SKKN Using pictures in teaching english at grade 6 in some secondary schools in quan son district

THANH HOA EDUCATION & TRAINING DEPARTMENT
QUAN SON EDUCATION & TRAINING DIVISION
RESEARCH TOPIC
USING PICTURES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT GRADE 6 IN SOME SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN QUAN SON DISTRICT.
	 Writer : Hà Mai Quyên
	 Position : Official
	 Place to work : Quan Son Education and Training Division
	 Research topic of subject : English
THANH HOA, 2016
INDEX
A. INTRODUCTION
I.The general points......................................................................................page 1
1.The reasons for choosing the topic............................................................page 1
2. Aims of the topic......................................................................................page 1
3. Research objects.......................................................................................page 1
4. Research time...........................................................................................page 1
II. Theoretical basis and practical basis.................................................. .....page 1
1 Theoretical basis........................................................................................page 1
2. Practical basis...........................................................................................page 2
B. CONTENT
I. The states of the research topic...................................................... .........page 3
II. Implement solutions.................................................................................page 3
1. Introducing the way to make pictures...............page 3
2. Some high effective techniques in using picture cards and word cards to teach English for students in grade 6.....................................................................page 4
a. Using pictures to introduce new words ....page 4
b. Using pictures to learn model sentences.......page 7
c. Using pictures to check the words ...................................page 9
C. THE ACHIEVED RESULTS AND THE PROPOSALS
I. The achieved results after applying the above solutions.........................page 12
II. The conclusions of the research topic....................................................page 12
III. Proposals and recommendations...........................................................page 13
A.INTRODUCTION
I. THE GENERAL POINTS.
1. The reasons of choosing the topic.
 Nowadays, English plays an important role in the life because it is a key to connect with everyone all over the world. 
In Quan Son district, students in secondary schools have chance to study English althought English subject is a new subject. However, almost secondary schools haven`t had enough teaching aids as well as real objects. This leads to the big prolem that teachers have had lots of difficulities in teaching students effectively, especially, how to teach in order to help students remember all the words they have learnt, that is our problem. From that idea, I have thought a lot and tried my best to make picture cards to teach students in grade 7. Besides, there are teachers who never use them for teaching, or have used in teaching but not effectively. 
From that fact, I have decided to research the topic "Using pictures in teaching English at grade 6 in some secondary schools in Quan Son District". 
2. Aims of the topic
	Teaching and learning English have been strongly developing both inside and outside schools not only in Viet Nam but also all over the world. Thus, the purpose of the application of picture cards and word cards in teaching in grade 6 is improving the quality of basic steps of students` learning, create interactively educational environment, students are encouraged and facilitated to actively seek knowledge, streamline the learning process and self - discipline themselves.
	The application of pictures in teaching English will increase the efficiency to absorb lessons. The lessons using pictures will help students contact with the real life and make lessons more vivid, rich and attractive for students. Teachers do not need to explain a lot, students are still interested in learning and it is very easy for students to understand the lesson as well. They will remember words a lot and use sentences fluently.
3. Research objects
 The students are in grade 6 at Quan Son Boarding Secondary School and Quan Son Town Secondary school.
4. Research time
	From 09/2015 to 04/2016.
 + From 09/2015 Ò 10/2015 : the time of research topic.
 + From 11/2015 Ò 01/2016 : applying research topic for grade 6.
 + From 02/2016 Ò 03/2016 : evaluating the effectiveness in using the research 	topic.
 + 04/2016 : completing research topic.
II. THEORETICAL BASIS AND PRACTICAL BASIS
1. Theoretical basis
	Devirved the purpose, requirements and based on the theoretical basis to teach – learn English at secondary schools, foreign language subject in general education environment, required the essential contents on the following aspects : education, ideology, morality, fostering cultural knowledge and training communication skill in English. These aspects are closely related to each other. Through teaching activity with pictures will create a good communication skill for each student in English and communicate well through the themes of each unit. The relation among such contents is characteristic of English subject that teachers and learners need to be aware in the process of dominating subject. 
