LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Table 1: The students’ motivation in leaning English speaking ‘Table 243: ‘he students’ opinions about lnglish speaking skills in the textbook Tieng Anh 10 ‘Ta
Data nnalysis of Preliminary Survey (See Appendix l)
Personal information of the students’ taking part in the survey 31 3.1.2 The stuđcnfs' swnrencss of' studying English in geneval
According to the statistics, more than half of the students taking part in the survey
In a recent study, it was found that 52% of the participants are female, all of whom have been learning English for nine years Despite this extensive learning period, only 25 students achieved above-average results in the first term, with just eight students earning good grades, defined as scores over 6.5.
3.1.2 The students’ awareness of studying English in general
4 Why do you want to study speaking English?
Options Result (96) a because English is a compulaory subject al school and the fimal exer S09 b to get good marks 15% ¢ to listen to songs read books, magazines and watch movies in English 33.0%
lo peL ọ good joban the future 515% £ because of the interest in English language, people and culture 37%
‘Table 1: The students’ motivation in learning speaking English
‘compulsory subject 1m good marks songs, books and movies abroad study 1m good jobs
‘Students’ motivation in ‘m Enlish language, people and learning speaking English culture
The data reveals that 59% of learners feel compelled to learn English, recognizing its significance in modern life Notably, 51.5% of students aim to learn English to secure better job opportunities This high motivation is further supported by 37% of students expressing genuine interest in the language, while 33.6% are motivated by their enjoyment of English songs, books, magazines, and movies In contrast, only 15% of students are focused on achieving good grades, and a mere 5% cite other reasons for their English studies.
English is to study aboard.
The students’ opinions about English speaking skills in the textbook 'Tieng Ảnh 10 khu ngtueraririseiiraiireraarariosoo.SSỶ 3.1.4 The students’ evaluation of their current speaking lessons - 34 3.1.4.1 The students’ general evaluation of their current speaking lessons
5 In your opinion, are the topics for speaking in the textbook relevant to you?
some are relevant, some are not, 75% ¢ little relevant 12% not relevant at all 3%
6 In your opinion, are speaking tasks in the textbook interesting? a very interesting 12% b not very interesting 38% ¢ little interesting 20% d boring 10%
Table 2+3: The students’ opinions about English speaking skills in the textbook
The textbook's topics mvery relevant some are relevant milittle relevant not relevant at all
The Textbook's speaking activities mvery interesting snot very interesting little interesting mboring
Topics in Tieng Anh 10 are organized thematically, with 75% of students finding subjects like school talks, excursions, the undersea world, music, and historical places engaging However, they struggle with topics such as special education, technology, daily life, and mass media Additionally, 58% of students feel there are insufficient interesting speaking activities, leading 10% to believe that these activities lack appeal This situation arises because textbook tasks serve merely as guidelines, highlighting the need for teachers to invest in more engaging activities to enhance student participation and improve language proficiency.
3.1.4 The students’ evaluation of their current speaking lessons
3.1.4.1 The students’ general evaluation of their current speaking lessons
7.What do you think about your current speaking lessons?
Options Result (%) a Boring Most of students do not speak 75%
‘, Interesting Students speak a lot 12% c Normal 13%
Table 4: The students’ general evaluation of their current speaking lessons
The students' evaluation of their current speaking lessons boring minteresting
The data indicates that 75% of students consider their speaking lessons to be boring, leading to a lack of participation Meanwhile, 13% of students view their speaking lessons as average, while only 12% express interest in the classes.
3.1.4.2 The students’ participation in speaking lessons and the reasons
8 How often do you speak English in English class time?
rarely 45% never except when asked by the teacher 3%
Table 5: The students’ participation in speaking lessons
The students' participation in speaking class often sometimes
According to Table 5, only 10% of respondents consistently participate in class discussions, while 45% do so infrequently, and 5% never speak unless prompted by their teachers Additionally, 40% of students engage in speaking activities when they find them interesting and appropriate.
There are many different reasons that cause students to be reticent in the speaking English classes
9 What prevent you from speaking in the English speaking class?
Speaking activities are not various $5
@ don't like the teacher so I don't want to speak 11%
Lami not accustomed to speaking 44%
Table 6: Factors prevent the students from participating in speaking in the class fear of mistakes and derision tm speaking activities’ difficulty m speaking activities’ invariability
The students’ unfavor with the teacher
The students’ unfamiliarity to speaking in English
Factors prevent the students from speaking in English activities
A significant 63% of students indicate that speaking activities are the primary reason for their reluctance to participate in class discussions, as these tasks often exceed their actual English proficiency levels Many students feel they lack the necessary vocabulary and grammatical structures to effectively communicate their thoughts.
