VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNTVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, NGUYEN THI XUAN HUONG APPLYING COOPERATIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLES TO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS IN LARGE CLASSES UNG DUNG CAC NGUYEN LY HOC HOP TAC VAO VIEC DAY KY NANG NOI TIENG ANH CHO CAC LOP DONG MLA. MINOR THESLS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.10 Hanoi - 2012 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNTVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, NGUYEN THI XUAN HUONG APPLYING COOPERATIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLES TO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS IN LARGE CLASSES UNG DUNG CAC NGUYEN LY HOC HOP TAC VAO VIEC DAY KY NANG NOI TIENG ANH CHO CAC LOP DONG MLA. MINOR THESLS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60.10 Supervisor: PHAN TH] VAN QUYEN, M.A Hanoi - 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. fet KH HH KH Hà khe ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
ABSTRACT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. LIST OF TABLES. Rationale for the sludy 2. Objcetives of the study.
Scopes of the study. FB RwWH RR A. Research questions DAWA 5. Method of the study.
Organization of the study. Advantages of large classes 1. Disadvantages of large classes 1. Teaching speaking skills 1o large classes, 1.
Key aspects effective for large class management.1, Definitions of CL 10 1. Principles of CL 11 1. Benefits of CT. Cooperative Language Learning 14 > LALL, Goals of CLL.
cà cà se 15 1. Advantages of CLL 15 1. Disadvantages of CLI. Preventing social loafing phenomena 3.
Reducing the teacher from hard workload CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS.1, CL implementation plan. CL group structuring 4. Diflicullies im CT.3, ‘the teacher’s role in a CL speaking lesson. Limitations of the study 39 4.
Suggestions for furlherstudy 40 REFERENCES 4 APPENDICES bx it may encourage students to get involved in the speaking lessons and thus, improve their participation in a mare conscious way. Many CL programmes have been carried out worldwide and in Vietnam. However, few have been dune particularly for large classes while this is one of the difficultics the researcher and her colleagues have cneountered at VIMARU. Accordingly, the researcher of this study would like to conduct an action research project to find out how CL works in her teaching context.
Onee the study proves the CL works well, it is hoped to be widely recommended and implemented to enhance the students’ participation in speaking lessons and serves as effeclive way lo improve the tradiiional ways of leaching and at. the sane time to make the teacher's job in a large class less hard. Objectives of the study The overall chjective of this study is 1o examines how CI, works in a university context where students are studying Hnglish as a curriculum subject. Particularly, the sludy was conducted to expenmenl CT.
principles in a large class where students’ oral competence was really low to see if CL could help to improve the situation. Scope of the study In this individual research, the researcher will only focus on the effectiveness of applying CL principles in teaching speaking skills to two large classes of first-year Trftxmalics studerits al VIMARU, 76 of whom were male (57. Most of the participants were between 19 and 21 years old who were in their second semester of general English course. The speaking activities are selected and adapted the course book New Headway Elementary 3" edition (Oxford University Press), basing on Spencer Kagan’s CL structures.
The data collected [rom classroom observation, mflonnal interviews and questionnaires are then analyzed by the researcher herself. Preventing social loafing phenomena 3. Reducing the teacher from hard workload CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS.1, CL implementation plan. CL group structuring 4.
Diflicullies im CT.3, ‘the teacher’s role in a CL speaking lesson. Limitations of the study 39 4. Suggestions for furlherstudy 40 REFERENCES 4 APPENDICES bx 1. Main differences between CLL and traditional method 16 1.
Application of CL Peinples in teaching Englishspeaking skills ta large 18 €ÏB8888.1, Current situation of teaching and Searingspenking skills at 5 VIMARU. uc dc ngu Heo C2 3. Subjeots of the smdy 35 2. Data collection instruments 35 2.
Data analysis procedure. 1⁄7 CHAPTER 3: DATA FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Ditficultics affecting teaching of English sposking skills to large olassos at 28 'VIMARLT 3.1 Tnsuflicien! time for giving instructions and checking 3 3. Challenges in maintaining the class’ discipline 28 3.
The benefits of the application of CL principles in teaching English 29 speaking skills to large classes al VIMARU. Rihaneing sludents? participation 3 3. Changes in nature of patticipation.3, Improvement in speaking skills 34 3. Improvement in social skills 2 3.
Improving callaborative skills 36 3. À solution to the problem of mixcd-ability students. proving iadependent working,. it may encourage students to get involved in the speaking lessons and thus, improve their participation in a mare conscious way.
Many CL programmes have been carried out worldwide and in Vietnam. However, few have been dune particularly for large classes while this is one of the difficultics the researcher and her colleagues have cneountered at VIMARU. Accordingly, the researcher of this study would like to conduct an action research project to find out how CL works in her teaching context. Onee the study proves the CL works well, it is hoped to be widely recommended and implemented to enhance the students’ participation in speaking lessons and serves as effeclive way lo improve the tradiiional ways of leaching and at.
the sane time to make the teacher's job in a large class less hard. Objectives of the study The overall chjective of this study is 1o examines how CI, works in a university context where students are studying Hnglish as a curriculum subject. Particularly, the sludy was conducted to expenmenl CT. principles in a large class where students’ oral competence was really low to see if CL could help to improve the situation.
