Training some life skills for high school students through English lessons in grade 11

1. Introduction 
1.1. Rationale of choosing the theme 
Students are the future leaders of the country, who will play important roles in the country’s development in the coming years. Without life skills, students could not fulfil their duties to not only themselves but their families, their community and their country as well.
In school years, students are forming and developing their own characteristics, defining their great dreams, are eager to learn - and willing to discover new things. However, they still lack knowledge of social life, living experience and are easily affected, incited to bad things In the current international integration context, students are usually influenced by both positive and negative factors; therefore, they always have to fight to choose their own value, to confront difficulties and challenges. Without being trained in life skills, students may be embroiled in destructive behaviour, violence, selfish living ways, materialistic mind and easy to have a deviation in personality development. We all have seen many students having negative phenomena such as drug addiction, suicide, violence, car racing, etc. Many researches have proved that these negative phenomena come from lack of life skills in student generation such as: emotional control skills, support seeking skills, communication skills, consistence skills
As a result, training in life skills for students is very necessary to help them form suitable behaviour and have responsibility for their own lives. Moreover, being trained with life skills can help them have the ability to respond positively to different situations in their social life and know how to create, and maintain good relationships with others to have better and healthier lives. For the above reasons, I have decided to conduct my research on the topic: “Training some life skills for high school students through English lessons in grade 11.”
1.2. Aims of the study 
The main aims of the study are: 
- To provide students with some life skills so that they can possess skills and deal effectively with life’s challeges.
- To offer students the opportunities to develop the life skills they need to cope successfully with life and any problems.
- To help students to understand the realities and enable them to analyze the truth and make right decisions.
- To help students to realize their talent and abilities through each activity.
- To help students be more interested in the lesson and work effectively and dynamically within a group.
- To improve my teaching skills and fulfil my career passion.
1.3. The object of the study 
- Students in classes 11A2 and 11A7 at Vinh Loc high school.
- Applying some activities of English 11 lessons to train some life skills for my students.
1.4. Method of the study 
I have conducted this study basing on:
- Observing and analizing students’ habit, attitude and situations of learning English.
- Reading reference books and studying the documents on the Internet.
- Discussing and exchanging my experience with my colleagues.
- Applying in teaching.
- Observing and drawing out experiences.
2. Content 
2.1. Definition of life skills 
There are many different viewpoints about life skills: 
* According to World Health Organization (WHO), life skills are defined as “the ability for positive and adaptive behavior that enables a person to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life”. 
* According to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), life skills are defined as “a behavior change orbehavior development approach designed to address a balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills”. The UNICEF definition is based on research evidence that suggests that shifts in risk behavior are unlikely if knowledge, attitude and skills based competency are not addressed. 
* According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 
Organization (UNESCO), life skills have a strong relationship with four pillars of learning: 
- “Learning to know” skills: critical thinking/ creative thinking/ decision-making skills
- “Learning to be” skills: coping with stress and emotions/ self-awareness/ selfconfidence skills.
- “Learning to live together” skills: empathy, effective communication skills, interpersonal relationship skills.
- “Learning to do” skills: values analysis skills, problem solving skills 
* Based on the empirical analysis of international experience and the reality of Vietnam education, the content of life skills training consists of the below basic skills: 
Self-recognition skills
Valuation skills 
Emotion control skills 
Coping with stress skills 
Seeking support skills 
Showing confidence skills 
Communication skills 
Active listening skills 
Showing empathy skills 
Negotiation skills 
Dealing with conflicts skills 
Cooperation skills 
Critical thinking skills 
Creative thinking skills
Decision making skills 
Problem solving skills 
Consistency skills 
Taking responsibility skills
Target reaching skills 
Time management skills
Information searching and processing skills 
2.2. Real situation 
Some advantages and disadvantages in performing the topic.
2.2.1. Advantages
- The school has been equipped with good technology equipments such as projectors and computers.
- Training environment is very friendly.
- My colleagues have given me much support.
- With student-centered philosophy and ability to inspire the love of learning from the students, I myself always try to learn, update new knowledge and
develop my profession to devote myself more thoroughly for the education. 
