Improving English speaking skills through extra-curricular activities – a pilot case with 10th graders at Trieu Son High School No 2= Nâng cao kỹ năng nói Tiếng

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

LÊ ĐÌNH THẮNG


IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – A PILOT CASE WITH 10
TH

GRADERS AT TRIỆU SƠN HIGH SCHOOL No 2

NÂNG CAO KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH CHO HỌC SINH THÔNG QUA
HOẠT ĐỘNG NGOẠI KHÓA – TRƢỜNG HỢP THÍ ĐIỂM VỚI HỌC
SINH LỚP 10 Ở TRƢỜNG THPT TRIỆU SƠN 2


M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111






Hanoi, 2014
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

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

LÊ ĐÌNH THẮNG


IMPROVING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – A PILOT CASE WITH 10
TH

GRADERS AT TRIỆU SƠN HIGH SCHOOL No 2

NÂNG CAO KỸ NĂNG NÓI TIẾNG ANH CHO HỌC SINH THÔNG QUA
HOẠT ĐỘNG NGOẠI KHÓA – TRƢỜNG HỢP THÍ ĐIỂM VỚI HỌC
SINH LỚP 10 Ở TRƢỜNG THPT TRIỆU SƠN 2


M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111
SUPERVISOR: ASSOC. PROF. DR. LÂM QUANG ĐÔNG





Hanoi, 2014

i
DECLARATION

I, Lê Đình Thắng, hereby certify that the thesis entitled “Improving English
speaking skills through extracurricular activities – a pilot case with 10
th

graders at Triệu Sơn High School No2” is the result of my own research in
the fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts at the
Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International
Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and that the thesis in whole or
in part has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or
tertiary institution.

August, 2014


Lê Đình Thắng


ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During the process of writing this thesis, I have been fortunate to receive
supports and assistance from a variety of people.
First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my
supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lâm Quang Đông, who allows me to draw fully
on his wisdom and experience in implementing this study. His guidance,
encouragement and invaluable detailed critical feedback have been most
generous.

I would like to convey my special thanks to all my teachers of the Faculty
of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies
(ULIS), Vietnam National University, Hanoi whose fundamental knowledge
about language teaching and learning is of great importance to my
achievements in the graduate program.
I am grateful to all the leaders, staff and librarians at the Faculty of Post-
Graduate Studies, ULIS, who provided me with dedicated support and helped
me find necessary materials for this thesis.
My thanks also go to my colleagues and the 10
th
graders at Triệu Sơn
High School No 2 for their cooperation and support for my data collection.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, who supported me
throughout all the ups and downs of my life. Without their love and thoughtful
understanding, I would not have been able to complete this thesis successfully.

iii
ABSTRACT
This thesis is focused on how extracurricular activities can be
organized, the effectiveness that extracurricular activities bring to the students
in improving their speaking skills as well as the students‟ feedback toward
extracurricular activities. The study was carried out in class 10C1 and 10C7
at Triệu Sơn High School No2 in the second semester of the school year
2013 -2014. The reseacher invited 90 students to participate in the research.
Three extracurricular activities were organized for the 10th graders including
English speaking clubs, English singing contests, English rhetoric, Drama,
retelling stories in English The activities were individual, small group or
pair work. To find the results, the researcher got the information from the
students‟evaluation forms, extracurricular activities observations, interviews
and discussion.

The experiment with 10th graders re-asserts that extracurricular
activities are very useful for the students and the teachers of English in
teaching and learning English, especialy speaking skills. Students‟ speaking
skills have improved remarkably through their participation in extracurricular
activities.
Besides that, taking part in extracurricular activities has also helped
students to develop other skills such as: teamwork skills, skill of presenting in
front of large audience, etc. More importantly, students are more interested in
speaking lessons in class. This suggests that extracurricular activities like
these can be well integrated into the English teaching program at our own
school and the like, which definitely will benefit both teachers and students
alike.

iv

ABBREVIATIONS

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
CLT: Communicative Language Teaching
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
M.A: Master of Arts
ECAs: Extracurricular activities
ECA: Extracurricular activity
MC: Master of Ceremony

