(Sáng kiến kinh nghiệm) an application of project based learning to develop the grade 10, 11 students’ speaking skills”

A INTRODUCTION I Reasons for choosing the topic English has become more and more important nowadays Owing to this point, teaching English faces the challenge of finding out the effective methods to satisfy study and communication One of the most updated types of approaches is Project - Based which seems to satisfy at least three requirements of teaching language It promotes the eventual uses of the target language by emphasizing the real-world projects And the project derived from the analysis of the learners’ needs increases learners’ interest and motivation, (Brophy, 2004, as cited in Tsiplakides, 2009) Moreover, its result comes from the learners’ experience during their performance of the projects II Research purpose and objectives This study is carried out to meet the following aims: To experiment the applicability of project- based learning in developing grade 10,11 students’ speaking skills To measure the impact of project- based learning on grade 10, 11 students’ speaking skills III Research questions To what extent does project- based learning help grade 10, 11 students to develop their speaking skill? How applicable is project- based learning in the high school context? What adaptations are needed to make project- based learning more practical in the high school context? IV Research Methodology This section presents the research design as well as research method, data collection and data analysis The research context with an overview of Kim Lien high school, the syllabus, the current teaching and learning situation are mentioned The research approach and method of data analysis are presented later on to provide how to deal with the research questions and reach the solutions An overview of the research site Now I am a teacher of English in a local high school where the average level of English of students lies in the low standard and the facilities of both teaching and learning are under a lot of difficulties That is an obstacle for the teachers to adapt this approach to teaching The students not have enough necessary knowledge to perform their projects as well as the other facilities such as time, the conditions of learning and the cost of living Research design Questionnaires were administered to collect the data about the students’ preferred techniques and methods and teachers’ opinions of the situation These data were used as the basis for proposing effective techniques and activities for teaching speaking to the students at the school Research method To carry out the study, quantitative and qualitative methods were mainly used The data collected for the study come from two sources: the grade10,11 students and the teachers of English from Kim Lien high school The quantitative method with survey questionnaires, two for students (preand post-questionnaire) and one for the teachers, were used to gather information and evidence for the study In addition, to make the data collected more reliable and authentic, the qualitative method was applied with class observation All the comments, remarks, recommendations and conclusion provided in the study were based on the data analysis of the study Participants The participants in the survey questionnaires were 120 students of classes which were selected randomly from the classes of grade 10 ,11from Kim Lien high school and teachers were selected to get the objective data.These teachers have had many years of teaching All the participants took part in the survey by responding to the three kinds of questionnaires, two for the students and one for the teachers Data collection instruments Questionnaires and class observation as the main tools for collecting information are used 5.1 Survey questionnaires The instruments used in this study consist of three questionnaires: two questionnaires for students and one for teachers The questionnaires were designed in both closed and open-ended questions The questionnaires for the students were checked to make sure that they could understand all questionnaire items 5.1.1 Questionnaires for students 5.1.1.1 Pre-task questionnaire This pre - task questionnaire was designed with three parts with questions Part was about the students’ personal information Part was designed to elicit the students’ opinions of their motivation and attitude in learning speaking English Part collected some information relating to factors affecting their working time in English speaking class 5.1.1.2 Post-task questionnaire The post-task questionnaire consists of questions which are divided into parts: Part was about the students’ personal information Part was about the students’ motivation changes after applying new project- based learning in speaking English Part was aimed at collecting information about teachers’ applying activities in teaching speaking English and the changes in students’ learning 5.1.2 Questionnaires for teachers The survey to the teachers with nine questions was designed with two parts: Part was the demographic information which contains the teacher’s gender, age, and the number of years they have been teaching English Part was about what problems teachers are often faced with in teaching speaking English, what they had done to increase the students’ motivation in English speaking classroom, their beliefs in using project - based learning in teaching English speaking 5.2 Class observation The researcher carried out the classroom by visiting classes and recording all activities taking place in each class: the teacher’s questions and explanations, the students’ presentation, the presentation of the teachers in the class The observation checklists