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Luận văn tiếng Anh: Developing students’ speaking skill through Project- Based Learning = Phát triển kỹ năng nói cho học sinh qua việc học theo dự án. M.A. Thesis Linguistics: 60 14 01 11
Nhà xuất bản: ĐHNN
Ngày: 2014
Chủ đề: Tiếng Anh
Kỹ năng nói
Phương pháp giảng dạy
Miêu tả: 43 p. + CD-ROM
M.A. Thesis. English teaching methodology -- University of Languages and International Studies. Vietnam National University, Hanoi,
BSTRACT
In an attempt to develop English speaking skill for tenth-grade students at An Lao
High School by using Project Based Learning, this research addressed two issues: (1)
students’ attitudes toward the use of Project Based Learning in their English lessons; (2)
the impacts of using PBL on students’ English speaking. The instruments employed for
data collection and analysis of the study included two tests and two questionnaires for the
students, an interview with two teachers and the teacher’s journals. Research findings
showed that the students had positive attitudes towards the use of PBL in their English
lessons. It was also revealed that PBL was beneficial to Giúp students improve their
performance in speaking lessons. Based on the findings, some implications would be given
for both the teacher and the students. With all these information, this study is expected to
be useful to both teachers and students in teaching and learning English speaking skill.
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phiiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Dr. Tô Thị Thu Hương,
my supervisor, for her invaluable support, guidance, and constructive comments. Without
her assistance and encouragement, this study would not have been accomplished.
I am also indebted to all of my lecturers at Post-Graduate Department for their
valuable lectures on the aspects of my concern.
Finally, I would like to show my sincere thanks to all the authors listed in the
references for their ideas in this field. They have developed my thinking on doing this
paper.iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
%
CEFR
CLT
PBL
Ss
T
Percent
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Communicative Language Teaching Approach
Project- Based Learning
Students
Teacher
LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES
Chart 1: Using PBL has helped develop your English speaking skill..
Table 1: Table 1: How is the grade calculated? ……………………...
Table 2: The results of the pre-test…………………………………...
Table 3: The results of the questionnaire concerning causes of the
students’ low English proficiency …………………………………...
Table 4: The results of the post-test …………………………………
Table 5: Students’ opinion of the optional lessons using ProjectBased Learning …………………………………………………… ….
Table 6: The criteria of speaking skill have been improved by the
students………………………………………………………………...
Table 7: Ss’ changes after taking part in the lessons using PBL……..
Table 8: The difficulties students encountered when carrying out
their projects………………………………………………………… ...
34
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15
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37
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration..............................................................................................................................i
Abstract .................................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................iii
List of abbreviations and symbols ........................................................................................iv
List of charts, figures and tables ...........................................................................................iv
Table of contents.................................................................................................................... v
PART A: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1
1. Rationale of the research.................................................................................................... 1
2. Aims of the research ......................................................................................................... 2
3. Scope of the research ......................................................................................................... 2
4. Research questions............................................................................................................. 2
5. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 2
5.1. Definition........................................................................................................................ 2
5.2. Reason for the use of action research. ............................................................................ 3
5.3. Action research design.................................................................................................... 3
5.4. Participants...................................................................................................................... 4
5.5. Procedures....................................................................................................................... 4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT.................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 6
1.1. Speaking skill ................................................................................................................. 6
1.1.1. Definition of speaking ................................................................................................. 6
1.1.2. Functions of speaking .................................................................................................. 6
1.1.3. The importance of teaching speaking skill ................................................................. 7
1.2. Communicative Language Teaching .............................................................................. 7
1.3. Project – Based Learning................................................................................................ 9
1.3.1. Definitions of Project-Based Learning ........................................................................ 9
1.3.2. Key features of Project- Based Learning................................................................... 10
1.3.3. Teacher’s role in Project- Based Learning ................................................................ 11
1.3.4. Stages in project work................................................................................................ 11
1.3.4.1. Stage 1: Speculation................................................................................................ 11
1.3.4.2. Stage 2: Designing the project activities ................................................................ 11vi
1.3.4.3. Stage 3: Conducting the project activities ............................................................. 12
1.3.4. 4. Stage 4: Evaluation ................................................................................................ 12
CHAPTER II: THE STUDY ............................................................................................... 13
2.1. Research questions and design ..................................................................................... 13
2.2. Planning stage ............................................................................................................... 13
2.2.1. The problem............................................................................................................... 13
2.2.2. Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through a pre-test .................................... 13
2.2.3. Conducting a questionnaire to get information from students .................................. 15
2.2.4. Drawing a plan of action to solve the problems ....................................................... 16
2.3. Acting stage .................................................................................................................. 17
2.3.1. Theme 1: Conservation.............................................................................................. 17
2.3.2. Theme 2: Music ........................................................................................................ 18
2.3.3.Theme 3: Cities .......................................................................................................... 20
2.3. 4. Theme 4: Historical Places ....................................................................................... 21
2.4. Observing stage............................................................................................................. 22
2.4.1. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Conservation” ............................... 22
2.4.2. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Music” .......................................... 25
2.4.3. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Cities” ........................................... 27
2.4.4. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Historical Places” ......................... 29
2.5 Evaluation stage............................................................................................................. 31
2.5.1 Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through a post-test .................................... 31
2.5.2. Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through the results of the interview with
two teachers ........................................................................................................................ 33
2.5.3 Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through the results of the questionnaire with
students ................................................................................................................................ 34
PART C: CONCLUSION.................................................................................................... 39
1. Recapitulation .................................................................................................................. 39
2.Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 39
3. Limitations and suggestions for further research............................................................. 40
4. Implications for developing speaking skill through Project Based Learning ................. 41
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 42
APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................I
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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rational of the research
Realizing that foreign language proficiency is really essential for students in
an increasingly connected world, in Vietnam, Ministry of Education and Training
has put more emphasis on teaching and learning foreign languages, especially
English than ever before. It is the Vietnam’s National Foreign Language 2020
Project that is a milestone in improving teaching and learning foreign languages.
