VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ NGUYỄN MINH ĐỨC USING SHADOWING TO IMPROVE INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS' INTONATION IN ENGLISH COMMUNICATION: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT AN ENGLISH CENTER IN HANOI (Sử dụng phương pháp Shadowing nhằm cải thiện ngữ điệu trong giao tiếp tiếng Anh cho học sinh ở trình độ trung cấp: Nghiên cứu hành động tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01 Hanoi - 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES LÊ NGUYỄN MINH ĐỨC USING SHADOWING TO IMPROVE INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS' INTONATION IN ENGLISH COMMUNICATION: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT AT AN ENGLISH CENTER IN HANOI (Sử dụng phương pháp Shadowing nhằm cải thiện ngữ điệu trong giao tiếp tiếng Anh cho học sinh ở trình độ trung cấp: Nghiên cứu hành động tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh ở Hà Nội) M.A MINOR THESIS Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.D Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa Hanoi - 2024 DECLARATION I declare that this thesis entitled ―Using Shadowing to improve intermediate students’ intonation in English communication: An action research project at an English center in Hanoi‖ submitted for the Master of Arts degree at the Faculty of Post-graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi, has been composed solely by myself. It has not been previously submitted for any other degrees at any other universities or institutions. I have appropriately acknowledged all sources used in this thesis, including quotations, references, graphs, and data sets, and no other person’s work has been used without proper attribution. Signature Le Nguyen Minh Duc Hanoi, April 10th 2024 Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Ph.D Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who played a role in guiding and supporting me throughout this thesis journey.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to my thesis supervisor, PhD. Hoang Thi Xuan Hoa, whose invaluable insights and guidance were instrumental in shaping this work. Their unwavering dedication to academic excellence was a constant source of motivation. I must also express my heartfelt thanks to my family and friends who provided me with unwavering emotional support during the ups and downs of this project.
Your unwavering belief in me, along with constructive feedback, was essential in navigating the challenges that arose throughout the process. 4 ABSTRACT This thesis explores how the Shadowing Technique, specifically Voice Acting activity, can help students get better at using the right intonation when speaking English as a second language. The study involves 12 students in Hanoi, Vietnam, aged 20 to 30, who are learning English at an intermediate level. Using action research, specifically Deming's model (1986), the research aims to investigate how a project focusing on voice acting could improve the way students speak English.
In this project, we combined theories about learning skills, giving students lots of practice and exposure to improve how they say words and sentences. The project had stages like choosing scenes, doing voice acting, and getting assessed on their performance. Pre- and post-project assessments by two qualified evaluators, who are native English speakers trained in teaching and have certificates in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), coupled with student feedback, provide a comprehensive analysis. The findings suggested a noticeable positive trend in how students utilized tones, particularly when conveying emotions such as happiness, sadness, and anger.
Student feedback reflects a positive experience, highlighting the collaborative nature of the project and its overall impact on language proficiency. Challenges in scene selection and adult learner dynamics are identified, offering insights for future refinements. 5 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Significance of study.
Structure of the thesis. 13 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Definition of intonation. Patterns of English intonation.
Intonation patterns of emotions. The importance of teaching intonation. Problems of learning and teaching intonation in Vietnam. Voice acting activity.
Definition and categorization. Techniques and guidelines. Setting of the study. Research design and participants.
Procedure of the study. Data collection instruments. Students’ feedback questionnaire .5 Data Collection Procedure .3 Students' Feedback Questionnaire .6 Data Analysis Procedure .1 Evaluators' Assessments Analysis .2 Students' Feedback Analysis. 40 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
Evaluators’ assessments analysis. Pre-project assessment result analysis. Post-project assessment result analysis. Paired – Sample T Test.
Analysis of students’ feedback. Complexity in Scene Selection. Engagement of adult learners. Disparity in peer feedback participation.
Communication challenges in non-academic settings.1 Streamline Scene Selection Process .2 Incorporate Targeted Intonation Training .3 Enhance Peer Feedback Mechanisms .4 Foster Collaborative Learning Opportunities .5 Conduct Regular Progress Monitoring. Suggestions for further research. Long-Term Impact and Retention. Comparative Analysis with Traditional Methods.
Adaptive Approaches for Diverse Learner Profiles. VIII 8 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In the present era of globalization, the importance of English has rapidly risen as the primary foreign language in Vietnam. A decade ago, it held a less significant position, but it has now become an important subject taught in nearly all Vietnamese schools, beginning from the age of 7 or even earlier.
Proficiency in English has evolved to the point where it is now a critical requirement for direct admission to several universities. English is not only crucial for children but also for adults in their 20s, 30s, and beyond, given its significance in the professional realm. The increasing regard for English has raised academic expectations, with the language being perceived not merely as an exam subject but as an essential tool for real-life communication. In the Vietnamese context, the value placed on fluency in spoken English is particularly high, and individuals are frequently assessed based on their ability to emulate native speakers.