for communicative groups were made and after the class, the elements in the checklist were given assessment The checklist includes six criteria: - Teacher’s preparation - Teacher’s presentation - Teacher’s method - Teacher’s personal characteristic - Student’s presentation - Teacher’s feedback The assessment is divided into scales: applicable and not applicable (not using PBL) Data collection procedures First, the questionnaire for teachers was conducted to gather the information about teachers’ attitudes towards students’ motivation in speaking English; difficulties that the teachers have to face in teaching speaking; and techniques used by the teachers in the English speaking classroom And then the pre-task questionnaire was delivered to the students in the classes where only a few teaching techniques are taken to measure the students’ input motivation After collecting information from the students’ pre-task questionnaire and the teachers’ questionnaire, the teachers would be suggested to teach the students for a certain period of time with applying chosen project- based approach, and then post-task questionnaire was given to students’ to gather information about the students’ motivation changes, students’ attitudes towards the activities and PBL applied by both the students and the teachers Summary This section has presented the research site whose notable contextual feature is that learning English is compulsory and students tend to put their focus on grammar and vocabulary Besides the subjects of the study and the data collection, methods have also been discussed B CONTENTS I/ SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS In this assignment, I have reviewed the definition of project and projectbased learning I also have had a close look at the characteristics of project-based learning Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of project-based learning are also analyzed The project-based learning is relevant to my English teaching since it helps prepare students for the way how to solve the problems they will in the future, “students learn by doing, not just by listening to the teacher.”(Kolb, 2009 cited in Tsiplakides, 2002).That is also the basis and the purpose of learning English Promoting the students internal factors The main reason for the majority of the students to learn English speaking was that they could pass the final exam Studying speaking English for the future job was what many students were concerned Some other students expressed their wishes to study abroad, but this number was not too high A necessity for communicating with English speaking people was not regarded as their main reason However, the lowest percentage of them stated that they learnt speaking English for their interest or enjoyment Therefore, it was undeniable that the major kind of motivation for the students to learn English speaking is instrumental not integrative Thus, they are more extrinsically than intrinsically motivated Nonetheless, many of the students have the combination of the two types, instrumental and integrative In general, students who possessed extrinsic motivation often felt unwilling and forced to learn English while students with instrumental and integrative orientation were quite eager to learn English Therefore, in order to help students increase their motivation in learning English speaking, the teachers should know their students’ interest and expectation in learning English Teachers should investigate what students want to see that whether their teaching methods and knowledge they applied are suitable for the students or not Secondly, most of the students learn English because it is a compulsory skill at school, therefore the teachers had better maintain the extrinsic and instrumental motivation and enhance the intrinsic one For the extrinsically motivated students, teachers should give them more tasks; require them to more exercises in order that they can get good results in their test and examination Besides, teachers can enhance their intrinsic motivation by inserting English culture and custom in speaking lessons; arouse their love for English by conducting the lesson projects following the topics that they enjoy For intrinsically motivated students, teachers can motivate them by varying activities, tasks and materials to increase their interest level Providing them with reference materials and some websites in English on the Internet is a good way to encourage their love for English One more thing is that self-confidence determines the amount of effort and time the students will spend and the persistence they will display in the process of learning, so it is important for the teachers to increase the students’ self-confidence in learning English speaking Teachers should make students believe that speaking English competence is changeable and controllable as long as they exert enough effort in learning Varying speaking activities The teachers should stimulate the students to speak English by providing them with a variety of ways to present Firstly, pair work and group work in PBL are thought to be very useful in speaking lessons Using pair work and group work helps teachers reduce boredom and tiredness among students In the large classes, establishing routines of pair work and group work activities will make the teachers easily control and motivate the students Each student has an opportunity to take part in the PBL lesson and their mistakes can be corrected by other group members or partners In multi level classes, when working in groups or pairs students can share ideas and structures with others Besides, the teachers can help some students get out of silence in class by assigning roles to help them choose