study 19 iv 3.2 Participants 19 3.3 The Method of the Research 19 3.4 The Procedure of Action Research 21 3.4.1 Identifying problems 21 3.4.2 Planning the action 22 3.4.3 Implementing the action 22 3.4.4 Observing the action 23 3.4.5 Reflecting 23 3.5 Data collection instruments 23 3.5.1 Observation 23 3.5.2 Pre-test and post-test 24 3.5.3 Questionnaire 25 3.6 Data collection procedures 26 3.6.1 Teacher’s diary 26 3.6.2 Pre-test and Post-test 26 3.6.3 Questionnaires 26 3.7 Data analysis procedures 27 3.8 Summary 28 CHAPTER 4: RESUTLS AND DISCUSSION 29 4.1 Research question 1: To what extents games improve students’ speaking skill? 29 4.1.1 The Result of Post Observational Note 29 4.1.2 The Result of pre-test and post-test 29 4.2 Research question 2: What are learners’ attitude when using games in speaking lesson? 32 4.3 Summary 37 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 38 5.1 Conclusion 38 5.2 Implications and suggestions for teaching and learning English 39 v 5.2.1 Implications 39 5.2.2 Suggestions for teaching and learning English 40 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further study 41 5.3.1 Limitations of the study 41 5.3.2 Suggestions for further studies 41 REFERENCES 43 APPENDICES 46 APPENDIX 46 APPENDIX 2: SCORES 49 APPENDIX 3: STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE 55 APPENDIX 57 APPENDIX 5: GAMES APPLIED IN THE PROCESS 59 LESSON PLANS OF TEACHING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL .59 vi LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 4.1: The students’ responses to the question 33 Table 4.2: Students’ responses to the question 33 Table 4.3: Factors interfere in the students’ speaking skill when the class was taking place Table 4.4: Learners’ attitude when the teacher use games in teaching speaking lesson? Table 4.5: 34 35 Students’ attitude towards necessity and importance of using games in teaching English speaking skills? 35 Table 4.6: Students ‘ activeness while playing games 36 Figure 3.1: Dialectic Action Research Spiral 20 Figure 3.2: Simple Action Research Model 55 (from MacIsaac, 1995: p53) .21 Figure 4.1: The Improvement of Speaking Skill’s score 31 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale for the study Speaking is one of the basic language skills that have to be mastered by English foreign learners due to its significant and its use for communication It is very important to be able to speak English regarding that it is the most commonly accepted language in the world so that it will be very beneficial for those who comprehend it not only to improve their knowledge and skills but also easier for them to get a job More than that, they will not find it difficult to communicate and interact with people around the world when they travel (Gard & Gautam, 2015) From the observation and teaching process done by the researcher with the th 11 grade students at Yen Phong No.2 high school, lack of students’ speaking proficiency is the problem Their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are low which make them unable to say something during the speaking class Related to the competence of the students speaking skills, there are some indicators which show that they not speak accurately First, in language teaching class, they rarely answer the question given by the teacher orally Second, they also speak with a lot of pauses Third, they get difficulties to find the appropriate words to create sentence or expression Fourth, dealing with the vocabulary mastery, for instance when the teacher asks the meaning of seldom, never, several of them cannot answer them Fifth, in grammatical item when the teacher explains recount text, she asks the past form of the words bring, and think, the students not understand Another difficulty is found in speaking material The teacher has to translate all the sentences first before explaining what kind of expression it is Other indicators are shown in the classroom atmosphere During the teaching learning process, the students are not enthusiastic and interested in joining teaching activities Only a few students have great willingness to speak up voluntarily They not enjoy the lesson When all the students speak together, it gets too noisy and Student 25 4 15 Student 26 3 3 12 Student 27 3 3 12 Student 28 3 11 Student 29 3 11 Student 30 3 3 12 Student 31 3 3 12 Student 32 3 11 Student 33 3 3 12 Student 34 3 3 12 ∑=115 ∑=107 ∑=109 ∑=109 ∑=440 54 APPENDIX STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE This survey questionnaire is designed for the study on “Improving English speaking skills through games for 11 th grade students at Yen Phong No.2 high school” Your assistance is responding to the following questions is highly appreciated You can be confident that you will not be identified in any discussion of the data Reading the following statements carefully before answering any of them If you face any difficulty, please ask your instructor Question 1: Which language skills you consider difficult to put into practice? A Listening B Speaking C Reading D Writing E No answer Question 2: How often you speak English during the class? A Always B Almost always C Sometimes D Never Question 3: What factors interfered in your speaking skill or made it difficult to speak during the English class? A Fear of humiliation B Shyness C Put it in practice D Didn’t answer Question 4: What is your attitude when the teacher uses games in teaching speaking lesson? A Like very much B Like C So so D Dislike Question 5: Do you think games are necessary and important in teaching English speaking skills? A Very necessary and important B Necessary and important C So so D Not necessary Question 6: How you usually take part in the games? A Take part in