Topical speaking on video clips as a supplementary practice to improve 10th graders’ english speaking ability

VINH UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE _ VÕ THỊ DOAN TOPICAL SPEAKING ON VIDEO CLIPS AS A SUPPLEMENTARY PRACTICE TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’ ENGLISH SPEAKING ABILITY MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION NGHE AN - 2019 VINH UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE _ VÕ THỊ DOAN TOPICAL SPEAKING ON VIDEO CLIPS AS A SUPPLEMENTARY PRACTICE TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’ ENGLISH SPEAKING ABILITY MASTER’S THESIS IN EDUCATION Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language (TESOL) Code: 8.14.01.11 Supervisor Prof., Dr NGƠ HỮU HỒNG NGHE AN - 2019 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this master thesis entitled “Topical speaking on video clips as a supplementary practice to improve 10 th graders’ English speaking ability” and that I have not used any sources other than those listed in the bibliography and identified as references I further declare that I have not submitted this thesis to any other institution so as to obtain a degree Author’s signature Võ Thị Doan i ABSTRACT In recent years, a great tendency towards the use of technology and its integration into the curriculum has gained a great importance Particularly, the use of video as a supplementary material in foreign language teaching classrooms has grown rapidly because of the increasing emphasis on communicative techniques, and it is obvious that the use of video is a great help for foreign language teachers in stimulating and facilitating the target language learning Keeping all this in mind, the author conducted this quasi-experimental research at Nam Đàn High School to investigate how topical speaking on video clips influences the students’ speaking ability in term of speaking speed and speaking accuracy in word stress and pronunciation During 20 weeks of the treatment , the control and treatment group followed the usual English program of high school while the treatment group did the video recording as a supplementary practice A general English test, the prespeaking test, and the post-speaking test were designed to measure the students’ English proficiency and their improvement in speaking speed and speaking accuracy The results of this study indicated that the use of topical speaking on video clips is really beneficial to the students’ speaking improvement The treatment group showed a great enhancement not only in their speaking speed but also in speaking accuracy in pronunciation and word stress Basing on the findings of the research, the author also proposed some implications for teaching and learning English speaking skill and some suggestions for further study ii ACKNOWLEGEMENTS This study could not have been completed if it had not been for the help of many respected and beloved people I would like to express my deepest thank to all of them First of all, I would like to acknowledge with all my greatest attitude the support, guidance and invaluable critical feedback which I have received from my supervisor, Assoc Prof., Dr Ngô Hữu Hoàng Secondly, my special thanks also go to all lecturers and the staff of the Department of Post Graduate Studies at Vinh University for their useful materials, instructions and enthusiasm which are of great values to the thesis Next, I am appreciative of all my colleagues and my students at Nam Dan High School where I have gathered information for my study Without their help, this study could not have been successful Last but not least, my sincere thanks are to my dearest family and my friends who always stand by me with their warm support and encouragements iii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Participants’ demographic information 30 Table 4.1 The scores of the control and treatment group in the General English Test38 Table 4.2 Average total scores and standard deviations of the General Test 40 Table 4.3: Means and standard deviations of ten videos in the treatment group 41 Table 4.4: The mean and standard deviations of the first and the last topic 41 Table 4.5: Speaking speed increase made by participants (S) in the treatment group 42 Table 4.6: Summary of the increase on speaking speed of the participants in the treatment group 42 Table 4.7: Number of the students for different change patterns 46 Table 4.8: Means and SD of word stress errors in ten recordings for the experimental group 46 Table: 4.9: Word stress error decrease by each student in the treatment group 47 Table 4.10: Means and Standard Deviations of pronunciation errors 49 Table 4.11: Reduction in pronunciation errors made by each participant in the