How to effectively teach “looking back project” lessons in the new english syllabus

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.2 Rationale As we know, English is the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism Knowing English increases our chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within our home country or for finding work abroad It’s also the language of international communication, the media and the internet, so learning English is important for socialising and entertainment as well as work In recent years, recognising the importance of mastering English, Vietnnam governments has been enacting a lot of policies and projects to improve the quality of teaching and learning English in the whole country in order to enhance our position in the international arena such as retraining English teachers, renovating students’ English books and syllabuses, encouraging and admitting students good at Engslish into universities or colleges… From school year 2020-2021 on, many upper secondary schools in Nghean Province have been intended by Nghean Department of Education and Training to apply the new English 10 syllabus to teach students The content of the new English 10 Syllabus is far different from the old one Apart from the traditional skill-teaching lessons such as reading, speaking, listening and writing, the new English 10 syllabus have other lessons: Getting started, Communication& Culture and Looking back & Projects, in which lessons “Looking back & Projects” are rather strange and difficult for teachers to teach effectively to students For these reasons, in this study I would like to presents some measures in order to help teacher have some useful ideas of how to teach effectively these lessons 1.2 Aims of study This study points out some problems and difficulties in teaching lessons “Looking back & Projects” in the new English 10 Syllabus This study aims at investigating some ways of teaching Lessons “Looking back & Projects” in the new English 10 Syllabus This study contains detailed theoretical explanation for several steps to be taken in class, to solve the mentioned problems 1.3 Scope of the study With the above aims, the scope of the study is limited to effectively teach Lessons “Looking back & Projects” in the new English 10 Syllabus with the hope that many teachers have something to care for to make their teaching more interesting so that their students find themselves more motivated in learning English The topic of the study is: How to effectively teach “Looking back & Project” lessons in the New English Syllabus 1.4 Research methodology Practical research method: exchanging information, attending English classes, practicing teaching, consulting English teachers and summarizing experience PART B: CONTENTS I DEFINNITIONS OF “LOOKING-BACK” AND “PROJECT” LESSONS 1.1 What is a looking-back lesson? A looking-back lesson is possibly called a review lesson A looking-back lesson connects the current lesson with previous lessons by going over points that were taught or learned previously Rather, they allow the students to demonstrate what they learned and what they remember A looking-back lesson is learning from experience or enabling others to so A looking-back lesson is a process that helps students to make use of personal experience for their learning and development It helps learners get more from work, life and recreation, especially if they have the reviewing skills to match their ambitions A looking-back lesson lesson can include: -reflecting on experience -analysing experience -making sense of experience -communicating experience -reframing experience -learning from experience 1.2 What is a project lesson? A project lesson is sometimes called a project-based lesson or project-based learning A project lesson is a comprehensive perspective focused on teaching by engaging students in investigation Within this framework, students pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by asking and refining questions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans and/or experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, communicating their ideas and findings to others, asking new questions, and creating artifacts The basis of a project lesson lies in the authenticity or real-life application of the research Students working as a team or a group are given a "driving question" to respond to or answer, then directed to create an artifact (or artifacts) to present their gained knowledge Artifacts may include a variety of media such as writings, art, drawings, three-dimensional representations, videos, photography, or technology-based presentations Proponents of a project lesson cite numerous benefits to the implementation of its strategies in the classroom including a greater depth of understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved communication and interpersonal/social skills, enhanced leadership skills, increased creativity, and improved writing skills Another definition of a project lesson includes a type of instruction, where students work together to solve real-world problems in their schools and communities Successful problem-solving often requires students to draw on lessons from several disciplines and apply them in a very practical way The promise of seeing a very real impact becomes the motivation for learning In short, a project lesson is a teaching method in which students can gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge It is an instructional approach designed to give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects set around challenges and problems they may face in the real world Here are steps for implementing a project lesson, which are detailed below: -Start with the Essential Question -Design a Plan for the Project -Create a Schedule -Monitor the Students and the Progress of the