Factors affecting speaking skills on primary students at binh minh school in vung tau city master of TESOL

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

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THESIS

NGUYEN DAO THI MAI TRINH

FACTORS AFFECTING SPEAKING SKILLS ON PRIMARY STUDENTS
AT BINH MINH PRIMARY SCHOOL IN VUNG TAU CITY

Ba Ria-Vung Tau – Năm 2022


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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

---------------

THESIS
FACTORS AFFECTING SPEAKING SKILLS ON PRIMARY STUDENTS
AT BINH MINH PRIMARY SCHOOL IN VUNG TAU CITY
Submitted to the Postgraduate Institute in partial fulfillment
of the Master’s degree in TESOL

Course code: 8140111

By
Nguyen Dao Thi Mai Trinh
Supervised by
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Huu Duc

Ba Ria-Vung Tau – Năm 2022


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CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

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I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:

FACTORS AFFECTING SPEAKING SKILLS ON PRIMARY STUDENTS
AT BINH MINH PRIMARY SCHOOL IN VUNG TAU CITY
In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued by
the Higher Degree Committee of Postgraduate Institute, Ba Ria Vung Tau University

Ba Ria Vung Tau, May 2022

Nguyen Dao Thi Mai Trinh

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RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS


I hereby state that I, Nguyen Dao Thi Mai Trinh, being a candidate for the
degree of TESOL accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention
and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis
deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in
accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan,
and reproduction for theses.

Ba Ria Vung Tau, May 2022

Nguyen Dao Thi Mai Trinh

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My special thanks are due to all those who have made great contributions to
my thesis completion.
First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude to Assoc.
Prof. Ph.D. Pham Huu Duc, my supervisor, for his valuable comments and
suggestions during the whole research process. His dynamism, enthusiasm, vision
as well as his patience have deeply inspired me. Without his support and guidance,
this thesis would never have been completed.
Secondly, I am very grateful to the Postgraduate Institute of Ba Ria – Vung
Tau University who have supported me much time to implement this thesis.
My sincere thanks also go to my friends and colleagues for all her help and
encouragement. I would like to thank the research participants who have contributed
to this study.
Last but not least, I warmly thank my family for their countless support,
greatest sympathy and unconditional love.


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CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................. iii
RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS .................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................ v
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………. 1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 3
1.1. Background of the study................................................................................3
1.2. The aims of the study ....................................................................................5

1.3. Research questions ........................................................................................6
1.4. Significance of the study ...............................................................................6
1.5. Definition of Terms: ......................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................... 9
2.1. Review of Theoretical Literature .....................................................................9
2.1. The previous studies ......................................................................................16
2.3. Conceptual framework...................................................................................27
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................. 29
3.1. The study methods .........................................................................................29
3.2. Population ......................................................................................................29
3.3. Instruments.....................................................................................................30
3.4. Validity of the questionnaire and the interview’s questions .........................32
3.5. Data analysis ..................................................................................................32
3.6. Reliability of the Questionnaire .....................................................................34
3.7. The study procedures .....................................................................................35
3.8. Chapter Summary ..........................................................................................36


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CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ............................................. 38
4.1. Results ............................................................................................................38
4.2. Discussions ....................................................................................................49
4.3. To sum up ......................................................................................................57
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS .................................. 59
5.1. Conclusions ....................................................................................................59
5.2. Suggestions ....................................................................................................61
REFERENCE ............................................................................................. 63
APPENDIX: QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................. 67

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ABSTRACT
Studying speaking skills on primary students at Binh Minh primary
school in Vung Tau City are affected by many factors, which are teachersrelated factors including teachers’ language proficiency, teachers’ methods,
teachers’ emotion; students-related factors including students’ language
proficiency, students’ learning styles, students’ emotion; context-related
factors including teaching material, practical speaking English environment,
peers. After investigating, the results show that there are not any problems with
factors of teachers’ language proficiency, teachers’ methods, teachers’
emotion, students’ emotion, teaching material. This research focused on
investigating the factors affecting students’ speaking skills such as students’
language proficiency, students’ learning styles, practical speaking English
environment and peers. Since the classes are so crowded, students do not have
many chances to speak English in class with the teachers and their classmates,
and they do not know how to study effectively. Furthermore, although almost
all students who have studied English for 4 years, their English proficiency is
not good. The findings indicated that the English environment in classroom and
other activities could motivate the students’ interest in learning and practice
English both in and out of class, and the class size could affect learning. The
findings also showed that with parents’ investment in time, effort and money
for their children to learn English intensively, their children’s English would


