Sáng kiến kinh nghiệm THPT: Using meaningful activities to improve high school students’ spoken competence

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The study aims at finding out about the effects of using meaningful activities on the development of high school students’ spoken discourse at the school. The research also aims to identify students’ speaking problems with the hope that meaningful activities can help promote their spoken competence.

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SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐỒNG NAI Đơn vị : THPT NGÔ QUYỀN _________________ Mã số: ……………… SÁNG KIẾN USING MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ SPOKEN COMPETENCE Người thực hiện: Trần Văn Nghia ̃ Lĩnh vực nghiên cứu: Quản lý giáo dục  Phương phap giao giao duc ́ ́ ́ ̣  Phương pháp dạy học bộ môn: Tiếng Anh  Lĩnh vực khác:  Có đính kèm:  Mô hình  Đĩa CD (DVD)  Phim ảnh  Hiện vật khác
Năm học: 20192020
SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐỒNG NAI Đơn vị : THPT NGÔ QUYỀN SÁNG KIẾN USING MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ SPOKEN COMPETENCE Người thực hiện: Trần Văn Nghia ̃ Lĩnh vực nghiên cứu: Quản lý giáo dục  Phương phap giao duc ́ ́ ̣  Phương pháp dạy học bộ môn: Tiếng Anh  Lĩnh vực khác 
Năm học: 20192020
CONTENTS Appendix 3
ABBREVIATION LIST 1. TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 2. IELTS : International English Language Testing System 3. TOEFL : Test of English as a Foreign Language 4. TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication
, THÔNG TIN CHUNG VỀ SÁNG KIẾN 1. Tên sáng kiến : Using meaningful activities to improve high school students’ spoken competence 2. Lĩnh vực áp dụng sáng kiến: Phương pháp dạy tiếng Anh 3. Tác giả: Họ và tên: Trần Văn Nghĩa Nam (nữ): Nam Trình độ chuyên môn: Thạc sĩ chuyên ngành giảng dạy tiếng Anh Chức vụ, đơn vị công tác: Tổ trưởng tổ tiếng Anh, THPT Ngô Quyền –Biên Hoà Đồng Nai Điện thoại: 0913130131 Email: Johnnghia5@yahoo.com.vn Tỷ lệ đóng góp tạo ra sáng kiến (%): 100%
8 USING MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ SPOKEN COMPETENCE INTRODUCTION My interest in the improvement of high school students’ spoken competence started when I attended a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on TESOL methodology in 2016. As an attempt to improve high school students’ competence, I do my best to carry out this miniresearch with empirical methods, and I hold the belief that I can make an innovation in English language teaching and learning at Ngo Quyen High School, where there are over 1000 students wanting to become competent English speakers. This research focuses on the expected effectiveness of using meaningful activities in improving high school students’ spoken competence. 1. Background /context Dong Nai is an industrial province in the South of Viet Nam, where many foreign businessmen and visitors come to work in industrial zones, to do business and to be on holiday. These foreigners need to use English to communicate with their colleagues, office workers, local residents. That is why English has been considered to be the most popular and important language for adults at work and young people at school or university. The province has over 50 high schools, and Ngo Quyen High School is the most famous one in the province. Each year, the school has over one thousand students who are good at many subjects including mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology, but their English communicative competence must be carefully taken into consideration to some extent. In informal discussions with students and teachers in the school, I have recognized that problems facing the reality of teaching and learning speaking are that real communication is not always achieved. Most form is focused and display questions are often exploited. The teachers make questions available in the textbooks in order to complete their lesson plan. Therefore, the students meet difficulty achieving good results in IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC tests . 2. The scope of the research The research consists of an introduction, a review of worthwhile literature related to the independent variable: “meaningful activities” and their benefits, a description of students’ learning styles, learning habits, preferences and their views of these speaking activities. The final parts of the research paper are sections about research
