Improving english speaking skill of 4th graders by using readers theater an action research project at an english center in yên bái

One effective approach in teaching speaking skill which may help to provide students with opportunities in practicing speaking English is the use of a drama technique called Readers Thea

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES



HOÀNG THỊ QUỲNH

USING READERS THEATER: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT

AN ENGLISH CENTER IN YÊN BÁI

Cải thiện kỹ năng nói tiếng Anh của học sinh lớp 4 bằng việc sử dụng hoạt động đọc truyện biểu diễn : Nghiên cứu cải tiến sư phạm tại một trung tâm

Anh ngữ ở Yên Bái

MA MINOR THESIS

Major: English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

HÀ NỘI – 2018

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES



HOÀNG THỊ QUỲNH

USING READERS THEATER: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT

AN ENGLISH CENTER IN YÊN BÁI

Cải thiện kỹ năng nói tiếng Anh của học sinh lớp 4 bằng việc sử dụng hoạt động đọc truyện biểu diễn : Nghiên cứu cải tiến sư phạm tại một trung tâm

Anh ngữ ở Yên Bái

MA MINOR THESIS Major : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Supervisor: assoc Prof Lâm Quang Đông PhD

HÀ NỘI – 2018

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ABSTRACT

One very popular problem in English speaking classrooms is the lack of chances for students to practice speaking in a meaningful context Students‟ practice may be considered the crucial element that helps them achieve success in learning speaking, but many learners may tend to avoid practicing speaking in class Improving oral proficiency in EFL classroom and creating an enjoyable learning atmosphere have long been the major goals for most EFL instructors One effective approach in teaching speaking skill which may help to provide students with opportunities in practicing speaking English is the use of a drama technique called Readers Theater (RT) RT is a presentational performance when the “actors” first read

a story before transforming it into a script involving several characters; then they use their voice, facial expressions and gestures to portray those characters All the actors keep looking at the script during the performance and there is no need to memorize the script Accordingly, the objective of this study was to uncover how RT improves speaking skill among the students at a center in Yen Bai The second was to find out more information on students‟ attitudes towards the practice of RT in their speaking class, the disadvantages, if any, that students may encounter besides its advantages Generally, the study aims to see how RT works with this group of students in a local Vietnamese context The research was conducted with 16 fourth-graders in an English center in Yen Bai Using the design of Classroom Action Research, this study followed the steps of reconnaissance, planning, action and observation, reflection, and data analysis The data were obtained through classroom observation, questionnaire survey and tests The findings of the research suggested that using RT in the language classroom benefit students‟ learning in different ways Students‟ speaking skill was improved both in linguistic and paralinguistic features Students also have positive attitudes toward the use of RT in class I therefore recommend RT as an effective technique in helping students in the process of improving their speaking proficiency

 I have acknowledged all main sources of help;

 Where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and what I have contributed myself

I am fully aware that should this declaration be found to be false, disciplinary action could be taken and penalties imposed in accordance with University policy and rules

Hanoi, 2018 Author

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all I would like to thank Assoc Prof Dr Lâm Quang Đông for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the writing

of this thesis Without his help, I would have never been able to finish this thesis

I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to all my lecturers at the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies for their valuable lectures which have helped me a great deal in gaining a lot of theoretical as well as practical knowledge

My special thanks go to the manager and teachers at Yen Bai center for Foreign Languages and Informatics in general and 16 grade-4 students in particular I am grateful to them for their cooperation during the period of my research

Finally, I would also like to express my deep gratitude and love to my devoted parents, my brother, my husband and my friends who gave me time and encouraged

me to complete this study

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CONTENTS

ABSTRACT i

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

CONTENTS 1

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 3

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4

INTRODUCTION 5

1 Rationale 5

2 Objectives 6

3 Research Questions 7

4 Methodology 7

5 Significance 8

5.1 Practical Significance 8

5.2 Theoretical Significance 8

6 Organization of the Thesis 8

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 9

1.1 Speaking 9

1.1.1 Definition of Speaking 9

1.1.2 Micro- and Macro-Speaking Skills 10

1.2 Teaching Speaking 10

1.3 Readers Theater 12

1.4 Advantages of Readers Theater in Teaching and Learning Speaking Skill 13

1.5 How is Readers Theater Applied and Studied around the World? 16

1.6 How is Readers Theater Applied and Studied in Vietnam? 17

1.7 Theoretical Support for this Study 18

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 21

2.1 Research Setting 21

2.2 Research Materials 21

2.3 Data Collection Techniques and Instruments 21

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2.3.1 Observation 22

2.3.2 Questionnaire Survey 22

2.3.3 Tests 23

2.4 Data Analyses 23

2.5 Research Procedure 24

2.5.1 The Situation Prior to the Research 28

2.5.2 Research Implementation 29

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 36

3.1 Readers Theater and the Improvement of Students‟ Speaking 36

3.1.1 Improvement of Speaking through Observation 36

3.1.2 Improvement of Speaking through Tests 38

3.2 Students‟ Responses toward the Implementation of Readers Theater in Speaking Classes 40

3.3 Some Cautions Concerning Readers Theater Application in Speaking Classes 42

CONCLUSIONS 44

1 Recapitulation 44

2 Implications 45

3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research 45

References 46

ANNEXES 50

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Situation Prior to the Research 29 Table 2: Scores of pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2 39

Figure 2: Cyclical Action Research Model (S Kemmis & McTaggart, 2005, p 278) 26

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

When learning speaking, learners are expected to be competent in using various language elements such as vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, amongst others, and it is so important to activate these elements in the process of teaching/learning There are many factors that may affect students‟ performance, for instance, the lack of opportunities to practice speaking in meaningful contexts Besides, class size and mixed ability class also reduce general learners‟ motivation in acquiring EFL speaking skill The students at an English center in Yen Bai, where the author is working, are

no exception They experience different problems with regards to speaking

Firstly, from my own observation, lack of students‟ speaking proficiency is the problem Their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are low, which make them unable to speak up during the speaking class In language teaching class, students rarely answer the questions given by the teacher orally It also takes them quite some time to produce an answer because they speak with a lot of pauses and they get difficulties in finding appropriate words to express their ideas

