Some activities to stimulate students' speaking in speaking lessons (Tieng anh 10)

Table of contents
 Contents
Page
Name of the theme
A.Introduction
I. Reasons of choosing the theme
II.Purposes of the study
III. Scopes of the study
IV. Research methodology
2-3
B- Contents of the theme
3-14
I.Theoretical basis
II.Practical basis
III.Applying some activities to stimulate students' speaking
IV.Results
C.conclusion
14-15
1. Conclusion .
2.Suggestion
Reference books 
16
Appendix 
17-21
A. INTRODUCTION
	I.THE REASONS OF CHOOSING THE THEME
	According to my teaching experience, four language skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing should be fully stimulated during the course of study to help the students communicate in the target language since the lack of any skills will spoil the effectiveness of communication. However, learning quality is still far from being satisfactory. Learners have faced many difficulties in English learning, especially in the learning of speaking skills.
In fact, it is undeniable that many Vietnamese students after seven years learning English at schools still feel confused when communicating with foreigners or they even could not say a simple utterance like an offer. Obviously, the ability to communicate in a foreign language clearly and effectively contributes to the success of the learner in school and success later in every phase of life.
Like many high schools in Vietnam,at Quang Xuong 3 high school, English has been a compulsory subject in its curriculum for many years and the English speaking skill is one of five official parts in a unit. However, due to the demand of the high school graduation exam, which means little attention has been paid to the speaking skill. Sometimes, they feel bored with the difficult and uninteresting topics in the textbook ‘Tieng Anh 10’. With 6 year – experience in Quang Xuong 3 school.HS,I find that the English lessons with speaking activities designed by teachers always motivate students and get them involved in speaking effectively. 
The effort of this thesis is trying to encourage teachers to apply innovative methods in teaching speaking skill for learners and to help students to learn speaking subject more effectively. Having students work in groups not only makes them more involved in learning but also gives the m opportunities to practise the foreign language being learned. There are many reasons but above are the main drivers for us to engage in this study entitled Some activities to stimulate students' speaking in speaking lessons (Tieng anh 10)
	II. Purposes of the study
The study is aimed at:
- Investigating the situation of teaching and learning speaking to 10th Graders in Quang Xuong 3 High School, Quang Xuong, Thanh Hoa;
- Investigating the effectiveness in Some activities to stimulate students' speaking in speaking lessons (Tieng anh 10)
 III.Scope of the study
This study is implemented to find answers to the following research questions:
What are students’ difficulties in learning the current English speaking activities in ‘Tieng Anh 10’?
Which speaking lessons (in 16 units of Tieng Anh 10) are difficult for the students at QX3HS?
What speaking activities in the textbook “Tieng Anh 10”should be adapted to reduce students’ difficulties?
IV.Research methodology
	To achieve the aims mentioned above, the study employed survey questionnaire for students, interview for teachers and classroom observations to collect information on the the students’ difficulties and seeks a way to reduce those difficulties by adapting some unsuitable textbook pre-designed English speaking activities in “Tieng Anh 10”. 
B. CONTENTS OF THE THEME
	I. Theoretical basis
	In reality, a textbook can never totally be an effective tool for teachers to follow without any adaptation because of its intrinsic deficiencies such as linguistic inaccuracies, out-of-datedness, lack of authenticity or lack of variety. Thus, I favor Madsen and Bowen’s (1978) and Tice’s (1991) view that is the purpose of material adaptation is to compensate for those deficiencies. This is important to all teachers of English because it can activate learners and stimulate their motivation, and increased motivation, in turn, is likely to create a more conductive classroom atmosphere.
	II.Practical basis
	1. Problems with English speaking 
Everything has bad and good sides. Speaking also has its own problems.
According to Brown (1994: 256), the characteristics of spoken language can make oral performance easy as well as in soe cases difficult. There are following problems with speaking: 
Clustering * Redundancy
Reduced forms * Colloquial language
Stress, rhythm and intonation * Affective factors
Interaction
2. Problems with English speaking activities 
It is more difficult to design and adminster such activities than to do so for listening, reading or writing. Teachers often come across the problems that Ur (1996:121) lists out:
Inhibition 	 * Nothing to say: 
Lows or uneven participation 	 * Mother-tongue use: 
Basing on these views, an action research is to caried out on adapting some English speaking activities for the ‘Tieng Anh 10’ to reduce these difficulties.
