Astudy of motivation in learning english speaking skill of the 10th form students at ki anh high school

Activities and techniques used by the teachers to motivate students………...28 CHAPTER III: SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MOTIVATE THE 10TH FORM STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL 4.1... v

LÊ THỊ THÙY DUNG

A STUDY OF MOTIVATION IN LEARNING ENGLISH

AT KI ANH HIGH SCHOOL

GRADUATION THESIS FIELD: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CLASS: 49A1 – ENGLISH

Supervisor: Phan Thị Hương, M.A

VINH - 2012

I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to some of my friends in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city who shared with me their experience with their research These are very useful advice for my work

Especially, I am heartily thankful to my loving parents and my younger sisters whose unconditional love enabled me to complete this work

Finally, I have to see that despite all the advice and encouragement, I feel that

my research still has some shortcomings I hope that the readers would give some ideas to help me improve my research

learners' motivation through sketching some conceptualizations of motivation from the psychological and educational literature What types of motivation are, and how they impact on language learning Next, data analysis using frequency statistics shows that motivation in language learning reported by both study groups were similar in all categories The final part of this paper proposes a categorization which views L2 learners' motivation as a process of progression and concludes by suggesting new directions for future research

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1.2 Aims and objectives of the study……… 2

1.3 Methods of the study……… 2

1.4 Scope of the study……….3

1.5 Format of the study……… 3

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Theoretical background of motivation……… 4

2.1.1 Definitions of motivation……… 4

2.1.2 Types of motivation……… 5

2.1.3 The role of motivation in language acquisition……… 8

2.1.4 Some factors affect motivation in learning foreign language………9

2.2 Theoretical background of speaking skill……… 11

2.2.1 Communicative language teaching approach……… 12

2.2.1.1 Definitions of CLT approach………12

2.2.1.2 Characteristics of CLT approach……… 12

2.2.1.3 Principles of CLT approach……… 12

2.2.1.4 The role of teacher, students, instructional material in CLT approach………….13

2.2.2 Overview of speaking skill……… 14

2.2.2.1 Definitions of speaking skill……….14

2.2.2.2 Characteristics of successful activity………15

2.2.2.3 Principles for teaching speaking……… 16

CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS 3.1 Background of research methodology………18

3.1.1 The participants………18

3.1.2 The research questions……….18

3.1.3 Instruments……… 18

3.1.4 Data collection procedure………19

3.2 Preliminary results and data analysis……… 20

3.2.1 Students’ motivation in learning English speaking skill……… 20

3.2.2 Factors affecting students in learning English speaking skill…… ……… 23

3.2.3 Activities and techniques used by the teachers to motivate students……… 28

CHAPTER III: SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MOTIVATE THE 10TH FORM STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILL 4.1 Some suggestions to motivate students……… 34

4.2 Some samples applied in “English 10”……… 36

PART C: CONCLUSION 5.1 Recapitulation……….42

5.2 Suggestions for further studies……… 43

REFERENCES……… 44

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure 1: Students’ attitude toward learning English………20

Figure 2: Students’ attitude toward learning English speaking skill……….21

Table 1: The students’ reasons for learning English speaking skill…… 21

Table 2: The difficulties of students in English speaking learning……….23

Table 3: The factors affect students’ speaking learning……….24

Table 4: Students’ motivation on the topics of the textbooks……… … 26

Table 5: The effectiveness of using techniques of the teachers……… 38

Table 6: Students’ motivation on teachers’ activities……… 30

Table 7: Result of class room observation……… 31

ABBREVIATIONS

CLT : Communicative Language Teaching L2 : the second language

% : percent They’re : they are Don’t : do not

& : and

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PART I: INTRODUCTION

1 Justification of the study

Nowadays, English has become an international language all over the world We can say that it is a universal language or a global language More and more people are using this language in the daily life Many countries use it as a mother tongue, such as The Great Britain, The United States, Australia Other countries use it as the second language English is one of the means which connect people from different countries and make people closer Studying English, therefore, is becoming very important because of its necessity, especially, when our society develops very dramatically as now

