Using project based teaching method to help students study culture in tieng anh 10 effectively

Teaching English is supposed not only to equip the students withthe language skills but also to provide them with world cultural knowledge.. That is the reason why I choose the topic “Us

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.2 Orientation of Vietnamsese education on teaching methods 5

Appendix 1: Rubric for oral presentation

Appendix 2: Some videos of students’ projects

Appendix 3: The video’s written transcripts

Appendix 4: Quick survey questions

References

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 The rationale for the study

In the past English was often regarded as the property of “native-speakers ofEnglish” and of countries where it has the status of a mother tongue or first languagefor the majority of the population Nowadays, English is no longer viewed as theproperty of the English-speaking world but is an international commodity To meetthe demand of integration, Vietnam has chosen English to teach and learn at schoolsand universities Teaching English is supposed not only to equip the students withthe language skills but also to provide them with world cultural knowledge

As we all know, “Language is a part of the culture, they can not be separatedfrom each other.” Therefore, it is necessary to understand the cultural backgroundknowledge In modern high schools, the teachers mainly cultivate ability in listening,speaking, reading and writing, and their ultimate aim is to train students to useEnglish to communicate with each other In fact, the four aspects are inseparablefrom the cultural background knowledge Without language, culture would not bepossible Language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects culture Somepeople say that “listening” is an important aspect of communicative competence.However, listening ability, reading ability, the listener’s language skill, culturalbackground knowledge, thinking skill are closely related If the language capability ofthe listener is relatively strong, but he knows little cultural background knowledge, it

is difficult to understand the meaning of the listening materials, he even makes amistake in understanding Obviously, culture plays an important role in Englishteaching Speaking is not merely concerned with pronunciation and intonation.Students can only improve their oral English and reach the aim of communication bymeans of enormous reading, mastering rich language material and acquaintance ofWestern culture

Another principal reason for the inclusion of culture in the second languagecurriculum is cross-cultural understanding International understanding is seen as one

of the basic goals of language education It is equally important to understand thedifferences among the various subcultures within which people of different races,religions, and political beliefs live together peacefully Peace and progress in a world

of diverse elements no doubt depend upon understanding, tolerance, exchange andcooperation Foreign language study is one of the core educational components forachieving this widely recognized aim Whether or not the foreign language learningand teaching are successful counts on how much cultural and linguistic informationthe students can get

Our view of the role of culture in language teaching and learning has changedconsiderably in recent years As can be seen, Tieng Anh 10, which follows thesystematic, cyclical and theme-based curriculum approved by the Minister of Educationand Training on 23rd November 2012, contains a variety of cultural features of VietNam and English-speaking countries through different lessons Moreover, Tieng Anh

10 is designed with a culture subsection in the lesson ‘Communication and Culture’,

demonstrating that culture is highly appreciated in teaching and learning English At thesame time, studying Vietnamese culture through English lessons can help to stimulatethe love for students’ motherland, promote solidarity and amity with people inother countries Students are also hoped to be the transmitter of Vietnamese cultureinto the world

However, learners’ aim of learning English today is usually to pass the testsand important exams In reality, students do not have to take a test of culture sostudents scarcely pay due attention to the cultural features mentioned in the textbook

It is not difficult to find that numerous young Vietnamese learners also ignore the

long-standing traditions of their country and the world Besides, culture, appearing as only a

small part in a lesson, provides students with short reading passages and mainlyanswering question tasks This causes a limitation in apprehending cultural aspects,and even some teachers choose to neglect culture or spend insufficient time toemphasize the culture section Students’ knowledge of the basic aspects of target culturetends to be inexplicit and incomprehensive if they have not been provided withsystematic knowledge in schools Language teachers have to admit that many studentsare not gaining a basic familiarity with the English culture, even though language andculture go hand in hand in a classroom

Today, learners are no longer passive in learning; they have become thecenter of the classroom activities Meanwhile, with students’ activeness in class,the teacher now works as a facilitator, an encourager, an organizer and guide.Therefore, students should be given opportunities to discover cultural aspects bythemselves, which encourages students to learn intensively Project-based approach isone of the effective ways to engage students in active learning That is the reason why I

choose the topic “Using project- based teaching method to help students learn culture

in Tieng Anh 10 effectively” It is hoped that doing projects can motivate students to

expand and absorb the knowledge on culture actively and deeply

1.2 Objectives of the study

With the presented rationale, the specific aim of the study, accordingly, is tomotivate students to broaden students' background knowledge about the world anddeepen their knowledge about the culture of Vietnam Besides, the researcher alsodesires to join hands with other teachers to create a better learning Englishatmosphere at schools

1.3 The scope of the study

The concentration of this study is encouraging students to explore theculture of Vietnam and English – speaking countries through projects Theresearch was applied to teach culture in the textbook Tieng Anh 10, approved bythe Minister of Education and Training on 23rd November 2012, in the school year2020/2021 in Dien Chau 2 High school, Dien Chau 3 High School and Dien Chau

4 High school

1.4 Methods of the study

This research is a classroom action research with the intention of makingcontribution to the improvement of teaching and learning culture - inseparable withlearning language, by giving students projects in some culture sections of certainunits.