treatment group 49 Table 4.12: Pre-test’s means and standard deviations for control and treatment group51 Table 4.13: Mean scores and standard deviations of speaking speed in the post test 53 Table 4.14: Mean scores and standard deviations of speaking speed of the prespeaking test and post-speaking test 55 Table 4.15: Means and the standard deviations of word stress errors of the pre-test and post-test 57 Table 4.16: Means and the standard deviations of pronunciation errors 59 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1 The results of the control and treatment group in General Test 39 Figure 4.2: Increase level of the students in the treatment group through 10 video recordings 43 Figure 4.3: Progress line chart of student S30/ increase 44 Figure 4.4: Progress chart of student S10/decrease 44 Figure 4.5: Progress chart of student S32/ gradual increase 45 Figure 4.6: Progress chart of the student S18/ fluctuated 45 Figure 4.7: Decrease level in word stress errors 48 Figure 4.8: Decrease level in pronunciation errors 50 Figure 4.9: A comparison of speaking speed in the pre-test 52 Figure 4.10: A comparison of the speaking speed of the two groups 53 Figure 4.11: A comparison of speaking speed between control and treatment group 54 Figure 4.12: Comparison of the improvement in speaking speed of the two groups in the post-test 55 Figure 13: Reduction in word stress errors of the control and treatment group 56 Figure 4.14: Reduction in pronunciation errors of the control and treatment group 58 v TABLE OF CONTENT STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP……………….……………………….… i ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEGEMENTS iii LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES v TABLE OF CONTENT vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 The aim of the research 1.3 Research questions 1.4 The scope of the study 1.5 Significance of the study 1.6 The organization of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Previous studies in relation 2.2 Speaking skill 2.2.1 Definition of speaking 2.2.2 The role of speaking skill in language learning 10 2.2.3 Different aspects of teaching speaking 11 2.3 Indicators of speaking ability 12 2.4 Accuracy and fluency 13 2.5 Teaching speaking to EFL learners 15 2.5.1 EFL learners’ difficulties in learning speaking 15 2.5.2 Causes for the students’ difficulties in learning speaking 17 2.5.3 Activities to improve oral skill 18 2.5.4 Balance between accuracy and fluency 22 2.6 Video recording 23 2.6.1 Characteristics of Videos 23 vi 2.6.2 Video – recording 24 2.6.3 Benefits of Video- recordings 24 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 28 3.1 Research questions restated 28 3.2 Research Method 28 3.2.1 Quasi – experiment definition 28 3.2.2 Reasons to choose quasi – experiment 29 3.3 Participants 30 3.4 Material sources 31 3.5 Procedures 34 3.6 Data analysis 36 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 38 4.1 Results 38 4.1.1 The general test result 38 4.1.2 Results of ten recording videos 40 4.1.3 Pre-test and post-test results 51 4.2 Discussion 59 CHAPTER CONCLUSION 63 5.1 Conclusion and recommendation 63 5.2 Limitations of the study 64 REFERENCES 66 APPENDIX A 71 APPENDIX B 83 APPENDIX C 86 APPENDIX D 87 APPENDIX E 88 APPENDIX F 88 APPENDIX G 89 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In chapter 1, the author provides the background to the study and statement of the problem, the aims as well as the scope of the study Organization of the thesis is also mentioned in this chapter 1.1 Rationale In English teaching, most teachers at high school mainly concentrate on English grammar and vocabulary Students are required to get good knowledge of eligible grammar and vocabulary so that they can the written tests well Consequently, after many years of learning English, most of the students fail to speak English fluently and accurately They usually speak very slowly with a lot of hesitation, wrong pronunciation and wrong word stress Nowadays, with the social development, the demand of using English as a communicative tool has been increasing Teachers and students realize that learning English is not only leaning about grammar and vocabulary It is very important to improve speaking skill Accurate and fluent speaking ability is a must that will help the learners produce effective communication with people around the world and get a good job in the future It can not be denied that in recent years, both teachers and students at high school have paid a lot of attention to oral skill However, time for practicing spoken English in classes is limited In text book 10, there are sixteen units and each unit has a speaking lesson Each lesson lasts for forty five minutes