It can not be denied that promoting motivation of student in the classroom

is more and more important Over the years of learning English, the author has realized that the high school students might do English grammatical exercises very well but they almost forget the importance of speaking skill The question is how

to promote student motivation in high school and how the teacher can help to raise student motivation in learning speaking skill more effectively

In recent years, learners have become more active during the class time and learner- centered classroom is reached To gain successful speaking teaching, the essential element is motivation Some ways are regarded as effective activities in the study Using good activities in teaching speaking skill certainly avoids boring English classes and makes the teaching more enjoyable For these reasons, the author would like to conduct this research entitled “A study of motivation in learning speaking skill of the 10th form students at Ky Anh high school.”

2 Aims and Objectives of the Study

For all above reasons, the aims of the thesis are:

 To provide an overview of the general knowledge of motivation

 To help teachers aware of some advantages to develop students’ motivation

in teaching speaking skill

 To investigate the state of teaching speaking skill at high school (especially the motivation in learning speaking skill)

 To give some suggestions for teaching and learning activities for English speaking skill

In order to achieve the above – mentioned aims, the objectives of the study are to answer these questions:

3 Methods of the Study

 Analysis and synthesis of the collected data

 Revising the theoretical background of the motivation

 The quantitative method is used to:

 Collecting information related to motivation from different sources: references, textbook, internet…

 Analyzing the procedure of collecting data to answer the research question

 The qualitative is to investigate motivation

4 Scope of the Study

This paper deals with a small part in using short activities and games to increase motivation in learning speaking skill All provided activities and techniques are based on the target speaking contents in the 10th form textbook at

Ky Anh high school

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5 Format of the Study

Apart from acknowledgements, abstract, table of contents, the research consists of three main parts The first is introduction in which includes rationale of the study, the aims, methods, scope and format of the study The second parts include three chapters Chapter one presents a theoretical background of motivation Chapter two is the research methodology and results The content of the chapter is the process of collecting and analyzing data, the results of the data Next, chapter three gives some suggestions to motivate students in learning speaking English The last part is conclusion This part presents a brief overview

on the major findings and suggests some directions for further study

The study ends up with the “References” including a list of sources of materials, the “Appendixes” including the list of questionnaire and interview

PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I: LITERATUTE REVIEW 2.1 Theoretical background of motivation

2.1.1 Definitions of motivation Motivation has been defined by different authors in various ways Myers

(1996) defines motivation as “a need or desire that serves to energize behavior

and to direct it towards a goal (p.297)”, he is talking about stimuli which trigger

the motivation process

MacIntire defined motivation as “an attribute of the individual describing

the psychological qualities underlying behavior with respect to a particular task”

(2001, p 463) Dornei (2001:613) defined motivation as “a general ways of referring to

the antecedents (i.e the causes and the origins” He also stated that “motivation explains why people decide to do something, how hard they are going to pursue it and how long they are willing to sustain the activities” (2001:7) The author

mentioned two dimensions of human behavior: direction and magnitude (intensity)

which motivation concerns

According to Gardner’s socio- education model, motivation is defined as

the learner’s orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language

Motivation is present in every life function Simple acts such as eating are motivated by hunger Education is motivated by desire for knowledge Motivators can be anything from reward to coercion

From the above, it can be deduced that motivation is a psychological trait which leads people to achieve a goal Motivation refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors Motivation is a group of phenomena which affect the nature of an individual's behavior, the strength of the behavior, and the persistence of the behavior It's the crucial element in setting and attaining

So let's get straight into the different types of motivation

2.1.2.1 Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation

a Intrinsic motivation

Motivation can be classified in different ways In some studies, motivation

is categorized into two types: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from within It comes from

the personal enjoyment and educational achievement that we derive from doing that particular activity For example for people who love music, they have an intrinsic motivation to practice the instrument, attend classes and get involved in other musically related activities

Intrinsic motivation is powerful, its influence lasts longer and the individual that is intrinsically motivated will feel more satisfied when he or she finally achieves the desired results There will no feelings of regret or remorse

