(SKKN 2022) Some ways to motivate students to practice speaking English

In addition, in language learning, learners have to master all four skills, among which speaking is an essential skill for the aim of communication but it is also the skill that students

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Reasons for choosing the study.

According to the Ethnologue.com the English language is the third largest in the world after Chinese and Spanish It is spoken in 112 countries by

328 million speakers The special phenomenon is that English is spoken all over the world and is not only restricted to one area, as is Chinese

One thing that all linguists and researchers of languages are sure of is the role that English plays nowadays Anderman and Rogers point out that it has

developed into a lingua franca which gives people the opportunity to

communicate more easily and overcome borders That means, the language is not only mother tongue in many countries but is also present in other areas where it is either the official language or the language which is mostly taught to children, though it has no official status It is regarded as the global language

Nowadays it seems almost impossible to escape the influence of the English language Especially in the field of education, English has become one

of the most important and compulsory subjects at all levels of learning and teaching in Vietnam From elementary to university or even at higher level, all students find English an important subject In addition, in language learning, learners have to master all four skills, among which speaking is an essential skill for the aim of communication but it is also the skill that students face a lot

of difficulties However, through many years of learning and teaching English, I have realized the fact that, in secondary school, teachers and students seem to pay more attention to grammar and reading or writing skill than to speaking skill

Additionally, motivation is considered to be the key that leads to consecutive success in the learning process, especially in second language acquisition Therefore, maintaining the students’ interest during the lesson is very essential If students do not have motivation, they cannot get the best result As a foreign language teacher, my greatest desire is to help students absorb the content’s lesson through the appealing and effective communication

In order to do this well, besides coordinating teaching methods, we must also know how to motivate students with the motto “Learning in playing, playing in learning”

STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION

IN SPEAKING ENGLISH

Mas Darul Ihsan

Universitas Gresik

m

2016; Approved: March

25, 2016

ABSTRACT

classroom, there will be

some problems or conditions need to

will see some of the

students are very

motivated, motivated or

even feeling

The learners who have

contacted with English will find that some features

extremely difficult One of

the more complicated

problems of second or

foreign

teaching has been to define and apply the construct of motivation in the

concept without physical

reality, we cannot see

motivation; we see effort,

For speaking, it is important first

then performance.

to the extent a

communicator is motivated

to be so Motivation is the

extent

drawn towards or pushed

away from communicating competently in a

performed.

IN SPEAKING ENGLISH

Mas Darul Ihsan

Universitas Gresik

m

2016; Approved: March

25, 2016

ABSTRACT

classroom, there will be

some problems or conditions need to

will see some of the

students are very

motivated, motivated or

even feeling

The learners who have

contacted with English will find that some features

extremely difficult One of

the more complicated

problems of second or

foreign

teaching has been to define and apply the construct of motivation in the

concept without physical

reality, we cannot see

motivation; we see effort,

For speaking, it is important first

then performance.

to the extent a

communicator is motivated

to be so Motivation is the

extent

drawn towards or pushed

away from communicating competently in a

performed.

IN SPEAKING ENGLISH

Mas Darul Ihsan

Universitas Gresik

m

2016; Approved: March

25, 2016

ABSTRACT

classroom, there will be

some problems or conditions need to

will see some of the

students are very

motivated, motivated or

even feeling

The learners who have

contacted with English will find that some features

extremely difficult One of

the more complicated

problems of second or

foreign

teaching has been to define and apply the construct of motivation in the

concept without physical

reality, we cannot see

motivation; we see effort,

For speaking, it is important first

then performance.

to the extent a

communicator is motivated

to be so Motivation is the

extent

drawn towards or pushed

away from communicating competently in a

given context then performeIt raises a question for the teacher: “How to motivate students or how to

increase the students’ interest in speaking English?” In fact, at many schools in Viet Nam, the teaching of English has not really developed students’ ability, activeness and motivation This study, however, does not aim at measuring students’ motivation of learning speaking but helps increase their interests in

speaking lessons in particular and their using English in daily life through some motivating ways