Project -Assess the Outcome -Evaluate the Experience II CHARACTERISTICS OF LOOKING-BACK LESSONS AND PROJECT LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH 10 SYLLABUS In traditional classes, students have been asked to demonstrate their knowledge through writing papers or taking tests Nevertheless, the current educational purpose is to help students develop comprehensively, including creativity, collaboration, and dynamism To achieve this goal, the new high school textbooks have added a new lesson: "Looking back and Project" at the end of each unit In the “Looking back and Project” lesson, there has been a shift to other sorts of tasks learners can perform to show their understanding These may include the construction of physical objects, presentations, computer programs, websites, videos, and other forms There has also been a focus on the process of preparing and performing these tasks, because it is in doing things that learners construct their initial understandings That is the reason why teachers have to show their own techniques to engage students in the lesson which maintains their interest A “Looking back and Project” lesson is divided into two sections: the “Looking back” section and the “Project” section The “Looking back” section is designed for the revision and consolidation of the language learned in the previous sections It begins with a pronunciation exercise which aims at checking students ‘ability to recognize the sounds or the phonetic phenomena they have learned Words/phrases containing the sounds or the phonetic phenomena are often those that students have met in other parts of the unit or taken from the reading or listening texts The “Project” section is the last part of the unit It is aimed at providing students with an opportunity to apply the language and skills they learned throughout the unit to perform a task in a realistic situation The project tasks are often designed requiring teamwork or groupwork so that students’ teamwork or groupwork skills are developed and their team spirits are enhanced Much of the work for the Project is to be done outside the class, at home or during break time The teacher can spend some time for students to share the results of their project work in class The benefits of “Looking back & Project” lessons are maximized because students are actively engaged in information gathering, processing, and reporting over a period of time and the outcome is increased content knowledge and language mastery Therefore, this study will focus on how to make “Looking back and Project” lessons more effective for grade 10 students Especially, students’ experience can increase motivation, autonomy, engagement, and a more positive attitude toward English through these sections III DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING “LOOKING BACK & PROJECT” LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH-10 SYLLABUS For nearly one-year period of teaching the new English syllabus, all my colleagues and I have found out the problems which are burdens and barriers in teaching and learning English effectively, not only in my school but also in many other schools in our province 3.1 Problems from the syllabus: As mentioned above, Each “Looking Back & Project” lesson is divided into sections They are “Looking Back” section and “Project” section The former is familiar to teachers and balances students’ knowledge if it is taught in a period of 45 minutes In addition, the latter is stranger and more difficult for teachers and students It supplies more knowledge to the lesson, which means that the content of the lesson has a large buck of knowledge and new vocabulary which demands much of time and efforts from students as well as from teachers 3.2 Problems from students: 3.2.1 Low level of language proficiency In fact, students’ low level of English language proficiency is one of major factors that prevent them from learning willingly in lessons Majority of the students have already learnt English at lower secondary schools, however, their knowledge of the English language is not good enough for them to express ideas in English As time goes by, if their knowledge of English vocabulary is not improved, they will lose interest in learning 3.2.2 Passive learning style Another factor that deters students from participating actively in lessons results from their passive learinng style Being deeply affected by some methods like Grammar-trannslation or Audio-lingual Method and the learning environment at lower secondary schools in which students learn English only to pass the entrance exams into upper secondary schools, students believe that the best way of learning English is just sitting, listening to the teachers and writing down what the teachers say In their opinion, being good at English means being good at grammar, vocabulary, but not at speaking or listening 3.2.3 Low motivation The importance of motivation to language learning is clear to all Motivation is related to success in second lannguage learning Motivation is express through students’ diligence and ardent participation in lessons Nevertheless, not many students in our school are confident enough to express themselves by listening and speaking, in their mind, English is just a “second” subject They “have to” learn English just because it is a compulsory subject in the syllabus and not many of them really love English and learn it as a hobby 3.2.4 Lack of confidence Many students confess that being afraid if losing face is one reason why they not willingly learn lessons Resulting from their low level of proficiency and their lack of ideas, they not feel confident enough to express in front of the teacher and their friends They are afraid that if they make mistakes, they will be laughed at and their status will be lowered Students should be aware that confidence is of great importance