A study on applying group discussion approach to enhanse speaking skills of English for the first year students at An Duong Vocational Middle School = Áp dụng đ

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

---------------------***--------------------

TỐNG THỊ HOÀNG HẠNH

A STUDY ON APPLYING GROUP DISCUSSION APPROACH
TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS OF ENGLISH FOR
THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT AN DUONG
VOCATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
(Áp dụng đường hướng thảo luận theo nhóm để phát triể n
kỹ năng nói cho sinh viên năm thư nhấ t tại
́
Trường Trung cấ p Nghề An Dương)

M.A. Minor Thesis

Field

: English Teaching Methodology

Code

: 60.14.10

HANOI- 2010

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

---------------------***--------------------

TỐNG THỊ HOÀNG HẠNH

A STUDY ON APPLYING GROUP DISCUSSION APPROACH
TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS OF ENGLISH FOR
THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT AN DUONG
VOCATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
(Áp dụng đường hướng thảo luâ ̣n theo nhóm để phát triể n
kỹ năng nói cho sinh viên năm thư nhấ t tại
́
Trường Trung cấ p Nghề An Dương)

M.A. Minor Thesis

Field

: English Teaching Methodology

Code

: 60.14.10

Supervisor

: Duong Thi Thuc, M.A.

HANOI- 2010


iv

TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………............

LIST OF ABBREVIATION…………………………………………………………........

i
ii
iii
iv
vi

Part I: Introduction
1. Rationale……………………………………...………………………………….....
2. Aim of the study..………..…………………………………………………………
3. Scope of the study………………………………………………………………….
4. Methods of the study …………………………………………………………….
5. Design of the study…………………………………………………………………

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3
3
3
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Part II: Development
Chapter 1: Literature review………………………………………………………..
1.1. Speaking skill……..…………………...................................................................
1.1.1. What is speaking skill?..……………………………………………………...

5
5
5

1.1.2. The requirements for speaking skill………………………………………….
1.1.2.1. Accuracy………………………………………………………………
1.1.2.2. Fluency………………………………………………………………..
1.1.3. Common problems during Speaking Activities………………………………
1.2. Cooperative Language Learning………………………………………..………..

6
6
6
7
8

1.2.1.The background of CLL……………………………………………………..
1.2.2. Types of Cooperative Learning group………………………………………
1.2.3. The benefits of Cooperative Language Learning……………………………
1.3. Group discussion in speaking class………………………………………………
1.3.1. History of the group discussion……………………….……………………..
1.3.2. The concepts of group discussions/group work……………….…………….
1.3.3. The formation of group discussion…………………………………………..
1.3.4. Seating arrangement in group discussion……...…………………….............
1.3.5. The role of learner in group discussion……………………………………...

1.3.6. The role of teacher in group discussion……………………………………..
1.3.7. The advantages and disadvantages of using group discussion in the speaking class…………...
1.3.7.1. Advantages…………………………………………………………….
1.3.7.2.Disadvantages…………………………………………………………..
Chapter 2: Methodology

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9
9
12
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15
17
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18
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DECLARATION …………………………………………………………………..........
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………..
TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………..........


v

2.1. Setting of the study……………………………………………………………….
2.2. Current situations of teaching and learning English speaking skills at An Duong Vocational School.
2.3. Methodology……………………………………………………...........................

2.3.1. Subject…………….…………………………………………………………..
2.3.2. Techniques for Collecting Data………………………………………............

21
22
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Chapter 3: Findings and Recommendations
3.1. Student survey…………………………………………………………................. 26
3.1.1. The importance of English speaking skill……………………………………
3.1.2. Students’ interest in English speaking skill………………………………….
3.1.3. Students’ preference to how they like to practice speaking skill in class……
3.1.4. Students’ opinion on speaking in group discussion………………………….
3.1.5. Students’ opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion.

26
26
27
28
29

3.1.6. Students’ preference in group discussion…………………………………….
3.1.7. Factors cause difficulties when speaking in group discussion………….........
3.1.8. Students’ desires in learning speaking through group discussion……………
3.2. Teacher survey……………………………………………………………………

30
31

32
33

3.2.1. Teachers’ opinion on teaching speaking skill………………………………...
3.2.2. Teachers’ opinion on the important role of group discussion in improving speaking skill….
3.2.3. Teachers’ opinion on group discussion in teaching speaking skill…………...
3.2.4. The frequency of difficulties………………………………………………….
3.2.5. Teachers’ current teaching methods in using group discussion in speaking class…………..

33
34
35
36
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3.3. Reports on the students, teachers and the materials………………………………
3.3.1. Report on the students………………………………………………………..
3.3.2. Report on the teachers………………………………………………………..
3.3.3. Report on materials…………………………………………………………..
3.4. Recommendations………………………………………………………………...
3.4.1. Recommendations for students……………………………………………….
3.4.2. Recommendations for teachers……………………………………………….
3.4.3. Recommendations for materials………………………………………………
3.4.4. Recommendations for administrators………………………………………...
Part III: Conclusion
1. Summary of the study………………………………………………………………
2. Limitation of the study……………………………………………………………..
3. Suggestions for further research……………………………………………………

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41

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2

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LIST OF ABBREVIATION
GD:

Group Discussion.