Scope of the study In this individual research, the researcher will only focus on the effectiveness of applying CL principles in teaching speaking skills to two large classes of first-year Trftxmalics studerits al VIMARU, 76 of whom were male (57. Most of the participants were between 19 and 21 years old who were in their second semester of general English course. The speaking activities are selected and adapted the course book New Headway Elementary 3" edition (Oxford University Press), basing on Spencer Kagan’s CL structures. The data collected [rom classroom observation, mflonnal interviews and questionnaires are then analyzed by the researcher herself.
Rationale far the study The current English language teaching and leaming context in Vietnam shows that the demand for English leaming is very greal As a result, English classes al schools and universitics are large in number of students. However, the toaching of speaking skill encounters many difficulties due to large class size as well as lacks ol appropriate methods, leaching aids, insulRieiernt time, unmotivated students, ‘The choice of this study was made in an attempt to solve the problems the researcher faced after three years of working as a teacher of nglish at VIMARU. She finds herself unable to manage large classes offectively especially during speaking lessons because of the following reasons. Mirst, most of students of YVIMARU had learned English in difficult conditions before they entered the university, so ihcir motivation was low.
Secondly, their levels of proficiency arc low especially in speaking, skills. This made them unwilling to speak Lnglish in the classroom. To make matter worse, the number of students m cach class is usually over 60 and even 90 which is too difficult for the teacher to keep the class in good discipline Que of the ieachers’ concern is, lberefore, how to help the students lo speak Linglish better by participating more actively in speaking activities. In order to address this concer, the researcher found the suggestion on using, cooperative learning seemingly effective.
After studying the CL principles which are heterogeneous grouping, collaborative skills, group autonomy, simultaneous rferaclion, equal parlicipation, individual accountability amd posUlve interdependence, the researcher found these applicable to her teaching context as she had long been searching an effective method in teaching speaking, skills to large classos. Thorefore, the rescarcher decided to carry oul a study in order Lo find out how well students can cooperate with each other to improve their speaking skills and build up confidence. On the other hand, it helps overcome the disadvantages while improving the advantages of a large class. Most importantly, 4 it may encourage students to get involved in the speaking lessons and thus, improve their participation in a mare conscious way.
Many CL programmes have been carried out worldwide and in Vietnam. However, few have been dune particularly for large classes while this is one of the difficultics the researcher and her colleagues have cneountered at VIMARU. Accordingly, the researcher of this study would like to conduct an action research project to find out how CL works in her teaching context. Onee the study proves the CL works well, it is hoped to be widely recommended and implemented to enhance the students’ participation in speaking lessons and serves as effeclive way lo improve the tradiiional ways of leaching and at.
the sane time to make the teacher's job in a large class less hard. Objectives of the study The overall chjective of this study is 1o examines how CI, works in a university context where students are studying Hnglish as a curriculum subject. Particularly, the sludy was conducted to expenmenl CT. principles in a large class where students’ oral competence was really low to see if CL could help to improve the situation.
Scope of the study In this individual research, the researcher will only focus on the effectiveness of applying CL principles in teaching speaking skills to two large classes of first-year Trftxmalics studerits al VIMARU, 76 of whom were male (57. Most of the participants were between 19 and 21 years old who were in their second semester of general English course. The speaking activities are selected and adapted the course book New Headway Elementary 3" edition (Oxford University Press), basing on Spencer Kagan’s CL structures. The data collected [rom classroom observation, mflonnal interviews and questionnaires are then analyzed by the researcher herself.
Rationale far the study The current English language teaching and leaming context in Vietnam shows that the demand for English leaming is very greal As a result, English classes al schools and universitics are large in number of students. However, the toaching of speaking skill encounters many difficulties due to large class size as well as lacks ol appropriate methods, leaching aids, insulRieiernt time, unmotivated students, ‘The choice of this study was made in an attempt to solve the problems the researcher faced after three years of working as a teacher of nglish at VIMARU. She finds herself unable to manage large classes offectively especially during speaking lessons because of the following reasons. Mirst, most of students of YVIMARU had learned English in difficult conditions before they entered the university, so ihcir motivation was low.
Secondly, their levels of proficiency arc low especially in speaking, skills. This made them unwilling to speak Lnglish in the classroom. To make matter worse, the number of students m cach class is usually over 60 and even 90 which is too difficult for the teacher to keep the class in good discipline Que of the ieachers’ concern is, lberefore, how to help the students lo speak Linglish better by participating more actively in speaking activities. In order to address this concer, the researcher found the suggestion on using, cooperative learning seemingly effective.
After studying the CL principles which are heterogeneous grouping, collaborative skills, group autonomy, simultaneous rferaclion, equal parlicipation, individual accountability amd posUlve interdependence, the researcher found these applicable to her teaching context as she had long been searching an effective method in teaching speaking, skills to large classos. Thorefore, the rescarcher decided to carry oul a study in order Lo find out how well students can cooperate with each other to improve their speaking skills and build up confidence.