2.2.2. Disadvantages
- The number of student in each class is quite large (over 40 students/class).
- Students have quite far difference of knowledge and learning attitude. 
- Within limited time, I do not have enough time to extend, explore the lessons 
in details and focus more on the topics that students are interested in. 
- Most of the students are not interested in activities organized by teachers.
- Training life skills in schools is not paid much attention.
2.3. Problem solving 
In order to train life skills for students, I apply a proactive technique and method to create conditions, opportunities for students to practise, experience life skills in the learning process. With this training method, students can be pleased with learning periods, not being overloaded or heavy. Moreover, students can learn many useful things which are close to their usual lives. Therefore, with this method, I am always very interested in answering the question “What life skills can I train my students through the lesson?” when composing the training plan before coming to class. 
In this initiative experience, I would like to mention some activities that I have applied in order to give my students the opportunity to practise life skills in their learning process. 
UNIT 2. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE – READING - AFTER YOU READ 
AFTER YOU READ (Textbook):
Work in groups. Discuss the question: What do you think the girl had to do after she discovered that the money she had taken from the boy’s bag was not hers ?
I re-design:
Look at the pictures. Discuss the question “What would you do if you were in that situation?” (Pair-work).
I. Objectives:
My objective is to help the students feel more confident in solving difficulties that could suddenly happen in their lives: Once struggling with difficulties, they should always remember that they are not alone but there are always many people around them willing to help them, give them useful advice and share with them.
II. Basic life skills:
Communication skills/ Problem solving skills/ Cooperation skills/ Support seeking skills / Decision making skills.
III. Method: Discuss, analyze the situation and then practise.
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Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T presents pictures on the projector (or gives each group a handout.)
- T gives suggestions.
+ If I were in that situation, I would ask the police to help me return the money to the boy.
- T encourages Ss to give as many 
solutions as possible.
- T and Ss correct mistakes.
-> In short, when we meet difficulties we have many solutions. If we can’t solve them ourselves, we can ask for help. There are many best friends around us.
- Ss work in groups of 4 to find out as 
many solutions as possible 
S1: If I were in that situation, I would get on the same bus the next day and look for the boy to return the money.
S2: If I were the girl, I would tell my teacher the truth about the embarrassing situation. My teacher would give me the best advice.
S3: My father would be angry if he knew the truth, so I wouldn’t tell my father. I would tell the truth to my mother and she would help me.
S4: If I were in that situation, I would phone a psychologist (Mr. Đoan) to ask for advice.
S5: I have a very intelligent close friend. If I were in that situation, I would ask him for help.
-> This activity can not only help students to practise their English but also help them to develop their life skills to solve their difficulties.
UNIT 4. VOLUNTEER WORK – READING – AFTER YOU READ
*ACTIVITY 1: Look at the pictures and use suggested words to summarize what students often do as volunteers (pair-work).
I. Objective:
I design an activity to review the content of Unit 4 – Textbook.
II. Basic life skills: 
 Decision making skills/ Showing empathy skills/ Time management skills.
III. Methods
Discussing / Content briefing/ Presenting.
a. Hospitals/ orphanages/ homes for the aged/ volunteers/ reading books to the people there/ play games with them/ listen to their problems.
b. Volunteers/ give care and comfort/ help disadvantaged and handicapped children/ overcome/ difficulties.
c. Summer vacations/ students/ work/ remote or mountainous areas/ provide education for children. 
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T asks Ss to look at the pictures to summarize what students often do as volunteers.
- T asks students a short question
containing many meanings in order to train life skills to them.
-> How do you feel when you can bring happiness to others?
- T and Ss correct mistakes.
- Ss look at the pictures and use 
suggested words to summarize what 
students often do as volunteers
S1: They usually visit these places. They read books to people there, play games with them or listen to their problems.
S2: They give care and comfort to them and help them to overcome their difficulties.
S3: They volunteer to work in remote or mountainous areas to provide education for children.
- Answer the question.
-> I feel very happy when I can bring happiness to others.
-> I think/ believe that I am the happiest people in the world.
-> Through these, students can have happy feelings once helping others. 
