Applying some active teaching techniques in teaching english grade 10

PART I: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
	In recent years, the teaching of English in high school has made great changes in the content of learning as well as the teaching methods of teachers. That requirement poses for teachers to flexibly apply methods and tricks to class activities to promote the activeness and initiative of students in order to create optimal conditions for students to practice, develope thinking and improve language skills for communication purposes for students.
	Being a mountainous school of Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province, Ha Van Mao high school gathers most of the students in seven communes in the mountainous area of Ba Thuoc district with two main ethnic groups namely Kinh and Muong . Students here are often shy and lack active initiative in learning English. They often feel uninterested in learning English, especially in acquiring and expanding vocabulary and memorizing complex grammatical structures in textbooks. Therefore, many students feel depressed and passively study, making the classroom atmosphere very stressful and boring.
	As a teacher assigned by the school to teach English in grades 10, 11, 12, for many years, I have always wondered with the question: "How to arouse positive mastery?" ability and the ability to memorize English vocabulary and grammar structures during class hours, especially for students in the 10th grade, who just entered the new school are still very confused and lacking experience in learning? ”.
	In the process of teaching, I realized that one of the biggest difficulties affecting their acquisition and development of foreign language skills is that they do not know how to apply learning methods in a positive and effective way, hence they are very discouraged and no longer interested in learning English. Therefore, I realized that the teachers’ task is to provide and guide students to apply learning methods effectively so that they will be keen on exploring and absorbing effective lectures. more fruit. In particular, provide students with the necessary methods in each lesson that they are learning gently, stimulating creativity, independent thinking and working collaboration of students in each lesson period
	Recognizing the importance of applying active teaching techniques in teaching English, I chose the topic "Applying some active teaching techniques in teaching English grade 10" as a subject of experience innovation.
1.2. Aims of the study
	The thesis identifies the theoretical basis and offers a number of active teaching techniques in the Grade 10 English program to help students promote their positive, self-awareness, initiative, creativity, practice habits and self-study ability, cooperative spirit, skills to apply knowledge in different situations in learning and in practice, create trust, joy, interest in learning English
1.3. Scope of the study
- Implementation time: school year 2017 - 2018.
- Research subjects: The active teaching techniques in teaching grade 10 English subject at Ha Van Mao High School.
- Scope of research and application: Applying a number of active teaching techniques to revise grammar and expand vocabulary from each unit of lessons, apply at classes 10A1, 10A4, 10A8 Ha Van Mao High School.
1.4. Measures to conduct experiments
- Study textbook programs, related documents for lectures.
- Select positive teaching techniques appropriate to the lesson.
- Design a number of classroom activities to promote students' ability to use language in speaking and communicating in English.
+ Practice positive teaching techniques in teaching and observation classes.
+ Get feedback from students.
+ Select the classes 10A1, 10A4, 10A8, I am teaching to implement the initiative, use the results of tests or semester exams to compare, contrast and draw experience.
PART II: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND
2.1. Theoretical background for the application of active teaching techniques
2.1.1. Teaching perspective
Teaching is the overall orientation for methodological actions, which combine the principles of teaching as a foundation, the theoretical backgrounds of general or specialized teaching theory, the teaching conditions and organization as well as long-term, strategic directions are the theoretical models of teaching methods. However, teaching perspectives have not given action models as well as specific social forms of the method.
2.1.2. Teaching methods
Teaching method is a very complex and diverse field. There are many different concepts and views about teaching methods. However, these notions recognize that teaching methods have the following characteristics:
- Teaching methods reflect the movement of human cognitive process to achieve learning goals.
- The method reflects how to operate, interact, exchange information (communication and comprehension) between teachers and learners.
- The method reflects how to organize and control cognitive activities of teachers such as stimulating and building motivation, organizing cognitive and testing activities - assessing learners' cognitive results.
Thus, any method is also a system of purposeful actions of teachers, an awareness activity and organized practice of students, in order to ensure the game to achieve the learning content. Teaching methods require the inevitable interaction of teachers and students to the object of study, which results in students learning the content.
From the above characteristics we can understand:
	In a general sense: Teaching method is a way of working with a sequence and coordination of interaction between teachers and students in defined teaching conditions in order to achieve the purpose of teaching.
In a specialized sense: Teaching methods are the teaching and learning methods of teachers and students, which are specific action models, the ways teachers and students' act to realize teaching goals, determine and match specific content and teaching conditions. Specific teaching methods include general methods for many subjects and specific methods of each subject.
2.1.3. Teaching techniques
Teaching techniques (teaching and learning) are measures and ways of acting of teachers and students in small action situations to implement and control the teaching process. Learning systems are not independent teaching methods but are components of teaching methods.
Active teaching techniques are the term used to refer to teaching activities to promote students' positive learning. Positive teaching is a component of active teaching methods, showing the viewpoint of teaching to promote students' positive learning.
2.1.4. Advantages and disadvantages of using active teaching techniques
*Advantages:
+ The application of active teaching techniques will help students promote the positive, self-conscious, proactive, creative, practice habits and self-learning ability, cooperative spirit, transport skills using knowledge in different situations in learning and in practice; create trust, joy, excitement in learning.