the games actively B Join the games only when being asked by the teacher 55 C Join the games only when being interested D Do not join the game Question 7: What are the roles of games when the teacher used the game in speaking lessons? Item Student’opinions Not to speak much in English To learn vocabulary To overcome shyness To help to understand English better To learn more To get the students interest Students’ integration Self-confidence to express him or herself To be evaluated during the class To improve the speaking of English More concentration To have fun in class To learn to pronounce To develop creativity 56 APPENDIX KHẢO SÁT HỌC SINH Bảng câu hỏi khảo sát thiết kế cho nghiên cứu “Cải thiện kĩ nói Tiếng Anh thơng qua trị chơi cho học sinh khối 11 trường THPT Yên Phong số 2” Sự hỗ trợ bạn việc trả lời câu hỏi sau cảm kích Bạn tự tin bạn không bị nhận thảo luận liệu Xin đọc kỹ vấn đề sau trước trả lời câu hỏi Nếu bạn gặp khó khăn nào, xin vui lòng hỏi người hướng dẫn bạn Câu hỏi 1: Kỹ ngôn ngữ mà bạn cho khó thực hiện? A Nghe B Nói C Đọc D Viết E Không trả lời Câu hỏi 2: Bạn thường nói tiếng Anh lớp? A Luôn B Gần luôn C Đôi D Không Câu hỏi 3: Những yếu tố cản trở kỹ nói bạn khiến bạn khó nói học tiếng Anh? A Sợ bị cười nhạo B Ngại ngùng C Áp dụng vào thực tế D Không trả lời Câu 4: Thái độ em cô giáo sử dụng trị chơi tiết dạy luyện nói? A Rất thích B Thích C Tàm tạm D Khơng thích Câu hỏi 5: Bạn có nghĩ trị chơi cần thiết quan trọng việc dạy kỹ nói tiếng Anh? A Rất cần thiết quan trọng B Cần thiết quan trọng C Tàm tạm D Không cần thiết Câu hỏi 6: Bạn thường tham gia trò chơi nào? A Tích cực tham gia trò chơi B Chỉ tham gia trò chơi giáo viên yêu cầu C Chỉ tham gia trò chơi có hứng thú D Khơng tham gia trị chơi Câu hỏi 7: Vai trò trò chơi giáo viên sử dụng trò chơi tiết 57 học nói? Mục Ý kiến học sinh Khơng nói nhiều tiếng Anh Học từ vựng Để vượt qua nhút nhát Để giúp hiểu tiếng Anh tốt Để học nhiều Để thu hút quan tâm học sinh Sự hòa nhập học sinh Tự tin thể thân Được đánh giá lớp Để cải thiện khả nói tiếng Anh Tập trung Để vui vẻ lớp Học cách phát âm Để phát triển sáng tạo 58 APPENDIX 5: GAMES APPLIED IN THE PROCESS LESSON PLANS OF TEACHING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL ENGLISH 11 th * Preparing date: September , 2019 th * Teaching date: September 20 , 2019 Distributive Period: UNIT 1: THE GENERATION GAP Lesson 4: SPEAKING A Objectives: - To teach students to have responsible attitude towards family rules - By the end of the lesson, students will be able to gain: - Solve conflicts between teenagers and parents - To talk about conflicts between teenagers and parents and give opinions and advice on how to solve the problems between teenagers and parents - Lexical items: related to the topic B Preparations * Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers * Students: Textbook C Methods The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative * Skill: - Main skill: speaking skills: talking about parent-child relationship problems and offering advice on how to solve them D Procedures: Stage/ Time Teacher’s activities 59 Students’ activities Stage/ Time Teacher’s activities Warm – up - Have Ss play the game called “Find (10 minutes) someone who…” Students’ activities - Listen to the T - Explain the rule of the game: Get to know your classmate! When you find someone who say yes to something from the chart, write their name in the box Get on well with parents Parents don’t Parents spend much criticize my time for you studying results Parents try to Parents don’t Parents force control me listen to my me to study all opinions the time -Walk around and - Asks Ss to go around the class and ask their friends make question - T will commend and lead to the new lesson 60 th * Preparing date: September , 2019 * Teaching date: October th 10 , 2019 Distributive Period: 13 UNIT 2: RELATIONSHIPS Lesson 4: Speaking (Seeking advice) A Objectives: - To provide learners some vocabulary related to the topic of relationship problems - To provide learners expressions of asking and giving advice - Lexical items: related to the topic - Grammar points: B Preparations * Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers * Students: Textbook C Methods The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative * Skill: - Main skill: speaking - To promote Ss to develop their speaking skills - To help Ss develop the skill of working in pairs and groups D Procedures: Stage/Time Warm – up (5 minutes) Teacher’s activities - Have Ss play the game called “Jumble words” -T writes the jumble word on the board and ask Ss to rearrange this word 61 Students’ activities - Listen and answer NOPRESAL BLOMPRE -T raise some questions and calls on some Ss to give their answers T: Are you having any problem at your school or at home? Ss: … T: What you often when having a problem? Ss: … T: Who you often talk with? Ss: … - Lead to the new lesson 62 th * Preparing date: September , 2019 * Teaching date: October th 21 , 2019 Distributive Period: 22 UNIT 3: BECOMING INDEPENDENT Part 4: Speaking A Objectives By the end of the lesson, students will be able to gain the skills teens need to develop in order to become independent and the reason why those skills are necessary B Preparations * Teacher: Handouts, textbook, pieces of papers * Students: Textbook C Methods The whole lesson: Integrated, mainly communicative * Skill: - Main skill: speaking - To promote Ss to develop their speaking skills - To help Ss develop the skill of working in pairs and groups D Procedures: Stage/Time Teacher’s activities Students’ activities After – speaking -Have Ss play a game called “Slap the board” - Listen to the T - Explain the rules of game: The first person in - Two teams of Ss (7 