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definitely be better. The teachers would need to create various practice
exercises and encourage the students to study at home with the teachers’ control
to order to help them remember the lesson better. And teachers’ limitation of
speaking Vietnamese in class would stimulate students to interact in English

more often and create a habit in English class. Future research will investigate
these factors for students at higher level of English.


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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1.

Background of the study
The ability to communicate orally and in writing is regarded as one of

the most challenging aspects of language acquisition. The way a new language
is articulated, absorbed, and practiced is called verbal language. It is critical to
be able to communicate in English since it is a globally recognized language in
terms of business, science, and technology. Furthermore, we live in a global
age, and the interconnectedness of countries necessitates the use of a global
language, and no language exemplifies this better than English.
Communication is the ultimate goal of EFL learning process, since the
purpose of a new language learning is to interact with other people in the target
language. If people learn a language without being able to speak in the
language, they would not be considered successful learners. In this era of
globalization, English is undeniably very important and necessary in Vietnam,
especially after Vietnam’s entering WTO. Therefore, Vietnamese learners’
need to practice speaking efficiently and then communicate directly in English
has increased more than ever. This is especially true for Vietnamese young
learners who need to communicate successfully in English in their classroom
environment.

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English is considered a major subject in Vietnam curriculum from
primary school to higher education. Speaking English is quite challenging due
to the linguistic differences in English and Vietnamese. A lot of researchers
have emphasized on weakness in Vietnamese students’ speaking skills.
Students don’t get the chance to practice English outside their classrooms, so
EFL students encounter a number of obstacles in speaking English. To
exemplify, students tend to use Vietnamese rather than English when
communicating with each other in the classroom, in addition to the lack of
target language practice, and the absence of vocabulary knowledge in the target
language. Al- Hosni, (2014).
Although it is eminently agreed upon that input is a major aspect of
language acquisition, it is not adequate unless it was followed by practice and
output (the production of the language by the student). Since the ability to
comprehend the meaning in sentences is different from the ability to voice that
meaning. When the students discuss what they have learned and produce output
in interactive activities, they unconsciously utilize what they had taken in, and
select a correct linguistic way to convey the meaning they want. This process
makes it attainable for the students to interiorize what they have acquired and
practiced.
Speaking problems can be major challenges to effective foreign language
learning. Regardless of how much primary students have knowledge of English


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language, they still encounter numerous difficulties, and factors that act as
obstacles that hinder their learning of the language, especially the speaking
skills.

After several years teaching speaking to EFL young learners at Binh
Minh primary school, I realized that most young learners are likely to be poorly
motivated however hard their teachers try to encourage them to practice
English in class activities.
Under such a circumstance arises a great need to investigate into teaching
English in general and teaching speaking skills to young learners of English in
particular. Hopefully, the study done for this M.A. thesis contributes something
new to current research on young learners EFL teaching and learning in
Vietnam nowadays.
1.2.

The aims of the study
Based on the achievements of previous studies as well as the experiences

of colleagues and the researcher myself in teaching English speaking skills to
young learners at Binh Minh Primary school, this study aims:
(1) To identify difficulties Vietnamese teachers and young learners
might encounter in EFL speaking classes of different grade groups.
(2) To investigate how current teaching strategies and methods affect the
young’s learning process.


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(3) To suggest some implications for teaching and learning in speaking
classes lessen the difficulties and foster the young learners’ speaking
skills.
1.3.

Research questions

To achieve the goals, the study attempted to address the following

questions:
(1) What are the factors that contribute to creating difficulties in
speaking skills of grade 3-5 EFL students at Binh Minh primary
school?
(2) What is the most important factor that lead to creating obstacles in
teaching speaking skills for grade 3-5 EFL students at Binh Minh
primary school?
(3) What are suggestions to help both teachers and students improve
speaking skills?
1.4.

Significance of the study

1.4.1. Pedagogical importance
When reviewing the characteristics of young learners as well as
identifying the difficulties these learners face in L2 learning process, the
study proves that teaching young learners is considerably different from


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others. Therefore, when teaching young learners, the teacher should be
strongly and calmly aware of the complexity of the matter.
1.4.2. Practical importance
Good English speaking skills open young learners to be confident
in communication in the real world. A deep understanding from teachers
and good learning strategies also help the young learners feel more
motivated and use their limited time efficiently.

1.5.

Definition of Terms:
Speaking Skills: Speaking theoretically is defined as an
interactional process of building meaning that constitutes of producing,
receiving and processing meaning. Its form and meaning chiefly rely on
the context in which it occurs, the participator, and the goals of speaking
(Burns & Joyce,1997). The study’s operational definition of speaking
skills is the grade ten students’ ability to convey information
successfully, using the correct pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
In Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary (2010, p.1479) 8th
edition, speaking is “to talk to somebody about something; to have a
converstion with somebody”.


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Brown (1994) cited in Flored (1999), “speaking is an interactive
process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving
and processing”.
EFL: English as a foreign language: the study of English by
nonnative speakers living in a non-English-speaking environment.


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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter handles the literature available on students’ speaking skills.
It is divided into three parts; the first part deals with the theoretical literature
regarding the topic discussed, including factors and problems affecting
speaking skills, while the other tackles the previous studies conducted on the

same topic, and the final part is the conceptual framework for the study.
2.1. Review of Theoretical Literature
One of the four language abilities is speaking. It is a means for students
to communicate in order to express themselves or transmit particular ideas,
thoughts, or even dreams. Furthermore, persons who are fluent in a language
are referred to as "speakers" of that language.
Furthermore, (Willis,1996, p.7) claims that in order for oral language
acquisition to occur, four factors must be met: the opportunity to practice the
language, motivation, exposure, and adequate teaching. Willis further claims
that learners require the chance to express their feelings or thoughts and to
experiment with the language they have learned in a safe environment where
they are not frightened by anybody or anything.
According to Tuan and Mai (2015), elements such as the performance
circumstances, emotional aspects, listening skills, and feedback when speaking


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influence learners' oral performance. In a similar vein, teachers recognizing
these characteristics is one method to help pupils overcome difficulties in
learning to speak.
Furthermore, Rababa (2005) asserts that there are other elements that
contribute to EFL learners' difficulty in speaking English, some of which are
related to the learners themselves, teaching practices, curriculum, and
environment. For example, many learners lack the appropriate language to
explain their meaning, and as a result, they are unable to sustain the
engagement. Furthermore, according to Urrutia and Vega (2010), students'
speaking skill is influenced by their limited vocabulary, reluctance, and fear of
being evaluated by others.
According to Oxford (1990), one of the most crucial effects or elements

in language acquisition success or failure is the learner's emotional side.
Inhibition, shyness, lack of self-confidence, peer pressure, family or friend
support, motivation, and anxiety are all affective elements.
The Acquisition Learning hypothesis, the Monitor hypothesis, the Input
hypothesis, the Natural Order hypothesis, and the Affective Filter hypothesis
were proposed by Krashen (1985) as part of a theory of second language
acquisition.


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The most significant of all the assumptions in Krashen's theory is
Acquisition-Learning. The acquired and learnt systems of second language
performance, according to Krashen, are two separate systems. The acquired
system, also known as acquisition, is the result of a subconscious process
comparable to how toddlers learn their first language. It necessitates
meaningful contact in the target language, as well as natural communication,
in which speakers concentrate on their communicative performance rather than
the structure of their words. The Monitor hypothesis addresses the link between
acquisition and learning, as well as how learning affects the former. The
monitoring function is a practical effect of the grammar that has been taught.
When three specified circumstances are satisfied, the monitor performs a
planning, editing, and correcting function: the second language learner has
ample time to focus on form and consider accuracy in addition to understanding
the rules. Krashen further claims that there are three types of learners: those
who use the monitor all the time (over-users), those who haven't learned or
prefer not to utilize their conscious knowledge (under-users), and those who
use the'monitor' appropriately (under-users) (optimal users). The psychological
profile of a person can be used to establish which category they belong to.
Overuse of the monitor is frequently linked to a lack of self-confidence.

