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RECEPTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE SKILLS AMONG FRESHMAN STUDENTS IN THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM : BASIS FOR LISTENING AND SPEAKING ACTIVITIES A Dissertation Proposal Presented to The Faculty

RECEPTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE SKILLS AMONG FRESHMAN STUDENTS IN THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM : BASIS

FOR LISTENING AND SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

A Dissertation Proposal

Presented to The Faculty of Graduate School Batangas State University Batangas City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy Major in English

By:

Hoang Thi Nhung (Dimples)

December 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TABLE OF CONTENT i

LIST OF TABLE iii

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM 4

Introduction 4

Statement of the Problem 10

Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study 12

Significance of the Study 13

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15

Conceptual Literature 15

Research Literature 34

Synthesis 40

Theoretical Framework 43

Conceptual Framework 46

Hypothesis 48

Definition of Terms 48

III RESEARCH METHOD AND PROCEDURE 51

Research Environment 51

Research Design 53

Subjects of the Study 53

Data Gathering Instrument 55

Data Gathering Procedure 57

Statistical Treatment of Data 58

IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA 59 INTRODUCTION 83

V SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 101

Conclusions 111

Recommendations: 112

BIBLIOGRAPHY 113

APPENDICES ……… 124

A Letters of Request

B Questionnaires

C Documentations

CURRICULUM VITAE

LIST OF TABLES

Table Title Page

1 Distribution of Sample Respondents 54

2 Gender Profile of the Student Respondents 59

3 Residence Profile of the Student Respondents 62

4 Parent's Education Profile of the Student Respondents 63

5 Years of Exposure to English Media of the Student RespondentsError! Bookmark not defined 6 Type of English Media Exposure of the Student Respondents 65

7 Level of student's performance in the listening skill test 66

8 Ranking of student's performance in the listening skill test according to degree of difficulty 78

9 Ranking of student's performance in the speaking skill test according to degree of difficulty 79

10 List of 8 listening and speaking skills validated to be employedError! Bookmark not defined in teaching the Basic English course by the respondents.Error! Bookmark not defined 11 List of 8 listening and speaking skills and their frequency of use by the respondents Error! Bookmark not defined 12 List of 8 listening and speaking skills and their degree of importance Error! Bookmark not defined 13 Parameters used as basis for the design of remedial learning and speaking activities 80

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM

Introduction

In the day to day life, language plays a very vital role in communication Most of daily activities need the interplay of these four language skills listening, speaking, reading and writing A balance among them should be required for an individual to become an efficient and effective speaker of the language but there seem to be factors that lead to its incompleteness causing problems to users of the second language

It has been claimed that over 50 percent of the time that students spend functioning in a foreign language will be devoted to listening (Nunan,1998) Despite this, among the four language skills, listening is taken for granted, it is least understood and most overlooked Since the natural precursor to speaking is listening, in a person‟s first language, the early stages of language development are dependent on listening In first language education on going attention is needed for both listening and speaking development Before, first language speakers were taken for granted in terms of instruction relative to reading and writing but not for listening and speaking because these skills were acquired by native speakers automatically

In the 1980‟s, listening had a very important role in second language learning This notion resulted to a corresponding drop in the importance of speaking in the early stages of learning and that even in a course it is discouraged to speak early Based on the insight on what it means to learn

a language support the contention of giving emphasis to listening and delay speaking

One way of learning the language is attributed to listening There are approaches to language teaching that gave importance to listening Nord‟s (1980) view was clearly expressed when he stated that some people now believe that learning a language is building a map of meaning in the mind and these people believe that talking may indicate that the language was learned, but they do not believe that practice in talking is the best way to build up this cognitive map in the mind and in doing this, they feel that the best method is to practice listening Through listening, the learner is given information from which the knowledge necessary for using the language is built up The learner can start speaking when knowledge is built up

There are many benefits if learners concentrate to listening and delay speaking One of these is cognitive benefit wherein there will be no overloading relative to focus of the learner on two or more skills Another is the speed of coverage, wherein, since receptive knowledge grows faster than productive knowledge, there is a possibility to experience and to learn

more about language through listening Further, there is a strong effect on motivation if there is a move to realistic communicative listening activities It

is a psychological benefit also to have listening activities involved in language learning as it reduces stress and in independent learning these activities are well suited

Listening before is viewed as passive process wherein the listener acts as receiver of information transmitted by the speaker Recently, a much more active and interpretive process is attributed to listening as the message is not fixed since it is created through interactional space between participants Listeners constructed meanings that are shaped by context through the act of interpreting meaning, rather than receiving it intact (Lynch, 2002)