On the flip side, the weakness of intrinsic motivation is that it is more difficult to obtain It is not always easy to have intrinsic motivation for the thing that you wish to have motivation for Often times, having intrinsic motivation depends heavily on an individual’s personal interests and preference

Our deep-rooted desires have the highest motivational power Below are some examples:

 Acceptance: We all need to feel that we, as well as our decisions, are

accepted by our co-workers

 Curiosity: We all have the desire to be in the know

 Honor: We all need to respect the rules and to be ethical

 Independence: We all need to feel we are unique

 Order: We all need to be organized

 Power: We all have the desire to be able to have influence

 Social contact: We all need to have some social interactions

 Social Status: We all have the desire to feel important

b Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from things or factors that are

outside the individual For example being motivated to work hard at the office because you are looking for a promotion is a type of extrinsic motivation Social recognition, money, fame, competition or material achievements are all examples

Extrinsic moving toward motivation is, as the name suggests, motivation

from desiring to move toward, obtain or achieve something When you give out rewards or incentives for doing something, it is using moving toward motivation

The main focus of the moving away motivation type is to avoid pain and fear

2.1.2.2 Integrative and Instrumental motivation

a Integrative motivation

Motivation has been identified as the learner's orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language (Crookes and Schmidt 1991) It is thought that students who are most successful when learning a target language are those who like the people that speak the language, admire the culture and have a desire to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used (Falk 1978)

This form of motivation is known as integrative motivation When someone

becomes a resident in a new community that uses the target language in its social

interactions, integrative motivation is a key component in assisting the learner to

develop some level of proficiency in the language It becomes a necessity, in order

to operate socially in the community and become one of its members “Integrative

motivation is the desire on the part of the student to feel an affinity with the people, the society and the culture of the language that is learned, and is usually referred to in the context of living in the target language community” (Falk, 1978,

and Finnegan, 1999)

b Instrumental motivation

In contrast to integrative motivation is the form of motivation referred to as

instrumental motivation This is generally characterized by the desire to obtain something practical or concrete from the study of a second language (Hudson

2000)

This relates to achievement purposes for instance passing an exam or

getting a degree A student’s opinion of a given language is significantly shaped by

its perceived usefulness and relevance to future career goals (Chambers, 1999)

With instrumental motivation the purpose of language acquisition is more utilitarian, such as meeting the requirements for school or university graduation, applying for a job, requesting higher pay based on language ability, reading technical material, translation work or achieving higher social status Instrumental motivation is often characteristic of second language acquisition, where little or no social integration of the learner into a community using the target language takes place, or in some instances is even desired

Gardner and Lambert (1959, 1972) showed that success in a second language learning is likely to be lower if the underlying motivation orientation is instrumental rather than integrative

We can see that in high schools, students learn the second language because

of their purpose is to get a job in the future, not to their desire It’s considered as instrumental motivation

2.1.3 The role of motivation in language acquisition

Research shows that motivation directly influences how often students use L2 learning strategies, how much students interact with native speakers, how much input they receive in the target language, how well they do on curriculum – related achievement rests, how high their general proficiency level becomes and how long they persevere and maintain L2 skills after language study is over Therefore, motivation is extremely important for L2 learning, and it is crucial to understand what our students’ motivation is

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Gardner (1996) believed that motivation should be viewed as a hybrid

concept “an internal attribute that is the result of an external force” (as cited

MacIntire et al in 2001, p 463) Although motivation research addressed human behaviors other than language learning, over the past of 45 years, the significance

of its role in language acquisition has been realized

Motivation is a critical component of learning Motivation is important in

getting students to engage in academic activities It is also important in determining how much students will learn from the activities they perform or the information to which they will be exposed to Students who are motivated to learn something use higher cognitive processes in learning about it Motivation to do something can come about in many ways It can be a personality characteristic or a stable long-lasting interest in something

Motivation is stated as a way to satisfy certain needs Some basic needs people must satisfy are food, shelter, love and positive self-esteem Therefore, motivation to do something may be based on the achievement of these needs Or when people feel that they have control over their success in something, then they are more motivated to achieve in it If they feel that they will not have any control

in their success they might not be as motivated to achieve

The expectancy of motivation is based on the belief that peoples efforts to achieve depends on their expectations of rewards People will be motivated to do something based on whether they think that they will be successful and be rewarded