EFL:

English Foreign Language.

ELT:

English Language Teaching.

CLL:

Cooperative Language Learning.
LIST OF Figures and table

1. Figures:
Figure 1: The importance of English Speaking Skill.
Figure 2: Students’ interest in English speaking skill.
Figure 1: Students’ preference to how they like to practice speaking skill in class.
Figure 4: The frequency of difficulties.
2. Tables:
Table 2 : Students’ Profiles.
Table 3: Teachers' Profiles.
Table 3: Students’ opinion on speaking in group discussion.
Table 4: Students’ opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion.
Table 5: Students’ preference in group discussion.
Table 6: Factors cause difficulties when speaking in group discussion.
Table 7: Students’ desires in learning speaking through group discussion.
Table 8: Teachers' opinion on teaching speaking skill.
Table 9: Teachers’opinion on the important role of group discussion in improving speaking skill.
Table 10: Teachers’ opinion on group discussion in teaching speaking skill.
Table 11: Teachers’ current teaching methods in using group discussion in speaking class.


1

PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Language is the most common form of communication of mankind.
Communication through language plays an important role in our social activities and daily
life as our social contacts are increasing frequently. Economic global civilization requires
people to learn more about cultural features, historical background and social realities from
other countries. Only this can effectively strengthen the communication, co-operation and
negotiation with other countries and establish firmly economic and cultural relationship.
However, in this process, English as an international language has showed its importance
than cannot be replaced. People‟s ability to master a foreign language, especially English,
has been an essential component in evaluating the power of a nation. More and more
people find it necessary and useful to have a good competence of English. Some people
recognize „tongue, finance, computer‟ as three powerful arms in the modern world. The
ability to express one-self orally has become an important factor to influence one‟s life and
decide the success or failure of his understanding. The ability to express one-self is one of
the qualities that we must possess. Meanwhile, English is widely used in the world. People
in most of the countries communicate with each other in English in the fields like politics,
economics, culture, science, technology etc. So learning English well seems to be an
evitable necessity in the modern world. Furthermore, oral English is the necessary aspect
of learning because of the high-speed development of the society, whether you can express
your-self fluently and properly shows how well you master the language.
In Vietnam, English is the most popular foreign language to be used as a mean of
communication. The use of English has dramatically increased in Vietnam, especially in
the last decade. English is spoken by many Vietnamese and is considered a necessity for
those who are studying or doing research and for those who are working in places like
foreign companies, holiday resorts, banks, hotels, universities, colleges, school and other
public places.
Despite the widespread emphasis on the acquisition and use of English, many
students (including the final year graduates) still struggle to communicate in English for
academic purposes. One of the primary reasons is that they lack the confidence and skills

2

needed to successfully speak in English. As a result, they become apprehensive when
asked to speak in public. The feeling of apprehension or fear when speaking in English has
become a serious matter because it affects their employability and their self-esteem. Many
students admit that they are unable to secure their dream jobs after they have graduated.
This is likely due to their high levels of apprehension and their lack of confidence when
asked to communicate in English during job interviews. Speaking in a foreign language has
often been considered as the most demanding of the four skills: listening, writing, reading
and speaking. When attempting to speak, learners must muster up their thoughts and
encode those ideas in the vocabulary and syntactic structures of the target language.
Moreover, English Language Teaching (ELT) in Vietnam has affected the
traditional teaching model through which students learn English just to pass exams and
teachers lecture mainly to help students achieve this goal. The result is that students do not
have enough English to communicate effectively with others. Obviously, students‟ overall
skills cannot be enhanced, especially among students at the college and university level.
Being a teacher of English at An Duong Vocational School, I am well aware that
teaching speaking is not an easy job because there are many problems still existing in
teaching speaking skills. For example: the lack of vocabulary will make students unable to
say words during speaking class. In addition, most of students do not feel confident enough
to use English in speaking class. Moreover, students often speak their Vietnamese
language, and so on. Therefore, it is necessary to create conductive and authentic learning
environments for students to be able to practice speaking in order to reduce their
apprehension. A group discussion before a speaking task is one of the very good ways to
create such environments. Group discussions are very important in oral English classes. It
maximizes students‟ speaking time in a specified-time period. Group discussions have a
strong positive effect on the atmosphere in the classroom and the behaviors of the students
as they can get more ideas from their friends. The most important reason for using group

discussions before speaking tasks is to reduce students‟ nervousness of making mistakes.
And this encourages students to be more active in completing their task. Moreover, using
group discussions can open skills of participation, cooperation, negotiation and so on
effectively for the students in studying and working.
With a view to providing students with professional atmosphere to speak the
international language easily and freely, the writer decided to do a research entitled “A