The next problem is that students have low motivation in learning speaking They have little chance to use English in their daily life and speaking activities for students to practice in class are also limited and boring Furthermore, a number of techniques and strategies used in speaking classes at the center are not effective in supporting students‟ improvement in communication in the target language Activities

in speaking classes are generally routines, while, as stated by Brown and Lee (2015, p 48), “routine activities in learning can make students bored As a result, their motivation and participation in learning will decrease” Learning activities become monotonous and less challenging Therefore, students are not enthusiastic and interested in joining speaking activities

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Another problem is that students often lack confidence in speaking English They tend to be passive in speaking lessons They are shy when using the target language in front of their teacher, and their mates Students are also afraid of making mistakes and being laughed at by their friends when they speak English Consequently, students usually avoid using English in class and prefer using their native language when answering questions or working in pairs or groups with their mates and their teacher This has been confirmed by many researchers: Psychological factors such as anxiety or shyness, lack of confidence, lack of motivation, and fear of mistakes commonly hinder students from speaking (Nunan, 1999; Sato, 2003; Thornbury, 2011)

One more problem that affects students‟ speaking skill improvement is the lack

of authentic input and output (Zhang, 2009) in which students can apply the language elements they have learnt meaningfully Students rarely have opportunities to practice the target language beyond the classroom; they often learn monotonously in speaking lessons, with the traditional method focusing mainly on listening and repeating language elements The lack of application is the main reason why not a small number

of students can get very high scores at exam, but cannot use their English in real life situations

One possible solution to such problems comes from teachers who play a crucial role in creating opportunities for students to practice speaking skill Such chances can

be created by applying various methods, including discussion, drama, role play, information gap, simulations, etc Among those alternatives, Readers Theater (henceforth RT) activity seems to be one of students‟ favorite

RT is a drama technique that is suitable for students at all levels because actors can play the story they have read without having to memorize the scripts RT creates opportunities for students to take part in practice activities as active participants rather than passive ones According to Thornburry (2011), speaking activities involving

drama elements provide a useful catalyst for real-life language use because learners take an imaginative leap beyond classroom boundaries RT is expected to help improve students‟ enthusiasm in practicing speaking in class and solve several students‟ problems in learning speaking

However, RT seems to be new in the country, so the author would like to carry out an action research using RT in the classroom of the English center where the author is teaching to improve students‟ speaking competence The study is entitled

“Improving English speaking skill of 4th graders by using Readers Theater”

2 Objectives

The objective of this action research first is to uncover how RT improves speaking skill among the students at the center The second is to find out more

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information on students‟ attitudes towards the practice of RT in their speaking class, the disadvantages, if any, that students may encounter besides its advantages Generally, the study aims to see how RT works with this group of students in a local Vietnamese context

4 Methodology

In line with the objectives of this research, a classroom action research which consisted of two cycles was conducted Each cycle of action research was carried out

by applying the model of action research proposed by Kemmis and Mc Taggart (1988,

as cited in Burns, 2010, p 7) By using this model, each research cycle passed through four broad phrases, namely planning, action, observation, and reflection The initial cycles of these four phrases lead to a second cycle in which the reflections of the previous cycle provided the information for the researcher to make the next cycle plan

Figure 1: The cycle of action research model Kemmis and Mc Taggart

(1988, as cited in Burns, 2010, p 7)

Action

Observation Reflection

Planning

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To answer the above-mentioned research questions, qualitative data in form of descriptions were collected; at the same time, the researcher collected data that can be measured and represented in numbers The qualitative data were collected from field notes and video recordings On the other hand, the quantitative data were from the scores of the student‟s speaking performances and the results of the questionnaires The teacher‟ field notes, video recordings, students‟ test scores were used to evaluate the improvement of students‟ speaking skill Some caution when applying RT in class was also noted through the observation process A questionnaire survey was conducted to find out the students‟ responses to the implementation of RT in speaking class

5 Significance

5.1 Practical Significance

This present study seeks to provide another fruitful option for EFL programs in Yen Bai and perhaps elsewhere English teachers may well implement RT in their speaking classes, and gradually apply this model to improve reading, listening and writing skills What is more, the present study also attempts to diminish the negative effect of class size and mixed ability class, and to some extents, ease the teacher‟s burden in designing extra teaching materials as well as motivating students to speak in speaking classes Last but not least, with RT, students should have a chance to work with others, learn with others, and thoroughly enjoy the moment of „real drama‟ in a theater

5.2 Theoretical Significance

Theoretically, this research may contribute to understanding of the use of Reader Theater in language teaching and learning, especially in teaching speaking in the local context of the country Also, this study used a mixed method approach to investigate the effectiveness of RT in promoting speaking skill, which proves the feasibility of mixed method approach in doing RT research

6 Organization of the Thesis

This thesis pictures an action research which encompasses 3 chapters, apart from the Introduction, Conclusion and necessary Annexes The Introduction presents general background information on the study, the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the significance of the study, and organization of the thesis Chapter 1 reviews relevant literature and previous studies with regard to the implementation of

RT in teaching and learning Chapter 2 describes the methodology of the research, including research design, research procedure, research materials, method of data collection, research instruments, the process of implementation RT in teaching, and data analysis Chapter 3 presents the findings and discussion, and the Conclusion finalizes the thesis

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CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

As an action research involving the application of RT in teaching speaking, this study is based on the following theoretical foundations, including: what is speaking in language teaching/learning; what is involved in teaching speaking; what is RT and why is it advantageous; and what has been done so far in terms of RT applications and research to justify the need for this study of mine

1.1.1 Definition of Speaking

The word speaking has many different meanings in linguistics‟ views Oxford Dictionary ("Speaking," 2018), speaking is “the action of conveying information or expressing one's thoughts and feelings in spoken languages.” Johns (1981) defines speaking as a productive skill Like writing, it involves using the organs of speech to express meanings to other people Burns and Joyce (1997) and Luoma (2004), however, considered speaking an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information Its form and meaning are dependent on the context in which it occurs, including the participants themselves, their collective experiences, the physical environment, and the purposes for speaking