	At secondary schools, learning foreign languages in general and English in a particular subject is a new subject. To help students in grade 6 step into the basic concept in the subject as well as become familiar with a new language, requires teachers to be very skillful in introducing new contents, teachers need to use teaching aids in order to illustrate exactly. Therefore, when we want students to get familiar with a new vocabulary, teachers will use many different forms to illustrate such as picture cards, word cards. Thanks to picture cards and word cards, students have access to knowledge and activities close to reality, instead of the form of acquiring knowledge through teachers` lectures as before or reference books. Students can observe actual images at many angles which have vivid intuitive and absorb easily. Thus, students can perceive the knowledge faster and stronger.
	In conclusion, using pictures at secondary schools is an important factor for students in grade 6 to enhance the teaching effectiveness to meet the renewal requirement in teaching English at secondary schools now.
2. Practical basis
 Nowadays, there are lots of reference books as well as professional training curriculum actively supporting teaching towards the innovation method of foreign language teachers. 
The practication of teaching "Helping students in grade 6 learn English well by using pictures in teaching vocabulary” brings quite positive effectiveness. Through the techniques of using pictures in the tested classes, students really like to learn English. Pictures have made students bolder and more vibrant in English learning in class. Every time I use pictures to teach them, the lessons are very successful. In the learning process, students have absorbed and acquired quite much knowledge, especially the number of new words and model sentences in the content of the lesson. They also improve the listening and speaking skills. They pronounce better about the stress of the vocabulary as well as that of the sentence.
Using pictures make students easy to see, easy to aquire and by inference, students could have predicted about the mean of new words and grammartical structures.
Applying English cards in teaching will enhance the quality of learning for students, create the educational environment high interactively not merely teachers lecture, students listen or teachers read, students write. Teachers can lecture whenever or wherever. Students can self - study with pictures, or parents also teach their children by themselves when they use pictures.
B. CONTENT
I. THE STATES OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC
	Through practical teaching, I find that every lesson, which does not have real objects in general or pictures is very boring, Therefore, students are not interested in learning, they are bored with learning the subject, even they hate the English lesson. Especially for students at Quan Son Boarding Secondary School, most of them have not been aware of learning well yet, parents neglect promting their chilren as well. Besides, the time of each period is too short, there is only 45 minutes. Thus, that will be a major challenge for teachers to teach students how to remember the pronunciation, the meaning and the appearance of each word. If we teach students in grade 6 without pictures, I find that students feel very difficult to remember new words. But since I have applied this research topic, the result has surprisingly changed, feeling bored with learning and teaching has disappeared little by little, the state of lazy students has reduced because students completely can absorb the knowledge of lessons (new words and grammar and practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills) in class. As a result, students can remember quickly the words which teachers have just provided as well as the words which they leanrt the last lessons.
	However, the general problem at secondary schools in Quan Son district in gereral and at Quan Son Boarding Secondary School in particular is lack of the English classroom and other teaching equipments such as real objects, or some schools also have enough equipments but teachers do not often use or teachers haven`t prapared teaching aids before teaching.This leads to the problem that teachers have many difficulties in communicating knowledge to students, because not everyone knows the magical efficiency of picture cards and word cards or using them effectively. So I would like to present some techniques of teaching Engish for students in grade 6 by pictures and I also hope that English will become an interesting subject for students to learn English anywhen or anywhere.
II. IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS
1. Introducing the way to collect pictures.
	It is very easy and convinient for teachers to collect or make pictures. Teachers can use white papers or cardboards to make pictures. The most ideal size is 20cm×30cm. With this size, teachers are easy to teach and students are easy to learn as well. Pictures include two sides. Teachers can draw or print pictures on the front side, and the back side teachers can write or print words. Word cards have English words or Vietnamese words. Pictures are used for presenting words, checking words and sentences in units; present and check letters in the alphabet in the studentbook.