+ When teachers use active teaching techniques in teaching, it will create good opportunities for students to express their ideas, making "Learning" become the tectonic process of students.
+ Helping learners to develop their communication skills, express ideas, criticize and evaluate the problems that are encountered.
+ Developing the ability and ability to solve problems and self-assessment of students.
* Disadvantages: Teachers spend a lot of time preparing and using active teaching techniques.
2.1.5. Current trend of innovation of teaching methods.
Teaching methods are one of the most important components of the teaching process. Along with the renovation of the curriculum and the Textbook, if there is not an appropriate teaching method, it will be difficult to synchronize innovation to promote the active ability and the trend of comprehensive development of learners in school. Therefore, the innovation of teaching method is an urgent need.
The basic characteristics of the current trend of innovation of teaching methods include:
- Promote the activeness, self-reliance, initiative and creativity of learners. Turn the focus from teachers to students. Turn learning styles from re-existing messages to explore. Create conditions for students to study actively, actively and creatively.
- Serve better and better with self-study and lifelong learning motto. Not only teach knowledge but also teach how to learn, equip students with learning methods, self-study methods to implement lifelong learning motto.
 - Strengthen training thinking ability, ability to apply knowledge to real life. Shift from a heavy learning style to digesting knowledge into a way that values ​​the use of knowledge.
- Personalize teaching.
- Enhance the use of information on the Internet, making optimal use of teaching facilities, especially informatics and information technology in teaching.
- Innovate step by step the examination, evaluation and reduction of mere memory checks, encourage the examination of reasoning ability and application of knowledge; use many types of tests appropriate to each subject.
- Associate teaching with scientific research with higher and higher levels (according to the development of students, the level of education and grade).
2.2. Practical background
In recent years, Ha Van Mao High School has actively implemented many activities to innovate active teaching methods and achieve encouraging results such as: Organizing seminars on innovation of teaching method extreme, which has the content to apply active teaching techniques in teaching including English. After being equipped with knowledge of active teaching methods, some teachers have applied active teaching methods in the process of writing lessons and going to class. At the subject level, the Foreign Language Group has organized many professional activities in the direction of "Renovation of professional activities". In each activity, the teachers discussed very enthusiastically about the method of teaching lessons in textbooks under the motto "Promoting students' abilities" and at the same time organizing sample lessons and sessions, discussing to draw experiences in the team. Thereby many teachers have applied new methods in teaching hours to arouse and promote the positive, learning capacity of students.
	It can be said that the above results are the efforts of the school board, the professional teams and the effort and responsibility of the school teachers. However, the application of positive techniques in teaching also exists limitations to overcome.
	Fistly, except for those with other teachers scheduled, teachers often cling to the Tasks of the textbook. With these types of requirements, students do passive work, have not developed language thinking, abuse good books to deal with, or students use old books with ready answers, even teachers still do instead of students.
	Secondly, sometimes teachers organize a number of support activities but do not check, not score, or check but have not attracted all students to participate.
	Third, teachers only check new words or grammatical structures by giving them a copy of the textbook provided by the teacher and memorizing. This method is passive, making them feel bored and hard to remember, not able to develop the ability to self-study and expand students' vocabulary.
	Depending on the content of the topics and grammatical knowledge designed in the textbook or the appropriate tasks designed by the teacher, each hour of teaching, teachers must promote little by little the capacity of the students to develop according to the nine competencies system set by the Ministry of Education and Training is:
1. Self-learning ability
2. The ability to learn how to learn
3. Personal ability
4. Creative capacity
5. Cooperation capacity
6. Communication skills
7. Thinking ability
8. Ability to solve problems
9. Information and communication technology capacity.
CHAPTER II: SOME ACTIVE TEACHING TECHNIQUES.
 2.1. Table cloth technique
2.1.1. Definition: Tablecloth technique is a collaborative form of organization combining personal activities and group activities to:
- Stimulate and promote active participation of students.
- Enhance the independence and responsibility of individual students.
- Develop a model with student interaction with students.
	Based on this technique, I have students expand and revise the vocabulary of topics learned in small groups as follows:
Note: Each member works at his or her own corner. The group with the number of four members is the best. You can make use of old calendars and guys on the map of a tablecloth, then instruct them to do it.2
2.1.2. Advantages and disadvantages of tablecloth techniques
- Advantages: Enhance the independence and responsibility of learners.
+ This technique helps group activities to be more effective, each student must give their opinions on the topic being discussed, not relying on good students.
+ This technique applies to group activities with a small topic in class, all students study a topic together.
+ After the groups complete the work, teachers can attach the "tablecloth" samples to the board for the class to comment on. Teacher can use smaller paper or projector.
+ It is possible to change the number by the student's name so that the teacher can then evaluate each student's cognitive ability on the topic.
- Limitations: Costly and difficult to store and repair results
2.1.3. How to proceed Tablecloths technique
- Group activities (4 people / group) (maybe more people).
- Each student sits in the position as shown.
- Focus on questions (or topics, ...)
- Write in your box the number of your answers or opinions (on the topic ...). Each individual works independently for a few minutes.
