Luận văn a study on using short stories to improve the effeciency of teaching speaking and listening skills to students at haiphong foreign language centre

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES whe A STUDY ON USING SHORT STORIES TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

whe

A STUDY ON USING SHORT STORIES TO IMPROVE THE

EFFICIENCY OF TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS

TO STUDENTS AT HAIPHONG FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTRE

(Nghiên cứu việc sử dụng truyện ngắn để nâng cao hiệu quả dạy kỹ năng,

Nghe Nói cho học viên tại Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ - Đại học Hải Phỏng)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field Methodology

Hanoi, 2010

TRINH THI THANH NHAN

A STUDY ON USING SHORT STORIES TO IMPROVE THE

EFFICIENCY OF TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS

TO STUDENTS AT HAIPHONG FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTRE

(Nghién cứu việc sử dụng truyện ngắn để nâng cao hiệu quả dạy kỹ năng

Nghe Nói cho học viên tại Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ - Đại học Hải Phòng)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Background to the study

2, Aims of the SIMỔY, series

LL Speaking and Listcning in fordgn language Íeaming co

1.1.1 Speaking skill in forcign language toaching

1.1.2 Lislening skill in foreign language (caching

1.2.2 Short staries in language teaching

1.2.2.1 Advantages of short stories in †eaching language skils

1.2.2.2, How to choose short stories in teaching language skills

Page

1.3 Summary

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

2.1 Subjects of the study

2.2 Data collection instruments

3.1 Resulfs and ÏisCu5si01 ào nhàng

3.1.1 Results from the first questionnaire

3.1.2 Description of the application of shorl stories in the cighL woeks

3.1.3 Results from the sceond questionnaire

3.2 Findings

3.3 Summary

4.1 Suggested activilies for using shorl stories

in teaching listening and speaking skills

Students’ preference in tenns of the length of a short story

Students’ favourite tobÏes oi

Reasons why students do not like reading short siories

Aptiviliss in the pre-stage

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

“This part gives an introduction to the study, including the background to the study, the aims, the scope, the research questions and the methods as well as the design of the study

1 Background to the study

Haiphong Foreign Language Centre is one of the biggest and most prestigious language centres in Haiphong, with well-qualified and enthusiastic teachers, ‘the number

of English teachers at this centre is 68 (15 male teachers and 53 female teachers) including

24 full-time tcachors and 44 part-time teachcrs Most tcachers at Haiphong Forcign Language Centre graduated from universities such as Vietnam University of Languages

and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Tanoi, Tanoi University,

Haiphong University and Haiphong Private University, cle A half of the teachers have Jess-than-S-year teaching experience They are very eager to access new teaching methods and apply those methods in leaching practice

Livery month a professional meeting is held at the centre, 30 that teachers can diseuss proble

and ready to weleome new ideas,

1s and exchange ides They are all eager io apply initiatives in teaching,

‘At Haiphong Foreign Language Cantre there are classes for students of three levels:

Elementary, Pre-intermediate and Intermediate Bach level consists of two courses, each Jasting from three to five months The main course books in usc aro 8lresrrlinos English — Departures, Connections and Destinations (by Bernard Hartley and Peter Viney, 1982) Recently, ‘Ileadway", ‘Lifelines’ textbooks were made use of to improve students’ listoning and speaking skills Besides, supplementary malsrials like “Facls and Figures’,

*Cause and Effect’, ‘Let’s talk’, ‘Liston carcfully’, are also uscd by the teachers

Students at Haiphong Foreign Language Centre are of all ages and walks of lite, including university or college students, school-children ‘Lhe others are in-service leamers Their purposes of loaming and language lovels are quils differant, The major parpases of Jearning English of learners arc for their studies and their jobs Some of then learn English for fun, but this is not common, In general, they are hardworking and very involved in the learning process As most of them are young leamers, they learn very quickly and make a

Jot of progress Some Jeamers, who arc at the age of 40 to 50 and over, have difficultics in

Jearning because of many reasons (busy with work or family, limited ability, etc.)