2.1.4 Some factors affecting motivation in learning foreign language

2.1.4.1 Learner’s characteristics

a Intelligence:

The term “intelligence” has traditional been used to refer to performance on certain kinds of tests Over the years, many studies using a variety of intelligence (IQ) tests and different methods of assessing language learning have found that IQ scores were a good means of predicting how successful a learner would be Some

recent studies have shown that these measures of intelligence may be more strongly related to certain kinds of second language ability than to others

b Aptitude:

There is an evidence in the research literature that some individuals have an exceptional “aptitude” for language learning – a special ability to learn a foreign

language quickly Learning quickly is the distinguishing feature of aptitude The

“aptitude” factor has been investigated most intensively by researchers interested

in developing tests which can be used to predict whether individuals will be efficient learners of a foreign language in a classroom setting Both tests are based

on the view that aptitude is composed of different types of abilities:

 The ability to identify and memorize new sounds

 The ability to understand the function of particular words in sentences, how words function grammatically in sentences

 The ability to figure out grammatical rules from language sample

 Memory for new words

c Personality

A number of personality characteristics have been proposed as likely to affect second language learning There are various theories that claim that personality factors are important predictors of success in second language learning Personality traits such as extroversion, introversion, risk-taking, inhibition, dominance, talkativeness responsiveness have been the basis of discussions and disputes relating to this topic

d Learners’ belief

Second language learners are not always conscious of their individual learning styles, but virtually all learners, particular older learners have strong beliefs and opinions about how their instruction should be delivered These beliefs are usually based on previous learning experiences and the assumption (right or wrong) that a particular type of instruction is the best way for them to learn

e Age of acquisition

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Another characteristic of learners which affects learners’ success in second language learning is age This characteristic is easier to define and measure than personality, aptitude or learners’ belief Nevertheless, the relationship between a learner’s age and his or her potential for success in second language acquisition is the subject of much lively debate

b Encouragement

Encouragement is a necessary component that is inherent within teacher behaviors All of the students need encouragement to be able to do their best It is the inspiration, stimulation or a sincere complement given to students It is a way

of instilling confidence in your students Encouragement is a way of attempting to motivate students to continued participation in an activity Therefore, this factor greatly affects the students’ studying

c Good relationship with the students

When the teacher has a good relationship with the students, it is easier for her/ him to understand their students’ feelings, emotions, passions, etc…

2.1.4.3 Teaching and learning conditions

Teaching and learning conditions are also an important factors that affecting the students’ language learning The research has shown that the understanding and improving teaching and learning conditions increased the students’ success, and improved the teacher’s efficacy and motivation

2.2 Theoretical background of speaking skills

2.2.1 Communicative language teaching (CLT) approach

2.2.1.1 Definition of CLT approach

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language It is also referred to as “communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages” or simply the “communicative approach”

2.2.1.2 Characteristics of CLT

At the level of language theory, CLT has a rich, if somewhat eclectic, theoretical base Some of the characteristics of this communicative view of language follow:

 Language is a system for the expression of meaning

 The primary function of language is for interaction and

These principles include:

 Learners learn a language through using it to communicate

 Authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom

activities

 Fluency in an important dimension of communication

 Communication involves the integration of different language skills

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 Learning is a process of creative construction and involves trial and error

2.2.1.4 The role of teacher, students, instructional materials in CLT

a Teacher roles

Several roles are assumed for teachers in CLT, the importance of particular roles being determined by the view of CLT adopted Breen and Candlin describe teacher roles in the following terms:

The teacher has two main roles: the first role is to facilitate the communication process between all participants in the classroom, and between these participants and various activities and texts The second role is to act as an independent participant within the learning – teaching group These roles imply a set of secondary roles for the teacher; first, as an organiser of resources and as a resource himself, second as a guide within the classroom procedures and activities… (1980: 99, cited in Richards and Rodgers, 2001: 167)

