Luận văn the use of role play to improve speaking skill for students at grade 6 in a secondary school in nam tu liem dist hanoi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TO THI HONG VAN ‘THE USE OF ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILL

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

TO THI HONG VAN

‘THE USE OF ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILL

FOR STUDENTS AT GRADE 6 IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL

IN NAM TU LIEM DIST., HANOL

{Việc sử dụng hoạt động đóng vai nhằm cải thiện kỹ năng nói cho học sinh

khổi lớp 6 tại một trường THƠ ở Quận Nam Từ Iiêm, Hả Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Mcthodology Code: 8140231.01

Hanoi, 2019

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

TO THI HONG VAN

TITE USE OF ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILL

FOR STUDENTS AT GRADE 6 IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL

IN NAM TU LIEM DIST., HANOI

{Vi&c sử dụng hoạt động đóng vai nhằm cải thiện kỹ năng nói cho học sinh

khối lớp 6 tại một trường THƠS ở Quận Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: $140231.01

Supervisor: Prof Nguyén Iba IIanoi, 2019

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

I certify my authority of the minor thesis entitled “The use of role play to improve speaking skill for students at grade 6 in a secondary school in Nam Tu Liem Dist, Lanoi” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts

Signature

To Thi Hong Van

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play

APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

PHU LUC 2: PHIRU KHAO SAT CHO HỌC SINH

APPENDLX 3: T1HE QUESTIONS OF PRH-TEST

APPTNDIX 4: TIE(QQUESTIONS Of POST-TBST

vi

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

TAST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Table 1: Students’ attitudes towards speaking skill and role of learning

Chart 1: Students’ self-assessment towards their speaking competence level24

Table 2: Students’ attitudes toward speaking materials - 24

'Table 4: Ieachers` techniques to encourage students to speak and ImpTove

Table 6: Results of students’ speaking performance in pre-test 27

Table 8: Results from survey questionnaire for students 31

Chart 2: The improvement in the students’ spcaking skill after using role play

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

I would like to take this oppartunity to express my gratitude to all my lecturers

al the Deparinent of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and

Intemational Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi ‘heir sincere support

and considerations have enabled me to finish the course

T woukl ike to thank all the teachers and grade 6 sluderis ai a secondary

school in Nam Tu Liem Dist., for their support and cooperation in helping me

complete this thesis

Last bul not least, my gratitude is extended to all membors of my family Cor

their love and encouragement during the time | carried out this study.

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play

TAST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Table 1: Students’ attitudes towards speaking skill and role of learning

Chart 1: Students’ self-assessment towards their speaking competence level24

Table 2: Students’ attitudes toward speaking materials - 24

'Table 4: Ieachers` techniques to encourage students to speak and ImpTove

Table 6: Results of students’ speaking performance in pre-test 27

Table 8: Results from survey questionnaire for students 31

Chart 2: The improvement in the students’ spcaking skill after using role play

APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

PHU LUC 2: PHIRU KHAO SAT CHO HỌC SINH

APPENDLX 3: T1HE QUESTIONS OF PRH-TEST

APPTNDIX 4: TIE(QQUESTIONS Of POST-TBST

vi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

I would like to take this oppartunity to express my gratitude to all my lecturers

al the Deparinent of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and

Intemational Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi ‘heir sincere support

and considerations have enabled me to finish the course

T woukl ike to thank all the teachers and grade 6 sluderis ai a secondary

school in Nam Tu Liem Dist., for their support and cooperation in helping me

complete this thesis

Last bul not least, my gratitude is extended to all membors of my family Cor

their love and encouragement during the time | carried out this study.

ABSTRACT

Tu recent years, enhancing students’ oral communication 1 one of the

fundamental goals of foreign language teaching Among different approaches to teaching and leaming speaking, role play technique has received worldwide

apoepianoe from researchers and educalors [or its many benefits to the learners Tn

the reality, the teachers and grade G students in a secondary school in Nam ‘Tu Liem Dist have met many problems in teaching and learning English speaking In an

alternpt lo improve speaking skill for grade 6 students, (he researcher decided to

carry out an action research with 40 students at class 6C, a secondary school in Nam

Tu Liem Dist., in 12 weeks Questionnaire and tests (pre-test and post-test) were

used to explore sludent’s alliludes towards role play aclivities and ils effectiveness

The results of the study revealed that students’ speaking skill had been improved

remarkably by using role play Most of the students had positive attitudes toward

using role play activities in speaking lessons The sludents enjoyed deing role play

activities in front of the class ‘They became more confident and actively involved in

speaking lessons The findings of the siudy showed thal role play is an effective

teaching technique which should be widely applicd in teaching and learmmg English

not only for grade 6 students but for students with different levels

Key words: role play, grade 6 students, improve speaking still

ii

TAST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Table 1: Students’ attitudes towards speaking skill and role of learning