Therefore, students have very little time to practise speaking on the topics they have learnt and teachers have a few chances to give feedback and correction to every student in classes It is clearly seen that many students expect every single one of their errors to be corrected by teachers Some students even attribute their lack of improvement to not being given feedback Individualized feedback in classes from teachers may be beneficial for students, but it is unlikely to be PAPER LISTENING (approximately 30 minutes, including minutes transfer time) PART 1: QUESTION 1-5 You will hear five short conversations You will hear each conversation twice There is one question for each conversation For questions 1-5, put a tick  under the right answer 79 Where is Room 22? Which man wants to see him? How did the woman get to work? 80 PART 2: QUESTIONS 6-10 Listen to Paul talking to a friend about his family What does each person do? For questions 6-10, write a letter A-H next to each person You will hear the conversation twice PEOPLE JOBS Bill  A bank clerk David  B doctor Paul's mother  C farmer Paul's father  D shop assistant 10 Paul  E stopped work F student G teacher H writer 81 PART 3: QUESTIONS 11-15 Listen to Eric talking to Mary about the weekend Their friend, Carlos, is coming to visit them For questions 11-15, tick  A, B or C You will hear the conversation twice EXAMPLE What does Carlos hate? ANSWER A shopping  B museums  C football  11 When is the football match? A Saturday morning  B Saturday afternoon  C Sunday afternoon  12 Where are they going to eat on Saturday evening? A at home  B in an Italian restaurant  C in a Chinese restaurant  13 What are they going to on Sunday morning? A go for a drive  B get up late  C go to the cinema  14 Where are they going to have lunch on Sunday? A in a café  B in a pub  C at home  15 They can't go to the cinema on Sunday afternoon because A Carlos doesn't like films  B Eric doesn't like films  C they don't have time  82 APPENDIX B TOPICS FOR STUDENTS TO PRACTISE SPEAKING ON VIDEOS Unit Unit 5: Topics suggested by teacher - The uses of the computer in our daily life (topic Technology and You of the reading passage) - The uses of some modern inventions such as TV, electric cooker and air conditioner (topic of the speaking lesson) Unit 6: An Excursion - If you and you class could go for a picnic this weekend, what would your plan be? (topic of the reading passage) - Talk about the excursion that you have ever taken Unit 7: The Mass Media - Talk about one of the TV programmes you like watching best (topic of the reading passage) - Talk about advantages and disadvantages of TV or the Internet (Topic of speaking and writing lesson) Unit 8: The Story of My Village - Talk about plans to improve life in your village (topic of speaking lesson) - Talk about the recent changes in your home town or your home village (topic of the listening lesson) Unit 9: Undersea World - Talk about some actions that should be taken to protect our oceans (topic of speaking lesson) 83 - Give a talk about the description of sperm whales or dolphins (topic of writing lesson) Unit 10: Conservation - What is the consequence of losing forest? (topic of reading lesson) - What should we for the future of our planet? (topic of reading lesson) - What are advantages and disadvantages of the zoos of the new kind? (topic of speaking lesson) Unit 11: National Parks - Which of the three national parks mentioned in reading passage (Nairobi, Everglades and Cuc Phuong) would you like to visit? Why? - Talk about special features of Cuc Phuong National Park (topic of listening lesson) Unit 12: Music - Talk about the roles of music in our life? (topic of reading lesson) - Talk about your favorite kind of music/ your favorite band or singer (topic of speaking lesson) - Talk about Van Cao music (topic of listening lesson) Unit 13: Films and Cinema - Talk about the history of films and cinema (topic of reading lesson) - Talk about the film you have seen Use the suggestions in speaking and writing tasks Unit 14: The World Cup - Talk about the events motioned in the reading passage, using the following figures as cues 1904 13 84 1930 17 32 2002 - Talk about your favorite football team (topic of speaking lesson) - Talk about the milestones in Pelé’s life (topic of listening lesson) 85 APPENDIX C PRE-TEST Talk about Marie Curie’s background basing on the information in the reading passage of unit and the cues below: - Date of birth - Place of birth - Schools attended and her experience at schools - Husband and children - Scientific achievement 86 APPENDIX D POST-TEST Talk about Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam basing on the information in the reading passage of unit 16 and the cues below: - When and where were they built ? - What was their function? - What is special about the stele there? - Why is Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam a place of interest? 