	Every lesson has pictures based on pictures and words in the studentbook, so they are really attractive and interesting and they help students a lot in leanring English as well. 
2. Some effective techniques in using pictures cards to teach English for students in grade 6.
We have known the advantages of pictures in teaching vocabulary, but to use them effectively in teaching is not simple. How flexibly we can teach all new words to students who are studying in the smallest grade and at the smallest age in secondary schools? Now, I would like to show you some wonderful techniques that brings high effectiveness in teaching English.
a. Using pictures to introduce new words.
	There are quite many benefits to present new words by pictures. Teachers can be easy to use picture cards in order to teach new words for students who learn English by listening, speaking without writing the lesson in English. So, if teachers do not use pictures to introduce new words, it is difficut for students to learn.
Example 1 : Unit 6 – Places – B- In the city (B1,2,3). 
	Firstly, we give out the picture “A restaurant” which students observe what it is, then teachers will pronounce that word as modal several times, then teachers ask students repeat again :
T : Look at the picture! This is a restaurant. 
S: A restaurant.
S read after teacher and remember the word.
With this way to teach new English words, students will remember the pronunciation of not only English words but also Vietnamese letters. 
 * The word : factory
T : Look at the picture! This is a factory. 
S: a factory
S read after and remember the word.
*The word: temple
T : Look at the picture! This is a temple. 
S: a temple
S read after and remember the word.
*The word: hospital
T: Look at the picture! This is a hospital
S: a hospital
S read after and remember the word.
* The word: stadium
T: Look at the picture! This is a stadium.
S: a stadium.
S read after and remember the word.
* The word: museum
T: Look at the picture! This is a museum
S: a museum
S read after and remember the word.
* The word: bookstore
T: Look at the picture! This is a bookstore
S: a bookstore
S read after and remember the word.
So, with the new teaching method, teachers do not need to translate into Vietnamese, students only look picture cards, they will pronounce, know the meaning of the words and remember the letters in the word. Especially, all students are very excited and they always look forward to the English lesson because they do not know what new words they are going to learn and they are also curious that today what picture cards teachers are going to let them observe. Everything is magical for students in each English lesson. 
b. Using pictures to teach model sentences.
	In many units in grade 6, apart from new words, there are many simple sentences that students must learn to speak. To help students speak those sentences well, teachers have to know how to use pictures flexibly. Thus, besides the words in the unit that students are studying, teachers should provide some extra pictures of different words which students learnt the last lessons. So, this will help students use model sentences with learnt words better. 
Example 1: Unit 4 : Big or Small – C1-2-3.
Teachers give out each pictures, students will speak aloud the full sentence : 
I
 Student read aloud: I get up
 Student read aloud: I get dress
 Student read aloud: I brush my teeth
Example 2: Unit 7 : Your house - Page 78, 79.
After practicing listening, teachers ask students to practice model sentence:
 A : What would you like?	
	 B : I’d like some ..
1. A : What would you like? 2. A : What would you like?.
 B : I’d like some mangoes 	 B: I’d like some apples.
3. A : What would you like? 4. A : What would you like?
 B : I’d like some orange juice	 B : I’d like a cake.
c. Using pictures to check the words.
	Teachers use pictures to check the words at many different stages such as checking after presenting the new words, checking in the warm – up stage, checking in the review lessons There are also many ways to check the words which students have learnt.
c1. Using pictures after presenting the new words:
	After presenting the new words, teachers use pictures of the words that students have leart to check the meaning:
Example:
	Teachers give out the pictures and ask students read aloud its names:
	Teachers: What is this?
	 Student: It’s an orange 
Teachers: What is this?
	 Student: It’s a mango
Teachers: What is this?
 Student: It’s a banana
Teachers: What is this?
	 Student: It’s an pineapple.
c2. Using pictures in the warm-up stage and then linking to the new lesson:
Example: Unit 11: What do you eat? Part A: At the store.
Before starting the new lesson, teachers give out some pictures and ask students read aloud:
Teachers: What is this?
