SKKN obstacles encountered by 10th form students when learning speaking skill

S Ở GIÁO D ỤC VÀ ĐÀO T ẠO THANH HÓA
TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN ĐỊNH 2

SÁNG KI ẾN KINH NGHI ỆM

OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED BY THE 10 th FORM
STUDENTS WHEN LEARNING SPEAKING SKILL

Ng ười th ực hi ện: Tr ịnh Th ị Thanh
Ch ức v ụ: Giáo viên
SKKN thu ộc l ĩnh v ực: Ti ếng Anh

1


THANH HÓA N ĂM 2015

2


I. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Reasons for choosing the study
Nowadays English is one of the most important languages to master . People
are learning it for diferrent purposes but everyone must admit that whatever aims
we want to obstain , speaking skill is still the most important one . However, in
fact of our education in Viet Nam , many teachers and students haven’t paid enough
attention to this skill , they only focus on learning grammar and reading with a
view to passing written English exams ( General National exams) . As a result , a
great number of students in our country can’t be able to communicate with
foreigners after leaving secondary school .
At my school, Yen Dinh 2 school , most of sts don’t have enough confidence

when speaking , some of them even hardly speak anything during the lesson ,
which causes bad result in learning speaking skill . That’s why I choose the topic
“obstacles encountered by 10th form students when learning speaking skill” .
1.2. Objectives of the study
The main purpose of this research is to find out the factors that prevent sts
from improving communication aproach and suggest some solutions to this
problem
1.3. Scope of the study
This study is conducted among the 10th form students at Yen Dinh 2 high
school during the school year 2014- 2015
1.4. Methodology of the study
Both comparative and contrastive methods are used.
First of all, for the theoretical basis, a lot of reference materials on listening
skills have been collected, analyzed and synthesized carefully with the due
consideration for the students’ learning situations.
Secondly, a survey questionnaire has been conducted with the students to
collect the data. Then, follow-up interviews have been carried out with students to
gather the most reliable data for analysis to find the answers to the research
questions mentioned above.
1.5. Significance of the study
This study may provide insights into the process of learning the speaking
skill for the students. It may play a crucial role in enhancing the speaking skill to
3


the students. It motivates the students’ desire for learning English, and makes them
more confident and active in speaking activities. It not only gives some
suggestions to help students overcome the difficulties but also helps teachers to
better their lectures
DEVELOPMENT

2.1. Theoretical background of the speaking skill
2.1.1. What is the speaking skill?
Plenty of definitions of speaking have been, so far, proposed by the experts
of second language (L2) pedagogy, each of which takes account of some major
aspects of speech and its production. Chamney and Burk (1998), for instance,
defined speaking as "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use
of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts" (p. 13). It is, in effect,
the productive process of turning thoughts into meaningful language (Brown,
2007). Meaning construction is, therefore, the main purpose of this interactive
phenomenon, which involves first receiving and processing pieces of information
and then producing a reactive response to the received information and properly
forming that response according to the context in which communication takes
place.
“Speaking” is also the delivery of language through the mouth . To speak ,
we creat sounds using many parts of our hobby, including the lungs , vocal tract ,
vocal chords, tounge, teeth and lips
2.1.2 The importance and purposes of the speaking skill in the language learning
process
Undoutedly, oral communication is a vital component of the English
language curriculum and provides the base for growth in reading, writing, and
listening abilities. As learning and applying the skills of oral English are so closely
related to each other, the classroom should be a place where the use of spoken
language is sensitively supported and where active listening is developed and
valued. Talk enables students to make connections between what they know and
what they are learning, and listening helps them to acquire knowledge and explore
ideas. Talk can be immediate and spontaneous, or planned and deliberate (Byrne
1976). Confidence and enthusiasm are critical factors in oral language
development, and because much oral language is immediate, it involves taking
risks. Student learning is most effective when there is a relationship of mutual trust,
when students’ oral language is accepted and a variety of communication styles are

