VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Trần Thị Linh Sơn USING ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT A MOUNTAINOUS UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BINH THUAN PROVINCE MA THESIS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020 luan an VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Trần Thị Linh Sơn USING ROLE PLAY TO IMPROVE 10TH GRADERS’ SPEAKING SKILL AT A MOUNTAINOUS UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BINH THUAN PROVINCE Field: English Language Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Lê Hương Hoa, Ph. HO CHI MINH CITY, 2020 luan an DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR Honestly speaking, I declare that this thesis “Using role play to improve 10th graders’ speaking skill at a mountainous upper secondary school in Bình Thuận province”, which I have written, is not a plagiarism, except those cited in the quotation and the source of which is listed on the bibliography. Author’s signature Trần Thị Linh Sơn Approved by SUPERVISOR Lê Hương Hoa, Ph. Date: …………………… i luan an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the process of carrying out this thesis, I have received a larger amount of contribution and support from many people.
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Lê Hương Hoa, who always gives useful advices and her enthusiasm to finish this thesis. I also address my deepest gratitude to Dr. Đặng Nguyên Giang, as The Head of the English Department, for his support and encouragement in the process of finishing this thesis.
Next, I would like to thank the headmaster of Đức Linh High school, Phan Văn Pháp, who has allowed and supported me to complete the Master thesis. Last but not at least, I would like fly my gratitude to my family, my friends, my colleagues and my students who have given me constant support during the completion of the study. ii luan an TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR. vi LIST OF TABLES.
vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. Aim(s) of the Study. Scope of the Study. Significance of the Study.
Structure of the Study. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT):. Concepts of CLT. Main characteristics of CLT.
Conditions of Applying CLT. Using CLT in Teaching Speaking Skill. An overview of role play. What is role play?.
Types of role-play. Techniques to Control Role-Play. Procedures of role-play. 15 iii luan an 2.
Definition of speaking skill. The elements ofspeaking. Points to consider about speaking. Using Role-Play in Teaching and learning Speaking.
The method of research. Setting and subjects of theinvestigation. The Research Design. The Classroom Action Research Procedures.
The Technique of Collecting Data. The Technique of Data Analysis. The Criteria of the Action Success. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ……………………….
The Description of the Data. Findings before Implementing the Classroom Action Research. Findings of the First Cycle. Findings of the Second Cycle.
Findings after Implementing the Classroom Action Research. 44 iv luan an 4. The Result of Posttest. The result of Questionnaire.
Limitation and Suggestions for Further Studies. Suggestions for Further Studies. V v luan an ABSTRACT There are various ways to improve students ' speaking skills and this study is not conducted beyond that purpose. In particular, this study focuses on the way in which Role-Play Technique is applied in teaching speaking, particularly in the environment of a mountainous upper secondary school.
Role-play strategy is generally considered to be one of the most effective ways of teaching speaking skills. However, it is evident that using Role-Play Training, teaching English in general and speaking skills in particular, is now becoming increasingly popular in schools because of the interest it provides. This thesis therefore focuses on implementing the Role-Play Technique and proves that its use can help to enhance student speaking skills. The researcher, having analyzed the statistics, discussed and recommended some implications along with suggestions for further research.
Finally, it is highly hoped that the study results might be useful for the development of English speaking teaching and learning skills in a mountainous district in the province of Binh Thuan. vi luan an LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Assessing Students’ Progress Table 3. The Rating Scores of Oral Test Table 4.
The Students’ Speaking Score of Pre-test, Post test 1, Post test Table 4. The use of role play technique Table 4. Students’ attitudes towards speaking skill Table 4. Students’ difficulties in learning English speaking vii luan an LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Communicative Language Teaching = CLT Classroom action research = CAR Students = Sts viii luan an CHAPTER 1.
Rationale Theoretically, there have been many researchers in Vietnam and in the world who have worked and given a lot of solutions to improve students’ speaking skill. The majority of them focus on using new method, such as task-based, pair works, group works, etc. These activities are so useful for active students and the students who have a good foundation. Very few writers have noticed to lower evaluated learners, especially students in remote and mountainous area.
Under the pressure from the society about the high demand of English level, the English staff in the writer’s school decided to choose the Communicative Language Teaching Approach (here after CLT) to teach English Speaking at all levels with the hope they can help their students both improve their English knowledge and use it effectively and fluently in communication by using this teaching method. This idea is also suggested by many linguists and methodologists such as Nunan (1991) and Das, B. Practically, as an English teacher at a high school in a mountainous district of Bình Thuận province, I have found that students in our school as well as in our district face big problems in speaking skill. They almost speak very little or nothing in this lesson.