CLT procedures often require teachers to acquire less teacher – centered classroom management skills It is the teacher’s responsibility to organize the classroom as a setting for communication and communicative activities During an activity the teacher monitors, encourages, and suppresses the inclination to supply gaps in lexis, grammar, and strategy but notes such gaps for later commentary and communicative practice At the conclusion of group of activities, the teacher leads

in the debriefing of the activity, pointing out alternatives and extentions and assisting groups in self – correction discussion

b Students roles

The emphasis in CLT on the processes of communication, rather than mastery of language forms, leads to different roles for learners from those found in more traditional second language classrooms Breen and Candlin describe the learner’s role within CLT in the following terms:

The role of learner as negotiator – between the self, the learning process, and the objective of learning – emerge from and interact with the role of joint negotiator within the group and within the classroom procedures and activities

which the group undertakes The implication for the learner is that he should contribute as much as he gains, and thereby learn in an interdependent way (1980:

110, cited in Richards and Rodgers 2001: 166)

c The role of instructional materials

A wide variety of materials have been used to support communicative approaches to language teaching Practitioners of CLT view materials as a way of influencing the quality of classroom interaction and language use Materials thus have the primary role o promoting communicative language use We will consider three kinds of materials currently used in CLT and label these text – based, task – based, and realia

A variety of games, role plays, simulations, and task – based communication activities have been prepared to support CLT classes These typically are in form of one – of – a – kind items: exercise handbooks, cue cards, activity cards, pair – communication practice materials, and student – interaction practice booklets

Many proponents of CLT have advocated the use of “authentic”, “from – life” materials in the classroom These might include language – based realia, such

as signs, magazines, advertisements, and newspapers, or graphic and visual sources which communicative activities can be built, such as maps, pictures, symbols, graphs, and charts Different kinds of objects can be used to support communicative exercises, such as a plastic model to assemble from directions

2.2.2 Overview of speaking skills 2.2.2.1 Definitions of speaking skill

As far as the researcher is concerned, there has been a myriad of definitions

of speaking According to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English (2009),

speaking is “the action of conveying information or expressing ones’ thoughts and

feelings in spoken languages.” (p.414)

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Chaney (1998), however, considered speaking a process: “speaking is the process

of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal or non-verbal symbols

in a variety of contexts” (p.13)

In language teaching and learning, speaking is considered a skill to practice and

master In this light, Nunan (2003, p.48) put it that “speaking is the productive

oral skill It consists of producing systematic verbal utterance to convey meaning.”

Also considering speaking as a skill, Bygate (1987, p.3) investigated the distinction between knowledge and skill in speaking lesson, which he considered

as crucial in the teaching of speaking Indeed, to be a good learner of speaking, studying knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, etc is not enough but the skill to use this knowledge to communicate successfully is indispensable

2.2.2.2 Characteristics of successful speaking activity

Speaking is an oral productive skill Of all the four language skills (reading, speaking, listening, writing), it seems intuitively the most important Classroom activities that develop learners’ ability to express themselves through speech would therefore seem an important component of a language course Successful speaking activities in class can result in great improvement of students’ speaking skill As discussed in Ur (1996: 20), they have four characteristics:

1 Students talk a lot As much as possible of the period of time allotted to the

activity is in fact occupied by student talk This may seem obvious, but often most time is taken up with teacher talk or pauses

2 Participation is even Classroom discussion is not dominated by a minority

of talkative participants; all get a chance to speak, and contributions are fairly evenly distributed

3 Motivation is high Students are eager to speak because they are interested

in the topic and have something new to say about it, or because they want

to contribute to achieving a task objective

4 Language is of an acceptable level Students express themselves in

utterances that are relevant, easily comprehensible to each other, and of an acceptable level of language accuracy

2.2.2.3 Principles for teaching speaking

It is important to remember that the goal in language use is natural communication in which real information is transferred through speech Forseth et

al (1996:35) divides the principles into two groups: for Beginning Levels and for Intermediate and Advanced Levels

a For Beginning Levels

 Limit the objectives to avoid making students confused

The teacher should provide the students with enough structured practice so they can begin interacting at a basic level This will reduce students’ fear and encourage more speaking Later, more free production can come after structured practice

