SKKN IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR RURAL STUDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES VIA SKYPE

ĐỀ TÀI IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR RURAL STUDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES VIA SKYPE MÔN: TIẾNG ANH SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM... SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NGH

ĐỀ TÀI IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR RURAL STUDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES VIA

SKYPE

MÔN: TIẾNG ANH SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NGHỆ AN TRUNG TÂM GDNN- GDTX HUYỆN CON CUÔNG

- -

ĐỀ TÀI IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR RURAL STUDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES VIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale of the study 1

2 Aim of the study 1

3 Scope of the study 1

4 Objectives of the study 1

5 Method of the study: 2

PART II: CONTENT 3

I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 3

1 Skype in the classroom 3

1.1 Skype as a communication tool 3

1.2 The main features of Skype in the classroom 4

1.2.1 Mystery Skype 4

1.2.2 Virtual Field Trip 4

1.2.3 Guest Speaker 4

1.2.4 Classroom to Classroom connection 5

1.2.5 Skype collaboration 5

2 Speaking skills 5

2.1 Definitions of speaking 5

2.2 The elements of speaking 5

II PRACTICAL BACKGROUND 8

III.PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN USING SKYPE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS 9

1 Mystery Skype 9

2 Virtual Field Trips……… 12

3 Guest Speaker ……….14

4 Classroom to Classroom connection ……… 17

5 Skype collaborations ……… 19

PART III: CONCLUSION 1 Results of the experience application ……….21

2 Recommendation……….23

3 Suggestions for further study……… 23

REFERENCES………24

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale of the study:

English is a compulsory subject in most of the schools in Vietnam Because it plays an important role in human beings’ life, especially, in social communications and workplaces According to foreign language competence framework for Vietnamese students, high school graduated students are supposed to reach tertiary level (equivalent to Level B1) To fluently communicate as expected, students have

to develop communicative skills including listening, speaking, reading, and writing However, language competence in every skill is under expected level especially in speaking skill, which is clearer to realize for students in rural areas

As a teacher of language for many years in Con Cuong which is located in a mountainous area in Nghe An province, I myself find that one of the major reasons why students are afraid of speaking English is lack of communicating environment Traditionally, students spend far too much time learning grammar, which is designed to take up various tests at schools, so most of teachers focus on teaching grammar for their students

Besides, from the experience in teaching English to primary and secondary school students who do not have so much interest in speaking as in classes of other skills because they have difficulties in performing speaking tasks by themselves

To solve these problems, I have tried many ways to help my students to improve their speaking skills I believe that online platforms are useful digital services, which are used to support learning and teaching languages Skype is the best option we have chosen for my students in a small town

2 Aims of the study:

The aim of this study is to show and prove that Skype, used as an educational tool can be highly beneficial for foreign language learning, in this case English In fact, skype in the classroom creates many opportunities for English teachers to effectively apply technology in teaching English, exchange teaching methods and gain experiences from other teachers Furthermore, it helps students improve their speaking skill as well as listening and writing skills and motivate students to speak English and connect with foreign students to exchange cultures and knowledge

3 Scope of the study:

- Applying in communicative lessons

-Applying to held Speaking English Clubs and outside activities for students

4 Objectives of the study:

- 6th and 7th graders at Chi Khe Secondary School and Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minority Students , Con Cuong district, Nghe An province

5 Method of the study:

- Studying materials about improving English speaking skills in reference books and articles

- Analyzing and drawing experiences from the process of carrying out

- Finding suitable classes on teaching platforms on Facebooks, discussing with other teachers about connecting contents

- Applying common types of online platforms such as Zoom, Teams, Skype, Google meet and others in the real working

PART II: CONTENT

I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1 Skype in the classroom

1.1 Skype as a communication tool

Skype is a voice communication tool that is available almost everywhere in the world It was invented by Scandinavian entrepreneurs Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis On 29 August 2003 the software application Skype was introduced to the world The project was initially named “Skype peer – to – peer” and morphed into Skyper Later the final letter r was dropped, and the title of the original concept has become Skype Throughout the years there have been several changes

to skype logo and it is now an icon that features the letter S that is white with a blue background The white colour of the logo represents harmony and peace while the blue colour of the logo represents hope, prosperity and communications

Teachers can use Skype to access and share activities, resources and lesson plans, to connect to other educators and organizations, and to spark even more ideas for using the instant messaging, voice and video calling for learning and teaching In the classroom, many teachers now have access to a projector, a computer and an internet connection Video calling is a great way to encourage whole class interaction and participation in activities