4


accommodated in the classroom, and when students have frequent opportunities to
talk in formal and informal situations (Byrne 1976 & Brown 1992).
Language is a tool for communication. We communicate with others, to
express our ideas, and to know others’ ideas as well. Communication takes place,
where there is speech. Without speech we cannot communicate with one another.
The importance of 3/10 speaking skills, hence is enormous for the learners of any
language. Without speech, a language is reduced to a mere script. The use of
language is an activity which takes place within the confines of our community. We
use language in a variety of situations. People at their work places, i.e. researchers
working either in a medical laboratory or in a language laboratory, are supposed to
speak correctly and effectively in-order to communicate well with one another. Any
gap in commucation results in misunderstandings and problems.
Especially, the English language has become an international language.
Among nations it serves as a lingua franca. It is spoken, learnt and understood even
in those countries where it is not a native’s language. English is playing a major
role in many sectors including medicine, engineering, education, advanced studies,
business, technology, banking, computing, tourism etc. All our software
development today, the communication facilities available to us through internet,
our access to a variety of websites, are all being carried out in English. Most of the
research works are conducted and compiled in English. Anything written and
recorded in this language is read and listened to, in wider circles. As a result,
English is being taught and learned around the world as a second language today.
2.1.3. Phases in the speaking learning process
The speaking process includes activities that occur prior to, during, and after
the actual speaking event
Therefore, speaking lessons are normally offered in three main phases,
namely pre-speaking, while-speaking, and post-speaking phases and classroom

activities are accordingly divided into three main categories, i.e., pre-speaking,
while/during-speaking, and post-speaking activities (Millrood, 2001).
Pre speaking activites:
Pre-speaking begins before students actually speak. Students' experiences,
observations, and interactions inside and outside of the classroom have an impact
upon what they say and how they say it.
Pre-speaking activities involve thought and reflection, and provide
opportunities for students to plan and organize for speaking.
5


Pre-speaking activities play as a warm-up and prepare the learners for the
main speaking activity. It aims to activate language, motivate speakers, and prepare
ideas, and helps students bring their background knowledge (schemata) to the
specific context of the lesson. Students are asked to encourage ideas about the topic
by means of fruitful pre-speaking activities such as brainstorming. In pre-speaking
activities, four features need to be determined, i.e., the topic of speaking lesson, the
purpose of speaking lesson, the audience to which speakers speak, and the format
of speaking, or whether it is a conversation, discussion, monologue, presentation,
formal speech and so forth.
While- speaking activities
While- speaking activities compose the body of speaking lessons. Students
are encouraged to engage in some sorts of interactive exchange of information or
communication. They may be asked to play a role given to them in as in roleplaying activities, to find a solution to a problem posed for them as in problemsolving activities, or to play in an interesting game that teacher introduces, and all
these activities aim to provide them with suitable opportunities to express their
feelings, describe things, explain them clearly, ask questions and ask for what they
need, discuss things in small or larger groups, and so on.
Post- speaking activities :
In post-speaking activities a rethinking process is at work. The learners are
encouraged to reflect on the activities which were just done and on their own

performance, bring language they have acquired into more focus, further focus on
the ideas they have just come up with, and produce spoken language integrated
with the other skills, that is not merely oral production, but a combination of two or
more skills simultaneously. They aim to promote critical thinking in learners which
paves the more language development.
Some purposes for post-speaking activities are listed below :
-To reflect upon performance: Students who have opportunities to reflect upon
atheir speaking experiences, in light of pre-determined criteria, grow in their
abilities to speak effectively.
-To set goals for improvement: When students reflect upon their performance, they
begin to recognize what they have done well and where they require improvement.
2.1. 4. Potential problems in learning the English speaking skill
There are a lot of potential problems in learning a language skill. For the
speaking skill, Learners Zhang (2009) argued that speaking remains the most
6


difficult skill to master for the majority of English learners, and they are still
incompetent in communicating orally in English.According to Ur (1996), there are
many factors that cause difficulty in speaking, and they are as follows:
2.1.4.1. Inhibition.
Students are worried about making mistakes, fearful of criticism, or simply
shy.
It was noticed during the class observations that students’ participation was
very low. This is because of the previously mentioned reasons to inhibition.
Students explained that their fear of making mistakes in front of their classmates
was the reason for not speaking in the class. They expressed that “They will laugh
at us if we make mistakes”
2.1.4.2. Nothing to say.
In many cases , a lot of students do not say anything for they have no motive