A significant number of students (44%) report feeling unprepared to speak English, largely due to traditional teaching methods that emphasize grammar and vocabulary over communication skills This approach, combined with the pressure of written exams, contributes to their boredom with classroom activities Additionally, 11% of students cite their teachers as a barrier to participation in speaking exercises, while 19% express fear of making mistakes and facing ridicule.
In short, there are various factors that restrict the students’ English speaking in
To enhance speaking skills in the classroom, it is essential to implement changes involving teachers, students, and speaking activities Factors influencing speaking proficiency stem from all three elements, highlighting the need for a collaborative approach to improve outcomes in speaking classes.
3.1.4.3 The students’ opinions about the way their teachers taught English speaking
10 In what way does your teacher teaches speaking in Tieng Anh 10?
‘Options Result (%) a The teacher always taught us activities in the textbook 0% b The teacher usually changed, adapted activities in the textbook 8% © She/he sometimes adapted activities in the textbook 87%
@ She/he sometimes replaced textbook activities by other activities 5%
Table 7: The students’ opinion about the way their teachers taught speaking
The students’ opinion about the way their teacher taught speaking m always taught activities in the textbook musually adapt '#sometimes adapt msometimes replace by outside ones
* The students’ evaluation of their teacher’s task adaptation
11 Do you like your teachers’ adapted speaking activities?
Options Result (%) a No, I don’t like I'd like her/ him to follow all the activities in the textbook 5% b Yes, I like these adapted activities
Table 8: The students’ evaluation of their teacher’s task adaptation
The students’ evaluation of their teacher’s adaptation like don't like
Most of the students state that their teachers just sometimes adapt -87% (not replace
-5%) activities in the textbook And nearly all of them like the way the teacher had done to the original activities in the textbook-95%
The students’ approval to adaptation determines me to do this research To have a better insight into speaking activities in the classroom, I do some observations
3.2 Data analysis from initial observations (see appendix 5)
During my teaching, I take some ficld-notes that could be usctul for my rescarch
‘The brief reflection is done durmg or right after the lesson in order that no events or idvas would be lelt Following are some of them
: Unit 9- l3, Speaking- Task ] (page 97) Students work quietly or discuss and ask for new words in Vietnamese Their
#ield-note: work is completed just by reading and ordering the actions There is not much English speaking involved.”
- Students may mistake this activity for a reading one Therefore, they are not willing to speak English,
- Suggested adaptation: the Magic Hat
+ The above statements are printed in seven pieces of paper and put in the Magic Liat
In a study involving seven participants, each selected a piece of paper and read aloud the corresponding action The class then listened attentively and shared their opinions, expressing whether they agreed or disagreed with the statements presented.
2 Field-nate 2: Unil 1] B Spcaking- Task 2 (page 114)
After introducing new vocabulary and assisting students with pronunciation, most were able to express their wishes regarding their excursion experiences However, the conversation quickly became monotonous, leading to a lack of engagement, with some students distracted by unrelated discussions.
= The mualier of participation is in the course
Game: Lucky number + The rules:
The teacher divides the class into two large groups and allows them to name their groups On the board, or prepared in advance on an A4 paper, the teacher displays ten anonymous numbers, two of which are designated as lucky numbers If a group selects one of these lucky numbers, they automatically earn 10 points The remaining eight numbers correspond to "It" sentences that students must complete to express their wishes, earning five points for each correct response The group with the highest total points at the end is declared the winner.
To gain insights into effective teaching methods, I invited a colleague to conduct her class, 10D1 For the first observation, I provided a brief reflection immediately during or after the lesson to ensure that all events and ideas were captured Below are the observations and reflections from her teaching process.
- “Ss answered the same: “I like
Reflection: The students may have had difficulty answering or the repeated answers made the studying atmosphere dull
= “Sometimes, T appointed some pairs to stand up and read alourl These pairs, side by side, also with handouts, read their parts No pairs face to face.”
Reflection: Without eye-contact, Ss seem not to take part in the lesson actively Whereas, eye-contact plays an important role in dialogues addition to language
Ss need to be asked for this skill in
{following lessons In addition, Ss just read Haglish, which means their English level
This makes the communication more naturally is rather low
- * The whole class spoke loudly Several Ss spake fluently, many Ss stumbled during their speaking Some Ss seemed (o retain nathing when they looked at nowhere.”