Like all technologies, using Skype will not magically improve teaching or make lessons more compelling or memorable Effective use of Skype is dependent

on the skill and imagination of the teacher Connecting to educators who have learnt what works well is a great way to develop confidence and share great advice

– on preparing for and framing activities, on running Skype sessions with learners, and in getting the most out of these with follow up activities

Modern Foreign Language teachers have long been aware of the power of video calling to bring language learning to life for their students Partnering with other schools can enable all learners to broaden their horizons and knowledge, across all subject areas, by working together, and through exploring and understanding differences and similarities Skype provides educators with a real way to enable learners to not only ‘see in to’ other classrooms, countries and cultures, but also to make meaningful connections through collaboration and conversation

1.2 The main features of Skype in the classroom

Skype in the classroom offers five educational ways of learning: Mystery Skype, Virtual Field Trips, Guest Speakers, Classroom to Classroom connection, and Skype collaborations

1.2.1 Mystery Skype

This feature is the global guessing game Students can learn about geography culture, and the similarities and differences of how children live all over the world It is an educational game with the aim to guess the location of the other classroom It is played by two or more classrooms on Skype and it is suitable for all ages By asking Yes/No questions, students can learn more about the global community and they can effectively communicate Usually, they provide clues to each other There are many versions for Mystery Skype such as Mystery Animals, Mystery Locations, Mystery Numbers, Mystery Singers, etc The game incorporates communication and critical skills and, at the same time, it develops creativity and collaboration

1.2.2 Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips are learning excursions that happen online through video conferencing software, livestream video, or digital map and photograph platforms For example, a virtual zoo tour or an online visit to the Great Wall of China Virtual field trip (VFT) are free and they are excellent for the students who attend Primary or Secondary school to explore new places, meet different cultures and people without leaving the classroom To comprehend better, students should prepare for the lecture, by providing more material about the topic that can be reviewed after virtual trip This type of class is always amusing for students and they feel more motivated to learn

1.2.3 Guest Speaker

Skype in the Classroom’s guest speakers can help bring learning to life for your school’s students Imagine this scenario, a couple of your classrooms are studying Ancient Greece and to enrich the experience a guest speaker, located in

Ancient Corinth, Greece, speaks to the students, via Skype, about current excavations and describes how Greece looked in antiquity compared to the present day And this is just one example There are hundreds of volunteer guest speakers from around the world that are available to speak to your classrooms via Skype These guest speakers are experts in every subject area you can imagine as they are authors, scientists, engineers, zookeepers, etc Getting them in front of students is a snap as well

1.2.4 Classroom to Classroom connection

A Skype lesson is a fantastic way to engage your whole class Students can

be assigned different roles to keep everyone involved throughout the lesson These can include greeters, inquirers, sharers, researchers, photographers, bloggers, timekeepers and scribes A few other ideas that can work well when preparing for your lesson include asking your class to come up with questions, and letting them choose which to ask Learners can also prepare presentations on the areas you know will be covered in the lesson A lot of teachers also find it helpful to set some basic ground rules before a Skype call, especially if it’s the first time you’ll be using it in your classroom Classroom to Classroom interactions bring new joy to students and encourage them to actively participate in discussions

1.2.5 Skype collaboration

Connecting the classrooms the students can see the world from another perspective and meet some unknown cultural and social norms They can work on projects, share their half via Skype and the other classroom presents the missing half It allows students to learn and meet people and explore cultures from all over the world By this feature, students build compassion, share knowledge, have fun and empathy for one another Students mostly work in groups and they are all involved in the project They have to work together and solve a problem So, they learn to respect each other, hear different opinions and by this method they develop their social skills and learn from their peers at the same time The collaborative learning methodology is ideal for children that have difficulties in a social setting

2 Speaking skills

2.1 Definitions of speaking

According to experts, there are various definitions of speaking Hammer (2007 :284) states that speaking is the ability to speak fluently and presupposes not only knowledge features but also the ability to process information and language

“on the spot” while Quianthy (1990:7) defines speaking as the process of transmitting ideas and information orally in variety of situations

2.2 The elements of speaking

There are six components of speaking to be scored; pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and task as Brown (2004) has stated

Pronunciation

V = equivalent to and fully accepted by educated native speaker

IV = errors in pronunciation are quite rare

III = errors never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker Accent may be obviously foreign

II = accent is intelligible though often quite faulty

I = errors in pronunciation are frequent but can be understood by a native speaker used to dealing with foreigners attempting to speak his language

