Procedures to train speaking skill...4 - Using target language in meaningful contexts ………..…….4 - Using model presentations ………..4 - Using role plays in teaching speaking English………5 -Us
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
1.1.1 The necessity of acquiring speaking skill
In today's globalized world, English serves as a crucial communication tool for Vietnam's integration into the international community It facilitates access to global information and fosters international exchange and cooperation Consequently, enhancing spoken English skills is essential, especially as many learners show a lack of engagement in speaking lessons This project aims to inspire students to actively participate in English speaking activities within the classroom.
As a teacher at high school for many years, I have realized that speaking skill is essential both in the classrooms and in the real world
After each speaking lesson, it is essential for students to retain the material and effectively incorporate new vocabulary into real conversations Speaking lessons play a crucial role in helping high school students learn new words in context, review and expand upon textbook topics, enhance their speaking skills, and boost their confidence.
Effective speaking skills are crucial for students, enhancing their learning and benefiting their future careers and personal lives Graduates with strong speaking abilities can communicate clearly and effectively in diverse environments Public speaking is recognized as a vital soft skill, contributing to self-development and social interactions Consequently, students who excel in public speaking are more likely to seize future opportunities and achieve success in their careers.
Effective communication and public speaking skills are essential for successful learning and career development High school teachers must prioritize helping students enhance these vital abilities to prepare them for their future endeavors.
1.1.2 The current situation of training speaking skill for students of class 10A6 at Hau Loc I high school
A survey revealed that many students in class 10A6 struggle with public speaking, often delivering presentations that last between 4 to 7 minutes To support their development, I encourage students to create video recordings of their presentations and submit them for evaluation as part of their "oral test" assessment.
To enhance student engagement and motivation, I provide a variety of topics for practice that align with our textbook lessons Students are encouraged to explore additional related topics of their interest, fostering a sense of ownership in their learning This approach not only promotes thorough research but also ignites enthusiasm, as seen with Tram Anh from class 10A6, who passionately discussed her chosen subject in unit 2: Human and the Environment.
Thanh Thao from 10 A6 excels in discussing "My ideal jobs" in unit 6 on gender equality, while Phuong Thao demonstrates enthusiasm for "Air pollution" in unit 9, which focuses on protecting the environment Additionally, Thu Huong from 10 A6 shows significant progress in unit 10 on ecotourism with her topic "A trip to Sam Son beach."
2.3 How to create some strategies for the effective speaking lessons.
The researcher conducted a focus group to develop effective strategies and informed students about the purpose of this implementation Additionally, the researcher outlined potential outcomes during the implementation phase and the benefits students could gain post-project To ensure mutual benefits, all participants signed a consent form.
In Week II, the implementation of the strategy commenced, emphasizing the importance of engaging students through role play and collaborative activities Teachers introduced the target language and essential slides on the topic before each lesson to enhance the learning experience.
The researcher examined Unit 8 of the students' book, which explores innovative learning methods This unit emphasizes the use of relative clauses in language practice Additionally, the reading session features a text that compares online learning with face-to-face education.
The topics for role play were:
1) What are the most suitable ways of learning for boys/ girls ?
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of online learning ?
3) Why do you think some ways of learning are suitable for men / women ? Each group chose one topic and created a situation for the topic, designed the slides for the speaking lesson, and prepared the concerned information In the role play activities, they must use relative clauses, suitable grammar tenses and the activities suited with each situation Since this was the first week, the researcher did three observations
In Week III, it was crucial to ensure that students understood their tasks, with a focus on the primary goal of encouraging them to speak English Many students experience anxiety when required to speak in front of others, often feeling their mouths go dry and their hearts race, leading them to avoid situations that necessitate public speaking.
Students have limited experience in public speaking, answering questions, and proper behavior during English lessons, with few opportunities for group or individual work to develop topics for presentations Most teachers at my school prioritize grammar and reading skills to prepare students for GCSE exams, leaving little time for presentation activities However, a survey revealed that many students in class 10 A6, who are proficient in English, are eager to enhance their speaking skills and recognize the benefits of effective public speaking They are motivated to receive training in this area.
To address the challenge of enhancing students' English speaking skills, I have implemented a range of effective activities designed to foster their ability to deliver impactful speeches This teaching experience will provide a detailed overview of these activities and techniques.
Aim of the research
To help students in class 10 A6 acquire good speaking skill.
Objectives
In order to achieve the above aim, the writer will:
(1) - Investigate to identify the current state and the problems that many teachers and students are facing in teaching speaking skill.
(2) – Introduce some techniques and activities which can help students improve their speaking skill
(3) - Analyze the effects of the designed activities on students’ ability to speakEnglish.
Scope of the research
Beside the introduction and the conclusion, this research consists of three parts:
- Applied methods to improve students’ speaking skill
CONTENT
Theoretical and practical background
What is the speaking Skill?