3

study on applying group discussion approach to enhance speaking skills of English for
the first year students at An Duong Vocational Middle School”. I hope that the research
will be a big contribution to ideal strategy approaches in teaching and learning English to
improve speaking skills for students.
2. Aim of the study
The purpose of this study is aimed at investigating the reality of the use of group
discussion in the speaking- class of the first year students at An Duong Vocational School.
To be specific, the aims of the study are:
 Investigating the current situations of English speaking teaching and learning at An
Duong Vocational School.
 Indicating the difficulties that the students and teachers usually meet during group discussions.
 Considering how group discussions enhance students to speak English in the class.
3. Scope of the study
To improve speaking skill of the first year students at An Duong Vocational School,
the teachers can apply diversified methods and techniques. However, the study is limited to
the applying group discussions to enhance English speaking skill for 1 st year students at An
Duong Vocational School.
4. Methods of the study
By observing and reviewing 100 1st-year students and 7 teachers of English in
speaking-class at An Duong Vocational School, the researcher received necessary

information to be able to create the framework of the questions from the interviews with 7
teachers and the questionnaire with 100 students in five classes: Mechanics, Industrial
Sewing, Vehicle Repair, Industrial Electricity and Computer Science. To be able to receive
as much valuable information as possible from the interview and the questionnaire, the
researcher took notes of every conversation with each teacher and some specific students.
5. Design of the study
The writer organizes this research paper in order to make the readers easily
understand the paper. Apart from INTRODUCTION that presents the rationale, aims,
scope, methods and design of the study and CONCLUSION that reviews the main content
and findings of the study, summarizes the limitations revealed during the process of


4

completing this research paper and suggests the further research, the paper is divided into
three chapters:
Chapter 1, Literature review, presents the basic concepts relevant to the study as
English speaking skills, the requirements for speaking skills and group discussion in
speaking skills.
Chapter 2, Methodology, provides an overview of the current situation of English
teaching and learning for the non-major intermediate students at An Duong Vocational
School including general introduction of An Duong Vocational School, students, teachers,
classroom condition, the English syllabus of the course training. The detailed statistic
results from the data collection are also presented in this chapter.
Chapter 3, Findings and Recommendations, summaries the data analysis and
discusses the factors that make the students reluctant to speak in the class and suggests
some recommendations for motivating the 1st year-students to speak English in the class.


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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
This section will discuss theoretical background related to speaking skill and analyze the
elements that speaking as a skill requires. The following part will provide an overview of
cooperative language learning, including the types of cooperative learning group. Finally,
group discussion also will be dealt with by drawing upon the concepts and some essential
features of one.
1.1 Speaking skill
1.1.1

What is speaking skill?
Speaking is a natural people‟s ability which was founded since they were born, and a

lot of researches on it have been done to work out various definitions. One of the definitions
is

speaking

considered

as

“the

productive

skill

in

the

oral

mode”

(sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning). In addition, according to Bygate (1997, p.3),
speaking is often thought of as a popular form of expression which uses the unprestigious
colloquial register”. It means that students must speak so as to carry out many transactions
and speaking skill is a medium of communication which languages are learnt through. To
speak a language, especially a foreign language, learners need to know “not only the
linguistic knowledge” but also “the culturally acceptable ways of interacting with others in
different situations and relationship” (Hymes, 1971). It is assumed that speaking a language
requires more than the language‟s knowledge itself; speakers must learn the way native
speakers use the language to speak fluently and accurately. Nowadays the goal of teaching
speaking is to improve learner‟s communication skill. “Speaking is an interactive process of
constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information”
(Brown, 1994; Burn & Joyce, 1997). Speaking needs that learners not only should know how
to produce specific points of language such as grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary but
also understand when, why and in what ways to produce language communicatively.
To sum up, speaking is the most effective way for people to communicate with each
other. That is the reason why speaking skill is an important part of the second language
learning and teaching. This is the working definition which the researcher will put into
consideration during the whole research process.


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1.1.2. The requirements for speaking skills