Grammar

V = equivalent to that of an educated native speaker

IV = able to use the language accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs errors in grammar are quite rare

III = control of grammar is good able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversation on practical, social and professional topics

II = can usually handle elementary constructions quite accurately but does not have thorough or confident control of the grammar

I = errors in grammar are frequent, but speaker can be understood by a native speaker used to dealing with foreigners attempting to speak his language

Vocabulary

V = speech on a levels is fully accepted by educated native speakers in all its features including breadth of vocabulary and idioms, colloquialisms, and pertinent cultural references

IV = can understand and participate in any conversation within the range of his experience with a high degree of precision of vocabulary

III = able to speak the language with sufficient vocabulary to participate effectively

in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics Vocabulary is broad enough that he rarely has to grope for a word

II = has speaking vocabulary sufficient to express himself simply with some circumlocutions

I = speaking vocabulary inadequate to express anything but the most elementary needs

Fluency

V = has complete fluency in the language such that his speech is fully accepted by educated native speakers

IV = able to use the language fluently on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs Can participate in any conversation within the range of this experience with a high degree of fluency

III = can discuss particular interest of competence with reasonable ease Rarely has

to grope for words

II = can handle with confidence but not with facility most social situations, including introductions and casual conversations about current events, as well as work, family and autobiographical information

I = (no specific fluency description Refer to other four language areas for implied level of fluency.)

Comprehension

V = Equivalent to that of an educated native speaker

IV = can understand any conversation within the range of his experience

III = comprehension is quite complete at a normal rate of speech

II = can get the gist of most conversation of non-technical subjects (i.e., topics that require no specialized knowledge)

I = within the scope of his very limited language experience, can understand simple questions and statements if delivered with slowed speech, repetition, or paraphrase

Task

V = speaking proficiency equivalent to that of an educated native speaker

IV = would rarely be taken for a native speaker but can respond appropriately even

in unfamiliar situations Can handle informal interpreting from and into language III = can participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics

II = able to satisfy routine social demands and work requirement; needs help in handling any complication or difficulties

I = can ask and answer questions on topics very familiar to him Able to satisfy routine travel needs and minimum courtesy requirements

According to Harris (1974) there are five components of speaking skill concerned with comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency

a) Comprehension

For oral communication, it certainly requires a subject to respond, to speech as well as to initiate it

b) Grammar

It is needed for students to arrange a correct sentence in conversation It is in line with explanation suggested by Heaton (1978: 5) that students’ ability to manipulate structure and to distinguish appropriate grammatical form in appropriateness The utility of grammar is also to learn the correct way to gain expertise in a language in oral and written form

c) Vocabulary

Vocabulary means the appropriate diction which is used in communication Without having a sufficient vocabulary, one cannot communicative effectively or express their ideas both oral and written form Having limited vocabulary is also a barrier that precludes learners from learning a language Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed So, based on this explanation, the researcher 6 concluded that without mastering vocabulary sufficiently is English learners will not be able to speak English or write English properly

d) Pronunciation

Pronunciation is the way for students‟ to produce clearer language when they speak It deals with the phonological process that refers to the component of a grammar made up of the elements and principles that determine how sounds vary and pattern in a language There are two features of pronunciation; phonemes and supra segmental features In speaking, pronunciation plays a vital role in order to make the process of communication easy to understand

e) Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read, speak, or write easily, smoothly and expressively In other words, the speaker can read, understand and respond in a language clearly and concisely while relating meaning and context Fluency can be defined as the ability to speak fluently and accurately

II.PRACTICAL BACKGROUND

Nowadays, English as a means of communication and entertainment is no longer strange to students, especially to those who live in big cities Children are sent to English centres to learn with native teachers at a very young age However, students in my town do not have any opportunities to speak with foreigners because my town is small and far from big cities Furthermore, there have not had English centres for many years Most of students are not confident when they speak English or give their own opinions

To motivate students speaking confidently or naturally, I ask students to speak a lot, do role play and record videos to practice more and more.I always change my teaching methods to be suitable for my students in different situations And I usually search educational information to adapt my lesson plans on the internet, join in many groups of innovation teachers Then I found that skype is the

best way to use English in a real-life situation and I think it is worth much more than just another worksheet

III PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN USING SKYPE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS

I have used skype in the classroom since 2017 After connecting with many teachers and students from different countries, I believe that skype is a useful tool

in teaching and learning languages Below are the activities which were completed

- Play Mystery skype with a class from India

- Play Mystery Skype with a class from Turkey