While this assessment may not always be fair, it underscores the pivotal role of pronunciation in English language learning - a challenge faced by many. Intonation, a suprasegmental aspect of pronunciation also known as pitch sequence, is a well-established phenomenon in oral linguistic production. It not only conveys grammatical meanings but has been proven to enhance proficiency in English for learners who master it (Wennerstorm 1998: 4, 20, as cited in Hsieh, Dong, & Wang, 2013). This divergence in intonation between Vietnamese and English gives rise to communication obstacles.
Vietnamese, being inherently a tonal language, employs tone marks (~, `, etc.) to communicate pitch variations that distinguish lexical meanings. For example, the word "ba" signifies "father," while "bà" denotes "grandmother." This reliance on tone marks becomes a challenge when transitioning to English, which lacks such markers. In English, lexical distinctions are conveyed through stress rather than pitch. Consider 9 the word ―record‖: it serves as a noun when stressed on the first syllable and as a verb when stress is placed on the second syllable.
Additionally, stress and intonation gain even more significance at the sentence level, aiding in conveying the purpose of a statement. For instance, the sentence "You do not know her" can be a statement or a question, depending on the intonation used. However, the reliance of Vietnamese learners on tone marks often leads them to pronounce English words without the characteristic rises and falls, resulting in a "flat" sound. This tendency poses a challenge for listeners in discerning sentence-level emphasis, as intonation plays a crucial role in conveying meaning.
Despite possessing grammatical proficiency, learners with poor pronunciation may encounter difficulties in being understood, emphasizing the importance of acquiring a good accent. To ensure intelligible communication, both educators and learners must prioritize the acquisition of intonation skills. This paper digs into Shadowing Technique which emerges as an effective method to enhance intonation skills. It involves carefully listening to spoken words and promptly repeating them in real-time, aiding learners in developing a better understanding of pronunciation and intonation.
By echoing and repeating what they hear, students can enhance their ability to produce accurate intonation in their own speech. This technique proves to be a valuable tool for language learners across all proficiency levels. Objectives The central objective of this thesis is to practically apply the Shadowing Technique, specifically Voice Acting activity, in enhancing students' English intonation skills. The research endeavors to provide insights into whether voice acting might positively influence intonation.
Besides, the difficulties as well as recommendations relating to the activity are expected to be revealed in this paper. The thesis seeks to answer the following questions: 10 1. To what extent does Voice Acting activity improve students’ English intonation? 2. What are the learners’ opinions when applying Voice Acting activity in improving their intonation? 1.
Scope This thesis investigates how the Shadowing Technique, Voice Acting activity specifically, can help students improve the way they use intonation when speaking a second language. The study involves 12 students at an English center in Hanoi, Vietnam, aged 20 to 30, who are learning English at a medium level. Using a method called action research, specifically following Deming's model (1934), the research aims to figure out how a project focused on voice acting could make students better at expressing 3 emotions which are ―Happiness‖, ―Sadness‖, and ―Anger‖. The activity has different parts, like picking scenes, doing voice acting, and getting feedback on their performance.
Pre- and post-project assessments by two qualified evaluators, who are native English speakers trained in teaching and have certificates in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), coupled with student feedback, provide a comprehensive analysis. This thesis adds to the conversation about new and practical ways to teach languages, highlighting the importance of using what being taught in real situations. Significance of study This study on the Voice Acting activity is important for several reasons, both theoretically and practically, in understanding language acquisition, particularly in terms of intonation and emotional expression. The project aims to immerse students in real English situations, giving them a valuable chance to pick up intonation patterns naturally.
The main goal is to help students move from just hearing intonation to using it themselves so they can speak English more naturally. Theoretically, this research helps us understand how integrating voice acting into language learning can enhance linguistic skills. By using experiential and 11 performative techniques, the study provides insights into how students can improve their language skills. Focusing on the role of emotion and prosody, which is the rhythm and pattern of sounds in speech, in learning a second language, the study offers a fresh perspective on achieving language proficiency.
It also supports the use of action research as a method in educational settings, showing that it can lead to meaningful improvements in teaching methods. Including emotional expression and prosody can make language learning more effective, highlighting the importance of these elements in achieving language proficiency. On the practical side, the study offers teachers a new tool to enhance their teaching methods. The Voice Acting activity can be easily incorporated into existing curricula, making learning more dynamic and interactive.
This can help students improve their intonation, pronunciation, and overall language skills. Practically, this means creating more engaging and effective learning environments, which can increase student participation and interest. The study also shows the benefits of collaborative learning and peer feedback, emphasizing the importance of social interaction in developing language skills. Following the Shadowing technique, the project allows students to practice intonation repeatedly in everyday conversations.
This practice is crucial for them to truly understand intonation and get better at using it in their language. By listening to and copying native speakers in authentic conversations, students are likely to pick up and mimic intonation more effectively, making their speech sound more like that of native speakers. Additionally, the project includes a peer-feedback component that adds another layer of importance. Allowing students to give feedback on their classmates' performances not only helps them understand intonation better but also encourages collaborative learning.