SKKN tiếng anh: Create a positive environment for Primary students to acquire English

A. PRESENTING PROBLEM
According to the perspective of Party and State, education is aimed at
fully developing people to satisfy the common demand of industrialization and
modernization. Foreign languages in general and English in particular play an
important role as an active means supporting for our country’s integrating
process most effectively. Therefore, improving the education quality in general
and the English in particular are considered as one of the most concern of the
current education.
English has been taught in primary schools with the guidance document
of Ministry of Education and Training since 1996. In 2003, the Ministry issued
the English teaching program of primary education guiding targets and contents
in nationwide. However, there have been lots of existed shortages of facilities in
classrooms, teaching materials such as books, tapes, CDs, Cassettes, etc.
Especially, almost all teachers are only trained for “Introduction and guidance to
use the set of books” in one day without being trained on primary education
professionally. Hence, there is still a range of difficulties in teaching skills for
students at primary school.
The primary environment is the fundamental place forming habits and
communication capacities. Frequent communication results in braveries for
students without fears of making mistakes in public speaking. As for students
lacking proficiency in the mother tongue language, they had a lot of difficulties
in getting access to a foreign language. Their timidity makes oral
communication limited greatly. From my own teaching experiences, I’m pleased
to introduce: “Create a positive environment for Primary students to
acquire English”, and I expect to contribute a part to English teaching more
effectiveness and attract more students in loving this subject.

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B. SOLVING PROBEM

I. THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF PROBLEM
For years, the teaching method for kids has been similar to one for adults
apart from supplementing some songs and games into lectures. It’s clear that the
receptive process of our mother tongue language and the next process in the
school period are natural. Language capacity is generated by imitating,
unconscious learning through different forms such as communicating with
relatives, reading stories, connecting with communities, singing, reading poems,
painting, etc. The difference of children’s receptive process in comparison with
adults is that adults’ receptiveness is conscious and annalistic but children’s one
is natural via intuition.
There are two kinds of material languages which almost every learner needs
develop: receptive language and productive language. Receptive language is the
language factor possibly realized and not produced by learners. Productive
language is the language factor possibly used in speaking or writing. Students
will become familiar with realizing new factors through situations if those are
repeated many times. To practice using the receptive language, students have to
learn how to reflex with new words naturally. In curriculums, grammars are
sentences or questions and answers practiced more than once. It is essential that
samples are given clearly and fully for students to understand what they have to
do in some class activities.
II.
THE CURRENT SITUATION OF PROBLEM
According to the regulation of Ministry of Education and Training, every
child is permitted to study two lessons with 40 minutes per lesson. Several
qualified schools could have more lessons, four lessons per week. Hence, the
period for students to get access to English is obviously short in comparison
with the total communicating hours every week. Moreover, English environment
is restricted in classroom hours and students use Vietnamese when lessons end.
Children don’t actually need to use English except for the requirement of
studying and examination. All the requirements using English are practical and

there isn’t other natural English environment for children.
Children are unable to concentrate on what teachers are delivering in a
long period. Consequently, they should be engaged in different activities, to

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perform various tasks by themselves with exercise types always changed and
diversified communication situations.
Children often obtain and imitate knowledge quickly and also forget what have
learned quickly. They are naturally curious, dynamic and creative. Children
always demand to discover outside environment and interact with others. It
cannot be denied that they are interested and creative in games.
In fact, even native children run into difficulties in pronouncing several
English sounds like r, l, sh, and th and their pronunciation could be fully
correct when they grow up. The importance of the initial stage is developing
simple communication capacity in a new language without creating fears of
making mistakes, which significantly affect on students’ motivations for studies.
There is one factor basically impacting on language studying process: children
will not study without motivation.
- Almost all students pronounce word stress incorrectly.
Example: ‘classroom, ‘library, e‘raser, etc.
- In addition, they haven’t been able to pronounce words with s, z, p, k.
Example: /s/ -> its, excuse…
/z/ -> please, He’s…
/p/ -> pen, pencil, pet…
/k/ -> close, milk, like…
- Students also read incorrectly. Most of them do not remember vocabulary,
especially long words .
Example: good afternoon, school library, bathroom, interesting, difficult…

- Students’ communication is not fluently due to fears of making mistakes. Their
ability to form a completed sentence is not still good. They still confuse with the
position of word class (verbs, preposition, adjectives, nouns and questioning
words, etc.)
Example: My name’s Alan.
That is my brother.
There’s a chair in the room.
When’s your birthday?

