Reasons for choosing the topic English has become more and more important nowadays. Owing to this point, teaching English faces the challenge of finding out the effective methods to satisfy study and communication. One of the most updated types of approaches is Project - Based which seems to satisfy at least three requirements of teaching language. It promotes the eventual uses of the target language by emphasizing the real-world projects.
And the project derived from the analysis of the learners’ needs increases learners’ interest and motivation, (Brophy, 2004, as cited in Tsiplakides, 2009). Moreover, its result comes from the learners’ experience during their performance of the projects. Research purpose and objectives This study is carried out to meet the following aims: 1. To experiment the applicability of project- based learning in developing grade 10,11 students’ speaking skills.
To measure the impact of project- based learning on grade 10, 11 students’ speaking skills. To what extent does project- based learning help grade 10, 11 students to develop their speaking skill? 2. How applicable is project- based learning in the high school context? 3. What adaptations are needed to make project- based learning more practical in the high school context? IV.
Research Methodology This section presents the research design as well as research method, data collection and data analysis. The research context with an overview of Kim Lien high school, the syllabus, the current teaching and learning situation are mentioned. The research approach and method of data analysis are presented later on to provide how to deal with the research questions and reach the solutions. An overview of the research site Now I am a teacher of English in a local high school where the average level of English of students lies in the low standard and the facilities of both teaching and learning are under a lot of difficulties.
That is an obstacle for the teachers to adapt this approach to teaching. The students do not have enough necessary skkn knowledge to perform their projects as well as the other facilities such as time, the conditions of learning and the cost of living. Research design Questionnaires were administered to collect the data about the students’ preferred techniques and methods and teachers’ opinions of the situation. These data were used as the basis for proposing effective techniques and activities for teaching speaking to the students at the school.
Research method To carry out the study, quantitative and qualitative methods were mainly used. The data collected for the study come from two sources: the grade10,11 students and the teachers of English from Kim Lien high school. The quantitative method with survey questionnaires, two for students (pre- and post-questionnaire) and one for the teachers, were used to gather information and evidence for the study. In addition, to make the data collected more reliable and authentic, the qualitative method was applied with class observation.
All the comments, remarks, recommendations and conclusion provided in the study were based on the data analysis of the study. Participants The participants in the survey questionnaires were 120 students of 3 classes which were selected randomly from the classes of grade 10 ,11from Kim Lien high school and 5 teachers were selected to get the objective data.These teachers have had many years of teaching. All the participants took part in the survey by responding to the three kinds of questionnaires, two for the students and one for the teachers. Data collection instruments Questionnaires and class observation as the main tools for collecting information are used.
Survey questionnaires The instruments used in this study consist of three questionnaires: two questionnaires for students and one for teachers. The questionnaires were designed in both closed and open-ended questions. The questionnaires for the students were checked to make sure that they could understand all questionnaire items. Questionnaires for students 5.
Pre-task questionnaire This pre - task questionnaire was designed with three parts with 9 questions Part 1 was about the students’ personal information 4 skkn Part 2 was designed to elicit the students’ opinions of their motivation and attitude in learning speaking English Part 3 collected some information relating to factors affecting their working time in English speaking class 5. Post-task questionnaire The post-task questionnaire consists of 9 questions which are divided into 3 parts: Part 1 was about the students’ personal information Part 2 was about the students’ motivation changes after applying new project- based learning in speaking English. Part 3 was aimed at collecting information about teachers’ applying activities in teaching speaking English and the changes in students’ learning. Questionnaires for teachers The survey to the teachers with nine questions was designed with two parts: Part 1 was the demographic information which contains the teacher’s gender, age, and the number of years they have been teaching English Part 2 was about what problems teachers are often faced with in teaching speaking English, what they had done to increase the students’ motivation in English speaking classroom, their beliefs in using project - based learning in teaching English speaking 5.
Class observation The researcher carried out the classroom by visiting 3 classes and recording all activities taking place in each class: the teacher’s questions and explanations, the students’ presentation, the presentation of the teachers in the class. The observation checklists for communicative groups were made and after the class, the elements in the checklist were given assessment. The checklist includes six criteria: - Teacher’s preparation - Teacher’s presentation - Teacher’s method - Teacher’s personal characteristic - Student’s presentation - Teacher’s feedback The assessment is divided into 2 scales: applicable and not applicable (not using PBL). Data collection procedures First, the questionnaire for teachers was conducted to gather the information about teachers’ attitudes towards students’ motivation in speaking English; difficulties that the teachers have to face in teaching speaking; and techniques used by the teachers in the English speaking classroom.