in leaning English If they are afraid of making mistakes, afraid of losing face, they cannot make use of chances to express ideas and show their langage use The teacher and friends will not laugh at them but help them correct their mistakes, which later results in their progress 3.3 Problems from teachers: 3.3.1 Lack of experience Although we have been teaching English for many years so far, some are good English teachers, we are aquaintant with the old syllabus, we really feel that we lack experience in teaching English lessons in the new English-10 syllabus and that the result of teaching is not up to our expectation We are nowadays trying very hard to make our lectures more interesting to our students 3.3.2 Little time to practice In the new English syllabus, every “Lookinng back & Project” lesson is made up of two sections The “Looking back” section is the same as the “Language Focus” lesson in the old English syllabus This section is familiar to English teachers If this section is taugh in a forty-five-minute period, it is not a problem In addition, the “Project” section is a new one Although many people consider project-based method the most effective and modern in teaching language, many of us find it hard to practice in a fixed short period of time This is the reason why English teachers have always to find out a more different ways to teach “Lookinng back & Project” lessons effectively IV SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHING “LOOKING BACK & PROJECT” LESSONS As said above, the content of “Looking back & Project” lessons have a great amount of knowledge that needs to be taught to students If teacher teach these lessons in traditional ways and have no suitable methods to teach the lessons, they will find that the lessons too long for them to finish in a certain period of time Moreover, a period of time to teach a “Looking back & Project” lesson is only forty-five minutes Planning the time for each lesson is very important If the teacher spends too much time on the first section as usual, they will not have enough time for the next section Modern technology is really needed to help form an effective lesson It helps teachers not only to save time but also make lesson more flexible and interesting From my experience collected in nearly a year of teaching the new English-10 syllabus, I would like to recommend some ways that can make teachers’ lectures more interesting and effective 4.1 As for “Looking back” sections Clearly, timing for teaching “Looking back” section suitably is of great importance If the teacher spends much time teaching a “Looking back” section, he/she will certainly have little time left to teach a more important section, “Project” section From our experience, we usually accommodate half of the fixed time to teach “Looking back” section Besides this, in order to teach “Looking back” sections suitably, it is advised to use games or communicative activities The purpose of these is to make the lessons more interesting and save the left time to concentrate on “Project” section A “Looking back” section is also divided into three subsections: Pronunciation, Vocabulary and Grammar Following are some techniques to teach these subsections effectively 4.1.1 Pronunciation Subsection 4.1.1.1 Word whispering game In this game, the teacher shows the words in the task he/she is going to teach, then divides the class into two groups In each group, he/she chooses from to students, depending on the certain task in certain Pronunciation Subsection of a unit Next, the teacher chooses one student from each team, whispers the exact words that the task requires Each student has to whisper the words to another That student has to whisper to the next The game continues to the last student and the last student has to rush to the board and write the words on the board After that, the teacher plays the tape and gives feedback and announces the winner Word whispering game is perfect and effective for Pronunciation Subsections of Units 1, 3, 4.1.1.2 Shadow Reading Game Shadow Reading is a game involving listening and pronunciation practice This game is challenging and motivating and can be used to teach pronunciation in certain units in the new English-10 sylabus In this game, the teacher plays a CD player to read aloud the sentences in the pronunciation task and asks students to try to speak at exactly the same speed and rhythm as the CD The teacher plays a CD player again and students try one more time In the middle of the recording, the teacher turns down the sound to see if students are still in time when the sound is turned back up.Thus, students have to start and finish at the same time as the CD at normal speed By this way, by playing this game many times, students’ problematic pronunciation can then certainly be drilled and improved Shadow Reading Game is effective and suitable for Pronunciation Subsections of Units 1, 2, 4.1.1.3 Word Stress Maze Game Word stress is one of the biggest challenges my students face, and at the same time this area might be taught using numerous games Word Stress Maze Game is crucial for helping non-native English speakers to improve their pronunciation and comprehensibility of stressed syllable This game may be suitable for units 4, 5, 6, 7, Before playing the game, the teacher divides the class into groups, gives each group a table of squares In the squares, there are words of the first stressed syllables and the second stressed syllables The teacher introduces the first word in the maze (this of the second stressed syllable word is the entrance) and asks the groups to find out other words of the second stressed syllables in the square When students have finished, they have to connect all the answers to find a path to the exit made of the two syllable words of the maze The winner of the game is the group having found the correct