Some effective ways to attract students’ interest in learning english at Thường Xuân 2 high school

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN 
THANH HOÁ
THƯỜNG XUÂN 2 HIGH SCHOOL
THE INITIATIVE FROM TEACHING EXPERIENCE
SOME EFFECTIVE WAYS TO ATTRACT 
STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN LEARNING ENGLISH 
AT THƯỜNG XUÂN 2 HIGH SCHOOL
Teacher’s full name: 	 Vũ Thị Hồng
Position : 	 Teacher
The initiative of : Teaching English
THANH HOÁ, 2019
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Reason for choosing the topic:
The difference of language prevents us from exchanging economy, politics and culture among nations in the World. Trade libralization and globalization of the World’s economy have been the special trend of the current society. Foreign language is one of the necessary materials which helps each of us go into the World with confidence.
The typical expression of the general trend of globalization is the association of economy among nations in the region and in all the World. This has a great influence on the international relationship and the life in each country. It is not only the economic cooperation but also the cultural integration among nations, so the knowlegde of foreign language is becoming the general trend in the World. The founding of ASEAN economic community in 2015 allows the free labours to move abroad. This makes a chance for the experts or the professional workers in ASEAN’s countries to join the trading activities and invest abroad. This action has been satisfying the lack of the worker force within countries in the region; and improving the workers’ payment and experience. Of course, many of those workers are Vietnamese. It means that foreign language is considered as “an important ticket” to come into other countries in the region and in the World for work. Thus, foreign language is necessary and evident for people who want to work with foreigners in both home and aboard.
From seeing the benefit of English, our Government leads this subject into the curriculum in schools, beginning from primary schools. Schools have been invested much money in improving materials which are used for teaching and learning English. So our Thuong Xuan 2 high school does. But, in fact, the Vietnamese’s ability of foreign language is not good. As the declaration of the index of the Global English expertness - EFEPI - in 2015 from International Educating Organization, Vietnam’s expertness is at the average of index, it’s about 53,81% , with that result, Vietnam ranks 29 out of 70 countries. Now we can see that foreign language as “a key” to help every one, every country improve the future. It has been believed that learning foreign languages express the trending of integration clearly for an individual, a country.
So, imroving the efficiency of teaching and learning English in schools in general is necessary. Especially, in mountainous areas like Thuong Xuan province. According to me, the teachers of English should inspire the passion of learning for this subject for each learner. The teacher of foreign language’s mission does not only teach the knowlegde of language but also creats inspiration in learning for each student. Teachers should help students comprehend: Speaking some foreign language well is an efficient instrument to approach the modern science and technology, to enrich for themselves and for their country. It’s considered as an important way for success. I think that the young people do enthusiasticaly things that they love. So, if we make them love English, they will try their best to achieve it in many their ways. Teaching and learning must be easier from that.
From the above given reasons, I decide to choose the theme “ some effective ways to attract students’ interest in learning English at Thuong Xuan 2 high school” for my research.
2. Aim of the research:
The aims of the research are to find the way to promote students’ interest in learning English. 
3. The subject of study:
In this study, I concentrate on researching on my students’ attitude and interest in learning English. Then, I conclude the reason why my students are not interested in learning English much. At last, I try to find the best way to motivate my students to learn English. The subject of this study is the students in class 11B1 at Thuong Xuan 2 High school. The number of students consists of 35.
4. Research methodology:
	- Observing.
	- Sharing.
	- Listening.
	- Analysis.
II. CONTENT
1. Theoretical Background:
In a recent blog post at the NCWIT blog, the researchers give some reasons for the problem why it is very important for students to have teachers who know the way how to inspire the students’ interest in learning. They get students interested and even excited about what they are learning. Passion is what makes students decide to study more.
A research shows that a teacher for a while who taught both math (which he loved) and computer science (which he was not so enthusiastic about). The difference in the level of success between students in those different courses was amazing. Same teacher. Same brilliant mind. But a different level of enthusiasm meant different levels of results.
Good teachers will find a way to get more interested in what they are teaching and to make things more interesting for their students. It requires a little more work, a little more imagination, and maybe even a little acting ability. The best teachers make learning interesting, exciting and important. The teachers who do that well deserve the students and their parents.
Nowadays, English is admitted to be an International language. It is spoken widely in the World. More and more foreign cooperations and companies have invested in Viet Nam since viet nam joined ASEAN. So, employees have to use English in work and in communication well beside they are high professional employees. Thus, people who communicate in English well can get a good job in some foreign company with the high payment, and they have also a chance to develop further in their job’s position and their work.
The current serious fact is that using materials of teaching English in high schools in Viet Nam hasn’t brought the desired effect back yet. This makes many students and their parents not to be pleasant. Most of students who learn English in 7 years at schools are not able to listen, speak, read and write in English. The lastest searches show the pessimistic result: Many pupils who finished their compulsory education at lower schools are only able to speak and listen to the simple sentences about name or year-old, they can’t speak in English in daily communication. From this, many students are sent to the famous foreign language centers to approach the more modern conditions of teaching and learning English.