minutes) each group to slap the right word gets a point from two sides go Alternatively, you can form teams and one to the board person from the team runs to the board, as a representative The first team to hit the correct word gets the point The representative changes, ready for the next word 63 - Play the game - Write down some board: Problem solving Decision making Interpersonal Coping with loneliness communication -Asks describe the words by giving - Listen and take definition notes - Asks Ss to summary the skill necessary for people to be independent 64 th * Preparing date: November 14 , 2019 th * Teaching date: December , 2019 Distributive Period :43 Unit 5: BEING PART OF ASEAN Lesson 4: SPEAKING A Objectives: By the end of this lesson, Ss can: - talk about ASEAN member states - know about the cooperation and solidarity among ASEAN countries B Preparations: textbooks, posters, pictures and cassette C Methods: Integrated, mainly communicative * Skills: - Main skill: Speaking - Sub skills: Listening; Writing D Procedures: Stage/Time Warm – up (7 minutes) Teacher’s activities -Have Ss play the game called “Taboo” Explain the rule of the game: Students’ activities -Listen to the T +Divide a class into two groups Each group choose one representative go to board and facing back to the board The rest have to describe in order that their representative can guess the name of the country -Show the names of six countries: Vietnam, -Look at the slide Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, and try to describe Indonesia in English + Ss have 1m20s to play this game -Comment and introduce the speaking lesson 65 APPENDIX 6: LESSON PLANS FOR PRACTICING Lesson Plan Time: 45 minutes Topic: Talking about “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs” Strategy: Story game Objective: To develop the speaking skills by using the story “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” Resources: Pictures of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story Warming up: Teacher will show students some pictures in which Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appear Then teacher will ask student for their names and characteristics by trying to speak in English the best they can Activities: – Teacher will divide the group into three small groups – Teacher will give the students some sentences about the most important events of the story in order to be organized in a chronological way – Students, in groups, will retell orally the story in front of the whole class 66 Lesson Plan Time: 45 minutes Topic: Likes and Dislikes Strategy: Caring and Sharing game “Let me know about you” Objective: To develop the speaking skills through the game “Let me know about you” Resources: Photocopies of the chart (game) dices, pictures and counters Warming up: - We will talk about Juan’s and Juan Pablo Montoya “Likes and Dislikes” - We will ask students if they know the famous people shown in the pictures and some details of their live: Who is he? Who are they? Where have you seeing him / her? What does he or she do? What you think they like or don’t like to in their free time? Activities: – Teacher will divide the class in groups of three students Then, teacher will give each group a photocopy of the game The game consists of a chart in which the students will solve some personal questions about likes and dislikes by taking turns – To develop the game students will throw the dices, in order to move their chips advancing according to the number given by the dice? In each space students will get and specific Yes, No, WH questions that they have to answer -Examples: Do you like music? What kind of music you like? Do you like to read? What is your favorite book? – After the game is over, each group will choose the best speaker player to represent it, in a whole class competence The chosen student is going to answer two more questions in order to win points for the final score of the game After that, teacher will organize new groups of 12 people, in which each group is going to decorate a specific place (restaurant, mall, video, and store) with materials given by the teachers They will perform like people who are commonly in these places Students have to use Yes, No, WH and questions to ask and answer for likes and dislikes 67 Lesson Plan Time: 45 minutes Topic: describing and talking about objects Strategy: guessing and speculating game Objective: to develop the speaking skills through the game describing and talking about objects Resources: 20 objects Warming up: Teacher will give students an object by saying it is not and each one of them is going to use the same structure but changing the final word: It is not a cat It is not a beautiful dog Activities: – Teacher will divide the whole class in small groups of four students – Teacher will give each group a different object: Ruler - square - triangle After that, one student of the group will say the real name of the object, the second one will change the real name for another creative word, the third one is going to say an imaginative use of the new object, and the fourth one will say another use of the object 68 ...THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES NGUYEN THI SAC IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH GAMES FOR 11th GRADE STUDENTS AT YEN PHONG N0.2 HIGH SCHOOL (Cải thiện kĩ... personal experience is limited Therefore, this study can only focus on study games in studying English speaking skills for the 11 th grade students at Yen Phong No.2 high school In the process of teaching,... games for 11 th grade students at Yen Phong No.2 high school? ?? 1.2 Aims of the study This study aims at helping the 11 th grade students improve their speaking skills through language activities