Byrne (1984, p. 9) stated that “The main goal in teaching the productive skill
of speaking will be oral fluency: the ability to express oneself intelligibly, reasonab ly,
accurately and without undue hesitation (otherwise communication may break down
because the listener looses interest or gets impatient). To attain this goal, the students
have to move from the stage where they merely imitate a model or respond to cues to
the point where they could use the language to express their own ideas”.
1.1.2.1. Accuracy
Accuracy means the correct use of language in terms of grammar, vocabulary
and pronunciation. According to Harmer: “Accuracy involves the correct use of
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation”. In speaking, accuracy is very important and
the teacher should make students clear about the correct use of language and how to
use correctly. Nunan states that: “Accuracy is the extent to which students‟ speech
matches what people actually say when they use the target language”.
Accuracy in speaking is also reinforced as “the ability to produce
grammatically correct sentences but may not include the ability to speak or write
fluently”. (The Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (p.141).
As Dave Willis (1996, p.50) has pointed out “Whenever learners are involved
in communication they are concerned with accuracy in that they are making the best
use of their language system to meet the communicative demands place d upon it. In
spontaneous communication learners have little time to reflect on the langue they
produce. If, however, they are given time to prepare what they have to produce then
there will be a concern for formal accuracy within a communicative context.”
However, the teacher should not focus on accuracy too much. Because if they
are very particular about producing correct language from the beginning, then
students might never gain fluency of speech.
1.1.2.2. Fluency
Fluency is the capability of the speakers to use the language quickly, spontaneously
and confidently. Learners must be given opportunity to develop both their fluency and their
accuracy. According to Nunan, “Fluency is to extent to which speakers use the target

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language quickly and confidently with few hesitations or unnatural pauses, false starts,
words searches”.
In the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (p.141),
fluency is “the ability to produce written and/or spoken language with ease...speak with a
good

but

not

necessarily

perfect

command

of

intonation,

vocabulary

and

grammar...communicate ideas effectively, and produce continuous speech without causing
comprehension difficulties or a breakdown of communication”
Dave Willis pointed out three concepts such as: “Accuracy, fluency and

conformity”. According to Challenge and Change in Language Teaching, J. Willis and D.
Willis, ed.Heinemann, 1996 p. 50: “Learners need opportunities to process language for
communicative purposes as receivers and producers. These opportunities should be
unfettered by the perceived need to conform to teacher expectations in terms of the
production of specific language forms.”
When the students get used to the language and learn to communicate properly then
the fluency comes. We cannot expect from a beginner to speak fluently. For improving
fluency, the learners should be given the chance to speak spontaneously without worrying
much about accuracy.
1.1.3. Common problems during speaking activities
According to Penny Ur, the problems faced in speaking activities are:
- Inhibition: Unlike writing and listening activities, speaking requires some degree
of real time exposure to an audience. Learners are often inhibited about trying to say things
in a foreign language in the classroom. They tend to be worried about making mistakes,
fearful of critics or losing face, or simply on the attention that their speech attracts. As a
result, they can not speak English spontaneously in the classroom.
- Nothing to say: Sometimes learners complaint that they cannot think of anything
to say. In other word they cannot express themselves, beyond the guilty feeling that they
should be speaking. In addition, the lacking of background knowledge or experience also is
a big challenge to prevent them from speaking English fluently and accurately.
- Low or uneven participation: The problem is also compounded by the tendency
of some learners to dominate while others speak a little or not at all. Only one participation


8

can talk at a time if he or she to be heard, and in a large group this means that each one will
have only very little talking time.
- Mother tongue use: In the class when the entire learners share the same mother
tongue, they may tend to use it first because students feel unnatural to speak to one another

in a foreign language, and because they feel less “exposed” if they are speaking their
mother-tongue. If they are talking in small group, it can be quite difficult to get some
classes- particularly the less disciplined or motivated ones- to keep the target language.
These are the problems preventing students‟ speaking ability. It is teachers that
should find out the ways to help students to solve these problems. In fact there have existed
some ways to solve these problems. According to English methodologists, Cooperative
Language Learning (CLL) is the most effective one of all. In the following part the
researcher will deal with some information related to CLL.
1.2. Cooperative Language Learning
1.2.1. The background of CLL
Cooperative Learning is an important concept being dealt with in this research.
According to Johnson & Johnson (1998), Cooperative Learning is grouping students together
to accomplish shared learning goals. Students work in small groups of three or four to get the
most out of their own learning and each other‟s learning. They encourage and support each
other to learn and are responsible for their own as well as for their teammates‟ learning.
Johnson & Johnson (1998) also said that Cooperative Learning is a student- centered
approach that believes that active learning is more effective than passive one where the
teacher becomes a facilitator rather than an instructor. Through Cooperative Learning,
students have to exchange ideas, make plans and propose solutions to accomplish a
collaborative goal. Therefore, it can enhance students‟ social and personal developments.
Kagan (1990) also introduced a Cooperative Learning strategy in his study.
According to Kagan (1990), “Co-op Co-op is structured to maximize the opportunity for
small groups of students to work together to produce a group product and then share this
product with the whole class (p.14).” This will provide opportunities for students to help
each other among teams. It also provides students choices for the content they want to study.
Co-Op Co-Op is designed to foster students‟ self-direction and independence in learning
(Daniel, Barbara, and Diane, 1991).