	3.Applying some activities to stimulate students'speaking
	3.1. ROLE PLAY
	a.Activities 1
Application: Task 3 - Unit 6: An excursion 
Aims: Giving opinions, expressing agreement and disagreement 
Class time: 20 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 66 
Source: Section cards and role cards (See Appendix 1)
Procedure:
1. Copy and cut the 4 role cards of each people and the 6 section cards. 
2. Divide the class into group of four (or three if there are only three students left). Give each group one set of role cards and one set of situation cards (for group of three, leave out role card D)
3. Ask the students to sit round the table with the situations cards face down in a pile in the middle of the table. The cards should be in order from 1 to 6. Each student should have a role card 1, 2, 3 or 4.
4. Tell the students that it is Sunday morning and Tim’s class is going on a boat on Lake Michigan in Chicago. Read the seat plan. You suggest the best seat in each section for each person.
5. The object of the game is using structures ‘ think ‘should’ or should not because’. Or giving opinions via answers ‘Yes’, ‘No’. basing on the content of textbook ‘Tieng Anh 10’.
6. The game is finished when they have successfully decided on each people’s seat. Ask groups their decision on some sections and check with the whole class. 
	b. Activities 2
Application: Task 2 – Unit 3: People’s background
Aims: to encourage students to find out information related to their friends’ background for their presentation next task.
Level: Elementary
Class time: 10 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 35 
Source: English Textbook 10, Education Press, 2006 (See Appendix 2)
Procedure:
The teacher elicits situation and ask students to make questions basing on given information, for example:
The teacher introduce some special expression for students to do the natural conversation.
Students work in pairs to do the interview
Teacher walks around to encourage and help students if necessary
Teacher calls some pairs to do the interview before class. 
After doing this task, students can collect information to talk about the friend they have interviewed for reporting at the end of the lesson. Most students are eager to do the task because they can do it in role of the interviewers. 
	3.2. INFORMATION GAP
a. Activities 1
Application: Task 3 – Unit 1: A day in the life of  
Aims: Talking about daily activities. 
Class time: 10 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 14 
Source: Role cards 
Role Cards
Student A
In the morning
At 10 a.m
In the evenings
Before bed
At the weekends
Tom
James
Sara 
Partner
?
?
?
?
?
Student B 
In the morning
At 10 a.m
In the evenings
Before bed
At the weekends
Tom
James
Sara 
Partner
?
?
?
?
?
The pictures are adapted from 
Procedure:
1. Copy the two role cards. They are the same but some information is missing from each.
2. Ask students to work in pairs. Give each pairs the 2 role cards.
3. Tell the students to complete the form by asking and answering their partner’s questions.
e.g. A: What does Tom do after school?
B: He often does exercise.
4. Tell the students to write the answers in the boxes or draw the picture.
5. Ask the students to write his/ her partner’s name in the last box and ask him/ her the same questions to complete the boxes.
6. The activity is finished when students have completed all the missing information. Tell students to stand up and make full sentences about the characters in the cards. 
b. Activities 2
Application: Task 2 – Unit 15: Cities
Aims: Comparing two cities
Class time: 15 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 159 
Source: Role cards – Cities (See Appendix 3)
Procedure:
1. Copy the two role cards - cities. They are the same but some information is missing from each.
2. Ask students to work in pairs. Give each pairs the 2 role cards.
3. Tell the students to complete the form by asking and answering their partner’s questions.
e.g. When was New York founded?
What is population of New York?
How many national holidays are there in New York?
5. The activity is finished when students have completed all the missing information in their cards. 
6. Ask some students to stand up and talk about the person they have asked their partners to get the information about their cities.
	3.3. CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING 
a. Activity 1
Application: Task 1 – Unit 5: Technology and You 
Aims: Asking for and giving information about the uses of modern inventions. 
Class time: 10 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 56
Source: Modern inventions Cards 
Modern inventions Cards
Computer
Disk drive
Memory card
Mouse
Laptop
Printer
Answering machine
Camera
Cassette tape
CD player
Cell phone
Clock radio
Computer
Digital Camera
 Dishwasher
Fax machine
Microwave
Remote Control
The pictures are adapted from: http: www.esl-library.com
Procedure:
Copy and cut out the 18 modern invention cards above
Divide the class into groups of six (or five if there are only five students left). Give each group one set of job cards. 