Listening comprised not only of one skill but varied sub- skills There

is better performance in comprehension questions for listeners with more skills A fundamental platform for second language development and content learning is provided through experiences with meaning-focused listening Directed attention to perceptual processing and parsing skills enriched these experiences Finding an appropriate balance between providing opportunities for listening skill development through meaning –focused listening and through language learning focused listening which focuses on bottom-up listening practice is needed by teachers

In listening comprehension, there are problems of learners identified These include problems in recognizing word forms, and keeping up with what is coming in Learners do not have enough time to turn perceived form into an appropriate message Goh (2000) stated that listening problems can occur at the levels of perception, parsing and utilization and that they can benefit from training in listening strategies which include communication strategies to assist comprehension, like making predictions before listening, listening selectively, and knowing how to interrupt politely Other problems

of learners identified in listening are not being able to discriminate or distinguish English sounds or learners lack of phonological awareness; not knowing the meaning of English words or lack of vocabulary; and their lack

of pacing or speed in understanding spoken language

Speaking on the other hand is said to be acquired by all human beings who are normally endowed without explicit instruction Among the four skills, speaking is the most demanding and challenging skill It is an activity that requires an integration of many subsystems One of the most difficult aspects of the spoken language is accomplished through interaction with another speaker Since speech is the most basic means of human communication, for most people, knowing the language is synonymous to the ability to speak a language Reduced forms like contractions, vowel

reduction, and elision comprised fluent speech These are features that interact to make speaking a very important central skill

In the oral mode, speaking is a productive skill and it is also complicated like the other skill components of language as it involves many aspects There are three situations where speakers are engaged when speaking In interactive speaking situations, the speaker has the chance to request from conversation partner to clarify, repeat, or slow down speaking while in partially interactive speaking situations, the speaker can gauge whether there is understanding of the message conveyed on the part of the conversation partner through facial expressions and body language Recording a speech for radio broadcast is a form of a non-interactive speaking situation

A number of situational factors to help convey meaning and intention rely on speaking There are some characteristics that speaker must carry out in order to become successful speaker These include giving much time

or opportunity to the students to speak as often as possible Allocating as much time as possible to students talking can create the best environment for engaging in oral activities

The following features are considered for successful speaking activities These are making sure that students participation is not dominated by a few talkative students; that students want to speak because

they are interested in the topic; that students have something relevant to say; that students can be understood by anyone; and that there aren‟t frequent interruptions while student is speaking

There are also several factors to consider when planning for a variety

of speaking tasks to push learner‟s output First is that learners should be able to speak on a range of topic, as covering a good range of topics improves learner‟s vocabulary Range of text types is another factor that though these text types which include intimate interpersonal interaction, scientific exposition, and imaginative narrative were written types, they contain spoken equivalents As for the range of performance conditions, planning before speaking is very important as it involves task preparation before performance Time pressure also affects speaking performance in the sense that providing learner‟s ample time to perform speaking task increase the quality of the learner‟s spoken output

With regard to amount of support as performance condition, an important requirement in supportive listening is providing the speaker a way

in finding needed items in language without giving overwhelming attention

to that given support For the standard of performance affecting speaking, while it can be supportive to speak with others, it can also be demanding Some problems in an English class are attributed to the failure of some speaking activities The problems faced by learners in speaking

activities include inhibition, nothing to say, the low participation, the theme

to be spoken and the use of the mother tongue Manifestations of students having inhibitions is stage fright whenever a student is made to speak in front of an audience, nothing to say where students need not say anything because they feel bored knowing that the topic is unrelated to anything they know; low participation where students are prevented to speak due to the dominance of students who are good English speakers and mother tongue where students insist on using their mother tongue instead of English language for fear of criticism Speaking in class can be a lot of fun, raise general learner motivation and making English language classroom a dynamic place if the language activities are taught in a right way

So that the researcher as a college instructor teaching Basic English course, she is prompted to conduct a study on receptive and productive skills of freshman students with the end view of proposing English speaking and listening activities to enhance the students‟ receptive skills

Statement of the Problem

This research is designed to assess receptive and productive skills among the freshman students at Thai Nguyen University Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:

1 What is the demographic profile of the respondents with reference to:

1.1 gender

1.2 high school graduated from 1.3 residence

1.4 parent‟s education 1.5 family income 1.6 English media exposure?

2 What is the level of the students‟ listening skills relative to:

2.1 accuracy 2.2 comprehension 2.3 vocabulary 2.4 spelling?

