VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ DUYÊN USING PROJECT-BASED TEACHING TO ENHANCE 11TH GRADE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN (Sử dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án để nâng cao kỹ năng nói cho học sinh lớp 11 tại một trường THPT ở Hưng Yên) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 HANOI - 2019 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* NGUYỄN THỊ DUYÊN USING PROJECT-BASED TEACHING TO ENHANCE 11TH GRADE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HUNG YEN (Sử dụng phương pháp dạy học dự án để nâng cao kỹ năng nói cho học sinh lớp 11 tại một trường THPT ở Hưng Yên) Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231. Nguyễn Hòa HANOI – 2019 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I, Nguyễn Thị Duyên, declare that this thesis and the work presented it are my own and has been generated by me as the result of my own original research. It has not been submitted to any other university or institution wholly or partially. Hanoi, April 2019 Nguyễn Thị Duyên i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor Prof.
Nguyen Hoa - Vietnam National University, Hanoi – University of Languages and International Studies who gave me a lot of valuable guidance, encouragements, criticisms and correction throughout my thesis writing. The door of Prof. Nguyen Hoa’s office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. He consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it.
I would also like to thank thirty 11th grade students at a local school in Hung Yen province. Without their passionate participation and input, the validation survey could not have been successfully conducted. My sincere thanks go to my family, my colleagues and my friends for their encouragement and support that help me to complete my work. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT The present study entitled “Using Project-based teaching to enhance 11th grade students’ speaking skills at a high school in Hung yen” was conducted to address two issues: exploring the students’ attitudes toward the implementation of Project- based teaching in their English lessons and the impacts of using Project-based teaching on students’ English speaking.
The instruments employed for data collection and analysis of the study included two tests, a questionnaire and an interview with six students. Research findings showed that the students had positive attitudes towards the use of Project-based teaching in their English lesson. It also revealed that Project-based teaching was beneficial to help students improve their oral competence. Based on the findings, some implications would be suggested for both the teacher and the students.
With all this information, this study is expected to be significant to both teachers and students in teaching and learning English speaking skills. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vii LIST OF TABLES.
viii LIST OF CHARTS. ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Rationale of the study. Aims of the study.
Significance of the study. Scope of the study. Methods of the study. Structure of the thesis .5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.
Speaking in foreign language learning. Definitions of speaking. Components of speaking skills. Teaching speaking skills.
Project-based learning. Definitions of project-based learning. Theoretical framing of project-based learning. The project as a process.
Some previous studies. Advantages of project-based learning. Disadvantages of project-based Learning. PBL in teaching and learning English in Vietnam context.
Context of the study .18 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. The current situation of teaching and learning English at the school. The teaching program and materials. Design of the study.
Procedures of the study. Data collection instruments. Data analytic method.31 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Analysis of the speaking tests.
Analysis of the survey questionnaire. Analysis of the interview. Discussion of the findings. Recapitulation of the research.
Recommendations of the study. The school administrators. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for further research.
I Appendix 1 – A Sample DESCRIPTION OF A PROJECT. I Appendix 2 – PRE-TESTS. XIX Appendix 3 – POST-TESTS. XXIII v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Appendix 4 – Rating scale for Speaking test.
XXVII Appendix 5 – THE QUESTIONNAIRE.XXXI Appendix 6 – INTERVIEW. XXXVI Appendix 7 – TRANSCRIPTS OF THE INTERVIEWS. XXXVII vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL : English as a Foreign Language ESL : English as the Second Language ELT : English Language Teaching MOET : Ministry of Education and Training PBL : Project-based Learning TESOL : Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages ZPD : The Zone of Proximal Development CEFR : The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Procedures of the study .1: The results of pre-test and post-test .2: Students’ responses to the questionnaire.
36 viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF CHARTS Chart 4.1: Students’ mean score of average mark .2: A comparison of mean scores on pre-test and post-test by five criteria .3: Students attitude towards PBL .4: The benefits of PBL .5: The benefits of PBL in learning speaking skills .6: Students’ difficulties when implementing PBL. 39 ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the background to the problems and the reasons for choosing the topic are mentioned. As a result, the necessity of delivering the research as well as the importance of the application of project-based teaching in teaching English speaking skills is revealed. The aims and the significances of the study are also stated.