Last but not least, teaching not only requires teachers to know how to

“teach” but also how to “educate” and nurture the learners’ soul Hence, I am keen on finding out the way to increase students’ interest in practicing English Through a full, if not profound, knowledge about teaching speaking to students,

I would like to know how to make the speaking activities or lessons more interesting for the students, and be a good and understanding teacher

All of the above reasons and factors have inspired the author to choose

the study entitled: “Some ways to motivate students in practicing speaking English” with the hope of providing teachers of English in general and teachers

at Le Huu Lap secondary school in particular a better understanding about increasing students’ motivation in speaking Furthermore, the study was implemented with the hope to make a little contribution to the quality of teaching and learning speaking skill at Le Huu Lap secondary school

1.2 The aims of study:

For the reasons mentioned above, the study has been done with the aims to:

• Provide an overview on the Communicative Language Teaching Approach and stages of a speaking lesson

• Present some general knowledge about motivation, speaking activities and short activities

• Help teachers and students be aware of some advantages of using motivating activities in the speaking lessons

• Investigate the reality of teaching speaking skill at secondary schools, especially the reality of using motivating activities in the speaking lessons

• Indicate the effects of motivating students in speaking lessons

• Giving some suggestions and implications for the improvement of speaking skill teaching at Le Huu Lap secondary school by engaging and motivating students through activities

1.3 The subjects of study.

After several teaching years, I have realized that the students’ speaking difficulties cover linguistic and non linguistics problems The linguistic problems include lack of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar knowledge, while non linguistic problems, namely inhibition, nothing to say, uneven participant, mother tounge interference, anxiety, shyness, lack of self confident and low motivation

Therefore, a large number of students are afraid of speaking English and say that it is really difficult for them to think and express themselves in English To solve the problems, I have strategies such as drilling, brainstorming, role playing and giving the students motivation

Moreover, there is not a real language environment for them to expose, practice and using it every day In addition to this, speaking skill is not always assessed in the exam They only learn for the exam, not for the communication Some teachers also feel embarrassed in motivating their students in their lessons

According to a recent survey, more than 70% of the students reported that they are worried about their speaking skill They said that they could hardly make a simple conversation in English or express what they thought even when they have interesting ideas

Thus, if students do not learn how to speak or do not have any opportunities to speak in the classroom, they may soon get de-motivated and lose interest in learning Because of these above situations, my theme tends to deal with how to improve the efficiency of teaching speaking skill for students

in my secondary school through some personal experiences

1.4 The methods of study

- My real teaching at my school

- Surveys

- Document research

- Discussion

2 THE CONTENT

2.1 Rationale of theory

Nowadays, English plays an essential role and it is the common language in developing societies as well as economy of the world People use it

in work, study, and entertainment According to statistics from December 24th,

2013 of the General Statistics Office, there are more than 7.5 million foreign people who visited and worked in Viet Nam

As a result, teaching English is not only a tendency but also a responsibility of each teacher of English Students learn English with communicative approach which has been popular, therefore, motivating students to practice speaking English is one of the most necessary parts of teaching English

2.2 The reality of the study

Now I am teaching at a secondary school in my district It is said to be one of the best schools, however, most of the students said that they were not confident in speaking English Many of them have gone to English speaking clubs or classes in the English center, but the results are not as good as they expected Because students are not supplied with a suitable language environment, they can’t practice what they have learnt Another factor is that many parents do not really care about their children’s English learning It is believed that students do need to study well enough for their written exam They also said that learning speaking English was really necessary at university

I made a survey to find out the ability of speaking English of students

in class 7A, 7B, 7C According to the survey, I gained the following results:

Class Ss Good Fair Medium Poor

2.3 Solutions

2.3.1 Help students overcome their shyness and nervousness.

During the years of my teaching English in a secondary school, I have tried to build a language speaking environment, adopt many ways and encourage students to use English when communicating and they have made a lot of progress in speaking English