3 What is the level of students‟ speaking skills relative to:

3.1 pronunciation 3.2 fluency

3.3 comprehension 3.4 vocabulary

4 Are there significant relationships on the students‟ listening and speaking skills?

5 What are the difficulties commonly met by students in:

5.1 listening

5.2 speaking

6 What listening and speaking activities may be suggested for classroom purposes?

Scope, Delimitation and Limitation of the Study

This study focused on the assessment of the speaking and listening skills of the freshman students at Thai Nguyen University

It covers the profile of the respondents including gender, high school graduated from, residence, parents‟ education, family income and exposure

to English media The respondents listening skills in terms of accuracy, comprehension, vocabulary and spelling were assessed Part of the study also includes the level of student‟s speaking skills in terms of pronunciation, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary with the end view of proposing English listening and speaking activities to enhance the receptive skills of the students

The study covered the four (4) Thai Nguyen Universities in Thai Nguyen City Fifty eight (58) teachers and three hundred and eighty (380) freshman students were used as respondents of the study during the Academic Year 2013-2014 The study does not include those students in the higher levels and those who come from other colleges of TNU system not mentioned in the study

This study is limited on the results of the data gathered from students and teacher respondents involved

Significance of the Study

The study is deemed beneficial to the Administrators of Thai Nguyen University, faculty of basic English, freshman students, parents and future researchers

Administrators of Thai Nguyen This study can guide them in

improving their English curriculum by evaluating the different English proficiency enhancing activities This study will serve as a guide for the enhancement of the existing Basic English curriculum to meet their institutional goals and objectives

Faculty of Basic English This study will serve as a tool for the

faculty in teaching Basic English as they may become aware of the present level of students‟ listening and speaking skills This will provide them insights on what innovative learning activities will be appropriate to enhance the Language proficiency of their students

First Year Students The findings of this study will make them aware

of their level of listening and speaking skills This would give them information on their performance in Basic English and will be an instrument for them to improve their weak points and enhance their over all performance in Basic English

Parents Parents of the first year students will become aware of the

English performance of their children which will make them more supportive

and cooperative in school activities especially on the improvement of the performance in Basic English skills of their children

Future Researchers This study will serve as reference for their

undertaking, the similar study can be conducted along this line to other universities

Chapter II REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter presents the conceptual and research literature, synthesis, theoretical and conceptual frameworks of the study, hypothesis, and definition of terms

Conceptual Literature

The concepts discussed provide a conceptual frame of reference These include oral communication, the art of listening, speaking proficiency and language learning activities

Oral Communication The process of expressing information or ideas

by word of mouth and verbally transmitting information and ideas from one individual or group to another is termed oral communication (Swarthout, Donna, education-portal.com/ academy/ lesson /oral – commu-nication/ definition-types-advantage html # lesson) It can either be formal or informal There are advantages of oral communication One of these is that

it is more personal and less formal as compared to written communication Another is that in oral communication, there is flexibility It can address conflict and problem and in a team it can maintain energy and enthusiasm and promote moral

According to Murphy, et al., (1997) oral communication describes any type of interaction that makes use of spoken words, and it is vital, integral part of the business world, especially in the information age and that the

ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is highly valued, and demanded in business Further, in effective communication, it is also important to know the content, the functional areas that give life to those ideas either in meeting or presentation The following are the criteria for effective communication: clear, relevant, tactful,

in phraseology and tone, concise and informative

Oral communication means to communicate by talking, since this implies a two-way interaction that emphasizes the communication aspect rather than the simple act of articulation It is effective when it is clear, relevant, appropriate to the intended audience in phraseology and tone, concise and informative (www.use.my ability.org uk/skills/oral-commu-nication.html) All forms of oral communication include speeches, presentations, and discussions When communication matter is temporary,

a kind where direct interaction is required, it is generally recommended to have oral communication as it implies communication through the mouth and includes individuals conversing with each other be it direct or telephonic conversation

Nuval (2014) stated that oral communication deals with interaction of communicators through the use of language which consists of systematized vocal sounds made in the mouth, nose, and throat which are organized into words and phrases for communication Processing of sequences, sounds and words, and discriminating speech sounds and words that are similar to

verbal comprehension are required in effective oral communication Also required are retaining a sequence of information, extracting meaning from complex or abstract language or grammatical structures and understanding non-literal language Moreover, communication through the mouth is required in oral communication Considered forms of oral communication are conversation be it direct or through telephone, speeches, presentations and discussions When communication is temporary, where it is required to have direct interaction, oral communication is recommended