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1.2.2 Types of Cooperative Language Learning
According to the Johnsons (1994, cited in Jack C. Richards& Theodore S. Rodgers,
2001, p.196), three types of Cooperative Learning procedures should be used in an
integrative way: formal Cooperative Learning, informal Cooperative Learning, and
Cooperative base groups.
- In formal co-operative learning, students are working together for durations of
one class period to several weeks to achieve shared learning goals and complete specific
tasks and assignments. Any assignment can be reformulated as co-operative.
- In informal co-operative learning, students work together on a temporary basis to
achieve a joint learning goal. These ad-hoc groups last from a few minutes to one class
period. Informal co-operative learning can be used to focus students‟ attention on the study
material or topic of the class. Perhaps the most common way in Finland to do this is to
engage students in focused discussions for a few minutes on a “turn-to-your-partner”-basis,
which can be interspersed throughout a traditional lecture.
- Co-operative base groups are usually long-term, heterogeneous Cooperative
Learning groups in which the members stay on a permanent basis from one to several years.
The purpose of the base group is to give support, help, feedback and any kind of assistance
to its members. The aim is to develop cognitively and socially in healthy ways.
1.2.3. The benefits of Cooperative Language Learning
No one can deny the benefits brought about by CLL in learning and teaching
language. Cooperative Language Learning is gaining broad acceptance in a multitude of
language learning classrooms, principally because of its contributions to improving
productivity and achievement and providing more opportunities for communication. In
order to make the potential advantages of Cooperative Language Learning clearer, this
section examines in detail the benefits of using Cooperative Learning in foreign language classrooms.
- Providing the chances of input and outpu: Cooperative Language Learning
provides more opportunities for learners to comprehensible input and output and the
processes of negotiation. Jia (2003) holds that effective language learning depends on
structuring social interaction to maximize the needs of communication in the target

language. For example, students divided into six groups in a class can get six times as
many opportunities to talk as in full-class organization. Cooperative Language Learning


10

creates natural, interactive contexts, where students listen to each other, ask question, and
clarify issues. Group interaction assists learners in negotiating for more comprehensible
input and in modifying their output to make it more comprehensible to others (Crandall,
1999; Kagan, 1995). In cooperative group settings, when communicating in group work,
students need to make them understood so they adjust their language to suit the members
of that group. As a result, there is a much higher proportion of comprehensible input. A
survey of research on pair/group work conducted by Long and Porter (1985, cited in Ellis,
1999), indicates that learners produce more, use longer sentences, and do not speak any
less grammatically in group work than they do in teacher-fronted lessons. Students will
speak in different ways on the same topic, ensuring students to listen to and comprehend
language from various sources and to obtain modeling and feedback from their peers.
There is a principle that interaction drives learners to produce more accurate and
appropriate language, which itself provides input for other students. Therefore, cooperative
language learning is valuable in the oral practice and listening comprehension.
- Creating effective climate: If the language class is meant to be a place where
individuals can practice in communication in the foreign language, it is vital to establish a
social and affective climate in which students are not restricted, aggressive, or feared
(Stern, 1992). Cooperative Learning, like other group work, offers a relaxed climate in the
classroom, while it also increases students‟ motivation (Brown, 1994; Crandall, 1999).
Individuals have the opportunity to rehearse their answers before being asked to offer them
in front of the whole class so their anxiety and fear of failure may reduce. Time to think
and receive feedback form group members, and the greater likelihood of success can
reduce anxiety and result in increased participation in learning language (Crandall, 1999).
Therefore, more participation will inevitably increase learner‟s self-confidence and selfesteem.

Another affective benefit of Cooperative Learning is an increase in students‟
motivation. Clarke (1989, cited in Hedge, 2000) suggested collaborative classroom
motivated students to involve in language reading activities. Motivation leads to more
extensive use of language and the development of greater language proficiency. In the
cooperative groups, face-to-face promotes interaction and resource, reward, role
interdependence can be powerful supports and encouragements for the insecure students.
Learners are thus motivated to pursue larger academic success.


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- Increasing a variety of language function: Cooperative Language Learning
allows learners more chances to produce language in a functional manner. In traditional
classroom, discourse is usually initiated by the teacher in an artificial setting, but
Cooperative Learning can be used to create a mimic real-life social settings in which
language is normally used. For a specific purpose in accomplishing the group task,
cooperative groups can be helpful to students in developing their social abilities. In the
study of Michael Long and his colleagues (1976, cited in Lightbown & Spada, 1999)
with adult learners of English as a foreign language in Mexico, they found that the
students produced not only a greater quantity but also a greater variety of speech in
group work than in teacher-centered activities. Students may find themselves involve in
requesting, clarifying, making suggestions, encouraging, disagreeing, negotiating of
meaning, exchanging conversations during group work. Working in Cooperative
Learning Groups will foster learner discourse control and thereby ensures opportunities
for language learning.
- Fostering learner responsibility and independence: The final aim of
Cooperative Learning is to make each student a stronger individual through doing work
cooperatively. Cooperative Learning, therefore, emphasizes individual accountability.
It places

responsibility for action and progress on each of the members of the group

somewhat equally. Positive role and goal interdependence help students become more
autonomous and self-controlled and less dependent upon outside authority, and over
time, they will gradually move from interdependence to independence (Johnson &
Johnson, 1991).
There are additional important benefits of Cooperative Language Learning.
Cooperative activities around the curricular content can provide more opportunities for
the use of the new items and lead to the development of both academic language and
social language. In addition, studies indicate that there are beneficial effects of
cooperative learning in more higher level reasoning, more frequent generation of new
ideas and solutions, and greater transfer of what is learned within one situation to
another than did competitive or individualistic learning (Johnson & Johnson, 2000).
In conclusion, Cooperative Language Learning is very useful in language learning
and teaching speaking skill. Therefore, language teachers should put these usefulnesses
into consideration.