2. The reality of learning English before applying this initiative:
English teaching is not a piece of easy work. Especially, many students are losing their interest and showing negative attitude towards english learning. Teachers are always complaining that it’s hard to improve students’ scores and the students are too lazy to learn the words, recite the dialogues and finish exercises. To some degree, the effective way to make the English teaching and learning go smoothly is to improve students’ interest in learning English, Einstein once said: “interest is the best teacher”. Interest is a kind of direct motivation to push students’ study. That means interest plays an important part in learning English. as to the teacher, it is worth-while to improve students’ interest. It can make students concentrate on what they are learning and think actively. Learning English is quite different from other subjects’ learning. It is a foreign language and there is not a good invironment for them to learn. Relatively speaking, learning English is rather dull. Especially, learning so many new words by heart is a hard nut to crack. As a result, a lot of students are afraid of it. So, it’s teachers’ duty to motivate them to learn actively. Teachers should spare no efforts to arouse their students’ interest.
I have been teaching English at Thuong Xuan 2 high school for many years. This school is in a mountainous area so I know clearly what my students’ purpose is. So far, I have been able to confirm one thing: Most of my students learn English for the GCSE, only a few study for the University entrance examination.
Generally, the quality of students’ input is not high so it is very difficult for both teachers and students in teaching and acquiring English. In fact, we don’t only teach the very basic knowledge in the textbook but we have to teach students all the knowledge that they learned before also. 
Besides, there are also many reasons which make teaching and learning English are prevented development, for example: Students don’t have further materials, students don’t have time to study at home (their families are very poor so they usually help their parents to get more money), they don’t have chance to practice English much,  Because the living conditions of most local people are still poor and backward so learning in general has not been focused, particularly, learning English is attended hardly. Students have no any reference and means of learning except their textbooks. 
There are about 40 students in each class in my school. I think it is a large class. So, it is very difficult for me to control my class while speaking and students have no more chances to practice English skills, too. Especially in oral skill because they have few words. My students cannot communicate in English, even though they spent 6-7 years learning English at grammar schools. Actually, in English curricula, there are lessons that use tapes and CDs to practise listening and speaking skills, but my school resources and the habits of individual teachers mean they are rarely used, especially in rural areas. Students mostly copy the way their teachers speak, but many teachers mispronounce the words themselves.
In the past, the teachers of English in my school used to teach English in traditional teaching method which students stayed passive in learning and did not have a communication environment and we didn’t care almost ways to attract students’ attention. I think it is the main reason behind the ineffective teaching and learning of English in our school because this makes our students become afraid of speaking English.
We focused on teaching grammar much, and our students also focused on grammar lessons in order to pass tests and examinations. This traditional way of teaching I think we put our students in the "passive voice" when learning English, and they cannot have good communication skills, even though students can be good at grammar. I think that our students had to try to approach English in the hard way and they seemed to be tired of this subject. I felt their tiredness though their actions of learning this subject.
Since many recent years, I have been trying to perfect the questions: What should teachers do to make students love learning English more ? and How do the teachers do to make English more attractive and easier? At last, I can find the answers for my questions ( I will show that in the next part ). 
The other problem is that they learn English just to pass regular tests or examinations, while they cannot use English in reality. Especially, many students got high scores from exams and tests, but they can only write grammatical sentences, while they are very bad at listening and communicating. Many students tell me that they like learning English, and some of them always have good learning results at school. However, when they meet foreigners or go to an English club, they find out that they are afraid of speaking English in crowded places because they was afraid of making mistakes. 
Beside that, there is no place of tourism or some factory which foreigners work or live in here so my students have no chance for communication. That's why their listening and speaking skills are poor and my students become frustrated by this.
I think that bad English skills have become a hot topic on education forums. Educators have pointed out that it is the nature of Vietnamese people that they can easily get embarrassed when making mistakes, therefore, they would rather not to speak English to make mistakes. My students do, too.
3. The initiative is being applied to teach English in my school. 
A great number of students in my school shared me that they learnt English because they were required to learn this subject in their curriculum at school. Similarly, not many said that they learnt English due to their love for this foreign language. Obviously, no teachers can persuade their students to learn English like a favourite subject if they dislike it. Hence, to help students learn English better, it is important to make English become something special that impresses students. I think that teachers of English should make students realise that learning a new language gets so many benefit to them. They gain practical knowlegde, learn valuable things about foreign cultures, and discover a whole new World outside of their own.
