Applying integrated teaching methods to some English lessons at high school,

INTRODUCTION
Reason for choosing the research
At present, English is not only the most popular language in the world but it is also a popular foreign language in Vietnam. Therefore, proficiency in English will be a great advantage for applying for jobs as well as capture many opportunities to start business from the global integration today. In order to keep up with this common process, teaching and learning English is given special attention by the Ministry of Education. Especially, the introduction of the Foreign Language Project 2020 has further emphasized the teaching and learning of foreign languages ​​along the way. This requires each student to have a certain level of English to communicate at a very simple level. Over the past years the Ministry of Education and Training has directed to compose many textbooks in the direction of communication for high school. New courses and textbooks are more difficult, with many new themes (Cultural Diversity, Nature, People and Places), with a wide range of knowledge related to other cultures and skills.
If the teacher only provides students with grammars and vocabularies related to topic of the lesson but forgets the interdisciplinary knowledge between subjects, the lecture is always dull, students always feel frightened and tired after every hour of learning. Moreover, if the teacher ignores the integration of moral education, environment, population, etc. for the student, it is a mistake. Because these provide students with the opportunity to use new materials in real-life situations to communicate in real-life situations, and to help them develop more basic skills such as problem solving, self-learning, collaboration and especially communication. From the above reasons, I am always anxious to find out what methods can help students feel more interested in learning English so that the quality of lessons is better [4]. The teaching initiative: "Applying integrated teaching methods to some English lessons at high school," is my experience drawn from the process of research and teaching in many years.
Aims and objectives of the study
With the initiative, I would like to make a small contribution to the change of teaching and learning foreign language ​​by the methods of integrated teaching. And by using these methods, teachers will help students form high abilities that meet social requirements.
In addition, I also want to help students use the knowledge of Geography, Literature, Arts, Science ... to learn English to make the lesson more various and more attractive. Besides, students use their knowledge from other subjects to broaden their vocabularies, knowledge and skills in life and in real situations. Therefore, they know that learning English is always a continuous process of interaction between subjects and has the opportunity to use English in real life.
Scope of the study
- Knowledge: using integrated knowledge
- Student: Dang Thai Mai High School
- School year: 2017 – 2018
Method of the study
During this project I used the following measures:
- Analyze the practical situation of teaching and learning foreign languages.
- Study integrated teaching methods.
- Study teaching methods according to the Foreign Language Project 2020.
- Study interdisciplinary knowledge with other subjects according to each topic in the books.
CONTENT
Theoretical background
The concept of integrated teaching is given in many different ways. The co-ordinated conference of the program of UNESCO, Paris 1972, defines: Integrated teaching of science is a way of presenting concepts and scientific principles that express the basic unity of thought. Avoid shocks or too early differences between different scientific disciplines [1]. With this in mind, integrated teaching aims to: (1) Make the learning process meaningful by linking learning to everyday life, in relation to specific situations in which the student will meet later, integrate the world of school with the world of life. (2) Distinguish the essential to the less important. Essential is the core competencies required for students to handle meaningful situations in their life, or to lay the foundation for the next learning process. (3) Teach the use of knowledge in practical, specific situations, useful for later life. (4) Establish a link between learned concepts. The richer the information is, the more advanced the system is, so that students really master the knowledge and use knowledge when encountering an unexpected situation.
The viewpoint of the Steering Committee for Renovation of Textbooks and Texts after 2015 is that "Integrated teaching is understood as a teacher organization so that students can mobilize knowledge and skills in different fields at the same time to solve problems, assist students in learning tasks, through which new knowledge and skills are formed, and then develop the necessary competencies” [2].
Integrated teaching can be understood as a teaching perspective to form and develop in students the necessary competencies including the ability to apply knowledge to effectively solve real situations. . It also means to ensure that each student applies the knowledge learned in the school in new, difficult, unexpected situations. To become a responsible citizen, a qualified worker, integrated education requires that high school learning be linked to the circumstances of the life that the student has. Integrated teaching will maximize the individual growth and development of each student, help them succeed in the role of homeowners, citizens, and future workers [3].
The status of problem
The informants for the study consists of 152 students from four classes 10A1, 12A1, 12A2 and 12A3, and 8 teachers of English at Dang Thai Mai High School.
To the teachers:
Most of the school's teachers are highly qualified, enthusiastic, and eager to learn.... They have actively innovated teaching methods to suit with communicative way. For example, in the past few years they held extra activities for students (Ringing the golden bell, Speaking contest), gave students more chances to communicate through oral tests. However, some teachers are still shy, they do not dare to change or redesign textbooks, have not found many different methods to refresh the lecture. In addition, most of the teachers only focus on teaching vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension for students, but spending time on speaking skills is limited.
To the students:
• Advantages:
First: The students have studied English at least seven years so they are familiar with forms of examination and evaluation that the teacher set.
