VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES HERES PHAM THI HUE ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS’? RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE LN SPEAKING ACTIVITIES AT NAMDINH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (Sự do đự khi tham gia các hogt động trong gid’ hoc néi cita vinh viên chuyên Anh trường Cao đẳng Sư pham Nam Định) M.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.111 HANOI-2014 VIETNAM NATTONAL, UNIVERSITY, HANOT UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES F TA PHẠM THỊ HUẾ ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS’ RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN SPEAKING ACTIVITIES AT NAMDINH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (Sự do dự khi tham gia các hoạt động trong giờ học nói của sinh viên chuyên Anh trường Cao đẳng Sư phạm Nam Định) M.MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.111 Supervisur: Nguyễn Đức Huạt, Ph.D HANOT-2014 DECLARATION T, Pham Thi Hug, hersby certify that my M.A thesis cnlitled “Emgdivk Majored Students’ Reluctance to Participate in Speaking Activities ut Nam Dinh College of Education” is the result of my own rescarch in the fulfillment of the requirement for Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies University of Languages and Intemational Studies, [anoi. 1 commit that this thesis has not been submitted anywhere for any degree Hanoi, 2014 Signature Phạm Thị Huế 2. Reuortrnendifiơns for lcaehers to cucorage students to participate in speaking classes. Reduce the level of task sk difficulty.
Builda supportive | nnming environment 2. Vary speaking uetivitios 2. Promote positive altitudes among students 3. Limitations of the study 4, Suggestions for further studies.
REFERENCES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS. Mi APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW FOR STUDENTS RESULTS .VITT APPENDIX 5: TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEW FOR TEACHERS.
Rationale Student’s participation in classroom activities has been the centre of various TEFL research, It is said that participation is essential for language acquisition as the more leans speak oul, the beter their spoken language is. Commenting on the relationship between participation and students’ academic achievcmunt, Liu (2003) finds that students who participate actively are likely to have beller achievernent than those do not. Leamers’ oral participation can help them fill in the gap between what they want to say and whether they are able to say it. However, engaging in English classroom activities 1s considered to be one of the most problematic areas.
Many students in Vietmamese colleges or universities are reported to be passive and unwilling to participate in these activities. ‘I'he students of Lnglish Department at Nam Dinh College of Education are no exceptions. Thay are found not to respond to teachers’ questions in speaking classes unless they ars galled on. TL is very common to sco that only a fow students confident to answer questions.
The altempl lo create a. studer -uentered learning atmosphere in English by teachers is usually unsuccessfill, In fact, the outcome of oral English speaking is not satisfactory, Therefore, it is valuable to think about the causes of their reluctance to participate in speaking activities and at the same time the ways to minimize the harmful effects, so that the teaching and learning can be tnore effective for those reluctant leamers. This is my motivation in conducting he rescarch on the topic: “English Mujored Students’ Reluctance to Participate in Speaking Activities at Nam Dinh College of Education”. Aims of the study The main aim of the research is to find out the reasons why the second year English major students at Nam Dinh College of Education are reluctant to participate in speaking activities.
‘he second most important aim of this study is to find oul what students expect to encourage them to participate actively im speaking 2. Reuortrnendifiơns for lcaehers to cucorage students to participate in speaking classes. Reduce the level of task sk difficulty. Builda supportive | nnming environment 2.
Vary speaking uetivitios 2. Promote positive altitudes among students 3. Limitations of the study 4, Suggestions for further studies. REFERENCES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS.
APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS. Mi APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW FOR STUDENTS RESULTS .VITT APPENDIX 5: TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEW FOR TEACHERS.1, Introduction to English Department, Nam Dirh College of Education.2, Syllabus and Materials for Speaking 2.4, Data collection instruments. Students survey question 2.
Interviews 2,5, Data collection procedures 2. Techniques of data analysis CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCT. Sindenis’ altitudes towards learning speaking skills 3. Students’ perception on the importance of learning speaking skills.
Students’ interest in speaking Englishin class.3, Students’ frequency of speaking English in class 3. Students’ frequency of volunteering to speak in class 3. Factors making second-year English majored students reluctant to participate in spoakinys activiti 3.1, Factors associated with leamers.2, Factors associated with teachers 3.3, Factors associated with speaking topics 3.4, Vactors associated with peers 3. Sndents” expectation to encourage leamners lo participate in speaking lessons, 32 3.1, Students’ preference of activities m speaking lessons.
Students” perception of necessity of the ways to encourage language leamers to participate in speaking activities. Conelusions 37 PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Student’s participation in classroom activities has been the centre of various TEFL research, It is said that participation is essential for language acquisition as the more leans speak oul, the beter their spoken language is. Commenting on the relationship between participation and students’ academic achievcmunt, Liu (2003) finds that students who participate actively are likely to have beller achievernent than those do not.
Leamers’ oral participation can help them fill in the gap between what they want to say and whether they are able to say it. However, engaging in English classroom activities 1s considered to be one of the most problematic areas. Many students in Vietmamese colleges or universities are reported to be passive and unwilling to participate in these activities. ‘I'he students of Lnglish Department at Nam Dinh College of Education are no exceptions.
