NGUYỄN THỊ OÁNH APPLYING PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN NON-ENGLISH MAJOR Major: Theory and methodology in English teaching Code: 60.14.01.11 MASTER THESIS IN EDUCATION SUPERVISOR: Ngô Đìn
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
English plays a crucial role globally, serving as a primary means of communication across various aspects of life In Vietnam, it is regarded as a foreign language and is mandated in educational institutions, where students learn it from Junior High School through university.
Oral communication competence, or speaking skill, is a primary objective in English language education across many schools It serves as a foundational skill that enables learners to enhance their other communication abilities, such as reading and writing However, fostering speaking skills among non-major students can be challenging due to the status of English as a foreign language, which is not commonly utilized in national or social contexts.
With over five years of experience teaching English at VXUT, I have observed that students are required to study English for four semesters, primarily during their first two years At the end of each semester, they must complete both written and spoken tests; however, the results of the spoken tests consistently fall short of those in the written assessments Through my teaching experience and observations of my colleagues, I have identified several reasons for students' unsatisfactory performance.
1 There are too many different levels of ability in the class
2 As soon as we put them in groups, our students speak Vietnamese not English
3 The students always make too much noise
4 We would like to do more speaking, but our students just won’t co-operate
5 The students make so many mistakes that we cannot correct them
6 We do not have time to give them enough speaking practice
7 The topic is not interesting
Project Based Learning (PBL) is an effective method for enhancing students' speaking skills by allowing them to design, plan, and execute extended projects that result in publicly exhibited outputs, such as products or presentations (Patton, 2012) This innovative teaching approach emphasizes learning through practical engagement with challenging questions or problems, fostering skills in design, problem-solving, decision-making, and investigation PBL encourages student communication with the community within a limited timeframe, culminating in realistic outcomes (Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt, 1997; Thomas, Mergendoller, & Michaelson, 1999) In Vietnam, PBL has been successfully implemented across various subjects, including English, Mathematics, Geography, Physics, and Informatics, in both high schools and universities According to Nguyễn Văn Cường (2006), this method enables learners to demonstrate their abilities and creativity through project completion.
The facts above explain the reasons why the author conducts the study
This study explores the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in teaching speaking skills to first-year non-English major students at VXUT, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of speaking lessons for both teachers and students.
This study is carried out to meet the following aims:
1 To investigate the current English speaking teaching and learning situation at VXUT in order to find out the difficulties in learning and teaching English speaking
2 To find out the students’ attitudes towards applying PBL to teaching speaking at VXUT
3 To evaluate the effectiveness of the application PBL in teaching speaking at VXUT
4 To give suggestions for the teachers to overcome the difficulties when they applied this method in teaching speaking skill
This study particularly aims to answer the following questions:
1 What are the students’ attitudes towards applying PBL to teaching speaking in VXUT?
2 How effective is PBL in teaching English speaking in VXUT?
3 What are difficulties that teachers meet when applying PBL in teaching speaking to non-English majors?
This study examines the use of Task-Based Learning (TBL) by English language teachers at VXUT to enhance speaking skills The research involved eight teachers and 87 first-year students, highlighting the practical application of TBL in the classroom despite time constraints.
This thesis is divided into five chapters:
Chapter 1 introduces the study by outlining its rationale, aims, scope, significance, and organization, while also providing essential definitions of key terms Chapter 2 reviews the literature, focusing on concepts pertinent to the research topic, including the Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Communicative Language Teaching Approach, Project-Based Learning, and the development of speaking skills.
Chapter 3, Methodology, presents the situation analysis, participants, data collection instruments, and data collection procedures
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion, presents the results of the study, offering a comprehensive overview of the data and an in-depth analysis This section also includes explanations and interpretations of the study's findings.
Chapter 5, Conclusion and Implications, summarizes the key findings of the study and highlights its significance by suggesting effective techniques for enhancing speaking skills among students at VXUT Additionally, this chapter addresses the study's limitations and offers recommendations for future research.