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The statistic result at the beginning of this school year through directly
interviewing students at grade 3, 4 and 5 at Nga Thanh Primary School.
Total No. of
Good
Quite good
Medium
Weak
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
students
44 (grade 3)
2

4.5
8
18.2
26
59.1
8
18.2
49 (grade 4)
2
4.1
8
16.3
27
55.1 12 24.5
44 (grade 5)
2
4.5
8
18.2
26
59.1
8
18.2
With the result above, from this early school year, I always try to find the
best methods to design interesting lectures inspiring students so that they could
turn what they have learned into productive language via oral communication,
integrate with the developing tendency of foreign language subject: learning a
foreign language is learn how to communicate but not focusing on grammar as
in the past.
III. SOLUTIONS AND IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION

1. Chant to learn:
Chants can be really useful, and the primary students enjoy them. A chant is
simply vocabulary spoken over a background of music or rhythm. They are
useful becaause something about the music energizes the students, and they have
pronounce the word in a rhythm. Also, if we are not comfortable with singing in
front of our students, chants are great.
1.1- Vocabulary chants:
( ruler, eraser, pen…)
ru/ler _ 2 sounds, e/ra/ser _ 3 sounds, pen/ _ 1 sound

1.2- Grammar chants:

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Example:
English 3: Unit 15:
- Team A: Do you have any puzzles?
- Team B: Yes, I do. (looking at the pictures hanging down on the board).
- Team A: Do you have any dolls?
- Team B: No, I don’t. (looking at the pictures hanging upside down on the
board).

2. Sing to learn:
The use of songs in English classes has been suggested since it is believed that
these will make young learners get more benefits. There are many types of songs
and one of these is action song type. A fun and joyful class atmosphere is a
situation that is beneficial for learners, but only fun is not enough. Teachers
should be able to create a fun but educating English class. Action songs are
songs which are completed with particular body movements that support the

meaning of the song.

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Using Action Songs to Promote Fun English Learning at Elementary School.

3. Play games to learn:
A new teaching method could create an amount of inspiration and
creativities for teachers. Each teacher has his own unique creativities during
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teaching process. If teachers repeat the same method in every lesson, students
will get bored and even feel that lessons come as normally without inspiration
and expectation.
Games are also considered to be an important entertainment form. In fact,
they could be used to consolidate material languages as shown above by the
method attracting students. In all every form, games could perform functions of
exercises of practicing skills because we can review and introduce material
languages in funny and well-organized ways through games. The method of skill
practicing section often goes with repeating with teacher-centered. The method
takes effects when students learn new words and sentence structures. On the
contrary, games are often open-ended and student-centered.
There are various types of games. Several ones focus on vocabularies or
sentence structures. And there are games promoting both vocabularies and
sentence structure. Here are several games that I usually apply into my lecture in
my class:
a. Matching game:
Two students run to the board, and match the pictures to the words on the

board. The faster is the winner.

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b. Acting game:
This activity could be implemented in different forms but all the forms are
aimed at expressing meaning through gestures. The simplest way to play the
game is that word cards or pictures are upside down in a pile. One student takes
a card at the top of the pile without reavealing what the word is to the classmates
and the rest of the students guess the words. In another more simple method
without using word cards or pictures, the teacher will whisper the word to a
student. Then, the student continues to do the same steps above.
Example: English 4: Unit 12: Jobs.

