Ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án nhằm phát triển kĩ năng nói tiếng anh cho học sinh lớp 10

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES VU THI HONG VAN APPLYING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS FOR THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS (Ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án nhằm phát triển kĩ nói tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10) M.A THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 THAI NGUYEN - 2020 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES VU THI HONG VAN APPLYING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS FOR THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS (Ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án nhằm phát triển kĩ nói tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10) M.A THESIS (APPLICATION ORIENTATION) Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 THAI NGUYEN - 2020 DECLARATION I, Vu Thi Hong Van, certify that the thesis named “Applying Project-Based Learning to improve English speaking skills for the tenth-grade students” performs the result of my own study for Degree of Master of Art at School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University I also declare that the thesis has not been submitted for any degree to any other universities or institutions Thai Nguyen, 2020 Student Vu Thi Hong Van i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS But for the invaluable help and constant support from a lot of people, the thesis could not have been completed First of all, I would like to sincerely thank my supervisor, Nguyen Thi Quyet, Ph.D for her persistent consideration, remarkable comments and enthusiastic encouragement Secondly, I am also very grateful to all the teachers and tenth-grade students at Nguyen Hue High Scholl for their wholehearted support in my lessons, enthusiastic participation in tests and immediate reply to my survey questionnaires Last but not least, I want to give my deepest gratitude to my family and friends who are always willing to help me in my writing process with their great sympathy and considerable encouragement ii ABSTRACT In today’s trend of international integration, English is considered as a means for learners to have fastest access to the world’s cultures and knowledge The teaching and learning of English need to be renewed in accordance with positive learning methods to be more suitable and meet the needs of society Project-Based Learning is regarded as one of those effective teaching methods In an effort to improve English speaking skills for students in grade 10 at Nguyen Hue High School by applying Project-Based Learning, this research solved two questions: (1) the attitude of students toward the use of Project Based Learning in their English lessons; (2) the effects of applying Project-Based Learning to students’ English speaking skills There were two tests and questionnaires for the students in grade 10, an interview with six students to be selected as the tools for data collection and analysis of the study Researching finding presented that the students taking part in lessons applied Project-Based Learning had positive attitudes Besides, it was exposed the advantages of Project-Based Learning which offered benefits to improvement in the students’ speaking English skills According to the findings, there would be some implications to be given for the teachers as well as the students With all these data, this research is expected to be effective in helping both teachers and students in teaching and learning English speaking skills Keywords: Project-Based Learning (PBL), speaking skills, high students iii LIST OF ABBRVIATIONS % Percent CEFT Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CLT Communicative Language Teaching Approach EFL English as a Foreign Language PBL Project-Based Learning Ss Students T Teacher iv LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Table Table 1: The results of pre-test and post-test 35 Chart Chart 1.1: Students’ mean score of average mark 37 Chart 1.2: A comparison of mean scores on pre-test and post-test by five criteria 37 Chart 2.1: Students’ attitudes towards Project-Based Learning 38 Chart 2.2.1: Students’ ideas on the advantages of Project-Based Learning 39 Chart 2.2.2: Students’ ideas on the advantages of Project-Based Learning in learning speaking skills 40 Chart 2.3: Students’ difficulties when implementing Project-Based Learning 41 v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBRVIATIONS iv LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi PART INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Significance of the study 3 Research aim and objectives Research questions Methods of the study Scope of the study Structure of the study PART DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW Speaking skills 1.1 Definition of speaking skills 1.2 Functions of speaking 1.3 The importance of teaching speaking skills Communicative Language Teaching Approach Project-Based Learning 11 3.1 Definitions of Project-Based Learning 11 3.2 Key features of Project-Based Learning 12 3.3 Stages in project work 14 3.4 Teacher’s and students’ roles in Project-Based Learning 15 Project-Based Learning in speaking skills 17 Previous studies 18 vi CHAPTER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22 Methods of research 22 Setting of the study 23 Participants 25 Research design 25 Data collection procedure 26 Data collection instruments 31 Data analytic method 33 CHAPTER FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 35 Analysis of the speaking tests 35 Students’ evaluation of the application of Project-Based Learning 38 2.1 Students’ attitudes towards Project-Based Learning 38 2.2 Students’ ideas on the advantages of Project-Based Learning 39 2.3 Students’ opinions on the difficulties when implementing ProjectBased Learning 41 Analysis of the interview 42 3.1 The benefits of Project-Based Learning 42 3.2 Students’ opinions on the drawbacks of Project-Based Learning 43 Discussion of the findings 44 4.1 Achievement 44 4.2 Students’ review of the application of Project-Based Learning 45 Summary 47 PART CONCLUSION 49 Recapitulation of the research 49 Recommendations of the study 50 2.1 The teachers 50 2.2 The students 50 2.3 The school administrators 50 Limitations of the study 51 Suggestions for further research 51 vii REFERENCES 53 APPENDICES I Appendix - A SAMPLE DESCRIPTION OF A PROJECT I Appendix - THE PRE-TEST FOR STUDENTS XIII Appendix - THE POST-TEST FOR STUDENTS XV Appendix - RATING SCALE FOR SPEAKING TEST XVII Appendix - THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS XXI Appendix - INTERVIEW QUESTIONS XXV Appendix - TRANSCRIPTS OF THE INTERVIEWS XXVI viii Appendix - THE POST-TEST FOR STUDENTS Part 1: Interview Questions for Candidate A What is your name? Do you have any a smart phone? How often you use your smart phone? What you like about it? What you dislike about it? Questions for Candidate B What is your name? What electronic devices you have? How often you bring them to school? Are you allowed to use these electronic devices in your learning? How useful are they for your learning Part 2: Monologue/Picture description Candidate A will be given the following picture: Question for candidate A: "This photograph shows students’ new ways of learning Please tell us what you can see in the photograph." XV Candidate B will be given the following picture: Question for Candidate B: "This photograph shows students’ new ways of learning Please tell us what you can see in the photograph.” Part 3: Dialogue/Paired discussion OR further individual discussion Option 1: Dialogue/Paired discussion Intro text: In part 3, you will discuss a given topic together The interlocutor will ask the two candidates: Do you agree with the statement: “Traditional classrooms with white boards should be replaced by personal electronic devices” Support your agreement or disagreement with examples and reasons Let’s now start the discussion Candidate A, could you start please? Could you start, Candidate B? Option 2: Further individual discussion with the examiner Intro text: In part 3, you will answer further questions given by the interlocutor Questions for candidate A What you think about using electronic devices in learning? What benefits you get when using electronic devices in learning? Questions for candidate B What electronic devices are useful for your learning? What can be the disadvantage of electronic devices? XVI Appendix - RATING SCALE FOR SPEAKING TEST (Adapted from Cambridge PET for school - Level A2 Assessment criteria) Assessing criteria Score scales (1) Message content 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 - Partially address - Address less than - Address most of - Address almost of - Address Addressing the test the test questions half of the questions the questions Mark 9-10 the questions all the questions of the task questions sufficiently and effectively - Present limited - Present relevant - Present relevant - Present a range of - Present a wide ideas about the topic ideas about the topic ideas about the topic relevant ideas about range of relevant Richness of