The majority of leamers come to the centre with the hope of achieving a good commend of English ‘hey consider the four skills of listening, speaking reading and writing very important, but spoaking and listening aro given the lop priority as these wo skills can help them achieve their goals of learning and working, Good listening and speaking skills ean help university and’ or college students pass oral examinations at Universily or College sastly, and those who work with foreign partners wish to use English effectively to negotiate and gain contracts as well as attract investment from foreign companies

Being aware of the importance of teaching speaking and listening skills to students, the writer often asks herself, “Llow can we improve students’ speaking and listening skills?” and “Could there be any other malerial to help cncourage students’ involvernent in speaking and listening lessons?” The idea of using short stories as supplementary materials came to het when she read the M.A thesis of Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu, “A study on using short stotics to improve the ficiency of tcaching English to the first year students at Vietnam Maritime University” (2005)

Encouraged by what Nguyen had achieved, the writer decided to conduct “A study

on using short stories to improve the efficiency of teaching speaking and listening skills to sludents at Haiphong Forcign Language Contre”

2 Aims uf the study

‘The stidy aims at:

- Investigating the students’ altitude towards the use of shor! slories in language

Jearning,

- Finding out how short storizs improve the cfficicney of teaching spcaking and

listening skills to students at Haiphong Koreign Language Centre

- Giving some sugpestions on using short stories in the speaking and Listening

Jessons,

3 Scope of the study

In this minor thesis the writer intends to deal with the question of how short storics help improve the efficiency of teaching speaking and listening skills, in which speaking skill is paid more attention and listening skill is considered the integrating skill ‘The stories

used in the rescareh are two ar three pages tong only, with simple contents, of a variety af topics according to the students’ preference such as love, friendship, schools, ete

4 Research questions

This paper is canied out in order to answer the following, questions

Question 1 What arc the attitudes of students at Haiphong Forcign Language Cente towards the use of short stories in language teaching?

Question 2: Can applying short stories help improve the efficiency of teaching speaking and listening skills at IIaiphong Moreign Language Centre?

5 Methods of the study

‘The quantitative method is used in this paper The data collected are from the intermediate students at Haiphong Forcign Language Centre Survey questionnaires ars used to collect data and evidences for the paper, and then data are analyzed quantitatively

There are two questionnaizes for students The first questionnaire consists of 5 questions, the aims of which are to find out the students’ preference of types of short slories and their alfitude toward the use of short stories in forcign language learning,

The second questionmaire includes 5 questions, which aim al investigaling the effects of short stories in teaching listening and speaking skills

6 Design of the study

This paper is o1ganized into three parts, Each part deals with an important aspect of the study

Part 1 presents overview introduction of the study that includes the background of the study, the aims, the scope the research questions and the method as well as the design

of the study

Part 2 consists of four chapters

Chapter | teviews some theoretical issues relevant to the study in two main parts:

Spcaking and listening in forcign language Icarning and Litcraturc in language teaching,

Chapter 2 gives a profile of the subjccts of the study as well as description of data collection instrumentts and research procedures,

Chapter 3 presents the data analysis and findings

Chapter 4 discusses some suggested techniques for using short stories in teaching speaking and listening skills

Part 3 points out the limitations of the study and gives conclusion to the study

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

Tn this chapier, the theoreticat background to the study, including the theories on

speaking and listening in foreign language teaching and theories on literature in language teaching, with a focus on short stories, is reviewed

1.1 Speaking and Listening in foreign language teaching

LLL Speaking skill in foreign language teaching

or the purpose of analysis and instruction, language has been divided into different

skill areas These can be discussed in the frarmework of how we fcam our first language A

child first Teams to practice Iaguage by speaking, combined with listening Then, when

school begins, children leam by the skills of reading and writing As leamers grow in their

language ability and use, the different skills are most often integrated with each other so that they arc being in uscd in coordination with cach other In conversation, when onc person is the speaker, another is the listener After listening and understanding, the hearer responds by speaking Just think of all the different conversations you have in one day and compare that with how much written communication you do in onc way Which do you do more of? Of course, in our daily lives, most of us speak more than we write