Tell the students to put cards face down on the table
Ask students to take it turn to pick up a card and ask and answer about the uses of modern inventions. Put some helpful language on the board for them to refer to:
A: Can/ Could you tell me what  is used for?
B: It is used to ....
The activity is finished when each student has said at least one thing about each of the cards.
Ask one group to stand up and say about one of the modern inventions in the cards. Ask the other groups to add more information.
b. Activity 2
Application: Task 2 – Unit 11: National Parks 
Aims: Expressing regrets. (using the conditional sentence type 3)
Class time: 15 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 115
Source: Situation cards - List of wishes (See Appendix 4)
Procedure:
Copy the list of wishes and the situation cards, cut out the situation cards
Divide the class into groups of six (or five if there are only five students left). Give each student a list of wishes and two situation cards . 
Tell the students to complete their list of wishes by saying according to model others in their group:
e.g. If we had not ., we wouldn’t have  
When students have completed all the missing information in their list of wishes, ask them to tell their group the most interesting or surprising wisher they have known. 
	3.4. DISCUSSION
a. Activity 1
Application: Task 3 – Unit 8: The story of my village 
Aims: Talking about plans and possible results (in the village).
Class time: 10 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 85
Source: Question Cards (See Appendix 5)
Procedure:
Copy, cut out and shuffle question cards.
Divide the class into groups of four (or three if there are only three students left). Give each group one set of question cards
Ask students to sit round the table with the question cards face down in a pile in the middle of the table. One student starts by turning up the top card, reading it out to the group and discussing their plans and possible results. The next student now picks up a card, reads it out  and the activity continues.
Stop the students at the end of the time limit.
Ask each group in turn which question card gave rise to most discussion.
b. Activity 2
Application: Task 3 – Unit 9: Undersea World
Aims: Reporting on discussion results
Class time: 15 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 97
Source: Situation Cards (See Appendix 6)
Procedure:
Copy and cut out the 5 situation cards.
Divide the class into groups of four (or three if there are only three students left). Give each group one set of situation cards
Ask students to turn up the first card and compare four situations on the card to find out solutions. Encourage them use ‘should’ and ask groups exchange situations, then discuss again.
When the time is over, find out the best solutions.
c. Activity 3
Application: Task 2 – Unit 14: The World Cup
Aims: Asking and answering questions about the World Cups
Class time: 20 minutes 
Source: Handouts (See Appendix 7)
Procedure:
Copy handouts.
Divide the class into groups of six (or five if there are only five students left). Give each group two handouts
Tell students to complete their handouts by asking and answering the others in their group such as:
A: Where was the first World Cup held?
B: It was held in Uruguay.
A: Which teams played in the final match?
B: Uraguay and Argentina.
A: Which team became the champion?
B: Uraguay
A: What was the score of the match?
B: 4 - 2
When students have completed all the missing information in their handouts, ask them add more information about famous football team if they know.
3.5. INTERVIEWS 
Application: Task 2 – Unit 4: Special Education 
Aims: Making an interview.
Class time: 20 minutes 
Materials: English textbook 10, page 48
Source: Handouts (See Appendix 8)
Procedure:
Copy and cut out the six handouts.
Divide the class into groups of six (or five if there are only five students left). Give each student one of the six handouts.
Explain that each student has some questions in their handout, ask them to interview four other people in their group and make a note of answer they get.
Stop the students at the end of the time limit whether they have finished or not. Ask some students to stand up and present their work.
	4. Results 
	In order to assess the effectiveness of applying this method to teaching reading, I have compared my work with many classes (10D, 10A5, 10 A2 school year 2013-2014, 10 D, 10 A2, 10A3 school year 2014-2015) for many years. Before using this method, most of my students find it difficult to complete all the taks in the text book. 
	It is a matter of fact that after applying Some activities to stimulate students' speaking in speaking lessons (Tieng anh 10) , my students and I felt it very interesting , they seemed to be very eager for speaking lessons. During the lessons, all the students were involved in the activities. After each speaking lesson, students remember the speaking situation more thoroughly. Besides, they had many chances to practice many other skills like writing and listening, especially speaking in pairs, in groups or in individually in front of the whole class
Chart . Students’ feedback towards applying changing or
adding English speaking activities and their effectiveness.