9 methodology, anticipated outcomes and possible problems which may come up during the research together with a short conclusion. The application of meaningful activities will be carried out among a class of thirty five 10graders at Ngo Quyen High School. The students will be tested on orally communicative ability before and after the techniques called “meaningful activities” are applied in the classroom in order to see how much improvement the students gain. Both teachers’ attitudes and students’ feelings towards meaningful activities as teaching and learning tools will be reflected through interviews and questionnaires respectively. This will prove, to some extent, the usefulness and the feasibility of these activities in English classrooms. 3. Rationale Students acquire a foreign language through the four fundamental skills including listening, speaking, reading and writing. Proficiency in each of these skills makes a great contribution to becoming a competent language user, but the ability to speak clearly and fluently can help learners to inform, express feelings, persuade and interact with others. Therefore, teaching speaking plays a very important role in helping learners master the target language. As a language teacher, I have recognized that real communication occurs in reallife contexts. By using meaningful tasks, activities and practice in classes, students will have opportunities to communicate with each other in the target language. It is the teacher’s job to create classroom environments where reallife communication takes place and meaningful tasks are exploited. ● Research Focus The following diagram illustrates the relationship between the key variables of the study which serve as the research focus with the title: “Using meaningful activities to improve high school students’ spoken competence at Ngo Quyen High School”. ● Research Questions and Variables What is the effect of meaningful activities on the development of Grade 10 students’ spoken communication? How will meaningful activities be effectively used in speaking classes ? What are students’ opinions on meaningful activities: referential questions, discussions and simulations ?
10 4. Research aims (Purposes) The study aims at finding out about the effects of using meaningful activities on the development of high school students’ spoken discourse at the school. The research also aims to identify students’ speaking problems with the hope that meaningful activities can help promote their spoken competence. CONTENTS OF THE RESEARCH I. REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING SPEAKING As a teacher of English for over 25 years, I usually have discussions with a number of students, I have learned that most of them really want to study English for communication. However, they do not have strategies for developing their oral communication. The speaking problems that the teacher frequently deals with are students’ difficulty in expressing ideas and opinions. Also, students are not often, during the lesson, encouraged to respond to questions for real information from their teachers and friends. In my teaching experience, I have learnt that teaching speaking, a productive skill, is particularly vital because my students’ achievements in speaking will increase their intrinsic motivation to learn other language skills. I also hold the belief that speaking is one of the most important parts of English language learning and teaching. However, its significance is underevaluated by some students and teachers in the school. They teach speaking just as a repetition drill for memorizing dialogues, useful expressions or language functions. In fact, the goal of our teaching speaking is to improve students' communication skills, and through speaking with meaningful activities students can learn how to follow the social and cultural aspects appropriate for any situational context II. RESEARCH CONTENTS 1. Research procedures/ definitions of terms ● The Subject The sample includes two groups of year 15 students belonging to two different classes. Each group has 35 students. The group engaged in meaningful activity lesson will form the experimental group, while the other, which carries on with
11 normal lessons will form the control group. A speaking pretest will be carried out so as to show that the two groups have the same level of proficiency. I will teach both groups for the second term of the school year 2020, using meaningful activities with the experimental group and the control group will be taught as usual. The two groups will be orally tested at the end of the second term so that I can get the scores for each student. The test scores will be analyzed and considered as useful data for the findings. The three teachers and I will make comparisons between the control group and the experimental group on their learning achievements in order to see the effect of meaningful activities on students’ development of spoken English. Finally, data collection will be shared and discussed with the school administrators. DATA COLLECTION The research will be carried out with three different methods for data collection. The first tool is to prepare openended questions for the survey that the researcher is going to carry out. A questionnaire which will find out about students’ attitudes to meaningful activities, their views of their speaking abilities and awareness of what meaningful activities will be about. Then , I will interview the four teachers in my school. The second thing I will do is that I get my students to fill the questionnaire I have made to find a better way to teach and learn speaking. The next thing I will do is that I make a lesson plan in which meaningful activities are made effective use of. The purpose of the questionnaire and the interview and classroom observation will be clearly explained to the students before the research starts ● Questionnaire As a questionnaire may play a central role in the data collection process, a well designed questionnaire is needed. To do