ideas but often reasons, lack but sometimes lack the examples reasons, or explanations topic examples reasons, or explanations with ideas about the topic examples with detailed and and explanations specific reasons, examples and explanations (2) Vocabulary and Grammar range - Use limited range - Use of basic vocabulary vocabulary Use of appropriate basic - Use appropriate - Use a range of - Use a wide range related vocabulary to given situations related appropriate to given situations XVII of appropriate vocabulary of given vocabulary, words and phrases to - Be occasionally situations make meaning clear inaccurate - especially Be less generally common words accurate with some (collocations) incorrect words of given situations - Be generally accurate with a few incorrect words Control of basic - Shows only limited - Shows some - Shows sufficient - Shows a good - Shows a very good grammar and use of control of a few control sentence patterns to grammatical forms of control grammatical forms of degree of control of degree of control of grammatical forms grammatical forms make meaning clear grammatical forms (simple and complex structures) (3) Pronunciation - Speak very softly, - Usually pronounce most of softly the speak - Sometimes speak and softly words pronounce many pronounce Volume, word stress, incorrectly with no words incorrectly intonation word stress intonation and - Usually word stress Speak and pronounce some words words incorrectly intonation XVIII a Speak clearly, few pronounce most of incorrectly the words correctly with word stress and with ignore - Often ignore word intonation and stress and intonation clearly, - word appropriate stress intonation and (4) Fluency and Coherence - Pause frequently - Sometimes pause - Sometimes pause - Pause appropriately - Pause appropriately Frequency of pauses, with lots of long delays with long delays with short delays short and long delays Use of - Speak fluently - Speak very fluently with short delays discourse - May not use any - Use limited basic - Use basic linking - Appropriately use - organizing words and basic linking words conjunctions words Effectively use basic linking words basic linking words connectors (5) Interactive communication - Not confident and - Maintain simple - Be quite confident - Be confident and - Be very confident willing to communicate exchanges, at slow to Confidence, willingness communicate maintain willing to maintain and willing to maintain speech, with some exchanges to difficulty some difficulty with exchanges exchanges - Require very little - Require no prompting - Requires a lot of - Require prompting prompting and support and support repetition, rephrasing and support - Be effective in - Be effective in and repair turn-taking most of turn-taking the time Score = Total : XIX SPEAKING SKILLS SCORECARD Student’s full name: …………………………………………… Number table: …… Score: …… /10 Message content Vocabulary & Grammar Pronunciation Fluency & Coherence Interactive communication 10 10 10 10 10 Total score: ……… Exchange score = Total score: (scale 10): …………… XX Appendix - THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS Dear students, I am Vu Thi Hong Van - form Master class K3A in English languages field, School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University At the moment, I am conducting a research on the topic: “Applying Project-Based Learning to improve speaking skills for the tenth-grade students” Your answers in the questionnaire plays a crucial role in finding out the students’ attitude towards Project-Based Learning, its advantages as well as the students’ difficulties during the projects’ implementation Information identifying of the respondents will be kept confidential under any circumstances Thank you very much for your kind cooperation! Question 1: What you think about the noncompulsory lessons in which Project-Based Learning was applied? Circle ONE option that best describes your choice a Very interesting b Somewhat interesting c Neutral d Uninteresting Question 2: The advantage(s) of Project-Based Learning applied in English speaking lessons is/are… Circle any letter that suits you a Students find lessons more fun and become more motivated b Students can widen their background knowledge through research work c Students can improve their soft skills, namely team work, presentation, communication d Students can experience and encourage how to deal with real-life situations XXI Question 3: Which criterion/ criteria of your speaking skills has/ have been enhanced when the projects are fulfilled? Circle any letter that suits you a Message content