The effectiveness of picture books 2

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PICTURE BOOKS IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR 11 GRADE STUDENTS AT TRAN PHU HIGH SCHOOL IN GIA LAI PROVINCE TABLE OF CONTENT 3CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 31 1 Background of the study 6[.]

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PICTURE BOOKS

IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR 11 GRADE STUDENTS AT

TRAN PHU HIGH SCHOOL IN GIA LAI PROVINCE

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 Background of the study 3

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 6

1.3 Research questions 6

1.4 Scope of the study 7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 Definitions of picture book 8

2.2 The importance of developing English speaking skills for high school students 9

2.2.1 Teaching speaking skills in High school 9

2.2.2 The use of Picture Book in teaching English 11

2.3 Benefits of using picture books in teaching speaking skills 13

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 15

3.1 Research design 15

3.2 Research site 16

3.3 Population and sampling 17

3.4 Data collection instruments 18

3.5 Data analysis procedure 19

3.5.1 Data analysis on the pre and post-test 19

3.5.2 Data analysis on the questionnaire 20

3.5.2.1 Definition of language learning attitudes 20

3.5.2.2 Components of attitudes 21

3.5.3 Scoring rubric 22

4 Timeline 22

References 23

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

With globalization, English has grown increasingly important worldwide Today,English is seen as an indispensable foreign language, it is a particularly usefulmeans of communication, economic exchange, and cultural etc., all over the world(McKay, 2018) Teaching English in recent years is an inevitable national strategicneed English is no longer a subject to be encouraged but has become a compulsorysubject in professional schools(Hult, 2017) The Education Department alsoencourages teachers to use advanced teaching methods to help students be moreinterested in learning English

As it can be seen, English is an important communication tool in integrating withthe international and regional community, access to scientific information,technology, socio-cultural as well as political events, and all around the world.Since Vietnam's accession to WTO, English is used more and more widely (Vu-Thanh, 2017) Teaching foreign languages always has many fluctuations andchanges according to the general evolution of world civilization and culture - That

is something that no one can deny (Byram, 2002) Therefore, it is required that theinstructors of this subject always have responsibility and enthusiasm to effectivelytransmit knowledge, meet the requirements of society Through the years ofapplying innovative methods in teaching English for High School with newtextbook program, many teachers have had experiences and initiatives to activelyserve the teaching of English subject (Kırkgöz, 2008) However, the author realizesthat there are still problems that continue to arise in the reality of teaching at ourschool that we ourselves, the teachers of teaching this subject, always pondered,thinking and finding solutions One of the issues is: how to effectively teach

speaking skills to improve communication skills for students, as well as improvethe quality of English teaching at Vietnamese school with the available teachingfacilities In terms of theory, the teacher must be the one who teaches them tocorrectly understand and practice the knowledge in the curriculum through thefollowing skills: Reading, Speaking, Listening, and Writing From there, they takethe initiative in communicating and using language for each of their own purposessuch as translation, document writing, translator, or easy working in joint venturecompanies

In the process of teaching English, the researcher found that learners alwaysencounter difficulties related to all four skills of listening, speaking, reading andwriting Especially with Speaking skills Speaking is considered a difficult skill topractice among the four language skills (Abugohar, 2019) Training for learners inspeaking or communication skills is considered a fundamental goal in the teachingprocess, in which learners play an active role of participants in information beingheard and processed, understand and decode information to finally respond to it,just like a four-step process: feel - understand - evaluate - respond Only when thelistener can respond to the information can the communication achieve the desiredresults Restricted speech skills can damage communication (Shinn-Cunningham,2017) Therefore, speaking skill is considered as a basic element of thecommunication process So the problem here is that each teacher must truly renewhis or her teaching method to meet the current training needs and must be aware ofthe communication value of language in life as well as firmly grasp how to practicethis type of lesson to improve students for the benefit and best possible outcomes