In academic setting, while students are listening, they may also be writing notes or reading a handout As a teacher, you will be reading your lesson plans and then speaking to your students Wes can sev that, in order Lo show thal you understand anything, you have fa speak it out, Therefore, Lawtie (2004) affirmed, “Speaking is fundamental to human communication.” (cited in Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, 2008)

In Florez (1999), speaking is “an interactive process of constructing meanmg that involves producing and receiving and processing information” TL is often spontancous, open-ended, and evolving,” (cited in Le Van Cank’s lecture, 2009)

Martin (1987) belicves that speaking is the skill by which they arc most frequently judged and thought Leamers often need to be able to speak with confidence Speaking skilt is regarded as the vehicle of social solidmily, o[ sooial ranking, of pre

sional advanced

mont and business This alse a modium throngh which mnch language is Tearnt” (cited in Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, 2008)

According to Bailcy and Savage (1993), speaking in a sccond or forcign language 1has often been viewed as the most demanding of the four skills, When attempting to speak, learners must muster their thought and encode those ideas in the vocabulary and syntactic

scen as the central skill

siractures of (he targcl language For many people, speaking is

People who know a Fanguage are referred to as speakers of that language, as if speaking, included all other kinds of knowledge, and many, not most, foreign language learners are primarily concerned with la

1.1.2 Listening skill in foreign language teaching

Listening skill is regarded as the foundation of language; it is the bricks and mortar

of leaming, Listening is the most basic element of good communication it is the way we decpen our understanding of other poople and build meaningful rapporl.and trust Listening takes effort, yet the rewards of tmly connecting with another person can be immensely satisfying — for you as well as for them

(hutp:‘hwww creativefreelancerblog conv’ 2008/06 /better-speaking html)

According to Nunan and Miller (1995), listening is assuming greater and greater

importance in many foreign language contexts, which have until relatively recenlly focused

http: www creativefreelancerblog.con/2008/06;better- speaking html), The importance of listening in second and foreign language leaming is admirably summarized in Rost’s publication (1994, cited in Nunan and Millcr, 1995)

- Listening is vital in the Iamguage classroom boca

input for the Jeamer Without understanding input at the right level, any learning simply

cannot begin

t provides comprehensible

- Spoken language provides a means of interaction for the learner, Because learners must inleracl lo achieve understanding, access to speakers of the language is essential

Moreover, Icarners’ failure to understand the language they hear is an impetus, not an

obstacle, to:interaction and leaning

- Listening exercises helps learners draw their attention to new forms (vocabulary,

grammar, interaction pattems

- Listening comprehension provides the right conditions for language acquisition and development of other language skills (Krashen, 1985, cited in Te Van Camh, 2009)

In short, listening is essential not only as a receptive skill but also to the development of spoken language proficiency

1.2 Literature in language teaching

1.2.1 Concept of Literature

12.11 Definitions

Theorctically, there are different ways to define Heraturs

According ta Moody (1983), literature is defined as “constructions or artifacts, in language, which may be designed for any of the whole range of human communication needs, private or public, oral or written, for which language is used.” Moody and Walson (1983) gave their explanation ia make this definilion clearer In their opinion, Hterary works can be sven as being cultural artifacls in the forms of poctry, drama, prose, tragedy, comedy, farce, folktales, religious myths, short fiction and novels (cited in Tran,

2003)

Literature can be seen as imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized autistic value, “Literature nmust be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings

into aunity" (Rebecca West), (htip:/Anew.thefreedictionary.coméiterature)

Besides, literature can be said to be a sort of disciplined technique for arousing certain emotions (Mudorcb, 1978 — cited in Gillian Lazar, 1993) Literature provides wonderful source of material for cliciting strong cmotional responses from our students Using literature in the classroom is a fiuitful way of involving the leamer as a whole person, and provides excellent opportunities for the leamers to express their personal opinions, reactions and feelings Literary texis have a powerful function in raising moral

and eflucal concerns in the classroom The tasks and activities we devise to exploit these

texts should encourage students to explore these conccms and connect them with the struggle for a better society

12.1 Genres

According to Pulvemess (2003), there arc four main hitcrary genres They are short

story, poetry, novel and drama,

- Short stories typically focus on a single dramatic event, usually take place in ane Jocation and feature a limited number of characters ‘This simplicity of strmchure is often accompanied by relatively straightforward language