to express themselves
2.1.4.3. Low or uneven participation.
Only one participant can talk at a time because of large classes and the
tendency of some learners to dominate, while others speak very little or not at all.
2.1.4.4. pronunciation
English words can be difficult to pronounce – and when speaking English, ss
have to consider not only the pronunciation of the individual words, but also the
connection between the words in the sentence. There’s also the “rhythm” and
intonation of the sentence to consider – and sometimes their mouth gets confused!
2.1.4.5.Limited vocabulary
Linguistic Difficulties Data collected through observation showed that
students struggle to find the appropriate vocabulary item when trying to speak in
English, which reflects their insufficient vocabulary repertoire. Data collected from
the student interview supported this because one of the students reported : “We
want to speak, but we don’t know the word”. The interviewed students also pointed
out that they find it difficult to build sentences when they try to express their ideas.
One of them said: “We do not know how to say it”. Although teachers spend a long
time teaching grammar rules, students still cannot form short sentences when they
try to speak in English.
2.1.4.6.Lack of speaking environment

7


One of the obstacles that encounter ss’s speaking English is that there is no
or little speaking environment . Beside the time of speaking in class ,ss have no
chance of practising English outside . In addition, the environment is not natural
enough for ss to communicate , which may prevent them from speaking.
2.2. The setting of the study
The study was conducted at YD2 in Yen Dinh district, Thanh Hoa province.

Our school has 29 classes at the moment . Each class has about 40-50 sts , which
seems not to be too crowded to teach language . n addition, there are too many desks
without empty space left where teachers and students can move to and from if they
conduct different interaction activities. All of students here learn the Basic English
level.
2.3. Difficulties encountered by the 10th form students in the speaking skill
2.3.1. The students’ background and their English levels
In general, sts in my school come from farmers’ famalies . They don’t have
good condition to learn English . Beside the lessons in class , they have no chance
of speaking in other places such as in clubs or centres of speaking like sts in cities.
Moreover, they do not have clear determination on English learning goals.Some sts
themselves and even their parents don’t appriciate learning English , they only
focus on the importance of maths, physics and chemistry.
Although all of sts in my school have been taught English for fours years at
lower secondary school but their level is still very low
2.3.2. Sts’ attitude towards the importance of studying the speaking skill.
Most of the 10th grade students at YD2SS highly appreciate the importance of
speaking skill. However, they find it difficult to master in English , especially in
speaking , so a great number of them tend to concentrate on grammar and reading
or writing exercises with the mere purpose is to pass their final written examination
only .
2.3.3. Problems related to the speaking materials
Some topics in the textbook are not interesting enough to attract ss to the
lessons
2.3.4 Problems related to the environment
It can’t be denied that speaking environment plays an integral part in
improving ss’s ability of communication . SS in my school, however, do not have
good atsmosphere to practise this skill . The only time for them to master this skill
is in English periods , in which English speaking is not always performed all the
8

time by both teachers and ss due to the fact that if the teacher speaks English all the
time, a majority of ss hardly comprehend anything. Beside this time ss seldom
speak anything in English . That’s why they make little progress in
commmunicative approach
2.4. Suggestions for teachers and sts in teaching and learning the speaking skill
2.4.1. For the students
2.4.1.1. Positive attitude
Sts should have a positive attitude and motivation towards learning speaking
skills. The students need to have a clear goal in learning English and feel confident
as well as comfortable when speaking English.
2.4.1.2. Practice speaking frequently outside class
Try to practice speaking outside class. Besides speaking in class,ss should
have an English speaking club consisting of 3 or 4 ss . They can share and talk
about anything , they can learn together , and can correct each other without feeling
embarrassed
English will become ss’routine by doing that activity(Hetrakul, 1995)
2.4.1.3. Accumulating vocabulary , doing grammar exercise everyday.
The students must learn new words , and master in grammar day by day so that
they can have enough structures to communicate confidently
2.4.2. For teachers
2.4.2.1. Activating the students’ Vocabulary
The teacher can activate students’ vocabulary by eliciting as many words
related to the topic as possible . This is an important input of speech
2.4.2.2. Pronunciation
The findings in the study show that incorrect pronunciation hinders at least
many students from speaking , so teachers need to help students expose themselves
and get familiar with precise pronunciation of native speakers. By doing that the
students’ pronunciation capacity is much more improved, which will help students

find speaking with native speakers effective and efficient. As mentioned above,
many teachers think that students’ accurate pronunciation is of great help for them
in listening acquisition. And of course if they listen well , their reponse in communication is better

2.4.2.3.