Chart 1: Students’ self-assessment towards their speaking competence level24

Table 2: Students’ attitudes toward speaking materials - 24

'Table 4: Ieachers` techniques to encourage students to speak and ImpTove

Table 6: Results of students’ speaking performance in pre-test 27

Table 8: Results from survey questionnaire for students 31

Chart 2: The improvement in the students’ spcaking skill after using role play

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

I would like to take this oppartunity to express my gratitude to all my lecturers

al the Deparinent of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and

Intemational Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi ‘heir sincere support

and considerations have enabled me to finish the course

T woukl ike to thank all the teachers and grade 6 sluderis ai a secondary

school in Nam Tu Liem Dist., for their support and cooperation in helping me

complete this thesis

Last bul not least, my gratitude is extended to all membors of my family Cor

their love and encouragement during the time | carried out this study.

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Setting of the study scesseesoeesssansenesesnaenen

3.2 Re

arch design 3.3 Action research procedure

3.4 Action research procedures of the current study

B41 Stage 1: Identifying the problem and planning

3.4.2 Stage 2: Action implementing the plan

3.4.3 Stage 3: Observing the action

3.4.4 Stage 4: Reflecting the action

3.5 Participants

3.6 Data colleetion methed

3.6.1 Observation

3.6.2 Questionnaire and semi-structured interview

3.63 Pre-test and post-test

4.3 Findings of the study

4.3.1 Findings on ihe students’ speaking performance

4.3.2 Findings on the students’ self-confidence os

4.3.3 Data analysis and findings from the students’ questionnaire

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the research

When the world has been developing day by day, there is an urge requirement arising which is the necessary to have a worldwide accepted language to communicate At that time, English has hecome a global language because it is spoken by lots of people in many countries In nonnative English-speaking countries, students have to spend more time to learn English as a compulsory

subject at school for student It is because people who speak English fluently can

access the world knowledge conveniently ‘This trend also applies in Vietnam

Studying English requires leamers to foster four skills, which are: listening,

reading, writing, and speaking

Generally, cach skill holds equal role for learners but speaking scems the most

important (Penny Ur, 1996) However, Heriansyah (2012) states that speaking

foreign language Nuemtly is the most difficult thing to complete becanse if requires

more than proficiency in grammatical and semantic rales

The author’s school as well as many other secondary schaols in Vietnam has

used the English curriculum regulated by the Viclrenn Ministry of Education and

‘Training Che author has been teaching English for grade 6 In particular, the textbook of this grade has 12 units whose topics are completely different from each

other and suitable for the level of students Each umit has 5 sechons, which are: (1)

yeading, (ii) speaking, (iii) listening, (iv) writing and (v) language focus Tue to teach and learn each section is 15 minutes: 3 periods per week for all language skills Thus, students don’t have much time to practise speaking With students at grade 6 in a secondary school m Nam ‘Iu Liem Dist., speaking skill is very difficult

for them Through the author’s observation, speaking ability of students is impacted

‘by several reasons The first problem is thal students feel afraid Wf they make

mistakes Thus, many students are not self-assured to say something and join the

classroom activity The second problem that students have to face with is that they

do not have # sufficient range of vocabulary As a resull, they have difficulty in

1

I would like to take this oppartunity to express my gratitude to all my lecturers

al the Deparinent of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and

Intemational Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi ‘heir sincere support

and considerations have enabled me to finish the course

T woukl ike to thank all the teachers and grade 6 sluderis ai a secondary

school in Nam Tu Liem Dist., for their support and cooperation in helping me

complete this thesis

Last bul not least, my gratitude is extended to all membors of my family Cor

their love and encouragement during the time | carried out this study.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SS o -.cccccccssssssesccsssteesecrsnessteeeseneeerssnesiesee

ABSTRACT

TIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION | ccc tees see ssseeen isan esses

1.1 Rationale of the research

1.2 Aims of the research

1.3 Research questions

1.4 Scope of the research

1.5 Method of the rescarelt ccccsecsssicsesses seessnssnneersssanersessnsiie

1.6 Sigificanee of the research icon treo

1.7 Thesis organization

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of speaking SkilIs occ sessstsnseisieteeueneuniaeinaeseee

2.1.1 Definition of speaking

24.2 Parts of speaking

2.13 Teaching speaking

2.1.4 A successfid speaking lesson in a classroom

2.1.5 Strategies lo improwe spedking skÏÏls cookie

2.2 Role play

2.2.2 The importance of using vole pÌ4J eo

2.2.3 Classification af role play