~ Poctry is a form of literary art in which language is uscd for its assthctic and

evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning, Poetry may be written

independently, as discrete poems, or may occur in conjunction with other arts, as in poetic drama, hymns, lyrics, or prose poctry (aiip: en wikipedia orgwiki/Poatry)

- Novel is defined as a fictional prose narrative of considerable kngth, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters http: /wwew thefreedictionary com/novel}

- Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance

Aittp:/fen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama)

Concept of short stories

A short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel Edgar

Allan Poe, in his essay "I'he Philosophy of Composition," said that a short story should be yead in one silting, anywhere from a half hour to (wo hours Tn contemporary fiction, 4

short story can range trom 1,000 to 20,000 words Because of the shorter length, a short

story usually focuses on one plof, one main character (with a few additional minor

characters), and one ccmral theme —(Attp:/Apww.cliffenotes.conySection/What-is-a-

definition-of-short-story-.id-305403, articleld-7941L haul;

Or short story can be defined as a “short piece of fiction aiming at unity of characterization, theme and effect

Ahtip: wwew homepage brvbamberg.de/gk_english/short_story/short_story_definition.him) 1.2.2, Short stories in language teaching

L dventaves of short stories in teaching language shills

When discussing the advantages of shorl slorios in Loaching language skills, Harper

(1993) states that “short stories are particularly well-suited to current instructional trends in ESL classrooms.” (http: www newyorker.coni/archive/1Y9MENY CARDS 0059)

Jn Neuhanser’s point of view (1993), stories are effective as educational tools

because they are believable, rememberable and entertaining (cited in Rossislsr, 2003- 2004)

According to Collie and Slater (1991), short slories are often ant ideal way of introducing students to literature in the foreign-language classroom, For the teacher, they offer many intermediate and striking advantages as listed below

- ‘Their practical length means they can usually be read entirely within one or two

classes, Stightly tongar works can be scctioned in the sante way as novels or plays, but lil

de completed in a few lessons,

- They are less daunting for a foreign reader to tackle ot to reread on his or her own, and are mote suitable when set as home tasks Students get that feeling of achievement at

‘having come to the end of a whole work mnch sooner

- They offer groator varioty than longer Isxls, A toachor can choosc very different short stories, so that there is a greater chance of finding something to appeal to each aindividual’s taste and interests

- Short stories are especially valuable for sessional courses ot the like; or for

teachers with shifling classes or continuous-inlake adull classes

Rocha (2005) also gives out some typical advantages of short stories as follow

- Reinforcing the skills: short stories allow instructors to teach the four skills fo all

jevels of language proficiency Murlach (2002 — cited in Rocha, 2005) indicates that

“short stories can, if selected and exploited appropriately, provide quality text content which will greatly enhance EL'T courses for leamers at intermediate level of proficiency.”

He explains why slorics should be usod lo reinforce ELT by discussing activitics instractors can create such as writing and acting ont dialogues Also, Oster (1989 cited in Rocha, 2005) affinns that literature helps students to write more creatively Instructors can create a variety of writing activities to help students to develop their writing skills They

group of students thal read Hicrary texts anda sceand group thal read non-literary lexts al a

university in Hong Kong The group who read literary texts showed improvement in vocabulary and reading

High-intermediate and advanced students also profit from literary texts What they read gives them the opportunity to come up with their own insights, helping them to sponk the language in a more imaginative way, They become more creative since they are faced with their own point of view, that’ those of the main character(s) of the story and those of

their peers, according to Osfer (198 — cited in Rocha, 2005), this thoughtful process leads

to critical thinking As Oster confizrr

students’ vision and fosters critical thinking by dramatizing the various ways of situation

» “focusing on point of view in literature enlarges

can be seen.” Therefore, when students read, they interact with the text By interacting with the text, they interpret what they read By interpreting what they read, they can work toward speaking English more creatively