in relation to language skills

The current teaching and learning of English at Tran Phu High School, Gia Lai hasnot made progress, revealed many limitations, has not applied new methods, hasnot applied teaching methods yet They have not created favorable conditions tohelp learners have the ability to self-study and self-practice The Englishproficiency in general and the communication skills of the students of Tran PhuHigh School, Gia Lai in particular are not high As an educator, the researcher isalways trying to improve the student's learning status as well as finding out,promoting and overcoming the strengths and weaknesses in their teaching subjects,

at the same time, the most effective way of teaching methods to improve Englishspeaking skills for students, increasing the quality and efficiency of training

To equip and prepare students with the language and skills to be used whencommunicating, teachers need to organize, build and facilitate a languageenvironment to encourage students to participate in the above activities classnaturally and effectively

1.2 Statement of the problem

1.3 Aims and objectives of the study

This study arms to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching speakingskills when using picture books in teaching speaking skills for 11 grade students.From there, the main objectives of this research include:

- To investigate the effects of using Picture book on the 11th grade students’speaking skills

- To ascertain students’ attitudes towards using Picture book to learn speakingskills.

1.5 Scope of the study

From the above theoretical and practical basis, along with the author’s teachingexperience, this study focuses on the impact of using picture books in teachingspeaking skills for students in grade 11 at Tran Phu high schools in Gia laiProvince The researcher also surveys learning attitudes and positivity of learnerstowards English speaking skills in part of the intermediate basic English subject

1.6 Significance of the study

This study is significant because it offers some important insights into English teaching and learning process Firstly, it can be seen that a large number of Vietnamese students are now interested in using Picture book not only for communicating or relaxing but also for learning purposes They like chatting, collaborating, discussing and sharing something with their friends via Picture book Hence, applying Picture book as a supplemental tool in classroom can provide

an important opportunity for students to improve writing skill rather than traditional ways Secondly, the findings of this work will generate fresh insight for teachers of English at Ha Nam Pedagogical College and Vietnamese teachers of English into adopting Facebook in teaching English writing effectively Therefore, it is hoped Frost (2002) claims that

“action research is a process of

This study is significant because it offers some important insights into Englishteaching and learning process Firstly, it can be seen that a large number ofVietnamese students are now interested in using picture books not only forrelaxing but also for learning purposes Hence, applying picture books as asupplemental tool in classroom can provide an important opportunity for students

to improve speaking skills rather than traditional ways Secondly, the findings ofthis work will generate fresh insight for teachers of English at Tran Phu highschool and Vietnamese teachers of English into adopting picture books in teachingEnglish speaking effectively Therefore, it is hoped that curriculum designers canconsider allowing teachers to apply this tool widely in learning and teachingprocess In addition, this study can help students be aware of the crucial role ofpicture books in their learning process to set their goals to learn English better andachieve their targets Finally, the findings of this study may be also generalized andreplicated to other teaching context in Vietnam and other countries

1.7 Organization of the study

The overall structure of the study takes the form of five chapters The first chapter

“Introduction” aims to provide the background of the research, problem statement,aims of the study, two research questions and the significance of the study Inchapter 2, the researcher presents two second language teaching and learningtheories, some general overview of speaking and picture book, some key featuresabout picture book, learning attitudes and reviews previous studies related to thethesis The following chapter demonstrates the research methodology including:research site and participants, description of the course, research design, researchinstruments, research procedure, data analysis, validity and reliability In chapter 4,

it shows the findings and discussion of the tests and questionnaire and the finalchapter summarizes the results of the research questions, reflects the implications,

figures outsome limitations of the study and gives recommendations for futureresearch

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definitions of picture book

One of the most effective ways to learn English for students is through pictures and

by the active image to link from objects or specific situation to the application oflanguage This section can help readers understand more about the role of picturebook and how students can absorb English through picture book to learn Englisheffectively