b Vocabulary and grammar range c Pronunciation d Fluency and Coherence e Interactive communication Question 4: When implementing the project, I myself had some difficulties such as … Circle any letter that suits you a Time and energy consumption b Inefficient team work c Restricted access to necessary materials and technology d Deficiency in the teacher’s instructions and guidance e Other (Pleases specify):…………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… - The end Thank you very much for your collaboration! Would you please provide your personal information? Full name: …………………………………………………… Sex: Male  Female  Attending any other English course: ……………………………………………… XXII RESPONSE TO QUESTIONNAIRE Question 1: What you think about the noncompulsory Number of Percentages lessons in which Project-Based Learning was applied? students Choose ONE option that best describes your choice a very interesting 14 35.0 b Somewhat interesting 19 47.5 c Neutral 17.5 d Uninteresting 0 Question 2: The advantage(s) of Project-Based Learning Number of Percentages applied in English speaking lessons is/are… students Circle any letter that suits you a Students find lessons more fun and become more 27 67.5 29 72.5 31 77.5 22 55.0 motivated b Students can widen their background knowledge through research work c Students can improve their soft skills, namely team work, presentation, communication d Students can experience and encourage how to deal with real-life situations Question 3: Which criterion/ criteria of your speaking skills has/ have been enhanced when the Number of Percentages students projects are fulfilled? Circle any letter that suits you a Message content 29 72.5 b Vocabulary and grammar range 31 77.5 c Pronunciation 23 57.5 d Fluency and Coherence 24 60.0 e Interactive communication 28 80.0 XXIII Question 4: When implementing the project, I myself had some difficulties such as … Number of students Circle any letter that suits you Percentages a Time and energy consumption 23 57.5 b Inefficient team work 21 52.5 c Restricted access to necessary materials and technology 11 27.5 d Deficiency in the teacher’s instructions and guidance 7.5 e Other (Pleases specify) 0 XXIV Appendix - INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Do you like Project-Based Learning? Why or why not? Do you think Project-Based Learning activities help you in your English speaking skills? If yes, in what way? If not, please give your specific reasons XXV Appendix - TRANSCRIPTS OF THE INTERVIEWS Student 1: I am fond of Project-Based Learning because it is rather interesting I can have opportunities to discover and understand the traditions and customs of my country as well as have a deeper knowledge about my province’s tourism’s development Thing that makes me interested in Project-Based Learning is that I can learn and use PowerPoint software fluently In my opinion, Project-Based Learning gives me chances of developing my speaking skills I can learn a lot of new words so that my vocabulary is improving day by day I sometimes have difficulties in pronouncing them, however, online dictionary along with dictionary software have helped me pronounce better Student 2: Yes, I Thanks to Project-Based Learning I can achieve more practical knowledge as well as I am able to have a chance to go with my friends and classmates to many different places But besides, PBL sometimes makes me stresses because I not know how to speak well and respond quickly without hesitation while I not have much time and have to spend my time on many other subjects at school I think PBL helps me improve my confidence in front of the crowd My speaking skills, team work and ability of doing PowerPoint also get better Student 3: I am interested in Project-Based Learning since this method gives me more knowledge about things around me Besides the knowledge provided in the Tiếng Anh 10 textbook, I get more knowledge about the festivals of my country, the personal technology devices and my province’s ecotourism development From my perspective, when attending the class applied PBL my speaking skills improve partly, I can speak English more fluently than before and feel more confident in front of the whole class XXVI Student 4: I like learning by PBL as this new way of learning does not concentrate only on grammar; it also requires the learners to be more active and positive to approach the real situations to then have a deeper understanding about the problem arising and find out solutions When taking part in the lessons applied PBL, I along with my classmates am asked to prepare a presentation in each theme