Oral communication as a cycle involved two persons: the speaker and the listener wherein the information is exchanged between them through a common system of symbol, signs and behavior There are several advantages for oral communication (www.management study guide.com.oral communication.htm) These are: as it is interpersonal, there

is high level of understanding and transparency; there is no element of rigidity, thus, decision can be made quickly; and it is not only time saving but it also saves money and efforts In case of problem resolution, oral communication is best as it can put end to conflicts, disputes, issues and differences In team work, oral communication is essential aside from promoting receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees Oral communication is also effective in transferring private and confidential matters

There are also chief principles or characteristics of effective communication which are considered keys to productive communication These are clearness and integrity of message to be conveyed; adequate briefing of the recipient; accurate plan of objectives; reliability and uniformity

of the message; knowing of the main purpose of the message; proper response of the message; correct timing; and the use of proper medium to convey the message properly (https: sites: google.com.site/ communication skills / you/ characteristics of effective communication)

Further, to make communication effective there are guidelines to follow Before communicating a message simplifying one‟s thoughts is needed Intent of each and every message of the individual must be analyzed as well as knowing the physical setting before communicating Appropriateness must be considered when discussing with others regarding plans for communication The basic content of the message, the tone must

be taken into consideration when communicating, and make follow up In transmitting message, prepare oneself in a proper way by ensuring that actions support communications and finally seek not to be understood but understand The persistent and powerful role of language and communication in human society is reflected in oral communication

Halliday (2008) emphasized that communication is more than merely

an exchange of words between parties; but a sociological encounter and

through exchange of meanings in the communication process, social reality

is created, maintained and modified Multiple elements which result in the success or failure of interaction comprised oral communication Moreover, any type of interaction utilizing spoken words, and is essential part of the business world dubbed as information age described students are aided in improving their own academic performance, increasing their employment options, enhancing their subsequent professional competence and improving their own personal effectiveness through effective oral communication

Oral communication skills include mix of verbal, interpersonal, and physical strategies needed to interact confidently and effectively with a range of audience (www.griffith.educ.au/-data/assets/pdf.-file/0018 /162720/oral.pdf/) When the desired effect is the result of intentional and unintentional information sharing, which is interpreted between multiple entities and acted on in a desired way effective communication occurs During communication process, the desired effect ensures that messages are not distorted The following should be generated through effective communication: desired effect, maintained effect, and the potential to increase the effect of the message

Hymes (1972) on the other hand stated that the teaching of oral communication skills as a contextualized sociocultural activity has become

the focal point in many English second learner (ESL) classrooms Oral skills teachers should always connect speaking, listening, and pronunciation teaching although the focus is any one class or activity may highlight one or another (Murphy, 1991) Oral skills classes may use reading and writing activities as the basis or follow up for speaking activities

In the case of English foreign language (EFL) classes, where all students speak the same first language and English is not used outside the classroom, these present certain challenges for the teacher Nunan (1993) stated that the biggest challenges of EFL teachers in the EFL classroom are lack of motivation, getting students to speak, and the use of the first language as well as large classes are often the norm overseas, limiting both student opportunities to talk and teacher opportunities to provide feedback Curriculum which does not emphasized speaking skills but focus

on grammatical accuracy, as well as incompetent or lack of confidence of teacher in speaking English are the other problems of EFL teachers Organizing class activities that are authentic, motivating, and varied are needed by EFL teachers when teaching speaking skills Likewise, in –class activities, the use of authentic, engaging materials should be made basis

The Art of Listening The most frequently employed skill in daily

language use is listening, yet seemingly it is the most neglected area of concern, because listening, unlike other skills, is an internal process that

cannot be directly observed (Morley, 1984) In addition, listening as a skill was perceived to be the lowest in terms of its impact on the learner In second language instruction, this lack of attention is due to several factors These include focus on speaking a language where the primary explicit concentration was on teaching learners to speak the second language as it

is believed that if one learned to speak the language, listening comprehension would occur simultaneously; listening was used as a tool to teach speaking but not as instructional goal in itself; and the passive assumption that listening was a passive skill

Yagang (1993) defined listening as the ability to identify and understand what others are saying and further stated the it involves understanding of the speaker‟s accent or pronunciation, his grammar and his vocabulary, and grasping his meaning Willis (2001) identified the following micro-skills of listening or enabling skills: predicting what people are doing to talk about; guessing at unknown words or phrases without panicking; using one‟s knowledge of the subject to help one understand; identifying relevant points, rejecting irrelevant information; retaining relevant points; recognizing discourse markers; recognizing cohesion devices; understanding different intonation patterns and uses of stress, as well as understanding inferred information like speaker‟s attitude or intention

