Using videos to improve 10th graders english pronunciation at nong cong 1 high school

Admittedly, in the real context of teaching and learning English as foreign language in VietNam, pronunciation is one of the problems that need tackling.. For the reasons above, I have d

PART 1:

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale for the study

In recent time, English, as a language of international communication andlingua franca, has been widely used and spoken worldwide for education, business,communication, and others purposes Admittedly, English has become a means ofinternational communication and one of the most popular languages in the world It

is used for almost all aspects of human life, such as mass media, business, sports,science and technology, education culture and so on Therefore, the knowledge andskills of English are highly valued As a result, some educational institutions inVietnam have introduced English since the pre-elementary level Moreover, in highschools, it is one of three core subjects tested in the National Examination

When speaking a foreign language, pronunciation is of great importance If youcannot pronounce correctly you are not able to make yourself understood Alanguage is a tool of communication but bad pronunciation can never be a goodtool of communication Therefore, tremendous misunderstandings are caused byinappropriate pronunciation This mispronunciation during daily communications issometimes so significant that we should pay much attention to avoid it Admittedly,

in the real context of teaching and learning English as foreign language in VietNam, pronunciation is one of the problems that need tackling

As a teacher of English with more than 17 years of experience at Nong Cong 1high school, I noticed that my students are not motivated and qualified enough topractice pronouncing English confidently, naturally compared with students ofother regions nationwide One reason for this is that they were not exposed tonatural speaking environment at their lower secondary school as well as otherpractical setting to speak English More importantly, they are not taught orinstructed in an appropriate way to English pronunciation For them, learningEnglish means doing grammar exercise, reading tasks, writing sentences instead ofspeaking during their English lessons Despite their considerable knowledge ofphonetics, the students fail to use the knowledge to articulate their sentence tocommunicate in real-life situations This results in the lack of confidence,demotivation to communicate in spoken form

For the reasons above, I have decided to carry out the study entitled “Using videos to improve 10 th graders’ English pronunciation at Nong Cong 1 high school” I hope that this study will be helpful method to tackle the teaching of

pronunciation in order to help students with their English pronunciation and in turnthey would be the best model for their future students as well

1.2 Purpose of the study and research question

The study aims:

- to examine whether or not the audiovisual (videos) method can improve English pronunciation ability of 10th grade students at my school.

- to identify what students’ perceptions are when videos are used as a

teaching learning media in pronunciation practice

In order to obtain the exact response to the aims, two research questions wereraised:

(1) Does the use of videos help students improve English pronunciation?(2) What perceptions do students have about using videos to help themimprove

1.3 Scope of the study

This study limited itself to focus on improving the 10th graders’ pronunciation

at class 10B5 of Nong Cong 1 high school Forty students involved participationfocusing on the effectiveness of using audio visual (videos) to develop high schoolstudents’ English pronunciation by improving six final consonants (/s/, /z/, /l/, /ð/, /f/, /v/) The pronunciation standard used is American standard

1.4 Method of the study

This study using qualitative and quantitative research method aimed todetermine whether video can enhance students’ pronunciation or have a positiveaffect on the ability of students to utilize the phonetics knowledge they havelearned to enhance their speaking The author used data collection instrument togather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the studentswhen they are exposed to some common audiovisuals during their lessons anddetermine the effectiveness of videos in teaching and learning pronunciation based

on the students’ reflection and pre-test, post-test result

The pre-tests were necessary to assess pronunciation competence thestudents possessed in single utterances as well as in full presentation before theintervention of the strategy and used as a baseline score The post-tests were used

to determine the effectiveness of the strategy used by the students during theexperiment process by comparing the pre-test scores to the posttest scores taken atthe end of the study to conclude the hypothesis

PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 1.1 Literature Review

2.1.1 Definition of pronunciation

Pronunciation is one of the important aspects in English, especially in oralcommunication Every sound, stress pattern, and intonation may convey meaning.The non-native speakers of English who speak English have to be very careful inpronouncing some utterances or he may create misunderstanding Therefore,having an intelligible pronunciation is necessary rather than having a native-likepronunciation

Lado [7: p.70] has stated that pronunciation is the use of a sound system inspeaking and listening Here, pronunciation is merely treated as the act thathappens in speaking and listening

