Create apositive environment for primary students to acquire english

EDUCATION AND TRAINING THANH HOA

THACH THANH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
TRAINING

INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE

CREATE A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR PRIMARY
STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE ENGLISH

Performed by:

Do Thi Ha

Job title:

Teacher

Unit of work:

Thanh Truc Primary School

Initiatives in the field of (subject):

English

THANH HOA, 2018

1

TABLE OF CONTENT
Number

Content

Page

1

1. Introduction

2

2

1.1. Reasons for choosing topic.

2

3

1.2. Research purposes.

2

4

1.3. Research subjects.

3

5

1.4. Research Methods.

3

6

2. The content of the experience initiative

3

7

2.1. Theoretical foundations of the experience.

3

8

3

9

2.2. The real situation before applying the
experience initiative.
2.3. The solution used to solve the problem.

10

2.4. The effectiveness of experience initiatives.

13

11

3. Conclusion.

14

12

3.1. Conclusions.

14

13

3.2. Recommendations, suggestions.

14

5

1. INTRODUCTION.
1.1. Reasons for choosing topic.
2

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.
1.2. Research purposes
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.
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1.3. Research subjects
To learn English well, the learning environment in general is very
important. Studying and practising in the friendly and positive arts center will
held students to practise and apply their knowlegge while enhancing their
confident in using English. Hence, my research in this subject is the most
exciting environment to engage in language communication in the English
language.
1.4. Research methods
The methods I use in my experience include:
- Method of study through research.
- Methods of analysis and aggregation of reference documents.
- The method is very strict through teaching in my lessons.

- Interactive methods of communication.
2. THE CONTENT OF THE EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE.
2.1. Theoretical foundations of the experience initiative.
Today the party and the state are very interested in learning English,
especially in the primary school, foreign language projects have been proposed
to teachers in primary school. And to make good progress in that project, the
major learning environment of English is even more important. For students of
primary school children learn through play, play to learn, the more complex
environment they are attracted to participate in their interaction to help children
learn more effectively. In fact, during the lecture, students will remember words
and phrases faster when they are communicated in a positive environment.
2.2. The real situation before applying the experience initiative.
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
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
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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: ‘wonderful, ‘Sunday, No‘vember, etc.
- In addition, they haven’t been able to pronounce words with s, z, p, k.
Example: /s/ -> its, excuse…
/z/ -> please, she’s…
/p/ -> puzzle, people, puppet…
/k/ -> clock, book, 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 brother’s name’s Peter.
That is my friend.
There’s a bed in the room.
When’s Children’s Day?
The statistic result at the beginning of this school year through directly
interviewing students at grade 3, 4 and 5 at Thanh Truc Primary School.
Total Number Good

of students
No.
%

Quite good
No.
%

Medium
No.
%

Weak
No. %

107 (grade 3)

5

4.7

20

18.7

63

58.9

19

17.7

110 (grade 4)
81 (grade 5)

6
4

5.5
4.9

18
15

16.3
18.5

61
48

55.5
59.3

25
14

22.7
17.3

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.
2.3 The solutions used to solve the problem.
2.3.1. 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 because something about the music energizes the students, and they have
to pronounce the word in a rhythm. Also, if we are not comfortable with singing
in front of our students, chants are great.
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For children, teachers need to have the right method, to develop learning styles
so that the class is more lively fun, the more excited the students are, the higher
the efficiency.Teaching the integration of subject knowledge into games, chant
lessons will help students become more active, remember vocabulary and
sentence structure, more excitement with the lesson.
Each language lesson can create a chant corresponding to the content of
the unit. So in the process of teaching, I always create a chant to help them
review the class just to create a comfortable atmosphere for children ready to
acquire knowledge.
Example: English 3 - Unit 19: Lesson 2.
When finished teaching weather words and practice the sample questions and
answers about the weather. I designed the following chant:
What's the weather like?
It's sunny. It's sunny.

What's the weather like?
It's rainy. It's rainy.
What's the weather like?
It's cloudy. It's cloudy.
What's the weather like?
It's a lift. It's a lift.
What's the weather like?
It's snowy. It's snowy.
What's the weather like?
It's stormy. It's stormy.
By guiding the children to learn chant, I noticed that my students
remember the vocabulary, remember the pattern in the classroom. Also
remember the tone of the chant as well as the intonation of the sentence. The
most important point is to create excitement in language lessons. The children
are attracted to the paper, learn more and more self-conscious.
2.3.1.1. Vocabulary chants:
Example: Unit 8 : This is my pen. – grade 3
( ruler, sharpener, pen…)
Ru/ler - 2 sounds, shar/pe/ner - 3 sounds, pen/ - 1 sound.
Ruler, sharpener, pen.
Ruler, sharpener, pen.
Ruler, sharpener.
Ruler, sharpener.
Ruler, sharpener, pen.
The teacher claps to the rhythm of the word, asks the students to follow,
the teacher claps to the rhythm - the students read the word. Follow up for the
students to practice the whole class, pair. With the use of "vocabulary chant" to
help students excite more when learning and remember faster.
2.3.1.2. Grammar chants:
Example:

English 3: Unit 15: Do you have any toys?
- 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).
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2.3.2. 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. English songs often have simple, repetitive, playful,
healthy lyrics. Songs are often easy to learn and can quickly become your fa
Example: Action song
Sing with me!

Na Na Na
I’m so happy!
Oh, so happy!
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Sing with me!
Clap, clap, clap your hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands.

Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet.
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet.
Swing, Swing, Swing your arms
Swing, Swing, Swing your arms.
Dance everybody and sing with me!
Besides, the songs are also a bridge to make our students more sociable in
class. When the melody is heard, all can join together, including those who are
shy or afraid to communicate and can sing along or can participate in a song
performance in front of the class. Especially if we know how to be skilful, give
our students confidence in expressing yourself in English singing, or even in
communication.
Many English songs for children also contain simple cultural content. Or
many other songs increase their ability to develop memory and concentration, or
have physical connections: they can play characters, or mimic the actions of the
characters in the song. sing. This helps them to memorize her language longer
and to act flexibly, avoiding her sitting or listening in English.
Certainly, if we can start our students' lesson with an English-themed song with
the right topic, we will be engaging in a faster and more effective lesson.
2.3.3. 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
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:
2.3.3.1. Word - practicing
Requirements: At least two players and if need a dictionary. In the
classroom teachers can be divided into two groups and the teacher or student is
the referee.
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How to play: Take any English word (this teacher can do), eg yesterday.
Use the letters that make up the word, specifically: y, e, s, t, e, r, d, a, y to create
other words, who make more words than win. In the example above we can
generate words like: yes, trader, year, steady-state ... Encourage integration.
With this game, students have to try to remember all the words in their minds,
while helping to forget words can learn new words among the words that the
player creates. Teachers think and find words with letters that can form other
words within the content they have learned or to test the student's vocabulary.
2.3.3.2. Guessing - word
This game is basically the same as the "Hidden Hats" game on TV. The
master (teacher or student) chooses a name or a word for a subject, then draws
the number of squares corresponding to the number of letters of that name or
word. From the given hint, the player will guess one letter at a time, if the letter
is in the letter, then the character will write the letter in the correct place.
Anyone who finds out the name wins. In contrast, after 5 wrong guesses (the
number of times determined by the host and the player) but not found, the player
will lose. There may be two or more students in charge of the game. Whoever

wins multiple times wins.
These games help students to play and learn not only in class, but also in
every place, and at the same time, while studying vocabulary effectively. The
games attract students to take lessons, especially reading comprehension,
conversation to introduce the topic. The games also train the children to be able
to judge, to create, to train the quick reflexes, decisiveness, confidence, create a
happy atmosphere.The reality is that with teacher classes organizing English
games, students are very excited to come to class, understand deeper and more
natural, less shy of inherent. With some classes, teachers do not put the game in
the classroom, students may be afraid to speak, knowledge is not deep, afraid to
attend school, not really interested in the subject. However, in order for the game
to be effective, teachers need to be well-prepared and flexible to schedule the
time, and choose a game that matches the content of the lesson. Teachers also
need to be prepared for the necessary equipment. In the process of organizing
the game must go from easy to difficult, should not reverse it. When the student
loses a penalties should be gentle, delicate, encouraging students to try more
next time. When playing, do not be biased or discriminated against sexually, or
try to punish you. While playing an English game, the clutter in the classroom is
unavoidable. This is likely to affect other classes, so the teacher must really be a
dynamic host, solving every situation. Surprisingly, it can happen that the game
can be performed effectively.
2.3.3.3. Matching game:
Two students run to the board, and match the pictures to the words on the
board. The faster is the winner.
Example:
English 4: Unit 17: How much is the T- shirt?

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2.3.3.4. 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 5: Unit 11: What’s the matter with you?

a headache

a stomachache

a sore eye

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a backache

a sore throat

2.3.3.5. Simple actions
Simple actions are great way to get children to be ready for learning English
by doing some actions like this:
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.
2.3.3.6. The ballgame:
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.
Example:
Bedroom
Living room
Garden

Dining 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.
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Step 3: Pick a student at random and throw the ball to him or her. The student
that catches the ball must then.
2.3.3.7. “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!
2.3.4. 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.
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: “House.”
Be ready to remodel if they respond in their first language.
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.”
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. 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
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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
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: Words on hands
In this activity, divide the class into groups. Stick the flashcards in two
columns on the board. Each groups draw three or more different flashcards. The
activity works in the following way: Children listen out for the words that
belong to their groups and respond by drawing their words on their hands.
Example:

English 3: Unit 11: Family members.

Groups1: She (grandmother, mother, sister)

Groups 2: He (grandfather, father, brother)

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.
Example: (colours)
Group 1: yellow
Group 2: green
Group 3: red and so on.
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Give the groups instructions in the following way:
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.
2.4. The effectiveness of experience initiatives for educational

activities, with self, colleagues and the school.
- 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.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SECOND MID- TERM TO MARCH
2018
Total number
of students
107 (grade 3)
110 (grade 4)
81 (grade 5)

Good
No.
39
39
29

%
36.5

35.5
35.8

Quite good
No.
%
44
41.1
48
43.6
34
42.0

Medium
No.
%
24
22.4
23
20.9
18
22.2

Weak
No.
0
0
0

%

0
0
0

During the teaching time in collaboration with positive factors, thanks to
the assistance and steering of Thanh Truc 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.
3. CONCLUSION
3.1. Conclusions:
The project not only helps me get familiar with science investigation but
also penetrate, discover and present the methods conducted in the experience
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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.
3.2. Recommendations, suggestions.
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 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!
CONFIRM OF UNIT LEADER

Thach Thanh, April15th 2018
I guarantee that the experience initiative is
written by myself without copying.

Do Thi Ha

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