Research questions
This study particularly aims to answer the following questions:
1 What are the students’ attitudes towards applying PBL to teaching speaking in VXUT?
2 How effective is PBL in teaching English speaking in VXUT?
3 What are difficulties that teachers meet when applying PBL in teaching speaking to non-English majors?
Scope of the study
This study examines the use of Task-Based Learning (TBL) by English language teachers at VXUT to enhance speaking skills The research involved eight teachers and 87 first-year students, highlighting the practical application of TBL in the classroom despite time constraints.
Organization of the study
This thesis is divided into five chapters:
Chapter 1 introduces the study by outlining its rationale, aims, scope, significance, and organization, while also providing essential definitions of key terms Chapter 2 reviews the literature, focusing on concepts pertinent to the research topic, including the Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Communicative Language Teaching Approach, Project-Based Learning, and the development of speaking skills.
Chapter 3, Methodology, presents the situation analysis, participants, data collection instruments, and data collection procedures
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion, presents the results of the study, offering a comprehensive overview of the data and an in-depth analysis This section also includes explanations and interpretations of the findings.
Chapter 5, Conclusion and Implications, summarizes the key findings and highlights the study's implications by suggesting specific techniques to enhance speaking skills among students at VXUT Additionally, this chapter addresses the study's limitations and offers recommendations for future research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Grammar Translation Method
The classical language teaching method, one of the earliest approaches, aims to enable students to read, understand, and appreciate target literature In this method, teachers serve as primary providers of knowledge, while students are seen as containers receiving rules about various parts of speech Although the method emphasizes receptive skills like reading, grammar, and translation, it has notable limitations, including a lack of real communicative activities and listening exercises, which hinders pronunciation practice since explanations are often given in the native language.
Mother tongue is the score means of instruction and teaching grammar deductively is a tremendous character of this method.
Direct Method
Teachers employ this method to help students learn effective communication in the target language To achieve this, it is essential for students to develop the ability to think in that language.
Classroom instruction is conducted exclusively in the target language
The teacher's demonstration replaces traditional explanation or translation methods Vocabulary is emphasized through context, realia, and images, allowing students to practice new words in complete sentences Grammar knowledge is acquired inductively, without the need for explicit grammar rules (Larsen-Freeman).
The teacher plays a crucial role in guiding class activities, fostering student participation, and promptly correcting mistakes, while also acting as a partner in the learning process This collaborative approach offers significant benefits, such as enhancing speech fluency and improving pronunciation However, it is important to acknowledge the drawbacks of this method For instance, a teacher's refusal to translate can lead to wasted time, and achieving successful lessons requires a high level of expertise from the teacher Additionally, this method may not be suitable for large classes, as it often fails to address individual student needs.
The audio-lingual method
The audio-lingual method, rooted in linguistics and psychology, emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, emphasizing behaviorism and the mastery of language elements through stimulus-response learning This approach prioritized listening and speaking skills over reading and writing, utilizing dialogues and practice techniques like pattern drills and mimicry While it aimed to make language learning accessible to ordinary learners and focused on syntactical progression, it faced criticism for its theoretical foundations, particularly from Chomsky’s transformational grammar, and for failing to enable students to apply their skills in real-world communication, ultimately neglecting the importance of communicative competence.
Communicative Language Teaching
The origin of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is to be found in the changes in the British language teaching tradition from the late 1960s (Larsen,
In the 1980s, British applied linguistics shifted its focus in language teaching from mastering grammatical structures to achieving communicative proficiency Linguists noted that while students could accurately produce sentences in lessons, they often struggled to use them appropriately in real-life situations Widdowson (1978) emphasized that students might understand linguistic rules but fail to apply them effectively This led to the emergence of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which aims to enable students to communicate fluently and effectively in the target language, prioritizing meaning and function alongside linguistic forms Although understanding a language's structures is essential for meaningful communication, CLT primarily emphasizes practical language use over grammatical analysis Nunan (1991) identifies five fundamental characteristics of Communicative Language Teaching.
• An emphasis on learning to communicative through interaction in the target language
• The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation
• The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the language but also on the learning process itself
• An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning
• An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom
Richards and Rodgers (2001: 76-77) emphasize that the variety of exercises and activities in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is vast, as long as they involve learners in purposeful communication Examples of such communication include practical tasks like purchasing an airline ticket or composing a letter to a newspaper.
In Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the teacher plays a crucial role in facilitating communication by promoting interaction and monitoring student performance Students engage in communicative activities such as games, role-plays, and problem-solving tasks, which are essential for language use Morrow (in Johnson and Morrow, 1981) identifies three key features of true communication: information gap, choice, and feedback An information gap occurs when one participant knows something that the other does not, while effective communication relies on listener responses to confirm understanding Despite its effectiveness, CLT faces challenges and limitations in language teaching, leading to the emergence of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) as a promising alternative TBLT distinguishes between a "weak" and a "strong" version, offering a more adaptable approach to fostering communicative competence.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is founded on the premise that the elements of communicative competence can be systematically identified and taught A more robust interpretation of CLT, known as Task-Based Language Teaching, posits that language acquisition occurs through communication, emphasizing the importance of providing learners with real communication experiences This article will delve into the PPP (Present, Practice, Production) model, commonly associated with the weaker version of CLT The PPP model is favored by many novice teachers for its simplicity and clarity, as described by Scrivener (1996) This approach, rooted in Audiolingualism, teaches language within clear situational contexts, where the teacher first introduces the language, followed by student practice through methods like choral repetition and cue-response drills, ultimately leading to students creating their own sentences using the new language.
Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative teaching method that emphasizes learning through hands-on experiences It revolves around engaging students with challenging questions or problems that require them to participate in design, problem-solving, decision-making, and investigative activities This approach not only fosters communication with the community within a set timeframe but also leads to the creation of tangible products or presentations.
2.5.2 Stages of Project Based Learning
According to Kiwis (1999), there are four stages to implement a project They are shown below:
At this stage, the teacher selects a topic based on students' interests, or students may choose their own topic However, for beginner or lower-level students, it is often more effective for the teacher to choose the topic themselves This approach ensures that the content is appropriate and accessible for their learning level.
“the students in beginner or lower level do not have the language or confidence to develop project themes” (Gaer, 1998) The topic is suggested by the questions
Creating a motivating learning atmosphere is essential for encouraging student participation in project implementation The teacher organizes students into groups, setting clear deadlines and milestones to ensure the successful completion of the project.
Stage 2: Designing the project activities This stage includes assigning role for each member of each group and deciding which method to explore the project For example some students might drop in company, school, and park to gather information and data whereas the others might stay with computer to collect the document relating to the topic
The better organized and more analytical the structuring of the activities, the easier and faster the research will be conducted (Fragoulis, 2008)
Stage 3: Conducting the project activities After finding the data, the students process and categorize it It means that team members share the information collected in stage 2 The next phase is synthesis and processing of information gathered Each group submits the proper
Stage 2: Designing the project activities
Stage 3: Conducting the project activities
Stage 4: Evaluation agreement to present and display their project in the classroom by presentation, performance, product, publication
Stage 4: Evaluation The first step includes self evaluation and peer evaluation The second is evaluation from the teachers who has checklist and rubric to assess the student’s implementation This stage allows students to apply and present what they have learned
In contrast to traditional teaching methods, the teacher's role is no longer central or dominant in the classroom According to Papandreou (1994), the teacher acts as an orchestrator, facilitator, and monitor When implementing projects, it is essential for the teacher to create a learning environment that includes global projects, flexible tasks, and collaborative activities that deeply engage students in the learning process.
Students engage in hands-on problem-solving by tackling real-world issues that align with their interests, moving beyond traditional classroom learning They actively collaborate with teachers and community members to negotiate project ideas and establish assessment criteria, fostering a deeper understanding of applicable knowledge.
2.5.5 Benefits of Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning offers numerous benefits for both students and teachers According to Fried-Booth (2002), students gain confidence and independence upon completing projects, as they engage with the community in English and ask questions to gather information This approach fosters social learning and enhances collaborative skills Additionally, Stoller (2006) notes that students experience increased self-esteem and positive attitudes toward learning Another significant advantage is the improvement in language skills; motivated by authentic activities, students use English in real contexts, which enhances their listening and speaking abilities while also developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for life beyond the classroom (Brown et al., 1993).
