VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ***************** ĐỖ THỊ HUYỀN USING GROUP-WORK TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY Sử dụng hoạt động nhóm để cải thiện kỹ năng nói của sinh viên năm nhất trường Đại học Công nghiệp Hà Nội M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Hanoi - 2017 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ***************** ĐỖ THỊ HUYỀN USING GROUP-WORK TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY Sử dụng hoạt động nhóm để cải thiện kỹ năng nói của sinh viên năm nhất trường Đại học Công nghiệp Hà Nội M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc. Trần Xuân Điệp Hanoi - 2017 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “Using group-work to improve speaking skills of the first-year students at HANOI University of Industry” is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master at the University of Languages and International Studies, Viet Nam National University, and this thesis has not been submitted for any other degrees.
Hanoi, 2017 Đỗ Thị Huyền i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like primarily to thank Assoc. Trần Xuân Điệp for helping me complete this study. This paper would not have been possible without his constant support and encouragement. His patience and helpful criticism helped me confidently express my ideas into this paper.
I regard myself extremely fortunate in having him as my dissertation supervisor. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all my lecturers at the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies for their valuable lectures which have helped me a great deal in gaining a lot of theoretical as well as practical knowledge. My special thanks go to my dear students at Hanoi University of Industry who helped me a lot by participating in speaking lessons and interviews enthusiastically. Finally, I would also like to express my deep gratitude and love to my devoted parents, my husband and my friends who gave me time and encouraged me to complete this study.
ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT Among four macro skills namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing, learners have favored speaking because it is used frequently in daily life. However, students still have been faced with difficulties in learning speaking skills. Therefore, the study was conducted for the purpose of offering group-work techniques, namely group discussion as a key to improve speaking skills of the first-year students at Hanoi University of Industry. This is a report on the study of using group-work in order to improve speaking skills of the first-year students at Hanoi University of Industry.
The writer used action research as the method in carrying out the research. It was done in four steps, namely planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The data were collected from the students’ speaking scores in the pre-test and post-test, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews. The research was conducted in two cycles.
Each cycle consisted of three meetings. The study showed the improvements of the students’ scoring and performance. In the pre-test, the mean score was 5.6 but in the post-test, their mean score increased to 6. The improvement of students’ speaking skill was recorded with the mean score of 6.
The result shows that there are some improvements on the students’ speaking skill quantitatively and qualitatively. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF ABBRIVIATION EFL: English as a Foreign Language HaUI: Hanoi University of Industry T: Teacher Ss: Students S1: Student 1 S2: Student 2 S3: Student 3 S4: Student 4 S5: Student 5 S6: Student 6 S7: Student 7 S8: Student 8 S9: Student 9 S10: Student 10 S11: Student 11 S12: Student 12 S13: Student 13 S14: Student 14 S15: Student 15 S16: Student 16 S17: Student 17 S18: Student 18 S19: Student 19 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. iii LISTS OF TABLES AND GRAPHS. viii PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Method of the study.
Organization of the study. 4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Theoretical background of speaking .1 Nature of speaking skill .2 Teaching speaking in a classroom .2 Theoretical background of group-work .1 Definition of group-work .3 Disadvantages of group-work .4 The principles in organizing group-work in speaking class .1 The preparation steps .2 Designing group-work activities .3 Steps of organizing group activities. Review of existing related works. 19 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .2 The context of the study .1 The location and time of research .3 Procedure of the research .4 Data collection instruments .1 Semi-structured interviews .2 Observation and field notes.5 Methods of data analysis.
25 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS OF THE STUDY.1 The condition before the research .1 The results of interviews .2 The results of pre-test .3 Findings and discussion. A summary of findings and concluding remarks. Suggestions for further study. 39 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
I APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS BEFORE CYCLE 1. I APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS BEFORE CYCLE 1 (VIETNAMESE VERSION). I APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW SRIPTS BEFORE CYCLE 1 IN ENGLISH (SUMMARY .II APPENDIX 4: PRE-TEST. IV APPENDIX 5: INTERVENING ACTIVITIES IN CYCLE 1.
V APPENDIX 6: POST-TEST FOR CYCLE 1. IX APPENDIX 7: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AFTER CYCLE 1. X APPENDIX 8: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AFTER CYCLE 1 (VIETNAMESE VERSION). X APPENDIX 9: INTERVENING ACTIVITIES IN CYCLE 2.