their management responsibilities when they work in groups Assigning different roles to all of the students in groups can help the teachers encourage the quieter students and provide all the students opportunities for balanced interaction and taking turns Secondly, making full use of computer aids is what the teachers should concern Computers help students overcome the difficulties to finish their projects The teachers can use computers connected to the internet in any stage of the lesson; however, it is thought that computers bring the most beneficial if it is used in PBL Visual aids such as music, pictures, and maps are believed to create enjoyable and motivating learning atmosphere when the students are taught with PBL Also, other activities such as discussions, interviews, and picture description should be introduced to the students so that they can perform their presentation in front of the class in an attractive way Combining the textbook with relevant materials Textbook is considered suitable, reasonable and authentic in the content and up-dated in information and added materials for teaching and learning are necessary The teachers should deliver handouts or some photocopied papers besides the textbook to help the students have more sources of information The teachers can also ask the students to find out the information related to the lesson through other sources such as newspapers, the Internet Setting up co-operative atmosphere in class A tense class atmosphere arouses the students’ anxiety that hinders the students’ motivation and effectiveness in learning speaking English while a cooperative classroom atmosphere facilitates the students to express their opinions and make the students no longer feel embarrassed when they make mistakes Teachers, thus, should build a warm environment in which teachers can have a close relationship with the students Being enthusiastic, tolerant, helpful, creative and active Teachers’ characteristics are decisive factors to help increase motivation It is teachers’ helpfulness; friendliness and enthusiasm that cause students to grow fond of learning Besides, teacher’s tolerance also makes students feel warm in their heart, which help reduce stress Moreover, teacher’s creativeness and activeness is one factor that can help the students succeed in the speaking project Creative and active teachers always have vivid and impressive knowledge that aids all students in speaking lessons Aware of and satisfy students’ interest and desires Although the teachers had made a great effort to create the students’ motivation, many students were de-motivated to speak because of differences between the teaching methods and students’ expectations Thus, an investigation of students’ interest and expectations should be carried out at the beginning of the term to see if their teaching methods and attitude are preferable to their students or not This serves as the basis for the teachers to select interesting, especially suitable teaching methods for their students Helping the students improve their knowledge of grammar and enrich their vocabulary From the findings we know that the majority of the students found it hard to carry on their speaking tasks because of their poor vocabulary and structures Thus, the teachers should create a competitive atmosphere for the students to memorize new words and structures in a logical way A careful and regular check on them should be conducted in a variety of ways such as in both oral and written forms, through games and puzzles Equally important, added and extra materials are sometimes beneficial In addition to the exercises in the textbooks, the teachers should provide students with photocopied papers to practise and check vocabulary and grammar, which arouses their interest and excitement Recognizing the potential value of available facilities of the school and the Internet Most teachers and students are facing the poor facilities in both teaching and learning The lessons taught with PBL without assistance from facilities sometimes lead to boringness Because of this, teachers and students should take full advantage of the available facilities of the school and overcome obstacles and difficulties with speaking in poor facility environment For example, through a cassette player, students can express their ideas with some songs or pieces of news or through a projector, teachers and students can make the lesson more interesting and attractive with lively pictures and video clips in their presentation Because the school does not have language labs and cannot provide students with the Internet at the school library, teachers can help the students with guiding them how to use the Internet in their free time and provide them with useful Website addresses for their study First, teachers let students find interesting authentic materials on the Internet, in the form of news, weather reports, songs in English, sport reports and so on These texts consist of varied grammatical structures and wide-ranging vocabulary which students can read or hear in the context Teachers, then, can check up again by giving students tasks based on finding particular information on the Internet Besides, there are now many Websites that teach students speaking and especially pronunciation II/ THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: * Approaches to language teaching Language teaching has a long, fascinating but rather tortuous history, in which a debate on teaching methods has evolved particularly over the last hundred years The names of many of the methods (Grammar-translation Method, Direct Method, Audio-lingual Method, Communicative Teaching Method, etc) are familiar enough, yet the methods are not easy