this, I have to make a draft plan, then consult my colleagues for some questions on the topic. I want the questionnaire to be informative and appropriate for the subjects. Before conducting the questionnaire, I will pilot it in another group that shares the same similarities to the sample. The designed questionnaire is anonymous so that the students do not conceal their feelings when they give comments on their teachers and their teaching. The questionnaire which uses closedand openended questions covers different kinds of students, their views on meaningful activities. ● Interview Interviewing is chosen as one of the three main methods of data collection. By asking 4 teachers questions about views or opinions on using referential questions, discussions and simulations, and the approaches of teaching speaking. It will take an
12 hour for each interview. In order to make the interviewees comfortable, the place for the interview and the purpose of the interview will be made clear to the four interviewees .The main part of the interview includes asking teachers 13 questions and recording their answers by a good Sony recorder. Each teacher will be interviewed once at the beginning of the study. Openended questions are designed for the teacher’s interviews. ● Classroom Observation I have designed 16 statements which describe the students’ learning styles, views and the teacher’s methods of teaching. The observer will observe and record concrete details of what the teacher does in the lesson, methods of teaching and meaningful activities will be utilized in the classroom. DATA ANALYSIS All the data will be analyzed by the four teachers. The findings will be shared with the teaching group leader and the school administrators. A workshop will soon be held in order to widely disseminate the findings of the research. ● Questionnaire Analysis There are five items in the student survey, I will do a tally count, then change it into percentages, using the tables about the students’ learning styles and views on meaningful activities. The data will be carefully analyzed. ● Class Observation Data Analysis Observations will be used to gain indepth understanding and to avoid misinterpretation. I will double read to gain the teacher’s views or beliefs about meaningful activities in teaching speaking, and the relationships among views and practices. ● Interview Data Analysis Each interview will be recorded, coded and then transcribed and analyzed critically. In looking across cases, I will look for themes and patterns which emerge from the data and code for the emerging themes. Each teacher’s data analysis includes classifying, categorizing, labeling and organizing the emerging classifications.
13 REVIEWS OF LITERATURE The study aims to investigate the effects of meaningful activities on the development of students’ speaking skill. The first thing that will be discussed is a brief review of literature related to the definition of meaningful activities: referential questions, discussions and simulations. The second part will look at the advantages of meaningful activities to teaching speaking. ● Referential questions In my experience, I often make referential questions in order to get students to communicate. We should consider the question: “ What do you think will happen to Everglades National Park if more chemicals are released into the water?”( English 10 page 114). In fact, this referential question encourages students to have personal ideas on a serious problem of pollution nowadays. In defining referential questions, Brown (1983) explains that referential questions are questions you ask someone because you don't know the answer. He also adds that this can mean questions teachers ask learners and learners ask each other. Referential questions can be compared with display questions, for which the answer is already known by the asker. Teachers make display questions to see if the students know the answer and to ask for language manipulation. Brown (1983) states that “display questions” seek answers in which the information is already known by the teacher. This type of elicitation has been criticised for its lack of authenticity since it is not commonly used in conversation outside the classroom. In explaining the benefits of referential questions, Brock (1986) points out that referential questions are commonly used in regular conversation outside the classroom, so they are used to encourage students’ higherorder thinking skills and authentic use of the second language in the classroom. Many researchers (Nunan, 1987; Suter, 2001; Morell, 2007) also emphasize that teachers’ use of referential questions can stimulate students to provide much longer and more complex responses than the use of display questions. ● Discussions Davis (1993) says that using discussions as a main teaching technique allows us to stimulate critical thinking. As we establish a rapport with our students, we can demonstrate that we appreciate their contributions, at the same time that we challenge them to think more deeply and to articulate their ideas more clearly. Frequent questions, whether asked by the teacher or by the students, provide a means of measuring learning and exploring indepth the key concepts of the course.