Sharing the ideas, Kristina, Diah, et al [6: p.1] defined that pronunciation isthe act or manner of pronouncing words; utterance of speech In other words, it canalso be said that it is a way of speaking a word, especially a way that is accepted orgenerally understood In the senses, pronunciation entails the production andreception of sounds of speech and the achievement of the meaning This seconddefinition gives a briefer pronunciation’s definition It contains some importantkeys in pronunciation: act, speaking, production and reception of sound According

to Oxford Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary, pronunciation is a way in which

a language or a particular word or sound is spoken This definition has affirmedthat pronunciation is a way of producing something and the product of this act islanguage or word or sound

2.1.2 Definition of Consonant

According to Bertil Malmberg [1; p.32], consonants are sounds characterized

by a constricting or a complete closing of the air passages Every consonant may bedefined according to its place of articulation and manner of articulation

In term of Place of Articulation, consonants are classified as Bilabials (/p/, / m/, /b/); Labiodentals (/f/, /v/); Interdental ([ð, θ]]); Dentals (/t/, /d/, /n/, /l/); Alveolar (/n/, /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, Alveo-palatal (/ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/ , /j/), Velars (/ɳ/, /k/, /g/); Glottal (/h/)

Regard to Manner of Articulation, Peter and Susan, [8; p.18] refers Manner

of articulation to the way in which the obstruction of the air-stream, which

characterizes all consonants, is achieved at the different places of articulation in

the mouth He grouped consonants as Stops, Fricatives, Nasals, Laterals, Trills: sound

r-2.1.3 English Phonetic Symbols

Given the complexity of sound-spelling correspondences in English, it would

be difficult to use the Roman alphabet to symbolize English sounds Someproblems would arise when English spelling system is used to represent sound.English Pronunciation has distinctive sound classes It is divided into two basicgroups: segmental and supra-segmental In the segmental group there are vowels,diphthongs and consonants In supra-segmental group there are stress andintonation

Table 1 English Phonetic Symbols

2.1.4 The objectives of teaching Pronunciation

Teaching pronunciation in a high school is very essential Teacher shouldgive certain attention in teaching pronunciation and decide the area of sounds thatbecome the basic need for students

Native-like pronunciation is difficult for most young learners to achieve in aforeign language The achievement of it requires not only skilled teaching but also

a high level of internal motivation of the student Most young learners are satisfiedwith reasonably intelligible speech in the second language and this is an acceptablegoal for the English Foreign Language teacher The teacher should give assistanceduring the regular speaking lesson to students who are having difficulty withparticular sounds The particular sounds that students will find it difficult will differfor different language backgrounds

Celce- Murcia, et al [2; p.8] stated that the pronunciation should enablelearners to surpass the threshold level so that their pronunciation will not detractfrom their ability to communicate

a Ability

b Consistency: the pronunciation should be smooth and natural

c Intelligibility: The pronunciation should be understandable to the listeners.(Kenworthy [5; p.3])

d Communicative Efficiency: The pronunciation should help to convey the meaning that is intended by the speaker

Based on the goals above, the intelligibility is considered the main goal ofpronunciation since the idea of pronunciation is to enable the listeners tounderstand what the speaker says Kenworthy [5; p.7] states that the main goal ofpronunciation for the learners is can be comfortably intelligible It means that theconversation between the speaker and the listener can be “comfortable” It’s not thecondition where the speaker and the listener speak a native-like pronunciation, butboth the speaker and the listener understand each other

2.1.5 Definition of Audio-visual aids

Linguistics researchers have stated about the definition of audio-visual aidsthat the audio- visual aids are tools of record to improve speaking skills that areused for several times and more than others It is where the object picture sectionand gestures have been systematically used with audio-visual work to elucidatemeaning

Others stress that in audio visual aids, both the listening (ears) and viewingfaculties (eyes) are involved Such aids include television programs, video films,motion pictures, synchronized audio-slide projectors, computers and computer-assisted instructions and so on Cartoon films are also a useful medium fordeveloping, and chiseling the skills of the students

Subathra [10; p.57] emphasizes the best side of audio-visual aids that theymade the process of learning has become quite exciting for the students with theaudio-visual aids It helps the students in generating an open mind for learning Atthe same time it develops team work among the students as they are required towork in teams for such project-based learning Within a short period of time theseaudio-visual aids gained much popularity and have shown their dominance

2.1.6 Kinds of Audio-Visual Aids

According to Nupur [7; p.3], there are four kinds of audio-visual aids They are films, television, video and CDs

Films represent an effective instructional device to cater to the students’attention and create interest and motivation among them towards effectivelearning Educational films may be prepared on any content material or any aspect

of knowledge, and behavior

Television is a versatile medium of transmitting education through differentprograms It is an exciting means of communication Useful instructional programsare being telecasted regularly for the student community on television A teachershould utilize the TV programs and make them the basis for discussions onrelevant occasions.