1.5 Significance of the study

The main goal of study is how to make students explore culture andperform in the classroom, by preparing activities where they will develop theirpositive learning It is believed that project - based teaching method is moreappropriate for students than other types As a result, I will focus on the use and

effectiveness of the project - based teaching method in teaching culture in Tieng

Anh 10, and help facilitate the students’ oral presentation skill Oral presentationcan be an enjoyable activity for them since it gives a break away from textbooks.Therefore, it is hoped that participants in the study (the teachers and learners atDien Chau 2 High School) can benefit immediately from my experience

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 AN OVERVIEW OF DIEN CHAU 2 HIGH SCHOOL.

2.1.1 Teachers

A larger proportion of English teachers have a passion for the teachingprofession and are active as well as enthusiastics about the work Most of theteachers agree that in order to apply language skills fruitfully and effectively,cultural knowledge is essential Furthermore, changing teaching methods towardpositive ways are being applied dramatically Teachers always make efforts to self-study, learn from others, explore, be creative so as to widen their knowledge andmeet the demand of teaching in the new age

Although teachers have tried to renew their teaching, it is evaluated not tobring as many effects as expected Some educationalists do not pay much attention

to teaching culture, learners, as a consequence, will not get enough motivation toexplore cultural knowledge

2.1.2 Students

In fact, most of the students in Dien Chau 2 High school have desires to studyEnglish well However, their goal in learning English is having good points in thetests or passing their exams and they think that learning cultures seems not to berelated to their tests or exams Also, students may not understand that there is aconnection between languages and culture, and the relationship between languagelearning and culture is not sufficiently explored As a result, their knowledge onculture seems to be inexplicit Moreover, in culture lessons, learners just stop at

doing simple tasks such as reading and answering questions, filling in the table

again and again, which makes the lesson quite boring Learners need coorperation,sharing and something challenging enough Even with the globalisation that isaffecting most corners of the planet, there is still culture that is specific to eachcountry and area Without an appreciation of that, learning a language can be moredifficult

After graduating from High School students may go abroad for furtherstudying or working It can be an amazing experience for those who are willing tosettle down in a new place, but there is one potential problem they should know:culture shock Moreover, in the international integration, visitors arrive inVietNam everyday It is the students who will transmit their country’s culture tothe world

From above facts, the researcher finds that she should make a positivelyactive and creative task to actuate students in studying culture as well as learningEnglish It can not be denied that when students participate in a lesson, they need

to understand how to achieve knowledge surrounding in reality which requiresthem to use diverse skills – such as researching, writing, interviewing,collaborating, or public speaking – to produce various work products Project –based learning can be seen as an outstanding example, and it is capable of meeting

the challenges of preparing students to solve the real world problems rather thanessays- and exam-based traditional classroom learning With this kind of teachingmethod, students while learning will focus on developing personal perspective,which can enhance their confidence and ‘brainstorming’

2.2 Orientation of Vietnamsese education on teaching methods

The educational programs for high schools of our nation were issued withthe decision number 16/2006/QĐ – BGDĐT on June 5th,, 2006 by the minister ofeducation says that we must promote students positive, self-conscious and activecreativity to be appropriate with the features of each subject, the characteristics ofthe object – students, conditions of every classroom; foster them the ways of sel-learning, the ability of cooperation; train them the skills to apply theoreticalknowledge in practice; impact on their emotion; bring them happiness, interestsand responsibilities in learning

Strong renewal and innovation in education is the modern tendency of theworld in the twentieth century, in order to continuously improve the quality ofhuman resources In Viet Nam, this quality is still in the low level, and not yetsatisfied the requirements from the need for developing the country in the age ofinternational integration

To address this problem, the 9th Central Committee of the Communist Party

of VietNam, at the 8th plenum, issued the resolution 29 – NQ/TW 04/11/2013about essential and comprehensive innovating the education of Viet Nam Oneimportant solution in this resolution is that it firmly determines “continuously,strongly, profoundly innovate and synchronize the fundamental elements of theeducation following the direction of developing the virtue and ability of students”