Good listening according to Nicholas (1988) relates itself to the following characteristics of spoken language: redundancy which is

considered both an advantage and a disadvantage to a listener; untidiness

in spontaneous conversation where it often contains language structures that may not be grammatical, unfinished utterances, pauses, and even moments of silence, and environmental interferences where spoken language requires the hearer to cope with environmental uncertainties such

as noise, the voice quality and the emotional states of interlocutors, and the loudness or lack of it

There are cited reasons why listening is a difficult process One of these is the content and linguistic features found in listening materials which make the learners have difficulty in distinguishing or recognizing individual words in the stream of speech; the speaker in conversation which normally resort to redundancy; the listeners which according to Anderson,

et al., (1988) are not familiar with clichés and collocations in English to predict a missing word or phrase, as well as their lack of socio-cultural, factual, and contextual knowledge of the target language can present problem to comprehension because language is used to express its culture; and the physical setting, where noise, unclear sounds resulting from poor quality equipment can interfere with listener‟s comprehension

There are two reasons why a person listens to a great deal of language and these are interest and usefulness According to Harmer (1983) the category of interest includes listening for enjoyment, pleasure,

and intellectual stimulation Burt et al (1981) on the other hand included a focus on the roles of listening when they characterized one-way communication as taking place when a learner would listen to or read in a second language with the communication targeted toward the learner but not issuing from the learner

The importance of listening in the processes of comprehension, retention of information in memory and acquisition of second language competence is recognized by proponents of comprehension approaches Nida (1957) stated that learning to speak a language is very largely a task

of learning to hear it Reception should precede production because reception enables production and while it is possible to learn to understand without speaking, it is not possible to learn to speak without understanding (Nord, 1981) There are several effects if there is premature production Students are forced to go back on first language (L1) production and make many transfer errors if they lack competence in the second language (L2) The ability to comprehend the language completely might be interfered with the need to produce utterances and anxiety is produced if there is overload of tasks demands on the learner which affects their learning

The importance of listening in communication is shown in the art of listening (www.slideshare.Net/shivakuwar/the-art-of-listening) while others considered it similar to reading and beginning to understand the scriptures Not talking anything too personal is considered one way to become a good

listener as well being detached in order to hear the other person (www huffington post.com/osi-mizraki/listening) Further, one of the most important skills a strong leader must possess is to have effective listening

as it is needed by most small- business owners to develop since listening is the key to managing and the mood in a company

Mayer (2013) pointed out that listening is an active interpretation that shapes the realities, and it is the answer to improving productivity and increasing business with customers Degenerative moods among employees such as mistrust, resignation, and resentment are the results of lack of listening while improved mood fueled by ambition and confidence, that boosts productivity and profitability are the results of those employees who are listened to in terms of their experiences Further, there are five ways to improve listening, these are to forget outdated advice, to interpret whatever is heard, to clarify what is heard from other person, to ask open-ended questions, and to validate what is heard

To listen attentively to one another has also some importance These include to make eye contact when introduced to other person; listen actively; listen reflectively; do not judge; and create the right work environment (www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/the-art-of-listening)

According to Sheryl Conelley, a futurist who works in Ford Motor Co., there are ways on how to listen well First is to focus on the person

speaking and listen carefully for things you do not know Another is to challenge oneself on what is heard and be prepared to change one‟s mind

In addition, if sitting is still difficult, then take notes or doodle or both

Listening is attention and attention is energy True leadership is linked

to the ability of listening effectively to those persons around A person must practice the art of listening in his life (www.nithyanarda.org.article/art-listening)

Speaking Proficiency A form of conversation ability or conversation

skill and performs mutual interdependent, interactive nature of conversation

is referred to as speaking proficiency or competence (Nolasco, et al, 1997)

It is also referred to as awareness and feedback activity so that series of tasks is developed for student‟s awareness on the activity to be sharpened

as well as their own progress performed assessed Automatic conversation become accustomed, when those awareness and feedback activities becomes accustomed Gradual practice controlled awareness and fluency conversation are needed for speaking ability and conversation skill

Competence or proficiency in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose occasion, and audience Acquiring poise and developing control of language through experience in making presentations to small groups, to

large groups, and through the media comprise developing proficiency (www shsu edu./sacs/compliancereport/narratives/documents/pdf)