"Picture Book", also known as picture book, are books with English content andillustrated with accompanying pictures for students or beginners to learn English tomake it easy to access, as well as to learn new language and avoid boredom Everyyear, thousands of picture books for students are published in the UK, appearing inbookstores, students' book corners The book is illustrated by a number of artistsworking in the UK (Whitehurst, 1998) According to studies, students are oftenfamiliar with stories because from a very young age they hear stories from theirteachers It is thanks to stories and everyday experiences that have contributedsignificantly to the impact of students expressing their ideas, hopes and feelings inlanguage as well as on drawing pages and playing fantasy games (Debaryshe,1993) Therefore, from the first time listening to English from teachers, studentswill surely enjoy and carefully choose books with vivid illustrations These youngstudents will quickly grasp the content through the pictures in the book Moststudents, if guided early by their teachers, will know how to use their ownexperiences to read and understand the content in English pages (Shatzer, 2008)

Exposing students to Picture Book is not only exposed to a new language, but also

a way for teachers or teachers to help students open the door to the wider world.Teachers should encourage students to interact one-on-one with English picturebooks, this is an opportunity for students to develop comprehensively from withinaccording to their own level As students read more books, their confidencedevelops This is evident when students approach English or have newexperiences Picture book with fixed and useful content is a great support forteachers who lack confidence in English, helping them teach their students at home

or change daily communication topics with their students English throughgathering phrases from books into conversation (Kuo, 2009)

2.2 The importance of developing English speaking skills for high school students

2.2.1 Teaching speaking skills in High school

"Speaking" is one of the four important skills in teaching English to enablestudents to practice communicating quickly and effectively (Torky, 2006).Vietnamese high school students still weaken all four skills of listening, speakingand reading, or writing Especially, the students are afraid to speak English duringclass due to many different reasons such as: self-conscious mind, shyness,hesitation that they laugh when they are wrong Due to the large classrooms, thestudent has little time to practice skills for each student Organizing good speakingpractice will help to overcome the above limitations(Hamouda, 2020) Speakingskills help students have more conditions to practice in one class.Fulfill theprinciple in each language learning hour: Review old - practice new All newknowledge is gradually evoked from the knowledge learned in the previous lesson(Lesson: Reading), making students not afraid of the new lesson (Lesson:Speaking) Students need to be encouraged learning from each other, correct each

other's mistakes, and freely speak their own way without being afraid of theteacher (Toro, 2019).

Through the practice of telling students to actively acquire knowledge, overcomingthe inhibition when only a few good students participate in speaking, thusattracting all students in the class to participate Activities include moderate orweak students Enhance the behavior of students in different situations, causingexcitement, and bold confidence, especially, visualization for students whenpracticing communication in English (Searle, 2020) In this regard, lessons will befun, exciting and effective.Speaking skill is one of four important skills whenlearning a language, that learners cannot ignore or take lightly (Zarei, 2020)

Therefore, how to make English teachers focus on developing speaking skills forstudents and at the same time motivating students to invest time and effort in thisskill is a huge challenge not only for High Schools School but also with othertraining facilities Skinner (1958) argues that language teaching is a process thatprovides students with experience, with creative understandings and uses Thisdefinition means that teaching not only helps students understand problems, but themost important thing is to give them opportunities to use them in real life situationsand in meaningful contexts Therefore, English teachers not only explain the rules,but also provide students with many diverse topics to practice, such as introducingthemselves, friends, family, home; how to talk on the phone, how to invite, how tothank, greet, and so on through activities held in the classroom The survey showsthat some activities are regularly held in English classes at High School such asgroup work, in-pair practice, game games), giving presentations, or practicingmaking conversations These activities will surely create excitement in learning for

students and create opportunities for students to practice speaking skills(Cohan,2019).

