The effect of warm up activities on the grade 10 students’ motivation in listening lessons

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HOÁ

TRƯỜNG THPT NGA SƠN

SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

TÊN ĐỀ TÀI
THE EFFECT OF WARM UP ACTIVITIES ON THE GRADE
10 STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN LISTENING LESSONS

Người thực hiện: Nguyễn Thị Tuyến
Chức vụ: Giáo viên
SKKN thuộc môn: Tiếng Anh

THANH HOÁ NĂM 2018


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................................2
PART I: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................1
Short stories are an ideal tool in teaching language.Good stories can attract students’ attention,
because they provide topics based on their everyday interests.So teacher should tell a short
story slowly and the content of the story is simple and easy for students to
understand,especially it has to be related to the new lesson.Teachers give the students some
questions to answer after they have finished telling the story or teachers only tell a part of the
story,then they ask students to discuss and predict what might happen after the story ends.This
way will make students motivate because they are given their own ideas...................................5
*Answer: DESTINATION...............................................................................................................7
- After that teacher gives some questions:........................................................................................7
........................................................................................................................................................13

PART I: INTRODUCTION
***************
We all know that warm up activities are used to make our classes more
fun and exciting, warm up strategies for our classroom are an excellent
teaching tool, starting the lesson with a good hook activity sets us up for a
better chance of success. It captivates the students and draws them into the
lesson - giving us the opportunity to "do our thing". In my opinion, warm-up
activities in listening lessons has significant effects on the students’ motivation
during the lesson because listening is vital not only in language learning but
also in daily communication. We cannot develop speaking skill unless we
also develop listening skill. To have a successful conservation,students must
understand what is said to them later,the ability to understand spoken English may
become very important. To develop this ability,students need plenty of practice in
listening to English spoken at nomal speed. In fact, listening skill seems to be
ignored by most students,It is also harder to concentrate on listening if
students have little interest in a topic or situation.Our students have to deal
with unfamiliar sounds, new vocabulary, and complex sentences.Moreover,
listening activities often create high levels of anxiety and stress among
learners that can interfere with comprehension.Therefore, with designing
the right warm up activities in listening lessons, teachers put their students
into “English mode”; attentive, interested, ready to participate,produce
relaxed and less inhibited students. They also create a positive atmosphere to
practice and experiment with the new language.
Being a teacher,through the years of teaching in the new method, I have
learned from myself; Designing warm up activities in the beginning of a
new lesson is one of the most important steps in a focused session and it
could make students' learning more stimulating .This will achieve good
result in listening lessons.Moreover, from the very beginning students

understand a lot about the new lesson they are about to learn. Starting from
the theoretical and practical premise, I decided to choose the topic: “The
effect of warm up activities on the grade 10 students’ motivation in
listening lessons at Nga Son High school”
Hopefully, with a range of suggestions of how to make warm up
activitieseffectively in listening lessons introduced in this research,
it will be more motivating for the teachers to teach and make
progress in teaching listening.Therefore, students will be interested
in listening lessons.

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( From “ The method of teaching English in high school ” – Nguyen Hanh Dung – The
publisher of education)

PART II. CONTENT
***************
1.Teachers’ teaching methods
Now the requirement of innovation teaching method is to promote the
positive of students, students must know self-initiative and creative, occupy
the master of knowledge. To fulfill this requirement, the teacher must be the
person who has the role of guiding, directing and organizing the activity of
the student. Therefore, the exploration and use of new methods always
requires each teacher to have.
In warm up stage, teachers’ teaching methods are focused on the ways
teacher design appropriate activities to motivate students to listen as well as
the ways that the teacher elicits pre – lesson activities. In order to have a
suitable method, the teacher should briefly design types of warm up
activities for a limited period, related to the topic, useful to continue later

activities, interesting and enjoyable. Moreover,teachers take some of the
factors into consideration including learners, teaching purposes, other
available classroom conditions and students work in pairs or groups.
Choosing an inappropriate or not being flexible in applying methods to a
certain class may have negative effects on students’ participation .Therefore,
the warm-up design part is based on the following activities.
2. The types of warm up activities
2.1. Using pictures
“A picture is worth a thousand words", the picture will stimulate their
interest.So with this strategy teachers ask the students to draw a diagram of
what they currently understand about the subject or concept
Example 1. Part C-Listening English 10: Unit 3. People’s background
Aim:- Helping students to listen for specific information about an Olympic
champion.
- Teachers can show students a poster of Nellie Kim INCLUDEPICTURE
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From “ English 10- The publisher of education , “ Design class 10 English lessons”Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi , “ Lesson plan” )

- Teachers let students observe the poster, then work in pairs and ask and
answer the questions:
1. Who is in the poster ?
2.When was she born ?