path to the exit Following is an exampl of using Word Stress Maze Game to teach word stress: Word Stress Maze Game: Find the correct path to the correct exit by finding the words with the second stressed syllable Entrance  control allow housework challenge perform letter Exit? promote symbol Exit? system infect achieve army Exit? college become healthcare income Exit? woman suggest complete improve Exit? Key to Word Stress Maze Game: Find the correct path to the correct exit by finding the words with the second stressed syllable Entrance  control allow perform letter housework challenge promote symbol system infect achieve army college become healthcare income woman suggest complete improve Exit 4.1.2 Vocabulary Subsection In this section, students can review and recall the new vocabulary through activities or games such as Jumbled Words, Mime, Matching, Pelmanism, Odd One Out, Creat Word Web, Word Snake 4.1.2.1 Jumbled Word Game A Jumbled Word Game is a game in which a mixed-up set of letters are provided and students have to unscramble the letters to find the word Jumbled games involve the skill of solving anagrams Anagrams are all the words that can be created with the letters of one word or phrase With a word jumbled puzzle, students start with a random scramble of letters and they have to find the word within the jumble These types of puzzles will help students develop their skills and get better at solving a word jumble puzzle Solving word jumbled word games will sharpen students’ ability to unscramble words quickly and sufficiently A Jumbled Word Game is suitable for Vocabulary Subsection of Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8… Following are some examples of using Jumbled Word Games to teach vocabulary: Unit 1: Jumbled Word Game: Find 10 daily activities ETAK OTU ETH BBRUISH  TAKE OUT THE RUBBISH OD TEH SHINGWA PU  DO THE WASHING UP ONIR TEH THECLOS  IRON THE CLOTHES OPSH OFR CERIESGRO  SHOP FOR GROCERIES ERWAT TEH WERSFLO  WATER THE FLOWERS DFEE TEH CTA  FEED THE CAT ANCLE TEH SEHOU  CLEAN THE HOUSE PREPARE DIERNN  PREPARE DINNER NGHA OTU THE LAUNDRARY  HANG OUT THE LAUNDRARY ANCLE TEH TUREFURNI  CLEAN THE FURNITURE Unit 2: Jumble Word Game: Find words related to body system in the table S Q V M G E B A S H C S Y A Z Q U T F C D Q D A M C N N L K I Y C E O L N R E S P I R A T O R Y C I R C U L A T O R Y A Q O V R C Y U S P U R C T A O A D F J Y C I Q Z H V U D I G E S T I V E C G S K E L E T A L T F S M U T X Q T E H I O M B F V W Z A G M F G J K 10 5.4.3 After students’ Project Presentation: -Responses: Questions from audiences for the presenters and answers to them: Ngoc: Have you ever volunteer activities? What activities are they? Thao: Yes, I often volunteer activities such as: donating books, old clothes for orphans and lonely old people; planting trees by the roads Anh: Why people volunteer? Quyen: Because it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build an existing experience and knowledge Moreover, it helps people realize good values of life Thuy: What volunteer work are you interested in? Hao: I expect that I'll be working with elderly, taking them for a walk and assisting them on outings -Marks given by the judges 5.5 Unit 5: Inventions - Lesson 8: Project section This activity is accomplished in class 10 D2, in period 5- in lesson on Thursday, December 24th, 2020 5.5.1 Before students’ Project Presentation: -Topic: Inventions -Group Members: Nguyen Khac Duy Nguyen Thi Hanh Nguyen Khanh Huyen This group of students prepare equipments for their project presentation 5.5.2 While students’ Project Presentation: Students present the outcome of their project Duy: Hello Khanh I'm doing a survey about inventions Can I ask you some questions? Hanh: Sure, why not Duy: Do you enjoy using technological devices? Huyen: Definitely yes I have to say that I am 26 a techie and I love to browse websites in my free time to find information about the latest technological innovations I am a big fan of them; for example, smart phone, TV or computer I think my life would suffer a lot of difficulties if I don’t have these technological inventions Duy: Yeah, I’m with you on that In your opinion, what is the greatest invention of all time? How did the invention change people's life? Hanh: Well, when it comes to invention, I would choose smart phone which is one of the revolutionary creations of human beings It is both convenient and cost-effective In the past, when there was no smart phone, people could only get in touch with each other through telephone and it took ages to reach one person but now, with only one smart phone, we can use it for various purposes Not only can we call others but we can also see their face, keep updated with their daily activities or other kinds of entertainment; for example, listening to music or surfing the net Duy: Moreover, there are available applications such as Grab which helps us catch a taxi or motorbike much more easily With this smart device, there seems to be little barrier in communication among people In addition, smart phone helps reduce the cost of our call as we have online application such as Viber, Skype or Whatsapp We can also the shopping without going to traditional markets With just one screen and one touch, we can get whatever we want and have them delivered to our home People often say that with only one smart phone, they can carry the whole world with them So you see, it is a wonderful thing in life! Huyen: That's true What you think are the drawbacks of technological inventions? Hanh: Well, technological breakthroughs help humans in many ways and our life is much more convenient However, people now tend to rely a lot on those inventions, which might make us lazier We will not household chores on a regular basis as automated robots will take over them Moreover, smart phones may hinder us from meeting