It is often spontaneous, open-ended, and evolving However, speech is not always unpredictable Speaking requires that learners not only know how to understand the knowledge of language such as grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary seen as linguistic competence but also that they understand when, where, why and in what ways to produce language, sociolinguistic competence Thornbury (2011), on the other hand, treats speaking as a skill, like playing the guitar or of driving a car He believes speaking involves certain skills and several different types of knowledge They are extra-linguistic knowledge, i.e the knowledge of the sociocultural norms, culture, topic, the context and relationship to other speakers and linguistic knowledge that comprises of genre, discourse, and pragmatic knowledge (Thornbury, 2011) With reference to genre knowledge, he distinguishes between two main purposes for speaking: transactional and interpersonal The former relates to conveying information and exchange of goods and services and the latter to creating and maintaining social relations

To sum up, speaking is both a productive skill and an interactional process, which is subject to a number of influential factors such as context, relationship, socio-cultural knowledge, amongst others

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1.1.2 Micro- and Macro-Speaking Skills

As explained by Brown (2004, p 142), speaking covers micro- and skills These skills should be recognized as the guideline in assessing the students‟ speaking performance Micro-skills "refer to producing the smaller chunks of language such as phonemes, morphemes, words, collocations, and phrasal units” On the other hand, macro-skills "imply the speaker's focus on the larger elements: fluency, discourse, function, style, cohesion, nonverbal communication, and strategic options” He also adds that there are some different purposes of micro- and macro-skills of oral production Some of those used in this research are hereunder presented

macro-Micro-skills include:

1) Produce chunks of language of different lengths;

2) Produce English stress patterns, words in stressed and unstressed positions, rhythmic structure, and intonation contours;

3) Produce reduced forms of words and phrases;

4) Produce fluent speech at different rates of delivery;

5) Produce speech in natural constituents: in appropriate phrases, pause groups, breath groups, and sentence constituents

Regarding the same reference, some of macro-skills are as follows:

1) Appropriately accomplish communicative functions according to situations, participants, and goals;

2) Use appropriate styles, registers, implicature, redundancies, pragmatic conventions, conversation rules, floor keeping and yielding, interrupting, and other sociolinguistic features in face-to-face conversations;

3) Convey facial features, kinesics, body language, and other nonverbal cues along with verbal language

In English teaching and learning processes, speaking skill is considered one of the most important skills that learners need to acquire in order to be able to communicate using the target language Nunan (1999) and Burkart & Sheppard (2004) argue that success in learning a language is measured in terms of the ability to carry out a conversation in the (target) language Therefore, speaking is probably a priority for most learners of English (Florez, 1998)

Speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts" (Chaney & Burk, 1998, p 12) Speaking is a highly complicated and dynamic skill that requires the simultaneous combination of cognitive ability, cultural awareness and physical attempts to perform

an act of speaking in real time communication Teaching speaking skill is not just as

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having students repeat of drills or memory of dialogues, it is a complexity process of teaching them the knowledge of speaking, skills and strategies In teaching speaking, teachers should strive to improve their students‟ vocabulary and confidence by creating opportunities which will enable them to use the language within authentic context and learn in meaning full context (Brown & Lee, 2015)

According to Nunan (2003), “teaching speaking” is to teach ESL learners to:

- produce the English speech sounds and sound patterns;

- use word and sentence stress, intonation patterns and the rhythm of the second language;

- select appropriate words and sentences according to the proper social setting, audience, situation and subject matter;

- organize their thoughts in a meaningful and logical sequence;

- use language as a means of expressing values and judgments;

- use the language quickly and confidently with few unnatural pauses, which is called

as fluency (Nunan, 2003)

Goh & Burns (2012) mentioned the three components of second language speaking competences and also explained in detail how each component works and affects each other According to them, there are three components The first component is gaining knowledge of language and discourse, which requires students

to understand and master the language‟s pronunciation, comprehend the vocabulary and grammar and know how to organize a different type of speech The ultimate goal

of this component is to help speakers gaining social acceptance when speaking the target language (Burns & Goh, 2012) The next components is core speaking skill, which focuses on developing fluency of the speech, students‟ negotiation and monitoring skills, and their ability to manage the speech The final components are strategies; it is about building cognitive strategies to deal with the insufficiency of the speakers‟ language knowledge Strategies emphasize on using circumlocution, gesture, word creation, approximation or avoidance to compensate the limitation of the speakers in terms of language knowledge

Brown (2015, pp 257-267) discussed the principles of teaching speaking that can be summarized as follows:

1 Use technique that cover the spectrum of learners needs, from language-based focus on accuracy to message-based focus on interaction, meaning and fluency;

2 Provide intrinsically motivating techniques;

3 Encourage the use of authentic language in meaningful contexts;

4 Provide appropriate feedback and correction;

5 Capitalize on the natural link between speaking and listening;

6 Give students opportunities to initiate oral communication

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7 Encourage the development of speaking strategies

Teaching speaking requires teachers not only help students know how to produce specific elements of language such as grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary but also make them understand the structural and systematical speaking knowledge, when, why and in what ways to produce language More importantly, it is the teachers‟ instructions which play a vital role in fostering the improvement of the students‟ speaking skill in such specific language aspects as pronunciation, developing communication strategies or using appropriate gesture to support speaking, etc

Readers Theater has its origins in ancient Greece and was first introduced as a minimal theater in support of literature and reading It was originally developed as a means to present literary works in dramatic form RT allows students to engage in creative writing through adding and recreating lines in a story script, and by providing introductory and transitional details as they adapt a piece of literature into dramatic form (Shepard, 2006) RT is an oral interpretation of a story presented as a mini-theater production; besides, it is a literature-based oral reading which communicates story through oral interpretation (Walker, 1998) In RT, the readers read aloud directly from the script with expressive intonation and facial expression “Reader‟s Theater is

an interpretive reading activity in which readers use their voices to bring characters to life” (Martinez, Roser, & Strecker, 1998) It is dependent on the ability of readers‟ voice and expression to capture the listeners‟ attention (Sloyer, 1982) Based on Shepard (2004), there are many styles of RT, but nearly all share these features: (a) Narration serves as the framework of dramatic presentation; (b) No full stage sets If used at all, sets are simple and suggestive; (c) No full costumes If used at all, costumes are partial and suggestive, or neutral and uniform; (d) No full memorization Scripts are used openly in performance