Thornburry (2005) stated that speaking is a speech production that becomes a part of the daily activities Speech, voice and delivery, vocabulary profanity, grammar, and self- improvement suggestions are considered requirements for making a good speech Speaking as expounded by Underwood (1997) means creative process, an interaction between the speaker and the listener that involves thought and emotion and involves three areas of knowledge namely; mechanics, grammar, and vocabulary and further refers to the ability to use the right word in the right order with the correct pronunciation, function; knowing when clarity of message is essential, and when precise understanding is not required, as well as social and cultural rules and norms

Knowledge of turn-taking, rate of speech, length of pauses between speakers, relative roles of participants comprised speaking The ability to understand, how to take into account who is speaking to whom; in what circumstances, and about what reason also pertains to speaking

Speaking according to Brown (1981) as part of work or academic study may involve presenting reports or presenting a viewpoint on a particular topic and comprised the following important features which include: it is transactional; it involves taking a long turn; and it is influenced

by written language In addition, the speaking is done in the learner‟s style

in a clear and deliberate way with opportunity for the speaker to monitor the production; as well as it often needs teaching as it is a skill that is not a part

of typical language use

Brown (2004) emphasized that one can be considered to have speaking proficiency or competence if he is able to imitate a word or phrase

or possibly a sentence; produce short stretches of oral language design to demonstrate competence in a narrow band or grammatical, phrasal or phonological relationship as well as prosodic elements which include intonation, stress, rhythm, juncture, and intensive ability In addition, being able to respond to a very short conversation, standard greetings and small talk, simple requests and comments; as well as taking the two forms of either transactional language which has the purpose of exchanging specific information or interpersonal exchanges which have the purpose of maintaining social relationships are also part of having speaking competence

Maintaining social relationships with facts and information transmitted

as well as developing oral production such as speeches, oral presentations and storytelling during which the opportunity for oral interaction from listener is either highly limited or ruled out together are also indications of speaking competency The transactional nature of formal speaking as

pointed out by Nation, et al (2009) means that the effectiveness of the learner‟s performance should focus on the successful communication of information Thus, formal speaking in the classroom should therefore be done with an obvious audience who are interested in the speaker‟s message

Relative to this, Brown (1978) called informal speaking as interactional speaking and typically involves tasks where conveying information is not as important as maintaining friendly relationship As most of an individual‟s speaking tends to be informal, this deserves attention within the classroom Formal speaking helps language learner through representing a new use of English for most learners and thus require them to focus on language items that are not as well represented in other uses of the language as well as control of content, awareness of a largely passive audience, and being the focus of attention (Biber, 1989) Further, it thus requires learners to use language under difficult and demanding circumstances, which will stretch the boundaries of skill development

Speaking does not of itself constitute communication unless what is said is comprehended by another person (Rivers, 1981) Teaching comprehension of spoken speech is therefore of primary importance if the communication‟s aim is to be reached Urs (1999), on the other hand, stated that a speaking activity is considered successful if it possesses these

characteristics of learner‟s talking a lot; their participation is even; motivation is high; and the language is on acceptable level

Bygate (1987), however, emphasized that there are two aspects to consider in achieving communicative goal through speaking These include: knowledge of the language; and knowledge in using the language Possessing a certain amount of language is not enough but a speaker of the language should be able to use the language in varied situations

Moreover, Harmer (2001) identified the two aspects necessary for fluent oral production namely; knowledge of language features and the ability to process information on the spot which means mental or social processing Language features which are necessary for spoken production include connected speech, expressive devices, lexis and grammar and negotiation language Realization on the use of the language features is necessary through material/social processing with the help of the rapid processing skill in order to become successful in language integration According to Halliday (1989) the following are the characteristics of the spoken language: variation in speech, gestures or body language, intonation, stress, rhythm, pitch range, pausing and phrasing Biber (1998) stated that there are also differences in the actual language used and that spoken language is less grammatically complex than written language and

has fewer subordinate, complement clauses, sequences of prepositional phrases, attributive adjective and more active verbs than written language

Language Learning Activities When students understand

language input and use language to engage in interaction is an indication that language learning takes place Part of developing language complexity

is the students‟ depth of processing More language is learned by students

if they spend time elaborating and exploring one area, utilizing the associated language in many different ways