*ACTIVITY 2: What voluntary work do you intend to do after this class?
I. Objective:
 I design an activity to review the vocabulary of Unit 4 – Textbook.
II. Basic life skills:
 Decision making skills / Showing empathy skills / Time management skills.
III. Methods:
 Discussing / Content briefing/ Presenting.
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T presents pictures on the screen or gives handouts.
- T encourages Ss to do volunteer work to help people around them. (parents/ neighbors/ the lonely aged/
the disadvantaged/ the handicapped).
-> Just small gestures can bring 
happiness to people living around us.
- We should care and comfort people around us, especially the lonely old man (woman)/ the
disadvantaged/ the handicapped/ our neighbors.).
- Ss work in pairs to talk about 
volunteer work they intend to do this afternoon after school.
S1: I will spend 30 minutes talking 
with the old living next door to me.
S2: I will tell my grandmother a funny 
story everyday so that my grandmother 
doesn’t feel lonely.
S3: I will visit the old man who I 
haven’t visited for a long time. He 
lives alone next door to me.
S4: I will smile and stop to talk to the 
handicapped who is always sitting 
alone in his armchair on the way home.
(- Ss correct mistakes.)
-> Students will see their lives more meaningful once they can bring happiness to others.
UNIT 6. COMPETITIONS – READING – AFTER YOU READ
Discuss the reasons why Nga said: “For me the most important thing was our participation in the competition and the enjoyment we had from it.”
(Individual/ work)
Taking advantages of the last five minutes in the training period, I help my students to present their thoughts and feeling about Nga's statement.
I. Objectives:
The objective of this activity is to help my students to recover from their failure and then try much more for next challenges (ex: examinations, contests...). Besides, this will help students know how to have empathy share with the losers. 
II. Basic life skills:
Showing sympathy skills/ Effective communication skills/ Cooperation skills/ Dealing conflict skills/ Valuation skills. 
III. Methods:
Discussing / Content briefing/ Presenting.
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T asks Ss to read paragraph 3 in textbook.
- T leads Ss to this activity by asking Ss some questions:
1. Name members of group A?
2. Why did Thu feel disappointed?
3. Why did Thu’s group lose the 
game?
4. What did Nga say? 
- T encourages Ss to give their opinion to Nga's statement “For me the most important thing was our participation in the competition and the enjoyment we had from it.”
- T and Ss correct mistakes.
- Ss read paragraph 3.
- Ss answer the questions.
1. Hung, Thu and Nga.
2. Because her group was not the 
winner.
3. Because Hung had difficulty 
reciting the poem.
4. “For me the most important 
thing was our participation in the 
competition and the enjoyment 
we had from it.”
- Give their opinion to Nga's statement 
S1: The purpose of the saying is to 
relieve Hung and Thu. 
S2: I definitely appreciate Nga’s
saying. In that situation, Hung needed 
everyone’s sympathy.
S3: 
-> We have to learn from our mistakes so that we can do it better in future and become the winner someday.
-> And we should learn how to show empathy and share with the losers. 
UNIT 8. CELEBRATIONS – READING – BEFORE YOU READ
Match the activities to their pictures (Pair-work)
I. Objectives:
This activity is to review vocabularies for students in order to help them easy to present their usual activity on Tet holidays by English and make the learning period more active. Besides, the students can know more about Vietnamese cultures on such holidays. 
II. Basic life skills:
Self recognition skills / Decision making skills/ Time management skills.
III. Methods:
Discussing / Content briefing/ Presenting.
Activities:
1. Cleaning up the house.
2. Going shopping.
3. Decorating the dining room with apricot blossom in the South and peach blossom in the North.
4. Decorating houses with kumquat tree with its ripe deep orange fruits.
5. Watching fireworks.
6. Receiving lucky money. 
7. Visiting relatives and exchanging New Year wishes.
8. Making banh chung.
 A B C
 D E F
 G H I
G
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T asks Ss to match the activities to 
their pictures.
- T helps Ss train life skills by asking 
some questions.
+ What do you often do to help your 
mother to prepare for Tet holidays? 
+ How do you feel?
- T and Ss correct mistakes.
