Some communicative activities to enhance speaking skills for first year students of English Department - University of Languages and International Studies

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT




NGUYỄN MINH HẠNH





SOME COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE
SPEAKING SKILLS FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT – UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES
AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES




SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (TEFL)

SUPERVISOR: TÔ THỊ THU HƢƠNG, Ph.D







Hanoi, July 2010
iii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES vii

INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale 1
2. Aims of the study and research questions 1
3. Significance of the study 2
4. Scope of the study 3
5. Methods of the study 3
6. Design of the study 4
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 An overview of speaking activities in language teaching and learning 5
1.1.1 The nature of speaking in oral communication 5
1.1.2 The role of speaking in language teaching and learning 6
1.1.3 Characteristics of a successful speaking lesson 6
1.1.3.1 High learner’s talking time 6
1.1.3.2 High motivation 7
1.1.3.3 Even participation 7
1.1.3.4 An acceptable level of language 8
1.2 Communicative activities in language teaching and learning process 8
1.2.1 Definition of communicative activities 8
1.2.2 Characteristics of communicative activities 9
1.2.3 The roles of communicative activities in language teaching and learning 10
iv


1.2.4 The roles of teachers in communicative activities 11
1.2.5 Types of communicative activities 12
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.0 Research questions 15
2.1 Research setting 15
2.1.1 An overview English Department – ULIS - VNU 15
2.1.2 Teachers of English Division I 15
2.1.3 The students 16
2.1.4 The syllabus 16
2.1.5 Current situation of teaching and learning English speaking at EDI 16
2.2 Research approach 17
2.3 Subjects 18
2.4 Data collection instrument 18
2.5 Procedures 19
2.6 Method of data analysis 19

CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Data analysis 21
3.1.1 Results of teachers’ survey questionnaire 21
3.1.1.1 Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching English speaking skills 21
3.1.1.2 Teachers’ attitudes towards communicative activities 23
3.1.1.3 Teachers’ difficulties in using communicative activities 25
3.1.2 Results of students’ survey questionnaire 26
3.1.2.1 Students’ attitudes towards learning speaking skill 26
3.1.2.2 Students’ attitudes towards communicative activities 28
3.1.2.3 Students’ difficulties in practicing communicative activities 29
3.2 Findings and discussion 29
3.2.1 Findings from the classroom observation 29
3.2.2 Findings from the survey questionnaire 30
3.2.2.1 Teachers’ problems 31
v


3.2.2.2 Students’ problems 31
3.3 Conclusion 32
CHAPTER 4: IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Some kinds of communicative activities 33
4.1.1 Using song 33
4.1.2 Communicative games 34
4.1.3 Question and answer 35
4.1.4 Role play 36
4.1.5 Class discussion 37
4.1.6 Problem-solving activity 38
4.2 Some considerations and suggestions on using communicative activities 39
CONCLUSION 41
REFERENCES 42

APPENDICES 44