With the recognition of the importance of developing language skills for
students, AnLao High School has implemented the seven year system course books
- English 10, 11, 12 to Giúp students to master four English language skills.
Experiencing seven years teaching these course books, the researcher encountered
quite a few problems in terms of the low English proficiency of the students in
speaking skill. Students got into a lot of difficulties in speaking English, and the
most serious problem was the lack of confidence. Consequently, students had
limited success in developing English speaking skill. Problems relating to the
contents of a speech like ideas and grammar were the second and third most
common. Students usually had little idea about what to say and they might be even
unsure how to use the correct grammar. Besides, pronunciation was another major
obstacle. This fact confirms the following opinion, “The acquisition of good
pronunciation…is commonly held to be the most difficult of all tasks in second
language learning” (Carrasquillo, 1994, p.136).
The researcher considered the use of Project-Based Learning as an
appropriate strategy to Giúp the students overcome all the difficulties in developing
speaking English because PBL goes on over a period of time, resulting in products
and presentations in which some aspects of speaking as confidence, ideas, grammar,
and pronunciation can be enhanced by students. Moreover, students can foster the
development of other skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and problem
solving through each project.
Considering the positive contributions of PBL, the researcher conducted a2
study on the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to develop the
English speaking skill for the tenth- grade students at An Lao High School.
2. Aims of the research
The research aims to:
- find out the tenth- grade students’ attitudes towards the use of Project-Based
Learning in their optional English lessons.
- discover how the use of Project-Based Learning in teaching English helps
develop students’ English speaking skill.
3. Scope of the research
The research focused on using Project-Based Learning in teaching English in
optional English lessons to the tenth-grade students at AnLao High School in the
second term of the school-year of 2013-2014.
4. Research questions
1. How can the use of Project-Based Learning in teaching English help
develop AnLao tenth-grade students’ English speaking skill?
2. What are the attitudes of AnLao tenth-grade students towards the use of
Project- Based Learning in their optional English lessons?
5. Methods of the research
It was action research with mixed methods for data collection that became
the methodology of the research. The tools for data capture involved two
questionnaires for students, an interview with teachers, a pre-test, a post-test, class
observation and teachers’ journals.
5.1 Definition
Action research, according to Parsons and Brown (2002) is a form of
investigation designed for use by teachers to attempt to solve problems and improve
professional practices in their own classrooms. It involves systematic observations
and data collection which can be then used by the practitioner-researcher in
reflection, decision-making and the development of more effective classroom
strategies.
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5.2 Reason for the use of action research.
It is necessary to do research into what is actually happening in classrooms to
improve teaching and learning practices. Knowing what exactly is happening in
classes can Giúp teachers focus on aspects of teaching which are beneficial to their
students.
This research addressed my own problems in my teaching English speaking
skill, and therefore it provided my students with better opportunities to develop their
English speaking skill.
5.3 Action research design
There are four key stages in the action research including Planning, Acting,
Observing and Evaluation.
Stage 1: Planning:
- Problems and causes of the students’ low English proficiency in speaking skill
were explored through a pre-test and a questionnaire. The students at AnLao High
School were faced with some problems when speaking English including bad
pronunciation, lack of vocabulary, fear of mistakes and fear of speaking in public.
These problems were mostly due to ineffective methods and techniques employed
by the teachers of English of AnLao High School.
- Strategies for improvement were mapped out through lesson plans applied PBL in
English teaching to develop the students' English speaking skill.
Stage 2: Acting
- PBL was adopted to improve their English speaking skill in 16 optional lessons of
an English intensive class 10C9 in the second term of the school-year of 2013-2014
with 4 themes based on English 10.
Stage 3: Observing
- Two volunteer teachers were asked to observe those lessons and evaluate the
changes in AnLao tenth-grade students’ English speaking skill.4
- Class observations were made carefully by the teacher and the success of the
action research on using PBL to develop student's English speaking skill lay in the
outcomes of the class observations.
Stage 4: Evaluation
- A post-test was given to the students to evaluate their improvement in speaking
skill.
- An interview and a questionnaire were carried out to get information from teachers
and students on the efficiency of the use of PBL in developing English speaking
skill.