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1.3. Group discussion in speaking class
1.3.1. The history of the group discussion
In the 1970s, group work came into the standard EFL teaching repertoire with
communicative approach. At that time, teacher-centered methodology dominated
teaching field. Studies of foreign language classes revealed that 80% of lesson time
was occupied by teachers‟ personal lecturing while learners hardly got a chance to
practice their second language. So Teacher Talking Time (TTT) became taboo and
ways were devised to stamp it out and students were asked to speak as much as
possible in the language they were learning.
Thus, group work was introduced into the EFL repertoire to tackle this

particular problem. Group work, particularly, group discussion made it possible for
the teacher to devote more time to the students‟ oral output, which perhaps had not
been a priority of the foreign language classroom. Instead of being dependent on the
teacher, students get used to helping and learning from each other. Meanwhile, the
teacher is left free to discreetly monitor the progress of the total class.
Dealing with group work demands much tact and sensitivity. Before group
discussion, the teacher may have to decide how to organize the group,
heterogeneously or homogeneously? Moreover, during the course of group discussion,
the teacher has to weigh in his or her mind whether to intervene to bring an
enthusiastic discussion onto a more linguistically fruitful path, or to stay in the
background to allow the students to make their own discoveries about the language
and the best way to learn it. To handle these problems properly demand, the teacher
need map out beforehand an overall procedure of group discussion.
1.3.2. The concepts of group discussion/ group work
To begin with, Adrian Doff (1991) describes group work as follows: “In group work,
the teacher divides the class into small groups to work together (usually four or five
students in each group). As in pair work, all the groups work at the same time” (Doff 1991, p. 138).
According to the movement of learners during a group activity, Harmer (1992) and
Ur (1991) distinguish between flexible and fixed groups. While working in flexible groups,


13

Harmer suggests that students start in set groups, and as an activity progresses the groups
split up and reform; or they join together until the class is fully reformed. (Harmer 1992, p. 246)
In addition, it is wise, according to Ur, to settle fixed groups or at least semipermanent groups to avoid problems every time the groups are about to form, For that
reason, Ur suggests: “The physical reorganization can be done very simply by getting some
students to turn face those behind them if they are normally in rows. This may need a little
modification . . . but once the students are settled into fixed groups, they will assume them
quickly and with little fuss each time” (Ur 1991, p. 7).

Ur (1991) points out that group work provides some learners with confidence and
courage: “students who are shy of saying something in front of the whole class, or to the
teacher, often find it much easier to express themselves in front of a small group of their
peers” (p.7). Another point taken by methodologists concerns the amount of learners´
participation and mutual co-operation among learners during activities carried out in groups.
Richards and Lockhart (1999, p.153) say that group work is likely to increase the
amount of student participation in the class and promote collaboration among learners;
furthermore, learners are given a more active role in learning, teacher´s dominance over the
class decreases, while the opportunities for individual student‟s practice of new features of
the target language increase.
Next area of focus that methodologists consider is a suitable number of learners
within a group. Methodologists have not set a definite number, „magic number‟, but range
the number of learners per group between four and seven (Harmer 2001, p. 75).
To sum it up, when considering the specifics of group work, methodologists discuss
the settlement of students within the groups as flexible or fixed. Ur, for example,
recommends that teachers set up fixed or at least semi-permanent groups that are likely to
prevent some problems connected with their creating and consequent misbehavior. Group
discussion tends to support cooperative learning, and may give confidence and courage to
shy students when handling the target language.
1.3.3. The formation of group discussion
Group discussion is a co-operative activity, during which students can share the
responsibilities and the duties. So how to group students into group discussion is important
job. Some methodologists provide a concrete number of learners that a group should


