Some communicative activities to enhance speaking skills for first year students of English Department - University of Languages and International Studies

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT NGUYỄN MINH HẠNH SOME COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT

NGUYỄN MINH HẠNH

SOME COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT – UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES

AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (TEFL)

SUPERVISOR: TÔ THỊ THU HƯƠNG, Ph.D

Hanoi, July 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 An overview of speaking activities in language teaching and learning 5

1.1.1 The nature of speaking in oral communication 5 1.1.2 The role of speaking in language teaching and learning 6 1.1.3 Characteristics of a successful speaking lesson 6

1.2 Communicative activities in language teaching and learning process 8

1.2.2 Characteristics of communicative activities 9 1.2.3 The roles of communicative activities in language teaching and learning 10

1.2.4 The roles of teachers in communicative activities 11

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

2.1.5 Current situation of teaching and learning English speaking at EDI 16

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1.1 Results of teachers’ survey questionnaire 21 3.1.1.1 Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching English speaking skills 21 3.1.1.2 Teachers’ attitudes towards communicative activities 23 3.1.1.3 Teachers’ difficulties in using communicative activities 25

3.1.2 Results of students’ survey questionnaire 26 3.1.2.1 Students’ attitudes towards learning speaking skill 26 3.1.2.2 Students’ attitudes towards communicative activities 28 3.1.2.3 Students’ difficulties in practicing communicative activities 29

3.2.1 Findings from the classroom observation 29

3.2.2 Findings from the survey questionnaire 30

3.2.2.2 Students’ problems 31

CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.2 Some considerations and suggestions on using communicative activities 39