- Motivating students; since short stories usually have a beginning, middle and an end, they encourage students at all levels of language proficiency fo continue reading them until the cud to find oul how the confiet is resalved Filiott (1990 — cited in Rocha, 2008), for example, affirms that literature motivates advanced students and is “motivationally effective if students can genuinely engage with its thoughts and emotions and appreciate its aesthetic qualifies.” [le stresses the importance of developiry student-response (individual and group levels) and competence in literature, In addition, one of the reasons Vandiick

(1997 — cited in Rocha) lists for nsing literature with students 1s that literature motivates

students “lo explore their feelings through experiencing those of alhers.” Moreover,

“literature holds high status in many cultures and countties Far this reason, students can feel a real sense of achievernent at understanding a piece of highly respected literature Also, lileralure is ofien mora interesting than the texts Cound in courscboaks.” As a rasull,

instruclors should agree that Titerary texts cneourage students lo read, and most literary

texts chosen according to students’ language proficiency levels and preferences will certainly be motivating,

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By sclecting storics appropriate to students’ lovel of language proficiency, instructors avoid “fiustrational reading” (Schulz, 1981 — cited in Rocha, 2005) ‘lo choose stories according to students’ preferences, stories should have various themes because as Akycl and Yeloi (1990 — ciled in Rocha 2005) point oul, variety of thernes will offer different things to many individuals’ interests and tastes But the themes should be

“consistent with the traditions that the leamers are familiar with” (Widdowson, 1983 —

cited in Rocha, 2005) to avoid conflict,

- Introducing literary elemenis: instructors can introduce elemenis with shorl stories With begianing and low intermediate levels, instructors can teach simple elements, such as character, setting and plot, The same and more complex elements, such as conflict, climax, resolution, etc can be introduced with more advanced levels, Gajdusek (1988) explains how literature can be introduced by describing the order of activities: pre-reading, aotivities, factual in-class work, analysis and extending activities in the pre-teading

acliviti

sludents have the opportunity lo Tearn about the background of the story and

voeabulary Exlending activities, on the other hand, deals with why, thái is, “involvernent and experience” Students must be able to use their knowledge of the language to express

their ideas Thus, only students who have reached a high intermediate/ advanced level of

Janguage proficiency should be introduced to these activitics “This might be the time to approach the text as literature,” says Gajdusek (1988) About extending activities (writing and in-class group work such as role-play), Gajdusek states that the activities ask “for creative, relevant responses from the readers” For students to succeed, they must have understood the story,

- Teaching culture: short stories are effective when teaching cultwe to EFL students, Short stories transmit the culture of the people about whom the stories were written Ry learning abont the culture, students learn about the past and present, and about people’s customs and traditions, Culture teaches students to understand and respect

people’s differences, When using literary texts, instructors must be aware that the culture

of the people (if different from thal of the students) [tr whom the text was written shonld

be studied, As students face a new culture, they become more aware of their own culture

‘They start comparing their culture fo the other culture to see whether they find similarities and! or differences between the two cultures Misinlerpratation may cu duc ta differences between the two cultures as Gajdusek (1988) explains, To mvoid

12

anisinterpretation, instructors should introduce the culture to the students or ask them to

find relevant information about it

- Teaching higher-order thinking: of all the benefits of shert stories, higher-order thinking is the most exciting one Ligh intermediate’ advanced students can analyze what they road; therofors, Ihey start thinking critically when they read stories Young (1996 — cited in Rocha, 2005) discusses the use of children’s stories to introduce critical thinking to college students, He believes that “stories have two crucial advantages over tradition content’ Tirsl, because they are entertaining, sludenis? pervasive apprehension is reduced, and they lear from the beginning that critical thinking is natural, familiar, and sometimes even fun Second, the stories put issues of critical thinking in an easily yemembered context.” Howie (1993 — cited in Rocha, 2005) agrees with the nse af shor stories to teach critical thinking He points out that instructors have the responsibility to hetp students to develop cognitive skills because everyone needs fo “make judgments, be

apply knowledge.” By reading and writing, students develop their critical thinking skills,