There are language activities that students can use as part of their learning program These activities are divided into three categories and have the possibilities to cross into other categories if they are adapted These include personal setting where it is used when a student is studying alone like using children‟s books which are written with a narrower vocabulary and usually supported with pictures as comprehension aids; lesson setting where these can be used with a native speaker during lesson time such as pronunciation practice to improve pronunciation in the target language or catalogues like the IKEA which gives away a great resource to use with a native speaker; and community setting where these can be used out in the community among native speakers like the grand tour question which is asking about a specific personal narrative of person‟s life and strategic shopping where it will increase amount of comprehensible input

receive (www.everyday/languagelearner.com/language-learning–resources/ language-learning-activities)

There are language activities that can be utilized by students repeatedly in any curriculum area Students become familiar with key strategies for processing ideas and language such as comprehension strategies through repeated use of these language activities One of these language learning activities is information transfer where students are helped to express information in their own way and remember ideas, language and information The use of diagram, tables, graphs, maps and texts facilitates information transfer Another learning activity is the split information where it helps students read and understand long or complex texts collaboratively and speak about what they read, hear, and see

In this activity, information is divided among students so that each will have to understand apart of the whole and share what they understand to others Reciprocal teaching of reading is another kind of language activity which aims to help students predict, clarify question, summarize and gain information from their reading (leap.tki.org.nz//effective language-learning-activities)

Language activities are designed to help learners improve their learning skills Each activity contributes and helps learner in their future learning These activities are riddles, missing or busy letter and word puppies for reading and writing, and banana parade stories for linguistic

skills (www.meddybemps.com/7.33.html) A learning log is another example

of language learning activity It is a record of student‟s experiences using the target language outside the classroom as well as the when and where

of language use and the why certain experiences were successful and others weren‟t (www.learn.org/lp/editions/linguafolio/ 5793) Comments of students on what they have studied in class may be written in the log as well as the record on what they have understood and what they have nott Teacher‟s understanding of the student‟s metacognitive learning strategies

is considered an advantage of using learning logs

For English language learners, another activity which shows improved academic performance as well as increase motivation , strengthen self-esteem, encourage student bonding and promote literacy skills is cooperative learning activity Equitable groupings or activities that encourage participation from each student individually can be created by teachers When students are paired well, one who has stronger language skills can help a student with weaker language skills improve through cooperative learning activity (blog.languagelizard.Com/2012/02/07/ english-language-learners-cooperative-learning-activities)

There are also some simple language activities designed for learners These include: All News that Fits, where learners have to read newspaper

in the target language to practice the language and keep up the events; As the World Turns, where learners made to watch movies to practice

understanding the target language and get more exposure to the culture of the language; Brainstorm; where learners are expected to brainstorm with other language some possible topics for writing in the new language; Breakdown, where long words were broken down into parts and expressions in the in the new language which are overwhelming; and Cuisine, where learners are made to read and follow recipes in the target language (seasite, niu edu,/list of language activities-for-html/)

In addition, one classroom activity which English language learners engage is play trivia, where teacher can write some questions ahead of time These questions must be an easy one since its focus is how to communicate questions and answers Questions should be varied depending on the age and student‟s level For example, in the case of teaching different group of learners, there should be different questions, and target specific questions like difficult questions To make the activity lively, the teacher can make use of a buzzer or a bell, where the first student who can ring it will be the one to answer the question Teacher must only ensure that all students in the class get a turn (www.readinghorizon.com/classroom-activities-for engaging-english)

Another classroom language activity is that of a role play, where a teacher sets up a specific scenario where students will likely face in the classroom Help will be provided to those students who need to go through

the scene and as regard to secondary role, it must be assigned to more advanced learners

as high, medium, and low according to their abilities of English speaking proficiency level The study made used of mixed method design The quantitative data came from the speaking test and the student‟s attitude towards teaching English speaking The qualitative data were drawn from a learning log, a semi-structured interview and a teacher journal A one-group pre-test, post-test design was also employed The research instruments were eight lesson plans, an English speaking ability test, and an attitude questionnaire

This study made use of percentage, mean, standard deviation, and test for dependent samples Results of the study indicated that students‟ English speaking abilities after using the three communicative activities were significantly higher than before their use The students‟ attitudes

t-towards teaching English speaking skills using the three communicative activities were rated as good

Investigating the factors influencing the oral communication strategies of technological university students from Taiwan is the focus of the study of Huang (2010) Participants of the study include the ninety eight students of Lunghwa University of Science and Technology Nakatani oral communication strategy inventory along with the demographics and English Learning backgrounds of students was used in gathering data Descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA, the Pearson correlation and multiple regressions using SPSS were used to analyze the data