face-to-face with our beloved people I think that we should use these devices wisely to avoid being its victims Duy: I couldn't agree more That's all Thank you so much ! Hanh: It's my pleasure I have to go now See you next time! 5.5.3 After students’ Project Presentation: -Responses: Questions from audiences for the presenters and answers to them: Thuong: Name some invetions that you know? Huyen: They are computers, tablets, mobile phones Bach: Do you know who invented light bulb? 27 Hanh: Hieu: Duy: It was Thomas Edixon In your opinion, what is the most useful invention? Why? I think, it is the Internet because it has made our life more comfortable -Marks given by the judges 5.6 Unit 6: Gender Equality - Lesson 8: Project section This activity is accomplished in class 10 D3, in period 5- in lesson on Thursday, January 28th, 2021 5.6.1 Before students’ Project Presentation: -Topic: Gender Equality -Group Members: Tran Le Hai An Le Dieu Hien Hoang Thi My Hanh Nuyen Van Dam Sang This group of students prepare equipments for their project presentation 5.6.2 While students’ Project Presentation: Students present the outcome of their project Hai An: There has always been a wide range of jobs men and women have done Some people argue that the selection of gender basically relies on the typical features of works, while others believe that gender equality should be encouraged Sang: I strongly agree with the later view To some extent, it is undeniable that some special occupations are just only appropriate to one gender category, because of gender differences in biological traits For examples, women who is gentle and compliant are more suitable to some jobs like PG, nurse, secretary, Besides, some works require a great deal of potential strengths, such as logging and porterage, should be done by men 28 Hien: However, almost kinds of jobs need to be offered equally to both men and women due to similar living conditions To give details, both genders are allowed to absorb knowledge, and get experiences similarly, so they have the right to choose the occupations they like Some strong women are also able to become driver or police, which are for men Furthermore, many male cooks are so talented that they even cook better than female ones Hanh: Therefore, there is no reason why men and women are excluded from some types of work To conclude, although it has been a disparity of potential strengths between male and female, they need to be given fair opportunities to choose jobs Hai An: I have been convinced that it is in the best interest of a nation if women are also granted equal rights in this particular arena.And if they are interested in this work, no matter what gender they are, they can jobs the best 5.6.3 After students’ Project Presentation: -Responses: Questions from audiences for the presenters and answers to them: Thuy: Do you know any countries which face gender discrimination? HaiAn: I think it is China and India Xuan: Why is the number of boys bigger than girl? Hien: Because in the past, people like boys more than girls They believe that boys cans many things Thuong: Why are females nowadays more respected than in the past? Sang: Because they can a lot of the same things as men They have to very much not only at home but also in society Suong: Do you think that there is Gender Equality in your family? Hanh: Yes, I We are responsible and share household chores equally -Marks given by the judges 5.7 Unit 7: Cultural Diversity - Lesson 8: Project section This activity is accomplished in class 10 D1, in period 4- in lesson on Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 5.7.1 Before students’ Project Presentation: -Topic: Cultural Diversity -Group Members: Duong Nhat Hoang 29 Tran Quang Minh Phan Anh Tien This group of students prepare equipments for their project presentation 5.7.2 While students’ Project Presentation: Students present the outcome of their project Hoang: Hello, everyone, today we’ll tell you all about Vietnam’s cultural diversity As we know, Vietnam has a long and special culture associated with the history of formation and development of the country The Vietnamese culture always attracts foreign tourists and makes them curious and learn Despite cultural differences, 54 ethnic groups always live in peace, without discrimination and together with solidarity and development The diversity in the region also makes up the cultural diversity of Vietnam Minh: The S-shaped land strip is divided into regions: the North, the Central and the South Vietnamese cuisine is also regional; each region has a different way of processing, enjoying and taste The dishes are extremely diverse between regions The main food in Vietnamese meals is rice You can find rice fields almost anywhere in Vietnam Pho is a typical dish of Vietnamese people; tourists coming here cannot help but try Pho is made from rice, beef, and broth, served with kumquat, lemon, and chili In addition to pho, there are various types of vermicelli, and rice cakes Tien: The culture of wearing Ao Dai has become more unique Ao Dai is considered a traditional symbol of Vietnamese attire The beautiful and charming Vietnamese woman in Ao Dai has entered poetry and music Ao Dai is always a gift for friends from the five continents to each other when coming to Vietnam Cultural diversity is a source of identity, of innovation and creativity, helping to unite people It is the driving force to not only develope economic but also enrich the emotional and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people 5.7.3 After students’ Project Presentation: -Responses: Questions from audiences for the presenters and answers to them: 30 Nam: Does Vietnam have any special festivals? Why is it special? Hoang: Yes, of course There are a lot of interesting festivals here, and the biggest one is Lunar New Year, locally called Tet It is special