Thay are found not to respond to teachers’ questions in speaking classes unless they ars galled on. TL is very common to sco that only a fow students confident to answer questions. The altempl lo create a. studer -uentered learning atmosphere in English by teachers is usually unsuccessfill, In fact, the outcome of oral English speaking is not satisfactory, Therefore, it is valuable to think about the causes of their reluctance to participate in speaking activities and at the same time the ways to minimize the harmful effects, so that the teaching and learning can be tnore effective for those reluctant leamers.
This is my motivation in conducting he rescarch on the topic: “English Mujored Students’ Reluctance to Participate in Speaking Activities at Nam Dinh College of Education”. Aims of the study The main aim of the research is to find out the reasons why the second year English major students at Nam Dinh College of Education are reluctant to participate in speaking activities. ‘he second most important aim of this study is to find oul what students expect to encourage them to participate actively im speaking 2. Reuortrnendifiơns for lcaehers to cucorage students to participate in speaking classes.
Reduce the level of task sk difficulty. Builda supportive | nnming environment 2. Vary speaking uetivitios 2. Promote positive altitudes among students 3.
Limitations of the study 4, Suggestions for further studies. REFERENCES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS.
Mi APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW FOR STUDENTS RESULTS .VITT APPENDIX 5: TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEW FOR TEACHERS. LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Students’ perception on the importance of leaming speaking skills.2: Students’ interest in speaking Englishin class.3: Students’ frequency of speaking English in class, Figure 3.4: Students’ frequency of volunteering to speak in class. LIST OF TABLES ‘able 3.1: Factors associated with leamers’ low level of English proficiency.2: Factors associated with fear of making mistakes and being laughed at ‘able 3.3: Factors associated with leamers’ personality.4: Factors associated with teachers’ personality Table 3.5: Factors associated with teachers’ teaching methods.6: Factors associated with speaking topics Table 3.7: Factors associated with peers.8: Students’ preference of speaking activities Table 3.9: Students’ perception on necessity of the ways to encourage language leamers to participate in speaking activities. iv LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Students’ perception on the importance of leaming speaking skills.2: Students’ interest in speaking Englishin class.3: Students’ frequency of speaking English in class, Figure 3.4: Students’ frequency of volunteering to speak in class.
LIST OF TABLES ‘able 3.1: Factors associated with leamers’ low level of English proficiency.2: Factors associated with fear of making mistakes and being laughed at ‘able 3.3: Factors associated with leamers’ personality.4: Factors associated with teachers’ personality Table 3.5: Factors associated with teachers’ teaching methods.6: Factors associated with speaking topics Table 3.7: Factors associated with peers.8: Students’ preference of speaking activities Table 3.9: Students’ perception on necessity of the ways to encourage language leamers to participate in speaking activities. Reuortrnendifiơns for lcaehers to cucorage students to participate in speaking classes. Reduce the level of task sk difficulty. Builda supportive | nnming environment 2.
Vary speaking uetivitios 2. Promote positive altitudes among students 3. Limitations of the study 4, Suggestions for further studies. REFERENCES APPENDIX 1: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS.
APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS. APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS. Mi APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW FOR STUDENTS RESULTS .VITT APPENDIX 5: TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEW FOR TEACHERS. LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Students’ perception on the importance of leaming speaking skills.2: Students’ interest in speaking Englishin class.3: Students’ frequency of speaking English in class, Figure 3.4: Students’ frequency of volunteering to speak in class.
LIST OF TABLES ‘able 3.1: Factors associated with leamers’ low level of English proficiency.2: Factors associated with fear of making mistakes and being laughed at ‘able 3.3: Factors associated with leamers’ personality.4: Factors associated with teachers’ personality Table 3.5: Factors associated with teachers’ teaching methods.6: Factors associated with speaking topics Table 3.7: Factors associated with peers.8: Students’ preference of speaking activities Table 3.9: Students’ perception on necessity of the ways to encourage language leamers to participate in speaking activities. iv ABSTRACT Though importance of speaking in English learning has been acknowledged by researchers all over the world, many students at Nam Dinh College of Education were found to be reluctant to participate in speaking activities. ‘his study was carried out to investigate the potential sources leading to this problem and propose some suggestions to encourage students” participation in speaking lessons. The participants involved in this research were 35 second year Tnglish majored students al Nam Dink College of Fducation and four toachars of English agreed to join the study lo suppoit the rescarcher better her research, The instruments, including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, were employed to achieve the purposes of the study.
The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was induced in the research that most second year English majors were unwilling lo participate in speaking activities, which resulled from Gictors related to Tears, leachors, speaking lopivs and pecrs Based on the findings, some suggestions were made with the hope that students will be more encouraged to take part in speaking activities. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Nguyen Duc Hoat, PhD, for his invaluable inspiration, assistance, guidance and encouragement during the time | have tried to complete this thesis. Le has been willing to give help and advice whenever I expect T wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks lo aif lecturers and the staff of Department of Post Graituate Studies at University af Languages and International Studies, Hanoi for their interesting and helpful lectures and suggestions for the topic of my study.
1 am in debt of many authors’ works and ideas, which enhance me to complete my study with sharp evidences.