Improving the learning environment of the speaking skill

It is necessary to force ss only to speak English in class
First of all, teacher must always use English during his lessons . Second, even when teaching other skills ( reading, listening,
witing , language focus ) teacher should always ask ss to speak as mush as possible

9


The teacher himself must be able to convince ss to be brave to speak English, does not matter if they make grammar
mistakes , encourage them to say whatever they want , teacher should make clear to all ss that making mistakes is a normal thing
in speaking a foreign langagage . This way will raise ss’s confidence to speak ,it will be better if teacher doesn’s correct ss’s
mistakes but should feedback and give explanation for every error after ss finish their speech

2.4.2.4. Teacher should use various ways of teaching speaking to encourage ss
to talk in class
There are plenty of beneficial classroom activities and practices which can be
manipulated according to the needs of learners and the specific purposes. Some of
these activities are as follows (Kayi, 2006):
Discussion
A topic for the discussion is picked as the first stage of the activity.
Preferably small groups are then formed either by the teacher or by the learners
themselves, but it is recommended that groups should be rearranged in every
discussion. This way they have the opportunity to get to know different ideas and

different people.
Role-play
In role-play activities, students are assigned different roles which they may
have outside the classroom environment, in real life. These are in some way an
imitation of real life situations. Students are expected to use appropriate language
according to the context in which role-play takes place. Before the activity starts,
the teacher must clearly explain the situation to the learners so they know what
specific events are supposed to happen in the activity. Then explain the goal of
role-play, that is what the product of the activity will be. After that, each student is
cast in his/her role to brainstorming is required in order to form a background
knowledge of the probable vocabulary, grammar, and idioms used in the activity.
All these things are done taking into consideration the level of learners.
Simulation
Stimulation is similar to role-play except that it is more detailed and
elaborate. Usually real objects and items related to specific context are used in

10


order to make the situation and environment more authentic. For instance, when a
student plays the role of a doctor, the teacher can bring a stethoscope to the class.
Story-telling
In this activity learners are asked to briefly present in front of the class a
story they have heard or read before. They can also make their own story. It can
also include other interesting passages like riddles or jokes. This activity type can
both promote speaking ability of students and attract the whole class attention.
Information gap
In information gap activities learners are supposed to work together and
share pieces of information in order to fill in the gap of information. One of the
partners does not have a specific piece of information, that is the gap, and the

partner does. The two partners ask and answer questions regarding the gap of
information so that the former gets to know the answer.
2.4.2.5. Giving extracurricular activities , redesigning the lesson
According to the students, the topics in the textbook are not interesting
enough for them but the material can not be changed. Therefore, the teacher should
give extracurricular activities or redesign the task so that the students are hook on
their lesson. The students will take part in the activities enthusiastically and
improve speaking skill gradually.
2.5. Applying suggestions in teaching the speaking skill for 10th form sts
I myself have applied these suggestions in teaching the speaking skill. Firstly,
I have redesigned some lessons so that they are more interesting and easier for ss to
practise .Further more,I have held some extracurricular activities recently in which
sts speak English all the time.
Below is one of my lessons in which I have applied some ways to improve the
speaking skill

UNIT 11: NATIONAL PARKS
B. SPEAKING
I / Objective:
* Educational aim: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
11


Talk about an excursion.
* Express their regrets.
* Knowledge:
* General knowledge: Ss learn how to express their regrets about what
they did or did not do during the excursion.
* Language: Sentences and expressions related to the topic.
* Skill: Expressing information and speaking for details.