In conclusion, since the goal of EFL tcaching must be to help students to communicate fluently in the target language, instructors should focus not only on linguistic

sensitivity” (llenmng, 1993 — cited in ocha, 2005) Consequently, one can say that

integrating shert stories into curiculum will help FFL students ta become well-rounded professionals and human beings since short stories teach more than the skills necessary tor survival in the target language Shart stories bring about literary, cultural and higher-order thinking benefits

As fir us the bonelits of stories for loarning speaking arz conccrned, i scorns thal the comptaxily of fiction is a fealure that will help pupils think and tik through a varicly

of interesting activities otfered and generated by teachers and students, Mc Rae (1984 cited in Tran, 2003) goes even farther to state that acting out and observing give substance

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in speaking, sinec they develop students’ awarcness of “specch featurcs, paralinguistic and extra linguistic features — attitudes, gestures, intonation, movement, ete.” Discussing, debating, suggesting interpretation, offering opinions, agreeing and disagreeing begin to come naturally and students become more confident in their use of English Indecd, all activities inspired by stories contribute greatly to improving leamers’ speaking skill (Me Rae, 1984 — cited in Tran, 2003)

12.2 low to choose short stories in teaching language skills

No one can deny the roles of shart stories in teaching and Ieaming language skills

- The stories should be interesting themselves

- Close to the students’ interests

- Provide good potentiall for a variety of classroom activities

When discussing how to choose short stories in teaching language skills, Lazar (1993) suggests some criteria including students’ cultural background, linguistic proficiency and litsrary backgrounds

- Students’ cultural background: When choosing a short story, teachers should think about how far the student's cultural background and their social and political experience

will help or hinder their understanding of a text It would be difficult for most readers to

make sense of the story wilhoul having some knowledge of the class system and the values

of the society they describe How much background teachers will need to provide for the

students to have at least understanding of the text should be considered carefully On the

other hand, it is also true that texts which may appear to be very remote in time and place from the world today — may still have appeal for some students in different countries

around the world This is either because they touch on themes (such as industrialization or

jife in the city) which are relevant to the students, or they deal with human relationships and feclings (such as conflict belween parents and children) which strike a chord in the students’ own lives In addition, many students may have strong sensc of curiosity about another culture and enjoy studying its literature because they believe it reveals key insights

into thal society

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- Students’ linguistic proficicney: This is an arca of some complexity It may well

be that leamers are classified as advanced and can communicate with ease in an English-

speaking environment Yet they might not be able to cope with the language of the story

like these when deciding whether or not Lo use the lext:

« Are students sufficiently familiar with the usual norms of language use to recognize when these are subverted?

* How much of the language in the text will students be able to infer?

© Will students find it usefil and enjoyable to study the text, or will they feel demotivated by the difficulties of the kanguage?

« Even if the language of the story is extremely difficult, will students be motivated by other factors to study it (¢.g students often enjoy studying a difficult short story if there is a film based on the story which they also enjoyed)

«Is the stary too specialized in its language to be relevant to the type of language the students require to learn on the course?

- The studenis” literary background: There is an interesting relationship between the Hiterary background of the sturtents and their Hnguistic competence, since the two do not necessarily go together Students may, for example, have studied literature in their own language If it is a language (such as Romance language) in which similar conventions to those in English operate for reading and interpreting liicrature, then they may already have

a level of literary competence which will help them to make sense ofa literary text even when their linguistic knowledge is rather limited On the other hand, students who have Llc literary knowledge tut are linguistically proficient may find Ghemsclves understanding each individual word on the page without being able to make sense of the literary meanings behind the texts When choosing texts to use with students, therefore, we should look nol only at the grading of the language in the text, but al ils specific litsrary

qualities and whether our students can navigate their own way through these

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~ Other factors to consider when sclocting Literary texts arc: availability, the fength

of the story, exploitability and fit with the syllabus When considering these factors, the teacher should think of the following questions

« Availability of texts

+ What kinds of books and texts arz available from which you can choose?

+ How casily cant you make these lexts available to your students?

© Length of the texts + Do you have enough time available to work on the text in class?

+ How nmeh time do students have to work on the text at home?

+ Could you use only part of a text, ot an abridged version of it? It so, how much

could background information will you need to give students to make the text intelligible?

= Exploitability

| What kinds of lasks and activities can you devise ta exploit the lext?