“Afler 1 minule, some groups reported whal they could remember Ss had much difficulty.”
Reflection: The primary challenge may stem from insufficient language input, which affects students' complete comprehension of the dialogue and their confidence in correct pronunciation and intonation.
- “A map as suggestion was displayed on the screen Basing on this map and the model dialogue, $s worked in groups to make similar dialogues on stamp collection”
Reflection: The restriction to only one topic on stamp collection did not stimulate
Ss to speak and made the speaking activity impractical
“$s tended to ask or answer thorough the dialogue, which is not real communicalion.”
Reflection: ‘he teacher had better help them with some role-sw itching techniques
Some suggested phrases wore displayed:
Reflection: These phrases help the communication more naturally They should have been presented before this WHILE YOU SPEAK part.
In summary, student engagement in classroom speaking activities is notably low, with most students using simplistic language and only a few achieving any degree of fluency Consequently, it is essential for educators to implement effective teaching strategies aimed at enhancing student participation while also improving their language accuracy and fluency.
3.3 Data analysis of Pre-tests (see Appendix 2)
Table 9: The students’ scores in Pre-test m Excellent Very good Good
The data shows that most of the students (73%) are of low level Only 27% pass with no excellent one
3.4, Data analysis of Survey Questionnaire (see Appendix 3)
The survey questionnaire is distributed to students one day prior to each new speaking unit, prompting them to review and attempt the speaking tasks in the textbook Its purpose is to identify students' challenges with the speaking tasks, focusing on topics and task types While the statistics reveal some variation in student opinions, a majority ultimately concur on the need for adaptations in Unit 14 and Unit 16 The data is presented as follows:
In terms of language (vocabulary)
Vocabulary: 1 now many words zelating to the topic in the Don’t know 244 ”4 speaking lesson
Table 10: The students’ vpinions abput the vocabulary relating to the lopics in the speaking tasks
Unit 14 Unit 16 mAgree m= Don't know Disagree
The data indicates that students have a better vocabulary related to the topic in Unit 14, with 29.3% familiarity, compared to only 2.4% for Unit 16 This suggests that many students struggle with new vocabulary in both units, highlighting the need for careful vocabulary instruction in prior speaking lessons.
Familiarity: The topic of the lesson is
Se ae Don't know 122 73 familiar to your knowledge
Content: The topic of the lesson is
Table 11+12: The students’ opinions about the topics of speaking tasks
Statistics reveal that a significant 73.2% of students struggle with the unfamiliar topic in Unit 16, while over half (53.7%) find the topic in Unit 14 familiar However, 34.1% of students still feel uneasy with Unit 14 Additionally, a small percentage of students are uncertain, with 12.2% expressing doubt about Unit 14 and 7.3% about Unit 16.
However, the unfamiliar topics do not restrict the number of students who find the one in Unit 14 and the one in Unit 16 interesting (56% and 75,6% respectively)
Again, the number of the students who can nol make decision is small ( 13.2 for Unit 14 and 4.9 for Unit 16)
In conclusion, it is the content other than the familiarity with the topics or a wide range of vocabulary that engages students to take part in speaking activities
Teachers’ duty is to take advantage of the useful languages available in textbooks in order lo adapt speaking Lasks efficiently,
3.4.3 kn terms of speaking tasks
The spoaking tasks are not very Agree 463 BL difficli ta do because of the given ni ?
“useful languages from the teacher Don’t know a4 8
The organizing of the speaking aks Agioe 239 366 is interesting,
Table 13+14: The students’ opinions about the speaking tasks
Unit 14 Unit 16 mAgree Don't know m Disagree
Statistics reveal that around one third of students (29.3% for Unit 14 and 34.1% for Unit 16) believe the speaking tasks are not suitable for their level A greater percentage of students find the speaking tasks in Unit 14 easier (46.3%) compared to those in Unit 16 (34.1%) Additionally, about one third of students are uncertain about the appropriateness of the speaking tasks in both units, with figures at 31.8% for Unit 14 and 24.4% for Unit 16.
Students' opinions on the organization of speaking tasks reveal a strong connection between well-structured speaking activities and increased motivation to engage in speaking This organization not only enhances the quantity of student speech but also improves its overall quality.