87 APPENDIX E A SAMPLE OF THE PARTICIPANT’S PRE-TEST TRANSCRIPTION The treatment group Time 1:42, words: 141 – average: 82.9 words per minute Marie Curie was born in 1867 She is one of the greatest scientists I have ever Pr known She is the only person ever to win two Nobel Prizes in two…uhm different sciences Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland She received general oOo Pr education in local schools From an early age, Marie was a brilliant and oOoo oOo ambitious student Her brilliant mind led her to Paris to study and…uhm Pr oOo Pr conduct her research In 1903, she become the first woman to receive a PhD Oo Pr from the…uhm… Sorbonne She met her husband Pierre Curie at the Pr university They got married and spent most of their time together in their laboratory studying …uhm…radioactive materials Their research led to the oOooo Pr Pr discovery of radium, for which they were honored with the Nobel Prize for Oooo Pr Physics in …uhm…1903 88 APPENDIX F SAMPLE OF PARTICIPANT’S ONE SESSION TRANSCRIPTION Topic 3: Talk about one of the TV programmes you like watching best Time: 2:12/ number of words: 205- average: 93.2 words per minute There are a number of TV programmes I like to watch but the one I would like to talk about is CID which I am most …uhm addicted to CID is a crime related programme which shows various crime scenes to help the public aware Pr of crimes and their consequences I don’t get a chance to watch it every day oOoo because I am…uhm… always busy with school work but I watch it every weekend The purpose of this programme is to educate people that committing Pr Ooo crime is a serious offence and it can ruin the lives of others Pr CID is considered as one of the top …uhm…crime serials on VTV7 channel and many people are great fans of the …uhm…fictitious characters in this 89 Ooo/Pr programme Pradyuman is the key character of this serial but Dayal and the Pr oOo other team members are also very famous among kids All of them appear to be the real police officials and play their respective roles in a fantastic way Due to Ooo this reason why this programme looks so real to the public, leaving… ahhh… a strong impression on their minds and this is the only reason why I consider Pr this programme as my favorite show on the TV 90 APPENDIX G SAMPLE OF THE PARTICIPANT’S POST –TEST TRANSCRIPTION The treatment group Time: 2:15/ words: 245/ average: 108.9 words per minute Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) is located on Van Mieu Street, 2km west of Hoan Kiem Lake Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural site of Vietnam Van Mieu was constructed in 1070 during Ly Thanh Tong's dynasty Its original purpose was …uhm…to honor Confucius In 1076, the first Pr university of Vietnam called Quoc Tu Giam (The Imperial Academy), was Pr established on the grounds of this temple by Emperor Ly Nhan Tong That's the oOo reason why the complex has had the name of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam up to now Initially, Quoc Tu Giam was the school for princes and …uhm…children Oooo of royal families and then expanded in the following year to admit top students 91 from around the country Between 1076 and 1779, Quoc Tu Giam educated thousands of talented men for the country After more than 900 years of existence, nowadays, Van Mieu – Pr Quoc Tu Giam is one of the most famous tourist destinations for both Vietnamese people and foreigners It's also a place to celebrate doctorates and oOo …uhm…high ranking scholars of Vietnam One special thing about this place is that there are 82 Doctors'stone tablets They are tombstones with names and origins of 1304 doctors placed on the backs of stone tortoises If you come here oOo Pr at the beginning of the year or in May, when many important examinations take place, you will catch sights of numerous families and students who come and Pr pray for luck 92 ... UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE _ VÕ THỊ DOAN TOPICAL SPEAKING ON VIDEO CLIPS AS A SUPPLEMENTARY PRACTICE TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’ ENGLISH SPEAKING ABILITY MASTER’S THESIS... the sole author of this master thesis entitled ? ?Topical speaking on video clips as a supplementary practice to improve 10 th graders’ English speaking ability? ?? and that I have not used any sources... with as many opportunities to practise speaking on the topics they have just learnt in classes and to improve their speaking accuracy and fluency After teaching class 10 A1 , and 1 0A2 for two months,