Second: They have widen knowledge of natural resources, environment, society, political and economic issues both domestically and internationally through subjects such as Geography , History, literature, ....
Third: In subjects such as Literature, History, Geography ... they have learned the integrated knowledge with many subjects. So whenever they combine knowledge of a particular subject into foreign language to solve a problem, they will not be surprised.
• Disadvantages:
A large number of students are bad at English and English speaking. According to statistics from the survey at the beginning of the year, most students said that English is a difficult subject; they have to learn a lot of vocabularies and structures to be good at English. And they said: there is no need to integrate English with other subjects.
Solution:
From the theoretical and practical basis, I find that integration teaching helps students develop their thought, mind, creativity in learning and practical application. Therefore, in the school year 2017-2018 I have bravely applied a number of interdisciplinary teaching to create excitement as well as help students apply knowledge of other subjects such as History, Geography, .... to English. At the same time, through each topic, I have integrated many life skills such as education, population, vocational guidance, protection of local cultural heritage.
 Teaching application
There are two main ways of integrated teaching methods:
 Problem solving teaching
Concept: Problem-solving teaching is the way teachers apply in teaching to develop the student's ability to explore independently by presenting problematic situations and control student activities to solve problems.
 Characteristics of problem-solving teaching
(1) The basic characteristic of problem-solving teaching is that it comes from the problematic situation:
- The problematic situation always contains the content to be identified, a task to be solved, a problem to be solved ... and consequently, the results of the study and resolution of the grassroots will be new knowledge or new mode of action for the subject.
- The problematic situation is characterized by a psychological state that occurs in the subject while solving a problem which need new knowledge, new ways of acting.
 (2) The teaching process from the viewpoint problem solving is divided into stages with a specific purpose:
Make the problem-solving instruction in 3 steps:
Step 1: Understand the problem
 - Create situations to suggest problems
 - Explain and correct to understand the situation
 - Address the problem 
Step 2: Solve the problem
 - Analyze problems, clarify relationships between what is known and what to look for.
 - Proposing and implementing solutions, adjustable, even remove and redirect when necessary. This stage is often used the rules of cognitive and cognitive strategies as follows: strange about familiar; specialize and transfer to limited cases; see similar; generalization; consider relationships and dependencies; reflex and hypotenuse (this can be done many times until the right direction is found).
  - Show how to solve the problem
Step 3: Check and study the solution
  - Check the correctness and suitability of the solution
  - Check the reasonableness or optimization of the solution
  - Learn the possibilities of application results
 Suggest new issues related to similar considerations, generalizations, overturned issues and resolved if possible.
* Make problem-solving instruction in 4 steps:
Step 1: Problem: Give the task, situation and purpose of the activity
Step 2: Study the Problem: Gather student knowledge, study materials
Step 3: Solve the problem: Give the solution, evaluate the optimal solution
Step 4: Applying: Applying results to solve situations, similar problems.
  (3) The process of teaching from a literacy perspective consists of a variety of organizational forms: the learning process can take place with diverse organizational forms that engage learners in the collective, brainstorming, and painting. Under the guidance, suggestion, counselor of the teacher; for example:
   - Small group work (exchange ideas, encourage research ...).
    - Implementing techniques to support arguments (sitting in circles, grouping small groups according to opinions of the same type ...).
    - Brain storming, this is usually the first step to solve a problem (learners are often asked to think, to put their ideas or solutions.
    - Reporting and presenting (doing a variety of ways, from personal writing, small group presentations, group reports to the whole class ...).
(4) There are different levels of student involvement: depending on the level of student autonomy in the problem-solving process depending on the level of student autonomy in the problem-solving process. They refer to different levels, as well as different forms of problem-solving teaching.
Teaching Oriented Activities
The notion of innovating the quality of teaching in vocational training is to equip students with the skills to do more than re-inventive knowledge. In order to achieve this innovative orientation, it is necessary to have active and problem-solving training methods. Learners should be equipped with a certain amount of basic knowledge while linking and orienting to the competencies. One problem here is that the teaching and learning methods are effective in shaping students' abilities. It has long been studied to approach operational theories to design teaching organizations that address these capabilities. The nature of instructional orientation is to direct students to work on technical issues or occupational tasks, in order to prepare students for engaging in occupational tasks.
- An activity that involves a lot of action and is always aimed at the object to occupy it, the object that becomes the motive of the subject.
- Action is taken by a series of actions to solve certain tasks, to achieve the purpose of action.
- Manipulation associated with the use of tools, vehicles under specific conditions.
In any conscious act, psychological factors hold the function:
- Action Oriented
- Control of action taken
- Check and adjust the action
Applying the theory of activity to teaching activities means that students should be considered as subjects of all learning activities (learning theory, hands-on learning, production practice, learning about social and cultural activities), the teacher should develop the content of the activity to meet the requirements of the training objectives.