because it is an occasion for Vietnamese people to have a good time while thinking about the last year and the next year Phong: As you said, Ao Dai is the national costume of Vietnam, so you know the national costumes of the others? Minh: To my knowledge, Hanbok is Korea’s traditional costume, Japan has Kimono, Thailand has Sabai and China has Cheongsam Linh: Many foreigners know about Pho, why is it so popular? Tien: In my opinion, this dish is always heated so it is easy to eat, depending on each person's liking; you can increase or decrease the amount of meat while ensuring nutrients -Marks given by the judges 5.8 Unit 8: New ways to learn - Lesson 8: Project section This activity is accomplished in class 10 D2, in period 3- in lesson on Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 5.8.1 Before students’ Project Presentation: -Topic: New ways to learn -Group Members: Nguyen Phuong Thao Tang Thi Khanh Huyen Nguyen Thi Luu Hoang Hai Yen This group of students prepare equipments for their project presentation 5.8.2 While students’ Project Presentation: Students present the outcome of their project Thao: Thanks to the development of Information Technology, human’s life has been improved much more than ever before Nowadays, there are more and more electronic devices 31 invented to serve our normal life such as: smartphones, tablets, computers, laptops … However, we shouldn’t abuse them too much Luu: For the advantage, the first, an electronic device is a great learning tool You can take advantage of its intelligence to learn better The second, you can find information easy without wasting much time When you type the key word, it appears many websites and materials for you to read The third, to understand the meaning of any word which you don’t know, you can look up that word on electric dictionary quickly rather than search in paper dictionary Moreover, these electronic devices will help you to make friends with many people inside or outside country You can send the messages and talk directly across smartphone’s screen Furthermore, you can study yourself instead of going out seeking a qualified center to learn Yen: Besides, smartphone has some disadvantages; for example, to begin with, it does harm for your health And eyes are a part influenced seriously because of radioactivities from smartphone The next, there are many students distracting studying when they use smartphone, laptop, They are attracted by interesting advertisements to forget leaning Moreover, many young people are addicted to games on this electronic device Huyen: In summary, electronic devices are very useful for humans, especially students Nevertheless, we should be aware of using them appropriately and effectively 5.8.3 After students’ Project Presentation: -Responses: Questions from audiences for the presenters and answers to them: Khanh: What electronic devices you have? Huyen: I have electric dictionary and table tablet Duyen: How useful are they for your learning? Luu: They help me look up new words, information quickly Quyen: What you think of studying English with modern technology? Thao: It’s very useful, we can studyeffectively and easily Phuong: Some people say that students’ using modern devices in classroom should be banned Do you agree? HaiYen: Of course, not From what is is said above I don’t agree -Marks given by the judges 32 VI PERFORMANCE RESULTS Recently, we conducted a survey to test the actual results of the using games and for teaching Looking Back Sections and communicative ways for teaching Project Sections in the New English-10 syllabus through the 100 survey forms for our high school students who are involved in the activities The survey forms were randomly delivered to 100 students SURVEY FORM (For each question, you, a student, circles the most correct answer to yourself) Question 1: What you think about the contents of Looking back & Project sections for normal students? a) too long b) long c) normal d) suitable e) very suitable Question 2: How you think about teacher’s not applying new methods in teaching Looking back & Project sections? a) very tedious b) boring c) normal d) fun e) very interesting Question 3: Do you think that the teacher’s applying new methods in teaching Looking back & Project sections helps you more confident when speaking English in front of people? a) disappointed b) not confident c) normal d) confident e) very confident Question 4: How you like Looking back & Project lessons being taught in this communicative way? a) not very much b) not much c) normal d) much e) very much Question 5: Do you think that Looking back & Project lessons taught in the traditional way can help students improve their presentation skills? a) very much disagree b) disagree c) agree d) rather agree e) very much agree Question 6: Do you think that using games to teach Looking Back section is suitable to save time for Project section? a) very unsuitable b) unsuitable c) normal d) suitable e) very suitable Question 7: How you think students feel when teacher use games in teching Looking back sections? a)very uninterested b) uninterested c) normal d) interested e) very interested Question 8: How you think about the new method to teach Project section like that? a)very unacceptable b) unacceptable c) normal d) acceptable e) wonderful In additon, we also carried out other two surveys on this kind at two other high schools in our district Wonderfully, the results from those two surveys were nearly 33 the same This means that our initiative teaching experiences has a high practicality Ans.a ) % Ans.b ) % Ans.c ) % Ans.d ) % Ans.e ) % Q 57 57% 36 36% 7% 0% 0% Q 41 41% 48 48% 11 11% 0% 0% Q 0% 0% 12 12% 58 58% 20 20% Q 0% 0% 9% 60 60% 31 31% Q 0% 0% 3% 22 22% 75 75% Q 0% 0% 8% 57 57% 35 35% Q 0% 0% 7% 21 21% 72 72% Q 0% 0% 2% 16 16% 82 82% Through the survey, we can conclude that: + The majority