Speaking skill is the skill we need in delivering effective and engaging speech to a variety of audiences
Some Techniques to Improve Students’ speaking Skill
Incorporating pre-, while-, and post-activities in role play is crucial for effective teaching Scaffolding these pre-task activities aids lower ability learners in adapting to the linguistic objectives of the lessons Additionally, facilitating a discussion to gather ideas prior to the actual performance is recommended for enhancing student engagement and understanding.
- Using group activities to engage students in speaking lessons.
Collaborative activities are essential in language teaching, as they engage learners of all ages and enhance participation in large classes Meng (2009) highlights that group work fosters discussion and mutual assistance among students, making it a valuable teaching strategy Teachers play a crucial role in maintaining students' attention and interest, as group activities can make learning enjoyable and intrinsically motivating Furthermore, these activities promote interaction and create a cooperative learning environment To maximize the benefits of group work, topics should focus on personal experiences, the surrounding world, nature and the environment, technology, and tourism.
Traditionally, Vietnamese English teachers have dominated the classroom, leading to a passive learning environment where students primarily listen and take notes This dominance can result in disengagement and a lack of interest among students To enhance student engagement in speaking lessons, it is crucial for teachers to implement methods that encourage participation Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is recommended as it fosters opportunities for students to express their opinions, share prior knowledge, and interact more frequently with their peers Therefore, teachers should focus on activating learners through pair and group work.
- Using technology to encourage students to speak and decrease the stressful atmosphere in speaking classes
Research indicates that 65% of the population are visual learners, making the use of slides and visual aids during presentations not just beneficial but essential For these learners, visual reinforcement significantly improves their ability to understand, process, and retain information.
To enhance student presentations, incorporating multimedia elements is essential Utilizing PowerPoint, students can integrate images, audio, and video, which significantly boosts audience engagement These visual and auditory tools not only create a more dynamic experience but also foster interactivity with the audience Additionally, they can alleviate speaking anxiety by shifting attention from the speaker to the screen.
- Speaking practice during the lessons in textbooks
Recognizing the significance of regular practice, I focus on enhancing the speaking skills of my students in class 10A6 For each unit in the textbook, I assign topics for students to prepare speeches They diligently practice these speeches at home, and I provide opportunities for them to present during check-up sessions before introducing new lessons.
- The ways to conduct role-plays in a language class.
In this focus study, I invited five teachers to implement the provided strategies, and three of them successfully applied these methods in their classrooms They faced initial difficulties but ultimately achieved success by the end of the process.
Ms Truong Thi Loan emphasized the importance of thorough preparation before class to ensure a successful role play experience She demonstrated this by sharing her own role play in class, providing students with essential target language and potential new vocabulary that could be used during their performances Additionally, she offered creative ideas to inspire students in their role play activities.
Mr Pham Van Bon advised that we should narrow down related topics for students, such as focusing on the environment He proposed specific scenarios regarding environmental protection, allowing students to choose the subject that interests them most.
Ms Bui T Thu emphasized the importance of limiting the topic within a specific section to maintain control over classroom dynamics, ensuring that the role play remains relevant to the course material.
Ms Hoang Thi Thuong and T.T Huong recommended that we focus on specific topics related to the book's content to optimize our time They emphasized that this approach would prevent us from revisiting issues already addressed during role-playing activities.
Preparing for role play can be time-consuming, but Ms Le Thi Yen recommended holding these sessions once a week to maintain engagement All five teachers in my group acknowledged the challenges of implementing role plays in the classroom, particularly during the initial attempts, due to several key reasons.
Conducting role play in the classroom is time-consuming, and selecting relevant topics that align with the book's content remains a challenge Additionally, sustaining role play activities for an extended period is often impractical.
-The effectiveness of conducting role-play activities in class.
Mr Pham Van Bon and Ms Bui Thu incorporate role play in their speaking lessons to enhance student motivation in speaking English This engaging method allows most students in their class to improve their speaking skills by practicing real-life situations.
The focus group interview highlights the key procedures for conducting role plays, which include preparation, group rehearsing, and performance During the preparation phase, the teacher supplies relevant vocabulary and ideas for each topic In the group rehearsing stage, students organize their thoughts and practice their plays before the actual performance Finally, each group takes the stage to present their role play.
How to improve speaking skill for students ……………………… ………… ……… 4 1 Participants
Accumulated English learning experience 10 years
Students in class 10 A6 demonstrate strong English proficiency and recognize the significance of speaking skills Their eagerness to practice these skills is evident during lessons Observing their progress, it is clear that many will pursue higher education at prestigious universities in Vietnam, leading to careers that value public speaking as a crucial soft skill.