Students: Cooking oil
Teachers: What is this?
Students: Tea
Teachers: What is this?
Students: Egg
Teachers: What is this?
Students: Pea
Teachers: Where can we see these things?
Students: At the store. 
And then teachers link these pictures to the new lesson.
 The above are just a few examples illustrating the process of leanring English which is done in the form of using the pictures to inspire learning for students in grade 6 as well as ensure the principle "Students play a central role". After every lesson, students can absorb almost knowledge. That is, students can pronounce and remember the words they have learnt well from picture cards.Especilly, teachers only give out any pictures, students will have a look and guess quickly and correctly. As result, these pictures are truly practical and useful not only for teachers but also for our students.
C. THE ACHIEVED RESULTS AND THE PROPOSALS
I. THE ACHIEVED RESULTS AFTER APPLYING THE ABOVE SOLUTIONS
	After reseaching and applying this reseach topic, I find that students`s learning results have improved a lot, and become higher than the beginning of the year, presented as below :
 * Before applying the research topic: 
 Quality
Class Quantity
Excellent
(%)
Good
(%)
Fair
(%)
Unsatisfactory (%)
 6A 32
 2 (6.2%)
10 (31.3%)
 12(37.5%)
 8 (2.5%)
 6B 33
 0 (0.0%)
 5 (15.2%)
14 (42.4%)
 14 (42,4%)
Students’ results in Quan Son Boarding Secondary School
 Quality
Class Quantity
Excellent
(%)
Good
(%)
Fair
(%)
Unsatisfactory (%)
 6 22
 1 (4.5%)
4 (18.2%)
10 (45.5%)
 7 (31,8%)
Students’ results in Quan Son Town Secondary School
 * After applying the reseach topic :
 Quality
Class Quantity
Excellent
(%)
Good
(%)
Fair
(%)
Unsatisfactory (%)
 6A 32
10(31.3%)
14 (43,8%)
16(50%)
2 (6.3%)
 6B 33
4 (12.1%)
 12(36.4%)
16 (48.5%)
 1 (3.1%)
Students’ results in Quan Son Boarding Secondary School
 Quality
Class Quantity
Excellent
(%)
Good
(%)
Fair
(%)
Unsatisfactory (%)
 6 22
7(31.9%)
10 (45.5%)
4 (18,2%)
1 (4.5%)
Students’ results in Quan Son Town Secondary School
II. THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC.
Through my teaching experience, I find that teachers can use Pictures in teaching English because they brings us the great effectiveness. With these pictures, teachers also can design attractive, vivid lectures, especially in teaching new words, grammar and listening, speaking, reading, writing skills to inspire from the smallest students at secondary schools – students in grade 6. 
However, the application of real objects in general or pictures in particular to innovate the content, teaching methods is a difficult long-term task requiring a lots of infrastructure, finance and capacity of teachers. Thus, to promote the development and application of real objects in teaching in the next time to be effective, the State should increase the investment to constantly improve, and provide full of pictures for teachers to teach English better and students in different grades at secondary schools can be learnt with pictures to increase the vocabulary. 
Besides, teaching English at secondary schools is a diverse and complex process. The effectiveness of teaching English is determined from the two sides both teachers and students. The teacher not only masters the language of cultural knowledge but alo uses teaching methods on lessons proficiently. Not only teachers have good lesson preparation, but students also have to pay attention to the spirit, attitude, will and their learning methods to understand knowledge and bring those knowledge to life. Therefore, the application of picture and word cards as well as innovating content, educational methods to enhance the quality, effectiveness of teaching is the first requirement of the Education sector.
III. PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
 To effectively apply the pictures in the process of teaching and English becomes students` favorite subject, I would like to propose some following ideas:
Schools should be equipped with the multi - function room that includes projectors, loudspeakers, Internet, visual aids for the purpose of teaching.
	Schools also should have policies to support teachers in the budget for purchase of teaching aids such as picture cards, word cards, puppets, CD room, teacher’s book and so on in teaching.
Teache