According to Worthy & Prater (2002), the readers first read a story and then transform the story into a script involving several characters A wide range of texts can be used for Reader Theatre purposes These may be fictional texts, such as narratives, short stories, folk tales, myths and extracts from novels, or non-fiction texts, such as biographies and autobiographies, diaries, speeches, letters, newspaper articles and historical documents (Black & Stave, 2007) Texts that pupils have written themselves can also be used for Readers Theatre (Hoyt, 1992) Whatever text

is used, it is necessary to adapt it for group reading by dividing it up into smaller units, often at the sentence level, which different readers are allocated Patrick (2008) writes that these are four basic steps in Readers Theatre as follows:

1 Readers first read a story, and then

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2 Make selective and analytical choices in transforming the story into a script through social negotiation,

3 Formulate, practice and refine their interpretations, and

4 Finally perform for an audience, reading aloud from hand-held scripts

“The goal of Reader‟s Theater is to read a script in which the story theme and character development are conveyed to the audience through intonation, inflection, and fluency” (McAndrews, 2004)

Speaking Skill

Readers Theater is one of many types of drama activities which have been used

in teaching language for a long time Having been used to teach foreign languages since middle ages, drama plays an important role to learn target language and culture Nathan and Stanovich (1991) indicate that incorporating drama within the classroom has distinctive and defining elements of language development Drama is pedagogy that reaches students of multiple intelligences and different learning styles It is a multi-sensory mode of learning that engages mind, body, senses and emotions to create personal connections to the real world and helps to improve comprehension and retention (Prochazka, 2007) Drama is considered an effective method in teaching foreign language because it provides meaningful contexts for learners to practice the target language Dougill (1987) indicates that the drama activities in classroom could encourage them to use their language to speak in meaningful dialogues It can help increase students‟ motivation in learning English, reduce anxiety and enhance language acquisition, especially speaking Through drama, students can gain greater experience in using the language and be more willing to share their feelings and views with other members within a secure environment If the teacher and the learner are able to use drama to create roles and situations, there will be a greater variety of different contexts for talk (Neelands, 1992)

RT has been proved to have several benefits for language skills, including listening, speaking, reading and writing RT offers a visual, oral, and audio stimulus for students; it attracts students‟ interest and attention through drama It incorporates all four skills, literary materials, and provides motivation for students in a communicative context (Flynn, 2004; Kelleher, 1997) In other words, RT can improve listening, speaking, reading and writing skills (Huang, 2006) RT performs a plot of meaning-making for the aim of communication and, spiriting with an audience (Neelands, 1992) Jordan and Harrell (2000) recognize RT as an effective drama activity for providing authentic speech practice, especially in teaching reading fluency (rate, accuracy, phrasing, pitch, stress and expressiveness) as well as facilitating comprehension for beginning readers They suggested that “involving students with

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enjoyable and exciting active reading procedures provide the key to fluency and higher levels of comprehension gain, through a natural process of repeated readings and interactive transactions with language” (Jordan & Harrell, 2000, p 74) According

to Shepard (2006), Readers Theater allows students to engage in creative writing through adding and recreating lines in a story script, and by providing introductory and transitional details as they adapt a piece of literature into dramatic form Readers Theater will benefit EFL students because it has the following key features:

1 Students interpret the story orally, rather than act it out

2 Students don‟t try to become the characters, like actors do, although they use their voices and gestures to bring life to the characters

3 Students don‟t have to memorize lines They take their reading texts or scripts on stage with them – even if they don‟t use them

4 Students don‟t need elaborate costumes

5 Students don‟t need special sets or props

Readers Theatre is a holistic method that integrates reading, speaking, listening and thinking (Rinehart, 1999) It is a collective, all-inclusive reading activity, allowing readers of different levels of reading ability to participate in a non-threatening, controlled and prepared setting‟ (Black & Stave, 2007, p 4) Some of RT advantages are related to the factors affecting speaking skill They are:

1 Readers Theater boosts listening and speaking skills

2 Students are trained to speak at an appropriate rate with accuracy, proper phrasing, and expression

3 Readers Theater improves sight word recognition

4 Readers Theater improves students‟ confidence

5 Students‟ ownership and engagement in the process is high

6 Readers Theatre supports the learning of bodily-kinesthetic learners

7 Collaboration and teamwork and emphasized skills

8 Readers Theater promotes cooperative interaction with peers

9 Readers Theater encourages social interaction during reading time

10 Readers Theater encourages practice at home with family members and friends (Buzzeo, 2006)

Hill (1990) states that, in creating Readers Theater scripts, students increase their knowledge of language structure (vocabulary, syntax and meaning), language use (forms and functions of language use) and their metalinguistic awareness (the ability

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to talk about language) Dougill (1987, p 22) outlines two important reasons why scripts are of particular value to language learning Firstly, scripts provide a rich source of comprehensible input in language that is natural and spoken This is in contrast to the atomistic approach of much of the language skill found in many course books where language is broken down into sentences or even smaller units and moreover, what spoken language is contained therein often takes the form of unrealistic (and uninvolving) slices of dialogue that have little value in terms of style

or humor Secondly, script also offers psychological security to the students This is particularly applicable to EFL learners who generally exhibit language anxiety (Horwitz, 1986) particularly in English oral proficiency and are looking for a secure starting point Berlinger (2000), recognizing the benefits of scripted dialogues in encouraging English expressions, argues that scripts have long been employed in ESL instruction because they permit students to actively acquire the vocabulary, idioms, grammar and syntax of English speech He also points out that such dialogues involve all aspects of language In addition, scripts that are rehearsed in class can offer students a dynamic encounter that comes closest to real communication