Teachers experience enhanced professionalism and collaboration with colleagues, as well as opportunities to foster relationships with students (Thomas, 2000) They appreciate models that support diverse learners by offering a broader array of learning opportunities in the classroom Notably, students who thrive in project-based learning often include those who struggle with traditional instructional methods (SRI, 2000).
Despite the benefits of project-based learning (PBL), several drawbacks have emerged during its implementation Firstly, students are often unaccustomed to this approach, leading to an imbalance in participation, where some students dominate the workload while others contribute minimally Additionally, the use of the mother tongue for communication can hinder teacher oversight The lengthy duration required to complete projects can also result in diminished motivation and boredom among students Furthermore, a study by Gulbahar and Timaz (2006) highlights that students struggle to manage submission deadlines due to an overwhelming workload during the semester, which consumes significant time and effort on their individual projects.
Teachers often face challenges in selecting curriculum-aligned topics that meet student needs, as noted by Marx et al (2000) Time constraints can hinder in-depth project exploration, requiring more time than anticipated Educators express concerns about their roles in setting task requirements, scaffolding activities, creating rubrics, and assessing student projects Additionally, Okolo and Ferretti (2001) found that some teachers struggle with managing the goals and needs of student groups during individual learning activities, which can result in chaotic and negative behaviors among students.
The nature of speaking
Speaking is a productive oral skill defined by various language learning experts According to Nunan, it involves systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning Widdowson (1978) further elaborates on speaking through the concepts of use and usage, highlighting that speaking is an active process that utilizes the aural medium This perspective emphasizes that speaking encompasses not only linguistic features but also nonlinguistic elements, such as gestures and eye contact, which play a significant role in effective communication.
Brown and Yule (1983) differentiate between spoken and written language, highlighting that spoken language is characterized by short utterances, significant repetition, and overlapping dialogue among speakers They emphasize the informal syntax, reliance on non-specific vocabulary, and the inclusion of fillers in spoken communication.
Spoken language is often less dense than other forms of communication, as evidenced by the use of fillers like "well," "oh," and "uhuh." According to Brown and Yule, there are two primary functions of speaking: the transactional function, which focuses on conveying information, and the interactional function, which aims to sustain social relationships.
According to Tarigan (1990:15), speaking is the skill of articulating sounds or words to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings This complex ability encompasses various elements, including grammar, pronunciation, fluency, and vocabulary Speaking serves multiple purposes, such as discussion, speech, debate, dialogue, and conversation, making it a crucial tool for social interaction and control.
Every skill has a component to fulfill it is needs Speaking also needs many components According to Vanderkevent (1990:8) there are three components in speaking
Speakers play a crucial role in producing sound and expressing opinions or feelings to listeners Without speakers, the communication of thoughts and emotions would be impossible.
Listeners are people who receive or get the speaker’s opinion or feeling If there are no listeners, speakers will express their opinion by writing
Utterances are the spoken words or sentences expressed by speakers to convey their opinions In the absence of verbal communication, both speakers and listeners resort to using signs to communicate effectively.
Effective speaking involves articulating language to convey messages, and students require ample practice to enhance their speaking skills Engaging in small group and pair activities creates a safer environment for students to take risks and practice Encouraging students to practice with classmates outside of class can further boost their comfort levels In the classroom, it is essential to provide speaking opportunities that motivate students and offer them relevant information to discuss While students may share the same information, they will express and communicate it in diverse ways.
What is meant by "teaching speaking" is to teach ESL learners to:
- Produce the English speech sounds and sound patterns
- Use words and sentence stress, intonation patterns and the rhythm of the second language
- Select appropriate words and sentences according to the proper social setting, audience, situation and subject matter
- Organize their thoughts in a meaningful and logical sequence
- Use language as a means of expressing values and judgments
- Use the language quickly and confidently with few unnatural pauses which is called as fluency (Nunan: 2003)
2.6.5 The importance of teaching speaking skill
Teaching speaking is crucial in second language acquisition, as effective communication enhances students' academic and life success Language educators should focus on fostering meaningful communication rather than mere memorization Project-Based Learning (PBL) plays a significant role in helping students develop essential speaking functions and life skills PBL activities engage students actively in the learning process, making their experience more meaningful and enjoyable.