Krashen's effort to explain how a student acquires a second language is
known as the Input hypothesis. The Input hypothesis solely considers


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acquisition rather than learning. According to this theory, when a learner gets
second language 'input' that is one step beyond his or her existing level of
linguistic ability, the learner improves and develops. When a learner is at stage
I for example, acquisition occurs when he or she is exposed to Comprehensible
Input at level ‘i + 1'. The term "comprehensible input" refers to target language
that the learner is unable to create but can comprehend. It entails more than just
word choice; it also entails the presentation of context, explanation, and
rewording of sections that are unclear.
Krashen (Krashen) (1987) The Natural Order hypothesis is based on
previous study findings that showed that the acquisition of grammatical
structures follows a predicted natural order. Some grammatical structures are
learned early in a language, whereas others are learned later. For example, some
learners learn to use 'ing' before the's'. The natural order hypothesis, according
to Krashen, does not imply that a language program curriculum should be based
on the order discovered in the research. When it comes to language acquisition,
he really opposes grammatical sequencing.
According to Krashen (1982), a variety of emotional factors have been
linked to second language acquisition success in research over the previous
decade, although the majority of these studies focused on three categories:
anxiety, self-confidence, and motivation. One of the most well-documented
psychological phenomena is anxiety.


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Language anxiety, according to Macintyre (1998), is anxiety that arises
from a certain scenario. Language anxiety, according to Maclyntyre, is the fear
and negative emotional reaction elicited by learning or using a second
language.
Furthermore, Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope (1991) p.31 defined foreign
language anxiety as a distinctive complex of self-consciousness, convictions,
feelings, and behaviors associated to classroom language acquisition.
Ehrman (1996) claims that people preserve their emotional stability and
self-respect in a variety of ways, one of which is through a defensive
mechanism. Unwillingness to participate in an activity, reluctance to work, and
negative conduct are all possible defensive strategies used by stressed students
to maintain their emotional equilibrium.
From three perspectives, Young (1991) identifies six potential origins of
language anxiety: the student, the instructor, and the teaching method.
"Language anxiety is caused by (a) personal and interpersonal anxiety, (b)
learner preconceptions about language acquisition, (c) instructor conviction
about language teaching, (d) instructor-learner intercommunication, (e)
classroom procedures, and (f) language assessment," he claims. Young (1994)
demonstrates how various forms of linguistic anxiety are linked.


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"The fundamental factor that decides whether a student commences on a
task at all, how much energy he spends to it, and how long he perseveres," says
Littlewood (1984). (Littlewood,1981) also contends that improvement in
communicative skills can only occur if learners are motivated and given
opportunities to express their personality and interact with others.

In

addition, Gardner (1985) developed the socio-educational paradigm of
motivation in second language (L2) learning. After completing extensive study,
he came to the conclusion that learners' opinions regarding the L2 have a
significant impact on their motivation to learn a new language. In order to
acquire L2, the paradigm highlights the relevance of numerous individual
characteristics. Gardner also emphasizes that learning a second language is
unlike studying any other subject in school since it entails gaining skills and
behavior patterns that are unique to a distinct group or culture.
Similarly, in her paper on students' motivation and class goals, Ames, C.
(1992), discusses the relationship between motivation and confidence. She
claims that ESL students who have low self-esteem about their speaking ability
avoid succeeding and undervalue their own performance when they do well.
Furthermore, teaching tactics block the language acquisition process
since they are insufficient, as speaking is not stressed and vocabulary items are
taught individually, in addition to the lack of real listening material. According


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to Ho (2011), teachers face challenges due to the course outline, duties, and a
lack of instructional resources.
Furthermore, the English instructor is an important part of the learning
process. The instructor, according to Allen & Valette (1997) and Quist (2000),
sets the tone for learning activities. Because teaching entails communicating,
English instructors must be very communicative. Furthermore, a teacher must
be fluent in the language in order to make informed judgments about the subject
presented and the method of instruction.
Furthermore, Rababah (2005) asserts that teacher training programs have

been considered as ineffective in changing instructors' attitudes since teachers
have a limited amount of courses in which to cover all four skills, prioritizing
grammar and reading while ignoring speaking and listening. As a result,
listening skills are critical. According to Valle (2002), motivating children to
learn English by listening to music, having real discussions, playing games, and
telling each other tales can lead to a more pleasurable learning experience.
Topical knowledge is described by Bachman and Palmer (1996) as
knowledge structures in long-term memory. This refers to the speaker's
knowledge and information about a certain subject. This information helps the
speaker to engage in discussions on the subject at hand. Another significant
factor that impacts speaking abilities is a lack of target language exposition.


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Due to their inability to engage in social contact in the target language, students
may avoid engaging in real-life discourse. Another cause for the difficulty in
speaking might be that learners are not given the opportunity to engage in
speech. It is critical to develop information and abilities that will enable people
to participate in discussions, and so master discourse skills. The greatest
technique to learn a language, according to Kumaravadivelu (2003), is to
concentrate on comprehending, saying, and doing something with it rather than
only focusing on linguistic features.
According to Zhang (2009), speaking is still the most difficult skill for
the majority of English learners to acquire, and they are still unable to
communicate verbally in English. According to Ur (1996), there are a number
of variables that contribute to difficulty speaking, including the following:
- Inhibition. Students are afraid of making errors, of being judged, or just
bashful.
- I don't have anything to say. Students are unable to express themselves since

they have no reason to do so.
- Participation is low or unequal. Because of big courses and the tendency of
some students to dominate, only one participant can speak at a time. Others
speak very little or not at all.


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- Use of the mother tongue. Learners who share the same mother language are
more likely to utilize it since it is simpler and they feel less exposed when they
speak it.
Furthermore, Rababa'h (2005) stated that there are several elements that
contribute to EFL learners' challenges in speaking English. Some of these
characteristics have to do with the students themselves, as well as instructional
tactics, curriculum, and the surrounding environment. Many learners, for
example, lack the appropriate vocabulary to communicate their meaning, and
as a result, they are unable to maintain the engagement. Another cause for not
being able to keep the conversation continuing might be a lack of strategic and
communication ability.
Some students are also unmotivated to speak English. They do not
believe that learning or speaking English is necessary. Actually, motivation is
the determining factor in whether or not a learner begins a task, how much
energy he commits to it, and how long he maintains it (Littlewood, 1984, p.53).
Learners can only acquire communicative skills if they are motivated and given
opportunities to express themselves and interact with others around them
(Littlewood, 1981).
Teaching tactics contribute to the problem since they are insufficient and
do not place enough attention on speaking, resulting in a lack of development

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of this skill. Furthermore, because of the vast number of instructors relative to
the number of cassettes accessible, vocabulary items are taught in isolation, and
most schoolteachers do not employ listening materials. Teacher-training
programs have been proven to be ineffective in improving instructors' teaching
methods (Rababa'ah, 2005).
Some teachers, according to Littlewood (1981), utilize L1 to supervise
their classes. Nonetheless, this might be a contributing cause to the problem of
speaking problems. Because utilizing L1 entails foregoing important
possibilities for well-motivated international usage, this is the case.
Furthermore, it devalues the foreign language as a means of communication.
Learners believe it should be reserved for communicatively non-essential areas
like drills or conversation practice, whereas the mother tongue should be used
for addressing urgent subjects. Other teachers utilize L1 for a variety of reasons,
including vocabulary and grammar. Despite their disagreements with L1, their
actions do not reflect their attitudes (Al-Busaidi, 1998).
2.1. The previous studies
Many researches have been undertaken to identify a variety of
characteristics and issues that negatively impact student speaking performance
and result in speaking difficulties.