Since the writing of scripts involves all aspects of language, Readers Theater should enable EFL students to acquire language in a real communicative context and allows creativity Readers Theater would help EFL students to improve their oral communication skills In addition, there are also other benefits for students such as their capacity to imagine is extended Hearing well-written stories reinforce their use

of language skills, encourage them to read with avidity, and stimulates concentrated listening (Sloyer, 1982)

Because RT emphasizes oral and facial expressions, RT can help students enhance their English oral abilities RT provides a meaningful context that reduces students‟ nervousness, encourages students to speak, even the most reluctant or quietest student Through oral reading performances, all students have the opportunity

to practice their speaking, gradually increase their confidence in speaking in front of others, and finally succeed in performing the script for an audience (Huang, 2006) In

RT, each student only reads small chunks of words at a time because the scripts are divided among several readers This also helps students lower their anxiety When performing on the stage, students look at the script and read their parts; therefore, they are free of memorization the text When the readers are free of the anxiety of memorization of a text, they can concentrate on other aspects of the drama (Trousdale

& Harris, 1993, p 202), pay attention to articulation, pronunciation, fluency and projection when reading (Black & Stave, 2007, p 7) Besides, RT emphasizes not only words, structures, and pronunciation but also thoughts, motivations and comprehension (Miccoli, 2003) Finally, after students use RT, they can make significant progress in oral skills (Tian & Wu, 2012)

to write down ideas, and how to have the ideas organized in a systematic as well as efficient way (Lee, 2010; Styles & Dunn, 1989) When rehearsing, students discuss the characters and their characteristics They talk about what the tones, intonations, and expressions are more suitable for reading and they read the script repeatedly and silently Being a part of the group, they have to practice correct pronunciation, intonation, and expression when reading the text repeatedly Flynn (2004, p 361) argues that the teamwork in RT motivates readers to be attentive because one always wants to do one‟s best when one is together with others Even for the purpose to make their reading performance better, students are willing to spend extra time practicing oral skills When conquering fears and being willing to take risks in speaking in front

of others, students make significant progress in improvement of oral skills along with realizing the underlined oral

As RT brings about so many benefits to students and teachers, why not apply it

in a local context to see how local students respond, what benefits it offers the most, what may not work in the local context, what can be improved in RT application – these again confirm the necessity to do this action research of mine

RT is a group reading experience that has its roots in the old traditions of telling in ancient Greece (Drew, 2013) RT has been used as a method in schools,

story-especially in the USA in first language Since the 1950s During the 1960s, Reader’s Theater became popular among college theater departments and from there it spread

to secondary English education Although not widely practiced as a form of theatre today, RT has continued to be used in schools in mother tongue contexts (Chard & Tyler, 2000; Peebles, 2007), and has also been applied to foreign language classrooms (Chan & Chan, 2009; Drew & Pedersen, 2010)

The practice of RT in schools has led to a number of studies on its educational value in mother tongue contexts (Chard & Tyler, 2000; Flynn, 2004; Martinez et al., 1998; Rinehart, 1999) and foreign language classroom environments (Chan & Chan, 2009; Drew, 2013; Drew & Pedersen, 2010)

Research on RT has shown that RT not only benefits pupils‟ cognitive skills but also their motivation and confidence to read aloud On the effects of RT on pupils‟ cognitive skills RT has shown benefits in areas such as word recognition (Millin &

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Rinehart, 1999; Samuels, 1997), pronunciation (Trousdale & Harris, 1993), fluency (Martinez et al., 1998) and comprehension (M E McKay, 2008; Rasinski, 2006) In reference to the affective benefits, studies show that RT has a positive influence on pupils‟ motivation (Black & Stave, 2007; Casey & Chamberlain, 2006; Millin & Rinehart, 1999; Peebles, 2007; Worthy & Prater, 2002) Pupils who would otherwise have been reluctant to read aloud individually, thrive in the role of being part of a group of readers with collective responsibility for the text (Black & Stave, 2007) Through collaboration and interaction while reading, even struggling readers feel a sense of belonging to and contributing to the group (Chard & Tyler, 2000) Another motivation factor is the gradual growth in confidence as readers become more familiar and comfortable with the text through rehearsal (Rinehart, 1999; Uthman, 2002)

An abundance of research exists emphasize RT as a performance genre with educational benefits Although a few studies focused on examining the RT implementation in an L2 environment (Adams, Farris, Patterson, Santiago, & Secrist,

2007 Santiago, & Secrist, 2007; Liu, 2000; Peng, 2009; Yang, 2006), most discussions focus on its possibilities of enhancing fluency and comprehension, motivation, and reading development; yet, there is minimal research on RT and its effectiveness as an instructional method to influence students‟ oral skill There has been also little research done in elementary ESL classrooms That adds another justification for my present study

In Vietnam, the purpose of reforming teaching and learning of foreign languages

in the national system has been stressed in the National Foreign Language 2020 Project According to this project, by 2020 all learners are expected to have the capacity of communicating with others in foreign languages successfully, particularly

in English (Ministry of Education and Training, 2008) Focusing on developing students‟ communicative ability, it is necessary that the English class has to break with the familiar routine of working with texts in a mere handful of “traditional” ways, such as asking and answering comprehension questions, translation and vocabulary tests Given the importance of speaking skill, in recent years there have been a lot of changes in the instructional approach of teaching and learning English in Vietnam Different techniques have been applied in English classes in order to create chances for students to use the target language meaningfully and communicatively, which helps enhance students‟ oral production in English as a foreign language Plenty of research has been done on different strategies to achieve the supportive environment and maximize students‟ learning, resulting in advice, techniques, articles, and resource books for teachers