Example: English 5: Unit 11: What’s the matter with you?

a headache

a stomachache

a sore eye

A

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a sore throat Ean
armache

a backache
xample
: English 4: Unit 16: (Zoo
Animal Charade)
Is it a tiger? Is it a bear?

a bear

a tiger

a crocodile

a monkey

a giraffe

an elephant

The teacher divides the class into two groups. When there is a signal of the
teacher, one member in each group runs quickly to the picture equivalent to his
group to see what the animal is and does actions for their friends to guess the
animal’s name or makes sentence with the animal based on the already learned
structure. Which group speaking correctly and more quickly is the winner.
c. Simple actions:
Simple actions are great way to get children to be ready for learning
English by doing some actions like this:

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Brush your teeth, brush, brush, brush.
Wash your face, wash, wash, wash.
Wash your hands, wash, wash, wash.
Clap our hands, clap, clap, clap.
Shake our hands, shake, shake, shake.

In order to get the students’ attention, I say:
If you hear me, clap twice.
If you hear me, clap once.
If you hear me, clap three times….
Students keep quiet to listen if clap twice, once or three times happily
together.
d. The ballgame:

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This is a great icebreaker, especially for young students. All I need is a
ball. Passing the ball round saying a word or a full sentence.
For example:
bedroom

garden

living room

My house
bathroom

kitchen

Step 1: Get the students to a form a circle.
Step 2: Hold the ball up and do the model.
Step 3: Pick a student at random and throw the ball to him or her. The student
that catches the ball must then.

e. Back to the board:

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e. “Back to the board” game:
The game “Back to the Board” is a good way for student to understand
and consolidate new vocabulary. This game engages students and activates them
into using their wider vocabulary to describe key words.
Step 1: Split students into two teams.
Step 2: One person from each team must sit on a chair with their back to the
board.
Step 3: The teacher write or stick a word on the board. The players on the chairs
cannot see this but the rest of the team can.
Step 4: Both teams must try and describe the word on the board to the person
from their team without using the actual word.
Step 5: The first team to guess the word gets one point and then I switch the
person on the chair so that evevryone gets a go at guessing.
The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. And most
importantly… have fun!

4. Creating attraction during the lesson by using flashcards:
When teaching primary students, flashcards are practical and useful resources
for teaching vocabulary. Here are some activities I have been used.

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Activity 1: Flash
When introducing or revising a set of flashcards with the children, use the
technique flash. Get the children’s attention: “Everyone, look in this way,
please. Are you ready?” And then show them the flashcard very fast, children
identify what is on the flashcard: “Green.”
Be ready to remodel if they respond in their first language.

Whole class: “ green”

Whole class: “ green”

Activity 2: Slowly, slowly
In this case, cover the flashcard that you choose to use (about toys, pets, action
verbs, family members, house, rooms,…) and then slowly reveal the picture
orthe word. Children identify what is on the flashcard as soon as they can
recognize this: “Green.”

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Activity 3: What’s missing?
Stick the flashcards on the board, get the children to repeat the words, then ask
children to close their eyes and cover their eyes with their hands demonstrate
this, remove one of the flashcards from the board and hide it behind my back.
Ask the children to open their eyes and say what’s missing.

Activity 4: Magic eyes
Play magic eyes, stick the flashcards in a row on the board. Four is a good
number to use. This is a number that children can retain in their short time
memory. Get the children to repeat the words in a rhythmic way.

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When I think children are doing this comfidently, remove the first
flashcard, and continue in the same way.

Remove the second flashcard in the same way and repeat all the words
again. And then remove the next one and repeat all the words again.

In a simple activity like that I am helping to chase children’s memory.
Children are encoraging children to have a visual representation of the image
and to associated with the word.
Activity 5: Lip - reading
Do a “lip – reading” activity, stick the flashcards on the board, get the
children’s attention: “Everybody look in this way, please. I’m going to say one
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of the words, and I want you to tell me what it is. Are you ready ?”.

Students: “ doll”.
With a little activity like that, I’m actually giving children a strategy which
is very helpful when they are learning a foreing languge. Because we look at
people’s lips when they speak, it can help us understand what they say.
Activity 6: Hands on heads

In this activity, divide the class into two teams. Stick the flashcards in two
columns on the board. Each team assigns three or more different flashcards. The
activity works in the following way: Children listen out for the words that
belong to their team and respond by putting their hands on their heads.
For example:
English 3: Unit 11: ( family members).