- From the results of the post-test, the interview and the questionnaire, some
conclusions were made.
5.4 Participants
The research was conducted with the participation of 40 tenth - grade students
of the English intensive class and 2 teachers of AnLao High School during the
second term of the academic year 2013-2014 at AnLao High School.
5.5 Procedures
- At the end of the first term of the academic year 2013-2014, an evaluation of the
students’ English speaking ability, a pre-test was administered. The criteria for
evaluating each student’s speaking ability in the pre-test include fluency and
coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, pronunciation, and
interactive communication.
- The researcher planned 4 lessons with 4 themes applied the use of PBL in English
teaching to motivate the students to learn English and to develop their speaking skill.
- PBL was carried out in accordance with the lesson plans within 16 weeks and
what happened in the class with 40 students was recorded in the teacher’s journals.
- Two teachers were asked to observe those lessons and evaluate the changes in the
students’ English speaking skill.
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- The results of class observation were used to evaluate the success of the action
research on using PBL to develop student's English speaking skill.
- A speaking post-test was conducted to find out the efficiency of the use of PBL in
developing English speaking for the students.
- An interview and a questionnaire were carried out to get information from
teachers and students on the efficiency of the use of PBL in developing tenth
graders’ English speaking skill.
- Based on data from student questionnaires, teacher interview, class observations,
teacher journals, and the results of a pre-test and post-test, the researcher made an
in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis towards the two themes stated in the
two research questions.
- Then the research was put down in writing.6
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
RESEARCH
This chapter briefly presents the literature on speaking skill, Communicative
Language Teaching Approach and Project-Based Learning. Besides, it also
describes how Project-Based Learning helps develop students’ speaking skill in
classroom.
1.1 Speaking skill
1.1.1 Definition of speaking
“Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing, receiving and processing information. Its form and meaning are
depending on the context in which it occurs, including the participants
themselves, their experiences, the physical environment, and the purposes for
speaking. It is often spontaneous, open-ended, and evolving. However,
speech is not always unpredictable. Speaking requires that learners not only
know how to produce specific points of language such as grammar,
pronunciation, or vocabulary ("linguistic competence"), but also that they
understand when, why, and in what ways to produce language
("sociolinguistic competence").” (Nunan, 1999:216)
1.1.2 Functions of speaking
According to Jack C. Richards (2008:21), in order to achieve a
communicative goal through speaking, there are three functions of speaking to be
considered – talk as interaction, talk as transaction, and talk as performance. Each
of these speech activities is quite distinct in terms of form and function and requires
different teaching approaches.
• “Talk as interaction refers to what we normally mean by “conversation” and
describes interaction that serves a primarily social function.”
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi7
• “Talk as transaction refers to situations where the focus is on what is said or
done. The message and making oneself understood clearly and accurately is
the central focus, rather than the participants and how they interact socially
with each other.”
• “Talk as performance refers to public talk, that is, talk that transmits
information before an audience, such as class room presentations, public
announcement, and speeches.”
Three core issues need to be addressed in planning speaking activities for an
English class, and the researcher found that PBL was really an opportunity for
students to acquire all kinds of talk.
1.1.3 The importance of teaching speaking skill
Teaching speaking is a very important part of second language learning. The
ability to communicate in a second language clearly and efficiently contributes to
the success of students in school and success later in every phase of life. Therefore,
it is essential that language teachers pay great attention to teaching speaking. Rather
than leading students to pure memorization, providing a rich environment where
meaningful communication takes place is desired. With this aim, PBL can
contribute a great deal to students in terms of acquiring the three functions of
speaking. Besides, PBL helps develop basic skills necessary for life. Those
activities at PBL make students more active in the learning process and at the same
time make their learning more meaningful and fun.
1.2 Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT)
The history of language learning and teaching methods has experienced
many changes with many approaches such as Grammar - Translation Method,
Audio lingual Method, the Total Physical Response, the Natural Approach, and, etc.
CLT is the latest influence on teaching methodology which has been put forth
around the world as an innovative approach to teach English as a second or foreign
language.
* Nunan' s definition of CLT:8
“CLT views language as a system for the expression of meaning. Activities
involve oral communication, carrying out meaningful tasks and using
language that is meaningful to learners. Objectives reflect the need of the
learners: they include functional skills as well as linguistic objectives. The
learners’ role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teachers’ role is as a
facilitator of the communication process. Materials promote communicative
language use; they are task – based and authentic.” (Nunan, D, 1989:194)
* Characteristics of CLT:
Nunan, D (1991:279) offered five characteristic features of CLT:
• The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
• An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target
language.
• The provision of opportunities for learners to focus not only on language
but also on the learning process itself.
• An enhancement of the learners‟ own experience as important contributing
elements to classroom learning.
• An attempt to link classroom language with language activation outside the
classroom.
The English text book for grade 10 follows this dominating approach. It was
designed with a view to developing students’ communicative skills at basic level:
speaking, listening, reading and writing as well as providing students with
appropriate, systematic and basic knowledge of English. With this approach, the
need for communicative proficiency is focused on rather than mere mastery of
structures. However, those activities in English 10 did not meet the demand of
communicative proficiency. Then, the researcher used PBL, and found that it was
really a good teaching practice to Giúp students develop their communicative
competence.