Video is a viable aid towards effective learning and teaching Teaching withthe help of video is called video-aided instruction In video-aided instruction,learners’ comprehension is generally tested through a questionnaire and video isclearly an instructional medium that generates a much greater amount of interestand enjoyment than the more traditional printed material

Nowadays, educational video-cassettes are easily available in the market.Educational CDs can be prepared on any aspect of the subject-matter andcurriculum

2.1.7 The Advantages of Using Audio Visual Aids

According to Nupur [7; p.5], there are so many advantages of using audiovisual aids, such as:

* Best motivators: They are the best motivators Students work with more

interest and zeal They are more attentive

* Fundamental to verbal instructions: They help to reduce verbalism

which is a major weakness of the schools They convey the same meaning aswords mean They give clear concepts and thus help to bring accuracy in learning

* Clear images: Clear images are formed when we see, hear, touch, taste and

smell as our experiences are direct, concrete and more or less permanent Learningthrough the senses becomes the most natural and consequently the easiest

* Vicarious Experience: Everyone agrees to the fact that the firsthand

experience is the best type of educative experience but such an experience cannotalways be provided to the pupils so in some situations certain substitutes have to

be provided For this we find a large number of inaccessible objects andphenomenon In all such cases audio-visual aids provide us the best substitutes

* Variety: Audio-Visual aids provide variety and provide different tools in

the hands of the teacher

* Freedom: The use of audio-visual aids provides various occasions for the

pupil to move about, talk, laugh and comment upon Under such an atmosphere thestudents work because they want to work and not because the teacher wants them

to work

2.2 Research context

2.2.1 Setting and participants

This study was conducted in 16 weeks from October 2018 to January 2019 inclass 10B5 at Nong Cong 1 high school in rural area of Thanh Hoa province

Forty 10th graders involved in the study They mainly came from thecountryside In general, they had learnt English for over 7 years However, theirproficiency is not satisfactory enough, and their learning style is quite passive Inaddition, they hardly acquired any effective skills in speaking due to theirincompetent pronunciation, especially in real context as a presenter In theiropinion, learning English means getting grammar and structures with commonlexical resources As a result, they were almost beginners in speaking as a highschool student.

2.2.2 The textbook

The reading materials used in the study consisted of selected texts from newEnglish Textbook 10 (learner-centered and communicative approach with theme-based teaching) published by Education Publishing House and Pearson In the

textbook, there are 10 units with diverse topics related to 4 themes: Our lives, Our society, Our environment, Our future 5 sections were included in one unit namely:

Getting started, Language, Skills, Communication and Culture, Looking back andProject in which there are some Looking back and Project lessons are not simpleenough that did not require a lot tutoring from the teacher However, some of theProject required a lot of attention and time to be fulfilled It is hoped that Englishteachers will have a better insight look in tutoring students to integrate theirknowledge into conducting the Project requirements Therefore, I found that itmatched with the objectives of the learning program and students’ levels ofcompetence

In the narrow scope of this study, I only focused on using some audiovisuals

to help students improve the students’ pronunciation (mainly focus on Englishconsonants)

2.2.3 The reality of teaching and learning English pronunciation at Nong Cong 1 high school

As mentioned above, speaking skill (presenting skill) in Project lesson in

new Tieng Anh 10 is the last part if the eighth lesson that make up of one unit in the

textbook In order to fulfill their project required in the Textbook, the teacher isobliged to provide students with guidance how to do, what to do with their Project

in which targeted Grammar and structure of overall lesson is indispensible Thestudents in our school, however, have been facing numerous challenges in speakinglesson because of their poor source of phonetics knowledge They are not confidentand competent enough to pronounce long sentence or present their ideas in front ofthe whole class Some get tired of speaking out, others speak English with muchhesitation In addition, most of them have difficulty using the obtained phoneticsknowledge to produce their utterances Moreover, Project- based learning isunfamiliar to students from lower secondary schools They are not experiencedenough to work in group and make their lesson outcome confidently