These are some ways I have used to improve the learning English problem in our school:
3.1. Forging the relationship between teacher and students. 
Creating the close relationship in and outside the class between teachers and students is necessary. This makes students feel easier and more friendly when they make questions of lesson as well as share personal secrets with their teachers. Students feel teachers like theirs friends. Forging the relationship with students encourage them in conversations, too. For example, if your lesson is on while your students can not focus on it because of something, you should let them share their problem and you can participate in that action as a member. Your taking part in the action to help students solve their problem will stop wasting time for personal problem soon and will make the relationship between teachers and students more close-knit. Students will have an interest in learning English more from the reason they love you.
3.2. Explain the benefits.
	As a teacher, you should be wise enough to explain subtly the benefits of learning English to your students. Try to elaborate how mastering foreign language is rewarding and beneficial. You can also add that learning English correlates with better their academic results. This applies to career and self-development as well.
3.3. Make them use English (create a learning English environment). 
	Theoretical knowledge is the basic precondition for language learning but it is even more important for your students to practice what they learn. Therefore, as a teacher, you should create possibilities for them to use English more. You may create a friendly learning English environment in each lesson. Sometimes, you can organize debates or close meetings, where many students will communicate in English as well as they will understand what they do or don’t know.
	Of course, mistakes come as a natural part of this process so you have to provide support and encourage your students not to give up on expressing their opinions in foreign language because the more they speak, the more they are going to learn.
3.4. Make class fun.
	Making class fun is a surefire way to up intrinsic motivation levels. When students are having a good time, they’ll be more engaged in learning. Their motivation will come from them rather than from you. You just have to find the best ways to help your students have a good time while they learn.
	One thing I have remembered since I was a student is my teachers’ humour. They knew how to make the lesson easier and more interesting. I am sure we used to be under study pressure, but our teachers helped us get over that pressure by their funny teaching. Why don’t you make your class funny from now? For example, if you are having a lecture of sports, you should change your class into My Dinh stadium and your students will be athletes. I am sure that the lecture will be more attractive; your students will comprehend and memorize the lesson easier. They will be attracted from the begining to the end by you.
3.5. Let them know the timely results of learning. 
	Let your students see the results of their learning every once in a while, it’s up to you to choose how. There are many ways to do it but keep in mind that your students are young, so they are usually impatient and yearn for some encouragement from your side.
	It may be done by organizing an English speaking club with discussions on the specific topic that they have already perfected. Introduce the rule with scores and objectives so that students can enjoy achieving results through correct use of foreign language. Any method that makes students feel proud about the progress they made is valid.
These are two of teaching plans that I use the above ways to attract my students in learning English, make them interested in learning English:
* The 1st teaching plan:
Unit 10: Nature in Danger (English 11 - skill: Speaking)
The main ways I focuss on in this lesson are: 3.3. Make them use English (create a learning English environment) and 3.4. Make class fun.
Let’s begin:
In this lesson, I try my best to finish tasks in 20 minutes - to reach this purpose I say my students as soon as the lesson starts that: “We will have a very attractive action if we finish our lesson soon, in 20 minutes”. After finishing the lesson, I write in block capitals on the board: “ROLE PLAY”, then I stop in 1 minutes to attract my students’ attraction. Of course, my students are going to guess the name of the play while I am at secret. At last, I write the full sentence on the board:
ROLE PLAY: A discussion between different parties interested in global warming.
I divide the class into 4 groups with the names: Role A - Penguin leader, Role B – Dessert dweller, Role C – Worried Martian, Role D – U.S. President. Team up with classmates who have been assigned the same role to develop your roles and discuss ideas and “strategies” before the role play begins. Introduce yourself to the other role players. Discuss your roles after the role play ends.
Role A – Penguin leader
You live in Antarctica. You need global warming to stop. Temperatures must actually get cooler. Your species is at great risk of extinction. Your habitat, the ice, is melting and your sources of food are disappearing. The world must act to save you. The day the last penguin dies is the start of the end of the Earth.
Role B – Dessert dweller
You like the recent effects of global warming. It has brought a lot of unexpected rain to your land. For the first time you can grow things. You have bumper harvests. You have lots of water to drink. You think global warming is simply a matter or winners and losers. You think global warming or cooling has always happened.
Role C – Worried Martian
Billions of years ago, Mars, your planet, looked like Earth. Life was everywhere. However, greedy Martians controlled the energy sources and the Mars climate changed, killing all life – except you. The greedy Martians paid leaders to pretend nothing was happening and that alternative energies would arise. It was all too late. Advise the Earthlings and the penguins of the dangers of climate change.
Role D – U.S. President
You are terrified of taking measures to control global warming because you might lose your power. You believe scientists can build a huge machine to re-freeze the ice caps. You think keeping American jobs is more important than penguin food. You know better than the world’s climate experts. You don’t believe in aliens.
Students work in groups in 10 minutes. Then, the representative of each group will show at the board. Teacher and other students give comments.
* The 2nd teaching plan: 
Unit 16: THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD
(English 11 - SKILL: Reading)
The main ways I focuss on in this lesson are: 3.2. Explain the benefits (Namely, learning English for travelling) and 3.4. Make clas