- Ss match the activities to their pictures.
1. D – 2. B – 3. A,G – 4. H – 5. E 
6. F – 7. I – 8. C 
- Ss answer the questions.
S1: I often help my mother tidy up the house. The atmosphere in my family is very cosy.
S2: I often help my mother make “banh chung”. I enjoy Tet holidays very much.
S3: On Tet holidays, I don’t have to go school. Therefore, I always help my mother do everything to prepare for Tet holidays. I am really happy.
I love Tet holidays very much.
-> The time you help your parents to prepare for Tet holidays is also the time you have the opportunity to enjoy the family happiness and emotion. 
UNIT 8. CELEBRATIONS – READING – AFTER YOU READ
I design an activity AFTER YOU READ as below:
Tell your friends about your plan. (Group-work)
“On Tet holidays, you have some days off. Therefore, you should plan what to do on your Tet holidays so that you can have meaningful and happy holidays together with your family, your relatives, your friends ”.
I. Objectives:
- T helps Ss know the meaning of Tet holidays.
- Ss know how to plan what to do on these days.
II. Basic life skills: 
Time management skills/ Decision making skills/ Target reaching skills.
III. Methods:
Discussing / Content briefing/ Presenting.
Teacher’s activities
Students’ activities
- T encourages Ss to plan what they do on Tet holidays.
- T asks two groups to present their plans in front of the whole class.
- T corrects mistakes and give comments. 
- (T and Ss correct mistakes.)
* Why should we plan what we do on Tet holidays?
- We have only some important days to do many meaningful things. Unless we plan everything carefully, we may waste our time playing games which are useless.
- Ss work in groups of eight to plan what they do on Tet holidays.
GROUP 1: 
On December 29th of the Lunar Year: 
- My family often buy many things for 
Tet holidays. (clothes, flowers, meat, fruits, candies, cookies, lemon seeds.)
- We gather to make “banh chung” 
On December 30th of the Lunar Year: 
- We help our parents clean the windows to welcome the new year.
- We decorate our house (with flowers, 
apricot blossom, kumquat tree)
- We sit around and watch TV to wait for The New Year coming.
On Jan 1st of Lunar New Year:
- In the morning, we often go to church to pray for a happy new year.
- After that I visit our grand grandparents’ tombs.
- We wish best wishes to our parents.
On Jan 2nd of Lunar New Year:
 We visit our neighbors, talk to them and eat traditional foods.
On Jan 3rd of Lunar New Year:
 - We visit our teachers and wish them 
good things.
- We visit our friends’ families and give them best wishes.
-> We love TET very much. 
GROUP 2:
On The last day (December 30th ) of the 
previous Lunar Year: 
- All members of our family often gather 
together to clean the house. 
- We prepare food for celebrating the first three days of Lunar New Year.
- We always buy new clothes to wear 
to welcome lucky things for the coming Lunar Year.
On Jan 1st of Lunar New Year:
 - We visit our grandparents and wish them all the best things in the next coming year.
- We receive lucky money from our parents, our grandparents which present that this lucky money will bring luckiness to us.
On Jan 2nd of Lunar New Year:
- We visit our teachers and usually have a party and wish good things to our teacher and all members of the class.
On Jan 3rd of Lunar New Year:
- We travel to some traditional places as pagodas, our ancestor’s tombs ....
- We meet and talk to our family members, friends after a year of hard studying. 
-> We really love Tet because we have 
opportunities to enjoy the family’s cosy 
atmosphere through these holidays.
-> In order to have meaningful holidays, we have to plan carefully what to do.
-> After the period, students will have more life skills (Time management skills) for themselves. 
UNIT 10. NATURE IN DANGER – READING – AFTER YOU READ
AFTER YOU READ (Textbook):
Work in group: Find out why some animals have become extinct.
(Since we have discussed the question 2 in Before you read –Textbook “Can
you explain why the numbers of these animals have become smaller?”. The two activities are nearly the same.
I re-design: “What should we do to protect our environment?” (Individual-work).
I. Objectives:
My objective is to help the students have responsibility to the environment. They encourage each other to join hands to make the environm