3.4.4, The students’ suggestions for the teacher’s adaptation of speaking tasks
The survey results indicate that students recommend incorporating additional suitable activities to enhance their speaking skills However, they did not provide specific details on how these changes should be implemented.
3.5 Data analysis of Survey for response to adaptation (see Appendix 4)
This questionnaire evaluates the effectiveness of the adapted speaking tasks in Unit 14 and Unit 16, focusing on students' participation, language accuracy, and fluency The results indicate that a significant majority of students, 82.9% and 80.5%, actively engage in speaking activities Furthermore, they recognize the positive impact of these adapted tasks on their learning, with fluency rates of 36.6% and 46.3%, and accuracy rates of 63.4% and 83.7% in Units 14 and 16, respectively.
3.5.1 Data anulysis of response to task adaptation af Unit 14, delivered on
I, I had prepared vocabulary and knowledge prepare! 7 des 22 38.5 19.5 backgronnd very carefully for today lesson
3, ‘The epeaking tasks today were suilable (omy level, 366 312 122
4 T participated in the lesson actively 312 463 24
6, My ideas were comprehensible to my partners %4 25 73
Table 15; The students’ response to the adapted tasks for Unit 14
Statistics indicate that only 22% of students prepare vocabulary thoroughly before lessons Furthermore, while just over one-third (36.6%) believe the adapted tasks match their skill level, a significant majority (82.9%) actively engage in group work on these speaking tasks This high level of participation can be attributed to the influence of group leaders.
Over half of the respondents (51.2%) actively engage in speaking activities; however, only 46.3% of students demonstrate fluency in their speech Furthermore, the findings indicate that a significant portion of students' ideas are unclear, with 63.4% of responses lacking legibility, suggesting that their language use falls short of acceptable accuracy.
3.5.2 Data analysis of response to task adaptation of Unit 16, delivered on May 14", 2015 (Number of participants: 40)
1, I had prepared vocabul and knowledge
KHI HH de 268 634 98 background very carefully for today lesson
3 The aking tasks today were suitable to m
4 T participated in the lesson actively 488 188 24
6 My ideas were comprehensible to my partners 337 31 122
Table 16: The students’ response to the adapted tasks for Unit 16 wm Agree Don't know m Disagree
Statistics show a notable increase in informants who prepare vocabulary before lessons, reaching 26.8% Additionally, it is encouraging to see that 80.5% of students take the speaking tasks seriously, despite a slight decrease compared to Unit 14 Regarding the adapted tasks, while over half (36.1%) are uncertain if the tasks match their level, nearly half (48.8%) actively engage in speaking activities on their own initiative.
That just more than one third of the students (36.6%) can present the ideas fluently shows 4 fall in language Cuency The same resull is for accuracy, dropping from
63.4% tor Unit 14 to 53.7% for Unit 16
3.6 Data analysis from while-observation:
Surveys alone cannot fully capture students' language performance; therefore, conducting observations alongside the teaching of adapted tasks is essential for gaining insights into their language progress This approach intentionally focuses on students' participation, fluency, and accuracy in language use.
Adapting speaking tasks significantly enhances student motivation and engagement in learning English, particularly for those who are serious about their studies For students who may not enjoy learning English or the adapted tasks, these activities help combat laziness and encourage active participation in speaking exercises Additionally, students gain valuable opportunities to correct their peers and refine group ideas, leading to improved fluency in their speaking abilities.
The study aims to assess the extent to which adapted tasks can enhance the effectiveness of speaking lessons It evaluates this effectiveness by analyzing student participation during the lessons.
53 language output Thus, the reflection would deal with the students’ participation, language accuracy and fluency a Tn terms of the students? active participation
Contextualizing and implementing 'Gap activity' effectively motivate students to engage in speaking activities By utilizing the Group roles technique, every student has the opportunity to contribute to group discussions Even those who speak less actively listen attentively and take notes, leading to a significant improvement in their participation.
Changing groups encourages students to feel more challenged and motivates them to engage in new speaking activities Instead of a few students reporting to an indifferent class, every student has the opportunity to present to an attentive audience that actively listens.
Active student participation is significantly enhanced during presentations in formed groups, allowing every student the opportunity to present within a 10-minute timeframe This inclusive activity encourages students to share their prepared ideas, driven by a sense of national pride that motivates them to engage Additionally, this emotional factor boosts the morale of some students, leading to improved speaking performance Overall, this approach positively impacts students' language accuracy.