 Mix the speaking activities with comprehension work

The teacher should have students listen to the teacher or each other before they speak When students listen before they speak, it leads to more natural speech Also, comprehension work fosters an interaction between speaking and listening

 Provide activities which involve dialogue and functional use of the

language

Language should be focused on rather than knowledge about language Functions involve a focus on meaning Dialogues are more concrete and controlled less than structured drills An activity involving knowledge about a language is “A student can describe the structures and parts of speech in a language” But an activity involving how to use a language is “A student can introduce himself or herself, greet others, request information…”

 Do not emphasize the significance of mistakes

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This encourages students to speak without fear of correction This increases the focus on meaning and communication rather than grammatical correctness Corrections should especially focus on problems affecting clear communication or language already taught to the students

 State the purpose/ goal of the activity to the students

This provides a context or focus to help comprehension and allows the learners to concentrate on the task and understand why they do it

b For Intermediate and Advanced Levels

 Focus on and work toward real, spontaneous speech

- Avoid form – based drills (repetitious or grammar – based exercises)

- Remember real speech is most often unrehearsed and unpractised

 Design activities which encourage natural interaction between speakers

Human speech most often involves interaction which integrates speaking and listening

 Place students in pairs, triads or small groups

Smaller groups, triads and pairs are student – centered This increases the quantity of speech spoken by the students and relieves their anxiety

 Provide topics of interest to the students

This fosters a focus on meaning and interesting topics increase students’ motivation Yet, it is good to ask students what they are interested in

 At the advanced level, especially in free production, allow only speech in

the target language

This greatly increases the amount of English spoken Students may dislike this but should be discouraged from using their own language without the teacher’s permission

CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS 3.1 Background of research methodology

3.1.1 The participants

The researcher selected 135 students in the total of 675 students (about 21.25%) from three classes: 10A1, 10A3, 10B9 at Ky Anh high school The percentage of boy student to girl student is 40.7% of the student population Both

of them come from Ky Anh district The majority of the population is from the countryside

The author tried to look for some information before deciding to choose these students All of them had at least 4 years of learning English at secondary school In the final exam at the secondary school, their scores ranged from 5 to 7 Thus, they were supposed to have an average level of English enough to participate this research

3.1.2 The research questions

The survey seeks the answers to four questions below:

1 Why do the students want to learn English speaking skill?

2 What are the factors which motivate the students in learning speaking?

3 What have the teachers done to motivate their students in speaking learning?

4 What motivational strategies and techniques can be applied to speaking lessons?

3.1.3 Instruments:

To find answers to the research questions, the study collects data from survey questionnaire, classroom observation and interviews

3.1.3.1 The survey questionnaire for the students

The survey aims were to search for attitudes of the students in English speaking skill and how it was taught at Ky Anh high school The objective was also to find out motivation in learning this skill at Ky Anh high school

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The survey included a list of 10 questions They were designed short, clear, and easy to understand The content of the questions was related to learning English speaking skill and students’ motivation in learning this skill Each student got one sheet of paper containing the questions and works individually in ten or fifteen minutes to give their own answers They would be responding on many points scale Although the respondents’ tasks were fairly simple, it might require some effort to maintain alertness over the questions that were presented

3.1.3.2 The interview

The interview consisted of 9 questions The purpose of the interview was to get students’ opinions on English learning, the difficulties they have in English speaking learning and the factors that affecting their studying It was conducted in the form of an informal dialogue between the researcher and the student

3.1.3.3 Observation

The observations were carried out in the time practice at Ky Anh high school, year 2011 – 2012 The class performance was observed in eight classes in this school Each class performance lasted three periods (total 135 minutes) The researchers have recorded all of the activities in the class

3.1.4 Data collection procedure

The time for data collection lasted during two months of March and April

in the second semester of the school year 2011-2012

During the first month, the author observed the teachers’ performance in 8 classes The author recorded detailed notes in the classroom, the activities between teacher and students, and then the conclusions were drawn out