of the students consider that the contents of Looking Back & Project lessons are too long for normal students to learn in a short period of forty-five minutes + Most of the students are very much interested in teacher’s applying new methods in teaching Looking back & Project lessons + Most of the students agree that the teacher’s applying new methods in teaching Looking back & Project lessons helps them more confident when speaking English in front of people? + The majority of the students feel bored and disappointed if Looking Back & Project lessons are not taught in communicative ways + The majority of the students feel using games to teach Looking Back section is suitable and makes students less stressed + Most of the students agree that the teacher’s applying new methods to teach Looking Back section helps them have more time to practice their project work + The majority of the students want their teacher to continue to use games in teching Looking back sections + The majority of students express their liking of the new method to teach Project section like the ways have been done recently From the survey results, we firmly reaffirm that the application of games and communicative approach to teach “Looking Back& Project lessons not only makes 34 these lessons less boring but also helps motivate students to actively participate in all their learning activities and to improve their project work as well as their speaking skills in their life in the future PART C: CONCLUSION Conclusion As presented in the previous sections, my initiative teaching experiences namely How to effectively teach “Looking back & Project” lessons in the New English Syllabus was carried out in the teaching process in nearly this academic year Although, this document, in my opinion, may not cover all the fields of teaching methodology in high school syllabus, the small success we have achieved is that we know how to integrate and apply communicative approach in teaching and assessment In other words, our students feel more confident and comfortable in learning English And English is no longer a subject full of pressure on them It is regretful that this is the first year we have applied the new English-10 syllabus, so the resuls of the study is limited only to grade 10 However, the success of the initiative experience is very notable Last but not least, this is only a personal initiative teaching experience, so it has is certain inevitable errors We are looking forward to receiving comments and heartfelt comments from the readers Implications and recommendations The result from the study suggested following pedagogical implications: For teachers: being English Foreign Language teachers in the time of 4.0 technology development, teachers should study and find out some strategies of their own for implementation in foreign language lessons and improvement of the results to teaching and learning For that reason, those teachers should be equipped with the skill of dealing with English special language It is extremely important for teachers to teach their students how to improve students’ English speaking skill This seems to be a bit challenging task when some of the students’ speaking skills are not satisfactory enough In order to help students to be effective and confident in speaking skills, teachers should, first of all, use more games in communicative activities in teaching English Then, teachers need to ask students to practice speaking as much as possible because of the fact that speaking skills are largely developed by practice and practice will help students feel better and thus more confident In addition, the teacher’s norm of tolerance and encouragement may help students feel safe and heighten their motivation It is very important to make 35 students know that mistakes are a natural part of learning, and to ensure that they will not be criticized if they make mistakes This could make them feel confident to keep on presenting next time For students: students should promote the autonomy study by finding variable information to increase the foreign language skills and knowledge To that, they should consider the foreign language learning is a duty of students in the time of globalization and development For managers: To improve the quality of teaching and learning English speaking skills, adequate attention should be paid to the aspect of classroom facilities Besides the existing teaching facilities such as: board, chalk, cassette players, computers, head projectors, course books and others; it is necessary to equip the library with more various reference books The library is not only useful for students but also for the teachers as they can read in free time, improve their specialized knowledge as well as English presentation skill The higher education authorities should take more care of teacher’s physical and spiritual life so that teacher will be more interested in the teaching career The higher education authorities should take actions to: -Overcome the difficulties of the teaching facilities by supplying and equipping adequate teaching facilities for schools -Organize more seminars and workshops to help teachers facilitate exchange of teaching experience Thank you a lot for your reading! The author 36 TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGE PART A: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………….