2.2.2.Procedures to train speaking skill
- Using target language in meaningful context to teach students communicatively
Effective training is crucial for helping students develop strong speech skills, yet creating impactful training sessions can be challenging After exploring various teaching methods, it becomes clear that combining the target language with teacher explanations yields the best results Strategies such as learner-centered instruction, cooperative learning, interactive learning, whole language education, content-based instruction, and task-based instruction support the implementation of communicative language teaching However, not all educators can fully leverage these strategies in the classroom Teachers should encourage students to simplify their presentations by concentrating on key points and maintaining focus on the intended message, avoiding any irrelevant information.
These are some benefits of using the target language:
- It is a great help in covering basic points in a different situation rather than the teacher just following the content of the books.
Incorporating pre-, while-, and post-activities in role play is crucial for effective teaching Scaffolding these pre-task activities aids lower ability learners in adapting to the linguistic objectives of the lessons Additionally, facilitating a discussion to gather ideas prior to the actual performance is recommended for enhancing student engagement and understanding.
- Using group activities to engage students in speaking lessons.
Collaborative activities are essential in language teaching, as they engage learners of all ages and enhance participation in large classes Meng (2009) highlights that group work fosters discussion and mutual assistance among students, making it a valuable teaching strategy Teachers play a crucial role in maintaining students' attention and interest, as group activities can be enjoyable and intrinsically motivating These activities also promote interaction and create a cooperative learning environment To maximize the benefits of group work, topics should focus on personal experiences, the surrounding world, nature and the environment, technology, and tourism.
Traditionally, Vietnamese English teachers have dominated the classroom, leading to a passive learning environment where students primarily listen and take notes This dominance can result in disengagement and a lack of interest among students To enhance student engagement in speaking lessons, it is crucial for teachers to implement strategies that encourage participation Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is recommended as it fosters opportunities for students to express their opinions, share prior knowledge, and interact more frequently with their peers Therefore, teachers should promote collaborative learning by activating students to work in pairs and groups.
- Using technology to encourage students to speak and decrease the stressful atmosphere in speaking classes
Research indicates that 65% of the population are visual learners, making the use of slides and visual aids during presentations not just beneficial but essential For these individuals, visual reinforcement significantly improves their ability to understand, process, and remember information.
To enhance student presentations, incorporating multimedia elements is essential Utilizing PowerPoint, students can integrate images, audio, and video, which significantly boosts audience engagement These visual and auditory tools not only foster interactivity but also alleviate speaking anxiety by shifting attention from the speaker to the screen.
- Speaking practice during the lessons in textbooks
Recognizing the significance of regular practice, I focus on enhancing the speaking skills of my students in class 10A6 For each unit in the textbook, I assign topics for students to prepare speeches, which they practice at home During check-up sessions before new lessons, students present their speeches, typically lasting between 4 to 7 minutes Additionally, I encourage them to create videos of their presentations and submit them for evaluation as part of their "oral test" scores if they choose to do so.
To enhance student engagement and motivation, I provide a variety of topics for practice that align with our textbook lessons Students are encouraged to explore additional related topics of their interest, fostering a sense of ownership in their research and discussions This approach has proven effective, as many students, like Tram Anh from class 10A6, demonstrate significant enthusiasm when discussing subjects they are passionate about, such as in unit 2: Human and the Environment.
Thanh Thao from class 10 A6 excels in discussing her passion for a "healthy lifestyle" and presents her ideal jobs in unit 6 on gender equality Phuong Thao demonstrates enthusiasm for environmental issues, particularly air pollution, in unit 9 Additionally, Thu Huong shows significant progress in unit 10 on ecotourism with her topic about a trip to Sam Son beach.
2.3 How to create some strategies for the effective speaking lessons.
The researcher conducted a focus group to develop effective strategies and informed students about the purpose of this implementation Additionally, the researcher outlined potential outcomes during the implementation phase and the benefits students could gain post-project To ensure mutual benefits, all participants signed a consent form.
In Week II, the implementation of the strategy commenced, emphasizing the importance of engaging students through role play and collaborative activities Teachers introduced the target language and essential slides on the topic before each lesson to enhance the learning experience.
The researcher examined Unit 8 of the students' book, which explores innovative learning methods This unit emphasizes the use of relative clauses in language practice Additionally, the reading session features a text that compares online learning with face-to-face education.
The topics for role play were:
1) What are the most suitable ways of learning for boys/ girls ?
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of online learning ?
3) Why do you think some ways of learning are suitable for men / women ? Each group chose one topic and created a situation for the topic, designed the slides for the speaking lesson, and prepared the concerned information In the role play activities, they must use relative clauses, suitable grammar tenses and the activities suited with each situation Since this was the first week, the researcher did three observations
In Week III, it was crucial to ensure that students understood their tasks clearly, while also emphasizing the primary goal of encouraging them to engage in speaking English.