Generally speaking, there are two factors that affect students' speaking English in class The first one is that they fail to find suitable words to express themselves and the other is that they are afraid of making mistakes Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous Therefore, a good environment helps students to speak actively and correctly then fluently I try to ease the atmosphere and remove their nervousness, fear and anxiety with encouraging words to build a free and lighted-hearted environment

Here are some ways that are recommended:

1 Arrange the seats of students in a circle or in groups with students facing each other not in rows and lines

2 Let students speak English sitting at their seats not standing, which helps them feel confident and comfortable

3 At the first stage, allow students to play their tape recording they have prepared for a certain topic beforehand

4 Let students talk in the sound lab or on telephone without seeing each other

5 Try to divide students into pairs and groups according to different topics if you can and also you can let them prepare their "opinion", and then have a group spokesman deliver the opinion

6 Set a day for no native language speaking Students prepare a certain number

of cards and they can write down the words or expressions, which they cannot convey in English Later on we discuss those words and expressions in class

7 Let the class have 5-10 minutes to free talk at the beginning of every class Students can talk about any interesting events, news or stories they have read, listened and watched recently

8 Create English speaking environment out of classroom with such activities as

a class barbecue, picnic and party

9 Build an English corner at the school and let students talk freely with those who are interested in learning English

It is essential to build an atmosphere where students no longer feel shy, where they are eager to raise their hands to ask a question and where they will freely speak up their own opinions

Teachers should remember to help students have confidence in speaking despite the fact that they are making mistakes However, feedbacks and corrections are necessary Teachers shouldn’t interrupt the flow of communication They can take notes while pairs or groups are working, then correct or ask other students to correct Teachers also need to help students have positive attitude toward their friends’ errors Students should be encouraged even if they make mistakes while speaking

2.3.2 Clear goals and instructions.

Students need to know exactly HOW an activity is done, otherwise they will be out of control when the activity starts If necessary, write the instructions

on the board or model the activity with one of your best students so everyone can see what they need to do

For instance, in period 62 (Unit 8: Films - English 7 P.17), when

being asked to talk about the films which students have ever seen, I provided them some suggested ideas:

+ Type of film

+ Actors/Actress

+ The plot (The story)

+ Review (Ctitics’ opinion about the film)

Besides, I also gave students some questions to ask about the film

+ What kind of film is it?

+Who does it star?

+What is it about?

+ What have critics said about it?

With these instructions, students know how to talk about the film, prepare the information before talking in front of the class

Students also need to know WHY an activity is being done Without understanding WHY, many students think an activity is not important and give

up or practice half- heartedly Be sure to include goals and instructions That way helps students know what to do and how to do the activity

2.3.3 Pay much attention to warm –up activities.

Warm-up plays an important part in the success of the lesson Teachers

should vary warm-up activities to attract students' attention and interest because

if they feel excited about their lessons from the beginning, they will make a good contribution to it In order to give students exciting readiness for their speaking lesson, teachers can do different things to arouse students’ interest by using various teaching techniques such as brainstorming, word web, chatting, etc

Before a new lesson I often motivate my students by chatting with them about the topic of interest, giving them preparation tasks or quick warm-up to get them in the right mood for the new lesson Brainstorming is one of the simplest teaching techniques, but it is one of the most effective kinds of motivation because it takes a short time I can write key words on the blackboard and the class is encouraged to think of ideas, words, phrases associated with them

For example, in period 60, English 7 (Unit 7: Traffic, Lesson 6: Skills 2), to

prepare for the writing activity, my students were divided into two teams The first team tried to put as many means of transport as they could around the key

word “MEANS OF TRANSPORT” and the second team tried to find traffic problems with the key word “TRAFFIC PROBLEMS” When the time

allowed was over, the team with more correct words was the winner After that, the class was required to write about the traffic problems of the town where they live, or in a town, or a city they know well

The fact is that they were really interested in the topic “TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN YOUR TOWN”