to grasp in practice because a method, however ill-defined it may be, is more than a single strategy or a particular technique As a part of language teaching theories, these methods are derived partly from social, economic, political, or educational circumstances, partly from theoretical consideration (new changes in language theories and in new psychological perspective on language learning), partly from practical experience, intuition, and inventiveness Therefore, to some extent, they represent a combination of language teaching beliefs, but it is evident that they are characterized by the over-emphasis on single aspects as the central issue of language teaching and learning * Project-Based Learning The assignment realizes that most of the students from high schools find it more interesting to be taught English through the activities that they are involved in Among several versions of the Communicative Approaches: Content -Based, Task-Based, community language learning, the assignment shows that ProjectBased learning (PBL) is popular and relevant to our educational purposes PBL refers to an approach based on conducting a project as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching, (Bullent Alan & Fredricka L.Stoller, 2005, p11) And it provides a structured framework for both instruction and assessment Students are more likely to develop intrinsic motivation in a ProjectBased approach and it enables teachers to see if students are developing the ability to communicate in language learning Since the students from high schools hope to be able to speak and deal with the real situations in their life in English relating to their interests of drawing, watching videos, listening to songs It is believed that a Project - Based Learning in each unit is the most appropriate for these students than other types As a result, only the Project - Based Learning is discussed in detail in the following section What is Project-Based Learning? It should be noted that most good studies starting by defining their terms and a study on “Project-Based Learning” seem to require a definition of “Project” as a priority Many definitions of project have been offered in the literature by the researchers from different research perspectives The concept has been associated with real world activities, focusing on meaning and form, coming to the comprehensive definitions In the following, the definitions are selected to indicate the changes in people’s conception about projects or project-based language teaching Bruner (1973) noted that the basic ideas of project-based learning are based on various socio-constructivist schools of thoughts and other modern instructional theories Thomas, Mergendoller, and Michaelson (1999) assumed that projectbased learning was considered a set of pedagogies through social activities A project goes beyond language, researching "the complex variables that constitute an online learning, playing, and socially conscious experience" according to a broadside of the Center for Research on Learning & Technology As stated by David (2008, as cited in Tsiplakides (2009), the Project -Based learning is a process in which the students integrated language and other articulated skills in specific settings of language use beyond the subjects in classrooms While these definitions vary somewhat, they all emphasize the fact that projects involve communicative language use in which the user's attention is focused on the learner’s experiences through performing the project rather than gaining knowledge in a passive way according to the traditional school methods To have an overall of the above definition, project-based learning is a process in which the students’ knowledge and understandings through learning activities require a high level of involvement with meaningful activities Characteristics of Project-Based Learning A project - based lesson is based on project-based learning, an approach where learners carry out project such as solving a problem or planning an activity The language learnt comes out of the linguistic demands of the activity Kolb (Kolb, 1984, cited in Tsiplakides, 2009) provided that a project - based lesson is structured around the need that arises during the performance of a given project In the classroom, various elements of the project -based approach are applicable to activities in other methodologies For example, learners can see a model of the activity they are to first, prepare a report on how they complete a project, and the teacher can record this report and analyze it for further work The followings 11 are the characteristics of project- based lesson that are emphasized by Tsiplakides (2009) Project-based learning is potentially powerful and widely applicable Suitable for learners of all ages and backgrounds Addressing the crucial problem-directly by using active and real project as learning activities Ability to perform the instructional project is equivalent to the ability to use the language, so a functional ability should be a natural outcome of the instructional experience Project-based learning can be very effective when the learners are engaged in relatively similar out-of-class activities (social or academic) Project-based learning can be especially useful for learners who are not accustomed to a more traditional type of classroom learning or who need to learn cognitive, cultural, and life skills along with the language Learning philosophy underlying project-based learning Project-based learning gives the students opportunities to work independently and realistically to have products These activities enable the students to explore and develop their ability by themselves in a certain context When a student experiences a