The differences between the number of Vietnamese ending consonants (only

6 consonants appear at the end of words) and English ending consonants (endlesslist of final consonants and final consonant clusters in English) make it hard for thestudents to remember and pronounce correctly

In addition to this, some problems of the teacher related to pronunciationpractice should be stated namely lack of knowledge about Pronunciation; lack ofmotivation to teach Pronunciation; inappropriate techniques of teachingPronunciation This has caused pronunciation teaching and learning at my highschool to be ignorant

2.3 Stages of the study

Based on my observation, my school has completely enough facilities Thereare 25 classes from 10th grades to 12th grades Each class consists of 40 students.Besides, there are a headmaster room, a language laboratory (in progress), ascience laboratory, a computer laboratory, a library, a counseling room, a healthroom, and a hall I conducted study in this school for about three months with thefrequency of once a week where five steps were followed:

Step 1 Identify the problem

In identifying the problems, I had conducted a survey (throughquestionnaire), pre-test, and post-test in which two instruments were used:

(1) Questionnaire: The list of questions were delivered in order to know the

students’ attitudes to pronunciation, teaching method used by the teacher, and thestudents’ behavior during teaching-learning process

(2) Tests: The pre-test was given in order to know the students’ pronunciationability

Step 2 Planning the study

General plan will be made before implementing the study I prepared

everything related to the study as follows:

- Making lesson plan and designs the steps in doing the

study - Preparing teaching aids (slide shows, text-book, etc)

- Preparing pretest and post-tests (to know whether students’ pronunciation ability improves or not)

Step 3 Implementing the study

In implementing the study, I carried out the ready-made plan by usingcartoon films in teaching and learning process in order to improve students’

pronunciation ability

All the videos in this step were only used in the website “www.youtube.com”

In the first meeting, I explained about the basic concept of vowels and

diphthongs using lecturing technique combined with listen and imitate technique

The videos called “Vowels & Diphthongs - English Listening & Pronunciation Practice (Part 1&2)” were used for the first meeting I showed many parts of the

videos as a model to pronounce certain words, then the students pronounced theword altogether After that, the students tried to pronounce the words individually.

In the second meeting I used the videos “Introduction to Articulatory Phonetics

(Consonants)” to teach the students basic knowledge about consonant.

In this video, students would focus on how linguists describe consonant sounds, inparticular in American English

Finally, the last meeting was mainly about the labiodental sounds/f, v/, theinterdental sound / ð /, and the alveolar sound /s, z/ The names of the videos used

in this meeting were “Labiodental sounds Judith”, “" th" [θ] [ð] consonantθ] [ð] consonant] [θ] [ð] consonantð] consonant English Pronunciation Lesson”, and “English: How to Pronounce S and Z consonants: American Accent”.

sounds-Picture 1: Students from class 10B5 at a pronunciation lesson

Step 4 Observing the study

In the two meetings, the condition of the classroom was perfectly controlled.The students didn’t make unnecessary noise during the action of the research Afterthe first meeting, there was a progress in the classroom situation Haft of thestudents confidently pronounce the words that they have learnt in front of the class.The others still struggled with the vowel and the diphthongs However, in thesecond meeting, most of the students were able to pronounce correctly theconsonants although this was the first time they had a chance to learn theconsonants clearly They seemed to be interested in watching videos to enhancetheir pronunciation

When the students finished learning about consonants, I gave them thewordlist in the pretest as a small test to check their improvement.

Step 5 Reflecting the study

The author evaluated the teaching activity that had been carried out in order

to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the teaching activity that had beencarried out The weaknesses are refined in the next lesson, so that finally theeffectiveness of using videos to improve students’ pronunciation ability isdetermined

Picture 2: Student of class 10B 5 giving her presentation on Vietnamese culture

2.4 Data collection

2.4.1 Instruments

To gather data related to students’ improvement on English Pronunciation,the author made use of several instruments, namely pretest, posttest, questionnaireand interview

Questionnaire

Questionnaire is a valuable technique to gather students’ perception towardthe study It will help the teacher identify the problems of the students when theypronounce English final consonants and find out students ‘opinion about new