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Drama is one of the strategies that have been used in various educational settings, especially in the context of ESL/ EFL teaching Drama is considered a very effective technique in teaching speaking Hamilton and McLeod describe the relationship between drama and foreign language teaching as follows: “It is hard to imagine anything else that offers to language teachers such a wide variety of types of talks, for example monologues, paired speaking, role-plays, group discussions, reporting, talking in response to other stimuli, problem-solving, developing scenarios, acting out, etc from explaining, complaining, praising, disagreeing to exhorting, apologizing and requesting – there is no language function that drama is not capable

of easily encompassing” (Hamilton & McLeod, 1993, p 5) While many English teachers in Vietnam have been quite familiar with some types of drama in class like role-play, simulation, acting play scripts…, they seem to be unfamiliar with Readers Theater Hardly any research has been conducted into the implementation of RT as an instructional technique in the context of teaching and learning English in Vietnam so far This once more justifies the need for a study like what I have done and is presented in this thesis

1.7 Theoretical Support for this Study

Readers Theater is one of many types of drama activities which have been used

in teaching language for a long time Having been used to teach foreign languages since middle ages, drama plays an important role to learn target language and culture ( Tüm, 2010) Drama has been view as a way of learning by Psychologists When

studying the growth of human cognitively, psychologists found drama provides a sound foundation for development “Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner both see cognitive growth as dependent upon interactive play and upon children imagining themselves acting in worlds that are developmentally a bit above their actual physical and intellectual level Both provide a solid foundation for using drama in the classroom as a way that deepens and enlarges understanding” (Wagner 15)

“Dr Howard Gardner, co-director of Project Zero at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, has developed a theory of multiple intelligences which suggests that our school systems, which reflect our culture, teach, test, reinforce, and reward primarily two kinds of intelligence verbal and logical-mathematical” (Dickinson) According to Gardner, students learn in many different ways He states that all individuals possess the skills but the degree of the skills will vary from person

to person depending on the combination of the skills He has defined seven multiple

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intelligences and these multiple intelligences are unique to the individual (Gardner, 1985) If educators teach their students knowing that there are other intelligences besides only verbal and logical, then students will have better chances of learning Each child is a unique learner and there has been a growing awareness of the need to take into account the different types of „intelligences‟ (Gardner 1993).Readers‟ Theatre relates to the theory of multiple intelligences by connecting with at least five

of the intelligences that include bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, musical, linguistic, and interpersonal (Gardner, 1985) through repeated readings, action and movement, and student interactions Gardner has considered each of these intelligences as equally important to learning “These intelligences provide the foundations for the visual arts, music, dance, and drama, and through these art forms most students will not only find the means for communication and self-expression, but the tools to construct meaning and learn almost any subject effectively” (Dickinson) Through Gardner‟s theories, there is evidence that RT is an effective means of reaching students with intelligences The intelligences are inherent in creative drama and a Well – designing of using drama has avenues for reaching each student through her favored learning style Using RT in EFL classes has the potential to meet the needs of the learners by providing the teacher with a framework to address different intelligences of the students Susan Stern (in Sam 1990), who looks into drama in second language learning from a psycholinguistic point of view, emphasizes that drama heightens self-esteem, motivation, spontaneity, increases capacity for empathy, and lowers sensitivity to rejection These tremendous benefits of drama facilitate communication and provide an appropriate psycholinguistic climate for language learning by addressing multiple intelligences of the students

verbal-Another theory related to using drama in teaching is constructive theory The constructivist theory has had the greatest impact on instruction and curriculum design because it seems to be the most encouraging to integration into current educational approaches (Jones & Brader-Araje, 2002) At the heart of constructivism is the idea that learning is neither passive nor a copying process Rather, it is a process of active participation (Schifter &Simon, 1990) Constructivists believe that knowledge

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construction takes place when new knowledge is actively assimilated and accommodated into existing knowledge (Piaget 1967) The term “constructivism” is most commonly used to refer to the theory that stems from this knowledge about learning Understanding, at any given time, is organized in the network of existing knowledge within the learner‟s mind (Schifter & Simon, 1990) One theoretical viewpoint about modern educational Drama emerges from the ideas of educators such

as Rousseau, Montessori, Bruner, and Dewey They say that learning happens through active participation, or as Dewey states "learning by doing” (Courtney 1) Drama is a form of “learning by doing.” Dewey also stressed the importance of the imagination

He called imagination the “gateway through which meanings are derived from past experiences that are carried into the present” (Iannone 307) The curriculum should integrate the imagination or aesthetic world with the cognitive world of the student

“John Dewey‟s, „learning by doing‟ theory shaped The progressive era in education” (Wagner 15)

In this English center, there are English classes for students at any ages The English courses designed for kids follow the YLE framework of Cambridge from Pre-starters level to Flyers level The classes meet two times a week and each lesson lasts

3 periods

2.2 Research Materials

According to Ludolph (2013), literature used to make a good RT script work if it has a strong line, conflict, plot, action, humor, and interesting characters The script used also contains dialogues and is not filled with lots of description/descriptive passages Choosing materials which are suitable to students‟ level of English is an important step which determines the success of the RT activity

In this study, the materials used in speaking were taken from Reading A-Z website (https://www.readinga-z.com) Reading A-Z is popular to educators for its extensive collections of graded reading resources with more than 2,000 books at 29 levels of reading difficulty to choose from Because the stories on this page are put into the categories according to the age of readers, it is not so difficult for the researcher to choose books with appropriate content for her students

Considering the English level of the participants, the topics of the stories which must be close to real life situations and interest to young learners, the researcher used

two stories named “Doctor Jen” and “Four friends” written by Cheryl Ryan for two

cycles of the action research

2.3 Data Collection Techniques and Instruments

The data collection techniques are decided on the basis of the research questions mentioned in the Introduction In this classroom action research, the data which are collected by observations, questionnaires and tests are explained as follows:

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2.3.1 Observation

The data in the form of qualitative method were collected from the observations done by the teacher during the teaching-learning process about the whole activities and the students‟ behavior According to Burns (2010), observing and describing have

a key role to play in action research Most of the observation will have a focus; it is carried out systematically with the clear intention of understanding the students This includes their behavior and learning, such as skills and knowledge, interests and thought processes, social interactions and attitude to learning “It involves note taking, probably using a particular recording method and can be diagnostic tool as it provides information for reflection, analysis and discussion.” (Duncan & Lockwood, 2008, pp 46-47) The data of observation were recorded in the form of field-notes Besides that, the video record was used by the researcher to supplement the field note data, because the notes alone could not record all of the things that happened during the classroom time