14 After the input or contents are delivered, a discussion should be organized for various reasons. First, the students aim to come to a conclusion, share ideas about an event in their discussion groups. Before the discussion, it is essential that the purpose of the discussion is clearly stated to the students. In this way, the discussion points are relevant to the purpose. Each group works on their topic for a given time period, and then presents their opinions to the class. It is essential that the talking time should be equally divided among group members. Finally, the class decides on the winning group that can express the idea in the best way. This activity fosters critical thinking and quick decision making. ● Simulations By definition, role plays and simulations are forms of experiential learning (Russell: 2009). Learners take on different roles, assuming a profile of a character or personality, and interact and participate in diverse and complex settings. He also defines that simulations are similar to roleplays, but what makes simulations different from roleplays is that they are more elaborate. In simulations, students can bring items to the class to create a realistic environment. For example, if a student is allowed to act as a journalist, he or she can bring a microphone to interview people. Simulations bring benefits to the teacher and students. They are entertaining and motivate the students to learn Harmer (1984) stresses that simulation activities increase the selfconfidence of hesitant students, because in simulation activities, they will have a different role and do not have to speak for themselves, which means they do not have to take the same responsibility. ● Lessons with meaningful activities (Adaptation) The following questions and activities are redesigned to help students make good use of referential questions in helping students exchange real information. These referential questions make the learning of speaking more meaningful for high school students. Display questions Referential questions 1. Which lowersecondary school did → What was the name of the lower you go to? (Students fill in the blank secondary school did you go to? (To with the right question for the ask for personal opinionsreal answer already printed )English 10, information) Page 47.
15 2. What did Hanh like best about her school then?( Students fill in the → Who was your favourite teacher? blank with the right question for the Why did you like him/her? ( A more answer already printed )English 10, specific question to ask for personal Page 47. opinionsreal information) 3. You are Nga. Work with a partner. Tell him/her about your class’ → Tell your class members about excursion to Huong Pagoda and your recent excursion to a tourist express your regrets about what you place. In your presentation, you are did or what you did not do during the free to express your regrets about excursion English 10, Page 115. what you did or what you did not do during your excursion.( Students love talking about their own experience real communication does occur) 4. Read the paragraphs and answer → What are the important role of the questions: For what purpose are zoos in conservation, in your zoos of the new kind opened?/ What opinions? (Using referential are their main features? ( Display questions to stimulate students’ questions for reading) English 10, critical thinking and personal Page 106. opinions) 2. Advantages and disadvantages of meaningful activities. Meaningful activities are used to encourage students to concentrate on meaning, understanding, not memorization. Therefore, meaningful activities or practice can increase active learning, such as problemsolving, collaborative learning and decision making. However, meaningful activities can have some problems that should be considered. Students who lack prior knowlegde will get very little active learning and meaningful activities are not very appropriate for test or exam preparation. Therefore, we should help our students get familiar with these active learning activities by using clear instructions and scaffolding. It is the teacher job to decide on when meaningful activities should be exploited and when they are relevant to the students’ needs. 3. Evaluation of the research
16 a. Novelty of the research ( Innovations) I expect that after the experimental process, lessons with meaningful activities will enable the experimental group to produce better developed spoken English than the control group in the posttest, in terms of the following features: real information, fluency, language function, organization of the spoken discourse. I am in the hope that the teaching of speaking with referential questions, discussions and simulations can really increase the experimental group’s selfawareness through observing and clarifying feelings and thoughts. Besides, some lowmotivated students may also get benefits from the approach of speaking with the abovementioned activities. b. Effectiveness The study of the effects of meaningful activities on the development of high school students’ speaking are of great importance for several reasons. First, understanding relationship between the students’ speaking problems and the use of meaningful activities can help to improve their orally communicative competence. Second, the