Factors fostering communication in english classrooms a study on english language majors at tertiary level

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY VO THANH TU FACTORS FOSTERING COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH CLASSROOMS A STUDY ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE MAJORS AT TERTIARY LEVEL Field Theory and Methodolo[.]

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

VO THANH TU

FACTORS FOSTERING COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH CLASSROOMS: A STUDY ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE MAJORS AT TERTIARY LEVEL

Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching

Code: 8140111

Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Assoc.Prof.Dr

BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP

The thesis entitled ―Factors Fostering Communication in English Classrooms:

A Study On English Language Majors at Tertiary Level‖ is conducted under the supervision of Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, a lecturer working

at Quy Nhon University I declare that the information reported in this study

is the result of my own work and effort, except where due reference is made The thesis has not been accepted for any degree and is not simultaneously submitted to any candidature for any degree or diploma

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Without the support, encouragement, and contributions from Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, colleagues, friends and family, the successful completion of this study work would not have been possible I take this chance to appreciate them for their useful advice and invaluable comments, and time They have always been by my side and helped me enrich my knowledge and made my master thesis graduate journey a memorable chapter

in my life

First and foremost, I am grateful to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, for her amazing supervision Her knowledge and profession teaching-related expertise inspired me greatly during my studying

at Quy Nhon University, and she opened new horizons for me in every field I profoundly appreciate her accommodating guidelines and suggestions, great patience, and strong management skills in helping me resolve the obstacles whenever I had difficulties in my thesis I am very lucky to have had her support for my work

This study was made achievable by the presence of the enthusiastic students at Quy Nhon University in Quy Nhon City, who devoted their time taking part in this study I was also thankful to my colleagues for their fascinating assistance, encouragement and management during this phase I feel fortunate to know all of them Last, but not least, I am grateful to all the support that I received from my beloved parents throughout my thesis education

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES viii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aim and Objectives 4

1.2.1 Aim of the Study 4

1.2.2 Objectives of the Study 4

1.3 Research Questions 4

1.4 Scope of the Study 4

1.5 Significance of the Study 5

1.6 Organization of the study 5

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Communicative Competence 7

2.1.1 Oral and Written Communication 8

2.1.2 Challenges in Oral Communication 10

2.2 Factors affecting oral communication 12

2.2.1 Psychological factors 12

2.2.2 Context factors 13

2.2.3 Teacher’s and Learner’s attitudes toward English Speaking 14

2.3 Factors fostering communication in English classrooms 17

2.3.1 Teaching activities 17

2.3.2 Teamwork 18

2.3.3 Students – Students’ interaction 20

2.3.4 Supportive relationships 21

2.3.5 Classroom environment 22

2.3.6 Task instruction 24

2.3.7 Feedback 25

2.3.7.1 Positive feedback 26

2.3.7.2 Negative feedback 27

2.3.8 Intrinsic Motivation 28

2.4 Speaking activities developing communication in English classrooms 29 2.4.1 Role-play 30

2.4.2 Group work 31

2.4.3 Pair work 31

2.4.4 Interviews/ Talk shows 31

2.4.5 Games 32

2.4.6 Debate 32

2.4.7 Storytelling 33

2.5 Previous studies on the factors fostering speaking skills 33

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 36

3.1 Research design 36

3.2 The research setting and participants 37

3.3 Research Instruments 38

3.3.1 Observation 39

3.3.2 Questionnaires survey 40

3.3.3 Interview 42

3.4 Procedures for data collection 43

3.4.1 Observation 43

3.4.2 Questionnaire 44

3.4.3 Interview 45

3.5 Procedures for data analysis 45

3.6 Ethical considerations 46

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 47

4.1 Factors fostering communication in English classrooms from Teachers‘ and Students‘ perspectives 47

4.1.1 Findings from Students’ questionnaire 47

4.1.1.1 Teaching activities 47

4.1.1.2 Team work 49

4.1.1.3 Students – Students’ interaction 50

4.1.1.4 Supportive relationships 51

4.1.1.5 Classroom environment 52

4.1.1.6 Task instruction 53

4.1.1.7 Feed back 54

4.1.1.8 Intrinsic motivation 55

4.1.2 Findings from Teachers’ questionnaire 56

4.1.2.1 Teaching activities 56

4.1.2.3 Students – Students’ interaction 58

4.1.2.4 Supportive relationships 59

4.1.2.5 Classroom environment 60

4.1.2.6 Task instruction 61

4.1.2.7 Feed back 61

4.1.2.8 Intrinsic motivation 62

4.2 Findings from observation 63

4.2.1 The overview of observation 63

4.2.2 Results of the observation 64

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 71

5.1 Conclusion 71

5.2 Teaching implications 73

5.3 Limitations of the study 74

5.4 Suggestion for further research 75

REFERENCES 76 APPENDICES

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 The Reliability of Students‘ questionnaire 41

Table 3.2 The Reliability of Teachers‘ questionnaire 41

Table 4.1 Students‘ perception of Teaching activities 47

Table 4.2 Students‘ perception of Team work 49

Table 4.3 Students‘ perception of Students – Students‘ interaction 50

Table 4.4 Students‘ perception of Supportive relationships 51

Table 4.5 Students‘ perception of Classroom environment 52

Table 4.6 Students‘ perception of Task instruction 53

Table 4.7 Students‘ perception of Feed back 54

Table 4.8 Students‘ perception of Intrinsic motivation 55

Table 4.9 Teachers‘ perception of Teaching activities 56

Table 4.10 Teachers‘ perception of Teamwork 57

Table 4.11 Teachers‘ perception of Students – Students‘ interaction 58

Table 4.12 Teachers‘ perception of Supportive relationship 59

Table 4.13 Teachers‘ perception of Classroom environment 60

Table 4.14 Teachers‘ perception of Task instruction 61

Table 4.15 Teachers‘ perception of Feed back 61

Table 4.16 Teachers‘ perception of Intrinsic motivation 62

Table 4.17 Times using English speaking activities 64

Table 4.18 Observation checklist of the first online class 64

Table 4.19 Observation checklist of the second online class 65

Table 4.20 Observation checklist of the third online class 66

Table 4.21 The findings from three classrooms‘ observation 67

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

The present chapter provides the rationale of the study and describes the major components of the thesis At the beginning, the main reasons for conducting the study is presented The aims of the thesis then are stated, and clarified by the research questions The chapter also discusses the scope and significance of the current study It ends with a description of the organization