problem in a real context, they tend to recognize the value that they have overcome Thus, the students develop their life skills in society as independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners Moreover, they learn the way how to solve the problems Project-based learning, therefore, helps the students form the basic skills of working cooperatively with other people Project-based learning in foreign language education Learning a language requires a student to communicate with the other people using the same language Thus, they take part in various real situations such as designing investigations, making explanations, modeling, and presenting their ideas to others when they conduct a project One of the benefits of project-based learning is that students can more easily see the value and the meaning of the tasks and activities they perform Either way, it’s hard for them to see the meaning in what they’re doing But when they are involved in a investigation designed to answer a question that is important to them because they have a chance to practise language naturally, they can see how a language can be spoken to solve important problems Clearly, Project-Based learning can meet this need when it is applied to a speaking lesson (Krajcik, 1998) What you often to create close relationship with your students to help them speak English better? (You can have one more choice) a Sitting at the teacher’s desk to watch the whole class b Standing at the front of the class near the black board c Standing close to the students who tend to speak much d Walking around the class to give help e Talking to them in friendly ways How tolerant are you when your students keep making mistakes? a Very tolerant (silent until they finish their task, smile and help them realize and correct the mistakes) b Tolerant (silent but not willing enough to smile and supportive) c A bit tolerant d Impatient e Pay no attention to their mistakes Which of the following techniques you use to make your students more active and interested in speaking lessons? (You can have one more choice) a Combining textbook with relevant materials b Giving feedback regularly by checklists and rubrics and giving comments on students’ presentation c Creating the co-operative atmosphere d Applying rewards and punishment policy (giving positive marks for your students ‘participation) e Encourage them to speak by clear instructions What would you to prevent your students from using Vietnamese in pair work or group work? a Remind them to use English b Criticize them c Let them be d Encourage them to speak English e Give them help How often you use the following communicative teaching activities? (On each row tick a, b, c, d or e for your choice) a always b often c Sometimes d seldom e never Role plays Interviews Games Pair-work/Group-work and problem solving Picture description Visual aids (picture, map, music, handouts, computers) How often you use the following techniques to motivate your students? (On each row tick a, b, c, d or e for your choice) a Always b often c Sometimes d Seldom e Never Individual work Pair work Group work Create interesting and appropriate topics Guide students to use visual aids during the lesson 5 APPENDIX PRE-TASK QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey questionnaire is conducted to serve my study on “An Application of Project-Based Learning to develop the grade 10,11 students’ speaking skills” A General information:  Name  Age:  Gender: Male/ Female  How long have you been learning English? B Now, please tick the answers that you choose Sometimes you can tick more than one answer for a question Could you give me the reason why you want to learn speaking English? a It is a compulsory skill in learning English at high school b You think it is necessary for your future job c To know more about the world d To communicate with foreigners e To be able to study abroad How necessary is speaking skill to you? a Very necessary b quite necessary c normal d A little necessary e Not necessary at all How much are you fascinated in learning speaking English? a very fascinated b rather fascinated c normal d a little fascinated e not fascinated at all How often you speak English in English class time? a always b usually c sometimes d rarely e never except when asked by teacher What factors make you unwilling to speak in class? a Limitation of communicative environment b Being afraid of losing faces c Unfamiliar topics d Boring teaching way e Lack of vocabulary and structures Which of the following factors may stimulate you to speak English in class? (You can have more than one choice) a Teacher’s teaching method b Opportunity for all students to speak out c Interesting topics in the textbook d Good-natured classroom e Various speaking activities What you think the teachers should to motivate you to take part in speaking activities? a Have clear instructions b Be enthusiastic, friendly and helpful c Encourage you with nice compliments and a good feedback d Give interesting topics and activities in speaking skill e Not pay attention to your mistakes but your strong side Which activities you enjoy in speaking lessons? Speaking activities Your teacher often uses you enjoy Role-play Interviews Games Pair-work/Group-work and problem solving Picture description Visual aids (picture, map, music, handouts, computers) How you enjoy these following activities ? (On each row tick a, b, c, d or e for your choice) a Really enjoy b Enjoy c Don’t care d Don’t enjoy e Really enjoy Individual work Pair work Group work APPENDIX POST-TASK QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS This survey questionnaire is conducted to serve my study on “An Application of Project-Based