2.2.2 The use of Picture Book in teaching English

Teachers will have to take a certain time for students to get used to English throughPicture Book Sometimes students will even be quiet when they hear their teacherstalk about these books However, being quiet does not mean receptive or notwanting to learn Young students often understand more than they can say withwords, so silence is sometimes caused by students concentrating on discovering intheir own way (Kochiyama, 2016) One thing all students in the world have incommon is that they always love to learn something new, especially when it is alsopresented in an attractive way through colorful pictures (Paulick, 2020).However,there are a few mistakes that most teachers often make when using these bookswith their students Firstly, teachers often underestimate when their students do notunderstand much of the book Secondly, teachers sometimes skip a few pagesbecause they don't have much time

The above are things that teachers should keep in mind when communicating withstudents through Picture Book In addition, when using these books, teachersshould encourage students to watch them many times This may make the studentsdislike, but teachers need to explain why Viewing Picture Book many times willhelp students increase their ability to choose language naturally, because thecontent in the book is mostly simple stories, simple language, easy to understandand close to life(Spencer, 2019)

Learning with Picture Book is not only about increasing the students’ languageunderstanding like other textbooks, but these books also help increase the students’visual ability Specifically, students tend to look at images from the first time theyinteract with the book, and reviewing the Picture Book many times will help themdiscover many interesting details in the illustrations (Sun, 2020) These smallfindings demonstrate the sharpness and acumen of the students’ eyes Not onlythat, the Picture Book books also help students develop their creativity, assessmentability and especially the ability to decode images Because this kind of book is theartwork of famous artists, drawn, designed, sculpted on paper to create vivid 3Dpaintings which leads to more involvement and interests of students (Arizpe,2018) Finally, picture book also helps students find meaning in their own lives.Students can explore emotional situations found in books, help relieve personalfrustrations, or encounter exciting and imaginative experiences beyond their own

or even their own environment which encourage them to enjoy the language more(Chaparro-Moreno, 2017)

Teaching through interaction with picture book aims to create an interactiverelationship between students and students, between teachers and students, equality

in relationships between members and creating a safe learning environment(Oktarina, 2020) The teacher raises the content of the problem, plays the role ofthe designer, organizers, guides, provokes and controls the activity, but how tosolve the problem is the role of the student, the role itself finds how to solveproblems and thereby draw them the knowledge that they need, not passivelyabsorb the knowledge that the teacher imposes (Hashemifardnia, 2018) This is thestrength of visualization and activity in respect to the improvement of English-speaking skills In that environment each individual is allowed to maximize his orher cognitive abilities and experiences with confidence and comfort by feeling

safe Cooperative learning in groups also develops for learners organizational,control and leadership skills Through discussion and debate in groups, eachindividual's opinion was revealed and shared with the support of visualization ofpicture book Students not only study together but also learn from each other Theknowledge gained by the learner is the contribution of many people At the sametime, through collaborative learning, communication skills, persuasion skills,active listening skills, sense of organization, and mutual support spirit have beentrained and developed (Qin, 2018) The teacher must be a person who is "in charge

of balance", is discreet in conducting and orienting the classroom as well asdiscussions, and in the forms of testing and evaluation Teachers must not onlyrespond to knowledge but also leadership, organization, and administrationmethods, etc Through that, the qualities of new skills are formed in students

2.3 Benefits of using picture books in teaching speaking skills

The first benefit of learning English words with pictures is that students canmemorize them easily In the process of communicating and using English,students’ brains will direct them to pictures related to words that they have learnedbefore This makes the students' communication and reflex skills improve(Chaparro-Moreno, 2017)

As for the behavioral approach, attitudes are seen simply from people's reactions tosocial situations (Fasold, 1984) That means that the individual's attitude lies in thebehavior of that individual, and so, to know the attitude, just observe the behavior.Thus, attitude is a kind of behavior Studying linguistic attitudes in this direction issimpler in that researchers only need to observe and analyze public behavior.Because of these advantages, the behavioral tendency is applied by manyresearchers The study of linguistic attitudes also builds on this approach where