VIETNAM NATIONAL UNLVERSITY, HA NOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE DUONG THI NHAN A Comparative Analysis among Several Types of Communicative Activities to Reduce Pre-Intermediate Level Learners' Anxiety in Speaking English at HaNoi Foreign Language Teaching Center Phân tích so sánh một số hoạt động giao tiếp nhằm làm giảm sự lo lắng của người học khi nói tiếng Anh tại trung tâm Ánh ngữ sư phạm IIà Nội M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Methodology Code: 60.10 HÀ NỘI— 2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNLVERSITY, HA NOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE A Comparative Analysis among Several Types of Communicative Activities to Reduce Pre-Intermediate Level Learners' Anxiety in Speaking English at HaNoi Foreign Language Teaching Center Phân tích so sánh một số hoạt động giao tiếp nhằm làm giảm sự lo lắng của người học khi nói tiếng Anh tại trung tâm Ảnh ngữ sư phạm TIIà Nội M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Methodology Code: 60.10 Supervisor: Nguyễn Thu Lệ Hằng, M. HÀ NỘI-— 2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements. e "¬ - - AI Table of Contents iit List of Tables and Charts. List of Abbreviations.
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION. Rationale of the Study 1 1. Aims of the study 3 1. Scope of the study 2 1.
Methods of the study. Design of the study 3 1. Definitions of ‘terms 4 PAT TWO: DEVELOPMENT. 5 Chapter I: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Overview of Communicative Language Teaching. Forcign Language Aniety. Denitions ofForaignLanguagz Anxiely. - Possihle Sources ofForsign Language Anxiety.
Effects of Forcign Language Auxicty in Language Learning 8 1. 131 Definitions of Communicative Activities 11 13.2, Benells of Conuuuricstvc Activitics in Teaching Spcaking English. Some Types of Communicative Aclivities. PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale of the Study Nowadays, with the development of technology and information together with the spread of globalization, English becomes a global language because it is broadly used in various fields of our life such as in technology, business. commerce, communication and so on, As a result, learning English for communication skills as created a huge demand for teaching and Jearning English around the world. The fact shows that communicative approach of teaching English is preferred in learning English. Teaching English is not only on linguistic competence of the language learners but also on the development of their communicative ability, Therefore, in order to develop the learners’ communicative ability, leachers need to creaie a good classroom environment which motivates their speaking activities.
In recent years in Vietnam, English has been playing a very important role in the development of the country firstly because it is an international language and secondly it is also scen as » tnean Ip promote tietial understanding and cooperation between Vizhiam and other countries, Consequently, more and mote people desire to know and focus on English to keep pace with the update development in technology in the world. ‘Therefore, English is not only widely laught at schools, universitics, but iL also is taught al many foreign language centers as part-time classes and others. In Ha Noi, there are more and more English centers established everywhere with a Jot of learners. Most of thom arc students, engineers, ot workers, who come to the centers with the hope to have a good command of English to use it effectively in all four skills.
Regarding speaking skills, the majority of leamers agree that this macro skill is always at the lop of thoir demand for many aims such as passing oral cxaminations al, universities, having good communications, getting good jobs, etc, However, most of second language Jeamers experience varying degrees of anxiety when asked to express their views in front of other pape, This is truc even when their language abilitics are rather good. tn fact, there is an excessive amount of anxiety negatively influencing many Ianguage learners” behaviors and educational outcomes. Campbell and Ortiz (1991: 159) show that language anxiety among university students to be ‘alarming’ and estimate that up to one half of all Janguage students experience debilitating levels of language anxicty. activities and a number of teohmiques should be đone.
Liowovsr, within the framework of this M.A Minor Th Lis Loo ambitious to list all communicative activities to reduce Jeamers’ anxiety in speaking English. Therefore, this research only focuses on three communicative activities (that is, role-play, discussion, and information gap) and then compares their effects on reducing learners’ anxiety in speaking classss Moreover, due to the limit of tine, only a foreign language center in Hanoi is chosen for the research, All of 20 learners chosen are studying in a Pre-intermediate level class. Methods of the study In arder to complete this research, qualitative method will be used. The participants of the study are the leamers at [la Noi Koreign Language ‘Teaching Center.
More specifically, the rescarcher planned classroom abscrvations and did questionnaires consisting of pre-questionnaire and post-questionnaire to gather in-depth information about the real situation of teaching and learning speaking skills and which cormmuicative activities uscd in their speaking lessons. It is belicved this method will bring about a complete look into this research. 1⁄5 Research questions The study is to apply some communicative activitics and compare them with the aim of finding out the most effective one to reduce leamers’ speaking anxiety at Ha Noi Foreign Language ‘leaching Center. To achieve this aim, answers to the following questions arc songht + Which speaking activities have been used in teaching speaking skill at this center? 1 Which will be the most effective ane, among three communicative activities-.
role- play, discussion, and information gap- to reduce Pre-intermadiate lavel learners anxiety in speaking English? 1. Design of the study This minor thesis consists of tree main parts Part One, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, the aims, scope, methods, design of the study, and definitions of terms. Part Two, DEVELOPMENT, is composed of four chapters as follows: - Chapter One, Literature review, is concemed with a brief review of knowledge about overview of communicative langnage teaching, foreign language As a teacher of English in Ila Nei Foreign Language ‘Teaching Center for nearly two , Ï have found thal leamers would tike lo speak English a Tol but they lack confidence in speaking and they are usually passive and find it challenging while communicating with English-speaking people. In speaking lessons, there are hardly many communicative activities for teaching speaking Fngtish used by teachers, Consequently, Isamers are loo shy or even keep silence and do nothing in speaking lessons.