of the thesis

1.1 Rationale

In teaching, there are diversified aspects which are needed to be done to

create a successful lesson/ classroom and a skillful teacher Teaching every English skill needs many factors to carry out and involve the whole class This study seeks to examine the factors that can contribute to students‘ willingness to communicate in English classrooms Communication is the key

in the classroom: successful teaching is generally considered to require only 50% knowledge to 50% communication skills Besides, an English-speaking teacher should be proficient in all four modes of communication – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – and should know how to utilize this proficiency effectively in a school environment Being able to do this has been proven to impact the success students achieve in their academic lives, as well as the teacher‘s own career success Teachers will also get to know more some of the strategies which can be used to enhance student‘s oral communication skills

Speaking is a useful skill while communicating verbally Like the other skills, it requires more than just word pronunciation and is more difficult than

it first appears to be The majority of second language learners frequently view "communicative competence," or "an appropriate ability to pass along or give knowledge, or the ability to make known by talking or writing‖

(McCroskey & McCroskey, 1988), as the primary aim of learning Speaking fluency is often seen as the benchmark for language proficiency among language learners Fluency is defined by these students as the capacity for interpersonal communication, rather than the capacity for reading, writing, or understanding oral language They view speaking as the most crucial ability they can learn, and they gauge their success based on how well they are able

to communicate verbally The voluntary participation of students in communication classrooms is influenced indirectly by motivation through confidence It is shown that learners‘ belief has a direct impact on motivation and confidence The active communication appears to be a major predictor of language acquisition success since it is thought to be the result of a mix of proximal and distal characteristics including psychological, linguistic, pedagogical, and communicative components of language (Mystkowska-Wiertelak & Pawlak, 2014) In order for a teaching setting to be effective, meaningful interactions are required There are three main routes of communication in the classroom: teacher to student, student to student, and student to instructor As the teacher creates his/her syllabus and organizes classroom activities, be careful to define the teacher‘s expectations for how students should interact with each channel on a regular basis

Numerous research initiatives have concentrated on the variables that help or impede communication in the target language For instance, Kang (2005) researched the factors developing willingness to communicate of Korean students and found that characteristics including security, excitement, and responsibility may contribute to situational second-language speaking skills In a different study, Cao and Philp (2006) contrasted subjects' self-reported interaction decisions and willingness to communicate behavior in an L2 classroom setting They found that a variety of variables, including familiarity with the issue, familiarity with the interlocutor, interaction

patterns, self-confidence, communication medium, and cultural background, all have an impact on the active communication A large-scale investigation

of factors fostering the willingness to communicate in language (EFL) classes is the focus of this research Using structural equation modeling, a model including willingness to communicate in English, communication confidence, motivation, learner beliefs, and classroom environment was assessed Exploratory factor analyses on a dataset obtained

English-as-a-foreign-in a pilot project and confirmatory factor analyses English-as-a-foreign-in the full research were used to validate the measures

The idea to carry out this study was not only from the importance of this skill as stated in the literature but also originated from the writer‘s experience It was interesting to find out that it is totally different when teaching communication for young learners and students at university There were numerous researchers who researched about this field but with children such as David K Dickinson, (2011) or Jennifer J Chen (2011) The kids are easy to get involved in the lesson‘s activities and they are always ready to talk

or answer any questions without being afraid of anything In contrast, studies that related to this issue but at the tertiary level are rare Students at university seem to lack the confidence to speak up in the communication classroom and

I recognize that this aspect is needed to be done The shyness usually happens with older students since they find it challenging to communicate in English Hence, encouraging college students to communicate, participating in classroom activities during communication English class and motivating, engaging students in classroom practices or activities are Herculean tasks for English teachers at the tertiary level, because students do not value English as

a subject or recognize the necessity of having confidence in communicating in English

As a result of the importance of understanding the factors affecting

communication skills and the writer‘s experience, the study of these factors fostering communication skills of English tertiary students was chosen, aiming at exploring these factors and some activities to help boost these skills

1.2 Aim and Objectives

1.2.1 Aim of the Study

This study is aimed at investigating what the teachers and students at tertiary level perceived as important factors when developing and fostering oral communicative skills

1.2.2 Objectives of the Study

In order to achieve this aim, the researcher tried to fulfill the following

objectives:

- To explore factors that are essential for developing and fostering oral communication in English classes at Quy Nhon University from teachers‘ and students‘ perspectives

- To identify speaking activities that teachers of English use in speaking classes to develop students‘ oral communication skills

2 What speaking activities do teachers use in English-speaking classes to foster their students‘ communication competence

1.4 Scope of the Study

As mentioned above, this study aims at identifying some factors building up students‘ ability in speaking English at the tertiary level The study was conducted with the samples selected from students and teachers

from Quy Nhon University in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province The data for this study was obtained through observation, interview and questionnaire administered to the total number of 8 EFL teachers and 120 second-year English-major students It examined the way speaking was taught at University and what speaking activities teachers applied in EFL classrooms Some suggestions in teaching speaking skills with university students in English classrooms were also mentioned in this study

The main part of this thesis is about the factors fostering communication It is obvious to see that there are many factors that can enhance students‘ speaking skills; however, I just focus on eight mains factors which are: Teaching activities; Team work; Students – Students‘ interaction; Supportive relationships; Classroom environment; Task instruction; Feedback and Intrinsic motivation Furthermore, there are also seven speaking activities which contribute to the active participation of students in English-speaking classes They are: Role-play; Group work; Pair work; Games; Interview/ Talk

show; Debate and Storytelling

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study concentrated on the factors fostering communication in EFL speaking classrooms at tertiary level and speaking activities that were used in

English classrooms to enhance students‘ speaking ability This study helps teachers understand more about students‘ desire The findings of this study will be used by the teacher as a basis for teacher's efficiency This thesis

would help the author achieve a deeper understanding of the features of classroom engagement and the effectiveness of interacting in the right way

when teachers teach different ages

1.6 Structure of the thesis

The thesis consists of 5 chapters:

Chapter 1, Introduction, consists of Rationale, Aims, Objectives,

Significance and Organization of the study This chapter introduces the rationale for selecting the study and gives readers a general overview of it The study's goal and importance are then presented Finally, it outlines how was the study organized

Chapter 2, Literature review This section summarizes previous research on factors promoting communication in English classrooms and activities that assist students improve their speaking abilities

The next chapter is Chapter 3, Methodology The study's objectives, research design, research technique, and research questions are all handled through methodology The research topics and hypotheses for the current study are first presented Second, it provides information on the study's participants and research design Thirdly, it provides a thorough introduction

of the materials utilized for the intervention as well as the research tools that were used to gather data for the study Finally, the procedures used to perform the study and analyze the data will wrap up this chapter

Chapter 4, Findings & Discussion, summarizes the conclusions drawn from the data analysis The instruments' dependability is introduced first The results of the questionnaire surveys are then displayed Following that, the data gathered throughout the observation will be examined Finally, in order

to provide more reasons for the study's findings, the data from the structured interviews will be evaluated

semi-The last chapter, Conclusions, presents the findings from the investigation on the elements promoting communication in tertiary English classrooms

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, a theoretical framework of this thesis presented and contextualized within the relevant field of research The content presents in four sections: Communicative Competence; Factors affecting oral communication; Factors fostering communication in English classrooms and

Speaking activities regarding similar research to this study

2.1 Communicative Competence

In today's global environment, communication is critical to achieving success in any sector Language is utilized as a communication tool and communication is the most basic kind of speech Without the use of a language, perfect communication is impossible Furthermore, people cannot attain their ambitions, objectives, or goals if they do not communicate effectively A vast number of languages are only spoken and do not have a written alphabet Even in languages having writing scripts, the majority of languages prefer to utilize their spoken forms above their written versions According to Anuradha, Raman & Hemamalini (2014): ―It is an agreed fact that language is learnt by speaking it first after a lot of listening to the sounds, words, phrases and sentences from the surroundings‖ No one knows exactly how one learns a new language until now Throughout history, however, many alternative ideas have been proposed Skinner, a behaviorist, wrote Verbal Behavior in the late 1950s, which featured a hypothesis that stated that one learns a language by positive or negative reinforcement (Skinner 1957) This cleared the path for a number of scholars to react to Skinner's language acquisition hypothesis (Harmer 1991: 33) Noam Chomsky, a linguist, published Review of Skinner's book Verbal Behavior, in which he explains his 'Cognitive Theory' (Chomsky, 1959) Language is taught, according to Chomsky, by learning the rules of the language system and progressively acquiring the ability to generate the language Chomsky was chastised by a

number of sociolinguists for failing to include socio-cultural factors (Malmberg 1993: 72) In reaction to the criticism directed at Chomsky, sociolinguist Dell Hymes produced a paper that enlarged Chomsky's definition of "competence" and introduced a new concept known as

"communicative competence" (Hymes, 1968) In addition to knowing the forms and patterns of a language, Hymes (1968) argued that competency should incorporate the learner's understanding of how language is utilized in various social settings (Young 2005: 429) As a result, a language is required

to communicate with individuals who reside all over the world Because English is considered an international language and is used all over the globe,

it is useful for talking with individuals who reside in different parts of the world, including different areas, states, nations, and continents The evolution

of spoken language acquisition from a historical viewpoint explored in this section The 'communicative classroom' defined using ideas that support the concept of 'communicative competence.'

2.1.1 Oral and Written Communication

There are two bases for communication: Oral communication and Written communication Oral communication is the verbal and visual transmission of information from one person to another It is affected by various factors including social, institutional, psychological, and linguistic factors Presentations, speeches, and dialogues are all examples of oral communication Oral communication can be accomplished in a variety of ways It's critical that the words are appropriately structured and delivered in the appropriate pitch and tone A successful oral communication method must have clarity, brevity, and accuracy To ensure that the information is adequately communicated, it is best to avoid convoluted language and jargons Establishing eye contact and modulating body language based on the message is critical A rigorous instruction, for example, might be transmitted

more effectively with a formal and stern body language than with a relaxed and welcoming one

Speaking and listening are the two skills that are taught and learned in fast succession out of the four, according to Rao (2012), who quotes experts

on skill development Speech is the finest introduction to other language acquisition abilities The instructor provides the language item in the class, and the students contextualize it Speaking is a natural approach for EFL learners to acquire a foreign language; speech is significant because it allows for the practical application of the language; speech promotes fluency, correction, and correctness among EFL learners; and speech allows the instructor to make efficient use of class time Language is primarily a spoken, rather than a written, phenomenon Before there was anything to read, people chatted and listened for a long time This is why it is believed that the development of writing was a recent occurrence in the lengthy history of humanity Speaking is an important communication skill Every teacher is always concerned about how the skill of speaking is taught in communication classrooms; what are the prevalent beliefs about the skill of speaking; what are the principles of learning and teaching speaking skills; the various activities and tasks associated with improving communication skills; and, finally, how to teach pronunciation to communication learners

The act of transmitting a message using written symbols is referred to

as written communication In other terms, written communication refers to any message sent between two or more people using written language The appropriate word choice, proper sentence structure, and coherence of the sentences all contribute to the efficacy of written information Written information is seen as being more legitimate and lawful than spoken information Additionally, consumers depend more on written material than spoken communication However, unlike verbal communication, written

communication does not immediately elicit a response since it takes time to develop into a comprehensible format However, written communication has

a lot of drawbacks It takes a lot of time Writing a message requires a lot of time It takes time to write letters, type orders, notices, etc., and transmit them

to the correct location Additionally, the feedback process takes time It is expensive not so much because of mail fees as it is because so many people are devoting so much time to it In contrast to spoken communication, it is not feasible to preserve strict confidentiality If anything is not clear in a written letter, there is no way to get it clarified right away Because it is written, it is less adaptable and more difficult to modify In an urgent situation, it is useless In this study, the researcher just mentioned about the Oral communication which is practical and used popularly in English-speaking classrooms

2.1.2 Challenges in Oral Communication

Communication skills are critical in today's society, and mastery of these abilities is required to achieve success in one's chosen career In order to communicate effectively in our global environment, speaking is the most critical of the four language skills Because English is widely spoken across the world, learners must master its communication abilities in order to succeed in their chosen industries As a result, the classroom is an excellent place to learn solid communication skills, particularly speaking abilities Teachers must comprehend the issues faced by ELLs (English language learners) and attempt to use various teaching tactics in their classrooms in order to improve their students' speaking abilities in English

When encouraging pupils to talk in class, teachers may run into a few speaking-related issues These include reluctance, a lack of relevant expertise,

a lack of involvement, and the usage of mother tongue (Tuan & Mai, 2015) The first issue that pupils face in class is inhibition They may experience

speech inhibition when they want to speak out in class They worry about making errors and are afraid of being judged They are embarrassed by how much the other pupils are focusing on them According to Littlewood (2007),

a language-learning environment can also make pupils feel uneasy and inhibited The students' complaints that they can't think of anything to say and aren't motivated to express themselves is the next issue Rivers (1968) argues that students frequently have nothing to say because their lecturers chose a subject that is either inappropriate for them or about which they lack sufficient knowledge According to Baker and Westrup (2003), who also support the aforementioned notion, it is very challenging for students to respond when their teachers ask them to describe something in a foreign language because they have little guidance on what to say, which vocabulary

to use, or how to correctly use grammar The low level of engagement in the speaking class is another issue

Each student in a large class will have very little opportunity to speak since only one person speaks at once while the others struggle to hear him or her Some students dominate the whole speaking class, whilst others speak infrequently or never at all Another significant issue with speaking skills is that when students have the same mother language, they attempt to utilize it in speaking class since it comes naturally to them (Tuan & Mai, 2015) There are a few reasons why students employ their home tongue in speaking sessions, according to Harmer (1991) The first reason is that students will attempt to use their language when professors ask them to speak on a subject about which they are unfamiliar The second reason is that using mother tongue comes extremely naturally to students Students will immediately utilize their native language to explain anything to their classmates if teachers

do not encourage them to speak in English The fourth justification is that students will feel more at ease speaking in their native tongue in speaking

class if professors consistently utilize it

2.2 Factors affecting oral communication

2.2.1 Psychological factors

Some psychological traits, such as anxiety, inhibition, and risk-taking, are linked to a fear of speaking English Anxiety might arise when learning a new language Extreme anxiety can sometimes lead to despondency and a sense of failure in students (Bashir, Azeem, & Dogar 2011) According to Woodrow (2006), anxiety has a deleterious impact on English speakers' oral performance Adults are extremely cautious about making mistakes in whatever they say Errors, they believe, demonstrate a lack of awareness, which might make it difficult for them to speak English in public Speaking anxiety may arise as a result of a classroom situation with language learners

of varying abilities The students are sorted into two groups: those who are strong and those who are weak Strong learners frequently outnumber sluggish and inept students The weak learners normally do not like to speak

in front of the strong ones, so they remain silent during the class activity Besides, teachers also play an essential role to help students feel at home in English-speaking classes

Communication skills are especially important for interactions with students since teaching itself necessitates them Teachers are responsible for understanding and breaking down complicated material, communicating it clearly to students, presenting it in a way that keeps their attention, and listening to and addressing any concerns or problems in teachers‘ job Teachers must also adapt content to different learning styles, inspire students

to learn, establish supportive connections through encouragement and empathy, manage the classroom, and provide feedback in order to create a secure and helpful learning environment in English speaking classroom All

of these factors necessitate effective communication

2.2.2 Context factors

Effective communication depends on the vast amount of shared knowledge between various people, which is why context, also known as the communal condition of an environment, refers to a process that involves the evaluation of information that will have an effect on the probability of success regarding the communication process The process of the transmission's result, taking into account whether the message was comprehended by the recipient, must be understood in order for one to comprehend a unit of communication on a technical level One way to recognize applicable contextual settings is to observe how one's demeanor varies depending on whether they are at work or out with friends or family However, there are currently five distinct types of context (Louw and Cilliers, 2014) The researcher mentioned three main contexts that can affect to students‘ communication They are: Physical context; Social context and Cultural context

The phrase "physical context" is used to describe the overall ecological circumstances of a specific environment where communication takes place However, these places may take the shape of offices, public parks, restaurants, and classrooms (Louw and Cilliers, 2014) Physical context entails analyzing how different geographical areas, as well as temperature and weather, impact the context of communications during communication Learning what kinds of statements are appropriate in particular ecological situations is crucial for developing successful communication skills However, the physical context helps students recognize which messages are suitable in certain settings An illustration of this would be if a students have

an interview activity with his/her partner This would undoubtedly affect how the two students shared information about how bad the situation was with each other

The overall setting or conditions in which the social framework of interpersonal and individual behavior occurs are referred to as the social context, on the other hand Additionally, the social context describes a studetnt's disposition with reference to their interactions with other individuals The status relationships that different students have with one another are an essential aspect of the social setting Due to this reality, the social context dictates that learners typically alter their communication styles

in accordance with the declared status of the person they are speaking with Additionally, the "social context" hypothesis has a social psychology bent that

is employed to detect instances of socialization inside the predetermined living environment in addition to societal institutions (Earle n.d, p.3)

It is crucial that individuals ask themselves the question, "What is culture?" in order to comprehend what the cultural context entails with relation to how it impacts communication between students The set of values, attitudes, ideas, and worldviews that are ingrained in our fundamental principles is referred to as culture These qualities affect how we think and how we see the outside environment Additionally, "culture" has an impact on students‘ communication styles as well as our individual preferences in terms

of requirements, wants, and desires However, it is because of this encompassing reality that misunderstanding happens so frequently in both social and classroom settings

all-2.2.3 Teacher’s and Learner’s attitudes toward English Speaking

Willingness to communicate was initially thought of in terms of communication in a speaker's native tongue "The heterogeneity in talking behavior rooted in a personality trait," McCroskey and Baer (1985) defined readiness to speak The situational context is one of the most important aspects that influences whether or not a person is willing to speak with another individual For example, a person's emotional condition during the

contact, schedule restrictions, the perspective of the other speaker, and a variety of other environmental circumstances may all influence a person's readiness to communicate Willingness to communicate does, however, constitute a single, cohesive feature since people are likely to show comparable patterns of willingness to communicate in a variety of contexts Except for students who are already confident or good at communicating in English, many other students are often afraid to use English in communication English class Although knowing the important of the communication English class and teacher apply many interesting tasks in the classroom, many students – especially from university do not really take part in the speaking activities This issue comes from their not willingness to communicate, there are a lot of fear with these students Some of them just refuse to have conversation in the second language verbally They are frequently hesitant to communicate in English because they are self-conscious and embarrassed about it They are quite sensitive, and they are afraid that classmate would make fun of them when they utter words in English They are also frightened

of making grammatical mistakes As a result, they refuse to communicate in English, and their attitude toward learning a second language gradually worsen

Teachers may do this in the classroom by implementing intrinsically motivated activities that encourage students to fully engage and actively participate in the learning process Deci and Ryan (1985) suggested that, in order to boost intrinsic motivation, the learning environment should encourage students to solve optimum difficulties on their own They think that in order for students to be intrinsically driven and hence more likely to succeed, learning settings should meet their three psychological requirements for competence, and relatedness Teachers have to include some group and pair activities in their normal English classes so that ELLs can greatly

improve their speaking abilities According to Brown and Yule (1983)

"Speaking is the talent that the students will be assessed on the most in world circumstances,‖ Regardless of its importance, teaching speaking skills has been underestimated, and most EFL/ESL teachers continue to teach speaking skills in the same way they teach memorization of dialogues or drill repetition

real-Teacher plays an important role to help students enhance confidence and get rid of their shyness Since teacher who react when learners answer questions or do the task, will take the responsibility for making students‘ willingness to communicate around 50% As a result, kids will achieve greater academic gains According to studies, students' performance is closely connected to dynamic, engaging educational environments created by capable teachers (Mashburn et al., 2008) Furthermore, how teachers interact with students may have a beneficial impact on their attitudes toward school, their position in the classroom, themselves and their skills, and their drive to achieve (Dobbs & Arnold, 2009) This, however, works both ways: weak communication skills – and consequently bad teaching techniques – lead students' understanding levels to decline, thus damaging their academic development It might also lead to a lack of desire, a dislike of education, and

a belief that they are unable to succeed This might have long-term effects for them Without a question, excellent teaching entails the capacity to develop connections; it entails caring for and supporting our pupils rather than simply imparting knowledge The focus of this thesis will be on the relationship between professors and students in the classroom, namely the interaction between the two Looking at the value of having a supportive teacher in the classroom since it may help to establish a safe environment, as well as how building relationships with students can allow them to better orient themselves and increase their learning

2.3 Factors fostering communication in English classrooms

2.3.1 Teaching activities

Learners can utilize the target language in a communicative style for meaningful activities (paying weight to communications generated or tasks performed) rather than form (language accuracy and structure) It will enable pupils to obtain what they want and desire for usage in real-world scenarios

As a result, any activity in which a person addresses an audience orally qualifies as an interactive activity Effective English classroom communication should not be overlooked; it may have an impact on students' academic achievement, feelings of self-worth, school attitudes, and even teacher‘s own career According to Jinping (2005) ―A teacher should make great effort to be more sensitive to students‘ needs, feelings, have a non-mental and positive regard to each student, and understand them as complex human being with both virtues and faults‖ Using communication methods might help teacher becomes a more effective teacher who is better able to fulfill the requirements of students For a number of reasons, adult English language learners of all skill levels, including literacy and beginning level learners, must speak and comprehend spoken English Learners of all levels

of competence can communicate, and they love being pushed and encouraged

to improve their abilities They engage in interactive, communicative activities in all areas of the class, including icebreakers, needs assessments, and goal-setting, as well as life skills, phonics, and spelling This is especially true in classrooms with a strong community that encourages students to use natural language

Dramatic activities, also known as creative play activities, drama tactics, and dramatic activities, have been employed in language instruction under a variety of titles However, the integration of multiple activities employing mime, role-playing, improvisation, simulation, language games,

story-telling, and dramatization is a sub feature of drama activities (Praputkit, 1983) Dramatic exercises, according to Maley and Duff (2001), give learners with the chance to employ their personal personalities in speaking skills; they can role-play using gestures, facial expression, imagination, recollections, and possibly prior experience to portray the parts provided Furthermore, Davies (1990) stated that dramatic activities, if used properly by teachers, will aid in the development of individuals' communication skills, even if the dramatic activities are just role plays Students respond physically to the teacher's directions, displaying their understanding Some instructions need the use of large-motor abilities, whilst others necessitate interaction Teacher should apply: Survey (students report on the result that they achieve); Information Gap (to get the information, students have to ask their friends, then they produce the language); Role Play (students practice with the dialogue that was prepared already, then they do it again with their own language and understanding); Story Telling (teacher can give some vocabulary and students have to make it into a sentence then the next one continue to make these sentences into a story.); Games (there are many games that can apply in communication class that can motivate students and surround students‘ interest)

work, resulting in improved communication in front of the class, a better comprehension of the lesson, and academic advantages Many researchers have found that group work is quite helpful with second language learners since it allows for more interaction and helps pupils improve their oral language skills Nunan (1991) also believes that learners will be more successful in learning a foreign language if they are actively involved in seeking to communicate in groups Similarly, according to Brown (1994), group work fosters communication by relieving students of the worry of having to speak in front of the entire class Furthermore, it is a great strategy for promoting active learning and giving possibilities for all students at the same time It also assists students in completing tasks without the direct and immediate supervision of an instructor

As the members of the group engage with, challenge, push, and stretch each other and their leader, certain components are tempered and modulated, others are bolstered, a new one is created, and some are tossed aside In the end, they support all of the group's members The group's inner psychic battle,

as played out via its members' interactions, advances toward resolution of opposing sentiments, just as the individual's inner psychic struggle must reconcile conflicting feelings before psychic health can be realized As a result, the group as a whole start at a low level and progresses to a higher one, increasing its odds of surviving and enhancing the quality of that survival The analogy between the person and the group aids in understanding the movement dynamic we refer to as "group process." The process is the group's psychological energy, the force of interaction, the latent dynamic that lies behind the evident content, the group's unconscious Any group worker can attest to the fact that that energy is a force to be reckoned with Many workers have been challenged and horrified by the power of an individual's unconscious desires, but imagine that force magnified six to ten times Any

group leader has experienced it as if they were riding a tiger, unable to keep

on and fearful of falling off

2.3.3 Students – Students’ interaction

Peer engagement can help with acquisition by encouraging learner production, feedback, and form awareness Learners' knowledge of form during peer contact in role-playing and debate activities, for example, might have a positive or negative influence on their involvement The task as well as social concerns influence students' propensity to respond to challenges with language form during peer task-based engagement According to Roger T Johnson, David W Johnson (1985): ―Cooperative learning is a powerful instructional technique that prospective teachers must learn in order to appropriately foster the interpersonal and academic growth of students‖

Positive student-student interactions can also increase perceptions of safety and motivate students to participate in class (Baker, Grant, and Morlock 2008) Students who have stronger relationships with their classmates are more likely to feel secure and believe that their ideas are valued, making them more eager to engage and express themselves As a result, it is thought that students who have excellent connections with their classmates are more likely to participate in class debates and dialogues, increasing chances to promote social involvement Student-student interactions can differ from teacher-student relationships in many ways Positive student-student interactions, for example, may not always promote an open environment and can be distracting and less exciting in the classroom Beside, creating an open atmosphere becomes more difficult without these strong relationships with fellow students, which are supposed to promote safety in class and the willingness and incentive to participate in conversations

2.3.4 Supportive relationships

Supportive relationships between students and teachers have been found to improve class engagement, participation, and achievement When students are encouraged, they are more comfortable expressing their own opinions and ideas in class discussions, taking on challenges, and asking for help when they need it Communication is used to create a supportive learning environment: teachers should get to know their students well and show them that they are neither judged or humiliated in the communication classroom Always being a good listener for students to come and talk to the instructor about any difficulties they are having, and always be empathic and kind while interacting with them Hargreaves (1994) stated: ―Good teaching is charged with positive emotion It is not just a matter of knowing one‘s subject, being efficient, having correct competencies, or learning all the right techniques Good teachers are not just well oiled machines They are emotional, passionate beings who connect with their students and fill their work and classes with pleasure, creativity, challenge and joy.‖

Teachers can also participate in conversations as L2 learners' peers, rather than as teachers The teacher normally assigns pupils to conduct a speaking task and only intervenes when necessary to provide feedback or fix faults Teachers can use this role to understand the problems students have during speaking exercises When assigning a work to students, teachers might perform the activity themselves in order to foresee obstacles that the students may have and better provide them with techniques for the assignment The instructor can ensure that pupils participate and are involved in the task as a participant On the other hand, he or she should not be the center of attention According to Harmer, the next position is that of a "feedback supplier." After the speaking exercise, the teachers provide comments Overcorrection can

demotivate pupils' motivation to speak, thus teachers should be cautious while providing comments However, positive answers may encourage pupils to do oral activities with self-assurance, which will increase their speaking abilities

Real classroom interaction necessitates a teacher's ability to facilitate students while remaining in the background; to closely monitor students; to give students complete authority in developing and carrying out activities; and

to accept all types of opinions and be tolerant of errors made by students while attempting to communicate At the same time, instructors should not be scared or hesitant to engage in potentially chaotic and unworkable interactive activities Teachers must organize, offer security, inspire, instruct, model, lead, inform, give feedback, encourage, and assess language learners, according to Brown (1994) Students must also have a strong personal drive

to learn the target language, as well as confidence, a good attitude, the willingness to express oneself even when they don't know how to do so effectively, and the willingness to make errors and learn from them Teachers and students collaborate to construct intellectual and practical activities that shape and improve their knowledge of the target language, as well as the processes and effects of individual growth, via their interactions with one another