On April, the author contacted with some students to join in the interview Before the interview began, the researcher explained the purpose of the interview

to the students Each interview lasted for 10 to 15 minutes The data were recorded carefully and then translated into English

The last week of the practice time, the questionnaires were delivered to 135 students at 3 classes: 10A1, 10A3, 10B9 The students had about 15 minutes to

complete the questionnaire The purpose and importance of the study were explained carefully for all the students to understand

3.2 Preliminary results and data analysis 3.2.1 Students’ motivation in learning English speaking skill

Firstly, the researcher really wanted to know the students’ attitude toward learning English and learning English speaking skill in the classroom through the questionnaire The author found these answers through the survey questionnaire and the interview The author also tried to find the reason why they wanted to learn English

Figure 1: Students’ attitude toward learning English

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

very important

not very important not at all

According to the chart, it is obvious that among the students by whom the author had the survey questionnaire of motivation completed, about 84% of them supposed that English played an important role in their leaning For them, English was one of the most important subjects in all In the author’s interviews, the students said that they learned English not only because of its importance but also they liked it very much They found it very interesting and fascinating Only a small percentage (about 6%) expressed that English was not important at all

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Figure 2: Students’ attitude toward learning English speaking skill

very important not very important not at all

In this pie chart, we can see clearly that about 70% students expressed that English speaking skill was very important of all four basic English skills Only 12% students expressed that speaking English was not very important for them However, it is very surprised that 18% students supposed speaking English was

not important at all

Table 1 shows the reason why the students want to learn English speaking skill It is also the first motivation of the students in learning this important skill

Table 1: The students’ reasons for learning English speaking skill

5 To please students’ parents 7/135 5.18 %

6 To get good marks in the exam 10/135 7.4 %

7 To communicate with foreigners 90/135 66.66 %

8 To understand the people, culture of English speaking countries

88/135 65.18 %

The above table shows that to get the future job was the main purpose of English speaking learning The highest percentage of the students (about 86%) identified the major reason for learning English speaking skill was to get a job in the future They expressed that speaking English fluently played an important role

in communicating and finding a good job It helped them more active and self – confident

In addition, more than 60% of the students wanted to learn English to travel Also, 66 % of the students who completed the questionnaire said that one of the reasons to learn English speaking skill was to communicate with foreigners and to understand the people and culture of English speaking countries There is a connection between these two reasons They told that they learned speaking English to communicate with many foreign tourists It would help them understand more about the cultures, the habits and the customs of other countries

in the world It also helped them do the job better and avoid culture shock when they had a chance to go abroad

Next, 40% students expressed that studying abroad was the reason why they studied English speaking skill

Only 7 of 135 students claimed that they studied English speaking because they wanted to satisfy their parents and 10 of 135 students supposed that they learned this skill to get a good mark in the exam This was understandable because almost students supposed that the final examination depended on the grammatical structure not speaking skill Similarly, 18 of 135 students perceived that they learned English speaking to read newspapers, watch TV programs, listen to music… in English

In brief, it could be said that the main types of motivation the students had

in English speaking learning are integrative and instrumental motivation All of

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them wanted to learn English firstly for a future job, and secondly for better understanding of foreign people and culture From these, we could conclude that motivation directly influenced how much input the students received in the target language, how high their general proficiency level became, how often they used this language skill The students who were motivated to learn something used higher cognitive processes in learning about this Therefore, the importance of motivation was indisputable

3.2.2 Factors affecting students in learning English speaking skill

The table below reveals the difficulties the students cope with in learning English speaking skill

Table 2: The difficulties of students in English speaking learning

Activities Number of

students

Percentage (%)

7 Teacher is not enthusiastic 9/135 6.66

8 The students are not confident with their own ability 121/135 89.62

In the above table, the students’ ability was the biggest difficulty in learning speaking English Nearly 90% of the students were not confident with their own ability In some interviews, they expressed that the fear of losing face in the public made them confused Some of them were not conscious of their strong belief Their anxiety made it difficult for them to speak English Therefore, that was understandable when they often stuttered to express something in English