The possible answer key for the warm-up activity

For Period 36, English 7 (Unit 5: Vietnamese food and drink, Lesson 5: Skills 1), I used the technique “word web” in order to warm up the speaking

lesson This activity could help my students revise the food preparation verb they had learned and could help them get ready for the new lesson with more interest

The possible answer key for the warm-up activity

Next, these pictures were shown so as to elicit the topic of the speaking lesson and my students could easily find out that the speaking topic was

“making an omelette”

2.3.4 Reduce levels of difficulty.

Students already have less confidence when it comes down to a difficult topic There are too many challenging tasks, the learners feel too much pressure and tense Perhaps, they do not want to be cooperative Therefore, the teachers reduce the levels slightly at the beginning, the students will feel less pressure and they will be more motivated to speak

The teacher can reduce the levels of difficulty by making easy questions for students to understand it For example, when asking students talk about the topic “your home village”, the teacher should give them some suggested questions:

+ Where is your home village?

+ How far is it from your house to the city?

+ How do you get there?

+How do people earn for their living?

The teacher guides students the way to answer Basing on the questions, students can write about their home village on their own words, and then present in front of the class

Moreover, if we teach weak students, we should ask them short and easy questions as much as possible to be sure that they also understanding what they have learnt Therefore, they are confident to talk about the topics they are asked about

2.3.5 Find relevant topics:

Students will be more motivated to speak about something that they care about Tap into students’ passion by having classroom debates and discussing current topics so that students have a lot to say Has something important happened in the world this week? Then talk about it in English Is there a new song or movie that everyone is talking about?

The teacher also asks students to write down a few themes that they would be interested in talking about and then build an activity based on those When students have something important to say, they find a way to say it in any language

2.3.6 Hold games in the class as often as possible

Students love games Games play an important role in motivating students Games create an exciting atmosphere for all of the students to take part in I try to choose these games to have students take part in

a) Twenty questions: One student has a word or some expressions in his mind Other students guess the word by asking only general questions and alternative questions The student answers them only with "yes" or "no" If the students can guess the word or the expression in less than twenty questions, they win, otherwise they lose

b) Taboo word description: One student thinks of a certain word in his mind and describe it without mention some words which have something to do with

the word For example, the word "book", you cannot mention the words: book, letter and paper Another student acts as a judge Other students listen If the student mentions those taboo words, he will lose

c) Listen and guess: One student writes a word or a sentence or a job on the blackboard and the other student describes it with gestures but without mentioning the word itself

Other students sit without facing the blackboard and guess the word by the student's description

d) Repeat and add: First, one student says a sentence of an improvised story The next student repeats the sentence and adds another one Then next student repeats the sentences and adds one more sentence This will go on and see who will repeat without missing the sentences they have said Finally this will make

a funny story The student who can say the story fully will win

e) Speaking and guessing: First choose four students to come to the front or

in the middle of the circle with their hands over their ears to prevent them from hearing anything and then show other students an expression or a sentence without letting the four students see it Finally the students try to tell the four students the meaning of the word or expression that they saw with gestures The student who guesses right or close right will win

f) Right or wrong: First ask 4 students to come to the front and other students ask them some alternative questions or tag questions concerning knowledge, such as, geography, history, music and arts, then the four students try to answer them The student who answers the biggest number of the questions correctly will win

Teachers should invent more ways to let students practise.This will arouse their interest to speak and help them more easily to master this skill

2.4 The results in researching the reality

After a period of time of conducting these solutions, to my expectation, I have gained satisfying results I've found that my students have become more confident and active in their speaking lessons Many of them said that they no longer feel their speaking lessons stressful and too difficult Most of them admitted that their speaking skill has been improved a lot day by day

In fact, I usually encourage my students to feel excited and confident in their oral skill; therefore, I usually give them good grades when they do their speaking tasks well or quite well and I do not discourage them by giving them bad grades when they do not fulfill their oral exercises Instead of that, I always give these students positive feedbacks so that they will try their best later However, my students are told that their speaking skill is always assessed during the school year and their constant progress is always positively taken into consideration

I have gained the below results: