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Tài liệu An action research study on using pictures to develop speaking ability of the fifth grade students at an english center in hanoi

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ THANH THÚY AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY ON USING PICTURES TO DEVELOP SPEAKING ABILITY OF THE FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT AN ENGLISH CENTER IN HA NOI (Một nghiên cứu hành động về việc sử dụng tranh ảnh để phát triển khả năng nói của học sinh lớp 5 tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh ở Hà Nội) M.A. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi - 2020 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ THANH THÚY AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY ON USING PICTURES TO DEVELOP SPEAKING ABILITY OF THE FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT AN ENGLISH CENTER IN HA NOI (Một nghiên cứu hành động về việc sử dụng tranh ảnh để phát triển khả năng nói của học sinh lớp 5 tại một trung tâm tiếng Anh ở Hà Nội) M.A. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Supervisor : Dr. Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã Hanoi - 2020 DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby confirm that the thesis entitled “An action research study on using pictures to develop speaking ability of the fifth-grade students at an English center in Hanoi” is the result of my own work to fulfill of the requirement of the Degree of Master of Arts at the Faculty at Post-graduate Studies, the University of Language and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The thesis has not been submitted to any other universities or institutions. Hanoi, 2020 Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Dr. Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã Date:................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to give my all grateful words to express my sincere thanks to people who have supported and assisted me during the hard time to carry out the research. I would like to especially express my sincere thanks to my beloved supervisor Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha for her warm-hearted guidance as well as encouragement that she gave me in the process of thesis implementation. The thesis would not have been completed without the help of the lectures and staff of the Faculty at Post-graduate Studies, the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. I would like to take this opportunity to send my deep appreciation to those whose assistance has enabled me to take the pursuit of the degree. I am truly indebted to involvement offered from my colleagues and students in research participation. I deeply wish to give my thanks to my family and friends for their great support. ii ABSTRACT Speaking is one of the most important skills in learning foreign languages. It also plays an indispensible role in daily life communication. When speaking, people produce oral utterance to others by using words, grammatical structures, pronunciation and intonation that they have learned or imitated. Aiming at improving fifth grade students’ speaking ability and changing their learning attitude, I conducted an action research at an English center in Hanoi to explore the benefits of pictures and how they were applied to teach English. To maximize the use of pictures’ effectiveness in speaking lessons, picture description and storytelling were employed in the research. A diagnostic test and post-test were adopted in order to measure students’ improved performance in speaking skills. Teacher’s teaching diaries and the questionnaire were used to explore speaking ability developed in the process of employing pictures as well as students’ learning attitude towards this strategy. The results from collected, processed and analyzed data indicated that students’ speaking skill in terms of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency have been improved. Besides that, pictures could enhance their imaginativeness and their ability to speak out more easily and persuasively. Most of students had positive attitudes towards the use of pictures in speaking lessons. The use of pictures was also beneficial to students in terms of logical thinking, self-confidence and motivation. The findings of the research also displayed some problems leading to some suggestions for further research in the future. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR Action research CAR Classroom action research DT Diagnostic test PT Post test SA Strongly agree SD Strongly Disagree iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 3.1: Topics of speaking lessons ......................................................................20 Table 3.2: Research procedures ...............................................................................27 Table 3.3: Meetings in cycle one ..............................................................................28 Table 3.4: Meetings in cycle two ..............................................................................30 Table 4.1: Summary of cycle one .............................................................................35 Table 4.2: Summary of cycle two .............................................................................37 Table 4.3: Students’ opinions about pictures used in speaking lessons ....................40 Table 4.4: Students’ opinions about picture description in speaking lessons ...........41 Table 4.5: Students’ opinions about storytelling with the use of pictures in speaking lessons .......................................................................................................................42 Table 4.6: Students’ speaking skill elements comparison ........................................45 between diagnostic test and post-test ........................................................................45 Table 4.7: Students’ ability of catching words or phrases ........................................46 Table 4.8: Students’ speaking ability components improvement .............................46 Table 4.9: Deviation between diagnostic test and post-test ratings in comparison ..47 Table 4.10: Using pictures make students speak out easily and naturally ................47 Table 4.11: Using pictures make present more persuasively ....................................48 Table 4.12: Using pictures stimulates student’s imaginativeness .............................48 Table 4.13: Using pictures enhances students’ self-confidence ...............................49 Table 4.14: Students’ feeling when using the pictures in speaking lessons .............50 Table 4.15: Students' desire to use pictures in speaking learning .............................51 Figure 2.1: An approach to creative speaking...........................................................13 Figure 3.1: Cyclical Action Research Model by Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988 .......23 v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP .................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ........................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................1 1.1. Rationale of the research ......................................................................................1 1.2. Aims and objectives of the study .........................................................................2 1.3. Research questions of the study ...........................................................................2 1.4. Scope of the study ................................................................................................3 1.5. Methods of the study ............................................................................................3 1.6. Significance of the study ......................................................................................3 1.7. Organization of the thesis.....................................................................................3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................5 2.1. Speaking ...............................................................................................................5 2.1.1. Definition of speaking .......................................................................................5 2.1.2. The importance of teaching and learning speaking ..........................................6 2.1.3. Requirements of speaking ability elements ......................................................7 2.2. Pictures .................................................................................................................9 2.2.1. Definition of pictures ........................................................................................9 2.2.2. Types of pictures ...............................................................................................9 2.2.3. Criteria of using pictures .................................................................................10 2.2.4. Advantages and benefits of using pictures in teaching speaking ....................10 2.2.4.1. Advantages of using pictures in teaching speaking .....................................10 2.2.4.2. Benefits of using pictures in teaching speaking ...........................................11 2.2.5. Approaches to teaching speaking with the use of pictures .............................13 vi 2.3. Speaking assessment ..........................................................................................14 2.4. Previous studies ..................................................................................................16 2.4.1. Previous studies overseas ................................................................................16 2.4.2. Previous studies in Vietnam ............................................................................17 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................20 3.1. Setting of the study.............................................................................................20 3.2. Materials .............................................................................................................21 3.3. Participants of the study .....................................................................................21 3.4. Research approach .............................................................................................22 3.5. Data collection instruments ................................................................................24 3.5.1. Diagnostic test and post-test ...........................................................................24 3.5.2. Teaching diaries ..............................................................................................25 3.5.3. Questionnaire ..................................................................................................26 3.6. Research procedures...........................................................................................26 3.6.1. Diagnostic test .................................................................................................28 3.6.2.Cycle one ..........................................................................................................28 3.6.3. Cycle two ........................................................................................................29 3.6.4. Post-test ...........................................................................................................31 3.6.5. Teaching diaries ..............................................................................................31 3.6.6. Questionnaire ..................................................................................................32 3.7. Data analysis ......................................................................................................33 3.8. Summary ............................................................................................................33 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................35 4.1. Summary of two cycles ......................................................................................35 4.1.1. Cycle one .........................................................................................................35 4.1.2. Cycle two ........................................................................................................37 4.2. Findings ..............................................................................................................39 4.2.2. How the use of pictures influences the fifth grade students’ speaking ability44 4.2.3. Students’ attitude towards the use of pictures in speaking lessons .................49 vii 4.3. Discussion ..........................................................................................................52 4.3.1. Choosing materials suitable to the topic of lessons ........................................52 4.3.2. Using pictures to implement the popular activity of picture description ........53 4.3.3 Using pictures in different practical working organizations ............................53 4.3.5. Using pictures positively influences students’ attitudes .................................54 4.3.6. Other benefits from the use of pictures besides speaking ability improvement ..55 4.4. Summary ............................................................................................................55 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ..............................................................................57 5.1. Recapitulation ....................................................................................................57 5.2. Limitation ...........................................................................................................58 5.3. Implications and suggestions .............................................................................59 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................61 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... I Appendix 1: Diagnostic test ....................................................................................... II Appendix 2: Lesson plan sample of the last meeting in cycle one ...........................III Appendix 3: Lesson plan sample of the last meeting in cycle two .......................... VI Appendix 4: Pictures ................................................................................................ IX Appendix 5: Post-test ....................................................................................... XXXIII Appendix 6: Speaking assessment criteria rubric ............................................ XXXIV Appendix 7: Scores of diagnostic test ............................................................... XXXV Appendix 8: Diagnostic test result summary .................................................... XXXV Appendix 9: Scores of post-test ....................................................................... XXXVI Appendix 10: Post-test result summary ........................................................... XXXVI Appendix 11: Teaching diaries ...................................................................... XXXVII Appendix 12: Questionnaire in English Version .................................................... XL Appendix 14: The result of synthesised questionnaire responses ....................... XLVI viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This part presents the overview of the study including rationale, research aims and objectives, research questions, scope, significance, methods and organization of the thesis. 1.1. Rationale of the research English language is not only a communicative tool in daily life, connecting people in the variety of races all over the world but also a helpful instrument in business transactions, cultural exchange, foreign affairs or political negotiation beside the other fields of economics, science, medicine, technology and etc. Even though, English is one of the most important criteria in recruitment of companies or corporations to employ staff in non-spoken English nations including Vietnam. In addition, English has become the dominant international language in Vietnam since it was a compulsory subject to be taught at schools. Communication in English is considered as one of the most important skills, therefore teachers have paid more attention than others. From my observation, students especially the fifthgrade students in an English center in Ha Noi are usually nervous when speaking in front of people in the class and confused with using vocabulary, how to pronounce the words, and grammatical structures because of not having many new words and worrying whether grammatical structures and pronunciation are correct or not. Therefore, they do not know how to express their ideas to others and develop their thoughts or purposes to others in oral performance. Students sputter and sometimes make silence in their presentations. Those make a number of students apathetic, unenthusiastic and inactive in speaking lessons. Concerned with difficulties that students have in speaking lessons and how to develop their speaking ability, help them overcome their anxiety and increase their confidence, teachers bear a responsibility to find out a suitable way to push students to speak more. Thus, teachers refer and apply updated teaching methods and create new activities that make speaking effective. These methods influence students’ 1 participation and attitude towards learning process and help them improve speaking competence. As a teacher of English, the researcher is deeply aware of the significance of speaking. The researcher often organizes a variety of activities to make students partake and enjoy speaking lessons. Nevertheless, they still speak hesitantly and are not enthusiastic in speaking activities. Their troubles in speaking do not lessen much. This urges the researcher to look for an effective method to develop students’ speaking ability, improve their speaking competence and impact on their attitude towards speaking learning. There are various speaking teaching methods consisting of discussion, debate, role-play, story telling, jigsaw, improvisation, dialogues, ect with many diverse supportive materials. Based on the concerned theory especially the viewpoint of Wright (1989, p.2), pictures can help students “develop their ability to use the foreign language” and relevant practical research, the researcher is really interested in using pictures in activities of picture description and storytelling with an expectation of developing and enhancing students’ speaking ability as well as changing their learning attitude. 1.2. Aims and objectives of the study The study aims at investigating how the use of pictures can help the fifth grade students improve their speaking ability at an English center in Hanoi. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the way the teacher employs the pictures in speaking activities. It also examines the influence of using pictures on improving the speaking ability of the fifth grade students. In addition, it is objective to analyse the reaction of the fifth grade students to the use of the pictures in speaking activities. 1.3. Research questions of the study The study is addressed to investigate how the use of pictures can help the fifth grade students improve their speaking ability at an English center in Hanoi. The general aim of the study is detailed in the following questions: (1) How are pictures used to teach the fifth-grade students speaking? (2) How does the use of pictures influence the students’s speaking ability? (3) What are their attitudes towards the use of pictures in speaking lessons? 2 1.4. Scope of the study The study was carried out with participation of twelve students who were all in the fifth-grade from different primary schools in Hanoi and did not major in English. It only focuses on the effectiveness of the use of pictures in speaking lessons to students’ speaking ability and their attitudes. Any other skills or aspects relating to the use of pictures were not mentioned in this study. 1.5. Methods of the study The study was implemented based on the model of action research of Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) in which planning, action, observation and reflection were followed with taking intervention of using pictures in speaking lessons to meet the aims. Additionally, diagnostic test and post-test, teaching diaries and a questionnaire were employed to measure students’ speaking competence and identify their attitudes towards the use of pictures in speaking lessons. 1.6. Significance of the study In terms of theory, the research is expected to indicate effectiveness of the use of pictures in developing and improving the fifth-grade students’ speaking ability and their attitudes. In the practical side, the findings of the study are expected to be a helpful reference for teachers and researchers especially in speaking learning and teaching improvement. The study provides specific solutions with approaches of pictures description and storytelling as well as the types of classroom working organization to improve the students’s speaking ability via the use of picture. It addresses to highlight the importance of using the target language in the classroom in order to have meaningful and effective learning. 1.7. Organization of the thesis The study consists of five chapters as follows. Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter presents the rationale, the aims and the objectives, the research questions, the scope, the significance, the method and the organization of the thesis. Chapter 2: Literature review This part states the overview of theoretical background and previous related studies. 3 Chapter 3: Methodology This section provides detail information of study context description including setting, participants of the study and materials; research design comprising of research approach, research procedures, data collection instruments and data analysis. Chapter 4: Findings and discussion This chapter covers the results of data analysis, discusses the use of the pictures in developing and improving students’ speaking ability and their attitude . Chapter 5: Conclusion This part summarizes the main points of the study, identifies limitations and offers implications and suggestions for further research. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter provides basic background and some previous relevant studies relating to the research. It offers a theoretical framework to understand and perceive relevant knowledge and concepts focusing on the impact of using pictures on the students’ speaking ability in speaking lessons. Therefore, it is necessary to be in accordance with the previous basic knowledge relating to students’ speaking ability when employing the use of pictures. This chapter also involves exploring some theoretical background which is valuable to the study in terms of the notions and concepts including the definition of speaking and its importance under the discussion, the importance of the concept relating to speaking teaching and learning, speaking ability components. Moreover, it conveys the outlook of the pictures as a helpful visual media with benefits in English speaking teaching and learning via some summarized preceding studies. 2.1. Speaking 2.1.1. Definition of speaking Speaking is considered as a useful means of communication in daily interactive activities. It is the process of sharing and constructing meaning of what people are talking about through the use of verbal as well as non-verbal symbols, in various differences of the contexts according to Chaney (1998). In the diversity of situations, speakers and listeners use language, body language, codes, signs or other means of communicative instruments to express their opinions, feelings or thinkings in order to co-construct and transfer meaningful messages to others. Sharing the partially similar point of view, Brown (1994) and Burns and Joyce (1997) assume that speaking is a process of interaction building up the meaning that involves acknowledging, treating information received and producing. Before producing oral utterances, the speakers treat what they perceive, create new knowledge and then deliver to the listeners. In the academic aspect, Thornbury (2005) presents that speaking is a skill, and as such a need to be developed and practiced independently of the grammatical 5 patterns. Since being little children, people have demands of learning speaking and practicing without paying too much attention to grammar as required in academy. It can be known that speaking plays a viable part in the process of building up and developing meanings, ideas or thinkings, then transferring to others in a variety of contexts, not only in language teaching and learning but also in daily life activities. In general, depending on each of the contexts happening, the speakers use speaking as a means of communicative way in interactive activities. In fact, Hymes (1972), Richards and Rogers (2001) indicate that the goal of learning language is to communicate. However, English teachers mostly focus on presenting grammar structures and vocabulary. Thus, students do not have many chances and motivation to practice their speaking in the class as well as outside application leading that most of the students find that speaking skill is difficult and they prefer grammar structure and vocabulary to speaking practice. As a result, the students become passive learners. Chomsky (1965) mentions that much of human language use was created from underlying knowledge of abstract rules driven from innate students’ aptitude in learning English. In this circumstance, the teachers have to create the environment for the students to have speaking experience in English learning not only in the class but also outside. In brief, the definitions of speaking imply the notions of the authors about one of the language skills. 2.1.2. The importance of teaching and learning speaking In terms of the importance of speaking skill, it is believed that the most effective way to communicate is through speech. Therefore, speaking skill is a quite important communicative interaction. According to Chaney and Burke (1998), speaking is the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols in various contexts. In the aspect of the significance of speaking, Hughes (2006) states that speaking is the initial form that children obtain acquisition in day by day practice under 6 activities of using language. The necessity of speaking skill is that students need to implement daily practicing speaking, not only in the class. Proficiency in speaking is the ability to speak skillfully with the capacity of putting words together in a meaningful way to reflect or share thoughts, opinions and feelings. Thus, people are not able to communicate properly with others without speaking languages. It proves that speaking skill is quite important to language learners. When speaking out, people acknowledge and transfer the information better to others than other language skills. Then people can understand what purposes speakers want to attain. The purposes can be description, statements, requests, explanations, curses, recommendations or demands, etc to the listeners. Thanks to speaking, the learners can improve other skills in language such as listening, reading and writing. Linse (2005) claims that speaking skill is the initial part that young students need to learn before enabling them to learn how to read and write. Besides that, due to learning language speaking, students can have experiences using language components to adapt to the requirement of interactive communication. Therefore, it is really essential for the teachers to set up speaking activities in the class and prepare suitable materials. Moreover, Richards (1990) asserts that speaking skill mastery is considered as a prior criterion for a lot of learners all over the world. Students are often assessed their ability development in the process of language foreign learning in comparison with their background of proficiency to measure improvement that they get in their language speaking skill. 2.1.3. Requirements of speaking ability elements It can be undeniable that speaking is extremely important, not only in the classroom but also in real life. Speaking elements which contribute to creating oral utterance and making it properly fulfilled are differently listed by many scholars. This thesis only focuses on the requirement of students’ speaking ability elements in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency. 7 2.1.3.1. Vocabulary According Bailey (2006), vocabulary is an important component in the process of learning speaking. Mastering vocabulary is necessarily vital in language acquisition. Without vocabulary, the process of second language learning will not be fulfilled especially in speaking skill. Cook (2008) also states that second language acquisition is not proper if there is a lack of vocabulary. The learners do not know how to acquire language if they do not know the words. Like other skills, speaking is not sufficient and complete without vocabulary. 2.1.3.2. Grammar Besides vocabulary, grammar is taken into account to be one of key components in language speaking. Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1999) consider that grammar is necessary in speaking learning as it allows learners to improve their speaking skill in a foreign language. Therefore, grammar is very important in speaking skill and learners are not able to speak English without getting English grammar mastery as the opinion of Wang (2010). It can be undenied that grammar is a necessary element and makes oral utterance sufficient. 2.1.4.3. Pronunciation Grammar and vocabulary are essential components of language and they are not helpful when speakers cannot pronounce these components accurately. Morley (1991) says that pronunciation is an essential element of communicative ability and lacking good pronunciation learners cannot communicate effectively. Hence, it is undeniable that how to pronounce is really important in oral performance. 2.1.3.4. Fluency Skehan (1998) considers fluency as oral language production without excessive pausing or hesitation in the right time. Proficiency in language is speakers’ ability of giving oral utterance production confidently and fluently. It is also the capacity of using language skillfully to gain a communicative goal with little interruption, hesitation or unskillful stop. To sum up, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and fluency are crucial to constitute students’ speaking production sufficiently. They are also important for the teacher to 8 implement activities for students in speaking lessons. Moreover, they are also basic criteria to evaluate in students’ speaking competence (See Appendix 6). 2.2. Pictures 2.2.1. Definition of pictures Hornby (1995) defines picture as a painting, drawing, sketch, etc. He also states that pictures are descriptions to provide ideas, opinions, and thoughts of what something appears in mind. Conversely, Gerlach and Elly (1980) mentions that students can learn about people, places and things that are shown in pictures. Pictures are one type of visual and attractive tools to help learners have images that they convey meaning. 2.2.2. Types of pictures There are many ways to classify pictures. According to Bowen (1982, p.3) each type of visual aid is dealt with separately and decided to use when planning lessons based on the objectives of the lesson, student characteristics, communication problems in the lessons, lesson design and resources available. Pictures can be classified as wall pictures and sequence pictures, flash cards and word cards (Bowen, 1982). Meanwhile they can be pictures of single objects, pictures of people, pictures of people in action, pictures of places, pictures from history, pictures with a lot of information, pictures of news and so on as categorized by Wright (1989). In this paper, the researcher only mentions about main types of pictures including picture flashcards, pictures of single objects, pictures of people in action and sequence pictures. 2.2.2.1. Pictures of single objects According to Wright (1989, p.193) pictures showing single objects are about food, clothes, animals, everyday objects etc. 2.2.2.2. Picture flashcards Flashcards in which picture flashcards are for the representation of single concepts, such as an object or an action” according to Bowen (Bowen, 1982, p.28). In some cases, flashcards can be used as pictures of single objects to teach vocabulary of objects. 9 2.2.2.3. Sequence pictures Sequence pictures are defined by Bowen (1982, p.20) as “a series of pictures on a single subject” revealing “story or theme, like a strip cartoon, in a connected set of illustrations”. He assumes that the learners will get “knowledge of sentence and paragraph making”, “suggestions on how to build an arresting opening sentence, how to vary the sentence construction, where to begin a new paragraph, how to give the story tension and a climax and how to finish it as interestingly as possible” (Bowen, 1982, p.23) 2.2.2.4. Pictures of people in action This type of pictures talks about everyday activities relating to sport, hobbies and entertainment, work, travel, transport, situations, what happens before and after the action as stated by Wright (1989, p.197). The definition of these pictures is similar to sequence pictures as mentioned above. 2.2.3. Criteria of using pictures According to Bowen (1982), teachers should consider the following factors before selecting a picture. 2.2.3.1. Appeal The content of the picture should capture the students’ interest and imagination to push their learning movitation. 2.2.3.2. Relevance The picture should follow the specific learning objective of the lesson to reach the aim of the language target. 2.2.3.3. Recognition The important features of the pictures should be within the students’ knowledge and understanding. 2.2.3.4. The charactersistics of the class members The charactersistics of the students should be in a range of the age, sex, educational background and expectation to learn the language. 2.2.4. Advantages and benefits of using pictures in teaching speaking 2.2.4.1. Advantages of using pictures in teaching speaking 10
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