Results of the study indicated that students most often employed message reduction and alternation strategies and least employed message abandonment strategies There were significant correlation in students‟ self-perceived oral proficiency, the frequency of, and motivation in speaking English with the use of oral communication strategies The frequency of speaking English was the powerful predictor of the use of oral communication strategies among this group of learners Thus, the inquiry highlights the importance of functional practice and intrinsic motivation in the development of communication strategies and oral competence

Gray (2002) on the other hand examined the extent to which native English-speaking teachers (NETs) have an impact on the oral English

language proficiency gained by students taught in secondary schools in Hongkong Participants of the study include one thousand four hundred and twenty four students utilizing an English oral proficiency test specifically developed for this study Findings of the study revealed that students did make significant oral English language proficiency gain as measured by the developed instrument, and that students taught by NETs performed better than those taught by both NETs and local teachers

Further, Goodman‟s (2007) study investigated the word attack strategies used by English speaking first graders learning Hebrew as a second language when they read English (L1) and Hebrew (L2) The respondents of the study are the seventeen (17) first grade students Findings of the study reveal that while students did transfer some strategies from English (L1) to Hebrew (L2) there were specific L1 strategies which were not successful when reading a second language with a different orthographic and morphologic structure; when attempting to identify unfamiliar words Hebrew students most often decoded words disfluently, beginning with the initial consonant-vowel (CV) unit and sounding out each subsequent syllable as defined by a CV unit

In English, students used a greater variety of strategies including decoding and whole word substitution They relied most consistently on the initial phoneme or the initial CVC unit in English when segmenting words that were read disfluently Recommendations of the study indicate the use

of different strategies for each language that contribute to the natural orthography of each language to the reading strategies used by the students The study concluded that fluency and accuracy used both compromised strategies when English speaking students read Hebrew The study of Chang (2009) examined the seventy five Chinese EFL learners‟ test-taking strategies and their relationship with listening performance and further looked into how students adjusted their strategies under four different task conditions The participants were subjected to three phase test-taking questionnaire and listening test

Results of the study revealed that all students regardless of their listening proficiency favor some strategies The difference between high and low level students is not in the number of strategies used but in the preferential order and frequency of use Students‟ listening performance had a strong correlation with the strategy used before the test-taking phase Students were able to adjust their strategy use according to the change in task conditions The same strategy may be used in different ways and for different purposes by different levels of students and some strategies are interrelated and are used concurrently Test taking strategy involves multiple dimensions, making it difficult to phase out one factor from another Listening comprehension in the foreign language classroom is the study conducted by Mayberry (2006) It examined how the acquisition of the Spanish phonological system by English-speakers contributes to the

development of learners‟ listening skills The study addresses the theoretical and pedagogical issues regarding the understanding of the receptive processes from cognitive perspectives of learning and language comprehension

Results of the study showed that regular linguistic elements of the language are acquired by the procedural learning system, while idiosyncratic linguistic elements are dependent on declarative mechanisms such as awareness, practice and memorization for acquisition The finding also indicate that, with an instructional approach which includes explicit instruction of L2 sounds and lexical segmentation, learners low level of processing can become more efficient , allowing them to concentrate on higher levels of processing and facilitating their overall listening comprehension

The study of Nakatsuhara (2009) investigated the relationship between test takers‟ listening proficiency and their performance on Part 3 (discussion), of the IELTS speaking test, as against Part 2 (individual long test) It explored how communication problems that were associated with test takers proficiency occurred and how these problems were dealt with Respondents of the study include thirty six pre-sessional course students at

a UK university Findings of the study revealed the differences between Part 2 and Part 3 in terms of the constructs measured, showing that the

latter format, measures listening- into speaking abilities The interactional data also showed that the construct underlying Part 3 was not a purely, productive activity, especially for students at Band 5.0 and below who encountered difficulties in understanding the examiner

In addition, the purpose of the study conducted by Maina (2013) was

to investigate the influence of learning activities on performance in language activities in pre-schools in Ndeiya The study includes 30 preschools in the division The study made use of questionnaires Findings revealed that activities influenced the performance of children in language activities done in language lessons; that they participated in language activities which include oral reading and writing; and that language activities done during language lessons influence performance

The study concluded that children valued activities such as repeating sounds of the alphabet, singing simple words, writing simple words and drawing Recommendations in the study include: schools should be provided with language activity materials; that teachers should encourage children to do the activities during language lessons; that school teachers should strictly follow the recommended time table for language activities in pre- schools

Ajileye (2007) conducted a study on the effect of exposure to English language activities outside the classroom on written English by students in the selected secondary schools Respondents of the study were the one hundred students randomly selected from four secondary schools in Ilorin Data