Learning to develop the grade 10,11 students’ speaking skills” A General information:  Name  Age:  Gender: Male/ Female  How long have you been learning English? B Now, please tick the answers that you choose Sometimes you can tick more than one answer for a question Could you give me the reason why you want to learn to speak English? a It is a compulsory skill in learning English at high school b You think it is necessary for your future job c To know more about the world d To communicate with foreigners e To be able to study abroad How necessary is speaking skill to you? a Very necessary b quite necessary c normal d A little necessary e Not necessary at all How much are you fascinated in learning speaking English? a very fascinated b rather fascinated c normal d a little fascinated e not fascinated at all How often you speak English in English class time? a always b usually c sometimes d rarely e never except when asked by teachers What factors make you unwilling to speak in class? a Limitation of communicative environment b Being afraid of losing faces c Unfamiliar topics d Boring teaching ways e Lack of vocabulary and structures Which of the following factors may stimulate you to speak English in class? (You can have more than one choice) a Teacher’s teaching method b Opportunity for all students to speak out c Interesting topics in the textbook d Good-natured classroom e Various speaking activities What you think the teachers should to motivate you to take part in speaking activities? a Have clear instructions b Be enthusiastic, friendly and helpful c Encourage you with nice compliments and a good feedback d Give interesting topics and activities in speaking skill e Not pay attention to your mistakes but your strong side Which activities you enjoy in speaking lessons? Speaking activities Your teacher often uses you enjoy Role-play Interviews Games Pair-work/Group-work and problem solving Picture description Visual aids (pictures, maps, music, handouts, computers) How you enjoy these following activities ? (On each row tick a, b, c, d or e for your choice) a Really enjoy b Enjoy c Don’t d.Don’t e Really care enjoy enjoy Individual work Pair work Group work 10 What results have you achieved through the recent lessons? a I am more self-confident and fascinated in speaking lessons b My English speaking skill has been improved much c My English knowledge has been widened d I have realized that learning to speak English well is not too difficult e I am always willing to speak English in class APPENDIX LESSON OBSERVATION SHEET (Adapted from Brown, 1994) Name of the observed: Class: Observer’ name: Date: Categories Criteria Results (%) A NA I Preparation 1.Well-prepared and well-organized in class Appparently and appropriately prepared objectives of the lesson II Presentation Language of instructions is clear and concise and the students are able to carry them on The lesson is smooth, sequenced and logical Authentic materials are added Materials are presented at the students’ level of comprehension The teacher shows an interest in, enthusiasm for the subject taught III Implementation/ methods The teacher moves around the class and is ready to help the students more There are a balance and a variety of activities during the lesson 10 Examples and illustrations are used effectively 11 Instructional aids or sources of materials are used effectively 12 Drills are used and presented effectively 13 Teachers explores genuine situations in the class 14 Structures and vocabulary are taken out of students’ presentation and applied to the real contexts of students’ culture and personal experience IV Student’s presentation 15 Students are active to their presentation 16 Students are encouraged to ask questions, to disagree or to express their own ideas during the presentation 17 The students are able to draw the attention with their presentation and give out comments V Teacher/Student interaction 18 Teacher is a facilitator 19 The students are communicators 20 Teacher encourages and assures full student participation 21 The students are attentive and involved 22 Teacher organizes individual, pair work, and group work to the project effectively 23 Teacher controls and directs the class VI Teacher’s feedback 24 Teacher gives out a clearly checklist and rubric 25 Teacher’s feedback helps students improve their speaking skills APPENDIX CLASSROOM OBSERVATION CHECKLIST A Lesson profile: Aims: Setting: - Time allowance: - Class: - Unit: Teacher: Learners: B Observation: Aspects observed Comments Students’ motivation on the speaking lessons Students’ attitude towards speaking activities Students’ involvement in the speaking activities Students’ satisfaction from the lesson Students’ preference for the teacher’s approach Students’ interaction with each other while completing the projects How the teacher deals with noise and silence in class APPENDIX TEACHER’S RUBRIC GROUP:……….…DATE:…………………… The project shows from (3-2-1-0 points) Appearance Arrangement Content of knowledge Teamwork Creativity Presentation Total possible points: 21 Total points earned: 65 ... projectbased learning I also have had a close look at the characteristics of project- based learning Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of project- based learning are also analyzed The project- based. .. explanations, modeling, and presenting their ideas to others when they conduct a project One of the benefits of project- based learning is that students can more easily see the value and the meaning... ideas and showed opinions in their mother tongue They often asked the teachers to help them to transfer their thought into the target language The students said that: “They find expressing themselves