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii

ABBREVIATIONS iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
PART A: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale 1
2. Aims of the study 2
3. Research questions 2
4. Structure of the thesis 2
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 4
1.1. What are extracurricular activites? 4
1.2. The importance of extracurricular activities 5
1.3. Types of extracurricular activites 6
1.3.2. Group work 7
1.3.3. Mass work 9
1.4. Prior studies related to extracurricular activities 10
1.5 Summary 12
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 13
2.1. Research setting 13
2.1.1. An overview of Triệu Sơn High School No2 13
2.1.2. The teachers of English in Triệu Sơn High School No2 13
2.1.3. The students in Triệu Sơn High School No2 13
2.1.4. The situation of English teaching and learning English in Triệu
Sơn High School No2 14

vi
2.2. Research methods 15
2.2.1. Description of the participants 15
2.2.2. Procedures 16
2.2.3. Instruments 22
2.3. Summary 24

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 25
3.1. Findings from the students 25
3.1.1. From the evaluation forms 25
3.1.2. From interviews 26
3.2. Findings from the teachers 27
3.2.1. From their observation 27
3.2.2. From the discussion 28
3.3. Discussion 29
3.3.1. The organization of extracurricular activities to intensify students‟
participation in speaking activities in class 29
3.3.2. The effectiveness of extracurricular activities experimented at
school 30
3.3.3. The students‟ response on the organization of extracurricular
activities 31
3.4. Summary 31
PART C: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33
1. Conclusion 33
2. Recommendations on how to organize extracurricular activities 33
2.1. For the students 34
2.2. For the teachers 34
2.3. For the administrators 35
3. Limitations of the study 37

vii
4. Suggestions for further study 37
REFERENCES 38
APPENDICES I
APPENDIX 1 I
APPENDIX 2 III
APPENDIX 3 IV

APPENDIX 4 V




1
PART A: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale
In learning English at high schools, English speaking skill is one of the
four skills that students must be taught as separately and equally as the others.
However, due to some different objective and subjective reasons, teaching
and learning of this skill is often integrated with other skills such as listening
skill, or is even neglected. Therefore, students do not often enjoy speaking
period as well as find it difficult to participate in speaking activities.
Furthermore, there are a lot of elements of speaking affecting the
ability to speak fluently such as language features (connected speech,
expressive device, lexis and grammar, negotiation language) and the ability to
process information and language “on the spot” such as language processing,
interacting with others… However, in a period of 45minutes, it seems to be
impossible for both teachers and students to control them. Therefore, if
teaching and learning speaking skill takes place within 45 minutes every week
and only in classroom settings, its effect is limited.
In terms of my experiences of teaching English and teaching speaking
skill at Triệu Sơn High School No2, I found that most of my students are
unwilling to participate in oral activities. Most of them only passively sit and
take notes, rarely contribute to the lesson and even do not ask for the teacher‟s
help when they have any problems. Reasons for this are varied, including
large classes, psychological or cultural differences, teaching methods,
teacher‟s knowledge, student‟s lack of idea or language devices, such as

grammatical structures or vocabulary, etc. Whatever reasons they may be, it is
the first target of the teachers to help their learners speak up in class, and
thereby, improve their speaking skills.

2
Another reason why the study was carried out is that I am the head of
the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union at the school. During the school
year I organize many extracurricular activities for students, so I believe that
using extracurricular activities for English practice is a good way to enhance
students‟ English skills, primarily speaking skills.
The above reasons have inspired me to conduct an action research on
“Improving English speaking skills through extracurricular activities – a
pilot case with 10
th
graders at Triệu Sơn High School No2” with the hope to
make a little contribution to the quality of teaching and learning speaking
skills for 10
th
graders at this school.
2. Aims of the study
The action research was conducted in order to see how extracurricular
activities could help improve the speaking skills of 10
th
graders at Triệu Sơn
High School No2 before school-wide application.
3. Research questions
This action research simply addressed two questions:
1. What extracurricular activities concerning English can be suitable to and
organized for the 10
th

graders at Triệu Sơn High School No2?
2. How could such extracurricular activities help them improve their English
speaking skills?
Answers to these questions yield essential inputs for the necessary
revision of the activities and plans for school-wide regular application of
extracurricular activities in the years to come.
4. Structure of the thesis
Apart from declaration, acknowledgement, abstract, table of contents
and appendices, this thesis is structured in three main parts namely:
Introduction, Development, and Conclusion.

3
Part one, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, the aims of the study,
research questions, structure of the thesis.
Part two, DEVELOPMENT, consists of three following chapters:
Chapter 1 Theoretical Background, begins with the literature on
extracurricular activities, its importance, its different types and priors studies
related on extracurricular activities.
Chapter 2 is composed of two sections. The first section presents the local
situation in Triệu Sơn High School No2. The second section provides the
research methods that involve information about the participants, procedures
and instruments.
Chapter 3 presents major findings and discussion, and analyses the collected
data to answer the research questions.
Part three, CONCLUSION, addresses the key issues in the study, summarizes
some shortcomings revealed during the process of this study and the
recommendations for more effective application of extracurricular activities in
improving students‟ speaking skills.

4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. What are extracurricular activites?
Extracurricular activities are activities performed by students that fall
outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school or university education.
Extracurricular activities exist at all levels of education. Such activities are
generally voluntary as opposed to mandatory, non-paying, tend to be social or
philanthropic as opposed to scholastic, and involve others of the same age.
Extracurricular activities are the activities that we undertake which are
not a part of our school or work obligations. (Holloway, J.H. 1999.
Extracurricular Activities: The Path to Academic Success for Educational
Leadership, Princeton)
Extracurricular activities are part of informal education, which consists
of learning activities that are voluntary and self-directed, life-long, and
motivated mainly by intrinsic interests, curiosity, exploration, manipulation,
fantasy, task completion, and social interaction. Informal learning occurs in
an out-of-school setting and can be linear or non-linear and often is self-paced
and visual or object-oriented. It provides an experiential base and motivation
for further activity and learning.
Out of school hours learning look to extend and enrich the curriculum,
to tie such learning more closely to schooling objectives. They aim at
complimenting the work carried out during the normal school day.
Extracurricular activities are an integral part of life. Every child is able
to find one or more activities to broaden their education beyond the
classroom. They enhance the learning and development of students. While the
taught curriculum offers a broad range of experience and learning
opportunities we firmly feel that learning will be enhanced by offering the

5

students the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities after school. A
great emphasis is placed on ensuring that students take up hobbies and
interests outside the taught curriculum. This enables students to develop as
fully as possible whilst giving them the chance to sample a wide variety of
different experiences.
1.2. The importance of extracurricular activities
Do extracurricular activities contribute to students' success at school?
In a 1999 column Extracurricular Activities: The Path to Academic Success
for Educational Leadership, John H. Holloway, a consultant for the teaching
and learning division of the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New
Jersey examined some of the research into the potential benefits of
extracurricular activities. Much of the research into extracurricular activities
suggests that they have positive effects on students who participate, said
Holloway. Those effects can be particularly important for students who
belong to ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, and students at risk of
dropping out of school. Holloway told Education World that research
indicates "participation in school activities, especially athletics, leads to
higher self-esteem and an enhanced status among peers. Some have argued
that a positive self-esteem is a deterrent to antisocial behavior." Steve Duncan
of Montana State University sees value in extracurricular activities too.
"Recent research confirms that involvement in extracurricular activities is
more than just child's play," Duncan wrote in Family Matters: What is the
Role of "Extracurricular" Activities? "School extracurricular activities and
involvement in community clubs and organizations are important in fostering
the strengths of youth, strengths that help young people steer away from
undesirable behavior."

6
Such involvement in extracurricular activities helps young people
discover and share talents, develop character and competence and often

provide the added benefit of close relationships with caring, principled adults
outside the home.
There are specific benefits that may result through participation in
extracurricular activities. Youth who are involved in organizations are more
likely to show leadership abilities and are more likely to become leaders,
compared to non-participants. One study showed that participants in
extracurricular activities were more willing to work on a difficult task to
completion without adult supervision, and more likely to voice their opinions
whether others agreed with them or not. One survey showed that membership
in extracurricular activities made a difference compared to nonmembers, in
terms of life skills. Involvement in such activities had a positive influence on
self-esteem and community service. (Andrei, L The importance of extra-
curricular activities Retrieved May 4
th
, 2014 from
www.armyacademy.ro/biblioteca/anuare/2004/a27.pdf )
The key points that will be made in this claim of fact are that students
involved in extracurricular activities receive better grades than those who are
not involved in extracurricular activities. In addition, activities improve the
overall student. Therefore, they help students to receive better grades by
teaching them character building lessons, teaching them lifelong skills, saving
some at risk students who would possibly drop out of school, and helping
students develop social skills.
1.3. Types of extracurricular activites
There are 3 types of extracurricular work with foreign languages: individual
work, group work and mass work. These 3 types of work are closely
connected with one another. (Andrei, L The importance of extra-curricular