- End of personal working time, the members share, discuss and agree on the answers.
- Write the general opinions of the group in the box between the tablecloths (A0 paper).
Example 1: English 10: Unit 2 - School talks; Part C-Listening.
Cheking old lesson: Work in groups to fill in the box with names of the subjects that you learn
	In the previous lesson (speaking part) of this lesson, they learned a lot of course names in English. To test the old lesson and help them re-systemize these vocabulary words, I applied the tablecloth technique and divided the class into small groups to present. Ask students not to use notebooks or textbooks.
This is the result after you complete the task
School Subjects
History, biology, maths, English, Physical education, physics, chemistry, literature, Geography.....
History, biology , maths, English...
 Geography
maths,English
...
Physical education English, physics ...
chemistry, literature, history .....
Individual Opinions Results of group working
Similar to the above topic, we can do it with any of the 10 grade subjects in the High School English program, for example Music, Film and cinema, technology and you ...
Example 2: English 10, Unit 13- Film And Cinema, Part C- Listening 
Checking new words in part B- Speaking
Kinds of film
Detective , science fiction, cartoon, war, thriller, action, love story, comedy, horror.......
Detective , science fiction, action....
 Horror, cartoon, science-
Fiction.....
Cartoon , war, thriller....
Love story, detective , comedy.....
2.2. Technique of puzzle pieces
2.2.1. Definition: Grafting techniques are collaborative teaching techniques, combining individuals, groups and links between groups to solve a complex task, stimulating active participation as well as lifting High role of individual in the process of cooperation.
2.2.2. Advantages and limitations of the Grafting Techniques
- Advantages:
+ Dig deep knowledge in each field.
+ Promote students' understanding and solve misunderstandings.
+ Develop teamwork spirit.
+ Promote the responsibility of each individual.
-Restrictions:
+ The results of the discussion depend on the first round of discussion, if this discussion is not of quality, then the operation will not be effective.
+ If the number of members is not calculated carefully, it will lead to excess group status.
+ This method can not be used for the content of discussions with a binding relationship "Cause- Effect" together.
+ Teachers find it difficult to control the class and cause noises affecting other classes
Note: Teachers can make puzzle pieces to be used many times in the following ways:
Method 1: These pieces are made of cardboard from old calendars or from cardboard, taking advantage of the other side of product advertisements or leaflets ... We can also use iron paint or wood paint with different colors overlap and write on it with a whiteboard pen which can be erased and reused for later times.
Method 2: The pieces are made of hard plastic sheets of child boards for teachers and students, currently sold in bookstores, using scissors to cut them into small tables with lots of sizes and shapes as below
2.2.3. How to conduct the technique Puzzle pieces
	The teacher delivers to each student in the class with a small cover containing a word according to the four chosen themes. These cards are distributed incidentially, then the teacher asks them to leave the place to find the puzzle pieces according to each given topic and gather them into groups. If the group finishes first, that group will score higher than the other groups. This method is indicated by the following diagram:
Example:
In the first revision period for semester II, I conducted a test of the vocabulary of the unit from Unit 9 to Unit 16 by applying the technique of pieces to make them more interested in learning and lessons become more lively.
Here are four themes I have prepared.
SUBJECTS
MUSIC 
WORLD CUP
FILM
And these are puzzle pieces based on the 4 themes I gave
After the students have completed the task, I check the answers of the groups and get the following results
 Group 1 Group 2	 Group 3 Group 4
RUNNER UP
THRILLER
POP
MATHS
ACTION
TOURNAMENTNT
ROCK
GEOGRAPHY
DETECTIVE 
CHAMPION
CLASSICAL
ENGLISH
Puzzle pieces rearranged according to the themes by the students
2.3. Thinking Diagram Technique ( Mind map )
2.3.1. Definition: Mind map is a form of recording that uses colors and images to expand and deepen ideas. In the middle of the map is a central idea or image. This central idea or image will be developed by branches representing the main ideas and are connected to the central ideas. The main branches are divided into branches of level 2 and level 3, etc. On branches, we can add necessary images or symbols. Thanks to the connection between branches, the ideas that are linked together make the mindset diagram cover the ideas on a wide range of ideas that conventional ideas cannot.
2.3.2. Advantages and disadvantages of mind map techniques
- Advantages:
+ When drawing mind maps, students learn the process of organizing information, ideas as well as explaining information and connecting information with their understanding.
+ This technique is suitable for students' psychology, simple and easy to understand.
+ It is appropriate for review content, linking theory with reality.
+ Mind map helps children be more creative, save time, remember better, see the overall picture, organize and classify, practice developing and arranging ideas.
SUPPORTING IDEA
SUPPORTING IDEA
TOPIC
SUPPORTING IDEA
SUPPORTING IDEA
SUPPORTING IDEA
- Restrictions:
+ Paper diagrams are often difficult to store, change, edit, costly.
+ Diagrams built by students will help students remember the lesson better than the diagram developed by the teacher, then explain to the students.
2.3.3. How to conduct mind map techniques 
- From a large topic, find out the small topics involved. 
- From each small topic, find out the relevant elements and content. 
- Branching continues and elements and content are always connected. This link w