Motivating students in reading classes (English 11) by using video clips

Motivating students in reading classes (English 11) by using video clips 1 PART ONE INTRODUCTION I Rationale Nowadays English has become an international language because it is widely used in many par[.]

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

I Rationale:

Nowadays English has become an international language because it

is widely used in many parts of the world and in many fields of our life

In Viet Nam, English has become a core subject at school and a compulsory subject in every GCSE However there are still some facts in Vietnamese schools: Students haven’t paid much attention to English especially in rural areas They learn English in order to deal with tests and exams so they only pay attention to grammar exercises and ignore language skills In English lessons, many students study other subjects, they are even afraid of English

I also know if students are interested in what they are learning they will be more active In other word, students will be eager to learn if they feel like the lessons

From the fact above, I always try to find out the way to motivate students and provide the students with lessons worth learning Altered methods and substantial are entered in teaching I have been using different kinds of aids to make effective learning I also discover that reading is a key part of learning English When teaching reading skill to the 11th grade students at Mai Anh Tuan High School I found out that video clips are very effective ways of both motivating our students and help them to understand languages because it also has significant effects

on the students’ performance and generate some interest in the reading topics

From the rationales mentioned above, I have decided to write my

own experience initiative on the topic “Motivating students in reading classes (English 11) by using video clips”

II Aims of the study

The research aims to:

- Applying some changes and improvements in my lessons with the hope that students will be motivated and involve in classroom actively

in reading lessons of the 11th grade students at Mai Anh Tuan high school

- Improving students’ language skills by making the learning environment in reading lessons become more relaxing and meaningful

- Suggest some video clips for reading lessons in English 11

III Participants of the study:

Participants of the study were eleventh grade students in three classes (11A, 11C, 11G) at Mai Anh Tuan High School The study was carried out during the academic year 2016 – 2017 at Mai Anh Tuan High School

IV Data collection instruments

In the process of doing the study, I used several research methods:

1 Observation:

I attended some English periods to get a general view of teaching and learning English at Mai Anh Tuan School and specifically to find out some information related to the use of video clips and consider if they were applied correctly and effectively, and how students’ participations

in the lessons

2 Questionnaires:

The aims of the questionnaires were:

- to discover whether students like and understand the lesson, and whether I used the video clips effectively

- to discover which part of the lesson students like best

- to get information to give suitable teaching methods

3 Interviews:

In this study, interviewing was used to obtain ideas and information from students about reading lessons they learned

4 Lesson plans:

Prepare the lesson carefully Choose video clips related to the reading topic wisely Make sure that there is no technical failure

5 Teacher's diaries:

I had to teach the same lesson in the three classes Therefore, after the first class, I always wrote down experiences to adjust

PART TWO: PROBLEM SOLVING

I Basis of the study:

The importance of video clips in teaching languages:

Undeniably, motivation makes a great contribution on the success of

a lesson The more motivated students are, the more actively they will participate in the lesson There is no doubt that Video clips are the best tools for making teaching effective They arouse students’ interest and help teachers explain the concept easily

One research shows that people only remember 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, 50

percent of what they hear and see [3] Therefore, it is important if teachers let students see and hear what they are learning and video clips are the best visual aid It can’t deny that video clips support me to make learning more actual, active, motivating, encouraging, and provide opportunities for students to plan and organize for reading

II Benefit of video clips:

- Video clips are a valuable classroom tool They can be a great way to practise a wide variety of language skills Through them we get students moving, talking, writing and speaking

- They are fun A fun cartoon can be what we need to make students have laugh and never forget the lesson and help students have fun experiences, and no stress in learning

- They help bring language to life Language is set in a realistic context and in a more natural way [2] By video clips we relate the language

to the students’ own life They help to develop procedural knowledge

in ways that are meaningful to the learners

- Students have a change to listen to natural pronunciation, stress, intonation

- Video clips help to make lessons more memorable [2]

- They make students think and pay attention to the lessons

- They provide vocabulary, knowledge, various information related to the topic of the lesson

- They help students to set motivation to study, arouse student’s interest

in learning

- Help teachers lead into the new lesson naturally and interestingly

III Preparing an effective video clips:

There are a wide range of videos clips for us to choose They can be

documentaries, TV shows, films, cartoons or music video…Which one

we choose depend on the aim, the topic of the lesson, and activities basing on Therefore, choosing video clips wisely to attract students’ attention, stimulate their curiosity… plays an important part in the success of a lesson Well-chosen video clips can make themselves more

effective Try to pay attention to:

- Interest: Whether they are interesting enough to attract students’ attention

- Time: Keep them short (from 30 seconds to 5 minutes)

- In accordance with the topic of the lesson: “the content has to suitable

to both the topics of every lesson and their age” [3] Try to make them clearly, easy to understand, easy to remember

- Technical quantity: Make sure that the sound is clearly enough, the screen size is adequate for the number of students, the equipment is checked prior to the lesson to avoid wondering whether the video clips will work or not There is nothing worse than pressing play and being met with a black screen If the technology fails we have something to fill

in the gaps

IV Some suggested video clips that can be used effectively in

reading classes of English 11:

1 The schedule of the course

Basing on the new textbooks designed by the Ministry of Education and Training (2007), each unit is taught from five to six periods The reading lessons at Mai Anh Tuan high school follow the syllabus of the Ministry of Education and Training

The teaching and learning tasks for the academic year are scheduled as follows:

Unit 1: Friendship

Unit 2: Personal experiences

Unit 3: A party

Unit 4: Volunteer work

Unit 6: Competitions

Unit 7: World population

Unit 8: Celebrations

Unit 9: The post office

Unit 10: Nature in danger

Unit 11: Sources of energy

Unit 12: The Asian Games

Unit 13: Hobbies

Unit 15: Space conquest

Unit 16: The wonders of the world

2 Some suggested VIDEO CLIPS used in reading classes (English 11):

Below are some video clips I have applied in reading lessons of English 11 I share my experience initiative with the hope that any colleagues who have the same problems can use it in their lessons

Normally, in reading class I use video clips in two parts:

Warm-up and after you read Only 5 to 8 minutes are used to conduct the activities, but giving enough time for students to assimilate to what they are going to read or provide further information about what they’ve read

I hope my students will be freed from the boring process of going the exercises item by item, and creative interactions and meaningful tasks All activities were prepared with teaching materials like a computer, a projector, speakers…

Unit 1: Friendship

1 Topic: 5 qualities for true friendship.

2 Aims:

- Capture students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson

- Help students to become familiar with the topic and have a natural lead-in

- Relate friendship to themselves

- Get fun, make the lesson relaxing

3 Procedures:

In the reading lesson, I used 2 video clips: One in warm- up + before you read, another is in after you read stage

3.1: Warm-up:

VD1: I used a music video It is about a song called “you’ve got a friend!” [1], sung by Carole King This song is the poem in the text book

Image from VD1

- Ask students to work in groups of four to answer the following questions:

1 What is the song about?

2 What do you think of the friend in the song?

3 What makes a good friend?

3.2: After you read:

VD2: I used a funny test video called “Are you a good friend?” [1]

Image from VD2

The results of the test must be fun Students have a chance to revise the qualities for true friendship With the ending, students can’t forget the lesson

Unit 3: A party

1 Topic: 2 parties: a birthday party and a golden anniversary party.

2 Aims:

- Increase students’ interest

- Rouse class atmosphere

- Capture the content

3 Procedures:

- I used one video clip (VD3) about a birthday party including activities, and the song “Happy birthday” [1] Then ask students sing along while listening

- After watching the video, students have to work in groups and list as many activities as possible

Unit 4: Volunteer work

1 Topic: volunteer work in the USA

2 Aims:

- help students understand the concept more rapidly and are more enthusiastic about what they are learning

- Make a new connections between the textbook and their daily life, a link between the world outside and their own world

- Provide vocabulary

3 Procedures:

- I used one video clip (VD4) about volunteer work in Viet Nam accompanying the song “Bài ca thanh niên tình nguyện” [1]

Image from VD4

- Give students handouts including name of activities Ask them what activities they have watched

+ directing the trafic.

+ taking part in widening the

roads.

+ helping the old.

+ helping children.

+ taking care of war invalids

+ helping the sick.

+ helping the poor.

+ giving medical care.

+ collecting rubbish.

+ helping people in mountainous area.

- Check the students’ work by play the video again and pause at each activity

Unit 7: World population

1 Topic: the growth of world population

2 Aims:

- Capture students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson

- Help students to become familiar with the topic and have a natural lead-in

- Give futher imformation

3 Procedures:

The Reading part is devided into 2 periods I used two video clips

 In the warming-up stage of the 1st period, I used VD5

“overpopulation” [1]

Image from VD5

- After watching, Ask students to work in pairs to write a list of consequences of overpopulation, and put them in order of danger and explain why

 In the after you read stage of the 2nd period, I used VD6 “7 billion National geographic magarine” [1] Let students revise what they have read and give futher information

- Ask students to work in group of 4, watch and write the introduction for the video

Image from VD6

Unit 8: Celebrations

1 Topic: the growth of world population

2 Aims:

- Create the environment of interest for learner

- Provide direct experiences to students

- Help students to brain-storm

3 Procedures:

 In the warming-up stage, I used VD7 “Hoạt động ngày tết” [1]

- Before playing the video clips, I asked students to guess what they are going to see ( for example: banh trung, mut, lucky money, peach blossom…)

- The winner group will be the one that guesses the most items correctly

Image from VD7

Unit 10: Nature in danger

1 Topic: people’s destruction, consequences, and solutions

2 Aims:

- increase students’ vocabulary

- let students know the fact of man’s actions

- help teacher explain the topic easily, and effectively

3 Procedures:

 In the warming-up, I used VD8 “This is how we destroying everything” [1]

Image from VD9

In the video, there are 7 reasons why animals become endangered

- Invasive species

- Global warming

- Oil spills

- Deforestation

- Water contamination

- Pollutants

- Over hunting

Ask students to watch and write a list of the reason and put them in order

of importance

- Create a new connection between the topic and their life

Unit 11: Sources of energy

1 Topic: alternative sources of energy ( five)

2 Aims:

- Help students to become familiar with the topic and have a natural lead-in

- Arouse students’ interest

- Provide vocabulary

- help teacher explain the topic easily, and effectively

2 Procedures:

 In the warming-up, I used VD9 “Sources of energy” [1]

Image from VD10

- Ask students to watch and then list all the sources of energy they have seen in the video clips and decide what source of energy has the most advantages

Unit 12: The Asian Games

1 Topic: the Asian games

2 Aims:

- Arouse students’ interest

- Provide vocabulary

3 Procedures:

 In the warming-up, I used VD11 “The Asian Games” [1]

- Before playing the video I deliver worksheets to students and ask them to complete while watching

Worksheet:

The Asian Games

Held: every (1)………

Purpose: (2)………

(3) ………

The 1st Asian Games: + Year: (4)………

+ Host country: (5)…………

Sports: (6)………

Image from VD11

Unit 13: Hobbies

1 Topic: hobbies

2 Aims:

- Arouse students’ interest

- Provide vocabulary

4 Procedures:

 In the warming-up, I used VD12 “Interest and hobbies” [1]