2.6.6 The goal of teaching speaking
The primary challenge for foreign language students arises during real communication, as highlighted by Thornby (2005:39), who identified two key difficulties: (1) Knowledge factors, where learners lack essential language aspects for production, and (2) Skill factors, where their knowledge is not automated enough to ensure fluency Additionally, affective factors such as low confidence and high anxiety further hinder fluency, leading to reduced speaking production To address these issues, teachers must provide ample practice opportunities, focusing on the specific needs of learners to enhance their speaking skills.
2) A core vocabulary of at least 1000 high-frequency items
4) A core “phrasebook” of multi-word units (or chuck)
5) Formulaic ways of performing common speech acts (such as requesting or inviting)
6) Mastery of those features of pronunciation that inhibit intelligibility
In order to enable speech production, the goal of teaching speaking cover learners’ knowledge, sufficient vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency and discourse competence
To determine students' speaking levels, it is essential to conduct speaking assessments as part of the language course Brown identifies six key categories for speaking assessment: grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, pronunciation, and task performance.
Thornbury (2005:127) proposed four categories of speaking assessment criteria as follows: grammar and vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation, interactive communication
Based on those theories, the researcher used several indicators of speaking skill Those were grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, and confidence It was listed below:
1) Use correct grammar to make well-formed utterances
2) Use appreciate vocabulary to express idea
3) Perform acceptable pronunciation to express comprehensible utterance
4) Make correct dialogue or speech fluently
5) State the content of the speech clearly and confidently
The scoring rubric for speaking skills ranges from one to five, with five indicating nearly perfect proficiency across all indicators A score of four reflects minimal mistakes, while an average score of three signifies a moderate level of speaking competence Students receiving a score of two demonstrate poor skills and require significant improvement, and a score of one represents the minimum level of achievement.
Maximum has 4 mistakes & not change meaning 4 Have> 5 mistakes & not change the meaning 3 Have> 5 mistakes & change the meaning 2
Little or no language produced 1
Adequate but not rich vocabulary 3
Little or no language produced 1
Maximum has 3 mistakes & can be understood 4 Have> 4 mistakes & can be understood 3 Have> 4 mistakes & difficult to be understood 2
Little or no language produced 1
4 Fluency Speech on all professional and general topics as 5 effortless and smooth as a native speaker’s
Speech is effortless and smooth, but perceptibly non-native
Very hesitant and brief utterances Sometimes difficult to understand
Very confidently, loudly and naturally and uses gesture
Fairly confidently, loudly and naturally and occasionally uses gesture
Quite confidently, quite loudly and quite naturally and occasionally uses gesture
Does not speak confidently, a lot of pause, speech is absolutely a memorization of text, no use of gesture
The participant did not deliver his/her speech 1
Table 2.1 Score Rubric of Speaking Test
All of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), speaking seems intuitively the most important: people who know a language are referred to as
‘speakers’ of that language, as if speaking included all of other kinds of knowing and many if not most foreign language learners are primarily interested in learning to speak
Effective classroom activities that enhance students' speaking skills are crucial in language courses However, creating and implementing these activities can be more challenging than those for listening, reading, or writing Before discussing the associated difficulties, it is essential to identify the key characteristics of a successful speaking activity.
Effective learning environments prioritize learner engagement, with a significant portion of the activity time dedicated to student discussions While it may seem evident, it's common for teacher talk or pauses to dominate the time, highlighting the need for a shift towards fostering more student interaction.
Participation is even: classroom discussion is not dominated by a minority of talkative participants; all get a chance to speak and contributions are fairly event distributed
High motivation among learners drives their eagerness to speak, fueled by their interest in the topic and the desire to share new insights or contribute to achieving a specific task objective.
Language is of an acceptable level: Learners express themselves in utterances that are relevant, easily comprehensible to each other, and of an acceptable level of language accuracy
In practice, however few classroom activities succeed in satisfying all of these criteria
2.6.9.Problems with speaking activities and solutions 2.6.9.1 Problems:
Speaking in a foreign language presents unique challenges compared to reading, writing, and listening, as it involves real-time interaction with an audience Many learners feel inhibited in the classroom due to fears of making mistakes, facing criticism, or feeling self-conscious about the attention their speech draws.