14

include. According to Byrne (1991, p.75), the number of learners range from four to eight
learners per group. The actual number should consequently depend on the particular
activities. Richards and Lockhart agree that the „optimum size‟ depends on the kind of

activity learners are working on, and add: „If the group is too large, student interaction is
affected; only a few students may participate, the others remaining silent or passive‟
(p.153). Harmer confirms Richards and Lockhart´s words and claims that the boarder line
might be established on number seven, because „groups of more than seven can be
unmanageable‟ (Harmer 1992, p. 246).
There are different ways of grouping learners or dividing them into pairs or groups.
Harmer (2001, p.120-122) suggests four basic ways - friendship, streaming, chance, and
changing groups. The first method provides enough space for students to choose their
friends and thus create groups. On the other hand, streaming method assumes that students
will be divided into groups according to their abilities, thus creating the same ability
groups or mixed ability groups. Counting out avoids the ability differentiation within
groups, this method Harmer calls „chance‟. Finally, changing groups presupposes that
students keep changing while the activity continues.
Friederike Klippel (1991, p.9-10) when considering grouping students for
communicative activities, particularly discussions, describes some main types such as buzz
groups, hearing, fishbowl, network, onion, star, market, opinion vote, or forced
contribution. What both Klippel and Harmer suggest is a couple of theoretical methods for
dividing students into groups or pairs, which will inevitably in many cases require
students‟ change of positions.
Byrne (1991, p.32-33), on the other hand, prefers as little students‟ movement as
possible, suggesting that it is reasonable, taking into consideration a time factor influenced
by moving students and frequency of the use of pair work and group work, to make use of
the existing classroom arrangement. Byrne advises to get students to work with a neighbor
or neighbors and move students only if it is absolutely necessary. It is important for
students to be able to form pairs and groups quickly and without any fuss, Byrne concludes.
Drawing upon my personal experience, I agree with Donn Byrne that it is
important to give learners a very limited number of opportunities for moving around
the classroom with relation to the process of dividing students to groups or pairs. Once

15

allowing students to move around the classroom in order to form groups or pairs, it
may be rather difficult to draw students‟ concentration back on the activity together
with the time that is likely to be lost. Therefore, the use of the existing arrangement
seems to me to be the best solution.
1.3.4. Seating arrangement in group discussion
There are many different ways to arrange seating in a classroom. Arrangements in
group discussion can be beneficial for promoting positive learning environments for
specific situations.
Whether or not seats are assigned, the layout of the desks or tables is a major
component to classroom management. Different configurations provide different ways for
students to participate in and the teacher to provide instructions. The following are a few of
the more common seating arrangements.
-

Traditional Rows and Columns
Once the arrangement of choice, the traditional row and column style of seat layout

has fallen out of favor with many educators. However, it still has its benefits for teacher
centered instruction. In situations where lectures, board work or projection are being used,
the row and column arrangement puts students facing the instructional area. It is also a
convenient configuration when students need to work independently.

+
0000000000
0000000000
0000000000
0000000000

-

Rows and Columns with an Aisle

Separating the rows and columns with an aisle and turning the seats so that the two
sides are facing each other and the room is transformed for another learning environment.
This arrangement puts students in a way so that they face each other, promoting student
interaction through discussions and demonstrations. The aisle is also a convenient layout
for teachers who prefer to pace during, or act out parts of, the lesson.


16

+
0000 0000
0000

0000

0000

0000

0000
-

0000

Circle

A circle of desks puts every student in the front row. The teacher can then either be in
the middle for teacher centered lessons or at one of the desks for activities in which the
teacher is a collaborator or facilitator. This arrangement can work for any size class, but
might have to be changed to include an inner and outer circle if the room is not large
enough for the number of students.
0
0

0

0

0

0
0

+
0
0

0
0

-

0

Horseshoe

The horseshoe shape has the same benefits as using a circle, whether arranged one or
more desks deep. Additionally, it provides room for the teacher to move easily among
students and allows the teacher to redirect students‟ attention to a board or projection
without the need to move seats.

+
0
0
0
0
0 0 0 0
-

0
0
0
0
0

Groupings

Putting desks in small groups so that students face each other is ideal for group
activities. When the desks are placed tightly together they provide a larger working surface
and promote collaboration among the students in the group. The teacher can move easily


17

among the groups and, if arranged so that no student‟s back is to the board, can still
redirect attention to provide instruction or directions.

+
0 0 0
0
0

0
0
0

0

0 0

0
0

0
0
0 0

0

0

0
0

0
0

0

0

Through trial and experience each teacher will find one or more arrangements that
work best for his or her classroom. In some cases it makes sense to change the layout
depending on how instruction is being delivered or what is needed for the class activity,
but there is not one arrangement that works well for all teachers.
1.3.5. The role of learner in group discussion
In the traditional approach, learners are the passive recipients of the language
learning process. They have little control over their learning or no chance to raise their
voice about what and how to teach. They are supposed to wait passively to be scrammed
with the huge amount of theoretical knowledge. When working in group, however, they are
forced to learn how to work well in groups. According to Rechards and Rodgers (2001,
p.199), the primary role of the learner is as a member of a group who must work
collaboratively on tasks with other group member. Learners have to learn teamwork skills.
Learners are also directors of their own learning. They are taught to plan, monitor and
evaluate their own learning, which is viewed as a compilation of lifelong learning skills.
In general, learners are considered as the negotiators of the learning process. They
are required to involve and participate in the group discussion directly and actively.
1.3.6. The role of teacher in group discussion
In contrast to the traditional role of the teachers as the sole- provider of the
knowledge and the decision makers of all class activities, teachers using communicative
tasks play the following role: First, he is a facilitator to help the communication among
participants run through. He is supposed to help the learners better express their
expectation and direct learners‟ active participation to what is most beneficial to the
educational purposes. Second, the teacher acts as the active participant in the learning
process, genuinely engaging in the class and contributing his ideas, opinions or relating