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi9
1.3 Project-Based Learning
1.3.1 Definitions of Project-Based Learning
Haines (1989:1) defines PBL in the following quote:
“… [Projects are] multi-skill activities focusing on topics or themes rather
than on specific language targets. Of crucial importance is the part which the
students themselves play in the initial choice of subject matter and in the
decisions related to appropriate working methods, the project timetable and
the eventual “end product”. Because specific language aims are not
prescribed, and because students concentrate their efforts and attention on
reaching an agreed goal, project work provides students with opportunities to
recycle known language and skills in a relatively natural context. Projects
can be intensive activities which take place over a short period of time, or
extended studies which may take up one or two hours a week for several
weeks”.
Skehan (1998:273) characterizes PBL in the following quote:
“Project work enables the gradual development of autonomy with
progressively greater responsibility being taken by the learners… [Project
work] is an excellent structure for preparing learners to approach learning in
their own way, suitable to their own abilities, styles and preferences”.
Another quote that summarizes PBL is from Fried-Booth (2002:6),
“Project work is student-centered and driven by the need to create an endproduct. However, it is the route to achieving this end-product that makes
project work so worthwhile. The route to the end-product brings
opportunities for students to develop their confidence and independence and
to work together in a real-world environment by collaborating on a task”.
A clearer picture of PBL from the above definitions is that Project-Based Learning
is engaging learning experiences that involve students in complex, real-world
projects through which they develop and apply skills and knowledge. The outcomes
PART C: CONCLUSION
1. Recapitulation
The previous chapters show that using Project Based Learning in English
speaking lessons consumed a lot of time. Most of teachers did not have
opportunities to practice PBL or they even did not know how to use it. However,
from the author's experience in teaching English with PBL, two lessons can be
drawn. First, PBL can be used effectively to develop student's English speaking
skill. Second, it offers a good solution to English teaching and learning in optional
lessons.
The thesis has described a research in which the author made effort to solve
problems in terms of the low English proficiency of the students in speaking skill by
applying Project Based Learning. The results of the research represented that
students had positive attitude towards the use of Project Based Learning in English
lessons. As a result, most of students had the greatest improvement in speaking skill.
In addition, their collaborative skill improved dramatically. After the project work,
students knew that being a team member; they had to learn to be responsible for
their roles assigned to them. Most importantly, most of the students, regardless of
language performance, or motivational intensity seemed to have developed their
cooperative skill. Also, their computer skills improved, mainly, the ability to use the
internet to search for information. To sum up, PBL provides students with not only
good English speaking skill but also some necessary skills for integration and
development in the 21st century.
The data analysis of the research also interpreted that the students had to
cope with some difficulties as mentioned above. The teacher remedied these
problems by providing procedures for task completion and engaging students in
different projects in the hope that they can overcome the difficulties.
2. Conclusions
According to the study on developing students’ speaking through PBL for
tenth- grade students, the researcher comes to the conclusion that PBL could40
improve the students’ speaking very well.
The researcher explained to the students what PBL was before giving them
the projects to complete based on the themes in the text book. The students in group
of 5 carried out their projects then performed them in front of the class. As
demonstrated by the results of the study, the students gave positive response
towards the implementation of PBL. They gradually enjoyed the discussion and the
performance based on what they had made. There was also improvement in the
students’ speaking skill. Clearly, the study has given the answers to all research
questions and achieved its aims.
Being aware of the fact that education is not offered with individual teaching
methods, the author is willing to experiment with non-traditional teaching practices
(PBL) as powerful tools for the achievement of teaching aims such as increased
motivation, interest, and English speaking performance in the context of teaching
English as a foreign language.
The study is also carried out in the hope that it would be beneficial for
teachers of English who want to apply PBL in their language teaching.
In short, PBL is considered an appropriate strategy which is superior to other
methods to develop students’ English speaking skill. It should be an innovative
aspect in English teaching and learning thanks to its benefits to students and
teachers.
3. Limitations and suggestions for further research
The study still has some limitations. To begin with, the modest scale of the
study only takes place in optional periods with a small number of students (40
students). Meanwhile, there is only one class for each grade at the author’s school
which has one optional period per week. If I meet the school’s curriculum, I cannot
carry out the lessons with PBL for other classes due to the time limitation. Besides,
the researcher’s practical experience and knowledge of PBL is limited because this
method is still very new to teachers. Hopefully, these problems will be solved in the
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi41
future researches to see how effectively PBL works in language learning and
teaching.
4. Implications for developing speaking skill through Project Based Learning.
Project Based Learning that was implemented towards small group
discussion increased the student’s participation in the learning process. Students
interacted well in a small group before they performed in a big discussion. In their
small groups, the students managed to prepare their speech before they appeared in
front of the class. They were actively involved in the discussions, so their speaking
skill improved.
Besides, as evidenced from the teacher’s journals and the results of the posttest, the students’ performance in their presentations was significantly improved
through each project. All criteria of English speaking ability met expectations. This
indicated that the implementation of Project Based Learning was successful.