II/ Teaching aids: handouts, colored chalk, pictures, textbook, blackboard,
chalk, computer, screen, etc
III/ Methods: Integrated, mainly communicative approach
IV/ PROCEDURE
Stages/
Teacher’s activities
Students’
Timing
activities
Warm - up
- Game: Brain-storming
5 mins
-T divides the whole class
in two groups and gives
- Take part in the game
the situation:
Last year we had a
-Listen to T's eliciting and
camping trip at school
play game
( or picnic with your
In groups
friends or class) .Tell me -Listen and take notes
what you prepared for
that trip?
- The representative of
each group will present
their result.
*

-T gives comment and
supplies other ideas

12


Pre-Speaking
10 mins

Preparation for
a camping trip

- Listen and take notes
- T declares the winner
-Lead-in: “All items
you’ve written are very
necessary when you go
on an excursion or
camping. Today, we’re
going to learn how to talk
about an excursion and
express the regrets.”
-Take part in the game
First, I am going to
help you with some new
words
Pre
vocabulary

teach

+ excursion /ɪk
ˈskɜːrʒn\angnp9/ (n) a
short journey0made for
pleasure, especially
one0that has been
organized for a group of
people (chuyến |ham
quan)
+ consequence /
ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/ (n) a result

_listen to the teacher
-Do the task
13


of sth that has happened
(hậu quả, kết quả)
+ food poisoning /fu:d
ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ/ (n) an illness
While - Speaking
15 mins

of the stomach caused by
eating food that contains
harmful bacteria (ngộ độc
thức ăn)
+ fine /faɪn/ (n) a sum of
money that must be paid

as punishment for
breaking a law or rule
(tiền phạt)
+ carsick /ˈkɑːrsɪk/ (n)
feeling ill or sick because
you are travelling in a car
(say tàu xe)
*
Checking
vocabulary
Game : Slap the
board
Teacher
writes
the
words on the
board
(
jumpled
order)
T calls two ss
to go to the
board , when
T calls out
one word in
Vietnamese,
ss have to

-Listen to the teacher

-Take notes

14


-

Post-speaking
10 mins

slap the word
in English . If
they slap the - Work in groups to do the
right
one, task
they get one
point
T
declares -Speak in turns
the winner

Activity
1:
Matching.
Read
the
requirement and help ss
understand
some
sentences

- Ask ss to work in
pairs, read the columns
carefully and match the
things
and
the
consequences.
*Suggested answers:
1.f
2.e
3.h
4.g
5.b
6.c
7.a
8.d

Activity
2
Showing regrets.
( look and
technique)

-Work in pairs, study the
dialogue

:
say
15

Consolidation
3 ms

Homework
2ms

- Give instruction:
You are Nga’s classmates
and you are not happy
with the excursion. Now,
you are talking with some
other friends about what
you wish you had or had
not done.
-Ask ss to read the
examples in the textbook
and recall what
grammatical structure is
used in the example
Conditional Sentence
Type 3
Eg:
- If we hadn’t gone by
coach, we wouldn’t have
got carsick.
- If we had gone by bike,
we wouldn’t have got
carsick.
Form: If + S + had + P.P

(V3/ V- ed) , S + would
have + P.P (V3/ V-ed)
Meaning: unreal
condition in the past.
- Asks ss to work in
groups to do the task

-Listen and take notes

-Listen and take notes

- Goes around and help
them
-In this part , in order to
make the class more
16


interesting, T asks the
class to take part in the
game
- Divides the class into
two groups, T prepares
some handouts in which
there are the statements in
column A . Each time, T
tosses a piece of paper in
one group, the st who
catches the paper has to
read the equivalence in

column B. If she/he gives
the right answer, she/he
can get ten points for
her/his team
- T declares the winner
Activity 3 : Asking
and answering
( Roleplay )
- T asks Ss to work in
pairs .
* sets the situation : One
of you is Nga and the
other in another
school.Ask and answer
about an excursion
- T gives the dialogue on
the handouts and asks Ss
to make the same
Model:Nga’s friend: Last
Saturday, I phoned you
but you weren’t at home .
17


Your dad said that you
were going on an
excursion. Where did you
do?
Nga.I went to Huong
Pagada with my class.