7
activities Retrieved May 4

th
, 2014 from
www.armyacademy.ro/biblioteca/anuare/2004/a27.pdf )
1.3.1. Individual work
Individual work often marks the starting point of mass work. The
teacher appoints a pupil to make a short report on an author or a literary work
in English, to learn a poem or a prose passage by heart, to translate a literary
passage into the mother tongue, to prepare some visual material for the
English classes (pictures, diagrams, tables). It is important to include in this
kind of work pupils of medium and even low level, and not only the best
pupils, as teachers usually do.
1.3.2. Group work
Group work includes permanent circles as well as temporary groups
created for a special task. Such special tasks may be:
- The creation of a foreign language library or its completion with
additional books
- The organization of a literary program
- The organization of reading competitions
- The organization of a foreign language corner
Foreign language corners often contain an exhibition of the best papers,
with a collection of picture postcards and photographs showing views of the
countries whose language the pupils are studying. The cards may be put in
frames holding about 10 cards. The frames may be made with removable
backs, so that the views can be changed each week or fortnight. The foreign
language corner may include a bookcase containing reference books used by
all the classes from time to time. Prints or portraits dealing with a period of
literature or history which is being studied can be exhibited in frames.

8
If the school conditions permit it, a special room would, of course,

serve the purpose much better than a foreign language corner. This room
would contain reference material for teachers and pupils: syllabuses,
textbooks, dictionaries, literary and pedagogical works and in this way it
would become a workplace for teachers and pupils, at the same time
reflecting the results that have been achieved.
The teacher and the youth organizations should try to attract the
participants in group works into mass activities and thus transform the
temporary activities into permanent circles. Foreign language circles are the
main form of extracurricular activities. We distinguish between specialized
and combined circles.
The specialized circles concentrate their activity upon a definite task.
Thus there might be:
- Circles for improving pronunciation. This circle has a definite training
character. The pupils train themselves in correct pronunciation and intonation.
Mechanical aids are indispensable for this kind of work. Such aids may be a
phonograph with a set of records of English lessons, of intonation patterns,
reading of poetry and pupil‟s pronunciation.
- Reading circles where the pupils are trained in expressive reading,
extensive reading and the use of dictionaries, for junior forms we recommend
filmstrips accompanied by texts, for senior forms the reading of literary
fragments.
- Conversation circles serve the requirements of modern language
teaching, that is, the development of the pupils‟ speaking ability. The work in
this circle may consist of conversation on everyday topics, the description of
pictures, the recounting of a film or discussion of a filmstrip which has been
previously presented. Film strips are very efficient means of increasing the

9
pupils‟ ability I speaking. As they can be shown in half-light, the pupils can
take down notes while the teacher is describing the events taking place, and

thus the discussions that follow are facilitated.
- The circle of literary translations contributes the pupils‟ aesthetic
education and to the development of their creative abilities.
- The circle of preparing audio-video material offers many possibilities
for varied activities. Thus junior form may collect pictures form magazines or
postcards which they provide with English captions. Senior forms may
prepare grammatical diagrams, drawings for a given theme or topic,
recordings of broadcast material.
- The pastime circle is recommended for junior forms. Its activity is
most varied: riddles, puzzles, tongue-twisters, in- and outdoor games, songs,
English correspondence with pupils of other countries.
- Circles of a combined type may include any of the above mentioned
activities. The activity of the circles is carried out according to a plan. The
plan is drafted by the pupils themselves. The teacher should by no means
impose either the type of the circle or the content of the work. We should but
give suggestions and advice as to the choice of the topics, suitable
bibliography.
1.3.3. Mass work
The mass forms of extracurricular activities in the field of foreign
languages is the result of synthesis of work carried out in different circles and
temporary groups. To mass activities belong school festivities and
competitions.