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Nhà xuất bản: ĐHNN
Ngày: 2014
Chủ đề: Tiếng Anh
Kỹ năng nói
Phương pháp giảng dạy
Miêu tả: 43 p. + CD-ROM
M.A. Thesis. English teaching methodology -- University of Languages and International Studies. Vietnam National University, Hanoi,
BSTRACT
In an attempt to develop English speaking skill for tenth-grade students at An Lao
High School by using Project Based Learning, this research addressed two issues: (1)
students’ attitudes toward the use of Project Based Learning in their English lessons; (2)
the impacts of using PBL on students’ English speaking. The instruments employed for
data collection and analysis of the study included two tests and two questionnaires for the
students, an interview with two teachers and the teacher’s journals. Research findings
showed that the students had positive attitudes towards the use of PBL in their English
lessons. It was also revealed that PBL was beneficial to Giúp students improve their
performance in speaking lessons. Based on the findings, some implications would be given
for both the teacher and the students. With all these information, this study is expected to
be useful to both teachers and students in teaching and learning English speaking skill.
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phiiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Dr. Tô Thị Thu Hương,
my supervisor, for her invaluable support, guidance, and constructive comments. Without
her assistance and encouragement, this study would not have been accomplished.
I am also indebted to all of my lecturers at Post-Graduate Department for their
valuable lectures on the aspects of my concern.
Finally, I would like to show my sincere thanks to all the authors listed in the
references for their ideas in this field. They have developed my thinking on doing this
paper.iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
%
CEFR
CLT
PBL
Ss
T
Percent
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Communicative Language Teaching Approach
Project- Based Learning
Students
Teacher
LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES
Chart 1: Using PBL has helped develop your English speaking skill..
Table 1: Table 1: How is the grade calculated? ……………………...
Table 2: The results of the pre-test…………………………………...
Table 3: The results of the questionnaire concerning causes of the
students’ low English proficiency …………………………………...
Table 4: The results of the post-test …………………………………
Table 5: Students’ opinion of the optional lessons using ProjectBased Learning …………………………………………………… ….
Table 6: The criteria of speaking skill have been improved by the
students………………………………………………………………...
Table 7: Ss’ changes after taking part in the lessons using PBL……..
Table 8: The difficulties students encountered when carrying out
their projects………………………………………………………… ...
34
14
14
15
32
34
35
36
37
Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phi Ket-noi.com kho tai lieu mien phiv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration..............................................................................................................................i
Abstract .................................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................iii
List of abbreviations and symbols ........................................................................................iv
List of charts, figures and tables ...........................................................................................iv
Table of contents.................................................................................................................... v
PART A: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1
1. Rationale of the research.................................................................................................... 1
2. Aims of the research ......................................................................................................... 2
3. Scope of the research ......................................................................................................... 2
4. Research questions............................................................................................................. 2
5. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 2
5.1. Definition........................................................................................................................ 2
5.2. Reason for the use of action research. ............................................................................ 3
5.3. Action research design.................................................................................................... 3
5.4. Participants...................................................................................................................... 4
5.5. Procedures....................................................................................................................... 4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT.................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 6
1.1. Speaking skill ................................................................................................................. 6
1.1.1. Definition of speaking ................................................................................................. 6
1.1.2. Functions of speaking .................................................................................................. 6
1.1.3. The importance of teaching speaking skill ................................................................. 7
1.2. Communicative Language Teaching .............................................................................. 7
1.3. Project – Based Learning................................................................................................ 9
1.3.1. Definitions of Project-Based Learning ........................................................................ 9
1.3.2. Key features of Project- Based Learning................................................................... 10
1.3.3. Teacher’s role in Project- Based Learning ................................................................ 11
1.3.4. Stages in project work................................................................................................ 11
1.3.4.1. Stage 1: Speculation................................................................................................ 11
1.3.4.2. Stage 2: Designing the project activities ................................................................ 11vi
1.3.4.3. Stage 3: Conducting the project activities ............................................................. 12
1.3.4. 4. Stage 4: Evaluation ................................................................................................ 12
CHAPTER II: THE STUDY ............................................................................................... 13
2.1. Research questions and design ..................................................................................... 13
2.2. Planning stage ............................................................................................................... 13
2.2.1. The problem............................................................................................................... 13
2.2.2. Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through a pre-test .................................... 13
2.2.3. Conducting a questionnaire to get information from students .................................. 15
2.2.4. Drawing a plan of action to solve the problems ....................................................... 16
2.3. Acting stage .................................................................................................................. 17
2.3.1. Theme 1: Conservation.............................................................................................. 17
2.3.2. Theme 2: Music ........................................................................................................ 18
2.3.3.Theme 3: Cities .......................................................................................................... 20
2.3. 4. Theme 4: Historical Places ....................................................................................... 21
2.4. Observing stage............................................................................................................. 22
2.4.1. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Conservation” ............................... 22
2.4.2. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Music” .......................................... 25
2.4.3. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Cities” ........................................... 27
2.4.4. Brief description of the first lesson with theme “Historical Places” ......................... 29
2.5 Evaluation stage............................................................................................................. 31
2.5.1 Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through a post-test .................................... 31
2.5.2. Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through the results of the interview with
two teachers ........................................................................................................................ 33
2.5.3 Evaluation of the students' speaking skill through the results of the questionnaire with
students ................................................................................................................................ 34
PART C: CONCLUSION.................................................................................................... 39
1. Recapitulation .................................................................................................................. 39
2.Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 39
3. Limitations and suggestions for further research............................................................. 40
4. Implications for developing speaking skill through Project Based Learning ................. 41
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 42
APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................I
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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rational of the research
Realizing that foreign language proficiency is really essential for students in
an increasingly connected world, in Vietnam, Ministry of Education and Training
has put more emphasis on teaching and learning foreign languages, especially
English than ever before. It is the Vietnam’s National Foreign Language 2020
Project that is a milestone in improving teaching and learning foreign languages.