Nowadays, The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) requires that alllevels of education utilize positive teaching methods Positive teaching is a conceptthat has numerous labels such as student-centered learning, learner-centeredpedagogy, and teacher-as-tutor but all mean that an instructor revolves lessonsaround the students and ensures that students take a participatory role in thelearning process, known as active learning

2.3 POSITIVE TEACHING METHODOLOGY

2.3.1 Concept

Positive teaching methodology is a short terminology, used to indicatemethodologies that appreciates self-consciousness, positivity and independentawareness of students under the guides and directions from teachers In otherwords, in positive teaching methodology a teacher is just a facilitator creating thelesson as well as the structure for learning, but the students are inspired tovoluntarily participate in practical activities, so that they discover by themselvesnew knowledge, new abilities

2.3.2 Specific indications of positive teaching methodology

The indications of positive teaching methodology include:

First, teaching mainly through students’ activities

During lessons students are the main subjects to explore knowledge,whereas teachers must find ways to suggest problems at a certain level that willaffect learners’ thinking, encouraging them to explore and discuss the matter

Second, focusing on self-studying methods

Students are focused on how to practice and self-study, and find out the bestlearning methods by themselves to be able to grasp new knowledge Newknowledge, certainly will be verified by teachers to make sure it is standardknowledge Hand-pointing, reading – copying ways, etc are eliminated

Third, prioritizing learning in groups

Teachers must know how to divide classes into teams, groups and helpstudents work together to find the best learning method

2.3.3 Positive teaching methodology classification

The positive teaching methodology classification is shown in the table below:

Indication Positive teaching methodologies

Strategy level Problem solving teaching, theoretical problem teaching, Acquiring

Talk, seminar, discussion, mind map, puzzle,

2.4 PROJECT BASED TEACHING METHOD

Nowadays together with the development of modern technology, creating anEnglish-learning environment, in which learners are not only highly engaged butalso makes lessons memorable and enjoyable, seem to be easier for teachers One

of the methods is using project-based learning when teaching English

2.4.1: Definition

Project- based teaching is a teaching model which focuses on teaching byengaging students in investigation This method is learner-centered Learners aregiven freedom to go about solving problems or sharing information in the way theysee fit The teacher’s role is monitor and facilitator, setting up frameworks forcommunication, providing access to information and helping with language wherenecessary, and giving students opportunities to produce a final product or

presentation With project-based approach, the teacher monitors interaction butdoes not interrupt, dealing with language problems at another moment.

2.4.2 The benefits of project - based teaching method.

The first good point in the project-based teaching method is to support theenvironment of learning for the students to be able to communicate and experiencethemselves with their own cognitive process The second benefit of thisapproach is “project -based learning provides opportunities for the naturalintegration of language skills” Stoller (2006, as cited in Tsiplakides (2009) Thethird gained in the project-based approach has created ‘motivation, engagementand enjoyment” (Lee, 2002 cited in Tsiplakides (2009) because all of thestudents engaged in the project find the realistic study and the interesting findingsduring they perform the project The next is to help the students improve theirskills of solving problems and orderly thinking Finally, this approach developsthe skill of presenting in front of many people and four skills Listening andSpeaking are reinforced through the presentation

2.4.3 The weaknesses of project - based teaching method.

Three major disadvantages of project-based teaching method include:

Unfamiliarity with group work; Length of project; and New role of teacher

Unfamiliarity with group work means that project is divided into the role foreach student to take part in However, this student may work a lot on his/her partbut the others do not The length of project is the period of time to perform theproject which usually takes a long time to complete and makes it impossible forsome of the students to feel more dynamic until the end of the project The newrole of teacher in the project-based learning is considered a monitor, an instructorwho works as a provider of knowledge during the lesson

2.4.4 Characteristics of project based teaching method:

Project based teaching method involves the following characteristics:

- Practical orientation: The theme of the project come from the situations of socialpractice, professional practice as well as real life The projects’ task should consist

of issues appropriate for the level and ability of learners

- Having practical social meaning: Projects contribute to linking learning inschools with real life and society In ideal cases, the implementation of projectswould be able to cause positive social impacts

- Complexity: The content of the project has the combination of knowledge indifferent fields or subjects in order to solve a complex problem

- Action orientation: During the implementation of the project, not only istheoretical research carried out but the application of theory is also used intopractical activities and practices As a result, knowledge of theory as well as

practice ation skills, practical experience of learners are checked, strengthened andexpanded totally