Besides, each member in groups must participate in the presentation and be evaluated and scored by other members and students As a result, my English speaking and presentation skills have also improved significantly I also no longer feel embarrassed or ashamed in front of the class or when asked to give my opinions Student 5: Yes, because I can see that Project-Based Learning encourages students to become more confident of speaking in front of the crowd as well as more responsible in group activities; and their ability of doing Power Point is also boosted.” Yes, my new vocabulary can be improved since for each project, every student has to explore knowledge from different sources, this knowledge is linked to the topics in the classroom, but it requires students to find out and summarize some aspects in more detail Student 6: I prefer PBL because I know more new knowledge, improve my vocabulary and train teamwork skills However, my quick response is still poor since speaking is just memorization, there is no reflex I can improve my own vocabulary when learning by projects, yet this method does not help me to create reflection VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION Học sinh 1: Em cảm thấy hứng thú với phương pháp dạy học dự án hấp dẫn Em có hội để khám phá hiểu truyền thống phong tục đất XXVII nước mình, bên cạnh em có thêm kiến thức phát triển du lịch tỉnh Điều khiến em bị lơi với phương pháp em học sử dụng thành thạo phần mềm PowerPoint Theo em, dạy học dự án tạo hội để em tăng cường khả nói tiếng Anh Em học nhiều từ giúp cho việc tăng cường vốn từ vựng thân hàng ngày Đơi em gặp khó khăn việc phát âm, nhiên từ điển trực tuyến phần mềm từ điển tiếng Anh giúp em phát âm tốt Học sinh 2: Vâng, em nghĩ hoạt động phương pháp dạy học dự án giúp em nhiều việc tăng cường kĩ nói tiếng Anh Nhờ có phương pháp này, em học nhiều kiến thức thực tế đồng thời có hội khám phá nhiều địa điểm bạn bè bạn học em Nhưng phương pháp khiến em cảm thấy áp lực em chưa biết cách để phản ứng cách linh hoạt câu hỏi tình em phải dành thời gian cho môn học khác trường Em nghĩ phương pháp dạy học dự án giúp em tự tin nói trước đám đơng Kĩ nói, làm việc theo nhóm sử dụng phần mềm PowerPoint em tốt nhiều Học sinh 3: Em thích phương pháp dạy học dự án phương pháp cho em hội biết nhiều điều xung quanh Ngồi kiến thức mà sách giáo khoa tiếng Anh 10 cung cấp ra, em hiểu nhiều kiến thức lễ hội nước mình, kiến thức thiết bị điện tử, chí phát triển du lịch tỉnh Theo em, tham gia tiết học ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án, kĩ nói em tiến phần đó, em nói tiếng Anh trôi chảy cảm thấy tự tin trước đám đơng Học sinh 4: Em thích phương pháp dạy học dự án phương pháp khơng tập trung vào ngữ pháp, cịn u cầu người học phải tích cực, động tiếp cận XXVIII tình thực tế để có nhìn sâu vấn đề nảy sinh tình đề giải pháp thiết thực Khi tham gia tiết học ứng dụng dạy học dự án, em bạn lớp yêu cầu phải thuyết trình chủ đề Bên cạnh đó, bạn nhóm phải thuyết trình đánh giá, cho điểm thành viên nhóm khác Vì mà kĩ nói tiếng Anh kĩ thuyết trình em cải thiện cách đáng kể Em khơng cịn thấy xấu hổi hay e ngại đứng trước lớp hay đề nghị trình bày ý kiển Học sinh 5: Em thích phương pháp dạy học dự án em nhận thấy phương pháp khích lệ học sinh trở nên tự tin trước đám đơng, bên cạnh học sinh thấy trách nhiệm hoạt động nhóm kĩ làm học điện tử tăng lên Vốn từ vựng em cải thiện nhiều theo chủ đề, học sinh phải tự tìm hiểu kiến thức từ nguồn khác nhau, phần kiến thức có liên quan đến chủ đề học lớp nhiên học sinh yêu cầu tìm hiểu tóm tắt nội dung chi tiết chủ đề Học sinh 6: Em thích phương pháp dạy học dự án em học nhiều kiến thức, tăng cường vốn từ vựng rèn luyện kĩ làm việc theo nhóm Tuy nhiên phản ứng em cịn chậm q trình học nói em học thuộc mà khơng có phản xạ linh hoạt Em tăng vốn từ vựng qua chủ đề, phương pháp không giúp em tạo phản xạ linh hoạt XXIX ... UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES VU THI HONG VAN APPLYING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS FOR THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS (Ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án nhằm phát triển. .. FOR THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS (Ứng dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án nhằm phát triển kĩ nói tiếng Anh cho học sinh lớp 10) M.A THESIS (APPLICATION ORIENTATION) Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201... for students, in 2015, the school started offering the trial version of English 10 (Tiếng Anh 10 thí điểm) textbook in some classes In the school year 20192020, the school has decided to select