One more thing is that most of the tasks designed in text book are so difficult for them to master. Hence, I would like to do something with a hope to improve speaking skills for our students and the topic entitled “Using role play to improve 10th graders’ speaking skill a mountainous upper secondary school in Bình Thuận province” has been chosen for my study. Aim(s) of the Study The main purpose of this study is to help students at a mountainous high school in Bình Thuận province enhance their speaking skill through role in speaking lessons at the English class. The writer also makes some suggestions to give some advices to the English teachers in their teaching speaking skills with a view to helping the students develop their speaking competence.
Research Questions To support the aims of this study, the writer uses the following questions: (i) How is role-play technique used in speaking skills in a mountainous area? (ii) How do the students in a mountainous area perceive the use of role-play technique to improve their speaking kill? (iii) To what extent do the students in a mountainous area improve their speaking skills by using role-play technique? 1. Scope of the Study The study focuses on the reality of teaching and learning English speaking to students at a high school in Bình Thuận province. It is conducted at a mountainous high school in Bình Thuận with 41 tenth grade students. Significance of the Study The study claims to be of some help for high school students in a remote district of Bình Thuận.
The result of the study may encourage students to overcome their shyness and to be more confident in speaking lesson at school. Research Methods In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, the researcher decides to use Classroom Action Research to collect information from the students at a mountainous area in Bình Thuận. Firstly, the teacher will deliver questionnaires to the students so that more information on the reality and problems they face and solutions implemented can be collected. Secondly, the students will be tested by the pretest.
This activity aims at checking the knowledge of the student before implementing the technique. After that, the author also has the test to compare the results between pre test and post test. If the result of the post test does not satisfy, the teacher will investigate the reasons and choose the more effective way. The information from questionnaires and the post test can help to draw a general picture about the reality of teaching and learning speaking skills at this school and suggest some solutions for this situation.
Structure of the Study The thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter one is the INTRODUCTION which presents the rationales, the objectives, the method and the design of the study. It expresses the reason why the author decided to choose this study and the methods for the fulfillment of the study. Chapter two is the LITERATURE REVIEW which includes seven parts. Part one deals with a historical overview of literature.
It starts with the theoretical issues on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which consists of the definition, characteristics, communicative competence, using CLT in teaching speaking, conditions of applying CLT, and the factors affecting CLT application. Part two discusses about an overview of role play, such as What is role play?; types of role-play; techniques to Control Role- 3 luan an Play; procedures of role-play. Part three provides the definition of speaking skill, elements of speaking (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension) and points to consider about speaking. Part four is concerned about teaching speaking skills, the goal of teaching speaking; types of classroom speaking performance; the Roles of the teacher during speaking activities and the assessment of speaking.
Part 5relates to difficulties in teaching speaking skill. Part 6 deals with learning speaking skill. Finally, the researcher recommends the teaching speaking skill by using role play. Chapter three emphasizes the RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
This chapter focuses on the research method covering research design and research procedure. Chapter four, the author would like to provide some information about the FINDINGS of the study and DISCUSSIONS to improve the teaching and learning to speak English. Chapter five is the CONCLUSION which summarizes the thesis with key issues in the study and makes some suggestions for further study. 4 luan an CHAPTER 2.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): 2. Concepts of CLT Definitions about CLT are varied.194) gives an overview of the approaches adapted below, several elements that are specific to many CLT concepts. The CLT considers language as a meaning-expression system. Activities involve oral communication, meaningful tasks and language use, which is meaningful to the learners.
The aims reflect the learners ' needs. Nunan also asserts that in communication process, learners are negotiators and integrators whereas teachers are facilitators. As with any definition of the language teaching process, the above description reflects a particular vision of language acquisition comprehension and clarification. It is constructed in a social way and must be seen as a product of social, cultural, economic and political forces.
Canale and Swain (1980) expanded both for teaching and for testing on the theoretical basis of CLT. In their reaction against an over emphasis on function and a lack of emphasis on grammatical complexity, they pointed out that externally oriental communication is not necessarily more essential than other proposes of language such as “self-expression, verbal thinking, problem solving, and creative writing”. Main characteristics of CLT Language is not simply a regulatory system. Now it is generally viewed as "a dynamic resource for creating meaning" (Nunan, 1989).
That point of view is really CLT support. 5 luan an CLT aims at (a) making communication skills the goal of language teaching and (b) developing procedures for teaching the four language skills that recognize language and communication interdependence - The goal of CLT is to create a realistic context for language acquisition in the classroom to develop Hymes’ notion of communicative competence (1972). - CTL is also associated to learner-centered and experienced based tasks.