…… 1.2 Rationale ……………………………………………………………… 1.2 Aims of study ………………………………………………………… 1.3 Scope of the study …………………………………………………… 1.4 Research methodology ……………………………………………… PART B: CONTENTS …………………………………………………… I DEFINNITIONS OF “LOOKING-BACK” AND “PROJECT” LESSONS 1.1 What is a looking-back lesson? ……………………………………… 1.2 What is a project lesson? …………………………………………… II CHARACTERISTICS OF LOOKING-BACK LESSONS AND PROJECT LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH 10 SYLLABUS ……… III DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING “LOOKING BACK & PROJECT” LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH-10 SYLLABUS …………………………………………… ………… …… 3.1 Problems from the syllabus …………………………………………… 3.2 Problems from students ……………………………………………… 3.2.1 Low level of language proficiency ………………………………… 3.2.2 Passive learning style ……………………………………………… 3.2.3 Low motivation …………………………………………………… 3.2.4 Lack of confidence ………………………………………………… 3.3 Problems from teachers ……………………………………………… 3.3.1 Lack of experience ………………………………………………… 3.3.2 Little time to practice ……………………………………………… IV SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHING “LOOKING BACK & PROJECT” LESSONS ………………………………………… 4.1 As for “Looking back” sections ……………………………………… 4.1.1 Pronunciation Subsection …………………………………….…… 4.1.1.1 Word whispering game …………………………………….…… 4.1.1.2 Shadow Reading Game …………………………………….…… 4.1.1.3 Word Stress Maze Game ……………………………… ……… 4.1.2 Vocabulary Subsection ………………………………………….… 4.1.2.1 Jumbled Word Game ………………………………………….… 4.1.2.2 Matching Game ………………………………………………… 11 37 4.1.2.3 Pelmanism game ………………………………………………… 4.1.2.4 Mime game ……………………………………………………… 4.1.3 Grammar Subsection …………………………….………………… 4.1.3.1 Blackboard Race Game …………………………………………… 4.1.3.2 Gap-fill Task Challenge Game ……………………………… … 4.1.3.3 Sentence Buiding Game ………………………………………… 4.2 As For “Project” Sections ………………………………………….… 4.2.1 Before students’ project presentation ……………………………… 4.2.1.1 Teacher’s giving students the task of preparation for a project … 4.2.1.2 Students’ preparation ………………………………………… … 4.2.2 While students’ project presentation ……………………….……… 4.2.2.1 Project presenting groups………………………………………… 4.2.2.2 The judges ………………………………………………………… 4.2.2.3 The Audiences …………………………………………………… 4.2.3 After students’ project presentation …………………… ………… V SOME GROUPS’ PROJECT PRESENTATIONS …………………… 5.1 Unit 1: Family life- Lesson 8: Project section ……………… ……… 5.1.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.1.2 While students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.1.3 After students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.2 Unit 2: Your body and you: Lesson 8: Project section ……………… 5.2.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.2.1 While students’ Project Presentation ………………………….…… 5.2.3 After students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.3 Unit 3: Music- Lesson 8: Project section ……………………… …… 5.3.1 Before students’ Project Presentation…………………………….… 5.3.2 While students’ Project Presentation ………………………….…… 5.3.3 After students’ Project Presentation …………………………… … 5.4 Unit 4: For a better Community - Lesson 8: Project section …….…… 5.4.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.4.2 While students’ Project Presentation …………………………….… 5.4.3 After students’ Project Presentation …………………………… … 5.5 Unit 5: Inventions - Lesson 8: Project section ……………….……… 5.5.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.5.2 While students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.5.3 After students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.6 Unit 6: Gender Equality - Lesson 8: Project section ………………… 5.6.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.6.2 While students’ Project Presentation ………………………….…… 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 18 19 20 20 20 21 22 22 22 24 24 24 24 25 26 26 26 27 28 28 28 38 5.6.3 After students’ Project Presentation …………………………… … 5.7 Unit 7: Cultural Diversity - Lesson 8: Project section …… ………… 5.7.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.7.2 While students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.7.3 After students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.8 Unit 8: New ways to learn - Lesson 8: Project section ……………… 5.8.1 Before students’ Project Presentation ……………………………… 5.8.2 While students’ Project Presentation ………………………….…… 5.8.3 After students’ Project Presentation ………………………… …… VI PERFORMANCE RESULTS ………………………………………… PART C: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………… I Conclusion ……………………………………………………………… II Implications and recommendations ………………………… ……… TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………… REFERENCES ………………………………………………………….… 29 29 29 29 30 31 31 31 32 32 35 35 35 37 40 39 REFERENCES Project-Based Learning, Edutopia, March 14, 2016 Retrieved 2016-03-15 What is PBL? Buck Institute for Education Retrieved 2016-03-15 Bender, William N (2012) Project-Based Learning: Differentiating Instruction for the 21stCentury Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press p 42 ISBN 978-1-45227927-5 Markham, T (2011) Project Based Learning Teacher Librarian Heick, Terry (August 2, 2018) "3 Types Of Project-Based Learning Symbolize Its Evolution" Sawyer, R K (2006) The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences New York: Cambridge University Press 10 Strobel, Johannes; van Barneveld, Angela (24 March 2009) "When is PBL More Effective? A Meta-synthesis of Meta-analyses Comparing PBL to Conventional Classrooms" Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning (1) doi:10.7771/1541-5015.1046 11 "Project-Based Learning" Khan Lab School 40 ...interesting so that their students find themselves more motivated in learning English The topic of the study is: How to effectively teach “Looking back & Project” lessons in the New English Syllabus. .. CHARACTERISTICS OF LOOKING -BACK LESSONS AND PROJECT LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH 10 SYLLABUS ……… III DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING “LOOKING BACK & PROJECT” LESSONS IN THE NEW ENGLISH- 10 SYLLABUS ……………………………………………... sections, my initiative teaching experiences namely How to effectively teach “Looking back & Project” lessons in the New English Syllabus was carried out in the teaching process in nearly this