Team 1: She (grandmother, mother, sister)

Team 2: He (grandfather, father, brother)

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For example:
English 4: Unit 9: (singular nouns, plural nouns)
Team 1: They (benches, desks, maps)
Team 2: It (a board, a painting, a cupboard)
English 4: Unit 13: (food and drink)
Team 1: Food (chicken, beef, pork)
Team 2: Drink (apple juice, milk, mineral water)
As children do confidently in responding, I can speed up how fast I say the
words. This activity gives children an opportunity for moving.
Activity 7: Flashcard groups
Use the flashcards to play an action game, divide the class into groups of
three to five pupils, assign each group a flashcard.
For example: (colours)
Group 1: yellow
Group 2: green
Group 3: red and so on.

Give the groups instructions in the following way:
For example:
Wave your hand, yellow!
Sit down, pink!
Stand up, green! And so on.
When I give instructions, it is important to say the instructions first and the
flashcards second. In this way, the students will keep listening until they know
what are the instructions applied to their group. I can also increase or decrease
the level of challenge depending on whether I do the actions myself as well or
not. For example, if I touch my nose. It is much easier for the students to follow
than when I don’t.

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IV. EXAMINATION
- On the teacher side:
* Create the learning inspiration.
* Impress students; help students raise the creativity in communication
- On student’s side:
* To be interested in practicing and seeing classmate practicing.
* Enhance listening and speaking skills.
* Draw inspiration in the lesson and create the feeling of looking forward to the
forthcoming lesson.
* Help students to remember well each sentence and vocabulary in the lesson.
* Make the relation between teacher-student and student-student in class more
close and encourage increasingly joyful atmosphere in class.
* Like the investigation in the beginning of the first term, I used direct
interview investigation method for the second mid-term.
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THE INVESTIGATION OF FINALL TERM IN 2014-2015
Total number
of students
44 (grade3)
49 ( grade 4)
44 ( grade 5)

Good
No.
%
22
50
24
49
22
50

Quite good
No.
%
18
40.9
23
46.9
18
40.9

Medium

No.
%
4
9.1
2
4.1
4
9.1

Weak
No.
%
0
0
0
0
0
0

During the teaching time in collaboration with positive factors, thanks to
the assistance and steering of Nga Thanh school Board as well as colleagues in
school, I am very happy to creating close relation between teachers and
students, encourage student’s learning passion, enhance the student’s fond of
learning. Teaching activity therefore achieves encouraging outcomes.
C. CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL
The project not only helps me get familiar with science investigation but
also penetrate, discover and present the methods conducted in the experience
initiative. Thus, the quality of teaching and learning is more and more enhanced;
students’ foreign language learning capacity is increasingly improved.
Students are more and more interested in the subject, they are looking

forward to the upcoming English lessons. Students who are shy, lazy,
mispronunciation are significantly reduced.
In order to enhance English communication capacity in school, I would like to
make proposals as follow:
- It is necessary for higher entities, bodies to help teachers stand the chance of
being trained in terms of teaching primary school course of English. Therefore,
teachers can be further provided with knowledge and learn from colleagues in
order for improving profession skill.
- It is needed for entities, school board and parents to develop learning facilities
such as computers, projectors, photocopy machines, scanners, cameras so as to
help student enhance English communication capacity.
- Evaluation and merit is needed strengthening, and teaching creativity is
necessary to be encouraged in each lesson.
The above proposals, which must have included shortcomings are solutions
drawn by the real investigation and examination. I am very welcome to receive

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suggestions and supporting ideas from higher entities, school Board and
colleagues in order that my solutions are more efficient.
I hope that the experience initiative will play a small part in improving
teaching-learning quality as well as the capacity of English communication in
Primary level.
Thank you very much!
COMFIRM OF UNIT LEADER
Thanh Hoa, April 14th 2015
I guarante that the experience innitiative is
written by myself without coppying.

Le Thi Hanh

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