18

personal experiences. Third, the teacher can function as an observer, put himself into
learners; position to assume and notify their difficulties.
Like Rechards and Rodgers (2001, cited in Johnson, 1994) the teacher has to create
a highly structured and well-organized learning environment in the classroom, setting goals,
planning and structuring tasks, establishing the physical arrangement of the classroom,
assigning students to groups and roles and selecting materials and time.
Harel (1992) also indicated that the teachers provide broad questions to challenge
thinking; they prepare students for the tasks they will carry out; they assist the students
with the learning tasks, and they give few commands, imposing less disciplinary control.
1.3.7. The advantages and disadvantages of using group discussion in the speaking class
1.3.7.1.

Advantages

It is acknowledged that group discussion has recently taken on increased
psycholinguistic significance in the English language classroom because of a range
advantages as follows:
- Firstly, group discussion increases the amount of students‟ participation. It is known
that lessons have limited time - usually only forty five minutes - and there are on average
thirty students in the class, so students get bored very quickly waiting for their classmates'
answers. As a result, instead of practicing English they start doing something different talking, doing homework or even playing cards, for example. In consequence, this leads to
general chaos if the teacher is not quick enough to perceive and prevent it. Needles to say,
the teacher should involve the whole class in an activity. According to Michael H. Long, if
we have five or six groups, then there will be five or six times the amount of talking. When
the teacher divides the learners into groups of four or five, there will be at least ten or eight
students speaking at the same time, providing that the class consists of forty people.
- Secondly, group discussion increases language practice opportunities. In all probability,
one of the main reasons for low achievement by many classroom EL learners is simply that

they do not have enough time to practice the new language. This is especially serious in
large EFL classes in which students need to develop oral skills. Group discussion is a good
way to increase language practice opportunities.


19

According to Nunan, “Pair work and group work can be used to increase the amount of
time that learners get to speak in the target language during lesson”. In this way, students
will get chances to interact with other students.
In group discussion, the total individual practice time is available to each student,
therefore, each student has chance to practice language by exchanging ideas with the other.
- Thirdly, group discussion improves the quality of students‟talk. As Patricia A. Porter
says, the lockstep limits not only the quantity of talk students can engage in, but also its
quality. This is because teacher-fronted lessons favor a highly conventionalized variety of
conversation, one rarely found outside courtrooms, classrooms. Only rarely does genuine
communication take place. An unfortunate but hardly surprising side effect of this sort of
pseudo- communication is that students' attention tends to wander. Consequently, teachers
maintain a brisk pace to their questions and try to ensure prompt and brief answers in
return. This is usually quite feasible, since what the students say requires little thought (the
same question often being asked several times) and little language (mostly single phrases
or short "sentences"). Teachers quickly "correct" any errors, and students appreciate just as
quickly that what they say is less important than how they say it.
- Fourthly, students will learn from each other. In a class there are always weak and strong
students. Working in a group, students have opportunities to share the ideas.
- Last but not least, “group work frees the teacher from her usual role of instructorcorrector-controller, and allows her toward freely round the class” ( Penny Ur, 1991, p.8),
The teacher have chance to set up personal contact with more students and to help the
students to interact when she moves around the class listening to the small group
discussion. She gives help where needed, devotes a little time to slower learners. She also
has an important role to play in leading and encouraging GD.

1.3.7.2.

Disadvantages

Besides the advantages group discussion brings about, group discussion also has
disadvantages. According to Harmer (1999, p.125), “In some groups, members may defer
to the oldest person there, or to the man in otherwise female group. People with loud voice
can dominate proceedings, less extrovert people may not participate fully enough”. In
addition, he also identified some problems that teachers have to deal with in group discussion:


20

-

Firstly, the teachers may lose control of their class, that there may be too much noise,

due to, all the students speak together.
-

Secondly, some students would prefer to the focus of the teacher‟s attention rather than

working with their peers.
-

Thirdly, individuals may fall into group roles that become fossilized, so that some are

passive whereas others may dominate.
-

Fourthly, students in groups may not focus on the point of their task, but talk about

something else, often in their mother tongue.
- Finally, groups take a lot of time for organizing.
To sum up, those problems concerned about grouping and class control will be handled
properly along with teachers „familiarity of their students‟ learning strategies and deep
research in the teaching materials. Group discussion could help students to enhance their
communicative ability, sharpen their sociable skills and foster the cooperation and team
spirit in future career development.