With the recognition of the importance of developing language skills for
students, AnLao High School has implemented the seven year system course books
- English 10, 11, 12 to Giúp students to master four English language skills.
Experiencing seven years teaching these course books, the researcher encountered
quite a few problems in terms of the low English proficiency of the students in
speaking skill. Students got into a lot of difficulties in speaking English, and the
most serious problem was the lack of confidence. Consequently, students had
limited success in developing English speaking skill. Problems relating to the
contents of a speech like ideas and grammar were the second and third most
common. Students usually had little idea about what to say and they might be even
unsure how to use the correct grammar. Besides, pronunciation was another major
obstacle. This fact confirms the following opinion, “The acquisition of good
pronunciation…is commonly held to be the most difficult of all tasks in second
language learning” (Carrasquillo, 1994, p.136).
The researcher considered the use of Project-Based Learning as an
appropriate strategy to Giúp the students overcome all the difficulties in developing
speaking English because PBL goes on over a period of time, resulting in products
and presentations in which some aspects of speaking as confidence, ideas, grammar,
and pronunciation can be enhanced by students. Moreover, students can foster the
development of other skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and problem
solving through each project.
Considering the positive contributions of PBL, the researcher conducted a2
study on the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to develop the
English speaking skill for the tenth- grade students at An Lao High School.
2. Aims of the research
The research aims to:
- find out the tenth- grade students’ attitudes towards the use of Project-Based
Learning in their optional English lessons.
- discover how the use of Project-Based Learning in teaching English helps
develop students’ English speaking skill.
3. Scope of the research
The research focused on using Project-Based Learning in teaching English in
optional English lessons to the tenth-grade students at AnLao High School in the
second term of the school-year of 2013-2014.
4. Research questions
1. How can the use of Project-Based Learning in teaching English help
develop AnLao tenth-grade students’ English speaking skill?
2. What are the attitudes of AnLao tenth-grade students towards the use of
Project- Based Learning in their optional English lessons?
5. Methods of the research
It was action research with mixed methods for data collection that became
the methodology of the research. The tools for data capture involved two
questionnaires for students, an interview with teachers, a pre-test, a post-test, class
observation and teachers’ journals.
5.1 Definition
Action research, according to Parsons and Brown (2002) is a form of
investigation designed for use by teachers to attempt to solve problems and improve
professional practices in their own classrooms. It involves systematic observations
and data collection which can be then used by the practitioner-researcher in
reflection, decision-making and the development of more effective classroom
strategies.
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5.2 Reason for the use of action research.
It is necessary to do research into what is actually happening in classrooms to
improve teaching and learning practices. Knowing what exactly is happening in
classes can Giúp teachers focus on aspects of teaching which are beneficial to their
students.
This research addressed my own problems in my teaching English speaking
skill, and therefore it provided my students with better opportunities to develop their
English speaking skill.
5.3 Action research design
There are four key stages in the action research including Planning, Acting,
Observing and Evaluation.
Stage 1: Planning:
- Problems and causes of the students’ low English proficiency in speaking skill
were explored through a pre-test and a questionnaire. The students at AnLao High
School were faced with some problems when speaking English including bad
pronunciation, lack of vocabulary, fear of mistakes and fear of speaking in public.
These problems were mostly due to ineffective methods and techniques employed
by the teachers of English of AnLao High School.
- Strategies for improvement were mapped out through lesson plans applied PBL in
English teaching to develop the students' English speaking skill.
Stage 2: Acting
- PBL was adopted to improve their English speaking skill in 16 optional lessons of
an English intensive class 10C9 in the second term of the school-year of 2013-2014
with 4 themes based on English 10.
Stage 3: Observing
- Two volunteer teachers were asked to observe those lessons and evaluate the
changes in AnLao tenth-grade students’ English speaking skill.4
- Class observations were made carefully by the teacher and the success of the
action research on using PBL to develop student's English speaking skill lay in the
outcomes of the class observations.
Stage 4: Evaluation
- A post-test was given to the students to evaluate their improvement in speaking
skill.
- An interview and a questionnaire were carried out to get information from teachers
and students on the efficiency of the use of PBL in developing English speaking
skill.
- From the results of the post-test, the interview and the questionnaire, some
conclusions were made.