10
- School festivities require long and careful preparation and include a
great number of pupils. Such festivities may be devoted to the anniversary of
a great writer or an important event.
- Competitions may be organized for various purposes such as compete
for the best translations from English, for the best interpretation of a poem or
literary prose fragment, for expressive reading, for the best audio-visual

material. Such competitions are first carried out within a class, next within all
the classes of the same level, then within the school. As a last stage the best
pupils of several schools may participate in competitions presided over by a
jury, prizes being awarded to the winners.
In Vietnam context, the more common types of extracurricular
activities may include English speaking club, English singing contest, drama
club, English speech contest, or contest of retelling stories in English.
1.4. Prior studies related to extracurricular activities
In 2012, Reva, A carried out a study on “The Role of Extracurricular
Activities in Foreign Language Learning in University Settings”. (Retrieved
May 4
th
, 2014 from />2012-06-507/REVA-THESIS.pdf?sequence=3)
Based on the results of the study the following suggestions are
offered for language instructors and students on how to organize language-
related extracurricular activities:
1. Voluntary basis. Making extracurricular activities mandatory and
not giving students a chance to choose activities will likely lower students‟
motivation towards language learning.
2. Involving a larger number of students in different activities.
Providing students with a wide range of ECAs and more information
about them will help to attract more students towards ECA. In turn, an

11
increase in students‟ involvement will have a positive effect on their language
learning motivation.
3. Choosing age appropriate activities and materials. While this study
only surveyed university-based ECAs, further studies should clarify the
preferences for learners in different environments and from different age
groups (e.g., elementary school, high school, etc).

4. Providing students with opportunities to express themselves and
choose materials and activities according to their own preferences.
5. Organizing activities appropriate for students‟ language proficiency
level. Activities should be challenging, but should also bring students a
feeling of success and enjoyment.
6. Connecting the materials used in class to extracurricular activity
content might be beneficial.
7. Promoting students‟ initiative and self-sufficiency throughout
extracurricular work. Since there are usually no faculty members
responsible for organizing extracurricular activities, it might be appropriate
to select a student or a group of students who major in a foreign language to
manage this work. This can give the designated student monitors an
opportunity to practice some elements of language teaching before they
graduate and thus stimulate them towards choosing the profession of a
language teacher. For the rest of the ECA participants, student monitors
would provide a role model and thus contribute to their language learning
motivation.
In May, 2012 Wilcox, M.L made a study on “The impact of
extracurricular activities on academic performance for rural secondary
students in Indiana” (Retrieved May 4
th
, 2014 from
scholars.indstate.edu/bitstream/ /Michael%20Wilcox.pdf)

12
In this research, extracurricular activities were found to have a
significant impact on academic performance.
The purpose of this research was two-fold in nature. First, this study
sought to identify whether extracurricular participation for students in a rural,
Grades 7-12 building created significant differences when examining

academic performance, attendance, gender, lunch status, and student
discipline compared to their non-participant peers. Secondly, this study
examined the impact extracurricular participation, attendance, gender, lunch
status, and discipline has on academic performance for rural students. These
three factors were then compared to determine the overall rank-order of
impact on academic performance.
This research focuses on the belief that extracurricular activities in
school play a vital role in academic achievement. Educational leaders are
experiencing tight budgets and are faced with tough decisions. The research
shows that extracurricular activities are predictors of academic achievement
and cannot be quickly dismissed as an easy budget cut. Participation in just
one extracurricular activity made a significant impact on academic
achievement.
1.5 Summary
To sum up, this chapter conceptualizes extracurricular activities, the
importance of extracurricular activities, and types of extracurricular activities
are discussed. Besides, a review of some previous research about ECAs are
also presented.
The following chapters will present the setting of study, the
investigation and data analysis under the light of the above-discussed
theoretical bases.


13
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
2.1. Research setting
2.1.1. An overview of Triệu Sơn High School No2
Triệu Sơn High School No2 is located in the West of Thanh Hoa.
Founded in 1968, Triệu Sơn High School No2 is one of the oldest as well as
the biggest schools in the area. At present, there are 26 classes with over 1000

students placed into three different grades: grade 10, 11 and 12. The teaching
staff composes of more than 70 teachers of 12 compulsory subjects, of whom
two-thirds are young, creative and well trained whereas the others are
experienced and enthusiastic. In recent years Triệu Sơn High School No2 is
one of the schools which has high percentages of high school graduate and
gifted students.
2.1.2. The teachers of English in Triệu Sơn High School No2
There are six teachers of English currently working at Triệu Sơn High
School No2, four of them have participated in this research for discussion.
Their ages range from late twenties to forty years old, three of them are
female. The years of teaching English are also different, minimum level of
eight years and maximum nearly fifteen years. Most of them have University
Bachelor‟s Degree, one Master Degree, and the others have taken the in-
service training courses. Without doubt, all the teachers at Triệu Sơn High
School No2 are experienced and enthusiastic in teaching. They are willing to
help their students overcome their difficulties in learning English generally
and in speaking particularly.
2.1.3. The students in Triệu Sơn High School No2
The majority of students in the study at Triệu Sơn High School No2 are
aged from 15 to 18. Most of them come from rural areas and they have learnt
English since lower secondary schools. Among them, there are a large