+ Are there resources available to help you exploit the Lexl, for example a film of a particular novel the students are studying, recordings of a play or poem, library materials giving information about the life of an authar, ete.?

= Fit with syllabus

| Tow much do the texts tink with the rest of the syllabus? Thematically? In terms

of vocabulary, grammar or discourse?

+ Can you devise tasks and activities for exploiting the text which link it with the methodology and have use in the syllabus? ‘This often helps to put students at their ease

13 Summary

This chapter has reviewed some methodologist’s ideas conceming the use of short stories in language teaching and learning include speaking and listening skills in foreign Janguags teaching and litcraturc in language tzaching, which focuscd on short stories in language teaching, They are very good tips for applying short stories in teaching listening and speaking skills However, whether the nse of short stories in teaching can be successfull

or nol doponds to ø largo extent on how the lcachers apply thar and whether this suits the

16

teaching situations, It can help teachcrs avoid scrious unexpected problems and help students actively take part in the learning process, What has been reviewed in this chapter shall be used as the strong theoretical basis for the integration of short stories in teaching spoaking and Tislcning skills curicd oul al Haiphong Forcign Language Contre as described in the next chapters

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

‘This chapter deals with the subjects of the study and the data collcetion instruments

as well as the procedures of collecting data for the study

2.1, Subjects of the study

The subjects taking pait in the study include 45 intermediate learners in two classes

at Haiphong Foreign Language Centre Most of these learmers bad finished level A and level B at the centre and other centres 40 of thom are students from universities and colleges in the city, and the others are working for companies in Haiphong All of them are really interested in learning English, especially speaking and listening skills, which are

very ncoussary for their job now orin ths future

2.2 Data collection instruments

‘The data collection instruments used in this study is questionnaires Questionnaire

is considered the most common method of data collection in a survey research “The major reason that questionnaires are widely used in survey research is they require less time, and Therefurs less expense, than do interview or observation.” Johnson, 1987)

Also, according to Johnson (1987) items in questionnaires can be open-ended in format, allowing respondent Io reply in their own words, or closed, requires the respondenl

to select one dom among a limited number of responses, While closed question format, such a3 multiple choice, are useful for obtaining quantitative information and are easier to analyze, open-ended questions can be useful for gathoring qualitative information and for discovering new variables in responses

Far such reasons above, the writer decided to use questionnaires in her study, In order to complete the research paper, two questionnaires are delivered to students ‘'he first questionaire (pre-questionnaire) is used to collect their information on the leamcrs” attitude toward the use of short stories in learning listening and speaking skills The second questionnaire (post-questionnaire) is designed to find out the students’ attitude toward the affects of short story in teaching listening and speaking skills

2.2.1 Questionnaire I (Appendix 1)

‘The first questionnaire for students consists of five questions

18

- The first questions aims at finding out whether the students like reading short

stories in English or not

- If yes, the next two questions seek for the students’ preference in the length and

topics of short stories

- Question 4 is to find out the problems students face with when they read or listen

{oa sharl story

- The last question looks for the reasons why students do not like reading short slaries if their answer lo question 1 is Na

2.2.2, Questionnaire 2 (Appendix 2)

‘There are five questions in the second questionnairs

- Question | gathers information about the activities the studenls think are most

‘useful for them before they deal with a short story in the class

- Question 2 aims at finding out what stedents often do when they read or listen to a story,

- Question 3 concems about the activities students like most after they read or listen

10a siory

- Question 4 collected information about whether the students take part in activities

‘based on short stories and how actively they take part in those activities

- Question 5 seeks information about the benefits the students gain from the lessons where short stories are used

2.3 Procedures

Before applying short stoties in teaching listening and speaking slalls in the class,

the writer delivered the first survey questionnaire on April 4, 2010 When giving the

questionnaire, the writer mot the stndants of two classes and spent 10 minutes explaining with the requirements of the 5 questions and some difficult terms This helped the students understand all the questions clearly, then they could give the answers which best described their ideas and opinions The writer also explained to them that these 5 questions aimed at gathcring information about their attitudes toward the usc of short storics in learning listening and speaking skills