Moreover, they think that speaking English is very difficult for them and they become fad up with leaning this skill. Tn fact, the alternpt lo creale a negotiating and sludents-contered learning atmosphere in English by teachers is usually unsuccessful. The achievement of ettective communicative teaching becomes a daily headache to all English teachers here. Inevitably, the lack of learners? participation in spa đúng selivides leads to the teacher-cenlored learning in English lessons and leamers’ anxiety in learning a second language, especially in speaking English.
These reasons actually drive the researcher to the study “A comparative analysis among several types of communicative activities to reduce Pre- intermediate level learners’ anxiety in speaking English at HaNoi Foreign Language Teaching Center” with the aim of suggesting some communicative activities to reduce these leamers’ anxiety in speaking Finglish 1. Aims of the study ‘This study aims at suggesting some communicative activities to reduce leamers’ anxicly in speaking Ti ish and compare which activ ies are tho mast effective for thơm In order to achieve these aims, the following objectives are established: - Birstly, to review the real situation of teaching and learning speaking skills at Ha Noi Foreign Language Teaching Center + Sccondly, lo investigals the current activities used in teaching speaking English at this center. - Thirdly, to suggest some communicative activities to reduce pre-intermediate level Icamers’ anxicty in speaking English at this contor - Fourthly, to make @ comparison about which activities have effects on reducing leamers’ anxiely in spaaking Tglish, 1. Scope of the study ‘To reduce leamers” anxiety in speaking English, teachers can make use of various As a teacher of English in Ila Nei Foreign Language ‘Teaching Center for nearly two , Ï have found thal leamers would tike lo speak English a Tol but they lack confidence in speaking and they are usually passive and find it challenging while communicating with English-speaking people.
In speaking lessons, there are hardly many communicative activities for teaching speaking Fngtish used by teachers, Consequently, Isamers are loo shy or even keep silence and do nothing in speaking lessons. Moreover, they think that speaking English is very difficult for them and they become fad up with leaning this skill. Tn fact, the alternpt lo creale a negotiating and sludents-contered learning atmosphere in English by teachers is usually unsuccessful. The achievement of ettective communicative teaching becomes a daily headache to all English teachers here.
Inevitably, the lack of learners? participation in spa đúng selivides leads to the teacher-cenlored learning in English lessons and leamers’ anxiety in learning a second language, especially in speaking English. These reasons actually drive the researcher to the study “A comparative analysis among several types of communicative activities to reduce Pre- intermediate level learners’ anxiety in speaking English at HaNoi Foreign Language Teaching Center” with the aim of suggesting some communicative activities to reduce these leamers’ anxiety in speaking Finglish 1. Aims of the study ‘This study aims at suggesting some communicative activities to reduce leamers’ anxicly in speaking Ti ish and compare which activ ies are tho mast effective for thơm In order to achieve these aims, the following objectives are established: - Birstly, to review the real situation of teaching and learning speaking skills at Ha Noi Foreign Language Teaching Center + Sccondly, lo investigals the current activities used in teaching speaking English at this center. - Thirdly, to suggest some communicative activities to reduce pre-intermediate level Icamers’ anxicty in speaking English at this contor - Fourthly, to make @ comparison about which activities have effects on reducing leamers’ anxiely in spaaking Tglish, 1.
Scope of the study ‘To reduce leamers” anxiety in speaking English, teachers can make use of various anxiety, communicative activities and benefits of using commumicative activities to reduce learners? arvxicly in speaking English - Chapter Two, Methodology, is about the research method, research design, data analysis and the rationale for using five activities + Chapler Three, Dala Presentation and Analysis, is the part relating Lo pre- action research suvey, action plan implementation, observation results, post-action research survey, and a comparative analysis of communicative activities to reduce Jeamners? anxiety in spanking Engtish. Pat Three, CONCLUSION, consists of four sub-parts: Summary of the study, Lizaitations of the study, and Suggestions for further studies 1. Definitions of Terms - Conmamicstive Language Teaching (CLT): CLT is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of loaning a language. Il is also referred to as “communicative approach lo the teaching of foreign languages”.
- Foreign language anxiety: This is considered as “a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related lo sroom fangnage leaming arising from the ‘uniqueness of the language learning process” - Communicative activities (CA): melude any activities that encourage and require a learner to spoak with and Tisten to olher learners, as well as with people in the communtity. These commmnicative activities contain a communicative purpose in any situations and a concentration on language content not language form and communication without ivachcrs” interference. - Action research (ARj: is the first and foremost siluational, being conecmed wilh the identification and solution of problems in a specific context. The aim of action research is to improve the current state of affairs within the educational context in which the research is being carried out.
- Comparative analysis: ‘This term refers to comparing two or more things to get some cerlain results.2 Procedure ofa điscussion activify. Reflectionon implementing the activity. Findings and Notice - - 37 3. Post aclian research survey.