And then the pre-task questionnaire was delivered to the students in the classes where only a few teaching techniques are taken to measure the students’ input motivation. After collecting information from the students’ pre-task questionnaire and the teachers’ questionnaire, the teachers would be suggested to teach the students for a certain period of time with applying chosen project- based approach, and then post-task questionnaire was given to students’ to gather information about the students’ motivation changes, students’ attitudes towards the activities and PBL applied by both the students and the teachers. Summary This section has presented the research site whose notable contextual feature is that learning English is compulsory and students tend to put their focus on grammar and vocabulary. Besides the subjects of the study and the data collection, methods have also been discussed.
SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS In this assignment, I have reviewed the definition of project and project- based learning. I also have had a close look at the characteristics of project-based learning. Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of project-based learning are also analyzed. The project-based learning is relevant to my English teaching since it helps prepare students for the way how to solve the problems they will do in the future, “students learn by doing, not just by listening to the teacher.That is also the basis and the purpose of learning English 1.
Promoting the students internal factors The main reason for the majority of the students to learn English speaking was that they could pass the final exam. Studying speaking English for the future job was what many students were concerned. Some other students expressed their wishes to study abroad, but this number was not too high. A necessity for communicating with English speaking people was not regarded as their main reason.
However, the lowest percentage of them stated that they learnt speaking English for their interest or enjoyment. Therefore, it was undeniable that the major kind of motivation for the students to learn English speaking is instrumental not integrative. Thus, they are more extrinsically than intrinsically motivated. Nonetheless, many of the students have the combination of the two types, instrumental and integrative.
In general, students who possessed extrinsic motivation often felt unwilling and forced to learn English while students with instrumental and integrative orientation were quite eager to learn English. Therefore, in order to help students increase their motivation in learning English speaking, the teachers should know their students’ interest and expectation in learning English. Teachers should investigate what students want to see that whether their teaching methods and knowledge they applied are suitable for the students or not. Secondly, most of the students learn English because it is a compulsory skill at school, therefore the teachers had better maintain the extrinsic and instrumental motivation and enhance the intrinsic one.
For the extrinsically motivated students, teachers should give them more tasks; require them to do more exercises in order that they can get good results in their test and examination. Besides, teachers can enhance their intrinsic motivation by inserting English culture and custom in speaking lessons; arouse their love for English by conducting the lesson projects following the topics that they enjoy. For intrinsically motivated students, teachers can motivate them by varying activities, tasks and materials to increase their interest level. Providing them with reference materials and some websites in English on the Internet is a good way to encourage 7 skkn their love for English.
One more thing is that self-confidence determines the amount of effort and time the students will spend and the persistence they will display in the process of learning, so it is important for the teachers to increase the students’ self-confidence in learning English speaking. Teachers should make students believe that speaking English competence is changeable and controllable as long as they exert enough effort in learning. Varying speaking activities The teachers should stimulate the students to speak English by providing them with a variety of ways to present. Firstly, pair work and group work in PBL are thought to be very useful in speaking lessons.
Using pair work and group work helps teachers reduce boredom and tiredness among students. In the large classes, establishing routines of pair work and group work activities will make the teachers easily control and motivate the students. Each student has an opportunity to take part in the PBL lesson and their mistakes can be corrected by other group members or partners. In multi level classes, when working in groups or pairs students can share ideas and structures with others.
Besides, the teachers can help some students get out of silence in class by assigning roles to help them choose their management responsibilities when they work in groups. Assigning different roles to all of the students in groups can help the teachers encourage the quieter students and provide all the students opportunities for balanced interaction and taking turns. Secondly, making full use of computer aids is what the teachers should concern. Computers help students overcome the difficulties to finish their projects.
The teachers can use computers connected to the internet in any stage of the lesson; however, it is thought that computers bring the most beneficial if it is used in PBL. Visual aids such as music, pictures, and maps are believed to create enjoyable and motivating learning atmosphere when the students are taught with PBL. Also, other activities such as discussions, interviews, and picture description. should be introduced to the students so that they can perform their presentation in front of the class in an attractive way.
Combining the textbook with relevant materials Textbook is considered suitable, reasonable and authentic in the content and up-dated in information and added materials for teaching and learning are necessary. The teachers should deliver handouts or some photocopied papers besides the textbook to help the students have more sources of information. The teachers can also ask the students to find out the information related to the lesson through other sources such as newspapers, the Internet.