- Collaborative work: Projects are often carried out in groups, includingcollaborative work and work assignments among team members Project-basedteaching requires and practices the readiness and skills of working collaborativelyamong participants, between students and teachers as well as with other socialforces involved in the project, which is also called social learning

- High self-reliance of learners: In project-based teaching, learners need toparticipate actively and self-consciously in the stage of the teaching process, whichrequires and encourages learners’ accountability and creativity Teachers mainlyplay the role of giving advice, guidance and help Nevertherless, there should be abalance between the level of self-reliance and the experience, ability of students aswell as the difficult level of the task

2.5 CULTURE

2.5.1: Definition

Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior and norms found

in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups

2.5.2 The importance of learning culture in Tieng Anh 10

Culture would be difficult to be transmitted from place to place and fromgeneration to generation if there were no languages, the principal carrier of valuesand meanings of a culture Language would be impossible to be understoodwithout constant reference to the cultural context, which has produced it It may,therefore, be argued that culture and language cannot be treated exclusively of eachother in language teaching programmes In other words, it is necessary and moreproper to teach both language and culture in an integrated way It is worthy ofnoting here that one of the practices of integrating the two is to use the targetlanguage as the medium of instruction in culture teaching

The culture subsection in Tieng Anh 10 is aimed to provide students withcultural knowledge of the ASEAN countries and English-speaking countries around the

world Through reading, students get information about cultural aspects

corresponding to the topic of the unit and have a chance to compare features ofVietnamese culture with those of other countries This will boaden students’background knowledge about the world and deepen their knowledge about theculture of VietNam It can be seen that students’ extensive background knowledgeabout culture considerably supports them in learning skills – speaking, writing, andlistening Foreign language teaching should help students lay a solid foundation oflanguage, grasp good learning techniques, cultivate their cultural awareness so as

to meet the needs of social development and economic construction

Overall, English as the foremost medium of international communication atpresent, is called upon to mediate a whole range of cultural, cross-cultural conceptsthus make English language teaching a potentially more and more significant rolethan ever before and English culture teaching is coming or will come to theforeground.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

This research is a Classroom Action Research Action research is an actionthat is done by the teachers to improve the teaching and learning process in theirclasses Before students study lesson “Communication and Culture”, teachersprovide students with the tasks which they have to complete through projects.When the lessons come, the contents in the textbook are discovered in the while-stage Then in the post stage, more cultural knowledge formerly prepared inprojects by students is represented Sometimes the content of the lesson can beincluded in the projects, so the while and post stages can be linked together Withthe development of information technology, a variety of information whichstudents need can be easily found from the Internet The projects vary from areport, an interview, a documentary video clip and their results will be presentedeither by a representative or the whole group in front of the class or evaluatedthrough videos recorded by learners Learners’s results can be seen in the appendix

2 and 3

I STEPS TO CARRY OUT A PROJECT

The following general steps to help students do projects are suggested (T:teacher, S: student, Ss: students):

Step 1: Introduction

- T creates an essential question (there can be more than one if necessary)

- T divides the class into groups.

- T provides Ss with some suggestions.

- T limits the time for Ss to finish

Step 2: Examination

Quite different from speaking skill, which allows students to express theirthoughts and ideas freely, learning cultures requires precise information.Consequently, it is necessary for T to examine the information in students’ projectscollected from the Internet before being displayed in front of the class

Step 3: Presentation

- Ss’ results are presented by a representative or the whole group in the

‘Communication and Culture’ lesson through videos, posters, reports

- It is advisable that T raises some questions to check if the other Ss listen or not

T also gets the other Ss to make questions to interact with their friends

Step 4: Evaluation

Assessing the activities from the students includes the teacher’s evaluationand the student’s self-evaluation Teachers should try to be positive in theirevaluation and avoid criticism of students’ practice that improves by time Inaddition, students need to learn how to do it by experience Besides, T can conduct

the evaluation for Ss’ products by using rubric for oral presentation Rubric for oralpresentation can be seen in appendix 1.

II SAMPLE LESSONS:

Unit 3: MUSIC Section: Culture

1 Lesson goals.

After completing the project, students will be able to:

- explore some more genres of Vietnamese folk music

- feel confident to report/ present their experiences in class

- improve their four language skills especially speaking and listening skills

- cooperate with other people when working in groups

2 Conducting the project.

- T gives the requirement and some suggestions to Ss and leaves them several days

to complete before they learn the culture section

- If Ss create videos, the length of each video should be no more than five minutes

Work in groups: Make a presentation about one kind of Vietnamese folk music SUGGESTIONS: Folk music types: Hat Xam; Hat Van; Cheo; Ca tru

3 Lesson procedures:

Activity 1: Watching a video ( made by a group of students)

- Play the video, which is a project result, for the whole class to watch This video

is included in Appendix 2, and the written transcripts are in Appendix 3.