14
number of students who are really interested in learning English and want to
develop their ability in using English. In contrast, the other part of students is
low in motivation. They tend to regard English as less important than other
subjects and they study English only in order to pass the examinations.
2.1.4. The situation of English teaching and learning English in Triệu Sơn
High School No2
2.1.4.1. The syllabus of teaching and learning English

At Triệu Sơn High School No2, English is one of the compulsory
subjects in the curriculum. The syllabus and the textbooks for English
including “Tiếng Anh 10”, “Tiếng Anh 11”, “Tiếng Anh 12” are prescribed
by the Ministry of Education and Training.
The English curriculum for grade 10th students is divided into two
semesters with a total of 105 periods, 3 periods per week. Each period is 45
minutes long.
The textbook which is currently used for teaching and learning English
for grade 10th at Triệu Sơn High School No2 is “Tieng Anh 10” which was
designed following communicative approach. The textbook consists of 16
units with 5 parts in each unit arranging as follows: reading, speaking,
listening, writing and language focus in which a variety of exercises and tasks
was compiled for practice. Also, there exists a consolidate unit after every 3
units. The objective of these units is to examine how well the students have
achieved in the previous units.
2.1.4.2. The teaching and learning English speaking skills
It has been accepted that students‟ communicative ability is the proper
aim for language teaching. This makes teaching and learning speaking skills
seem to be an important part in any English course. Like many other high
schools in Vietnam, teaching and learning speaking skills at Triệu Sơn High

15
School are affected by some constraints such as large class sizes, students‟
unfamiliarity with CLT, students‟ low English proficiency, students‟ low
participation in class time. Normally, in a class at Triệu Sơn High School, a
number of students who have a good knowledge of English are eager and
active during the class while a majority of those with low English proficiency
are very passive. Besides, lack of training in teaching methods, especially
CLT makes it difficult for the teachers to access to new approach, which
makes the teaching and learning speaking skills more challenging.

2.2. Research methods
2.2.1. Description of the participants
There are two reasons why this research aimed at 10
th
form students at
Triệu Sơn High School No2. Firstly, the 10
th
form students are the newcomers
to the new kind of textbooks for high schools in which speaking is stressed
equally to other three skills. However, their speaking abilities are limited and
they are sometimes too shy to speak. They have difficulty in expressing their
ideas. Secondly, the students are at pre-intermediate level for which the
organization of extracurricular activities is of great help for them to overcome
speaking abilites limitations. The students here were restricted to two 10
th

form classes (among seven 10
th
form classes at Triệu Sơn High School No2).
These two classes, which were chosen randomly, account for 90 students.
They are aged from 15 to 16 and all of them have had at least four years of
learning English at lower-secondary schools. They are not the same at English
speaking competence. Some of them are really good and active while a lot of
them are quite passive and unmotivated in learning English.
There are four out of six teachers of English at Triệu Sơn High Shool
No2 participating in this study. These four teachers include two males and
two females. Their ages range from 34 to 38 with at least nine years of

16
teaching English. One of them has finished an M.A course at Vietnam

National University, Hanoi. The reason for this choice of participants is that
they are all in charge of 10
th
form classes at Triệu Sơn High School No2.
2.2.2. Procedures
The study strictly followed the steps. First, possible extracurricular
activities were designed based on the students‟ level of English and the
requirements of their English program in Grade 10, particularly the expected
outcomes of their speaking ability when they finish Grade 10. Then, the
designed activities were piloted with the selected groups of students.
Following are the activities piloted.
To overcome the problem, the researcher with collegues in English
group organized three extracurricular activities for students in the school year
in order to improve their speaking skills. The researcher planned three
extracurricular activities as follows.
The first extracurricular activity
Theme: Let’s explore English/ Explore English
1. Aims
- Push up the emulation movement of learning and teaching as well as
increase the quality of education within the school.
- Create a friendly and dynamic environment with various forms of study that
attracts students and brings them with interest in learning English.
- Enhance English skills, especially speaking skill for students.
2. Contents
2.1. Content of the competition
There are 5 parts
Part 1: Greeting
- Three teams take part in the first part respectively.