5.4 Participants
The research was conducted with the participation of 40 tenth - grade students
of the English intensive class and 2 teachers of AnLao High School during the
second term of the academic year 2013-2014 at AnLao High School.
5.5 Procedures
- At the end of the first term of the academic year 2013-2014, an evaluation of the
students’ English speaking ability, a pre-test was administered. The criteria for
evaluating each student’s speaking ability in the pre-test include fluency and
coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, pronunciation, and
interactive communication.
- The researcher planned 4 lessons with 4 themes applied the use of PBL in English
teaching to motivate the students to learn English and to develop their speaking skill.
- PBL was carried out in accordance with the lesson plans within 16 weeks and
what happened in the class with 40 students was recorded in the teacher’s journals.
- Two teachers were asked to observe those lessons and evaluate the changes in the
students’ English speaking skill.
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- The results of class observation were used to evaluate the success of the action
research on using PBL to develop student's English speaking skill.
- A speaking post-test was conducted to find out the efficiency of the use of PBL in
developing English speaking for the students.
- An interview and a questionnaire were carried out to get information from
teachers and students on the efficiency of the use of PBL in developing tenth
graders’ English speaking skill.
- Based on data from student questionnaires, teacher interview, class observations,
teacher journals, and the results of a pre-test and post-test, the researcher made an
in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis towards the two themes stated in the
two research questions.
- Then the research was put down in writing.6
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
RESEARCH
This chapter briefly presents the literature on speaking skill, Communicative
Language Teaching Approach and Project-Based Learning. Besides, it also
describes how Project-Based Learning helps develop students’ speaking skill in
classroom.
1.1 Speaking skill
1.1.1 Definition of speaking
“Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing, receiving and processing information. Its form and meaning are
depending on the context in which it occurs, including the participants
themselves, their experiences, the physical environment, and the purposes for
speaking. It is often spontaneous, open-ended, and evolving. However,
speech is not always unpredictable. Speaking requires that learners not only
know how to produce specific points of language such as grammar,
pronunciation, or vocabulary ("linguistic competence"), but also that they
understand when, why, and in what ways to produce language
("sociolinguistic competence").” (Nunan, 1999:216)
1.1.2 Functions of speaking
According to Jack C. Richards (2008:21), in order to achieve a
communicative goal through speaking, there are three functions of speaking to be
considered – talk as interaction, talk as transaction, and talk as performance. Each
of these speech activities is quite distinct in terms of form and function and requires
different teaching approaches.
• “Talk as interaction refers to what we normally mean by “conversation” and
describes interaction that serves a primarily social function.”
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• “Talk as transaction refers to situations where the focus is on what is said or
done. The message and making oneself understood clearly and accurately is
the central focus, rather than the participants and how they interact socially
with each other.”
• “Talk as performance refers to public talk, that is, talk that transmits
information before an audience, such as class room presentations, public
announcement, and speeches.”
Three core issues need to be addressed in planning speaking activities for an
English class, and the researcher found that PBL was really an opportunity for
students to acquire all kinds of talk.
1.1.3 The importance of teaching speaking skill
Teaching speaking is a very important part of second language learning. The
ability to communicate in a second language clearly and efficiently contributes to
the success of students in school and success later in every phase of life. Therefore,
it is essential that language teachers pay great attention to teaching speaking. Rather
than leading students to pure memorization, providing a rich environment where
meaningful communication takes place is desired. With this aim, PBL can
contribute a great deal to students in terms of acquiring the three functions of
speaking. Besides, PBL helps develop basic skills necessary for life. Those
activities at PBL make students more active in the learning process and at the same
time make their learning more meaningful and fun.
1.2 Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT)
The history of language learning and teaching methods has experienced
many changes with many approaches such as Grammar - Translation Method,
Audio lingual Method, the Total Physical Response, the Natural Approach, and, etc.
CLT is the latest influence on teaching methodology which has been put forth
around the world as an innovative approach to teach English as a second or foreign
language.
* Nunan' s definition of CLT:8
“CLT views language as a system for the expression of meaning. Activities
involve oral communication, carrying out meaningful tasks and using
language that is meaningful to learners. Objectives reflect the need of the
learners: they include functional skills as well as linguistic objectives. The
learners’ role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teachers’ role is as a
facilitator of the communication process. Materials promote communicative
language use; they are task – based and authentic.” (Nunan, D, 1989:194)
* Characteristics of CLT:
Nunan, D (1991:279) offered five characteristic features of CLT:
• The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
• An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target
language.
• The provision of opportunities for learners to focus not only on language
but also on the learning process itself.
• An enhancement of the learners‟ own experience as important contributing
elements to classroom learning.
• An attempt to link classroom language with language activation outside the
classroom.
The English text book for grade 10 follows this dominating approach. It was
designed with a view to developing students’ communicative skills at basic level:
speaking, listening, reading and writing as well as providing students with
appropriate, systematic and basic knowledge of English. With this approach, the
need for communicative proficiency is focused on rather than mere mastery of
structures. However, those activities in English 10 did not meet the demand of
communicative proficiency. Then, the researcher used PBL, and found that it was
really a good teaching practice to Giúp students develop their communicative
competence.