Teacher‟s field-note observations and video tape were used to record the process

of teaching and learning in classroom to see if the application of RT could improve the students‟ speaking skill and what should be noticed when using RT technique in speaking lessons

2.3.2 Questionnaire Survey

A questionnaire survey was distributed among the students at the end of the process in order to explicitly elicit the students‟ opinion about Readers Theater implementation Dornyei (2001) notes that through questionnaires a researcher can obtain three types of information: factual or demographic (who the participants are and their background/experiences); behavioral (what they do or did in the past);

attitudinal (attitudes, opinions, beliefs, interests and values) Questionnaire survey

technique is considered a very effective tool which enables researchers to gather large scale numerical data over a short period of time In this particular study, the researcher used this method to collect students‟ responses of Readers Theater technique This section included 8 Likert-type (summated rating scale) items Because the participants were 10 years old students, the five-scale Likert scale seemed not to be suitable as stated by Royeen (1985): The children found the 5-item response format too confusing, and they were confused by the rather abstract notion of how much the item was liked by them The researcher decided to choose an adapted form of Likert scaling with 3-point scale and smiley face elements alongside the text of response options to help respondents process the categories Participants were asked to rate each statement at levels of 1 (agree); 2 (neither agree or disagree); 3 (disagree) (see Annex D) The questionnaires were written in Vietnamese to ensure that the students understood the questions and to make it easier for them to respond

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2.3.3 Tests

According to Brown and Abeywickrama (2004), a test can be defined as a method of measuring a person‟s ability, knowledge, or performance in a given domain In this research, the researcher conducted a pre-test in the beginning of the teaching learning process and a post-test at the end of each cycle The speaking scores

of the test within each process were analyzed to see the degree of the student‟s speaking proficiency

The tests were in form of storytelling in which students were asked to tell a story based on the pictures given This type of test is one of the tasks students had to do in the final test of the Movers course There were three tests in total, one pre-test and two post-tests

In this research, the students‟ performance tests were scored by using the speaking rubric proposed by Gall, Borg, and Gall (2003, p 571) (see Annex C) It was

an assessment rubric test consisting of four aspects They were fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, and pronunciation Each aspect was scored 1 to 10 in which every score had different indicators: the higher the score is, the more complicated the indicators will be and vice versa

2.4 Data Analyses

Qualitatively, all the observation data collected were organized and classified the researcher followed the framework proposed by Burns (2010) This framework consists of five stages:

(i) Assembling the data

In this stage, the field notes data and any ongoing reflections were gathered The initial and/or revised questions about the research process were reviewed in order to examine the changes occurring in the two cycles

(ii) Coding the data

The data gathered were then coded into categories

(iii) Comparing the data

Once the coding was complete, the categories or patterns were compared across different sets of data to review and highlight contradictions and differences

(iv) Building interpretations

In this stage, more abstract „big picture‟ concepts of what had been found were built and any „personal theories‟ about the meaning or importance of the research were refined

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(v) Reporting the outcomes

This was the final stage where the research was presented It was important to consider how the whole „story of the research‟ from the beginning to the end was going to be organized

The researcher observed the process of RT implementation in classroom based

on the activities performed by both the teacher and the students in five stages of realizing RT (reading, writing the script, rehearing, performing, feedback) The observation notes were classified according to the stages of RT application The data from video tapes were used to supplement the writing notes

Quantitatively, the responses from the questionnaires were rated as to frequency and tabulated into percentages The researcher rounded off the percentages so that they do not always reflect 100% The questionnaire was used to see students‟ response toward the process of teaching and learning using RT

The students‟ scores in pre-test and post-tests were compared to see the improvements of the students‟ speaking skill The mean of the pre-test and the post-tests can be calculated with the formulas as follows:

In which:

x = means of pre-test scores

y = means of post-test scores

N = the number of sample

And a qualitative analysis is employed „to gain a concise numerical picture of the issues; to characterize or describe a set of numbers; to show numbers succinctly in terms of averages, frequencies, percentages; to show how numbers disperse or vary around a central point‟ (Burns, 2010, p 118)

2.5 Research Procedure

Regarding the aims of solving students‟ problem in learning speaking skill and improving their speaking competence, this research was undertaken on the basis of a classroom action research design

There are various definitions of action research stated by different experts Kemmis (1993) gives the definition of action research as follows: Action research is a form of self-reflective inquiry undertaken by participators in a social situation (including education) in order to improve the rationality and justice of (a) their own social or educational practice, (b) their understanding of these practices and (c) the situation in which practices are carried out Action research, as defined by McKay

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(2006) is both „action‟, in that it seeks to bring about a change, and „research‟, in that data are collected and analyzed According to Pine (Pine, 2008, p 30), classroom action research is a process of concurrently inquiring about problems and taking actions to solve them It is a sustained, intentional, recursive, and dynamic process of inquiry in which the teacher takes an action purposefully and ethically in specific classroom contexts to improve teaching/learning It provides practitioners with new knowledge and understanding about how to improve educational practices or resolve significant problems in classrooms and schools (Mills, 2011; Stringer, 2008)

Burns (1999) states that classroom action research has some characteristics:

1 Action research is contextual, small-scale and localized It identifies and investigates within a specific situation

2 It is evaluative and reflective as it aims to bring about change and improvement in practice

3 It is perspiratory as it provides for collaborative investigation by team colleagues, practitioners, and researchers

4 Change in practices is based on the collection of information or data which provide the impetus of change

Although teachers often work collaboratively on action research projects, this type of research can also be done by an individual teacher working alone (Ferrance, 2000; McKay, 2006) Burns (2012) state the questions asked by the people doing action research are different from traditional research questions If traditional research questions ask about what other people doing, an action research asks about what the researcher do In an action research, the researcher plays dual roles Teacher can be either active participant (Frankel & Wallen, 2012)