2.3.5 Classroom environment

The physical and social characteristics of a classroom generated and encouraged by the instructor are characterized by Wu, Tennyson, and Hsia (2010) Many elements impact student learning in terms of behavior and performance, and the classroom environment is one of them Peng (2015) looked at university freshmen in China to see what the most important aspects

of the classroom setting were, and came to the conclusion that English lessons should be a motivating atmosphere with books and instructional techniques

When studying a second language, the physical aspects of the classroom setting can have a beneficial or negative impact on a student's motivation (Harmer 1993) As previously said, a teacher must establish a pleasant environment in which classroom dialogue may occur while also providing opportunities for pupils to grow their confidence According to Segrist & Hupp (2015) ―Humor has been shown to improve learning, self-motivation, and positive connections between students and instructors when used in the classroom‖ It enables you to build connection with your students and keep them engaged in the session Students then find that teacher is really friendly and they will not be shy to participate in the speaking lesson Teacher may tell jokes or humorous tales, provide lighthearted personal experiences, or laugh

at students' jokes However, teachers should avoid using negative humor, such

as demeaning or embarrassing pupils, as well as humor that is unrelated to the subject, unpleasant, aggressive, sexual, or forced Only apply comedy that has gained positive feedback from students When students participate, teachers should utilize smiles, nods, and thumbs up to encourage them Moving around the classroom while teaching can assist to break down barriers between the teacher and the students

Akdemir, Barin, and Demiroz (2012) conducted research with university students taking speaking classes and discovered evidence that real materials are the best way to teach speaking When planning speaking exercises, teachers should consider the age and level of the students, according to Sim and Pop (2016), since this may impact student motivation and satisfaction Moradi and Talebi (2014) looked into speaking courses and university students, concluding that instructors' choice of relevant assignments to engage students in successful classroom communication provided an engaging atmosphere Teachers should use a variety of group work activities to encourage students to interact in the classroom Yurt and

Aktas (2016), for example, found that peer coaching in English speaking classes improves students' speaking efficacy while also increasing their satisfaction In addition, Espinel and Canara (2010) discovered that when students participate in cooperative learning, they are affected by one another, resulting in the development of verbal social relationships Teachers' primary responsibility is to establish a learning environment in which students not only study language components and apply what they've learned, but also have as much exposure to the target language as possible so that they can use

it naturally and fluently Teachers should be encouraged to use their energy, expertise, and passion to reach this level of excellence As a result, instructors should take on a variety of tasks depending on the students' abilities and requirements Teachers in the ELT profession serve as assessors, organizers, facilitators, prompters, motivators, participants, monitors, feedback providers, models, and so on

2.3.6 Task instruction

Short instruction can help students quickly understand what they need

to do and feel confidence with what they do It also help in class activities, Sagotsky,Wood Schneidler, and Konop (1981) emphasized that ―direct instruction can improve cooperation among children when engaged in maladaptive competition in a game situation‖ As a result, the instructor must constantly be precise and unequivocal Use proper scaffolding when asking kids questions to ensure that they comprehend exactly what you're asking Therefore, good communication between teachers and students is important

It helps you to properly do teacher job, resulting in excellent results for your pupils Students may use their instructor as a role model to improve their own communication skills, which are critical for their future learning and progress Speaking is one of the most fundamental language skills that foreign language

learners should acquire It is regarded as one of the most difficult parts of language acquisition, particularly for beginners Especially in communication lesson, if teacher use complicated introduction to make students practice any speaking form, students will be confused and do not know what to do or even cannot utter any words

Therefore, teacher can use other method instead and the use of visuals

in language has been linked to a great deal of success and progress in language acquisition is one of them In most teaching and learning processes, pictures are used as a teaching tool It is described as a painted or photographed visual representation that is transformed into a flat surface When intriguing teaching tools that engage their attention are provided, it is thought that language learners become more dynamic According to previous research, the most engaging technique for language acquisition is the use of pictures as one of these effective teaching aids This teaching method stimulates students' intellect, enhances their understanding, increases their interest and drive for language acquisition, and increases their speaking confidence

2.3.7 Feedback

In the classroom, feedback is also a crucial part of communication In recent years, a slew of research has focused on feedback Many students assume that their professors would provide them with the appropriate criticism on their speaking performance Harmer (1991) asserts that the judgements teachers make on their students' performance are influenced by the tasks, the phases of the lesson, and the types of errors they commit Harmer (1991) went on to say that if teachers immediately corrected their students' mistakes, the dialogue would lose its natural flow, defeating the purpose of the speaking exercise If students are constantly corrected, Baker

and Westrup (2003) said, they would become demotivated and fearful of speaking It has been stated that teachers should always constructively correct their students' errors and provide them with greater encouragement and persuasion while they are speaking

2.3.7.1 Positive feedback

Positive feedback has been found to boost students' confidence, making them more likely to feel they can succeed, as well as establish a supportive environment and boost academic achievement It has been shown that teachers' feedback affects how students interact with them and how they perform, including how engaged they are in their studies and how they see certain elements of themselves (Dobbs & Arnold, 2009; Matheson & Shriver, 2005) Teachers who provide more positive comments tend to build supportive connections with their pupils, while those who give more negative criticism tend to do the opposite (Allen et al., 2013; Wu, Hughes, & Kwok, 2010) Positive comments may also be used by teachers to help pupils change their behavior According to Howell, Caldarella, Korth, and Young (2014), rewarding a kid for having their hand up causes the pupils surrounding them

to cease ‗shouting out' and mimic this behavior in order to be rewarded Positive feedback, on the other hand, can be harmful to learning if it is given without merit or too frequently (Cannella, 1986) Overpraise might lead to a loss of interest in circumstances when they are not being complimented (e.g Howell et al., 2014) As a result, teachers should provide precise, well-deserved positive feedback to students — using the student's name, specifically stating what they are doing well, and passionately thanking them Although mistakes by students are a normal part of the language classroom, it may be difficult to determine whether teachers should ignore or treat them If the teachers decide to rectify the faults, they must answer at least two

questions: which errors should be addressed and how should they be repaired? And how can professors assist students in making errors work in their favor? The solutions to these questions are as difficult to comprehend as mastering the language It is also well acknowledged that language practitioners have had differing perspectives on how to deal with pupils' faults for the past two decades