The final section will present the scope and methods of the study which shows the number of participants and the time of the intervention. Rationale of the study The world has changed dramatically over the last generation – even over the last ten years. Our lives have become far more connected through technology, a global economy, and social media. Since the emergence of a global movement that calls for a new model of teaching and learning for the 21st century, it has been argued that formal education must be transformed to enable new forms of teaching and learning that are needed to tackle complex global challenges.
Experts recognize that the “transmission” or lecture model is highly ineffective for teaching 21st century competencies and skills. The concern about transforming the goals and daily practice of teaching and learning is characterized as knowledge and technologically driven. How teachers and educators can best support learners develop essential skills for the 21st century is a big issue. People learn in a variety of ways, so the challenge for teachers is to discover which approaches help them learn most effectively.
In the general context of the world, Vietnamese education is not an exception. Providing learners with only good basic numeracy and literacy skills will no longer suffice. The labor market increasingly demands a mix of high-quality cognitive, behavioral, and technical skills. Therefore, the government should provide better quality schooling that fosters higher-order cognitive and behavioral skills (such as creative and critical thinking) for more young people.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Education and Training is working on an ambitious reform to optimize learning and 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com promote the competencies needed to master content and apply knowledge. To adapt to the development of society, to train human resources according to the needs of the new era, in addition to intensive knowledge, the school needs to equip the 21st century skills for students. Over the last few years, project-based teaching has been discussed and implemented widely in Vietnam education. The phrase “Project-based teaching” has been mentioned in a lot of books on teaching methods and techniques.
Research has shown that project-based teaching - methods and techniques of teaching based on project-based learning - has been proved positive and effective. It is a learner- centered teaching model, through open tasks, encouraging learners to explore, realize the knowledge learned during the implementation process and create their own products. Instead of following a rigid lesson plan that instructs learners down a specific path of learning outcomes and objectives, project-based teaching allows students carrying out in-depth investigation of a topic under discussion. Through project-based teaching, learners have more autonomy over what they learn, maintaining interest and are motivated to take greater responsibility for their learning.
Project-based teaching “focuses on the nitty-gritty of how teachers facilitate high-quality learning experiences for students” (Suzie Boss and John Larmer 2018). Together with the changes of the world, the need for project-based teaching is increasing. We see schools and districts working toward more student- centered approaches that include inquiry learning, personalized learning, performance-based assessments and a huge surge of interest in and implementation of project-based learning. Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.
PBL is the conversion of project-based teaching. PBL and project-based teaching presuppose each other. Therefore, in my thesis I will explore project-based teaching through the expedition to the field of PBL. PBL is a learning method based on constructivism (Hmelo-Silver 2004) which was 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com first proposed by John Dewey (1859-1952) at the end of the 1890s (Douglas and Stack 2010).
Dewey’s philosophy was child-centred and introduced real-life situations and contexts into the school environment. His ideas were further developed by Kilpatrick in the early 1900s in his book “The Project Method” (1918). Since then, PBL has been elaborated indetail and applied to various school subjects and learning situations. As a result of such practical applications, our understanding of PBL has been greatly enriched.
With the theory of "learning by doing and experiencing", Dewey advocates teaching students how to learn through building a specific project and finding reasonable solutions to bring the project to success. According to Thomas (2000), this learning method brings learners a good chance to improve integrated skills such as language competence and other necessary expertise in the 21st century. PBL enables the expression of diversity in learners, such as interest, abilities and learning styles. Having been teaching English at a high school for nearly twenty years, I realize that the students may read and write well in English but they cannot speak it fluently.
A majority of students show their low motivation in speaking English. They are quite passive, not active in speaking lessons. However, the importance of speaking is more revealed with the integration of other language skills. The mastery of speaking in English is a priority for many second-language or foreign-language learners.
Our learners often evaluate their success in language learning as well as the effectiveness of their English on the basis of how much they feel they have improved in their spoken language proficiency. Oral skills have hardly been neglected in today’s EFL/ ESL courses. To meet the demand of the educational development trend - education in the 21st century highlights globalization and internationalization - as well as to improve my students’ performance, I have been trying to find out the most suitable and effective methods of teaching English.