The model of action research presented by Kemmis and McTaggart (2005) is one of the most widely used ones, hence, this research implemented their model as a way in conducting an action research study The cycle of a classroom action research

is illustrated in Figure 2

 Plan: The planning stage involves refining the researchers‟ ideas about what

to investigate in their classroom, and if possible developing some questions they would like to answer Then, it is possible to develop teaching strategies or activities to try out

 Act: This stage involves acting on the researchers‟ plans and experimenting with new approaches or activities

 Observe: In this stage, the researchers collect information, or data, on what is happening as a result of implementing their plans

 Reflect: This part of the process occurs from the time the research begins as then researchers reflect more systematically than usual on what effect the research is having However, it is also important to identify the overall messages coming from the research, which help the researchers to articulate their personal teaching philosophies

or theories about practice

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This research applied action research design because of some considerations First, the research was conducted in an attempt to solve the problems posed by students in the process of learning speaking skill Secondly, this research was done in

a cyclical process, and the practitioner (researcher) had flexibility to make change from one cycle to the next In addition, this research was done in the context of a classroom with a small group of students, so using action research design is suitable

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As a researcher, the writer followed two reflective cycles consisting of four processes including: planning, action, observation, and reflection Planning refers to determining the subject, steps of action, and instruments used for collecting data Action refers to what the researcher would do in the classroom and how the class would be managed based on the previous lesson plan Observation refers to the activity to observe the classroom situation and to learn of the student‟s behaviors during the process of teaching learning in order to understand the students‟ problem and improvement during the action given Reflection refers to the activity where the researcher can decide whether the study will be continued or stopped

2.5.1 The Situation Prior to the Research

In conducting the research, the researcher worked collaboratively with the English teacher of the Movers class at the English center Before conducting the research, the researcher discussed and shared the Action Research knowledge with the teacher The teacher was interested in it since she wanted to know the students‟ improvement through the research

The researcher conducted observation and some interviews to identify the problems in the English teaching and learning processes at the Movers class Acting as the observer, the writer observed the students‟ performance in class and see how good their speaking competence is during the teaching and learning process done by the English teacher During the observation, the researcher found that students had problems in their speaking Some students spoke with wrong pronunciation, they were not fluent when using English; the students‟ vocabulary was still low, they got difficulties in expressing their ideas Some others were better, but they were not confident when using English to communicate The classroom atmosphere was not lively, either Many students were busy talking to their friends; the others kept silent

or spoke Vietnamese when being asked Most of them were bored and were not active

in the speaking class By interviewing students, the researcher found out that most of the students felt that speaking English was difficult, and they were not motivated in speaking lessons

Afterwards, the researcher held a pre-test in which the students were asked to tell

a story based on the pictures given and practice it in front of the class This pre-test was to measure how well their speaking ability was The mean score of the test was 5.47 from range 1-10

After the problems were identified, a pre-requisite analysis was carried out in order to identify the cause-and-effect relationships among those problems The analysis was conducted by having a discussion with the teacher as the collaborator Considering the problems, the researcher believed that the possible reasons underlying

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the problems were the students‟ shortage of speaking practice, the lack of meaningful contexts for students to practice speaking and the limitation in the speaking activities used in speaking class The situation prior to the research can be seen in the table below:

Table 1: Situation Prior to the Research

Problems

identified

 The students‟ speaking proficiency was still low

 Students had low motivation to speak in English

Indicators

The students’ speaking proficiency was still low

 difficulties in pronunciation

 rarely answered questions given by the teacher orally

 spoke with a lot of pauses

 difficulties to find the appropriate words to create sentences or expressions

 difficulties to recognize the words and grammar used

Students had low motivation to speak in English

 Students kept silent when being required to do the speaking tasks

 Students prefer using Vietnamese to answer the teacher‟s questions

 Some students did not concentrate on the lesson, they were busy chatting to their friends

 Students were not confident to speak out their answers

Causes  Low mastery of grammar and vocabulary

 Limited time and speaking practice

 The speaking activities were boring

 The teaching – learning activities were too tense and racing

nerve- No meaningful contexts for students to practice speaking

2.5.2 Research Implementation

After knowing the situation prior to the research, the researcher implemented the action with the collaborator by teaching the students using RT and the English teacher observed the class The teacher also helped in preparing and collecting the materials The classroom action research covered two cycles Each cycle consisted of five steps which included: 1) planning the action; 2) implementing the action; 3)

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observing the action; 4) reflecting the observation result; and 5) revising the plan Every cycle was held in four meetings, and every meeting lasted 45 minutes The more detailed descriptions of the implementation is given in the following section

2.5.2.1 Report of Cycle I

i) Planning of Cycle I

Two main problems were identified: 1) the students‟ speaking proficiency was still low; 2) the students had low motivation to speak in English The first cycle in this research focused on the efforts to improve these conditions

To overcome these problems, the researcher decided to work collaboratively with the teacher and conducted an action research by using RT in class Before the action was implemented, some plans to decide the actions which would be implemented in the field were made The topic chosen for cycle I was expressing health problems The teaching material was prepared: story, lesson plan…, the time, the schedule The instruments and the method to obtain the research data were also prepared by the researcher (sheets for classroom observation, survey questionnaire, and camera)

ii) Action and Observation of Cycle I

In action stage, the researcher implemented the activities which were carefully planned in the preceding phase The actions were carried out in four meetings In the teaching and learning processes, the researcher and English teacher exchanged their roles (the researcher played a role as the teacher while the English teacher acted as the observer)

Description of Meeting 1

The first meeting of Cycle 1 started at 9.50 am The topic of this meeting was

“Expressing health problems” The researcher took the role as the teacher and started the lesson by greeting students After greeting, the researcher introduced to the students the topic of the lesson and told them that they were going to read a story about a family with their health problems Then the researcher gave each student a copy of the story namely “Doctor Jen” The researcher asked students to read the story individually and helped them with any words they did not understand After explaining and modeling the pronunciation of difficult vocabularies, the researcher read the story aloud one time, and then let students read the story aloud by themselves again and again Before closing the lesson, the researcher reviewed the materials and checked the students‟ understanding of the topic by asking some questions

Description of Meeting 2