Its origination perform it How to

If possible,sing it

When it

started

Folk music kind?

musicalinstrumentsIts

features

- Ask Ss to do the following task while watching:

Watch the video and choose which statements are true or false.

1 Quan Ho Singing originated from Bac Ninh Province.

2 Quan Ho singing was recognized by UNESCO in 2008.

3 Quan Ho is performed between two women and a man.

4 Men respond to women with similar melodies, but with different lyrics.

- Give feedback and correct answers:

1 T ; 2 F (in 2009) ; 3 F (two women and two men) ; 4 T

Activity 2: Read the texts and work with partner and complete the table

(Tiếng Anh 10, page 33 and 34)

- Ask Ss to read the two texts about the Quan Ho Singing and Dangdut, popularmusic in Indonesia, and fill in the table with the correct information

- Give feedback and correct answer:

Number of

singers

Four A dangdut band typically consists of

a male or female lead singer

Musical

instruments

Bamboo flute and a 36-stringed musical instrument

Drums or flutes from a variety of Asian or Middle East countries and modern instruments like electric guitars or organs

Activity 3: Students present their projects

- Ask Ss to show their results of discovering other kinds of folk music in VietNam

in front of the class

Ss have made video clips for their projects, some of which are included in the

Appendix 2 and the written transcripts in Appendix 3

- Ask students (from the other groups) to answer the questions while watching thevideos:

Question: What do you know about that kind of music?

Activity 4: Feed back

- Call some Ss at random to report what they have learnt from the presentations inthe videos by answering the above question

- Elicit peer correction, and then give feedback

Activity 5: Assessment:

- T assesses students’ work by either giving constructive, positive feedback orusing rubric for oral presentation.

- T can ask students to write a paper test: Write a short paragraph about any kind

of folk music in Vietnam that you like.

Unit 4: FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY

Section : Culture

1 Lesson goals.

After completing the project, students will be able to:

- know more about some people contributing to the development of theircommunity

- feel confident to report/ present their experiences in class

- improve their four language skills especially speaking and listening skills

- cooperate with other people when working in groups

2 Carrying out the project

Several days before teaching the culture lesson, T gives the topic to students anddivides the class into groups to work on their project:

Work in groups: Talk about a person who contributed to the development of your

local area/ your country

 SUGGESTIONS:

3 Lesson procedures:

Activity 1: Gap filling

- T ask Ss to fill in the blank with the given words or phrases

His/ her impact to the communityName

His / her famous quotes

His / herpituresbirthdate and

birthplace

His/her contributions to the deveplopment of your local area / country

Educational background

lawyer South Africa national leader victorious and non-violent Mahatma Gandhi was a (1) of India and a (2) fighter After school, he studied law in England He was a popular (3) he practiced law for 3 years in India and 20 years in (4)

Answers: 1 national leader 2 victorious and non-violent 3 lawyer 4 South Africa

Activity 2: Answer the questions.

- T has Ss work in pairs to read the text in the textbook about Mahatma Gandhi and

answer the questions

1 What did he do to help coloured people in South Africa? Why?

2 What were his contributions to India?

- T gives feedback on students’ answers

Activity 3: Students present their projects.

- T asks Ss to show their results on the topics given The results can be presented

through videos or posters

Some videos which were made by students are shown in Appendix 2 and thewritten transcripts are in Appendix 3

- T calls on some students at random to report what they have learnt about the

people, and then give feedback

Activity 4: Assessment:

T can assess students’ work by giving constructive, positive feedback or usingrubric for oral presentation

* Samples of students' work (posters)

UNIT 7: CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Section: Culture

The aim of “Communication and Culture” in unit 7 is to talk about giving customs in the UK and the ideas of success in the USA and in Viet Nam.The contents of these two sections can be exchanged: In the communication part, Irequired students to discuss the ideas of success in The USA and VietNam, whilegift-giving customs are converted into “culture” subsection A project assignment

gift-is given to students to encourage students to explore deeply about thgift-is culturalfeature

1 Lesson goals.

After completing the project, students will be able to:

- learn about gift giving in the UK and explore gift-giving customs in some othercountries