3. Where does she come from?
4.What does she like to do in her free time ?
5. Which sports does she play?
6.. How many time Olympic Champions did she win?
- After looking at the poster , students give the answers
-Teachers gather the answers that students discuss and lead in the new
lesson:
Example 2. Part C-Listening English 10: Unit 10. – Conservation
Aim:
Helping students to listen to get specific information about forest
fires and ways to prevent them.

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-With the pictures are forest fires ,teachers let students observe and give the
following questions :
1.What do you see in the pictures ?
2. What can cause a forest fire?
From “ English 10- The publisher of education , “ Design class 10 English lessons”Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi , “ Lesson plan” )

3. How destructive can a forest fire be?
4.. Do you know any famous forest fire?
5. Are there any forest fires in Vietnam?
6. Which forests have many forest fires every year?
- Finally, the teacher will lead to the new lesson
2.2.Telling a short story

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Short stories are an ideal tool in teaching language.Good stories can
attract students’ attention, because they provide topics based on their
everyday interests.So teacher should tell a short story slowly and the
content of the story is simple and easy for students to
understand,especially it has to be related to the new lesson.Teachers
give the students some questions to answer after they have finished
telling the story or teachers only tell a part of the story,then they ask
students to discuss and predict what might happen after the story
ends.This way will make students motivate because they are given
their own ideas
Example . Part C- Listening English 10: Unit 14. – . The World Cup
Aim:- Students know some information about Pele, the most famous
footballer in the world.
In order to lead in the new leson,teachers can tell a fun and short story :
The young wife moved by her football player husband, said:Last night
you held my head in your hands and fondled me. I didn't know that you
were so much in love with me that you think of me even while you sleep.
The player was surprised.
Oh, was that your head? I was dreaming and was surprised that my ball
had suddenly grown such long hair.
2.3.Jumbled words
The purpose is to improve vocabulary. There can be two or more than
two meaningful words of one jumbled word. We have included only one
word.
Example . Part C- Listening English 10: Unit 1. – A day in the life of...
Teachers write some words on the board and ask students to rearrange them
to make meaningful words.
- CCLOY  CYCLO
- RIEDV  DRIVE

- NSSEGERPA  PASSENGERS
- DOFO SALLT  FOOD STALL

From “ English 10- The publisher of education , “ Design class 10 English lessons”Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi , “ Lesson plan” )

- After completing those words ,teachers will check and introduce the game :
“ Who is he ?”
+ He gets up very early
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+ He has a cyclo
+He drives passengers to everywhere they want everyday.
+ He usually has meals at a food stall.
*Answer: HE IS A CYCLO DRIVER
=>Lead in the new lesson : If we want to know more details about daily
activities of a cyclo driver, we will go to Unit 1- part C- Listening
2.4.Word formation
The aim of this word formation game is for students to play in pairs and form
nouns /verbs /adjectives /adverbs. It is perfect for students to get more
vocabulary.
Example . Part C- Listening English 10: Unit 4. – Special education
Aim : Teachers help students listen for specific information about a special
class for disabled children.
Teachers ask students to work in groups and find which words can be
derived from the word photo ? Example : photograph
Suggested answers:
1. photographic (a)
2. photography(n)
3. photographer(n)

4. photograph (n)
5. photogenic (a)
-After that teachers can help students explain the meaning of the words
-Teachers lead to the new lesson.
2.5.Guess the missing letters
Guess the missing letters helps students learn to use meaning, word length,
onsets and word chunks to help them decode words while listening . This
activity helps them to consolidate their vocabulary
Example 1 . Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 6 –An excursion
- Teachers write a word with six letters on the board , teachers only write the
first and the last letter.
- Ask students to guess the missing letters and fill them in the blanks to have
a meaningful word
P_ _ _ _C
*Answer: PICNIC

- When finding the keyword teacher introduces the topic of the new lesson
by giving some questions:
1.Where do you often go for a picnic?
2.When do you often have a picnic?
3.What do you often do at a picnic?
- Teacher divides the class into 3 groups
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Where?
1. Park
.....................
.........................

When?
Sunday
......................
...............................

What? ( Activities)
Play games
..........................
............................

=>Lead in the new lesson
Example 2. Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 16 -Historical places
-Teachers can let students guess the word with the following suggests :
+ This word has 11 letters
+ It begins with D
+ It ends woth the suffix ION
+ some words are given in the table
D
E
I
N
I
O
N
*Answer: DESTINATION
- After that teacher gives some questions:
1. Do you know about the world cultural heritage sites in Vietnam?
2. Can you name the one in Middle Vietnam its name begins with an H and
ends with an N ? ( Hoi An)
=>Lead in the new lesson