XI APPENDIX 10: POST-TEST FOR CYCLE 2. XIII APPENDIX 11: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AFTER CYCLE 2. XIII APPENDIX 12: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AFTER CYCLE 2 (VIETNAMESE VERSION). XIV APPENDIX 13: TYPICAL STUDENTS’ IMPROVEMENT SCRIPTS RECORDED IN PRE-TEST, POST-TEST 1, AND POST-TEST 2.
XV APPENDIX 14: THE RESULTS OF STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN PRE-TEST, POST-TEST 1, AND POST-TEST 2. XX APPENDIX 15: GROUP OBSERVATION CHECKLISTError! Bookmark not defined. vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LISTS OF TABLES AND GRAPHS Table 1.1: The scoring of rubric of speaking .2: Criteria of vocabulary proficiency .3: Criteria of fluency proficiency .4: Criteria of pronunciation proficiency .5: Criteria of grammar proficiency .1: Technique of collecting data .2: The scales of speaking test .3: Process of the research .2: Pre-research situation .3: Feature of students’ speech .4: Overall implementation of the research .5: Results of cycle 1 .6: Results of cycle 2 .7: Summary of the research findings .3: The improvement of students’ speaking score. 34 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1.
Rationale Teaching speaking skill is of great importance in second language learning. Lerris (1999) asserts that teaching speaking helps learners to use language more fluently and speaking is a chance to notice the gaps between what they want to say and what they can say. Group-work techniques are widely accepted to be an effective way to encourage students to use the language and to motivate them to become more involved. Richards and Loc Khart (1994) point out that students not only play more active roles in the learning process but also get the benefits of sharing ideas with their team members through taking part in groups.
Doff (1988) states that students feel less anxiety when they work privately with their peers than when they are in front of the whole class. Group-work can help shy students, who never say anything in a whole class activity. How to promote students’ speaking skill is still a challenging question. Nine years’ experience as a teacher of English at HaUI has helped the researcher realize the fact that students are usually reluctant to speak when they are asked in speaking lessons.
They find it difficult to express their ideas in English. In addition, their participation in speaking classes is unequal. To tackle these problems, group-work activities are taken into a careful consideration in order to enhance students’ speaking skills. Objectives of the study The aim of this study is to explore how group-work makes a contribution towards improving speaking skills of the first-year students at HaUI.
Accordingly, this study will address the following research questions: 1. How is group-work used to improve speaking skills of the first-year students at HaUI? 2. To what extent can group-work improve students’ speaking skills after it is applied? 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Scope of the study Due to the small scale of the study and the limitation of time, this study only focuses on examining how group-work techniques are used to improve the speaking skills of a group of nineteen first-year students at HaUI.
Significance of the study This study is conducted with the expectation that its finding will provide readers with useful information. Specifically, this study will bring evidence to support the positive effects of using group-work on improve students’ speaking skill. In addition, it is expected that the thesis will better inform the teachers of a student- centered approach to teaching speaking skills in order to gain the highest participation of students. Method of the study To achieve the objectives stated, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used.
The qualitative data collected for the study come from semi-interviews before and after intervention. The quantitative data were the students’ score of speaking based on average score of each aspect of speaking competence and the calculation of average score of students’ speaking for the whole performance. Organization of the study Part A: Introduction includes the rationale, aims, scope, significance and methodology of the study. Part B: Development Chapter 1: Literature review presents literature related to the study including the theoretical background of speaking such as nature of speaking skill, teaching speaking in a classroom and testing speaking and review of existing related works.
Theoretical background of group-work elaborates the definition of group-work, the advantages and disadvantages of group-work, and the principles in organizing group-work in speaking class. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Chapter 2: Methodology shows the procedure for carrying on the research such as semi-structured interviews and pre-test before intervention, records, intervention, observation, semi-structured interviews, post-test after intervention, and methods of data analysis. Chapter 3: The results of the study report the main findings obtained from the data collection and discuss the prominent aspects. Part C: Conclusion is the summary of the whole study.
The limitations of the study and suggestions for further study are also recommended in this part. 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical background of speaking 1.1 Nature of speaking skill It is widely accepted that speaking consists of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning. It means when people speak, they interact and use language to express their ideas, feeling and thought. They also share information with others through communication.
Chaney and Burk (1998) also argue that speaking is “the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts”. Referring to speaking or communication in language teaching and learning, Brown (2001) affirms that interaction is the heart of communication; it is what communication is all about, for example in the cases of sending messages; receiving them; interpreting them in a context; negotiating meanings; and collaborating to accomplish certain purposes. Interaction is the collaborative exchange of thoughts, feeling, or ideas between two or more people resulting in a reciprocal effect on each other. Gower, Phillips, and Walters (2005) state the two main aspects of the speaking skill including “accuracy” and “fluency”.