The focus of instruction-oriented instruction is to organize the instructional process in which students work to create a product. Through this, the capacity for professional activity is developed.
- Activity-oriented instruction is a fully functioning student organization in which an independent student designs an activity plan, performs the activity as planned, and evaluates the performance.
- Organizes the teaching process, in which students learn through independent activity at least according to their methodology.
- Learn through specific activities where the outcome of the activity is not necessarily but rather open (results may vary).
- Organize classroom instruction aimed at developing students' skills in solving professional tasks.
- Result-oriented instruction that creates products or ideas.
Aspects of teaching methods, study-oriented classes are organized in the following four stages: 
Stage 1: Addressing unit problem - demonstrating learning outcome (Product)
At this stage, the teacher assigns the unit to the student to be aware of the product to be performed in the unit and the requirement to be achieved. The presentation format is very rich and varied, depending on the condition and ability of the teacher.
If possible, organize the situation in the classroom. If the situation is too complex, organize the class onsite (visit to the school), or record the scene and return to the classroom. If there is no condition, it is simply a retelling, a teacher's description of words or pictures. This is not just an introduction, but also a lot of impact throughout the unit.
The more complex the product is, the greater the difficulty is for the student. Lessons are started with simple tasks. During this period, the teacher not only assigns tasks but also unites them, grasps the students about the plan, groups them and provides information on the related materials so that they can actively take part in the process. .
Stage 2: Organizational planning problem solving
At this stage, the teacher organizes the student to collect information through the situation, what is observed, collected, and then reconciled with the current condition. Then determine what to know what to use which is difficult to ask. We see that situations play a very important role, so setting a situation is not simple.
Based on the analysis, the teacher organizes the student action plan to solve the problem appeared in the situation.
The product obtained during this period is the implementation plan, which is itself prepared by the teacher before the lecture. It includes a list of skills that need to be formed, the process of implementing each skill, the amount of time spent working on each skill, and the amount of new theoretical knowledge that comes in when performing those procedures. Particularly, teachers should pay attention to the time of theoretical interventions at the stage of operation so that when students need teachers to meet the new time effectively.
 With the concept of professional skills formation, the formulation of situation analysis and planning skills do not spend too much time to implement, teachers only need to present content and produce standard products. This is done many times will gradually form the habit of students analysis and planning for the future, as well as students know why the teacher must have these products. In special cases, teachers can focus on organizing activities, but this is not encouraged in integrated teaching. Because, it may be possible for students to develop a process different from the one that the production line needs.
Stage 3: Organize the implementation according to the plan, the process has been established
At this stage there are things to do:
- Sample manipulation of teachers
- General presentation of the process
- Trial step of students
- Evaluation trial step of students
- Note the common mistakes, causes and remedies, prevention.
- Equipped with necessary theoretical knowledge.
Stage 4: Assessment organization
The final step of the instructional orientation is the teacher evaluating the problem solving process. Evaluation contents include:
- Skills: The level of formation of the skills of the unit. Through the process of monitoring the trainers, teachers have grasped the operation of each student, the product obtained by the children compared with the sample.
- Knowledge: The level of acquisition of new theoretical knowledge as well as the level of application of knowledge learned in the practice.
- Attitude: the teacher has observed the learning attitude of students from the first stage to the end, the psychological changes are not as expected. The attitude of learning through expression of enthusiasm, active or passive, reluctant ... scientific curiosity, want to ask many things or just stop at the question in the head.
In addition, teachers can assess the progress of time, the difficulty of the problem on the spirit of encouraging students to learn better later.
Table of units applied integrated teaching methods in English books:
When constructing the lessons of each lesson in English, teachers will easily find out what the content of the lesson is related to, so that they can build lessons in the direction of integration, exploitation and expansion. The knowledge in other subjects, and the knowledge of life skills is also very easy to integrate. The following are some specific articles and content that included in the article:
Grade
Unit
Integration
10
Unit 5: Technology and you
Information technology, educate using facebook or computer.
Unit 6: An excursion
Geography, educate conservation consciousness and protection the cultural heritage.
Unit 10: Conservation
History, Geography, educate conservation consciousness.
Unit 16: Historical places
History, Literature, educate the awareness of conserve cultural heritage.
11
Unit 7: World population
Geography, educate population
Unit 11: Sources of energy
Physics, Geography, educate the awareness of saving energy
Unit 12: The Asian Games
Geography, Physical education, educate the consciousness of protecting health and the benefits of sports.
12
Unit 6: Future jobs
Geography, vocational education
Unit 15: Women in society 
History, educate gender equality. 
	 [5], [6], [7]	 
Applying the research in teaching
Compilation of integrated teaching methods (this unit was conducted in the school year 2017-2018 in class 10A1 – Dang Thai Mai High School - Pho Hien relics and education conservation awareness local cultural history)
Composition and implementation process
Unit 16: Historical places (Grade 10)
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: 
Integrating subjects:
+ integrate the following s