2.6. Asking and anwering
Ask some questions about a particular subject through specific pictures or
objects, asking the students to give their personal opinion. The questions are
simple, easy to understand to avoid the psychology "see fear of false".
Encourage students to raise questions regarding the topic raise
Example . Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 5 - Technology and you.
Teachers can give some questions to ask students with the topic : "talking
about your experience of learning how to use a computer"
1- Can you use a computer?
2- Who teaches you how to use a computer ?
3- Is this difficult to learn how to use it?
4- What will you do if you can’t understand the computer ?
-Now, we are going to listen to a passage, which tells us about an old
company director talking about his experience of learning how to use a
computer
From “ English 10- The publisher of education , “ Design class 10 English lessons”Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi , “ Lesson plan” )

2.7. True - False statement prediction
-Teachers give some sentences related to the topic of the lesson,students
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guess if they are true or false based on their knowledge or their own
experieces
- Teachers asks students to work in pairs to exchange answers before
teachers check their answers
Example . Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 14- The World Cup
-Teachers can give some suggested sentences :
1.Pele was born in America
2.He was good at kicking and controlling the ball.

3.He was an ambassador for the sport
4.He scored 1300 goals and he become a national hero.
- Expected answer:
1.F (Brazil)
2. T
3.T
4.F (1200)
When discussing those statements ,students will pay attention to the contents
of the next lesson and they also want to know their prediction is true or false.
Teachers make them more interested as soon as the lesson begins.
2.8. Open prediction or Brainstorming
Give students a keyword, asking students to work out as many relevant
words as possible within a certain time limit. This activity helps them to
revise their vocabulary.
Example . Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 9 - Undersea world
Teachers write the word Whale on the board and asks students to make a list
of words related to the “Whale”.
WHALE

migrate

mammal
krill
whaling

conservationn

- Lead in the new lesson : Today we will listen to get specific information
about the whales: how large they are, what they eat, where they live, and
if they are in danger.

- When discussing those statements ,students will pay attention to the
contents of the next lesson and they also want to know their prediction is
true or false. Teachers make them more interested as soon as the lesson
begins.
2.9. Eliciting.
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Eliciting is a basic technique and should be used regularly, not only at the
beginning of a lesson but whenever it is necessary and appropriate. This is a
simple and effective way of getting good results in listening
lesson.Therefore, before starting a new lesson teachers can ask and students
answer some questions related to the topic of the lesson.
Students answers base on their knowledge or teachers use the pictures and
can aslo directly ask students questions to lead in the new lesson.
Example . Part C- Listening English 10. Unit 12- Music
- In order to help students listen for more information about Van Cao and his
music.Teachers can apply warming up by asking questions like :
1.What song do all students always sing on every Monday morning? Tien
Quan Ca.
2.Do you know who the composer was? Van Cao
3.When and where was he born? 1923- Nam Ha
4.Is he still alive? No
5.When did he die? 1995
6.What was his first song? Suoi mo
7.What were some of his other songs that you know?
Truong ca song Lo, Lang toi, Truong Chi, Ngay mua.........
=>Lead in the new lesson
2.10. Matching
- Teachers can lead students to the new leson: Part C- Listening English

10. Unit 11- National Parks
- To help them get more information about Cuc Phuong National Park by
asking them to match the name of each National Park with their suitable
description.
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*Answwer:

1. Cát Bà National Park
2. Cát Tiên National Park
3. Cúc Phương National Park
- After that teachers ask some questions about those National Parks like:
1- Have you ever visited these places?
2- Which place would you like to visit? Why?
=>Lead in the new lesson

( From “ English 10- The publisher of education , “ Design class 10 English
lessons”- Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi , “

Lesson plan” )

PART III : CONCLUSION
**************
Through the process of applying the above method I realize that students
are more eager, more flexible in practice, mastered the way of studying and
doing effectively; Students are more excited with school hours, more active
hours, and the quality of listening lessons has increased. Real numbers are
shown by the two following tables.
Acadamic year 2016 - 2017
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Acadamic year 2017 - 2018

As can be seen from the tables, the number of students achieving excellent
and good grade increases considerably while the ones having below average
grade decrease dramatically. It means that these warm up activities are very
helpful to the teacher as well as students in a listening lesson.
Although I have made a lot of effort to carry out the work, I
myself feel that I cannot have more creation, give out more new and
interesting techniques and can’t help having mistakes.I’d like you to
give frank comments and help me to have more interesting things about
this subject.
I hope that this theme would be of some value to both teachers and
students in their language teaching and learning process.
I would like to thank.
The confirmation of the principle

Thanh Hoa, May 25th 2018

I promise not to have copied
Signature

Nguyễn Thị Tuyến

PART IV. REFERENCES
**************
1.“ English 10- The publisher of education
2.“ Design class 10 English lessons”- Nguyen Thuy Minh , Luong Quynh
Trang – The Publisher of Ha Noi )
3. “ The method of teaching English in high school ” – Nguyen Hanh Dung
– The publisher of education)
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4. Warm up activities.(2003).Gareth Rees.
5. Listening strategy guide. (2003). Berman
3.Teaching and studying online: best practices, resources and activities for
developing listening skills.(2015).Ene Peterson
7. A course in English language teaching. On the internet.

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