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1.3 Project-Based Learning
1.3.1 Definitions of Project-Based Learning
Haines (1989:1) defines PBL in the following quote:
“… [Projects are] multi-skill activities focusing on topics or themes rather
than on specific language targets. Of crucial importance is the part which the
students themselves play in the initial choice of subject matter and in the
decisions related to appropriate working methods, the project timetable and
the eventual “end product”. Because specific language aims are not
prescribed, and because students concentrate their efforts and attention on
reaching an agreed goal, project work provides students with opportunities to
recycle known language and skills in a relatively natural context. Projects
can be intensive activities which take place over a short period of time, or
extended studies which may take up one or two hours a week for several
weeks”.
Skehan (1998:273) characterizes PBL in the following quote:
“Project work enables the gradual development of autonomy with
progressively greater responsibility being taken by the learners… [Project
work] is an excellent structure for preparing learners to approach learning in
their own way, suitable to their own abilities, styles and preferences”.
Another quote that summarizes PBL is from Fried-Booth (2002:6),
“Project work is student-centered and driven by the need to create an endproduct. However, it is the route to achieving this end-product that makes
project work so worthwhile. The route to the end-product brings
opportunities for students to develop their confidence and independence and
to work together in a real-world environment by collaborating on a task”.
A clearer picture of PBL from the above definitions is that Project-Based Learning
is engaging learning experiences that involve students in complex, real-world
projects through which they develop and apply skills and knowledge. The outcomes
PART C: CONCLUSION
1. Recapitulation
The previous chapters show that using Project Based Learning in English
speaking lessons consumed a lot of time. Most of teachers did not have
opportunities to practice PBL or they even did not know how to use it. However,
from the author's experience in teaching English with PBL, two lessons can be
drawn. First, PBL can be used effectively to develop student's English speaking
skill. Second, it offers a good solution to English teaching and learning in optional
lessons.
The thesis has described a research in which the author made effort to solve
problems in terms of the low English proficiency of the students in speaking skill by
applying Project Based Learning. The results of the research represented that
students had positive attitude towards the use of Project Based Learning in English
lessons. As a result, most of students had the greatest improvement in speaking skill.
In addition, their collaborative skill improved dramatically. After the project work,
students knew that being a team member; they had to learn to be responsible for
their roles assigned to them. Most importantly, most of the students, regardless of
language performance, or motivational intensity seemed to have developed their
cooperative skill. Also, their computer skills improved, mainly, the ability to use the
internet to search for information. To sum up, PBL provides students with not only
good English speaking skill but also some necessary skills for integration and
development in the 21st century.
The data analysis of the research also interpreted that the students had to
cope with some difficulties as mentioned above. The teacher remedied these
problems by providing procedures for task completion and engaging students in
different projects in the hope that they can overcome the difficulties.
2. Conclusions
According to the study on developing students’ speaking through PBL for
tenth- grade students, the researcher comes to the conclusion that PBL could40
improve the students’ speaking very well.
The researcher explained to the students what PBL was before giving them
the projects to complete based on the themes in the text book. The students in group
of 5 carried out their projects then performed them in front of the class. As
demonstrated by the results of the study, the students gave positive response
towards the implementation of PBL. They gradually enjoyed the discussion and the
performance based on what they had made. There was also improvement in the
students’ speaking skill. Clearly, the study has given the answers to all research
questions and achieved its aims.
Being aware of the fact that education is not offered with individual teaching
methods, the author is willing to experiment with non-traditional teaching practices
(PBL) as powerful tools for the achievement of teaching aims such as increased
motivation, interest, and English speaking performance in the context of teaching
English as a foreign language.
The study is also carried out in the hope that it would be beneficial for
teachers of English who want to apply PBL in their language teaching.
In short, PBL is considered an appropriate strategy which is superior to other
methods to develop students’ English speaking skill. It should be an innovative
aspect in English teaching and learning thanks to its benefits to students and
teachers.
3. Limitations and suggestions for further research
The study still has some limitations. To begin with, the modest scale of the
study only takes place in optional periods with a small number of students (40
students). Meanwhile, there is only one class for each grade at the author’s school
which has one optional period per week. If I meet the school’s curriculum, I cannot
carry out the lessons with PBL for other classes due to the time limitation. Besides,
the researcher’s practical experience and knowledge of PBL is limited because this
method is still very new to teachers. Hopefully, these problems will be solved in the
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future researches to see how effectively PBL works in language learning and
teaching.
4. Implications for developing speaking skill through Project Based Learning.
Project Based Learning that was implemented towards small group
discussion increased the student’s participation in the learning process. Students
interacted well in a small group before they performed in a big discussion. In their
small groups, the students managed to prepare their speech before they appeared in
front of the class. They were actively involved in the discussions, so their speaking
skill improved.
Besides, as evidenced from the teacher’s journals and the results of the posttest, the students’ performance in their presentations was significantly improved
through each project. All criteria of English speaking ability met expectations. This
indicated that the implementation of Project Based Learning was successful.
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