A: Really? Was that fun?
B Not really?
A: Why so?
B: Most of the things we
did went wrong
A: Tell me, How did you
do there?
1
B: If we had not gone by
coach , we would not
have got carsick.
2
Nag’s friend
-Ask about the means -Answer
of transport
-.Ask about the food -Answer
- Ask about the
-Answer
duration of the
excursion
-Answer
-Ask what they did in
Huong Pagoda

:- Express your regrets
about an excursion by
using the conditional
sentences
18

- Asking and answering
about an excursion
- Prepare Lesson 3:
LISTENING

Results
In the year 2014-2015 , I taught 10C1, 10 C2, In the first term , I didn’t
apply these methods .The number of students who are good at this skill is very
low . However, in the seecond term , after applying some methods to improve
the speaking skill, I asked my sts to do a mini -speaking test. The result is very
high.
Class
Time
Exellent sts Quite good sts Average sts Bad sts
st
10C1
1 term
12 %
`14 %
63 %
11 %
nd
110C1
2 term
22 %
50 %
24 %
4%
st

10C2
1 term
6%
12 %
73%
9%
nd
10C2
2 term
11 %
20 %
64%
5%
2.5.

III. CONCLUSIONS
From the experience of teaching English in a rural area ( in Yen Dinh 2
school), I have found that a great variety of students in my school are afraid of
learning English especially speaking and listening, which are considered to be the
most important inputs to maintain conversations . With a view to helping ss
improve their speaking ability , I have conducted this research . Although I have
tried best to offer some insightful findings through the study; however, the
limitations are unavoidable. , I hope to receive the sincere contribution from my
colegues about my research to help me perfect my study and enhance the teaching
English skills in my school

Yên Định, ngày 15 tháng 05 năm
2015
19

Xác nhận của thủ trưởng đơn vị
Hiệu trưởng

Tôi xin cam đoan đây là NCKH của
mình viết, không sao chép nội dung
của người khác.
Người thực hiện

Lê Gia Minh

Trịnh Thị Thanh
REFERENCES

1. Bailey, K.M., & Savage, L. (1994). New ways in teaching speaking. Alexandria,
VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
2. Brown, H.D. (1994). Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language
pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.
3. Burns, A., & Joyce, H. (1997). Focus on speaking. Sydney: National Center for
English Language Teaching and Research.
4. Carter, R. & McCarthy, M. (1995). Grammar and spoken language. Applied
Linguistics, 16 (2), 141-158.
5. Cohen, A. (1996). Developing the ability to perform speech acts. Studies in
Second Language Acquisition, 18 (2), 253-267.
6. Grognet, A.G. (1997). Integrating employment skills into adult ESL
instruction. ERIC Digest. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for ESL
Literacy Education.
7. Lewis, M. (Ed.) (1997). New ways in teaching adults. Alexandria, VA: Teachers
of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
8. O'Malley, M., & Pierce, L.V. (1996). Authentic assessment for English language

learners:Practical approaches for teachers. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing.
9. Rivers, W.M. (1981). Teaching foreign language skills (2nd ed.). Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
10. Van Duzer, C. (1997).Improving ESL learners' listening skills: At the workplace
and beyond. Washington, DC: Project in Adult Immigrant Education and National
Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education.
11. SGV, SGK mới của Bộ GD - ĐT.
12. Sách “ Một số vấn đề về đổi mới phương pháp dạy học bậc THPT môn tiếng
Anh của Bộ GD-ĐT
20


13. Tài liệu tập huấn đổi mới phương pháp môn tiếng Anh
WEBSITES



TABLE OF CONTENTS
I/ INTRODUCTION
1. Reason for choosing the study
2. Objectives of the study
3. Scope of the study
4. Methodology of the study
5. Significance of the study
II/ DEVELOPMENT
1. Theoretical background of the speaking skill
1.1. What is the speaking skill?
1.2 The importance of speaking
1.3. Phases in the speaking learning process
1.4. Potential problems in learning the EL speaking

skill
2. The setting of the study
3.Difficuties encountered by the 10 form sts in the
speaking skill
4. Suggestions for teachers and sts in teaching the and
learning the speaking skill
5. Apllying suggestions in teaching the speaking skill
for 10 form ts
6. Result after applying the research.
III/CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES

1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
4
6
6
7

9
14

15

21