2.3.7.2 Negative feedback

Negative feedback is utilized more frequently in the classroom and has more immediate negative impacts, even though positive feedback, when used properly, may have the greatest beneficial influence on student achievement (Dobbs & Arnold, 2009; Irvine, 1986; Mazer et al., 2014; Wentzel, 2002) Teachers frequently give students negative feedback to alter their behavior, whether it's to stop being disruptive or to encourage them to work harder on a task (Conroy et al., 2014) However, studies show that students frequently continue their disruptive behavior after receiving a teacher's reprimand (Gable

et al., 2009; Spilt et al., 2016) Reprimands and critical remarks about students' performance that are vague, such as "Don't do that," without offering any explanations for why the disruptive behavior should stop or what behavior should be adopted in its place, tend to reinforce students' lack of motivation for the task at hand and reduce their interest in academic tasks as a whole (Brockner, Derr, & Laing, 1987; Hamilton & Gordon, 1978; Spilt et al., 2016; Weidinger, Spinath, & Steinmayr, 2016) Negative feedback is not always effective – approximately 20% of the time, students continue their behavior despite negative feedback – and it tends to lower students' motivation and interest in a subject As a result, for basic classroom management, teachers should use negative comments sparingly When a teacher must offer negative feedback, he or she should target the behavior that

the instructor wants the student to cease and give explain why Students' conduct may change over time if teachers consistently give them negative comments since it might lead to poor self-perceptions in the students Positivity about oneself is particularly alarming because research shows that it affects kids' achievement in the classroom more than their real abilities (Deci

& Ryan, 1985; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Harter, 2012)

2.3.8 Intrinsic Motivation

The elements of language acquisition can both impact and be influenced by motivation According to Merisuo-Storm (2007), a holistic and empathetic perspective toward the individuals whose language is being studied makes learners more aware of the audio-lingual elements of language and sensitive to accent and pronunciation If students approach the language negatively, their ability to pick up the many elements of language won't significantly increase The phrases above provide credence to the idea that learners need more than simply communicative proficiency to develop their speaking abilities Learners won't be able to achieve speaking objectives without favorable attitudes regarding speaking performance

Many students understand that speaking abilities are beneficial to students when they need to settle down in their jobs In today's world, it's typical to demonstrate a candidate's abilities during a job interview, and many decisions are made depending on how well they do during the interview Candidates for jobs must engage in and demonstrate their abilities in debates and group discussions, where their performance or oral communication skills are generally assessed Furthermore, professionals must conduct oral presentations in order to advertise their goods or companies, as well as provide training to their coworkers Furthermore, a successful speaker may greatly motivate the audience, capture their full attention, and keep the same

speed throughout his or her speech As a result, the audience becomes entirely absorbed in the speaker's speech, to the point where they forget about the outside world and focus solely on the speech As a result, speaking abilities are crucial since everything is dependent on how individuals transmit their messages to others All learners who want to study English to improve their profession, develop their business, increase confidence, acquire better employment chances, give public speeches, attend interviews, engage in debates and group discussions, give presentations, and so on must have strong speaking abilities Everything in today's society is tied to one's ability to communicate A person with good speaking ability can conquer the entire globe Having strong communication skills is a passport to increased job prospects In modern interviews, job candidates' true potential is assessed by their performance in group discussions, debates, and presenting abilities, among other things Therefore, in order to get better work possibilities, job seekers must improve their oral communication abilities

2.4 Speaking activities developing communication in English classrooms

Students are concerned about making errors, are afraid of being judged,

or are plain bashful Students are unable to express themselves because they lack drive Due to huge courses and the tendency of certain students to dominate while others say very little or not at all, only one participant can speak at a time Learners who share the same mother language are more likely to utilize it since it is simpler and they feel less exposed if they do Therefore, the researcher believe that curriculum for teaching speaking skills should aim to expose students to real-world situations where they may practice speaking English and encourage active student participation in the class Learner-centered classroom activities such as group discussions, speeches, storytelling, theater, debates, poetry recitation, songs, and tongue

twisters are proposed as possible solutions to the problem of poor oral skills These classroom exercises increase active involvement, encourage students, and introduce them to real-world applications of the English language

Speaking abilities can be developed by repetition of rhymes, say activities, oral composition, pronunciation drills, reading aloud, open-ended storytelling, narration, and description of festivals, festivities, and events (Jyothsna&Rao 2009) Additionally, Kumari (2014) claims that a range of task-based activities and tasks may be employed to improve speaking abilities In this study, the researcher focused on seven main speaking activities which were applied widely at university These activities include: Role-play; Group work; Pair work; Interviews/ Talk shows; Games; Debate; Storytelling

look-and-2.4.1 Role-play

Role playing is a common strategy used in classrooms to improve speaking abilities There are three different kinds of role plays: clue-based, fully guided, and free Students can act out a scene or take on a character's role during role-playing activities Students can take on these parts individually, in couples, or in groups to act out a more complicated situation Students participate in role plays that put them in "stressful, unfamiliar, difficult, or contentious" real-world events or scenarios, forcing them to consider their own attitudes toward other people and their circumstances (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p.47) Compared to lectures and non-context specific book learning, role playing allows students to learn in new (and alternative) ways Students can improve their speaking abilities from a range

of learning circumstances by using role plays under the leadership of defined objectives and instructions