researcher has opportunities to set up members of reflective teachers who can help other teachers to solve the speaking problems of students at the same levels from other schools. Finally, the research findings will also help the administrators to have new policy in teaching and learning English in the school. The research on meaningful activities in teaching speaking is manageable and will support all the teachers’ professional development . c. Applicability of the research The results of the research will provide high school teachers in Viet Nam with valuable suggestions in English teaching and learning. More importantly, students’ spoken competence can assist other language skills, such as writing and listening. Meaningful activities are expected to use for all students from secondary students to high school ones. The research will bring about improvements in my teaching practices and implement some changes in all high schools and secondary schools in Dong Nai Province. CONCLUSION The ability to communicate effectively in second or language learning contributes to the success of the students at school and the success later in their reality of life. Therefore, it is essential that language teachers focus on helping students to make good use of spoken English rather than getting them to memorize grammatical rules. It is the teacher’s responsibility for providing a rich environment where meaningful
17 activities and meaningful practice take place. In consideration of this aim, various meaningful speaking activities including discussions, simulations and referential questions are able to make a contribution to the development of students’ communicative competence necessary for life. Meaningful activities are really worthwhile learning tools for both students and teachers. Students not only have more opportunities to interact with their partners who try their best to make use of English communicatively, but students' English speaking, listening, and understanding will also improve. Meaningful activities lighten up the atmospheres and brings dynamic climate to the classroom. Students learn to use the language in a more realistic and natural way. A a result, they can become more aware of the usefulness and practicality of English, especially spoken English. Meaningful activities would be, in fact, useful teaching techniques which should be applied by most teachers in the classrooms where English is spoken as a foreign language in the Vietnamese environments. REFERENCES Brock, C. A. 1986. The effects of referential questions on ESL classroom discourse. TESOL Quarterly 201: 4759 Brown, G. and G. Yule. 1983. Teaching the Spoken Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Davis, Barbara Gross. Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: JosseyBass, 1993. Harmer, J. 1984. The Practice of English Language Teaching. London: Longman. McDonough, J. and C. Shaw. 2003. Materials and Methods in ELT: a teacher’s guide. Malden, MA; Oxford: Blackwell. Nunan, D., 2003. Practical English Language Teaching.NY:McGrawHill.. Russell, C. 2009. A systemic framework for managing elearning adoption in campus universities: individual strategies in an institutional context. ALTJ Research in Learning Technology, 17, 1, 3–19. Biên Hoa, ngày 10 tháng 6 năm ̀ HỘI ĐỒNG CÔNG NHẬN SÁNG 2020 KIẾNTHPT NGÔ QUYỀN TÁC GIẢ SÁNG KIẾN
18 TRÂN VĂN NGHIA ̀ ̃
19 APPENDIX: RESEARCH DESIGN Appendix 1: Research Question Research Tools of Research Questions Subjects Instruments Analysis 1. What is the effect of Oral Pretest Grade 10 Frequency meaningful activities on Oral Posttest students count the development of Age:1516 Percentage Grade 10 students’ Observation spoken communication? English Transcription proficiency: 2. How will meaningful Pre activities be effectively intermediate used in speaking classes Site : Ngo ? Quyen High School, Dong Nai Province Sample size: 70 (2 groups) 3.What are students’ Student opinions on meaningful questionnaire activities: referential Teacher questions, discussions interview and simulations ? Appendix 2: Students’ Survey (QUESTIONNAIRE) The purpose of this questionnaire is to investigate students’ opinions on meaningful activities in the classroom. Your responses will provide important information that
20 helps the school have better ways to teach speaking. Altogether there are 35 items in the questionnaire. Do not write your name on the questionnaire Please indicate your views /attitudes to the following areas by circling the appropriate number. How often would you like the following teaching methods in your class ? 1. Never 2. Occasionally 3. Sometimes 4. Usually 5. Always 1. Doing exercises 1 2 3 4 5 2. Making questions 1 2 3 4 5 3. Translation 1 2 3 4 5 4. Giving a presentation 1 2 3 4 5 5. Playing a role 1 2 3 4 5 6. Pretending to be a singer 1 2 3 4 5 7. Others (please specify)……………………………………… B. What would you feel about meaningful activities: referential questions, discussions and simulations? Put a tick in the box to describe your views on Meaningful activities . 1. Meaningful activities are useless Yes No 2. Meaningful activities help us with real information Yes No 3. Meaningful activities are interesting Yes No 4. Meaningful activities help us cooperate with others Yes No 5. Meaningful activities help me speak fluently Yes No