Most children love to speak English with the following results:
Beginning of the year
After 1st term
After 2nd term
Good
10%
20%
34%
Quite good
12%
28%
32%
Medium
40%
32%
20%
Quite bad
28%
20%
14%
C- CONCLUSION
Conclusion
Teaching method is a product connecting theory and practice in order to help students get knowledge, practice their skills and solve the problems. Changing teaching method, according to me, is changing the role of the teacher from the provider into a consultant; students will fulfil the demand of knowledge themselves. It is clearly that in my class, with some activities desiged by me, the atmosphere of learing is getting more and more exciting, students are voluntary participants in teaching process, I myself find it is relaxing to be a guide instead of being a translator, for all the activities in the classroom.
2. Suggestion
	Basing on practical teaching English text book 10, 11, 12 Education Publishing House, I suggest :
First, the communicative activities presented in some tasks in speaking lesson in ‘Tieng Anh 10’ are not effective because they are not varied and interesting enough to attract the students’ concentration or some topics are not familiar to them due to the low background knowledge of rural students, generally. Therefore, to motivate students in speaking lessons, it is vitally necessary to adapt these speaking activities. 
Secondly, the students’ favorite speaking activities except for games are also highly appreciated by the teachers. Moreover, these activities get them not bored and make them more confident. However, games are not always profitable and very time-consuming though they are very interesting and attract students’ attention. 
	This is my little experience in finding methods to help students find speaking lesson more interesting . I hope to receive your reading and comments as well as contribution to make this theme more perfect so that it can be applied widely.
	Sam Son,April 17th,2016
Validation, evaludation,classification I assure that the writing above is 
Of the school. 	 mine,not copying.
 ( sign and write your full name)
.
.
. Nguyen Thi Khue
 HEAD MASTER
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REFERENCE BOOKS.
Bailey, K.M. and Savage, L. (1994). New Ways in Teaching Speaking.USA. 
Byrne, D. (1991). Teaching Oral English. Longman.
Hadfield, J. (1985). Elementary Communication Games. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Hoa, H.X., et al (2004). Tài Liệu Bồi Dưỡng Giáo Viên Dạy Sách Khoa Lớp 10 – Môn Tiếng Anh. The Ministry of Education and Training.
Jones, L. (2002). Let’s Talk 2: Teacher Support Site. Cambrigde University Press. 
Ellis, M. (1986: 47). Making and shaping games. How to adapt. University of Technology, Loughborough.
Madsen, K.S., &Bowen, J.D. (1978). Adaptation in Language Teaching. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Nunan, D. (1989). Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom. Cambrigde University Press. 
Van, H.V., et al (2006). Tiếng Anh 10. Education Publishing House of Vietnam.
Wallwork, A. (1994). Discussions A-Z Advanced: A Resourse Book of Speaking Activities. Cambrigde University Press.
Watcyn-Jones, P. (1995). Grammar Games and Activities for Teachers. Penguin Books.
Websites:
APPENDIX
APPENDIX 1 
Section cards: Tim’s class is going on a boat on Lake Michigan in Chicago. Read the seat plan. You suggest the best seat in each section for each person.
1. Mrs. Andrew. Which section? Why? 
4. Tim. Which section? Why?
2. Susan. Which section? Why?
5. John. Which section? Why?
3. Mary. Which section? Why?
6. Sam. Which section? Why?
Role – cards.
Mrs. Andrews would like to see all the students 
She doesn’t want to sit on the sun deck 
Susan would like to near Mary.
She don’t want to get sunburst
Mary would like to plenty of fresh air.
She doesn’t want to suffer from traffic sickness 
Tim would like to sit in the sun and he wants to be himself
John would like to take photographs
He doesn’t like air- conditioning 
Susan would like to have a good view
Adapted from ‘Elementary Communication Games’ by Jill Hadfield (1985) 
APPENDIX 2
Role cards
1. Questions:
When were you born?
Where were you born? 
What is your address?
Could you tell me about your parents? What does your father/ mother do?
How many brother do you have?/What do you do?/ How old are they?
Which primary school did